Some Brighton Festival and Fringe and media types have over the years bemoaned the fact that The Great Escape (TGE) happens slap bang in the middle of the May festivities. It means that the on-going celebration of the arts is partially halted in its tracks while the new music juggernaut arrives in convoy from around the globe, taking over many of the city's venues and a few of its streets for three very long days. What it does however is perfectly compliment the sense of occasion. Yes, the festival programs a small number of excellent ‘contemporary’ shows, but in general it and the fringe are far more geared towards theatre, comedy, spoken word and ‘performance’. Like the concurrent Artists Open Houses, TGE is a distinct strand that is the veritable icing on the cake, making Brighton truly the place to be in May. For many it is the best bit of the month, including those running and working in the city’s bars, hostelries, restaurants, cafes, and the like, many making piles of money as Brighton reaches fever pitch, when the streets are busier than at any time of the year. No wonder that the council and the authorities gently push aside issues of noise and health and safety for these three days. They know it’s fantastic for the city financially, reputationally, and otherwise.

But the really great thing about TGE is that it truly is a showcase for new music, most artists relatively unknown (many bands here don’t have thousands upon thousands of Facebook ‘likes’, such is their infancy), many of them playing Brighton for the first time. Sure, there are a few established acts dotted around, but even those that are here are for the most part performing new music, and not casually reaching into their bag of ‘hits’. It's practically written into the contract. With the sets generally short (usually between 30-45 minutes) the onus is on the artists to really make it count, to give it their all, as this, after all, is a showcase first and foremost, of new music.

Day One

First, a quick visit to the East Street Tap (formerly The Fishbowl), where there’s three days of Alternative Great Escape (AGE) action, a kind of fringe to the programmed festival. Here, hard-working Brighton stalwarts End of the Trail have organised two long days of entertainment, kicking off at the marvelously unseemly time of midday, and already full, with Londoners Shark Dentist cranking it up, a typically melodic indie band who marry the jangle of The Smiths with Pavement-style slacker rock, enough to get the blood flowing, and to properly set up the day. Again, it’s another reason to love TGE; you can also see loads of music without the perquisite ticket, and it’s all (largely) free, many new and unknown delights to be discovered, often with a beverage in hand.

Just down the road, the rather ostentatious (chandeliers, Nash wallpaper’n’all) Paginini Ballroom in The Old Ship Hotel suddenly has a big stage and a large PA, ready to host an eclectic programme of music. Beginning with London’s barely known Leif Erickson, named after the Icelandic explorer credited with ‘discovering’ the ‘new world’ centuries before Columbus et al took all the glory. With the lead singer and guitarist looking not unlike War on Drug’s Adam Granduciel, but more animated and possessing a smooth, soulful voice, the five-piece indeed sound like a smooth groove-based mix of WoD, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, with a hint of Steve Miller in the vocal department. It’s already quite busy and the band will have two more opportunities today to show off their wares.

Then it’s a quick visit to catch the end of Brighton based, and BIMM educated, Edward Sansom’s set in the Spiegeltent. The band taking their name from the singer who started out solo, often making loop-based songs, but who have evolved into more of a melodic, indie-pop boy band proposition, led by the aforementioned Sansom, a chipper frontman. Then it’s off to Latest Music Bar, who for the first time are part of the core TGE programme, to see Seazoo, part of a package put together by Horizons: New Music From Wales. A little offbeat, with bands like Grandaddy and Super Furry Animals in their musical DNA, their gently rocking synth and guitar sound is pretty much at the opposite end to the spectrum inhabited by Jamaican-born but Wales-raised street-dancer-cum-singer Reuel Elijah, who tries to get the party started with an invigorating and playful mash-up of grime, r’n’b, hip hop and soul, complimented by dancers, a drummer and a DJ. Yep, it’s only 1.30 in the afternoon, and indeed the party has started. Welsh/English speakers HMS Morris then enchanted with their new wave inspired psychedelic indie pop guitar, synth and drums combo, followed by another practically unknown Welsh band, Tibet. They showcased their inventive, tight and dynamic melodic indie pop to a packed house, the drummer impressing many in the audience as the driving force for a series of late 60s garage-meets-Britpop songs that are fun and irreverent, including ‘I’ll Put You in My Pocket’. Then over at the time-trapped Horatio’s on the fantabulous Brighton Pier, Spanish retro surf-garage three-piece punk rockers The Parrots ran riot with a series of short smash-and-grab songs that would please the purists. There’s something in the water over in Espana; along with the similarly lo-fi punkish Hinds, a scene of sorts is brewing.

Kicking off the evening at possibly the only cobbled stone dance floor in the world, the Green Door Store, were the sunny indie fuzz-grunger Glaswegians Tuff Love, a band who released their debut album earlier this year. Julie Eisenstien, Suse Bear and Iain Stewart deliver laid-back harmonies, big guitar rhythms, fat bass and the odd adrenaline rush.

Over at Latest Music Bar we get one of the best band names at TGE (along with the likes of Let’s Eat Grandma and Strong Asian Mothers), Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? Worth seeing alone for that, and along with the fact they are from Finland, they did not disappoint as they piled through an energetic set that utilises a Casio, bass guitar and drums in conjuring up an uplifting if twisted rock’n’roll whirlwind, with tasty dollops of 60s girl band, bubblegum riffs, and big drums. It’s jump around music for the big kid in us.

Meanwhile Ireland’s indie-rockers Otherkin got their Strokes on for some battering riffage and shouty vocals that hit the sweet spot despite the obvious comparisons, to be followed by the much needed respite of Nova Scotia’s Nap Eyes; equal measure shambling and sophisticated, slacker and dynamic, and led by the tall and lanky Nigel Chapman as they spin together echoes of Lou Reed, Pavement, The Only Ones and Television, their deceptively lethargic grooves somehow speaking of defiant relaxation in this fast-paced modern world.

