Live Reviews

Over the course of its fourteen year history, The Great Escape has set itself an extremely high standard to maintain, yet each year it somehow exceeds expectations. We leave Brighton with a fresh new list of unearthed talent and immediately hit the countdown timer in anticipation for doing it all again next year. Here's what we got up to on our third and final day...

After a successful first day at we’re welcomed on day two by glorious sunshine, so what better way to start than to head to The Great Escape's purpose built pop-up stage directly on the beach. Here's what we got up to on the Friday of the festival!

Brighton’s annual festival of musical discovery, The Great Escape, is one of the major opening acts of the British festival season and every year it sets an ever-raising bar for the rest to follow. The endearing, close-knit setting combined with a line-up that covers all genres imaginable, from an array of countries, provides a level of diversity and variation that you simply can’t find anywhere else over the festival season, making this annual weekend of discovery a truly unique and memorable experience.

Now in its sixth year, StrangeForms is a celebration of all things math-rock, post-rock and post-hardcore, from the legends of these alternative rock sub-genres, to new bands looking to make a name for themselves. 2018 was a landmark year for the Leeds-based festival, as it moved across the city to a larger venue at the Brudenell Social Club; evidence of the event’s growing popularity and ambition. After a successful debut year in its new home, allowing for its largest audience yet, StrangeForms is back for another instalment at the Brudenell.

The Xcerts are currently rounding off their most successful album cycle to date with 'Hold On To Your Heart'. In the last 16 months it's seen the Scottish trio get a top 40 album, tour across Europe, release their 'Wildheart Dreaming' EP which features tracks that didn’t make the album and take their sound to arenas with Busted. We ventured down to the London show of their tour at The Garage to have one last dance, before they head back into the studio to record their follow-up album.

Touring in support of their latest album 'I, The Mask', Swedish metallers In Flames graced UK soil for a run a headline shows, bringing Norma Jean and Light The Torch along for the ride. We ventured down to the Glasgow show for a night of riffs and mosh pits.

Busted are back and are taking their new album 'Half Way There' out on tour across the UK. With support from Brigade and The Xcerts at the Southampton date, we went down to see if the kings of pop could regain their crown.

There’s something happening with Holding Absence. Something that isn't necessarily big, but something that’s genuine and authentic. In years to come, people will be trying to tell you they were at this run of shows. They probably weren’t, but everyone who caught Holding Absence on this tour knows they saw the start of something really, really special. Long may it last.

People say if you form a band, play the music you love. Or they tell you do what’s cool for the money. Blood Youth are only listening to those first people. Well...that and a whole lot of turn of the century post-hardcore and nu-metal. We went down to the Glasgow leg of the band's recent tour, where they were joined by Palm Reader and Lotus Eater.

Tonight the famous Troxy Theatre in East London plays host to four bands from different corners of the rock spectrum, including headline sets from pop-punk darlings The Wonder Years And emo rock mainstays Mayday Parade.