In collaboration with
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113742/The-Great-Escape-Logo-200x150-200x150.jpg)
- Words Adina Ilie
We look back at our last evening of performances at The Great Escape.
Saturday night marked our last evening of performances at The Great Escape. With a crowd hungry for show-stopping performances, the Notion stage was the place to be.
Badgirl$, Manchester’s latest and most promising indie-trap hopes were the first in the line-up to stun the crowd with their awe-inducing performance. The trio redefined the meaning behind being a band hailing from North England – usually synonymous with the Gallaghers. Their sound explores the rap aesthetic from a rock band’s perspective, settling into a scuzzy, slurred and anthemic spot in the middle.
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113628/Badgyal-image-block-2-1-545x750.jpg)
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113630/BADGYAL-IMAGE-BLOCK-1-1-545x750.jpg)
Next up on the mic was West London rapper Lava La Rue, the founder behind the ultra-inventive NiNE8 collective. She blasted a set infused in her autonomous richly textured, thoughtful mixture of woozy hip-hop and R&B.
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113625/LAVA-NEW-1-545x750.jpg)
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113626/LAVA-IMAGE-BLOCK-1-1-545x750.jpg)
With a more stripped back approach, Notion alumni Biig Piig reaffirmed herself as a performer on the cusp of breaking into her own. Closing off our 3-day stint at The Great Escape was a cumulus of the above in the form of NiNE8 collective.
They performed a group set extravaganza featuring Biig Piig, Lava La Rue and Bad Girl$ kicking it off.
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113624/PIG-IMAGE-B-1-545x750.jpg)
![](https://d2ljoqkkoec4f6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/17113622/BIG-IMAGE-BLOCK-1-545x750.jpg)