Live Review: 2019 Manchester Punk Festival (Sunday) – Manchester, UK, 21st April 2019

After the excesses of the Saturday it takes a good few hours to shift the hangover that was the inevitable consequence of my first experience of the 2019 Manchester Punk Festival, but we’re back out into the blazing Bank Holiday sunshine for the final day of the festival. After spending the initial few hours In town catching up with people, exchanging hazy memories, being reminded of the dumb things we did yesterday and off course easing the hangover with a hair of the dog that savaged us yesterday, it’s back into the Zombie Shack for the first band of the day, French punks Guerilla Poubelle.

Guerilla Poubelle deliver an early afternoon wake up call of raucous and raw punk rock, whilst the linguistic barrier impacts on the ability of many to join in with lyrics, although their website provides information about the songs for the linguistically challenged, their music speaks volumes, inclusive and political gruff punk that channels Off With Their Heads and early Rancid that is delivered with a gallic charm. Guerilla Poubelle are joined for the final song of their set by members of tour mates Arms Aloft and their set marks a sweaty and impressive start to the final day of Manchester Punk Festival.

After catching our breath and cooling down it’s back into the Zombie Shack for Werecats who hammer out set of breezy punk rock that resembles the Ramones and Helen Love on a riotous vacation, which is pretty much the perfect soundtrack to a sunny Sunday afternoon In Manchester. The next band requires a walk across town for my first, but not the last, visit to the The Bread Shed for a rare UK appearance by Arms Aloft, one of the bands that was a must see as soon I saw on them line up. Arms Aloft provide another set of politically sussed punk rock, as previously mentioned they are currently on tour with Guerilla Poubelle and for this tour they are sharing a bass player as well as stages across Europe.

Arms Aloft have been a fixture in my playlist since they released Sawdust in 2012, and there really is nothing better than finding out that a band you’ve waited seven long years to see are even better live than in the studio. Arms Aloft bring their political focus to the Manchester Punk Festival with their merchandise generating funds for the socio-political movement Extinction Rebellion, they return the favour from earlier in the day as Guerilla Poubelle join them on stage for a riotous final number. If I could vote for Arms Aloft I would, easily one of my favourite bands of the weekend.

After a break for essential food, and of course more alcohol, it’s back to the Zombie Shack for the youthful hardcore assault of Fastfade, another band I hadn’t previously encountered. For me it’s discovering the next generation of brash young energetic punk bands such as Fastfade that is another reason why you should attend the Manchester Punk Festival. After Fastfade‘s blistering set a further long walk back to the Union, that passes a park filled with relaxed punks enjoying the late afternoon sunshine, for the late, but very welcome, addition of Burnt Tapes to the festival.

As when we caught Burnt Tapes in Blackpool at the Rebellion Festival‘s Introducing Stage last year they deliver a heartfelt and passionate set that marks them out as a band you really need to check out whilst they are still playing smaller venues, as on the basis of tonight’s set you can only see Burnt Tapes going onto bigger things. They are followed by Bar Stool Preachers who, after mingling with the crowd outside the bar, deliver a raucous and crowd pleasing set to a packed Union, one that I sadly have to cut their short as I need to head back up the road to The Bread Shed for The Creepshow.

After a band fistbump The Creepshow launch into a set of sweat drenched punk ‘n roll that is everything you could hope for from one of the finest contemporary horror punk mainstays. The Creepshow‘s set spans their five studio albums and fourteen year existence. This is a band that have remain a force of nature, despite shedding singers at the rate Spinal Tap reserved for drummers they have retained everything that has made them such a compelling live act and why they were the first band I marked as a must see at this years Manchester Punk Festival.

Front woman Kenda “Twisted” Legaspi has the crowd in the palm of her hand, she engages and provokes those present, when their noise level slips in volume she rebukes them with “I didn’t tell you to stop fucking clapping” and they respond with renewed enthusiasm such is her hold over the crowd. I haven’t seen a finer set by anybody this year, tonight The Creepshow were spellbinding, of course there are roars their return, the demands for an encore are met, and when a giant Easter bunny head is thrown onto the stage from the crowd the band appropriate it for a visually memorable end to their set.

Finally we make out way to the aftershow, this is everything you’d hope for, from Burnt Tapes as The Menzingers to Manchester legends Incisions nailing an incendiary Minor Threat set. The Manchester Punk Festival occupies a unique spot in the UK’s festival curcuit as it stands alone in being almost entirely focused on new music and promoting the DIY and independent punk scene, there are none of the class of ’76 or ’77 present on the line up and more than any other festival it reminds you that punk certainly isn’t dead, as the sign that greeted me two hazy days ago said, Manchester Punk Festival – It’s proper mint.

Live photography is by Gary Hough, his Instagram account is located here and you can click on any of Gary’s photos to view a slide show of the images

The Manchester Punk Festival can be found on Bandcamp, Facebook and Twitter

The Manchester Punk Festival website is here