The Brighton Festival takes over our favourite seaside city for the whole of May with a brilliant programme of comedy, theatre, dance, art, talks and whatnot, and, of course, lots of music. Our sister publication ThreeWeeks is reviewing it all, and you can check out the ThreeWeeks music team's reviews here in the CMU Daily.
Want Rufus
Kit Ashton and friends
All in all, this wasn't really for me, but it must be said that the rest of the crowd packing out The Hanbury clearly loved it. And the evening, predominantly a tribute to Rufus Wainwright, did see the musical collective on stage themselves having a great time, which was infectious and wonderful to see. Lead singer Kit Ashton had a friendly, inclusive yet modest stage presence which was incredibly disarming. The surprise hit of the night for me, however, was one of the guest singers - Brett Dickinson - whose singing was entrancing. It certainly looks like Ashton should maintain his momentum and organise more such nights.
Hanbury Club, 7 May, 8:30pm, £7.00 (£5.00), fringe pp39.
tw rating 3/5
[sla]
New Music for Two Percussionists
Adam Bushell and Tom Norrell
Upon walking into The Friends' Meeting House I was met with an atmosphere that felt distinctly like a church congregation. Except it was not a sermon the middle aged crowd were waiting for, it was geniuses of percussion, Adam Bushell and Tom Norrell. A sweaty, riotous affair it was not, but the skill and innovation displayed by the performers was astounding. Using a vast arsenal of percussion they subjected the audience to two hours of unadulterated thumping, with the notable highlight of 'Clapping Music', a piece played purely through the medium of (you guessed it) clap. One could appreciate the mathematical precision involved, but after an hour, a distinct realisation emerged that you were merely witnessing two grown men hitting things.
Friends' Meeting House, 8 May, 7:30pm, £7.50 (£6:00), fringe pp35.
tw rating 3/5
[sfw]
Drookit Dogs
Hot diggity Drookit Dogs! This Brighton-based band certainly know how to put on a mighty tight show and have an energy about them more infectious than TB. Packing the Prince Albert to the rafters, the audience were treated to a deliciously unique post-punk sound, all pounding drums and skank-inducing riffs, and a good old-fashioned stomp. Captivating the crowd from start to finish, the Dogs crafted an atmosphere of wild abandon and special mention must go to Matt Oldfield for his intensely captivating, rasping vocals; the man has a voice that could lead a revolution. This was the confident, self-assured performance of an explosive band set for a glittering future and a reminder of just how bountiful Brighton's local scene is; truly first-class Fringe.
Prince Albert, 9 May, 8:30pm (12:00pm), £3.00, fringe pp33.
tw rating 5/5
[jh]
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