The Brighton & Hove News & Sussex News Music Team were out in force at The Great Escape New Music Festival. Once again this year, we strived to cover as many new and up-and-coming artists as possible during the event, which took place right across the city of Brighton and Hove at numerous venues of varying sizes from Wednesday 14th to Saturday 17th May.
With an extended team, we were able to witness many exciting new acts from a whole host of different music genres from right across the globe. It was hard work and we have the blisters to prove it from running all around the city, but was it worth it? Hell yeah!
There are far too many acts to cover in just one article, so we have split them up in date order. You can find our reviews of the artists that played on Wednesday 14th May HERE.
This article refers to artists that the Brighton & Hove News & Sussex News team covered only on Thursday 15th May, along with the venue and planned time of the performance, as well as who wrote each review. Part 3 on the acts that performed on Friday 16th May can be found HERE, and Part 4 on those who played on Saturday 17th May is available HERE.
There was also a whole host of ‘Unofficial Escape’ events happening throughout Brighton & Hove at the same time again this year, and so where possible, we dipped into some of these events for a full rounded perspective of things.
So without further ado, here’s our Official Great Escape reviews for Thursday 15th May….Enjoy!
THURSDAY 15th MAY:
AMBER T – Inn On The Square 12:00 – 12:30
Amber T opened Inn On The Square’s Alt Escape day with ‘Walking On A Tightrope’. This pop princess who’s been performing since she was a kid is riding high. Always charming and totally great live whether acoustic alone like today or with her full band. No wonder she’s constantly wanted across the country for live sets. She calls her songs “cute” but that shouldn’t belittle them. She’s an accomplished songwriter. It was a solid and delightful set. New singles coming soon so keep eyes and ears open. Catch her when and where you can and as Elton John likes her you can tell how good she is.
(Kairen Kemp)
SAY SUE ME – Jubilee Square 12:00 – 12:30
Say Sue Me are a surf-inspired indie rock band from Busan, South Korea. Members consist of Byungkyu Kim on lead guitar, Sumi Choi on vocals and guitar, Jaeyoung Kim on bass and Sungwan Lim on drums. They have four albums and plenty of singles and EPs already on the belt. Here today they are the opening act for the day in the bright fresh air as part of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) line up. The instruments of choice were Fender guitars and they sure did use them, the opening song clocking in at over 7 minutes ‘In This Mess’ was like liquid gold being poured into my ears, a long drawn out intro and outro really showcasing that jangly surf rock shoegaze sound. Sumi’s soft vocals over the top were the icing on the cake. Throughout the six song, thirty minute set, each song had a really strong bass line, something I personally love. The set started with that wall of sound, moving into more dreamy slow territory with the middle numbers, the band were fairly stationary, much in the way the band Ride are when focusing on the guitar output, but the penultimate song was more lively and had Sumi dancing whilst playing. The finale was ‘Let’s Don’t Say Anything’, what a belter of a song, much faster dance like drum beats, Sumi’s guitar jangling to the max with Byungkyu Kim adding that beautiful layer of shoegaze over the top. What a set, what a start to the day. Even more albums I am now going to need to buy, it has been six years since they were last in Brighton, let’s hope it’s not as long next time.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
WATER MACHINE – Horatios 12:30 – 13:00
To start day two of the festival, I was Horatios to see Glasgow-based weird and wonky art-punk band Water Machine. They were playing as part of the “Scotland At The Great Escape” showcase. They have a raw sound that blends elements of punk, jazz, and alt-rock. They played an entertaining set that featured five songs that are already available to stream and five unreleased songs that will feature on their debut album ‘God Park’, which is set for release on 20th June on Brighton-based record label FatCat Recordings. There was plenty of humorous banter between songs, including a discussion between the lead vocalist and the bass player about whether bands should wear their own t-shirts when performing, with the bass player saying she would only wear hers in bed. Prior to playing the seventh song of the set, ‘River’, the bass player said she had played it the previous night in the wrong key, so she was hoping she got it right this time. This amused other members of the band and the onlookers. I was impressed with the set as the music played. It had plenty of variety, featuring violin, cowbells, and tambourine.
(Ian Holman)
I SEE ORANGE – The Font 12:45 – 13:20
I See Orange are a trio from Swindon comprised of Giselle Medina (vocal, bass), Cameron Hill (guitar) and Charlie Hart (drums). They were enjoying their first time playing live in Brighton. Orange by name orange by nature, Giselle’s bass guitar, microphone and even phone case were neon orange. I do love a band who excel at making themselves memorable. But it was not just the visual styling, but also the delivery which made this one of our favourite acts of the day. Tracks like ‘La Bruja’ and the new single ‘Feebleness’ really captured our ears. At one point Charlie was hitting his kit so hard his stick broke clean in half. Giselle not only coordinated her kit but revelled in some good old-fashioned head-banging and hair swinging to rival the kings of rock! Meanwhile seemingly clean-cut Cameron more than held his own on the classic guitar riffs and moves. If you like a mix of classic ‘90s rock, grunge, and heavy melodic rock this is the band for you. The band’s new single is available to stream and purchase in a variety of formats now.
(Jess Kemp)
JOE & THE SHITBOYS – Waterbear 13:00 – 13:45
I’ve seen Joe & The Shitboys at festivals a couple of times before, and on both occasions it’s been really bloody difficult to get in. So this time I’m not taking any chances. I arrive at the venue a good half an hour before the band is scheduled to start, and already there is a massive queue, with a strict “one out, one in” policy being applied. I knew that the Waterbear has a small capacity (150) having been there before, but I really thought a thirty minute early arrival would do the job. The Faroe Islands punks are clearly even more popular than I thought!!! I hear the soundcheck, and the band are into their fourth song before I get in. Even then I’m struggling to look into the gig room through one of the arched doorways from the bar. It quickly becomes clear that Joe & The Shitboys are a bit crocked today. It turns out that their bass player is missing. He has checked into rehab to deal with mental health issues that he is suffering from, and the guitarist is playing the bass parts on his guitar, along with the guitar parts of course. By and large it kinda works, and when it doesn’t they just sound like a punkier White Stripes, which is hardly a disaster. The singer asks for “some action” in the room. I’m not convinced that there’s actually room! People do try to mosh though. ‘Please Seek Help’ is dedicated to their absent bassist, and anyone else suffering from similar problems. ‘F*ck Everybody’ sounds oddly like The Red Hot Chilli Peppers today – I’m not sure that it does normally! The singer asks everybody to get down and jump up. They comply. Quite explosively. ‘Save The Planet, You Dumb F*ck’ is one of the greener songs we’ll hear this weekend, and closing song ‘The Shitboys’ Theme’ should be recognised as the classic that it is. As Cilla Black might have said: Joe & The Shitboys – they’re a lorra, lorra fun!
(Mark Kelly)
OPAL MAG – Unbarred Brewery 13:00 – 13:30
Opal Mag is an exciting venture blending dream pop and slacker rock. Their sound is sweet but self-assured, brimming with melodies and soaring vocals that wrap around confessional lyrics. Vocalist and guitarist Opal Mag was joined by her band consisting of Annie Frazer (keyboards and backing vocals), James Bowden (guitar), Martin Eddington (bass) and Connor McCorkindale (drums). Opal Mag’s show at Unbarred Brewery was their first of 6 over 2 days. It started with the wonderful dreamy indie sounds of ‘Feel It All’, with interesting distortion on guitars. Often the songs started with Opal singing to low key accompaniment, such as to Martin’s bass and Connor’s drums on ‘Kitchen Song’. As the others joined the tracks, Annie’s backing vocals from behind the keyboard complemented Opal’s lead vocals very well. Opal Mag saved their recent single releases to close the set. On ‘I Don’t Like You, But I Love You’ Jessica’s keyboards shone. ‘Love To See You Shine’ had a nostalgic nod to 1990’s indie and dream pop, with wonderful mellow parts and bursts of guitars from James. Opal Mag’s lo-fi fuzz-kissed dream-pop was one of the best sets I saw from the alternative escape.
(Peter Greenfield)
AKO – Queens Hotel 13:15 – 13:45
First up for me on Thursday was Japanese singer-songwriter Ako, together with her four bandmates on keyboard, guitars and drums. Ako has a breathy-light vocal style and treated us to half an hour of perfectly crafted breezy pop songs sung in her native language. An excellent start to the day.
