Nitelife December 2017 by NITELIFE

COVER SHOT: DOMINIKA SCHEIBINGER

INFLUENTIAL VENUES // ESSENTIAL EVENTS AND PARTIES // MONTHLY GUIDE

O DECEMBER - 2017

Darren C Topof Robert Van Ryn Terry Bird Geminus

Saturday 23 December Blue Mountain 10 til 6 Christm

in the ls Party oft

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26/09/2017 14:11:37

HOSPITALITY DNB X T H E B L AST P R ESEN T

S AT U R D AY 2 4 T H F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 THE BAT H & W EST SH OW GROUN D STAGE ONE: THE BLAST

J H US

SHY FX HYPE B2B HAZARD FLAVA D HOLY GOOF DARKZY CHIMPO B2B SAM BINGA & TRIGGA THE BLAST DJS

VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

M Y NU LEN G & DREAD MC HOSTE D BY: E KS M AN / B RU- C / STAM I N A

STAGE TWO: HOSPITALITY

H IG H CON T RAST

DANNY BYRD LONDON ELEKTRICITY S.P.Y METRIK KINGS OF THE ROLLERS NU:LOGIC ETHERWOOD KEENO

SPECIAL GUEST

DIMEN SION HOSTED BY: DYNAMITE / GQ / RUTHLESS / INJA

STAGE THREE: DRUM&BASSARENA X ON A MISSION X RUN

SASASAS

THE PROTOTYPES MAMPI SWIFT B2B CRISSY CRISS KASRA B2B RAN DALL LOGAN D FT. EVIL B ANNIX B2B TURNO D*MIN DS RIPRAW & BROOKSIE N EWTON & IN NA

SPECIAL GUESTS

FA BIO & G ROOV ERIDER

HOSTED BY: BASSMAN / AZZA & GRIMA / IC3 / JAKES / TEXAS P LUS MOR E TBA

TICKETS & COACH PACKAGE COMBO AVAILABLE FROM

HIGHLIGHTS

best events this month 18-21

PROFILES

goan dogs 23 natty 23

LOCAL TALENT hi5ghost 24-25

PREVIEW

nitelife presents: elder island 26-27

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH sisterworks 28-29

THREADS

DECember 2017

SHIPSHAPE & BRISTOL FASHION 30-33

FEATURED VENUES

51 Stokes Croft 38 O2 Academy 39 the canteen 40 colston hall 41 Crofters Rights 42 exchange 43

The Fleece 4 4 The Full Moon 45 GALLIMAUFRY 46 The Golden Lion 47 hy-brasil 48 kingsdown vaults 49

the lanes 50 the lantern 51 MArble Factory 52 MotherSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ruin 53 Mr Wolfs 54 noche negra 55

THE OLD BOOKSHOP 56 the old market assembly 57 swx 58 THekla 59 to the moon 60 Trinity 61

Photography: Dominika Scheibinger / Lukasz Kaminski / Martin Thompson / Ania Shrimpton / Khali Photography / Soul Media / Jessica Bartolini / shotaway.com / Leora Bermeister www.nitelifeonline.com | facebook.com/nitelifebristol | info@nitelifeonline.com | Tel: 07590 993 523 Director Carlos Javier

Editor Rachel Morris

Commercial Manager Jodie Guichard Art Director Steve Hughes Designer James Croft Photo Editor Dominika Scheibinger Print Stephens & George Distribution Javier Fox

