The Great Escape 2025

No podcast this year! No waffly-bollocks at the train station! No Grumbler! But at least myself and Clithers (aka Bill and Ben) had a lovely time.

Summary

We walked 51,949 steps (that’s 22.12 miles), caught 8 busses, 6 trains and 3 taxis, ate 3 great meals (including zero kebabs!), drank 12 pints of beer (our lowest ever!), Saw 23 bands from 7 countries at 13 venues. Shall we do it again next year? Hell yeah! Already got the tickets baby!

Because inevitably I will forget, here’s a record of who we saw at TGE 2025….

Thursday 15th May (14,970 steps, 6.51 miles)

12:00 Say Sue Me at Jubilee Square – slightly lethargic indie pop from South Korea
12:55 Day We Ran at Komedia Studio – Soft rock from Australia. Blood-harmony vocals from three brothers and a drummer (from another mother).
13:55 DICE at Komedia Basement – Harder Indie rock from Australia.
15:30 Chinese American Bear at Revenge – Didn’t get to see much as the venue was rammed. Quirky Korean indie pop.
19:00 Common Goldfish at Revenge – Entertaining indie rock from London.
20:00 Oreglo at Revenge – Jazz Rock lives! 21st century re-imagining of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
21:00 Holiday Ghosts at ALPHABET [AltEsc] – Ridiculously hot venue fond home for Brighton favourites.

Friday 16th May (21,814 steps, 9.63 miles)

12:31 Marketplace at Prince Albert – joyous indie-pop from Harlepool.
13:30 Cat Ryan at Prince Albert – indie-pop from Newcastle with African-infused guitar licks.
14:30 Baby’s Berserk at Paganini Ballroom – energetic electro pop from Amsterdam.
15:15 Charleeeee at Daltons – joyous LGBT+ live drum and bass energy from young trans people living their best life.
18:30 The Roebucks at Hotel Pelirocco [AltEsc] – Not a great sound, but always wanted to see the AltEsc at tis iconic hotel.
19:15 The Slow Country at Manchester Street Arts Club – youthful new-folk/country that I really enjoyed, despite my best attempts to tell myself I wouldn’t.
20:15 EGGY at Manchester Street Arts Club – Edgy, discordant, art-rock from Melbourne, Australia.

Saturday 17th May (14, 365 steps, 5.98 miles)

12:15 Patche at Komedia Basement – electronic, instrumental krautrock from Montreal, Canada.
13:30 Papa Romeo at Prince Albert – jazzy funk from Dublin, Ireland.
14:15 Bad Buddy at Green Door Store – sassy punk from Edmonton, Canada.
15:15 Ideal Living at Dust – art-rock from Brighton
17:15 Spacestation at Revenge – not quite as kraut-rocky as expected, rock from Iceland.
18:15 Dabo Lang at Patterns Upstairs – electronic rock trio from Beijing, China.
19:15 Oh! Dirty Fingers at Patterns Upstairs – punky 4 piece from Changhai, China.
20:15 Nighticket at Patterns Upstairs – electronic house music duo from Beijing, China.
21:15 RadioMars at Patterns Upstairs – jazzy rock 5 piece from Beijing, China.