FEATURE: From Its Home in Greater Manchester… Rounding Up the Amazing 6 Music Festival

FEATURE:

 

 

From Its Home in Greater Manchester…

IN THIS PHOTO: BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne/PHOTO CREDIT: Darren Skene (via Lauren Laverne)

 

Rounding Up the Amazing 6 Music Festival

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I am writing this…

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

on 10th March. Today is the final day of the 6 Music Festival. You can see videos from some of the sets that have taken place since Thursday. I am going to drop in a fair few videos for this feature. In addition to bringing in some details and highlights from the festival, I am also going to drop in some reviews. As I am typing this, I know a lot of people are looking forward to a busy final day. Some incredible artists and D.J.s have thrilled the passionate gig-goers at some wonderful venues through Salford and Manchester. I will include as much detail in as I can. This has been one of the best and most memorable 6 Music Festivals. You can follow BBC Radio 6 Music on Instagram and catch photos and videos from the festival. It has been a wonderful and much-needed celebration.

IN THIS PHOTO: Young Fathers/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

On its tenth anniversary, headline performance from the likes of The Smile ad Gossip will live long in the memory. In its permanent home of Greater Manchester, we can look forward to many years of a unique festival. One that highlights artists and D.J.s equally. A space for a variety of talent to perform in these distinct and energised venues. I am going to bring in some videos and photos from each day of the festival (from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th). There are a couple of reviews to consider. I will start off by brining in some press release and detail about this year’s festival. How this past few days has witnessed some amazing talent stun and amaze those who have been in attendance:

The incredible line up for this year’s BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, which takes place from Thursday 7 – Sunday 10 March in Greater Manchester, was announced live on air this morning by Lauren Laverne (7.30am–10.30am).

The station’s flagship live music festival, which is now based permanently in Greater Manchester, will once again feature performances you won’t see anywhere else, new music debuts, unique collaborations and surprise guests. The artists who will perform at O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester include:

Thursday 7 March

Young Fathers, performing a unique collaboration with the Hulme and Moss Side based NIA community choir, supported by Hak Baker and SHERELLE (DJ set)

Friday 8 March

Gossip, with their first UK show in four years and giving 6 Music the global premiere of unreleased material as well as celebrating International Women’s Day, supported by CMAT and AFRODEUTSCHE (DJ set)

Saturday 9 March

The Smile and the London Contemporary Orchestra with a world exclusive performance and the first time the Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner project have performed with an orchestra. The Smile will be supported by Jordan Rakei and Mary Anne Hobbs + Anna Phoebe (a unique hybrid performance featuring a DJ set from Mary Anne and Anna playing live violin and viola)

Further shows include a BBC Music Introducing night at Band on the Wall and New Music Fix Live at YES, the first time the 6 Music Festival has visited the venue. Club nights will include Indie Forever at Band on the Wall and Rave Forever at Archive, Depot Mayfield Manchester in partnership with the Warehouse Project. There will also be Morning After Mix Live events on the Saturday and Sunday at RAMONA: Jamz Supernova will broadcast her 6 Music show from the venue on Saturday 9 March (1pm-4pm), which will feature a live DJ set from Konny Kon (Children of Zeus), and Cerys Matthews will present from RAMONA on Sunday 10 March (10am-1pm), with a live DJ set from Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective.

DJs playing across the city at the festival during the weekend include:

Lolly Adefope, Space Afrika, 96 Back, Daphni, Lily Fontaine (English Teacher), Mary Anne Hobbs, I. JORDAN, Femi Koleoso (Ezra Collective), Amy Lamé, LCY, Mica Levi, Rainy Miller, Not Bad For A Girl, DJ Paulette, Emily Pilbeam, salute, DJ Seinfeld, Nathan Shepherd, Iceboy Violet, Yyre and Konny Kon (Children of Zeus).

Young Fathers says: “A 6 Music stage has been given to us and the door of endless possibilities has been opened. Beyond anything else it will be a night to celebrate a wide mix of folk coming together. GERONIMO!!”