(Martin J Fuller)
FOURTH DAUGHTER – Horatios 13:30 – 14:00
Scottish alt-electropop artist and producer Emily Atkinson is Fourth Daughter and in real life she actually is the youngest of four daughters in her family. This afternoon she has quite a bit of kit with her at Horatios on Brighton Pier. The solo artist awards us with live vocals and has a laptop, control pads, Akai Ableton Push, Alesis V25, and another mini keys on the go throughout her half hour showcase set. Her music is an arresting blend of pulsating synths, luminous soundscapes and her own radiant vocals, listening to Fourth Daughter feels like bathing in the Balearic sun. It’s chart friendly Ibiza style dance numbers! Emily is establishing herself as one of electronic music’s most exciting rising talents. If it’s euphoric electro that you crave then look no further than her new five tune ‘Full Bloom’ EP, it’s a cathartic and joyous release. It’s fascinating to watch Emily beavering away as she speedily and continually switches between units. I get a vibe of it sounding at times like the solo work of Lauren Mayberry and every track is really enjoyable especially the final two numbers, which are on the new EP. Would love to see live in action again!
(Nick Linazasoro)
PETE FIJ – The Mesmerist 13:30 – 14:10
Pete FIJ is a legend. I interviewed him some years back with Terry Bickers (House of Love & Levitation) about the album, ‘We Are Millionaires’, they made together which was entrancing. Formerly with Adoreable and Polak to name just two former bands he’s universally lauded and well deservedly. Opened with ‘Complicated’ but here’s nothing complicated about Fij’s artistry – sensational, poetic songwriting. This is dark, doomy alt rock with real atmosphere. Pete Fij is the real deal with a dynamic stage presence and you simply can’t take your eyes off him. Ably aided by Davey and the laptop for its backing track who got their own round of applause too! He’s playing Rossi Bar on 25th June.
(Kairen Kemp)
RACHAEL SAGE & THE SEQUINS – Casablanca 13:30 – 14:00
Multi-award winning American singer songwriter Rachael Sage and her accompanying violin and harmonica players kick started my festival and what a stunning way it was to begin the day. Alternating between sitting down at her keyboard or standing while playing her electric guitar, her voice is effortlessly beautiful as she and her talented backing band treated us to a fantastic set of theatrical alt- folk pop numbers.
(Graeme Houston)
SOFY – Charles Street Tap 13:30 – 14:10
I had to Shazam a catchy tune while out at a gig last month and discovered it was ‘Front Seat Honey’ by SOFY. Alas the singer/guitarist’s headline show at The Hope & Ruin in April was sold out, but as fate would have it she’s playing the Chess Club Records showcase at Charles Street Tap today, so I’ve got a second chance to see her. Hailing from Leicester, SOFY (stylised in all caps) and her three bandmates take the stage dressed in matching Adidas Stripes jackets and baggy shorts and begin with ‘Sticky,’ the opening track on current mixtape ‘Another Day In Paradise.’ A strong start but then disaster as there’s a click track error… “Does anyone know any jokes?” asks the singer as the sound guy tries to fix the problem. With no solution forthcoming, the band decide to play ‘Pirates’ as it’s the one song on their setlist that doesn’t require a backing track… “This has never happened to us before!” Worried that they’re going to have to abandon the remainder of their set, a huge cheer goes up as the click track suddenly comes through the speakers as it should, and the band are back in business! The aforementioned ‘Front Seat Honey’ is a highlight, breezy singalong pop in the same vein as label-mate Pixey. ‘Giant Designs’ is a song about moving to Margate and being obsessed with watching ‘Grand Designs’ on telly, and then we’re treated to the first ever play of new song ‘Doo Yaa’ about the SOFY’s love/hate relationship with the music industry. After mellow acoustic number ‘Big Talk’ the band finish their 10 song set with another earworm, ‘TogetherTogether’ jubilantly clutching victory from the jaws of defeat.
(Phil Newton)
TABI – The Font 13:30 – 14:05
Taking the stage the audience thoroughly underestimates Tabi, reading her as another bleach blonde pop steel, but then she started to sing, and what a voice! Accompanied only by one backing musician Tabi thundered through her own material and at least one cover. Mesmerising as she was talented, I have a feeling that we will see another few incarnations of her before her final alter ego sticks, not unlike Lana Del Ray (Lizzy Grant) before her.
(Jess Kemp)
THE ROEBUCKS – Three Wise Cats (Casablanca) 13:30 – 14:00
For the third time in five months, I find myself in the company of Goo Records signees The Roebucks at Three Wise Cats (otherwise known as the Casablanca Club) to kick off my Thursday at TGE. Pooling together a love of 70s rock ‘n’ roll and folk sensibilities, these guys have gone from strength to strength with every subsequent performance I’ve caught of theirs. Despite a technical difficulty towards the start with no singers having microphones turned on (wake up, sound guy!), the tremendous power and communal spirit the quartet were able to conjure up and bleed through to the crowd was nothing short of spectacular! The sound of The Roebucks features many familiar qualities that one could find in the depths of folk rock, blues and Americana music, but ultimately, the combined chemistry, beautiful vocal harmonies and heartfelt songwriting duties split across the band’s individual talents, make The Roebucks a rising highlight, not just for me, but for the Brighton live scene in general. While my favourite song of theirs, ‘He’s My Man’, is currently not on streaming, a good heap of songs from the set ARE, including their most recent cut, ‘Great British Pig’, so why not give ‘em a spin?
(Christian Le Surf)
DICE – Komedia (Basement) 13:55 – 14:20
DICE are a four piece rock band from Perth, Australia, Comprising of Ben Hodge, Tom King, Regan Beazley, and Sam Barrett-Lennard. With a trio of guitars, fast and thunderous drums, they took us on a non-stop seven song powerhouse of a set. The band effortlessly seemed to look like rock stars, the leather jacket, the moustaches on 3 of them, the tattoos and earrings, they looked the part and 100% sounded the part. To name a few of the songs played, we got their most recent song ‘Alter Ego’, a song about having a commentary with yourself, ‘Chasing Hearts’ and the band closed with the very lively ‘Stop Sign’. DICE are a fantastic band, I’m surprised we’ve not heard of them more here in the UK. There was a real sense the band were having lots of fun, they had endless energy, lots of smiles and gestures between them all on stage during the set. At the very end Tom the guitarist sat right on the end of the stage in front of me and we all had to crouch down before all leaping up as the song’s finale hit. A great way to end a very enjoyable show.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
JACQUI (재키) – Jubilee Square 14:00 – 14:30
Standing on the large stage in Jubilee Square with her bass guitarist for company, diminutive KPOP export Jacqui, who hails from South Korea, punched above her weight with a sassy-set of R&B and soul infused electronica, samples and big beats. Check out her single released on 9th May, called ‘fries, bb’ – as a good introduction to her music.
(Martin J Fuller)
YUUF – Unbarred Brewery 14:00 – 14:30
There was a very laid-back feel to the second band on at Unbarred Brewery, Yuuf. Based in London, they bring together musicians from 4 different countries. The group consists of Anthony Boatright (English) on bass, Hugo Cottu (French) on guitar, Oliver Overgaard (Danish) on drums, and Andrin Haag (Swiss) on percussion. Yuuf blended their cultural influences to create global psychedelia instrumental music. The dominant sound underpinning their set seemed to be math and yacht rock. Mid set there was a bit of soft rock, like a lighter take on Led Zeppelin. While not to my taste, some others at Unbarred seemed to be enjoying Yuuf’s performance.
(Peter Greenfield)
STATIC LIVES – The Font 14:15 – 14:50
I was quite sure that I had seen Static Lives in the Rock’n’Roll Circus 2024 lineup, I knew I had seen the following band, Work In TV before. From the photo displayed on screen we were not 100% sure that we were in fact seeing the original Static Lives lineup as they looked different. But by the end of the set, we knew it was them. Their lead vocalist hit all the right beats and owned the stage delivering a smooth and engaging set.
(Jess Kemp)
MISS KANINNA – Komedia (Studio) 14:25 – 14:50
At Komedia Studio, as part of the Great Escape Festival’s Australian showcase, the captivating Miss Kaninna delivered a really impactful show. Her unique blend of political Aboriginal soft-ballad hip-hop is powerful, and the intimate setting perfectly suited her thoughtful lyrics and melodic delivery, drawing the audience into her world. She weaves together personal narratives with broader political statements, creating a tapestry of sound that’s both deeply moving and thought-provoking. Combining sharp social commentary with a gentle, almost lullaby-like musicality, Miss Kaninna isn’t just performing; she’s educating and empowering, leaving a lasting impression long after the final note.
