Sep. 18 | 80
BRISTOL LIVE LIVE & NEW MUSIC MAGAZINE
TELEMAN H A L F WA I F
PETROL GIRLS
NEW RELEASES
NEW ACTS, LIVE LISTINGS & MORE 1
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Tue 14th Aug
Tue 16th Oct
Mon 3rd Dec
An Orchestral Rendition of Daft Punk
John Butler Trio
Miles Kane
Wed 17th Oct
Wed 5th Dec
Toots and the Maytals
Young Fathers
Fri 19th Oct
Fri 7th Dec
Thur 25th Oct
ft. Flogging Molly, Face To Face, Lost In Stereo
Mon 20th Aug
Skid Row Thur 23rd Aug
Beres Hammond & Sanchez Mon 27th Aug
The Used Fri 31st Aug
Texas + Imelda May
Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour Darius Rucker Fri 26th Oct
Sigala
Sat 27th Oct
Sun 2nd Sep
Flatbush Zombies
Oh Sees
Tue 30th Oct
Fri 7th Sep
Guns 2 Roses Fri 14th Sep
Xavier Rudd Wed 19th Sep •10pm
Dazed Bristol Bass Carnival Thur 20th Sep
The Notorious B.I.G. - An Orchestral Rendition of Ready To Die Fri 21st Sep
The Smyths Sun 23rd Sep
Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory Sat 29th Sep • SOLD OUT
Halestorm Mon 1st Oct
The Magic Gang Tue 2nd Oct
The Feeling Thur 1st Nov
State Champs Fri 2nd Nov • 6.30pm
Bugzy Malone Sun 4th Nov • SOLD OUT
Tue 18th Dec
Clutch Wed 19th Dec
Bjorn Again
Wed 30th Jan 2019
Death Cab for Cutie Fri 8th Feb 2019 • 6.30pm
The Decemberists
Fun Lovin’ Criminals
Fri 9th Nov
Sat 9th Feb 2019
Sat 10th Nov
Sun 10th Feb 2019
MC50
Killing Joke
Enter Shikari
Gorgon City Live The Dead South
Sun 11th Nov
Blackberry Smoke Tue 13th Nov
Rat Boy Jessie J
Fri 16th Nov • 6.30pm Sat 17th Nov • SOLD OUT Sun 18th Nov
The Cat Empire Thur 29th Nov
Fri 12th Oct • SOLD OUT
Fri 30th Nov
Sun 14th Oct • SOLD OUT
Sat 1st Dec
Tom Grennan
The London African Gospel Choir Present Graceland
Thur 8th Nov
Sat 6th Oct • 10pm
Daughtry
Sat 15th Dec
Leon Bridges
Kurupt FM
Jungle Mania
Blossoms
Fri 18th Jan 2019 • 6.30pm
Wed 3rd Oct
Jorja Smith
Wed 12th Dec • SOLD OUT
Mon 5th Nov • SOLD OUT
Wed 14th Nov
Fri 5th Oct • SOLD OUT
Mabel
Less Than Jake & Reel Big Fish
Glenn Hughes performs classic Deep Purple “Live” Pale Waves
Mon 10th Dec
Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape Cast
Heaven 17
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Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm
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August • 2018
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ALBERT HAMMOND JR
31| 10 | 18
WILL HAVEN - THE TUNNELS -
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06| 11 | 18
18| 09 | 18
LOST HORIZONS - THE FLEECE -
FIRST AID KIT - MOTORPOINT ARENA, CARDIFF -
12| 11 | 18
01| 10 | 18
DECLAN WELSH AND THE DECADENT WEST - HY-BRASIL -
GRUFF RHYS - SWX OLD
OLD
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THE CAT EMPIRE - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -
16| 10 | 18
JOHN BUTLER TRIO - O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -
18| 11 | 18
SEASICK STEVE
SOLD
- MOTORPOINT ARENA, CARDIFF -
IDLES
01| 12 | 18
UT| 18 16|O10
MY BABY
- SWX -
16| 10 | 18
- THE FLEECE -
GLASVEGAS
- THE GLOBE, CARDIFF -
19| 10 | 18
04| 12 | 18
BUFFALO TOM - THE FLEECE -
ASH
30| 01 | 19
- SWX -
26| 10 | 18
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
- SWX -
- O2 ACADEMY BRISTOL -
BAD SOUNDS
A L L T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M
SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM
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LIVE INSTORE EVENTS CAFÉ / BAR OPEN BEFORE ALL EVENTS
@ROUGHTRADE
1ST SEPTEMBER
What The Puck - Drink & Draw
FREE ENTRY | DOORS 7.00PM
2ND SEPTEMBER
Spring King Live + Signing
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 5.00PM
6TH SEPTEMBER
Prettiest Eyes
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.30PM
7TH SEPTEMBER
Electronic Open Mic Night
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7.00PM
8TH SEPTEMBER
Telemen Live + Signing
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 6.30PM
9TH SEPTEMBER
Haiku Salut Live + Signing
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 5.00PM
10TH SEPTEMBER Princess Chelsea
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
14TH SEPTEMBER
Dignan Porch + Support
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
18TH SEPTEMBER
Rocket Recordings - Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs + Anthroprophh
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:00PM
20TH SEPTEMBER Flowdan, YGG, Spooky
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
22ND SEPTEMBER
Paris Monster - The White Feather Collective
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
23RD SEPTEMBER Jimothy Lacoste
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
28TH SEPTEMBER The Sea At The End Of Her String
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 7:30PM
30TH SEPTEMBER Joy Formidable
TICKETS AVAILABLE | DOORS 6:30PM
VISIT ROUGHTRADE.COM FOR FULL EVENTS CALENDAR ROUGH TRADE BRISTOL 3 NEW BRIDEWELL, NELSON STREET, BS1 2QD (OPPOSITE THE LANES)
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The last issue of BLM as you know it. Starting next month, we’ll be teaming up with some of our closest friends to create something bigger and better for Bristol. More cutting edge acts, additional features, a fresh design – even a new name. But don’t worry, we’ll still have all your favourites. This issue, stalwarts Teleman grace our cover ahead of their album and two (two) Bristol dates this month. They talk bringing aliens together and not throttling each other in the process. Elsewhere, the amazingly underrated Half Waif teaches us how to produce a dark and brooding electronic album amid a scenic and wooded Upstate New York. The Bristol-born – yet now rather international – Petrol Girls also chat to us about their Virginia Woolf-indebted adventures in unpacking sexism. Also: Exchange is officially for sale – to you. Matt Otridge tells us about how gig-goers like us can make it our city’s first ever communityowned venue. What a fantastically Bristolian idea. Loki Lillistone Editor-in-Chief Sales: loki@bristollivemagazine.com Ed-in-Chief Loki Lillistone / New Music Ed Christian Northwood / Live Ed Jon Kean / Release Ed Lor Nov / News Ed Ross Jones
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GUEST PICKS:
12 14 18
W H AT ’ S N E W ?
