After a long week of music in Brighton we have rounded up our top 10 sets from the festival, who we predict to kick on and make the most of 2023.

FEET

Starting a set at 1:30am might come with the risk of a sparce crowd for some. This is a risk that FEET need not worry about, as the quintet squeezed onto the stage for their second set of The Great Escape weekend. Welcomed on by the cheers of an eager crowd who had filled the venue with ease, the band started off the set with their latest single Changing my Mind Again then following with two new songs which some members of the audience already knew the lyrics to (probably off the back of their support slot for Inhalers UK tour). Can’t Get In was up next which frontman George Haverson dedicated to “all the people outside”.  Another two new songs after that shows these boys aren’t short on fresh material. The final song on the set list was Chalet 47 but the crowd didn’t want the night to end and chants for an encore were quickly addressed by the band who played another song obligingly. For his final act of showmanship, Haverson dives into the crowd just before the lights come on. With their exciting new material and the captivating live performance they have always delivered, FEET are a band to watch closely over the coming months.

Sorry

Closing out the Thursday on a huge Amazon New Music Stage were alt-rock outfit Sorry. Opening the set with their biggest hit Starstruck is always a bold move, however here it proved a prudent move – getting the crowd warmed up and in the mood for the short, but sweet, 30 minute set (more on that later). Sorry moved swiftly through their catalogue, playing hits like Cigarette Packet and Let The Lights On. The Great Escape doesn’t lend itself to particularly rash crowds, however the hype Sorry generated was more than enough to get some punters jumping. Unfortunately, many left at the door unable to get into the tent. Final song Baltimore made for a climactic end to many people’s Thursday, with the PA cutting off the band and drummer Lilcoln Barrett ending with a huge drum solo for the entire tent to hear.

The Kairos

We can’t speak for The Kairos early set at 5:00pm, but the later show at 21:00 in The Hope And Ruin was certainly one to be at. Kicking things off with recent single Thick Of It, Tom Dempsey and co show off the bands raw and energetic sound. Whilst latest single Trip Through The Night didn’t make an appereance (due to lack of strings), previous single P.O.P makes a powerful appereance in the leadup to the release of new EP Better Late Than Never. It’s not all about the new however, as the band closed their set out with old timer Teetotal, with a warranted extended outro and guitar pedals to full effect.

The Last Dinner Party

We were all expecting it, The Last Dinner Party played a packed out Chalk on the Thursday, with many punters and delegates not making their way in. Despite having only song out (longingly left until their finale), The Last Dinner Party had the audience’s attention in the palms of their hands from minute one. Opening track Burn Alive suitably matches the anticipation and suspense of the audience. Singer Abigail Morris proves to be the most captivating frontwoman possible, as her bandmates fail to put a foot wrong in providing what comes across as a soundtrack for a 1600s period piece. Finally, hit single Nothing Matters comes as a climactic end to the set, with Morris amusingly alluding to the songs success. It’s very clear that the years of work The Last Dinner Party put into being a live band have paid off – the hype is real.

The Rills

Appearing at Revenge on the Saturday were Lilcoln based boys, The Rills. From the get-go The Rills play an exhilerating and intense set, hit single Falling Apart perhaps the best example of this. However, EP track Brayford Odeon proved a dynamic change and shows the band aren’t one trick ponies with a more gentle and heartfelt track, dedicated to members of the audience from their hometown.

Tapir!

We caught Tapir! playing the first of two sets on the Saturday at the East Street Tap, where they showcased their entracing mesh of folk and soundscapes. Whilst the band opened with their biggest song yet, On A Grassy Knoll (We’ll Bow Together), they seemed to warm into the set gradually winning over audience members putting them in their trance. Whilst the band may not play with the distinctive red headpieces over their faces, they have a clear identity and with a more than notable sound.

Stone

Scouse rockers STONE had the duty of filling the Amazon New Music stage on the Friday. Where some sets saw tame crowds, STONE’s indie rock belters made sure to get their audience moving. Money (Hope Ain’t Gone) proved to be the bands highlight, with a notably chantable chorus that seems designed for bigger festival stages than the tents.

Nieve Ella

Kicking off her set at Revenge nightclub with the dreamy guitar lines of Blu Shirt Boy then diving straight into Fall 4 U Ella shows she’s made for the stage dancing with her band and a beaming smile. Chatting to the audience, Ella reveals this is only their fifteenth gig since they debuted at Brightons, Green Door Store last year. Next up the first track from her EP Young and Naive followed by her freshest single Big House. These songs show a different side to Nieve; energetic with guitar riffs that make you want to jump around, she has proved her rightful place all over festival line ups this summer. With a rapidly growing fanbase, Nieve Ella is certainly not one to be missed.

Junodream

New music on its way is the key takeaway from Junodream’s set at Komedia for The Great Escape. The queue for Komedia’s basement stretched along the street full of dedicated fans itching to see one of the most distinct bands of the moment. Having just finished a country wide tour with The Backseat Lovers, Junodream have perfected their live sound, showing they’re just as good live as they are in your headphones. The set list was packed with new songs, kicking off with The Beach and Kitchen Sink Drama before playing old favourites which promptly got the crowd singing along. Travel Guide then the infectious guitar lines of Nobody Wants You to get the audience moving around. Finishing on another unreleased track The Oranges, the signature Junodream sound will clearly carry through into the next chapter of the band.

Deadletter

We caught one of three sets from post-punk six piece Deadletter, taking to the MVT stage in the sunshine at 15:30. Frontman Zac Lawrence is quick to make an impression, opening with striking single Hero and subsequently takes his top off – not long before joining the crowd. Strong crowd interaction makes for an engaging set, with the band asking for call and response for Fit For Work. Lawrence proceeds to join the crowd again, to sing in the pebbles before playing hit song Binge, which many in the crowd were waiting for

Photos by @jaskisbee, @onstage_photos_, @luellapix

Words by @hug0harris, @jaskisbee