They came. They saw, they realised they didn't have to conquer anyone. Tonight was the closest the band could get to a not so private party for their home town, and they played as if it was, including the occasional "glitch"

There's no need to win people over when you can reel off "Ceremony", "Love Vigilantes", "Crystal" & "Regret" as your opening 4 numbers, but it wasting a night for taking it easy .

As Hooky prowled that stage with a menacing grin, the old, the young and the in-between moved as one to the tunes relayed by the pied pipers of Manchester music.

Monitors that relay the lyrics may now be required by Sumner, but it is after all over 20+ years since they released "Transmission," and the sell out 3,000 plus crowd didn't mind.  They wanted to be indulged and move their bodies to some of the greatest slices of music ever created - and that they did.

As he sipped his red "Perrier water" between songs, Sumner was relaxed enough to request for - and getting- the crowd to show more enthusiasm for new number such as "Krafty" and "Turn" from the latest CD, "Waiting For the Sirens Call".

In truth these were merely to a precursor to the a traipse though music as timeless now as when first released such as "Your Silent Face"

No complaints them front the audience about moving forward, indulging in new styles, or re-imagining.  Just savouring something precious

Even Anthony H Wilson turned up, so it must have been a special occasion

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