Catbandcat, Freddie J Watts and the Hot Rocks & Le Lamb at The Prince Albert, Brighton, 9th January 2025
It’s good to be back out in the land of live music after the holidays and, if you’re in the Brighton area, the Hidden Herd showcases are always a safe bet to find a strongly selected mix of emerging artists. Thursday at The Prince Albert was no exception, with three acts who all gave us a solid performance along with the music.
First up, theatrics, cowboy hats and a songster in sheep’s clothing came in the form of Le Lamb. Musically resonant of Portishead and PJ Harvey, it was a powerful set rather than a gimmick; none the less the crowd were content to ‘bah’ back to the stage on cue and there were numerous conversations overheard from people planning to see them again. Keep an eye out for pending dates if you want to join the flock.
The middle slot was taken by Freddie J Watts and the Hot Rocks, and it could prove difficult to advise the genre as there were elements of so many musical influences cleverly mixed. On first appearances, we were heading down a psyched up country lane but there were other layers too. The recurring intro riff across multiple songs echoed The Temptations’ My Girl and the inclusion of a sax is always welcome. Let’s go with melancholic spoken-word spaghetti western and see how things progress…
Headliners for the night were Catbandcat and, once again, the tempo and style switched up. The clearing of the drum kit made the stage immediately more spacious than seemed possible, the expanse easily filled with an array of keys, violin, acoustic and electric guitar and accordion. Split vocals and segues between distortion and almost orchestral intensity made for an intriguing close to proceedings.
Hosted by Hidden Herd & Crafting Room Recordings
Gallery from all three sets below
Freddie J Watts and the Hot Rocks
Words and photos © Siobhan 16beasleystphotography.com
Published 11th January 2025
Breaking Glass Magazine 