10 must-see new acts to see this summer
The Great Escape has passed, Wide Awake is done, and fields across the land are getting set up and prepped: festival season is officially here. The greatest time of the year has come round again, and the music world gets truly frantic and fun. Worldwide, the weekends have become taken up by bustling line-ups of incredible talent, and these ten acts should be on your radar.
It can be overwhelming, especially when looking at huge, spanning line-ups like Glastonbury, where thousands more acts than you could ever manage to fit in your itinerary, it’s hard to know where to go. Sure, you could stick to the big leagues and headliners, but the best always lies beneath the surface in the smaller fonts.
Especially at the moment, the world of new and emerging talent feels brighter than ever. No matter your genre preference, from pure punk to folk, fun pop to raging rock, there is a new name to get to know that are currently tearing their way through the live scene.
I truly believe there’s no better way to fall in love with a new favourite artist than by seeing them live. It’s the best introduction to their music and energy, and the connection is instant. Their work becomes tied to a real memory that lasts far longer than anything you’ll get just by hitting play on Spotify.
So I’d tell you to go and listen to these artists, but no, go see them live this summer.
10 acts to catch live this summer:
Femur
I’ve told you once, I’ll tell you again – you have to go see Femur. The psych-rock band have been Sheffield’s finest for so long. In the years and years they’ve been together, they’re got their home city in the palm of their hands and things are now spreading; tours of France led to random French towns becoming fixated on them, their shows in London collapse into the same carnage they can bring out of a hometown crowd and now, festival season is in their sights.
If you like loud music to throw your body around to, you’ll like this. Somewhere between the chaos of a band like Fat Dog but with more considered, psychedelic musicality, it’s exactly the kind of music you want to witness live as a truly energising set. The band are playing Tramlines on the big Pulp day, but first, they’re taking on Glastonbury as a must-see set to shake yourself awake during the hazy weekend.
Jeanie and the White Boys
The first time I saw Jeanie and the White Boys live, I caught approximately a song and a half during the birthday party of one of London’s finest venues, The Lexington. The bar was open, the drinks had been downed like it was a competitive sport, and then I walked into the venue room and thought… who are these?
The band’s lead singer, Jeanie Crystal, is born to be a star and all it took was a song and a bit to prove it. It was confirmed when I then hunted them down to catch their full set the second time. Her energy is unbeaten as the leader but the songs provide her the perfect stage. So far, they only have one song out, but their best is unreleased, so you have to go find them and see.
ELLiS-D
By this point, Far Out Magazine is essentially the ELLiS-D fan club, but I’m going to keep going on about it until everyone listens. ELLiS-D is one of the best live performers around at the moment. The first time I saw him play, in a packed-out Folklore Rooms in Brighton, I just stood with my mouth wide open. That reaction rings true every time, as there’s something about the way he moves on stage, ripping through these insane guitar lines like it’s absolutely nothing, that is truly hypnotic.
It’s another hugely energising show. The songs trip you up and trick you, full of false endings that then boom back to life. Each time, it seems to level the crowd’s energy up, building and building song by song until the room is inevitably all gripped. You can hear the signs of that in the actual recordings, as it’s impossible to hear a track like ‘Humdrum’ and not know with absolute certainty that it would go off live.
The Itch
You have to go see The Itch…If you can find them.
I first discovered them at Wide Awake 2024 when the band was already building major buzz, packing out a tent early in the day. But then they seemingly disappeared, cancelled a bunch of shows and became this strange mystery of a group.
There are a handful of interviews with the band, with it’s leaders Georgia Hardy and Simon Tyrie, both of whom have featured in other buzzy groups before, talking about how they wanted this new act to be a kind of revolving cast of musicians that couldn’t be tied down and wouldn’t be bogged down by logistics. The result is a band that pops up like a flash, and people race to see them, like in Rossi’s basement during The Great Escape or even simply behind a DJ deck around London. The music is almost impossible to pin down, too, existing as a kind of Talking Heads go to a rave type unit. A mad mystery of a group, if you get the chance, buy the ticket.
