Live. Music. Culture December 2019
â„– 95 // Free
Kate Stapley
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Sun 1st Dec
Sun 26th Jan 2020
Fri 20th Mar 2020 • 6pm
Tue 3rd Dec • SOLD OUT
Mon 27th Jan 2020
Mon 23rd Mar 2020
J.I.D.
Sigrid
Wed 4th Dec • SOLD OUT
Sam Fender
Thur 5th Dec • SOLD OUT
Aitch
Fri 6th Dec • 6.30pm • SOLD OUT
D Block Europe Sat 7th Dec
Aldous Harding Sun 8th Dec
Donell Jones & Next Mon 9th Dec • 6pm
Dan Reed Network / Gun / FM Tue 10th Dec
Scouting for Girls Thur 12th Dec • 6pm
The Wonder Stuff Fri 13th Dec
The Chats Sat 14th Dec
Motionless in White Sun 15th Dec
SLADE
Mon 16th Dec • SOLD OUT
The Libertines Wed 18th Dec
Shed Seven Fri 20th Dec • 6.30pm
Alabama 3 Sat 21st Dec • 9pm
Craig Charles Funky Christmas Party
Krept & Konan
The Subways
Caravan Palace
Cigarettes After Sex
Wed 29th Jan 2020
Tue 24th Mar 2020
Ashanti & Ginuwine Sat 1st Feb 2020 • 10pm
Innovation
Ash
Sat 28th Mar 2020
I Prevail
Sun 2nd Feb 2020
Thur 2nd Apr 2020 • 6pm
Kano
Roachford
Tue 4th Feb 2020
Sat 4th Apr 2020 • 10pm
The Interrupters
Hybrid Minds
Wed 5th Feb 2020
Mon 6th Apr 2020
Steel Panther
Caribou
Mon 10th Feb 2020
Fri 17th Apr 2020 • 6.30pm
The HU
Beartooth
Lioness ... A.K.A The Amy Winehouse Experience
Thur 27th Feb 2020
Tue 21st Apr 2020
Hot 8 Brass Band
Lamb of God
Tue 3rd Mar 2020
Tue 5th May 2020
Testament
The Mission
Thur 5th Mar 2020
Thur 21st May 2020
Mon 24th Feb 2020
Example Fri 6th Mar 2020
Oh Wonder Sun 8th Mar 2020
Sisters Of Mercy Thur 12th Mar 2020
Stiff Little Fingers
Brian Fallon & The Howling Weather Sat 13th Jun 2020 • 6.30pm
WAR
Wed 17th Jun 2020 • 5.30pm
Volbeat
Thur 8th Oct 2020
NF
Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Juke Box
Sat 14th Mar 2020
Fri 6th Nov 2020 • 6.30pm
Fri 13th Mar 2020 • SOLD OUT
The Dualers Thur 19th Mar 2020
Lightning Seeds
Soul II Soul
Fri 4th Dec 2020 • 6.30pm
Heaven 17
O2 Academy Bristol ticketmaster.co.uk 2
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December • 2019
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0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org
P
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T
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Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across Bristol Wed 4 Dec
Fri 31 Jan
Wed 26 Feb
Richard Spaven
David Wax Museum
Colston Hall Foyer
Bristol Folk House
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Fri 6 Dec
Tue 4 Feb
Penelope Isles
Georgie
Rough Trade Bristol
The Crofters Rights
Trinity Sun 8 Mar
Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman
Mon 9 Dec
Thu 6 Feb
City Of The Sun
Anna Meredith
Exchange
Trinity
Sun 15 Mar
Yorkston Thorne Khan
Wed 11 Dec
Fri 7 Feb
Jesse Marchant
Sean McConnell
The Louisiana
The Crofters Rights
Sun 15 Dec
Wed 12 Feb
Pram
Yacht
The Louisiana
Exchange
Mon 16 Dec
Tue 18 Feb
Vetiver
Daddy Long Legs
Rough Trade Bristol
The Louisiana
Sun 19 Jan
Fri 21 Feb
The East Pointers
HMLTD
Bristol Folk House
Exchange
Wed 29 Jan
Sun 23 Feb
KOKOROKO
Damien Jurado
Trinity
St George’s Bristol
Bristol Folk House
Bristol Folk House Tue 17 Mar
CocoRosie Trinity Fri 20 Mar
Ziggy Alberts SWX Sat 21 Mar
Princess Nokia The Marble Factory Sat 21 Mar
Andy Shauf Fiddlers
BEST OF 2019
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SHARON VAN ETTEN - REMIND ME TOMORROW
BON IVER - i,i
WHITNEY - FOREVER TURNED AROUND
ANGEL OLSEN - ALL MIRRORS
SHURA - FOREVHER
KEVIN MORBY - OH MY GOD
AVAILABLE FROM ALL GOOD RECORD SHOPS NOW!
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SUN 09 FEBRUARY
WED 12 FEBRUARY
THOSE DAMN CROWS
STARSET
FRI 14 FEBRUARY
SAT 15 FEBRUARY
SUN 16 FEBRUARY
KING NUN
EMILY CAPELL
DUBIOZA KOLEKTIV
SAT 22 FEBRUARY
MON 24 FEBRUARY
WED 26 FEBRUARY
GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB
PALAYE ROYALE
X AMBASSADORS
THE EXCHANGE
LOUISIANA
SWX
6
LOUISIANA
+ JOE SLATER + KATIE OWEN [DJ]
SWX
SWX
THE FLEECE
THEKLA
SAT 29 FEBRUARY
TUE 03 MARCH
THU 05 MARCH
DUB FX
TESTAMENT THE BAY STRIKES BACK
EXAMPLE
SUN 08 MARCH
SUN 15 MARCH
FRI 20 MARCH
THE SISTERS OF MERCY
LOUISE REDKNAPP
THEYOUNGSUBWAYS FOR ETERNITY
SWX
O2 ACADEMY
O2 ACADEMY
+ EXODUS + DEATH ANGEL
O2 ACADEMY
SWX
O2 ACADEMY + ART BRUT
SUN 29 MARCH THE EXCHANGE
THU 07 MAY
THE FORUM BATH
JARED+JAMES NICHOLS VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR COLLATERAL
TUE 12 MAY
THE FORUM BATH
NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS MORE GAMES FOR MAY
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Dear reader, Editor-in-Chief / Sales Loki Lillistone loki@instereomag.com Deputy / Live Editor Jon Kean Online / New Music Editor Kezia Cochrane Features Editor Dave Rowlinson Local Release Editor Lor Nov Creative Director Larissa Matheus
Another year gone by, another slew of excellent music irreversibly etched into our minds. In December, I start to feel two things: One, very tired ahead of what is essentially our only holiday of the year. Two, extremely proud of what music-land has achieved, from the work of our favourite artists, to the work of the pals who make this magazine possible. Frankly, there’s no better way to get re-pumped for music than shouting about the records you couldn’t get enough of, in textbook evangelical fashion. As we round-off our eighth year at it, we look at some of our favourite albums of 2019, be they hyped releases or ones you may have missed. Gracing our December cover is Bristol’s own Kate Stapley. Back after a break, she releases the first wave of new material via Breakfast Records this month, with a full-length due next year. She talks to us about what’s changed since Centella, balancing the light with the dark and living in the city we all call home. All this, plus new music, listings, events, guests and more – thanks for a great 2019.
