‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘VARIOUS VENUES’ – THE GREAT ESCAPE, BRIGHTON 13-16.5.26
Taking over the city of Brighton every May, The Great Escape is the world’s leading new music festival for discovery, bringing together 450+ emerging artists from around the world across 35+ walkable venues, alongside a globally respected music industry conference. There was also a whole host of ‘Unofficial Escape’ events happening throughout Brighton & Hove at the same time again this year, featuring literally hundreds of additional acts to see, and so where possible, we dipped into some of these events for a full rounded perspective of things.
This is our fourth installment. You can find the others below:
FRIDAY 15th MAY (PART TWO – 19:20 TO 01:00):
AFTERDRIVE – East Street Tap 19:20 – 19:40
This was my first Great Escape set for 2026 and a great way to kick things off. I was actually heading to East Street Tap to catch the following act D3LTA, but was really pleased to have arrived early. Hosting acts curated by Blinding Talent, the compact upstairs room was packed for the two performances that I was fortunate to have seen. It was a great idea to also have an MC at the venue who was introducing each band. First up then are Afterdrive who are a four-piece indie rock band hailing from Ipswich. The lineup consists of brothers Ben Watts on vocals, Joe Watts on drums, as well as Luke Ellis on lead guitar and Edward Ruf on bass. There was instant engagement from the audience as the band opened their set, and before very long they inspired a lot of joyful jumping. The sound was a mix of melodic and powerful beats at the same time, with powerful vocals and energetic stage presence. The room loved them.
(Petra Eujane)
DEA MATRONA – Komedia Basement 19:30 – 20:00
My only visit to the Komedia Basement this year was for Dea Matrona, an Irish alternative duo formed by friends Orláith Forsythe and Mollie McGinn, the band also have on stage; guitarist Declan and drummer Ross. Following an atmospheric drum and guitar intro by the lads, the pair came on stage standing back to back, as it fired up 70s prog rock style into ‘Red Button’. Orláith was the primary vocalist on bass guitar with Mollie mostly backing with guitar. For the slower ‘Hate That I Care’ Mollie took on lead vocals, a slightly slower song but still channelling music of lost eras. As the pair swapped over guitars, with Mollie now on bass, she addressed the crowd “Hello Brighton how is everybody today, good, we are Dea Matrona, we are from Ireland and very happy to be here at the Great Escape, the next song is ‘Black Rain’”. This was a slow broody number sung by Mollie. It was now guitar swap around time again, with Mollie now taking back her electric guitar from Orláith, she then gave the bass to Declan, however as the next song ‘Magic Spell’ started I noticed Declan is left handed so had the guitar upside down, literally playing the strings in reverse order, now that is talent!. The song was about a witchy woman that cast a spell on Orláith, who incidentally sang it too. The guitars were swapped around once more and we were told the boys were going to take a break while the girls did an acoustic song. They also told us how they met many years ago when competing against each other for a place in a talent competition at school. The song ‘Glory Glory’ was one they wrote together because “when you love someone you should tell them”; it was a beautiful folk-esque song. The guys were back out and given applause, Declan was going to be on bongos, the song was about not fitting in anywhere and will be out on their new album, it was called ‘My Own Party’. It was a well-choreographed 25 minute set. The band have the look, they have the sound, they have the charisma, their album ‘Hate That I Car’ is out in June, I’m looking forward to it.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
D3LTA – East Street Tap 20:00 – 20:25
Second up for me at East Street Tap was another performer brought to us by Blinded Talent. D3LTA had really piqued my interest from my pre festival research, and any mention of David Bowie as an influence is a must for me. Described as a singer songwriter that sings from the soul, I also enjoyed hearing more upbeat rhythms and funky percussion on some of the tracks. D3LTA (aka Robert Coustas) is originally from Greece, having moved to London at the age of 17. You can hear the variety of influences in the compositions, as vocally there were accents of the more Anthony Newley style late sixties/early seventies Bowie, but with a unique sound and delivery. For the East Street Tap set D3LTA brought along a band with drums, bass and guitar. The stage presence was fantastic and as it turned out was another very popular room pleaser.
