GUIDE & PLAYLIST: The Great Escape Festival 2022

We’re excited to be heading back to The Great Escape Festival in just 3 days time (12th-14th May) to tread Brighton’s pebbled beach and trek around the city trying to catch some of the best new female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ music talent.

GIHE favourites ARXX, Brimheim, Fräulein, Bad Waitress, Mykki Blanco and Ailbhe Reddy will all be singing by the seaside over the long weekend, but we’re excited to discover some brand new artists too. Below is a list of set times of the acts we’re keen to catch at the festival. You can get better acquainted with them by listening to our accompanying Spotify Playlist!

Get your tickets for The Great Escape here.

Don’t forget to check out the line-up for the Alternative Escape too!

 

Thursday 12th May

Fräulein
Playing at: Queens Hotel – 12:15pm-12:45pm

Bad Waitress
Playing at: TGE Beach Stage – 12:30-1:00pm

Grandmas House
Playing at: The MVT Stage – 12:30pm-1:00pm

HIGH SCHOOL
Playing at: Komedia Basement – 12:40-1:00pm

Tolu Makay
Playing at:
Prince Albert – 1:00-1:30pm
Brighthelm – 7:30-8:00pm

EFÉ
Playing at: Prince Albert – 2:00-2:30pm

flowerkid
Playing at: 2:00-2:25pm

Brimheim
Playing at: Waterbear 2:15pm-2:45pm

Kills Birds
Playing at:
TGE Beach Stage – 2:30pm-3:00pm
Horatios – 9:15-9:45pm

Ailbhe Reddy
Playing at: Revenge – 3:20-3:40pm

ARXX
Playing at:
The Hope & Ruin – 3:30-3:50pm
Brighton Youth Centre – 5:10pm

Mykki Blanco
Playing at: The Old Market – 5:15-5:45pm

Bleach Lab
Playing at: Latest Music Bar – 7:15-7:45pm

Spill Tab
Playing at: The Arch – 7:30-8:00pm

Kynsy
Playing at: The Hope & Ruin – 8:00-8:30pm

CASSYETTE
Playing at: Chalk – 8:15-:8:45pm

HUSSY
Playing at: Green Door Store – 8:15-8:45pm

MUNA
Playing at: Amazon New Music Stage – 8:15-8:45pm

Softcult
Playing at: Volks – 9:00-9:30pm

Billy Nomates
Playing at: Komedia Basement – 9:15-9:45pm

Goat Girl
Playing at: Amazon New Music Stage – 10:15-10:45pm

Let’s Eat Grandma
Playing at: The Old Market – 10:15-10:45pm

Lunar Vacation
Playing at: Green Door Store – 10:15-10:45pm

November Ultra
Playing at: One Church – 10:30-11:00pm

 

Friday 13th May

ZAND
Playing at: Revenge – 12:15-12:45pm

SPRINTS
Playing at: Prince Albert – 1:00-1:30pm

Bleach Lab
Playing at: Komedia Basement – 1:15-1:45pm

Gemini Aaliyah
Playing at: Latest Music Bar – 1:15-1:45pm

PEANESS
Playing at: Zahara – 1:15-1:45pm

ALEWYA
Playing at: TGE Beach Stage – 1:20-1:40pm

AMARIA BB
Playing at: Patterns downstairs – 1:30-2:00pm

CMAT
Playing at:
Prince Albert – 2:00-2:30pm
Komedia Basement – 10:15-10:45pm

Fräulein
Playing at: Zahara – 2:15-2:45pm

LIBRALIBRA
Playing at: The MVT Stage – 2:15-2:45pm

Panic Shack
Playing at: Brighthelm – 2:30-3:00pm

Kynsy
Playing at: Prince Albert – 3:00-3:30pm

tora-i
Playing at: TGE Beach Stage – 3:20-3:40pm

Bad Waitress
Playing at:
Green Door Store – 4:00-4:30pm
The Hope and Ruin – 11:00-11:30pm

