MANCHESTER PSYCH FEST 2024 REVIEW
Dan Tsourekas - 6th Sep 2024
Photographs: Kirsty Muskett (2024)
It’s the final day of the summer season. Manchester is slowly returning to its typical rainy, grey atmosphere. The students and office workers once again are to fill the pubs, pavements and food halls of Oxford Road. While walking through Circle Square however, something seems different. Greeted by a large inflatable mushroom, diverse food trucks, DJs, and art stalls, it is quite clear that Manchester Psych Fest is here once again, intoxicating the city centre with colourful visuals, positive energy, and amazing bands.
The impressive roster of venues is second to none showcasing some of the best Manchester has to offer. Albert Hall, The Deaf Institute, O2 Ritz, YES Pink Room and Basement and the Bread Shed all have their own unique styles and design, which perfectly correlates with the genres and bands that feature in each one.
On the other side of town, there is something completely captivating about Albert Hall. Its beautiful Wesleyan design is amplified by Willie J Healey’s excellent performance. The Oxfordshire-born singer-songwriter takes to the stage in full force following his support announcement for IDLES later in the year. With a full band behind him he entertains the Albert Hall attendees with 45 minutes of top tier alternative indie, including favourites the likes of ‘Woke Up Smiling’, ‘The Apple’ and ‘Thank You’.
This year, the addition of MCR Project Skateparks is welcomed with open arms, albeit with some slight difficulties. While the venue fully embraces the identity of MPF, it is located 20 minutes away from the main venues, making it quite a risk for people wanting to witness full performances all the way across town. Alongside this, the positioning of the stage directly in the bowl blocks viewing access to anyone arriving late, with a lot of people scaling the rails and walls to view the artists. With a few tweaks however, this stage could become the main attraction. The atmosphere of a skate park is perfectly fitting for a festival the likes of MPF, and these issues haven’t taken away from the overall experience. Heartworms’ performance here, proves why she is on the rise with a packed-out audience. Her unique sound blending dark alternative with post-punk undertones is a massive success. Speedy Wunderground consistently provides the industry with ones to watch, and Heartworms is no exception.
In the dark and gloomy Bread Shed, Fuzz Club have taken over with their label showcase. Here, Texas noise-pop band DAIISTAR have the crowd engrossed with their intense visuals, and fusion of electronica, breakbeats, techno and rock. The venue itself perfectly matches the artist’s energy, and with the surge of people that are here to see them, they could have easily been placed in a larger capacity venue. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, DAIISTAR are a highlight of the whole festival, and Fuzz Club have a hidden gem in their collective.
Speedy Wunderground once again provide a band destined to create their own space, this time at the Lodge in the Deaf Institute. Hot Face might only have one single to their name as of late, but their explosive performance leaves everyone in the room heavily anticipating new music. They carry a weight, identity, and energy that the Barrett era of Pink Floyd would be proud of. A band that has more than what it takes to become the next big thing within the alternative scene, it will be exciting to see what else they have up their sleeves, as their unreleased music sounds sharp, meaningful, and chaotic.
Waiting for Newdad to start in the O2 Ritz, the food stalls, film viewings and the secret sets in Bundobust Brewery are fascinatingly entertaining. Bundobust, being a main partner of the festival, have delicious Indian street food on display, and the staff members are exceptionally helpful and friendly to the hundreds of people that consistently visit them throughout the duration of the festival. The Lass O’ Gowrie’s old-school arthouse film viewings featuring Trip, The Holy Mountain, and A Clockwork Orange, keeps in theme with the psychedelia present in MPF. The extra activities around the venues are a nice addition outside of the music, and a well needed breather from the consistent change of pace and style a one-day festival incorporates.
Newdad’s performance at the O2 Ritz can only describe them as a future headliner, considering the massive queue of people waiting outside, practically “selling out” the 1.500 capacity venue. The Galway-based four-piece indie rock band incorporates brilliant lighting and visuals to take their audience on a mellow trip. Their sombre and mellow sound is addictively calming, and their cover of Just Like Heaven is a welcome addition to an already amazing setlist that has everyone dancing.
Just across the road, in one of Manchester’s favourite venues, Gorilla, one could find the exact opposite of calmness, as Geordie Greep’s chaotic, polyrhythmic new sound is integrated masterfully within the stage. Surprisingly playing his unreleased debut solo album ‘The New Sound’, he doesn’t only preview his fans with what is to come, but also exceeds expectations with how undeniably brilliant it is. Quirky, relevant, and a beautiful coherent mess, Geordie continues to make waves within the music industry and doesn’t have any plans to stop anytime soon.
Manchester Psych Fest proves once again that it is an excellent showcase of emerging and already established talent. There isn’t anything comparable to it in the city, and with a rapidly growing fanbase and a consistently high-quality lineup, there is no doubt it is on track to become one of the UK’s leading festivals.