When I heard that Upset The Rhythm – the tirelessly enthusiastic and endlessly exciting promoters-cum-record label – were putting on a two-day arts and music fest, my initial reaction led me to shout out the festival’s name in jubilation. YES WAY promises to be a cracker.

UTR have got it together with artist’s project space Auto-Italia South East to curate the weekend bonanza which, alongside the 34 bands that are set to soothe/tickle/rip up your cochleas, will also be hosting the work of 14 multimedia artists. Expect a range of visual and conceptual treats; curious objects, video art, provocative if sometimes perplexing installations and a ton of glitter to be sprinkled around the former car showroom that is Auto-Italia’s current home.

By way of noise (to pick a few from the impressive line-up), Drum Eyes, the lovechild of the Boredoms and DJ Scotch Egg are set to aurally pelt you with their sound orbs; Glaswegian mentalist duo Gay Against You will splatter you with their beat and bleep splurge guns, and yelping noodlers Cleckhuddersfax might just rouse you into a delirium.

If all the high energy pogoing gets a bit much then there will be plenty of beard, (or smooth lady-chin) stroking to be done in the company of minimal soundscapers Family Battle Snake, the echoing, percussive, Clanger-like sounds of Clunes,  beat-heavy, stop-start stammerers Chops, and the fuzzy wuzzy dreaminess of Banjo Or Freakout.  

And of course there’s plenty of room in this happy family of a line-up for some guitars, bass, drums and vocals set-ups. London trio Wetdog are sure to step up the merry-making with their marching bass lines and punchy vocals; the shouty raw edges of Trash Kit will remind you how good being stripped-down can be, while Hands On Heads are bringing along their inner-children for their disjointed pop-punk party music.

Oh and Spin Spin The Dogs are excellent nuts with a saxophone and improvised everything. There’s too much to list and rave on about, such is the good work of this inspired collaboration.

What’s more, to add to the air-punching optimism and caring-sharing feel-good-factor, the ticket prices won’t even touch the sides – perhaps it’s something to do with being south of the river(?!). A noon-til-midnight day ticket will cost five of your pounds and you can bag the whole two days for an inarguable eight quid.  Really, what more could you want from your weekend?

UPSET THE RHYTHM presents... YES WAY
Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 March
Auto Italia, 1 Glengall Road, Peckham, SE15 6NJ, London // 0771 386 7881
Noon - midnight | £5 per day / £8 per weekend

Available from WeGotTickets

Auto-Italia is situated at 1 Glengall Road, on the corner of Old Kent Road, Peckham, SE15 6NJ.
Bus: 21, 53, 63, 78, 168, 172, 363, 453, Night bus: N21, N63, N381, 453, Tube: Borough, Elephant & Castle