(Sara-Louise Bowrey)
BOTTLE ROCKETS – Horatios 14:30 – 15:00
Another band I saw as part of the “Scotland At The Great Escape” showcase were Bottle Rockets. They were winners of BBC Introducing’s Scottish Act of the Year 2024, and listening to them, you can see why. They play a mix of indie-rock and shoegaze with radio-friendly hooks. Based in Glasgow, they’ve already sold out the famous King Tuts venue and have played top Scottish festival TRNSMT as well as Reading & Leeds festivals. They played an eight-song set this afternoon that included five released tracks, two unreleased, as well as a cover of Fontaines D.C.’s ‘I Love You’ from their third album ‘Skinty Fia’. One of the unreleased songs they played was ‘Home’, which lead vocalist Kenzi Murray wrote when all her friends went to Australia. The other unreleased song ‘I Won’t Speak Again’ is set to feature on the band’s debut EP, which is due to be released soon. Kenzi has a powerful voice, while lead guitarist John Tamburrini was also impressive.
(Ian Holman)
FORGETTING THE FUTURE – The Mesmerist 14:30 – 15:10
This young band are from just about as far north as you can go without falling into the sea – Thurso in the Scottish highlands. Pure indie rock who knock ‘em flat with sold out tours in Scotland and now conquering down south with festival appearances aplenty. I love a band whose bass reverbs into the floor. Filthy guitar riffs fill me with joy and oh the energy of these kids who really know how to rock. Quality songs and superb audience engagement from their dynamic frontman.
(Kairen Kemp)
LAUNDROMAT CHICKS – The Hope & Ruin 14:30 – 15:00
Vienna’s Laundromat Chicks are purveyors of indie jangle-pop who take me right back to 1986. There certainly would have been a place for them on the C86 tape issued by NME, that’s for sure. I must confess to coveting Tobias Hammermuller’s Danelectro 12-string, upon which he plays some pretty awesome slide. The drummer seems to speed up in the second song. That’s fine as long as the band go with him, which they do. Initially the vocals seem to be woefully low in the mix, but the sound engineer soon rectifies that. Both guitarists share lead guitar and vocals, which nicely varies the band’s sound. The band’s material is pleasant and has guts, but they’re not going to change the world. There seems to be something missing somehow. They’ve more than got the chops. Maybe they’re just too modest and reticent. Perhaps they should concentrate on grabbing the audience by the lapels and giving them a good shake, because there’s actually plenty to enjoy here.
(Mark Kelly)
THE DEEP BLUE – One Church 14:30 – 15:00
I hadn’t intended to see Indie-folk girl band The Deep Blue, but as I was walking past One Church, I heard some ear-catching female harmonies drifting out of the door, so I decided to check them out and caught 20 minutes of their set. The four band-members (guitars, electronic keys, drums, vocials) harmonise beautifully and play with big smiles on their faces. There was even some crowd participation with the three-part harmony! With hints of Fleetwood Mac, Haim and the Cranberries infused in their performance, they have caught the attention of The Waterboys and are currently supporting them on their UK tour. Local legends Arxx were spotted enjoying the set too. I’m glad I stopped by.
(Martin J Fuller)
Y – Three Wise Cats (Casablanca) 14:30 – 15:00
A lot of hot discussions and mystique surrounds the next band on my radar, Y. Made up of members known for their involvement with bands such as Warmduscher, Fat White Family and Scud FM, in a short space of time, Y have quickly become one of the biggest London bands to watch across music scenes and festival circuits. Right from the get go at Three Wise Cats, the five piece of drums, sax, guitar, bass and Korg synth, tear apart the sounds of avant-prog and experimental rock that not only feels like an amplification of the bands that originate from, but a further venture towards a unique sound that is erratic, nightmarish and full of spectacle! There are clear sonic comparisons that can be made with other contemporaries such as Flip Top Head and Maruja but also, the wild and zany post-punk of groups like The Pop Group spring to mind. Across their half-hour various vocal and instrumental duties change, showcasing each band member’s individual vitalities and strengths. For me, it’s safe to say that the excitement and buzz around Y is totally justified; with this being a supergroup of sorts, it’s certainly going to be interesting seeing where this quintet can go from here…!
(Christian Le Surf)
BOLD LOVE – Unbarred Brewery 15:00 – 15:30
Bold Love are an alternative rock outfit based in Dublin, consisting of Cian Ó’Maonlaí (lead vocals), Jack Cody (guitar/vocals), Megan Nic Ruairí (vocals, keys/synth), Dan Aherne (bass), Anton Shovlin (drums), and Adam Curtis (lead guitar). Their expansive guitar driven sound filled Unbarred Brewery, as did Cian’s powerful vocals. There was good showmanship from Cian, who had great stage presence and engagement with the audience. He often left the stage to sing in the space between the audience and the stage. Cian also delivered the slower songs equally well. It was an enjoyable performance, which went down well with the Unbarred crowd.
(Peter Greenfield)
CURRLS – The Black Lion 15:00 – 15:40
So who was going to take to the stage for the 3:00pm secret set then? None other than local female three piece, powerhouse, garage rockers Currls. Straight from playing at the official BBC Introducing show they hit The Black Lion all guns blazing and didn’t let up until the last chord had been hit. Their thirty minute set went by far too quickly with every song an absolute banger. I could have easily listened to at least another half hour’s worth of their punk pop alchemy, but such is their popularity they had to pop off to play yet another “secret” set.
(Graeme Houston)
WORK IN TV – The Font 15:00 – 15:35
Work in TV – less a band name, more a lesson in cautionary advice from one of 2024’s standout acts. Barely fitting on the stage, the collective who are a mix of indie favourites Gomez meets Matt Berry in full flow delivered yet again. During one of the earlier tracks in their set we wondered if the band’s main lead was in fact having a nervous breakdown on stage as he was so in the moment. We need not have worried, as he was simply being the consummate lead singer, one in fact who also happens to look like a cheekier more fresh-faced Matt Berry.
(Jess Kemp)
SEX MASK – Komedia (Studio) 15:10 – 15:35
Sex Mask is a 3 piece post-punk/alternative rock band based in Melbourne, Australia, drawing members who hail from various parts of the globe. The self-contained writing/production unit comprises Vicente Moncada on drums/production, Ry Gray on vocals and lyrics, and Kaya Martin on guitars and synths. Their music is described as “vague pop instilled with the ancient genius of your own blood,” suggesting a blend of introspective lyrics, innovative soundscapes, in a context of absurdist punk. Sex Mask has released several tracks, including ‘TV Movie’, ‘How To Be Cool At Parties’, and ‘Birds’. All of these tunes are performed this afternoon in the crammed Komedia Studio. The other songs in their nine song set are ‘No Love’, ‘Mike’, ‘Beheadal’, ‘Raid’, ‘Burning Rose’ and newbie ‘Circe’. Their tunes are drumming led and quite interesting, but I’m not totally sold as yet. I need to have a second gig to decide….and indeed I do….
(Nick Linazasoro)
BETTER JOY – Manchester Street Arts Club 15:30 – 16:00
Last year I caught the start of Better Joy’s set by sheer chance at The Font as part of the Rock n Roll Circus and was impressed enough to make sure they were on my hit list this time round. The band soundchecked and then opted to wait on stage for 3 or 4 minutes, the nervous excitement showed as the venue filled to capacity. Then it was show time as the band launched into ‘Situations’ the first of an eight song set. Better Joy are a solo project led by Bria Keely backed by her band. Bria is incredibly strong up front and centre, looking every bit the star, always dancing about and smiling with or without her guitar, there was no stopping her, she radiates joy and positivity, beautiful vocals and great songs. Bria got everyone to join in with ‘What A Day’ a song taken from her debut EP ‘Heading Into Blue’ of which five of its songs were played today. A shout out to the excellent band, George on bass, Darren on guitar and Jamie on drums who all helped make Bria shine. Over this past year they have really developed, go check out the EP it only came out in March and virtually sold out. I look forward to catching the band again, hopefully I won’t have to wait a year again.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR – Revenge 15:30 – 16:00
One of my top three most-anticipated acts at this year’s festival is Chinese American Bear, the duo from Seattle comprised of Bryce Bartsen (vocals/guitar) and Anne Tong (vocals/keys). Joined by drummer Rex, they are bringing their sunshine-filled brand of cute groovy pop tunes to Brighton for the very first time. Imagine a psychedelic version of Superorganism infused with South East Asian flavours and you’ll start to get the idea. Their songs primarily focus on things they like, ‘Magic Number’ from new album ‘Wah!!!’ is about playing Dungeons & Dragons (Anne admits they’re a band of nerds) whilst ‘Dumplings’ is all about how to cook dumplings, with Anne instructing the crowd on the various hand movements and Chinese phrases that accompany the song. 6 Music favourite ‘Kids Go Down’ is a highlight, its simple singalong chorus reflecting the pure joy of dancing like kids without a care in the world. Bryce and Anne swap instruments for ‘Take Me To Beijing’ and before the finale Anne throws some little bear plushies into the crowd as the trio bring their 8 song set to a close with ‘Love Bus’ from their debut self-titled album. It’s safe to say we’re all aboard the Chinese American Bear love bus by the end and I hope we don’t have to wait too long for a return visit to the UK.
