Festival Review: Great Escape Festival 2018

King Nun - Photo: Daniel Hills

Going into it's thirteenth year as a festival, Great Escape Festival still manages to push itself further each year, and this year was no different! With over 450 acts to pick from, the festival was booming with fantastic talent.

We started our festival early this year, with the special opening of the Beach venue, a new feature for the festival this year. It based itself on the beach, hosted three stages and some amazing food, the onion bhaji and mango stand was our best food discovery of the weekend! So with a new thing for the festival, what do you want to do? Show it off obviously! With the Xcerts doing an intimate set, along with the likes of Asylums and Valeras

joining them. It certainly got the festival off to a good start!

The Xcerts - Photo: Ant Adams

Asylums - Photo: Ant Adams

Valeras - Photo: Ant Adams

Waking up with a fresh hangover, the festival was officially starting. Jubilee Square, the centre point for wrist band pick up for the event, was beaming with life. We started our day on the Alternative Escape, with Hannah Jane Lewis, a rising pop star who wowed us with her powerful vocals. Our next stop was with Shanghai Blues, a London indie four piece, who have been gaining quite the reputation for their live shows. Raw and loud, and certainly a band to keep you eye on.

Hannah Jane Lewis - Photo : Ant Adams

Shanghai Blues - Photo: Ant Adams

The best thing about Great Escape, is that you can stumble across some right musical gems. One of those this year was Nia Wyn, as we caught her early afternoon set at the Latest Music Bar. There is just something vintage about her sound, and it made us wish we were sat in a dusty Blues bar with a cigar in our mouths, watching this amazing talent on stage.

Nia Wyn - Photo: Ant Adams

We then ran up the hill to The Hope and Ruin and managed to squeeze ourselves in the

Orchards set, this venue is always busy over the Great Escape weekend, but it seemed everyone wanted to see this band today as the room was a rammed sweat box! Orchards certainly got the festival party going, and kept the whole room on their toes with the energetic indie-pop style songs. With Olympic style high kicks, they certainly got us buzzing for the rest of the day.

Orchards - Photo: Ant Adams

We followed that by running over to the Green Store Door to catch Dizzy, with the venue hosting some amazing talent from Canada. Dizzy are a band who's music belongs on movie soundtracks, they manage to capture an emotional moment in their songs.

Dizzy - Photo: Ant Adams

Last year was the year that Dream Wife tore apart Great Escape, with surprise live sets popping up over Brighton, they were the band of the festival last year. So it was great to see them back, playing to a huge crowd at the Beach venue. With their debut album dropping early this year, and with it easily being in our top five albums of the year, it has taken them from being that cool underground band to that cool band everyone should take notice of. And their live performances show this too, they controlled that venue from start to finish, their stage presence alone shows they are going to be a musical force in the coming months when they do their headline UK tour this Autumn.

Dream Wife - Photo: Ant Adams

Heading back up to the Hope and Ruin to catch the sassy tones of Áine Cahill, there was some amazing female vocals on the line up this year, and Áine is high up there on our list as one of the best ones. Her voice is timeless, and there are moments in her set where you could feel the room falling in love with her.

Aine Cahill - Photo: Ant Adams

Following on from successful support tours with Dua Lipa & Rag'n'Bone Man, Grace Carter played The Great Escape in style by playing the stunning venue Sallis Benney Theatre, and ideal setting for such a unique voice. Word on the street is big things are expected of Grace and after seeing Grace live, we believe every bit of hype that surrounds her!

Grace Carter - Photo: Daniel Hills

Being on Dirty Hit Records comes with its own pressure to be incredibly good. King Nun had no trouble in filling those boots. Even with every possible technical difficulty you could ever dream up, the band ripped through a head banging set at Horatios and left the crowd wanting more. Keeping with the Dirty Hit theme, Pale Waves are one of the most hotly tipped acts around right now. And with good reason! Horatios was full to capacity with fans already singing along to every word. I highly recommend catching them live as soon as you can!

King Nun - Photo: Daniel Hills

Pale Waves - Photo: Daniel Hills

The first day had been kind to us, the quality of acts we had seen had left us inspired, but Great Escape was just getting started. Thursday evening treated us to Puma Blue playing the Arch, which can only be described as a warm bomb shelter, but he manages to make it feel like a ballroom with his unique jazzy sound.

Puma Blue - Photo: Ant Adams

Novelist and Ms Banks took over the East Wing, and firmly put grime and rap on the Great Escape Festival map. Grime has got this label now of being cool, but watching these two performers shatters that label. Don't get us wrong, they are cool, but they are more than that. They are artists we should be taking notice of, not because the genre is cool, but because they a generally amazing. Their live performances leave you feeling this buzz, filling you with the energy to take on the world. If someone's music does that, they are something special.

Ms Banks - Photo: Ant Adams

Novelist - Photo: Ant Adams

We end our evening with sets from Shadowlark at Bau Wow, and Glass Peaks at the Crown. Shadowlark's hypnotic sound takes over you as you listen to them, showing us that Leeds' DIY music scene is worth paying attention to at the moment. Finishing off our day on the Alternative Escape for the London boys in Glass Peaks, the Crown is a tiny venue but it is overflowing for their late night set. The boys take to the stage and turn the venue on it's head, giving Brighton a taste of what they do on the London music scene.

Shadowlark - Photo: Ant Adams

Glass Peaks - Photo: Ant Adams

With our first day hangover taking hold, we decided to start our Friday on the Alternative Escape at the Shipwright's Yard, which each year puts on some amazing bands. For her first time in the UK, Aussie singer Amaya Laucirica pulled in a crowd. Mesmerising everyone with her summer vibe, the crowd were left reaching for the Pimm's and basking in the sunshine. Our Girl appear to have found the perfect partnership with label Cannibal Hymns. The band are producing some absolute bangers along with a live set to match. Can't wait for the album to land!

Amaya Laucirica - Photo: Daniel Hills

Our Girl - Photo: Daniel Hills

Koates - Photo: Daniel Hills

Every year at The Great Escape we catch an artist by accident that blows us away. G-Flip was that artist this time around. The multi-instrumentalist from Australia packed out the Beach Club and received a riot ready reception. Keep an eye on this girl as we think we will be hearing a lot more from her this year! Koates are a three piece that have had a lot of heads turning lately. With support from numerous high profile radio stations and even an appearance on Made In Chelsea, the future looks very bright for the band. It was so refreshing to see so many female fronted acts at this year's festival and none were much louder than London four piece Bloxx. With a go big or go home stage presence the band are certainly ones to watch.

Bloxx - Photo: Daniel Hills

G-Flip - Photo: Daniel Hills

G-Flip - Photo: Daniel HIlls

Never have we seen a room full quite as quickly as when Sam Fender came on stage. Festival goers were seen running from venue to venue just to catch Sam and they were not disappointed. Sam's distinctive vocals and catchy guitar lines will no doubt lead to continuously bigger things. We took a quick pit stop for the Alternative Escape when we caught The Spook School playing the Queer Escape at Brighton Electric, which had an amazing line up from the UK queer scene featuring itoldyouiwouldeatyou, Nervus, Flirting, and of course The Spook School. NAO closes down the Beach venue with a huge party with her blend of soul and RnB, with the whole room dancing with her from start to finish.

Sam Fender - Photo: Daniel Hills

The Spook School - Photo: Ant Adams

NAO - Photo: Ant Adams

Dream State are a band we having been wanting to check out for ages, to see if it is all hype or if that voice is truly that amazing. And we can safely say, that we now know why everyone is talking about Dream State. CJ's vocals travel around the room like she is screaming in a deep black hole, like as if it was the last scream she would ever do. The band are not your typical Great Escape band, as they are bit heavy, however this did not stop the room being full all the way to the back. Dream State is the dark horse of Great Escape this year, and they have come first in the race.

Dream State - Photo: Ant Adams

The parks of Great Escape, is that the music keeps going late into the night, so we ended our day with a late night set from Esther Joy at Bau Wow. She bewitches us with all with her unique style of music, which sits up there with the uniqueness of Aphex Twin, but if he was dragged through the dark for centuries. Her music is threateningly unique that it draws you towards her to see what it is all about.

Esther Joy - Photo: Ant Adams

American four piece Bully got festival goers out nice and early for the final day. There's no better alarm clock than the sound of outright rock n roll and Horatios was at full capacity which for a first band on after a Friday night of chaos, is no easy task! One of our ones to watch from this year's festival are The Hungry Mother's. Americana blues with an indie touch. Grab a beer and get lost with these guys at your side. Check out their latest single "Tiger Song" and add it to your playlists immediately!

Bully - Photo: Daniel Hills

The Hungry Mother's - Photo: Daniel Hills

There is some unique venues at the Great Escape, you can see a band play a library or a cafe, or in this case of Faers, a hotel room. We caught their set at the Harbour Hotel, which we always feel is a little too posh for Great Escape, but the London lads brought it back to its roots and kept everyone in that festival mood with their indie stomping music.

Faers - Photo: Ant Adams

The weather had been kind to us for the whole festival, so we made full use of it on the last day down at the Beach complex. With the FA Cup Final and the Royal Wedding being put on televisions in the shade, it was a great place to relax. The last day had an amazing line up on the stages there. With Demob Happyfirst on our list to check out, what more is there to say?! It's Demob Happy! These guys have been working their way to the top over the past few years and with the announcement of a USA tour with Nothing But Thieves and some prime time Radio1 play. It won't be long before Demob are a household name.

Demob Happy - Photo: Daniel Hills

After the madness of Demob Happy, we rush over to the other Beach venue to catch 808INK, who turn the tent upside-down as the duo tear it apart with South East London roots. Blending rap with reggae with a no rules philosophy, we wished we had partied with these all weekend!

808INK - Photo: Ant Adams

We ran over to catch the end of Calva Louise's set on the Alternative Escape, our last stop on it for the weekend. The Alternative Escape has provided a great line up this year, to work side by side with the actual festival. It turned Brighton into a vibrant hub of creativity and art. With our festival coming to an end, there's no better way to end a festival than with The Magic Gang in full flow. we have been a fan of these guys for some time now and they get better every time we see them. Finishing the festival off in true riotous fashion leaving fans blissfully fulfilled until this time next year!

Calva Louise - Photo: Ant Adams

The Magic Gang - Photo: Daniel Hills

Now that is our Great Escape Festival finished, and we have said it time and time again for this festival. It still gets better year after year. But this one was special, the talent on the line up, the hot weather combining with the Beach venue, and the general vibe of the whole event. It makes us think, how are you going to top this one Great Escape?

See you next year.

Words and Photography by

Daniel Hills

and

Ant Adams

Ant WTHB - Photography & Live ReviewsMay 29, 2018Ant Adams, Brighton, Daniel Hills, Festival, Great Escape Festival, Live, Festival Live