A week on from another edition of Manchester’s biggest inner city festival, Richard Grogan assesses the day’s work.
An inner city festival can thrive on its location, however these
one-day events often lean heavily on the pull of the artists and treat location
as a bit-part. Now in its third term, Neighbourhood Festival takes full
advantage of the array of unique, iconic venues dotted throughout Manchester’s
student area. A short walk down Oxford Road takes festival-goers from the
70s inspired, wallpaper-clad lounge of The Deaf Institute to the grand chapel
of the Albert Hall. On the map this year is brand new venue YES, a new
four-storey nightlife Mecca complete with two dedicated gig spaces. These
locations are complemented by an eclectic lineup of indie festival favourites
(The Magic Gang, Blaenavon, Everything Everything) and emerging talent (LUCIA,
Sports Team, Whenyoung), attracting a diverse audience. While the latest intake
of students can be found solidifying their newfound friendships to the indie
singalong anthems of The Magic Gang and Irish indie pop outfit The Academic,
seasoned moshers head straight for over 18 venue YES, where rock and punk
dominate with the distorted brashness and fierce post-punk of headliners Pretty
Vicious and Lady Bird.
Making their Neighbourhood debut, there’s considerable
media buzz surrounding Lady Bird, the sole band signed to Girl Fight Records,
founded by Kentish mainstream punk connoisseurs Slaves. The band’s fast-paced,
quick-talking punk coupled with chaotic onstage energy provokes wild scenes
from the crowd. However, sound issues result in muffled vocals throughout,
which significantly dampens Lady Bird’s playful lyrical prowess, particularly
evident in lead single ‘Spoons’, an ode to the country’s favourite
Brexit-pushing pub (‘Your eyes remind me of a pitcher of Woo-Woo… You’ll
do’).
for many with a commanding performance, topped with previously unheard track
‘Illusions’ from their upcoming second album, to satisfy the energetic student
crowd at Manchester Academy. Elsewhere, teenage songstress Lily Moore
mesmerised those lucky enough to find themselves under the shimmering
light of the giant disco ball at The Deaf Institute.
welcome pizza-fuelled respite before the festival reached its crescendo on all
sides of Oxford Road. Away from the headline slot that they will undoubtedly
fill in time, The Blinders, who were unveiled as special guests on the day of
the festival, delivered their unique brand of dystopian political punk. Just
over a week before they return to Manchester to kick-off their debut album tour,
The Blinders put on a performance capable of converting the room to cult fans. Rattling
ferociously through the tracks off their first full-length LP, Columbia, vocalist Tom Haywood, eyes piercing,
face smeared with the distinctive tar-black paint of on-stage persona Johnny
Dream, abrasively spits his considered, politically-charged vocals at the
packed crowd. Gritty, distorted guitar riffs and heavy rhythmic drums engulf
the room transporting band and crowd to Columbia, the Orwellian dystopia in
which The Blinders incite their uprising. Grasping the outstretched hands of
convulsing fans and sharing his wine with an exhausted crowd surfer during
rousing finale ‘Brutus’, it is obvious that Tom Haywood sees his audience as
peers in his revolution. In a set further intensified by YES’ Stanley
Kubrick-esque bubblegum pink underbelly (The Pink Room), the band’s rallying
call over rose-coloured monitors was answered in frenzied style by Manchester’s
finest.
locations, Neighbourhood Festival offers a considerable amount of ‘bang’ for
its £30 of ‘buck’. As can be expected when attempting to jam over 100 artists
into only half a day, you would be hard-pressed to see everything you set out
to. Clashes are inevitable, with Sundara Karma and The Magic Gang given
identical stage times, overlapping sets are common and queues can stretch from
one venue to the next (such is the proximity of venues) for more in-demand
acts. However, none of this takes away from the day. The camaraderie between
fellow wristband wearers meeting for the first time in the bar queue, the
chance to see and meet emerging UK talent in iconic venues and the buzz of
Manchester city centre make Neighbourhood Festival a genuinely fun one-day
festival experience.
Words by Richard Grogan
