The Great Escape Festival is a major music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 that covers all genres of music and is held in the city of Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

 every year over 3 days in May. The dates for 2012 are May 10th to 12th. It kick starts the festival season, introducing 15,000 music lovers to the key artists and sounds of the year. The festival covers most venues around Brighton

Brighton

Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

's city centre. Since being founded in 2006, The Great Escape has been firmly established internationally as the leading event for showcasing new music, with over 300 bands playing in 30 venues over 3 days.

In addition to pre-publicised performances and impromptu street gigs, The Great Escape has also developed a Convention side to it and The Alternative Escape. Both initiatives enrich the festival experience with varied talks, debates, meet and greets, club nights, label parties, industry showcases, unique collaborations and outdoor gigs.
Previous highlights included:

2006 - Bat For Lashes, British Sea Power, The Cribs, The Gossip, Guillemots, Klaxons, The Maccabees, Mystery Jets

2007 - CSS, Foals, Friendly Fires, Kate Nash, Laura Marling, These New Puritans

2008 - Bombay Bicycle Club, Crystal Castles, Glasvegas, Mumford & Sons, Santogold, Vampire Weekend

2009 - Kasabian, Noah And The Whale, Patrick Wolf, The Joy Formidable, The Temper Trap, The XX

2010 - Broken Social Scene, Chase & Status, The Cribs, Darwin Deez, Delphic, Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah

2011 - Dj Shadow, Friendly Fires, Katy B, Surfjan Stevens, Example, The View, The Vaccines, The Naked and Famous

Convention

The Great Escape Convention runs alongside the festival and aims at bringing together music business professionals from across the world to discuss, evaluate and share the new approaches that are emerging for developing, launching and monetising artists and music rights.

It combines a series of insightful industry talks, panel debates, targeted networking sessions and keynote speakers run alongside the festival and is attended by over 3000 delegates annually from across the globe. Speakers include people from the radio, record companies, band members, website owners and festival organisers.

The Great Escape Convention takes place under one roof in The Brighton Dome. The programme runs daily between 10am and 5pm and consists of panels and debates for experienced music industry delegates, new music entrepreneur presentations, high end key note interviews, short Q&A sessions, case studies and educational workshops for new entrants to the industry. This runs alongside the festival and is attended by over 3000 delegates annually from across the globe.
Targeted networking sessions, parties and sponsored lunches are run every day giving delegates plenty of opportunities to form new business relationships and to catch up with established partners.

Previous speakers include:
Anthony Volodkin – Hype Machine
Barney Wragg – Ex Head of EMI Digital
Clive Dickins – Absolute Radio
Colin Greenwood – Radiohead
Daniel Ek – Spotify Founder
Eric Garland – Big Champagne
Francis Keeling – VP Digital, Universal
Howard Marks aka Mr. Nice
John Leckie – Legendry Producer
John Niven – Novelist ‘ Kill Your Friends’
Matt Everitt – BBC 6 Music
Michael Eavis – Glastonbury Festival
Nathan Lovejoy – Limewire
Nick Kent – Author / Music Journalist
Norman Cook – aka Fat Boy Slim
Patrick Walker – Google / You Tube
Seymour Stein – Sire Records
Simon Fox – CEO HMV
Terry McBride – Nettwerk Music Group
Tony Wadsworth – BPI / Brits Trust
Will Page – PRS for Music

2006 Highlights

2006 was the first ever year of the festival and people who attended the three day festival enjoyed many top acts of the time including the now split Still Remains, instrumentalists 65daysofstatic and prog rock giants Devil Sold His Soul. Home grown Brighton talent included British Sea Power doing not only one but two gigs, one of them being an acoustic set and also Brighton metalcore

Metalcore

Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...

 act Johnny Truant.

65daysofstatic 65daysofstatic 65daysofstatic are an instrumental post-rock and math rock band from Sheffield, England comprising Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright... Battle Battle (band) Battle were a UK indie rock band. They came to some prominence with a sound consisting largely of post-punk, spacious guitar hooks and dance-orientated beats, and have been compared to The Cure, and New Order/Joy Division. Later recordings have grown increasingly organic and atmospheric and... British Sea Power British Sea Power British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live... British Sea Power British Sea Power British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live...  Acoustic Acoustic music Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means... Devil Sold His Soul Devil Sold His Soul Devil Sold His Soul are an ambient influenced progressive metal/post-hardcore band from the South of England signed to Century Media. Three of the band joined from Mahumodo, thought to be a pioneer of the British hardcore scene... Electric Soft Parade Exit Ten Exit Ten Exit Ten is a British Rock/Metal band. Their debut full-length album, Remember The Day, was released in 2008. Their second studio album was released in October 2011.-Biography:Exit Ten are a post-hardcore/progressive rock band from Reading, Berkshire... Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is the stage name of English artist Sam Duckworth and his band. He is sometimes referred to as Get Cape, Cape, GCWCF and Slam Dunkworth . According to Duckworth, his stage name comes from a ZX Spectrum magazine... Gojira Gojira (band) Gojira is a heavy metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. Gojira is composed of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass... Guillemots Humanzi Johnny Truant Johnny Truant Johnny Truant was a British, Brighton-based metalcore band, formed in 2000 under the name Severance. The band recorded 3 demos under this moniker before renaming themselves after the lead character of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel House of Leaves... Klaxons Klaxons Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007.... Mystery Jets Mystery Jets Mystery Jets are an English five-piece indie band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison , Blaine Harrison and William Rees when the boys were still at school and would send each other songs on cassettes... Paolo Nutini Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. His father is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, although both his parents are Scottish, his family having been in Scotland for three generations.... Still Remains Still Remains Still Remains is a metalcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They formed out of previous local bands Shades of Amber and Unition. They released two studio albums, Of Love and Lunacy and The Serpent, both to positive reviews, and had minor UK chart success with the single "Dancing with the Enemy".... The Academy Is... The Academy Is... The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other... The Answer The Answer (band) The Answer are a Northern Irish hard rock and blues-rock band from Newcastle and Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. They have achieved success with their debut album Rise selling in excess of 30,000 copies in the UK & Europe, 10,000 on day one in Japan and 100,000 worldwide.-Lineup:*Cormac... The Blackout The Blackout (band) The Blackout is a post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, formed in 2003. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour, along with Dopamine, Covergirl, Kids In Glass Houses, The Guns and Men, Women and Children, they released their first mini-album The Blackout!... The Cooper Temple Clause The Cooper Temple Clause The Cooper Temple Clause were an English six-piece alternative rock band originating from Wokingham, Berkshire. Formed in 1998, the band quickly gained a following through their live concerts, and have produced three albums, the latest being Make This Your Own... The Cribs The Cribs The Cribs are an English three-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr who was made a formal member of the group... The Feeling The Feeling The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in... The Fratellis The Fratellis The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in... The Futureheads The Futureheads The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig... The Hush Sound The Hush Sound The Hush Sound was an indie quartet originating in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Initially named "The Hush," the band later changed their name to "The Hush Sound" due to the discovery of a rapper with the same name... The Kooks The Kooks The Kooks are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2001. Formed by Luke Pritchard , Hugh Harris , Paul Garred , and Max Rafferty , the lineup of the band remained constant until 2008 and the departure of Rafferty... The Pigeon Detectives The Pigeon Detectives The Pigeon Detectives are an English indie rock band from Rothwell, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. They have been championed by such well known DJs as Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley, and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2006, where they were tagged "the band most likely to leap to... The Young Knives The Young Knives Young Knives are an English indie rock band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The name is based on a misunderstanding of "young knaves", which was found by the band when rummaging through a book....

2007 Highlights

2007 saw the introduction of a more hardcore oriented line up along with some fine indie and metal acts, mostly much bigger than the 06 line up. Tickets completely sold out quite fast for 2007 and it really put The Great Escape Festival on the map as one of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

's leading new music festivals. It also saw the return of Battle, The Pigeon Detectives and British Sea Power. Brighton's own Architects made their Great Escape debut, playing with Johnny Truant (who also made a return) at The Engine Rooms.

