When Jack Horner, frontman of sonic psych duo The Dirt as well as poet provocateur known as Leon The Pig Farmer, announced the second Conjuring Festival with it’s lineup of trippy, psych, dance, post-punk and full on punk rock it was one of those ‘get that on the calendar, now’ moments. And despite a couple of dropouts, last minute replacements, a headliner splitting up (more on that later) and a band getting stuck on the A1, Jack, Richie Yates, Sachiko Wakizaka and team pulled out all the stops to deliver a superb three days of alternative sounds in a unique venue surrounded by wonderful people. The Conjuring is everything that a free thinking, independent, alternative, underground festival should be. No massive corporations, no big name sponsorship, no-one who was there just to be able to say “I was there” and pose for their Insta followers. What an event such as this does is bring together people who share similar (decent) values, who believe 100% in inclusivity and who support a scene that’s always been there but one that increasingly gets trampled on by the likes of Live Nation.
And the venue – brilliant. I’ve said it before but I’m saying it again. Pealie’s Barn, nestled in the glorious North Yorkshire countryside just outside Northallerton, a venue created from a derelict barn into a live music venue using materials found on the farm, is run by creatives, people with a passion for supporting the arts, music, local businesses. These people don’t just manage the venue, they are the heart and soul of the place. When they’re not greeting you as you walk up they’re behind the bar, cooking/serving fantastic pizzas, doing the sound desk and replenishing the portaloos with bog roll. Four of them are even in a hard hitting, soulful rock band that opens Saturday’s proceedings. It’s all perfect for a festival such as this. Bar prices that don’t make you wince, decent food at decent prices and, to top it all, there’s a field for tents and a field for campervans – at no extra cost.
The music starts early Friday evening with a superb set of psychedelic rock courtesy of Liverpool’s Thee Lucifer Sams. Sometimes quiet and dreamy, sometimes raucous noise. Instrumentals to lose yourself in. Perfect openers.
Pete Bassman (Spaceman 3) has pulled out. Disappointing but only until you realise that the last minute replacement is Ian Hanratty, one half of the North East’s dance-punk duo Analogue Blood, who also bangs out the beats as Chumpwrecker. Hanratty is brilliant, tearing the place apart with a hard hitting blend of industrial, electronic, dance noise. He seems a little dazed that he’s up there on his own but pulls it off with a terrifically hypnotising, bouncing set that has those present dancing within the first couple of minutes.
Manchester’s LIM pulled out a while ago and their replacement, Cherry Fuzz Club, are stuck on the A1. Friday headliners Purple Heart Parade say they’ll play early, not only a sign of their benevolent attitude but also a prime example of the lack of over bloated egos amongst the bands playing this weekend. Their sound literally soars around the venue. Massive guitar and deep rumbling bass topped by sublime vocals. It’s like a soundtrack to a psychedelic road trip. If you’ve not seen them before and you’re a fan of Primal Scream/Spacemen 3 then Purple Heart Parade really should be on your playlist.
For me though, the icing on Friday’s cake is Cherry Fuzz Club and I’m secretly glad that breakdown happened. Cherry Fuzz Club are right up my street. They’re noisy, fast paced, pound around the stage and absolutely pummel you with their punk rock assault. From opener ‘Ding Dong’ it’s non-stop. Merciless drums, slicing guitar, yelled vocals. Underneath all the mayhem an addictive, foot-tapping beat urges you to dance. It’s not all chaos though. ‘Country’ chugs along with a wonderfully compelling melodic pulse before it explodes into the noise. And we see the first stage invader of the weekend. Cherry Fuzz Club, new to me and my first absolute festival highlight- it won’t be the only time I see them.
Saturday there’s time for a lie-in, a leisurely breakfast, tea/coffee, a shower (portable: a festival game-changer). The Conjuring is sensible and doesn’t put bands on at 11am so those who sat around a campfire or chilled out with mates until 3am aren’t walking zombies the next day. The venue is open however for sausage sandwiches etc should you need them. Saturday turns out to be banging. I’m continuously saying this but festivals like this always throw up at least two bands you’ve never heard of but who turn out to be future favourites. Scruffy Bear open the day with their huge, passionate, soulful rock. Vocalist Georgy is a real live-wire, dancing, jumping all over the stage with a voice powerful enough to match her physical energy. A real wake-up call that, quite rightly, pulls people in off the fields. Dadaxl are right at home amongst this appreciative crowd punching out their Hendrix/Doors/Floyd influenced sound. Epic guitar work from Dave Hulatt although for someone who much prefers a short, sharp stab of noise it’s all a little self-indulgent. Still, the world would be a dull, boring place if we all liked the same music.
