Melting Vinyl dedicated to bringing creative artists to Brighton & Kent

Our fabulous team have shared their favourite shows (and tracks) from 2025, and offer you their tips for 2026… but the whole team agree that to narrow their highlights of 2025 into one or two choices was an incredibly difficult task! 

Anna (Melting Vinyl owner and programming):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
Martha Wainwright at Dover Booking Hall in August. This woman is stellar live, and it was great to hear and see this retrospective of her career (as Melting Vinyl has worked with her from the beginning), with all her honest, fabulously arranged songs. I also loved working with Death and Vanilla on their unique soundtrack to the film: ‘Whistle And I’ll Come To You’ at the Komedia back in October. They evoked an old English seaside time past, with the ringing of bells and eerie sounds. From a local perspective, I love how confident, forthright, and darn talented Brighton based ISM is. They supported Eat Girl (who were also great live) back in May at the Rossi bar.
Favourite Non-Melting Vinyl gig/event of 2025 This is tricky as I don’t tend to go to many gigs that aren’t promoted by Melting Vinyl. I promote what I do because I want to see the artists first and foremost! But really enjoyed Lemonsuckers at 234 at the Green Doors Store back in September, they ROCKED.
Favourite Album of 2025
Liz Ikamba Ba Yeba (Benyayer Remix) (sorry, not an album, but originally from an album.) It’s such a soulful afrobeat sound from the album ‘MAMA’. Liz is an amazing, captivating performer.  See her next year at The Rose Hill.
Top Recommendation For 2026
I am looking forward to FROST at ALPHABET, who creates electronic beats partly through his drumming. It’s a great live spectacle, featuring lighting and moving images synchronised with the performance. Dale from FROST has curated the lineup and has two impactful artists from different experimental scenes in the UK (Xylitol  & Benji Jeffrey).
Oh, and of course, it goes without saying, the Lewes Psych festival 2026 in the Con Club in January. I feel privileged (and qualified!) to curate the array of artist from a spectrum of psych genres with the hugely talented Innerstrings (International visual artists, also from Lewes).

Grant (MV Programming (with Anna)):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
A toss up between the wonderful In Celebration of Low show at St George’s, which showcased many local[ish] artists sharing their passion for the band Low,  and Dilettante at The Prince Albert. Frankie is such a dynamic and extraordinary performer.
Favourite Non-Melting Vinyl gig/event of 2025 
Sigur Rós at The Royal Albert Hall with a full choir and orchestra – just extraordinary. First time I had seen them live in years!The lady next to me, who had flown in from Portugal, was in tears as soon as the first notes rang out (happy tears I think).
Favourite Album of 2025
Ooh, so many great albums this year – Comeback albums by Chameleons, Pulp and Stereolab were all great. But my favourite and most played LP by far is Life of the Party by Dilettante. Vibrant, quirky, witty and catchy all at the same time.
Top Recommendation For 2026
I am looking forward to Lewes Pysch Fest as always! The Dreamcoaster EP launch is going to be great; such a good line-up of 3 local-ish creative bands. Iceland Airwaves Festival 2026, November in Reykjavik is always interesting and diverse (and usually very cold).

Leashia (MV Ticketing/Production):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
Dilettante – I loved this gig, Frankie had a vibrant presence on stage – she is such a talented multi-instrumentalist with wonderful alt-pop songs with great harmonies. (Great album too).
Favourite Non-Melting Vinyl gig/event of 2025 
Sigur Ros – I have seen Sigur Ros many times and am never disappointed.  It was special to see them this time with the orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall. 
Favourite Album of 2025
Chameleons Arctic Moon – I’ve been aware of the Chameleons for years and seen them many times, but for me this album is beautiful – favourite track ‘David Bowie Takes My Hand’.
Top Recommendation For 2026
I’m really looking forward to the Herman Dune in March, Michael McGovern in May and Nick Cave at Preston Park of course.

Chris (MV Visuals and Equipment Loan):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
This is a tough one! The tribute to Low at St George’s was a very special evening. It was so wonderfully put together, and so many moving renditions of Low songs. 
Death and Vanilla were reliably enchanting at the Komedia, I very much enjoyed supporting them! The show from Patrick Fitzgerald was fantastic too; so good to see Patrick and Julian play from their catalogue of Kitchens of Distinction songs, in such an intimate setting.
Favourite Non-Melting Vinyl gig/event of 2025 
Sabres of Paradise at Drumsheds and Concorde 2, it was a joy and an honour to work some visual magic for these shows, having been a fan from ‘back in the day’.
Favourite Album of 2025
James Holden and Waclaw Zimpel “The Universe Will Take care of You”; sublime hypnotic analogue electronica. Sister Ray Davies’ “Holy Island” on Sonic Cathedral was a stunner too.
Top Recommendation For 2026
Looking forward to working with Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming/Soccer96), he has an album out in 2026, and we’ll be doing a show at The Rose Hill.

Alison (MV Marketing):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
My favourite gig was Jolie Holland at St Lukes Church back in September. The church is a fabulous space for live music, and of course Jolie’s presence and sound were incredible. But, meeting her, and discovering what a beautiful soul she is, really added to the evening.
Favourite Non-Melting Vinyl gig/event of 2025 
I’m going to throw a comedy event in here. Suzi Ruffell played her (new) home town, in the Corn Exhange, to a full house. Her set was full of warmth and fantastic observations. As funny as.
Favourite Album of 2025
Geese, Getting Killed. Although this band have been around for a good few years, I like many, only discovered them this year, and there’s a bun-fight going on to get their latest album on vinyl. Their stuff just sounds inventive and super creative.
Top Recommendation For 2026
For a welcome and nostalgic trip back to the 90’s & 00’s, the Lo Fidelity Allstars at Chalk promises to be a whole lot of fun, and the gorgeous sounds of Michael McGovern in the intimate setting of the Folklore Rooms will be a complete treat. I was lucky enough to get tickets to see Big Thief in Brixton in April, too. And to go to this gig with both of my daughters guarantees a rare gift of an evening.

Matthew (MV Design):
Favourite Melting Vinyl Gig of 2025
James Yorkston. It was lovely to see him again after all these years and in an intimate stripped back show where he was reflective and candid.
Favourite Album of 2025
Super Disco Pirata (technically end of 2024 but I listened to it all year!). This is a collection of pirate tracks from Peru, Columbia, Ecuador and beyond, from 60s-80s. It just makes me happy and takes me to a place I never knew, but can vaguely imagine.
Top Recommendation For 2026
I’m looking forward to seeing loads of live music this year, including FROST et al at Alphabet in February.