Wrong Festival review

Image: Wrong Festival (source)

Wrong Festival, the “festival for the freakscene” within Liverpool’s industrial docklands took place for its second year in a row last Saturday, and this all-dayer managed to bring together the darker sounds of psychedelia, punk and doom. When entering the derelict industrial land surrounding main venue Invisible Wind Factory while night fell on the grey sky, this dark and ominous atmosphere of the outside reflected the “freak scene” to some degree, but the ferocity of the sound within is what fully engrossed every member of its audience at Wrong.

There was a true mix of people within the Wrong atmosphere. Some moshers, some silent appreciators, some older music aficionados and some younger psych fans mingled together within this landscape that felt far away from civilisation, all of these individuals lost within the pounding, relentless feedback. 

The brutalist warehouse of the Invisible Wind Factory perfectly matched the noise that Wrong Fest produced. Despite the niche and heavier market Wrong catered for, the 1,200 capacity venue filled quickly to see Manchester noise kings Gnod. With their most recent album Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Death Machine, their set promised to be an absolute power-house of rage, and they certainly delivered that. Their 45 minute set was an absolute incredible assault on the senses, a true wall of krautrock drone ringing in the ears and with a light show aggressively flashing in the audience’s eyes, playing juggernaut set staples such as 'Bodies for Money'.

Into the North Shore Troubadour, and within this venue held more of a punk gig atmosphere. It’s a significantly more intimate vibe than The Invisible Wind Factory, and more of a place you’d go to mosh than musing on the sounds. Liverpool’s own staples of garage rock Ohmns played a ferocious set, and the likes of SQPR brought in a more artsy, progressive feeling to the proceedings, while maintaining raw originality. Drop The Dumbulls Gallery had a similarly intimate atmosphere. Bristol band Spectres shook the venue to its core with their bass-filled sinister doom.

One the main events of the festival was lead singer of iconic krautrock band Damo Suzuki, taking to the stage with the Liverpool’s own revered space rock band Mugstar. Such as a statesman of the scene, it was difficult what to anticipate or expect from a Damo Suzuki live set, but one thing is for certain: the show went above and beyond expectations of any krautrock fan.

The hour long experimental kosmische jam superbly done by Mugstar perfectly accompanied the commanding presence that is Suzuki’s voice, a voice that has stayed immortal in power. The the thought provoking voice and sonic improvisation that emanated from Mugstar and Suzuki hypnotised every single member of the audience. People were either stood still, unable to look away from the stage, or danced and screamed for more. This performance, and the audience’s reaction, perfectly encapsulated the ambience of this up and coming festival: an incorporation of all ages, joined together and completely immersed by the heaviest and freakiest sounds the world has to offer.