‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’, ‘HIDDEN HERD ALL-DAYER’ – GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON 1.3.25
The day has finally arrived for the annual ‘Hidden Herd All-Dayer’ mini-fest extravaganza which again this year is at the ever-popular Green Door Store which is conveniently located beneath Brighton Railway Station.
Today’s day-long sonic voyage of new music discovery commenced on a truly cold but bright late winter’s day at 1:00pm and ran until 10:15pm and was a platform for no less than nine exciting emerging artists, ones-to-watch and hidden gems. Today’s event featured Baba Ali, The DSM IV, Porchlight, Car Boot Sale, Room Service, Cordelia Gartside, Francis Pig, crysometimes and Triple Drain.
GREEN DOOR STORE 1:15pm – 1:45pm
Self-described as “post-punk goth sludge”, Brighton-based newcomers Triple Drain are an exciting new addition to the UK’s alt-rock scene, bringing powerful riffs and hypnotic hooks. Influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, Pixies and Witch Fever, and compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees by us at Brighton & Hove News, they’ve quickly solidified their status as ones to watch since making their live debut in June 2023. Though they’ve yet to unveil any recorded music, the band were handpicked by DITZ to join them on their sold-out show at The Hope & Ruin with Van Zon, and they’ve also appeared alongside other exciting emerging artists such as Loose Articles, Flat Party, Jaws The Shark and CHERYM.
From their opening number ‘Rachels’ and throughout their set, vocalist Eva delivered some great dark grungy bass lines from her 5-string bass; while Bella added more of a heavy rock sound with her excellent guitar work. Rachel’s thumping drums and cymbals were a key feature of the band’s sound, but never dominated at the expense of the other two. Across their set Eva switched her vocal style well between songs from gothic to grungy with occasional banshee like screaming as on ‘Mind Fuzz’. There was also a softer side to her vocals, which we heard on ‘Batrat’. For me Triple Drain’s best tracks were saved till last, ‘Whispa Gold’ and ‘Sonic Sludge’. The former with its immediate wall of sound, and the latter with Eva’s stark striking vocals to more melodic sounds. It was a very impressive start to the day’s event, setting the bar high for those on later.
(Peter Greenfield)
GREEN DOOR STORE 2:15pm – 2:45pm
Led by Megan Bush and their Brighton-based band, crysometimes blends alt-pop and pop-rock, drawing inspiration from Paramore, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, boygenius and Avril Lavigne. Consistently played by Mollie King on Radio 1’s Future Pop, as well as Abbie McCarthy, Gemma Bradley and Alyx Holcombe on BBC Music Introducing, crysometimes is an emerging artist on the rise. In late 2023, they even joined forces with CLT DRP, Phoebe Green and more to collaborate with ARXX on a charity single, which was named Radio 1’s ‘Hottest Record in the World’ by Clara Amfo. More recently, crysometimes performed at the first-ever ‘Homegrown Festival’ and played a sold-out Pride fundraiser alongside friends ARXX and Lonnie Gunn.
Without hanging around, crysometimes went straight into their opening song ‘Hot Boyfriend’, a grungy pop number, and then an even faster one ‘Easier Said (Than Done)’. Megan rarely stood still roaming around the stage as they sang. The pace slowed for the mellower ‘Slipaway’, and their next single ‘Harry’ which had a melancholy feel emphasised by Megan’s emotional screamed vocal later in the song. Afterwards they promised “the next song is happy”. There was an upbeat energetic feel across the whole of crysometimes’s set. It was probably a little early in the day for the audience participation on ‘Bella’, but some did join in with the call and response. Crysometimes closed their lively entertaining set with ‘Famous’, a song that started softly, but then saw Megan leave the stage to sit among the audience screaming out the words as if in pain.
