The Great Escape 2015 Full Festival Review Day One

The Great Escape Brighton (UK) Full Festival Review DAY ONE 14th May 2015.

Just imagine the hard work necessary to put on a show like The Great Escape.

We should recognize that much of the work is done by volunteers — music lovers like you and I — who give up their precious hours to create something special.

TGE15 boasts more than 450 artists, at over 35 city-wide locations, and with at least 25 countries represented.

This year about 3,000 music professionals (such as bookers, label bosses, media experts, managers, agents, promoters and influencers ) attended the festival. All eager to discover the next “New Sound.” Many of the professionals we spoke made crucial decisions at The Great Escape that will alter futures, change lives and create dreams. For some new musicians, this fabulous weekend will be the starting point of their careers.

Let this review be a “No Grumble” zone. We respect the energy and the enthusiasm of the dedicated army of workers who made this weekend a successful joy. So, although we have some quibbles, we will keep them to ourselves…

Like many revellers, we had a detailed itinerary that we had been completing, in detail, weeks ahead…

Our plan (like everyone else, probably) was to try to cover the greatest possible number of artists that we possibly could manage… Whilst reducing anticipated foot-slog between locations.

But (as we all should know) no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy…

So, we missed the first act in our carefully drafted timetable (this is a “No Grumble” zone so we won’t explain why), and we went straight to Paganini Ballroom to see Aldous Harding. The venue is named after the famous Italian violinist and composer who once played there.

This superb venue (located at The Ship hotel) — is a new place for us this year. It is nice to see how this space has been opened up — the acoustics were spot-on, there was ample room to move around inside and the retreat offered oasis-like serenity in a city of madness, fast-colours and incredible whir.

Experimentalism and minimalism seemed to be the themes of this year’s Escape.

Almost every artist was showing off some ‘new’ way to play a vintage sound. New Zealand’s Aldous Harding (from Lyttelton) was no exception to this (very general) rule. When we listened closely we could hear post-rock sounds like Portishead and Pixies inside that acid-folk outer jacket.

Next up was one of our favourites of the festival and a discovery for us. Jack and Pat Pierce (Pierce Brothers, Melbourne) were playing at the Komedia.

If you get a chance, please see this energetically busking brother-act at a festival near you this summer. Their enthusiasm was contagious and spontaneous, their song-writing clever, upbeat rhythms ordered, and the whole show was intoxicating and danceable.

We stayed at the Australian bash for the Fraser A. Gorman show-case.

Fraser’s debut LP is due to be released soon. His songs are a little bit folk and Dylanesque (with splendid twangy electric guitar) and all have irresistible melodies and a lot of humour.

Lancaster’s Lake Komo (Unitarian Church) is a band that we did not want to miss. There’s something a little Alt-J with a hint of darkness hidden in the vocals (think Justin Vernon.) Then we quickly skipped to the slopes to see those snow-heroes and multi-nationality rockers Sunset Sons whose new EP The Fall Line contains many fine anthems.

Over to Unitarian Church for the wonderful Flo Morrissey [Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful is out June 15th]. She was one of our top choices for this year’s festival: We said that her voice is a thing of “Rare beauty…That does not forgive. And you will live with it until your dying day…”

There was certainly a buzz about the French/Cuban twins, Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz aka Ibeyi.

They combine hip-hop and electronic sounds with Yoruba ideas (their Dad was celebrated percussionist Anga Díaz.) The vocals are sad and deep, and the sounds are dark and somewhat jazzy. It was an unforgettable experience (at the Coalition.)

Welsh band The Hearts are doing well right now with their song ‘Run Free’ (inspiring us to keep humming the Candi Staton melody aloud.) So we went to see them at Sticky Mike’s. It was a neat little set with a lot of uplifting moments.

Singer and songwriter Valerie Teicher aka Tei Shi was playing at the Line of Best Fit showcase over at the Komedia. Her voice was sexy and polished.

Then we headed to the beautiful (small but perfectly formed) Albert Pub for Ivy & Gold.

 

 

This is the project of Jamie Davies & Rachel Wilkinson whose aesthetically pleasing songs, lovely voice and wonderful synth sounds gave us all goose bumps. Ivy & Gold were one of our favourite acts of the weekend.

Then it was back to the waterfront again for the nearly-dreadless Los Angeles singer and songwriter Kelela, whose moody House & Electro was dark and destructively hypnotic.

 

 

 

We aimed to finish off the evening with Broods from New Zealand — but we were simply too exhausted after the long foot-slog back from St Georges Church (all the way out to Kemptown to catch Susanne Sundfør.) She will be returning to play Koko in London in October.

And so to bed. Early but buzzed-out. Feeling inspired, delighted, slightly foot-sore and very excited about the two days ahead…

Words & Images: @neilmach 2015 ©

Check back with RAWRAMP for Day Two and Day Three Festival Reports — The Great Escape 2015.