N.E.R.D - E.X.C.L.U.S.I.V.E Confidential plays host

Lynda Moyo bonds with Pharrell, goes gigging with him and then takes him for a Chinese meal

Date Published: 21/08/2008

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When N.E.R.D announced they would be performing at Manchester Academy, it came as a shock – a very welcome one – to fans. Pharrell Williams has after all, just made it onto the Forbes rich list, which lists him as the sixth highest earning hip-hop cash king of recent times. Only 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Diddy, Kanye West and Timbaland stand before him. Still, with a cool $20m in the bank, it seems he couldn’t care less about lists or the lavish life.

In a surreal moment, we witnessed Pharrell Williams insistently wandering down Oxford Road and back up again, after discovering that this is not America and therefore McDonald’s closes by midnight.

N.E.R.D kicked off their evening in Manchester signing t-shirts from their Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream clothing range at Life on Old Bank Street just off St Ann’s Square. 35-year-old front-man Pharrell Williams ran into the store clutching a SpongeBob Squarepants Lego man. Fans queued all the way down the road, clutching their t-shirts and waiting to spend a few minutes with the band in the small shop before their scheduled gig at the Academy.

As expected, the gig was a sea of screaming, sweating fans fuelled by an animated performance from the group. N.E.R.D were supported by new band Chester French, who you might have heard of due to the fact that the lead singer Max has recently married Peaches Geldof. Peaches was rumoured to be loitering backstage like a good little teenage wifey.

N.E.R.D were welcomed to the stage with a flying pair of knickers to which a cheeky Pharrell commented “nice colour.” The band played all the hits including ‘She wants to move’, ‘Fly or die’, ‘Rockstar’ and latest songs ‘Everyone Nose’ and ‘Spaz’ (in the UK this song is now to be known as ‘I'm right here’ so as “not to offend any spastics”, according to Pharrell).

After the concert, Pharrell and the gang decided it was time to eat. One ‘promoter’ kept suggesting a liquid lunch in Panacea. But this is Pharrell Williams not a Manc businessman. Concerned that a Lego-clutching man-child such as Pharrell may not quite ‘get’ Panacea, I recommended a place to get good stodgy carbs after a long evening's work when you’ve got a sore throat. The one place no one would expect, no paparazzi would guess and where people will be too busy scranning to notice you. Why, Tai Wu of course.

A weary Pharrell wasn’t immediately convinced as he scanned the menu on the glass door front. Easily drawn in by the visible golden arches he said: “I can’t really have a sit down dinner. I’m sweaty from the concert. Let’s just get a McDonald's man.”

Ok, so Tai Wu is no Ithaca, but it is no McDonald's either. Nonetheless, in a surreal moment, we witnessed Pharrell Williams insistently wandering down Oxford Road and back up again, after discovering that this is not America and therefore McDonald’s closes by midnight. Back to Tai Wu, and as predicted, not one person bothered him. There were two Chinese birthday parties on so the only thing the other customers were interested in was the Tai Wu birthday song. A comfortable Pharrell ordered chicken fried rice, egg fried rice and prawn dumplings. The bill for him and six people came to £50. Ben, his bodyguard, said: “Dayumn, we should eat here every night, y’all. £50 – now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.” Pharrell picked up his doggy bag and said “Thank you for inviting me here” before heading off to the Lowry Hotel.

This is the second time this year that an American rap star has ventured into Manchester city centre looking for food. Jay-Z dined like a king in Ithaca back in July and left a very happy, full man. Pharrell left just as happy and just as full from the lower scale Tai Wu. Clearly Manchester has something for everyone. From the small store signing to the small-scale gig to a late night Chinese take-away, Pharrell is as down to earth as they come and that just makes him that bit more likeable. So next up – 50 Cent at the Koffee Pot. Watch this space.