[Brighton] The Great Escape 2025 *** Official Festival Thread ***

[Ali_rrr]

We saw Holiday Ghosts and Traams at Patterns, Goodbye and SLAG at Jubilee Square last night.

Traams were brilliant - an absolute sensory overload with driving rhythms. SLAG also excellent.

Unfortunately working today, so starting with Joshua Idehen at Komedia at 7.15.

Traams really are brilliant. Snuck in at The Hope and Ruin after the Derby home playoff game back in 2014. They perked my mood right up. Shame the away leg where you took us up to put it right down again!


Still has to be one of my favourite festivals of all time. Some mates of mine over here go every year because they love Brighton so much (plus their work pays their tickets and accommodation but still). Is there another festival out there except perhaps Edinburgh Fringe where you can explore a city so well?

 

[GJN1]

My daughter is playing, both her solo stuff and as part of Yasmin Coe's band (they're on today at Charles Street Tap and tomorrow evening at Green Door Store). Her boyfriend's band is also playing today and both bands are staying at ours, all ten of them. The living room looks like Earth, Wind and Fire have just turned up what with all the kit.

 

[jackalbion]

Managed to squeeze in a few on Wednesday, mostly downstairs in Patterns. Holiday Ghosts who were some decent indie band, have enjoyed a few of their tracks on spotify. TRAAMS who were as good as they've ever been since I first saw about something like 10 years ago? After that was a Dutch kind of Garage/Shoegaze kind of band called Abdomen, very very good. Heavy Lungs were very good afterwards a lot of energy from the front man (the famous Danny Nedelko), then wandered up to the albert to mill around at the back of Shooting Daggers.

Started at 12:30ish on Thursday, Water Machine at Horatios who were pretty decent, missed them on Wednesday in Patterns, lots of songs themed around Water! Following on from that I went to Charles Street Tap to see Sofy, and I would echo that it is a CRAP venue, which slightly disappointingly was beset by some sort of technological issue, but the songs that were played were great. Had a bit of time to kill before my next act, so wandered into the Queens Hotel out of curiosity to see Go!Go!Vanilla who were a Japanese pop punk, almost ska like band, love finding those surprise acts you didn't intend on finding, first time playing in the UK as well. Then went to Paganini Ballroom to watch The Bug Club who were again on top form. Managed to sneak in She Her Her Hers at Players Bar, who again were a Japanese band playing in the UK for the first time, sort of a shoegaze kind of band, very good, although missed half the set as the security staff there insisted on scanning everyone's IDs and a full pat down. Then went for a pint in the Mesmerist when there was a decent band called Alphabet playing in an alternative escape event, would recommend. Managed to cram in with everyone else into Westside Cowboy in Paganini Ballroom, I think enough has been said about how good they are, the hype is very much worth it. Then went down to the Beach area to see Chloe Slater who I think will do very well, the songs stand up very well, and the live show is very well polished, very much enjoyed. Managed to hot foot it back to Paganini Ballroom to see Welly who are good harmless fun, half stand up, half live show, best thing to come out of Brighton for while I think, who doesn't like a song name checking the A27. After stating I'd push past men, women or children to get into Preoccupations at Hope & Ruin it was actually remarkably easy, it seemed to be running about 15 minutes late so caught Pamela who in the guide were stated as a mix between LCD Soundsystem, Joy Division and The Strokes, and can confirm it was like that, very energetic frontman, a really good hidden gem. To see Preoccupations in a Tiny Venue like the Hope & Ruin was great, a band I've loved since they were Viet Cong, and I love the first Women album. Finished off the night with MOULD who were probably my highlight of the day, absolutely superb great energy for 01:15 in the morning in Green Door Store, playing again at DUST on Saturday at about 1pm, would recommend very highly.

Very stupidly I booked to see PUP this evening in London so I won't be in attendance today, plenty of very good stuff on however, very disappointed to be missing Maruja (EDIT: who have just been announced on the Glastonbury Lineup! So no need for too much disappointment).

 

[oneillco]

Keep an eye out for Lanyard Wankers...

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Keep an eye out for Lanyard Wankers...

You mean delegates?

 

[morematey]

Saw lots of great stuff last night but the 2 highlights were Chloe Qisha and Man/Woman/Chainsaw.

 

[Hamilton]

f*** me!

Have just seen Moonlandingz. Brilliantly insane. Dirty punk dance from a Fat White Family member and others. Brilliant!