CSS CSS -Computing:*Cascading Style Sheets, a language used to describe the style of document presentations in web development*Central Structure Store in the PHIGS 3D API*Closed source software, software that is not distributed with source code... Kate Nash Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards.... The Magic Numbers The Magic Numbers The Magic Numbers are an English pop rock band comprising two pairs of brothers and sisters from Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled The Magic Numbers on 13 June 2005... Art Brut Jack Peñate Jack Peñate Jack Fabian Peñate is an English musician and singer-songwriter signed to XL Recordings.-Early life:Jack Peñate attended St. Olave's Preparatory School, New Eltham until he left to attend Alleyn's School when he was 18 years of age... Late of the Pier Late of the Pier Late of the Pier are a four-piece dance-punk band from Castle Donington, England, currently signed to Phantasy. Their debut album Fantasy Black Channel was released on 11 August 2008 by Parlophone produced by Erol Alkan.- History :... Lethal Bizzle Lethal Bizzle Lethal Bizzle, also known as Lethal B , is a Ghanaian British rapper. His songs are known to satirise modern Gangsta rap; much of the humour comes from the adoption of hip-hop style and language... The Holloways The Holloways The Holloways are a four-piece indie-rock band from North London.-Formation:David Jackson and Bryn Fowler established the beginnings of the band, finding Rob Skipper at a local live music venue. They would meet later to jam together, playing in future drummer Dave Danger's room... The Enemy The Enemy (UK band) The Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in... The Xcerts I Was A Cub Scout I Was a Cub Scout I Was a Cub Scout was a two-man synth-pop/indie rock band from Long Bennington and Collingham, England, consisting of William Bowerman and Todd Marriott. They were formed in 2006, and split on 5 June 2008.-New Bands:... Pete and the Pirates Pete and the Pirates Pete And The Pirates are an English indie rock band from Reading. The band consists of Thomas Sanders , Peter Hefferan , David Thorpe , Peter Cattermoul and Jonny Sanders... Rolo Tomassi Rolo Tomassi Rolo Tomassi are a British mathcore band from Sheffield, England. Their name is taken from the fictional character in the film L.A. Confidential. On 22 September 2008, the band released their debut album, Hysterics, through Hassle Records.... The Pigeon Detectives The Pigeon Detectives The Pigeon Detectives are an English indie rock band from Rothwell, West Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. They have been championed by such well known DJs as Steve Lamacq and Jo Whiley, and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2006, where they were tagged "the band most likely to leap to... The Ghost of a Thousand The Ghost of a Thousand The Ghost Of A Thousand was an English five-piece punk rock band from Brighton, UK.-Career:The Ghost Of A Thousand confirmed on 31 March 2011 that they were as a band after 7 years together. After signing with Undergroove Records in 2007 the band toured extensively, playing alongside Gallows,... Adele Adele (singer) Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008... Architects Blak Twang Blak Twang Blak Twang who also uses the pseudonyms of Taipanic and Tony Rotton, is a British rapper who grew up in Deptford, Lewisham, South East London... British Sea Power British Sea Power British Sea Power are an indie rock band based in Brighton, England, although three of the band members originally come from Kendal in Cumbria. Critics have likened their sound to a variety of groups, from The Cure and Joy Division to the Pixies and Arcade Fire. The band are famed for their live... Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip Does It Offend You, Yeah? Does It Offend You, Yeah? Does It Offend You, Yeah? are a British electronic rock band from Reading, Berkshire.-History:Does It Offend You, Yeah? were formed in 2006 in Reading, UK by James Rushent and Dan Coop and soon joined by Rob Bloomfield and Morgan Quaintance.... Foals Frank Turner Frank Turner Frank Turner is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Winchester. Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. To date, Turner has released four solo albums, two rarities... Friendly Fires Friendly Fires Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires... Gallows Gallows A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered... Johnny Truant Johnny Truant Johnny Truant was a British, Brighton-based metalcore band, formed in 2000 under the name Severance. The band recorded 3 demos under this moniker before renaming themselves after the lead character of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel House of Leaves... Reuben Reuben (band) Reuben were an English three-piece musical group from Camberley, Surrey. Their music was a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004... Rubylux Scouting For Girls Scouting for Girls Scouting for Girls are a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated band from London, formed in 2005 by Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. Stride and Ellard met in the Cub Scouts and Churchouse met Stride on their first day at school. They have sold over 1.2 million albums and over 1.5 million... Reverend and The Makers Reverend and The Makers Reverend and The Makers are an indie pop band based in Sheffield, England and signed to Wall of Sound. The band is fronted by Jon McClure, nicknamed "The Reverend"... yourcodenameis:milo Yourcodenameis:milo -External links:**...