(Phil Newton)
EAST OF RENO – The Mesmerist 15:30 – 16:10
East of Reno were always going to be an audience pull and suddenly they’re flocking in! It’s not just The Hoosiers history, but the fact that this, Irwin Sparkes’ outfit, is utterly superb with a slick vibe in its own right. Seriously feel good they bridge several genres, although Americana probably comes closest, and it seems as though they’ve created their own genre. They’re having just THE best time and I love to see that in a band. There were new and old – although they’ve not really been together long enough for that term to be correct – songs. However ‘I’d Give it All Up For A Night Like This’ always stands out for me as it is a beautiful anthemic banger.
(Kairen Kemp)
THE OUTERS – The Font 15:45 – 16:20
The Outers are indeed another returning band from last year’s lineup from this Kick Out The Jams event. The Outers have a lead singer whose sheer charisma could fill The Albert Hall. More polished, hungrier, and tighter than the proverbial, The Outers delivered a flawless set making ample use of the space available. This year their disparate image between the members gelled. Whether it was the time that had elapsed or whether my tastes have matured I do not know. Their set was magnetic.
(Jess Kemp)
CLIFFORDS – The Prince Albert 16:00 – 16:30
There are some bands that you just know are on an upward trajectory, and Cliffords are one of them. I saw them at a sold-out Camden Dublin Castle around a month ago, with BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq in attendance. Today the Prince Albert is equally rammed, although Lammo doesn’t appear to be here. Nothing should be read into that though. There are plenty of bands to see at The Great Escape, and Lammo’s a busy man. Anyway, Cliffords are onstage. They soundcheck, and it’s straight into the set. Vocalist Iona Lynch looks so graceful that she could be appearing in Swan Lake! Her poise is matched by her sonic contribution to the band. Her voice is powerful and crystalline. It’s a long way from being all about Iona though. The band write the music whilst she writes the lyrics, and they’re impressive musicians. ‘Feels Like A Man’ has a really quite impressive guitar part from Harry Menton, which is put through a flanger pedal, whilst bassist Gavin Dawkins switches over to trumpet, with Locon O’Toole playing the bass part on keyboards, a la Ray Manzarek of The Doors. ‘Dungarvan Bay’ is a very recent single and features martial drumming from Dan Ryan and an impressive trumpet solo from Gavin Dawkins. Somewhere in Cork there’s a guy whose ears are not so much burning as blazing absolutely furiously!!! He is the subject of ‘My Favourite Monster’. We don’t know his name yet (but we will, we will….) but he has really pissed Iona off through no fault of his own apparently. Iona told this story in Camden, and she tells it today. This guy, whoever he is, is soon going to be wanting royalties!!! There is clearly lots of press interest in Cliffords, with plenty of photographers here. The press interest is much deserved. Cliffords have a manifesto, and I like that kind of thing. Item 3 in their manifesto is: “A day out of Cork is a day wasted”. Well, I think Cliffords are going to have to get used to having a lot of wasted days.
(Mark Kelly)
GANS – Unbarred Brewery 16:00 – 16:40
I hadn’t planned to see GANS at Unbarred Brewery, but I was already at the venue and had a natural gap in proceedings and decided to stay for their set – and I’m glad I did as this was a fabulous performance. Black Country duo Euan Woodman (drums) and Tom Rhodes (guitar, electronics) performed a jaw-dropping set of explosive hard-hitting raw punk energy melded with a touch of humour, their dual vocals and acoustic power making it hard to believe it was just two people. We even had a crowd walkabout from Euan and some audience participation for their track ‘BUSINESS’. This isn’t my usual type of music, but these lads are fantastic live performers with an engaging style and Euan’s frantic and powerful drumming is sublime – highly recommended.
(Martin J Fuller)
HOTWAX – The Black Lion 16:00 – 16:40
The 4:00pm secret set was a real treat. Hastings trio HotWax who have supported Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Royal Blood and Frank Carter, and whose debut LP hit the top 40 in the official charts just a couple of months ago were next up. This is a band whose career is on a major upward trajectory and I don’t think we’ll ever have the chance to see them play such a small venue again…..unless they choose to of course. They treated us to a relentless half hour set that by the looks on their faces they were enjoying just as much as the crowd and we were having an absolute blast. A set that easily made my Top 5 of the whole weekend. Breathtakingly good!
(Graeme Houston)
JC & THE GREAT PLAGUE – The Font 16:30 – 17:05
A new act for this year are the trio of JC & The Great Plague, who delivered Indie rock with a definitively Brit Pop edge and styling, with the lead delivering his vocal in a decidedly, Supergrass meets, well most other lesser Brit Pop acts. The tone of the delivery flitted between early Supergrass and a slightly darker heavier rock edge. All dark leather and slim ties the stylish presentation complimented their chosen vocal style. I would like to see more from them before I can honestly 100% recommend them. Hopefully, we will have the chance again in the coming year.
(Jess Kemp)
CHILD OF PRAGUE – Unbarred Brewery 17:00 – 17:30
Dublin’s Child of Prague were playing their first Brighton show at the alternative escape. They are Jack McDonnell (vocals and guitar), Adam Tracey (guitar), Miranda Gallacher (drums), Noah Edwards (bass), Rachel Baum (saxophone, violin and vocals), and Amelia Durac (violin and vocals). Their unique sound embraced folk pop and elements of Irish traditional music, with Midwest emo and math rock guitar. The interplay and swapping lead between the vocalists in the band worked well and their different individual styles added variety to the set. There was some elaborate guitar playing with Adam sometimes playing on the neck of his guitar. The inclusion of the violin and the saxophone added to the distinctive sound of Child of Prague, especially the sax which added a jazz feel. On their first Brighton appearance, I can see Child of Prague being warmly welcomed back to the city.
(Peter Greenfield)
MILKSHED. – The Font 17:15 – 17:50
Moving from ‘90s Brit pop, the opening chords of the set from MIlkshed. suggested we might have pole-vaulted to grunge, but we sat somewhere in between, in that odd valley between the two that confused everyone. These days however mixing genres is the done thing. So, they have appeared at the perfect time for them. There is a strong hint at least musically of the heavier compositions brought by grunge bands. Vocally however we were still firmly in Brit-pop accented delivery, another act that I will reserve full judgement on until I have a chance to see them again, again hopefully over the next year.
(Jess Kemp)
KORDA KORDER – Grand Central 17:20 – 17:50
The Hastings-born Korda Korder are a new one for me; a fellow End of the Trail Creative signee alongside one of my favourite bands, Enjoyable Listens, this five-piece has enjoyed relative success over the last few months with significant BBC 6 Music airplay, SXSW and Glastonbury slots through their distinctive dream pop sound. Hearing the opening moments of their 30-minute set at Grand Central made an instant lasting impression on me, these guys assimilate themselves with the sun-kissed euphoria that one gets from acts of the long-forgotten indie of the early 2010s (see the Vaccines as a particular reference), albeit in a way that doesn’t feel derivative or tiresome. Korda Korder’s instrumental arrangement is fairly straightforward with its array of guitars, bass, drums and vocals; however, the band provides enough intricate arrangements to give each song its own warm and and dream-like flavour (especially when a twelve-stringed acoustic guitar is thrown into particular tracks, I’m a sucker for that!).
