PleasureInc. | Manchester, The Rat & Pigeon - In Review.

Scruff of the Neck Presents | Pleasureinc., Saneface & The Twenty Two @ The Rat and Pigeon 13/02/25 - In Review.

Guest Writer - Elliot Davies.

The Rat and Pidgeon, just off Picadilly Gardens, was taken over on the 13th of February for a raucous and noisy gig filled with alternative rock and hip hop. This date in particular was the first date of Pleasure Inc’s month-long European tour.

To kick off the night, The Twenty Two jumped into action playing their own modern tinge of rock and roll. Complete with old-school psychedelic guitar solos and ripping Wunderhorse like vocals – this band certainly turned a head or two towards the stage.

The next act up was Saneface, an Indie rock band hailing from Stockport. They came crashing onto stage with their melodic alternative rock. Their songs consist of fast riffing pop punkesque guitars, manic lead guitars carrying a strong sense of melody and a thumping rhythm section that ties the band together and makes it sound truly like a tight unit. Their lead singer “Nic” Malabuyoc brings it all home with his own pop sensible singing and lyrical guise that completes the sound of Saneface. This set was certainly a brilliant build up to the headliners of the night – Pleasure Inc.

To wrap up the night and start their tour, Pleasure Inc hit the stage with full force. The energy in the room immediately changed as soon as this unit started up their set. Known for their hits “For the Fun of It” to their newest EP “Trousers with Fake Pockets, Why?”, they pull off a heavy hitting hip-hop pop sound with a 90s alternative rock tinge .The singer addressed the crowd with his alien orange sunglasses and kicked the set into action. His singing/rapping style was reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine’s “Zack de la Rocha”. His loud and energetic vocals were backed by the drummer’s own antics – who frequently addressed the crowd and added his own lead vocals to many songs. Throughout the set they showed time and time again their sonic capabilities and songwriting wit, enthralling the crowd with their melodies and hooks.

This act is entirely different live compared to their recordings – much more energy and almost an entirely different tone. As a listener, you go in with expectations of a laid back suave hip-hop sound and are greeted with moshable levels of noise and energy. At the end as a farewell, a short 10-second-long heavy hardcore punk breakdown was gifted to the crowd. A conversation with the keyboard player would reveal the band’s punk influences and bring insight into their sound as a whole. Overall, this gig was one for the books, and a great kick off to the start of Pleasure Inc’s EU tour.

All the artists have music released online, and are well worth a listen.

The Twenty Two - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5aZcuXGouTLUYfQTfB0X16

Saneface - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KWHlIDBHKoA0JVAquY6we

PleasureInc. - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1bBOtBckF5NVFqM28isBa2

Elliot’s Photography Portfolio - https://elliotdavies.myportfolio.com/