Over at the Spiegelhub, Larkin Poe turned a few heads with their rocking country vibe. Previously much more encamped within the world of country-folk, they’ve been donning a little more leather and attitude of late as they do what many great acts do; change direction. Shorn of their usual band, it’s just the sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, singing their hearts out and playing their guitars; Megan a specialist on the lap steel (standing up, mind), and having a ball it seems with the small PA, but packed tent, and closing with a rousing version of ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).’ The following night they took to the stage on the same bill as Band of Skulls, with a band in tow this time, at the much bigger Concorde 2.

Heading east of Brighton, the beautiful, relatively low ceiling St George’s Church is a fine venue for gigs of all hues, including an appearance by one of the more established acts playing TGE, Michael Kiwanuka. Still operating within the realms of 70s soul a la Terry Callier, Bill Withers, Al Green and Isaac Hayes, he surprises with an opening number that recalls an ambient, instrumental, Echoes-era vibe of Pink Floyd, before getting back to what he does best; singing with relaxed, understated passion, performing songs from his new album including the gospel-soul ‘Black Man In A White World’ and ‘One More Night’.

Rounding off the opening day I go and see the Dutch band Amber Arcades, another act featuring females (if there is an overriding theme about modern rock music, it is – along with the increasing fragmentation and de-compartmentalisation of musical genres – the tremendous amount of women now doing what was once an almost a male-only domain). Amber Arcades is the moniker of Annelotte de Graff, and she and her five-piece band deliver a beguiling set of floating pop melodies, unpredictable in structure, but fluid and gently groove-based, recalling the likes of Broadcast and Canada’s Alvvays, plus a little Krautrock on ‘Turning Light’. Look out for her new album in early June, out on Heavenly Recordings.

Day Two

Friday is usually the Big One, when everyone is in town and the weekend starts in earnest. The weather is fine, and the atmosphere is brewing. It looks like it’s going to be a very good day.

Canada has always featured prominently at TGE, the national and provincial governments being very supportive of music emanating from that geographically and culturally diverse land, helping to get it heard around the world. And like last year they have taken over the Green Door Store for three consecutive afternoon showcases, including today's, brought to you by the trio of Music Nova Scotia, Pop Montreal and Bring It Ontario. Roaring raw, the very hairy Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers mix of big emotive songs, Tom Waits-style voodoo jazz-blues excursions, and rootsy hoedowns, sprinkled with a little Eastern European and Jewish folk, is just the tonic to get the mind and body in gear.

Swiftly over to the incredibly dark Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, my eyes finally adjust and I stop bumping and tripping over feet and things to get a glimpse of another big lunged singer, Dan Owens, playing solo to a packed crowd (it’s bright and light outside, and yet here we are in the blackest venue in town at 1.15pm), alternating between fragile balladry and big acoustic rippers. Reminiscent at times of Irishman Foy Vance, this partially blind, young man’s voice is his ticket, and who also gives us an insight into his influences by finishing off with a version of the blues standard ‘Little Red Rooster’, turning in to a one-man band as he hooks on the harmonica, and stomps away with some kind of foot drum, conjuring up a wild version of this classic, his voice bursting at the seams.

Taking a couple of detours into Alternative Great Escape territory, it’s here that you can find many an act who have previously graced a TGE stage and/or are established in their own right, such is the quality across the board. First, there’s last year’s Mercury Music Prize nominated soulstress Eska, performing in what looks like a concrete garage just off the Shipwright’s Yard, once again the venue for an all-dayer organised by the label/management/distribution company Republic of Music, who are based here. It’s not a big crowd, and later in the day she’ll be performing in the Sallis Benney Theatre, but does she seem to give a hoot? No, she gives it her all, a fresh and uncategorisable mix of reggae, soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, electronic, folk, and even classical, topped off with what many say is the best contemporary voice out there, such is her range and skill. Highly impressive.

Just around the corner, the Fiddler’s Elbow is host to a strong three-day AGE programme, and here is another home-grown singer with a great voice, Luke Sital-Singh. With one album and several EPs under his belt, the Brighton-managed singer-songwriter has already achieved minor success, but here he’s playing to a relatively small crowd. Again it’s a masterful performance, just him and a guitar, playing songs old and new including ‘Nothing Stays The Same’ and a song he can’t quite remember the lyrics to, his manager admitting that he had a toke or two beforehand, and laughing that that is the worst thing he could do. Nevertheless, Sital-Singh is another with a voice like Foy Vance’s; gruff at times, big and loud at others, but able to switch easily into quieter modes. He’s got a very big bag of good tunes at his disposal, and I look forward to the new album, although apparently this won't be out until next year.

Then it was over to the Spiegeltent to hear up-and-coming Irish singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery, another in the current crop whose voice steers clear of the crystal-cut variety for something more huskier and gruff, complimenting his intimate and expressive songs, sometimes heavy of heart, sometimes playful, in detailing what might have been or once was. Later on, in the Spiegelpub, fellow Irishmen Skinny Living performed their only set of the festival, a stripped back acoustic one at that. Looking boy bandish, slightly dishevelled and all with several days facial growth (the beard quotient this year has to be the highest ever, punter and artist alike), they are led by the easy-on-the-eye and subtely confident frontman Ryan Johnston, there being a higher quotient of females in attendance than any other show I personally attended. Lovelorn and tragic, with the Kookseque ‘Storybook’ a highlight, they are headed for the mainstream if the cards fall their way.

Brighton’s Moulettes are one of many acts here that have an album release to coincide with a show, and One Church / Brightonsfinest Presents was host to them as well as number of top drawer Brighton-and-beyond acts. Performing songs from their forthcoming prog-rock orientated concept album, Preternatural, they’ve increasingly eschewed the folk leanings that marked their beginnings, but remain a magnificently energetic, sophisticated, and tight unit, led by a threesome of Hannah Miller, Ruth Skipper and Raevennan Hubandes, all brilliant singers, lyricists and musicians in their own right. Relatively new recruit Hubandes is a perfect addition; her fluent guitar work and soulful voice a new feature of the band.

