With just three weeks to ago until ArcTanGent returns to Fernhill Farm near Bristol for its second year, it’s officially time to start getting excited. With a line-up catering directly for fans of post-rock, math rock and the many tertiary genres that surround the pair, there is no doubting the fact that the festival is here to provide for an audience that otherwise would have to make do with piecemeal offerings from the rest of the circuit. It’s truly alternative event, then, and one that also fits perfectly into Bristol’s rich vein of music history.
With the festival’s debut year having been such a rampant success, ArcTanGent has cast its net further afield this year, landing a selection of top international acts to play alongside the cream of the British scene. Nowhere is this more evident than at the top of the bill, where American heavyweights Russian Circles and This Will Destroy You will co-headline on Friday, with Japanese legends Mono and Irish collective God Is An Astronaut closing the Saturday night.
Further down the bill, there are plenty more bands from overseas, some of whom are rarely seen in the UK. These include the jaw-droppingly dextrous LA duo El Ten Eleven, acclaimed Swedish post-rockers EF, French post-metal behemoths Year of No Light, Luxembourg insanity exporters Mutiny On The Bounty and math rock luminaries from California and Japan in the shape of Tera Melos and Lite respectively. And, this line-up diversity is reflected in the fact that fans are travelling from all over the world to Bristol for the festival this summer.
Of the homegrown bands playing the festival, the likes of prog titans Crippled Black Phoenix, Leeds post-punk quintet I Like Trains and East Anglian atmospheric black metallers Fen particularly stand out on a packed bill. Returning favourites from last year, meanwhile, include the ever dependable Maybeshewill and anthemic festival standard bearers Tall Ships, while among a slew of highly recommended acts further down the line-up are names such as Rumour Cubes, BATS, Alpha Male Tea Party and The Winchester Club. After hours, numerous acts will be DJing at the Silent Disco as well.
Of course, a festival weekend isn’t just about the music and, thankfully, ArcTanGent delivers atmosphere in spades. With a decidedly relaxed vibe spread across the entire site - you can camp in view of the main stage if you need to - and reasonably priced, good food and drink knocking about, this is a rare festival environment that treasures independence above all. See you there.
For the full line up and tickets, head here. Thursday night is early entry and will feature performances from 2013 favourites And So I Watch You From Afar and Three Trapped Tigers.
ArcTanGent Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu August 28 2014 - BRISTOL Fernhill Farm
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