A stacked lineup and packed room offer a window into the DIY promoters working to keep Brighton’s grassroots music scene alive (and amused with memes).

On 14 February, IFLIPPINGLUVBRIGHTON kicked off their 2026 with an emphatic and antithesising Valentine’s Day gig, curating a bombastic affair with The Wrong Trousers, Flytrap and Call Me Franco gracing Green Door Store - the perfect venue for such an occasion. 

IFLIPPINGLUVBRIGHTON was born from brothers Oscar and Riley Oliver, alongside their close friend Dexter Clark, as an effort to retain a positive and fruitful grassroots music scene here in Brighton. They've honed in on a truly considered array of gig curations and, as part of their USP, created memes regarding venues and bands to win over said bands and fans.

They debuted in 2023 with a Sad Dads headline show at the Prince Albert, with support from Room Service and Telecom. It was a resounding success and since then, they have continued to cut no corners with each impeccable gig they've curated, solidifying themselves as a formidable promo team in the booming Brighton music scene. They certainly guarantee a phenomenal night out.

The wrong trousers

Who else but The Wrong Trousers? Over the course of their tenure, the Brighton grassroots music scene has seen The Wrong Trousers blossom into one of the tightest bands in the area, and for this bill, they did not disappoint. With their 60s influence and a formidable DIY punk sonic aesthetic, they were always going to be a great choice to open the show. 

Their set sounded massive with their attention to layering playing a pivotal role in their tracks. A personal favourite, ‘Postman’, sounded emphatic with backing vocals behind the lead vocals giving it that attention to dynamics it craves. They utilise these boisterous backing vocals superbly throughout the set, acting as a call and response in some tracks, but others acting as a doubling effect to really hit some lyrics home. Their stage presence was as formidable as ever with Tiger (vocals) pacing around the stage, elevating the attitude of the tracks. You can tell that they have a fantastic synergy and brotherhood between them, and after playing live for almost 4 years now, they flourish in front of a Brighton crowd and have built a real following. 

Their attention to rhythm is a key element of why their set is so captivating and tight, with George (drums) treating the audience to an unrelenting barrage of rudiment abundant fills. The bass parts from Jai elevate every track in their set with tone selections delving into more trebly territory, acting as a second guitar at some points, but not taking away from the lead's absurdly enticing progressions. Later in the set, they played a slightly more dialled back track, which was a superb addition, giving it a multi-dimensional and mature progression of their set. Bobby (lead guitar/vocals) took the lead vocally on this track whilst simultaneously delivering this hypnotic descending chord progression that captivated the audience with its incremental build until it beautifully transitioned into the classic Wrong Trousers delivery we know and love.

Flytrap

Hailing from the big smoke, Flytrap are a five-piece noise rock avant-garde act that were the only act that could follow the mighty Wrong Trousers on an evening like this. They opened their set abruptly with an abrasive wall of sound in the form of an erratic composition that had a consistency for changing direction. It was an emphatic statement that they weren't here to tiptoe around and wanted to ignite a fire in Brighton’s Green Door. 

Their songs were incredibly hypnotic with ominous synth undertones coinciding with abrasive guitar tones. You could only attach to this for a short period before being snapped out of it by a sudden barrage of rim shots from the snare and an unrelenting bassline gluing all the parts together to find cohesivity in the bombasticism. Their third track was a personal highlight with some phenomenal synth and guitar textures layered by some fantastic snare work. Rhythmically and instrumentally, this track stood out with the dry and haunting vocals slotting in between the technically remarkable parts from each member. The fourth track proved incredibly effective when they dialled back their whirlwind of dissonance and layered into a halftime groove, permitting more space for the bass to drive the track with some glorious flourishes. I’m truly excited to see where this band goes next with such potential at this early stage in their trajectory.

Call Me Franco 

The atmosphere had grown increasingly vibrant for the headline act, Call Me Franco, and they did not disappoint. The room fell silent as they climbed onto the stage, lights dimmed, ambient backing track generating suspense until we were graced with the masterpiece that is ‘Psychotherapy’. The entirety of their set was a masterclass in musicianship and never faltered on the entertainment factor with the majority of the crowd entranced by their dynamic and rhythmic considerations. The seamless transitions between each track left us sonically enveloped in awe and the production value really elevated the set. 

