Featured image and gallery: Sophie Robinson
Punk rock legend Laura Jane Grace, formerly of Against Me!, visits Manchester with her latest backing band, the Trauma Tropes. Grace is joined by bassist Jacopo Fokas, drummer Orestis Lagadinos (of Greek hardcore band Vodka Juniors) and Grace’s own wife, Paris Campbell Grace, on backing vocals.
Supports Pet Needs own the stage with infectious energy that compels the gradually thickening crowd to dance along to the bands wild acrobatics.
The pop punk unit, fronted by brothers Johnny and George Marriott, claim to be the world’s smallest full-time band. While this lacks any evidence, it seems plausible through their undeniable passion.
As always, Laura Jane Grace performs with ferocity, spirit and most importantly of all, humour, tackling personal issues such as her own transition and sobriety in the same breath as attacking organised religion and police violence.
Grace and the Trauma Tropes begin their set with a mixture of songs from latest solo album Hole in My Head, which was released in February of this year, in addition to several yet to be released tracks.
As the show approaches its second half, the crowd only grows more animated, beginning to collapse into a pit as Grace and the Tropes thunders through the hits of Against Me!
This included queer anthem ‘True Trans Soul Rebel,’ which prompts some audience members to unfurl several pride flags, which billow through the crowd.
Follow Laura Jane Grace on Instagram @laurajanegrace.
Featured image: Henry Redcliffe Not to be outshined by the artists performing today, the rain makes its inevitable return to the skies of Yorkshire over Leeds Festival. With the downpours hardly taking a break, Saturday is the day for the indie-heads and brats, as two of the most anticipated acts of the weekend take the…
Featured image: Georgina Hurdsfield Despite the dreary weather forecast, it seems the explosive noise of the night before has blown away the expected torrential rain, as the sun fights through the clouds to shine over Leeds Festival on Friday. With the opening of the ‘other’ stages, the first double headliner, and a very special birthday,…
Featured image: Ruby Boland As the gates of Bramham Park finally opened for the 2026 edition, so too did the heavens, with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast for the whole weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking this year’s instalment of Leeds Festival was a write-off. Neither the punters nor the artists would let this dreary…
Featured image and gallery: Hoang Phan Notebooks were carried from one workshop to another. Writers from different generations sat around tables, sharing manuscripts and listening to each other. Outdoors, small groups strolled along Oxford Road, pausing before buildings steeped in literary history. This was the scene during the Manchester Writing School Summer Festival 2026, held…
Leave a reply