(Petra Eujane)
LEMONSUCKR – The Black Lion 20:00 – 20:30
I remained in The Black Lion for a secret set. This band were originally named Liquorice and then became Rugrat; they relocated from Guildford to Brighton in late 2024 and then early last year became known as Lemonsuckr. Gradually, word has spread about how good this band is. I for one have been raving about them since I first saw them 15 months ago. They are becoming more popular by the minute and if you’ve been to a Lemonsuckr show, you know you’ve been fully entertained. They open with the excellent ‘Sedated’. This has a relaxing start before its high-energy dance beat and Arabic-style guitar riffs get the tightly packed crowd bouncing and dancing along. Lead vocalist Guy Ferris then clambers over the barrier separating the band from the audience; the mic stand goes with him as he sings the opening lines to ‘Instant Kinks’. The crowd is now in a frenzy as they sing, bounce and dance along. Newer tracks ‘Werk’, ’Stain’, ‘House On Fire’ and ‘Grandaddy’ keep up the tempo, then the crowd go absolute bananas for ‘H.E.A.T.’ with Guy back in with the fans singing and moshing along. Set closer ‘Rugrat’ sees guitarist Ollie Thomas jump the barrier with a cowbell in hand. At one point, he walks along the bar to the right of the stage which amuses some of the bar staff. That was one heck of a set, and as soon as it’s over, I head off to the Prince Albert to make sure I’m down the front for their last festival performance later in the evening.
(Ian Holman)
BIMINI – Brighton Dome 20:15 – 20:45
Peaches with support from Bimini though part of The Great Escape required purchase of a separate ticket and was billed as one of their spotlight events. At 7:50pm and with Bimini due on stage at 8:15pm there were only a handful of people in attendance with most sitting around the perimeter of the standing area. It didn’t feel good. Bimini came to the public’s attention in the second series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race. They came to my attention through their online presence with their music videos, outspoken politics and punk attitude and aesthetic, I was looking forward to this! Thankfully the standing area had considerably filled by the time Bimini came on stage with two backing dancers sporting Sigue Sigue Sputnik inspired fishnet face masks. Performing to an energising electro-dance backing track, Bimini put on a stimulating performance, with a Billy Idol-esque sneer, a wink, a whole lot of attitude and of course some great dance moves. They whipped the eager Brighton crowd into a frenzy, reclaiming Boris Johnson’s infamous homophobic “tank-topped bum boys” slur as their own and leaving the crowd ready for Peaches to take over the helm. Bimini is back in Brighton for ‘On The Beach’ in July and ‘Pride’ in August.
(Tony Mann)
ROCKET – Chalk 20:15 – 20:45
Straight from LA, Rocket cut a contrasting figure to previous artist Rosa Walton’s pop sensibilities in a true representation of Transgressive’s eclectic roster. Emphatically shoegaze, but with indie rock structures, there is more of a tuneful focus, with the ear-blasting shoegaze tones deafening as a side effect. Getting started rapidly, they grab your ears with resounding overdrive and jagged cymbal work to shatter eardrums and bang heads. While flirting with My Bloody Valentine resonates, the structure of each track takes precedence over deafening; this is clearest in a surprise, fuzzed-out cover of Elliott Smith’s ‘I Figured You Out.’ Unfortunately, due to their distinctly 1990s, blown-out tones, their tracks blend into a batch-made uniformity – with Alithea Tuttle having to ID the track for the crowd. “Did you guys see the mask band with the polka dots?” asks guitarist Desi Scaglione, “this one’s by them” as the comparatively-slowed jangle of ‘R Is For Rocket’ is aired as an interesting closer, all stormy guitars and pounding bass line that goes on forever. Their first time in Brighton, Chalk is surprisingly sparse for a set that proves why Rocket have earned support from legends like Ride and The Smashing Pumpkins: they sound adulatingly identical.
