Tim Davies- Sweet Deals on Surgery/ Head Booker at The Ferret, Preston
Highlight
Our tent failed us and EVERYTHING got soaked on night 1. This did not hinder our enjoyment one bit. The kindness of the people and the greatness of the event made us forget almost instantaneously.
Summary
Tuesday 23rd, 3 days after the festival and I remember why I had given up on festivals. I am still not fully integrated back into society and I am still feeling the after effects of partying hard with the Trojan Horse boys for 3 days. That being said, sign me up for ATG 2017 right now! I shall not miss another. Great bands, Great crowds, Great
people and a great time.
Pick of the bands
Cleft (obv), Bodyhound, Chiyoda Ku, Knifeworld, Falls, Classically Handsome Brutes, Mono, Nordic Giants, Raketkanon, Axes. The silent disco is not to be missed.
Highlight
Our tent failed us and EVERYTHING got soaked on night 1. This did not hinder our enjoyment one bit. The kindness of the people and the greatness of the event made us forget almost instantaneously.
Summary
Tuesday 23rd, 3 days after the festival and I remember why I had given up on festivals. I am still not fully integrated back into society and I am still feeling the after effects of partying hard with the Trojan Horse boys for 3 days. That being said, sign me up for ATG 2017 right now! I shall not miss another. Great bands, Great crowds, Great
people and a great time.
Pick of the bands
Cleft (obv), Bodyhound, Chiyoda Ku, Knifeworld, Falls, Classically Handsome Brutes, Mono, Nordic Giants, Raketkanon, Axes. The silent disco is not to be missed.
Asher Kenton - Portals/ Writer for The Math Rock Times
Highlight
Mono, Godspeed and Toe - all were so good it's virtually impossible to seperate them.
Summary
I really liked the new layout which made it easier to stage-hop, again an absolutely amazing atmosphere, the happiest and friendliest festival in the world.
Pick of the bands
Other than the three I already mentioned, I thought that Three Trapped Tigers, Cleft, Axes, Fall of Messiah, Quadrupede, Nordic Giants were all incredible.
Highlight
Mono, Godspeed and Toe - all were so good it's virtually impossible to seperate them.
Summary
I really liked the new layout which made it easier to stage-hop, again an absolutely amazing atmosphere, the happiest and friendliest festival in the world.
Pick of the bands
Other than the three I already mentioned, I thought that Three Trapped Tigers, Cleft, Axes, Fall of Messiah, Quadrupede, Nordic Giants were all incredible.
Charlie Barnes - Chiyoda Ku
Highlight
I've wanted to see Toe for a long time, and they were more than I ever could have imagined! also Cheap Jazz's song with the legend that is Marty Toner was really fucking cool!
Summary
Regardless of the weather, Arctangent always has the best atmosphere of any festival. James, Goc and Simon have absolutely nailed it every year and I wouldn't change a thing.
Pick of the bands
Memory Of Elephants, Space Blood, Toe, Raketkanon, The Brackish, Cheap Jazz and Body Hound all absolutely killed it!
Highlight
I've wanted to see Toe for a long time, and they were more than I ever could have imagined! also Cheap Jazz's song with the legend that is Marty Toner was really fucking cool!
Summary
Regardless of the weather, Arctangent always has the best atmosphere of any festival. James, Goc and Simon have absolutely nailed it every year and I wouldn't change a thing.
Pick of the bands
Memory Of Elephants, Space Blood, Toe, Raketkanon, The Brackish, Cheap Jazz and Body Hound all absolutely killed it!
