As I curiously meandered down the backstreets of the Northern Quarter, I became eager to experience what the bands at  this years’ The Hungry Pigeon festival had to offer, anticipating whether I  was to be amazed by new and upcoming talent on the Manchester scene. The day started with the first band to hit Band On The Wall, Pseudo Stereo opening with the song ‘Somebody New’ setting off the festival in the depths of Manchester’s Northern Quarter. With a charismatic lead, Andy, taking centre stage and with intense musical crescendos, the band can be recognised with a similar style to the likes of The Arctic Monkeys. In discovering that the band had not rehearsed in five weeks since their gig at Club Academy, there was quite an impressive stage presence; particularly for the opening set with the first drifters casually propped at the bar, being quite the flaneurs with Red Stripe in hand.

The band took a particular challenge covering Bill Withers ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, and to my surprise was played to a decent standard, yet used ‘artistic license’ to amend the song into a climax of heavy drums with the bass throbbing through the walls. I admit I had ambivalent feelings toward this change in tempo and style, yet this song allowed Pseudo Stereo to stand strong as a three man band.

‘Red Dress’ was the follow up number, proving the lead singer/guitarist to be talented in a technical sense, however receiting face value lyrics, yet redeeming this with a closing of catchy guitar riffs, a key necessity to a successful song. ‘She Was Broken’ is clearly an answer to desired inspiration and listening to the latest two Kings Of Leon albums, even the notorious vocals of Caleb Followill seemed to be echoed as Andy crooned over the microphone with a great sense of confidence. To complete the set, ambitiously, the band set out on covering Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’. This soulful number was a risk to take and possibly too great a step, as the change in style undermined the potential of the cover. Never the less, it became evident that crescendos seemed to be a trade mark of the band, and to their credit, the build up to this heavy climax blended well to erase a sense of segregation.

Overall the band played to a good standard, particularly for an opening act. These boys are young too so you may see them on the up rise, check them out on www.myspace.com/pseudostereomusic.

After a gander around Piccadilly gardens to watch some kids in parkers chase pigeons, I returned to Band On The Wall to catch the final two songs of Outrage’s set, stepping into a growl from the guitar reminiscent of Buzzock’s chart appearances with vocals mirroring Bob Dylan when he turned to electric, even the pace of delivery offered similarity. However, effects pedals were used to summon physcadellic riffs that the sixties would be proud to have owned. However, this band sing lyrics such as ‘the time has come’, but I think this band has disregarded that there is no longer a need to strum in support of protests and revolution, the era has past. Maybe if they’re lucky, it will resurrect.

Now next to emerge on the stage was something special. Various pieces of a folk band began arranging on stage as the reluctant star of the show stood centre forward, semi acoustic in hand. The vocals that immersed from this man’s mouth were of gentle substance, with sometimes an incomprehensible lyrics yet maintained a balance between beauty and masculinity compounded within a several piece band, backing female singers to the left, saxophone and trumpet to the right in a majestic onsaumble.  The use of the varied instruments helped keep a sense of diversity throughout the set, with a Celtic jam feel and a hint of an Irish punk influence. As lovely as the female vocalists were, I do believe that the band would be stronger with the lead male vocals as they make some of the songs seem dated. However, this lead singer was destined for great things. If Tom Waits and Devendra Banhart made a creation together, the lead singer of The Sensations would be their Frankenstein. Without the whiskey.

Strolling down towards Thomas Street to see the bands stowed in to the atmospheric  underground of The Bay Horse, and upon entrance the room feels like a quiet house party as I join people on the sofas to watch the two man band, Sam Grey, an average indie acoustic set with nothing particularly sublime. However to the two lads’ credit they were able to entertain and please the crowd with a bode of confidence in their plectrums, yet I struggled to decipher what was making the audience so enthusiastic. It was a task trying to differentiate between charisma and alcohol.

Next up to the stand was another duo of colourful personalities. Taking the floor with guitars in hand, floor drums, a tambourine pedal and a glockenspiel (one that an eight year old I know has) I began to wonder if these two were coloured with crayons. Being quite unconventional in comparison to the earlier sets of the day, they kicked off with a song called ‘Don’t Dally Sally’, and the name said it all. The pair played like The Cribs would have if they were in a playground in the sixties, singing in chorus, the song proved to be quite catchy surprisingly, yet there seemed something cheesy about the performance. Even the comedic  intervals between the songs were done as a pair, finishing off each others’ sentences . Never the less, the band were adorable for their efforts, with lyrics such as ‘If my head was a house I’d let you live in every room’, and would be fun to listen to on a summers day with the tide coming in. Have a listen to You Make Me Be, which is one of the numbers on The Valentines’ EP.

Down in the depths of Moho’s, the most charismatic person of the day, and in fact that I have seen in a while, took the stage in Moho’s room one, announcing his band to be The Catfish and The Bottle Men ready to show off their EP ‘Beautiful Day’ which is now out. This unsigned band should definitely be next in line to join a label but if you want to experience this band properly I’d suggest for you to get down to Fac251 on the 26^th of June when they make their return to Manchester. Taking inspiration from several angles, the band impress the audience with the lead hurtling round the stage, although disguising a few power chords with the use of a capo, these have the energy that a lot of young bands are missing today hurling into almost hardcore climaxes similar to those of The Bronx.

Bleakhill were to follow, with Counting Crows style vocals echoing through the crowd, creating a decent stand for themselves, yet I would have liked to see more intricacy on the guitar to avoid the songs sounding too flat. With the drunken man of the audience clambering on stage by the second song, opening with Blink 182 riffs, the band continue to ignore this presence until the end after the middle eight of the song uses creepy riffs to break the tempo in a way to emphasise the crescendos that get blasted through  the amps. The third song played was more melodic yet followed the same formula as previous, Bleakhill becoming evidently a structured band with little room for expression, including their stage performance. Although I found an irony in that being unique wasn’t one of the band’s  qualities as they sang ‘am I so predictable’, they did put on a good performance, and with more confidence and loosening up a bit, this band could become something.

So as far as The Hungry Pigeon Festival’s final day went, the bands were impressive, particularly some of the ones who haven’t been snatched up by a label yet, most of whom I thoroughly enjoyed and I would definitely recommend it for next year if you want to be able to say ‘I saw them when’.