All photos by Sinead Ferguson
It’s Saturday and, like yesterday, I head straight to the Empress Ballroom, this time to see Lady Rage. They made their Rebellion debut two years ago, and they’re almost unrecognisable now in terms of how full they sound, and how comfrotable they seem on stage. Siren Sycho has an impressive, growly voice that stands out perfectly against the bands metal-tinged punk. They even throw in a fantastic cover Girls Aloud‘s Sound of the Underground – if that doesn’t win you over, I don’t know what will!
Up to the Literary Stage next, to see Cassie Fox – yes, LOUD WOMEN’s Cassie! She talked with Johnny Wah Wah about how she started LOUD WOMEN, her own bands (past and present), and, of course, telling everyone why they should come check out the LOUD WOMEN takeover on the Introducing Stage tomorrow.
Next, I saw Cassie again, this time on the Almost Acoustic stage, accompanied by the other members of I, Doris. They start their set with their I, Doris pledge (I’m not spoiling it, you’ll have to go see them if you’re curious!), and making us all honorary Doris’s before playing a stripped back version of their danceable discography.
A change of pace next, as I headed to Club Casbah to see Dummy Toys. Another band returning after debuting last year, Dummy Toys are from China, and play fast, raw punk, with confrontational, political lyrics. They fly through their set, each song fast and hard, managing to get a bit of a pit going, which is never easy in the early afternoon slots.
After a quick break, it’s time to go to the Introducing Stage to see Chemtrails. Their unique brand of garage-psychedelic-punk has people dancing, as Mia and Laura trade vocals, airing out songs from their recent new album, The Joy of Sects.
I’m able to catch the last ten minutes of Daffodildos on the Arena stage – one of many painful sacrifices that had to be made due to band clashes. While I didn’t catch many songs, it was clear that their set had went well, and they had a decent sized crowd. Definitely a band to keep your eye on, especially if you’re into anarcho and UK82 influenced punk.
As you may already know, today also coincided with a right-wing march in Blackpool, which went about as well for them as expected. At one point, Winter Gardens had to temporarily lockdown, which did mean some people couldn’t get back in and missed a few bands. Despite the violence, it was great to see how many punks, attendees and performers alike, got involved in counter-protesting, protecting local businesses, and even helping to clean up the broken glass left behind.
Luckily, I got back inside just before the doors were locked, and was able to get to the Opera House to see I, Doris again. After more Doris’s are recruited, they go into their second set of the day, and somehow sound even better. The positive atmosphere was a nice contrast to the earlier chaos outside, and for this performance, the band were joined by Dunstan Bruce, to perform their recent collaborative single, Not Done Yet. Cassie even made sure to make Dunstan his own tabard, making him a true Doris!
Next up is Manchester’s Loose Articles, back in the Empress Ballroom, kicking things off with Mr Manager. It seems the size of the crowd has been impacted by the lockdown, but it doesn’t hold the band back, as Natalie jokingly asked “Where are you?”. Those of us who are there are very much into it, including LOUD WOMEN photographer Sinead, who joins the band on stage to shout a verse of Sinead Loves Bitcoin.
Stay tuned for Sunday’s review, covering the Loud Women takeover!