Sour grapes promotions have made waves lately with their alternative line-ups and quirky venues. Tonight, was a perfect example of how they excel in putting together stellar gigs with bands that complement each other, certainly making the team one of, if not the best for alternative music events, (as well as being lovely blokes!)
Tonight, we headed down to Projekts Skatepark, under the Mancunian Way, outdoors – in March…it was fucking freezing to be fair! Regardless of the temperature, a fair few brave souls gathered and were treated to sets from Wax Head, Total Luck, DEAFDEAFDEAF and headliners Death Valley Girls. The Skatepark has played host to a number of events and is gradually making waves as one of Manchester’s newest and more unusual venues. The team have a fantastic set-up, and were incredibly welcoming on the evening.
First up was Wax Head, a garage/psych band from Manchester. The four piece kicked off the evening in style with a solid set and I believe they will be featured on a few more line-ups very soon, having only formed last year. Band two were equally as impactful, a three piece punk band hailing from Birmingham. The band has quite a following on social media and is starting to appear across the UK on numerous line-ups. The band played tracks from their four EP’s since the band formed. Their sound was hard-hitting and a heady mix of numerous vocal ranges in their short and punchy set. Towards the end earplugs were required as the volume was ramped up to beyond 11!
DEAFDEAFDEAF are becoming increasingly well known in Manchester, and have been on the scene for a number of years. It has been fun watching them develop and start to headline bigger venues, however, I imagine a skatepark under a large duel carriageway was a first even for them! The post-punk foursome displayed an impressive set with a mix of old and new, including ‘Sweet Thing’, ‘City Song’ and ‘One by One’. Frontman Nathan has a brooding stage presence teamed with a strong band, I honestly believe the future is bright for DEAFDEAFDEAF and I urge you to see them in one of Manchester’s smaller venues before they head up to Academy/Ritz level!
This evening’s headline band had traveled over 5000 miles to play for us tonight. Already signed to a label and with a huge social media following, this demonstrates the pull that Sour Grapes have in creating their impressive line-ups.
The LA based rockers treated us to a 45-minute set, containing tracks from their albums ranging back to 2016 , as well as newer material. It is clear to see why this four-piece has such a large following. The audience interaction was endearing and they were excited to be playing in such a cool venue, despite the arctic conditions. Their latest album ‘Islands In The Sky’ is psychedelic inspired post-rock, with lead singer Bonnie’s soulful vocals. It is certainly one to check out and I urge you to catch them on their next UK tour, as the band have just landed in France for the next leg. You can find out more about the band HERE.
