Review: Great Escape

Another year, another Great Escape, now firmly established as one of the best and most important of new music showcases in Europe. Thousands of delegates and music fans poured into Brighton for the three day jamboree (that is also seen as a vitally important contributor to the local economy) to try and see some of the 300+ bands playing in 30 odd venues. For music journos, fans and industry people alike the event largely revolves around checking out new, and often unknown, talent. For me highlights included the big indie-country flavours of Canada’s Slow Down, Molasses, the incendiary wall-of-sound blasts of The Chapman Family, the incredible one-man disco-soul of Norway’s Bernhoft, The Strokes-esque Howler, the ’70s indie-glam of Citizens!, the blues-folk acoustica of South Africa’s Farryl Purkiss, and the amazing math-rock of Brighton’s Physics House Band… I had never seen any of these before and they all surpassed expectations.

Other things I kept hearing about but didn’t actually see included Canada’s southern boogie outfit The Sheepdogs, the crazed Japanese Trippple Nippples and the bizarre african-influenced Icelanders Retro Stefson. I may not have seen them now but they are now on my radar.

Of the bigger acts performing Dry The River showed off their tats and woodsmen hair as well as their rather sublime songwriting abilities. And then there was Alabama Shakes, perhaps THE hot ticket… and they didn’t disappoint, their immaculate if raw ’60s soul/21st century indie hybrid has somehow hit the spot, their songs tight and well-crafted, and in lead singer/guitarist Brittany Howard they have an unlikely star in the making.

Great Escape, various venues, 10-12 May

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