Event:	UK Tech-Fest 2023
Written by:	omne metallum
Published:	19.07.2023

Summer festival season is once more upon us, perhaps the best time of year for audiophiles who love their live music. My summer season is kicking off with a return to Tech-Fest, a festival that's been going for ten years now; returning after my first experience last year, this would be my second consecutive festival. With the news that this year was to be the final edition of the festival, and with one hell of a heavy line-up, I decided I had to be there one more time to make the most of one of the more unique metal events in the UK.




Taking place yet again at Newark Showgrounds, the festival retained its mix of indoor facilities and amenities with on-site camping, offering the perfect mix for attendees to remain comfortable and mosh ready. Attracting a far heavier line-up than last year, this year's edition would see the crowds make the most of things, while being provided the perfect soundtrack to go wild, with much of the weekend consisting of some of the most energetic pits in a long time. Alas, it was unfortunate after their performance at Incineration Festival that Suffocation pulled out of their spot on the Friday with the cancellation of their European tour. Still, there was plenty of fun to be had regardless, so without further ado.

Table Of Contents

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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Arriving on site in good time, it appeared Tech-Fest had plenty of attendees looking to make the most of the last edition. With the hot sun bearing down upon myself, I decided a few beverages were in order before venturing out to see some live music. The laid-back atmosphere was the perfect easing in to affairs, with the campsite in near immediate vicinity of the stages, meaning any spontaneous attendance was easy going on the legs.

Starved 15:30-16:00, Main Stage




Kicking things off were Starved. Alas, the sound was a jumbled mess for much of their set, with only the drums and keyboards sticking out amongst the maelstrom. Though the band tried, the sound hampered any attempt Starved made to connect beyond noise. Not the best start, but hey, early days yet and plenty of time to correct things.

From Eden To Exiled 16:00-16:30, Second Stage




Though the sound was much tighter on the second stage at this point, it traded in audio quality for temperature control. As a result, it was far too hot to enjoy the band, who evidently giving it their all. What the band did produce was enjoyable, but I had to retreat to cooler climes to avoid a repeat of last year's Bloodstock Festival and could only give From Eden To Exiled a short go.

Milk & Two Shuggahs 16:30-17:15, Main Stage




In anticipation of seeing Meshuggah at Bloodstock in a few weeks’ time, I thought I'd take the opportunity to get a taste of what the band's music could sound like in a live setting. Playing as if the material was their own, MaTS owned the stage, and played a tight and hard-hitting set that went down well with a crowd who were well versed in Meshuggah’s material. With solid renditions of "Rational Gaze" and a track that can cause spontaneous combustion in drummers ("Bleed"), the band were spot on. If Meshuggah are anything like as good as this, then hot damn.

Arcaeon 18:00-18:45, Main Stage




Having to follow up such an early highlight, Arcaeon rose to the occasion, perfuming a tight set of not-yet classics, even with the handicap of some inaudible vocals. The band were on good form, and more than made up for the vocal issues.

The Human Veil 18:45-19:30, Second Stage




I'll be honest, at this point things became somewhat of a blur, with the mixture of alcohol, a long drive and unmemorable songwriting; The Human Veil passed me by with an OK, if forgettable, set.

Anima Tempo 20:30-21:30, Main Stage




Returning Mexican heroes Anima Tempo were an anticipated set of the weekend for many in attendance. Coinciding with the release of their new album Chaos Paradox, the set drew heavily from it, with a few older hits like "Deceitful Eye" proving the band have what it takes to take things to the next level should the opportunity present itself. The band have the ingredients to move up a few rungs in terms of size and popularity, particularly with their live show; hopefully the next time our paths cross, Anima Tempo will be on a larger stage.

Zebedy 23:15-23:45, After Party

A day of partying was really starting to hit me at this point. I managed to crawl to the afterparty stage to see Zebedy as I thought with a name like that, that they would be a Magic Roundabout tribute act; alas, this turned out not to be the case, and like that, the rest of the night turned into a blur.



