Festival Preview: The Great Escape 2024 is shaping up to be a vintage year
The Great Escape Festival in Brighton is one of the global cultural highlights of the year. It’s an important event that points a deserving spotlight on some of the most exciting artists worldwide. This year’s edition looks to be a vintage year for the event with one of its most eclectic and vibrant line-ups yet. Let’s dive into some of the highlights and storylines of the festival’s lineup so far.
Keeping it Cymru
What The Great Escape excels at is highlighting acts from across the world. They allow attendees to experience new genres, styles, sounds and languages across many historic buildings and intimate grassroots venues in Brighton.
One country that The Great Escape consistently does such a great job at showcasing is Wales. Each year you’ll witness a selection of exciting Welsh talent, with 2024 being no different. With our site, For Your Consideration being based in our beloved Cymru, I wanted to highlight the brilliant Welsh artists you’ll encounter across the week.
To date, there have been six Welsh acts confirmed for the festival. Sublime singer-songwriter Hana Lili was only last year opening by request for Coldplay at their sold-out shows at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Her alternative pop combines ethereal melodies, catchy choruses and perceptive lyrics. An artist that will appeal to fans of Beabadoobee and Phoebe Bridgers.
What makes the Welsh representation at TGE so gripping is the large selection of genres that are brewing from the country. None more so evident than in the sound of Cardiff’s Reggae star Aleighcia Scott who has already performed at Glastonbury, Notting Hill and in Jamacia. She has a timeless and beautiful quality to her tone that evokes the genre’s 70s heyday, combined with emotive lyrics that bring a modern touch to her classic melodies. It’s no surprise that her debut record ‘Windrush Baby’ topped the iTunes Reggae Chart.
The Welsh language is thriving. It’s never felt more important to see it represented within Welsh culture, and it feels alive more than ever in the hands of rock four-piece Mellt who’ve received acclaim from Clash, NME and Uncut for their album ‘Dim Dwywaith’. Reminiscent of Stockport’s Blossoms combined with a wall of sound or perhaps vintage The Black Keys. Mellt brings a touch of the blues to their anthemic rock sound resulting in harmonica-drenched tracks such as ‘Byth Bythol’ that rivals any of the indie rock revival coming out of northern England and should be mentioned in the same breath.
That love and respect for Welsh heritage can be felt in the bones of the poetic punk group Slate. They’re reclaiming what it means to be Welsh with their ethereal, gothic and hauntingly beautiful progressive Punk that demands your attention. Like 80s legends Bauhaus and The Cure, the group proves you can combine searing guitar riffs, distortion and an eerily mellow vocal line to create captivating atmospheric punk rock without the need to scream the house down. Track, ‘Tabernacl’ is a song that Robert Smith would be proud to add to his collection, one that could slip effortlessly alongside the new material he has been premiering at recent shows.
Zak Thomas from Cardiff started Muriel as a recording project in his bedroom, since then it’s spiralled into a conglomeration of friends and fellow musicians to help him realise the live potential of his tracks. This organic blossoming makes for music that cannot be missed. ‘Lavender by the Frames’ has the devastatingly eerie softness of Keaton Henson combined with the soft folk vocal delivery of Noah and the Whale.
Finally, twst, encapsulates the range of styles and sounds of the Welsh acts at this year's event. Their innovative take on Hyperpop has been acclaimed by Radio 1 and DAZED. They’re at the forefront of modern pop culture. You only need to listen to the galactic ‘Off World’ to experience their unique combination of superlunary style, ambient drum’n’bass flow and subdued yet enticing hyperpop melodies that makes for a one-of-a-kind addition to a flourishing genre led by the likes of Charli XCX, A.g cook and 100Gecs.
Politically Charged
SXSW Festival in Texas is seen as somewhat of an American equivalent to Brighton’s incredible embrace of exciting and fresh new musical talent. It faced heavy and just criticism this year however due to its decision to partner with the US Armed Forces, and subsequently double down on that choice.
It resulted in many artists pulling out of the event, at great expense to themselves, meaning some of the most incredible artists on the lineup would not be performing. Unsurprisingly, a lot of those who pulled out are known for their politically charged punk and therefore would refuse to affiliate with such an event. However these acts can be found at The Great Escape, and they are bound to make for some of the most thought-provoking, inspiring and emotionally charged moments of the week.
Irish trio Kneecap has made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic and the Irish Sea due to their steadfast beliefs and refusal to stop sticking up for the oppressed and devastated nation of Palestine. Whilst closer to home, they’ve tackled Ireland’s history and The Troubles unflinchingly. It goes without saying that if Michael Fassbender is releasing a critically acclaimed movie about you before you’ve even released your debut album then you truly have something special to say.
Their sound is vintage Hip Hop. As a trio, it would be perhaps lazy to compare them to one of the greatest to do it, but the comparisons to the Beastie Boys are more than just surface level. They’re one of few groups to match the iconic New York groups’ fervent stage presence, vocal protestations and ability to blend their variations in flow over a complex yet classic drum track. See ‘Sick in the Head’ for the perfect example of this.
Playing venues much more familiar to them will be local legends Lambrini Girls whose incendiary brand of brutally honest punk manages to strike at the heart of the UK’s issues. Their recent single ‘God’s Country’ is the standout track of 2024 with its magnificently on-point chorus of ‘Great Britain, are you sure?’. There is an underlying feeling that Britain feels broken, perhaps that’s why the world turns to us as the Petri dish of post-punk.
Black Country duo Big Special expose the bleak state of affairs through their beautiful yet devastating bleak depictions of their personal experiences navigating the dire system that is the UK. Self-described as on ‘the side of the people’, it’s easy to see why they’ve gained such an engaged audience. They relate to everyone who has to grind through the gruel of a nation left to rot. Their electric live shows however instil something much needed nowadays, an injection of hope. For that reason alone, they cannot be missed.
