Live Review: Dot to Dot Festival 2016

As I raced through the streets of Manchester I realised how excited I had become for Dot to Dot Festival. It had been a good number of weeks since I booked my ticket and now it was a welcome break from revision, a great way to finish college and a chance to see some exciting up and coming acts. A missed train meant I was late seeing one of the most hyped indie bands this year - Sundara Karma. Post gig a friend said they'd smashed through a bouncing set of fan favourites although at least I was there as they finished with a couple of personal favourites -Flame and The Night. The band tweeting a video the next day with the quote "JESUS MANCHESTER" summed up the passionate crowd for me

Next up was Ratboy, the political and raucous Essex youth and his ramshackle gang who came on late to a heaving young crowd. He kicked things off and got everyone dancing with hip hop influenced Move. Then a set of fan favourites and new tunes followed, although it wasn't until the classics of Sportswear and Sign On did the real carnage begin. A personal favourite was the fast paced Left 4 Dead which left most of the crowd on floor! The sheer energy of the band I think is what makes them so engaging to an adoring crowd of young music lovers.

The other band I saw a full set of was indie rockers Mystery Jets. It was a band I hadn't really given a proper listen to before but afterwards they had gained themselves a new fan. A mixture of new and old wooed the crowd and when they left the stage everyone was demanding more. The hit Two Doors Down was the biggest crowd pleaser although it was great to hear some new material from the long awaited Curve of the Earth LP.

Sadly due to time issues and clashes I couldn't see all the bands I wanted to but here are some artists to check out that I missed at Dot to Dot. Georgie - a singer-songwriter from Nottingham Pleasure House - a cool band from Birmingham I discovered on SoundCloud with a funky sound Pale Waves - a Manchester band full of summery vibes All of these I'm sure will have bright futures in the music industry.

To sum up, a bargain little festival with the chance to see some brilliant aspiring artists and an opportunity to find the hidden gem. A definite recommendation for any music lover and here's to another class line up for 2017

~Phil Etchells 31/05/16 Photo credit to Mr T Gilmour