Contributed by Jonny Collins
Another year, another tremendous line-up from TNS Records’ iconic Manchester Punk Festival, and another series of impossible choices of clashing bands over this weekend full of some of the best local and international Punk 2024 has to offer.
Any fans of Blizzard will know how much this festival means to me, first attending in 2019 just after Blizzard’s first show, not knowing any of the bands and yet being blown away by two bands in particular who have since become some of my all-time favourites, and indeed one of whom we’ve adopted our theme song from.
I love the vibe of festivals, but I hate being outdoors and camping, so the Manchester Punk Festival is perfect for me, with venues all over the heart of the city, and an eclectic mix of Punk and adjacent bands, ranging from bouncy ska punk, aggressive hardcore, mellow acoustic singer-songwriters with punk attitudes and lyrics, some genuinely innovative electroclash thrown in for good measure, and so much more!
Punk is an attitude and series of creative values more than it is a set of specific sonic rules. And it is that attitude and those creative values that have been at the centre of Blizzard since the very early days. I have MPF 2019 and all the great bands I saw there to thank for that.
It’s a great inclusive atmosphere full of the best kind of quirky creative people that I love to be around, celebrating a shared music nerddom with each other. There are very few places I’ve felt more at home that aren’t explicitly queer labelled.
This year’s line up is no less than spectacular than usual. If you’re anything like me you’ve agonized over who to see and who to begrudgingly miss because you’re not yet capable of being in two places at once.
Well, we can’t help with that, but we may help sway your decision or at least expose you to some of our most hyped bands for the festival if you’re at a loss for who to see at any given slot. Some of these do clash, so unfortunately you won’t be able to see all of them. But we hope this guide will help you at least make an informed choice about which bands sound the most your kind of thing!
Disclaimer that every band on this line-up has its merits, they’re all tremendous, and you’re bound to have a good time in any of their company. These are just 28 of our absolute favourites who we’d urge you to consider seeing if you can! If a band isn’t on this list, it doesn’t mean they’re bad, these are just competitive spots, and more a guideline of where you’re likely to see us at any given moment over the weekend. We’ve also ordered this in line-up order, not a ranked preference, so if a band is nearer one end of the list, that doesn’t mean we like them more or less than any other, it’s just relative to when they’re performing!
We’ve made playlists on a few of the main streaming platforms below if you want to check them out:
- Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/e3qnh2Dmg58i5aAs9 (Missing 2 tracks)
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gvg72KiejpNOqyZnTE9bk?si=e323cf6d31774e74
- Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/005d35f6-af50-4f39-a499-a1c20225f681 (Missing 2 Tracks)
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGv_OFvoeqQvxgRoevDlEbIZVVKfq3uGi (Missing 1 Track)
1: Bobby Funk
What: Dadaist British Streetpunk
When: Friday – 15:00-15:30
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Bruise Control, Crass, The Meffs
Spotlighted Song: Breakfast Means Breakfast
Bobby Funk embody the soul of Punk much more explicitly than a lot of the legacy benchmark bands that are always cited as originators of the genre. No regard for rules and conventions, making abrasively different and uncomplex hooks that will live as earworms in your brain for the rest of the weekend at least, drawing from a wide range of influences, revelling in the silliness of politics and culture, and making them just an unabashedly fun band to listen to whatever the hell they end up singing about.
My personal fave is “Breakfast Means Breakfast” – a song which I cannot find the lyrics for, nor decipher them, but is very clearly a nod to Brexit rhetoric, particularly in the Theresa May era of negotiations. It i delivered with such cheeky mockery and a silly vibe that is all that the core idea of Brexit ever even deserved. Taking it seriously is how we got into this mess, so it’s incredibly cathartic for a band like Bobby Funk to come along with this whimsical allegorical Punk banger to vent frustrations in such a catchy and scathing way.
2: pink suits
What: Queer Feminist Punk Rage
When: Friday – 16:05-16:35
Where: Yes Pink Room
For fans Of: Bikini Kill, Dog Park Dissidents, The White Stripes
Spotlighted Song: Fake Great Britain
Pink Suits are our first clash of the weekend, with this band and the next being nearly exactly the same stage times, and really both of them are worth watching, so either choice is great.
Pink Suits are a stripped back Punk sound that puts the lyrics and message at the forefront of their songs, and yet the great backing riffs and beats have a consistent grip that make this incredibly easy music to vibe and dance to; should you be so inclined.
Angry Queer Punks singing Angry Queer Music, exemplified in my chosen spotlight track: Fake Great Britain, which will be relatable to all of us stuck in this bullshit country and all the bullshit decisions and corruption it has at every level of governance – delivered in a discordant noisy march of expressions of frustration at the experience of living on this fucking island, and the human costs of the shittiness at the core of this state’s foundations.
