Northwest Festival Watch – August 2015

Full of Noises brings bracing experimental music and sound art to Barrow-in-Furness across the weekend of 31 Jul-2 Aug. Guest curators Helen Frosi and Ryoko Akama have helped programme this fourth edition, including Andie Brown, who experiments in making sound with glass, and Lisa Skuret, whose recent project involves listening to and 'playing' a library. Two interesting workshops accompany the performance series: Simon Pomery introduces audiences to sound poetry, while acoustic musicians or vocalists may participate in Floodtide, the festival's finale, where a submerged sensor at Barrow Dock Museum will gather information from tidal flow, which is then turned into musical notation.

Also diving deep into the ear canal this month is Tor ist Das! festival (15-16 Aug): a bunch of great noise, drone and other psychedelic disruptions in Todmorden. It's pretty much the best news we've had all month, what with wandering wayfarer Richard Dawson, nightscape conjurer Kemper Norton and no-wave rioter Terrine playing in Todmorden Unitarian Church, with afterparties at the Golden Lion Hotel pub. The haunted pastoral of Isnaj Dui (Katie English of The Owl Service) and the tunnelling drone of Glen Steenkiste (of lauded Belgian occultists Sylvester Anfang II) only sweeten the deal. Sonic extremes, real ale and the Calder Valley: what more could you ask for?

Don't be misled by the name Manchester Popfest (15-16 Aug), meanwhile; this two-dayer at Kraak Gallery and Islington Mill offers scuzzy indie-pop and tunes with teeth courtesy Slowcoaches, Spinning Coin, new Upset the Rhythm signees Pega Monstro and many more – and also includes a screening of the Sarah Records documentary, My Secret World.

The annual FestEVOL takes over The Kazimier and Garden with nearly 40 artists across two days (1 and 8 Aug), conveniently separated by a week so you can pace yourself. Beloved local names – All We Are, VEYU, Natalie McCool, Dogshow – are joined by DJs including Abandon Silence's Andrew Hill, who'll keep the party going down Rat Alley and beyond.

There's a lot competing for attention August Bank Holiday weekend, but The Garden Party, Leeds, gets our vote; not least because we're partnering a pretty fine stage at across the two-day event, with Errors, Dutch Uncles and Galaxians joining a lineup that includes Todd Terje, Roisin Murphy and Fatima. Taking place simultaneously is the Liverpool International Music Festival – check gig highlights (right) for our picks, and flick back to page 10 for an in-depth look at one of this year's four commissions, a tribute to the life, lyrics and activism of Gil Scott-Heron.