Day three at The Great Escape delivered another whirlwind run through packed rooms, beachside stages and buzz bands destined for much bigger things.
We kicked things off at Daltons with Twat Union. We recently added their brilliant new single “Period Sex” to our Discovery Playlist, so it was great to finally catch it live. They followed it up with a song about getting a UTI — because of course they did. The feminist comedy-punk outfit balance sharp humour with a genuinely important message, and the crowd lapped up every second.
Next up were The North at the Hope & Ruin — another reminder that Leeds is producing an incredible crop of emerging guitar bands right now. Their set was packed with confidence, hooks and energy, marking them out as a band well worth putting on your radar.
Back down by the beach, Western Australian rockers Fool Nelson continued their first overseas tour with a set full of charm and swagger. The Brighton audience quickly warmed to them, with the band looking completely at home on an international stage.
The final stretch of the night at the Deep End stage absolutely blew our minds. Bleech 9:3 are one of those rare acts everyone at the festival seems to be talking about. Despite only releasing their debut single last year, the intensity and confidence of their performance felt far beyond their years. The room was rammed, the atmosphere electric.
Leeds dance-punk outfit Adult DVD followed them in explosive fashion — high-energy, atmospheric and utterly relentless from start to finish.
Still buzzing, we made one final stop at the Soundwaves stage for Villanelle. Frontman Gene Gallagher carried himself with effortless rock’n’roll charisma, and while there’s naturally plenty of curiosity surrounding the band given his lineage, they more than backed up the attention with a genuinely strong set.Then it was out into the rain for the long trek home — another classic day at Brighton’s annual musical marathon.
Bruce was there to bring you these images.