24 26 30
EXCHANGE FOR SALE
39 41 42 43 62
GOD IS IN THE TV ZINE
H A L F WA I F COVER:
TELEMAN
PETROL GIRLS NEW RELEASES BRISTOL BECAUSE:
CAFÉ KINO DEAR DICK I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T:
DEERHOOF LIVE LISTINGS THOUGHTS:
MUSIC X BEER 5
book 0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org
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Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across the city Tue 4 Sep
Mon 1 Oct
Wed 17 Oct
Joshua Hedley
Tank and the Bangas
Fiddlers
The Crofters Rights Sat 8 Sep
SWX
Tony Allen X Amp Fiddler
Tue 2 Oct
Fiddlers
Rough Trade
Mon 10 Sep
Thu 11 Oct
Jurassic Park in Concert
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Bristol Hippodrome
Fiddlers
Sun 23 Sep
Sat 13 Oct
José González & The String Theory
The Station
O2 Academy Bristol Thu 27 Sep
Ólafur Arnalds Bath Forum Sat 29 Sep
Virginia Wing
Martin Simpson Mon 15 Oct
Barney Artist Rough Trade Bristol Tue 16 Oct
Patawawa
Daniel Brandt & Eternal Something
Hy-Brasil Music Club
The Exchange
Sun 30 Sep
Tue 16 Oct
Skinny Pelembe
Chatham County Line
Exchange
Fiddlers 6
Baloji Sat 20 Oct
Chris Ramsey Anson Rooms Wed 24 Oct
Sophie Hunger Exchange Wed 24 Oct
Lisa O’Neill The Crofters Rights Wed 24 Oct
Tunng Fiddlers Sun 28 Oct
Mutual Benefit Exchange Mon 29 Oct
Mt. Joy The Louisiana Thu 8 Nov
Georgia Anne Muldrow Fiddlers
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Guest Picks
What our pals are into this month.
with:
This month:
Mitski Trinity, 25th Returning to Bristol, hot on the heels of the New York artist’s fantastic new album, Be The Cowboy, proves that Mitski’s 2016 sleeper hit Puberty 2 was no fluke. Her singular voice grapples with existential themes amidst an ever-shifting musical palette. If the powerful lead track, ‘Geyser’ is an explosion of raw emotion, then the suave, Saint Etienne-style disco-pop of ‘Nobody’ is wondrous. Tweeting her plans 8
Bill Cummings, Editor
for her upcoming tour, she said: “I think of the live show as an integral part of Be The Cowboy, and for its tour, I’m working on movement with dancer friend Monica Mirabile, to try and create a space where people can forget the world outside for a while. I hope you can come be in it with me.” Mitski is a spellbinding performer with an arsenal of evocative material and some intriguing choreography to help you forget your troubles for the evening. This show will be one not to miss.
Oh Sees O2 Academy, 2nd “The best band in the world!” according to 6 Music’s Marc Riley, this prolific San Francisco collective just put out their heaviest collection yet, the second under their shortened moniker. Their fast-paced, muscular percussion propelled by two drummers, frenetic riffs and insurgent vocals are the stuff of legend. Take ‘The Dream’ – a visceral tangle of percussive explosions and psych riffs leaping down rabbit holes, it hints at prog rock. With a varied catalogue to select from, Oh Sees are sure to ignite a raucous party at the O2.
Princess Chelsea Rough Trade, 10th Known for her 2011 viral hit, ‘The Cigarette Duet’, New Zealand odd-pop artist, Chelsea Nikkel returns to the UK in support of her fourth album, The Loneliest Girl. Princess Chelsea is a fiercely independent artist who takes a sideways look at the world, with a sound that exists somewhere between Lana Del Rey and Amanda Palmer. Recent single, ‘I Love My Boyfriend’, possesses subtle analogue synths and bittersweet vocals that unfurl into a garage-pop song, underscored by delicious irony and heartbreak, residing somewhere between 60s girl groups and Black Box Recorder. Nikkel is an offbeat delight. God Is In The TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by Bill Cummings in 2003.
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YOUR
MUSIC CAREER STARTS HERE
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA
GUITAR • BASS • DRUMS • VOCALS • SONGWRITING
FULLY FUNDED TWO-YEAR FURTHER EDUCATION DIPLOMA COURSES FOR 16-18 YEAR OLDS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES UNRIVALLED CONNECTIONS TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY EUROPE’S MOST CONNECTED MUSIC COLLEGE
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BIMM.CO.UK/BRISTOL
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What’s New?
Fresh tales from the BLM radar with:
Christian Northwood New Music Editor
No Violet If you’ve seen Bristol’s No Violet, there’s little chance of you forgetting it. The four-piece have a knack for dredging up dark sounds and squashing them together into razorsharp hooks; an infusion of grunge and math, with tar-thick guitars clashing with head-spinning changes of pace. There are even flashes of psychedelia woven in, with chiming guitars and woozy melodies. All this is somehow commanded by the incendiary vocals of Ellie 12
Godwin and it’s this voice that grabs you on first listen. Like Dilly Dally’s Katie Monks, Godwin’s vocals seem constantly pushed to the edge, a serrated snarl that can cut through the band’s heaviest moments, before being reined back in a split second. Their debut EP, Faces – released via Leisure Records – is a record of intricacies behind a wall of sludgy riffs. Closer, ‘She Goes Her Own Way’ encapsulates things perfectly. Dreamy guitar lines shimmer whilst Godwin’s delicate vocal sways from side to side, before it all ramps into tight grooves and cacophonous noise, battling throughout against Godwin’s yell. One of the most enthralling bands in Bristol right now. Be My Friend
noviolet.bandcamp.com
Exam Season Ringwood’s only indie-emo four-piece, Exam Season are here and ready to pull on your heartstrings. Conceived a few years ago in singer and guitarist Ed Watson’s bedroom, the project’s debut EP Mostly Homely served as a twinkling collection of yearnful songs. New EP, smol came out last month and expanded on their wistfulness and nostalgia, delivering a slew of angst-ridden pieces on growing up. Yazoo-ode and lead single, ‘Strawberry Milkshake’ perfectly captures the frustrations of youth, flaunting a rare Los Campesinos-like ability to turn the mundane into something significant. Whatever aches you have, Exam Season are here to make them all better.
