Richard O’Brien’s - Rocky Horror Show 

Liverpool Empire Theatre 

May 17th 2022

Doors 7pm

Show starts 8am

‘It’s astounding’ that this is my first time seeing Rocky Horror at the theatre! I’ve been a fan of the film since being in college and it’s been on my wish list to see a live show since then. My sister actually bought the tickets but was unable to attend so I took her up on the offer of the tickets; me and Mum went along for an evening of laughter, dancing and singing! 

‘Time is fleeting’ arriving just after 7pm to a crowded foyer of guests, some dressed up as Rocky horror characters which was fun to see; there was lots of Frank’n Furter’s. The show was starting at 8pm so we grabbed a souvenir from the merch desk and found our seats which where in such a good location, we were in row D so only 4 rows from the front; we had such a good view of the stage. The show opened at 8pm, right on time.

‘Madness takes its toll’ as Roxy the show attendant character appears on stage singing the opening tune and the audience goes quiet but singing low, excitement brewing. Once Roxy had sang the curtains were open and the late night double feature picture show began.

‘But listen closely’ as the audience would shout to the stage and we were all in fits of laughter as this is normal for a Rocky Horror performance; the cast want and expect the audience interaction. I was actually a little shocked when the first guest shouted something, I was thinking “how rude” but soon realised its part of the experience and I hope that I can make a joke next time.

‘Not for very much longer’, the first hour of the show sets the scene, they story plays out like the film to an extent and we got up from our seats to dance to ‘the time warp’, it was like the whole audience erupted into song and dance ending in laughter and applause. 

‘I’ve got to keep control’ half way through the show at around 9pm, the interval played out ending on a naughty scene. Liverpool’s Empire theatre has the option to order food and drink from your phone by scanning the QR code on the back of the chairs; this was super easy to do and the order arrived during the interval in a brown paper bag. There was no need to leave our seats. 

‘I remember doing the time warp’ again at the end of the performance, the cast performed this section again so us in the audience could be up dancing and singing, it really is the most interactive show I have watched in theatre.

‘Drinking those moments when’ I was sad the show was over and wanted to watch it all again! The cast were fantastic, the acting, singing, costumes, monologues and dancing all create a wonderfully sweet show that will stay in my mind for a long time. 

‘The blackness would hit me’ when the curtains were closed  ending the show with Roxy singing the ending tune and bringing the audience back down to earth and our seats. The lights came on and people where laughing, talking about the show; there was people stopping to take photos of the guests that choose to dress up. The show had ended but the evening hadn’t for some guests.

‘And the void would be calling’ me to book this show again already! Truly enjoyed the evening and everything involved, my Mum felt the same. I recommend any Rocky Horror fan watch a live show at least once even if it’s just to dance ‘the time warp’ with other like-minded people! 

‘Let’s do the time warp again’…

The Outfit Edit

Dress - Noisy May Curve via ASOS

Boots - Dr Martens

Leggings - Primark

McQ Glasses - Glasses Direct

Hair - Bleach London (The Big Pink & Tangerine Dream)

It’s been 21 months since my last festival so not only was last weekends Download Pilot event much needed for me personally it was also a step in the right direction to try and get live music events happening again! With COVID all gigs, festivals, shows, events were cancelled last year so the industry has taken a huge hit. We had already bought our 2020 Download Festival tickets, we had splurged for our 30th birthday celebrations and gone RIP (Downloads version of VIP), anyway we carried our tickets over to this year and again to 2022. 

Due to already having tickets for 2022 we were able to get pre-sale tickets for the Pilot event which took place as one of the governments ERP (events research program), once tickets were secured we started planning the weekend in just a few weeks. 

Download, Ticketmaster & Festival Republic made sure we were all in loop with information about the event, things we needed to do prior and kept the announcements coming. Andy Cooping, Downloads lead booker managed to get the acts signed up in a weeks time which is absolutely crazy but it seems all the bands were on board and excited to play a show. 