Editor’s note: Do have a read of my review of their latest single, A Comprehensive Breakdown of How Trickle-Down Ecomics Work here.
3: Shooting Daggers
What: Queercore
When: Friday – 16:10-16:40
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Casual Nausea, Comeback Clit, Rash Decision
Spotlighted Song: Manic Pixie Dream Girl
If you want something a bit more on the hardcore end of the spectrum, you absolutely can’t go wrong with Shooting Daggers playing at Bread Shed instead. While Pink Suits channel their aggression in a bit more of a rhythmic, stripped down musical way – Shooting Daggers are just pure distorted rage, conveying their grievances with the patriarchy and expectations of women in a way that is likely to scare exactly the kind of boys they’re singing about, without them even realizing they’re being targeted.
I was particularly drawn to the track “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”, which deconstructs and takes down the kind of boy who wants to be Scott Pilgrim looking for his Ramona Flowers without even the slightest hint of self-awareness about the characters, or apparently even how relationships actually work in the real world.
Alternative women and femmes in particular are objectified by nerdy “nice guys” in a way that is maybe different to out and out masculine misogynists, but no less gross – all of them looking for a quirky girl with brightly coloured hair to basically be their new mum who they get to have sex with all the time. Taking on all the emotional labour, existing purely to keep him alive and happy, and expecting to keep a certain kind of presentation to show off as a trophy as a way of alt-masc dominance.
Any women and femmes who sit in even vaguely alternative and nerdy social circles will have observed this phenomenon at least passively, whether or not they’d been victim to it personally. Shooting Daggers have created a hugely satisfying take-down of those kind of guys who view women as nothing but something to project their own fantasies onto, with an onslaught of distorted riffs, guttural yelling, and hardcore rage.
4: Fresh
What: Indie Pop Punk
When: Friday – 17:40-18:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Nervus, Teenage Halloween, Toodles & The Hectic Pity
Spotlighted Song: Girl Clout
After whatever brand of queer intersectional feminist rage you prefer, maybe grab an hour for a food break, but definitely make it back to the Union for Fresh – part of a modern resurgence of Pop-Punk without the misogynistic undertones that was unfortunately super prevalent in the 90s and 00s.
Fresh have an incredible ear for melody and accessible songwriting, making a nice tonic for the more avant-garde picks we’ve made so far, Fresh just make incredibly good Pop Punk hooks, whilst singing about the experience of being in the scene and indeed industry as a woman, a voice that is still very relevant now, but even more so when this band first came out.
I’ve gone with my personal favourite track “Girl Clout” to highlight here, which is about the kind of guy in a band who pays lip service to being feminist and wanting to lift up women in the scene, although is either cynically doing that to market themselves as one of the good bands, or doing it motivated by an obsessive crush that is externalised and made her problem.
It’s a very earnest outpouring of frustration and annoyance at this experience. It very succinctly sums up why so many women have historically and still are put off from the music industry, particularly the alternative side of it. Whether it’s punk, metal or whatever, women will get absolutely mobbed from outward misogynistic hate from one angle, and then pseudo-feminist simping from the other, and frankly, it sounds exhausting.
Punk is inherently more interesting and better with women’s voices and talent in it, so thank fuck we have bands like Fresh who put a voice to that experience so aptly. There’s definitely been a shift in the last decade or so. Still got a ways to go, but given how many great all girl or mixed gender bands there are on this list, and how many more there are to choose from the line-up as a whole, is a great sign that the Punk ecosystem has learned some lessons since the last 10-15 years, and the scene is more vibrant and exciting for it.
5: Meryl Streek
What: Irish Avant-Garde Post-Punk
When: Friday – 18:50-19:30
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Austerity Dogs, Bob Vylan, Sleaford Mods
Spotlighted Song: Death to the Landlord
Next up, we highly recommend you check out Meryl Streek. This Dublin based spoken word/post-punk artist is pretty out there act musically, but if you’re open to Punk as less of a sonic definition and more of an attitude, Meryl Streek has you covered.
Electronic and Synth elements are very well utilized in their work, as Meryl Streek spits vitriol against all the various social and political failings of recent times, with backing tracks immaculately produced and perfect for vibing with as you’re preparing to throw a brick through a landlord’s window.
“Death to the Landlord” is my favourite track. Anyone who’s ever had to rent and been at the mercy of someone who just makes passive wealth off of the hard work of their tenants victims is bound to find some savage reassurance from their 5 and a half minute rant about one of the most prolific social leeches this economic system has. Meryl Streek doesn’t fuck about, and whatever topic they’re tackling, you can be sure it’ll be ruthless, brutal, and also incredibly catchy and a perfect sonic refresher from the typical abundance of loud guitars of the genre, if you’re feeling a bit burnt out of that by now.