Hak Baker says: “6 Music has been a long-time supporter but I feel since the birth of my debut you lot have just taken it to another echelon. I just can’t thank you enough for broadcasting my messages on the airwaves. Outside East London, Manchester, home of theHaçienda, has long been my fave city. We always sell out over there and we always have it large, most importantly so bringing it heavy on March 7 2024. Couple of newbies no one’s ever heard and a few more tricks up the old wizard sleeve. Hold on to ya hats!!”

Gossip, who will be performing never heard before tracks, says: "We're so excited -Manchester is going to be the first to hear our new record live! Such a special crowd, we've missed you so much and can't wait to be back!"

CMAT says: "My performance at the 6 Music Festival will be the best show you’ll see in your whole entire life!  Expect camp, gay people, energy, country music as well as mediocre guitar playing from me and very good guitar playing from other people. When I was making my first album and listening to 6 Music most days, Iggy Pop played one of my songs on his show. I heard it from the other room and ran in to hear Iggy Pop’s mouth forming my name - it was a crazy day for the parish."

During an on air interview with Lauren Laverne, The Smile says: “ARRGGGH - we’ve got a lot of work to do to prep for the 6 Music Festival as it’s one thing to do it in the studio, but it’s another thing to do it live. We’ve decided to work with the London Contemporary Orchestra on the performance but as they’re all incredibly versatile musicians, we’ll figure it out!”

Jordan Rakei says: “I’m really excited to play in Manchester again because it’s one of the earliest shows I can remember after moving to the UK in 2015, so I can’t wait to show love to the city that showed me love when I first moved over. I’ll be playing new music as well as some of my favorite older songs. I’ll also be bringing my biggest band I’ve ever had, there will lots of singers on stage so I’m super excited!  I’m a massive fan of 6 Music because whenever I turn the radio on, I always hear something progressive, which pushes me to discover new music in all different fields, sounds and genres. It’s somewhere I tap into to learn something new because it’s very easy to get caught up in what you know. So it’s such an honor to be at a festival championing new music like this… so super grateful!”

Lauren Laverne says: “We can’t wait to kick start the 6 Music Festival and find out what some of our favourite artists have in store for us - in a busy festival season this is a chance to see and hear something brand new! See you there!”

Samantha Moy, Head of 6 Music says: “The 6 Music Festival is always a very special moment in our year and we can’t wait to bring our audience some truly unique performances. Come and join us! ”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham says: “It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival returning to Greater Manchester this year. We’re immensely proud of our musical heritage, but also the phenomenal depth of talent and the exciting independent scene across our city-region right now. As BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it’s a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home here for years to come.

“There’s so much new Greater Manchester music out there right now that deserves to be heard, which is why it’s so important to develop platforms for emerging artists. That’s precisely what we’ve been celebrating with the Mayor’s Artist of the Month on BBC Radio Manchester, and like BBC Radio 6 Music, we want to help those acts get on and reach new audiences”.

On Thursday, the brilliant Hak Baker and Young Fathers played at Victoria Warehouse Manchester. Young Fathers performed a unique collaboration with the Hulme and Moss Side based NIA community choir. It was a perfect way to kick off the festival! Two of our best artists, these were early highlights. Manchester Evening News reviewed the Friday and Saturday nights of the 6 Music Festival. Gossip  headlined on the Friday. CMAT was in amazing form too. Before moving on, CMAT was interview on Friday about appearing at the 6 Music Festival. She spoke with Craig Charles and Matt Everitt in separate chats (you can listen to the Craig Charles interview in full here. It begins at 41 minutes in to the programme):

Craig Charles: “Tell us the story you just told us about Yard Act!”

CMAT (laughs): “No! I couldn't possibly. I couldn't, I don't know anything about Yard Act. I've never heard of those people before in my life! I definitely didn't go on an absolutely insane night out a couple of nights ago with the two backing singers.” 

Craig: “And stayed out until 9 o'clock in the morning?” 

CMAT: “No, no…” 

Craig: “That would never happen!” 

CMAT: “No that didn't happen.” 

