Manchester Psych Fest returns for its 11th edition this weekend, boasting an impressive line-up spanning the breadth of the UK’s independent music scene.
From its humble beginnings as an all-day event at Night & Day Café, the UK’s leading psychedelic music and arts festival now spills across a multitude of independent venues around the city such as Gorilla, YES, and Albert Hall, as well as Manchester Met’s very own SU.
East London indie label Fuzz Club Records will also host their own stage for the first time at The Bread Shed, just off Oxford Road.
Recent line up additions include Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep, psych rock four-piece The Wytches and Stereolab founder Laetitia Sadier with her Source Ensemble, joining the bill alongside over 70 acts.
Dublin four-piece Melts, Austin psych outfit Daiistar, gothic rock duo Black Doldrums, Hull garage rockers The Black Delta Movement, lo-fi multi-instrumentalist Lutalo, psych-punk trio Hot Face, raging post-punk four-piece Chemtrails, noisy Manchester duo Slap Rash, and art-pop sextet Midnight Rodeo will also appear.
Taking the headline spots this year are New Jersey’s alternative export BC Camplight, showcasing his latest album, The Last Rotation of Earth, as well as Grammy-nominated psychedelic pop five-piece Altin Gün. Cult favourites Baxter Dury, The Horrors, and (my personal favourite of this year’s lineup) the boisterous Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs complete this year’s headline bill.
This year also features a host of impressive solo acts. While the break-up of Black Midi may have shattered a few hearts, lead vocalist Geordie Greep is here to wipe your tears away with his new solo offering, ‘Holy, Holy.’ If this latest single is anything to go by, he’s bringing all the technical genius of his former project but with his own sheer absurdity.
Emerging local shoegaze act TTSSFU is also one to catch, firmly riding the wave from the success and critical acclaim of her debut EP, Me, Jed and Andy. If you enjoy telling your mates, “I saw them before they were cool”, make sure you catch her set.
At a time when it feels creativity and artistry is being suppressed, it is important to support the few that celebrate it. Manchester Psych Fest is a beautiful demonstration of the breadth of talent across the UK and beyond and the fact it continues to thrive is a message to those that are trying to squash it. Grab your tickets now, before it inevitably sells out.
Manchester Psych Fest 2024 takes place on Saturday 31st August, 2024. Book your tickets online at manchesterpsychfest.com and follow @manchesterpsychfest
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