Music / Psych
Interview: Astral Festival 2019
One of our finest festivals is back in July, the Astral Festival (aka Bristol Psych Festival) is here for its sixth year with a mouth-watering line up featuring local, national and international acts. It’s a bill that will satisfy both returning regulars but will also tempt the curious and open-minded first-time attendees as well. It takes place across The Lanes, Rough Trade & SWX on Saturday 6th July 2019 and ticket details are here. Even if you missed the superb VFM early bird offers it’s still superb value. Festival supremo Al Studer (Stolen Body Records) gives us the low down on the event.
You have a new name for the festival, what brought about the change?
I was tired of being tied down by the psych fest banner. There’s to many psych fests around…I figured it would be best to have something with its own identity and slightly more connected to the label. As the story by HG Wells – The Stolen Body – is about Astral projection I thought it would be a good place to start.
This is now your sixth year; other festivals have fallen by the wayside so what are you doing differently?
I’ve lost a lot of money so guess it’s not profit that’s keeping me the game! I really think it’s something the city needs to break it up for all these other mundane festivals that don’t pay the artists correctly. Most of the festivals still around are only there because they don’t pay the local artists. I know this as I am a local artist.
is needed now More than ever
Would you consider taking sponsorship to help with the running costs?
We have sponsorship this year but it’s not in directly funding the festival. We have Pistonhead Lager helping provide beer for the bands and City and Moon help us out with the backline.
Do you feel that the festival is growing, can you foresee a need to add extra and / or bigger venues in due course?
Its grown over the last 6 festivals but maybe not as fast as I’ve been adding the venues. That’s why this year we’ve kept it the same as last year’s. My plan would be to add extra days in to make a full weekend of it. The problem is were just not selling enough tickets now to really go for that. But yes, I do dream of it all being bigger one day…
Do you get a sense that you have a lot of regulars who keep coming back each year?
There is a small core group of people that come every year. I’m pretty sure I know most of them though.
Most attendees don’t think twice about the work going on behind the scenes, is it an all year activity, or will you get a break before starting work on the 2020 event?
I’ve started looking at 2020 already actually just to really be ahead of the game. If I’m honest though I may take a break as the financial hit this year might take a bit to get over!
You always have a diverse bill in terms of styles and nationalities of the acts, how deliberate is this (or does it just reflect the tastes of the organisers)?
I like to think it reflects the taste. I’m not really bothered where a band comes from as long as they’re good. We do like to obviously support the local scene where possible too.
What about selecting acts, how do you guys decide whether an act fits the feel of the event (is there a checklist!)?
With the festival changing its name it now has a bigger scope. It’s still under a psychedelic umbrella but I think I can go wherever with it to be honest. I have acts I start off wanting and then sometimes some just appear and it just falls into place.
Whilst I’m sure you’ll be diplomatic, which are the artists you are dead keen to see yourselves?
I think last year was the first year I actually watched some bands, so for sure this year I’ll try to do the same. I really want to see Thurston Moore Group obviously as the headline act. Others I’ll try see are Mattiel, Part Chimp, LA Witch, Slift, Ego Death Star (who just got on the bill with Its Not Night: Its Space dropping out), Earth Tongue and Steal Shit Do Drugs… I’ll try watch as many as I can obviously but that’s kind of my personal list..
And looking ahead, what acts are topping your wish list, anyone proving particularly elusive?
I think the obvious ones would be King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Thee Oh Sees but also Electric Wizard, Primus, Melvins, Goat and loads more.
Astral Festival is at The Lanes, Rough Trade & SWX on Saturday 6th July 2019.
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