‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘MUTATIONS FESTIVAL’, VARIOUS VENUES, BRIGHTON 7-8.11.25
Brighton’s seminal ‘Mutations Festival’ has returned for its seventh edition and again is curated and produced by concert promoters FORM. It has certainly boasted an exciting mix of the most explosive, established, and brand-new international artists, who were showing punters exactly what they had on offer! The multi-venue festival took place on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th November across nine of our city’s most treasured Grassroots Music Venues. These being: Chalk, Patterns, Revenge, Dust, The Prince Albert, Green Door Store, The Hope and Ruin, The Folklore Rooms and Alphabet.
This year there were no less than 85 music acts to choose from, but as always the case with festivals, there are clashes of top quality artists that you ideally would love to catch in action. Such was the quality this year, that many acts who we would have truly normally covered, had to sadly forsaken for those fortunate acts that we did get to see. We tried our best and so without further ado, here’s what we did see in performance order……
SATURDAY 8th NOVEMBER:
GREEN STAR – The Hope & Ruin (1:30pm – 2:00pm)
Two Spanish musicians answer a wanted ad from an American dancer and births Green Star, an unconventional and outdated form of getting a band together, but it works. The trio today starts with a repeated “Wake up, this is Green Star, GGGGreen star” robotic overdub and sets the scene in The Hope and Ruin which is at full capacity. The first song ‘Falter’ is a slow burner with haunting guitars and quiet forlorn vocals, I was a bit worried at first by this, but the next song ‘Blades Of Steel’ showed some bite, with its aggressive drums and melodic guitars which occasionally thrash. ‘What’s True’ commits to their hauntingly indie roots with angelic vocals and a heading guitar uplift throughout. ‘Four-O-Five’ ends the set with its outstanding noisy rock beats and progressive guitars with some powerful vocals which satisfy this crowd of music lovers.
(Stephen Willcox)
THISTLE. – Dust (1:30pm – 2:00pm)
Thistle. opened day two of the festival at Dust. They are a Northampton-based indie rock trio comprising Cameron Godfrey (guitar and vocals), Judson Rushton (bass and vocals), and Lewis O’Grady (drums). Formed as recently as 2023, they are known for their high-energy sound that blends lo-fi melancholy with chaotic guitars and intimate, sometimes punk-infused, alt-rock sounds. Today’s early afternoon set at Dust is made up of twelve songs, including all five tracks from their debut EP ‘It’s Nice To See You, Stranger’. I was impressed with them when they headlined a ‘Hidden Herd’ show at The Hope & Ruin back in June alongside another of today’s Mutations acts, ‘Ain’t’, and local Brighton based bands ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Carne’. They are known for their DIY approach, having recorded their music in a garage. They are clearly influenced by Pavement. It’s no surprise that they manage to fit twelve songs into their half-hour set, as at least three of the tracks come in at under two minutes in length, and most are around the three-minute mark. A standout track from today’s performance is ‘Cobble/Mud’, as was the pace-changing ‘Wishing Coin’, which features both soft and screeching vocals. There’s also some screeching from Cameron on the unreleased track ‘Pieces’. They are a band that just gets on with it, although prior to the final track ‘Lemochrome’, Cameron expressed gratitude for playing at the festival alongside some other great bands. They gave mentions to ‘Green Star’ and recommended the audience to see ‘Ain’t’ play later. ‘Ain’t’ returned the compliment and some, as their lead vocalist Hanna Baker Darch said Thistle. are their favourite band in the world.
(Ian Holman)
LEMONSUCKR – Dust (2:30pm – 3:00pm)
Let’s face it, Lemonsuckr are the band of the moment right now and anyone who has recently seen them live will understand why. The band comprise Guy Ferris (vocals, tambourine, cowbell), Oscar Post (guitar, backing vocals), Ollie Thomas (guitar, backing vocals), Jake Andrews (bass) and Matt Saunders (drums, presets) and they have filled the Dust venue to capacity this afternoon. From the very off one of their guitarists pops off stage and has a wander through the crowd, which takes some doing considering how rammed it is. This tune is ‘Dead Disco’ which is from their latest ‘H.E.A.T.’ EP, which gets delved into during this set. Next up is ‘Instant Kinks’ which is an immediate tune to get the punters further on board, and it’s the turn of frontman Guy to get into the crowd. ‘Sedated’ is up next and as you would expect is a relaxing number…..to begin with that is with the slow keys backing, but then the booming dance beat kicks in and then there’s some enjoyable Arabic style riffage to be had and Guy is sounding not unlike IDLES Joe Talbot on this one.
It’s going so well. Then there are again more technical difficulties during this set and sadly there’s quite a gap and things go off the boil. Clearly the setlist has been thrown out of the window now. I don’t believe it’s the band’s fault. Eventually there’s a roll on the drums and the quintet launch into the post-punk electronic masterpiece that is the title track from their ‘H.E.A.T.’ EP with its catchy “tango, tango, tango” lyrics. Wanting to make up for lost time and energy, they pull out all the stops for the unreleased ‘Rugrat’ which features one of the guitarists climbing atop the bar and bassist Jake atop of a speaker. After which they leave the stage, earlier than anticipated. It’s been a brilliant performance, but one which was marred by gremlins. Hopefully they will have better luck at the sold out concert at the Green Door Store on Friday, where they are sharing the stage with Deep Sea Diver.
