Top 5 music performances during this year’s official and unofficial ‘Escapes’

The Sussex News Music Team were out in force for the annual Great Escape New Music Festival which took place in many venues throughout the city of Brighton and Hove on Wednesday 14th, Thursday 15th, Friday 16th and Saturday 17th May. We also attended many of their Alternative Escape events, as well as many of the ‘Unofficial Escapes’.

Whilst we are busy writing up our reviews and sorting through the thousands of photos, we thought that you would like a taste of what is to come. So team members have secretly chosen their Top 5 performances from the different artists that they witnessed at The Great Escape, The Alternative Escape and Unofficial Escapes, and so without further ado here are the results:

Nick Linazasoro (Music Editor)

1. YARD (THE GRAND CENTRAL) 16.5.25
2. BABY BERSERK (PAGANINI BALLROOM) 16.5.25
3. WELLY (PAGANINI BALLROOM) 15.5.25
4. ELINBORG (WATERBEAR VENUE) 15.5.25
5. PALE BLUE EYES (SHIPWRIGHT’S YARD) 16.5.25

Sara-Louise Bowrey (Photographer)

1. SKUNK ANANSIE (THE OLD MARKET) 16.5.25
2. HOTWAX (BLACK LION) 15.5.25
3. JOOLS (THE PRINCE ALBERT) 15.5.25
4. Y (PATTERNS) 17.5.25
5. YARD (THE GRAND CENTRAL) 16.5.25

Cris Watkins (Photographer)

1. JOOLS (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25
2. JOOLS (THE PRINCE ALBERT) 15.5.25
3. PETE DOHERTY (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 14.5.25
4. SULK (REVENGE) 17.5.25
5. THE MOLOTOVS (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25

Kairen Kemp (Reviewer)

1. FORGETTING THE FUTURE (THE MESMERIST) 16.5.25
2. EAST OF RENO (THE MESMERIST) 16.5.25
3. TV DEATH (THE OLD MARKET) 16.5.25
4. FINNIAN JAMES (WATERBEAR VENUE) 16.5.25
5. ANGELICA MODE (THE FONT) 16.5.25

Martin J Fuller (Reviewer)

1. ELINBORG (WATERBEAR VENUE) 15.5.25
2. LYNKS (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 17.5.25
3. WELLY (PAGANINI BALLROOM) Welly 15.5.25
4. SHE’S GOT BRASS (DALTONS) 17.5.25
5. MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW (CHARLES STREET TAP) 15.5.25

Mark Kelly (Reviewer)

1. MANDRAKE HANDSHAKE (HORATIOS) 16.5.25
2. BIG LONG SUN (THE PRINCE ALBERT) 17.5.25
3. CLIFFORDS (THE PRINCE ALBERT) 15.5.25
4. WELLY (TGE BEACH STAGE JETTY) 16.5.25
5. MEN AN TOL (CHARLES STREET TAP) 16.5.25

Mike Burnell (Photographer)

1. LADYLIKE (BELLA UNION) 14.5.25
2. WARMDUSCHER (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 14.5.25
3. RETROPXSSY (THE FONT)
4. MAKESHIFT ART BAR (RESIDENT)
5. RIZZLE KICKS (BRIGHTON DOME) 16.5.25

Cherie Elody (Photographer)

1. SHE’S GOT BRASS (DALTONS) 17.5.25 
2. POLITE BUREAUX (THE BOOTLEGGER) 17.5.25 
3. BABY BERSERK (DALTONS) 17.5.25 
4. A THOUSAND MAD THINGS (DALTONS) 16.5.25 
5. SOAPBOX (DALTONS) 16.5.25

Ian Holman (Reviewer)

1. GOODBYE (PRINCE ALBERT) 17.5.25
2. CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR (REVENGE) 15.5.25
3. JOCK (QUEENS HOTEL) 16.5.25
4. LEMONSUCKR (THREE WISE CATS) 17.5.25
5. PASTEL (DALTONS) 16.5.25

Christian Le Surf (Reviewer)

1. POLITE BUREAUX (THE BOOTLEGGER) 17.05.25
2. FIRE ESCAPE (VILLAGE) 14.05.25
3. TELECOM (VILLAGE) 14.05.25
4. NOT RIGHT HERE (THE BOOTLEGGER) 17.05.25
5. THE ROEBUCKS (THREE WISE CATS) 15.05.25

Peter Greenfield (Reviewer)

