When I saw a poster for You Are Not Alone Festival appear on my Instagram, I didn’t hesitate to put the date in my diary. I used to be a regular on the Manchester grassroots gig circuit but hadn’t been for a couple of years. Life has a funny way of getting in the way of things sometimes, doesn’t it? I couldn’t remember the last time I saw live music in The Northern Quarter.
It had been so long, and yet as soon as I entered the venue for this very special festival, I felt right back at home. There’s something uniquely brilliant about Manchester, and Jimmy’s in Ancoats was the perfect place for me to return to this exceptional city and spend the day listening to the fantastic talent that the capital of The North has to offer.
The vibe in Jimmy’s was cool yet friendly. Anyone who used to frequent the original Jimmy’s will know that this name is synonymous with live music and was the place to be and be seen in The Northern Quarter. Fast-forward several years and the Ancoats setting has just the same vibe, only bigger and better.
One thing remains the same though; this is a venue that knows how to put on a great day of music and today was no exception. Every act I saw was of a high calibre. Each with their own unique style and yet all possessing talent in abundance. The artists had clearly been cherry-picked for their quality to raise money and awareness for the wonderful charity: Manchester Mind which offers support to those in need of help with mental health.
I didn’t manage to see the first act but made it in time to catch Matchbox, an all-male three piece who had formed in Manchester. They intrigued me straightaway because their sound was both familiar and original at the same time. Not just another indie guitar band, I loved the intriguing fusion of 90s indie with a lingering country sound. If you crossed The Verve with Dire Straits and gave it a fresh twist, then you might get something similar to Matchbox. Their songs fused together a classic indie vibe with a careful layer of country which made for a refreshingly unique sound which sets them about from their peers.
A highlight of their set was getting to hear new single ‘Bring it Home’ a brooding number heavy on bass which gets under your skin and had me drumming along on the small wooden table in front of me. I managed to get an exclusive interview with the band so keep your eyes out on this site to read more.
As I watched the next band Bone Box do a quick line check, I became instantly curious as to what they were going to sound like. Having been aware of Jay Taylor for his fantastic work with The Music Venue Trust, I had no idea that he was in a band. I couldn’t wait to find out more. Featuring a fiddle, guitar and- as I later found out by asking a member of the band- a pocket trumpet, this Manchester based oufit started setting up with a quiet confidence and appeared as though they had done this many times before. Little did I know that the band is usually referred to as a collective, and can sometimes feature up to twelve people.
Today, they came as a three, meticulously plucking away at the fiddle, precisely strumming the guitar all interspersed with the unusual addition of a pocket trumpet. Their sound was as brooding as it was captivating; a wonderful melting pot of folk and blues with Jay’s deep and country-style voice giving it a dark and intense vibe. Bone-box was incredible to listen to and stood out as being an unexpected and unique addition to the day’s line-up.
Chris Wise was up next and impressed the audience instantly for possessing just the most fantastic voice. Comprising just two guitarists, Chris didn’t need harmonies to fill the room with his vocals. A singer-songwriter with grit and passion, the sound that the two musicians made was both uplifting and energetic and it was at this point in the day that I realised how special this festival was. Where else could you spend a mere eleven pounds and get a full day of amazing music by some of the most talented grassroots bands? It felt like both an honour and a privilege to be in this room.
Performing next was James Holt. An artist who has been a favourite of mine for a long time. I hadn’t seen him in years, but that didn’t stop him kindly allowing me and a few friends to choose our favourite songs to include in his set. James has been on the Manchester scene for a while now, slowly but surely gaining more traction which each song he releases. This talented multi-instrumentalist gets better with each show he plays. Standing there alone on stage, just him and his guitar, he belted out his tunes in a way I hadn’t heard him do before.
Each one with a different story to tell, James has mastered the art of not just being a fantastic live performer of music, but a masterful storyteller too. The audience loved hearing about the meaning of his song ‘Come out to Play’ which serves as reminder to not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. It’s a song about seizing the day, enjoying the moment and always making time for the enjoyable things in life. James will be performing on May 15h in Gullivers in Manchester and I urge you to go along. He might just become your new favourite artist.
There’s something special and enticing about an artist who is willing to bare their soul to the audience in front of them. And that is exactly what Kyle Ross chose to do as he played his songs to a captivated room. You couldn’t hear a pin drop as he sang his heart out with a classic but fresh singer-song writer sound. My favourite moment in his set was his song: What you wanted which he described as a song about “Not feeling good enough for somebody”. Someone once told me that the sad songs are the best and it would be fair to say that this was a standout song of the day.
At this point in the evening, I popped out to get a bite to eat and managed to catch only the last couple of songs by Robbie Cavanagh. That was enough to encourage me to look him up when I returned home however as his country folk vibes wafted through the room effortlessly and had a warm and comforting feel to them. I’d say that Robbie has that rare quality of being instantly appealing to all because his music sounds like coming home. If you haven’t got plans this May, he’s in the middle of a UK tour so be sure to check him out.
Denver County Council was the final act of the evening, and one which I had waited a long time to see. Having heard a few songs and been a keen follower of theirs on social media I had missed several opportunities to see them before and was very excited to see them this day.
As with all the previous acts, their music was stripped back and acoustic meaning that just as those who had played before them, they had nowhere to hide. Injecting some comedy into the evening and engaging the audience with their humour, the final act of the evening showcased some of the loveliest three-part harmonies I’d heard in a while, and their performance lleft me wanting to hear them in all their full band glory.
I couldn’t help but be moved by their penultimate song: Leave me be, especially as lead singer Luke Denvers chose to reveal that this track is about his own mental health struggles whilst praising the festival for choosing to support such a worthy cause in Manchester Mind. And when they closed the evening with their very own version of Robbie Williams’: She’s The One the whole room sang along in unison. To say they closed the day on a high was an understatement and I could see why they have been chosen to support bands such as The Enemy in recent times.
I left Jimmy’s that day after enjoying seven continuous hours of music feeling elated. The day I chose to return to Manchester was a special one. Not just because of the music, not just because of the wonderful cause that You Are Not Alone supports and not just because of how friendly and welcoming the atmosphere in this fantastic venue was. Memories were made that day and if you didn’t make it along, be sure to put next year’s event in your diary just like I did. You won’t find a better way to spend eleven pounds on a bank holiday weekend in Manchester.
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