Its hard to believe how quickly time flies by – it only feels like 2022 started a few weeks ago and its already August (September by the time you read this.) What the hell happened?! A couple of years in lockdown with nothing to do being followed by a year packed with awesome festival goodness probably has a lot to do with it. Of course the August Bank Holiday can only mean one thing… Infest party times! Although before Infest started proper, there was a warm-up party in the form of Twisted Firestarter at Nightrain.
I’ll be honest, I never usually venture outside the confines of The University of Bradford during Infest, as the idea of it sounds unappealing. This year was an exception to this rule, as not only did I find myself wandering out of these boundaries, I also did so for this very event. It was my first visit to Nightrain in Bradford and I found the venue pretty cosy, as well as a decent setup for such a party. Plus with a fantastic roster of bands on the lineup, I was very much up for it!
Kicking of the proceedings were Dawn of Elysium. I have to admit that the audio was a tiny bit loud and the mix got a bit muddied at times because of it, but it was still a great show. They brought an old-school Gothic rock style sound that set a dark scene for the evening ahead. Kaz Buxton and Alec Marlow did a brilliant job on vocals and their voices came across powerfully amongst the moody instrumentation. It seemed that things were getting off to an energetic start right out of the gate.
Next up were FORM who put on a fantastic set! Opening with “Poison” off 2018’s Defiance + Entropy, the trio flowed through a set of slick, catchy synthpop that was enough to get the crowd on their feet. Other tracks included “Hazed”, “You” (off their latest EP of the same name) and “Glitter”, all of which continued the addicting electronic soundscapes. Their music was a real bop and at times reminded me of Goldfrapp, albeit in a much more alternative, futuristic style. I still have some of their tunes stuck in my head now!
Then Seadrake took to the stage, providing yet more superb electronic tunes for the audience. Their mesmerising texturing of layers helped to keep the tempo high and the atmosphere at intoxicating levels. It was incredibly rich in tone and had an exquisite, almost retro aesthetic that worked wonders. A highlight of their set for me personally was definitely when they broke out “The Fever” as its haunting presentation was alluring and truly gripping to experience. Of course, the whole set was to this high quality standard and I walked away after their performance incredibly impressed.
Having missed them at Out Of Line Weekender due to getting horrifically lost in Berlin, it was brilliant to finally see Auger here. They must be riding high off the back of their phenomenal new record Nighthawks (and rightly so too), because they delivered a storming set of epic proportions. The duo of Kyle Wilson and Kieran Thornton really gave it their all, bringing their exciting fusion of dark rock, electro industrial and metal to the stage, to stunning results. The crowd were treated to tracks such as “The Sound of The Machine”, “Oxygen”, “Tell Me I’m Wrong” and “Guardian” and gave a thunderous response. At this point the venue was packed-out and it was a truly electrifying experience. Auger keep going from strength to strength and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see them headlining festivals sometime in the not-too-distant future.
Finally it was time for the headliners of the night, Solar Fake, and needless to say they absolutely brought the house down! This was another act I’d missed earlier this year, this time during Amphi Festival in Cologne (although I could still hear them, so it technically counts.) To be actually present for a set and for it to be in such a small venue was a mind-blowing experience. It only served to intensify their iconic synthpop sound, to the point where it generated an atmosphere of euphoria. I forget how many hits this band has and tonight was a non-stop cavalcade of them that included mighty numbers such as “Sick of You”, “This Pretty Life”, “I Despise You” and “Not What I Wanted”, amongst many others. They had the entire audience enraptured from start to finish and I honestly don’t think anyone stopped moving either. They promised to return to the UK soon and this showing has left me itching to see them again.
So overall, it was a successful and fantastic way to start what would be a weekend of excellent live music and intense partying with awesome people. Check out how that epic weekend went down in my full review here!
Epitome of Epic 