Singing and drinking- two of Louise Weston’s favourite things.
But can Tiger Tiger’s Lucky Voice Pods live up to her expectations?
Going out to a bar on Saturday night is always exciting. You get dressed up, you think about what you might drink, you hope you’ll have some interesting conversations, a few laughs, and manage not to end up featured on Booze Britain, face-down in a spilt kebab afterwards. But going out to a bar where you’re allowed to sing all your favourite songs, and watch your friends do the same, whilst being brought drinks at the press of a button, isn’t just exciting. Like garlic bread, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the future.
Since the eight Lucky Voice pods were installed at uber-bar Tiger Tiger last year, I’ve kept hearing tales of their brilliance. At first, though, I was confused. “Isn’t it weird,” I thought, “being stuck in a tiny booth with five other people, all singing into each others’ faces? And what happens if one person hogs the mike.. or can’t sing.. or both?”
It all sounded like a weird punishment for exhibitionists- “You will have access to 6000 songs.. but your only audience will be small, drunken and mocking! You will never play Wembley!”
All the same, come my boyfriend’s birthday, it seemed like a good bet after copious amounts of cava at his flat. You can book the pods by the hour, for up to fourteen people, so we dragged four like-minded show-offs along, and arrived at 10pm on a heavingly busy Saturday night. Pre-booking a pod means you get to jump the queue, though- so we whisked past the dancing carnage on the lower floors (and frankly, the furnishings could do with a bit of sprucing up too) and were led to our pod, where, miraculously, all the yelling and thumping bass vanished into a lovely, soundproofed muffle (although when the door opened, we could very faintly hear the hen party next door murdering Hi Ho Silver Lining.)
Our pod-person showed us how the screen worked, gave us two microphones and a tambourine, took our drink orders, and left us there, on the plush leather banquette, staring at each other, wide-eyed with terror.
There’s just about enough room for two people to stand up- so after a stiff drink, that’s what we did, as my Birthday Boyfriend typed in “David Sylvian” and gave a surprisingly accurate rendition of I Second That Emotion. Because unlike most karaoke, you’re not stuck between American Pie and Material Girl (though they have those too.) Think of a singer, and the chances are, they’re on there- which is how our friend came to be rocking a passionate version of Echo and the Bunnymen’s The Killing Moon, when the pod-person came to tell us our hour was up.
We’d already got through two bottles of wine and several cocktails, we’d done Duffy, Amy, Kylie, the Eagles, and Black Grape (that one was truly terrible.) And there was no way we were leaving. Time had vanished, as it continued to do when we booked in for a further two hours, and ordered more wine.
While the rest of Tiger Tiger is a big, shouty, hangar of boozed-up chat-up, the Lucky Voice Pods are possibly the most fun that’s ever happened in Manchester. Nobody cares if you can sing. There’s always the Reverb button. And you know, just thinking about the soul I put into Bette Midler’s The Rose, makes me think Wembley’s not entirely out of reach. At least,  while I was inside the pod, it did. Outside, it’s a much crueller world.

Pods from £10
Tel: 0161 385 8080
Booking recommended

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When do you call time on the fun? As Manchester prepares for Mardi Gras,
Michael Huckerby contemplates hanging up his dancing shoes…

