As we find ourselves in the midst of gig season, who doesn't love a good old city festival to sample all your favourite artists in one go? Short, high-energy sets, plenty of new discoveries and a few pints necked before rushing across town to catch the next act in your schedule. NHBD 2022 was, once again, a fantastically buzzing day with an eclectic line up and a lovely communal feel surrounding Manchester's Oxford Road. Here are just five of our most memorable highlights from the day!
Hannah Grae @ YES Basement
Kicking off our day was the new female Rock sensation Hannah Grae. She may only have a couple of singles to her name but the sheer weight of her talent is not lost on anyone! Already teamed up with Atlantic Records, those in the know are fizzing with excitement at the potential that Hannah Grae has and this 30 minute set perfectly summarsied why. Everything about it was big and bold! Although, she may still hold the endearing teenage insecurities of a young performer, she commanded the stage with a ferocious aura.
Her performance of her new single 'Propaganda' was intensely gritty and the whole band's on-stage presence lived up to that fact, as her guitarist stomped around his side of the stage with a Punk energy and Hannah flung her hair around with a confident swagger! The peak of her set had to be her unreleased track 'Hell Is A Teenage Girl' which showcased her shattering vocal talent as well as her poignant lyrical delivery and infectiously raucous on-stage energy. She is definitely one to see quickly before her career sky rockets!
Eades @ YES Pinkroom
Sometimes, when an album is so densely layered, so tonally refined and so appealingly hectic as the debut record, 'Delusion Spree' from Garage Rock outfit Eades, you worry how the band will be able to recreate this in a live setting. However, every interplaying instrumental line and every tantalising nuance of their album shone through in a fabulously high-octane performance. A definite USP of the band is the multiple vocalists, which not only allows for a range of vocal styles to suit different tracks, but also a really dense communal power when all vocals join forces in the biggest moments.
The stage was bursting with energy as the quintet hopped and bounced around with a frenzied feel. Fan favourite 'Reno' had to be the highlight of their set, as the track combines all their best elements into one; bustling percussive rhythms, rambling Post-Punk monologues, fuzzy Garage Rock riffs and ear worming vocal shouts that will stick with you long after your first listen! Check out our interview with Eades.
The Murder Capital @ Gorilla
Huge credit has to be given to the aforementioned bands and of course the multiple headliners The Lathums and Everything Everything. They all performed superb sets, however it was a last minute addition to the line up that stole the show. The Murder capital were only announced two days before the festival was set to kick off but still gathered a sizeable crowd to enjoy a captivating, energetic and entirely entertaining performance.
Dublin, again, have given us a delightful pairing of intense, moody Post-Punk and a front man, in James mcGovern, who really know how to capture a crowds attention. From the moment he stepped on the stage all eyes were deservingly on him. His relationship with the audience was telepathic, he sent out great energy and he was matched in kind by all who attended. It was certainly a gig that deserved to be higher up on the days billing and it would have been fantastic to see them play to a bigger audience.
However it seems that hunger can be satiated as the outfit are all set to return to Manchester at the Albert Hall on February 16th on their UK tour. If you want a gig that won't disappoint you should find yourself there. Words by Evan Moore
The Goa Express @ Canvas
The relatively new live music space, Canvas, was pretty much packed to capacity for the entirety of the day, playing host to Scouse Punks STONE and bright Indie Rockers Youth Sector. Luckily, we managed to squeeze in later in the night to catch Manchester's own hazy Indie melody makers The Goa Express. Although the weather may not have, the expansive design of the venue suited their drifting sunshine melodies.
There was a distinctive uplifting energy radiating from the stage that perfectly captured the care-free, communal atmosphere of the festival. You could spot people bumping into old mates and fans speaking to bands they'd seen play earlier in the day, all basking in the feel-good Manc vibes, expertly provided by The Goa Express.
The Snuts @ Albert Hall
After winning their tussle with their record label over the release date of their sophomore album 'Burn The Empire', Glasgow's new Indie giants took to Manchester's Albert Hall for a spectacular headline set. The room hit capacity long before the first note and the crashing opener of 'Pigeons In New York' brought the entire room to life in an instant. The early half of the set was back to back high-energy anthems that had the audience bouncing and chanting back every word.
As the name suggests, their new album is wrapped up in socio-political angst and they didn't fail in making their messages heard. Tracks like 'Burn The Empire' and 'Zuckerpunch' were complimented by captivating visual displays and, at points, vocalist Jack Cochrane seemed more like a protestor with a mic rather than the frontman of an Indie band. Their show had all the grandeur, drama and anthemic quality that you would demand from a headliner and they concluded the festival with a fantastically swagger-filled performance that they can be proud of!
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