‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’, ‘MUTATIONS FESTIVAL’ – BRIGHTON 5.11.22 (DAY THREE)
The 850 capacity ‘Mutations Festival‘ is making use of 8 Brighton music venues across the 4 days, with around 75 up-and-coming acts to choose from.
Today is Day Three ‘The Saturday’ and the busiest day, which takes in 37 live music performances spread across 7 Brighton Grassroots Music Venues, those being Chalk, Patterns, The Hope & Ruin. Green Door Store, The Prince Albert, The Folklore Rooms and Komedia Studio.
Here are the acts that we witnessed today………………..
LOWLY 12:40-1:10 Green Door Store
Mutations Day Three begins at the Green Door Store with Danish quintet Lowly. Back in 2015 they signed to Brighton’s Bella Union and have thus far released two long players with them, ‘Heba’ (2017), and ‘Hifalutin’ (2019), with 14 tune ‘Keep Up The Good Work’ to be added on 17th February 2023 – Details HERE.
Their setup today is rather impressive with two guitars, bass, drums, and six lots of electronics including a Moog, a Dave Smith Instruments Mopho X4 analogue synthesizer, a Prophet ’08 polyphonic synthesizer, and an Elektron Digitakt drum machine and sampler. It’s a relaxing start to Day Three with a decent turnout, despite the constant rain. Lead singer Soffie Viemose is very expressive throughout the nine song set and she feels every note. At times they reminded me of Christine and the Queens, especially the autotune style vocals. Their overall sound was to me a wonderful blend of Norwegian Emily Nicolas meets Vangelis, but this sound could only ever come out of Scandinavia, it’s something ethereal and to do with the light I reckon. Mid set, there was wonderful use of the Prophet ’08 keys sounding like the ‘Blade Runner’ soundtrack, then Nanna Schannong took over the vocals and this tune (or possibly tunes) grew and grew and were absolutely epic. I wasn’t sure that I would hear a better song all day and I really want to see these play live again!
Lowly:
Soffie Viemose – lead vocals, laptop
Nanna Schannong – lead vocals, guitar
Kasper Staub – synthesisers
Thomas Lund – bass, Moog
Steffen Lundtoft – drums, percussion
(Nick Linazasoro)
COWBOYY 12:45-1:15 Folklore Rooms
After an overrunning soundcheck, Cowboyy took the stage at The Folklore Rooms, (or a crowded corner upstairs at The Quadrant). Cowboyy a very new collective from the south coast, who only formed in January this year. The 4 piece band comprise of vocalist and lead guitarist Stanley Powell, bassist Reubin Yarnold, guitarist Kai Smith and drummer Rhys Teal. Musically Cowboyy take influences from a wide range of musical styles, taking from anything from math rock, reggae, 2010s alt-indie, Latin to western riffs and jazz.
Cowboyy mixed up the different musical styles to the extreme both between and within songs. While interesting, it was a little confusing at times, which may have been the whole point. Stanley Powell’s elaborate guitar playing ranged from jangly sounds to rock guitar style solos, you’d expect from Queen’s Brian May or prog rock. He made full use of the array of pedals a lot to create different effects from his guitar, almost overdoing it. The vocals, mostly spoken word lyrics, were shared between Stanley Powell and bassist Reubin Yarnold. The last number ended in a frenzy of noise, which saw guitarist Kai Smith in his element. While undoubtedly talented, Cowboyy’s musical collage lacked focus and seemed overindulgent at times. While not to my taste, the audience seemed to enjoy Cowboyy’s sonic assortment to start their second day at ‘Mutations’.
Cowboyy:
Stanley Powell – vocalist, lead guitarist
Reubin Yarnold – bassist
Kai Smith – guitarist
Rhys Teal – drummer
(Peter Greenfield)
REDOLENT 1:30-2:00 Green Door Store
I stayed put at the Green Door Store in order to take in the delights of Scottish risers Redolent, who were born in Dundee, before basing themselves in Edinburgh. Their intriguingly titled ‘Make Big Money Fast Online Now’ single dropped in the Spring and is to be followed by ‘Extreme Mood Swings’ which is set to drop 10th November.
