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← back to Blog Archive	Every cloud as they say. I have to be in the UK for around ten days to attend an interview for my US visa then wait until my passport is returned to me. If only there was a place to go see a lot of great new acts play live….. So I find myself in Brighton, down on the south coast of England, one hours out of London to attend The Great Escape which is basically the little brother of SXSW, with the same basic set up. Loads of bands and loads of venues. Three days of non stop music. I am in the company for much of it by sometimes SXSW go-ers and regular TGE tipsters, Dave, Simon, Tim, MIck and Pat. The weather is glorious and Brighton Beach may never have looked so fine. So off I go. I get in the day before it all kicks off to find it has already all kicked off. I head to one of the Must See venues as recommended by Dave and Simon who know their The Great Escape Stuff. To the Green Door Store where I see, in a cavern under the trainstation firstly Manuka Honey then Good Guy Clarence, two decent local Brighton bands. Jet lag forces me to forego any more exploring and I retire to ensure I am at least semi-fit for the first official day. And what a day it turned out to be. (All photos and videos taken from wherever I was in the venue). Day One Thursday I had to kick off the festival with an iconic moment so I went to the end of the Pier to Horatios to watch The Spook School, Edinburgh’s favorite transgender/queer band. Now with their second album out they have grown up quite a bit since I saw their ramshackle albeit excellent debut tour some years ago. An invigorating start to the proceedings. The Spook School after walking along the beach and on to the pier: It is a Scottish band showcase and I meet Vic Galloway, sort of Scotland’s John Peel and star of BBC Radio Six which is the only national station to regularly champion new acts. He convinces me to stay to watch Rascalton, who you just know with a name like that come from Glasgow. A rowdy thirty minutes of early Jam meets the Wedding Present followed. Lead singer looks like a star in the making. Rascalton I hop into Komedia and see a couple of acts, first Jack River, a woman, do her big upbeat pop rock dance show, followed by Riley Pearce, a man, do his earnest singer songwriter heart on his baggy sleeve stuff. Two much touted Aussie acts, they were fine and loved by their audience but a bit tame for my spoilt tastes. I then had to go to Sticky Mikes Frog Bar, a dive bar amongst dive bars, to see what transpired not only to be Kyle Craft’s first show at TGE, but his first show in the UK ever,in fact, on his first ever trip to the UK. Brilliant as usual, and I confidently state that no-one in that crowd had seen him at SXSW earlier this year and at Missisippi Studio late last year. Portland’s best not so well kept secret, he has agreed to play a house show back in Portland later in the year. I guess he was impressed that an old Scottish git had seen him in so many different locations, he remembered the accent. He finished with a solo song on the piano railing against his dear president. Here is my recording of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eagWBuk_eg&index=4&list=UUDY2p2LwgsZfGiN5132sNIg Finally I got to meet the big TGE crew, Pat, Tim, Mick, Dave and Simon, arranging to gather, at my regretful suggestion, to see Perrosky in the Queen’s Hotel. It did seem like a good idea, their one song posted confirmed their own description of a Chilean singalong, clap- along, danceable Spanish pop with a hint of experimental sounds. Live they could just be described as a token Chilean two piece band who mistakenly used a kazoo and washboard at times in their act. Yes, they were that good. I troughed early!! To The Hope And Ruin which would turn out to be my most frequented venue, to see Say Sue Me Andy’s reco from South Korea for SXSW (well the only act playing from South Korea to be honest so he did not have much choice from his home country). A fairy pleasant psychedelic surf sound wafted from them, spoiled only slightly by having two (yes two) cover songs in their short set. If you only get 30 minutes to show off your stuff on should not play any cover songs, maybe one if it is a sensational version, but never two. Also do not cover The Ramones. Ever. Nonetheless I liked them. Say Sue Me The new mature me headed back to my hotel room for a meal and a freshening up before heading to the first sign that The Great Escape will follow the SXSW way to corporate dictatorship. Off to what should have been a great venue, Wagner Hall, but spoiled by now being the Vevo Room complete with way over the top stage design which is just out of place when watching stuff at festivals like this. However the hyped hot Pale Waves, a sort of Churches/big electronic pop sound with a striking vocalist fitted right into the venue and the crowd went mad for them. I was out of touch with this one, gladly. Into The Arch, which is exactly what it is, to see some anthemic indie rock from The Sea Girls ( nice - from Brighton, whose football team’s nickname is the Seagulls). Not bad but could not keep my feet from departing prematurely as I had to join the TGE gang for what Dave and Simon assured me where the band of the festival, Bodega. Back then to the Green Store Door where it was fairly empty about 15 mins before this NYC band took the stage. I headed to the bar to get a round in where it was a tad busier. On return the stage area was as jam-packed as any show I have been to over the last decade, where the hell did everyone come from. I had two glasses in my hand, Dave two in his and we attempted to squeeze through from the back to the very front where we had left the rest of the crew. Dave