LE LAMB + MEDIUM SIZED DOG + GIRL APOCRYPHA + NARROW LIGHT – THE HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 11.3.26
REVOLT’s latest fundraising night at The Hope & Ruin hosted a bill that showcased just how broad and inventive the city’s alternative scene has become. Across four sets, the night moved from post‑rock atmosphere to avant‑pop bite, from art‑folk intensity to full‑blown psychedelic theatre. It made for a night that unfolded in distinct chapters, each one deepening the energy rather than resetting it. Narrow Light set the tone with widescreen mood and slow‑burn lift; Girl Apocrypha snapped the focus into sharper, hook‑driven edges; Medium Sized Dog brought raw storytelling and protest‑song power; and Le Lamb closed with a hypnotic, theatrical flourish. Together, they offered a vivid snapshot of Brighton’s restless, shape‑shifting creativity.
Opening act Narrow Light eased the night in with a set that moved between dusky post‑rock and vintage psychedelia, being spacious yet tightly shaped. The Brighton four‑piece of Nikolai, Read, Jamie and Marlon leaned into melodic, guitar‑first arrangements that built in slow, deliberate lifts.
‘The Watcher’ opened with echo‑laden vocals and a strong guitar drive, setting a tone that carried through the set. A new untitled track showed off their more intricate side, while ‘Disappearances’ shifted into moodier territory, Read striking the bass body for a percussive thump before the song opened out. By ‘Nosedive (Feel So Strange)’, the dancers in the crowd had increased as the band embraced a more urgent, rock‑leaning feel. ‘Spinning’ proved a standout, faster and louder with cleaner vocals, before ‘Fire’ closed things in a swirl of feedback, drumstick‑on‑guitar textures and pedal‑board chaos that drew a warm response.
Narrow Light:
Nikolai – vocals, guitar
Read – bass
Jamie – guitar
Marlon – drums
Narrow Light setlist:
‘The Watcher’
“Untitled”
‘Disappearances’
‘Nosedive (Feel So Strange)’
‘Spinning’
‘(The Last) Fire’
Girl Apocrypha snapped the room into sharper focus with a striking set that fused dark alternative rock with avant‑pop. Fronted by Emia Demir, with Willow Simpson on bass and Nathan Hayward on drums, the trio played with the confidence of a band already shaping their own path. After years of fulfilling guitar and bass duties in rock and grunge bands, Emia now stands fully in her own right, like a rock star and a pop star crashing together.
They opened with ‘Thank God’, an indie‑leaning burst of avant‑pop lifted by Emia’s cool, charismatic vocals edged with self‑assured sassiness. ‘Love Song’ brought playful phrasing and a punchy rock lift, before debut single ‘Dealer’ slipped from whispered sultriness into something more urgent. It showcased their most dynamic writing. ‘Like Adam Would’ hit harder, Emia and Willow’s guitars locking instinctively, while ‘Coren’ dropped the pace with a haunting stillness. An upbeat cover of MGMT’s ‘Kids’ had more of the crowd dancing. Before the final number Emia asked “Want to know a secret?” as she unfurled a banner announcing their next single, ‘Madonna’. The thrilling shift to a dance‑driven style landed brilliantly. Dark glasses on, Emia leaned into a more theatrical persona for a bold, stylish finale that earned huge applause.
Girl Apocrypha:
Emia Demir (she/her) – vocals, guitar
Willow Simpson (she/her) – bass
Nathan Hayward (he/him) – drums
Girl Apocrypha setlist:
‘Thank God’
‘Love Song’
‘Dealer’ (a 2026 single release)
‘Like Adam Would’
‘Coren’
‘Kids’ (a MGMT cover)
‘Madonna’
The night’s momentum carried neatly into Medium Sized Dog, who brought a different kind of intensity being quietly powerful and rooted in art‑folk rock with an alternative edge. Medium Sized Dog have grown since I last saw them. Songwriters Lily Day and Lauren Maddison were joined by Esme Wright on drums and Ben Sidaway on bass for their full‑band debut.
Medium Sized Dog opened with ‘Father’s Daughter’, easing in softly before snapping into a louder, faster rock surge. Lily’s storytelling delivery shifted into shouted anger, matched by Lauren’s sharp, driving guitar work. ‘Dog God’ began in a hush, building into a playful yet commanding vocal performance that closed like a rallying cry. ‘Shoelaces’ was a standout, Lily singing over crisp drumming and understated guitar as the audience joined in. Introduced with “It’s likely to get sadder,” ‘Broken Teeth’ was delivered solo by Lily with protest‑song force and tenderness. A glance to Esme signalled the shift into the final track ‘When I’m Naked’, a soft indie piece that grew into a rousing full‑band swell.
For a first full‑band show, Medium Sized Dog were remarkably tight delivering a moving, confident and above all stirring performance.
Medium Sized Dog:
Lily Day –vocal, guitar
Lauren Maddison – guitar
Ben Sidaway – bass
Esme Wright – drums
Medium Sized Dog setlist:
‘Fathers Daughter’
‘Dog God’
‘Shoelaces’
‘Broken Teeth’
‘When I’m Naked’
www.instagram.com/medium_sized_dog_
With the room fully warmed, Le Lamb closed the night with a psychedelic art‑rock experience that felt unlike anything else. The Brighton five‑piece of Mia Mottier, Jeric Harding‑Barns, Emmanouil Lekkos, Elliot Vickers and Jeremy Thurgood blend jagged art‑rock, atmospheric noise and a theatrical 60s‑infused psych‑noir aesthetic.
Four members took the stage first before Mia made a dramatic entrance in a black lamb outfit topped with a ram’s‑skull headpiece. Mia was as much a performer as a singer with one aspect never detracting from the other. The intensity in her voice was matched by her hypnotic gaze and her dramatic dance movements.
Opening song ‘Bond Girls’ dropped to a hush before blooming into something like a psychedelic Bond theme, Mia’s vocals rising from smoky elegance to a controlled scream as the crowd watched, captivated. ‘Healing’ brought sultry drama and tribal drumming, while ‘Sexy Suicide’ further blurred styles with hints of ‘Music To Watch Girls Go By’. A new track ‘Guest Star Lover’ surged into a commanding rock section, Mia turning to conduct the band mid‑crescendo. ‘Sirens Call’ opened with a spoken “clip clop,” which the eager audience jumped in too early. It shifted into a marching rhythm beneath the lyric “I’m more powerful than man.” echoed on the band’s T‑shirts. When Mia sang “on your knees,” the guitarists dropped to theirs. ‘Boy Unnamed’ closed the set with a rock‑driven explosion, Mia running on the spot as the band tore into the finale.
Le Lamb provided a wonderful, theatrical and musically fearless end to the night.
Le Lamb:
Mia Mottier – vocals
Jeric Harding-Barns – guitar
Emmanouil Lekkos – guitar
Elliot Vickers – drums
Jeremy Thurgood – bass
Le Lamb setlist:
‘Bond Girls’
‘Healing’ (a 2025 single release)
‘Sexy Suicide’
‘Guest Star Lover’
‘Sirens Call’ (a 2025 single release)
‘Boy Unnamed’
It was a bill that demonstrated not only the breadth of Brighton’s underground, but its coherence: each act expanding the palette rather than competing for space. Walking out into the night, it was hard not to feel energised by the reminder of how alive and inventive this city’s music scene continues to be.
REVOLT transforms Brighton venues into spaces of solidarity, amplifying emerging artists to raise crucial funds for medical and healthcare relief in Palestine. For more events from REVOLT click HERE.
