Reviews

Holding an outdoor all-dayer to celebrate the end of the inaugural Manchester International Festival on St Swithin’s Day is a red rag to the Mancunian climate, and so it was to gentle, unstoppable rain that Gasperilla opened proceedings.

New Young Pony Club (pic: Karen McBride)

Having won their place on the bill via a public vote, the five piece wasted no time in making themselves at home on the stage. They may have started the set as "the most unknown of the Unknown Pleasures," as frontman Neil Grainey put it, but by the time they’d stomped out some fine slices of full on rock’n’roll, they’d left themselves firmly imprinted on the growing crowd.

Keeping up the local end, The Whip followed, minus one essential part. "Our keyboard player’s ill," explained singer Bruce Carter, "but we’ll try and make up for it."

It’s a testament to their sheer strength of will and bag of toe-tapping tunes that they succeeded in not only overcoming that absence, but also a monsoon which could have scattered the audience to any dry nook available; thanks be in particular to an air-punching Divebomb and the ever vibrant Muzzle #1 for saving proceedings.

The Horrors (pic: Shirlaine Forrest)

Next up, the most appropriate lyric of the day from the least successful band. “Grey skies are not my favourite colour,” trilled Tahita Bulmer from the head of the 80s pop revivalists, New Young Pony Club.

In spite of their dislike of such things, they still gamily threw themselves at the miserable weather, but their bouncy attitude and generic sounds simply weren’t enough to cut through the clouds, with even their cornerstone, the sunshine of Ice Cream, falling flat.

The Horrors approached such things from a completely different angle, much to the joy of the smattering of big black haired acolytes in the crowd. Cacophonous screams widened the eyes of those unfamiliar with the goth punks and wailing guitars surged out from the speakers with genuine passion.

That said, their New York Dolls-esque throwabout rock may have thrilled their fans but it earned them few converts amongst the rest, with a trickling retreat to the bar turning into a torrent, despite the first drop-free set of the day.

The Gossip (pic: Shirlaine Forrest)

In truth, it was simply because the majority were here to see the much vaunted Gossip and their utterly enrapturing frontwoman, Beth Ditto. That majority wasn’t disappointed. Despite having just stepped off a plane from Barcelona, losing their luggage en route, the trio delivered a belting set. After all, as Ditto put it, "you don’t need pretty dresses to have a great show."

Inevitably, it was the outstanding Standing In The Way Of Control, segued with segments of Madonna’s Music, that garnered the largest reaction, but it was the truly live moments that made things special.

In-between pumped-up versions of Listen Up, Yr Mangled Heart and Jealous Girls, there was space for an acapella sojourn into The Smiths’ This Charming Man, Beth to berate security for throwing out a crowd-surfer and the self-deprecating comment to her crew to lift her back on stage - a simple "come on, I’m a supermodel."

Supermodel she may not be, but who cares? She’s got the kind of energy and talent that can cut through even the drabbest day and provide thrills regardless of the rain. She’s stated before that she loves coming to Manchester and after this performance, you’d have to agree, she’s made for the place.