Cool Manchester

This week here at CoolManchester HQ we have caught a massive dose of Eurovision Fever

Joe blogged a few weeks ago about his thoughts on the last decade of Eurovision, today I want to share my favourite songs from the great song contest!

5.Eimear Quinn - The Voice

Winning Eurovision in Norway in 1995. This for me is Ireland's best winning entry. It just burrowed into my head and is SO Irish! Like most Eurovison songs the lyrics also drill home the title of the song, over and over and over and over again!

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice and I will remain

This was the last time our "neighbours" has won but, let's be honest, the Father Ted episode "Song for Europe" where the Irish TV Networks were looking for a losing song wasn't a million miles away from the truth!

4. Gina G - Ooh Aah...Just a Little Bit

You could tell in the late 1990s that the UK really wanted to win and this is EASILY the best song we ever submitted. It was pure, unadulterated fun pop and one of the great injusties of the contest was that this didn't even get a top five placing. Gina G was probably not too upset though as this ending being a huge selling number one single!

3. Loreen - Eurphoria

As ABBA, Gina G and a few others have proved over the years, the best Eurovision songs are the ones that can stand up on their own on the radio outside of the contest. I think Loreen's song was a massive winner because of it was current, cool and took itself very seriously. No tongue in cheek here, and that's why I think the UK hasn't done that well in a very long time!

2. Sertab Erener - Every Way That I Can

Turkey are always scored highly by the UK in this contest, but 2003 is the only time the country has won and in 2013 they are not participating at all

Over the years there are certain songs you hear and just instinctively know they will be winners. Loreen was one, as was Alexander Rybak, Bobbysocks and, erm, Corrine Hermes. I had that feeling about this one, even though all the people around me during the show thought  I was mad. I'm always glad to be proven right...

1. Olsen Brothers - Fly On The Wings of Love

This is probably not a popular choice and it would have been very easy to pick Abba or Bucks Fizz as my number one, but I was going for my favourite songs from the contest and 2000's winner from Denmark is just that. I really uplifting track with no real gimmicks and one of those times when the best song won.

These are my choices, they probably aren't very popular songs when it comes to Eurovision, but I was looking at this based on the strength of the songs.

What have been your favourites songs over the years? Please share them with us!

David Hoyle Interview

Hello David, how are you doing today?

Am Ok, just Glad Spring Coming-on & Leaving Winter Behind!

In The Psychiatrist, you play a character called 'Dr Rosenburg', without giving too much of the game away, what is it about the character that made you interested in playing the role ?

The Character of Dr.Rosenburg was irresistible to Me!
To Me He Reveals Facets of Authority & Maybe Control! How Truly Self-Aware is He? He causes questions rather than providing Answers !!!

You've worked extensively on stage and you've made lots of movies with Nathan Evans, and appeared in 1997s velvet goldmine, can we expect to see you doing more in film or are you always going to prefer the more hands on live performance?

I Do Love Live Performance, however I Would LOVE to Be engaged in More Film Work, as to TV?
I think T'internet is Worth Exploring!

You have a scene with an actor called Harley Bartles, whom you have worked with before, is it nice to act alongside friends, does that effect you're performance, or doesn't it really matter one way or the other?

It Was of Course A Great Joy being re-united with Harley, having Worked with Harley before as We were both in the cast of :- "For All The Wrong Reasons" - Which was a Co-Production between The Contact -Manchester & The Former Victoria Theatre Production Co.,( based in Ghent Belgium ) and Featured as Part of The inaugural Manchester Theatre Festival, We travelled Around The Benelux Countries, Northern France and even Singapore! Harley's character in "The Psychiatrist"  comes the closest to Seeing The "Good" Doctor for What He is ,thus I enjoyed the tension within Our Scenes

You are perhaps best known for the TV show 'The Divine David'. Do you think you'll ever want to working TV again in the future?

I'm interested in t'internet.

The Psychiatrist is said to be a dark comedy, do you think there will be humour in this for fans of you're comedy work, or is it too dark to raise any chuckles?
By that I mean, you're excellent movie 'Uncle David' had moments of real laugh out loud humour, does The Psychiatrist's script keep that dark / fun balance?

