Bristol in Stereo // Thundercat by Bristol In Stereo

Live. Music. Culture. March 2020

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Thundercat

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Testament

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Oh Wonder + Dizzy

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Gigi Masin presents ‘Calypso’

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Dear reader, Editor-in-Chief / Sales Loki Lillistone loki@instereomag.com

This March is a gift for any music-lover. Whether sweating it out at one of Bristol’s fine music venues, or keeping things strictly between you and your headphones, there’s enough great music this month to make life feel special once more.

Deputy / Live Editor Jon Kean

Sitting on our cover is Thundercat, whose new album, It Is What It Is, has seen him go through all manner of changes, from breakout success, to losing a friend in Mac Miller, to working with some of his musical heroes – more on p.26.

Online / New Music Editor Kezia Cochrane Features Editor Dave Rowlinson Local Release Editor Lor Nov Creative Director Larissa Matheus

Bristol’s Tungz chat to our Deputy Editor, Jon Kean about marrying silliness with melancholia, and retro with futuristic. We learn more about their DIY journey so far ahead of their show at Rough Trade this month. Elsewhere, Sorry, who’ve had more killer singles than most emergent guitar bands I could care to name, chat to us on the advent of their long-awaited debut album, 925. Berlin’s Zebra Katz – via our brother from another mother, Berlin in Stereo – also talks to us, this time about ditching the label narrative to do things on his own terms.

Zebra Katz

Contributors:

Georgia Evans, Oliver Evans, Rachel Finn, Kazim Gangadin, Thomas Hannan, Charlotte Krol, Georgia Marsh, Robin Murray, Elliott Simpson, Harriet Taylor, Lee Wakefield, Madeleine Wrench. Cover photo by The1point8 (the1point8.com), typeface by Lucas Le Bihan ( Velvetyne ). 6

New Sounds

Sorry

Zebra Katz

Tungz

Thundercat

Releases

Events

Full Listings

Live

Thoughts

61 In Bristol Thundercat

Loki: Half Waif – Ordinary Talk

Staff on Repeat:

Jon: Kid Kapichi – Thugs Kezia: Sevdaliza – Oh My God Lor: Sorry – More Larissa: Aurora – Walking In The Air 7

New Sounds by Kezia Cochrane

Grandma’s house

Top Ten: New Sounds Sevdaliza – Oh My God Zebra Katz – ISH Grove – Big Poppa Sega Bodega – Salv Goes to Hollywood Meth Math – Perreando y Llorando NAKED – Tear Chassol – Savana, Céline, Aya, Pt. 2 Christine and the Queens – People I’ve Been Sad Harvey Causon – Fourth Wall Container – Nozzle

Grove

Get more new music from kezia cochrane every monday at: bristolinstereo.com 10

Grandma’s house

Meth Math As reggaeton becomes further entrenched in current club and pop music, the ways in which different artists draw influence from and pay tribute to Latinx dance music offer a wealth of evolving interpretations. One such example comes in the form of Meth Math. Hailing from Mexico, the trio were brought together by their shared love of Mexico City’s underground reggaeton scene. Working with recognisable reggaeton beats, they put their own warped, satanic imprint on it, resulting in the ritualistic, ethereal, club experimentalism of their songs. With vocalist Ángel Ballesteros at the helm, joined by producers error.error and Bonsai Babies, the trio grew up in the manufacturing-heavy city Hermosillo but have since moved to the capital. At a time when Mexico City’s music scene is truly flourishing, while becoming more eclectic and globalised, their relocation has played a significant part for the group. Earlier this year. they released debut single, ‘Perreando y Llorando’, offering a sensual, brooding introduction to Meth Math, with a suitably distorted video to accompany the track. With their debut EP out this month, be prepared for Meth Math to ensnare you in a distorted, trippy world that sits somewhere between club hedonism and a hazy fever dream. Track: Perreando y Llorando @methmathxoxo

Meth Math

Grandma’s House Over the past year or so, Grandma’s House have become a mainstay of Bristol’s DIY live scene and fully established themselves as an exuberant, dynamic punk force to be reckoned with. Riding on the momentum of their raucous and fun live energy, they recently (finally) gifted us their debut single. The wait was worth it, with ‘Devil’s Advocate’ serving up a heady mix of growling postpunk guitars, roared vocals and surf-noir riffs. Having fully kicked this year off in style with their debut release and a string of live dates, the trio are all set to carry on conquering Bristol and further afield. Track: Devil’s Advocate Live: March 4th - Crofters Rights (w/ Thumper) March 29th - Mother’s Ruin (w/ Las Kellies) @grandmashouseband @grandmashouseband Gloo 11

Sorry words: Rachel Finn photography: Sam Hiscox

For some bands, the road to their first album is one filled with lofty ambition, high anxiety and the sense that they could be standing on the precipice of falling into a music career that is truly life-changing. For Sorry, though, that journey seems to have been far more laid-back than most. The North Londoners flitted through a variety of musical styles in their first few years, playing gigs together in gritty pubs all over the city. They released their music as a series of guitar-led, glitchy mixtapes as they went along, sort of like an in-progress log of a band figuring out what they wanted to sound like - or rather, if they wanted to sound like anything in particular at all. It’s perhaps not too surprising, then, that when it finally came to making debut album, 925 (named after the mark printed on silver that’s 92.5% pure), they approached it with the same relaxed attitude they’ve always had. “I think we wanted to play music, but I don’t think we ever thought we’d do it professionally, because that’s kind of a stupid idea to think that we could do that,” Louis O’Bryen admits, sounding a little surprised at how far they’ve come. “The way that we made music never really changed. It didn’t start becoming a job. And [record label] Domino are really chilled about it and just let us do our thing, so we didn’t really feel any pressure.” It was a project formed by Louis and his childhood friend, Asha Lorenz when they were in secondary school (later adding drummer Lincoln Barrett and bassist Campbell Baum 14

to the mix). For a band that never treally planned to do much more than play a few gigs with their friends, you could argue things have got slightly out of hand. Asha and Louis may have grown up making music together, but teaming up with coproducer James Dring (previously behind albums from Gorillaz, Jamie T and Nilüfer Yanya) in a tiny Hackney studio, proved to be what they needed to take their music from bedroom project to, as Louis describes it, “how a proper debut album should sound.” As a result, 925 delivers on the promise of their scrappy, weird early tracks, but delivers with a more polished veneer. They still keep the rough, experimental charm that made them such an exciting prospect in the first place, leaving you still not quite sure at any point where the album is about to veer off to next. A song can be calming one second and full of chaos the next and, lyrically, things can switch from romantic to overflowing with dread in just a line or two. “They still are based on personal experience, but some of the songs have characters in them,” Louis explains of their approach to songwriting. “The lyrics would mirror the style of that song or what character we thought that song’s [instrumental] sounded like. It’s kind of easier to write from a different perspective sometimes because it allows you to be more free with your lyrics.”

“I think we wanted to play music, but I don’t think we ever thought we’d do it professionally, because that’s kind of a stupid idea to think that we could do that.”

Sorry don’t seem to have any high-flying ambitions to their music, but rather just want to make songs that encapsulate life in all its oddity. Lucky for them, it looks like that attitude is finally paying off too. “We’ve spent loads of gigs playing support slots where no-one is really coming to see us. We spent years doing that, but now that we’ve got an album, people are coming to see us and it’s become really rewarding,” Louis 16

says. “We want to just keep doing what we’re doing and just carry on making good music. Then everything that we deserve from that will come naturally.” 925 is released via Domino Records on March 27th. Live: Village Underground - May 7th @sorrybanduk @sorrybanduk

@sorrybanduk

Zebra Katz words: Georgia Evans photography: Larissa Matheus makeup: Sofia Ghezzo Leal

