The 2025 Mutations was stripped back to two days, but what a two days, rammed full of some of the most exciting acts on the current UK live music circuit, and most importantly having two performances that might just have to fight it out for the gig of the year crown.

Day 1 – Friday 7th

Makeshift Art Bar – Chalk
We literally bounce with excitement from the ticket exchange to the front row of chalk for the dirty Crampsy filth of Makeshift Art Bar. A feedback squall of lap steel guitar played with a screwdriver gets everyone’s attention, before a snare drum rhythm launches a new track. They have been writing. Our jaws hit the floor, mouthing stunned expletives. This is the absolute good stuff and make no mistake. The second new track is almost club techno but played by an Irish Birthday Party. It is perfect. They are future headliners. The gauntlet is thrown. Is the first band of the festival, and perhaps the gig of the festival? (NM)

Party Dozen – Patterns
We run to Patterns as Australians Party Dozen launch into a cover of Ghost Rider by Suicide. Do Fridays actually get better than this? Yes. New single Mad Ruler is like ZZ Top through a filthy fuzz pedal. It throbs and it throbs hard. “This next song is about money and drugs. It’s called ‘Money and Drugs’. Two piece bands are now common, given the lack of money in music. Few make this much of a beautifully debauched racket though. The last track shakes Brighton to its very foundations. (NM)

Pollyfromthedirt – Folklore Rooms
There is that moment at these city festivals when the frantic pouring over the schedule reveals a gap to squeeze something else in, mainly because it is on the way to another venue. We take a punt on this one as we bustle between South and North and boy are we glad we did. This be-masked Darlington lad (apparently Darlington is AKA The Dirt) stands alone with his laptop and his guitar. There is yelping and whooping into a loop pedal and there are some deeply heartfelt songs that very obviously come from personal experience. Best of all is the silky smooth RnB voice that travels the octaves with ease. Have we just witnessed a star in the making? There’s no time to ponder this, on, on to the next venue! (JW)

The Orielles – Chalk
We try a bit of The Orielles. Not a new band, but new to these ears. Not quite it. Many seem to enjoy it. Perhaps they just don’t have the fierceness to follow the last two bands, now that the filthy depraved punk loving shark inside us has smelled blood in the water and is unquestionably wanting more. There is no room at the inn for the fun global explosion of Mandrake Handshake who draw rave reviews from those who get in. (NM)

Hotline TNT – Patterns
We head down into Patterns for a treat for the 16 year old grunge and shoegaze fan that has frankly never really grown up 34 years later. The warm fuzz is just as deliciously perfect as it was the last time this band played Mutations. Melodic head banging perfection played on a beautiful Rickenbacker guitar. Despite gear troubles the New Yorkers soldier on like pros and engage the entire crowd in sing along moment. (NM)

Ratboys – Revenge
What better way to kick off our festival than with Chicago’s finest. On the surface it’s sugary sweet indie pop from singer Julia Steiner and her crew, but this is a clever disguise and something deliciously darker resides within. It is brilliantly bouncy and with a new album announced for February next year, we’ll be at the front of the Resident Records queue for sure. (JW)

Party Dozen – Chalk
They were so good we go to Chalk for a second helping of Party Dozen, who have stepped into the breach to fill the slot left vacant by a poorly Mary in The Junkyard. Now with a proper UK label and Republic of Music distribution; expect to hear more from these filthy mudda funkers. ‘Macca the Knife’, sadly with out Mr Cave sounds huge on the Chalk rig. The jump from one of the smallest to the biggest stage of the event suits them. A second outing for the Ghost Rider cover is just insane. (NM)

Mamalarkey – Prince Albert
Wowowow it’s barely sundown and we’re already peaking! No, this isn’t an iffy attempt at a drug reference, we’re talking about the band. A complete mashup of pop, rock, country and breakbeat with perhaps the coolest fellow at the festival hunched over a piano.. Singer Livvy Bennet is fabulous company and one member of the rapt audience, overheard saying “they are SERIOUS musicians” completely nails it. (JW)

Upchuck – Revenge
The queue for Adult DVD at Dust says ‘no chance’, which leaves us with the conflicting emotions of disappointment and being hugely chuffed for that very lovely bunch. So Revenge it is for Upchuck, who one imagines are not exactly Trump voters. They platy dirty grinding hardcore punk, with some songs sung in Spanish. They finish with a cry of “Free Sudan, Free the Congo, Free Palestine and Fuck Trump!” Righteous heavy fury. Kalia Thompson is a fire cracker of a front person. The vibe is impeccable. (NM)

Teke::Teke – Prince Albert
You can’t beat a soupcon of controlled insanity and that’s what we’re served up by Montreal’s twistical Teke::Teke. Maya Kuroki and her band are a stylishly esoteric addition to the festival lineup. They look cool AF. And they are slightly bonkers. Calling to mind the crazy psychedelic jazz mash-ups of Yama Warashi (def look them up) this is as close as we can get to describing what we are hearing. And feeling. And the heaving Prince Albert agrees as the whole ongoing concern morphs into some sort of group seance. (JW)