6: Martha
What: Powerpop Punk
When: Friday – 20:50-22:00
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Onsind, Shit Present, The Spook School
Spotlighted Song: Hope Gets Harder
Next we have an impossible clash for us. (I think in reality I’ll probably go see number 7 on this list, but I need you to understand just how gutted I am that these next two bands are on at the same time.)
I’ve loved Martha since I was first introduced to them via a recommendation for my best of 2022 list. I would link it, but two bands who I spotlighted on that list have turned out to have very strong sexual misconduct allegations against them in 2023 – men in rock bands stop being the absolute worst challenge (impossible apparently).
But regardless, Martha are one of if not my favourite Pop Punk band of all time, and the song “Hope Gets Harder” has been both a great source of comfort and outlet for political frustrations when I need it. They’re full of infectious hooks, their ability to lyrically summarise really complicated feelings in such a catchy and memorable yet unambiguous way is second to none. I would strongly recommend going to see them if you’re not a fan of the next band on this list, as I would 100% be there if they were just one hour earlier on. I’m going to make a point to see them at another live show at the earliest opportunity. They’re fucking superb, and you need to see them at some point, whether here or elsewhere, they’re band you need to keep an eye on.
7: Tsunami Bomb
What: Nostalgic Pop Punk
When: Friday – 21:00-22:00
Where: Gorilla
For fans Of: Against All Authority, Bad Cop, Bad Cop, The Distillers
Spotlighted Song: Take the Reigns
Tsunami Bomb are a classic Pop Punk band that my partner got me into and didn’t even realize they were back together until this line-up was announced. For the simple reason that they’re travelling overseas and who knows how much longer they’ll be back together, I’ll probably go and see this band, but I’m so mad this is a choice I have to make. I’m already bisexual, non-binary and polyamorous, I am famously bad at choices!
They’re on the heavier end of the genre, straying almost emo-adjacent at times, with melodic hardcore influences, and just staying on that more accessible end of the spectrum without losing that edge that really makes them stick. They weave an intense combo of melody, angst and earnest emotion in a way that really sticks to both long time fans who grew up with them, and people like me who have discovered them later on.
The song that really stood out to me was “Take the Reigns”. It sounds nostalgic, but I don’t think that’s just due to its age. I think there was just an existing nostalgia vibe even when they were new, as it really captures the very specific feeling of being 18 or 21 or whatever age when you start to take those first steps into adulthood, and realize that independence doesn’t actually mean what you thought it did, more that you are now being more directly oppressed by a capitalist state. Working multiple jobs to survive, majority of your income being surrendered for shelter, huge expectations on your time and energy, you’re not independent, you’re old enough to be a cog in the machine.
How much of that overtly political reading was intended or how much is my own interpretation I’m not 100% sure. This could very well be more introspective and capturing that transitional stage in life, but there’s plenty there that it’s ambiguous. With its up-tempo melodic riffs and despairing tone with minor key pop-punk tropes, it has the energy of the genre but subverts it with the feeling of ’00s emo, and creates a very interesting dynamic sound that is both very familiar but slightly off at the same time, which really works for the subject matter.
I don’t know if or when we’ll get another chance to see this band in the UK, so if any of that sounds like your bag then make sure you don’t miss this opportunity. (But if not, then I implore you to go see Martha, as they are such a high second choice that I’m nearly crying at the thought of missing them. Maybe I’ll try and grab the first 10 minutes before I head over to Bread Shed.) Either way, these two bands are among the best the festival has to offer, so make sure you go and see one of them.
8: Corrupt Vision
What: Crusty Anti-Skacore
When: Friday – 23:50-00:20
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: A Global Threat, Public Serpents, The Best of the Worst
Spotlighted Song: Bodycams Off
Our last band recommendation for the Friday is Corrupt Vision – a band self-described as “Anti-Ska”, which uses the languages and rhythm of ska punk in a discordant and distorted way to create something recognizable in the genre, but just that little bit off and different. That leads to a very interesting soundscape.
Not the most easy listening band on this list by any means, but the song “Bodycams Off” about the lack of accountability for police violence and abuse made me an instant fan. Infectious discordant rhythmic guitar strums, hardcore hooks and impassioned guttural screams suitably highlight the subject matter. This band tick all of my boxes, and if you’re into the heavier and more brutal/brassless end of ska and political hardcore, this band are an essential one to check out.
9: Cosmit
What: Garage Soul Punk
When: Saturday – 15:00-15:30
Where: Gorilla
For fans Of: Erica Freas, Shit Present, Toodles & The Hectic Pity
Spotlighted Song: Cost of Breathing
Kicking off our Saturday recommendations is another clash between two really gripping musical artists that are brilliant in their own ways and equally essential listening for anyone into slightly quirky punk inspired music.
Our first is Cosmit, who combine classic raw garage punk with the more dancey end of Soul & Motown into a musical package bound to have even the most reserved of Punk fans bouncing and dancing along.
