Infest (festival)

Infest (originally stylised as InFest) is an annual three-day music festival held at the University of Bradford Union in the United Kingdom, featuring alternative electronic music acts, from genres including industrial, EBM, futurepop, synth-pop and power noise. The event usually takes place on the August bank holiday weekend.

Background
InFest was born in early 1998 through the efforts of three students of the University of Bradford – Gareth 'Gadge' Harvey, Chris 'Crusty' Molyneux, and Max 'Maxi Slag' – and the Students' Union Entertainments Manager, Floyd Peltier. The concept of the festival was originally envisioned as a one-day event for local goth bands in West Yorkshire, but the crew were able to also onboard much bigger acts, such as gothic/death rock band Alien Sex Fiend. The student organisers were already fans of the Whitby Gothic Weekend and took the idea for Infest to the Whitby festival-goers and traders to gauge how popular the show might be. The response was positive and the first Infest festival was confirmed as 14 and 15 August 1998.

The following year (1999), the festival paid more attention towards the electronic side of the goth and industrial scene by booking Apoptygma Berzerk for their first UK show.

Reinvention
By 2000, the University of Bradford's Students' Union felt that they could not carry the costs of the festival any longer. However, an independent goth/industrial promoter and DJ named Mark 'Gus' Guy (former drummer with the indie band Kerosene), who had been advising Molyneux during the show's early years, stepped in to fill the void. As a result of the heavy involvement with Guy and his Terminal Productions company, Infest took the form it is recognised as today: the festival's theme has moved from goth/industrial crossover to alternative electronic, with a greater emphasis on power noise, futurepop, synth-pop and electronic body music. However, occasionally more Dark wave-style goth bands do still appear on the line-up.

The stylisation of the name had changed in 2003 to be "Infest", and from this time has grown significant international recognition. The show continues to provide a market for traders, which helps to bring the music and the lifestyle of the show's fans together. There is also a full festival program where nightclubs, DJs, bands and businesses can make their voices heard. Infest has been supported by a number of electronic record labels, notably Ant-Zen, Hands Productions, now-defunct online music store Music Non Stop, Storming the Base (part of the record label Artoffact Records). Support outside the scene has also come from software publisher Ableton, and drink manufacturers Jägermeister and Barr.

In July 2013, the festival organisers announced that "it is highly unlikely that there will be an Infest in 2014"; but following "an avalanche of messages of support" the organisers have decided to "throw caution to the wind and go ahead with Infest in 2014 (The reason for announcing that infest 2014 was highly unlikely was due to AltFest being proposed to occur a couple of weeks before Infest in 2014. In the end Altfest was canceled due to lack of ticket sales and financial insecurity for the viability of a new big festival that had no history on the alternative music scene)."

Today
Today, Guy has a small team of people at his side, including Molyneux (the remaining member of the founding team), graphic designer Richard King, Ticket Office Manager Lee Thornton and a crew of volunteers and live production professionals.

The festival celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2018, adding an extra day that year for the occasion.

1998

 * Alien Sex Fiend, Dust to Dust, Horatii, Leechwoman, man(i)kin, Nekromantik, Passion Play, Rosetta Stone (cancelled), Sneaky Bat Machine, Squid, Ultraviolence

1999

 * Friday: The DJ Wars: The Bratcave DJs Vs Deathstar Disco
 * Saturday: Apoptygma Berzerk, Faithful Dawn, Killing Miranda, Sneaky Bat Machine, man(i)kin
 * Sunday: Spahn Ranch, Inertia, Narcissus Pool

2000

 * Friday: Ultraviolence, Synapscape
 * Saturday: VNV Nation, Manuskript, MS Gentur, Intra Venus, Project X, Void Construct
 * Sunday: In Strict Confidence, Dream Disciples, Imminent, man(i)kin, Libitina

