The Great Escape

The Great Escape reviews

carolynbates — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:06:55 +0000

The Great Escape 2012 is now complete and we’re sure that you are all left with some fantastic experiences to rember the weekend by. Why not tell us about the bands that you saw, your highlights and more over on our Facebook page and Twitter.

We’re currently checking out the photos that we gathered over the weekend and will have them up on the website asap. In the meantime why not check out this great review by The Guardian – CLICK HERE to see what Alexis Petridis had to say about his TGE experience.

Bleeding Heart Narrative competition update

carolynbates — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:02:17 +0000

Last week seems like a lifetime ago, but to recap we had an exclusive track from the quite brilliant ‘Bleeding Heart Narrative’ which you can listen to here along with a fantastic competition. Not only that, they stormed ‘Above Audio’ at this years Great Escape Festival on Friday! Over to Oli from ‘Bleeding Heart Narrative’ -

We all had such an amazing time at The Great Escape- as if Brighton in the baking heat wasn’t enough, we caught some great bands and met a load of brilliant people. Thanks to the organisers and to everyone who came to see us on Friday

Thanks to everybody who entered our Great Escape competition. We had a load of good entries that conjured several quite frankly bizarre images in our heads. A few we had to regretfully overlook due to illustrative challenges (an otter version of Vera Drake for example) but in the end we’ve chosen the three that seemed like they’d make the best drawings (fingers crossed anyhow – hopefully you can judge for yourselves in a week or two). So, the three winners who’ll be receiving a copy of our Bison EP AND their competition entry as a drawing are…

Daniel Schmidt – Sloth / Guitar / Ramen
Katie Houghton – Lynx / Rocking Chair / Slice of Humble Pie
Danny James – Pelican / Linoleum / Fascinator

And then an honourable mention for the remaining 2 winners, who’ll both have a copy of ‘Bison’ heading their way soon…

James Farrimond – Hippopotamus / Catapult / Explosion-flavoured Chewing Gum
Shannon Llewellyn – Satanic leaf tailed gecko / family sized block of chocolate / speculum

Thanks again to all those who took part and check back in the drawings themselves soon!

Please email tgeinfo@escapegreat.com to claim your prizes.

YMCAs presented at The Great Escape

ChrisCooke — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:27:09 +0000

The 2012 Yearly Music Conference Awards, or YMCAs to its friends, were presented at a late morning gathering at The Great Escape on Saturday. With the showcase festival and music conference season reaching its conclusion for another year, before heading to the fields for the big summer events the YMCAs is a chance to look back at the music convention year just gone (plus a sneaky way to justify vodka cocktails at 11am on a Saturday morning). And the winners were…

Categories with a public vote:
Best Delegate Bag: SxSW
Best Bar: Primavera Pro Bar
Best Hotel/Convention Bar: Nordic Hotel Forum, Tallin Music Week
Best App: BigSound
Best Export Office: Nordic Export Office
Best Networking, Event, Trip or Service: International Delegates Lounge, Canadian Music Week and Mikey’s Montreal Tour at M For Montreal (joint winners)
Best Award Show: Breakout West Awards
Best Regional/Smaller Awards: Novia Scotia Music Week

Categories picked by the YMCAs committee:
Incident Of The Year: Peter Briggs tearing tendons playing football during the ILMC’s Wembley Stadium trip
Punch Up Of The Year: Mark Meharry v IMPALA at Tallin Music Week
Convention Junkie Of The Year: Ruud Berends from Eurosonic

In addition to the main awards, the YMCAs Hall Of Fame was opened for business for the first time, and the following five things were inducted.

1. YMCAs at The Great Escape – For being the best music conference based awards event.
2. The Eurosonic Bag – For being consistently the best bag of the year.
3. Donna Close from Brighton & Hove City Council – For her constant support of The Great Escape.
4. Millie Millgate, Sounds Australia – For consistently great showcase events around the world.
5. Neill Dixon – For 30 years of Canadian Music Week.

Aiden Grimshaw – change of set time and venue

carolynbates — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:34:52 +0000

Aiden Grimshaw will now be playing at 6:45pm Saturday 12th May at Coalition

Farryl Purkiss set time change

carolynbates — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:28:55 +0000

Please note Farryl Purkiss will now be playing at The Festival Hub at 3pm instead of the advertised time of 4pm. Make sure that you get down there for the performance as its going to be one to not miss

Win Dome show tickets with The Metahub

carolynbates — Sat, 12 May 2012 10:49:43 +0000

Who has been down to the Metahub at the Festival Hub (Jubilee Square) to share their festival moments? Whats the best thing you’ve seen so far? Got footage of your favourite band? The Metahub has a team of renowned VJ’s who will then mix and project these videos in a visual feast, at the The Hub over the weekend! The Metahub is brought to you in conjunction with Arts Council England.