The Queen’s Hotel is not only the main hostelry for TGE delegates, and party central once the live music ends, but has its own stage in the basement for the duration. But it’s here that I witness the only real disappointment of the three days, the rather lacklustre, and melody-free Pleasure Beach, an odd ensemble who trade in dream-pop, a bit in the vein of Midlake and War on Drugs, but lacking their songs.

We’re back to the races though for Mothers, at The Haunt, a great American indie band from the same town as REM. Led by the wonderfully inventive songwriting of Kristine Leschper, possessor of a voice a little like Throwing Muses Kristin Hersch, and producer of unpredictable song structures, that yet flow fluidly along the largely stream-of-consciousness lyrics and sometimes dissonant sound. At other points Mothers are a more traditionally straight-forward band, working up a groove that can only get the toes tapping and the heads nodding, as they do here, one or two in the packed venue completely hypnotised by what they are hearing.

Then, a bunch of Belgians tell us emphatically once again why they are not boring. It It Anita deliver an incendiary set of noise-rock riffs, pounding drums and hardcore–style vocals within their epic song structues. Moreover, their stage set-up is simple yet brilliantly effective, bassist and drums facing one another, while the two guitarists/vocalists set up their mics next to each other but at different heights, and again facing each other. It’s loud, ferocious, and what you might call progressive hardcore music with a whiff of Sonic Youth. Towards the end of their show they further cement their rock’n’roll credentials, as one of the singer/guitarists decides to sling his six-string over the shoulders of an audience member before retrieving his can of beer and wandering off in the audience. He then comes back to dismantle the drums and place them on the dance floor, whereby the band perform in-the-round, as it were, guitars feedbacking, everyone looking startled, but with a smile on their face. Awesome.

Past midnight and time to see Holland’s PAUW, who come with a huge backline, including the glorious Hammond and Leslie combo to create that big, atmospheric, swirling eastern-psychedelic sound that is a feature of their work. Mates with Mystery Jets, who are in town for TGE, PAUW also have a powerful drummer, with the shiniest, smoothest hair of the festival, and a lead singer/guitarist who has taken some cues from Brian Jones. They make a remarkable noise together, retro-inspired psychedelic pop, with touches of jangly-era Byrds-meets-Satanic Majesty.

Day Three

Straight out of the blocks for a visit to Green Door Store, and a free burger courtesy of Canada’s Breakout West BBQ, and a glimpse of the raw, racuous and reverb-toned garage rockers The Velveteins, who have hints of The Kinks and The Libertines within their timeless rock’n’roll, before heading to Komedia to see the all-women The Big Moon, one of three shows for the hotly-tipped Londoners. Led by the towering figure of lead singer and guitarist Juliette Jackson, they come across as a modern day, if less angular, The Slits, their sound verging on the indie-pop, but featuring some expertly crafted and engaging songs that don’t try too hard, such is the punkish vibe of Sucker.

Back down to the Old Steine, to the Spiegelpub, and there’s some gentle respite in the form of Pollyanna, the project of Paris-based Isabelle Casier, whose warming, anti-folk type songs are complimented by her percussionist who uses all manner of quirky tools and objects to embellish the songs, including a large wrench, various rustic looking metal objects, cymbals positioned on chairs, and an empty vacuum cleaning box. Furthermore, she even has a song called Brighton in her set, about her many travels here over the years via ferries. “Wouldn’t it be fun to end it all up in Brighton, never take the train back home” she sings. Yep…

Over at the Spiegeltent there’s the prodigious teenage talent that is Mahalia. Just turned 18, and looking and sounding mature well beyond her years, this one-time guest singer with Rudimental (‘We The Generation’) is already used to performing on the big stage, but here it’s just her; an expressive voice, and a guitar (sometimes keys) for accompaniment. Able to mix up intimate storytelling with big urban-soul outpourings she is also funny and engaging, telling us how she got into songwriting aged 12 when she had her first serious boyfriend, before singing one of those early songs (‘Marry Me’). She’s enjoying this, if rather taken aback by the very respectful silence afforded her. “Wow! This is lovely! You’re making me nervous” she says, as the you-can-hear-a-pin-drop crowd sit and stand in appreciative awe of this immensely captivating and engaging artist, whose future looks very bright.

Later on at the same venue, Aussie newcomer Julia Jacklin is wearing her trademark tartan mini-skirt and white socks. Influenced by the likes of Anna Calvi, Angel Olsen and Fiona Apple, there’s a streak of Americana/country-folk in her music, which is mainly easy-on-the-ear, if a little lifeless.

One of the more intriguing propositions of TGE was the appearance of South Korean band Danpyunsun and the Sailors, part of a Korean showcase that also included the extraordinary cruise-ship liner meets camptastic exuberance of The Barberettes, perhaps the most incongruous act playing over the three days, and yet bringing some over-the-top sunshine into the largely loud guitar orientated thrills of TGE. Meanwhile, Danpyunsun are a four-piece prog-folk-pop-rock outfit that weld east and west in creating a lively and unpredictable sound. With the charismatic and flowing long-haired frontman attempting to engage the full house in broken English, whilst suffering jet-lag, a heads down five string bass player, a wild violinist, and an amazingly versatile and inventive percussionist who used sticks, feet, hand, legs and arms to create the beats, this was eye-opening and jaw dropping. But it was smiles all round.

Over at Marwoods, with picture frames purposefully skewed, and a gendearingly distressed bohemian interior vibe, a star in the making, Fable, performed to a sardine-packed house as part of AGE, again a great programme of events over the three days. Looking part Cleopatra, part banshee, the band's rocking electro-goth-rock sound has been perhaps influenced a little by their recent support dates to The Cult. And in ‘Fragile’ and other songs, there’s an infectious energy, complimented by the intimate ‘Silence Yourself’ and her original take on Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’.

