Plans to build flats next door to the Prince Albert pub have led to more than a thousand music fans objecting to the proposals in writing. The main fear is that, just as happened with the Freebutt in 2010 and the Blind Tiger four years later, future residents will submit noise complaints about the venue, which will lead to it being closed down. Brighton is renowned for its thriving music scene. It actively draws people to the city to attend music colleges such as BIMM and WaterBear, but these same people need venues to play in. The day after the deadline for objections to the planning proposals, we head down to the Prince Albert, to remind ourselves what a superb venue it is – and to catch some excellent music.
First on the stage, is Blue Hour aka Joseph Devlin who, for tonight’s performance is playing a solo set without the rest of the band. His voice is deep, his guitar playing loose yet intricate, while the songs themselves are moody, sultry, and finely wrought. He sings numbers from his recent EP, ‘A Dame To Kill For’, including the title track, ‘Pink Moon’ and ‘Aspidistra Flying’. Back in the day, having mastered three chords, punks would form a band and take to the stage. There is, however, still a place for fine musicianship, and it’s anyone’s guess just how many chords Blue Hour’s short set introduces us to.
Next up are AtticOmatic, a five-piece band based in Brighton. It’s not easy to categorise their music. A blend of jazz-infused indie electronica, with moments of hip-hop, swirling synths and superb drumming, it’s a compelling sound. The crowd are soon nodding away to the insistent beats and sweet, sweet harmonies. Last year’s dual single – ‘Jericho’ and ‘Align Us’ – display an admirable degree of inventiveness, while the lyrics to ‘Spiritual Imposter’ resonate: “Spiritual imposter: Don’t ever want to be far from this city. Spiritual imposter: If you haven’t been warned then I guess this is a warning.” Particularly strong on the night is ‘Faithless’, with its curious style of vocals that combine singing with the spoken word. Time and again, we’re pulled inside songs that grow and develop intriguingly – and neither a misplaced capo nor a forgotten tambourine can ruin the atmosphere.
The other four members of his band are already on stage, playing, when John Moods joins them. Formerly in experimental pop band, Fenster, Berlin-based German/Polish musician Jonathan Jarzyna reinvented himself as a solo artist with his debut solo album, ‘The Essential John Moods’. This was followed in 2021 by ‘So Sweet So Nice’. It was, however, the title track off his third album, this year’s ‘The Great Design’ that, with its plucked guitar and gentle vocal reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens, first caught our attention. Having missed him at this year’s Great Escape, we were delighted to hear that he was returning and determined not to miss him a second time.
The song they’ve kicked off with is ‘New Skin’, off last year’s album, the floating vocals echoed in the lyrics: “When it’s all floating away, funny how you just wanna stay, oh, what did we do?” There is a certain melancholy about the song, with the harmonies – as finely honed as anything by Fleet Foxes – adding to the sense of loss and yearning. ‘Without You’, although a more upbeat number, shares the same concerns. “I didn’t choose to be at home, in a world that I don’t understand. I’m frightened and I’m cold, in a night… without you!”
‘It Ain’t Your Time’, from this year’s album, recalls the plaintive vocals of Avi Buffalo and draws particularly enthusiastic applause as it draws to a close. Next up is the more thought-provoking ‘Talk To Me’: “Knowing is the enemy of seeing. Scratch the itch, but stop when it starts bleeding.”; followed by ‘I Wanted You’, its vocal so jaunty it could almost be Shakin’ Stevens. But, like the dramatic synth sounds and flute flourishes that punctuate the entire set, the lyrics once again anchor the song to something less flippant: “I wanted you cause I had nothin’ else. I wanted you, cause you, you had it all…”
The final number, ‘So Sweet, So Nice’ manages to combine all the disparate elements of the singer’s work, the rhythmic bounce acting as a counterpoint to the lyrics. “Like a flower blooming in the spring, I give in to winter’s withering.” The song, delivered by Moods as he paces through the crowd, singing to individuals separately, is a personal affair. When it comes to an end, he blows us a kiss and departs, leaving the band to play us out.
As we set off into the night, we’re aware that, once again, we have enjoyed a wonderful night of talent at the Prince Albert. Three very different acts, brought together by their love of music, have entertained us royally, and it was all made possible by the venue itself. The crowd is in good humour, yet defiant. “We can’t let anything happen to the Prince Albert,” someone says, eliciting a final round of clapping and cheering.
The Prince Albert, Thursday 8th December 2022
Photo by Dan Trautwein
