As September came to a close, Brighton’s beloved Green Door Store threw open its slime coloured gates for another beautiful year of 234 Fest.

In a city teeming with music events, what makes 234 Fest so great? It’s free, inclusive and entirely DIY. It’s the embodiment of the Brighton spirit, curated by tastemaker extraordinaire Megan Johnson.

Brighton’s music ecosystem - delicate yet resilient - depends on the tireless efforts of musicians, venues, and fans alike. Festivals like 234 are lifelines, reinforcing the interconnected web of support that allows the city’s music scene to thrive. Without one, the others falter. As large-scale festivals become increasingly commercialised and seemingly unbothered about local perception, 234 Fest focuses on what truly matters: nurturing emerging talent and fostering a sense of community.

This is captured perfectly in the sweet story of Brighton’s Hutch, who opened the festival in 2021 and closed the festival this year with a joyfully jangly Sunday headline slot. Their rise encapsulates the power of grassroots stages and the opportunities that they afford to emerging artists. Hutch’s journey from opener to headliner is testament to the critical role that local infrastructure plays in supporting DIY music.

Back to 234 2024 - with a can of Carlsberg in one hand and a slice of Yeastie Boys pizza in the other, the scene was perfectly set. Here are just a couple of our highlights from across the jam-packed weekend.

Saturday brought rock, grunge and punk in noisy abundance. Wimp well and truly kick started our day; their bass tone and layered vocals added killer depth to their emo meets hardcore with tinges of heavy Pixies sound. We were so into it, the camera never managed to leave its case. Next up, London band Sulk brought their punky grunge energy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and silky branded undies to the stage.

The pumped up audience rolled into Pussyliquor’s raucous bar set filled with uncensored riot grrrl fury. The front woman crashed through the crowd and screamed from the bartop, stirring up wild pits across the cobbled venue. The pits continued into the night as Electric Cowboy Club rounded off the day with their rough’n’ready rock’n’roll. The crowd erupted on the first note, euphorically agitated by the band’s wicked high energy and exuberance. Revellers were at the merciless command of ECC’s striking frontman.

Sunday shifted gears, soothing Saturday’s hangovers with folk, psych and shoegaze dreamscapes. TINMAN opened the day with a lovely set of alt-folk-psych, their final song leaving the audience entranced as driving guitars and delay-drenched flute bellowed through the venue. Brighton newcomers goodbye captured our ears with their dreamy shoegaze melodies and melted our hearts when guitarist/vocalist Alfie called his Nan to wish her happy birthday during a tech glitch break, sparking a collective sing-along from the crowd. Lovely indie-rock riffs, ethereal vocals and raucous outbursts created a truly gorgeous set.

After sitting down with Glasshouse Red Spider Mite earlier this year, we were excited to bask in their slow-core, post-rock sound with an expanded lineup. The additional guitar embellished and elevated their soundscapes, creating pindrop silence throughout the transfixed audience. You can read our full Artist Spotlight piece with the band here.

Flip Top Head delivered their unique alt-rock orchestral noise to a packed-out room. We delightedly soaked in their beautifully melancholic storytelling and interesting cacophony of sound. Later, Brighton favourites ELLiS.D brought their twisted art-rock edge and alluring vocal acrobatics to the twilight hours. Frontman Ellis took his audience along for the ride, playfully teasing end-of-song applause with instrumental breaks, only to crank up the energy again, instantly turning applause into cheers.

Finally, Hutch returned to the 234 stage with their twangy pop-psych tunes, beguiling the overflowing crowd into sing-song and dance with ultimate crowd pleaser 'Mechanical Bull'. Their whimsical, melodic explorations into the wonders of nature and friendship helped us to blissfully forget about the drizzle outside and impending Monday morning clouds.

Over two days, 234 Fest showcased two distinct edges of the local music scene: Saturday’s grunge-fueled mayhem versus Sunday’s psych-folk serenity. Despite their sonic differences, both days radiated the same unshakeable spirit - a celebration of the kaleidoscopic talent and diversity cultivated in Brighton’s grassroots music venues and DIY cultures. Whether thrashing, swaying or bopping, 234 moved the city to the sound of eclectic, collective strength.

Until next year.