My second pilgrimage to Distorted Perspectives, took place on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

As with most things in life, having been there before and knowing the lie of the land, made the experience all the more enjoyable – that sure and certain knowledge of last year’s event, firmly tucked into the memory bank, coupled with idyllic Donegal weather, made this another one to remember.

It helped also, that my ‘revolutions on the radio‘ podcast of a few weeks back, had focussed on the Regional Cultural Centre‘s annual event – an hour and thirty nine minutes of re-immersion, courtesy of a playlist and chat with Event Organiser Jeremy Howard, in all that this Festival has become synonymous with.

I was meant to witness the ceremonial happening, that was Lisbon Psych Fest 2016, a détournement, accessed via this Port(ug)al, perched on the rugged edge of the European mainland…

This Friday, 15th April sees the return of Lisbon Psych Fest.

In keeping with the success and momentum garnered by the 2105 inaugural event, this year boasts a stellar line-up!

Wow! Is it really that time again, already…?

The first line-up announcement for the 2016 instalment of Reverence Valada, has left me grinning like a Cheshire cat.

I had no idea, when I saw my beloved Killing Joke at the Roundhouse in London just a few weeks ago, that I’d get to see them again in the Portuguese sunshine next September.

That they are amongst such esteemed company, is a credit yet again, to event organisers Nick Allport and Jason Fletcher.

Every now and again, a band comes along that compels you to move heaven and earth to see them play live – 3AM are one such band.

“3AM it’s the solo project of Chino Burga (La IrA de Dios, La Garua, Necromongo, Los Entierros, Black Saqras, Espira) based on riffs, loops and a lot of tremolo.”

I guess it’s fair to say it was that, whole “lot of tremolo” that initially grabbed my “trembling earballs”!

I first heard 3AM courtesy of the ‘Disappear / Waves‘ split with Sula Bassana, it literally blew me away. I needed, and I mean NEEDED more. Thankfully there was the “UFO Blues Tapes” LP release to quell my raging vinyl-lust.