Hockley Hustle - The Highlights

The city hosts numerous festivals across its many venues, offering a great way to experience its flourishing scene; Hockley Hustle being just one example. With over 40 venues taking part, and a mixture of music acts, drag artists, DJs, political speakers and more, Hockley Hustle is a vibrant celebration of Nottingham culture. The Mic's Sami De Jong reports.

A performance that epitomises my experience was the much loved Nottingham punk band Cheap Dirty Horse. Frontman Finbar Ansbe observed that whilst many regional music scenes have suffered enormously from the government’s relentless defunding of the arts, coupled with worsening economic conditions, Nottingham has somehow continued to thrive as a champion of artistic expression. However, with such a vast array of acts, no two people’s experience of the Hustle is the same, and so a comprehensive review of the festival is impossible. Instead, I wanted to highlight some of the acts that stood out to me throughout the day.

The very first band I had the pleasure of seeing was Dahlia Blume. Though the festival was host to numerous phenomenal classic rock-inspired artists (such as the psych-tinged Herds and Shoelace), I fell for Dahlia Blume’s simpler brand of 60s-style rock n roll, during their set upstairs at the Angel Microbrewery. Everything about the band, from the outfits and dance moves, to the frontman’s Mick Jagger-esque persona, screamed “old school”. The confidence of the band went a long way in endearing themselves to the audience, who were even invited to join in on the chorus of one song using the many kazoos that were handed out. With some catchy songwriting, outstanding backup vocals, the constant use of a slider and no end to the guitar solos, Dahlia Blume were a joy to watch.

Nottingham’s extraordinarily diverse punk scene was on full display during the festival, with many talented acts such as Of Cruelty, Baddy Issues, and Cheap Dirty Horse making appearances. A last minute addition to the lineup (filling in for In Chimera) was See Mirror Sea — a Nottingham-based garage rock band with a sharp psychedelic edge. Though only announced on the day of the event to play at the Liquid Light Brewery, their sound betrayed absolutely no hint of under-preparedness. See Mirror Sea’s style, reminiscent of The Cramps and The Damned (at least on Phantasmagoria), truly shines in a live setting. With Jim Morrison-esque flair, frontman Richard Kelsey’s electrifying confidence and dramatic vocals gave the band undeniable stage presence. Funky basslines paired with some heavy use of the whammy bar gave the set a spooky twist with clear surf rock influence, especially on Pleasure Island, a standout track apparently about Nottingham’s Goose Fair.

As it begun to get darker, and wetter, I stepped into Jamcafe: In the words of Mark Knopfler, “coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down”. Jamie Sykes, otherwise known as Ilke-ta, led a group of talented musicians (and friends) from behind the drums, with complex and emotive melodies altered by unconventional rhythms. The result was a mesmerising collection of sometimes soothing, sometimes energetic jazz tracks. A notable moment came when Luhis introduced a tambourine, briefly transforming the piece into a captivating trio of interlocking percussion parts. All four instrumentalists displayed such skill that I was left craving more after the all-too-abrupt end of their set. They left much anticipation for their upcoming performance in Leicester’s contemporary jazz all-dayer, Crowds Like Us. Joined by regular collaborators Ben Nobuto (keyboard) and Benjamin Luhis (bass), as well as Hakiran Sahota (tabla), the ensemble delivered what was perhaps my favourite performance of the night.

Heading over to BrewDog, I stumbled out of the cold into my final act of the night, Mammoth Toe. Though many were likely physically exhausted from a day of seeing bands and moving from venue to venue, the heavy and energetic sound of Mammoth Toe was more than enough to rejuvenate. Visiting from Bristol, the three-piece group performed an extended set of long, atmospheric instrumental prog-post-rock, including their notably powerful track Chugga from their 2024 album Ok, Well Done. Though without a vocalist, the band were hardly stage-shy: for example, during a performance of Megalodon, an award was offered to the audience member who could pull off the most convincing “land swimming”. A mix of groovy basslines and trippy guitar riffs, as well as an intense escalation in sound throughout each song, made Mammoth Toe a particularly memorable end to the night.

In spite of the poor weather, Hockley Hustle was another roaring success with dozens of fabulous acts, many of whom I simply didn’t have time to catch, scattered throughout the seemingly endless list of venues. Raising over £230,000 for charities since 2006, the festival is still going strong and is clearly representative of an ever-prosperous arts community in Nottingham, connected by traditional music venues, cinemas, pubs, cafes, shops and more!

Sami De Jong

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Edited by Daniela Roux

Photos courtesy of Sami De Jong