I went to this Salford festival and was blown away by one set in particular

Manchester was blessed with glorious weather this May bank holiday, which was good news for anyone attending the Sounds from the Other City festival. The annual, one-day festival takes place across Salford, featuring a line-up of some of Greater Manchester’s most exciting up-and-coming musicians and artists.

There are so many different venues to explore, from the old favourites like the Old Pint Pot and New Oxford pubs, to public spaces like The Green on the University of Salford campus and Bexley Square near Salford cathedral, as well as more unconventional venues like the Working Class Movement Library and St Phillips Church. 

For the first time in ten years, the university’s Maxwell Building also hosted acts and the festival’s afterparty, which went on into the early hours of bank holiday Monday. The  hall used to be a popular venue in the seventies and eighties, hosting the likes of Blondie, U2 and The Smiths. 

We spent the day wandering around as many venues as possible, enjoying the sun and some live music. Here are some of our highlights. 

We decided to start, and end, the day at Bexley Square, where there was an outdoor stage as well as two venues – the New Oxford pub and Porto tapas. As we enjoyed a pint sat in the square, there were some excellent smells coming from Porto’s outdoor BBQ. There were people of all ages dancing to the dancehall and reggaeton tunes coming from the DJ – including a couple that already looked a little worse for wear. There was also a small crowd in the backroom of the New Oxford enjoying a bassline rave. 

From here we tried to get into the Old Pint Pot, which had both an upstairs and downstairs venues, but it was very popular, with a long queue for the downstairs area. Instead we headed to The Green as the food stalls were already calling our name. We ordered a pizza and pitched up with a couple of cans, taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the tunes coming from the Kay and Tomi from Brockley B2B set in the tent. Sadly, we missed Pork Idol by the festival’s artistic directors Fvck Pigs, who were parading up and down Chapel Street all afternoon. 

We managed to catch a bit of the headline set at the Maxwell Building from Gruff Rhys, however the real highlight for me was stumbling across the Ife Ogunjobi set at Peel Hall. I have seen him perform before as part of the Mercury Prize-winning neo-jazz quintet Ezra Collective, but this solo project with a full band in the intimate setting of the University of Salford building was extra special with everyone in the tiered auditorium on their feet and dancing.  

We ended the night back at Bexley Square, with one last drink and a pastel de nata from Porto. The square was now full of festival-goers enjoying a lively B2B set from Chande and Samrai. Over at the New Oxford pub, wobbly basslines could still be heard emanating from the small back room. We overheard some revellers planning their next moves as the set started winding down, with one person saying: “I’ll see you at White Hotel.”

If I were not working the bank holiday Monday (gets out tiny violin) we would have then headed back to Maxwell House for the afterparty where one of my bucket list DJs was playing, Manchester legend and jungle pioneer A Guy Called Gerald. Hopefully I will get to see him one day. 

This was my first Sounds from the Other City, which is criminal considering it has now been going for 18 years. It will definitely be on my calendar for next year and I will make a point of visiting some of the other areas like Islington Mill and Partisan. Having grown up on the other side of Greater Manchester, I’ve only recently started exploring Salford, which, particularly in the Chapel Street area, has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. If you’re unfamiliar with this side of Salford, this festival is a great way of getting to know it and exploring both its historic and emerging institutions.

Maybe it was the sunny weather, but the wide variety of venues, the inclusive atmosphere, diverse crowds and expertly curated mix of art and music has got me raring to go for the festival season. There are several other Manchester festivals on the horizon, including the big ones like Pride and Parklife, but it’s at these smaller festivals where you get the real Greater Manchester party experience. So bring on the next one.