Constellations Festival @ Leeds University, Leeds

Owing to its convenient position on the calendar, last year’s first Constellations reflected on how at least part of the independent stratum had progressed during the year, confirming among others Gold Panda’s ascent and Esben & The Witch’s impending success. If the follow-up holds a mirror to 2012 it’s telling us little more than this; everyone’s fucking knackered.

That’s true of Braids, who’ve clocked well over 100 shows this year – a dubious side-effect of placement among the next great hopes whilst existing on a shoestring; they’re fraught, agitated and rushed, far from the serene presence that played UK stages last spring. The Antlers, nearing triple figures themselves, are game in passion but find too that the myriad components of Burst Apart’s phantasmagoria are, indeed, further apart than usual today (though the Riley Smith room’s poor sound takes some blame for that, also rendering Vessels’ vital metronome Tim Mitchell virtually unheard in an otherwise thunderous showing).

With headliners Wild Beasts another showing fatigue beneath their increasingly slick veneer – Sky Larkin’s Kate Harkin’s additional keys stage left seemingly preparing for their move to the big leagues, despite drummer Chris Talbot’s continuing tempo issues – it’s left to Club AC30’s Ringo Deathstarr to provide some intensity, squalls of guitar spitting out spectres of ‘the Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and all interim shoegaze 1.0.

Dutch Uncles are solid too; their oddball pop stylings still aren’t igniting all comers, but the likes of ‘Dressage’ and ‘Cadenza’ now helter-skelter with much greater purpose. Yet easily the most electrifying performance comes upon arrival; locals Hookworms open the third-eyes of early arrivals with analogue box howls, acid-scorched riffs and malevolent motorik. They’re virtually the sole spark of an event paying witness to those acts “lucky” enough to exist beyond the breadline being pushed to live burn out as a result.