(Keir Shields)
SILVERWINGKILLER – Concorde 2 20:15 – 20:45
What I love about The Great Escape is new, unplanned discoveries, and this is a duo I only ended up seeing because I arrived at the venue early, yet on balance it was my standout performance of the entire festival! Emerging from Manchester’s underground scene, Silverwingkiller turned their performance into a furious collision of hardcore techno, industrial noise and confrontational performance art. The twosome, built around pounding live drums, synths and ferocious vocals delivered a relentlessly high-energy set that rarely paused for breath. Backed by striking graphics and strobing visuals, the performance felt chaotic in the best possible way, with forays into the crowd adding to the sense that the barrier between artist and audience barely existed. All the tracks landed with brutal force, while the combination of distorted electronics and primal rhythmic intensity created one of the festival’s most visceral and uncompromising live experiences. Breathtaking from start to finish.
(Martin J Fuller)
THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE – The Oak 20:15 – 20:45
I head on back to The Oak where I was earlier in order to catch another set from mysterious London based post-punk quartet The Sick Man Of Europe, who I first caught live at last year’s Mutations Festival and then at the Lewes Psych Festival. This four man outfit utilize, vocals, guitar, bass, and drums with presets. From these we are wonderfully propelled into their absorbing world, even from the very off, when their singer vacates the stage and delivers his vocals from within the crowd, despite their being hardly any free space. He rarely leaves us throughout the performance and his up-close-and-personal efforts adds to the intensity and they are dutifully rewarded as many punters get their dancing boots on. These four mystery men offload beats akin to Joy Division, along with Ian Curtis style vocals, but with added motorik Krautrock beats, and it’s exactly as though Joy Division has discovered psych beats. It’s a fabulous performance and the punters absolutely loved them. The set coming to an end via an aural onslaught. I’m pretty sure John Peel would have loved them!
(Nick Linazasoro)
CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER – Bootlegger 20:30 – 21:00
After an exhilarating start to my Friday night, I headed to The Bootlegger for a more stripped-down performance. I am a big fan of an acoustic set, and the skills of the singer songwriter constantly draw me in. Christian Alexander did not disappoint! From the quiet town of Garston, between Lancaster and Preston, Christian has honed his ability to create songs that speak to the melancholy end of our emotion spectrum. This coupled with his powerful yet gentle voice that can move with excellent range from falsetto to guttural accents, the sound is something quite unique. Writing lyrics with themes around heartbreak, feelings of inadequacy and anxiety and adding sprinkles of humour in the mix, along with intricate guitar patterns with some beautiful harmonics thrown in. This performance really stood out for me.
(Petra Eujane)
BABY BERSERK – The Oak 21:15 – 21:45
I remain at The Oak for the second festival orientated set by enigmatic Dutch combo Baby Berserk (fka Baby’s Berserk), which comprises Lizzy Star aka Lieselot Elzinga (vocals), Eva Wijnbergen (bass synth, synth, backing vocals) and Mano Hollestelle (drum machine, synth, guitar) and not forgetting their ever present sound engineer Tom Ogilvie. The band blends the cultures of music and fashion, and successfully finds the balance between live band and club music. Simply putting it, Baby Berserk gives your mind, body and soul a much needed boost! This evening though my patience is being tested as Tom is having problems in getting all of the electronic gubbings working properly through the venue’s compact sounddesk and they eventually take to the stage half an hour late, which means that I will now miss the following artist as I have a lift to catch. I’m not in the best mood, but within a short time LIzzy’s into-the-crowd and standing atop the bar antics and Eva and Mano’s beats bring me back to normality. There’s a paaarrrrrty atmosphere suddenly going down and as I look around the room, there are many very smiley faces merrily jigging around to the electronic dance beats, and off of the back of LIzzy’s enthusiasm. The set thankfully includes their ‘Rum ‘n’ Kola’ and earworm bangin’ ‘Dancing With The Fish’, as well as brand new single ‘Mind Explodes’ which is the first glimpse of their upcoming album which is set for release at the beginning of 2027. This was very much a job very well done!