(Nick Linazasoro)
MÊN AN TOL – The Hope & Ruin (2:30pm – 3:00pm)
My Saturday at Mutations starts with Mên An Tol at The Hope and Ruin. They somehow sound meatier and more powerful then when I saw them at The Great Escape six months ago, but that may be because The Hope and Ruin has a better PA than the Charles Street Tap, where I saw them last. On ‘Set In Stone’ Felix Knox’s mandolin is virtually inaudible, but that is soon rectified. This is a good thing as Felix’s mando adds a lot of interesting touches to Mên An Tol’s overall sound. ‘Lucky’, which is a new-ish song from their ‘This Land’ EP, has a jangly indie feel. Vocalist Bill Jefferson is sounding oddly like John Lennon today, but it transpires that he has a bad cold and is “Sudafed’d up right now”. I hope that doesn’t count as advertising or product placement. ‘The World’ is a new song with a big subject, and features a right good mandolin solo. Before starting ‘The Ideal,’ Bill announces that he is losing his voice. His speech is certainly affected, but as long as his singing is okay (and it is) then we don’t care. There’s almost a hint of The Wedding Present about this song, which is not something that I was expecting to hear, or write for that matter. ‘This Land’, the title track of the aforementioned EP, “is about how shit this country is”. I’m a bit older than Mên An Tol, and I can assure them that in the past it’s been significantly worse. The set ends with ‘NW1’, which is not only a suitably rowdy set closer, it’s already becoming a bit of a minor classic. With time it will probably become a major classic. Mên An Tol have provided me with a cracking start to my day, and I look forward to seeing them next time.
(Mark Kelly)
TOOTH – The Prince Albert (2:30pm – 3:00pm)
The second band on my hit list for the day are Tooth, an alternative rock band from London. I’m really hoping for something lively and guitar fuelled to get me going and I am pleased to say my prayers have been answered by these four lads; Tom (Vocals & Guitar), Ben (Guitar), Charlie (Bass) and Roy (Drums). The 30 minute storm of a set opened with the very lively ‘Schoolyard’ and these boys mean business. Following the opener Tom asked the crowd if everyone has had a nice day so far and someone asked him the same back he replied jokingly “a stinker”, drummer Roy interrupted saying it might actually be a bit of a stinker as there was a now seemingly a drum issue, he continued “we’ll see what happens” as the guitars cranked up for ‘Schoolyard’, however part the way through the song Roy shouted out if anyone has a drum key, luckily a chap at the front did, the song was stopped and Roy did his business before we got the song from the top once more. A great recovery indeed, Roy was an utter power house on those drums, the wall of guitar sound from Tom, Ben and Charlie really hit the mark.
Other songs in the set were ‘Restless In Bloom’ ‘Wallflower’, ‘Age Of Innocence’, ‘In The End’ and ‘Medicine’. This set really was magic for me, good proper alternative indie rock, lashings of guitar, pounding drums, superb basslines, Tom’s vocals at times reminded me of John Power from Cast or perhaps Kelly Jones form Stereophonics, but they sure are a very tight band. I’m not sure how long they have been going, certainly since 2023 as far as I can tell looking online and they have had plenty of gigs in the London area. The interaction and banter with the crowd was confident and fun, jokes were made of “bank transfer or cash only” by Roy with regards to their t-shirt sales afterwards. I had hoped to buy one, but the room instantly refilled once the set was over and I dared not lose my front spot. Fingers crossed they come back to Brighton again and I’ll get to hear a longer set, very much a band to keep an eye on.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
PAN AMSTERDAM – The Prince Albert (3:30pm – 4:00pm)
Continuing my weekend of first time’s, I opted to give guitars a break and find something fresh, and fresh is what I found. Wisely I had decided to stay in the same spot at the front after the preceding band and thank goodness I did, because the Prince Albert instantly seemed to fill to capacity a full 30 minutes before Pan Amsterdam even took to stage.
Pan Amsterdam is the musical persona of Leron Thomas, a New York based Rapper and Jazz trumpeter, he blends experimental hip hop, jazz, funk and electronic music to make some most excellent sweet sweet music for our ears. The stage set up was quick, simply two microphones, one for vocals and one trumpet, plus a small wooden table with a laptop helmed by Finlay Harrison (aka DJ Fin Shady). Pan himself dressed casually in a black sweater and some very cool shades, he did his sound checks and said “That feels good” and laughed, such an infectious laugh, one that we heard many times throughout the set. Those beats from Fin kicked in, and Pan took up position with his trumpet and we were away. The set started with ‘Confines’ the title track of his latest 2025 album, a slow and chilled introduction to proceedings in which Pan would walk between his two microphones to either deliver his rap lyrics or play the trumpet. “How about some ‘Rigatoni’ ?” he asked the crowd telling us “Pan Amsterdam is a foodie” whilst patting his stomach, “Luther Vandross” he added laughing. I really liked that one, I also really loved the way Pan would casually shoot the breeze and chat into the next song “We’ve had our ‘Rigatoni’, so now I want some dessert, let’s have some ‘Carrot Cake’”.
‘Evening Drive’ was next, which “just came out on the new album on Heavenly”. Pan then told us “I even sing on this album, you want to hear it”. It was called ‘NYC Town’, I really liked this one, Pan had a cool reverb effect on his microphone as he sang, it was a real chilled song, in fact I didn’t just like it, I loved this, it had a real late night chilled vibe to it, NYC was pronounced nice. “Yeah man, that’s art” Pan joked with crowd, “Now let’s talk about some freaky arse parties without the baby oil”, he laughed and continued, “I’ve been man, they are not that bad” this song which I’m afraid I don’t know the name of had a solid beat to which Pan danced about to whilst rapping, he was having fun up there. We then had ‘Greek Codfish’ and closed with ‘Plus One’, Pan introduced that with “If you are ever coming to see me play, hit me with a DM and I’ll add you to the guest list as plus one”. It was then all over far too soon, wow that set just flew by, “I love you guys, have a good evening” Pan said as he casually left the stage and headed out of the door as the beats carried on leaving everyone wanting more. Well, what can I say? I wanted something new and fresh and got it by the truckload. A set of beautiful skilled trumpet blended with hip hop beats and fine rap lyrics, I can feel my wallet already being relieved as I make a beeline for his Bandcamp page. I was surprised I’d not heard of Pan Amsterdam until today, although perhaps unwittingly I did twig that the introduction to the Huey Morgan 6 Music block party mix I’ve listened to for years is voiced by Pan, happy days.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
SAINT CLAIR – Dust (3:30pm – 4:00pm)
I head over to Dust now for Saint Clair, who are a four piece from London. Their set starts with a brief cacophony before settling into something that sounds more like a song structure. It still sounds like a distant cousin of The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ though, which I guess is kind of critic-speak for saying that it’s got quite a psychedelic edge. ‘Warm’ meanwhile has a shoegaze feel with some cool feedback between the verses. ‘Real’ has a very atmospheric beginning, and sounds a bit like a Radiohead ballad. There’s great use of dynamics, lots of loud and quiet, and a guitar solo from Lawrence Bordean that flows, just not where you expect it to! Lawrence breaks a string for the second time during this set! Vocalist Toby Bardsley tells us that this is unprecedented, and that Lawrence has never broken a string before – not even in rehearsal! ‘Dreams’ features a gloriously sustained guitar solo, but no more broken strings thankfully. ‘Something To Be Said’ is probably the pokiest song of the set, with some powerful drumming from Beth Diana. The set ends with some more cacophony as an outro. Saint Clair are one of the more interesting bands that I’ve seen this weekend. Apparently they’re playing at The Great Escape next year, but if you get the opportunity to see them before then, seize it with both hands!
