Soundcheck, the project for up and coming bands run by the Department of Education and Children’s Youth Service, will be at Mannifest again this summer and will be joined by visiting musicians from Ireland.
Soundcheck provides rehearsal space and tuition for young musicians and stages gigs at the Villa Marina and other venues.
Last year, Soundcheck bands including Savage Tim and This Year’s Winner Is… took part in the three-day Mannifest festival at Glen Lough, appearing on a small stage.
During this year’s festival, which runs from August 3rd-5th, that space will be used for dance and drama performances by young people from the DEC’s Youth Arts Centre and will host an arts and crafts area where visitors can get their hair braided and their faces painted, have tattoos and buy glow sticks.
The music will be on a much larger, covered stage and special guests will play with Soundcheck bands.
The popular Panicland, rockers The Same, who are from Castle Rushen High School, and To Many Words, from Peel, will be among the participants. Douglas bands Naked and Remember Yesterday will also appear.
The Soundcheck band Full Moon Fallout, who have just released their homage to the TT, will also appear. The single, which will be available to download and purchase shortly, has been chosen as this year’s TT soundtrack.
It features the two Soundcheck staff, Paul Cooper and Jenni Smith, plus Paul’s daughter, Georgia.
Other special guests include ex Savage Tim front man Jake Orritt playing a solo set and appearing with the band he’s in at university, Trails.
Dave Hattersley, Youth Officer, said: ‘We also have special guests from a youth music programme in Belfast called West Belfast Rock and Contemporary Music Forum, which is based at Gort na Mona Gaelic Sports Club in Belfast, and they will bring solo acts and bands.
‘All in all, 16 visitors will be on the Island for 10 days and will be playing at venues around the Island. If you would like them to play at your venue, please contact the Youth Office on 686054.’
It is planned make a photo and video documentary during Mannifest and display it at an exhibition and concert at the Youth Arts Centre in Kensington Road, Douglas, in September.
‘We are hoping that the exhibition will sponsored and will be on display for the full weekend, with exhibits for sale,’ Dave said.
Soundcheck would like to thank the following organisations for their help in making a Soundcheck stage possible at Mannifest: Britannia International, Absolute Scaffold (staging), Peter Young from Mannifest, the Civil Defence (for the marquee) and staff and volunteers from the Youth Service.