(Peter Greenfield)
GREEN DOOR STORE 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Brighton four-piece Francis Pig push the boundaries of conventional rock music, forging a distinct and unmistakable path that’s uniquely their own. Their songs are a potent blend of raw power and poetic depth, exploring themes of eroticism and existentialism with fearless intensity. Despite having released only one single – the excellent ‘Obscene Dream’ with the repeated earworm chorus line “Dirty little secret” – the band have already generated a strong word-of-mouth buzz in Brighton thanks to their driving, minimalistic songs and the visceral impact of their live shows. So far, they’ve shared stages with acts like Black Market Karma, Tina Kit, Baby’s Berserk and The Damn Shebang, and they recently headlined their first shows for Change The F***ing Records at The Rossi Bar and at Daltons to celebrate their first single release.
We last caught Francis Pig live in action at The Hope & Ruin’s 10th birthday bash last month and as always were blown away by them. Today’s performance was sadly tinged by learning that bassist Jade Taaffe (formerly of Heirloom) is set to relocate to Paris and this afternoon’s performance is very likely to be her last for the band. I wonder who Alana Doyle (vocals, drum machine, tambourine), Henry Wickett Padgham (guitar, vocals), and Jacob Newman (guitar) will recruit in her place? Interestingly, it’s exactly a year ago to the day that Francis Pig performed their debut concert and today they remain true to their cause. They are an outfit that are ploughing their own furrow, and if initially you don’t get their screamed and energetic vocal deliveries atop a thumping electronic drumbeat with screeching guitar and rumbling bass on your first encounter, due to the shock and barrage of what is hitting you, then a second, third, fourth encounter is absolutely necessary. Alana clearly runs on Duracell batteries as her continual jerking body movements tend to draw your eye, and her expressive face movements add to this. It appears a majority of their compositions revolve around the subject of sex, an example of this being ‘Sex Talk’ which features a repeated “Let’s talk about sex baby” chorus, and today’s continual red lighting adds to the (red light district) cause. Their beats can truly bury themselves deep within your skin and be warned their forthcoming ‘Daddy Said’ single will compound this. This afternoon the quartet are taking no prisoners and the longer they perform the better their set gets, and by the time they conclude their 30 minute performance, they are absolutely on fire! Francis Pig are one of Brighton’s very best live acts at this moment in time…end of! For Fans of Suicide, Velvet Underground, The Jesus & Mary Chain and early Soft Cell material.
(Nick Linazasoro)
GREEN DOOR STORE 4:15pm – 4:45pm
Self-described as “creep rock”, Cordelia Gartside crafts post-rock-inspired songs that blend reflective lyrics with atmospheric and cathartic sonic backdrops. Across 2023 and 2024, she released a series of captivating singles that earned her airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Music Introducing – including support from Emily Pilbeam, who featured her on The BBC Introducing Mixtape and said “Cordelia’s voice really gets me… stoked to see what’ll come next”, and Melita Dennett who was left “stunned” after her mesmerising BBC Introducing Live Lounge performance. With her band, Cordelia delivers immersive live shows that have drawn comparisons to icons like PJ Harvey, Patti Smith and Radiohead, and she’s built an enviable reputation for herself on the live scene in Brighton, London and beyond. In 2023, she was also invited to play ‘Glastonbury Festival’, after reaching the finals of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition alongside the likes of Prima Queen, VLURE and Ezra Williams.
Cordelia began her set sitting on the edge of the stage. That first song ‘Paid By The Hour’ started softly, but after Cordelia got to her feet and picked up her guitar, it built spectacularly. On this and throughout the set guitarist Willow Simpson added a heavier rock feel with some of the best guitar work across the day’s event. Cordelia delivered a striking range of vocal styles both across the set and within songs. At times it reminded me of Lana Del Ray. On ‘Machine’ she sang softly before adding a snarling intensity to her voice as if in pain. On ‘Hospital Corners’ her beautiful soft vocals had an angelic quality. She also held the long notes perfectly, such as on the final number ‘Good’. Before that closing song, she suggested “maybe headbang to this song”. Although it started slowly, by the middle and end, she was right you could actually headbang to it. This example shows how clever and effective the structure of Cordelia Gartside’s songs were. For me, Cordelia Gartside was a standout performance among some exciting artists at Hidden Herd’s all-dayer. I wasn’t alone in thinking this, as a commonly heard phrase throughout Saturday night was “Did you catch Cordelia Gartside’s performance?”
www.instagram.com/cordeliagartside
(Peter Greenfield)
GREEN DOOR STORE 5:15pm – 5:45pm
Serving a piping-hot array of groovy goodness, Room Service are Brighton’s hottest new six-piece. The experimentalists are a musical mixing pot consisting of three French people and equal parts Texan, Brit and Portuguese, combining to create a unique and eclectic fusion that will blow your mind. Influenced by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Funkadelic, Arctic Monkeys, Jimi Hendrix and Britpop, the genre-benders serve up an unconventional blend of bouncing funk rhythms, riffy disco floorfillers, twisting rap beats, psychedelic soundscapes and trippy melodies. Having already headlined sold-out shows at The Folklore Rooms, The Hope & Ruin and Green Door Store, as well as sharing stages with the likes of Adult DVD, Holiday Ghosts and Soft Launch, they’ve quickly developed a reputation as hot commodities on the Brighton live circuit. Enchanting, unexpected ecstasy – it’s always service with a smile.
Room Service were the fifth band to take to the stage. The first thing I noticed was that they were playing as a five-piece, as we were later to discover that usual co-vocalist and guitarist Nez Garcia is currently away in Canada. This was the first time I had seen the band perform. There appeared to be a great camaraderie among the band, and they got the crowd moving with their danceable bunch of songs. They played a number of their followers’ favourites, including ‘Hot Dog’ and ‘JCVD’ (which is their homage to Jean-Claude Van Damme), referred to by their comical Texan drummer Devin Curry as “the mussels from Brussels”. Curry incidentally also thought he heard God during the second and third songs of the set when it was actually the venue’s sound-man passing comment. He also mentioned that his favourite dog was “a Terrier Yorkshire”. The performance seemed to rush by in a flash and included a groovy, funky new song titled ‘The Plastic Cosmic Fantastic Hotel’. They play The Prince Albert on Friday, 14th March, as main support to post-punk London band House Arrest.
(Ian Holman)
GREEN DOOR STORE 6:15pm – 6:45pm
Car Boot Sale are a London-based five-piece led by the visionary Jacques Fugee, encapsulating the excitement, charisma and swagger of rock ‘n’ roll at its swinging peak. Drawing inspiration from an eclectic mix of influences, from blues masters to hip-hop legends to psych bands, their intoxicating shows are a captivating combo of raw passion, soulful groove and hypnotic songwriting. Since their formation in 2022, they’ve been tipped by Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 6 Music, Jess Iszatt on BBC Music Introducing and John Kennedy on Radio X, highlighted by Dork, So Young Magazine and Fred Perry Subculture and graced the cover of Spotify’s Hot New Bands playlist. And in 2023, they released their debut EP which was produced by Hugo Nicholson (Primal Scream, Beck, Radiohead). On the road, they’ve sold out Colours Hoxton and The Lexington, toured the UK with The Goa Express and supported the likes of Fat Dog, Master Peace, October and The Eyes, Peaness, Peter Xan and Nuha Ruby Ra, as well as appeared at festivals like ‘Truck’, ‘Sŵn’ and ‘Left of the Dial Rotterdam’.
Car Boot Sale isn’t exactly the best band name in the world is it? But they are the only act that played last year’s Hidden Herd All-Dayer and who have been invited back to perform, so there must be something in that, right? It is also said that they were one of the highlight acts of the ‘Find Joy’ All-Dayer in Brighton back in August 2022. This teatime slot witnesses the band take to the stage followed by lead singer Jaques Fugee, who looks a cool dude with his flowing dreadlocks and beaming smile. From the off you can see that the musicians are all very accomplished, but the opener is a standard rock affair that sadly didn’t offer me anything. Song two was better in that it had a new wave borderline pop-punk affair with copious amounts of guitar shaking going on in order to get that shaking sound. Tune three is more of a rockin ‘number and Jaques vocals are often delivered in a Mick Jagger fake American slur. Car Boot Sale do bring the funky guitar chops, blues and energy, with a nod to the 90s guitar soaked vibes throughout their set, but there’s wanderings into Dire Straits territory, but it’s as if Dire Straits were from America instead. Jaques endeavours to get the punters going with several interactions, and several young ladies down the front dutifully obliged by dancing. Yep, the band can play very well, and Jaques is a decent frontman, but sadly I wasn’t sensing anything at all that I hadn’t heard before and I don’t really fancy seeing live again to be perfectly honest as they aren’t my bag.
