GOTH CITY 3: SEASON OF THE WITCH

Skeletal Family: Mel Butler Photography

Leeds' very own goth cultural festival Goth City returns in October for 10 days of top quality music, theatre, writing and art.

Goth City Festival is a city-wide musical and cultural festival that celebrates the gothic and post-punk heritage of the city and of Yorkshire generally. Events include, gigs, clubs, discussions, spoken word, acoustic and social events at more than six venues and feature more than 20 different bands and performers. In keeping with the DIY and underground spirit of the event, the festival is held at the best alternative venues across the city, including the co-operatively owned Wharf Chambers and renowned underground Leeds' venues such as the Fenton, Bad Apples and Fox & Newt.

This year sees West Yorkshire goth legends Skeletal Family, pagan rock heroes Inkubus Sukkubus and recently reformed '90s goth favourites Rome Burns headline. Other notable acts include local rising starts FEHM, the Sisters of Murphy, and Saigon Blue Rain from Paris amongst over 20 acts over ten days.

All proceeds from Goth City Promotions events during the festival are donated to PAFRAS (Positive Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers), a local charity for destitute refugees and asylum seekers. Their work providing financial and practical support to destitute refugees is vital in the current political and economic climate

Joel Heyes from Goth City Promotions said; “We are delighted to have so many fantastic acts from around the UK and Europe playing at Goth City Festival this year, as we continue to build a progressive and inclusive independent event that celebrates the past, present and future of Yorkshire gothic culture.

Goth City Festival is proud to have raised nearly £6,000 for PAFRAS doing our first two years. We support the charity not only for their invaluable work but also because we feel it is important to root the festival in grassroots community activism. Funds raised bat the event will fund a specific project providing therapeutic support to destitute women refugees. We have a set a fundraising target of £3,000 to ensure that this project is fully funded.”

Goth City Festival 2018 - Confirmed Schedule

Thursday 11th October - Launch Party featuring: Churchgate + Aether Skies + The Seventh Victim and the infamous Goth City Raffle!
Bad Apples Rock Bar, Call Lane, Leeds. Doors 8pm-11pm, Pay as you feel. Festival tickets £35.

Friday 12th October - Goth City Festival Opening Ceremony featuring:Inkubus Sukkubus + Dyonisis + Seventh Harmonic + DJs to be announced
Wharf Chambers, Wharf St, Leeds. Ticket £10. Festival tickets £35. Doors 8pm-late

Saturday 13th October - Occupy LS6!: The Goth City Otley Run Otley Road/Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 2pm start.

Saturday 13th October - The Sisters of Murphy
The Fenton, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 8pm-11pm. Ticket £5. Festival tickets £35.

Sunday 14th October - Black Gold!: dry social featuring food & stalls
Wharf Chambers, Wharf Street, Leeds. 3pm-6pm. Free admission.

Monday 15th October - Shadows of Goth - open mic ghost story night
Hyde Park Book Club, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 8pm-11pm, free admission

Tuesday 16th October - An Evening with Anne-Marie Hurst
Live interview by Tim Synyrstyr (The Blogging Goth) and Q&A
Wharf Chambers, Wharf Street, Leeds, 6pm-8pm. Tickets £5 . Festival tickets £35.

Wednesday 17th October - A Night of the Dark Arts III featuring: Alice Nicholls + Anna Smith Spark + The Two Buskateers. Compere: AMereKat
The Fox & Newt, Burley Street, Leeds. Doors 7.45pm, entry £5. Festival tickets £35.

Thursday 18th October - the Penny Magpie Theatre Company presents 'Edith in the Dark'
The Lending Room @ The Library, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. Door 7.30-10pm. Tickets £5. Festival tickets £35.

Friday 19th & Saturday 20th October - Goth City Festival: Season of the Witch featuring:Skeletal Family + Rome Burns + Saigon Blue Rain + FEHM + Last July + The Way of All Flesh + Isolation Division + The Golden Age of Nothing + Voi Vang + DJs to be announced
Wharf Chambers, Wharf St, Leeds. Weekend tickets £20, day tickets £10/£15. Festival tickets £35.

