Narwhals / Civil Service / Scatterchild

A birthday night at The Eagle Inn in Salford, bringing together Narwhals, Civil Service and Scatterchild, three acts whose music runs from indie-alt rock to angular, emotional songwriting.

Narwhals is a Manchester indie-alt rock ensemble built around Jacob Patrick. Its debut record, Two Dark Windows, has been followed by a run of 2026 singles. Their ballads are layered over heavily effected guitars, and the act has been likened to The National, Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and Manchester Orchestra. Live, it can play stripped back or as a full quartet.

Civil Service is an instrumental four-piece with headline shows across northern England, a run of festival appearances including ArcTanGent, and support slots alongside Bruit, Din of Celestial Birds and hubris. The band made its debut Asian appearance at the CAN festival in China, and a European debut in Munich is ahead. Their second record, Dark///, has reached its first anniversary, and the remix release DARK///ER supports Ukrainian humanitarian aid.

Scatterchild pair complex instrumentation and soft harmonies with a yelling vocal style, making angular, emotional music. The prolific act has a large back catalogue, alongside 2024's An Everyday Landscape, and a follow-up record is on the way. The Eagle Inn, a Salford venue, mainly hosts concerts with a programme centred on pop, rock and indie. The night is a birthday celebration for Jacob Patrick, gathering Manchester's underground and emerging acts.