Sadly there were severe delays in them starting their set by around half an hour which threw out my schedule for a while, but Redolent were certainly well worth the wait. They are offering something memorable and different for the punters, including two LED displays to the rear of the band which scroll the lyrics across the screen for all to read. Plus four of the six people were gathered together in a square synth configuration with each taking care of the various different electronics on offer, including KeyLab 61 MIDI keyboard, Akai MPK249 MIDI Keyboard Controller, and laptop (which sat on the floor). This reminded me of Kraftwerk and hard CORPS, but Redolent can be funky too. Wandering vocalist Robert Herbert would benefit from a cordless microphone as he would occasionally step on the long lead and cut himself off. His vocal delivery reminded me of a combination of Jim Kerr (Simple Minds) and Robert Smith (The Cure). Andrew Turnball metronomic drumming was the backbone of their sound. They opened with ‘Don’t Cry’ (Scottish spelling though) and tune three was ‘Space Cadet’ and there was a song about drinking in the park as a kid. I bounced all the way through their set and I very much would like to see them play live again.
Redolent:
Robert Herbert – vocals
Danny Herbert – synths
Andrew Turnbull – drums, shakers
Robbie White – synths
Alice Hancock – synths
forms.sonymusicfans.com/campaign/columbia_redolent
(Nick Linazasoro)
SNIFFANY AND THE NITS 1:30-2:00 Folklore Rooms
The deranged and troubling 4 piece punk band, Sniffany And The Nits are fronted by Brighton local Sister Sniffany (real name Josephine Edwards). The rest of the band originate from Cardiff and include members of Joanna Gruesome, Ex-Vöid and The Tubs. They are Owen Williams on drums, Max “Wozza” Warren on bass and Matt Green on guitar.
Sniffany And The Nits started their ‘Mutations’ set at The Folklore Rooms with ‘Girl Factory’ from their EP ‘The Greatest Nits’. There was the usual fury of guitar noise and equally fast vocals, which you’d expect from a punk band. What set Sniffany And The Nits apart from other bands in this genre was Sister Sniffany’s style. When performing, Sister Sniffany has a very disturbing persona, which works well with the band’s dark material and adds a gothic note. Just her eye movements alone with penetrating stares and menacingly rolling her eyes have a real intensity and deranged feel. Worryingly natural rather than forced theatrics. While most of their set was taken from their debut LP ‘The Unscratchable Itch’, Sniffany And The Nits previewed two new songs, ‘Big Foot’ and ‘You Did It’. Being played live for the first time, Sister Sniffany had handwritten lyrics as a prompt. This didn’t detract from her intense delivery. The fast and unyielding set ended with a reminder that Sniffany And The Nits return to Brighton playing The Prince Albert on Monday 14 November. Grab your tickets HERE.
Sniffany And The Nits:
Josephine Edwards (Sister Sniffany) – vocals
Owen Williams – drums
Max “Wozza” Warren – bass
Matt Green – guitar
(Peter Greenfield)
ROBBIE & MONA 1:50-2:20 Prince Albert
The upstairs room at The Prince Albert is filling slowly as the first act of the day takes the stage. Bristol based duo Robbie & Mona are actually Ellie and William, the band moniker coming from the names of the singer’s former dogs. Their material is slow and vibey, varying from languidly sensual dream pop to downbeat piano ballads. The former works rather better, from my point of view.
It’s very atmospheric, if not particularly dynamic. Ellie’s performance style mainly involves standing stock still, singing with her eyes closed, whilst William gets busy on an array of keyboards. Their music would make good late night listening, but it’s 2pm and we’re anticipating an exciting day ahead. I suspect, like me, most of the audience are here to make sure they get in for the following acts, but there’s polite applause at the end of each song. If slow, dreamy pop is your thing, check out Robbie & Mona’s debut album ‘EW’.
Robbie & Mona:
William Carkeet – keyboards, vocals
Eleanor Gray – vocals
(Richie Nice)
THE MURDER CAPITAL 2:30-3:30 Chalk
The Murder Capital played the “secret slot” on Saturday afternoon to introduce new material from their forthcoming album ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ due for release on 20th January 2023. The 5 piece Irish post punk band consists of James McGovern (vocals), Damien Tuit (guitar), Cathal Roper (guitar), Gabriel Pascal Blake (bass) and Diarmuid Brennan (drums).
