JOHN DENTON
He’s out of Salford, 15 years old, and already moving like someone twice that. There’s a quiet sort of buzz around him too… not the loud industry hype machine, more like whispers in the right ears. When you’ve got nods from the boss Bruce Springsteen, The Edge from U2, and you’re being mentored by Johnny Marr… yeah, people are paying attention for a reason. And you can hear it.
The musicianship is tight. Not “good for his age” tight… just tight and confident. Proper original tracks too, with that Madchester shimmer running through them with covers of Mersey Paradise slipped in perfectly and Dirty Old Town… There’s something brewing here. Not fully formed yet, but that’s part of the charm… like catching something just before it properly catches fire. EP lands May 8th.
REMAIN BLANK
Not quite indie, not quite punk either… more like an Irish alt-punk hybrid that’s been left to ferment in a back room with a stack of scratched-up old “The Fall” records. There’s a definite echo of early Fall rattling through them, especially on The Kitchen Floor and Plastic Hooligans… both singles.
They’ve got that knack for sounding slightly unhinged but completely in control of it. The kind of band where it feels like things could fall apart at any second… but never actually do.
Highlight for me though was their take on Night Boat To Cairo. A Madness cover could go a few ways, but this one? Properly reworked. Not just a copy-and-paste job. They dragged it into their own world, roughed it up a bit, and it absolutely landed. Set moved well too… no dead air, no filler, just straight through:
Set list: Further Than This, Bloke Down The Road, The Kitchen Floor (Single), You Should’ve Seen The Other Guy, Night Boat To Cairo (Madness Cover), A Flicker In The Pipeline, Plastic Hooligans (Single)
SIA RAW
Right, in you come and it’s straight into it. No easing in, no slow build, just dropped right in the middle of it, like the room’s already been going for a while and you’ve got to catch up fast.
You know pretty quick this isn’t a band trying to fit into any box. It’s soulful hidden behind a wall of sound. Bits that feel like they might fall apart but never quite do. Controlled chaos, just about. The kind that keeps you on edge because you’re not sure if it’ll behave itself.
What gets you is they’ve only been together since early 2025. You wouldn’t guess it. They sound like they’ve done the graft already, like the chemistry’s been there years, not months.
Then there’s Sia. Proper anchor. She doesn’t just sing, she draws everything toward her. One minute it’s quiet, almost fragile. Next it’s full throttle, filling every inch of the room. No in between, no safety net. You’re either in or you’re left behind.
The band are locked in too. Drums are relentless, never letting up, just pushing everything forward. Guitars don’t sit back either, they wind around each other, sometimes clashing, sometimes locking tight. Bass sits underneath like a pulse you feel more than hear. You could see the crowd turn as the set went on. That shift from people just watching to people being fully in it.
They kick off with “Motion” and “Lecct Tide”, straight into that restless energy, no messing. Then “Dreamers” (next single, date still TBC) opens things up a bit, gives you room to breathe before dragging you straight back in. “Bellyach” and “Dull Of You” hit harder. Darker. Heads down moments. You could feel the room tighten. Then they just go for it.
Black Sheep (cover), Ghost In Your Skin, By Your Side, no breaks, no chat, no reset. Just one long push forward. Feels like they’re chasing something and you’re just trying to keep up.
Ok it’s time “Toots Magoots” and “Static Crown” landed, It’s one of those nights where you look round and everyone’s a bit sweaty, a bit dazed, like they’ve all been through the same thing. They’ve already dropped Pull Of You. If that’s the starting point, there’s plenty more to come. You can feel it building already. Not polished. Not neat. Doesn’t try to be. But it hits and it stays with you One to keep an eye on.
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