Flicking through Twitter on a Friday night is not an ideal way to start the weekend.
However, last week, one M.E.N. reviewer had good reason to. That was to soak up the reaction - both good and bad - of Arctic Monkeys' headline Glastonbury set.
One can make whatever one wants of the Sheffield rockers' performance at Worthy Farm. For some, it was a turgid trawl through the most pretentious aspects of Alex Turner's character. For others, it was a successful reinvention of the last British band to truly dominate the music scene.
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Whatever your thoughts are, the reaction served as a reminder that music really is the lifeblood of UK culture. Every once in a while, a homegrown artist will come in and grab the nation's attention. For the mid-00s, Alex and co have that crown.
For the 2010s, it's most likely Stormzy. For the mid-2020s, it's undecided.
What might be worrying to some is the fact that British artists are finding it harder and harder to make the leap - with foreign tours becoming more expensive, streaming chipping away at incomes, and the actual cost of starting a band is reaching a prohibitive point. So, the fact that the gig guide for June only includes international acts might be a seen of a declining industry.
Or it might be the sign that the Brits were at Worthy Farm, or another field. What we do know is that there's plenty up for grabs in the 20s.
Sir Chloe - Band On The Wall - June 1
There's no arguing that American five-piece Sir Chloe are an indie dream. On the back of their sophmore album, they sent fans to cloud nine with a beautifully-crafted set at Band On The Wall.
From crawling verses and thrashy choruses, to delicate melodies about love, it's not just setlists they have a knack for, but song writing, too. Beginning with 'Should I' from new LP I Am The Dog, every track from the record got its chance to shine throughout the night.
Not forgetting a plethora of fans favourites, the likes of 'Animal' and 'Sedona' from debut album Party Favours were seamlessly interwoven into the set. The crowd was loudest for viral hit 'Michelle,' which had an ethereal sound when performed live.
Front woman Dana Foote and the band were a joy to watch, melting into the music - and the moment - just as much as the crowd.
Le Tigre - Albert Hall - June 5
Le Tigre were going through old songs before their first tour in almost 20 years and realised that some of them remained all too relevant, JD Samson - one third of the reactivated trio - told a rapturous Albert Hall. Then they launch into 'FYR (Fifty Years of Ridicule)' - a song about the backlash societal progress tends to attract, and you can see what Samson means in 2023.
With its sample lyric, 'one step forward, five steps back', it illustrates Le Tigre's reasons for revisiting their blend of politics and electro-punk in an increasingly divided world. The group, formed by Kathleen Hanna in the wake of her pioneering riot grrl outfit Bikini Kill, recorded three albums from 1999 to 2004 before taking a break until 2022, bar the odd one-off engagement, and in the interim they've built up a younger following who filled the front rows in Manchester.
Hanna and her bandmates Samson and Johanna Fateman seemed genuinely moved by the eager reception as they delivered a strident, brisk set,- all while wearing colourful, DIY outfits - and relying only on keyboards, drum machines, and guitars. They showed off some unashamedly unpolished co-ordinated dance moves, performing in front of a projector screen on which every lyric is displayed in sync alongside lo-fi visuals.
Hanna made passionate statements about the feminist struggle, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health and more, in between musical rallying cries like 'On The Verge', 'TKO', and 'Keep On Livin''. 'Deceptacon', now their best-known track after going viral on TikTok, is saved for last and brings the house down - and while there's no sign of any fresh material coming out of this reunion, it's heartening to see them making new connections with songs that still have much to say.
Pongo - Band on the Wall - June 8
Before Pongo took to the stage at Band on the Wall the mood was a bit like a school disco when everyone’s just arrived - fans tentatively stood around the edges as SHEwillprovide served as the support act. But as soon as Pongo turned up, dressed in a blue bodysuit with a neon green mesh skirt, there was a rush to the front and a small yet tightly-packed crowd formed in front of her.
The Angolan-born singer’s latest album Sakidila draws from a variety of sounds and cultures with a strong dancehall feel. It’s the sort of music you just have to dance along to - and indeed you were pretty much obliged to, as during one song Pongo came down from the stage with her dancers to teach us some of the moves with crowd enthusiast lily shaking their hips along the infection rhythm.
During ‘Baia’ she had everyone kicking along in time to the music. There were more mellow moments too, as people swayed along to ‘Doudou’. Pongo promised to share a “good vibe and good energy” with her performance and she certainly did.
Glove - Night & Day - June 13
“It’s hotter than Florida here,” Glove’s keyboardist Brie said during their set at Night & Day on a very warm June evening. The band, from Tampa in the sunshine state, may be accustomed to sunnier climes but even they were impressed by our English heatwave.
Bringing a moody and mysterious energy on stage, the band channelled 80s glam punk with no shortage of synth-sounds. Although the venue wasn’t packed, those who endured the heat slowly swayed along to the music.
The one thing that’s intriguing about Glove is their stage presence. Verging on theatrical, they’re mesmerising to watch, while the sound draws influences from Manchester’s own New Order and Joy Division.
Kurt Vile - New Century Hall - June 19
Loping onto the 70s-era, dark-wood-panelled stage at New Century Hall, clad in a surely-years-old lumberjack shirt and his characteristic mane of hair, Kurt Vile looked right at home. Home for him, really, is in the woodland of his native Philadelphia, where he has been turning out his distinct indie rock laced with American twang for more than a decade.
A man named Kurt Vile (yes, that’s his actual name) was always destined for a life in music. Radiating comfort and warmth, Kurt introduced one of the leading tracks from his latest album in which he pays tribute to his town of Mount Airy, sweetly telling the crowd he wants to ‘show you where I’m coming from’.
But don’t mistake his relaxation for doziness, the 43-year-old is sharp when required. Introducing himself as Dave Grohl in a witty nod to musicians with a lot of hair, swiftly replying ‘that’s ok, buddy’ to an audience member who booed before promptly loudly apologising, reasons unknown. Kurt’s laconic comedy only adds to his thoroughly disarming, man-of-the-woods mystery.
Determined to play until curfew, Kurt wound his way through his lengthy discography - naturally treating his audience to swirling, 10-minute rendition of ‘Wakin On a Pretty Day’, which cemented him as one of the best freestylers in the game. As a fellow gig-goer summed up at the end of the show, ‘he just seems like a nice guy to hang out with’ – and that’s a nice way to spend an evening.
