COLIN WILSON The Norwich Pop Underground Convention, now in its fifth year, once again features bands, solo performers and DJs over three days at Norwich Arts Centre.

COLIN WILSON

The Norwich Pop Underground Convention, now in its fifth year, once again features bands, solo performers and DJs over three days at Norwich Arts Centre.

NPUC kicks off tonight, Friday, August 10, (8pm) with sets from Matador Records legendary live act Dead Meadow, with support from Norfolk's finest psychedelic pop groups Magoo and Sennen.

Dead Meadow's sound encompasses everything from ambient guitar drones to surging psych-funk sludge, blues-folk tunes to space rock and southern slow boogie thrown in for good measure. The band have just completed their new album, Old Growth which will be released early next year.

An excellent cafe/bar line-up features le tetsuo, the Bells the Bells, Nham Communications DJs, Hoofus and Master Solo among others.

Saturday afternoon sees a free session of acoustic music featuring London's anti-folk legend Emmy the Great, supported by the finest local talent, including medieval-folk duo Horses Brawl, Tiger MCs, Lucky Jim Ben Grizzly and Euan Hinshelwood.

Cardiff's Future of the Left headline in the main auditorium on Saturday night (8pm). The band who were formed from the ashes of underground hardcore outfit Jarcrew and McClusky promise a brutal blend of ascerbic indie-rock with cutting lyrics. Support comes from Northern Wrongbeat electro artist Randomnumber and Norwich's hot young things Fun!Yeah! The cafe/bar line-up features Alto45, True Adventures, Luke Abott, Giant Robot and the City of Tokyo and Tape Invaders and MQP DJs.

Sunday's fun includes includes a free afternoon electro picnic featuring sets from some of Norfolk's finest experimental electronica artists, including BabyGrand, Kid Atom, Scienceboy, Sofiowaka, Mat Riviere, At-At-Attack and much more.

Things are brought to a close on the main stage with a performance from James Yorkston (8pm). Over three albums, Moving Up Country (2002), Just Beyond the River (2004) and The Year of the Leopard (2006) Yorkston has established a canon as singular and intimate as any current songwriter. A native of Fife, Yorkston was an integral early member of the Fence Collective whose reach across contemporary music continues to lengthen - KT Tunstall, King Creosote, the Aliens.

The subtle shape shifting of his arrangements are played, seemingly, on whatever comes to hand, banjo, bouzouki, Fender Rhodes, harmonium, mandolin, concertina, clarinet. Carrying everything is Yorkston's rich voice and wry lyric, which always manages to sound hopeful and pessimistic at the same time.

His ruminations on love/lust/longing/liquor share a more eternal Celtic feel with the battered reflections of Jacques Brel, Shane McGowan and Bert Jansch than any of his contemporaries.

Yorkston will be performing songs from his latest collection Roaring the Gospel plus favourites from his back catalogue.

Support comes from the laidback hypnotic sounds of Rory McVicar and Tell Me How. Entertainment in the cafe/bar comes Stuart Hobday's Country Bunker.

t 01603 660352. Friday/Saturday £6adv/£7door, Sunday £7adv/£8door, or £15 festival wristband. Tickets available from Norwich Arts Centre Box Office or online at www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk