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, and those that performed on Thursday 15th May HERE.
This article refers to artists that the Brighton & Hove News & Sussex News team covered only on Friday 16th May, along with the venue and planned time of the performance, as well as who wrote each review. Part 4 on the acts that performed on Saturday 17th May can be found 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 Friday 16th May….Enjoy!
FRIDAY 16th MAY:
YARD – The Grand Central 12:00 12:30
This is the third time in three days in a row that I have had the pleasure of being entertained by the Dublin based trio of Dan Malone (guitar), Emmet White (bass synth, vocals), and George Ryan (synth, beats), who collectively are YARD. Now you would be wrong in thinking that I might be getting a tad jaded with their set by now, but I will have you know, that despite having to drop ‘Appetite’ due to time constraints, this lunchtime set was astonishingly the best of the three! I’m not sure whether it was due to the soundman’s (John Bownas) capabilities, or whether the fact that I’ve never seen the first floor music space at The Grand Central (opposite Brighton Railway Station) so packed out with eager punters! It’s my first set of the day, and I was expecting to ease myself gently into the day, but boy no, our Irish friends had other plans. This lunchtime we are bombarded with a half dozen cuts (‘Trevor’, ‘Bend’, ‘Call’, ‘Big Shoes’, ‘Lawmaker’ plus ‘Sunlight’), and it’s not Grand Central in the room but EBM central! Emmet’s face was showing intense amounts of anger whilst delivering the lines, that it felt that Jaz Coleman’s (Killing Joke) intensity was equivalent to that of Noddy! These were most eye bursting screams, you felt that you had to concentrate on his forehead and his crazed eyes in order to check that none of his veins had burst! The performance of the whole festival for me! They were the best for me last year as well, only now it feels like many more folk are taking heed.
(Nick Linazasoro)
SLAG – Daltons 12:15 – 12:45
Slag must be one of the busiest bands this weekend, racking up a total of six official and alternative sets over three days – in fact they’ve even produced a loyalty card that gig-goers can get stamped after each performance, which is a nice touch! Having missed their sets on Wednesday evening I’m starting my Friday down on the beach at Daltons – a venue I’ve never been to before – in order to finally catch up with this five-piece from here in Brighton. Lined up across the stage from left to right we have Seb (keys), Dan (guitar), Luke (drums), Amelie (vocals/guitar) and Freya (bass) and together they produce a mix of post-punk indie rock. It’s perhaps a little heavier than I’m used to, but I’m here for it – Slag might be just starting out but they’re a really tight unit and really rock out with some extended guitar solos. What particularly impresses are Amelie’s powerful vocals which remind me of Lia from The Mysterines, she can really let rip as she does on the appropriately titled ‘Ripped’. The singer takes off her jacket mid-way through the set and trades riffs with bass player Freya, and you can just sense the camaraderie between the band. Slag are a band enjoying making music together and that filters through to the crowd who respond accordingly with enthusiastic claps and cheers – definitely one to watch!
(Phil Newton)
LEAH WILCOX – Dust 12:20 – 12:40
The third day of the festival kicks off, my feet are already feeling it, but what better way to ease ourselves back into the music than heading down to Dust for the BIMM Institute X DIY showcase introduced and hosted no less by BBC Radio 1s presenter Swarzy Macaly. Leah dressed in a sparkly dress and long red feathery jacket, with boots and long white socks, cut the image of a country rock star. The show opener was ‘Feet Fall Forwards’ a beautiful, mellow song, one that carried you along, the guitarist towards the end used an empty wine bottle on his guitar. Leah asked us if we like love songs, continuing “I don’t like them either, but I seem to write a lot of them”, the song was ‘Origami Flowers’, one that started slow, but had a lively chorus section which had Leah and the bassist both dance stepping in time together. Me and my music companion were both totally blown away by Leah’s voice and talent, she was on my yes must see list for the weekend, but I really had not expected this. The music style is a mix of indie pop and rock, but a flavour of country is hidden in there, Leah herself calls it “Countrygaze Pop”. Leah is immensely talented, excellently written songs, sweeping harmonies, a wonderful singing voice, so strong and confident, coupled with the sounds of bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and synth beds her sound is truly universal. I came away from this set utterly filled with joy ready for the day. Leah even came back out afterward to talk to me to answer a question about her signed guitar, a truly lovely person. I expect only amazing things for Leah, she made my Top 5 for the festival.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
BAYBOARDS – The Font 12:30 – 13:00
A great start to my Friday at The Brighton Rock n Roll Circus Alternative Great Escape line-up. Bayboards are a four-piece indie group from Stockport who are being hailed as the hottest new band in Manchester. Delivering songs full of power and energy with reviews comparing their sound to the likes of Sundara Karma, Circa Waves and The Wombats. A lively stage performance including fun interaction with each other and their audience. Having the first slot of Friday during a four-day festival did not stop them from throwing everything into their performance. A thoroughly enjoyable start to my day!
(Petra Eujane)
ROBIN KESTER – Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship) 12:30 – 13:00
Robin Kester, along with her four band members, are the first artists to take to the Paganini Ballroom stage on day three of the festival. They start their eight-song set with six songs that will feature on Robin’s third studio album, ‘Dark Sky Reserve’, which is set for release on 12th September. The first of those songs is the opening album track, ‘An Hour Per Day’. The second song they play is already available to stream. It’s ‘Happy Sad (It’s A Party)’. This one is more upbeat than the first song. With a smile on her face, Robin says, “Welcome, on this sunny day, inside.” There are chuckles in the audience, then Robin continues with “This room feels haunted, which I like. Maybe the spirits will join us later.” They then play another song that is already available to stream. The slow-starting ‘Departure’. It’s a keyboard-heavy song with haunting vocals from Robin. The other songs that were played and will feature on the new album are ‘Dog’ and ‘Game Sounds’. The guitar sound of ‘Dog’ sounds like early 90s shoegaze, while the bass player switches to using a synth on ‘Game Sounds’. Next, we hear ‘Blinds’ from Robin’s 2023 second album, ‘Honeycomb Shades’. A beautiful song and another that features shoegaze-sounding guitar. The final tune played is ‘Sweat And Freight’. This is the lead track from Robin’s 2020 debut album, ‘This Is Not A Democracy’. It features angelic vocals from Robin, has a good beat, and ends with a frantic finish. Overall, this was a pleasing way to start the day.
(Ian Holman)
TRAPPS – Shipwright’s Yard 12:50 – 13:10
Another band I’d never heard of before were Trapps, but before they’d even played a note of their fast and furious set I’d given them a brownie point as the lead singer was wearing a Gulls (great band) t-shirt. From what I can gather they’ve only been playing live for about 9 months, but they’ve got a cracking set of punkish, rock ‘n’ roll songs that they deliver with real swagger. A band that I’m definitely going to look out for and see again for sure.
(Graeme Houston)
KINGS & PILLS – Dust 13:01 – 13:21
Kings & Pills are a five piece rock band who are based in Berlin Germany, but individually they are from Romania, Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Germany. After a quick stage turnaround, the band took their places on stage, all dressed in shades of black, looking quite gothic. Vocalist Anais Vacariu showed great vocal range, from dark and broody to sweet and high, she kept on the move whilst singing, often bending, dancing and weaving to the music. The 25 minute set took 6 songs including the loud and rocky ‘Cheshire Cat’, ‘Out Of Time’, ‘Bluff’ (which had some awesome thunderous drums), and ‘Burn’, which required some audience participation of us shouting “Ay, ay ay, ay, aya”. All in all, it was an excellent set, perhaps not my usual go to sound, but the band sure do make some lovely loud ear candy, it was gripping to watch. The last song played was ‘Call Me What You Want’, it was a fast and powerful climax to a great show. The band have recently released their debut album ‘Feast On Us’, most of the songs from the set can be found on it, well worth checking out.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
PECQ – Fabrica 13:15 – 13:45
Introduced as Selector Radio’s ‘Ones To Watch’, London-based three-piece PECQ kicked off my day with a fabulous 30 minutes of electronic alt-pop which shifted in tempo and style from song-to-song. Up-tempo danceable numbers were interspersed alongside introspective tracks with an ambient, expansive feel – singer Hannah’s soft vocal complimenting the music perfectly. Hannah explained this had been one of the band’s most difficult weeks without going into detail, but on the strength of this performance, we’d have been none the wiser, the audience were engrossed in this excellent performance from start to finish.
