IP1 Magazine: Brighten The Corners Festival 2023 Review

Written by Sadie Rycraft

Photo by Ollie Hosier

In the heart of our town, Brighten The Corners Festival emerged as a flourishing tempest of sound - a multi-venue music festival that saw the streets and venues vibrating with anticipation, a collective pulse syncing with the rhythm of the unexpected. Indie renegades mingled with electronic experimenters, rap harmonised with pop specialists. Attendees came together in one euphoric moment that echoed throughout the whole festival, celebrating a selection of the finest talent in emerging music. 

The soles of our shoes were peeled off the sticky floor of The Baths with each side step, friends laughed and danced while the words ‘Ipswich town, funky town’ were repeated through Pleasure Pools vocal-distortion, paired with heavy electronic synths. The fan-favourite black-box venue saw sweaty, bustling crowds with tangible energy fuelling the room, as well as a diverse variety of genres across the two days.

Photo by Miff Pleasant

Inside the medieval walls of St Stephen’s Church, all kinds of melodies reverberated beneath the lofty arches and towering windows, as ethereal ambience embraced the crowd. Unique duo O. transformed the space into a club-like atmosphere with just drums and a saxophone. Hindustani psychedelic-rockers Karma Sheen transcended time and space with a kaleidoscope of sound. Sweden-based artist Joshua Idehen brought tears, colossal smiles and laughs with emotional spoken word, a breakbeat cover of “Once in a Lifetime” and a “If there are any Tories in the audience, I love you but fuck you” comment.  

Venture further and discover intimate spectacles - the den that is The Smokehouse saw full-capacity shows with the likes of supercharged grunge and explosive punk, pacified by a courtyard for catching up under the night time breeze. The energy was palpable; a vibrant current coursing through the gathering. 

Beneath burning blue skies, the free-to-attend stage on the Cornhill was the heart of the festival, a bold statement of what Brighten The Corners set out to do with this space: showcase the best of regional talent, focusing on inclusivity and community. 

Photo by Christian Barker

The festivals biggest venue, The Corn Exchange, drew huge crowds for the headliners on both nights and saw underrated gems during the day; celestial vocals from harp-playing-angel muva of Earth or ‘ballistically bonkers psychedelic hip-hop’ from eight piece Nukuluk was just a taste of what was to come. 

Brighten The Corners Festival was more than just an auditory experience; it was an assertion of identity, an unapologetic celebration of diversity. The collective spirit was electric, a testament to the festival’s adventurous soul that welcomed all who dared to break away from the mainstream.

As the final chord reverberated and the last echo faded, BTC left an impressive mark on our town's musical landscape. The synergy of sound and audacious experimentation - a sonic reverie that didn't merely entertain but redefined our perception of what the Ipswich music scene can truly be, the abundance of talent it already has to offer, and the spaces to showcase it in. 

‘Ipswich might not be on your musical map right now. But if Brighten the Corners is anything to go by, it fully deserves to be.’ Clash Magazine journalist Tom Kingsley wrote graciously of the festival in his live report, saying ‘it’s a showcase to the wider world of what Ipswich has to offer: in music, in venues, in people and ideas.’   

Anticipation for the next chapter already hums in the air. Brighten The Corners Festival will be returning in 2024 on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th June, with a very limited run of Super Early Bird Tickets having already sold out in just 12 hours. Stay tuned for more exciting updates; tickets and information can be found at www.brightenthecorners.co.uk. 

With tastemaking at its core, Brighten The Corners Festival is poised to exceed boundaries once again, uniting music enthusiasts from all corners.

Photo by Kezia Tan