In a weekend of massive shows across the country, Manchester's RADAR Festival showcase some of the best and brightest in the more progressive side of alternative music...
Manchester’s RADAR Festival might’ve undergone a little more than its fair share of shaky moments in the days running up to the event, but even under the grey clouds and rain, inside the O2 Victoria Warehouse it’s nothing but grinning fans everywhere you look. And with K! favourites Zeal & Ardor, VUKOVI, Tropic Gold and more across the weekend, plus a ton of up-and-comers, there's an awful lot to shout about. Here's what went down...
As the clouds darken above Manchester, German electro-core outfit FLOYA open up the main stage with a sunshine-packed sound to lift spirits. Running through hits like Drift and Florescent with all the pomp of seasoned headliners, the Germans have the crowd in the palms of their hands. As half the audience respond with whoops and cheers when asked if they’d heard of the band, vocalist Phil Bayer gleefully slips out, “Wow okay, that’s a lot to work with – great!” Wrapping their set up with Wonders, Lonely The Brave’s Jack Bennett even manages to join the band onstage for the surging finale.
Shooting only the fattest of riffs straight through both amp stacks, Tropic Gold are an adrenaline shot straight to the core of a slightly groggy RADAR Festival. Dead To All My Friends has a grinning circle-pit of bouncing fans open at vocalist Jacob Parris’ request, before the riffers tone it down for the sensual opening of Holy Horror and its massive guitars. The guttural calls of “Yeah, I fucking love that” will ring through the halls and minds of RADAR long past the end of their pummelling set.
Going from strength to strength of late, Lake Malice are on a hell of a journey. Making their latest appearance one to remember, the digi-metalcore act effortlessly tear through a searing 40 minutes. Just like Slam Dunk, silver-clad backup dancers flank vocalist Alice Guala, adding further glamour to their phenomenal showing. 2022’s Magic Square summons a huge singalong, and latest single Scatterbrain convinces the first crowdsurfers of the festival to appear. To top all of that off, the band manage to fit in brand-new single Nobody Wants To Be You to end proceedings with a mighty flourish.
Opening with their latest single Set In Flow and a vibrant lighting display, As Everything Unfolds are primed and ready to unload their brand of post-hardcore on the Manchester faithful. Vocalist Charlie Rolfe’s cleans are particularly potent, reaching inside and grabbing onto your heartstrings with ease. Demanding, “I want a circle-pit, and I do not want you to stop until I tell you to stop”, the crowd obediently fall into step and form an unstoppable spiral that didn’t once falter. Flip Side and Ultraviolet hit the crowd right between the eyes, and closer On the Inside seals the deal that AEU are definitely still ones to watch.
Nottingham pop-punks hit the K! Stage early in the evening, armed with juicy guitars and drumming so very reminiscent of those never-ending '90s summers. Running the gauntlet of emotions, As December Falls mix things up nicely – songs like Angry Cry and I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great both gain massive singalongs, while For The Plot is joined by Ready Set Go and Bathroom Floor in getting its live debut. As the lights dance around vocalist Beth Curtis and the band, the audience keep up with every high note and 'Ba-da-baba-badadadada' they have thrown their way.
Wreathed in smoke and anticipation, Zeal & Ardor are staking their claim to headline this thing one day. Manuel Gagneux and co. run through every inch of their discography, from the eerie acceptance of Devil Is Fine to the seething rage of Götterdämmerung, along with the mournful – bordering on funereal – Gravedigger’s Chant, and the unhallowed fury of Row Row. The ethereal atmosphere belies their incandescent intent, and with little to say but, “Is an angry song okay for you if we play one?”, they blow the Victoria Warehouse away like the big bad wolf of metal.
You might think that a synthwave headliner might not fit in amongst all pop-punk and avant-garde metal, but you'd be wrong. Carpenter Brut fires out an electric set – quite literally – complete with a dizzying lightshow, and a sound like Kraftwerk had been booked to play Mordor. It is well and truly time to party at RADAR, with even the most casual of onlookers pumping their fists. If you look particularly closely, you might even notice a mighty reptile lumbering through the mosh-pit, with every dazzling light burst illuminating a fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex who clearly has a soft spot for haunting electro.
While the majority of the night takes us through Brut’s instrumental hits, which go down an absolute storm, the highlight is undoubtedly the brilliant Maniac, sending people into a joyous kind of mayhem, careening around the dancefloor-cum-moshpit in a grand hurrah of synth-drenched '80s worship.