(Martin J Fuller)
WREX – The Font 13:15 – 13:45
Next up was Rock duo Mae Seaton and George Donoghue who were joined by two bandmates on The Font stage for their Great Escape Friday show. With my research talking of songs that explore dark themes exploring issues related to mental health and honesty, the performance is unexpectedly joyful and captivating. Mae is a very acrobatic performer and her connection with the audience and fellow band members is constant. An impressively tight performance in the limited time slot.
(Petra Eujane)
THE KLITTENS – Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship) 13:30 – 14:00
I saw The Klittens supporting Personal Trainer in St Albans at the beginning of last year, and made a mental note to catch up with them again. Like Personal Trainer, The Klittens are Dutch, and have a certain angular 4AD sound about them. The band are a five piece comprising two guitarists, a vocalist, bassist and drums. There’s a lot to enjoy, including occasional passages of dual lead guitar. A definite benefit of having two guitarists in Winnie Conradi and Katja Kahana. It always puzzles me why all bands with two guitarists don’t utilise them to the full! ‘Universal Experience’ boasts a nice, fluid guitar intro, whilst ‘Canned Air’ has a chord progression in the verses which is not dissimilar to Cornershop’s ‘Brimful Of Asha’. It rocks out convincingly though. Bassist Michelle Geraerts reads a poem by Mohammed El-Kurd called ‘This Is Why We Dance’. It was written in 2008, but is sadly more relevant now than ever. It’s extremely moving. The final song is distorted and angry sounding and may be called ‘I Shed My Skin’. It’s a fine finale and a fitting follow-on from the poem. The Klittens are an interesting multi-faceted band, and I hope that they get themselves over here soon.
(Mark Kelly)
O’PHANTOM – Waterbear Venue 13:30 – 14:00
A week ago today, Hull based alt-indie collective O’Phantom dropped their debut self-titled 4 track EP. Their work is inspired by northern landscapes, Cure-esque songwriting sensibilities and Broadcast inspired synths. With a keen devotion to tape music, lo-fi sounds, Yorkshire’s gothic history, and its DIY attitude, the band developed frenetic soundscapes centred around melancholic self reflection. I was expecting a trio to turn up as there are three of them shown on their Bandcamp page, but this afternoon they are a quintet, who are utilizing two keyboards (one of which is a Behringer VC340), two guitars, drums, bass, and of course vocals. “I prayed all morning someone would be here” said frontman Daniel Mawer (formerly of Low Hummer and La Bête Blooms). He need not have worried as the WaterBear was rammed! They began with ‘Phantom’ from the EP and its jangly guitar pop. However, when Daniel dons his guitar for the unreleased ‘Dreaming’, suddenly this adds a new dimension to their sound. Suddenly they have become more intense and sounding better for it, and with the arrival of tune three, ‘Cold Calling’ (from the EP), I decide I really need to see these live in action again as the track is terrific! Daniel goes on walkabout into the crowd which adds to the enjoyment and we receive a trio of other unreleased songs: ‘Speak To Me’, ‘Something (I Know That)’, and ‘Hide In Your Skin’.
(Nick Linazasoro)
COCO AND THE LOST – Molly Malones 14:00 – 14:30
With the full band Coco and The Lost played a totally absorbing and entertaining set of cinematic indie pop at The Alternative Escape. Vocalist Coco led from the front giving another theatrical, charismatic and enchanting performance. Many artists play sets, Coco puts on a show. She was well supported by Dean on guitar and Connor on drums. The audience were under Coco’s spell from the opening number ‘Communicator’. Coco has amazing stage presence, with a theatrical style including nods, glances and a beaming smile to engage with the audience as well as her chat between songs. Those songs are so catchy that they stay with you. I found myself with ‘Um And Ah’ and ‘Figjam’ in my head for the rest of the day. Across the set and within songs, Coco mixed up her vocals to match the mood of her songs from soft and reflective on ‘What It Looks Like Now’ to powerful rock on ‘Oh What A Curse It Is (To Be In Love)’. It wasn’t just regulars to the band and festival goers who enjoyed their performance. During the set, several groups of people who just popped into Molly Malones for a lunchtime drink, were drawn into Coco and The Lost’s show.
(Peter Greenfield)
KATE PEACHES – The Black Lion 14:00 – 14:40
For those of you who were fans of local band Slant, and there are many of you, you may have been wondering what had become of Kate? Everyone else has started or joined a new band since they split up apart from her. Well wonder no more, as today marked her debut show as a solo artist (she also came along with an all-star band it must be said) and what a first show it was! From the glamorous costume, sunglasses, fabulous voice and fierce attitude it was like she’d never been away and with the exception of an awesome cover of Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’, we were treated to a poptacular set of new original tunes, which to my ear anyway might just point to who had the main input to Slant’s sound. So if you were a fan, which I was, I’d suggest getting along to her next show.
(Graeme Houston)
MATISSE MORETTI – The Font 14:00 – 14:30
Matisse is an English/French singer songwriter, and an established part of the Brighton indie scene. Citing influences from Suede, Ride, The Cure, Serge Gainsbourg and Talking Heads he brings an interesting mix to the table. The result is dream pop sounds with hook driven melodies and introspective lyrics. Today’s stripped-down performance of only two artists gave the audience the space to enjoy Matisse’s voice fully. This was a late addition to the line up today so an unexpected treat to discover his music live with no previous knowledge.
(Petra Eujane)
GIRLPUPPY – Shipwright’s Yard 14:10 – 14:30
After a glowing introduction from BBC 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, Becca Harvey aka Girlpuppy and her band took to the stage, or should I say the outdoor garage in the courtyard. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, USA, the band’s style is a fine blend of alt rock, shoegaze and dream pop. If you like bands such as Slow Pulp, Bnny and Momma that is the vibe you will be finding here. A vibe I have to say I love. But what a setting for such a set though, the sun was beaming down, ice cold Long Man beer was being served from a table in the corner and a very chilled large crowd swayed and soaked it all in, perfect conditions for such a warm and breezy set. The set itself was a short 20 minutes taking in five songs, four of which were from her recently released second album ‘Sweetness’, one of which was called ‘Windows’, I really liked that, a gorgeous dose of dream pop, one to really mellow out to. The final song was an early 2022 single ‘I Miss When I Smelled Like You’, great fun lyrics. This set will be captured in my memory forever, everything just fits so well, the sounds, the sea air, the sunshine. I’d love to see Girlpuppy do a good long set sometime, but for now I made sure I purchased one of the few LPs Becca had brought along with her. Certainly one to watch.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
BABY BERSERK – Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship) 14:30 – 15:00
When planning my “must see” acts for The Great Escape, there was no way in the world that I was going to miss Baby Berserk live in action, and when I noted that they were going to be performing at the sizeable Paganini Ballroom, this really was the icing on the cake. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the company of Amsterdam’s Mano Hollestelle, Eva Wijnbergen and Lieselot Elzinga, on a few previous occasions, when they were then known as Baby’s Berserk. These were intimate affairs, such as The Hope & Ruin Downstairs Bar, where I purchased a copy of their awesome self-titled LP. I was now keen to see how their sound would translate into a much larger venue with many more folk. As it turns out, they are born to play much larger venues! Talk about upping their game, crikey! Not only do they ooze sex appeal, but they have five keyboards between them! There’s guitar and bass as well and their material is littered with earworms that stick in your brain for several days. An example of this is opener ‘Rum N Kola’ and penultimate tune ‘Dancing With The Fish’. The other tracks performed (‘Eat Your Dollar’, ‘Piggy Piggy’, ‘Accessories’ and ‘Mind Explodes’) are great as well. But it’s the fact that Lieselot’s stage presence has grown tremendously, she had the crowd eating out of her hand as she scaled the side speakers in stilettos and then stepped across to stand on top of the metal crowd barrier with the assistance of yours truly holding her hand and ankle. If it wasn’t for the fact that YARD were performing during the festival, then Baby Berserk would have absolutely killed it! A must see band!