(Christian Le Surf)
NXDIA – TGE Beach The Deep End 18:00 – 18:30
Egyptian-Sudanese singer-songwriter Nxdia moved from Cairo to Manchester at the age of eight and sings in English and Arabic. Going by this afternoon’s energetic performance at The Beach Stage Deep End, the now 24-year-old looks to have a bright future in the musical world. A smiling Nxdia enters the stage to some big cheers and a few screams from some enthusiastic fans. The first three songs of the set feature some catchy pop tunes. We then hear a slower, rockier track called ‘Tattoo’, then it’s the turn of punk-pop banger ‘Boy Clothes’, which in part resembles Billie Eilish. The backing track then kicks in for the faster-paced latest release ‘More!’. The song starts with “Soon as I saw your face, from that moment I knew I wanted more. First date, Brick Lane, I knew I wanted more” in a Wet Leg style of singing. We then hear ‘Body On Me’, another one that resembles the catchy Wet Leg style of vocal structure. This one will be released on 13th June and will feature on Nxdia’s debut mixtape ‘I Promise No One’s Watching’. For ‘Feel Anything’, we get a slow acoustic opening minute, then it bursts into life with a rock riff followed by the repeated lyrics “don’t stop, get a drink, throw up in the kitchen sink, I don’t wanna feel, I don’t wanna feel, anything”. Again, there are further resemblances to the lyrical styles of Wet Leg and Billie Eilish in this song. The set closes with the 2024 release ‘She Likes A Boy’ with more bilingual vocals.
(Ian Holman)
OPAL MAG – Grand Central 18:00 – 18:30
Last time I caught Opal Mag was coincidentally the same show I saw The Roebucks for the first time, at a Hidden Herd & Goo Records show at The Hope & Ruin last December; I vividly remember this cascading wave of shoegaze, as the titular singer’s triumphantly sailed her voice through the upstairs venue with finesse and atmosphere…! Catching her Grand Central show was no less exceptional, having now gone through a small change in personnel, but still delivering a euphoric fusion of dream pop, and 90s-kissed indie rock that recalls the sounds of bands like My Bloody Valentine, the Sundays and fellow Brightonites Goodbye (Sarah and Alfie of which were present in the crowd mid-show!). There continues to be a great connection of musicianship between Opal and her cohorts, especially considering the strength of supergroup bandwork of Duskhouse, Moon Idle and Veronica members jumping on board for extra instrumental clarity. With this being one of six shows that Opal Mag has in store for The Great Escape this year, I’m determined to catch at least one more on my travels by the weekend…!
(Christian Le Surf)
RETROPXSSY – The Font 18:00 – 18:35
Returning due to phenomenal popular demand from last year, Retropxssy not only performs live, but also regularly DJ’s a around the country. On arrival with her partner in crime and main collaborator, Joe Jns went to change into her stage outfit, only to return to find that the equipment needed had not been prepared. The flurry of confusion calmed when The Outers lead singer kindly offered her own microphone and lead for use. Disaster averted, Retropxssy kept into what was in turns mesmerising and frenetic performance that had the audience eating out of her hand yet again. Standout tracks were, the new single ‘Shut Up!’, ‘All The Things’ and ‘Fading’. Unfortunately, we were not able to make Joe Jns set at Komedia on the 20/5/2025, but we will ensure we catch him next time he is in town and performing his own set.
(Jess Kemp)
BEATTIE – Chalk 18:15 – 18:45
I actually caught Beattie at last year’s festival on the smallest beach stage where she was somewhat lost amongst all the other female singer/guitarists playing that day. Today she’s graduated to the bigger stage at Chalk alongside band members Kieran (guitars), Guy (keys) and Louis (drums), where a healthy crowd is already starting to assemble. They begin with ‘The Poet’, the current single from debut EP ‘All My Innocence Has Been Ridden’, and the progression that Beattie has made in the past twelve months is immediately evident, with a new found confidence and richer sound to her performance. Other new tracks ‘Life With Her’ and ‘Other Humans’ similarly impress, the latter boasting a soaring chorus which is a high point of the 7 song set. ‘Lucky’ is the oldest song on the setlist and sees a shift in style, being a keyboard-led ballad that really showcases Beattie’s vocal range. She closes with ‘London’, the first single from her EP about her love/hate relationship with the city – “London, you’re tearing me apart / London, I know I’ll miss you if I go far,” she laments on the chorus. With influences from Mazzy Star to Lana Del Rey this brief performance suggests that Beattie now has the potential to make the leap to bigger crowds and develop a growing fanbase within the industry.
(Phil Newton)
PUNCHBAG – The Arch 18:15 – 18:45
New electrifying brother-sister South London duo of Clara and Anders Bach are PUNCHBAG and they are colliding the raw unfiltered energy of punk, with the overflowing ecstasy of pop. With fierce tempos and ferocious energy, their music is an explosively cathartic release of raw intensity and unapologetic fun. Their debut 4 track EP, ‘I’m Not Your Punchbag’, is an unrelenting, high-voltage statement of intent that cements the siblings reputation for boundary-pushing pop with a raw punk spirit. Following the breakout success of their ‘F*ck It’ single, which carries more than a nod to Basement Jaxx’s ‘Where’s Your Head At’, the duo take to The Arch stage this teatime with a couple of chums. On stage we have drums with Roland presets, a guitar, a bass, and Novation keyboard. It’s a crash of drums and they are away, offloading tons of energy, bouncy beats and chart friendly anthems. These are really fun, and I immediately decide to amend the gig planner in order to catch them again at the festival. The drummer is very animated indeed and charismatic Clara certainly holds the eye and the audience in the palm of her hand. They are a tight unit that absolutely nailed it! It was euphoric tune after tune – these being: ‘1 Finger’, ‘I’m Not Your Punchbag’, ‘You Used To Be So Sexy’, ‘F*ck It’, ‘Playing God’, ‘Requires Effort’, ‘I Love This’, ‘Pretty Youth’ and ‘Live Laugh Love’. I’m expecting good things from PUNCHBAG.
(Nick Linazasoro)
A VOID – The Font 18:45 – 19:20
Following on from the last blistering set. The Trio that makes up A VOID did not just take the stage, they made it their own. In a musical departure that could have been jarring in less deft hands, we found ourselves returning to HEAVY rock. Well paced there was a feel of bands like Rosa Motor, here they had been a little less dreamy and fronted by a gutsy lead singer. Visually arresting in presentation and delivery, this was a tight outfit whose sound was as large as the lead vocalist’s delivery. It would be easy to mistake their sound for that of a much bigger outfit. They are now very much on my list for another must see recommendation. I will make sure to get their fantastic Lidl Spoof T-shirt next time!
(Jess Kemp)
SUNDAY (1994) – TGE Beach The Deep End 19:00 – 19:30
Sunday (1994) were the very top of my must see bands list prior to the event, now that is saying something considering I played through every single band playing at the festival. Even with all the clashes it was a hard choice for me; which set to try and catch and who I was going to have to miss. In the end I plumped to take in the band on the biggest stage of all, on the beach. Upon arrival there seemed to be some technical issues afoot on stage with the set up and you could visibly see a couple of the band members looking rather frustrated that their big moment here was getting wrecked, selfishly I was thinking I’d better not be cheated out of 10 minutes of the set, as that was how long it took for things, thankfully resolve, phew! The lights went down and the bass player Lola Colette, drummer Puma and guitarist ‘Lee Newell’ took to a darkened stage to the sound of ‘Adagio For Strings’ and then started straight into ‘Blonde’, whilst they did so, the beautiful vocalist Paige Turner slowly and dramatically made her way from the back in a floaty white dress, looking glamorous indeed, her amazing voice matched her look as she took to the microphone. Next we had ‘Stained Glass Window’ a soaring number, Paige a few times did call to the crowd to “wake the f*ck up”, I’m not sure if this was part of the act or just her frustration with a rather stationary crowd. The rest of the set took in ‘TV Car Chase’ the heavier and super atmospheric ‘Still Blue’, ‘Blossom’ where Paige walked around the stage with a “You Got it Baby” sign, and my favourite ‘Tired Boy’. Sunday (1994) really did not disappoint, they are incredibly polished. Paige was always on the move, gesturing and pointing to the crowd, putting her hand on her heart, she is visually striking, but her voice is utterly amazing. We cannot dismiss Lee Newell’s guitar work, hyper accomplished. If you like your shoegaze, the type of music you want on whilst coasting along in the summer, you will love them. Needless to say I promptly bought their debut album on CD and LP and played it 6 times in a row when I got home. Happy days.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
GREEN STAR – Charles Street Tap 19:15 – 19:45
For many people attending The Great Escape festival, the highlight is discovering a new favourite band, sometimes by accident. For me one of those occasions this year was London-based band Green Star. The three-piece are Lilah Bobak from Los Angeles (vocals and bass), Pedro Soler from Mallorca, and Alberto De Torre from Madrid (both vocals and guitar). They were joined by a drummer for their live show. Green Star created wonderful raucous sonic walls of sound, bleeding swirls of feedback and fuzz all wrapped in a gentle embrace of lyrical romance that filled The Charles Street Tap. There were influences from noise rock and shoegaze, and artists such as Sonic Youth. All three band members shared the vocals, and given their different voices, this worked well with the music. Bassist Lilah often took the softer parts, on the atmospheric intros to the songs but her voice held its own as the songs built. Amongst Green Star’s walls of sound were some catchy indie pop tunes. The stunning set from Green Star climaxed with a brilliant crescendo with all 3 band members playing their guitars lying on the stage. What a fitting way to close a quality set full of noise and intensity.