The year is 2012. At Rick Owens’ Paris show, a runway lined with creeping flames fades into view and a pulsating beat begins to fill the room. As models stomp the catwalk, tensions in the track rise over a heavy bassline. Camera shutters fire off and snarling vocals declare, “Ima read that bitch.” This was the moment in which Zebra Katz became an overnight hitmaker. Eight years later, the Berlin-based performer – real name Ojay Morgan – is preparing to release his debut album, LESS IS MOOR, a self-funded passion project that reflects his commitment to working as a fully-independent artist. “Most of the time I feel like I’m speaking in hieroglyphics,” he says, discussing how he had to present himself to the industry after this debut. “I don’t know if it’s because I come from a theatre background, or because I manage myself as an artist.” Zebra Katz is a first-generation JamaicanAmerican, born in Florida’s West Palm Beach, whose artistic expression paved the way for this project. A thesis written while at university in New York, titled ‘Moor Contradictions’, acted as the precursor to LESS IS MOOR, with its exploration into issues surrounding the Black experience. Nevertheless, it was Fashion Week exposure that catapulted Katz to fame, resulting in a nationwide tour and an invite to appear on the Gorillaz album, Humanz, which also featured his personal hero, Grace Jones. Once this all came to a close in 2017, he settled down in Berlin and immersed himself in his solo work. The results are showcased on LESS IS MOOR. A raw patchwork of who Katz is, the dynamic collection ruminates on identity, sexuality and 18

the life of a star, and operates outside the constraints of genre. The dynamic collection jolts between the dark and brooding technodriven ‘IN IN IN’, via the sexually-charged ‘LICK IT N SPLIT’ featuring Shygirl, and the stripped-back ‘NECKLACE’ with gentle guitars and vulnerable vocals. “I didn’t want to make what people thought I should be making,” he says. “The first track, ‘INTRO TO LESS’, is inspired by the [Public Enemy] album, Fear of a Black Planet, and is kind of setting up how I was perceived in 2013, when they were just talking about my sexuality. I was coined as ‘queer rap’ and that’s all that people were focused on.” “I was labelled as a ‘ballroom’ artist but I wouldn’t call myself that,” he continues. “I think that’s why I wanted this album to be well-rounded and be genre-nonconformist because I am. I don’t adhere to one sound.” Working with the likes of Sega Bodega, Tony Quattro and fellow Red Bull Academy graduate Torus, Katz has created an album that successfully showcases his versatility. As a self-managed artist, he has been able to build his own image, create his own sound and decide the time-frame in which he releases new projects. “Every time I make a choice, that’s my decision,” he says. “That’s been such a breath of fresh air for me; I feel very proud. I’m very thankful that I didn’t rush it. I didn’t go off any of the fear and doubt that people put into my head.” The visuals for ‘ISH’ further demonstrate this fearlessness. Opening with a news report about an escalation in violent homophobic crime, the video then cuts to a dancer whose

“I didn’t want to make what people thought I should be making.”

expressive movements indicate some kind of torment. Slowly, flashes behind him reveal a crowd jeering. “There’s a shot of a mob, because we’re thinking about all the politics we watch,” he explains. “The far-right, Black Lives Matter, anti-vaxxers: there’s always that mob mentality. With the news anchor, we refer to the notion of how the media blackouts are covering up hate crimes against the LGBTQ community, especially against trans black women, and I wanted to say that. “The video is kind of me lashing out at the anger I feel. The quote by James Baldwin, ‘to 20

be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious, is to be in a rage almost all the time,’ is at the centre, and I’m trying to capture that rage.” Having the freedom to express through such audio-visual media represents a new chapter for Zebra Katz. “I’m getting back to the parts I enjoy: getting on stage, performing and making these tracks have a visual aspect,” he says. “And I’m glad I did it this way because I’ve learned so much more about the industry and my process.” LESS IS MOOR is released via The Vinyl Factory & ZFK Records on March 20th @ZebraKatz

@ZebraKatz

Behind Every Musician

@WeAreTheMU

“We want to make stuff that’s futuristic. Everyone’s so hooked on nostalgic stuff at the moment.”

Tungz words: Jon Kean photography: Tungz “We’re melancholy guys, once you get to know us,” claims Jamie Maier of Bristol’s Tungz through restrained, ironic giggling. Bandmate Nicky Green, also present via FaceTime, does not hold back laughter. His comes with gusto. If you’ve heard Tungz lyrics, seen Tungz in concert, then watched their music videos, you’ll have traversed the entire spectrum of feelings. On stage, they’re party-starters. On record, there’s frequent glumness. On video, they’re a quartet of wry absurdists. It’s a Bermuda Triangle in which you can get pleasantly lost. “We’ve got a lot of emotions,” chuckles Jamie, “but because we’re from such an insincere generation, we find it hard to express them. It’s like you see in Mac DeMarco’s songs. There’s an emotional boy in there, but most of the time he just seems to be fucking around.” You see early absurdism in the video for ‘Window Love’, which includes enough silliness to justify a feature on its own, including using Jamie’s actual mobile number (“I’ve annoyingly only ever got one text from it.”) Then there’s the far moodier but situationally absurd video to ‘What I Wanted’. In Nicky’s words: “We were trying to make the video as quickly as we could, so we were thinking of concepts where we could shoot it in one go. We wanted to create an ambience. The guy downstairs was like, ‘I’ve got this stage light that I nicked from my drama school,’ so we had the light. We wanted to get a smoke machine, but we couldn’t afford one, so Jamie went and bought a vape kit. It’s Jamie on one side smoking a vape cigarette under the camera and (drummer) Rick on the other side holding a balloon.” The video then

ends with the enigmatic tribute, “In loving memory of James Monsees – 1980-present.” I’m expecting a sad story from the Tungz boys. Nicky grins mischievously: “Make people Google it.” How did four 90s lads become swathed in funk and disco? Are they being self-consciously retro? For a second, Nicky looks deadly serious, “We wouldn’t want to think that we were deliberately doing a 70s or 80s thing. Sometimes we’ll deliberately reference things we like, but we want to make stuff that’s futuristic. Everyone’s so hooked on nostalgic stuff at the moment.” Headlining Rough Trade this month, they’ll have come a long way from Jamie’s memory of their debut Bristol show: “It was No. 1 Harbourside, playing to people who were quite drunk. We played a long time, about two hours. We weren’t even called Tungz, we were called Best Friend Gang. That first gig, we just had a good time. The stakes felt quite low.” And then becoming Tungz? Nicky takes the reins: “Despite all my bullshit about not wanting to be retrospective… When we first had an idea of what the band would be like, I thought that the name ‘The Silver Tongues’ sounded good, like an old rhythm and blues band, but a bit shinier. ‘Tungz’ was a nickname for that. And it seemed very much us - fucking around with words, being smart arses. It had so many of those connotations. This Bristol show comes off the back of a run of excellent support slots in 2019. Jamie enthuses, “For a long time, we hadn’t played with anyone who really sounded like us, so it was a big step to be put on bills in a thoughtful 23

way, like ‘Oh, your fans might genuinely overlap’ rather than ‘There’s a black metal band playing at The Fleece, do you wanna support?’” Nicky concurs: “A stand-out one was supporting Her’s at Exchange, in January 2019. It was so memorable. It snowed all night. It felt like we’d all been snowed in together and everyone stuck around for extra time afterwards because it was so snowy and the roads were blocked. It’s special to have got to play a show with them because they were such lovely guys.” For the record, both gents did visibly emote at this point. 2020 is just warming up for Tungz, with a two-week tour in the offing. “We’re going to be 24

releasing a lot of singles and making videos,” says Nicky. Jamie boldly concludes, “I dare say that it’ll be the most music that we’ve put out in a year,” followed immediately by the slightly less daring, “We can definitely say that we’ll be releasing at least slightly more music than ever before…” And he smiles. And Nicky smiles. And so I smile back. It rather sums up the Tungz experience in a nutshell. The Okay EP is out now on Future Bounce. Live: March 14th - Rough Trade (with support from Mercy’s Cartel). @ tungzzzzzzz @tungzzzzzz

@Tungzzzz

Thundercat words: Robin Murray photography: The1point8 (the1point8.com) assistance: Gabe Gonzalez

Every journey starts with a small step, or so the aphorism goes. But each Thundercat album, seemingly, begins with the multi-talented LA musician at home, relaxed, with his bass plugged in, and his laptop perched next to a bag of crisps. “It starts out with me on the couch with my cat,” he laughs, rustling through a packet of Kettle chips. “That’s how it always starts.” Where it ends up, though, is always worth travelling to. New album It Is What It Is finds Thundercat surging into fresh spaces while also re-establishing his roots. It’s an album that features some of his oldest friends, as well as his musical heroes; yet it’s also a project framed by loss, while finding joy in the simple task of making music. 2017 breakout album, Drunk turned his world upside down. An explosive release, it led to an 18-month tour, high-profile TV spots and an international audience. Put simply - it changed his life. To paraphrase one of Thundercat’s own songs, though, he’s been through them changes, and not all of them have been welcome. “I lost a lot of friends to drug abuse and violence,” he says with a sombre turn to his voice. “From that to relationships changing, and a lot of physical growth. I’ve lost, like, 100 pounds. I didn’t even do it on purpose at first! Lots of life changes have taken place. And I’m still here through them, so I’m very happy for that.” 26

Thundercat was extremely close to Mac Miller: “There was never really a time when I was without him, in many different ways,” and his loss permeates the new album. “Mac was a beautiful soul,” he says. “He wanted everybody to see the beautiful side of life. A very eager and bright-eyed cat. It was a shame to watch him go.” “It hurts a bit,” he says, his voice audibly shaking. “But it’s one of those things. That’s why the album is titled that way – because that’s just life.”

