ArcTanGent Festival in Somerset had a great lineup of rock and experimental music this year. The Mic's Jake Longhurst was there to check it out.
The only festival I’m aware of that references trigonometry in its name, ArcTanGent Festival
is one of the relative hidden gems of the UK live music scene. With a stellar lineup of acts
that literally didn’t have a single weak point, it’s almost absurd that the festival is as small as
it is - until you remember the fact that it’s also a platform for bands with names like Pupil
Slicer.
Speaking of Pupil Slicer, they were one of the absolute highlights of the weekend. Playing a
stellar set on the Wednesday, they set the tone for the rest of the festival with extraordinary
renditions of some of the songs off of their recent masterpiece Blossom. Highlights included
opening with the searing No Temple, and the title track. However it was the end of their set
that truly ran away with things, a searing back-to-back-to-back of Stabbing Spiders, Martyrs,
and Wounds Upon My Skin that dragged myself and many other attendees inexorably into a
seething moshpit.
The other notable highlight on the Wednesday was watching Conjurer perform a
subheadline slot, and send each and every onlooker to heaven and back with a crushingly
heavy set that marked them out as comfortable future headliner material. With their third
album being worked on, it’s cautiously looking like it could be the one ‘that defines the
Conjurer sound’ according to guitarist Conor; he did preface this by saying it’s a very long
way off completion, but with any luck all you Conjurer fans will be looking at a modern
classic in the not too distant future.
Moving swiftly onwards, Thursday opened with a bang as Grief Ritual whipped up the
crowds into a frenzy using their miserable brand of aggressive blackened metal, and at the
same time fiercely repping the queer community. It’s wonderful to see bands doing that,
particularly as a queer person myself, and even better when those bands are stunning live,
such as Grief Ritual. Catch them in Nottingham on the 3rd of September with Burner and
Negative Frame - I know I’ll be there!
Immediately afterwards was Din Of Celestial Birds, a band I’d heard plenty of good about but
thought I’d let their live show dictate my thoughts on them, and I’m so glad I did. The group’s
wonderful post-rock, post-metal, instrumental style was devastatingly powerful, with multiple
audience members walking away with tears rolling down their cheeks. Comfortably one of
the best new discoveries of the weekend for me!
Chat Pile seem to be growing in popularity quicker and quicker, and deservedly so - their set
at ArcTanGent was as suitable to be late on the main stage as it was mid afternoon on the
second, which I expect is where they’ll end up the next time they come back! From songs
like Slaughterhouse to Dallas Beltway, the Oklahoma four piece rattled through another
distinctly brilliant set, leaving everyone wanting more.
"Watching them play a set that was only a single song long, with that song lasting almost an hour, was something to behold, leaving me feeling as if I’d only sat through one magical moment."
Friday brought with it another collection of astounding groups, and one of the more intriguing
to the less discerning music listener would no doubt be Bell Witch, a funeral room duo who
endeavour to create some of the longest songs there are. Watching them play a set that was
only a single song long, with that song lasting almost an hour, was something to behold,
leaving me feeling as if I’d only sat through one magical moment.
My absolute favourite discovery of the entire weekend would be Death Goals, another duo
but from the complete opposite end of heavy music, where playing a song much longer than
three minutes is quite the faux pas. As a queer hardcore band, it was only natural that I
would fall in love with them and their music, and that I did. Their set was a cacophony of
anguish, love, joy and frustration all wrapped in some of the most disgustingly headbangable
music of the weekend. On the recommendation of Luke and Kate from Pupil Slicer I also
talked to them, and they were delightful! An easy recommendation to anyone reading this
article.
The final day of the wonderful experience that was ArcTanGent came around so much
quicker than I had wanted it to, however that said, Saturday also held a trump card in the
form of a one-two punch from The Callous Daoboys into Deafheaven playing Sunbather in
full. The Callous Daoboys played one of the most incredibly energetic sets of live music I
have ever seen, and more than earnt every jot of adoration the crowd could bestow upon
them. Star Baby is a world beater of a song, and A Brief Article Regarding Time Loops
should never be played live without scared crowd members first putting on a suit of armour.
I’ve said it before and I WILL say it again, go and see this band live. You will not regret it.
"The Callous Daoboys played one of the most incredibly energetic sets of live music I have ever seen, and more than earnt every jot of adoration the crowd could bestow upon them."
As just mentioned, this set was immediately followed by the inimitable Deafheaven
performing their masterpiece of modern black metal, Sunbather, in full. The band did
struggle to begin with as they were sadly plagued with a myriad of technical issues, however
they played on and made the set their own, in as triumphant an overcoming of technology as
you may see live. Starting with problems everywhere and finishing to the sound of deafening
applause is a mighty U-turn, but one that was without doubt deserved.
The very last act of the entire weekend was Saturday’s headliner, Devin Townsend. He’s
had a hand in heavy music for decades, in many different forms, from production to being a
singer or instrumentalist or writer he has truly done it all. His set started off with Lightworker,
the almost title track off his latest album Lightwork, and the crowd seemed to swell with a
joyful energy at hearing it. Other songs that appeared included Bad Devil, Heartbreaker, and
the way only he can, Devin Townsend finished off a spectacular weekend spectacularly. See
you all there next year!
Jake Longhurst
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Feature and in-article images courtesy of ArcTanGent via Facebook
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