poppedmusic

Off The Record 2016

Words: Gary Lambert

Price info: Tickets for Off The Record Festival 2016 are on sale now £15(+fees) here

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Well this is an exciting new event for November! Off The Record is a one-day, new artist event in Manchester taking place this Friday which combines both a music industry conference with many guest speakers and discussion sessions during the day time, and the traditional music shindig in the evening. The catch is, depending on when you read this, the line up has just been announced a few minutes ago. Twenty four hours before a festival is not enough time for fairweather music fans or followers of just one act to get their hair done, pack a bag of banter and get to Manchester, so we should be taking a step back in time to when music festivals were for music fans. I cannot wait for it. I’ve been excited since it was first announced – and got super excited today when I was given a list of the acts taking part in order to write this preview and make some picks.

Two of the bands we suggest you go to see were recommended by our own editor and one of the event’s speakers, Elena Katrina Jimenez, on behalf of Popped Music. You know this is the place to find out about bang on new bands. If you are planning on going to Off The Record, say hello to Elena and she will hopefully point at me looking both moody and genuinely giddy. If you meet us when the bands are playing though, we expect you to dance with us. And dance well.

ONES TO WATCH

Freak – Soup Kitchen – 6.10pm

Freak is the finest rock/rap/metal crossover that this sceptered isle is ever going to produce. I know we have not produced that many fine ones, but this particular act is amazing. With a sharp, witty way with a lyric that reminds me of Alex Turner when he was from Sheffield, and a powerful punk pop style that reminds me of Green Day when they were concerned about fun and knocking one off the wrist.

Find Freak on Facebook

Listen to What Happened here:

The Pearl Harts – Gullivers – 9.50pm

The Pearl Harts are the second of Popped Music’s picks for this event. If heavy rock riffs and dirty blues are your cup of tea then you must make sure that you get to this set. With a debut album available for pre-order on PledgeMusic, and at 199% funding, there is going to be plenty to get excited about.

Find The Pearl Harts on Facebook

Listen to Go Hard Here:

Blueprint Blue- The Castle – 6.50pm

It isn’t often that the first time you hear a band it reminds you of the latter years of The Beatles to such an extent that you have to stop using a treadmill to sit down and listen to them, but that is exactly my experience of Blueprint Blue. Pushing beyond folk music and with a strong political and life tone to their lyrics, they probably are not going to be chasing Beyoncé etc. away from the upper echelons of the charts, but they are the kind of band that we fans of new music can be proud of.

Find Blueprint Blue on Facebook

Listen to Hangman here:

Saltwater Sun -Soup Kitchen – 8.00PM

Winner of our first ever Popped Playlist Poll, read our exclusive Q&A with Saltwater Sun here.

Saltwater Sun have to be watched. After all, if you haven’t taken the opportunity to become a fan already, even though they won the inaugural Popped Music Monthly Poll, we won’t tell you off if you slip to the front on Friday and pretend that you were. After all, when the show finishes you are going to be.

Find Saltwater Sun on Facebook

Listen to Now Or Never here:

Listen to the official Off The Record Festival  Playlist here:

FULL LINE UP:

CASTLE:
6-6.30pm: URI
– as chosen by Frank Turner
6.50-7.20pm: Blueprint Blue
– as chosen by Tim Burgess
7.40-8.10pm: Rhain
– as chosen by Elizabeth Alker (BBC 6 Music)
8.30-9pm: Caro
– as chosen by Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1 Introducing)
9.30-10pm: Marthagunn
– as chosen by Will Spencer (Music Glue) and Mike Walsh (Radio X)
10.30-11pm: Willie J Healey
– as chosen by Craig Evans (Flying Vinyl)

GULLIVERS:
6.20-6.50pm: Lewis Bootle
– as chosen by Frank Turner
7.10-7.40pm: Dan Bettridge
– as chosen by John Rostron (SWN Festival)
8-8.30pm: Blackwaters
– as chosen by Andy Smith (Futuresound)
8.50-9.20pm: Her’s
– as chosen by David Pichilingi (Sound City
9.50-10.20pm: The Pearl Harts
– as chosen by Joe Morrison (Pledge Music) and Elena Jimenez (Popped Music)
10.50-11.20pm: Seafoal
– as chosen by Sean McGinty (BBC Introducing Radio Lancashire)

AATMA:
6-6.30pm: Tear
– as chosen by Tim Burgess
6.50-7.20pm: Loa Loa
– as chosen by James Moodie (Vevo)
7.40-8.10pm: Shrinking Minds
– as chosen by Simon Pursehouse (Sentric)
8.40-9.10pm: Eat Fast
– as chosen by Joe Frankland (PRS For Music)
9.40-10.10pm: TV AM
– as chosen by Chris Bye (Arts Council) and Phil Saxe
10.40-11.10pm: Nova Twins
– as chosen by John Robb (Louder Than War)
11.40pm-12.10am: Youth Man
– as chosen by Carlo Solazzo (Birmingham Promoters)

SOUP KITCHEN:
6.10-6.40pm: Freak
– as chosen by Elena Jimenez (Popped Music) and Andy Smith (Futuresound Events)
7-7.30pm: Acre Tarn
– as chosen by The Line of Best Fit
8-8.30pm: Saltwater Sun
– as chosen by Tom Lovett (Sofar Sounds)
9-9.30pm: Strong Asian Mothers
– as chosen by Kate Hutchinson (Guardian Guide) and Georgie Rogers (Virgin Radio)
9.45-10.15pm: NGOD
– as chosen by John Kennedy (Radio X)

NIGHT & DAY:
6.30-7pm: Xamvolo
– as chosen by Yaw Owusu (Nothin But The Music) and Mark Ryan (Amazing Radio)
7.30-8pm: The Orielles
– as chosen by Shell Zenner
8.30-9pm: John J Presley
– as chosen by Danielle Perry
9.30-10pm: Francobollo
– as chosen by John Kennedy (Radio X)
10.30-11pm: Rews
– as chosen by Lara Baker (Aim)

RUBY LOUNGE:
10.10-10.40pm: Bossy Love
– as chosen by London in Stereo
11.10-11.40pm: The Age of Luna
– as chosen by Adam Ryan (The Great Escape)
12.10-12.40am: False Advertising
– as chosen by Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound) and The Tipping Point
1-4am: Ticketweb Afterparty