FIRE ESCAPE + FLESH MALL + HORRIBLE LOT + BEDBUGZ – DALTONS, BRIGHTON 21.7.25
On the 21st of July, I managed to catch some of Brighton’s most exciting emerging acts in Brighton at Daltons. It was an evening packed with eclectic sounds — demonstrating the sheer breadth and creativity bubbling up from the city’s independent music scene.
Tonight’s show was presented by Black Cat promotions, otherwise known as Kathleen Marsh, a student studying psychology in Sussex University – and notably, one of the guitarists in the opening act Bedbugz which is stylized as ‘bedbugz’. Kathleen clearly has a keen ear for great music, curating a diverse lineup of artists that showcases Brighton’s eclectic music scene. Having such a multifaceted musician is what makes Black Cat promotions a vital force in the grassroots music scene.
Our first act of the night was ‘bedbugz,’ an indie rock band with influences from emo and shoegaze – with a saxophonist in the lineup as a nice twist. The first song ‘But We’re Not’ drew comparisons to Cave Town, however slightly heavier and gnarlier with soft, but powerful vocals and guitar on the verge of spilling into a gritty fuzz yet doesn’t sound abrasive at all in their live sound. I also heard artists like Weatherday with the lo-fi rock sort of sound. Their final song of their seven song set was a cover of ‘Fireflies’ by Owl City, autotuned vocals and all. However, they managed to take the song into much grungier, shoegaze territory and I found myself very much preferring their rendition to the original track. They were able to make it their own and finished the set to a giddy applause.
Bedbugz:
Robin – vox, bass
Kathleen – guitar
Oscar – saxophone
Moff – guitar
Jude – drums
Bedbugz setlist:
‘But We’re Not’
‘Ollie’
‘Love Bug’
‘Pigeon’
‘Green Car’
‘Thinky Think’
‘Fireflies’ (Owl City cover)
The 2nd band was Willie.E.Blay’s Horrible Lot, who lived up to their self-proclaimed Instagram bio: “Rusty funky jazzy punky with hint of c*nty fronty” which I believe is a beautiful sentiment and truly encapsulates their eclectic sound – as they try to pull from everything. I had no idea what to expect from these guys, and to say I was finely pleased would be an understatement. I was getting a pint of lime and soda, whilst I watched the band jam – and to any unassuming bystander, you would think this was a quick soundcheck. Until one the members shouted out “Where is he?” and lo and behold, a gentleman – shirtless might I add – spawns in and well-endowed with ties he was.
These guys were horribly, oh so horribly brilliant. Their set was full of pure funkadelic, theatrical chaos with standup comedy in-between songs that is sure to leave your stomach full of laughter – I mean one member of the audience was in absolute fits!
Horrible Lot:
Will.E.Blay – vox
Harry – bass
Ethan – drums
Felix – keys
Aaron – guitar
Horrible Lot setlist:
‘Bowling’
‘POV Allan’
‘Asek’
‘Tie Time’
‘Amongst’
‘I Know’
‘Ethan Swayley’/’Drew’s Lover’/’Busch’
www.instagram.com/thehorriblelot
The third band was Flesh Mall, a digital hardcore/break core act with a strong post-punk undercurrent. Their setup consisted of a Korg synthesizer (possibly a minilogue) and Pioneer DJ decks. The performance evolved, with a guitarist joining them during the fourth song, and by the sixth a saxophonist with Oscar from bedbugz getting on stage. I honestly spent most of this set trying to mosh rather than writing any notes however!
Tragically, this was their last set in Brighton as duo Jonah and Zac are involuntarily having to move back to Liverpool due to the prohibitive cost of living Brighton. This highlights a disturbingly common narrative I hear of working-class/and or Northern musicians and artists, who despite Brighton’s incredible music scene and socialist ideals, find the city increasingly inaccessible. There are clear disparities within the scene, with creative individuals being driven away by economic hardship. This narrative is aggravated by government cuts to the art sector (despite its significant economic contributions) and raises serious concerns for the future accessibility of music and the sustainability of local scenes like Brighton’s.
Fleshmall:
Jonah – bass, DJ
Zac– synth
Ryan – guitar
Oscar – saxophone
Fleshmall setlist:
‘Workplace’
‘Trees’
‘Hold Your Houses’
‘Spare Change Song’
‘My House (Problems)’
‘Hot To Go’
‘Bomb The South’
Finally, Fire Escape took to the stage, wasting no time in establishing a sense of gravitas with ‘Manhattan’, which begins with a siren-esque synth resounding distress accompanied with red flashing lights – an obvious nod to their namesake. The next track ‘Lighthouse’, along with ‘Manhattan’, showed strong gothic-rock influences, characterised by padded synths, Tyler’s haunting and emotive vocalisation and jangly guitar. Fire Escape also showcased significant art-rock leanings during ‘Lighthouse’, with the song’s consistent change in metre from a 5/4 verse to a 6/8 chorus.
Fire Escape demonstrated their mastery of tension building with ‘Dagwood’. This track featured a rhythmic, percussive baseline reminiscent of an 808, while the guitar created textural noises, placing the band firmly in modern post-punk territory. This felt reminiscent of BCNR and Saint, due to their adept use of dissonance and dynamics. They build it up, just for it to collapse into ash when the vocals come in, to then ease the opening motif back in, to then have this sonic explosion of urgency – “help is on the way”, Tyler pleads. The song finishes with, what felt like to me a little more SOAD territory with its use of the Phrygian mode, before cutting out to sing ‘All Things Bright And Beautiful’, a Christian Hymn, before kicking in with renewed intensity.
A distinctive flavour was added to their sonic palette this evening when the lead guitarist swapped to a clarinet for ‘Backbone’. This track felt highly theatrical, incorporating elements of prog with seamless transitions between jarring sections with precision and intricate polyrhythmic textures.
Their currently only released track ‘On The Telly’, surprisingly evoked early Blur and is probably their most accessible song, and I would classify this as the least technically advanced song on their set. Tyler utilises a lot of Sprechsprang, there’s a chromatic descending chord progression and the verses are 4/4 and the choruses are 6/8. Tyler also engaged the crowd by jumping in with a whistle, which was a highlight of the show I must say.
Fire Escape’s final song’s title came to Tyler in a dream, ‘Meathook Metadata’, and proves to be their most emotionally gripping and technically interesting pieces of the night. The guitar is arpeggiated, and to me it sounded like the guitar was somehow moulded into a backwards bowed piano. Tyler jumps into the crowd again, this time desperately screaming out “I know what you’ve done”. The band is channeling groups like Shame, Bauhaus, and maybe even the Brobecks.
Fire Escape are a band that cultivates anticipation and delivers a sophisticated, impactful live performance. These guys are dedicated to their craft, with an ambitious, adventurous approach to songwriting – their sound is an intricate tapestry, with a clear eclectic range of influences. This is a band that promises to leave an indelible mark.
Fire Escape:
Tyler – vox, guitar
Aster – keys
Isaac – bass
Joe – guitar
Alex – drums, backing vox
Fire Escape setlist:
‘Manhattan’
‘Lighthouse’
‘Dagwood’
‘Backbone’
‘987’
‘On The Telly’
‘Meathook Metadata’
