Words: Darci Jackson
Photography: Izzi Glover
5 minutes to get across to the other side of town, weaving your way down the seemingly endless Oxford Road and seeing your favourite up and coming bands. Welcome to NBHD Festival!
For once, it was a sunny albeit breezy day in Manchester, the perfect weather for a full day inner city festival. The walkability of NBHD makes the whole event much more enjoyable for punters, and wristband collection was no exception, being slap bang in the middle of it all. From there, it was a short walk (a fast one at that) to catch Issue 001’s cover stars, The Slates.
In a compact attic-like room, it felt more like a headline than half past 1 on a Saturday afternoon, with a queue winding down the staircase hoping to catch just a glimpse of the band. The heat hit you like when you step off a plane for the first time abroad, and the air was full of adrenaline as The Slates bounced around the stage, grinning from ear to ear. We’re surprised the floor didn’t fall through, with the ground shaking from start to finish from the energy coursing around the room.
Opening the O2 Ritz was indie music’s rising stars, The Royston Club. From the first note, the entire audience were captivated, singing every word back to Blisters. Another standout performance from the Wrexham 4 piece who are growing in strength by the day.
With pretty much all the venues being along the same road, it’s easy to hop from venue to venue, despite there being just an ounce of stress at possibly missing the start of an act.
From there, it was a One Way Ticket to Academy 2 to see the young prodigy, Alex Spencer. First discovered busking on the streets of Manchester, Spencer is ticking off milestones like no tomorrow, with his single Nightmares recently being announced to be on FIFA 25. Being halfway through his first ever tour, he’s taking everything in his stride amidst the release of his second EP earlier this year.
If there’s one place that doesn’t immediately scream music venue, it’s Revolution Oxford Road. In a brightly lit room upstairs, the sound certainly packs a punch, enveloping you to the music. Maxwell Varey geared the crowd up to dance long into the night with his pure indie rock vigour.
YES (Basement)’s headliner was the suave Andy Goodwin, with his charming and blasé lyricism matched to melodic tones. You couldn’t tell this was his first gig outside of London, as his songs both old and new were an instant hit for fans. Cool, calm and collected throughout the set, Fred Perry Girl rounded out the evening, the track that got him here in the first place.
From a small, dingy underground bunker to the vastness of Manchester Academy, Pale Waves transported us instantly to a royal gathering, chandeliers and draping red curtains adorning the stage. The hometown heroes were welcomed with open arms with their fourth album Smitten released just the week before. Opening with Perfume, Heather Baron-Gracie commanded the space, mixing new tunes with old favourites to create a headline worth remembering.
NBHD Festival really is the place to scout out all of those artists you’ve heard of but never had the chance to see live. Being perfectly placed in Manchester makes it the place to go for music fans alike.