Great Escape Day 1
Great Escape Diary – Day 1
Getting off to a late start due to work and acting commitments I made my way into Jam for the tail end of We Were Promised Jetpacks, a band with a name close to my heart. Their Scottish indie-pop sound was instantly appealing and emotive, and once I’d found a perch to see above the maximum capacity crowd a good live viewing experience.
The real reason I’d made my way to Jam though was The Twilight Sad, from somewhere near Glasgow, their particular brand of emotional pop is characterised by the distinct accent of the lead singer, between embittered drunken hollers and remorseful, swoonsomeness. At times they sounded like Explosions in the Sky with lyrics, then The Cure but, y’know, Scottish. The highlight however was the opening song; That Summer At Home I Became the Invisible Boy, a glorious anthem to the dispossesed and a genuine, contemporary classic. The rest of their set, though powerful, lacked the directness of this first song.
Afterwards I dashed over to Hector’s House and saw the last half of Magic Magic, a skittering, ska-vibed pop group who also impressed quickly, though, as before, it was a shame I only had a brief glimpse into their world. Afterwards was Norwegian act The New Wine who seemed determine to prove that disco is not dead in Norway. Their lengthy dance odysseys quickly became dull and lifeless, and reminded of those 12 inch vinyl singles tucked away in my parent’s record collection that seemed to last for days. Sometimes you want to advertise to the people around you that you’re enjoying a band with a degree of irony, and this was such an instance. Their buoyant nature diluted the effect of the much-hyped Hockey, and, needing to seek musical pastures new I ditched them two songs in.
Following a confused trek around many Brighton streets I found the mysterious Basement and caught the final song of singer-songwriter Birdengine, it was a smart, wry, beguiling sound and I feel quite frustrated that I didn’t get to see any more. He was followed by Blue Roses who has been dubbed ‘the new Kate Bush’, but, fortunately for me, this tag didn’t fit (I’m not too keen on Kate Bush). Instead Blue Roses crafted beautiful, slight and warm songs with piano, violin, guitar and occasional cardigan-covered drums. I was, in the most positive sense, drifting off whilst she sang, lulled into a beautiful dreamland.
And thus ended my first, hasty day at the Great Escape. More tomorrow!