(Mark Kelly)
LADYLIKE – Chalk (3:45pm – 4:20pm)
Rising local Brighton-based band Ladylike opened the second day’s entertainment at Chalk, the largest of the venues used at the festival. This was their second performance there, having supported Lime Garden in March last year. Ladylike have a unique sound made up of unconventional song structures that bring together post-rock folk music with elements of shoegaze. The vocals are beautifully sung by their acoustic guitar-playing lead vocalist, Georgia Butler. The other band members are Spencer Withey on synths, guitar, and backing vocals, James Ely on drums, and Archie Sagers on six-string bass guitar. Today’s set includes a number of newer tracks as well as a few more established songs. Their excellent second and most recent single ‘Horse’s Mouth’ is a stand-out as always. It starts with Georgia plucking away at her guitar before the other band members join in. I love the way the structure of the song is strung together with each instrumental part playing key parts throughout, with Spencer adding backing vocals and James’ crashing drums towards the end of the song. The other six songs in the set are paired up on the setlist as they seamlessly transition into each other. They opened with new ones ‘Burning Heather’ and ‘Rome’, then after ‘Horse’s Mouth’ there were a couple more newer songs. These were ‘Cheryl Cole’ and ‘Borrowed Time’, then the set concluded with ‘Fresh Linen’ and ‘Sour Carol, I’. ‘Fresh Linen’ starts and ends with James scraping a drumstick around one of his cymbals.
(Ian Holman)
NIGHTBUS – Green Door Store (4:00pm – 4:30pm)
After listening earlier to their songs on Spotify (boo), I was intrigued so I ran up the hill like Kate Bush to the Green Door Store from the seafront. Lucky I did as punters soon filled it to capacity and left my fellow reviewer Ben to watch it from the bar area. This Manchester trio launches the set with ‘Angles Mortz’ from their new Album ‘Passenger’ with its dark- atmospheric sounds and softly spoken vocals. A continuous guitar riff from Jake Cottier starts ‘False Prophets’ with singer Olive Rees singing “Sensory deprivation; New order in the blue realm of human nature; Are you there?; Are you there?” which is a hauntingly foreboding song and is appreciated by the crowd. Bass player Zac Melrose must have enjoyed playing ‘Landslide’ with its Joy Division hook and the uplift gifted the crowd a reason to move in time with its infectious tune. Last song ‘Mirrors’ is another Joy Division / Cure crossover that’s currently being used in a Versace advert with its hypnotic vocals and synth backing track is a fitting end to a top gig.
(Stephen Willcox)
YAANG – Patterns (4:20pm – 4:55pm)
The first Mutations set of the day at Patterns came from the very entertaining Manchester based synth-punk trio of Yaang (stylized as YAANG), who I don’t believe we have reviewed before, as far as I can recall, which is a shame as they are quite mad! They comprise Oliver Duffy (guitar, vocals), Ben White (bass, vocals) and Davey Moore (vocals, electronics) and they dropped their 10” red vinyl ‘No’ 4-track EP back in March which swiftly sold out. They fall somewhere between the excellent Fat Dog, Getdown Services and Brighton’s Top Left Club. Their opener ‘Comfort’ has a German Motorik beat with screechy guitar atop, complete with some dad dancing. The second selection, ‘Too Much Money’ , reminds me of a fast Caster USM vibe, whereas ‘Deadbeat’ has a Happy Mondays ‘Kinky Afro’ beat. The remaining 5 tunes were ‘I’m A Leech’, ‘Airport Barfight’, ‘Speed McQueen’, ‘’Til Morning Light’ and ‘Horsepower Is God’, for which there are booming beats aplenty, French electro, rock riffage and post-punk disco. It’s all in there and works very well indeed. The trio are obviously having fun by the bucket load as are the punters who are really going with the flow. The comedy-style Matthew Baty (pigs x7) Sex God image out front adds to the “glamour” of the event as well. This is a fun band that really needs to make a swift return to our city!
(Nick Linazasoro)
COILGUNS – Revenge (4:30pm – 5:05pm)
I return to Revenge for Coilguns, who are a Swiss four piece. They originate from the Swiss DIY hardcore scene, and from the very start there’s something utterly uncompromising about them. They’re very bouncy and energetic. Their music is metallic, but with post-punk angularity too. There’s nothing predictable about their music. There’s not much in the way of 4/4, put it that way! They tell us that everything played tonight will be from their album ‘Odd Love’, which was released last year. Fair enough! On the second song the bassist Donatien Thievent and guitarist Jona Nido whistle – just what you would expect from a hardcore act! Vocalist Louis Jucker is in the crowd. It won’t be the last time either.
