While much of The Great Escape is centred around discovering the next big thing, the festival also offers plenty for fans of heavier music. One of the standout destinations for alternative and rock audiences this year was the Kerrang! x Download Festival stage takeover at Daltons on Brighton seafront. Bringing a taste of Donington Park to the south coast, the showcase highlighted some of the most exciting names emerging from the alternative scene.

First up for us was Ally Nicholas, the Chicago born singer songwriter who has been steadily building a reputation through her distinctive “grunge gaze” sound. Blending elements of grunge, shoegaze, indie rock and metal, her music felt perfectly suited to the intimate surroundings of Daltons. Backed by a wall of distorted guitars, Nicholas delivered a set packed with atmosphere, while her sultry vocals floated effortlessly above the dense instrumentation. There was a vulnerability to many of her lyrics, but the performance never lacked power, creating a compelling contrast that held the crowd’s attention throughout.

With many audience members seemingly discovering her music for the first time, the reaction suggested she gained plenty of new fans by the end of her set. It was exactly the kind of breakthrough festival performance that The Great Escape is known for producing.

Later in the evening came Oversize, one of the most talked about bands currently emerging from the UK’s heavy shoegaze scene. Formed in Salisbury and now based in Bristol, the five piece have attracted significant attention following the release of their debut album, Vital Signs, earlier this year, and their set demonstrated exactly why.

Drawing heavily from 1990s shoegaze, indie rock, emo and grunge influences, Oversize delivered a huge sound that felt far bigger than the room itself. Layers of swirling guitars crashed against driving rhythms, while shimmering melodies cut through the distortion with impressive clarity. Despite the heaviness, there was an undeniable sense of melody running through every track, giving the songs an emotional depth that resonated strongly with the packed crowd.

By the time their set reached its conclusion, Daltons was buzzing. The Kerrang! x Download takeover succeeded in showcasing two artists at very different stages of their careers, but both demonstrated why they are generating such excitement within alternative music circles. For anyone looking to escape the indie pop and electronic sounds that dominate much of The Great Escape, this was one of the festival’s essential stops.