‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘234 FEST’, GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON 26-27.9.26
Since opening their cobblestone dancefloor up to the public in 2011, the Green Door Store has been an integral pillar of the grassroots underbelly of the city. January of this year saw four separate shows celebrating 15 years of the venue, all at full capacity with buzzing atmospheres, showing just how much this venue means to the city all these years later. A melting pot of creative, like-minded individuals, united over shared values, ethoses, and of course a love of discovering the best new sounds- the venue proudly maintains its deserved place as part of the fabric of this city.
A festival’s strength is often measured not by the size of its headline act but by the diversity of its line-up, and annual 234 Fest once again demonstrated the remarkable breadth of the independent music scene. With 21 bands split across two days, 234 Fest is a chance to indulge in the finest new sounds, witness the greatest newcomers, and may even be the last chance to catch an artist in an intimate setting before sailing on to dizzying heights. Recent years have seen the likes of Lambrini Girls, English Teacher, Lime Garden, Honeyglaze & Man/Woman/Chainsaw play spellbinding sets at the festival on their way to becoming alternative heavyweights.
Across two days of this year’s 234 Fest at the Green Door Store, shoegaze, grunge, folk, post-punk, trip-hop, experimental rock and indie-pop all found a home.
While Saturday leaned towards the atmospheric and adventurous, Sunday’s programme delivered a heavier, guitar-driven edge.
SATURDAY
The festival opened with Girl Apocrypha, whose 2pm slot felt wildly undersized for a set of such confidence and ambition. Frontperson Emia Demir proved a captivating focal point, moving effortlessly between full-throated rock vocals, breathy harmonies, whispers and spoken passages. Beginning in grunge-pop territory, the set broadened considerably with ‘Madonna’, where dark electronic textures and heavy bass pulses added an intriguing dimension to the band’s sound.
If Girl Apocrypha provided intensity, Grimrite delivered immersion. Their dreamlike blend of shoegaze, ambient music and art rock transformed the venue into a space of hushed concentration. Vocalist and bassist Eve’s vocals evolved throughout the set, moving from ethereal and siren-like to spoken-word passages, chanting and occasional bursts of raw power as songs gradually unfolded.
The afternoon became increasingly lively. Design Fault injected abrasive industrial-tinged post-punk energy, while Lindow Man delivered one of the festival’s most intriguing performances. Their fusion of folk, psychedelia and alternative rock felt both unsettling and exhilarating. Central to the set was Mina-Mae Alexander, whose violin playing and versatile vocals shifted effortlessly from delicate melodies to near-operatic intensity.
Over in the bar area, Not Richard & Her Majesty transformed limited space into a theatrical playground, blending glam, garage rock, punk and music-hall absurdity as performers climbed onto the bar itself and encouraged constant audience participation. Their sense of fun wasn’t to the detriment of the music.
Back on the main stage, Moon Idle showcased one of the weekend’s most sophisticated performances. Their fusion of trip-hop atmospherics, shimmering guitars and cinematic songwriting reached its peak with ‘Delay Me’, a constantly evolving piece that recalled the hypnotic pulse of 1990’s trip-hop before expanding into something altogether heavier and more expansive.
Meanwhile, seven-piece collective Thimble folded folk, jazz, classical and psychedelic influences into constantly shifting arrangements that somehow balanced complexity with spontaneity.
As evening progressed, ladylike delivered one of the festival’s most captivating slow-burn sets, demonstrating the power of patience and restraint. Their songs unfolded gradually, accumulating emotional weight before reaching carefully judged crescendos. The closing ‘Sour Carol, I’ was particularly memorable, its evolving vocal interplay and shifting dynamics providing one of the standout moments.
Attic’O’Matic demonstrated why they remain one of Brighton’s most compelling genre-defying acts. Showcasing new material destined for a forthcoming album, the band impressed with the intertwining vocals of Kamran Kaur and Lorcan Forder, fluid instrument changes and richly textured soundscapes that rewarded close attention.
Saturday at the Green Door Store then concluded with truthpaste, who proved good headliners. Their blend of folk traditions, indie-pop, art rock and playful eccentricity created an infectious atmosphere of joy and togetherness. Recorded sound clips between songs, sea-shanty rhythms, singalong choruses and the charismatic presence of Esmé Lark combined to send the crowd home smiling.
After 10 live sets my bed was now calling and bearing in mind I was returning tomorrow for more grassroots music sets, I sadly had to forgo the midnight after party at The Rossi Bar where Charlie Hales, Felix Hales & Tippi Lewis of Oral Habit were performing cuts from their June released ‘A Broken Chord’ debut album.
SUNDAY
The second day opened with the uncompromising intensity of Hollowpoint, whose barrage of post-hardcore and grunge quickly blew away any lingering effects of an early afternoon start. They were followed by Muttering, whose more melodic blend of indie rock, emo and alternative rock provided a welcome contrast, placing songwriting and dynamics above sheer volume.
The day truly sprang into life with HIGHDRIVE, whose blend of shoegaze atmosphere and post-punk urgency delivered one of Sunday’s strongest sets. Lucas Leitch moved effortlessly between spoken-word passages, hushed restraint and explosive climaxes, backed by a towering wall of layered guitars.
Later, CARNE delivered one of the weekend’s most direct and uncompromising rock performances. Fronted by the commanding Carmen Mellino, the band’s grunge influences felt fresh rather than nostalgic, balancing raw power with quieter moments of genuine vulnerability, particularly during ‘Crayons And Nails’. Their closing ‘J.U.M.’ embraced a classic loud-quiet-loud dynamic that proved irresistible.
Elsewhere, Jar Of Blind Flies sparked mosh pits, headbanging and even crowd-surfing with their ferocious bar-stage grunge filled performance, while Mindframe reintroduced an element of experimentation through intricate guitar work, unusual song structures and unexpectedly funky bass lines.
The 234 Fest carried on with Soft who dropped their latest ‘Runaway’ single back in May, followed by Brighton & Hove’s Kitchen Lover whose debut long-player ‘The Circus Sideshow Dream’ was released last September. The penultimate offering at this year’s 234 Fest were lively alternative trio City Dog who were taking the brave decision to try out some new material on the still packed crowd. The event was wrapped up by Bristol based sextet Knives whose next single ‘Vermillion’ is set to drop on 2nd October.
Ultimately, what distinguished this year’s 234 Fest was not a single standout performance, there were many, but the sheer breadth of ideas on display. Whether through Girl Apocrypha’s theatrical dynamics, Grimrite’s immersive atmospherics, Moon Idle’s trip-hop explorations, Lindow Man’s experimental folk-rock, Attic’O’Matic’s genre-blurring invention, truthpaste’s communal celebration, HIGHDRIVE’s walls of sound or Carne’s mix of power and vulnerability, artists repeatedly pushed beyond conventional boundaries. Even the festival’s heavier acts found space for nuance alongside volume.
The audiences embraced everything from ambient dreamscapes to grunge-fuelled chaos. In doing so, 234 Fest offered a compelling reminder that one of Brighton’s greatest musical strengths remains its openness to diversity of styles, collaboration and creativity.
See you at next year’s 234 Fest!
Dropped in for a few bands and enjoyed all of.them, well done Pete for championing local and new talent, and lasting the whole day!