Photo Credit: Andy Davies
It’s Easter weekend and the sun was finally shining after what felt like months of non-stop rain. We arrived in Manchester ready for the 9th annual MPF. Let’s go!
There was a real buzz in the air as all the local cafe’s and bars were full of punks filling up ready for the fest. As the venues started to open, the atmosphere started to build up as festival goers started to pile in and get ready for the weekend ahead.
Friday
Now let’s just make a point here. We had our itinerary all set out for the weekend with what bands we wanted to see, but anyone who has been to this festival will tell you, once you start catching up with mates, having a walk between the venues and sampling a beer or two, everything goes out the window! We headed to the Union first, which is the festivals largest venue. BOBBY FUNK were the openers and did a fine job in warming up the crowd with their unique style of punk. At times, there’s a straight up hardcore approach bringing to mind bands like Suicidal Tendencies or Kill Your Idols but then out of nowhere the band break into a ska section and just go off on their own totally bonkers route. It’s fun, it’s refreshing and it was perfect start to the weekend. 7/10
We hopped on over to Yes next to catch half of PINK SUITS’ set. The band pulled in a large crowd with their Crass meets White Stripes style of in-your-face punk. Despite there only being two band members, they managed to create an almighty racket which is just fine with us. Awesome stuff. 7/10
We headed off to the Breadshed next, arguably our favourite MPF venue, to see SHOOTING DAGGERS who have put a massive amount of work in over the last couple of years and judging by the large crowd that packed into the venue, it’s clearly paying off. The bands trippy approach to hardcore was received well by the crowd who pushed themselves up in front of the stage. Shooting Daggers bring to mind bands like Turnstile but with a distinct groove which is totally their own. The songs ooze confidence and are delivered with an effortless style. This band are constantly playing shows so make sure you go and check them out. New York’s SPACED were up next in the Breadshed and delivered a short but sweet set of raging modern hardcore. The large crowd got caught up in the energy as front woman Lexi Reyngoudt paced back and forth, kicking and screaming as she went. The entire band looked to be having the time of their lives and clearly the bands relentless touring schedule has given them the confidence to lead the charge for the American hardcore in 2024. 8/10
Clearly the Breadshed was the place to be for the first day of MPF and the venue reached capacity with a strict one-in, one-out policy being applied ahead of the venues next act, Dublin’s MERYL STREEK. It’s been a busy ride for this one-man wrecking machine who has spent the best part of the last twelve months touring every corner of the country. His blunt, abrasive and almost poetic take on punk is one no other act on the entire line-up is exploring making Meryl Streep hard to pigeonhole. Anger is paramount as Meryl touched on subjects such as the Irish housing crisis and the Catholic Church. His words were spat like venom leaving the entire venue hanging off every line. Do yourself a favour and catch him in a small venue while you still can. Incredible stuff and certainly one of the best sets of the weekend. 10/10
A dash down the road to the larger Gorilla venue saw us getting into the venue as Holland’s ANTILLECTUAL were in the process of tearing the venue apart with their hook-ridden melodic hardcore. Years of non-stop touring has clearly shaped this band into a well oiled machine and they delivered their set with flawless precision whilst never keeping still. Full credit to the bands bassist Yvo who provided the best stage jumps of the weekend! 8/10
Back to the Union for tonight’s headliners, MARTHA who delivered a wonderful set of catchy pop punk to the capacity crowd. For some reason, we’ve always missed this band so tonight, we took a spot at the back of the room and took it all in and it was nothing short of incredible. The eighteen song set was lapped up by the crowd with set closer Do Whatever getting 900 people singing at the top of their lungs. A perfect end to a perfect day. 8/10
Saturday
We fuelled up in the wonderful YES venue before heading to the Sandbar venue which hosted a poetry stage. It was the perfect way to break up the loudness of the festival and a perfect setting to catch some of the countries finest (punk) poets.
We popped in and caught SAFFIAH KHAN who you might remember went viral after staring down a racist scumbag from the defunct EDL. As we took a seat, Saffiah was laying into middle-class punks. Perfect! We got comfy and enjoyed the short-but-sweet set.
