Multiple Venues, Brighton

Words by Sara-Louise Bowrey with some by Peter Greenfoeld, all pics by Sara…

Brighton’s Mutations Festival returned in 2025 with two days of thrilling unpredictability — a wild, city-wide circuit of punk, noise, experimental catharsis, and quiet, introspective gems.

Its real magic lies in the contrast: hushed, intimate moments in one venue, full-throttle chaos in the next. For anyone willing to roam between rooms, stairwells, basements and bars, the weekend felt like a curated adventure in discovery.

Friday Highlights

Divorce – Chalk

Opening the festival with sharp intent, Divorce set the tone immediately. Angular guitars, taut rhythms, and sardonic harmonies created a set that swayed between brittle tension and explosive release. Raw but razor-tight — a gripping start.

Ratboys – Revenge

Over at Revenge, Ratboys countered the intensity with melodic warmth. Shimmering guitar lines and heartfelt vocals filled the room with a glowing, communal energy that lingered long after they left the stage.

Party Dozen – Chalk (Second Set)

Stepping in at short notice, Sydney duo Party Dozen turned a scheduling gap into a highlight. Saxophone howls, thunderous drums, and escalating chaos fused into something feral, joyful, and unforgettable.

Winter – Dust

An early arrival at Dust revealed Winter, delivering a hushed, dreamlike set of delicate guitar work and whispered vocals. A brief, beautiful pause before the evening’s more abrasive turns.

Adult DVD – Dust

Then came the jolt. Adult DVD snapped the room awake with jagged post-punk rhythms and glitchy electronics. Urgent, tight, and impossible to ignore.

DITZ – Revenge

DITZ unleashed controlled chaos at Revenge. Frontman Cal Francis repeatedly threw himself into the crowd, while the band’s industrial, pounding noise scorched through the venue. A fearless, communal eruption.

Vlure – Dust

Glasgow’s Vlure delivered near-religious intensity. Pounding drums, throbbing electronics, and shimmering synths lit up Dust in one of the weekend’s most ecstatic moments.

The Sick Man of Europe – Hope & Ruin

Closing Friday, The Sick Man of Europe blended wiry post-punk with off-kilter rock’n’roll. Loose, alive, and conspiratorial — the perfect ending to a night of sonic whiplash.

Saturday Highlights

Thistle – Dust

Saturday began quietly with Thistle, whose foggy, textured soundscapes rewarded patient listeners and set a reflective early tone.

Lemonsuckr – Dust

Then came the rupture. Lemonsuckr blasted the room with abrasive noise-punk — compact, violent, and utterly energising.

Saint Clair – Dust

Saint Clair followed with soft cinematic glow. Soulful vocals and electronic textures transformed Dust into a dreamlike space; a beautiful palette cleanser.

Yaang – Patterns

At Patterns, Yaang explored glitchy, experimental pop. Warped synths and jagged rhythms slowly hypnotised the crowd into full absorption.

EBBB – Patterns

EBBB hit with industrial weight — dense, pounding low-end and immersive rhythms that were impossible to stand still through.

Keo – Chalk

As early evening hit Chalk, Keo poured out raw emotion, distorted guitar, and urgent rhythms. A set that connected deeply and left a mark long after.

The Oozes – Revenge

Bright, bold, and delightfully chaotic, The Oozes kept energy levels high with queercore swagger and infectious pop-punk hooks.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Chalk

Then the earthquake. Pigsx7 turned Chalk into a vortex of sludge, noise, and monumental riffs. Relentless, overwhelming, exhilarating.

The None – Revenge

The None delivered tense, sleek post-punk with coldwave precision. A shadowy, hypnotic atmosphere locked the room into stillness.

Lambrini Girls – Chalk

Pulling the festival’s biggest crowd, Lambrini Girls tore through a politically charged punk set that was as furious as it was unifying. Explosive, defiant, and unforgettable.

Lynks – Revenge

Lynks arrived glitter-first, serving art-pop excellence with choreography, punchy lyrics, and irresistible beats. Pure joy.

Jeanie and The White Boys – Hope & Ruin

Starting early and starting loud, Jeanie and The White Boys ignited Hope & Ruin with a chaotic fusion of punk, blues, and riot grrrl energy. Jeanie dominated both stage and crowd with theatrical force.

Jools – Hope & Ruin

Leicester’s Jools closed the festival with dual vocals, pounding drums, and politically charged, danceable chaos. Mosh pits, stage climbs, total immersion — a fittingly wild finale.

Conclusion

Mutations Festival 2025 thrived on contrasts: quiet contemplation against explosive noise, delicate textures alongside pummelling heaviness, sincerity colliding with unruly provocation.

Across Brighton’s venues, artists pushed boundaries — often unpredictably, always compelling. Once again, Mutations proved itself one of the UK’s most vital festivals: a celebration of fearless creativity, discovery, and shared, sweaty chaos.