Our second day of the festival was bookended by intense ambient noise courtesy of K-X-P and Mmoths, but it was a pretty diverse day between the two. Highlights included some top sets by Brighton lads The Magic Gang and The Fiction Aisle, an intimate ‘secret’ show at Hotel Pelirocco and another victory for team SOURCE in The Great Escape pop quiz. Here’s how Friday sounded on our side of the stage.

K-X-P, Queens Hotel
It’s a lovely afternoon out but doom-laden Finnish trance-rock worshippers K-X-P make the short walk downstairs to the Queens Hotel basement resemble Dante’s descent into hell. Playing at high volume in almost total darkness, the three or more cloaked figures are lit just occasionally by flickering white light on the function room’s glittery curtained walls. We can just about catch the odd glimpse of vocalist Timo Kaukolampi as he tosses his head back for bouts of echo-laden yelling, while his mystery companions (K-X-P delight in keeping identities blurred) power the hypnotic noise along on a thundering carriage of drums. Heads are banged and bones are shaken and when they finally roar to a halt, Kaukolampi very politely thanks us all for watching. We applaud and clamber out for air. (SH)

Pauw, Komedia
Down in the bowels of the Komedia, psych-pop quartet Pauw (pronounced ‘Pow!’) are gallantly answering the unasked question: what would Temples look like if they came from the Netherlands rather than Kettering? Aside from the moustachioed keyboard player, Pauw have some of the finest mod hair helmets seen in public since Brian Jones left this planet and are sartorially the most elegant bachelors on The Great Escape bill. Perfectly formed museum piece psychedelia like the whooshing ‘Memories’ are delivered immaculately, with just a touch of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ noodling, and final number ‘Shambhala’ (oh yes) finds Pauw levitate from the stage with a flutter of birdsong recorder notes. Set the controls for the heart of the sun, indeed. (SH)

The Fiction Aisle, Bar Rogue
Brighton’s Tom White (Electric Soft Parade, Brakes) brought his new band The Fiction Aisle to the intimate yet slightly grubby space at the back of the Royal Albion Hotel, sometimes known as Bar Rogue, for the Earworm Alternative Escape. The Fiction Aisle can range from Tom solo up to about a dozen players, but today they managed to squeeze eight performers onto the non-stage to recreate some of the beautiful songscapes from the Fiction Aisle album. Anyone present will have felt very lucky indeed as this was a gorgeous performance, the full band pulling together to recreate White’s stunning orchestral vision. This was one of just a number of extraordinary sets for Earworm and it’s hard to imagine there are as many towns as rich in local talent as Brighton. Yet another illustration of why the alternative festival is often as thrilling as the bigger stages. (JS)

The Magic Gang, Shipwright’s Yard
If you’re ever suffering from festival fatigue at TGE, seek out perennial locals The Magic Gang. They always appear to be playing somewhere at any point in time — they are magic, after all. Droney rock and dirgeful electronica have their place, for sure, but sometimes you just need an uplifting singalong chorus. The Gang have those to burn, but somehow pull it off without ever being earnest or cheesy. Even though we’re outside, it feels like a window just opened; sunshine and sea breezes permeate Shipwright’s Yard’s grotty concrete corners and its carpet of discarded Red Stripe cans. They’ve updated their set since last year, and the tracks from the recent EP hold up really well. “We’re The Magic Gang and we’re from… just up the road,” they cry. The crowd already knows this. They look like their mates from sixth form. Still The Great Escape’s best-kept secret — but for how long? (GR)

Sego, The Hope & Ruin
We’re suckers for a cowbell assault, especially when it’s played by a man who looks like Richard Ayoade from The IT Crowd. Sego have two guys who look like Richard Ayoade from The IT Crowd, one on either flank, with a singer who reminds us of Nathan Barley in the middle. They’re from Los Angeles, but their funky, electronic post punk noise is very Brooklyn 2003. Think The Rapture or LCD Soundsystem. Is 2003 retro now? ‘Obscene Dream’, the opener on their recent LP ‘Once Was Lost Now Just Hanging Around’, is a highlight, especially its jittery, discordant verse that feverishly evokes the paranoia of life on the edge. As their set ends, LCD Soundsystem’s ‘Losing My Edge’ starts pumping through the PA. They must get that a lot. (GR)

Mothers, The Haunt
The streets outside are teeming as we find our way downstairs through the tightly-packed crowd that have gathered to see indie four-piece Mothers showcase their recently released debut LP ‘When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired’. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Mothers is essentially a vehicle for frontwoman Kristine Leschper’s bruised and confessional songwriting. Her voice is a fragile, delicate thing that brings to mind most obviously Angel Olsen. In lesser hands a four-piece band might overwhelm these frail sentiments, but these songs are thoughtfully arranged: guitars and drums are measured and sparing when they need to be, crashing and building to crescendo before falling away deftly, giving ample room to her tremulous upper register and devastating refrains. (LM)

Meilyr Jones, Sallis Benney Theatre
Meilyr Jones kicked off his set with ‘How To Recognise A Work Of Art’, the stunning opener from his new album ‘2013’. This was a full throttle opener that saw the band set out its stall. From thereon it was a non-stop energetic performance from the former Race Horses man. This is orchestral indie pop of the highest order, with Jones owning the stage like a Welsh Jarvis Cocker. The band are exceptionally tight and switch instruments and pace with ease. Songs from the album detail incidents from a time in ‘Rome’, and the lyrics feature the likes of Byron, but far from being pretentious it’s down-to-earth and rumbustious. Successive songs sound like standouts, with ‘Strange Emotional’ being a particular highlight, and the audience lapped up the singer’s every move. When a technician appeared at the front of the stage, the standard Great Escape set-length of half hour up, Jones looked bemused and asked if he should end. No. One more song. No, he could play two. Not a soul was disappointed. (JS)

