Blistering garage rock five-piece Hookworms are breaking cover from writing to headline and curate a special two-night residency at Salford venue and arts space Islington Mill on May 30-31.
There was barely a head left unturned last year as the Leeds-based group swept through the country with their white-knuckle debut LP, Pearl Mystic. Their live show, meanwhile, described as "an enervating, entrancing, life-enhancing experience" by the Quietus’ Ben Graham, offered the sort of emotional catharsis long since dormant in most of the guitar-orientated bands from this isle. Subsequently signing to Domino imprint Weird World, they’re currently preparing its follow-up with this upcoming weekender sure to be a chance to road test new material – as well as bringing a load of their friends along for the ride with them.
In what will be their first UK headline show in five months, the Friday night sees Hookworms invite Italian Beach Babes’ part-Pixies-inspired, part-motorik-driven trio Novella up north; members of Veronica Falls and Mazes will also be debuting their new project, Ultimate Painting, while opening act will be rough-edged indie-pop stalwarts Sex Hands.
Saturday meanwhile has an extended schedule that takes in Fat Cat’s lo-fi kraut-inspired trio Mazes – themselves readying a third album – as well as the wholly righteous Faux Discx records pairing of Cold Pumas and Vision Fortune – the latter currently in the process of moving away from their drone-rock roots towards a more electronically industrial sound. Completing the second day’s bill are dark garage pop purveyors, Sealings, and the marauding electronica of producer, Moon Gangs – the latter’s EP released this month on Sexbeat.
For full details, head here, with day and weekend tickets available here, and have a watch of them performing ‘Away/Towards’ from Pearl Mystic in session below:
