Party at the Late Rooms following the first night of the Gorillaz gigs at the Opera House in Manchester. I’ve done a few of these things and this was by far the most party-ish. Sometimes it’s just a few hangers-on, a PR person, and the drummer’s newly-dumped-girlfriend crying into her beer. This one was great, though. Played for just over an hour and then Alix Walker took over. A few things like ‘Mr Big Stuff’, and ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ got the crowd onto the dancefloor.

Neneh Cherry danced to ‘Mr Big Stuff’ and ‘Hot Pants’ by Bobby Byrd, and came up and praised the tunes (bless her). Damon Albarn jumped around to ‘White Man in Hammersmith Palais’ and ‘Gangsters’. It was good to see Albarn and the rest of the group let their hair down, but also the other invitees weren’t the usual Manchester rent-a-crowd (yawn), so that made the whole event more memorable and less up-its-arse than I thought it might be.

Alix rocked it too; he’s a good DJ, worth checking out. He plays the Circle sometimes and One Central Street on a Thursday I think. Anyway, thanks to the party organisers for giving me the gig and the tickets for the show. Shaun Ryder danced too, I believe, though the venue got very full and messy and you can’t see all the dancefloor from the DJ box, and maybe that was just someone hallucinating.