It's easy for so called legendary artists to head out on tour and play a ready selection of “hits” with a smattering of surprises for the hardcore fans. What happens when that “legend” is Neil Young though who has hardly had a hit on a long career and has a reputation for being an old curmudgeon who will play what he damn well feels like?

Well, when you have a backing band such as Crazy Horse the answer is a no-brainer. They may not have had “hits” as such but they have a back catalogue brimming with stone cold classics to take on tour with them. Tie in this with a sparkling new album Psychedelic Pill which more than matches up to the '70s stuff and away you go.

For Birmingham, the second night of the UK tour, there were a few surprises tucked up their sleeves from the first night. Opening song ‘Love To Burn’, replacing standard opener ‘Love and Only Love’ made it immediately obvious that this night was going to be different.

The slow build up of lab-coated technicians setting the giant amps and microphones up had given way to the national anthem with all the stage members including band paying homage. It was then down to The Horse to start the dance as ‘Love To Burn’ began it's slow creep into the hearts and minds of the fans. Pristine sound and immaculate guitar playing belied the hoary old vultures on stage as they felt their way into the song.

‘Surfer Moe and Joe the Sleaze’ followed in another surprise move. Young enjoys throwing in songs from forgotten albums and this little gem worked well in its new early slot. It provided a neat segue into the title track of the new album with The Horse hitting full throttle now. And then it came, the first epic of the evening.

Much has been said about people walking out of his shows in Australia because they didn't get what they expected. For a Crazy Horse show you know you will get feedback and this is what ‘Walk Like A Giant’ provided...in buckets. Already epic and long on the album, this song now became monolithic with the first twenty minutes being an almost immaculate conception of guitar solos jammed from the huddle in the centre of the stage to absolutely pristine harmonies. As the song built, the guitar jams got more and more feedback drenched as the venue literally shook. By the end it was all feedback and psychedelic strobing as a giant fan blew rubbish all over the stage. Thirty minutes later and the crowd was left breathless by what they had just heard.

The feedback merged into a thunderstorm as video screens took us back into the past with flashes of lightning greeting the classic “no rain” chant from Woodstock. It was time for The Horse to calm down as Neil led them on new song ‘Hole In The Sky’. This gave way to ‘Heart of Gold’ which prompted a mass singalong which carried on into his cover of ‘Blowing in the Wind’; as much a nod to his folk past as a way to prepare for more Crazy Horse, it was a nice mellow respite. ‘Singer Without A Song’, another new one finished up this section.

It was time for The Horse to get moving again, this time with ‘Ramada Inn’, the lengthy song of lost love on Psychedelic Pill. Lumbering and transcendent, there were moments when you were literally lifted out of your body as the song soared it's gracious way over the arena. ‘Cinnamon Girl’ followed in what was a refreshing blast of garage rock from the greatest garage rock band around. You forget how talented this band is as you get drawn into the music, and they can certainly teach a few young folks a thing or two about rocking out.

‘Fuckin' Up’ was next with its long drawn out rap from Billy Talbot enticing the crowd to yell “he's a fuck up” at Young. This could have failed if it wasn't for the sheer humour and faith that The Horse wouldn't let you down. It is songs like these which sort the real fans from the fake as Neil tests your patience but in the end rewards you.

And what better reward could you get than the next song. This reviewer gawped open mouthed as the familiar guitar of ‘Cortez The Killer’ started it's slow burn. This was most definitely NOT in the script but tonight it was here. The legendary “classic” from Zuma finally making its appearance. Yes, you could maybe fit two songs into its length but that's not the point. Epic and moving in equal parts, the band huddled together in stage centre, teasing out the lengthy jams that take the song. Young's voice was on immaculate form as all emotion was wrung from it.

A quick blast through ‘Mr Soul’ led us straight into ‘Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)’ giving a one/two of classics to finish the main set off. The latter being greeted like a long lost friend as Young wailed the immortal line “it's better to burn out than to fade away”. On this showing, this is exactly what Young is doing as he guides The Horse to a powerful finish.

Last surprise of the night was the encore as ‘Powderfinger’ prompted a mass singalong. Removed from its usual place second in the set, hope had been lost of it being played but faith was rewarded. There is nothing quite like singing along to this song after two and a half hours of The Horse taking you on a journey through their career. Immortal and legendary, much like the man and band himself. A truly tremendous experience from a classic band and artist.

Fraser Stewart of Scottish noisemongers Fat Goth has kindly provided us with all you could possibly want to know about his excellent band, who released the brilliant 'Stud' earlier this year. Read on...

(((o))): So, first and foremost, who are Fat Goth and what are your musical backgrounds?

Hello there. My name is Fraser Stewart and I play the guitar and provide vocal beef for Fat Goth, a rock band based in the Scottish city of Dundee. Joining me in this quest to create aural joy is Mark Keiller, who brings percussion to the creative fold while simultaneously managing all the band's affairs and Kevin Black, a bass player of the finest calibre and a keen enthusiast of having a good time all the time.

We all hail from the Tayside area and have been forging our own paths in the music game for over ten years now. Fat Goth is the first time the three of us have actually experienced any degree of notable critical acclaim and although all the praise and support we've been fortunate enough to receive over the course of the last year is undoubtedly welcome and fully appreciated; our jadedness and general non-plussed attitudes remain. I predict at some point the public will recognise us for the hacks we are and cast us back into the abyss of obscurity.

(((o))): How did the band come together?

In 2007 I had written a number of abrasive rock songs. However, I had no band at my disposal to enable these creations to reach their full potential. Mark and I had played together in previous bands so I enquired about his willingness to partake in this new project. He was playing with an excellent band called Pensioner around that time but agreed to participate whenever he could. I then turned to our old school pal, Allan Mitchell and asked him to take on the bass duties.

We rehearsed the material and gradually reached the point where our efforts were of a suitable standard to be documented in a studio environment. This resulted in Fat Goth's first album, 'Mindless Crap', which was recorded by Ross McGowan of Chime Studios in Glasgow and was released in 2010 via our Bandcamp page for free.

Fat Goth made its live debut a couple of weeks after the album's release and we continued to practice, record and play live as often as we could until Allan immigrated to Australia in the spring of 2011. Mark and I then asked Kevin to join the band. Kevin played in one of our favourite local bands, Laeto. We immediately started work on a follow up album to 'Mindless Crap', which resulted in the material featured on 'Stud' and we've been having a blast ever since.

(((o))): Please describe your sound in the form of either a haiku, a rhyming couplet or, if you are feeling massively ambitious, an acrostic...

"I fear this request is beyond my limited capabilities. How's this?

Three suave brutes hailing fae The 'dee,

Massive swinging cocks and balls aplenty,

Big, banging' beats and riffs that are ripping

Fat Goth's here to get all the lassies dripping"

(((o))): Has your local music scene had any impact on you as a band?

Certainly; we draw influence from a variety of different sources and the talent based here in Dundee is just one. Glasgow and Edinburgh tend to be at the forefront whenever the music media/industry casts its gaze over Scotland, which makes sense given their respective size and vibrancy. Dundee along with various other smaller scenes located north of the central belt tends to get over looked but it would be entirely inaccurate to state they have nothing to offer. The underdog status of places like Dundee inspires their creative communities to work harder in order to be heard, resulting in art that's just as relevant as you would find anywhere else - sometimes more so! That ideology is something I've always believed in and I feel I'm a better artist, musician and person as a result.

(((o))): ‘Stud’, your latest record came out recently. Tell us a little bit about it...

Hmm, well I suppose the title and cover are a pretty clear indication of what the album is about. You could argue Elvis shaking his hips in front of audiences of screaming girls was the first time the marriage between rock and roll and sex was fully established. It's a trend that's stayed throughout the centuries and many have profited from it. Most popular music nowadays glamourises sex to the point of it becoming this unobtainable, yet highly desirable, thing everyone craves. Personally, I've always found it impossible to relate to music of that nature. I'm not a handsome millionaire with swimming pools and yachts, nor is it common place for me to have beautiful, bikini-clad girls dancing around my general vicinity, much to my disappointment. However, I know a great deal about making a colossal arse out of myself trying to appeal to members of the opposite sex and all the negative and self-destructive traits that occur in the wake of such regrettable instances. A large part of Fat Goth's music represents that particular aspect of sex appeal and if I was to hazard a guess, I reckon the vast majority of people in the world could relate to that more than what Rihanna and folk like her are going on about. Therefore, our ticket and album sales should be through the roof, but they're not. I wonder why...

(((o))): What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing new bands starting out in the music industry today?

Maintaining the will to live? I have no idea. All we've ever done is simply focus on making the best music we can. I've always believed if you get that right, you'll eventually find an audience that appreciates and enjoys your efforts. Agreeably, it's taken me over 10 years to get to the point where I'm doing interviews about the music I'm involved with but you know, better late than never.

The internet has had an immeasurable effect on the music industry. One of the many upsides is your music can be potentially heard by millions all over the world, which is incredible when you think about it! However, we're still in a transitional period and there isn't any clear indication of where the artist can make significant money, if at all. Rest assured, the days of having a private jet for your band are well and truly gone but if reasons like that are the only motivations for you making music in the first place, you deserve to fail. Music is an art form and should be treated as such. Want cash? Try people trafficking.

