Review:
Puppet Rebellion

Manchester indie five-piece Puppet Rebellion played Manchester’s Night People on Saturday night, upgrading from a smaller venue following a sell out. By the time they took to the stage, following three support acts, it was clear they could have done with somewhere a bit roomier still.

Kicking off the night, Preston-band Ronda performed to a slowly growing crowd. Unfazed by the early slot, they had fun on stage and played through their indie-infused anthems confidently, creating a sound bigger than expected from a trio.

Next Altar Flowers turned back time with their new wave 1980s sound. With both a male and a female vocalist harmonising over guitar reverb and a synth-driven backing track, they provided a welcome change to a night bookended by big indie songs. So did Good Foxy, whose psychedelic blues soothed the audience before the main event.

With the venue packed, Puppet Rebellion finally graced the stage and greeted a 200 strong crowd who surged towards the front of the small stage. They played though a 45-minute set of tracks from their debut album Chemical Friends, which is out this week. That the band have been together since 2012, and have supported big acts such as Catfish and The Bottlemen and Reverend and the Makers, was apparent – their mature sound was polished and their chemistry slick.

The crowd was made up from people of all ages and the band thanked the family and friends who have been with them from the start, but for everyone chanting back the lyrics of their upbeat guitar music there were others for whom the night was clearly an initiation.

With a radio-friendly sound – the band have already attracted the attention of BBC Introducing – an enigmatic performance style and a growing following, you could be hearing more of Puppet Rebellion in 2018.

Read our Q&A with Puppet Rebellion here