Nitelife November 2019 by NITELIFE

N OV 2019 . I S S U E : 142 . F RE E DOCUMENTING BRISTOLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NIGHTLIFE CULTURE SINCE 2007

The Best UK Stand Up Comedy in Bristol

promotes

Operating since 1994

1994

25 YEARS OF OPERATION 21 YEARS AT THE HEN & CHICKEN

2019

STAND UP FOR THE WEEKEND TOP UK CIRCUIT STAND UP COMEDIANS IN BRISTOL'S BEST VENUE FOR LIVE COMEDY THE HEN & CHICKEN STUDIO, 210 North St, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1JF FRIDAY 1 NOV 8PM £13.00

AHIR SHAH

SAT 2 NOV 8.30PM £12 ADV/ £14 OTD*/ £15 DOOR UK T OUR

FRI 8 NOVEMBER 8PM £13 UK T OUR

NIGEL NG

STUART

DOTS

with TANIA EDWARDS

END OF

Ahir Shah is on tour again with his signature blend of philosophical inquiry, personal examination, and real fun jokes. "A blazing talent" Daily Telegraph

Malaysian comic Nigel Ng started his comedy career in Chicago, quickly developing an impressive delivery with very strong routines. "Natural funnybones" Chortle

Stuart Goldsmith is back with a comic odyssey on how it works out in the end, and whether anyone cares. Intelligent stand-up comedy for everybody. "Truly a comedy masterclass" The List

SAT 9 NOV 8.30PM £12 ADV/ £14 OTD*/ £15 DOOR

SAT 16 NOV 8.30PM £12 ADV/ £14 OTD*/ £15 DOOR

ANDREW LAWRENCE

TOM WARD

with NAOMI COOPER

with JOHN LYNN

Misanthropic observational comedian Andrew Lawrence returns to headline with his trademark self-deprecating navel gazing. "Highly articulate and deeply sour" The Spectator

Tom Ward is a unique and genuinely exciting act, oozing confidence from every pore, with quirky, original sideways looks at life. "Staggeringly Impressive" The Herald

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 8PM £17

SAT 23 NOV 8.30PM £12 ADV/ £14 OTD*/ £15 DOOR UK T OUR

GOLDSMITH

TUES 19 NOVEMBER 8PM £13.50

TOP FLIGHT TIME MACHINE LIVE PODCAST Andy Dawson and Sam Delaney’s highly-acclaimed podcast is finally re-imagined as a theatrical experience. "Like a post-football conversation with two witty friends" The Observer

SAT 30 NOV 8.30PM £12 ADV/ £14 OTD*/ £15 DOOR UK T OUR

JOE

PAUL

HEROES OF HOOCH

with JAKE LAMBERT

with GEORGE ZACH

The Thinking Drinkers return with an hilarious and intoxicating look at history’s greatest drinkers. "Pioneers of alcohol based comedy" Sunday Times

With a caustic and catty wit, Joe Sutherland has taken the UK comedy circuit by the balls. "Oozing star power from every pore." Daily Mirror

Paul McCaffrey’s storytelling is utterly unique and never anything less than gut-bustlingly hilarious. "The relaxed, assured confidence of a stadium filler" Chortle

THE THINKING DRINKERS

TUE 3 & WED 4 DECEMBER 8PM £13

SUTHERLAND

SAT 14 DECEMBER 8.30PM £13 ADV/ £15 OTD*

MARK THOMAS

PATRICK MONAHAN

50 THINGS ABOUT US (work-in-progress)

with ELLIOT STEEL

Political comedian Mark Thomas examines how we have come to inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom.

Patrick Monahan blends a high energy comedy style with hilarious and engaging topical and observational material. "A force of nature" London Evening Standard

McCAFFREY

SAT 21 DECEMBER 8.30PM £13 ADV/ £15 OTD*

THE OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS SHOW with DAMIAN CLARK & GEORGE LEWIS

Aussie firebrand Damian Clark tells rapid-fire jokes with a delivery resembling a Gatling gun. "Hilariously surreal… Amazing" The Scotsman

* ADV = Advance booking online/ OTD = On The Day online

See more / book online: THECOMEDYBOX.CO.UK

ISSUE 142

Heavy Lungs 24-25 Energy is a huge point in our sound and everything else.

NOVEMber 19 HIGHLIGHTS Our top gigs and clubnights this month 20-23

WORDS

Aurora 30-31 I think I would become sick without music. I don’t think I would have a good time on this planet.

Heavy Lungs 24 Selecta J-Man 28 Aurora 30 Win a Minirig 3 33 Portico Quartet 34 Quantic 36 Behind the scenes: Mr Wolfs 38 Drinks with London Elektricity 66

LIVE & CLUB LISTINGS

Full event listings this month 45-63

DRINKS GUIDE

Bristol’s favourite watering holes 70-76

London Elektricity 66-69 I poured far more of myself into it than any other album I’ve ever made. I’ve taken no prisoners and made no compromises.

Cover image: Dominika Scheibinger

BLUESHIFT # 4 - KANEDA RECORDS -

W I T H D R A W N B I R T H M A R K - COLD LIGHT MUSIC -

22 33 RR DD NN OO VV 11 99 22 22 00 00 -- 00 33 00 00

NEEK

- BANDULU / YOUNG ECHO -

SNTNL & MIDDLEMAN -BLUESHIFT RESIDENTS-

TT HH EE OO L D EE NN GG LL AA N D

140 | DUBSTEP | INDUSTRIAL | HIP HOP

Wave Promotions Presents

with support from

Â£11

TICKETS ON SALE

8PM

FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER

NOVEMber Highlights Words: Brad Penhaligon

AMY: a tribute to Amy Winehouse A treasured musician in the UK who dominated the billboards. Witness the 8-piece tribute band AMY deliver a breath-taking rendition of Winehouse classics with their own special imprint that show such elegant attention to detail. 1 November // 7pm – 10:30pm // £12.50 // The Fleece

Eskimo Dance Halloween Bristol The legends of grime assemble for a truly ginormous lineup at the O2 Academy for the Eskimo Dance Halloween party. Catch the likes of JME, Novelist, Big Zuu, and a special guest still to be announced alongside the godfather himself, Wiley. 2 November // 10pm – 4am // £19.50 // O2 Academy

Spooky Party A freaky feast of all kinds with delicious Italian food, as well as house and disco with the likes of Si Lindley, Ray Von, Si Dan and Ivanhoe all helping to keep you dancing until your costume tears. 2 November // 8pm – 12am // Free // To the Moon

10000 Russos A Portuguese modern psychedelic band who are a force to be reckoned with, they have taken the world of psych and punk by storm, and are heading to Bristol to spread the fever. They’re supported by local group Ego Death Star who will have some energy of their own to deliver. 4 November // 7:30pm – 10:30pm // £8 // The Crofters Rights

Bristol Jazz & Blues Festival Launch Party Kicking off the festival in style with some of the finest in Bristols jazz and blues scene including James Morton, Denny Ilett, Ian Matthews and Jonny Henderson, as well as an exclusive performance from a legend in the UK funk scene, Dennis Rollins. 7 November // 8pm – 11pm // Free // Bambalan

Bonnacons of Doom An elusive Liverpudlian collective with monstrous riffs and demonic rhythm who have put their own stamp on heavy psych. They head to Bristol with a host of guests to give you a firsthand experience of their brutal sound. 8 November // 7:30pm – 9:45pm // £8 // The Lanes

The Rin Tins They’ve played at practically every festival under the sun. Keeping feet firmly on the dancefloor wherever they go, Combining funky jazz rhythm with high energy gypsy swing. Accompanied by Punch the Sky, a world rock party band with great versatility. 8 November // 8pm - 11pm // £11 // Exchange

Sinkane A Sudanese-American musician who’s work tells a moving story, with a blend of krautrock, electronica and funk rock with inspiration from all around the world, witness him tell his story of finding where he belongs, as he did in his most recent album, Dépaysé. 8 November // 7:30pm – 11pm // £11.99 // Trinity Centre

Category is… Hun Pride They’ve described it as their biggest line-up ever. The Category Is team are bringing the very best of the international and local cabaret scene with Ru Paul Drag Race UK contestant Baga Chipz, Lauren Harries and X Factor legend Kelly Peakman, hosted by Alyssa Van Delle. 9 November // 10pm - 2am // £15 // The Old Market Assembly

YXNG BANE A rapper/singer from East London who specialises in infusing genres such as rap, R&B and dancehall, his 2018 releases Any Minute Now alongside D-Block Europe and HBK both achieved great success on streaming sites. 9 November // 10:30pm – 4am // £6 – £10 // SWX

Green King Cuts + Ras Kayleb out’a Channel One Green King Cuts are bringing Ras Kayleb to Bristol’s favourite cellar for a night of soundsystem action with some bass heavy reggae and dub, expect only the biggest and baddest vibes. 9 November // 9pm – 4am // £3 – £4 // Cosies

In:Motion Tenth Birthday with Lil Louis Celebrating the tenth birthday of In:Motion, the team have put together a lineup that rightly justifies the occasion. With Lil Louis ‘the founding father of house’ headlining and DJs Carista and Manami in support, expect a birthday party that will go down in history. 9 November // 10pm – 5am // £10 // Motion

Epic Flow Records Presents: Live in da Hive An allstar BIMM lineup of talent across multiple genres head to Rough Trade for Epic Flow’s first term party of the year, with special guest MC FIYRO bringing the lyrics all evening. The first 50 people to buy tickets will receive a free wristband for the after party at Basement 45, so be sure to lock into this event asap. 11 November // 7:30pm – 11pm // £3 // Rough Trade

Chef De Party A No. 51s favourite, the chef will be whipping up a dish of funk, hip hop and disco with enough for everyone. Going on until the early hours of the morning, so leave some room after your dinner. 13 November // 10pm – 3am // Free // No. 51 Stokes Croft

History of UK Pirate Radio The glory days of the UKs urban genres, where it all began. Head to Thekla for a history lesson that you won’t fall asleep in, with pirate radio legend and pioneer Spooky headlining a night of underground dance music, expect jungle, grime, funky and garage. 13 November // 10pm – 3am // £3 – £4 // Thekla

Carla dal Forno An experimentalist from Melbourne, Australia with an elegant voice. Her forthcoming album Look Up Sharp is a new chapter for her, as she veers more towards the realms of psychedelia and post – punk on her hypnotic journey that stops off at Bristol on the way. 14 November // 7:30pm – 11pm // £10 // Exchange

Abacaxi: DJ La Rumba Samba to afoxé, forró to carimbó, this DJ has all of the rhythms down to a tee. Bringing Brazil to the moon, catch DJ La Rumba showcase a night of the finest Latino sounds to bring you something different to your Saturday night. 16 November // 8pm – 12am // Free // To the Moon

Mahalia She has enjoyed great success in the last few years, with her first COLORS performance receiving 35 million views on YouTube, and her debut album receiving rave reviews. Catch her at the O2 Academy as part of her Love and Compromise tour. 18 November // 7pm – 11pm // £17 // O2 Academy

NOVEMber Highlights Words: Brad Penhaligon

Ocean Wisdom A truly mesmerising lyricist who’s stolen Eminems title as the ‘fattest rapper’, he can seamlessly switch between grime, trap and hip hop, and he heads on tour as part of his Big Talk tour following the release of his mixtape on his new label Beyond Measure Records. 18 November // 7pm – 11pm // £16.50 // Marble Factory

Colston Hall Presents: The Howl & The Hum A fourpiece gutair group compared to Massive Attack and Alt – J. They’ve worked their way to the top through grafting at open mic nights and small UK tours supporting some of their idols. They now have their own headline tour where they’ll get the attention they deserve. 19th November // 7:30pm - 11pm // £10.90 // Exchange

Lucky Chops A group who rose to stardom through going viral from their subway performance mashup of Funkytown and James Brown’s I Feel Good, but they are much more than a covers band. Their funky, fiery, dance music-influenced material will bring an infectious party atmosphere. 19 November // 7pm – 10pm // £19.80 // Fiddlers

Maverick Sabre His 2012 album Lonely are the Brave was an instant hit, and he worked alongside the likes of Chase and Status, Professor Green and Jorja Smith, The English-Irish singer/songwriter is known for this achy voice and emotional lyrics, with strong hip hop influences. 20 November // 7pm – 11pm // £20.09 // SWX

Joshua Blackmore His new project promises synth and drum chaos, Joshua Blackmore brings his ‘retrofutristic’ sound to Bristol following the release of SiZE, with a supporting set from Tom Cawley to get things warmed up 21 November // 9:30pm - 12:30am // Free // The Canteen

Lee Scratch Perry Known for being a notoriously eccentric and colourful figure, the original disco devil and highly influential reggae hero heads to Bristol again to perform some of his fan favourites, be prepared for lots of energy despite his aging frame. 21 November // 7:30pm – 11pm // £23 // The Fleece

YEEZY: A night of Kanye West Love him or hate him, a night of Kanye West bangers is always going to go down a treat! With too many anthems to choose from, Gold Digger to American Boy, expect a night as unpredictable as his tweets and Temprement. 21 November // 10pm – 3am // £3 // The Lanes

The Bottle presents: TALK SHOW + Support An integral part of the dark new wave of punk in South East London, Talk show headline their first ever show with support from talents Damefrisør, and Sapphire Blues, who complete the fiery lineup. Expect nothing short of carnage. 22 November // 7pm – 11pm // £4 // The Crofters Rights

Ruffneck Ting Takeover the Attic Part 16 A night of the rudest bass and rhythms with sets from residents including Dazee, Soundgyal Saff, guest performances from Erbman and Euphonique, and an exclusive live PA from Ruffneck ting Co-founder Markee Ledge ft. Jakes. 22 November // 9pm – 2am // £4 // Full Moon & Attic Bar

The Pocket Sessions This monthly Sunday night residency brings together an elegant mix of rare groove and live electronic beats. A family jam of original music, perfect for wrapping up your weekend and kick starting your week. 24 November // 8pm - 12am // Free // Gallimaufry

Dana Gavanski After living in Belgrade, learning more about traditional Balkan folk music and playing shows, Dana has returned to the studio to record her debut full-length album. Joined by Snails, a local experimental pop band who create effortlessly charming tunes. 25 November // 7:30pm – 10:30pm // £8 // Grain Barge

