Goodbye‘s debut single feels like it’s been a long time coming – At their first gigs back in Summer 2024 they already felt like a band who had been around for a while. They had songs, they had stage presence, they had a fully formed sound that takes some bands years to establish. I guess what they didn’t have at that point was a reputation, so they’ve been working hard since then and the time is finally right for them to share their first release. Meat has been a staple of their live sets for as long as I remember and appeared on the live cassette that came out back in March as a way of getting some music out into the world before a proper release. The band’s PR calls it dreampop, but there’s definite 80s / 90s indie sound to their guitars (I’m sure I heard someone that they’re named after a song by The Sundays but I can’t find anything online to support that, so don’t quote me on that).
In lead vocalist Megan Wheeler’s own words: “‘Meat’” sort of touches on the idea that some men see women as lustful objects rather than human beings, ogling them as meat. Sometimes you catch a stranger’s eye and they look right through you, as though they are stripping you of everything you are, your personality, skills, talent reduced to just meat. In my experience the majority of women I know have felt this in some form so I kept the lyrics deliberately vague and open to interpretation.”
Last night the band played a launch at the new Bella Union Shop, supported by Atticomatic. The room was packed so I’m glad I got down early for a good view to have the night captured for posterity.
Meat by Goodbye is out now
If you’re anything like me, you probably aren’t really aware of Tinderbox. Maybe if you were paying attention you might have seen a poster for this week’s Human Interest gig at the Hope & Ruin and thought they were promoters. Actually, Tinderbox is a non profit artist development and music production house, based in Sussex and funded by the Arts Council. In their own words the “exist to make sure cool, diverse music keeps getting made by cool, diverse working artists, who increasingly can’t afford to get into the studio”. The team behind Tinderbox are made up of Lucy Sheehan from Projector, producer / engineer Ben Hampson, who’s been involved an impressive list of bands from Brighton and beyond, and Suzi Ireland, a music industry professional with decades of experience across management, promotion and journalism.
As of last night, Brighton has a new venue! Exciting news, but let’s cut quickly to what often gets quietly glossed over when a “new” pub or venue opens up in Brighton – more often than not, it’s an old pub or venue that’s reopened. As you may have already guessed from its name and our accompanying photo, WaterBear Music Bar – the second venue in town opened by WaterBear Music College – is what most people probably know as Latest Music Bar. It’s actually been Manchester Street Arts Centre since early last year, and people with longer memories might remember it as the original home of the Komedia, Akademia (a bar / venue owned by Brighton uni), or Joogleberry. It’s actually been an entertainment venue of sorts ever since it was first built over 200 years ago as Kentfield Billiard Rooms. (If you want to pick up some interesting Brighton trivia, look up Edwin Kentfield)
Brighton Music Blog 