#tge 2015

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No melee HD

[sistermagazine]

HIGHLIGHTS FROM TGE 2015

Great Escape, you spoiled us once again with three days of incredible live music, some great talks and all the hangs in-between. It’s impossible to not just be happy to be in Brighton come May.

Having just about adjusted back to reality, it seems only right to briefly summarise our experience and put another shout out to all those involved in the festival’s superb organisation and running. We had an absolute blast.

Every year as soon as that schedule is in your hands you can feel so unprepared for the bombardment of talent that you are free to pick and choose from. After 6 years we’re more than used to this and it by no means requires concern. So many people are in the same boat and give it an hour and you’ll soon be on your way. You can try and play things cool but there’s nothing worse than knowing you had the chance to catch someone great - even just for one song - once the opportunity has passed. Scrawling adjustments and double-checking set times and new tip-offs each day is all part of the game and will forever be a welcome challenge.

Highlights from our three days include:

Persevering through a horribly wet Thursday and easing in with an insightful (albeit slightly overwhelming) streaming and licensing talk. Straight after we caught Fraser A Gorman and Holy Holy. Local chaps Miamigo impressed hugely with their arena-scale pop and we think we found our new favourite rapper in Noah Kin.

It stopped raining by Friday so spirits were high across the town and the influx of people who couldn't get down Thursday stepped the atmosphere up. Tears & Marble blew us away first thing and then the Pins girls stole the afternoon, setting the tone (loudly) for Meat Wave and Bully.

Ending strongly on Saturday, we began with a feminine focus. K. Flay and Ekkah are two very different but equally excellent acts, each drawing great crowds despite the gloriously distracting conditions outside. We FINALLY caught Demob Happy after what feels like a million missed opportunities and left incredibly glad for it. Shamir followed by putting on the party of the weekend, forcing a relatively tame crowd into a frenzied carnival. We ended amongst strong company to see the festival out (despite The Maccabees pinching the masses), as Pity Sex - who we already greatly love - smashed through an incredible set to see us home.

In a nutshell, The Great Escape is as essential for music fans as much as it is for the people who work within the industry. The mass excitement, keen intrigue and positive atmosphere caused by the buzz of new talent is simply incomparable and here’s to another ten years of feeling this good about music at the start of every summer.

Words by James Uden. For more details, head to www.greatescapefestival.com

[sistermagazine]

TGE 2015

There aren't many places that could accommodate and embrace a widespread festival as well as Brighton does with The Great Escape.

Turning as many bars, shops and patches of grass into performance areas whilst the impressive array of existing venues also share the lineup, TGE has truly certified itself as one of the UK’s finest music events. Our very own equivalent to SXSW in terms of showcasing emerging talent, I’m as excited to be heading down now at 24 as I was as a fresh-faced 18 year old Music Journalism student.

Each year I’ve experienced the festival differently and that will always be its biggest appeal. You can play it any way you like and still have the best time. Planning your days well in advance, making them up as you go along, sticking to your guns or caving in to go and see a stranger’s tip-off - these are all winning scenarios. Without spontaneity and the willingness to embrace the diversity of previous lineups, I wouldn't have witnessed HAIM playing to a room of no more than 25 people, Years & Years pre-BBC Music acclaim or Mykki Blanco - who I hadn't heard of 10 minutes before deciding to see him - emerging as one of the most exciting rappers in the world.

It’s as easy as nipping to the pub to catch some of the best acts on show, because that’s literally all you need to do. The organisers deserve a huge amount of credit for seeing potential in any space in the city able enough to support a microphone. The spontaneity and the immersion with everyday city life is part of what makes the festival feel so natural and accessible.

Witnessing as many performances as possible remains the ultimate goal of course, and five acts firmly on our radar just from glancing at the lineup this year are Kelela (who released an incredible mixtape in 2013. Listen to it right now if you haven’t already), Miamigo (an emerging local synth duo), Pity Sex (flying the Run For Cover Records flag with their brilliant scuzz-fuelled rock), Vaults (another great female artist on the rise whose live shows we’ve been assured are a thing of beauty) and Meat Wave (a Chicago punk trio likened to Cloud Nothings and Drive Like Jehu. I think we might just grow fond of these chaps.)

Totally varied in their respective sounds, this handful of artists exemplify the diverse nature of the overall billing. If you have even a remote interest in music then there’s enough reason to fork out 55 quid for three days of fun. Explore the city, hit the beach for a bit, stir up some good old fashioned networking with like-minded people and just say yes to the odd punt if you don't feel like testing yourself with the easily overwhelming bill. Chances are you’ll catch somebody great who will be selling out Academys and arenas for years to come.

We’ll be keeping you totally updated on who we see across the three days with plenty of reviews to come once we’ve slept through Sunday and recovered. Do also let us know the acts that you're most excited about and we’ll maybe see a few of you down there.

Words by James Uden. Buy tickets and get more info on TGE here.