Mawer’s Must-Sees: Top 10 Acts To Catch At Humber Street Sesh 2024
Daniel Mawer, Humber Street Sesh Programmer
(Photo Jamie Collins)
Our Humber Street Sesh programmer, local promoter, The Sesh and Polar Bear Music Club powerhouse, and all-round music legend Daniel Mawer (O’Phantom, and formerly Low Hummer and La Bête Blooms) gives us his top picks and artists you must see this year at Humber Street Sesh 2024.
PLUS, he’s playing the festival with his latest band O’Phantom (2:45pm on The Sesh Stage), so be sure to check them out too!
Take it away, Dan…
Hull’s music scene has been through an incredible resurgence since our last time together at Humber Street Sesh.
Led by a new wave of artists, we’re seeing the rise of a youth music movement nurtured by the incredible work that our labels, venues, radio shows, events and charities have done over the last twelve months.
Now is the time to support Hull’s grassroots music because in truth, it’s on a knife edge financially. Every ticket, pint, and pizza you buy could make the difference. But also because it’s at an incredibly exciting stage of its development.
There are debutants across the festival reflecting this, alongside them, ten artists that I think have enriched Hull’s reputation as a music city, listed below.
This list includes locals who are flying our flag across the country/world, alongside acts who have integrated themselves into our music scene at our local venues and continue to spread the good work about what we have in Hull.
bdrmm: 10:00pm - 11:00pm Main Stage
Like Life, Chiedu Oraka, and other Humber Street Sesh headliners before them, bdrmm wear our city like a badge of honour wherever they go, and they go flipping everywhere!
This summer has seen them play Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy alongside performances due at Green Man Festival and Future Yard, having already toured the EU and UK to promote their second record ‘I Don’t Know’ released last year.
Theyre a band in high demand due to their precise blend of shoegaze and electronica and a worthy headliner we’re so lucky to call our own!
Deadletter: 9:00pm - 9.30pm Main Stage
Packing a punch of poetic political wit, punk aesthetics and Ian Duryesque sarcasm, Deadletter are a six-piece who have graced Hull with their presence numerous times, playing the venues that matter across the country.
Their latest single ‘Relieved’ brings a wisdom that merges with their do-or-die sentimentalities. We’re chuffed to have them play the festival before the release of a debut record and tour across the UK and EU.
Chappaqua Wrestling: 8.45pm - 9.15pm Sesh Stage
Brighton’s Chappaqua Wrestling have a knack for writing songs that create feelings of melancholy and anthemic determination.
Having visited Polar Bear for the now synonymous impactful Independent Venue Week, the band have emerged as part of a new generation of British guitar bands, and will no doubt set the scene as sunset falls beautifully on The Sesh stage.
Jodie Langford: 5.00pm - 5.30pm Main Stage
Absolutely everyone involved in Hull’s music scene is ecstatic about Jodie Langford’s career progression this year! Still at a relatively early point, Jodie has refined a sound that includes an unapologetically Hull everyday accent with a hidden poetic maturity, set to Baddie’s incredible production skills.
Picked by the introducing team to play at this year’s Leeds and Reading Festival Jodie makes a first jump onto the Humber Street Sesh Main Stage.
Brodie Milner: 10.15pm - 11.00pm BBC Introducing Stage
Drawing critical acclaim from all of the right voices within the UK’s emerging music industry, Brodie Milner will be playing Left Of The Dial in Rotterdam with some of the countries finest new acts later in the year, and with good reason. Indie sensibilities cleverly packaged with some of the best lyrics the city has seen in recent times, BBC Introducing and Humber Street Sesh are delighted to have Brodie and his fantastic band headline Social for those who are lucky enough to pack themselves into the venue for the set.
Phoebe Hall: 9.15pm - 9.45pm BBC Introducing Stage
Phoebe Hall has quickly become one of the North of England’s finest bedroom pop acts, thanks to her honest writing about her experiences and identity. Frequently championed by BBC Introducing and finding her way onto major Spotify playlists, she’s featured at esteemed festivals like All Points East, Latitude Festival and now Humber Street Sesh thanks to our work with Jericho on the local BBC show.
Rouk3n: 3:00pm - 3.30pm Main Stage
One of Hull’s own, Rouk3n mixes the backdrop of living in our North East city with mellow vocals and instrumentation. With words wise beyond his years, his work with Launchpad has brought him to the weekly Sesh night numerous times, this will be Rouk3n’s debut with the festival, one we can’t wait for.
Love Rarely: 9.15pm - 9.45pm Rock Stage
Leeds four-piece Love Rarely smashed our weekly night at the Polar Bear.
A huge thanks to Rob Kirk (HU5Hardcoreshows) for introducing the Sesh team to a band who falls into a mathrock category we’ve not had at the festival for a long, long time. With the reintroduction of the Rock Stage at this year’s event we can’t wait to see how the band do, having recently released a brilliant E.P ‘Lonely People’.
Rushbonds: 5.00pm - 5.30pm Cuban Pete’s Stage
The Cuban Pete Stage has been one of the busiest stages in recent years, as we merge artists with a strong sense of community with one of the city’s most historically loved pubs, Minerva, right next door. This mix will no doubt be perfect for the Leeds Indie/Jazz four-piece Rushbonds.
Their quiet brooding performance intensely wraps a powerful performance style with calmness and assuredness. Put together to showcase one of the finest voices we’ve heard during our work in the city over the last twelve months.
Velkro: 5.45pm - 6.15pm Sesh Stage
One of Hull’s more intriguing acts is Velkro. Born out of the ashes of Priestgate, the band have played some great shows already, supporting Bleach Lab, John and opening up this year’s dark arts festival in Leeds.
This is all without any music available online. But with mutterings of new music coming our way, we can’t wait to see what they’ve built on after such a strong start to their career at Polar Bear, Dive and The New Adelphi Club.