(((o))): Every band has different aims. What would have to happen for Fat Goth to make you feel that you’d “made it”, so to speak?

Becoming completely irresistible to the global female population would be a start! I dunno, by the time Fat Goth came into existence we all had extensive experience in the pitfalls of 'playing the game' and had long since abandoned the teenage dream of becoming rock stars. Personally, I take great pleasure in whatever we manage to achieve together, no matter how small or insignificant: a good practise, a fun show, a productive studio session, etc. Making sure you're enjoying yourself is the only thing that matters!

(((o))): What makes fat goths better than obese supporters of any other cultural/musical subtypes?

Regardless of whether you appreciate gothic creativity or not, you have to give credit to those who follow that culture and wear it for the whole world to see. I have a pretty morbid personality and often consider myself as a bit of a goth; only I'm too much of a coward to don all the makeup, long leather jackets, chains, etc.

We called our band Fat Goth because we wanted a totally ridiculous and stupid moniker, something that would suit the absurdity of the music. We never thought anyone outside of our circle of friends would ever listen to us so it didn't really matter what we were called. Ironically, the name has been extremely beneficially in capturing other's attention so perhaps there's a lot to be said for a stupid name. It's certainly not a slight against actual obese goths, which is something I feel I need to state more often nowadays. We're a liberal bunch and everyone is welcome to come and join our party, except for white extremist organisations and the like. They can all go and get fucked.

(((o))): We have another column called Echoes of the Past in which we get people to write about albums that have particularly influenced them. What would you guys choose to write about in that column?

I can only speak for myself but I think Mark and Kevin would agree something like 'Nevermind' was a pivotal moment in our lives, which is probably the case for countless other noisy, guitar-orientated bands around the globe. Apologies for being so generic!

Hearing Nirvana and 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the first time was an experience I'll never forget. It was just so profound and it completely captivated me. I never expected music to have any influence on my life but 'Nevermind' and Nirvana undoubtedly changed everything: I instantly knew I wanted to become a musician and that pursuit has remained a constant in my life ever since. I can't really say anything about 'Nevermind' that hasn't be already discussed to death over the course of the past 22 years, so I won't bother. Anyone who has heard it and shared the same passion will know exactly where I'm coming from anyway. Without it, I seriously doubt I would be where I am today. Whether or not that's a good thing is something else entirely!

(((o))): This is ostensibly a column for introducing new bands. Any suggestions as to who we ought to include in the near future?

There is a new band in Dundee called The Sparrowhawk Orkestral who we like a lot. We're massive fans of Edinburgh's Vasquez; instrumental rock music can often be a bit of a chore, especially if it's veering towards the well-worn paths of Mogwai and the like but Vasquez bring something new and exciting to the plate. Finally, there’s Thumpermonkey from London, who sound like Peter Gabriel fronting a more aggressive and visceral version of Genesis while also incorporating elements of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake in places; superb!

(((o))): What are Fat Goth’s plans for the near future?

We're currently gearing up for appearing at a number of the summer festivals. Folk can expect to see us at Go North, Belladrum, The Wickerman and Arctangent in the coming months, all of which should be fun. Aside from that we're hard at work on the follow up to 'Stud' and if all goes to plan we'll be recording again before the year is out.

Prog Rock has moved on from its epic, cape wearing days, but it’s essentially most at home in the green and black of the West Midlands. This Wolverhampton-based band play with verve and grace, their particular blend of new prog - rock is peppered with an acoustic edge - taking the crowd from gently bouncing on their toes, to all out dancing.

Stand out songs of the 45 minute set were ‘Bullet Rain’ & ‘This Is England Now’ but the whole flowed smoothly building from a gentle start and held tightly together by front man/singer Adam Broadhurst. He was joined on stage by the regular line up of Jonny Millington (drums), Adam Richard (Bass) and Jonathan Price (lead guitar); with the addition on several tracks of violinist Jack Rowe (a veteran support artist whose commissions have included New Model Army).

Also included in the set was their upcoming single ‘Some Stories’ - A swooping, classic example of a modern folk rock Story song, drawing from across our national traditions; and one from which all proceeds go to Help For Heroes. It is due for release on the 24th of June. It, and indeed the whole of the bands album The Ragged Rhythm of Rain can be downloaded at https://www.underabanner.co.uk/.

The set closed with the tracks ‘Steam’ and ‘Where We Are’. The former was a very different beast, sung with a particular passion, and with a very heavy edge as the lyrics spoke of the industrial past of the bands home town. Both songs were strongly reminiscent of other bands for which that part of England is well known, it could be said they have the ‘Wolverhampton sound’; whilst the lyrics mean this band wouldn’t be out of place on the steampunk circuit, should their inclinations ever steer them there.

Just days before launching their debut album, Glasgow band Quickbeam played a hometown gig in an abandoned Victorian swimming pool to celebrate the arrival of said release.

And what a venue it is: Govanhill Baths may not have seen any swimmers for a while, but it survives as a venue thanks to the work of community campaigners who prevented its closure. The show saw Quickbeam and record label Comets and Cartwheels collaborate with local artists to produce an event that encompassed art, projection and theatrics. Not to mention music from one of Scotland’s biggest musical hopes for 2013.

With a glass ceiling far above the makeshift stage in the pool’s deep end, support band (and labelmates) Fake Major arrived in broad daylight, giving something a festival vibe. “We’re in at the deep end now,” announced the band – one of whom was wearing a rubber ring. They worked their way through a steady set of pop-tinged folk, with Richard Ferguson and David McGinty’s harmonies particularly impressive.

Opening with ‘Remember’ Quickbeam quickly arrested the crowd and established their sound – gritty guitars clashing with subtle strings and brass, instantly backing up the  comparisons with Sigur Ros that have accompanied almost every review of the band.

Debut single ‘Seven Hundred Birds’ was a real stand out, Monika Gromek’s voice perfectly balanced against the strings, while the swell on ‘Immense’ was huge, the band slowing building the sound into a huge multi-instrumental crescendo that felt like the biggest wave the pool had seen since its heyday was about to crash over the audience.

Andrew Thomson’s delicate piano pitched against Ruth Campbell’s cello worked as well live as it does on record. Indeed, ‘Fall’, with Thomson taking lead vocal, was the first song of the night that deviated from the album, with the guitar cranked up and the post-rock sound more fully realised, despite the sound system in the venue not being as big as it could have been. This proved to be a minor issue throughout, with the sound never quite loud enough to dominate the chatty Friday night crowd. For those who did pay attention, the experience was all the better.

‘Matter’ proved to be the highlight. The ethereal lilt of Gromek’s chorus “I’ve travelled so far for so long…” was majestic, the accompanying video playing out on a screen behind the band only adding to the spell being cast.

Closing with the spectacular ‘Grace’, there’s a hint that this could have been something much more than a gig if only the audience had given more undivided attention. That will matter little to the band, who seemed genuinely moved by the reception they received at the end.

Quickbeam already have one of the contenders for Album of the Year, and if this show was a marker, there’s enormous potential in their ability as a live act. Govanhill Baths was a glorious fit for an event like this and it’s one that will live long in the ear of the audience, but it’ll be interesting to see Quickbeam play a venue built specifically for music. It won’t look nearly as spectacular, but your ears will probably thank you for it.

Having never been to Glasgow's Audio before I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased to find a modest sized dungeon teaming with leather and denim clad punters. And this was early on, second band of the night Sunsmasher were setting the tone. The tone being mostly fucking loud and riff heavy. The Glasgow natives were more impressive live than the few tracks I had heard previously online. Definitely a band to see again and keep track off. 

I was impressed and pleased by the decent turn out for this gig. Especially on a rainy Monday night close to the end of the month. And a healthy welcome was given to main support Bossk. I've been a big fan of them since their first couple of EPs. In fact I recently interviewed Tom Begley on all things past, present and future for Ech(((o)))es and Dust. Despite that, this was my first time seeing them live. A ripple of excitement permeated through the crowd as they took to the stage. Clearly others were in the same position as me, long time fans, as 'Define' struck up there was a big roar of acknowledgment. With minimal lighting Bossk set about business in effective style. Gathering together on stage at times in almost a huddle they locked in together and were super tight. Seeing the likes of 'Define' and 'Truth' live was special. Tracks I've played countless times and are classics in my book. Bossk live were worth the wait, going through new tracks as well like 'Pick Up Artist' proving there's much more to come. Performing as if in their own zone with impressive tightness they at times exploded forth, as the music shifted in dynamics. Bossk provided a certain amount of refinement to the evening of otherwise dense riffery. Although what followed was the total opposite. 

Dragged Into Sunlight aren't like other bands. Two antelope skulls are dimley lit red at either side of the stage. A candelabra is placed at the forefront, three thick candles burning. Then when they emerge they are cloaked in shadows and smoke. Facing away from the crowd also, they launched into a set drawn mainly from debut album Hatred For Mankind. There is a brutality and edge about how they perform that was captivating. And then the strobe lights kick in just in case you were starting to feel comfortable. From where I was standing I could see side on through the shadows frontman " T" rather than his back. I have to say he looked totally immersed in his own zone.  Barefoot, he looked like someone with "issues" rather than someone turning their back as some kind of gimmick. The constant strobe flashes and shadows provided a fitting setting for the hate filed cacophony being produced. The crowd at times seemed either confused as tracks merged into one another or simply stunned by what we were witnessing. When "T" turned to the crowd as the final song began it was like a vampire seething at the sun. He looked genuinely uncomfortable summed up as he dramatically blew out the candelabra, and (I think) unintentionally sending it crashing over. There was a few jeers of course, but was a brief light moment in an otherwise intense performance. Dragged Into Sunlight are a band even if you haven't listened to before you should see live. I say "see" but really you'll be lucky if you catch a glimpse through the fog and seizure inducing lights. Well worth it though for a totally different live experience.

