music, photography and more
Pop Will Eat Itself | Chimer at Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, 14th May 2026
After releasing Delete Everything last October, their first album in 10 years, Pop Will Eat Itself are out on tour playing a mix of old and new favourites. Hannah Mesquitta caught their show last week at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms with support from Chimer – gallery below.
Photos by Hannah Mesquitta – Instagram: hannah_mesquitta_photography
Published 21st May 2026
Jawdropped, Tasska, Polite Bureaux, Formal Sppeedwear & Solid Pleasure, Brighton 14th-15th May 2026
Whilst The Great Escape takes place, there are always a huge number of shows running in alternative venues across Brighton. To be honest, if you only attended those, you’d still have been spoilt for choice. As we were covering the main event, I didn’t have time for too many but managed to still catch a few of the best on offer…
Jawdropped at The Hope & Ruin
Visiting from LA, Jawdropped were part of this year’s No Friends in the Industry event, which has become a popular annual feature hosted by Love Thy Neighbour. Finding its home downstairs at The Hope & Ruin, the bar area is the perfect spot for an informal but busy showcase of local and touring acts. The four-piece, who have recently joined the Transgressive roster, pulled in a decent crowd and impressed with their fuzzy power-pop songs. Dual vocals and the indie essential tambourine brought upbeat tunes that reminded me a little of Martha, and that’s no bad thing.
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Tasska at The Pink Moon
Always nice to check out what Strong Island Recordings are bringing to the alt shows; this year one of their collabs was with Miohmi Records upstairs at The Pink Moon – a good space though apparently later in the week numbers had to be cut as the ceiling below was bowing! Brighton locals Tasska gave a polished performance of guitar-driven indie folk that had the crowd dancing. Easy listening and a clearly strong connection between the trio.
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Polite Bureaux at Alphabet
Onto three acts brought to us by Slack City. Alas no longer Brighton based after returning to Bradford but still with a loyal fanbase here, Polite Bureaux’s set at Alphabet gave another opportunity to hear their socially aware musings. The second recent outing with Jo playing solo and honestly, it works so well, allowing the freedom to take over the whole stage and adding potency to the visual impact. The increased confidence is absolutely justified and there are some beautiful tracks in there amidst the frenzied forcefulness of the performance. Queues outside as the room was full? Well deserved.
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Formal Sppeedwear at Alphabet
With rhythm sections reminiscent of Talking Heads and jagged layers running throughout their songs, Stoke-on-Trent’s Formal Sppeedwear are stealthily making a name for themselves and definitely seem to be upping their game. Artsy and veering into experimental, their sound forms a cohesive blend of multiple elements. Expect bigger things.
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Solid Pleasure at Alphabet
Last show of the week for me with Solid Pleasure’s electro darkwave transforming Alphabet into underground clubland. The venue proved to be an impeccable sparring partner with its theatrical history and dimmed lighting, and the duo continue to polish their live shows with the swell of vocals drenched in reverb, and the introduction of occasional acidy synth hits, saving the purer dance tracks for the latter part of the set. Pretty perfect way to end 3 days of live music.
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Review and photos by Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 20th May 2026
The Great Escape, multi-venue across Brighton, 13th – 16th May 2026
Largely blessed with sunshine despite forecasts of rain all week, this year’s Great Escape pulled off another masterclass in programming a massive event over the duration of the four-day festival’s 20th anniversary. Hundreds of artists from around the world, an abundance of venues, and music from all genres offered up something for everyone. True to its tagline The Festival for New Music, there was plenty to explore and some new favourite acts to discover in every corner.
We started Wednesday evening with the range of local talent being promoted on the BBC Introducing stage at Concorde 2; Winter Gardens up first. The band seem to continually refine their fusion of gothic shoegaze, and manage to create the same ambience whatever size stage they’re on. It was a solid start to proceedings and we stayed on for the next act, Gilska, who blended alt-pop with modulated synth breaks with ease.
top: Winter Gardens, bottom: Gilska
Time for a quick wander along the seafront to check out the layout for The Beach stages – and just in time because as we were leaving the area was already operating a one-out one-in policy, largely down to the huge queues for the Canadian disguised duo of Angine de Poitrine. We were headed to a packed Daltons for a hip hop – grime – metal mash up perfectly executed by Native James, who somehow got a circle pit going where there surely wasn’t enough room to do so!
