Category: Gig Gallery

Live – Comforts | Mulimba | Winter Gardens | Fukushima Dolphin at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 23rd July 2025

Quite the mix of musical styles on display at The Hope & Ruin on Wednesday, starting with a sprinkling of psychedelic folk-rock from Fukushima Dolphin. Maintaining the tradition of experimental Brighton duos and throwing in a massive hat for good measure, it was a gentle and upbeat start to proceedings.

Next up and kind of stealing the show a bit for me, Winter Gardens are a prime example of an act who’ve developed over the years from decent but tentative beginnings to mastering the art of making shoegaze stand out in style. Hints of The Cure and Cocteaus come through, but their performance is all of their own, tight-knit and with momentum constantly building. An excellent set.

Another change of pace and genre as Mulimba blends threads of hip-hop, rock and gospel to a backdrop of heavy beats. Technical issues caused some delays and ultimately made for a condensed set – would be good to catch more.

Headliners for the night were Comforts, delivering indie-rock with mandatory hooks and plenty of energy. Making a dent on the festival circuit, they release their debut EP later this year. Good to see the room busy on a school night and surely something for everyone in the mix. All four acts play at this year’s Dedfest on 16th August – tickets here.

Hosted by Hidden Herd x Dedfest

Fukushima Dolphin

Winter Gardens

Mulimba

Comforts

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 27th July 2025

Velvetine, Swallowtail & Le Lamb at The Rossi Bar, Brighton, 17th July 2025

Take two promoters with a love for live music, three acts putting their own mark on live performance, one short walk from Brighton train station to The Rossi Bar, and you have yourself an excellent way to spend a very misty Thursday night.

First up, and with the crowd already flocking in (no apologies there, many more ovine puns I’m omitting to include), Le Lamb combine theatrics with musical shades of dark and light, elements of  avant-rock through to psych-noir – if there is such a thing – popping up across the set. Always intriguing, don’t be surprised to see bigger dates coming through for them soon.

The filling in the sonic sandwich came from another local act, Swallowtail. More juxtapositions of genres, think hefty shoegaze that lures you in and smacks you round the shoulders just as you’re getting comfortable… in a good way, in case of any doubt. The ones to watch list just keeps getting longer.

Closing the evening, Velvetine brought a case load of glammed up alt-rock down from London with them. The four piece have developed a heavier sound and performance over the last couple of years, and seem very at home picking up the headline slot. It may have been foggy outside, but inside the talent roster was clear for all to see. Gallery below.

Hosted by Hidden Herd x Parallel Lines

Le Lamb

Swallowtail

Velvetine

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 22nd July 2025

WaterBear Music Bar, Brighton – Launch Party, 16th July 2025

The last few years have seen a number of Brighton’s grassroots music venues fall victim to closure and hard-fought applications to change the purpose of neighbouring buildings, causing concern for their future. All of that makes it even more pleasing to see a new venue open its doors. Under the stewardship of WaterBear – The College of Music, what once was Latest Music Bar has become WaterBear Music Bar, becoming their second live music space in the city, set up to host touring acts, student showcases and events tied to the college’s educational programmes.

With a solid opening line-up featuring Congratulations, Sametime, Dirtsharks & Tia Ice, the launch party last week got things off to a great start, and it’s good to see that the venue will be part of the Keeping Music Live campaign launched with the Music Venue Trust, raising awareness of the importance of  grassroots venues in offering a start point for a huge array of homegrown and touring artists.

Sam Rushton, Events and Careers Coordinator at WaterBear, said: “We’re thrilled to announce the opening of WaterBear Music Bar. This is a building with serious history. We’re proud to continue that story, creating a space for gigs, talks, club nights and more.”

Gallery below from what will hopefully be the first of many nights of live music to come.

Tia Ice

Dirtsharks

Sametime

Congratulations

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 20th July 2025

Fast Money Music, The Prince Albert, Brighton, 2nd July 2025

There was a definite buzz around the support act at Brighton’s Prince Albert on Wednesday night. Bringing a composite mix of influences to Fast Money Music, Nick Hinman’s time spent in New York comes through with jagged artful punk undertones reminiscent of big hitters Suicide and Television. That said, there’s a strong hint of the glam era in there from the band too, with a saxophone that wouldn’t sound amiss on a Roxy Music track, and which elicited the most eloquent of compliments with “Your sax is sexy as fuck” hailing from the crowd.