Features Abi Lewis, Georgie Partington

8 // SELECTION

SELECTION // 9

10 // SELECTION

SELECTION // 11

12 // SELECTION

SELECTION // 13

14 // SELECTION

SELECTION // 15

1. OPEN DAY – DBS MUSIC BRISTOL

2. OPEN EVENT – DBS MUSIC BRISTOL FE

CHECK OUT THE FACILITIES, LEARN FROM THE PROS & MEET THE TEAM

3. SOULJAM: FESTIVE FUNK

EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS, CHECK OUT THE FACILITIES & LEARN FROM THE PROS

2 Dec // Free // dBs Music Bristol

FUNK, SOUL, DISCO & FESTIVE CUTS

6 Dec // £5 // Thekla

7 Dec // Free // dBs Music

flyer wall

4. SMERINS ANTI-SOCIAL CLUB

5. CLUB TROPICANA 80S NIGHT XMAS SPECIAL

6. BANG XMAS SPECIAL

8 Dec // £12.50 // The Fleece

15 Dec // £14 // The Fleece

16 Dec // Free // To The Moon

SMERINS ANTI-SOCIAL CLUB, TBA

THE FLEECE RESIDENT DJ’S

flyer wall

7. FUNKAGENDA FEEL GOOD FESTIVAL PARTY

CRAIG BROWN B2B PARANINO, JACK COOK & SIMON THOMAS

16 Dec // £5 // Taboo

INDIE, GLAM, NEW WAVE, 60S GARAGE & NORTHERN SOUL

flyer wall

8. ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS XMAS SPECIAL

9. HEY! STUDENT!

8 Dec // £12.50 // The Fleece

Every Weds // Free // Mothers’ Ruin

VINTAGE SAMPLES, ELECTRO BEATS & GYPSY-JAZZ GUITARS

DJ CHEZ AND DJ THEO DAVIES

18 // HIGHLIGHTS

DECEMBER

HIGHLIGHTS 1 SONGHOY BLUES

Anson Rooms are delighted to announce Songhoy Blues will be taking over the Anson Room stage this December, in celebration of their new album Resistance. This boldly inspiring masterpiece follows the successful release of their debut album Music In Exile as Songhoy Blues continue to blow up at a fast rate. 1 Dec // 9pm – 10pm // £16 // Anson Rooms

2 BRISTOL HE OPEN DAY

There’s no better way to find out if somewhere is right for you than in person, and dBs are confident when you step into their Music centre you’ll see why they’re one of the best music technology institutes in the UK. 2 Dec // 11am – 3pm // Free // dBs Music

3 SLEEPTALKING + NO VIOLET

Young Bristol based alt-rock band Sleeptalking shook the local altrock scene with the release of their debut EP Oh Isn’t It Strange? and Glastonbury festival performance this year. Performing alongside Sleeptalking at Crofters will be local alt-grunge band, No Violet. 1 Dec // 8pm – 10pm // £7.70 // Crofters Rights

4 KUKANGENDAI + COIMS + DJ ORINOCO NO FLOW

Totality presents a night of truly Avant Garde and underground music, with Japanese noise-math trio Kukangendai and Bristol’s very own Coims. Plus, the joyously rad DJ team Orinoco No Flow will be opening and closing the night. 3 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £5 - £6.66 // Crofters Rights

5 DJ RYU: ROCKIT SCIENCE

DJ Ryu has been in the music game for 10+ years, playing everything from party-starting hip-hop and disco, to club oriented indie-dance and house. Always armed with a healthy dose of remixes, re-edits and secret weapons, Rockit Science will keep you on the dancefloor all night long. 5 Dec // 10pm – 2am // Free // No.51 Stokes Croft

6 CULTURE DUB QUARTET

Culture Dub Quartet create a pleasant infusion of Indian and Middle Eastern sounds, with a Caribbean dub sensibility running through their music. Come and immerse yourself in the evocative sounds in their global dance mix. 6 Dec // 9.30pm – 12am // Free // Canteen

7 BRISTOL DIPLOMA COURSE OPEN EVENING

Are you considering a professional career in the music industry? Check out the next open day for Diploma students at dBs and find out what course is right for you, meet the tutors and check out their brand spanking new campus and facilities. Go on, push yourself to do something you’ve always wanted. 7 Dec // 6pm – 8pm // Free // dBs Music