Yes I Like The Balance of Humour&amprama inherent to The Character of Dr.Rosenburg.The Script often Made Me want to Laugh-it was A Challenge remaining dead-pan & delivering The words Straight(ish) !

The film as well as being distributed in Europe is also being distributed in America, is that a country you've ever been to in a professional capacity?

No I Never Performed in The States ,maybe One Day!!?

X FACTOR FAVOURITES AND THE FEELING HELP MAKE MANCHESTER PRIDE THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR SUMMER

Fundraising charity, Manchester Pride's Big Weekend will be boosted by appearances from reality stars Rylan Clark and Lucy Spraggan. Lucy has always been a Manchester Pride favourite even before taking on the X Factor, while X Factor finalist and Celebrity Big Brother winner, Rylan, was the show's most talked about contestant.

They will be joined by Brit-Pop band The Feeling, the opening headliners for The Big Weekend. It will be a first ever Pride appearance for the group, fronted by openly gay Dan Gillespie Sells.

Organisers have also unveiled the theme for the Manchester Pride Parade, which will weave its way through the streets of Manchester on Saturday 24 August. Following the death of Margaret Thatcher, 'Acceptable in the 80s?' recognises the impact the decade had on LGBT and HIV activism, with the introduction of Section 28 and the demonisation of people suffering from HIV/AIDS. But it was also a decade of iconic music, television and film (and horrific fashion), giving plenty of scope for fun.

2013 also sees changes to the event site, including the introduction of a new Indoor Arena. By day the Arena will host the popular Lifestyle Expo where community groups and service-providers can promote their organisations, while at night it will be transformed into a dance space showcasing the best of Manchester's club scene.

The Manchester Pride markets operate throughout the weekend. With Women's Stage, Sparkle and Manbears taking over Sackville Gardens and the moving George House Trust HIV Candlelit Vigil closing the Festival with a reminder of the fundraising roots of the event, Manchester Pride is set to live up to its billing as 'The Highlight of Our Summer'.

Early Bird tickets for the award-winning Big Weekend go on sale on Friday 26th April and will cost just £16 for the whole four-day weekend. With no booking fee charged, most people will pay the same, or less, for their ticket than in 2012. Only a limited number of Early Bird tickets are available and festival goers are encouraged to act quickly to avoid missing out.

Chair of Manchester Pride, Vicken Couligian said:

We are delighted to announce Rylan Clark and Lucy Spraggan and to welcome The Feeling to open Manchester Pride's Big Weekend. It's hard to believe that this will be their first ever performance at any Pride event.
Further acts and headliners will be added to the bill in the run-up to the Big Weekend, and with only a limited number of Early Bird tickets available this year, we encourage Festival goers to buy tickets early to make sure they get a bargain.
Manchester Pride has raised over £1 million for LGBT and HIV community groups and organisations since 2003. Every penny we raise goes to local good causes and none of this is possible without the support of the ticket-buying public, who help make this the Highlight of Our Summer."

To find out more about Manchester Pride and this year’s festival you can follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com

Link: http://www.blackdogballroom.co.uk/dogbowl/

On Thursday, me and Matthew went out for the day in to the City Centre. We had planned to go to Dog Bowl and have some lunch and a game of bowling. Unfortunately, Matthew hurt his foot so we could only have the food.

The Dog Bowl is a bar and bowling venue across from the Ritz, near to Oxford Road train station.

Walking in, you immediately see the lanes at the back of the place, some very comfortable and roomy booths in the middle and looking around there are loads of tables around.

The bar itself is very stylish, and I like to think that the hooks are going to be used for dog leads and not drunk (or sober) women's handbags. Although I doubt they allow dogs in the place as they serve food.

For this visit, we used the Express Menu which is usually one course for £7 and two for £11. If you know me and Matthew, you will know which option we went for.... the two courses.

We both started with the Quesadillas filled with pulled pork. I opted for "slaw" on the side, and Matthew went for Skin on Fries so we could share the sides (it didn't really happen like that).

We were expecting a start size of food, but we weren't expecting the size that did come. It tasted absolutely excellent. Enough pulled pork and cheese inside the tortillas had excellent flavour. I hope that next time they have the boneless wings that are on the menu to go inside the quesadilla as they sounded lovely.