Angel Olson (Albums of the Year)
Contributors: Thomas Evans, Francisco Gonçalves Silva, Andrew Kilpatrick, Guy Marcham, Ari Sawyer, Elliott Simpson, Bethany Smith, Harriet Taylor Cover photo by Ania Shrimpton, typeface by Lucas Le Bihan (Velvetyne). 8
10
14
New Sounds
Events
16
22
Kate Stapley
Albums of the Year
34
44
Full Listings
Live
46
49
Thoughts
In Bristol
Kate Stapley
Staff on Repeat: Loki: Mura Masa – Deal Wiv It with slowthai Jon: Some Bodies – TV Show Kezia: Alocao – Bad Gyal and Omar Montes Lor: Saudade – Sanctuary Dub Larissa: CocoRosie – Smash My Head Holly Herndon (Albums of the Year)
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New Sounds by Kezia Cochrane
Top Ten: New Sounds Urias – Rasga ft. Maffalda Sega Bodega – U Suck Kilo Kish – Bite Me fka twigs – sad day Shygirl – BB Ms Nina – Coqueta ft. Kabasaki Brooke Candy – FMU ft. Rico Nasty + Boys Lynks Afrikka – On Trend Krista Papista – I Love The Smell Of My Pussy Oklou – Forever
Get more new music from kezia cochrane every monday at: bristolinstereo.com 10
Shygirl
BAAST BAAST exude an undeniable dynamism and vivacity with their oscillating sonic creations that blend jungle breaks, potent, quickfire vocals, skittering dub-infused beats, melodic pop intonations and much, much more. Offering club-ready grooves that effortlessly combine their richly-varied influences, the duo bring a truly infectious, entrancing energy, both live and on record. Comprised of Zoran Petkovic [Diessa] and Beth Griffin [Grove], who both create incredible music under their respective solo aliases, the combination of these two as BAAST is incomparable. Having released their latest mixtape, Nature Knows No Kings, they offer non-stop dancefloor anthems that at once encompass a compelling lyrical openness and hypnotic, transcendent soundscapes. From the pertinent ‘FUCK YR LANDLORD’, which anyone who’s lived in rented accomodation can certainly get behind, to calling out the lurking creeps of the dancefloor on ‘BLOODSUCKA’, BAAST’s recent release is unfalteringly on point. With Grove now based in Bristol, you can expect to hear more from this absolute power-duo – and trust me, you don’t want to sleep on this one. Track: FUCK YR LANDLORD Live: Grove, 6th December, Old England @BAASTUK @b44st
Slagheap Emitting a brilliantly-raucous essence, Slagheap deliver the perfect balance of pertinently frank, yet playful and witty songwriting. Having garnered a great deal of love and attention within the local DIY scene for their live prowess and irresistible charm, the four-piece have recently released their much-anticipated debut record. Across the self-titled album, Slagheap purvey charismatic, immediate and clamorous punk gems that further strengthen the refreshing femme presence they bring to the post-punk scene, one still overarchingly male-dominated. With enticingly honest, humorous lyrics, delivered by way of shouted vocals alongside angular, melodic riffs, Slagheap offer pure DIY punk goodness. Track: Cult Leader @slagheapband
Gloo 11
Your Music Career Starts Here Join the most exciting industry in the world bimm.ac.uk/bristol/open-days
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bimm.ac.uk/bristol
Events by Elliott Simpson
Breakfast Records and Waxslax Present: NYE
Craig Charles’ Funky Christmas Party
December 31st, The Louisiana
December 21st, O2 Academy
Oh, 2010s, where did you go? This decade may have gone by in a flash, but there’s no reason to get upset about it. In fact, in our humble opinion, there’s only one logical way to react: party hard. Luckily, Breakfast Records and Waxslax, two of Bristol’s finest music event wizards, have you covered.
If you haven’t had any luck getting your boss to stop playing that Michael Bublé Christmas album in the office, then we might have the antidote. Craig Charles’ Funky Christmas Party is the perfect refuge from traditional seasonal music, featuring a line-up stacked with some of the hottest DJs in funk and soul. So come down, bust some moves, and alleviate your Christmas music fatigue for one night.
Taking place at the small but iconic Louisiana, they’re continuing the tradition of specially-formed Bristol superbands doing one-off performances. For 2019, this takes the form of Cous Cous Cous Cous Cous Cous Cous, featuring members of Langkamer, SLONK and Kate Stapley. Sun Tzu and more also join the bill, with DJ sets to follow from Breakfast, Waxslax and guests – plus the dreaded karaoke.
Langkamer 14
Haze, photo by Rowan Allen
Boiler Room December 13th, Motion
Nastia
There are few names as instantly recognisable in the electronic music scene as Boiler Room. For almost 10 years, they’ve been organising live music sessions all over the world, from London to Tokyo, with some of the most exciting artists around. Their final Bristol jaunt of 2019 promises to be filled with no-nonsense techno, featuring a slew of exciting producers, including Nastia, Hybrid Minds and DJ Stingray. So, buckle up – it’s going to be a fun one.
Tobacco Factory Christmas Markets
Wax Music’s Sixth Birthday
December 1st-22nd, Tobacco Factory
December 7th, Rough Trade
Tobacco Factory’s Christmas markets are perhaps the best Bristol has to offer, boasting a dazzling array of locally-made delights. Running every Sunday through December up until Christmas, they’re the perfect place to grab some last-minute gifts, delectable homemade food and just generally mooch around a bit. In addition to over 50 food and craft stalls, you can also expect mulled drinks, local choirs and a Christmas tree sale. There isn’t a more seasonal way to pass a Sunday afternoon.
Most people’s sixth birthday parties aren’t very exciting. Often, the highlight is a caterpillar-themed birthday cake or a game of pass the parcel. Wax Music’s Sixth Birthday is poised to buck that trend however, featuring performances from some of the UK’s most exciting up and coming bands. Expect to be seduced by the dizzying doo-wop of Trudy and the Romance, then pummelled by the dissonant post-punk of Haze. It’s set to be one of December’s most packed line-ups. 15
Kate Stapley words: Guy Marcham photography: Ania Shrimpton “I find for me that when I say something softly, it means I can say something more,” explains Kate Stapley. It’s within this profound off-the-cuff line that her music neatly lies. A blanket of ethereal and warming folk to nestle in, whether you find yourself in moments of haunting solitude or within a comfortable flicker of contentment. “My housemates’ cat has got really into getting under your legs on the stairs,” she amusingly tells me from the other side of the phone on an early damp morning. “It’s too cute though,” Stapley concedes. A welcome opening anecdote that helps clear any awkward silence that may have ensued, but also paints a pleasant and homely picture. For Stapley’s music is all about the more human and organic elements of life, from her hushed emotive voice to the raw strum of her trusty acoustic guitar. A songwriter who displays a unique ability for writing gentle folk stories in amongst the drudgery of part-time work. The singer-songwriter is currently in the midst of writing a follow-up record to debut EP, Centella. A release that glistened with heart-warming nostalgia for her “lovely upbringing” and family, a wistful ode to simpler days gone by. Yet, Stapley is no longer in such a nostalgic and sentimental mood: “That record was looking back, and this record is in the current moment.” “I think on the record that I’m making now, there’s a bit more of a balance compared to my last, which was a bit softer. The instrumen16
“I find for that when something it means I c something m
r me n I say sof tly, can say more.� 17
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tation was quite light and escapist, but this record bounces between light and dark more.” This isn’t to say that Stapley’s gentle glimmer of folk storytelling and warm vignettes of companionship are no more. In fact, they’ve become even more stirring and heart-rending, best exemplified by new song, ‘Hermit’. A track that Stapley describes as “a simple love song, celebrating the moment when you have the bravery to embrace everything about yourself, especially the parts of you that you were ashamed or embarrassed of.” A soothing dose of folk to shut your eyes to. “‘Hermit’ is the sort of song I thought I would never write,” she insists. “There are moments where it’s nice just to have a bit of joy really. Everything doesn’t need to be so serious.” Stapley even admits that “if you had told me eight years ago that this is a song you’re going to make, I’d be like ‘Eurgh! Never!’” This more joyous element to Stapley’s music is, however, also underpinned by moments of startling rawness and layers of unsettling acoustic ruminations, the sort plied by atmospheric folk contemporaries, Julie Byrne and Adrianne Lenker. Delicately-haunting new track, ‘The Hours’, is evident of this, with lines like, “I felt hours dissolve in my hands.” “I actually first wrote that song years ago, when I first started experiencing depression,” Stapley explains. “I was showing it to Oliver Baldwin [producer behind Stapley’s new material] and he helped me stitch it back together with some different lyric ideas into a new song, which was nice. It’s kind of something that never completely leaves but you change how to work with it.” Depression is a topic which Stapley has touched upon before, especially on ‘Iceland’ from her previous EP. Yet Stapley’s new material offers a new perspective on the bouts of darkness that have clouded her mind. A haunting and fragile tone has found its way into not just her whispered vocals, but also
her stark and sparse acoustic arrangements. It seems as if Stapley has taken influence from Mount Eerie’s most recent output, a silent yet expressive piece of melancholic catharsis. Despite its dark undertones, ‘The Hours’ makes for a spellbinding listen, representing a sense of untamed beauty in amongst the delicate myriad of inner feelings and one’s own sense of self. While Stapley is currently plying her trade as an up-and-coming folk artist within Bristol, the city’s bubbling creative scene and historic crevices have not always been home for her. Stapley instead had a rather nomadic childhood: “It’s a bit of a tangle. I grew up in London, spent a year in Leeds, a few months in Essex and then came down to Bristol. Like a little whistle-stop tour.”
“Bristol is too full of stories… The sort of people who write folk songs are drawn to this.” Stapley took the trip to Bristol to study art at UWE, a course which has only further enabled her to grow into the role of musician, going hand-in-hand with her songwriting. “I actually found that, as a songwriter, doing an art degree really, really helped me to write better songs,” she recounts. “It gave me more freedom with structure, helping me look at setlists and albums. When you look at a setlist or track list, it’s kinda similar to an exhibition. Where do you put a painting in a room?” Not only did the art degree open her eyes to a new creative way of thinking and of conceptualising her music, but also Bristol did so as a city. Yet, Stapley by no means chose Bristol with its exciting music scene in mind. “I moved here knowing about the arts scene, and then the music scene was a nice surprise.” Although, Stapley admits that she 19
“found it hard to find the folk scene here at first,” and has since been particularly helped by Breakfast Records. Nowadays, Stapley has firmly positioned herself within Bristol’s tantalising alternative folk scene, perhaps the city’s best kept secret, hiding beneath the crackle of city-centre traffic and the discordant drone of a hedonistic Stokes Croft. Alongside folk contemporaries, Rachel Dadd, Emily Isherwood and more established Rozi Plain and This is the Kit, Stapley represents an invaluable addition. “It’s nice to see a bit of, not a resurgence, but a footing I guess. I think it’s such an amazing city with such an important past. When you’re walking anywhere it’s just so full of history, all the places that used to be rivers and that are now covered up. Bristol is too full of stories, so many interesting characters. The sort of people who write folk songs are drawn to this.” 20
Yet it may not be long before Stapley moves on again, in true folk troubadour fashion. As Stapley paints an almost romantic picture of the city she now calls home, I ask if she’s finally found the one in Bristol, after years spent in-between places. “I don’t know,” she states honestly. “You can’t really tell what will go on.” Stapley’s new material promises to reflect just that: living in the current moment. A symbol of a songwriter growing confidently into their own skin and excelling in the process. AA-side ‘The Hours / Hermit’ is out 6th December via Breakfast Records, with a launch show at HOURS Space on the same day. Her debut album is due in 2020.
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Albums of the Year
From debuts to welcome returns, we count down our favourite records of 2019. Read on for more.
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Josin In The Blank Space Dumont Dumont
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The Murder Capital When I Have Fears Human Season Records
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Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell Polydor
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It’s common for someone of my background and age to spend their younger years in the ‘clever music’ trap. However in this very different time, I’ve grown weary of the Radioheads of the world. It’s this allergy that was shattered in the opening moments of Josin’s debut, In The Blank Space. Pulsating with the same transmuting reverie of the aforementioned Yorke, it’s an album steeped in bittersweet beauty and a freedom of songwriting which would challenge many to perform, let alone write, such twisting, chordal songs. Baby-faced and Instagram-ready, the half-Korean, half-German Hamburger occupies a corner of music often reserved for chinstrokey fuddy-duddies and does it better than most who’ve come before her. A true audio-naut, she pushes boundaries while leaving enough ‘blank space’ for you to swim around in. Loki Lillistone It’s all very well being the hardest-working band of 2019, but if you put yourself in front of paying and baying mobs as much as The Murder Capital have this year, you have to have something substantially weighty to offer. And it’s all well and good being substantial and weighty, but you also have to have to have subtlety, be it musical or lyrical, otherwise you’re just beating your audience around the ears with sound and fury. When I Have Fears serves as a daring, blistering debut. Taking its title from a Keats poem about fear of death, mortality seeps from every bar and syllable. Literary and visceral in equal measures, this record as much James Joyce as it is Fight Club. Jon Kean
Two years on from the release of the critically-acclaimed Lust for Life, America’s resident ‘sad girl’ returned with long-awaited sixth studio album, Norman Fucking Rockwell – an elegant portrayal of the singer’s new-found strength and stability, marking what is undoubtedly her greatest record to date. Layered with compelling stories and Lana’s signature soundscapes, the record’s personification of America’s political and social climate breaks away from melancholy and tragedy in favour of transformation and a hopeful resilience. Closer, ‘hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but I have it’ summarises the album’s concepts perfectly, but it’s the immaculate ‘Venice Bitch’ that stands alone as a rose-tinted, dream-pop masterpiece, backed by nine minutes of heartwrenching electric guitars and psychedelic synths. Ari Sawyer
Marika Hackman Any Human Friend
Dorian Electra Flamboyant
Sub Pop
Self-release
2019 has been an exceptional year for queer artists in the industry. Compared to the equally fantastic Forevher by Shura, which languors somewhat more blissfully in the realm of newfound love, Hackman’s Any Human Friend takes on the tribulations of same-sex dating and reaffirms selfhood in celebratory style.
The first few piano notes of title track, ‘Flamboyant’ exude a grandeur and self-assured poise that instantly encapsulate the essence of this album as a whole. A powerful and anthemic debut from a downright inspirational queer pop icon, Flamboyant is an album that has offered me a sense of belonging and empowerment. From the confidence and assurance of identity that Dorian Electra expresses, to the community they have nurtured around them, there’s depth to the soaring euphoria of this record’s dance-pop gems.
Whether she’s cutting loose on a fierce guitar solo (‘Come Undone’), cheekily ruminating on the joys of masturbation (‘Hand Solo’), or generally rising above preconceived expectations (‘The One’), Hackman’s third studio album expands the singer-songwriter’s canon and takes it to new heights. This isn’t some pallid, toothless, shy indie record; it’s the affirmative work of a true rock goddess and so much more than selective playlist fodder. Any Human Friend is just what the heart needs. Harriet Taylor
Metronomy Metronomy Forever Because Music
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Collaborating with the likes of Laura Les, ABSRDST, Mood Killer, Dylan Brady and more (who all make incredible music in their own right), Electra’s Flamboyant is a witty, sensual and ingenious record from a truly iconic artist. Kezia Cochrane
It seems as though every album Metronomy release takes a little longer to accept, but that the rewards are deeper still. If ‘The English Riviera’ was their pop peak, or ‘Love Letters’ their timeless Beatles moment, this year’s effort saw them go art. Across a marathon 17 tracks, the feeling is one of never-ending ideas and few rules to abide by. The specific combination of hooks and dada-esque confidence, for me, positions Mount as a kind of English David Byrne, reaching ultimate silliness on ‘Sex Emoji’, or Lips Inc. imprint, ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’. With the trademark musings on old towns and ex-girlfriends, sad songs that are somehow danceable and that unique, lo-fi vocal, Metronomy are still there – just this time freer and zanier than ever. Metronomy, forever. Loki Lillistone 25
Sudan Archives Athena
Girl Ray Girl
Stones Throw Records
Moshi Moshi
Celestial, mercurial and potent, Athena is a testament to its divine namesake. On her debut full-length record, Sudan Archives firmly marks out her territory with powerful bow strokes, sultry R&B rhythms and sublime, assured vocals. With compositions that feel at once perfectly simple and richly abundant, the LA artist has fully honed her talent on this record, having the listener hooked on every melodic and rhythmic shift that she orchestrates.
Switching up sounds and branching out in new directions can often be a setback for a band’s follow-up album, but London trio, Girl Ray have proven that this isn’t always the case. Moving away from the lo-fi indie vibes of their debut, the band’s latest offering, Girl, reaches for a fresh, beat-heavy pop sound, drawing primarily on fun, freedom and creative expression.