(Nick Linazasoro)
GENTLY TENDER – The Prince Albert 21:15 – 21:45
I arrived at The Prince Albert in good time to see Gently Tender. They are a six-piece folk-rock band that includes three former members of the acclaimed indie-rock group Palma Violets. Gently Tender are Sam Fryer (lead vocals, guitar), Peter Mayhew (bass, vocals), Will Doyle (drums), Adam Brown (guitar, vocals), Francesca Brierley (keyboards, backing vocals), Evie Hilyer-Ziegler (violin, backing vocals). Although for today’s performance, Adam is unavailable as he is in recovery following surgery for a new kidney. Replacing him on guitar is Alfie Jones, who I am later told is the grandson of the legendary Thornton Heath-born folk-blues guitarist Wizz Jones. The set was slightly behind schedule as Peter arrived late due to his train being delayed due to a fire, but once he arrived, the band got straight on and started playing. Their set includes two songs from their debut album ‘Take Hold Of Your Promise’. These are ‘Dead Is Dead’ and ‘God Didn’t Leave The Factory’. Of their recent releases, ‘Go Get It!’ and ‘A Mound A Field’ are also played, although they have no time to play ‘Wild In The Uplands’ due to time restrictions. In total, they play six songs. It’s certainly entertaining, and collectively they sound amazing with top-quality vocals from Sam, while I am a bit mesmerised at how good Alfie Jones’s guitar playing is. I have one more mention for Peter, who not only arrived late due to his disrupted journey down from Manchester, but he played some of the songs using a Tesco Clubcard as he didn’t have a guitar pick.
(Ian Holman)
GIRL SCOUT – The Old Market 21:15 – 21:45
I have a lot of love for Scandinavian indie bands and I suspect Girl Scout are going to be yet another addition to my record collection before the night is out. So who are they? Girls Scout are billed as a four piece indie alt rock band from Stockholm, Sweden, comprising of Emma Jansson (lead vocals and guitar), Viktor Spasov (guitar) Kevin Hamring bass) and Per Lindberg (drums), however there are 5 members on stage, the fifth being on a keys set up with a Prophet and Nord Stage Piano. The 25 minute set started off as it intended with the very solid banger ‘Uh-huh’, we moved straight into ‘Same Kids’. I really liked this, it very much channelled 80s/90s indie rock, memorable and easy to sing-along lyrics. “Hello Brighton, it’s good to be back, how are you?” Emma called out as a welcome. The louder and rockier ‘Simple Life’ was next, followed by ‘Dead Dog’, with its great guitars that you can pogo around to. Emma put down her guitar for the slower ‘Keeper’, Viktor’s guitar was loud and alive for ‘Operator’, a cool heavy number, I’m not sure how it sounded so guitar heavy considering Emma’s was not used during the song, some cool vocal “Bleep Bleep Bloops” throughout from Emma made it very memorable. All songs so far had been from their new album ‘Brink’, Emma had time; before the last song ‘I Just Need You To Know’ to thank us and let us know they are back in Brighton on the 23rd playing at Patterns. This was a fantastic set, quick at just 25 minutes, you’d think with only 3 bands playing Old Market that night everyone could have had slightly longer sets, but with 7 songs I can’t complain, I’d happily have listened to double that. That last song was from their ‘Headache’ EP and was full on raging guitar, the perfect end to a perfect set.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
PEACHES – Brighton Dome 21:15 – 22:45
Having seen Peaches before in Brighton, London, Stockholm and ‘pulsating’ Eastbourne, I knew what to expect and to also see beyond any initial shock value. Peaches recently released her first album in 10 years, ‘No Lube So Rude’, and tracks from this album featured heavily in the set interspersed with tracks from her back catalogue. ‘No Lube So Rude’ is more than a sexual reference, it is also a metaphor for the friction in today’s political landscape. Peaches has always challenged the predominately male environment of sexually explicit lyrics, bringing attention to personal, sexual, gender and wider politics. Yes her shows are provocative, but there is emotional intent behind the shock, confronting views on age, bodily autonomy and shame. She entered the stage hidden within an elaborate costume of dicks before stripping down to a hairy body suit and there were many costume changes throughout the show. As well as her 2 very lithe main dancers, her stagehands also join in the show. Halfway through the set she did her customary upright crowd surf, putting her trust in the audience to support her. Not bad for a woman who turns 60 later this year! She then performed 2 songs from the back of the standing area before working her way back to the stage. After 19 songs she left the stage to raucous applause and chants of “Peaches” before emerging for a 3-song encore. This included her year 2000 breakthrough song ‘F*ck the Pain Away’ where she was joined on stage by Phoebe Lunny of the Lambrini Girls. She briefly left the stage then reemerged for her final, complete change of tempo, encore with Barabara Streisland’s ‘People’. Peaches is shocking but in her own words, reality is way more shocking.
