MPF Venue Spotlight: The Bread Shed
Manchester Psych Fest is as much about the rooms as the bands playing in them. Across one Saturday, venues throughout the city take on their own little slice of the festival…and this year, The Bread Shed is once again among them.
For John Scanlan, Head of Events at IDWC, its appeal lies somewhere between the intimacy of a grassroots venue and the atmosphere of a much bigger show.
“We’re the perfect balance of venue at a festival like Psych Fest, in terms of size,” he tells us. “You still get that intimate feel of the smaller venues as you can get close to the bands, but with an audience size that still feels like a major event.”
That middle ground makes The Bread Shed particularly well suited to a festival built around moving across the city. It’s big enough for a crowd to properly get going, without losing the closeness that can make a festival set memorable.
And for Scanlan, creating that atmosphere isn’t just about what happens on stage.
“At other festivals we host throughout the year, we’re known for the friendliness of our events and security team especially, so we hope to bring some of that at this year’s MPF.”
BUILDING ON LAST YEAR
The Bread Shed already has some Psych Fest history to live up to.
For Scanlan, one of last year’s highlights came from Australian punks C.O.F.F.I.N., whose performance managed to exceed already-high expectations.
“They’re a band I’d heard great things about but was really impressed with live.”
It’s exactly the sort of discovery Manchester Psych Fest tends to produce. The festival might have plenty of names capable of dictating your schedule before you’ve even left the house, but it’s often the bands you know considerably less about that end up derailing those plans completely.
And there’s plenty Scanlan is hoping to catch this time around.
“Personally, there are a lot of bands that are right up my street this year, arguably the best I’ve seen so far for this festival in my opinion.”
On The Bread Shed’s own lineup, it’s The Heavenly Bodes who’ve particularly caught his attention.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how they go down with a Manchester crowd, as they have that retro Liverpool sound, despite being Cornish.”
If running a festival venue allows for an escape at any point, however, there's another name on the list.
“If I can sneak out through the day, of course I’d love to catch Angine de Poitrine live,” Scanlan says. “I've been a math rock fan for a long time, so to see someone have the year they have had is incredible to see!”
He might not be the only one with that idea, but we’ve got you covered if you can’t get in!
A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT THE BREAD SHED CAN DO
One of the things that separates Manchester Psych Fest from a traditional festival is the way the city itself becomes part of it. Instead of moving between tents in a field, you’re meandering between established Manchester venues - each bringing its own character, dimensions and atmosphere to the day. For Scanlan, that’s fundamental to the festival’s appeal.
“It’s an honour being part of such a huge event, and MPF is a great showcase for the volume and quality of brilliant venues Manchester has to offer. Every stage no doubt will have a completely different feel, and that's what makes MPF so special.”
For The Bread Shed, this year’s festival is also an opportunity. Its team is one of the newer operations among the participating venues, and Saturday gives them the chance to introduce the space to plenty of people who might be walking through its doors for the first time.
“It’s a chance to show what we can do,” Scanlan says. “We can’t wait to open those doors and put on a great show!”