2001

 * Friday: Inertia, The Nine, Swarf,
 * Saturday: Suicide Commando, Beborn Beton, P.A.L, Leechwoman, Katscan, Illumina,
 * Sunday: Covenant, Dive, Icon of Coil, Monolith, Goteki

2002

 * Friday: XPQ-21, Psyche, Revolution by Night
 * Saturday: Funker Vogt, Sonar, S.P.O.C.K (replacing Neuroticfish), Winterkälte, Greenhaus, Synthetic
 * Sunday: Mesh, Noisex, Welle: Erdball, Asche, Aslan Faction

2003

 * Friday: cut.rate.box, scrap.edx, Tarantella Serpentine
 * Saturday: God Module, Needle Sharing, Seabound, Tarmvred, Culture Kultür, Je$us Loves Amerika, SINA (cancelled)
 * Sunday: VNV Nation, Hypnoskull, [:SITD:], Resurrection Eve, Arkam Asylum

2004

 * Friday: Lights of Euphoria, Ah Cama-Sotz, Action Directe
 * Saturday: Suicide Commando, Proyecto Mirage, Plastic, Combichrist, Angel Theory, Skinflick
 * Sunday: Assemblage 23, Converter, Spetsnaz, Mono No Aware (replacing Sara Noxx), Silence Is Sexy

2005

 * Friday: Fixmer/McCarthy, Powderpussy, Univaque
 * Saturday: Covenant, Punch Inc, Decoded Feedback, HIV+, The Azoic, Tin Omen
 * Sunday: Blutengel, KiEw, Iris, Final Selection, Deviant UK

2006

 * Friday Lab 4, Destroid, Schmoof
 * Saturday Rotersand, Architect, Unter Null, Reaper, S.K.E.T., O.V.N.I
 * Sunday Front Line Assembly, Wai Pi Wai, Stromkern, Frozen Plasma, Autoclav1.1

2007

 * Friday Portion Control, Greyhound, The Gothsicles.
 * Saturday Apoptygma Berzerk, 13th Monkey, Dope Stars Inc., Caustic, Faderhead, Synnack.
 * Sunday VNV Nation, Soman, Painbastard, Rupesh Cartel, E.S.A.

2008

 * Friday Grendel, Snog, Coreline.
 * Saturday And One, 5F-X, Heimataerde, Santa Hates You, 100blumen, Skinjob.
 * Sunday Front 242, Noisuf-X, Tyske Ludder, Marsheaux, Deviant UK.

2009

 * none

2010

 * Friday De/Vision, Heimstatt Yipotash, Mandro1d.
 * Saturday Rotersand, x-Rx, Agonoize, Memmaker, Northern Kind
 * Sunday Project Pitchfork, Nachtmahr, Ayria, Patenbrigade: Wolff, Concrete Lung, Parralox (postponed from Saturday).

2011

 * Friday Uturns, Code 64, Tactical Sekt.
 * Saturday V2A, Maschinenkrieger 52 vs Disraptor, Alien Vampires, Absolute Body Control, Xotox, Hocico
 * Sunday Sci-Fi Mafia (added during the weekend), Analog Angel, Julien K (cancelled), Shiv-R, mind.in.a.box, Sonar, VNV Nation

2012

 * Friday Spacebuoy, Dirty K, Necro Facility, Klinik
 * Saturday System:FX, Suono, A Split-Second, XP8, Geistform, Solitary Experiments, DJ Kohl
 * Sunday Resist, Tenek, Blitzmaschine, Absurd Minds, Winterkälte, Suicide Commando

2013

 * Friday Metal Tech, Inertia, Dive, Pride & Fall
 * Saturday AAAK, Wieloryb, Click Click, Da Octopusss, Chrysalide, Imperative Reaction, DJ Kohl
 * Sunday Autoclav1.1, Future Trail, XMH, Sono, Cervello Elettronico, Covenant

