No Friends In The Industry- The Hope & Ruin

No Friends In The Industry Brighton

Love Thy Neighbour’s unofficial parties return!

No Friends in the Industry is a free entry floor show in the bar area of The Hope & Ruin. The stage runs across all three days of the festival from Thursday 16th May to Saturday 18th May.

Thursday:

2.30pm – Psymon Spine: Imbued with a sense of disorienting euphoria, Head Body Connector embraces abstract pop as a vessel to explore temporality, togetherness, beauty, and chaos. The latest offering from Psymon Spine (Noah Prebish, Peter Spears, and Brother Michael Rudinski) comes out on Northern Spy this February and is a gritty, punchy, guitar-forward studio record from a band obsessed with production.

3.30pm – The Belair Lip Bombs: The band has really hit their stride recently with the release of their debut album ‘Lush Life’. The record is 10 tracks of evocative exploration; stories that run a gamut of longing, seeking new horizons and discovering new paths to satisfaction and self-fulfillment. It showcases the bands evolution and song writing abilities with striking indie arrangements and catchy hooks.The album is starting to catch worldwide attention and the band is gearing up towards a breakout year in 2024.

4.30pm – smol fish: Indie pop four-piece smol fish are a band of best friends from Boorloo, Australia. With earnest lyricism and playful instrumentation, the band explores the lovely and lonesome aspects of being a 20-something navigating the world today. Though self-described as “not big,” smol fish have already achieved some notable accomplishments in their music career. They have been selected as a Triple J Unearthed feature artist, their song “Sad Girl Summer” was the most played track on RTRFM in 2021 and, in 2022, smol fish had the incredible opportunity to support Noah Dillon on a national tour, playing in 12 cities across Australia

5.30pm – The Tubs: London-based Welsh band The Tubs announce their debut album, Dead Meat, out 27th January via Trouble in Mind. Owen “O” Williams and George “GN” Nicholls, the primary songwriters from the group Joanna Gruesome, formed the band in 2018 following a trip to Llawr-Betws caravan park.

7.30pm – TBA

8.30pm – My First Time: Bristol based quartet My First Time have their foot pressed firmly on the accelerator. With driving guitar hooks, and waspish vocal lines that capture observations of modern society and all its idiosyncrasies, they package these ingredients into three minute post-pop nuggets.

9.30pm – For Breakfast: Hailing from North London, For Breakfast pull together individuals from a variety of musical backgrounds as they set about bolting elements of dream pop, post-rock, jazz, noise rock and psychedelia together.

10.30pm – Hutch: While inter-mingling all this international psych-pop influence and escapist imagery, Hutch’s story so-far could not be told, or would not have happened without the current boom in their local Brighton grassroots circuit. What band describe as a “one-of-a-kind, close-knit community”, The scene has flourished since the pandemic, thriving on mutual support, close-collaboration, with a whole gamut of diverse, interesting acts, starting to reach audiences nationwide in the past 12 months

Friday:

2.30pm – No Windows: The award-winning Edinburgh-based duo No Windows fuse DIY, folk and classic pop on their second EP Point Nemo, set to be released on 3 May by Fat Possum. Taking its name from the location farthest away from land in the world, the five track EP evokes wintry isolation, and marks a significant step forward for the duo, taking inspiration from the expansive sound-worlds of Elliott Smith and Cocteau Twins, their Scottish peers Cloth and Jacob Alon, and a shared musical curiosity that is all their own.

3.30pm – Ugly: Originally hailing from Cambridge, now residing in London – Ugly have been using downtime to craft a sound true to their own. 
 Fusing inspiration from various backgrounds of Choral, Post-Rock and the staples of the 60s/70s, Ugly’s take on the writing process is unique and constantly moving forward.

4.30pm – Plantoid: Take a look at the cover art for Plantoid’s debut album, the jazzy, prog-rock opus Terrapath. In a desolate, misty landscape, a massive half-vegetable, half-machine structure resembling a spaceship looms above figures shrouded in shadow. It’s weird and eerie, but it also ignites a feeling of wonder and nostalgia, like cracking open your favourite sci-fi novel as a kid.

5.30pm – Ellie Bleach: Ellie Bleach narrates a world of peculiar characters. With a penchant for cinematic storytelling, her wry wit and esoteric lyrical style harbour a biting cynicism that examines the strange eccentricities of modern life. Pulling from
the world-building mastery of Ethel Cain and the charismatic showmanship of CMAT, her music soundtracks a
rotating cast of lonely misunderstood people that exist within suburbia.