disappeared into the throng. The contents of one of the glasses I was holding disappeared over the throng. Result - throng not happy and I stayed stuck slap bang in the middle of said sardine like packed crowd. But, it was worth it. Bodega were simply thrilling. Obviously had a great late seventies /early eighties record collection with the usual suspects thrown out to describe them being staccato Gang Of Four, spikey Wire and funky Talking Heads. Simply brilliant and a band who everyone must explore. I took no decent photos or videos, so here is their brilliant Jack In Titanic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PmC3y-ktBM I managed to reconnect with the crew before the next act, Black Futures came on. They were sort of a dark futuristic sound, so no prizes for the creativity in their name. Pretty lame as far as I was concerned so I did not hang around. Top of my must see list were RVG, which stood for Romy Vager Group. From Australia, and being lazy with my references, this was a band led by an amazing transgender female Romy who played guitar like Grant McLennan from the glorious The Go Betweens. Very intense but the Komedia crowd loved them. Yet another stunning show this fine Thursday. RVG Back to the Hope and Ruin where the LGBT on stage presence just continued in style. To Queen Zee a queer punk crowd from Birkenhead, Liverpool. Manic. Loud. Rousing. A proper live show. Hope they take off. Watch the madness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTox9es1Fx0 Such is the nature of these festivals that is is common that you see two polar opposites in quick succession. So twenty mins after Queen Zee leave the stage The Wandering Hearts wander on to it. Two guys. Two women. Big harmonies with a country and western meets Laurel Canyon ( I know, again) bent. The could only be described as lovely. You could not dislike them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Z4LNz8lE0 And that was Day One of Three. A spectacular day to be frank. The Spook School, Kyle Craft, Bodega, RVG and Queen Zee were all quite special. Day Two Friday. It is also Day Two of Vic Galloway’s Scottish Showcase. So we all go to the One Church, a somewhat half dilapidated/half gaudy religious place to see Declan Welsh and The Decandent West, which I thought was quite a funny band name distorted by that one additional letter n. I found out later that the programme listing on The Great Escape app had accidentally added the n, that they were really the Decadent West, ah well. Declan is a typical, what we call in Scotland, ned. This acronym for Non Educated Delinquent, no longer addresses their lack of an education, instead it is more attributed to the attitude/dress code/air of violence around them. Declan was a very articulate version of this and he smashed his way through a set of songs like an angrier and more Scottish Billy Bragg. His first song was dedicated to those suffering in the Gaza. The tone was set. Brilliant showcase. Declan Welsh and the Decadent West Detouring back in to the Queen’s Hotel from which I had not learned my lesson of the previous day, I saw another crap outfit. Wet Red were a low grade Russian electropop PetShopBoys apologists. Dire. Into the smallest bar of the week, The Latest Music Bar to see another shouty verse chorus UK indie band Trampolene. Not bad. The recurring foundation of the UK up and coming indie bands appears to be sixties psych rock, seventies punk rock and early eighties wall of noise rocks. It is a good development. Usually finished off with a real show person as the lead singer. Keeping that mood, if not that quality, going were another Scottish band, Vistas, who I saw in a long tunnel pub, The Hub. They were not bad but on reading up about them afterwards I should have been warned by the first line in their bio - "burst onto Scotland's music scene with hooky choruses and radio ready tunes". Oh dear. On to Sticky Mikes once more where I catch a few songs by ABQ an Irish band wanting to be stadium pop rockers. It could be a long wait. But the next act were on my must see list and they were worth the wait. TOUTS are an out and out two minute song three piece punk band. They had tunes too. Blistering 30 minutes followed. TOUTS To detox from the wall of noise perhaps a more gentle prog rock throwback might have been the order of the day. The Vryll Society at the Shipwright's Yard were probably not bad but they had a very hard act to follow and they were too much like lift music for me. Lets keep the genres revolving. To Komedia and we get there early so have ea chance to see the Austrian pop rapper Mavi Phoenix. The crowd were wild for her and it was pleasant in its own way. As happens no two acts in a row are often of the same genre so the crowd just departs and a new one arrives all in the space of less than twenty minutes. So it was for Phoebe Bridgers, the newly signed phonomenon to Ryan Adams label, Americana sensation with just about the loveliest voice of The Great Escape. The crowd were already fans and despite many of the songs being sung softly, sometimes a whisper, the sound was great and No-one Spoke whilst she sang. A Highlight, although she had been taking miserable lyric lessons from someone. Phoebe Bridgers It is well into the evening now and all of us had the next act on our must see list too. They are Warmduscher, an offshoot of Fat White Family and The Moonlandingz. I had been warned that the venue was an odd shape for viewing and we suspected it would fill quickly so we went early and there was a large queue right enough. After the longest wait of the festival we got in. It was rammed jam packed. So I stood way at the back. Which was fortunate as the band turned out to be like a comedy C&W band playing EDM. Abysmal. I left. As