Seattle Thrift Store: Bring the Grunge Jukebox!

Seattle Thrift Store: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The UK’s favourite live tribute to grunge performing: MTV Unplugged & Fully live sets in one fantastic show!

Seattle Thrift Store – The Factory Live, 18/07/2025. (CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE – A VIDEO FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE)

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock music that originated in the mid-1980s in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, particularly Seattle. It goes a little way to explain the name of the band playing, Seattle Thrift Store.

Seattle Thrift Store are a live tribute to Grunge – giving an “Unplugged” and “Full Live Experience”. A joyously dedicated celebration of the Grunge movement from Seattle! If you love the music of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and more then The Factory Live was the place to be on a Friday night.

Seattle Thrift Store: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Seattle Thrift Store are a tribute to the Grunge scene coming out of the Pacific Northwest in the early 90’s. Playing songs by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, as well as associated acts like Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, The Pixies, Foo Fighters and many more!

The guys took to the stage and settled into their high back stools, first performing their “MTV Unplugged” special. It was roughly a 45 minute set of acoustic songs in an atmospheric setting, candles, dried flowers and scarves/shawls decorated the stage. They set about paying homage to the legendary MTV Unplugged Specials. The neon MTV sign glowing brightly at the back of the stage. It felt like stepping out of a time machine.

Lead vocals and rhythm guitar: Mark

Bass and vocals: Edith

Lead guitar: Gareth

Drums: Craig

The Acoustic set included the opener of Soundgardens Black Hole Sun. A strong guitar lead opened up the familiar strains of  Bowies, The Man Who sold the World, covered by Nirvana. Beautifully performed and delivered. A fine version of Alice In Chains track Nutshell  included!

The whole short set of nine tunes flew by and as the final notes of All Apologies rang through The Factory Live Seattle Thrift Store left the stage. I chatted to Gareth and Mark outside remarking how much I had enjoyed that session, They looked at each other and Gareth said “Hope you have got some ear defenders” and they were off back inside.

Seattle Thrift Store: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Part 2!

Three chords in on Nirvanas Breed followed by In Bloom and Stone Temple Pilots Plush and I knew why Gareth had suggested ear defenders! Damn! It was loud, but brilliant. The barrier was packed with fans young and old, and the vibe was pure 90s grunge. Perfect!

It’s heart-warming to witness a top outfit playing note perfect renditions of those tracks from some of rocks notable behemoths. Mark and Gareth provided a solid foundation of loud fuzzed out riffs on their guitars and a thundering of drums from Craig, and hammering out bass lines, and vocal duties, was Edith. A powerful coherent sound indeed.

It’s sweaty, raucous fun and that’s just on the stage as banger after banger was served up. The Seattle Thrift Store made it all feel overtly cool and intentional. The audience tonight certainly seemed on board and there is a fair number, unable to resist the allure of some head banging. The band clearly feeding off the crowd’s energy as their grins beamed from ear to ear, it felt like a truly special set.

Every track is a ferocious as the next as we had Foo Fighters Monkey Wrench and Everlong, Holes Celebrity Skin and Violet, and a slice of Soundgardens Black Hole Sun. Seattle Thrift Store continue to fly through their set at pace barely pausing to take a breath.

The last two tracks of the set making up an encore, Would? And including full-on destruction, smashing through the grungy anthem Smells Like Teen Spirit. These tracks of course evoking a fevered reaction from the crowd, who seemed to hang on the band’s every word and note. Lithium closed the set.

Their whole second set was an intense barrage of brilliant noise. By the end of their 60-minute second set, which felt like it passed in the blink of an eye, every face leaving The Factory was damp but grinning.

This evening turned out to be a “must see” for alternative rock and grunge fans. A Seattle Thrift Store live show is an irreplaceable experience. Go see them if they play near you.

A Video! Drop in on Smells Like Teen Spirit!

Seattle Thrift Store are on the WWW – https://seattlethriftstore.org/ and have a Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/seattlethriftstore/?locale=en_GB

And Finally…

The sound was superb tonight, it was loud and full, and it was punchier than a right hook from Rocky Balboa!

Thanks to Seattle Thrift Store, The Factory Live and Black Rabbit Productions.

Thanks to the top team and management from Black Rabbit Productions keep up top date with these guys! BRINGING LIVE MUSIC TO BRIGHTON & SUSSEX.

Safe to say we all had a great time at The Factory Live. All the staff were very helpful and welcoming as they always are. This is a great venue for music, club nights or comedy! Nicely done guys! Experience The Factory Live! A 285 capacity live music venue situated in the heart of Worthing on the South Coast. They recently announced they were awarded Live Music Venue of the year in West Sussex 2024/2025. Congratulations from Scene Sussex, well deserved. I have had many great times there, and look forward to more visits.

Words and photos by Ian Bourn.

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All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2025.

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