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Pastel: Shiiine On Weekender '25
A live review of Pastel at Shiiine On 2025.
“I don’t have to sell my soul”
What began as a straight-up live review, a celebration of how a new band has tapped into the soul of Shiiine and its people, changed overnight. Pastel was going to be the story: a young group reigniting the electricity of The Verve, with flashes of Oasis and Ride stitched through their sound.
Banner and article image credit: Paul Hunt Media
That was the plan.
Then, on 20 November, the tragic news broke that Gary “Mani” Mountfield had passed.
Everything stopped. The words felt hollow. As Steve Mason put it so perfectly, “we were left without the nation’s cooler older brother”. I spent the days afterwards humming ‘Waterfall’, sometimes singing it under my breath while holding my newborn and my two-year-old—often with tears running down my face, thinking, the review is pointless.
Then Shiiine On resident DJ Dan Fulham dropped his tribute to Man on Cyndicut. Grief turned to celebration. Music felt joyful and meaningful again.
From sweatbox venues to supporting Liam at Knebworth, Pastel have been blowing the competition away. As they stride onto the main stage at Shiiine, their raw power has the gravitational pull of the Death Star, hauling in a huge crowd.
Onstage they had the nerve to bite the hand that fed them, mocking their own set length, taking the piss out of the festival machine, and doing it all with that feral spark Mani never bothered to hide. Draped in pristine Spezial, they didn’t just take the stage, they seized it. Not with empty swagger, but by dragging us straight into their world. No smoke, no gloss, no industry-approved sheen. Just the volatility of youth and great songwriting.
Mani’s passing brought back memories of the kind of character he was. A lovable rogue, opinionated, defiant, challenging, and welcoming. The kind of presence the modern industry has pushed to the margins. And yet, in Pastel, that same collision of talent, attitude, and warmth is happening again.
Watching Pastel so soon after losing Mani made something clear: the lineage isn’t broken. The spirit of character, of charm, of defiance, of music that hits you square in the chest lives on.
Maybe that’s the point after all.
“I’ve got heroes blood running through my veins”
Pastel: The Dome, London
A live review of Pastel's gig at The Dome in London.
Manchester’s Pastel finished their UK tour at London’s Dome in Tuffnel Park last Saturday. It’s their first tour since their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Souls In Motion’ was released.
*Banner image credit: Gary Walker
Last time headlining in London at the Garage, the band crossed over. A magical performance blessed with a spellbinding psyche that enticed a crowd into a unifying moment of escapism.
Image credit: Gary Walker
With the album not charting as well as they might have hoped, could they cope with the pressure? Could the band do it again?
Form is temporary. Class is permanent.
In the past, their gigs have been a display of talent—of a band with the songs and attitude to define a generation. Pastel is now toying with its crowd like master performers. The adrenaline rush of ‘Gone Too Fast’ is dipped into the Verve-eseque soul of ‘Leave A Light On’.
From then on, everything was beguiling, seemingly slight of hand as the Mancunians ascended to their throne as the band of the moment. The atmosphere hit a fever pitch amidst lysergic fog emanating from James Yates and Joe Anderson’s guitars. The guttural anthemia of ‘Heroes Blood’ and the rolling majesty ‘Deeper Than Holy’ spiral into the sweet release of ‘Isaiah’. It lands the band in a realm of glory, of a world where bands don’t have to serve up wet-fisted indie and half-baked Arctic Monkeys lyrics. In Pastel Land, bands are great, and they strive for more!
‘Souls In Motion’ may not have graced the heights of the album charts it deserved, but the people know. They have spoken. Loudly, in numbers, and with arms aloft, they ushered in their new heroes.
Image credit: Gary Walker
Pastel – Souls In Motion
An album review of Manchester band Pastel’s debut album ‘Souls In Motion’.
As lockdown began to fade in October 2021, Pastel put the world on notice with their ‘Deeper Than Holy’ EP. Organic, righteous, explorative indie-psyche music reared its head and sowed the seeds of hope for the guitar scene.
Four years on, they’ve opened for Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, blown their label mates of stage at the Islington Academy, and ushered in a new era of shoegaze and rock ‘n’ roll with a miraculous performance at The Garage in London.
