This morning it has been announced that there will be a ‘Hidden Herd All-Dayer’ event at the Green Door Store in Brighton on Saturday 9th March. It features a stellar lineup including Blood Wizard, Wych Elm, The Leaning, Human Interest, Maximilian, Car Boot Sale, Ideal Living and Everyday Saints.
This day-long sonic voyage of new music discovery will be the first in an ongoing series throughout 2024, so get ready for even more exciting emerging artists, ones-to-watch and hidden gems next year. Purchase your tickets for this event HERE.
To whet your appetite, here are some extracts of 5 of the band’s who we have recently reviewed…….
Blood Wizard – Patterns, Brighton 16.11.22:
Before I even had a chance to grab a pint, Brighton based duo Blood Wizard had already made their way onto the stage and were ready to play, resulting in the quickest band change over in Patterns history. Joined on stage tonight by an additional guitarist, bassist and drummer to complete their guitar keys and two vocal set up, the band wasted no time with their first track ‘The Slip’. Blood Wizard describe their sound as “wonky folk for wonky folks”, filling the packed-out room with dark and atmospheric melodic riffs, vocals and bass lines. The two vocals blended seamlessly together as they moved on to my personal highlight of the set ‘Apples And Oranges’. The set continued with their most popular track on Spotify ‘Breaking Even’, the relaxing guitar line paired with the beautiful story telling lyrics made it clear why this song was so popular with the Brighton crowd. Ending the 8-song set with final tracks ‘Devil’ and ‘Halo’, the crowd was well and truly warmed up ready for the main event.
bldwzrd.bandcamp.com
Wych Elm – Folklore Rooms, Brighton 6.11.21:
Another band, another venue. I was in plenty of time to bag a spot to see Wych Elm, who were one of my ‘must see’ bands of the weekend. Wych Elm are from Bristol, and are reminiscent of the Pixies and The Breeders, and also clearly very much influenced by Nirvana. They are tight, taut and melodic and are skilled applicants of the loud / quiet / loud doctrine. They play their new single ‘Executioner’ which is also available on their ‘Rabbit Wench’ EP. The song apparently tends to descend into a “wall of noise” when played live, but this certainly didn’t happen today. Everything sounded very much under control. Wych Elm show plenty of promise, and I shall be seeing them again. wychelm666.bandcamp.com
Maximilian – Green Door Store, Brighton 25.9.22:
Sunday started with the mellow sounds of Maximilian, which seemed quite appropriate. He’s a Brighton based singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was joined on stage by drummer Jamie Broughton and Sammy Jones on bass (after her appearance with ELLiS·D the previous day). Several of Maximilian’s songs followed a similar pattern, with a slow solo start then building and bringing in the other musicians. His songs almost had two halves. His vocals did remind me a bit of Radiohead. A good introduction to day two of the festival, enjoyed by those who turned up early.
maximilianofficial.bandcamp.com
Ideal Living – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton 6.12.23:
The second band for the evening are Brighton-based art-rockers Ideal Living who state they play “Post spook knit wear rock”. They formed in late 2022, and were originally called D.L.D. after the condition Developmental Learning Disorder, which covers dyslexia, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ideal Living seems to have an expanding lineup and are led by vocalist/bassist Billy Marsh. Accompanying him are Austin (guitar and backing vocals), Alyx (bass and backing vocals), Miles (keyboard and backing vocals), Bertie (drums and backing vocals), and Jamie Broughton (trumpet). The band have spent much of this year playing sell out support shows in Brighton with bands such as The Cool Greenhouse, ELLiS·D, Flip Top Head and Alien Chicks, as well as their own jam-packed headline dates at Green Door Store and The Hope & Ruin, and indeed this evening where they have a hoard of fans in attendance.
linktr.ee/idealliving
Everyday Saints – Green Door Store, Brighton 18.10.23:
Support this evening came from relatively new Brighton four-piece Everyday Saints who describe themselves as “evil dingepop disco vampires”. A decent crowd had gathered as they launched into a mesmerising 30-minute performance, weaving an ethereal tapestry of sound that danced between dream and nightmare. The acoustics at the GDS did justice, making the quartet occasionally sound as grand as an orchestra. Jade’s synth work added an unmistakable 80s cinematic vibe reminiscent of iconic film scores. Pip’s voice, powerful and resonant, grew bolder with each passing song, culminating in some truly magical harmonised moments with Jade, particularly during the standout ‘Distress Yourself’. This dark 80s-inspired pop track carried a haunting synth part that echoed the eerie brilliance of John Carpenter.
linktr.ee/everydaysaints
