Curated perfection!
A line up of nine acts hand picked for an eclectic day of live music.
Shooting for Brighton and Hove News at the uniquely charismatic Green Door Store, the Hidden Herd All Dayer line up began just after 1.00pm on Saturday 1st March. I was only covering half the show, so sadly I missed the first four acts. But my team mates tell me I would have loved the performers. I had particularly positive comments on Cordelia Gartside – the other three early players were Triple Rain, Cry Sometimes and Francis Pig. Click to the links to explore what you and I missed. And if you want to read the full write up from the team head here Brighton and Hove Write Up.
Being the first day of March I had pondered the leather jacket approach for today – but I was so pleased I opted for the long woollen coat. Green Door Store is a great little venue, tucked underneath the railway arches and filled with character. But when the huge doors are kept open, and with the dampness of its cave like vibe, it was just a tad cold. With my current occupational hazard of ‘photographers’ back’ this meant I did spend ‘moments’ between shooting in the bar to rest my injury. But the lay out means that excellent sound is still enjoyed through the connecting arch.
If there is a good antidote for physical malaise (well any malaise really) it’s live music. And I was so glad to discover these five new acts.
Room Service
First up was Room Service, a Brighton based six piece with band members hailing from Texas, France, Portugal and the UK. With one band member absent, we are treated to 30 minutes of this very entertaining and instantly appealing music. Embracing an array of genres including funk, disco, psychedelia, and incorporating intricate melodies, these combined to create a very individual sound. With joyous stage presence and clear chemistry between the performers this was an electric start to my All Dayer experience.
Car Boot Sale
Bringing on act two, and green light heaven for the shooter in the room, this was the highlight of the day for me. The guitar driven rock vibe, infused with influences of hip hop, blues, psych and soul, all of this combined with Jacques Fugee’s powerful vocals, Car Boot Sale captivated the room from the offset. A five piece based in London, Car Boot Sale have been lauded on several broadcasts, publications and online platforms and they continue to perform to very appreciative audiences in the London and Brighton music scene. Great to see Jacques interacting with gig goers after the show as well.
Porchlight
I found the third band of the mini-fest fascinating. There was an epic breadth to their sound and a vast eclectic mix of style. To the extent that it challenged my processing and kept my intrigue piqued throughout. Brighton based five piece Porchlight were drenched in blue and orange light, creating some awesome colour mixes for photography. A really popular band with the Green Door audience with enjoyable interactions with the room.
The DSM IV
Being a bit of a rock chick at heart, I’m always a little nervous when the drum kit disappears during the evening, especially when there are still two bands to play. But I shouldn’t have worried. The DSM IV put on a very dramatic performance, fronted by Guy McNight, previously of Matchbox B-Line Disaster, with enigmatic stage presence and his complete immersion into each songs’ performance, it was hard not to feel transported into the moment. And even though the photographer’s dreaded red light didn’t lift throughout, it was the perfect atmosphere partner for the music. This Liverpool based electronic rock trio playing a 45 minute set continued the spirit of Hidden Herd’s phenomenal ability to curate eclectic and hugely talented line ups.
Baba Ali
Bringing the mini-fest to a close felt like an absolute crescendo. As the stage is now stripped down and we are presented with just two performers on stage I was expecting something quite minimalist. I was wrong. Baba Ali are New Jersey native musician Baba Doherty and British guitarist Nik Balchin, now both based in London. Their sound has been described as marrying disco and post punk stylings in the NME’s review of the 2023 album Laugh Like a Bomb – and the onstage expressive performance was something unexpected and a joy to capture, despite another red light nightmare.
As a postscript following a day of experiencing five new musical journeys (and as always please click on the links to support these artists and venues) I am, as ever, grateful to be part of such an amazing team at Brighton and Hove News. There were two photographers and three writers covering this event and I feel humbled to be contributing alongside them.
Camera geeking
Shooting with the Canon EOS R – 35mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.2
Settings on:
Manual Mode
High speed continuous shooting
One shot
iso on 6400
f stop 1.8 – 3.2
Shutter speed – 1/100