The Great Escape Festival (Brighton) 2022

[Jack01825]

Good Afternoon All, 

Anybody going to this in May and for someone like myself who is into Rock/Indie Rock who would people recommend seeing

Planning to see , The shakes, The clockworks, The amazons, casyette, The k's , Kid kapichi so far 

 

[mike gilbert]

 

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

I'll be there. It's pretty bewildering to get through 500 acts to work out who to see!! Very much looking forward to discovering some new favourites though.

Not too sure of many bands in the genres you're keen on specifically, but from a mixture of playlists, word of mouth, and being taken in by the blurb my must see list so far is:

Arxx; Bleach Lab; Bob Vylan; China Bears; Christian Lee Hutson; English Teacher; Enola Gay; Gustaf; Illuminati Hotties; Joe & The Shitboys; Kid Kapichi; Lauran Hibberd; Let's Eat Grandma; Lime Garden; L'Objectif; Malady; Naima Bock; Opus Kink; Porij; Powerplant; Sniffany and the Nits; Sprints; The Bug Club; Treeboy & Arc; Unschooling.

Will also be trying to catch as many of the following again as possible:

Audiobooks; Broadside Hacks; Crows; Folly Group; Goat Girl; Grove; Honeyglaze; Katy J Pearson; Keg; Peaness; Pozi; Prima Queen; PVA; Sinead O'Brien; Stella Donnelly; The Goa Express; Thumper; Vlure; Warmduscher; Working Men's Club; Wu-Lu; Yard Act.

Of those, Vlure were probably the highlight when I saw them over the winter. Proper punks!

Edited April 23, 2022 by JHad

[Jack01825]

it seems i am only going on the Saturday now!!

however still good line-up, kelsey karter if you have not heard her I recommend on doing so! and also your truly

This feeling promotions are on from 5pm in the hope and ruin up until 2am which is just up and coming rock and roll bands so i will likely be in there come the evening

I saw goat girl which is on your list on Saturday supporting foals, certainly not to my taste 

 

[jump]

With no Camden Rocks happening this year (I hope it comes back!) I'm thinking of going to this instead. 

There's a few acts I really like already so If I see a few of Bob Vylan, Yard Act, Witch Fever, Casyette The Amazons, Lynks or Kid Kapichi then it's money well spent but what I love about these types of festivals is discovering someone new.

[Jack01825]

yes thats the fun of these types of events. most of the ones i really wanted to see are thursday friday but saturday gives a chance to see new, i have gone through the rock acts on the saturday and should be a great day 

 

The shakes are on the saturday who i have seen before and if you havent seen them would suggest you do, great fun 

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

Cheers to whoever made the clashfinder! I was considering making one, but found the task a little overwhelming for this event. That'll be a huge help for planning 😊

https://clashfinder.com/s/tge22/?

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

On 4/19/2022 at 2:38 PM, Jack01825 said:

Good Afternoon All, 

Anybody going to this in May and for someone like myself who is into Rock/Indie Rock who would people recommend seeing

Planning to see , The shakes, The clockworks, The amazons, casyette, The k's , Kid kapichi so far 

 

Just carrying on diving through the playlist and came across a few more who might be up your street - definitely ROLLA and perhaps PEAKS!, Gathering of Strangers and Banks Arcade too.

[Jack01825]

8 hours ago, JHad said:

Just carrying on diving through the playlist and came across a few more who might be up your street - definitely ROLLA and perhaps PEAKS!, Gathering of Strangers and Banks Arcade too.

Great! Thanks for the suggestions, will defo be seeing Rolla but will check out the other 3!

[Guest]

I'm going to TGE this year. My musical tastes are generally anthemic style music/singer songwriters etc. My fav band is The Killers. Does anyone have any suggestions?

So far the 2 acts I want to see most are Blair Davie and Alice Pisano.

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

Fairly decent first day for me, although a few disappointments too. 