Before the weekend we had to take a PCR test and post this off on either Thursday evening or Friday morning then take a lateral flow test before travelling to the event; this had to show a negative result to gain entry to the pilot event. We are also required to take another another PCR test 5 days after the event for the research to be conducted. Me and my festival pals were all negative and set off for the event early Friday morning, traffic was minimal and we arrived around 11am where people where already heading through the check-in points. 

Face coverings were required to be worn throughout the check-in process, the first point was to show your negative LFT results and your photo ID then to check-in to the event using the NHS track and trace app. Next up was a bag security check, they had a limit on alcohol so were checking this here as well, once through security it was time to get our tickets scanned and a wristband on. I was so happy we had wristbands, its always something else to keep from the festival. That was it then, we were in the event; social distancing and face coverings were not required and we was basically free for the weekend! 

We managed to get a close camping spot on one of the red camps, this was the closest we have ever camped to the car so there wasn’t any lugging our gear for miles! Set up was seamless even in the rain which started 15 minutes before we arrived at the car park; standard for Download weekend! 

As this was a pilot event with 90% less attendees than a regular Download festival, everything was in one area; campsites, arena, showers/toilets, food vendors, merch stands and some small shops; this was so much smaller than we were used too. I got to admit it was so strange being around people again in groups and crowds but once the bands started and the evening went on it just felt normal again. Everything that had been put in place prior to the event including testing made me feel at ease too and after so long without any live music it was worth the anxiety I felt when arriving. 

Since we were camped so close to everything we popped back to the tent for some tea, threw some burgers on the BBQ then headed back to the stages ready for ‘Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes’ who was headlining on the Friday. If you haven’t seen Frank Carter before then your missing out and if this was your first time seeing them then I’m sure you had an amazing time! He is full of energy and passion plus he engages with the audience a lot; he also brought out some guest including IDOLES lead singer and Cassyette. 

Saturday was the biggest day for me and my pals, it was the first full day of bands which started at 11.30am and we had a lot to fit in but managed to have a chilled morning with a sausage breakfast and a rest before a busy day. We headed to the arena to catch ‘Wargasm’ who wasn’t my usual vibe but they performed well and had lots of energy on the stage, next up was ‘A’ followed by ‘Yonaka’ who I was super excited to see. I headed down towards the front and stood on the barrier in the middle, after a little sound error they brought the place down and everyone was enjoying themselves. Later we caught ‘Twin Atlantic’ before heading for our tea at the tent, we saved a lot of money by eating at the tent instead of buying food in the arena. 

Creeper were playing at 8.15pm on the second stage and this was my main band to see on Saturday, I got a good spot near one of the posts inside the tent so I had space if I needed it but I was so comfortable and just jumped, sang and loved every minute of their theatrical set. Closing the Saturday night, ‘Enter Shikari’ played on the main stage with their electric set with lots of bass and lights flashing across the arena. Perfect end to an amazing day! 

Last day is always the hardest as we know its nearly over but we still had a blast. First off was breakfast at the tent then packing up as we were leaving Sunday night after Bullet, of course the rain was here again which did make packing up a bit inconvenient but the short walk to the car was a win. Arena time and we had a quiet morning in terms of bands we wanted to watch so hung out at the ‘Rocktail Cocktail’ bar who had DJ’s on all weekend playing all sorts of music, it was fantastic! I hope they keep this attraction for future Downloads. 

We strolled around the arena, caught a bit of ; ‘Lonely the Brave’, ‘Massive Wagons and ‘Elvana’ who were all on form! Since we had packed up we ate in the arena so opted for the popular ‘Yorkie Pud’ stand which was delicious; massive square Yorkshire pudding with pulled pork, stuffing, mash potatoe, sausage and gravy! 

‘Skindred’ where hitting up the main stage just after 7pm, we always watch ‘Skindred’ when they play, they are one of our whole groups favourites and Benji and the band put on a great show. The second stage last band was ‘Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls’ who were a wild card in my opinion and actually rock harder than I thought! Bullet for my Valentine closed the weekend and the pilot event massively, with an amazing show, perfect set list, the whole band was on form, happy and excited to just play a show! Honestly couldn’t of been a better end to the weekend. 