8 LEO JAMES

Acoustic singer songwriter Leo James draws influences from blues, roots, Americana and folk. With his warm lyrics and soothing husky vocals, Leo magnifies his raw talent in his live shows. Witness a bit of magic at Kingsdown Vaults in an inviting intimate performance. 8 Dec // 9pm – 1am // Free // Kingsdown Vaults

9 SMERINS ANTI-SOCIAL CLUB + DJ CHEEBA

After a whirlwind year, celebrating the release of their new album and touring the festival circuit, Smerins Anti-Social Club are bringing their brass-heavy instrumentals of hip hop, rock and drum n bass to The Fleece to wrap up their journey with a bang. 8 Dec // 7pm – 10.30pm // £13.75 // The Fleece

HIGHLIGHTS // 19

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10 BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE

Benjamin Clementine has ignited the world with his hair-raising vocals and heart-felt lyricism. After winning 2015’s Mercury Prize, Benjamin has jumped leaps and bounds in his music career. Prepare to witness an emotive masterpiece by the remarkable singer songwriter, in his eagerly anticipated Colston Hall performance. 8 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £22.50 // Colston Hall

11 FREERANGE

FreeRange have delivered the best in bassline and 140 all year round and finishing off they are pulling out all the stops with their naughtiest line up yet. Including a 2 hour set of UK garage basslines from DJ Q and back to back bangers from grime legends Slimzee and Spooky. 8 Dec // 10pm – 4am // £15 // Trinity Centre

12 SAINT ETIENNE

Fronted by Sarah Cracknell, Saint Etienne defined the early 90s indie/ dance/pop era with their now classic album Foxbase Alpha including hits such as Nothing Can Stop Us and Only Love Can Break Your Heart. Come and witness the band as they perform tracks from their latest album Home Counties. 8 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £27.50 // SWX

13 COMEDY CENTRAL LIVE PRESENTS: PROPER JOKES DECEMBER

Fancy a belly full of laughs to bring in the Christmas cheer? Come down to Anson Rooms as their comedy Sessions continues, with some of the best talent right now. Including Eshaan Akbar, Neil O’Rourke and Fin Taylor. Get your tickets now. 8 Dec // 7.30pm – 9pm // £3/£5 // Anson Rooms

14 BRASS JUNKIES

Dynamic 8-piece Bristolian brass band inspired by the funky Mardi Gras sounds of the New Orleans street bands. Two trumpets, two saxophones, trombone, drums/percussion and tuba keeping it funky. This high-energy, good-time music will bring some carnival atmosphere to a festive Friday. 8 Dec // 10pm – 12am // Free // Old Market Assembly

15 DJ AARMSTRONG

AArmstrong is a progressive disco producer & DJ who loves to make you move. Dominating multi genre sets, AArmstrong is one not to be missed. He’ll be blasting a simultaneous mix of hip-hop, soul, boogie and disco vinyl at No.51 for your dancing pleasure this December. 8 Dec// 10pm – late // £3/ £4 // No.51 Stokes Croft

16 RAINMAKERS EP LAUNCH

Presents Rainmakers EP launch at Mothers Ruin this December. This pay what you want gig will give you the chance to taste the sounds from the 4-piece post-punk band and witness their blending fuzzy riffs, loud drums and melodic bass lines. 9 Dec // 8pm – 12am // Free // Mothers Ruin

17 PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

Get ready to hear one of your favourite Joy Division and New Order albums ‘Substance’ be performed by Peter Hook & The Light this December. Hear some of your favourite tracks including the cult classic hit ‘Blue Monday’. 9 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £24.75 // Marble Factory

18 FRAU DJS: CHRISTMAS TAKEOVER

All-girl party collective Frau Djs are returning to Bristol as part of their Christmas tour, to showcase their high energy and selection of electric beats. So, come and get sprinkled with festive glitter and dance your Christmas socks off at Hy-Brasil this December. 9 Dec // 9pm – 2am // Free // Hy-Brasil

