The Great Escape, various venues, Brighton

No campsites, burger vans or Portaloos. As festivals go, they don't get much more appealing than the Great Escape, Brighton's answer to Austin, Texas's industry shindig South By Southwest, in which 200 or so established, up-and-coming and off-the-radar bands are crammed into the city's bars and clubs over three days.

Though ostensibly a showcase event in which a throng of PRs and publishers go in search of the next big thing, the Great Escape is fast becoming a haven for real-life fans who can combine their musical passions with a trip to the seaside.

There are drawbacks to having so much talent in a small space. Such is the demand for gigs by The Ting Tings and Vampire Weekend that most are left disappointed. But for every buzz band missed, there are countless more playing nearby. Opposite the promenade, New York geek-rockers We Are Scientists give a solid performance of wry indie rock that, despite its smartypants ambition, proves that sometimes a good hook is all you need.

On the Ones to Watch stage, Kentucky's Cage the Elephant prove themselves worthy of the growing hype with their feral blend of country blues and garage rock. Launching straight into the breakneck blues number "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", frontman Matt Schultz is soon dangling off a glitter ball and showering us in sweat.

Chicago's Speck Mountain provide a welcome massage to the temples with their quietly lovely psychedelic folk. In contrast, Reading trio OK Tokyo come at us in a blaze of punk, funk and pop rock, leavened with large dose of irony.

A more interesting prospect is Gotye (pronounced "Gautier"), a musical magpie from Australia whose eclectic tastes make Mark Ronson look blinkered. The genre-hopping can leave you dizzy, and the leap from the Avalanches to Hall and Oates isn't seamless, but you can't fault his ambition.

Finally, the 18-year-old troubadour Laura Marling cements her reputation as a songwriter whose tremendous talent belies her age. She's pale-faced and shy, but her songs are simple, strong and affecting. Having already outgrown this festival of hopefuls, you know she's in it for the long haul.