Apparently they’ve been on tour for ten months, but they’re not in the least bit road weary. Far from it in fact. There’s an aura of sheer joy emanating from the stage which is reflected back by the audience. Vocalist Louis is now on guitar whilst bassist Donatien has moved over to synth for ‘Venetian Blinds’. ‘Bunker Vaults’ is probably the most conventional song in the set, but suddenly they’ve only got two songs left Zut alors!!! Louis tells us that “they’re fast and angry songs!” It rapidly becomes clear that there will be much moshing so I clamber up onto a step beside where I’m standing. My moshing days are way behind me unfortunately! The songs are indeed very fast. The mosh pit pretty much covers the entire floor. Louis sings from the mosh pit. It’s like a big friendly riot. This has been a huge amount of fun. It’s probably not a very rock ‘n’ roll description – but it’s an accurate one!
(Mark Kelly)
BROWN HORSE – Chalk (4:50pm – 5:25pm)
Norwich-based country rock band Brown Horse began as a folk quartet in 2018 and have since evolved into a six-piece formation incorporating a heavier electric sound. They are renowned for their collaborative songwriting approach with multiple members contributing lyrics. The band has also received critical acclaim for its two album releases on the independent label Loose Music. The first, ‘Reservoir’, was released in January 2024 and the follow-up, ‘All The Right Weaknesses’, hit the shelves in April 2025. They have toured extensively in support of the new album at venues and festivals in the UK and Northern Europe including a visit to the Green Door Store in Brighton in April. For this afternoon’s seven-song set, we get six songs from the latest album and one from their debut album. The band line-up is Partick Turner (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Emma Tovell (pedal steel, bass), Nyle Holihan (lead guitar, bass), Rowan Braham (accordion, keys), Ben Rodwell (drums), and Kira Leigh Faith (banjo, bass, vocals). They open with ‘Verna Bloom’. The pedal steel stands out, as does the lead guitar. The tempo slows down a little with the title track from the new album, then it’s ‘Dog Rose’, a song that starts slowly and builds midway through. The song has a bit of a Grant Lee Buffalo feel to it. I’m enjoying the set and so are others in the audience, as there is warm applause between songs. ‘Corduroy Couch’ has a good rhythm to it, and it’s the first time the banjo is brought into play, while ‘Radio Free Bolinas’ sees some instrument swapping with lead guitarist Nyle switching to bass. The drums stand out on this one, and Patrick’s voice sounds similar to that of Mark Knopfler. Things slow down for the relaxing ‘Shoot Back’. Patrick thanks the crowd for seeing them and is pleased with the size of the audience. They then close their set with the jangly ‘Wipers’. A pleasing set and a band I would welcome seeing again.
(Ian Holman)
EBBB – Patterns (5:20pm – 5:55pm)
At the top of my must see Mutations list along with VLURE are EBBB who are truly unique. Now that’s a term often bandied about, but I honestly feel that this is the case with this trio, who are certainly no strangers to Brighton having performed here last year on a half dozen occasions. EBBB comprise Will Rowland on lead vocals, Lev Ceylan on synths and vocals, and Scott MacDonald on drums. They released their debut 5-track EP ‘All At Once’ on 14th June last year, which was followed by a handful of remixes. This year they have unleashed their ‘Manners’, ‘Eyes’ and brand new ‘Book That You Like’ single, so surely a full long-player is on the cards!
From the very start of their Patterns set, I noticed (as did my friend) that Will was much more animated than he has been for previous performances that we have seen and this heightens the senses for the packed crowd. Will’s vocal delivery is a joy to behold and is somehow multitracked as in a one man Beach Boys. He shakes the microphone as well for added effect, and as I look across to Lev on the synth, he’s also often singing the same lines as Will for even more effect. The backbone for a majority of their compositions is actually Scott behind the drumkit, who powers his way through the tunes with true vigour and energy. When the drums aren’t leading the way, the ethereal electronic beats hold fort and it all becomes rather hypnotic. The new ‘Book That You Like’ single obviously gets an outing and very fine it is too. EBBB are versatile as one minute they have banging happy hardcore style beats and at other times it’s more like swirling film scores. Suffice to say that the trio absolutely nailed it today and the packed crowd’s reactions complimented this. EBBB will be returning to Brighton as part of a series of concert dates and on Saturday 22nd November they will be supporting The Orchestra (For Now) at the Green Door Store.
(Nick Linazasoro)
TRUCK VIOLENCE – Revenge (5:30pm – 6:05pm)
I stay in Revenge for Truck Violence. There’s half an hour before they play, but the venue is so rammed I give up on any thoughts of getting a drink. The band’s backdrop features the word ‘Violence’ and a machine gun discharging. So they’re possibly not hippies then. In contrast to the joy emanated by Coilguns, Truck Violence’s vocalist Karsyn Henderson looks distinctly troubled all the way through the set. There is a definite vibe of acute misery coming from him. The band are clearly serious musicians though: bassist Chris Clegg has a six string bass and guitarist Paul Lecours has a seven string guitar. I’m impressed!!! There’s also a banjo lurking on the stage. Quite where that’s going to fit in I don’t know, but doubtless we’ll find out. Karsyn’s vocals are distinctly reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Maybe that explains the troubled look in his eyes. They start with a new song which is brave. Then again it’s probable that nobody here knows their material anyway. It has an inventive and unusual time signature (I can’t identify it). Ryley Klima’s drumming is incredibly powerful, and the band virtually mosh onstage as they play. The banjo comes into play on the fifth song. Karsyn sings quite tenderly accompanied solely by Paul Lecours on the banjo. Paul kneels down to play as the mic for the banjo is virtually at stage level. After that normal service is resumed with loud hardcore stuff. It’s an interesting and unusual set. I’ll make sure that I get to hear more.
(Mark Kelly)
KEO – Chalk (6:00pm – 6:50pm)
Keo ramped up the energy as Chalk filled for the night ahead — their set crackled with life, raw emotion and distorted chords that felt both urgent and heartfelt. Fronted by brothers Finn Keogh (vocals, guitar) and Conor Keogh (bass), with Oli Spackman on drums and Jimmy Lanwern on guitar, the four-piece delivered a performance that balanced unfiltered intensity with emotional vulnerability. Their connection with the crowd was palpable, and when the last note faded, the room erupted in warm, heartfelt applause — a fitting tribute to a truly compelling set. If this set is anything to go by, Keo are poised for something bigger — worth keeping an eye (and ear) on.
