ArcTanGent celebrated its tenth anniversary this summer, delivering an unforgettable weekend for fans of heavy and experimental music. This year’s headliners, Explosions in the Sky, Meshuggah, and Mogwai, descended upon Fernhill Farm for what might be the festival’s best edition yet.
We arrived late on Wednesday, missing several bands, but caught LLNN, whose deafening, harsh noise shook the farm. After dinner, we joined the crowd for the fan-voted set by And So I Watch You From Afar. Their performance featured an incredible selection of tracks from their back catalogue, highlighted by a guest appearance from Krim Palmer of Soaper on “S is for Salamander” celebrating the tenth anniversary of her first ATG performance with the band. If anyone can kick off a party, it’s ASIWYFA!
Thursday morning introduced the ATG crowd to newer bands like Seneca, who delivered a post-punk-infused math rock set, even covering “One Armed Scissor” by At the drive in to the delight of early risers. Kulk unleashed their unique blend of stoner sludge/doom, shaking the tent’s foundations with their thunderous bass. Meanwhile, Manchester’s Pleiades played to their largest crowd yet, their joy evident as they delivered a passionate post-hardcore/scream set. Unpeople lightened the mood with upbeat, catchy hooks that felt instantly familiar despite their newness.
Our Thursday highlight was the inimitable Julie Christmas, whose energetic performance lived up to the hype, proving why she was so eagerly anticipated. Unfortunately, Skemer‘s set didn’t resonate with us, so we opted to skip the rest. After some interviews and dinner from the Pad Thai and Paella stalls, we caught Tokky Horror, who brought chaos to the Elephant in the Bar Room stage during one of their last shows. We love discovering new bands at ATG, so we checked out John Connor, who surprised us with a dynamic set featuring six different singers. The night ended with the emotional performance of Explosions in the Sky, which brought post-rock fans to tears as they closed out Thursday.
Friday started with a packed tent for the popular podcast “2 Promoters 1 Pod” by festival organiser James Scarlett and Damnation Festival’s Gavin McInally, offering plenty of laughs. Our first band and new discovery of the day was HAAL from Bristol, who delivered a dark, math-inspired set reminiscent of Chiyoda Ku. El Moono followed with a stellar performance, showcasing material from their latest release, “The Waking Sun.” Bristol-based art rock band Sans Froid took to the stage with Aisling Whiting’s angelic vocals and Toby Green’s drumming leaving a lasting impression on those in attendance. Over on the main stage, The Omnific from Australia brought dual bass and infectious energy, with their drummer’s antics and “Fuck Yeah’s” echoing in our ears long after.
Every Hell packed another tent with a sax-frenzied, chaotic set, setting the stage for Manchester’s Maruja, who whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their powerful performance. Three Trapped Tigers returned to the main stage, delivering a behemoth set full of fan-favourite tracks, embodying the festival’s spirit with their music. We couldn’t miss Night Verses, so we secured a good spot to soak in their musicianship, especially their energetic drummer. With such a stacked line-up, we took a break during Frail Body’s set, grabbing food before catching Delta Sleep‘s energetic set, which was filled with old hits and showcased some of their new material perfectly live and brought a sweet moment with bassist Dave playing a song alongside his toddler son. Show Me the Body, a band we enjoyed on record, didn’t quite hit as hard live, feeling more punk in a live setting. Curiosity led us to Komfortrausche, where we danced to the German techno band before heading to God Alone‘s silent disco set, a thrilling and hilarious experience as they threw themselves into a set filled with Gabba samples and countless riffs.
Saturday was another packed day, starting with FORT and Codex Serafini, both captivating their large audiences. One of the joys of ATG is the variety, with post-rock bands dominating one stage while psych/noise rock bands crush it on another. We took a punt on Briqueville who were a great new discovery for us with their relentlessly heavy riffs and plague doctor costumes and we’ll be checking out more in future. We then opted for a little break, listening to Haus Horo from our campsite, before returning for Leeds noise rockers THANK, who made their ATG debut with a selection of new songs and fan favourites.
The afternoon marked the start of an epic run of bands that left no room for breaks. From PEACH, Scaler, and God Alone, who all delivered some of the best sets we’ve seen from each of them. Ellie Godwin of PEACH exuding a newfound confidence that drove the band, it was a non-stop party. Scaler‘s earlier-than-usual set got everyone in the mood to continue partying with their love electronica and exciting visuals on the main stage before God Alone returned with yet another energetic performance that the crowd fed off throughout.
Fellow Irishmen ASIWYFA returned for their second set of the weekend, playing their new album “Megafauna” in its entirety. This was our only chance to grab a quick bite to eat and a drink and watch on from the sidelines before diving into the massive run that included Brontide, Gallops, Slift, and Mogwai. Brontide‘s return transported us back to younger days, as the trio dominated the main stage after a long break. Gallops brought the party with bangers and new material, while France’s Slift delivered much-needed heavy progressive stoner vibes. The festival closed with an incredible set from Mogwai, where we finally sat down to enjoy the music and soak it all in with some friends as the soundtrack to our Saturday night. Seeing these titans at the festival was a dream come true for organiser James Scarlett and everyone who attended as they blitzed through an EPIC set from their extensive back catalogue.
With sunshine, only a touch of rain, and an impeccable line-up, this tenth anniversary was the best edition of the festival yet and we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store!
TICKETS FOR ARCTANGENT 2025 ARE ON SALE HERE
