The Great Escape Festival 2012

This weekend sees the return of The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, running over three days, the South Coast's busiest city plays host to a number of brilliant bands, from the new and upcoming to the favourites that have been around for years. It's a brilliant chance to find new artists and explore the best parts of the city, so if you are lucky enough to have tickets, then here are some of my recommendations to go see!

Bastille - Thursday 10th @ Green Door Store

Lower Than Atlantis - Thursday 10th @ The Loft and Concorde 2

Kids in Glass Houses - Thursday 10th @ Concorde 2

∆ (Alt-J) - Friday 11th @ Blind Tiger

Clock Opera - Friday 11th @ Brighton Dome

Laurel - Friday 11th @ Komedia Studio Bar

Dry The River - Friday 11th @ Corn Exchange

Lucy Rose - Saturday 12th @ Blind Tiger

I could go on forever with all the musical talent that is filling the city over the weekend, but the above are ones that I will most certainly be going a long too, and if you can squeeze them into the busy gig schedule i suggest you come see them too! 

If you're going to The Great Escape I hope you have an amazing time! For those of you that aren't, I'll do a write up after the weekend & make sure you buy tickets for next year!

Live Review: Twin Atlantic - The Haunt, Brighton

Think of a great Scottish rock band…. I’m guessing the first band that comes to mind is Biffy Clyro right? Well now you need to push that name aside and make way for a Glaswegian four piece that are making a strong name for themselves in the alternative scene.

The weather in Brighton was certainly fit for the Scottish, (I definitely didn’t come prepared!) However this didn’t seem to faze the rest of the Brighton fans, upon entering the venue it was clear it was close to a sell out and pushing your way towards the front was a task not many could handle. The support acts were unfortunately a little disappointing, with most of the crowd spending their time at the bar during their sets.

Despite this, as soon as the lights lowered and the introduction music started, the crowd were ready and waiting to let themselves go. ‘Serious Underground Dance Vibes’ was the opening track and even though it has no vocals, it most definitely set up the atmosphere, leaving the crowd on edge for what was next to come. The Twin Atlantic boys then went full pelt into ‘Make a Beast of Myself’ and from that moment on they had the audience firmly in the palm of their hands. They made their way through most of the tracks from latest album ‘Free’, mixing it up with some older tracks such as ‘Human After All’ and a few from the first EP’s.  Each song provided evidence that Twin Atlantic were here to play a rock show, with circle pits taking up most of the venue and even lads shouting “I want your babies” in their best Scottish accents, it was clear that Twin Atlantic are fully accepted in the scene.

By the time it came to the encore everyone in the room was insanely hyped up, on returning we were treated to two of their latest singles, ‘Time for You to Stand Up’ and ‘Free’ which, quite frankly made me worry about the structure of the building as I could feel the floor bouncing underneath me. As the show came to an end, every last bit of energy was squeezed out and the crowd left rather sweaty but full of passion. There’s a lot of love for Twin Atlantic down south and it’s pretty awesome seeing so many people come together to celebrate their music.

If a proper rock show it what you are after, than I highly recommend going to see Twin Atlantic, I’m quite sure you won’t regret it! 

Live: Charlie Simpson - Concorde 2 Brighton

It’s been a while since I have felt the need to travel to see a band or artist play, but having missed Charlie’s first tour back in May, it was a definite that I would go wherever necessary to see the dapper young man at his best.

Charlie’s debut album ‘Young Pilgrim’ was released back in August and already is in my top 5 of ‘Best albums of 2011’. On top of that he was playing in one of the best music venues along the South Coast therefore it was a show that just simply couldn’t be missed.

As the 25 year old graced the stage there was a sudden uproar of screaming girls, (probably the only negative of the entire show) and it became clear that Charlie is still as much of a heartthrob as he was 10 years ago when he adorned many a bedroom wall with his fellow Busted members.

Charlie and his band gradually made their way through the tracks that feature on the album, as well as a cover of 80’s hit ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’ which seemed to go down a storm with an audience that were fresh out of the 90’s. With each song they played the band as a whole put everything they had into it, one that stood out in particular was ‘Riverbanks’. On record the middle instrumental is already quite powerful, but live, it is a whole new experience. You could see Charlie squeezing out as much energy as possible to intensify the sound, mix that with strobing lights and you’re left standing in awe of what is happening; I could even feel my ears struggling with it all.

Alongside the album tracks, Charlie also treated the crowd to a couple of B-Sides, including ‘Please Let Me Go’ which was performed completely stripped back with only Charlie, his guitar and one band member for harmonies. The performance left an incredible atmosphere, as everyone dealt with the tingles that were sent up their spines.

The show drew to a close, of course an encore was due and Charlie performed two more upbeat tracks so the crowd left on a happier note, however if everyone else felt the way I did afterwards, then Charlie has definitely mastered the art of connecting emotionally with his fans. His vocals could perhaps have been stronger, but after losing his voice just two days prior to the gig it’s a negative that I’m sure won’t apply for the rest of his shows on the tour.

Overall, a great performance from Charlie and his band. Long gone are the days of his spikey hair and poppy chorus’; these have been replaced by designer stubble, waistcoats and a lyrical genius.

Band of the Month: Two Spot Gobi

Two Spot Gobi are a six piece from Brighton and at first listen you'd probably think they are just another band floating around the pop-folk scene that is currently inhabiting so many bands. But there is something different about these guys, for starters they have a trumpet player and a Cellist.

Their album Sun Will Rise was released back in May and features ten beautifully written, upbeat, summer-filled tracks. The album also features a certain Mr Jason Mraz, who has been a big helping hand with the career of Two Spot Gobi, not only have they toured with him on many occasions, but they were also invited to spend two months recording their album at his home studio, not bad eh?

Latest single Simon's Song (Alright) is a personal favourite of mine. Originally written about a soldier who has been out fighting in Afghanistan, it is a song that can diminish any bad mood, if you are ever feeling low or that things just aren't going right for you, stick this track on and you will instantly feel better. All you need is to listen to the chorus which repeatedly tells us that "Everything will be alright".

As soon as the track begins you are thrown into a whirlwind of acoustic guitar and lead singer James Robinson's beautiful vocals that instantly give you a warm feeling. The Cello and Trumpet add an extra twist to their sound, making it an even more enjoyable listen.

Two Spot Gobi clearly have something very special, and having toured with the likes of Newton Faulkner and Bruno Mars it is almost certain that they are destined for great things.

They have a few shows coming up over the next couple of months, so if they are in your town i highly suggest you go down and check them out! Go to www.twospot.co.uk for more details!