I think this weekend was much needed for a lot of people and Download did amazing at setting this event up in around 4 weeks, you guys ROCK!!! I hope the statistics from this research are as positive as I think they will be and we can get live music back again!

Checkout all the photos and videos from the weekend on my Instagram & TikTok.

See you in 2022 Download Festival RIP style. ‘Horns up’ 

The event was held at a beautiful hotel in Manchester called the Whitworth Locke, located close to Oxford Road station; I did need my Google Maps at first but we found it quite easily. Inside the event was set up with different activity stations. Me and my Mum were a little early but was able to have a sit down and take in our surroundings; just after 6.30pm we were served some light bites; Shrimp bites in sweet chilli sauce, Quinoa salad and mini burgers with seasoned fries. Everything tasted delicious and was very well presented in bamboo bowls.

1. Have a wander around and choose what you’d like to do, plan your time. 
2. If you’ve got time left after your choices, do another treatment as an extra. 
3. Talk to the staff, they are there to give you advise and tips so make the most of it. 
4. Stay hydrated and take a rest if needed. 
5. Enjoy the day! 

Escape Reality is based in The Printworks, Manchester; they have newly launched a Virtual Reality experience. I was invited by GO PR to trail the experience; on Tuesday evening, me and a couple of friends headed there for the evening.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a VR experience as this type of event is new to me, I’ve tried VR on a phone previously but that was it; I was super excited to get stuck in. Arriving at the venue, we were kindly greeted by the staff, once the experience was ready we were directed inside the room. The room is quite small and painted black, there were a few seats around the room and some VR equipment, a large TV on the wall, a computer and the game master. Groups up to 4 people can book the room for the experience, this is an hour and 15 minutes slot so gives each member of the group a good amount of time in the VR.

The game master went through everything from safety to game choice before we started, this gave us an insight in what to expect, what to do and what not to do. One person at a time experiences the VR world, the headset that is placed on you has a little weight to it but nothing uncomfortable, you also have two controllers to hold and use; one in each hand and a battery pack which you can attach onto your own clothing or use the Velcro belt that is provided.


To get used to the VR experience we firstly was put into a virtual world under the sea, this wasn’t a game but you could interact with the sea creatures and plants in the experience. I was joined by a huge jellyfish and was able to boop the them and the sea plants which caused them to move; I could also walk around and explore. Next up was ‘The Plank’ in a new VR world I was directed into a lift of a high skyscraper and taken to top of it then told to walk out on a plank that was hanging over the edge of the building! Not lying I felt scared, wobbly and unsteady, I was a little apprehensive about taking that first step onto the plank but I did eventually get to the end of it then the Game master told me to step off the plank ... at first I couldn’t but did step off and fell all the way down the building into the virtual street... it was absolutely crazy!!!


Other members of the group experienced the plank in different situations; one was horror based with a massive spider and a clown character. I’m so glad I wasn’t in the VR kit for this one, my friend did a few screams on this one. After we’d all got a feel for the VR worlds, we started to play some games. Still it’s one member of the group playing each time but we could interact by helping them and directing them as we could see what they see on the TV screen just not in a virtual way.

We played 'Beat Saber' which is a music game a bit like Guitar Hero but with lightsabers, yes that’s correct... LIGHTSABERS!!! It was a little hard to get the hang off but we all super enjoyed this one, I choose ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance which only had the expert difficulty option but I gave it a go. I’d definitely play this at home if I had all the kit.


There was also an escape game that we all got involved in, one person is in the game using the controllers to move around instead of actual walking although you can move around as well. We were then able to help the group member to find clues to escape this room they were in, it was fun as we had a timer going, we were all shouting try this, try that and laughing throughout the whole thing. We didn’t make it out of the room though but it’s a game I’d like to give another go next time.

The Game master gave us some other game options, there was a shooting one that was in space, again you used the controllers to play the game. This was quite high impact and experienced so would be good for keen gamers. There was also another bow and arrow shooting game which was fast paced and quick to play so this was a fun one to watch and experience. There are so many games to choose from you’d need more than one visit to experience them all.


