VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘LOLLAPAGOOZA 3’ – THE HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 25.10.25
The Hope & Ruin Brighton which is located on Queens Road between the Clock Tower and Brighton Mainline Railway Station, is one of the best known and celebrated music venues on the south coast. Started by Sally Oakenfold aka ‘Dynamite Sal’ of ‘Dynamite Boogaloo’ fame, the venue regularly hosts new and upcoming bands every week and weekend.
On opening the venue, Oakenfold who took over The Hope in June 2015 said, “We knew it had the potential to be better”. Oakenfold ran the now long gone and much missed sister venue ‘Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar’ in Middle Street, for a total of four years before reluctantly closing the doors and moving to The Hope & Ruin.
Oakenfold went on to say, “If the upstairs is like a blank canvas for the acts to make their own, down here is a very different space with a different vibe,”, continuing, “I wanted it all to be reused, no new stuff down here. Over time we hope that the bands will put stickers on the wall as an addition to the atmosphere. We have also uncovered the past of the building.” Ten years on and the venue continued to go from strength-to-strength continuing to host the best in new and up and coming contemporary music.
They also play host to one of the country’s foremost vegan restaurants ‘Beelzebub’. Starting in 2014, after visiting Berlin several times and sampling the finest culinary experience the city has to offer, the team decided to bring vegan kebabs to the UK’s foremost vegetarian and vegan city, Brighton & Hove. In 2023 the team won “Best Vegan Kebab” at ‘The British Kebab Awards’, and in 2024 they celebrated the milestone of their ten-year anniversary. Starting as a part-time street food stall, Beelzebab is open seven days a week at ‘The Hope & Ruin’.
Today the venue played host to ‘Goo Records’ annual music showcase event, ‘LopollaGooza 3’ which ran from 2pm to midnight. The 12 performances were split across two stages, the street level Bar and the first floor performance room, and thankfully there were no clashes of acts.
The full ‘LollapaGOOza 3’ lineup comprised of:
All Girls Arson Club (Manchester)
Flavours (Brighton)
Gemma Rogers (London)
Homework The Band (Glasgow)
Marketplace (Hartlepool)
Mye Taai (The Hague, Netherlands)
Mary Shelley (NYC, USA)
Telecom (Brighton)
The Mink (Norwich)
Chris T-T (South-East London)
Wavepool (Rouen, France – debut UK show)
Zo Lief (London / Netherlands)
Reviewing duties today were equally split between Jess Kemp and Ian Holman. So without further ado, let’s get down to business……..
FLAVOURS (Downstairs Bar – 3:00pm)
Flavours commenced the day with a performance at the street-level bar at 3:00pm. This was my third time seeing them play, having previously attended performances earlier in the year at The Prince Albert in Trafalgar Street during the ‘Homegrown Festival’ in April and as opening support for The Roebucks in June. Each time I have been impressed by their 1970s-influenced rock sound. While their line-ups have varied slightly guitarists Sam Turner and Ben Archibald have remained constant sharing lead vocal duties. Today’s seven-song set included their excellent debut single ‘Coloured Image’. Ben’s lead vocals on this track reminded me of Queens Of The Stone Age. The set offered a diverse range of performances with standout moments from each of the four band members. Highlights included the bass-heavy ending jam on opening song ‘Some Dream’, ‘So Far Behind’ stood out as the most melodic track showcasing Sam and Ben’s harmonious vocals and the slower-paced and lengthy closing song ‘Watching Bridges Burn’.
(Ian Homan)
ALL GIRLS ARSON CLUB (Downstairs Bar – 4:00pm)
Another revelation, this time from Manchester, was ‘All Girls Arson Club’ (A.G.A.C). The duo attired in matching Japanese ‘Kwai’ sailor suits, like a brief interlude delivered by a Wes Anderson version of ‘Sailor Moon’, endeared themselves to the gathered audience during the soundcheck, for a hardened Brighton filled venue as early in the day as 4:00pm, most of whom are at gigs every night of the week this was no mean feat. Initially, given the sonic psychedelia perfection offered by the earlier act, the downward shift into lo-fi indie garage rock took a little adjusting to appreciate. However, once the audience did, the extreme juxtaposition really worked in A.G.A.C’s favour. The set banter offered by the self confirmed ‘Best Friends’ singing of lovelorn adoration of boys called ‘Ryan’, odes ITV and ‘90s teen TV favourites ‘Ant and Dec’ and songs about supermarkets called literally ‘Supermarket Song’ offer the perfect of whimsy and optimism which can only be attributed to a British centric lyricism that will appeal to anglophiles world wide. Indeed, it should not be too long before the already mentioned Mr Anderson is knocking at their door for his next soundtrack, even for a film set in Brighton? ‘Manchester’s Premier support band,’ might just find themselves headline sooner than they think.
