LIVE: Dot To Dot Festival, Manchester 22.5.15

The three city spectacular Dot to Dot festival has built a strong reputation over the last 10 years for showcasing the best upcoming talent and giving stages to fresh new artists across Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol. The stages in Manchester, as in the other cities, are fairly spread out and rather tucked away so navigating the festival was tricky at times. The venue choices, however, made up for this. The best of what Manchester had to offer was available and all intimate enough to make you forget you were at a festival at all. Here are 6 highlights from the first date of the festival:

Hudson Taylor @ The Cathedral
Irish folk duo Hudson Taylor were the first to take on the stunning main stage set in Manchester Cathedral. The two brothers balance each others energy perfectly on stage, with Alfie a little more intense and Harry more reserved. Their ambient but intense sound fills the echoing space beautifully, showcasing both the boys and the venue in the best possible light. Already wearing their ‘Vote Yes’ badges, the boys talk briefly about the Irish referendum on marriage equality before moving into a grimy and angry song about the issue with the words “Don’t tell me I can’t be who I am’. Once the heavy stuff is over the mood becomes positive again as Alfie teaches the crowd the words to ‘Don’t Know Why”. Their energy is hardly of two talented musicians on stage, but rather two brothers and best friends jamming together.

The Riptide Movement @ The Roadhouse
Rock band The Riptide Movement have reasons to be confident after their album went number one in Ireland last year, and their sheer talent shines through despite the relatively small venue. Their brand of boyish happy rock and keen persona sees the boys in their element as they play songs from the latest album. ‘You and I’ sees singer and guitarist jump onto the raised platforms by the stage and rock as hard as they can, building up the energy to breaking point. The intimacy of the venue makes the boys seem truly down to earth, and this is confirmed when the announce free drinks for the crowd. They end on their hit single ‘All Works Out’ which sees lead singer Malachy jump into the crowd as he plays. For a band so involved and down to earth, they definitely deserved a bigger stage.

Holy Holy @ The Roadhouse
The sound of Aussie group Holy Holy is best described as authentic, made so by intense lyrics and boundlessly creative songwriting. The talent of all the members – particularly the drummer – is blatantly obvious throughout. Slow songs are built up with thick drums and melodic guitar until the burst with emotional intensity. Their stage presence is very reserved, as they let their music do the talking. Their story-esque lyrics and rock sound blend perfectly with folky undertones and captivating vocals. Compared to the setlist predecessors The Riptide Movement their energy on stage is minimal, but they make up for this with richly detailed music and enticing lyrics.

RHODES @ The Ruby Lounge
After a short delay Rhodes and his band finally grace the stage to a warm welcome. He moves instantly into his trademark steady and morose sound overlaid with profound lyrics. With a clean and strong voice, he sings and builds a poignant and emotive experience during a brief interlude where he breaks away from his band and plays solo. Due to his late arrival his set is cut a little short, and the show ends with his latest single ‘Close Your Eyes’ which moves seamlessly from contemplative to intense. Chatting to fans at the side as the set finishes we see a very humble and talented young songwriter, and he is definitely one to go see again.

Amber Run @ The Ruby Lounge
Youthful band Amber Run brought their own brand of unadulterated happy indie rock to The Ruby Lounge, radiating boyish energy and delivering irresistible (even headbang worth) upbeat tunes. The highlight of the set was ‘Spark’ which saw the stood casually on stage with a Red Stripe can in hand singing his lungs out with the crowd. Their massive sound is greeted with an equally massive reaction from the crowd, a sign of their ever growing popularity. The set breaks down a few songs in to a enveloping soft and electro feel for ‘I Found’, showing they can handle both ends of the spectrum. The sweet harmonies and thoughtful lyrics are moving to experience live, and show that Amber Run are incredible artists as well as incredible on stage.

Saint Raymond @ The Cathedral
Arriving mid set, Saint Raymond is stood alone center stage in the midst of an emotional interlude of soft and emotional songs showcasing his sweetly humble voice and poetic lyrics. His sound fills the Cathedral with a gorgeous enticing atmosphere that is palpable and intoxicating. The band are then brought back on stage for some upbeat dance-worthy indie rock tunes. With a sound strangely reminiscent of Little Comets, it’s impossible for the crowd not to sing along. Saint Raymond and his band look in their heaven, jumping on podiums and working the crowd to get every body jumping and dancing to ‘Young Blood’. The intense guitar solos and audible singing from the crowd creates a joyful and summery mood, and it is no wonder he had to come back for encore.