Break Fifty have stepped up at the very last minute possible. With a few dropouts across the weekend, there's space on the bill for an extra act and the Guildford heavies are more than up to the task. Not willing to allow anyone a moment to breathe, the band crank their groovy downtuned nu-core sound up to 11 and start dancing. The early-risers here alternate between smiles and gurns, as a dedicated number of twosteppers and moshers start the day off right with some light exercise.
24 hours ago, VMBRA expected to be on the much smaller second stage, but the hometown progressives have been notched up the bill in a bit of line-up Tetris. But if you’re expecting nerves then you’re in the wrong place. With new single Money Tree and finale The Beckoned flipping between salsa, metalcore, prog and more, drummer and third vocalist Kieran Byrne ignites a full-on Latin dance off in what's presumably a first for RADAR. They rule the Kerrang! Stage and make a sincere claim for an even higher billing at next year’s edition.
Looking as resplendent as ever in their branded high-vis vests, Pintglass proceed to show RADAR a good time with their trademark silliness, hidden within their cutthroat beatdown riffs. Plenty of pints are raised in appreciation (and drunk soon after, for presumably the same reason), while the audience are led in a call and response of, “When I say geezer, you say geezer!” Truly, Pintglass is a band for the intellectual. Of course, any band who can introduce a song in the manner of, “This is Pintglass by the band Pintglass, off the album Pintglass” really do deserve the the vast number drunken dancers in front of them.
Blending the technical with the emotive, Oceans Ate Alaska might have a name that conjures generic 2010s metalcore to mind, but they bring so much more than that. Guitars that can go from delicate cleans to djent-inspired chugs, hefty breakdowns and even a 'Blegh!', the Brummie five-piece don’t mess around. Vocalist Joel Heywood gives a precursor for recent single Endless Hollow, detailing, “This is about the worst depression of my life”, in a poignant moment that grabs the audience and whirls them closer to the band. Finishing on a powerful version of Escapist, the outpouring of love afterwards shows everything we needed to know.
The crowd has grown substantially by the time Novelists walk out on stage, as everyone prepares for their exquisite solos and lead singer Camille Contreras’ stunning vocals. While the French metalcore crew have some umbrage to express at the burger van – which is selling loaded fries for £15 so isn't entirely unjustified – they use this this righteous anger to bolster the power of songs like Prisoner, and the one-two punch of Say My Name into All For Nothing, letting the crowd loose in a thrilling sea of emotion.
Poking fun at their own style, Intervals’ guitarist Aaron Marshall jokes, “This is another song that has far too many notes in it,” before the instrumental act launch into galaxy brain, showcasing just how unbelievably tight they are in a live setting. With fat breakdowns and carefully curated drum lines, the band cruise through an aggressive setlist full of borderline-robotic precision that’s still incredibly engaging. Each song earns its rapt audience and thrilled applause, as tracks like Alchemy and Mata Hari boggle minds for fun, and simply because Intervals can.
From the second they step out, it's clear that German metalcore act Annisokay are not here to mess around. Bringing a formidable pair of vocalists in Rudi Schwarzer on growls and gutturals, coupled with Christoph Wieczorek’s piercing cleans, the array of sounds on offer is incredibly impressive. From sheer heaviness on tracks like H.A.T.E. to more intricate guitar prowess on Calamity, the band are on fine form, and make their appreciation for the crowd’s equally great engagement known. As Rudi so kindly puts it, “Even though this is a small stage… you’re still doing a great job for us, so thank you!”
Bumped up to headliner-status in the 11th hours after the removal of Bob Vylan, Normandie do all in their power to bring the fun to the main stage. Bringing a You Me At Six style of pop-rock, they command the stage brilliantly, despite a sadly smaller-than-hoped-for audience. In what is their last show of the year, the band have reached a milestone with lead vocalist Philip Strand announcing that “This is the longest show Normandie will have ever played”.
With pound-for-pound one of the loudest crowds of the whole weekend, Normandie get everyone moving and singing along to fresher cuts like Serotonin, as well as older songs like the heavier Collide, and Awakening – dedicated to the fans who saw Normandie’s first ever Manchester show. By the evening's end, White Flag puts an emphatic full stop to what is an unbowed and unbent band defiantly throwing themselves into a show and coming out on top.