Thanks to Bruce Cowie for the photo.

When Decibel Magazine announced the 2nd incarnation of their now annual tour, I hopped on the horn and made sure I would be able to cover it. No chance in hell would I be missing Immolation, Napalm Death, and Cannibal Corpse all on the same bill. No way no how. So on Sunday, May 26th, my wife and I jumped into her small but gas efficient Saturn Ion, and made the hour and twenty minute drive to pay only $7 for parking (great deal, seriously) and see this monster of a tour. Aside from wanting to see this show, this was my chance to finally convert my wife to death metal. So two birds with one stone, it was a no-brainer.

Immolation took the stage a little early, well a lot early, due to scheduled regional openers Beyond Creation having visa issue and not being able to cross into the US. So what does that mean? It means 15 more minutes of Immo-fucking-lation! Starting out with tracks from their recently released Kingdom of Conspiracy, the band was on fire and their sound was perfect. I even said to hell with it and took my earplugs out for the first three songs while up front taking a few photos. I could just feel the intensity they were putting out. The crowd was moderate, as they started a bit early, but those who were there ate up every fucking note. Drummer Steve Shalaty was like a machine in the back, precision and barely breaking a sweat, the guy looks comfortable and natural. Amazing for the beats and speed he plays. Vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan moved back and forth while not singing, swinging his damn near knee length hair around like a man on fire. You couldn’t even see his face most of the time unless he was torching the crowd with his vocals. Guitarists Bill Taylor and Robert “Bob” Vigna were spot on. Not missing a single note from newer songs and even dipping back to the title track from first album Dawn of Possession. The band even played a personal favorite ‘Father, You’re Not A Father’ (from 2000s criminally underrated Close To A World Below) to fill some of the extra time they were allowed. Taylor’s hands moved at speed so fast his hands looked like a blur. And Vigna played his guitar like no other musician I’ve seen. Wielding it like an extension of his body and commanding the attention of everyone in the building. All in all, Immolation does not fuck around when it comes to playing live. Be sure to get to the shows early to catch them, and if they are ever touring near your town, go fucking see them. You won’t be disappointed.

                                                                       Ross Dolan, Me, Bob Vigna

After a round of merch purchases, smokes, and a piss, Napalm Death was on stage and ready to roll. There were a few sound issues throughout their set. Drums and/or vocals not high enough in the monitors, but they still played like the impenetrable Napalm Death everyone knows. Drummer Danny Herrera had a few issues with his sound, but sat back like a vet nonetheless. Bassist Shane Embury, well the guy needs no explanation. He plays bass in a few different bands, and the dude plays like it ain’t shit. Mitch Harris didn’t miss a note on songs like ‘The Wolf I Feed’ (from their most recent release Utilitarian), ‘If The Truth Be Known’ (from Harmony Corruption) and the classics from the 1987 album that started it all, Scum like the title track and ‘Control’. Frontman Barney Greenway, well, if you were deaf and watching a Napalm Death show you would still enjoy it simply because that motherfucker moves all over the stage like a man 20 years younger than he. The punk spirit is not lost in any members of Napalm Death, and I don’t see the grind machine slowing down anytime soon.

                                                               Napalm Death’s Mitch Harris

Round of smokes, running into a few acquaintances, some chitchat, pictures and autographs with Ross and Bob from Immolation, a piss and then it was Cannibal Corpse time. The crowd was fairly packed, and for the third time of the night some girl dressed in a corset with a tutu on the bottom (my wife kindly called it “A vagina tutu”) just happen to mosey on through past my wife. By then she’d had enough and got a nice spot on the side of the stage while I got ready to snap a few photos. Lights go dark, and the crowd roared. It was pretty easy to tell who everyone was there to see. Fans old and young love their Cannibal Corpse, and they made it obvious. Culling tracks from their entire discography, the Corpse had fans eating out of their hands. Lead singer George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher even gave the crowd a laugh or two, asking them if they knew what his favorite thing in the world was. While most of the crowd yelled “sausage” (and I mean most) George politely reminded us that it was the female reproductive organ that he was most fond of, then the band dove right into track ‘Addicted To Vaginal Skin’ (from Tomb of the Mutilated). The standout track for me had to be ‘Scourge of Iron’ from their most recently released album Torture. A mid-pace chugger of a death metal tune; Cannibal Corpse were in total sync. Alex Webster on bass and Paul Mazurkiewicz on drums kept in total sync. Rob Barrett and Pat O’Brien were just flawless in there guitar decimation. And the solo, oh fuck me running, the solo Pat O’Brien played flawlessly was enough to make my wife look at me in sheer confusion as to what she just saw. “His hands were a blur”, was all she had to say, not only about Pat, but every guitarist that graced the stage throughout the night.

                                                                         Cannibal Corpse

Decibel Magazine has put together a package of veteran bands (over 75 years experience combined) for their 2nd annual tour. And it’s a total success. There are still plenty of dates left, so be sure to go out and catch this show. Definitely a lineup that delivers and is worth you time and hard earned money. Go out, buy a shirt, a drink or two and bang your fucking head.

A special thanks to the following:

Decibel Magazine

Charles at Nuclear Blast USA

Holly at Nuclear Blast Europe

Dave & Liz at EarSplit PR

Vince & Kelli at Metal Blade

And the fine staff at Mill City Nights for hosting the show.

It is way too tempting to douse this review in whisky, hang it up across a hemp washing line, and blast it with buckshot whilst gargling engine grease as my eyes roll back in my head.

But that's what Murder By Death do.

As the house rock music comes to a silence, as the lights go down, in the Dingwalls in Camden, London; I am feeling the full force of sinusitis kicking me in the head after a five day period of flu; cooped up in bed with tissues and Lemsip.

MBD kick off with ‘Kentucky Bourbon’, tranquil in its descent, making me think of homestead movies, sodden mud bricks, and grassland isolation. I don't like Whisky, but I am all too ready to romanticise it; feeling more like I am in a saloon, drinking and ranting whilst old Joe plays the ivories, I manage to get over my illness and soak up the atmosphere.

Throughout the first half of their set, MBD play songs from their album Good Morning, Magpie'before crossing over during the second half to songs from In Bocca al Lupo - 'Brother' was a highlight, Adam Turla's vocals crashing over the PA, and Sarah Balliet's cello creating some beautiful soundscapes.

Booze. Cowboys. The Old West. 'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King. Lost relatives, and the sadness that comes with them. I found myself ruminating on all of this, in unison with what was coming from the stage.

Something else about MBD; their vibe makes me think of theft. Every song will have an aspect that I will want to pilfer for my own creative needs; a drum fill, a chord, or a vocal melody. They make you feel as if all is ripe for the taking, and this seems to go hand in hand with the liquor, cigarettes, and dead zombie children theme (listen to 'Who Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Them?' if you don't understand)

Musical swag that you're tempted to bury in the sand; but I can't help but introduce all of my friends to them. You HAVE to listen to this.

Surprising is their cover of INXS's 'Never Tear Us Apart', of which I have memories of bellowing away whilst lying in bed as a child. Their twist is certainly their own; print it off, throw it in a barrel, let it age for a decade, and you've got a single malt version of the original.

They finished off the night with 'The Day' from Magpie and asked the crowd to sing along. I was only disappointed that they didn't play anything from Like The Exorcist, But With More Breakdancing and if you've not heard of Murder By Death, I would suggest starting there.

Last March/April Swiss hardcore/metal band Coilguns toured through the UK for a week. Guitarist Jonathan Nido wrote this extensive tour diary for Ech(((o)))es and Dust, which contains a bunch of exclusive live videos besides the usual chat of what a good breakfast is all about. 

Coming to the UK is always exciting, although we have dozens of anecdotes proving how conditions are generally bad over there. No matter if we're talking about a small headlining club show, a mid-size tour playing 500 capacity venue or sold out 3000 capacity hall...BUT, on the other hand, it's a place where people have understood what rock'n'roll was about for sixty fucking years. It seems to me that it's deeply embedded in the culture and being external, I can feel it. I mean, it's a place that have given birth to the biggest and top selling bands worldwide as well as a tremendously prolific underground scene. The best bands, the best productions, the best amps (:-))...It just sounds like a promised land.

Considering that, I also think that it's one of the last European country where there's actually a good following for the different scenes AND where people still read music magazines. Magazines have followed and are making use of all the tools they have -courtesy of internet- and people seem to still attach quiet some importance to what these magazines have to say. It just looks more established and steady than in any other European countries.

All of this to say that despite the general shit conditions, playing the UK to me means having an audience paying "attention" if that makes any sense and that for some reasons I'm always excited to play there. It's the fucking country of The Beatles and Black Sabbath for fuck's sake!

