“The thrill of the new is a wonderful thing and that feeling when you know you have just seen the future cannot be beaten”
Noel Gallagher with John Robb at Mr Sifter’s in 2024(Image: John Robb)
Writer and musician John Robb is one of the UK’s most influential voices in music – and now he’s decided to launch a live event in Manchester to celebrate the alternative music scene.
John, frontman and bassist of punk bands The Mebranes and Goldblade also writes and runs Louder Than War, a music and culture website and magazine. This March, he’ll be using this platform to hold a one-day music festival at one of the city’s most-loved venues.
Fittingly, Louder than War Live will take place on March 14 across Manchester Academy’s numerous performance spaces. Over three decades, the venue has served as a launchpad for fresh talent while also spotlighting some of the biggest names in British music culture.
From post-punk to electronica, and guitar bands to intimate sets and unmissable in-conversations, the first-of-its-kind event will see the likes of Sea Power, Pale Blue Eyes, House of All, Evil Blizzard and Benefits take to the stage. Over ten acts have already been announced and the full line-up will be revealed soon.
Manchester Academy
With many strings to his bow, the writer and musician was one of the leading post-punk fanzine writers, was the first to interview Nirvana and was instrumental in documenting the Madchester scene with his writing. He’s written a number of books too, including biographies of The Charlatans, The Stone Roses and Oasis.
John was also there when Noel Gallagher would first join brother Liam on stage, watching the earliest gigs of Oasis before their supersonic rise to fame. And it was his interview with Noel in 2024, back at Mr Sifter’s record shop in Burnage, where Noel’s conciliatory comments about Liam teased the first signs of the epic Oasis comeback.
Speaking about the move to launch a new festival in Manchester, he told the Manchester Evening News: “We wanted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Louder Than War website with a bill of bands that reflected what the site is about.
“We have been writing about bands old new borrowed and blues for a decade and it was good to mix a selection of some bands like Sea Power and Pale Blue Eyes who we wrote about first and have gone on to bigger things with a raft of new bands that we want people to see.”
On what punters can expect of the one-day festival, he’s preparing music fans for a full day of great acts across three venues at Manchester Academy, which he says is one of his favourite places to see live music.
“We liked the way the venues are all next toe each other as it means you should be able to see as many bands as you want and we liked the idea of a building takeover and filling it with like minded souls. It will be a day of thrilling music, great hang outs with friends old and new and a brilliant good time social and a celebration of community – everything that is great about live music.
“Manchester is the number one music city in the UK – it has more venues than ever of all different shapes and sizes and lots of events and festivals and bands to back it up. London is too spread out and expensive and everything in Manchester is connected in a high decibel mycelium network and every event and gig and festival is another stitch in the city’s rich tapestry that we are proud to be a part of.”
At a time when music venues continue to face challenges increasing skyrocketing costs, John believes events like Louder than War Live will also help the city’s music scene while also helping people discover new music. “I think anything that gets people out and mixing and talking and sharing a space is good not just for the music scene but for life in general.
“We are gradually becoming more isolated in the internet age and being in a room with other human beings whether old friends or people you have just met is so fundamentally human that it’s good to be a part of that process plus we guarantee a great sound track and bands you already love or new gems that will change your world.
“We urge you to get there early and from the start as often the future of music is a new band – I did the same in 1989 when I saw Nirvana play to 20 people in new York City doing a support slot – the thrill of the new is a wonderful thing and that feeling when you know you have just seen the future cannot be beaten.”
Other bands and acts on the bill for the festival this March include Immersion, Plantoid, The Sick Man of Europe, White Magic for Lovers and Erotic Secrets of Pompeii. General Admission tickets are priced at £49.50 with the option to add a donation to Music Venue Trust, an organisation which works to secure the future of iconic venues.
Louder Than War Live 2026 takes place at Manchester Academy on Saturday, March 14 from 2pm.