Image source, Mike Massaro

Right folks, we are off to the pier for fish supper and to try and catch some more bands.

Don't forget you can tune into Steve Lamacq on 6 Music now live from The Great Escape.

Scroll down for loads of officially recommended new music (and new tunes from some already major artists like Pharrell/Camila), a story from a fine young Welsh band that will make your toes curl and we see which song TGE bands think Meghan and Harry should get their first dance on to tomorrow.

Plus 5 Things We've Learned This Week.

See you Monday and have a right Royal knees up this weekend, whatever you do.

Take it away Bruno.

1Xtra

It's not all about indie rock at TGE.

Last night DJ Target was live from festival with performances from rappers Ms Banks (more from her below) and Novelist, as well as interviews with Moss Kena, Poppy Ajudha, Flohio and Big Tobz.

Listen back to the full show.

Towkio dropped into Target's show earlier in the week and told him about playing the seaside event, working with SZA and releasing his second body of music.

Listen below.

Image source, Kensington Palace

You can't move for GB flags and pics of Harry and Meghan in Brighton.

That and chip shops.

As you may have heard it's the big day tomorrow (no not the FA Cup Final) for the happy couple.

So we took the opportunity to ask some of TGE bands last night what song of theirs they would offer up as a suitable first dance for the newly weds.

Watch below to see what Dream Wife, Idles, The Orielles, Love Ssega, Virginia Wing and Pip Blom went for - and more importantly; why?

Image source, Nicole Nodland

Brighton's very own Grace Carter is coming for your tear ducts.

The 20-year-old, who's recently been touring with Rag N Bone Man and Dua Lipa, has a knack for writing devastatingly honest ballads that sting harder then freshly-chopped onions.

Chief among them is the recent single Silhouette - about a lover who led her on and let her down. Hard.

"I see people crying when I sing that song," she says, ahead of her show at The Great Escape tonight. "It’s quite emotional. I have to stop myself from crying sometimes. Just cause it kind of takes you back."

The singer-songwriter drew her inspiration from artists like Alicia Keys and Nina Simone. But her biggest influence growing up was Adele.

"I literally thought she was singing my life," says Grace.

"She wasn’t, she was singing about her own - but that’s the power she has and the skill she has."

The star-in-waiting is currently putting the finishing touches to her debut album; and is about to set off on tour with Haim.

So what has she learned from all these high-profile support shows?

"They’re all extremely professional and extremely hard working," she says.

"Even if they’re going through things in their lives, they put it aside and focus on the job.

"Also, they really look after themselves. They're all, like, at the gym it and I’m like, ‘No! I’ll get a Maccy Ds!'”

They perhaps aren't playing at the Royal reception following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials on Saturday but that didn't stop the Aussie psych-rockers giving Her Majesty a shout out.

The band headlined the 6 Music Recommends night at the ornate Paganini Ballroom on Brightion's seafront on Thursday night.

"We just want to thank the Queen for letting us play at her house," joked singer and guitarist Fran Keaney.

Handpicked to play the show by DJ Steve Lamacq, the band thundered through a sweaty half-hour set to a packed house with material drawn largely from their EP The French Press released late last year.

We're expecting an album later in 2018, that is if they aren't in the Tower of London of course.

Welsh rockers Trampoline are gearing themselves up for a big weekend.

They've supported Liam Gallagher and The Libertines and will be playing a hometown gig when they headline the BBC Music Introducing stage at Swansea during next weekend's Biggest Weekend.

We spoke to the band ahead of one of their afternoon sets and he charismatic frontman Jack Jones (pictured centre, above) had something of a flashback when he walked through the doors of the hotel where the MNL chat was taking place.

We've all been there Jack.

Actually, second thoughts... Listen above and judge for yourself.

Mark Savage
Music reporter, BBC News

Tchnology may have brought the music industry to its knees 20 years ago, but these days pop stars and record labels are using computing power to find new audiences and take fresh creative decisions.

The benefits and pitfalls of this new technology are being debated at The Great Escape music festival in Brighton, in a day-long conference.

Here are some of the things we learned.

Read more.

Image source, Victor Frankowski

Provocative Bristol punks Idles were on fire last night, so it was handy that their gig took place near the sea.

Their album Brutalism was selected by 6 Music DJ Steve Lamacq as his album of the year for 2017, for which the band say they are "honoured and grateful."

The album tackles issues of gender roles, politics and the negative impact of the cult of celebrity - all with amps turned up to at least 11.

Before the gig, we had a chat with Adam and Mark from the band who took aim at pop culture for creating unrealistic ideas of beauty and success.

Fans of the Kardashians may wish to look away now.

Adam, forthright as ever, said: "In popular culture there is a lack of honesty and it's quite dangerous, it births toxic masculinity, racism , nationalism and turns sour and ignorance.

"It needs to change and we're trying to change it - one fat white man at a time..."

"That's us by the way!" he joked.

Mark, who ended the set semi-naked, as you can see in our picture gallery below, added: "One of the most important things for us is honesty as that's one of our only strengths.