Waking up with the realisation that I was indeed at Tech-Fest, and it wasn't one hell of a lucid dream, the hangover swiftly kicked in. After a morning of nursing the self-inflicted pain, I decided to kick things off with a course of music for medicine.

Cavekiller 12:00-12:30, Second Stage




Blowing the cobwebs away and starting the day on the right foot were Cavekiller. Although offering nothing particularly exciting, they were upbeat and energetic, which is what was needed at the time to get the adrenaline pumping.

Glower 13:00-13:30, Second Stage

No match for my glower power! Good, if not memorable.

Basement Torture Killings 14:00-14:30, Second Stage

After the aborted attempt to see them at Bloodstock last year, I was ready to give the band a second chance. With their slam offerings coming hot out of the gate, Basement Torture Killings were tight and had an eager, if not large, audience to translate the musical energy to movement. A good bit of slam to kick the day into gear, BTK were an early highlight, and marked the point at which the day moved into a higher gear.

Cage Fight 15:30-16:00, Main Stage




After a short break, it was back to the mainstage to catch TesseracT guitarist James Monteith in action. Though I found their album enjoyable, the chance to see these songs translated live was not to be missed. The band's crossover energy shone through, with anger-filled renditions of "Guillotine" taking on a very Napalm Death edge, while "Hope Castrated" closed the set like a tidy knot on the bow. Much better as a live act than on record, Cage Fight are one I would jump at the chance to see live again.





Forlorn 16:00-16:30, Second Stage

Although I caught them in passing, they didn't produce anything that warranted further listening.

Exist Immortal 16:30-17:15, Main Stage




Another returning act from last year, being able to see the band mid-day rather than when I was feeling the effects of a day of drinking like last year meant this set hit much harder. With guests galore, EXIM raised the bar yet further with songs like "Satellite" being underrated cuts in the genre. Playing as if they were closing the book on the festival, the band were tight and on form, only hindered by a poor mix during the early part of their set. With performances like these, it's hard to see the band not hitting bigger stages than this in the near future.

Sworn Amongst 17:15-18:00, Second Stage




I hadn't seen SA in about a decade by this point; it was good to see how far the band had come on their journey since then. Sworn Amongst’s djentified thrash was an acquired taste, though not helped by the band being on before the highly anticipated Conjurer. Though SA were hot out of the gates, with the latest single "Restitution" showing the band's potential, it was a losing battle, as their hot start faded at the same time the crowd started filtering out to get a good spot for the following band. A valiant effort, but one that might not be remembered among the best in the festival's history.

Conjurer 18:00-18:45, Main Stage




Perhaps the most hotly anticipated band of the day judging by the amount of shirts around, and the crowd at the stage door awaiting their appearance on stage. Kicking things off in sludgy fashion, Conjurer gave the excited audience exactly what they wanted, locking into their grooves and playing that pocket while the crowd bounced and moshed to their Earth-shaking rhythms. "Choke" proved to be the highlight for me, with the band somehow finding another gear.

Hacktivist 19:30-20:30, Main Stage





With the news filtering in that Jot Maxi had left Hacktivist barely 48 hours before the band were due to take to the stage, Tech-Fest proved to be a trial by fire for the new guy (JJ from Borders). After a somewhat too well rehearsed set last year, this year’s show felt far more natural and fluid, with the addition of new track "Crooks And Criminals" proving the band were no heritage act. With the crowd bouncing, songs such as "Armoured Core" and "Planet Zero" hyped up the crowd further and made for an electric set that highlighted that Hacktivist's best days may yet still be ahead of them.

The Five Hundred 20:30-21:30, Second Stage




Slowly making a name for themselves as they put in the miles, The Five Hundred can't be accused of having things handed to them on a plate. Making the most of an opportunity to close the second stage for the night, TFH were tight and on form, as their metalcore sound reverberated around the crowd. With a group of dedicated fans going crazy in the pit, the band fed on the energy and continued to up their game as the set went on, proving themselves a wise choice to close out the second stage for the day.