It has production reminiscent of the very early days of pop punk, melodic yet dirty, and with vocals that balance the harsh hardcore edge with melodic and soulful, anthemic tunes that still firmly sit within the Punk genre whilst giving an extra soaring drive of power that not many bands manage in quite the same way.
“Cost of Breathing” I think really sums up what they do. It has hooks straight out of Pop Punk’s peak years, but lyrics that have an almost bluesy edge, and a consistent swinging beat and riff alongside a typical Pop Punk bounce. It is of course all about living with huge financial burden and working yourself half to death in order to afford the basic necessities to live, whilst those things get less and less affordable.
Prime topic for a Punk Protest, and Cosmit take this well-trodden ground in a unique musical direction that makes me really excited to see what a live atmosphere would be at their show. Definitely a strong recommendation to check out from us.
10: Sally Pepper
What: Acoustic Punk
When: Saturday – 15:00-15:30
Where: Yes Pink Room
For fans Of: Grace Petrie, Jess Silk, Millie Manders & The Shutup
Spotlighted Song: Clickbait
If you’re after something a bit more on the folky/acoustic side, this year’s Acoustic Punk love for me is Sally Pepper, and in particular her track “Clickbait.”
Sally gives me real Grace Petrie vibes with lyrical style and approach to musical competitions. I think singer songwriters are inherently pretty punk by definition due to the huge DIY nature of their music, whether or not they actually embrace the more explicit punk aesthetics and attitudes.
Sally definitely does though, from her musical style, anthemic choral hooks that invite you to chant your head off along to, and drive to sing about social and political frustrations and channel those through her music.
Clickbait is a great venting of internet journalism and social media culture, and how corporations and media outlets weaponize divisive clickbait to present false and distorted world views in order to drive the most engagement first rather than being driven by a desire to report the truth. The way that economy works encourages people away from proper journalism work, and instead encourages content farms and churning to clutter up the internet with culture wars and divisive rhetoric, and serves as a reminder to be vigilant and critical with the way these hubs promote their stories.
The Internet is a great tool for sharing information quickly to near enough anywhere in the world. However a side effect of this is that it’s also so easy for dis and misinformation to spread. All It takes is for one bad faith actor, or one due diligence failure, and a story can go viral in the blink of an eye, and enforce opinions, biases, or even voting intentions in some scenarios.
This song serves both as a vent of frustration at this state of affairs, and a reminder to have your wits about you and be mindful of this stuff on the internet. It showcases Sally’s insightful lyric writing and incredibly proficient song writing chops to anyone who takes a punt.
If you only go and see one folk-punk singer-songwriter at this year’s festival, Sally Pepper is my top recommendation, she’s great.
11: The Menstrual Cramps
What: DIY Riot Queer Punk
When: Saturday – 15:40-16:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Cheap Perfume, Problem Patterns, The Tuts
Spotlighted Song: Body Politics
Whichever of those previous two you go and see, you’ll be wanting to head to the Union afterwards to see the modern Queer Feminist Punk legends known as The Menstrual Cramps.
I’ve been following this band for a few years now and their output keeps getting better and better. Their last few singles really stepped up production quality but maintained that homemade, slightly janky edge that really makes it uniquely them. Kind of taking the Moldy Peaches whimsy and musical approach and coating it with Bikini Kill riot energy and sensibilities.
A standout track for me is the gender rebellious anthem “Body Politics”, about rejecting gender norms and labels and embracing one’s own individuality and expression. It features a very cool and wholesome music video of the singer’s transformation from the girly girl expectation into the more androgynous punk icon they are now.
The riffs are dirty, the drive is bouncy, and the content is immaculate, and they bring this energy to all their work. I’ve not seen them live before, but I can’t wait to experience the kind of show they put on.
12: Tripsun
What: Melodic Emo Indie Punk
When: Saturday – 17:40-18:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Baldhead, Superfriends, ‘Till I’m Bones
Spotlighted Song: Apathy
After that, don’t go anywhere as next up at the Union are the London punk outfit Tripsun, a really exciting band I discovered while researching for my best of 2023 playlist. Their “Kill the Dream” album is easily one of my top 10 albums of the year. It’s hard to just pick one track that really encapsulates the nuances and creative energy of what they do, although a song that I can’t get enough of lately is “Apathy” – an incredibly deep and emotive song that is increasingly relevant as the genocide in Palestine escalates ever higher enabled by our own government’s inaction and support.
There is a rage and pain in this song that is so visceral that you can’t help but be moved and impacted by it. Tripsun channel this energy a lot and are no stranger in calling out hard topics, in particular providing a much needed non-white voice to a genre that has indisputable non-white roots yet is often incredibly whitewashed in the mainstream and the more highly accoladed artists.
The whole album is terrific, definitely check it out, and check out their live show as well. They are an unmissable band.