"We don't have a vast imaginative or creative thing coming out of us, we're not recreating or inventing anything so the most important thing for us is being honest so we're not lying to our audience."

The punk-cabaret duo – consisting of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione – last toured the UK in 2006.

They have announced two shows at London’s Troxy on 30-31 October.

Amanada Palmer - who is married to British writer Neil Gaiman - said it was "high time".

"We’ve always had an extra-special relationship with our freak-family in London".

While we've come across acts from as far apart as Africa and Yorkshire (both embodied in one man in the case of Skinny Pelembe), the focus on this year's Great Escape falls on The Netherlands.

To find out more about the great Dutch acts appearing this year you can either scroll down for our interview was Naaz from a few months back or stay right here and read as we spoke to Amsterdam indie rockers Pip Blom ahead of their 6 Music showcase.

The young rockers have grown in confidence of late after support slots with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Interpol and say they've been picking up a few tricks along the way.

Bassist Casper, told us: "The thing we picked up off Franz Ferdinand was we should all go wireless with our guitars!

"They were really cool moving around the stage not getting tangled up in their instruments."

Band leader Pip (pictured above) agreed: "You see how they interact with the big stage, you've got to move more and work your space. That's something you learn."

The next band to learn from is childhood heroes The Breeders, who they'll join on the whole of their European tour... if Pip can keep it together that is.

"I don't want to think about it!" she joked.

"I love The Breeders, I think it's one of my favourite bands ever.

Image source, Getty Images

Surely not?

If that's true you need to get better heroes.

Check them out above and below.

Phew, it's been a busy old day at The Great Escape but let's catch our breath and have a look back at some of the other things we have found out this week from around the music world.

It just wasn't to be for the UK's Eurovision entrant SuRie who, as well as being robbed of the prize, even managed to be robbed of her mic on the night.

A 16-year-old pianist was named the BBCs Young Musician of the Year in time for her GCSEs.

And Keith Richards and his band once plotted to get rid of Donald Trump (not in that way).

Here are five more...

Image source, EPA

1) There's no love lost in the Fleetwood Mac split

Last month, we told you the 68-year-old guitarist had been told to go his own way by the band and was being replaced by Crowded House‘s Neil Finn and The Heartbreakers' Mike Campbell.

According to drummer Mick Fleetwood, external, they had come to the "impasse of hitting a brick wall".

Speaking at a political fundraiser in California, Buckingham said his departure was "not my doing or my choice" and that the band fired him because they "lost their perspective".

He added: "This is the only thing I'm really sad about... it harmed the 43-year legacy that we had worked so hard to build.

"That legacy was really about rising above difficulties in order to fulfil one's higher truth and one's higher destiny."

Apparently you can break the chain.

Read more

Image source, PA

2) Rita Ora's ode to bisexuality was 'her truth'

The singer's latest single, Girls, which features the all -conquering pop quartet of Rita, Cardi B, Charlie XCX and Bebe Rexh came in for some harsh criticism from around the music world or allegedly "exploiting bisexuality".

The chorus goes:"Sometimes I just want to kiss girls, girls, girls."

Rita apologised but also defended the song, saying it "was written to represent my truth", adding that it is "an accurate account of a very real and honest experience in my life."

Rita wrote: "I have had romantic relationships with women and men throughout my life and this is my personal journey."

Rita was also defended by Cardi B who said: "We never try to cause harm or had bad intentions with the song."

Read more.

Image source, Reuters

3) The oft-mentioned vinyl revival is driven by a small group of 'superfans'

Did you know vinyl is having a comeback?

Well, it turns out a hardcore group of "superfans" buy more than two-thirds of all the vinyl records sold in the UK.

They fork out more than £400 every year, accounting for 72% of the 4.1m vinyls sold in 2017, said entertainment retailers in a new report.

In 2015, a BBC/ICM poll found almost half (48%) of those vinyls never even get played.

What the poll probably didn't say though was that they do look cool hung on the wall.

Read more

4) Buy a book about the Beastie Boys... get a cookbook

You gotta fight for your right.... to paaaaaaastry!!!...

Yes this is really happening, The Beastie's long awaited memoir which is due in October, will come with a recipe book from celeb Korean chef Roy Choi.

It's been written by surviving members Ad-Rock and Mike and covers the NYC band's transition from teenage punks to budding rappers to world conquering superstars.

We're sure you'll devour the book in one sitting.

Read more

Image source, Getty Images

5) Harry Styles has made a US TV show about Harry Styles

We'll almost, he is the exec-producer on Happy Together; a new sitcom about a suburban married couple, whose life is interrupted by a young pop star - apparently based on Harry.

He's played by Australian actor Felix Mallard.

The news was reported by the Washington Post, external.

The sitcom will also star Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West and you can check out a trailer below.

We can definitely see Harry in that shirt, can't you?

Read more

Providing you live in the Sheffield region, or Oxford, Newcastle, Leeds, Bristol or Reading.

So that should give you half a chance.

The Great Escape have joined forces with next weekend's BBC Biggest Weekend to bring four hotly-tipped festival acts; Mahalia, Alicai Harley, Ten Tonnes and ONR to you.