DITZ – Revenge
A keyboard part reminiscent of the section of Tubular Bells used as The Exorcist theme rings out and a soundcheck becomes a gig for our newly signed to City Slang Records, beloved local heroes. Starting a set with two new tunes of butt quaking noise is brave but brilliant, and new single ‘Don Enzo Magic Carpet Salesman’ is full of creative ambition and promise. Cal steps onto the crowd. Then Taxi Man rips in. A crowd member asks if they can stage dive. A spotlight goes on them. A space on the side balcony is cleared. It feels like they spend the rest of the gig aloft! Never has this writer wanted a band to win more. The expansive way their sound is growing says they fully deserve to. A band that gets better every time you seem and the first to truly match Makeshift art Bars (NM)

Vlure – Dust
This absolutely ferocious smackdown of a performance could be summed up in two words: Scottish Prodigy. High praise indeed and it is well deserved. Vlure whip the late night and now battle-hardened festival crowd into an absolute frenzy. An exhaustingly enormous brilliant headline show. Time for a massive lie down. (JW)

Golomb – The Hope & Ruin
It’s a battle to get into the Hope. The end of Golomb’s set is however delightful, and makes the stress worth it. Classic American alt rock done well, with hooks. (NM)

The Sick Man of Europe – The Hope & Ruin
Form weirdly empty to super full. We are all here for the Sick Man and as that bassline drives those chords it’s easy to see why. Joy Division style prowling pop; done so very very well. For a huge chunk of the set, ‘The Man’ is in the crowd with us, driving us. We lose ourselves in the groove and the moment, hypnotised by the krautrocky songs before a bit of guitar hits so hard, we remember to take notes. This is a seriously good band. We dance our socks off. (NM)

Test Plan – The Hope & Ruin
Test plan take to the stage. The bass player wear an AKDK T-shirt which is a nice local touch.. The squall that follows is seriously good. A new band in the singing drummer bracket and one to actually rival Jacob’s Mouse. What ensues is a brutal assault for the fugazi fans. They give everything they have to the performance. Max Mason is a very silly man, and that is a very endearing quality. Sometimes you watch a band not playing to enough people. Some time you watch a band kill it regardless. This is that. Phenomenal stuff. (NM)

Day 2 – Saturday 8th

Ceann Capaill – Alphabet
A classic rush across sunny Brighton into a dark Alphabet for some soothing post rock, with jazz inflections. Led by the multi-talented Declan, this is explosive stuff, and the quality of the sound is perfectly dizzyingly intense. After introducing the band, an eponymous track is brought in by a folk song sample that twists and mutates into something deeply psychedelic and then builds into a throbbing beast while Declan tells a tale of a grim experience. (NM)

The Man The Myth The Meatslab – The Folklore Rooms
Despite the name the dark name, Jamie Clarke’s alter ego is a soothing brand of folk. He was clearly paying attention to for ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’, which is just perfect for this moment. The folklore rooms quickly fills to capacity. ‘Effortlessly, I Feel Everything’ is a particularly captivating moment. For ‘Crushed’ he switches off the amplification. This really benefits the intimacy and the fragility of the performance, and it as all the warmer for it. (NM)

My Precious Bunny – Alphabet
Seven familiar faces crowd onto the stage for my precious bunny. There’s a lot going on in the sound but it quickly settles after an initial moment of anxiety. We are treated to extremely confident songs that channel the best of Arcade Fire. Lilly has a lovely fragile voice that rides beautifully over the propulsive music. ‘Times That Pass’ starts with a choir of harmonic female voices. It is stunningly beautiful. It is in fact so good it brings an actual tear to this writer’s eye. This is only their third gig in this format, and if there is any justice, it is one that will make Lilly Wolter a star. (NM)

Congratulations – Alphabet
Congratulations (sic) are the sort of band you fall in love with even before you’ve heard them play a note. Ambling onto the stage with a cheeky wink and a knowing look, they put a smile on the face before a single note is struck. They look amazing and as they launch into a breathtaking set, they sound it too. Singer Leah gives off slightly squiffy big sister vibes as she pulls the shapes and sings the songs. She is an acrobatic stage presence. congratulations are all sassy dance moves and a glam rock stomp that channels the dual spirits of Ditto’s Gossip and Prince and Lynott (OK, we say that largely because guitarist Jamie looks a bit like him). We even get some coordinated crowd dance moves and we’re still shimmying left and right long after the last chords ring out. Brighton is offering up some real musical stars of late and congratulations are perhaps the shiniest. Oh yes. And they have the happiest drummer on the planet. Love it. (JW)