The sublime harmony between violin and vocals that Brittney Parks crafts is incomparable, wielding its own distinct quality, one which radiates as much vulnerability as it does deific confidence. Kezia Cochrane
Cherry Glazerr Stuffed & Ready Secretly Canadian
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While the trio remain true to their London roots via an outstanding collaboration with rapper, PSwuave, the entire record has a warmer feel. From title-track, ‘Girl’ to the groove-packed lead single, ‘Show Me More’ and everything in between, they incorporate uplifting, sun-kissed beats, making excellent use of synthesis, inspired, we’re told, by some of the most powerful female names in the industry. Ari Sawyer
This year saw Cherry Glazerr become less of a band and more of a person than ever. The Pixies-meets-Warpaint sound is largely the same, again expertly produced by Grammy Award-winner, Carlos de la Garza, but this time mixes guitar-work with drum machines and other pixie dust, putting this rock project firmly in 2019. No mean feat. Above all, however, the songwriting is what puts this album head and shoulders above most others in the space. ‘Ohio’ would cause inanimate objects to head-bang; ‘Daddy’ explains patriarchal notions so succinctly that you’ve got plenty of time left to rock out; and ‘Self Explained’, Clem’s favourite track of the record, confidently takes its time more than any Glazerr tune I’ve heard to date – marking, I think, a coming of age. Loki Lillistone
The Twilight Sad It Won/t Be Like This All The Time Rock Action
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IDER Emotional Education Glassnote Records
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Fontaines D.C. Dogrel Partisan Records
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After the densely-dark and oft-misunderstood Nobody Wants to Be Here…, The Twilight Sad felt on the verge of implosion à la Pornography-era Cure, bearing a similar weight. But instead of succumbing to such immense gravity, they went away and reemerged with their finest album to date; the work of a band taking a rapturous victory lap for fifteen years of honing their craft. They haven’t shaken the gloom – after all, that’s a large part of their aesthetic appeal – but the combination of old and new sounds, wrapping shoegaze, dream pop, electronica into a tight, accessible bundle of post-punk noise, is a spectacular feat in itself. ‘The Arbor’, which brings to mind the work of fellow Scots, Cocteau Twins, I recommend as a personal highlight. Harriet Taylor If there’s one record from the past twelve months that resonates with me deeper than any other, it’s IDER’s astounding electro-pop debut, Emotional Education. Fusing intricate vocal harmonies and emotive pop-synths, opening track ‘Mirror’ is intimate and hard-hitting, recounting the introspective process of losing, healing and re-discovering yourself in the throws of separation. While ‘Saddest Generation’ later addresses the harrowing statistics of mental health throughout the country, marking an anthem of solidarity and inner strength, closing track ‘Slide’ slows to a haze of bittersweet, childhood nostalgia, showcasing some of the album’s most remarkable vocal work and placing Ider firmly on the ‘onesto-watch’ list. Through a relatable and artistic commentary on the millennial generation, Emotional Education beautifully captures what it means to be human, and what it means to be vulnerable. Ari Sawyer
Dogrel opens with “Dublin in the rain is mine,” on the track, ‘Big’. Brash and frenetic, you can basically feel Grian Chatten fidgeting. He sing-shouts with the tone and ferocity of people that speak to their mates at gigs when they should be listening to the band. It ends with “We trip along disaster in the whirlwind of the free/ All together now,” on the unusually serene Pogues ode, ‘Dublin City Sky’. Either way, there’s an irresistible romance to this album, be that a love of the shabbily mundane and everyday, a love of chaos or a reminder to hug the shit out of the one life you get to live. Dogrel shamelessly epitomises Thomas Edison’s old saying that “discontent is the first necessity of progress.” Jon Kean 27
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FRI.24.APR.20
01.12.19
11.01.20
02.12.19
17.01.20
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE
HEATHER FINDLAY
BAND OF SKULLS 04.12.19
JINJER 05.12.19
SAN HOLO 07.12.19
BOARDS OF CANADA PLAYED BY BYRON WALLEN’S GAMALAN ENSEMBLE 19.12.19
WASUREMONO
CHASE RICE
10.12.19
21.01.19
RA RA RIOT
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
11.12.19
ENVY
25.01.20
HOT SNAKES
THE MILK CARTON KIDS
14.12.19
26.01.20
13.12.19
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
INSOMNIUM 28.01.20
TWIN TEMPLE
15.12.19
KOSHEEN
30.01.20
UNCLE FRANK
16.12.19
RUSS MB
31.01.20
21.12.19
RXPTRS - XMAS 09.01.20
NEKROGOBLIKON
JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART 04.02.20
IDER
THE GROVE EAST MUD DOCK BRISTOL BS1 4RB
THEKLABRISTOL.CO.UK THEKLA.CLUB FT THEKLABRISTOL IY THEKLABRIS
05.02.20
29.03.20
07.02.20
01.04.20
14.02.20
04.04.20
3TEETH POLIÇA (SANDY) ALEX G 16.02.20
TWIN PEAKS 25.02.20
BOY & BEAR 26.02.20
X AMBASSADORS 28.02.20
THE MARCUS KING BAND 02.03.20
WINSTON SURFSHIRT 03.03.20
THE SHERLOCKS 11.03.20
GEORGIA 12.03.20
ANAMANAGUCHI 13.03.20
WOLF PARADE 28.03.20
THE ICICLE WORKS
DARCY OAKE KOJEY RADICAL WILLE & THE BANDITS 18.04.20
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS 24.04.20
DARWIN DEEZ 25.04.20
LANTERNS ON THE LAKE 09.05.20
L DEVINE
Giant Swan Self-titled Keck
There’s a tangible eclecticism throughout, intertwined with a certain punk attitude, and while the soundscapes feel ultimately unsettling, entangling you in an abrasive, uncanny terrain not of this world, there’s also a spectral charm and transcendent quality, all fusing to leave a searingly-unforgettable impression. Kezia Cochrane
8
Nilüfer Yanya Miss Universe ATO Records / Fontana North
Aldous Harding Designer 4AD
30
Witnessing Nilüfer Yanya live at Simple Things this year, pouring her soul into each note as it emanated from a stage in the Colston Hall foyer, has compounded my love for this record. Miss Universe has dazzled listeners worldwide and peaked to such acclaim that you wonder what more can be said than has been already. The gentle, dreamy haze of subtle guitar plucks, soft synths, and Yanya’s dulcet vocal delivery wrap you in a sonic blanket that feels warm and reassuring like the first sun of springtime. Yet praise be to the often-forgotten interludes that thread this glorious album together, where Yanya parodies an intoned wellness hotline operator. “We are here for you, we care for you,” the fictional ‘WWAY HEALTH™’ promises – familiar soundbites we’ve heard from solicitors eking out ‘quick and easy’ mental fulfilment strategies. Harriet Taylor
7
6
Giant Swan’s self-titled debut is a heady, warped, and visceral experience in a league of its own. For a live act brimming with such raw, hypnotic power, the duo’s ability to encapsulate and deliver this essence on-record is quite astounding. Across Giant Swan, they deliver juddering, intense techno creations, exemplified by the instantly-incisive and discordant ‘55 Year Old Daughter’, alongside moments of somehow-tender sparsity, such as ‘‘I’ As Proof’, and the eerie, alien-esque ambience of ‘Not A Crossing’.
