WRONG Festival @ Invisible Wind Factory 22/04/2017

Festival season has begun in Liverpool, with WRONG Festival making its debut at the weekend.

WRONG Fest put on an all-day festival to remember when it kicked off early on Saturday afternoon and went right through until the early hours of Sunday morning. Taking over the Invisible Wind Factory, North Shore Troubadour and Drop The Dumbulls, WRONG had organised a day of non-stop action as there was always an act on making sure there were no gaps between performances.

We got our first performance under our belts by watching Wild Fruit Art Collective tear up the stage at Invisible Wind Factory. Bringing hard-hitting rock and a big voice from frontman, Jamie, their pessimistic tracks are given a sense of gloom with their dark sound that’s loaded with big riffs and heavy bass. All the while throughout the set they have an artist on stage painting in the corner along to the music, showing off the final product as the band finished what was an electric start to the day.

We stayed in the heart of WRONG Festival at Invisible Wind Factory for the next act, one who we

were excited to catch at the festival, SPQR. The local trio didn’t disappoint, providing big hooks and catchy riffs in their short set, not shy of interacting with the crowd the frontman, Pete Harrison’s charisma in between songs and banter with the early attenders, added to the entertaining start SPQR and Wild Fruit Art Collective had got the day off to.

We ventured up to North Shore Troubadour next to catch Indigo Moon in the unique venue. Although it appeared to be hit with a couple of technical difficulties, the five-piece outfit smashed through their set with exciting anthems and powerful vocals from Ash Colley. Recently put out their first EP and with these kind of performances like at WRONG, Indigo Moon are definitely a band to keep an eye on with the huge sounds they’re making.

Mums were on back in Invisible Wind Factory with their massive instrumentals and gripping lyrics from their witty frontman, Jack Evans. Evans enlightened the crowd in between songs, wether it was about how much he missed his beard or when a member of the crowd cheered when he admitted he was surprised about the turnout for their set, he responded with a swift “fuck off!”, drawing a laugh from a busy Invisible Wind Factory. Their next album is due in October, making 2017 an exciting year for them.

Back to North Shore Troubadour to catch RongoRongo and their performance is best described like a rollercoaster of emotions, from one minute of being filled with angst and intensity, the next song could change to mood and it be chilled and mellow. We’ve made comparisons previously of Mick Chrysalid to The National’s, Matt Berninger with how his stage presence sees him seemingly wrapped up in the emotion of it all. The music causing the frontman to sway around the stage or if too overcome by it, then to just storm off it altogether while the band carry on.

It was time to venture away from Troubadour and the Wind Factory and see what was going on in Drop The Dumbulls. The intimate bar was a thing of beauty to be quite honest, with a psychedelic backdrop on stage, clouds with lightning coming out of them hanging from the ceiling and stunning lights out of a projector engulfing the walls, music aside, Drop The Dumbulls was a magnificent spot with cheap drink available being a bonus too.

We arrived in time to catch Kapil Seshasayee take to the stage and by the end of his set it made perfect sense for him to play in Drop The Dumbulls, his unique sound was a perfect match for the venue. A hypnotic performance with his heavily strung guitar that’d reverberate throughout the bar, along with synths through his laptop. The one-man show ran smoothly as he transitioned into each song, giving a breathless performance in the evening.

Up after the Glaswegian’s spectacular performance, it was Chupa Cabra’s turn to make an impact on WRONG Fest. The trio were fast-paced, loud and full of fun, nothing more than expected from the North Wales outfit. Entertaining with hard-hitting guitars and explosive drums, a set up that never gets old because it’s just so good. The thrilling set was boosted by the dry humour from the singer, Hayden Hughes, who could probably venture into a career of stand-up comedy if the music doesn’t work out. Chances are though, with the exciting music they put out, a stand-up career looks unlikely for the Chupa Cabra frontman.

One of the most anticipated acts in WRONG’s line-up, Elevant finally stepped into the spotlight in Invisible Wind Factory with a stellar performance, that had the audience gripped from the strike of the first chord down to the last. With their outright aggressive sound and an energetic show put on, it was a fantastic way to draw us into the night and leading us towards the climax of the festival.

Part Chimp were one of the defining moments of just how successful WRONG Festival was on Saturday. A barrage of moody songs as day turned into night and absolutely blew those in Invisible Wind Factory away. The intense riffs and explosive instrumentals were captivating, it was Part Chimp’s set that really seemed to bring out the best in everyone who enjoy music that’s apparently so wrong but on that night, it was so right.

Before HECK took to stage, we managed to be mesmerised by the backend of Housewives’ set, filled with surreal instrumentals that saw saxophone and guitars come together, making beautiful sounds.

We decided to catch co-headliners, HECK back in North Shore Troubadour to close out the night, which might have been an opportunity missed with Bo Ningen capping off an incredible day in Invisible Wind Factory. The risk paid off though with an electrifying set from the word go.

From the audience to the band, no one could stay still, thrashing around in mosh pits that engulfed the whole of the venue, while the frontman, Matt Reynolds would hang his guitar off the crane above the stage and then scale up the walls like Spider-Man. It was a breathtaking set that didn’t give you a chance to catch your breath until the band said so. It was a great close for our experience at WRONG.

Overall, it was a day and night that saw musicians and fans come together and celebrate a scene for the weird and the unique. People of all ages, (youngest that I came across being six months old) came and watched these artists create something great, setting the standard really high for when WRONG Festival returns next year.

Do you love indie and alt rock as much as we do? Enjoy going to gigs at the Arts Club or catching a band play in the O2 Academy? Then you should join the team! JACKS are looking for writers and if the above sounds like you then click here and get in touch!