(Jess Kemp)
HOMEWORK THE BAND (Downstairs Bar – 5:00pm)
No one likes homework, which is why this act might offer the reassuring caveat in brackets of (The Band) rather than just leaving you sweating your way through a Sunday procrastinating with the likes of ‘Songs of Praise’, ‘EastEnders’, Antiques Roadshow’ and ‘Hollyoaks’ omnibus -tinged dread. The band themselves were thankfully a charming Scottish ensemble with a genuine edge of ‘Pavement’ and ‘Malkmus and the Jicks’ era style of Stephen Malkmus Lo-Fi Indie—Rock, which, personally, I can never get enough of. They had already won points with me for their female drummer in Lizzie Quirke, who hit the skins with the same power and control as ‘the Jicks’ former drummer Janet Weiss (see also Sleater-Kinney, the Shins, and Wild Flag). ‘Dummy Run,’ their 2025 single, for example, feels exactly like ‘the Jick’s’, while ‘How Can You’ is pure Teenage Fan Club distilled, but very much with their own Glaswegian wit and style. However, of their debut EP, ‘Sleepless Nights,’ released in 2010, the band cited mixing several eclectic influences to produce what the band self-proclaimed to be “beats, bleeps and melodies”. The band had borrowed a Telecaster from the next band on the list, Telecom; they need not have said, we wouldn’t have known until the next set, but such is Homework (the Band)’s reassuring candour that they felt the need to tell us before we worked it out for ourselves. ‘If You Believe Me,’ released in 2023 on their eponymous EP, bears all the tell-tale signs of the ‘90s influences listed. At this point, we supposed, as did the band (formed of Michael Newton (guitar and vocals), Santiago Taberna (guitar and vocals), Andrew Gordon (bass and vocals), and Lizzie Quirke (drums and percussion) had travelled the furthest distance to play on the day. Their latest single, ‘Billy,’ came out on the 18th of October 2025. A slight false start resulted in the comment “Chaos is part of our DNA.” Recovering quickly, they kept us smiling throughout their set. They had indeed travelled a fair distance from their Glasgow base, 7h 31m (463 mi) in fact by car. The sheer distance covered for the band to play their set tells you that you should be grabbing any and every opportunity to see them live the next time they manage to make the journey again.
(Jess Kemp)
TELECOM (Upstairs Venue 5:30pm)
Telecom were the first artists to perform upstairs at the venue and are another that I’ve seen on previous occasions, this being my fourth Telecom viewing. They are a five-piece band from Worthing and are a welcome addition to the thriving music scene in Brighton, and their style is different to the countless other bands around. I first witnessed a Telecom performance when they played a Hidden Herd show at The Prince Albert back in April. At the time, I felt like I had been transported back to the mid-60s as their sound is reminiscent of the beat music of the time. If you listen to the George Harrison-penned ‘If I Needed Someone’ from The Beatles’ ‘Rubber Soul’ album, you will get a gist of what Telecom sound like. The band includes front pair David Lovell and John Conteh lookalike Chris Gibbons. Their songs are full of driving rhythm with catchy melodies, exquisite-sounding harmony, some great jangly guitar playing from Chris, as well as the addition of a tinge of mellotron from keyboard and harmonica player Hayden O’Dell. Today’s set included a four-minute instrumental intro, a song titled ‘Everything Sun’ that mentions eating chips with Punch & Judy, their Monkees-sounding debut single ‘Mister Mister’, and standout track ‘Sunday Afternoon’. If you’re a fan of 60s music, then you must check out Telecom, as I’m sure you will be instantly hooked by them like I am.
(Ian Homan)
THE MINK (Downstairs Bar – 6:00pm)
Any band whose drummer is sporting a Henge t-shirt has already propelled itself to the front by sheer taste alone. Again, we were embracing Psychedelic rock. I am partially wondering if I am warming out of some sort of Stockholm syndrome, or because many of the new Psyche bands are avoiding the Pink Floyd after Sid Barrett’s minefield of ponderous perfectionism. The band themselves prefers “Flute Rock” according to their Instagram profile, which I am happier to embrace. Pigeonholing by genre best avoided, as all you really need to know is that ‘The Mink’ is a fantastic live band. The band of multi-instrumentalists is a four-piece hailing from East Anglia, formed in 2022. They are currently based across Norwich and London. If you like your Neo-psyche flavoured with sunshine and hazy, lazy summer days, then this is the band for you. ‘Glow’, for example, will be useful should you find yourself melting in someone’s arms, whoever they might be. The 2025 single ‘Ghosts’ is also a joyful and wistful ode to love. All-in-all, the perfect way to brighten your day, who will undoubtedly be at every music festival.
