Top Picks: Four of the Best Ever Bands From Brighton
Brighton is renowned for its vibrant arts and cultural scene. The town is strongly connected to the creative arts, with numerous galleries, theatres, and live music venues. The Brighton Dome, a historic venue, hosts various cultural events, including concerts, theatre productions, and festivals. So it may not be surprising that Brighton has birthed some of the United Kingdom’s best bands over the years.
Brighton also has some killer venues for concerts, such as the Cauldron and the Concord and other unique bars and venues that showcase some of the town’s up-and-coming musical acts. Let’s look at some of the best bands Brighton has produced over the years gone by.
Architects
Architects originated in 2004 and was founded by twin brothers Dan and Tom Searle. The current lineup features Dan Searle on drums, Sam Carter as the vocalist, Alex Dean handling bass, and Adam Christianson on guitar.
Drawing inspiration from bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, their initial three albums showcased a heavier style than what the band produces now. In a departure from this style, Architects shifted towards a more melodic post-hardcore direction with “The Here and Now” in 2011, a move that divided their fanbase. The subsequent album, “Daybreaker”, marked a return to their original style in the following year, striking a balance between melody and technical intensity while incorporating more politically charged lyrics.
Tragedy struck after the launch of their seventh album, “All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us,” in 2016, with the passing of guitarist and chief songwriter Tom Searle, who battled skin cancer for three years. This left Dan Searle as the sole remaining original member. In September 2017, the band unveiled “Doomsday,” the last track Tom worked on before his death. The band still produces quality music to this day and is fantastic live. You can check out most of their stuff on Spotify. I’m a massive fan of the band myself and would advise any fan of heavier music to give this band a whirl.
The Kooks
Another cracking band, The Kooks, took their name from the David Bowie track with the same title (one of my favourite Bowie songs). Their first hit song, Naive, wasn’t so popular with the bandmates as it was written when they were just 16. Still, their record label at the time convinced them that this track would catapult them to stardom, and to give them the credit, they were 100% correct.
Paul Garred, Luke Pritchard, and Huge Harris crossed paths during their student days at the BRIT School in Croydon. Subsequently, all three ventured south to enroll at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in 2002. At BIMM, they encountered Max Rafferty, who was originally from Brighton. Although Rafferty is no longer with the band, they are still going strong and producing great music.
Royal Blood
Royal Blood emerged as an English rock duo in 2011, founded by Mike Kerr and Matt Swan. The initial lineup featured Kerr and Swan; however, in 2013, Ben Thatcher stepped in to replace Swan. This change occurred just before the band secured a record deal with Warner Records. The present composition of Royal Blood includes Kerr and Thatcher, whom we know to this day.
Their debut album, “Royal Blood,” was released on 25 August 2014 under the Warner Bros. Records label. The album had numerous positive reviews from critics, and it achieved notable recognition by being confirmed by the Official Charts Company as the UK’s fastest-selling British rock debut album within three years. Not bad that!
The Big Push
Although no longer around due to the band parting ways in 2022 due to The drummer Rens’s health issues, they were special when these guys were playing. They emerged from the busking scene in Brighton. They were known to play many cover songs ranging from Bob Marley to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, all with the band’s unique musical stylings complementing each track.
The band became a viral sensation, which led them to lay gigs in venues instead of just playing music in the streets. A nectary move as the crowds in the street kept growing and growing.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my top 4 picks, and all that is left now is for you all to give it a go and listen to their tracks. Architects first, though!
