LIVE FROM THE PIT: Mouth Culture, Overgrown and Club Brat

Where others were sleeping off the bank holiday weekend, hundreds of fans decided to round it out at Dust, Brighton, by getting sweaty in the dance pit for MOUTH CULTURE, with support from OVERGROWN and CLUB BRAT. Having exploded onto the scene after supporting YOU ME AT SIX on their goodbye tour (we are not over it) and playing Slamdunk Festival in 2025, MOUTH CULTURE have been on an upward trajectory ever since. Performing at Takedown Festival 2026, selling out their Brighton tour show, and poised to take on the Avalanche stage at Download Festival 2026, word has spread from the growing fanbase’s mouths that this is the band to watch – wise words indeed.

No one could have been prepared for opening act CLUB BRAT and their eclectic genre-blended sound. Opening their set in dramatic, statue-still poses to an alt-rock EDM intro, each musician utilised their set to display not only their musical prowess but their individual characters. From the bassist literally bending over backward to pluck a rattling bass line, the guitarists headbanging in their limited space while shifting from scratchy, distorted solos to harmonised riffs, and the drummer thumping out a consistently snappy beat with plenty of cowbell.

CLUB BRAT’s singer maintained a stoic, intimidating presence, not letting tech issues get in the way of delivering noise-pop-punk singing across two microphones, heavy alt-rock screams, and sombre spoken word. Weaving through as many genres as possible in a funky, crashing sound that’s a little bit THE HIVES, CLUB BRAT close out again as motionless figures and let the music and lights fade them out.

Scottish up-and-comers OVERGROWN switch up the pace and bring a confident sound and a genuinely humble attitude, repeatedly expressing their awe at the crowd numbers and energy in the room. They match this energy in spades, kicking off their set with a room shaking, prolonged bass riff, joined by the dual guitarist/vocalists in an emotive harmonisation. Their slow, intense lyrics juxtapose with the high toned riffs and the frantic drumming, moving fluidly from mournful sounds to rapid alt-rock tones and guttural screams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMfH0rTRKfs

Calls for their “swayey song” entice the crowd closer, as they deliver an atmospheric sound that highlights the instruments and their individual skills, lying under clear-cut but devastating lyrics that plunge to the heart. They direct the crowd through moments to headbang and dance, advising “don’t pull a muscle though” – even if you’re unfamiliar with their music, OVERGROWN makes the effort to include everyone in their impressively polished sound. With a summer of tour support slots and festivals on the horizon, it won’t be long before the crowd need no direction.

Within a minute the sold-out crowd have surged in to fill any lingering spaces, the stage lights dropping to a soft, orange back glow and we await MOUTH CULTURE, the band taking the scene by storm. One by one silhouettes take to the stage, distorted bass notes hyping up the vigorous audience until frontman Jack Voss bounced out with a “what the fuck is up Brighton – are you ready?”.

Kicking straight into On and On, it’s not hard to see why they’ve been amassing their fanbase and accolades, as the audience screamed back their lyrics while Voss wheeled about with a delighted smile on his face, clasping the front row’s hands and repeatedly holding the mic out to the chants – this night isn’t just MOUTH CULTURE’s, it belongs to their devotees. With passionate screams and clean lyrics, the band performed as a tight-knit unit through their crowd-pleasing tracks, with the quality of a studio sound and the energy and sentiment of being connected to their fans for this packed crowd.

Tod Groome’ captivated us with hauntingly high notes and jarring distorted guitar riffs in Dead in Love, coupling with Mason Clifford’s dark and intricate bass lines in Picking Wings Off a Butterfly, the pair commanding their stage space with headbangs and swaying, Clifford taking in the pulsing fans with clear admiration, while Groome looked utterly thrilled to be there. Touring drummer Max Nicolai didn’t hold back throughout the set, particularly on popular track Sharkbait, thrashing at his kit while Voss encouraged the crowd to open the pits up, a request they’re only too happy to oblige. Voss demands a cheer for each of his “best fucking mates” in a genuinely moving moment, before spraying the crowd with water as they propelled into a fully charged Cherry Red Rage. 

With fans literally swinging from the ceiling and mosh pits taking up almost the entire dancefloor, MOUTH CULTURE are already cementing themselves as a band guaranteed to bring chaotic, heartfelt excitement to their live shows.

Words: Julia Stark

Photos: Teala Lynas