Tucked under Brighton’s industrial train station is a venue close to the hearts of the regulars of
Brighton’s gig scene. The Green Door Store is a grassroots venue, named by Fred Perry as
‘leading the pack in terms of brave programming and all-around community-spirited ethic’. It
seems to be one of the few sacred places left that will often put on free gigs; something that, as
a student, is greatly appreciated.
The venue has particularly distinct décor with oddities hanging off the wall like a Mannequin head, a wooden ladder, and the McDonald’s golden arches. Last night, the venue hosted an array of talents beginning with Brighton’s own Jar of Blind Flies, a grunge rock trio with a distinctively dirty bass and beautifully melancholic vocals from lead singer Madalaine Jarvis. Their set was hypnotic, and they played songs from their debut album Mía which is available on all the usual streaming platforms.
Next were, Belmondo who are also equally as heavy and are best described as ‘electronic rock’.
Their set was fun and interactive as they created a wall of the death style pit in the audience
mid-set, with band members even jumping in. Belmondo have just released their third single
‘Pachyderm’.
Then there was the main support, self-proclaimed ‘Rant-duo from Doire’, Dirty Faces. Bringing
the spirit of Derry to Brighton in the form of electronic beats and punk poetry. The set had the
crowd bouncing and shouting for an encore. They played a new jokey song detailing their
experiences with “Soundmen” over the years which went down swimmingly with the crowd.
Those of you who are fans of Sleaford Mods, it is almost guaranteed that Dirty Faces will be for
you.
Finally, the night’s headliners- Polite Bureaux. Formed in Bradford and now based in Brighton,
this show was the last of their ‘Deirdress Front Room England tour’, which saw the cities of
Bristol and Leeds as well as Manchester’s Peer Hat. With song names like ‘Taylor Mift’, a song
about “the widening gap in wealth and two artists, one signed to Universal Records, the other
signed to Universal Credit”, the punk poetry theme continued with vocalist/guitarist Joseph Val
Smith providing an energetic performance.
This energy was maintained by the relentless drumming of Tom O’Sullivan, whose three-piece drum kit perfectly mimicked the sound and reliability of a drum machine. Overall, Polite Bureaux’s sound can best be described as equal parts futurism and nostalgia. The keyboard and bassline draw clear parallels to synth-infused 80’s acts like New Order, particularly in songs such as ‘WHAT THE DOORMOUSE SAID’.
Having done many a headline in Brighton, the venue packed out quickly, with heads collectively
bobbing throughout the set. The crowd favourite appeared to be ‘BODYROCKER’, the final song of
the set, which had everyone moving.
You can find Polite Bureaux on Spotify and Apple Music and whilst their first tour has ended,
you can head to their Instagram to keep up to date with their latest whereabouts. For more information click HERE
WORDS AND PICS BY – JEN WOOD
