Photo Credit: Sophie Turrill
Wolverhampton played host to its first ever Feel the Noise festival on 19th April 2025, and if you like your music indie, your venues a bit gritty, and your pint never too far from reach, this was one for the books.
Spread across three city-centre spots – Wulfrun Hall, Dive Bar and North Street Social – the festival had that proper DIY charm that makes you feel like you’re discovering bands before they blow up.
First stop for me was North Street Social, a cosy little bar with more than a few punters who seemed more into the lager than the live music – but that didn’t stop DEAR LILY from capturing the attention of those actually listening. Armed with just an acoustic guitar and a genuinely sweet voice, she delivered a stripped-back set with real charm. Second song Saviour had that kind of Billie Eilish “Birds of a Feather” energy, if Billie were a sweet English girl singing in a bar in Wolves. Her cover of Crazy was surprisingly moving, too.
Next up – and a bit of a mission to find – was Dive Bar. It’s up three floors above a gentleman’s club (no joke), but once you’re in, it’s a surprisingly slick little venue with a laid-back feel. THE SWAY were on, and while the space was tight, their guitars filled every corner. They’re a five-piece with a decent mix of vocals between two lead singers. Small stage, big sound, and the crowd absolutely lapped it up.
Over at Wulfrun Hall, things started to level up. Artists were introduced by TV personality and podcaster John ‘Fenners’ Fendley who presented Soccer AM.
ALEX SPENCER, all of 18 and buzzing like he’d just been handed the keys to his home city of Manchester, absolutely lit the place up. High energy doesn’t even cut it – the lad finished his set with a full-on backflip (and nailed it). ‘Bucket Lis’t and ‘Nightmares‘ were quality tunes, and his vocals had a rawness that just worked. Keep an eye on him – he’s definitely going to make waves in the future.
KEYSIDE, straight out of Liverpool, brought more of that proper old-school indie band vibe. Influenced by the likes of The La’s and The Smiths, they were nothing flashy, just tight playing and seriously good vocals. Their namesake song ‘Runaway‘ really hit – felt like the turning point where the room started properly getting into it – make sure to keep an eye on this lot. Having never seen their faces before, lead singer Dan Parker gave me strong Hannah Montana’s brother vibes – random I know.
THE COVASETTES were next – cheeky chaps with some good banter. They had a cracking story about going into The Clause’s dressing room and finding it stocked with prawn sandwiches (peak rock ‘n’ roll, clearly). Their tunes ‘Top Drawer‘ and ‘Wave‘ got the crowd nicely warmed up for the big guns. They’re indie-pop fusion and vocals from lead singer Chris Buxton, make them one to watch.
Then came THE CLAUSE – and the mosh pit. Their new track ‘Never As It Seems‘ is a banger, straight up. It’s going to be an epic one to both catch live and listen to as a track, They’re fresh off finishing an album and you could feel that energy – polished but still raw in all the right ways. ‘Fever Dream‘ and ‘In My Element‘ had the place bouncing. Guitars were flying, drums punching, sweat everywhere. Loved it.
To cap it all off, headliners THE K’S took to the stage – and judging by the sea of merch in the crowd, half the room were there just for them. They opened with ‘Icarus‘ and closed with ‘Sarajevo‘ – and sandwiched a bunch of tracks from their latest record in between.
Slightly less chaotic than I’ve seen them before – lead singer Jamie was battling through illness – but they still owned the stage. Jamie’s vocals were strong, shining through in the acoustic numbers, and Ryan on lead guitar might as well have made his guitar the fifth band member – his playing tells its own story. Even a slightly toned-down K’s set is still better than most bands on a good day. They’re epic live, and they make it all about the crowd, which is what a gig should be.
Overall, Feel the Noise made a cracking debut. A proper venue-hopping celebration of all things indie – a little rough around the edges, but all the better for it. Same time next year? Count me in.
Taped Magazine 