MUSIC: British Sea Power

Jeff Hemmings navigates the rise of this Brighton based band

Since the turn of the millennium, British Sea Power have established themselves as one of indie rocks stayers, steering a course that has seen them release five albums with a new one out at the beginning of April, Machineries Of Joy.

Made up of the Wilkinson brothers, Hamilton and Yan, Matthew Wood, Martin Noble, Abi Fry and Phil Sumner, and once featuring Brakes frontman Eamon Hamilton amongst their ranks, the band re-located to Brighton as British Air Powers, before renaming themselves upon release of their debut. Their Club Sea Power are the stuff of legend, taking place at rock institutions such as the Freebutt and The Lift (now The Hope), and featuring such acts as Sussex’s first family of folk, The Coppers, and incorporating a 1940s fashion show.

Their debut album The Decline Of British Sea Power was a word-of-mouth success, setting the template for their dense amalgamation The Cure, Joy Division, The Pixies and alt-indie in general. But it was their live shows that fed through to popular success, their stage shows featuring stage foliage, audience participation and occasionally an eight foot bear… They have also used unusual spaces and venues for their shows over the years; including the Carnglaze caves in Cornwall, Newhaven Fort, Berwick Village Hall, and the Czech embassy.

Obsessed with ‘40s Britain, and anything a little bit weird and wonderful, culturally speaking, their Mercury nominated album directly asked the question: Do You Like Rock Music? to which the answer from their fans was an unequivocal Yes! Continuing to explore the outer reaches, and to question the tried and tested routes of normal bands, they’ve created their own mini-festival at the Tan Hill Inn, Britains’s highest pub, set up a club night called Krankenhaus, which gives them the opportunity to bring in their like-minded musician friends, and performed a live soundtrack to the British Film Institutes produced documentary From The Sea To The Land Beyond, a film that uses archive footage to explore the British coast, and which was performed at last year’s Cine City festival in Brighton.

The Old Market, Monday 25 March, 7.30pm, £14