7.30pm – Maximilian: Maximilian is an alternative singer/songwriter for fans of: Jeff Buckley, Grizzly Bear, Alex G and Adrianne Lenker. The debut 10 track album ‘Surrender’ was released in March, an enticing journey from anguish to acceptance. With each live show being different in both arrangements and feel of each song, you don’t want to miss the next one.

8.30pm – Ducks Ltd: Ducks Ltd. are a Toronto band featuring Australian lead guitarist Evan Lewis and U.K-born, U.S.-raised singer, bassist, and rhythm guitarist Tom McGreevy. As Ducks Ltd., the two thrive on skirting the edges of buoyant jangle pop and driving power pop. Their latest album, Harm’s Way, contains anxious songs that McGreevy explains are “about struggling. About watching people I care for suffer, and trying to figure out how to be there for them. And about the strain of living in the world when it feels like it’s ready to collapse.”

9.30pm – Home Counties: When disenchantment runs high, when city life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be — when you’re forking out seven quid for a pint, shivering in a queue for a club night you don’t really care about, getting ripped off by landlords over blu tac stains, and squeezing in studio sessions around a relentless 9-5 schedule, there is only one logical response: fun.

10.30pm – Caitlin Rose: With a voice equal parts honeyed and world-weary, Caitlin Rose sings self-aware songs of self-destruction, documenting proclivity and impulse control, bad habits in life and in romantic pursuits. Her albums brim with incisive, well-observed tracks full of searching vulnerability, ruminating on the things done to us and the various coping mechanisms and behaviors we adopt to feel in control in their wake. A standout staple of Nashville’s rock scene, Rose is “witty, brilliant company” (Pitchfork) and a “promisingly wry lyricist” (The Guardian) with a “wily and impressive blend of melancholy and cheek.” (New York Times)

Saturday:

2.30pm – Van Zon: Formed in June 2023, Van Zon have been carving a space for their very own brand of folk-tinged experimental post rock in Brighton. With versatile multi- instrumentalists playing over the ethereal timbres of electronic drones, they “possess an endless impressive ability to adapt their sound to stunning results”. After just five months of capturing audiences and firmly establishing themselves on the Brighton and London live circuit, they sold out their first headline show at the legendary venue, Green Door Store.

3.30pm – Hollow Hand

4.30pm – Sunnbrella is the project of London-based musician and producer David Zbirka that rides the line between shoegaze and chronically online pop. Fresh off supporting Brooklyn indie legends Beach Fossils on their UK tour and having just released their new “glitching kaleidoscopic” single ‘have your say on February 14th, the project is set to play a string of headline shows around the UK this summer.

5.30pm – Bumble B Boy: Bumble B. Boy is a fast-emerging art-punk artist and failed children’s entertainer, pushing boundaries and pulling in shocked, awe-struck crowds with his unique blend of theatrics, storytelling and electric punk energy.

7.30pm – Flip Top Head: Sporting two-tone swagger, punkish grit and a poetic post-rock melody – it’s no surprise Flip Top Head is already sharing bills with fellow high-risers , , and since their debut single in February 2023 – including landing appearances at the Great Escape, Brighten The Corners and sŵn festivals.

8.30pm – Glasshouse Red Spider Mite

9.30pm – Full Flower Moon Band: Full Flower Moon band are the definition of rock ‘n’ roll… Frontwoman persona ‘Babyshakes Dillon’, walks in many shoes, from snakeskin boots to stilettos. This alter ego can act as a convenient buffer between the songwriter and their words, particularly when they’re bowing at the altar of excess. Their 2022 album ‘Diesel Forever’ catapulted opportunities for the band, having wrapped a national tour with The Black Crowes; the band has quickly solidified themselves as one of Australia’s biggest rock acts, with festival slots on Splendour In The Grass, Yours & Owls and more.

10.30pm – Parker Fans: Parker Fans are an Amsterdam indie boogie three-way bromance, made for the later slots in the stickier clubs. Frontman Kick Kluiving lays out his deceptively intricate urban mini-tragedies (and comedies) over a deceptively simple foundation of drum samples, bass guitar and synthesizer. The result is a sleek live act that convinces both as a sing-along spectacle and as an unobtrusive backdrop for your own escapades. A self-titled EP came out in 2023. Did we mention you can dance to them? You can dance to Parker Fans. It’s very easy in fact!

We also run a stage at Fiddler’s Elbow that runs after this stage, so if you’re still wanting more after these shows we have your back!

Please remember that these shows often get very busy! If you want to catch a particular band we would advise turning up at least 30mins beforehand as it is a small venue.