The extraordinary New Zealander Aldous Harding is a bit of an acquired taste for some, partially because her songs are sometimes so bare-bones as to be difficult to listen to unless you’re fully immersed – especially in the daylight of upstairs at Patterns – but also because she truly looks possessed by the spirit of her songs, which often deal with death, loss and tragedy. Or gothic fairy-tales, as she puts it. ‘That was very creepy, but good” as one punter put it. ‘If there is a party, will you wait for me?’ and ‘what if the birds don’t sing, they’re screaming?’ are just two sample lines, the set finishing off with the black and bleak ‘Horizons’, just her beautifully expressive voice – much like the stars of yesteryear, say a Edith Piaf – and a keyboardist for accompaniment. Totally mesmerising, if you allow yourself.

We all know Jack White has a good ear for music, and that he is above all a total music lover, hence his decision to sign the on-the-surface bog-standard country singer Margo Price. But there is, of course, much more than meets the eye, as Price delivers a contemporary lyrical take on this crusty old genre, accompanied by some ace honky-tonk on the Spiegeltent’s in-house grand piano. It’s a one-off TGE show for this new country artist, who at one point was a little frustrated at the talking-at-the-back, but kept it all together like a time-honoured country music pro.

Back at Latest Music Bar, Iceland’s Fufanu delivered an exciting and spellbinding performance that marries a doomy post-punk sound with a European digital sensibility, the band mean and moody looking, the guitar metallic, the bass deep and throbbing, and the drummer intermittingly going cymbal crazy, feasted upon by the charismatic, in-your-face singer Kaktus Einarsson, who would regularly stand in front of the drummer, furiously shaking his head, mimicking the maelstrom of noise created. There’s a little about the Howard Devoto is his vocal style, and certainly as a frontman he’s making an impression. Look out for their debut on One Little Indian.

Finally, and in the spirit of TGE, semi-legendary The Ordinary Boys played on a rickety gazebo stage, slap bang in the middle of the narrow road that is Boyce’s Street. Outdoors and therefore a free show for all so inclined, the really mad thing was that it took place practically beside Coalshed restaurant. Whether or not the punters inside could hear, or even cared about this intrusion, it didn’t seem to matter, as Preston and co delivered a set largely pulling from their recent back-to-basics and self-titled album, full of two to three minute hardcore punk-pop gems such as ‘I’m Leaving You’, ‘About Tonight’ and ‘Four Letter Word’. Drinking beer, all wearing Adidas (some kind of joke, I’m sure) and having a gas, Preston jumped about like the youthful music lover he so clearly still is.

Another year, another unqualified success.

Jeff Hemmings

I start the festival with a band I am relatively familiar with, having seen them perform at The Great Escape launch party a couple of weeks prior. Rozelle are a euphoric electro pop-rock band with twinkling guitar melodies and two amazing female vocalists. Their catchy anthemic rhythms were the perfect medicine to get anyone ready for the rest of the festival. As at last year’s festival, the Green Door Store played host to the best of Canada’s emerging talent. I caught the hotly tipped Frigs, who brought their visceral and gritty live performance of slow chugging emotion-filled grunge rock beats that were utterly absorbing, and pretty addictive. This was definitely an early favourite – surprising as this sound should be kept for dark rooms and at 1:15 in the afternoon. A quick dash down the road to Komedia where I based myself at the Australian showcase stage for the rest of the afternoon. Slum Sociable were in full swing, producing their jazzy mix of indie-pop and soul-R&B. There was no doubt that the crowd were convinced by the band’s music – apart from the venue being extremely full, the audience were being drawn into the music’s lush noises and forced to dance to the band’s infectious sound. I’ll try and refrain from saying this cliché too much in this piece, but this Melbourne act are certainly “ones to watch”. The glorious sounds of Julia Jacklin then enveloped an appreciative audience. Playing a loose sound that was more rock than the country folk which came across in her fantastic first single ‘Pool Party’, it still tempted you to kick out a foot to her mellow music. The gentle sound had the audience in a rhythmic sway, like eucalyptus trees in the isolated part of Sydney’s Blue Mountains where her music was born. Methyl Ethel turned things up a notch with their dreamy beach rock sound. Having been a huge fan of their debut album Oh Inhuman Spectacle for some time (soon to be re-released by 4AD internationally), their short set only raised my already high hopes for the band. Yet another band to have grown out of Perth’s fertile soil of fantastic psychedelic-tinged bands, their burgeoning status certainly stands strong and could find themselves as one of the sounds of the summer.

The evening music started with Trudy And The Romance at Horatio’s on The Pier, a band that I touted as ones to take the step up after the festival. The three lads from Liverpool didn’t disappoint, playing their love torn boy-next-door indie sound. With an incredible voice, like no other, fronting the band and a lazy blues feel to the instrumentation, they have definitely found their own sound – it’s so typically British and it’s great! All the way from Seattle in the States, Night Beats took over and destroyed the Brighthelm Centre. The garage-soul band who produced enthralling Texas-inspired psychedelic rock strutted their next-dimension guitar solos and mind throbbing basslines for the room to get lost in, and they unquestionably did. A long walk across town took me to the magnificent St. George’s Church for a drastic change in pace with BBC Sound Off 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka. The British soul (with a little bit of folk) singer couldn’t have been a better act to fill the wondrous acoustics of the church. With only one album to his name, and the impending release of his new album which is produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, Michael and the impeccably strong band of five behind him showcased old and new material to the full church. Having been a near forgotten talent since the release of his debut Home Again, his new material will restore Michael as one of the UK’s most celebrated musicians. One of my surprises of the festival was Monika at the Brighthelm Centre. Having only heard a clip of her brilliant track ‘Secret In The Dark’, a more than ample set closer, the energetic disco-funk infused performance had the crowd boogieing, singing and wanting more. With lead singer Monika darting around the stage and dancing around the crowd, the Greek act’s performance will live long in the memory. There is literally no better way to finish a long day of brilliant music than the silky sweet sounds of Khruangbin. The Texan three-piece created one of my favourite albums of last year (The Universe Smiles Upon You) and, even on the crammed Coalition dance floor, their heavenly mix of psychedelic Thai funk and surf-rock made for the perfect nightcap.