“I always feel that you are definitely at war with yourself when it comes to being creative.” It Is What It Is is about embracing every facet of life, from loss to laughter. It’s like a 360 view of Thundercat’s aura, his mind laid out on record, uninhibited and unedited. “I always feel that you are definitely at war with yourself when it comes to being creative,” he says. But it wasn’t a journey he undertook alone. Steve Lacy permeates these studio sessions, while saxophone colossus, Kamasi Washington – a long-time friend – also makes a stellar contribution. Funk icon,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most things are terrible! And sometimes the terrible shit is really funny!â&#x20AC;?

Steve Arrington pushes ‘Black Qualls’ to the stratosphere, while everyone from Childish Gambino to Ty Dolla $ign hits the mic. It’s a varied cast, one that Thundercat picked out because he knew each and every musician would grasp what it was he wanted to say. “It’s fun!” he gasps, attempting to sum up the studio process. “I was just actually with a friend of mine last night and we started crea‑ ting music… And it was very funny because the moment that is always the most intense is when you’re realising the possibilities, and trying to create solid matter out of something that keeps changing. It’s exciting to watch something take form like that.” One continual contributor on the album is Flying Lotus; a producer and musician, he’s there both to add to the music and to prick Thundercat’s own imagination. “He’s not so much a quiet presence, he’s very loud spoken!” Thundercat laughs. “I think with this album, he did a little bit more playing, too, which I think he was really excited about. Shoot, man. He’s always challenging me to do more, and to think more, and to do something different.” Spread across a hefty 15-track span, It Is What It Is is actually a remarkably concise album, with songs rarely being allowed to billow out. “It’s the way it comes out of you,” he asserts, biting down on some more crisps. “It’s not always meant to be some very drawn out, long idea… sometimes it’s just simply stated. It’s like, there’s no more to say. It’s just that.” This ethos is matched to every corner of his creative life. “It’s just as important to do nothing, for me,” he comments. It’s an almost zenlike approach to studio creation. “We put a lot of pressure on the idea of making music, but everything takes time,” he adds. “You spend time with something, that’s the only way you can tell if you love it. The time spent with the music is something that you can’t make up for. So sometimes you have to be OK with taking the time, that’s all. And time is endless.” 29

Everything Thundercat does is rooted in this infinite love for the music. Whether it’s hitting up friends passing through town or tracking down some of his all-time heroes, he seems at his most rooted – at his happiest – when he is focussing on a project. “I always like to say, nothing makes up for time spent playing the instrument,” he adds. “There’s a lot that can be created in those times and in those moments. I’m usually very happy to go back in the studio after I’ve gone on the road for a while, because my mind is definitely in the algorithm of the playing.”

of laughter. “If we couldn’t laugh then we’d probably be shooting, now wouldn’t we?” he shrieks. “It’s just important to laugh. I like to laugh at most things. Literally. And not to be condescending, but it’s just that… most things are terrible! And sometimes the terrible shit is really funny!”

Reflective but eager to move forwards, Thundercat continually turns back on him‑ self. No sooner does he assert something than he retracts it, a playful sense of logic that forever builds to this overwhelming wall

Thundercat releases It Is What It Is April 3rd via Brainfeeder. Live: 09/04 London, UK – Roundhouse @ThundercatOfficial @Thundercat @thundercatmusic

“But sometimes it does take a second to get to the laughter, because the pain is very difficult,” he continues. “At the end of it, if you make it out alive and you get a chance to laugh at it… then laugh!”

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DARCY OAKE 30.03.20

THE SLOW READERS CLUB 31.03.20

LOW HOUSE 01.04.20

KOJEY RADICAL 04.04.20

WILLE & THE BANDITS 10.04.20

THE MILK 11.04.20

SPACE 12.04.20

25.03.20

14.04.20

26.03.20

15.04.20

DIGDAT LEAF DOG

BISHOP NEHRU LARKINS

THE GROVE EAST MUD DOCK BRISTOL BS1 4RB

THEKLABRISTOL.CO.UK THEKLA.CLUB FT THEKLABRISTOL IY THEKLABRIS

THE HARA TOSKA PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS 20.04.20

THE ACACIA STRAIN 21.04.20

JOESEF 24.04.20

DARWIN DEEZ 25.04.20

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE 27.04.20

BEXEY 28.04.20

THE WOODENTOPS 29.04.20

IN FLAMES 01.05.20

WHITECHAPEL

LIME CORDIALE KAWALA L DEVINE 15.05.20

OH MY GOD! ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE CHURCH 26.05.20

PEACH PIT 04.06.20

NERINA PALLOT 14.06.20

TIM BURGESS 05.07.20

LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS 10.07.20

THE BEAT 14.07.20

TIM MONTANA 22.11.20

GONG 05.12.20

THE VAPORS

Half Waif The Caretaker ANTI- March 27th

Half Waif is one of the ‘singer-producer’ world’s best kept secrets. With the vibey poise of Helena Deland and a vocal command reminiscent of Caroline Polachek, her 2018 debut garnered her a cult following – but will The Caretaker see her hit the next level? So, when did you first hear Half Waif stuff? Gemma: I heard select tracks circa Lavender, but to be honest it’s only very recently I’ve delved a bit deeper. Kezia: For me it was In the run-up to Lavender coming out. I reviewed the album and got properly into her stuff then and more so after seeing her live a couple of years ago. Gemma: Ah, I’m yet to see her live, but after listening to this, I’d really like to. Kezia: She’s so amazing live! It really transformed the venue I saw her in, into something truly special and spellbinding. 34

What was it about her that got you into her? Gemma: Initially, recommendations from friends. I think I had an idea of how she would sound, but once I actually listened, it transpired I was completely wrong, in a really great way. Kezia: I think the way she writes with such honesty and vulnerability and delivers this through her incredibly powerful and emotive vocals was what first really struck me about her music. And does The Caretaker maintain that spark and originality? Kezia: I’d say so. It feels like there’s a greater confidence across the record, both sonically and in this sense of clarity that she reaches over the course of the album, even though the lyrics are more introspective. I’m really into the bolder electronica here.

Gemma: As a record, it feels bolder than Lavender. It’s braver and more imaginative. It’s like the contrast has been turned up at times; the colours seem sharper. Yeah definitely - all the sounds are really crisp here. How would you describe the sound? And are there any particular songs that show that sound off? Gemma: I feel like there’s no one song that feels representative of the album as a whole, but the single ‘Ordinary Talk’ provides a really good route in. The programmed beats, the unadorned intimacy of the lead vocal, and this subtle tapestry of backing vocals behind it. I don’t really want to use the word folktronica… but I guess I just did (though the folkiness mostly comes from the vocal timbre). I found the arrangement of ‘In August’ particularly interesting; something about it reminds me slightly of Air’s ‘Alone in Kyoto’. Kezia: There are quite a lot of different sounds across the whole album, but it feels like some tracks, such as ‘Brace’, offer a more strippedback sound with piano and vocal melodies, while others such as ‘Halogen 2’ definitely have more of a synth-pop thing going on. Overall there’s a kind of beautifully soaring quality to the sound that intertwines all the different arrangements across the tracks. I love ‘Halogen 2’. Kezia: Yeah, that’s definitely my fave track! Are there any artists you’d compare her to? Gemma: Vocally, Natalie Prass at times. Kezia: I’m actually not sure who I’d compare her to right now (might come back on that one, ha). Gemma: It’s difficult, isn’t it? Though the fact that we’re struggling to pinpoint similar artists is probably a really good thing and shows she’s doing something quite unique. With the character of The Caretaker and the narrative arc of disillusionment to healing, dare we call this a concept album? Gemma: Technically, I guess, but a concept

album in a non-conspiracy theorist/Muse way. I’m not sure you need to engage in any way with the concept to understand the album more that it’s an introspective record about personal growth and self-acceptance. Kezia: Yeah, I guess in essence it is a concept album, but it feels quite subtly so. Definitely. Finally, circling back to her live show - listening to the record, could you picture it live? Gemma: I’d be really interested to see how she replicates all those layers live. Kezia: Remembering the Lavender show, she definitely holds a real capacity to create such an all-encompassing wave of sound that would be really amazing to see with the bolder sounds here. The Caretaker is out March 27th via ANTI-. @HalfWaif

@HalfWaif

@halfWaif 35

Album Reviews Fake Laugh Dining Alone State 51 Conspiracy 13th March “The act of dining alone is either awkward and embarrassing or honourable and enjoyable, depending on who you ask,” notes Kamran Khan, aka Fake Laugh, in a press release for his latest full length effort, Dining Alone. That juxtaposition of vulnerability and defiance is perhaps emblematic of Fake Laugh as a project generally. From catchy-sad early singles like ‘Short of Breath’ all the way up to last year’s celebratory but self-deprecating ‘Honesty’, it’s Fake Laugh’s ability to blend light with dark that gives his music its sepia-like quality. On his sophomore album Dining Alone, however, this approach is taken to new, surreal depths, as if a lonely walk had turned into a stroll through a hall of mirrors. That stroll begins right from the start with the circus-y but menacing album opener, ‘Ever Imagine’ through to bashful bop, ‘If You Don’t Wanna Know’. Pensive choruses are interwoven with playful synth lines and jagged rhythms that mark a distinct break from the eager riffs and scuzzy bedroom production of Fake Laugh’s eponymous debut. Fans looking for their fix of shimmering guitars and heartfelt hooks will find much to dig into through Dining Alone, but the jovial panic of ‘Alarm Bells’, the haunting glitches of ‘Dining Alone’ and the gangster majesty of ‘Empty Party’ shows an additional side to Fake Laugh that goes beyond the realms of lo-fi jangle pop. Kazim Gangadin 36

J-Felix Whole Again Hooligan Tru-Thoughts March 8th

Championed by Beats1 tastemaker, Julie Adenuga and BBC6 Music presenter, Lauren Laverne, it’s no surprise that J-Felix’s vivacious take on funk has pulled in thousands of listeners. His second record even comes with a squad Taylor Swift would be envious of, including noteworthy collaborators such as Afua, El Train, Sol Goodman and Andrew Ashong. First single, ‘Mind Up’ demands attention through a heady mix of trumpet, horns and dreamy guitar plucks. His meticulous ear for modern grooves proves crucial in tracks like ‘String Singalong’ and ‘Good Ol’ Love’. Immense potential lies in ‘Choppa Fiesta’ and ‘Check’, which tout him as Bristol/Brighton’s answer to electro-jazz maverick, Thundercat. Whole Again Hooligan serves as a progressive step in the right direction for a worldclass underdog. Oliver Evans

U.S. Girls Heavy Light 4AD March 6th

U.S. Girls’ Meghan Remy assembled a cast of 20 session musicians - including Bruce Springsteen’s right hand man, Jake Clemons - to record her seventh album, Heavy Light live to tape, resulting in a distinctly choral, spacious sound that feels strangely sparse, despite the fact if you listen closely, there are about a million interesting things going on at any one time. Spoken-word interludes reminisce on not entirely pleasant childhood experiences, while the record is concerned more widely with hindsight and its personal and cultural ramifications. Weighty themes indeed, but it’s an uncomplicated treat of a listen that contains some of Remy’s best work. ‘4 American Dollars’ in particular is among her finest songs, ‘And Yet It Moves / Y Se Mueve’ her most formidable groove. Thomas Hannan

MJ Cole Madrugada Decca March 27th

Before you recoil at the prospect of yet another electronic music pioneer stripping back their trademark sound and exploring a new ambient direction, this one’s worth sticking around for. Thanks to MJ Cole’s effortless musicality on the piano, a childhood passion he found himself reconnecting with, there’s a real sincerity (sorry) to Madrugada that elevates it above its contemporaries. Having littered minimal compositions in releases throughout his career, the results across a full album are undeniably powerful. From the swirling electronics that bubble under ‘Reimagination’s dreamy crescendo to ‘Strings For Jodie’ ranking as the album’s emotive high point, there’s no greater privilege as the listener than entering the “meditative state” MJ Cole inhabits when playing. Above all, Madrugada brings peace in the most trying of times. Lee Wakefield

Minor Science Second Language Whities March 20th

Nic Tasker’s label, Whities, is continuously transforming the landscape of electronic music, shapeshifting between dancefloor clangers and emotional ambient sonics from the likes of Avalon Emerson, Leif and Nathan Micay. They’ve also released three leftfield EPs from the British-born, Berlin-based producer, Minor Science, recently issuing his debut, Second Language. Demonstrating anxious techno that varies in intensity and tempo, it’s intricately packed with modular vocal inflexions and experimental electro: the kind of sounds that wouldn’t feel out of place on a release or showcase from Ilian Tape. The timescale of the record is blissfully built, with melodic intervals, jazzily rhapsodic percussion and maddeningly complex sound design, all pieced together in a release that, once again, shows off Whities’ ability to radicalise dance music. Georgia Marsh 37

Porches Ricky Music

Melt Yourself Down 100% Yes

Domino March 13th

Decca March 27th

“I think I was as lost as I was madly in love,” Porches’ Aaron Maine has said of Ricky Music. Across 11 songs, the New Yorker stumbles through heartbreak with looser structures and an undercooked production style that sometimes lands but often misses. Those searching for the slick house grooves of 2016’s Pool or the warped techno-pop flirtations of 2018’s The House won’t find more of the same here.

For a band who’ve built a reputation for drawing upon diverse influences and sounds, 100% YES is yet again an incredibly varied listen. Not in an untethered, Mr. Bungle Disco Volante kind of way – everything here maintains a certain cohesion to the band’s beating heart of jazzy tenets and repertoire of bangers. But through an ample touch of creative insanity, you glean the sense that this iteration of Melt Yourself Down has evolved with sufficiently more to say.

Ricky Music instead revises the intimacy of Maine’s 2013 debut but imbues his songs with his latter-day electronic turns and pitch-bent vocals. ‘Rangerover’, Maine’s collaboration with Dev Hynes, is by far the highlight: a skulking, rich synth-pop ballad that encapsulates feeling both sorrowful and hopeful post-breakup. More of this please, and a bit less moping, on whatever’s next. Charlotte Krol

Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini Illusion of Time

Phantasy March 27th

The first clue that things are predominantly different with this release lies in the cover art, where an arresting psychedelic image from Alex Garant replaces the pyramid logo that adorned past releases. Evolution, not necessarily adaptation, is here conveying the band’s humanistic strength, positivity, and vitality. And that’s something we all need desperately in 2020. Harriet Taylor

Daniel Avery & Alessandro Cortini’s Illusion of Time sounds a lot like the weather, with soft, swirling synths unfolding into grainy, industrial drone rattles that put me outside on a stormy day. Not unlike Pariah’s excellent 2018 release, Here From Where We Are, but wandering down a longer, less signposted path, each composition evokes a hypnotic bleakness that’s soothing and unsettling. This is a gently self-indulgent collaboration between two heavy‑ weight noise experimentalists that finds itself too ambient for daytime listening yet too edgy for sleeping. I would suggest perhaps meditating or quietly pondering how many leaves are left on all the trees in the world at this very moment, using this record as the perfect accompaniment. Madeleine Wrench

Little Dragon New Me, Same Us Ninja Tune March 27th

Little Dragon have a pretty consistent scorecard when it comes to reflecting on their output. Whether crafting percussive floorfillers (2011’s Ritual Union) or wonky ‘80s-inspired synth-pop (2017’s Season High) the Gothenburg band seem incapable of letting the quality of their songs dip. On New Me, Same Us, the group pull in more acoustic instrumentation, without abandoning their intoxicating brand of alternative club-ready music. Moreover, the record contains some of singer Yukimi Nagano’s most personal stories, ostensibly about moving on from a long relationship. On ‘New Fiction’, gamelan chimes and a lounge bass underscore the bruising realisation: “We need new fiction / We need to find our own way.” ‘Hold On’, meanwhile, is a certified Little Dragon 101 banger. They’re seemingly incapable of missing the mark. Charlotte Krol

Disq Collector Saddle Creek March 6th

When life gives you lemons, what do you do? The reality has nothing to do with lemonade production, or G&T. You’re usually too melancholy, distracted or over-worked for that. You forget you have lemon juice on your fingers and you wipe it in your eyes. For Disq, on Collector, therein lies the rub: Modern life is regularly rubbish, and it stings. The workaday tedium of staring at screens on ‘Daily Routine’ leads naturally into being “too restless to unwind” on ‘I’m Really Trying’. By the time we hit the penultimate track, we hear them rock out on the exhaustedly bleak ‘I Wanna Die’. Frequently sounding like a blend of the Lemon Twigs and The Lemonheads, Collector balances its lyrical acidity with compositional freshness and zest. Jon Kean

Hilary Woods Birthmarks Sacred Bones March 13th

Enshrouded in spectral mystery, Birthmarks is a deeply sensory, corporeal record. Opening with ominous, droning drums and growling strings, Hilary Woods’ vocals are evocative, whispered incantations that glide amidst the eerie landscapes of the album. Sometimes sparse, sometimes densely textural and populated, the sonic terrains Woods crafts are earnest, haunting, and ritualistic. Recorded while heavily pregnant, between Galway and Oslo last winter, at times the drum beats feel like a pulsating heartbeat, claustrophobic and all-encompassing. And this intensity pervades throughout, as across the eight tracks, Woods explores fluctuating experiences of selfhood and becoming expressed with unbridled ferocity. There’s a visceral, cinematic quality to Birthmarks that further accentuates the internal and external turmoil at the core of the record, leaving a poignant, transcendental impression. Kezia Cochrane 39

Events by Elliott Simpson

Ritual Union

Art Battle

28th Mar. at Various Venues

26th Mar. at Anson Rooms

It’s always a delight when a new music festival launches in Bristol and we couldn’t be more excited about the first iteration of Ritual Union. Taking place across the stages of SWX, The Lanes and Rough Trade, the festival aims to pull together some of the most exciting breaking artists from across the UK. And a single glance at the line-up will confirm that they’ve more than succeeded in doing that.

