With the weather moving between pelting rain and scorching sun almost as fast as our sprints between stages, Team LOUD WOMEN weren’t about to let this get the better of us as we ventured once more into the fray on Friday at The Great Escape.
Kicking off down on The Beach – Soundwaves stage was the upbeat and cheeky Alfreda, translating her own experiences into self-deprecating lyrics the whole crowd could relate to. Strutting about and taking off her boots to dance easily, the entire band were beaming and vibing to their sound, a mix between indie-rock and feel-good sadness in a keyboard. Alfreda eased us into Friday with an infectious energy and humour that got everyone limbered up dancing and laughing along with the band.
From the sand to Dust, we raced along to see Mere Amore as part of the BIMM University showcase and they did not disappoint! Delivering alt-rock vibes and a daring attitude, they looked comfortable on stage as they brought dual bass and guitar riffs, scorching solos and licks, thrashing drum beats, and singer Isola Maria weaved between matter-of-fact singing to alt-punk yells, leaping into the crowd and headbanging with the audience. Sadly, the band have since announced they’re parting ways, so LW were thrilled to see them in one of their final, electric performances.
Planting ourselves firmly at Dust with a caffeine kick, we eagerly awaited Gag Reflex to continue the BIMM showcase. From the first melancholic and distorted grunge songs as well as their introduction of “we’re Gag Reflex, or you can pronounce it-” followed by a retching sound that drew laughter from the crowd, it’s not hard to see why so many fans have taken to the Dublin band. They’re down-to-earth and bring a loaded sound that highlights every instrument in its own right, whilst singer Lili Karrenberg stalked into the crowd to scream the lyrics, engaging but no less dangerous. Consider us gooped and gagged!
With no time to waste, LW rushed over to Daltons to get a front row seat for Girl Tones, a sister duo act from planet Earth (or actually Kentucky, USA). In a blur of bold blue and vivid yellow tights, lead singer and guitarist Kenzie hurled herself around the stage while drummer and singer Laila absolutely smashed the drum kit, her urge to be wheeling about the stage with her sister evident in her energy. Daltons was absolutely packed to the point LW had to find space practically sitting on the stage as the duo delivered their crunchy alt-punk-rock sound to wild applause, their happiness to be here playing radiating out to everyone.
Around this time LW were feeling the burn – both from the sun and the hectic schedule – and while we hotfooted over to the i360 to try and catch the soulful Nxdia, we had to dash off early to catch Brighton’s own Slag on The Beach – The Deep End stage. Decked out in sparkles and silver, Slag brought charm and wit with their genre-blended sound, described as “Frankenstein” music given how many influences they use to stitch together their songs. With an effervescent bounding about and headbanging from keyboardist Seb and guitarist Dan, singer Amelie owned the stage as a shimmering beacon with powerful vocals while bassist Freya swept alongside the bandmates and drummer Luke went from locked in to cheering with the crowd on each song.
Feeling like a bit of a name juxtaposition, we loved and left Slag to head on over to another of Brighton’s finest Ladylike at Revenge. Certainly one of the more reserved acts we’d seen so far, Ladylike brought a gentle calm that had the crowd swaying almost trancelike as the band performed their indie-folk sound, their concentration unwavering on hitting every note and performing seamlessly. Their sound centres on quiet force and letting the moments linger until their unrushed melodies fill the spaces.
Leaving in a sense of chilled serenity, we made our way over to Charles Street Tap to get blown away by the enigmatic and magnetic Necry Talkie, coming all the way over from Japan for their first ever performance in Brighton! With a mixture of alt-rock and pop-punk mashed together over incredibly upbeat lyrics to bop along to, Necry Talkie were blatantly thrilled to see such a packed venue and so many happy smiles, especially on the front row where a two-stepping pit started forming. Despite the late hour, it was too fun and fast-paced to not get involved and enjoy the show and energised LW for one more show.
Completely flipping our night on its head, we went from jovial singing to savagely brutal punk from Bonnie Trash at Volks, a touch of goth rock lacing through the melodies from guitarist Emmalia‘s intricate solos and distorted riffs. Drummer Dana was lost in their own world thrashing at the kit while bassist Emma kept a stoic look on her face as she ripped through bass lines like it was nothing. Not letting tech issues get in their way, the band played as a cohesive unit, until singer Sarafina punched through with visceral screams, not missing her cue at all and staring daggers at the crowd. Bonnie Trash come with an attitude that clearly shows they don’t give a fuck what you think of them, they know you’re sticking around regardless.
And so we ended the night on a blistering high, tired but wired and raring for the final day of The Great Escape 2026!