Strawberry Milkshake
Honey Moon are crooning their way to the top. The Londoners have returned after a two-year gap and immediately delivered up one of the best singles of the year in ‘(Why Do You Think You’re So) Special’. It’s an absolute treat: a piece of retro-soul that emanates warmth from its lolloping bassline and falsetto vocals, rounded off perfectly by horns.
examseason.bandcamp.com
Honey Moon
The band take old pop sounds and warp them into something fully of the present, like Dexy’s Midnight Runners did at their best. That’s right, I went there. (WDYTYS) Special
honeymoonuk.bandcamp.com
Get more new music from Christian every Monday via Tracks of the Week at bristollivemagazine.com 13
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unflowers and nature are not two things you immediately think of when listening to Half Waif – aka Nandi Rose Plunkett’s – latest album, Lavender. Its glitching, nocturnal take on synth-pop can be both jarring and comforting, but its often icy stabs are more likely to conjure images of cold city streets than wholesome mornings, reading and drinking coffee in rural Upstate New York. But surprisingly, this is what Plunkett’s morning is looking like before I interrupt with a phone call. Even more surprisingly, this is exactly how Plunkett laid down her breathtaking third album.
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So, it was in a house by a pond, far removed from the bustle of the city, that Plunkett and her collaborators, Adan Carlo and Zack Levine, recorded Lavender in May of last year. Most of the material had been written while on tour with her other band, Pinegrove and the recording location, she says, could not have been more different from where the songs were first conceived, “in a cramped van in the cold.” “Being surrounded by so many plants and animals created a really good headspace to work,” reflects Plunkett. The detachment from the situation in which the songs were originally written also allowed Plunkett to be more “holistic” when creating the album,
HALF WAIF Christian No r t hw o o d
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“[Lavender] showed me a new way of approaching creating.”
which led to it being “probably the most conceptual” body of work Plunkett feels that she has created. “Being in this peaceful space made making Lavender very fun,” she says of the recording. “It was the most fun I’ve ever had working on an album and I think it also showed me a new way of approaching creating.” In spite of this, Lavender aims to “face the darkness,” and is a vessel that allows Half Waif to tell her stories, which often feel fraught, anxious and with an undercurrent of melancholy. “We all have things about ourselves that we don’t like, in the way we interact with others and the world,” she says. “I think getting to talk about that and explore that side of myself in the songs is
a way for me to kind of expel it and pack it away in a safe space.” The experimental, pulsating production throughout her work has always thrilled, but on Lavender, one of the tracks that stands out most is ‘Back in Brooklyn’, a piece centred around just her voice and a piano. “It’s really hard and scary for me to have just a piano song,” she admits. “It seems like a personal boundary that I’ve set for myself that I don’t like.” But by challenging herself, Plunkett has created a truly arresting song – a new delicate voice and emotive piano playing bringing to life her pain of feeling a stranger in a place she once called home. Plunkett’s drive to constantly evolve and challenge is at the heart of Half Waif, but on Lavender, Plunkett feels that in some ways, the project has come full circle: “I feel like I’m entering this new phase of the project, which involves moving up to the country and revisiting the self I was when I started this and honouring the progress... Continuing to create without a lot of self-criticism. I’m feeling in a kind space right now, I guess you could say.” “We start as these big blocks of clay and then whatever scenario you’re in, you start to take shape a bit more, based on how you react to that situation or that new experience, and I think that’s coming across in the music with each new release,” Plunkett reflects, as our conversation draws to a close. “But I feel like I’m still chipping away – and will be for the rest of my life.” Half Waif plays the Crofters Rights on 27th September, with her third album, Lavender out now via Cascine.
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Tickets available at w w w.bristolcraf tbeer fe stival.co.uk 17
TELEMAN
“We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ve kind of become this weird family.” 18
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ife in Teleman is noisy. When I speak to Tom Sanders, vocalist and guitarist in the Hackneybased indie-pop quartet, the sound of circular saws and street noise wipe out his considered answers, and a number of other people vying for his attention punctuate the call. He has managed to escape to a stairwell between one appointment and the photoshoot for this very issue, and it sounds like the day is taking its toll. It’s a busy time to be the frontman of Teleman, with their third album, Family Of Aliens, hitting terra firma on 7th September. “This will be the last album to ever have been recorded at Skull & Bone Studios in Hackney,” Tom says. “They’re turning the area into flats. It’s difficult for a business like that to compete with the profitability of going residential. It’s a shame, but studios and venues are all going that way in London, and it’s changing the way bands in the city have to operate. It’s tough.” Any jaded feelings are understandable. While Teleman have been together since 2012, the musical history of its members stretches back almost 15 years, including time as the now-defunct Pete and the Pirates for three of Teleman’s roster. “I didn’t realise it at first, until I had to write out all the lyrics for the new album, but how I feel about our relationship as a band found its way into a lot of the songs,” Tom says. “We’ve been through a lot
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together, and we’ve kind of become this weird family. We’ve all worked our way through our own hard stuff in the past, and until recently I don’t think we handled the stresses of being in a band in the right way. But at the very least, we’ve all learned that it’s good not to be a cunt to one another.” While Tom says he’d be unable to pinpoint any conscious influence on the sound of Family Of Aliens, which leans more than ever into their electronic tendencies, feelings of otherness and alienation became a persistent thread. “Disconnect in our lives is something which made its way into the album, for sure. It’s hard not to think about life – life on earth, the feeling of being alive, and the strangeness of it all. It’s easy to feel like an alien, like you don’t belong, and you’re apart from everyone else. When I write, I want to move people in any way I can, whether that be a literal and physical response, or emotionally, and I think that feeling of alienation is something a lot of people can relate to.” Fans of Teleman would argue that their tackling of existential themes like these, coupled with a keen ear for a hook, is what makes their sound distinctive, and while Tom seems content to have stumbled across meaning in the music postprocess, he insists the ultimate goal is to have fun. “Music should cause
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“We don’t know what it is about Bristol crowds but we always get an incredible reaction. There’s just a palpable energy.” a reaction, and when we started writing Family Of Aliens I wanted to make sure there was fun and a strong melodic heart to it.” Like the melody which wraps Teleman’s lyrical core, Tom looks for the positive veneer in everything we talk about, while remaining doggedly aware of the reality. “Touring used to be all about getting fucked up, to be honest. We’d feel as if we had failed if we didn’t drink all of the booze that was given to us. But you do a week of that – of being drunk or hungover, night after night – and you begin to hate each other,” he says, referring to the tour which followed the release of their previous LP, Brilliant Sanity. “Since then I feel like we’ve learned how to do everything better: the touring, our music, and all the other stuff which comes with being in a band.” Teleman hit the road in support of their third album this month, taking in two Bristol dates along the way. “We don’t know what it is about Bristol crowds but we always get an incredible reaction. 20
There’s just a palpable energy. I can’t explain it; it’s just such an intense response.” With the rock ‘n’ roll excess of previous touring cycles behind them, Tom is throwing himself into preparations for their upcoming stint. “Touring now is all about making sure the show is watertight, meeting new people and travelling to new places. Right now we are concentrating on just being as solid as we can,” he says. “The setlist on a tour like this is make-or-break sometimes, as you want to get the balance right between airing the new stuff and making sure everybody gets to hear the songs they want to. The next few weeks are just practising up and making sure we deliver everything we can.” Teleman headline Thekla on 27th Sep, with an in-store at Rough Trade on the 8th. Family of Aliens is out on the 7th via Moshi Moshi.
