A PENTHOUSE apartment in the fashionable Light Hotel in the Northern Quarter was the setting for the video shoot of 'Devils Lips', the second single from local band The Last Party.
On arrival it was clear that there is far more than just the four band members Liam, Greg, Adam and Daniel behind the growing success of these local boys. At least thirty people filled the penthouse apartment, spilling out onto the lawn outside, which offered a breathtaking view of the evening Manchester skyline.
2012 has been an exciting year for the band with their first single 'Bonnie and Clyde' being released in April. Following this was an avalanche of press endorsement and rumblings of a local band destined to break through into the consciousness of a wider audience.
They have been heralded as “The Sound of 2012” by XFM, have featured on Soccer AM, and even had a founding father of the Manchester music scene, Johnny Marr, tip them for a big future.
I feel that there is a real hunger for rock and roll in Manchester again, it's what made this city famous, it's part of our DNA and you can feel it turning. Real Manchester musicians aren't going to be neglected anymore
This success has culminated in The Last Party being asked to open the show at the Christmas lights switch on at the Town Hall. The band’s frontman, Liam Manton recognises the significance of the event for The Last Party:
“It's summarised two years for us and it is an honour, as kids our whole street were marched to the Christmas lights and it's one of those things that defines Manchester. We've carved a place in the line up through grit and determination and that is a testament to the work that everyone that has helped us to where we are now has done.”
Northern Lads Productions (NLP) is the help that Liam was referring to: a production company with a raw passion for the projects they adopt. They've been supporting The Last Party since the band formed.
Nick, one of the members of NLP described the ethos of the company as 'a very organic experience', which seems absolutely right.
The combination of the band and the guys working on the production of the video resulted in an atmosphere of creativity and a community feeling that felt genuine and natural, and an exciting place to be.
Liam Manton on the left
The debut single Bonnie and Clyde was a dig at the talent show culture that seems to have surrounded the music industry in recent years and resonates particularly with the story of The Last Party. Their success has not been down to luck, image or the financial input of a record label, but rather determination, passion and raw talent.
The authenticity of the band is something that is constantly at the front of everything that the band is about, and the desire to bring back ‘real’ music to Manchester is something that is clearly in the forefront of the mind of all members of The Last Party.
As Liam Manton said at The Light Apartment rooftop gig:“I feel that there is a real hunger for rock and roll in Manchester again, it's what made this city famous, it's part of our DNA. Real Manchester musicians aren't going to be neglected anymore.”
The Last Party are also performing at Night and Day Cafe on 17 November at 7pm.
The Last Party and fans
