The worst possible news for festival fans arrived quickly this year. Just 21 days in.
Fresh optimism had filled the air at the turn of 2021 – with the worst year for live music finally behind us and hope for better times ahead.
But on the third week of January, the red hot excitement for the rejuvenation of the gig scene was doused with a bucket of freezing cold water – as Michael and Emily Eavis’ announced that Glastonbury Festival would be cancelled for a second successive year.
The ‘new chapter’ for the events industry had gotten off to a dreadful start.
Still, some music industry personnel urged people to take the news with a pinch of salt.
ADVERTISEMENT
Glastonbury, by all accounts, is a different beast to many UK festivals – and there were arguments that festival season could still go ahead if the government offered its support.
That remains to be seen, and there are still hopes that some events could proceed during sunnier (in every sense of the word) days.
ADVERTISEMENT
But in the meantime, smaller local events are beginning to go bump.
Sounds From The Other City
Sounds From The Other City – the hyperlocal music festival that sprawls right across Salford’s Greengate and Blackfriars areas – confirmed this week that it would also be suspending its 2021 edition.
The beloved May Bank Holiday event has been a fixture of festival season and firm underground favourite for 16 years – championing local promoters, celebrating Salford, and providing a platform for innovative artists to showcase their talents.
ADVERTISEMENT
The likes of Barney Artist, James Ferraro, Marina, Alt-J, Slowthai, GoGo Penguin, Black Midi and IAMDDB have all appeared on the SFOTC bill since 2005 – with the previous seven editions of the festival completely selling out.
But, after pulling the highly-anticipated fifteenth party last spring, organisers have now taken the “painful” decision to cancel 2021, too. Four months before it was due to take place.
SFOTC 2021 may be regarded as an unfortunate victim of circumstance in that it simply arrived too early in the festival calendar – with events in late summer still hopeful of a return (Parklife, for example, has moved its ordinary dates back by three months to buy themselves more time).
But with no confirmed lockdown exit roadmap coming until at least February 22, there’s no guarantee (or even likelihood) that tight restrictions on mass gatherings will be lifted in spring. The process of putting social distancing arrangements in place for the 23 venues within the festival – all of which are different sizes – has also proven completely unfeasible on a DIY budget.
Gambling on 2021 was a risk that SFOTC organisers decided they simply could “not afford” to take. But the major driving factor in culling the fest was a realisation it would be “impossible to recreate the true, sweat drenched, hands-on, DIY spirit” that made it so popular.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sounds From The Other City
Rivca Burns, Creative Director for Sounds from the Other City, said: “We always want to do something we’re super proud of.
‘Sounds’ has always been an opportunity for artists/promoters to let loose – we give them the stage and they put on whatever they’re passionate about.
“We realised that restrictions and limitations this time were too complicated and it would completely take away the enjoyment.”
But Sounds From The Other City isn’t dead yet. Not by a long shot.
The festival is already making hopeful plans for a return next year – but it’ll need the help of its supporters to do so.
ADVERTISEMENT
Organisers have officially launched the SFTOC Lifeline appeal – inviting music fans to make a contribution to help keep the festival afloat.
A brand new newsletter publication, The SoundsTown Gazette, is also being published to update the community on progress, as well as featuring interviews, listings and offers from artists, promoters and partners.
Rivca stated: “The festival has always been this lean machine – and all the donations that come in will be used to pay the freelancers and people who make it possible.
“We recognise we’re not the only ones who are in this boat. There are some shocking figures across the industry. But it’s so good to see communities coming together to help one another.
“We’re hoping to use this time to make ourselves stronger as a business.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Sounds From The Other City
SFOTC has always been operated on a shoestring – run entirely on volunteers, freelancers and goodwill.
The festival was born out of two local siblings’ innate desire to prove that Salford – ie the ‘other’ city in Greater Manchester – was as musically eclectic and exciting as its famous neighbour.
The very definition of a grassroots event, SFOTC has kept its core aim intact during its 16 years of existence: Celebrate what’s happening on the doorstep and invite the community to come and join in.
The fanbase (which has ballooned from dozens to hundreds since 2005) has been the lifeblood of the festival since the beginning. But more so now than ever.
Support is flooding in for SFOTC – and thanks to music fans, it might just have a fighting chance.
“If just 250 people donated a tenner, that would go a long way to helping us stay alive,” Riva explained.
“Then hopefully we can prepare for the future.”
The heart of this little Salford festival is still beating yet. Music fans are doing their best to make sure of it.
Learn more about the Lifeline Appeal and what you can do to help save Sounds From The Other City by visiting the official website.
Audio
Beat-Herder Festival 2026 – the wonderfully weird festival we can’t stop coming back to
Emily Johnson
Another weekend done in the magical, mystical world that is Beat-Herder.
For one weekend every year, a farm in Clitheroe transforms into what the organisers describe as “a place full of beats and barminess” – and honestly, they couldn’t have summed it up any better.