// 30.03.2013 - Mons //

Since the drive from Switzerland was really long to the first UK show in Worcester we got added last minute to a show half-way in Mons, Belgium and...well, it was a last minute show. It was not actually so much different  in terms of conditions haha! The show was ok though. Even though the place was like a shit disco bar with a shit PA and a disco mixing desk with 1 channel (!), some people showed up and eventually were caught by the Coilguns storm of energy. We had not rehearsed for a month as Luc [drummer] got his hand injured and this was the first he played since then and honestly it went really well. I could tell that at the end of the last song he sounded really tired but it was just because of the fact that he hadn't played for a month and, being the most unsupportive people (all of us) it was just a matter of being exhausted after a couple of songs.

It definitely felt good to make sure that all the gear was working and that we could play right before entering the UK. Now we were all set and ready to fucking destroy England and Scotland.

// 31.03.2013 - Worcester //

When I woke up on Sunday morning I checked my e-mails and had one from Ricky, the Worcester promoter saying that the venue we were supposed to play had been closed without notice during the night. Luckily the guy is awesome and set up the show in a bar next door called The Pig and Drum and that ladies and gentleman is called dedication.

After an early departure (7am), 2 hours of driving and 1 hour and a half on the ferry we entered the UK. We, as usual did not get any P&O supposed "English breakfast" since they're disgusting. That's one of the things I love the most about the UK: sausages and bacon at breakfast. Knowing that we'd probably not get much drink tickets we took the chance to buy some gin and vodka at the duty free shop.

Anyway, Arriving in at the venue in Worcester, since it was an all day event with 8 bands it was supposed to start at 3:30pm but by then there still was not a drumkit for the first couple of bands and neither a PA. But honestly I was not worried. Ricky from Embrace the Chaos was the first one to confirm a show on this UK run and funny fact is that we actually met him when we played Berlin last year. Not that I knew the guy that much but I had a good feeling, he knows what he is doing and has a good network of good people helping out. We unloaded the gear and then his lovely girlfriend made some tea and cooked some food for us. They're really nice people. No matter where we go and how many times we've done that, it always amazes me how people can be nice to a couple a smelly stranger and offer them such hospitality.

When got back to the venue the first band was on and a couple of dozen people were already headbanging which was great. The setup was kind of sketchy. It was a wooden bar, really long but narrow and at the end of it there were stairs leading to the backyard and the toilets and that's pretty much where we were playing! I think I had some expectations regarding this tour as the feedback have been really awesome here in the UK and this first show did not disappoint. The promoter had done a really good promoting the show and quite a few people came knowing we were playing and that feels fucking good. A couple of people even drove down from Wales for that show, crazy shit! The show was really intense, people were into it, so were we and we unleashed hell so badly that the restaurant next door got on fire.

Back at Ricky's place with a couple of people who helped him out we just had a chill end of the night. Couple of teas and spliffs, talking about the scene, travelling and all that...Nothing extravagant, just real life with really fucking nice people and we love that. That was an amazing first day in the UK, thanks Ricky!

// 01.04.2013 - Leamington //

After a good night of sleep, it was time to say goodbye to our new friends in Worcester and drive to Leamington, which was a fairly short drive. Another good thing about the UK are the distances. It almost feels like holidays more than a tour. We're used to drive 500 - 700km a day so when it's less than 400 or like today, less than a 100, it's just too easy.

This second UK show was promoted by a guy named Andi. The dude already played the day before in Worcester with his band Eagles Born Vultures and we actually knew each other virtually. Andi has been reviewing our music since the very first EP and apparently loved it. So he's been following us from the very beginning and he immediately booked a show for us as soon as we started organizing this tour. Funny fact is that 2 or 3 weeks ago I had an e-mail from him saying that the venue we were supposed to play in Strattford had decided to not have anymore heavy bands and that the only solution was to cancel the show. But again, dude is a warrior and he made it fucking happen in Leamington at the Lamp, a brand new venue owned by really nice people supporting all forms of art from what I've seen on their program.

That night Louis [vocals] played an acoustic set in the lounge of the venue. He does that every now and then and I think it confuses people quite a lot. Because they see him first all shy with his guitar playing this lo-fi folk set and then he just kicks them in the face for 50 minutes, terrifying people.  All bands seemed to have a good following and the crowd response was good for everyone which is always a good sign. The only weird thing was that there was no stage lights but several projectors projecting "Superjail" episodes. Don't get me wrong, this is a brilliant show. But when I go to see a band it's not to watch TV at the same time.

People were pretty warmed up for our show since both Cincinnati Bow Tie and Eagles Born Vultures had a pretty epic ending. For the former one it was more like band members beating the shit out of each others and for Eagles Born Vultures it was more like inviting everyone on stage when band members would actually drop their instruments to go mosh in the pit.

Once again, because the promoter Andi was a fucking beast, people knew what they were coming for and it felt fucking right again. First vocal line, Louis was already hanging from the wooden ceiling.  Then, as we were playing our live version of 'Commuters Part 1 & 2', Louis threw his mic on my pedalboard and the whole power went off right on the first hit of the second part of the song!! Pretty awesome. Couple of minutes later we were back on track and played a pretty brutal show with a great crowd. Louis switching roles between spider pig and a floor wiper.

Andi was homing us that night and again he opened us his door and gave us everything we needed, mainly tea and rum and we just chilled, drinking and talking shit up to 4am. The dude also woke up at 9:20 to cook for us, so much meat and other stuff and we had the best breakfast. I had this moment where I was smoking a cigarette on the balcony, Spinal Tap playing on the LP player, sun shining and looking at that house which is supposed to be Shakespeare's birth place. Interesting fact is that apparently they wanted to destroy his neighbour's house but they eventually destroyed Shakespeare's house, so don't pay to visit Shakespeare's sleeping room in Leamington, it's a scam! Anyway, this was a priceless moment. I love that scene and I love the people making it. Fuck yeah, another awesome night and day in the UK!

// 02.04.2013 - Glasgow //

We love Scotland, we have a couple of friends there, Dead Dead Dead Music which used to be based in Edinburgh, released 2 of our EPs and we just dig the architecture and the general landscape. The venue we were playing that night was most probably one of the most beautiful clubs/bars I've been to. High ceiling  really cosy with couches everywhere, candles, vintage furniture... The Flat 01 really looked like a nice Berlin hipster cafe  But oh surprise, they had a MASSIVE PA!! This place was connected to the restaurant next door where we were offered a really fancy meal and that always makes us really happy.

The evening started with Louis' solo project which perfectly suited the place. The drummer from HUSH, a Glasgow based band, joined him to play some percussion during Louis' set. It's incredible how great the hardcore/noise scene is up here in Scotland. The first band Order from The Tide proved it again and HUSH...we've played with them on our first UK tour and they're INSANELY good. Good as in they annihilate all the bands in this scene. We're all MASSIVE fans of them and we can't wait for them to finally record and release their fucking album.

Unfortunately, tonight's turnout was pretty bad but everyone stayed and loved all the shows. Everything else was perfect. We found the Scottish to be really laid back and welcoming. The staff was really nice to us all day long and they enjoyed the show and in that kind of show that's what matters. We still played incredibly loud and Louis was still trying to climb on everything. All in all it was a great day and a great show. We then went with our buddies from HUSH in another bar to have a couple of beers and whiskies. We really like these guys on a personal and musical level and it always feel a bit like home when you meet with those kind of people. It was great to finally have a bit of time to hang out, like being drunken pieces of useless musicians in another bar than the one you've just played in.

Sean from HUSH offered his place for the night and after some great band/music talks Luc and I smoked a great spliff that knocked us out pretty heavily. Still it was 4am.

The next morning Louis and I installed our office in the kitchen as today was the release of the first single of a pop collective called THE FAWN in which Luc and Louis are involved, and I am releasing them through my label HUMMUS RECORDS. After that we went for a nice breakfast in town and Marco and Iain from HUSH walked us around town,and it was a perfect sunny day. These are the rare moments where on tour you can just relax and enjoy. Thanks guys!

// 03.04.2013 - Edinburgh //

We have some special bounds with Edinburgh and The Banshee Labyrinth. We played there in 2011 with The Ocean, Neil Thomas from finest DIY label Dead Dead Dead Music was putting up the show and after that we gave him a copy of the first handmade version of the Coilguns/Kunz split. Shortly after that he wrote that he was really digging it and since then he has released both Stadia Rods and The split with NVRVD. He also organised all the UK shows on our second European tour and we played at the Banshee with Coilguns in April 2012 and this was quiet a memorable show. So yes, we had some expectations for that night and we weren't disappointed. Both Order from The Tide and HUSH were on the bill that night as well as The Colour Pink Is Gay.  A talented technical Death Metal band with quite a hardcore/punk attitude. I really enjoyed their set. A lot of bands in this scene are terrible live. Modern productions allowing everyone to manipulate sounds in every possible way, it's always good to see a band that can stand their songwriting by simply being good at their instruments. We've toured and seen a lot of bands from that gender and I've rarely seen a band so tight and with so much attitude, honestly, they are just way better than many of the big names in this scene...my 5 though...