After the madness of the day before leaving me rather heavy-eyed, I can be forgiven for confusing venues and then confusing an act with a Brighton psychedelic rock band of the same name. However, if I didn’t make these mistakes I would never have heard the brilliant electro-pop of London’s Tusks. The capacity crowd at the Latest Music Bar, who definitely knew where they were and what they were seeing, gave a rousing response after each of Emily Underhill’s delicate yet haunting tracks and remained spell-bound throughout. When there are queues going downstairs, out the venue and round the corner at 1:15 in the afternoon, there must be a certain hype surrounding a band – and this was the case at the Music From Ireland stage who were showcasing Otherkin at The Prince Albert. I didn’t quite get inside the venue but from my prime position outside the door, I could just about see what was going on onstage and more importantly I could hear their incredible sound. The Dublin act managed to get a usually conservative (not in political terms) afternoon Great Escape crowd moving, singing and even chucking plastic cups around. I use this term cautiously – these guys are definitely ones to watch. Man Of Moon announced themselves to all the music fans and delegates in emphatic style. The Edinburgh duo created a dark, spacey and intense mood inside the Brighthelm Centre with an absorbing performance which had the crowd hypnotised. The remarkable psychedelic alt-rock sound, produced with only drums, guitar and their two voices, made sure they are no longer a well-kept secret from up north.

Japanese vibraphonist Masayoshi Fujita kicked of the evening’s entertainments with a relaxing and interesting performance at St. George’s Church. Signed to influential label Erase Tapes and now residing in Berlin, Masa started each song by describing what technique he used to play his Vibraphone – strings of beads or tinfoil laid over the top of the vibraphone, with mallets or with a bow – as well as reading a short descriptive story behind the idea that ensued each song. In the high acoustics that the church holds, the instrument was allowed to resonate in a way that was nothing short of spectacular. On the back of her astounding Mercury Prize nominated album last year, Eska showed everyone why she has been one of the UK’s best kept secrets. After the emphatic performance showing off her unique sound at the Sallis Benney Theatre, it is almost a crime that she is only now receiving the recognition she well and truly deserves. After a short wait in the cold on the seafront, I managed to get into a stupidly rammed Coalition to see Tom Misch. The 20-year-old producer has become one of the UK’s most exciting talents, having found himself his own sound in-between neo-soul and jazzy hip-hop beats. To see Tom front a live band was a fantastic surprise, especially when I originally pictured him behind more of an electronic setup. Unfortunately, I didn’t last too long in the sweltering venue, but in that short time I did survive there, Carmody and Loyal Carner come on as extra special guest vocalists. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Tom brings his band back to Brighton. I spent the remainder of the night and morning at the Ninja Tune night in Patterns dancing to the supreme song selections of Max Graef & Glenn Astro. Having crafted themselves a mighty reputation for producing “scruffy disco-tinged house bangers and dusty downtempo excursions”, the Berlin duo, who are both incredible DJs/producer’s in their own right, joined forces on the night to spin everything you might be able to dance to – from afrobeat, jazz, techno, hip-hop, disco, world, experimental, house, industrial, as well as a few tracks from their upcoming album The Yard Work Simulator.

Burning the candle at both ends is the norm at The Great Escape, especially when there is so much amazing music on offer, so Saturday was always going to be a slow start. Thankfully I made it down to the 1965 label showcase at Horatio’s to see Cheshire-based band Man & The Echo, who restored any energy I was lacking that morning. The “radical pop” quartet gave a riveting performance of energetic and witty songs that were, quite frankly, totally fantastic. A brilliant song called ‘I Don’t Give A Fuck What You Reckon’ provoked the band to swear at the audience, who were in fits, only for them to kindly ask everyone to support their social networks. Deciding to stay at the venue on Brighton Pier, Lusts produced an enthralling performance that captivated the audience for the duration. Their brand of leather jacket rock, which borrows influences from shoegaze and post-rock, is absolutely incredible when you think that it is only coming from the brotherly duo. As if having famous jazz legends as fans (including Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea) isn’t enough, Jacob Collier has been labelled “Jazz’s new messiah” – quite an accolade for the 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist – so you can probably imagine why his show at Patterns Upstairs was at bursting point, with everyone trying to get a glimpse of this jazz genius. Playing his unique solo show, Jacob superbly juggles playing the bass, drums, keys and his multilayer vocals all at the same time to create a jaw-dropping experience – it really is utterly flabbergasting.

Keeping on the same forward thinking vibe, I head to St. George’s Church to see cello virtuoso Oliver Coates. Equipped with only a laptop and his cello, the London musician continues to redefine the avant-classical genre by creating a wide variety of songs using different types of cello attacks. Taking a strong influence from dance music on his latest album Upstepping, Oliver’s music is so far away from anything that is happening in music at this moment and it sounded sublime in the church’s acoustics. Exmagician was consistently recommended to me as ones to see from the very first day to the last of the festival. Fortunate for me, they were playing a late set at The Hope & Ruin that didn’t disappoint. The four-piece from Belfast produce soft silky rock rhythms which tapped into elements of shoegaze, psychedelia and the Madchester scene, which made for a delicious and rather hypnotic festival coda. As always, The Great Escape finishes with a triumphant closing gig. In charge of creating this emphatic finish was Australian psychedelic/dance band Jagwar Ma, and boy did they pull it off! Standing as a trio on the big Corn Exchange stage, the band created an almighty atmosphere with a sound that passed through sweet psychedelic pop into thumping techno territories – leaving the concert hall screaming for more.
Iain Lauder

I’ve been going to The Great Escape since I was 18 and it’s been the location of some of my biggest musical revelations. The kind where you can feel your brain recalibrating itself in order to accommodate what you’ve just experienced. But more often than not, these moments come about from chance or just poor planning on my part. Would I find any musical revelations this year? Is it even possible to plan the conditions of such an experience? How much free stuff could I blag with this delegate pass? All these questions, and more, I hoped to answer over the coming days.

