Taking place across a total of 17 venues and spaces in the city including St Phillips Church, Bexley Square and Salford Museum and Art Gallery, audiences were spoilt for choice on who to watch, from the dreamy otherworldliness of TTSSFU and Halo Maud to the high energy fun and vibrance of Lavender Rodriguez (who we previously caught solo at Fair Play festival 2024), and Amaka. the sun brought warmth and the artists created live magic with their sets, much fun was to be had.
Here are just some of our lineup highlights.
Isha kicked off Sounds From The Other City at Salford’s Peel Hall with vibrance and an atmosphere of fun from the get-go. From electronic funk and jazz beats that made you want to dance to sweet vocals that brightened the venue and showed a clear love for performing, this set perfectly set up the festival and the fun that was to be had by all. Isha highlighted musical skill and exciting promise throughout the set, which certainly deserved to be noticed, as shown by the packed crowd of the Peel Hall stage who were sure to show their appreciation at the end of the set with a chorus of applause. A brilliant opening set that brilliantly set up a day of fantastic live music and performance.
Track to listen to: Wherever You Go – Isha ft Alfie Neale
For those looking for a set to get up and groove to, Amaka had audiences covered in Salford’s Bexley Square with vibrant high-energy tracks and beats that brought people out of their seats and up on their feet from the get-go. Passersby couldn’t help but be intrigued by the set and were immediately drawn into the fun and liveliness. Amaka ‘s love for the music she was playing was clear in the way she engaged with both those grooving along and her own mixing, which made Bexley Square shine bright and truly brought it to life.
Track to listen to: Cruisin’ – AMAKA
Bella Chen performed at Salford Museum and Art Gallery which had much variety to offer during this year’s Sounds From The Other City, from electronic synths to experimental acoustics and heartfelt ballads.
One of the key highlights was Bella Chen, a pianist who combined traditional classical piano musicality with melodic synth to create a passionate and breathtaking set that whisked the audience off to another world. From the get-go, there was a sense that this set was something special when entering the venue, a venue that was completely enchanted by the comforting silence and the distinct sense of
adoration and appreciation which occupied the space as Bella played. This was An absolutely breathtaking set from a brilliant talent.
Track to listen to: Passages Of Time-Bella Chen
Lavender Rodriguez isn’t new to The New Age Magazine (see Fair play Festival review 2024) however, their Sounds From The Other City set was, with a new side to Lavender shown through the debut of a new full band, and a fantastic, reworked set that brought fun and a brilliant sense of community to Salford’s Peel Hall, as well as the classic Lavender Rodriguez alt-pop and experimental soul musicality. Confidence was abundant during this set, as well as a musical fullness that made this set one of an unforgettable nature. A hidden gem that everyone should be watching right now.
Track to listen to: Sunrise-Lavender Rodriguez
With a hypnotic stage presence that hooked you in instantly and a dreamy shoegaze musicality, TTSFU transported Maxwell Hall to another dimension during this year’s SFTOC festival and proved exactly why they should be the name on everyone’s lips. From the get-go, you couldn’t help but be drawn into their orbit, mesmerised by atmospheric reverb guitars and passionate, sonic youth-esque vocals that comforted and wrapped around your soul like it was meant to be there. If there was any set to get utterly lost in, then TTSFU was it.
Track to Listen to: Wait It Out-TTSFU
As the festival began to draw to a close, St Phillips Church had a treat up its sleeve in the form of headliner Halo Maud, who graced the historic church with an air of mystery and dreamy electronic magic that captivated and hypnotised an audience of new and familiar fans. Throughout this set, it was hard not to feel moved by the performance as passionate trance pop occupied St Phillips from ceiling to floor, and the crowd watched with anticipation and awe as songs of French and English settled in their hearts and created an enchanted atmosphere like no other. A truly magical experience.
Track to listen to: My Desire Is Pure-Halo Maud
Sunset was upon Salford as Laura J Martin took her place on stage at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, and the timing couldn’t have been better. From the get-go, Laura J Martin bewitched the venue with a combination of keyboard lines, synth, flute and dreamy vocals that drew you in and held you close as if telling you the most brilliant secret of all. This set was so intimate and beautifully intrigued all those present, whether they were fans of experimental music or not, this was a musical experience to be shared beyond just the performance on stage, one that would stick with the audience long after the festival had finished.
Track to listen to: Living On The Wall-Laura J Martin
As the festival began to draw to a close, St Phillips Church had a treat up its sleeve in the form of headliner Halo Maud, who graced the historic church with an air of mystery and dreamy electronic magic that captivated and hypnotised an audience of new and familiar fans. Throughout this set, it was hard not to feel moved by the performance as passionate trance pop occupied St Phillips from ceiling to floor, and the crowd watched with anticipation and awe as songs of French and English settled in their hearts and created an enchanted atmosphere like no other. A truly magical experience.