Independent Venue Week is the UK’s annual 7-day celebration of independent music & arts venues and the people that own, run and work in them. Over 200 independent venues take part in our annual Celebration and the number keeps growing every year.
One such venue is Manchester’s Big Hands. With its low ceilings, epic club nights, loud sound system and general dive bar vibe it’s become a cult venue on the underground circuit. On this Wednesday night local promoters Sour Grapes have put together a killer little line up that has coaxed folks out of the warmth of their homes and into the Manchester night.
Opening are Nara, a local post punk offering who are championed by the likes of XS Radio & Analogue Trash. They make their inaugural appearance here tonight and their friends and fans are clearly out in force. They fly through a high energy set which the crowd happily bop along too and are a strong opener who hold their own against what is to come.
Avalanche Party are a feral garage-punk outfit from the wild North Yorkshire Moors, hopped up on adrenalin and amphetamines on an IVW tour. Known for their blistering live sets they’ve been rather quiet recently leaving fans wondering, but with this tour announced and news a new album is not far off, things are looking up. Their set tonight opens with fan favourite ‘I’m So Wet’ which is the perfect opener and is closely followed by ‘Rebel Forever’ from 2019’s 24 Carat Diamond Trephine LP. The rest of the set is fired through with an intensity they have perfected and the crowd go wild. Littered with lots of new songs there isn’t much to sing along too but that makes it all the more thrilling. Their performance is as ever on point, they are one of those bands you just have to see live. We await with bated breathe for, what sounds like, an incredible new album.
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