How the Lambrini Girls Evolved from Chaos to Call-to-Action
12 December 2025
Kicking things off in a stylish fasion, the beautiful ballroom of the O2 Ritz saw Parisian collective Juniore make their much-anticipated return to Manchester soil, carrying with them a wide array of surf-rock inspired melodies and sunsoaked grooves, encapsulating a certain ‘60s French noir. Their big hits such as ‘Ah bah d’accord’ are welcomed with rapturous energy from the packed-out room, as vocalist Anna Jean’s elegant tones set the city up for a day of weird and wonderful music.
It’s not long until we’re back in the smallest, sweatiest rooms though, as a mad dash across the road following Juniore’s hour-long epic means I can catch Duvet’s guitarist Tasmin Stephens open the 500 capacity Gorilla, under her solo project name TTSSFU. Wielding her signature heart-shaped guitar and flanked by her consummate band, her soaring indie-pop tunes translate perfectly to a live setting, received by a refreshingly respectful crowd of all demographics. Psych Fest sees Tasmin take on two must-see sets, delivering driving post-punk goodness with Duvet a mere 3 hours later.
A highlight of MPF is always the eclectic atmosphere provided by the utilisation of different event spaces. Between catching Goat Girl at the historical Albert Hall, and dashing back to the Ritz for NewDad, the afternoon is filled with a rare sense of urgency as I dash between Manchester’s staple ‘sweaty venue’ YES, and the makeshift outdoor stage at Projekts, an urban skatepark nestled comfortably under Manchester’s inner ring road, the Mancunian Way. My trip there was an excitement-filled one, finally catching Heartworms live, the London-based solo project of guitar and theremin witch Jojo Ormes. Her ability to create such a wide soundscape is something to be noted, as she effortlessly belts atop a mix of heavy guitars and boomy, driving drums, creating an electronic sound with a post-punk-esque lineup. Closing on ‘Retributions Of An Awful Life’, Heartworms must surely feel a sense of belonging in front of the rapturous festivalgoers, as they dance and sing the afternoon away, and do their best at catching the T-shirts thrown into the crowd by the band.
The rest of the day sees me waiting around for my real heroes HotWax – the MUST-SEE grunge rock trio from Hastings, with the loudest and most prominent set that undeniably leaves the biggest mark and is aching to be showcased on bigger and better stages around the world. Aside from some technical difficulties that involved bassist and vocalist Lola having to forcibly hammer against the switches on her instrument, and press down on guitarist and lead vocalist Tallulah’s pedal board like her life depended on it, the set was the perfect late-evening farewell to the group, with their raucous antics pleasing a mix of devoted fans and converts. With the rapid drum rhythms (courtesy of Alfie Sayers) and angular guitar lines of ‘Phone Machine’ to the unforgettable earworm bass in tracks such as ‘Rip It Out’ and ‘High Tea’, we can be sure that the band’s onstage teaser of an upcoming debut album means that any future Manchester shows will only progress to be bigger and more exciting for everyone.
