Cody Frost & Bronnie | Beyond The Music | Review | 13.10.2023

Showcasing grass root venues and new bands is pivotal in building the future of the music scene and Beyond the Music in Manchester nailed that on the head this year with their brand new event featuring live music, guest panels, keynotes and special events covering the whole spectrum of the music and creative industries. The event took place over 4 days with some of the hottest new names in music taking over grass root venues across Manchester city centre. It’s the perfect time to see the future big names in places you can say ‘I was there’.

I took the trip from Glasgow to Manchester to catch two stand outs on the bill, amazing acts from as close as Burnley & The Wirral who’s names are both gaining plenty of attention and attention they throughly deserve.

First up is Burnley singer, Cody Frost. Since bursting on to the scene with their debut single “Verbal Warnings” in 2021, Cody Frost has gained a reputation that has seen them appear on some notable tours and festivals including 2000 Trees, Great Escape and Misery Loves Company as well as providing guest vocals on Enter Shikari’s 2022 single, “Bull”.

Taking to the stage in Aatma, Cody is greeted to a small but highly eager crowd awaiting a killer performance – and that we got. Opening with that debut single, you can instantly see the confidence burst from them as they own every area of that stage, the presence is to be admired. Closely followed was a treat just for us with a new unheard song “Wot” – a future single that I can’t wait to hear again after seeing it live for the first time.

With some nice crowd interaction and a little comedy praising a local bus from Burnley to Manchester, the set commenced with some of Cody’s work from recent EP, “Teeth”. Lead single “DWYSSWM” was followed by “No Admission”, a high energy number that the crowd were quickly feeding off.

A short but sweet set comes to a close with “Berlin” bringing the vibe down to a chilled groove before 2022 single “Chaos” brings things to a conclusion with a rapturous round of applause from the onlooking crowd who have been there from the get go, drawn in by an incredible performance from a name you can expect to see around for a very long time!

Next we have the short walk across the city to Oldham Street to catch up with a singer who just seems to be taking over one day at a time – all the way from The Wirral, it’s Bronnie.

Such an exciting act to have on any bill, Bronnie has made her name pop out in countless areas of the scene – from TikTok fame to a single release with Kellin Quinn from Sleeping With Sirens, to her very own radio show – Bronnie is adored by many and it’s clear to see from any social media engagement that she adores her loyal fan base.

With her debut album, Jaded recently announced, it’s shows like this that allow fans to get a taster of what’s to come with her biggest UK tour to date fast approaching. With that album being said, it’s the title track Jaded that opens the set – with the intro being built up by guitarist Peter and drummer Chris, Bronnie stands side stage awaiting her entrance.

“What’s your favourite scary movie?” echo’s around the room as Scream is next on the set. Quite fitting we hear this on Friday the 13th in October of all times, even with it being a regular played classic, the timing for this was just perfect. 2019 single Lost and Found comes next before one of her latest singles Ur Ex Girlfriend – a song that gives a nod to her theatre experiences.

Quite like Cody’s set earlier in the day, it was another short but sweet time with Bronnie. Each time I see her the fun never ends and it’s always a pleasure to catch her in any venue. The set concludes with latest drop Oh! – personally for me her best work to date, the meaning behind the lyrics comes with its own personal connections and even with that, the upbeat melodies and catchy riffs brings so much happy feels to this and it’s a perfect set closer.