Key to their ascendancy has been the likes of ‘Deeper Than Holy’, ‘Isiah’, and ‘Escape’. The former eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars, whilst Blake-esque lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore, something that will become their stock in trade. ‘Isaiah’ is steeped in Nick McCabe’s magical swirling guitars that beckon tonnes of dry ice on a huge stage for them. Frontman Jack Yates’ angelic vocals give the astonishing sonic a human touch, allowing us mortals into their world. ‘Escape’, written after a hefty acid trip, has the melodic hallmarks of ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Space & Time’ and the explorative splendour of ‘Blue’. The sumptuous slide guitars are destined for iconic status.
Image courtesy of Fear PR
The unheard additions to the album are its biggest assets, though. ‘Heroes Blood’ and ‘Gone Too Fast’ rise to the top of ‘Souls In Motion’ with astonishing power. ‘Heroes Blood’ is a tornado of rock ‘n’ roll with basslines from the devil and guitars from the darkest quarter of McCabe’s soul. With hedonism in their blood, they march unsighted through the mire to announce “I’m free” alongside the majesty of ‘Urban Hymns’. It’s a monstrous opener, beset with the kind of intent that ‘Stone Roses’, ‘Definitely Maybe’, and ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ unleashed.
‘Gone To Fast’ is where they transcend to greatness. Frontman Jack Yates finds spitefulness in his vocals in the verse; it gives the self-belief in the lyrics the venom they richly deserve. Conversely, as Joe Anderson and James Yates build the tension to a fever pitch, Jack’s melodic vocal uplift becomes the most significant moment in rock ‘n’ roll this decade! Has three and a half minutes ever felt more like a victory?
Pastel have given the alternative circuit its credibility back. For the first time in what feels like forever, a band has decreed statements of intent and confidence that, not only can be believed in, can resonate with the life-or-death authenticity of Jimmy Cooper (Quadrophenia):
“I’ve got heroes blood running through my veins” (‘Heroes Blood’)
“The hand that shakes the suit and tie / is the one that will betray” (‘Your Day’)
“You can’t walk a single step in my shoes” (‘Gone To Fast’)
The time is up for the raffle winners who are half-arsing fame and supporting 90s legends on seemingly every tour! The real deal has woken from its slumber, and it’s taking back big stages, festivals, and glory.
Manchester’s Pastel are set to release their debut album on January 17th via Spirit of Spike Island Records. ‘Souls In Motion’ was recorded at The Old Bank studios, with Afflecks Palace frontman J Fender producing and James Kenosha mixing.
Pastel: The Garage, London
We reviewed the live show of Manchester band Pastel at the London venue The Garage.
Having sold out the Camden Assembly last October, Manchester’s Pastel were back in the capital to play to a packed crowd at The Garage.
Image Credit: Matthew Eynon. Courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.
At the Assembly (Barfly), their latest single, ‘Your Day’, whilst good, was jarring. Its urgency countered their more blissed-out fan favourites. To great effect, this purposeful spirit was doubled down on at the garage—the former single opened proceedings with an aggressive front-foot mindset, which they rarely deviated from.
With the intensity levels pulsating, the latest single, ‘Dancing On A Pin, ‘S.O.H.O,’ and previously unheard tracks fired out quickly. Breath only was taken when frontman Jack Yates asked us “to fund his haircut.” It was a masterclass in substance over style, allowing little time to comprehend what was happening—dizzying, mystical genius!
As the band led the room to the precipice, the release of ‘Isaiah’ was a divine moment, but it was ‘Deeper Than Holy’ that truly ignited the crowd. The song, previously well-received at Islington Town Hall and the Camden Assembly, took on a new life on this night, transcending the stage. The crowd arms aloft and wide, bellowed for it with an unhinged willingness to prove what it meant. Powerful, soul-freeing energy was released into a psychedelic haze of smoke and red lights as the band, and fans became unified in their shared experience.
Pastel have now crossed over. The world is theirs. Their howling guitars the warning sirens for the world, get your shit together; systemic cultural change is nigh!
