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Ten years in, Geordie band The Pale White sound more powerful than ever; their gritty, hook-heavy guitar music turning Manchester into their own loud, euphoric home away from home.
Manchester-based Denver County Council open the night with a cowboy-rock aesthetic and fun yet serious energy destined for bigger stages. Their set is eclectic in all the best ways: dynamic highs and lows, songs that feel heavy without ever feeling forced, and choruses built for festival crowds. The drums are a rock-solid backbone, with bass and guitar locking into instantly catchy riffs, as the vocalist pours emotion into every line. Even when there are technical blips, they keep things bright and easy with funny stage chat.
Scott Hepple & The Sun Band, also hailing from The Pale White’s own Newcastle, bring proudly messy, gloriously loud, heavy rock that grows more compelling with every song. Their longer tracks give the fuzzy guitars, driving bass, and pounding drums room to breathe, and the slow-to-heavy shifts become part of the thrill. As the set progresses, their sound oozes a vintage warmth and a classic-rock swagger that channels flashes of T. Rex and ZZ Top. Visually, they lean all the way in – flared jeans, tight T-shirts, and a lead with Jagger-esque stage presence – bringing heavy rock back into sweaty clubs one massive instrumental at a time.
Headliners The Pale White step out to a room that instantly feels like their own. Newer songs lean heavier, with big, Nirvana-tinged guitars, thunderous bass lines, and drums that glue everything together. Crowd participation is a core part of the show: from football banter, to choruses sung by the crowd, to phones in the air for the unmissable ‘Medicine’. Even minor technical hiccups can’t dull the impact of the band’s grit, drama, and chemistry, which shine through every track.
They strike a powerful balance between their calmer moments and their weightier guitar anthems, all while sounding unmistakably like themselves. Their encore lands perfectly: a fierce ‘Nostradamus’, a beautifully heavy version of ‘All I Have to Do Is Dream’ by The Everly Brothers, and of course ‘Final Exit’, which sends everyone into the night with harmonies still ringing in their ears. It’s the kind of show that’s going to keep you buzzing long after you leave, already wishing you could do it all over again.
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