‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – ‘234 FEST’, GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON 28.9.24
The Green Door Store music venue in Brighton have been supporting local grassroots music and night clubbing for thirteen years and this weekend they hosted their popular annual ‘234 Fest’, which featured no less than 20 bands performing across the two days. The free entry event is aimed at highlighting the plethora of exciting new up-and-coming local talent. It’s fair to say that the ‘234 Fest’ is just like a mini Great Escape new music festival, as the selected bands perform half hour showcase sets to eager punters who are searching for the next big thing or who are simply out for a decent afternoon and evening entertainment. The festival takes its name from the Green Door Store’s location, which is Unit 2, 3, & 4 Trafalgar Arches, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Train Station, Brighton, BN1 4FQ.
The unusual building has a fascinating past. The current owners gave the venue its name on the account of it having previously been known by the railway workers back in the day as “the Green Door Storeroom”. Prior to that it had been a horse hospital and the roof was built over the area in 1888. This is why the concert room is slightly cobbled and uneven and slightly slopes down in the middle with a soakaway. Have a look the next time you are there – interesting stuff!
And so without further ado, let’s get down to the action. Here’s our account of Day One:
Saturday 28th September 2024:
Flavours (2pm)
Kicking off this year’s ‘234 Fest’ are a band who are new to us. The young Flavours indie rock and psych quartet of Sam (guitar/vocals), Jude (bass), Ben (guitar/backing vocals) and George (drums) grace us with their presence for 28 minutes. They get straight down to business and play a song, after which Sam states “Thank you, good afternoon, we are Flavours and the next song is called ‘Candles’”. Sadly, the venue is sparse to begin with, but as the punters begin to arrive, the band find themselves playing to more folk after every track.
They offer up a few funky riffs in their tunes and at times they almost have the vibe of a jam session whilst still somehow operating as a tight unit. No doubt there are a few Santana, Thin Lizzy and Red Hot Chili Peppers albums somewhere in their record collections. We were informed that they were going to try out a new tune called ‘Walking Between Raindrops’ and the punters’ heads merrily bopped and necks jerked along to their proficient set. ‘Coloured Image’ was their penultimate composition and for me it was their strongest of the set and no doubt the lads think so too as it’s their debut single which dropped at the end of May and can be found on Spotify. For me, the longer they played the more enjoyable they became, despite not being my go to sound.
Flavours:
Jude – bass
Sam – guitar, vocals
Ben – guitar, backing vocals
George – drums
(Nick Linazasoro)
Wimp (3pm)
The second act of this year’s ‘234 Fest’ are Wimp who I first bumped into around 14 months ago. They comprise of Marley (vocals, guitar), Tommy (bass, vocals), Sammy (guitar) and Arthur (drums, vocals). If any of today’s latecomers are fans of Blink 182, Green Day and Nirvana and missed Wimp, then I’m afraid that you will be kicking yourselves as that’s exactly what Wimp sound like, an amalgam of the three. They couldn’t be more opposite to their name if they tried!
In fact their opening number is like the aforementioned Blink 182 but on steroids! It’s clear that Wimp aren’t going to take any prisoners! Frontman Marley has certainly been to the Kurt Cobain School of Guttural Vocal Deliveries. One tune down and the lads lead us in a sense of false security as tune two kicks off at a slower pace, but then soon heads off into warp factor ten territory! Their third choice is a headbanging special for Nirvana fans everywhere. I think you get the picture where these lads are coming from. The lead vocals are split throughout the set between Marley and bassist Tommy, and even drummer Arthur gets in on the act for one tune. This outfit play an energetic nouveau grunge punk set. We were told that they were on early on account of Arthur having to shortly go to work, now I’m not saying he was keen to get on with it, but at one stage he even managed to send his cymbal flying off its slot and it rolled along the Green Door Store stage.
You can next catch Wimp in Brighton on Saturday 5th October, when they will be headlining a free entry concert at Daltons courtesy of Garageland promoters – Free tickets HERE.