Scottish proggers Tiberius open up the Kerrang! Stage in style, with far more silliness than you might reasonably expect from a band as technically developed as them. Showering the audience in balloons and beach balls, with our prehistoric friend making plenty of appearances, they ask, ”Are you ready for one final day of debauchery?” without so much as a hint of irony, before remarking, “We need more fucking beach balls!” The show – now with increased beach ball action – is replete with groovy riffs, wonderful technicality, and plenty more fun for everyone.
Moving from the sillier end of prog to the deeply soulful end, David Maxim Micic’s ability to weave simple melodies with intricate technique is astounding to watch. While not a ridiculously high energy set, it doesn’t need to be – and would’ve lost some of its captivating brilliance if it had been. As the show goes on, it’s clear that the whole band – whether playing instrumental or with vocals – are all surging with soul and pulsating with proficiency, in a gorgeous display of musicality.
With a spoken-word introduction that delves into some of the lowest points that anyone can get to, Shields do not waste any smiles, with a Converge-esque intro that paves the way for further heaviness, breakdowns and riffs are aplenty. The band aren’t all doom and gloom though, as singer Joe Edwards can’t help but show off his gratitude to everyone who’s present. Upon introducing “the first song by Shields that got big”, I Just Feel Hate, the band scream back to life and kick the door down on the back half of the set. Armed with songs like Black Dog, the entire experience is aggressive, abrasive, and thoroughly exciting.
As the enormous hooky alt. rock roar of YONAKA jumps out of the speakers on the Kerrang! Stage, and By The Time You’re Reading This rockets out of the hanging amps, most of RADAR are ready and waiting to get down and dirty. From the chorus of 'Hands! Off! My! Money!' to the new song Problems, they zip between electric energy and raging riffs. The double whammy of Rockstar and Seize The Power to finish lights the room up, as YONAKA leave nothing but smiles and sweat up on stage.
Vocalist Rae Brazill is whipping the crowd up into a frenzy from the outset. As Finger On The Trigger rings out beneath the low ceiling of the Sneak Energy Stage, the crowd bounces in time with Artio’s brand alt pop-rock as if their lives depend on it. Of course, the Leeds band don’t skip their viral hit Product Of My Own Design, which shakes the room to its foundations, but finale Pyrokid gives it a run for its money, and leaves a lasting impact on everyone here.
Janine Shilstone and the rest of VUKOVI are tearing their way through an exhilarating set of songs both old and new. With the floor of the Victoria Warehouse very well filled, the blast of GUNGHO straight to the face is more than enough to wake up any onlookers who might’ve been starting to lag after three days. Yelling “Are you still with us RADAR?”, Janine receives nothing but positivity in the screams back at her. With the song and album title up on the backdrop, MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN is received with ecstatic pleasure, and finisher La Di Da could well be heard from Merseyside.
Welsh act Dream State manage to cram what feels like half the festival into the Sneak Energy Stage. The energy from the audience is unmatched, with limbs flying everywhere, all the name of bangers like Still Dreaming and Chin Up Princess. Through the smiles both on and offstage, with vocalist Jessie Powell beaming “That was fucking amazing Manchester!”, it's clear the band need and love this just as much as the crowd do. Getting the whole room involved one last time for a gigantic group jump up in finale Primrose, not a single person – on or off stage – isn’t grinning like a loon by now.
With one of the best 2000s metalcore albums under their belt in They’re Only Chasing Safety, a band as affirmed in their ability to perform as Underoath could be tempted to play things a little safe, knowing a crowd will enjoy them no matter what. This clearly hasn’t ever crossed the Floridians' minds though, as their raging RADAR run-through is as devastatingly good as could be hoped. With a few issues themselves at the airport – “They lost our fucking luggage man!” – you’d have easily forgiven them too if they hadn’t been quite their best, yet Reinventing Your Exit has people bellowing along and their new song Shame is received with open arms.
The band has to head back to Tampa after playing, so vocalist Spencer Chamberlain entices the crowd into even more of a frenzy simply by reminding Manchester just how far they've flown to get here, which gives way to a sensational version of A Boy Brushed Red Living In Black And White. After a weekend filled with a very healthy volume of metalcore and adjacent sounds, this is nothing short of a masterclass in putting a on one hell of a show.