2008 Highlights

2008 was and still is by far the biggest line up in TGE's history. Headlined by The Fratellis at The Dome, it also included the likes of The Ting Tings, Vampire Weekend, The Wombats, Glasvegas, The Blackout and was considered extremely indie-friendly. Most of these bands turned into giants of 2008, and this festival brought them all together in one unforgettable weekend. This festival also birthed the likes of Cage The Elephant, Late of the Pier and Friendly Fires who are all now extremely popular Indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 bands.

Alphabeat Alphabeat Alphabeat are a Danish pop band from Silkeborg, fronted by singers Stine Bramsen and Anders SG and signed to Polydor Records. Their single "Fascination" was a major hit in Denmark during the summer of 2007 and a significant hit in the United Kingdom in 2008... Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club Bombay Bicycle Club are a British indie rock and folk band from Crouch End, London. The band comprises: Jack Steadman , Jamie MacColl , Ed Nash and Suren de Saram .... Cage The Elephant Crystal Castles Crystal Castles (band) Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and... Esser The Futureheads The Futureheads The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig... The Fratellis The Fratellis The Fratellis were an indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli , bass guitarist Barry Fratelli , and drummer and backing vocalist Mince Fratelli .The band released 2 albums during their career, Costello Music in 2006 and Here We Stand in... Friendly Fires Friendly Fires Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires... Glasvegas Glasvegas Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No... The Hold Steady The Hold Steady The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge... Iron and Wine Ladyhawke Ladyhawke Ladyhawke is a 1985 fantasy film directed by Richard Donner, starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film marked the second 20th Century Fox film to be co-produced and co-released by Warner Bros.. The first was The Towering Inferno; this time Warner got the U.S... Late of the Pier Late of the Pier Late of the Pier are a four-piece dance-punk band from Castle Donington, England, currently signed to Phantasy. Their debut album Fantasy Black Channel was released on 11 August 2008 by Parlophone produced by Erol Alkan.- History :... Lightspeed Champion Lightspeed Champion Devonté Hynes , better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British composer, songwriter, producer and author, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine, Diana Vickers and The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night... Mystery Jets Mystery Jets Mystery Jets are an English five-piece indie band, formerly based on Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, London. The band was formed by Henry Harrison , Blaine Harrison and William Rees when the boys were still at school and would send each other songs on cassettes... Okkervil River Okkervil River Okkervil River is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya. They self-released their first album, Stars Too Small to Use, which led them to the South by Southwest music festival. After recording their first... Pete and the Pirates Pete and the Pirates Pete And The Pirates are an English indie rock band from Reading. The band consists of Thomas Sanders , Peter Hefferan , David Thorpe , Peter Cattermoul and Jonny Sanders... Sam Sparro Sam Sparro Sam Sparro is an Australian singer-songwriter, music producer, and former child actor. His stage name was derived from a family nickname, which in turn was inspired by the Dagenham radio mascot Sammy Sparrow... The Subways The Subways The Subways are an English alternative rock / indie rock band. Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the U.S. Their second album, All or Nothing, was released on 30 June 2008 and their third album Money and Celebrity debuted on the... The Ting Tings The Ting Tings The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford... The Wombats The Wombats The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen... Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend is an American indie rock band from New York City that formed in 2006 and signed to XL Recordings. The Band has four members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, and Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard... White Lies White Lies (band) White Lies is an English indie rock band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the band consists primarily of Harry McVeigh , Charles Cave , and Jack Lawrence-Brown... Wiley Wiley (rapper) Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad... Young Knives

2009 Highlights

Bands and acts included Metronomy

Metronomy

Metronomy are an electronic music group formed by Joseph Mount in Totnes, Devon, England in 1999. The current band consists of Joseph Mount , Anna Prior , Oscar Cash and Gbenga Adelekan...

, Nullifier, Abe Vigoda

Abe Vigoda (band)

Abe Vigoda is a punk rock band based in Los Angeles, California, but are originally from Chino, California; a city in the Inland Empire. They frequently perform at The Smell. The May 2008 issue of The Fader magazine features an interview with the band....

, The Vivian Girls

The Vivian Girls

The Vivian Girls were an indie rock band in Melbourne, Australia, around 2000. Their music was heavily influenced by early 1980s New Wave and referenced both Australian post punk artists and Situationism. They released one self-titled album on the Radio One label, in 2000...

, Rogues, The Teenagers

The Teenagers (French band)

The Teenagers are a French synthpop band formed in late 2005, originally as a joke. They achieved some degree of notoriety with the song "Homecoming", both for its catchy sound and for its explicit language and misogynistic content...

, David Stith, The Maccabees

The Maccabees

The Maccabees are a indie rock band from Brighton, England. They have released two albums so far, Colour It In in 2007, with a follow-up, Wall of Arms, released on 4 May 2009...

, Hockey

Hockey (band)

Hockey is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon.-Members:Until October 2010, the band consisted of singer Benjamin Grubin, guitarist Brian Stuart White, bassist Jeremy Reynolds, drummer Anthony Stassi and touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver, and have been compared in their sound to bands...

, thecocknbullkid, Video Nasties, The Invisible

The Invisible (band)

The Invisible are an indie rock/post-rock band based in and originating from London, and fronted by the singer and guitarist Dave Okumu, a long-time member of the London jazz scene. The band formed as Dave Okumu's solo project but quickly developed into a full fledged band with friends Tom Herbert ...

, Everything Everything

Everything Everything

Everything Everything are a British indie band that formed in late 2007, originate from Newcastle, Kent and Guernsey, and reside in Manchester. The band rose to fame when they were revealed as part of the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll on 7 December 2009...

, Rumblestrips, LoveLikeFire

LoveLikeFire

LoveLikeFire is a San Francisco-based indie rock band. The group was formed in 2006 and whilst an unsigned artist they independently released two EPs, Bed of Gold and An Ocean in the Air , as well as mounted a self-organized national tour to promote the latter release...

, Gran Ronde, Mumford and Sons, Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes

Fight Like Apes are an Irish alternative rock band formed in Dublin in 2006.Their current members are Mary-Kate "MayKay" Geraghty , Jamie "Pockets" Fox and Tom Ryan , while original member Adrian Mullan left the band in 2010 due to creative differences...

, Marina and the Diamonds and Dan Smith

Dan Smith

Dan Smith may refer to:* Dan Smith , retired American Army colonel and author* Dan Smith , illustrator and graphic artist* Dan Smith , Canadian ice hockey player...

.

2010 Highlights

2010 was the biggest year for the Festival to the date. It saw the likes of Groove Armada, Chase and Status and Ellie Goulding playing in some of Brighton's biggest venues.

