It’s so important to support the people and places we live with. There are countless bars and pubs out there, and yet so few bring anything special to the table- for me personally, I love the few special places in my home town that support and encourage music. The one in particular I want to talk about here, is The Swan With Two Necks, on Chestergate Road. A place that has held it’s a special place in many people’s hearts as one of Macclesfield’s most consistent musical venues, The Swan hosted Swanload this past bank holiday, which was an event that boldly spanned over two days with over twenty bands and artists preforming. The festival was in aid of Pancreatic Cancer Research and raised over £1000. In addition to this, the event also commemorated owners Wendy and Andy ten years at the pub. The mix of music was great, with acoustic acts such as YOPO and THE ACCIDENTAL GUITARIST kicking off the Saturday. Andy “bleeding hands” Hughes organised the event, mixing some of the best local talents into this full on event.
The afternoon went on and the crowds gathered further. Come late afternoon, there was a rare performance from 48VOLTS, whose rap metal set went down a treat. Dean Richards (lead guitar) remarked, “It was great to be playing with the band again after it was nice to be part of the event both because of the charity and to celebrate The Swan. My other band had their first ever gig at the Swan and it continues to give new bands their first gig experience”. True enough, there’s hardly a band in the area, or indeed further afield, that has not graced the stage of The Swan. With so many artists trying to find their feet, it is testament to the Landlord and Lady for their continued support of music new and old how well the event went. Indeed, the Saturday was a great start to the event, with the evening drawing in with POPHYSTERIAVICTIM bringing in the crowd with their uber cool sound. Helen Walford commented, “We were very pleased to be part of the event. As we’ve played The Swan quite a few times over the past ten years, as POPHYSTERIAVICTIM and THE CHRISTOPHERS, we feel like we’re part of The Swan family. Andy and Wendy do so much to champion live music. They have bands on from all over the country, and from abroad. What they do is special and Macc wouldn’t be the same without them. We’re so pleased the event was successful and raised money for such a good cause”.
At this point it’s important to mention that the event was raising money for Pancreatic Cancer Research, a cause close to the owners heart’s as the disease took the life of Wendy’s mum. In fitting tribute, the event raised a great amount of funds and awareness. And so the night came to a close with SHUFFLE smashing on to the stage next with some punk energy for a fun filled set, and the evening completed with F.I.G.M.O, Manchester based rockers preforming with great enthusiasm and the crowd lapping it up. All in all, the day was a huge success, and had people rearing to see what the latter half of the festival would bring.
Sunday was set as even more of a party, with yet another day filled with a range of musical styles. Kicking off with some cool musing from Darragh Burke, and moving through great musicians like Christopher Magpie, and the wonderful Tim Woodhouse creating a welcoming, comfortable vibe. Simon Mayo, preforming as MAYO said, “I was massively impressed with SWANLOAD. Both the quality of the artists and the impeccable organisation of the event itself led to an unforgettable night for everyone involved. I have been a loyal Swan punter for many years, as well as having played the venue many times with my band REIGN OF SIRIUS so to be asked at such a milestone event was a great privilege. I think the success of the event is a testament to what a great live music venue THE SWAN WITH TWO NECKS is”.
As the day wore on, the tone got a little heavier, with the likes of STONE COLD CHILLI PEPPERS preforming a great covers set. Moving into the antics of THE HEDGEHOGZ, who at one point ended up actually on the bar, the night was in full swing. This was probably just as well, as both CASH 4 CHAOS and SILENT SLAVE had the entire crowd rocking out and throwing their hair about. After the entire length of the festival, those who attended and preformed were well and truly exhausted.
Andy “Bleeding Hands” Hughes summed up the event: “This was a fantastic tribute to all the bands and artists that have played in Macclesfield over the past twenty years or more,” he also noted, “What was really special is how all the people involved left their egos at the door and pulled together, lending each other equipment, to create two days of fantastic atmosphere and music. It’s possibly the best event I’ve ever been fortunate enough to partake in”.
All in all, SWANLOAD was a huge success. With such a huge turn out and a great amount of support, this event was a testament to the power of music, and once again demonstrates how important local venues are to communities. Thankfully this was a bank holiday weekend, because the recovery period from such great performances was surely the full length of Monday!
mightylmcc 