Panic Shack
This is an insane sentence to be typing, but here I go: Panic Shack have recently blown up on TikTok for repeatedly doing a hypnotic dance routine choreographed by a bellydance troupe of old American women. I mean it when I say it’s hypnotic; the music, the movements, it has the whole app hooked as the Welsh girl band have been doing it on every stop of their tour, converting the people obsessed over their straight-faced shimmying into fans of their music.
But as a live band, Panic Shack are pure energy. They truly embody the riot grrl spirit with pure badass energy, sharp social commentary lyrics and bucket loads of fun. Imagine if those legacy acts had a baby with Wet Leg; that’s what you’ve got here, and it truly makes them the perfect festival act to catch for a dose of empowering excitement.
Westside Cowboy
Out of the thousands and thousands and thousands that applied, Westside Cowboy won Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent competition, which really makes my point. With only two songs currently released, the band have made their name through the live circuit and wowed the competition judges with exactly that.
It’s not even a matter of my opinion. Their live set has been proven great and given the ultimate seal of greatness. Granted a set at Glastonbury, they’re also hitting up a whole bunch of other festivals this summer like End Of The Road, Latitude, Truck Festival, On The Beach and more, giving you plenty of opportunity to peek at their winning power.
CMAT
Come on now, this one is obvious. A bigger name for the list, and while definitely not new, this is a no-brainer as CMAT seems to be on the brink of a huge blow-up. With each show CMAT performs, it’s like she grows in power. Especially lately as her new track ‘Take A Sexy Picture’ has blown up to a whole new audience and now comes along with a catchy little dance to do in the second verse, the energy in a CMAT crowd has never been better and the size of those crowds is only going to get bigger and bigger.
About to release her third album, this summer will add a whole new batch of material to her set. But in my experience, even if you know none of it, she provides a good time. In 2023, I took my unknowing friend to catch her packed-out Woodsies set at Glastonbury, and she left in tears of joy, being a devoted CMAT disciple ever since. So if you’re keen for a new leader to follow, go get indoctrinated.
Brògeal
Trad is back in a big way. Several acts are bringing traditional instruments back into modern music: Lankum, Cardinals, Fontaines DC pre-neon era, and The Mary Wallopers. A pattern emerges every time: traditional instruments make for a really, really good live show.
Brògeal are a prime example as the Falkirk-formed group merges classic Celtic sounds with roaring indie for a high-energy set that will make you both want to mosh and do a little ceilidh dance routine right there on the dance floor or in the festival field. It’s the sort of music that picks you up and swoops you along no matter what, which is precisely what you need in the height of summer on a glorious festival day. They’re everywhere this summer: Truck, Y-Not, TRNSMT, Kendal Calling, Boomtown and more, so if you need a dose of something to really, truly dance to like your ancestors would have wanted, make sure to catch a set.
Goat
Goat are the kind of band that makes our job as music writers incredibly difficult. To label their 2024 self-titled album as something as specific as psychedelic, rock or experimental feels like doing the record, the band and the journey they take you on a disservice. Each song flows into the next, and the various genres and styles that aren’t only tapped into but are wholeheartedly perfected throughout the LP know no bounds.
The talent displayed throughout the album follows the band to the stage. With a great look, sound and stage presence, it’s hard to deny that Goat is one of the summer’s must-see acts. As they head to different festivals such as Manchester Psych Fest over the next few months, it’s only right that fans should flock to see what can only be described as one of the greatest live bands on the planet right now.
Pan Amsterdam
Get Together Festival had its ups and downs. It felt slightly oversold, as stages proved difficult to get to, and crowds completely flooded out the doors, so bands and acts could hardly be seen. However, I got to Pan Amsterdam early, as the rapper, trumpeter, and all-around essence of cool was high up on my list of must-sees, and I’m happy to report he didn’t disappoint.
This guy needs two mics, one trumpet and a DJ. As lo-fi beats flooded the room, he changed mics, going from rapping to playing improvised jazz and back again. The atmosphere was so thick I could climb atop it and appreciate the view from cloud nine. Talk about a culmination of genres and an all-around standout set. If Pan Amsterdam is heading anywhere near you this summer, I’m counting on you to make it your personal mission to catch his performance.