13: Stop The Presses
What: Reggae Steady Ska
When: Saturday – 17:50-18:30
Where: Gorilla
For fans Of: Flying Raccoon Suit, Madness, No Doubt
Spotlighted Song: The Mayor
Another clash alert: here we’ve got Stop The Presses, who give me real early No Doubt vibes in their peak ska era, except much more polished and less cringe than they were. If you’re like me and absolutely adore the musical aesthetics of No Doubt but find Gwen Stefani a hard figure to justify liking, this band is made for you.
“The Mayor” is a nice, simple, bouncy, poppy ska punk ditty all about an elected official not actually caring about you despite whatever they say or promise in the run up to an election. And… yeah, do I need to explain why this is relevant and will nearly always be relevant?
The Mayor of Manchester specifically is fine, I guess, but swap mayor out for nearly any other elected position and the song rings just as true if not more so.
Jaunty piano riffs, poppy vocal hooks, funky guitar licks, this band sounds like a very specific early 90s era that, if I know my audience, you all really miss both ironically and unironically. You’ll love this band for recapturing a specific soundscape and aesthetic of the era to bring you back to those simpler times (well, simpler for us who were children then, probably not much simpler to those who were already of grown age and living through the particular political nightmare of that time after a decade of Thatcher politics and the foundation of right wing neoliberalism. You know what, I’m just going to stop talking, just listen to the track and let it speak for itself… Oh god you mean I could’ve done that from the very beginning and never committed to doing this blog? Damn, let me speak to my lawyer, I’m going to sue myself for wasting my own time for 4+ years at this point).
14: Animal Byproducts
What: Emo Power Pop
When: Saturday – 17:50-18:30
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Onsind, The Latchkey Kids, They Might be Giants
Spotlighted Song: There are Dozens of Us
Here we go to these lil cuties with one of my favourite genderqueer anthems of all time. Animal Byproducts are part of a wave of earnestly nerdy and queer pop punk duos that seem to be cropping up a lot lately and I am all for it.
They opened up Zombie Shack last year and I arrived at registration late so I missed them sadly. But this year they have a much more reasonable slot and venue, albeit one that clashes with the previous band (fuck, this blog isn’t going to help anyone is it?).
I’ve not seen them live before, but I have it on good authority they’re a fun time. If their earnest, slightly discordant, proud pop punk vibes are anything to go by, I can absolutely believe that. I’ll be there given I’ve already missed them once and it’d take the piss if I did it two years in a row. (But if you did get to see them last year that I still encourage you to check out Stop The Presses as they are equally great, as stated above.)
15: CHEWIE
What: DIY Indie Punk
When: Saturday – 18:40-19:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Mobina Galore, New Junk City, The Menzingers
Spotlighted Song: Fuck Team Sports
This next one might be the hardest clash on here – two absolutely incredible bands on at the same time, and both of them absolutely worth your time if you’re not already familiar with them.
First up is Chewie at the Union, a true DIY band from Dublin who create catchy punk tunes rivalling some of the all time greats.
My personal favourite is “Fuck Team Sports”, a heated rant against having to be on a team and rallying behind intersectionality and collectivism instead of the divide and conquer rule that has been enforced certainly in the UK (I am less familiar with Irish politics, but I’d be confident in guessing it’s not dissimilar in that aspect at least).
CHEWIE have some of the most memorable hooks in the genre, have an intensely real lyrical style and presence in their music, and from the pics I’ve been able to find but on incredibly energetic live shows, and are absolutely a band I need to catch at some point. Whether that will be here or not, I’m not sure yet due to the next impossible clash at the same time. But CHEWIE absolutely get our Blizzard Comedy seal of approval and encouragement to seek out even if you don’t get to see them live here. You can be sure this won’t be the only time we talk about them on this blog.
Editor’s note: The CHEWIE pit is my happy place.
16: Smoking Gives You Big Tits
What: Riot Grrrl Post-Punk
When: Saturday – 18:50-19:30
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Brassick, Chloe Glover, The Sewer Cats
Spotlighted Song: My Favourite Fact About Maggie
Here it is, this is a really rough clash, but I couldn’t not shout out Smoking Gives You Big Tits over at Bread Shed. I’ve already raved about how fucking excellent this band is on my best of 2023 playlist. But in case you missed that, Guts for Starters is a very strong contender for album of the year. Smoking Gives You Big Tits are one of the most exciting bands to come out of Salford perhaps ever, but certainly in recent years.
Smoking Gives You Big Tits encapsulate the cheekier and tongue in cheek side of riot grrrl punk in the best way. They’re a band who are having the time of their lives on stage and writing bangers while they do it. With some genuinely astute social commentary on the album, there are a lot of strong contenders of song picks. However I think sometimes the simple premises are the most memorable, and I’ve gotta spotlight one of the greatest tracks ever recorded, “My Favourite Fact About Maggie”.
This is an old song of theirs and one which made me fall in love with them when I first heard it in 2022, but re-recorded in a much heavier style that elevates it to god status. What was an already really fun discordant acoustic ditty has been given oomph with distorted guitars, much more guttural vocals, and less emphasis on the whimsy and more gravity behind the general fucking hatred for Thatcher that I’m sure we all agree on.
Either of these last two bands are worth going to see live, but this song might have tipped it for me alone. Dammit why do so many bands I love have to clash this year, I guess they’ll have to rebook em both next year so I can see them both. Ffs.
Editor’s note: I genuinely believe that whoever programmed this specific clash was purposely out to ruin my birthday.
17: bigfatbig
What: Pop Punk
When: Saturday – 19:50-20:40
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Breakup Haircut, Shit Present, Toodles & The Hectic Pity
Spotlighted Song: Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Next we’ve got something a tad on the softer side but no less badass in the shape of bigfatbig.
Uplifting Pop Punk from the north east, calling out class oppression and hypocrisy with iconic sing-a-long-choruses that will live rent free in your head for days after first hearing it.
“Wrong Place, Wrong Time” is my personal favourite track of theirs, but they’re just very pleasant and fun to listen to. If you know me, you’ll know I listen to some horrible unpleasant noises for pleasure, then wonder why nobody lets me use the aux cord at house parties anymore. But I like things that aren’t objectively unpleasant as well, and bigfatbig are one of those things!
Give em a listen, and catch em at Bread Shed on the Saturday evening if you’re at the festival, an all round excellent band.
18: Popes of Chillitown
What: Ska Dub Punk
When: Saturday – 21:00-22:00
Where: Gorilla
For fans Of: Call Me Malcolm, Faintest Idea, Lead Shot Hazard
Spotlighted Song: Upside Down
Ugh another clash, seriously?
Popes of Chillitown are one of many brilliant ska outfits on this year’s bill, and I think what makes them stand out to me is just how tight and fast their arrangements, compositions and performances are. Popes of Chillitown really do sound like a band with that name in every conceivable way. It slaps you in the face with ska punk riffs, vocals going at a million miles per second yet with absolute clarity and rhythmic consistency and anthemic choruses worth of the best of the genre.
“Upside Down” is my favourite track of theirs as one of their more overtly political cuts, but the new album is also great if you’re into more subtle commentary in your lyrical content without losing any of the flawless skill and production behind these ska punk titans who managed to look and sound exactly like their band name idea. Good fucking job guys, that’s a tall order.
19: Witch Fever
What: Melodic Emo Indie Punk
When: Saturday – 21:00-22:00
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Kittie, Otep, Petrol Girls
Spotlighted Song: Sour
Ugh, these clashes, honestly. Witch Fever are immaculate, there’s no other way to explain it.
Dark, foreboding alt rock with gothy horror elements and riot grrrl inspired lyricism. It’s like they made this music specifically for my own interests.
I’ve followed this band from the sidelines for a while, but the more I listen to them, the more I love them, especially the “Congregation” album. Heavy, full of emotionally charged vocals, intense basslines, an unsettling atmosphere that is entirely my jam. I think I’m going to go see Witch Fever as there are fewer bands who sound like this compared to Popes of Chillitown on this line-up, but both are incredibly solid choices for your Saturday evening.
“Sour” especially stands out to me as a track that encapsulates their energy, and that refrain “Yeah we incite this violence,/Nothing ever changed in silence” as a message is on point and bares repeating.
20: CLOBBER
What: Hardcore Street Punk
When: Saturday – 23:00-23:30
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Black Flag, Scumface, Throwing Stuff
Spotlighted Song: The World’s Gone Mental
Going back to some more bog-standard but high quality hardcore from appropriately named CLOBBER here, and… yeah, Clobber is what they sound like. They clobber the shit out of those drums, riffs and vocals. Who doesn’t love a good clobber?
I particularly enjoy “The World’s Gone Mental”, which serves as a succinct summary of the chaos of those early Covid years at least. Lots of shouting, lots of noise, lots of… well mental shit, in this tightly performed package of hardcore riffage.
Heaviness is hard to define, Witch Fever definitely are, and so are CLOBBER, but somehow in very different ways, and this might weirdly be a nice pick-me-up into just pure carnage letting loose after the demonic rage of Witch Fever’s sound aesthetics.
There’s only so many ways I can say “This hardcore band is good” – but this hardcore band is good, and you should listen to them.
21: Follow Your Dreams
What: Hardcore Post-Punk
When: Saturday – 00:40-2:20
Where: Bread Shed
For fans Of: Casual Nausea, Falaun, Sikth
Spotlighted Song: Fuck This
Closing off the Saturday for me has to be Follow Your Dreams, a band who blend Mathcore with Post-Punk influences that give me vibes of a less metallic Sikth (one of my favourite bands of all time) and full to the brim with unapologetic political rage fueld lyrics.
“Fuck this” is a great showcase of everything this band stands for politically and musically. While there is absolutely place for nuanced socio-political discussions in music (as you well know, I love that shit) there’s equally a place for aggressive riffing and just yelling the word fuck over and over again while listing the things you’re angriest about at any given time.
Catharsis thy name is Follow Your Dreams.
They combine technically proficient musicianship, jarring compositions, and real punk energy to create a sonic feeling that is 100% my cup of tea, and if it sounds like yours then I’ll see you in the pit. (Well, not the pit, but you’ll see me awkwardly hanging out in the back corner of the room bobbing my head approvingly sipping a plastic cup of water so I’m not too hungover for Sunday, ‘cause that’s how I express my Punk attitude. There’s nothing Punk about overindulgent hubris… there probably is, I’m just a wuss, but you do you, and I’ll see you there, and we’ll have a great time in our own chosen ways!)
22: Pizzatramp
What: Crossover Thrash
When: Sunday– 17:40-18:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: 25 Ta Life, Black Flag, Oi Polloi
Spotlighted Song: Knighthoods Are For Cunts
I don’t give a fuck, I love this band. They’re strong contenders to kick off your Sunday evening at the festival.
With songs like “My Back’s Fucking Fucked” and “Knighthoods Are For Cunts”, I think you know exactly what you’re getting with these guys. Loud, aggressive hardcore mocking everything from rich upper-class snobs who like to give themselves larp titles to make other rich upper-class snobs respect them more, to the process of aging.
If that sounds a bit crass (and not musically like crass particularly) to you, then might I recommend this next more introspective option of the day in just a few line breaks. But if it sounds like something that can get you back in a post-hangover partying mood then you can’t go wrong with these guys to get you back into the mood on your final festival day.
23: Thousand Oaks
What: Skatepunk
When: Sunday – 17:40-18:10
Where: Zombie Shack
For fans Of: Belvedere, Bring Me The Horizon, The Human Project
Spotlighted Song: The Roar of the Consequence
If you want something a bit more on the melodic side, then Thousand Oaks are a band I’ve really been getting into off the main playlist. Their melodic approach to skatepunk features sustained, precision, soaring riffs that elevate your soul while you listen to them, with some influence from emo and hardcore. They kind of remind me of early but softer BMTH and especially The Human Project.
“The Roar of Consequence” is the track that got me properly into them. I don’t have any specific insights into what it could be about, although it feels like a very introspective dive into emotions and reaction to the stress of world events and the despairing state of things. That’s the feeling it evokes in me at any rate. If that was what they were going for, they nailed the sound needed to process those specific emotions and struggles, or indeed anyone struggling with mental health issues. It’s just a classic old emo flavoured anthem that suits really any angst or emotional struggle you may be feeling, performed by a band who sound like they’d absolutely blow the roof off a live show.
Well worth checking out if any of that sounds like your cup of tea.
24: Riskee & The Ridicule
What: Grime Punk
When: Sunday – 18:40-19:20
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Faintest Idea, Millie Manders & The Shutup, Wonk Unit
Spotlighted Song: Accelerate
Kicking off the final clash for me, we have Riskee and the Ridicule, a band I first heard on their guest verse on the latest Faintest Idea record (another contender for album of the year 2023 for me, for the record).
Riskee combines all my favourite aspects of Post-Hardcore Oi! Punk and splices it with distinct grime and hip-hop influences, creating a fusion that hits all the sweet spots for me. The riffs are massive, the bars hold nothing back, straddling confident boasts against a music industry they’re succeeding in despite the lack of mainstream support, and political titbits sprinkled amongst, giving Riskee a very clear voice and authentically expressed point of view, delivered through some absolute bangers that I can’t wait to see in a live setting.
“Accelerate” is the one I gravitate to purely for the line “It only takes a snowflake to start an avalanche” which sums up what we do here to a T. But I’d also like to highly recommend their 2023 record Platinum Statue, in particular “God Tier” and “My Name”. If you’re into fusion genres of rap and rock of any nature, Riskee and the Ridicule are definitely worth checking out here.
25: Incisions
What: Hardcore
When: Sunday – 18:50-19:30
Where: Gorilla
For fans Of: Municipal Waste, Scumface, Throwing Stuff
Spotlighted Song: Fuck The World
If the above sounded a bit too cringe for your own tastes, and you want something more pure hardcore, then you don’t get much better than Incisions over at Gorilla around the same time.
Incisions is just fast, brutal hardcore punk. With songs like “Fuck the World” you can be damn sure they’re a great outlet for whatever frustrations you are feeling, political, social or emotional.
They’re heavy, short bursts of rage, and you can’t go wrong with that formula. Incisions have honed that to perfection with their catalogue. There’s not much more to say really, if you’re into your typical hardcore, this is a band that should absolutely be in your radar.