Sunday 21st October - Goth City FC vs Real Gothic FC
Middleton Leisure Centre, 1pm-4pm, 2pm kickoff. Pay as you feel. Festival tickets £35.

Sunday 21st October – Aftermath featuring DJs and surprises
Bar Santiago, Grand Arcade, Leeds, 8pm-11pm. Festival tickets £35.

www.gothcity.co.uk

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Preview: Goth City Festival, 2016

11th - 26th November 2016
Leeds, UK

Taking place between Friday 11th and Saturday 26th November, Goth City Festival is a city-wide musical and cultural festival that celebrates the gothic and post-punk heritage of the city and of Yorkshire generally. Events will include, gigs, clubs, discussions, spoken word, acoustic and social events at more than six venues and feature more than 20 different bands and performers. 

"Leeds hasn't had a goth festival for several years, and with the scene in West Yorkshire undergoing such a renaissance with new acts and club nights springing up we thought the time was right that Leeds had it's own festival once again. The city and West Yorkshire generally are closing associated with the development of the scene and even today is a major site for goth culture, with the leading club night Carpe Noctum being the biggest goth night in the north. 

"However, we didn't want to copy the format of or compete with the UKs other goth festivals, so we have built a cooperative, community-minded cultural festival comprising a good balance of established and new acts as well as spoken word, acoustic, club, discussion and social events too. We feel this gives the festival a whole new dimension and gives Leeds the opportunity to be a platform for dark alternative culture once again.

"Also, and more vitally, we have prioritised key small venues and community sites for our events, eschewing corporate sponsorship and donating all proceeds to a local refugee charity. This is because we want to help rebuild the counter-cultural underground in Leeds and keep the festival true to the DIY/punk origins of the scene." 

Rather than being a sprawling, high-cost event crammed with the usual big names from the gothic rock scene and propped up with vast amounts of corporate sponsorship, Goth City Festival seeks to highlight and promote the new generation of goth and dark alternative artists in the region and to tap into the counter-cultural spirit of the scene and of the Leeds underground.

Headliners include legendary Leeds goth rock legends Salvation, who recently celebrated their 30^th anniversary, as well as the two bands that symbolise the next generation of Yorkshire gothic – Leeds' Zeitgeist Zero and Rhombus. Also appearing will be Rosie Garland (singer of seminal Leeds act The March Violets), Leeds' post-punk pioneers Expelaires, the Sisters of Murphy (the premier tribute to Eldritch & Co.), Leeds' rising stars of 'sister doom' Chambers, and many more. 

In keeping with the DIY and underground spirit of the event, the festival will be held at the best alternative venues across the city, including the co-operatively owned Wharf Chambers and renowned underground Leeds' venues such as the Fenton, Packhorse and Fox & Newt. It also feature Carpe Noctum, West Yorkshire's longest running goth clubnight and the largest event of it's kind in the north. 

All proceeds from Goth City Promotions events during this period will be donated to PAFRAS (Positive Action For Refugees and Asylum Seekers), a local charity for destitute refugees and asylum seekers.

For more information contact:

Joel @ Goth City Promotions

www.gothcity.co.uk

Full Schedule:

Friday 11th November - Goth City Festival: Launch Party

featuring Expelaires + Isolation Division

The Packhorse, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. Doors 8pm, entry £4. 

Saturday 12th November: It’s Goth Up North presents Carpe Noctum featuring Rhombus + Lesbian Bed Death + Caffeine Kill

The Lending Room, The Library Pub, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 7pm-late. 

Wednesday 16th November - Goth City Festival: Black Planet - Leeds Goth in Perspective. On the discussion panel will be: Rosie Garland (writer, performer and March Violets singer), John Keenan (Leeds alternative music promoter), Karl Spracklen (Professor of Leisure Studies, Leeds Beckett University) and Tim Synystyr (journalist and A Blogging Goth), chair: Joel Heyes (Goth City Promotions)

HEART Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, Leeds. 7.30-9.3pm, tickets £4

Friday 18th November - Goth City Festival: Hot Goth Injection!

featuring Chambers, Deathtrippers, Kittinger Freefall

Bad Apples Rock Bar, Call Lane, Leeds. Doors 8pm. Free entry, collection for artists’ expenses.