(Nick Linazasoro)
JOCK – Queens Hotel 14:30 – 15:00
Brighton/Belfast three-piece JOCK were one of my highlights of this year’s festival. I had seen them once before when they played as part of one of local promoter HIDDEN HERD showcase events at The Prince Albert last month. Having been impressed with them then, I was eager to see them again. Guitar playing lead vocalist Orla provides a similar raw energy to 90s riot grrrl icons, and today, along with her bandmates, they blasted through an excellent 25-minute set of raucous garage punk material. They opened with the excellent 2023 single ‘Spoilsport’. This was followed by the unreleased ‘Looting The Day’. Orla then claimed, “My guitar is weirdly out of tune.” I don’t think anyone noticed, and we move on to the recent single ‘Toyota Corolla’, which is a song about having an argument with your mum at the age of 30. Another unreleased song, ‘Wildman’, is next, then Orla asks the audience to provide some primal scream rage. They duly oblige, then we hear ‘These 4 Walls’, another unreleased song, which incidentally is about rage. Next up is the 2024 release ‘Joe Duffy’, a tune about an Irishman named Joe Duffy. The final song of the set was the 2023 release ‘Moving’.
(Ian Holman)
SUNDAY (1994) – Komedia (Basement) 14:30 – 15:00
Sunday (1994) are already dividing opinion – over the course of the festival I’ve spoken to people dismissive of their polished sound, tailored to court the major labels, and others totally enamoured with their blend of shoegaze and dream pop. The trio of Paige Turner (vocals), Lee Newell (guitars) and enigmatic drummer Puma are joined by Lola Colette on bass for their six-song set at the Komedia this afternoon. It doesn’t start well as their first two songs are blighted by feedback, causing Lee to call a swift halt – “we’re really good you know,” he quips as the crew work to fix the problem. Thankfully with the sound gremlins fixed, a second play of ‘Stained Glass Window’ really impresses with its jangly guitars and uplifting chorus. The band play just one song from their new ‘Devotion’ EP – ‘Still Blue’ has a slightly heavier sound, reminiscent of Wolf Alice and adds a bit more edge to their otherwise honey-dipped melodies. They close with two more tracks from their self-titled debut. ‘Blossom’ sees Paige pacing up and down the stage brandishing a huge placard with ‘Baby You Got This’ written on it, and she then thanks the audience as they finish with ‘Tired Boy,’ their first single without which there would be no band. There’s a cool dynamic here – Paige (from Los Angeles) and Lee (from Slough) have been a couple for over ten years – and they certainly look the part on stage, but crucially they also have the tunes to back this up. I’m with the latter camp after this performance – they are really good you know.
(Phil Newton)
YASMIN COE – Charles Street Tap 14:30 – 15:00
Yasmin Coe comes highly recommended by somebody who’s judgement I trust, so here I am at the Charles Street Tap. Yasmin is from Manchester and has a cracking band. Opening song ‘Expected As Much’ from her EP ‘The Most I Could Do’ is a pokey start and features an ace solo from the lead guitarist. ‘When You Can’t Have Her’ features excellent harmonies between Yasmin and the keyboard player. It features a melodic bass solo too. On ‘Closer’ Yasmin plays the middle eight on guitar before the whole band join in with her, which gives a nice contrast in dynamics. ‘Red Jasper’ is about the safety of women. This really shouldn’t be an issue in a civilised society, but sadly it is. The song starts quietly. It needs to as it’s important that the lyrics are heard. There’s a great deal of light and shade which really epitomises musical ‘feel’. There’s an incandescent guitar solo which really emphasises the anger in the song. ‘Blink Twice’ is Yasmin’s current single and was written the day after the US presidential election results were announced. It’s about Yasmin’s well founded fear for women’s safety worldwide. Yasmin is a thoughtful artist who pulls no punches with regard to the lyrical content of her songs. Today was her first visit to Brighton. Let’s hope that she returns soon.
(Mark Kelly)
NIGHT SWIMMING – The Font 14:45 – 15:15
Following a duo with a five piece produced an interesting change in dynamic for the audience. Hailing from Bath, this dream pop band are described as taking “the ethereal, melodic elements of the early Alice Wolf EPs and Slowdive albums: combining them with the minimalism of Portishead and Massive Attack”. For me I was getting echoes of Beth Orton in Meg Jones vocals, but also something very individual in the whole sound. An impressively tight performance as well.
(Petra Eujane)
MOUNT PALOMAR – Queens Hotel 15:30 – 16:00
Belfast-based Neil Kerr began his Mount Palomar project in 2018 and has established himself as one of Ireland’s most unique and exciting new electronic artists, since having performed at the world-famous Berlin nightclub, Berghain, four times within the first year of his project. Today is a totally different setting in Queens Hotel’s small-capacity venue with a low ceiling. Neil is accompanied by young Irish drummer Max Timlin. His presence makes a big difference to the set as it boosts the sound of the synth and computer-based material. Neil welcomed the crowd with “Good afternoon, we played at 2:30am last night, so you’ve got no excuses not to dance.” There were a few chuckles from the crowd, then moments later, they were indeed dancing as the set was underway. There was a bit of a worry from Neil as he looked at his computer halfway through the set and realised it was about to shut down as he had forgotten to plug it in. Thankfully, that was quickly resolved so the performance could continue. It was a decent set of mostly unreleased material.
(Ian Holman)
THE FIN. – One Church 15:30 – 16:00
I’ve always had a soft spot for The fin. ever since seeing them a few times at Great Escapes a number of years ago. There’s just something rather absorbing by Yuto Uchino’s vocal delivery, it’s unique and I can always tell The fin. tunes by that, as well as his dreamy keyboard delivery. It’s very much his project as he creates the music, pens the songs, the recording, mixing and production of them. He did have a few chums with him last time around and those floating sensation sounds were bang on. Although today he is plinking away on his Waldorf keys, Prophet and other Akai MPX mini keys with laptop to hand, it now appears that the band sound has (for me) changed for the worse and are now heading in a different musical direction, one that very much features jazz. He is joined by a quartet of musicians on bass, drums, guitar, and Keylab 49 synth along with a saxophone. My colleague observed it’s now electronica fused with funk, but it’s too jazzy for me. We get a 7 song set, with mainly reworkings of old tracks, and only ‘Night Time’ from 2014’s ‘Days With Uncertainty’ album has survived intact with that vintage The fin. sound with falsetto vocals, constant drums, rumbly bass, strummed guitar and no sax. No wonder it got the biggest applause of the set. That’s the sound I crave. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to have seen The fin. again but maybe not so much to have heard them! Shame!
(Nick Linazasoro)
TOY PARLOUR – The Font 15:30 – 16:00
Now my favourite instrument is the bass guitar so when a band takes to the stage with two bassists like Toy Parlour did I must admit to getting a tad excited. A relatively new British Alt-rock band which has risen from the ashes of Beach Riot and Gnarlah they unfortunately just didn’t do it for me. Nothing wrong with the bass playing, the guitar, the drums or even the singer’s voice. All perfectly fine. But the music just wasn’t for me alas. Their debut single has been played on BBC Introducing though so if that kind of music is your bag then go check them out.
(Graeme Houston)
TTSSFU – Charles Street Tap 15:30 – 16:00
Also Manchester based (although originally from Wigan) is TTSSFU, aka Tasmin Stephens. Tasmin trades in Cure influenced goth with fabulously ethereal vocals. She also plays a heart-shaped guitar which has a photo of herself on the back with “f*cker” written underneath it, which is nice. Tasmin’s vocals sometimes sound quite angelic, which is occasionally at odds with the subject matter of her songs, such as ‘Cat P*ss’ which “is about the time I drank cat p*ss”. Fair enough…. The song’s intro is not dissimilar to ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’ by The Clash. The guitarist attempts to elicit feedback from his amp, but his guitar cuts out in the process. Electricity eh? The bassist has a Westone Rail bass, which is similar to a 1980s Steinberger. Then, as now, I could not understand the attraction of having a bass (or a guitar for that matter) without a headstock. Perhaps someone could enlighten me? There are occasional hints of other artists in TTSSFU’s material including early U2 and Echo and the Bunnymen. Tasmin is a superb frontperson who holds the audience in her hand. She sits on the edge of the stage and then jumps into the audience, rolling about on the floor. The final song “is about murdering rapists”. I think that the term Tasmin is looking for is ‘executing’, possibly. It’s a very punchy song and the band really go for it. It’s the best song of a great set. As it ends Tasmin runs off the stage into the crowd. We never see her again. If Tasmin does reappear, TTSSFU are scheduled to play quite a few festivals over the course of the summer.
(Mark Kelly)
VIGILANTES – The Font 15:45 – 16:15
Vigilantes are a solid indie rock band, with a leaning towards dream pop, who were founded in Boston in 2019 after a meeting at a professional Mario Kart tournament in Leicestershire. Hailing from Lincoln they are James Woodliffe, known by many as Curly, (singer), Joe Desmond (drums), Alex Earle (bass guitar) and Ryan Newman (guitar). There’s a great interplay between the guys. They’ve a thoughtful melodic sound which is both anthemic and atmospheric.