The room was pretty packed, I mean, it's a small room, but you could tell there were more people than the first time and I was able to recognize people that were there the first time. It basically felt like playing a show at home you know? The place for some reasons sounds brilliant and the show was nothing but positively brutal as fuck! We played loud, hard, Louis as per usual have been involving people by kicking them, walking on them and pulling them to the front...An awesome gig it was. What's also really cool when you play to a crowd that kind of knows what you do (as opposed to playing to new people where you somehow have to prove something) is that they know what to expect and can simply enjoy it. And for us it makes it really easy to play songs like 'Blunderbuss Committee' or 'Earthians' as you know that people will be willing to hear that kind of stuff.

We were then staying at Spud's house, he is the guitar player from The Colour Pink Is Gay and an awesome dude. Hanging out at his place with his roommate and couple of friends is basically like being at home with your best friends. Just chilling, listening to some good music, getting over baked, talking music and stupid stuff...The kind of person you know if you would live in the same area, you'd be hanging out a lot. See you next time buddy!

Oh, I forgot to mention that before getting to his place we've actually stopped in a 24 hours ASDA, which was fucking massive...We definitely don't have that in Switzerland. I mean 24 hours supermarkets. It was really convenient as we don't like junk/fast food so we were able to buy nice stuff and once we got completely smoked up we all had a couple of nice salads and stuff...Then in the morning we cooked some scrambled eggs for everyone. It's funny cos last time we crashed there, I think Luc cooked some and people were like "oh dude, these eggs are so good!!" and I remember he did cook them because the night before (on the April 2012 tour) we stayed at someone's place and they had planned breakfast for us and they did have everything. But when we realized they were cooking scrambled eggs in the microwave we did not really know what to think about British people cooking a fried breakfast...Is that common to cook eggs in the microwave? Don't you know that in a frying pan it's much tastier? anyway, it was good fun and a good anecdote to tell.

Spud, see you soon buddy!

// 04.04.2013 - Newcastle //

Ok, up until now I've been writing everyday on this tour with Coilguns but then I got swamped with work and couldn't write until now, April 16th,when I was in the van again, but this time with The Ocean. Anyway.

Newcastle was weird. There's this thing in the UK where you can basically rent venues (small ones) for like 50 quid and then you do your own show there. I did not realize, but when we came over the first time, Neil from Dead Dead Dead Music was basically promoting and organizing all the shows we've played there. This time around it was different as Neil had moved to the US. So he hooked me up with this place and basically we were on our own organising this. I got offers to rent other venues where they were asking the bands to clean up after the show. WTF? Seriously?

Anyway, after a couple of misunderstanding between all parties involved, I eventually found out 4 days before the show that one of the local band was not able to play the show... We had some friends we met in Australia touring the UK at the exact same time, and having an day off on April 4th, they accepted to come and play this show. The band is called Tangled Thoughts of Leaving and they're awesome. They were playing Glasgow the day before and Aberdeen the day after and still decided to drive down to Newcastle although I've warned them this would be a really small show. That ladies and gentleman is a professional/dedicated band.

Anyway, when we arrived there, the bar manager at least knew we where coming. He showed us the room upstairs and where all cables and mics were etc. Louis took care of checking the PA, setting up the mics and did some kind of a soundcheck.

Then all the other bands showed up. We had played already with Iced Out last time in Newcastle and we had heard a lot about End Reign and the guitar player used to play in this AWESOME band called Lavotchkin. At first the vibe was kind of weird, talking to different band members I realized that people were not even sure that the show was happening. I kinda have the feeling that the locals were kind of bummed out by the situation and obviously no one can blame them for that but it was interesting to see that the guys coming from Australia, losing thousands of bucks to be here were still enjoying this night more than anyone else. We ended up with 8 paying people but you know, that's what we do. We tour and sometimes it's like that and it's up to you to make it a good night regardless of the shit context. The good night partly came out from the bottle of vodka we brought from the van. We just decided to start drinking it straight with our Aussie homies during the night. All bands basically played for each other that night. After loading out we've finished the bottle of vodka outside with Tangled Thoughts of Leaving and due to a general enthusiasm to alcoholism we opened a bottle of gin that we drank straight as well. After a couple of more cigarettes, cock-hug and balls out pictures, we decided to head towards Leicester where we were sleeping that night. So yeah, a 3 hours drive completely drunk (except the driver of course).

// 05.04.2013 - Leicester //

Alright, I've tried to write on a daily basis and it worked out until Leicester. Now I'm getting back to it but it's April 25th and we're on the road with The Ocean supporting Cult Of Luna today somewhere in Italy :-). So please excuse the lack of details for the 2 last days.

Since we had no accommodation in Newcastle, we drove all the way down to Leicester and arrived around 4 or 5am. Phil and his wife Jena were our hosts and also Crazel, their amazing rabbit.

Phil is again someone who's been following Coilguns since the early days and I was really honoured that he helped us to set up this show last minute. Another great thing was to discover how much this guy is a music nerd. There were so many records in this living room...unbelievable, from Sonic Youth to Katatonia and the Beatles. Crazy.

After we woke up everybody was geeking on their computer while Phil and Jena were cooking an awesome breakfast for us. We eventually drove to the venue around 5 pm and what we found was basically the basement of a bigger venue that was upstairs. Perfect setup for Coilguns.

There was actually some kind of school party with kid bands upstairs, which was pretty funny. As Louis usually does, he came up there before our show and was trying to get some kids (like 15 years old) to our show. His strategy was to promise them coloured pencils he got for free at the restaurant we ate a couple of hours beforehand. Guess what? Not only a dozen of them showed up and after the show they actually came to Louis to claim their free pencils!!! Amazing. Other than that, the show was fun, our new good friends from Eagles Born Vultures drove down to Leicester and they've paid the price of being front row. At one point the front of stage was simply a big pile of human beings jumping on each others. This is why I love playing in this band so much as no matter where and in front of how many people we are playing, Louis always find a way to involve people in the show and create a general positive vibe. Thanks Phil for homing us for 2 nights and for organising the show!

// 06.04.2013 - London //

Driving to London is always stressful, you never know how long the last 3 km are gonna take because of traffic, you never know if there will be any place to unload the gear or park your van...I love to play London for its crowd but I'm not sure I really enjoy being in this city. To stressful, too much going on...In comparison, I think that New-York or Berlin or much more easygoing. But that's just my personal opinion.

Surprise of the day:

1) No traffic jam

2) No problem to unload the van literally 20 meters from the venue’s door

3) We found a parking space (a free one!!!) literally 80 m away from the venue.

4) And this is most amazing one, the sun was shining and we've even been able to hang out the whole afternoon on the terrace of the venue!!

This was again an all day event with more than 10 bands. The show was taking place at Hope and Anchor, which is a pretty cool bar/basement. Perfect setup for us. I think playing London is always the highlight of a UK tour. I may not really like the way I feel in this city but I like the crowd there.

Playing-wise this show was the worse we've played in a long time but the energy was there and people seemed to enjoy it so it was a perfect end of the tour.

After that we've packed up and went to Big Red until 4am...Somehow I couldn't enjoy this post-show evening. I was really pissed for no reasons apparently. Then I thought about it and I realized that sure, it was the last show of the UK tour but it was also the end of a chapter for Coilguns. I mean, this shit has been the center of my attention for 2 years and more intensely for the pas 8 months and this was the last show before we start touring constantly with The Ocean again. So I assume it was a mixture of sadness but also relieve somehow. Getting rid of all the pressure and just having to relax and look back at what we've been able to do in 2 fucking years...

Anyway, we then went back to sleep at a friend's place, we had to leave at 6:30am, I remember that I was still smoking a spliff alone in the kitchen at 5:40am before going out for a 12 hours drive back home...we eventually arrived home at 7pm, unloaded the van, went to sleep and the next day I had to drive the van 200 km away for returning it and then drove straight back to the Bikini test (hometown venue) to start a residency with The Ocean before going on tour for 5 weeks 4 days afterwards. Keep it busy!

I want to thank again all promoters, people homing us, coming to our shows and buying our merch, support your local scene and be willing to discover smaller bands because there are thousands of INSANELY GOOD unknown bands!

Cheers, Jona

Read our album review for Commuters here. And we also interview Jona earlier this year which you can read here.

Bossk were one of the UK's leading lights in post-metal and the heavy scene at large. After releasing two excellent EPs and extensive touring they unfortunately broke up in 2008. However, the band announced their return to action last year and  are ready to pick up where they left off, and maybe more. Phil Johnston recently caught up with bassist Tom Begley, to find out what Bossk have planned this time around.

(((o))): Hi Tom, first of all it's great to have Bossk back, can you tell us what led to reforming late last year

Tom: It was something I had been keen on for sometime, it would only really work with the original 5 members, so took a little while until we were all on the same page. It all really came about from doing the BBC Maida Vale session. Was just such a huge opportunity for us to do, and for us all a bit of a dream come true.

(((o))): Going back to the earlier days, what kind of influences did you and the band have? As back then,  there weren't as many groups playing similar music in the UK scene.

Tom: It was such a different setup for bands back then, even though it's all still fairly recent, the music industry and platforms bands have now is much different. We were all friends with a lot of people that were in metal or hardcore bands that tour a lot harder than progressive or stoner bands. We took a lot of influence from this touring method, and spent a lot more time touring than some of the other bands in our 'scene'. We take influence from a lot of bands and movies too, our drummer and singer are big fans of film scores and soundtracks, but both our guitarists have very different tastes.

