Austen Gayton, a memorial at The Prince Albert 25th April 2026
Austen Gayton was a beloved cornerstone and local legend of the Brighton punk rock and alternative music scene, remembered as an unwavering champion of grassroots musicians. As the driving force behind Studio 284 and Blackrock Subway Studios, he didn’t just provide bands with a place to rehearse and record; he famously gave them access to his personal, museum-worthy collection of legendary Marshall amplifiers. Beyond his iconic gear, Austen is celebrated for his warmth, his boundless energy, and the deep, familial bonds he built with the local and international musicians who crossed his path. He was a true lynchpin of the community whose kindness and passion for music left an indelible mark on his friends, his family, and the city’s underground rock culture.
Nine Band Reviews from ten event participants. Reviewers in Order: Del Bombshell, Lou Moon, Kev Howell, Pipi Longstocking and Roxi Gayton, Richie Nice, Jim Phelan, Dave O’Brien, Gary Shilladay and the Reverend Lux Urbane.
Kort Door de Bocht
Reviewed by Del Bombshell
It is 4pm, the doors have been open for exactly 30 minutes, and the first band is ready to start. The band in question is a hardcore punk band from the Netherlands, Kort Door de Bocht. They are a band Austen knew well as they toured with FlatPig both here and in Europe.
Kort Door de Bocht are on stage and ready to start, their singer raising a beer to Austen. The now sizeable crowd do the same and the band begins. Kort Door de Bocht, whose name roughly translates into ‘short through the bend’ in English, reflects on how direct the band are with their set. They are an old-school hardcore punk band. They play fast and tight, generally two to two-and-a-half minute punk songs.
Their set was very well received as an opening band, and it was good to see so much dancing and movement in the audience. The fun was heightened with a stage invasion by two blonde bombshells, to the amusement of the audience and a slightly uncomfortable-looking band.
All in all, Kort Door de Bocht put on a great show to start the day. Their stories of Austen and FlatPig were a great contribution to this event. Seeing them mixing and mingling throughout the entire day, it was clear they were at home in the Brighton Punx scene, and I certainly hope we will be seeing them again.
Holy Clang
Reviewed by Lou Moon
The Brighton music community had gathered in force to celebrate the life of a local legend, Austen Gayton. The Prince Albert was packed, full of tangible vibes of love, support, and respect. It was no problem for this creative community, at organiser Del Ford’s request, to pull together and write reviews in the unfortunate absence of an official journalist. I requested that I review Holy Clang as I’d not heard them before and felt it would be an interesting challenge. I was right.
Holy Clang are a three-piece band, with the bass player Thomas also on lead vocals, the drummer Dave covering backing vocals, and the guitarist Simon completing the trio. The first song, ‘Doom Loop,’ had a dark, heavy, atmospheric intro, which was followed by a rapid spit of vocal. Guitar effects filled every space in the room. I and the rest of the audience were mesmerised. The second song is complex with a heavy rhythmic drum intro and screeching stabs from the guitar. Sparse, repetitive vox were just five words: “What fresh hell is this?” and I couldn’t help but draw a comparison to the power of Idles, a personal favourite.
The set continued with much angular riffing and noise psych with occasional jazzy interludes. Another twist in the tale and the immense talent within this band brings ideas of Siouxsie and the Banshees into the mix with BAE. Midway through, ‘This Won’t Break Us’ is dedicated to Austen, in memory of long friendships, and Roxanne Gayton announces how delighted she is that Dave is wearing a Black Rock Subway Studio T-shirt. The band are clearly loved and respected by the audience. The set continues with many more turns through a complex landscape of intense rhythm, and the building pace brought us to a crescendo with the tight and tortured final song ‘Robbing Fruit From Co-op’. They are intense, powerful, mesmerising, and so very, very worthy of the appreciation shown by the crowd when they end to a resounding wave of applause.
Their full set included: Doom Loop, Fresh Hell, BAE, Stare at the Sun, This Won’t Break Us, Toxic Male Technique, We Can Handle More, and Robbing Fruit at the Co-op.
Gulls
Reviewed by Kev Howell
I attended the Austen Gayton Memorial Gig at The Prince Albert yesterday. I couldn’t stay for the whole show, but what a ‘who’s who’ in the music scene and a sterling line-up of bands. I was asked very nicely if I would review one of the bands, to which I replied, “Of course.” I got assigned… GULLS. So, here it is…
GULLS are Jimmy Guest (drums), Trixie Dean (guitar/vocals), and Rhi Kavok (lead vocal). After being off the scene since Nov ‘24, Gulls were back! Slightly nervous, but no need. It was like they had never been away. The powerful Womb Raider opened the set and it was all systems ‘go’! The melodic (sometimes haunting) vocals from Trixie coupled with the shouty/angry and sometimes comedic vocals from Rhi is a combination that works, ably backed by the beats of Jimmy. The songs are message-senders, with the likes of Audi Twat, Another Bobby, Another Body, and Larry The Litter Lout, all allowing audience participation. (The latter is unprintable, but sung by most people). If you don’t dance, you will at least be tapping your feet. The only downside to the set was that it had to end.
Del Strangefish Inexperience
Reviewed by Pipi Longstocking and Roxi Gayton
Roxi
What a beautiful evening! From the first band until the end, the turnout was brilliant with an atmosphere as electric as it was warm. It felt like a whole room of family. Del Strangefish Inexperience opened with ‘Clocking In’ and ended with ‘Austen Lives On’. I can’t possibly explain how special it felt to be stood in a full room with everyone singing my dad’s name in his memory. To grieve with half of Brighton (and indeed people from across Europe; a few managed to get over to be there on Saturday) is something deeply moving and a memory I will treasure my whole life.
Their closing song really just blew me out of my shoes; hearing everyone raise the roof with Dad’s name had me and my brother, Jordy, arm in arm in tears, a very special moment for us. How lucky we are to have had that night for him and how moving to have experienced such a special moment. Thank you to the band and to Dave (the drummer). I can recognise Dave on the drums from rooms away! It’s forged into the very workings of my childhood! The whole night was perfect. Everyone involved with putting it together should be so proud. Community at its absolute best.
Pipi
Del Strangefish is a founding member of Peter and the Test Tube Babies. That night, Dave Flatpig was drumming for the band. They were on as the 4th band and the crowd was already heaving and well warmed up from the previous performances. When they played the Flatpig cover “Dear John,” which is a tribute to the late John Peel, it got pretty emotional and we got a few moments of silence but also a lot of celebrations. The last song was dedicated to Austen: “Austen Lives On,” and I think at that moment no eye stayed dry. Everyone had a few tears, everyone was hugging and just being there for each other, followed by a lot of laughter and cheering to celebrate our dear friend.
The band’s performance was amazing and they got a lot of cheering on and encouragement from everyone. The atmosphere in the Albert was absolutely heartwarming and I cannot imagine a better way to say goodbye. Dave’s typical drumming was incredible, and his usual Dave jokes in the interim were a very good way to loosen up the atmosphere and lift the moods. All in all, an absolute smasher… thank you guys 🙂
Del Strangefish Inexperience set:
Clocking In
Nerves
Weak
Dear John
No Invitation
Tomorrow’s Girl
Up and Down
Tainted Love
Austen Lives On
Thee Derelique
Reviewed by Richie Nice
Local five-piece Thee Derelique put out a retro vibe, reminiscent of American 1960s garage rock, played at full tilt with an urgent punky energy to drive it along. Drummer Will is making a spirited attempt to hammer the kit into the downstairs bar, with briskly fluid fills thundering around the kit. Wild-haired guitarist Jim is digging into a semi-acoustic, keyboard player Andy conjures swirls and stabs of vintage organ sounds, whilst seated bassist Ian traverses the fretboard with lovely runs of punchy low end. Lead vocalist Spex, flailing a shock of bright red hair, is a strikingly engaging presence with a powerful voice.
I’ve seen the band plenty of times before and really love their music, and I’m pleased to find today’s set has a few newer numbers. ‘Soul Of The City’, now available to stream, sets the tone, urgent and catchy. The bass-driven ‘Conspiracy’ is an old favourite, with a hint of early Stranglers and a ‘Hanging Around’ style stabbed ending. ‘Feeling Inside’ romps between catchy hooks, with call-and-response vocals, busy drums, and some neat stops. ‘Look Me In The Eye’, recently recorded and freshly released to stream, is driven along by an urgent riff, before we get a brief change of pace with ‘Annabelle’. Also newly online is ‘Winning Hand’, jolting along on an insanely infectious two-chord groove. ‘Action’ soars beautifully, and this short sharp set concludes with Spex snarling the line, “Get back, get back, I’m evil” over an urgently punky backing. As far as I’m concerned, this band is all the garage punk goodness anyone could need.
Thee Derelique set: ‘Soul of the City’, ‘Conspiracy’, ‘Feeling Inside’, ‘Look Me In The Eye’, ‘Annabelle’, ‘The Winning Hand’, ‘Action’, ‘Get Back I’m Evil’
Gripper Lee
Reviewed by Jim Phelan
The Prince Albert was the scene of a memorial concert for local lynchpin of the Brighton punk rock scene, Austen Gayton. Austen was the man behind rehearsal and recording Studio 284 and Blackrock Subway Studios, the only studios providing full Marshall stacks and access to his personal collection of every era of these legendary amplifiers. He was very well known and respected among the local rock community, and this was a very special night with a feeling of joy and celebration for the sad passing of our mate.
