大象传媒

The roster of headline acts at this year's festival just exemplifies the wonderfully eclectic nature of 6 Music.

From Anna Calvi's virtuoso guitar and John Grant's squelching psych-funk crooning, to The Good, The Bad & The Queen's epic-scale lyricism and Hot Chip's vivacious indie electronica, the line up was dominated by some of the most essential artists of the moment.

Most iconic of all, perhaps, was Jon Hopkins' Saturday night closer at Mountford Hall, complete with hypnotic visuals, visceral beats and the sort of soul-shaking bass that should come with a warning:

There's a simple, exultant pleasure in witnessing a performer really going to town on their instrument of choice. And at 6 Music Festival the guitar was glorified with giddy aplomb over and over again, from Mark Bowen of IDLES thrashing in his underwear to Marika Hackman and band seriously getting into the groove.

But, the finest example of all came courtesy of Anna Calvi, whose whole set was an awe-inspiring offering to the gods of guitar:

Riding high from the recent release of third album GREY Area, Little Simz put on an exceptional show.

With masterful wordplay, impeccable flow and an enthralling stage presence, the London rapper's Saturday night set at Mountford Hall distinguished her as one of the most important voices in the current British music scene.

Or, to quote her: "I'm Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days". And here's the evidence:

Stealing Sheep are an art-pop band from Liverpool who make brilliant, bold, ravey, dreamy tunes.

Also... this:

Peak Stealing Sheep was achieved at the end of their Saturday night set at Olympia when the band posed in front of a big inflatable sheep and invited the crowd for a commemorative photo:

Amongst your bigger, household names, the spotlight frequently landed on some incredible, comparatively under-the-radar artists.

So who should you be paying attention to?

大象传媒 Music Introducing's showcase at The Cavern Club set the standard high, with performances from The Mysterines, Zuzu, Queen Zee and Red Rum Club (above) - all of them local.

The Wirral-based band She Drew The Gun delivered a stand-out set of hypnotic and darkly ornate psych-pop:

Another highlight, Dublin's Fontaines D.C. proved themselves as the natural successors to The Fall's gritty, confrontational swagger:

Whether you're a connoisseur of the finest indie folk, or simply a fan of a cracking melody, the festival had plenty to offer this year. The bill included stalwart figures of the scene who did not fail to delight - Elena Tonra of Daughter's solo project Ex:Re, and Bill Ryder-Jones of The Coral fame, amongst others.

But if we're honest, this section's just a good excuse to include this wonder of a clip from the stupendously talented Conor O'Brien of Villagers:

...and breathe.