Four Days At Mutations Festival
Despite serving up its ninth annual offering this year, you’d forgive yourself for not being too familiar with Mutations Festival. Given the history and legacy of the Great Escape, Mutations has remained in the Brighton-shaped shadow of its springtime big brother and likely will do so for some time.
However, given the hype surrounding this year’s edition, following what can only be described as a very stellar line-up, it was introduced to the masses and all the pressure was on the festival to deliver. Despite the elements not being in its favour (it is November after all) fans were treated to four outstanding days of wonderful music spread across the coast of one of the UK’s most beloved seaside cities.
The festival site was split into hubs with the larger venues just a stone’s throw away from Brighton Pier and the crashing waves of the English Channel, whilst the smaller venues were nestled away either just down the road from the train station or Hove Green. The music kicked off magnificently with Chartreuse weaving beautiful male/female harmonies and Trout continually proving why they are such a strong live outfit with another captivating performance. As the temperature fell throughout the day the warmth felt in Chalk thanks to the moving headline set from the Staves warmed even the coldest hands and reddest nose. The Hertfordshire all-female trio have been capturing hearts and minds for over a decade now and this set was a classic example of less is more with the angelic harmonies front and centre, weaving beautiful tales with each word.
Friday greeted us with light showers but a general buzz for an excellent day’s music. Things kicked off at the Hope and Ruin with a packed out room witnessing another memorable set from South London’s post-punk legends Blue Bendy as Arthur Nolan’s wailing vocals bellowed throughout the bare bones music venue. Robocobra Quartet were next to grace the stage. A similarly captivating set, but completely different, the music was heavy yet playful with the tightness of the band shining through. A sonic cocktail was crafted through the use of synths, clean bass tones, percussive beats and of course the iconic RQ saxophone. Littered over this was a monologue tackling life’s key issues, with topics ranging from the day-to-day life of influencers to the UK housing crisis.
The evening’s festivities were kicked into overdrive by the Bahranian grooves of Flamigngods. In a typically high-energy set, there was as much movement on stage (with the four-piece switching instruments in between songs) as there was in the audience.
However, it was ultimately the performance of Public Service Broadcasting that was the crowning moment of Friday’s sonic offering. Chalk’s 550 venue capacity was no match for the fan interest for this set with security turning folk away before the set had even begun. Trying to describe watching the London-based group perform as a ‘gig’ really wouldn’t do justice to what they create. A perfect blend of visual and sonic artistry, the band effortlessly use sampling, rock riffs and techno grooves to craft something that can only be understood when seen in the flesh.
Image: Lucy Evans
The weather on Saturday proved to be truly miserable, but the sunshine vibes brought to the Hope and Ruin by Pearl & the Oysters put unbreakable smiles on faces and had us all believing we were cruising along the coast of the sunshine state. This was followed by a punchy and heavy set from Legsss, with an intensity that could only be matched by the crashing rain coming from the outside. The rock torch was certainly picked up later in the day by Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard. Playing a surprise second set to fill in for a dropout, the Zeppelin-esque riffs sent the audience into an expected head-banging frenzy. Just Mustard then took to the stage to deliver the dark, moody, in-your-face experimental rock that’s made the Irish outfit soar in popularity since the release of 2022’s ‘Heart Under’.
Finally, it was time for Fat White Family; the cult band delivered another unforgettable set to those lucky enough to be in attendance. Strolling on to much fanfare, they didn’t take long to set the tone; a thunderous rendition of fan favourite ‘Wet Hot Beef’ kicked off proceedings. Strolling on with only a scarf adorning the top half of his body frontman Lias looked like he’d drunk 10 pints, stumbled onto stage and thought “fuck it, I’ll have a sing-song.”
Sunday served up less in terms of musical variety as only five venues were available, but to the delight of everyone attending, the weather had improved. Dust, in partnership with Bison Beer, treated fans to an excellent day of live performances, kickstarting with local legends Flip Top Head before Girl and Girl further showed again why Australia’s arguably the best talent factory in music right now. It was Another Sky who stole the show though, with a mesmerising performance full of bellowing vocals and intoxicating riffs. The songs were filled with genuine emotion, detailing themes like previous relationships, escapism and the joys of universal credit. One line to sum it up? “That was a bit of fun, now back to reality.”
After nearly four days of music, there were undoubtedly many sore heads and many tired legs going into Django Django’s headline slot, but this didn’t stop the lads in white from sending the Mutations faithful back to their day-to-day lives with full hearts and a spring in their step. There’s just so much energy to their performance, right from the word go. The effortless blend between dance trance and indie bangers courtesy of their critically acclaimed debut album displayed a real understanding of how they’ve developed sonically. The transition from fan favourite ‘Hail Bop’ into a unique cover of The Beatles’ classic ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ epitomised this.
It’s undeniable that Mutations Festival delivered on its promises once again in 2023. A showcase of some of the best new talent the UK and beyond has to offer, alongside some iconic performances from established outfits.
We’ll see you there next year.
Main Image: Lucy Evans