Cheshire’s Hazel’s Maze describe themselves as a pysch rock band. They’re so much more than that. Listen closely and you’ll catch a little goth, huge ringing hard rock guitars, a little 90’s dance/Britpop and, if you were ever a fan, surely a nod towards that massively underappreciated Manchester band Puressence. With a sound that could fill a stadium it’s absolutely immense in the confines of this small North Yorkshire barn. Stick them on your ‘must see’ list. You won’t be disappointed.
The Dry Retch are superb. Their huge, grungy, Stooges noise hits the spot perfectly. It’s fast, powerful, foot tappingly addictive. Forty five minutes of blistering, grubby, fuzzy punk rock n roll. Manic guitarist JP is a photographers gift with his unlimited facial expressions and rock poses, vocalist/guitarist John dedicates songs to crowd members for no apparent reason. Good fun, great sounds, immense band.
Sadly the need for sustenance and caffeine mean I don’t get to see all of Amon Acid‘s set but their final 15 minutes leaves a great impression with their heavy, droning bass rhythms, deep, gruff vocals and mystical tinge.
Rhys Bloodjoy/Neu Oscuro VS Headcharge+DeVine are superb. Opening with dark, tribal drumbeats things soon take a turn into a blitz of razor sharp, heavy, industrial, guitar driven electronica. There’s mystery, obscurity, choppy guitar noise, pummeling beats, howling vocals. A modern day take on those early experimental sounds of bands such as Cabaret Voltaire. Rhys’s voice often takes on the tones of Andrew Eldritch which is no bad thing. A set that covers Bloodjoy’s incarnations as Neu Oscuro, work under his own name and a couple from the particularly dark, brooding tones of Yugo’s (Bloodjoy/Ms DeVine) 2007 EP ‘Luna Sex’. There’s two massive skulls on the stage, electronic keys/soundboards are perched on top of a coffin that spews smoke. What’s not to like? Brilliant.
Saturday’s original headliners, Avalanche Party, announced their split not too long ago casting no shortage of disappointment from those particularly looking forward to what was always an untamed, blistering live performance. Avalanche Party never disappointed, their live shows were always crazy, frenzied affairs with a sweat soaked mosh-pit. We needn’t have worried. From the smouldering ashes of Avalanche Party rise Primitive. With a new line-up Jordan and Josh Bell have pulled together a band no less brutal but with possibly a little more nuance. New line-up, new name, 13 new songs. The intensity is still there, but the sounds are more layered. The saxophone, the keys seem to catch your attention just a little more. Songs that seem to build and build from quiet beginnings to sharp, cacophonous finales. Jordan Bell is still a phenomenal frontman, holding the audience with his intense stare although there’s less pounding the stage. Instead he remains to the right, alternating between piano and guitar allowing Sam McGinley, who shares vocal duties, the room to move around the other side. Joe Bell remains a formidable presence centre stage with his bass guitar. For a debut gig, in front of a crowd who aren’t quite sure what to expect before they walk on stage, what Primitive deliver is remarkable. All worries are annihilated. Rest assured future gigs will remain intense, passionate affairs and no doubt there will be crowd surfing. A set to remember. A gig to proudly tell your music loving mates “I was there”.
Then, just as we’re all about to retire to our vans/tents/cars it turns out Jack Horner has arranged a short but rather mesmerising display of fire dancing. Great day.
If Saturday went beyond expectations then for this reviewer Sunday completely blew things away. Deltanaut open the day with their heavy, dreamy, smooth, space rock packed with lengthy guitar solos. Later on Sonic Trip Project do pretty much the same with their cosmic Hawkwind vibes.
The rest of Sunday is taken up with not one, not two, not three but four absolute festival standouts. The Battery Farm launch into their ferocious, joyful, visceral set. A band completely unafraid to make a racket, be up in your face. It’s powerful, noisy, glitchy, explosive. Every member of the band engulfed in what they’re doing. Ben Corry spends almost as much time off the stage amongst the crowd as he does on it. Sweat drips from his pores, eyes wide, he arches his back to stare at the crowd upside down. Brother Dominic plays his guitar as if both he and it are possessed. Surprisingly he finds nothing to climb although he disappears briefly up some stairs. The Battery Farm purge their frustrations at a world currently full of too much bleakness. As their Instagram says – “Dark punk for dark times”.