(Jess Kemp)
ZOE LIEF (Upstairs Venue – 6:30pm)
Zo Lief are a duo consisting of partners Laura Chen (vocals, guitar) and James Attwood (bass guitar, synths). They have roots in the UK and Netherlands and split their time between the two countries. I caught them back in February 2024 when they supported The Miki Berenji Trio, also at The Hope & Ruin, and was impressed with their dream pop sound. For tonight’s performance they have the welcome addition of freelance drummer Elena Costa, who enhances their pleasant sound. Tonight’s early-evening set included the opening two tracks ‘You (A Burden)’ and ‘She Makes You Look Twice’ from the band’s recently released second EP ‘Hypnosis’, as well as ‘Believe What You Believe’ from their 2023 debut EP of the same name. There were also four decent-sounding new songs that Laura informs us Elana only learnt how to play just a couple of hours before the performance. The new songs were ‘Safety Pin’, ‘One To Zero’, ‘Why You Should’ and ‘Catch-22’. Zo Lief is Dutch for “So Sweet” and sums up what the band sounds like. If you fancy checking them out in the near future, they will be supporting CIEL at Moth Club in Hackney on 14th November.
(Ian Homan)
WAVEPOOL (Downstairs Bar – 7:00pm)
The band was mesmerising to watch set up; we were entirely unsure of what to expect. Not only from the eclectic appearance of the five-piece from Rouen in France, but also from the stage setup, just how many people would be able to cram into the space next to the DJ booth? I adore French bands; I am a dyed-in-the-wool Francophile. As soon as the baseball cap attired gentleman enquired as to whom he could talk to about the sound levels and I took a second to realise that I was far too full of cold and in work mode to even try to engage in a bi-liguât exchange I knew their set would make me deliriously happy as only the south of France at the end of August can. The 2025 debut ‘Crayola’ EP from the band is a delicious drift into yet more hazy, lazy days of summer. This was the first journey to British shores; it is safe to say they enjoyed themselves, as the audience wholeheartedly embraced all they had to offer. There’s nothing more that Brightonian Francophile loves to tell people about than the ability to pick up what was formerly F.I.P. (France Inter Paris) and is now part of Radio France, the Anglo/ French band and locals Stereolab and French covered band Nouvelle Vague, well apart from BBC Radio 6 Music perhaps? The Rouen-based band unsurprisingly cites shoegaze classics ‘Slowdive and the Cocteau Twins’ as key influences. On the day the blonde lead vocals were a little too washy and a bit durgey, but having listened to what is currently on offer further, I am pleased to say very little in the way of tweaking on the sounddesk would need to be done to lift her voice only ever so slightly to bring it into line with the rest of the band on tracks like ‘Assumptions’ and ‘Shell’, both of which are to be found on the ‘Crayola’ EP. Dreamy and seductive, we look forward to Wavepool returning to our shores as soon as possible. Sophie Copolla will be in contact for her next coming-of-age soundtrack. The ‘Crayola’ EP is currently available to buy and stream on your usual favourites.
(Jess Kemp)
MYE TAAI (Upstairs Venue – 7:30pm)
Mye_Taai are from The Hague in the Netherlands and are not to be confused with the Amsterdam-formed Guyanese pop trio Mai Tai, who had two top ten hits in the UK in 1985 with ‘History’ and ‘Body And Soul’. Mye_Taai are known as a punk duo+1 who produce an electro-punk sound comprising abrasive lyrics delivered over driving rave tunes. Tonight, it’s only the duo that appears on stage as the +1 (known as Barry) is at the back of the venue at the mixing desk. There is no light show for the duo as they perform with the stage lights out. The duo are Mike, the vocalist, and Rik, who provides the beats from his Pioneer decks. Mike has plenty of room to move about as the desks are positioned to the right of the stage from the audience’s point of view. Strangely enough, the intro to tonight’s set is a 33-second blast of Mai Tai’s ‘History’. We then move on to the first proper track of the set, which is ‘Menorca’, with Mike providing his Sleaford Mods style spoken word lyrics that include mentions of Aphex Twin, Keith Flint, Chewbacca, and Blankety Blank, and telling us it’s “Menorca and not Majorca”. Mike is all over the place during the set, darting around from one side of the stage to the other. Although the majority of the set consists of unreleased material, it does feature two singles from last year. These are ‘Take A Second’ and ‘Massimo Osti’. It’s an interesting set, with some fruitful lyrics. Mye_Taai are definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Sleaford Mods.
