Friends of Manchester Festival 2010

<b>Friends Of Manchester</b> returns for 2010 to boast a line up of 80 acts over 7 stages of hibernation-ending guitars, drums and whispers of ‘next big thing’

Article by Tom Clarke | 05 Feb 2010

Traditionally January is the quietest month gig-wise in Manchester, punters counting out their copper jars for local pints and artists lying low in practice rooms, hatching plots for the coming year. Spotting an opportunity to shake this scene-wide lethargy, local promoters Friends Of Mine and Blowout came together last year to stage their debut multi-venue festival, presenting a line up of student-friendly up and comers alongside more established acts to pull in more seasoned Mancunian gig goers.

The formula worked, a sold out festival ensuring Friends Of Manchester returned for 2010 to boast a line up of 80 acts over 7 stages of hibernation-ending guitars, drums and whispers of ‘next big thing’.

There’s no glory for any band first up on these kind of days and the crowds didn’t start to show a real interest in the traditionally non-gig venues of Jabez Clegg and Kro Bar until later in the afternoon. It was down to Plank!, with their kraut-inspired psyche instrumentals, to make the first big impression of the day. Clearly spending their time listening intently to Neu albums has paid off for them – their off-kilter recordings are out soon and worth investigating further.

All-girl trio Pens then took the main stage with a set of technicolor indie pop that deserved better than the sound system delivered, their melodies close to getting lost in the room. Next up Beat The Radar and Young British Artists took to the adjacent stage, both playing with the confidence and swagger that their well-received debut releases from last year pointed to. Shouty singalong choruses and high tempo tracks minus the clichés of Manchester indie of old make both acts fun and accessible to a crowd starting to get into the festival spirit.

Over at Kro Bar, Crooked Rooks brought their skiffle-led blues to the top room and threw up comparisons of a Cajun Coral, again showing that the Manchester scene is no longer relying on local history for inspiration.

If a history lesson was what you were after then John Head would be your professor in career depredation – he took to the main stage minus his Shack bandmates to play a set of solo material that was very much enjoyed by the (older) audience. Chew Lips and Ex Lovers then presented a more sophisticated electro-art sound for the younger generation and will both no doubt be enjoying a year of sell out shows for well dressed crowds.

The acoustic stage continued to throw up interesting and rewarding surprises – Sam Forrest and Jo Rose, ex-frontmen of Nine Black Alps and Fear Of Music respectively, both showed that despite being stripped of their previously heavy backing they still had much to offer.

It was then left to the raucous sounds of Collyhurst party starters The Kings and Frazier King, kindred spirits over in Wythenshawe, to get people moving and shaking as they stumbled out into the piercing winter air. It may be a festival but it’s still Manchester and it’s still the last weekend of January.

Blowout and FOM can look back at a job well done, a few more in the crowd would have added a true festival feel but as a state of the (indie) nation address for Manchester 2010, today was as good a guide as any you’ll see for the rest of the year.

http://www.friendsofmine.com