2014

 * Friday Dreams Divide, Cyanotic, Acucrack, Haujobb
 * Saturday The Ladder, Be My Enemy, Xenturion Prime, Architect (replacing Ambassador21), Legend, Juno Reactor
 * Sunday Syd.31, Mr.Kitty, ESA (replacing Le Moderniste), Solar Fake, Ashbury Heights, VNV Nation (replacing Project Pitchfork)

2015

 * Friday Ctrl Alt Del, D-K-A-G, Cocksure, Empirion
 * Saturday Alterred, Ethan Fawkes, Chant, L'Âme Immortelle, Klangstabil, mind.in.a.box
 * Sunday Mechanical Cabaret, reADJUST, Bhambhamhara, Syrian (replacing Melotron), Monolith, Project Pitchfork

2016

 * Friday Pop Will Eat Itself, Dead When I Found Her, Me The Tiger, Massive Ego
 * Saturday Atari Teenage Riot, Velvet Acid Christ, Grausame Töchter, Hysteresis, Monica Jeffries, Tapewyrm
 * Sunday 3Teeth, Leaether Strip, Displacer, Rroyce, Vigilante, Johnny Normal

2017

 * Friday Rotersand, Noyce, Accessory, They Called Him Zone
 * Saturday Die Krupps, End.User, Wulfband, Empathy Test, Chemical Sweet Kid, Riotmiloo
 * Sunday Revolting Cocks, iVardensphere, The Juggernauts, Vampyre Anvil, Sidewalks and Skeletons, Among the Echoes

2018
An extra day (Thursday) was added to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event.
 * Thursday Peter Hook and the Light, Empirion, Zeitgeist Zero, Grave Diggers Union
 * Friday Cubanate, Iszoloscope, Siva Six, Def Neon
 * Saturday Mesh, Sarin, Liebknecht, Actors, Yura Yura, Adam is a girl, Flesh Eating Foundation
 * Sunday Aesthetic Perfection, This Morn Omina, Strvngers, Elegant Machinery, Valhall, Massenhysterie, Promenade Cinema

2019

 * Thursday Warm Up Party featuring Das Ich, Inertia, Black Light Ascension, Drakenwerks, Matt Hart.
 * Friday Light Asylum, Sulpher, Torul, Bitman
 * Saturday Zardonic, She Wants Revenge, Dive, Rave the Reqviem, Cacophoneuses, Landscape Body Machine, Witch of the Vale.
 * Sunday Ancient Methods, Nitzer Ebb, Kaelan Mikla, OHMelectronic, Future Lied to Us, Noire Antidote, Ded.Pxl, Karkasaurus

2020
Due to Covid-19 the show was moved online and called Stay-In-Fest.

Three online stages were hosted by Lee Chaos, Duracell Bunny, Kark & Peewee ([Karkasaurus), and Matt Biomechanimal.

2021
A small crowd of around 80 people were invited to a social distanced show held live in Bradford. This was again streamed out as Stay-In-Fest 2021.

Friday had a small warmup party featuring Biomechanimal (DJ set), Karkasaurus and Chaos Emergency Doof Broadcast.
 * Saturday live at the venue Red Meat, Bone Cult, Tapewrym, Portion Control, Tapewrym, Biomechanimal, DSTR, NOISOME

2022
Suicide Commando, The Cassandra Complex, ADAM X, REIN (planned), Wynardtage vs Hydroxie, Caustic, Moaan Exis, MAEDON, Monya, KLACK, Attrition, Glass Apple Bonzai, Beautiful Machines, Grabyourface, Reichsfeind, Knight$, Vaein, Berlyn Trilogy

2023
Test Dept, Xotox, Choke Chain, Je T'Aime, Goteki, Capital X, Ventenner (planned), Intsec, Red Meat, Parade Ground, Porno Karaoke, Normoria, La Rissa, Nightmare Frequency, Zynic, Beborn Beton, Zardonic, Geneviéve Pasqier