Thursday

Leif Erikson -who share a name with an Interpol song- seem as good a place to start as any. Smooth, breezy indie with shades of classic rock and americana. On the slow jam ‘Jungle Television’, they can even be a bit sexy.

Having developed a morbid fear of queuing I head down Horatio’s early to catch Thomas Cohen. I needlessly endure the rock pop of Twin Wild but Cohen is worth the wait. Cohen’s backstory is so extreme, tragic and sensationalist it doesn’t bare repeating when gossip magazines have endlessly covered it. I’m here for the music, a clever twist on the seventies singer-songwriter that can be surprisingly sunny. Cohen delivers the first truly great performance of the weekend. During one impassioned moment he tears the barrier apart with one hand, his whole body trembling, much to the alarm of one photographer perched right next to it who has to quickly recoil to avoid taking a metal bar to the face. “I’ll sort this out in a minute” he apologises at the end of the set. He seems almost embarrassed, like having just snapped out of a trance.

The madcap, avant-garde sound of Scottish composer Anna Meredith is capable of going everywhere from modern classical to afro-beat to acid house. All while employing generous use of a trombone and clarinet. But ‘Honeyed Words’ is the most simple and effective song of her set. Just a pitch bent sine wave synth and a solo cello weeping in long sustained notes, it’s totally bonkers and hauntingly beautiful at the same time.

Nova Twins definitely have the snarling attitude, but their mix of UK rap and grungy riffs brings to mind the mercifully short-lived ‘Grindie’ sound. Unless you have some serious song writing chops, it’s a musical hybrid that always ends up sounding a bit naff.

The Sallis Benney Theatre quickly becomes my favourite venue of the weekend, not just because I’ve never had the chance to catch live music here before but also because of the eclectic mix or music on show. After all the dramatic lighting and smoke enveloping Eyre Llew, a kind of Sigur Ros-lite, I catch the far more unassuming Haiku Salut. Mixing the French waltz of Yanns Tiersen or Beirut with fragile post-rock electronica. They don’t so much as utter a word. When they aren’t playing anything they stand with their hands behind their backs like patient ushers. It’s actually quiet charming, and during the rapturous applause they merely give a coy smile.

After accidently ending up watching Leif Erikson for the second time in one day, I close the evening with Pumarosa. Lead singer Isobel Munoz-Newsome is a magnetic presence, moving in fluid and expressive motions. The band take strains of electronic dance, jazz and world music and strip it all back to an atmospheric and ritualistic experience. “Priestess, you dance” she commands over a pulsing bass note during final song ‘Priestess’, and hypnotised, the crowd dutifully obeys.

Friday

Pink Oculus is just the thing I need to blow the cobwebs out Friday morning. The instrumentals have the future jazz and neo-soul feel of Kendrick Lamar instrumentals. While her vocals flip between the warmth of Erykah Badu to the acidic flow of Azealia Banks’ rapping, all brought to life by an impressively tight backing band. “Do you feel delicious?” she purrs at the crowd before one song, and we’re all putty in her hands.

Apparently having found success in the Polish version of Pop Idol, you would never have guessed from Brodka’s performance at The Hope and Ruin she had such a commercial start. With her whole band dressed head to toe in white, PJ Harvey can’t help but come to mind, not just in the look but also the restless genre hopping, which travels all the way from haunting folk through to snotty punk.

The K. is a perfectly passable by-the-books hard-core punk band. But at the end when they move the drum kit piece by piece until the band are playing in the middle of the room. His guitar gets passed to a random punter, while the singer piggybacks another crowd member and rides around. It’s riotous affair, but afterwards my cynicism kicks in and I’m wondering if what I just witnessed was some carefully orchestrated PR stunt. But then again, who cares? It makes for a good watch either way, so good job, The K.’s PR team.

Over at The Haunt, Mothers are one of the acts I’m most excited to catch and they don’t disappoint. Dealing in delicate, country tinged indie rock, they keep things interesting with complex interwoven guitar parts and tempo changes. ‘It Hurts Until It Doesn’t’ feels cathartic in its anguished cry: “I don’t like myself when I’m awake”.

Welsh songwriter Meilyr Jones reminds me of the orchestral and literary chamber pop of The Divine Comedy. References to Lord Byron and meta-commentaries on the process of creating art abound. Likewise, Jones is a dab hand at the dry, self-deprecating humour that makes for a distinctly British form of awkward charisma.

Easily the youngest crowd I encounter at the festival and the liveliest is at Uniiqu3’s DJ set. Dealing out hyper-functional jersey club beats, often little more than a skipping bass drum, sub, and a flipped sample. ‘Bololo HAHA’ by the Brazilian MC Bin Landen gets dropped, which still remains one of strangest dance track of recent memory that can still cause absolute destruction on a dance floor, if you can call the tiny space of the Prince Albert a dance floor.

If you’ve listened to Frankie Cosmos’ excellent album Next Days you’ll know her lyrics are at the core of its brilliance, which transform the quotidian and everyday into the poetic. But live her voice is barely above a murmur, something that works on the intimacy of listening to a record on your own but doesn’t translate in one of the bigger venues like The Haunt. Often less than two minutes long, her songs don’t so much stop as decay, the tempos slowing down until they fall apart completely.

Honestly, trying to recollect any of Porches is something of a struggle, although I’m still uncertain if that’s due to me being way too tired and inebriated to absorb any more music or simply because Porches live just doesn’t leave an impression. There’s something slightly unhinged about him, yelling “Stop it!” at various points of the show, seemingly at nobody. But the restrained, new wave brilliance of ‘Be Apart’ remains undeniable.

