The Great Escape – one of the leading showcase festivals in Europe – returns to Brighton from May 10 to 13, 2023. The British festival is the perfect place to discover new music, showcasing more than 500 up-and-coming artists from all over the world while running a conference featuring insightful panels and many networking opportunities.
The 2023 edition holds a special place in our hearts since Italy has been announced as TGE’s Lead Country Partner. That’s why you’re all invited to La Festa: The Italian Showcase, featuring some of the coolest emerging acts in the Italian music scene. Whether you’re a music enthusiast looking for your new favourite artist or a music industry professional seeking the next big thing, come join us on May 11 and 12!
As you relax and enjoy two days packed with exciting music, you will get the opportunity to listen to Sans Soucis, MILANOSPORT, Eugenia Post Meridiem, BLUEM, The Gluts, Maria Chiara Argirò and Anna Bassy.
Learn more about the Italian acts and find gig details below. See you in Brighton!
LA FESTA DAYTIME – MAY 11, PATTERNS UPSTAIRS
MILANOSPORT
Genre: Post Punk
Schedule:
May 11, 12.15 – Patterns Upstairs
May 12, 20.30 – Three Wise Cats
MILANOSPORT are Fender guitars, 10 amps and synth bound together by teamwork. Each member of this romantic post-punk band from Milan carries a completely different musical past, where punk mixes itself with surf rock, synth-pop, electronic Soviet, shoegaze and Irish folk. “Ain’t big enough”, the band’s first self-released EP, allowed Milanosport to reach the international market by playing Linecheck Festival in November 2022. Currently, the band is working on their first album produced by Jennifer Gentle’s frontman Marco Fasolo.
ANNA BASSY
Genre: R&B/Soul
Schedule: May 11, 13.15 – Patterns Upstairs
Italian-Nigerian singer-songwriter Anna Bassy is one of the most interesting emerging artists in the Italian new soul scene, blending African roots with soul, pop, electronic, and folk influences. In 2022, Anna released a new EP “Genesi”: a return to the roots, including some of the first songs she ever wrote. She was also selected to be part of the 2022 Keychange program, the international movement for gender balance in the music industry.
SANS SOUCIS
Genre: Pop
Schedule: May 11, 14.15 – Patterns Upstairs
Sans Soucis’ music is a radical act of reclamation, born out of a desire to reconnect with the uninhibited joyfulness and authenticity of childhood that all of us lose as we grow older. The London-based artist received praise from The Guardian, Pitchfork and many more, thanks to her unique style combining elements of Congolese Rumba, classic Italian songwriting, electronic R&B and alt-pop sounds. Accolades include the Music Music Moves Europe ‘Grand Jury’ prize, inclusion in Spotify’s global RADAR campaign, and TicketMaster’s breakthrough artist for 2023, while she recently performed at iconic festivals such as Eurosonic and SXSW.
MARIA CHIARA ARGIRÒ
Genre: Electronic/Jazz
Schedule: May 11, 15.15 – Patterns Upstairs
Maria Chiara Argirò (pronounced ma-REE-ah key-AH-rah r-gee-ROW) has been quietly weaving her way around the UK jazz, classical and electronic worlds since she moved to London from Rome 11 years ago. She’s lent her skills to indie band These New Puritans, lush jazz troupe Kinkajous and, more recently, she collaborated with Jamie Leeming – their album Flow was nominated in the Jazz Revelations Awards “Album Of 2020″ category and was the Guardian’s jazz album of the month – and beat-driven duo Moonfish. But with her new album, “Forest City”, she finds a glistening thread between these movements: it marks her out as an exciting rising electronic artist, where jazz meets Kelly Lee Owens, Jon Hopkins and Radiohead.
LA FESTA NIGHT-TIME, MAY 12 – THREE WISE CATS
THE GLUTS
Genre: Post Punk/Psychedelic Rock
Schedule: May 12, 19.30 – Three Wise Cats
The Gluts is a noise-punk and psychedelic four-piece band based in Milan. The members are Marco Campana (guitarist), Nicolò Campana (vocals/synth/percussions), Claudia Cesana, (bassist), and Dario Bruno Bassi (drummer). Up to this moment the band has released four studio albums Warsaw (in 2014 for Nasoni Records), Estasi, Dengue Fever Hypnotic Trip, and Ungrateful Heart (respectively in 2017, 2019, and 2021 for Fuzz Club Records). Over the past few years, the band has toured extensively around Europe playing independent festivals and performing both in South Africa and the USA.
BLUEM
Genre: Alternative/Pop
Schedule: May 12, 21.30 – Three Wise Cats
Chiara Floris, also known as BLUEM, is a Sardinian singer, songwriter, and producer living in London. Her music has been heavily influenced by her pole dance practice, which has taught her discipline and hard work. Her latest album, “Nou,” is set to be released in May representing her Sardinian heritage in a way that feels authentic both to her and to the culture. She creates a rich musical landscape that stays true to Sardinian musical traditions, stories and sounds while moving them forward in its own way.
EUGENIA POST MERIDIEM
Genre: Alternative Rock/Indie
Schedule: May 12, 22.30 – Three Wise Cats
Eugenia Post Meridiem took shape in the summer of 2017 when the four of them met. Distinct 60s and 70s psychedelic directions are combined with the 90s sound textures that are held together, interpreted and channeled through four completely different musical backgrounds. 2020 saw them playing several key festivals, including ESNS, MENT and WAVES Vienna, and getting selected for the INES talent pool. In 2021 the band released LIFE SLEEPER SIDE A and SIDE B, which were followed up by performances at the MIL festival in Portugal and Reeperbahn in Germany. Eugenia Post Meridiem released their second studio album “Like I need a Tension” in November 2022 via Bronson Recordings.