(Tony Mann)
WORKING MEN’S CLUB – Concorde 2 21:15 – 22:00
After first witnessing Working Men’s Club seven years ago at a crammed ‘Hideout’ at this very Festival (now Waterbear venue), I’ve witnessed their almost complete transformation from raw post-punk to full-on techno heavy-hitters, striking frontman and BIMM Manchester graduate Syd Minsky-Sargeant then just 17 still continuing to provide the focal point for the band with his great stage personality. Tonight WMC transformed Concorde 2 into a dark, pulsing warehouse rave during their relentless 45-minute set. Leaning heavily into techno, industrial and heavy electro influences, tracks bled seamlessly into one another beneath hypnotic basslines, motorik rhythms and strobing projections that flashed across the backdrop throughout. An immersive, unpredictable and completely consuming performance.
(Martin J Fuller)
TOAST CLUB – Bootlegger 21:30 – 22:00
I ended my Friday night at The Bootlegger with something very different. As Toast Club were setting up with their two drum kits, I could already see this was going to be something quite individual. Described as a jazz-fusion outfit, they are Tommy Villiers of ‘Piri and Tommy’ and Chuck P Smythe on keys. I would say my ears were reading some prog rock and psychedelic influences in the sound as well as nods to eighties chic. The room was absolutely packed so this was clearly a popular choice on the Alt Great Escape circuit. The aviation inspired, airport lounge aesthetic themes brought a slightly surreal and quirky flavour to the performance. Joined by two percussionists for the live set, the energy in the room definitely had a Friday night flavour.
(Petra Eujane)
KEO – TGE Beach The Deep End 22:15 – 23:00
One of the buzziest bands of the last year, Keo are the latest in a line of grunge revival acts, closer to Brooki than the oft-compared peers Wunderhorse. The heart-on-sleeve lyrics are there, but the thrashing is slightly more pop-focused, with extremely forlorn lyrics usually about love gone wrong. From their opening notes, frontman Finn Keogh shows why the band have garnered such immense hype and been signed to Universal: they are formidable live. It is non-stop movement, thrashing and shouting with only a middle section of released tracks in the sharply riffed up shout of ‘Hands’, the Pearl Jam-adjacent hatred of ‘Thorn’ and the powerhouse vocal despair of ‘I Lied Amber.’ The rest of the set is unreleased material, continuing their ethos of prioritising the live show; a sense of ‘come down, and you’ll get the full package.’ While the Deep End isn’t as packed as expected, the crowd engage in shouts of “Keooo” between tracks in a cultish response you’d expect from those that traipsed to the furthest flung stage in the tipping rain at 10pm. Undeniably Radiohead-influenced, like most of the bands on this weekend, Keo are boundlessly energetic, and deservedly placed in the same conversation as influences Fontaines DC and Wunderhorse: all enthralling live acts.
(Keir Shields)
MANDY, INDIANA – The Old Market 22:15 – 22:45
Mandy, Indiana first came to my attention during the recent BBC6 Music festival. I had heard their song ‘Magazine’ a few times, but the live performance that was broadcast on the radio made tonight’s only Great Escape appearance the top of my must see list. The Manchester based four piece band comprises vocalist Valentine Caulfield, guitarist Scott Fair, synth and percussionist Simon Catling and last but not least Alex Macdougall on drums. The bulk of the 38 minute, 7 song set came from the recent album ‘Urgh’. Valentine joked her favourite thing about it is listening to all the radio presenters trying to pronounce it. The sound the band create, I would describe as intense and dark, it combines a blend of heavy beats and distortion sounds mostly created by Scott’s guitar pedals. There is a real mix of various percussion sounds and synth, all driven by Alex’s relentless dance style drumming. Vocally and lyrically all songs are written and sung in French. Valentine’s style is also intense. I don’t know the words to the songs, but Valentine did tell us ‘I’ll Ask Her’ is about the epidemic of violence against women and girls, and ‘Bottle Episode’ is a song about collective action. You can see the sheer intensity as Valentine delivers those lyrics and messages. Throughout the whole performance Valentine weaved and danced, arms and hands always twisting and waving. For the final two songs ‘Magazine’ and ‘Cursive’ Valentine jumped over the barrier to dance with the crowd and sing, heaven knows how, the energy being used was non-stop. The other songs in the setlist were ‘Drag’, ‘Pinking Shears’ and ‘Dodechaedron’. Whilst speaking with Alex after the set, I commented how I had hoped for a longer set what with them being the headliner at the venue, he mentioned he would have too, but was secretly thankful as had an arm injury, not that you would have known. This performance really hit home, the darkness all enhanced with a mostly red flashing light display and backdrop of album art imagery. I can’t wait to catch them do a full length show one day.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
NECRY TALKIE – Charles Street Tap 22:15 – 22:45
I arrived early to see La Sécurité and was rewarded with a fun set from Japanese five-piece Necry Talkie, who brought a burst of colourful chaos to Charles Street Tap with an exuberant set packed full of hyperactive indie- J pop energy. They combined frantic guitar lines, sharp rhythmic shifts and irresistibly upbeat melodies, all anchored by a hugely charismatic vocal performance that had the packed venue bouncing throughout. One of the most fun performances of the festival.