Side project superstars
2024 sees some of indie music’s biggest names explore a different side to their sound. Lead singer of The Wombat’s, ‘Murph’ returns to his solo side project Love Fame Tragedy. Whilst his iconic vocals will be familiar, his subject matter takes a much more personal tone as he details, in gruelling honesty, his journey to sobriety. It’s unflinching, raw and a sharp departure from his trademark indie-pop flair with The Wombats. It is, however, no less magnetic and it’ll be fascinating to witness how his solo live show has evolved with his expanded material.
CHVRCHES are one of the most critically acclaimed synth-based acts of the last decade. Their output has been consistently exceptional. They’ve headlined stages across the world and had prominent places at Glastonbury, Reading and Coachella. With the band on a break, lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry has launched a solo project that explores her passion for some of pop’s biggest icons. Early singles and reviews of her live show hint at a more theatrical and grand piece of performance art. Tracks such as ‘Change Shapes’ and ‘Shame’ break the boundaries we place on what Pop music should be, evoking groundbreaking legends of the past such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper.
Believe the Hype
The Great Escape does a remarkable job at booking some of the most hotly anticipated, hyped and talked about acts on the circuit right now. In the weeks and months leading up to the event, some of these acts will feature on the front cover of NME + Rolling Stone Magazine and conduct sell-out shows to thrilled attendees up and down the UK and across Europe.
If you witnessed Jessie Ware on her phenomenal run of live shows late last year you might have caught a glimpse of one of pop’s most intriguing new prospects, METTE. She’ll bring a real superstar presence to the festival this year as she blends avante-garde pop with beguiling choreography.
This summer Alfie Templeman releases his second record ‘Radiosoul’, featuring production from Dan Carey, a collaboration with Nile Rodgers and tracks that Templeman has described as blending ‘Dua Lipa, MGMT, Prince and Talking Heads’. Early signs have hinted at one of the most eclectic, maximalist and engaging releases of the year, we’re hoping his appearance in Brighton will be just as riveting.
New York has a rich pedigree of indie rock legends, not an easy pantheon to follow, however, it seems the latest heirs to that legendary lineage may lie in Been Stellar who’ve had an incredible 2024 so far. Combining shoegaze and post-punk, the group recently signed to Dirty Hit and is approaching their debut album ‘Scream from New York, NY’ with an NME cover already behind them. Seeing them charge into Brighton seems destined already to be one of those ‘I was there’ moments.
If you’re a fan of smart songwriting, gossamer melodies and pop-rock with a bite then look no further than Australia’s Gretta Ray or the UK’s very own Eaves Wilder. Both present brutally honest songwriting that cuts deep. Whether it’s Gretta Ray tackling topics such as leery older men who date teenagers on ‘Don’t Date the Teenager’ or Eaves Wilder taking apart a woefully inadequate support system for mental health on ‘Are You Diagnosed?’.
If you’ve been following the music of The National or the production work of Aaron Dessner over the years then you may be familiar with Eve Owen. If not, I’ll introduce her as one of the most exquisite British vocalists of the last decade. A regular contributor to the group, she adds a piercing emotive delicacy to their performances. Her debut album ‘Don’t Let The Ink Dry’ released in 2020 was a showcase for her incredible songwriting that tackled intimate topics such as anxiety, alienation and unrequited desires with a cathartic touch. It placed her in the pantheon of captivating alternative singer-songwriters alongside Baker, Dacus and Bridgers.
Finally, TGE is renowned for its series of Spotlight shows. These are specific events in which a larger venue is reserved for a headline act. In which each year demand far outweighs supply. Previous headliners have included Maisie Peters, Arlo Parks and Rag N Bone Man, all of whom have gone on to have incredible success worldwide. This year will be no different with American singer-songwriter Faye Webster taking to the Brighton Dome Concert Hall. It’s a chance to witness her perform songs from her critically acclaimed fifth record ‘Underdressed at the Symphony’, a sonic cacophony that encapsulates everything from indie-rock to country and R&B’.
More than the music: A gathering of minds
Finally, The Great Escape is more than just the many hours of music you can enjoy. It’s where some of the biggest minds from across the industry will gather to discuss everything from progressing the industry, global movements such as AI, the cost of living and addressing climate change. This is alongside changemakers speaking with the artists themselves.
This year, across a series of scintillating keynote speeches, you’ll hear from Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker in ‘Biophobia’, a special climate-themed talk about getting to grips with nature. You’ll hear from the incredible Darcus Beese OBE who is the UK’s first black record company CEO and one of the greatest A&Rs of his generation who has signed and nurtured the likes of Amy Winehouse, U2 and Florence + The Machine. He’ll be set to discuss his career following the release of his highly anticipated memoir, ‘Rebel With A Cause’.
Creator of Parklife Festival and Warehouse Project, king of the nightlife industry Sascha Lord will be on hand to discuss saving our club scene which has been in constant threat of closure in recent years. The aforementioned Lauren Mayberry will go further in-depth on her forthcoming solo project. Meanwhile, Chair of the Ivor's Academy Tom Gray will be joined by YolanDa Brown OBE DL, musician, broadcaster and Chair of the BPI as they tackle the ever more pressing issue of music copyright, at a legislative level.
In conclusion, I wish I had the space to write about every one of the hundreds of acts playing Great Escape this year. It’s an event that delivers without fail, year after year. Attendees know they’ll witness some of the most exhilarating acts in live music worldwide. Brighton comes alive for the week, where aspiring musicians will rub shoulders with superstars and industry tastemakers. It’s a guaranteed special week, nonetheless, 2024 looks set to be a truly vintage year for The Great Escape. We can’t wait.