Now based in East London, Hinman’s stage presence suggests he is wholly at ease performing and, based on the audience reaction, it feels as though we’ll be hearing a lot more from Fast Money Music, hopefully with more live shows to come. There’s an album expected for release next year and a couple more shows on this tour supporting Tempesst. I’m pretty sure they’re sold out but if you get the chance to grab a ticket, it’s a high recommendation:
5th July – The Wardrobe, Leeds
6th July – The Globe, Cardiff

Gallery from the Brighton show below.

Fast Money Music

Listen to Hunky Dory here

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 4th July 2025

Pozi, For Breakfast, Big Long Sun & Speedial at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 6th June 2025

With over 20 musicians taking the stage over the course of the night, The Hope & Ruin played host to the usual guitar, drums and keyboards along with violin, sax, flute and not forgetting the esteemed cowbell and tambourine.

First up, a fusion of jazz-sprinkled math rock from Speedial. With dual vocals and a slight feeling of hypnosis, their tracks could feasibly all mesh together to form an indie film soundtrack. Busy on the London live scene, the four piece appear to be picking up the pace in honing their style and widening their audience; an intriguing start to proceedings.

So then to a double order of 7-Up, as the next two acts have the numbers to cosplay as the wonders of the world or Snow White’s pals (and there are potentially more group members not here tonight). Whilst Big Long Sun is technically the solo project of Jamie Broughton, the collective on stage run like a well oiled machine and bring different elements to the overall sound, bringing a bunch of experience from playing with other bands to the table, culminating in art rock with an indie twist. For Breakfast switch the pace again, this time towards dream-pop – a decidedly Elizabeth Fraser-esque vocal in play and a multitude of instruments to pull your attention in different directions.

Headlining tonight, Pozi skip through their 14-track setlist with an infectious energy. Their experimental avant-garde alt-pop tunes often land within the 2-3 minute mark, further serving to keep the tempo firmly set to fast and furious. The live room has been busy all night and stays packed till curfew hits, ending on a musical and performative high as expected. Nicely done.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Speedial

Big Long Sun

For Breakfast

Pozi

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 11th June 2025

Freya Beer, Miler & NYSSA at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 28th May 2025

Beating the midweek slump, a trip to The Albert for the latest music showcase from Hidden Herd / Crafting Room was a welcome distraction. A strong start from Toronto singer-songwriter NYSSA with some deep tones to her voice reminiscent of the Patti Smith / Marianne Faithfull era, and an unexpected fusion of genres as synth-punk meets a classic rock ‘n’ roll undertone. I suspect the crowd would have happily listened for longer. The middle slot was filled by locals Miler, a new incarnation of their former moniker Harper. Their offering has a dream-pop shoegaze base that almost takes on a country twang at times, and with a new name and new music there’s sure to be more chances pending to catch them around Brighton.

Headliner Freya Beer has honed her style into an atmospheric juxtaposition of light pop and dark gothic soundwaves, her vocal is hauntingly frail at times but packs the most powerful of punches. She has spent some time recently supporting the peerless Dr John Cooper Clarke on tour and frankly, if JCC is backing someone, we should all pay attention. With a set including an icy cover of Britney’s Toxic and commanding latest single Cry Baby, the evening very much ended on a high.

NYSSA

Miler

Freya Beer

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 30th May 2025

 

Flat Party, Black Bordello, COWZ & Ski Lift at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 7th May 2025

Back at my favourite venue for a quartet of bands offering up a discerning assortment of genres last Wednesday – first up at The Hope & Ruin are south London based Ski Lift, indie pop with a touch of new wave. Benji’s vocal is reminiscent of a young Pete Shelley and the dynamics of the band fit together well, getting things off to a great start.

Brighton’s own COWZ follow – always lots of fun to watch, their saccharine alt-pop lands like a warped Eurovision entry. Part kitsch, part razor sharp lyrics, they’re a duo to be reckoned with and always add a shot of energy to any line-up.

Black Bordello take the next slot, intriguing and hard to pinpoint genre-wise. There’s a definite goth vibe visually but the music takes a few twists and turns along the way. Experimental vocals push the songs in different directions with hints of Kaleidoscope-era Siouxsie, particularly on opening track Acid Mary. The set manages to be both brash and gentle at the same time and leaves an impression for sure.

