Top Tens: Colin's Top Ten Bands To See At Manchester Punk Festival 2019

You might have heard that Manchester Punk Festival is quickly coming up on the horizon and here at CPRW we couldn't be more excited. I've been lucky enough to find myself at the festival every year and witnessing its growth has been such a great experience. It's pretty much a guarantee that MPF will be the top weekend of the year, every year. This Easter is the festival's fifth year and it is bigger than ever! This year the MPF collective – which is comprised of Manchester Bev and Andy from TNSrecords, Tree from Anarchistic Undertones and Kieran from Moving North – have pulled out all the stops and booked 137 bands for the festival as well as comedians, poets and many record distros. There's no way we could preview every act playing the festival but Emma, Brett, Robyn and myself have each picked ten different bands that we're very excited about this year.

The Penske File (Friday at The Bread Shed 17:50–18:00)
There's no doubt that Ontario, Canada's The Penske File earned a lot of new fans on their first tour of the UK last autumn and the announcement of their appearance at MPF was greeted with much excitement. The three piece play passionate, big chorused, shout along, punk rock songs that fill you with energy. Last year's Salvation album was their best release yet, which is some achievement given how good their previous album Burn Into the Earth is. This is definitely going to be one of those must-see sets of the weekend so make sure you get there early!

King Prawn (Friday at Gorilla 21:00–22:00)
This year, particularly on the Friday of MPF, the collective have got some of the best ska punk acts in the country on the line-up, including undisputable legends of the scene King Prawn. The festival takes place the same weekend that King Prawn will finally release the album they've been teasing us with since reforming six years ago. Titled The Fabulous New Sounds Of, I'd expect a set to be comprised of new tracks alongside plenty of old classics such as Dominant View, Survive, Bitter Taste, The Loneliest Life, Caught Inna Rut and Someone To Hate. It seems kind of crazy that it's taken so long for King Prawn to appear at MPF but they'll definitely be worth the wait.

Catch-It Kebabs (Friday at The Bread Shed 23:55–00:25)
Oh boy, I was excited when Catch-It Kebabs were announced on the line-up. The Yorkshire ska punk heroes are a band that I was quite late getting into so never managed to see them live. Needless to say I'm delighted to see them back, even if it is just for one night. Combining bouncing ska punk and swing movement with songs tackling political and social issues, the band will be playing at a special after party at Bread Shed named "The Big Tone Stage" in memory of local music producer Tim Gray who sadly passed away last year. I can't wait to see Catch-It Kebabs roll back the years and get everybody skanking.

Skin Of Tears (Saturday at Zombie Shack 14:50–15:20)
As the announcements for the festival were slowly coming out, I was gradually making my own playlist to make sure I checked out some bands I've never heard of. The first that really caught my interest was Germany's Skin Of Tears. It turns out that Skin Of Tears aren't a new band and have been around since 1991. The three piece play melodic skate punk music that would fit perfectly on the Epitaph/Fat Wreck rosters of the day. Skin Of Tears released a brand new album last December named Ass It Is and it's superb. I'm looking forward to watching a new favourite for the first time.

7 Years Bad Luck (Saturday at Zombie Shack 16:30–17:00)
Austria's 7 Years Bad Luck are a band I've been wanting to see since I first heard their album Bridges in 2014. When I saw that the three piece had been added to the weekend I was over the moon as I didn't really ever expect them to reappear in the UK. Playing melodic pop punk (the good kind) with a raspy vocal and great harmonies, 7 Years Bad Luck will offer something a little different to MPF and will no doubt gain many new fans during their set. If you've never heard of them before and you like bands such as No Use For A Name or The Murderburgers then you'll love 7 Years Bad Luck.

Officer Down (Saturday at The Bread Shed 23:50–00:20)
There are a whole host of bands reforming to play Manchester Punk Festival this year. One that really stood out for me was Evesham/Bristol's Officer Down. Another band that I was too late to get into and so I never got the opportunity to see them live but I absolutely adored their final album Dead Lands. Playing a mix of punk rock and hardcore and adding some melodic harmonies, Officer Down will add some bite to the weekend. It seems to be that Officer Down are back properly and not just for MPF and, given their former history with TNS, the festival will surely feel like a bit of a homecoming for the foursome.

Werecats (Sunday at Zombie Shack 14:50–15:20)
Bringing some much needed Ramonescore pop punk to MPF are South London's Werecats. The four piece, which boasts current or former members of The Pukes and The Zatopeks, write wonderfully catchy songs packed with delicious harmonies that always bring a smile to my face. Don't let the sugary sweet vocals put you off, when Werecats perform live they are brimming with attitude and are one of the best live acts around. If you haven't checked out last year's Destined For The Outside yet I strongly suggest that you do. If you love a bit of pop, then Werecats are one for you.

Arms Aloft (Sunday at The Bread Shed 16:10–16:40)
Wisconsin, USA's Arms Aloft will make only their third appearance in Manchester in thirteen years when they play MPF this year. I've only managed to see Arms Aloft once, at The Fest in 2016, and was really impressed with the way they connect with an audience and I'm looking forward to witnessing it again. The four piece play some of the best emotional gruff punk around and it's likely to be a whole set of passionate sing-alongs. I'm hoping to hear the songs Untitled, What A Time To Be Barely Alive, Where Seagulls Dare and Comfort At Any Cost.

Calvinball (Sunday at The Bread Shed 17:00–17:30)
Calvinball, with a little help from Arms Aloft, are reforming for MPF this year. They're a band I had previously heard a lot about but never had actually listened to myself. This was a big mistake on my part as I've really been enjoying the Sheffield band's gruff pop punk, particularly the album Last Orders. I can only imagine that this is going to be an emotional set for thess returning heroes of the UK's DIY punk scene. It's likely to be the last time the band will be about for a long time so don't miss this chance to see them.

The Junk (Sunday at The Bread Shed 17:50–18:30)
Yet another band who have recently reformed is The Junk. The Brighton based skacore act are back after going on hiatus in 2016. Adding to the very impressive roster of ska bands on the MPF line-up, The Junk will please fans who like to skank and mosh in equal measure. With some superb bouncing horn lines that will have the room picking their knees up and heaving hitting drum beats that will have folks joyfully bouncing off one another in the pit, this will be a seriously sweat filled set. It will also be a lot of fun.

This top ten was written by Colin Clark.