well as Bodega, Simon and Dave had also been highly touting Bad Sounds so I went to the midnight show back on the pier at Horatios. Led by two brothers this was an event!! Pop, soul, rap, electronic, dance. Through in some mad stage antics ( piling on the back of the guitarist whilst he does his solo) and boisterous filial play fighting and you have the hands down winner of the Most Fun had at a gig for a longtime. I predict this crowd will be huge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGAbB_kvCmY Bad Sounds Friday over early for me jet lag sent me to bed. Day Two, not as many highlights as Day One but still some great shows from Declan Welsh, TOUTS, Phoebe Bridgers and Bad Sounds. It is Day Three Saturday already, nearly over..... To the Beach where they have set up a bunch of stages inside tents, in a more traditional festival style. WE headed there to see the most hyped band of the week, Amyl and The Sniffers but got there in time to see Kite String Theory. A multi instrumental mix with samples, bleeps and all sort of electronica. Not even a pleasant diversion. Amyl and the Sniffers had a look which comes straight from The Hills Have Eyes meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The mullets were spectacular. Their sound is basically rough bar band, sort of the the stuff that no-one would put on record in the early days of punk in 76/77 for the simple reason that it was barrel scraping. Excrutiating. Just found out that they will be the support band at the next gig I go to in Portland, on the King Gizzard bill. Must remember not to arrive there early. Update. I arrived just in time to see their whole set. The crowd went crazy for them. My son thought they were pretty good. On reflection, after seeing them now twice, I thought they were still quite ordinary. Bouncing back we see Life, a great little band, with a Jarvis Cocker meets Ian Curtis lead singer. Good clean fun from up north, this time, Hull. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PhDgHFYrWM Life I then headed to see one of my finds from SXSW, Helena Deland, in a real pub setting , The Walrus. Lovely sound. Like the Twin Peaks soundtrack with occasional guitar solos. Then it is my turn to insist to the group to come see a band, RVG, who I had seen play a great set on Day One. This time it was in a a tiny bar setting in The Hope And Ruin. We watched from literally one foot from Romy Vager's mike. Even more intense than the first show. Sad songs sung with pain over a glittering rhythm sound and Romy's hot guitar. Loved them. Watch them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnAoMyzuseQ RVG Needed to take a breather, Some food and a glass of wine later I find myself in the Marine Room to watch Hot Dreams, a London band who wanted to have been new romantics but couldn't quite cut it. Enjoyable though. Then to the Sallis Benney Theatre, a great old time music hall to see Psychic Markers. A big psychedelic band sound. Not bad at all. Back to the Hope and Ruin in time to see Sheffield's Sheafs, more indie rock n roll with Mick Jagger's great grandson strutting his stuff. Well the spirit of Mick Jagger's great great grandson anyway. Sheafs In making my way back to the pier for a must see show I catch up with Dave and Simon who are in Coalition, a dance club under the arches on the beach front to see fast rising chanteuse Alex Hepburn. Now this female can fair belt out a song but I was left with only two observations. One, she had a nice tartan outfit. Two, this is what that band earlier in the week should look at for Radio Friendly Tunes!! Canshaker Pi were another of my SXSW favorites. So we all see them on the pier. The highlights was Boris, the most maniacal guitarist to have graced a stage for many a year. At the end Simon turned to me and more or less said it's not really a band, it's just the guitarist with some other folk. I did not agree but when, less than fifteen minutes later the guitarist told us he was leaving the band to go to acting school, I realized Simon was right, as the band without him would be like Hot Chocolate without Errol Brown. They could not exist with out him. Check out his playing here. Boris, guitar wonder For me that was the festival over. An all female LA band The Regrettes did come on and play on the same stage. I saw them two years ago in Austin and though that they were style over substance. Now they were even more stylish but still no substance. I strode out to the pier to get some good see breeze and think of the trip home. However it is a tradition with The Great Escape group to finish the festival with a gig at the tiniest venue of the week, The Last Music Show. So we go see Frazer. A band from South Yorkshire who had the most impressive array of equipment/effects pedals/synths/speakers and geetar cases that I had seen for a long time. We had a chance to ask how a young upcoming band could have such a collection and they said they had signed to label and got an advance and went out and bought all this stuff. Somehow it felt like the wring note to end the festival on and after a few songs of fairly standard indie pop fare we all left. A few farewell G&Ts and that was it. My first Great Escape and hopefully not my last. You have to go. Plain as that. The final day highlights were Life, RVG (again), and Canshaker Pi. The overal festival finds and stand outs were Bodega, Bad Sounds, Queen Zee and RVG. Nothing beats seeing great bands in their early stages up close and personal. Also got some commitments from a handful of them to come to play a House Show when they are in Portland. And yes, this must have been a bit like SXSW twenty years ago before it exploded. Thanks to Dave and Simon for convincing me to go. All round - fantastic. I will be back!!

