Live
Soma Fest 2019
Day 2: The Prince Albert, Brighton
April 20 - 21 2019
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
After an exhilarating first day of Soma Fest in London, and despite not arriving back in West Sussex until shortly before dawn on Sunday, it's then off to Brighton for me a few hours later for the second leg of Soma Fest, situated at The Prince Albert - the pub with all the graffiti portraits of famous singers and Banksy's kissing policemen.
Costellos from Southampton are making waves down south with Britpop leanings and 60s mod vibe guitar sound. Vocalist George Dummett has a distinctive voice as latest single and just released EP cut, ‘Tenner in the Tank’, attests; grabbing your attention at the anthemic, Oasis(-ish) chorus and not letting go. Energetic debut song ‘Keep On Lying’, which closes on a terrific crescendo, is the perfect end on which they conclude their set.
Manchester and Little Indie favourites Sauce are on next and one of only two bands that played both London and Brighton legs (Drusila being the other ). Their sound is a combo of indie rock and blues, but with catchy riffs and clever lyrics. Starting off with last year's powerful single ‘Magick Trick’, they also introduced new tune ‘Brother/Sister’ - which was pretty much a killer (next single?). Dean Molyneux’s voice has depth: a rare mix of Robert Plant's highs and Aretha Franklin’s lows. Other highlight, ‘Shards of Sunshine’, sees the boys at their musical best with lots of passion going on. Don’t miss seeing these guys in action.
Five Kites are a three-piece local grunge-rock outfit who align themselves with the Nirvana/Biffy Clyro sound (their vocalist peering out through a floppy blond mop of hair even has a look of the former's frontman). It produces a memorable set with ‘Perfume’ - the title track of last year's EP - being the standout number, a combination of catchy guitar riffs, steady beats and laid-back vocals.
Pompey boys The Collision are a loud and “in ya face” indie pop band, and they certainly bring the party to the Albert. Frontman Lewis Smith isn’t shy about getting busy on stage, writhing and pushing the band to their limits with a rip-roaring set including ‘Savannah Maria’, a calypso guitar-driven tale of a 14-year-old Dan getting a crush on a girl who caught his eye. Set closer ‘Runaway’ with its soaring guitar riff of Dan Hennessy brings home just how exciting this band is. A One To Watch.
Suncharmer from Tunbridge Wells also deserve mention; playing an enjoyable indie blend of 70s rock and 60s surf, combined with Paul Crisp's soulful vocals. New single ‘Honey’ with its summer guitar vibes was perfect for the glorious pre-summer weather and the crowd loved it.
Arcades are known for their flamboyant shows, but last year saw the death of the Leicester indie-rockers' guitarist Matt Gore, a tragic blow which brought the band to its knees. Regrouping they wrote new songs as a tribute to their departed friend. Frontman Tommy Cobley cuts a fine figure onstage and one of life’s natural showoffs on stage. ‘Sha La La’ brings the venue to its dancing feet with the bass echoing across the floor, while latest release ‘Kiddo’ a song about mental health, and its ups and downs, is coupled an almost disco beat that gets the crowd and band jumping with zeal.
Final act for Soma Fest 2019 is Brighton sibling duo, Sons. Brothers Lee and Nick Meldrum are purveyors of hard-hitting, edgy punk songs. They’ve decided to start with four new songs beginning with ‘Natural’ which adds some anarchy to the evening. But it’s Rise’ with Lee’s deep guitar riffs and vocal start “We’ve got a new generation, expecting easy outs”, before Nick's explosive drums ignites the maddening mosh pit. Nick's hand injury last year put the boys out of action for a while, but ‘Zealot’ tests out the healing to the max - and passes. Fan favourite ‘Reptiles’ gets the biggest reception and the largest mosh. I, meanwhile, cower in the corner having shot my last picture of the weekend, and try to avoid the heaving bodies.
And that wraps up Soma Fest for another year. After 48 hours, I’m exhausted. Running between Brighton-London-Brighton has left me bleary-eyed and legless, but musically satiated by the wealth of great sounds I have heard during this festival. Once I've recovered I shall be counting down the days to Soma Fest 2020.
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