music, photography and more
Bambie Thug, Chalk, Brighton, 30th August 2024
A performer in the true sense, Bambie Thug brought their very own brand of rock and pop theatre to the stage at Brighton’s Chalk last night. A big crowd for a big entertainer, the flamboyant mix of music, dance and scenography went down a storm. Gallery from Mike Burnell below.
Hosted by Live Nation
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 31st August 2024
Jaws The Shark, Dumfun, SULK & Triple Drain at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton,14th August 2024
A wake-up for the senses on a Wednesday night with four acts drawing on the heart of garage rock with undercurrents of grunge, dirge, sludge and any other mucky descriptors you might wish to add.
Starting proceedings, the first trio of the night Triple Drain added an essence of heavy 80s’ goth, their thrashing guitars softened by the vocal and switch ups in pace between tracks. With an undeniable nod to the chaos of Hole both visually and sonically, SULK were up next, a tight-knit session from the whole band with all the energy that comes from working hard on the gig and festival circuit. Another three-piece in Dumfun followed, really reminded me of the Brighton scene 10 years or so back when the likes of Demob Happy and Tigercub were hitting a wider radar, clearly popular with the crowd and a great segue into the headliner.
Speaking of which, last act up was Jaws The Shark. With songs filled to the brim with an amalgam of nod-along riffs, catchy indie melodies and a sound crossing multiple rock-centred genres, this was a fitting end to an evening that never dipped. It’s evident that this is a project that’s evolved since its inception in lockdown; take a listen to latest album Wasteland (out now via SO Recordings) for more.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 19th August 2024
Truck Festival, Steventon, Oxfordshire, 25th-28th July 2024
Blistering sunshine and blistering sounds as Hill Farm once again played host to the now long established Truck Festival at the weekend – a dairy farm aptly adapted to offer up the cream of the crop. With big names across its duration including headliners IDLES, Jamie T, Wet Leg and The Streets, Truck continues to entice in the best of acts old and new, with more recent breakthrough artists counting Dog Race, Carsick, English Teacher, Lime Garden, Ebbb, Luna Lake, VLURE and Bob Vylan into its entourage. The site is a great size, easy to get around and go on then, let’s give a special mention to the usual bane of everyone’s festival existence – yes, the toilets were plentiful and the toilet roll replenishing team could be seen regularly around the portaloo huddles, big tick!
Middle row: Coach Party, Bottom row: Luna Lake
I guess good weather makes it easier (we missed the pre-weekend downpours) but the atmosphere across the fields was equally warm and relaxed, and clearly a lot of thought and planning had gone into making sure there were areas for everyone to enjoy. Good to see some families attending instilling a love of live music into the next generation to safeguard all those grassroots venues out there, without whom most of these artists would be nowhere near playing festival stages. Also encouraging to see that dinosaurs are welcome…
Lots of band T-shirts on display, with Dog Race taking the prize for most self-deprecating merch (see above). You can tell how popular a band are getting when they play an early slot and still people flock to see them. Having only caught them in pretty small venues so far, it was good to see that nothing is lost in translation on a bigger platform. They definitely have the ability to go their own way, the vocal setting them apart from many other indie-royalty contenders – certainly a big draw at The Market Stage. Elsewhere, lots more new music to catch and enjoy with lots of daytime support for Luna Lake and Coach Party on the main Truck stage, and a similarly favoured reception over at The Nest for The Manatees, Eliza May and Mary in the Junkyard, amongst many others.
Top left: The Manatees, Top Right: Eliza May, Bottom row: Mary in the Junkyard
With some happy memories of being squashed in The Barn as it was years ago, seeing the likes of Eagulls (miss that band), Bloody Knees and Bo Ningen, its new lease of life as the Rockin’ Chair saw a no less salubrious songster entertain the masses. Up against strong competition at other stages, Shaun Williamson brought his feel-good karaoke party ‘Barrioke’ to town, with one of the strongest setlists you could hope for at a festival and a fetching gold lamé jacket to boot. Whatever you were expecting it lived up to the hype, with audience participation not only welcomed but encouraged, as he worked his way through Don’t Stop Me Now, The Only Way Is Up and The One And Only to name but a few, a masterful emcee for sure.
No surprises though that another stand out set from VLURE turned the volume up to the max and beyond. Love to see some of the VLURE regulars at the barrier and it’s clear to see why their fanbase is growing and growing. Seemingly constantly working to bring new tracks to their much loved catalogue of thumping dense rave-topped punk poetry, they just can’t help but outshine the rest. After taking an impressive support slot at their last Glasgow show, rapper and SAMA protege Psweatpants joined as the band’s special guest, providing collaboration on stage and mosh pit management – a welcome addition to an already slick performance. A masterclass in how to beat the heat and win over a festival crowd.