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Every cloud as they say. I have to be in the UK for around ten days to attend an interview for my US visa then wait until my passport is returned to me. If only there was a place to go see a lot of great new acts play live…..

So I find myself in Brighton, down on the south coast of England, one hours out of London to attend The Great Escape which is basically the little brother of SXSW, with the same basic set up. Loads of bands and loads of venues. Three days of non stop music. I am in the company for much of it by sometimes SXSW go-ers and regular TGE tipsters, Dave, Simon, Tim, MIck and Pat. The weather is glorious and Brighton Beach may never have looked so fine. So off I go.

I get in the day before it all kicks off to find it has already all kicked off. I head to one of the Must See venues as recommended by Dave and Simon who know their The Great Escape Stuff. To the Green Door Store where I see, in a cavern under the trainstation firstly Manuka Honey then Good Guy Clarence, two decent local Brighton bands. Jet lag forces me to forego any more exploring and I retire to ensure I am at least semi-fit for the first official day.

And what a day it turned out to be. (All photos and videos taken from wherever I was in the venue).

Day One Thursday

I had to kick off the festival with an iconic moment so I went to the end of the Pier to Horatios to watch The Spook School, Edinburgh’s favorite transgender/queer band. Now with their second album out they have grown up quite a bit since I saw their ramshackle albeit excellent debut tour some years ago. An invigorating start to the proceedings.

The Spook School after walking along the beach and on to the pier:

It is a Scottish band showcase and I meet Vic Galloway, sort of Scotland’s John Peel and star of BBC Radio Six which is the only national station to regularly champion new acts. He convinces me to stay to watch Rascalton, who you just know with a name like that come from Glasgow. A rowdy thirty minutes of early Jam meets the Wedding Present followed. Lead singer looks like a star in the making.

Rascalton

I hop into Komedia and see a couple of acts, first Jack River, a woman, do her big upbeat pop rock dance show, followed by Riley Pearce, a man, do his earnest singer songwriter heart on his baggy sleeve stuff. Two much touted Aussie acts, they were fine and loved by their audience but a bit tame for my spoilt tastes.

