Brighten The Corners is the evolution of Ipswich Sound City, a multi-venue event spread across Ipswich town centre on a Friday and Saturday afternoon/night with music and talks. I went to one of the previous Sound City festivals and was a big fan – it’s a bit like The Great Escape but on a slightly smaller scale with bands performing in venues of varying sizes, live music outside in the square by the Corn Exchange and bands playing the Corn Exchange itself. The first year as Brighten The Corners sees the festival spread across The Corn Exchange, The Baths, St Stephen’s Church, The Smokehouse, outside on Cornhill and Ancient House (which will also host talks). Tickets are a very reasonable £50 for the weekend. There’s a lot (!) of music over the weekend, here are some of our picks:
Beach Riot – Friday, 18:30 – The Smokehouse
If you’re starting your festival after work on the Friday then this would be a strong place to start. Their 2021 album Sub Atomic Party Cool is a an incredible blast of energy with killer guitar sounds. I caught them at Alcopopacruiser a couple of years back and was impressed by how well they pull it off live. Fair warning though, if you play guitar you may well find yourself leaving this set and buying a new fuzz pedal straight away.
Jords – Saturday, 21:50 – The Baths
A new one for me but a real standout when listening to all the bands on the bill. Incredible lyrics, effortless delivery and great production, I reckon Jords, real name Jordan Edwards-Wilks, will be great live. There’s a great vibe to the tracks I’ve heard, I look forward to hearing them live.
Queen Dogs – Saturday, 16:30 – The Cornhill
I’m glad to see Brighten The Corners continuing what Sound City did so well, integrating the local music scene with music from further afield. Queen Dogs, from Bury St Edmonds, are a young band but one who unleash their energy to perfection. They create solid punk music delivered perfectly, their vocalist traversing the stage (and the crowd) from the get go.
Pulled Apart By Horses – Friday, 21:00 – The Corn Exchange
Pulled Apart By Horses have been playing festivals for about as long as I’ve been going to festivals. They’ve had a lineup change or two over the years but the energy hasn’t dipped in that time, the last time I saw them (at The Brudenell a few years back) it was as exciting as seeing them for the first time. I’m looking forward to hearing some of the new material album for the first time (but also hoping for some classics in the mix). If you’ve not seen them before you should really check them out.
Jehst – Friday, 22:00 – The Baths
Another artist that’s new to me, although given that in looking him up I came across a Boiler Room session from ten years ago I’ve clearly been asleep, Incredible lyricism over the top of some incredibly produced music, this sounds like it’ll be a treat.
Gaffa Tape Sandy – Saturday, 16:50 – The Corn Exchange
You know you’re going to have a good day at a festival when Gaffa Tape Sandy are on your schedule. The three piece, originally from down the road in Bury St Edmonds, play loud, fun, energetic garage rock with great hooks, and the kind of positive energy that’ll get you in the mood for the rest of the day.
Cherym – Saturday, 18:35 – The Smokehouse
I went to see Cherym at a festival without hearing them at the suggestion of Jack from Alcopop Records and left with a huge grin on my face. They’re excellent songwriters, musically they’re a pop-punk bundle of fun with some excellent vocal harmonies.
Bridget. – Friday, 15:10 – The Cornhill
Another familiar face on the local scene Bridget has gone from strength to strength with a solid set of local shows, tour supports and even features on other people’s tracks, it feels as though she’s already accomplished a lot despite being a solo performer for a relatively short amount of time. With a distinctive vocal growl I’m sure a lot of heads will be turned in the outdoor setting of The Cornhill.
The Go Team – Saturday, 22:10 – The Corn Exchange
The Go Team are one of those bands that I don’t follow particularly closely but will always go and watch if the opportunity presents itself. Their slightly retro, incredibly joyful, songwriting and their vibrant, energetic, live performances create such a fun atmosphere. As good a festival headliner as you could hope for really.
Lianne Kaye – Friday, 20:20 – The Cornhill
I caught Lianne performing as a duo a couple of months back and it was an incredible performance so an opportunity to hear her with a full band is something to look forward to. Incredible song writer with a real feel for dynamics in the performance. Should be a nice way to end Friday’s outdoor offering.
Honerable mentions to Ditz, She’s In Parties, Gabby Rivers, Deathcrash and Ishmael Ensemble – they all sound great and I’ll be trying to watch as many over the weekend as possible.
Paper Champion 
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