Pride, Mardi Gras, Manchester Gayfest, whatever you want to call it, it’s upon us once again, as the city fills with gays from across the UK (and one or two from overseas), and for one big weekend, Manchester turns queer.
It still amazes me that every time I go, I see friends from years gone by. It’s almost like a pilgrimage, and as ever, I can’t wait. But recently, as I started telling one female friend all about my plans for the August bank holiday, she actually laughed. “Are you still partying at 32, Michael?”  This was the first time anyone had suggested that I was too old to do something… and her amusement said it all.
As I spent the rest of the day searching for ways to escape the miserable Manchester weather, I landed on some cheap flights to Orlando- and who’d have guessed, but they arrived just in time for Disney Gay Days: 120,000 gays from all over the world in Speedos – why not?
It was that ‘why not’ question that returned to me as I boarded my nine -hour flight; and  that same worry kept me awake throughout it. Was I told old to party- had the fun passed its sell-by date, and no one told me?  As I finally hit the pool party at Disney, I saw guys ranging from 18 (although some looked younger) up to about 60;  all of them smiling, swigging beer and looking like they were having the time of their lives. I should have known that staring at people, trying to work out their ages, would get me in trouble. As I ordered another drink, I heard a voice from over my shoulder say, “I’ll get that.”  I turned round and saw a cute young man smiling in front of me-  he told me he’d seen me looking, and wanted to say hi.  I didn’t want to tell him I was trying to work out if he was old enough to drink.
As the night wore on and my young friend was getting ready to go to the real party (please note; this started at 1am) I decided that maybe for tonight, at least, the party was over. I kissed him goodbye, but what came next made me wonder even more. “Don’t you wanna stay and party?” he said,
“you can sleep when you’re old.”
By now, I was truly wondering where in the scheme of things I fitted. One person thought I was too old to party;  one thought I was too young to sleep. As a gay man, I don’t have to worry about my kids getting up for school, and as I’m my own boss I have no one nagging me about being on the ball-  so I guess if I want to stay out late and party, I can. What I’m not sure of is whether I’ll still be doing this when I’m 40. When I was 20, I swore I wouldn’t be partying at at 30.
I suppose, ultimately, the reason that gay men continue to party in their 30s, 40s, 50s and more, is simply because we can. If you went to Ibiza and saw some straight 50 year old dancing with his top off you’d probably smirk-  but perhaps gay men are more accepting of age. We all know we’re going to get there – and secretly we’re afraid that one day, we might be that 50 year old.
When it comes to Mardi Gras this year, it’ll be the tenth time I’ve been. Will I go another ten times? Probably. Will I do the parade and be out all four nights in a row? Maybe not. I know I’m slowing down as I get older-  but I don’t believe that means it all has to stop. I don’t imagine myself being the 50 year old man at the party (unless my body is hot-  then why not?) but I’d like to think I could still enjoy a drink or two over Pride weekend no matter what my age.
So is the party over for me? Not yet. Should I slow down? Yes..when I’m ready. Do I feel too old? If I can still pull a guy who looks too young to get served… hell, no.

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SIMPLE
SMITHFIELD BUILDINGS,
TIB STREET, M4 1LA
TEL: 0870 757 1996

AVERAGE COST PER HEAD £5.50 for a cocktail
STYLE Contemporary, Cool & Relaxed
BEST FOR Unpretentious Drinks, Good Service

When it comes to the Manchester bar scene, simplicity is not a word that immediately springs to mind. From unnecessary dress codes to cocktail menus that read like the city’s phonebook, getting a drink in the city centre can be a bit of an ordeal; and that’s even before you find yourself crying into your wallet when the bill arrives. With this in mind, my partner and I were keen to discover something a little bit different and at Simple I think we’ve found it.

Now, I must confess, this review wasn’t my first time visiting Simple but in the few months since I last visited there has been something of a transformation in both the look and feel of the venue. Located just a stone’s throw from the NQ’s more vocal neighbours, the redecorated Simple is a case in point for evolution as opposed to revolution in city drinking. Where the Simple of old was more, well, sleek and simple, the refurbished venue has taken on a more living room feel with attractively patterned wallpaper, gilt mirrors and faux chandeliers. Whilst these might seem like odd ideas for a city centre bar, they combine perfectly with the sumptuously inviting leather sofas that fill the main bar. Having sunk into our sofa, we were relaxed and ready to tackle the first round.

First up for me was a Cosmopolitan whilst my partner opted for a Mojito. After all, if you can get the basics right, the rest follows naturally. And get it right they did. My Cosmopolitan was stronger than some I’ve had before which might not have been to all tastes but for me, it was perfect. The Cosmo is invariably a sharp, short cocktail and this strong blend of good vodka, Cointreau and cranberry really hit the spot; not least as the bartender had been careful not to galvanise the bitterness of the orange liquor with too much oil from the decorative rind. Very refreshing indeed. My partner’s Mojito came very classic as well with perfectly muddled sprigs of earthy mint giving a fresh taste to the sugared rum. I have to say,
I have seen more attractively presented Mojito’s but rarely have I tasted this cocktail balanced so perfectly with the rum taking centre stage ahead of the potentially overpowering mint.