Native James
The draw back to Concorde was driven by Lemonsuckr, definitely on the must-see list for a lot of festival-goers, this seemed like our best chance of catching them as their other pending sets were in much smaller venues. Despite the hype, they didn’t disappoint, with an immersive show from the outset. The formula is well established by the likes of Deadletter and Gurriers, but the five-piece manage to add a quirky confidence-filled touch that elevates their spiky post-punk offering into something fresh. It won’t be a surprise to see them taking on bigger headline slots over the coming year.
Lemonsuckr
Onto fuller days and a wonderfully impressive performance to kick off Thursday from Aimée Fatale on The Beach Soundwaves stage, with echoes of Dusty Springfield / Nancy Sinatra and a strong 60s’ vibe and styling. It’s clear from her online fanbase that Aimée is grabbing attention for all the right reasons – her delivery is smooth, her songs are well put together, and there’s a speakeasy atmosphere to boot. Final song, The Way It Is, is something quite special. Will see again.
Aimée Fatale
A couple more acts at The Beach before heading into the city – Marina Josephina caused us to stop off at The Jetty stage to take a listen to her jazz-tinged vocals, then back to Soundwaves for a switch up to some indie rock tunes from Ireland’s Black Nylon. And all of this before lunch…
top: Marina Josephina, bottom: Black Nylon
The afternoon took in a trip to the Canada House showcase. Micah Sage gave us some fine alt-pop along with a ‘Favourite Ex-Girlfriend’ sash presented to – well, her favourite ex-girlfriend. Following on, Featurette turned up the volume and turned down the lights for jagged electronics overlaid with powerful vocals. An impressive mix of different styles and genres, which continued the next day with an energetic and engaging set from Vera Daisies, nodding towards indie/grunge but also adding in some lighter elements and interesting attempts at bi-lingual conversations by the crowd – let’s just say her English was better than their French!
top left: Micah Sage, top right: Featurette, bottom: Vera Daisies
The evening saw some big queues joining up between neighbouring venues at Waterbear Music Bar for Walt Disco, followed by Pigeon at Charles St Tap. For those lucky enough to make it inside, Walt Disco in their latest evolution were beset with technical issues which ultimately cut their set short. However, the songs they managed to squeeze in were well received, with latest single Coup de Foudre probably getting the biggest reaction. To say there was a queue for Pigeon is something of an understatement as, where the pavement ran out on one side, there was actually a second line formed across the road. Missing the first 10 minutes of their slot didn’t take away from the quality of what came next. Bags of energy and clap-alongs ensued, their afro-funk beats grabbing the crowd by the hand and insisting it danced along. One of the stand out shows of the week for sure.
Walt Disco
Pigeon
Over at Patterns, Annie-Claude Deschênes was making the most of the club speakers for her dystopian disco party. Whilst a chunk of the crowd may not really have known what to expect, the whole room seemed to be having a good time, resulting in the only stage invasion we witnessed.
Back at Charles St Tap, The Orielles packed the venue. Still with their original line-up, they don’t look old enough to have been around as long as they have but, given they were barely into their teens when they formed that does add up. While they’ve overhauled their sound and it’s definitely less poppy than before, it’s good to see them still in their element and as in sync as ever. Another artist who hit success in their teens, Australia’s Ruel is now one of their biggest names in pop and proved popular with the late night crowd at Brighthelm.
Ruel
Some highlights from the seafront venues on Friday included the long walk down the pier to Horatio’s to catch Marsy’s mix of indie-folk songs. Their music was easily enjoyable and entwined with pop sensibilities and delicate melodies. They were followed by Y, fusing together different genres and previous band influences. Complete with shades and an air of intentional chaos, ‘experimental’ is clearly high in their vocabulary.
