The relationship between grassroots music venues, bands, and fans is long-entrenched and symbiotic. Neither component can function to their full extent without the other. The bands attract the fans, the venues attract the bands, the fans come back to the venue; it’s a beautiful three-way avenue that results in a flourishing creative community. There’s a mutual understanding amongst the three that you’re only as strong as your counterparts. Bands don’t come to places without the fans and fans seldom exist in a place without nurturing and diligent venues. It makes sense for these things to be kept in tip top health.
It’d be easy to say that Brighton is a lucky city to have all three in abundance, but this luck is the product of hard work, care, and a genuine love of grassroots music. All for very good reasons: it’s a really stunning thing to have a rich, vibrant tapestry of sounds oozing out from the dingy depths of our dive bars. It’s in these bars that friendships are formed, bands are started, bands blow up, the next wave is inspired, the cycle continues. There’s a reason Brighton is bustling and eyes around the world hold this little city in such high esteem. It’s a place where dedication and love are rewarded. ‘Homegrown Festival’, which is set to take place throughout Brighton on Saturday 11th April, is a celebration of all of that.
There’s a venue, a scene, a sound, a place for everyone in this small city. On any given night of the week, a simple stroll through town would lead you past basements with raucous punk blaring, attics with melodious folk sweetening an evening, large touring acts with sways of fans spilling out of venues, exuberant newcomers filling bars to their brims and rendering any chance of attending their 9am lectures an impossibility. There’s life and magic and soul and character on every street corner of Brighton. Music is as much a part of the fundamentals of this city as seagulls are… and this is what makes ‘Homegrown Festival’ a possibility.
In terms of incredible venues, we rival that of the concrete metropolises of London and Manchester, but conveniently concentrated within a simple walking distance of each other. This allows village levels of togetherness and community amongst gig-goers and bands, but with the resources and calibre of events of major cities. ‘Homegrown Festival’ is a partnership between nine of these venues – The Hope & Ruin, Green Door Store, Revenge, The Prince Albert, The Rossi Bar, The Folklore Rooms, The Pipeline, Alphabet, and Daltons.
Homegrown Festival’ is a chance for these venues to collaborate together and have a day to celebrate all the scenes that keep these places alive and thriving week in week out. Part of the fundamental ethos is to avoid hierarchy or curating stages by sound. Instead mixing bands of all ilk’s and sizes together. It’s a chance to welcome sounds into spaces they may not yet have ventured into, invite in crowds to a floor they may not have trod, and unite the different communities that make this city as special as it is.
The success stories of grassroots artists in this city is something to be proud of. Every venue here has played host to local artists who’ve gone on to extraordinary things. It was only just before lockdown that Lime Garden played their first ever show, in the 60 capacity Rossi Bar with another emerging act called Lambrini Girls. Both have had truly remarkable rises since then, selling out some of the bigger Brighton venues and taking not only the UK, but Europe and America by storm. Lambrini Girls are just completing a sold out Australian headline run too. It was with great pride we welcomed HotWax as a ‘Homegrown’ headliner last year, the young group earned a loyal fanbase relentlessly playing the city’s underground circuit before eventual American tours with Royal Blood (another local) and headliners across the UK and Europe. Acts like these are an inspiration to the city and all continue to be so supportive of the bands, fans, and venues of Brighton; we’re lucky to have them! Success stories like this are continuously popping up, it’s exciting to think who on this year’s lineup is going to be the next to follow? Come catch them for yourself before anyone else!
Acts already announced for this year’s ‘Homegrown Festival’ are:
First Wave of ‘Homegrown’ artists (announced 12th February):
AHSOKA
ALL BETTER
CHASM
DANIEL WAKEFORD
DUTCH CRIMINAL RECORD
GEORGE BLOOMFIELD
HOLLOW HAND
LILY KNOTT
MY PRECIOUS BUNNY
NIERRA CREEK
QUAKING ASPENS
SOLIS
SONGE
THE SUBWAYS
WINNIPEG, MN
Second Wave of ‘Homegrown’ artists (announced today, 3rd March)
CLT DRP
EBI SODD
ALEX AMOR
CALL ME FRANCO
CLEAN CAPAILL
EVA LUNNY
FEVER ROUGE
KATE PEACHES
KITCHEN LOVER
MAXIMILIAN
NOT RICHARD & HER MAJESTY
RAINY DAY CAFE
REGAL CHEER
RELIGIOUS FIGURES
SAMETIME
SOFT TOP
SOOT SPRITE
SUPER DUPES
TABI GERVIS
THE BEYENE AFFAIR
YOUTH SECTOR
Third Wave of ‘Homegrown’ artists (to be announced)…………….
Once you’ve collected your wristband from the box office downstairs at The Hope & Ruin, the rest of the 11th April is yours. Prepare to bask in the vibrant fabric of upcoming textures and sounds. Seek out your favourite acts, take a gamble on something new, spend time with friends, meet new people, have a beer; definitely have a beer and enjoy a very well deserved sit down at the end of the day. It’s a chance to be part of something wonderful, something that’s been put on purely out of a love for music and people: there’s no queuing hierarchy or VIP’s, everybody is a fan, everybody is equal, everybody is here to enjoy. There’ll be recommendations of acts coming at you left, right and centre; chances to dance, sing, mosh, sway, chat, laugh; and most of all to just soak in the sound of the city.
Now’s your chance to get a ticket, as it appears that ‘Homegrown’ is well on track for their third sell-out in a row! So be quick! It’s your chance to find your new favourite act and be part of something special!
Grab your tickets HERE.
