VARIOUS ARTISTS – ‘MUTATIONS’ FESTIVAL, VARIOUS VENUES, BRIGHTON 5-9.11.24
The sixth edition of the ‘Mutations’ multi-venue festival, took place in Brighton from Tuesday 5th to Friday 9th November. The festival featured performances from a diverse range of the most exciting, established and upcoming artists from around the world. This year’s selected grassroots venues were Chalk, Patterns, Revenge, Dust, The Prince Albert, Green Door Store, The Hope & Ruin, The Folklore Rooms and Alphabet.
‘Mutations Festival’ is curated and produced by Brighton and London based concert promoters FORM who produce over 600 events a year. Their experience is essential when putting on a festival of this magnitude. Although having said that, ‘Mutations’ is actually quite a select affair with a 1,500 capacity, which goes a long way to ensuring entry to a majority of acts on punters hit lists, although there is always some disappointment at these festivals if you don’t ensure to arrive in plenty of time in order to beat the queues.
This year’s event began solely at Chalk on Tuesday 5th November and was curated by Irish garage punk band Sprints, who handpicked the other four bands on the opening night. That line up was Coach Party, Shelf Lives, Dog Race and Kynsey, and headlined by Sprints with Brighton’s Lambrini Girls providing a fun DJ set between bands.
The action remained at Chalk on Wednesday 6th November, which witnessed a headlining set from Arooj Aftab, plus sharing the bill were Alabaster Deplume, Sheherazaad, Julie McDoom, Zsela, and Resident Music DJ’s holding the fort between sets.
Thursday 7th November was also held at Chalk and was headlined by Casisdead, and also features sets from Grove, Novelist, Elijah & Jammz, Oscar #WorldPeace, and these were interspersed by DJ sets from Offie Mag.
‘Mutations’ then seriously expanded for the remaining two days (Friday 8th & Saturday 9th) with all of the aforementioned grassroots music venues getting in on the action. Serious planning was required for both these days in order to get the most out of the event. As with every festival there are always clashes of acts that you want to see and it was no different for our team!
We have split our articles into three parts for ease of reading. This is Part One and features acts performing on Tuesday 5th to Thursday 7th November. Part Two features acts who played on Friday 8th November and can be found HERE. Part Three for the acts that played on Saturday 9th November can be found HERE.
So without further ado, here are the artists in the order that they performed….
TUESDAY 5th NOVEMBER:
CHALK 5:00pm – 9:30pm
What better way to get the ‘Mutations’ festival started, but to turn to Brighton’s notorious party bringers the ‘Lambrini Girls’. That’s right tonight from doors open and between each band we were given a musical adventure from Phoebe Lunny and Lily Macieira’s magical laptop. This was no punk guitar frenzy, nothing of the sort, it was a whole dessert buffet of cheese and party tunes, think Ricky Martin, Crazy Frog, songs we all know and have heard, a good bit of fun. One song I was very happy to hear was Fcukers ‘Bon Bon’, a quality song for sure. All these bangers had plenty of added gloss such as fart sounds, funny repetitive sound bites and of course some shout outs to the Lambrini Girls themselves. Stationed at the side of the stage, dancing and waving their arms, as you can imagine the customary bottles of Lambrini were out getting guzzled and virtually drunk by the end of proceedings. I’d have loved to have seen them on the bill playing this evening, but we’ll have to wait until next April when they headline Chalk.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
CHALK 5:30pm – 6:00pm
Following a fun cheesy pop and dance heavy DJ set by the Lambrini Girls, our opening act for this evening and ‘Mutations’ festival full stop was Kynsy. Kynsy originally hailing from Dublin, but now London based is songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Ciara Lindsey. She already has 3 EP’s under her belt, her most recent being ‘Utopia’ which will be her first physical release on vinyl with local legendary label Nice Swan Records. Three of the songs from which we were treated to this evening during a seven song set. This has not been Kynsy’s first visit to Brighton, previously she has played Concorde 2 supporting Black Honey back in January this year and before that at The Great Escape in 2022.
The set opened with ‘Elephant In The Room’, this started with a cool synth intro, before those beautiful guitars kicked in. ‘Money’ came next with Kynsy encouraging the early crowd “I know it’s half five, but let’s get some dancing going, you can do it”, this was a beautiful track with lovely fuzzy guitar sound.
The set was a fine selection of songs showcasing the Kynsy’s talents, cool guitar riffs were to be found, ‘Body’ being a key example, honest lyrics, but at the same time catchy and memorable, making it quick for the crowd to be able to sing along, ‘Stereo’ being a fine example of this. I am not too sure of the band’s inspiration, but I could feel a nod to the 60s vibe in there.