I then had to go to Sticky Mikes Frog Bar, a dive bar amongst dive bars, to see what transpired not only to be Kyle Craft’s first show at TGE, but his first show in the UK ever,in fact, on his first ever trip to the UK. Brilliant as usual, and I confidently state that no-one in that crowd had seen him at SXSW earlier this year and at Missisippi Studio late last year. Portland’s best not so well kept secret, he has agreed to play a house show back in Portland later in the year. I guess he was impressed that an old Scottish git had seen him in so many different locations, he remembered the accent.

He finished with a solo song on the piano railing against his dear president. Here is my recording of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eagWBuk_eg&index=4&list=UUDY2p2LwgsZfGiN5132sNIg

Finally I got to meet the big TGE crew, Pat, Tim, Mick, Dave and Simon, arranging to gather, at my regretful suggestion, to see Perrosky in the Queen’s Hotel. It did seem like a good idea, their one song posted confirmed their own description of a Chilean singalong, clap- along, danceable Spanish pop with a hint of experimental sounds. Live they could just be described as a token Chilean two piece band who mistakenly used a kazoo and washboard at times in their act. Yes, they were that good. I troughed early!!

To The Hope And Ruin which would turn out to be my most frequented venue, to see Say Sue Me Andy’s reco from South Korea for SXSW (well the only act playing from South Korea to be honest so he did not have much choice from his home country). A fairy pleasant psychedelic surf sound wafted from them, spoiled only slightly by having two (yes two) cover songs in their short set. If you only get 30 minutes to show off your stuff on should not play any cover songs, maybe one if it is a sensational version, but never two. Also do not cover The Ramones. Ever. Nonetheless I liked them.

Say Sue Me

The new mature me headed back to my hotel room for a meal and a freshening up before heading to the first sign that The Great Escape will follow the SXSW way to corporate dictatorship. Off to what should have been a great venue, Wagner Hall, but spoiled by now being the Vevo Room complete with way over the top stage design which is just out of place when watching stuff at festivals like this. However the hyped hot Pale Waves, a sort of Churches/big electronic pop sound with a striking vocalist fitted right into the venue and the crowd went mad for them. I was out of touch with this one, gladly.

Into The Arch, which is exactly what it is, to see some anthemic indie rock from The Sea Girls ( nice - from Brighton, whose football team’s nickname is the Seagulls). Not bad but could not keep my feet from departing prematurely as I had to join the TGE gang for what Dave and Simon assured me where the band of the festival, Bodega. Back then to the Green Store Door where it was fairly empty about 15 mins before this NYC band took the stage. I headed to the bar to get a round in where it was a tad busier. On return the stage area was as jam-packed as any show I have been to over the last decade, where the hell did everyone come from. I had two glasses in my hand, Dave two in his and we attempted to squeeze through from the back to the very front where we had left the rest of the crew. Dave disappeared into the throng. The contents of one of the glasses I was holding disappeared over the throng. Result - throng not happy and I stayed stuck slap bang in the middle of said sardine like packed crowd. But, it was worth it. Bodega were simply thrilling. Obviously had a great late seventies /early eighties record collection with the usual suspects thrown out to describe them being staccato Gang Of Four, spikey Wire and funky Talking Heads. Simply brilliant and a band who everyone must explore.

I took no decent photos or videos, so here is their brilliant Jack In Titanic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PmC3y-ktBM

I managed to reconnect with the crew before the next act, Black Futures came on. They were sort of a dark futuristic sound, so no prizes for the creativity in their name. Pretty lame as far as I was concerned so I did not hang around. Top of my must see list were RVG, which stood for Romy Vager Group. From Australia, and being lazy with my references, this was a band led by an amazing transgender female Romy who played guitar like Grant McLennan from the glorious The Go Betweens. Very intense but the Komedia crowd loved them. Yet another stunning show this fine Thursday.

RVG

Back to the Hope and Ruin where the LGBT on stage presence just continued in style. To Queen Zee a queer punk crowd from Birkenhead, Liverpool. Manic. Loud. Rousing. A proper live show. Hope they take off. Watch the madness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTox9es1Fx0

Such is the nature of these festivals that is is common that you see two polar opposites in quick succession. So twenty mins after Queen Zee leave the stage The Wandering Hearts wander on to it. Two guys. Two women. Big harmonies with a country and western meets Laurel Canyon ( I know, again) bent. The could only be described as lovely. You could not dislike them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-Z4LNz8lE0

And that was Day One of Three. A spectacular day to be frank. The Spook School, Kyle Craft, Bodega, RVG and Queen Zee were all quite special.

