Pink & Black food... what?

So last week my girlfriend and I went to 'an evening of pink and black' at the Lead Station in Chorlton. The event was in support of the Genesis Centre - a fantastic centre for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

I'm a big fan of the Lead Station. Good food, relaxed atmosphere and not a hint of pretentiousness. So it's fair to say I was looking forward to having a six course meal there. It didn't let me down.

The menu consisted of:

• A pink Long Island Ice Tea


• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup (almost pink)


• Thai bean salad with fresh grapefruit, grapes and balsamic dressing


• Crab Ravioli (made with half pink, half black pasta)


• Campari Sorbet


• Chargrilled pork chop with apple and onion confit and black pudding mash
  
  

and after a long break...



• Pink Meringue & Blackberry Messy Eton

(and 2 x bottle of Rioja)

The whole lot was delicious - the highlight of my evening being the crab ravioli and the black pudding mash (wrong, but so right!) I even enjoyed the Campari sorbet, although I couldn't eat the bottom of it - too much Campari! And I even made an effort between mouthfuls to Tweet every course for the benefit of my work colleague Jon.

After the Messy Eton was the expected speech from the event organisers, however it really struck a chord with me. The mantra of the centre is 'let's make one in ten, none in ten', and unlike most breast units it's primary goal is to completely prevent breast cancer from ever developing, through researching it's causes, early screening, and advising people about healthy lifestyle choices - which has a massive impact on the incidence of breast cancer. It really is inspiring to hear people talk so passionately about changing the future for people with breast cancer, people who haven't got it yet, and people who haven't even been born.



A charity that will have my support for life. Can't wait for the next event.

http://www.genesisuk.org/index.php

A MELTing pot of experiences

Long time no blog. Reason being I've only just got my Internet connection sorted at home, and it couldn't have come any sooner.

So anyway - yesterday I flew back from Germany with a tear in my eye and dirt embedded into my feet. I've been away for a week, first of all to go to Melt festival, then 3 days in my favourite city in the world - Berlin.

Melt was amazing. The weather was shit, it was almost as wet as Glasto - but that venue is something else, and the line-up (for what I actually saw of it) was the best I've seen in a while at any festival.



The joy of the Melt for me was that the smaller venues were better than anything on the main stage. You just don't get the atmosphere on a big stage that you do when hundreds of sweaty, completely hammered people are heaving together in a small space. My favourite example of this being the Red Bull stage on Saturday night, where Daniel Haaksman, Edu K, and Bonde Do Role were back to back and just so good I held piss in for 3 hours and got other people to go to the bar for me. Berlin Battery on Sunday night were awesome too. The last act of the festival, full of people who didn't want to let go.



Hot Chip and Bjork were on before them on the main stage, and while they were both amazing and I really enjoyed them - you can't help but have people that aren't into it hovering around and talking over the top. This really annoys me but hey - that's the craic with a festival.

The camp site we set up for ourselves was an absolute shit tip by the time we left. We had trolleys from the local Lidl as chairs, and we'd sustained a camp fire by burning left over face wipes - but for 4 days that place was home. I was sad to leave, but when you're going to Berlin instead of back home then you can't really drag your feet can you?



I went to Berlin in February, so it felt a little like coming home when I got on the s-bahn from the airport and saw the graffiti plastered on every available wall, and the clash of modern architecture with derelict building shells. We spent most of the day times walking around the vintage shops and art squats, occasionally stopping to drink beer and eat. We also visited the Hamburger Bahnhof to see the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition, which was breathtaking. He's my favourite photographer, but when you see works you've only ever seen on the Internet or in a coffee table book in large format on a mass of white walls - it's pretty incredible.

Me and Cat went to Berlin Zoo on our own on Wednesday. It was unlike any zoo i've ever been to. Unless strictly necessary to avoid escaping, most of the animals weren't in cages, but in large outdoor areas with a sort of unfilled moat to stop them getting out. It took five hours to walk round, and we didn't even go to the aquarium. If you're in Berlin - go.



The highlight of my whole trip though was Tresor on the last night. Oh. My. God. We queued for over an hour to get in, but it was worth it. Have you ever seen Irreversiblé? Well that's the basement of Tresor, but replace the S&M for sweaty ravers. Pitch black but for a strobe light and some red lights towards the entrance/exit. Even if you're not hammered, the lighting and music combined distorts your perceptions so much you'll feel fucked. Or so I imagine. Upstairs was minimal tech, and although it's not my favourite style of music it was amazing. We were there till 8am, slept for 3 hours and then left for the airport. Felt like shit all flight, but it was worth it. I think it even topped Panorama/Berghain in February.





So there we have it. Germany, done. Can't wait till next time.

This week I have mostly been listening to...

Infadels - Free Things (Alex Metric Remix) is going to be my summer soundtrack. It chirps me right up whenever I hear it. They're a creepy looking bunch those Infadels though eh?

Yes. I'm from the Midlands and apparently this makes me genetically pre-disposed to be a 'hair-metal' fan. But let's face it, it's a corker... Alice Cooper - Poison


Tina Turner - Private Dancer LP. My lovely girlfriend bought me this on Saturday from the roadside book stall outside MMU Student Union. It was a toss up between this, Fleetwood Mac and The Carpenters - I think I made the correct choice. I know my Mom would approve, and if you don't like the music at least appreciate the pins. Tina Turner - Private Dancer

I married the Eiffel tower

I love documentaries. I'll pretty much watch them about anything. And if they're telling me something I don't know much about - even better. You could say I'm somewhat of a fan.

Last night however I had all my expectations superceded, by "I married the Eiffel Tower" on Channel Five.


I had the same 'this has got to be a fucking joke' feeling as the first time I watched "This is Spinal Tap" or "Brass Eye", and what made it all the better this time was that this wasn't actually intended as a mockumentary.

To explain a little. The documentary was about people that are referred to as 'objectum sexuals'. They only have intimate relationships with objects, and interestingly all of them are women. They were 'in the closet' for years, however - god bless the Internet - they have been bought out of their shells and formed online friendships and communities.

For the most part the experience of viewing was one of disbelief and raucous laughter, although at times I was just truly shamed to watch. Not least when the main protagonist went back to Paris to 'consummate' her marriage with Mrs (yes, it's a lesbian objectum sexual romance) Eiffel Tower. As she straddled a steel girder, the wind blew her skirt just a fraction up her thigh to reveal that no - she wasn't wearing any knickers. She moaned and groaned about how she could feel the towers coldness merging with her body, all the while small French children walking past, looking up at her confused and wondering "why can't I climb on the tower like that lady is?"

The tilting camera shots were a treat. They swept from the bottom of the objects upwards, elongating them and leaving you in awe of just how monumental and phallic they were. If you told me it was a porn camera-persons first foray into the documentary world I wouldn't have been at all shocked.

I'll leave you with some choice quotes from the program. Put them in your memory bank, they're keepers...

"It's so awkward to have a professional relationship with an ex."
- Lady #1 on using her archery bow again three years after they broke up.

"Let's just say this - there's something physical going on here."
- Lady #1 explaining what was going on between her and a small picket fence she'd stumbled (and straddled) across. The tart already had two at home.

"I want your fluids"
- Lady #2 as she smears the grease from a fair ground ride all over her face.

Bjork

Was amazing. I'll post a full reveiw and some photos just as soon as I get my computer back. Oh happy day.