More about: The Great Escape Festival

Saturday at The Great Escape finally offered us a bit of chill. Slightly dwindling down as some people head home, we stuck it out for one more day of new music.

From angelic church sessions to full on vulgarity, here are our highlights from the last day...

Debby Friday @ Patterns

In the downstairs of Patterns, a thin line of smoke fills the stage and steadily seeps out the entrance, a pulsing bass blurs through beer soaked speakers and bright silver boots take to the stage. What unfolded after that was one hell of a gig. Debby Friday has one of the best voices in music at the minute, not only in the quality of her singing but in how emotive she can be in her delivery. It's a journey more so than a gig, one the crowd seemed more than happy to travel with her on, a dramatic reading more than just singing songs, one where I hung onto every word, simply put, Debby Friday is on another level. - Dale Maplethorpe

Big Wett @ TGE Beach Stage

I can't really decide if i loved or hated Big Wett. It was all too early in the day and my hangover was still all too prominent as she took to the stage to say the word pussy approximately one million times over a club beat. Some danced, some left and most looked on with a mix of confusion and bashfulness on their face. An old guy in a cap in front of me absolutely loved it, and his joy brough me joy. So i guess, in turn, I loved it too. - Lucy Harbron

Hollow Hand @ The Hope + Ruin

Mmmmmm. This set held me when I needed to be held the most. That kind of humbly precise, rambling guitar that really takes its time. I have never seen two guitar players look at each other the way these guys did. There were some very creative percussion elements too, wind chimes and what looked like a salt shaker duct taped to a drum stick. Huge. I took the set list. - Beth Mountford

Blusher @ TGE Beach Stage

Honestly, sometimes you do just need a girlband to revive you. And this did the job. - Lucy Harbron

Welly @ North Laine Brewery

Delivering a set jam packed with wit and charm, it’s easy to see why Brighton’s own Welly were one of the most talked about bands of the festival. I caught their sixth show out of seven across The Great Escape, so sadly did not benefit from their loyalty card scheme - but seeing them work the tiny stage in North Laine Brewery, I felt like a winner all the same. Clad in matching sports gear, the band’s infectious energy and cheeky grins had everyone jumping and sweating along, engaging the crowd in a way which rivalled Mr Motivator himself. A lack of drum kit gave the band free rein of the stage as they skipped around delivering banger after banger. It seems their cult of fans are steadily on the rise, and we suggest you join up asap! - Melissa Darragh

Out and about with her camera, see all the shots from the day, captured by Ele Marchant:

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: The Great Escape Festival