Groove Armada Groove Armada Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"... Chase and Status Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto... Tinie Tempah Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit... Delphic Delphic Delphic are an alternative dance band from Marple Bridge, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. They are signed to Polydor and released the single "Counterpoint" in April 2009 through R&S Records, produced by Ewan Pearson... Ellie Goulding Ellie Goulding Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became only the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll, and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008... Marina and the Diamonds Crystal Fighters Crystal Fighters Crystal Fighters are a British electronic band with Spanish influences who formed in London, UK in 2007. Their debut album Star of Love was released on 4 October 2010.-Formation and early years:... Slow Club Slow Club Slow Club is a folk-rock duo from Sheffield, England. The band formed in 2006, after the break-up of Sheffield band The Lonely Hearts.-History:The band is made up of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor... Hurts Hurts Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide... Fenech Soler Fenech Soler Fenech-Soler are a British electropop band from Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire that formed in 2006. It consists of four members: Ross Duffy, Ben Duffy, Daniel Soler and Andrew Lindsay. The name Fenech-Soler is taken from Daniel Soler's full surname, which is Maltese... Ou Est Le Swimming Pool Ou Est Le Swimming Pool Ou Est Le Swimming Pool were an English synthpop group from Camden, London, made up of Charles Haddon, Joe Hutchinson and Caan Capan. The band name is an amalgamation of French and English , and is inspired by a line from French teacher Mrs Crabbe in the television series Hardwicke House...

2011 Highlights

The Great Escape's 2011 line up included Katy B, Friendly Fires, Warpaint, Vaccines, Example, The View, The Naked and Famous, Guillmots, Anna Calvi, Cloud Control, The Joy Formidable, Villagers, Twin Shadow, Brother, Little Dragon and many more.

Katy B Katy B Kathleen "Katie" Brien, better known as Katy B, is an English singer-songwriter and a graduate of the BRIT School. She is a dubstep, R&B, funky, house and UK garage singer and has also performed under the name Baby Katy. She was born in Peckham, South London... Friendly Fires Friendly Fires Friendly Fires are an English band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009.-History:Friendly Fires... Warpaint Warpaint (band) Warpaint is an American art rock group from Los Angeles, formed in 2004. The band's members are Emily Kokal , Theresa Wayman , Jenny Lee Lindberg , and Stella Mozgawa . The band's membership has also included actress Shannyn Sossamon and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer... The Vaccines The Vaccines The Vaccines are an English indie rock band who formed in West London in 2010. The band's debut album, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, was released through Columbia Records on 14 March 2011 and reached number 4 in the UK Album Chart. They are currently the biggest selling new band of 2011.... Example The View The View (band) The View are a Scottish indie rock band. They incorporate various styles such as punk, pop, alternative rock, pop punk, powerpop, folk, and acoustic in their music.... Marina and the Diamonds The Naked and Famous The Naked and Famous -Studio albums:-EPs:-Singles:-B-sides:-Music videos:-In popular culture:"All of This" was featured in the fourth episode of The Secret Circle.... Guillemots Anna Calvi Anna Calvi Anna Calvi is an English musician who plays in the band of the same name. On 6 December 2010, Calvi was announced as a nominee for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. Her self-titled debut album was released in the UK on 17 January 2011, where it debuted at number 40 on 23 January... The Joy Formidable The Joy Formidable The Joy Formidable are a three-piece band formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Ritzy Bryan , Rhydian Dafydd , and Matt Thomas .... Little Dragon Little Dragon Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic band, formed in Gothenburg in 1996. It consists of Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin , Fredrik Källgren Wallin and Håkan Wirenstrand .Little Dragon's first release was the double A-side 7" single... Twin Shadow Twin Shadow Twin Shadow is the stage name of American musician George Lewis Jr. Lewis who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida. Around 2000 Lewis moved to Boston where he started the band Mad Man Films alongside Joseph Ciampini of Hooray For Earth, and Zak Longo of Before Lazers. Mad Man... Cloud Control Cloud Control Cloud Control are an alternative rock band originating from the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia. The band is currently signed to the Australian label Ivy League Records, in which they released their debut album Bliss Release, and to Infectious Music in the UK/Europe... Ed Sheeran Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter who is currently signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Sheeran broke through commercially in June 2011, when his debut single "The A Team" debuted at number 3 on the UK chart.-Early life:Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire to... Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...

External links

• The Great Escape Festival - Official Website