An expectant crowd of gig-goers turned down the rare Manchester sunshine to see three upwardly-mobile acts put on a special show at Night and Day Cafe, raising money for Big Issue North Trust.
Local boys Puppet Rebellion were the headline attraction, with a 50 minute set of indie designed to get feet moving and arms raised. With a sound that’s easy to imagine in far bigger venues that Night and Day’s intimate surrounds, songs largely taken from debut album Chemical Friends were given added beef by the addition of a fifth member to the band, guitarist James Moon.
Prior to the arrival of Puppet Rebellion, The Malthusian Trap played a set of acid-tinged rock and roll that wouldn’t have been out of place in the city’s music scene 30 years earlier. The band may be based in Devon now, but there was no faking the Sean Ryder-esque swagger and vocal style of Mancunian lead singer Damon Foster.
Dean Tranter, usually lead singer of Blackpool band New Saviours but playing solo here, kicked off the fundraiser with a 20 minute set full of warmth and soul – featuring a cover of Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good – and with a voice that brought to mind Manchester legend John Bramwell.
Street Noise is a series of gigs, all with one aim – to raise money for Big Issue North Trust, and change the lives of the people who sell the magazine. The first Street Noise event took place in 2017 at the Manchester o2 Ritz, headlined by Frank Turner, and championed by Clint Boon.
Big Issue North magazine has always been a champion of great music – especially from the North. Now, we want to do more to do that, connecting artists and venues, and all for a great cause.
For future Street Noise gigs, keep your eyes on the Big Issue North website, and follow Street Noise on Twitter.
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