I love going to gigs in my wheelchair aka Volunteering to be treated with so much disrespect, be spoken to like I’m stupid, expected to accept a far inferior experience, be pushed & shoved, have staff constantly talking next to me, ask a question & be sent towards a set of stairs, be sent up in a

Greentea Peng I politely asked a photographer tonight who had given her permission to block the view of your disabled fans for a few minutes. Her response Yes, I work for the artist, so I can do what I like Is that really your stance on how to treat your disabled fans?

WIN! - A Dinked Edition Copy of 'Hard Times Furious Dancing' @snappedankles.bsky.social's fourth LP of synthy left-field dance-punk goodness drops next week, and we're giving away a limited copy. Just like, share, and follow to be entered. @theleaflabel.com www.normanrecords.com/records/2073...

WIN! - A Copy of 'Parallel' by All Seeing Dolls Bag a copy of the debut full-length collaboration between The Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe and Dot Allison. Simply like, share, and follow our page to be entered. www.normanrecords.com/records/2071...

The music access charity I volunteer for invited me down to London this week I’ll let the Amazing Lottery Winners explain why . . . .

James Walsh at Taylor's Shure 5 Studios over the weekend! A Great Night! Couple of Starsailor tracks & his new single ‘Shadows’ I haven’t seen Starsailor for a good few years now & yet we’re now seeing them twice this year!

Golden Dregs at @bandonthewall.bsky.social supporting @fieldmusicmusic.bsky.social last Thursday! Just the two of them & we were impressed enough to plan to go & see the full 6-piece band play at Yes in May Accessibility – THE BEST!

Lady Blackbird at The Bridgewater Hall in support of @bandonthewall.bsky.social a week ago What A Voice! We saw her support Moby last year & thought she was good, but she shone at Bridgewater Hall. I’ll let you listen for yourself . . .

On Friday night last week we went to see The Rifles at Gorilla in Manchester I’d bought everyone of their 7” singles back in the day & seen them before, but it was Joel & Lucas’s instore at Wax And Beans in July that made this a must attend gig And I wasn’t wrong!

Sunspells supporting The Rifles at Gorilla on Friday night I wasn’t expecting two support acts, so they were a surprise, but definitely a welcome one. One of the band had a laugh with us about being their biggest fans as we were sat right in front of the stage. I love people who take the

Tony Mac supporting The Rifles at Gorilla last Friday night He deserved a far bigger crowd, but as it wasn’t communicated there was a 10pm curfew he was on at 19:05, 5 minutes after doors. Because he & his keyboardist were amazing. I don’t feel the clips I’m sharing do him justice to be fair.

Ben Ottewell courtesy of The Early Doors Club at Leigh Library last week No surprise this was worth the awful hour long bus ride over, as he was on form as always. Just a couple of Gomez tunes to please the crowd tonight, but his Solo work is on another level entirely. Exceptional!

@bekjones.bsky.social courtesy of The Early Doors Club at Leigh Library last week Bek is the reason people must stop having that last pint in the pub & only arrive part way through the support act or turn up in the interval inbetween. Wow! She hadn’t even finished her first tune when I knew my

Last week I went to my first The Early Doors Club at Leigh Library & it won’t be my last of theirs Ben Ottewell supported by @bekjones.bsky.social Footage to follow!

In tonight’s episode of how to disrespect someone in a wheelchair at a gig. Decide that rather than walking normally through the large gap behind my chair or taking another route. You will grab the back of my chair, kick it as hard as you can & then smack me around the head!

The Anchoress Yet another artist playing the Deaf Institute. It isn’t disabled friendly, never mind wheelchair accessible. ‬ ‪Of 73 venues they are the only ones to treat me with so much disrespect. Ignoring emails, not prepared to help me when I was ambulant, to try & put us off attending‬

Tonights Event! The National Lottery’s Big Night Of Musicals At £2 a ticket last year we were surrounded by people who had never been to the theatre or anything like it before & refused to shut up! Sat in wheelchair access this year, so hopefully people will be more respectful!

@dicefm are made out to be this amazing promoter/ticketing company. Yet they are greedier than all the big names! I can’t sell my ticket unless it is sold out! Not even for less than face value just to get a few quid back Even TM, give you that option

@artblockmusic.bsky.social at @waxandbeans.bsky.social last Saturday! A Great Set, just him & his guitar. Always love to hear how songs came about or what they are written about. Lovely Guy too! Seagulls

My afternoon at Chester Zoo! The male jaguar on his heated rock

My afternoon at Chester Zoo! The male jaguar on his heated rock

The Magic Numbers at @bandonthewall.bsky.social on Saturday night. They Absolutely Smashed It! My 3rd gig of the day & I was flagging, so only took 2 videos & a few photos.

My Morning So Far! At Chester Zoo!

@miniseriesmusic.bsky.social supporting The Magic Numbers at @bandonthewall.bsky.social on Saturday night. A couple of clips of the same song. Easily one of the best venues for accessibility. Hence why we’re there so often & they remember us!

The Cavs at HMV Manchester Full 45 minute electric set this week & they were on form again! Lovely group of lads, had a laugh with us as we only saw them last week! My 1st of 3 gigs today!

