The Great Escape 2022 – Saturday review
With Saturday being the day that Sounds Australia hosted their showcase on the beach, it was fitting that the weather had a distinct feel of the Southern Hemisphere about it. If the previous days had been bright and breezy, today was proper sunny and, dare we say it, HOT.
Shades and sunscreen were essential for everyone attending the event at Brighton beach as the midday sun bore down. Obviously, most of the British crowd brought neither sunnies nor sun cream, resulting in plenty of rosy red faces and red backs of necks.
Equally hot were the acts that took to the three stages over the course of the afternoon. First up for us, one of our all-time faves. When we first featured Alex the Astronaut all the way back in 2016 (being one of the first websites – if not the first website – to interview her), we described her as “someone you really need in your world.” Over six years on, with one album under her belt and another – How to Grow a Sunflower Underwater – on the way, her performance at TGE proved that – in these tough times – we need Alex’s storytelling in our world more now than ever.
Her set included plenty of tracks from her new album, along with oldies such as Happy Song, as well as the funny between song banter that she does so well. With the sun shining above, and with a large crowd lounging on the beach taking it all in, the positivity and good vibes could be felt drifting through the air. Wonderful stuff.
In one of the tented stages, a large crowd gathered to watch Little Quirks. The band from NSW’s Central Coast delivered folk-pop with a whole lot of energy. A definite must-see live act.
One of the stars of the Sounds Australia show was Sycco (pronounced psycho). Her well-crafted bops were a bit psych, a bit dance, a bit pop, and a whole lot of awesome. It’s easy to see her catching fire over in the UK, and her two sets at TGE certainly won her a bunch of new fans. Hers is a name that you are sure to be hearing a lot more over the next few years.
Next, Stella Donnelly delivered winning another set, after her triumphant turn at Chalk the day before. The highlight of her mid-afternoon set was a lovely singalong, which you can see below. Full marks to her for slipping in a Gavin & Stacey reference (“Neil the baby”) as well.
Back out in the sunshine, and Telenova were getting the previously chilled crowd on their feet, and it was a party that was very much continued by Western Sydney’s Pist Idiots. Their full throttle rock n roll set made us even sweatier than before, and was the ideal way to bring Sounds Australia’s 2022 stint at The Great Escape to a close.
As punters headed away from the beach to find a few final shows to enjoy, it was clear that this year’s TGE – its 15th – was one of the all time greats. Good vibes, no rain, great music. Pure perfection. Happy 15th birthday TGE. We’re looking forward to 15 more years at least.
Review by Bobby Townsend. Photo credit: TGE Press.
