Great Escape: Day 3

6 Music @ Brighton's massive music fest

17 May 08 - It's day three of The Great Escape festival, which takes place in Brighton until 17 May.

Hundreds of bands are playing at dozens of venues around the city and over 10,000 people are expected to check out the musical talent.

Vampire Weekend and Ida Maria are just some of the performers that have been at the festival.

6 Music's Jo Youle has been taking photos as well - and you can view the  gallery  here.

Industry talks, panel debates and celebrity interviews will also run alongside the performances from 200 new local and international artists, themed parties and club nights.

6 Music's reporter Jo Youle is there for the weekend and will be regularly blogging about the festival.....

4.15pm - 17/05/08

Just been on Brighton Pier with The Rascals - can see why they're called The Rascals, the cheekiest lads I've ever met. Managed to get them all in the Noddy car for a photo.

They're really looking forward to tonight and their debut album Rascalize (out 9 June) - and they can't wait to unleash it when they start their tour next week.

They have just been recording three tracks for the new single, so looking forward to hearing those at the Barfly later. And The Rascals are back there next month as part of their tour.

Ahead of tonight's gig, they told me they're off out for a pasta meal and then some rhubarb crumble which is their pre-gig regime. Definitely checking them out later... And also looking forward to Laura Marling. 

1pm - 17/05/08

Well the sun is finally threatening to come out, and it looks like the final day of The Great Escape could be the best. Big night on at Audio tonight, with Mystery Jets, and Erol Alkan who produced their last album, and with Laura Marling in town too, it looks like she may be a surprise guest.

Audio seems to be my second home right now though, I was there last night to see Beardy Man do battle with JFB, the UK scratching Champion, which seemed to just be the pair of them insulting each other to music! Pretty cool though and totally rammed -again!

Just off to interview The rascals at their Barfly soundcheck, and after that I am hooking up with the ever-so-hot-right-now Laura Marling.

8pm - 16/05/08

Well I can confirm Beardy Man does have a beard, though he told me he'd love to shave it off 'cos it's itchy, but feels he can't 'cos of the name he's grown for himself.

Sadly I didn't get a cooking demo, but he did do some beatboxing for me, which blew my socks off, and to make a change from having beer lobbed over me, and the skinny jeaned Indie crowd, I am going to go and check his set out at Audio later on, where he'll be doing a live set with The Southern Suspects.

Will try and grab some pictures for the gallery page tomorrow, as well as any other highlights….hopefully this will be a less sweaty affair….though I doubt it!

5pm - 16/05/08

Just been catching up with Collapsing Cities for a beer who are in the UK for the long haul this summer, with a huge UK tour in the diary. Tonight's show at Audio is just the start of their festival season, and they told me they're ready for it, though watching them crack into the vin rouge at 2.30pm looks a tad risky to me, usually ends in tears when I do it anyways! They are about to on tour with White Lies who I caught up with at Concorde 2, who they haven't met yet, so I passed on their regards. White Lies according to Sam Isaac who I hooked up with after are "that hugely hyped band, who got signed after just their first show, and are quite moody" (their music that is not them as people!).

Charlie from White Lies told me they're looking forward to playing tonight's gig, and he loves the concept of a city festival after recently playing the Camden Crawl. The West London outfit, also told me they're signed up to kick off the Lollapolooza festival in Chicago too which they're really excited about this summer, though before that they're off to record their debut album in Belgium. So may go check these guys out later, and as we wrapped up, we ran into Jolene of the Jing Jang Jong fame, he has the world's skinniest legs in the tightest jeans I have ever seen by the way, I think he must have sprayed them on, or had help. Definitely!

Next up was Sam Isaac, who after telling me he was playing this summers Z008 festival, and asked by me what animal he would compare himself to in a Zoo told me a big cuddly Ginger bear (see pic in gallery and tell me what you think!) I thought he was spot on! Lovely guy, and good mates with Sam Duckworth, after he just put out a single on Sam's label, Mannequin.

I am now off to interview Beardy Man, and am intrigued to see whether he does indeed have a beard, I am betting he doesn't though I am meeting him at the Red Roaster Café, and am hoping he'll give me a beat boxing demo as he cooks me some dinner like he does on his Youtube video…if I am lucky!

3pm - 16/05/08

Just caught up with Yeasayer, who played last night at Barfly and are going for the double tonight at the The Pressure point venue later. Chris from the band told me they're not a fan of city festivals though, as everyone spends hours waiting to get into the gigs, which was definitely the case last night. He reckons it's all about the fields for them this summer and they're playing a whole stack of dates including Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury, and he for one can't wait to see Jay-Z headline! Off to interview the Collapsing Cities now on the beach…skies still looking moody though…gutted!


9am - 16/05/08

Aching, slightly dry of mouth and oh….it's another white out!! Not a sniff of sun, just a pale grey powdery puff of clouds, but the footwear defiance had died, as my flip flopped toes got totally trampled last night! In fact it's only the start of day 2 and I feel like I have been beaten with a Great stick - how apt my first interview is with Collapsing Cities! Slightly worried about this queuing system here too, if your not at the venue to see the band you want to catch at least 2 hours before you can't get in..so much so I had to ring up Vampire weekend's tour manager I only met yesterday and ask him for 2 spaces on his guest list after witnessing the road block at the door of Concorde 2 last night…good job his 2 mates that couldn’t make it were called Fredric and Henrique - wish I'd brought my stick on tashe!


1am - 16/05/08

Well my my hair is stuck in beery tendrils to my cheeks, my jeans feel like they may be glued to my legs - always a sign of a good night. As Henry from Young Knives pointed out earlier, this was set to be a sweaty affair - he was right. Not only did Vampire Weekend have Hawaiian themed injections to their set, I wish I'd been wearing a grass skirt! Well worth every second of bouncing , dripping, joy filled stomp factor though, with full on crowd surfing, beer swilling, and feet blistered from pounding out their beats, as a monster grand finale. Ida Maria kicked off my night at Audio, with Stella providing, a husky chilled out break to what turned out to be a punked up pile up mid-dance floor, and plenty more. Then came Captain, who'd lost none of their Glorious 80's throw back Hat Club anthems, and The Futureheads slamming out their new album, grinning from ear to ear at Digital. Lets hope the sunshine comes back tomorrow, for a less grey moody sky Day two….. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
 
 
Day one of Jo Youle's blogs from Brighton.
 

Jo Youle / Kelly Stooke