(((o))): Bossk amassed an impressive amount of shows, culminating with the 200th gig headlining in London. Are there any specific highlights or memories?

Tom: We did! We actually played more shows after that 200th one, the last 2 we did after announcing we were calling it a day in October 2008. For me my favourites had to be Brussels with Cult Of Luna in 2007, and playing with Envy in London that year too. So many more awesome shows to mention! The fact that we toured Spain and Portugal was an incredible experience too. But if I had to pick the best show we've ever done it would have to be Damnation Festival that we did last year. That was the best feeling to walk out on stage to a packed room and huge cheers as we started.

(((o))): You've been busy personally over the last few years touring with bands like Converge,  While She Sleeps etc as tour manager. Did any of this drive your determination to reform Bossk and get back on stage rather than behind the scenes?

Tom: It did yeah, I met a lot of people on the road that were fans of the band, in places I never expected to find. I was so surprised to meet Bossk fans in countries we had never been to. And even though we did much smaller shows to what I have been involved with. Just being involved in live music really made me miss it even more.

(((o))): Bossk have already released a new track, 'Pick Up Artist' (available as a free download). Is this a good representation of what to expect from Bossk in 2013?

Tom: Yes and no, that song is a song we wanted to write before the band broke up, in terms of its structure and sound. The material we are working on for the album so far is different to 'Pick Up Artist'. But with the music industry being what it is these days, bands are able to self release music much easily. This could be the future of how we make out music available. But this is uncertain still at this point.

(((o))): How has work on the new material been going? Is there a different approach or new ground being covered?

Tom: We have always tried to cover as much new ground with our music as we can. And this album will be no different. We want there to be no limits, there will be stuff we have never tried to do before. And stuff that we have learned to do better. New music is our main focus for the rest of 2013.

(((o))): You're currently gearing up to play with Dragged Into Sunlight on a string of dates through the UK.  How much are you looking forward to this?

Tom: Very much. It's our first run of consecutive dates since reforming. And our first time playing Glasgow since the split. It's with old friends Dragged Into Sunlight too, their first show was our last Leeds one, and it's great that they are now leading the UK scene for their kind of music. We have some good times ahead on that. We have plans to play the first track off the album live on these shows.

(((o))): Can we expect to catch Bossk on tour again this year, or are there any Festival appearances planned?

Tom: We are doing the ArcTanGent Festival and Hevy Festival later in the summer, and we have a show booked in Birmingham in August with Dragged Into Sunlight. But other than that we don't actually plan on playing anymore UK shows at all. Our focus will be on writing the rest of the album, and playing shows in Europe.

(((o))): What else is in store for Bossk in 2013, will there be more new music released?

Tom: We have plans to tour Russia in September, which is very exciting! Along with hopefully Germany, Holland and Belgium dates too. There are all kinds of things planned, we want to do a physical release of 'Pick Up Artist', probably as a 7". But I can't give you more details just yet.

Thanks to Tom for taking time out to speak to us. Most previous Bossk releases can be found via usual digital and physical outlets.

With 2000trees having made itself THE festival for underground British music over the last few years it was perhaps inevitable that a sister event would have to spring up at some point, if only to make sure all the great bands had somewhere to play. Co-founder of both events, Simon Maltas, spoke to us about the festival's forthcoming debut this August. 

(((o))): Tell us a bit about yourselves - what's your background in festival planning and how did ArcTanGent come about? 

Well we started out in 2006 or 2007 simply as festival goers.  We all had full time jobs but we were sick of going to and getting ripped off at some of the bigger festivals.  It sounds like a cliché, or like I'm making it up, but the six of us were just sat around in our campsite at one of those massive festivals one night & we simply decided to start our own.

A week or so later, slightly more sober, we decided we'd give it a bash and 2000trees was born! It was a very DIY process in the early days. We had to learn everything from scratch all the way from getting alcohol licenses, to event management and we even trained up as security guards!  It was a massively steep learning curve, but it's been a great ride so far. Six years on, we're ready to launch the next event on the world!  Now two of us (James and I) do this full time!

(((o))): On a similar note, given that you already run 2000 Trees and Gocstock, what on earth possessed you to start another festival?! 

Well ArcTanGent came about because we still passionately believe that smaller festivals are way better and 2000trees is (in our mind) about the perfect size at 5,000 people.  So rather than grow 2000trees and potentially lose some of the things that make it special (like its small and friendly atmosphere), we'd start another one and spread the love to Bristol! Bristol has an amazing music scene already.  Loads of great 1 day, city-centre based events, but not an abundance of 3 day camping based festivals out in the surrounding countryside.  Except Glasto obviously.

We also wanted to do something slightly different musically.  It won't surprise you to learn that we're massive music fans at heart, especially James who books all our bands. Band wise 2000trees has a little bit of something for everyone and prides itself on finding new underground British music. ArcTanGent, on the other hand, is the first UK festival to book a line up focussed primarily on post-rock, math-rock and the weirder elements of our musical tastes.  We joked originally that it was the sort of music you could watch while stroking your beard.  If you don't have a beard, then ask someone else if you can stroke theirs 🙂

(((o))): None of the bands on your line-up would be particularly out of place at 2000 Trees; is your aim to create something a bit more "niche", or will this also mark a change in musical direction for 2000 Trees - are you trying to separate out the styles a bit?

Definitely the first one, we've kicked the niche vibe around between us a lot, so it's great that you've picked up on that! Because there is a dedicated fanbase out there for this type of music that we felt wasn't really being catered for, we figured ArcTanGent could definitely fill that void. You will see some of these bands at other festivals but ArcTanGent is the only one where they are all in one place.  For instance a couple of these bands would work well on The Cave stage (our heavier stage) at 2000trees, but it's obviously important for both festivals to retain a separate identity.  2000trees as I said above is a little bit of something awesome for everyone.  ArcTanGent is aiming to be all awesome, all the time.... just as long as you're into that type of music!

(((o))): For the debut year of a festival, the line-up is absolutely stellar! How have you managed that? Is it through contacts you've built up, favours you've pulled in or is it just that bands were really keen to play? 

Well that's all down to James, who books all our bands at both festivals.  He has obviously made a load of contacts after 7 years at 2000trees, but really it all boils down to the fact that he knew who he wanted to book, and he just picked up the phone. He spends a hell of a lot of his time planning on who to book, and he's already drawing up some amazing bands for next year... including some from overseas!  Next year is going to be even better!

I also think once he floated the concept of the festival and the line up to all the bands/ agents it soon became clear that the bands themselves are big fans of the rest of the line up, so were all pretty up for playing.  We're still getting loads of bands banging on our door asking to be added to the bill!

(((o))): A number of the bands on your line-up are getting quite a lot of buzz at the moment (Tall Ships, ASIWYFA, TTNG to name but a few) but ArcTanGent is the first festival really to pull all these bands together in the same place - in some ways it's surprising it hasn't happened already. Was that one of the reasons you decided to put this festival together?

Yeah definitely. Personally speaking, this type of music is what I spend most of my time listening to at the moment... There's so much good stuff out there!  So we simply figured there must be loads of other music fans who would love to see a whole weekend of these types of bands.  It's been great, thanks to James and a lot of our partners; (Musical Mathematics, DIY, Fear of Fiction to name just a few), I've discovered so many new amazing bands in the last 6 months that I probably wouldn't have found on my own. So even for me it's expanded my musical horizons... something which is an awesome perk of the job!

(((o))): I think everyone agrees that the UK festival scene is absolutely saturated at the moment. What, for you, makes a festival really stand out from the crowd? What plans do you have to make ArcTanGent different? 

Well, first and foremost as you've probably gathered number one is the bands, but as cheesy as it sounds, we honestly just want to make the best weekend possible for the punters.  It kills me every year, that the one festival I'd love to attend as a punter would be 2000trees - but as it's still very DIY, we're too busy to sit on the grass with a cider and watch bands at our own festival.

As I am the licensee and bar/ food traders manager I would also say a massive part of what makes a festival great is properly decent bars and food traders.  I spend so much of my time sourcing the best food traders possible from all the street food markets... you won't find any old festival food at ArcTanGent or 2000trees.  We have our own onsite smokery for goodness sake!  My favourite bit is obviously the bars though... what can I say?  All local, all reasonably priced and all amazing tasting!  No giant brewery/ mediocre pints in sight.  This year we'll have Cotswold Lager, Bath Ales and some extra special local cider & perry options.  Perfect for sipping in the sunshine and watching your favourite bands.

(((o))): What are the best and worst parts of festival planning? Will you actually get to see any of the event itself, or will you spend the entire weekend running around problem solving? 

Ha - yeah unfortunately the latter.  Especially in year one!  Having said that we know what we're doing now.  In year 1 of 2000trees I think we had about 3 hours sleep a night.  I reckon this year we'll be able to catch a few bands (even if it's just for a couple of songs).

Best part... probably stood in front of the stage, or on the main stage looking out at 5,000 smiling people having an awesome weekend.... or afterwards seeing and hearing all the stories people post on facebook.

