‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’, THE BRIGHTON ROCK’N’ROLL CIRCUS 2 – FONT, BRIGHTON 18.5.24
The Font (formerly the Font and Firkin) in Brighton’s South Lanes is our venue for the final of the three days, as part of the Alternative Escape with an event titled ‘The Brighton Rock and Roll Circus #2’ which boasted no less than forty bands over those three days. This was organised by London-based music promoters ’Kick Out the Jams’ and a collaboration between K.O.T.J, Blaggers Records, Bubblebrain Records and The Songbird. Throughout the weekend the bands performed downstairs tucked under the upper floor, framed by the Fonts ‘Adam and Eve’ themed stained-glass windows. It was great to see The Font used as a venue again, we hope it continues.
Performances on Thursday 16th May can be found HERE and those on Friday 17th May can be found HERE.
SATURDAY 18TH MAY
SHARK CITY MAYORS 12:00 – 12:30
The first band of the day are Brighton-based Alt Rock/ Post Punk four-piece Shark City Mayors who are Bruce Samuel (lead vocal/ guitar), John (guitar/ vocal), Roger (bass) and Rich (drums). You might have come across them playing other Brighton venues including The Prince Albert. The set featured songs from their 2023 ‘The Shore’ EP which is available on Bandcamp. After thanking the audience for coming down early, the band segued between each song, introducing each of them as they went. Bruce’s vocals are deep and husky to start moving to a higher pitch on the second track. The guitars have an ‘80/90s indie edge a la Screaming Trees. The opening song, ‘The Shore’, featured a long intro. Then followed their ‘22 release, ‘Jessica Rose’. They decided to cut the set short for some reason and ended with a new song which was called ‘Into The Ground’. You can find their music on Bandcamp.
MAX BIANCO 12:45 – 13:15
Formerly based in the Northeast of England, Bianco is now based in the South. The singer/ songwriter performed solo with only his electric acoustic. Once a member of the much-hyped band The Jar Family (who split in 2018). He started his set with an introduction “My name’s Max Bianco I’m gonna play you a few songs I wrote.”, before launching into his first song. His vocals had an air of early Bob Dylan about them, in the way he either draws out the end of his words or cuts them off abruptly. The second track ‘Find My Way To You’ is on the 2020 album ‘Harlot Moon’ recorded by the Bluehearts formed in the South of England in 2018 after the split of the Jar Family. The song that followed was ‘Sometimes’ will be his next single. Bianco has already made a name for himself on the music circuit in the south. He has supported The Libertines in Margate at Carl Barat’s request after he saw Bianco perform at an open mic night. At the end of his set, Bianco thanked the audience for sticking around before leaving the stage.
TUCO 13:30 – 14:00
South of England-based reggae-rock meets indie-rock four-piece TUCO have a feel of the Black Crows about them, musically and vocally. The band are Max Everitt (vocals/ rhythm guitar), Luke Fitzwalter (lead guitar), Jake Khadaroo (drums) and Connor Barton (bass/backing vocals). Greeting the audience jubilantly Everitt asked “Alright Brighton, how are you doing? Has anyone else been stuck in traffic today? Anyone else’s drummer forget the one f*cking thing he had to remember to bring? HIS STICKS!”. Oh dear! Moving on…The songs in the set showed more of the reggae influence mixing in with the rock. The strong vocals mixed with the music to create the perfect summer soundscape. The band’s sound had an organic uplighting feel, with crisp, clear vocals from the energetic up-beat frontman Max Everitt. Standout songs in the set included: ‘Easy As You Like’, ‘Step-By-Step’, and the closing song ‘Rum And Coke’.
RAPTUROUS 14:15 – 14:45
Kent-based multi-genre defining Alt-Rock/ Hip Hop five-piece are Luke Barratt (vocal / guitar), Ashton Lilburn (vocal / guitar), Luke Davidson (lead guitar) Nathan Cooke (bass) and Adam McVey (drums). The dual vocals from Barratt and Lilburn give the band an interesting edge. With character-filled straight singing from Barratt and impressively rapid-fire rap from Lilburn, with the pair swapping lead vocals throughout the set. The band’s music is an amalgamation of rock riffs, a tight rhythm section, old school rock transitions mixed with rap. They segued effortlessly between songs delivering a full sound and an energetic performance. During new single, and last track of the set’ ‘Repeat After Me’, Barratt took to the audience encouraging a chant “I wanna be free!” The audience eagerly accepts the invitation, and are utterly beguiled by the collective’s easy charm and charisma. I even spotted the sound guy getting thoroughly into their sound. The band played out as Barratt continued the chant before thanking everyone and taking his leave. The highlights of the set were ‘Lions Den’, ‘Future’, and new tracks ‘Someday’, ‘Say O.K’. and ‘Repeat After Me’, which is out now.
