This May Bank Holiday weekend saw the return of Salford’s Sounds From The Other City for its 15th anniversary.
Regent Trading Estate was decorated with glitter and unique art as 1,500 people came to celebrate the festival that embeds new and upcoming talent into the heart of Salford.
The line-up this year included “your favourite band’s new favourite band” – Pitchfork Black Midi, SFTOC returners The Orielles, Belgian punks Cocaine Piss, Edinburgh DIY folk-rock Withered Hand, laid-back rap maestro Barney Artist plus many more. Check out the full lineup including stages and set times here.
? HERE WE GO! The full #SFTOC Quindecennial line-up is here! Find out who you’ll be watching this year right now:https://t.co/VxgKoZcxCo
? Spotify playlist: https://t.co/vo7xZ4BcYH
?️ Final tickets: https://t.co/n4zrr7fVZ4
? Come party tonight: https://t.co/8U3K15snaC pic.twitter.com/P8CacCVmBJ— Sounds from the Other City (@sftoc) March 14, 2019
Grotbags were the first band of the day to play on the nautical theme stage in Unit 5. Speaking to members Ian Breen, Benjamin Pitman and Morgan Lane they said: “We’ve been here a lot. All of us have been involved in this festival at some point or another over the past 13 years. Even if we aren’t playing we still come.” Benjamin also said: “We are here because I asked us to be here. I have been to the festival a lot before as a promoter and I decided to show pure nepotism by booking my own band.”
The stage On The Shores Of The Strange was created by art director Him Hallows and he said the theme is a place between normality and the unreal.
The Mancunian artist explained: “I’ve become a little obsessed with the angel Ophanim, the multi-eyed, interlocking wheels of God’s chariot, and wanted to build my representation of what that would even look like.”
? Here’s their special guest, @himHallows, having a little dance. A beautiful scene, which still won’t stop us blocking @GROTBAGSBAND the minute their set ends. pic.twitter.com/t1mGdboinv
— Sounds from the Other City (@sftoc) May 5, 2019
Visual artist Stina Puotinen spoke about the reason behind the Village Green this year. She said: “We have a series of things that happen throughout the day. When people showed up on the queue we were doing bubblegum blowing competitions, hula-hooping, and giving people tequila shots.”
She also said: “We have party police so we’re trying to get people to have fun.” She continued: “We’re doing a pinata every hour on the hour, celebrating cinco de mayo as well. We had a gurning competition and we are having a hotdog eating competition.”
“The idea is just to give people a gathering place in the middle of the festival and to have different activities and get people involved in doing stuff.”
Life at Large provided a L-Uber service that had been guiding people all around the festival and back, stating that the festival goers had been getting a bespoked service to the toilet.
SFTOC even had Life at Large entertaining the queue for the portaloos. Amy Pennington and Kevin Clarke from L.A.L. explained: “If you do a few lines of karaoke we will let you jump the queue to come into this VIP toilet.”
? Fancy a singalong? We’ve got karaoke at the portaloos (yes you read that right) courtesy of Life at Large. #SFTOC pic.twitter.com/iOTD4Ks1tk
— Sounds from the Other City (@sftoc) May 5, 2019
Sound’s headliners The Orielles had Unit 3 filled to its capacity and queuing out the door as the sun went down. The band take on a DIY aesthetic, inspired by 90’s alternative bands Pixies and Sonic Youth and are currently working on their second album.
DJ’s were also performing at the festival. Reform Radio x ONEFIVEEIGHT returning to the Garden Bar Stage. The lineup included Watermelon Maracas, Outpost, Son of Bingo, Sick Astley plus more.
The Main Bar had Good Afternoon, Kiss Me Again and Chips With Everything providing an LGBT+ friendly ramshakle disco.
DJ Acid Rephlux also supplied wall-to-wall bangers in the Unit 4 toilets. She said: “I’ve been doing a gig in the bog, so I’m DJ Acid Rephlux in da bog.” She continued: “I volunteered with sounds myself, the whole thing is absolutely amazing the vibe of it how abstract it can be but at the same time so current.”
She went on to say: “They give everyone a good slot and a bit of rep, there’s some really good platform for moving up bands.”
Sounds From The Other City has been described as “a big party” and “something Manchester needs” by festival go-ers.
all photo’s taken by me.
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