Bands prepare for Beacons festival

We sat down with some of the acts taking part at this years Beacons Festival to see who they are excited about checking out at this years event...

For more information on the fest head to www.greetingsfrombeacons.com

Andy Abbot (from That Fucking Tank/NOPE):

I will be looking forward to seeing This Aint Vegas. Back in the murks of the early 2000s I was fortunate to see these strapping young lads, then only just out of school, play blistering sets of Gang of Four/Fugazi style indie-rock with more gusto and confidence than bands twice their age. And they had the songs and tunes to back up the swagger. Over time our friendship grew and we shared tours of Europe together, a record label, space on split records and compilations, and loads of booze - mostly rum.

Having experienced their first 'return gig' a few months back I can safely say that their revisiting of the material that they wrote as teenagers is no silly nostalgia trip but a concrete reminder that what they were pumping out then still wipes the floor with most bands of their ilk, even if now they're pushing 30 and have proper jobs!



Mat Haigh of Wot Gorilla:

Really looking forward to These Men, so jealous those guys get to show up to a gig without any equipment! Barber shop quartet with a difference, amazingly talented bunch!

Also looking forward to seeing Weird Dreams, absolutely loving their album, not usually into this lo-fi/surf pop malarkey but there's something that grabs me about this lot.



Post War Glamour Girls:

Still Corners have been soaking their ethereal soundscapes into my sub conscience since I bought their LP late last year. I'm really looking forward to see them as I missed them earlier on in the year at Brudenell, I predict a captivating live show, hopefully with the sun shining.

Blacklisters; the band remind me of a sort of machine in a factory that relentlessly manufactures power tools well and above the market demand for power tools, but they just carry on making them, forever. Then their singer Billy is like the warehouse foreman but he just shouldn’t be in charge of manufacturing power tools, he shouldn’t actually be allowed to go to work, at all, ever. Amazing band.



Paul Astick of Hawk Eyes:

A friend gave me the Attack on Memory album by Cloud Nothings. He insisted that I’d like it. I tried my best to contradict his presumption but failed. I heard them once at the Brudenell from the Lounge Bar, they were very loud and I like loud things so I’m looking forward to seeing as well as hearing them now.



Ric Phethean of Tall Ships:
Factory Floor on the Friday. Such an intense and relentless live band, their music just swallows you up. Also looking forward to Japandroids on the Saturday. 'The House That Heaven Built' is easily the best song released so far this year and to see it live will be epic.

Adam of Hey Sholay:
Hookworms - We like noise. And there is lots of it about. but there's lots of noise for noise sake. This band seem to construct it into a wall that works musically, and adds to an edge. The songs can be pretty sonically complex, you have to look to find some of the hidden melodies amongst tape delay oscillation, echoed riffs, and wah pedal that sounds like someone playing a pylon's wire in the rain.

Toots and the Maytals - because they are Toots and the Maytals. And they are playing. So go watch/dance.

Hookworms - Form And Function from Jonathan Wilkinson on Vimeo.

Joe Rattray of Admiral Fallow
We've played a few shows with The Felice Brothers in the past couple of years and they are always great fun live, we'll be the ones shouting along with Frankie's Gun.

The Felice Brothers - "Ponzi" from Fat Possum Records on Vimeo.

Neil Widdup of Stalking Horse:
Wild Beasts on Saturday should be really special, if Latitude was anything to go by. There's heaps and heaps of good stuff but especially looking forward to Clock Opera, Ghostpoet, Peaking Lights, Errors, Juffage, That Fucking Tank and Nope.