Always good to finish up with some thumping electronic beats; veering almost to trip-hop in their newer material, PVA have been stalwarts of the dance/rave scene for the best part of 10 years now and seem comfortable in their skins as festival-pleasers. Certainly regulars on the Brighton events calendar, it’s fitting to have them here this week.
So there we have it, another year done and dusted, a hive of activity all across the city, lots of connections made, and a plethora of new music names introduced to us and many others. We’ll be checking in with some of the artists we saw at TGE over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for more of an insight into about they enjoyed the festival and what they’re up to next…
You can find photos from Peaches’ spotlight show at TGE by Mike Burnell here
Limited super early bird tickets for next year’s Great Escape are available now on this link
Review by Callum & Siobhan
Photos by Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 18th May 2026
John 5 & Dan Byrne at Concorde 2, Brighton, 17th May 2026
JOHN 5 is out on the road across the UK and Europe (May and October dates). Having gained fame playing with Mötley Crüe, this is a chance for fans to catch his first full solo tour here. Last night he performed at Brighton’s Concorde 2 with support from Dan Byrne – gallery below by Mike Burnell.
Hosted by Divergent Promotions
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 18th May 2026
The Great Escape – Peaches Spotlight Show at Brighton Dome, 15th May 2026
Providing a stunning spotlight show for The Great Escape, Peaches brought her own special brand of theatre to Brighton Dome. Gallery by Mike Burnell below.
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 16th May 2026
On The Beach Festival, Brighton, July 2026
With festival season heading into full swing, we’re looking forward to more big summer events on the coast, not least a return to On The Beach with some great acts lined up. This will build on the success of previous years and the positives that brings, not just for concert-goers but for the whole area.
Brighton’s On The Beach Festival generated over £8.3 million for the local economy in 2025, according to a new Economic and Social Impact Report – underlining its growing importance as a driver of tourism, jobs and cultural activity in the city, ahead of its return this summer. The report, produced by Marshall Regen, found that the seafront event attracted more than 59,000 attendees, with around two thirds travelling from outside Brighton, bringing significant visitor spend into local businesses, accommodation and hospitality. In total, the festival supported over 300 jobs and delivered more than £3 million in visitor spend, highlighting its role as a key contributor to the city’s wider economy. Now entering its sixth year, On The Beach has become a defining part of Brighton’s summer calendar.
Launched in 2021, On The Beach has just won ‘Best Location’ at the Skiddle Awards 2026 and has previously hosted sold-out shows from artists including Fatboy Slim, Chase & Status, Above & Beyond, Bicep, Eric Prydz, Underworld and Carl Cox alongside Royal Blood, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs and The Kooks – establishing itself as a key destination on the UK festival circuit.
A spokesperson for On The Beach said: “As all year round local operators, On The Beach has always been about more than just the shows – it’s about contributing to the wider life of the city. This report really underlines the role the festival now plays within Brighton.
Carl Cox said, “Brighton has always felt like a second home to me. It is such an honour to have headlined On The Beach festival 5 times – every year has been better than the last and it is always one of the highlights of my summer”.
Alongside its economic impact, the report highlights the festival’s role within the local community – working with independent businesses, supporting local suppliers, and creating opportunities for residents and visitors to come together.
Katie Mintram, Director at Yellowave Beach Sports Venue, said: “On The Beach is a great addition to Brighton’s summer calendar – it brings visitors into the city, supports local businesses and creates a real sense of energy along the seafront.
The 2026 edition of On The Beach returns to Brighton seafront this July, with headline performances from Fatboy Slim, The Maccabees, Madness and Moby, brought to you by promoters Joy and Louder. For more details and tickets, check the website here.
Published 12th May 2026
Bloodworm at Green Door Store, Brighton, 7th May 2026
Word is spreading about Bloodworm, and rightly so. Having recently been handpicked to tour with Suede, the trio are currently out on their own headline shows around the UK. On Thursday, they took a trip to the coast and impressed the Brighton crowd in style. From the opening notes, their set showed a formidable cohesion of sound. With reminiscence of the heady days of 70s/80s goth and alt-punk scenes, their songs have clear shots of the likes of Bauhaus and The Chameleons topped with their own modern day twist.
The quality never dipped; it’s clear that their art is well practised and real, and it will be interesting to see how things shift over the next year or so. It feels like what Nottingham may be sharing one of its finest acts with a whole lot more people to come very soon. Check out the band’s recently released EP Blood & Lust for some premium angst with atmosphere that makes the darkness a little brighter.
(Bonus points for having The Fall’s Totally Wired as the walk on track).
Setlist: The Crown, Depths, Back Of A Hand, Nothing, Alone In Your Garden, 100 Lifetimes, Jangle, The Ground, No Face, Bloodlust, Cemetery Dance, Clairvoyance
Review & Photos by Siobhan O’Driscoll – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 9th May 2026
Exhibition, V&A East, London, 18th April 2026 – 3rd January 2027
The Music is Black: A British Story
Header Image: Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition
The Music is Black: A British Story.
© David Parry for the V&A.
Exciting to see news of V&A East Museum’s first exhibition, The Music is Black: A British Story, celebrating the voices, talent and stories of Black British music and its global impact. Open now until early 2027, this project reflects a huge range of talent and influence from past and current artists – more details below.
The exhibition brings together hidden stories of early legends and contemporary artists through objects from groundbreaking musician Winifred Atwell’s piano to the Nintendo Jme used for early music experiments, fashion worn by Little Simz, Seal, Dame Shirley Bassey and Skin and newly acquired photographs of Kemistry and Storm, Mis-T eeq, and Skepta.
V&A East Museum team prepares Winifred Atwell’s piano.
Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story.
© Adama Jalloh for the V&A.
This multisensory exhibition explores the profound impact of Black artistry on British music, culture and beyond. The Music is Black: A British Story traces the roots of music descended from African musical practices that have influenced and transformed British identity over the past 125 years. Tracing an ever-evolving sound shaped by British colonialism, transatlantic enslavement, migration and innovation, this exhibition is a celebration of resilience, creativity and joy. It reveals how British-born Black music genres – from lovers rock and Brit funk, to 2 tone, jungle, drum & bass, trip hop, UK garage, grime and beyond have inspired and impacted lives across the UK and around the world.
Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story.
© David Parry for the V&A.
Divided into four powerful acts, the exhibition brings together an evocative sound experience and multimedia installations with over 200 objects from 1900 to today. Spanning fashion, photography, musical instruments and technology, personal writings, song sheets, sculpture, paintings and more, objects include over 60 newly acquired items to the V&A collection. New acquisitions on display for the first time include clothing worn by Seal for his eponymous 1991 debut album, Eddie Otchere’s vivid photographs of drum & bass duo Kemistry and Storm, Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar that sparked her love of music, and the jacket that rapper and actor Nolay wore when filming Top Boy. For the first time, a series of personal items belonging to music-makers, DJs and producers, such as DJ Target, and those connected to Jammer’s Lord of the Mics created with Chad ‘Ratty’ Stennett, which changed the trajectory for many MCs, go on display. Revealed for the first time is Jme’s Super Nintendo and Mario Paint game, which he used for his first experiments with music-making in the 1990s, before founding grime collective and record label, Boy Better Know (BBE) with his brother Skepta.
Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story.
© David Parry for the V&A.
The exhibition includes iconic fashion, from the striking dress worn in 2013 by Dame Shirley Bassey to perform ‘Goldfinger’ at the 85th Academy Awards, celebrating 50 years of the James Bond film franchise, to the Comme des Garçons ensemble worn by rapper Little Simz for British magazine Dazed in 2023, and a provocative green suit and spiked headpiece worn by singer-songwriter Skin – the first Black woman to headline Glastonbury in 1999. Also on show are ensembles worn by music-making pioneers from Carroll Thompson to Janet Kay MBE, Pauline Black, Sade, and Morcheeba’s Skye Edwards. Visitors can also delve into hidden stories of musical figures across time through objects such as musical batons from the early 1900s belonging to classical composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, who was commissioned to compose music for the first Pan-African Conference in 1900. A piano belonging to Winifred Atwell, the first Black artist to have a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1954 is also on show, along with works of American icons who influenced Black British music-making including Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Big Mama Thornton. Artworks by Dame Sonia Boyce, Olayinka Burney-Nicol, Sokari Douglas Camp CBE, Denzil Forrester, Fowokan George Kelly, Tam Joseph, Vicky Lindo and Bill Brookes, and Zak Ové bring the exhibition further to life, including specially commissioned new works by Sir Frank Bowling and LR Vandy, unveiled for the first time.
Inside V&A East Museum’s inaugural exhibition The Music is Black: A British Story.
© David Parry for the V&A.
Exhibition runs until Sunday, 3 January 2027
V&A East Museum
107 Carpenters Rd
London, E20 2AR
Please check the museum’s website for full details and ticket prices before visiting
Published 7th May 2026
The Great Escape Festival, multi-venue across Brighton, 13th-16th May 2026
Almost there – less than 10 days now until The Great Escape kicks off again, bringing hundreds of local and worldwide artists from all genres to Brighton. It’s obviously super hard to pick just a few out but here are 10 recommendations from us – we’d love to hear who’s top of your list too! To note, the list below is purely from the main line-up – we’re still working through the Alt Escape stages. If you’ve yet to commence planning, hopefully this will give you a starting point of acts to check out…
Aimée Fatale (Thursday at 12.10pm, TGE Beach Soundwaves)
Featurette (Thursday at 3.35pm, Green Door)
Hank (Saturday at 3.30pm, Waterbear Venue)
J Appiah (Friday at 2.15pm, One Church)
Kids Return (Friday 10.15pm, TGE Beach Soundwaves)
Lemonsuckr (Wednesday at 10.15pm, Concorde 2 & Friday at 11.15pm, Prince Albert)
MADMADMAD (Friday at 3.30pm, Brighthelm)
Pigeon (Thursday at 9.15pm, Charles St Tap)
Vera Daisies (Friday at 8.15pm, Green Door & Saturday at 7.30pm, Prince Albert)
Winter Gardens (Wednesday at 7.15pm, Concorde 2)
Please check the TGE app for any changes to artists, venues or times – full line-up on the TGE website
Published 5th May 2026
Louis Tomlinson, Pale Waves & ADMT at Brighton Centre, 2nd May 2026
A sold out Brighton Centre for Louis Tomlinson’s How Did We Get Here? world tour last night. Always a supporter of other artists, Louis brought Pale Waves and ADMT along to start the show. The tour continues at The O2 London tonight, with another chance to catch him play at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland on 23rd May before he heads off to Canada, the States and Australia.
Gallery by Mike Burnell
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 3rd May 2026
Breaking Glass Magazine – May 2026
music, photography and more…
Not sure if we should except blazing sunshine or pouring rain but, either way, it’s the start of a busy month as The Great Escape comes around again. Another strong line-up with emerging artists from around the world heading to Brighton, and with the Fringe hitting the city at the same time there’ll be lots to cover. It’s a great introduction to full on festival season and we’ll be catching up with you from various events across the summer. Would love to see your festival shots – tag us on your best ones!
For all our latest posts, follow us on Instagram here
Header shot: Deck Chairs © Siobhan
Published 1st May 2026
White Magic For Lovers, Catrin Vincent, Platonica Erotica & Charlie Keen’s Silver Birch at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 24th April 2026
Hosted by Hidden Herd
A night filled with ambience and alt-folk waves as a well matched collection of artists graced the stage at The Hope & Ruin on Friday night. First up, Charlie Keen’s Silver Birch took the ancient art of the ‘one-man band’ in a new direction. Not often that a trombone makes an appearance at gigs and nice to see it taking the spotlight here, sharing duties with a synth and another rarely spotted device in the shape of a Shruti Box. A very cool way to begin, with the room quickly starting to fill up throughout the set.