Wimp:
Marley – vocals, guitar
Tommy – bass, vocals
Sammy – guitar
Arthur – drums, vocals
www.instagram.com/simp_for_wimp/
(Nick Linazasoro)
Riff Raff (4pm)
Third up of the day were Riff Raff, an indie five piece band lead by vocalist Angel Harrington. Whilst I have heard their name and checked out some of their work on YouTube in advance, this will be the first time I’ve caught the band live. As they stepped on stage I recognised some of the band members were from the very loud ‘How Long You Been Driving’, however, I do spy a violin and Korg Opsix Synthesiser on stage, so get the vibe the sound will not be as heavy.
With a good decent crowd already packed into the Green Door Store, proceedings start with ‘Get Away’, a rather pleasing song to my ears, Natasha O’Flynn’s violin really melds well with the exquisite guitar of Louis Tong. Next up was ‘Try 2 Fly’, I particularly like Gareth Bennett-Alan’s bass sound on this, and throughout the set, it really gives a cool almost laid back vibe, contrasting with heavier guitar and frantic drumming of Elliott Scambler. A new song ‘Guilt’ followed, with Natasha switching to the synth, this coupled with a change in drumming style gave it a bit more of a dance like feel to it. The set closed out with ‘Miserable’, which was the band’s earlier single release, followed by the excellent ‘Stranger’. Angel switched to synth for this song and it featured some short rap verses and some awesome choruses.
I really enjoyed Riff Raff’s set, it’s hard to pinpoint their style, it’s a very different unique sound, you get hints of jazz, and various changes of pace, slow and melodic racing to fast and frantic. You never know if the band is going to go full heavy metal which keeps you on your toes, it threatens, but they don’t. There were a few occasions some of the crowd were rubbing their hands and holding them out towards Louis’s guitar playing, signalling he is on fire, to which he was. Throughout this of course you have Angel Harrington’s gorgeous voice, brilliant powerful singing. A perfect mix.
It’s well worth checking out their excellent “Live at St Martin’s church” film on YouTube which will give you a good idea.
Riff Raff:
Angel Harrington – vocals, guitar, synth
Elliott Scambler – drums
Gareth Bennett-Alan – bass
Louis Tong – guitar
Natasha O’Flynn – violin, synth
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
Sulk (5pm)
One of my highlights of the day were four piece Sulk, who hail from East London. This is the first time I’ve seen the band, although they have played previously at The Rossi Bar in 2023 and The Hope & Ruin only just last month, how did I miss that!
Coming on stage, the band started with a building atmospheric instrumental introduction, one that featured a gorgeous deep bass line from Eliot Thomas. The intro had quite a shoegaze vibe moving to a louder rockier feel with a brand new unnamed song that came next.
Lead singer and guitarist Lily Noble was wearing a cool red tie dyed dress and looking every bit the rockstar put her guitar down for the next song ‘The Fool’. The pace dropped a little for the darker number ‘To Choke’, starting slow and sombre, but breaking into a full on guitar frenzy from Jordan Momani. Filipp Krisan’s drumming was a spectacle in itself, full on animated raw energy was flowing throughout the whole set. At one point something came loose from all that power, prompting a chap from the crowd to leap up and put it back in place. After a shout out to the Yeastie Boys pizza serving outside in the courtyard area, we were treated to ‘Digs’ which built and built from a sombre start to more audio ecstasy. ‘Time It Takes’ took us into grunge territory, the guitar riff reminded me of Nirvana, it was loud and a noise bringing, one to mosh to for sure, even more astonishing considering Lily had put her guitar down for this one.
The set closed with the band’s recent single ‘Give It A Squeeze’, Lily invited the crowd to join in with the chorus, a strong rousing loud number to end the set, if this is their first single I can’t wait for an album.
The band ooze with stage charisma and I am sure are destined for big things. The band posted on their Instagram a shout out for Brighton promoters to book them as they love this city, I really hope they make a swift return.