Back to the Union we went, where RASH DECISION were tearing through their set at breakneck speed. The Falmouth based band packed out the main room and their fast hardcore punk went down an absolute storm. There’s a real level of sincerity to the band which becomes more so apparent between songs. We hope to catch the band again soon! 7/10
THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS from Bristol were up next and brought an unstoppable and riotous racket to the Union. This is a band that pull no punches, and speak explicitly about the causes important to them. It’s refreshing to hear bands being upfront and direct about issues which others dodge in order to protect their so-called careers. The music is raw and in your face and is full of attitude reminiscent of New York punk bands from the late 70’s, it’s great seeing the band playing here today to so many people, however, we get the feeling they would really come to life in a smaller venue. Regardless, bands like The Menstrual Cramps are vital to the future of punk. Get on board. 8/10
A WILHELM SCREAM were treated with a heroes welcome as they literally exploded onto the Union’s stage and created absolute carnage on the dance floor below them. This band is all about fun and twenty five years of playing live has turned them into one of the greatest live punk bands on the planet. They dominated the Union from the very first chord to the last. Frontman Nuno Pereira is full of confidence and never stopped moving, even ending up in the crowd, giving everyone hugs as he made his way back to the stage. An absolutely flawless set. 9/10
And then it was time for Gainesville legends HOT WATER MUSIC to take to the stage to close up the day in the Union. Clearly this set was one of the most anticipated of the weekend judging by the crush inside the room long before the band took to the stage. When they did, the Union crowd surged forward with everyone singing every word back at the band. There was a special feeling in the room as HWM played hits from their thirty year history. Frontmen Chuck Rogan and Chris Creswell had a wonderful chemistry onstage, both full of smiles and a clear love for the Manchester crowd. Closing up the set, the band played fan favourites Drag my Body and Trusty Chords back-to-back which provided the loudest singalongs of the entire weekend and a feeling of complete euphoria. Absolute perfection. 10/10
Sunday
We recharged our human batteries in the wonderful YES bar yet again, having a cheeky MPF Signature Brew beer before we headed off to Zombieshack for some intimate punk rock goodness.
As we arrived, BUDS were about to open up the small stage, or at least they would have if the sound person had been on time! Thankfully, a few minutes later and it was all go and the band tore through a short set of melodic punk which hit the spot nicely. It’s never an easy challenge opening up early on in the day at a festival but Buds managed it with ease and are definitely ones to to keep an eye on. 8/10
A short walk to the Sandbar to catch JAMES DOMESTIC, who when not screaming his lungs out with his band The Domestics, writes some fantastic poetry which was a welcome treat before the madness.
DAKKA SKANKS were up next bringing the party to the Union with their wonderful brand of reggae, dub and punk. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon hangover cure for many and as we looked out over the sea of people, everyone was getting involved and having a dance. That’s what it’s all about. 7/10
PIZZATRAMP were one of the biggest pulls of the weekend and the Union was buzzing as the band came onstage. Frontman Jimmy was on fine form (as ever) getting the entire hall laughing before the band tore into their first number cctv. If you’ve seen this band before, you know the score. The songs are short, fast blasts of fury and in-between songs you get treated to some madcap stories from Jimmy. Most of the set is spent ranting about ParcelForce messing up the bands merch for today’s show. Hilarious stuff. Songs like My back is fucking fucked received a crazy response from the crowd, with bodies flying over the barrier and keeping the security busy. Pizzatramp have a way of effortlessly combining a great punk set whilst having a right laugh throughout. Best set of the weekend? Yeah, go on then. 10/10
Back to the Breadshed and you have to feel a bit sorry for London duo KILL,THE ICON who were given a slot which clashed with RISKEE & THE RIDICULE at the Union and locals INCISIONS in Gorilla. Understandably, clashes are going to happen at a festival with so many acts but the duo were completely unphased, and got stuck straight in to delivering a wonderful set of politically-motivated anthems. There’s a distinct 80’s synth feel mixed with modern punk influences. It’s a pleasure to listen to and it’s made more special seeing it with a smaller, intimate crowd. Hats off, guys. 7/10
INCISIONS were halfway through their set when we arrived at Gorilla. Their fast, no bullshit hardcore punk had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. Frontman Jordan bounced around the stage as the crowd below threw themselves all over the dance floor. Bodies were flying everywhere as War In Your Head provided the highlight of an awesome set. Great stuff. 9/10
DARKO pulled in an absolute full house in the Breadshed and wasted no time at all in absolutely pulverising the venue with their thrash-ridden hardcore. This is a seriously talented band who effortlessly fuse so many genres of music into a ball of energy that is completely their own. At times there’s subtle nods to Propaghandi, Strung Out or even Rise Against and then out of nowhere, a face-melting solo which wouldn’t sound out of place on Megadeth’s Rust in Piece slaps you to pieces. The crowd that are in the Breadshed lapped up every moment and it’s not long before bodies are surfing around the venue. This is an absolute hidden gem of a band you should not be missing out on. 10/10
Heading back to the Zombieshack, we caught up with THE CAROL HODGE band who provided the ideal soundtrack to unwind after the madness of Darko. The set was a welcome change from the loudness of the past three days and was perfectly suited to the smaller venue making it feel all the more intimate. Carols voice is incredible and pulls you in deeper with each and every note. Wonderful stuff. 8/10
RANDOM HAND were given the job of headlining the Union this evening which is no easy task. Last time we saw this band was in a small one-hundred capacity venue so to see them pack out the main venue of MPF is a sight to behold. Their set was truly incredible and ignited absolute chaos from the get-go. 10/10
Not wanting to call it a night, we headed back to the Breadshed and caught HORSEBASTARD who were pulverising the small crowd with some incredible grindcore. As fantastic as this would be in a normal setting, after three days of non-stop bands, it was time to call it a day! We’ll catch Horsebastard again we’re sure! 6/10
Well, they did it again. Manchester Punk Fest 2024 was a huge success and is only made possible by the hard work from those involved. Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the fest. We’ll see you there!
Written By: Andy Davies