On making her new album: 

CMAT: “It was intense, so my producer is a Norwegian man called Mattias Tellez, who has kids so his kind of rule was if I'm gonna make this album with you we have to be in the studio Monday to Friday, 9-5, because I have to go home to my kids. I was like “yeah ok”. But that's really the opposite of most studio experiences and it was weird to go from me and my normal personality of constant touring and drinking and carousing to basically doing an office job where I had to make the saddest songs I've ever made in my life. And also I was in Norway which is weird because it's really expensive there so I couldn't really eat food properly […] I also lived in a hotel because they don't really do Airbnb, so living in a hotel with no oven or microwave or nothing, so I was just eating crackers and cucumbers and this fish paste every day! Like I didn't eat any hot food for like a month.” 

 

Craig: “You spoke to Chris Hawkins on his show not too long ago. And you sounded pretty determined to meet Kylie at the BRITS. Did that happen?” 

CMAT: “It didn't happen, it didn't happen. I've been reluctant to tell people cause I knew it would break their hearts. She was sitting two tables away from me and I could have thrown a bread roll at her if I wanted and her hair was so fluffy! And someone came over at the start and said she’d really like to meet you. Can we organise it and I was like yeah! But the minute the BRIT Awards started, they were using her in every skit [..] She didn't have a moment to breathe the poor woman. People were crowding her as well. I didn't want to go near her in that context but…” 

Craig: “You also mentioned how your nanna’s your ultimate fan and is all over Instagram in support of you. What was her reaction to you going to the BRITS.” 

CMAT: “We’ve actually probably had a bit of a falling out about it, I'm not gonna lie. My nan is not happy with me, she's not happy about the bum.” 

Craig: “Is it because of the dress?” 

CMAT: “Yeah, well she's not happy because I told her she had to lay off the fan groups on Instagram. I was like, “it's a bit weird nanny you've got 16 other grandchildren and you pretend that they don't exist because I'm the only famous one”. So we had a bit of a falling out about that. And then I've heard through whispers that she's not happy about the dress. [...]” 

Craig: “Can you explain to the listeners who don't know what we are on about, about the dress?” 

CMAT: “So I wore a dress to the BRITS […] I also just thought it would be funny and fun and I thought people would enjoy it which at the actual BRIT awards they did. It was a wonderful experience. I was walking around and really famous people were just laughing and me as I was just walking away from them, it was really funny. Just like, I was leaving a trail of laughter behind because they wouldn't have seen from the front. And then they'd see from the back and be like oh my god! What's Paloma Faith wearing?? Was actually one thing I heard and I was just like… love that!”

CMAT: “We did have like rulers and measurements and we were really debating on how far the line should go in order for it to be a fashion moment or for it to be a public nudity moment so we were really careful about it. I'm quite surprised at the level of unhappiness [...] going around on Instagram.”

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT and John Grant/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

On advice for other artists: 

CMAT: “Yeah, my number one piece of advice cause I think it is the thing that has benefitted me the most.. Don't be afraid to be bad! Like, I think it's really important, especially when you're really young, that whatever it is your writing whatever it is you’re coming up with you need to just publish it you need to publish it you need to get it out there put it on YouTube, put it on Tik Tok put it on whatever. Some people are gonna hate it, and you will slowly but surely learn when someone is being a hater or when someone is a bit right when you know “ok this is a criticism I get over and over again maybe this is something I should work on”, you have to be public. If you're gonna be a person who writes your music and creates your music and not just an innocent bystander then you have to just suffer the consequences of being bad sometimes. Even now I still write bad music but I think I'm good at knowing when not to release it at the moment, that'll change but you just have to not be afraid of what people are gonna think of you. I think it's really, really important.”

On touring and Yard Act

CMAT: “I was gonna say I've been on tour since 2021 I don't really think we’ve stopped at all! I love it, I actually… I'm in a much better place with it now than I was before because I really enjoy the shows. But it is difficult, it is you know… we’re talking about Yard Act earlier on. I became friends with them during the year that they did… I think they did 140 shows that year and I did like 110. So we were constantly at each [...] the small festivals and constantly bumping into each other because we were all bedraggled and twitching and like ill…” 

Craig: “How do you pace yourself? How do you stop being bedraggled and twitchy and ill?” 