VLURE with a stand out set at The Nest
Another outfit absolutely taking things by storm, Bob Vylan had the crowd eating out of their hands from the get go. Not missing the chance to highlight their clash with The Kooks, a few lines of Naive were tongue in cheekily shared before their usual pre-set meditation ritual. Great to see all ages in attendance, with a nod to two of the younger members of the audience for their glittery Dream Big signs. Protagonists of protest songs they may be, but the positivity that comes along with Bob Vylan is a marker of how good they are, and they brought the numbers along inside and outside the stage area – intense in tents and out if you like. Go and see them if you can, it’s a beautiful experience.
Bob Vylan playing to a huge crowd inside and outside The Nest
So how do you end an event of this size and stature? After days of festivities and ferris wheels, The Streets were possibly the perfect act to see things out. After their much acclaimed Glasto set, expectations were high and easily matched. Mike Skinner seems at the same time very comfortable in his headliner role and equally puzzled by most everything in the world, many chats with the crowd melding into lyrics and talk of trucks of the articulated variety. Fusing hits old and new in rapid-fire quick succession, it was a reminder of the quality of songs he’s put out into the universe, and an inevitable singalong to the perfectly formed Dry Your Eyes couldn’t really be beaten as a winding down to proceedings.
The Streets closing the main stage in style
Another year done and dusted, but not before the requisite closing firework display covered the sky, signalling the end of an excellent event and time for everyone to grab hold of some after-sun and a reel of memories. Thanks to all involved for having us along.
Truck team: Siobhan & Callum
Published 1st August 2024
ELLiS-D, Velvetine, Oral Habit at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 24th July 2024
Jumping back about seven years or so, it felt like Strange Cages were due the title of Brighton house band, popping up on line-ups around the city and further afield on a very regular basis. I recall someone saying that seeing their drummer Ellis play was like watching Animal from the Muppets in human form, the frenetic pace of the backline adding the edge that pulled the band together. So it’s perhaps not a total surprise to find that the transition to front person is proving so successful. Now better recognised as ELLiS-D, this week’s headliner at The Albert rolled through last year’s Straitjacket Blues to new single Carousel, via a pumped up version of Elvis Costello’s (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea. Elements of rock, psych and I felt a real leaning into early 70’s glam mixed with the tenacity of The Cramps (glamp anyone?) made for an excellent set and a definite leap forwards in music and stage presence. Great connectivity between the whole band too.
Support on the night came from the talented Velvetine and Oral Habit – gallery from all three sets below.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 26th July 2024
On The Beach Festival, Brighton, 21st July 2024
Back with more big names this summer, On The Beach did what it said on the tin and took over a stretch of Brighton’s seafront for an array of genre-spanning acts – and the sunshine came out to play too. Sunday saw a crowd of 10,000 people enjoying local headliners The Kooks, plus plenty more live music from Sea Girls, Maxïmo Park, Kate Nash, Brooke Combe, Nieve Ella and Fred Roberts. Mike Burnell was there to capture some fantastic shots throughout the day, gallery below.
Hosted by Joy Concerts
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 23rd July 2024
Children of the Pope, Canned Pineapple & Red Ivory at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 17th July 2024
A night made for dancing and tunes to fill the (dare I say it out loud) summer evenings. Repping the South London scene, Red Ivory seemed pretty happy to have escaped briefly to the coast. Their set jumped from lulls of shoegaze to indie-grunge reminiscent of Hole and the like, and kicked things off nicely.
Next, taking the middle slot, the 60s came alive with some very fine outfits bedecking locals Canned Pineapple, and moves to make the Ready Steady Go-ers of the era proud. Lots of fun, not to mention some big singalong songs with great melodies and cut-throat riffs.
Headliners Children of the Pope ensured there was no let up in pace, with a heavy psych twist and bags of energy. Their capacity to command the room kept things elevated till it was time to pile back out onto the balmy streets of Brighton. Gallery from all three bands below.
