Is there anything better (or harder to find) than a city centre day festival blessed with glorious sunshine? It’s the hope of every outdoor event planner whenever summer rolls around and with England’s temperamental nature, it’s never a guarantee. Salford’s day-long party Sounds From The Other City 2018 can count itself incredibly lucky then, having arrived on a the hottest weekend of the year so far. However for this event, it’s nothing more than an added extra to what is already a key date on the annual fest-schedule of every Northern music lover.
Featuring a line-up of must-see emerging musical acts and brought to life with a colourful infusion of artistic flair, this Salford-centered festival has carved out a nice niche for itself as something unlike any of its field-dwelling contemporaries. Even similar venue-led all-dayers in the neighboring streets of Manchester can’t quite compete with its pleasantly unpredictable vibe – and vibe is certainly the key word when it comes to Sounds From The Other City. With so much to see and experience, this one’s probably best enjoyed with minimal planning. Instead, you’re likely to get far more out of Sounds From The Other City if you rely purely on your instincts and follow the festival’s bright and breezy temperament, wherever that happens to take you.
For us, it started near the event’s bustling main hub of Islington Mill. Here, an industrial space was transformed into impromptu gig venues surrounding an airy drinking spot; adorned with food, beer and picnic benches and drenched in sunshine. Before we know it, we’re lured behind this concrete-clad complex by a giant paintbrush (or more accurately, a performer dressed as one) and invited to sit our Sounds City art exams; a trio of tests that’ll force us to don plastic ponchos and get painty. Emerging with poster paint-covered hands (as well as a few makeshift medals in tow, we might add), it’s on to the Old Pint Pot to check out the fun there. With so much to see, it’s no wonder that the venue is at capacity, however far from disappointing the Sounds crowd, they’ve instead seen it as a prime opportunity to soak up some Sunday rays in the venue’s expensive beer garden. Talk about your silver linings, eh?
From here a quick trip to St Phillips Church sees us join a growing crowd to enjoy the low-fi sound of Liverpool etherial duo Her’s before a trip to Salford’s Bexley Square has us indulging in a detour boogie in its two dance tents. While The King’s Arms, The Angel Centre and Salford Cathedral are all over subscribed, we instead head back to where it all began: Islington Mill. Here the cultural offerings are eclectic, with Honest Crust Pizza and a much-needed bar stop in the venue’s rustic forecourt and atmospheric music emanating from its cosy interior. LA’s jazz-rock outfit Jacuzzi keep us entertained before we head back over to Now Wave’s take over of Regents Trading Estate to see South London quartet Goat Girl play us out.
By following the vibe, this year’s Sounds From The Other City was another whirlwind experience – one that we can’t wait to do again.
Words by Simon Bland (@SiTweetsToo). Photography by Jody Hartley.
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