BY Dave Beech 

MANY people see Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, or V festival as the highlights of festival season, but there’s a lot to be said for smaller boutique festivals; those that take the festival experience back to its grassroots, before sponsorship and inevitable homogenisation.

One such is the Blackthorn Festival in South Manchester, where egos and arrogance are left behind in favour of good vibes and great music.

This year’s was the biggest to date, with the likes of Space, Reef and The Lightning Seeds providing a heavy dose of nostalgia on the main stage. For many however, the festival is all about the new blood.

This year was no exception, and as usual, Friday started later in the day, with the usual handful of tribute acts providing an entertaining evening over on the main stage while the Psychedelic Circus was a welcome addition to Friday’s proceedings this year too, with local psych outfit Control of the Going headlining and curating the bill.

Saturday saw post-punk newcomers TYPES pound the stage with a fierce intensity.

Elsewhere Bolton’s The Jade Assembly impressed a burgeoning main stage crowd with their set – their second consecutive appearance at the festival. At the opposite end of the day, another Bolton/Bury band Dear Caroline kicked off proceedings in fine fashion, setting the precedent for what proved to be an excellent first full day.

Sunday started with the rain that fell on and off all festival, but spirits refused to be dampened for Sale indie-pop band The Claremonts, who pulled an impressive crowd despite their early set time while Sheffield’s October Drift impressed with their explosive shoegaze. Over at the main stage again and Larkins’ brand of frenetic indie-pop showed just why they’re one of the best bands coming out of Manchester at the moment. 

All in all, this year’s Blackthorn was its strongest to date, and though growing subtly in size each year, it never fails to impress and continues to be one of the best festivals of its size around.