CLEWS CLEWS consist of a creative couple of sisters from the land down under, the result of their rock’n’roll childhood is an impressive reputation in their home country, they now want to prove themselves on our shores with their heart tingling voices. 26 November // 7pm – 11pm // £8.80 // Crofters Rights

Hip Hop Coffee Shop Sessions #9 After 8 shows that have blown the roof off of every venue they have touched down in, the beat baristas are inviting VRBL Records, consisting of Gabriel Waves, Yung Toro, and Fabien Darcy for another caffeine-fuelled night of chaos. 29 November // 7pm – 11pm // £3 –£6 // Boston Tea Party, Stokes Croft

Hippo A future jazz vision buried in a nest of beefy electronics and bouncing rhythms. Saxophones, synthesisers and drums go in, hippo comes out. Prudent Primate are an able provider of support for this night that promises to be exciting. 29 November // 11pm - 3am // £3 – £4 // Mr. Wolfs

Jungle Cakes Boat Party All aboard for this one as the Jungle Cakes crew are back again with Ed Solo and Deekline heading up a line-up that also includes Jessi G and the local Hold Tight Records crew on the top deck. 29 November // 10pm – 4am // £5 – £8 // Thekla

Community Disc-Os Groove your way out of November in style with the gang from Community Disc-Os, a Bristol record label supporting the local scene and releasing disco edits from some of the city’s finest selectors. 30 November // 11pm – 3am // £3 – £5 // The Crofters Rights

The Inexplicables Heading to Bristol for the first time, The Inexplicables bring their eclectic mashup of jungle, hip hop and reggae to a venue that welcomes it like no other. Be sure to catch the support from wicked lyricists Binbag Wisdom as well as Octo Pi and Trafic MC. 30 November // 8pm – 2am // £4 // Full Moon & Attic Bar

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) Regardless of what you want to call them, be safe in knowing that the American dancepunk band will be delivering a hectic night that will leave their peculiar name lodged in your brain for life. Expect to hear some tracks from their latest release, Wallop. 30 November // 7pm – 11pm // £16.88 // Trinity Centre

local talent

heavy lungs PLAYING THEIR FIRST GIG A LITTLE UNDER TWO YEARS AGO, POSTPUNK OUTFIT HEAVY LUNGS ARE ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT RISING BANDS OF 2019 – AND RIGHTLY SO.

Brought together in 2017 by lead singer and common denominator Danny Nedelko – the real-life subject of IDLES’ pro-immigrant anthem – Heavy Lungs are frontman Danny, drummer George Garratt, bassist James Minchall and guitarist Oliver Southgate. Although pretty much fresh from the womb as a foursome, after supporting their good friends on a completely sold out UK tour last year, Heavy Lungs began selling out their own headline shows around the country almost immediately. They’ve now brought us three excellent EPs and are in the midst of a 24-date UK and European tour. Heavy Lungs may have been given an early platform, but it’s certainly one they were deserving of. With a central theme of self worth in an industry blighted with imposter syndrome, it’s tempting to think of Measure in terms of pressure as a band to live up to the hype surrounding them since conception. However, it’s a much more general statement about self love, Heavy Lungs guitarist Oliver tells us. ‘It’s a universal thing, it’s not just about us in a band. It’s about realising what you’ve got and what you’re good at, being positive with your own skillset and not putting yourself down too much.

the moment you expect anything is when you expect too much ‘It’s about being human beings in this day and age, dealing with the things in your head and not bottling them up. It’s about looking inwards, but looking inward in a positive way. And not comparing yourself to everything else all time – as a band, that’s a huge thing. Every band either gets compared to another band, or they’ll do it themselves. In the writing process, no matter what you do, there’s usually something that you think sounds a bit like that band, or that song. We tend to try and quickly get rid of that, because there’s no point in dwelling on it. Otherwise it will destroy the song, or even the band itself.’ As well as filtering out self doubt as individuals, Heavy Lungs also had to learn quickly how to trust themselves as a band. Not afforded the usual grace period to refine their sound on the live circuit, Heavy Lungs found themselves in an unusual position as a brand new band with a disproportionate audience. A pressure they overcame by ‘the feeling that we were in it together’ says Oliver. Now on their third release, a sense of finesse is the only major notable difference in Heavy Lungs’ sound. They haven’t let the overthinking that could come with bigger stages, bigger expectations and the eyes of the media get in their own way Fortunately, Danny’s hunch that his three friends would make magic together was right and the Heavy Lungs sound fell into place quite naturally. In fact, three of the songs on the Abstract Thoughts EP came out of their first practice session, Oliver tells us. ‘From the start, we had a goal to be a bit heavier than what was around us at the time, without being a metal band or whatever. Energy is a huge point in our sound and everything else, but now our energy comes through in more of a controlled or more thought out way.’ In terms of writing too, while their debut EP was a collection of their best songs at the time, Measure presents a small but perfectly formed, rounded project. Opening with a minute and a half of bleeps, noise and distortion before the rhythm kicks in, Heavy Lungs set us up for a non-passive listening experience from the get go. 24

local talent

At the moment it’s an open plain

‘The intro piece is about four or five guitar parts that I put together and looped and reversed and everything else. It’s a reflection of our live show, as we don’t really like to go on and start a song and before you know it, the song is over. We like to ease people in a bit, whether it’s noise or an actual thought-out thing. ‘It’s also a sense of bookending, because it’s a very similar to the end of the last track. Almost like a prologue, it opens it up and then goes straight in.’ Once you’ve been eased in, Measure demonstrates tight songwriting and a comprehensive musical unit. From the particularly catchy (A Bit of a) Birthday, to the balladic T.O.T.B, Heavy Lungs have truly stepped up a gear, even since February’s Straight to CD EP. Radio-ready hits are sandwich by the EP’s opening and closing tracks, which more powerfully conjure Heavy Lungs’ stage presence and live energy. Measure serves up, as intended, the listening experience of a mini album. In the not too distant past, Bristol was thought of almost exclusively as a hub for electronic music. Heavy Lungs are part of a wider paradigm shift that’s now seeing loud, live bands getting recognition. IDLES no doubt played a huge part in drawing ears this way, but those great bands were already here for those open ears to discover. ‘I think the main thing in Bristol is having an audience for it and people that help facilitate it. In a lot of cities, people can put gigs on and there’s good bands, but there’s no one to come and watch. Whether it’s because there’s not enough promotion for it, or there’s not enough transport to get to the gigs. ‘Bristol is such an easy place to get around, you can pretty much walk across the whole city in not much time at all. There’s loads of different bands around all the time, different gigs going on, and people that are just kind and welcome other bands in with arms wide. ‘People love to play in Bristol, because they get a good welcome. All the venues are good and the crowds are good, so that’s what makes it thrive.’ While no one could have predicted the uncompromised success IDLES have had, with a UK number 5 charting album, as well as BRIT and Mercury Prize nominations in the past year, Oliver is hopeful about the popular music climate in general. There is room at the top for non-conforming artists in a way that we haven’t seen in years. ‘These days, there’s always a curveball. If you look at someone like Billie Eilish, if you listen to her and put that in context to other stuff at the moment, it sounds really new and weird. But it’s massive. ‘IDLES are a good example. A lot of it is down to their work ethic as well, they’ve got great songs, but their work ethic helped them get themselves to a point where people were listening. At the moment, it’s an open plain really. ‘At the same time, we have our own limitations, because I think you need them sometimes. You can’t have every tool in the box, every brush in the paint box, and just do whatever you want all the time – because then nothing will ever be finished or you’ll never be happy with anything. ‘We know what we like as our core thing, and I think we’re getting to a point where we know what our sound is. Largely because the four of us know each other more – that was our growing stage. Everyone knew Danny, but no one else knew each other really, so it was a complete fresh start from the first practice. But I think we’ve got to a point where we know our strengths and we know each other. Sometimes it’s a case where someone might write something because they know the other person will like it – it’s all about give and take between us. ‘We’re so grateful for where we are. When we go to a new city and we’re not playing to five people, it’s pretty amazing. We’ve all been in bands before where it’s the more standard thing of: you play in a new place, you don’t expect much. ‘Though we still don’t really expect anything, I think the moment you expect anything is when you expect too much. We are just grateful for what we have and what we have lined up in the future – that’s enough to tide us over and keep us happy.’ Fans, on the other hand, can set expectations high. Heavy Lungs close their Measure tour with a sold-out show at Thekla this month. They broke out a raffle mid-show at their last Bristol gig and Oliver hints they may line up something special for this show too; as well as ‘probably a lot of volume. It will probably be really hot. George will probably have his shirt off.’

Words: Rachel Morris Photos: Dominika Scheibinger Heavy Lungs live: 16 November, Thekla heavylungsband.com 25

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Selecta J-Man live: 8 November, Attic Bar bornonroad.bandcamp.com @SelectaJMan

20 questions

with

Selecta J-Man Part of the beauty of drum and bass is its constantly evolving sound, with new producers and DJs coming through and adding their own flavour to the massive melting pot. Selecta J-Man is another talented producer to come out of Bristol with a distinct, identifiable sound. Reminiscent of old school jungle, but with the dark twist that is so prominent in the modern sound – and a healthy dose of dancehall too. Last month, he dropped his new 5-track EP Round Here via Born on Road, having recently joined the core ranks of the DIY drum and bass label and collective. He’s also just collaborated on a track with Joe Ariwa and the legendary General Levy for their Win EP and is currently working on new material with The Ragga Twins – Selecta J-Man’s trajectory is pointing firmly upward. Despite rising to prominence recently, he’s not a newcomer, with releases dating back nearly a decade. He brings a wealth of experience to his regular DJ sets across the city and beyond, including an Attic Bar date this month supporting Kenny Ken – and have no doubt he has a USB packed with delicious dubs.

Who are your top three acts right now? For drum and bass, Break - his set on The Lion’s Den at Boomtown this year was one of the highlights of my summer. Dancehall is probably Popcaan - I’ve had his latest album Forever basically on repeat since it came out. And Gardna he just put out the sickest debut album full of amazing tunes with some serious features. Which song by another artist most inspires you? It’s really hard for me to pick one song, but pretty much any production from Sly and Robbie – a Jamaican rhythm section and production duo – inspires me massively. Dancehall is a big influence in my music, Especially the 80s and early 90s stuff, when music technology was advancing and artists were getting experimental with production, synths, drum machines, etc. First piece of music you bought? I can’t remember exactly, but I was really into grunge when I was a kid so likely a Nirvana record or something like that. Most recent? Envy by Bou on V Recordings. Who is or was the most underrated artist, in your opinion? A friend of mine, Sleepy Time Ghost. He runs Unit 137 Studio in London. Every time I visit him, he shows me a good few albums’ worth of crazy good music. He’s recently started a new label called Bun Dem Out Records with Daddy Freddy. Underrated is an understatement.

It’s 3am and the party is winding down, what track do you play to get everyone going again? Right now I’ve got a bootleg of You Got the Love by AC13, which never fails to go off – hands in the air every time. Do you listen to any music you think would surprise people? I don’t actually listen to that much drum and bass, which might be a bit of a surprise… I mostly listen to dancehall and reggae. I also like bassline. As a child, what did you want to be when you grow up? I always wanted to be a musician, that’s for sure. Although I think back then the idea was more to be a guitarist in a band - I wasn’t really into drum and bass then. But I’m happy with how things have turned out. What was the last book you read? I’m not a big reader to be honest, although I made a start on David Rodigan’s autobiography last month. Most recent binge watch? Peaky Blinders. Smashed season five last Sunday. Life motto?

an injured squirrel home last week and we considered keeping it, before we decided he’d be better off back in the wild. He’s come back to visit though. Tea or coffee? Strong coffee in the morning before anything. I’m into herbal teas though too. Minimalism or maximalism? Bit of both, I like to keep things simple but I’m also a bit of a hoarder. Pet peeve? Manners. It’s not hard to be nice. What do you wish you’d known when you were younger? How much admin is actually involved in being a full time musician. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Not to overcomplicate things. Tell us something people don’t generally know about you... I used to run a removals business called Move Armada. What is your oldest possession?

Send it.

Maybe my guitar. I’ve had it for about 14 years.

Cats or dogs?

What are you doing tomorrow?

I’ve got a perfectly normal, healthy obsession with cats. I’m the guy that stops in the street to talk to random cats. Dogs are cool too though, I really like animals in general. My girlfriend brought

Tomorrow I’m meeting my mum for coffee in the morning, then I’ve got a recording session with The Ragga Twins for a new project on our label Born on Road with one of our new artists, Gray.

Words: Brad Penhaligon Photos: @thefotomatic

preview

there is no finish line when you create

preview

AURORA DANISH SINGER AND PRODUCER AURORA IS LEADING A GLOBAL TRIBE OF WARRIORS IN THE BATTLE FOR A BETTER WORLD.

Growing up in relative isolation in the woodlands of Os, Norway; singer and producer Aurora Aksnes weaves an ethereal yet battle-ready brand of dreamy pop music that is connecting with a growing fanbase across the globe. If on the surface her subject matter conjures Nordic fairytale-style images of wolves, moonlight and flowing rivers; it’s her surprising juxtaposition of emotional vulnerability and warrior-like resolution that has resonated with a world, at least in part, concerned with mindfulness, social and environmental responsibility – and ready to change for the better.

‘I have so much music in my head all the time – every second of every day, I’m always making an album. The second I released Step 2, I started on my next one, even though it was midnight. I’m always in the process of making a new baby and then I find it really distracting to listen to music. It almost becomes noisy, even though it’s beautiful. ‘I listen to Enya, because she’s very reliable, she gives my brain calmness. I listen to her when I’m on an airplane, because they’re noisy, I like to replace the airplane or airport noise with music. So I like to listen to Enya – and heavy metal’ she adds.

Aurora’s latest project comes in two parts or, more tellingly, steps. Aurora doesn’t shy away from a singular message. Rather than leaving her work open to interpretation, Aurora is happy to say that her music is instructive.

Shut off from outside influence, firstly by circumstance and now by choice, if a modern day artist was ever born to music, surely it’s Aurora. Since childhood, music has been a very natural way for her to translate emotion.

2018’s Infections of a Different Kind – Step 1 and summer’s A Different Kind of Human – Step 2 are ‘two parts of one emotional process’ Aurora explains. ‘They’re related, but they’re different steps on the way – different steps that you have to take to end up where I want you to end up emotionally.

