Un-Convention Festival

I write this review to you, dear Unilocalers, during a quick break from manning the Unilocal end of the desk at Manchester’s 2010 Un-​Convention Festival brought to you as part of the Manchester Weekender. Where else could you rub shoulders with the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Viv Albertine and Billy Bragg… hang on, forget rubbing shoulders, try having full-​blown conversations with these legends of music?!?
Un-​Convention has a simple philosophy — important music played in unusual places. So this year they’ve set up in Sacred Trinity Church, Islington Mill, on a barge, under some railway arches, and here at Salford Lads Club, home of an entire room dedicated to The Smiths but still active as part of Salford’s local community, offering extra curricular activities to the area’s youth. Today I experienced a panel on which these rock stars spoke alongside countless other famous people, and that’s absolutely priceless. Barriers between musicians and audiences are completely broken down here, and the festival not only incorporates live performances but lectures and workshops too.
We were treated to a spoken word performance from a Belfast-​born rapper, a truly talented gent who inspired tears in audience members, and let me be the first to tell you that Jarvis Cocker does indeed use Unilocalstick. Oh yes, he requested some. So if it’s good enough for Britrock royalty, it’s certainly good enough for the great unwashed. But what am I doing here, typing this to you? There’s tons more live music to come tonight commencing at 7pm so get your gladrags on and come on down to Regent Square, you’ll not be disappointed. This festival is run by truly passionate people and the enthusiasm is tangible. You’d be silly to miss it.