No sleep till Brighton. A small city on the southern coast of Britain. Home to strong winds, grey skies and Nick Cave, and known for its 1960s Mods vs. Rockers scene. This touristy town makes London look like a dud. The pebble-covered beach and pier give it a charm of its own, though it’s also reminiscent of a misty San Francisco with a lick of Venice Beach.

I’m here for the sixth time, attending the Great Escape festival, which always seems to coincide with another festival: The Lady Boys of Bangkok. Thank God I have a personal hired-friend to watch my drunk ass.

Mikey with PS I Love You

In its eighth year, TGE has become a popular gathering for the International Music Biz. You could call it a smaller-scale SXSW, without the cowboys and BBQ. It’s a hotspot for up and coming bands from all over the world, a place to be seen by international taste-makers in various Brighton clubs and venues.

TGE’s co-founder Martin Elbourne was the ex-agent of the Smiths and New Order before becoming a music programmer for England’s Glastonbury Festival. Aside from TGE, he co-founded WOMAD with Peter Gabriel & the company I rep, M for Montreal.

Mikey with Sean Nicholas Savage & Arbutus Records’ Seb Cowan

It’s always an honour to have breakfast or drinks with the guy who signed Madonna, and sit next to Future Islands for dinner.

The popular food in B-Town is hamburgers and fish n’ chips. And you can’t get a single slice of pizza — you’ve gotta buy the entire pie. They make up for this by letting you drink freely and legally in the streets. Respect.

Here’s some good stuff for you to drool over:

Future Islands kind of restored my faith in music. If you haven’t seen their performance on Letterman, you’re a lost cause. Prepare for your life to change. Haven’t felt this way since accepting Kurt Cobain into my heart:

See More: http://cultmontreal.com/2014/05/the-great-escape-festival-2014/

@M4Mikey