MPF2017: How to Survive the Post-Festival Blues

Are you a weak, bruised husk of your former self? Do you keep clambering onto stranger’s backs, trying to make a human pyramid? Do you have a sudden urge to eat salad? You may be suffering from Post-Festival Blues.

“Why am I clean?” you may be asking yourself. “Where have all my friends gone? Why is no one screaming at me through a microphone?”

Post-Festival Blues is a recognised disorder caused by blisteringly high-calibre, fun-overloads like Manchester Punk Festival coming to an end. Symptoms can persist for days or weeks, and may include: sobriety, the scent of soap and the consumption of green vegetables.

There’s no need to cower in fear of that cruel, orange ball in the sky any longer! There is only one effective cure to Post-Festival Blues: make plans to do it all over again.

You can’t buy your MPF 2018 tickets yet, so let’s take a look at some of the other top-value underground punk fests coming up.

Nepotism Fest 2017

3 days of punk + retro gaming, wrestling and B-movie horror fun.
When: 12^th – 14^th May
Where: Temple of Boom, Leeds
My Highlights: Roughneck Riot, The Filaments, ROTPM, Pizzatramp, The Domestics, Causal Nausea, Nosebleed + tons more
Tickets: £25 available from https://tanbicorp.com/shop

Wonkfest 5: The Omen

London’s annual celebration of all things underground punk.
When: 1^st July plus pre-show on 30^th July
Where: The Dome, Tufnell Park, London
My Highlights: Wonk Unit (duh), Matilda’s Scoundrels, Pizzatramp, Great Cynics, The Kimberley Steaks, Simon Wells + Spoilers and The Decline at the pre-show
Tickets: £22 for main festival available from http://www.seetickets.com/event/wonkfest-2017/the-dome-tufnell-park/1042974

Level Up Festival 2017

Three days of top-drawer ska-punk in a tiny venue.
When: 21^st – 23^rd July
Where: New Cross Inn, London
My Highlights: King Prawn, The Filaments, Atterkop, Big D & The Kids Table, The JB Conspiracy
Tickets: £40 available from http://www.newcrossinn.com/event/level-up-fest-2017/

Common Ground 2017

Politically-conscious 3-day benefit gig in the South West.
When: 1^st – 3^rd September
Where: The Black Swan, Bristol
Who: Grand Collapse, Atterkop, Danger!Man, The Foamers, Crocodile God, Pizzatramp
Tickets: £25 available from http://commongroundfestival.co.uk/

Wotsit Called Fest 2017

Amazing value punk, folk and ska fest run by the guys from Matilda’s Scoundrels.
When: 29^th – 30^th September
Where: The Palace, Hastings
My Highlights: The Restarts, Nosebleed, Riggots, Black Volvo, Pizzatramp (more to be announced)
Tickets: £10 available from https://wotsitcalledfest.bandcamp.com/

Special mention also goes to:

Manchfester 4.5 (Apologies, I Have None, Kamikaze Girls, Sam Russo)
The last Punx Inna Jungle (Faintest Idea, Wonk Unit, Matilda’s Scoundrels)
0161 Festival 2017 (Angelic Upstarts, Faintest Idea, Roughneck Riot, The Lagan)
Fuk Reddin 2017 (2 Sick Monkeys, Domestics, Helhorse, Diesel Breath)

So, if you’re still sat on the curb outside Sound Control, rocking back and forth, whimpering and wondering why they won’t let you in with your wristband, get off your arse and pick up tickets for these parties.