Manchester is one of those cities in the UK that has plenty of hidden gems for live music. From the Deaf Institute to Wahlbar, there are plenty of places to see live music, whether it is Metal, Punk or otherwise. It's one of the best thing's about living there. Radcliffe's Civic Centre is one such venue; nestled in the centre of the sleepy market town of Radcliffe, about a 35 minute tram ride out of Manchester city centre, just away from the main road, this is the last place you would expect Metal bands to be playing. However, it plays host for the yet again to one of Manchester's best underground Hard Rock and Heavy Metal festivals in the country. This year is perhaps the best line up yet, and the whole weekend is great.

Saturday

I arrived in the early afternoon, having just stepped off the tram and into the blazing sun, having had a little difficulty finding the venue. I eventually find the place by following the thrumming noise that is emanating from the Civic Suite; and find a great many Metalheads already there, taking in the sounds and the sights, enjoying a cheeky afternoon pint. The venue doesn't seem to be the sort of place where you'd expect to have an event like this; it looks more suited to Bingo nights and table top sales than Heavy Metal shows and drunken debauchery.
 

The first band I managed to catch is LORD VOLTURE, The Netherland's premier Heavy Metal act. They perform amply, with front man David Marcelis making the stage his own. Although the hall was only a quarter full, they received an ecstatic response from the few people who are assembled, should have been more on my bill, but maybe their upcoming third album "Will To Power" will change that for them.
 

Next were SPIRES, who played extremely well. They played a brand of incredibly Bluesy Hard Rock, which I am an absolute sucker for. Quite a bunch these guys, showing some true performance on stage. The live and on record.
 

The next band on, MONUMENT, REALLY impressed me; they had the stage presence of closer to ACCEPT, and vocalist Peter Ellis had the powerful and brilliant vocal style of a young Bruce Dickinson. Possibly one of the energetic shows I have seen in a while so much power out of these guys.

In between bands, I wandered off for a pint, and am sat at the bar when a harsh, aggressive Metal racket kicks up next door. It's INCASSUM, a Manchester based Melodic Death Metal band. Clearly, they are a wild card, and stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the line up, which consists of Heavy Metal and Rock bands. However, they manage to win the crowd over and get them moving. They were absolutely fantastic, and perform extremely well as a band. This would not be the last time I saw these guys this weekend, but more on that later....
 

The final band of the night (for me at least) were the mighty SAVAGE MESSIAH, who have come on in leaps and bounds since the last time I saw them several months ago. They were absolutely spot on, and their new material mixes really well with their classic tunes. They perform with confidence and swagger, making the stage their own and rousing an incredible response from the tired, drunken and sweaty crowd. They walk off stage to roaring cheers; this is a band on the very top of their game who, with any luck, will have a bright future ahead of them.

After SAVAGE MESSIAH vacated the stage, I was able to catch the last tram back to Manchester and head for the nearest Wetherspoons.

Sunday

After a bizarre night of sleeping in a train station (which included a rather dodgy looking bloke waking me up to ask if I wanted to do Cocaine with him, an offer which I declined with a curt "Fuck Off") I returned to Radcliffe, and manage to get to know the place a little better.
 

When the doors open I head in and immediately head to check out BLACK STAR BULLET, who play a fairly standard form of Hard Rock. They play alright, but are sadly extremely forgettable. For the beginning of the second, and the last day, I expected a definitiveness, a bit more excitement for an opening band.
 

Exactly the opposite to BLACK STAR BULLET were France's GANG, who playd straight up, fast and hard Heavy Metal with plenty of inspiration from the mighty  JUDAS PRIEST. These guys play as if they were playing a sold out arena; they have a fantastic stage presence, tonnes of energy, and are captivating to watch. This is their first time playing England, and I sincerely hope it is not the last.
 

TRIAXIS were by far and away, along with SAVAGE MESSIAH, the best band of the weekend, and completely blow the packed out audience off their feet. Exploding with power, these guys have a bright future ahead of them, surely a band to be looking for in the coming years.
 

At this point, decide to check out what the Acoustic Stage has to offer, and immediately regret putting off checking it out sooner. The first band I check out is INCASSUM, who yesterday were playing a razor sharp and abrasive (in a good way) set on the main stage, are now playing two sets of sweet, melodic renditions of their tunes, as well as a brilliant cover of SEAL's "Kiss From a Rose", which translates really well into their own sound.
 

Following INCASSUM was the legendary Blaze Bayley, accompanied in his acoustic set by Chris and Luke Appleton on Guitar and Bass respectively. Blaze, as usual, was completely on form, and provides the same level of power and intensity as his club shows, complete with onstage banter. The Appleton brothers performed incredibly, and do perfect justice to BLAZE's back catalogue. After this, it's time for the finale...
 

I AM I went on stage to take an initially Luke-warm reception, which grows to applause and cheers by the end, and play quite well. They have grown significantly as a band in the years since their formation, and it's clear that this is a band that are tight and ready to unleash something huge (namely their new album) on an unsuspecting world.

This, like I said, is one of the best underground Rock / Metal festivals in the UK, and always boasts a fantastic line up, attracting people from all over Europe to a small community centre in the outskirts of Manchester. However, this year is by far and away the best one yet.

SOS Festival has been going from strength to strength over the years, and it looks like 2015 will be even better, if not just as good, with BLACK WHISKEY, AVENGER and MOTHERLOAD, to name but a few, already confirmed to play. If you get the chance to go, by all means make your way to SOS Festival next year. You most certainly won't regret it.