(Martin J Fuller)
POLLYFROMTHEDIRT – The Prince Albert 22:15 – 22:45
Pollyfromthedirt is a mysterious, masked alternative artist who was born and raised in Darlington, County Durham. He has now relocated to London and has grown a good following for his unique, varying performing style. His stage name pays homage to his hometown with ‘The Dirt’ being its nickname. This is combined with the name of his mother, Polly. He performs an impressive and varied seven-song set that features breakbeats, samples, live-looped effects created with the use of an additional mic, and there’s also some acoustic guitar playing thrown in as well. There are two real standouts for me, and for one of those, the third track ‘Darlos Cowboys’, he asks if there are any cowboys in the room. The other he dedicates to the mums and dads in the audience and is the last song of the set that he sings and performs with his acoustic guitar without the use of a backing track.
(Ian Holman)
LA SÉCURITÉ – Charles Street Tap 23:15 – 23:45
My third encounter with La Sécurité following appearances in 2024 at this festival and the 2025 Brighton Psych Fest, delivered a sharp, stylish blast of art-punk during their late night show at Charles Street Tap. The five-piece Montreal outfit opened explosively with ‘Le Kick’ weaving between French and English across a set packed with wiry guitars, danceable post-punk rhythms and deadpan charisma. Several tracks from the upcoming album ‘Bingo!’ to be released on 12th June (Bella Union) were aired, including the discordant title track, while ‘Dis Moi’ stood out as a personal highlight with its irresistible groove and playful vocal interplay. Closing on the frantic ‘Snack City’, La Sécurité left the room buzzing after one of the festival’s coolest and most effortlessly confident performances.
(Martin J Fuller)
LEMONSUCKR – The Prince Albert 23:15 – 23:45
It’s been less than three hours since I saw Lemonsuckr for the 20th time, and now they are back playing at the same venue where I first saw them support Girl Scout in February last year. After excellent sets at Concorde 2 for BBC Introducing on day one of the festival, playing the Bella Union Vinyl Shop on day two, and their earlier set at The Black Lion, this is their last hurrah. As you would expect, The Prince Albert venue is full to capacity as the band arrive on stage. It’s the same setlist as the previous festival shows, and by mid-set, the sweat is dripping off Brighton’s fast-growing band. Once again, the crowd bounce, dance, and sing along. There’s not one bad song in a high-energy Lemonsuckr set. This time around, during an instrumental break in ‘H.E.A.T.’, lead vocalist Guy Ferris gets some of the crowd around him to crouch down around him before they all rise and get back to singing, bouncing, and dancing. During the last song, ‘Rugrat’, guitarist Ollie Thomas joins in with the moshing. What a blast that was, and by the end, it’s no wonder all the band members are looking shattered. Look out for the release of their new EP ‘Life Is A Heist’, which is released on 12th June. As well as being available to stream, this will be their first vinyl release.
