Playing festivals but still rehearsing in a garage

They are all in their early 20s and practise in one of their parents' garages, but Greater Manchester band The Guest List have spent the year playing gigs in front of thousands of people.

From playing Neighbourhood in Warrington, to festivals in Japan and then Reading and Leeds over the bank holiday weekend, the band have performed on a number of large stages.

And they say being from Greater Manchester, has a huge impact on them - as does the area's musical heritage.

"Because of that heritage, the underground scene is still very active and healthy which has been a massive help for us coming through," said vocalist Cai Alty.

Four of the five members of the band - Alty, guitarists Leio Hunter and Tom Quigley, and drummer Angus Gilchrist, met at school in Altrincham while playing in the school's swing band, with bassist Sid Wallace joining them later.

Alty said the band had grown up listening to Manchester bands, in particular The Stone Roses who went to the same school.

"We've all had that experience of listening to those bands and taking influence from them and certainty the attitude," he said.

"As we've got older, we can dive into the depth of the scene a bit more, get into Joy Division and The Smiths as well, so that's had a big influence on us as well".

He said he felt in the area there was a "hungry audience" wanting to see new music, still off the back of those big names.

"It's been a massive help for us coming from around here and having that access to venues and an audience that has really kick-started our career and so we could pursue music professionally at such a young age".

The Guest List's links to Greater Manchester have a prominent place in their music, including in lyrics of a song highlighting their hometown's contribution to World War One.

Chapel Street in Altrincham was called "the bravest little street in England" by King George V after 161 residents signed up to fight in the conflict.

The Guest List's song 161 includes the lyrics

"161 poppies race around my head, I'm running through the rows of red, and 0161 for the souls of Chapel Street".

Alty said he "hadn't been writing songs for very long" when he composed the lyrics.

"It's two-fold, it's nice to pay reference to where you're from," he said.

"It was one of the songs I had before the band started and I think that feels like an important thing to do and a different way to attack songwriting maybe than you would normally do."

And their music videos have also shown their love of the area too, including in locations such as Victoria Baths, Elizabeth Gaskell's House and the city centre's streets.

Ruine was filmed in the city, on one of the many rainy days the area experiences.

"It helped the gloomy attitude," Quigley said.

And Alty said although the band did not anticipate the weather that day it "became a huge help".

"It just makes the whole thing more surreal but again, more localised," he said.

"I don't know what we would have done if it had been a sunny day, I think it would have completely changed the attitude of the video."

This year the band played shows up and down the UK, as well as festivals.

They included Neighbourhood in Warrington in May and Summer Sonic in Japan plus Reading and Leeds in August.

Gilchrist said some of those larger gigs still "still haven't fully set in".

"When we did Neighbourhood, it was our first festival main stage and I remember walking out as we were coming on and I was taken aback," he said.

For Hunter, the Japanese shows were particularly special as his mum is from Osaka.

"It was almost like a full circle thing for me," he said.

"It was half full and then as soon as I spoke a bit of Japanese loads of people started running over and it was a surreal moment."

The band have just released their debut album - Something Real - and have a headline tour later this year.

But there is still more they want to do.

Wallace said he would like to play European festivals while Quigley is keen to do shows in South America.

And Gilchrist said they are taking every tour experience as it comes.

"We don't ever set expectations because you don't want to disappoint yourself.

"And then when we are lucky enough to get offers to go around the world and do stuff like that, it's just even more special."

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