We already knew that we’ve had an extremely hectic year at the Brighton & Hove News bringing you the very latest news, previews and reviews from the local music scene, but it wasn’t until we sat down and analysed all our statistics that we realised we’d had a record shattering 2018 in terms of number of performances witnessed, venues visited and gigs covered.
In fact, our statistics tell us that we are the NUMBER ONE medium in Brighton and Hove for local gig coverage. We often have several reviewers out and about on one night at different venues when the occasion calls.
During 2018, we’ve witnessed an incredible 444 performances by 369 different musical artists and brought you coverage of EVERY SINGLE ONE of them, this represented a 304% increase on 2017.
In terms of the number of billed gigs, we’ve attended 164 concerts during 2018 and that’s counting the brilliant ‘Great Escape’ new music festival as only one gig per day! So that’s just 4 to the 164 tally instead of adding all of the 41 performances. If we had counted each performance as a gig, then the 164 figure would have been 201.
As for the number of venues attended, we’ve visited no less than 40 in Brighton, 3 in Hove and the rest outside the area, including a number from the Con Club in Lewes, a real hotbed for local live music. Over a third of the year has been spent at gigs across the region, totalling 131 days.
We’ve seen bands on the way up such Fontains D.C. and Pussyliquor, both recently riding high in the vinyl charts. Bristol based IDLES who we’ve reported on all three times they have played Brighton this year, have made the breakthrough chart success with their UK number 5 album ‘Joy As an Act Of Resistance’ and will undoubtedly continue on an upward trajectory in 2019.
There are too many bands to mention with great potential, but local bands Penelope Isles, DITZ, Bloom and Swoon instantly spring to mind, as do New Zealand’s The Beths, Australia’s Haiku Hands and London’s Circe who are all definitely ones to watch out for next year. In terms of a solo local artist tip, check out the incredibly talented Abi Wade if you haven’t already done so.
We’ve also witnessed 6 DJ sets which included the brilliant ‘Utah Saints’ in December and Sister Bliss from ‘Faithless’ back in June. There was even a superbly atmospheric audio installation by former Cabaret Voltaire band member Chris Watson titled ‘No Man’s Land’ at the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts back in March.
We’ve witnessed veteran bands still doing what they love such as Gary Numan, The Damned, Dreadzone, Bad Manners, Peter & The Test Tube Babies and Blancmange. We haven’t neglected stars of bigger stages with coverage of Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, The Human League, Morrissey, David Byrne, The Prodigy and more recently Madness all at the Brighton Centre.
Three final observations. One is how many supremely talented individuals such as Kai Khan, Holly IVI, Robson Hawkins (Sal Paradise), Hayley Chilcott, Maxine aka Rohnny Ramona (the Ramonas) and Michelle Hindriks (CIEL), have come through BIMM (Brighton Institute of Modern Music). There is no doubt that this organisation is a veritable production-line of incredible talent incubating both the local and national music scene. The second observation is our sadness at the closure of Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar on 31st December 2018. This venue has hosted the debuts of many talented acts, has its own unique atmosphere and great acoustics. It will be a real loss to the local music scene but has ultimately proven unsustainable to run. Thirdly, that it was our honour to witness the final live performances by Red Deer People and the Golinski Brothers.
So that’s a wrap for this year! We can’t wait for 2019 to begin to bring you even more music coverage. We’ve well over 100 acts lined up already in 2019 and we’ll be adding hundreds more throughout the course of the year in our uncompromising quest to bring you the best and most prolific coverage of the local music scene.
If you are a Brighton based artist or band and we haven’t as yet featured you, then don’t hesitate to get in contact and let us know about you – facebook.com/whatsonbrighton
We wish all music fans a very Happy New Year!
Further reading:
Here is a summary of our year in numbers and all the acts we have covered…….
