A night of triumph for Manchester’s student bands, Alive! Fest saw some of the best bands that the student scene has to offer take the stage and rock the SU. The Mancunion Music Section team was there; here are our thoughts – stage by stage, band by band.
Dragon’s Keep Stage
Peephole
Easy to look at – hard to define.
Describing what Peephole played as ‘covers’ seems something of a disservice; they didn’t write the songs in their set, but they certainly owned them.
Opening with a cover of ‘Hey’ by The Pixies, frontwoman Sophie Irving took the rough edges of Black Francis’ original vocals and softened them, supported by the augmenting of chords and scattering of notes from the talented, straight-faced keyboard player. The set continued in the rock-if-performed-by-Nina-Simone manner in which it began, with a genre-bending performance of Hendrix’s Little Wing, Peephole’s lead guitarist more than up to the task of emulating one of the finest in his field. The set ended unexpectedly (gloriously) with back-to-back Radiohead. Rapid snare beats introducing ‘Weird Fishes’, then more of the same: enthralling vocals and lead guitar, keyboard and drums filling every blank space, the bassist wearing his guitar so high he seemed to look down it like a rifle, holding the whole thing together. All of it rising and falling as one, and leading seamlessly into ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’.
Maybe it was the song’s story of intoxicated casual sex, maybe it was the fact the band hadn’t missed a beat in the transition, maybe it was the instantly recognised arpeggio, maybe it was all of it put together – but the set’s crescendo tipped the crowd over the edge earlier in the night than expected, and Peephole proudly presided over the first mosh of the festival.
Words by Harry Sharples
Flat Stanley
Hailing from Yorkshire, alternative outfit Flat Stanley delivered a multi-disciplinary masterclass on the Dragon’s Keep stage. Their performance was both bombastic and warm, presenting songs which refused to sit still. One moment, the audience would bask in laid-back lounge bass before finding themselves enthralled in morphing, heavier, jam-out style breakdowns. The prominent bass was a clear standout, and a clarinet swimming in reverb proved an unexpected but welcome addition.
The band also sported dual vocalists. The Interpol–inflected delivery of guitarist Jacob was complimented by the lighter, more ethereal notes of bassist Jasmin. This vocal partnership gifted great dynamism to the songs – especially in highlighting some of the gentler lyrical moments.
There is no doubt that Flat Stanley whipped up an enraptured energy amongst the audience at Alive, but their most impactful moment proved to be their closing track. A varied and emotive piece of songwriting, it was fantastic to watch the band give so much to their material, from cradling their instruments to the guitarist’s final moments on stage: a glorious, barefoot foot-pedal pummelling full-body wig out. They truly left nothing on the table.
Words by Daniel Tothill
Mopfeet
As Mopfeet ascended to the Dragon’s Keep Stage, they seemed to be the only band that got the memo on this enchanted forest theme – the double bass player lovingly adorned with a gnome’s hat.
Initially, the feeling was twee, the band appeared to me more suited to a strong camomile tea than the slightly dodgy pint of Carling I was chewing through. But I was wrong. Mopfeet easily shattered my first arrogant assumptions with an eclectic mix of noise and harmony. Choppy guitars punctuated by the evocative trumpet, creating a rich and cinematic sound. Such an eclectic mix of instruments onstage may always draw comparisons to Black Country, New Road, and whilst these comparisons aren’t completely unwarranted, Mopfeet are less angular, more melodic, and seem to focus more on texture creating a film-score feel with their music.
The frontman took this cinematic approach even greater to heart, a performer completely immersed in the music and his own delivery. The last song in particular deserves many plaudits, a free-spirited gallop fuelled by the rhythmic double bass and intricate guitar lines, a song which sums up the freedom and mystique of their music.
Mopfeet’s performance embodies a certain beauty which, once immersed in, is truly standout.
Word by Thomas Quertier
Wehmut
Wehmut: a band straight from the Eastern Bloc.
It was approaching 10pm when Wehmut took to the Dragon’s Keep – people had been drinking, it was hot inside, but the leather jackets stayed on. How to describe this band? Post-punk, sure, but a distinct brand: I was struck consistently with the image of a Soviet-era IDLES. Crashing drums, crunching, overpowering guitars and the larynx-shredding vocals of frontman Harvey, whose face grew redder and more vascular after each number.