Some dark, dreamy and delicate tunes next from Platonica Erotica, offering up elfin dance moves with a languid performance evocative of a 1940’s underground jazz club. Simple but effective, proving that sometimes less fuss does indeed reap more flavour.
Another accomplished solo set to follow from Catrin Vincent. Love to see the confidence to wait for people to stop talking before embarking on the first song, and it was with good reason that the chatting didn’t rekindle other than between tracks, when tales of being stuck on a boat and past band adventures with Another Sky were shared. The purest of vocals kept the crowd enthralled; an impressive delivery start to finish.
Headliners for the night were White Magic For Lovers, creating an intimate staging of their laid-back lounge sound, incorporating velvety sax and lithe flute lines. A masterclass in sophisticated restraint, their playing felt effortless – the perfect conclusion to end proceedings.
Review & Photos by Siobhan O’Driscoll – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 28th April 2026
Today’s ‘In Focus’ feature is with Denise Johnson, a photographer based in California who is living proof that if you follow your dreams, big things can happen! Here, she shares her story and a glimpse of her ever-growing portfolio…
left: Nolan Richards, right: Jaime Miranda
My photography journey started when I was a kid and had exposure to my father’s camera. He taught me some things. When I was 8, I ended up winning a Polaroid camera. Then when I was 11, tragedy struck and I lost my father. I wanted nothing to do with photography, cameras, etc. Fast forward many years later, my father-in-law (who shared a birthday with my father) bought me a camera. I thought to myself, ‘What in the world am I going to do with this?’ Well, 10 months later my friend begged me to take some maternity photos for her, so I did. That December I launched my business. I named it DJ’s Photography because even though my father is no longer with me I totally feel he guided me this whole time. It symbolizes both our initials. Thank you, Daddy, for always guiding me!! Love and miss you all the time. In 2023, I got the absurd but brilliant idea to combine my two biggest passions (photography and music) and ran with it. I literally jumped in blindly and worked on building my portfolio.
top row: Kilborn
bottom left: Santos & Celinda of unpolished*, bottom right: Michael
In late 2024, I joined Highwire Daze Magazine and slowly worked my way up to be offered the Assistant Editor position. There have been so many amazing opportunities and I have had the privilege to work with so many musicians and meet some really cool people. It has opened other doors. I can’t wait to keep growing and working with many more.
top left: Sierra Levesque, top right: Charlotte
middle row: Will & Max of Invile, bottom row: Savanna of Invile
In 2025, pushing myself definitely resulted in some very cool, unexpected opportunities, including becoming Assistant Editor for Highwire Daze, having one of my photos used as a Spotify single release and appearing on a CD cover for Bad Americans. I also had the privilege to photograph a small Southern California Tour with Echo Spine, which resulted in becoming the band’s exclusive photographer.
Echo Spine (top left: Jake, top right: Thumper)
I started 2026 with a cool experience with ‘my band’ Echo Spine, they got to perform at one of NAMMs after-parties at The Grand Theater in Anaheim, CA. I am super thankful they brought me along, and it was an experience I will never forget.
I have some exciting aspirations for 2026, and I can’t wait…
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A massive thank you to Denise for giving us an insight into her world and photography! You can check out more of her work and follow her adventures on Instagram; link below:
Instagram: denj1219
Published 22nd April 2026
Blue at Brighton Centre, 18th April 2026
Blue were welcomed back to the coast last night with a sold out show at Brighton Centre, entertaining the crowd with their back catalogue of established favourites and their latest album Reflections. Mike Burnell was there to capture some great shots – gallery below.
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 19th April 2026
For out latest ‘In Focus’ feature we’re delighted to introduce you to the work of Michael Sprouse, a Washington DC based photographer capturing the energy of the local music scene at venues of all sizes. Over to Michael to tell you more…
I can’t sing and I can’t play an instrument, so I take photos of those who do!
