Zig-zagging through genres, Liverpool Sound City offers the best upcoming artists, from DJs to future pop stars to sure-to-be indie-rock legends.
Taking place across Liverpool city centre, the festival is spread across iconic venues including The Arts Club, EBGBS and The Jacaranda.
I attended the Saturday of the festival where bands like Basht. and The Royston Club fulfilled a need for pulsating guitar and contagious bass.
Squashed into a packed The Spanish Caravan, Barstaff kicked off the day in style. They start with a witty song, ‘Tracy Island’, depicting navigating relationships as a musician.
The audience sweat from the heat in a room so full people can’t even get to the toilet without a battle. “I feel like SpongeBob in that one episode where he needs water” lead singer Ben Ashurst laughs, taking a drink from someone in the crowd.
Next comes recent release ‘Izzy’ intertwining bright guitar and sleek bass before showcasing a new track ‘Headache’.
“It’s about going to house parties and shagging people,” guitarist/singer Ciara Hanley giggles as they burst into the feel-good track.
Not only bringing a fan on stage to play guitar for final track ‘Never Good Enough’, but also entering the stage with confidence and charisma, I’d never seen such presence from someone so young as when teenager Tom A Smith took to Liverpool’s Dome at Grand Central.
“This is a new one called ‘Say What’,” he shouts. Immediately the crowd
shouts “WHAT? WHAT?” in sync.
Popular track ‘Little Bits’ then grips the crowd after Smith teaches the lyrics. A hopeful song about perseverance, a blissful feeling floats over the audience.
On route to see the next band I walked past an Irish bar which gripped me with a live musician playing Irish tunes. Okay technically this wasn’t a part of Sound City’s lineup, but it just goes to show how perfect Liverpool is as the location for a music festival.
Soon after, Corella draw in an extensive audience with their thrilling indie-pop
tunes. A fan favourite ‘Come Around’ is crafted for the dancefloor. Laced with
assertive vocals and bright guitar riffs, the crowd quickly become passionate.
“I think we’ve established we can make a mosh pit,” singer Joel Smith cheers, hyping the audience up, not letting their mood drop for a single moment.
Heading towards The Arts Club, there’s a queue down the street for Liverpool’s own Keyside.
“Who’s on now, where have all these people suddenly come from,” a security guard asks, obviously seeing the venues largest gathering of the day.
Offering vibrant bass lines and upbeat lyrics, ‘Runaway’ is soon to be an indie
playlist go-to as well as ‘High To High’, another track from their recent EP.
Feeling nostalgic, they close their set with ‘Angeline’. Fun and Breezy, the track is perfect for festivals, sounding like summer.
Spine-chilling guitar riffs are what make Liverpool-based East Exchange thrive.
Stood by the bar, waiting to be served I immediately ran straight back to the stage when I heard their electrifying music through the wall. Feeling spontaneous yet well thought out, their music has a distinct energy.
Although they would be difficult to follow, Basht. are next and if anyone can blow the roof off, it’s them.
Engulfing you in fierce riffs and untamed drums, the Irish group share a fanbase with hugely successful bands like Wunderhorse and Fontaines D.C as they have a similar style of unapologetic, guitar-heavy music.
Opening with an intensity that continues throughout their set, ‘Dirty White’ is a flawless start to the setlist.
Untamed with Jack Leavey’s passionate vocals, the dedicated fans sing along although I’d more describe it as screaming along, full of emotion. Newer release’s ‘Vain’ and ‘Stockholm’ tease what their upcoming album ‘Bitter And Twisted’ will contain.
Following form with thumping guitar, poignant drums and a crowd feeling every lyric, the band are already building up a reputation for impressive live performances.
Heading back into The Dome At Grand Central, girls on the barrier are dressed head to toe in bows, which can only mean one thing, Nieve Ella is about to appear.
“It feels good to be heard finally,” Ella exclaims after technical difficulties. By this point the crowd are literally itching for her to start.
The unique artist who writes about relationships and navigating your way through life first performed at Sound City in a small room only two years ago. Now she’s headlining the main stage. If that doesn’t show her capabilities, I don’t know what will. ‘Ganni top (She gets what she needs)’ is a standout.
Filled with motivation and fight, Ella depicts feeling powerful as a woman, “Getting what you need.”
Dropping to her knees while singing innuendos, twirling across the stage and shimmying back to back with bassist Fran Larkin, Ella is a beautiful role model for young girls, proving women can make it in a tough industry.
“ROYSTON, ROYSTON, ROYSTON,” a chant so loud it would be heard on the street. It’s obvious a staggering number of Sound City-goers turned up for one band, The Royston Club.
Frontman Tom Faithfull swaggers onto stage, knowing they’ve performed tons of sets like this one and never once had an unhappy crowd. A smile across their faces, they open with a newer track ‘The Patch Where Nothing Grows’.
Bursting with euphoric guitar solos, the track brings an instant entrancement over the audience.
Starting mosh pits for tracks like ‘Mariana’ and ‘I’m A Liar’ the crowd is swarming with exhilaration. Brand new song ‘Shivers’ takes a leap in a new direction for the band being even more riff heavy then usual. Despite its recent release, their dedicated fanbase already know every word.
Fighting for the main mic, Faithfull and guitarist Ben Matthias share a verse in ‘Shallow Tragedy’ before the final chorus, when drinks soar through the air in the mayhem of the pit.
Whether you’re looking to catch the best of the best before they blow up or you just love a day out, Sound City is absolutely a showcase.
Mersey Music 