Mexican duo Lorelle Meets The Obsolete make a very welcome return with their sixth album, Datura. Recorded at their home studio in Ensenada, Baja California, it was mixed in Canada by Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes and mastered in Australia by Mikey Young of Eddy. Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. It’s a short, sharp shock of a record with no unnecessary adornments and no fat on any of its eight songs. Gone are the psychedelic wig-outs found on previous releases, replaced with bass-heavy post-punk grooves inspired by the roots of The Congos, the no wave of Ike Yard, the industrial hip-hop of Dälek and the dark modular moves of Hiro Kone, all while harnessing the elemental power of Jon Hassell’s Vernal Equinox.

The Long Ryders are an American rock ‘n roll band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. They are often credited as founders of the alt-country movement and are the recent recipients of the Americana Music Association UK’s “International Trailblazer Award”. The band’s three founding members Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy and Greg Sowders continue to tour the world and are currently working on a follow-up album to 2019’s widely acclaimed #1 UK Americana album, Psychedelic Country Soul. Both records produced by Ed Stasium. Their current single “Tom Tom” is a heartfelt tribute to their late/great bass player Tom Stevens.

Q&A with Syd biographer Rob Chapman, plus DJs and dancing. Celebrating 58 years since Syd Barrett's last ever performance with Pink Floyd on Hasting's pier. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

Uplifting House. Euphoric Trance. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

The Loft, original Creation Records legends, set out on a UK tour in the wake of their rave-reviewed Top 20 album, ‘Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same’, and a string of sold out dates, including touring with The Wedding Present, last year. This year the band aims to visit towns and cities across the UK that they didn’t play last time, with a new album set to be released to coincide with the shows. The band heads out on tour, 41 years, almost to the day, since their classic ‘Up The Hill And Down The Slope’, topped the indie singles chart. Since their infamous onstage split at the Hammersmith Palais in 1985, their status as one of the UK’s most influential guitar bands of the ‘80s continues to grow and to influence a host of younger artists.

Marking the 60th anniversary of ★John Mayall’s Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton★, Sonny Flint’s Beano Bluesbreakers faithfully recreates the sound and spirit of this seminal British blues recording. With the Beano LP performed in full, plus additional songs from the original live set, the project focuses on authenticity and musical detail. The band features unique heritage connections, with drummer Sonny Flint, the son of original Bluesbreakers drummer Hughie Flint, and vocalist Laine Hines, the son of Denny Laine of The Moody Blues and Wings. The result is a respectful, authoritative tribute to one of the albums that defined British blues. Presented by Hot Box Live Community Interest This is an 18+ event

The life of a psychonaut can take one to many plateaus of reality. Opinions vary as regards which of these are either desirable or optimal. All things considered though, it’s fair to say that once the average cerebral wanderer finds themselves a stoned skeleton on a motorbike It's a sign that they're going places. Such were the movements of The Utopia Strong, in making their third and arguably trippiest full length album for Rocket Recordings. As the band explain: “When recording we tend to have books, bits of art and interesting things lying around the place. (Kavus) had recently bought the Paul Kirchner compendium, Awaiting The Collapse. Paul’s character Dope Rider (the skeleton in question) drives around the desert, getting into all manner of high jinx and spouting cosmic philosophy, highlighting the absurdities of life, death and the American mythos. “When we had created that particular track, one of our most beautiful and outré, it seemed to name itself. Certainly, we were looking at the comic strips while listening to it and something about it’s wide-screen vibes and the beautiful desert seemed to marry together.” Serendipity has always played a strong role in The Utopia Strong, with the improvisatory approach of Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi and Mike York - as well as the innate chemistry between the trio - allowing them to take extensions through dimensions that frequently end up as much of a surprise to the band as the listener. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

Since their inception, Gnod’s musical trajectory has been one of constant fluctuation borne out of an incessant need to discover new sonic worlds. Beginning life as a shamanic drone ensemble, at times fitting up to 15 members on stage, these early rituals informed the core ideals that have come to define the group in their years of activity; community and trance-inducing repetition. Throughout a discography that has amassed dozens of CD-R’s, cassettes and vinyls for labels like Rocket Recordings, Trensmat, Krokodilo (Blackest Ever Black) and their own Tesla Tapes imprint, a restless yet organic need mutate their music into new realms has had critics clawing for comparative touch stones. Acts as far ranging as Hawkwind, Popul Vuh, Pan Sonic, Sunburned Hand of the Man and Pharaoh Sanders have all been referenced in attempt to pinpoint their output, one that has historically never aped any genre but with each record furthered their own unique place in truly independent music. It is the exact same dedication to the live arena that has seen Gnod become one of the most celebrated live bands in the UK and secured them multiple tours and festival appearances throughout Europe. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

English electronic music duo consisting of members Jez Willis and Tim Garbutt. The band had three top-ten and another five top-40 singles on the UK Singles Chart in the 1990s, as well as number-one dance tracks in the UK and US. This is an 18+ event .

