Mogwai and English Teacher play Radio 6 Festival
Another two excellent acts took to the stage on Friday night bringing a unique collaboration - and surprise guest.
It was the second night that the BBC Radio 6 Festival was held in Victoria Warehouse following Ezra Collective and Fat Dog on Thursday (March 27).
The show was opened by a set from BBC Radio 6 DJ Tom Ravenscroft.
Art-punk band English Teacher, fronted by East Lancs singer Lily Fontaine, from Colne, hot off the heels of winning the Mercury Prize for their debut album, This Could Be Texas, played next.
A highly anticipated show, the band started with the album's title track before playing the single "The World's Biggest Paving Slab".
English Teacher frontwoman Lily Fontaine (Image: BBC Radio 6 Music / Shirlaine Forrest) English Teacher was joined on stage by special guest Richard Hawley for a rendition of "Transmission" by Joy Division.
Lily Fontaine said: "The only thing more nerve-wracking than playing Joy Division in Manchester, is playing Joy Division in Manchester next to Richard Hawley."
Then replying to someone in the audience, the frontwoman said: "That's a good point, it is Salford.
"I'm sorry."
Following this interaction the frontwoman said "let's play a hit" before the band broke into "R&B".
English Teacher were joined by special guest Richard Hawley (Image: BBC Radio 6 Music / Shirlaine Forrest) The song sounded even better than the studio version with the band bringing so much more energy into their performance.
Headliners Mogwai prepped the stage with brass instruments for the KNDS Fairey Acid Brass to play.
The band started strong with two instrumental tracks, accentuated by an impressive light show.
The Scottish post-rock band created an incredible atmosphere throughout the gig with synthesiser-thick soundscapes that built into a massive wall of sound.
The brass band joined them for a unique collaboration on songs "Ether", "Burn Girl Prom Queen" and "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong".
Mogwai played at the Victoria Warehouse with support from English Teacher (Image: BBC Radio 6 Music / Shirlaine Forrest) Drummer Doug Frost of English Teacher explained how the collaboration with Richard Hawley came to be.
He said: "Hawley gave me his number when we supported him, and then whilst English Teacher were in Tokyo, I texted him to ask him to appear for our show, and then he called me whilst I was in bed, and he was in bed with his dogs.
"Then we chatted for about an hour!"
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After the performance Lily Fontaine said: "I think it were fun, I were grinning at the end."
Richard said: "Well, not to get too serious but they're from Leeds, I'm from Sheffield and we've played a Manchester classic.
"Some people might say sacrilege, but I think it's respectful and honourable."
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You said the book is called ? Yeah. It's by a guy called Rutger Bregman. He's from the Netherlands. He's basically looking at, if people are so great, why does bad shit happen? And it's really interesting. It starts off talking about us as a community, that we're nomadic and we're traveling so much and you were meeting so many people — whereas now we're surrounded by people, but because we don't move, we don't necessarily need them in the same way. And so you can be living in a block, but all the people are strangers to you. Whereas before, if there was people close to you, you'd be like, 'What can I trade? What do you have to eat? Is this very safe? Have you tried it?' So yeah, we're closer than ever, but further away I guess. How do you feel like reading that influenced your songwriting? When I came into the book, I was pessimistic. It's easier to be pessimistic or cynical and tough on myself in a way. 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