(Kairen Kemp)
WREX – The Black Lion 16:00 – 16:40
Right. This gig almost made my Top 5 of the weekend. It was that good. Insanely good. WREX was a band name that I’d heard of, but knew nothing about; well I do now!! These guys went at it from the get go. Their vocals go from guttural to beautiful, sometimes in the same song. Their harmonies reminded me of Linkin Park at their best and their energy levels were off the scale. Musically, if I had to describe it I’d say they play a unique, for a Brighton based band anyway, a fusion of punk and nu-metal. A phenomenal show!
(Graeme Houston)
DAISY VEACOCK – Jubilee Square 16:15 – 16:45
I saw Daisy Veacock play in a Hove café at last year’s Alternative Escape. It was good to see her on a big stage with a full band this year. Daisy Veacock blended jazz, soul and pop with heartfelt lyrics that captures young urban life. Her soulful jazz sounds were perfect for the sunny afternoon, with witty songs from personal experiences. Her ex’s and friends get many mentions (without direct name checks). ‘BOO!’ was introduced as being about sleeping with jazz musicians and getting ghosted. Daisy Veacock played a very upbeat set of feel-good sunshine music, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope she does not leave it as long before returning to play Brighton.
(Peter Greenfield)
THE FIENDS – The Font 16:30 – 17:00
Signed to Revolver Records, this post punk indie rock band, The Fiends, are from Swansea. They’re tight and focussed whipping up a great vibe. Ethan Goslett’s lead vocals rise and soar through the venue. The Font has a novel stage in that it is up high, above the bar, at first floor level. The best place for the audience to view is from the balcony/mezzanine looking down on the band. However this doesn’t seem to faze them at all, delivering a powerful, raw performance.
(Kairen Kemp)
WELLY – TGE Beach The Jetty 16:30 – 17:00
Welly make the second of their three appearances at this year’s Great Escape festival. All of the band apart from synth player and percussionist Hanna Witkamp appear to have had a haircut. Even whilst sound-checking the band’s irrepressible humour is on display, with them performing an acapella version of the Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’. The band released their debut album ‘Big In The Suburbs’ earlier this year, and a half hour set is nowhere near long enough for them to air even the best of their material. I’d never noticed that there’s a bit of Damon Albarn about frontman Welly himself, both in terms of his stage presence and also his untrammelled wit. He clearly loves being in front of an audience. ‘Soak Up The Culture’ is all about taking a gap year. Welly asks how many people have taken a gap year, and a large number of people have. It wasn’t like that in my day. All we had to look forward to was National Service. Possibly. The song features some quite Hawkwind-like synth, which earns the band bonus points. Bassist Jacob Whitear is having problems with his equipment, and Welly gets the audience to shout “bloody hell Jacob!!” at him. There’s nothing like a little audience pressure to encourage a musician while they’re trying to sort out a technical problem. ‘Me And Your Mates’ ends the set as Hanna jumps into the pit. Welly are out on tour in the autumn, headlining Brighton Chalk on 13th October, and Kings Cross Scala on the 15th. Be there!!!
(Mark Kelly)
PALE BLUE EYES – Shipwright’s Yard 16:55 – 17:25
Thankfully we manage to squeeze into the Shipwright’s Yard and take up our positions at the head of the crowd to (yet again) enjoy another live session from The Board’s who are now Sheffield based hubby Matthew Board (lead vocals, Fender Jaguar guitars), and wife Lucy Board (drums, Roland presets, backing vocals), along with two birthday boys Aubrey Simpson (Fender Precision bass) and Lewis Johnson-Kellett – Korg synth, Yamaha Reface YC synth, Fender guitar, backing vocals). They are introduced by BBC Radio 6 DJ Chris Hawkins and the quartet are away with ‘Scrolling’, followed by (according to their setlist) ‘TV Flicker’, ‘Rituals’, ‘Honeybear’, ‘Under Northern Sky’, ‘Motionless’, ‘Our History’ and ‘Sister’, although it doesn’t actually feel as though they performed all of these tunes. It might be that I was so away with their Krautrock meets the Beach Boys psyched out sounds that I failed to stay in reality in the moment. Most tunes have hypnotic swirling guitars and drums backing beats and there was much head bobbing, foot tapping and bum wiggling going on from the packed crowd. As always the quartet merrily psyched out on their final number and left the punters duly elated. Pale Blue Eyes are an awesome band, I really can’t get enough of them! Plus they’re lovely people! What isn’t there to like?
(Nick Linazasoro)
J BERNARDT – The Wing 17:00 – 17:30
Usually performing as a four piece, but arriving in the darkened cavernous space of Brighton Centre’s impressive venue ‘The Wing’ as a duo, Belgian J Bernardt joked he’d left the drummer and bassist at the border. It didn’t matter, they offered up a well-crafted set of electronica with dramatic shifting cinematic elements. Utilising keys, synths, electronic drum pad and even a violin coupled with engaging audience interaction, the duo took us on a musical journey fusing moody synths with pulsating beats which fully deserved the enthusiastic applause and cheers they received at the end.
(Martin J Fuller)
ANGELICA MODE – The Font 17:15 – 17:45
Angelica Mode are an indie rock band from Scotland who were conceived in Dublin but ‘grew up’ in Edinburgh. They’ve made the 10 hour journey down to Brighton by car but surprisingly seem no worse the wear for that. Since beginning as the singer-songwriter project of vocalist and guitarist Brian Hughes in 2020, the band has gone from strength to strength, recruiting brother Martin Hughes on bass guitar, synth and BV duties with the line-up being completed by Edinburgh’s Steven Eddie on drums. They have recently released their ‘Sweet’ single and this teatime the outfit are positioned high above the sizeable bar within the cavernous old building at the heart of The Lanes. To be honest, I feel that I need to be up-close-and-personal with these guys to truly feel their energy, so I have decided to also attend their show tomorrow at the East Street Tap.
(Kairen Kemp)
WESTSIDE COWBOY – TGE Beach The Deep End 17:15 – 17:45
Westside Cowboy are a band with a wide range of recognisable influences who still manage to sound precisely like themselves. By turns they sound, possibly unsurprisingly, quite country-ish, then there’s a very strong flavour of 1990s US college radio. Bassist and lead vocalist Aoife Anson O’Connell has an absolutely crystalline voice. The band are based in Manchester but the Irish routes of at least two of their members are evident. There’s some ace drumming. Indeed, one song starts with a drum solo, albeit a short one. The stage announcements are mumbled and incomprehensible, but that’s the only real criticism that I have. Anyway, the music speaks for itself which is the main thing. The final song is performed acapella, and exhibits some wonderful four-part harmonies. The band support Blondshell on tour in September. It’ll be worth going just to see Westside Cowboy.
(Mark Kelly)
SEX MASK – Shipwright’s Yard 17:45 – 18:05
Sex Mask is a Brutalist Post Punk trio from Melbourne-Australia, putting on their final 2025 Great Escape show here at a packed Shipwright’s Yard which is an outside venue but luckily for us the sun is shining. Launching the gig with a punchy guitar rift, the song ‘No Love’ shows lead singer Wry Gray’s lyrical commentary against a backdrop of thudding bass and drums, that soon has us all dancing in time. The audience is already hypnotised as 2023’s ‘TV Movie’ & ‘Birds’ bring an 80’s pop synth into its mix. They remind me of a band called ‘Sextile’ from California, both bringing a high energy post punk into the modern age. Wry’s dressed in jeans, black tee and wraparound shades with dishevelled mopped blonde hair is very much a frontman with lots of gesturing and forceful vocals, but with both guitarist Kaya Martin and drummer Vicente Moncada on their top game, brings the balance back to the band’s core. Latest single ‘Circe’ gets a welcomed airing with its hypnotic backbeat drums, gets the crowd further back, pushing more forward with swaying shoulders and jumping feet. Ending the show with EP titled ‘How To Be Cool At Parties’ with a final burst of pure energy and gets everyone bouncing one more time. Once the show has finished and my poor feet have recovered, I’ll be waiting for the return visit as they are definitely gonna be on my future gig diary.