(Nick Linazasoro)
GREEN DOOR STORE 7:15pm – 7:45pm
Described by Rough Trade as “one of the most beguiling acts to watch this side of the Atlantic,” Brighton-based five-piece Porchlight deliver an ambitious and restless fusion of post-punk, new wave and post-rock. Combining sweat-drenched riffs with luxuriously expansive breakdowns, their sound is a masterclass in structured chaos, which has seen them championed by Steve Lamacq, Amy Lamé and Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6 Music, John Kennedy on Radio X and So Young Magazine. In late 2023, the band released their debut EP, ‘Wives Tales And Hymns Of The Earth’, showcasing a sound honed through countless electrifying live performances alongside Fat Dog, Home Counties, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Alien Chicks, Getdown Services and many more. They have also graced the stages of major UK festivals, including ‘Victorious Festival’, ‘Dot to Dot Festival’, ‘Live At Leeds Festival’ and ‘Visions Festival’, as well as Brighton favourites such as ‘Mutations Festival’ and ‘Brighton Psych Fest’.
Porchlight were another band I had not seen before. This was their first Brighton performance since they played The Folklore Rooms last December. Their seven-song set included mainly new material along with two tracks from their 2023 EP, including the excellent set closer ‘Shhrrp’ that has an English Teacher feel to it. Porchlight appear to have created a unique experimental sound. During opening track ‘Shiftstep’, it looked like a disaster had struck when keyboard/guitarist Tom Coram accidentally knocked the Roland TR8 hurtling to the ground, and there were anxious looks from the band members. Thankfully, no damage was done, and the drum machine was back in position ready for the next track ‘Spin Doctor’, which culminates at a frantic pace. So much so that someone from the audience shouted “faster”. This made the black and white chequered v-neck tank-top-wearing vocalist Sam Crees chuckle. Mid-set and for one song only , drummer Harry Geal came out to the front of the stage to play the drum machine. Overall, a decent performance.
linktr.ee/porchlightporchlight
(Ian Holman)
GREEN DOOR STORE 8:15pm – 8:55pm
Liverpool gothic alt-pop trio THE DSM IV, formed by Guy McKnight of critically acclaimed cult favourites The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, blend noise-rock, synth-pop and industrial elements to deliver a unique musical experience. Their powerful soundscapes are both cacophonous and epic, featuring rich textures, melodic hooks and thought-provoking lyrics that entertain while encouraging introspection. After releasing a series of stand-alone singles and touring with Sleaford Mods, The Libertines and Dream Wife, the band unveiled their formidable, uncompromising debut album, ‘NEW AGE PARANOIA’, in 2023 – recorded at The Albion Rooms the HQ of The Libertines. This impressive collection of stories, beats, guitars and noise seamlessly weaves together sobering yet dream-filled songs that explore the ways in which our collective minds are influenced by mass media, entertainment industries, and social media. In support of the album, THE DSM IV have brought their convention-defying live show to packed venues across the UK, including appearances at ‘Mutations Festival’ and alongside the likes of John Cale, Warmduscher, Sea Power, Ladytron, Big Joanie, The Wytches, and Deadletter. Now, they have returned with a new EP, ‘NEGATIVE UTOPIA’, via new independent label 9×9 Records.
