Darren Straight's Blog

Barfly are proud to announce the return of The Great Escape Festival which will bring the best of live music from across the World back to Brighton on the 17th 19th May next year, after this years The Great Escape Festival reportedly became Europe’s best global export ready showcase festival.  Which isn’t bad at all considering it was it’s first year!

The Great Escape Festival 2006 in Numbers:

• 20 venues
• 180+ of the hottest new artists
• 3 days and nights 
• 200 key media attended from the UK and around the world
• 650 international music industry professionals in attendance.
• 4500 music lovers
• The festival was SOLD OUT

It is clear to see the success of the first Great Escape Festival by looking at what just a few of the relatively unknown bands that were selected to play by Martin Elbourne are doing now:

• The Kooks are now approaching triple platinum sales in the UK
• The Feeling have had over 100,000 UK sales since The Great Escape Festival
• Paolo Nutini has had over 100,000 record sales since TGE
• Guillemots received a Mercury Music Prize Nomination since TGE
• Metric (CN) have released an album through Drowned in Sound Recordings since TGE

The world’s music industry dragged itself out of bed each day after a hard night of gigs and parties to attend the talks held at various venues across town. Speakers included Michael Eavis (Glastonbury Festival), Laurence Bell (Domino), Peter Hook (New Order) and Rob da Bank (Radio1 / Sunday Best).

2007′s Great Escape Festival plans to be bigger and better.  With Brighton’s larger capacity venues on board for year 2 it will be possible to showcase even bigger bands than last year with more fans able to share in the experience.

So the question now is, are you interested in coming?

If so then check out www.escapegreat.com for more details!