Completing proceedings, an accomplished performance from Flat Party with a confident stage presence and some clear Britpop epoch influences. A nod to their appreciation of Suede comes through in Jack’s vocal, and I can’t help but think that overall they’re a bit like you would have hoped Blur would be before they started making cheese (musically and literally). Lots of unreleased tracks suggest that 2025 is going to be a big year for Flat Party – on our recommended list.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Ski Lift

COWZ

Black Bordello

Flat Party

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 12th May 2025

Panic Shack at Patterns, Brighton, 6th May 2025

It’s hard to imagine that a Panic Shack gig would ever be anything other than bags of fun, some left-field choreography and a bunch of songs that stick two fingers up to misogyny and general societal inequalities while kicking out some stupidly catchy tunes – and this was no exception.

I maintain that Patterns is the wrong shape and layout for live music, especially on a sold out gig as, apart from being in one or two decent vantage points, a big section of the crowd isn’t going to actually see much of what’s happening on stage. That didn’t stop the party though and openers The Pill set things up nicely with an already rammed venue and a punchy set of their own.

Panic Shack have long since reached the point of being a reliably good live band, and it’s great to see them still looking like they’re having an absolute ball. With a set list including Gok Wan, Baby, Who’s Got My Lighter? and The Ick, they gave an impressive performance and surely pushed the sales of their QR coded lanyards through the roof with an on-point sales pitch (other bands take note – if you’re having trouble engaging the crowd, just have them collectively chant ‘LANYARD!’ and it’ll probably be fine). The sugary-sweet days of 90s ‘girl power’ are thankfully behind us but make no mistake, the power of women in music, friendship and fun is very much in the present.

Hosted by Lout Promotions

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 8th May 2025

Sean Paul at Brighton Centre, 23rd April 2025

Multi-million selling dancehall star Sean Paul is filling venues on his Bring It tour, last night entertaining the crowd at Brighton Centre with songs spanning his 25 year career.

Mike Burnell was there to capture some awesome shots of the show, gallery below…

Photos © Mike Burnell iso400.com | Instagram: iso400mike | X: iso400photo

Published 24th April 2025

 

Amplify Her Live at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 17th April 2025

A project founded in 2023 by Andrea Dee, Amplify Her creates a space where women in the music industry support each other’s progress whilst championing gender equality. Last week’s Brighton showcase at The Hope & Ruin saw three talented artists perform, and offered a great networking opportunity for women in multiple creative roles to meet and make connections. The evening was opened by Andrea, speaking about the reasons she set up Amplify Her, noting that the lack of women booked for festivals was not reflective of the current chart scene, which is often filled and topped by successful women artists. Andrea then noted two guidelines for the night – 1. speak to a stranger and 2. if you’re here for the first act, stay for the last act (this one should be a given for any gig, and the same goes in the other direction – come to see the headliner, get there for the supports).

First up, some smooth soul rifts from Tia Ice, incorporating poetry into her songs and drawing the crowd in with her narrative of personal reflection. Taking the middle slot, a fusion of folk and Americana from Mookie switched the pace up, with bags of energy from her and the band. Lastly, headliner Adriana Lord took us on journey of storytelling spanning history, heritage and motherhood, all backed with some beautiful songs and an almost meditative atmosphere. A great line-up and a very welcoming crowd of people – you can check out more Amplify Her events here.

Tia Ice

Tia with Andrea / Networking

Mookie

Adriana Lord

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 21st April 2025

Hot Face,  Jock & Telecom at The Prince Albert

Channeling the pop-leaning surface of 60s’ psychedelia, Telecom opened up Wednesday’s Hidden Herd showcase with a smooth set of soft melodies and double vocal harmonies. With a sound reminiscent of tracks like See Emily Play and My White Bicycle, the five piece fit well together and are clearly building a local following as they progress.

The rest of the night took a noisier turn with gritty garage-punk from Jock bringing a bunch of abrasive tunes and bags of energy – think Television meets The Slits on double speed. It comes with a contemporary twist and a sense that the trio are having an absolute blast, an attribute that always get picked up by the crowd and adds to the atmosphere.

Headliners Hot Face continued the frenetic pace with a bundle of fuzzed up songs, some frenzied guitar playing and all three band members taking turns on vocals. There are many current artists picking up the punk mantle but not a huge number that manage to make it feel authentic. Hot Face take this in their stride  with nods to the spiky sound of Wire and pure punk originals The Clash. Not hard to see why they were picked up by the prestigious Speedy Wunderground label, definitely worth a repeat visit.

Hosted by Hidden Herd

Telecom

Jock

Hot Face

Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Published 19th April 2025