We started our second TGE day in Brighton at Jubilee Square, right next door to the library, where we could see DJ Lauren Laverne broadcasting live on BBC Radio 6 Music. Then it was gig time for us and off we set.
Act 1: ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR
ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR (12:30-13:00 Komedia Studio). This four guy band hail from Switzerland and play a blend of motor-driven drums, snarling bass-lines, shimmering, layered psychedelic guitars and a haunting voice. Their repetitive rhythms have absorbed elements of The Horrors, Moon Duo, New Order and The Cure. Their best song is an Arabic sounding track called Scope Explosion (Shifting Baseline). They have released a new album strangely titled Temporaer Musik 1-13. I would love to see them play live again. http://www.onesentencesupervisor.ch/
Act 2: TVAM
TVAM (13:30-14:00 Patterns Upstairs). TVAM is actually just one bloke who goes by the name of Joe Oxley, who hails from north west England. Joe was back in Brighton, having performed at Sticky Mikes Frog Bar in January. His next gig sounds rather interesting as it is at Jodrell Bank with Orbital. Joe plays his distorted guitar to synth backing whilst accompanied by his trusty VHS video player. We were treated to visions of crash test dummies, spacemen and the like, whilst musically you can hear the influence of Suicide, Moon Duo (again), Sigue Sigue Sputnik and early Gary Numan synths on the best track Porsche Majeure. http://www.t-v-a-m.uk/
Act 3: LIKE A MOTORCYCLE
LIKE A MOTORCYCLE (14:40-15:00 Green Door Store). These rock chicks with attitude (Michelle, Kim and KT) plus one dude (David) hail from Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. I wouldn’t really want to get into an argument with them for fear of being dissed. Unusually their drummer was the lead singer. They were in Brighton to promote their debut ten track album entitled High Hopes. Imagine early Pretenders or Joan Jett but heavier and you have their sound. http://www.likeamotorcycle.com/
Act 4: HAZEL ENGLISH
HAZEL ENGLISH (15:15-15:45 Horatio’s). Diminutive twenty-five year old Hazel English comes from Oakland, California, USA, but she grew up in Sydney, Australia. She has just released her double EP entitled Just Give In/Never Going Home, which I was fortunate in purchasing in HMV in Worthing. It has ten tracks on it with a link to download an eleventh track. The more I have played my CD, the more I have enjoyed it. Her sound is best described as enjoyable indie summer dream pop in the style of Saint Etienne or Amber Arcades. I reckon the best song is Never Going Home. http://hazelenglish.com/
Act 5: CHILDHOOD
CHILDHOOD (16:15-16:45 Horatio’s). Childhood was formed by two Londoners whilst studying at the University of Nottingham in 2010. As a live band they had expanded into a seven piece, who performed a tight set of soul numbers in the vain of Curtis Mayfield. They have just released a new single entitled Californian Light and I should think that they will go far with the right promotion and manager. http://www.childhoodband.com/
Act 6: BLACKWATERS
BLACKWATERS (18:30-19:00 Queens Hotel). Oh my word, Blackwaters are awesome and should go really far! They hail from Guildford and are apparently only 18 years old. They have a stage manner of a band of more mature years, especially their captivating front man, who has an element of Lydon about him. They are best described as being just like up-and-coming Bristol band Idles meets sub three minute 1976 punk rock. So any self respecting punk needs some Blackwaters in their life. They are next in Brighton at the Concorde 2 on 15th October. Their best tracks are Down and the anthemic Oi Oi style F*** Yeah. I must see these boys play live again. https://en-gb.facebook.com/BlackWatersUK/
Act 7: ABATTOIR BLUES
ABATTOIR BLUES (19:15-19:45 Horatio’s). Abattoir Blues are a five man shouty indie rock band from Brighton. Singer, Harry Waugh appeared to have his own agenda and oozed with attitude, whereas the other guys, George, Ed, Sam and Scott carried on regardless. They unleashed their Senses/Fading single last November. https://en-gb.facebook.com/abattoirbluesbrighton/
Act 8: EAT FAST
EAT FAST (20:15-20:45 Horatio’s). Eat Fast were guests on the DIY magazine stage and were plugging their brand new 6 track EP called Immortal Kombat, which was released on the day of this concert. Their genre is best attributed to sub three minute fuzz pop, akin to early Jesus & Mary Chain and the stand out track being the two minute twenty seconds of pure joy that is Luck Pusher. https://www.facebook.com/eatfastmusic/
Act 9: SH*TKID
SH*TKID (21:30-22:00 Komedia Studio). To me, twenty-four year old Swedish Åsa Söderqvist’s Shitkid is a work in progress project. I would describe the live version as having a slightly amateurish proto guitar/drum machine sound, however her recorded work sounds better to me, especially the tracks Sugar Town and the very catchy Suicide/Sputnik influenced Oh Please Be A Cocky Cool Kid. https://www.facebook.com/shitkidmusic/
Act 10: INHEAVEN
INHEAVEN (22:30-23:00 Prince Albert). I am pleased to see INHEAVEN making a TGE appearance again this year, having seen them live at last years TGE and also prior to that too. This catchy indie rock quartet from South London, played at least four of their decent single releases. I have noted that of late the band are evolving as Chloe Little now shares vocal duties with James Taylor. They are a truly great act and amazingly are still waiting to be discovered by the masses. Best tracks are Regeneration and Treats. http://inheaven.co/