HARMONY BO 15:00 – 15:30
Margate-based punk-folk singer Harmony Bo’s set was a departure from the earlier of the bands of the day. A riot of colour, she took the stage with her drummer playing a strong Oompah beat under the vocal. Choosing to sing (mostly rapidly) in her own accent with extra emphasis on the enunciation for a more ‘Brit-ish’ delivery similar to Polly Styrene or a more political early career Kate Nash. Her vocal delivery and pared down presentation gave Harmony Bo’s set a feel of an old school music hall act with a modern punky edge. She delivered self penned, political and feminist songs with a furious passion. I wasn’t surprised when I noticed that X-Ray Spex ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours!’ was her song of choice on Instagram. Very active on the music scene in the southeast, she has rapidly amassed a keen following. The audience at The Font were incredibly appreciative, gaining her several more followers on the day including myself. Highlights of the set were ‘Hacienda’, ‘Oh Woman’, ‘Pretty (Like My Hair)’, ‘Suffrage’ and ‘Ew!’. Make sure you catch her live performance soon as it won’t be long before she is featuring on line-ups further afield.
GENERATION 15:45 – 16:15
Liverpool-based glam-rock, punk-pop three-piece are brothers James Carne (guitar), Dean Carne (vocals) and Hattie Steel (drums). The current line-up came together and started performing in 2022. From the moment of their entrance in The Font it was clear that these three were performers. The band looked and dressed the part, their clothing expressing their music. Dean wore a pair of heeled boots Prince would have been envious of, decked out in black leather jacket with skintight trousers and lace shirt. He has the kind of swagger that screams lead singer, but did he have the talent to back it up? Pure glam rock in appearance with a sprinkle of an in-your-face punk attitude made for an explosive combination in the trios’ hands. Starting with a BANG Dean took to the audience during ‘Red Light’ to get them going right from the get-go. Dean is an incredibly energetic frontman with a charisma and stage presence the audience just can’t ignore. Coupled with his brother, who has just as much swagger, and Hattie who menace’s her kit with skill, power and presence, the trio have an impact that cannot be denied. The three command the stage equally, but it’s Dean who works the audience as well as the stage. The band knows how to deliver on all fronts. They play the hell out of their instruments for the whole of their set, not relenting for a second. Dean, a born frontman, personifies the phrase ‘rock and roll animal’. James and Hattie have perfect command of their instruments. For the first time of the weekend our hard-working sound man actually tells James to turn his amp up and “GO for it!”. The second song ‘Crazy’ brazenly ripped off the White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’, but it’s executed so damn well I can’t help but forgive them and admire the ballsiness. As if the enthusiastic reception wasn’t enough Dean asked “Brighton, how are ya? I want to see it get a bit sexual in here! I wanna dedicate this song to me girlfriend Amanda, she’s taking photos” He then took to the audience again. The track he chose for this romantic gesture, ‘22s single ‘Bang, Bang, Bang’. Next up unbelievably was a cover of Britney’s ‘Toxic’. In the audience again Dean stopped to serenade the bar-staff before hopping up onto the bar to finish the song. He somehow managed to do all of this while also striking up a friendship with the lead of TUCO. By now most of the bands that had performed previously have come down into the audience to watch. The front of the stage was rammed by the time the opening bars of last song start. The band pull out all the stops for the closing song ‘Rockstar.’ They finish exhausted to adulation and applause from the crowd.
