Infest (festival)
Infest is an annual three-day music festival held at the University of Bradford Union in the United Kingdom, featuring alternative electronic music acts, from genres including industrial, EBM, futurepop, synth-pop and power noise. The event usually takes place on the August bank holiday weekend.
History
Background
InFest was born in early 1998 through the efforts of three students of the University of Bradford – Gareth 'Gadge' Harvey, Chris 'Crusty' Molyneux, and Max 'Maxi Slag' – and the Students' Union Entertainments Manager, Floyd Peltier. The concept of the festival was originally envisioned as a one-day event for local goth bands in West Yorkshire, but the crew were able to also onboard much bigger acts, such as gothic/death rock band Alien Sex Fiend. The student organisers were already fans of the Whitby Gothic Weekend and took the idea for Infest to the Whitby festival-goers and traders to gauge how popular the show might be. The response was positive and the first Infest festival was confirmed as 14 and 15 August 1998.The following year, the festival paid more attention towards the electronic side of the goth and industrial scene by booking Apoptygma Berzerk for their first UK show.
Reinvention
By 2000, the University of Bradford's Students' Union felt that they could not carry the costs of the festival any longer. However, an independent goth/industrial promoter and DJ named Mark 'Gus' Guy, who had been advising Molyneux during the show's early years, stepped in to fill the void. As a result of the heavy involvement with Guy and his Terminal Productions company, Infest took the form it is recognised as today: the festival's theme has moved from goth/industrial crossover to alternative electronic, with a greater emphasis on power noise, futurepop, synth-pop and electronic body music. However, occasionally more Dark wave-style goth bands do still appear on the line-up.The stylisation of the name had changed in 2003 to be "Infest", and from this time has grown significant international recognition. The show continues to provide a market for traders, which helps to bring the music and the lifestyle of the show's fans together. There is also a full festival program where nightclubs, DJs, bands and businesses can make their voices heard. Infest has been supported by a number of electronic record labels, notably Ant-Zen, Hands Productions, and now-defunct online music stores Music Non Stop and Storming the Base. Support outside the scene has also come from music software publisher Ableton, and drink manufacturers Jägermeister and Barr.
In July 2013, the festival organisers announced that "it is highly unlikely that there will be an Infest in 2014"; but following "an avalanche of messages of support" the organisers have decided to "throw caution to the wind and go ahead with Infest in 2014."
Today
Today, Guy has a small team of people at his side, including Molyneux, graphic designer Richard King, Ticket Office Manager Lee Thornton and a crew of volunteers and live production professionals.The festival celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2018, adding an extra day that year for the occasion.
Performers
1998
- Alien Sex Fiend, Dust to Dust, Horatii, Leechwoman, man(i)kin, Nekromantik, Passion Play, Rosetta Stone, Sneaky Bat Machine, Squid, Ultraviolence
1999
Friday: The DJ Wars: The Bratcave DJs Vs Deathstar DiscoSaturday: Apoptygma Berzerk, Faithful Dawn, Killing Miranda, Sneaky Bat Machine, man(i)kinSunday: Spahn Ranch, Inertia, Narcissus Pool2000
Friday: Ultraviolence, SynapscapeSaturday: VNV Nation, Manuskript, MS Gentur, Intra Venus, Project X, Void ConstructSunday: In Strict Confidence, Dream Disciples, Imminent, man(i)kin, Libitina2001
Friday: Inertia, The Nine, Swarf, Saturday: Suicide Commando, Beborn Beton, P.A.L, Leechwoman, Katscan, Illumina, Sunday: Covenant, Dive, Icon of Coil, Monolith, Goteki2002
Friday: XPQ-21, Psyche, Revolution by NightSaturday: Funker Vogt, Sonar, S.P.O.C.K, Winterkälte, Greenhaus, SyntheticSunday: Mesh, Noisex, Welle: Erdball, Asche, Aslan Faction2003
Friday: cut.rate.box, scrap.edx, Tarantella SerpentineSaturday: God Module, Needle Sharing, Seabound, Tarmvred, Culture Kultür, Je$us Loves Amerika, SINA Sunday: VNV Nation, Hypnoskull, SITD|, Resurrection Eve, Arkam Asylum2004