Brighton & Hove News – 2018 gigs statistics as at 31.12.18:
Number of performances = 444 (2017 = 146, so 304% increase)
Number of artists = 369 (2017 = 137, so 269% increase)
Number of gigs = 164 (2017 = 58, so 282% increase) (counting TGE as only 1 per day)
Number of days gigging = 131 (2017 = 49, so 267% increase)
Number of DJ sets = 6 (2017 = 0)
Number of audio installations = 1 (2017 = 0)
Here’s the impressive list of artists covered by the Brighton & Hove News music team during 2018:
40 Shillings On The Drum
999
Æ MAK
Æ MAK
Abi Wade
Abi Wade
ADOY
AK/DK
AK/DK
AK Patterson
AK Patterson
AK Patterson
Alfa Mist
Alligator Smile
Amber Arcades
Amelia Caesar
Amyl & The Sniffers
Angelic Upstarts
Anti-Nowhere League
Arriver
ASBO Derek
Asylums
Audiobooks
Autumns
B-Movie
Bad Manners
Bad Manners
Bad Nerves
Band Of The Underhand
Bare Jams
Barnstormer 1649
Barracks
Battery Operated Orchestra
Battery Operated Orchestra
Battery Operated Orchestra
Baxter Dury
Beachtape
Benjamin Clementine
Bernholz
Berries
Bitchin Bajas
Black Doldrums
BlackWaters
Blancmange
Bloco Branco
Bloom
Bloom
Blush
Blush
Breathe Panel
Brigitte Laverne
Broadbay
Bunty
Callaghan
Carnival Collective
Carnival Collective
Caves
Chainska Brassika
Chelsea
Chloé Bodur
Chris Watson (‘No Man’s Land’ audio installation)
CIEL
Circe
Circe
Circe
Circe
Circe
Cockney Rejects
Colour Me Wednesday
Combat Shock
Control
Cosmic Caz
Cosmic Strip
Cosmic Strip
Covenant
Crayola Lectern
Cuboza (Jack from Penelope Isles)
Cutlasses
D.A.N
DJ Gremlin
DJ Henry Wu
DJ Steve Mac
Daggermouth
Dakka Skanks
Dark Horses
Dark Horses
David Byrne
Deco
Demented Are Go
Department S
Department S
DeRellas
DeRellas
Digitalis
Digitalis
DITZ
DITZ
DITZ
Dog In The Snow
Dog In The Snow
Don Letts
Dove House
Dr Feelgood
Dreadzone
Dream Wife
Dream Wife
Drusila
Ducking Punches
Ducking Punches
Dumb Punts
Earth, Wind & Fire
EastEndTrinity/Babar Luck
East Town Pirates
EERA
Ellie Ford
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Emergency Bitter
Emma Gatrill
Empathy Test
Ese & The Vooduu People
Estrons
Evertim
Eves Karydas
F.O.D
Faithless (Sister Bliss DJ set)
Fat Suit
Feral Five
Fews
Fickle Friends
Fontaines D.C.
For I Am
Fred Hills Collective
Free Love (FKA Happy Meals)
Free Love (FKA Happy Meals)
Free Love (Devotional Ceremony)
Fröst
Fruity Water
Fruity Water
G Flip
Garden Centre
Garden Centre
Gary Numan
Gender Roles
Gentleman’s Dub Club
Gentleman’s Dub Club
Ghost Car
Glitter P*ss
God On My Right
Golinski Brothers
Goon Squad
Grasshopper
Gurr
Halo Maud
Haiku Hands
Haiku Hands
Haley (Bonar)
Hanya
Hanya
Happy Accidents
Happy Accidents
Happy Accidents
Harker
Harker
Hater
Hayley Chillcott
Heavy Lungs
Helen & The Horns
Helen McCookerybook
Here Are The Young Men & Uncle Peanut
Hesh
Hinds
Holly IVI
Honey Moon
Honey Pot
Hora Douse
Hotel Lux
Human Cell
Hundredth Anniversary
Hurry
IDLES
IDLES
IDLES
Instant Bin
Iron Chic
Is Bliss
Is Bliss
Island Club
itoldyouiwouldeatyou
‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds’
Jess Silk
Jay Vee & The Cardinal Sins
Joan Armatrading
Joe Solo
John Langford’s Four Lost
John Ward Trio
Johnny Moped
JoyCut
Jumanji
Jungfrau
Juniore
Justin Saltmeris
Kacey Johansing
Kai Khan
Kassai
Khanyisa
Kid Ivy
Kid Ivy
King Kuda
King Kurt
Kirk Brandon (acoustic set)
Knock Off
Kops
Lacuna Bloome
Lacuna Bloome
Laish
Lalah Hathaway
Lazybones
Let’s Eat Grandma
Lingua Nada
Lo Moon
Lost Avenue
Lost Horizons
Lovely
Lucia
Lucia
MF Robots
Madness
Marigolds
Massive Ego
Matilda’s Scoundrels
Mavis Staples
Max Splodge (Splodgenessabounds)
Melt Dunes
Meow Meows
Merlin Tonto
Method Actress
Method Actress
Micky Hart & The Hartbreakers
Midge Ure’s Band Electronica
Milk Crimes
Moon Panda
Morrissey
Mr Ben & The Bens
Murder Boys
Murderhouse
Murmur
Murmur
Mush
Neon Saints Brass
New York Brass Band
Night House
