...it’s no surprise that the venue was bustling with a positive plethora of disparate and diverse lesbians, young and old.

Set in the atmospheric ‘live lounge’, this pre-Pride warm-up certainly loosened musical limbs. Organised and hosted by locally celebrated Al Start, it’s no surprise that the venue was bustling with a positive plethora of disparate and diverse lesbians, young and old.

Brighton’s home-grown Nicky Mitchell set the pace with an impressive selection of self-penned anthems, interspersed with witty banter. She finished in style, strumming a personal rendition of Joni Mitchell’s iconic ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, which was complimented by the (lyrically suspicious) warble of appreciative listeners. From this point on, intervals were punctuated by Al’s animated cry of ‘It’s pride weekend!’, and the ensuing cheers reflected the mounting anticipation (and alcohol consumption).

The chilled-out crowd was serenaded further by the likes of Belinda O’Hooley and Mika Sellens; the intimate setting injecting a real sense of poignancy as tales of trauma and passion were recounted. Later on, those with a less delicate musical palette were captivated by the vibrant and fantastically quirky ‘BeRn’, whose infectious energy and vivacious tunes incited some very questionable dancing!

The penultimate act featured Al herself, and it was well worth the wait. Comically opening with her ‘gay superhero’ song, her audience was soon stunned into silence as she delivered a breathtaking selection of beautifully crafted songs. Al’s sublime, seductive vocals even had the rushed bar staff stop in their tracks, and her messages of love, loss (and multi-coloured capes) seemed to strike a chord in everyone.

In the short break before the headliner, a fair few headed home in preparation for the imminent festivities. This was a shame, since those who did stay for ‘Hanna and the Jaedees’ were thoroughly entertained. Having originated in Malaysia, the band was able to offer their alternative crowd some very alternative music. As the bassist towered over the afro-sporting drummer, Hanna belted out a medley of stunningly soulful tunes that pulsed through the floorboards and fed rhythm into the tiredest of feet. In fact, the music was so up-lifting, it even inspired the bean-bag colonizers to stir.

All in all, this was the perfect start to Pride...

All in all, this was the perfect start to Pride, particularly for those less enamoured by the thought of a frenzied Friday on the scene. The fundraiser offered an enticing taster of what there was to look forward to in the women’s tent, although I don’t think anyone was quite anticipating ‘the Jaedees’ rolling up in figure-hugging dresses!