‘I never wanted to be famous, I didn’t want to do anything with the music, I just really enjoyed writing and making music. It was something I knew from a very young age. It made me feel very powerful and in control – and also without control.

‘Step 1 is way more individual and personal, while Step 2 is more political and it’s more about looking around you and seeing what you can offer the world. You have to see what you can offer yourself first and become a warrior for yourself, and then you should become a warrior for the world and for everyone that needs you out there. ‘Step 1 was kind of a gift from me to the fans I already had. I wanted to release it as a surprise, so that my fans would be the first ones to hear it, rather than reading reviews in the papers. And then Step 2 has fuelled my fans in a really, really fun way. I can see them all. I feel like all of my fans are such kind and wonderful people, and many of them share in common with me how it feels to be an underdog. So it becomes a very instinctive thing to fight for anything else that is an underdog in this world. ‘A Different Kind of Human – Step 2 is about standing up for everything we love and believe in. So it’s been really fun to see them grow more passionate about the situations and the world that we would all like to change. We’re all a part of that change, because it’s obviously up to the individuals now.’ While most of us find inspiration in musical or artistic reference points from what has come before, Aurora finds a muse in herself and in nature. To such point, in fact, that she doesn’t like listening to music, which becomes like a noisy distraction from the music that’s innately in her head. ‘I just don’t need music in that way right now in my life. When I grew up, we didn’t have MTV, we didn’t have radio in my house, I didn’t really have any natural way of discovering new music.

‘It makes me feel like I know why I’m here. It feels like now pain has a purpose and happiness has a purpose, when I can write about it and make it into sound. Music gives everything I experience and everything I see purpose, so I don’t know what I would do without it. I think I would become sick without music. I don’t think I would have a good time on this planet.’ Despite its Nordic complexity, mysticism and themes, Aurora’s music has reached all corners of the globe, touring throughout UK, Europe, US, South America and Asia just in 2019. While on one hand, she can’t understand this level of success – ‘it’s so strange’ – in the same breath, Aurora solves her own riddle: nature taught her to be a philosopher. ‘I think everyone should listen more to nature, because once you’re out there, nothing else really matters. How you look or what you’re doing tomorrow, the things you didn’t manage to complete, or the things you feel like you’re not doing well enough, or the clothes you’re wearing. ‘I solve most things in life by just thinking until I have a solution. I was in the woods for at least nine hours every day my whole childhood, it’s just fascinating and it gives you perspective. You realise how small the stupid problems are and you realise how beauty is free. And that you’re smaller than the big trees and you’re bigger than the tiny bugs and it just lets you exist.

The power of nature is also something Aurora can invert to encourage self-reflection, recording the whole of A Different Kind of Human – Step 2 in a small, dark room. ‘A Different Kind of Human is a more political album. I felt like I had to reach more within myself and figure out where I stand and figure out my own opinions,’ Aurora explains. ‘That’s why I wanted to be in a small, dark room, because there’s no big field for your energy or your thoughts – they just hit the wall and then come back to you like a bouncing ball. ‘With every album, it’s very important for me to make them in different spaces so they don’t touch. For my next album, that I’m making now, I’m writing the skeletons of my songs and the soul of them wherever I go. But when I sit down and actually produce them and make the album into one whole baby, then I’ll have to go somewhere else. I know where I’m going, I’m not going to say yet, but it’s going to be a very different place again from every other place I’ve made an album before.’ As an artist that evidently pours so much of herself into her music, you’d imagine that making an album is an exhausting and somewhat draining process, but for the born music maker, it’s quite the opposite. Though Aurora had hinted at a possible 2020 follow up after Step 1 was released, Step 2 hit shelves less than half way through 2019. It’s also the first record that Aurora has co-produced every track, having dipped her toe in with two tracks on Step 1. ‘I find very energising. When I’m in the studio, I’m there for at least twelve hours every time – until late, late night. There is no deadline and there is no finish line when you create. The possibilities are endless, especially now I’ve learned to become a producer. ‘I find producing extremely fun and extremely important too. I know in this world, many women have struggled with being able to be given space to produce their own songs and music. So I find it really important to step up for myself and my music. I would love one day to teach more female artists how to begin.’ It’s hard not to feel empowered both listening to and talking to Aurora, who so beautifully presents the idea that a better you and a better world is within grasp. As she says, it’s down to the individuals – and those that inspire them. She opens her the two-step project: ‘I will be your warrior’, and this is no doubt just the beginning of Aurora’s Queendom.

‘I think this world is very demanding of us and we as people are very demanding of ourselves. It’s hard to be a human these days and nature is the one place I’ve discovered, so far at least, that gives me the chance to be nothing more than a beating heart and a brain.’

Words: Rachel Morris AURORA: 4 November, O2 Academy Bristol aurora-music.com @AURORAmusic

DHP PRESENTS

WED.06.NOV.19

Sisteray

CROFTERS RIGHTS FRI.08.NOV.19

Glass Caves THE LOUISIANA SAT.09.NOV.19

Funke And The Two Tone Baby CROFTERS RIGHTS SUN.10.NOV.19

Yonaka SWX

WED.13.NOV.19

Ezra Furman O2 ACADEMY

THU.14.NOV.19

Metronomy O2 ACADEMY FRI.15.NOV.19

Emily Burns ROUGH TRADE FRI.15.NOV.19

Some Bodies THE LOUISIANA SAT.16.NOV.19

Bridges

THE LOUISIANA

SUN.17.NOV.19

The Amazons O2 ACADEMY

MON.18.NOV.19

Mahalia O2 ACADEMY

TUE.19.NOV.19

China Bears

SUN.24.NOV.19

The Hooten Hallers THE LOUISIANA WED.27.NOV.19

Fat White Family CARDIFF THE TRAMSHED

CROFTERS RIGHTS

WED.27.NOV.19 WED.20.NOV.19

Cousin Kula

Pixx

THE LOUISIANA

CROFTERS RIGHTS

THU.28.NOV.19 WED.20.NOV.19

Joshua Burnside THE LOUISIANA THU.21.NOV.19

Langkamer THE LOUISIANA FRI.22.NOV.19

Rainbreakers THE LOUISIANA SAT.23.NOV.19

Alice Jemima THE LOUISIANA SAT.23.NOV.19

W.H. Lung BATH MOLES

SAT.23.NOV.19

Whitney SWX

A LT T I C K E TS .C O M F B .C O M /A LT T I C K E TS â&#x20AC;¢ @ A LT T I C K E TS

The Wood Burning Savages THE LOUISIANA SAT.30.NOV.19

Matt Maltese ROUGH TRADE SAT.07.DEC.19

Aldous Harding 02 ACADEMY

SAT.01.FEB.20

Beans On Toast TRINITY

THU.20.FEB.20

DIIV SWX

MON.06.APR.20

Caribou O2 ACADEMY

Win a Minirig 3 Bag the best portable speaker on the market Last year, we gave away what was at the time the most highly ratedportable speaker in the country, the Minirig. Made right here in Bristol, it’s an exceptionally high quality speaker inspired by the soundsystem culture that our city is known for. But now there is a new kid on the block, the Minirig 3. With up to 100 hours of battery time, double the

volume, crisper quality and other additional functions – including wireless link ups and the ability to connect two phones via the app for b2b sessions with your friends – the Minirig 3 has bettered the best. Born in 2011 out of the purist intentions to create the best possible portable soundsystem, combining the world class design and engineering

departments of Bristol University and UWE, Minirig far exceeded even their own expectations. We’ve teamed up with the Bristolbased aural scientists once again to give away a custom Nitelife Minirig 3 (worth £139.96) featuring the new Nitelife logo. Head over to our website for a chance to win.

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For a chance to win, head to nitelifeonline.com/win/minrig3

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Flick on Memory Streams, Portico Quartet’s freshly-released fifth studio album, and in moments you’ll be enveloped by its rhythm-tripping instrumental soundscape. At turns epic and immersive, uplifting and emotive, Portico Quartet’s new record is a weave of echoing keys, flurrying electronic loops and sonorous saxophone; growling bass and Jackson Pollock-esque drums. In short, it’s everything you could want from London’s ambient alt-jazz masters, who’ve been making their presence felt now for well over a decade, via an early Mercury Prize nomination for debut Knee Deep In The North Sea. Magpieing influences from everything from minimalism and electronica to world music, and with comparisons drawn varyingly to Radiohead, The Cinematic Orchestra and Ryuichi Sakamoto – and Four Tet and Emancipator to my own mind – to name but a few, Portico Quartet has built a career defined by being hard to define. Luckily for Bristol, the ensemble – comprising drummer Duncan Bellamy, bassist Milo Fitzpatrick, Keir Vine on keyboard and saxophonist Jack Wyllie – will head to the Trinity Centre on 7 November for their Colston Hall-programmed show to lay their new creation forth. As a group who have always ploughed their own furrow, Memory Streams reflects a maturing of their craft, says saxman Jack. ‘We actually looked at a lot of the music we had made over our careers and worked into the identity of the band. ‘That isn’t to say it was a rehash of old ideas – it was more about how we could push the identity of the band in a new context, using our music knowledge and experience to contextualise the band sound.’ The album arrives amid a well-documented resurgence in the UK jazz scene and follows Portico Quartet’s success with 2017’s statement record, Art in the Age of Automation, which reached No.1 in the UK jazz chart. It’d be understandable then if Portico Quartet had felt under pressure to come up with the goods with record number five, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

a lot of jazz in the UK was relatively conservative and came out of the academy system

PORTICO QUARTET ELDERS OF THE BRITISH JAZZ SCENE, PORTICO QUARTET TALK IDENTITY, OUTSIDERDOM AND EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY.

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‘I suppose we have been around for a while and have made it easier, to whatever extent, for UK jazz to exist outside of the motor tradition lineage.’ Do they see any particular driving forces, then, behind the latest surge in UK jazz innovation? Jack gives his view: ‘I’m not sure exactly, but it seems to have a bounce every 10 years or so. I do think this round has more significance and staying power than previously. ‘I think there is more political relevance to it. I remember when Kamasi [Washington] and Thundercat played on Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, which was very jazzy and it was released early, after the police shooting [of black teenager Michael Brown] in Ferguson. ‘The way it had political currency echoed over here, in that it feels similar and has affected what is happening in the London jazz scene. It’s not as precise, but it feels like there is a real urgency and political sentiment in obvious – Sons of Kemet, etc. – and not so obvious ways.’ Back on the subject of their latest tour, Portico Quartet has a spread of European and UK dates lined up, which has them hopping from Paris to Norwich, Gateshead to Glasgow, Amsterdam to Antwerp, Berlin to Brussels. From the new album, they’ve found Memory Streams’ second track, Signals in the Dusk, with its build and driving sax, landing particularly well. ‘There’s a really contained energy to it that only breaks loose in the final third, which is really satisfying to play,’ Jack explains. ‘We always enjoy playing in Bristol,’ says Jack. “My girlfriend is from Bristol, so I’ve spent a bit of time in the city. Amazing cultural heritage, both in music, with bands like Massive Attack and Roni Size, and in its progressive politics. It’ll be great.’

‘We didn’t really think of Art in the Age of Automation as a hugely successful album and so there wasn’t a huge weight from it. You don’t have to sell a huge amount of records to get to number one in the UK jazz charts! But there was something about re-establishing the identity of the band after releasing Living Fields as Portico, our more electric-based project, that we wanted to send home following on from Art in the Age of Automation. In part, I think we realised how important it is to develop and preserve a strong identity in our music.’

Portico Quartet has built a career defined by being hard to define

And since their 2008 Mercury nomination, there has been developments aplenty, inside the band and out. Jack reflects: “The main element has been the increasing use of technology to aid the composition and performance process. Whether that is the use of effects pedals to alter the sound live, or using a computer to help arrange and compose and manipulate sounds. It’s been that element that has led to a broadening of texture and increase in varied influences.’ The band embraced these new tools for both their current and previous records, composing their opuses on the computer by pulling together various recordings and working them into pieces of music. ‘We then take these drafts and try and play and record a lot of it live,’ Jack explains. But beyond these advances in their record-making practise, they’ve also just become better musicians. ‘It’s funny to look back in hindsight at how I played 12 years ago when we first started out,’ says Jack. ‘Not very well!’ While Portico Quartet have always considered themselves outsiders – ‘isolated’, even, according to drummer-designer Duncan Bellamy – it’s clear they have been watching the UK jazz revival of recent years with interest. Even with their self-professed loner status, earlier this year The Economist credited the group with helping to break jazz out ‘of the confines of niche, stale clubs’ and open it up to a younger audience. Bleep, meanwhile, dubbed them ‘elder statesman in the world of British jazz’ (‘kind of funny’, says Jack, given the oldest band member is only 34). ‘We’ve always existed and still do quite outside of [the scene]. I guess we are in many ways from the wave beforehand. But think it’s great the way in which it way it’s less academized, much more open, diverse and collaborative. Before bands like us – and Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland, and so on – a lot of jazz in the UK was relatively conservative and came out of the academy system. So I guess we were one of the first groups to come to it from outside of that.

Words: Daisy Blacklock Photos: Duncan Bellamy Portico Quartet: 7 November, Trinity Centre porticoquartet.com

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QUANTIC ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST UNIQUE AND PROLIFIC ARTISTS, QUANTIC TAKES A NEW APPROACH TO HIS LATEST ALBUM – BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE STUDIO.

Words: Abi Lewis Photos: B+ Quantic: 29 November, Marble Factory quantic.org 36

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Quantic AKA Will Holland is a seasoned professional when it comes to bringing sunshine to the dancefloor with his South American-infused sounds. This June, we saw the release of Atlantic Oscillations, his first solo album since 2014’s Magnetica.

‘I’m really looking forward to bringing a lot of tracks from the album to the stage, in particular, Do You Still Love Me, featuring Denitia on vocals. It’s cool to do things live because you get to present it in a different form and play with the atmosphere and the building of tension.

Since its release, the album has received warm praise, including prime time airplay on BBC 6 Music. With the support from his label Tru Thoughts, Quantic’s latest album captures your attention, with its blend of disco, house, jazz and soul Quantic’s signature Colombian-inspired flare.

