Chile the new Manchester!
If you had the pleasure to know me at University, you will know I was a happy little camper who used to wile away my evenings in what can only be described as a cellar in the heart of Edinburgh. The nightclub was called the Citrus Club and the mood very seldom reflected the name.
A number of years have passed from those days, and I like to think that I have come a long way. Gone is the permanent frown, gone is the ever so familiar black long sleeve t-shirt, gone is angry mumbling, gone is the don´t invade my space stare, in there place is the happy go lucky attitude, a never dying cheery smile and a a large amount of bright neon clothing, well perhaps the changes aren´t quite as extensive as I wish to make out.
Although I´m happy to distance myself away from those days, it was not until I found my way to wonderful Chile that I realised, the same people I spent too much time in the company of, are still reaching out to audiences throughout the world.

Towards the end of my spell at the Citrus Club, I found like the changes in me, I was also witnessing changes in the music choices of a younger newer generation. Replaced was the large amount of Manchester scene music, gone was the brit pop era, gone was the early 90´s alternative, in it´s place a new crop of artists, the PAPA ROACH, the BLOODHOUND GANG, the LESS THAN JAKE, and for all the meaning these bands carried for the yout(no missing h, street slang!), than the meaning was lost on me.

Therefore imagine my excitement, I turn up in Santiago, I decide to partake in a little retro second hand shopping, when wham bam I´m hit with what can only be described as a poster from God.
Plastered in the front of a humble looking shop, the almost cumtastic face of the living legend(is he still alive, mmm mystery!)the hero of the teenage masses, the man himself, Stephen Morrisey, you may know him as just Morrissey.
What on earth could he be advertising, possibley the best product on the planet, why yes, a night in his company at a nightclub in Santiago. Yes a hour, a full hour of Smiths and wait for it, solo materials, beamed to your very ears through large amplifying devices, using the medium of what I´m lead to believe is called a DJ.
Combined to this, yes your right, that is not all, a collection of other notible artists from the same ilk, put together to form what can only be described as possible the best night out since the last Saturday night I went to at the Zodiac.
Well suffice to say myself and Vince stradled on our baggy jeans, our favourite Monday´s t-shirt and grew our hair to slightly overly floppy porportions and waddled off to the club.
Well suffice to say me and Vince didn´t but the excitement was such that we didn´t really need to anyway.
Fast forward another four days, our patience with Santiago slightly deminishing, only the thoughts of the Smiths keeping us going, when we decide enough is enough, what the hell are we doing here when we could just get on a bus and go somewhere where there is more than just the thought of Morissey panting above us to sustain us, when low and behold the lonely Planet guide for Chili mysteriously opens in front of us in an oracle like fashion, a bright light appears in the room and a large novelty hand comes down from the ceiling and points to an underlined word on page 129.

The word: VALPARAISA


So to Val we go, 2 hours on the bus to land in what I will describe as the hidded gem of Chili, although it really isn´t that hidden, it´s a major town with buses going every 15 mins, but to us it was hidden. A quick wander down the main drag, is enough to convince us that this is a place we hinda like, one because it isn´t Santiago and two because it´s actuallly pretty cool. Anyway to get back to the main point of the story, and this one goes out to primarily AMY, walking down the main drag, randomly looking in shop windows, when wham bam something catches my eye, no not a nice new pair of red sketchers, but the ever so lovely face of Mr Jarvis Cocker, that´s right not only is Santiago in love with all things Manchester/Mod/Britpop/Aternative, but it seems that nearby lying districts seem to be as smitten, and if we wern´t leaving tonight I´m sure myself and Vince would be straddling on our baggy jeans, picking out our favourite Monday´s t-shirt and growing our hair to slightly overly floppy porpotions.
However we are leaving for Santiago where we´ll have to be happy with the image of a certain Stephen Morrisey bearing down on us.

- posted by Anonymous @ 2:13 PM