Saturday, May 18th, 2024 saw Marrapalooza return to a sun drenched Ouseburn as five familiar haunts played host to a day of DIY music.

The festival, which started in 2023, is a celebration of DIY music, with a range of alternative bands from across the country descending on Ouseburn for a day of live music.

My day started at Cobalt Studios, where I saw Thursday Club, kicking off a great day of live music with a great performance. Combining post punk and hardcore influences, the group raced through an excellent set, which got people on side straight away, setting the tone for the day.

After taking some time out to enjoy the sunshine, I made my way up the hill to Little Buildings to catch local lads, The Hollows. Clad in immaculate suits, the group somehow managed to deliver an energetic punk set in the stifling heat.

The heavy distortion on the bass on some of the tracks was a nice change of pace, bringing a different flavour to the gig, which allowed them to stand out.

Next to The Cluny, where Straight Girl provided another electrifying set of riotous dance music. I first saw Straight Girl when they supported Dream Wife on their 2022 tour and was treated to one of the best shows I’ve seen from a support artist. It meant that expectations were high and they did not disappoint, showing once again that they are a natural born performer, dragging the audience along with them.

Despite only having a laptop and a few vocal pedals, Straight Girl lit up the stage, bringing a chaotic and charming energy which was infectious. Their set, backed by dark and distorted dance beats, included a few new tracks that sounded great and illustrated that they have evolved even further during their time away. If you get the chance, make sure to check them out.

Next up were Mumbles from Manchester at Little Buildings again. Before seeing them, I didn’t know much about the band. However, they completely won me around with a sensational set of sprawling songs.

The amount of talent which the group possesses is scary, with colourful guitar parts which were absolutely ludicrous at times. These decorated lavish and grand arrangements, which demonstrated the group’s talent for songwriting.

They are very much Manchester’s answer to London’s Windmill scene with creativity oozing out of every line they write.

I then took a walk down the winding stream and under the bridge to Tyne Bar to catch Model Village which provided a completely different vibe in the cleared out beer garden of the famous pub.

With a set of infectious indie pop cuts, powered by synth lines, they got the crowd up and dancing, and provided a soundtrack to the hundred or so nights out, unfolding under the arch.

I then took a hike up to The Cumberland Arms perched atop of Ouseburn’s highest reaches for Norwich’s Other Half. This is the second time I’ve caught the group at this venue with both occasions showing the group in fine form.

Fresh from flooding their Travelodge room, the group provided fun, laughs and most importantly an amazing performance with enough distortion to blow your eardrums back down the hill.

Marrapalooza and events like these are incredibly important, with a packed bill of DIY bands powering a DIY festival, which is run for a love of music, rather than a love of profit. They’re always well worth your time, and I had an amazing day out parading around Ouseburn in the sunshine, seeing amazing bands many of which I hadn’t heard before.

Whilst providing culture to the region, events like this are so important to providing a platform for up and coming musicians. The organisers of the event even took a hit to provide Ouseburn with a top class day of music, with the festival ending the day with a £2,000 deficit due to the organisers trying to keep costs down for festival goers.

That’s why it’s so important to support live music events such as this. There is currently a GoFundMe to try and make this a trilogy of events in 2025, which I will leave a link to here and if you get the chance to support an event such as this, make sure you do, you won’t regret it.