6 Music Festival, Victoria Warehouse, Manchester

Just four years ago, the BBC announced plans to axe 6 Music. A vocal campaign to save it - especially via social media - was rewarded months later when the decision was reversed, and in a way since ‘we’ helped save them, it feels like they’re an old friend. This two-day festival at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse feels like something of a celebration – or at least a jubilant validation – of that decision.

And the party has some great names on the list. The line-up is, as maybe it should be, a distinctly 6 Music-like affair, with some slight curve balls thrown in. The coups of getting Damon Albarn and The National to headline the two nights is underpinned by acts like The Horrors and James Blake. Or it would be. The lack of staggered stage times meant that you had to nail your colours to the mast or watch half their sets. So, with Blake and The Horrors headlining the smaller room it meant missing out on what they had to offer. (There’s also poor sound and a chat-happy crowd to deal with but more of that later).

The festival begins in that smaller room with Outfit whose mix of Hot Chip-isms and Clor-like pop is a welcoming, bright and bouncing start to the festival. The crowd are reminded what a great record ‘Performance’ is, with ‘Want What’s Best’ particularly thrilling. The choices then begin: four songs of Drenge’s clattering, exhilarating racket before heading over to the main stage. It’s beautifully lit and faux trees lit by lanterns line its sides but it can’t hide a lacklustre set from Haim who seem beset by problems, a little peeved off and are only saved by a bouncing ‘The Wire’ and ‘Don’t Save Me’.



But Kelis is alive and sparkling in a gold lamé dress. That’s not the only thing that dazzles – her live band also sparkle. Of course ‘Milkshake’ is the most rapturously received and ‘Trick Me’ is irresistible but songs from forthcoming album, ‘Food’ are fantastic and her band bring vibrance to the dark hall.

The small room seems a strange choice for a band as ready for stratospheric success as Metronomy and so it proves: it’s rammed with people and is soon closed off to even more. We stand at the back to catch ‘Love Letters’ and ‘The Look’ before heading over to what seems a half empty main room for Midlake. Their set seems too still at first but it slowly envelopes you and when the brilliant John Grant joins them you realise this is something pretty special.

Then it’s time for Damon Albarn and his band (who we find out have been christened The Heavy Seas). He seems slightly anxious ‘It’s quite nerve wracking to be playing not only our first gig but to be playing it live on radio as well … But I suppose I should be used to it after all these years.’
His solo album – as yet unreleased – is a contemplative and introspective affair and with the crowd not knowing most of the songs it’s a challenge to win them over. However, the band are tight and bring light and shade to the great songwriting of the album. ‘Lonely Press Play’ becomes funkier and ‘Photographs (You Are Taking Now)’ is beefed up and more muscular, building into a stomp, out of which grows a version of ‘Kingdom Of Doom’ from the Good the Bad and the Queen album. We also get some Gorillaz with ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’ and ‘Melancholy Hill’ and we’re also treated to the brilliant Beetlebum B-side All Your Life – the first time it’s ever been played live. Damon seems rejuvenated and the encore of the more upbeat ‘Mr. Tembo’ and Brian Eno featuring ‘Heavy Seas of Love’ (minus Mr Eno tonight) finish the night on an uplifting crescendo.



The next day we frequent the Fringe for John Bramwell’s acoustic songs and northern humour, Adam Buxton telling kids jokes and Connan Mockasin playing drunk at 5 in the afternoon.

The festival itself starts for us with Bombay Bicycle Club in celebratory mood after having a Number One album. The sound seems percussion heavy but ‘Shuffle’ and the closing ‘Carry Me’ show the placing was well-deserved.

Lykke Li comes on stage and announces she doesn’t speak much. It doesn’t matter – packed into the small room even people talking throughout the set can’t ruin how bewitching she is. New songs ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ and ‘I’m Never Gonna Love Again’ sound 80s-tinged and massive – big choruses and heartbreak make for a great combination.

The smaller room fares less well for Wild Beasts. The brilliant ‘Present Tense’ is marred by a bass heavy sound that throbs when it shouldn’t. Franz Ferdinand in the big room make a lot more sense. The whole crowd are thrown into frenzied delirium when they play that song – if every band had one they would die happy. The new album also swings with ‘Fresh Strawberries’ especially juicy.



It’s left to The National to sign the festival off and blow out the party candles. You never thought they’d be the band to have their lyrics bellowed back at them. Yet tonight, that’s exactly what happens. They are as peerless as ever. Matt launches himself into the crowd for ‘Mr November’; ‘Fake Empire’ swells majestically and Berninger throws wine on the crowd (all of the wine, obviously, not all for him).
‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ sounds like the giant anthem it always promised it was and it ends as is tradition now with ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’.

And then the party is over. This celebration isn’t perfect – it feels too crowded and the sound doesn’t always work in a venue which is generally geared up for dance music not live acts. It means as makes it merely enjoyable rather than revelatory, though there are some stunning sets. That they can overcome the imperfections shows 6 Music is a true friend – one with great taste in music.