Marty Toner- Alright, The Captain/ Button Pusher
Highlight
The best bit about ATG is catching up with all the friends we've made while we've been touring in one field with all the best bands playing all weekend. There were so many highlights including the carnage in the pit for ASIWYFA, Chiyoda Ku owning the PX3, getting to join Cheap Jazz on bass for their last song and the party that followed until the very early hours of Sunday morning Summary James, GoC and Simon do an amazing job at programming and organising the festival. I've been every year and never been disappointed, it's definitely the party of the year, the foods great, the sites really well laid out, I guess the only thing we could ask for is some more sunshine but aside from that ATG is perfect for all us weirdos. Can't wait for next year!!!! Pick of the bands Tough one as all the bands I saw were on top form but my top 5 in no particular order would be ASIWYFA, Chiyoda Ku, Gallops, Space blood & MNHM
Highlight
The best bit about ATG is catching up with all the friends we've made while we've been touring in one field with all the best bands playing all weekend. There were so many highlights including the carnage in the pit for ASIWYFA, Chiyoda Ku owning the PX3, getting to join Cheap Jazz on bass for their last song and the party that followed until the very early hours of Sunday morning Summary James, GoC and Simon do an amazing job at programming and organising the festival. I've been every year and never been disappointed, it's definitely the party of the year, the foods great, the sites really well laid out, I guess the only thing we could ask for is some more sunshine but aside from that ATG is perfect for all us weirdos. Can't wait for next year!!!! Pick of the bands Tough one as all the bands I saw were on top form but my top 5 in no particular order would be ASIWYFA, Chiyoda Ku, Gallops, Space blood & MNHM
Alex Cottrell- Glossom
Highlight
During Enemies, some guy crowd-surfed from the front to the back, then to the front again, then the side, then the front again, and eventually ending up on stage just in time for a drop. No amount of mud could stop this from being the most upbeat set of the festival for me.
Summary
Wow, what a weekend it was. So many fantastic bands ticked off the 'got to see live' list and all in one place! Stalls and food were top notch, atmosphere was super friendly - a friend lost his wallet and it was handed in with everything present - and you couldn't help but bump into everyone you knew. Rain? Nah that was part of the fun. Absolutely no surprise that this is an award winner.
Pick of the bands
So many different bands, so hard to pick a favourite...MeWithoutYou and Three Trapped Tigers did not disappoint. Supergoliath and Let's Talk Daggers were two awesome discoveries. Shout out for Kusanagi and their ace ATG debut too!
Highlight
During Enemies, some guy crowd-surfed from the front to the back, then to the front again, then the side, then the front again, and eventually ending up on stage just in time for a drop. No amount of mud could stop this from being the most upbeat set of the festival for me.
Summary
Wow, what a weekend it was. So many fantastic bands ticked off the 'got to see live' list and all in one place! Stalls and food were top notch, atmosphere was super friendly - a friend lost his wallet and it was handed in with everything present - and you couldn't help but bump into everyone you knew. Rain? Nah that was part of the fun. Absolutely no surprise that this is an award winner.
Pick of the bands
So many different bands, so hard to pick a favourite...MeWithoutYou and Three Trapped Tigers did not disappoint. Supergoliath and Let's Talk Daggers were two awesome discoveries. Shout out for Kusanagi and their ace ATG debut too!
Peter Lloyd - Kid Kin
Highlight
Besides Becky's Bahjis I'd have to say the GY!BE set is hard to ignore as a highlight. Despite the "will they-won't they" encore frustration, there was 90 minutes of GY!BE on top form, with the usual ar-ray of visceral and/or spine-tingling moments that make everyone so fucking glad they ended their hiatus. The big draw coming into this year's ATG, and in front of an audience full of musicians inevi-tably shaped in some way by this behemoth (a crowd of shin-strokers, as Jamie Lenman wittily put it at a previous ATG), it was hard not to feel nervous that GY!BE somehow wouldn't deliver the goods. But they'd stitched me right up with those doubts.
Summary
ATG rightly has the aura of a kind of mecca for all things post-, math-, and alternative, and that defi-nitely feeds into the amazing respect and excitement you feel amongst all the attendees. But it doesn't really sink in just how unique and special this festival is until you get talking to strangers who've come from all over the place to be there. I spoke to a fella watching
ASIWYFA who had come from Australia just to be at ATG. Unreal.
Pick of the bands
A few obvious heavyweight candidates were on form - GY!BE, Mono, ASIWYFA, but on Thursday it really felt like Three Tragged Tigers has transcended towards those aforementioned big boys; an in-credible performance. Amongst the many impressive bands lower down on the bill, Quadrepede, Body Hound, and Delta Sleep are all going from strength to strength, and will hopefully have earned some young money cash money from the big crowds they drew.