Sulk:
Lily Noble – lead vocals, guitar
Filipp Krisan – drums
Elliot Thomas – bass
Jordan Momani – guitar
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
Pussyliquor (5:35pm)
It was time to take things up a notch or two, as everyone filed out of the main room ready for Pussyliquor’s special bar set. There was no time for anyone to buy a drink as Pussyliquor were about to blow the roof off. So rushed was it, that drummer Victoria at the start requisitioned a member of the audience to get her a shot of something handing him her bank card to go buy it, this was not to be the first drink from the bar for her or the band during the set, or for drinks to go flying in the air for that matter. Pussyliquor are a no nonsense punk / riot grrrl five piece band, four of whom all met during their degree courses in Brighton, all bonding over music and their beliefs which have manifested into this fantastic band and music we have today. I’ve managed to catch them twice over the past year and they were a big reason for me wanting to come along today having missed them at The Hope & Ruin a week back.
Pushed for time the band went straight into ‘Young Love Fresh Blood’, all those guitars firing up and lead singer Ari Black jumping up and down. I couldn’t help wondering how this was all going to play out with everyone crammed into such a small area and it wasn’t long true to expectation until Ari ran into the crowd. ‘Pesticide’ came next with a mosh pit forming, Ari of course joining in, this was followed by their awesome 2017 single ‘Kitty Kitty’. Fast and frantic is the name of the game here. The moshpit was now most of the bar area as the band kick into ‘Boa Constrictor’ with Ari working her way up on to the bar before heading outside whilst Hannah Villanueva and Tallulah Turner-Fray face off duelling with each other, powering their guitars before Ari arrives back throwing her beer into the air. I’m glad I was last out of the main room now and had been forced to take up a high position on the staircase, dry safety!
A slight break in proceedings as the next song ‘Buy More Sh*t’, was introduced prompting drummer Victoria to mention their merchandise will be on sale from the back of their van afterwards. Fresh drinks were passed over the crowd to the band, another shot for Victoria and beers were demanded all round whilst Ari did up her shoe laces. Hannah informed us that the band make all their own merch as the planet is filling up with textiles, essentially they turn old clothes into band merch. Later that evening I did buy a cool repurposed t-shirt along with their recent 7” release, and it’s bloody great, 100% unique and quite frankly a brilliant idea. Anyhow back to the song, which is ironic as it’s about not buying more sh*t. It’s a great song, catchy and one everyone can chant along to, Ari was then back on the bar, breaking into the Barbie girl section of the song, before popping her head under the beer tap, filling her mouth before spitting out over the crowd.
After a quick time check, the next song was aimed at abusive people, the aptly named ‘C.*.n.t’, a full on heavy number with Victoria smashing those drums and the 3 guitarists burning out our eardrums with their blistering sound. As you can imagine there was plenty of chanting of the track’s title by the band and the audience, while the moshpit went wild. The set came to an end with a new one ‘All Cats Go 2 Heaven’, it was all over too soon, Pussyliquor can breathe live and energy into any room they are in, we are blessed to have them in Brighton, you just don’t know what is going to happen when they play, I look forward to hopefully an album soon and lots more gigs.
Pussyliquor:
Ari Black – vocals
Hannah Villanueva – guitar
Tallulah Turner-Fray – bass
Victoria Lewis Piper – drums
Oshen Dee – guitar
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
Currls (6pm)
Next to take the ‘234’ stage were Brighton’s own DIY garage rockers, Currls, a staple of the South Coast music scene since their debut in 2017. Opening with ‘Honey’, the lead track from their EP ‘Hello, My Name Is’, frontwoman Holly Blake immediately reminded the crowd why she has one of the sweetest voices in grassroots rock music. One defining aspect of a Currls show is the charisma they exude, commanding the attention of any room they play. Their set was a masterclass in contrast, with bombastic, fuzzy bass tones and powerful drums occasionally giving way to intimate moments of solo vocals.