The DSM IV were the penultimate band to perform and were listed as joint headliners. The set of drums had been removed from the stage beforehand, allowing McKnight more room to move about on stage. I’ve seen the three-piece perform once before when they headlined a previous ‘Hidden Herd’ show at The Hope & Ruin back in June last year, so I knew what to expect. Tonight was just as good as the previous one, with McKnight’s vocals resembling Sisters Of Mercy frontman Andrew Eldritch as he performed along with guitarist Jade Ormesher and the blasting beats of Pav Cummins. The set included five tracks from the debut album as well as two from the new EP, including the latest single ‘Pink Lady’. McKnight put on an intense performance that built and built during the set, in which he ventured into the crowd five times and even took the microphone stand with him at one point. One song during the set was dedicated to local fashion legend Slow Moving James (James Devenney), who passed away in 2023. The DSM IV play The Windmill in Brixton on Thursday, 3rd April.
(Ian Holman)
GREEN DOOR STORE 9:25pm – 10:05pm
Heralded by NME as “purveyors of the brilliantly unexpected”, London-based Baba Ali is the combined force of performer and musician Baba Doherty and guitarist Nik Balchin. Within their first few years, the duo have collaborated with Jamie Hince of The Kills, Alex Epton (FKA twigs, Jamie xx), and, most recently, Al Doyle (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip). For their 2023 album, ‘Laugh Like A Bomb’ (Memphis Industries), Baba Ali took on production duties themselves at Al Doyle’s London studio, completing the final mixes with Sheffield producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.). The album’s bold and fiery lead single, ‘Burn Me Out’, serves as a blueprint for what the duo call their “electro punk disco” sound and was premiered by Lauren Laverne, championed by Steve Lamacq and playlisted on BBC Radio 6 Music, also receiving airplay from Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1. Baba Ali also performed the song for their live television debut on the legendary BBC Two show ‘Later… with Jools Holland’. Headlining all over the UK and Europe, as well as touring with The Kills and Joe Goddard from Hot Chip, the Baba Ali live experience is a captivating and seductive one, transmitting a wall of sound that fills the room with an infectious raw energy and groove that makes dancing inevitable.
My debut encounter with Baba Ali was at last year’s ‘Mutations Festival’ when they totally blew me away with their performance at The Hope & Ruin and so I must confess that I was most looking forward to seeing Baba Ali in action this time around. It’s dark wave, garage rock, electro funk fusion with drum machines and synthesizer presets again being the order of the day, and not as one would surmise a retro reggae sound that you might have expected by the duo’s name. The guys take to the stage as a booming beat flows out across the room, and then the electronic beats kick in. This is like what Suicide were doing half a century ago, but this is to a solid beat. Nik Balchin gets sounds out of the guitar that you possibly didn’t know enlisted, whilst Baba Doherty is very much the focal point throughout the performance, with his choreographed ballet-like body contortions and vocal deliveries. Occasionally throughout their set there are some truly meaty deep bass synth sounds not heard since the early days of The Human League, ‘A Crow And A Baby’ springs to mind. During their ‘Mutations Festival’ performance, I had noted that Sparks ‘Beat The Clock’ came to mind when Baba Ali performed ‘Kiss The Floor’, but this time around, all I can think of is the start of Blancmange’s ‘Feel Me’, but delivered in a cranked up durrrrty vibe stylee. They signed off with ‘Black Wagon’ which benefits from a ‘Blue Monday’ (New Order) style backing beat. Tonight’s performance was another brilliant account and clearly I wasn’t alone as the punters bamboozled the duo into “one more song” and we were rewarded with one final cut, which vocally reminded me of George Kranz ‘Din Daa Daa’, but with a far dirtier beat, to see us on our way into the cold night air. Fabulous stuff! Another return to Brighton is requested please lads!
(Nick Linazasoro)
And there you have it, overall a fabulous day’s entertainment…yet again, despite the fact that the venue was rather cold in temperature all day long! Roll on the next one! Over to you ‘Hidden Herd’……..
Should you wish, you can also discover exciting emerging artists on the ‘Hidden Herd New Music Spotlight’ playlist, which at the time of publishing contains no less than 100 songs lasting across five and a half hours! These are found over on Spotify, so check them out HERE.