Worst part... hmm i guess just the amount of planning that goes into one weekend!  It takes up nearly 12 months our our year to properly nail it... a lot of my mates still think I sit in a hammock for most of the year!  Having said that, if you were to ask me if we'd known then, what we know now, would we still have done it?  Hell yeah!  Beats being an accountant (no offence to accountants).

(((o))): Are there any ArcTanGent surprises you have yet to pull out of the bag? 

Yeah, there's a few for sure!  The main stage is literally going to blow everyone's mind!  I won't say too much more for now, but we think we're the only festival in the UK to have this stage as our main stage... it looks truly epic!

(((o))): Who would be your absolute dream act to book for ArcTanGent? Who on the bill are you most looking forward to? 

Jeez, such a tough question! James would say Mars Volta for sure... (Maybe one day if they reform).

I would say some of the ace math rock bands from Japan, Toe or LITE just because I love a lot of the stuff coming out of Japan.... or this relatively unknown band from France called Pneu.  They're pretty obscure, but I really rate them because they just seem fairly mental.  Then there's bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Battles... I can't pick just one! Arrrggh!

Who am I most looking forward to?  Again so tough!  They are all brilliant... but probably Bo Ningen, Maybeshewill, Blacklisters, Arcane Roots, & The St Pierre Snake Invasion.  Oh and a band we saw in London the other week, who we've yet to announce.  They will seriously blow your mind!!! 🙂

(((o))): Finally, if there's one reason our readers should get up & buy an ArcTanGent ticket, what would it be?

Because you won't get such an amazing line up, and altogether awesome weekend for that price (£59) anywhere else in the known universe... and if you don't we'll have to go and get a proper job, and no one wants that 🙂

See you at the bar!

Si

ArcTanGent takes place at Fernhill Farm, Compton Martin, near Bristol. Tickets are available now from £59. Bargain - see you all there! We can't wait. 

Chelsea Wolfe has already made quite an impression in her career to date. Her ability to combine old fashioned folk songwriting with elements of drone and psychedelia may not be as remarkably original as some will have you believe but the mixture is potent to say the least. With a band of four in tow, this date marks Wolfe’s first performance in Leeds and the main room of The Cockpit is fairly full to welcome her to West Yorkshire. The message, it seems, has spread.

Before the main attraction arrives on stage however there is the small matter of local droners Sunwølf to contend with. A live trio, complete with lo-fi visuals that unfortunately either run out or stop working halfway through the set, Sunwølf offer up a powerful wall of sound on record but live ramp that up to a whole other level. There’s enough low end on offer here to make the whole venue shake but sadly the volume is not quite at the desired level, perhaps because of another gig taking place upstairs. Still, the band should have earned some more followers with this musically captivating set.

Chelsea Wolfe initially emerges flanked by a violinist and a keyboard player, brandishing an acoustic guitar, and a voice that could halt any passer-by in their tracks. Despite the fact that the crowd are obviously expecting something louder the first few tracks are rapturously received and if anything it’s slightly disappointing when the violin and acoustic guitar departs to be replaced by two electric guitars and drums. Soon enough though the second half of the set proves equally arresting, despite the occasional moment when the aforementioned upstairs gig is audible at inappropriate moments.

Wolfe’s live band are far from showy, that much is true, but the added texture given to her songs by their involvement is what makes this an unforgettable performance. At times the reverberations of her voice and some simple finger-picking is enough to send the audience into hypnotic rapture but it is the dissonant, slightly krautrockian ending to the main set takes things to another level. Indeed, the power achieved by both sound incarnations, quiet and loud, is almost Swans-like in its graceful ferocity. Unmissable. 

On Friday night a small, appreciative crowd, which included touring Japanese acts Yawning and  Presence of Soul, saw the album launch of Are You My Brother from Sydney instrumental rock band Solkyri. Despite having got up at 5am and driven the 800km to Melbourne, the band gave it their all in the sort of performance that is helping cement the reputation of Australia's progressive music scene.

The Nest Itself

Although there is a growing number of progressive instrumental rock acts around the country it’s a sound that didn’t really explode in Australia. Instead there’s been a trickle of newcomers over the last ten or so years. Relative newbies and support act The Nest Itself are a band with as many similarities to indie rock and blues as they have with more traditional post-rock, and hearing them live with no preconceptions kept me guessing and constantly surprised.

Keys swung from straight piano to swirling Hammond, guitar from tremolo to fast strumming to Claptonesque riffing and noodling then to Ebow. Drums were smashed furiously one minute then conjuring up images of plate smashing the next as they led a post-rock Byzantine hasapiko dance. Bass was the cement that held the disparate elements together. Well if cement was both gooey and rock-hard, because the transitions were often smooth and often stark – more of those surprises.

The set started with Jason Hutchinson swinging aside his Rickenbacker, kneeling down, and demonstrating his skills on the pedals, soon joined by Jonathon Pittas on keys as the turbines of 'Here Lies The Deepest Of Dens' slowly picked up speed before propelling the whole ship into the first of many crescendos for the night. This was followed by 'Unfix', also off their debut album of last year, (In) Constant Search.

Other highlights included 'The Chill And The Dank Hollow' and  'Antisocial Smoker' before closing the set in suitably climactic fashion with 'These Filters Are Everywhere'.

Solkyri

Solkyri has been around a little longer than Nest and have worked for a while on recording Are You My Brother. The crowd for the launch was small but there for the music rather than a chat and absorbed themselves in every note even though the album had only just been released and would have been new to many. In fact the only chatter and laughing during the quiet moments came from the bar staff – that was just plain rude guys.

Opening with the chiming glock of 'His Ghosts Will Invade Puerto Rico', they slowly wound the springs up with gentle guitar from Adam Mostek, then Andrew Pearsall's flowing bass before Nick Hall joined in on drums to set up a wave that carried the crowd along a river before hitting some rapids and finally sending us crashing over a waterfall. Really good post-rock bands know how to transfer their records to the stage without missing the essence of the song. It's particularly hard with a three piece that has no keys or second guitar, and Solkyiri showed they had the goods.

Next up was 'Hunter', an upbeat and energetic groove with an awesome riff that bounced along with a huge smile on its face, but you could tell that Mostek on guitar was being restrained as if chained to the spot. By the time they hit the third song, 'This Can Wait' from their 2011 release No House, he had thrown caution to the wind and despite the small stage was hurling himself and guitar around during the volcanic eruptions, almost removing Pearsall's head a few times and I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to see him on a stage with Dan Oreskovic from Meniscus. A bloodbath I would imagine.

Speaking of Meniscus there were some strong similarities in sound between the two bands although the bass lines were very different. Unlike Alison Kerjean, Pearsall uses a pick, his bass often taking on a guitar role, and not just rhythm, with some serious melody and fast tremolo work. But for now the set slowed right down and Hall abandoned his basic kit for keyboard and Pearsall took control of the glock for the wonderfully light 'Oklahundt'. At one point I swear I saw Hall half-yawn, half-sigh as he tickled the ivory, the long day seemingly starting to catch up, no doubt helped by the  beautiful lullaby.

Andrew Pearsall - Solkyri

This led perfectly into what is quickly becoming the highlight of the new record; 'With Strawberries Like Dead Men', starting where the previous track left off aided by some string samples, but building to a pulsating din, by which time Hall had resumed control of the skins, and guitar and bass were left to continue their swordfight. 'I Am The Motherfucker' maintained the energy with an almighty crescendo before the lads brought the set home with 'Strangers', the only other song from No House on the night.

When you see a couple of bands playing as well as this and putting in every ounce of energy they have, it's easy to think they deserve a bigger crowd and wonder to yourself where the hell everyone is. But this is just how life is when you play underground experimental/progressive/instrumental rock in Australia and bands know and accept that it takes a lot of hard work and love of what you're doing to create and share music like this. And it's that love that everyone felt as they stood there absorbed in every single note.

When a joint Southern Lord/Deathwish tour rolls into town you would be mad to miss it. Both bands in question The Secret (Southern Lord) and Deafheaven (Deathwish Inc) are two of the most exciting bands on their respected labels. Unfortunately due to transport issues and early set times I very nearly did miss it.

I arrived just in time for a quick chat with George Clarke before Deafheaven's set. I told him I had missed The Secret and was supposed to be reviewing their set. Helpfully he said "well they were fucking awesome and didn't fuck anything up". So thanks to him for that. (George is always welcome to join the (((o))) writting team). I had caught The Secret last year supporting Converge,  and their assault of blackened hardcore floored a (mostly) expectant Converge crowd. So it was a real kick in the teeth to miss them. Although a kick in the teeth is also fitting to the audio violence they unleash.

I had to put my disappointment and embarrassment aside and got in a good postion for Deafheaven. When I last saw the Sargent House managed band supporting Russian Circles they had impressed greatly. This however was on another level, whether due to the confidence of headlining, or the introduction of new members they tore through the assembled crowd with vicious intent. One of said new members, Dan on drums, was especially impressive, attacking his kit with the speed and power I've not seen outside Converge's Ben Koller. I noticed one of Dan's cymbals literally had huge bits missing. Given the shift he put in I wasn't surprised, and at times wondered if the rest of his kit would hold up.