A Place To Bury Strangers have been delighting and astonishing audiences for close to two decades, combining post-punk, noise-rock, shoegaze, psychedelia, and avant-garde music in startling and unexpected ways. As the founder of Death By Audio, creator of signal-scrambling stomp boxes and visionary instrument effects, front man and guitarist Oliver Ackermann exported that excitement and invention to other artists who plug into his gear and blow minds. In concert, A Place To Bury Strangers is nothing short of astounding - a shamanistic experience that bathes listeners in glorious sound, crazed left turns, transcendent vibrations, real-time experiments, brilliant breakthroughs.

The Bevis Frond (guitarist and songwriter extraordinaire Nick Saloman) have ultimately become the UK's leading underground psychedelic rock band. Their music is an iconoclastic collision of distinctly British psychedelia, space-rock, grunge, slow-burning soulful laments, even grizzled folk and more than occasional moments of sublime pop genius.

Jon Spencer has been innovative force in the independent music scene since the mid-80s. An acclaimed live performer, he has toured all the continents except Antarctica and has amassed a dizzying discography as the leader of Pussy Galore, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash, and Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, as well as with Boss Hog, The Honeymoon Killers, The Gibson Brothers, and Taxi Girls.His collaborations include (but are not limited to) working with Steve Albini, Add N To X, Beastie Boys, Beck, Bomb The Bass, R.L. Burnside, James Chance, Coldcut, Chuck D, Dan The Automator, DJ Shadow, Einsturzende Neubauten, Guitar Wolf, GZA, David Holmes, Dr. John, Calvin Johnson, Steve Jordan, Khan, Moby, Money Mark, The Muffs, The North Mississippi All Stars, Puffy AmiYumi, The Sadies, Nancy Sinatra, Solex, Solomon Burke, UNKLE, Unloved, Andre Williams, The Bobby Lees, and Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

When you’re as iconic a figure as Josh Wink, it’s not so easy to sum up a career in a few words-but there are a couple of terms that might serve to get a handle on the seminal electronic-music producer’s lifework. One of the most apt, certainly, would be longevity. A brief scan of Wink’s mammoth résumé reveals the following: Early-’80s as an underage mobile DJ; a major role in fostering his native Philadelphia’s burgeoning warehouse scene during the house-music explosion later that decade; (name-making,) international underground and chart-topping club hits like “Don’t Laugh,” “Higher State of Consciousness” and “I’m Ready”; a label, Ovum Re- cordings, that’s undisputedly one of the most essential dance-music imprints; and his current position, after all these years, as one of the scene’s most vibrant, rick taking, creative DJs and producers (witness the critical success of his 2009 long-player When A Banana Was Just A Banana). Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

Strummerville On Sea - bringing a taste of Strummerville to the South Coast this summer. SILVERWINGKILLER. Hailed by BBC 6MUSIC as Next Up rising talent, and performing at this year’s 6 Music festival, this Manchester duo shake punk chaos with 90s acid rave juice and ferocious, multi-lingual vocals. Part of the Fat White/Windmill axis South London’s Y career fearlessly and wonkily through genres from Gameboy thrash to Egyptian wedding music, but always, always with massive grooves. Their newest single has just landed an exclusive first play from Steve Lamacq on 6 Music. Hastings’ own CHIMER are part Cure, part shimmering shoegaze, seen through sparkly, wide-eyed, fresh eyes. Their majestic appearance at our Ummagumma festival cemented their reputation as the town’s fastest rising stars. Cutting Teeth Records launches its first show - bringing together artists shaping new music right now. A night built around energy, momentum, and bands pushing things forward - from underground scenes to national radio. Rooted in a long history of supporting new music and grassroots culture, Strummerville continues to give emerging artists a place to be heard. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

London’s The Hanging Stars return with their sixth album, Just A Day - a dazzling collection of four-part harmonies, shimmering twelve-string guitars and chiming songs, touching on themes of longing, new beginnings and the fragility of the everyday. Recorded at Edwyn Collin’s legendary Clashnarrow Studios in the Scottish Highlands, the album marks a bold new chapter for the band, produced with the invaluable guidance of Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love. A line-up change at the end of 2024 proved to be a galvanising moment for The Hanging Stars. “We needed to rethink things,” says guitarist Patrick Ralla. “A new leaner approach - bass, drums, guitars, four-part harmonies. Certainly worked for The Byrds, Big Star and Teenage Fanclub.” The result is a wonderfully energising record full of catchy hooks and a renewed vision. The songs are designed to take the listener away from it all... even if it's just for a little while. Central to the record’s new direction was the involvement of Gerard Love - one third of Teenage Fanclub’s celebrated songwriting trio and the artist behind Lightships. Starting from demos exchanged between Glasgow and London, Love helped the band strip things back to their essence, ever so gently guiding them toward their finest work to date. He also joined the band for a week of recording, contributing vocals, arrangement ideas and by all accounts a mean vegan curry. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

The Lost Trades are a Folk/Americana Trio, based in the West Country, with a cool Laurel Canyon vibe. With a sound that is reminiscent of the California folk scene of the late 60s/early 70s, their three part harmonies have been described as "flawless", "spine tingling" and "magical".