Night Bus – Green Door Store
Sadly we miss Pan Amsterdam but we crowd into the Green Door Store for Night Bus, and miraculously get to the front of the packed room. They have unquestionably come on as a band since they supported Heartworms on this same stage. Icy gothic songs with a pop undertow. They finish with Mirrors which apparently has been used on a Versace perfume add. It has a faster pace than proceeding tunes which gets the crowd dancing. (NM)

The Oozes – Revenge
Ultimately music is show business and we’ve seen some dull arse t-shirts on stage this weekend. Here come The Oozes to change that in clown costumes. Playing Camp filthy punk done perfectly. The singers mum is down the front beaming from ear to ear. (NM)

The None – Revenge
The None are known for giving explosive performances, and their gig at Revenge is certainly another one of those. Their last gig in Brighton was on the BBC Introducing stage at this year’s Great Escape. It’s nice to be up close to them this time as they blast out their raw, yet very polished, melodic noise rock. They may be a relatively new band, but these are very accomplished musicians, and their experience and confidence shines through on stage. As well as songs from the Matter & Care EPs, we’re treated to two new ones that definitely fit in with their repertoire of killer tunes. No fillers here. This is a band that can always be relied on to deliver the goods, catch them when you can. (SM)

Fuzz Lightyear – Dust
We skip the wonderful Pigs to try Fuzz Lightyear. FOMO angst kicks in. This was a tough choice moment. The None are awesome too.. argh… Luckily there is much to like in this fuzzy racket and we quickly find ourselves drawn like moths to the mosh flame! “Let’s fucking move” shouts Ben Parry. We do. (NM)

Benefits – Dust
“It’s alright if you leave and go watch Lambrini girls”. With that, two of the absolute nicest guys in pop begin their set with ‘Constant Noise’. Robbie grabs some weird synth and then everything explodes for what is unquestionably one of the most powerfully intense musical experiences you can have. We lose ourself in ‘Hail to the Thief’; completely and utterly, before ‘War’ slaps us around the face with hard reality. It might be unrelentingly uncommercial but they really are one of the best live bands on the planet making some truly vital music for our times. They then treat us to the second Suicide cover of the festival, with ‘Dream Baby Dream’ that mutates into Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ before going off. It is a moment of euphoric perfection, that sees us throwing shapes like we are back in the techno clubs of the mid 1990s. (NM)

Lambrini Girls – Chalk
After Benefits anything would seem tame, but the ever reliable Lambrini Girls are tearing the place up. ‘No Homo’ is filthy. So many people are in the air rolling about surfing, it is a wonder that there is anyone left to hold them up. Go ladies go!! ‘Craig David’ slaps, as Phoebe demands the biggest circle pit the festival has ever seen. She gets what she wants. They finish with ‘Cunty’, which is a true party banger. (NM)

Lynks – Revenge
Inflatable pink hands in place stage left and stage right? Check. Pneumatic dancers installed stage centre? Check. Massive Revenge crowd fully revved up? CHECK! It’s time for that just announced special guest. If stripped back, Lynks is essentially a dance act topped with beautifully, cynically and humorously observed lyrical explorations of the Queer Life. But Lynks is so much more than that. A macabre alter ego giving the ultimate side-eye, bedecked in Leigh-Bowery inspired outfits that both the Joans (Collins and Rivers) would adore. And anyone who can make a song about cooking white sauce sexy as hell should be a national treasure. Give Lynks a month in the studio with Lady Ga Ga and we would have an international superstar on our big red hands. (JW)

Jeanie And The Whiteboys – The Hope and Ruin
Its Saturday night. We’ve been partying for two days. What’s that: you wanna see a band the sounds like the Stooges? I said what’s that? You wanna see a band sounds like the mudda funkin Stooges? Well yes actually; we rather do. Jeanie and the White Boys deliver; in spades. Jeanie is a supremely confident prowler of the stage, and her banter is highly entertaining. ‘I’m a Man’ is a beast of tune. (NM)

Jools – The Hope & Ruin
Jools enter the stage and stomp about like we’re on a pirate ship off the coast of Cornwall setting sail in search of treasure. They head quickly for the metal end of the punk metal spectrum. Not normally a place these ears abide, but fair game. The set soon drags in predictability, and the atmosphere develops an edge. One aggressive mosher is forcibly ejected from the venue, by two members of the crowd, drawing cheers from those around them. We had high hopes for this band, but they are not realised in this performance. (NM)

Gans – The Hope & Ruin
After the preceding mediocrity Gans achieve a total refilling of the room, and a full transformation of the vibe, which at 1am is impressive. They cone to the rescue. Two seconds in: the dance is so much more mellow yet wild. A perfect very likeable late night party set from these lads from Stourbridge. Seriously fun stuff. (NM)

2026 Early bird tickets are already available. Team source will see you down the front!

Mutations Festival 2025

Words: Nick McAllister, Sharon Mackenzie, Jason Warner
Photos: Stan O’Shea, Jason Warner

Mutations 2026 Early Bird Tickets: here