Painting as a competitive sport? Count us in! The Bristol finals for Art Battle will see who gets to progress to the regional finals, with twelve of the city’s most combative painters taking part. If you’ve never attended before, the artists will be competing head-to-head in three twenty-minute rounds, with the audience deciding on the winner via a silent vote. There will also be a bar, DJ and plenty of great food to keep you (and them) going.

Among the titillating array of acts are Marika Hackman – fresh off the release of last year’s stunning Any Human Friend – experimental post-punk wonders, Squid and thrilling DIY four-piece, Porridge Radio. There are also several choice Bristol talents on the line-up, including the always excellent Rozi Plain, just to make things that little more tempting.

Art Battle

Porridge Radio (Ritual Union) 40

Shake Bristol Art Fair 1st Mar. at Rough Trade

Deathprod by Kim Hiorthøy

Shake Bristol Art Fair returns to Rough Trade and we couldn’t be happier. Since the selfdescribed “some kind of art fair” launched back in 2014, it’s gone from strength to strength, showcasing some of Bristol and the wider South West’s most creative brains. From zines to patches, and t-shirts to posters, you’re sure to find oodles of beautiful things to decorate yourself and your home with – so don’t miss out.

Bristol Re:Sound

Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival

6th Mar. at Colston Hall

26th - 31st Mar. at Various Venues

Hosted by Colston Hall, Re:Sound is a bold and inventive celebration of the sound of Bristol. Expect everything from analogue tape composition workshops to guided soundwalks and modular synth demonstrations. In the evening, there will also be a range of musicians performing, including a live sampling performance from Rob Winstone and an improvisational set from turntablism ensemble, Locked Groove. Come along and take a glimpse into some of the strangest and most exciting corners of the musical world.

Everybody already knows that Bristol has an incredible jazz scene, but the Bristol International Jazz and Blues Festival is the perfect chance for the city to toot its trumpet about it. The line-up this year is packed to the brim with highlights, including performances from jazz and blues extraordinaires such as Pee Wee Ellis and Paul Jones. There will also be a handful of film screenings, including Clint Eastwood’s Charlie Parker biopic, Bird, and plenty of workshops to keep you busy (and jazzy) as well.

Pee Wee Ellis (Jazz Festival)

Full Listings TUESDAY 25TH FEBRUARY

X AMBASSADORS £18ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

WILLIAM DOYLE / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

LYKOS + HELLERMAN + REECE BANKS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

GIRL RAY £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

THURSDAY 27TH FEBRUARY

TAMASENE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

OPEN STAGE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

SORCHA RICHARDSON £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

BLG: HEATHER WOODS BRODERICK + EMILY ISHERWOOD + AIKO / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

JFS PRESENTS: YAMAYA £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS

VEX RED £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

PEGGY SUE ALBUM AND TICKET / 6:30PM / ROUGH TRADE

THE BIG MOON £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE

BOY & BEAR £16.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

SNAZZBACK: 140BPM BEATTAPE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

WEDNESDAY 26TH FEBRUARY

MONOLITHIAN + GRIEF RITUAL £5 / / THE GRYPHON

SILVER TONGUES DONATIONS / 6.30PM / CAFÉ KINO

GOD DAMN £7.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

THE SOUND CUPBOARD DONATION / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

STONE COLD FICTION + SUPPORT £3 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS

NEW YEARS DAY £14ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

HOT 8 BRASS BAND £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

WALDO'S GIFT: SYNESTHESIA FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

SAMANTHA LINDO / 7:30PM / ROUGH TRADE

RAZORRAPE (SWEDEN) + BRUTAL SPHINCTER (BELGIUM) TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON

BILLS BENEFIT WITH LONDON CALLING + THE BAD LOSERS + THE DUKES OF MUMBAI SOLD OUT / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

DÉJA VEGA £7ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS

FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

Full Listings TRIO SOWARI + SALTINGS X MG X TH + GROLF SELF + YUNGYLEK £3.60ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO MAI MAI MAI + KINLAW + FRANCO FRANCO / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS CHARIVARI + BYKER GROVE FANCLUB £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE DREADZONE £19.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE REVULSION + CLIMATE OF FEAR + GRIEF RITUAL £5 / / THE GRYPHON THE MYSTERINES £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA VOODOO BRASS BAND £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS THE MAINE £19ADV / 6.30PM / SWX MARCUS KING BAND £20ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA CS FLY + NEUROMATIC + DERAILER £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SATURDAY 29TH FEBRUARY LORCÁN + THOMAS LOBBAN £3OTD / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO TEMPERS + JESSICA93 / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS THE DOORS ALIVE + THE GIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE EYES OF THE RAVEN + URFE + BROKEN CALLING £4 / / THE GRYPHON DRY CLEANING £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

JIMI NEEDLES & THE COSMIC ORCHESTRA £3/£4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS GARAGE NATION £5ADV / 10.00PM / O2 ACADEMY LASTELLE X DEFEATIST £6 / 7:30PM / ROUGH TRADE DUB FX £15ADV / 6.30PM / SWX SUNDAY 1ST MARCH HOT CLUB DE CLIFTON JAZZ FREE / 5.30PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE MARMA SESSIONS £3/DONATIONS / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO BROKEN BONES MATILDA FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN IOTA + THE REZNER + PROFILER / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS SUNDAY 1ST MARCH ERRATIC BATTING & BLG: JUNGLE BROWN + THE CARAVAN COLLECTIVE £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS SUNDAY 1ST MARCH GUM SOUL £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE ...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD £20ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE KLUB KIDS PRESENTS LATRICE ROYALE + CRYSTAL (DRAG RACE UK) £20ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE SYDNEY SESSIONS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

Full Listings ANDY CROFTS SOLO ACOUSTIC TOUR £9.00+BF / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

TESTAMENT £26.50ADV / 6.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

MONDAY 2ND MARCH

ARLO PARKS / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE

CANTEEN JAZZ SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

THE SHERLOCKS £16.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

LYSERGIC LIMES & BLG: PREGOBLIN / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

WEDNESDAY 4TH MARCH

FRANC MOODY SOLD OUT / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

IBOU TALL & THE JAZZ MATES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS

THUMPER / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

THE ORIELLES £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX

HANNAH DIAMOND £10ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

WINSTON SURFSHIRT £11ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

NYLEX £5ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

TUESDAY 3RD MARCH

PHIL X AND THE DRILLS £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

PAUL JOHN BAILEY FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

WALDO'S WEEKLY: OPEN COLLAB FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

THE LUCA STATE / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER / / MR WOLFS

YELFRIS VALDÉS £7ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

LOVE FAME TRAGEDY £14ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

LAST HOUNDS £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

THE BOXKITES + HOW NICE + 213 PARK AVENUE £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

LEWIS CREAVEN'S DHARMA BLUES PRESENTS: LED ZEPPELIN 1 FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY TORRES £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA JAZZ FUNK SOUL SOCIETY / / MR WOLFS

THURSDAY 5TH MARCH FRINGE JAZZ WITH DAN NEWBERRY QUARTET FREE / 8.00PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE DESPERATE MEASURES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

Full Listings GROUND CULTURE + BLACK COAST / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