CMAT: “I think the more experienced I became the easier it was for me to get on stage. So like now for example one thing that's definitely helped is my band is very dry. We dont drink on show days. We don't do anything on show days because it's like “ok if we’re fully sober on stage the shows are just going to be better and also we’ll wake up the next morning and not want to die. So that helps you look forward to the next show. You're not disgustingly hungover and wanting to just lie in bed for the whole day you know, you have a bit of get up and go. And you know the thing to keep in mind especially when you're doing headline tours is people have paid to see you no matter if I’m in Dublin doing a show in front of six thousand people or if I'm in Cologne and there are a hundred people there they've all paid to see the same show so you have to just put on the same show otherwise it's not fair. And that makes you really good as well, that makes you a much, much better live musician.”

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

CMAT’s words taken from an interview with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt

Ahead of her appearance at the BBC 6 Music Festival in Manchester, the Irish artist explained how isolated she felt in the Dublin music scene at the start of her career.

CMAT: “I think the thing that I found myself was alone, right? When I was 18 and I was starting out, I didn't know a single other woman that was doing music. Seriously. In Dublin, there was not a single other one. I found the only other person that was doing music at the time, like doing gigs and open mics and stuff, a woman called Éna Brennan - an amazing, contemporary composer and string arranger - but I literally found the only other woman and put her in my band. It was just like it was a wasteland.

“Being perfectly honest with you, and this is not a popular thing to say, but the real thing I felt was that I was this tokenistic prize of property. The minute that someone found out that there was a woman singer/songwriter in Dublin, I was suddenly getting booked for every support slot under the sun because they wanted to make themselves look good by having a woman on their line-up. But they may not have listened to my music, and certainly I wasn't getting booked or encouraged to be a headliner.

“This is a very nuanced conversation but that was an argument very early on, people were like, “There should be more women on this festival line-up!” and then festival organisers would come out and say, “There are no women! Where are the women?” But you have to dig and become a fan and make the effort and connect to people's music that's outside of your realm of comfort. You know you have to try, but also don't just be booking people that you don't know because they're a woman.”

She also explained that the lack of female producers and studio engineers means that many female musicians have to adapt their behaviour in order to get their curative voices heard.

CMAT: “In the words of Garth Brooks, everything that is a blessing is a curse. I have never had the opportunity to work with a woman who is a producer or women who are studio engineers, which is absolutely shocking and appalling. But the flip side of that is - when you’re a woman in a situation where there's a room full of men, there is a kind of ‘sink or swim’ thing that happens. Which is you either allow men to walk all over you and talk all over you, or you learn really quickly and very aggressively to stick up for yourself. And I actually think that if I had been in a comfortable environment very early on, I may not have learned how to be the director of my own music and be the basically co-producer of all my records.

IN THIS PHOTO: CMAT alongside Matt Everitt/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Everitt/BBC Radio 6 Music

“I personally have never let anyone tell me what to do in my whole entire life because I'm quite militant. My label AWAL has been extremely respectful. My first record, I just delivered it to them. I was like, “Here's the record I wanted to make!” But I know that with major labels - and I have lots of friends who on majors - that is not their experience. People not being allowed to release albums that are made, and it's sitting there for five years. So that must be such a painful experience. The fact that you trust someone, that you sign with them, and then they're like, “Okay, go make your records” and then you make it. And then they say, “It's not really that convenient for us to release it right now.” actually think it's like borderline abusive.”

Matt Everitt: “Obviously at the BRITS, Raye wins big, and the story of her record being sat on, you think “Oh, this is a one off thing” But that's not the case? You're hearing from other people where the same thing has happened?”

CMAT: “Raye's the only one who came out publicly and talked about it. I actually know personally three off the top of my head, other people that were attending the BRIT Awards that have had people forcibly sit on their records for numbers of reasons. Raye is the only one who's come out and said it because she did scorched earth thing with Polydor and she absolutely should have done. But it's so commonplace. Not my experience, but I've been witness to it.”

Matt: I have to ask you about the BRITS controversy now the dust has settled.