Pastel: Camden Assembly, London
“Chase the feeling, I believe in”
Last night, Manchester’s Pastel took to London for the first time as headliners at the Camden Assembly (formerly the Barfly). The last time we caught them was supporting label mates Afflecks Palace at the Islington Town Hall (full review here). They blew their peers off the stage that night. Could they handle the pressure as top dogs?
Pastel shone through a haze of smoke and early Verve-esque jams a year ago. Frontman James Yates had that beautiful Ashcroft and Gillespie quality of knowing when to stay out of the way and let their trips take hold. This beauty remained, but Jack Yates emerged as a frontman to be reckoned with. A confidence oozed through his performance, humour through his patter, and crucially, in those big vocal hook moments on ‘Your Day’ and ‘Deeper Than Holy’ he unleashed the power and looked iconic!
With the announcement that their new album is coming in the new year, they unleashed new material on the besotted London crowd. ‘Run It On Up’ saw Yates switch up from Ashcroft’s defiant peak on ‘Northern Soul’ to ‘Tellin’ Stories’ era Burgess. The collective snarl in the verses ebbed away into a melodic uplift blessed with euphoria and intensity. Meanwhile, ‘Sunnyside’ had tinges of The Style Council playing ‘Catching The Butterfly’ with Liam on vocals. Influences that consume most bands were folded into their brand of bugged-out Four Horseman meets Nick McCabe psyche with mesmeric ease.
‘Isaiah’ and ‘Escape’ slide into the sold-out crowd’s elusive dreams and forgotten schemes with their blissful spirals and kaleidoscopic imagery. A sea of arms out wide greet the mystical Blake-esque poetry of ‘Isaiah’. On ‘Escape’, the bellowing power of Joe Anderson’s guitars begins to transcend music as hope descends from on high to the hearts and minds of this adoring audience.
Pressure? What pressure? Pastel looked at home as headliners. The only thing out of place was the size of the venue. Witnessing a band on the cusp of greatness in a 200-capacity venue was a privilege. It will surely be the last time for a long time.
Pastel - Isaiah
Manchester’s Pastel release their second EP ‘Isaiah’ EP this Friday via Spirit of Spike Island Records. Produced by Afflecks Palace frontman J Fender, it follows the success of their ‘Deeper Than Holy’ EP released back in 2021. Can it follow up on the early promise?
The previous EP demonstrated a love of the Verve which they have doubled down on here. The title track ‘Isaiah’ is steeped in Nick McCabe’s magical swirling guitars that beckon tonnes of dry ice on a huge stage for them. Frontman Jack Yates angelic vocals give the astonishing sonic a human touch, allowing us mortals into their world. ‘Escape’, written after a hefty acid trip, has the melodic hallmarks of ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Space & Time’ and the explorative splendour of ‘Blue’. The sumptuous slide guitars are destined for iconic status.
Their time with John Squire at Knebworth was clearly well spent. On ‘S.O.H.O.’ the ‘Second Coming’ and ‘Do It Yourself’ strut comes out to play. Great and immediate hooks combine with Yate’s Chris Helme vocals to bug everything out.
On ‘Two Fools’ however, the promise builds but does not arrive. Whilst the hiss of Owen Morris’ Oasis production lurks and the vastness of ‘Urban Hymns’, its tails off without landing a killer moment. That is a testament to the quality elsewhere that your hopes are raised song upon song.
*Image courtesy of Fear PR
Pastel’s remaining live date of the year is:
November 20th - Preston, Crosstown Festival
Afflecks Palace - Dancing Is Not A Crime
Image and artwork courtesy of https://www.spiritofspikeisland.com/
Manchester’s independent kings Afflecks Palace recently returned with their new single ‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’. Released on their own label Spirit of Spike Island it was produced by frontman J Fender.
‘Dancing Is Not A Crime’ is the lead single from their second album due for release in 2023. They have doubled down on the lysergic energy of the debut album and produced their best work yet. There’s a confidence to J Fender’s vocals now which allows the guitars to become, ever so slightly more muscular. This slight tweak gives them an aura that befits their dreams!
The added aggression elevates Dan Stapleton’s guitar licks (and the backward ones) to a mind-altering reality where everything feels rushed, in the best possible sense! Everything bristles with excitement, poised on the edge of a dancefloor waiting for that solo or piano loop to release souls.
