The Forum Basement

Sunday nights just got lighter! Dark Horse Comedy returns to The Sussex Arms for November with the hilarious Harriet Kemsley headlining – as seen on Last one Laughing UK. We’ve also got 3 brilliant up & coming acts and local Aimee Cooper hosting.

Harriet is an award winning comedian, writer and actress. She has starred in the Viceland reality sitcom Bobby and Harriet: Get Married which she co-created and co-wrote with her husband Bobby Mair, to huge critical acclaim. She can also be seen on Dave’s Hypothetical, ITV’s Hey Tracey, Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Live at the Apollo, and is a recurring guest on 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Her other credits include hosting the BBC Radio 4 Comedy Club, The Radio 1 Comedy Lounge, BBC3’s Comedy Marathon, The One Show (Edinburgh Special) and Kevin’s Hart’s LOL Live.

Sterling Press are a four-piece rock band from West London, merging gritty rock riffs with the infectious thud of dance-punk. The band – childhood neighbours & long time best friends Marlon, Ed, Greg, and Lucien – spent their formative years playing every dive London had to offer, bonding over shared obsessions with The Beatles & Blur. After living in Liverpool for a couple of years the boys became DJ’s at the iconic Jacaranda Club, hosting weekly indie disco parties and using the money they earned to buy synthesizers, providing the songwriting foundations for their new sound.

[YouTube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNBvvGvDH_c”]

KITE THIEF

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/kitethiefuk

JJ&E | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SufnjUd2Uco

Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/track/3YgbTvuic5GwhW27bizOWA?si=1a777d32a12549d7

Fresh from blistering performances at The Great Escape, 2000 Trees Festival, Takedown Festival and sharing stages with the likes of Of Virtue and InMe, Kite Thief will release new single ‘BITE’ on 8th August 2025. Previous singles have picked up coverage with Metal Hammer, Kerrang Radio, Rock Sound, Distorted Sound Magazine, RTE2XM, Primordial Radio, BBC Bristol, BBC South West, Dreambound, Amazing Radio, Total Rock, Apple Music, TIDAL, Deezer, Amazon Music and more.

GLASS BRIDGES

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/GlassBridgesuk

Breathe | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXdNLqiBrtw

Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/artist/62pDENyREDEFFkgkkOn1zv?si=lIYsZaH-R2G3Q6BwUUpUgQ

Glass Bridges are a four-piece alternative rock band hailing from the South of England, known for blending hard rock and post-grunge influences into atmospheric yet punchy soundscapes. Their music explores themes like early relationships, healing, self-reflection, and rebuilding emotional bridges. The band are currently at over 81,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and have had recent support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Oxford and more.

Formed in Eastbourne in 2023, Believe In Nothing brings together members from the South Coast heavy music scene with a unified vision of sonic destruction. Their music thrives on dynamic tension, walls of noise and guitar are offset by silence, atonality, and dread. They debuted live in 2024 with a fully improvised set, later refined into a relentless touring schedule across the UK. They’ve shared stages with KULK, Mastiff, Mizmor, WODE, Final Dose, Harrowed, Death Goals, Pascacoula and more, with 2025 seeing headline appearances in London, Brighton, and a run of new towns. After an early demo, they dropped four bleak singles via Church Road Records in 2025, each exploring different shades of horror, dread, and psychological ruin:

“What Would You Do?” (March 25, 2025) “Complete Desolation” (April 30,  2025) “Fistful Of Worms” (May 21, 2025) “Boiling Stone” (June 27, 2025)

Due for release on 31st October 2025 via Church Road Records, Rot is Believe In Nothing’s full-length debut and the culmination of their bleak creative vision. It chisels into granite their counter-intuitive approach to heaviness: equal parts chaos and control, volume and restraint, with layered textures collapsing under their own weight. Where earlier singles hinted at suffocating tension, Rot dives headlong into the abyss, using pressure, space, and psychological decay to conjure a world that feels like it’s been burning for years.

Healing Wound

Blackened hardcore from Brighton. Ritual noise. Bleeding riffs. No light, no peace. This is for the wound that never closes.

Irish Music at The Sussex Arms – Free Entry

The Sussex Arms are bringing the true Irish spirit to the Pantiles! Join us for an afternoon of live traditional Irish, Cornish, Folk, and old-time tunes with some of the county’s finest session players. If you’re a fan of the Pogues, the Dubliners, or new folk legends like Lankum, this is for you. Our handpicked Celtic Session band is here to bring ‘Trad’ back to where it belongs – in the heart of the pub.

So grab a pint of Guinness and watch the best ‘Trad’ this side of Dublin. Sláinte!

With 2 EP releases since their formation in December 2019 and a raging leap into the live music circuit, Going Off are a band with something to say. With an intense and relentlessly energetic live performance and songs with lyrical themes worth going off about – Going Off are a band who need to be seen and heard.

‘What Makes You Tick?’ is the hardcore punk anthem of 2023, filled with vigour and reminiscent of the likes of Candy, Gulch and Trash Talk.

Introducing KAROBELA (pronounced ka-ro-bella), the Alt-Indie four-piece whose genre-blending approach captivates the masses and keeps you dancing on your toes. Whether you crave precision playing, soaring melodies, heavy riffing, or infectious low-end grooves inspired by dance musics drum and bass lines, KAROBELA has got you covered. It’s a feel-good experience, and it’s undeniably powerful.

FEATURED ON THE BBC INTRODUCING LIVE LOUNGE and described as “absolutely fearsome” by Melita Dennett, as well as airplay from stations like PLANET ROCK, the stage is set for something truly special, and Karobela are determined to deliver. From intimate venues to festival stages: their unmissable live show is a must-see.

On another level, Karobela use their music to connect with people and tell stories, sometimes based on real experiences, but always in search of that left-of-centre angle. Lyrical character studies that are fast become synonymous with the band, couple elegantly with a musical direction that is immediately no-nonsense and relatable.

Don’t miss out on Karobela’s unique musical melting pot, where genre boundaries fade gracefully leaving room for the unexpected. Thought provoking subjects offer an alternative viewpoint: a switch in expectations, and an edgy look to boot, might just see them shoot to the top of the list as your new favourite band!

Shooting up through Cardiff’s flourishing music scene is Half Happy. The four-piece bounce around the walls of dream-pop, indie-rock and post punk but don’t stay in one place for too long. These 90’s babies mould their influences with fresh force, creating engaging melody-stuffed storytelling.