‘Last time I performed in Bristol my guitar broke on stage and I had to do some quick DIY with a mini screwdriver backstage. This time, I want to reassure everyone I have two guitars on stand by just in case!’

This November, Quantic commences his UK Atlantic Oscillations album tour with his five-piece band, which includes Sly5thAve and New York singer, Denitia. Nitelife caught up with Will ahead of his Bristol leg of the tour at Marble Factory on 29 November, to talk about what we can look forward to in his live show, his new album and how his musical writing process has changed since living in New York. Last time Quantic and his band performed in Bristol it was a ‘best of’ Quantic show. This time, we’ll get to see a rounder picture of Quantic as the musician he is today, as he showcases his new album Atlantic Oscillations – though with a promise of some old favourites thrown in too. ‘Rather than taking a photographic approach to performing this album live, we’ve added a lot of improvisation’ explains the multi-instrumentalist. ‘Having people like saxophonist Sly in the band, there’s an opportunity to really stretch out some of the songs and make them more like a live jam, so to speak.

As Bristol gears up for what will undoubtedly be another memorable performance from Quantic and his band, Will Holland reflects on the upcoming event and why he always loves performing in front of a Bristol crowd.’ ‘When you get on stage, it’s nice to know when the crowd has your back. That’s why we get excited to play in Bristol, because we always know there’s going to be a great party feel. Another good thing about Bristol is people there just tend to get down and maintain good energy on the dancefloor. That’s the equilibrium we are looking for and Bristol does that very well.’ As our conversation steers toward his new solo release, Will opens up about the inspiration behind his eclectic new album, Atlantic Oscillations. ‘I think my biggest inspiration for this album was being on the road whilst making music for so many years. I’ve always made records that are quite production based. I’m a DJ too, so I wanted to create something I knew would work on the dancefloor. It has never really been about reflecting a stage show per-say, until now.

my biggest inspiration was being on the road for so many years ‘I wanted to take a different approach when I was creating Atlantic Oscillations. I wanted it to be so that everybody was sitting at the same table and eating from the same plate. It helps artistically having music that’s a bit more cohesive.’ Quantic has a couple of long-time collaborators like Nidia Góngora, Sly5thave and Alice Russell who has been part of his journey since the very beginning. With that in mind, the producer was keen to feature these artists on his new album.

As our conversation continues, we decide to take a step back and reflect on Will’s personal favourites from his large back catalogue of releases under various guises, including Quantic, Flowering Inferno, Quantic Soul Orchestra and Limp Twins, to name a few. ‘I’m very fond of the 2012 Ondatrópica collaboration with Colombian musician, Mario Geleano. We had quite a big budget for that project, so we went the extra mile with the way we recorded it and the musicians we invited.

‘I’ve worked with all of these artists on many occasions separately, so it was nice to marry this all together in this album. That’s the cool thing about putting everyone on the same record, we can all share the same musical space, even if we’re not physically all together.’

‘Sometimes it’s pretty weird listening to your own work, because you were so invested in it for so long and then you move on to the next project. Sometimes you cringe at how outdated some things sound, but that’s ok. I’ve never used auto-tune – so that’s something, I suppose!’

Since the release of his last solo album Magnetica in 2014, Quantic packed up his travelling lifestyle and moved to New York, Brooklyn, where he found himself a 9-5 studio, giving the musician more artistic freedom to explore his creative projects – a change of pace and lifestyle that influenced his writing process, he says.

With 18 studio albums in 18 years, since his a 2001 debut The 5th Exotic, it’s fair to say that Will Holland is one of the industry’s hardest-working and most prolific artists. So it’s no surprise to learn that he’s got plenty up his sleeve in the near future.

‘Before I moved to New York, I always camped out in places, especially when I was living in Colombia. I was always travelling just to make music. I never had a central place where I could process things and have space to mull things over. ‘Whenever I used to visit New York, I always found that I never achieved as much as I intended to, because I was always distracted by seeing friends and social events. It’s different when you live here though, because you start to actually become part of the community, which allows you to focus more.’

‘We’re launching a record label promoting music made at my Brookyln-based Selva Studios, with affiliated artists. That’ll be happening more towards the end of this year, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. ‘We’ve also got a couple of really cool remixes from the Atlantic Oscillations album, set to be available for the UK tour. ‘Aside from that, I’ve been producing and working on new things – working on new music, new albums and keeping busy.’

I wanted to create something I knew would work on the dancefloor

behind the scenes with

Mr Wolfs THE REAL MR WOLFF TELLS THE STORY OF HOW HE ACCIDENTALLY TRANSFORMED HIS NOODLE BAR INTO ONE OF BRISTOLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST LOVED VENUES.

Words: Sarah MacPherson Photos: Martin Thompson @thefacecollective mrwolfs.com @mrwolfsbristol

it’s that flexibility and willingness to change that has kept us going

From a noodle truck to one of Bristol’s best nightlife venues, Mr Wolfs has transformed from its humble beginnings. Its evolution, though, has been an organic process and when we met with the real life Mr Wolf aka Mark Wolff and his bookings team Paul and Ryhs, we learnt that evolution process is still ongoing.

Mr Wolfs ethos was a novel way of treating the bands that kept them coming back for more. Shaking up what the late night entertainment industry offered its artists, Mr Wolff came up with a way to make sure the bands could actually make a solid profit from a full venue, and show them a great time too.

Enjoying our swanky surroundings in Mr Wolfs newest venue, Radnor Rooms; a beautiful rooftop private-hire venue that has the magical quality of feeling like a brilliantly kept secret, we hear about what it takes to become a Bristol favourite, and what else could be on the horizon for the iconic venue. One thing was clear, we can expect some exciting new things from Mr Wolfs in the coming years. Never fear though, we’ve been assured we can expect a lot more of the same too.

‘We did things nobody ever did before, we decided to treat people like rock stars, so we gave them beer, all the money we took at the door went to them, and we also fed them, so they felt great.’ A door policy skewed in favour of the bands is something that is still being upheld to this day, with 80% of the profits made from the door before midnight going directly to the bands, ‘plus we don’t ask that that 80% covers the sound engineer and all the rest of it’.

When Mark Wolff opened his first venue back in 2002, his tastes were new to the area. His speciality of simple, vegetarian noodles combined with the slightly off the wall (and apparently deeply unpopular) smoothie cocktails aimed to carve a new path in the hospitality world. After some initial teething pains and an accidental late-

Impressed by Mr Wolff’s apparent ability to transfer venue (moving to their current St Nicholas Street digs in 2015), yet retain a similar vibe that has proved so effective at getting people to come back for more, we were keen to find out what the magical formula is. ‘I don’t think it’s that I have a great eye for detail or for style, I just know what I like. For example, I love to see these

Rhys, a duo that previously ran Nightbus in Bath and Bristol, so bring a wealth of experience to the Mr Wolfs team. Along with them in the team is Lucie, better known as musician China Bowls and a member of jazz-improv group Snazzback, who heads up bookings at sister venue Number 51 Stokes Croft. Mr Wolff’s daughter and son Stephanie and Adam Wolff also help run the business, along with a team of venue managers and bar staff. Paul and Rhys gave us an insight to the Wolfs music bookings style, which we are told allows for every music taste, dependent on what night you come down. ‘The Mr Wolfs thing used to be that fun, party festival band. We were booking the bands that people had discovered that summer in a field and stumbled into a tent and found this 10-piece ska band with a horn section’ says Paul. ‘We are still doing that, certainly on Friday and Saturday nights, but there’s a night for everyone at Mr Wolfs. Wednesdays are rockier and more alternative, Thursday is often a local band. We like to stick with easy listening though – you aren’t going to come in and find a screaming metal band or like really minimal jazz.’

behind the scenes

done and ready to be opened up by 3pm that day. So while we do have a certain style and want to stick to it, it’s that flexibility and willingness to change that has kept us going.’ ‘We also try and involve lots of people in putting nights on’ says Rhys. ‘Specifically, on Thursdays we are trying to get outside promoters, those that get the Mr Wolfs style, in to put on nights here’ Only too aware though of the value Mr Wolfs has gained through its reputation as a reliably fun and affordable night, though they have plans for opening the venue up to outside promoters, they remain protective of their door entry prices. ‘We are going to be dipping our toes into allowing external promoters to put on nights here and looking at different pricing structures. But Mr Wolfs has been here for a long time and we do want to keep the reasonable pricing structure and the reliable fun, affordable night that Mr Wolfs represents – irrespective of whether you’re accidentally on a night out on a Tuesday, you won’t rock up here at 12 and find out it’s a tenner to get in because we have this cool drum and bass band on.

we decided to treat people like rock stars night opening, Mr Wolfs Noodles and Nosh discovered there was a market waiting to be tapped in the late-night fast food industry. Offering something more than the average burger and chips, the Mr Wolfs combination as a home from home, offering great food and great entertainment proved as popular with its customers as with Mr Wolff himself, ‘people would come in and laugh and say it’s like being in someone’s front room and you’re cooking for us. I loved it! ‘I was getting some incredible entertainment at night, because Pete Rowley and his friends all used to come in on a Tuesday night and just do a jam night, and it was just amazing. I have seen a lot of live music when I was young, and I just thought I am so lucky to be able to listen to this’. As the venue grew in reputation with clients and musicians alike, so did the demand for the Mr Wolfs way, leading to numerous expansions over the years. Central to the

brick walls and when we went down to the new Wolfs I wanted to expose it more. It’s rough and ready and it makes you feel comfortable, with these textures, you feel nice. I think that’s maybe part of it.’ But it’s the home from home quality that seems to be the real sticking point, ‘I just think when you come into work and somebody wants to give you their money, you’ve got to just be positive, because not only are we happy to take their money, which is an important part of it all, but also we want to provide them with a great night of entertainment. If you have that, it stays with you for a long time and you go back home and say that was a great night. When it works, you feel on top of the world, and that’s what we’ve always tried to do.’ Music booking has undeniably been a huge part of what makes Mr Wolfs a venue to keep coming back to. Gone are the days in which Mr Wolff would pick artists he wanted to listen to and then beg them to come back four weeks or so later. Heading up the Mr Wolfs bookings these days are Paul and

Surviving in a city centre venue is no mean feat though and with Mr Wolfs’ ability to thrive in such a climate is nothing short of impressive. Perhaps it’s their ability to manage the ever-present pressure to buckle to the more commercial styles of nearby chain bars, which sees them bend, but never abandon their independent style. ‘We have put drinks deals on, but we always try and be a bit different – our pint and a packet of Space Raiders deal, for example. We are independent, we aren’t run by a massive company, but we are also competing with other venues with more money and big companies behind them.’ Or alternatively, perhaps what gives the venue its edge is Mr Wolff’s unwavering adaptability, as we hear from Paul. ‘Mr Wolff is so flexible and he dives into change and new ideas. We realised that even though we had a full venue, because of where the stage was it was making us look empty from outside, so Mr Wolff just ripped it all up and replaced it. And we don’t have a refurb when he decides to do this – everything is

‘If we work with promoters and their different pricing structures, we would only have higher prices at the time the band was on, you could come back at 11, and still pay the standard £3 or £4.’ In a final attempt to glean what we could in terms of what’s to come from Mr Wolfs and its bookings team, we heard of the exciting New Year’s eve party due to be held in the Radnor Rooms. With regards to the Mr Wolfs venue itself though, Paul wasn’t giving much away. Nevertheless, the almost haphazard and relaxed confidence of his answer seemed to mirror the almost accidental evolution of one of Bristol’s favourite venues, ‘I don’t know what I am going to come in and find tomorrow, but it’s exciting… We have a really strong team and we are looking to put on some bigger and better things, whilst making sure we don’t muck up what’s already great about Wolfs.’ Either way, we have every confidence in this iconic Bristol venue to continue serving up the good stuff. 39

LIVE GUIDE VENUES

51 STOKES CROFT 42 O2 ACADEMY 43 BAMBALAN 44 THE CANTEEN 45 COLSTON HALL 46 THE CROFTERS RIGHTS 47 EXCHANGE 48 THE FLEECE 49 FULL MOON & ATTIC BAR 50 THE GALLIMAUFRY 51 THE LANES 52 MOTION & MARBLE FACTORY 53 MR WOLFS 54 THE OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY 55 SWX 56 THEKLA 57 TO THE MOON 58 TRINITY 59

51 stokes croft Instagram @51stokescroft // facebook.com/51stokescroft 51 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QP // 01179 148 048 // 51stokescroft.com

From the same team behind Mr Wolfs, No.51s showcases a funkier genre, with disco, house, techno, breakbeat and general rhythms that lead to the dancefloor taking the bulk of their events. That’s not to say you won’t find the occasional live offering or open mic night. No.51s hides a very decent beer garden out back and regularly makes use of it with day and night parties through the year. They’ve also earned a reputation as one of the best pizza spots in town, with a wood-fired pizza oven on site and a creative kitchen team. A great spot all week for drinks, dancing and good vibes.

November Highlights

CHEF DE PARTY

ASIAN HAWK

13 Nov // 10pm – 3am // Free

22 Nov // 10pm – 4am // Free

A No. 51s favourite, the chef will be whipping up a dish of funk, hip hop and disco with enough for everyone. Going on until the early hours of the morning, so leave some room after your dinner!

51’s is always a good shout on a Friday night, and with another popular No. 51s resident bringing the usual goods of funk, disco and hip hop, and the party carrying on until 4am, there should be no reason to leave.

02 academy

Instagram @o2academybris // facebook.com/o2academybristol Frogmore Street, Bristol, BS1 5NA // 0117 927 9227 // o2academybristol.co.uk

A classic live venue, O2 Academy Bristol is designed entirely around what’s happening on stage. They recently refitted their sound desk to ensure perfect acoustics whether you’re in the mosh pit or the balcony – they even offer double pints at the bar, so you won’t need to return during a gig. As well hosting major touring acts, the venue is a key stop off point for artists on their way up, with early shows from the likes of Kings of Leon and Kendrick Lamar. After curfew, the venue can transform into a club, hosting regular student nights, as well as special one-offs, such as Kisstory or grime epic Eskimo Dance.

November Highlights

ESKIMO DANCE HALLOWEEN BRISTOL

EZRA FURMAN

2 Nov // 10pm – 4am // £19.50

13 Nov // 7pm – 10.30pm // £18

The legends of grime assemble for a truly ginormous lineup at the O2 Academy for the Eskimo Dance Halloween party. Catch the likes of JME, Novelist, Big Zuu, and a special guest still to be announced alongside the godfather himself, Wiley.

A Chicago born rock and punk singer/songwriter. He brings his band to Bristol as part of his European tour, following the release of his latest album Twelve Nudes, a rebellious and uplifting work of art.

facebook.com/o2academybristol twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris facebook.com/o2academybristol youtube.com/o2academytv twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris youtube.com/o2academytv Fri 1st Nov • 6.30pm

Fri 22nd Nov • 6.30pm

Fri 13th Dec

Fri 13th Mar 2020 • SOLD OUT

The Smyths

The Macc Lads

The Chats

Sat 2nd Nov • 10pm

Sat 23rd Nov

Sat 14th Dec

Sat 14th Mar 2020

Eskimo Dance

Happy Mondays

Motionless in White

The Dualers

Sun 3rd Nov

Mon 25th Nov

Sun 15th Dec

Thur 19th Mar 2020

Opeth

Airbourne

SLADE

Lightning Seeds

Mon 4th Nov

Tue 26th Nov • SOLD OUT

Lewis Capaldi

Mon 16th Dec • SOLD OUT

Fri 20th Mar 2020 • 6pm

AURORA Wed 6th Nov

Wed 27th Nov • SOLD OUT

Kodaline

Giggs

Thur 7th Nov • SOLD OUT

Thur 28th Nov

Rival Sons

Electric Six

Fri 8th Nov

Sat 30th Nov

Snarky Puppy

Bjorn Again

Sat 9th Nov

Sun 1st Dec

The Libertines Wed 18th Dec

Shed Seven Fri 20th Dec • 6.30pm

Alabama 3 Sat 21st Dec • 9pm

Elvana: Elvis Fronted J.I.D. Mon 2nd Dec Nirvana Mon 11th Nov Krept & Konan Periphery Tue 3rd Dec • SOLD OUT Tue 12th Nov Sigrid Daft Punk Wed 4th Dec • SOLD OUT Performed By A Sam Fender Thur 5th Dec • SOLD OUT 16-Piece Orchestra Wed 13th Nov Aitch Ezra Furman Fri 6th Dec • 6.30pm • SOLD OUT Thur 14th Nov • SOLD OUT D Block Europe Metronomy Sat 7th Dec Sat 16th Nov • 10pm Aldous Harding Festival Of The Dead Sun 8th Dec Sun 17th Nov R&B Superjam The Amazons Winter Edition Mon 18th Nov Donell Jones & Next Mahalia Mon 9th Dec • 6pm Tue 19th Nov • SOLD OUT Dan Reed Network / Gun / FM Yungblud

Craig Charles Funky Christmas Party Mon 27th Jan 2020

Caravan Palace Wed 29th Jan 2020

Ashanti & Ginuwine - Live In Concert Sun 2nd Feb 2020

Kano Tue 4th Feb 2020

The Interrupters Wed 5th Feb 2020

Steel Panther Mon 10th Feb 2020

The HU Mon 24th Feb 2020

Beartooth Thur 27th Feb 2020

Hot 8 Brass Band Tue 3rd Mar 2020

Testament

The Subways - Young For Eternity Mon 23rd Mar 2020

Cigarettes After Sex Sat 28th Mar 2020

I Prevail Thur 2nd Apr 2020 • 6pm

Roachford Mon 6th Apr 2020

Caribou Fri 17th Apr 2020 • 6.30pm

Lioness ... A.K.A The Amy Winehouse Experience Tue 21st Apr 2020

Lamb of God Thur 21st May 2020

Brian Fallon & The Howling Weather Sat 13th Jun 2020 • 6.30pm

WAR Wed 17th Jun 2020 • 5.30pm

Volbeat: Rewind, Replay, Rebound World Tour Fri 6th Nov 2020 • 6.30pm

Wed 20th Nov

Tue 10th Dec

Thur 5th Mar 2020

An evening with The Steve Hillage Band

Scouting for Girls

Example

Soul II Soul - Club Classics

Thur 12th Dec • 6pm

Thur 12th Mar 2020

Fri 4th Dec 2020 • 6.30pm

The Wonder Stuff

Stiff Little Fingers

Heaven 17

O2 Academy Bristol

ticketmaster.co.uk

o2academybristol.co.uk

Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

ticketmaster.co.uk • seetickets.com • gigantic.com

November • 2019

Bambalan

Instagram @bambalanbristol // facebook.com/bambalanbristol Podium Level, Colston Tower, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 4XE // @bambalanbristol // 0117 922 1880 // bambalan.co.uk

Arguably the best roof terrace in Bristol, Bambalan boasts amazing views over the city with resident DJs regularly pumping out tunes from the rooftop DJ booth. Bambalan’s music policy is funk, soul, house and disco – which matches their upbeat, good time attitude. As well as a delicious North African kitchen menu, Bambalan’s bar stocks a selection craft beers, ciders and happy hour cocktails, and is probably the best place in Bristol to get an Aperol Spritz. Bambalan boasts plenty of inside and outside space, plus table football and table tennis on the balcony.

November Highlights BRISTOL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY Kicking off the festival in style with some of the finest in the Bristol jazz and blues scene including James Morton, Denny Ilett, Ian Matthews and Jonny Henderson, as well as an exclusive performance from a legend in the UK funk scene, Dennis Rollins.

7 Nov // 8pm – 11pm // Free

BRISTOL TO BASS CAMP

A collection of Bristol legends are going on a trip to Mount Everest to raise money for charity group Phase Worldwide, aiming to change the lives of the people of Nepal. And what better way is there in Bristol to raise money than a day party at Bambalan?

10 Nov // 3pm – 10pm // £5

the canteen

Instagram @canteenbristol // facebook.com/thecanteenbristol Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY // 0117 923 2017 // canteenbristol.co.uk

The Canteen emerged out of the creative inspiration and collective efforts of a bunch of Stokes Croft and Bristol brilliants. One of the only spaces in Bristol offering live, free music every day of the week, The Canteen offers a varied program of live music and DJs lovingly curated by the Ear Trumpet Music crew. Expect folk, jazz and acapella ensembles during the week, with things ramping up from Thursday to Saturday, when you should come prepared to sweat it out on the dancefloor. Alongside a great bar selection, the kitchen offers a range of locally sourced food, with vegetarian, gluten free and vegan options.

November Highlights

JOSHUA BLACKMORE

JUNIOR BILL

21st Nov // 9:30pm – 12:30am // Free

30th Nov // 9:30pm – 12.30am // Free

His new project promises synth and drum chaos, Joshua Blackmore brings his ‘retrofutristic’ sound to Bristol following the release of SiZE, with a supporting set from Tom Cawley to get things warmed up

They have a sound and style that is super catchy. Pretty playground limericks, Latin melodies and dubby basslines underpin a ska-tinged global-local collage of sound, it’s an exciting combo.

Fri 1ST

Sun 17TH

Pons Aelius

Two Man Ting

Town of Cats

Canteen Latin Session

Sat 2ND

Sun 3RD FFTP

Mon 4TH

Mon 18TH Tue 19TH

Bethany Roberts & Rowan Elliot

Canteen Jazz Session

Wed 20TH

Too Strong Lollipop

Thur 21ST

Tue 5TH

Wed 6TH

The Chiffchaff Trio

Thur 7TH Starlings

Fri 8TH

Guy Calhoun Band

Sat 9TH

Galli

Joshua Blackmore’s SiZE/ Matt Calvert’s False 9

Fri 22ND

Hotsteppas

Sat 23RD

Andy Quick

Ilu Axe

Sun 24TH

Spider Quintet

Mon 25TH

Sun 10TH

Rookeries

Mon 11TH

Slim’s Blues & Roots Session

Old Bones Duo

Tue 12TH

Emma Holbrook & Fiona Barrow

Peanut Shuffle Quartet

Hopkins-Hammond Duo

DeCyphers Hip Hop Session

Wed 13TH

Tue 26TH

Wed 27TH

Thur 14TH

Thur 28TH

Fri 15TH

Fri 29TH

Sat 16TH

Sat 30TH

Professor Nohair & The Wig Lifters Soma Soma Buffos Wake

Fat Suit TBC

Junior Bill

canteenbristol.co.uk * The Canteen, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY

Colston hall Presents Instagram @colstonhall // facebook.com/ColstonHall Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR // 0117 203 4040 // colstonhall.org

While Colston Hall undergoes a £50m major redevelopment to transform the 150-yearold hall into a world class venue, the Colston Hall Presents series sees Bristol’s largest concert venue take flight across the city. Making use of a multitude of independent venues and spaces, Colston Hall are continuing to deliver a diverse programme of events from classical music to alternative rock. From the biggest names in the business to the most obscure, the Colston Hall team aim to push boundaries and keep us on our toes, with something on offer almost every night of the week.

November Highlights COLSTON HALL PRESENTS: CASS MCCOMBS

COLSTON HALL PRESENTS: THE HOWL & THE HUM

The New York Times dubbed him as ‘one of the great songwriters of his time’, and the legend heads to Bristol following the release of his 9th album Tip of the Sphere. Be prepared for some tear-jerking ballads and fervent rock hits.

A fourpiece guitar group compared to Massive Attack and Alt – J. They’ve worked their way to the top through grafting at open mic nights and small UK tours supporting some of their idols. They now have their own headline tour where they’ll get the attention they deserve.

18 Nov // 8pm – 11pm // £15.26 St George’s Bristol

19 Nov // 7.30pm – 11pm // £10.90 // The Exchange

book

0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org

Colston Hall loudly and proudly presents great shows in venues across Bristol Mon 4 Nov

Tue 12 Nov

Fri 22 Nov

Warmduscher

Tinariwen

Sam Amidon

The Fleece

Trinity

Bristol Folk House

Tue 5 Nov

Thu 14 - Sun 17 Nov

Tue 26 Nov

Deerhunter + Cate Le Bon

The Edge

KOKOKO!

Colston Hall Foyer

Fiddlers

SWX

Fri 15 Nov

Fri 29 Nov

Wed 6 Nov

Bella Hardy

Quantic

Beverly GlennCopeland

Bristol Folk House

Marble Factory

St George’s Bristol Thu 7 Nov

Acid Arab Fiddlers Thu 7 Nov

Portico Quartet Trinity Fri 8 Nov

Sinkane Trinity Sat 9 Nov

Sebastian Plano Colston Hall Foyer

Sat 16 Nov

Wed 4 Dec

FolkLaw

Richard Spaven

Bristol Folk House

Colston Hall Foyer

Mon 18 Nov

Fri 6 Dec

Cass McCombs

Penelope Isles

St George’s Bristol

Rough Trade Bristol

Mon 18 Nov

Mon 9 Dec

Lankum

City Of The Sun

Fiddlers

Exchange

Tue 19 Nov

Wed 11 Dec

The Howl & The Hum

Jesse Marchant

Exchange

The Louisiana

Thu 21 Nov

Mon 16 Dec

Erland Cooper

Vetiver

Arnolfini

Rough Trade Bristol

the crofters rights Instagram @Crofters_Rights // facebook.com/croftersrights 117-119 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RW // 0117 2310 079 // croftersrights.co.uk

Situated in the heart of Stokes Croft, Crofters’ back room hosts everything from punk gigs to storytelling, comedy to experimental noise. Their music programme veers towards the underground and obscure, and hosts regular takeovers from some of Bristol’s best promoters. Open late every Friday and Saturday, the seperate bar area boasts an ever changing list of 17 keg and cask, draught beers and ciders. You can expect anything from tropical dance music to heavier house, techno, drum and bass and grime events, and their giant mirror ball attracts a good few disco nights too.

November Highlights

ON THE CORNER + ERRATIC BATTING

COMMUNITY DISC-OS

23 Nov // 11pm – 3am // £3 – £5

30 Nov // 11pm – 3am // £3 – £5

Erratic Batting have the soul aim to put the spotlight on the most up-and-coming bands in the city and give them a real chance to shine, along with On the Corner Records, they will be showcasing another selection of fine talents for an exciting evening of local music.

Groove your way out of November in style with the gang from Community Disc-Os, a Bristol record label supporting the local scene and releasing disco edits from some of the city’s finest selectors.

exchange

Instagram @exchangebristol // facebook.com/exchangebristol 72 - 73 Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0EJ // 0117 930 4538 // exchangebristol.com

A versatile 250 capacity space offering an adventurous music programme up to seven nights a week. As well as hosting performances from internationally-revered artists, this venue is a key incubator of local talent. At the start of 2019, Exchange became Bristol’s first community-owned venue, run by its members. During the daytime, the space is open as a coffee shop, vegan kitchen and record shop (owned and operated by Specialist Subject Records). Exchange has a punk spirit at its core and delivers one of Bristol’s most diverse music programmes, bringing in some of the best boundary-pushing music across all genres.

November Highlights

CARLA DAL FORNO

JAY SOM

14 Nov // 7:30pm – 11pm // £10

22 Nov // 7:30pm – 10:30pm // £14.30

An experimentalist from Melbourne, Australia with an elegant voice. Her forthcoming album Look Up Sharp is a new chapter for her, as she veers more towards the realms of psychedelia and post – punk on her hypnotic journey that stops off at Bristol on the way.

A beautiful blend of North American, South American, and Australian, the indie star heads on tour following the release of her latest project Anak Ko, the Tagalog phrase for ‘my child’. Her soothing voice carries you through her journey through different environments.

THe fleece

Instagram @fleecebristol // facebook.com/fleecebristol 12 St. Thomas Street, Bristol, BS1 6JJ // 0117 945 0996 // thefleece.co.uk

Steeped in local history, The Fleece has been a vital part of Bristol’s music scene since 1982. The grade II listed building has hosted many music legends on its stage, including Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Oasis, Muse, Amy Winehouse, Queens Of The Stone Age and Ed Sheeran. The Fleece offers music seven nights a week, with live gigs from major touring artists as well as up-and-comings, a range of tribute acts, and regular clubnights. The 450-capacity venue has one of the best stage views around, whether you prefer to stand at the back or at the barrier; as well as a perfect dancefloor for clubnights.

November Highlights

AMY: A TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE

LEE SCRATCH PERRY

1 Nov // 7pm – 10:30pm // £12.50

21 Nov // 7:30pm – 11pm // £23

A treasured musician in the UK who dominated the billboards. Witness the 8-piece tribute band AMY deliver a breath-taking rendition of Winehouse classics with their own special imprint that show such elegant attention to detail.

Known for being a notoriously eccentric and colourful figure, the original disco devil and highly influential reggae hero heads to Bristol again to perform some of his fan favourites, be prepared for lots of energy despite his aging frame.

THE FULL MOON & ATTIC BAR Instagram - @thefullmoonbristol // facebook.com/thefullmoonandatticbar 1 North Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3PR // 01179 245 007 // fmbristol.co.uk

This Stokes Croft hub presents a triplepronged attack, with a pop-up outdoor stage, DJs in the Full Moon pub and live action in Attic Bar. Musically, you’ll find a slight bias towards more sun-soaked sounds like dub and reggae, though you never know what you’ll find when you walk through Attic Bar’s doors. As well as curating their own impressive music calendar, Attic Bar also hosts regular takeovers from the likes of Tun Up! and AFT Records. Their annual Yard Party is one of the first and best events in the summer calendar, making great use of their huge courtyard.

November Highlights RUFFNECK TING TAKEOVER THE ATTIC PART 16 A night of the rudest bass and rhythms with sets from residents including DJ Dazee, Soundgyal Saf, guest performances from Erbman and Euphonique, and an exclusive live PA from Ruffneck ting Co-founder Markee Ledge ft. Jakes.

22 Nov // 9pm – 2am // £4

VP PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

2019

SAT 30TH

DESIGN: INKIE

THE INEXPLICABLES

Heading to Bristol for the first time, The Inexplicables bring their eclectic mashup of jungle, hip hop and reggae to a venue that welcomes it like no other. Be sure to catch the support from jazz-hop innovators and wicked lyricists Binbag Wisdom as well as Octo Pi and Trafic MC.

30 Nov // 8pm – 2am // £4

the gallimaufry

Instagram @thegallibristol // facebook.com/TheGallimaufryBristol 26-28 The Promenade, Gloucester Road, BS7 8AL // 01179 42 7 319 // thegallimaufry.co.uk

Gloucester Road’s unofficial hub for innovative jazz, The Galli hosts weeknight residencies from two brilliant jazzorientated, technically-gifted improv groups: Waldo’s Gift Trio and Snazzback. Between them, they offer a combination of hip hop, afro funk, jazz, math and electronica. Friday and Saturday nights bring a selection of DJs and dancing until 1am, while the rest of week is reserved for wide range of carefully-considered live music in a relaxed setting. Entry is always free and you’ll find art and installations from Bristol creatives to enjoy throughout the venue.

November Highlights

THE POCKET SESSIONS

HÉLÉLÉ

24 Nov // 8pm – 12am// Free

26 Nov // 9pm – 12am // Free

This monthly Sunday night residency brings together an elegant mix of rare groove and live electronic beats. A family jam of original music, perfect for wrapping up your weekend and kick starting your week.

Alphonse Daudet Touna formed the band to ‘enrich and share his music with the world.’ Playing the drums at traditional village ceremonies developed his talent as a composer, performer and teacher. The haunting vocals, sung in his own tribal language ‘Bassa’, send messages of peace and hope.

NOVEMBER thegallimaufry.co.uk

every single night

MONDAY

FRIDAY

Hosted by Mike Dennis

Through soul, jazz & electronica Hosted by Manami & Neathway 1st Billie George (Noods) 8th Soulworks & Friends 15th George Oscar (Set It Out) 22nd Anil (Better Days) 29th Hun Grrr (W+L Black)

Open Mic TUESDAY

Galli Live

5th Dharma Blues Presents: Pink Floyd Night 12th Alex Veitch Trio 19th Seedling Sessions w/ MYLA & Shuwan-Fey 26th Hélélé

WEDNESDAY

Waldo’s Gift

Hip-hop, math, jazz & electronica 6th Reworks: Red Hot Chilli Peppers

The trio reworks classics by the influential American rock quartet

13th w/ Animal Society 20th Open Collaboration 27th w/ Luo

THURSDAY

Snazzback

Afro-funk & psych-jazz 7th presents TBA 14th does 140 21st presents Theo + China Bowls 28th Global Groove Experiment: Poland

DJS

Feel Flows

SATURDAY

DJS

Satta Lites

Withdrawn, VMO$ & guests play beats, bumps & bass 2nd Birthmark (Cold Light) 9th Simon G (Runaway) 16th Matt Light (Plaque) 23rd Simiah (King Underground) 30th D.Ham (Noods)

SUNDAY

3rd Sydney Sessions 10th Phantom Ensemble 17th Sun Sessions w/ Spang Sisters + Alexander Sun, Kimbo Nice & Watching Paint Dry

24th The Pocket Sessions Hosted by Ruth Royall

the lanes

Instagram @thelanesbristol // facebook.com/lanes.bristol 22 Nelson Street, Bristol, BS1 2LE // 01173 251 979 // thelanesbristol.co.uk

Set within a ten-pin bowling lane, The Lanes is a popular club night venue – particularly for those with an emo streak, as the home of Fat Lip clubnights and festival. Bands also regularly grace The Lanes stage and the venue works closely with a number of great local promoters, including BLG and Gravy Train. The Lanes’ Saturday night Department S events offer a gig-to-club experience, with live music from local and touring bands precursing a night of indie, rock and roll, and soul from John the Mod. Not forgetting round the clock bowling, karaoke and pool tables.

November Highlights

BONNACONS OF DOOM

YEEZY – A NIGHT OF KANYE WEST

8 Nov // 7:30pm – 9:45pm // £8

21 Nov // 10pm – 3am // £2 – £3

An elusive Liverpudlian collective with monstrous riffs and demonic rhythm who have put their own stamp on heavy psych. They head to Bristol with a host of guests to give you a first-hand experience of their brutal sound.

Love him or hate him, a night of Kanye West bangers is always going to go down a treat! With too many anthems to choose from, Gold Digger to American Boy, expect a night as unpredictable as his tweets and dress sense.

Motion & Marble Factory Instagram @motionbristol // facebook.com/motionbristol 74-78 Avon St, Bristol, BS2 0PX // motionbristol.com

Voted the world’s 11th Best Club, Motion has been the lifeblood of Bristol’s underground club scene since 2006. Encompassing the Motion warehouse and Marble Factory, the complex is a labyrinth of interconnecting indoor and outdoor spaces. This gives the Motion team a unique ability to offer intimate or immense shows. Bringing in the world’s biggest underground artists, as well as providing a platform for local and emerging talent; Motion offers a true, warehouse clubbing experience in a space that somehow feels as intimate as it is cavernous. A pilgrimage destination for music lovers across the globe.

November Highlights

IN:MOTION TENTH BIRTHDAY

OCEAN WISDOM

9 Nov // 10pm – 5am // £10 // Motion

18 Nov // 7pm – 11pm // £16.50 // Marble Factory

With the tenth birthday of In:Motion around the corner, the team have put together a lineup that rightly justifies the occasion. With Lil louis ‘the founding father of house’ headlining, and two talented DJs Carista and Manami in support, expect a birthday party that will go down in history.

A truly mesmerising lyricist who’s stolen Eminem’s title as the ‘fattest rapper’, he can seamlessly switch between grime, trap and hip hop, and he heads on tour as part of his Big Talk tour following the release of his mixtape on his new label Beyond Measure Records.

M O T I O N B R I S T O L .C O M

m o t i o n & t h e m a r b l e fa c t o ry, 7 4 - 7 8 Av o n S t, B r i s t o l , B S 2 0 PX

mr wolfs

Instagram @mrwolfsbristol // facebook.com/MrWolfs 32 St Nicholas Street, Bristol, BS1 1TG // 0117 923 2565 // mrwolfs.com

Open seven nights a week, Mr Wolf’s has one of the sweatiest dancefloors in town. With closing hours ranging from 2.30am up to 4am on weekends, Mr Wolf’s packs in a huge number of live music, open mic nights, live jams and DJs. An avid supporter of local talent, as well as from further afield, Mr Wolf’s is a great place to discover new bands and artists of every genre. The big brother of 51 Stokes Croft, this family-run venue has a dedicated team behind it, who are committed to furthering the local music scene.

November Highlights

DISCO PANTHER

HIPPO

15 Nov // 9pm – 4am // £3 – £4

29 Nov // 9pm – 4am // £3 – £4

Powerful, moving performances are their forte, the humungous ten-piece group are new to the UK funk scene but are already causing quite a stir with their energy and fine-tuned sound.

A future jazz vision buried in a nest of beefy electronics and bouncing rhythms. Saxophones, synthesisers and drums go in, hippo comes out. Prudent Primate are an able provider of support for this night that promises to be exciting.

the old market assembly

Instagram @oldmarketassembly // facebook.com/oldmarketassembly 25 West Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0DF // 0117 373 8199 // oldmarketassembly.co.uk

Situated in the heart of one of Bristol’s most up-and-coming nightlife hubs, The Old Market Assembly is an independent arts venue and restaurant hosting everything from local bands to wild parties with touring artists. Proudly associated with the LGBTQ+ scene, Old Market Assembly was the first venue in Bristol to sign up for the ‘Zero Tolerance’ campaign, committing to provide a safe, respectful space for anyone and everyone. With live music, DJs and cabaret every week, you can look to Old Market Assembly for some of the best in world music, hip hop and funk, ska, drag shows and more.

November Highlights TROPICAL TEA PARTY FT. HIPHOPPAPOTAMUS & JIBBERISH TWIG

CATEGORY IS… HUN PRIDE

Witness the Hippo himself delivering his usual goods with a high energy tropical twist along with the exciting drum and percussion duo Jibberish Twig for the Assembly’s first ever Tropical Tea Party Takeover.

They’ve described it as their biggest lineup ever. The Category Is team are bringing the very best of the international and local cabaret scene with Ru Paul Drag Race UK contestant Baga Chipz, Lauren Harries and X Factor legend Kelly Peakman, hosted by Alyssa Van Delle.

2 Nov // 9pm – 3am // £5 – £12

9 Nov // 10pm – 2am // £15

SWX

Instagram @swxbristol // facebook.com/swxbristol 15 Nelson Street, Bristol, BS1 2JY // 0117 945 0325 // swxbristol.com

SWX is Bristol’s largest city centre venue and hosts many of the biggest names coming through the city, from black metal bands to US rappers. With a state of the art sound and lighting system, the venue lives up to the high calibre of artists gracing its stage. SWX features an enclosed dancefloor for the more committed audience members, as well as raised platforms for those preferring a view over proximity. SWX is also home to two of the biggest student nights in Bristol. Codec and Farfetched integrate live performance from some of the industry’s biggest artists with three rooms of music and drinks deals.

November Highlights

YXNG BANE

MAVERICK SABRE

9 Nov // 10:30pm – 4am // £6 – £10

20 Nov // 7pm – 11pm // £20.09

A rapper/singer from East London who specialises in infusing genres such as rap, R&B and dancehall, his 2018 releases Any Minute Now alongside D-Block Europe and HBK both achieved great success on streaming sites.

His 2012 album Lonely are the Brave was an instant hit and he has worked alongside the likes of Chase and Status, Professor Green and Jorja Smith. The English-Irish singer/ songwriter is known for his achy voice and emotional lyrics, with strong hip hop influences.

thekla

Instagram @theklabris // facebook.com/theklabristol The Grove, Bristol, BS1 4RB // 0117 929 3301 // theklabristol.co.uk

Located on board a converted German cargo ship, Thekla is an award-winning live music and club space. From live toetapping Americana to hard-hitting house and techno, Thekla delivers an eclectic music programme covering all bases. As well as hosting major touring acts, Thekla is a champion of up and coming talent and has a knack for catching on to a good thing; with early shows from the likes of Mumford and Sons and Calvin Harris. With passionate crew members looking after both the live and club side of things, Thekla continues to be one of Bristol’s favourite venues, for nearly every genre.

November Highlights

HISTORY OF UK PIRATE RADIO

JUNGLE CAKES BOAT PARTY

13 Nov // 10pm – 3am // £3 – £4

29 Nov // 10pm – 4am // £5 – £8

The glory days of the UKs urban genres, where it all began. Pack your bag and head to Thekla for a history lesson that you won’t fall asleep in, with pirate radio legend and pioneer Spooky headlining a night of underground dance music, expect jungle, grime, funky and garage.

All aboard for this one as the Jungle Cakes crew are back again with Ed Solo and Deekline heading up a lineup that also includes Jessi G and the local Hold Tight Records crew on the top deck. If you can’t feel the seasickness in your stomach, you’ll certainly feel the bass.

08.11.19

26.11.19

11.11.19

27.11.19

ELLES BAILEY

TOKIO MYERS

JAMIE LENMAN

BC CAMPLIGHT

13.11.19

30.11.19

14.11.19

01.12.19

BLANCO WHITE WILDWOOD KIN 15.11.19

BLOOD RED SHOES

SHIHAD MEMPHIS MAY FIRE 02.12.19

BAND OF SKULLS

16.11.19

04.12.19

HEAVY LUNGS

JINJER

17.11.19

05.12.19

SPORTS TEAM

SAN HOLO

18.11.19

07.12.19

20.11.19

10.12.19

21.11.19

11.12.19

ORLA GARTLAND SUNSET SONS TOO MANY T’S & GRIEVES 22.11.19

RHYS LEWIS 23.11.19

STONE FOUNDATION 25.11.19

PUMAROSA

WASUREMONO RA RA RIOT

HEATHER FINDLAY 17.01.20

BOARDS OF CANADA PLAYED BY BYRON WALLEN’S GAMALAN ENSEMBLE 19.12.19

CHASE RICE 25.01.20

THE MILK CARTON KIDS 26.01.20

INSOMNIUM 28.01.20

TWIN TEMPLE 30.01.20

UNKLE FRANK

ENVY

31.01.20

13.12.19

HOT SNAKES 23.11.19

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER 15.12.19

KOSHEEN 16.12.19

RUSS MB

THE GROVE EAST MUD DOCK BRISTOL BS1 4RB

11.01.20

JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART

14.02.20

(SANDY) ALEX G 16.02.20

TWIN PEAKS 25.02.20

BOY & BEAR 26.02.20

X AMBASSADORS 02.03.20

WINSTON SURFSHIRT 03.03.20

THE SHERLOCKS 11.03.20

GEORGIA 13.03.20

WOLF PARADE 01.04.20

KOJEY RADICAL 04.04.20

WILLE & THE BANDITS 09.05.20

L DEVINE

04.02.20

IDER

05.02.20

3TEETH 07.02.20

POLIÇA

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

to the moon

Instagram @tothemoonbristol // facebook.com/tothemoonbristol 27-29 Midland Road, Old Market, St Philips, Bristol BS2 0JT // 07845 700194 // tothemoon.cc

To The Moon is a superb little venue that can feel like a friends house with their chilled, friendly atmosphere. To The Moon takes great care in their drinks offer which includes local beers, classic cocktails and high quality spirits. They now proudly host Grano Kitchen who supply delicious proper Italian food. With an open-minded approach to music and events, the focus is on creating a fun, safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Events through the month can range from dub to disco and rum tastings to open decks nights.

November Highlights

SPOOKY PARTY

ABACAXI: DJ LA RUMBA

2 Nov // 8pm – 12am // Free

16 Nov // 8pm – 12am // Free

A freaky feast of all kinds with delicious Italian food, as well as house and disco with the likes of Si Lindley, Ray Von, Si Dan and Ivanhoe all helping to keep you dancing until your costume tears.

Samba to afoxé, forró to carimbó, this DJ has all of the rhythms down to a tee. Bringing Brazil to the moon, catch DJ La Rumba showcase a night of the finest Latino sounds to bring you something different to your Saturday night.

TRINITY Centre

Instagram @bristoltrinity // facebook.com/trinitybristol Trinity Centre, Trinity Rd, Bristol BS2 0NW // 0117 935 1200 // trinitybristol.org.uk

Penetrating Old Market’s skyline and ear drums, Trinity is home of the soundsystem in Bristol, as the longtime hub of Teachings in Dub, as well some harder sounds on the soundsystem spectrum. The Grade II-listed converted church also provides the perfect natural acoustics for live performances, with a mixture of up-and-coming talent and some of the biggest names on the circuit, across every genre you could think of. As well as a varied music programme, you can also look out for monthly BUMP roller disco sessions, drum and bass workouts and outdoor events in the summer, including the much-loved Trinity Garden Party.

November Highlights

SINKANE

!!! (CHK CHK CHK)

8 Nov // 7:30pm – 10:30pm // £11

30 Nov // 7pm – 11pm // £16.88

A Sudanese-American musician who’s work tells a moving story, with a blend of krautrock, electronica and funk rock with inspiration from all around the world, witness him tell his story of finding where he belongs, as he did in his most recent album, Dépaysé.

Regardless of what you want to call them, be safe in knowing that the American dance-punk band will be delivering a hectic night that will leave their peculiar name lodged in your brain for life. Expect to hear some tracks from their latest release, Wallop.

Nov 7 Portico Quartet Nov 8 Sinkane Nov 9 Exit Records Nov 10 Earth Nov 12 Tinariwen Nov 14 Lighting Bolt Nov 15 The Bluetones Nov 16 DJ Marky & Friends Nov 22-23 TID X Deep Medi Nov 26 Jade Bird - SOLD OUT Nov 27 Oliver Tree - SOLD OUT Nov 29 Ezra Collective - SOLD OUT Nov 30 Chk CHK CHK (!!!) Dec 14 Amen4Tekno

spotlight // HIDE at Exchange Photos by Dominika Scheibinger

DRINKS GUIDE VENUES

BAMBALAN 70 CROFT ALES 70 FILTHY XIII 71 THE GALLIMAUFRY 71 THE GRAIN BARGE 72 HYDE 72 LEFT HANDED GIANT 73 NOCHE NEGRA 73 THE OLD BOOKSHOP 74 SMALL BAR 74 THE SOCIAL 75 THE SPOTTED COW 75 STEAM 76 THE TOBACCO FACTORY 76

drinks

with

London Elektricity

THE FORWARD-THINKING PRODUCER AND INFLUENTIAL LABEL BOSS ON HOSPITAL RECORDS, BUCKING THE TREND AND BUILDING BETTER WORLDS.

People often think about drum and bass in terms of singles or short EPs, but Hospital Records notably makes a case for the album format. Both as a producer and label boss, why have you always been willing to support the drum and bass album? Ever since we started Hospital Records in 1996, we decided that it would be album focussed and the reason was sheer bloody mindedness, because nobody else thought like that and I’ve always operated from a very simple standpoint – which is to do things the opposite way from other people. When Hospital started, we existed in this very strange bubble that was completely outside of the seething centre of drum and bass at the time, which had recently transformed from jungle into drum and bass. I’d grown up absolutely saturated with albums. It’s what draws me to artists. My formative memories of music are nearly all from complete albums, not tracks.

As a producer, Tony Coleman aka London Elekricity has continually pushed drum and bass out of its comfort zone, combining his wide-ranging influences and production genius with live instrumentation and breath-stealing vocal features – forever thinking outside the box. As a label head, he’s put his neck on the line time and time again to help give weight to a new sound or cultivate fresh artistry. Hospital Records, co-founded by Tony and Chris Goss in 1996, has brought us some of drum and bass’ best, innovating artists including High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Camo & Krooked, Metrik and S.P.Y. Despite growing into arguably the biggest drum and bass label of current times, Hospital Records has remained independent for more than two decades, and Tony assures us that will never change, and nor has their original motto: to do things differently. He’s just dropped his seventh London Elektricity LP, Building Better Worlds and we challenge anyone not to be blown away. Spanning the dark and euphoric light sides of drum and bass, with classical music influences, funk and more; London Elektricity also takes fresh building blocks and puts them together to create entirely his own space. It’s also London Elektricity’s most personal record to date. There is an in-depth narrative to every song, tied together with a photo series from photographer Ben Beech, which marries each track to images showing decades-abandoned buildings in Japan, Taiwan and China. This sense of self is ramified with a vocal feature from his youngest son, 9-year-old The Secretary-General, who raps Inja’s lyrics alongside him in the rousing Time to Think. It’s abundantly clear that Tony hasn’t lost a morsel of passion for what he does and it’s a real pleasure talking to him about his 30 year career over a couple of cocktails at Noche Negra, before his set at the In:Motion Hospitality takeover last month.

You can’t buy loyalty, you have to earn it

Having an album to work towards is a fantastic focus for a label to build and develop an artist’s talent. All the other labels were signing one-off tracks or putting out 12”s and there didn’t seem to be a focus or continuity. The reason we decided on the name Hospital, apart from the fact that my grandfather was a doctor, is that there’s always been an element of healing in our music. Music is something that people listen to for a reason and you need to sit and think about what that reason is. For us, the reason is to escape from and maybe get a little bit of love outside of your normal world. An album is a perfect way to do that. Hospital is a label that inspires a massive amount of loyalty. There are several artists signed exclusively to the label, including Danny Byrd who has been with you from the very beginning. Why do you think this is? You can’t buy it, so you have to earn it. We earn the loyalty of our artists by being loyal to them. You just have to get up earlier than everyone else, work harder, think harder and be more creative. Engage your artists in what you’re doing and also listen to them and make sure that you’re helping them tell their story In your weekly podcasts, as well as in your sets, you champion drum and bass from around the globe. How do you balance your quite obvious commitment to the drum and bass scene as a whole, against using your platform to further your own music and signings? It’s all one and the same. It’s all interconnected and there’s no division between the two. Whilst it’s the Hospital podcast, I talk very personally and I treat the podcast as if I’m talking to one person, and I don’t really hold back. So sometimes I’m very political and quite controversial – there’s a lot of face palming going on in the office. I’m perfectly happy to alienate probably about half the population of the country. For example, anybody who actually voted for Brexit, I don’t give a fuck if they buy our shit or not, quite frankly. That’s not why I started Hospital. Sales wasn’t the thing, it was to have fun with it and to do something completely unique – and that hasn’t changed.

How involved in the A&R side are you still? It gets harder the bigger you get, because there are more people to win over. When it was just two or three of us, I could just go and do it. Now I have to try and convince people why this stupid idea I’ve got is actually a good idea. The summer holidays is a really good time for me to sign people, when everyone’s away, and then it’s signed and legally binding! So they come back from their holidays like, ‘Tony what have you done? You’ve signed Degs, who the fuck is Degs?’ This was last summer – I saw his Facebook page and he was freestyling over this music and it was absolutely brilliant. I’m convinced he’s going to be huge, so I signed him. He’s just finished his debut album... sick! Absolutely sick! And last year he came out with Poveglia, which has become an anthem. You were very quick to sign Kings of the Rollers, when jump up was still a dirty word to some DnB fans. How do you avoid snobbery in music? That’s a very easy question to answer. You have to look at the artist from different angles. I’ve known Bladerunner and Serum and Voltage for a long time and if you look at the narrow jump up genre, they basically ruled it and been getting better and better and better. But I could hear that they were actually trying to break out of it and starting to experiment.

I’ve taken no prisoners and made no compromises

The first meeting we had with them was really funny, because they came down to our local for lunch and they hadn’t even thought of making music as Kings of the Rollers – and there we were offering them a deal, not knowing what on earth we were signing. But what we were signing was an idea of what they could be. And what they came up with was absolutely amazing. They are three geniuses. Building Better Worlds is your boldest record to date and at times treads the line of what would normally be considered drum and bass... I’m in love with so many beautiful, different chord sequences. I always push to come up with chord sequences that no one else has used, even outside of drum and bass, but definitely within drum and bass. There’s a lot of harmonic density going on and a lot of classical inspiration, as well. I poured far more of myself into it than any other album I’ve ever made. I’ve taken no prisoners and made no compromises whatsoever, so I know that for a lot of drum and bass heads, it might be too much. While I was making it, I was absolutely convinced I would never be able to play any of it out, because it doesn’t adhere to standard structures or even time signatures. It doesn’t really adhere to anything. But as it’s turned out, I can play quite a lot of it out and it sounds really good and people seem to like it on the dancefloor.

The album’s opening track was 13 years in the making - can you elaborate? I wrote and recorded the entire backing track in 2006 and it was too weird. I was working on my album Syncopated City and I intended it to go on that album, but every vocalist that I gave it to couldn’t write a song to it. Over the years, every time I’ve made an album, I’ve wheeled this track back out and offered it to my vocalist and he or she will try and write over it and can’t. I tried to write a song and sing it and it was absolutely crap. I knew it had potential, but I had resigned myself to fact that it hasn’t got a place in this world. When it came round to this album, I was hot off the back of the London Elektricity Big Band in 2017. The band leader was Steve Pycroft, who is an amazing drummer, but also a brilliant orchestrator. He’s got his own orchestra called Kaleidoscope Orchestra and he also has a great band called the Riot Jazz Brass Band. I sent it to Steve and this was my last ditch attempt to make something of this tune that’s been knocking about since 2006, and within three hours he emailed back a sketch of his concept of orchestral themes for the tune. And it was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous. I immediately then knew where the tune was going to go – I could hear it. I knew I needed a soprano because it was starting to sound a bit like Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack composer who created all the Spaghetti Western tunes – he’s the greatest soundtrack composer of all time. I got in touch with Cydnei B who I went to college with in the early 80s, where we studied music together. She is a specialist in extended operatic techniques – where you push your voice into regions it shouldn’t go. Crucially, she loved the tune and not only did she absolutely smash it on the first take, I discovered that she could whistle. So there’s a whole section where she’s just whistling. What else can you tell us about the new album in terms of direction, influences or whatever else? Building Better Worlds is actually a catchphrase from the Weyland Corporation. If you’re a Blade Runner or Alien fan, they were the company responsible for going and terraforming other planets and turning them into worlds that you can inhabit. I’ve always had this theory in my head that a really good piece of music, album or a good artist, they create a kind of universe or an ecosystem or planet that you can visit and immerse yourself in to get away from the drudgery of daily life. And you can go there whenever you want. I think of my artists’ music like this and I try and encourage them to build their own world. So the title was a natural extension of how I think about music and how I think about artists – it’s building better worlds. It’s nothing to do with the way our world is at the moment, although as it turns out, we could fucking well do with a better world, right? What is 2020 looking like for Hospital Records? Our diary is very busy next year in terms of releases and events. There are some very, very exciting event changes that I’m not allowed to tell you about – two very big things that we have to keep secret at the moment. On the artist side, we’re really consolidating the artist base. Camo & Krooked have come back to Hospital from RAM. They did two albums on Hospital and then wanted to sign to a major and they chose BMG, because they’re based in Germany. BMG had bought RAM, so they ended up on RAM for a one-album deal. After that they said, can we come back to Hospital, please? We said we’d love them to and it’s great, because they’re such fun to work with.

Words: Rachel Morris Photos: Dominika Scheibinger Location: Noche Negra hospitalrecords.com @hospitalrecords

Bambalan

Instagram @bambalanbristol // facebook.com/bambalanbristol Podium Level, Colston Tower, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 4XE // 0117 922 1880 // bambalan.co.uk

One of the newer strings to the bow of Bristol’s legendary Hyde and Co group (now operating as New City Trading), Bambalan almost needs no introduction. Perfectly placed just off of the fountains, Bambalan really does have it all. Stunning vista’s over Bristol’s central walk match perfectly with delicious sharing drinks and exquisite food offerings. From private hire and brunches, to effortlessly effective post work facilities, it really does take some determined effort

croft ales

Instagram @croftales // facebook.com/croftales 32 Upper York Street, Bristol, BS2 8QN // 0117 214 1990 // croftales.com

to deny it’s clear relevance. Simple, local dining has never been easier, tastier or more well situated. Ever evolving cocktail lists are sure to please any palate and the cheery service compliments the food style perfectly.

Based in the heart of the city in the hub of creativity that is Stokes Croft, Croft Ales proudly takes traditional beer and mixes it with local creativity and the right amount of water, malt, yeast and hops to find the perfect flavoured beer.

Accommodating staff and a slew of options for private hire make this unsung hero one of the must see stops of the city. It shines in summer, but their offering is potent enough to satisfy the needs of even the most discerning winter guest.

Offering a small, but comprehensive menu filled with a selection of beers designed with everyone in mind. Whether you’re on the hunt for an American light pale ale called Westside, or the Deep Red IPA to quench your

thirst, this award-winning brewer can offer something to all beer lovers. If you’re looking to learn more about Croft Ales stunning beer collection, then head over to Croft Ales tap room. Open every Friday and Saturday the Croft Ales team invite you to take a tour around their brewery and to try one of their latest beers. Witness the craft and dedication that goes into the flavoursome taste of their beers before your very eyes.

Filthy xiii

Instagram @filthyxiii // facebook.com/filthyxiii 208 Cheltenham Rd, Bristol BS6 5QU // hello@filthyxiii.com // filthyxiii.com

Filthy XIII is the next step and brainchild from Ben Alcock – founder, bartender and owner of Her Majesty’s Secret Service (HMSS). HMSS’ more rough around the edges cousin, Filthy XIII takes its name from the real-life WW2 demolition unit, whose disregard for rules in favour of getting the job done earned them lasting

notoriety (and inspired the Dirty Dozen novel and film). Filthy XIII takes the same attitude with their no-nonsense cocktails, using time-honoured techniques the bar team has acquired over years of experience between them to achieve the besttasting cocktail – whether it looks fancy or not.

The Gallimaufry

Instagram @thegallibristol // facebook.com/TheGallimaufryBristol 26-28 The Promenade, Gloucester Road, BS7 8AL // 01179 42 7 319 // thegallimaufry.co.uk

Step inside The Galli and prepare to be dazzled by the colourful paper shapes framing the venue and its welcoming bar as soon as you walk through the door. This independent establishment is not only one of the most understated, picturesque bars in Bristol, but its drinks, food and live music selection are also top of the league. Praised as one of Gloucester Roads most cherished bars, The Gallimaufry serve a wide assortment of locally sourced

beers, both bottled and on tap, whilst keeping a selection of beers on rotation each week. Their wine list is filled with premium flavours that will quench your thirst, along with their selection of locally distilled gin. Whilst serving a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, The Gallimaufry also serve Clifton’s Coffee EQ blend and a great selection of British food with a curious twist.

A L W AY S

AP NT

Every day from 4-7pm

Local cask and keg ales

+ Award-winning South West ciders

Cocktails £5 Elderflower Collins

Gin, elderflower, lemon & soda

Aperol Spritz

Aperol, Prosecco & soda

Jamaican Mule

Rum, bitters, lime & ginger beer

La Paloma

Tequila, lime, grapefruit bitters & Ting

Horse’s Neck

Bourbon, bitters & ginger ale

White wine 175ml £4 Red wine 175ml £4 Prosecco 125ml

£4.25 thegallimaufrybristol @thegallibristol

grain barge

Hyde

Instagram @grainbarge // facebook.com/grainbarge Hotwell Rd, Bristol, BS8 4RU // 0117 929 9347 // grainbarge.com

Bristol’s love for a boat knows no bounds and Grain Barge feeds that thirst dutifully. Moored at Hotwells, the large converted barge offers views of the harbour from an open-air top deck, a main bar with panoramic windows, a below decks event space, and a great selection of food and drink – sourcing much of their menu from South West suppliers. The main bar serves a wide range of delicious drinks, including beers from sister company Bristol Beer Factory, as well as an ever-rotating roster of guest taps from

Instagram @hydecobristol // facebook.com/hydeandcobristol The Basement, 2 Upper Byron Pl, Bristol, BS8 1JY // 0117 929 7007 // hydeand.co

around the world; plus plenty of tasty topshelf spirits. There are a number of special nights throughout the week, including Wednesday Pie & Pint, Thursday Steak night and the newly introduced Curry & Quiz every Monday. The intimate Hold Bar downstairs hosts live music across a variety of genres, as well as open mic nights, poetry, exhibitions and one-off food and drinks specials, such as beer and cheese evenings or tap takeovers, and is a great space for private parties.

Floating bar & restaurant with three decks & panoramic views of the harbour from every table. Great choice of craft beers Seasonally inspired menu Sunday Roasts Hold Bar with Live Music and more - also available for private bar

+ Curry & Quiz night every Monday

Hyde & Co has been a massive presence in the Bristol cocktail scene since its opening nearly a decade ago. It stands as one of the original speakeasy bars in Bristol and has been delivering consistent ambience, service and innovation. Hidden in plain sight, as it is, Hyde & Co has always been a well-kept secret. This allows autonomy and creative freedom for its bartenders, who experiment with mind bending flavour combinations

for their always impressive conceptual menus. The décor and aesthetic are highly reminiscent of the idea of the speakeasy. Low lit with sumptuous furniture and darkly dressed staff, it really is a place to escape the trappings of the world outside. It’s small, so call ahead and tumble back to a simpler time, where the bartender was a true hero and the guests all shone like stars.

Left Handed Giant

Instagram @lefthandedgiantbrewing // facebook.com/lefthandedgiant Wadehurst Industrial Park, St Philips Rd, Bristol, BS2 0JE // 0117 318 2102 // lefthandedgiant.co.uk

Accompanied by a backdrop of water just across the beautifully lit Fenzel’s Reach bridge in Castle Park, Left Handed Giant is a brand-new brewpub to crop up in Bristol after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Offering up a great atmosphere with its unique openspace architecture situated next to the water in Wadehurst Industrial Park, this independent brewery tap room knows a thing or two when it comes to producing a top range of homegrown beers, including favourites ‘Spitting Image and

‘New Best Friend’. In the short time LHG has been open, it has been given many five-star reviews and tipped as a great city brewery that will tickle your beer loving taste buds along with a mouthwatering selection of pizzas. On top of that, Left Handed Giant also understands that a dog is the human’s best friend, so you can bring along your four-legged furry companion and enjoy LHG’s great drinks selection at the dog

noche negra

Instagram @patanegrabristol // facebook.com/patanegrabristol 30 Clare Street, Bristol, BS1 1YH // 0117 927 6762 // patanegrabristol.com

Twinkling just out of mind above the bustling crowds of Bristol’s Corn Street you’ll find Noche Negra, one of the best kept secrets the city has to offer. One floor above the immaculately presented and delicious tasting tapas of Pata Negra, Noche slumbers in anticipation. Effortlessly flirting the line between Pata Negra’s relaxed confidence and the out and out vibrance of the cities biggest clubs, it exists to impress.

Impeccable design paired with a slew of local talent, from DJ’s and chefs to ‘tenders and tearaways, Noche Negra stands as a beacon of undeniable quality in a sea of uncertainty. To top it off, private hire and event hosting is available in both Noche Negra and in the building’s elusive second floor haunt of Privada. Uncompromising music and uncompromising service. Come for the food, stay for the party. Savour.

NOCHE NEGRA ABSINTHE PINA COLADA - £9

P I N E A P P L E , C O C O N U T , M O U N T G AY E C L I P S E R U M , P E R N O D A B S I N T H E

SHERRY COBLER - £9 M A N G O , S H E R R Y , B E E F E AT E R G I N

PICK-ME-UP - £9

LILLET BLANC, ST GERMAIN, SUZE, TONIC

BUBBLE TROUBLE - £9

G R A P E F R U I T , L E M O N , B E E F E AT E R G I N , A P E R O L , C AV A

CLOVER CLUB - £9

R AS P B E R R Y , L E M O N , P LY M O U T H G I N , D R Y V E R M O U T H , E G G W H I T E

TOP NOCHE - £9

P A D R O N P E P P E R , A G AV E , L I M E , E L J I M A D O R T E Q U I L A , D E L M A G U E Y V I D A M E Z C A L

TORO BRAVO - £9

Y E L L O W P E P P E R , A P R I C OT , L I M E , E L J I M A D O R T E Q U I L A , L I L L E T B L A N C

CARAJILLO - £9

E S P R E S S O , M O U N T G AY E C L I P S E R U M , L I C O R 4 3

SMOKEY COKEY - £9

C H E R R Y , C O K E , C H I V AS 1 2 , L A P H R O A I G 1 0

PROSPECTOR - £9

HONEY, LEMON, VIOLET, BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON

JAZZ HANDS - £9

C U C U M B E R , S T R AW B E R R Y , L E M O N , B E E F E AT E R G I N , S W E E T V E R M O U T H

OLD MEXICO - £9

E L J I M A D O R T E Q U I L A , D E L M A G U E Y V I D A M E Z C A L , S H E R R Y , C H O C O L AT E

MAMACITA - £9

ORANGE, LIME, BLOOD ORANGE COINTREAU, EL JIMADOR TEQUILA

RASCAL - £9

M E TA X A , S H E R R Y , L A P H R O A I G 1 0 , B A N A N A

PLEASE TELL YOUR SERVER IF YOU HAVE ANY ALLERGIES.

The Old Bookshop

Instagram @the0ldbookshop // facebook.com/theoldbookshop 65 North St, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 1ES // 0117 953 5222 // theoldbookshop.co.uk

It’s hard to miss The Old Bookshop on Bedminster’s North Street. With its colourfully inviting signage and windows, this cosy bar with vintage décor stands proud as being one of Bedminster’s humble treasures. The Old Bookshop offers a quirky atmosphere and friendly staff with a superb selection of drinks, from cocktails,

pints and spirits that can be enjoyed in the company of taxidermy creatures and curious trinkets that decorate the entire bar and walls. With its ever-evolving kitchen, award winning roast dinners and a unique selection of live entertainment. This bar is a feast for all the senses and is one of Bristol’s best family ran establishments.

Small Bar

Instagram @smallbar_bristol // facebook.com/smallbarbristol 31 King Street, Bristol BS1 4DZ // bristol@smallbar.co.uk // smallbar.co.uk

Based on Bristol’s famous strip of bars on Kings Street, The Small Bar is one of Bristol’s hidden gems that deserve your attention. Grab yourself a pint of one of the finest craft ales Small Bar have to offer, and enjoy the warm and friendly atmosphere that’ll give you a relaxing drinking experience where you can enjoy the quality of each sip. Ran by passionate bar staff who are on a mission to find the perfect beer, Small

Bar proudly represent the breweries nationwide, with particular support for the South West local ale trade. With the staff’s knowledge and beer expertise, they always keen to have the best of the best on tap. So, take a seat outside, or grab a chair and sit at one of the many barrel tables scattered around the rustic wooden finished bar and enjoy Small Bar’s executive collection of good quality beer.

The Social

Instagram @social_bristol // facebook.com/socialbarbristol 130 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5RW // 0117 924 4500 // thesocialbarbristol.co.uk

With its central location on Cheltenham Road, The Social is recognised as part of the beating heart of Stokes Croft. Sit in the heated courtyard or curl up on one of the inviting red leather sofas by the window and watch the world go by with your favourite drink. Their friendly bar staff and sophisticated, yet relaxed atmosphere gives The Social a

unique charm, that lures you in for more. Boasting a great drinks menu, The Social know how to whip up anything from a frothy coffee to a succulent cocktail. Their wide variety of hot and cold drinks, including local beer, cider and ales and attractive wine list will help make this a favourite local hangout spot for almost any occasion.

the spotted cow Instagram @thespottedcowbristol // facebook.com/thespottedcowbristol 139 North St, Bristol, BS3 1ES // Â 0117 963 4433 // thespottedcowbristol.com

Transformed pub from a neglected old bar to one of the most popular hotspots in the community, the awardwinning Spotted Cow is a welcoming bar for locals and guests in the area. Based on North Street, this bar blends contemporary and traditional styles that provide all the elements for a perfect drinking spot; they even have one of Bedminsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best beer gardens!

Quality pub food is at the heart of the operation, so be sure to try one of their many delicious dishes including their sensational Sunday roast. The Spotted Cow was one of the first pubs in Bristol to really champion local suppliers, working with local breweries and local farms for the meat and vegetables. Needless to say, their dedication to supporting local suppliers is reflected in every flavoursome taste.

NT E UD UNT T S SCO DI 75

steam

Tobacco factory

Instagram @steambristol // facebook.com/steambristol Clifton Down Station, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2PN // 0117 317 9200 // steambristol.co.uk

Located behind Clifton Down Station, Steam stands proud as one of Bristol’s best loved beer halls. Serving a selection of locally produced beers, ales and ciders, they have even snatched a Cask Marque Award for their assortment of ales. With an always-buzzing atmosphere, Steam features a sprawling, steam punkinspired interior as well as a large heated,

TE E LA NC E C LI

Instagram @tobacco_factory // facebook.com/tobaccofactory Raleigh Rd, Bristol BS3 1TF // 0117 902 0060 // tobaccofactory.com

covered outside decking area. Steam also has a games room, with pool, table tennis and more; as well as showing live sports on a big screen. On top of an impressive bar menu, Steam are proud to offer resident kitchen pop ups, as well as bottomless prosecco brunches, BBQs, street food festivals and more.

SEN

Offering an ever-changing selection of craft beer, larger and cider, Tobacco Factory makes a conscious effort to support local breweries, including sister company Bristol Beer Factory, Good Chemistry, Arbor Ales,

Lost and Grounded, New Bristol Brewery and Wiper and True. An open kitchen serves a healthy inspired menu of bold British & European flavours – look out for pre-theatre deals for the visitors to the upstairs theatre. Outside, the Yard Bar on the covered terrace is open on Ashton Gate match days for Bristol City football and Bristol Bears rugby. The large courtyard hosts their popular Sunday Market, plus live music events through summer.

A A B B B B A A YEE N NPY arty ST

PRE EAM

Tobacco Factory’s industrial interior reflects its history as one of the last remaining buildings from the old Imperial Tobacco site. The welcoming cafe bar hosts a varied programme of live music and occasional DJs. You can also find ongoing art exhibitions, board game events and more.

Our markets are growing...

TOBACCO FACTORY MARKETS

Building on the success of our weekly Sunday Market, we’ve expanded with an indoor Makers Market on the ground floor. This new space is open Tuesday to Sunday with a variety of products, gifts Our markets are growing… and services by local makers, along with Five Acre Building on the success our and weekly Sunday Market, we’ve Farmofstall cafe, selling produce grown on our expanded with an indoor Makers Market on the ground floor. very own small farm near Backwell.

TUESDAY, 31ST DECEMBER - 8PM TIL LATE This new space is open Tuesday to Sunday with a variety of

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£15 TICKET

own small farm near Backwell.

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TOBACCOFACTORY.COM

Acre Farm stall and cafe, selling produce grown on our very S

ABBAHOLICS

products, gifts and services by local makers, along with Five

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