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Nordic Music Presents
MAJOR PARKINSON E
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Bristol Exchange Thursday Sep 27th
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Tickets: Bristol Ticket Shop/Exchange
A Goldenvoice and Eat Your Own Ears presentation by arrangement with ITB
+ Special Guests
Thursday 22nd November
SWX BRISTOL tickets: hellohonne.com dice.fm 23
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Jo n Ke a n L o r No v
‘It’s a freezing cold night in February. Two intense men from Nottingham play to 60 local music freaks, punks and dedicated gig-goers. Four months later they are playing to 150. Move on six months and they could play to 2000 people, but they still play the Exchange to a sold-out audience... Sleaford Mods are what Exchange is all about.’ - Fat Paul, Exchange co-director. 24
Exchange has become the first Bristol venue seeking to become a Community Benefit Society, looking to raise £250,000 to go into shared ownership, not only preserving a Bristolian gem now, but also pursuing a bright future in a way that’s helmed by the people. I spoke to Exchange co-director, Matt Otridge, about their bold plans. As a lifelong lover of live music, I needed no convincing of the need to keep Exchange alive. Having been fairly skint most of my life, it was probably my purse strings that needed pulling on, not my heartstrings. Suffice to say that after a good half hour, he had me sold too. When he quoted Fat Paul’s words (left), the sense of musical legacy was already evident. Thereafter, the importance of their plans boiled down into several categories.
“Venues used to be thought of as more of a nuisance… Over time, people have come to realise that they have a cultural benefit and therefore a community benefit.” Community benefit: “Venues used to be thought of as more of a nuisance, in the same sort of perception as city-centre superclubs. Over time, people have come to realise that they have a cultural benefit and therefore a community benefit.” You’ll know Exchange has a shit-hot café and record shop, but you may not know that it’s a rehearsal space during weekdays, and a venue for punk rock yoga or BIMM exams. An LGBTQ+ documentary was even shot in there. Matt added, “Bristol’s a city that suits the idea of a community benefit – everyone can buy a share, everyone can have a vote – all very democratic.” Levelling the playing field: Here, I had to pick my jaw off the carpet: “In Europe, the average venue has 42% of turnover as a subsidy from the government, or from their version of the Arts Council. In the
UK, only 0.7% of music venues received any subsidy at all from the Arts Council in 2017.” If dusty bureaucrats are ploughing the available funds into such vibrant modern artistic movements as… opera, then it falls on us to act. Succession: After twelve years of service, heart and soul, Matt clearly sees Exchange as a second home, and colleagues as extended family. With that ‘parental’ eye, he wishes for his protégé to thrive long after his involvement: “Small live venues are so important to the overall infrastructure of the British music industry. We’re making changes for the next generation, so that when my daughter grows up, she can go to Exchange, even buy a share herself. Any shareholder has the potential to become a future director.” Innovation: They have big plans: a bar that is open to the community each night; investment in light and sound aspects to ensure that bands and listeners get the best output possible; improved accessibility and green solutions throughout. Similarly, shareholders’ voices will bring healthy new ideas: “The next generation will inevitably keep us relevant and radical, so that we can diversify even more. Old Market continues to change. The easiest thing in the world would be for us to go out and find someone else to take out a lease on the building, probably paying significantly more than the Community Benefit Society would pay, but that’s not where we’re at. We want an up-and-coming venue in an up-and-coming area.” This feels like genuine progress without creating exclusivity – grassroots growth, not flowery gentrification. Save The Exchange. This is not a rehearsal.
It all goes live on 4th Sep, with a free launch show at Exchange. Pledge at: exchangebristol.com 25
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Kezia Cochrane
PETROL GIRLS “When we come and gather together physically, we relate to each other like human beings.” 26
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I think community is really at the heart of what we need to do politically, to resist things like this hostile environment and the alarming rise of the far right,” Ren Aldridge, singer of Petrol Girls, expresses ardently. This sense of community is undeniably at the core of the band’s existence. “The punk community is where I started to learn about community and how important that is,” Ren explains. “I think the fact that we gather physically in these gig spaces is so important. When so much communication nowadays happens over the Internet, we don’t relate to each other empathetically, whereas when we come and gather together physically, we relate to each other like human beings. I think that’s just such an important point of resistance.” Talking of Petrol Girls’ beginnings Ren explains, “I used to run International Women’s Day house shows where we’d get bands with women in to play. I think it was for the second or third of those, my acoustic band couldn’t play and I really wanted to play it. I also really wanted to start a heavy band.” So she and some friends pulled something together: “It was literally me, Liepa and my friend May. Liepa had never played bass before, [I was] playing an acoustic guitar. It was pretty crap, but that’s how we started,” she emphasises. “We wanted to do it – so we did it. You have to start somewhere and I think women get a lot of shit. If your band’s a bit rubbish it’s because of your gender and guys don’t really get the same shit,” she articulates pertinently. “Every band sucks when it starts. It’s really important to point it out, so people aren’t put off starting.”