CHLOE FOY £8.50ADV / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO

HOMEBOY SANDMAN £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

AGE OF GLASS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

RITA LYNCH £4ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

BREAKFAST: DOGEYED + REBECKA REINHARD + JOSIE BLAKELOCK / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

GRAND MAGUS £15.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE GLOBAL GROOVE EXPERIMENT: SOUTH AFRICA FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY BLANCK MASS £13.08INC BF / 8.00PM / LOCO KLUB DECLAN J DONOVAN £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA RADIO LAIKA + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS EXAMPLE £18.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY HOUSEWIVES £8ADV / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE ALFA MIST £14ADV / 7.00PM / SWX STRAY & THE GROUNDHOGS £17ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA UNCOLLECTIVE RECORD PRESENTS DRIFT + DUDE THE OBSCURE + GINS + FRANCES PYLONS + POPPY LOMAZ + MARCUS HOOD + SPONTANEOUS OBJECTS + CEORGE GROMPTON £3ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 6TH MARCH HANNAH KAN / MAGIC SHOWS £5 / 8.00PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

REPERCUSSION £8ADV / 9.00PM / EXCHANGE ALCEST £16.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE THE FAMILY RAIN + MEANWHILE IN BAT COUNTRY £10ADV / 7.00PM / THE LANES J-FELIX £11ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THIS FEELING PRESENTS: FLOWVERS + THE EDIT + THE VACANT + MORE £5 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN GÜRL + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS CHAR B FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE OH WONDER £18.50ADV / 6.00PM / O2 ACADEMY HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT £20ADV / 6.30PM / SWX ACTION FOR ME BENEFIT WITH THE DISORDERLIES + THE HANGOVER CLUB £6ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SATURDAY 7TH MARCH AFTERNOON IRISH MUSIC /JO MC NAB BAND FREE / 8.00PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more

Full Listings RAISE THE DISCO FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

HERE LIES TITANIA £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

SLABDRAGGER + PIST + TIDES OF SULFUR + MOUNTAIN CALLER / 3.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

SIMIAH FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

ANDREYA TRIANA £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE DR MEAKER £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE LOSTBOY £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA BANDINI + AVALON HIGHWAY / / MR WOLFS BRASS JUNKIES FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE JAX JONES £18.50ADV / 6.00PM / SWX WIKI £11ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SAMANTHA FISH £20ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE SUNDAY 8TH MARCH KATHRYN ROBERTS + SEAN LAKEMAN £17.44INC BF / 8.00PM / BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE STEVE LEVER FREE / 9.00PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE HANDS OF THE HERON FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN SHEER MUSIC: NEW PAGANS + STAY VOICELESS / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS EAT UP FOR STARTERS – ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP £4ADV / 1.00PM / EXCHANGE

MOSA WILD £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE SISTERS OF MERCY £32.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY MONDAY 9TH MARCH DECYPHERS HIP HOP SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN ELIZA SHADDARD / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS MOSES BOYD £12ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY HAUNT THE WOODS £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS TUESDAY 10TH MARCH OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE DAN EVERETT FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN KID KAPICHI / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS MONDO GENERATOR £15ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE BEN WATT £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

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Full Listings THE MATT WOOSEY BAND FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

THURSDAY 12TH MARCH

JADU HEART £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

HIP HOP NIGHT FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

JFS PRESETS: SOUL DIVA / / MR WOLFS

DANCE GURU FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

TURNSTILE £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE

SPECIAL INTEREST £6ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

WEDNESDAY 11TH MARCH

YOUNG ECHO £4ADV / 10.00PM / EXCHANGE

FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

SNAZZBACK PRESENTS CHAMBER COLLECTIVE: OPEN STAGE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

THE NEIGHBÖURHÖÖD WATCH + ANWAR SATTAR / 6.00PM / CAFÉ KINO

THEM BLOODY KIDS TBC / / THE GRYPHON

STANLAEY FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

EROTIC SECRETS OF POMPEII £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

RUDE PRIDE + PERSONALITY CRISIS + KILL THE COLOSSI / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

WE ARE PARKAS + HUSH MOZEY + DROOGS / / MR WOLFS

WALDO'S WEEKLY: REWORKS: FLOATING POINTS - CRUSH FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

BLG & WIZZARDING: INSECT ARK + ANTA + DISASTERMIND £8ADV / 7.00PM / THE LANES NIMMO £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER / / MR WOLFS GEORGIA £14.75ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA CVC £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

ANAMANAGUCHI £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA MELODI £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 13TH MARCH WILL BLAKE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE IT: DANNY STARR + JOE .T. JOHNSON + JASPER STOREY £5ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO PATTERN PUSHER FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

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Full Listings THE FALLEN LEAVES + MICKO & THE MELLOTRONICS + THE TOTAL REJECTION / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

EAT UP! FOR STARTERS SHOWCASE WITH BEST PRAXIS £5ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

AFTER THE BURIAL £14ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

THE REGZ £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE

PAVOR NOCTURNUS £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

ABSOULTION + UNBURIER + MISANTHROPIA TBC / / THE GRYPHON

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK SHOW £5ADV / 11.00PM / EXCHANGE TRAGEDY £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE THE RAMONAS £12.00 / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE PEACH FUZZ £5 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN BASS 12 + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS THE LEWIS CREAVEN BAND FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE NF £22ADV / 6.00PM / O2 ACADEMY WOLF PARADE £16ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SATURDAY 14TH MARCH STATION 2 STATION FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE MEGATRAIN + BENJAMIN SPIKE SAUNDERS + CLARA MANN £5OTD / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO SKELTR FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN WARGIRL + SUPPORT / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS GRRRL CRUSH #25: IWD BASEMENT RAVE £5ADV / 11.00PM / EXCHANGE 48

PRUDENT PRIMATE + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS THE HUKLEBUCK FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE THE DUALERS £26.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY TUNGZ / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE SEAFRET £14ADV / 6.30PM / SWX HANDS OFF GRETEL £8ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SUNDAY 15TH MARCH COWBOYS BLUES FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE ORPHIC FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN WINDSHAKE / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS DYSTOPIAN FUTURE MOVIES £8ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE MATT DAVIS + MATTHEW GRIGG + DOMINIC LASH £4ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE DELTA SLEEP £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE

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Full Listings CHARLATAN JAZZ W/ RY-GUY + JOE PROBERT FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY SEPIROTH (NETHERLANDS) + SODOMIZED CADAVER + INCINERY £8ADV / / THE GRYPHON SLØTFACE £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA SONGSMITH / / MR WOLFS LOUISE REDKNAPP £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX KORPIKLAANI £25ADV / 6.00PM / THEKLA MONDAY 16TH MARCH CANTEEN LATIN SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN L.O.T.I.O.N. MULTINATIONAL CORPORATION £7ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE UNDERDARK & CRIMSON THRONE £3ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE DECAPITATED £20ADV / 6.00PM / THE FLEECE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY LYSERGIC LIMES & BLG: WORLD BRAIN FREE / 7.00PM / THE LANES GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS HIGHLY SUSPECT £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX SHAWN JAMES £15ADV / 7.30PM / THEKLA

TUESDAY 17TH MARCH OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE TRU FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN KIT TRIGG + LYKOS / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS SPINNING COIN £8ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE JAY SOM £13ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE SEEDLING SESSIONS: EMBER AND SENTIENT SOUND & JACK LOUIS COOPER FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY BAD//DREEMS £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA JAZZ FUNK SOUL SOCIETY / / MR WOLFS WEDNESDAY 18TH MARCH FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE KEVIN FIGES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN BROOKE BENTHAM / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS ANVIL £18ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE STRANGE CIRCUITS £5ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE SNAKE OIL & HARMONY £18.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE WALDO'S WEEKLY: SYNESTHESIA FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

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Full Listings HAK BAKER £SOLDOUT / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

LIVE MUSIC TBA / / MR WOLFS

FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER / / MR WOLFS

LIGHTNING SEEDS £28.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

GABRIELLE APLIN £20ADV / 7.00PM / SWX

DANCING ON TABLES £7.84 INC BF / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE

MR IRISH BASTARD £10ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

DANKO JONES £16ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

JADE BIRD £12.50ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE

FRIDAY 20TH MARCH

THURSDAY 19TH MARCH

LEE MCRRORY + GUESTS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

GIGI MASIN £16.35INC BF / 8.00PM / ARNOLFINI

SAM OSTLER £6ADV / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO

AFTERNOON JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

DOWNBEAT MELODY SOUND FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

TISLA + CARNIVOROUS PLANTS £5OTD / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO

DISCHARGE £14ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

BRISTOL COMMUNITY BIG BAND FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

CANAPÉ RECORDS £4ADV / 11.00PM / EXCHANGE

V-STOK + MYTRIP + CROSSPOLAR + SUZUKI / 6.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

WOLFGANG FLÜR (EX KRAFTWERK) £20ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

MOTES £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE THE LAST INTERNATIONALE £10ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

HOLLOW CROWN £3 / / THE GRYPHON TWINNIE £13.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

SNAZZBACK PRESENTS STANLÆY FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