Day Two Friday.

It is also Day Two of Vic Galloway’s Scottish Showcase. So we all go to the One Church, a somewhat half dilapidated/half gaudy religious place to see Declan Welsh and The Decandent West, which I thought was quite a funny band name distorted by that one additional letter n. I found out later that the programme listing on The Great Escape app had accidentally added the n, that they were really the Decadent West, ah well. Declan is a typical, what we call in Scotland, ned. This acronym for Non Educated Delinquent, no longer addresses their lack of an education, instead it is more attributed to the attitude/dress code/air of violence around them. Declan was a very articulate version of this and he smashed his way through a set of songs like an angrier and more Scottish Billy Bragg. His first song was dedicated to those suffering in the Gaza. The tone was set. Brilliant showcase.

Declan Welsh and the Decadent West

Detouring back in to the Queen’s Hotel from which I had not learned my lesson of the previous day, I saw another crap outfit. Wet Red were a low grade Russian electropop PetShopBoys apologists. Dire.

Into the smallest bar of the week, The Latest Music Bar to see another shouty verse chorus UK indie band Trampolene. Not bad. The recurring foundation of the UK up and coming indie bands appears to be sixties psych rock, seventies punk rock and early eighties wall of noise rocks. It is a good development. Usually finished off with a real show person as the lead singer.

Keeping that mood, if not that quality, going were another Scottish band, Vistas, who I saw in a long tunnel pub, The Hub. They were not bad but on reading up about them afterwards I should have been warned by the first line in their bio - "burst onto Scotland's music scene with hooky choruses and radio ready tunes". Oh dear.

On to Sticky Mikes once more where I catch a few songs by ABQ an Irish band wanting to be stadium pop rockers. It could be a long wait. But the next act were on my must see list and they were worth the wait. TOUTS are an out and out two minute song three piece punk band. They had tunes too. Blistering 30 minutes followed.

TOUTS

To detox from the wall of noise perhaps a more gentle prog rock throwback might have been the order of the day. The Vryll Society at the Shipwright's Yard were probably not bad but they had a very hard act to follow and they were too much like lift music for me.

Lets keep the genres revolving. To Komedia and we get there early so have ea chance to see the Austrian pop rapper Mavi Phoenix. The crowd were wild for her and it was pleasant in its own way. As happens no two acts in a row are often of the same genre so the crowd just departs and a new one arrives all in the space of less than twenty minutes. So it was for Phoebe Bridgers, the newly signed phonomenon to Ryan Adams label, Americana sensation with just about the loveliest voice of The Great Escape. The crowd were already fans and despite many of the songs being sung softly, sometimes a whisper, the sound was great and No-one Spoke whilst she sang. A Highlight, although she had been taking miserable lyric lessons from someone.

Phoebe Bridgers

It is well into the evening now and all of us had the next act on our must see list too. They are Warmduscher, an offshoot of Fat White Family and The Moonlandingz. I had been warned that the venue was an odd shape for viewing and we suspected it would fill quickly so we went early and there was a large queue right enough. After the longest wait of the festival we got in. It was rammed jam packed. So I stood way at the back. Which was fortunate as the band turned out to be like a comedy C&W band playing EDM. Abysmal. I left.

As well as Bodega, Simon and Dave had also been highly touting Bad Sounds so I went to the midnight show back on the pier at Horatios. Led by two brothers this was an event!! Pop, soul, rap, electronic, dance. Through in some mad stage antics ( piling on the back of the guitarist whilst he does his solo) and boisterous filial play fighting and you have the hands down winner of the Most Fun had at a gig for a longtime. I predict this crowd will be huge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGAbB_kvCmY

Bad Sounds

Friday over early for me jet lag sent me to bed.

Day Two, not as many highlights as Day One but still some great shows from Declan Welsh, TOUTS, Phoebe Bridgers and Bad Sounds.

It is Day Three Saturday already, nearly over.....

