Various Artists: Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival of Psychedelica

It is tricky to pick the highlights from a music festival and make it sound both coherent and diverse enough to make sense to those for were not there. The acts that were on stage of the Cellar Bar during the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival in Cardigan, Wales, last year, share one stand-out quality: they know how to play and get the undivided attention of the 150 strong audience.

One of the festival's organising parties, Fruit de Mer Records, did a fine job compiling the double album Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival of Psychedelica that does each act justice as well as offering a gateway to explore them further and for those Wales band Sendelica is offering full shows of most of them.

London Underground: Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival 2023

London Underground made quite an impression when they headlined the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival in Cardigan, Wales, last year. The three-day festival is dedicated to progressive music of all guises and the Italian band nailed the vintage sound of the late 60s, with band leader Gianluca Gerlini as the focal point of the proceedings with his Hammond and, yes, a Mellotron. Perusing classic gear has its risks - stuff can get out of tune or break down without warning, but they made it through their set with flying colours.

At its core, the quartet is still a blues band, which means that underneath all the bells and whistles a rock solid groove keeps them grounded and their audience tapping their toes as they reach for the stars. It was one of those "you had to be there" gigs. Thankfully, the Live at the 19th Dream of Dr Sardonicus Festival 2023 album can serve as a consolation for everyone who missed out. Side note: they could have sequenzed it a little better and cut out the silences between the cheers of the crowd between the tracks.