A COLLECTION of the music industry experts and fans rejoice at The Great Escape; a music festival featuring up-and-coming, breakthrough and established bands who play hundreds of gigs on the street, on the beach, in caves, courtyards, dingy basements and beautiful venues alike.
Miamigo were one of the first bands to make an impact on Thursday, taking to a sun-drenched New Road Stage in a great position surrounded by bars and passers by. This, along with their fantastically effortless way of compiling a catchy tune, meant that the crowd was busy. With a huge resemblance to the electro pop style of The 1975, the band’s lead singer put on an impressive vocal display during ‘Hard To Love’, one of the band’s strongest tracks.
With a packed crowd in tow, the sun heated up the city’s Spiegeltent venue, located in a grass square embedded in a cider garden and just a stones throw away from the pier. A pretty established band in their native Nashville, Tennessee’s The Wild Feathers were the first delight of the opening day. Their juicy rock ‘n’ roll sound enamouring the crowd and each other, as they jammed in pairs on stage playing songs from their recent album release. This was a statement performance, and one that’s etched the band’s name, style and technique in our memory.
Tangerines have been selling out London shows of late so it was no surprise to see The Vault filled to the rafters. Formed in Peckham in 2014 by singer and guitarist Gareth Hoskins and childhood friend and drummer Isaac Robson. Their set was packed with 77-era Talking Heads guitars and unforgettable melodies. One to watch in 2016.
Moving into the imposing hall of Brighthelm, those in attendance were treated to a superb set from the ever-impressive Night Beats. An exemplary set that showcased the rawness, intensity and magnetism that makes their heady form of psych rock so endlessly appealing, the band tore through the finest tracks from their catalogue in a fashion that was remarkable in how effortless it seemed.
A band whose industry buzz refuses to dissipate, Blossoms took the headline slot at the city’s Concorde2 with a lot of momentum on their side. Delivering their set of hook-laden indie rock with the usual style and panache, it was one of the few occasions where it was evident that an artist was already preaching to the choir as opposed to waiting to win them over. Tracks such as ‘At Most A Kiss’ and recent single ‘Getaway’ incited a riotous atmosphere within the venue, causing pints to fly and moments of arms aloft ecstasy for the fans that had clearly made this one of the focal points of their excursion.
One of the most original and awe-inspiring bands in Scotland at the moment, Man Of Moon performed the first of two sets on Friday with little regard for the huge amount of energy they were expelling. A ferocious and unrelenting performance that captured the spirit of their recorded output, tracks such as the propulsive ‘I Run’, ‘Sign’ and borderline anthem ‘The Road’ were demonstrative of a band whose rise in popularity is justified to say the least.
Speaking of hotly tipped Scottish outfits, WHITE were next to take to the stage at the packed out venue and brought with them a thrilling and exuberant set that undoubtedly gained them many new converts. Exuding self-assurance as they begin to gain a real foothold in the UK’s musical landscape, their every move was met with approval from the audience and their wonderfully decadent sound is somehow even more gripping in the live arena than it is on record.
One of the many high-impact, high energy sets of the weekend, Madrid’s The Parrots played a brilliant set on Friday afternoon in the Courtyard venue. With a huge crowd turning out for the band and little to no elevation on the stage meant the crowd were left with very little view of the performance. That didn’t matter though, as lead vocalist Diego climbed onto an elevated platform to scream out the chorus of ‘Somebody to Love’. The band’s early morning set at The Globe was the most memorable performance if for atmosphere alone. Sending the small crowd of 30 people into a dancing moshpit, fans climbed between their cables and wires onstage and stood on their amps banging hands to the ceiling and crashing shoulders into cheeks on the dance floor. That’s the kind of effect rock ‘n’ roll has and The Parrots are making sure their sound shakes your soul.
Fresh from the huge buzz which surrounded the release of their recent Headspin EP, Black Honey arrived at Vevo’s Wagner Hall armed with a plethora of great tracks and the presence of bona fide stars. Possessing a sound which incorporates traditional blues influences alongside a modern take on alt-rock, their set was uncompromising and volatile in all the best ways.
Taking to the Green Door Store venue, Catholic Action were one of the band’s programmed by Dr Martens. Following a massive year for the Fuzzkill Records band in 2015 including bagging a spot on the Tennent’s Lager T Break line-up, Catholic Action are sure to remember their TGE show as a highlight in 2016. Filling the venue, the band reached capacity leaving many fans waiting outside as their incredible live set played out. A band we’re continually impressed with in a live setting, Catholic Action were an undeniable highlight of the Scottish crop last weekend.
Crowes at The Black Dove was another rowdy performance. The minuscule and dangerously narrow pub saw people squeeze in between bar stools and tables to watch the dark and stormy set from the London band. With emotion raging through the PA, Crowes handed TGE audience a set that was packed with atmosphere and angst.
Hailing from Japan, Saturday kicked off with a set from The Fin. Commanding considerable acclaim in their own nation, their sound recalled artists such as Tame Impala, Metronomy and Unknown Mortal Orchestra to name a few and demonstrated a capacity for infusing pyschedelia with a poppier backbone. The band are set to support The Last Shadow Puppets in London this coming July, a stint that’s sure to see them garner an even greater UK following.
Holy Esque were a name on everyone’s lips following a couple of successful shows at TGE this weekend. One being their performance in the random Carousels venue down by Brighton Beach. The band delivered a mighty performance to make the audience really stand up and take notice of this Scottish band. And rightfully so. Holy Esque are a band that see selling out shows and being on the top of their game as the only option, it’s always to see new audiences fall in love with their sound.
Courted by major labels far and wide, Scotland’s own KLOE undoubtedly had the weight of expectation on her shoulders as she strode onto the Vevo stage at Wagner Hall. With an array of electronic-leaning and sprightly pop tracks at her disposal, her affecting voice and unique stage persona kept eyes glued frontwards.
Regularly a purveyor of high octane electro pop, The Great Escape saw German artist Nessi perform an acoustic set at Vevo’s Wagner Hall. Whilst the instrumentation was obviously a drastic shift from her usual approach, it did enable her voice to have additional breathing space that is usually occupied by the vibrant synths and electronic percussion.
Two of Australia’s biggest imports in recent years, The Great Escape was brought to a resounding conclusion with sets from both DMA’S and Jagwar Ma at the Corn Exchange.
DMA’s brought their tremendous collection of brit-pop indebted compositions to the stage whilst Jagwar Ma raised the anticipation for their inevitable sophomore album by airing a slew of newer compositions as well as leaving the audience entranced by outstanding tracks such such as ‘Come Save Me’, ‘Man I Need’ and ‘The Throw’
