Nashville’s Winona Fighter bring the action to Manchester as they make their UK headline debut
photo by @laurenallardphoto
19th May, Manchester UK
2025 is the year of debuts for Nashville punk band Winona Fighter. The release of their first record ‘My Apologies To The Chef’ in February this year was met with deserved credit as they dropped some incredible work that ventured into personal and political view – the record turned things like anxiety, trauma and mental health into something both fun and therapeutic to scream and sing along to. They have gained a lot of wanted attention and it’s a name we will be seeing lots more of.
Back in the states they have gained their own hardcore following, this has now travelled its way over to the UK and for the first time will bring the band to some English cities for the very first time to not only play, but headline for the first time ahead of their first UK festival appearance at Slam Dunk. Tonight, the party rolls into Manchester for the first night of the tour as they take to the stage in The Deaf Institute. The UK has been bathed in nothing but blue skies and sun recently so of course the best place to go at night is a sweaty gig, right? In a very cosy room, things will certainly be up close and personal.
With only one support band on the bill, it was down to local band Big Problem to get the crowd going and ready for action. The punk trio have their own unique sound with raw ferocity and very organic feel. Releasing their debut ep in March last year, they have gained a healthy following and been part of some incredible bills playing alongside the likes of Killing Me Softly, Scowl and Mercury.
Their set is packed full of energy showcasing exactly why they are a band to watch right now. Throwing in a good mix of their music, people in the venue were certainly on board with what these guys were giving with even one or two singing along. Having only just came across this band prior to the show, I left with nothing but admiration for everything they gave to the set - their sound is explosive and gives off strong guitar-driven, power-punk tendencies which always goes hand in hand. Manchester is always producing the very best when it comes to bands and Big Problem can absolutely be placed in that category and are deserving of any focus that they have on them.
photo by @laurenallardphoto
photo by @laurenallardphoto
Now for tonight’s main event. Being their first visit to the UK, the excitement for Winona Fighter is at an all time high and I feel kicking off your debut UK tour in Manchester is certainly a start as you mean to go on moment. With a packed room the scene was set for something special. Adding to the excitement, the band announce that they will be playing their debut in full tonight as well as some tunes that didn’t even make the US setlist (we promise not to tell).
The energy was high from the get go with fans singing back every word while on stage singer Coco Kinnon covers all areas of the limited space that she has available, her stage presence makes it very hard to look away from. Their live experience is a chaotic punk rock parcel and kicked off the show in explosive style with ‘You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers’. The record itself is flawless and as far as debuts go, it is up there with one of the best I’ve heard - getting to hear the record played from start to finish really is a special feeling and this show will be on to be looked back on as a ‘I was there’ kind of show.
photo by @laurenallardphoto
photo by @laurenallardphoto
The reception from the fans was clearly being soaked up by the band, you can see just what this means to every one of them with constant engagement throughout. When the band broke into standout tracks like ‘R U Famous’, ‘Subaru’ and ‘I’m In The Market To Please No One’, the atmosphere in the room was electric with constant pits going off without any prompting from Coco. Being in the UK, they even gave the added bonus of a British classic when they slipped Blur’s mammoth ‘Song 2’ setting the crowd in to even more of a frenzy. The vibes were just immaculate no matter the song. ‘Swear To God That I’m (FINE)’, ‘Talk’ and ‘Nyc’ were more serious standouts that kept the energy going in the crowd that just added to the sweat coated room.
The entire show just felt like an outer body experience, from start to finish the band gave everything they had and closing with one of their best and hardest songs ‘Hamms in A Glass’ rounded off what was a perfect night. The crowd sang and moved passionately fully embedding Nashville band into British life setting them up for what will be a huge week and the take on the rest of the tour and Slam Dunk Festival.
Winona Fighter are rightly labelled as one of the most exciting bands in the scene right now and it’s watching shows like tonight that highlights just why. With a killer debut album and a live performance that left everyone in a state of euphoria, it’s safe to say that the future of the punk scene is in great hands when we have bands like this taking over rooms and sending their fans into raptures.
photo by @laurenallardphoto
photo by @laurenallardphoto