CMAT: “Oh, my bum? It's still it's still picking up steam every day, you know? The BRITS posted a video of me twirling around on the red carpet yesterday, and it has 750 comments and everyone is furious. And I think it's wonderful. I think it's so good. Like, so the worst thing anyone can say about me is that they don't like my bum crack? I must be an amazing human being. I've never done anything wrong! It's like the things that people get upset about is so silly. One thing I find really interesting is that loads of people in the comments are like, “She's attention seeking! She's an attention seeker!” So? Yeah, that's my job!”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Anna Phoebe with Mary Anne Hobbs/PHOTO CREDIT: Darren Skene

On Saturday, The Smile were headliners. Jordan Rakei was playing that day too. It is worth mentioning the D.J. talent on each night. SHERELLE played a set on Thursday. AFRODEUTSCH was on the Friday. Band on the Wall’s Indie Club Night featured Nathan Shepherd, Amy Lamé, Lolly Adefope, English Teacher’s Lily Fontaine and Emily Pilbeam. From O2 Victoria Warehouse, Mary Anne Hobbs and Anna Phoebe were together for an incredible set. Again, check out the action here. In their five-star review, Manchester Evening News provided their take on Gossip headlining on Friday:

We’re just a song-and-a-half into the Gossip’s headline set at Victoria Warehouse on Friday night and frontwoman Beth Ditto has already stripped down to her bra and underwear after waltzing onto the stage in a shimmering pink skirt. “I’m not trying to be subversive,” she tells the packed out BBC Radio 6 Music Festival crowd. “I’m really not. I'm just trying to be comfortable.”

Setting the tone for what the rest of the night will entail, it’s still hard to believe it’s been 18 years since the American indie rock band first broke onto the scene with their seminal anthem Standing In The Way of Control. Thanks to its inclusion in E4’s Skins in 2006, the song became the unofficial soundtrack to the lives of students up and down the country - frequenting the playlist of many a hazy night at Manchester venues like, in my own personal experience, Fifth Avenue and Poptastic.

But a lot has happened for Gossip in the time between then. They’ve released a number of albums, had a reshuffle of band members, disbanded, gone solo and reformed. Following a 12-year hiatus, where it once looked like Gossip would never cross paths again, the Beth Ditto-fronted band are back where they belong with the upcoming release of sixth album Real Power later this month. And they’ve chosen the Manchester venue to debut a number of songs from the collection as part of the BBC festival.

Joined with support from Afrodutsche and the amazing Kate Bush-esque vocals from Irish songstress CMAT, who delivers a soulful and energetic set that is just as barmy as it is poignant (featuring line-dancing and an emotionally stellar duet with John Grant), the band arrive on stage with a lot to prove. It’s been a while, and in these cases, there’s always a worry that sometimes the magic of that era could have been lost in transit. Thankfully, these fears are thrown away the moment Beth, guitarist Nathan Howdeshell and drummer Hannah Blilie all head out to first track Love Long Distance.

The three-piece are also joined by Beth’s fiance Ted Kwo, who takes on the role of touring bassist. Throughout the show, Beth breaks in-between each number to recall a story or two - one moment sees her share fondness for Stoke-on-Trent while later on, knowing the show is being broadcast on BBC Radio 6, she bluntly asks: “Can you say pubic hair on the radio?”. She does it anyway.

IN THIS PHOTO: Gossp’s Beth Ditto/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Throughout the show, the rest of the band tries to bring her back to the forefront of what they’re here to do: perform some songs. And they mostly manage to get Beth back on track. The set list spans Gossip's back catalogue, with tracks including Move in the Right Direction and Men In Love, with Beth fully accepting that she knows the audience are here for the hits. “I know what it’s like,” she says as she recalls going to shows where bands will perform entire new album to unimpressed audiences. So, it's no surprise then that later in the show, Beth decides to cut one of the newest songs mid-way through after admitting she can’t remember the words.

While the show, with its many interludes and unintentional costume changes, might frustrate some in the audience, for most, it’s just a firm realisation that this is Beth and the gang in their element. In fact, she admits throughout the show that this, their first show in the country in four years, is a special and emotional one for them, which may add to the often derailed, yet endearing, nature of the show.

And for those wondering if Beth’s vocals still stand the test of time - you can be safe in the knowledge that they absolutely do. Her soulful powerhouse vocals are rough-around-the-edges yet smooth like honey at the same time. They can go from bellowing out numbers like Listen Up to doing an impromptu cover track of Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5. And when she forgets the words to another track, she wears the error confidently on her sleeve as she says: “This is real."

