ArcTanGent 2026 was always set to be an emotional one, with fans of the more niche end of the underground scene gracing the grounds of Fernhill Farm for the last time. Tickets sold out not long after the announcement that the festival would be moving to new pastures for 2027, and thereâs a palpable sense on site that everyone in attendance plans to make the most of every minute of their time here this weekend.
Words: Ellie Odurny //Â Photos: Paul Lyme
Wildernesses
Drifting gently into Friday are dreamy shoegazers Wildernesses. Quiet, touching vocals build gradually in volume and intensity, with the upper range soaring out of the tent and into the late morning sun. Thereâs a subtlety to their set: the guitars build imperceptibly into big post-rock soundscapes and the tempo changes enough to stay interesting without ever feeling jarring. Wildernessesâ debut album âGrowthâ was released in March this year, and the title feels very relevant to their live performance. Nothing happens suddenly, but everything feels intentional, planned and nourished. The band may be relatively new, but the combined experience of its members creates an air of humble confidence and calm assurance.
Conjurer
As firm favourites on the underground scene for a number of years, itâs unsurprising that there is a large crowd gathered under the main Arc tent keen for Conjurer to deliver a blistering, emotionally charged assault on the senses. Filled with intentionally discordant bass and guitar, savage growls and technically brilliant drumming, Conjurer have nailed the art of being both crushingly heavy and shrewdly expressive. The softness of the clean vocals ring out, highlighting the raw emotion contained within the immense weight of the heavier moments. There is an authenticity to a Conjurer show that canât be faked â it always feels like the band are enjoying playing as much as everyone in the crowd is enjoying watching and todayâs set is no different, every word, beat and note played with fervour from the first chord to the last.
Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
There is a lightness to Mass of the Fermenting Dregs that proves to be the perfect antidote to the heavy rain that begins shortly after theyâve started playing. Bodies are bouncing gently into the tent for shelter, swaying along with the cheery rhythms and animated vocals. The softer dream-pop tones make way for big psych-infused post-rock noise, befitting a band with more instruments than their three members wield. Switching between speaking English and singing Japanese, the catchy melodies and tuneful harmonies are engaging regardless of the language theyâre sung in, and itâs impossible not to get swept along with the infectious indie rock energy.
Heck
Almost every Heck gig could be described as absolute chaos, but the âactualâ last ever show takes chaotic to another level. Weâre barely a couple of tracks in and no guitarists remain on stage, instead preferring to jump over the barriers into the pit, crowdsurf on their backs or stand on top of the crowd supported by dozens of hands gripped tightly around calves. With the rhythm section on stage steadfastly keeping the beat, the resulting loud and frantic riffs remain impressively solid as Heck power through every track of 2016 album âInstructionsâ. The set is packed full of feral screams, ridiculous breakdowns, twiddly guitar licks, triple vocals, the list goes on. The mic is cut when Matt Reynolds climbs too high up the rear pillar and is reconnected once he is caught by the crowd and lowered to relative safety. A wall of death opens from the front to the back of the tent, a drum falls over, eventually every member of the band returns to the stage for a hot minute before more pandemonium ensues. For a band who only reappeared briefly in 2022 since they played their original âlast ever showâ at ArcTanGent nine years ago, the legacy Heck leave behind is one of beautiful bedlam, and they surely wouldnât have it any other way.
Arcane Roots
Back over on the other side of the field, Arcane Roots are the antithesis of chaos. The gentle, ambient keys and melodic vocals of new single âA Wave, Across the Seaâ erupt into an enormous wall of sound that is powerful and intense, yet with energy that is entirely contained. Thereâs a feeling of controlled vivacity that allows the unconventional math rock time signatures and sudden dynamic shifts to shine, highlighting the technical skill and cohesion of the band. Arcane Roots arenât about to start climbing pillars or jumping into the middle of a pit, but they will let the music speak for itself and take you on a deceptively heavy, emotionally charged, cleverly polished journey through multiple tempos, volumes and rhythms.
Nothing
The mood is mildly melancholy for shoegaze outfit Nothing, who mix fuzzy bass with dreamy, reverb-laden vocals to create a sound that flits between angsty grunge and contemplative post-rock. From a distance, the soft harmonies and clean guitar tones float across the field in a fairly innocuous way, but inside the tent the sound wraps around the space, enveloping the listener and drawing them in. The heavier sections pack a punch, toe tapping rhythms morphing into wistful soundscapes, hefty riffs into atmospheric layers of distortion. The changes of pace keep the narrative engaging with the slower numbers allowing space for introspection, before the intensity builds again into a fierce melee of emotion.
Perturbator
For a festival that is known and loved for its mixture of niche subgenres of metal, prog and alternative rock, there will always be at least one booking that seems out of place, until it doesnât. This year, that booking may well be electronic artist James Kent, otherwise known as Perturbator. Steeped in darkwave synth and industrial beats, the Arc tent is temporarily transformed into a gothic rave as headbanging and moshing is replaced by writhing bodies and pulsating lights. Itâs still moody and intense, there is still a drummer thrashing out heavy, bassy rhythms, but for a little while, everyone switches into club mode and as the sun sets on the penultimate day at Fernhill farm, thereâs a distinct feeling of party in the air.
Primus
The site was noticeably busier today, with a number of suspiciously fresh-looking punters milling around in matching t-shirts. Those shirts, of course, were all bearing the name of experimental prog favourites Primus. There are few bands that have been talked about as much as a perfect headliner for ArcTanGent, and it seems fitting that their debut is at the last iteration of the festival at its current location. When Les Claypool asks if anyone was at the Brixton show a couple of nights ago, the roar from the crowd indicates just how many people have made the journey from London to just outside Bristol for a chance to see the band one more time. Weâre promised that tonightâs show is going to be âway better,â and with a set that plucks a number of crowd pleasers from their extensive back catalogue of quirky, trippy, psychedelic tunes, perhaps it is. Technically, Primus remind us that behind the silly chatter and comic song titles, there is some serious talent. Switching from the unmistakable slap bass to a bowed double bass, Claypool demonstrates why he is renowned as one of the best in the business to churn out the low end in such a distinctive way. The groove rhythms have the crowd dancing along all night, backed up with chunky chords and illuminated by an impeccably timed lighting display that pulses in syncopated time with the eccentric but solid drums. Primus are a peculiar, avant-garde bunch of accomplished musicians who have remained true to their unique sound for decades, and their popularity is apparent by the sheer number of fans who descended on Fernhill tonight.
ELLIE ODURNY