20 // HIGHLIGHTS

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DECEMBER

HIGHLIGHTS 19 BEANS ON TOAST + SKINNY LISTER

Label mates, touring buddies and drinking companions, Beans on Toast and Skinny Lester make a perfect touring duo. Bringing a unique and modern take on the age-old tradition of English folk music in two sets, and barrel of laughs in between. 9 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £16.50 // SWX

20 HONEYFEET + LORI CAMPEBELL + DJ DAD

Join Honeyfeet as they celebrate the release of their single Sinner on Wah Wah 45s. Some call their sound folk-hop, others call it barrelhouse-pop, but one thing is for sure, Honeyfeet know how to put on a remarkable show. Plus support from Lori Campbell and DJ Dad. 14 Dec // 8pm – 1am // £8 // Full Moon & Attic Bar

21 PURPLE RAIN – A CELEBRATION OF PRINCE

Witness the sounds of Prince with a world class celebration of his life, legacy and music by eleven years running tribute act Purple Rain. This firey eight-piece band will deliver more than you can imagine, with non-stop Prince hits sung by Jimi Love. 15 Dec // 6.30pm – 10pm // £19.50 // O2 Academy

22 NIGHTBUS XMAS PARTY: GOAN DOGS + THE DESERT

Nightbus have had a bloody fantastic year. Reinvigorating people’s love of live music, they’ve brought knock out alternative,rock and blues line ups at every event. This time, Bristol band Goan Dogs will be headlining their xmas show, with support from folk band The Desert and DJ Conductor closing the night. 16 Dec // 9pm – 4am // £3.50 - £4.50 // Mr. Wolf’s

23 COYOTE BLUE

Down-home dusty blues and Americana classics and originals from the talented Bristol 5-piece, Coyote Blue will add an extra load of foot stomping to your agenda this Christmas, with their humble Americana flare. 16 Dec // 9pm – 11pm // Free // The Old Bookshop

24 THE RAILWAY SLEEPERS

Fast-paced, gypsy punk and Balkan Blues outfit The Railway Sleepers are a local delight in Bristol. If you’re looking to warm up this winter, then come along for a good old-fashioned foot stomping session. 17 Dec // 4pm – 6pm // Free // The Golden Lion

25 HONEYBLOOD

Scottish duo Honeyblood share a mutual love for indie rock. With 2 albums under their belts and a fan base increasing each year, Stina and Shona have captured the true essence of indie punk in both their music and demeanour. Catch them perform music from their latest album Babes Never Die. 18 Dec // 7.30pm – 11pm // £12.65 // Thekla

26 THE TWANG + METHODS

Want to be taken back to 2007 when the hit TV show Skins first aired, indie music was ‘in’ and The Twang released their debut album Love It When I Feel Like This? Come and re-live the glory days as The Twang return to play their acclaimed record in its entirety. 21 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £21.25 // O2 Academy

27 ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS

Tickets sold faster than hotcakes last time Electric Swing Circus took over the Exchange stage. This time round, their back with another dazzling show, fuelled with electro beats and gypsy-jazz bangers. Don’t hang around getting your tickets for this one. 22 Dec // 7.30pm – 2am // £12 - £13.50 // Exchange

HIGHLIGHTS // 21

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28 HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

31 LIQUID LUNAR SESSIONS

34 CUBANA NYE CARNIVAL FIESTA

29 BEST OF BRISTOL: NEW YEAR’S EVE TAKEOVER

32 BREAK STUFF NU YEARS MILLENNIUM MONSTER BALL

35 CIRQUE DU FAT LIP NYE PARTY

Come HOME for Christmas and enjoy a totally immersive experience. Expect Christmas with a twist on a grand scale, with winter wonderland décor, lighting and projection like you’ve never seen them before. Kydus will be bringing the best techno vibes, along with Darren C, Topof and more. 23 Dec // 10pm – 6am // £11.25 // Blue Mountain