It’s easy to see why it has been c-listed on 6Music and their shows with Pastel at 100 Club and Thekla have sold out.
Afflecks Palace: Islington Assembly Hall
Afflecks Palace, although headlining, were dealt a tough hand by label mates Pastel. So stark was Pastels’ performance, Afflecks had to work overtime to whip the crowd back up. Hard work is what Afflecks Palace lives for though. Running the label Spirit of Spike Island, producing records, writing records, artwork, and designing merch. They must be the hardest-working band in the UK!
Images courtesy of the Adrian Lee.
What might have taken some bands half a set to recover, they did by track three ‘Spinner’. The paisley guitars were drenched in floral glory. As sweat and booze fell to the floor, souls were released into a kaleidoscope of bliss.
‘We Can Be The Avalanche’ went up a notch from the album. Pete Darling’s basslines darker and broodier alongside Pete Redshaw’s devastatingly destructive drumming took their clarion call to dizzying new heights!
In James Fender, the band has the humble icon the UK scene has sorely missed for some time. Fender looks like us, dances like us, and he is here to save us all! Proving to the world men in bucket hats are full of love and not to be avoided, he danced like it was 1988 apace with his ethereal baggy vocals. Watching him effortlessly groove across the stage to the sun-drenched ‘Pink Skies’ or explode into life on ‘Calling All Cars’ was nothing short of poetic.
With new songs ‘I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy’ and ‘Big Fish Small Pond’ sounding equally as dynamic, the future looks incredibly bright.
Pastel: Islington Assembly Hall, London
“Don't you feel alive / These are your times and our highs”
Last Saturday, as part of the record label ‘Spirit of Spike Island’ tour, Manchester’s Pastel went on second at the Islington Assembly Hall. They left all-conquering heroes!
It’s rare for a burgeoning band to leave everyone talking about the as-yet-unreleased songs of the set. However, in ‘Running On Empty’ and ‘Soho’ they did just that. Frontman Jack Yates vocals, sent from heaven, stoned, flood the senses with The Verve circa ‘The Verve’ and ‘Voyager’. Angelic with the ability to step off the power and let everything swirl around him in a t4echnicolour haze. Meanwhile, lead guitarist Joe Anderson was cementing his place as the heir to Nick McCabe’s throne. Anderson’s celestial majesty conjured a druggy vortex the like of which have not been seen since their Wigan peers’ triumphant Glastonbury return in 2008.
The latest single ‘Escape’ brought a tear to many an eye. They combine the slide guitar beauty of ‘Space and Time’ with the scenic psyche soundscapes of ‘Blue’ and the bugged-out melancholy of ‘Virtual World’. The UK scene has never lacked meaning. It’s full of great polemic. What it has missed as the industry raced to the bottom, is a band willing to shun indie’s immediacy in the hunt for success. Pastel hadn’t forgotten! They have existence and it’s theirs to share!
It was a set of so much power, one in which where you leave knowing the world just changed. Despite this, they still had moments of great brevity spliced in. ‘Blu’ pulls in the delicate immediacy of DMA’s Matthew Mason and Johnny Took’s guitars whilst still striving for their own swirling splendour.
Pastel, despite their trippy sonic, looks like a band of brothers. The gang mentality in all fronting up the stage is reminiscent of Oasis's run to glory. Looking great, all in a line, demanding everyone’s attention! Jack Yates, has that mystical Bobby Gillespie appeal and knows when to refrain and allow his band to shine brightest. A gang, a collective, they rock ‘n roll in arts purist form.
Afflecks Palace – What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining
Manchester’s Afflecks Palace have been on one hell of a charge this past two years. Not content with launching their label Spirit of Spike Island, looking after the rising star of Pastel, they have now self-released their debut album ‘What Do You Mean It’s Not Raining’. Never let it be said the youth of today are lazy!
You can buy the album from Spirit of Spike Island.
It may have been recorded at James Kenoshas studio in Hull and mastered by John Davies at Metropolis in London but, it’s very much a Manchester album. Forget rehash, this is a recreation for the famous city from the ground up for 2021.
