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This weekend was my first time in Manchester. A friend and I were here to see Muse, along with a couple of his friends who handily live in Sale and we're therefore able to accommodate us.
A smooth drive up saw us arrive just past midday, so we hopped onto a tram and made our way into the city centre as my companion offered a guided tour. Like most cities, Manchester has some lovely architecture and squares, so it was a very enjoyable wander with the sun shining!
After lunch and a couple of hours ambling, we headed back to Sale and met up with our hosts for a chat and some pizza before heading back in for the show.
By this time, Manchester was living up to its reputation and the rain was pouring down so we arrived at the Arena thoroughly soaked!
In the arena, we could see that a circular stage was set up in the middle, with two arms projecting from it to stretch across the arena floor, affording everyone with great views.
The support was provided by Phantogram, an electronic rock duo from New York, consisting of singer Sarah Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter, augmented by an extra keyboard player. They played a good 45 minute set and it's possible we could hear more from them in the future.
Then it was time for Muse. Their fantastic musical performance was enhanced by the theatrical staging including floating globes, a drone and projections, one of which consisted of an evil puppet master controlling Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme. A fantastic show in front of a sell out crowd.
For the duration of Sunday morning, we were trapped in our host's home as the Manchester Marathon resulted in road closures. However, we ventured out mid morning to a local cafe to enjoy a scrumptious brunch. By the time we'd finished, the stragglers had passed and the road was opened, allowing us to embark upon the drive home.
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