Go to our TGE Pinterest Metahub board to check out the latest pictures from the festival as it happens. For further details and a chance to win tickets to Africa Express Sound System at Brighton Dome TONIGHT head here

Bat Country @ The Festival Hub

Thursday at The Great Escape

carolynbates — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:44:38 +0000

Here are some of the highlights of Thursday 10th May at The Great Escape. Why not share yours on our Pinterest board which you can find here

Maximo Park play The Brighton Dome

Mystery Jets at The Corn Exchange

Niki and The Dove

Spector @ Concorde 2

Get Involved at TGE

katmorris — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:59:36 +0000

The Metahub

What are you most looking forward to seeing at The Great Escape? What is the best thing you’ve seen so far? Got footage of your favorite band? Let us know by submitting 60 second video blogs which will feature on The Metahub TV wall in Jubilee Square. Upload your content straight from your smartphone via email to share your favourite moments of the festival and become a part of the visual feast! Simply email your media to tge@themetahub.com – it’s that easy.

Supported by Arts Council England

45 Revolutions Per Moment

For your ears only – Steer your way to The Great Escape’s secret street gigs by streaming navigational films from the TGE app to your smartphone. One gig per day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will have specially created, choreographed movies made by Periplum to lead you in real time from The Hub in Jubilee Square to the final mystery location. One hour and a quarter before each gig you will be texted a URL to access and stream the video. This secret trail of adventure will lead to exciting pop-up performances by some of TGE’s hottest bands. Be at the Hub in Jubilee Square at the following times and bring your SMART phone and headphones.

Thurs 10th May 16.00
Fri 11th May 15.15
Sat 12th May 13.15

Supported by Arts Council England

Spotlight On Alternative Escape

KevinMoore — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:02:59 +0000

We have an amazing Alternative Escape line up this year, following in the grand tradition of doing exciting things in exciting places, we’ve gone bigger and better than ever before. Here’s our Top 10 suggestions of where you should be and what Alternative Escape showcases you definitely shouldn’t miss!

Best Before Records
Latest Music Bar – Friday 11th – From 11.30pm

Check out some rock goodness presented by Best Before Records. The showcase will feature a fist pumping, foot stomping show that will leave you wanting more. Get ready for Indie English band, The Chapman Family, mathrock cross electro 4 piece Mutiny on the Bounty and progressive pop rock band 22. This will be the only late night rock showcase anywhere the whole of The Great Escape on Friday night so if you want to throw your horns in the air, be there!

Shipwreck Records and The Agency Group Present Crowns
West Cornwall Pasty Co. – Friday 1th – 3pm

What better place to watch a band then in a pasty shop, right? Folk troubadours Crowns will no doubt thrill and entertain before you get stuck into a steak bake to fuel you on to your next Alternative Escape Show.

Record of the Day Introduces
The Loft – Thursday 11th – From 1pm

Record of the Day have done it again, presenting a great eclectic mix of artists, from ethereal Aussie songstress Emma Louise, Montreal trio Half Moon Run, Brooklyn based electro pop duo Savoir Adore, Scottish young gun Nina Nesbitt to England’s own alternative folk artist Giovanna.

Black and White Presents (Rock Showcase)
Volks – Thursday 11th – From 8pm

Black and White present a night jam packed with raw energy and infectious rock, featuring 5 piece Exit Ten, Londoners My Preserver and White Sunday.

GOD DAMN in Association with Distorted Tapes Presents
The Hydrant – Thursday 11th – From 8pm

Joy Divisioneque cross The Smiths Dakota Beats will be doing there thing with powerhouse grunge rock band God Damn at the Hydrant on Thursday night.The line up will also feature Brighton home grown acts Gnarwolves and Eager Teeth.

Distiller Records
The Loft – Saturday 12th – From 12.30pm

A talented lineup presented by Distiller Records, featuring self named choral post-rock group St. Spirit, BBC Introducing discovered Sound of Guns, Fractures and
The Ramona Flowers.

C-Management/Chaos & Bedlam present “Sound of the C”
Queens Hotel – Saturday 12th – From 12.30pm

This show promises many magical musical moments with Brighton’s own folk band Common Tongues, playing alongside Montreal Rock outfit October Sky, Will and the People, Melodramas, Passenger, The Lost Souls Club.

Pelirocco Platters presents ‘God save the Queen’s @ Alternative Escape
Queens Hotel – Saturday 12th – From 8pm

The Queens Hotel will be host to some astounding acts on Saturday night. They’ve got Brighton Two Jackals, female fronted electro rock outfit Trip To Dover, mammoth sounding Tiny Dragons and Running Dogs on their lineup.

Rhythms of the World
Latest Music Bar – Saturday 12th – From 3.30pm

This showcase has it all, atmospheric rock from The October Games, slick Country- Blues C.C smugglers, 80’s noise pop The Metatrons, popfolk outfit The Folk and singer songwriter James Christie.

Old Blue Last & Pink Mist
The Loft – Thursday 10th – From 2pm

Old Blue Last presents some gifted acts, such as Leeds, grass roots punk rock outfit Eagulls, Peace, Tripple Nipples and some really rather splendid special guests who are not to be missed!

More artists joining Africa Express Sound System

carolynbates — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:28:39 +0000

Africa Express Sound System are playing the Brighton Dome on Saturday night (12th May) and we bring the exciting news that they will be bringing even more artists with them.

Joining the exciting line up of Jon McClure, Shinghi Shoniwa, Terri Walker, Spoek Mathambo, M3NSA, Mim Sulieman is Kano and Afrikan Boy. Tickets are still available for this show, single event tickets are just £18.50 and top up tickets can be purchased for just £7 (access only with a festival wristband). To purchase CLICK HERE

Check out thie AESS video here