Sunday 04/05/08 Sounds From The Other City @ Various Venues, Salford

Whilst it’s customary to spend most of a Bank Holiday sat in maddening traffic jams or watching the BBC’s gracious offering of either the Snooker or ‘Allo ‘Allo repeats, some of the North’s most prominent promoters now provide a better alternative. Taking root amongst the Salford pubs that time/development forgot, the Sounds From The Other City festive celebrates its 4th year (cue the party hats, Wotsits and cake), in the past its stages have previously hosted current spotlight hogging talked up local duo Ting Tings, as well as most of the names to be read in “ones to watch for” column inches.

Firstly it’s to the Rovers Return (not that one) to catch the delicate acoustic delights of Tim and Sam’s Band, and while the subtle melodic climbs and enriched post-acoustic-rock atmospherics seem lost on some grizzly locals- whose cries of “where’re the words?” are an unwelcome dampener- their instrumental folk is just about the loveliest thing surely to be heard in such a pub for sometime.

The peaceful reflection barely has time to set in though before being completely obliterated by Warm Widow. Looking back to the post-hardcore DIY noiseniks of the 80’s, the group’s barbed riffs and vocal spits recall some of Husker Du’s louder, land-speed-record moments, and with tracks such as ‘Fumes’ and ‘Super 8’ - from their upcoming ‘Riot Of The Known’ EP - it’s hard not to revel in all the distorted glory and joyous anger shaking the windows.

With ear-drums still buzzing it’s a short trip up the road for further hearing damage via the harsh beats and bile spew verses of Stranger Son of W.B., here featuring the guitar talents of Lonelady and Danny Saul (previously with Tsuji Giri, now strumming solo) providing the low-end rumble. But as the cramped room continues to fill the volume of audience chatter soon exceeds what’s coming from the amps, and the groups’ efforts are met only with a smattering of applause.

It seems the same fate also befalls the next artist on the bill, David Thomas Broughton, and despite being one of my “must see” artists of the day (and everyone else’s judging by the sardine-tin conditions), and me being super spoilt in the past by such luxuries as a little personal space and a fart-free atmosphere cause me to seek a further acoustic fix elsewhere.

Finding the weekends other “must see” artist, Magic Arm - whose looped guitar lines, joyous melodies and soft intones has tipped him for greatness - further up the road instead. But as with Mr Broughton’s set the atmosphere isn’t conductive for imbibing the gentle melodies and feel-good charm coming from the stage, maybe after 4 successful years SFTOC has simply out-grown its surroundings.