Deafheaven on record and live, balance awe-inspiring introspective melody and end of world apocalyptic rage perfectly. They opened with new track 'Dream House', which was well received as it's also the first song they put up streaming from Sunbather. What is impressive is despite the volume and power unleashed, the intricate and more subtle parts aren't lost in the wall of sound. 'Violet' followed and I honestly felt like this was something I would savour for many years. Performed live the song is even more mesmerising and stunning. Singer George Clarke performs as if channelling an army of lost souls. Starring out over the crowd with a thousand yard menace, its gripping, unnerving and brilliant. Deafheaven don't go through the motions, they dripped sweat from the unsually hot Glasgow night and every note played like their life depended on it. 'Unrequited' descended into oblivion, feeling like the world may end such was the power and unravelling ending. The title track of Sunbather demonstrated why the album is highly anticipated.  Displaying levels of maturity and even live hinting the album sonically may be huge. I've still parts embedded in my head and that's the only time I've heard it.

After a brief pause, Clarke returns to dedicate 'Cody' to Glasgow and Mogwai. It's met with a roar of approval. Kerry McCoy lost in the moment eyes closed playing his guitar while Clarke perched on the barrier pouring his all into the vocals. It's a nice touch performing their cover in Glasgow although some seemed to miss the sentiment. Deafheaven departed to a rapturous response from the dedicated but modest sized crowd. Next time they hit the UK I feel they will play to a much bigger audience and you better be sure you're one of them!

Baba Yaga’s Hut have been putting on some absolutely stonking gigs in Corsica Studios over the last 6 months. I attended the Zeni Geva and the Acid Mother Temple events late last year and they were both ridiculous. This time Portland psychedelic rockers Eternal Tapestry were doing their thing armed with London noise rockers Hey Colossus in support, it promised to be a top night of family entertainment.

Hey Colossus launched themselves at us with ‘Oktave Dokkter’ from the monstrous new album Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo, heads were bobbing immediately. They really have become a class act over the last few years and you do feel like this is their prime. All of a sudden we had ‘The Drang’ swirling round our brains which sounded absolutely amazing, helped by the top notch sound system that Corsica Studios has to offer.

At this point in the proceedings they sound like an earth shattering doom band, there’s shit loads of guys in the band who are all bobbing their top halves to the crunching riff whilst the vocalist either snarls intensely or turns around and plays with one of the many gadgets on display. Most of the set was from the new album and of course the absolute belter ‘Hot Grave’ was thrown into the mix which made the audience scream with brutal, brutal joy. Great set from a great band.

Things got a little more chilled for the Eternal Tapestry set but what they lack in heaviness, they certainly make up for in trippyness. They have an interesting setup, including a saxophone player and maybe even more gizmos and gadgets than Hey Colossus.

 I’m going to be honest, I could not name you one song they played but it was unbelievable. I have a feeling this band can just turn up and play whatever the hell they like and it comes out sounding like it was conjured by a psychedelic God. This was a completely unrecognisable set compared to their set supporting White Hills a few years back.

At times they sounded like a straight kraut band like Neu! teleported in from the 70s, there was wonderful soft little electric noises flying all over the room whilst the crowd caught them and smiled like there was no tomorrow. Another top night put on by Baba Yaga’s Hut, they really are putting on some mind melting gigs so my advice would be to get down to Elephant and Castle at the next opportunity and fill your brain with trippy wonder. 

The dust is settling and the after shocks are still being felt....What has happened? Why is my head still all awhirl with psychotropic visions and random noise bursts. Can things ever be returned to sanity? Maybe the facts will help...now where are the facts? What was this FOCUS Wales event all about?

The story begins on a Thursday night as all good stories do. The festival has been in full swing all day with conferences on all manner of things taking place and our benign musical critics John Robb and AP Childs have been holding fort. There has been music too, of the acoustic sort as The Royal Oak pub stokes up the flames and summons all festival goers. The march is on for consumption...that is what we do these days, we “consume” music...well, if that is the case then what is it that my first band do?

Furrow explode on to the stage at South Central with sheer abandonment thrown to the wind. Pinning their badge to the No Wave scene with just a smidgeon of Black Flag, this is post-hardcore for the mini masses. Their feedback drenched songs are skeletal in delivery with lack of bass giving it a less grounded approach. Ones to watch these are, they will be coming to Echoes of the Future soon. I've seen a million bands but not one like this to open up a festival.

Hardcore needs satiated, it was off to church (strange, but true) for an appearance by Little Arrow. Visions of wonderment filled my eye as I approached the seventh wonder of Wales only to be betrayed by the eighth. Earlier this year I declared Wild Wishes one of the albums of the year. After tonight's performance not only is that cemented in my mind but also in the select crowd who witnessed.

Opening with a perfect rendition of ‘State of You and Me’, Little Arrow were assured in their delivery and looked like they weren't afraid of their surroundings. It's not often you get to play a church so you gotta make the most of it. ‘A Taste of Violence’ followed as the band started to impress with their individual parts with double bass and mandolin taking centre stage. ‘The Ancient’ sounded tonight like it was made to be heard in churches and every nuance of this beautiful song was heightened. I felt myself reaching an epiphany only kept grounded by the space I was in. Do I holler and shout, do I cry? I settle for grinning and knowing I was witnessing a special moment.

Special moments don't come much better than final song ‘I Man Ogre’. Take a man, give him a megaphone and tambourine and fill his background with feedback drenched bass. Jawdropping to say the least, this is one of my clues and facts as to the state of my mind now.

It was time for a wander around the venues to soak in the atmosphere. People were starting to wake up and the town was looking lively. Tiny Wooden Angels deliver a sterling set whilst hometown legends Terminal show the young 'uns how it's done. It is for the main event that everyone heads and this time it was for a different kind of church.

Things get random from now as I bump into both AP Childs and John Robb. God knows what I say to them as I try to sell the virtues of The Fag Machine to one and all. I think we were all in agreement with Baby Brave and the Lovebites though who performed their last ever gig to a baying crowd. Magic moments are rare, to get two in one night is even rarer. First Little Arrow and now the splendour of our favourite pantomime pop stars.

Baby Brave live are a different prospect to their recordings. The songs take on extra meaning as the crowd try to join in with the synchronised dance moves. Yes, you heard, dance moves...this is the 21^st century you know...our indie bands can do this. And do it well; until you watch Baby Brave you will never understand the wonders of pat-a-cake played out before your eyes. The songs are pretty darn good as well. ‘Take Your Castles to Spain’ indeed! They made me ‘Jitter’ and they made me fall in love. A real treat.

Words cannot describe what looked like a biffed up Ziggy Stardust so we will block that out of our minds and pretend Charlotte Church didn't happen. Best to move on to the bar, grab a whiskey and talk some shit.

The facts are starting to form somewhere in the back of mind now as we move on a day to the final day of the festival. Hey, I'm a family man and have other things to do...plus there are certain bands we cover here at Echoes and Dust. Big Smiley Face.

So after a barbeque, beer and whiskey on a Saturday afternoon it is off to the rather unusual surroundings of Wrexham Museum for a gig by Golden Fable. I feel I'm duty bound to deliver this to you as they are one of our special bands here at (((((o)))))). Out of the hills of Wales and into our hearts, Star Map has captured our imaginations and taken hold of us.

So how would a gig work in these surroundings. No chance of hitting the hallucinogenic highs of a club, not a single light in the place. Rows of chairs facing a keyboard stack and microphone, just how would it play out.

No need to worry as they kick off with a wonderful ‘Almost Golden’, this is followed by ‘Sugarloaf’ on what could only be described as a high octane, hit filled start. The juxtaposition of the drumming and melodies ushers in ‘The Chill pt2’ and we are enraptured, taken off to those rolling hills and out of this space we are in.

New song ‘Avalanche’ is a much darker prospect, are our heroes getting jaded, is life on the road affecting them. Not a chance of that as Rebecca, enchantingly dressed like some pixie from Midsummer Nights Dream (hope you don't mind that one Becca. Big Smiley Face) regales us with their mission statement. Creatures of nature, they take the dark with the light and deliver it unto us in waves of joy. And there is more....

‘Crossfrire’ is stripped back to a bruised epic which is positively stark compared to the album version. It is all rather stunning when you think that this version will be the new single, an utter surprise that serves to enhance what follows with another new song.

Asked to commission a song for FOCUS Wales, Golden Fable obeyed the rule and have created ‘Southern Climes’ which is part inspired by the migratory tropes of birds and also by music. I'm not entirely sure where the overall aim was but it worked a treat as another dark and ominous bassline envelopes us in a gigantic hug. You REALLY need to see Golden Fable live to understand exactly what they are about.

Specific bands covered for review purposes, it was time to sample the rest of the festival. Beer in hand I cavorted through the night with Half Avian, obe and finally a barnstorming headline set by Michale Rother. I don't know much about Neu or Can but by god, I will be hunting this music down. It was an exceptional end to a great festival. And I didn't even mention the Korean bands who played...oh well, I'll keep them for another day.

So what have I learnt....churches make great venues, pat-a-cake should be only attempted if you're Baby Brave, Charlotte Church is odd and John Robb is a nice fella. Also that FOCUS Wales is a rather wonderful little festival...oh, and I think I'm too old for all this shit!

This review is dedicated to the wonderful AP Childs who provided excellent company throughout...hang loose man!!