(Peter Greenfield)
LUVCAT – Chalk 19:15 – 19:45
Walking on stage dressed in a pink babydoll outfit, fishnet stockings and high-heeled black boots Luvcat (aka Sophie Morgan) looks every inch the popstar she’s destined to become. She reveals it’s a year since she played her first Brighton show here at Chalk, and she’s back this evening to surely win over more adoring fans with her ‘60s infused songs of ‘gothic romantic drama’ (her words). Current single ‘Lipstick’ opens the show and sets out her stall early, teasing the audience with its themes of love and submission. Don’t be fooled that Luvcat is anyone’s plaything however, ‘He’s My Man’ is a murder ballad in which the singer fantasises about poisoning her lover. ‘Matador’ about a club in her home city of Liverpool is a real crowd-pleaser, as is ‘Love & Money’ in which she implores her partner to make a sex tape with her. She finishes her set with ‘Dinner @ Brasserie Zedel,’ another song that mixes musical theatre with Chappell Roan, classic sounding yet with a contemporary spin. Luvcat would be perfectly at home in some smoky cabaret club however with this much talent it’s clear she’s going to be performing on much bigger stages in the near future as her star ascends.
(Phil Newton)
0800 RODEO – Pink Moon 20:00 – 20:30
Well what do you know! It’s a brand new venue for us! Pink Moon is a hidden gem in The Lanes and on the ground floor you can grab handmade dim sum, coffee and alcohol, but it’s upstairs on the first floor where all the action is today. It’s rather comfy here and has the vibe of going to a friends lounge. I love what they are trying to create with the large selection of records on the shelves. In front of which we find the unusually named 0800 Rodeo, who are Saoirse Mendel (keys, vocals), Charlie Fairbairn (guitar, vocals, drum machine) and Ryan Cleave (bass). I have been wanting to catch this trio for 7 months now and I eagerly added them into my festival roster. Throughout their set there are recorded phone introductions, which brings smiles to the punters faces and lightens the mood. They kick off (according to their setlists) with ‘Cronies Elevation’, ‘Crazy Colours’, ‘Hotshots And Chickenheads’ and ‘Yip I Oh’. Imagine you go to a get together and find that The Fall and Half Man Half Biscuit are there and they mess around on the synth in the room et voila you have the amateurishly brilliant 0800 Rodeo. None of their hip shaking, shoulder moving, foot tapping songs outstay their welcome. We even get a cover of Kirsty MacColl’s ‘They Don’t Know’, but that’s different from their self-penned ditties. There’s a possibility of a future performance at Family Store Records, which is even more compact! If it comes off, I had better get there early!
(Nick Linazasoro)
JO HILL – Komedia (Studio) 20:15 – 20:45
Having put Jo on my yes list, I was so frazzled by the time the set came round, I couldn’t remember what her sound was like, little did I know I was going to be utterly bewitched by this set and put on such a feel good plane, it would then take a solid spot in my Top 5 for the festival. Jo Hill’s journey into music began in the small village of Cheddar, where she started crafting songs, stories and anything to distract her from village life as a young girl. She entered a singing competition at 9 years old and that path has carried on ever since. The set started with the band being back lit with dimmed purple lighting as the guitars strummed the intro to ‘Pow Girl’, but uniquely Jo started out in the crowd and not on stage with the rest of her band. She very slowly worked her way to the stage, ultimately in time to deliver the final lines of the song, the room was completely captivated, no talking over the artists was going on here. Jo introduced herself as we were then taken on a magical journey of songs such as ‘Glastonbury’, ‘Big Boys Cry Too’ where she had all the men in the crowd hug, shake hands. ‘Zoom Out’ where the song was paused while they all cracked open a beer and toasted before finishing the song in a real fast county stomping way. Her band were superb, all smiling, harmonizing in unison with backing vocals, adding instrumental backing whilst Jo spoke between songs, fully pushing the love out there. The final song of the 7 we were treated to was the beautiful ‘Honeymoon’, again Jo had us joining in with the chorus and ended much like she started coming out and singing with the crowd before ending the final line up on stage. Aside the excellent song writing, beautiful vocals, highly polished musical instrumental talent, it was the crowd engagement from Jo that was pure magic, her ability to tell stories about her life, where the songs came from, getting the crowd involved in so many parts of the set, ever smiling, so warm and personable, an utter pro. I can’t think of performance that I’ve come away from feeling so elated, this set was truly truly, truuuuuuly special to everyone in the room. Wow, just wow.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
MEN AN TOL – Charles Street Tap 20:15 – 20:45
Formed in South London, Mên An Tol’s music had a strong folk influence similar to The Men They Couldn’t Hang, The Pogues and The Waterboys. Their songs reclaim folk traditions with the use of the mandolin coupled with vibrant storytelling. Frontman Bill Jefferson gave a strong assured performance. Mên An Tol’s upbeat, enjoyable show got several people dancing, as they drew people into their set.
(Peter Greenfield)
RE:O – The Font 20:15 – 20:50
Re:O was a complete revelation from the second they took the stage. Delivering a thoroughly coordinated aesthetic, the musicians in the band accessorised the same purple as their lead vocalist kimono. Even their merch coordinated, well and truly on brand. They were also absolutely in-synch musically, and with each other in delivery. This was a fresh and exciting performance from start to finish. The atmosphere was electric the entire time they were on the stage. I am still a little over blown by their set. They left me considering the possibility of international collaborations. That might be nothing new, what with Damon Albarn bringing back his world music collaboration vehicle Africa Express, but this felt like something altogether different and inspiring. The new album ‘Violets’ is out now.
(Jess Kemp)
THE GUEST LIST – Daltons 20:15 – 20:45
Having moved on from the beach area, I headed west along the seafront to Daltons. A venue that started putting on gigs in late 2023 and has become one of the leading grassroots venues on the Brighton music scene. This is the first year Daltons has featured as an official Great Escape venue. I was here to see Altrincham, Manchester five-piece indie rock band The Guest List. They played a great seven-song set that opened with ‘Loose Tongue’, a song that resembles vocals similar to The Coral and features some decent guitar work from Tom Quigley. Next, we hear ‘Plasticine Heart’, a song that was released just a few hours after this performance. There’s a slower tempo to this one, but it’s a good tune. ‘Canada’, an old one from 2022, is next, then we hear what I felt was the standout track of the set. It’s a sad one, ‘161’, a song written about World War I, where 161 men from Chappell Street in Altrincham joined the army, with 29 being killed in action. King George V recognised their bravery and called it the “bravest little street in England”. The impressive set finishes with unreleased new songs ‘Ruine’, ‘Mary’, and ‘Weather Man’. The Guest List play Komedia Studio on 16th November as part of their 12-date UK tour.
(Ian Holman)
TOUGH COOKIE – The Arch 20:15 – 20:45
Tough Cookie are a Dalston-based four piece alternative Indie band. Tonight at The Arch on Brighton seafront they delivered an enjoyable half an hour of tempo-shifting original fuzzy alt-indie songs. The pick of which was their emotionally-charged latest single ‘Happiness’ released last month.
(Martin J Fuller)
TV DEATH – The Old Market 20:15 – 20:45
This post punk psychedelic, garage rock outfit is from Newcastle. Lead singer Jack Burlison struts, postures and screams at the mic. He’s got ‘it’ in bucket fulls. TV Death are deliciously, wildly naughty with a distinctly theatrical quality. Drummer Andy is a real character, great on audience engagement. Bare chested, he rises from his kit to chat to his crowd with dry wit. Their songs have an urgency and tackle societal issues head on. They certainly deserved a bigger audience than they had here tonight.
