Carnival Club | Deaf Institute | Manchester | 12/05/17

On Friday, to promote their debut EP, "Magdalena's Cape", Carnival Club played a sold out gig at Deaf Institute, Manchester, with support from Roaches and Faux Pas. The night was a hit and a brilliant way to kick off the release of the new, five track, EP.

The young Manchester based band, Roaches, opened the night. The five piece group give off a pretty cool vibe and have a strong alternative rock sound, they remind me a little of a new Stone Roses especially with their classic Manchester look. The band played an upbeat set which had everyone on their feet from the very start. I really enjoyed the performance and will be looking out for more from Roaches in the future, you can listen to their live EP on Soundcloud, a song I quite enjoy is "Donnie Darko", the catchy tune is a must hear track, the EP is packed full of lively songs and I think this band have a good future on the horizon. Find Roaches online here.

The indie punk band from York, Faux Pas, continued with another energy fuelled set. The band published their debut EP last year and it is available to listen to on Spotify and ITunes, the self titled release is a great mix of enthusiastic tracks. The band have good chemistry when performing which is important in a small venue where they can interact with the crowd. A song I particularly like from their EP is “You Can Own Me”, as I like the guitar based intro and how the dynamic changes through the song, with some slower sequences and some much heavier. You can find out more about Faux Pas and where they will be next on their Facebook page.

This is the third time I've seen Carnival Club live and every time it's been a new and improved experience, leaving me hopeful to see them again very soon. The band’s debut EP was released online earlier that day, I think the EP is brilliant as it includes many great tracks, every song is different and unique which is one of the many reasons I love it so much. I wouldn’t say that the EP includes any ‘fillers’, every song fits in perfectly. There is a mix of heavier songs such as, Carnival Club’s most renowned hit, “House Of Cards”, as well as some slower, more easy listening tracks, including the title song “Magdalena’s Cape”. The EP is definitely one to listen to and, for me, it provokes a pleasant, almost nostalgic, feeling, but that aside, the presentation of the EP is a work of art which perfectly reflects the songs it contains, I advise you purchase a copy and give this local band the recognition they deserve. The young band kicked off the night with a lively track, “Headache”; this heavier song got the crowd buzzed and was undoubtedly the best way to open the show. Through the whole set the crowd were kept on their feet by the energetic performance from the band, who kept the night interesting and new for their hometown fans. The group performed a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, and as a Led Zeppelin fan myself, I can say they definitely did the classic song justice and carried out the performance admirably. They also introduced the fans to two previously unheard songs, “Cut the Slack” and “Parole”, this kept the night exciting and fresh. Both songs were great, in my opinion, and I’m looking forward to their release due to the wonderfully executed performance. The band closed the night with their most loved track “House Of Cards”, this made the crowd go wild, everyone was singing and dancing, seemingly they were all having the time of their life - it was a brilliant experience. After the finale, the crowd wanted more, unfortunately there wasn’t enough time for anymore songs from the band but the night was a definite hit.

Carnival Club are quickly becoming a new favourite band of mine, their alternative rock and roll inspired sound is something I, personally, love and am eager to hear more of. I won’t be surprised if, in a few months time, the band are the next big name in Manchester. Their new EP is one you need to listen to, you can find it on Spotify and ITunes or buy a hard copy on Amazon. I will almost definitely be seeing Carnival Club again in the future for another amazing night and I recommend you keep your eye out as well.

Liv X

#CARNIVALCLUB #DEAFINSTITUTE