Aldous Harding has always been an intriguing artist. Rarely interviewed – even less so on camera – and with performances which are very much in-character. When she dropped Designer this year, however, she crossed over into being a downright important one. Lead track, ‘The Barrel’, served as a characteristically-obtuse reintroduction, yet one catchy enough to have me inadvertently singing ridiculous things like “show the ferret to the egg” in public. Its stark video – complete with moves that challenge Drake in terms of meme-ability – further remind us of her auteurship. Aldous Harding paints with words in a way that only she can, compounded by a precise command of delivery and timbre that, while rare, appears on every single track of this album. To quote the woman herself: “there’s a definite vibe”. Loki Lillistone
Holly Herndon PROTO 4AD Before diving into any musical analysis, it’s important to note that Holly Herndon finds innovation in disruption. For her third album, PROTO, the (somewhat) Berlin-based musician and composer, along with long-time collaborator Mat Dryhurst and a choral ensemble, developed Spawn, an AI taught to interpret and process sound by using machine-learning programming, mimicking what she sonically absorbs. From that point, music and technology worked in perfect symbiosis and Herndon’s finest work came to life, letting go of pre-conceived notions of composition and relying highly on experimentation. A quasi-post-apocalyptic opera, PROTO combines elements that are both very human and transhuman, tied in part to Spawn’s progressive technical development. The incorporation of a choral ensemble takes this further, as human and cyborg unite strengths and skills to create a piece of work that showcases the potential of modern technology, and ourselves. Highly conceptual, this is not your typical electronic/experimental album, requiring dissection and the listener’s full-attention. Each sound connects with the next, never giving you an objective sense of what is real and what is mechanical. If Herndon’s music makes you question your own perception, then her goal has been met. Francisco Gonçalves Silva
Jenny Hval The Practice of Love Sacred Bones Records The subject of ‘love’ is perhaps music’s most trite and timeworn topic. Yet in the hands of Jenny Hval, on her divine seventh album, it feels like uncharted waters. Love is about friendship, community, otherness. Love is defined on one’s own terms, Hval seems to say, as she weaves together a tapestry of art, poetry and spellbinding electronic production. Time and time again, Hval’s brilliant intelligence pierces through The Practice of Love. It’s an album of grand ambitions, deftly played out with dexterity and humility. In the album opener, ‘Lions’, a measured voice invites us to study the natural world around us and ask ourselves “Where is God?”. This voice, coupled with bursts of static noise and bubbling synths, eases us in as the track evolves into a euphoric, transcendental banger. The album’s closer, the starkly beautiful ‘Ordinary’, later eases us out again. It’s an emotional wild ride, but Hval gently guides us through it. The Practice of Love is Hval’s most pop album yet, directed at pop’s favourite topic, love. It’s a treasure trove of wisdom, experience and insight. And it’s an album that feels as deep and intricate as it does immediately enjoyable. Thomas Evans 31
Angel Olsen All Mirrors
slowthai Nothing Great About Britain
Jagjaguwar
Method Records
Originally written and recorded as a stripped-back solo record, All Mirrors went from ‘potentially seeing the light of the day’ to being one of Angel Olsen’s greatest achievements. With the inclusion of strings and other orchestral arrangements from a twelve-piece, along with a little help from co-writer Ben Babbitt, producer John Congleton and arranger Jherek Bischoff – who has worked with the likes of Xiu Xiu, Parenthetical Girls, Amanda Palmer, and more – this constellation allowed Olsen’s vision to grow deeper. The resulting sound embodies to the fullest a grander sense of proportion; ‘epic’ is a word that comes to mind, as does ‘refinement’.
Famously, the release date of Northampton-born punk-MC, slowthai’s debut album was meant to coincide with Brexit day. And while the country is still holding a collective gun to its head as the months pass on, slowthai has already pulled the trigger. Nothing Great About Britain is compelling, funny, poignant and stomach-churning in equal measures. The topic of Brexit inspires little but dread in the hearts of many, but here slowthai hijacks the Brexit shitshow and claims it as a soapbox for his take on nationalism, poverty and inequality in Britain, 2019.
Olsen is magistral at juggling emotions and elegantly showcasing her most vulnerable moments of reflection. Throughout her discography, and with every album she has released, she has projected her willingness to evolve as an artist. Whether by including synths, her songwriting sharpening, or her increased precision at creating lullabies for nihilists, these step-by-step improvements are now displayed in all their glory within All Mirrors. Her output is transgressive and honest, layered with irreverent sucker punches disguised with tenderness, addressing heartache and rejection while opening doors to laughedoff new beginnings. Francisco Gonçalves Silva
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“I will treat you with the utmost respect, only if you respect me a little bit Elizabeth, you cunt,” he says, addressing our country’s celebrated monarch. Johnny Rotten is biting his lip, he would never have gone that far. But for all of his cartoonish antics, there’s an integrity and heart to Tyron Kaymone Frampton – from his 99p tours, to his actually-genuinely-touching family tributes. Nothing Great About Britain is unflinchingly grim in its portrayal of a modern UK, but at the same time envisages a fairer, funnier, more optimistic country. In short: slowthai for Pres. Thomas Evans
Dave Psychodrama Neighbourhood This has truly been Dave’s year, and deservedly so. From his Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello wins to starring in Top Boy and of course the release of Psychodrama. Almost ten months after the album’s release, I still get chills every time I listen to it. It’s a record imbued with emotional poignancy, vulnerable honesty and an authenticity that allows for astute, nuanced narratives on racial identity, mental health, abusive relationships and family. While Psychodrama is predominantly defined by melancholic, brooding tones and sparse beats, there are moments of levity such as on summer jam, ‘Location’, featuring Burna Boy, and the tender, soulful ‘Purple Heart’. The South London rapper, producer and multiinstrumentalist’s musical prowess fully shines throughout, not only in his supreme lyrical dexterity and inimitable flow, but also in his tone, in each carefully-placed melody and
each skittering beat (for which the legendary Fraser T. Smith is also to thank). At a time when racism is depressingly and disgustingly rife, the discerning, eloquent reflections on race that Dave offers are pertinent, as is the young, black artist’s success and the fact that he continues to do things very much on his own terms. The fact that ‘Black’, the third track on the record, ridiculously received backlash when it first aired on mainstream radio speaks for itself. Framed conceptually within the psychotherapy setting from which the record takes its name, the unguarded openness Dave pours out is reinforced by interspersed sections of speech from his therapist across the tracks. While the album closes on ‘Drama’, which features an agonising and emotional conversation with his incarcerated brother, there is a sense of catharsis and reconciliation that Dave attains over the album’s duration. A striking, empowering and achingly-human debut, Psychodrama will continue to be lauded as the powerful masterpiece that it is for a long time to come. Kezia Cochrane 33
Behind Every Musician
@WeAreTheMU
ert.indd 1
10/05/2
VOL. 3 The Free Bristol Label Compilation, curated by Bristol In Stereo. 25+ Artists / 15 Labels
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Download at: bristolinstereo.com/newschool
Full Listings SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER
SUNDAY 1ST DECEMBER
STATION 2 STATION FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
THE BLUES COWBOYS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
JUNIOR BILL FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
TOM MOORE & ARCHIE MOSS FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
MALAGO BALLROOM + JAKABOL / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
MELES MELES: PET SHIMMERS + NATIONAL TREASURE + COURIER / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
RANDOM HAND + REDEEMON + POKEMON LIBERATION ARMY £SOLDOUT / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE RANDOM HAND + BABAR LUCK'S EAST END TRINITY + ATTERKOP £10ADV / 2.00PM / EXCHANGE BLG: DAT BRASS / 7.00PM / THE LANES SHE MAKES WAR £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA POMPADOUR ('CUT TO THE CHASE' EP LAUNCH) £5 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN ZYLA £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS BJORN AGAIN £25-49.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY MATT MALTESE & GUESTS £10 / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE FONTAINES D.C SOLD OUT / 6.30PM / SWX SHIHAD £22.50ADV / 6.30PM / THEKLA !!! (CHK CHK CHK) £15ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
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MY LIFE STORY + OUT OF MY HAIR £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE THE BOHEMIANS £15ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE SYDNEY SESSIONS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY IDESTROY £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA J.I.D £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY JACK PENATE (LIVE & SIGNING) / 2.00PM / ROUGH TRADE CLAIRO £15ADV / 7.00PM / SWX MEMPHIS MAY FIRE £16ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER TREBLE ROCK JAM FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE CANTEEN JAZZ SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN IT: ANNA COLETTE & THE AVERAGE MEN / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings BEST AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY + KINLAW + SUNUN + WITHDRAWN X BIRTHMARK + MATT LIGHT £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
JAZZ FUNK SOUL SOCIETY FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS SIGRID £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
PLANES MISTAKEN FOR STARS + WOLVES LIKE US £15.50ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
KNOCKED LOOSE £18ADV / 5.00PM / SWX
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
WEDNESDAY 4TH DECEMBER
HOW NICE £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS KREPT & KONAN £26.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY KLAUS JOHANN GROBE / 8.00PM / ROUGH TRADE BAND OF SKULLS SOLD OUT / 7.30PM / THEKLA KATHERINE PRIDDY + STEPH GRACE £8.72-13.08 INC. BF / 8.00PM / THE WARDROBE THEATRE
FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE JAMES WHEALE £5ADV / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO SIMON PANRUCKER & BANDRUCKER FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN RICHARD SPAVEN £13.08INC BF / 8.00PM / COLSTON HALL RICHARD SPAVEN £13.08 INC. BF / 8.00PM / COLSTON HALL KALPA / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
TUESDAY 3RD DECEMBER
NEW HAUNTS + DEAD SPACE CHAMBER MUSIC £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
TORCHE £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
LADY NADE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
WALDO'S GIFT: SYNESTHESIA FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
