In this feature, we pick out our favourite emerging artists from stages around the world.

This time we head back for our second year at The Great Escape’s FIRST FIFTY mini-festival in East London. As you may know, FIRST FIFTY exists as a three-day taster of what’s to come at the renowned tastemaker festival in Brighton, taking place across a host of East London’s beloved venues including The Old Blue Last, Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, The Courtyard Theatre and Zigfrid Von Underbelly, to name but a few.

As expected, the line-up this year was as strong as ever so we descended upon the Shoreditch area to catch as many acts as we could. Here’s a selection of our favourite live picks…

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WOOZE – NOVEMBER 27^TH, The Curtain (LP Room)



Our first notable performance of the London mini-fest came at the Curtain Hotel’s LP Room, where British-Korean duo Wooze took to the stage and treated East London to a bombastic half-hour of infectious art-rock.

Now, while Wooze aren’t total newcomers to us (having covered their superb singles ‘Party Without Ya’ and ‘Ladies Who Lunch With Me’ before catching up with the band for an interview), like most we were only very recently seduced by their monumental guitar riffs, charismatic vocals, visually stunning videos and religious devotion to the colour yellow. So, this FIRST FIFTY performance comes as our first real taste of Wooze’s live show, and needless to say it did not disappoint.

Full of high-octane guitar licks, red-blooded basslines and synchronised Devo-esque choreography, Wooze’s four-piece live band powered through a number of new and known songs with poise, panache and a wry smile at all times before closing their set with the amusingly titled ‘Cousin Paul (from Paddington)’.

The future is yellow, folks. Get on board.



SQUID – NOVEMBER 27^TH, The Macbeth



As you may have noticed in recent months, we simply haven’t been able to get enough of rising post-punk five-piece Squid. We raved about their phenomenal Dan Carey-produced debut single ‘The Dial’ and even caught up with the guys (under the amusing pretext of interviewing the band about their ultimate sleepover soundtrack). So, it really should come as no surprise that this exhilarating quintet are our second highlight of the FIRST FIFTY festival - and a snore, it wasn’t.

Taking place at Hoxton’s famed music hub - The Macbeth, Squid blazed through a blinding set of angular, shape-shifting and largely unknown jams with a palpable confidence, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re one of the UK’s most exciting bands at the moment.

The band have only a couple of dates left in 2018 so catch them if you can.



WALT DISCO – NOVEMBER 28^TH, The Macbeth



Back at our old haunt the following night, we had the great pleasure of being introduced to crooning Glaswegian quartet Walt Disco.

This suave four-piece were entirely unknown to us before their headline slot at The Macbeth but we were immediately won over by their distinctly danceable new wave jams and flamboyant stage presence.

The charming foursome smashed through a number of chorus-ridden floorfillers including ‘Dream Girl #2’ and their excellent new single ‘Danube’.

Catch their swooning vocals and driving rhythms as a matter of urgency.



JOCKSTRAP – NOVEMBER 28^TH, The Macbeth



Next up on the bill were London-based experimental pop outfit Jockstrap who charmed the Macbeth crowd with their woozy tales of modern life, marked by Taylor Skye’s homespun electronics and frontwoman Georgia Ellery’s beautifully seductive vocals.

We’ve covered this eccentric twosome a couple times in the past (namely their off-kilter alt. pop gem ‘Hayley’ and their confrontational recent single ‘Joy’), but their live show lends a whole new perspective to their puzzling yet powerful project.

On this occasion, Ellery and Skye were joined by a full live band thereby fleshing out their sinister take on the Bossa Nova sound with live beats, violin and flute (not to mention the band’s percussionist spitting a few bars at the show’s climax).

If you’re in London, be sure to catch Jockstrap at their upcoming ‘Evening With Strings’ at St. Pancras Old Church this Thursday 6^th December.



DUENDITA – NOVEMBER 28^TH, The Macbeth



Rising Queens-based artist, Candace Lee Camacho pka Duendita capped off, not only the night’s festivities, but also what proved a truly remarkable line-up.

Despite being a complete unknown to us previously, we quickly became enthralled by this young musician’s spine-tingling and full-bodied avant-soul cuts marked by jazz-inflected grooves, and otherworldly atmospheres, not to mention Camacho’s honeyed and utterly beguiling set of vocals.

She effortlessly glided through a number of songs (reminiscent of the legendary work of psychedelic soul collective Soulquarians), including recent single ‘Magdalena’ as well as a few tracks from her Direct Line To My Creator EP, to rapturous applause from The Macbeth crowd.

Keep your ears peeled for the inevitably spellbinding material Camacho has planned for future release.



Catch you at the official Great Escape festival in May!

-Karl Jawara