Festival: I’ll Be Your Mirror

This weekend indoor fest at Ally Pally, celebrates rock and indie with a flannel shirt, Nineties-flecked vibe.

Curated by Scottish instrumental noisemongers Mogwai, this three-night orgy of feral six-string delights brings the weekend screaming into view with LA thrash- metal titans Slayer on Friday night. Not content with being one of the heaviest, fastest, damn right thrash-iest bands ever, they’re going to play their seminal 1986 album, Reign In Blood, in full, with tracks like Angel Of Death and Raining Blood showing those soft old Metallica boys how metal should be done.

Mogwai headline Saturday (their only London gig of the year) to show you don’t need a screaming frontman to be heavy, powerful and yet surprisingly melodic. Sunday night continues the surprises with Cincinatti’s The Afghan Whigs, back from retirement after 13 years, to tear through alternative soul-infused rock gems drawing from their extensive back catalogue, which is sure to include cuts from their Nineties classic, Gentlemen.

While frontman Greg Dulli has been knocking around under his Twilight Singers and Gutter Twins guises for a while now, it’s the return of his former band that will have fans most ecstatic.

With support from sludge-metallers Melvins, Seattle survivors Mudhoney and a host of others, who cares if it rains this weekend – it’s going to rock whatever!

Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY
May 25-27 | Doors 4pm (Fri), 12pm (Sat & Sun) |  £39 
Tube | Wood Green 
atpfestival.com