KNOCKED LOOSE + BENEATH THE MASSACRE + VULVODYNIA + INFERI £15ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
THE TIN PIGEONS £8.50AD / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
LEWIS CREAVEN'S DHARMA BLUES FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY KOJAQUE £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS SAM FENDER £16ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY GOD COMPLEX / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings THE WEEDS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT THURSDAY 5TH DECEMBER THE HARRISONS TRIO £8 / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE JOSIE BLAKELOCK / ROSINA KERI / ANGELA JONES ONE25 £4 / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO SHAMA RAHMAN FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN BLG & WP: KUNGENS MAN + STEREOCILIA + EVIL OWL FREE / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
THE BIG HOWEVER + LOVELY BASEMENT + DAVEY WOODWARD £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE + GUESTS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE 1%: MAX BLOOM (YUCK) / ICEHEAD / POST LOUIS £6.50ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO BRASS JUNKIES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN IMPRINTS + CUTHROAT FRANCIS / / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
EAD WOOD £4ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE
DINOSAUR PILE-UP £SOLDOUT / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
VINNIE CARUANA £9ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
MAD DOG MCREA £17.5ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
MAD DOG MCREA £17.5ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
WOMENOWAR + HANOWAR SOLD OUT / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
SNAZZBACK PRESENTS: HIPPO EP LAUNCH FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
DIRTY HIT TOUR PRESENTS BEABADOOBEE, NO ROME & OSCAR LANG £13ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
LAND CAPTAINS FREE / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
THIS FEELING PRESENTS THE CLAUSE + MORE £5 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN
BARNEY ARTIST £ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA NIGHTLARKS £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS AITCH £14ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY JARROD DICKENSON / DARRIN BRADBURY / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE SAN HOLO £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
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GLOO £4 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN KARYO + CVC £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS D BLOCK EUROPE £20ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY AJÍ PA’TI FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY PENELOPE ISLES / THE RADIATORS / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings SATURDAY 7TH DECEMBER
SUNDAY 8TH DECEMBER
HARRY TREBLE £8 / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
PONCHARTRAIN FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
THE TROUBLE NOTES/THE GOOD HABITS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
LOS CLANDESTINOS FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
MIDNIGHT: THE RUBY TUESDAYS + PONYBOY AND THE GOLDENSOUND + WINE MORALS £3-4 / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
PAHLA + ELTER + SAM ANIMAL / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
IMPERIAL LEISURE £13ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE NIRVANA UK + DIRT (ALICE IN CHAINS TRIBUTE) £12.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE DEVASTATOR + JACKALS BACKBONE £7 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON DEPARTMENT S CLUB NIGHT: LITTLE TRIGGERS + PARKA £5ADV / 9.00PM / THE LANES BASS CHOIR + SHUNYA £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS ALDOUS HARDING £15ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY MOONSHOT FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY WAX MUSIC SIXTH BIRTHDAY / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE MY BABY £12.50ADV / 6.30PM / SWX WASUREMONO £7ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SPEAKING IN TONGUES £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
STEVE IGNORANT'S SLICE OF LIFE £10ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE THE BLUE AEROPLANES + MEMORY OF ELEPHANTS £18ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE MORE SOUP! FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY ANOXIDE + KANDARIVAS (JAPAN) + DYGORA + TOTAL CONSUMPTION £5 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON THE PSYCHOTIC MONKS + CANNIBAL ANIMAL FREE / 7.30PM / THE LANES EMIKA £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA SONGSMITH FREE / 8.00PM / MR WOLFS DONELL JONES & NEXT £32.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY MONDAY 9TH DECEMBER THE SHRINKS £8 / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE DECYPHERS HIP HOP SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN BLG: WU-LU / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings CITY OF THE SUN £10.50ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
ANDREW COMBS £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
CARDBOARD CLUB NIGHTS: WENDY MIASMA £4 / 8.00PM / CAFÉ KINO
GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS THE BIG 3-0 TOUR £27.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY TUESDAY 10TH DECEMBER OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE MARIE LISTER & JAMES LADD FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN THE TELESCOPES / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS REMO DRIVE £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE CAVETOWN £14ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE THE GUY CALHOUN BAND FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY TWIN ARROW £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA JFS: XMAS BLOWOUT £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
PET YETI FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN PAPER DRAGON / 9.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS SPECTRAL VOICE £13ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE BOKASSA £13.5ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE WALDO'S GIFT: OPEN COLLABORATION FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY JESSE MARCHANT £9.81INCBF / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE SHIVAS £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS MARK LANEGAN BAND £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX ENVY £15ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
SCOUTING FOR GIRLS £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE XMAS PARTY WITH DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE + SWEET TEEF+ HENA FREE / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
HANNAH WILLIAMS & THE AFFIRMATIONS / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER
RA RA RIOT £13ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
GUTHRIE KENNARD FARWELL PARTY £8 / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
40
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings PRUDENT PRIMATE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN KYLE FALCONER £14ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
BLG & WIZZARDING PROMOTIONS: KRISTOFF HAHN + SEAN ADDICOTT £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS RETRO ELECTRO £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
THE PLEASURE DOME + JOSH ACE + CLUNK £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
SUPERNAUT + WYTCH £5 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
THE PAPER KITES £11ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
DUNCAN REID AND THE BIG HEADS £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
SNAZZBACK FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
HUCKLEBUCK + TO BEAR £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
THE LEYLINES £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
THE CHATS £15ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY
TENNIS SYSTEM £PWYW / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN
CAMO CLAVE FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
ON THE HOUSE PRESENTS: CROOKED LITTLE SONS £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
HOT SNAKES £18ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
THE WONDERSTUFF £30ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY GHETTS £16.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX DIG THE NEW BREED PRESENTS : BADLAKE HILL + BACKWATERS + SECOND HAND DEALER + DRIFTWOOD £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE + GUESTS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE IRA RAP / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO CONTRABAND BREAKS ENSEMBLE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
THE LIBERATORS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SATURDAY 14TH DECEMBER MARK FEVEN PIANOMAN FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE FAMILY TEA RECORDS PRESENTS WATCH PAINT DRY EP LAUNCH £5-£10ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO CAPTAIN JAMAICA & THE MELLOTONES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN MYST-MAS / 6.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS JINGLEFEST £12ADV / 2.00PM / EXCHANGE 2 RUDE + THE JAM DRC £14.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings DESECRATION + CUMBEAST (FINLAND) + ANOXIDE + BLOODTHREAD £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON SOUND OF THE SIRENS £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA YOUNG PILGRIMS + VONJ £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS MOTIONLESS IN WHITE £19ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY SOMA SOMA FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY GAZ BROOKFIELD & THE COMPANY OF THIEVES £15ADV / 6.30PM / SWX HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER SHOOTING THE CROW FOLK NIGHT FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE PRESIDENTS OF PARP FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN DEPT S: ANDY CROFTS / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS VAMPIRE CULT £5ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE SLADE UK £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE CHICKEN PICNIC FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
NEON WALTZ / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE KOSHEEN £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER CANTEEN LATIN SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN STEVE MASON £23ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS LIBERTINES £37.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY VETIVER & GUESTS / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE RUSS MB £15ADV / 7.30PM / THEKLA TUESDAY 17TH DECEMBER MARK J. LEE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN POLYGAZE XMAS EDITION / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS VERB T + PITCH 92 £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
GOLDIE LOOKIN CHAIN / 7.30PM / THE LANES
SEEDLING SESSIONS: KLAUS SHNOPPLEJAGEN + FROM SUPPORT BETTY JASMINE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
PRAM £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
TOBY JEPSON £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
SLADE £24.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY 42
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER
THOUGHT FORMS £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
BORIS £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
JP3 FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
SNAZZBACK BEAT TAPE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THE SOUND CUPBOARD £DONATIONS / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
