More about: Neighbourhood

The annual Neighbourhood Festival returned to Manchester City Centre this year with a larger and more diverse roster of musicians and venues than ever before. With a dozen or so venues dotted across the length of Oxford Road and its side streets, all the way up to the beautiful, renovated church walls of the Albert Hall on Peter Street, the city was abuzz with sound – whether that be the pulsating basslines and politically-charged lyricism of The Snuts or the synth-y new wave stylings of The Dinner Party, or of course the general humdrum of excited gig-goers from every demographic, scuttling up and down the strip.

From indie favourites Sundara Karma to the recently returned Irish post-punk outfit The Murder Capital…from the delicious indie-pop of Alfie Templeman to the gentle R&B of Nina Cobham…from the riotous relish of STONE to the raw delight of Brooke Combe…every turn and every junction offered something to satisfy the hunger for new musical talent.

Kicking things off in the early afternoon, Brixton-based alt-rockers The Dinner Party served a feast of gothic musings and new wave galore at YES. For relative newcomers, their set is slick and their musicianship admirable, wit lead singer Abigaille’s smooth vocal delivery feeling almost effortless. Having supported The Rolling Stones at British Summer Time earlier this year, its unsurprising that the band cite the 60s and 70s as eras which have inspired their sound. This is evident in the sparse, cold instrumentation of ‘Burn Alive’ which evokes Berlin-trilogy Bowie.

Over at The Ritz, Sundara Karma are the picture of glam as they stride on stage. A festival favourite, both with young fans of indie music, and casual older listeners, the band play a range of tunes from their acclaimed albums and EPs. Despite playing a relatively early set at 4.15pm, Sundara Karma keep their audience entertained, inviting them to sing and clap along to a string of hits including ‘A Young Understanding’, ‘Flame’, and ‘She Said.’ There’s a real sense of nostalgia for these late-2010s’ staples, and whilst recent material doesn’t quite hit the mark in terms of crowd-response and quality, no one can deny that set-closer ‘Explore’ makes for a strong finish.

An indisputable highlight came in the form of a secret set at Gorilla from The Murder Capital, with frontman James McGovern seemingly holding his audience in the palm of his hand. The Dublin-based five-piece strutted onto the stage, a discernible air of confidence about them before breaking into a mixture of tunes from their fantastic debut When I Have Fears and newer material from their soon-to-be-released sophomore Gigi’s Recovery. Stony-faced and tench coat-clad guitarist Damian Tuit made intense eye-contact with members of the audience before breaking into laughter, whilst McGovern oozed charisma, leaning into the crowd, and shaking hands with them before departing. Slow-burning tracks like ‘Green and Blue’ provided moments of calm between the cathartic ‘More Is Less’ and ‘Don’t Cling to Life’. In their closing track, McGovern launched himself into the crowd, surfing amongst a sea of fans before returning to the stage as a final mosh-pit ensued.

Flitting back across the road to The Ritz for Alfie Templeman’s set, the 19-year-old’s visible joy was permeating the room. It’s no surprise the singer is often compared to Declan McKenna – his collection of infectious indie-pop bangers that make you want to dance, combined with his thoughtful, sincere lyricism, slick musicianship and charm have rightfully earned him a legion of fans. Now standing before 1200 punters, it’s clear that, as a performer, Templeman’s confidence has grown.

Over at Canvas, a modern glass building that you could almost mistake for an office block, the basement is aglow in many hues of pink, as soulful Scottish singer-songwriter Brooke Combe takes to the stage. Combe, who is skilled in a range of instruments including saxophone, guitar, and piano, showcased her musical talent and flawless vocals in what proved to be one of the weekend’s most intimate sets. At just 21-years-old, her performance, along with Templeman’s proved the burgeoning amount of young talent on offer across the festival.

“On every street corner there’s a music venue – the way it should be” - Finlay Power, lead singer of STONE.

From soulful to scouse, STONE brought something entirely different. Fusing spoken word poetics with sprawling guitar lines, STONE are arguably one of the most exciting bands around, so its no wonder they’ve attracted a steady and mosh-pit-ready crowd. In their own words, it’s a set of ‘post-apocalyptic scally rock.’

But what’s interesting about a band like STONE is the way each member is able to shine. They all have their own individual style, but no one looks or feels out of place. This comes across in both their personal and performance style, as outfits range from a prison-style jumpsuit, to a basketball vest, through to a fishnet top, and a pair of leopard print tracksuit bottoms. Their closeness is palpable though, as they lean towards each other, guitarists mouthing the lyrics of the songs as they pump out riffs. This is a band whose members bounce off each other, and who clearly enjoy each other’s company on and off stage.

Finlay Power points his guitar like a machine gun at times, firing it at enthusiastic gig-goers, who are well-versed in the lyrics to 2021’s ‘Let’s Dance To The Real Thing’. “Are you ready to go feral?” he yells before the band’s set draws to a close.

Sir Chloe commanded a teeming crowd at Gorilla with ease, giving them a gorgeous dose of grunge-inflected rock. Between songs banter with both her band, and her audience was plentiful, with the crowd later egging on Sir Chloe and her bassist to take shots in the self-explanatory drinking game of ‘slapshot.’ Her vocal style is similar to the dream-pop of Alexandra Savior, yet the crunchy basslines and loud-quiet patterns of her music are more akin to alternative rock bands such as Pixies. During ‘Michelle’, the audience echo its memorable chorus. Meanwhile in heavier numbers, Sir Chloe and her band members can be seen head-banging and really just throwing themselves into each song. A joy to watch.

Fresh from the release of their debut LP, Guitar Music, genre defying Liverpudlian outfit Courting take to the stage at The Deaf Institute delivering a set which meets the high expectations surrounding them as of late. Opening with crowd-pleaser ‘Tennis’, Courting unfortunately don’t hurl out dozens of tennis balls as they did during their Leeds Festival set a few weeks prior, but they do indeed keep their audience engaged throughout.

Courting are a band that wear their influences on their sleeve, but when your influences range from Charli XCX to 100 gecs (the latter of which were pictured on the t-shirt of lead singer Sean Murphy-O’Neill), that is no bad thing. Throwing in a cover of Icona Pop and Charli XCX’s 20212 smash hit ‘I Don’t Care’ Murphy-O’Neill whipped the audience into a frenzy. This was only to be enhanced when he leapt into the audience, dragging his mic along with him for something of a duet during ‘Popshop!’ From the Busted-esque ‘Jumper’ to the turbulent ‘Grand National’, Courting were churning out bop after bop and soon exceeded their designated 30-minute slot. “We want to keep playing”, they announced to cheers, treating their audience to a further few songs before calling it a night.

With the ongoing struggles faced by independent music venues and up-and-coming artists alike, Neighbourhood Festival shines a light on Manchester’s vibrant live music scene, and by inviting thousands to experience it in all its glory, provides a glimmer of hope that it will continue to thrive!

See the sights, as captured by Georgina Hurdsfield:

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More about: Neighbourhood