TVAM at The Castle Hotel in Manchester review

Image: TVAM

Manchester is home to thousands of bands with new ones seemingly cropping up every second. This means artists have to find a distinct edge to stand out.

Wigan based artist TVAM is a regular on the city's circuit that's carved himself a niche; on this night he performs beside an old school TV, displaying psychedelic imagery of crash test dummies and flashing green and pink lights. 

The Castle was the setting for this intimate gig in a packed room at the back of the pub, a venue synonymous with harbouring emerging talent.  

The Showers front man, Sam Frost opened the night, playing synth-heavy tracks from his Summer Rain EP.

Frost was followed by the duo of Jupiter C, who captivated the crowd from start to finish with the soft vocal of Ashiya Eastwood and David Kane combining for an aesthetic similar to the xx (listen to 'The Process' from their debut EP below).

Next TVAM took to the stage. Blaring edgy sonics backed by muffled vocals and growling guitar, his sound communicated fittingly through the well-worn crackling speakers. It was however impossible to follow along with the lyrics. 

He began his set with a blast of bass whilst shredding his guitar, before opening with ‘Porsche Majeure’. A track met by cheers from those familiar and an even louder applause from his new-found followers after hearing it.

Standing at well over six foot it was hard not to notice him despite the dimly lit stage. The set was performed without a hitch, causing more and more people to try and squeeze in the room after every track.

His more upbeat, surf-punk track ‘No Explanations’ was a highlight of the performance which pulled the biggest cheer of the night. As the gig drew to a close TVAM ended on a high as he premièred his latest, gritty single ‘Gas & Air’ (listen above).

It was already apparent that he had fans in Manchester and judging by the swarm of people rushing forwards to grab a CD after the set it’s clear that he attracted plenty more.

Read: Five must see acts at Sounds From The Other City