To celebrate this news New Year’s Eve, Hy-Brasil are putting on a party Nitelife cannot wait to be part of. Featuring a specially handpicked line-up from Bristol’s favourite names, including Nitelife’s chosen band Elder Island, DJs, prizes great drinks and much more. See you on the dancefloor. 31 Dec // 5pm – Late // £6.75 // Hy-Brasil

30 SHOTGUN SESSIONS NEW YEAR’S EVE: REDLAND TEA PARTY

After their last successful event, the Shotgun Barber’s team have invited Redland Tea Party back for another night of the finest cuts drum and bass has to offer, this time with a NYE twist. Including residents Instrinsic, Braxx and Haze, Shift, Loz and Circuits. Come and bring in your New Year’s with the filthiest drum and bass around. 31 Dec // 8pm – 3am // Free // Bearpit Shotgun

Monthly drum and bass residents Liquid Lunar Sessions will be throwing a NYE special to remember. With top guests including Swansea based drum and bass master Octo Pi and more. Grab yourself a cocktail and get dancing. 31 Dec // 7pm – late // Free // To The Moon

It’s 1999, the year of the Nokia 3210 and the rise of nu metal. Break Stuff invites you to travel back in time to bring in the millennium cheer all over again, with some of your favourite nu metal classics. 31 Dec // 10pm – 5am // £11 - £16.30 // The Fleece

33 NOCHE NEGRA NEW YEAR’S EVE FIESTA!

Noche Negra are bringing back their famous New Year’s celebration; Spanish style. Offering up bottomless Cava and all-night dancing to some of the best in house, disco, funk and soul from their resident DJ. Bring in your New Year with some Spanish themed decadence. 31 Dec // 8pm - 3am // £35 // Pata Negra

Cubana are pulling out all the stops for this NYE celebration, presenting their loudest most immersive party yet. Let your mind run wild with new installations and outdoor fire performers. The promising line up so far includes Congo Natty, Royal-T, Woz and many more. 31 Dec // 9pm – 6am // £25 // Lakota

The Lanes favourite punk rock night Fat Lip will be hosting this year’s New Years Eve, with an action-packed night, including circus performers, balloons, confetti and more. Get on your gladrags and get ready for some of your favourite alternative pop punk anthems. 31 Dec // 7pm – 3am // £10 - £15 // The Lanes

36 WALDO’S GIFT

Weekly residency with talented trio, Waldo’s Gift, bringing out-of-this-world musicianship combining math, jazz, groove and electronic elements. With a shifting line-up of special guests and tribute sessions you can expect to hear something new and innovative every week. Every Wednesday // 8pm – Late // Free // Gallimaufry

22 // COMPETITION

competition

WIN TICKETS • WIN TICKETS • WIN TICKETS ELROW: FROM LOST TO THE RIVER NYD PARTY

GROOVE ARMADA • STEVE LAWLER • CATZ ‘N’ DOGS • Melé competition Barcelona’s finest immersive party-throwers Elrow didn’t expect such a response to their In:Motion NYE bash; selling out in minutes. But fear not. The rave collective have announced the NYD party to end all parties. Taking over the warehouse for the final blowout of the In:Motion series and starting 2018 as they mean to go on, Elrow will transform the entire ex-skatepark into a cartoon farmyard full of real life party animals. Elrow’s long-standing mascot Rowgelia is running the show this time with her own theme ‘From Lost to the River’.

Alongside farmyard frolics and interactive performances, the lineup is huge. Continuing to grow, the list includes names like Groove Armada, Steve Lawler, Catz ‘n’ Dogs, Bushwacka, Melé B2B Lord Leopard, Denney, Andres Campo and Bastian Bux, plus a yet unannouced special guest for an extended set. Seeing as it’s the first major party of 2018, we’re giving away a pair of tickets. For your chance to win them, visit nitelifeonline.com/win/ ElrowNYD. Winner selected 20 December.

