★★★★

At The Edge of the Sea is fast becoming a Brighton institution. In its eighth year, the mini-festival sees cult indie-pop heroes The Wedding Present invite friends to join them at Concorde 2.

Unperturbed by dark clouds and strong seaside winds, devotees were out in force in George Best t-shirts to welcome back their heroes.

Among the highlights of the early afternoon sets were Melys’s 90s power chord choruses and Mermaid Noises, whose finger-picked folk was a charming interlude.

British Sea Power’s Yan and Noble – joined by “hired help” on guitar and rhythm – performed a combination of covers and BSP hits which evoked the enduring appeal of songs like Remember Me and Atom.

The room then filled for the main attraction and the Wedding Present delivered a tight, career-spanning set of C86 classics.

Brand new songs and Seamonsters numbers Corduroy and Octopussy were equally satisfying and, such was the warmth and appreciation in the room, it felt a bit like joining socialists at a Jeremy Corbyn rally.

Singer David Gedge – all hand gestures and earnestness – was the star of the show, fronting the band’s choppy guitars and quiet-loud arrangements with trademark tales of rejection.

Same time, same place next year.

Tom Furnival-Adams