Highlight
Besides Becky's Bahjis I'd have to say the GY!BE set is hard to ignore as a highlight. Despite the "will they-won't they" encore frustration, there was 90 minutes of GY!BE on top form, with the usual ar-ray of visceral and/or spine-tingling moments that make everyone so fucking glad they ended their hiatus. The big draw coming into this year's ATG, and in front of an audience full of musicians inevi-tably shaped in some way by this behemoth (a crowd of shin-strokers, as Jamie Lenman wittily put it at a previous ATG), it was hard not to feel nervous that GY!BE somehow wouldn't deliver the goods. But they'd stitched me right up with those doubts.
Summary
ATG rightly has the aura of a kind of mecca for all things post-, math-, and alternative, and that defi-nitely feeds into the amazing respect and excitement you feel amongst all the attendees. But it doesn't really sink in just how unique and special this festival is until you get talking to strangers who've come from all over the place to be there. I spoke to a fella watching
ASIWYFA who had come from Australia just to be at ATG. Unreal.
Pick of the bands
A few obvious heavyweight candidates were on form - GY!BE, Mono, ASIWYFA, but on Thursday it really felt like Three Tragged Tigers has transcended towards those aforementioned big boys; an in-credible performance. Amongst the many impressive bands lower down on the bill, Quadrepede, Body Hound, and Delta Sleep are all going from strength to strength, and will hopefully have earned some young money cash money from the big crowds they drew.
John Jeacock- Merricks Tusk
Highlight
So many to choose from but seeing Fall of Messiah absolutely kill it on the Bixler stage was something else. Outstanding.
Summary
Lots of mates + lots of excess + incredible musicianship = Something I look forward to all year round Pick of the bands
Apart from Fall of Messiah.. It was ace to see Cheap Jazz and Chiyoda Ku on the PX3 and they both bought their A-game. Town Portal were incredible and the hop scotch circle pit was hilarious. Owen’s laid back set was nice change of pace and he always brings the licks. What I saw of Godspeed, You Black Emperor! was great but I peaked on buckfast too early in the day and ended up falling to sleep.
Highlight
So many to choose from but seeing Fall of Messiah absolutely kill it on the Bixler stage was something else. Outstanding.
Summary
Lots of mates + lots of excess + incredible musicianship = Something I look forward to all year round Pick of the bands
Apart from Fall of Messiah.. It was ace to see Cheap Jazz and Chiyoda Ku on the PX3 and they both bought their A-game. Town Portal were incredible and the hop scotch circle pit was hilarious. Owen’s laid back set was nice change of pace and he always brings the licks. What I saw of Godspeed, You Black Emperor! was great but I peaked on buckfast too early in the day and ended up falling to sleep.
Stu and Kerry- Bad Owl Promotions
Highlight
Kerry: Seeing Envoys open the Yohkai stage on Saturday morning filled my heart with so much pride I thought it was actually going to burst. It was bass player Daniel Ogola's last ever show with the band, and what a way to bow out! They played an absolutely blinding set and I am so pleased for them to have been included on this year's bill. I know it meant such a great deal to them and they completely deserve it.
Stewart: Reiterating Kerry's thoughts, the highlight for me had to be seeing Envoys play on this years bill. It's been a long held ambition of both ours and theirs for Envoys to play ATG and to see their smiley little faces before, during and after the set gave me little goose bumps all over
Summary
Kerry: ArcTanGent is the best festival the UK has to offer, hands down. The atmosphere isn't like any other festival I've ever been to, and because of this lovely scene we're so lucky to be involved in, you can barely walk 5 metres without bumping into someone you know. Ever since the first ATG, the line ups have consistently meant that between the four stages, you can literally watch your favourite bands continuously, from the first act on to the headliner. Goc, Si and James have created something so special and anyone I know that's ever been shares the same sentiment, bands and punters alike.
Stewart: It was another stellar year. The separation of the campsite from the main festival worked really well, I thought, enabling people to pack down their heavy loads before having to queue for their wristbands. The line-up was incredible, as always, with a little bit of everything on offer. To be honest I don't think there's any superlatives I could use about this year's fest that hasn't already been used but, suffice it to say, I'm already pining for 2017.