(Steve Willcox)
GOODBYE – Unbarred Brewery 18:00 – 18:30
I saw Goodbye for the second time at this year’s festival at another unofficial event. This time it was at Unbarred Brewery in Elder Place and was part of a showcase event being put on by local promoters JOY. The popular new Brighton band played a different set from when I saw them at The Green Door Store on the first day of the festival, switching the first and last songs around, so ‘Tolgus Wartha’ started things off and ‘MEAT’ closed the set. Also, ‘The Boy’ was not played this time around, so we didn’t see Alfie on any lead vocal duty this time around. It was replaced with ‘Origami’, which became the second song played. ‘13a’, ‘Benjis Collar’, and ‘Take Time’ were all performed again in the same sequence. With the penultimate song being the unnamed new one once again. It was another very good performance from Goodbye. The audience loved it. There was the usual bit of banter from Alfie as he asked if everyone was enjoying the festival and he also mentioned he wanted a massive recording contract so he could have plenty of tequilas.
(Ian Holman)
KEO – TGE Beach Soundwaves 18:15 – 18:45
This band was a must see for me, having been told by my friend, who’s neighbour told him, whose son had told them, as they were at the same school as someone in the band, it was one of those long lines of tenuous links, but it worked and I was here. Keo really put on a strong, solid show, despite them being a new band, you could feel the experience was already there. Led by brothers Finn (vocals, guitar) and Conor Keogh (bass) and completed by drummer Oli Spackman and guitarist Jimmy Lanwern. It transpires the brothers spent a lot of their youth touring the UK, Ireland and US with their father’s folk project. This is probably why I got such a strong experience vibe from them. The music was a mix of shoegaze and alternative rock, there was something a little Nirvana like about them, perhaps Radiohead, most certainly some 90s vibes. The crowd would chant “Keeeeeoo, Keeeeeoo” between songs and there were plenty of excited admirers down the front. The lead singer Finn has the look of a model and cuts a cool figure indeed. We were treated to an eight song set including their debut single ‘I Lied, Amber’ and their most recent song ‘Thorn’. It was a thirty minutes of sheer class, this band are surely going to go nuclear at some point, they are not your average guitar band, everything is looking very good indeed. ‘The Siren’ EP is coming soon, one I’ll be purchasing for sure.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
AHMED, WITH LOVE – Patterns (Upstairs) 18:30 – 19:00
Ahmed, With Love (styled: ahmed, with love), is a Dublin-born Sierra Leonean rapper and a dynamic force in Ireland’s hip-hop scene. Together with his 3 band-mates, Ahmed arrived on stage with a large belt, namely the WMC – World Music Championship! It’s clear he doesn’t take himself too seriously, the performance being laced with banter between Ahmed and his girlfriend in the audience. That’s not to say his music isn’t serious – from higher energy hip-hop to witty love ballads, this was an engaging set. The inclusion of a saxophone player in the band gave his sound a unique twist that I enjoyed.
(Martin J Fuller)
KORDA KORDER – The Font 18:30 – 19:00
Fellow Hastonians Korda Korder were next to grace the stage in the beautiful ex church. They started life as a duo in 2024 and have now grown to a five piece dream pop collective. With Steve Lamacq and John Kennedy among fans of their debut single, they were already a band I was interested in getting to know more about. Being described as masterfully crafting a surreal atmosphere where vocals melt into the instrumental background, I was also taken with the power of the soaring vocals. A memorable performance.
(Petra Eujane)
PYNCHER – Unbarred Brewery 19:00 – 19:30
Pyncher were another band playing at one of the unofficial shows put on by local promoters JOY at Unbarred Brewery. They are a good upcoming Manchester/Brighton post-punk/britpop band who I’ve seen on a couple of occasions previously in the past six months at The Hope & Ruin in Queens Road. Today, they are without their usual drummer, Jack Rainbow, due to work commitments. I thought the replacement, Max Holm-Radford, performed very well considering he only met the other band members earlier that day. They play a six-song set that lasts 26 minutes, starting with unreleased songs ‘Steely Dan’ and ‘Shipshaper’. During ‘Shipshaper’, there are technical issues with Britt Dewhurst losing the sound to her bass. Lead vocalist Sam Blakely sorts it out as the song continues uninterrupted. It happens again, to the annoyance of Sam, towards the end of the song. It’s fixed by the time they play their third song and first single release ‘Get Along’. A catchy song with the repeated lyrics “I wanna get along”. It also includes some chugging guitar effects from lead guitarist Harvey O’Toole. Sam then introduces the next song ‘Country’. This is the third unreleased composition of the set. It’s another catchy one that features jangly guitar work from leg-twisting Harvey. The other unreleased track ‘Dirty Feet’ is next. This one features two false endings. The final song of the set is ‘Space Rocket Simulator’, their latest single, which has a slower feel to it, with the chorus sounding a bit Blur-like. Harvey is red-faced and sweating by the end of all that. I tell him he looks knackered, to which he replies, “Yeah, I am, and I’ve got to do it all over again in a minute.” The band need to pack up their equipment pretty smartly as they are due to perform at another venue just an hour later.
(Ian Holman)
FINNIAN JAMES – Waterbear Venue 19:15 – 19:45
The atmosphere was set up from the start before Finnian James stepped into the spotlight, with a full band, in the full to capacity Waterbear Venue. It’s a great space for his music – up close and personal. He immediately owns the space and his stage presence is electric. He opens with the highly emotional ‘Think About It’ and the lyrics are torn from his heart as with all his songs. He creates these perfect vignettes of heartbreak heightened by his emotional, highly charged vocal delivery. He ended the show with his first single to break, ‘Roses’, which brought the house down with its power and longing. As he left the stage to the roars of the crowd, I spoke to some of the audience and universally the feeling was that this man should be on bigger stages and with the right support he could get there and deservedly so. Finnian James has something which is rare to come across – star quality.
(Kairen Kemp)
HOLLOWS – The Font 19:15 – 19:45
Hollows joined us next, with influences including Radiohead, Joy Division and The Cure, I was anticipating something very appealing. I was not disappointed. This 3-piece alt rock band from Manchester were fully invested in their sound performing with a raw energy. Their current line-up was formed in 2021 releasing a series of singles and receiving support from Steve Lamacq, John Kennedy, BBC introducing and Apple Music. I look forward to hearing more from them.
(Petra Eujane)
MAX BABY – Dust 19:15 – 19:45
The band took to the stage, Max looking cool with his Richard Ashcroft-esque hairstyle, he beckoned humorously to the crowd to give a little more applause whilst Felix started strumming a silky bass line, then Lillian’s drums kicked in and we were away with ‘All Over’ a song from Max’s recent ‘Out Of Control, Into The Wall’ EP. Max’s guitar sound was not the usual guitar sound I’m used to hearing, it had a real synthy/computer sound to it which works so perfectly with his voice and the songs. Looking closely he was using a Fractal AX8 Multi-Effects Guitar Pedal set up which looked rather futuristic. “Hello, Max Baby is my real name, it’s even on my passport” exclaimed Max after the first two songs. I think he was probably joking. The lighting switched to an apt red for the third song ‘Hardcore’ which was a darker song in tone, for this Felix switched to a synth and we got big fat heavy drum beats from Lillian. Following a huge cheer, Max exclaimed “Wow there are a lot of you here tonight, I’m truly surprised”. ‘Trouble’ came next, another beaty /synth song that took a turn towards the end with some frantic raging drums/guitar and keyboard. We were then treated to a brand new song played for the first time here at TGE, and it will be the next single, it was called ‘I Can Do Anything’. Max really bellows those lyrics, his strong voice and tone really captures your attention. The band went against their principles and played a cover next of Robbie Williams ‘Angels’, whilst it was good and in keeping with the band’s style, I’d been enjoying hearing Max’s own music so probably would have preferred some more of their own stuff. The last song of this seven song set was the awesome ‘Nothing Ever Changes’, It was only during the gig I recognised it as a song I’ve heard so much on BBC 6 Music and sung along to, but had no idea who it was by, well now I do and have seen it performed live, what a stroke of luck. It was a bloody good set, one that I had gone to on a spur of the moment, it was 100% excellent. Sadly just 35 minutes long, I would have wished it was an hour or more.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
SOAPBOX – Daltons 19:15 – 19:45
I saw Soapbox at the Rockaway Beach festival in January. I was mightily impressed with them then, making them a ‘must see’ for The Great Escape. They’re an uncompromising punk band from Glasgow, and bring all of the edginess that description implies down to Brighton with them. Singer Tom Rowan gets up close and personal with the crowd from the get-go, and for the second song ‘Do As You’re F*ckin’ Told’ he joins them to mosh. The place is already a sweatbox. God knows what state the band, the audience and the venue are going to be in by the end of Soapbox’s set. To say that the band has a very energetic stage presence doesn’t even begin to do justice to their live show. However, their kinetic energy onstage has no negative impact on their music, with drummer Jenna Nimmo keeping a very firm hand on any straying tempo-wise. Tom complains about paying £7 for a pint of Guinness. Well, that’s the south-east for you! The barrier between band and audience blurs further as a guy gets onstage to dance with Tom. ‘Yer Back’ (?) has a brilliant bass line from Aidan Bowskill. It sounds just like Jean-Jacques Burnel. The set is all high energy stuff throughout. Credit must go to guitarist Angus Husbands who plays ferocious rhythm, whilst still managing to peel out some cracking solos. The set closes with a song about Prince Andrew. It’s far from complimentary. In earlier times it would have seen the band in the Tower, but thankfully they’re free to play another day, bringing a taste of the spirit of 1977 to 2025.
