SANAM صنم (Beirut) | Brighton
SANAM Brighton
SANAM صنم (Beirut) live in Brighton at Patterns on Thursday 4th December! Get tickets above, or from SeeTickets.
SANAM is a Beirut-based sextet that merges psych/kraut, improv/skronk, electronics, goth, and jazz elements with traditional Egyptian song and modern Arabic poetry in a compelling brew of widescreen hybrid avant-rock. Emerging from Beirut’s fiercely creative independent scene, the group features Sandy Chamoun (vocals), Antonio Hajj (bass), Farah Kaddour (buzuq), Anthony Sahyoun (guitar, synth), Pascal Semerdjian (drums), and Marwan Tohme (guitars)—each an accomplished musician in their own right, with ties to influential Lebanese acts like Kinematik, Postcards, Al Rahel al Kabir, and Oviid. Formed following an invitation to collaborate with Hans Joachim Irmler (of German krautrock legends Faust) at the Irtijal Festival in 2021, the band solidified its identity during a recording residency in rural Lebanon amid national turmoil.
SANAM captured its debut album Aykathani Malakon entirely live, forgoing overdubs, embracing improvisation and musical friction to create an immersive and otherworldly sonic landscape. With haunting vocals, deeply textured instrumental layers, and texts by Egyptian composer Sayyid Darwish and contemporary Lebanese poets Bassem Hajjar and Paul Shaoul, the album channels the urgency, mysticism, and emotional upheaval of contemporary life in Lebanon and the region. Mixed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem in My Heart) and mastered by Heba Kadry, the debut album was released in June 2023 by UK label Mais Um Discos, garnering notable critical acclaim from The Guardian, The Wire, BBC Radio 6 (from both Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft) and Bandcamp Daily.
SANAM brought its live show to Europe for select engagements in 2023-2024, including festival appearances at Le Guess Who?, Feeërieën, and End of the Road and recorded a live album at London’s Café Oto, released on limited edition cassette by Mais Um Discos, capturing the raw and transcendent energy of the band’s performances.
SANAM made its first trip to North America in June 2025 with a string of festival appearances in Canada, including Sled Island, Everyseeker, and Suoni Per Il Popolo, followed by European festival dates in July, including Roskilde. The band will release their sophomore album with renowned Canadian experimental label Constellation in September 2025, promising a deeper dive into their boundary-defying synthesis of folklore, feedback, and freeform fervor. https://sanambeirut.bandcamp.com/album/aykathani-malakon
+ support
Upcoming Love Thy Neighbour shows:
01082025 – Chris Cohen. Green Door Store
27082025 – The Burning Hell. Komedia
01092025 – Ducks Ltd. Dust
06092025 – Throwing Muses. Chalk
12092025 – Fortitude Valley. Hope & Ruin
19092025 – Nic Cage Against The Machine. Patterns
19092025 – Bridhde Chaimbeul. Komedia
20092025 – Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan. Dust
21092025 – Lawn Chair. The Prince Albert
27092025 – The Beths, Chalk
28092025 – Chris Wood. Lewes Con Club
30092025 – The Wants. Green Door Store
01102025 – Quade. Prince Albert
08102025 – Martha Tilston. Komedia
11102025 – Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart. Lewes Con Club
12102025 – Martin Carthy. Lewes Con Club
12102025 – Naima Bock. West Hill Hall
13102025 – Gwenifer Raymond. Komedia
13102025 – Welly. Chalk
15102025 – MF Tomlinson. Folklore Rooms
17102025 – The Utopia Strong. Hope & Ruin
26102025 – The Lovely Eggs. Brighton
29102025 – Mumble Tide. The Prince Albert
31102025 – Lack of Afro. Patterns
01112025 – Scott Lavene. Hope & Ruin
02112025 – Search Results. Prince Albert
05112025 – CIEL. Patterns
05112025 – ROIS. Green Door Store
09112025 – Lonnie Holley. Lewes Constitutional Club
13112025 – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Concorde 2
14112025 – Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip. Lewes Constitutional Club
15112025 – Stick in the Wheel. Lewes Constitutional Club
15112025 – Niall McNamee. Alphabet
19112025 – Matthew & The Atlas. Lewes Constitutional Club
24112025 – The Belair Lip Bombs. Volks
28112025 – mclusky. Chalk
28112025 – Ozric Tentacles + System 7. Concorde 2
04122025 –SANAM صنم (Beirut). Patterns.
06122025 – Chainska Brassika. Alphabet
13122025 – Cubzoa. Alphabet
13122025 – John Otway & his band. Lewes Constitutional Club
01052026 – Love. Concorde 2
Accessibility: No lift to the venue and steep steps at the entrance, not accessible by wheelchair. Gendered toilets. If you require a carer at the venue, please contact us at info@lovethyneighbourmusic.co.uk for guestlist, with evidence such as a blue badge or access card. If strobe lighting is an issue or if standing for long periods of time is an issue, please contact us in advance. Seats at the back but view may be effected due to how many people are in the venue. Would be possible to place a chair near the stage.
SANAM Brighton
SANAM Brighton