COACH PARTY + LIZZIE ESAU + HIGHDRIVE – PATTERNS, BRIGHTON 20.2.26
Coach Party’s Brighton stop on their 20‑date ‘Caramel’ tour was to a packed sold-out Patterns on Friday. They landed like a band stepping decisively into their next phase. The Isle of Wight indie rock quartet of Jess Eastwood, Stephanie Norris, Joe Perry and Guy Page were joined by Highdrive’s Lucus Leitch as an added guitarist.
They arrived to a room already buzzing, walking on to The Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ before easing into the slow‑burn opener ‘Do It For Love’. It set the mood rather than lighting the fuse, but the ignition came quickly with their second song ‘Can’t Talk, Won’t’, its familiar jolt snapping the crowd into motion and locking the room into the band’s sharpened, high‑contrast sound.
What followed was a set that felt both polished and volatile, bright guitar lines cutting through arrangements that swung between sweetness and abrasion. Jess’s vocals were a constant anchor, all bite and attitude on ‘Control’ before softening beautifully on ‘Nothing Is Real’. Newer material landed with real confidence too. ‘Nurse Depression’, only weeks old and performed with Jess stepping away from the bass, hinted at evolution without losing the band’s punchy indie‑rock roots. Their darker edge surfaced on ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ and ‘Micro Aggression’, the former brooding, the latter raw and immediate.
A gentler pairing of ‘Fake It’ and ‘I Really Like You’ offered a brief lull before ‘Parasite’ snapped the room back to full throttle. One of the fiercest moments came with ‘FLAG (Feel Like A Girl)’, Jess’s voice carrying a righteous, unfiltered anger that hit hard and drew one of the loudest reactions of the night. For the finale, she yelled “Where the f* are my girls?” and launched into ‘Girls!’, joined by members of Lizzie Esau’s band for a rousing, affectionate send‑off on their last night touring together. An encore reprise saw Jess on drums, Guy front and centre, which turned the whole thing into a joyful, chaotic victory lap. It closed a night that felt celebratory, liberating and unmistakably theirs.
Coach Party:
Jess Eastwood – vocals, bass
Steph Norris – guitar
Joe Perry – guitar
Guy Page – drums
Coach Party setlist:
‘Do It For Love’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Can’t Talk, Won’t’ (from 2021 ‘After Party’ EP)
‘Control’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Nothing Is Real’ (from 2022 ‘Nothing Is Real’ EP)
‘Georgina’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Nurse Depression’ (a 2026 single)
‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ (from 2023 ‘Killjoy’ album)
‘Micro Aggression’ (from 2023 ‘Killjoy’ album)
‘Fake It’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘I Really Like You’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Parasite’ (from 2023 ‘Killjoy’ album)
‘Disco Dream’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Do Yourself A Favour’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘What’s The Point In Life’ (from 2023 ‘Killjoy’ album)
‘FLAG (Feel Like A Girl)’ (from 2022 ‘Nothing Is Real’ EP)
‘Still Hurts’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
‘Girls!’ (from 2025 ‘Caramel’ album)
(encore)
‘Girls!’ (Reprise)
Opening band Highdrive hit the stage with the confidence of a Brighton band rapidly finding its stride, their alt‑rock foundation sharpened by a gritty, grunge‑leaning edge. The dynamic at the heart of their sound came from Lucas, whose vocals swung between soft, almost soothing restraint and bursts of shouted intensity that cut cleanly through the noise.
‘Something I Said’ set the tone, Lucas almost whispering over a murky, slow‑burn backdrop before the song lifted into a fuller, more melodic release. ‘Cherry’, their debut single, snapped the room into life with its punchy tempo from a cracking intro from drummer Billy and guitarists Bella and Fllix, while Eva’s bass run mid‑song gave it real lift. Lucas pushed his voice into more urgent territory on this one.
‘Swan’ shifted the mood again, its atmospheric intro and moody pacing blending grunge roughness with something closer to trip‑hop intricacy. By the time they reached ‘Tie Me Down’ and ‘Emetophobia’, the guitars were fully unleashed, with an additional guest guitarist Guy from Coach Party adding extra weight on the latter. They closed with ‘Passing By’, sealing a lively, exciting set that earned an enthusiastic reception from the early arrivals.
High Drive:
Lucas Leitch – lead vocals, guitar
Eva Jaksi – bass, vocals
Bella Palanques – guitar
Felix Cleeve – guitar
Billy Houghton – drums
High Drive setlist:
‘Something I Said’ (unreleased)
‘Cherry’ (a 2026 single)
‘Swan’ (unreleased)
‘Tie Me Down’ (unreleased)
‘Emetophobia’ (unreleased)
‘Passing By’ (unreleased)
Newcastle’s Lizzie Esau followed with a sharp, expressive alt‑pop set that balanced atmosphere with bite. A bright hello set her tone, and opener ‘Wait Too Late’ had her pacing the stage, locking in with every corner of the room. ‘Impossible + Strange’, introduced as a love song, softened the mood; she sang it from the barrier, her phrasing drawing the crowd in.
New track ‘Spit’ leaned into pop textures, its spoken‑word middle section landing confidently over the guitar lines. ‘Day In The Life’ introduced as “a song about shit jobs”, turned monotony into momentum, driven by tight drums and a hook that stuck. The closing number ‘Bleak Sublime’ pushed into rawer indie‑rock territory, building to a strong finish contrasting well with its gentle opening. It sealed an enjoyable set that grew in connection and confidence as it went.
Lizzie Esau:
Lizzie Esau – vocals, guitar
Alex Baker – drums
Joe Bennison – bass
Shaun Chipp – guitar
Lizzie Esau setlist:
‘Wait Too Late’ (from 2024 ‘Spilling Out The Truth’ EP)
‘Bugs’ (a 2025 single)
‘Lazy Brain’ (from 2023 ‘Deepest Blue’ EP)
‘Impossible + Strange’ (from 2024 ‘Spilling Out The Truth’ EP)
‘Spit’ (unreleased)
‘Day In The Life’ (a 2025 single)
‘Bleak Sublime’ (from 2024 ‘Spilling Out The Truth’ EP)