Saturday 19th November - Goth City Festival: Occupy LS6! - The Goth City Otley Run. Social event. Various venues, Otley Road/Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 2pm start. Full details and schedule t.b.c. 

Saturday 19th November -The Sisters of Murphy

The Fenton, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds. 8pm-11pm. £4 entry. 

Sunday 20th November - Goth City Festival: Black Gold! - an alcohol-free social event. Wharf Chambers, Wharf Street, Leeds. 3pm-7pm. Further details t.b.c

Wednesday 23rd November - Goth City Festival: A Night of the Dark Arts featuring Rosie Garland, AMereKat, Alice Nicholls, Undead Poets Society and Nathan Ramsden

The Fox & Newt, Burley Street, Leeds. Doors 7.45pm, entry £4. 

Friday 25th & Saturday 26th November - Goth City Festival: The Main Event featuring Salvation, Zeitgeist Zero, Last July, Quasimodo, Berlyn Trilogy, Dawn of Elysium, The Hearse, The Lost Souls, The Black Riders Cult + DJs to be announced

Wharf Chambers, Wharf St, Leeds. Weekend tickets £20. 

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Wave Gotik Treffen – The Review // 25th Anniversary

Wave Gotik Treffen – The Review // 25^th Anniversary

Going to Leipzig can be a metaphysical question for some. Placed in the Former DDR heartland, the place breaths German avant-garde meets Chernobyl, as the city has space; scorched earth policy type space. However this is the charm about this town. If it is not the beautiful Baroque architecture that has your skin smelting in awe to your trad-Goth fabrics. It shall be the sheer scale of the soviet era buildings that dwarf many sectors of the city. These are a portion of the venues that will play host to the largest festival for the Goth sub-culture.

Becoming the 25^th occurrence in this festival is a monument to it withstanding the test of time, and there really is nothing like it anywhere else. Yes you may hop on a flight to Köln or Berlin for a quick gothic weekender at a venue. However WGT acquires the entire city from Thursday night till Tuesday morning. This is conveyed with two festival schedules, which are each three double-sides of A4.

The Belantis amusement park was centre stage for the opening of WGT. VNV Nation performing to DJ sets from the UK’s Slimelight Steve and other members of the European scene cranked up the volume to shift the festival into GO!

Enjoying the full luxury of the WGT forum’s accommodation page, myself and my better-half were able to multitask breakfast & bathing, as the kitchen was also the bathroom. “Nothing better than reviewing the financial times over a pot of coffee; whilst gandering at a bit skirt before noon”. Love it. If you are proactive there are plenty of well-priced hotels, who are happy to bleed you of your fine coin on this peak demand period. However I would recommend going house sharing. It is a lot of fun, and I believe the best way to experience the festival. The locals are very welcoming of the event, as it has become an acceptance from an economic to a fun point of view.

Friday

Usually on Friday the very well-known Victorian picnic is a sight to be seen, though if you would rather sit on a chair, have a glass of sekt and a nice pinch of antipasti to go with the glass. Then the ‘Viktorianisches Viliage’ at the Arena am Panometer shall hit the spot! An open area location; it shields you from the outside world, yet with beautiful sky views, with a roman feel. The prices for a drink are rather acceptable, and if you would like to avoid the large scale crowds of the Victorian picnic, with some upper class decency (Less Mud) where the alcohol comes to you, then glance over here.

Moving a century or two forward. The French duo of Dernière Volonté bestowed me with my first visit this year to the Volkspalast Kuppelhalle. A grandeur building of the DDR that has a circular stage. The French artist had their live performance dominated by the bass of large drums (yes they are very big), as the vocals of Geoffrey D combined militaristic rhythm with a pagan/folk enchantment that engorged the hall.