I really enjoyed Kynsy’s set, I had already earmarked her as one of my must sees for the festival week and I was not disappointed, beautifully crafted songs, all expertly played and sung. The aforementioned new EP was on sale apparently in the venue as alluded to by Kynsy during the set as it contained the final song of the set which had to be cut due to time constraints, sadly I couldn’t find her to buy one, Kynsy is definitely one to watch, I can’t wait for her to come back and play Brighton again.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
CHALK 6:25pm – 6:55pm
Dog Race are a five piece band from London, I’d not heard of them prior to tonight, but reading up I can see they have garnered interest and radio play on BBC 6 Music. I’m surprised they are not on my radar having already played in Brighton at least twice earlier this year at Dust & then The Prince Albert.
The set started with the ‘Walk Sprint’, now I must admit I was certainly taken back by Katie’s vocals, unique they were indeed, incredibly deep, honestly I am not sure how to put it into words, it was quite a sombre opening song with Katie pacing back and forth in the centre of the stage. Between each song, I could see Katie moving her mouth preparing for the next range of tones that were to come forth from her lips, such a range, it was unbelievable, for example ‘Mouse In My House’ started deep and dark, but ended magical with her singing high and light.
Red was very much the theme it seemed throughout the set, Katie in her red dress, the lighting too was predominantly a moody red, coupled with the smoke machine creating a fire like hazy ambience which added wonderfully to the style of music being played.
The set really built momentum as it progressed, my favourites being the two 2024 singles ‘The Leader’, which had a synth tune running through it very similar to the Munsters Theme tune and ‘It’s The Squeeze’ which ended the set with Katie kneeling, slowly moving forward until her head was resting on the floor and thus the music ended, this one had a solid thumping drum beat, moody dark Korg synths, a gorgeous but sinister bass line and almost shoegaze like guitar.
Whilst my initial feelings were this set was maybe not going to be my cuppa tea, it was incredibly griping, I was totally captured spellbound, compelled to watch Katie perform, I almost feel guilty that I didn’t really look at the rest of the band members, both guitarists had been weaving and bobby about during the set, but Katie most certainly was the focal point, a little bit of performance art in there I would say, it was brilliant stuff, well worth checking out next time they play. The crowd here tonight were silent intent on absorbing this set as was I.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
SHELF LIVES (Photo in Sussex News review HERE)
CHALK 7:20pm – 7:50pm
Shelf Lives are a London based Post Punk band, formed in 2020, made up of Toronto born vocalist Sabrina Di Giulio and guitarist Jonny Hillyard. In a nutshell I would describe their style as dance beats and soaring guitar. It’s not their first trip to Brighton, in fact the last time they were here was actually at Chalk in only April this year. They have had 3 EP’s out, the most recent being ‘No idea’ EP that was released only a few weeks back in October. This evening we were treated to a frantic 12 song, 32 minute set of raw energy.
A lively long “Helloooooo”, bellowed Sabrina to rouse the crowd as the beats kicked in, this was just the start of her many crowd interactions as the set progressed. Sabrina was always moving and dancing, often during the set she would come to the very centre front and lean forward, striking poses, and leaning right back with the microphone to her lips. Jonny was one not to stand still either, often running the length of the stage whipping his guitar about in a frenzy, there were no dull moments here, both of them oozed stage presence. Snarling guitar, fast and repetitive lyrics, sometimes almost bordering on fast raps was the name of the game here. The evening was still young, but the crowd were loving it.
The final song of the set was the lively ‘Fighting That Bitch’, Sabrina came down in to the crowd for this one, ending pacing right towards my camera until she was face to face before putting me in a headlock and then collapsing back on stage, what a way to end a blistering fantastic set.
(Ben ‘Jerry’ Robinson)
CHALK 8:20pm – 9:00pm
Isle of Wight indie rockers Coach Party are Jess Eastwood (vocals/bass), Steph Norris, Joe Perry (both guitars) and Guy Page (drums). They opened with two tracks from their recently released debut album ‘Kill Joy’. Those songs ‘All I Wanna Do Is Hate’ and ‘Micro Aggression’ showed their trademark indie grungy rock sound. Jess’s matter of fact vocals had a slightly sinister edge on these tracks, matching their subject matter well. Some relatively slower songs mid-set showed another side of Jess’s vocals, especially on ‘Sweetheart’ which she sang with minimal accompaniment at the start. As well as some older numbers like ‘Sh*t TV’, Coach Party aired new material such as ‘Girls!’, which I enjoyed. While some of their slower songs mid-set lacked the cut through with some of the audience, the band closed on a high with ‘Parasite’. This punchy fast track was a great way to close a very good set by Coach Party.
