‘NO CASTROS NO PARTY!’ : A Night of Madness in Manchester.
With a history spanning 250 years, The Castle Hotel in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, is one of the city’s most iconic venues, and its small pub in the front does not do justice to what hides behind. Stepping into the music room feels like walking back in time. Victorian décor, an old-school iron chandelier, and church-like ceiling make it an unusual space for a gig of the Scottish indie-new punk outfit The Castros. But that’s just one of the things that made the night so memorable.
With a capacity of 80, this is as intimate as it gets. On that Thursday night, the crowd gathered early, filling the room almost to the brim long before the first act took the stage.
ADI LEE
Adi Lee opened the night solo, only a ukulele keeping him company on stage. Later joined by a bassist and a cajónista, his lively and vibrant music brought to mind Jake Bugg, and the enthusiastic audience clapped along and sang the catchy choruses from the very start.
He closed the set with an acoustic cover of ‘Mardy Bum’, which not only had everyone in the room shouting ‘CUDDLES’ in a very strong Yorkshire accent, but showcased his creativity at reimagining classics in his own style.
THE STAAGS
Next, The Staags flipped the atmosphere upside down with rapid pace and heavy sound. Their performance was passionate and intense, loaded with screams and shouts, and featured sections of extremely loud, yet impressively well-balanced noise.
The Prodigy, Limp Bizkit and System Of A Down are only some of the bands that might have inspired them to create such powerful music. Still very young, they have already hammered their style, and undoubtedly have potential to reach great heights in their genre.
KAHULA
All very elegantly dressed, Kahula took the stage next, bringing with them a very melodic and beautifully nostalgic indie that drifted somewhere between Blossoms and The Vaccines. Or perhaps this is how ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’ would sound had Arctic Monkeys travelled back to the 80s instead of the 70s.
Kahula’s songs were intricate, built with layers of guitars and synths, and the seamless transitions between tracks showcased their attention to detail. The charismatic frontman carried a distinctive Alex Turner-like presence which made him utterly magnetic. He was confident, nonchalant, and joked casually with the audience which was met with smiles and laughs.
THE CASTROS
‘NO CASTROS NO PARTY!’ chants filled the room in anticipation of the headliner, and once the time came, the boys from Kirkcaldy walked on stage to the sound of choral church singing, which was quite epic to say the least.
As always, The Castros’ set was thoroughly entertaining and rehearsed to perfection. Their signature energy, fantastic crowd engagement, ‘Psycho Killer’ cover, and even an unexpected friendly ‘near fight’ on the stage, added up to an evening of pure MADNESS. The response from the audience was outstanding: mosh pits, loud cheers and even chanting over the frontman’s banter, showed how much everyone enjoyed themselves.
For many of the attendees this wasn’t the first ‘Castros’ gig, and their love and dedication did not go unnoticed by the band. From the moment the doors opened, The Castros hung around the venue, chatting and hugging everyone, genuinely grateful to every single person who came to their first headline in Manchester. This was all about their love for music and the way it connected them with their fans.
Right in the middle of their UK tour, The Castros’ show at The Castle Hotel was a proud showcase of the band’s excellence and effortless ability to build a loyal following. According to the frontman speaking between the songs, this was one of his ‘favourite gigs ever’.
A very special night for the band who truly have what it takes to make it. We’ll be seeing them headlining arenas soon, this much is beyond certain.