Pick of the bands
Envoys aside (and in no particular order); Falls, ALMA / Dialects (had to leg it mid-set to squeeze both in), Kusanagi, Fall Of Messiah, TTT, Floral, Cheap Jazz, Foes, Vasudeva - and Cleft's farewell per-formance was just brilliant (even though tinged with a bit of sadness). Gutted to have missed Poly-Math and Bodyhound. Oh, and I had a little cry at Agent Fresco's decompressed set with Talons. Totes emosh.
Stewart: Kerry has called it again (Fall Of Messiah absolutely blew everyone away at StrangeForms Festival earlier this year so it was great to see them do it again on the ATG stage). Other standout acts for me were Rolo Tomassi (I had the very few hairs I have on my back stood at attention throughout the set), Axes, Svalbard, Space Blood, Classically Handsome Brutes, Mutoid Man and Gal-lops. Can we do it all again this weekend?
Highlight
Kerry: Seeing Envoys open the Yohkai stage on Saturday morning filled my heart with so much pride I thought it was actually going to burst. It was bass player Daniel Ogola's last ever show with the band, and what a way to bow out! They played an absolutely blinding set and I am so pleased for them to have been included on this year's bill. I know it meant such a great deal to them and they completely deserve it.
Stewart: Reiterating Kerry's thoughts, the highlight for me had to be seeing Envoys play on this years bill. It's been a long held ambition of both ours and theirs for Envoys to play ATG and to see their smiley little faces before, during and after the set gave me little goose bumps all over
Summary
Kerry: ArcTanGent is the best festival the UK has to offer, hands down. The atmosphere isn't like any other festival I've ever been to, and because of this lovely scene we're so lucky to be involved in, you can barely walk 5 metres without bumping into someone you know. Ever since the first ATG, the line ups have consistently meant that between the four stages, you can literally watch your favourite bands continuously, from the first act on to the headliner. Goc, Si and James have created something so special and anyone I know that's ever been shares the same sentiment, bands and punters alike.
Stewart: It was another stellar year. The separation of the campsite from the main festival worked really well, I thought, enabling people to pack down their heavy loads before having to queue for their wristbands. The line-up was incredible, as always, with a little bit of everything on offer. To be honest I don't think there's any superlatives I could use about this year's fest that hasn't already been used but, suffice it to say, I'm already pining for 2017.
Pick of the bands
Envoys aside (and in no particular order); Falls, ALMA / Dialects (had to leg it mid-set to squeeze both in), Kusanagi, Fall Of Messiah, TTT, Floral, Cheap Jazz, Foes, Vasudeva - and Cleft's farewell per-formance was just brilliant (even though tinged with a bit of sadness). Gutted to have missed Poly-Math and Bodyhound. Oh, and I had a little cry at Agent Fresco's decompressed set with Talons. Totes emosh.
Stewart: Kerry has called it again (Fall Of Messiah absolutely blew everyone away at StrangeForms Festival earlier this year so it was great to see them do it again on the ATG stage). Other standout acts for me were Rolo Tomassi (I had the very few hairs I have on my back stood at attention throughout the set), Axes, Svalbard, Space Blood, Classically Handsome Brutes, Mutoid Man and Gal-lops. Can we do it all again this weekend?
Envoys
Highlight
Steve (guitar): Classically Handsome Brutes absolutely slaying the PX3 stage and being a ridiculously good advert for music in Leeds. They had seemed a bit nervous beforehand but I've never seen a band debut at a festival with so much confidence and swagger. Dead proud to call them our pals.
Mark (drums): Playing on the Yokhai stage with my mates to loads of people was a truly treasured moment. Then realising I was born to silent disco was the icing on the cake.
Summary
Steve: We last went in 2014 and this year's line-up felt stronger and more varied. We were playing alongside a mixture of our mates and some of my musical heroes, which was a great feeling. Every-thing else about it - the organisation, the family vibes, the amount of nu-metal on the silent disco - was even better than last time. Massive props to Si, James and GoC for all their hard work.