Big enough to keep you discovering something new all weekend, yet small enough that you’ll keep bumping into the same friendly faces, Beat-Herder strikes the balance perfectly.
Every corner has something different going on, every stage has its own personality, and every sound system is absolutely dialled in.
Where else can you go for a swim, get a tattoo, pop into church, visit Paris and dance until sunrise? No, we’re not describing a chaotic stag-do… we’re talking about Beat-Herder.
Every stage deserves a mention, but a few really stood out this year.
Julie’s Barn, a.k.a. ‘Gay Paris’, remains one of the festival’s best-kept secrets. Hidden away in the woods, it’s worth every wrong turn trying to find it.
A glowing dancefloor, disco balls hanging from the trees and a crowd that somehow never seems to leave. We even stumbled across a secret ‘Samurai Breaks SSBB’ set that had the place bouncing all the way through until sunrise.
Credit: The Manc Group
Over at Stumblefunk At The Factory, Breakage delivered one of the sets of the weekend. The bass rattled the roof, the crowd never stopped moving, and the whole place felt like it was about to lift off.
It’s also home to one of Beat-Herder’s many weird little surprises, with hidden missions and the chance to spy on other festival-goers. If you know, you know.
The Garage is another annual favourite. DJs squeezed into the front seat of a car while everyone else danced on the bonnet of old scrapped cars, bouncing to the bass that rattled from White Noise Audio’s soundsystem. It’s those ridiculous little details that make this festival unlike anywhere else.
Then there’s Beat-Herder’s Got Talent, which has become a non-negotiable part of our weekend. The winner earns a slot on the main stage, so every act gives it everything. This year’s line-up featured everything from incredible harmonica performances and live bands to rap duos.
But one contestant completely stole the show.
She walked on stage, admitted she wasn’t sure her talent was quite as impressive as everyone else’s, and the crowd fell silent. No instrument. No backing track. You could hear a pin drop. What on earth was this contestant about to do? And then she proceeded to fit her entire fist in her mouth.
If that doesn’t sum up Beat-Herder, we’re not sure what does. The wonderful woman didn’t win the contest unfortunately, but let’s hope she can get booked for next year, ey?
One of this year’s new additions was The Dub Tub, which quickly became one of our favourite discoveries. Artists like Woody Cook swapped high-energy sets for slower, dub-inspired sessions, creating the perfect place to reset before diving back into the madness.
Oh, and of course, in true Beat-Herder fashion, the DJs were performing in a bathtub, of course.
And speaking of madness… all the classics are still there. The famous tunnel leading to hidden stages, the weird and wonderful walkabout performers, the random discoveries you’ll never find on a map, the hidden swimming pool, fancy dress costumes, and the constant feeling that you’re about to stumble across something completely unexpected.
Massive credit has to go to everyone behind the scenes. From the organisers to the volunteers and crew, everything runs incredibly smoothly, despite how wonderfully chaotic it all feels. Beat-Herder, you’ve done it again; roll on 2027.
Aitch wells up in trailer for inspiring Netflix documentary about Kilimanjaro charity climb
Danny Jones
Mancunian musician Aitch has shared a brand-new trailer for his upcoming Netflix documentary charting his inspiring charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Tissues at the ready.
In case you missed it, the Manchester rapper took on the incredible challenge of summiting the highest peak in Africa last year, all on behalf of the Down’s Syndrome Association.
Sharing the first true glimpse at his moving mountain voyage, the Moston-born artist looks to reveal all in this candid chronicling of his fundraising feat.
Writing in the caption, the 26-year-old said: “Gracie, this is for you and the 40,000 other beautiful people just like you. Don’t Be Afraid!”
For anyone unaware of the context, a couple of years back, Aitch – Harrison James Armstrong, to give the Manc his full given name – announced that he would be embarking on the difficult journey that only 40-60% of trekkers ever successfully reach the top.
Beloved by upwards of 3.1 million followers across his various social media platforms, Grace has become a bit of a community icon and hero all of her own.
Here he is video calling her before his most recent challenge:
They have such a lovely bond.
The inspiration for the 2022 track ‘My G’ with Ed Sheeran on his debut album, Close to Home, the song itself also ended up serving as a significant fundraiser, going on to complete a skydive over Old Sarum airfield with his dad, Mike.
A few clips have been shared on Aitch’s YouTube channel since he first confirmed he would be taking on ‘Kili’, such as his altitude training and other glimpses behind the scenes, but until now, we’ve seen very little footage from the infamous trail itself.
Set to drop later this month, Aitch’s Kilimanjaro doc, entitled Don’t Be Afraid, is releasing on Netflix on Sunday, 26 July – which also just so happens to be ‘Manchester Day‘; we’ll be making sure we don’t miss either of them.
He’s not the only local lad taking on huge obstacles for a good cause.
The Manc -
29th January 2021 