On Saturday evening the venue plays host to ‘The Obsession Bizarre’; which embroils leather & latex. A trusty combination that will see you additionally queuing and sweltering. Indeed very nice performances, yet the greatest advantage to my eye is being able to dress as an elegant slut on a warm June evening, whilst hearing tears of electronic bass vibrate through your neck. However… the toys to play with are not worth the waiting time. Opinion; kinky posing…  LX-E’s recommendations prior to attending is to have a clear cut glass of cold Valt Vodka.  Also to be noted, WGT is a Goth event and dressing like an elegant slut is generally accepted the whole time. Obsession Bizarre is a moment for bass hunting vibrations up your skin in well tight fabric.

Saturday

Moving onto the main stage Die Krupps brought their new live act from their new album V - Metal Machine Music. Already industrial enough with Jurgen Engler's scaffolding xylophone; they decided to see all of the stage disappear. Guitars went flying and a clang of steel pipes fell from the stage and the Agra Halle resembled a music demolition site. Die Krupps really showed a new jolt of youth!

Sabbath

Sunday was a clear calm recovery mode; or so one thought… You know that beautiful sensation, when from the prior evening of dancing. You know; where battery acid is filling the muscles, and that additional benefit when you have washed your face, to know the tanz sweat exfoliated your skin… Priceless. However this was not a morning for sitting around. Toss the Financial Times in the bin and lets go with that skirt for a another dose of Met and keep the body moving.

I named EBM/ electronica day to Sunday, as with the rain and wind the only thing that was going to keep me moving, excluding Ardbeg whisky was going to be man-made.

Taking a winding tram route to the western rim of Leipzig, where the patrons thin out; we eventually made it to the Patenbrigade:Wolff themed Stage. The NONTOX LE.E.V is construction site meets stage. So to expand external stage & little shelter, however braving the horizontal rain to Lights of Euphoria, it has of course Patenbrigade:wolff necessities… Beer Tent with builder size cups of tea, can’t compete with that!

The trio of Torben Schmidt (Suicide Commando), Singer Jimmy Machon and drums Thomas Gaarn brought on killer performance that did its upmost to get the crowd warm, however the only thing that was going to be blown away in this dismal weather was the beer tent.

Getting a move on, back down 3 Strassenbahn route, we hit the next venue and brought the EBM to the Täubchenthal.  ‘Somatic Responses’ got the earth warm as their early ‘Architect’ noise distorted the crowd. A first glimpse at their work, the track ‘Wherever’ brought in that attractive feel of desolation. The great thing about the venue, was it smelt and felt like a Goth club. Utter darkness once inside, heat, confusion and condemning melody.

Dirk Ivens broke the desolate mood left by Somatic Responses. Cracking open the muscles with a Best of show. It began by bleeding the rough cut muscle of the audience with Dream Hunter, and then cooked the room with the speed of ‘Sidewalk Sinner’. The EBM newtons of energy took their addictive toll, as I found myself in the EBM mosh pit for the remainder of the act. Chelsea boots and EBM Germanic work out turned out to be a winning combination. My toes would beg to differ on that.

The Sunday’s current EBM frontline, was brought to a standstill. As the Danish melancholy ‘Of the Wand & the Moon’ submerged Altes Landratsamt in their Scandinavian tribe. The band’s performance was good, however there was something in the air that really made it not great, I think it was the acoustics.

The discovery of the year was Göttertanz. A tribal and folk club event, that went on until the very early morning in Haus Leipzig. For one DJ to play such a well-balanced wave of compositions, with pace was very outstanding. Kudos was really give to ‘ToM Manegold’ for this endurance ballet that was well received until 6am.

Monday – Classical Aftermath

A neofolk recovery began at 12pm; closing the window shutters to shield from all natural light, and those baths where they were all for nothing, the only God today was coffee. However one last big leap into the black unknown we do.

To stay safe; the Heidnisches Dorf and Agra, were in good walking distance of each other. The medieval village, acted as perfect recovery. Serving flesh and Met, the combination hugged the stomach like an animal finding water in the desert.

