LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: Brick Fest @ The Brickmakers, Norwich

29th August 2022

This August Bank Holiday The Brickmakers Norwich played host to their last BrickFest as the current owners are moving on after 20 years. There's talk that their successors are big music fans and plan to keep the event going but for now this was their farewell party!

The festival boasted three stages, two indoor and one outdoor and played host to a whole variety of incredibly talented, largely East Anglian bands. The event leaned quite heavily towards cover bands and I can see why as everyone likes to hear a song they’re familiar with but heart lies with original music so this review will likely focus mainly on those.

Kicking things off on the outside stage were the first cover band of the day, Echo Chamber. I really liked them. They played a good mix of songs including “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and “No Scrubs.” They had a fun on stage dynamic and I loved the singers energy. They sounded great despite claiming to be suffering after a heavy Bank Holiday weekend. I would be interested to hear them do some original material as they're clearly all very talented musicians! They were great fun to shoot too, probably some of my favourite shots from my photography journey so far!

Moving indoors I turned my attention to the delightful Rhea who sang a selection of covers arranged in a peaceful lo-fi tone including “Born to be Wild” which was interesting to hear performed in such a modest way. I had to laugh during her cover of Radiohead's Creep where fucking was changed to special to keep things PG13! Rhea was clearly very nervous and on numerous occasions apologised, she needn’t have been so unsure as her voice is beautiful and her set was delivered in a majestic fashion.

Back outside and on to our first originals band of the day Dynamite and Dinosaurs these were so much fun delivering their larger and louder than life brand of good honest rock! “The Alarm” was a cheery number about climate change and how we'll all be dead soon. "New Age Medallion Man" was super catchy and infectious and the rather silly "Half Man Half Llama" has been stuck in my head since hearing it! I also found myself obsessed with the drummer. He had such a fun, quirky stage presence and all his facial expressions were priceless!

Next up were The Black Dog Music Project who had stepped in at the last minute. These were in fact the charity the event was being put on in aid of. They support people with mental health problems and disabilities through music as a way to boost confidence. As someone who has suffered with my own mental health over the years I know what a powerful tool music can be and how much comfort it can bring so I think this is a wonderful charity doing incredible work. Volunteer Mark took to the stage with three of the service users. The drummer and guitarist looked very comfortable in what they were doing while initially singer Rachel showed a few nerves however once she settled into her stride she owned the stage like a pro! Tackling covers such as “Mr Brightside'' and the challenging “Sweet Child O Mine.” She sang beautifully and should be very proud of herself!

After that I watched another cover band this time in the shape of Burnlock who were like a 90's lover's dream with covers of “Breakfast at Tiffany's” and “Losing My Religion.” Their rendition of “Genie in a Bottle” was fun and a totally different dynamic sung by two blokes. I particularly like the nose holding on the chorus to get the right vocal key! These were another band I’d like to hear some originals by as I think their heavy 90’s influence would likely make for some great retro feeling tracks!

After Burnlock I headed back into B2 for AJQJ, a band who weren't on the original line up and I knew nothing about. Turned out the lads were a replacement for themselves, well another of their bands who had had to pull out last minute. They were amazing, a high energy dose of pop punk infused alt rock with a bit of a funky edge. I'd not planned to watch their whole set but they piqued my interest from start to finish. Plenty of loud guitars, dirty basslines and addictive vocals. I'm not sure why I've not heard of them before! The singer confessed they like to think they "infuse people's brains with movement" and while they didn't get the circle pit they were encouraging they definitely had me doing a modest bounce throughout! I will say though the singer needs to stop being so self deprecating! Numerous times he suggested "you could buy a CD, but you probably don't want to" maybe he was being humble or maybe they don't realise just how good they are! Hopefully it's the former.

After AJQJ I sneaked outside to catch a bit of Fat N Furious who included two members of Dyamite and Dinosaurs. I only saw a couple of songs so can't say too much but I liked their old school rock n roll sound. It was proper danceable drinking music. I particularly enjoyed the double bass and the harmonica was a fun addition.

(full gallery here)

Next up Click Roll Boom favourites Pink Lemonade added a bit of sugar coated sparkle the B2 stage. The girls (and lads!) deliver a super infectious bubbly pop sound with grunge infused guitars and a gritty baseline. They sing about space girls, disastrous first dates and the powerpuff girls as well as their live favourite, a fun cover of Wannabe which I like far better than the original. The sisters on stage dynamic is so fun and friendly, they're instantly likeable and their smiles light up the whole room! It's impossible not to get a warm fuzzy feeling inside watching them play! This is the second time I've seen Pink Lemonade and while the set was basically the same, the girl's confidence has grown tenfold in the last 6 months. If you like music that doesn't take itself too seriously Pink Lemonade is the band for you!