Having grown up on the outskirts of Bristol, Ren shares how instrumental the music scene was for her and Joe, the guitarist. “I remember first seeing bands like The Skints and Dirty Revolution [at The Croft]. That whole scene was really important for me and Joe,” Ren recalls. Meeting the other two – bassist Liepa and drummer Zock – in London where the band began, they’re now spread between Glasgow and Austria. “I think there’ve only ever been about six months where we’ve all lived in the same country in the whole five years of the band,” Ren laughs. “In terms of writing, it’s quite interesting” she explains, “we’re gonna record our next record at the end of the year. We’ve got six weeks in the studio, which is ages and really exciting. But the way we’re writing now is a little bit different to before, because I’m writing vocals from a distance and they’re doing the music stuff together.” Their new EP, The Future is Dark, draws inspiration from Rebecca Solnit’s essay ‘Woolf’s Darkness’. Explaining how this influenced their songwriting, Ren outlines, “[Solnit talks] about, in a really wide political way, how the future is dark, the future is uncertain and that should give us hope because we don’t know what is gonna happen next. She talks about not being paralysed by the certainty of blind optimism or total bitter cynicism or despair but having hope in the dark.” Describing further Ren explains, “this whole idea about the future being dark makes me think how it’s only at night that you can see the stars in the same way; that it’s only when things are looking really uncertain that you can see so many possibilities. We used that imagery for the EP artwork, too. The future is uncertain, it is dark, but there are so many possibilities of things that can happen.” Mothers Ruin, 14th Sep, with the EP out the same day.
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The Gallimaufry
Snazzback Afro-funk & psych-jazz
6 Sept ~ Snazzback - Full Band Show
Fresh ideas generally have a unique energy which can be lost through the formation of songs, so Snazzback are embracing the raw, rough, untidy, cuts with a night of experimental new tunes and improvised music.
20 Sept ~ Snazzback’s Global Groove Experiment: Brazil
Snazzback’s next installment in their Global Groove Experiment takes them to Brazil. Channelling the spirit of the Carnival they will seek to synthesise the rich and unique Brazilian style with their own. Expect interpretations of Sergio Mendez, Seu Jorge and Antonio Carlos Jobim amongst others.
thegallimaufry.co.uk 28
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ONE DRINK PER PERSON – MUST DISPLAY VALID ID.
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New Releases
Records cut, pressed & out this month.
Villagers The Art of Pretending to Swim Domino | 21.09
The striving, pining ‘Sweet Saviour’, is both The Art of Pretending to Swim’s most immediate moment and its closest brush with the minimalist, Conor O’Brien-and-guitar intimacy that marked 2015’s Darling Arithmetic. With O’Brien having adopted the role of both producer and troubadour on this record, it offers Villagers’ most expansive sound to date, from the wheezing electronics that 30
underpin opening track ‘Again’, to the debonair break into horns of ‘Love Came With All That It Brings’. ‘Hold Me Down’ almost dissolves before burgeoning into a full-hearted – but never bombastic – string section. Yet this fourth LP is by no means a total departure from Villagers’ previous work. There are still lashings of deft poeticism in the lyrics, such as ‘Fool’s “The future has been written / But the pen ran out of ink / And the dopamine is dripping / Back into the kitchen sink.” Indeed, a delight on any Villagers record is O’Brien’s diaphanous voice – the chorus and mid-section of first single, ‘Trick of the Light’, is as good a showcase of this as any. Alexia Kirov
DILLY DALLY HEAVEN Partisan | 14.09
Following the success of Bud Light’s adverts featuring it, the phrase ‘dilly dilly’ has become a popular and extremely irritating component of group drinking. Fortunately, Dilly Dally’s new album Heaven doesn’t reflect this annoyance, however, with its razor-sharp riffs. It also doesn’t soundtrack the stereotypical perception of its ethereal titular location. Hailing from Ontario, the quartet’s sophomore effort is packed with much of the same bite as their acclaimed debut, Sore, with added sonic complexity. The explosive ‘I Feel Free’ demonstrates the impact of Katie Monks’ deliberately grizzled vocals, whilst ‘Believe’ exhibits a sombre side and ‘Sorry Ur Mad’ an acute lyrical precision. Truly heavenly, in its own way. Will Perkins
BEAK> >>> Invada/Temporary Residence | 21.09
Beak> have always strived for sonic ‘wrongness’ and on album three, they’ve done it so bloody well that no-one will want to be right again. What does >>> even mean? If it’s mathematical and ‘>’ means ‘greater than’ then this album’s definitely thrice greater than a lot of the aural landfill that clogs our ears. Maybe >>> represents the chevrons you get on hazardous bends, a warning that they’re going to take sharp stylistic turns and you’d better be ready. Perhaps, >>> could simply be directional, meaning ‘This way to something refreshingly unpredictable.’ You’ve got prog, krautrock and electronics, giving the whole thing a post-apocalyptic, Studio-54-meetsArea-51 feel. Le Beak>? C’est chic. Jon Kean
WAXAHATCHEE GREAT THUNDER Merge | 07.09
Starkly lingering and poignant, the affectinglypotent fragility of Katie Crutchfield’s vocal and acoustic compositions on Great Thunder instantly recall the sounds of her earlier releases. It makes sense then, that the tracks on this EP were written at a similar time to Ivy Tripp and Cerulean Salt, and originally for her more experimental output Great Thunder, in existence back then. Stripping back from the heavier rock sounds and immediacy of last year’s Out in the Storm, this hauntingly-beautiful collection of tracks harks back to Crutchfield’s folkier sonic roots and further consolidates her as an incredibly versatile artist with the capacity to convey such emotional vulnerability across a far-reaching sonic range. Kezia Cochrane 31
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THEKLA
LIVE LISTINGS
The Grove East Mud Dock Bristol BS1 4RB theklabristol.co.uk | thekla.club F L theklabristol | I X theklabris alttickets.com • gigantic.com • bristolticketshop.co.uk
TUESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
CHARLIE WORSHAM
THURSDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER
THURSDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER
AMEN DUNES+ CUT WORMS
TELEMAN
SOLD OUT
SATURDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER
FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER
DEFINITELY OASIS
LUNA
MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER
SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER
YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND SUNDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER
STRIKING MATCHES
OCTAVIAN
SOLD OUT
TUESDAY 2ND OCTOBER
ROSS FROM FRIENDS WEDNESDAY 3RD OCTOBER
DARWIN DEEZ
MONDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
IMARHAN
+ DYLAN CARTLIDGE
THURSDAY 4TH OCTOBER
TUESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER
SOCCER MOMMY + BROOKE BENTHAM
OKKERVIL RIVER FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER
THE BLACK QUEEN
THURSDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER
+ TENNIS SYSTEM + KANGA
MURS
SUNDAY 7TH OCTOBER
FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
THE REZILLOS
SPRING KING
+ DEPARTMENT S
SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER
ALBERT HAMMOND JR + YASSASSIN
MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER
CATHERINE MCGRATH FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER
BOSTON MANOR
+ MICROWAVE + DRUG CHURCH + WALLFLOWER MONDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER
THE NIGHT CAFE
+ CHAPPAQUA WRESTLING + PLAZA
HUNTER & THE BEAR TUESDAY 9TH OCTOBER
BOY AZOOGA
WEDNESDAY 10TH OCTOBER
POETS OF THE FALL FRIDAY 12TH OCTOBER
GWENNO
+ ADWAITH
SATURDAY 13TH OCTOBER
BLACK HONEY SUNDAY 14TH OCTOBER
STICK IN THE WHEEL MONDAY 15TH OCTOBER
BECKY HILL 33
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS CHRIS Because Music | 21.09
Chris is the sophomore album from Christine and the Queens; a multi-layered pop record that’s perhaps lyrically and contextually more interesting than the total sum of its parts. Héloïse Letissier’s experiences as a queer woman are vital and beautifully articulated here – worth the listen in itself – but the music grates against such bold, personal themes at
times. ‘Goya Soda’ and ‘Damn (what must a woman do)’ stand out as non-single highlights that strike the balance well: catchy, without dulling the important stuff. Notwithstanding relatively minor faults, Chris clearly marks a healthy evolution from 2014’s Chaleur Humaine, retaining Letissier’s considered, widely-appealing approach to songwriting, whilst boldly staking new ground. Harriet Taylor
FRÖST MATTERS Lost Room | 28.09
Brighton duo Fröst, otherwise known as Jujiya & Miyagi’s Steve Lewis and FrenchSwedish sound artist Johanna Bramli, have only been working together for two years, but they’ve wasted no time in proving themselves to be one of the most infectious and entrancing electronic acts to grace our ears in recent months. Throughout their debut, Fröst echo traces of early eighties alt-pop, blending haunting, bilingual vocal 34
efforts with a series of ambient, dreamlike synths and pulsating motorik beats. The repetitive melodies of ‘Record Still Spinning’ work alongside personifying lyrics to create a spellbinding embodiment of the track’s namesake, while ‘Black Mountain’ takes a seductive, electropop approach, somewhere between Portishead and London Grammar. Kelly Ronaldson
NO VIOLET FACES Leisure Records | 14.09
No shrinking violets, this Bristol quartet’s debut EP, Faces, takes no prisoners. If that’s not exciting enough, it’s out on translucent sea foam green 10” vinyl. Even more mouth-watering, the EP may come with a fistful of fuzz, but the sound is beautifully mixed, so that you hear all the component parts with pleasing clarity. ‘Be My Friend’ sits between needy fragility and latent aggression, such is the clouded nature of ‘friendship’ in the digital era. Rhys Graham’s guitar and Ellie Godwin’s vocals give you Pixies vs Babes In Toyland. On ‘Behaviour’, she sings, “I don’t wanna fall out. What you gonna do now?” Don’t vex Ellie. Buy this record. Jon Kean
TELEMAN FAMILY OF ALIENS Moshi Moshi | 07.09
Teleman have always had a penchant for crafting enticingly suave and idiosyncratic melodies. Family of Aliens, their third album, sees them take this to new realms, delivering otherworldly psychedelic oscillations and pulsating, swirling beats that envelop you in their kaleidoscopic sonic cosmos. Approaching the creation of this record with more collaborative fluidity and a greater exploration and incorporation of electronic sounds, there’s an undeniable evolution from previous releases whilst maintaining their distinctive pop sensibilities and astute lyricism. From the pensive, brooding tones of ‘Somebody’s Island’ to the infectiously buoyant rhythms of ‘Fun Destruction’, Family of Aliens exudes an overarching, glistening warmth that enfolds you within their perpetually-intriguing, vivacious creations. Kezia Cochrane
EXPLODED VIEW OBEY Sacred Bones | 28.09
Exploded View’s every action seems shrouded in mystery. Refusing to be defined to a genre, the multinational trio fall on the right side of intrigue with Obey, forging their own challenging yet accessible world, luring the listener into clinging on to their every note. Fronted by the enigmatic Annika Henderson, the group produced the record in Mexico City, inspired by their friendship and ambitions to test sonic boundaries. Lead single, ‘Sleepers’ provides a majestic shoegaze swirl, whilst opener, ‘Lullaby’, is a torturously affecting two-minute tone-establisher. However, it is ‘Letting Go of Childhood Dreams’ that most compellingly captures the album’s murky aura, exaggerated by Henderson’s hauntingly absent vocals. Will Perkins
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MOTHERS RENDER ANOTHER UGLY METHOD Witchita | 07.09
You’re on a boat, lost at sea. It’s getting dark and a hypnotic lightshow displays in the sky. That is what this record feels like: An accumulation of rumbling, psychedelic and dirge-y sounds, and an evolution from the folk-rock of their debut, toward a punchier and darker sonic experience. The elongated words and distorted vocals heard at points on the previous record
are augmented, made more stark and distressing by the absence of those lighthearted melodies and the angelic clarity of Leschper’s earlier singing. Musical development is to be exalted, but those who enjoyed the easy listening of Mothers’ first album will likely be disappointed with this down-tempo, experimental record. Eloise Davis
THE GOON SAX WE’RE NOT TALKING Witchita | 14.09
Mixing the influences of ‘80s indie jangle with heartfelt lyrics of teenage angst and love gone wrong, We’re Not Talking is the sophomore effort from Brisbane’s The Goon Sax. Album opener and lead single, ‘Make Time 4 Love’, with its immediate hooks and string section, feels like a nod towards singer-guitarist Louis Forster’s father’s 36
