THE GREAT ESCAPE – THIS FEELING PREVIEW

Every year in May, the Great Escape is held in Brighton and Hove, England. Music from various genres is showcased, which is operated by MAMA Festivals. Over 300 bands are scheduled to perform across 30 venues during the festival, which was founded in 2006. This Feeling return to the Great Escape at the Hope And Ruin on Saturday 13th May. Showcasing the best of UK rock and roll talent, over the years This Feeling has given bands a platform to perform at some of the biggest UK festivals including the Isle of Wight, TRNSMT, Leeds and Reading, Truck Y-Not, Tramlines and many more. These stages have become a focal point for music fans over the last ten years, showcasing new and upcoming heritage artists and future headline acts. If you are looking to hear the next big thing in rock and roll, the This Feeling line up at the Hope & Ruin is your base for this year’s Great Escape festival. We take a look at the bands playing below…

RIANNE DOWNEY

The time has come to get acquainted with Rianne Downey, if you haven’t already. With a series of stone-cold classic covers posted on social media, the young Glasgow singer-songwriter immediately became a hit during lockdown. It soon became apparent that Downey was a talent not to be overlooked as her videos became more popular, spreading cheer at a time when it was urgently needed. It is now time for her own material to take centre stage and this week, the singer received great news when she was announced as a Glastonbury performer in 2023. Her latest single Songbird has become one of her biggest hits, and will play the This Feeling, Great Escape stage.

ROSELLAS

The Rosellas anthemic hooks and contemporary takes on classic rock guitar riffs, harken back to The Stone Roses and The Verve. They have been on fire with their tracks ‘Hideaway’ and ‘Switch Off’ earning support from John Kennedy at Radio X and an XS Record of the Week, in addition to being compared to Inhaler, DMAs, and The View. In addition to almost completely selling out their March UK headline tour, they performed as special guests at Starsailor’s dates and provided pre-match entertainment at Manchester City. However, that was just the beginning of Rosellas’ plans for 2023. Their first EP under a recent deal with This Feeling Records will be released on May 11th, featuring their brand new single, ‘Come Alive’.

SPANGLED

Spangled is a young and energetic Manchester-based act who emerged in March 2019. The love that Spangled has for music is infectious and it shows in their live performance. The band’s ‘rock n roll’ attitude blends perfectly with heartfelt lyrics and punch-the-air-riffs. They’re a band brimming with personality and are made up of lead singer, Ben Johnson, guitarist, Jamie Halliday, bass guitarist, Niall McGovern and drummer, Nathan Kenyon. Check out their music below.

THE LILACS

The Lilacs are Ollie Anglesea, Sam Birchall, Matty Johnson and Dave Gomersall from Wigan. They are a high-energy four piece from Wigan, and in the past few years, they have already made a name for themselves around the country. Following their appearances at iconic venues including Manchester’s Albert Hall, the O2 Academy, and more in 2021, they even found themselves on the Isle of Wight Festival bill. The lads have accumulated over half a million streams worldwide, attracting the attention of XS Manchester and other well-known radio stations. Vicarage Road has been added to over 5,000 playlists and has been listened to over 200,000 times on Spotify alone. New releases and festival appearances are planned for the lads in 2023.

THE FACADES

It was on This Feeling Records that The Facades released their fourth single, Beautiful. An assured and uplifting debut for the label with the promise of much more to come, the single set a strong marker for the future for the group. Having supported Sleeper’s UK tour and appeared at Y Not? and the Isle Of Wight in 2022, The Facades continue to cement their reputation on the live circuit. In the wake of their debut single That Letter and the rich melodies and catchy rhythms that can be heard on both Don’t Ask and I Might Stay, the band’s latest release Beautiful brings yet another dimension to their ever-expanding sound.

KOMPARRISON

The formation of Komparrison was a result of the collaboration between Elise Harrison and Kaitlyn Kempen. Originally, the duo was an acoustic act who wrote and gigged before they expanded, adding Ellie, Jess & Elliott to their line-up in 2020. BBC Music Introducing, This Feeling, and NARC were among the tastemakers who picked up their debut single ‘Dancing With Demons.’ With a focus on feel-good music and carefree attitudes, the band creates a moving and essential portrait of life in the North East as a working-class woman. As one of the region’s most exciting young bands, they have supported Walt Disco, Martha Hill and The Lottery Winners. Having already been supported by Chris Hawkins at BBC Radio 6 Music and John Kennedy at Radio X as a ‘Big in 2022’ band, 2022 saw the band perform on two headline UK tours and at legendary festivals including Y Not, Truck and Long Division as one of This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2022’ bands. The band will appear at The Great Escape in Brighton in 2023 before releasing their new EP.