To the Beach where they have set up a bunch of stages inside tents, in a more traditional festival style. WE headed there to see the most hyped band of the week, Amyl and The Sniffers but got there in time to see Kite String Theory. A multi instrumental mix with samples, bleeps and all sort of electronica. Not even a pleasant diversion. Amyl and the Sniffers had a look which comes straight from The Hills Have Eyes meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The mullets were spectacular. Their sound is basically rough bar band, sort of the the stuff that no-one would put on record in the early days of punk in 76/77 for the simple reason that it was barrel scraping. Excrutiating. Just found out that they will be the support band at the next gig I go to in Portland, on the King Gizzard bill. Must remember not to arrive there early. Update. I arrived just in time to see their whole set. The crowd went crazy for them. My son thought they were pretty good. On reflection, after seeing them now twice, I thought they were still quite ordinary.

Bouncing back we see Life, a great little band, with a Jarvis Cocker meets Ian Curtis lead singer. Good clean fun from up north, this time, Hull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PhDgHFYrWM

Life

I then headed to see one of my finds from SXSW, Helena Deland, in a real pub setting , The Walrus. Lovely sound. Like the Twin Peaks soundtrack with occasional guitar solos.

Then it is my turn to insist to the group to come see a band, RVG, who I had seen play a great set on Day One. This time it was in a a tiny bar setting in The Hope And Ruin. We watched from literally one foot from Romy Vager's mike. Even more intense than the first show. Sad songs sung with pain over a glittering rhythm sound and Romy's hot guitar. Loved them.

Watch them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnAoMyzuseQ

RVG

Needed to take a breather, Some food and a glass of wine later I find myself in the Marine Room to watch Hot Dreams, a London band who wanted to have been new romantics but couldn't quite cut it. Enjoyable though. Then to the Sallis Benney Theatre, a great old time music hall to see Psychic Markers. A big psychedelic band sound. Not bad at all.

Back to the Hope and Ruin in time to see Sheffield's Sheafs, more indie rock n roll with Mick Jagger's great grandson strutting his stuff. Well the spirit of Mick Jagger's great great grandson anyway.

Sheafs

In making my way back to the pier for a must see show I catch up with Dave and Simon who are in Coalition, a dance club under the arches on the beach front to see fast rising chanteuse Alex Hepburn. Now this female can fair belt out a song but I was left with only two observations. One, she had a nice tartan outfit. Two, this is what that band earlier in the week should look at for Radio Friendly Tunes!!

Canshaker Pi were another of my SXSW favorites. So we all see them on the pier. The highlights was Boris, the most maniacal guitarist to have graced a stage for many a year. At the end Simon turned to me and more or less said it's not really a band, it's just the guitarist with some other folk. I did not agree but when, less than fifteen minutes later the guitarist told us he was leaving the band to go to acting school, I realized Simon was right, as the band without him would be like Hot Chocolate without Errol Brown. They could not exist with out him. Check out his playing here.

Boris, guitar wonder

For me that was the festival over. An all female LA band The Regrettes did come on and play on the same stage. I saw them two years ago in Austin and though that they were style over substance. Now they were even more stylish but still no substance. I strode out to the pier to get some good see breeze and think of the trip home.

However it is a tradition with The Great Escape group to finish the festival with a gig at the tiniest venue of the week, The Last Music Show. So we go see Frazer. A band from South Yorkshire who had the most impressive array of equipment/effects pedals/synths/speakers and geetar cases that I had seen for a long time. We had a chance to ask how a young upcoming band could have such a collection and they said they had signed to label and got an advance and went out and bought all this stuff. Somehow it felt like the wring note to end the festival on and after a few songs of fairly standard indie pop fare we all left.

A few farewell G&Ts and that was it. My first Great Escape and hopefully not my last.

You have to go. Plain as that.

The final day highlights were Life, RVG (again), and Canshaker Pi.

The overal festival finds and stand outs were Bodega, Bad Sounds, Queen Zee and RVG.

Nothing beats seeing great bands in their early stages up close and personal. Also got some commitments from a handful of them to come to play a House Show when they are in Portland. And yes, this must have been a bit like SXSW twenty years ago before it exploded.

Thanks to Dave and Simon for convincing me to go.

All round - fantastic. I will be back!!