Review; Neighbourhood Festival - 6th October 2018
- The Sound
- Oct 10, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 16, 2019
On Saturday 6th October 2018, Neighbourhood Festival took over Manchester for a day of music. A diverse array of upcoming and established artists were spread across thirteen venues, promising plenty of options for everyone.
First up was Rory Wynne at Revolution (Oxford Road). Being one of the first acts performing at a festival isn't always an easy task, but the 18 year old musician from Stockport took on the challenge with ease. The overall sound at the venue wasn't exactly the greatest, but this didn't take away from the memorable performance, which was a half an hour glimpse at Wynne's talents. Despite suffering from the flu - which honestly wasn't noticeable at all - Wynne and his band delivered a brilliant set, which included the debut performance of new single D'ya Wanna Do It Again?, a catchy hit that you will be singing to yourself days after listening. Wynne's skills in both songwriting and performing proved why he had already found himself supporting bands such as Blossoms and The Coral, and it's safe to say I'm excited to see what the future holds for him.
Dan - I hadn't heard much of Rory Wynne prior to his set, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and maturity of both the songwriting and performance given his relatively young age. Catchy, uptempo tunes and memorable hooks combine perfectly with his distinctive voice. While there is a certain familiarity, there is also definitely enough originality so that there is no mistaking who you are listening to. It was an all-round excellent, polished performance. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Wynne in the near future!
Check out Rory Wynne here
Kicking things off at Manchester's newest venue, YES, was Southend-On-Sea's quartet Asylums. Having been a band for almost five years now, the experience they have gained over the years allowed them to present the packed out venue with a tight, energetic set complete with polished sound, a range of songs of which no two sound alike and plenty of stage-diving from vocalist and guitarist Luke Branch. The mix of versatile vocals, high and enthusiastic energy and diverse tunes provided the band with a half an hour set worthy of much larger venues. On top of this, the venue overall had a great sound, which added to the already well executed performance and helped in solidifying why Asylums are one of the most exciting live bands around at the moment.
Dan - I had heard a couple of tracks by Asylums prior to checking out their set. They delighted a packed out crowd with a diverse mix of tracks, some with pummelling high-energy riffs, others far more dialled back and melodic. Luke Branch is an extremely versatile vocalist, switching effortlessly from shouting to smooth, melodic singing. You could tell that the band had been playing together for a while. They were extremely tight, the sound was excellent and the crowd were fully engaged and singing along. It's difficult to find flaw in their Neighbourhood performance - and I'll most definitely be checking them out at their next live shows.
Check out Asylums here
Next up was Brighton based four piece The Magic Gang at Albert Hall, a venue that they had headlined just over a week prior to Neighbourhood. Despite having just finished their UK tour the night before, the entire band were on form, putting on a flawless, upbeat performance just shy of an hour long to a crowd of dedicated fans who didn't tire of singing and dancing throughout the set. Delivering hit after hit from 2018's self-titled debut album, The Magic Gang performed a feel-good set that has left me excited to see where the future takes them.
Dan - The Magic Gang's 2018 self-titled debut album is one of my favourites of the year, and the Brighton-based quartet have gone from strength to strength since it's release. It's almost as though their feel-good, upbeat songs have been around since the dawn of music. They have a real classic, timeless feel to them. The crowd ate up every last bit as the band performed flawlessly, smiling broadly and clearly enjoying themselves as the large crowd sang along. And much like the rest of the crowd, I didn't want their set to end. I expect to see them take further huge strides in 2019.
Check out The Magic Gang here
Headlining Night People was Trampolene. The Welsh three-piece have already had their fair share of success, having supported the likes of Liam Gallagher and Carl Barât and The Jackals, as well as playing sets at Glastonbury and Isle Of Wight. Their high-energy, exciting forty-five minute set - that was actually only meant to be half an hour but both the crowd and band didn't want it to end - proved why this band are already making waves. From the minute they walked out on stage, the audience was engaged with the band, singing along to every word of each song. Standout spoken word piece and fan favourite Ketamine had everyone in the venue yelling along, shouts of "we all scream for ketamine" erupting from the barrier to the back of the room, truly highlighting the enthusiasm and love the dedicated fan base has for the trio. Frontman Jack Jones provided an excellent connection with his fans, and there was an overall close and welcoming vibe within the venue for the duration of the set, something which many bands seem to lack these days. It's safe to say their set was definitely the best way to end what was an already brilliant day, and it will remain a memorable performance for a long time.
Dan - Trampolene are fairly new on my radar, having seen them for the first time only a month or so prior to this performance. They tore through an explosive, high-energy set filled with dirty punk riffs and Jack Jones' distinctive vocals. You could see how much both the band and the crowd enjoyed every moment. Though perhaps the quality of the music was deserving of a bigger stage, the sound absolutely excelled in a small venue. It felt raw and visceral, everybody in the room was attuned and in sync. It truly embodied what I personally believed festivals such as Neighbourhood are all about. Bands, big and small, taking over a city's venues and engaging with fans, new and old. Trampolene captured this perfectly, and rounded off a brilliant festival with a near-perfect set.
Check out Trampolene here
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