Rachel Chinouriri
Playing at: Amazon New Music Stage – 6:15-6:45pm

Connie Constance
Playing at: Casablanca – 6:30-7:00pm

Projector
Playing at: The Tempest Inn – 7:00-7:30pm

Witch Fever
Playing at: Volks – 7:00-7:30pm

GROVE
Playing at: Coalition – 7:15-7:45pm

HIGH SCHOOL
Playing at: Horatios – 7:15-7:45pm

Priya Ragu
Playing at: Amazon New Music Stage – 7:15-7:45pm

Stella Donnelly
Playing at: Chalk – 7:15-7:45pm

CIEL
Playing at: Paganini Ballroom (The Old Ship) – 7:30-8:00pm

A.A. Williams
Playing at: The Old Market – 8:00-8:30pm

flowerkid
Playing at: Zahara – 8:00-8:30pm

LIDO PIMIENTA
Playing at: Jubilee Square – 8:15-8:45pm

APRIL
Playing at: Patterns Upstairs – 9:00-9:30pm

EFÉ
Playing at: Komedia Studio – 9:15-9:45pm

ENNY
Playing at: Brighton Dome Concert Hall – 9:15-9:45pm

Panic Shack
Playing at: Three Wise Cats (Casablanca) – 9:15-9:45pm

Prima Queen
Playing at: Horatios – 9:15-9:45pm

ARXX
Playing at: The Mucky Duck – 9:45pm

Let’s Eat Grandma
Playing at: Amazon New Music Stage – 10:15-11:00pm

Lime Garden
Playing at: TGE Beach Stage – 10:15-11:00pm

Wallice
Playing at: Horatios – 10:15-10:45pm

Momma
Playing at: Horatios – 11:15-11:45pm

Nuha Ruby Ra
Playing at: Komedia Studio – 12:15-12:45am

Porij
Playing at: Komedia Basement – 12:30-1:00am

 

Saturday 14th May

Maria Uzor
Playing at: Revenge – 12:10-12:40pm

Dream Nails
Playing at: Three Wise Cats (Casablancas) – 12:15-12:45pm

HAWXX
Playing at: Volks – 1:00-1:30pm

C’est Karma
Playing at: Prince Albert – 1:15-1:45pm

Fräulein
Playing at: Volks – 2:00-2:30pm

Softcult
Playing at: Green Door Store – 2:30-3:00pm

WOOM
Playing at: One Church – 3:00-4:00pm

Gemini Aaliyah
Playing at: Zahara – 3:30-4:00pm

Stella Donnelly
Playing at: 3:35-4:00pm

Jessica Winter
Playing at: The Arch – 6:15-6:45pm

CASSYETTE
Playing at: Concorde 2 – 6:30-7:00pm

Kay Young
Playing at: The Arch – 7:15-7:45pm

Sinead O’Brien
Playing at: Coalition – 7:15-7:45pm

Gen and the Degenerates
Playing at: The Hope and Ruin – 9:00-9:30pm

SPRINTS
Playing at: Prince Albert – 9:00-9:30pm

Coach Party
Playing at: Coalition – 9:15-9:45pm

LIDO PIMIENTA
Playing at: One Church – 9:15-9:45pm

Rachel Chinouriri
Playing at: Patterns downstairs – 9:30-10:00pm

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

EP: Porij – ‘Baby Face’

Balancing their love for pop & dance music alongside their social and emotional conscience, Manchester-based four piece Porij have created a bright, spirited collection of songs on their new EP, Baby Face. Whether they’re trying to rebuild the rattled confidence of women walking alone at night on buoyant opener ‘Nobody Scared’, or soothe the sting of a brief break-up on ‘Divine’, Porij do it with playful flair and infectious optimism via their dancing beats and quirky electronics.

Greatly influenced by the carefree time they spent studying, living together and playing to crowds who craved a mixture of genres in Manchester, Porij have leaned into their poppier tendencies on this latest offering. Whilst their debut EP Breakfast hinted at a love for the genre, on Baby Face they unabashedly embrace the joy that comes with writing a succinct pop song. “We’re all pop people,” vocalist & keyboardist Eggy explains. “A lot of bands are quite anti-pop, but I think the art of writing pop is ridiculous! Pop is hard to write.”

Finding method in their “mish-mash” of pop and dance, the bandmates have written four fun-sounding tracks fuelled by everything from lust to disgust. Penned after Eggy learned about the origins of the Reclaim the Night marches whilst watching a crime documentary on Netflix, ‘Nobody Scared’ is designed to empower listeners with its mantra-like chorus, lulling them into a state of security. There’s a healthy dose of self-love on ‘Divine’, with Eggy’s smooth vocals urging listeners to declare “Bitch, I’m divine” when they reach those “pearly gates.”

Guitarist Tommy’s lilting riffs on ‘Ego’ slide smoothly over drummer Tom’s buoyant percussion and James’ edgy basslines, but it’s the pure UK garage club vibes of ‘Can’t Stop’ that provides the real dancefloor-filling energy. They linger on and provide a remedy for the post-hook up blues. Lusty closer ‘Heaven Knows’ pleases with its direct lyrics, contrasting synth sounds and more of the band’s playful beats. It bookends their joyful dive into pop, patriarchy and finding pleasure in skipping through genre loop holes.

Light in all the right places, Porij’s new EP Baby Face provides a brief but lively distraction from everyday life.

Porij’s new EP Baby Face is set for release on 22nd September.

Follow Porij on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Kate Crudgington
@kcbobcut