2012年 May 12日 Saturday, 20:01
Thu 10 May – The Great Escape 2012
Thursday:
1. Francois & The Atlast Mountains - Great fun live, don't sound anything like they don record & gave a very energetic performance which reminded me of the likes of Animal Collective. The drummer was a real highlight he commanded the stage and pulled some amazing faces. 7/10
2. Porcelain Raft 2.15pm - I attempted to see this but they took so long to set up I actually felt faint. Marred by technical issues once again I had to leave, heard the end of the set it sounded okay but The Prince Albert was a shambles by this point in terms of organisation and technical fucks up, real shame. N/A
3. College 3.15pm - We got in to see College despite the ridiculous demand & it was a very fun set, he got the crowd dancing but he lacked the visuals due to technichal fuck ups at the Prince Albert… it's not their fault and this stuff happens but it meant the wasn't anything to look at! Still good dancing times to be had in the mid afternoon 7/10
4. Ben Salter 4.00pm - Had no idea who this guy was but he could really sing and he was funny and handled the between song banter really well which got some girls swoon'd, the music on the other hand had a lot to be desired. 5/10
5. Husky 5.00pm - An Australian band which really reminded me of the Fleet Foxes with organ & whilst it was okay it hardly set my world on fire, a lot of the set simply did nothing for me but the were a few choice songs that I really got into. 6/10
6. Oliver Tank 6.00pm - Atmospheric pop is the best way I could describe, sort of like Jamie Woon meets Burial & I was mesmerised by the entire set and really enjoyed it, really bowled me over. 8/10
7. Le Femme 8.00pm - I had no idea who this band was and didn't even expect to see them but they were on late so I got to see the majority of their set & it was fabulous. Awesome mix of surf rock & French disco and tonnes of stage presence and some nice horrible dis-chords thrown in for good measure I was tapping my feet. To be honest when I first saw this band, they looked like kind of fashionable NME music I tend to avoid, but they proved me wrong. 8/10
8. Peace 8.45pm - Terrible, generic, run of the mill…. like Foals only way way way way duller, fundamentally they were tight live and didn't do any cock ups but the was no personality and the image the band had was quite irritating…. those jackets JESUS Christ. 2/10
9. Friends 9.30pm - Some awesome choons, great vibes and one hell of a charismatic front lady… the gig was in full swing until they learnt their set had to be cut short due to the overruns… this sort of killed the momentum for me as they announced it all the excitement got drained from the room. But the end trio of songs were still great fun and in general this band were awesome live. 8/10
10. Niki & The Dove 10.15pm - Recommended to me by a friend I didn't know what to expect & I sort of expected a female driven electronic outfit & whilst that's what I got that description wouldn't do it justice at all. Think of a tribal Kate Bush with elements of The Knife thrown in and you've sort of got an idea, this gig was full of energy, dynamics, bombastic beats & some awesome vocal melodies. The only band to get the crowd to clap along out of the 4 I saw here INCLUDING the popular and charismatic Friends this band really set the crowd on fire & I can totally see why, this gig was immense. 10/10
Thoughts: Didn't have too much trouble getting into any of the shows, seemed well organised besides the hitches at The Prince Albert which is probably enough to keep me from going back to that venue during the rest of the festival. For the most part very happy with what I've seen today.
Friday:
Lets see how the second day of festivities fared
1) Half Moon Run 12.30pm - Montreal act provided some good Radiohead meets indie pop vibes, nothing special but it was enjoyable 6/10
2) Sykur 1.30pm - Think of an Iclandic Discotheque fronted by Bjork, it was great fun and I couldn't help but move along, nothing special but certainly a lot of fun. 7/10
3) Tiny Ruins 2.00pm - Plesent surprise, nice duo with nice vocals and very nice songs, enjoyed them a lot. The first case I recall during the whole festival where the whole crowd was pin drop quiet. 7/10
4) Pickachunes 2.30pm - At the start of the gig I thought this was all very dull but as it went on I really grew to like the music on display… whilst nothing special it was enjoyable and the venue (The Haunt) did it's usual job of adding a lot to the show by just being incredibly good. 6/10
5) Princess Chelsea 3.15pm - This show was brilliant, I love Princess Chelseas fairtytale pop style and it came across very well at this gig and it telled by the ovation she and her band got at the end! She is one talented lady and the songs are just brilliant. 8/10
6) Strangers 4.00pm - Fucking shite, terrible music & terrible wordrobe. I would be more creative with this criticism but they weren't with their music so why the fuck should I bother? 2/10
7) Sam Brookes 4.30pm Nice minamlist folk, it was nice I can't really say too much more about it…. the sparse composistions were very nice as were the vocals and the chello however if I was to say I was won over by it would be overselling. 6/10
8) Polarserts 5.00pm - Surprisingly decent National/Interpol esc band with some really strong moments, can't say I loved it though. The build to the epic moments was ruined by the DJ downstairs but it was all right all the same. 5/10
9) FOE 6.00pm - This was great fun, way more distorted then record in a venue that was dangerously small for such a hyped artist, she didn't play Cold Hard Rock though… booo! But the new songs sounded great and Tyrant Song was fucking superb. 8/10
10) French Films 7.45pm - Really fucking dull, the original plan was to watch Django Django here and ride out whatever came up but we gave that up rather fast after this dull performance, competent yes… but really boring. 4/10
11) Me And The Bees 8.15pm - This band were a pleasent surprise, thinking of Camera Obscura meets Pavement… I really enjoyed it and will be seeking out more of there stuff in the future. 8/10
12) Princess Chelsea 9.00pm - If you ever want proof that a venue or soundman off of his game could ruin a gig then look no further then here. Thought their performance earlier was incredible, this on the other hand was utter shit, not blaming the band thought they handled it well and was going to blame the equipment at their disposale as a bit shit… but then the sound got fixed on the last song and they sounded brilliant… going to put this down to a poor display from the soundman I'm afraid, terrible. 2/10
13) Doledrums 9.45pm - Only caught the last half of their set but it was brilliant, upbeat and fantastic. It included a guest appearance by Friends who were on before then a full scale stage invasion… it was great fun! And I wish I saw more!!! 9/10
14) Rolo Tomassi 10.30pm -This gig was amazing! I rocked my little socks off and The Haunt once again provided an incredible gig experience… this is the best venue in Brighton and with such amazing dynamics on display this is one of the best bands actively touring in the UK. 10/10
15) Peace 11.00pm - In their defence they were a lot better then last night, I wouldnt write home about them but they suited this line up a lot more then yesterday. It was decent enough, the sort of band I'd happily nod along to when I'm talking to someone. 5/10
16) Special Guests 00.00am - Whoever this band was, I have no idea, they were a very solid one. Great fun and I enjoyed it a lot.. taking their insperation heavily from Interpol they had a crowd biting at their ankles and dancing to every whym, would deffo see again. 7/10
17) Trippple Nipples 01.00am - I cannot even stress how amazing this was! The band were so much fun, had the crowd dancing…. then they spat at the crowd and the sound went off! Then they threw this huge flag into the crowd and everyone hoisted up and chanted 'TURN IT BACK ON TURN IT BACK ON TURN IT BACK ON' then the power went back on and then we had another full scale stage invasion were a mosh pit broke out in the crowd and on stage…. I almost knocked over the PA and gave everyone a hug then jumped into the crowd…. it was amazing 10/10
This day was amazing… the most fun I've ever had at Great Escape & other then the few SHITE bands I saw and the moment I felt so very sad for the poor Princess Chelsea gig which wasn't any fault of their own it was one of the best festival experiances I'd ever had and I loved it!
Sunday:
Well it's all over & I already feel incredibly sad as this was easily the best Great Escape I'd ever attended, special thanks to all those involved who made this weekend incredible. Didn't see many bands today, was rightfully exhausted after last nights festivities!
1) French Films 2.00pm - No better then yesterday they were still the same pop driven indie pop band I saw yesterday and did nothing for me, this was heightend by the hangover I was suffering form at the time. Again solid enough set for what they did and if you like this sort of thing then go for it. 4/10
2) Cheaveu 3.15pm - This was great fun, think Fuck Buttons if they did hardcore and you'll have a vivid idea of what these guys do. It's great fun and dancetastic however the live rendition of 'Charlie Sheen' had a lot to be desired, still a great set. 8/10
3) The Soft 7.15pm - Fairly decent affair here, it was really pleasent electronic music with a nice pinch of atmosphere as far as opening acts go they were very good at setting the mood for the rest of the gig but it's unlikely I will remember this set for very long. 6/10
4) New Look 8.00pm - These guys were pretty good, I was nicely surprised, following the electronic theme of the stage these guys braught a pretty retro 90s club feel over some nice new quirky dynamics and covered the set with hooks. 7/10
5) When The Saints Go Machine 8.45pm - I enjoyed this a lot, a hell of a lot, constantly had me guessing and some thrilling climaxes this act reminded me a lot of animal collective with Anthony Hegarty fronting. Great use of dynamics and a good collection of hooks to hang off & complete with energy this set is one I'm remembering. 9/10
6) Errors 9.45pm - This set was way too fucking short! I enjoyed it a lot, I danced loads but I some how expected more! As much as I like the albums I feel Errors are a band I'll never fall in love with & I think this is mostly due to the emotional disconnect between the band and the audience. It's clinical guitar & synth driven dance music and if thats what you want then fantastic but I felt they were a slight disappointment in comparisson to 'When The Saints Go Machine' 7.5/10
Best acts of the festival:
1) Trippple Nipples
2) Niki & The Dove
3) Rolo Tomassi
Overall thoughts: Pound for pound I think this was easily the best Great Escape I've ever attended! I think the variety in acts was far superior to previous festivals & it seemed a lot better organised then previous years, the larger emphasis on the Alternative Escape and daytime gigs really helped a lot and made sure the was never a dull moment. Other then the quibble of the Saturday having way too many clashes and the set allocations at the Drownedinsound stage at Digital being a tad questionable where Errors appeared to have the shortest set it was a very good festival with few let downs & I look forward to doing the same next year. The atmosphere was electric all weekend. For the inexperienced Great Escapees I still imagine Great Escape to be a soaring let down as the is still the pressing issue of too many delegate passes and not enough space but for the savvy festival goer this is great value for money.