The day kicked off at 4pm, and 7.45pm marked the return of the men in black, bowlers, and beards with an electrifying post-punk set providing guitar textures ranging from Cult-like, Killing Joke, and John McGeoch, with an underlying hint of Sex Pistols paired with some excellent harmony singing. This is a band who look comfortable in their own skin on stage and captivate your attention. A mostly original set with great track titles including Really Don’t Care, Signify Nothing, Pale Blue Dot, High Tension High Pressure, and the brilliant Hymn For A Godless Universe. They did include an excellent cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Spellbound’, which was a surprise from such a gruff, bearded lot!
Make a point of seeking them out on the local scene; they play The Pipeline in Brighton’s Lanes on Sunday 7th June supporting Tuppeny Bunters.
Barriers
Reviewed by Dave O’Brien
I’ve known these guys for many years and watched them flourish and blossom. I first encountered them sometime in the nineties when they were very young and called themselves “Sackless Jack,” an irreverent band with funny lyrics that poked fun at all kinds of people and subjects, teasingly anti-vegetarian and pro-drugs. We (Flatpig) found ourselves on the bill with them at the old Free Butt and, despite being vegetarians, we got on really well with these funny young upstarts. Fast forward thirty years and the same three musicians, known these days as Barriers, take to the stage at the Albert accompanied by their singer and frontman Andy, exuding confidence as a band.
Drummer Chris has lost none of his youthful vigour and attacks the kit with controlled and concentrated energy, laying down blast beats with apparent ease and sounding like thunder in the slower “mosh” parts of songs. Guitarist Tom, who used to handle vocal duties, is now relieved of that pressure and is able to move more freely on the stage, creating an intense soundscape of howling guitar which sounds like it could only be created by at least two guitarists for its densely layered sound but is nonetheless coherent and precise. Bass player Greg locks in tightly with Chris and keeps the bottom end of the sound firmly anchored, yet still gets plenty of opportunities to show that his playing can be flamboyant when it suits the song. Their long years of working together as a rhythm section have borne fruit, and the result is a delight to watch and to hear.
Newest member, singer Andy, is the perfect addition to this band… the icing on the hardcore cake. He puts in a commanding centre-stage performance, his goggle-eyed, manic expressions capturing the attention of the excited crowd. Barriers are the most hardcore of the acts on stage today, and Andy has just the voice to gel perfectly with this musical style; he could easily be the vocalist for a death metal band with his gruff rasp, but it is perfect also for hardcore punk. It’s a joy to see the musicians smiling broadly as they kick up a sonic storm, and they are a great addition to today’s line-up. How cool it is to see how they have grown over the years. There is a maturity and depth to this music which transcends their towering wall of noise, and a warm, smiling, slightly acidic sense of fun that makes them accessible and entertaining as a live act. Long live this version of the band; I look forward to seeing them again soon.
Barriers set: French Bulldog, Sick Sad World, Khao San Road, The Void, Barriers, Time Crisis, Bandwagon, Distant Memory, Final Fight
Family of Strangers
Reviewed by Gary Shilladay
Family of Strangers are no strangers to the Brighton music scene! More than a band, they are a force of unbridled energy, delivering punk to the masses, ever present in the buzzing web of Brighton’s alternative and underground bands. Reminiscent of the ska punk vitality of the Clash, all the grit of X-Ray Spex, and the irreverence of Bikini Kill. Tonight’s performance was formidable as they took the stage and delivered a blistering set of punk rock with a vintage vibe.
The front person is Lou Moon, who commands the room and stage with effortless ease. Alongside Lou is guitarist Del Ford: this duo was central to the organisation driving this event, which totalled seven fun-filled hours and a spectrum of bands honouring local legend Austen Gayton. The solid rhythm section of Family of Strangers is Jono Hanson on drums and Richie Nice on bass, returning to the stage after his earlier whack-in-the-face psych rock and roll set with Gripper Lee.
As the band take the stage, Lou Moon reminds us of why we’re there, instigating a chant for Austen. Family of Strangers have used Austen’s studio for time immemorial, and they bring him to mind now: “Austen, Austen…!” calls out Lou Moon; “Austen, Austen, Austen…” rings out though the room as the crowd take up the chant. Del’s throaty guitar intro to ‘Dressed to Kill’ comes in; chords hanging in the air with a low gutsy growl. Then we’re on a journey with a bluesy backing shuffle led by solid rhythm and energetic drum fills. Del holds a note at the end, and as the sustained feedback rings with overtones screeching in, the band launch straight into ‘Predator’ with the plosive “P” repeated, reminiscent of the Runaways’ ‘Cherry Bomb’. Great swirling guitar rich with phaser and deeply driven, with measured backing vocals.
