STRANGEFORMS FEST, BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS, APRIL 26-27 2025

StrangeForms 10th Anniversary!  It was touch and go whether I'd make it this year, but after a few stressful days, things worked out and here we are.

Being the tenth edition, we should, I think, expect something a bit special. And looking at the line-up, that seems to be exactly what we are getting. Not a radical departure from the formula, to be sure, but no-one wants that anyway. But there's a bunch of new stuff to watch, a number of returning favourites, and some pretty impressive headliners. 

Let's have at it, then. Here's DAY 1.

Line-up, SATURDAY:

PATIENCE: Local Emo/math kids, start very late, due to a certain 'headliner' faffing about for ages. Great fun, really good singer.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ZlKDxxdZG4Q   https://www.facebook.com/patiencebanduk

CIVIL SERVICE: Manchester post-rock. Long songs, long song titles. Floaty and twinkly.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/rKbWY2K7sVI   https://www.facebook.com/CivilServiceBand

CWFEN: Witchy doom from Glasgow, one of this year's outliers. Seen these guys a couple o' times before and it's nice to see them here south of the border.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/K_sW3KS-rhc  https://www.facebook.com/Cwfenband

WOT GORILLA?: Proggy math from Halifax. Includes too much saxophone for me. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/zCfXxGhAIQI  https://www.facebook.com/wotgorillaband

SOCKS & BALLERINAS: Improv looping math duo from Bristol. Great fun.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/0nsxRRxItII   https://www.facebook.com/Socksandballerinas

BUREAU DE CHANGE: Spiky post-punk from Bath, hard-hitting, razor sharp and really quite rude.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/EDNrxdz4ocw  https://www.instagram.com/bureaudechangeband/

BICURIOUS: A welcome return for this Irish math-rock duo. Totally bonkers.

SVALBARD: Another returning favourite, hard-hitting metal with a social conscience.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/-vWF8P7RTeU   https://www.facebook.com/svalbarduk

NORDIC GIANTS: Enigmatic progressive post-rock/art-rock duo. Masks, feathers, face paint and apocalyptic visions on film. Almost impossible to get a decent photograph. Video is audio only, for reasons.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/bUDBip9AM8Q   https://www.facebook.com/nordicgiants

Line-up, SUNDAY:

WHAT? NAH:

OMOIA:

A-TOTA-SO:

EVERY HELL:

VLMV:

HIDDEN MOTHERS:

OVERHEAD, THE ALBATROSS:

BIG LAD:

AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR:

Back with DAY 2 soon.