ATHERIS PROMOTIONS PRESENTS: GRIEF RITUAL £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN

CORNERS OF SANCTUARY TBC / / THE GRYPHON

THE BAREFOOT BANDIT + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS

SOUL STRIPPED SESSIONS, BRISTOL : VOL 2 £7.70ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

CHAZ THOROGOOD FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE

GAGREFLEX / / THE MOTHERS RUIN 50

THE SUBWAYS £22ADV / 6.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

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Full Listings ZIGGY ALBERT £18.50ADV / 6.30PM / SWX

SONS OF LIBERTY £10ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

SATURDAY 21ST MARCH

SUNDAY 22ND MARCH

SALTINGS + SOPHIE JACKSON + ANDREW NEIL HAYES + KJ BUCKLAND £4ADV/£5OTD / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO

DAOIRI FARRELL £15.26INC BF / 8.00PM / BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE

BRASS JUNKIES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

THE HARRISONS TRIO FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

LOS SAVAGES + LEATHERS + NOVEMBER BEES / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

MISHRA FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN

LAYMAN’S TERMS £5ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE

FLY PAN AM £13.63INC BF / 7.30PM / COLSTON HALL FOYER

HOLY YOUTH MOVEMENT £7ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

THE B-JS + SUPPORT / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

ANDY SHAUF £17.44INC BF / 8.00PM / FIDDLERS

BLACK WATER COUNTY £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE

THE CLONE ROSES £14.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE

JEHST £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

DARKFALL (AUSTRIA) + DIES HOLOCAUSTUM + CADAVER SOIREE £5 / / THE GRYPHON

THE POCKET SESSIONS HOSTED BY RUTH ROYALL FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

DAMNATIO MEMORIAE & BLG: HAXON FREE / 7.00PM / THE LANES

LIGHTNING SHARKS TBC / / THE GRYPHON

PRINCESS NOKIA + TKAY MAIDZA £20.71INC BF / 7.00PM / THE MARBLE FACTORY

LAZARUS MUSIC: DANNY WORSNOP £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE LANES

X RAY CAT TRIO / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN LIVE MUSIC TBA / / MR WOLFS VONJ FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE KVELERTAK £17.50ADV / 6.30PM / SWX

CATBAMBOO + LET'S SWIM GET SWIMMING / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN MONDAY 23RD MARCH SLIM'S ROOTS & BLUES SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN RETRO VIDEO CLUB / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

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Full Listings NORDIC GIANTS £13.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

WEDNESDAY 25TH MARCH

OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

FRINGE JAZZ / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS

SILVER TONGUES DONATIONS / 6.30PM / CAFÉ KINO

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

LAIMU FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

TUESDAY 24TH MARCH

WORRY £4ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE

OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

MR SAM & THE DEDNUTZ £20ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

LEWIS CLARK FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

WALDO'S WEEKLY: PRESENTS COLOSSAL SQUID FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

MUNCIE GIRLS / 7.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS THE EMERALD DAWN £8ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE BRASS AGAINST £20ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE TAMASENE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY DAVID LIEBE HART + GFOTY £16.35INC BF / 8.00PM / THE JAM JAR LITANY £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA JFS PRESENTS: RWKUS / / MR WOLFS ASH £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY GRACE CARTER £13ADV / 7.00PM / SWX

BLG: BEACH RIOT FREE / 7.30PM / THE LANES CLOCK OPERA £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA FRUIT MACHINE - LIVE HIP HOP CYPHER / / MR WOLFS BLACK JOSH / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE DIGDAT SOLD OUT / 7.00PM / THEKLA THURSDAY 26TH MARCH JOSHUA BLACKMORE SIZE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN IT & BLG: ALCUNA WILDS + SLOWSKI + ATTICOMATIC / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS REWS £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE SLEEP EATERS £6ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE

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Full Listings SNAZZBACK BEAT TAPE FT. GUEST MC FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

PICTISH TRAIL £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

INCURSION + BANSAI PIPELINE FREE ENTRY / / THE GRYPHON

WHAIL TALE / / MR WOLFS

PEGGY SUE £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

THE KITCHEN SYNCOPATORS FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE

CLOSEUP PRESENTS :: SUN SPOT / / MR WOLFS

JAMES BOND IN CONCERT £22ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

LEAF DOG £15ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

RAT BOY £15ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

AMY RIGBY + EMILY DUFF £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

BREAKING DOWN RECORDS PRESENTS ARREST! CHARLIE TIPPER, THE LOVELY BASEMENT, THE BIG HOWEVER, THE REV JONNY KINKAID AND THE COHEN SISTERS. £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

FRIDAY 27TH MARCH BSO HOLLYWOOD HEAD TO HEAD £19.50-£29.50INC BF / 7.30PM / BATH FORUM

SATURDAY 28TH MARCH

LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

HANGOVER CLUB / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

SIGNAL HILL X GWFAA X GRANDCHILD £6ADV / 7.00PM / CAFÉ KINO

THOMAS STONE + SALTINGS + DAN BENNETT + PHIL SWAN £3.60ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO

HALLOUMINATI FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN KEDR LIVANSKIY + SUPPORT / 8.00PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS SUGAR HORSE £7ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE DOREEN DOREEN £15ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE MARGARET GLASPY £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE THIS IS TURIN + KINASIS + EMERALD EYES + CRUCICOFFIN £5 / / THE GRYPHON LYSERGIC LIMES & BLG: TWO TRIBES FREE / 7.30PM / THE LANES

MANFREDI FUNK INITIATIVE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN CASSELS + CAGEWORK + REPRO MAN / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS FISHSTOCK 2020 £10ADV / 2.00PM / EXCHANGE KATE BUSH-KA £13.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE NORTHERN TRENDKILL (PANTERA) + ELEVENTH HOUR (LAMB OF GOD) £13ADV / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON CROSSTOWN CONCERTS & 1%: RITUAL UNION £25ADV / 11.00AM / THE LANES

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Full Listings STAY LUNAR £7ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

MONDAY 30TH MARCH

JELLY CLEAVER + PAHLA / / MR WOLFS

JAZZ RENDEZ VOUS / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE

MARMALADE FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE

SNAZZBACK PARTY BAG FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN

I PREVAIL £20ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY

DAMNATIO MEMORIAE & BLG: ISOLATED YOUTH / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS

RITUAL UNION / 11.00AM / ROUGH TRADE THE ICICLE WORKS £21ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SUNDAY 29TH MARCH JACK CALLOWAY'S BAND FREE / 5.30PM / THE BRISTOL FRINGE MARMA SESSIONS £3/DONATIONS / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO COUNTERS CREEK FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN JARED JAMES NICHOLLS £12ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE TBC - LIVE MUSIC FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY EFFIGY & BLG: DOPELORD + TELEPATHY £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LANES LAS KELLIES + GRANDMA’S HOUSE £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN GZA £22.50ADV / 6.30PM / SWX DARCY OAKE £20ADV / 6.00PM / THEKLA

AMY WADGE SOLD OUT / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY IT & BLG: CUT GLASS KINGS + THE ROTANAS + THE BELISHAS FREE / 7.00PM / THE LANES GIN JAM - OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS THE SLOW READERS CLUB £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA TUESDAY 31ST MARCH SONGWRITER SHOWCASE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE HOLLY CARTER & BILL FRAMPTON FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN SECOND DEGREE / 7.30PM / THE CROFTERS RIGHTS IMONOLITH £11ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE HAYSEED DIXIE £18.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE LEWIS CREAVEN'S DHARMA BLUES FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY MARTHAGUNN £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

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Full Listings LOW HOUSE £14ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

FRIDAY 3RD APRIL

WEDNESDAY 1ST APRIL

SONGDOG + THE SHORT STORIES £8ADV / 7.30PM / CAFÉ KINO

WALDO'S WEEKLY: OPEN COLLAB FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

DUB PISTOLS £15ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE

ROBERT VINCENT £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

THE SICKENING (NORWAY) / / THE GRYPHON

PINEGROVE £17ADV / 7.00PM / SWX

SOME SPROUTS FREE / 8.00PM / THE LANES

KOJEY RADICAL £9ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

HENRY GREEN £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA

THURSDAY 2ND APRIL

THIS FEELING PRESENTS SUNS UP + MORE TBA ;£5 / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN

SEED ENSEMBLE £13.63INC BF / 8.00PM / COLSTON HALL FOYER

THE VIBRATORS + THE SETBACKS £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT

THE UNDERCOVER HIPPY £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE

DANNY BROWN £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE

SNAZZBACK FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY

SATURDAY 4TH APRIL

EXPANDER (USA) + INHUMAN NATURE + ASIDHARA + KOLD WAR £5 / / THE GRYPHON THE TRIALS OF CATO £14ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA ROACHFORD £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY LIME CORDIALE £15ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA SCHAUSER + THE PILOTS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA £15ADV / 7.30PM / TRINITY CENTRE

