Sounds From The Other City is a one-day celebration of new music and performance on the Sunday 6th May.
Never mind seventh time lucky, Sounds From The Other City festival is now in it’s eight year and continues to grow from strength to strength. Returning to the streets of Salford, some of the cities most renowned independent promoters, collectives and club nights are bringing together a fantastical array of the finest national and international acts.
Mind on Fire Collective, Drowned in Sound, Faktion, Trash-O-Rama, Now Wave and Hey! Manchester, as well as cutting-edge, literary aces Bad Language are among the eclectic lot hosting stages at this years Festival. Venues taking part include The Crescent, The Old Pint Pot and The Rover Returns pubs, the beautiful St Philips and Sacred Trinity Churches, and the inimitable Islington Mill as well as new additions like Albert Mill and the whole of Chapel Street.
While preparing for this year’s fantastic event I asked Mark, one of the organisers, a few questions about the festival:
What is Sounds From The Other City?
Sounds from the Other City is a 100% independent festival of new music. Now in its 8th years, the event unites the most interesting, challenging and active independent music promoters and club nights from the Greater Manchester area in a one day presentation of the finest in local, national and international ‘new music’ scene.
Who created Sounds From The Other City?
The event was conceived by brothers Maurice and Mark Carlin, whilst being based at Islington Mill in Salford. The event has gone on to be the one of the Mill’s signature events and both the festival and organisation share a very similar ethos.
And Why?
The event was conceived as a platform for the best young independent promoters to present the most exciting new music from Manchester and beyond. Running a record label and recording studio at Salford’s Islington Mill, we quickly became enchanted by the surrounding areas with many underused spaces from the Churches of St Phillp and Sacred Trinity to old pubs such as The Salford Arms and the now defunct Albert Vaults. The first events in 2005 and 2006 where the first to utilize the Church spaces as venues for popular music, and both spaces have since been licensed and have hosted numerous gigs. The event still continues to work with new and unusual venues each year along the Chapel Street corridor.
What is different about Sounds From The Other City?
In some ways on paper it could be read as very similar to any of the other “500 artists, 50 stages, 1 great party’ type festivals that seem to have become ubiquitous throughout the UK, however with SFTOC its very much about careful curation, attention to detail and a genuine love and respect for the spirit of independence. It really only makes sense when you are there, from watching an extreme noise band in the front room of 150 year old pub or watching a-soon-to-be No. 1 pop band in the back room of 100 year old pub. There is a very surreal sense to the day and also a feeling of everyone being on an adventure. Together. Ultimately it’s one big day of discovery of spaces and places with some amazing new music, that you are about to discover, soundtracking the way!
Why should people go along to Sounds From The Other City?
If you like new music, if you like random happenings, if you like to go for a day out and experience something you never expected, then I’d say this is the day for you. Its also highly unlikely you will get this combination of artists and performers in any other line-up elsewhere in the UK.
Individual line-ups are now announced with loads more to be added over the coming weeks. TICKETS are on sale NOW.
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Music