(Sara-Louise Bowrey)
WALDO’S GIFT – Patterns (6:20pm – 7:05pm)
A fully packed Patterns warmly welcomed Bristol trio Waldo’s Gift for a mega 38 minute set which most definitely was quite the cacophony of sound, blending a mix of jazz, electronics, pulsing bass, wild guitar and loaaaads of drums. Interestingly I noticed as the stage was being set up in a less conventional way, the drum kit was to the right hand side of the stage at a right angle facing towards the band rather than the audience. I also noticed no-one in the band aside the drummer had a microphone so it seemed it was to be purely instrumental, now I’d not heard or seen the band before so this is all going to be new to me. The band comprise of James ‘Jim’ Vine on drums, Alun Elliott-Williams on guitar and Harry Stoneham on the 5 string bass.
During the set we were told that band formed quite simply because a club owner asked James if he had a band and if he would like come and play at his club every Wednesday, James lied and said yes he had band, two days later he met Alun and Harry, a day before the first gig they got together and the rest is as they say history. They amazingly played a 3 year weekly residency at Bristol’s Gallimaufry where they really honed their craft together. This set had plenty going on, after a throbbing musical introduction, we had ‘Malcolm’s Law’ followed by the ‘Candifloss’ which had some awesome guitar riffs running through it. This was then followed by one of the band’s specialties, an ‘Improv’ song, something they would do every night of their residency, bloody good it was too. Sadly it was at this point as we got into the slow and groovy ‘Cosy’ the bass speaker gave out, it had been starting to go since ‘Candifloss’, but now as you could tell by Harry’s face it was getting painful and then it was dead.
We had a slight interlude whilst James had a Q&A with the crowd to the backing of Alun playing a Spanish style guitar ditty and the Patterns tech’s tried to find a solution to the speaker situation. Eventually a solution was found, not perfect, but it allowed the band to play through the rest of the set which consisted of ‘Euphoria’, ‘Spooky’, ‘Chicago’ and ‘The Berlin Tuck’. This was a brilliant set, three very talented musicians all whom I spotted wore no shoes. James beating those drums and cymbals with all manner of drum effects and supplements on his skins, Harry swaying and bobbing up and down as he bested that bass guitar and Alun getting all sorts of crazy sounds from his pedals and guitars, at times literally beating his pedals with his hands. It was a shame the speaker altered the tone of their sound as this was pure music gold being spun. Their album ‘Malcolm’s Law’ came out in January this year, something I will be certainly checking out.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
THE OOZES – Revenge (6:30pm – 7:15pm)
I have had the pleasure of seeing Queer-Punk South-East Londoners, The Oozes, once before at the quartet’s Great Escape set at the Latest Music Bar on 12th May 2023 and remember it being full of fun and energy and so they were added to my Mutations must see list. I was a tad concerned as I rounded the corner to be greeted by a queue waiting to get into Revenge. Thankfully entrance was secured and I climbed the stairs and waited for the arrival of the band. Two years ago they were a full-on band featuring Tom Gilbert (He/Him) on vocals, Ciara Clarke (They/Them) on bass, Cherry Cicely (She/Her) on guitar and Olly Chrich (He/Him) on drums, but when talking to Tom and Olly last year at the Green Door Store they told me that they had slimmed down to a duo, and so it was just the duo of lead vocals, plus drums, backing vocals and backing recordings for today.
As per two and a half years ago, The Oozes still deliver punk ditties with a jolly sneer that are pertinent to themselves and their way of life, including a song about being a trans man, and one penned when Tom was just fifteen. Revenge is clearly the perfect venue for them. The bright Pierrot costumes are still thankfully being utilized, like a modern day early Leo Sayer, and this adds to the fascial expressions. The set is still filled with energy and the punters at the front were lapping it up. There was a song about a dildo that Tom says was a tad awkward singing in front of one’s mother who was present. But didn’t feel as awkward when doing a lower clothing costume change live on stage. I had the lines from their ‘W*nker’ tune buzzing around my head for a while: “Are you a witch or a wanker?; Oh, you’re a weirdo, no thank ya!”. They signed off with ‘DBSAC’ which is an abbreviation for “Don’t Be Such A C*nt”, but by this point in proceedings the venue was now only around one-third full. I think this speaks volumes.
(Nick Linazasoro)
AIN’T – The Hope & Ruin (7:15pm – 7:45pm)
Ain’t are a London five-piece formed over a shared love of the stranger end of 90s guitar music. Moving between the tender and morose to the blistering and explosive. All this is stated on their free and well-made one-sheet of folded-up A4 (band)zine. They placed a bunch of these down the front of the stage while setting up their equipment for tonight’s early evening performance at The Hope & Ruin. The zine also mentions they are for fans of Smashing Pumpkins, Modest Mouse, Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Cap’N’Jazz. This is the second time I’ve seen the up-and-coming London five-piece perform, although the first time around back in June at the same venue on a Hidden Herd showcase, they played as a three-piece due to two band members missing through illness (these were the drummer and bass player). They were so enthralled with being on the bill alongside their favourite band Thistle. and Brighton’s Goodbye and Carne that they didn’t want to miss out.
Tonight they have a full line-up and all appear to be fit and well. They are: Hanna Baker Darch (vocals), George Ellerby (guitar/vocals), Ed Randall (guitar, backing vocals), Joe Lockstone (drums), and Isaac Griffiths (bass guitar). They perform a seven-song set that includes their four most recent singles, one that will be released soon, and a couple of others. They started off with the unreleased track ‘Church’. This one builds up and finishes with a crescendo of noise and some screaming from Hanna. ‘Jude’ is next, followed by the live favourite and recently released ‘Long Short Round’. Hannah sways her arms around during the set, resembling a cross between a ballet dancer and Kate Bush. Next, it’s my favourite song of the set, ‘Teething’. This one was released just over a year ago. The unreleased ‘April’ is next. This was one of five songs they performed on their first visit to the venue. It is followed by their next single, ‘Grazer’. Hanna tells us, “This one is about hellraising.” The last song of the set is ‘Pirouette’, with the final part of Hanna’s lyrics repeatedly asking, “Does this entertain you?” Yes, it does, is the answer from me, and going by the reaction at the end from the rest of the audience, I would say it’s a yes from them too.
