Now Wave have been a fixture on the Manchester music scene for over a decade, putting on gigs by a variety of bands, both the more established ones and taking a chance on the newer bands too. Inventing a festival dedicated to the best new and established psychedelic bands around, Manchester Psych Fest is now in its eleventh year, with a lineup of over fifty bands, multiple stages, art installations, a variety of other creative stalls, plus a cinema screen. Gareth Butterworth from Now Wave reveals how PsychFest has developed into the huge event it is today, how being based in Manchester has helped them grow as promoters, and gives us a guide to the does and don’ts of music promotion.
Did the Now Wave team all grow up in Manchester or elsewhere, and who were your main musical inspirations from your hometowns?
I grew up in Reddish so very close to ‘home’. I guess you couldn’t ignore Oasis growing up. Or any of the main Manchester music scene staples.
Thankfully my music taste has expanded down the years. We all have an eclectic taste which makes our programming diverse and forward thinking.
Why did you decide to focus on psychedelia as a genre and subsequently create a festival for it?
It became a bit of a movement post 2010. Bands like Tame Impala, King Gizz, The Black Angels and so on started dragging the guitar fans back into venues. You could sense a community at shows. Similar faces. sharing bands. This was just before Spotify really blew up so word of mouth was key. And to be fair it still is. It wasn’t just us though. Loads of cities were doing it. Austin Psych Fest was a particular influence and they city still holds firm in our minds. I guess it started from running full all layers with a music I was passionate for and then grew and developed into this much bigger thing. We’re an open church. We appreciate some artists might not be everyone’s idea of a ‘psych band’ but we feel all the acts that play belong in a Manchester Psych Fest world.
In the beginning you’ve stated before that the gig promotion followed on from you writing a magazine but how did the gig promotion become a full-time job?
Hard work, good ideas and a lot of passion. I guess similar to playing in a band – I was putting gigs on whilst working many other jobs and once I had the reputation and the skillset managed to get full time jobs in the industry which developed to where I am today. I put my first show on in 2010.
These days you can go on courses to learn about various aspects of the music industry, but as promoters who have been around a while, what advice would you give to anyone wanting to put on their own gig?
You have to really enjoy it and have a passion for the music. It can be brutal. Lots of rejections. It’s a competitive world. It’s certainly useful to learn about the finances and logistics and politics of putting a show on but until you’ve actually done it in real life, then it’s hard to know what it’s really like. Putting your own money on the line can help you on the business side of things, just as much as having good ears. Start small. Don’t chase the £££ too much. Try and think outside the box a bit. Why should this band come and play for you? Try and think about answering that question before approaching artists. Make your events about the artists, not yourself.
How do you select the artists for each Psych Fest, and is there anything in particular you look out for?
As mentioned before. They have to fit into the Manchester Psych Fest world. We like forward thinking acts. New/fresh acts every year. We make sure our line-up is at least 50% non-male.
We like bringing as many international artists over as logically and financially possible. Whilst there is space for heritage acts, much of our focus is on relevant new artists. We like to build a relationship with artists we put on which is why you see a lot of acts returning a few years later when they’re ready for bigger stages/venues.
What are the best and worst elements of gig promotion?
Best – if you can create an event or a vibe where the mass majority of people and artists have a good time and it creates a feel god factor in the city then that can make yourself feeling very proud and can be hard to be beat.
Worse – as mentioned. You’re going to come across a variation of the word ’no’ more than ’yes.’ So you have to mentally deal with that throughout the year.
How has the Psych Fest evolved over the years, and when you launched it did you envisage that it would be an annual event?
If you told me in 2014, that it would be still running in 2025 then I would have been sceptical. Music is always evolving so to pigeonhole a ‘genre’ is always going to have challenges.
We’ve been extremely smart by slowly building it each year, keeping it sustainable and expanding when we feel the moment is right. I try and make each year a little different. Whether that’s making it a bit bigger or adding new venues e.g. the addition of Projekts Skate Park in 2024 has been a huge success. This year we’re moving the main stage to Academy 1. There’s a lot of love for the Albert Hall and it will probably return as a venue in future years but I think MA1 adds a bigger, bolder, ‘main stage’ energy. Big video screens, more people in the room. Dark, solid. It’s a space that’s come full circle for us. I really enjoy shows there and spent many good times in the space watching bands when growing up.
There’s so much more to the festival now. Pop up secret sets, art installations, panels, masterclass, films, yoga. We’ve managed to give an urban city centre music festival a real green-field vibe without the camping and hopefully any rain interruptions.
As well as doing Psych Fest, you have your own venue, Yes, to put gigs on and DJs every night of the week, over several floors. There are several venues across Europe like that but we’ve never had one in Manchester before, was it modelled on any of those European arts venues or if not, where did the inspiration come from?
Probably more of a question for Wes & Jon, but for me it gives a create platform for emerging artists to develop their audience in Manchester It still feels like the place to be for new bands.
The headliners this year are all brilliant again, keeping up the high standard of headliners with Goat, Nadine Shah and Warmduscher, what is it about those three bands that made them such an inspired choice for this year’s festival?
I think I’ve tried to book GOAT every year since 2019 – when I’ve felt the festival was big enough for them to play. It’s taken until 2025 for the stars to align. It’s going to be a great moment.
Nadine – we tried hard last year after hearing her Filthy Underneath but couldn’t make it work due to logistics. I think she may not have been available so we got the ball moving for 2025 very quickly. Up the Shah.
Warmduscher – geezers. One of the most fun live bands. I think we’ve put them on 10/11 times.
All bands on the line up sound great, but are there any that you are particularly looking forward to seeing and why?
I’m excited to see some debut Manchester shows from Bubbletea and Cigarettes, Sex Week and Dutch Interior.
I fucking love Jadu Heart as well.
Slow Fiction SHOULD be massive.
Are The Black Angels any closer to doing Manchester Psych Fest? We know you invite them every year!
Pray for 2026. We haven’t asked them yet. We got close in 2024. Hopefully one day.
Every year there are also many stalls, and exhibitions running alongside the gigs. What can you tell us about this year’s stalls/exhibitions?
Antony Smzierek will be doing poetry reading & book signing – there’s an exclusive for you. He’s a good friend of the festival.
For the first time we have a couple of grassroots industry panels, aimed at helping new artists get some key tips – on for the DIY scene and one for these looking to take a more traditional route to the top. This is via FREE sign ups and doesn’t require a festival wristband.
We’ll be doing a Postcards From Psych Fest workshop – where people can screen print their own postcards to send to their pals/loved ones from the festival.
Circle Square will be lit up with installations and exhibitions and if you’re up early you can start your day with Yoga down there.
We also have YIN YIN performing an intimate masterclass show at The International Antony Burgess Foundation – also FREE. Where budding artists and fans can ask them stuff about pedals and inspirations.
What else. Our cinema is a vibe this year, if you’re into Dylan, British cinema and Oasis.
We’ll be giving out 2000 FREE tote bags this year too. A special thanks to our lovely punters who come out early to enjoy the full day.
Manchester PsychFest: Saturday 30th August 2025. Various venues around Manchester city centre.
From the early days of creating handmade zines, in a DIY paper and glue style, interviewing bands around town, then pestering Piccadilly Records to sell them, to writing for various independent mags such as Chimp and Ablaze, writing about the music I love is still a great passion. After testing the music industry waters in London with stints at various labels, being back in my hometown again, writing about this city’s vibrant music scene is as exciting as ever. All time favourite bands include Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Patti Smith although anything from electro to folk via blues and pysch rock will also do nicely too. A great album, is simply a great album, regardless of whatever musical cage you put it in.