 

[CHAPPERS]

f*** me!

Have just seen Moonlandingz. Brilliantly insane. Dirty punk dance from a Fat White Family member and others. Brilliant!

Yeah that was well good

 

[CHAPPERS]

Had an excellent run of things yesterday, 5 or 6 really good acts on the bounce including, in no particular order: Pan Amsterdam, corto.alto, Soapbox (superb), Good Health Good Wealth, Common Goldfish, Moonlandingz. Bit of a misstep for the last act at Brighthelm who were not helped by a malfunctioning microphone but we were done by then anyway.

Starting with some disco in the form of Poser at the Komedia at 12. Deep breath, one more effort.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

A brilliant day yesterday, bumping into so many friends at so many gigs.

Started with Common Goldfish, very good, and then headed down to the beach for an afternoon in the sunshine.

Honk - good fun
Say Sue Me - Korean indie with some filthy guitar work.
Arcy Drive - confident and accomplished New Yorkers.
Welly - joyful, funny, magnificent.
Westside Cowboy - good, again, really don’t like ‘The Deep End’, though.

Then on to Chalk.
The New Eves - interestingly different.
Miso Extra - a rapper needs to have their mic at a level where we can hear them rap.
Hot Wax - not for me. At all.
Moonlandingz - as expected, highlight of the festival. Wonderful, better than I could have imagined.

Then we saw The Jins at Manchester Street - a calming antidote to Moonlandingz, Nirvana with a sprinkle of Strokes.

Finally we headed to Horatios for another dose of Welly - great way to end the night.

Disappointingly, the sun doesn’t seem to be shining yet this morning. Sort it out!

 

[Hamilton]

Had an excellent run of things yesterday, 5 or 6 really good acts on the bounce including, in no particular order: Pan Amsterdam, corto.alto, Soapbox (superb), Good Health Good Wealth, Common Goldfish, Moonlandingz. Bit of a misstep for the last act at Brighthelm who were not helped by a malfunctioning microphone but we were done by then anyway.

Starting with some disco in the form of Poser at the Komedia at 12. Deep breath, one more effort.

What was corto.alto like? Had it on my list but missed out.

 

[morematey]

Saw a ton but highlights were Cliffords, English Teacher and Welly.

Having seen them 3 years ago at TGE, the difference in age of English Teacher really surprised me. I remembered them as shy uni kids but they definitely didn’t look/act like that now. Like Pogue Mahone I’ve not had a great relationship with The Deep End over the years (IDLES excepted) but English Teacher were probably the best I’ve ever seen there. The delegates were all gone and it was just a really respectful crowd (little/no chat).

 

[CHAPPERS]

What was corto.alto like? Had it on my list but missed out.

Really impressed by them. One of the best things we saw of a very good bunch. Sax player was something else and drummer blew us away. They are playing Love Supreme and I’m considering a day ticket just for them.

 

[Cordwainer]

Saw a few yesterday..highlights for me were Hungry at Charles St, Mount Palomar at Queens and My First Time at the Beach. Also enjoyed HotWax and Moonlandingz. Looking forward to more beach action today. Disappointed to have missed Chloe Qisha and Peter Xan on Thurs.

 

[morematey]

Anyone got any tips for this evening? That’s the one spot in the programme I’ve struggled to find anything.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Anyone got any tips for this evening? That’s the one spot in the programme I’ve struggled to find anything.

Agree, nothing much taking my fancy.

We will see Y at Patterns at 6.30, and might stick about for Another Country - interestingly different, who knows how it’ll sound live?

They’re followed by Flip Top Head who I quite like.

But we may go and see KuleeAngee at Horatios after Y. Following that, on the pier, it all seems a bit ‘nicely’ bland to me.

I don’t mind too much. By then I’ll have had a brilliant (and cheap) four days of festival. We might just go to Spiegeleisen Gardens.

 

[Cordwainer]

Anyone got any tips for this evening? That’s the one spot in the programme I’ve struggled to find anything.

CLT drp at Chalk?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Today is tricky throughout. Jayler at Volks looks fun but I am struggling otherwise. Lots of rap on early doors so will see if any of that is decent maybe.

 

[kevo]

TVOD we're fab at Fiddlers Elbow late last night. Feeling it now though!

 

[CHAPPERS]

Any afternoon tips appreciated