SOMETIMES it takes an event like Neighbourhood Festival to remind you how much there is on your doorstep.

Manchester is renowned as a music city and most of us will have been to gigs at the arena, Apollo and the Academy.

But Neighbourhood took music fans to venues that they may have not been to before and offered a chance to see the city in a different way.

More than 100 artists and bands from all around the world performed at 11 venues around the south side of Manchester.

The inner city festival brought stars like Blossoms, Circa Waves, Liam Fray, White Lies and Twin Atlantic.

But one of the real pleasures of the event was scanning the line-up, darting from venue to venue, making new discoveries and tailoring the experience to your own music taste.

So while there were reports and grumbles about big queues for the likes of Pigeon Detectives at Sound Control, Blossoms at The Ritz and Liam Fray at Albert Hall I was nestled in the Pub/Zoo.

Nestled is probably the wrong word for a venue which became Neighbourhood's home for the newest and noisiest batch of alternative rock.

First up was one of my greatest discoveries of the day, the raucous riff-heavy punks, Strange Bones.

Bobby Bentham proved to be a formidable frontman jumping off stage to prowl around the crowd as he snarled into the mic.

He also climbed on anything that would take his weight and even stage dived into the small, unprepared crowd. Probably not what they were expecting on a Saturday lunchtime.

I then checked out Lake Komo who packed out Gorilla. The Lancaster four-piece impressed with their chilled-out acoustic vibe.

Then it was over to Sound Control's basement venue for The Amazons.

The Reading rockers drew a huge crowd – so big that I struggled to get in – but they failed to really capture people's attention.

Neighbourhood also offered a decent reminder of what Manchester has to offer beyond the Arndale Centre and the high street.

So in between bands I had some trendy veggie food at the Deaf Institute (also one of the music venues for the event) and a swift craft beer at the likes of The Font and The Footage.

Most of the venues were within a few minutes walk of each other, making it so easy to get about and explore.

After that I went back to Zoo/Pub for some more rock offerings while the majority of festival-goers battled the crowds at Albert Hall and The Ritz.

Dead! were fantastic, offering fast, heavy and yet melodic songs delivered with an abundance of stage presence.

The London four-piece sounded a bit like a punkier, more chaotic version of Weezer.

Grumble Bee had plenty of skill and passion but did not really have the songs to back it up.

Tall Ships were one of the highlights with their experimental brand of rock mixing elements of post-rock and prog.

They showcased songs from their long-awaited second album, Impressions, which revealed a more accessible side to the band who are tipped to make their breakthrough in 2017.

The Hyena Kill were probably my Neighbourhood favourite. The Manchester duo's star is rising fast with a heavy sound that mixes Royal Blood and Queens of the Stone Age.

Drummer Lorna Blundell looked dainty in a floral dress but created incredible beats that drove the crowd into a frenzy along with Steven Dobb's huge distorted riffs.

That was the only time I saw a circle pit erupt in the venue.

Lonely The Brave then closed the show at Zoo/Pub ahead of their tour with Biffy Clyro.

Showcasing a range of songs from their debut album, The Day's War, and follow-up, Things Will Matter, they were a worthy headliner among many to choose from.

Despite obviously suffering from stage fright, David Jakes' voice and delivery was astonishing with his band blasting out emotional, post-hardcore songs.

Some of them like Victory Line and The Blue, The Green are arguably among the best the alternative rock scene has had to offer in the last two years.

Whatever your taste, Neighbourhood had it all and for £30 it was an incredible offering for any music fan.

- Neighbourhood Festival 2017 has already been confirmed for October 7. Reduced early bird tickets are available from Friday. Visit neighbourhoodfestival.co.uk