While we’re here, can I just highlight again the importance of the grassroots venues that consistently offer a platform to acts like these, and the opportunity to find your next favourite band before they go on to bigger things. Having successfully batted away a planning application on the property next door, The Albert is once more in need of support, as an appeal has been lodged. There is more information here – please add your voice if you can.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 19th July 2024
Hidden Herd All-Dayer at The Green Door Store, Brighton, 6th July 2024
A day filled with music and a chance to see some class acts return to Brighton (or just pop down the road for the locals), as Saturday saw Brighton’s Green Door taken over by the latest Hidden Herd all-dayer. A prior commitment meant I sadly missed The Stanford Family Band and Room Service, though judging by how busy the room was when I got there, an early turnout seemed apparent.
Happily I made it in time to catch the inimitable Vanity Fairy for the second time in as many weeks, following their support slot for CSS at Chalk last Friday. Proof if needed that their performance is equally engaging in a small or large venue, and always a good fit for Brighton shows.
Next up, Ladylike have certainly made a dent on the Brighton scene over the last couple of years, an appealing mix of soft vocals and thrashing guitars ensuring there are no lulls in the set and interest is held.
An excellent choice to follow on, Fraulein seem to constantly be gigging, the pay-off being that the two-piece are completely in sync with each other. I’ve never seen them play a bad show and, despite some technical issues on the day, that still stands.
Ladylike
Some more local talent in the next two acts, firstly it’s always nice to run into a cowboy as you navigate the curtained entrance to the live room at Green Door, and the inclusion of Trip Westerns on the bill facilitated this in style. With the strapline ‘Rock n Roll / Psych n Soul’, the band added an atmospheric splash of nostalgia while retaining a decidedly current feel to their tunes sprinkled with drops of surf rock, 6os soul and spaghetti-psychedelia.
And next up the ever popular Currls played their last gig with Jack on bass, giving a performance for him to remember. In turn his opening speech based around the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen formed an equally memorable point for those attending. Indie-grunge to the max and a skillful segue into the evening.
Just about squeezing onto the stage, Bishopskin took the penultimate slot with another of their trademark immersive performances. Instrument swaps coupled with complex compositions make their sets compelling to a level that somehow turns the crowd into a congregation – always an experience.
Finally, the headline slot and the warmest of welcomes back to Brighton for the staggeringly good Adult DVD. They maintain that they don’t get this kind of reception in other places and seriously, if that’s true, other places need to step up their game big time. There’s an absolute buzz about this six piece from Leeds, industrial synths, dance beats and quick-witted lyrics coming together to provide sheer entertainment and an impromptu dance session for the whole room.
Alongside their increasing catalogue of infectious tunes, their set included just one of many deserved shout-outs to Jim at Hidden Herd for consistently putting on shows that draw in and showcase new talent – Adult DVD played across the road at The Albert for HH back in February, and many of those who were at that show were back for this one. The band promised to be back again – fingers crossed that will be sooner than later, what a way to end a fantastic day.
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 24th June 2024
Black Country New Road, Ugly & Tapir at Concorde 2, Brighton, 8th July 2024
Last night saw Concorde 2 packed to the rafters as a triptych of acts played a sold out charity fundraiser gig for Palestinian Medical Aid. Hosted by Form Presents, the crowd were treated to performances by Tapir, Ugly and headliners Black Country, New Road.
Gallery from Mike Burnell below.
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 9th July 2024
CSS & Vanity Fairy at Chalk, Brighton, 28th June 2024
Motorhead, Madonna and a most enjoyable evening as CSS brought their reunion tour to Brighton on Friday.
Opener for the night was the inimitable Vanity Fairy, shimmering gladrags and falsetto disco tunes capturing the imagination of the equally glitter-clad audience. Increasingly it seems that she is the perfect act to support a range of big names (Altered Images, Toyah, Electric 6 to name but a few). Always a happy crowd set up for what comes next, but don’t be surprised as she starts to pull the headline slot away with a sequinned leash as she surely will.
And so to CSS – with their first live dates in the UK for over a decade, the huge wave of anticipation was met head on with equal amounts of energy, fun and ridiculously infectious tunes. From the moment they walked on stage to greet the crowd with CSS Suxxx, the pace was set and never faltered. Lovefoxxx, Ana Rezende, Carolina Parra and Luiza Sá have reformed CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy) to focus on live shows while celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band. Their camaraderie is evident, and the stories shared made it feel like everyone there was a part of the journey. Lovefoxx talked about going to band practice fearing she would be asked the inevitable ‘Can you name 3 of their songs?’ about her Motorhead T-shirt, though it proved never to be mentioned, with a Madonna cover instead on the cards. Kudos though to seemingly the one person in the crowd who was able to come up with 5 Motorhead songs off the top of his head, and received a beer and several chants of ‘Ian! Ian!’ for his efforts. We got the Madonna track too – Hollywood segueing nicely into City Grrrl and Teenage Tiger Cat.
