Hide and Seek Festival, 25th - 27th May 2007, Dry bar.

I have been given a mere 600 words to try and convey to you how fantastic the Hide and Seek festival really was. The brainchild of Bex Evans from Speechless With Sound promotions, Dry bar saw 3 stages crammed in for a total of 58 bands and artists to play over 3 full days (3pm-12 am). What makes this weekend special is that it was brimming with the best in alternative British talent. Bands had been brought in from all over the UK to play alongside top Manchester acts in a line up so strong that it even managed to attract Canadian music company Divirta over to scout for new talent. A weekend pass at £9.50 was simply the best value for money from any festival this summer, without the mud or chemical toilets.

The entire weekend was a logistical success. Upstairs saw two stages set up, one as soon as you walk through the door with the other towards the rear. As soon as a set finished on one stage the music started almost instantly on the other, and with stage 3 running to its own timetable downstairs 'Hide and Seek' had a great set up ensuring there was always something going on. With so much around you, it was simply impossible to see a lot of the bands. However it's safe to say, what I did see restored my waining faith in unsigned music. Bands to check out who didn't make it to the review (but you still really should listen to): festival openers The Good Hurt, loud and skilled emo-metal outfit HomeMade Memory, unique rock trio The Cut, Manchester's finest metal band Fury UK, and indie rockers Foster Kids. Also check out Speechless with Sound's band of the festival, Carjack Mallone. Top of the pile are The Red Wings, who despite being nothing new musically, have the best drummer in Manchester, a quirky looking teenage girl with a ferocious look who threw her sticks around acrobatically whilst playing in a simply mesmerizing way, and has a talent that would make most drummers green with envy.

A great quirk of the festival was the third stage, which was for “things a little bit different”, taking the form of the rock stage, electro stage and acoustic stage on the respective days. Plaudits go in particular to the fantastic Damien Mercer, and Sunday headliner Phil Higgins. An emotionally delivered performance, his tentative and soaring vocals managed to captivate and control the crowd in a way that only the strongest of acoustic acts can.

However, the best artist of the weekend downstairs has to be synth rock four piece Out of Animals. Whilst having a fantastic armory of rock rave songs, and a perfect on stage look (all the members wear different colour T-shirts with the equals signs on them), it is the band's front man who makes them a truly great spectacle to watch. When not on guitar duties, he runs, jumps and moves around the entirety of the stage and crowd, delivering vocals with barrellfulls of enthusiasm and energy. A simply fantastic spectacle to watch.

The 'Best of the Fest' award has to go to southern 5 piece Six Nation State. You can tell you're in for a treat when the bands go round giving the crowd large orange hooters pre-set. On stage, the band are dressed smartly but ragged, and delivered the best live show I have ever personally seen. The 3 guitarists, bassist and drummer were cramped onto the tiny second stage, and literally did not stop moving through the entire set. Sounding and looking like 'The Coral' vs. 'Madness' on speed, the band are visually fantastic: all 4 guitarists singing into two mics, moving and swaying simultaneously, the band keep throwing surprises into the set (including bringing out a mouth keyboard mid set). With a show like this and equally enthralling songs and upcoming support slots with The Holloway's and The Wombats it's only a matter of time before this band become media darlings.

And so after 3 days, much drink and merriment, and a hell of a lot of bands, I have seen from the sublime (the muse-esque Snowblind) to the weird (appalling scouse DJ/rap duo Riuven), but most of all I have seen the best that the unsigned scene has to offer. And it's good, it's very good.

Speechless With Sound, Vman Events and Designer Magazine will be running a fringe festival of In The City called 'Catch - In The City', details of which can be found at www.myspace.com/catchinthecity

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Night & Day, 25 May 2007

Opening to a relatively small crowd, Live 2 piece Lone Lady quickly make an impact with their quirky and clever music. Sounding much like a stripped down 'Biffy Clyro' with 'Cat Power' on vocals, every song has it's own unique twists and turns. This is a set up which works, as both members are extremely talented; technical drums and guitar make this a pleasure to listen to.

Quartet (plus one superfluous dancing woman) The Real Dolls are a fantastic looking live synth group, dressed all in white and lit by UV. They're a strong band, sounding somewhere between 'Wu Tang Clan' and 'Rage Against The Machine' with tight bass and good work on keys. This is a fantastic live act, that rallies the crowd and really gets them moving. You can't help but watch their neon movements, playing with a swagger that is so rarely seen on the unsigned circuit. One to watch.

Penultimate band, London 3 piece Popular Workshop, hit the stage and really give it their all. Despite weak vocals, this band has some of the best material I've heard in a long time, taking many cues from early 'Placebo', with quirky guitar riffs and interplay with the bass. A band with great songs, sure to go far.

As eleven o' clock nears, headliners Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip take to the stage. They're an odd looking pair; Dan Le Sac has giant sideburns, and is similar in looks to Har Mar Superstar. Front man Scroobius Pip is very tall, with a long bushy beard, a suit with a cap and trainers. It's weird, but it works. This is a fantastic act for so many reasons; Pips lyrics on society put Alex Turner to shame. Spitting the words into the mic at a ferocious pace with Le Sac bouncing around behind, it is clear that this duo put everything they have into this performance. Witty interludes and the bands use of props to help visualize the lyrics create an excellent live show. The set ends with “Karaoke”, seeing Pip reversion 'Faith' by George Michael and 'That boy, that girl' by 'Hadouken!', before a full length reworded version of 'Tipsy' by J Kwon.. This is the act to see this year.

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.