(Mark Kelly)
MEN AN TOL – Unbarred Brewery 20:00 – 20:40
I went along to see this group with high hopes, after having had them recommended to me by quite a few people I’d bumped into over the previous couple of days. Me being me, never asked what they sound like, as I always like to hear things for myself. My mistake. If you love The Waterboys then you’ll adore these guys. Unfortunately I can’t stand The Waterboys, but I believe many people did and still do, so if you fall into that category then go see. If like me you don’t, then you can’t say you haven’t been warned!
(Graeme Houston)
A THOUSAND MAD THINGS – Daltons 20:15 – 20:45
Out of nowhere has come brand new London-based vocalist, producer and musician William Barradale, who goes under the moniker of A Thousand Mad Things. Last month he dropped his debut single, titled ‘Wide Awake’ via the Nettwek label. Here is an artist I knew nothing about other than the name and the fact that he will be the opening act on Brighton Beach for The Human League concert on 23rd July. When I found out about this, there was then no music to listen to, but I had a strong suspicion that he would be very much to my liking – Thank God I wasn’t wrong! On stage this evening is William on lead vocals, and there is an iPad with Nord Piano 2 HP plus a Korg which his chum takes care of as well as backing vocals. Daltons has filled up nicely, including William’s auntie who is obviously quite a character. They kick off and within seconds all I hear from the vocal delivery is Marc Almond with a hint of Billy Mackenzie from The Associates, although visually he has gone for the Colin Vearncombe (aka Black) suit look. It’s dramatic, flamboyant (possibly camp) with William throwing the shapes and each tune carries a story. There’s many lines to each song and musically it’s a varied set as opposed to just a few word dance numbers. I’m half expecting him to burst out and sing a few lines of Marc Almond’s cover of ‘Jacky’ as he delivers ‘Local Guys’, which hopefully will be included on his debut EP out 30th May. ‘Hate It’ has a fast electronic beat in a modern interpretation of 80s alternative and synth-pop. The penultimate number, which may have been called ‘She’s On The Run’ wasn’t listed on the setlist that I could see, but fans of The Human League’s ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ will be most happy! It’s a brilliant set and I’m very excited to watch A Thousand Mad Things become famous!
(Nick Linazasoro)
CLIFFORDS – TGE Beach Soundwaves 20:15 – 20:45
I couldn’t resist seeing Cliffords for a second time, so here I am at Soundwaves. This is by far the biggest place that I’ve seen them play. I’m unsure of the capacity but it’s at the very least a few hundred, and the place is absolutely rammed. News clearly travels!!! The band stick to the same set as previously, which is probably sensible. Hearing the set a second time in two days is a long way from being boring though: it simply serves to confirm that the band are every bit as good as I think they are! The musicianship and performance is superb. Do yourselves a favour and get along to see them at the earliest available opportunity!!!
(Mark Kelly)
SUNDRESS – Waterbear Venue 20:15 – 20:45
In the last year of Sundress being together they have attracted a lot of interest. They’re already booked for a slew of festivals over the summer and they’ve just released their debut single, ‘Meet Me In Montauk’. This is a Sheffield band of young huge talent. Lead singer Chelsea Costello has a lovely delicate vocal but she can hit the power button when needed. She’s very confident, and has good, relaxed engagement with her audience and the band, which comprises Bradley Widdowson who offers intricate guitar work, and Elliott Mawbey who offloads hypnotic bass grooves, and thus together the band creates lush soundscapes inspired by icons like The Sundays. The whole set seemed effortless and full of joy which was catching. It’s the sound of summer for sure.
(Kairen Kemp)
YUKE – The Font 20:30 – 20:45
Described as four East London friends creating a blend of DIY indie post punk, Yuke already had my interest piqued. Watching them set up in their matching red boiler suits and berets, I was happy that the stage presentation had thought behind it. Being a festival where the turnaround time for each act is limited, technical issues did mean a very short set for Yuke. Having said that, their live performance was captivating, with theatrical flamboyance and compelling beats and brilliant guitar riffs. Of the many influences listed in their bio – for me I was getting a very David Byrne feel.
(Petra Eujane)
BE N!CE – The Font 21:00 – 21:30
I was really pleased to catch a snippet of Be N!ce before I sadly had to see goodbye to my 2025 Brighton Rock n Roll Circus. I had a brief but fun interaction with some of the band members prior to them playing and took a quick snap. They had amazing stage presence, which as a photographer always makes life more interesting. Musically their flavour is punk/post punk described as seriously silly and loud. From energetic headbanging to teeth guitaring – these were just two engaging aspects of their performance in my short experience. I look forward to seeing them play live again!
(Petra Eujane)
DOG RACE – Unbarred Brewery 21:00 – 21:40
So this is it. The gig that made No.1 on my list for the best concert of the weekend. It’s not just me that likes them, as NME listed them in their top 100 bands to look out for in 2025, and down by the front of the stage I was surrounded by a crowd of fervent Belgians who were singing along to every song, word for word, including their new single, which came out less than a week ago. Since first being blown away by this band last June, they really have stepped up a few gears; their sound is louder and crisper and the entire band, after playing some major European festivals, now act as if they own the stage. And so they should. That was as good a performance as any band will likely produce in Brighton this year!! From the stunning vocals, thumping bass and drums, guitar and keys everything was on point sonically this evening. They’re back again soon for the Psych Festival. Miss them at your peril!!!
(Graeme Houston)
SKUNK ANANSIE – The Old Market 21:00 – 22:00
After a couple of hectic days immersed in the buzz of Brighton’s The Great Escape, I made my way to The Old Market to catch the legendary Skunk Anansie deliver a powerful hour of punky chaos, the show being anything but a respite from the bustle of the festival. Despite forming back in 1994, the band shows no signs of slowing down. With a new album around the corner, their energy certainly isn’t waning. Skunk Anansie’s legacy precedes them, having heard esteemed tales of their 1999 Glastonbury headline slot, with frontwoman Skin becoming the first Black British woman to do so. I was curious to see how their reputation held up, could they still command a crowd nearly three decades on? The answer was apparent as soon as I arrived. The venue was packed wall to wall, shoulder to shoulder. With a devoted fanbase, many of whom, judging from the silvery hue of hair in the crowd, had been there since the early days, now here to celebrate and relive moments from the band’s heyday. I am sure no fan, old or new, left disappointed. The show opened with Skin’s iconic vocals commanding our attention – uncompromised in technical ability and power. Her range remains stunning, effortlessly transitioning from a powerhouse of sound to a soft, spoken word. The band matched her intensity: bassist Cass Lewis taking to centre stage to amplify the already huge levels of energy through his heavy grooving basslines. The crowd, in turn, respond with equal enthusiasm: head banging and moshing. The energy and performance are sustained with Skins vocals and side to side dancing across the stage. We were invited to preview some new material too, with Skin announcing on one that this was their “Deepest and darkest song” and declared that we were the first to hear it. Emotion certainly ran high, although this is not an uncommon trait when reflecting on their discography. At parts it echoed a Massive Attack-esque sound – this perhaps more unexpected. Though the audience was a little less responsive in their reaction to the newer tracks, they remained eager eyed and hanging on the band’s performance, giving their full attention. One of the standout newer tracks, ‘An Artist Is an Artist’, was better received. “This song is about the fact we’re the f*cking music!” Skin declared before launching into a pulsating electronic beat layered with heavy guitars a screaming chorus. It was during the classics like ‘Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)’ and ‘Little Baby Swastika’, the atmosphere was most palpable. The latter served as a fiery reminder of the band’s enduring principles and pertinent political voice, met with a roar of cheers from a clearly aligned audience.
