Flyer
Simply Red
Manhattan Sound (Manhattan's)
31st May 1984

While I’m uploading photos of A3 flyers from me dig. Camera; (who’s a clever boy then....I’ve learned a fair bit about computers doing all this so I’m only a semi-luddite now). This flyer from one of Mr. Simply’s early incarnations under this moniker after the demise of The Frantic Elevators. This was a really good gig actually; upbeat with everyone on form. The lead vocal duties were shared around, an acapella ditty was thrown in the mix and encored with “Teenage Kicks” as they did at a few of these early gigs. Big fun was had by all. Mog the bass player, had been in The Smirks followed by The Albertos during the time they had a kiddies type show on telly. (Mentioned somewhere before I think about The Smirks and Devo supporting The Albertos at The Free Trade Hall circa ’78, so one degree of separation there...). He went on to play with The Lonesome and Penniless Cowboys and thence...? I had a tape of this gig and the new band were off to a promising start ,but this line-up didn’t last long; didn’t see them much after this.
The Manhattan was a great little club, small and a tad seedy ; a winning combination. I don’t recall it being used much for gigs though; The Brigade and Hamsters being ones that springs to mind. First time I went about ’78 it had a different name but the brain cell that was looking after that particular byte of knowledge has long gone A.W.O.L.
While I’m having a virtual stroll around Spring Gardens, I worked for a few short weeks for two brothers who had a printing business just up from The John Bull pub and they insisted I accompany them each lunchtime to watch the strippers in the back bar during our lunch hour; well being young and impressionable I didn’t have much say in the matter. The various young girls would come rushing in dressed in their office attire, get changed into their sparkly apparel and proceed to take it off ,usually accompanied by some Euro Disco hit of the day,” Oxygene” being one that springs to mind; before changing back into their workaday clothing to presumably make it back to their assorted offices before their lunch time was up. I hope they got some good holidays out of it....On a personal note I didn’t learn much about printing....