Huge 2017 beckoning

FEED the Kid . . . with session musician Alex Goulding (holding up Curtis Taylor)

IT'S been a cracking 2016 for increasingly popular city rockers Feed the Kid, but next year promises to be even better.

The five-strong outfit who boast roots in Oldham ­- frontman Curtis Taylor, guitarists Ciaran Egan and Jake Murphy, bassist Dane Stubbs and drummer Adam Smith ­- have made huge inroads this year, playing sold-out gigs, releasing new material and generally making a big name for themselves on the vibrant Manchester scene.

Favourites

Now it's time to look ahead to an increasingly important 2017 for the radio and YouTube favourites.

Taylor said: "We'll be working with (renowned promoters) 'Scruff of the Neck' more next year, and we'll be releasing three singles because we do need to keep this momentum up, certainly with regard to the radio side of things.

"We just need to keep putting the graft and the hard work in, we know what we've got to do.

"There was a mention of us going to China, but we figured it was best for us to focus on things here because we have been on such a good run.

"If we pull out from anything or anywhere we've been doing so far, we may never get our foot back in the door.

"We've been offered a few shows with (renowned promoters) 'This Feeling' and a few really good festivals.

"We saw some of the great stuff they did this year with bands like Cupids and the Amazons, and they've got more big bands coming through.

"It just seems the right thing for us to stick it out and stay here."

Feed the Kid's most recent single "In the City" proved very popular. The October launch night in Manchester was packed and the accompanying YouTube video ­- produced by Matthew Boon ­- boasts in excess of 12,000 views.

"For us it was a bit of different one," added Taylor.

"The song was quite punky, in fact it was as punky and as hard as we're going to get because we're normally more on the rock n roll side.

"It was about the city of course, though, and it is gritty, you can see how rough it is on the video.

"We love it, and the video did bring it to life.

"The head of Radio X picked up on it, and then it was 'track of the week' on there which was great for us."

And most special Feed the Kid gig of 2016? Playing at the world famous 100 Club in London, supporting Audioweb, must be up there.

"It's just a brilliant venue," added Taylor.

"It helps when it's busy, but when you go in there it just seems like dingy hole.

"The stage is weird because it's kind of horizontal, it's a long room if you like, and it was odd playing whip-ways.

"But it's got all the bands that have played there on the walls, they've signed these pictures, and for us to see that the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and so many others have played there was mega."

Check out Feed the Kid in the new year. Keep an eye on the band's Facebook page for gig dates.

They are planning to test out some new material at a number of open-mic nights in January.