Dot to Dot 2017, Manchester: Festival Review
The funny thing about Dot to Dot Festival is that, for as much as the title seems to suit the concept down to the ground, it always seemed a bit jarring in the early days of the Manchester edition
The idea is simple, of course; tons of bands, ranging from indie establishment figures to exciting up-and-comers to unsigned acts, play across a given city on the same day, the host towns so far being Bristol and Nottingham in addition to Manchester. Back in 2010, though – when the line-up boasted the likes of Wild Beasts, Zane Lowe, Mystery Jets, Los Campesinos! and Beach House – most of the venues were contained within the Student Union at the University of Manchester. On a map, with a biro, it wouldn’t have made much of a puzzle.
Things have evolved, however, and this year, the scale of Dot to Dot in Manchester is gargantuan. It goes right across the city, not confined to the top end of Oxford Road like it was in 2012, or to the Northern Quarter as was the case two years ago. Instead, the breadth of the festival is wildly ambitious, running from its headquarters on Quay Street – at the former home of Coronation Street, Old Granada Studios – to a clutch of Northern Quarter outposts as well as Band on the Wall in Ancoats and even Fopp, the record shop close to Market Street.
The place to be for the official kick-off of Dot to Dot 2017 was the biggest venue on the programme – the Albert Hall. There, Honeyblood bring the curtain up at 5PM sharp, and with blazing sunlight pouring through the stained-glass windows, the Edinburgh duo – led by principal songwriter Stina Tweeddale – race through a viscerally energetic set that relies in equal parts on their self-titled 2014 debut and last year’s stellar follow-up, Babes Never Die. There’s plenty of differences between those two records – not least relating to the beguiling cloak of atmospheric gloom that the latter is scored through with – but on stage, the real dividing line is clear. Drummer Cat Myers joined towards the end of touring for Honeyblood and is a veritable force of nature behind the kit – between her and Tweeddale, their short-but-sweet set, which ends with Killer Bangs, marks them out as one of the most promising young rock bands in Britain.
There’s an admirable balance to the Dot to Dot timetable, one that has embryonic outfits playing late-night slots in small rooms and hotly-tipped groups from across the pond taking to the stage nice and early. The latter is certainly the case when it comes to Cherry Glazerr, who rock up early evening at Old Granada Studios. The newly-permanent stage set-up there means that the main room could probably accommodate in excess of a thousand people, but the crowd that show up for Clementine Creevy’s vehicle is, puzzlingly, much smaller. No matter – over the course of forty-five frantic minutes, they rip through a set that leans heavily on January’s superb third studio album, Apocalipstick. That’s not to say that there isn’t room for old favourites also – an early airing of Had Ten Dollaz goes down a treat – but this is a band that fizzes with youthful vigour, so the fresher the material, the better.
Later on, Pinegrove take to the same stage. Their cult appeal has always been obvious, with both their records to date playing like some kind of careful cross between vintage Saddle Creek and classic American emo, but what’s been a little more surprising is their straight-up crossover into favourability with the indie rock crowd. Their set tonight, to a healthy number of people in what is a cavernous space for bands of this stature, is based mainly around last year’s statement of a second LP, Cardinal. It’s an intense affair, and that so many people amongst the audience seem to know so many of the words speaks to the niche that they’ve already carved out in the city. On this evidence, there’s potential for them to transcend the indie scene entirely next time out.
If there’s an out-and-out headliner this year, meanwhile, it’s Sundara Karma, who enjoy top billing at the Albert Hall and seem in no mood to waste the opportunity. The Reading indie-poppers practically race through the hits and a couple of unreleased cuts. To these ears, their sound is all a little bit much of a muchness, but there’s a sizeable diehard contingent down on the floor and it’s quickly obvious that this is a band well-placed commercially to follow in the footsteps of the chart-friendly likes of The 1975, Blossoms and Wolf Alice. Time will tell on that front.
By the time the late shows roll around, the obvious pick of the bunch is All We Are, who take the stage at The Ruby Lounge a little after 11PM. The trio – based and formed in Liverpool, but hailing from Brazil, Ireland and Norway – have been signed by Domino and release their sophomore effort, Sunny Hills, in June. That album dominates the setlist tonight and hints at a wildly eclectic affair, so it’s just as well that a handful of songs from their self-titled debut act as an anchor. Either way, in a veritable sweatbox of a venue, there’s no question they convert some new followers to their cause.
There was a certain serendipity to this year’s Dot to Dot happening quite when it did; after all, there’s perhaps not been another week in Manchester’s history that’s benefited from solidarity and unwavering commitment to the lifeblood of the city that is live music quite like this one tragically has. It’s refreshing to see how far across the city centre it’s spread, too; increasingly, it offers something for nearly everybody. If the organisers can just snag a couple of genuine heavyweights in headlining spots next year, Dot to Dot can become the genuine fixture it wants to be; even without that, though, it remains a yearly credit to the city.