Designer Magazine is a whole 8 years old. Did good unsigned nights exist 8 years ago? Who cares, tonight shows that they do now.

To celebrate, the night opened up with a special set from That Bloke Who's In Corrie, Rupert Hill, but far from being just another soapstar turned singer Hill is a revelation. Performing a rare acoustic set he is a hidden talent, fingers crossed it won’t be long until he makes a permanent move over to music.

The acoustic niceties were quickly over and replaced with gig virgins The Drake Equation. If bands who are gigging regularly were as good as these debutants then the unsigned scene would be a much better place. Despite being static onstage, no doubt through nerves, this is a band which has songs that speak volumes. Many a catchy chorus, verses packed with riffs, and enough twists and turns in their songs to keep even the most passive listener interested. The Drake Equation are very clever without being obvious, with interesting drum beats and bass lines that take a prominent place at the front of the songs, topped with high FX guitar akin to Bloc Party, this band shows how good music should be done.

Following on from The Drake Equation, indie punk pop trio Harrington struggle to make impact with the crowd. The band’s set is Arctic Monkey's by numbers; up-tempo and catchy pop songs in the same vein, however unlike their peers, it comes across as if they are trying just that little bit too hard. It is clear though that there is potential, with some fantastic intros, fascinating rhyming couplets and ‘dance til you drop’ guitar riffs. The set has a repetitive formula and there is nothing new here, but that's not to say Harrington can't still be a good, and one day, even a great band.

Mr. Fang have no drummer, and between the three of them use bass, guitar, synth, vox, and an FX box to make a lot of noise. Listen, and listen carefully: GO AND SEE THIS BAND. Despite being plagued with horrendous sound problems, seeing their backing tracks go from silent to ear drum blowing, the band manage to give a simply incredible performance, at every single point looking like they are having the time of their lives. They never stop moving, jumping all over the place, and at one point wrestling with each other until they end up on the floor screaming into the microphone. On top of this, the music is simply epic, and sounds like nothing on the market, coming in somewhere between grindie “Hadouken!” and rockers “Reuben”. Every person at the gig during this set watches intensely and can’t take their eyes off the stage. It is a question of when, not if, this band get signed.

Headlining tonight are King Henry, another 3 piece, but on a completely different vein. Up-tempo songs which stick in your head, this band make a lot of noise for 3 people. Soundwise, they are a top-notch modern rock act, with drums and bass reminiscent of Muse topped with guitar hooks a plenty. The band show signs of quality and have a decent stage presence topping off a great all round night.

Designer Magazine, 22 May 2007

Having been to Designer Magazine events before, I knew that the bands often varied dramatically from Manchester's finest to Manchester’s worst, this held true tonight.

Opening four piece, Sandbox, single handedly justify the entry cost. This is the band’s first gig this year year, and, ignoring a few false starts, the set is note perfect. This is a band with raw energy, controlling the stage and captivating the crowd. Lead vocalist/guitarist, Lennie, oozes sex appeal and performs with power reminiscent of a thin Beth Ditto. This, coupled with flowing bass lines and one of the best drummers in Manchester, makes Sandbox “ones to watch” for the future. The only flaw in the performance is from the bands new lead guitarist, who stands stationary whilst the rest of the band give it their all, something that will no doubt improve with experience.

Debutants Hey Bulldog are clearly nervous taking to the stage, and this shows in the opening two songs. The three piece look awkward, and despite good riffs are let down by basic drumming and out of tune singing. There is a stark improvement by the third track as the band start to loosen up, performing a well written song and showing hints of potential for the band. Although not necessarily crowd pleasing, this is music that could appeal to many.

Initially sounding and looking like “another Manchester band”, Frontrunner show they have a lot more to offer. Although playing typical rock 'n' roll guitar music, they are incredibly tight and have a distinct, moody sound which has some great hooks (without the boring, ‘twiddly’ guitar solos that plague other bands). The only flaw in this combination? The killer punch. Tending to sound like an impotent Kasabian, the songs fail to kick in. The band show promise in their closing song, with great use of effects to get the “huge” sound they need, but other areas of the set are left lacking which would otherwise propel this band to bigger places.

Final band, Pitch Invasion are a real let down to an otherwise upbeat night. A disjointed looking quintet, they are one of the worst bands I have ever seen. The guitarists seemed to struggle to play, the drummer too busy flying around his kit to keep any sort of tempo, and the lead singer gives the impression of a poor mans drunken Iggy Pop. However, most of the 130 strong crowd have departed by this point, so little damage was done to Designer Magazines’ reputation.