ArcTanGent Festival 2024
ArcTanGent Festival 2024
Bristol, United Kingdom
August 2024
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
ArcTanGent. Another festival ticked off my seemingly never ending bucket list. It seems like only moments ago since January of this year when I saw an announcement that left me physically shaking with excitement! Now it’s the Monday after the festival and I’m here scribbling down my thoughts about it. Suffice to say, the expectations were sky high but James Scarlett and the crew certainly delivered, and quite frankly pulled off a lineup that should surely go down in the history books as one of the finest in British festival history, the 10th anniversary for one of the country’s most beloved independent festivals.
The Site
For me, everything here just screamed of superb organisation! Whether it was the clearly marked out walkways, the compact site (it was maybe 10 minutes walk from my tent to the car, and 5 minutes to the arena) or the plethora of food vendors, this was a pleasant experience for someone like myself who had a horrible experience camping at another festival years previously (let’s call that ‘Drownload’). While the festival has the motto ‘heroes buy beeros’ in order to encourage larger bar sales and thus supporting the festival, bringing your own food and drink was perfectly acceptable (so long as they’re not in glass). Aside from a few occasions where I fell into a Wi-Fi blackhole, the signal was great and I was able to contact my friends with relative ease. Apart from maybe needing to add a few additional showers and making the Yokhai tent a bit bigger (a lot easier said than done), I cannot fault the festival here at all! So, what about the bands?
Amenra
The Yokhai tent was packed. REALLY PACKED. This had nothing to do with the fact that there was near tropical rainfall only an hour or so before leaving everybody taking refuge in the nearest tent. No, Amenra would have filled that tent rain, snow, or sunshine! And it’s no wonder. Their live performances have regularly left audiences stunned and spellbound the world over. This Thursday night was no exception. Blasting through hits such as ‘De Evenmens’, ‘Razoreater’ and their juggernaut of an anthem ‘A Solitary Reign’, this was the intense and visceral performance I had anticipated, and more, and was perhaps worth the price of admission alone.
https://www.facebook.com/churchofra
Explosions In The Sky
Thursday evening’s headline act came with a huge reputation. That reputation remained well intact. From stunning tear-jerking melodic passages designed to lull and serenade through to skull crushingly intense, the Texas-based quintet offered an 80 minute rollercoaster allowing you to experience emotions you never knew you were capable of experiencing. All in one sitting! If you can get through ‘Your Hand In Mine’ and feel nothing, then you must surely be too numb and dead on the inside. Being fully instrumental, they say more without lyrics than you could ever imagine, and fully deserved that headline slot.
https://www.facebook.com/ExplosionsInTheSkyMusic
Sigh
Almost impossible to categorise stylistically, the Japanese act have dabbled with every sub-genre imaginable from visceral Black metal in their early “Scorn Defeat” days through to a more Progressive-experimental Metal style. One thing that’s remained constant is their captivating live performance. A performance that must be experienced at least once by Metal fans. From kimonos to flaming katanas, from bloodshed to burning bibles and more tricks than a clown with a Tardis, they left everything on stage and left some members of the audience visibly stunned and emotional. Honestly? I was on the fence about Sigh and couldn’t make my mind up about them. This Friday evening set won me over though!
https://www.facebook.com/sighjapan
Julie Christmas
Another artist who I wasn’t fully sold on, the queue for her autograph signing snaked around the merch tent and should have given some indication of how highly anticipated her set was. The expectations had been set through the roof by her fans on social media, so it felt only right to check out the set on Thursday mid-afternoon. Well, I’d have majorly regretted not making my way to the main stage for this! Some people are just naturally born performers and were made to be on stage, just like Julie. I heard others describe this set as ‘spellbinding’ and ‘jaw dropping’. I’d wholeheartedly agree. Enlisting the services of Cult Of Luna’s Johannes to her live band has brought some much welcome star power and Julie Christmas has forcefully inserted her name into almost all discussion about the greats of Post-metal.
https://www.instagram.com/julie_christmas_official
Year Of No Light
One of the three absolutely unmissable bands for me this weekend, I had been desperate to see the French post-metallers for quite some time. This was my chance. Despite being on a line up with quite frankly some of the finest instrumental acts on the planet, Year Of No Light still managed to make themselves stand out. They achieved this with an atmospheric Sludge filled Drone-inspired attack on the senses designed to engulf and drag your corpse through a sonic maelstrom! An attack only possible with an army of guitars, deadly duet of drummers, and synths that could be felt through the air of the Arc tent. The band still remains on my must-see list and my bank account will be quickly depleted as soon as they announce another UK date!
https://www.facebook.com/yearofnolight
Honourable Mentions
Unfortunately, it would be impossible to make this review concise and digestible without giving adequate attention to the rest of the artists on a star-studded weekend. Therefore, a few honourable mentions, including Cahill//Costello, Iress, and Scaler from lower on the cards. That’s the beauty of ArcTanGent. There’s so much variety and opportunity, you’ll find yourself drifting towards stages and taking a punt on random bands, just like I did with those. Other midcard acts such as Outrun The Sunlight and Cobra The Impaler were thoroughly impressive in different ways whereas Baroness, Bossk, And So I Watch From Afar, and Animals As Leaders added extra star power and quality higher up the bill.
Meshuggah
You didn’t think I had forgotten about Meshuggah, had you? I don’t use the word ‘unforgettable’ lightly, but the Swede’s headline set truly was that! Like a fine wine, the band have aged gracefully and seem to get better as time carries on. “I’ve never seen that tent so packed” an ArcTanGent veteran friend of mine commented, in reference to the Friday night UK exclusive performance for this year.
Following on from Animals As Leaders’ main support slot, many festival attendees had remained camped out in the main stage to secure a prime viewing spot for Meshuggah. Within seconds of the first few notes for ‘Broken Cog’, the pits opened violently, threatening to consume everyone and everything that came too close. I was one of those victims and the rest of this review is pretty much carved from my hazy memories from being within that pit! Bodies were being sent through the air and towards the barriers like homing missiles. Soul piercing note after bone crunching note from a flawlessly tight and complex mix rang out to pulverise any eardrum within their site. This was carnage. This somehow maintained for 70 minutes or so… until silence. An eerie silence accompanied by an equally unsettling darkness. This lasted for only a few seconds before they were sharply replaced by roars of unsatiated fans desperate for more. That’s when it came. The first few notes of the band’s magnus opus ‘Bleed’ sent the main stage into what can only be described as a rabid and feral frenzy. Tosin from Animals As Leaders had said “Meshuggah are proof that aliens exist” such is the superhuman nature of their live show. An assertion that is hard to argue with or to top.
https://www.facebook.com/meshuggah
Final Thoughts
If you’re thinking of going to ArcTanGent, just do it! Perhaps you have an eclectic taste and need a lot of variety to be fully satiated? ArcTanGent has you covered. Maybe you feel overwhelmed at bigger festivals and want something more compact and manageable? Again, ArcTanGent has you covered. The festival represents a rite of passage for music lovers and must be experienced.
It’s Monday afternoon and I’m still riding high as a kite. The post-festival blues haven’t hit yet. Will I make my way to Bristol next August for the 2025 and 11th eddition? To paraphrase Toto, it’s gonna take me a lot to take me away from you, ArcTanGent.
