The event, on Saturday 2nd September, will see Manchester City Centre effectively transformed into a festival ground, with multiple live music venues, scattered up and down, being employed as stages. The Albert Hall, on Peter Street, will act as main stage, while other venues, such as YES, Gorilla, the 02 Ritz, Canvas, Manchester Academy 2 and Deaf Institute, will act as the other, smaller stages.

Headlining Manchester Psych Fest 2023 will be American psychedelic rock legends The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who will be the last band to perform on the night at the Albert Hall. Fans of the psychedelic rock genre will need no introduction to BJM and the great Anton Newcombe who fronts the group, a group who, to this day, continue to be an ever-evolving vehicle for musical experimentation, having released their 20th studio album, The Future Is Your Past, in February this year.

Another main act comes in the form of American singer-songwriter Ezra Furman, who has previously said this will be her last European tour for a while. As such, this will be one of the last chances British fans will get to see Furman live in the flesh for the time being, and will therefore be a show not to be missed. She will be playing at the 02 Ritz and will be the last act at that venue.

Other acts that will feature at this year’s Psych fest include The Kundalini Genie, Allah-Las, The Lovely Eggs and Flamingods, all of whom are psychedelic rock groups. English indie rock band Sorry will be in attendance, as will the predominantly instrumental Cumbia-inspired London group Los Bitchos. Noise punk outfit Benefits will raise pulses in the White Noise room at Canvas, while post-punk bands Deadletter and The Murder Capital will electrify elsewhere.

A rather late addition to the line-up are The Murlocs, an Australian rock band hailing from Melbourne. They will play at the 02 Ritz at 4.30pm. This will not be the only show, however, for Ambrose Kenny-Smith and Cook Craig, frontman and guitarist respectively, as the talented duo are also an integral part of fellow Australian group King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, another group who needs no introduction to the fan of the psychedelic rock genre. The latter group will also be performing in Manchester on the same night, with a headline midnight gig at the Manchester Academy. The show, unfortunately, is not technically part of the festival and separate tickets are required to see the Aussie psych rock heavyweights.

There will also be several film screenings in addition to the multitude of music options, including a UK festival exclusive screening of Chunky Scrapnel, a road movie featuring King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Dig!, a documentary on the love/hate relationship between American groups The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols.

You can purchase tickets here.

Stages and set times below:

Albert Hall
Sorry – 14.00 – 14.45
The Lovely Eggs – 15.15 – 16.00
Allah-Las – 16.30 – 17.30
Los Bitchos – 18.15 – 19.15
Snail Mail – 20.00 – 21.00
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – 21.45 – 23.15

The 02 Ritz
The Mysterines – 13.00 – 14.00
Jeffrey Lewis – 14.45 – 15.45
The Murlocs – 16.30  – 17.30
Bodega – 18.15 – 19.15
Loose Articles – 20.00 – 20.45
The Murder Capital – 21.30 – 22.45
Ezra Furman – 23.30 – 00.45

Ritz Basement
Atmos Bloom – 14.00 – 14.30
Lei Hope – 15.45 – 16.15
No Windows – 17.30 – 18.00
Cruush – 19.15 – 19.45
The Kundalini Genie – 20.45 – 21.15

Manchester Academy 2
Teke :: Teke – 15.15 – 16.00
The Underground Youth – 16.45 – 17.45
Panic Shack – 18.30 – 19.15
Flamingods – 20.00 – 21.00
Kokoko! – 21.45 – 22.45

Canvas Room 1
Viji – 14.15 – 14.45
Pray For Mojo – 15.30 – 16.15
University – 17.00 – 17.45
Benefits – 18.30 – 19.15
Say She She – 20.00 – 20.45
BDRMM – 21.30 – 22.45
Maruja – 23.30 – 00.15
Stealing Sheep – 01.00 – 02.00

Du Blonde announced the collaboration over social-media and described the single as being “about breaking up, regretting it and getting back together. It’s about realising that sometimes being in love doesn’t have to be all fireworks and excitement and that having someone you can fart next to is precious.” The track can be pre-saved via all streaming platforms here.

When describing the track’s sound, Du Blonde stated on social media that “it’s our take on a 60s girl group/glam rock explosion.” The Newcastle upon Tyne artist has been known for the punk-glamour genre that has featured in all of the previous records they have released. Ezra has been known for much the same in the States and when regarding their collaboration, Du Blonde continued with “I feel like Ezra and I have been travelling towards a duet for years and we finally got our shit together.”

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Du Blonde and Ezra have worked together in the past, in 2018 Du Blonde released a music video for Ezra’s single Suck The Blood From My Wound. The music video was directed and animated by Du Blonde the artist has a significant career in videography and photography under the real name Beth Jeans Houghton.  In 2019 Du Blonde once again directed and animated Ezra’s music videos for the tracks Twelve Nudes and Calm Down AKA I Should Not Be Alone.

Along with sharing collaboration over many music videos in the past and now this new single I’m Glad That We Broke Up, both artists are advocates and members of the transgender and nonbinary communities.  Ezra took to Instagram to announce excitement over the collaboration, saying that she will be featuring on Du Blonde’s track as a vocalist. “As a siiiiiiiinger More information on Wednesday (and the actual track) but I’m just psyched to let you know this so I’m telling you now. Also Du Blonde is great, a true inspiration to me, go buy all his music and maybe his artwork too.” 

I’m Glad That We Broke Up will be available to all streaming platforms on Wednesday. Du Blonde’s upcoming album Homecoming will be released in April and is available to pre-order now. 

 

 

 

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