VENTRELLES 16:30 – 17:00
Manchester-based indie-rock quartet Ventrelles formed back in 2018. Take their references from 80’s guitar groups such as Pale Fountains, Echo and the Bunnymen and the darker tinged edges of The Chameleons and The Jesus and Mary Chain, the band fuse these influences together to tunes grounded in 80’s guitar bands with punchy delivery, sun-soaked guitars, pacy rhythms, up-lifting lyrics, soul-tinged base lines and engaging vocals. They managed to be the first band of the weekend who got everybody dancing or at least nodding their heads along with the songs vigorously. Referencing a variety of Manchester based bands from the 80’s onwards, the band wear their references on their sleeves whilst managing to give them a new and compelling edge. These are out and out summer tunes. The catchy guitar licks, rolling bass sun-soaked reverb and lead Phil Knox’s almost familiar and friendly vocal pervade the songs from the tight outfit of accomplished musicians. A real standout song was the new single ‘Acid Flower’, which is available now.
SOAKED 17:15 – 17:45
Norwich-based punk trio Soaked are Brandan Frisby (vocals), Ronnie Cochrane (bass) and Alex Newman (drums). They draw their influences ‘iconic’ British punk including the Sex Pistols, rock bands including the Jam and indie including the Arctic Monkeys, Oasis to create music characterised by raw and authentic lyrics expressing essence of everyday British life. ‘Partyline’ the first song of the set confirms the 70’s musical reference points. Their performance is pure punk rock at its earliest and angriest adrenaline filled PUNK. A lot of the up-and-coming bands describe themselves as ‘Punk’, The term itself seems to be malleable and can mean something different to every successive generation. What some think of as the original punk bands of the mid to late 70’s and the early 80’s would never have been in an industry showcase. Though you could argue that being in one of the Alt Escape shows like the Rock’n’Roll Circus 2 is punk in itself. Soaked for me exemplified the essence of punk, they were surprising from the moment they stepped into the venue. Frisby is ferocious in his delivery, bounding around the stage, fizzing and sparking with a kind of barely bottled frustrated energy. He rapidly spits out his vocals as if regurgitating every agitated angry thought he’s ever had. In the audience I spied bands from the previous two days as well as bands who have performed previously to Soaked on the day. Soaked’s reputation for adrenaline filled infectious performances had obviously proceeding them. The tempo for all of the songs felt like it was double paced, the drums and guitar relentless, the audience just couldn’t help but be drawn in by Frisby and his cohorts. The passion of delivery coupled with the occasionally earnest, but always honest interjections from Frisby had a charm all of their own. “The next song is called ‘Awful’, it’s about working in an office” he deadpanned, and absolutely everyone in the venue nodded slightly as we all experienced flashbacks in unison. Standout songs included ‘Partyline’, ‘Windmill Hill’, next single ‘Art Degree’, ‘Awful’, and final song ‘Takeaway’. If you can, I recommend that you see the band live as soon as possible.
Every single review at The Font has thus far been written by Jess Kemp, but for the next 5 acts we hand over to Petra Eujane.
CROSS WIRES 18:00 – 18:30
Playing the early evening slot on the last day of the three-day festival did not quash the vitality of the performance of the next act. With Jonathan Chapman on vocals, Peter Muller on guitar and vocals, Matt Lazard on bass and Ian Clarke on drums, Cross Wires received a very enthusiastic welcome from the audience. An energetic post punk four piece from Bethnal Green creating a sound that is great to dance to as well as being enjoyable to watch. With a punchy kick ass stage energy, delivering songs with new wave echoes and visceral melodies. Jonathan Chapman on lead vocals interacted with the audience with charismatic delivery and much pogoing. Having built up a great live reputation playing in various venues across London, today’s short festival slot left me intrigued to check out one of their longer shows in the future.
HADDA BE 18:45 – 19:15
Hadda Be originally formed as Foundlings before a change of line up brought about a change of name. Described as part Pixies, part Primitives. part Banshees, but all Hadda Be. This post punk/indie pop band are based in Brighton and East London. With their music being described as post-punk inflected stomps and melancholic indie pop, I would also add how powerful the vocals are in adding an individuality to their sound. The band’s stage presence captivated the room, with the lead singer ‘stealing’ the hat from the frontman of previous performers RAPTUROUS. With band members Amber Rose Price, Ben Richards, Matthew Sykes and Oliver Trowler-Wareham releasing their debut album under the new name in 2021, ‘Another Life’, the live performance of these tracks reflected the influence of 90s rock from the likes of Nirvana and The Pixies.
