By Jack Holmes
Yesterday the Star and Garter played host to yet another great lineup of musicians, all loosely linked to the Manchester hard rock scene.
Starting the night are Arbourdecks, who offer up an entertaining set and bring an impressive crowd considering they’re the openers of the night. Their musical style ranges somewhat, but is largely routed in a classic indie rock format, from the Smiths to Joy Division. Tracks like Darcy stand out from the set, but so do the outfits. It’s important to focus on the music when it comes to any band, signed or not, but as commented by the other supports later in the evening, it was pretty warm. Was a scarf and fedora really necessary?
They’re followed by Sly Antics, who would likely have melted into a puddle on the floor had they donned the leather jackets and winter wear that Arbourdecks members did. Having some technical issues with a broken drum pedal in their second song, singer Sam Hudson manages to easily entertain a crowd whilst maintaining an air of friendly approachability. Their set is talked about by the crowd throughout the night, with praise going to their catchy riffs and gruff vocals, aspects of a Sly Antics show their fans have now come to expect. With a headline spot at the Ritz on the horizon, Sly Antics continue to smash expectations and seem dead set on complete domination of the local scene, and again after tonight, it’s difficult to argue why not.
Peur follow and offer an interesting kind of hard rock grunge sound, which they play continuously from the start of their set time to the finish. It’s an interesting approach and although it doesn’t offer the energy or involvement of the previous two bands, allows Peur to present their sound as a show in itself, rather than track by track.
Closing the night are headliners Mohawk Radio, who’ve recently returned to Manchester after a tour in the US. Featuring an American singer, Mia Page, and Mancunian, well, everything else, there’s an interesting dynamic to their songs. Sounding like a warped Halestorm, Mohawk Radio’s set is packed with energy from hair flicking to throwing themselves around the stage. Page is especially adept at this aspect of performing and makes even the tamer songs feel rich and involving, causing the crowd to slowly move towards the front throughout the set. With only two EP’s to date, it’s an impressive set, and we’re all excited to see what they have to offer next.
We took a couple of pictures of the night as well if you want to take a look at the Humanity Hallows Flickr.
Did you attend Mohawk Radios headline show? Who did you feel gave a stand out performance on the night? Let us know @Holmesblogs and @HumanityHallows
Featured image and gallery: Truck Festival For almost thirty years, set within the rolling fields of Hill Farm in Steventon, Oxfordshire, Truck Festival has been a cornerstone of the British festival calendar. Dubbed the ‘godfather of the UK’s small festival scene’, the festival continues to live up to that title, with a line-up packed with…
Featured image: American Football – American Football album artwork The debut album has long been treated as a baptism of fire for artists – the deciding factor that determines whether a band will ‘make it’ or not. Some debuts set the tone for what follows: Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m…
Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra come to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to celebrate the release of their new album, Night Blooms. Liverpool-based Brooke Combe opens the evening with a stripped-back set alongside her guitarist, her soulful vocals instantly captivating the crowd. Blending heartfelt performances with quick-witted…
Featured image and gallery: Sally Stretch Three decades after they first emerged in Manchester, Take That return home to the Etihad Stadium and deliver an unforgettable show, combining circus theatrics and crowd-pleasing hits from across their catalogue. Formed in 1990, the group have released multiple chart-topping albums and embarked on numerous world tours, including 2009’s…
Leave a reply