I didn't get into the venues for any of Joe & The Shitboys, Bleach Lab or English Teacher, despite arriving 100 minutes early for ET! I find that far too stressful. Sound across many venues was also poorer than expected, especially so at Revenge - avoid at all costs. Also, the VIP music journo thing is very, very irritating, especially when they turn out to be the biggest w*nkers in most venues, talking through quiet sets or making notes stony-faced whilst a punk band goes down!

TEKE::TEKE were the discovery of the day for me - a fantastic psych psych/punk band from Canada and Japan who use a vast variety of Japanese traditional instruments. I loved Gustaf too (imagine Bodega with the singer from audiobooks and you won't be too far away). Kills Birds were fantastic, ascerbic punk. ARXX were joyous at the youth centre and were the most life affirming have of the day, and Penguin Cafe were a beautiful, calming way to end the day at St Mary's Church.

Edited May 12, 2022 by JHad

[About Today]

My top 3 from yesterday were High School, Vlure and Joe and the Shitboys.

Looking forward to Enola Gay and Let's eat grandma later tonight.

Edited May 13, 2022 by simoneng_1983
Spelling

[zahidf]

37 minutes ago, simoneng_1983 said:

My top 3 from yesterday were High School, Vlure and Joe and the Shitboys.

Looking forward to Enola Gay and Let's eat grandma later tonight.

Graham Coxons new band are playing i think, the Waeve.  they are great!

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

5 hours ago, simoneng_1983 said:

My top 3 from yesterday were High School, Vlure and Joe and the Shitboys.

Looking forward to Enola Gay and Let's eat grandma later tonight.

In the venue already where Joe & The Shitboys are later. Seen some awesome acts today. Will post more on the train home!

[the wonderwhy]

My mates band, Dutch Criminal Record, are playing this tomorrow - 3:15 in the latest music bar I believe. Check em out if you’re free! Sunny indie rock 

 

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

An absolutely epic day today. Tonnes of post-punk and heavy stuff and the standard was outrageous.

I went Slow Down Molasses > Bleach Lab > Treeboy & Arc > Opus Kink > Thumper > Portron Portron Lopez > Powerplant > Unschooling > The Byker Grove Fan Club > Joe & The Shitboys

(could've also added Scalping in there, but saw them last week so sat quietly for a few minutes for once!)

All of those bands were very good, but four blew me away - Treeboy & Arc, Unschooling, The Byker Grove Fan Club, and Joe & The Shitboys. 

I knew of Treeboy & Arc from their Speedy Wunderground single a few years back, but hadn't listened for ages. They are top-notch archetypal post-punk of the current generation and I'm amazed they've not broken through since then.

Unschooling also post-punk (northern French), but slightly more guitar-based (including 10 and 12 string!). Great fun live, but could do with a couple more songs with a known hook, I think.

The Byker Grove Fan Club are LOUD. Self described as post-macho noise pop, with lyrics all about toxic masculinity. Great humour and crowd engagement too.

Joe & The Shitboys were hugely fun. A number of songs were under 30 seconds and one was one beat long! Lots of repetitive, shouting lyrics, with  louds of crowd engagement - Joe moshing and people shouting the lyrics in almost every song. Widest smiles I've seen this year!

 

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

Completely forgot that Portron Portron Lopez were brilliant too. Another French (or French-Belgian) band. Two guitars and a drummer. The drummer was wild (he also gave me their album in the bar afterwards, so will check that out!). The fastest beat I've seen live. A fair few songs built up speed gradually to a phenomenal crescendo.

They've been around for over 10 years, but don't seem very well known in the UK at least?

[Guy Incognito]

On 5/12/2022 at 11:53 PM, JHad said:

Sound across many venues was also poorer than expected, especially so at Revenge - avoid at all costs. 

 

Is it really that bad? Anyone else been there yet?

I ws thinking of going there this evening. 

[About Today]

Future Humans
Bleach Lab
Fraulein
Lets Swim Get Swimming
Enola Gay
Honeyglaze
Keg
Let's eat grandma

Yesterday's offerings. Only one I didn't like was future Humans.

[benali]

15 hours ago, JHad said:

An absolutely epic day today. Tonnes of post-punk and heavy stuff and the standard was outrageous.