88 BUNKFACE 19:30 – 20:00
The night really started to liven up with the four piece punk/pop 88 BUNKFACE, having travelled from their home on the Channel Island of Jersey specifically to perform at the Brighton Rock’N’Roll Circus 2. With Adam Posthill on bass, Adam True on guitar and vocals, Andy Harris also on guitar and vocals, and Sam Boucault on drums. This was such a fun performance with amiable banter from the singer and very animated playing from the bassist. “Formed on a mission to bring the sounds of the late 90s/early 2000s back” – the punk pop vibes interestingly coupled with gentle and melodic vocals provided an appealing mix. We were also treated to their own rendition of a Taylor Swift cover ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ and an excellent version of ‘99 Red Balloons’. Being described as a punk pop covers/function band, they are growing their repertoire as we were treated to performances of several of their own original songs as well.
MARSEILLE 20:15 – 20:45
The mood mellowed a little as Marseille took to the stage to bring us some indie rock from Derby. The five piece formed in 2021 with influences ranging from “the 90s Madchester scene, Merseybeat of the 60s and the psychedelia movement” – with their “main goal to bring great sounds back into people’s lives”. The new single ‘She Can Fly’ was released on 17th May, so this was perfect timing to bring this song to a live audience. The band consists of singer and bongo basher Will Brown, Joe Labram on lead guitar, Lennon Hall on rhythm guitar, Will Sabey on bass and full time groover, and Tom Spray on drums. Following tonight’s show, a UK tour is planned to start in June, with the band returning to Brighton to play The Komedia in September.
ANOTHER DAY 21:00 – 21:30
Another Day are a Kent based band made up of brothers Louis Hillier on lead vocals and guitar, Jonte Hillier on bass, cousin Charlie Kish on lead guitar and backing vocals along with friend and newest member Harley Drighton on drums. With their sound being described as “Original high energy hook ridden rock n roll” – the positive response from tonight’s audience is understandable. Their performance was very tight with some compelling energetic indie vibes, coupled with confident stage presence and a powerful drum beat under the unusual guitar chimes. They received critical acclaim for their debut single in 2022 ‘Quicksand’ and followed this up with another well received release ‘The College Song’. This is a band that should be seen live as they bring so much physicality to the stage. Upcoming gigs include some London dates in Camden in the Summer.
Thus far we have covered every single one of the acts at The Font across the three days, but sadly we weren’t able to review the final act, Laurie Wright, as the last train home was beckoning, but not all is lost as here’s Richie Nice’s review of Laurie’s performance a mere 2 hours 45 minutes earlier at the nearby Black Lion.
LAURIE WRIGHT – The Black Lion 19:00 – 19:30
(Alternative Escape – Smithereen Takeover Brighton 2024)
I’ve made my way to the Black Lion to catch Laurie Wright and his band. I saw them recently and was so impressed I had to make sure I got to one of the Alt Escape sets. A devotee of mod style, Laurie’s music is classic British songwriting, brilliantly performed with the energy and panache of early Dr Feelgood. It’s packed in the pub but I’ve got a great spot, mere inches from the headstock of Laurie’s roadworn Strat. Opener ‘We’re Only Warming Up’ is the title track from the forthcoming second album, and the band seem more than warmed up already, playing with blistering speed and intensity. There is busy bass from Will, honking harmonica from Ciaran, and tumbling fills from drummer Alfie, plus a glorious vocal hook accompanied by wailing guitar. We get a few numbers from the debut album ‘Get On The End Of It’, and the crowd are enthusiastically clapping and singing along to the “all about the money” refrain of ‘I’ve Cracked It’. The high-velocity vocal of ‘Sh*t show’ is punctuated with nifty stops and Laurie introduces the band. ‘On My Tod’ is a new number about being stood-up on a date, and current single ‘It Was All Part Of The Plan’ soars magnificently. The songwriting is top notch. Concluding number ‘West End Lover’ is as much fun as can reasonably be had with a band, a blistering r’n’b romp with a brain-meltingly infectious tune. Showboating opportunities are built-in, and all the players really go for it: Laurie with tremolo strumming on the low strings, Will with a superb bass run, and Ciaran wailing the harp. Alfie wins today’s prize though, inserting tiny gaps amongst a barrage of triplet fills to gently ting the cymbals and then throw his stick up in the air. That was as joyous a half hour as I could possibly imagine.