(Ian Holman)
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS – Chalk (7:25pm – 8:15pm)
I escape to Chalk for Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs from Newcastle. It’s about two-and-a-half years since I last saw them (at this very venue in fact) so I’m very much looking forward to this. I’m wondering whether vocalist Matthew Baty still riffs on his ‘adult toddler’ schtick. Their walk-on music is ‘For Those About To Rock’ by AC/DC, which gets a mighty thumbs up from me. The first song starts with an interminable riff, but that’s what stoner rock does. It’s designed to be music that you can get lost in. I must confess that’s a little more difficult when you’re sober though. Matthew appears in his customary vest, but behaves in a most adult way throughout. The first crowd surfer appears as early as the second song. They rock like hell, that is beyond dispute. However, the sound is a tad muddy. Some of the riffs sound a little too simple. Sometimes less isn’t always more. Having said that, they’re a damn good traditional loud rock band. There’s elements of Sabbath, Motorhead and occasionally Zeppelin in there. They’re influences are unimpeachable. That is matched by their performance. In truth, I could have done with more than 50 minutes, but we get what we’re given I guess. Early on in the set Matthew said that there wouldn’t be much talking as there were so many great bands to fit onto one stage. He was true to his word.
(Mark Kelly)
GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH – Patterns (7:35pm – 8:25pm)
Just a few days ago, I had never heard of Good Health Good Wealth and in my bid to work out where I needed to be to ensure I got into Dust for the evening, I almost missed out here today. Thank God I opted to stay on in Patterns for “just one more band!” and to be quite frankly enlightened. What a set this was, Patterns was rammed full to capacity, I don’t think I’ve ever been in there when it has been so tightly packed, it was clear I should have known better beforehand. So who are they I hear you ask, Good Health Good Wealth are an alternative duo formed of vocalist Bruce Breakey and guitarist Simon Kuzmickas. The music style is what I’d describe as a blend of perhaps The Streets and Getdown Services. Whilst Bruce is strictly vocals, Simon was in control of the beats, pre-set backing tracks and playing the guitar.
This awesome 50 minute set started with a flashing neon light of the band’s name hanging on the wall behind the band and they emerged from the back and the fun began. Things kicked off with the beat heavy ‘Loose’, the rest of the songs that followed in this all meat no filler set were ‘Eating Good’, ‘Snatch’, ‘You Don’t Know Me’, the very atmospheric ‘I Forgot’, the super lively ‘Guinness’, ‘The Cafe’, ‘Beautiful Boy’, ‘Full Circle’ and closed with ‘This Time Next Year We’ll Be Millionaires’, the first time it had ever been played live. We had honest, witty and down to earth lyrics delivered by Bruce with confidence, swagger and style, the sort of songs that could be very easily picked up and will have you joining in. The songs ooze London and in no way a downbeat style, the duo’s ethos is being positive, bringing a happy vibe and this is something you really felt and witnessed on stage, the pair of them dancing about having fun, standing together arms around each other at the end.
Bruce always giving stories and banter before and after each song with the crowd, his engagement was brilliant, the winks, the looks, the cheekiness, but at the same time some of those songs such as ‘Beautiful Boy’ really touched your heart strings and brought a sensitive style to the table. Honestly, I felt so elated watching them play, I really could have ended my day right there and being so content. Their album ‘This Time Next Year We’ll Be Millionaires’ is out on the 14th November, they had some sneaky copies for sale at the end and having bought one and listened to it now 6 times back to back, I am telling you it is well worth going to get one. They also play at The Hope & Ruin at the end November, sadly for me it’s already sold out along with their entire tour. Today I really felt I witnessed something very special.
linktr.ee/goodhealthgoodwealth
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
THE NONE – Revenge (7:45pm – 8:35pm)
I had The Oozes and Lynks on my must see Mutations list and sandwiched in between them at Revenge are The None (stylized as THE NONE) who collectively are Kai Whyte (vocals), Gordon Moakes of Bloc Party fame (bass and backing vocals), Jim Beck (guitar and backing vocals) and Chris Francombe (drums and backing vocals). I don’t recall seeing this London based outfit before, and not many folk at Mutations will either, as the venue was full up at the beginning of the previous performance (The Oozes) but had fallen away dramatically to being around a third full. As The None commenced their set, the numbers had dwindled even further to 60 people at most. They were on last year’s Mutations bill as well where they performed at Dust, and also at the Paganini Ballroom on 15th May this year as part of The Great Escape.
They are here this evening in order to plug their new ‘Matter And Care’ 8 tune release, which is a combination of their two EP’s. Clearly nerves (or unwell) were on the cards as after their soundcheck Kai left the stage and at the beginning of their set admitted that they had just projectile vomited. The noisy rock/punk numbers were delivered with the use of two microphones on a number of occasions, but individually they sounded the same, so I’m unsure what the point was. The lyrics were shouted and at times screamed at us. Kai then bigs up Birmingham in the set. Their music also has tiny elements of funk in there as well and those present thoroughly enjoyed their set. Whereas I got really bored with them, they weren’t offering me anything of interest until I spotted The B-52’s ‘Rock Lobster’ riff that was used in one of their tunes. Sometimes you take a punt on acts you’ve seen before and it works out all fine, unlike today.
(Nick Linazasoro)
WRKHOUSE – The Hope & Ruin (8:15pm – 8:45pm)
Glad I finally got to see this band as they’ve been on my radar for a while now. Wrkhouse are a four-piece from various Welsh towns using bilingual lyrics in some of their tunes. Kicking off with ‘Take’ and its guitar laden intro with its driving drums already get the crowd moving, singer Lewys has frontman energy and a voice to match. ‘Getaway’ uses brooding sultry vocals to full effect with lyrics about love, lies and rejection. ‘Y Cyffro’ is sung in their native tongue but apparently it means “The Excitement” and the music was almost 70’s glam-rock in my ears. ‘Out Of The Blue’ has elements of the 80’s about it – almost Curiosity Killed the Cat but with extra bite. Ending on ‘Snow’ with its circling synth notes and diary formed vocals, leaves a lasting impression with the crowd and myself.
