Summer Bash 2025: An Introduction to Arid Wave!

As someone once said “S*** happens. It’s how you deal with it that shows what kind of person you are“. So let’s talk about sex, lies and bloody statistics for a minute. Since Summer Bash was first announced by Mercury’s Well, there have been… a few changes. Yes, it’s still happening at The Facebar in Reading on Saturday 26th July and… Yes, there will still be 11 bands taking to the Red (Panic) Room stage over the course of the afternoon. However, Arid Wave have replaced Skin Reaper and Petty Squabbles have replaced Killswitch Engage tribute band Killswitch Enchambers (who feature in their ranks former members of Kill Chambers). As if that wasn’t enough to get excited about, Gutlocker will be unveiling their new vocalist and Turning Point have changed their name to Painstake! Mind blown! Fortunately Mercury’s Well have got it all under control… and have been busy inflating palm trees for their annual Hawaiian themed beach party and talking helium nonsense… because who doesn’t do that?!

Here’s the (new) line up in full:

Hidden Mothers
Masquerader
Black Skull Ritual
Buds.
Tape It Shut
Painstake (formerly known as Turning Point)
Arid Wave
Mercury’s Well
Gutlocker
Remnant
Petty Squabbles

Alrighty so… who the f*** are Arid Wave you ask? Conceived in Southampton circa 2013 by brothers Ben and Will Palmer as guitarist, vocalist and drummer respectively in their bedroom, after more than a decade and various line up changes they were joined by bassist Chris Cutler. They’ll freely admit that they originally started out as Nirvana junkies, addicted to the grunge fuelled sounds of the early 90’s but influenced in the same way that The Dillinger Escape Plan were. By that we mean angst laden vocals, frenetic riffs, frantic percussive battery and dirty bass, all of which can be found in their early burnt offerings like “Mass Transit“, “Big Dumb Thing” and the wonderfully titled “All Blues, No Rhythm“. In 2023 however everything changed. Having grown over the first decade of the project, experienced the World and various other influences, they fully embraced the heavier, darker sounds that were always part of their sound. Their first shot in anger in that style was “Life Is Combat“, a blistering track which features a guest vocal appearance from Matt Reynolds of Heck and Haggard Cat fame. If you haven’t heard it, go and watch the music video on YouTube because the band become Muppet style puppets and perform on an imaginary children’s show called “Happy Happy Funshine” which is class!

We’re proud confirm that Metal Noise dot Net is returning for a third consecutive year as the Media Partner for Summer Bash! Mercury’s Well will be hosting the seventh incarnation of their annual Hawaiian beach party themed event on 26th July 2025 at The Facebar in Reading.

Get your tickets -> here