So if you're not in Brighton this weekend, or Belfast/Coventry/Swansea/Perth next weekend check out the full details above.

If you are in Brighton, the four of them play the Paganini Ballroom tonight for a BBC Music Introducing showcase.

We'll bring you chats with some of the above in Monday's live page.

BBC Radio 2

The UK country duo dropped into the Radio 2 studios to play an acoustic version of their song Guilty, apparently inspired by their wild times in Nashville.

"It sums up our last trip, we were hanging out with a much younger crowd, writing very day and partying every night," they said.

"We were guilty of having a good time."

Listen above

The Brighton band released their debt album back in 2004 but have never played the festival of new music before.

Singer and founding member Ian Parton - who is the only member of the band to still live in Brighton - said: "We've got soundcheck at the crack of dawn and then lazing around in the sun and then we'll hit it tomorrow night.

"It's an amazing thing and its getting bigger each year, and its a celebration of Brighton too because a lot of people have not been here before and they arrive and its like 'Wow, this is really cool'."

The band have just released their fifth studio album and have come back from a tour of the US.

Ian told MNL that the band had a bit of a lucky escape between shows.

"We were driving though Montana and North Dakota and we hit a snowstorm and our van kind of did a 720 degree skid on the freeway, we almost spun off, it was hardcore for a minute.

"We're still here, it was kind of euphoric because we spun round and ended up in the right direction and just carried on. It was an amazing moment, it kind of defined the tour.

"The fact we survived it was a triumph."

Image source, Reuters

Rapper Offset of the band Migos (pictured top left) has been injured in car crash in Atlanta, according to reports.

TMZ says his muscle car - a green Dodge Challenger - was a write-off and after receiving hospital treatment, he was released.

It's unclear at this point if anyone else was involved.

Neither he nor his fiancee, rapper Cardi B have commented on the reports, though earlier today Cardi tweeted she was "grateful and happy".

The record label boss who signed Wiley and Adele says "no-one cared" about UK rap before grime.

OK one last raft of officially MNL recommended acts for you now that are playing at TGE this weekend.

Are you ready?

Let's begin, with Nilufer Yanya, who has been dropping some cool moody tunes, since being named on the BBC Sound 2018 list.

That's not the only thing she's been dropping though, as she told us about dropping her guitar during a gig too.

Steady on those pier-side Brighton stages.

Lewis Capaldi came recommended on that BBC list too.

The Scots singer, who - before you ask - apparently IS related to Doctor Who actor Peter - told us how he swapped fish and ice cream for music.

We hope to encounter all three this weekend along the pier at some point.

The brilliantly-named Nashville singer/songwriter Soccer Mommy came to our attention in March.

Miss Mommy - aka Sophie Allison - told us why she has to call out her male friends, when their musical tastes can be a bit one-sided.

She said:

Geordie rocker Sam Fender is in town armed with some fast-growing indie anthems.

A true pro already, 22-year-old Sam won't be over-indulging in any Brighton bars though.

He "can't handle the sesh" on tour and told us that he'd "rather have a Horlicks" in order to protect his voice while he's still truly finding it.

And if you believe that you'll believe anything.

Shhhhhhh - Yonaka played a secret set at TGE yesterday to launch their new track ****ing With The Boss.

OK, maybe the secret is out now.

In February we told you how another of Brighton's own bands are embracing the darkness.

Not a bad weekend's listening in all of the above, even if we do say so ourselves.

Image source, Press shot

South London rapper Ms Banks made her Great Escape debut on Thursday night on The Fader stage.

She released her debut album The Coldest Winter Ever earlier this year.

Last year, she was sent spinnng into orbit when her idol Nicki Minaj quoted some of her lyrics on Twitter.

"She's still really nice and shows me love, it's amazing, she's the best female rapper of all time as far as I'm concerned.

"That she shows me love and loves what i do is a real confidence booster."

She said the pair have even discussed working together and "hopefully you'll see something from us soon."

But has Nicki ofered any words of advice to her young protege?

Just to go hard and don't be ashamed show who has inspired and influenced you but take it somewhere else.

"She says she loves seeing her influence on me but also loves seeing me do my own thing so she's always told me just to go hard".

Top tip for life there.

Last night in Brighton, the beautiful Paganini ballroom played host to a 6 Music Recommends showcase, hosted by DJ Tom Ravenscroft.

On the bill were Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Skinny Pelembe, Whyte Horses, Pip Blom (more on them later) and last but not least Virginia Wing.

The experimental art pop act had to make some last minute digital alterations to their line up due to being a man down.

It basically involved hastily making some saxophone loops on a laptop.

Sam from the band, who seemed fairly calm about the whole situation, told us: "Our saxophonist works for a company that's run by ex-Carillion guys and they've not let him come down.

"I've got a sampler with some saxophone loops. It sounds good but it's not the same.

"All jokes aside, he's the musician in the band, I'm just a fraud, but I'm holding it down."

It sounded good from where we were stood. Check VW out above.

You can hear highlights of last night's showcase - plus live sessions from Bodega & Pillow Queens - later today during Steve Lamacq's TGE special show from 16:00.