Wehmut are a band with something to say – don’t ask me what it is, but it certainly sounded important. Were the lyrics political, emotional, depressive? Who knows? I was only able to pick out a few words during the set (‘Abused’, ‘She said’, and ‘Twisted’ – make of this what you will), but nobody there seemed to be bothered. The mood was made very clear by the vein-popping performance. Throughout the set, there was the churning of a genuine mosh at the foot of the stage, goaded and lorded over by the band members who seemed to revel in the chaos they had created.
Powerful, intense, and exciting – my throat hurt just watching. Wehmut’s set of KGB rock left the crowd much sweatier than they found it.
Words by Harry Sharples
Brand New Legs
As the night drew on, the crowds at Alive dispersed throughout the SU. For some, the lure of the bar perhaps grew too strong. Or the silent disco channel may have just hit a sweet spot: many grinning attendees were spotted singing and dancing just steps away from Corridor Coffee.
It was in this quieter atmosphere that Brand New Legs bravely stepped onto the stage, an uphill battle before them. And, through the sheer strength of their jazz-infused, soul-drenched indie rock, they steadily pulled a crowd worthy of their talents.
Tracks such as ‘Hugslut’ and ‘Shade’ encapsulated the band’s willingness to share a wink with the audience, sporting self-deprecating but relatable lyrics of love and loneliness over some of the most pleasing rhythm guitar of the whole festival. The vocal display of Jen Perry also deserved every second of applause it received. Balancing both skill, power and vulnerability, I felt connected to each emotion Brand New Legs explored as Perry magnificently performed each song.
Through their exemplary set, Brand New Legs won over the attendees of Alive, proving that Manchester students know talent when they hear it, and will flock to it when they do. For fans of Arlo Parks or Snail Mail, Brand New Legs might just prove your new favourite artist.
Words by Daniel Tothill
The Woodlands Stage
Banana Undertones
Kicking off the Woodlands stage was four-piece punk outfit Banana Undertones.
Charmingly mismatched in their fashion as well as their instrumentation, the band took the stage at ten past seven, united only by the strings of ivy wrapped around each member’s shoulders and an air of wry self-assuredness. Despite their name, their performance was anything but understated.
Though starting out slow with the sexy, elegiac ‘Angel’ as frontperson Yanat lamented, “You can’t touch an angel”, they quickly gained momentum with the energetic tracks, ‘Margo’ and ‘Grey’. Yanat’s growl on ‘Juggernaut’ and ‘Still Bleed Red’ would – unbeknownst to the still small but enthusiastic audience – set the mood for the loudest stage of the night, while the band’s keep-them-on-their-toes ethos was best summed up by multi-instrumentalist Esther, who tore up the stage with solos on clarinet, guitar, and melodica throughout the set.
Unlike drummer Segev’s drumsticks, which broke partway through ‘A French Fling’ (an irreverent ditty “about girls and their mothers”), Banana Undertones were not the kind of band to break under pressure – as their heroic venture into (banana-themed) stand-up comedy during a guitar-tuning interlude can attest. What the band may lack in experience, they more than make up for in energy, skill, and playfulness.
Words by Mina Wang
Mandua
Second up on the Woodlands stage were Alive! Fest veterans Mandua. They combined the dark sounds of psychedelic rock with lyrics full of fiercely expressive emotion, performing a selection of originals and impressive covers. SHY FX and Lily Allen’s ‘Roll the Dice’ may seem like a song more suited to the sets of the Alive! Fest DJs playing late into the night, but Mandua’s cover flipped it into a dark, slow, rocky groove that made you forget it was ever a drum and bass track at all.
Soon after, ears pricked up as the familiar riff to Radiohead’s ‘Weird Fishes / Arpeggio’ drifted from the stage; this beautiful melody was soon overtaken during the song’s second half which unfolded into noisy psychedelic rock. Mandua’s performance at Alive! Fest was not only technically impressive but politically charged, leaving the stage with a message of support for Palestine.
Words by Estelle Derraj
Rachel Burnett
Third on Woodlands was self-described “dark-pop, folk-rock apple eater” Rachel Burnett. With her sterling silver voice and unmatched stage presence, Burnett proved a clear crowd favourite, drawing scores outdoors with her covers of beloved ballads, such as Kate Bush’s ‘Babooshka’ and Djo’s ‘End of Beginning’. Covers aside, however, her original songs also hit home. Ever the entertainer, Burnett drew whoops and waves from the crowd with ‘nineteen’ – a song, aptly, “about being 19, and turning 20”.