Mark: Amazing fest, so many great bands and friendly people. I got home and immediately looked up loads of new bands I’d seen. The sound and lighting were spectacular & created a very special ex-perience (or was that the beer). If the entire site can be astro-turfed for next year please to avoid the mud.
Pick of the bands
Steve: Apart from CHB, I really enjoyed Kusanagi, American Football, the first half of Animals As Leaders and the second half of Cleft!
Mark: Mutoid Man, Three Trapped Tigers, Gallops, Svalbard, Heck.
Highlight
Steve (guitar): Classically Handsome Brutes absolutely slaying the PX3 stage and being a ridiculously good advert for music in Leeds. They had seemed a bit nervous beforehand but I've never seen a band debut at a festival with so much confidence and swagger. Dead proud to call them our pals.
Mark (drums): Playing on the Yokhai stage with my mates to loads of people was a truly treasured moment. Then realising I was born to silent disco was the icing on the cake.
Summary
Steve: We last went in 2014 and this year's line-up felt stronger and more varied. We were playing alongside a mixture of our mates and some of my musical heroes, which was a great feeling. Every-thing else about it - the organisation, the family vibes, the amount of nu-metal on the silent disco - was even better than last time. Massive props to Si, James and GoC for all their hard work.
Mark: Amazing fest, so many great bands and friendly people. I got home and immediately looked up loads of new bands I’d seen. The sound and lighting were spectacular & created a very special ex-perience (or was that the beer). If the entire site can be astro-turfed for next year please to avoid the mud.
Pick of the bands
Steve: Apart from CHB, I really enjoyed Kusanagi, American Football, the first half of Animals As Leaders and the second half of Cleft!
Mark: Mutoid Man, Three Trapped Tigers, Gallops, Svalbard, Heck.
Andy Acred: Death and the Penguin
Highlight
Three Trapped Tigers. Like most ATGers, we’ve followed their brand of space-psych-prog since before they soundtracked Matt Berry's battle to save the universe. But this show really did feel like climbing inside the video to ‘Reset’. Some of the deepest, heaviest, most frenetic grooves and a beautiful set arc that made for one the most immersive performances of the festival - matched for sheer epicness only by GY!BE.
Summary
It’s ATG. And it was more ATG than ever this year. The tribe was more international, the riffs more numerous (if that’s possible), and the party even more Andrew WK. Reunions were had with excel-lent musical people from all over, new friends were made and the costume game was strong (to R2-D2: we’re sorry about Pikachu). The new site layout was good too, we like practical things. Forecast for next year: 1.57030054 rad.
Pick of the bands
Cleft (ft AMTP) - What a send-off for some of the nicest guys in the game.
MNHM - Like Dave Brubeck on acid, if Dave Brubeck really liked beards, and bari sax, and fuzz.
GY!BE - obviously.
ASIWYFA - I was once accused by a math-rock purist of being ‘a bit too pop’ for liking these guys. I’ll take that.
American Football - Perfect, nostalgia-filled closer.
Highlight
Three Trapped Tigers. Like most ATGers, we’ve followed their brand of space-psych-prog since before they soundtracked Matt Berry's battle to save the universe. But this show really did feel like climbing inside the video to ‘Reset’. Some of the deepest, heaviest, most frenetic grooves and a beautiful set arc that made for one the most immersive performances of the festival - matched for sheer epicness only by GY!BE.
Summary
It’s ATG. And it was more ATG than ever this year. The tribe was more international, the riffs more numerous (if that’s possible), and the party even more Andrew WK. Reunions were had with excel-lent musical people from all over, new friends were made and the costume game was strong (to R2-D2: we’re sorry about Pikachu). The new site layout was good too, we like practical things. Forecast for next year: 1.57030054 rad.
Pick of the bands
Cleft (ft AMTP) - What a send-off for some of the nicest guys in the game.
MNHM - Like Dave Brubeck on acid, if Dave Brubeck really liked beards, and bari sax, and fuzz.
GY!BE - obviously.
ASIWYFA - I was once accused by a math-rock purist of being ‘a bit too pop’ for liking these guys. I’ll take that.
American Football - Perfect, nostalgia-filled closer.