Night Vision
Night Vision
Nightmare Air
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Nuffin’
Oh Joy
Olivia May Green
Olm
One Eyed Jacks
Optimum Of The Universe
Orbital
Paul Weller
Penelope Isles
Penelope Isles
Penelope Isles
Penelope Isles
Penelope Isles
Penny Blood
Penny Blood
Penny Blood
Penny Blood
Personal Best
Peter & The Test Tube Babies
Peter & The Test Tube Babies
Peter & The Test Tube Babies
Peter & The Test Tube Babies
Peter & The Test Tube Babies
Pop Will Eat Itself
Porridge Radio
Pinkshinyultrablast
Piranhas 4+
Pizzgirl
Prince Vaseline
Projector
Promiseland
Punka
PussyLiquor
PussyLiquor
PussyLiquor
PussyLiquor
Ragweed
Ramonas
Ramonas
Ramonas
Rascalton
Red Deer People
Red Deer People
Red Deer People
Rene Lavice
Rezillos
Rex Speedway
Richard Jobson & Martin Metcalfe
Rob Auton
Rob Auton
Ruts DC
Sal Paradise
Salad From Atlantis
Saltwater Sun
Say Sue Me
Say Sue Me
Scarecrow Boat
Scavengers
School Disco
Screaming Females
Sex Pistols Experience
Sextile
Sextile
Sham 69
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape
Shiners
Shonen Knife
Skids
Skegss
Skurvi
Skurvi
Slaughter & The Dogs
Sleeper
Slowdive
Smiley & The Underclass
Snail Mail
Soccer Mommy
Somebody’s Daughter
Spanish Love Songs
Speak Galactic
Spear Of Destiny
Spizzenergi
Spliff Richard
S*unk Volcano & The Eruptions
Squid
Stereophonics
Steve Winwood
Stiff Little Fingers
Stone Cold Fiction
Stone Heroes
Submariner
SummerSlam 88
Suzi Island
Sweet Facility
Sweetmates
Swoon
Swoon
Synthony 101
T. House
Talk Shop
Talk Shop
Teal
Team Picture
Ten Tonnes
Tesla Girls DJ’s
The Beat
The Beths
The Blinders
The Boy Least Likely To
The Burnt Tapes
The Coathangers
The Damned
The Dickies
The Dinz
The Fin.
The Fish Brothers
The Fish Brothers
The Fratellis
The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go Go Cult
The Hillmans
The Homesick
The Hotknives
The Human League
The Kite String Tangle
The KVB
The Limeys
The Limiñanas
The London SS
The Lovely Brothers
The Lovely Eggs
The Lovely Eggs
The Lovely Eggs
The Mekons 77
The Mighty Xanthus
The Monochrome Set
The Orielles
The Peeps
The Popguns
The Prodigy
The Rems
The Relics
The Selecter
The Sex Pissed Dolls
The Soapgirls
The Strypes
The Tin Pigeon
The Vapors
The Vibrators
The Voidz
The Xcerts
Theatre Of Hate
Theatre Royal
Thyla
Thyla
Thyla
Tiger Lion
Tilda Allie
Tim Burness Band
Tom Misch
Tommy
Toothpaste
Touts
Toy
Tuval
UK Subs
Ukulele Subs
Underwater Boys
Utah Saints (DJ Set)
Viki Vortex & The C**shots
Vile Electrodes
We Bless
Wet Red
Where Pathways Meet
While We Were Sleeping
White Room
White Room
Winter Gardens
WitchDoktors
WOB
Wolfgang Flür
Wreckless Eric
Vice Squad
Yes
Zooz
2018 Venue statistics = 53 (with of those 40 in Brighton and 3 in Hove)
Brighton:
ACCA (Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts)
Bau Wow
Beach Club, Brighton Beach
Beach House, Brighton Beach
Bella Union
Brighton Centre
Brighton Dome (Concert Hall)
Brighton Dome (Founders Room)
Brighton Harbour Hotel
Brighton Racecourse
Cafe Plenty
Castle Snooker Club
Coalition
Concorde 2
East Street Tap
Green Door Store
Hope & Ruin (downstairs)
Hope & Ruin (upstairs)
Horatio’s
Jubilee Square
Komedia
Komedia Studio Bar
Latest Music Bar
Nightingale Room
One Church
Patterns (downstairs)
Patterns (upstairs)
Prince Albert
Rialto Theatre
St Mary’s Church
St Nicholas Church
Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar
The Arch
The Greys
The Haunt
The Pipeline
The Quadrant
The Richmond Bar
Theatre Royal
Unitarian Church
Hove:
B.O.A.T (Brighton Open Air Theatre)
The Brunswick
The Old Market
Bexhill-on-Sea:
The Sussex Hotel, Bexhill-on-Sea
Coombes:
Church Farm
Glynde:
Glynde Place
Hastings:
Hastings Sailing Club
Hastings VIP
Printworks
Lewes:
All Saints Centre
Con Club
Peacehaven:
Peacehaven FC
Worthing:
Assembly Hall