Paired with her pink-dyed tips and endearingly down-to-earth interjections about various wardrobe malfunctions, bittersweet ballads ‘Saint and a Sinner’ and ‘Warhorse’ (her most recent song) brought a Chappell Roan-esque energy back to the SU with a Northwestern spin. While never shying away from acknowledging her idols, Burnett wasn’t afraid to mix it up once in a while with some unexpectedly amusing lyrics, either.
Finishing off with a flashlight-waving singalong of Maroon 5’s ‘This Love’, Burnett’s glossy yet sincere folk-pop (backed up by a five-strong band) was a highlight of the evening.
Words by Mina Wang
South by Zero
As they took to the Woodlands Stage, it initially seemed that Manchester quartet South by Zero were another product of the trend towards acoustic-driven indie-folk popularised by the likes of Noah Kahan, but within a few moments, it was clear that they were much more – an engaging, multi-faceted band full of skill and personality. Once the band had reached the end of their second song, singer Matt Bawtree informed the crowd “we play pop music, and it’s fun, and you dance, and it’s cool” before introducing the next as a song about “falling in love with a band mate”. For many bands, gawky stage-chat such as this would come across as plainly awkward, but here it served to make South by Zero all the more endearing.
Throughout their half-hour performance, the band’s wide range of influences became evident: The Monkees’ ‘I’m a Believer’ proved an interesting choice for a cover, while the band’s original ‘Watching Slowly’ was reminiscent of Ed Sheeran in his debut album heyday. The latter combined introspective lyrics with an emotionally charged acoustic guitar riff, met by a sea of swaying audience members clearly charmed by the quartet.
After taking a moment to appreciate the crew that allowed the festival to happen and the artists accompanying them on the line-up, the band debuted new song ‘Better Off’ which continued their tendency towards optimistic folk-pop. Towards the end of the set, Bawtree passed his vocal reigns to keyboardist Emma Halpin, who performed ‘April’s Fool’, written by her father in the 1980s. The song allowed Halpin to display her impressive, jocular vocal delivery, with lines such as “if I can wash my dirty socks, I can wash my hands of you”. Bawtree gave his thanks to the “lovely, attentive” audience, before Halpin continued on lead vocals for ‘What You Started’, a song featuring the driving percussion required in an archetypal indie-pop break-up anthem.
Words By Samuel Chamberlain
Openfly
Ever found yourself wanting to mosh on a Monday night? Look no further than Openfly.
Bringing a fresh face to the student punk and riotgrrrl scene, the band delivered a powerful and politically charged performance. With a guitarist clad in a jacket inked with ‘UOM FUNDS MURDER’, they discussed involvement in the Israeli arms trade, and followed with issues of reproductive rights in their song ‘Baby Machine’. ‘Brand New World’ was a standout song – a perfect combination of angry nihilistic lyrics and fuzzy grungey noise.
As the tempo quickened, more realised the intensity of the performance going on outside and joined the already packed crowd. Dancing commenced and mosh pits formed – a fitting visual for the aggressively distorted guitar, bass and drums thundering through the speakers. Later, even with an unplugged guitar, their punky cover of ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’, a rhythm and blues song famously covered by The Beatles, did not disappoint – the use of a metal bracelet to distort guitar strings was a particularly unique element.
It was an undoubtedly intense experience to be in the crowd for Openfly’s set, and for a student band to have such a well-defined sound – they are definitely one to watch.
Words by Estelle Derraj
Holly Head
As the clock struck midnight, Manchester’s self-proclaimed ‘hardgaze’ quartet Holly Head took to the Woodlands Stage for a closing set, exhibiting their dark blend of experimental post-punk which proved suitable for the dead of night at Alive! Fest’s Enchanted Forest. The hour may have been late, but the band’s unrelenting instrumentation was mirrored by raw energy from the four members on stage as well as the substantial crowd gathered to watch them.
Despite only releasing their debut single ‘No Gain’ in September this year, the band sounded like seasoned professionals, demonstrating a unique style boldly pushing the boundaries of rock music. Like many of the bands performing at Alive!, it seemed that they were ready to graduate to bigger stages: their intense live performance, politicised lyrics and impressive music would slot perfectly into the upper echelons of today’s post-punk scene.
Words by Samuel Chamberlain