band The Go-Betweens. At first glance the album seems more polished than its predecessor, Up To Anything, but it also features the trio’s most stripped-back recordings, where emotional storytelling takes centre stage. With one of 2018’s best indie rock records, The Goon Sax deliver a welcome dose of hook-laden jangle-pop with plenty of heart. Tim Ellis
MARISSA NADLER FOR MY CRIMES Bella Union | 28.09
Perhaps her most refined album of heartbreak songs to date, For My Crimes strikes the listener directly from those first hauntingly-achy strings on its title track, wrapped up in the staunchly dark and impassioned pleas of a fictional scene on death row. “You can watch behind the glass,” Nadler’s persona submits with harrowing vulnerability, but “please don’t remember me for my crimes.” At turns bittersweet and romantic, yet potently depressing, Nadler strikes clear of contemporaries that otherwise wilt at the sight of such bold lyrical subject matter, yet is bolstered by some notable contributions here from Angel Olsen, Sharon van Etten and Kristin Kontrol to name but a few. Harriet Taylor
EMMA RUTH RUNDLE ON DARK HORSES Sargent House | 14.09
“Fear, a feeling, is it real?” This is the question that sparks Emma Ruth Rundle’s fourth solo outing with startling urgency. Certainly, the aspect of overcoming hardship lies in asking such questions, even without answer, which I believe marks Rundle’s intent throughout. Taking the album in its entirety, it’s akin to a healing process or profound meditation. At turns complimented by instrumentation that’s heavy and doomy, at others, surreal, dreamlike, or comforting. It’s the kind of album that begs the listener to give their time and go back for more, right down to the surprisingly cyclical nature of the album – it sounds great on repeat, even if by pure coincidence. Harriet Taylor
SHE MAKES WAR BRACE FOR IMPACT My Big Sister | 28.09
Just as Mary Berry is known as She Makes Cakes and Sarah Millican is known as She Makes Jokes, multiinstrumentalist Laura Kidd is She Makes War. Calling her fourth album Brace For Impact, She Makes Bold Claims. Fortunately She Makes Good on Her Promises. Brace For Impact was already its working title, conceived after breaking her foot, but then she found the self-same phrase scrawled on a venue toilet wall. Such scatological serendipity. The album has said impact through the songs’ diversity and her creation of curious and unexpected narratives. High points are ‘Hold On’ and ‘Fortify’, but you get twelve songs and no filler – can’t say that about very many albums. Jon Kean 37
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BRISTOL BECAUSE... City chat with our fave people.
Will Rugless and Adi G When did you first move to Bristol? Adi: As a fresh-faced language student over ten years ago. Didn’t end up doing my degree, but fell in love with Bristol.
What’s your favourite thing about the city?
Will: I came to Bristol four years ago after studying music technology in Kent. I moved here with a group of uni friends, ended up falling for my best one and now she works with me at Kino!
Adi: As half-Caribbean and half-English myself, for me it’s the multiplicity and richness of different cultures who manage to fit together better than anywhere else I’ve been.
Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment?
And your least favourite?
Adi: Hard to say because so many of them are friends of mine! Right at this moment, Bad Tracking are currently smashing it (and themselves) but sometimes all I want to do is curl into ball and listen to synthesizer/organ genius, Ocean Floor. Will: Most things Stolen Body tickle my fancy; it was great running a show with the Tara Clerkin Trio this summer.
What are your favourite eats around town? Adi: Still not bored of Kino burgers after four years of working here! Will: As a resident of St. Werbs, I’ll happily sit in Mina Park and munch down a wrap from Sonni’s any day of the week!
Will: Brand worshippers and bad dubstep. You know, toxic masculinity and that.
What are you most excited for with Kino at the moment? Adi: Things have been tough for us this year, but we have so many inventive and creative people who work here that it’s all hands on deck to build something even better. Better food, better shows, better Kino. There may even be a new burger in the works. Will - Yes! Hail Seitan! We’re also excited to be working towards curating more of our own shows. We held the first two ‘Kino Basement Sessions’ in June, so keep ya ears peeled for the third! [Read in full online]
Cafe Kino is a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative and vegan café. In their basement event space, they host a programme that includes music, life drawing, discussions, film screenings and comedy. 39
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Dear Dick The best bad advice for your musical problems...
Dear Dick, I feel like advertising is everywhere. I can’t get on the bus without some bloke selling me pants and unrealistic body ideals and now I’ve become more aware of product placement in films and music. What’s going on?!
Tom, Knowle Welcome to the meat market, my friend. You are a blank canvas made entirely of sponge. It doesn’t matter how woke you are, you’re still a slave to corporate greed, because nice things are nice, and it’s nice to have nice things. Noticing product placement in media doesn’t lessen its impact, instead it makes you realise just how stupid ‘The Man’ thinks you are, and considering you still say Hoover instead of vacuum cleaner, you’re pretty stupid indeed. Here are some ways the advertising cancer has spread to your culture nodes... Elvis - ‘Love Me Tender’: You could argue that Elvis was selling off black culture way before he got involved with product
placement, but did you know that this smash hit was actually subversive advertising on behalf of 50s meat lobbyists? ABBA - ‘Waterloo’: Palindromic pop princes and princesses, ABBA wanted to celebrate their native Sweden’s rebirth, as they switched from buckets and sawdust for their ablutions, ushering in the age of the WC. Waterloo was their ode to the commode, paid for with the government’s dirty money. Eric Clapton - ‘Cocaine’: God knows what he was trying to flog here; he was off his head most of the time.
Do you have a question? Email dick@bristollivemagazine.com 41
In Case You Missed It
Read tons more live reviews at: www.bristollivemagazine.com
Deeerhoof 6th August @ Thekla Words: Rosalind Grindrod | Photo: Jessica Bartolini At a sold-out show filled with haunting, psychedelic riffs and enigmatic frontwomanship, Deerhoof blessed Bristol with one of the most mesmerising gigs it could witness. Opening were the eccentric Evil Usses, whose set melded 8-bit rhythms with distorted guitarwork and chirpy, percussive melodies. Following was Quodega, who provided an impressive, organic sound, with heavy riffs underpinning softer melodies.