The Heidnisches Dorf stage, takes on myth, folk and Viking type musical taste. For me it is the slightly rougher part of the festival on the corners. However also the most easy-going down to earth part, as a more metal feel is here and the delicateness of Gothic upper nose is a million miles from here.

Back to the Agra and Neuroticfish opened the artist set for Monday, making the crowd ride a huge future pop wave to the sound of Sascha Klein’s voice. The band brought a set of new work from ‘A Sign of Life’ and entertaining all by switching to some of their old school EBM tributes such as ‘Is it Dead’.

The sound of Velvet Acid Christ live unfortunately did not do the studio sound justice. The first time I saw the band live; yet I think it would be the last. I think Velvet Acid Christ in daytime will never work.

The Monday, for me is always the hardest as the shop owners at the agra begin disassembling the stages and already the wind down is happening, as Leipzig slowly returns.

What the 25^th anniversary marked clearly to me in point, was that the festival management was strong and sound. Able to deal with the additional organisation and cost associated with an anniversary and meet expectations. The collapse of 2000 which saw the failure of the festival is left to rot in the cupboard, as here is a well-tuned machine only getting better.

Stay tuned for updates on 2017 WGT!

Dominic Lynch aka DJ LX-E

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Preview: Infest Festival, 2016

26 - 28^th August 2016
Bradford, UK

The UK's Infest festival has been a high point of the alternative music calendar for eighteen years. Held at Bradford University's Student Union every year, it has been host to an international array of artists across a diverse range of alternative electronic genres. The festival has previously played host to the likes of Alien Sex Fiend, Apoptygma Berzerk, Spahn Ranch, VNV Nation, Suicide Commando, Covenant, Assemblage 23, Front 242, and many more in it's time. And the 2016 line-up is set to continue this great run.

Featuring home-grown acts such as Tapewyrm, Massive Ego, Johnny Normal and the legendary Pop Will Eat Itself being joined by foreign invaders such as Atari Teenage Riot, 3Teeth, Leaether Strip, Velvet Acid Christ, and Dead When I Found Her, the festival is once again overflowing with must see-bands.

“Infest – the UK’s premier alternative electronic music and lifestyle event returns over the August bank holiday (26 - 28 august 2016).  

In its 18th edition, Infest has once again managed to push the boundaries a little of this broad church and surprised some with the addition of left field legends Pop Will Eat Itself and Atari Teenage Riot.  

Always pushing the boundaries a little, there is a wide mix of genres from synth pop, noise, electro pop, old school electro industrial, to hardcore and not so hardcore techno, as well as and full on cross-over. If you like alternative electronic music there will almost certainly be something here that will appeal, even if you haven’t heard of the artists before!  

The 2016 edition includes solid scene favourites such as Leaether Strip from Denmark and Velvet Acid Christ from the States, with up and coming UK talent like Massive Ego and Tapewyrm and Johnny Normal. There will also be exciting new prospects from across Europe and the States such as Dead When I Found, Hysteresis, Me The Tiger, Grausame Toechter, Monica Jeffries, and established underground gems like Canadian act Displacer, Vigilante from Chile and Rroyce from Germany… and if that's not enough, the new darlings of the industrial scene, 3teeth return after their triumphant UK début last year.  

But this isn’t just a straight forward music event, this is a celebration of a subculture. For one long weekend every August, Bradford University Students' Union becomes a little self contained world of alternative joy and fun. Live music, DJs, fashion and music stalls, and even some karaoke for those wanting to perform classic tunes! All in a friendly relaxed environment, in a central location easily accessible from anywhere in the world!  

An appreciative open minded audience gather to discover new music, meet new people, renew old friendships and party the weekend away.  

join us”

The Music

As usual the festival will play host to a range of home-grown and international acts taking in everything from synthpop to noise. Always pushing the envelope and trying to stay ahead of the game, the festival not only sees some welcome returns, but also some exclusive UK début performances. Check out the line-up below and the full schedule here.