‘Capre Diem’ and ‘Pink Skies’ are fine clarion calls and, burn with a unique rage. Both clutch The Roses and Smiths to their hearts. There’s a spirit, a raging desire to be heard, to be brilliant and to be loved! The former, sprinkled with the brash parts of The La’s and the infectious moments of Ride’s comeback will disarm the most hardened souls as its buoyant charm races to your serotonin.
On ‘Pink Skies’, they serve up sun drenched imagery and poetry so blissful, it’s inevitable the masses don’t flock to them. Working class anthems haven’t sounded this good since Tom Clarke’s gritty Coventry tales burned bright in 2007. Like Clarke, frontman James Fender has a knack of his digging his heels in and making it sound joyous. No one is stopping his dreams! Where they differ from The Enemy is, Afflecks Palace have deafness of touch. The angelic vocals and feather light guitars smile at the naysayers. All the while, their propulsive polemic strives for glory:
“The pyramid is ten feet tall
Shall we climb it, risk the fall?
Steal the rusty copper crown”
This is an album that far outreaches its Manchester roots though. A huge slice of the Laurel Canyon scene infiltrates its beauty. ‘Ripley Jean’ is an effortless Byrdsian meander into sun-kissed landscapes. The rapid-fire licks and Fender’s Alan Wilson-esque (Canned Heat) vocals serve this adventure well. The accelerated guitars keep on coming via the Johnny Marr-inspired ‘Forever Young. Meanwhile, on album opener ‘This City Is Burning Alive’, an array of McGinn and Clark guitar parts erupt into life to make the laissez-faire psyche of seem Tame Impala extinct.
Then, on ‘Spinner’, comes the moment that will catapult the band to superstardom. Everything you thought you liked about The Lathums dissipates here. They have eclipsed their (fine) Wigan peers’ infectious sound with this bubblegum pop classic. Witty and humble, this heaven-sent reincarnation of Sally Cinnamon via Ride’s ‘Future Love’ is beset with joyous vocal inflections and a freeing nature so pure, its more intoxicating than MDMA.
Some are dubbing them ‘nu-Manchester’, what we know is, they have found a way to reimagine the past in 2021. So many have striven to be like the greats, Afflecks have found space in their slipstream on this debut. How soon they can overtake remains to be seen but, their Destiney clearly lies alongside them at least!
*Images courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island
Pastel - Deeper Than Holy
Manchester’s Pastel recently released their debut EP ‘Deeper Than Holy’ via the label of the moment Spirit of Spike Island. It follows the colossal, Andy Bell endorsed ‘She Waits For Me’. Can it match its power?
Go buy their EP from Spirit of Spike Island here.
Title track ‘Deeper Than Holy’ eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars and Blake-esque power of the lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore.
‘Run Rabbit Run’ delivers another slice of powerful psyche music. They’ve taken Cream for a 4am walk through the northern quarter and it’s intoxicating. The short splices of Squire combine with the modern-day baggy pioneers like Big
Image and The Utopiates to keep their spiralling propulsion traversing new planes.
The power of these two tracks needs brevity and on ‘Blu’ and Where We Go’ they do not disappoint. The former, taps into Oasis’ groove on their cover of Cartouche’s ‘Better Let You Know’ whilst, gently unfurling like Mock Turtles and climaxing in The Twang’s swagger. Lyrically, it’s the EP’s most freeing moment. We defy you not to readdress your life as Jack Yates proclaims ‘I was waiting for something / But I had nothing / but I had nothing to lose…….It’s getting better/ And higher’.
Meanwhile, ‘Where We Go’ reignites the c86 movement with the beauty of Felt and the jagged drive of Servant. Arguably, it’s a song that defines this generation of dreamers more than any other (along with label mates Afflecks Palace and Coventry’s The Institutes). Kicked, maligned, and locked up, their songwriting has been born out of utter frustration and has come to set us free.
Bands like these are so vital right now. More so than Joy Division, The Smiths, The Roses, and Oasis. The aforementioned had a carrot dangled. They knew that, if they could produce, then they would be rewarded. Today, bands face a race to the bottom. Spotify believes its model is morally justifiable. It isn’t! Pastel are making good new music but, furthermore, they are going to succeed despite an industry intent on denying them a future!
*Image courtesy of Matthew Enyon