Bido Lito!

The Psych Revolution Is Imminent

We've been banging on about it for months, and now that we're less than 24 hours away we thought we'd give you one last run-down of why this matters. If you don't get it after all this then there is no hope for you...

Not only is the inaugural Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia verging on being the biggest psychedelic music gathering the country has ever seen, but it is a coming together of psychedelic subculture like no other. Joint headliners DEAD SKELETONS are playing here as one of only three UK appearances this year, and the Icelanders' doom-psych is born out of something more than the average. Band leader Nonni Dead was diagnosed HIV positive twenty years ago, and created the Dead Concept to help him come to terms with his lot. Taken from the teachings of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Nonni lived by the mantra 'he who fears life cannot enjoy life', which he eventually turned in to his 'war song' Dead Mantra. For a more in-depth insight in to why Dead Skeletons' appearance is such an important event, read this interview with Nonni with the Quietus HERE.

If electronic-themed mind-bending music is your thing then the appearance of THE TIME AND SPACE MACHINE will be the perfect tonic. There aren't many people with a more expert knowledge of psychedelic music than Richard Norris, the brains behind TTASM, who will be treating us to a Technicolour AV show at their 1.30am showing. The Time And Space Machine's second album Taste The Lazer has seen them expand their kaleidoscopic box of delights, complete with droning loops and burst of colour. Since his days running psych club night The Hangout at the 051 building on Mount Pleasant, Richard Norris has been involved in a variety of weird and wonderful projects - you can find a bit more about all that in this interview he did earlier in the year with bidolito.co.uk.

At the other end of the psychedelic spectrum are WOLF PEOPLE, whose searing blues-psych is as much influenced by good old fashioned English metal as it is blugeoning garage-psych. Which is a reason why Jagjaguwar saw fit to make them the first British act signed to their label - the fuzzed-up guitars on Steeple are going to resound in The Furnace on Saturday night. Frontman Jack Sharp chatted to Phil Gwyn of Bido Lito! last month to explain why they were looking forward to the event so much - HERE.

Among the other 24 acts on are PALMA VIOLETS, the UK's latest wunderkinds who evoke the spirit of The Monks and The Sonics; MILK MAID, the new shoegazey incarnation of former Nine Black Alps dude Martin Cohen, who we spoke to earlier in the week (interview HERE); HOOKWORMS, DRENGE, KOOLAID ELECTRIC COMPANY, DARK BELLS, ANCIENT RIVER, BLACK MARKET KARMA... the list goes on, and the drones will roll.

For local ears there is MUGSTAR, BALTIC FLEET, THE WILD EYES and MIND MOUNTAIN, ensuring that Liverpool's own history of psychedelic music is continued in the finest of styles.

Mugstar - Serra from Ego Sensation on Vimeo.

We've got a top notch list of DJs who'll be spinning out a storming ambient soundtrack in between the bands to keep the drones pumping. WILL SERGEANT, CLINIC, SONIC CATHEDRAL, BERNIE CONNOR, NICK POWER (The Coral), AKOUSTIK ANARKHY, BTWOS and plenty more will be in charge of the 1s and 2s - fully expect your eardrums to be shattered by the sonic assault.

And it's not just music going on, the Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia will be transforming Camp And Furnace in to a LIGHT SOUND DIMENSION - expect a kaleidoscopic array of lights and visuals, and installations to help transport you down in to a different cosmic realm. Plus Screenadelica will be hosting a psychedelia special exhibition of gig posters, with warped artwork by the likes of Alan Forbes and John Howard. We don't want to give too much away, but if you read Alice In Wonderland tonight you'll be in the right frame of mind...

Now, if that's not enough to convince you why this matters then try these: Will Sergeant's guide to psychedelia on Getintothis, and The Double Negative with their view on psychedelia through the prism of contemporary art.

Still need to ask what psychedelic music is? Don't bother. Answer the question yourself by coming down to Camp And Furnace on Saturday, and piece it all together on Sunday. You will not be disappointed.

-+-  JOIN US IN THE LIGHT SOUND DIMENSION  -+-

Tickets for Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia are on sale until 7.30pm tonight, priced at £20. Tickets are available on the door priced at £25.

For full details of running orders, plus special announcements, visit liverpoolpsychfest.tumblr.com