The annual pilgrimage to Eindhoven is a foot, those into psych and its many sub genres are heading there from all over the world for the forth edition of Fuzz Club Festival. This years line up is packed with veritable treats, and a few new names, to cater to all tastes.
Before we get into our top 5 bands of the weekend, we want to give some mentions to those who made the weekend special.
The venue – the Effenaar is a venue like no other and the perfect home for the weekend. The sound in both stages is unsurpassed, the bar and security staff do their jobs perfectly and there is never so much as a crossed word, despite the crowd drinking the bars dry. Europe needs more venues like this.
The lights – this type of festival is a full sensory experience, the music would be nothing without the incredible lighting and visuals provided by wizards dwavehed, Innerstrings and Sam Wiehl.
Fuzz Club – the nicest people, with the best music taste and unparalleled ability to stay calm under pressure, thank you for letting me be a part of your weekend!
So now on to the music, honorary mentions go to Smote, who filled the room with a wall of menacing noise and shook people to their core; Electric Eye who have been absent from the touring scene for a few years but sounded all the better for it, we’ve missed you; Floral Image who’s music and moves should come from Los Angeles, yet miraculously comes from Norwich; and Spliterzelle who’s complex sound and the nicest personnel deserve to very success.
The Lisbon trio closed out the smaller stage last year, and left everyone gagging for air. This year they’ve been upgraded to close the cavernous bigger room, and I’m still struggling to describe the quality experience. Simply put, phenomenal. Their Krautrock disco sound saw everyone dancing, despite the late hour and being two days deep. If you are still a stranger to them; go and see them while they are still playing smaller stages – their sound could, and should fill stadiums. Undoubtedly the best band of the weekend.
Berlin based Errorr were started by Leonard Kaage (also of The Underground Youth) who took the opportunity to start creating on a blank canvas with his own instrumentation, production and arrangement in 2019. I had never had the chance to see them live, so took the opportunity to fix that this weekend. They were worth the wait! Their complex layers of fluctuating sound are suited perfectly to the space and they are wash over the crowd with increasing force. It’s clear careful planning went into the set as it seems to pass by before you can blink. Definitely one to seek out if they’re playing a city near you.
The Swedish band who need no introduction, and so were, unsurprisingly brilliant. They always draw a crowd and with their shows this year being billed as the last in a while, fans flock. Their live energy is relentless and with the shamanic costumes thrown into the mix, the whole affair seems very ethereal. Their set is a perfect mix of newer tracks and the old bangers leaving everyone happy.
The super group stand put on a landscape where the term ‘psych’ often feels confined and predictable. They are a beacon of true psychedelic exploration, redefining the boundaries of the genre with their innovative soundscapes and bold experimentation. Another band I had not yet seen live and were captivating from the first to last note. Arguably one of the calmest entities of the weekend; they paint psychedelic dreamscapes with such perfection, what’s not to like?
Being chosen to fill ‘that’ last slot at this festival is no small feat, but if anyone can do its Leipzig’s Acid Rooster. The experimental tinged krautrockers step up to the stage and the occasion with ease and not only look like they belong there, their set more than proves their worth. Oscillations of blistering yet skillfully crafted sound wash over the late stayers who never want it to end.
Fuzz Club have always set the bar high with not only the quality of the music, but the quality of the records themselves that they put out. That quality is stamped all over this festival making it year in year out one of the best musical experiences you could wish for.
