Bilmuri, Beer & A Heatwave: 24 Hours in 35-Degree Manchester

Amy Roebuck
2 days ago
4 min read

On the 26th of July, we embraced the heat and embarked on a Journey to Manchester to go and see Elliot's favourite band: Bilmuri. I was nervous as we started the day with the heat; it was already heating up in Hull, and we were dreading the train! I really needed a bit of replenishment when we got to the station, so I headed to Starbucks for an Iced Chai Latte. Ordered, and the grumpiest Barista handed me a hot one. I said, "I'm sorry I ordered this iced?" She actually ROLLED HER EYES at me! "You want ice?" "Well, yeah, thats what I said", She huffed and shoved some ice in it. I then said, "Sorry, I ordered a cinnamon bun as well..." and she actually SNAPPED at me "Yeah, you'll get it in a minute!" I was like, " Whoa, okay, I get the heat, but there was no need for such rude service. I took my order and left. When we got on the train, the first carriage we went into had zero aircon. We said absolutely not and moved to the next carriage. It was a bit cooler, but you could feel the hot air was absolutely stifling. It was a horrendous Journey, especially on our second train, we had reserved seats on them, it turns out they were table seats and there was a group of people already sat there, we approached, explained that they were our reserved seats, and one of the girls went "Oh, there wasnt a reserved sign on them when we got on" And I said, "It doesnt matter, I have the reservation right here" She said "Are you sure you're on the right train?" I'm losing my patience at this point; they clearly wanted to remain seated there with their friends, but it was hot, there were no other free seats, and we had the reservation, so again we politely asked them to move. They did, but her friend, who sat across from me, kept her legs stretched out underneath the table, so I couldn't put my feet down and had to remain scrunched up for the rest of the journey. She was doing it just to be a piece of work that we made her friends move. She kept pointing to the girl beside her and looking under the table, snickering. I was in no mood to point it out; she was clearly trying to get a rise out of me, but it was simply too bloody hot! Headphones went in, and I retreated into my little bubble till we hit Manchester.

Okay, Manchester on arrival was fine. There was aircon at the station, of course, so we didn't actually realise how HOT it was until we headed outside. And it was sweltering. We've never gone to this venue or hotel before, so we were navigating blind. I googled how, and the best recommendation was to get the tram, which was suggested to get on at the square (On our return journey, we figured out how to get the tram directly back to the station, which certainly helped!) We had hit 34 degrees by this point, and I honestly think that the tram ride was the equivalent of taking a bath in satan's armpit. We were slippery by the time we got off, and it was only 4 Minutes! But we had made it to the hotel! which is right near the Tram Station, so very convenient for anyone attending a show at Manchester Warehouse. We love a Premier Inn for the convenience of it all. Since it was quite late in the month, we didn't have much money and really wanted to purchase the tour T-shirt at the venue, we decided to take advantage of the offer at Premier Inn where you get a 2-course dinner, free drink and breakfast the next day all included! First stop was in the room, and we blasted the aircon and chilled for the first time all day. I actually hung my shirt out the hotel window to dry. It was wild, the fact that we were doing this on the hottest day of the year so far! We headed down to the restaurant, Burgers and pizza ordered and relaxed, ate, chatted, it was nice. Victoria Warehouse opened at 7 pm, so we set off at 7 pm to arrive there at, lo and behold, 7 pm! I'm not exagerating when I tell you thats how close the venue is to the hotel! And thats it, we were in the queue, awaiting entry (And me quietly sweating that I would be allowed in with my compact camera even though the website said it would be fine!).

As I mentioned before, I've never been to Manchester Warehouse, but I was absolutely in awe at how good of a venue it was, from decor to the layout itself. When you first enter, the merch stand is the first port of call, and then you walk either side to get to the main bulk of the venue. Ladies' toilets are on one side, gents on the other, smoking area near the ladies, and a giant open area so you can see the stage from the bar. It's just laid out really easily accessible, and the acoustics were HOLY HELL, exquisite. It was hot as you can imagine inside the venue; we opted to just have water to remain hydrated at this point. By the time Bilmuri was due on, I wont lie, I was quite exhausted from the heat and the travel of the day, but I came alive again once he began. As to be expected, me being five foot and a peanut, I can't really see very much at gigs, and you can guarantee I often get the tallest bloke in the venue right in front of me, but it didn't matter. I got some good shots on my camera with my arms raised to reminisce over. It didn't matter that I couldn't see. The atmosphere made me see enough, the crowd was electric, everyone was singing and dancing, and despite the heat, I can honestly say this was my favourite out of my gig experiences so far.