With... The Icarus Line + Lite + Maybeshewill

Now in its 6th year, Brainwash began life as a three-day event across the Brudenell Social Club and Royal Park Cellars in 2006; the idea being that the venues close proximity to one another would create a flow of eager music-lovers across a small patch of Leedss much beloved LS6 area. Key to the ethos of the festival was, and is still, diversity: a mish-mash of genres loosely based around rock/indie/metal music but stretching from its confines into anything from folk to jazz to electronica; people dont like just one type of music and they certainly dont want to see the same band 40 times over a weekend

This year we've announced two visitors from abroad: Japanese math-rock outfit LITE and much respected and infamous US rock n' rollers THE ICARUS LINE. Add to this the guaranteed fun times provided by Scottish sextet DANANANANAYKROYD as well as fellow visitors KONG, MAYBESHEWILL, TUBELORD, LET'S BUY HAPPINESS, MARBLE VALLEY (featuring Steve West from Pavement) and many more, and it's clear to see we're in for another pretty special weekend. Leeds represents too of course: CASTROVALVA, BLACKLISTERS and ARTHUR RIGBY & THE BASKERVYLLES have all just played Leeds & Reading Festival, and we haven't even finished announcing bands and other treats yet...

As well as the aforementioned Japanese instrumentalists Lite (not forgetting their snot wielding tour buddies 54-71) we've previously welcomed the soft tones and subtle ingenuity of Adem; the epic rock progressions of Oceansize; the brutal noise of US legends Unsane; the neo-classical motions of Olafur Arnalds. Last year we rounded off Saturday with the party machine that is HEALTH and Sunday with the equally frantic Melt Banana; weve even managed to somehow take Norways Jaga Jazzist from the majesty of Londons Barbican Hall one night into the modesty of a backstreet social club in Leeds the next at Brainwash IV. And thats before you even consider the wealth of local talent, indeed the bedrock of an event like this, provided by the likes of Humanfly, Fran Rodgers, Vessels, Forward Russia (who played their final ever gig at Brainwash), Pulled Apart By Horses, Glissando, Paul Lone Wolf Marshall and many more.

Weve also had a charity element to the festival each year, raising money for the likes of Oxfam and Sheffield Childrens Hospital in the past few years. This year we'll be picking three charities and allowing those who attend to pick which one our profit goes to.

For many people, however, the serious stuff doesnt matter too much, and thats totally fine Brainwash is hopefully just an excuse to see a load of ace bands, discover someone youve never heard of and drink the very reasonably priced Brudenell bar dry...

FULL LINE-UP / TIMES / INFORMATION - To be announced very soon