Enjoyed the Manics' show at the Olympia last week. The four massive singles aside, I expected it to be a tough album to carry off live but they did a cracking job. Prologue to History was a welcome bonus inclusion, and If You Tolerate... a no-brainer to close the 'album portion' with. Sweet Child 'O Mine was great fun.
Couldn't help but think the Olympia was a bit of a shambles though. The queues were big right on opening time on Thursday night, but it took about 40 minutes before the queuing system was explained to visitors (with people finding out they were in the wrong queues and being left in awkward situations after having waited ages). Inside, there was a single card machine on the go between the bars on the lower balcony and the measures being served were offensive. The toilets were a show too, though thankfully nowhere near as bad as when I saw The Coral a few years back (the full-length urinals were blocked and literally overflowing & running over the step that night).
To look up and around inside, the Olympia is a beautiful venue and is exactly the size of venue I've felt that the City has needed for a good few years. It's a source of some frustration that I find that I go to 2/3 Manchester-based gigs for every 1 in Liverpool (gigs of a size-able nature, anyway) - I'm aware that this s largely down to geographical accessibility, but it's disappointing to find a venue that feels so unloved compared to some of those in Manchester (off the top of my head, the Ritz, Albert Hall, and Academy have all been in a good way on recent visits).
Overall, I'm left feeling that the Olympia has just been re-opened without a moment's thought for renovation - it seems sadly neglected, and that belies its innate beauty.