Sounds from the other city is Salford’s favourite day festival. It started off as small DIY event, and has now expanded both in size and reputation, bringing together stages from some of Manchesters best promoters such as Now Wave and The Beauty Witch. This year it took over the Salford University campus and other nearby venues to bring the best of Salford and beyond.
All photos by Kiah Freer
It was my first time attending this year. I’d heard good things about the wide range of acts on the line up, ranging from DJS, electronic artists, to DIY punk bands. Something for everyone to enjoy. And all backdropped by a surprisingly and much welcomed sunny bank holiday Sunday.
Starting off the festival at the Old Fire station, She Will Provide Collective had a host of DJs to get the party going and set the vibes. Even early on in the afternoon, everyone was up dancing under the sunshine to Sez’s set and getting into the music, setting the party tone for the day ahead.
After a while of enjoying the sun and DJ sets it was time to head into to Peel Hall for a panel talk promoted by She will Provide and Reform Radio. The panel consisted of Mix Stress, Shimrise collective and Andrea trout. They offered a great insight into their careers and the challenges they have had to navigate to establish themselves within the Manchester DJ scene, with only 10% of DJs in the UK identifying as female. They also discussed the lack of black women in higher positions within the music industry as a whole. It was great see STFOC highlighting this issue and giving a platform to those who have been underrepresented in music.
Next up was TTSSFU. Originally a solo bedroom project shared via BandCamp, Tasmin is now joined by a band, and they brought their Shoegaze sound to Maxwell Hall. The room quickly packed out and it’s clear to see why. Their combination of dream pop melodies, shoegaze, and cut-throat matter-of-fact lyrics – such as their single ‘I hope you die’ – capturing the crowd.
Following on, Cornish folk artist Daisy Rickman took to the stage, inviting the audience to sit down and relax and immerse themselves in the music her single ‘Donsya a’n Loryow’, which means ‘dances of the moon’ in Cornish. She enchanted the room with Celtic-inspired ethereal sound, reminiscent of artists like Nico and John Martin.
As darkness drew in it was time to see the headline and final act for the night, Nightbus, at St Philips Church. They were a last-minute replacement last year, returning to the stage this year as a headliner. The dark wave trio, fronted by Olive Reese, has been making waves through the Manchester music scene. They take inspiration from bands such as New Order and The XX. The moody church with red lighting and smoke filling the room really added to their atmospheric and eerie goth vibe, with singles such as ‘Way past three’ and ‘Mirrors’ embodying the eclectic spirt of the festival.
Emerging from the mist of the church, Sounds from the other city revellers continued way into the night with an array of after parties at venues such as Islington Mill. It’s clear to see Sounds from the other city is not just a day festival but also one for the heavier late nights of debauchery.
Sounds from the other city will mark 20 years in 2025 and it’s great to see Salford as a place for independent music; not completely overshadowed by its towering neighbour, but standing tall on its own.