(Ian Holman)
MÊN AN TOL – Horatios 23:15 – 23:45
In a DIY showcase on the pier at Horatios, Mên An Tol – named after the Penzance landmark – are a folked-up pop rock outfit, with the obligatory mandolin, closer to The Waterboys than Madra Salach. A set of mostly unreleased material, the mandolin is the surprising pulse of most of their set, including the Carlos O’Connell-produced ‘Not Ideal’, an afflicted resignation of feelings left unsaid. Frontman Billy Jefferson has a softness to his vocals reminiscent of Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, enhancing the vulnerability of their meat-and-potatoes rock structures and lending a bittersweet quality. Closer ‘NW1’ is their mission statement, with a bluegrass drive in its drums providing a sort of line dance for anyone at the end of a hectic Friday to get down to. Anthemic, accessible folk, tinged with Supergrass, Mên An Tol blend a variety of influences into something both fast and loud without sacrificing vulnerability. Their mandolin-driven sound is far from gimmicky and proves one thing: people yearn for Ireland.
(Keir Shields)
THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE – Fiddlers Elbow 23:30 – 00:10
This was my third time seeing The Sick Man of Europe this year, after catching them as a four-piece at Lewes Psych Festival in January and later as a duo supporting TVAM in Ramsgate. Tonight they returned to their full four-piece line-up. Earlier in the evening they had played The Oak, where sound problems affected the set, but they were confident this performance would be stronger. Under their trademark red lighting it began shakily, with the singer frustrated by more technical issues, yet once these were resolved the band settled into a run of new songs, likely destined for their next album. Their music has a hypnotic, driving pulse, intensified by the singer’s repeated lyrics and restless pacing across the stage. At a packed Fiddlers Elbow, however, he had little room to split the crowd as he usually does. The audience, spanning a wide age range, seemed fully engaged, nodding along and occasionally clapping to the beat. It was a short set, but one that clearly won them new fans.
(Tony Mann)
SUNDAY MOURNERS – Rossi Bar 00:00 – 00:40
I took in a couple of late-night sets at the Rossi Bar to finish off my third day of the festival. The first of these was Sunday Mourners. An American art-rock and post-punk band that originally formed in Southern California, where they all met during their first week at Chapman University, having been quarantined in a shared house during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown. They are Quinn Robinson (vocals/guitar), Max Pugh (guitar), Casey Hoerman (bass), and Z Long (drums). I arrived a little late and missed the opening song and a half, but as soon as I entered the room, I instantly took a liking to the band that have been compared to New York City 70s CBGB punk band Television. Their nine-song set included three songs off their debut album ‘A-Rhythm Absolute’, as well as some unreleased material, an Eddy Current Suppression Ring cover titled ‘Colour Television’, and they closed with their splendid 2025 single ‘Careers In Acting’. At times, the vocals reminded me of The Goa Express frontman James Douglas Clarke. They certainly got the packed crowd moving with their groovy tunes. I, for one, will be looking out for them when they return to the UK later in the year.
(Ian Holman)
TOOTH – Rossi Bar 01:00 – 01:40
The other band I saw at the Rossi Bar was fast-rising four-piece high-energy alternative rockers Tooth. They are a London-based band I was planning to see in Brighton earlier in the year, yet traffic issues stopped them from making it to The Hope & Ruin on that occasion. They have Tom Pollock on lead vocals and guitar, Ben Ashley on lead guitar, Charlie Arnison on bass, and Roy Lowe on drums. While setting up, Tom asks the sound engineer for “a touch of reverb and a touch of class”. The reply he gets back is “I can give you one of those things”. They start with their catchy debut release ‘The Age Of Innocence’. This gets the audience going from the off. Tom says “We are Tooth, Tooth in the booth”. During the set, they play three other songs that will feature on their forthcoming debut EP ‘Restless In Bloom’; these include the second song of the set ‘Schoolyard’, during this, the bottom string on Charlie’s bass breaks. Charlie is not fazed by this at all and continues the rest of the set with just the three strings. Mid-set, Tom goes all Billy Idol as they play the Generation X cover ‘Dancing With Myself’. This goes down well and Tom says “That’s our best song”. They leave the crowd wanting more with their second single ‘Medicine’, finishing things off.
(Ian Holman)
Further Great Escape reviews will follow…………