Lewis Del Mar, Brighthelm Centre
Based around the core duo of singer and guitarist Danny Miller and drummer Max Harwood, Lewis Del Mar expand to a five-piece for this evening’s show in order to add some serious funk ballast to their head-nodding songs. That they’ve made their home on New York’s Rockaway Beach (most famous indie-rock resident, Mac DeMarco) helps make sense of the casual demeanour of their songs, Miller shaking his curls to his acoustic guitar strikes as the band’s rhythms slide and plunge. ‘Malt Liquor’ rises in intensity with some heavy bass work while the “Can you please sit the fuck down?” lyric that opens ‘Loud(y)’ has completely the opposite effect on the crowd, its dirty funk lurch generating some pretty wonky dancing. (SH)

Idles, Paganini Ballroom
The 17th century grandeur of the Paganini Ballroom feels like an unlikely backdrop to Idles’ flagrantly obnoxious punk rock. A propulsive, muscular rhythm section heralds the much-hyped Bristol group’s arrival; meanwhile, frontman Joe Talbot paces the stage, circling like a dog that’s been starved and provoked for days on end. In hindsight, the final track on 2012’s EP ‘Welcome’ was an indication of where Idles were heading next, and when they re-emerged last year after a brief hiatus it was clear that not a second of that downtime had been wasted. Trading up on the brooding post-punk of those four tracks they returned with something markedly more hostile in the shape of their ‘Meat’ EP. Impervious to a docile audience, it’s a punishing set that doesn’t let up. Even critics of the occasionally laddish pantomime would have to concede that they’ve got the tunes to back up the arrogance. (LM)

Hein Cooper, Hotel Pelirocco
We find ourselves at a secret show at Hotel Pelirroco, as secret as any show can be with announcements and tweets. We arrive and catch the end of Hein Cooper’s set, a stripped-back show with the Sydney singer-songwriter up solo with guitar in hand. His heartfelt songwriting captures an attentive audience to the extent that all the chairs are taken, there’s a huddle at the bar and many have taken to sitting on the floor. (MT)

Noisy Pots, Hotel Pelirocco
It’s intriguing just to watch Noisy Pots set up their extensive and unique kit. They use several synths and keyboards while their percussion is comprised of pots and pans, as their name implies, and a white plastic bucket. Not to do them any service, they are excellent. Otherwordly keys are punctuated by the distinctive and precise percussion and bass. With lengthy songs peaking with ethereal vocals, it’s wonderful stuff. Sadly their set is cut short as the night is overrunning by a couple of hours. (MT)

Blaenavon, Hotel Pelirocco
Blaenavon follow and it’s clear from the crowd’s enthusiastic shoutouts that they’ve got a lot of fans here too. The band is led by a charismatic and openly tipsy frontman who has a red V on his forehead which we can only hope is temporary. Wry and tongue-in-cheek anecdotes fill the gaps between songs and there’s genuine laughter from the crowd with each introduction. This is no boring indie band however – their songs build into bold riffs, basslines and head banging – and it’s a pleasure to see a bassist getting fully into it and not hiding at the back. There’s a real connection with the crowd as shown when the lead singer pulls in a member of the front row to sing with him. Definitely a band to watch. (MT)

Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, Hotel Pelirocco
Last up at Hotel Pelirocco are Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn. Considering the time constraints it’s a blessing they only need a mic and laptop for their set. The duo have carved their own space in UK hip hop, with Frankie weaving together sincere narratives atop Harvey’s warm and uncluttered production. Frankie’s confidence has grown and his delivery has definitely been honed since we last saw them. These aren’t fast paced bangers and aggressive lyrics; these are stories to be listened to and vibes to be enjoyed. (MT)

Fai Baba, Brighthelm Centre
Zurich’s Fai Baba is described in his press blurb as “monster-boogie, toxic folk, garage-blues and psychedelic country”. What you really need to know about Fai Baba is that he has a drummer who’s like a hybrid of Genghis Khan and Animal from The Muppets. Everyone’s transfixed by the guy, especially on the seven-minute freakout ‘Can’t Get Over You’, which starts like a motorik take on the Top Gear theme and ends like Keith Moon being chucked down a flight of stairs while in the middle of a solo. We half expected it to climax with him spontaneously combusting, like the ill-fated Peter James Bond from Spinal Tap. Awesome. (GR)

Mmoths, Sallis Benney Theatre
Up on the blacked-out Sallis Benney stage, ambient electronic producer Jack Colleran has done a convincing job of recreating the night time conditions under which his debut LP was both written and recorded. Released earlier this year under the Mmoths moniker, ‘Luneworks’ was not only an immersive listen – all gorgeous ambient textures and ethereal vocals – but also the work of a fully-formed artist, a remarkable accomplishment for a bedroom producer who showed up on our radar a couple of years ago, still in his teens. He’s joined onstage tonight by another dark spectre who provides additional layers of guitar noise to accompany Colleran’s faint, disembodied vocals as they fade gently in and out of the mix. The Friday night crowd may have thinned somewhat but tonight Mmoths provide a welcome sanctuary from the noise and clamour of the world outside. (LM)

The Great Escape, Friday 20th May 2016
Words by Gary Rose, Jon Southcoasting, Liam McCreesh, Mike Tudor and Stuart Huggett
Photos by Jon Southcoasting and Mike Tudor

The SOURCE team covered all three days of The Great Escape 2016: check out our reviews from Thursday and Saturday. We’ve also got a photo gallery here.