Bands:
Atari Teenage Riot
Leaether Strip
Pop Will Eat Itself
3Teeth
Velvet Acid Christ
Dead When I Found Her (UK début!)
Grausame Töchter (UK début!)
Displacer (UK début!)
Monica Jeffries (UK début!)
Rroyce (UK début!)
Vigilante (UK début!)
Me The Tiger (UK début!)
Hysteresis (UK début!)
Massive Ego (Infest début!)
Tapewyrm (Infest début!)
Johnny Normal (Infest début!)

DJs:
DJ Rich-Hybrid & DJ Eskimoblue
DJ Terminates-Here
DJ Ban
DJ Soylentblack
DJ C1 & DJ Paul Domaster
DJ Electric Dream & DJ Nathan Nothing
DJ Duracell Bunny
Das Ook
DJ Oliotronix
DJ Asylum Brian
+ More to be announced!


What Else Is On?

In addition to the great line-up of bands and DJs, there will also be alternative market stalls, Karaoke, and more besides that such as The Flesh Eating Foundation's 'Circuit Bent Side Show'. And if that wasn't enough, the festival will be raising money in aid of Lymphoma Association and Guide Dogs.


Where To Buy Tickets

Tickets are available for just £70 for the full three days of the festival from the Infest website. Alternatively you can also by tickets for individual days.


Accommodation

Festival goers can either stay in one of the many local hotels near the venue, or in fact book a room on the university campus in order to stay as close as possible to the action. Details of hotels and how to book the student accommodation are available to view here.


How To Get There

The venue is located on Longside Lane, and is part of the main University of Bradford campus (MAP), and can be found by sat nav by using the postcode BD7 1SA or BD7 1SR. There is car parking available on site but you may be required to purchase a pass depending on when you arrive. Please check the logistics page for more details.

If you're travelling by train the nearest railway stations are Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster Square.

If you're coming from abroad the nearest airports are Leeds Bradford International Airport and Manchester International Airport – there are connecting rail services to Bradford from both.




Links

http://infestuk.com/

https://www.facebook.com/events/707399396058988/


Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/infestfestival/
https://twitter.com/infest_uk
https://www.flickr.com/groups/infest/
https://www.youtube.com/user/infestuk/
http://infestuk.tumblr.com/

Intravenous Magazine will be there, we hope you will be too, and don't forget to check back after the festival to read our review. To keep up with the latest additions to the Infest schedule be sure to follow their social media pages (above). 

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Preview: Wave Gotik Treffen 25th Jubilee 13th - 16th May

At the early may morning brought by summer, the city of Leipzig rises with top hats being hatted, corsets being laces and black boots being slid on.  As come the 13^th of May, Wave Gotik Treffen becomes the heart of the East German city.

Past

The dates for WGT (pronounced Ve Ge Te) change throughout the year, as the festival runs in line with the pagan celebrated day of Whitsun, that occurs seven weeks after Easter also known as Pentecost in Christianity. It first began in 1992 and continued on ever since. The festival sees on average 20,000 attendants, and unofficially usually more.

25^th Jubilee Celebrations

To kick off  this special year, WGT decided this year to rent a theme Park based in Leipzig! This 27 hectare theme park will be free to festival goers, with the wristband covering the price of the entry into the park, where amusements will operate until midnight. Never have Gruftis been seen white water rafting or turning a roller-coaster into a black snake!

http://www.belantis.de/

The main party will be held in the Belanteum venue from 1am to 5am with DJs from the Leipzig scene, such as 'Moonchild', Mystic Mountains and Knüpfi.

Currently still in development are firework displays and whatever madness comes out of the WGT forum!

Location

There is a main festival area for WGT, though the whole long weekend is spread around Leipzig, with music catered to all, from Neofolk to EBM. The large events take place in the ‘Agra’ messe-park, whilst smaller artists are scattered around various venues. Not only that but within the city there is so much more going on that has nothing to do with music you’ll be spoilt for choice!

Experiencing WGT

The sheer area that the whole festival takes up and consisting of already over 100 confirmed performances taking place, it is impossible to get to all the artists you want to see. But maybe this is WGT staying true to what it is also about; meeting up.

There are graveyard tours, tailors, discussions, blacksmiths, night clubs and Victorian picnics occurring all around the city, hence WGT should be seen as maybe an all-rounder festival, where music is not priority no1, but at the same level as all the other options at the festival.

