Goat
Manchester’s iconic Albert Hall awaits a monstrous, magnificent line up, Getintothis’ James Sullivan has the details on a match made in heaven
A barn-burning, brain-draining blitz of a line up at Manchester’s cavernous former Wesleyan chapel Albert Hall on Saturday 22 October as Swedish noise-rock, alt-psych collective Goat head to these shores, supported by Hookworms, Jane Weaver, Mugstar, Josefin Öhrn & the Liberation, and DJ Andy Votel.
Goat’s backstory is by this point fairly well-trodden and apocryphal, but none the less entertaining. Raised in a remote northern Swedish village with a rich history of voodoo and witch curses, the band came together as children, playing music in the community and, ultimately, as a continuation of a long standing musical lineage known as ‘Goat’. Their 2012 debut World Music garnered acclaim and intrigue, with its veering hypnotic plunges through Krautrock, Afro-beat and psychedelic rock and second record Commune dived even further, soaking everything in reverb and notching up the fuzz pedal.
Coming along for the ride is Leeds’ Hookworms, firmly at the helm of the young, fizzy, garage pop scene in part thanks to singer/producer MJ’s all-conquering Suburban Home Studio, where the likes of Joanna Gruesome, Traams and Menace Beach have all recorded under his command. Away from the day job behind the desk, Hookworms kick up scuzzy, hyperactive, droning pop songs – held together led by MJ’s howl and a lurching, swirling organ.
Jane Weaver is another singular voice, delivering delicate folk songs driven along by squelching beats and an ethereal sense of scale. Her sixth solo record The Silver Globe topped the Piccadilly Records Albums of the Year chart in 2014, and the following year saw her nominated for the GIT Award. Also on the bill, Liverpool four piece Mugstar also received a GIT Award nod for their unhalting, skyward-facing krautrock and gargantuan sonic ambition.
Finally, Josefin Öhrn & the Liberation are another fine Swedish export; the band’s galloping, stoner shoegaze backing sweetly cut-glass vocals. Musician, remixer, designer, and co-founder of record labels Twisted Nerve and Finders Keepers DJ Andy Votel will also feature.
Goat, Hookworms, Jane Weaver, Mugstar, Josefin Öhrn & the Liberation, and Andy Votel play the Albert Hall in Manchester on Saturday, October 22, doors 6pm tickets available here.
UPDATE: Goat have revealed their new album Requiem will be released via Rocket Recordings on October 7, with the first fruits, Try My Robe, dropping today. Take a listen below.
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