Saturday

He’s a bit sulky because of the late start, but Jesse Mac Cormack lightens up when he realises he has more than ten minutes to play. I’m grateful we get more of him myself. With his sombre falsetto croon, Jesse’s songs are bluesy and rootsy but with a sparseness and minimalism to their arrangements that make them feel contemporary. Jesse’s band has not two, but three bass guitars for some of his songs, but by playing them through guitar amps and high up on the necks they prevent it sounding like a sludgy mess.

Sego deal in the ironically detached send up to hipster culture that makes them a bit like LA’s answer to LCD Sound System, complete with sarcastic spoken word sections and angular disco beats. Their groovy closing track ‘The Fringe’ drawls “Everybody at this part is already over it” for a chorus. Asinine but infuriatingly catchy, I find myself humming it at multiple points during the rest of the day.

Last act of the Saturday afternoon shows and I finally get my revelatory discovery. Canadian act We Are The City are one of the acts I go into totally ignorant and inevitably end up being one of the best. There’s something of the overwrought falsetto of Passion Pit’s electro pop but with added prog-rock time signatures and unconventional chord changes. Live the band is totally exhilarating, throwing themselves into every beat, bark and yelp. It’s such an intense performance, the drummer is literally lifting of his seat until he’s playing standing up. At one point he has to stop mid song just to catch his breath.

It makes me wish I had been a bit braver over the weekend and taken more chances, seeing something you have never heard of that completely blows you away is what The Great Escape is all about. It does remain a gamble, but the gems you find amongst all the more mediocre acts means it’s one that eventually pays off.

The alternative showcase put on by Acid Box at the Brighton Youth Centre has probably the best atmosphere of the festival and has a ripping performance from Cowtown. Introducing themselves as a psyche band, they quickly correct themselves. Really this is juvenile punk through and through, with songs about things like nineties cartoon Captain Planet that are less than a minute long.

Korean post-rock band Jambinai incorporate traditional eastern instruments to make a sound that can just as easily conjure up ancient landscapes as it can futuristic cities. The whole band is sitting on chairs or on chairs with their eyes closed, enhancing the serious, meditative aura of their sound.

I’ve never seen a sound check as enthusiastic as producer Gus Lobhan for Kero Kero Bonito’s set at The Arch, but it totally fits with their fizzy and sparkly J-Pop, listening to which is like being hyper on too much sugar. They’re pure unadulterated entertainment, incorporating all kinds of props into their show, including stuffed animals, a graduation robe and a telephone. Not to mention plenty of cheesy synchronised dancing. But it’s not all sweetness: ‘Picture This’ is a monumental pop banger, but also a cutting commentary of social media.

After 808ink failing to turn up for their Green Door Store show, I head back down to catch indie duo Diet Cig for an Alternative Escape closing party down at Sticky Mike’s. Lead singer and guitarist Alex Luciano is bouncing off the walls, doing cheerleader high kicks around the stage all without missing a note. It’s their third show of the day but it doesn’t show even remotely. ‘Scene Sick’ basically sums up my feelings about the whole weekend into two minutes of pop punk perfection. Dissolving all the hype, buzz and industry nonsense to what is really important, what we’re really all here for:

“I’m sick of hearing about your scene.
I’d rather talk about something more exciting.
I don’t care.
I just want to dance.”

Yeah, you and me both, Alex.
Louis Ormesher

The Great Escape Festival can be an anxious prospect for all music fans who are desperate not to miss out. A plethora of bands strung out across 30+ venues across Brighton, within this is a minefield of horrible clashes, excessive amounts of beer flowing and a ten-fold increase in population. Not withstanding these facts, it is highly addictive. The atmosphere of the city swells and pulses like the bubbles of hot oil and you cannot help but feel absorbed by the general vibe.

To begin my Thursday experience, following a hangover from the night prior was a warm cup of coffee, a humongous Danish pastry and Hull’s latest exports, FRONTEERS. A band that borrow heavily from the back pocket of The Last Shadow Puppets; what I mean by this is the fronting duo’s synchronised melodies and northern quips. These are no fad act however, these are a band that are set to be taking to much, much larger stages in the future. They have recently had their single, ‘Full Moon’ named Q Magazine’s track of the day and if you missed their set down in the basement of Queen’s Hotel, you sorely missed out on the making of something special. It was a fantastic start to The Great Escape weekend.

From here, it was a quick skip over to the Paganini Ballroom to immerse myself within the psychedelic tinged alt-rock, grunge of Gillbanks. The Paganini Ballroom did an exceptional job of emphasising the sound of Gillbanks’ washing guitar and lamenting overdrive in this cathedral-esque venue. Everything hit you with so much force, Gillbanks did a brilliant job of finding atmosphere within a venue that if not met with force, could easily drown everything out. It was an impressive move forward from the act glimpsed between FRONTEERS and Gillbanks – Hein Cooper’s sound on the Australia Sound stage was a little too middle of the road, offering about as much intrigue as watching the proverbial paint dry.

One of the key factors of making your act stand out throughout the weekend was to focus upon presence and putting soul into your show. It is a difficult task for sure when every industry rep in the country is there watching you. Of course, pressure may get to you. Ultimately though, that is why bands like The Parrots who took to Horatio’s late on Thursday afternoon were so impressive. Often regarded as being the keynote in the Spanish lo-fi rock’n’roll scene, their outrageous fun-fuelled atmosphere genuinely had delegates dancing and flailing along. With plenty of ad-libs and in jokes, hits like ‘Dee Dee Dangerous’ they jam-packed a pier venue that is seldom seen as a hub of music.

Carrying on from this point, London’s Tangerines did a similar profound show down at The Haunt early on Thursday evening; capacity was reached shortly after they arrived onstage with their Television, Talking Heads tinged single ‘You Look Like Something I Killed’. Not intimidated by the sound, the boys who previously have played at The Green Door Store in front of a much smaller crowd quickly found their groove. After filling the Q stage and then hopping around the city for six shows over the weekend, they showed no lack of work ethic. Another thing that makes your band stick out at such a busy festival. Tangerines showed no issue with packing quality into their quantity of shows and after packing one of Brighton’s larger venues, it seems nobody ever tired of seeing them around. Certainly a band to keep your eyes peeled for in the future with a full UK tour pencilled in and an album release this summer.

