Having been key players in the UK free rock scene since the late 90s, the VCO have a hugely impressive back catalogue, releasing many, many albums over the years. The VCO will play, like Sunburned at last year's festival on the 2 nd stage. This opened the church space, the psych rock flowed through the windows and out the doors, lets hope the orange lights glows again..
VCO is a UK-based drone ensemble that has been active since the late 1990s. . The original group came together when Mick Flower began recording with Neil Campbell and Julian Bradley, who had released a number of homemade cassettes and an LP of their duo work. They self-released 2 CDR albums before Campbell suggested merging the nascent group with the trio Flower was working with alongside Bridget Hayden and Adam Davenport. This sealed the best known 5 piece VCO line-up. The group quickly became known for their prolific output on a vast array of independent labels and their incendiary live performances. They attracted the attention of Julian Cope, whose essay on the group can still be read at his Head Heritage website. Vibracathedral Orchestra has many self-released albums but has made music available through many key underground labels, including VHF Records, Giardia, Eclipse, U-Sound, Qbico, Textile and Freedom From. They have twice been featured in session on Resonance FM, given an hour long slot each time.
Although very much a fixed unit, the line-up has been occasionally augmented by the likes of Matthew Bower, John Godbert, Richard Youngs, John Clyde Evans (latterly known as Tirath Singh Nirmala) and Tom Greenwood (of Jackie-O Motherfucker). Julian Bradley left the group in 2004 with both Neil Campbell and Bridget Hayden following him in 2006. A new album, Wisdom Thunderbolt, featuring Chris Corsano and Matthew Bower as guests, has just been released on VHF.
"Thrillingly sophisticated yet flowing utterly organically, this is the kind of globe spanning reach that VCO has up its sleeve at any moment and makes me wish they could collaborate some time with other afficianados of this region's rich musical heritage (perhaps Steven R. Smith?). The album closes with the darkly brooding "Girls with Rocks in Their Hands." The piece manages to be diffuse and focused simultaneously as if it were constantly swallowing its perimeter before it can wander too far from the center". Fakejazz
"Leeds-based quintet Vibracathedral Orchestra (VCO) have long since earned themselves a place of honor in the international avant-drone firmament. In parallel with such like-minded contemporaries as Birchville Cat Motel and Richard Youngs, Vibracathedral have operated at their own unique nexus of Kraut-damaged rock, turbulent pan-ethnic folk, and Terry Riley/Tony Conrad-inspired minimalism". Pitchfork
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