PROFILES // 23

profile - HOMEGROWN

profile - incoming

Goan Dogs

Natty

Bristol born and bred five-piece Goan Dogs have been friends since school. As well as being some of Bristol’s favourite musical residents, their drawling desert rock has found a fan in Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Clash Music and it seems Made in Chelsea, who have now twice soundchecked the band on the quarter million people-viewed show. As they prepare to head into 2018 with lots of new material under their belts, and headline shows at Thekla and Shoreditch’s Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, it certainly looks like this Bristol band might be the next to break onto the national stage. Don’t miss a chance to see them at the cosy and always vibing Mr Wolf’s this side of noel, where they headline the NightBus Christmas party. Guitarist Theo Mackie answers our 10 questions ahead of the show.

After a top 20 release with Atlantic Records in 2008 with his Man Like I, alternative reggae artist Natty parted ways with the major label and began pushing his own brand Vibes and Pressure. Beginning as a club night – which has since seen the likes of Ben Howard, Ed Sheeran, Wretch32 and Dawn Penn perform – the project evolved into a record label, hosting Natty’s own releases, as well as being home to some likeminded artists. His released his second album last year on Vibes and Pressure, featuring a roots-heavy collaboration with reggae and dancehall giants Albarosie and Busy Signal on his track Seasons Change. With influences including Jimi Hendrix, Fela Kuti and The Streets, catch the genre-blending artist at Marble Factory this December.

Upcoming shows: 16 December – NightBus Christmas Party, Mr Wolf’s

Upcoming shows: 6 December – Natty and the Rebel Ship, Marble Factory

Band

Singer songwriter

THOSE QUESTIONS... 1. What have you learned today? Brexit is shit. Theresa May is incompetent. Donald Trump is literally the weirdest human being on earth. All the normal stuff you see on The Guardian everyday. 2. Favourite track of all time? Fuckin’ hell, how do you even answer that?! It can change on a daily basis. But I’m very attached to song by Ry Cooder called Drive Like I’ve Never Been Hurt – I’ve got all sorts of shit wrapped up in that one. 3. It’s 3am and the party is winding down, what track do you play to get everyone going again? Am I Wrong by Anderson .Paak. That bass. You literally have to dance to that song. 4. Who are your top three acts right now? Well I caught a jazz group called Vels Trio performing a tune on Worldwide FM the other day and it blew my mind – had them on non stop since. I’ve also had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s II back on repeat recently. Holy moly that album is perfect. Fatima has a new tune out too, which is soooooo good. Her album Yellow Memories is one of my all time favourites, she’s just got an incredible voice.

6. What was the last book you read? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I haven’t actually finished it yet, but I know the ending is going to be devastating. 7. Favourite thing on TV? Louis Theroux – that man is a saint. He constantly produces television that makes me happy, sad, angry and confused all at the same time. 8. Are you afraid of anything? I have reoccurring dreams of pushing my teeth out with my tongue. I have issues with the dentist. 9. Tell us something people don’t know about you... People don’t have a clue what Goan Dogs have been up to in the second half of this year. I can very honestly say that it’s pretty fucking exciting. Hold tight 2018.

THOSE QUESTIONS... 1. What have you learned today? How to differentiate between passive aggressive and diplomacy. 2. Favourite track of all time? Miles Davis – Blue in Green. 3. It’s 3am and the party is winding down, what track do you play to get everyone going again? Bob Marley – Exodus. 4. Who are your top three acts right now? Akae Beka, Yusef Kamal and Hejira. 5. If you couldn’t work in music, what would you be doing instead? Working with children or on a farm.

6. What was the last book you read? A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. 7. Favourite thing on TV? Planet Earth. 8. Are you afraid of anything? Fear itself. 9. Tell us something people don’t know about you... I started playing music when I was 10 and all because I wanted to be Jimi Hendrix. 10. What are you doing tomorrow? Getting ready for UK tour and sorting out merch.