As this is the 6 Music Festival, there are also surprises in store for the audience. The impeccable Alison Moyet joins the band on stage for not one but two renditions of Yazz’s Situation, after Beth becomes too emotional during the first performance and forgets the words. Thankfully, Alison is happy to stick around for round two.

IN THIS PHOTO: Gosspi’s Beth Ditto and Alison Moyet/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Heavy Cross, another of the band’s songs that I can distinctly remember shuffling along to at 2am in the basement of Poptastic’s indie room, also earns a roaring reaction from Manchester. The stomping of feet in unison is infectious, as is the vocal relay between Beth and the audience.

To absolutely no surprise, Standing In The Way Of Control is kept until last and it is the song that, quite rightly, makes the most noise. Written in response to the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 which, if approved, would have outlawed same-sex marriage In America, the song is laced with power and anger. Thankfully, despite its endorsement by President George Bush at the time, the bill never made it out of the US committee.

Whilst Beth admits on stage she first had concerns about whether the song's meaning still rang true today, she realises it has become an important rally call for those who are still fighting for who they are today. As much, every word in the song is screamed with intent from her and the crowd.

And just when you think the encore can’t get any more powerful, a number of activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community bombard the stage with placards and signs, saying everything from ‘God loves lipstick lesbians’, ‘protect trans rights’ and ‘Black, Brown, queer here’ to even ‘Gossip suck’. Interlaced with Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit the show turns into a rally cry that is there to remind Beth, and the audience, that the power of the song, perhaps unfortunately, still exists today. And maybe, in a number of ways, it holds even more strength and meaning today than it did 20 years ago”.

Before wrapping up, and another five-star review from Manchester Evening News, The Smile were tremendous headliners on Saturday. It seems like this is one of the most impactful festivals 6 Music have ever mounted. Sets of the very highest order:

They were the linchpins of one of the most respected rock bands on the planet - but they're not quite done yet.

Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have teamed up with Sons of Kemmet drummer Tom Skinner to form supergroup The Smile. And in a world exclusive performance at Greater Manchester's Victoria Warehouse on Saturday (March 9), they joined forces with the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO) to headline what was an utterly mesmerising final night of the BBC 6 Music Festival.

For one hour and 40 minutes, the audience were stunned as they watched Radiohead reincarnated. The 20 songs they performed may have all been written and released under the banner of The Smile, but they all sound reminiscent of Radiohead's unrivalled repertoire.

Radiohead, which first rose to global fame in the 1990s with the hit single 'Creep', has radically reinvented its sound over the years. Unlike any other side project its members have worked on so far, The Smile sounds like the latest reinvention of Radiohead itself.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Smile/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

Thom and Jonny, worked their magic on stage as they showcased the project which emerged from the pandemic while their sound technicians scuttled around them, repeatedly rearranging the set up to meet the multi-instrumentalists' needs. Both in their fifties, the two masters in their field were flanked by musicians on either side who execute their experimental sensibilities with expert precision.

But it was the musicians behind them that made their headline performance at BBC 6 Music festival really special. The LCO recreated the atmosphere in the band's recordings in a way that only a live orchestra could, remaining on stage until the final songs of the set.

IN THIS PHOTO: Pip Millett and Jordan Rakei/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC Radio 6 Music

The Smile's performance was preceded by New Zealand-born musician Jordan Rakei whose unorthodox rhythms seem to borrow from Radiohead's style. He shared his excitement about supporting such a class act, telling the audience that he is a fan of 'you know who'.

Presumably, he was referring to Radiohead, rather than The Smile. But any fan of the band which has not performed live since 2019 would be foolish to dismiss The Smile as yet another side project its members have been working on - this feels like the real deal”.

Now almost ended for another year, there are so many highlights and incredible moments that we can take away from it. In the warm and embracing Greater Manchester, I know people who travelled up there to see their favourite acts. It was another tremendous 6 Music Festival. If you, like me, were not able to attend in person, you can see performances on BBC iPlayer, in addition to BBC Radio 6 Music’s Instagram and the BBC Music YouTube channel. Even if the music has stopped, the buzz and electricity from the four-day event will endure…

FOR weeks to come.