(Kairen Kemp)
FRENCH TOAST – The Font – 21:00 – 21:35
9pm – French Toast – ‘Shy and retiring’ are not words for this performer. Touted by several performers throughout the day as “unmissable”, they have certainly earned their fans. This gusset baring chanteuse, not only owned the stage, but told the venue their fortune plainly. From the collective reaction the average Englishman is still very much into a strident woman telling them exactly what they want them to do and taking absolute charge. It was an unadulterated exercise in differing delivery style. As confrontational and downright scary as she was, the collective female section of the audience quickly found her and her band incredibly empowering, they are a force to be reckoned with. Her voice is phenomenal. To be honest I was so overwhelmed by the live performance, I really could not tell you what the band sounded like, only that they were tight as hell and as completely under her control as the collective audience. It was at this point that we had to take our leave for the weekend. We wondered into the night wondering what in hell had just happened.
(Jess Kemp)
CHLOE QISHA – Patterns (Downstairs) 21:15 – 21:45
Rising pop star Chloe Qisha clearly has industry backing – anyone logging onto the TGE app today is greeted by an ad promoting her new ‘Modern Romance’ EP. Malaysian born but now based in London, the singer/guitarist’s oeuvre is alternative-pop, less the big expansive dance-floor fillers of big hitters Dua Lipa and Charli XCX, more the ice-cool minimalism of say Banks or Allie X. Taking to the Patterns stage smartly attired in her customary office wear of waistcoat, shirt, tie and trousers, she opens with recent single ‘21st Century Cool Girl.’ She strips down to a t-shirt as she performs ‘The Boys’ and reveals she loves writing songs about sex before launching into current single ‘Sex, Drugs & Existential Dread.’ After ‘Modern Romance’ (her favourite song to play) she talks about ‘Evelyn’ inspired by the “f***ing bitch” who was always better than her at school – the song itself is an angrier, rockier affair which wouldn’t sound out of place on Olivia Rodrigo’s last album. Chloe closes her 9 song set with ‘I Lied, I’m Sorry,’ a favourite of mine and her fans – the song was recently covered by Kelly Clarkson on her TV show. It’s a slick, professional set and it’s easy to see why both industry folk and fans alike are flocking to support her. I doubt we’ll see her playing stages the size of Patterns for very much longer.
(Phil Newton)
ELINBORG – Waterbear Venue 21:15 – 21:45
Faroese singer-songwriter Elínborg Pálsdóttir (known solely as Elinborg) performed here at the same venue for last year’s Great Escape and my review back then ended by statating “I have continually been going to gigs since 1978 and this was the very first ever time that I was totally overcome with emotions and was on the brink or crying. I now understand why some people wave their hands in front of their faces in a fan motion in order to endeavour to hold back the tears! Something very special has just happened!” So you can guess my joy of being able to once again catch the voice of an angel Elínborg and her two chums in action this year. Born and raised in the small town of Syðrugøta, she released her first EP album in 2015 and during tonight’s set we are informed that there’s a new album on the way. The equipment of choice is a guitar, Waldorf keys and other keys, Roland drum pads, mini keys and drums with a Roland KD7 Rubber Bass Drum Trigger. Now I can’t ever recall mentioning this kick pedal before, but crikey what a punch, as the ethereal notes reverberate right through my body. Once again this year, the performance was transfixing and the songs are immense with the clarity that is perfect for the tunnel style compact venue. The set includes ‘Sjórok’ which Elinborg informs us means ‘Sea Spray’ and that it’s inspired by the Faroe Islands. It’s this tune that once again spearheads right into my heart and floods my body, soul and whole being with immense emotion!
(Nick Linazasoro)
FOLK BITCH TRIO – Brighthelm 21:15 – 21:45
Folk Bitch Trio hail from Melbourne, Australia, and consist of Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington and Heide Peverelle. Unfortunately I don’t know which one of them is which, but that doesn’t really matter as they all sing and play guitar, and they are all equally talented. Indeed, they are a perfect musical match for each other. The only difference between them is that one of them plays electric guitar. Instruments are ditched for their first song however, which is sung acapella and showcases their utterly flawless harmonies. Later there’s some lovely fingerpicking on both acoustic and electric guitars. The lead vocals are shared around and they all perform brilliantly. On ‘Cathode Ray’ they sound like a female Crosby, Stills and Nash, with the electric guitarist’s playing being not dissimilar to that of Steve Stills. They have an album due out in July entitled ‘Now Would Be A Good Time’ and many of the songs played tonight are on it, including ‘God’s A Different School’ and set closer ‘Moth Song’. Their only current scheduled UK show is at the Green Man Festival in Crickhowell on 17th August. I certainly hope that they take the opportunity to play some more shows while they’re over here.
(Mark Kelly)
RABBITFOOT – Charles Street Tap 21:15 – 21:45
Rabbitfoot (stylised as RABBITFOOT) is a genre-blending collective of five music students and best friends, creating vibrant, boundary-pushing music that mixes pop, rock, alt, jazz, and electronic sounds. Phrases like “genre-blending” and “boundary-pushing” are often overused, but definitely apply to Rabbitfoot. The eclectic five piece consist of a lead singer, guitar, synth, drums, and violin. Lead singer River’s theatrical performance ranged from poetry recital with an almost fairy tale feel to screamed vocals, and several styles in between. River had great rapport with the audience, encouraging them saying “I dare you to take 5 giant steps forward.” Why just suggest one step. River was very animated as was the synth player Olivia who danced constantly while playing. Rabbitfoot are one of those bands who have so much fun on stage, that their mood spread from the stage. Rabbitfoot’s blend of folk, jazz, rock was very memorable and grew on me, not just for being different but also its quality.
(Peter Greenfield)
THE BUG CLUB – The Old Market 21:15 – 21:45
The Bug Club is a Welsh indie rock band with a penchant for the absurd from Caldicot in Monmouthshire. Formed in 2016 by brothers Sam and Ross Willmett and Tilly Harris, the current lineup consists of Sam Willmett (guitar, vocals) and Tilly Harris (bass, vocals). Plus drummer Tom who’s also their producer. Quirky, beguiling and they’re funny – really funny. How many bands can write a song about haircuts?! Their last song ‘Quality Pints’ was suitably frantic in delivery to end the set. Great fun and fascinating.
(Kairen Kemp)
TTSSFU – Green Door Store 21:15 – 21:45
TTSSFU is the band of Tasmin Stephens, a band very dear to my heart, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them last year at Brighton’s Psychfest so they were instantly a must see for The Great Escape. I think many others had the same idea as the Green Door Store was bursting at the seams with people. This set did not disappoint, clocking in at 32 minutes taking in 9 brilliant songs. The 4 members of the band took to the stage, the drummer, bass player and guitarist all in matching white shirts, black ties and trousers. Tasmin herself in a rather see through white dress complete with police tape underneath. I had thought I’d read she had a new band, but two of them definitely played with her last time in Brighton. The musical style of TTSSFU is quite dark, it’s ethereal, it has shoegaze, it has dream pop, it can get heavy with all those layers of guitar, but at other times can be so soft and gentle. It’s like a hidden void between and when you hear it you’re transported to this secret realm. One song in the set was apparently written due to her experience at The Great Escape last year, but she did not elaborate. Following this we were told we entering the depression section of the set, before entering the happier section with a song called ‘Cat Piss’ named that as she likes the smell of it. There is a lot of mysticism about TTSSFU, the stage presence sometimes seems slightly unhinged, quite crazy and very unpredictable, but always mesmerising. Tamsin’s unique heart shaped guitar came off for the most excellent ‘Studio 54’ as she sat at the front of the stage singing in the most hauntingly beautiful way possible before coming out into the crowd and eventually collapsing on the stage floor, I notice at this point she is bare footed and the bassist also has no shoes, her guitar on the ground also has a huge sticker of her face on the back emblazoned with “F*CKER”. The final song of the set was ‘I Hope You Die’, one in which Tamsin’s vocals really range from soft to screaming, at the very end she screamed “Thank you” and bolted out through the crowd and out of the door. With one EP ‘Me, Jed & Andy’ already under the belt, another EP and an album are hopefully coming soon. My God this band are an experience and a half, I bloody love them.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
WESTSIDE COWBOY – Charles Street Tap 22:15 – 22:45
Westside Cowboy blend elements of indie rock, country and Midwest emo, to create a sound that’s both freshly new and yet familiar. The Manchester newcomers are made up of Aoife Anson O’Connell (bass guitar and vocals), James ‘Jimmy’ Bradbury (guitar and vocals), Paddy Murphy (drums) and Reuben Haycocks (guitar and vocals). There was plenty of variety in Westside Cowboy’s set. For example, their first song had an Americana folksy sound; the next was a loud fast rock track which faded out well with Aoife’s vocal, while their third cleverly mixed loud quiet and fast slow. A common feature across all their songs was how well the three vocalists worked together across the songs, each brought their own style to the mix. Unfortunately, the band ran out of time for their final song on their set list. Westside Cowboy showed promise and great potential for a bright future. One to watch based on their showing at The Great Escape.
