Manchester Psych Fest 2018: Review

What a summer it has been for Manchester! With sunshine returning to the city this weekend there could have been no better vibe for the sixth annual Manchester Psych Fest and its eclectic blend of psychedelic rock played across an excellent triad of venues. Band on the Wall, Soup Kitchen and The Night and Day Café all host shows throughout the course of the day creating a thrumming buzz of excitement across the ever lively Northern Quarter as festival goers flit between sites trying to see as many bands as possible.

First up for The Skinny is the sharply-dressed Manchester-based Slow Knife at Soup Kitchen. Taking the stage with dramatic poker faces all round, the six-piece open with an explosive intro before sliding effortlessly into the deeply resonant Palace, which brings the crowd onto its toes in active anticipation. With the conviction of a preacher frontman Daniel Tasker delivers exceptionally crafted spoken word poetry. Furious vocals are backed by a riotously experimental set, which includes the elegant use of harmonium and devilish saxophone that expands on the deep sense of free-form jazz and lyricism this band cultivates; imagine a blend of R.E.M.'s political consciousness with the style and righteous madcap joy of Tom Waits and you may come close.

Next is Birmingham's The Cosmics whose sound is thrash meets classic punk on a day trip from the 80s to 2018. They bring to the stage a fresh attitude and dynamic energy while retaining connection to their roots. An initially hesitant audience warm to the trio throughout their set, with Inishfree being a clear highlight. The frantic, and at times chaotic, vigour of guitar slamming is mostly balanced by rhythmic drums and steady bass. Although many of their carefully crafted lyrics are lost in the monumental wall of noise, there's enough assertiveness and will to thrill ensuring The Cosmics are a delight to watch.

Over at Band on the Wall, Pearl City takeover the stage to the sheer delight of the crowd who immediately surge forward to greet them and climb aboard their dizzying ethereal freight train of sound. Formerly known as Bernard+Edith, the Manchester-based duo – made up of Greta Carroll and Nick Delap – bring forth haunting scales of melody over which Carroll lays evocative vocals reminiscent of Hounds of Love-era Kate Bush. One of the great beauties of Pearl City's performance is the theatrics of Carroll’s movements, as she twists and sensually delivers arrangements that tie in gloriously with their songs' lyrics. Throughout the set Delap is a steady presence, quietly providing an eclectic mix of sounds and rhythms drenched in escapism.

Following from Pearl City is Abjects; surfer-rock twanging across garage-infused indie beats, this is a band who know how to have fun! Opening with the darkly tropical beachscape and rolling sounds of Surf and continuing into A Long Way to Go, Abjects thrust out a mellow satellite of electronica to circle their mix of slowly strummed melody with brilliantly clashing speed riffs. The effect is much like being thrust into a stormy sea and then pulled back to safety; soaked but exhilarated. Songs such as Ratrace – which is just over a minute long – act as a flickering teaser of this band's ability to effortlessly ramp up the energy before cutting it off and sliding into the next uprising. Their entire set is well-crafted and expertly paced, as the audience’s fervent (and thankfully acquiesced!) request for an encore proves.

At Night and Day Café, Liverpool's She Drew the Gun offer a glittering set of psychedelic-pop with nods to the darkly poetic thanks to frontwoman Louisa Roach. From the opening bars of No Hole in My Head, which echo around the venue, we're hooked. After a solid run of songs with roots steeped in love and the trials thereof, with a smile Roach tells us there will be "one more love song before we take down Capitalism." Politics interwoven with compelling shoegaze is a theme found all over Manchester Psych Fest and indeed deep music and political philosophy are frequently linked, however She Drew the Gun not only embrace this duality, they revel in its immediacy and draw us in with them. With shades of early Cranberries, She Drew the Gun seamlessly weave together strong political messages with the softer tonal resonance of classic, trippy pop.

The eagerly awaited headliners, Honeyblood – Stina Tweeddale (guitar/vocals) and Cat Myers (drums) – arrive on stage at Band on the Wall with a minimalist setup and bring with them their usual blend of humour, immersive melancholic odes to love and open exploration of the consequences of a broken heart. After a technical issue with the PA towards the end of set opener, Justine, Misery Queen, the Glaswegian duo come roaring back with the epic Choker, before slamming into Love is a Disease, a heated refutation of romance thrashed out at brutal pace.

The concept of simple garage rock with shoegaze vocals has stormed the indie scene in recent years and Honeyblood do it exceptionally well. During the powerfully uplifting Sea Hearts the chant of 'Hey! Hey! It’s just a little heartbreak,' delivered with evident glee from Myers, diverts from the idea of being a wounded female protagonist and it's this awareness of character that sets Honeyblood apart. There's an electricity about Tweeddale and Myers' performance at Manchester Psych Fest that goes beyond the expected delirium of the event itself, becoming a crowd-rippling definition of feminist indie grit. Cheered back for an encore after main set closer Ready for the Magic, the duo give one final blistering rendition of Walking at Midnight, leaving us thoroughly satisfied and aching for more.

Manchester Psych Fest once again proves that versatility is the watchword for success. From its organisation to its creative artwork, the incredible food on offer and the dazzling array of musical talent, it showcases the vibrant possibilities Manchester holds. Roll on 2019!