It’s coming to the end of festival season, which means it’s time for the gig season, and Neighbourhood Festival offered a mix of both, with over 80 artists performing across 12 Manchester venues. From infectious folk-punk chaos from Brògeal to glimmering rock melodies from Florence Road, the event offered performances from a diverse range of up-and-coming artists.
First up over at Academy 2, were Cherryholt, who wasted no time in reminding the crowd why they have begun to secure their name as one of the best up-and-coming indie bands at the moment. The atmosphere felt unusual as it’s not every day that you go to a gig at 3 pm, but the infectious energy from the crowd made it feel like any other packed-out gig. Opening with ‘Paraffin’, the band were met with an enthusiastic response from fans, clapping and singing every lyric back. ‘Irresistible’ stood out as a fan-favourite, elevating the already high-energy audience, with people getting on shoulders and dancing under twinkling white lights. At such a young age, Cherryholt have already grasped how to captivate a crowd. The band then introduced an unreleased track, ‘Heaven’, with lead singer Reuben Baskerville going above and beyond, showing his impressive vocal range and passion. “Sing along if you know this one,” Baskerville called out, and ‘Flies’ rang out across the venue, reigniting the energy with a strong guitar hook from Harvey Walsh under a yellow glow. ‘The Bullet’ triumphantly closed their set, with the band hyping up the crowd one last time: “You’ve got more in you!”, to which they got fans clapping to the beat of the drum. Cherryholt’s final words were “Best city in the world, thank you Manchester!”, and it summed up their set perfectly.
It was then over to O2 Ritz for Falkirk’s finest: Brògeal, bringing their charm of Scottish folk-indie to the festival and playing exactly a year since the release of their debut album ‘Tuesday Paper Club’. With traditional instruments like an accordion and a bazoukai, the band delivered an energetic performance with a Scottish twist. ‘You’ll Be Mine’ brought a burst of power, which waved through the crowd, and this was only the start of the set. A fast-paced beat then amplified the vibe during ‘One For The Ditch’, a song that vocalist Daniel Harkins declared as a “song about getting p*ssed”. Having announced they had just recorded a new album, the band introduced ‘Wages’, a song which the crowd seemed to already be familiar with. “I don’t know how you know the words already”, the band exclaimed, taken aback by the response from the crowd. If there’s one thing about Brògeal, they know how to command a crowd: “This is a dancing song. Go mental!”. Drinks were flying and mosh pits erupting to ‘The Bonnets Blue’. ‘Chase em out of Town’ kept the momentum high, the red lighting reflective of the small-town chaos theme behind the track. The band took it back in time for ‘Sunday Morning’, featured on their debut EP. Just when you thought the atmosphere had reached its peak, the set was then transformed into a commemoration of one year since ‘Tuesday Paper Club’’s release: “One year in… have youse joined the Tuesday Paper Club?!” The floor shook beneath the crowd as Aidan Callaghan and Harkins took to the microphone in a shared moment, owning the stage with their undeniable confidence. Brògeal aren’t just borrowing elements of Scottish Folk; they’re bringing a whole new energy to these sounds through their energetic performances.
The action then moved across the road, over to Gorilla for Belfast’s Esmeralda Road, where they played to a packed-out venue. With a queue to get in that went all the way down Whitworth Street, festival-goers were lucky to catch the band with such high demand. ‘Park It’ instantly brought the room to life, with fans jumping and singing every lyric back, while lead singer Charlie Magill’s unique stage presence captivated fans. There seemed to be slight sound issues with the microphone, but that did not stop the crowd. ‘7 Tune’ brought a strong groovy track with clear jazz influences, while unreleased track ‘Body’ saw drummer Aodhan Moran’s backing vocals accompanying Magill. ‘Here Honey’ slowed the pace, with an electric guitar hook driving the beat, before launching into ‘I Think’, which Magill dedicated to a fan who had just arrived. “Everybody say thank you, William!”, Magill shouted after opening a mosh pit and joining the crowd in the centre of it. ‘Bleak’ comes as another unreleased track, which has become a staple in their live performances. Under a green glow, a drum beat accompanied flashing lights, to which the audience matched the energy. By the time the band reached the track ‘Esmeralda’, the crowd knew every lyric. Arms waving across the room prompted Magill to acknowledge those who were sitting at the top of the venue: “I see you guys up there!” The response to the final song was deafening. “Thank you so much, Manchester”, the band said, thanking the fans. Esmeralda Road showcased their ability to engage a crowd. The band didn’t just sing; they performed.