Going from a band who are super cute and kid friendly I moved on to By Virtue Fall, one of the heaviest bands I've seen in a very long time! The band confessed to having not played live in years not that you'd have known from watching them! My inner suppressed metalhead wanted to love their loud angry sound but it's simply too heavy for me these days! They were good at what they do and clearly have a faithful following who moshed the whole time but it's just not for me I'm afraid.

Bringing the pace back down I headed to watch another Click Roll Boom fave, Sons of Mark. These lads get it, they know that when playing to a festival crowd you need to mix some covers into your set to keep people's interests but they don't just deliver flat covers they mash up songs and keep it interesting while adding some originals in to encourage people to go and check out their own music. Their Oasis mash-up was absolute genius! I've seen the boys before at an event in Yarmouth where they played sat down and while I loved their laid back acoustic style their performance at Brick Fest was so much better. They ooze character, personality and energy which got lost being seated. I was already a fan of Son of Mark and had high expectations and they didn't disappoint. They're bursting with talent and passion. I highly recommend giving them a listen!

I then went off for my last outside band of the day Blind Tiger. These were another band I wasn't familiar with but who impressed me a lot. I enjoyed the on stage rapport between the singer and bass player. There were lots of smiles and great crowd interaction which is a winner with me. They were also the first band who played up to the camera which was fun to shoot! They delivered a mix of alt rock laced with metalcore and somewhat reminded me of Blessthefall. Lots of loud drums, sludgy bass and epic vocals. They put on a great show and are definitely a band I'll be checking out on Spotify!

Next up were TRUTHTELLER who are a band we've done an interview with before but I'd never managed to see live so I was excited for their set and they didn't let me down! They have a really unique sound with most songs starting with a progressive indie (is that even a thing?! If its not it should be!) concept before launching into a powerhouse djent sound with complex rhythm and mind blowing vocals. They reminded me a lot of bands like TeaseracT and Periphery. I loved the passion that poured from the band. They're loud and brash but in a down to earth, thoughtful kind of way. At one point I closed my eyes and the music takes on a whole new dimension, like it consumes you whole. TRUTHTELLER are something unique and very special I can guarantee this one be the last time I encounter them live. Amazing stuff!

Back to another covers band this time in the form of Dead Horse. I must admit these played largely covers I didn't know so that was kinda fun. They performed a nice mix spanning classic rock, nu-metal and punk. They had a fun stage presence. The singer was quite the character and was another one with lots of interesting facial expressions!

I need to mention Vast Slug, I didn't shoot or even watch them but I headed round to B2 to get a spot for KAVES and could hear them playing from outside and they sounded truly terrifying! They made By Virtue Fall sound like nursery rhymes! Their singer is definitely one very angry man!

At last it was time for the main reason I went to Brick Fest KAVES! What can I say about KAVES that I've not said before. They're amazing and I'm a proper Fangirl over them! I love fierce female fronted bands and for me they clicked straight away. Their live shows are consistently amazing. Catlin apologises every time before a slower song for her voice being off then proceeds to sing perfectly. They are just a sensational band and lovely people to boot. After my last review they commented that they're seen as an "oddball band" and I don't get it! They span multiple generations and each member brings a different musical influence leading to a sound that is well rounded and crosses over enough genres it should appeal to almost everyone. There's some funk, rock, nu-metal and even a little indie. Tim is an immense guitar player, Catlin's vocals are some of the best I've heard live, Mia has all the attitude and stance a bass player should have and drummer Mike is an absolute pro and all round top bloke!

I could rave about KAVES all day, I want these guys to be massive. I've seen them live three times now and they never disappoint. They even played my favourite “Anaesthetic” which I was buzzed about! The band admitted to not really liking playing it live anymore but the crowd seem to love it! It's a great song recorded and sounded even better live. If you've still not checked them out you really need to. I promise you'll not be disappointed!

On a high after KAVES I headed for the last band of the day Counterfeit Brits who did exactly what it says on the tin. They played a good selection of classic Britpop anthems with a few early 2000's indie favourites thrown in for good measure. They looked the part, sounded the part and the crowd loved them! Great singalong and the perfect way to end what had been a really great event.

Overall the festival was incredible lots of talent on display, maybe a few too many cover bands for my liking but I understand that's what a lot of the crowd wanted. The event managed to raise over 4k for The Black Dog Music Project which was phenomenal. Hopefully it will be back next year under the new owners because it really was a bloody good day out!