Blaenavon are becoming Brighton’s latest quality export following a recent string of successful singles, they were the first of my experiences down at Coalition over the weekend. Their recent string of singles have garnered them a sturdy reputation, something that has clearly travelled and word of mouth, the band as they filled the venue once more. Their interesting take on atypical indie-rock finds them nurturing a vein occupied by the likes of The Maccabees and The Family Rain. What they possess though is an exceptionally charismatic frontman, somebody who pours buckets of emotion into his voice, finding velocity and purpose come hand in hand.

Moving onwards to Friday, batting away the disappointment that I couldn’t catch Makeness following an untimely fire alarm, I was to begin by catching a chap that has recently taken my listening experience to a new level. Having created 2016’s finest ear worm so far with ‘Railway Lines’, Anthonie Tonnon was to be the first to appear on the New Zealand music stage back at the Paganini Ballroom. Clearly for a one man band, he shows no intimidation from such a baying crowd who are prepared to come out early doors for him. After battling off what seemed like an array of technical issues, he met the crowd with his charismatic persona and extravagant dancing before heading into his track, ‘Railway Lines’. Much to my excitement, the song was just as captivating live as it was on record. Ringing through issues on gentrification, he is somebody who is exceptionally socially aware, something that he later clarifies as being down to his previous work as a tour guide. He is the first of The Great Escape acts who can create that solid interaction with the crowd, luring them into huge sing-alongs, dancing and repetition of the phrase: “I am in my body. I will not fuck up.”

Following Anthonie Tonnon’s exquisite start to Friday, I was uncertain of how this could be topped. At least I felt this way until I caught PAUW down at Komedia, tucked away in the basement. A mass of hair and brightly coloured, 60s fuelled clothing washed upon the Dutch Music stage. With a sound that ticks off psychedelia’s contemporary influences – the likes of Temples, Blossoms and The Allah-Las; pulsating rhythm sections run underneath big guitars and ethereal vocals. Showcasing much of their 2015 LP, Macrocosm Microcosm, they are a band that look poised for special things in the future. What they offer is atypical of psychedelia but the way they personify the music is something that is not found so often. Within days that spell a bandwagon effect within psychedelia, artists such as PAUW pave a way for a more intriguing future.

London’s FACE took to the intimate surroundings of Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar during Friday afternoon. It seemed to fall upon a double-edged sword somewhat, the songwriting was intriguing with its Yeasayer, Alt-J touch however it struck a chord as being slightly too forced, slightly too angled towards the hope that some industry chief would be there and snap them up with a great big advance, promising their life of debauchery as rockstars. It highlighted a slightly mundane aspect of The Great Escape, instead of championing the best of the new acts, it was a dogfight between artists to get noticed.

Friday’s evening was celebrated in large parts by the exquisite talent brought to the fray by Tom Misch and his dealings within the ambient and atmospheric. Blends of James Blake and King Krule with a gentle soulful touch outlined his show at Coalition. It pulled one of the larger crowds of the festival, generating dance offs and unprecedented beer throwing. It was awash with young, hip 20-somethings who were keen to jump onto London’s latest and greatest downtempo, groove master. All with good reason though, ‘Sunshine’ could quite well have been the song of the weekend.

The closing day set a high marker with the matinee performance by The Big Moon, a band that have recently gained critical acclaim with their single ‘Cupid’. Their base points began largely with The Breeders and The Amps, before ending with Dum Dum Girls. They really knew how to cause a racket early on and stood out as a true highlight; fingers crossed for an album soon enough because these girls are loud as hell and can pack in snappy melodies. London’s new ones to watch, Young Native who have recently taken the hearts of BBC Introducing, were testing the crowd down at Queen’s Hotel. Their intriguing take on Australian’s, The DMA’s and Jamie T outlined a slacker, punk sound that is taking the UK by a storm in current times. Their supercharged sun-kissed energy gave the impression of a band that are lot more experienced than they actually are in reality. Only twenty shows in and attracting such attention, spells something good.

The Brighton Youth Centre opened its doors for a state of rock’n’roll affairs in their finest form, beginning with The Black Delta Movement visiting from Hull. Psychedelic, garage-rock washed within a plethora of lighting provided by Innerstrings giving the experience a new edge, emphasising the effect were the mirrored walls, highlighting every last oil swirl. The Black Delta Movement dished out servings of their upcoming EP release, Seven Circles which points closer to a Thee Oh Sees-fuelled abrasive sound, an intriguing new direction and one that hits you like a steam train on amphetamines in a live setting. Following their set, it was over to Concorde 2 for Hardwicke Circus, a group that hail from Carlisle and following a monstrous journey, they lived up to the occasion of filling such a huge venue. Their sound points to all that we loved from 60s rock’n’roll, tinged with blues and jazz – Creedance Clearwater, The Rolling Stones and The Doors all paint the picture of their sound. It is 100% feel good music that rasps at your heels, forcing you to dance. A picture perfect highlight of the weekend.

It was then back to the Brighton Youth Centre to catch Brighton’s greatest, Demob Happy, pull the curtain down on the venue. Crowds opened up following the inebriation that took place throughout the day. As they whistled through the set, ticking off favourites such as ‘Wash It Down’, the chest thumping ‘Succubus’ and ‘Haat De Stank’ towering speakers were mounted by audience members before the guitarist followed suit. Tops were taken off by the vast majority inside the venue, lost somewhere outside along with their minds. Finally to seal the weekend off, it was Arrows of Love over at Latest Music Bar closing the stage for Artrocker. Their mind melting sound of dark, sparse psychedelia interjected with riveting tempos was enough to kick me off back home to bed. What a weekend.

Tom Churchill

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