Not only has Jack Horner played a massive part bringing The Conjuring together, compering the days, checking on bands and punters, early evening sees him, together with wife Sachiko Wakizaka and a guest gorilla on stage as The Dirt. Horner walks on stage in a grotesque face mask topped with a gas mask, and furry hat, the gorilla plays maracas whilst Sachiko stands effortlessly cool with her guitar and huge pedal board stage left. ‘Truth Extinction’ the powerful spoken word intro to new album ‘Monkey Punch’ opens. Seconds later masks are removed and The Dirt launch into their own unique ‘psycho punk’. When he’s not programming deep, repetitive beats into drum pads he’s jumping all over. Those beats are complimented by a rumbling bass whilst Sachiko plucks all sorts of atmospheric rock n roll riffs from her Rickenbacker. It is Sachiko and her guitar/effects pedals, the distortion and feedback that creates the unique sound of The Dirt. Upfront chaos reigns as Jack, full of venom at the injustices of the world yells his spoken word at us. It’s disturbing, scathing, hypnotic. It lashes us into submission whilst at the same time delivering a rush of adrenaline. It’s over too quickly leaving me with a one word summary. “Wow!” It’s also their 100th gig and as a way of celebrating they raffle off £100 worth of merch prior to taking the stage. A reminder to people that to claim a prize you need to be there, with your ticket.
For me Slalom D can do no wrong. Fiercely proud of their Sunderland roots, a band that stands resolutely against the evils of racism, homophobia, transphobia. Their punk rock shouts loudly about deeply personal experiences and is packed with fierce, raw energy underpinned by a glorious melodic beat. It’s punk you can sing along to, dance to and, at times, cry to. Vocalist Fiona Duncan conveys every emotion possible. One moment it’s anger, the next it’s heartbreak etched deeply into her face, Iain Murray‘s pounding drums, Tony Lindstedt‘s bass and new(ish) recruit Antony Bircham on guitar a perfect backdrop for her voice. It’s hard to pick highlights. Every song makes a statement but today the one’s that really hit today are the driving force of ‘Medusa’, ‘Harbour Walls’ – their ode to Sunderland and it’s overriding message that you can be passionately proud of your hometown without feeling the need to exclude anyone no matter how or when they arrived there, ‘Waltz Into Anarchy’ never fails to bring a huge singalong from fans whilst the as yet unreleased ‘Same Refrain’, written about Fiona’s father’s battle with dementia hits a nerve and brings tears to my eyes. Yet despite the anger, the politics, the heartbreak a Slalom D set is always, without fail, uplifting and once again I’m left wondering why I haven’t seen this band more times than I already have.
Which just leaves Evil Blizzard, a band whose stage presence burns itself into your memory as much as their songs. Permanently masked in an array of grotesque face coverings – think pig’s head, Phantom Of The Opera, Corpse Bride, a mummy and a permanently psychotic smile and you won’t be far wrong. Blizzard were, for a long time, known for only using bass guitars to complement the drums and keyboard but nowadays both Fleshcrawl and Filthy Dirty use guitars with six strings. Their sound is still heavy, packed with pounding rhythms but feels just just a touch lighter thanks to those six strings and some extra synth. Opening with ‘All Pigs, With Snouts In The Trough’ we’re immediately drawn into the infectious rhythms of this theatrical horror show. Evil Blizzard’s sound pulses through you and whilst you can’t take your eyes off what’s happening on stage nor can you keep your feet still such is the urge to simply dance. Their one hour set is packed with crowd pleasers for those that are fans. ‘Hello’, ‘Rotting In The Belly Of The Whale’, ‘Unleash The Misery’, ‘Stupid People’ and ‘Are You Evil?’ are massive, packed with riffs and sounds that hook you in and don’t let go. I’m reliably informed there’s even a touch of Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ thrown in somewhere. In short there’s no better way a festival such as The Conjuring could draw to a close.
Ian Hanratty returns as Chumpwrecker to wind things down as people drift back to their beds and try and come to terms with the fact tomorrow will be back to normality.
It’d be hard to ask for more from Jack Horner and his team. The Conjuring is simply a brilliant celebration of the alternative and the underground. Three days of fantastic music surrounded by like-minded people in a setting that’s inclusive and safe. And a venue run by wonderful people passionate about supporting independent music.
Roll on The Conjuring 2026, pencilled in for mid-June. Keep your diaries empty until all is confirmed.
Photos/Words: steve white
Excessive amount of photos below. Click any image to open slide show.