There's such an abundance of talent in this city with artists oozing unique creativity everywhere you turn. But when it comes to the music scene, the 20% elevation some production value on a budget does to a set, whether that be a triggered backing track, some props, attention to lighting or a banner, doesn't go unnoticed and can create a memorable and sophisticated set. Call Me Franco executed this to a tee. The prog-psychedelic instrumentalist trio have locked in their tones which are so consistently flawless. Their wall of sound fluctuated between flute and guitar, generating some astonishing textures and leaving the audience on a total high.

A final mention to the drummer on the night who filled in with a week's notice and played absolutely flawlessly, considering the convoluted nature of the drum parts in their tracks. I heard many conversations after the set regarding the impact the drummer made on them.

We caught up with the IFLPPINGLUVBRIGHTON masterminds after the show to hear about their satirical yet serious approach to putting on shows in Brighton.

When did you guys form and why? 

We formed around March 2024 on a night out where we all met a promoter called Cristina, who is now a very successful promoter in New York, putting on the likes of Frost Children and those in the new electronic scene. She found her feet posting on a meme account and honed in a remarkably strong aesthetic, so on a hungover walk the following morning, Dexter mentioned his old Brighton Bogs instagram account where he would rate toilets in Brighton and had the idea to start a meme page called IFLIPPINGH8BRIGHTON. We started the account by posting Brighton music scene related memes and rather rapidly gained significant traction on this USP.  

We rebranded to IFLIPPINGLUVBRIGHTON as a result of our passion for Brighton's diverse music scene alongside the overwhelming urge to start putting on shows ourselves.We wanted to celebrate and uplift the grassroots bands and venues that this wonderful city has to offer. 

What was the first curated IFLIPPINGLUVBRIGHTON gig and what did you learn from it? 

We announced our very first show the same day as our rebrand. The gig was late August 2024 at The Prince Albert! What more could you want? We had Sad Dads headline for their single release ‘Surf Instructor’ with support from Room Service and Telecom, three bands we adore. We sold out the show before doors even opened and it was an amazing but stressful evening as we were navigating this completely new experience for the first time. 

What's been your favourite IFLIPPINGLUVBRIGHTON gig? 

Dexter: Still to this day, my favourite gig has to be our very first gig. The process of configuring the gig itself and figuring out how we wanted to brand ourselves was so exciting. I miss that part of doing everything anonymously and being unknown to the scene, generating this mystery to the name. 

Riley: For me, it would have to be the AltEscape all-day festival at The Village last year. 10 amazing bands, sun shining and drinks flowing. Take me back! NYE at Hope and Ruin was a very close second with a phenomenal turn out from minute one and The Roebucks blew me away, what a band! 

Oscar: This one! Valentines day 2026, Call Me Franco headline. Insane bands, great turn out, good vibes.

What would you say your ethos is as a grassroots promotions team?

Our ethos has reflected our experiences as audience members in the Brighton grassroots scene. It is imperative to us to continue making gigs as diverse and accessible as possible and trying to eliminate that serious aspect to the scene that there was a couple years ago. We’ve always focused so much on the promoting side of the project and I'd like to think we helped pave the way for other promoters or bands to promote their shows in the same satirical, entertaining and nonsensical manner. We want to see the online world bleed into reality. We’ve never taken ourselves too seriously and never will. 

If you could pick any bands/artists in the world, what would be your dream lineup to put on? 

Riley: Corr depends on how wild we are getting. Honestly right now it would be: Getdown Services, Adult DVD and Congratulations.

Dexter: Slag opening for Lime Garden, with a DJ set from Norman Cook afterwards.

Oscar: Adult DVD as headliner, Home Counties as main support and Youth Sector opening.

What was an album that you loved growing up and shaped your love for music? 

Dexter: It's Not Me It's You - Lily Allen. I listened to that all the time growing up and it had a big effect on me. 

Riley: The Circus - Take That. Blasting that on my iPod shuffle was particularly formative for me. 

Oscar: A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships - The 1975. It came at a time where I was really starting to shape my identity. ‘Give Yourself A Try’ became the soundtrack of my individuality at the time. 

What's next in the pipeline? 

We have some exciting plans this year! Another Alt Escape all dayer is on the horizon as well as a brand new monthly show series that we will be running at Presuming Ed’s which is gonna ooze class. We’re really growing into our DJ skills, believe it or not, so keep an eye out for that! 

Can you describe your brand in three words?

Riley: Indie, lager, ties.

Dexter: Internet, abstract, fun.

Oscar: Post-ironic patter.

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