Manchester prides itself on being a vibrant modern European city. Culturally it can lay claim to this ideal - the only problem is that at times it needs a Center Parc style dome put over the top of it.
Today there were certainly no gripes about the weather - it was perfect for a day of music and the setting was almost perfect too.
It’s the second year that the SWAP festival has taken place and on a stage in front of the URBIS centre in Cathedral Gardens a host of performers delighted the slowly reddening audience.
The line-up included eclectic talents from around the country, as well as up and coming homegrown performers, such as the Paper Wives, Manchester’s Aidan Smith, Noellie McDonnell, M Craft, a quirky three-piece called The Research, Alterkicks, as well as the Internet-hyped number one artist Sandi Thom.
I must admit I can’t see what the fuss is all about. To these ears she sounds like a poor woman’s KT Tunstall. You got the usual quick one, the slow one and the one that is a bit of feminist’s anthem. I didn’t stick around for the hit I Wish I Was a punk Rocker - as refreshment was calling me.
The Cherry Ghost were squeezed in between Thom and the local acts that most of the crowd had come to see. Liam Frost & The Slowdown Family and Iam Kloot.
Liam Frost and his band have been picking up a lot of radio play lately for their Mourners of St Paul's single and they even landed a recent support slot with Elbow at their recent Somerset House gig. Liam is quite and engaging presence and his band has the tunes to match too.
The final act of the day was perennial local favourites I Am Kloot, who came on just as the sun was dipping behind the glass structure of the URBIS.
Their set drew upon a number of their standards such as Storm Warning, Dark Star, Your Favourite Sky and 86 TVs. Kloot’s music is the perfect remedy to day spent standing up being burnt to a crisp. Relaxed but with something of an edge to it.
The summery tunes give lie to the lyrics of a love gone wrong as front man John Bramwell testified that some of the set might not be appropriate given the weather.
Elbow front man Guy Garvey joined in on vocals for To You, as well as this appearance the usual three piece was augmented with a pedal guitarist and keyboards for three new tunes Fingerprints, Only Role in Town and Someone Like You. These sounded pretty good and whetted the appetite for the next album due soon.
Iam Kloot’s set was a fitting end to a perfect day. Here’s to next year’s event and more of the un-Manchester like weather.
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