(Stephen Willcox)
LAMBRINI GIRLS – Chalk (8:50pm – 10:10pm)
I stay in Chalk for Brighton’s very own Lambrini Girls. It’s difficult to believe that it’s only three years ago that I saw the band supporting Shame (playing as Almost Seamus on St Patrick’s day) at The Prince Albert, and here they are not only headlining Chalk (which is utterly rammed) but headlining the festival. They now describe themselves as a political band, which is absolutely bang on as they have some of the most thought provoking lyrics that I’ve heard for decades. If you don’t believe me, listen to ‘God’s Country’, which they play tonight. Also it seems that they have a new shit-hot drummer. They’re not introduced though. However, their stage act is becoming a little tired. During ‘Big Dick Energy’ Phoebe asks everybody to get down and then jump up again. During ‘Help Me I’m Gay’ Phoebe asks people to say whether they’re gay, and then tells them that they’re a gay legend. This is good as it encourages people not to be shy or ashamed of their sexuality, but the band have been doing this at every gig forever. Phoebe tells us that “we have to scare off these fascists”. She’s not wrong there. Apparently there was a mosque in Peacehaven that was burnt down in an arson attack recently. The band are donating 50% of their fee to the fund to rebuild it. You can only salute them. The Lambrini Girls have always been a cracking live band, but now I’m starting to think that I prefer their records to their live performances, purely because when you listen to them you get more music than when you see them live. Having said that, it really is a minor quibble. They’re a band who are doing good stuff, and one of the relatively few who are standing up to be counted. More power to their collective elbows.
(Mark Kelly)
LYNKS – Revenge (9:10pm – 10:00pm)
There was one secret artist at this year’s Mutations and announced at the last minute was Lynks, which was certainly a result for me having missed his support slot for John Grant at Brighton Dome on 9th October. Lynks is a truly fun act that massively camps things up with the assistance of his two Lynks Showel Gel dancers/backing vocalists. I’ve got last year’s ‘Abomination’ album that is absolutely crammed with corkers! You might as well rename it “Greatest Hits”, just like any Confidence Man album. It’s the usual shenanigans this evening despite the stage being the most compact I’ve seen them perform on thus far. It certainly didn’t stop them performing their choreographed dance moves across the 10-tune set.
This comprised of opener ‘Lynks Thinks’ from the aforementioned record which set the tone nicely. A cover of Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett’s 2015 ‘Pedestrian At Best’ tune was up next with crab walk manoeuvres to boot. ‘Abomination’s opener ‘Use It Or Lose It’ followed with aplomb, after which we were served ‘Tennis Song’ (see what I did there!) which we are told was about “falling in love with a straight tennis instructor”. For this, Lynks Show got out their tennis racquets and served Lynks logoed soft tennis balls into the crowd. After the album’s title track, we had a new tune titled ‘Rebound’ which sounds a bit like Trans-X ‘Living On Video’ and all three of them headed off into the crowd. Lynks said as this was a music venue he had better play an instrument…cue cymbal which was struck with a drumstick when required. Their ‘Silly Boy’ earworm followed “Silly boy, you silly, little boy”.
Their unusual ‘How To Make A Béchamel Sauce In 10 Steps (With Pictures)’ was up next and I always find that this one catches the crowd out somewhat with Lynks Shower Gel actually holding up photos of how to make it. The penultimate track is the new ‘I Didn’t Come Here For The Art’ single which apparently doesn’t have a visualizer for it yet and so Lynks selected someone in the front to film this on their phone and asked them to send it across. Little did Lynks know that this was none other than Lily Wolter of Penelope Isles, and now My Precious Bunny fame! He was of course fibbing there is a video of it. They signed off with ‘Str8 Acting’ and confetti cannons were released. Once again, massive smiles on everyone’s faces as the trio departed. Lynks…..arguably more fun than sex with a stranger on the DLR!
(Nick Linazasoro)
COURTING – The Hope & Ruin (9:15pm – 10:00pm)
Liverpool band Courting blend post-punk, indie rock, and electronic rock, and tonight they filled the prime slot at The Hope & Ruin. The band consists of Sean Murphy-Neil (lead vocals, guitar), Joshua Cape (guitar), Sean Thomas (drums), and Connor McCann (bass guitar). For tonight’s performance, they also had the addition of Sebastian Westwood (guitar, keyboard). They formed in 2018 and have released multiple singles, an EP, and three albums. For tonight’s set, we get a mix of new material from their long-titled latest album ‘Lust For Life, Or: How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’ as well as some of their established material. A few of the songs in tonight’s set contain sporting themes. They have ‘Tennis’, ‘Grand National’, and ‘Football’. These songs share similar wit and humour with local Brighton-based band Welly. ‘Football’ is a song they rarely perform live nowadays, although Sean did mention they played at the Green Door Store on their last appearance at the Mutations Festival four years ago. Sean also claimed that they are the best band to come out of an area of Liverpool. Then, he tells us he grew up on the same street that John Lennon was born on. While Courting are a good band in their own right they are certainly no match for the Fab Four, although I am assuming this was a long-in-cheek comment. From the newer material performed, both ‘Namcy’ and ‘Pause At You’ stood out.
(Ian Holman)
SCALER – Dust (10:20pm – 11:20pm)
Not surprisingly Dust is totally maxed out for the epic Bristol based Scaler set tonight, such is their pull. I would have thought Chalk would have been ideal, mind you I’m not complaining as I love up-close-and-personal gigs and thus we are camped at the front for this one and it’s trouser shakingly loud! Bristol, as we know, was founded on Slavery, and the band’s previous name (‘SCALPING’) might have been a slight oversight on their part, but other than that, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this act whatsoever! They comprise Isaac Jones on drums, James Rushforth on bass guitar, Nick Berthoud on guitar and Alex Hill on electronics, and a fifth member is controlling the backdrop live film graphics via a laptop program that is linked to his phone, it’s all clever stuff.