(Ian Homan)
MARKETPLACE (Downstairs Bar – 8:00pm)
The next band bemused us with their presentation alone. The bassist had his instrument string so high that even Paul McCartney would have been envious. He was also wearing a suit jacket, which seemed not only oversized but in direct odds with either surf trunks or boxers and socks. The lead singer was seated; we later realised that this was because she was on crutches. Then the horror struck, the keyboard player was wearing Crocs. Ever magnanimous, we collectively decided to err on the side of caution, not wanting to judge a book by its truly bizarre cover. The band could, after all, be comedy geniuses who wanted to last in our memory, or just…fashion eclectics? I love an overly enthusiastic live band with a thirst for success and a clear love of playing together live. ‘Misty’s Big Adventure’ and the more current, formerly named ‘Worldwide Welly,’ now just ‘Welly.’ I was hoping this was the journey that Marketplace would potentially take us on; indeed, the cover of the 2025 EP ‘Marketplace Mean Business’ suggested as such. The relief was palpable when my suspicions were confirmed, and the comedy-angled critic of capitalism was revealed for what it was. Despite my/our sheer relief, the new Genre of ‘Croc Rock’ will forever be associated with the band for better or worse, and their attire distracted far too much from the actual music on offer. I really do hope that it does not become a new journalistic shorthand on the back of it.
(Jess Kemp)
CHRIS T-T (Upstairs Venue 8:30pm)
If you are from the same music coming of age era as I am, i.e, the ‘90’s you might just recognise this artist. Last heard from in a significant way in the early ‘90s enjoying no small amount of success and hotly tipped for big things, Chris T-T did what any rising artist would do, he produced an album of angry protest songs, which depending on your personal point of view either tanked his promising career or saved it from selling out entirely before he had even left the starting blocks. For many residents of his hometown base Brighton, it is the latter of the two. Over the course of his twenty-year career, he released 10 studio albums, two live collections, and several collaborations. Now 51, twenty years later, he is back with a remastered version of his much-loved album’s. Looking barely a day older, but significantly more beard-covered, Chris T-T is wistful and pragmatic. His set was a refreshing palate cleanser to the presentation misfire of his earlier label mates. Such is the longevity of Chris T-T’s career that many of the audience members were impassioned in their word-perfect sing-along with the artist. It is an absolute pleasure to be reminded of his back catalogue. It is only a shame that even after twenty years have passed, so much of it is still as pertinent and potent as it ever was.
(Jess Kemp)
GEMMA ROGERS (Upstairs Venue 9:30pm)
Gemma Rogers is a London-based singer-songwriter who wowed the audience for her performance on the Croissant Neuf Stage in the Green Fields at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Sometimes Gemma performs with a full band, but for tonight’s performance, there was just Tom Hannon on programming and occasional tambourine, and Kris Turvey on guitar. Gemma’s songs focus on social and political issues with a style reminiscent of that of Ian Dury (R.I.P.). The opening song of tonight’s seven-song set was ‘Stop’ from her 2022 debut album ‘No Place Like Home’. A great, catchy song to get things going, with Gemma darting around the stage. The second song, ‘The Great Escape’, is inspired by Brighton’s springtime new music festival of the same name. Gemma mentioned that the long intro to the third song, ‘Death Knocked Up’, felt a bit awkward. ‘I’m In Love’ is a heartfelt love song that mentions strangers in the night falling in love again. We then get the latest single, ‘Molly_1989’. This one is about a toxic relationship. Worryingly, Gemma was looking straight at me when she sang the lines “Do you know what? You should come with a health warning.” The final two songs of a very impressive set were ‘Never Have I Ever’ and ‘Coming For The Top’, both of which feature on Gemma’s 2024 EP ‘No Future’.
(Ian Homan)
MARY SHELLEY (Upstairs Venue 10:30pm)
Brooklyn-based Mary Shelley were the headliners, and those that managed to hang around after a long day were in for a real treat. Named after the 19th-century ‘Frankenstein’ author, Mary Shelley are a high-energy genre-blending art-punk group with great stage presence. All four band members wore either white hospital gowns or staff uniforms, and during their extended 45-minute set of ten songs, the three guitarists, Jason Dockery, Sam Pinson, and Taylor Yancey, swapped instruments and shared lead vocals. Completing the line-up is drummer Charles Hull. They commenced their set with the unreleased song ‘Flat Stanley’ and followed up with the Talking Heads influenced track ‘Bourgeois de Ville’ from their 2022 debut album ‘Look At You’. Next up was ‘You Look Just Like My Mother’. This one is taken from their second album ‘Bloodhounds’. When the song finished, a member of the audience informed the band that their mum would have loved it. Sam said, “We make music for your mum.” A bit of band-audience banter between the two continued during the set. The next song, ‘The Nursing Home Jig’, another from their debut album, features the line “I used to fight the Nazis, but now all I play is Yahtzee.” ‘She’s A Star’ and ‘Odyssey’ were the next couple of songs performed, both from ‘Bloodhounds’ then there were further unreleased songs ‘Out Of Town’, ‘Q’ and ‘Suicide’. The set concluded with ‘Piggies’, another from ‘Bloodhounds’. Mary Shelley are definitely a band to look out for, and hopefully, they will be back on these shores again in the near future.
(Ian Homan)