DURAN UK £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE AS FLAMES RISE + NAPIER + TREP £5 / / THE GRYPHON DEPARTMENT S: THE BEATLES AGAIN £3ADV / 9.00PM / THE LANES THE HAWKMEN £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA HYBRID MINDS OUTLINE £10ADV / 10.00PM / O2 ACADEMY BECKY HILL SOLD OUT / 6.00PM / SWX WILLIE & THE BANDITS £15ADV / 7.00PM / THEKLA

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Live Reviews curated by Jon Kean, Live Editor

3% of One January 30th at The Old England words: Andrew Kilpatrick photography: Luke Macpherson Organised to honour the three-year tenure of Bristol event promoters, 1% of One’s work in the city, and billed with a secret line-up, 3% of One felt like a miniature festival, making for a brilliant celebration of company head, Richard Walsh’s hard work and impeccable taste. First to the stage were Agata, a swooning mixture of singer-songwriter tendencies and more upbeat popular styles, with a vocal performance that varied between haunting and comforting throughout. Elsewhere on the bill, Canadian garage-pop group, Kiwi Jr. belted out a sunny mix of The Beach Boys via early 2000s New York rock. Lazarus Kane finished the show, turning the gig into a frenzied party. Running onto the stage to ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, the band proceeded to create a layer of pysch drones, before thumping drums, plastic cow bells and scratchy funk guitars pushed into an infectious setlist that riled the crowd up into a dancing mass. The music throughout had a consistent groove driving the songs, constantly building to a cacophony of funk and psych. They harked to the best moments of LCD Soundsystem (one song even had a few ‘ahhhhhhoooooo!’s), but took themselves less seriously, covered more stylistic points, and had pop moments that sounded 56

unashamedly fun. Their performance was restless – teetering into madness at times – only to pull back and deliver some potent, focussed subtlety. Quieter moments shimmered with a tangible beauty, rare as they were in the shifting quicksand of Lazarus Kane’s funk odysseys. Lazarus Kane left the stage with a buzz in the air, adding a flourish to an already great evening. The fact that the crowd seemed to love every act on this varied bill, and how the gig was sold out without a single band being announced, speaks volumes of the trust and influence that 1% has in the local scene, and Walsh’s talent for both surprising and satisfying the audiences he’s engaged with.

Angel Olsen February 10th at SWX words: Guy Marcham photography: Jessica Bartolini It seems there are two Angel Olsens. One rattles with operatic menace and bathes in doom-soaked synths; the other is playful and innocent - a songwriter to nestle around, gather close for warmth and suddenly feel at ease with the world outside. Both Angel Olsens are utterly arresting in every measure. Up first is Olsen’s grand, opulent and cinematic persona. A bewitching ‘Princess of Darkness’. A figure of sheer elegance who etches and unfurls amongst a cacophony of smoke-lit atmospherics. An efflorescence of untamed beauty, cloaked in a black, sparkly dress and distinct Audrey Hepburn beehive. Olsen surges into ‘All Mirrors’ amid a myriad of space-age synths and spectral string arrangements. A muscular and brooding wall of sound. We’ve entered an entirely new realm. A superlunary exploration. A towering feat. A quantum encounter. It’s truly majestic. The audience are trapped – trapped within the fierce clutch of Olsen’s emboldened tenacity.

Strings screech and momentous drums build on ‘Impasse’, as Olsen is engulfed in a rich and luscious sense of eeriness. She imposes her thundering self. An aflame meteor crashing its way through jet-black space. Then, as Olsen’s roaring majesty reaches its climax, we catch a glimpse of her other side. Her venomous sparks of fury are dialled down. Instead, cherry-picked ballads charm the audience into moments of poignant reflection and unspoilt calm. Olsen has transformed from purveyor of elegant doom to earnest and jokingly-sweet songwriter. With a wry smile, she begins to play ‘Acrobat’, a gentle folk number that glistens as SWX falls daintily quiet. Goosebumps crawl their way up skin as thoughts, feelings and apprehensions are lost amongst Olsen’s potent flurry of emotional release. She seems happy, warm and content. Whether catapulted into an alternate stratosphere or neatly bound by shimmering catharsis, Olsen is a spellbinding performer. She’s immaculate at every turn, at every smile and at every roaring crescendo. A headline performance by an artist at her peak. Find full reviews and more at: bristolinstereo.com 57

Thoughts ... by Katie Thomas

In Spite of Laptop Speakers Last month, Shawn Reynaldo used his newsletter, First Floor to ask: are journalists consuming electronic music incorrectly? He admitted that sometimes he listens to music, especially promos, on his laptop speakers. Techno Twitter was up in arms. How dare journalists (who have, one tweet read, “only one job”), be so dismissive as to listen on tinny laptop speakers? Don’t we realise that electronic music is too detailed and too low end-focused to appreciate in this way? Are we all really that lazy? No, is the straight answer. Let me level with you, sometimes I listen to promos on my tinny laptop speakers. Sometimes, god forbid, I even listen to promos through the one-eared headset that I have at my desk. The desk at the part time job I slave away at so that I can, you know, sustain myself as a journalist. In defence of every journalist that dares to admit such an irresponsible way of listening, I pose the idea that, like DJs and producers, we too have a pretty fine-tuned ear. We know what we like and we can tell pretty quickly (even through laptop speakers!) if this is a track we’re going to dedicate more time to. 58

If I want to spend more time with a release, and if I’m going to cover it in some way, then you can rest assured I’ll use my best headphones to appreciate the intricacies in the track as best I can. And yes of course it would be better to experience dance music in the space and atmosphere it was built for (i.e.,a club). But I’m sure I’m not alone in this when I say, I can figure it out. I’ve had enough formative, transcendental even, experiences in the club in my time. I can listen to your new EP at home and imagine how it would feel to hear it on a dance floor, on a proper system, with the energy just right. Lest anyone forget, please, we all live and breathe music in the same way. We’re all in this for the same reason – because we fucking love it. Katie Thomas is Festival/Clubs Editor for London in Stereo, as well as a regular contributor in both Berlin and Bristol.

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19th / STANLÆY Bristol based musician, artist, composer STANLÆY is the brain child of Bethany Stenning. Expect elemental cyborgs, mountains, bi-polar folk songs and love alongside a fantastic ensemble featuring some of Bristol’s finest music-makers. 26th / Beat Tape ft. guest MC An evening where grooves are cut into shreds and pieced back together to make a live-beat tape. Featuring the vocal talents of a guest MC. This is not one to be missed.

in Bristol with Harriet Elder Dogeyed

When did you move to Bristol? I’m a South West native, but I moved here back in 2016 after living in Australia for a number of years. Who is your top Bristol artist at the moment? Hmm... so many to pick from! I’m biased because I love them as a person and play in a band with them, but Tim’s (Dogeyed bassist) new solo project, Immy is so beautiful. Melancholic, gentle folk music. Tell us your go-to places to eat and drink. Hari Krishnan’s Kitchen on Zetland Road. Downtown Taqueria for vegan tacos. Coffee and cake at Exchange’s caf. I don’t drink, but I rate The Duke of York in St. Werburghs for its foosball table and jalapeño pretzel bites. What’s the best way to spend one really good day here? On a hot day, pack snacks and ride over the bridge to Abbots Leigh for a dip in the pool. On a cold day, a ride around the harbour, eat food, go watch a movie at the Watershed. Pretty much things that involve cycling and eating. What’s your favourite thing about the city? Incredibly warm and open people. Proximity to nature. And your least favourite? Little visible or meaningful attention from the local council and central government to address homelessness and poverty. Unreasonable rent. Lack of legitimate affordable housing. Erosion of culture with the outpricing of creative spaces like Hydra Books and Two’s Company Studios. Dysfunctional bike paths. I could go on – there’s a lot we should be angry about.

Any top venues? Exchange will forever have my heart. What’s your view of the current Bristol music scene? We’ve been asked a lot recently about the thriving music scene in Bristol and how many Bristol bands are gaining notability. This doesn’t happen by accident. In Bristol, we are lucky to have amazing independent labels, venues, magazines/papers, record stores, promoters and most importantly, there’s a shit tonne of people that attend gigs and buy music. There is a whole infrastructure of hard working people that love and support this scene and that’s why it’s thriving – long may it continue. Dogeyed’s new single, ‘Kalimotxo’ came out on February 25th via Specialist Subject Records. They play The Crofters Rights with Rebecka Reinhard on March 6th. 61

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