Manchester-born Little Dog Star (aka Izzy Steele) brought a comforting set in the main room of Deaf Institute, swapping out the earlier mosh pits for dreamy vocals and personal storytelling. ‘Something Infinite’ opened the set, the title track from the ‘Something Infinite’ EP, which was released back in July. A strong drum beat on ‘Down To The Wire’ got the room clapping along, while ‘Dog With A Bone’ offered an insight into newer material due to the track being Little Dog Star’s latest release. A highlight from the set was ‘Put Some Miles On It’, which was released alongside the latest EP. Raw integrity from Steele’s vocals blended beautifully with Ryan Ristić’s electric guitar. This was Little Dog Star’s first-ever festival performance, and it was full of gratitude and warmth: “I’m so happy to be here!” The set came to an end with ‘Radio Show’, Steele showcasing her effortless ability to reach impressive high notes without losing their emotion.
The Guest List returned to their home crowd in Manchester at the O2 Ritz, launching in with the single ‘You Should Care’, which put a spotlight on Cai Alty and Thomas Quigley’s vocals harmonising with each other. A light atmosphere quickly turned dark with ‘If Ever Your Devil Is Kind’, with Alty not just singing the lyrics, but weaponising them with angst. The song closed with an extended outro, accompanied by flashing lights which created quite the dramatic finish. The intensity continued through to ‘Mundane’, which was made complete with dark red lighting. The crowd’s energy only grew from there with ‘Ruine’, the whole venue singing “da da da da da da” with Quigley. What makes this song so distinctive is the solo sung in French by Sid Wallace, which some fans in the crowd had learnt. The familiar notes of ‘Loose Tongue’ rang out across the venue, complete with a guitar solo from Quigley and more crowd participation as he encouraged fans to clap along. The set then turned into a softer atmosphere with ‘Mary’, a deeply meaningful song, featuring Alty on acoustic guitar under a purple glow.
The biggest connection came with ‘Slow Down Sally’, introduced as a song that Alty had written with guitarist Leio Hunter. Purple and blue lights washed over the venue as fans sang the lyrics back, with some people even on shoulders for the intimate performance. ‘Weatherman’ is always the perfect finale to The Guest List’s set. Its extended intro built anticipation across the crowd, with a delicate start that eventually added Angus Gilchrist’s drums in the second verse. Encouraging the audience to get on shoulders, the band watched as a sea of people rose above the crowd. It was a memorable finish from the band, and there is always something different that comes with each The Guest List performance.
Festival headliners Florence Road stole the spotlight on the O2 Ritz stage with the confidence of a band ready to own their moment. The newly released ‘7563’ kicked off their set, as the band walked on to an ominous red glow. Lily Aron’s powerful vocals were backed by Ailbhe Barry, which immediately set the tone for the rest of the performance. “It’s good to be back in Manchester, we missed you,” Aron told the crowd, before keeping the energy high with ‘Storm Warnings’. The track was driven by strong drumming from Hannah Kelly, before ‘Heavy’ brought another singalong moment (“Sing it with me, Manchester!”). Reflecting on their previous appearance at last year’s edition of the Festival, the band asked, “Did anyone see us play last year? Bit of an upgrade, hey?” - Florence Road were back and ready to give it their all. The band teased some new material with ‘White Smile’, with Aron sharing her incredible vocal range… and of course fans were singing the lyrics even though the song is unreleased. “This next song has a little dance to it”, and that’s when you know it’s time for ‘Surprise Surprise’. Barry instructed the dance, and everyone followed. “Are we having a good time or what?!” Aron called before taking a turn.
The direction changed into an intimate moment for ‘Miss’, where a purple glow washed over the band as the crowd swayed their arms before the track gradually gathered momentum again, with breathy vocals allowing way for a bold instrumental finale. The band then introduced their latest single ‘Wish Upon You’, a wholesome love song that opened with a delicate keyboard under orange lighting. The energy did not disappear from there: “Let’s dance for this next one!” and the opening notes of ‘Hanging Out To Dry’ played out. Fans jumped as green lighting swept across the room, a room full of released angst and emotion from the crowd as they sang their hearts out. There was only one way to close the show: ‘Break The Girl’ saw the audience at its peak, arms waving and singing “lalalalalalala”. Bathed under orange lighting, the band delivered a finale that felt as big as the occasion itself. What a finale from Florence Road, bringing their Irish charm and blending upbeat melodies with deeper lyricism.
Neighbourhood Festival was a day packed with the latest emerging talent and returning familiar faces, allowing fans to discover their new favourite artist or see an artist they already know and love. If the day were to be summarised, it showed that Manchester is a city where music thrives on shared moments and live performances.
Micha Thompson
Images: Liam Vaughan
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