Almost 20 years down the line and perhaps their best known and still revered track Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above unsurprisingly received a massive reaction, the floor bouncing on and off stage, then a triple whammy encore of I Wanna Be Your J-Lo, Art Bitch and Alala finished an outstanding night of music and frolics. Raise your glass to a reunion worth the wait.
Words and photos by Callum and Siobhan
Published 1st July 2024
GuilFest (Day 1), 29th June 2024
After a long hiatus, it’s great to welcome GuilFest back to Guildford Stoke Park. Yesterday saw around 5000 people enjoying the sunshine, and the eclectic mix of music and other festivities on site. Mike Burnell was there to capture the highlights of the day on camera…
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape
Elvana
The Rock Choir
Lit Like Vegas
Nouvelle Vague
Spice Girls Experience
The Skints
The Blockheads
Urban Cookie Collective
Voodoo Radio
The Stranglers (and header shot)
From around the festival site
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 30th June 2024
Bat For Lashes & Mui Zyu at De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill
A stunning performance from Bat For Lashes in the iconic setting of Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion, with songs spanning her whole career up to latest album The Dream of Delphi. Sharing that the last time she was at the venue was to see Patti Smith, and that she loved being back on the south coast, the crowd were left hoping it wouldn’t be too long before she returns.
Support from Mui Zyu
Gallery by Mike Burnell
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 26th June 2024
Dog Race, Media Giant & Paris Blue at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 19th June 2024
Last week’s new music showcase at The Albert saw Hastings band Paris Blue take a trip along the coast to Brighton, bringing angular, catchy tunes to the stage. Lots of riffs, lots of melodies; they got the dancing in the crowd started early and set the pace for the acts to follow. Next up, Media Giant released their debut EP Market Research a little over a year ago, and continue to finesse their blend of experimental funk with a hint of punk. It’s a big sound and immediately infectious, and you can never have too much cowbell in the mix. Impressive stuff.
Their reputation preceding them, headliners Dog Race are creating quite a buzz on the new music scene. Hard to pin down, sonically they veer from spiky and slightly off-kilter at the start, to Katie Healy’s vocal progressing through to capturing elements of goth queens Siouxsie and Patricia Morrison – it’s no carbon copy though, and it’s what makes the band’s sound their own. Finishing with latest single It’s the Squeeze, Dog Race are not here to be ignored and look set for much bigger things.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Paris Blue
Dog Race
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 24th June 2024
The DSM IV, Owners Club, Jopy & Ringards at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 12th June 2024
Another great evening at The Hope & Ruin from Hidden Herd, all 4 acts playing to the max. First up, Ringards have a distinctly new wave feel to their music, with punchy, catchy tunes from start to finish and surely a nod to Buzzcocks in there somewhere. Next, fronted by Jo Parnell, Jopy bring a jagged Cramps-esque vibe to the stage. And with the pending release of their debut EP on Goo Records, definitely ones to watch. Stepping up a gear since their last Brighton performance, Owners Club seem to be comfortably finding their place in the indie hall of fame. Not too leftfield to include a Venga Boys tribute though amidst the guitar rock poses; it will be interesting to see how things will develop for them moving forward.
Headliners for this one, the revered DSM IV. It’s been too long since I saw them last, and their stage presence is still as wide as their ties. Trips on the shoulders of the crowd and a cape crafted from the ceiling fabric were just a couple of the added visuals, Guy McKnight ever the entertainer. But this takes nothing away from the music – industrial beats with more than a sprinkling of electronica keep a heady gothic sound alive, and I am all for that. An accomplished performance and solid ending to proceedings.
The next Hidden Herd showcase brings Dog Race, Media Giant and Paris Blue to Brighton’s Prince Albert this Wednesday 19th June – if you’re quick you can still grab a ticket here.
Words and photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 17th June 2024
Richard Hawley at Brighton Dome, 9th June 2024
There are a few select artists who you could see at any point in their career and be sure that they’d never disappoint. Increasingly, Richard Hawley stakes his place as one such artist, his current tour showcasing his songwriting talent and velvet-smooth vocals in equal measure. He’s funny too, an added bonus.
