May | 2025 | Brighton Music Blog

As hard as I try to support and promote all the local bands, by far and away the most popular post on the blog every year is my round of up of the unofficial Alt Escape gigs. I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground over the last month or so and pulled together almost every Brighton gig over Escape which weekend which isn’t part of the Official Great Escape bill (excluding Gary Barlow at the Brighton Centre on Thursday night. Sorry Gary). It feels like there’s even more than ever this year, so if you haven’t got a ticket, or there’s gaps in your schedule that need filling, or like me, you recognise that there’s unofficial stuff taking place that’s every bit as good as the official line up, then read on. Bear in mind that this is a moving target – check socials behind the links for line ups and timings, which will all be subject to change. Any more I hear about between now and next week I’ll try and add in. And if I’ve missed anything, please drop me a line!

Tuesday 13th:

FailBetter presents the Bait Escape / The Prince Albert

Wednesday 14th:

The Beluga Escape / The Freemasons
Escape Week / Pink Moon
Ebb Music Presents / Daltons
The Considerable Departure / Pipeline
Alt Alt Escape Kick Off Party / Green Door Store
The Greatest Ape / Bella Union Vinyl Shop
Village Escape / Village
Escape The End / World’s End

Thursday 15th:

The Beluga Escape / Southern Belle
Turtle Tempo’s GR8 Escape / SPRO coffee, 47 Norfolk Square
End of the Trail Juicebox Brighton Music Showcase / Grand Central
Brighton Rock’n’Roll Circus / The Font
Escape Week / Pink Moon
The Greatest Cape / Presuming Eds
AX Escape / Freemasons
Acid Box Superfuzz / Daltons
Bella Union & Friends / Folklore Rooms
Joy RSVP Party / Unbarred
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Fiddlers Elbow
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Hope & Ruin downstairs
Planetary & Impressive PR / Secret Comedy Club
The Considerable Departure / Pipeline
Adder FM Showcase / The Oak
Swimming in Sound / Alphabet
Smithereen Takeover / Black Lion
Smithereen Takeover / Mesmerist
Smithereen Takeover / Spiegel Gardens
Godzilla vs Great Escape / Godzilla Records
The Greatest Ape / Bella Union Vinyl Shop
Escape The End / World’s End

Friday 16th:

The Beluga Escape / Martha Gunn
The Great Peliscape / Hotel Pelirocco
Brighton Rock’n’Roll Circus / The Font
The Fake Escape / The Rosehill
Escape Week / Pink Moon
The Greatest Cape / Presuming Eds
Back in the Woods Alt Alt Escape / St Nicholas Church
Joy RSVP Party / Unbarred
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Fiddlers Elbow
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Hope & Ruin downstairs
Blitz Cat records / Folklore Rooms
The Revolt Escape / Rossi Bar
End of the Trail, Play it Loud & Kick out the Jams presents / The Font
Slackscape / Alphabet
Escapism / Alphabet
Escape The Escape / Daltons
Oak Showcase / The Oak
Escape to the Pipeline / Pipeline
Shipwright’s Yard Sessions / Shipwright’s Yard
Smithereen Takeover / Black Lion
Smithereen Takeover / Mesmerist
Smithereen Takeover / Spiegel Gardens
The Lanyard Bonfire / Molly Malones
The Greatest Ape / Bella Union Vinyl Shop
Escape The End / World’s End
Form Presents / Folklore Rooms

Saturday 17th:

Brighton Rock’n’Roll Circus / The Font
The Fake Escape / The Rosehill
The Beluga Escape / Gladstone
Escape Week / Pink Moon
The Greatest Cape / Presuming Eds
Smugglers Escape / Manchester Street Arts Club
Slactors / The Actors
Back in the Woods Alt Alt Escape / St Nicholas Church
End of the Trail music showcase / Pipeline
Alt Alt Escape / Folklore Rooms
Sidequest x Stoned x Starving presents Alt Alt escape / Rossi Bar
Joy RSVP Party / Alphabet
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Fiddlers Elbow
No Friends in the Industry / Love Thy Neighbour / Hope & Ruin downstairs
Jules Emporium Magic Escape / Jules Emporium, 5 New Road
ffthefuture / Pink Moon (Garden)
Oak Showcase / The Oak
Midnight Mass / Daltons
Smithereen Takeover / Black Lion
Smithereen Takeover / Mesmerist
The Great Peliscape / Hotel Pelirocco
The Lanyard Bonfire / Molly Malones
Escape The End / World’s End

Sunday 18th:

The Beluga Escape / Lion & Lobster
The Great garage Punk Escape / Daltons

On Thursday, Penelope Trappes played a hometown gig at Alphabet, concluding the tour of her latest release A Requiem. The album is a powerful work, perfectly encapsulating the grief that overshadows it’s ten tracks. For the live performance Penelope was joined Klara Schumann on cello and Kat Pihl on keyboards to recreate the imposing visceral sound of the recordings, and Alphabet was probably the best venue in town to do justice to this. There was a strong visual dimension too, with lighting designed by Agnes Haus (which at some points was nothing more than just a handheld industrial lamp) and headwear inspired by the organic form of branches of a tree. The arpeggiated synth lines of one of the albums more electronic moments, Red Dove, provides some light towards the end of the performance, and the night closes serenely with Thou Art Mortal, the last track on the album, with waves of sound washing over us to send us on our way.

Support on the evening came from Zac Clowes and Jonah Wardle, who played and continuous thirty minute cinematic ambient set