This weekend is the Great Escape festival in Brighton – loads of cool gigs I can walk to from my flat! Here’s what I’ve seen so far:
Paul Cook & Julian
This really was just a random bloke singing with his mate. It was very boring. 2/10
Kaiko
A really awful indie band. It was very loud and I couldn’t pick out any of the words the singer was singing. 0/10
Ruthie Phoenix
A really funny group, fronted by a lady who was a little mutton dressed as lamb, but had a great personality and camaraderie with the group. She was a bit drunk, but the music was still heaps better than the bands before her. 7/10
Official Secrets Act
Indie-rock group with a look inspired either by Adam Ant or Nelly. Quite heavy, but more professional than the earlier acts, so I didn’t complain. I also got to go in a new venue I’d never been in – it was cool, but smelt oddly chloriney. 3/10
Laurel Collective
The name was fitting as there were loads of them on stage, including 2 singers. I think they should have got rid of Bob (they spoke to each other so we learnt their names), as Martin was much more charismatic and really carried the band. Not great music, but not bad considering we picked them at random after Passenger cancelled. 4/10
Ida Maria
The act I was most excited for today, and she didn’t disappoint. It was my first time seeing a Norwegian play in England, I think. Some of her songs are much better than others (Oh My God and Stella are my favourites), but her emotional, intense singing style made the songs really come to life. 8/10
Fanfarlo
Their style was nice and jaunty, and I liked the violin, but they did all sound very much the same. Not bad but not one I’ll be rushing to buy the album of, either. 6/10
Futureheads
I wasn’t intending to see these, but all my friends wanted to, so I did. They were quite good, but Hounds of Love is just not right without “It’s in the trees! It’s coming!” I did enjoy that one, though, and Decent Days and Nights, Skip To The End and The Beginning of the Twist, but what I heard of their other songs hasn’t made me a big fan. I’d still say they were good live, although at the points when I couldn’t see them (lots of tall blokes in the audience) they sounded just like Ant and Dec when they spoke, so now I’ll forever think of them as how Ant and Dec would sound as an indie-rock band. 7/10
Tomorrow should be good, as I plan to see Slow Club, Astrid Swan and Alphabeat (YAY!), among others.