Having sampled Simple’s take on old style, we opted for a twisted classic and signature cocktail for our second round. My partner was intrigued enough by the Espresso Martini to take the plunge whilst I went for the Simple Pleasure which was the fruitiest option on the menu. My partner and I are both fans of good Martini’s and the cocktail that arrived before us was quite unlike anything we’d seen before. Served cold with an indulgently thick reddish-brown crema, this blend of espresso, vodka, kahlua and hazlenut syrup cut an odd but elegant figure in its shallow martini glass. And it tasted fantastic with just a whisper of the liquor biting through the rich, Italian blend with a lingering hint of botanical gin. One for the adults, certainly. The Simple Pleasure was an unusual blend for a signature cocktail, relying more on fruit flavours than hard notes of liquor but with Plymouth gin bolstered by a decent dash of raspberry liqueur and a very crisp apple juice served long and cold, this turned out to be an excellent and uniquely English
sun downer.

Overall, the refurbished Simple is an excellent counterpoint to the increasingly audacious bar scene of the Northern Quarter. Although the cocktail menu itself boasted only five options, it’s refreshing to find a bar that doesn’t feel the need to be unnecessarily eclectic in its offering to keep up with the Jones’. With a relaxed clientele, attentive service and an unpretentious atmosphere that left the mixing to be the star of the show, Simple certainly deserves its tag as the bar at the very heart of the Northern Quarter.

Oli Lill.

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MOJO

19, BACK BRIDGE ST, MANCHESTER, M3 2PB
TEL: 0161 839 5330

AVERAGE COST PER HEAD: £10 (FOR 2 COCKTAILS)
STYLE: ACCESSIBLE QUALITY
BEST FOR: LETTING YOUR HAIR DOWN!

MM RATING: 5/6

Mojo have 3 bars, one in Manchester, one in Leeds and one in Barbados. I’d like to say this reviewing mission had included return flights to the West Indies but sadly, it was a miserable Mancunian Monday and there wasn’t a sniff of anything like Barbados weather.

It didn’t matter though, Mojo is not a weather dependent bar (there’s no roof terrace, balconies etc); it’s all about the drinks they create, and of course (their tagline) ‘Music for the People’. I’ve always been a fan of Mojo – basically, a good time seems to be had by all every time I’ve been. It’s a simple formula – no fuss, they don’t try too hard, Mojo just facilitate a good bar experience.

The cocktail list is impressive but accessible, with most drinks coming in at around £5, and for anyone driving in the party the list of ‘Softies’ is a particularly good option at £1.60. The walls are strewn with musical memorabilia, which work surprisingly well –(live musical photography, huge prints of Abbey Road cover, and even a large tube map based on musical development – a particularly good talking point).

We decided to ignore the worst summer on record, still beating against the windows, and went for cocktails that lifted one’s spirits (so to speak). The bartender was excellent, which was no surprise as Mojo has a reputation for employing high quality mixologists. He recommended that if we were looking for summer in a glass (which we were), we should try the Bramble. This was a concoction of Plymouth Gin shaken with lemon and sugar, served tall with a drizzle of Crème de Mure and Blackberry Liqueur, and was a dream to drink, managing to be sour and fruity at the same time. My partner chose a more masculine ‘El Presidente’. This was a full hit of a cocktail in the traditional sense, with delicately balanced measures of strong spirits in the mould of the classic Manhattan. This variation swapped the whisky for brandy and added a twist of orange liqueur. The result was a challenging and well-honed collision of flavours to really keep any Manhattan fan, looking for something different, truly satisfied.

For round 2 we decided to stick with the cocktails (although there’s plenty of good beers and a couple of decent wines too), as with over 70 on the list, it seemed a waste not to try a couple more. I ventured even further into the unknown (for me) with a Mint Julep. Traditionally associated with the southern states of America, it arrived in a silver julep cup with a frosty exterior and lots of mint. A stronger, hardier version of a Mojito (whisky rather than rum), this was quite a fierce number but managing to be refreshing at the same time.