10. What are you doing tomorrow? I am seeing my homegirl Joné for a spot of dinner and to marvel at her new haircut.

5. If you couldn’t work in music, what would you be doing instead? Me and my girlfriend Rachel would be on a beach somewhere incredibly hot and far away spending all our money on cocktails.

goandogs.com // FB.com/GOANDOGSBAND // @goandogs

nattymusic.com // FB.com/nattyofficial // @NattyMusic

24 // LOCAL TALENT

DBS MUSIC PRESENTS LOCAL TALENT

HI5GHOST

Bristol producer Courtney Beckford is best known as Hi5ghost, although he also operates under more secretive alias Wu Yen. Both have been making waves on the underground scene in Bristol and further afield, with regular appearances on Rinse FM as Hi5ghost – his grime and dubstep leaning moniker. Plus a lot of love for his Noire EP, released last year under the more experimental Wu Yen on his own PaperCranes label. He first appeared on our radar in 2014 with his breakthrough track Kung Fu Kick on Bandulu Records, and now he’s back with another release on the fan-worshiped vinyl-only label. His 4-track EP Holy I$$h, released at the end of October, features three original compositions and a fierce Lemzly Dale remix of the title track. Although Holy I$$h has been on dubplate rotation for a while now and Scorpion’s Mask came out with Kahn and Neek’s Fabriclive 90 last year, the final track Death Con 5 is new and unheard, created especially for this EP. ‘It was something we had in the pipeline for a while,’ explains Courtney. ‘It was just waiting for the right time to

put it out. Scorpion’s Mask, at the time, was going to be the A-side, until Lemzly Dale did the Holy I$$h remix. Some people will have heard some of those tunes before – that’s why I made the last tune, Death Con, just for this EP.’

I still want to write club music, but at the same time, I want to make some stuff that my parents can listen to on a Sunday The EP closely follows a release on Ossia’s Hotline last July, as well as a significant increase in SoundCloud activity from the producer. Although Courtney says that this is the sum of a couple of years of hard work, rather than a major increase in studio time or reaching a point where he is able to finish tunes more speedily.

‘I’ve been trying to be more active – I’m not making any music any quicker! With the recent releases, that’s stuff that’s been in the pipeline for maybe a year or two. I’m just trying to make sure I am a little bit more consistent, I’m still sitting on some tunes that are ready to go. I’m trying not to put something out straight away, I want to give things a bit more shelf life.’ If you think you are noticing the same names cropping up across the darker, bass-driven electronic music scene in Bristol, you’re not wrong. Courtney and a large circle of friends have created a much-welcomed monopoly of DIY labels, which have been successfully competing with the majors in Bristol for years. Members of this network can easily sell out the same size venue as a major label artist, record releases are marked in people’s diaries and crash websites, and fans are generally shared across the spectrum. Courtney is an original member of Bandulu Gang, along with Kahn, Neek and Boofy. Extended family includes Lemzly Dale, OH91, Breen, Gemmy and Oats – and more recently, Sheffield native Commodo, who provided a remix

LOCAL TALENT // 25 ‘The whole intention at the time was to write my own instrumentals and spray bars on top of them, but I never got to writing them. As soon as I started making tunes that I was happy with, I stopped writing lyrics.’ As well as pushing his own projects, Courtney is currently studying for a degree in Music Production and Engineering at dBs Music Bristol to help hone his skills even further. Beat making holds his complete attention at the moment, which means we’re unlikely to see him cropping up as a guest MC any time soon. In fact, Courtney is so enamored with that side of things now that he struggles to work with vocals at all. ‘Maybe on a drunken night if a mic falls in my hand I’ll MC, but not intentionally. I do think about it every now and then – the whole idea behind the Wu Yen project was so that I could start rapping again, but once I finish making beats, I’m so attached to them that I just can’t get myself round to writing lyrics for them.

