If there’s one thing London label Brainlove Records could never be accused of, it’s being predictable. The label’s annual one-day festival and bro-down, held at Brixton Windmill on May 30th and now in it’s third year, featured a prismatic cross-section of amazing bands. Be it a massive misandric all-girl choir shrieking murderously about visiting violent revenge on a cheating man, or Gameboy metal riffing dissolving into an acrobatic geek-hop breakdown, or a primal mass singalong harmony in the sun, there was a seemingly neverending stream of things going on all around the packed out Brixton Windmill.
The spirit of cooperation and creativity ran throughout the day, with some musicians playing in 3 or 4 different bands, and fed into the general buzz of excitement, with people rushing between indoor and outdoor stages to try and catch glimpses of everything. Overall, it felt like more than just an all-dayer – it felt like a celebration of everything the Brainlove label is about. It provided a great platform and an enthusiastic crowd for some very deserving acts. You might think 20 bands in one day would be too many, but with a genuine festival atmosphere like this, I only wish it had been longer. Maybe next year it will be two days and we can camp under the nearby windmill.
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