Aussie Acts Impress, Pouring Rain & Over 26,000 Steps: Day One Of UK's The Great Escape Fest

Down on Jubilee Street (which always makes us think of Nick Cave due to his song of the same name), the delegate pass collection queue snakes way outta sight and there's whispers of a power outage shutting down all of the computers in the booth. We worry we'll miss our first bookmarked act Pierre Kwenders (the stage name of Congolese-Canadian musician José Louis Modabi), whose promo pic alone is a major drawcard. After sharing these concerns with a fellow queuer, we're told our instincts are correct and receive confirmation that said act is indeed "amazing". 

 

 

The queue eventually starts moving again, fortune smiles upon us and then it's a brisk, uphill walk to Green Door Store (where Canada have set up to showcase their country's talent during The Great Escape 2017). A decision is made to delay starting times once news of the delegate pass queue catastrophe is shared and Kwenders' scheduled midday slot actually commences at 12.30pm. This multi-lingual rapper is backed by a multi-instrumentalist and Kwenders' fluid dance moves belong on a much larger stage. "Wanna have fun? We have 20 minutes for this one, let's go!" Kwenders encourages. Bass threatens to pound vital organs through chests and this Montreal artist's rhythmic flow simmers. His backing musician is no slouch in the charisma department either and looks admiringly over at Kwenders, smiling like a Cheshire Cat while riffing over the pre-recorded beat. "He's pretty much a one-man band, he does everything!" Kwenders commends. But both members are essential to the whole. Kwenders plugs his new album, due out in September, and we make a mental note. The first bite from this album, which is served up today, is sexual! The second, Woods Of Solitude, features scattered beats and showcases Kwenders' impressive vibrato. Equal parts joyous and mysterious, Kwenders is tailor-made for a Gorillaz collab. And we will definitely head along to his show in London on Tuesday night for a repeat dose. 

 

 

At The Great Escape, business cards are still in business but these days people ask that you please take a photo of it and then return it.

 

It's an impressive turnout for Middle Kids in the basement Komedia venue for Sounds Australia's showcase. Singer Hannah Joy's plaintive vocal tone plus jangly guitars prove an irresistible combo, as does Joy's grey marl Harvard t-shirt under two-tone bib and brace overalls. Do they really need aircon in freezing Brighton venues? Brrr. "I love a one o'clock gig - in bed by eight," Joy enthuses. They roll as a four-piece these days and Joy's hubbie/Middle Kids guitarist Tim Fitz jokes, "I only know Brighton from the BBC adaptation of Pride And Prejudice," and there's laughs all 'round. This band's musical chops are ably demonstrated, but it's Middle Kids' easy between-song banter that completely wins us over. What they've achieved off the back of just a debut EP is truly remarkable and Fire In Your Eyes, with its conversational riffs, is a standout. Middle Kids give fellow Aussie artist Gordi - who is scheduled to perform on this stage later today - a plug before finishing with their first, slide guitar-featuring single Edge Of Town. A superb showcase.

 

We head upstairs for The Crisis In Music Journalism panel, facilitated by Chris Cooke (Complete Music Update), and discover it's not all doom and gloom. Panellists Laura Snapes, Emily Jupp, Mark Savage and Greg Cochrane offer some fascinating insights and Cooke posits there will always be a place for good writing that boasts a point of difference. 

 

 

It's now absolutely bucketing down with rain outside, but our dedication to live music propels us to Sticky Mike's Frog Bar for Berlin act Gurr. The venue's at full capacity (one in, one out) when we arrive and door staff advise us to grab a drink at the bar. Once we get to the bar, however, we look back towards the door and see an unsupervised queue rapidly forming so decide against a libation. Another queue then forms outside Sticky Mike's Frog Bar and shameless queue jumpers also join the front of the interior line. A couple of punters who were admitted earlier leave the bandroom and warn us that you can only see the ceiling down there at this point, which is why they decided to come back upstairs to watch the band on a screen. But then the visuals start and there's no audio! The upstairs sound system continues to pump out Guns N' Roses, so we realise the dream is over and head to Wagner Hall for Liv Dawson. 

