The inaugural Black Lights festival descended on Blackpool last weekend, transforming the seaside town into a crucible of avant-garde music. Headlined by boundary-pushing artists Mica Levi, Moin and Klein, the event drew a dedicated crowd of experimental music enthusiasts to venues across the town, from the Grand Theatre to intimate club spaces.
A New Festival for the North West
Organised by the team behind the renowned Liverpool psych festival, Black Lights aimed to fill a gap for adventurous programming in the North West. Over two days, the festival presented a lineup that spanned deconstructed club, drone, free jazz and sound art. The choice of Blackpool—a town more associated with amusement arcades and fish and chips than cutting-edge music—was deliberate, offering a fresh backdrop away from traditional urban centres.
Mica Levi, known for their haunting film scores for Under the Skin and Monos, delivered a set that merged dissonant strings with electronic pulses. Levi’s performance at the Grand Theatre was a highlight, drawing on material from their recent album Slob Air and older works. The audience sat in rapt silence, punctuated by sporadic applause.
Moin and Klein: Contrasting Sets
Moin, the trio featuring members of Raime and Blackest Ever Black, brought a more visceral energy. Their set combined pounding industrial rhythms with distorted vocals, creating a wall of sound that filled the Empress Ballroom. Drummer Valentina Magaletti was particularly impressive, her polyrhythms driving the performance.
Klein, the South London artist known for her fractured gospel and electronic collages, offered a more intimate experience. Performing in the smaller Waterloo Music Bar, she looped her voice over sparse beats, creating a meditative atmosphere. Her set included tracks from her album Harmattan, which blends field recordings with soulful melodies.
Supporting Acts and Atmosphere
Supporting acts included the Japanese noise artist Midori Takada, who performed a rare UK set of minimal percussion, and the Manchester-based group GNOD, who delivered a relentless psychedelic drone. The festival also featured installations and DJ sets, with a particular focus on female and non-binary artists.
Attendance was estimated at around 2,000 across the weekend, a solid turnout for a first-year event. Organiser Sam Smith said, 'We wanted to create something that felt different from the usual festival circuit. Blackpool has a rich history of entertainment, but it's been overlooked for contemporary music. The response has been incredible.'
Impact and Future Prospects
The festival has been praised for its curation and the quality of sound production. Local businesses reported a boost in trade, with many visitors staying overnight. However, some attendees noted the difficulty of navigating between venues, as they were spread across the town. Organisers have hinted at a second edition in 2027, possibly expanding to include more daytime events.
Black Lights has carved a niche for itself as a destination for experimental music in the UK, offering a platform for artists who often play to smaller crowds in London or Manchester. As one attendee put it, 'This feels like the start of something special.'
