News Preview: The Great Escape, Brighton

The next few days see Brighton play host to a whole lot of bands and artists looking to peddle their wares to a few unsuspecting (and a few more suspecting) audiences across the city. While it’s more of a ‘little escape’ for us DIY-ers - we’ll be heading down for Friday’s entertainment - here’s what we reckon is the pick of the bunch for the whole lot.

Thursday 15th May

Thanks to the staggered start times across the event, it’s possible to catch many a band on each day, especially if you completely ignore the amount of time it takes to transfer between venues, late running times, and - obviously - queues. So here’s who we’d want to see on Thursday night, if time travel were indeed possible.

Starting at Digital at 6.45pm is Liverpool-based (though not bred) singer/songwriter Eugene McGuinness, before probably being held in a massive queue for much-hyped songsmith Bon Iver at Pressure Point at 7.30pm, probably performing tracks from album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’. It’s always a good idea to try and sell your album at live shows, isn’t it?! If Elle s’appelle are also rammed (Water Margin, 8.05pm), then there’s always the option of London-based folksy type Alessi at The Hope, before queuing yet again for The Futureheads, from whom you’re all but guaranteed a fantastic set. If that’s full, there’s always the option of noisy indie-rockers and local boys Maths Class (Water Margin, 9.45pm), or yet more queuing - Vampire Weekend (Concorde 2, 10.00pm) and Late of the Pier (Barfly, 10.15pm). Then, if you’re lucky enough to be able to avoid the rush for the final trains home, uber-indie favourites Yeasayer are on at 12.30am at Barfly.

Friday 16th May

VESTED INTEREST ALERT!!! Yes, the first and second bands we’ll be watching on Friday are DIY bands - that is, they release records via This Is Fake DIY Records. That’s not to say they’re not brilliant - they are - but just in case you ended up sitting there, rubbing your chin thinking ‘hmm, I wonder why they chose those…’, we’re laying our proverbial cards on the table. First up is We Are The Physics at 7.15, Water Margin - another guaranteed-to-be-great show. Then, closely following at 8.15, Ocean Rooms, another local-ish act, 4 or 5 Magicians. After this there’s either Vetiver at Theatre Royale at 9.20, or five minutes later, French actress/singer, Soko entertains the Unitarian Church. Once more for those without transport worries, Joe Hot Chip and cohort Dels are at Komedia (11.15pm), Brakes’ Eamon Hamilton goes solo at Duke Of York’s (12.00am) and another ace live prospect, the ever-touring Blah Blah Blah (Komedia Studio Bar, 12.30am).

Places we will be avoiding: Dome for The Fratellis, 9.30pm, and Coalition for Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, 9.45pm.

Saturday 17th May

It should be interesting to hear new material from Semifinalists (7.35pm, The Honeyclub), so that’s where we’d start, followed by either Santogold (Digital, 8.45pm) or more likely due to queues, Thomas Tantrum (8.55pm, Water Margin). Friendly Fires could get the party started at 9.15pm Audio), before These New Puritans (9.45, Digital), and the Arcade Fire-like Godwits (10pm, The Hope). As for places to avoid? We’d choose One Night Only (10.15, Pavilion Theatre).