RIVER ACID + SOIM FREE / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
FACTOR 50 £SOLDOUT / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE FURY + NEUROMATIC £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE WALDO'S GIFT: REWORKS ASTRAL WEEKS FT PETE CUNNINGHAM (ISHMAEL) FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
JASPER STORY £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS DIG THE NEW BREED PRESENTS: QUANTOCK ROAD+ THE MAURADERS + THE PROLES + SHOCKWIRE: £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER
FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE + GUESTS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
SHED SEVEN £28.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
PEANUT SHUFFLE CLUB FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
BLUE HAWAII & GRAHAM VAN PELT / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
ENDEAVOUR £8ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE
THE ORANGE SKIES + MIND THE GAP + DIRTY BLUEPRINT + WINDSHAKE £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
DOREEN DOREEN £17ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
THURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER AFTERNOON JAZZ / HIP HOP NIGHT FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE IMAGINE THAT: CHRISTMAS CRACKER / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO MEDICINE CREEK FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN JERRY + BIRDMAN CULT + DROOGS / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS
ARVAS (NORWAY) TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON THRILL COLLINS CHRISTMAS PARTY £11ADV / 8.00PM / THE LANES CHAR B + PIPPA CAVE £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS ALABAMA 3 £26ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY WASABI FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY THE EMPERIALS £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT 43
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings SATURDAY 21ST DECEMBER
DOREEN DOREEN £17ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
OLINDER/TWEEN FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
THE POCKET SESSIONS HOSTED BY RUTH ROYALL FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
CABLE STREET COLLECTIVE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN DOREEN DOREEN £17ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
MONDAY 23RD DECEMBER SLIM’S BLUES & ROOTS SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
BULL-RIFF STAMPEDE OFFICAL XMAS SHOW TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
DAVE BRENT'S STARS IN THEIR EYES £5ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE
DR DIABLO AND THE RODENT SHOW £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
DOREEN DOREEN £17ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
CRAIG CHARLES £15.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
BEN BADDOO DANCE CAMP BAND & JACKSON (WORM DISCO) FREE / 10.00PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
TUESDAY 24TH DECEMBER
RXPTRS: X-MAS £10ADV / 2.00PM / THEKLA SNATCH 22 £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SUNDAY 22ND DECEMBER
XMAS EVE PARTY WITH THE DISORDERLIES + SOMBRERO SOCIETY + THE DAMSELFLIES FREE / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT THURSDAY 26TH DECEMBER OPEN STAGE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
UNCOLLECTIVE XMAS PARTY & AWARDS CEREMONY / 7.00PM /
BAD MANNERS £22.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
FREE LIVE MUSIC WITH SHAGAI SHUFFLE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
SNAZZBACK PRESENTS: GIDEON CONN FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
RIAAN VOSLOO’S UPHILL GAME FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
FRIDAY 27TH DECEMBER
POLEMICS + CHANG + MARTYRIALS £4ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE LONDON CALLING + REBEL STATION + DJ WILD BORE £12ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
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LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE HIPHOPAPOTAMUS & RU ROBINSON’S XMAS GOOCH FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings QUEERCORE £5EARLYBIRD/£10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
SNAZZBACK PARTY BAG FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
OAS-IS £14.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
THE BRYAN ADAMS EFFECT £13.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
SATURDAY 28TH DECEMBER
GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
BEDLAM: BRISTOL’S BEST / 7.00PM /
TUESDAY 31ST DECEMBER
LIVE MUSIC WITH TOBY FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
THE CROFTERS NYE PARTY £6ADV / 9.00PM /
RAZZOMO FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
THE HANGOVER CLUB NYE PARTY FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
OAS-IS £14.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
DTYM £12ADV / 10.00PM / EXCHANGE
J E VISTIC £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
ULTIMATE POWER NYS SPECIAL £10ADV / 9.00PM / THE FLEECE
45S / / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
NYE - FEEL FLOWS W/ MANAMI & NEATHWAY + KIIA + MARLON CLARK FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
SUNDAY 29TH DECEMBER CUT THROAT FRANCIS + SHANGHAI TREASON £5ADV / 7.30PM / HOT CLUB DE CLIFTON / JACK CALLOWAY FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE THE SOUNDS OF URSA FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN DS:UK- THE DIRE STRAITS TRIBUTE £12.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY MONDAY 30TH DECEMBER JAZZ RENDEZ-VOUS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
MR WOLFS NYE FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS NEW YEARS EVE PARTY WITH BATTLEMOOSE £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 3RD JANUARY ED FORCE ONE £10ADV / 0.75 / THE FLEECE SATURDAY 4TH JANUARY HULLABALOO MUSE TRIBUTE £10ADV / 5.30PM / THE FLEECE COMMON GROUND + JUKEBOX DECO £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings TUESDAY 7TH JANUARY
THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY
WAGE WAR £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
THE BELLRAYS £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
WITCH TRIPPER + GEVAUDAN £5 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
FRIDAY 17TH JANUARY
WEDNESDAY 8TH JANUARY
VISIBLE TOUCH: A TRIBUTE TO GENESIS £13ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
MARK MORTON £16ADV / 6.30PM / THEKLA
EP/64 + RAINBOW SLICER £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
FRIDAY 10TH JANUARY
PINK TRIBUTE £13.5ADV / SOLD OUT / THE FLEECE
ORRYX £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
THE BYRON WALLEN GAMALAN ENSEMBLE PLAYS BOARDS OF CANADA £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
DIE HOLOCASUTUM £7ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE GUNS 2 ROSES £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE SATURDAY 11TH JANUARY EAT UP! £5ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE SUBHUMANS £10ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE WRETCHED SOUL + DEMOCRATUS + KILLERKORP + KNG IBEX TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON HEATHER FINDLAY £16ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA MONDAY 13TH JANUARY SLAUGHTER BEACH DOG £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
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SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY BAZ BARRY€™S SPARE PARTS & HEAVY TRAFFIC £15ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE LEGEND BOB MARLEY TRIBUTE £15ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE GIUDA £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY THE EAST POINTERS £16.35 INC. BF / 8.00PM / BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE CHASE RICE £16.50ADV / 7.30PM / THEKLA MONDAY 20TH JANUARY NOAH GUNDERSEN £10ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings TUESDAY 21ST JANUARY
MONDAY 27TH JANUARY
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD £9ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
DENO £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
THE TESKEY BROTHERS £15ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
WIRE £17.5ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
WEDNESDAY 22ND JANUARY
CARAVAN PALACE £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
THE MOWGLI'S £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
TUESDAY 28TH JANUARY
THURSDAY 23RD JANUARY
TWIN TEMPLE £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
SLEEP TOKEN £13.50ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
WEDNESDAY 29TH JANUARY
FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY
KOKOROKO £16ADV / 7.30PM / TRINITY CENTRE
FIGHTERS FOO £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
THURSDAY 30TH JANUARY
KINDNESS £15ADV / 7.30PM / TRINITY CENTRE
NED'S ACOUSTIC DUSTBIN £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
SATURDAY 25TH JANUARY
CURRENT SWELL £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
TWIN SIBLINGS + GRANDMA'S HOUSE £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
UNCLE FRANK £12ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA
MARILLION TRIBUTE £7ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE
FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY
SPECIAL KINDA MADNESS £13.5ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE THE MILK CARTON KIDS £20ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SUNDAY 26TH JANUARY INSOMNIUM £15ADV / 7.30PM / THEKLA
DAVID WAX MUSEUM £13.08 INC. BF / 8.00PM / BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE BREAKDOWN £3ADV / 11.00PM / EXCHANGE GREEN HAZE + THE OFFSPIN £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE KID KLUMSY £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Live Reviews curated by Jon Kean, Live Editor
Kayla Painter November 2nd at St George’s words: Bethany Smith photography: Lorenzo Ottone The intimate, wooden-clad Glass Studio at St. George’s provides the perfect backdrop to the natural sounds of Bristol-based producer and experimental sound artist, Kayla Painter. This Saturday afternoon event forms part of the venue’s Listening Room Series: live sessions in which a range of artists perform fresh material and discuss ideas that shape their work. To begin, Kayla plays four tracks in succession, including 2016’s ambient ‘Drones’ and ‘Kenopsia’. The music is enhanced by the pattering of rain outside as she sits down for an informal Q&A. She explains that she channels an alter-ego when performing. “It needs to be different otherwise I get too nervous… I’m a massive introvert.” Two rolls of tape play a starring role in the second half of her set, as she tears parts of sticky and parcel tape and builds it gradually 48
into the audio. It’s raw and rather charming, enhancing the live experience. When talking about where her inspiration for sounds comes from, Kayla explains that it can be as simple as doing the shopping, or just pottering in the kitchen. She records special conversations or moments with family, or sounds from nature, and says that she’s able to tap into her creativity most when she’s away from city life. Kayla divulges the struggles she’s faced as a female artist: from being told to “just put a 4/4 on that,” to prescriptive label pressures, to the demanding process of self-producing. She goes on to recall that one of her “dancier tracks” has unwittingly been picked up by the drum & bass scene, the top-line snare of which had been produced using pasta. “I think it’s funny, because none of them know that.” The interviewer refers to Kayla as “a sound scientist,” to which she quips, “I do feel like I’m in a lab.” Kayla’s music takes you into new realms. It’s a joy to experience live, and particular credit is due to her for staying true to herself and cutting her own niche.