26: King Prawn
What: Ska Punk
When: Sunday – 19:40-20:30
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Faintest Idea, Skindred, Sonic Boom Six
Spotlighted Song: Numeration Dub
This might be the band I’m most excited about seeing, given I missed them in 2019, and their latest album from that year is one of my favourite Ska releases of all time.
2019 was the year I really got into ska, largely because of that year’s festival. Despite not seeing King Prawn that year, I did pick up their album and from the first track I was hooked. “Numeration Dub” is that track. It’s a slow but heavy ska punk dirge inspiring revolution and rebellion, and really the things that make Punk the huge cultural and ideological movement that it is.
Easily one of the most motivational pieces of music ever composed, it really sets the tone for what to expect from these titans of the genre. I’ve already missed this band once, and I refuse to let that happen again, and if you’ve not seen them before, you’d do well to do the same.
27: Random Hand
What: Ska Punk
When: Sunday – 20:50-22:00
Where: The Union
For fans Of: Faintest Idea, Millie Manders & The Shutup, The Suicide Machines
Spotlighted Song: Lifejackets
Carrying on the Ska, we have Random Hand following King Prawn. It actually took me a little while to really get this band. I liked the tracks I heard well enough, but they never stuck out for me, that is until I heard their 2023 self-titled album, and just, yeah this is an incredible record.
“Lifejackets” is my favourite track. Random Hand play ska punk with emphasis on the punk, much in the same vein as Faintest Idea, and they are among the best composers in the genre.
Lifejackets is just hook after hook of brilliantly infectious musical sentences that will drill their way into your very psyche by the end of the track. You could know nothing about this band and their choruses will have you singing along in an instant.
Lifejackets I particularly like as a metaphor for the class system and more literal interpretation for climate change. In surprisingly few, well chosen words, this song conveys the message of doom and frustration that the richest and most culpable people will survive the longest, put possibly a small glimmer of spiteful hope that even they won’t be able to outrun fate forever.
That is, of course, a hollow victory. Even if we fix climate change, I somehow doubt we’ll fix the class oppression system that leaves the poorest to die for the mistakes of the rich. But damn, Random Hand manage to make this horrible realisation sound catchy as all hell. This is what they do best, and their back catalogue is as savage and insightful as it is varied and musically fascinating.
Definitely a band you’ll wanna see if you haven’t before, and a great headliner to end the festival. (Of course, there are still more bands in the after hours, and one in particular really catches my ears…)
28: PLAY DEAD
What: Garage Punk
When: Sunday – 22:15-22:50
Where: Zombie Shack
For fans Of: Idles, SNAYX, The Meffs
Spotlighted Song: Thameslink
Closing off the festival for me are these lads from London. I knew nothing about them before the festival, but upon hearing “Thameslink” in the official MPF2024 playlist, I knew they were my kinda guys. They’re very London centric, and this song especially so, so maybe it’s the dirty southerner in me, but I’m always a sucker for this kind of cockney flavoured Punk rock. It’s an accented sound that works really well with the genre, and these guys use it to perfection.
Thameslink is a song all about gentrification and being priced out of your hometown as you grow up. It namedrops a bunch of Greater London and beyond commuter towns each further away than the last, but really this is just as relatable to anyone who lives in a city. It’s happening in Manchester for sure, prices going up and up, people who’ve lived here for decades now have to scramble to move somewhere affordable and miles away from their job or pay extortionate rents just to carry on basic living and having no money to do anything but continue surviving.
All this sung in a sarcastically triumphant and upbeat manner, creating a sense of community and solidarity between everyone in similar life situations and immersing us in this anthemic beauty of a composition. It’s a perfect feeling to end this year’s festival on.
Everything sucks, but we’re going to sing and dance and party about it with people who feel the same way, and that helps us get through all the bullshit together. These social, art and entertainment events are what make life worth living in a world that is less and less liveable. So what better way to inspire a revolution than to give us things that make life worth living and worth fighting for?
I’m probably reading way too much into this, but this is how it makes me feel. That’s why I’m going to finish my festival on these guys. Or maybe the Madonna and No Doubt covers sets in Rebellion, I’ll see if I’m drunk enough for that by then.
And there we are, those are some of our recommendations for bands to check out at this year’s MPF! Once again caveating that there are loads of bands not on this list who we just couldn’t fit on while keeping this under 10,000 words.
MPF rarely if ever have booked a bad band. I’ve certainly never seen one. So whatever choices you make, you’re bound to have an incredible time here. I hope this blog gives you at least something to look at to find new bands and maybe fill in some gaps you had where you didn’t know any of the bands.
And if you want some more inclusive performances events to watch, why not book tickets to our next live shows here or watch our livestreams on Twitch and VODs on YouTube.