Purveyors of nuts-out, ragged and riotous proto-metal since 2008, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell have dedicated the last decade to kicking against the pricks and whipping up a thunderous storm of gritty, snotty and irresistible heavy rock.

Since the early 1980’2 Tyla has led his Dogs D’Amour through the highs and lows of Rock and Roll. The elegantly scruffy ( now known as shabby chic) band underwent various line up changes over the years but always remained focused on their own style of bluesy rock much like the Rolling Stones and The Faces. Tyla J Pallas also forged a successful solo career as a songwriter and performer. This allowed him to spend more time on his other passion, art. Indeed, Tyla’s paintings and prints have become much sought after and a couple can usually be found for sale at his live shows.

ACIDFEST HASTINGS brings an exciting lineup to the popular The Piper in Saint Leonards-on-sea. Thee Lucifer Sams are true visionaries, refusing to put their music on platforms such as Spotify or having social media. Their mix of semi-improvised psychedelic noise draws equally from the abstraction of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Lemmy's Hawkwind and Sonic Youth noise - with no songs just a full-on psychedelic, sonic rollercoaster. The Dead Zoo are a proudly trans led, corn fed noisy post-punk band from London, who always put on an energetic live set, and are always worth watching. Eels! Eels! Eels! join us for the first time - and first time in Hastings too. Energetic alt-rock with healthy doses of psych and already played on the radio. Madonovan is the best shoegaze artist you've never heard before, and an unique concept - a tribute to itself, covering songs written, but never released, over 30 years ago. A cathartic ode to lost youth, dreams and rock'n'roll itself. Acidfest is more than just a "gig", but a true happening. This is what the Liverpool Psychedelic Society always offers at our events: an unique experience, something that the mainstream is unable to offer, truly grassroots and open to all. This is not about any "scene", we just create our own culture and everyone is welcome to enjoy... so come and join the society!

Celebrating 10 years together. John Hackett has been a much-loved and admired figure in the progressive rock scene since the mid-70's; best-known for his flute work with his brother, former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett on albums such as Voyage of The Acolyte, Please Don't Touch and Spectral Mornings alongside his own solo albums Checking Out Of London, Another Life and The Piper Plays His Tune. "John Hackett Band delivered an eclectic, technically accomplished performance that embodied the core spirit of prog rock. It moved from lyrical flute passages to dynamic instrumental flourishes. Together, the band created a sound that was intricate and engaging, fusing elements of rock, jazz, classical, and funk, but never lost cohesion. They revealed a depth of musical understanding that comes not only from skill but from years of collaboration and individual artistry." For this performance our special guest is mesmerising Russian folk-prog songwriter Dikajee (solo) - voted Best New Artist in the 2025 Prog Magazine Readers' Poll.

Specializing in a raw hillbilly punk-blues style that roars like a tweaking modal chain saw, Left Lane Cruiser is a band led by slide guitarist Freddie J. Evans IV. Their music has the swampy feel of North Mississippi hill country-blues à la Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, with a good dose of snarling garage punk tossed into the mix. While the band would sometimes expand into a trio, they've recorded the bulk of their work as a two-piece, and the tough, funky roar of their music arrived fully formed on their 2006 debut Gettin' Down on It. Left Lane Cruiser stayed true to their sledgehammer take on garage-infused blues, even when they partnered with James Leg on 2012's Painkillers, added an electric skateboard on 2015's Dirty Spliff Blues, or brought in a keyboard player for 2017's Claw Machine Wizard. They returned to the basics of a two-man lineup for 2024's Bayport BBQ Blues. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event

The Courettes is an explosive Wall of Sound group from Denmark and Brazil! Flavia Couri on vocals and guitar, Martin on loud drums and together they are the perfect blend of Wall of Sound, Girl Group Heartbreaks, Motown and R&B. Imagine The Ronettes meeting The Ramones at a wild party at the Hitsville echo chamber! The new album “The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes” is out on legendary Damaged Goods Records, London and Rough Trade, London. Presented by The Piper. This is an 18+ event