Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia @ Camp and Furnace, 27-28 September

As one of the most anticipated dates in Liverpool’s gigging calendar, this year the onus on Psych Fest was to open the weekender to a bigger audience than last year’s intriguing (if niche) event – and walking into Camp and Furnace, you can't help but be taken aback by the effort the organisers have put into setting the stage for some of the biggest names in psych, stoner and cosmic rock, with large strobe riggings accompanying multiple screens, filling the usually vast looking Furnace room. Also worth noting is not just the remarkable attendance over the weekend, but also the wide range of psych-heads from all parts of Europe – and from young crowds to the more experienced, who may have seen the initial cult from the 60s.

Bringing in an eclectic mix was always going to be the challenge in programming an event based around a singular musical style – but to an extent this is achieved among the slew of bands inspired by a combination of Nuggets, NEU! and Os Mutantes, as a handful of acts stand out for not conforming to the blueprint. 

Mexican group Lorelle Meets The Obselete shake Psych Fest out of Friday's garage rock revival-esque lull, bringing a bass-heavy Jesus and Mary Chain influence with a real sense of melody and a grip on dynamics that few bands possess.However, the day very much belongs to stoner veterans Dead Meadow, who, if only the sound could be improved, would blow everyone away; or perhaps 'elevate' would be a better description, as their textures are nothing short of exquisite, indulging in a warmth and space seldom explored by their contemporaries.

Another inspired booking comes in the form of Mordant Music trio Ekoplekz, Vindicatrix and Some Truths, who may not trade in the same world as the rest of Psych Fest but are very much welcomed for a 2am palate-cleanser of power electronics, noise and haunted experimentalism.

Saturday proves to be a little more testing, with Brightonian triple threat The Soft Walls, Cold Pumas and Sauna Youth’s music as interchangeable as their band members; although Sauna Youth’s punky element does offer brief respite from the insistent motorik nature of much of the line-up. Lesser-explored elements of psych come in the form of Mo Kolours’ humorous dub and hip-hop, and the Richard Hell inspired Charlie Boyer and the Voyeurs, who come closest to peeking into the proto-punk-meets-psych world championed by The Velvet Underground.On the home straight comes a truly monolithic set from Hookworms, and Liverpool’s two biggest exports in psych Mugstar and Clinic, both doling out cosmic rock on either side of the spectrum.

Now that Psych Fest has managed to an establish such a strong following, only time will tell if the organisers are able to hone in on more eclectic forms of psychedelia – acid house and, weirdly, prog rock are missing from the billings. But for now, it’s worth basking in the immeasurable success of bringing together such dedicated bands, audiences and artists in one place.