TIPPER OF THE WEEK: DAVE BEECH

This week we continue our latest feature on the Tipping Point, spotlighting the biggest and best emerging acts from across the UK. Each Monday, we ask one of our esteemed tippers to select five of their hottest tips to be featured on the site throughout the week.

Next up we have Dave Beech – having started off blagging his way in to gigs from the age of 14 in his hometown of Manchester, Dave’s involvement in music started at an early age and centred mainly around pop-punk and cheap cider. Realising this wasn’t a particularly sustainable career path, he began writing for local blogs and websites, with a focus on (but not limited to) the unsigned scenes around the UK, before progressing to national publications such as such Line of Best Fit, CLASH and The Independent.

It was Dave’s involvement in the grassroots however that caught the attention of a then-fledgling Scruff of the Neck where Dave began his career in promotion and artist development. Since then, he’s gone on to work with bands such as Larkins, The Hubbards and King No-One, and has been instrumental in Scruff of the Neck’s development outside of its native North West, in particular in the North East and Scotland.

 

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BOB VYLAN

A very recent discovery for me, Bob Vylan feels like exactly what the country is currently clamouring for. Eschewing the middle-class pretence that some current punk bands seem to harbour, Vylan bridges the gap between genres and indeed demographics by fusing together punk, trap and hardcore with aggressively politicised lyricism that goes straight for the jugular. It’s music born not from desperation, but from disenfranchisement, and it couldn’t feel more vital.

 

RIVET CITY

Managing to blend the easy-going vibes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers with the politicised urgency of Rage Against the Machine, Rivet City are arguably one of Manchester’s best kept secrets. With their live shows belying their relative infancy in the scheme of Manchester’s ever-burgeoning music scene, it’s only a matter of time before they outgrow the dive bars and basements that they’re so well suited to. In the meantime, catch them ASAP and treat yourself to something seriously special.

 

IST IST

ist ist’s indomitable presence has been felt throughout Manchester, and indeed the UK’s underground for a few years now. Currently gearing up to release their debut album, the band’s own brand of stark, brutalist post-punk has earned them an army of fans up and down the country. And while the addition of synth in recent years has afforded them a melodic depth previously unseen, the darkness and desolation remain steadfast. Haunting stuff.

 

GIANT ROOKS

I might be cheating somewhat with the inclusion of Giant Rooks. Arguably pretty bloody big in their native Germany, it was working with Scruff of the Neck that led me to falling in love with these guys while working on their first UK tour. Since then they’ve gone from strength to strength both across mainland Europe and here in the UK, including two sell out shows in Manchester and London. Keep an eye out, because you’ll be seeing much more from them in the future.

 

BLACK CATS & MAGPIES

Hailing from Nottingham, Black Cats & Magpies are one of those rare examples of a band that just tick all the right boxes. Effortlessly treading the fine line between emo and indie-pop, the band’s ability to craft deft melodies and earworm hooks is as impressive as it is memorable. With relatable lyrics that eschew cocksure indie-boy swagger, tackling issues such as mental health instead, they’re a breath of fresh air standing head and shoulders above a scene in danger of stagnating.

 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Having spent the last 18 months working with and alongside some of the strongest new bands in the North East it seemed logical to include at least a couple in the above. However the more I thought about it the more difficult it was to choose, so a massive shout out goes out to: Plastic Glass, Deep.Sleep, Cova Castle, Lovejoy, Post-Rome, Mouses, The Thieves, Primary Colours, Club Paradise and all the other countless bands that have made working with them such a blast. The scene in the North East deserves an article in and of itself and much more attention from the wider music industry in general.