(Sophie Tebb)
CORDELIA GARTSIDE – Waterbear Venue 21:15 – 21:45
Cordelia Gartside’s ‘lo-fi creep rock’ show was one of the most dramatic and memorable of my Great Escape Festival. Cordelia was joined by her band of Willow Simpson (guitar), Max Garner (drums) and Tom Ironmonger (bass). They started with ‘Pay By The Hour’ with a beautifully haunting start, which reminded me a little of Julee Cruise and Twin Peaks, before exploding into a rock track with screamed vocals. On that opening song and many others, the volume and tempo may have changed, but the intensity was unwavering. Cordelia mostly sang with a piercing gaze as if emphasising her vocal delivery. Cordelia’s set had variety as well as quality with slower softer songs such as ‘Machine’ and my personal favourite ‘Hospital Corners’ which were sung with so much emotion. The show’s finale ‘What The Heart Wants’, was their fastest and loudest number. Cordelia gave her band space to shine, such as the great distortion and rock breaks from Willow’s guitar. Willow wandered into the crowd to play towards the end and Cordelia played bent backwards on her knees. Not idle posing, but totally fitting the music and occasion. Cordelia mentioned in her set that she grew up in Brighton and it was her first time playing The Great Escape. She and her band definitely made the most of their debut with a spectacular show.
(Peter Greenfield)
MANDRAKE HANDSHAKE – Horatios 21:15 – 21:45
It seems quite a while since I last saw Mandrake Handshake, but it was in fact only in September last year. Since then they’ve been busy, bringing out their debut studio album ‘Earth-Sized Worlds’ in February. It must have been released with very little fanfare as I was completely unaware of it!!! I am however aware of it now, and it’s a beauty. As always, a Mandrake Handshake is a trip away into previously uncharted territory. From a reviewer’s point of view it’s like heaven, because everywhere you look or listen there’s something interesting going on. Deservedly the band have drawn a fair sized crowd to their end-of-the pier show. There are no stage announcements so it’s not always clear what song is being played, but to be honest that really doesn’t matter. The set is one stream of electric magic mellow grooviness. There are awesome guitar solos from Row Janjuah. The vocals of Trinity Oksana and backing vocalist Rudy Mae Symonds are crystalline. Row occasionally swaps solos with rhythm guitarist Charlie Arrowsmith. Percussionist and synth player Elvis Thirlwell is only one of many points of focus. Then again, there are Moogieman’s many electronic flights of fancy. ‘Hypersonic Super-Asterid’ brings the set to a far too early close. I don’t know how Mandrake Handshake manage to tailor five of their songs into only half an hour, but they do so admirably. They return to Brighton for the Psych Fest at the end of August. Be there!
(Mark Kelly)
PASTEL – Daltons 21:15 – 21:45
The final band to play on Daltons official line-up on day three of the festival is indie rock band Pastel. Fronted by talented Droylsden, Manchester cousins Jack Yates (lead vocals) and James Yates (guitar), they provide a similar swagger to early Oasis. The first song they play is a psychedelic rock track ‘Your Day’. This is one of five tracks they play from their debut album ‘Souls In Motion’, which was released in January. This one does actually have a bit of early Oasis feel to it. ‘Running On Empty’ is played next, another full of Manchester swagger. This one kicks in with some crashing drums from Rhys Wheeler. The unreleased ‘IOU/Psycho Filler’ is next. This one features James on bongos. Next, we hear ‘Gone Too Fast’ and then the dreamy, slower song ’Sunnyside’. Jack then provides a bit of banter as he asks stand-in bass player Ollie if his fingers hurt. After the next song, which is ‘SOHO’, we are told that Ollie has replaced the usual bass player Liam O’Shea as he has an arm injury and has been instructed to rest it for a number of weeks. We learn that Ollie is 19 and has only had a few weeks to learn the songs. James says, “He only looks like he’s 16.” ’SOHO’ is a catchy psychedelic indie dance song that was released in 2022. The intro to the next song ‘Deeper Than Holy’ sounds like The Verve. The final song of a very entertaining set is ‘Isiah’, another 2022 release.
(Ian Holman)
THE PILL – Charles Street Tap 21:15 – 21:45
The Pill are Lily on guitar and Lottie on bass, both sharing vocal duties, plus there is Rufus on drums and they hail from the Isle of Wight, an Isle where plenty of good bands seem to be coming from at the moment, there must be something in the water. Wow, what a crazy pair they are, their songs are humorous, tending to laugh in a satirical way at life situations. They have oodles of energy, are cheeky but soooo much fun. Songs such as ‘Salt Father’, ‘Money Mullet’, ‘Woman Driver’, and ‘Scaffolding Man’ all got played in a mega thirty five minute, nine song set. There was lots of hilarious banter and patter between songs, possibly more of a routine, despite it seeming to be off the cuff, they alluded to Lottie being a little razzled at the start, there was no holding back. The songs themselves were fast, furious and punk driven, really good juicy loud guitar. Lots of mosh pit action was going on, at one point I saw people holding hands and spinning round and round, other folks were going crazy dancing right up at the front next to me. This set fully woke me up, utterly legendary, they are most definitely going to be playing bigger and bigger venues, as I write this now their ‘The EP’ tour has just been announced, I’d wager those will sell out fast.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
PUNCHBAG – The Wing 22:00 – 22:30
It’s my first ever gig review from The Wing, which is a building attached to the rear of the Brighton Centre. I’m desperately trying to remember if I have ever been here before. I can recall seeing Buzzcocks at Hewison Hall literally decades ago, but I can’t remember if this is the exact same space or not. Anyway, we arrive and enter The Wing, and it’s astonishingly quiet, there’s hardly any punters in, and although we are camped on the metal barrier at the front, the rest of the punters are standing on or behind a line on the floor about 20 feet further back, it’s as though they are all caught in a forcefield and can’t move beyond this point. I beckon them all forward, a few do break through the barrier in time for PUNCHBAG to take to the stage. Having seen them once already at this Great Escape, I knew exactly what to expect; it’s going to be uplifting fun all the way with these guys. PUNCHBAG are spearheaded by a South London brother-sister duo of Clara and Anders Bach. They have two chums with them and Clara very much runs the interaction with the band and crowd – Oh the joys of youth! Once again it’s a high voltage dance pop set that calls the endorphins to action. PUNCHBAG are a fun outfit and well worth spending 30 minutes of your time to be in their company. Tonight the sound is even louder than at The Arch yesterday, but there’s no horrible echo, and the lighting is fabulous. I honestly have no idea why this venue isn’t utilised much more for concerts, as it’s a brilliant space!
(Nick Linazasoro)
DIRTSHARKS – Waterbear Venue 22:15 – 22:45
I’ve seen Dirtsharks a few times, but tonight the normal wall of sound was tempered and we could hear the song content which is, and always has been, excellent. The core of the band, brothers Aidan and Brendon Moran are from Cornwall. Dirtsharks carve their sonic territory with a blend of reverb aggression, dynamic sympathy, and scuzz-drenched chaos – taking influences from the likes of The National and Biffy Clyro. Their music is a vivid colour field where melodies meet ferocity and powerful violin solos. They are total one-offs and are constantly evolving and improving. Tonight they were at their best with my standout track being ‘I Can’t Find Another Way’ with Aidan’s vocals being superb. It was a great balanced set between old and new. Just one word .. impressive!
(Kairen Kemp)
ENGLISH TEACHER – TGE Beach The Deep End 22:15 – 23:00
One of the biggest names on this year’s Great Escape line up was Mercury Music Prize winners English Teacher. I first saw them play this festival tucked away in Komedia Studio; this time they were on the main stage at the beach venue. The Leeds four-piece of Lily Fontaine (vocals, guitar and keyboard), Lewis Whiting (guitar), Nicholas Eden (bass), and Douglas Frost (drums and keyboards) were joined by a cellist. At the start of the set the band stood heads bowed, as the cello played the intro of ‘This Could Be Texas’ before Lily’s spoken vocals and Douglas’s clipped keys. The tempo picked up with Nicholas’s distinctive bassline introducing ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’. This included one of many spectacular soaring vocals from Lily, while the next song ‘I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying’ showed how well she handled the fast lyrics that would have tongue tied lesser singers. Later on ‘You Blister My Paint’ we heard the darker emotions in Lily’s voice. The contrast in style between the two guitarists with Lewis’s more animated sharp style juxtaposed to Nicholas’s laid-back bass playing worked well, especially as ‘R&B’ sped up. After the fast catchy ‘Nearly Daffodils’, English Teacher closed with the slower pace of ‘Albert Road’ and Lily’s spoken delivery to minimal accompaniment. This may have seemed a strange choice on which to end. But the way the song built spectacularly, yet almost unnoticed, before Lily’s soaring voice and long screamed notes, it proved a wonderful way to close a special show from English Teacher.
