poppedmusic

Festival Preview: When In Manchester #5

Tickets for When In Manchester are available here

Words by Gary Lambert

The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is one of the most awkward days of the year. Firstly, it feels like it should have a special name, but it doesn’t. Secondly, it’s a bit dull as there’s a good chance of having a hangover from a good Good Friday session, and all your friends have family plans for the next day so you end up doing nothing. Well Popped Music are here to save your Saturday. We say get yourself to the City of Bees and Buzzcocks, and buy a ticket to When In Manchester. It’s about the price of an Easter Egg deal in Thornton’s, and will last a hell of a lot longer. It will also give you more pleasure as you bounce between three of the city’s most loved venues in Gulliver’s, The Castle Hotel, and Night and Day Café. They’re all on the same street too, so unlike some other metropolitan festivals, you are not going to need to spend half of your time walking around a strange city clutching a map before deciding to go back to the last venue you were in if you can still find it.

The bill that the curators and tastemakers of this festival have put together this year is a cracker. It is a line up which years later you’ll laugh about with your friends at how ridiculous it was to get so many good bands together. Who would we recommend you go to see? Well my approach to the festival is just going to be to turn up and try to watch as many bands as I possibly can without any targets. But I know that people prefer more structure to their festival plans than me so why don’t you check out…

ONES TO WATCH

La Mode

If you like your indie rock bands with a healthy slice of scuzz and fuzz, then Manchester’s very own La Mode could be just who you are looking for. With them being local starlets too, you can guarantee a top atmosphere.

Find La Mode on Facebook 

Listen to La Mode here:

Valeras

This Spanish-English five-piece are currently in the process of rapid expansion and moving from support band to headline act. You will see exactly why they are making such moves instantly with a powerful cocktail of energy and electrifying guitar pop.

Find Valeras on Facebook

Listen to Valeras here:

Bloxx

The London four-piece are riding a wave of creativity and amazing live shows at the moment with the release of Headspace making a marked step up from their previous high standard. Followers of the band on social media should be well aware of how crazy their gigs can get.

Find Bloxx on Facebook

Listen to Bloxx here:

Husky Loops

Fresh from SXSW, Husky Loops sound to me like a demo version of Gorillaz. Ideal music for our times as they combine a multitude of styles with a bedroom production vibe which makes their sound connect with the listeners as full of possibilities.

Find Husky Loops on Facebook 

Listen to Husky Loops here:

Listen to the When In Manchester playlist here: