Live. Music. Culture September 2019
â„– 92 // Free
Vagabon
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Fri 6th Sep • 6.30pm
Sun 27th Oct
Sat 30th Nov
Sun 8th Sep • 6pm
Mon 28th Oct • SOLD OUT
Tue 3rd Dec • SOLD OUT
Tue 29th Oct • 6.30pm
Wed 4th Dec • SOLD OUT
Guns 2 Roses Jason & The Scorchers / Dan Baird & Homemade Sin / The Kentucky Headhunters Fri 13th Sep • 6.30pm
Pearl Jam UK Sat 14th Sep
MoStack The Cult
Refused + Thrice Fri 1st Nov • 6.30pm
The Smyths
Sat 2nd Nov • 10pm
Eskimo Dance
Bjorn Again Sigrid
Sam Fender
Thur 5th Dec • SOLD OUT
Aitch
Sat 7th Dec
Sun 3rd Nov
Aldous Harding
Fetty Wap
Mon 4th Nov
Dan Reed Network / Gun / FM
Sat 28th Sep • 5.30pm
Wed 6th Nov
Femi Kuti Wed 25th Sep
Volbeat
Opeth
AURORA Kodaline
Mon 9th Dec • 6pm Tue 10th Dec
Scouting for Girls Thur 12th Dec • 6pm
The Wonder Stuff
Tue 1st Oct
Thur 7th Nov • SOLD OUT
Wed 2nd Oct
Fri 8th Nov
Thur 3rd Oct • 10pm
Sat 9th Nov
Sun 6th Oct
Mon 11th Nov
Thur 10th Oct
Wed 13th Nov
Fri 11th Oct • 6.30pm
Thur 14th Nov
Sat 12th Oct • 10pm
Sat 16th Nov • 10pm
Mon 14th Oct
Sun 17th Nov
Tue 15th Oct • SOLD OUT
Mon 18th Nov
Thur 17th Oct • SOLD OUT
Tue 19th Nov • SOLD OUT
Sun 20th Oct
Wed 20th Nov
Mon 21st Oct
Fri 22nd Nov • 6.30pm
Tue 22nd Oct
Sat 23rd Nov
Wed 23rd Oct
Mon 25th Nov
Thur 24th Oct
Tue 26th Nov • SOLD OUT
Fri 18th Apr • 6pm
Fri 25th Oct • 6.30pm
Thur 28th Nov
Sat 13th Jun • 6.30pm
New Hope Club Richard Hawley Bruk Off
Hootie and The Blowfish Black Star Riders The Rasmus
Garage Nation The Divine Comedy Killswitch Engage Slowthai
Kate Tempest Hot Chip Gary Numan Heels Of Hell The Selecter Charles Esten
Rival Sons
Snarky Puppy Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana Periphery Ezra Furman Metronomy Festival Of The Dead The Amazons Mahalia
Yungblud
The Steve Hillage Band The Macc Lads Happy Mondays Airbourne Lewis Capaldi Electric Six
Fri 13th Dec
The Chats Sat 14th Dec
Motionless in White Sun 15th Dec
SLADE
Mon 16th Dec • SOLD OUT
The Libertines Wed 18th Dec
Shed Seven Fri 20th Dec • 6.30pm
Alabama 3
Mon 27th Jan 2020
Caravan Palace Tue 4th Feb 2020
The Interrupters Mon 24th Feb 2020
Beartooth
Tue 3rd Mar 2020
Testament
Fri 13th Mar 2020 • SOLD OUT
NF
Sat 14th Mar 2020
The Dualers Thur 19th Mar
Lightning Seeds Sat 28th Mar 2020
I Prevail
Roachford WAR
O2 Academy Bristol ticketmaster.co.uk 2
Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm
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September • 2019
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0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org
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Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across Bristol Fri 6 Sep
Tue 8 Oct
Sat 26 Oct
John Paul UT LD OWhite
Creep Show (John Grant)
Birds of Chicago
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BristolSFolk House
Sat 28 Sep
Trinity Fri 18 Oct
Murray A. Lightburn (of The Dears)
Rising Up: Peterloo 2019
Colston Hall Foyer
Bristol Folk House
Bristol Folk House Sun 27 Oct
John Smith Bristol Folk House Sat 2 Nov
CharlieD OUT SOL Cunningham
Tue 1 Oct
Sat 19 Oct
Manu Delago Ensemble
Simple Things Festival
Fiddlers
Various Venues
Wed 2 Oct
Sun 20 Oct
The Fleece
Nihiloxica
Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay
Tue 5 Nov
Colston Hall Foyer Wed 2 Oct
Jesca Hoop Fiddlers Thu 3 Oct
The Album Leaf St George’s Bristol Fri 4 Oct
David Allred (Erased Tapes) Colston Hall Foyer
Bristol Folk house Tue 22 Oct
Lambert Colston Hall Foyer Wed 23 Oct
Alasdair Roberts & Friends
Redgrave Theatre Mon 4 Nov
Warmduscher
Deerhunter SWX Thu 7 Nov
Portico Quartet Trinity Thu 7 Nov
Acid Arab
Colston Hall Foyer
Fiddlers
Thu 24 - Fri 25 Oct
Fri 8 Nov
Puzzle Creature Colston Hall Foyer
Sinkane Trinity
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Dear reader, Editor-in-Chief / Sales Loki Lillistone loki@instereomag.com Deputy / Live Editor Jon Kean Online / New Music Editor Kezia Cochrane Features Editor Dave Rowlinson Local Release Editor Lor Nov Graphic Designer Larissa Matheus
It’s the return of autumn and with it our favourite time of year: tour season. Seeing our listings brimming once more with artists of all shapes and sizes makes me very happy indeed, as does the incoming slew of impeccable releases. One such artist, Vagabon, graces our cover this month on the cusp of her excellent – and rather pop – second album, All the Women in Me. One of the few acts to lead our little magazine twice, we’ve been fans since her gorgeous In Stereo Sessions performance for us in 2017. Elsewhere, Norway’s Jenny Hval returns with The Practice of Love, and I couldn’t be more excited. She discusses her multilingual, multi-disciplined output and how it all came together for what I would call her most engaging record yet. Next, Girl Band talk to us about recording in (and sampling) a 500-year-old building in Dublin, as electro-pop powerhouse, MUNA, discuss the state of the world and how it dovetails with their new offering.
Jenny Hval
Contributors:
Caitlin Clark, Kezia Cochrane, Duncan Cruickshank, Georgia Evans, Rachel Michela Finn, Charlotte Krol, Robin Murray, Jonny Nolan, Lorenzo Ottone, Stephanie Phillips, Kelly Ronaldson, Gemma Samways, Harriet Taylor, Katie Thomas, Sean Toohey, Lee Wakefield, Danny Wright. Vagabon cover by David Studarus (davidstudarus.com), typeface by Lucas Le Bihan. 6
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New Sounds
Jenny Hval
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Girl Band
Muna
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Vagabon
Releases
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Events
Full Listings
56
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Live Reviews
Thoughts
61 In Bristol Vagabon
Staff on Repeat:
Loki: Angel Olsen – All Mirrors Jon: Sleep Eaters – Don’t Sell Your Soul Kezia: Jenny Hval – Ashes to Ashes Lor: Phantogram – Mister Impossible Larissa: Earth To Mickey – Brace & Bit 7
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New Sounds by Kezia Cochrane
HAWA
Top Ten: New Sounds HAWA – Kill Some Ora the Molecule – Salé Gloo – Lockii Richard Dawson – Jogging Pharmakon – Self Regulating System Jay Som – Tenderness Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens – Gone Joviale – Taste of the Heavens HIDE – Raw Dream Teddy, ILOVEMAKKONEN – Cupid! (Shot Me In The Dark)
Get more new music from kezia cochrane every monday at: bristolinstereo.com 10
Ora The Molecule
Saaaz
It’s been a good few weeks since Ora the Molecule first entered my life with their latest single ‘Salé’ and I still can’t get enough of it. Blending pulsating basslines, ruminating, ethereal electronica and resonant, soaring harmonies, Ora the Molecule craft dance tracks that are undeniably anthemic and encompass at once the dusky sensuality of the club and the shimmering brightness of summer days.
Transcendental and glistening serene, Saaaz’s lo-fi soundscapes offer infinitely-immersive sonic reveries to get lost in. Her recently-released album, Aqua, is an expansive 20-track musical collage of samples, dulcet, ethereal vocals and pared-down, velvety-smooth beats, proffering a richly-textured listen and the perfect introduction to the producer’s sound.
Formed by chance in LA, and now based between the Andalusian mountains and English countryside, the trio have roots in Norway, Germany, and Slovakia, and this global essence is tangible in their music. ‘Salé’, which follows on from their debut Sugar EP, fully reflects this worldliness, with the track inspired by the “diverse cultural significance” of salt. With this, the band alight on the unity we all share, at the heart of it all and in spite of everything else. Ora the Molecule offer a reassuring inclusiveness with their particular brand of melodious techno-pop that is infinitely intriguing and enticing. With more music imminent, they craft exactly the kind of unifying dance anthems we need right now. Track: Salé @orathemolecule
There’s a certain 90s/00s nostalgia here, paired with a fresh vitality that is in turn matched by her distinctive aesthetic. Based in Bristol, Saaaz has previously played the ever-iconic Illegal Data and has established her place in the exciting current sonic tapestry that comprises our city. Track: Cherry Pie @saaazbristol
@saaazbristol
@oraathemolecule
Saaaz
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“I feel like I’m always somewhere in-between art forms because I think so much in images.”
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Jenny Hval words: Kezia Cochrane photography: Lasse Marhaug
The prolific creative curiosity that Jenny Hval embodies is innately tangible in her wealth of multidisciplinary works and equally so in her verbal expression. Since her last record, Blood Bitch, the Norwegian artist has released her debut novel, Paradise Rot, and her second one is already out in Norway. On The Practice of Love, there’s a multi-layered voice that offers a distinct approach to Hval’s songwriting. “I think that working with three languages and also having music there influences the way I write when I write in book form,” she muses, as we discuss how these different forms of writing inform each other. “I’ve been very much trying to access the energy of performance, and even themes that come up when you are performing something live. So it’s not just songwriting it’s also the aspect of doing a performance,” she continues. “I feel like I’m always somewhere in between art forms because I think so much in images. What I’m drawn to is to have a constantly shifting image and that’s maybe because I work with durational performance, or durational in that aspect of music that it’s never there in front of you in any stable way, it’s always shifting.”
This sense of transience is something that frequently manifests itself within Hval’s music. On The Practice of Love there’s an existential exploration of human ephemerality through meditations on love, intimacy, connection and being a childless woman. Speaking of the latter, the title track reflects on realising your place as such. “I grew up thinking that wanting to have children was a girly, sort of traditional, negative feeling that kind of held you back,” Hval laughs. “I’m talking about myself as a child,” she emphasises. “I think there’s something really wonderful about not being the central character of a story,” Hval further expresses, in line with Laura Jean’s speech on the aforementioned track. “I still wanted on this record to be more central in terms of being more common with my references and really trying to battle with Alice in Wonderland and the ocean and love and stuff, themes that I’ve avoided because I’ve seen myself as a voice of difference.” A common theme throughout Hval’s work is this exploration of otherness. “I’m glad I’ve got a song called ‘Ordinary’ in there,” Hval says of the record’s closing track. “On the one hand to feel like you’re apart, or you embody difference in opposition to the norm, maybe does not mean that you’re not ordinary as well.” There’s something reassuring about this state of being other yet ordinary. As someone who’s always contended with being an outsider I’ve always found a certain solace in the way Hval vocalises this, and we discuss how it’s something we’ve grown to find peace with and a sense of belonging over time. 15
“For someone who feels different, or is treated differently, being able to feel ordinary is a place of calm.”
There is, however, a fetishisation of being different that feels insincere and exploitatively capitalised on; “the ordinary is often seen as trivial or not so interesting, sometimes we’re a bit too obsessed with being different,” Hval conveys. “I think for someone who feels different, or is treated differently, being able to feel ordinary is a place of calm.” Although certain references might be more “common” as Hval puts it - “I probably wouldn’t have thought I’d end up with an album with love in the title,” she laughs - there’s still her characteristic subversion. The title track poses a questioning of the universality of love from a linguistic perspective, “the Norwegian version to me is strongly tied to a Protestant Christianity type of mindset,” Hval details. “Which is why honesty is 80% of the Norwegian word for love because it sits inside it.” Listening to ‘Ashes to Ashes’, I can’t help but think of the religious context and how 16
Hval transforms this. “I wanted it to be more like you’re a voice and this image turns into this image and I can turn into you, it’s more of a transforming image so the cigarette can turn into the ashes of a person. It’s kind of a way of showing the intimacy of art.” Musing further on intimacy, Hval alights on this sense of “spiritual intimacy, in a way, reaching out to others who are maybe not present in the way we usually think of as in the flesh but more close because you feel close to them or there is something you recognise of yourself in them or you’re longing for them.” And there is something truly liberating and comforting in approaching intimacy and connection with these different notions. The Practice of Love is released September 13th via Sacred Bones Live: Milton Court, London. September 29th @jennyhval
@jennyhval
Girl Band words: Danny Wright photography: Richard Gilligan
“Acrobats Stab Orcas / Do Geese see God? / Party Booby Trap,” Dara Kiely sings over echoing guitar riffs recorded backwards on ‘Aibohphobia’, midway through Girl Band’s new record, The Talkies. If you didn’t know, aibohphobia means a fear of palindromes (and is in itself a palindrome). Naturally, Dara sings the whole song in palindromes, which must have taken a while… “Well, I actually went to palindromes.com so it didn’t take that long…” he smiles. “It’s kind of cheating really.” The band, sat in a sun-drenched beer garden near the offices of their label, Rough Trade, reassure him. “It’s research, really,” says Adam, the drummer. “A bit of homework.” Four years on from their debut, Holding Hands With Jamie, it’s been a long road to this record’s release. Back in May 2017, the band suddenly cancelled their tour dates citing “health reasons” (they’ve made no secret of Dara’s mental health issues) and all went quiet. It was questioned whether they’d return. Now they’re back, though they’re understandably keen to avoid focusing on those issues. “It’s just nice to have music out and be a band again,” Alan, the guitarist, says. “Though you’re always a little unsure if people will still care.” He shouldn’t worry - The Talkies is an album that’s hard to ignore. A brutal, brilliant record - both a darkly visceral, experimental rock album and one that locks into intense, 18
dissonant grooves. Repeated listens reveal more sonic details – it’s a complex, fascinating record that obliterates you each time you hear it. “The first one was very much ‘OK cool, we’ve got this many songs, that sounds like an album’,” says Alan. “But with this one we wanted to stitch the songs together - that was something that was new for us.” Inspiration came from a rather surprising source: Marvin Gaye. “I really love What’s Going On,” acknowledges Alan. “The way the tracks bleed into each other and the fact that it’s got a very obvious start and end point – I wanted to mirror something like that.” So the record begins and ends with the sound of Dara breathing, and motifs are repeated across the album. “We wanted the same sounds to pop up again and again, though obviously our record is nothing like What’s Going On… in many, many respects,” adds Daniel, the band’s producer and bass player, with knowing understatement. It was recorded in Ballintubbert House, a historic home outside of Dublin dating back to 1540. “The house is insane,” says Alan. “It’s a wedding venue so everyone was able to have their own en-suite bedroom.” And this strange, surreal environment influenced the recording. The band even created an ‘audio representation’ of it on the sprawling ‘Prefab Castle’. “We did field recordings around the house. There’s a huge fountain in the grounds. So we recorded that. And the fridge. And all of the doors.”
“We wanted to stitch the songs together… that was new for us.”
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“Some words together sound silly... I’ll get a kick out of the weird side of it.”
They also had two sets of drums - one upstairs and one in the cellar - and experimented with different sounds. “We were like, ‘Let’s pile up a load of cymbals and see how that sounds’,” says Adam. “One of Adam’s nicknames is Buckaroo cause we’re always saying ‘Can you try to hit that stack and this one as well’ to hear what it sounds like,” laughs Alan. Over the top of this combustible, unsettling din are Dara’s obtuse, often hilarious lyrics. “It’s too late for Ricki Lake,” he sings on ‘Shoulderblades’ while ‘Couch Combover’ features the lines “Called the teacher Mammy / Gave birth to a fax machine.” Humour has always been key to his storytelling. “Eddie Izzard’s humour had a huge influence on me growing up and later I got into Stewart Lee and Armando Iannucci’s writing,” he says. “Some words together sound silly and if I am shouting them, I’ll get a kick out of the weird side of it.” He describes his writing process as “stream of consciousness at first… I’ll gradually make sense of some words and the more we play, the more the meaning will get clearer to me”. 20
He admits to being understandably apprehensive about playing again. “We started practising a few days ago and I was a bit nervous beforehand, but then it was muscle memory and everything was fine. It’s really enjoyable playing again because we haven’t played stuff like ‘Lawman’ in ages.” There’s a palpable sense of excitement about playing live together again, after such a long time away. This time they’ll play fewer shows (so it doesn’t feel “like a slog,” says Alan). They’re also hoping for dancing. “There’s something really gratifying about seeing a crowd dancing together,” says Daniel. “Also I don’t like mosh pits when I go to gigs - I’m like 5 foot 6 so it’s really annoying…” The Talkies is released September 27th via Rough Trade Records @girl_band
@girlband
MUNA words: Rachel Michela Finn photography: Isaac Schneider
It’s a cliché that the second record is a difficult one, but for MUNA it was one that rang true. After they came off the road from touring their 2017 debut, About U, and tried to settle back into life in their adopted hometown of LA, the trio - made up of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, Naomi McPherson, who met as students at the University of Southern California in 2013 found the initial process of going back to their normal lives daunting. And once they had, they were faced with the pressure of delivering a follow-up record that matched the hype of their first. “The press had been so kind to us about our record, we were treated like absolute darlings and everyone was very sweet to us...” Katie explains of their time spent making new album Saves The World. “Now, I look back on the first record and I’m like, ‘that’s a fucking good album’, but that is not always how I felt. There was definitely a lot of pressure. I think most of it was internal. All three of us are really hard on ourselves as workers and we expect a lot of ourselves.” Without the cheers of the crowd and the validation that came from being on tour and interacting with an audience every night, making their second album partially became an exercise in learning to believe in yourself without having to rely on something external to tell you you’re doing okay. It’s a message that went on to be the central theme of the album as a whole: Saves The World embodies the idea that sometimes the most radical and important thing you can do is commit to looking after yourself before you can concentrate properly on anything else. 22
“We expect a lot of ourselves.”
Nowhere is this better found than on the album’s lead single ‘Number One Fan’, which marks a sonic departure from the synth-heavy ‘goth-pop’ of some of their earlier songs in favour of glossy pop kitsch. It also just so happens to have one of the best opening lines of any comeback song from recent memory: “So I heard the bad news / Nobody likes me and I’m gonna die alone / In my bedroom / Looking at strangers on my telephone,” the song begins, before stressing the importance of speaking back to the negative voices in your head and looking inwards for growth. “We’d been away for almost two years and we were on this path of trying to reinvent ourselves and it was like ‘What is a better way to come back out of the gates with guns blazing than with a song that literally punches you in the face with sincerity and comedy?’,” Josette says of how choosing the song as their first single was easy. It’s a song that will be highly relatable to anyone who’s ever spent an evening in, scrolling themselves into a FOMOheavy internet hole, wondering how their life ended up being so underwhelming.
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But despite the song’s melodramatic edge, MUNA still intend their second album to act as many of their previous releases have done: using personal storytelling to act as a response to the political. From performing in t-shirts that proudly declare ‘FUCK TRUMP’ in bold, red capital letters to regularly speaking out about issues ranging from gun violence to climate change and reproductive rights, politics have formed - and continue to form a central part to their existence as a band. “Just calling the record ‘Saves The World’ and talking about world saving and talking about saving yourself, all of these things, we want to position them as political statements because I think the idea that the world can be saved and that we have within us creative solutions to these problems, it just seems…” 24
Katie begins, before continuing: “It’s kind of hard to accept that there is even any bit of hope left, because that’s scary. It’s scary to try and make things better, but that’s kind of the question we’re asking with this record. It’s an exploration of that.” “We’re not nihilists,” Naomi adds. “I think we feel like there has to be a reason to wake up every day and keep going. We’re just trying to figure out a way to say something political without making everyone really fucking depressed.” Saves The World is released September 6th via Columbia Records @whereisMUNA
@whereismuna
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Vagabon words: Stephanie Phillips photography: David Studarus make-up: Erin N. Pea It was during the recording of her debut album, Infinite Worlds, that singer-songwriter Laetitia Tamko, who performs under the moniker Vagabon, first heard her voice clearly, and it frightened her. A deep, rumbling vocal with a timbre so warm, it almost resembled a brass instrument at its brightest moments. Rather than shy away from her fears, Tamko’s relentless touring schedule forced her to know her voice and herself more intimately than before. “Through performing I thought, ‘there are valleys in my voice that I’m not sure are pleasant, pretty or beautiful, but I want to step into them confidently’,” says Tamko. It is a confidence that carried her through the creation of her latest release Vagabon, an evocative, masterful record which sees Tamko embody the multi-talented auteur she was clearly born to be. The album crosses into new territory for Tamko as she largely trades in the distorted guitar-driven melodies of Infinite Worlds in favour of hypnotic pop song structures. It is a move she claims was spurred by writing on tour, growing weary of her guitar, and having her new-found confidence in herself. To understand how she could come to doubt a talent so obvious to many (Pitchfork once called her a ‘game changer’ in indie rock) we only have to look at Tamko’s sharp ascent into the spotlight. Born in Cameroon, Tamko relocated to New York with her family as a teenager, where she was introduced to the pillars of American pop music and soon fell in love with stars like Brandy and Mariah Carey. While studying engineering at college 26
“I know t feeling I w to convey a know the fe want the lis to have
the want and I eeling I stener e.�
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she was convinced by a friend to record and upload the songs she had been working on to Bandcamp. Shortly after, Tamko was introduced to the scrappy New York DIY indie scene, where she made her mark performing at former staple venue, Silent Barn, alongside her peers Mitski and Frankie Cosmos. Tamko connected with audiences almost instantly, through her introspective songs that tackled regret, longing and loneliness with an honesty that was rarely matched. The praise placed a weighty pressure on her shoulders. Where previously she could write alone in her bedroom, just for herself, she now had the world watching. It wasn’t until an opportunity to write for another artist came along that she felt comfortable writing for herself again. The resulting song from that session was ‘Flood’, the first single from Vagabon and a noted change in direction. “Through writing for other people, writing that song for someone else, I learned that it’s within me, so I can just get started,” explains Tamko. Pushing back against the fear that once quashed her creativity, Tamko was determined to challenge herself at every conceivable point. She was the sole producer, played instruments she had never even held before, and worked expansively with hazy, trap-inspired beats. The process was thrilling to Tamko and allowed her to become the same awestruck songwriter she once was. “I’m kind of like a kid in a candy store where I’m able to touch all these different instruments and see what sparks the naivety inside of me, what sparks this excitement and this beginner’s mind mentality,” she exclaims. Her experimental creative process can be heard in some of the highlights of Vagabon. The buoyant, ‘dancing on my own’ number ‘Water Me Down’ catches the ear in the same way Rihanna’s recent cover of Tame Impala does. While the experimental piece, ‘Please Don’t Leave The Table’, could easily sound at home anywhere in Solange’s back catalogue. Would Vagabon ever make a more deliberate
move towards the pop world? She insists her writing process does not centre around reaching specific audiences or genres. “I know the feeling I want to convey and I know the feeling I want the listener to have when they hear a specific part,” she explains.
“There’s such an affirmation in following your instinct and having it lead you in the right direction.” The noted difference between her previous release and Vagabon is not lost on Tamko: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think ‘Oh, this is so different from Infinite Worlds, what does that mean?’, but the thought was not enough of a hindrance for me to change course.” Her move away from indie, both in terms of her sound and her real-life community, was necessary for Tamko who at times felt at odds with the scene’s lack of diversity. Now for Tamko, creating a community where there are no limits on who can feel at home is imperative to her. It’s a notion captured effortlessly on ‘Wits About You’ as Tamko sings, “I was invited to the party / They won’t let my people in / Well then never mind, never mind, never mind / We don’t wanna go to your function.” It is a process that allows Tamko to prioritise those who she sees as her community in every aspect of her work: “When I’m headlining and I have a say in who opens, I know who to go to. When I am asked ‘who are you listening to today?’ I know who I want to talk about.” Her ever-growing community now consists of fellow touring musicians who contribute to a “solid group chat”, sharing road stories and offering much-needed support. Outside of the group chat her friends have influenced her work in other ways. Melina Duterte, of dream 29
pop outfit Jay Som, featured Tamko on her latest release, Anak Ko. Tamko returned the favour, enlisting Duterte on trumpet and backing vocals on ‘Please Don’t Leave the Table’. It’s a reciprocal friendship that naturally sparks creativity in both women. “Coming over to her house and seeing what she’s working on, it’s like, ‘Oh wow’ we get to talk technically but we’re also just seeing mirrors and I think that’s really important,” says Tamko. In September 2018, Tamko performed album opener ‘Full Moon in Gemini’ at The Getty Museum, accompanied only by a string section. Commanding the stage in a black, asymmetric safety-pin dress, with green tights and white heels, Tamko was in the early stages of her evolution towards her new stage look. Her fresh-faced, Instagram-ready style is a far cry from her previous stage outfits, which usually consisted of jeans, a t-shirt and beanie hat. Her deliberate efforts to showcase a curated style are part of her want to bring more showmanship into her performances. Tamko says: “Now I want to create a space with my shows where I’m performing with a little bit more intention, because I’m more available to give that, whether it’s through a 30
look or dancing, or putting the guitar down and interacting with the audience.” Her excitement with performing filters down to the rest of her life. When I ask whether her confidence in her music affects her personally, she is quick to reply with a hearty yes, adding, “there’s such an affirmation in following your instinct and having it lead you in the right direction.” Considering Tamko is only 26, it is thrilling to consider how much she has already achieved and how far the rest of her career could take her. It is a thought that keeps Tamko inspired. “I’m trying to live a full life,” she explains. “I’ve lived many lives at this point. I’ve lived in a totally different place in the world, I have lived a life where I only spoke French and not English, now I’m living a life where I’m here.” Considering she has so many plans for her future, we hope she gets more lives. Vagabon is released September 27th via Nonesuch Records LIVE: St Pancras Old Church, London. October 21st @vagabonvagabon
@vagabonjour
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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
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FEROCIOUS DOG TUESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER
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WITH CONFIDENCE MONDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
JOE NICHOLS THURSDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER
ICE NINE KILLS FRIDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER
GARDNA ALBUM TOUR MONDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
ALLAH-LAHS TUESDAY 1ST OCTOBER
RALPH PELLEYMOUNTER
FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER
HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS SATURDAY 12TH OCTOBER
WHENYOUNG SUNDAY 13TH OCTOBER
CHASTITY BELT MONDAY 14TH OCTOBER
PIP BLOM
THURSDAY 17TH OCTOBER
REAL FRIENDS FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER
ROZI PLAIN SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
K. FLAY
SUNDAY 20TH OCTOBER
ADAM GREEN MONDAY 21ST OCTOBER
STRIKING MATCHES & TENILE TOWNS TUESDAY 22ND OCTOBER
DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS
WEDNESDAY 2ND OCTOBER
EARTHGANG
WEDNESDAY 23RD OCTOBER
WINSTON SURFSHIRT
FRIDAY 4TH OCTOBER
PIERCE BROTHERS SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER
DEFINITELY OASIS WEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER
KOVIC
THURSDAY 24TH OCTOBER
SOUP OF JURASSIC 5 PRESENTS FULLEE LOVE COLLECTIVE SATURDAY 26TH OCTOBER
CASSIA
Record of the Month:
Kano
Hoodies All Summer Danny Wright gathered Robin Murray and Caitlin Clark to discuss the evolution of Kano on his latest, Hoodies All Summer. How have you been enjoying the Kano record? Robin: It’s fantastic. It’s a lot starker than his last record, but it’s a real showcase for him as an MC - there are some amazing moments. Caitlin: It’s rad. Despite him moving on from talking directly about himself, there’s huge depth in the tracks. Sometimes it can feel like an artist discusses these sorts of issues… just because, but this feels really raw. Robin: Completely. It feels very timely - the lessons about knife crime and gang culture are incredibly potent. And it’s very outward looking - the features from Popcaan and Kojo Funds take him somewhere new. That said, ‘Class Of Deja’ is a brilliant throwback moment. An all out banger! That’s key - he balances the meaning, with some fantastic club moments. 34
Have you always been Kano fans? What were you expecting with this one? Robin: I’m a fan, yeah - I felt this one would be a progression of Made In The Manor, but it’s very distinct. It really exists on its own terms. Caitlin: I, wrongly, expected more dancing at Dalston Superstore at 2am than substance. But, like Robin said, he’s really struck a wonderful balance between meaning and club bangers. I’ve always been a really big fan of Kano. I think I found him through D Double E’s early grime freestyles on YouTube. Robin: Yeah and Kano vs Wiley on Lord Of The Mics is a classic. So, is it a step-up from Manor...? Or just different? Robin: I felt Manor... had lots of amazing ideas but no one track to pull it all together. So in that respect, this album’s slew of bangers is a step up. Caitlin: It feels more mature. He’s made an
album that’s current, politically and socially astute, but still touching on that format for some fun moments. His sounds also have a bit more clarity. Those eery, pan-pipes running through ‘Good Youtes Walk Amongst Evil’ are SO FRESH. Robin: Yes and Lil Silva’s production on ‘Got My Brandy’ is fantastic - so nuanced. Did you watch the Aneil Karia ‘Trouble’ short? It seemed to bring the themes together… Robin: Yeah I did - very powerful. It brought out the narrative aspect of his lyrics as well and made me consider the album as a whole entity, rather than just individual tracks. Caitlin: Yes! It really tied a lot of the central themes together. I don’t think it’s a necessary watch to understand the album, but it definitely gives it a sense of togetherness. Those iPhone clips really hit home too. Robin: Yeah it’s very stark, very honest. One of the things I like about the way Kano tackles those social themes is that it’s completely unvarnished. There’s no easy answers at all. In terms of that narrative, those themes, are there any lines or samples that stuck in your mind? Robin: The samples are incredible. I don’t know the full stories of each one, but it seems to be genuine community workers. The record feels like a very honest reflection of those communities. Caitlin: For sure. Those samples really say “this is our reality”. It’s less about what needs to change and what could be done in the future, more immediate action. As ‘Good Youtes Walk Amongst Evil’, Kano says “Let’s talk about it” over and over. It feels so NOW. Robin: Yeah, there’s a real urgency and intensity to what he says. There are moments when the arrangement drops out completely but his flow is still incredibly intense - it’s a real testament to the musicality of UK rap. Caitlin: Kano really emphasises the urgency for action. The arrangements and flow fit that urgency too. There’s a lot of chopping and changing in the arrangement and flow.
You’ve mentioned ‘Class Of Deja’ - are there any other tracks that blew you away? ‘SYM’ took me by surprise! Robin: I really like ‘Pan-Fried’ with Kojo Funds. And yes, ‘SYM’ was quite a twist! Caitlin: I really like how ‘Can’t Hold We Down’ hops on an R&B rhythm and turns it into this wicked UK rap hybrid. And Kojo in ‘Pan-Fried’ is really refreshing. ‘SYM’ was... not expected. It’s so… unassuming with that lovely little twinkly piano and then… oh, ‘suck your mum’? k, cool. Is it strange to think of Kano as the elder statesman of UK rap? Caitlin: He’s always been up there for me with the godfathers Wiley and D Double E. I’m not really sure what UK rap and grime would be without them, to be honest. Robin: Kano is really influential - like he draws from grime and hip-hop and dancehall while having his own sound, so it’s almost a forebear of the way Dave or AJ create music. Caitlin: Definitely – he’s paved the way for experimenting in rap music, and pulling on other genres to give his sound a unique edge. Hoodies All Summer was released August 30th via Parlophone. @TheRealKano
@TheRealKano 35
Metronomy Metronomy Forever Because Music September 13th
Album Reviews Bat For Lashes Lost Girls AWAL Recordings September 6th Bat for Lashes’ latest release Lost Girls is inspired by night time LA drives, soundtracking an 80s cult classic film which only exists in singer-songwriter Natasha Khan’s head. The joyful funk guitar licks, ominous melodies, and tales of coming of age escapades set the scene for the album. The record opens with the buoyant synth-pop of ‘Kids in the Dark’, equal parts nostalgia and regret. Each song acts as a vignette in Khan’s imaginary film noir; ‘Feel For You’ is the steely, dance number in a pivotal club scene, while the earworm pop of ‘So Good’ finds our protagonist questioning her lover’s commitment. Lost Girls benefits from Khan’s unwavering dedication to scoring the scenes in her head, transporting listeners to a world of pleasures unknown. Stephanie Phillips 36
In an attempt to recapture the naive self-sufficiency of his earliest recordings, Joseph Mount temporarily reclaimed Metronomy as a solo project in 2016 and produced Summer ‘08, a nostalgic set capturing the chaos of the band’s beginnings. At the time, it was billed as a back-to-basics statement of intent. In reality, Summer ‘08 seems to have functioned as a palette cleanser for Mount, as evidenced by his subsequent, sterling work branching out on productions for Robyn and Jessie Ware. And yet, this sixth LP provides the most compelling evidence yet that Mount has turned a corner creatively. Perhaps it’s swapping the bustle of Paris for the bucolic surrounds of Kent, perhaps it’s reuniting with the rest of the band: whatever the reason, Mount sounds more relaxed than he has in years. Consequently, Metronomy Forever possesses a playfulness and an effortless sophistication that was often lacking from the comparatively sluggish Summer ‘08. ‘Wedding Bells’ is an instant highlight, a cross-pollination of Kim Wilde’s ‘Kids In America’ and John Hughes-movie wistfulness, while ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’ is ridiculously moreish, its buoyant melody liberally sprinkled with kitsch keyboard effects. Lead single ‘Lately’ is better still, its haunting vocal hook descending incrementally over taut guitar and sparkling keyboard arpeggios. Structurally, Mount is taking risks too. Designed to evoke a radio-like listening experience, the album offers a constantly shifting carousel of styles, often interspersed with interludes. In less experienced hands, such a format could feel disjointed, but in Mount’s it’s immersive. Gemma Samways
Charli XCX Charli Asylum/Atlantic Records September 13th
From early Soundcloud success, teen movie anthems, and transformative mixtapes, it’s fair to say Charli XCX has shed any doubts about being merely a one-hit wonder. Love her or not, her presence is inescapable and entirely uncompromising as she prepares to release her third studio album – the eponymous Charli. Certainly, it’s her most eclectic release to date, though the monotonous, hyperactive trills of ‘Next Level Charli’ definitely wrongfoot this notion. It’s composed as though on a sugar rush. When it peaks, though, it’s clear to see why there’s so much buzz surrounding the artist. Take ‘1999’ with Troye Sivan, which shines through as a vibrant, glossy pop marvel, a jewel in the crown of her career. Because let’s be honest, she’s royalty-tier now. Harriet Taylor
Bodywash Comforter Luminelle Records August 30th
Jerkcurb Air Con Eden Handsome Dad Records September 13th
Montréal’s Bodywash sit comfortably between experimental chaos and a calm serenity on their outstanding debut album, Comforter. ‘Reverie’ kicks off the hazy, dream-like atmosphere of the record, and the track’s beat transitions maintain an upbeat energy throughout, contrasting with its closing counterpart. ‘Twins’ presents Bodywash at their finest, blending harmonic vocals and pulsating synths as the band seek peace and emotional stability, a concept later torn apart as the spectacular ‘With Heat’ layers heart-wrenching guitars with a bittersweet sense of longing. Imaginative and emotionally raw, Comforter remains hypnotic throughout every track, as the gold-tinted waves of ‘Sunspots’ move effortlessly through ‘Eye to Eye’ and into the distorted soundscapes of ‘Reprise’ and ‘Paradisiac’. Kelly Ronaldson
Family ties inspired Jacob Read AKA Jerkcurb’s obsession with all things Americana of old. With his parents residing there before he was born, Air Con Eden is the sound of Read piecing those memories together through nostalgia-soaked love letters and whimsical ballads. His bedroom pop sensibilities remain, but this is a vision that feels vastly widescreen this time around. Read weaves charming stories throughout his songwriting in the same vein as Metronomy’s Joseph Mount, one of the UK’s most creative forces, and Read has an equally adept ear for a hook, even if it’s on a more stripped-back basis. ‘Water’s unfussy keys are a perfect example; melancholic, desolate and barely there, yet enticing. Jacob Read can seemingly produce something essential from almost nothing. Lee Wakefield 37
(Sandy) Alex G House Of Sugar
Anna Lisa Unfollowed
Domino Records September 13th
Self-Release September 13th
A long drawling howl flows into plucking guitars, disjointed harmonies and contrasting rich layers of metallic twanging. As they soften, the words “not today” repeatedly break through, driving forward the pulsating cumulation. Here, (Sandy) Alex G is displaying an expansion of his melodic talents. His latest release House of Sugar is characterised by its combined elements of country music with dense and meticulously-curated textures from strings and fuzzy synthesisers. It feels like a natural progression from low-fi bedroom creations to a slicker studio operation, with tracks like ‘Project 2’ toying with 80s drum machines while robotic vocal distortion adds flair to ‘Sugar’. This is (Sandy) Alex G’s most progressive work yet, proving he’s moved away from being a cult prodigy to one of the industry’s most prolific artists. Georgia Evans
Your mind ought to be your friend - working with you, not against you. It is, ultimately, the thing that you follow. You can’t ‘unfriend’ it, or ‘unfollow’ it (that option where you remain ‘friends’ but you don’t have to heed its stupid posts).
Emily Breeze Rituals SugarShack Records September 6th
Bristol
38
Anna Lisa’s EP, Unfollowed, pulsates with Gen Z dread. The five tracks sound as vulnerably 4AM as Kate Tempest’s Let Them Eat Chaos. Dark electronic bass beats are like palpitations or migraine throbs. ‘Full’ sustains a dizzying, eddying pattern of notes. ‘Purple’ has a queasy synth functioning as a nauseous echo to the vocal. “Howling like a demon”, “trying to make it out in one piece” and “staring at the ceiling” are prominent actions. Has she unfollowed her self-sabotaging inner monologue? Not yet. Jon Kean
On Spotify, one can find a playlist of influences that spurred the creation of Rituals. There are gentle nods to the music of Patti Smith and Lee Hazelwood, though far from cannibalising these works, Breeze takes pleasure in making her music its own self-sustaining pillar to excess, full of candid ruminations, decadent pleasures and morbid curiosities. Throughout, Breeze shines a black light on the highs and lows of living in the twenty-first century. For instance, the sample that leads ‘Heaven’s Gate’ – taken from a speech given by Marshall White, leader of the infamous nineties suicide cult – embodies the peculiar juxtaposition of Rituals’ themes. It’s that feeling of witnessing horrific acts with repulsion, the guilty allure of peeking at it between your fingers and the social ramifications. Harriet Taylor
Repo-Man I Can Live With It If You Can, Son Stolen Body September 6th
Bristol
G Flip About Us Future Classic August 30th
Sampa The Great The Return Ninja Tune September 13th
Noise, catharsis and being stand as the pillars of Repo Man’s fantastically avant-garde third record, I Can Live with It If You Can, Son. Released via Stolen Body Records, this blistering collection of new cuts sees the band build upon the discordant doom of 2015’s Minesweeping with more venom and aggression than the snarling wit of Mark E Smith and Frank Carter combined. Taking cues from as far afield as A Place to Bury Strangers, Nick Cave and The Fall, the music confined within its runtime proves to rest just as heavily on its lyricism as it does its sprawling tendrils of progressive riffage. Beyond the crashing waves of droning guitar and hypnotizing jazz passages, it’s Bojak’s foaming acidity that elevates this record to a monolithic peak. Sean Toohey
Very few artists come forth with a knockout debut single, but last February, Georgia Flipo aka G Flip appeared out of nowhere with the 10/10 ‘About You’. We were ready to be hooked up to whatever drip of incessantly catchy percussion-heavy pop she had coming next. The Australian—deep breath—drum teacher-turned-multi-instrumentalist-bedroom producer has since released a host of brilliantly zestful singles. The trop-pop warps of ‘Killing My Time’ and her ode to misanthropy on shuffle jam ‘Drink Too Much’ have been sure-fire standouts. Thankfully, G Flip has placed these singles on her debut album About Us, a collection of songs written largely about the on-off relationship with her girlfriend. Without those singles, the record’s tendency to veer into uninspired piano-laced balladry would regrettably overwhelm the record. Charlotte Krol
Sampa The Great’s debut LP, 19-track The Return, will cement her position as one of contemporary hip-hop’s freshest and most intriguing voices. Real name Sampa Tempo, the Melbourne-based artist has spent four years exploring notions of home, and notions of the outsider, harvesting inspiration from her birthplace of Zambia and Botswana, where she was raised. The result is a record that melds neo-soul with hip-hop, gospel and jazz. Though she makes her declaration in the opening tracks, The Return’s latter half is, musically, more solid, from the fiery and percussive ‘OMG’, to triumphant single ‘Final Form’, to the soulful, aching tenderness of closer ‘Made Us Better’. With a host of collaborators including London jazz outfits Steam Down and Blue Lab Beats, Sampa The Great marries warm, textured instrumentation and fiercely delivered lyricism with resounding success. Katie Thomas 39
Events Bristol Alternative Freshers Fair September 28th, Thekla Freshers is truly a beautiful and manic thing, with thousands of excited faces experiencing Bristol for the first time: its venues, its artists, its kebab houses. But doesn’t it feel a bit… corporate? I mean, Dominos is fine and all, but does that really represent Bristol? Enter: Alternative Freshers, aboard Thekla. Now in its third year, AF welcomes independent movers and shakers to show Bristol’s newcomers (and freeloading second- and third-years) what we’re all about. FREE is the word of the day, with beer, donuts and pizza all being given out. But it doesn’t stop there: you can also get a free haircut, or even bike check-up. We’ll be there celebrating all things Bristol in Stereo and offering a compilation showing off our favourite Bristol record labels.
Bristol Open Doors 2019 September 13-15th, Across Bristol Have you ever had a friend tell you some jaw-dropping Bristol lore of secret tunnels beneath the city, an old abandoned railway, or how saying Brunel’s name three times in the mirror will make him appear and turn you into a top hat? Well, Bristol Open Doors is for you. One weekend a year, they offer oneoff experiences in untrodden or revitalised locations, with 2019 boasting the former Filton Airfield, the Redcliffe Caves, industrial Avonmouth, Arnos Vale Cemetery, a ‘Boats & Bridges’ tour and more. 40
Emily Isherwood, Breakfest
Drumcode Day & Night September 28th, Motion
B. Traits
Swedish techno label, Drumcode, return to Bristol to throw their biggest party ever in the Southwest – across three rooms, for fifteen hours straight. Kicking off outside in the Container Yard with Boxia, Wehbba and Dense & Pika, things then move inside with B. Traits, Enrico Sangiuliano, Luigi Madonna and Pan Pot in Motion proper. Things don’t end there, however, with the Marble Factory offering Bart Skils, Layton Giordani, Matador and Nicole Moudaber. A diverse set of artists kicking off the new season with a bang.
Breakfest
Factoberfest
September 14th, Thekla
September 6-8th, Tobacco Factory
It’s no secret that Breakfast Records have been getting behind some of Bristol’s most interesting – and downright likeable – guitar acts these last few years. This month, they take a rather large step up from their regular programme of intimate showcases, festival stages and release launches as they present their very own Breakfest. See what they did there? The line-up includes many BiS favourites, such as Emily Isherwood, Dogeyed, Wych Elm, Kate Stapley, GORK and Jamie Cruickshank, plus a metric ton more.
Factoberfest, it’s exactly what it sounds like: Oktoberfest, as celebrated by the Tobacco Factory and Bristol Beer Factory. Taking place across three days, they promise over 70 (seventy) craft beers which, even as tasters, will demand some serious commitment to the cause. Those who survive that can sample their selection of independent ciders, plus street food, a market and more. Entertainment comes in the form of a live music and DJ lineup, still TBA at time of printing. Hedonistic, Bristol-y fun guaranteed. Lederhosen optional. 41
Full Listings WEDNESDAY 28TH AUGUST
ERADIKATOR £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
FRINGE JAZZ: TBA / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
GLITTERER £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
THE B-JS / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
THE SCRIBES + GUNDHI BROTHERS £3 / £4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS
WALDO'S GIFT FT LYREBIRD FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
LAURA JANE GRACE £20ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
WAND £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
TOTAL REJECTION + THE SINICTONES + DAVEY WOODWARD £6ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
GIN JAM: OPEN STAGE NIGHT FREE / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS MACHINE GUN KELLY £27.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX THURSDAY 29TH AUGUST
SATURDAY 31ST AUGUST HANGOVER CLUB FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
OPEN STAGE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
PUNKA PRESENTS: SHE MAKES WAR + THE EMPTY PAGE + FEY MILITIA / / CROFTERS RIGHTS
STEVE GUNN + VALLEY MAKER £12.50ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
BRISTOL PUNX PICNIC £8.50ADV / 3.00PM / EXCHANGE
SNAZZBACK PRESENTS: PIIN FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
FIGHTERS FOO £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
SASAMI £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
SATARIAL (RUSSIA) 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
DRIFTWOOD £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST LEE + GUEST FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE HARD SKIN + SCRAP BRAIN + GIMP WORLD £8ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE BLACKMORE'S BLOOD £12ADV / 6.30PM / THE FLEECE 42
FILAMENTS £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA TAUNTS PWYW / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN THE 45S + THE GENIUS OF DAVID BOWIE £3 / £4 / 9.00PM / MR WOLFS MYST + SPECIAL GUESTS £5 / 7.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings SUNDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
TUESDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
LIVE MUSIC TBA + SPEL POETRY FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
SOUFIAN SAIHI TRIO FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
BETHANY ROBERTS & ROWAN ELLIOTT FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
ROCK GODDESS + HEAVY PETTIN' £15ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
ARMAND HAMMER / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
SYDNEY SESSION FEAT. EDDIE JONESWEST (DRUMS) FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THE SPOOK SCHOOL + LEGGY £10ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
VALIS ABLAZE + DERANGE / 7.00PM / THE LANES SHEEP ON DRUGS VS MECHANICAL CABARET £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE S.L.P / 6.00PM / ROUGH TRADE PARUSKI FREE / 8.00PM / TOBACCO FACTORY MONDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER CANTEEN JAZZ SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
LEWIS CREAVEN'S DHARMA BLUES FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY FRUIT MACHINE CYPHER / / MR WOLFS DOPETHRONE // GURT // MORE TBA £11ADV / 8.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND BLACK FUTURES / 6.30PM / ROUGH TRADE WEDNESDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE ANDY CHRISTIE QUARTET FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
CROSSLIGHT + KITE THIEF + YOUTH ILLUSION £6ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
WALDO'S GIFT: OPEN COLLABORATION FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
OPEN MIC FREE / 8.00PM / GRAIN BARGE
MARK MULCAHY £16ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
GIN JAM: OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS
SONGSMITH / / MR WOLFS
CUFFS + HAVISHAM + ASTRAL PLANES FREE / 8.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings THURSDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER
STAYIN' ALIVE BEE GEES TRIBUTE £13.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
FEDERICO LEONIRI'S TRIO FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
SHALLOW ROOTS £5ADV / 8.00PM / GRAIN BARGE
MY OCTOPUS MIND FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
MATT JONES + DANIEL MORAN £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
THE HOLYDRUG COUPLE / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
NO HOT ASHES £8.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS + THE MURDERBURGERS + THE RUN UP £10ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
YEARD ARMS + BEYOND RIVERS + NEW PALACE TALKIES + ANDY OLIVERI / 7.00PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN
SNAZZBACK FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THIS FEELING PRESENTS... £5 ADV / 7.30PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN
CHE LINGO £7ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
YEAR OF THE DOG + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS
GRANDMAS HOUSE + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS
MANGO FACTORY FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
RAUSCHENBURG +NOVEMBER BEES + LIGHTNING SHARKS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
GUNS 2 ROSES £13.50ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY
FRIDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER JOHN PAUL WHITE £17.44 INC BF / 8.00PM / BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE
HARRI MASON WITH BAND + TAYNEE LORD AND THE CROOKES + HICKTOWN BREAKOUT + NOVEMBER CRIMINALS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER
JAMES OLIVER FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
LIVE MUSIC TBA FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
MAMA JERK & THE LADYFINGERS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
MAYA JAZZ WITH JYOTSNA SRIKANTH FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
ONCE & FUTURE BAND / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
REPO MAN + TETKOV/LORD + ORRYX £5ADV / 8.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
TFA £FREE / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
FLEETINGWOOD MAC £14.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings DEPT S : GARAGE FLOWERS + EYES £3ADV / 9.00PM / THE LANES
THE CONTACT HIGH & RIVERACID FREE / 7.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND
GIA MARGARET £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
45'S + RED RAY & THE REPROBATES + JAMESTOWN BROTHERS + PHILO SINNETT FREE / 12.00PM / TOBACCO FACTORY
WHAIL TAIL + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS SEPTABEAT FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
MONDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER DECYPHERS HIP HOP SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
THAT THING FOOTWORK ALL-DAYER W/ ANNA MORGAN, JON1ST + MANY MORE / 1.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THE LOVE HANDLES / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
SONGSMITH / / MR WOLFS
DUKES OF MUMBAI + LEWIS CREAVEN + PONCHARTRAIN + MANTIC MUDDLERS + JOE STROUZER + LARKHAM & HALL FREE / 12.00PM / TOBACCO FACTORY
TUESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER
SUNDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER ELIZA'S TRIO + BLUES JAM FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE FRAN & FLORA FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN GRAVY TRAIN: JESUITS + HEAVY PETTING + FEVER 103 FREE / 8.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS INME + LEBROCK + OXYGEN THIEF £16.50ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE PRESCRIPTION HAPPINESS + FROM IDOLS TO ASHES + GUTTER PUPPETS £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE THE PHANTOM ENSEMBLE FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY JASON & THE SCORCHERS £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE STANLAEY FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN D.A.M. FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY FRUIT MACHINE CYPHER / / MR WOLFS WEDNESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE JP3 FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN WALDO'S GIFT REWORKS: ABBA FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY OPEN MIC FREE / 8.00PM / GRAIN BARGE
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS + MARTYRIALS + THE SINICTONES £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA GIN JAM: OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS MY LIFE STORY / 6.30PM / ROUGH TRADE CYDERFECKS + FRANKIE DELTA £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
FRIDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER ANDERS + TWEEN FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE KOLA ROASTA FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN ALMATIC + MADCAP + THE PAGANS S.O.H £6ADV / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
THURSDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER
KURWS, HANDLE + LES CROISIèRES DOLORI £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
PROPANE BROTHERS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
LAID BLAK £13.50ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE
TOMB MOLD + RITUAL NECROMANCY + OF FEATHER AND BONE £14ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
DOREEN DOREEN £15ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
SPEAR OF DESTINY £18ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
GRYPHEST: THE GRYPHON'S 9TH BIRTHDAY £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
SNAZZBACK DOES 140 FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
WILL JOSEPH COOK £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
THORNAFIRE (CHILE) + VOID £5 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
FLASH FIRES + QUANTOCK ROAD / / MR WOLFS
GRAVY TRAIN & BLG: KAPUTT FREE / 8.00PM / THE LANES
PONCHARTRAIN FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
THE GALLERYS £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
SOUL 2 DEEP £SEE SITE / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
LEGGY / PERSONAL BEST / OH, THE GUILT £7ADV / / THE OLD ENGLAND THE PROSIACS+ FOURTH ENGINE + IN PALMS + ALEX CALVER £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
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LOVEPET HORROR / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE MELOTONE + LIIP + SWEET LIME £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER
SCHMOOZENBERGS FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
LINCOLN DURHAM / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
LIVE MUSIC TBA FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
UNEVEN STRUCTURE + SCHIERMANN + BEARPIT + DAN ROBINS £10ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
BUZZARD BUZZARD BUZZARD + SCOTT YODER / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS EAT UP £5ADV / 8.00PM / EXCHANGE PEACH FUR + PSYSO NL FREE / 8.00PM / THE LANES RUZZ GUITAR'S BLUES REVUE £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE MAJESTIC + THE FOWLERS + SODA CAT / / MR WOLFS
SUN SESSIONS W/ LAZY DAY, ALEXANDER SUN & EAD WOOD FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY SUBCONSCIOUS SOUNDS PRESENTS: GLASS CEILINGS £6ADV / 7.00PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN VAMPIRE MONEY + KAMINO + ORTARIO + THE WOODSMAN £4 ADV / 7.00PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN MONOLITHIAN/WALLOWING/TEH/TOKAHONT £5 / 7.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND
RAZZOMO FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
FEROCIOUS DOG / / THEKLA
FEMI KUTI £25ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
ROOKERIES FREE / 8.00PM / TOBACCO FACTORY
NIGHTCORE 4 TOTAL SLUTZ £3 / / THE OLD ENGLAND
MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER
BRIZZLE BOYZ: CAMP KINGZ GRADUATION SHOWCASE £5ADV / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY LIVITY SOUND WITH BEN UFO £12.50 / £14 ADV / 10.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE SUNDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER MOJO'S HAND FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
CANTEEN LATIN SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN PAUL GILBERT £22.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY ACORN TENANTS UNION BENEFIT GIG: FLUX CAPACITORS + HOLLY CARTER MUSIC + GRYM + CORKY & CLAYTON BLIZZARD £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings TUESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER
ACRES + PARTING GIFTS + CAPTIVES £8ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE
OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
WALDO'S GIFT FT JACKSON LAPES FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THE FLAMENCO THIEF FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
OPEN MIC FREE / 8.00PM / GRAIN BARGE
CAMP COPE + WITCHING WAVES £10ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
LAGERSTEIN (AUSTRALIA) £9ADV / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
MALLORY KNOX £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
THE HYPOTHETICS + FEED ME MILK + FALLING FISH £3 / 7.00PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN
SEEDLING SESSIONS: BROOK TATE AND KIARA YORKE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
GIN JAM: OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS
MELODI £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
DEAF FOREVER / / THE OLD ENGLAND
FRUIT MACHINE CYPHER / / MR WOLFS
BEDLAM BOOKINGS PRESENTS: KINGS AND CASTLES £6ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
YEAHRS + JAGWUAR + MORE TBA / 8.00PM / THE OLD ENGLAND ROUND MOUNTAIN GIRLS (AUSTRALIA) + WITCH DOCTOR BLUES BAND + LEON DAYE BAND + THE DUNBARS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT EDWYN COLLINS £20ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
THURSDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER AFTERNOON JAZZ & HIP HOP FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE OLD BABY MACKEREL FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
WEDNESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
BLG & WP: THE VELVETEERS + RAPTER + RIA PLAYS / / CROFTERS RIGHTS
FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
MALEFIC GRIP £7ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
LOS GUSANOS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
CLEARWATER CREEDENCE REVIVAL £18ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
1%: PILE + SANS / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
SNAZZBACK: FULL BAND FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings PTEROGLYPH + SLAVE STEEL £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON LESPECTRE + DOUGLAS JOSHUA + MUMBLE TIDE £5ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA PRETTY CRIMINALS + QUANTOCK ROAD + CUFFS £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
ONIPA £SEE SITE / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY DIZRAELI / / THEKLA IAN PROWSE (PELE/AMSTERDAM) £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT SOFA SOUND: DLR + ULTERIOR MOTIVE + KID DRAMA + THE SAUCE + NUVAMAN + MC GUSTO + MC FOKUS £12 / £15 ADV / 11.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE SATURDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER
NATALIE EVANS + BONNIESONGS + QARIAQ £6ADV / 8:00PM / CAFÉ KINO
HANGOVER CLUB FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
BRASS JUNKIES FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
LOS PULPOS DEL DIABLO FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
FAMILY TREE RECORDS: VINEGAR + THE BRAVE FACES £5ADV / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
DROOGS / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
PETROL GIRLS £8ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
THE EX + ICEMAN FURNISS QUINTET + SLAGHEAP £13ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE £15ADV / 6.30PM / THE FLEECE
SUGAR HORSE + PUNCH ON! + THE ROAD £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
LUKE APPLETON (ICED EARTH) £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
T.REXTASY £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
GRAVY TRAIN & BLG: THE WANTS FREE / 8.00PM / THE LANES
ALTERED BRIDGE £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
IST IST £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
DEPT S : PARKA + PRETTY CRIMINAL £3ADV / 9.00PM / THE LANES
MR CHUBBS GASTRIC BAND / / MR WOLFS
MODERN NATURE £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
KIRRIS RIVIERE BLUES BAND FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
WAITING FOR KATE + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS
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Full Listings THE LEWIS CREAVAN BAND FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE
MONDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER
THE INFERNAL SEA, CRIMSON THRONE, GORGONCHRIST / / THE OLD ENGLAND
SLIM’S BLUES & ROOTS SESSION FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
FEMINISTO £SEE SITE / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
VOYAGER £10ADV / 7.00PM / THE LANES
KOJEY RADICAL / 7.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
PEARL JAM UK £16.50ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY
MARIKA HACKMAN / / THEKLA SUNDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER RICK PAYNE AND GUESTS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE CHORLTON COUNTRY CLUB FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND £12ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE CREED BRATTON £13.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE TAMU MASSIF FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY THE CHESTERFIELDS £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA CATALAN + SUPPORTS £5 ADV / 7.00PM / THE MOTHERS RUIN CLEM BURKE ( BLONDIE) AND THE TEARAWAYS + RYAN HAMILTON AND THE HARLEQUIN GHOSTS + THE ORANGE SKIES £12ADV / / THE THUNDERBOLT SUNDAY SWING FACTORY FREE / 8.00PM / TOBACCO FACTORY
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LIFE / 6.30PM / ROUGH TRADE JOE NICHOLS / / THEKLA TUESDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER OPEN MIC FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE STRINGLE BEATS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN FUR £9ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE ALEX CAMERON £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE CAPTAIN JAMAICA & THE MELLOTONES FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY JAZZ FUNK SOUL SOCIETY / / MR WOLFS STATIC-X £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX WEDNESDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER FRINGE JAZZ FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings JOHNS & NOWAK FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
UBERON (NORWAY) + SEPULCHRE £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
THE SOUND CUPBOARD PWYW / 8.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
SPIELBERGS £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
BIG ZUU + CAPO LEE £8ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
BANGERS & MASH: FRESHERS FUNK AND SOUL NIGHT / / MR WOLFS
WALDO'S GIFT & JOUIS FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY OPEN MIC FREE / 8.00PM / GRAIN BARGE GIN JAM: OPEN STAGE NIGHT / / MR WOLFS FETTY WAP £29.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY THURSDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER OPEN STAGE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE THE GLOBO COLLECTIVE FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN LIVING HOUR FREE / 7.30PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS EMMA RUTH RUNDLE £14ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE BIG NOTHING + DANGERS OF LOVE £7ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE CHON £16ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE SNAZZBACK: OPEN STAGE FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY DEMONICAL (SWEDEN) / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
WIZZARDING / / THE OLD ENGLAND ICE NINE KILLS / / THEKLA CORVID + SUPPORT £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT FRIDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER LIVE MUSIC WITH LEE FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE FOFOULAH FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN HUNKPAPA £11.30INC BF / 8.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS BAMYA + DR. VZX MOIST £5ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE ALEX TALOSSA £10ADV / 11.00PM / EXCHANGE SUSPICIOUSLY ELVIS £16ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT (NETHERLANDS) + SEREGON £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON CASWELL + SWALLOW FALL / / MR WOLFS BRASS JUNKIES FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE 51
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings DEAF FOREVER / / THE OLD ENGLAND
VOLBEAT £32.50ADV / 5.30PM / O2 ACADEMY
REGIME £SEE SITE / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY
RAINBOW GRAVE / / THE OLD ENGLAND
GARDNA / / THEKLA SUPPORT THE SCENE PRESENTS; KILLED BY HOLLYWOOD + TOXIC FISH + FIDGET AND THE TWITCHERS + THE LIABILITIES £4ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT CNCPT X SUB.MISSION £8 - £20 ADV / 10.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
PROM 2019 £10ADV / 10.30PM / OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY ROCKABILLY NIGHT 2: THE JETS + THE CRAWLIN KINGSNAKES + THE DEADSHOTS + THE FIREBIRDS £25ADV / 6.00PM / THE PASSENGER SHED THE NIGHT CAFÉ £13.50ADV / 6.30PM / SWX
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
SYMMETRY RECORDINGS: BREAK - 2 + LTJ BUKEM + BREAKAGE + BOSTON £12 - £16 ADV / 10.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
STATION 2 STATION FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER
LASER LEGS FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
HOT CLUB AND JACK CALLOWAYS BAND FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
STONE COLD FICTION / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
ELLIE GOWERS & ALEX GARDEN FREE / 4.00PM / THE CANTEEN
THE ST PIERRE SNAKE INVASION + CASSELS £7.50ADV / 6.00PM / EXCHANGE
DANNY STARR / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
THE SPECIALS LTD + 2 RUDE £14.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE FETUS CHRIST + ATOMCK + INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE + ORGANCHRIST £5 / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON GRAVY TRAIN & BLG: JULIE’S HAIRCUT / 7.30PM / THE LANES THE BOHEMIAN EMBASSY + SUPPORT / / MR WOLFS FROMAGE EN FEU FREE / 11.00PM / NO. 1 HARBOURSIDE 52
PUNK ROCK AEROBICS £5ADV / 11.30PM / EXCHANGE MARTIN TURNER (WISHBONE ASH) £17.50ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE BINBAG WISDOM FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY TEMPLES / 6.30PM / ROUGH TRADE TOUCHÉ AMORÉ £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings MONDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
MIX MASTER MIKE £12.50 / £15 ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
JAZZ RENDEZ-VOUS FREE / / THE BRISTOL FRINGE
WEDNESDAY 2ND OCTOBER
SNAZZBACK FREE / 9.30PM / THE CANTEEN
JESCA HOOP £16.35 INC BF / 8.00PM / FIDDLERS
AVON TERROR TAKEOVER / 7.00PM / CROFTERS RIGHTS
NONCY KOCHANEK £20ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
RIVERS OF NIHIL £15ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
WALDO'S GIFT: IMPROVISATIONS FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
OPEN MIC: HOSTED BY MIKE DENNIS FREE / 8.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
BLG: PHOBOPHOBES / 7.00PM / THE LANES
SONGSMITH / / MR WOLFS
RICHARD HAWLEY £27.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
KEFAYA AND ELAHA SOORER / 6.30PM / ROUGH TRADE
EARTHGANG / / THEKLA
TUESDAY 1ST OCTOBER
THURSDAY 3RD OCTOBER
RYAN + ROE £13.50 / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
MAISHA £11ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
HIDE + KONTRAVOID £9ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
THE HIDDEN PROMISE + D BATEY £4ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
MANU DELAGO ENSEMBLE £16.35 INC BF / 8.00PM / FIDDLERS
SEA GIRLS £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
SEBADOH £17.50ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
SNAZZBACK FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
MATT WOOSEY AND DAVE SMALL FREE / 9.00PM / THE GALLIMAUFRY
THE MALEFIC GRIP + UNBURIER FREE / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
THE LOTTERY WINNERS £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
THE ALBUM LEAF £20.17 INC BF / 8.00PM / ST GEORGE'S BRISTOL
NEW HOPE CLUB £18.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY RALPH PELLEYMOUNTER / / THEKLA
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see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings FRIDAY 4TH OCTOBER
HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH £39.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
KIKAMORA + NIGHT LASER + ETHYRFIELD £7ADV / 6.30PM / EXCHANGE
SLEEP £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / SWX
FREEDOM! A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE MICHAEL £17.50ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER
BLOXX £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA PIERCE BROTHERS / / THEKLA SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER TUNGZ £8ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE THE EMPERIALS £11ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE HAXAN + IRONY OF FATE (SWITZERLAND) £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON ARCTIC LAKE £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA CHASE ATLANTIC £15ADV / 6.30PM / SWX SUNDAY 6TH OCTOBER SLACKERS + CALL ME MALCOLM £15ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE ORGANEK £25ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE TIDES FROM NEBULA & TIDES OF MAN / 8.00PM / THE LANES THE DUNWELLS £10ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
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THE MURDER CAPITAL £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE GRAVY TRAN & BLG: TRUMANS WATER / 7.00PM / THE LANES TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER SWIM DEEP + PHOEBE GREEN £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE WALTER TROUT £25ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE VALERAS £8ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA CREEP SHOW £17.50ADV / 7.30PM / TRINITY CENTRE WEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER HOUSE OF PHARAOHS £10ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE DAVID FORD £15ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE KOVIC / / THEKLA THURSDAY 10TH OCTOBER PLANET ROCK ROADSTARS + HANNAH WICKLUND & THE STEPPIN STONES + GORILLA RIOT + PISTON £14ADV / 6.30PM / EXCHANGE
see bristolinstereo.com/live-listings for up-to-date events and more
Full Listings EGYPTIAN BLUE £6ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
DIVINE CHAOS + DIVIION £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
BLACK PEAKS £13ADV / 7.30PM / THE FLEECE
BLG: MANDEVILLE FREE / 7.00PM / THE LANES
PEGGY SUE £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
BESS ATWELL £9ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA
BLACK STAR RIDERS £29.50ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
AMBER RUN £15ADV / 6.30PM / SWX
BARNS COURTNEY £13ADV / 7.00PM / TRINITY CENTRE
WHENYOUNG / / THEKLA
FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER
SUNDAY 13TH OCTOBER
CRAIG FINN £22.50ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
INHALER £8ADV / 7.00PM / EXCHANGE
TANKUS THE HENGE £12ADV / 7.00PM / THE FLEECE
LUNG MONEY + DERELICT DREAM + THREE DEAD £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON
DARKFALL (AUSTRIA) £TBC / 7.00PM / THE GRYPHON GRAVY TRAIN & BLG: THE COSMIC DEAD / 7.30PM / THE LANES JOHN £7ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE RASMUS £22.50ADV / 6.30PM / O2 ACADEMY HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS / / THEKLA
CHASTITY BELT / / THEKLA MONDAY 14TH OCTOBER KAWALA £10ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE £12ADV / 7.30PM / THE LOUISIANA THE DIVINE COMEDY £30ADV / 7.00PM / O2 ACADEMY
SUPERSEED + DEEP SEA THIEVES + JET BLACK 3 £6ADV / 7.30PM / THE THUNDERBOLT
JOHN NEWMAN £22ADV / 7.00PM / SWX
SATURDAY 12TH OCTOBER
PIP BLOM / / THEKLA
THE DESTROYERS £13.50ADV / 7.30PM / EXCHANGE
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Live Reviews curated by Jon Kean, Live Editor
SLONK August 10th at Crofters Rights words: Sean Toohey photography: Duncan Cruickshank The Crofters Rights has always seemed a fitting backdrop for the noisier facets of Bristol’s music scene. Having caught Milo’s Planes last month in its cavernous back room, the comparisons between Joe Sherrin’s two flagship projects are easy to note, though surprisingly it’s the differences that take hold. Softer and much more personal than Milo’s, it’s the ability to twitch on the border between wholesome and heavy that generates SLONK’s true appeal. Deep within the compositional structures of these cuts lies an obvious passion for both musical dynamics and lyrical narrative. It allows for an emotional impact that is mirrored perfectly across both sound and word. Letting yourself detach visually from the room offers the opportunity to marvel at just how detailed these progressions can become, often landing with the same mania and fanfare of Titus Andronicus or American Football. This schizophrenic mentality encompasses the very core of SLONK’s existence. This is music about not only facing demons and the importance of self, but also about finding some humour in it all, which in itself seems decidedly human. Nowhere else will you hear a verse burdened with the weight of Dylan or Elliott Smith, only to be blindsided by the ambivalence and sarcasm of Green Day or Weezer. 56
In essence, the ragged and lofty smatters of guitar looming beneath infectiously memorable vocal hooks bear testament to the belief that self-doubt and negativity is all so unimportant really. We should just be having a laugh about it. Somewhere in these intentionally-jagged waves of percussive wit lies the sound of community. Looking around at the faces beaming, both from the crowd and the stage itself, tells me that I’m not the only one that feels it. With a new EP released alongside recent single, ‘Holidays’, there is little doubt of SLONK slowing down any time soon. I challenge anybody to catch this band and leave with anything less than a smile.
Football FC August 2nd at The Golden Lion words: Lorenzo Ottone photography: Jonny Nolan There are many interesting lessons one could learn from going to see Football FC. The first, of a sociological nature, tells us that Andy Bennet’s studies claiming that old punks tend to stand at the bottom of venues sipping pints, is totally wrong. Especially at The Golden Lion, where not only do they join youngsters front-stage, but they also mosh insanely. The second lesson is that whenever there are copious mature punters waiting outside the venue, you’re in for a treat. Football FC may well be a fresh band, but their skills and tight sound justify the hype that has quickly built up around them. Inevitably drawing comparisons to IDLES and Heavy Lungs, Football FC prove that punk remains in vogue. Don’t let these parallels draw you back or tick the cliché box. Football FC are an ecstatic turmoil, a turbulent experience going beyond punk, sometimes bordering on hardcore and topped by solid lyric-writing skills.
Labels often defy their purpose, so the band comes to our aid with the self-definition of ‘spunk’ which captures the unpredictable nature of their performance – from members of the audience joining the act on stage for a song, to an unsolicited stage invasion by an over-enthusiastic fan high-fiving the drummer. Just when you thought the gig couldn’t get more absurd, Football FC’s bass player sits down, back to the amp, nailing notes on his instrument. You may think it’s the Saigonforest-like humidity of the room not forgiving his choice of wearing a flannel shirt in August, or a nihilist pose justified by the crowd of hip kids squeezing to the front to snap him with their cameras. When it becomes clear that a plastic bucket has been positioned next to the main mic stand, everyone quickly realises what it’s destined to contain. It’s an unusual peak to a show. Once they’ve lost a band member, there’s no chance of an encore. Who needs one though, after witnessing the punkiest live experience for quite some time? Find full reviews and more at: bristolinstereo.com 57
Thoughts ... by Jon Kean Deputy / Live Editor – Bristol in Stereo
Music with a Message ... It’s not that long since music lovers were rather sceptical about songs with a ‘message’ and lyricists who took up any of our precious listening time to promote any sort of worthy lesson. Being advised/told what to do or think by our pop stars was all a bit sententious, just a bit too Bono. Yet popular music has modelled plenty of healthy philosophy over the years. Let us not forget Whitney Houston sounding millennial back in 1986, mindfully advising us that “Learning to love yourself can be the greatest love of all,” the less confrontational equivalent of Joe Talbot growling “If they spoke to you, like you do to you,/ I’d put their teeth through. Love yourself,” on IDLES’ ‘Television’. There can’t be many more divisive figures in pop history than Michael Jackson. When he sang ‘Earth Song’ in 1996 at the BRIT Awards, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker was suitably irked to invade the stage, bend over and make a wafting 58
gesture from his (clothed) arse. Yet if you take the lyrics on face value, they ask pertinent questions about how we mistreat our environment and what hope we’re likely to leave for our children. You could feasibly hear, “I used to glance beyond the stars,/ Now I don’t know where we are,/ Although I know we’ve drifted far,” set to a much different beat, coming from a less questionable mouth and think, “I’m with you, brother,” rather than some manifestation of the phrase, “Go away sharply.” 70s punk was predominantly ‘smash the state’. Now, so much of it is ‘smash the (unhealthy) state of mind’ or ‘smash the (unfair) status quo’. Rap too often used to harbour tedious materialism and objectification of women. Now we can hear Kate Tempest’s compassionate social comment, “And yes our children are brave,/ But their mission is vague” on ‘People’s Faces’ or Loyle Carner model unconditional love and modern masculinity towards an imaginary little sister on ‘Florence’. It’s hard to deny that we live in curious, cartoonish, adrift times politically, personally and socially, so maybe it’s no surprise that we’re more willing to receive such direct societal, spiritual or ethical messages from our musical artists. Maybe we’ve reached an impasse where the environmental and mental health of the world means we can’t shrug off these messages anymore. Maybe we used to object to the deliverer more than what they said. This wisdom now comes from very different performers at earlier stages of their careers, within the context of a changed industry where success does not bring unreachable wealth. It makes artists sound more like us, their words more genuine. Popular music’s role is shifting from diversion towards direction, and when you’re lost, why not let someone show you where to go?
The Gallimaufry
Waldo’s Gift
Out of this world musicianship combines Hip-hop, Math, Jazz, Groove & Electronica
4 Sept ~ Waldo’s Gift: Open Collaboration
Waldo’s Gift open the stage to musicians who wish to join them in the spirit of improvisation and the free flow of ideas
11 Sept ~ Waldo’s Gift Rework: ABBA
Mamma Mia! A night paying tribute to the Swedish pop four
18 Sept ~ Waldo’s Gift ft. Jackson Lapes
Expert percussionist and Worm Disco Founder
25 Sept ~ Waldo’s Gift & JOUIS Brighton based psychedelic trio
thegallimaufry.co.uk
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Photo: Ania Shrimpton
in Bristol
with Rob McGee @ Hy-Brasil When did you move to Bristol? I moved back to Bristol in 2011. Who’s your top Bristol artist at the moment? Wych elm, INDIGOs, No Violet, Kate Stapley, Harvey Causon & Black Flies. Tell us your go-to places to eat and drink. Vegan Oowee, Left Handed Giant, Small Bar, Hy-Brasil (RIP), The Canteen, Exchange, Wild Beer & Loose Cannon who do the BEST Bloody Mary, aka The Brexit Mary What’s the best way to spend a day here? Pull up a bit of concrete on the river with some drinks around Arnolfini/Wapping Wharf. Enjoying some of the many festivals we have on during summer: D2D, The Downs, Love Saves The Day, Harbour Festival, Redfest & Balloon Fiesta among others… Enjoying some of the beautiful walks we have around the city and discovering some new hidden gems. Even in the rain, this city is a beauty to explore. What’s your favourite thing about the city? You can walk just about anywhere and it’s full of legends. We’re a creative city and we’re filled with independents and so many likeminded people. There’s a lot of support and love in this city, I think - we’re very lucky here. And your least favourite? Bristol City Council. The enforcement officers. The increasing amount of homelessness in
the city which is incredibly sad to see. The lack of housing for people in the city but increasing amount for students. I’d love to see the council spend their time and efforts on helping the homeless and creating more affordable housing. Any top venues? All of them - literally. They’re fairly hard to fault and the more the merrier! Every venue in Bristol has some history and offers something slightly different. Any last words for the Bristol faithful from Hy-Brasil? A huge amount of thanks to Matt Aitken, Rory Garraway, Nick Meadows, Luke Boast, Harry Stirland, all the bar staff teams that have circulated through the STB era and the short-lived HB era, every promoter and artist that has used the venue since day dot and to every person that has walked through those front doors. I hope that on September 28th, everyone comes to the venue to celebrate the very last live show within the Start The Bus / Hy-Brasil walls - it’s going to be one hell of a send-off for this venue. Hy-Brasil’s final show on 28th September is a Crosstown Concerts presentation by arrangement with The Empire Agency, featuring THUMPER, No Violet, INDIGOs and Black Flies, with special guest DJs throughout the night. 61
Behind Every Musician
@WeAreTheMU
New School vol.2
ert.indd 1
the free Bristol label download 2018/19
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bristolinstereo.com/newschool
10/05/2
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