Manchester Psych fest was a blast. An eclectic array of guitar bands flocked to the greatest city in the world – not that I’m biased or owt – and put on a show. From established stalwarts to promising newcomers, there was a little bit of everything.
Courtney Barnett: A
Most likely to…start a riot
I love Courtney Barnett. Between her and the two band members she brings with her, they make one helluva noise. It’s an all-out rock’n’roll party every single time she steps out. But as the Psych Fest headliner, she knew the set needed to do more than that and whipping out old favourite ‘Depreston’ produced that sing-along moment all headline sets need. Bravo Courtney, bravo.
Goat Girl: A+
Most likely to…surprise ya.
These girls are so cool they now use one of those wooden percussion frogs in their songs and it sounds great. They’ve turned the synth way up and are now producing country sleaze dance tracks, to many people’s surprise. It works though, fuck me does it work. The world better watch out.
Temples: D
Most likely to…win best dressed
The 70s called, they want their clothes back. Temples looked great, and I mean great. Velvet, flares, boots with heels higher than my dreams. They looked great. Their performance however, wasn’t great. Slow, bland, dare I say a little boring?
Sam Evian: B+
Most likely to…coast at the back of the class
This guy is smooth. There’s a Jack White, old-school garage flavour to his tracks and it just all seems a little to easy for him. A nice surprise find that all good festivals have. I’ll be keeping an eye on him for sure.
Working Men’s Club: A
Most likely to…headline in the future
The queue was round the side of the venue for these lot. Word is spreading fast and you can see why. Energy in abundance, but they also possess such a variety of songs – from post-punk stompers to all-out dance tracks – that their show is non-stop. There’s a confidence to them as well, despite their youth. There’s something really special going on here.
