Meet the 3 up-and-comers performing at Neighbourhood Weekender

The Victoria Park festival will see such names as Pulp, Anne Marie, Scouting for Girls, and the Kooks heading to Warrington. 

Everyone knows, however, that the best part of a festival isn't the acts you know are going to be great, but it's discovering that next new act you can tell your friends you saw before they blew up. 

In recognition of that time-honoured tradition, we have put together a fact file on 3 of the must-see up-and-coming bands at Neighbourhood Weekender 2023.

DOLORES FOREVER

Based out of London, Dolores Forever are made up of two friends: Hannah Wilson, who is from Leeds, and Julia Fabrin, who is from Copenhagen. After the success of their debut EP Baby Teeth, the Indie Pop duo are playing their first Warrington Gig at Weekender, with an album upcoming in 2023. They jokingly referred to themselves as “the second coming of ABBA”, before immediately begging me to clarify that it was ironic.

    What kind of music would you say you play?

• Indie Pop with lots of big choruses, we strive to be Indie Abba!

What’s your biggest musical influences?

• Abba obviously! But also, newer stuff like Sharon Van Etten, Mitski, HAIM, as well as the vibe of things like Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, and Spice Girls.

What’s special about your band/act?

• Laser beams, smoke machines, and sequins! You know, we’re new to the scene so you’re going to see lots of enthusiasm and no complacency. Plus now if you come see us you can be like “I saw them before they became big!”

Which of your songs are you most excited for people to hear?

• Party in my mind and Funeral!

Is this your first time playing in Warrington? If not, where have you played?

• Never played in Warrington but [Hannah]’s boyfriend is from here so him and his family will be front row, I hope!

Who are you most excited to see at Weekender?

• ‘Pulp’, what an amazing Sheffield music mafia twosome. Jarvis Cocker is an icon! Also ‘The Big Moon’ definitely.

STANLEYS

Based out of Wigan, Stanleys are made up of drummer Rob Hilton, 23, Guitarist Jake Dorsman, 23, Bassist Harry Ivory, 23, and the frontman Tom Concannon, 22. They have previously played Neighbourhood Festival in Manchester and are now set to take on Neighbourhood Weekender in 2023. Having sold out Manchester academy and charted number 3 on the official vinyl charts, the band claim they are “on the cusp of world domination.”

What kind of music would you say you play?

• I think Stanleys music is somewhere in the indie-pop region. But that is just the music released so far. I believe we have a larger scope and will expand as time goes on.

What’s your biggest musical influences?

• I think for all us lads in the band, the Stone Roses had the biggest effect on us growing up but now further down the line I believe it will have changed some. For example, I'm now very much into my dream pop music including a band I love called Alvvays.

What’s special about your band/act?

• The special thing for me is the trials and turmoil we have undergone as people together hasn't changed our love for music and passion to share that love with people.

Which of your songs are you most excited for people to hear?

• I believe that the best music from Stanleys is yet to be released and I hope to be able to capture these songs perfectly in the studio sometime soon.

Is this your first time playing in Warrington? If not, where have you played?

• We have played Warrington once a few years ago before to around 10 people so I’m hoping we may have a little bit bigger turnout at the weekender.

Who are you most excited to see at Weekender?

• Pulp is a band me and the lads love, and I particularly like to mould my performance on Jarvis. So it will be a dream come to play and then watch pulp.

SLANT

Slant are a neo-glam band made up of a group of 5 young people from Brighton.

The band was started in 2020, and in a uniquely unlucky sequence of events played their first ever gig just a week before the first lockdown.

Made up of Frankie Stanley, 24, and Katy Smith, 24, on vocals, Aurora Bennet, 23, on drums, James Virtue, 22, on bass, and Jamie Broughton, 22, on guitar, this young Brighton band have opened for Wet Leg, Dream Wife, and The Regrettes, and are set to blow up.

What kind of music would you say you play?

• We play music for the dancers, the trancers, and those searching for answers.  Some call it post punk. We call it neo glam.

What are your biggest musical influences?

• David Bowie, Kate Bush, The B-52’s, Nirvana

What’s special about your band/act?

• We like to consider our performance from a conceptual and theatrical perspective, rather than just focusing on the music.

Which of your songs are you most excited for people to hear?

• Driving 123456! (an unreleased track)

Is this your first time playing in Warrington? If not, where have you played?

• Yes it’ll be our first time in Warrington, although we did play at Neighbourhood festival in Manchester back in October. We’re excited to come back for a whole weekend this time!

Who are you most excited to see at Weekender? 

• Pulp, Sugababes, and English Teacher. We’ll also be donning our best cowboy attire for fellow Brightonian, cmat.