Their new album is titled ‘Endlessly’ and according to the Bandcamp page “There are traces of trip-hop, drum‘n’bass and experimental electronic, plus flashes of pupil-dilating techno, metal and drill, all carried by immense low-end pressure and tempered by more subdued, spatial stretches that drift and sprawl. Voices layer and loop, instrumentals do the same”. This is exactly what the sound is like this evening! There’s a whole host of keys on offer including Moog and Novation, along with other electronic units, the knobs of which are continually tweaked throughout the set. The drums are a solid backbeat to all of their material as is the impressive looking 7-string black Jackson guitar, yep I said seven, which is alternated with a 6-string with tremolo. There’s 15 foot pedals below these guitars in which to distort the sounds. As always, the lads perform with the lighting off and thus they are lit by the backing videos. The songs don’t outstay their welcome and several segue into each other. Musically they are a cross between Yard and Orbital, without any live vocals. Any vocals are from samples. Overall it’s a hypnotic mix of dirge that you can lose yourself in. Scaler always deliver and are a surefire festival highlight, so it’s no wonder they get invited time and again by festival bookers!
(Nick Linazasoro)
JEANIE AND THE WHITE BOYS – The Hope & Ruin (10:30pm – 11:10pm)
Although the headliners have played, the music at Mutations hasn’t stopped. Hell no. So I poddle up to The Hope and Ruin for the much touted Jeanie And The White Boys. I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about this band. Will they live up to the hype? As it happens, yes they do! This is apparent from their soundcheck. There’s plenty of attitude too, as having sound checked, vocalist Jeanie Crystal is in the mood to play now!!! So they start their set ten minutes early. What about the people who miss the first song? Jeanie: “Well, they should have been here shouldn’t they?” Fair comment. Time waits for no-one. I feel sorry for the latecomers though, as the opening song is the smouldering ‘Queen Bee’, which is the most awesome slice of rock ‘n’ roll that I’ve heard in a while. The first thing I notice about the band is that they don’t have a bass player, and their stage sound is a bit trebly. I soon get used to it though. Jeanie talks a lot, which I approve of. If you can imagine Barbara Windsor with a West Midlands accent, that’s what Jeanie sounds like. ‘Big Udder Blues’ is, as the title suggests, pretty bluesy. Part way through Jeanie lays on the stage to sing. Apparently Alan McGhee played it on his show recently. The band haven’t released many records yet, so much of the set is unreleased. ‘I’m A Man’ is about her ex-boyfriend, as is ‘Don’t Look Now, Satan’s Over There’. ‘Boo Hoo Girls’ is about a “posh bitch” and is good, dirty rock ‘n’ roll. Jeanie is one hell of a frontwoman, an absolute natural. She’s an explosive ball of kinetic energy erupting all over the stage. Jeanie And The White Boys will be supporting HotWax on tour soon. You know what to do.
(Mark Kelly)
JOOLS – The Hope & Ruin (11:40pm – 12:20am)
Leicester’s six-piece Jools play one of the most exciting and explosive sets of the whole festival. With dual vocalists Mitch Green and Kate Price fronting a wall of guitars and thunderous drums, their set at The Hope and Ruin was a raw, politically charged spectacle. Mitch paced and stamped into the opener, mic stand behind his head, while Kate stood defiantly front and centre, glaring with intent. With their call-and-response vocals and screaming, they fed off each other and the crowd, creating a storm of energy. Musically, Jools were tight and intense. The drums drove a wall of frantic noise, shifting between punk explosion and danceable chaos. The crowd moshed, one climbed on stage, and even fell off it. At one point, Mitch tripped but kept singing from the floor, undeterred. At one point, Kate spoke passionately about women’s safety stating: “Every three days, a woman is killed by a man in this country.” Her spoken-word passages were heartfelt and urgent. A high kick from Kate closed an amazing set full of rage, solidarity, and defiance, where they gave everything, as did most of the enthusiastic crowd.
(Peter Greenfield)
TEETHIN – Dust (11:55pm – 12:35am)
There’s certainly a theme running in this year’s Mutations festival, as they have secured the services of ‘Tooth’, ‘Teethe’ and now ‘Teethin’ and we’re covering the lot. Thus we remain put at Dust as luckily they have scheduled Teethin directly after Scaler, both of which being on my Mutations must see list. It’s my debut encounter with these lads “from the valleys” (as they said in their Welsh accent), and their Bandcamp page elaborates thus: “The Welsh Valleys, a region scarred by the industrial decline of Thatcherism, informs much of our worldview, serving as a backdrop to the sound, which is a commentary on inequality, lost identity, and forgotten histories”. They have only been going since October 2024, but they’ve got a lot to shout out about then, as bears witness with the release of their debut EP, which dropped last month and is titled ‘Greed Between The Lines’.
Dust is still pretty busy as vocalist James and his trio of companions on electronics, guitar and drums take to the stage. There’s tons of energy on offer here, especially as James has been mentally preparing himself on stage with all manner of shouts and boxing moves, the lad’s wired! Musically they are a cross between Fat Dog and the Beastie Boys. James ventured into the crowd as did the guy on electronics. But as James moved back on stage he caught a wire and the power went off yet again! It’s happened a number of times this year at more than one venue which is a tad annoying for everyone concerned, especially Teethin who had travelled miles to play for us but for part of their set there was just a trio of them on the drumkit at the same time. There was a lull of between 5 and 10 minutes before everything was rectified and they played on, full power, full pelt. James says that “Brighton is an amazing city” well let’s hope that they make a swift return, without any technical troubles next time around.
(Nick Linazasoro)
You can read the copy of this year’s Mutations programme HERE.
‘Mutations’ is set to return next year and the dates for your dairies are Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th October. Early bird tickets for ‘Mutations’ 2026 are on sale now and are available to purchase HERE.
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