The Murder Capital opened with two tracks from their acclaimed debut album ‘When I Have Fears’. During part of the first song ‘Green & Blue’ James sang accompanied just by Diarmuid on drums. James singing with just one or two band members playing in sections of songs was a feature through the set, which worked surprisingly well. Some of the new songs from ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ had a slower, more atmospheric feel to them, showing an evolution from the rage and dark lyrics about death and loss featured heavily on their debut album. As well as the two latest singles ‘A Thousand Lives’ and ‘Only Good Things’, other new tracks included ‘The Stars Will Leave Their Stage’ with a more electronic sound and the noisy ‘Ethel’. During the instrumental breaks in ‘Slowdance I and II’, singer James sat on the barrier watching the band along with the front row of the audience. Also leaving the stage in the final number, ‘Ethel’, James sang large sections in amongst the lively mosh pit. The Murder Capital left the Chalk crowd more than satisfied with an excellent varied set of old favourites and hints of what’s to come from the new album ‘Gigi’s Recovery’. Definitely one of my highlights of the ‘Mutations’ festival.
The Murder Capital:
James McGovern – vocals
Damien Tuit – guitar
Cathal Roper – guitar
Gabriel Pascal Blake – bass
Diarmuid Brennan – drums
(Peter Greenfield)
SAINT AGNES 2:40-3:10 Prince Albert
I’m upstairs at The Prince Albert for Saint Agnes, whose energetically punky gothic-tinged rock I particularly enjoy. This time last year there was a queue down the stairs to get into this venue, but with a combination of a rainy day and The Murder Capital’s not-very-secret set, the room is full but not packed. All the more dancing space for me then. “Are you with me?” screams vocalist Kitty, and we’re into the sonic mayhem of ‘Uppercut’, with stunningly fast and furious drumming by Andy, who is a blur of flailing hair and sticks. “If we’re here, we might as well f*cking be here,” chant Kitty and guitarist Jon. Kitty has a new haircut, a sort of goth mullet, and the band has a new bass player, Stef, who looks pleased to be onboard, shaking a shock of blond hair as he digs in on the low end.
The intensity is maintained with the insistent menace of ‘Everywhere You Go’ and the rattling ‘Brother’, punctuated with suitably lupine howling. There’s a brief breakdown of doomy double floor tom hits, overlaid with wailing guitar sustain, before we’re straight back to full tilt. There’s an impressive bounce through ‘And They All Fall Down’, with its taunting refrain of “I’ve got a bigger gang than you”. Apparently Saint Agnes were a late addition to the festival, stepping in for a band who dropped out. “We never turn down a gig. We’ll play anywhere,” explains Kitty. “We’re not cheap though,” adds Jon hurriedly, to a roar of laughter from the audience. We are treated to an absolutely blistering cover version of The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’, dedicated to the memory of Keith Flint. Andy is manically busy on the snare drum and Kitty is into the crowd, getting up close and personal. “We’re gonna do a thing. We’re gonna get down,” she commands. With these knees? “Tomorrow is not guaranteed,” she admonishes, and we burst out of the breakdown in an explosion of humanity. You’d reasonably think that there wasn’t anywhere else to go from there, but they still have former single ‘Repent’ in the locker, and it’s a fine conclusion to an absolutely stunning set.
Saint Agnes:
Kitty Arabella Austen – vocals, guitar
Jon James Tufnel – guitar, vocals
Stef Kmap – bass
Andy Head – drums
(Richie Nice)
PRIESTGATE 3:40-4:10 Prince Albert
Priestgate are a five-piece from Driffield, Yorkshire, and their dark, intense, and theatrically performed brand of post-punk is the reason I’m upstairs in The Prince Albert, rather than investigating the “secret set” at Chalk. Along with a cracking repertoire, the band has a considerable asset in vocalist and frontman Rob Schofield, who is an assured and utterly mesmeric performer. I have no doubt at all that this band are going places. Kicking off with ‘Mem Loser’, the haunting main riff is atmospherically post-punk in the Joy Division sense, and Rob’s piercing screams of “I can’t breathe,” sound like he means it. By the second number, the gorgeously atmospheric ‘By The Door’, he dispenses with the services of his white vest by literally ripping it from his torso. Guitarist Isaac, by way of contrast, wears a rather smart suit jacket, and has clearly been working on his stage moves too, playing whilst gymnastically bent over backwards, headstock thrust towards the ceiling. Connor completes the twin guitar attack, alternating jangle with ghostly howl, whilst bassist Kai and drummer Bridie chug a hypnotically insistent and unfaltering rhythm.