I live in the Washington DC metro area and shoot shows throughout Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and DC. From clubs to arenas, you’ll probably find me there with my camera. I attended my first concert long ago; it was Kiss with the original four members and that show set me on my path with a life long love for live music and the concert experience!
top left: Billy Idol, top right: Rob Zombie
bottom left: Ghost, bottom right: Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes
I have been shooting concerts with pro level gear, for about five years now. I got my start with MetalTalk.net and I currently shoot for Parklife DC and The Photo Pit. Before that I got the bug years earlier, when I shot the band some friends were in. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and I definitely didn’t have the right camera, but I loved it anyway! I learned from my mistakes (at least I hope so) and conducted research into low light photography, focusing specifically on concert photography. Over many years, I shot a lot of shows of a regional band, Kix. They were kind enough to allow me to shoot their entire show, every time I attended one, which allowed me to learn and develop my skills.
left: Brian Forsythe of Kix
right: Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless
I tend to shoot primarily rock and roll artists, although I did shoot blues guitarists Buddy Guy and Gary Clark, Jr. I also shot comedian John Cleese last year!
left: John Cleese of Monty Python & Fawlty Towers fame (with killer bunny slippers!)
right: Gary Clark Jr
Anyone from Alice Cooper to Dirty Honey to The Warning to ZZ Top – new bands, classic bands, it is all rock and roll to me!
top: Pau Villarreal of The Warning, middle left: Alice Cooper
middle right: Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, bottom: Dirty Honey
Huge thanks to Michael for sharing some of his awesome collection. Do check out more of his images on the links below!
Website: OddRockerPhotography.com | Instagram: oddrockerphotography
Published 15th April 2026
Homegrown Festival, multi-venue across Brighton, 11th April 2026
Back for its third year to celebrate Brighton’s thriving grassroots artists, venues and community, Homegrown Festival took in 9 of the city’s favourite live rooms and offered up an eclectic mix of talent to choose from. With busy queuing for wristbands and the threat of rain, it was a trepidatious start that quickly picked up pace as the music kicked off.
First on my list were SoftTop at Daltons – their ‘soft music for soft people’ was the perfect way to start the day and proved enough to bring the sunshine out as well. A multitude of not seen often enough instruments including clarinet, cello and flute filled the stage, with understated melodies still managing to pack a punch. Shout out to Daltons too – a venue putting heaps of effort into building a welcoming space for everyone.
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Next, onto what feels like my home from home at The Hope & Ruin. Lots of buzz around My Precious Bunny, the new project by Lily from Penelope Isles and friends. Playing as a 7-piece, the camaraderie between band members was crystal clear and they sounded on point – a suitably dreamy and nostalgia-filled addition to the Bella Union roster. Their debut album A Moment In My Eyes is out next month with more dates pending if you want to check them out.
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I stuck around at The Hope to catch The Daniel Wakeford Experience, a charming and enjoyable set filled with some cleverly formed rock-pop songs. Lots of singalongs from the crowd, unsurprisingly perhaps for his tribute to Brighton, Wonderful City. A stripped back cover of Jealous Guy was the highlight for me and I’d guess for the many swaying hands in the air too.
The Daniel Wakeford Experience
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Onto another new venue that is a welcome addition to the local scene – Alphabet is situated in what was the Rialto Theatre and the decor has retained an appropriately retro Speakeasy feel. On stage, Cowboy Lyf played electronic beats through a sea of dried ice and dimmed lights, creating pockets of clubland dancers in the crowd – impressive for an early evening set.
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Back up the road to The Albert for, as expected, an accomplished performance of gritty grunge-pop and fake blood from Girl Apocrypha, a happy late inclusion on the line-up. Including a guest book for everyone to sign and a cover of MGMT’s Kids, beneath the visual gimmickry there are some strong songs and vocals, and this act feels very much like a contender for the ‘ones to watch’ list.
