Meltchester Vol. II, Projekts MCR. 20th May 2023

A new venue for me and some new bands today. I’m stood in the middle of the beautifully sculpted concrete curves of Projekts MCR Skatepark for Sour Grapes Meltchester Vol II. It’s a unique space for a festival and a pretty damn cool one. Tucked under the Mancunian Way with the cars roaring above the PA has been set to stun. Now full disclosure, I’m late. Half the bands have played, but I get in for the end of Chemtrails set and like what I hear. I had a quick listen on the way here and they sound a bit poppier on record, but live it’s raw punk and sounds pretty awesome.

After grabbing some rather delicious Sicilian street food it’s time for the amusingly named Bee Bee Sea. Three Italian lads whose intent is to test the integrity of all this concrete. They play razor sharp garage rock, whilst dressed in ripped jeans and snoopy sweatshirts, what’s not to love. Only two songs in and I’m totally sold. There’s some pop in their step and they’re bloody good fun to watch. Pulling in a crowd that had been dispersed around corners, bars, slivers of sunshine spots. A lot of it is straight up and simple, but there’s one song mid-set that twists and turns beautifully whilst never losing any of their edge. A new one follows (all new to me) and it gets the skate kids down the front swaying and my head bobbing. Its menacing bassline rumbling away as it builds. It’s brilliant. Definitely ones to keep an eye on.

As they finish, I find out that Forest have beaten Arsenal and City are Champions for the third season in a row. Time for a celebratory beer!! To soundtrack the celebrations, next up we have Avalanche Party. We’re in firm psyche territory with a driving rhythm layered up with a deafening squall of guitars and shouty mantric vocals delivered by a lad who despite having terrible taste in sunglasses is every bit the star frontman. They do get a bit funky in places, causing a couple in front of me to start swing dancing, before a guitar is ditched for a saxophone and the lad on bass goes full ska. I’m not too sure I could fall in love with them but there’s a lot going on and I can’t fault their energy. That sounds like damning praise, it’s not, they’re bloody good live and I honestly can’t keep still. The drummer is ferocious and the walls of feedback glorious. The lad who keeps grabbing the brass is bloody good too. You’ve got to be careful with a saxophone but he wields it well. There’s a lad at the back on keys I feel a bit sorry for, the mix is so loud I can’t help but feel he’s getting lost, but the analogue equipment he’s wrestling with looks gorgeous. There’s at least half a dozen songs I need to hear again and the penultimate song in particular needs to be heard again live, it’s fucking brilliant.

On then to the reason I’ve come today. Déjà Vega. This is a different level. They ease us in at breakneck pace. A mix of complexity boiled down to something gloriously simple. This three piece are all about drive. Locking in, pulling the crowd in then jettisoning our collective brains into a wonderful oblivion. The sound here is good without being great. I’d not spotted it as much until now, but knowing these songs and last hearing them in Gorilla, I can tell it’s a bit off. Not badly, it doesn’t ruin it by any means, but we are outside in a venue not really designed for this, so hats off to the sound guy for what must be a tricky job. The lights are on now and the sun drops as we get some new stuff. At least I think it’s new, I don’t recognise it. It sounds harder, more metal, but still unmistakably DV. It’s songs like ‘Mr Powder’ though where they really get to flex. Tight one minute, then breaking loose the next. Toying with us and we fucking love it.  It’s clear that some of the crowd know DV and are all in, but it’s the utter wonderment on those faces nearer the back that have clearly just discovered something magical that warms my heart. Déjà Vega deserve to be as massive as their sound. I could honestly listen to this band for hours so any set is always going to feel a bit short, but for 45 minutes I’m in heaven.

The headline tonight is a band I’ve not come across before called Acid Dad. They’re from America but we won’t hold that against them, they do not look like trump voters. They bathe the set in a grid projection that looks like they’re going to map something psychedelic across our minds, much like the cover on the vinyl that’s been tempting me on the merch stand. As they get going my guess is right as the stage is flooded with colour and the sort of swooning shoegaze stoner rock that hits every checkbox. The three pieces have ruled today and this one sounds brilliant. This is what festivals are about, getting turned on to new bands and Sour Grapes have put on a brilliant line up. Acid Dad don’t so much as go up through the gears, but hit fifth and cruise. The vocals sound lush, but the mix stops me from deciphering any particular lyric, the guitars though I understand and they’re bloody brilliant. They're not predictable though, there’s space, pace and blistering energy in this set. Clearly all appreciated by this largely younger crowd. So many gigs I go to are populated by middle aged men like me, it’s genuinely nice to see young bands playing to a crowd of their peers. It’s also wonderful to see so many bands on the bill coming out and supporting the other bands. Singer from Bee Bee Sea, I’m looking at you, 10/10!! I had a feeling about Acid Dad from the get go and by the finale I’m completely convinced and do buy the record. A choice between a red a blue press, obviously being blue to mark the day for my beloved Blues. I know that makes little sense, but music does funny things to the mind and it’s truly been a mind melting day. Hats off to the bands, the organisers, the venue, the staff and the crowd. That really was a fantastic.

Acid Dad

Déjà Vega

Bee Bee Sea

Avalanche Party

Atmos.