HITMAN SHEELA + RAGROLL + SHIPYARD GROAN – THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON 28.10.26
Hitman Sheela‘s first headline show delivered an ambitious performance that cleverly combined contrasting styles into a series of slow-burning, captivating songs. The Brighton quartet’s unique expansive sound and assured musicianship left a very strong impression.
Presented by Agenda Collective with support from Shipyard Groan and Ragdoll, the evening at The Prince Albert showcased three distinct strands of the city’s alternative music scene.
Opening the evening, Brighton four-piece Shipyard Groan delivered a compelling set built around poetic storytelling, folk-punk energy and a strong DIY spirit. Fronted by singer-songwriter and poet Joanie O’Mara, the band’s six-song performance showcased songs that felt both deeply personal and quietly defiant.
The set began with ‘Sick Horses’, its chant-like vocal opening creating an arresting atmosphere before understated percussion and tightly woven harmonies lifted the song into a more upbeat folk groove. Joanie’s talent for narrative songwriting came to the fore on ‘Mary’, which started with a simple solo guitar introduction and unfolded like a carefully crafted story.
Introduced as “a song for the Irish children”, ‘Halloween Song’ combined reflective folk textures with flashes of anger and conviction, while ‘God’s Not Here’ paired tribal drum rhythms with some of Joanie’s most emotionally charged vocals of the set, building from restraint into a forceful climax.
One of the standout moments came with ‘Lighthouse Keeper’, a meditation on light pollution. Whispered vocal harmonies created a haunting opening before the arrangement gradually gathered momentum. Closing with ‘Ocean Song’, Shipyard Groan left a strong impression, earning an enthusiastic response from the audience and providing an assured and very enjoyable start to the night’s music.
Shipyard Groan:
Joanie O’Mara – lead vocals, guitar
Ocean Goucher – backing vocals, keyboards
Ruby Campion – bass
Max Feighan – drums
Shipyard Groan setlist:
‘Sick Horses’
‘Mary’
‘Halloween Song’ (from 2026 ‘Shipyard Groan’ EP)
‘God’s Not Here’
‘Lighthouse Keeper’
‘Ocean Song’ (from 2026 ‘Shipyard Groan’ EP)
(all other songs unreleased)
Ragdoll is a Brighton-based group, comprising Tammy Sturgess on guitar and vocals and Freddie Haggar on drums, who operate in the heavier, more experimental end of Brighton’s alternative music scene. Their set could be split into two distinct halves, beginning with a series of brief instrumental pieces and song fragments interspersed with extended explanations from the stage. While this offered insight into their creative process, it also interrupted the momentum of the performance.
The latter half moved towards longer, more fully realised compositions, drawing on post-rock, slowcore and noise-rock influences. Their shifting dynamics and unconventional structures will undoubtedly appeal to listeners drawn to more experimental music, but the set ultimately left me admiring the ambition more than enjoying the execution.
Ragdoll:
Tammy Sturgess – vocals, guitar
Freddie Haggar – drums
For their first headline show, Brighton’s Hitman Sheela delivered a performance that showcased both the breadth of their musical vision and the confidence to realise it. Drawing together elements of alt-folk, shoegaze, post-rock and alternative rock, the quartet crafted a set defined by atmosphere, patience and finely judged dynamics. Hitman Sheela are Katie Prescott (vocals, accordion, guitar), Ethan Rose (guitar), Alex Vicarri (drums) and Mimi Giggins (bass).
The set opened with ‘Lifetime For The Fly’, featuring Katie alone on accordion and vocals. Delicate glockenspiel from drummer Alex and dreamy guitar and bass lines established a reflective alt-folk mood before drums arrived midway through, dramatically broadening the song’s scope and immediately highlighting the band’s flair for dynamic shifts.
‘Sharks’ followed with tribal rhythms and a powerful bass presence from Mimi. Despite its increased weight, the accordion remained central, while the interplay between instruments demonstrated the band’s ability to balance detail and force.
The atmosphere darkened on ‘Half Man, Half Bird’, performed live for the first time. Moving away from the folk influences of the opening songs, it ventured into stark alternative rock territory, its slow-burning escalation proving particularly engrossing.
New song ‘Squeel’ pushed further into darker territory. With Katie switching to guitar, the band unleashed one of the evening’s biggest sonic moments, evolving from a new-wave flavoured opening into a formidable wall of sound. Katie’s vocals remained commanding throughout, cutting cleanly through the noise.
A particular highlight was ‘Dream It Off’. Beginning with a stark, bass-led introduction, the song drew listeners in through restraint before gradually increasing in weight and urgency. Just when it seemed set to explode completely, it receded into a hushed, narrative-led conclusion that held the room’s attention.
‘Carry Your Bones’ again demonstrated the group’s command of contrast. Thumping drums and bass underpinned Katie’s increasingly choral vocal delivery, while Ethan’s expressive guitar lines drifted above the rhythm section. Those shifts in tempo and intensity felt entirely natural and unforced.
By ‘Striptease’, Hitman Sheela were operating at full power. Dense guitars, locked-in drumming and soaring vocals combined to fill the room with a dark, immersive sound. Closing with ‘The Bathe’, the band revealed one final dimension to their sound. What began with gentle guitar, maracas and softly accumulating instrumentation gradually blossomed into something distinctly shoegaze-inspired, before receding once more with remarkable control.
What stood out throughout was the contribution of every musician. The arrangements were richly textured, yet each instrument retained its own identity, creating songs that felt expansive without ever becoming cluttered.
Throughout the evening, Hitman Sheela excelled at crafting slow-burning songs that continually evolved rather than following predictable paths. The result was a headline performance that felt ambitious, immersive and fully deserving of the enthusiastic response it received.
Hitman Sheela:
Katie Prescott – vocals, accordion, guitar
Ethan Rose – guitar
Alex Vicarri – drums, xylophone
Mimi Giggins – bass
Hitman Sheela setlist:
‘Lifetime For The Fly’
‘Sharks’
‘Half Man. Half Bird’
‘Squeel’
‘Dream It Off’
‘Carry Your Bones’
‘Striptease’
‘The Bathe’
(all songs unreleased)
