It’s that time of year again when soon Sounds of the City will grace Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl with a week of outstanding music. Past years have brought us the likes of Chic, Blossoms, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Last shadow Puppets – and this year promises to live up to that legacy. Here we give you a rundown of this year’s selection and what you can look forward to between 6th-13th July 2019…
Saturday 6th July: The Wombats
Liverpudlian new-indie legends The Wombats kick off this year’s offering and are likely to come armed with their best hits including “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Moving to New York”. The Wombats are perfect to get your summer started with their litany of summer bangers and the positive energy they never fail to encourage. The band will be preceded by support from on-brand indie up and comers Fuzzy Sun and The Night Café, making this a night for the indie lovers out there and promising to be an uplifting, strong start to the festival.
Tuesday 9th July: Elbow
If there ever was a band to bring the people of Manchester together with sunny hits and Northern charm, it would be Elbow. With 2000’s hits like “One Day Like This” and “Grounds for Divorce”, “Bury born Elbow have been entertaining audiences for over two decades and show no signs of backing down. Charismatic frontman Guy Garvey has maintained his Mancunian presence by becoming a professor of songwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University, staying close to our hearts as he should. Support for Elbow on the day has been kept under wraps but expect no less than the best.
Wednesday 10th July: The National
Melancholy country sounds mixed with indie and rock influences make The National what they are: unique and unmissable. The Wednesday of the festival is for those looking for an emotional insight into the American take on 2000s indie rock; add a beautiful sunset into the mix and you have a perfect gig. Hits include “I Need My Girl” and “Quiet Light” which are sure to transport audiences to another world, and once again support has been kept under wraps so stay tuned for news of a surely worthy accompaniment.
Thursday 11th July: Kylie Minogue
Thursday’s offering needs no introduction as the one and only Kylie Minogue graces Castlefield Bowl with her legendary presence. Expect heaps of energy and of course a rundown of her most famous anthems including, but not limited to, “I Should Be So Lucky”, “Spinning Around”, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and “The Loco-Motion”, making for an experience you’ll never forget. It is rare for such an icon to play a smaller capacity, industrial outdoor gig so to see Kylie play Castlefield Bowl will be a once in a lifetime opportunity, not to mention a LOT of fun.
Friday 12th July: The Kooks
The turn of true indies The Kooks comes on the penultimate day of the festival as they are joined by appropriate support from The Sherlocks and Sea Girls. The Kooks have cemented their position in the industry over 15 years with perfectly curated albums and widely loved tracks such as “She Moves In Her Own Way”, “Naïve” and “Forgive and Forget”, making their appearance at Sounds of the City 2019 highly anticipated. The Kooks are renowned for putting on a great show and with the surroundings of Castlefield on a Friday night their performance is set to be the perfect gig to start the summer.
Saturday 13th July: Haçienda Classiçal
Sounds of the City regulars Haçienda Classiçal round off this year’s festival, comprising of a 70-piece orchestra Manchester Camerata and famous Haçienda faces, namely Joy Division’s (and New Order’s) Peter Hook, reprising tunes from the heyday of the legendary club. Tracks from the 2016 album include 808 State’s “Pacific State”, New Order’s “Blue Monday” and “A Guy Called Gerald’s Voodoo Ray”, promising to bring the event to an almighty Mancunian end – get your nostalgia on and let loose your inner party people!
Limited tickets are still available via Ticketmaster – be quick, don’t lose out on the biggest event of the year!
Words by Emmeline Banks (@EmmTBanks)
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