One of the risks of playing with such an intensity, is a that a string breakage is only ever around the corner, but one of the benefits of a festival setting is that another guitar is always quickly at hand. The energy resumed almost instantly as Currls powered through the latter half of their set, reminding us that they are one of Brighton’s finest. What truly sets them apart though, is their knack for creating ear-worms. With every chorus leaving a lingering impression, the penultimate song, ‘Let Down’, is a perfect example of this. They brought their set to a close with ‘April Fool’, a song that has been a key part of my Brighton music experience, one I’ve been rocking out to since I began attending gigs here, and this time was no exception. Currls next show is on Friday 18th October at Brighton Dome Studio – Details HERE.
Currls:
Holly Deanna – vocals, guitar
Hannah Websdale – drums
Valley Tesorone – bass
(George Clark)
Belmondo (7pm)
Following Currls were goth rock outfit ‘Belmondo’, in their penultimate outing with their current line-up before their recently announced hiatus. Opening with ‘Pachyderm’, a wall of sound enveloped upon the Green Door Store. Something that has always been impressive about Belmondo is their attention to detail in aesthetics and ambiance, with this performance being no exception. As ever the band dressed immaculately, complemented by church-like backing tracks and religious subtext to their lyrics that invited the crowd into the world of Belmondo. The room was visibly buzzing throughout their set. With the sheer energy of the performers front and centre, with Carmen getting into the crowd for ‘Bethlehem’ and Kelan getting into the crowd at any opportunity. This was a performance as large as the riffs that they serve.
As the set reached its dramatic climax, Belmondo promised that “it was about to get ludicrous and rambunctious,” and they certainly delivered. The crowd parted like the Red Sea for an ‘RTD’ mosh pit, and I couldn’t help but put my notepad down to get involved in it. Although Belmondo in its current format will be missed, this performance at ‘234’ felt like a true celebration of everything they’ve achieved on the road and in the studio. A truly triumphant performance showcasing the impressive body of work they’ve created together. We eagerly anticipate whatever comes next from the incredibly talented musicians that took the stage as Belmondo.
Belmondo’s final performance will be at Attitude Fest on Saturday 19th October – Details HERE.
Belmondo:
Carmen Mellino – vocals, bass
Kelan Moore – guitar, vocals
Laurent Lesaffre – guitar
Jules Freiss – drums
(George Clark)
Chig (8pm)
Chig are a new band on me, they look to have come on the scene in early 2023. They are an alternative five piece with Orla on vocals, a very cool looking Max on bass, Caleb and Morgan on guitars and Jamie on drums. I found that they have two singles under their belt and have played a number of gigs in the Hampshire/Dorset border area and being based on the south coast, possibly tonight is a first for them in Brighton.
The set opened with ‘Kind’, a brooding melancholic powerful song, boasting a strong shoegaze sound. However, their sound is not just shoegaze though, you have nu-metal, post punk, a bit of grunge and some good old fashioned solid rock in there. The third song in the set; their recently released single ‘Bleeding’ was a good example of this, with Orla’s roaring vocals, epic and emotionally charged, it reminded me of the early millennial band Sparta, with those wailing lyrics that you sometimes can’t quite make out, but backed with the gorgeous layers of guitar. Orla’s vocals and movements on stage were deep, really feeling the music, bringing a sort of level of anxiety but epicness at the same time. It was an incredibly strong set with another explosive number being ‘Vicodin’ with Morgan really bringing some lovely ethereal sounds from his guitar. The band closed with their debut single ‘Joy’ with Orla declaring “it’s called Joy, but it won’t bring you any joy, but I hope you enjoy”, it was another blistering audio treat.
I could not help but think the band were really well presented and ordered on stage, there was a real sense of being organised about them, with a nicely printed setlist, the band holding their positions on stage, keeping eyes on each other for timing, this is a band setting out how they mean to go on and mean business. I really enjoyed Chig’s set; they were the band for the day I’d specifically chosen to make sure I was right down the front for. I am glad I was, I really hope we see more of them on the scene in the local area and hopefully a bit more information comes out about them, as currently they remain a happy mystery. Certainly one to watch!