Loathe 21:45-23:00, Main Stage




Although I was highly disappointed that Suffocation had pulled out after their ‘live set of the year’ contender show at Incineration Festival last month, the decision to bump Loathe up to a headline act and their subsequent longer set time turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Having enjoyed the band for many a year, the chance to see them live was one I was not going to pass up, and boy, was I glad I didn't miss them. Loathe take things to another level in a live setting, with their eclectic style taking on another form in the live domain. Even without their regular drummer, the band were tight and on form throughout, owning the headline slot and putting everyone on notice as to pay attention to them going forward.



With the first full day of music under my belt, I was hungry for more live music, and thankfully the stars aligned, as Saturday was the most packed day for me, offering up not only a mix of bands I've seen an unhealthy amount of times before, but also some acts new to me, or ones I had only recently become acquainted with.

Swarmsix 12:00-12:30, Second Stage

Kicking off day three were Swarmsix, a band whose teen angst mixed with Hacktivist and King 810 made for an... interesting mix. While the band did get the blood flowing, they did ramp up the cringe factor with songs like "Toxic" and "Social Suicide" to make for an OK but awkward set.

Blind Summit 12:30-13:00, Main Stage




Opening the mainstage were Blind Summit, a band I was looking forward to coming into the day. While the singer certainly had a strong and hypnotic voice, the rest of the band sounded very rigid, with their eclectic sound not coming to the fore in a very straight-laced set.

Draconian Reign 13:00-13:30, Second Stage

An enjoyable, if unmemorable, run through some deathcore-laden metalcore.

Vexed 15:30-16:00, Main Stage

After a break, I, along with a good portion of the crowd, turned up to see Vexed on the main stage. The band came on to a hero’s welcome, with the crowd jumping into the palm of their hands and moshing hard to cuts like "Medusa". I would not be surprised to hear the band ranked amongst people's best band of the weekend.

Godeater 16:00-16:30, Second Stage




Godeater have been on my list of bands to see for a few years now, with our paths crossing at unfortunate times or not at all. Still, it was good to finally see the band in the flesh, producing a set that seemingly flew by in the blink of an eye. It was an enjoyable set, though one that didn't lean heavily enough into their industrial sound.

Armed For Apocalypse 17:15-18:00, Second Stage

Despite appearing to be one of more hotly anticipated bands of the weekend, Armed For Apocalypse played to a small, but dedicated, crowd. While AFA hit hard initially, they provided diminishing returns in terms of entertainment value. The band hit the ground running but didn't manage to make a connection to the small gathering in front of them, which is a shame given Ritual Violence is so hard-hitting.

Kublai Khan Tx 18:00-19:00, Main Stage

Another eagerly anticipated band by many of attendees (myself included) were Texas hard hitters Kublai Khan Tx. Kicking off in hard-hitting style, the band tore the festival a new one with a sledgehammer-swinging rendeition of "The Hammer", "Us & Them" and "Boomslang" et al. With KKT in solid form, the crowd were looking for any excuse to go crazy and damn did they.

Hundred Year Old Man 18:45-19:30, Second Stage

Coming as a breathing space in a day of head-splitting riffs and breakdowns, Hundred Year Old Man provided an epic journey through sound. Perhaps having headbanged too hard up until now, I somehow became aware of my brain moving while head-bopping to the band's mellow moments which provided for... an odd sensation, to say the least. Solid and engaging.

Aborted 19:30-20:30, Main Stage

Up next were the band of the weekend for me; as much as the line-up was stacked, the chance to see Aborted again was something I was not going to pass up. Deciding to play a set of non-stop bangers, Aborted were on top form despite being a bass player short, with Sven commanding the eager audience to mosh and circle pit, while hitting himself so hard he caused himself to bleed.

It may well be the fanboy in me, but Aborted put on the set of the weekend hands down, with the classic "Necrotic Manifesto" outclassing anything anyone else had to offer, while newer cuts like "Dementophobia" showed the band were not resting on their back catalogue. Ending on the one-two punch of "Threading" and "The Saw And The Carnage Done" ensured that the set ended on one hell of a high.




Chelsea Grin 21:45-23:00, Main Stage

Coming off the back of their two recent albums, it seemed somewhat fitting to tie a bow on the saga and see the band live. Commanding the biggest crowd of the weekend, Chelsea Grin wasted no time in ordering up chaos and carnage from a crowd amped up on the heavy-hitting beats and a day of drinking. Taking in an all-encompassing set, the band were tight and on form throughout, cutting through new tracks as if they were long established classics. "The Isnis" provided an early highlight alongside established cuts like "My Damnation", before Chelsea Grin moved towards the endzone with early classic after early classic.



It was like that, that depressingly, the final day of the final Tech-Fest had come around. Truth be told, today was the weakest of the days for my tastes, though I pulled myself out of my tent once more and decided to go for quality rather than quantity, saving my feet for the drive home.

Dr Weifung Tsang 13:15-14:15, Third Stage

Deciding to take advantage of some of the non-musicial entertainment at least once this weekend, I decided to pop in and see a talk from Dr Weifung Tsang about "music as a medicine". It was an interesting topic and some good points were made on psychology and physiology in regards to the effects of music on the body. It was a nice change of pace (and also offered a place to sit down in the shade to boot).

Graphic Nature 14:00-14:30, Main Stage

Given that I wasn't too sold on their debut album, I was entertained by Graphic Design live. Their hardcore energy pierced through my skepticism and got the blood flowing. Though the vocals were buried in the mix and the band's stoic schtick played against them, it was enjoyable while it lasted.

Of Virtue 15:00-15:30, Main Stage

Solid melodic metalcore: they played well, and were certainly memorable. However, it’s a shame that they came all the way from America for that small crowd.

Paledusk 16:30-17:15, Main Stage

Wow, just... wow. From start to finish, Paledusk were a sensory experience, from the guitarist being able to shred while spin-kicking, to the most intense crowd mosh pits, to "I Would Die For My Friends", Paledusk made a name for themselves for sure on their first European tour. Hailing from Japan, the band were eager to make a mark for themselves, and that they did, with a set of mind-bending mosh anthems, along with a pit that contained Luigi, two pterodactyls and a cowboy (what can I say, it’s a Tech-Fest thing). If one band saw the festival off in style, then it was Paledusk. Solid throughout and easily drawing the biggest crowd of the weekend, if it wasn't for Aborted I would hand them the title of band of the weekend.

Born Of Osiris 21:45-23:00, Main Stage

With Paledusk setting such a high bar, the next few bands were skipped, as not only had tiredness really caught up with me (especially after 3 days of standing and moshing on concrete floors), but it meant the weekend, and the last Tech-Fest, could go out on a high. Born Of Osiris were the sole exception, and one that I was glad to have made. While many attendees had been leaving at various stages throughout the day, Born Of Osiris was left with an audience of dedicated, but tired, fans. Kicking things of in style, the band tore through hits old and new in highlights "Bow Down", "Poster Child" and "Brace Legs", as the audience dredged up what energy reserves they could muster. The band were tight and on form, but were a victim of being the final band, as it was hard to appreciate what was on show due to a weekend of partying hitting like a freight train.

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It was with that, that not only did my weekend come to an end, but Tech-Fest itself. Despite only attending two editions, I had found myself becoming a fan of the festival, not only due to its line-ups, but also its community feel and aesthetic. Alas, it gave a great account of itself and a strong send off for fans old and new. Though Tech-Fest may be no more, the summer season is still young, and there are plenty more festivals to attend or kick yourself for not being in attendance.