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Although there was much more music continuing into the night, the final visit for me was to Green Door to see AtticOmatic, a band whose musicianship is right up there and who manage to genre-hop seamlessly. Their skills are downplayed but obvious, and they manage to convey a solid sense of emotional questioning and balance. It would have been a tough act to follow and finished things off flawlessly.
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A reminder of the diverse talent and nurturing environment Brighton has to offer, Homegrown put on a formidable showcase. Please support grassroots venues – the world of music would be significantly lesser without them and the breakthrough artists they foster.
Review & Photos by Siobhan O’Driscoll – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 13th April 2026
Creeper & The Howling at Chalk, Brighton, 12th April 2026
Formed in Southampton over a decade ago, Creeper are currently out on the road with their ‘Sangui-Tour’. Grabbing the opportunity to see them play songs from last year’s release Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death alongside its precursor, 2023’s Sanguivore, a sold out crowd filled Brighton’s Chalk last night. Support came from The Howling (featuring former members of As Sirens Fall and James And The Cold Gun).
Gallery by Mike Burnell
Hosted by Lout Promotions
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 13th April 2026
Bibi Club, Solid Pleasure & Hi? at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 7th April 2026
Hosted by Love Thy Neighbour
Having met 2/3 of Hi? at multiple gigs in Brighton, it was a pleasure to finally catch them live, opening up at The Albert on Tuesday night. Drawing from noticeable influences including The Cocteau Twins and Wire, their set included a mix of jagged and ethereally delicate vocals, layered with hints of psychedelia and dream-pop. Their EP days of sunshine and seashells, released towards the end of last year, is aptly titled to reflect their sound and the sense of nostalgia and harmony that the songs bring.
Consistently perfecting their own brand of darkened synthwave sprinkled with a beautifully transient deep to falsetto vocal range, Solid Pleasure are firmly digging their heels into the heart of Brighton’s live music circuit. Always an inspired addition to any line-up, 2026 looks like a promising year for the two-piece with hopefully many more live dates to come. If you could place Solid Pleasure into a TV show, they’d be playing Lynch’s Red Room in Twin Peaks, and ultimately who doesn’t want to be in Cooper’s dreams?
Headliners Bibi Club were new to me and many others I spoke to, so it’s fair to say that the huge reaction they received was spontaneous approval – understandable given the Montreal-based duo’s performance; their energy fuelled dancing and futuristic projections both visually entrancing. I’m sure it’s been said before but there’s a definite parallel with Stereolab’s Dots and Loops era, and a real connection between the two as they seem to play off each other with absolute synchronicity. An excellent end to the evening.
Review & Photos by Siobhan O’Driscoll – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 9th April 2026
Shtëpi, Kitchen Lover, CHITCHAT & Nagasaki Dog at the Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 1st April 2026
Volume up to the max for Wednesday’s latest showcase from Hidden Herd at the Hope & Ruin, with four acts giving animated performances over the course of the night.
First on, and with bonus points for a Cribs T-shirt, Nagasaki Dog got things off to a lively start with some sharp indie guitar hooks. Following close behind, a solid mix of heavier riffs and softer melodies from alt-rock ensemble CHITCHAT. Bringing their own sparkly floor covering (as you would), Kitchen Lover opted for the well established tradition of head banging and a mosh pit – kudos to the crowd for maintaining this throughout their set.
Finally to Shtëpi and the dilemma of how best to describe them – art punk maybe? Stacked instrumentation including a telephone and a tambourine against guitar, bass, drums and keys will give you an idea of the set up and energy involved. A great night, April Fool if you weren’t there.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Photos by Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst
Published 3rd April 2026
Infected Rain, Butcher Babies & Black Spikes sat Concorde 2, Brighton, 1st April 2026
Awesome show at Concorde 2 in Brighton last night with dynamic performances from Infected Rain and support acts Butcher Babies and Black Spikes. Gallery from all three sets by Mike Burnell.
Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo
Published 2nd April 2026
Breaking Glass Magazine 