This year, we've got our very own Alt Escape stage in collaboration with CloseUp. Down at The Richmond tomorrow from 6-10pm (Thursday 9th), you'll be able to see Spinn, Sad Boys Club, Lauran Hibberd, The New Coast and of course, Safe To Swim, who we spoke to about what to expect from their set (fun & steamy apparently, ooh err.)

 

Read on for all the latest, and see you tomorrow at the beach...

 

 

Safe To Swim: We can’t wait! As locals and music fans, this is always the weekend that we look forward to most. Just to be sharing the city’s stages with some amazing talents is really exciting and we’re always proud to represent the city for it. It’s gonna be a great night, there’s some awesome names on the bill and having it under the coalition of two of our long-time favourite music companies really makes it even more of an honour. 

 

 

STS: Fun & Steamy. We’ve been gigging together for a long time now and the most important thing that audiences want to see is that the band are having fun. I’ve been to so many gigs where that is missing and it really reflects on the vibe of the crowd. If you’re not having fun on stage you can’t expect a room full of people to enjoy themselves more than you. Hence the steamy part; we always get pretty sweaty up there.

 

 

STS: You see a lot of weird shit at The Great Escape. Brighton is known for being the home of weird shit on any day of the week as it is, but TGE sees a mass influx of likeminded oddballs from elsewhere. We’ve seen a lot of bizarre sets, we’ve made a lot of friends in queues for gigs that we didn’t even get into...it’s such a vibrant weekend for an already vibrant city that it just attracts the best people. 

 

I saw Magic Gang a couple of years ago playing at Horatio’s on the pier (an incredible set, obviously) and witnessed a guy get dragged out of the crowd and kicked out of the venue while his mate was sat on his shoulders the whole time. You put a big enough trench coat on them and you’d have thought a 6ft bouncer was pushing a 9ft man through a crowd of hipsters.

 

 

STS: Yes! Sorry! I know it’s been a long time coming. We’ve finally finished the EP and we’re really proud of it. The next single taken from it will be out on the 17th of May, and I can give you an exclusive that the EP will be released across all platforms on the 14th of June! 

 

 

STS: There’s a lot of great venues in Brighton, there used to be more, so it’s sad to have seen a few close their doors. Sticky Mike’s was always a firm favourite of ours; we miss that damp greenroom dearly. The venue that seems to have filled its shoes is The Green Door Store. We’ve played there a fair few times and have seen some great bands play there. 

 

 

STS: Well we’re close pals with Youth Sector who are making some big waves at the moment and are putting out some really refined music. MOTH are playing a couple of Alt Escape shows, they’re cool dudes who are making a really different brand of indie music to the norm which is always nice to see. Ask me again after Great Escape and I’m sure I’ll have a much longer list for you!