Tinariwen November 12th at Trinity Centre words: Andrew Kilpatrick photography: Lee Ramsey With a beautifully-regal outside facade and a vast but surprisingly intimate interior, East Bristol’s Trinity Community Arts Centre was the perfect location for the long-awaited return of Tinariwen to our city. Their name translates literally as ‘deserts’, and this permeated the group of Northern African musicians’ mixture of sand-infused jazz, traditional African styles, blues and rock. Playing with a savant mastery of rhythm and groove that is a hallmark of their style, a receptive crowd enjoyed a long set of incredible music played with virtuoso confidence. Tinariwen opened with a sparse number. A rolling, plucked guitar played over undulating, husky vocals before traditional percussion and a centred bassline joined, and vocal harmonies and textures began to stack on each other. Throughout the set, the compositions always felt like they were slowly morphing into the next passage, as opposed to jumping through the motions. This created a feeling of staring into a kaleidoscopic picture of the Sahara, transportive and tantalising in its ever-shifting nature. Another strong point in Tinariwen’s arsenal was the mixture of sounds used. The ever-surprising palette was rich and layered, a diverse mix of Western sounds driven by more traditional African instrumentation, the parts of which fed into each other rather than jarring. This was aided on the night by a perfect sound mix. Despite the large range of timbre, every disparate element sounded distinct, recognisable, and placed perfectly in the mix throughout the lengthy set. Elsewhere, Tinariwen themselves were a high point of the performance. Their stage personas harkened to Frank in the titular 2014
Lenny Abrahamson film, a group of auteurs wholly given to what they create. Throughout the performance, the artist at the centre of the stage revolved. Instead of watching a singular band, it felt like watching a group of multitalented artists forming a collective; Tinariwen are a supergroup, minus any negative connotations or ego. Find full reviews and more at: bristolinstereo.com 49
Thoughts ... by Melina Powell shesaid.so
What makes you feel you’re part of a community? Shared geographical location? Similar interests? Demographics? A group may be designated by any of these traits, but the power of collectives is in their purposeful ability to create change. I believe that there are two aspects to community which make it an invaluable resource: the impact it can have on an individual, and the benefits to society it can offer. Altruism, selflessness, and the desire to give back to others can offer fulfillment in this egoistic and competitive world. Being a part of a community offers emotional support, the exchange of resources, skill-sharing and the comfort of knowing you are not alone. Communities also offer a place to air grievances and come up with solutions with a grassroots approach, which can impact public opinion and even legislation when efforts are well-organised. Here in Berlin, 30% of the city’s three million inhabitants are immigrants, and therefore the need for community can be especially valuable to people of differing cultural backgrounds. Factor in complex bureaucratic requirements, a challenging language and numerous other obstacles faced when moving to a new country, and this need becomes one of survival. A local group working to create social equity in the face of such issues is aequa, which provides gatherings, workshops and resources via reciprocity and collaboration. One of the most important benefits of community is the empowerment of marginalised groups, particularly for queer/trans/non50
binary individuals and people of color. Berlin’s House of Living Colors, a drag community celebrating QTBPOC performers, exemplifies this value. Though this city is known as a queer epicenter, it often fails to be intersectional for those who are not cis and white in appearance. Communities like HOLC encourage equality, fair payment, and safety as basic rights to all people regardless of their varying identities. Sharing seems to be the commonality of community, along with empathy and compassion. If you’re not already part of one, consider the benefits of participating in groups outside of your circle of friends to both give and receive knowledge and care. Chances are, you will only benefit from doing so. Melina Powell is a freelance project & event manager, currently working for Night Embassy Berlin by Jägermeister and shesaid.so, a global network of women in music. Become a member at: shesaid.so This piece was originally published in Berlin in Stereo, the newest member of our family. More at: berlininstereo.com
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LOCAL & INDEPENDENT For Over 30 years we have been selling tickets for Bristol’s music scene, clubs , festivals & events We’ve got friendly human staff that you can talk to and who can sort any issues out for you You can even buy a heritage paper ticket from us when an e-ticket just isn’t enough
Check us out in person or online 41 Hight St, Bristol, BS1 2AT
Bristolticketshop.com sales@bristolticketshop.co.uk /bristolticketshop 52
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in Bristol with Sean Mcgovern of 1020 Radio
When did you move to Bristol? I moved to Bristol five years ago. Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? It would be difficult to say one particular artist, as I work with so many talented people on a daily basis at 1020 Radio. A few cool projects that some of our residents have recently started are: Pressure Dome, Yushh’s record label; the latest Only Ruins release by Kalli and Alecs DeLarge’s forthcoming EP, Alecs In Japan. Tell us your go-to places to eat and drink. Emmaline is my go-to lunch spot. Poco’s for some good coffee and tapas. What’s the perfect way to spend a day here? Depends what you’re into really. If you’re a music head, then I recommend checking out our good friends, Elevator Sound in Stokes Croft for your modular fix, followed by grabbing some records at Idle Hands, Centre For Better Grooves and St Nick’s Market, to name a few places. What’s your favourite thing about the city? All the gert people I’ve met since moving to the West Country. And your least favourite? The weather - it’s not as sunny as Essex. Any top venues? Shout out to all the venues that have shown their support to us and keep the city’s nightlife going. We recently hosted 1020 Radio’s 4th Birthday at Stokes Croft Beer Garden, with Alexander Nut and a selection of our residents. I’m most looking forward to Strange Brew opening, which the Dirtytalk crew have been working away on.
Congrats on the birthday. How has 1020 Radio reached this recent milestone? Through the ever-growing community that’s been continually developing since launching four years ago. Our community is made up of both established and up-and-coming DJs and musicians from Bristol and across the world, as well as our dedicated team of volunteers. All these people make the station what it is today. We are always looking for new shows and volunteers; anyone is welcome, whether it’s your first time on the radio or you’ve had plenty of experience. 1020 Radio is an internet radio station based in the heart of Stokes Croft. They work with up-and-coming and established DJs, musicians and creatives who push all corners of great music from Bristol and across the UK. 53
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