33 Oldham Street, Manchester
Saturday night at 33 Oldham Street saw a truly special evening of live music, heart, and humour. The place was buzzing with denim, tie-dye, and that unmistakable warmth you only get from grassroots gigs.
Tragicomics
Tragicomics, Manchester’s own, opened the night. Usually a five-piece, but this time stripped down to a three-piece for a super intimate show. The result was something beautifully raw and honest. A mix of tracks from their new album Tragicomics (find it on Spotify) filled the room with tasteful guitar licks, rich harmonies, and that unmistakable local charm.
Silver Arrow Collective
With acoustic guitar, mouth organ, and electric backing, they gave off definite self-confessed Scotish hippy vibes, in the best possible way. There’s even a touch of rock’n’roll irony in their mission, as all profits from the tour are apparently going towards buying a new front door.
Kirsten Adamson
Kirsten Adamson took to the stage next, immediately mocking the Silver Arrows for their door fund in good humour, before confessing that her own tour was crowdfunded. She had the crowd laughing from the start, joking about her new cable organiser that she’s “definitely going to mess up anyway”. Upstairs, there was apparently some kind of student kick-off, and she was offered shrooms, which she, quite tragicomically, turned down.
Her set was full of charm, heart, and stories. “Post-Wedding Song for John” was instantly catchy, while “Studied the Heart” was the one that really hit home. “Dance Away Your Demons” brought a soft melancholy, balanced by her wit and sincerity. There was a cutesy girl-band energy running through it all, but with real intelligence and backbone.
At one point she joked about “trying to please every member of the band”, before praising all the acts on the line-up and sharing her love for grassroots venues. It’s clear she means every word — and she’s right, these places matter.
Kirsten also shared the story behind her song My Father’s Song, which has earned nominations at the American awards. Written off the back of COVID and created as a reconstruction of memory and love, it’s a beautiful piece that clearly means a lot to her.
Then came one of those lovely surprises you only get in small venues. Kirsten and the band left the stage and came right into the crowd, serenading us with an optimistic heartbreak song. It was warm, human, and special.
The whole night felt like a celebration big country soul in a little Manchester venue. A heartfelt thank you to Ruth Murray and We Are Manchester for putting on another brilliant show, which Kristen closed with one more of her dad’s songs, just for fun. Maybe it’s just me, but it definitely had proper Creedence vibe.
PHOTOS BY SIMON LEE
FOLLOW KIRSTEN ADAMSON HERE
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