Gig-goers are notoriously tribal, choosing to spend hundreds on tickets for everyone from Tay Tay to Sabrina Carpenter. But what if someone told you for £15, you would have a night of outstanding music - and a little food and drink - in a stunning location in Manchester? Sounds good, right? And what if they told you that the identity of the performers and, in fact, the very location of the event were to remain a secret to attendees? That’s the theory for Sofar Sounds, and it’s a good one. Because when, 24 hours before the event, I received an email telling me to head to the top of the ABC Buildings on Quay Street, it felt like a secret assignation with something magical.
READ MORE: Blossoms film new music video at Stockport care home with residents made to ‘feel like they were in a movie’ The next evening, my friend and I joined a modest group of people catching the elevator to the roof above the Everyman Cinema. Popping out at the top, we were treated to a beautiful venue, part-greenhouse, part-geodesic dome. The atmosphere was relaxed, with the warm weather bestowing a holiday vibe on proceedings.
Ushers stood ready to guide us into the dome, where we settled on cushions once we were given our free can of Spanish beer Madri Excepcional, the evening’s sponsors. Seated and waiting for the first act, we were served snippets of tapas-style fare, from charred padron peppers to chorizo and chicken skewers. The atmosphere electric, the Sofar Sounds host appeared to offe.