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The arrival of Deerhoof engulfed the venue in a giddy energy, before undertaking what would be a haunting and high-octane pop nightmare. Satomi Matsuzaki (bass, lead vocals) provided terrifying punctuation to each track with an energy that was truly infectious.
What’s most astonishing about Deerhoof is that, despite the aggressive, technicallyimpressive riffs, the band maintain your participation. Tonight, each member’s parts complimented and enriched the next, and despite choppy time signatures and the occasional aggressive descent into madness, it all comes together seamlessly. Being present at a Deerhoof gig is like eating bubblegum ice cream in a horror house. Each track is starkly different from the last and the dulcet vocals create a dissociation from the world beyond the venue. Deerhoof are one of the most bizarre and exciting bands to grace the indie scene, with a live experience that is simply unparalleled.
Full Listings The Bristol Fringe 32 Princess Victoria Street, BS8 4BZ Café Kino 108 Stokes Croft, BS1 3RU The Canteen 80 Stokes Croft, BS1 3QY
Marble Factory / Motion 74-78 Avon Street, BS2 0PX Mother’s Ruin 7-9 St. St Nicholas St, BS1 1UE Mr Wolf’s 32, St Nicholas St, BS1 1TG
The Crofters Rights 117-119 Stokes Croft, BS1 3PY
No. 1 Harbourside 1 Canon’s Rd, Bristol BS1 5UH
Exchange 72-73 Old Market, BS2 OEJ
O2 Academy 1-2 Frogmore Street, BS1 5NA
The Fleece 12 St. Thomas Sreet, BS1 6JJ
The Old Market Assembly 25 West Street, BS2 0DF
The Gallimaufry 26-28 The Promenade, BS7 8AL
Rough Trade Bristol 3 New Bridewell, BS1 2QD
The Golden Lion 244 Gloucester Rd, BS7 8NZ
SWX Bristol 15 Nelson Street, BS1 2JY
The Grain Barge Mardyke Warf, BS8 4RU The Gryphon 41 Colston Street, BS1 5AP Hy Brasil 7-9 Baldwin Street, BS1 1RU
St Philips Gate St Philips Rd, BS2 0JZ Thekla The Grove, BS1 4RB The Thunderbolt 124 Bath Road, BS4 3ED
The Kingsdown Vaults 31 Kingsdown Parade, BS6 5UE
Tobacco Factory Raleigh Road, BS3 1TF
The Lanes 22 Nelson Street, BS1 2LE
Trinity Centre Trinity Road, BS2 0NW
The Louisiana Wapping Road, BS1 6UA
And more... In print and online 43
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Live Listings... For Bristol’s best venues. Look even further ahead: bristollivemagazine.com
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Need more shows? Look even further ahead, plus tons more great Bristol music content at: bristollivemagazine.com
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New School vol.1 the free Bristol label download 2017-18
Get it at:ewschool om/n
bristollivemagzine.c
Behind Every Musician
ool Vol 1 - one half page ad.indd 1
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@WeAreTheMU
22/03/201
Rehearsal Listings... Dockside Studios Fully equipped in central Bristol. Free parking. No fixed booking times. Equipment hire and storage facilities. Open ‘til 11pm (Sat ‘til 7pm). mail@docksidestudios.co.uk • 0117 934 9994 Albion Dockside Estate, BS1 6UT
Factory Studios Where music is made! Eleven practice rooms, a recording studio and great discounts for student and regular bands. Book by phone or online. info@factorystudios.co.uk // 0117 952 5655 Unit 23, Maze Street, BS5 9TQ
Firebird Studios By musicians for musicians. Friendly, helpful staff, six affordable rooms, onsite parking. Food and drink available. Book by phone or online.
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info@firebirdstudios.co.uk • 0117 972 1830 21-23 Emery Rd, BS4 5PF
Maverick Studios Rehearsal and recording (audio & video). Large 30’ stage, dedicated sound-booth and control room available. All rooms with PA and drum kit. maverickstudiosbristol@gmail.com • 07833 691 741 Office Tower, Foundry Lane, BS5 7UZ
RS Studios Largest independent rehearsal and recording complex in the Southwest. 18 individual, custom designed & built sound-proof studios. rsstudios@hotmail.com • 0117 971 1495 47-57 Feeder Road, BS2 0SE
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Thoughts Music x Beer by
Dan Sylvester Bristol Craft Beer Festival
Music and beer have always been friends, sort of. To quote a pair of daft French philosophers: ‘Oh baby, it feels like the music sounds better with you.’ Some say it’s a one-sided relationship, though. A lot of one makes the other better, but not the other way around. No guesses for which one that is. But like many onesided relationships, there’s an imbalance to be addressed, and my experience has been no exception. I think beer kicked music out the house about seven years ago and ever since it’s been gingerly trying to come back. The bubbling craft beer scene acted like the stereotypical group of supportive friends that tell you, ‘you are too good for your other half. If they don’t appreciate you, then leave!’ The confidence in the product, its provenance and wonderful creators emboldened beer to tell music, ‘Hey, I don’t need you. We are good together, but I need space to be me.’ Thus, beer embarked on a journey of discovery, where it rebuilt itself to occupy prime position, not just for me personally, but for society, basking in a new relevance and cultural importance. The existential crisis currently in music – played out between the major labels, online streaming platforms, artists and audience – has created a disengagement. This isn’t anything special, though. Rewind to the start of the decade and there was a general malaise in the beer world, too. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) were chomping at the bit for change, but most people still couldn’t see past a pint of fizzy lager, as music festivals developed the pint-chucking traditions of a big gig. Indeed, people would rather see their beer drench the view-blocking girl on her boyfriend’s shoulders, than to drink that lukewarm rubbish. Thankfully, we’re now in a place where beer and music’s interests are finally aligned. Both are striving for individuality and creativity in a fast-paced, exciting climate, where the lines are firmly drawn between the ‘majors and independents’ of both worlds. Quality is everything. Individuality is key. There is no right or wrong. Let’s create and sample it together. 62
BCBF (14-16th Sep) rallies great music and great craft beer. Ticket includes beers, plus DJ sets from Alfresco Disco, Futureboogie, Fat Paul and more.
book 0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org
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Thu 27 Sep
Bath Forum, 8pm
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15/08/201
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