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5 Reasons to go to ArcTanGent

Right, so I’m just gonna come clean from the start. I confess, I had never heard of ArcTanGent festival until, well, just now. Described as the world’s ultimate festival for connoisseurs of Math-rock, Post-rock, Noise-rock, Alt-rock, and everything in between, I’m pretty glad I’ve now been enlightened. Their previous acts include Russian Circles, Fuck Buttons (what. an. incredible. name), MONO, and 65daysofstatic, and they’ve got plenty more where that came from this year as well. So, let the Licklisters take you through the top 5 reasons why you should most definitely be getting yourself down to ArcTanGent festival this summer!

1.  Line-up

With ArcTanGent, you’re getting real bang for your buck. 3 days, 4 stages, over 70 bands, AND a Silent Disco, those crazy curators have got enough music to keep you rocking for every moment over the festival. They’ve had some real big uns playing in the past, and this year is no different. Headlining this year they’ve got Montreal rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and if you don’t know much about their live sets, well all I can say is expect a lot of cool visuals and film projections. Next on the menu are American Football, Illinois-hailing math-rock gods. Despite the somewhat misleading name, expect mad music and a banging show, as opposed to shedloads of commercial breaks and a lot cheerleading.  And finally, they’ve got And So I Watch You From Afar a rocking four piece from Belfast. Again, I’m not so sure about the name (sounds like the kind of band my ex would like, amirite?! *gets coat*), but they certainly have got the music vibes dead right. In fact, their most recent album, Heirs, was released last year, and it was nominated for the IMPALA Album of the Year Award 2015. Not bad at all. And that’s just the headliners. There’s literally masses more bands to enjoy, so yeah, to sum up, the music is banging. Get yourself a ticket.

2. Ticket Options

And talking of tickets, they’ve got options for days. Literally any combination of camping and day combos, and the peeps at ArcTanGent have got you covered. They’ve even sorted out shuttle bus so you can get there hassle-free. The three day camping ticket is less than 100 quid, which is absolutely ridiculous value, considering the acts they’ve got lined up *see above* This may seem like a bit of a boring reason to go, but, y’know, you can’t go if you can’t afford the ticket so those lovely chaps and chapesses at ArcTanGent have done everything they can to make sure you can get yourself there. And to be fair, I literally cannot think of anything better to spend 95 quid on, so get booking!

3. Glamping

Love rocking out to the biggest names in the biz, but hate sleeping in a crappy Argos tent? Then ArcTanGent glamping is the one for you! They’ve got an massive amount of options available if crappy camping (cramping? Nope. *gets coat again*) isn’t your thing. From Stardomes, to Geodomes, to Superdomes, there something for everyone. To be honest, I have no idea what any of those dome things are but they sound frickin’ comfortable. Their website poses a good question: Why not arrive with nothing more than the clothes on your back and a cold beer in your hand and arrive to a boutique or pre-pitched? Damn, ATG, I think you’re onto something there. Count me in.

4. Sherpas

Right so this is an incredible idea, so full marks to the ATG team. I’m actually astounded no-one’s ever come up with this before. We’ve all been there. Struggling to haul all your stuff (beers) from your car to the campsite at a festival. The never-ending struggle. All you want to do is get battered and start enjoying the vibes. But no, there you are lugging a tent which is gonna end up ruined by the end of the weekend across a field. Not the start you want to your festival experience. But the ATG team have put an end to the struggle! And the miracle cure… Sherpas. ArcTanGent have teamed up with the Jolly Green Sherpas, who are providing a team of lovely staff, each equipped with a flatbed wheelbarrow to carry all your crap for you. Amazing stuff.

5. Silent Disco

A simple yet beautiful concept. Taking place on the Friday and Saturday from 11pm -3am, grab yourself a pair of headphones and boogie into the early hours. Not much more to be said on this one I don’t think. I mean, who doesn’t love a silent disco?

So, there you have it. The 5 definitive reasons why you need to be going to ArcTanGent festival. So, get on down to Bristol on the 18th -20th August, and we’ll see you all there!

 

Nick Cooke