 

This being an outdoor venue, we're handed clear, Vevo-branded umbrellas upon entry. We moan about the inclement weather conditions to a security guard who shrugs disinterestedly, "It's England". Tapestry perfectly showcases Dawson's flawless pipes and we can immediately see why Disclosure teamed up with the 18 year old to produce her latest single, Searching. Somehow we wind up with white paint on our threads from this venue, which is a bit of a punish, but Dawson certainly impresses. 

 

Next on the agenda is Wide Days, the Scottish networking event at The Old Ship Hotel. Deep fried Mars Bars, haggis plus chips and gravy are on the menu. Then there's a smugglers-cellar whisky tasting in the bowels of The Old Ship Hotel hosted by the hilarious Olaf. One taster wanders up to ask him for some ice to dilute her nip of whisky to which he responds, "Do you drink your beer heated up?" A musical reference is noted when whisky from the Kintyre region (Wings - Mull Of Kintyre, geddit?) is divvied up. 

 

Back out on the street a passerby is overheard announcing, "This isn't a festival". Kind of fed up with walking, queuing and then not getting in to see the bands we wish to prioritise, a decision is made to get to Komedia way early so that there's zero chance we can miss PAULi (pronounced Paul-eye)'s set. And here's why: this London-born, Brooklyn-based artist has drummed for Kindness, Bobby Womack and Robyn, produced with Richard Russell and also worked as a musical director for Jamie xx and FKA Twigs - fair play, don't ya think? And what a performance he puts on! What PAULi brings is so varied; he sets up the sounds behind a console then stalks the front of the stage dealing spoken word and also crooning. There's shitloads of pogoing, too (especially during the effervescent I Don't Care). Repeated lyrics inspire instant singalongs even by those among us who are hearing these songs for the very first time. PAULi's accent is deliciously detectable while he sings. Just Google him already. 

 

 

Pondering how the Slaves spotlight show's going down on what is probably a very slippery Brighton Palace Pier by now, we're almost pleased we weren't allocated a ticket in light of the blustery conditions. 

 

Sighted on a Brighton street: a girl drinking a traveller while walking and talking with a group of friends stops to hand a homeless guy the dregs of her drink. Homeless man: "What is it?" Girl: "Gin'n'tonic." Disgusted homeless man: "BOLLOX!"

 

We hotfoot it to Sallis Benney Theatre for Sampa The Great (Sampa Tembo to her nearest and dearest), crossing everything that the inimitable Remi Kolawole gets up during her set to perform his swag-infested Sampa The Great-featuring single For Good. But that's not to say Sampa The Great can't hold her own; she really is our very own Kate Tempest. And Sensible J's on drums, which is an added bonus. We spy Kolawole in the crowd. It's looking good. Audience participation is effortlessly harnessed by Tembo and we're totally committed. Tembo introduces her buddy Remi to the stage and we couldn't be happier. For Good may be a REMI song, but Tembo generously shares her stage and this sassy song incorporates a groovier vibe. Tembo's aura is as bright as her future and what we witness is a stunning showcase from one of the shining lights of Australia's hip-hop scene. 

 

What's next? How about the stunning Aldous Harding over in Paganini Ballroom? She's already onstage when we arrive and the joint is packed but surprisingly hushed while entering the mellow, mysterious universe Harding creates. The New Zealand native has been championed by BBC's Radio 6 and is utterly compelling and completely unique. An ethereal vision up onstage in all white everything (including her guitar), Harding's talent is jaw-dropping and Imagining My Man features vocal runs that would make this song near-impossible to cover. The arrangements are perfection. We're sorry we missed the start of Harding's set so quickly ping the "Favourites" icon on The Great Escape app to lock in repeat perusal of this astonishingly original artist tomorrow. 

 

A quick glance at our health app calculates the amount of steps taken today (and yesterday, since it's now beyond midnight) as 27, 986 so the choice is made to Uber it back to our Airbnb for some much-needed zeds.