Between tunes, we are commanded to have fun, but the audience doesn’t need telling as ‘Survivor’ kicks in. Jono takes a solo stripped-back moment mid-song, and the drama builds with Del and Richie dancing around stage, their guitars moving in synchronicity. Full of ideas, performance ready, and well-practised on stage – what a team!
Next, one of my favourites: ‘Superhero’. I really dug what they did with the middle of this song. Lou takes a moment on stage singing, trancelike. Jono, cool at the back in shades, keeps the rhythm while Lou steps down to join the adoring crowd, showcasing some great dynamics and ease with a crowd. A peeled-back intermittent guitar chord starts to build the tension back to the climax… cue Richie: “DID YOU HEAR THE STORY? DID YOU HEAR THE STORY? DID YOU HEAR THE STORY?” And a perfectly timed scream brings the song back in, up to completion.
Next up Killa: “Dangerous to me,” and this song sounds dangerous! Well-timed backing vocals “Hai Hai Hai” throughout. Swirling guitar soundscapes and a punchy psychedelic bass build the ending. Into ‘Darlings’, a new song which I have heard before, but the polished version before us now has developed in dynamics and form. The rhythm change in the middle creates a well-placed ‘song within a song’ led by the toms on the drums and a mesmeric bassline to a crescendo joined on guitar. Back into the song, then a return to a rhythm-driven outro full of melody and drama.
The last two songs are staples of Family of Strangers and great for anyone who likes to bounce about, pogo stick, or nod heads in punk appreciation. First up is ‘Dead People Sell’. Pure punk energy, catchy and perfect in delivery. It’s impossible to stand still. The Family of Strangers become an extended family as four of the band’s mates from the Dutch band at the start make it up on stage for the fun and frolics that is to be ‘Shoot Nazis’. The extended family is definitely less well-rehearsed than our four colourful, iconic original members, but all four of the newcomers form a cabal of merrymaking as we hear “plant more trees, save the bees, shoot nazis”.
All in all, a brilliant set from Family of Strangers! They were utterly at home on stage at the Prince Albert, and everything about this event screamed family, right down to Lou’s incredible homemade rolls and the chants of “even Smelly’s gorgeous”.
Family of Strangers’ set was:
- Dressed to Kill
- Predator
- Survivor
- Superhero
- Killa
- Darlings
- Dead People Sell
- Shoot Nazis
Family of Strangers are:
- Lou Moon – vocals
- Richie Nice – bass and backing vocals
- Del Ford – guitar and backing vocals
- Jono Hanson – drums
Peter and the Test Tube Babies
Reviewed by The Reverend Lux Urbane
Hello ladies and germs, the Rev here! Just got back from a wonderful memorial show for Brighton legend Austen Gayton. Headlining the show are 1980s Oi and Street punk forefathers, Peter and the Test Tube Babies.
The band begins with the frantic street punk sound of ‘Keep Britain Untidy’, a song off their 1982 album ‘Pissed and Proud’. Next up is ‘Run Like Hell’; the song begins with Peter reciting a story of an altercation in a disco as Del gently strums out chords. The almost peaceful intro is cut short as Peter screams out an unpublishable line and the band launch into a punk rock comedy-laced tune.
A crowd favourite, ‘Jinx’, comes next—incidentally the first Test Tubes single I bought way, way back. The crowd is now singing along to every chorus, as a mosh pit sways the crowd back and forth. ‘My Unlucky Day’, ‘Every Second Counts’, ‘Hell to Pay’, and ‘In Your Face’ go by with a speedy tightness.
Another old favourite, ‘Up Your Bum’, has the mosh pit at full tilt. This is followed by the rapturous and anthemic ‘Spirit of Keith Moon’. Another two classic Test Tubes early tracks, ‘Moped Lads’ and ‘Banned From the Pub’, have the audience up and dancing. And just as we all thought the night was at an end, the Test Tubes pull ‘Blown Out Again’ out of the bag. What a great song to end on and what an incredible set.
Unlike many gigs, the crowd are hanging around as the Test Tubes exit stage right. There are hugs, handshakes, kisses, and still a few tears. This was definitely a very Austen Gayton day and night—full of fun, energy, and kindness, just like the man himself. Austen Gayton! You will be missed.
