PREVIEW: INFEST 25^th-27th August 2017, University of Bradford UK

I don’t normally do previews, but given the longitude of the event and my attendance of the festival being at 100%, I feel it’s due that I give a little bit of love; in the hope that some people who have never been to the event, maybe give it a shot this year.

In 1998 a bunch of students pulled resources to put together a festival for alternative music in the north of England.  Here we are 19 years later, going from strength to strength, with many years of hard work and backing from Terminal Productions.

Infest has always served to bring a wide selection of bands from many a genre within the alternative scene; with a worthy selection of headliners supported by up and coming acts and those with a solid proven fanbase. Indeed, Infest has a proven track record of bring acts to the UK spotlight; and indeed many of these artists have gone on to better things because of it.

This year, there are a couple of big hitters, surrounded by a web of relatively smaller acts and some moderately larger ones, providing enough intrigue as to some groups many of us will not have encountered before.

THE HEADLINERS.

First up, the band that has caused a lot of buzz about the event this year.  REVOLTING COCKS are one of my all time favourites; and this type of act is long overdue to appear in the UK, let alone Infest.  For me, RC ended as a project after their brilliant ‘Linger Ficken’ Good’ album.  With three solid studio albums and one live affair, this was all that was needed to cement the act at the pinnacle of Industrial music history. Unfortunately, Al Jourgensen chose to carry on as ‘Revco’, with a bunch of albums I generally ignored.  So for me, the line up that will tread the boards in Bradford this year will be the real deal; and a proposed set of ‘Big Sexy land’ and other hits has me chomping at the bit.

DIE KRUPPS are another bunch of legends that are a worthy headliner of any festival; and command a great deal of respect.  Nowadays, most of the music they produce has teetered off into Metal territory; and whilst I like the genre, I do hope they pull out some old Industrial classics.  Either way; miss these guys at your peril, as I am sure they will more than rise to the occasion.

ROTORSAND have been around for quite a while now; and whilst they’re not really my cup of tea, I fully appreciate their ability to get an audience moving (after witnessing them live a couple of times before).  Either way, they fit the Friday night headlining slot well.

CHIEF SUPPORT.

This next section of the line up provides information on artists that have been around for a while now, have a large fanbase; and whilst being well known outside of the UK, are slowly making in-roads here.  Longevity provides them with a healthy late playing slot on the bill.

ACCESSORY have been exciting European audiences for a while now with their blend of emphatic synths and energetic dance-floor oriented rhythms; and we expect no less on this occasion.

NOYCE™ are one of those acts that have quite possibly gone under the radar in the UK.  I remember encountering them many years ago; and their blend of German synth-pop reminds me somewhat of countrymen Melotron, in many a respect.

END.USER hailing from the USA, is one of the other acts on the bill that has got me genuinely excited, with his blend of intricate breaks, Drum N’ Bass; and hyper Industrial technicality.  With a healthy discography to boot, there should be plenty in his arsenal to absolutely slay the Bradford gathering this year.  I will be at the front.

IVARDENSPHERE are likely to be up here because of a line up pulled from other well-known acts within the scene. Known to be crowd-pleasing and having a genuinely solid following in the UK; makes them well placed to keep the crowds happy late on a Sunday night when everyone is starting to flag.

OTHER SUPPORT.

Amongst this section we have a couple of acts that have caught my attention; and a few others, which provide a suitable warm up at early doors.  RIOTMILOO produced an excellent album recently for the Ant-Zen label; and her infectious stage presence should have pulled her just a bit further up the bill.  Opening up on Saturday is a shame, as I fear some people will miss what promises to be an excellent visceral display of conscientious musical protest; and I implore you to get out of bed and not miss this.

Jason Novak and Sean Payne should be no strangers to the Infest crowd; and their project VAMPYRE ANVIL should appeal to those who appreciate the works of Cyanotic, Acucrack and Acumen Nation.  I thoroughly expect this to be a loud and engaging affair.

Amongst the other support, we have other acts I simply know nothing about; such as Wulfband, Empathy Test, Chemical Sweet Kid, Juggernauts, Sidewalks & Skeletons, They Called him Zone and Among the Echoes.  The beauty of this is, that I might find a hidden gem amongst them, as may you too.

In all fairness, I admittedly am a jaded fan of the scene in general nowadays (and it takes a lot to please me); but Infest is one of those events that isn’t just about the bands.  If you have never been before I highly recommend you visit this long standing festival that has stood the test of time.  With cheap accommodation, a genuinely friendly atmosphere and well-priced drinks and food, I guarantee you will come away with a smile on your face.  I have been every year without fail; and believe me, that in itself it is no mean feat.

For more information visit: http://infestuk.com