Our final choice was the Tijuana Lady, which was my personal favourite of the evening. Like a margarita but shaken with mint and served as a martini – it was a fabulous, unusual winner of a drink that I loved.

Mojo fills a niche in Manchester. It’s without the pretensions of some cocktail establishments, or the ‘exclusive insider’ feel of some music-orientated bars, Mojo doesn’t seem to be trying to be anything, but succeeds in getting most things right.

Siobhan Hanley.

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Great John Street Hotel

Great John Street, Castlefield, Manchester

Tel: 0161 831 3211

I find that Hotel bars often make a great place to sit and watch the world (and people) go by. The chances are that the other people in there are hotel residents so there is no real community feeling or thumping atmosphere, instead a serene ambience and a flurry of activity as guests arrive and depart, meetings are held, work is done and a drink is enjoyed in calm surroundings.

I am a bit odd like that – I love being able to blend in – pretty much in the same way you would in a branch of Starbucks – in hotels it is perfectly acceptable to sit on your own and read / type / talk discretely on your phone and watch the world go by. That’s why for me something that makes a great hotel is one in which there is a great bar… not just for the drinks, but for the warm feeling of belonging.

The Great John Street hotel is tucked away in a former school behind Granada’s TV Studios on Quay Street. The Victorian school house has been transformed into a chic townhouse boutique hotel with unique, individually designed bedrooms and suites alongside stylish lounges and the Oyster Bar. It is owned and operated by the husband and wife team behind 11 Didsbury Park and Didsbury House Hotel in Didsbury.

The hotel bar is tucked away behind the reception area and the feeling that gets you as soon as you walk in is like something out of a Mr and Mrs Smith hotel guide. In fact it would not be out of place for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt themselves to be locked in a lovers embrace at the bar á la Mr and Mrs Smith the movie. It is not like a typical mainstream hotel bar with lots of corporate bustle it’s more elegant and warm in both its atmosphere
and décor.

The drinks on offer cater for every taste – in a rather Mancunian way they even offer J.W. Lees on draft (£2.00 for half a pint), which would allow visitors from outside the region to sample some of our
region’s finest.

The bar is split across two levels, the upper level being a mezzanine floor dominated by an exquisite chandelier which provides a focal point to the bar as a whole. The bar area flows into the residents lounge which when we were they were buzzing with guests. It was packed full of media suit types and TV execs (if my sweeping generalization is anything to go by) digesting the events of the day.

If you are a hotel guest then you can also drink up on the roof terrace, which is the old playground of the school. It is visually stunning up there and you could forget that you were in Manchester if it wasn’t for the sight of Beetham Tower looming overhead.

The service was five star without being imposing which is what you would expect for this class of boutique hotel, and whilst the bar was very quiet when we visited it still had a great atmosphere and sense of calm surrounding it. Our round of drinks which comprised a coffee and a glass of house wine tipped in at £7.45, which given the boutique status of the hotel is reasonable in my opinion.

The Oyster Bar would be great for pre-theatre drinks as the Opera House is right around the corner, and I can’t wait to come back and have afternoon tea on the roof terrace which at £14.95 is very comparable to others on offer in the city and from the description sounds
pretty amazing.

A little off the beaten track, this gem of a hotel bar is perfect for a quiet drink alone or with friends any time of day or night.

MM Verdict: 5/6

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TRIBECA
SACKVILLE STREET,
CITY CENTRE

TEL: 0161 236 8300
AVERAGE COST PER HEAD: £3 FOR A PINT, £6 FOR A VARIETY OF COCKTAILS
STYLE: NEW YORK ATTIC
BEST FOR: PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WORKING THE DAY AFTER
MM VERDICT: 3 STARS

Tribeca has long been renowned in the city for being a chilled place to go after work for their cheap wine offer. I decided that, as I am in there practically half the evenings that a week holds, that I would give it an official review.

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