Music Confirmed Artists

With the quantity of venues being more than 20, building up those high heel muscles may be complimentary to your festival plan. Looking ahead in advance of the music artists and location is highly recommended. The festival schedule is known to change right up until the actual date, though already acts from the depths of ‘Velvet Acid Christ’, the rattling industrial of ‘Suicide Commando’, to the String theatrics of ‘Coppelius’. ‘Die Krupps’, ‘Girls under Glass’ and many others are already confirmed for this year, standing at 110 music artists currently confirmed.

Obviously the venues vary in size and checking ahead goes a long way, as some venues may require you to be there one artist in advance, as you could end up not seeing yours. Headliners will take place at ‘Agra’, though still being there earlier gives kudos.

A List of the Venues can be found here

Shopping

Halle 1 is the epicentre of the Goth stalls. Open from midday on Friday the variety of garments accessories and miscellaneous on offer is vast. All genres are usually fruitfully catered for and clothing if wanted should be taken, as by the time you come back, it will already be gone as some of the bespoke quality that comes to Wave Gotik Treffen is unsurpassable.

Opening times for Halle 1:

Friday 12pm-1am

Saturday 11am-1am

Sunday 11am-1am

Monday-11am -11pm

Tickets

Festival tickets can be purchased off the official WGT site and are €120.

Free Public Transport

One great thing about the festival is that public transport throughout Leipzig is free for those with their wristband, though do bear in mind trams will be busy, and a few 20,000 people in black could possibly have the same travel time as you!

Getting There

Airports to fly to would consist of Leipzig/Halle, Dresden, Berlin or Frankfurt. Leipzig/Halle is a small airport, so it could be easier or cheaper to fly to one of the other several and take advantage of the German rail network to get to your destination.

Driving is easy enough if you are willing to do so, though be aware of the need to purchase emission stickers for €5, if driving through Leipzig city centre to the main ‘Agra’ Messepark. Otherwise you should be fineJ.

Parking tickets for the festival can be also purchased off the official WGT site at €15.

Accommodation

The Festival has camping grounds which cost €25 for the ‘Obsorge Ticket’. Though seeing as the events go on throughout Leipzig, there is much accommodation available to suit you and could also allow you to be closer to what you came to see at WGT.

Links

http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/

http://bahn.com

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Preview: Infest 2013 - It could be the End of an Era...

Two weeks ago the organisers from Bradford, signalled the possible nail in the coffin for the festival. With increased competition from a new festival emerging next year around the same date. The organisers in the interest of putting on a great time, without incurring losses have decided to for the moment to let infest 2014 not take place.

Based on the University of Bradford the more than a decade old festival has grown from one handful of bands, to a selection of the alternative scene’s finest. What also made this festival a great end to the summer was the addition of accomadation based on the university at cheap price, even better right next door to The Union club/bar, where the events, merch and bars are based.

The great thing that is loved at Infest are the late afternoon scheduled kick off, with the first artist being on at 4pm. Leaving your morning with a late lie in bed, after the combination of dancing till your Cyberdog wear is slathered in sweat, or your pinstriped trousers have become two tight to pull off by oneself.

The Artist line-up this year contains the likes of Headliners Covenant, Pride & Fall, XMH and Inertia. New comers to the alternative scene’s main eye include France’s DA Octopusss and Scotland’s Metaltech. 

Sweden's Covenant will headline the final night of the festival

The price of the ticket is £50 for the weekend and just £40 for the entire weekends accommodation, which will probably amount to less then the train ticket!

Infest is a great opportunity of the UK scene to save the expenses involved with flying to mainland Europe, and instead convene in the middle and listen together to the music they love. Infest each year is reaching its prime. The factor which makes this festival so successful is the ability for it to be just relaxing enough. No demanding time frames, not too many bands, close enough to civilization and slumber. So what can we see for 2014?

This week, be prepared!

DA Octopusss will see you there...

For more information including schedules, please visit the official Infest 2013 website.

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