(Peter Greenfield)
CHALK 9:30pm – 11:00pm
Curators and headliners for the opening night were Sprints (stylised as SPRINTS), a garage punk band from Dublin composed of lead-singer and guitarist Karla Chubb, bassist and vocalist Sam McCann, guitarist Colm O’Reilly and drummer Jack Callan. Sprints opened surprisingly softly with Karla on acoustic guitar on ‘To The Bone’. With the guitar swapped for an electric one, the pace picked up considerably half way through the second track ‘Shadow Of A Doubt’. A moshpit had formed by the following song ‘Adore Adore Adore’. The lively Chalk crowd shouted out the “1, 2, 3” on ‘Heavy’, and later with the lyrics to ‘Up And Comer’.
After some relatively quieter songs mid-set, Karla asked the crowd if they were “Ready to get a little sweaty?” as the thumping drums started ‘Cathedral’. Karla showed another side of her vocals on the quieter spoken word part of ‘Letter To Self’. Sprints said that they were road-testing their set for their forthcoming tour. Their setlist included a never performed live song ‘Something’s Gonna Happen’, on which Karla’s screamed vocal was the signal to switch up the tempo. Having said earlier they weren’t doing an encore, Sprints closed a memorable performance on a high with ‘Literary Mind’ and ‘Little Fix’. While their show at Patterns earlier in the year was very good, Sprints’s performance at ‘Mutations’ was something special, setting the bar very high for the rest of the festival.
(Peter Greenfield)
WEDNESDAY 6th NOVEMBER:
The second ‘Mutations’ day remains solely in the Chalk venue in Pool Valley with a handful of artists on the bill. Let’s meet them…
ZSELA (Photo in Sussex News review HERE)
CHALK 5:00pm – 5:30pm
Los Angeles based artist Zsela, which is pronounced ‘ZHAY-la’, has been releasing material either side of lockdown and has been showcasing her ability to create a captivating sonic landscape that blends elements of pop, R&B, and jazz. She dropped her debut long-player titled ‘Big For You’ on 14th June which certainly turned some heads, and we’re not just talking about the ten tunes on the record either! Zsela was the opening act at Chalk for the second day of ‘Mutations’ where she stood at the front of the stage and delivered some material from her album. Although the venue was far from full, those that were present appreciated her heartfelt set.
(Nick Linazasoro)
JUNE MCDOOM (Photo in Sussex News review HERE)
CHALK 5:50pm – 6:20pm
New York artist June McDoom was the second act to grace the Chalk stage this evening. Her music pulls from diverse musical influences, including reggae, folk and jazz. Inspired by her Jamaican heritage and love of vintage music, McDoom’s songs offer a refreshing perspective on folk music and explore themes of self-discovery and acceptance. Her material started seeing the light of day in Summer 2022 and last year witnessed her debut 4-track EP release ‘With Strings’. This teatime June sang her heart out for us as she played her acoustic guitar and was joined by her chum on electric guitar.
(Nick Linazasoro)
CHALK 6:45pm – 7:15pm
Sheherazaad is an American performer-composer who is based in Brooklyn, New York and she blends elements of jazz, South Asian classical music, and experimental pop to create a unique and innovative sound. Her music explores themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage, and her lyrics often draw inspiration from her experiences as a diasporic artist. Back in March she released a 5-tune mini album titled ‘Qasr’ which is Urdu and the title roughly translates as ‘castle’ or ‘fortress’. The vocal interplay along with the mystical delivery from her band on Eastern instruments not often seen in Chalk, was something rather unique and I would recommend you check out the recent KEXP live session on YouTube to fully grasp what’s on offer here.
(Nick Linazasoro)
CHALK 7:40pm – 8:25pm
Alabaster DePlume is a British musician, songwriter and poet known for his unique blend of jazz, rock and spoken word. With a focus on community, collaboration and improvisation, DePlume creates music that is both thought-provoking and uplifting. DePlume’s first poetry collection, titled ‘Looking For My Value: Prologue To A Blade’ has recently been released and it offers readers a deeper exploration of the themes of dignity, sovereignty, and the work of healing that are present in his music. This collection features raw and vulnerable prose that reflects DePlume’s journey toward finding and taking responsibility for his own value as a human being. This was very much evident during his Chalk performance with his expressive delivery, saxophone playing, and assistance from others on guitars, bass and the like.
(Nick Linazasoro)
AROOJ AFTAB (Photo in Sussex News review HERE)
CHALK 8:55pm – 10:15pm
Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani-American singer, songwriter and composer known for her unique blend of jazz, South Asian classical music, pop, and blues. With a Grammy winning album and critical acclaim, Aftab has established herself as a leading figure in the world of contemporary music. Her music explores themes of love, loss, and identity, and her powerful vocals and innovative arrangements have captivated audiences worldwide.