Friday: Lights of Euphoria, Ah Cama-Sotz, Action DirecteSaturday: Suicide Commando, Proyecto Mirage, Plastic, Combichrist, Angel Theory, SkinflickSunday: Assemblage 23, Converter, Spetsnaz, Mono No Aware, Silence Is Sexy2005
Friday: Fixmer/McCarthy, Powderpussy, UnivaqueSaturday: Covenant, Punch Inc, Decoded Feedback, HIV+, The Azoic, Tin OmenSunday: Blutengel, KiEw, Iris, Final Selection, Deviant UK2006
Friday Lab 4, Destroid, SchmoofSaturday Rotersand, Architect, Unter Null, Reaper, S.K.E.T., O.V.N.ISunday Front Line Assembly, Wai Pi Wai, Stromkern, Frozen Plasma, Autoclav1.12007
Friday Portion Control, Greyhound, The Gothsicles.Saturday Apoptygma Berzerk, 13th Monkey, Dope Stars Inc., Caustic, Faderhead, Synnack.Sunday VNV Nation, Soman, Painbastard, Rupesh Cartel, E.S.A.2008
Friday Grendel, Snog, Coreline.Saturday And One, 5F-X, Heimataerde, Santa Hates You, 100blumen, Skinjob.Sunday Front 242, Noisuf-X, Tyske Ludder, Marsheaux, Deviant UK.2009
- none
2010
Friday De/Vision, Heimstatt Yipotash, Mandro1d.Saturday Rotersand, x-Rx, Agonoize, Memmaker, Northern KindSunday Project Pitchfork, Nachtmahr, Ayria, Patenbrigade: Wolff, Concrete Lung, Parralox.2011
Friday Uturns, Code 64, Tactical Sekt.Saturday V2A, Maschinenkrieger 52 vs Disraptor, Alien Vampires, Absolute Body Control, Xotox, HocicoSunday Sci-Fi Mafia, Analog Angel, Julien K, Shiv-R, mind.in.a.box, Sonar, VNV Nation2012
Friday Spacebuoy, Dirty K, Necro Facility, KlinikSaturday System:FX, Suono, A Split-Second, XP8, Geistform, Solitary Experiments, DJ KohlSunday Resist, Tenek, Blitzmaschine, Absurd Minds, Winterkälte, Suicide Commando2013
Friday Metal Tech, Inertia, Dive, Pride & FallSaturday AAAK, Wieloryb, Click Click, Da Octopusss, Chrysalide, Imperative Reaction, DJ KohlSunday Autoclav1.1, Future Trail, XMH, Sono, Cervello Elettronico, Covenant2014
Friday Dreams Divide, Cyanotic, Acucrack, HaujobbSaturday The Ladder, Be My Enemy, Xenturion Prime, Architect, Legend, Juno ReactorSunday Syd.31, Mr.Kitty, ESA, Solar Fake, Ashbury Heights, VNV Nation2015
Friday Ctrl Alt Del, D-K-A-G, Cocksure, EmpirionSaturday Alterred, Ethan Fawkes, Chant, L'Âme Immortelle, Klangstabil, mind.in.a.boxSunday Mechanical Cabaret, reADJUST, Bhambhamhara, Syrian, Monolith, Project Pitchfork2016
Friday Pop Will Eat Itself, Dead When I Found Her, Me The Tiger, Massive EgoSaturday Atari Teenage Riot, Velvet Acid Christ, Grausame Töchter, Hysteresis, Monica Jeffries, TapewyrmSunday 3Teeth, Leaether Strip, Displacer, Rroyce, Vigilante, Johnny Normal2017
Friday Rotersand, Noyce, Accessory, They Called Him ZoneSaturday Die Krupps, End.User, Wulfband, Empathy Test, Chemical Sweet Kid, RiotmilooSunday Revolting Cocks, iVardensphere, The Juggernauts, Vampyre Anvil, Sidewalks and Skeletons, Among the Echoes2018
An extra day was added to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event.Thursday Peter Hook and the Light, Empirion, Zeitgeist Zero, Grave Diggers UnionFriday Cubanate, Iszoloscope, Siva Six, Def NeonSaturday Mesh, Sarin, Liebknecht, Actors, Yura Yura, Adam is a girl, Flesh Eating FoundationSunday Aesthetic Perfection, This Morn Omina, Strvngers, Elegant Machinery, Valhall, Massenhysterie, Promenade Cinema2019
Thursday Warm Up Party featuring Das Ich, Inertia, Black Light Ascension, Drakenwerks, Matt Hart. Friday Light Asylum, Sulpher, Torul, BitmanSaturday Zardonic, She Wants Revenge, Dive, Rave the Reqviem, Cacophoneuses, Landscape Body Machine, Witch of the Vale.Sunday Ancient Methods, Nitzer Ebb, Kaelan Mikla, OHMelectronic, Future Lied to Us, Noire Antidote, Ded.Pxl, Karkasaurus2020
Due to Covid-19 the show was moved online and called Stay-In-Fest.Three online stages were hosted by Lee Chaos, Duracell Bunny, Kark & Peewee, and Matt Biomechanimal.
2021
A small crowd of around 80 people were invited to a social distanced show held live in Bradford. This was again streamed out as Stay-In-Fest 2021.Friday had a small warmup party featuring Biomechanimal, Karkasaurus and Chaos Emergency Doof Broadcast.Saturday live at the venue Red Meat, Bone Cult, Tapewrym, Portion Control, Tapewrym, Biomechanimal, DSTR, NOISOME