Pastel @piccadillyrecs.bsky.social yesterday evening! First time I’ve seen them live & it won’t be the last! There’s always lots of bands coming out of Manchester, but there are a few that stand out above the others at the moment & Pastel are definitely one of them

Jason Manford at Stockport Plaza tonight Thankfully not bumped into any of the staff I complained about last time If you’re going to treat me like I’m stupid because I’m in a wheelchair, then I’ll take great pleasure in reporting it!

Polar Bears!

Productive Day So Far at Yorkshire Wildlife Park Just a pity is has the worst pathways, so my batteries last half the time. Their solution - to make them dangerous by putting down a few tonnes of tiny pebbles! The icy parts are safer, because at least the stones don’t move under my wheels!

The Cavs at @waxandbeans.bsky.social last night! 11 tracks that they’d had to rearrange to play them acoustic at just 2 gigs! Including a Beatles Cover Accessibility at Wax And Beans is the best around, but when your mate owns the place you can’t mystery shop it! These guys are going places!

Why are @TicketmasterUK so awful! Charging me a £2.75 because my disability has progressed from needing an ambulant seat to a wheelchair space. They couldn’t sell me a wheelchair space, so had to buy one from @AOArena /AXS & get a refund from Ticketmaster

Oops. Sorry, annoyingly it is Ticketmaster’s fault! They didn’t give me a full refund, so the fees were very close Yet they are still charging me their transaction fee! Even though it’s because I’m having to cancel as my disability means I now need a wheelchair rather than ambulant ticket

Tonight’s Event! Spend Spend Spend at The Royal Exchange, Manchester The first time I’ve been in my wheelchair, but knew from coming here as able for a decade or two & then ambulant previously that the accessibility would be amazing! It’s a round, so the photos show one half of it

Well that was enough excitement for one day! The top & bottom were gritted so I got the lift up to the Orangutans. Rather than go back to the lift I thought I’ll give it a go in my chair only to turn the corner & just keep sliding! 😂🤣😂🤣😂

@badgermanbadger.bsky.social I would say welcome, but you’ve been on it a while too 😂🤣😂 I’ve not got around to searching for anyone from Twitter yet.

A theatre kind of day! Wicked - Matinee at Palace Theatre Manchester Come From Away - Evening at Lowry, Salford The lift broke down a few weeks ago at the Palace, so we are in a box. Not the best view, but at least we are here!

Catching up on a few I didn’t post last week The Clause supporting The Lottery Winners at Manchester Academy last Sunday! They really surprised & impressed a few of us that had never seen them live before. Definitely going to catch them on their next headline tour

My 2024 128 events inc. Theatre, Comedy, Sports & Music 108 gigs! 195 Artists (Some up to 5 times, The Zutons) 2025 is supposed to be a slower year to fit around my wife’s new job, yet I already have 75 booked in & far far more space to book more!

Why did nobody tell me that wheelchair users don’t exist or need help for the 2.5 week Christmas period? Since 19th December I have 6 out of office email replies telling me they will get back to me on their return after 6th January (some are even later) 5 of which suggest I contact the general

The Deep Blue supporting the Lottery Winners last night at Manchester Academy Easily one of our favourite bands at the moment & they picked up a lot of new fans! He Said She Said

Jamie Wooding supporting the Lottery Winners at Manchester Academy last night! He was feeling rough, bless him. But thought he sounded great. Great start to the evening, though up on the balcony I didn’t realise i’d met him a few years back when he supported them before. Top Guy!

I Chalked Up Another Accessibility Win Tonight! An Access Area is for Access Guests & if tour staff, artists & their families want to use it then they have to be respectful to us! When we arrived tonight, the security guy explained to a lady & her daughter next to us that if were any problems with

I have 2 roads to cross between tonight’s venue & the car . . . Taxi’s blocking the lowered curb on both of them. First one was trying to move but a drunk lady was hanging on to it, not letting him & ignoring me asking her to Second one I surprised with a loud crack of my ring on his window!

Tonight’s Gig! My last of the year! But what a way to end 2024 With two of our favourite bands The Deep Blue & The Lottery Winnners!

Les Miserables - The Concert at the AO Arena this afternoon! Starring Alfie Boe & Michael Ball Considering I had multiple staff behind me two 2 days ago & just 1 tonight he stopped me from taking many photos Though I did sneakily record a video at the end (to follow!)

The fabulous Edwina helped us again! So sat on our own little platform with another amazing view!

Once More Unto The Breach I Go We live 20-30 minutes from the Arena, yet leaving 3.5 hours before the show starts. Quickly grabbing a sandwich on the way, then hoping to get a disabled space near the entrance to eat them Then heading in for 1 & a further wait of 30 mins for doors. Just so we

Les Miserables - The Concert at the AO Arena, Manchester Amazing Cast! What A Show! Incomparable to the Theatre though, because you can never replicate the sound & passion you get in a much more intimate venue Bring on Alfie Boe & Michael Ball when we go again on Saturday!

Sorted for tonight But going to have to go through the same thing on Saturday & already been told it’s fully booked