I went Slow Down Molasses > Bleach Lab > Treeboy & Arc > Opus Kink > Thumper > Portron Portron Lopez > Powerplant > Unschooling > The Byker Grove Fan Club > Joe & The Shitboys

(could've also added Scalping in there, but saw them last week so sat quietly for a few minutes for once!)

All of those bands were very good, but four blew me away - Treeboy & Arc, Unschooling, The Byker Grove Fan Club, and Joe & The Shitboys. 

I knew of Treeboy & Arc from their Speedy Wunderground single a few years back, but hadn't listened for ages. They are top-notch archetypal post-punk of the current generation and I'm amazed they've not broken through since then.

Unschooling also post-punk (northern French), but slightly more guitar-based (including 10 and 12 string!). Great fun live, but could do with a couple more songs with a known hook, I think.

The Byker Grove Fan Club are LOUD. Self described as post-macho noise pop, with lyrics all about toxic masculinity. Great humour and crowd engagement too.

Joe & The Shitboys were hugely fun. A number of songs were under 30 seconds and one was one beat long! Lots of repetitive, shouting lyrics, with  louds of crowd engagement - Joe moshing and people shouting the lyrics in almost every song. Widest smiles I've seen this year!

 

Sounds great, wish I was there.

What were Powerplant like? Been really getting into them recently and the clips I've seen of their live shows look chaotic!

[Guy Incognito]

Scalping the highlight for me so far, once again. Also enjoyed Yama Warashi, Hatis Noit, Blackhaine, Audiobooks and Teke::Teke. Thought that English Teacher, Opus Kink, Stella Donnelly, Vlure and Wu-Lu were alright too. 

[About Today]

2 hours ago, Guy Incognito said:

Is it really that bad? Anyone else been there yet?

I ws thinking of going there this evening. 

Was in the Revenge for Sniffany and the nits this afternoon. Sound was fine. Planning on going back there for Crows and a few more later.

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

3 hours ago, Guy Incognito said:

Is it really that bad? Anyone else been there yet?

I ws thinking of going there this evening. 

I popped back for Maria Uzor first thing today and it was much improved (good, in fact). That was only one person though - not sure if it's any better for bands.

[more matey]

Another fantastic TGE. Top 5 for me in order:

1. Bob Vylan - one of the best gigs I’ve ever attended

Long gap between them and the rest…

2. Yard Act (Thurs Komedia)

3. English Teacher (Thurs Latest Bar)

4. CMAT

5. Katy J Pearson (Sat Horatios)

£55 ticket already bought for next year. I love the fact that the festival rewards effort and strategy. I appreciate that’s not everyone’s sense of fun but I love the pre planning!

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

3 hours ago, more matey said:

I appreciate that’s not everyone’s sense of fun but I love the pre planning!

Definitely. A bit like travelling, the pre-planning and anticipation last weekend was half the fun! Essential really given how many acts there are and the multiple sets, giving almost limitless possibilities. I still had to change plenty on the fly, but at least I had a few options pencilled in. I cannot stand queueing (and the stress of perhaps not getting in) so I learnt after the first day to get to stop rushing around so much and stay in one venue for a while, get to the front and focus on my must sees.

Saturday was definitely the weakest day musically for me but I still very much enjoyed English Teacher, Lime Garden and Lido Pimienta. 

English Teacher at Komedia Studio we worth the wait, after not getting in to their previous show. The sound wasn't perfect, but they were still fantastic. Off key post-punk beats, interspersed with quiet sections of perfectly delivered lyrics on the mundanity of life. Can't wait to see them again.

Lime Garden were my other must see of the day suited their post-sunset slot on the beach, just as the beach and city had calmed down after a frenetic day. Lo-fi but catchy and hugely danceable too. 

Lido Pimienta closed out the festival for me. I hadn't heard of her but Big Jeff recommended her and he was on the money, as ever! Colombian, but drawing influence from right across central and south America and the Carribbean. It was just her and a drummer/percussionist and between them they carved the perfect rythym for a Saturday night. I loved her lyrics and chat too - fierecly standing up for women's rights, Palestine etc.

A great festival. I'll be back next year too.