A Belated The Great Escape 2025 Write Up
21 August 2025
You may not have heard of RALLY yet, considering it only debuted last year, but it’s the sister festival to the Peckham favourite GALA. It’s a festival with a goal close to our own hearts: beating the algorithm and discovering new talent. We’re buzzing for the return of Mount Kimbie who will be playing their first London festival in seven years after recently expanding to become a quartet. This is a festival that, despite multiple dropouts and heaving rain, managed to be a hit in its first year. We’re ridiculously excited to see what this next edition brings, but first here’s some of our favourites from 2024’s insane lineup. It really is crazy they’ve managed to get all this talent in one place.
SORRY are both a London and TNAM favourite, with a totally unskippable discography. They’re great live, with a grungy sound that serves as a clear influence to many of the smaller indie bands coming up recently. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to catch them at one of their local haunts (their set at MOTH earlier this year was beautiful), then this will be the perfect introduction.
Must Listen: Swans, Cigarette Packet, Screaming in the Rain
bar italia have never been a band that shouts about how great they are, but trust us, they are great. Surprisingly, despite being a London based band, they perform higher in the USA so this is your chance to catch them before their shows sell out here as fast as they do there. They’re a jumble of genres, a truly exciting guitar-rock band.
Must Listen: my little tony, Split Ends, Nurse!
Montañera’s music is enchanting. Her vocals are delicate and graceful, the harmonies she creates are beautiful. She’s originally from Columbia and her sound is clearly influenced by it’s folk music, but with modern electronic twists. A summer day in Southwark park seems like the perfect place to see her live.
Must Listen: Como Una Rama, Santa Mar, Me Suelto al Riesgo
If you know (or you are) one of those people who claims music just isn’t as good as it used to be, then Fabiana Palladino is a must-see at RALLY. She wears her eighties influence on her sleeve, making pop that’s both deeper and smoother than most of the charts at the moment. She also has the backing of Jai Paul, which to put it lightly, is a massive brag.
Must Listen: Stay With Me Through the Night, Forever, I Care
We usually only feature artists from the UK & Ireland but Debby Friday is so good I’m breaking the rules for her, something she’s not a stranger to doing. Her music is all over the place in a really great way. She plays around with genre, language, and style to create something truly exciting. Super high energy, catchy lyrics and lots of experimentation.
Must Listen: let u in, What A Man, I Got It