The opening trio of songs, She Brings the Sunlight, new tracks Two for his Heels and Prism in Jeans, set the pace nicely and just as the crowd start to relax into the set, he throws in big favourite Open Up Your Door. Hawley’s latest album In This City They Call You Love is well represented and seems popular and recognised already; he has the ability to make his sound pioneering and familiar at the same time, a depth of accomplishment disguising itself as effortless and breezy.
Plenty of space for the old songs too. Ahead of Just Like the Rain, he says, “This is probably the oldest one we do. I wrote this many years ago, on my 16th birthday in fact, which just goes to show I was a miserable fucker even then”. And after some back and forth with the audience about the failings of the government and Sunak’s absurd trip down national service lane, his announcement of, “Tonight Matthew… the streets are ours” receives an expectedly huge cheer.
Having already played for close to 90 minutes, the set ends but the lights stay down, and a 3 song encore ensues with People, I’m Looking for Someone to Find Me and Ocean. A serious display of talent from the whole band, an excellent night of music, and a reminder of why so many other artists cite Richard Hawley as an influence.
Words/photos by Callum/Siobhan
Published 12th June 2024
Deap Vally & Dosiopath at Concorde 2, Brighton, 3rd June 2024
Playing their last tour before parting of the ways, Deap Vally entertained Brighton for one final time last night at Concorde 2. Moving forward the pair have new projects in the pipeline; Lindsey has plans for a solo record, while Julie’s new duo Dosiopath with Solon Bixler (30 Seconds to Mars, Great Northern) was showcased as the support act.
Gallery from Mike Burnell
Hosted by Joy Concerts
Dosiopath
Photos © Mike Burnell (iso400.com)
Published 4th June 2024
His Lordship at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 30th May 2024
Following the release of their thundering self-titled debut album in January, His Lordship are back on the road (it seems they rarely take a break). Blending exceptional musical ability with an enigmatic performance, their show at The Hope & Ruin in Brighton Thursday was another runaway success, including all the by now familiar favourites and featuring a poignant new instrumental track written for Shane McGowan. An fusion of rock ‘n’ roll with punk undertones, the sound is all their own and getting slicker by the minute – a great night’s entertainment.
Hosted by Stay Sick
Photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 3rd June 2024
Low Island, ELI & Moon Idle at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 23rd May 2024
Amongst the relatively small stage at The Albert and huge chunks of equipment set out for the headliners, Moon Idle managed to carve a space to start the evening off with some delicate trip-hop tunes – a band seemingly growing in confidence and maturing with each performance. Joining the line-up next, singer-songwriter ELI brought a soulful leaning to proceedings. With a mention of wanting to move to Brighton, and a response suggesting this would be warmly welcomed, the set was polished and effortless. And completing the evening, lots of love in the room for Low Island and their electronic-fuelled catalogue. Playing sophisticated indie-pop, the quartet’s energy was infectious and left a happy crowd heading out with smiles on their faces. Gallery from all three sets below.
Hosted by Hidden Herd
Photos © Siobhan – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram
Published 29th May 2024
The Great Escape, Alt Escape and Independent Showcases, Brighton, 15th-18th May 2024
To be fair, Brighton is always full of live music. Take your pick of any night of the week, and you won’t have to walk far to find someone playing somewhere. Every May though, this amplifies many times over as The Great Escape, Alt Escape and multiple other shows open up at existing music venues, clubs and pop-up locations across the city. With so much to choose from, it’s never possible to see everyone on your wanted list but, from Wednesday to Saturday last week, we had a good go. Here’s the low down on who we saw, including some established favourites and lots of first time captures…
Wednesday15th May
A wildly strong opener from Baba Ali and a perfect start to the eclectic mix to follow, they command your attention without even trying to grab it. No frills, just an accomplished mix of synth, fuzzy guitars and dance beats, gaining some new fans by the end of their set for sure.
How to follow that? Well, it’s likely that Mickey Callisto could follow anyone and keep the crowd in the palm of his hand. Mickey has the voice, the moves, but seemingly no ego. With songs touching on themes of inclusion, togetherness and unity, and an unabashed rendering of Hey Jude, it was a great showcase for unsigned talent, and he made every stage he played his own (there were two more over the weekend).
Left (and header shot): Baba Ali, Right: Mickey Callisto
Thursday 16th May
Splitting to take in different shows, the first of several sets for Vanity Fairy confirmed a voice on point, and an always eccentric but down to earth stance. Winning over audiences with sheer charm and infectious tunes, this is a feel-good act that never fails to leave the crowd smiling.
