Liverpool Psych Fest (Day One)
Camp & Furnace, Liverpool
September 26 - 27 2014
Words/Photos: Leanne Crowley
The time is now. The biggest event on the British psychedelic calendar is here: Liverpool Psych Fest. It's day one and Purple Heart Parade take the stage in the Blade Factory to open the festival. They offer their usual blend of shoegaze psych, but with an altered edge thanks to the addition of new guitarists Nolan Watkinson and Mike Bee. The swoon is pleasant and those who are here rock along enthusiastically. The set is strong with the highlight coming in the form of ‘Moonlight Burn'. A band of much promise they provide a great kickoff, setting the stage for Formes, whose lead singer Steve claims are "not a psych band, but psych will need us when the mundane becomes boring". What they turn up, in fact, is a darker doom version of the genre and their masked guitarist is a legend in his own right, jumping into the crowd and rocking out with no shame.
Powering through Spindrift's country and spaghetti western vibe psych in Camp with its dazzling light displays, the crowd is starting to build now and the anticipation rises as the calibre of bands increases. Kirkpatrick Thomas loved his set and is really glad the band have been able to gain more musical exposure in the UK in this current tour.
Black Mekon offer something different again with their pop punk psych; their cover of Happy Mondays' ‘Wrote for Luck' stealing the show, and ensuring the crowd can also dust ofc their dancing shoes. Asteroid No.4 who are no strangers to the bigger stages offer a tantalisingly dreamy set and mellow vibe. This could not be more at odds with the noise coming from the Furnace stage just next door. A quick swirl through the programme reveals it is a new entity -Les Big Byrd. They bang and thrash and even sing a song in Swedish, which is beautifully enjoyable even if perhaps lost on the average audience member lyrics-wise.
Taking a break from the music for a while to enjoy the event itself, it's clear how strong the vibe and atmosphere is, with an overwhelming feeling of bonhomie exuding all round. The merchandise is flying out of the window in the gallery and the psych visuals in the cinema are mesmerising. The art installations and screen printing aren't to be missed either. There is a new shisha tent for this year and the DJs spinning tracks in there add to the atmosphere of the festival perfectly.
The end of the day is concluded in spectacular fashion with first being blown away by drum maniacs Barberos, a complete surprise but completely fantastic in their raw ability to smash the drums and really make some empowered noise. Spectres take to the larger stage like a duck to water and completely belong there, and showing how far they have progressed in the last year and why Sonic Cathedral felt compelled to sign them up to the label. Watch out for more from this Bristol outfit in 2015.
When it's time for the big boys to come out to play, a band that many have been waiting for, the Allah Lahs, take to the Furnace stage and move into their set without disappointment. ‘Long Journey' is the highlight of the fantastically dreamy set and the whole room dances along in psyched-out abandonment. No disputing this band can put on a good show, and the number of dates on their current tour is testimony to their popularity. ‘Ferus Gallery' is eerily haunting with its absence of vocals, but no less powerful.
At the end of day one, there is a lot of happy smiling faces around and everyone is in agreement that it has been a great start tongue festival. The only thing stopping people from praising it too much is the promise of what's in store for tomorrow.
Watch this space...
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