Act 11: ÁINE CAHILL
ÁINE CAHILL (22:30-23:00 One Church). Hailing from a small town in Co. Cavan in Ireland, 22 year-old Áine first came to prominence at Glastonbury in 2016. Áine and her 3 piece all-female support delivered an enchanting set at the most atmospheric of venues located in Gloucester Place. This included the beautiful Black Dahlia and a wonderful arrangement of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You replete with fiddle. Sounding a little like Lana Del Rey, but with her own charm and style, this young lady is set to go a long way. http://www.ainecahill.com/
Act 12: GIRL RAY
GIRL RAY (23:30-00:00 The Haunt). Far from providing the warm up for the Charlatans, north Londoners Girl Ray more than held their own in an already packed Haunt. Their lo-fi brand of heartache tinged pop seemed to be appreciated by the crowd. Guitar riffs hinted at nods to the 70’s fused with Indie. Stand out tracks of the night were Trouble and Stupid Things. https://en-gb.facebook.com/girlraylondon/
Act 13: ESTRONS
ESTRONS (23:15-23:45 Green Door Store). Tali, Rhodri, Toby and Steff are the female fronted four piece indie band known as Estrons, who as you might have guessed, hail from Caerdydd in Wales, that’s Cardiff to be precise. Their current release is a single called Strobe Lights which came out on 28th April and they have recently supported Honeyblood. http://www.estrons.com/
Act 14: GALLOPS
GALLOPS (00:00-00:30 (Sat) Komedia). Another Welsh act next, these boys who originally formed in 2007 are from Wrecsam (Wrexham). The instrumental trio perform pleasant electronica in the style of the French band M83 meets 1980’s TV show themes, with a chunk of Emerson, Lake and Palmer thrown in. Their sound is suited as film music and so they could earn good money by persuing that avenue. They have just released an album called Bronze Mystic. Best track is Pale Force as it sounds to me like East India Youth, whom I met earlier today at the TVAM gig. https://gallops.bandcamp.com/
Act 15: CODE WALK
CODE WALK (00:30-01:00 (Sat) Komedia Studio). Code Walk are a Danish young lad duo from Copenhagen, who I would suggest are members of the bleeps brigade. One was on knobs and the other was an impressive metronomic drummer. If you like Orbital and the like, then Code Walk should definitely be investigated. I was right at the front and I could barely see them as the spectacular light show masqued them. They have just released an EP entitled Doubler and I could possibly see them live again. https://www.facebook.com/codewalkdk/
Act 16: THE CHARLATANS
THE CHARLATANS (00:45-02:15 (Sat) The Haunt). The pre-tour/new album appearance of Manchester Indie legends The Charlatans was one of the many surprises this glorious event delivers. The venue was full well over an hour before they came on stage. It’s not often this 27 year-old band play venues of this size and I was privileged to be at the front. As soon as their effervescent frontman appeared on stage, he never stopped smiling all night. The Charlatans have nothing to prove, they do this clearly for the love of it and nothing else. Their full set comprised a smattering of hits from different albums across the years plus three tracks (Different Days, Plastic Machinery, Not Forgotten) from the new Album Different Days. All tracks, even the oldies delivered with the same gusto as if they were playing them for the very first time. Highlights of the night were North Country Boy, Over Rising and an absolutely storming encore of Sproston Green that lasted almost 10 minutes featuring screaming swirling guitars that the crowd lapped up as it surged back and forth with unbridled joy. Any aspiring young artists – this is EXACTLY how it’s done! http://www.thecharlatans.net/
Act 17: SAILOR AND I
SAILOR AND I (01:30-02:00 (Sat) Komedia Studio). The Sailor And I was founded in 2012 and is actually one chap called Alexander Sjödin from Stockholm, Sweden. He is a singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist who performs popularist electronic music a bit like a DJ set and so will no doubt have gone down a storm in Ibiza and the likes, but some may say that his sound doesn’t exactly fit most of the archetypes associated with electronic music. He was promoting his new album The Invention Of Loneliness. http://sailorandi.se/
Act 18: PERTURBATOR
PERTURBATOR (02:00-02:45 (Sat) Komedia). Perturbator is the alter ego of James Kent, who despite his name, apparently hails from from Paris, France. Music runs in his family as his parents were journalists and rock music critics and so not surprisingly James became a guitar player for several black metal bands and boy does he have the stare to match! However something happened in 2012, when James switched to producing electronic music inspired by the cyberpunk culture. Could be a result of his parents also being in a tech-trance band. I must say that James has totally mastered his style of dark electro synth live, as if musical notes could kill, then this would be it – Film producers take note! For fans of the original Bladerunner film and Front 242, Skinny Puppy et al. He was absolutely awesome and I seriously need to see him play live again. https://perturbator.bandcamp.com/
The Great Escape Days 1 & 3 are also available to be read.