Elsewhere, some fine new discoveries with nostalgia-ridden folk from Woody Green, then Twst (think Welsh Grimes meets a hyper-pop Willy Wonka). Serious riffs and moves from New York’s Psymon Spine, and contagious indie-pop from Melbourne’s magnificently named The Belair Lip Bombs, took us deep into the afternoon. Squeezing in to see Bernard Butler (along with many, many other fans), we stumbled into the end of Slate’s lively set – a complete contrast to Bernard’s humble and understated performance, looking like he was loving the opportunity to play to a small crowd rather than impress the industry. An unplanned but fortuitous stroll along the road had the happy consequence of landing in the charmed world of Enjoyable Listens, melancholy and humour in equal measures.
Top: The Belair Lip Bombs
Second Block Left: Psymon Spine, Top Right: Woody Green, Bottom Right: Vanity Fairy
Third Row: Bernard Butler
Bottom Row: Enjoyable Listens
Heading into the evening, Holiday Ghosts shone not only with their songs but also writing different sets to match each venue they played. Delivering the fan favourites, they powered through like seasoned professionals, showing exactly why they’re such a popular local choice. And speaking of popular choices, if you haven’t had the pleasure yet, do get to see Peter Xan if you have the chance – hard to put a finger on the genre as there’s a lovely blend of influences in there, and as their performance evolves there is more and more crowd interaction, forming a definite festival highlight.
Peter Xan
Friday 17th May
Post-punk artist Enola kick-started our Friday, followed by much hyped Cork band Cardinals – a solid set from them which sparked an interest to hear more, and it seems very likely that we will all be hearing more as the buzz around them continues to grow.
Left: ENOLA, Right: Cardinals
Friday night was a must for earplugs, starting with Lipworms – the latest and perhaps most rounded formation of the band’s members providing refreshing Can-influenced krautrock to get lost in. Another band high on a lot of people’s lists, Fcukers sat perfectly in a club setting; NY youth sounding like they maybe listened to a lot of British dance music, acid house and garage. Heavy on the backing track, but still a strong live performance – easy to see why their name came up a lot. Onto a UK band also causing a stir, Ebbb combine their experience in a variety of past collectives to fuse dance beats and relentless rhythms together for an almost tribal sound. Despite their pretty much non-existent online presence, they’re building support steadily and surely.
Left: Lipworms, Right: Ebbb
Saturday 18th May
Last day – still just about standing, and Faux Real managed to pack out their venue early in the day. With much of the singalong performance coming from within the crowd, it felt like a fun karaoke event, and the party atmosphere definitely rubbed off on the crowd. Next up, Dog Race provided some goth influenced riffs with a Lene Lovich-esque vocal. This obviously was to be followed with some Swedish pure pop – historically something that’s fared pretty well in Brighton – and a nice pick me up in the afternoon sunshine from Honey. Over at the Canadian showcase, a lovely vibe and some soulful songs from Witch Prophet and Kuzi Cee.
Top row: Honey, Bottom left: Kuzi Cee, Bottom Right: Witch Prophet
With a cinematic feel and a band who excelled individually and as a whole, Clara Tracey captivated the audience with a strong set. And flying the French flag to finish the festival for one half of us, PPJ were welcomed back with a hi-energy, dance inducing performance that jumped between styles and sounds, drawing people in tighter the more they played, and pushing the limits of what’s achievable live to create a really impressive set.
And for the other half of the team, a brilliant sign-off to complete proceedings from Brighton-based Polite Bureaux – only discovered them last year but already firmly on the favourites list, each live set and those broken beats getting better and better every time. If the show has to be over, this is the way to end it.
Polite Bureaux
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Words / Photos by Callum / Siobhan
Published 24th May 2024
Tenacious D & Dave Hill at Brighton Centre, 13th May 2024
Proving that some actors should indeed jump into the world of making music, Jack Black and Kyle Gass put on a spectacular show at Brighton Centre last night, performing as the legendary Tenacious D. Ensuring the showmanship was set up from the start, comedian/musician Dave Hill provided support, joined for a song by Kyle.
Keane & The Lathums at The O2 Arena, London, 10th May 2024
2o years to the day since Keane’s chart-topping debut album Hopes and Fears was released, they played the first of two huge shows at London’s O2 Arena. Safe to say the album, the band, and the rest of their now extensive catalogue of much played songs are still well loved and able to draw the crowds. A big stage for any support band, but The Lathums were well up to the challenge. Adam Hampton-Matthews was there to soak up the atmosphere, gallery below.
Photos © Adam Hampton-Matthews – Website | Instagram
Published 11th May 2024