1. MOON IDLE (THE FREEMASONS) 14.5.25
2. CORDELIA GARTSIDE (WATERBEAR VENUE) 16.5.25
3. MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW (CHARLES STREET TAP) 15.5.25
4. SLAG (JUBILEE SQUARE) 14.5.25
5. VELVETINE (REVENGE) 17.5.25

Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson (Reviewer)

1. YARD (DALTONS) 14.5.25
2. JO HILL (KOMEDIA STUDIO) 15.5.25
3. LEAH WILCOX (DUST) 16.5.25
4. SUNBEAM (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25
5. WREX (WATERBEAR VENUE) 18.5.25 

Phil Newton (Reviewer)

1. CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR (REVENGE) 15.5.25
2. CHLOE QISHA (PATTERNS DOWNSTAIRS) 15.5.25
3. SUNDAY (1994) (KOMEDIA BASEMENT) 16.5.25
4. NIGHTICKET (PATTERNS UPSTAIRS) 17.5.25
5. SLAG (DALTONS) 16.5.25

Stephen Willcox (Reviewer)

1. GANS (BLACK LION ) 15.5.25
2. WARMDUSCHER (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 14.5.25
3. SNAYX (BLACK LION ) 16.5.25
4. CONGRATULATIONS (BLACK LION) 15.5.25
5. NIL BY MOUTH (ROSSI) 17.5.25

Jess Kemp (Reviewer)

1. RETROPXSSY (THE FONT) 15.5.25
2. RE:O (THE FONT) 15.5.25
3. I SEE ORANGE (THE FONT) 15.5.25
4. GEN AND THE DEGENERATES (THE FONT) 14.5.25
5. FORGETTING THE FUTURE (THE FONT) 14.5.25

Paul Jenkins (Photographer)

1. PICTURE PARLOUR (TGE BEACH SOUNDWAVES) 15.5.25
2. ARCY DRIVE (TGE BEACH SOUNDWAVES) 16.5.25
3. RIP MAGIC (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 16.5.25
4. WESTSIDE COWBOY (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 16.5.25
5. O’PHANTOM (GREEN DOOR STORE) 17.5.25

Rinee Sinharay (Reviewer)

1. LEMONSUCKR (THREE WISE CATS) 17.5.25
2. A THOUSAND MAD THINGS (DALTONS) 16.5.25
3. CORDELIA GARTSIDE (WATERBEAR VENUE) 16.5.25
4. LYNKS (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 17.5.25
5. ZOLA BLOOD (TGE BEACH THE DEEP END) 17.5.25

Petra Eujane (Photographer)

1. NIGHT SWIMMING (THE FONT) 16.5.25
2. KORDA KORDER (THE FONT) 16.5.25
3. HOLLOWS (THE FONT) 16.5.25
4. MATISSE MORETTI (THE FONT) 16.5.25
5. WREX (THE FONT) 16.5.25

Max Tollworthy (Photographer)

1. CLIFFORDS (THE PRINCE ALBERT) 15.5.25 
2. THE MOLOTOVS (THE MESMERIST) 16.5.25
3. SUNDAY (1994) (KOMEDIA BASEMENT) 16.5.25
4. WESTSIDE COWBOY (CHARLES STREET TAP) 15.5.25
5. COMMON GOLDFISH (KOMEDIA BASEMENT) 16.5.25

Rob Orchard (Photographer)

1. CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE (MANCHESTER STREET ARTS CLUB) 16.5.25
2. MANDRAKE HANDSHAKE (HORATIOS) 16.5.25
3. VAN ZON (ONE CHURCH) 15.5.25
4. HUTCH (FOLKLORE ROOMS) 17.5.25
5. THE NEW EVES (THE PIPELINE) 15.5.25

Graeme Houston (Reviewer)

1. DOG RACE (UNBARRED BREWERY) 16.5.25
2. JOCK (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25
3. HOTWAX (BLACK LION) 15.5.25
4. PALE BLUE EYES (SHIPWRIGHT’S YARD) 16.5.25
5. JOPY (THE ACTORS) 17.5.25

David McLean (Reviewer)

1. THE MOLOTOVS (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25
2. GEN AND THE DEGENERATES (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25
3. SULK (REVENGE) 17.5.25
4. KAMRAN KAUR (THE ARCH) 17.5.25
5. SWEET UNREST (THE HOPE & RUIN) 17.5.25