(Peter Greenfield)
GENEVIEVE RACETTE – Queens Hotel 22:30 – 23:00
Genevieve Racette is a French-Canadian Folk/Americana singer. She has been performing since 2014. This is her first visit to the UK, and along with two of her friends, we hear a seven-song set, all from Genevieve’s latest album ‘Golden’, which was released last October. The set includes ‘X2’, a song about sobriety. Genevieve tells us she’s been sober for eight years. ‘I Hope It Hurts’ is about female rage. For ‘My Thoughts Of You’, Genevieve uses a harmoniser. The penultimate song ‘Same Old Me’ was my favourite from the set. Genevieve tells us it’s a song about trying to reinvent herself. The set is finished with ‘Circles’. We are told that they always finish with this one. It’s a song about missing home when on tour, although Genevieve says “Brighton doesn’t feel like that. We love Brighton. Can we stay here?” Although it was not mentioned during the performance, an Instagram post reveals Genevieve’s great-grandfather was stationed in Brighton during the Second World War. He was with the Royal Canadian Air Force and trained airmen how to parachute, how to jump, and how to land on their feet. She never met him. She took a photo on Brighton beach during her visit, and it made her feel connected to him in a way.
(Ian Holman)
KITA ALEXANDER – Fabrica 22:30 – 23:00
Hailing from Byron Bay, Australia, singer-songwriter Kita Alexander had naturally spent a glorious day on Brighton beach with her family before this atmospheric performance at Fabrica. Having played at Coachella and racked up many millions of plays on Spotify, her set more than lived up to expectations. Supported by a tight drummer and a guitarist, she delivered her radio-friendly songs with a smooth vocal and an engaging stage-presence, explaining the personal meanings behind some of the songs including the wonderful ‘Hotel’ written for her late sister Tash. A set of polish and passion which went down well with those in attendance.
(Martin J Fuller)
THE KLITTENS – The Hope & Ruin (Downstairs Bar) 22:30 – 23:00
All female Amsterdam five-piece The Klittens served up a packed downstairs bar with a brilliant set of post-punk indie fuzz that almost made my Top 5 list of best gigs of the weekend. Giving us songs that were catchy, off kilter but danceable, from the off they went down an absolute storm with the crowd. I particularly loved the last two numbers which were that little bit angrier and noisier than what had gone before and that I wasn’t familiar with. Hopefully the sign that some new material is incoming soon from one of my favourite Dutch bands.
(Graeme Houston)
WELLY – Horatios 23:15 – 23:45
A Welly show is quite possibly the most amount of fun you can have with your clothes on! Welly himself is astonishingly quick-witted and certainly knows how to get the punters joyfully on-side. He’s a cheeky chappy that knows how to have fun. For instance, at last night’s show at the Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship), which was broadcast live on BBC Introducing 6 Music radio, the wag said “Alexa play a selection of Welly songs”; God I hope it worked! Hilarious! Tonight at the end of Brighton Pier, the band are back to their normal lineup, which is Welly (lead vocals), Jacob Whitear (bass, bv’s), Joe Holden-Brown (guitar, bv’s), Matt Gleeson (guitar, bv’s) and Hanna Witkamp (keyboards, bv’s). Hanna wasn’t at yesterday’s performance and they had a female in on keys (with the assistance of Welly himself) and that set sounded more electronic than usual whereas tonight it was business as usual. The punters have filled the venue after queuing outside in order to get in – word’s out on Welly then! We had all the usual comedic classics including ‘Shopping’, ‘It’s Not Like This In France’ and the finale ‘Me And Your Mates’. At one point all the lads vacated the stage leaving Welly and Hanna to hold fort. Welly seemed to be obsessed with the knotted ropes above his head on the ceiling and was busily untying them, until the sound guy pointed out that the whole thing might come down on him, so what does Welly do at the very end? Yep hangs upside down from it monkey style. He is indeed a very cheeky monkey! Move over Madness, your time is up!
(Nick Linazasoro)
YUMI & THE WEATHER – Pink Moon 23:00 – 23:30
The Yumi & The Weather set was part of the Alternative Escape, and set in the Pink Moon, a café I never even knew existed, lovely cozy rooms and décor, this really felt like something special before it even started. Upon walking in I was surprised to see Ruby Taylor, the multi-instrumentalist/producer/singer of Yumi & The Weather behind the mixing desk. It transpires her along with drummer Tim had been on this duty for the past two full days. I only discovered Yumi through seeing CIEL over the past year, when Ruby stepped in for guitar duties, that’s what prompted me to look her up and discover this whole musical project. I’d bought an album, but to see her live was still on the to do list. Tick, I realized Tim the drummer also plays in CIEL. The opening track was a full flurry of drum beats, utterly pulsating bass lines and the most gorgeous guitar work from Ruby. For the second song a tambourine shaker was brought in from the crowd, this number had a real psychedelic feel to it. The third song was called ‘Imagine’, another banger. We were then treated to a couple of new songs from the forthcoming third album. One was about compromising in relationships, the other was about those with all the power and money in the world. This was a raging song with heavy bass and guitar, lyrics delivered by Ruby in a more spoken manner rather than sung, with Tim and the bass player shouting “I’ve got plenty of time”, I utterly loved this one, it reminded me a little of some of the band Prolapse’s songs. As the band had set up so quickly, there was no setlist out and Ruby didn’t realize they’d reached the end of the set, she called out to see if Hutch who were playing next had arrived, they hadn’t so the band decided to give us a bonus song ‘Hustle’, good God alive, what a song, I loved it, that bass line, the screeching guitar, bliss. I was over the “Pink” Moon to catch this set and am promptly going to go and buy everything musically they have put out if I can find it. Yumi & The Weather play next at Alphabet on the 19th June.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
KÄSSY – Fabrica 23:30 – 00:00
Diminutive singer Kässy certainly packs a punch. Kässy, who hails from Austria and her two bandmates (drums; keys/synths), delivered a set of eclectic electro-pop with both emotion and personality. At times it’s all manic energy oscillating to introspective emotion and depth. Her excellent new single ‘Meet Me In The Bathroom’ was performed this evening and drops soon. Worth checking out.
(Martin J Fuller)
LAWN CHAIR – Charles Street Tap 00:15 – 00:45
OK, I don’t mind admitting that by now, I’m absolutely shattered and have acquired two blisters and a cut on my foot from all the running around and bopping over the past few days. I’m at my lowest ebb, but then get talked into just one more set by my colleague as I’m standing outside Charles Street Tap. I haven’t got a clue who is playing there as they aren’t on my list and I’m quite frankly too tired to even look at the Great Escape App. Reluctantly I climbed the stairs into the venue. The band is LAWN CHAIR and the quintet are soundchecking their two guitars, bass, keys and drums. They look a geeky bunch, and an interesting prospect! They are fronted by Seattle-born singer Claudia Schlutius, and they deliver powerful, guitar-driven indie punk with an infectious energy, blending the raw spirit of the ’80s and ’90s with a fresh, modern edge. Their setlist reads: ‘Devo’, ‘Rhoenians Death’, ‘Punkrock Band’, ‘MWSE’, ‘War Machine’, ‘Sunset Heartbreak’, ‘Lobster’, ‘Big Dick’ and ‘Counting On Love’ and some of these are unreleased tunes. Note the name of their first track, ‘Devo’, I’d say it’s a clue to their sound and mix that in with The B52s and a smidge of the Dead Kennedys and you are there. Claudia is very entertaining and moves about the stage like a rag doll. She also climbed the balcony to the rear of the stage, stood atop the drumset, and then joined the audience on more than one occasion. For the last of which, she kept backing into the punters with a falling motion. I wasn’t quite sure what was required, until some figured it out and hoisted her above their heads whilst she carried on singing. This was a truly energetic rockin’ set and when they drop their new album in September, I hope that they make a swift return, as I will want to be there! What blisters?
(Nick Linazasoro)