(Peter Greenfield)
WELLY – Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship) 22:15 – 22:45
Welly and his four chums have rapidly gained a reputation as a band who entertain as well as play great songs. I first encountered the then PE kit-clad band back at The Great Escape opening party back in 2023, but this is my first encounter since. I noted the evolution of their sound, with a great collection of original Britpop-infused catchy pop-rock delivered with a significant slab of tongue-in-cheek humour. This performance was Broadcast live on BBC6 Music, so it was a chance for Welly to have some fun, at one point asking Alexa to play Welly on 6Music. Pick of the tracks on offer tonight were ‘It’s Not Like This In France’ and the anthemic ‘Shopping’ which had the crowd in a packed Paganini Ballroom bouncing and singing along. A truly tumultuous performance with everyone leaving the venue with huge smiles on their faces. Go catch them live!
(Martin J Fuller)
PAGEANT MUM – The Prince Albert 22:30 – 23:00
Hailing from Bolton, Pageant Mum are a very solid post hardcore, grunge band. They opened with one of their most recent songs, ‘Crucify Me’, a great start, but the second song of the set ‘Home Again’ set the tone for me with Liam’s mental guitar work, a full on chainsaw vibe, magnificent. I got scents of Rage Against The Machine from them from the start, especially with the guitar style; funnily enough the band did a cover version later in the set of ‘Bulls On Parade’ by the aforementioned and very good it was too. The band’s vocalist Izzy, is most excellent full of power and pizazz, completing the line-up we have George on drums and Elliot on bass. The band also played the excellent ‘Favourite Waste Of Time’, a song which Izzy told us, out of the blue, got 20,000 streams mostly from Finland. The Finish obviously have good taste. Whilst two of the band are currently in university, they seem incredibly accomplished and right at home on the stage, both Izzy and Liam really rocking out around the stage. The last song of the set ‘All My Life’ was a real one for the mosh pit as Izzy screamed the lyrics. Their sound is big and full, that’s for sure. I really enjoyed their set, most certainly one to watch.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW – Charles Street Tap 23:15 – 23:45
Closing the So Young takeover of Charles Street Tap were Man/Woman/Chainsaw, who are one of the most exciting and unpredictable young acts around, both joyous and raucous in equal measures. The precociously talented London five-piece are Billy Ward (vocals, guitars), Vera Leppänen (vocals, bass), Emmie-Mae Avery (vocals, keys/synths), Clio Harwood (violin), Lola Waterworth (drums) and Billy Doyle (guitar). Man/Woman/Chainsaw went straight into their first number ‘The Boss’ with a fast sharp frenzy that closed with Clio’s violin solo. By contrast (and there are many with this band) their next two ‘Adam & Steve’ and ‘Omppu (Broken Finger Song)’ saw a change to a relatively slower tempo. That changed completely with a mad frantic minute that’s ‘Maegan’ with the pace set by Lola on drums. While Billy and Vera shared vocal duties on most songs, Emmie-Mae took lead on ‘Get Up And Dance’ with its beautiful soft start. During this song one of Billy’s guitar strings broke. That was not going to stop him in full flow. ‘Grow A Tongue In Time’ showed the softer side to Vera’s vocal range, while ‘What Lucy Found There’ was a great example of how Man/Woman/Chainsaw can unpredictably flip and twist a song in many directions, on a note in unison. They closed an outstanding and genuinely exciting performance with ‘Ode To Clio’ which showcased Clio’s exciting violin talent. Without doubt Man/Woman/Chainsaw were a highlight of my Great Escape festival.
(Peter Greenfield)
ADULT DVD – Komedia (Basement) 23:16 – 23:46
I arrived at Komedia Basement to find a queue and for a while wondered if I was going to be able to get into the venue. Luckily, I did, as the six-piece Leeds-based electronic dance-rock outfit Adult DVD provided a great set of tunes. The venue was close to full when things got underway. The set was well constructed, with the 2023 single ‘Yacht Money’ being the show opener. The new single ‘Because I Like It’ was next, and by the time ‘Doomsday Prepper’ and ‘Dogs In The Sun’ from the 2024 EP ‘Next Day Shipping’ were played, the crowd was bouncing. The only unreleased track, ‘Real Tree Lee’, followed, and as it finished, there was a big cheer from the audience. Another track from the previously mentioned 2024 EP followed. This was ‘Do Something’, and the set finished with ‘Bill Murray’ from the 2023 EP ‘Fountain Of Youth’. At the end, despite a low ceiling, lead vocalist Harry Hanson was being carried above the crowd towards the centre of the venue and back to the stage. A great time was had by all, and those in the centre of the crowd must have been drenched with sweat by the end.
(Ian Holman)
YARD – The Mesmerist 23:30 – 00:00
YARD are a gripping three piece electro noise band from Dublin, featuring Dan Malone (guitar), Emmet White (bass synth, vocals), and George Ryan (synth, beats). Having supported bands like Shame, Psychotic Monks, Mandy Indiana, CLT DRP, Scaler, Enola Gay and Chalk and with coveted slots at Eurosonic and Primavera Pro in 2024, YARD are getting stronger by the day. Drawing inspiration from SUUNS, Gilla Band, Death Grips, Nine Inch Nails among others, YARD it appears are creating an experience truly like no other! Bridging the gap between techno and noise rock, their music can only be described as an intense and immersive sensory experience. It is said that “YARD will leave you sweaty, energized and strangely unnerved” and that my friends is exactly what happened tonight at The Mesmerist, in the heart of The Lanes. Today’s half hour set comprised ‘Trevor’, ‘Bend’, ‘Appetite’, ‘Call’, ‘Big Shoes’, ‘Lawmaker’ and ‘Sunlight’ and every single one was an absolute banger! Miss them at your peril.
(Nick Linazasoro)
DEBBY FRIDAY – Komedia (Basement) 00:15 – 00:45
Nigerian/Canadian Debby Friday closed Thursday night’s proceedings at Komedia Basement. Unfortunately, there was only a sparse audience left in the venue for the Canadian Polaris Prize winner 2023 to perform to. Debby sang and danced along to a mix of experimental electronic dance music with her friend Maggie on the decks. At one point, the scantily dressed Debby came off the front of the stage to dance with the crowd before returning to the stage to finish her act. As well as tracks from her award-winning debut album ‘Good Luck’, Debby’s set included new tracks ‘All I Wanna Do Is Party’ and ‘1/17’ from her second album ‘The Starr Of The Queen Of Life’, which is set for release in August.
(Ian Holman)
GANGES – Dust 00:15 – 00:45
Burning the midnight oil, I headed to Dust to enjoy a set from Spanish artist Teresa Gutiérrez aka Ganges, who, along with her keyboardist, treated the crowd to a fine set of original danceable electronica and techno which was coupled with a captivating semi-ethereal vocal style delivered in her native language. Worth staying out for.
(Martin J Fuller)
ZIYAD AL-SAMMAN – Dust 01:15 – 01:45
The last performance I saw on day two of the festival was by Ziyad Al-Samman at Dust. Ziyad is based in London and has Syrian and Jordanian roots. He performed a high-energy psychedelic theatrical disco pop electronic set with a Middle Eastern spin to it. The eight songs performed included all five from Ziyad’s debut EP ‘Pleasure Complex’, which was released in November 2024, as well as the 2023 single ‘I Can’t Behave’ and the unreleased ‘What You Gonna Do’. It was an entertaining performance, with Ziyad leaving the stage to dance along with his audience on at least five occasions. For the last song ‘Ya Habibi’, Ziyad got the crowd singing “Ya-Habibi”, an Arabic phrase that translates to “my love” or “my darling”. It sounded like an ideal song for Eurovision.
(Ian Holman)
