Live Review: The Lathums - Castlefield Bowl, Manchester 30/06/2023
Fresh from their Glastonbury set last weekend The Lathums return to Manchester to headline Sounds of The City Castlefield Bowl.
But first Merry Hell took to the stage, an 8 piece folk band who also come from Wigan. Marry Hell showed they don’t have a shortage of tracks to pick from, creating the perfect welcome in for the audience. Having the hard task of being the first opening act, Marry Hell stepped up, getting the early crowd invigorated and ready to go!
The second opening act of the night followed; The Dream Machine. Bringing classic indie rock to the Manchester crowd despite the rain pouring down. The band hailing from The Wirral had people up on shoulders before it even hit 9 o’clock.
The band released their debut album earlier this year, and if their effortlessly cool performance at Castlefield Bowl is anything to go by, they’re definitely a band to check out.
Sauntering onto the stage to ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’, The Lathums took to the stage. Opening with their hit single ‘Struggle’ drew the crowd in from the get go. Notably the Wigan band looked so elated, wearing the face of lads who just had their: I’ve made it moment.
By the second song flares were up, and many gig goers opted to protect against the rain with a Lathums bucket hat.
I’ve never been to Castlefield Bowl myself before, but after this experience it is one I am going to continually recommend. The whole venue felt like a mini festival, with food trucks, bars and unfortunately porta potties too.
The Lathums proved they know what their fans want, playing tracks ‘Lucky Bean’, ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Fight On’, which was recognised from the first cord.
I sensed a feeling of pure enjoyment from the crowd and the band throughout, which added to this mini festival atmosphere.
Slowing it down for a moment lead singer Alex Moore took centre stage, just him, a guitar and a disco ball. Which I can only imagine was a special moment for the singer as he previously told the crowd this was a very very big night for them. The Lathums’ gratitude for their supporters really shone through during their set, which was lovely to see.
Saving the best till last the encore included ‘Turmoil’, ‘Messed Up Kids’, ‘Say My Name’ and closing the show with ‘Artificial Screens’, where mosh pits opened up to close the night.
Chants for one more song echoed across while the band took their bows.
Overall, Marry Hall, The Dream Machine and The Lathums gave the audience a night to remember. A night full of fun, glee and excitement. It’s a gig I’ll never forget and will always recommend. The unlucky weather just added to the magical feeling of this experience, though The Lathums need their credit for being an excellent live preforming band, and this gig proved that they are well on their way to being one of the best.
Words by Anna Street
Photography Credit: Ewan Ogden