Chig:
Orla Mount – vocals
Maximilian Winthrop Wallace – bass
Caleb Brading-Ingram – guitar
Jamie Newnham – drums
Morgan Blake – guitar
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
Jar Of Blind Flies (9pm)
Brighton based alt-rock trio, Jar Of Blind Flies take on the penultimate slot at Saturday’s ‘234 Fest’ by launching their set with last months release ‘Not Your Baby’, which is a full frontal assault on the ears, with Jake’s bludgeoning bass chords and vocalist/guitarist Maddie hitting her high notes whilst slaying the riffs alongside drummer Marley’s vocal support, meanwhile blowing the venue’s Green Doors off its hinges!
Luckily the crowd is full with fans chanting and gesturing towards the band in an idolising way as they mosh the packed floor.
With a grungy and heavy alt-rock sound, they manage to entice a wider audience and despite me not being a fan of the genre, there’s something about this trio that fascinates me. ‘Plastic Boy’ with the machine-gun drums and throbbing of Jake’s bass makes the audience sway with their arms/heads moving up and down along with its rhythm. Rarely played ‘Optical Leech’ gets an airing with its slow dramatic drums, but the crowd are having none of it, as one stage-dives and is held aloft through the audience like a prized trophy. Ending on the soon to be released ‘Hell Is An Ocean’ encapsulates the set with its crashing beats, operatic grungy vocals and heavy bass. Their next show is at Revenge in Brighton supporting Dream Wife on the 24th October – Tickets HERE.
Jar Of Blind Flies:
Maddy Jarvis – main vocals, guitar
Marley Perez – drums, backing vocals
Jake Smith – bass
(Stephen Willcox)
Electric Cowboy Club (10pm)
They say the best is always last and they ain’t joking! Electric Cowboy Club alight the stage like a runaway jet fighter fuelled by napalm, but it takes a while as vocalist Brandon literally crawls on his hands and knees to the stage while being bombarded by a wall of sound and reverb. With his mic-lead taunt and clenched in his teeth he gets up like a cat on a hot tin roof, pacing around and launches into opener ‘Reality’. At the same moment his shirt is thrown into the already moshing frenzied crowd and by the second song ‘78 RPM’ he’s already joined its ranks. I would describe the genre of the band as psycho-billy punk with a fun edge reminiscent of King Kurt back in the late 70s.
They play ‘Creature’ with James’ driving guitar riff alongside El Lilo’s drums beating an urgency into the song that’s delivered by Brandon’s high octane voice. ‘Grapefruit Baby’ starts off with the vocalist head-butting a grapefruit and taking a bite out of it, sloshing the juice around his mouth, walking up to James and trying to share in its bitter taste and is playfully pushed away but still managed to cover his pristine yellow guitar, he’s not impressed lol.
An E.C.C concert isn’t just about the music, it’s like a living beast of art/horror theatre wrapped into one wholesome sesame seed bun. Two minute slasher ‘Coconut Tree’ with its bass heavy notes provided by Jacob who is looking iconic in his trademark mohawk and black sunglasses is a sight to behold. Last song ‘Ran A Red Light’ gives the crowd one last hurrah to get the final mosh going as a few diehards stage-dive onto its shoulders/heads or onto the cobblestones below, but they don’t seem to care as they continue to leap like lemmings. As the last notes ring out – E.C.C leave the stage and the crowd starts to walk out. But they suddenly have to rush back as the band return for an encore with ‘Jungle Fever’ which has Brandon sounding like John Lydon’s and Chris Rock’s love child whilst gurning and grimacing for England, as the crowd moshes until its dramatic conclusion. Phew !!!!!!
Their next gig is at the Paper Dress Vintage in Hackney on the 4th October with lots more shows before Xmas and they will be recording new material in late October.
Electric Cowboy Club:
Brandon Parker – vocals
James Lissimore – guitar
Jacob Lenadd O’Shea – bass
El Lilo Roberto – drums
(Stephen Willcox)
On Saturday night after the Green Door Store performances had finished, the party continued with a Free Aftershow Party up at The Rossi Bar on Queens Road which featured live sets from Thistle and City Dog.
Our account of Day Two Sunday 29th September can be found HERE.
Read our accounts of post-Covid lockdown ‘234 Fest’s’ below:
