Sadly (for me at least) the festival season has come to an end. No more debaucherous days spent insouciantly consuming cider in a field with friends, watching amazing bands perform and generally escaping the constraints of reality in the name of merriment. As heavyhearted as this inevitably leaves me, I couldn't have chosen a better way to end it by attending the first year of ArcTanGent Festival.  

Photo:Future Of The Left

There are normally some reservations present when turning up to the first year of a festival; Will it be well organised? Are they prepared for the characteristically unreliable British weather? Oh god, the toilets, what about the toilets?! Luckily in this case the organisers have had some practice in festival maintenance over at 2000trees festival, and it really showed upon arrival on the site situated at Fernhill farm, just outside of Bristol. Plenty of space to pitch up tent, a moments walk between any of the four stages and the toilets have loo roll, a good start indeed. 

But it's not for these reasons that three thousand people have bought tickets, it's the line up. A ridiculous array of left field alternative, post-prog, math-rock bands, (there are many other ludicrous genre titles, you get the picture) the likes of which have never been seen in the same setting. 

I arrived on Thursday evening a touch later than expected after getting lost in the Sommerset countryside, with the awesome, experimental mathematics of Alright the Captain emanating from the Yohkai stage to keep me entertained whilst setting up camp. The first band I actually physically witnessed were the six piece instrumentalists Talons. Lying somewhere near post-rock and with the addition of violin they were impressive to watch, mixing dark and light elements to epic effect. Amplifier were next to distribute their heavy, progressive sounds across the field, with an Oceansize-esq resemblance tingling my ear drums. Headliners for the evening were the universally commended Maybeshewill, who played a fan voted set of favourite tunes to a very much beholden and captivated audience. 

Friday unsurprisingly begins with a hangover. Luckily the aptly named Polymath were there to clear my hazy head at the Bixler stage with their tight ever changing grooves; a perfect way to begin long the day of music. 

Wondering over to the Arc (main) stage for my first view up close led me to Baby Godzilla. They are a stage managers worst nightmare, playing their post-hardcore aggressive riffs whilst climbing quite literally what ever apparatus they could find, and throwing themselves and their mic stands in and around the audience; highly entertaining viewing. I could tell the day was going to be spent ping-ponging from stage to stage as I made my way back to the Bixler for You Slut! It was the second time I had seen them, and once more they did not disappoint. Time shifts a plenty, their relentless riffs are contrasted with melodic breaks that let you take a breath before the further onslaught of guitars. 

A little bit of foresight goes a long way; there were only a couple of clashes over the whole festival, allowing me to weave in between stages without missing a beat and the next beats that laid claim to my ears were from Rolo Tomassi. Their newer material features more singing from front woman Eva, but still remains laden with the classic screams and tight rhythms they are deservedly renowned for. Time for an ascension into space next with The Physics House Band, whose high breed mix of prog (they'll hate me for saying that), math and ambience shook the tent walls, creating a virtuoso display of musicianship that can seldom be rivalled. One of my personal favourites of the festival followed suit in the form of That Fucking Tank, their name certainly doing their music justice; almost disco/dance style drums are met by a monstrous chugging baritone, and I love seeing two guys make that much noise. 

I managed to take a brief break from the madness whilst Maybeshewill played their second set of the festival over at the Arc. Just enough time to grab a stone-baked pizza and a pint of ale before the start of Brontide. You can tell that they mean business, a serious bunch of musicians. Looped guitar lines flow over a brooding rhythm section, creating crescendos culminating in an explosion of riffs and noise. The fun continues with Future of the Left, playing their characteristic brand of alternative rock to a crowd that make themselves known. After becoming a four piece before the recording of their recent record 'The Plot Against Common Sense' they've really solidified their live shows, making it a very tightly woven performance. 

My first earful of metal at the festival was from earthtone9, and it was a refreshing change of pace from the time signature heavy afternoon. With the days entertainment almost at an end, I sleuthed backstage to watch 65daysofstatic from a less involved post. Although I am more a fan of their older material they are still an impressive live act, curating a unique sound  by mixing electronica with a post-rock aesthetic. Tired from the days antics I find myself a pair of headphones in preparation for the silent disco, joining everyone else in dancing to their favourite tunes.   

Saturday also unsurprisingly began with a hangover, coupled this time with head-bang ache and a loss of voice from silent disco shenanigans. Axes are first on the list for today, and having seen them over at 2000trees festival in July I was excited to catch them again. Their self titled EP has been on repeat in my house lately, and the word math is appropriate but does not do them justice. Melodically intriguing guitar and bass parts with shuffling drums are the sonic approaches here, and I love just how much fun they have whilst doing it. Two piece self titled turbo-prog from Cleft next, another band who have held my obsession as of late. They are robotically tight with their huge guitar sound becoming the envy of every musician with each subsequent note. We are in an era of amazing two piece bands and they sit right up at the top. 

Having not seen in Vessels in well over a year I was aflutter when I saw their name added to the already stellar list of bands performing. Maybe it was my high expectations or the lack of any older and more familiar material, but I didn't find it as enthralling as I have on previous occasions. They are however very good musicians, and really know how to work an audience into the palm of their hand. Another break for re-fuelling is needed before casually watching the latter half of TTNG. I remember seeing them supporting Oceansize (who were on their last tour ever), and I always find myself engrossed in the ridiculous guitar parts, attempting to figure out if an extra few fingers are required for them. Fellow Brightonians Nordic Giants follow, whose epic stage performance and visual accompaniments make them certainly one of the more interesting bands to watch over the weekend. 

Three Trapped Tigers are always on form. I've seen them well over ten times over the years now and each time I see them they are next to flawless, this time being no exception. Frantic explosions of electronics, synthesizers and guitar create an instrumental extravaganza bursting with polyrhythmic prowess. Everyone’s favourite Irish instrumentalists And So I Watch You From Afar follow shortly after. It is great being in an audience that sings along to the guitar lines, encapsulating the atmosphere of the festival perfectly. Performers through and through they own the stage like the made it, and getting to watch my incredibly talented friend Karina Lawrence join the boys for 'S is for Salamander' on drums was the highlight of my entire weekend. After being squished under the sweaty bodies of crowd surfers I wondered over to watch Turbowolf from more of a distance, but I could certainly hear it loud and clear. They are contenders for most rock and roll here, full of energy and guitars. Perfect Saturday night head moshing material. Last but not least to bring the music to an end were the post-apocalyptic electronics of Fuck Buttons. Their sound has a big impact hitting you right in the chest, but arguably remains an uncertain choice for the final act.  

For the first year of a festival they real hit nail on the head. My only criticism would be the lack of entertainment away from the music both during the day and night, (there's only so much shisha you can smoke right?). However the sheer range of artists on the bill more than made up for it. There was a great sense of camaraderie, that we were genuinely part of something quite special. I wait impatiently for the announcement of 2014's line-up. Thank you for the season send off Arctangent, same time next year.

Review: Liam McMillian. Photos: Chris Poots