Arooj entered the stage, where a bottle of red wine and a glass had been set up on stage for her. Early in the set, she asked for “shots for everyone”, which sounded like a joke – but then a stage hand proceeded to bring some on stage, which she then passed to some lucky members of the audience! Later on in her set, someone fainted, and this was noticed by Arooj, who paused her set to ask for help, politely waiting until someone tended to the person. She then carried on, first reminding everyone to hydrate. She also joked about knowing that you’ve “made it” when someone passes out at your show! This was an example of the humour that she often delighted us with in between songs. Her voice sounded beautiful throughout, and she also gave time in the set for each of her talented band members to play individually. Chalk was pretty packed out for this gig and the audience were respectfully silent during the quieter moments, and rapturous applause and cheering after each song.
(Cherie Elody)
THURSDAY 7th NOVEMBER:
The third day of ‘Mutations’ was their first full rap bill, which was headlined by Casisdead, with Grove, Novelist, Elijah & Jammz and Oscar #Worldpeace, with a DJ set from Offie Mag between artists.
OSCAR #WORLDPEACE (Photo in Sussex News review HERE)
CHALK 5:30pm – 6:00pm
Opening at Chalk was rising star of the UK rap scene Oscar #Worldpeace. He rapped to more soulful backing tracks, than the other artists on the bill. Much of his set, in his words, were “songs for the ladies”. Several of those in the audience who got down early were dancing along to the Tottenham-based rapper. For his final track ‘Evening Time’ he asked the audience to “give some light”, to which phones were held aloft.
(Peter Greenfield)
CHALK 6:20pm – 6:50pm
Elijah & Jammz are two prominent artists on the UK grime scene, who have collaborated on their EP, ‘Make The Ting’. With a track named ‘Community’ they explained that it was important to them and their songwriting. Their backing tracks had fewer heavy bass notes, which gave more space for the lyrics. They restarted ‘Too Much’, without the musical backing track making it more like an urban poetry reading, which worked particularly well. Elijah & Jammz had more engagement with the audience either crouching down at the edge of the stage at eye level with them, or with their frequent call and response.
(Peter Greenfield)
CHALK 7:10pm – 7:40pm
British grime royalty Novelist is from South London, and had his brother on the decks. The audience was into their set from the very first song. Novelist explained that sometimes he sticks to a setlist, while other times he decides which tracks to perform during the show. Thursday night at ‘Mutations’ was the latter. Because of this, there was more chat between the two performers, meaning less of a flow to the set. Not that the audience seemed to mind, especially when they were often asked to “Make some noise” or partake in the calls and responses, including the old “Olli Olli Olli, Oi Oi Oi”.
(Peter Greenfield)
CHALK 8:00pm – 8:40pm
Bristol based producer and vocalist Grove brought together dance, bass and hip hop to create a powerful energetic sound. Grove was joined on stage by EJ:AKIN. For me this was the stand out artist of the evening with more life, energy and variety across their set. This was clear from the atmospheric opening to their set. The synth player EJ:AKIN provided a good contrast to Grove’s hyper energetic style. EJ was more laid-back and her dreamy voice had an almost eastern mystical feel. Before ‘Big Boots’, Grove asked “Brighton scream if you want to go faster”. Stating the obvious, there was huge scream from the Chalk crowd. Grove’s material has big political and social justice messages with the need for social action, not just cheap slogans. The anti-monarchy anthem ‘Big Boots’ was a clear example of this. Towards the end of the set, ‘Sticky’ had that mystical mood combined with great dance beats. ‘Ur Boyfriend’s Wack’ was a very lively energetic up-tempo finish to Grove’s exciting, varied and thoroughly entertaining set.
(Peter Greenfield)
CHALK 9:00pm – 10:15pm
Headlining the ‘Mutations’ rap evening was the winner of the Brit Award for best UK Rap Act, Casisdead (stylised as CASISDEAD). The mysterious rapper is known for blending dystopian futurism and 80’s inspired synth pop. His themes of vice, crime and the seedy side of modern society was portrayed on film clips on the backdrop of the stage as well as through his lyrics.
Casisdead came on stage with an arrogant swagger. His sound was far starker and more sinister than the other artists on Thursday night’s bill. As well as somebody operating the decks, he was joined up front by another rapper and a sort of grime-Bez, whose role seemed to be livening up the audience and shouts of “Make some noise”. I don’t think the crowd needed much encouragement to be fair. They seemed to be singing along to the vocal parts on the backing tracks as well as Casisdead’s own lyrics. Despite what appeared to be Casisdead’s aloof persona, he did seem to have a good engagement with his audience, who certainly enjoyed his performance.
(Peter Greenfield)