Rob struts the stage like a young Iggy Pop, his manic stare accentuated by heavy eye makeup. He has a straight mic stand which tends to get waved in the air quite frequently. On ‘White Shirt’, with its more urgent stabbing beat, the chord pattern is moving nicely giving a beautifully expansive feel. Rob is hanging from the lighting truss, which I’m sure is correctly fixed to the appropriate standard, but gives the impression it already has quite enough load to bear. Recent single ‘Some Things Never Change’ has a dreamy feel and a catchy vocal line whose delivery reminds me of Maximo Park. ‘Bedtime Story’ is another excellent song, with great riffing and some beautifully fluid drum fills from Bridie. The set concludes with ‘Summ(air)’, which has a massive playout. Connor instigates a crowd clap-along, and I glance around the room, pleased to note that by this point it is properly rammed. Quite right too. Priestgate will return to this venue on Thursday 9th February 2023 – Tickets HERE.
Priestgate:
Rob Schofield – vocals
Isaac Ellis – guitar
Connor Bingham – guitar
Kai Overton – bass
Bridie Stagg – drums
(Richie Nice)
EGYPTIAN BLUE 4:40-5:10 Prince Albert
Egyptian Blue are Brighton based (although they formed in Colchester) and consist of Andy Buss and Leith Ambrose on guitars, Luke Phelps on bass and Isaac Ide on drums. Isaac walks onstage smartly dressed in a shirt and tie, both of which he promptly removes, making him look somewhat less like Charlie Watts. One of the guitarists has a Vox Teardrop guitar, which I immediately covet.
The music is spiky post-punk with staccato vocals. There’s plenty of punkish attitude too. The two guitars mesh well. There’s some ferocious rhythm guitar from both Andy and Leith, and they both play lead as well. They announce a brand new song, but they don’t give us a title. Don’t bands realise how annoying that is for reviewers??? The set is pretty fast and furious, but there are unexpected quiet passages too. A three man moshpit erupts. To be fair, there really isn’t room for a much bigger one in The Prince Albert. The gig finishes with one of the guitarists and the bassist throwing down their instruments. Egyptian Blue are an exciting live band with good material and I shall be checking them out again.
Egyptian Blue:
Andy Buss – guitar, vocals
Leith Ambrose – guitar, vocals
Luke Phelps – bass
Isaac Ide – drums
(Mark Kelly)
RHUMBA CLUB 5:30-6:00 Komedia Studio
Rhumba Club is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Tom Falle. They have an album out called ‘Welcome To The Rhumba Club’. Tonight Tom is joined by another musician on stage at Komedia Studio (whose name I unfortunately don’t catch) on guitar and keyboards. They are running late because of problems connecting up their equipment. This is pretty essential as much of the music is on samples. Having said that, once they start playing there is some nice lead guitar and some nice keyboard flourishes too.
The material is generic 1980s stuff, which is fine if you like that kind of thing. They do it really well to be fair, and the audience lap it up. However, in my view this is disinterring the worst of the 1980s, the decade that taste forgot. The songs all sound like covers, but are original material that sticks very closely to a 1980s style template. I guess this is what Tom was trying to achieve, and if that’s the case he’s done it very successfully. It’s not for me though.
Rhumba Club:
Tom Falle – vocals
Unknown – synth, guitar
(Mark Kelly)
FATDOG 5:40-6:10 Prince Albert
Fatdog brought their mad and chaotic show to a packed crowd at The Prince Albert. Fatdog’s unruly line-up consists of Joe (lead guitar and vocals), Jazz (vocals and keys), Will (synth), Johnny in an Alsatian mask (drums). and Ben (bass). Their sound is a frenzied mash up of many styles, based around hard core electronic dance beats.
Fatdog’s set at ‘Mutations’ started with a sampled countdown from two minutes, before an 80’s synth and sax intro to the first track. During the opening track, a technician was still under the keyboards fixing the electrics and cables. That wasn’t going to slow up this lively band. Not to miss out on the action in the crowd, the synth player and bassists left their posts during the second song to join the growing mosh pit. Refusing to be out done, lead singer Joe, spent most of the set among the crowd. He seemed to spend as much time orchestrating the crowd, as singing, which added to the frantic, anarchistic experience. Fatdog’s sound deviates wildly between nu-metal and hardcore electronica with the saxophone working well in this mix of sounds. Think Madness meets The Prodigy meets The Chemical Brothers for an over-simplified starting point. Fatdog’s set left the crowd at The Albert buzzing, and probably many of them needing to catch their breath before the next band on their agenda.
Fatdog:
Joe – vocals, lead guitar
Jazz – vocals, keyboards, saxophone
Will – synth
Johnny – drums
Ben – bass
(Peter Greenfield)
LYNKS 5:50-6:30 Patterns
I made a beeline over to Patterns in order to catch the uncompromisingly entertaining ‘masked drag monster’ Lynks who is once seen, never forgotten, and thus the venue was rammed and ready to take on board the light-hearted atmosphere of arguably the most raucous drag shows to his pop performances. Bristol artist’s debut release and statement of intent was ‘Smash Hits, Vol. 1’ under the banner Lynks Afrikka. This queer icon appears to be crossing boundaries judging by the range of different folk here this teatime.
There’s no equipment on stage other than a laptop and microphones. After the ‘God Save The Queen/King’ intro tape, the energetic seriously choreographed set begins as Lynks and Lynks Shower Gel – that’s the name he gave his two partners in crime – take to the Patterns stage. Prior to their entry, I heard several punters discussing what they thought Lynks might be wearing, on arrival, he certainly didn’t disappoint. This is a truly entertaining act with songs littered with comical lyrics that make us laugh. We are all here to have a great time and Lynks and chums dutifully oblige. Lynks informs us that he’s 25 years old and that Brighton has a special place in his heart as his grandparents live here. Standouts being ‘BBB’ (“Big Bad Bitch”), the Vengaboys-ish ‘Silly Boy’ , ‘How To Make A Béchamel Sauce In 10 Steps (With Pictures)’ (yes that’s its title and we were shown how to make it, “continue adding milk’), hands down winner was the Bobby O and Patrick Cowley-esque ‘Pedestrian At Best’, which is a Courtney Barnett tune. In summary, Lynks offers the vintage Electro 808 sound meets Kraftwerk’s ‘Numbers’. Think modern day Divine. A great fun set!
Lynks:
Lynks (Elliott Brett)
Lynks Shower Gel
(Nick Linazasoro)
LOS BITCHOS 6:30-7:10 Chalk
I’m in Chalk to check out Los Bitchos, a London-based multi-national outfit who play predominantly instrumental dancey rock, incorporating elements of Latin, psych, disco, funk, and surf music. It sounds like a lot of fun, and indeed it is. They open with ‘FFS’. Serra, grinning wildly, plays interesting scales of chiming lead guitar with a hint of vibrato, before breaking off into a furiously energetic burst of percussion on a set of timbales. Nic is equally impressive behind the drum kit, with breathtakingly brisk rolls and fills. Bassist Josefine is super fluid up and down the fretboard, and Augustina adds synth sounds and stylishly vibey dancing. Today they are supplementing the sound with an extra rhythm guitarist, although he isn’t introduced to us. Everyone seems to be having fun, and the front row players break into a very cute Shadows-style synchronised dance at one point.
There’s some chanted vocalising, but this tends to be used like an extra instrument rather than to deliver lyrics. There are plenty of interesting digressions and tempo changes. The lead riff on ‘Lindsay Goes To Mykonos’ is an absolutely stunning flurry of ascending hammer-ons. They even have a Christmas song: ‘Los Chrismos’. To be fair, I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea, were it not for some sampled sleigh-bells and a brief chant of “Christmas time! Sexy time!” The band’s charm and infectious enthusiasm are hard to resist, and when Serra wants to see our hands in the air for ‘Pista (Fresh Start)’, the whole of Chalk is a sea of arms, waving in time to the dreamy sounds. Lovely!
Los Bichos:
Serra Petale – guitar, percussion, vocals
Agustina Ruiz – synths, vocals
Josefine Jonsson – bass, vocals
Nic Crawshaw – drums, vocals
(Richie Nice)
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD 7:40-8:20 Chalk
I’m in Chalk for Black Country, New Road, and like many here I suspect, I’m intrigued to find out what they’re like without former vocalist and frontman Isaac Wood, who left earlier this year. Unsurprisingly, the focus is on new material, and it’s pretty good. Lead vocal duties are shared between bassist Tyler, keyboardist May, and flute and sax player Lewis, and it works just fine. Guitar, drums and violin complete the lineup, and the music is varied and interesting. I doubt there’ll be much of a mosh pit though, as the predominant vibe seems to be a blend of bucolic folk and baroque prog.
Tyler has a sort of space age medieval look going on, with a puff sleeve blouse, boxing boots and Lonsdale training shorts that look like they might be stuffed with bombast. She takes the lead on opener ‘Up Song’, which skips along nicely on repeated piano arpeggios. ‘The Boy’ is very folky, with May on vocals and accordion, and Lewis on flute. Tyler is bowing her Mustang bass, which makes it sound like a super-amplified cello. ‘I Won’t Always Love You’ builds from a folky start to a proggy ending, with drummer Charlie getting busy around the kit. Lewis takes vocals for a couple of songs, including ‘Across The Pond Friend’. He has an introverted charm, his stage banter comprised mainly of quizzical looks. Much of ‘Pig’ is performed solo by May, and the rest of the band all come and sit on the drum riser to watch, which is cute and looks great visually. Closing number ‘Dancers’ is big and loud by contrast, with a full on pomp rock playout. It’s been an enjoyable set, and I’ll look forward to hearing this newer material on record in due course.
Black Country, New Road:
Tyler Hyde – vocals, bass
Lewis Evans – vocals, flute, sax
May Kershaw – vocals, keyboards
Nina Lim – vocals, violin
Charlie Wayne – drums
Luke Mark – guitar
(Richie Nice)
FRÄULEIN 8:30-9:00 The Hope & Ruin
London based but formed in Bristol, Fräulein comprise Joni Samuels on guitar and vocals, and Karsten Van der Tol on drums. They released their debut EP ‘A Small Taste’ back in May, which was when I last saw them performing live at the Queens Hotel on 12th May during The Great Escape. I was impressed then, stating “As a bass player it pains me to say this, but Joni’s playing on her Squier Super-Sonic ensures that the bass is not missed. The two musicians interact in an almost telepathic manner. Karsten has great feel, and uses rimshots a lot”. I added “They play a few new songs today. ‘Three’ is particularly impressive, with quite a few minor chords thrown in. Whilst Joni retunes, Karsten takes a drum solo. Not a minute of Fräulein’s set is wasted”.
Not surprisingly, they don’t disappoint tonight at The Hope & Ruin. They’re a ferocious guitar and drums duo. There’s a definite early P J Harvey influence, but with more grunge and less blues. Karsten plays a very accomplished drum solo towards the end of the set. Unfortunately it triggers flashbacks for me of heavy metal bands seen in times passed. Fräulein are a great live band who are clearly getting even better.
Fräulein:
Joni Samuels – guitar, vocals
Karsten Van der Tol – drums
(Mark Kelly)
SHAME 8:50-10:00 Chalk
I’m in Chalk, jammed against the crash barrier amongst a throng of people who are very excited indeed about the impending arrival of Shame. The band comes on to Gerry Rafferty’s ‘Baker Street’ and it quickly gets pretty crazy as they strike up ‘Dust On Trial’. It’s clear I won’t be taking any notes, as almost immediately I’m used as a stepping stone to launch singer Charlie Steen on a foray into the crowd. Musically, it’s big brash indie rock, with snappy tuneful songs rendered massive through a twin guitar attack and thundering drums. There’s new material interspersed amongst the familiar numbers from the first two albums, and it sounds good. I’m impressed by the urgent riffing of ‘Six Pack’. Having scored a Top 10 album with last year’s ‘Drunk Tank Pink’, the band has been touring America, playing to big crowds, and it really shows. This is a bona fide rock show, with superlative stagecraft, and it’s an awesome thing to behold.
Charlie is quickly shirt off, then vest off. He’s on the barrier, and over the barrier, and by ‘The Lick’ he’s singing on the bar, trailing a few dozen yards of microphone cable through the crowd. Bassist Josh makes frenzied runs across the stage, punctuated by some seriously impressive leaps. By the start of ‘Tasteless’ he’s broken the G string on his Precision bass. Undaunted, he plays on, performing a somersault with bass on, landing on his shoulder and rolling back upright. Meanwhile, Charlie is standing on top of the crowd, borne aloft on a sea of willing hands. It looks precarious and absolutely spectacular. Two paragraphs are not sufficient to fully describe the intensity and magnificence of this performance, but suffice to say it was easily the best I’ve seen at the festival. I walk away elated, drenched in the band’s sweat, with the refrain of ‘One Rizla’ ringing in my ears. Nice one.
Shame:
Charlie Steen – vocals
Josh Finerty – bass, vocals
Eddie Green – guitar
Charlie Forbes – drums
Sean Cottle-Smith – guitar
(Richie Nice)
NEGATIVE MEASURES 9:30-10:00 The Hope & Ruin
Negative Measures are a Brighton based hardcore punk band comprising Jack Goring on vocals, Tommy Ashcroft on guitar, AJ on drums, and Hannah Waterman on bass. However, Hannah is unavailable tonight, and they have a stand-in bassist who has learnt their entire set at very short notice. They all appear to be very young, but that may be because I’m getting old! They have a monstrously sized moshpit. I’ve been to quite a few gigs at The Hope and Ruin in my time, but this is the first time that I’ve actually felt the floor not so much move as bounce!
Stand-in bassist or not, the band are very tight, and the new boy joins in on vocals too, as does the guitarist. The vocalist spends nearly as much time in the moshpit as he does on stage! They describe themselves on their Facebook page as “four idiots droning out”. Well, there seems to be very little droning going on tonight, just a cracking live band getting on with it.
Negative Measures:
Jack Goring – vocals
Tommy Ashcroft – guitar
AJ – drums
Hannah Waterman – bass
www.instagram.com/negativemeasures
(Mark Kelly)
BAD BREEDING 10:30-11:00 The Hope & Ruin
Bad Breeding hail from Stevenage in Hertfordshire and comprise Chris Dodd on vocals, Charlie Rose on bass, Matt Toll on guitar and Ashlea Bennett on drums. In 2015 they were described as “the best new punk band in Britain”. They may no longer be new, but based upon the evidence of tonight’s performance at The Hope & Ruin, it’s fair to say that they’re still one of the best.
They’re fast, and every bit as hardcore as Negative Measures. However, they’re more experienced and it shows: they seem to rock that little bit harder. When a moshpit inevitably develops, singer Chris briefly joins it, something he does repeatedly. Truth be told, there’s a very fine line between punk and metal. I keep hearing hints of Napalm Death in Bad Breeding. Some people perhaps won’t like that, but that’s just how it is. Having said that, they haven’t stepped too far from their punk roots. One song sounds like it could have come from the late 1970s. It sounds a bit like the Pistols’ ‘God Save The Queen’, and there can’t be anything wrong with that!
Bad Breeding:
Chris Dodd – vocals
Charlie Rose – bass
Matt Toll – guitar
Ashlea Bennett – drums
(Mark Kelly)
Read our review of the Mutations Festival Day ‘Opening Party’ HERE.
Read our review of Day One of the Mutations Festival HERE.
Read our review of Day Two of the Mutations Festival HERE.
Read our review of the Mutations Festival ‘Closing Party’ HERE.
