ArcTanGent 2023 (Thursday)

19 Aug, 2023

@ Fernhill Farm, Somerset - 17/08/2023

Mission Creep

@ Elephant in the Bar Stage

Went to ArcTanGent just for the day with Leo... I'm writing this and the other entries about 2 days after the fact. We saw the last bit of a band called Attan... a Hardcore Punk/Metalcore band according to RYM, but what little I heard and recall hearing got very grind-y and, on the last track ('Black Liquid Marrow' I assume?), quite sludge-y! I like what I heard there.

Heard Wallowing nearby playing at the Bixler stage, who also sounded neat from what little I could decipher behind the thick layer of noise obscuring it, although it didn't quite mask the sound of this band's singer from the Elephant stage some ways away. Pretty much the one time something caught Leo's attention and peaked their interest enough for us both to check it out, not to say I wasn't interested myself.

I'd say we saw about 10-15 minutes of their set, and the last song was particularly good, but yeah, they were alright overall methinks. Having just had a brief look through their music on their Bandcamp page, what I've heard there has even more of a variety of stuff going on than what a standard guitar/bass/drums/vocals live set like this had let on, so I really ought to listen to some of that properly in my own time some time.

Wiegedood

@ Main Stage

As Black Metal as Black Metal can be, but I will say, as far as run-of-the-mill Black Metal goes, I really like Wiegedood's music! This was cool to see! They snuck in a little jazz section somewhere midsong into the middle of their set though and uhhhh... weird. I do not remember hearing that in any of their music.

Good!/10

Svalbard

@ Yohkai Stage

Only got to see and hear a bit of their set... at least half of it anyway, from the looks of the setlist! Neat band! I really ought to listen to more of their stuff, since as of writing I still have yet to give When I Die, Will I Get Better? in particular a proper go, that and I see they have a new album coming out in 2 months. Cool!

Cave In

@ Main Stage

Only got to see up to the cover of Codeine's 'Cave-In', because me and Leo wanted to get there early enough to Chat Pile before the tent there got packed the fuck up. The stage Chat Pile were to play was literally right at the opposite end of the festival site, and I knew from last year that we wouldn't make it if we didn't head there early like we did. I'm gutted about that too, not even about missing 'Blinded by a Blaze', one of my favourites from their latest album, Heavy Pendulum, which I already knew Cave In were finishing their sets with, but I had no idea until I checked the following day that they played 'Big Riff' and 'Sing My Loves' afterwards. FUCK. Oh well, absolutely worth it for Chat Pile! As for Cave In, as much as I like that last album, I'd be more interested in seeing them play, aside from those two aforementioned songs, more stuff from Until Your Heart Stops.

Oh yeah, their cover of the Codeine song differs here from the version in the Anomalies comp because it's played in the same G#G#C#F#G#C# tuning they use through the bulk of that last album of theirs. Nice, nice.

Chat Pile

@ Yohkai Stage

Pretty much the sole reason for me and Leo going to ArcTanGent for this one day, and the sole highlight of the day at that too! It's awesome to see Chat Pile blow up in the way they have, and especially to get to see them in England with my best friend as well.

It's not been entirely easy to predict what'd be on the setlist beforehand, beyond that we figured they'd play 'Why', and confident that they'd play 'Pamela', 'grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg', 'Dallas Beltway', maybe 'Garbage Man' and 'Rainbow Meat'... 'grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg' into 'Face', by the way, really fucking cool! The only song I mentioned there that they didn't play was 'Pamela', which is a big favourite for me with songs from that album. Besides that, I was hoping they'd play 'Cut' instead of 'King', but this live performance of 'King' owned, as did 'Anywhere'. Seeing those two songs live I think helped me appreciate them even more, which I didn't actually realise was even possible before. 'Brutal Truth' and 'Wicked Puppet Dance' would've also been really cool, but even so, what we got was a stellar setlist. Those last two songs especially went hard live as well!

I also noticed from the 2nd setlist of the 2 London shows they played that they debuted a new song lived titled 'Funny Man'... I think we may have heard them playing some of that during soundcheck about 30 mins before they were actually due to come on?

I also love how the audience cheered at the mention of Greggs lmao

Very fun!/10

Brutus

@ Yohkai Stage

Probably the most clarity I've heard in a band's live sound on this day, crediting more to the sound guys doing justice to Brutus's sound more than anything else. I love 'War' and 'Sugar Dragon' in particular anyway, the latter of which especially had me veering towards feeling especially elated, but DAMN, that middle stretch of songs, from 'Miles Away' introing 'Brave' into 'Desert Rain', is some fucking strong shit! I definitely ought to listen to more of the deeper cuts on Unison Life as well some time.

Also, I'm kinda mad that I only just realized, close to the time of me writing this, that Empire State Bastard, the band that were on the main stage between this band and Chat Pile performing, was Simon Neil from Biffy, Mike Vennart from Oceansize, and Dave Lombardo making fucking heavy music together! Oh well, me and Leo got to hang out with the guys in Chat Pile during that time anyway, which I sure as hell wouldn't take back, especially for Leo in particular.

They were really good!/10

Russian Circles

@ Main Stage

Hey, Brian Cook! Yeah, you! Bring Botch to England!!¹

Good!/10

Converge

@ Main Stage

Of the three times I've seen them, if it weren't for the full Jane Doe set at Damnation, this would be the best time I've had seeing them. Peaks and troths, but it sure as hell balances out here. Heartless, Axe to Fall, You Fail Me, Reap What You Sow, Cutter... fucking THAW! Great stuff, indeed. All We Love We Leave Behind and Predatory Glow were odd additions to the setlist, and I am once again rolling my eyes at Concubine being a (sorta) set closing track and not being paired with Fault and Fracture, but... people really wanna just hear that by itself? Y'all oughta know by now how much I love Converge, and Jane Doe in particular, but I never really got that.

Me and Leo pretty much already cut our losses with hoping for them to play 'The Saddest Day', which they recently did at Outbreak Fest in Manchester... I'm fucking kicking myself for not going to that as well... But hey, when they came back on a second time, something Jacob Bannon said had me and Leo a little stirred up and hoping for a split second that they really would be playing 'The Saddest Day', and they played 'Wolverine Blues' instead. I'm so fucking mad... but for real though, great show overall despite that!

Very fun!/10

#arctangent #brutus #cave in #chat pile #converge #russian circles #seen live #svalbard #wiegedood