Our time in the room did come to an end but we all left laughing about the experience and talking about it all the way home, it’s a new thing to try out and something you can’t do everywhere. Escape Reality’s escape rooms are amazing and much fun so to add this VR option into this mix gives the place an edge and adds to the excitement.

You can book an Escape Room or the VR experience via the Escape Reality website here and the more of you there are, the cheaper the price so grab your mates and spend an hour or two at Escape Reality.

The Gin Society’s first gin festival of the year happened this weekend and it was a great success with sold out tickets, a wide selection of gins (120 to be exact), a beautiful venue and some yummy treats along the way. 


The Gin Society team were kind enough to send me a complimentary ticket so I could attend on Friday night. I was really excited as I’d been to Gin Festivals in the past but not a Gin Society one. To start they chose to host their event inside Manchester Cathedral which was such a good venue. It’s beautiful inside, roomy and a really good setting for sipping gin. I’m always blown away whenever I visit the cathedral. 

Arriving at the festival was a breeze, the security scanned in my ticket and I was led inside, greeted with my gin glass, gin booklet, a pen and a drink token plus all the information I needed. Everyone was also given a card to fill out to enter a competition. 



Once I was given everything I needed, I was directed towards the bars, seating areas and gin stalls to enjoy the evening. Down the middle of the room were the bars with a cocktail bar on the way in, at the sides were gin companies showcasing their products and offering samples to taste. There was also a street food stand, token desk and a masterclass area. All the gin festivals I’ve attended have had a drinks token system so you buy however many tokens you’d like and use these at the bars. Buying tokens was easy at the token desk were they accepted cash or card. 

The first gin of the night was the handmade Buss No 509 Raspberry gin which I mixed with Fentimans Rose Lemonade (as a gin drinker it’s unfortunate that I’m not a tonic fan so tend to stick to lemo). I sort of played it safe getting a Raspberry gin as it’s my regular flavour when it comes to choice but this was a new taste with a good fruity flavour and smooth gin element. I’d rate this gin at a 8/10. 


With a gin in hand we were able to have a wander around the stalls, find new gin’s to try, sample them and purchase if wanted. I really liked the Fenney Street Gin which is created in Manchester by Paul and Becky, their small batch gin’s are made in their nano kitchen distillery. Their blush gin was really tasty and fruity being made from fresh strawberries, raspberries and apples. 


I was pretty hungry at this point so took advantage of the food stall and got some Mac & Cheese which was bloody delicious!!! We had a lovey sit down, chatted and finished our gin’s ready to continue our evening at the event.


Time for another... this time I didn’t play it safe and ordered the Persian Blue Marshmallow flavoured gin and I’m so glad I took the risk! Literally my new favourite gin! Again I opted for Rose Lemonade although I think a regular lemonade would of been beautiful with this gin, lemon was recommended in the gin booklet as well. The gin has a blue colour and the mixer turned it purple so I was pretty happy, haha. This gin gets a 10/10 rating and is on my to buy list! 


With another gin in hand we headed to the masterclass to see what was going on there. Here we learnt the history of gin from one of the stall holders Uncle Val's and got to taste test Uncle Val's Botanical gin too. The history of gin is a pretty wild story to be honest and you’ll be surprised at some of the stories so make sure you attend one of the masterclasses to find out more. 


The whole event felt well organised, not too crowded, we had lots to do and see and lots of gin to sip! There was even a swing/jazz band playing music throughout the evening to keep us all entertained. 

-lots of gin choice - check!

-having things to see and do - check!
The Gin Society ticks all the boxes!

On the way out of the venue I spotted a small gin shop so you could purchase a full bottle of gin from a selection of brands, just another part of the gin festival and a chance to take the experience home with you.

Thank you to Gin Society and the team for a wonderful, fun and gin filled evening. I can’t wait to attend again. The Gin Society have many dates available you can purchase tickets for them all here using their eventbrite page.