As soon as I started making tunes that I was happy with, I stopped writing lyrics ‘There are loads of MCs that I respect and there are loads of MCs that I would love to work with, but the way I like to work with vocals is to write the instrumental around it, instead of making the beat first, because I feel like I fill up all that space where the vocals would be. ‘That makes it harder for me to approach MCs or vice versa. If they get in touch with me, I never really have anything ready or it just doesn’t fit together.’ However, the idea is not entirely out the window. Courtney tells us that one of the end goals for his Wu Yen project is to work with more abstract vocalists like singers and spoken word artists. ‘Wu Yen for me is more experimental. There are no rules. When I first started, it was trying to be a little bit trappy, a little bit hip hop, but the more I’ve been shown different types of music – everything from hardcore rock to electronic sirens and all that kind of stuff, it’s making me want to take all those elements which I find interesting and do something slightly different. ‘I don’t feel pressured to do a certain thing, whereas with Hi5ghost, I feel like I’ve been pigeon holed a little bit to only producing grime or dubstep, and if I do anything outside of that the people who like that sound might not be into it. So it’s easier to separate them than try and do it all under the same name. ‘If I could get away with wearing a mask, I would, and keep it even more secretive. But I definitely want to try and keep Hi5ghost and Wu Yen as separate as possible. The reason for it is because I want people to listen to either music with unbiased opinion, and not like one because they know me from one style, or dislike one because they know me from one style.’ Fans of both Wu Yen and Hi5ghost can rest easy, because Courtney doesn’t have any intention of retiring either alias any time soon. ‘As you get a bit older, your taste matures a bit more and the way I approach every song changes. I do want to try and keep the whole grime thing going – I’ve grown up with grime since I was 12 years old and it’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of. I still want to write club music, but at the same time, I want to make some stuff that my parents can listen to on a Sunday, or you can listen to in the car and not feel like you have to go out to a club straight after.’ of Kahn’s Fierce on Bandulu 008. There are also crossovers with the Young Echo collective, with a growing family tree of labels, brands and offshoots between them. While Courtney heads up his PaperCranes label, Boofy and Lemzly Dale run Sector 7 Sounds, as well as Lemzly Dale running his own Pearly Whites; Kahn and Neek oversee Bandulu Records as well as being part of an 11-strong joint effort on Young Echo Records, and Ossia is pulling some significant weight with No Corner, Lava Lava, Peng Sound and FuckPunk, as well as Hotline Recordings. This not only provides them all with ongoing business, but also creates a larger platform for fans to find their music. While each of them takes a unique approach to making music, they are united in a shared ethos on the kinds of music they put out, with influences generally evolving out of the dubstep and grime scenes. This means that if you like the sounds one is making, there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate those of the extended network. ‘Because we’re all really close friends, it was to help build the Bristol scene a little bit. We all release on each other’s

labels, so we’re all providing each other with work and it’s making it easier for gigs and bookings and stuff. ‘Creating my own label was also a little bit of a challenge to myself to try and be organised and do something I’ve never done before. It was good to step into the other side of music, speaking to mastering companies and speaking to distributors – seeing how that side of music works instead of just tapping on a keyboard.’ While Courtney is now known almost exclusively for his production skills, he actually entered the music scene as an MC. His uncle is Smith & Mighty’s Peter D. Rose, who played a significant part in the sound that was coming out of Bristol in the 90s, which is what sparked Courtney’s initial interest in music and writing lyrics. ‘My uncle was definitely a big inspiration – being around him all the time. He used to make drum and bass and trip hop. But on the production side it was more being around some of my peers, like Kahn. I was trying to make an EP with him at the time when I was still MCing, but because of the time it was taking, I decided to write my own instrumentals.

This upwards trajectory for Courtney looks pretty solidly set to continue, with another new release in the pipeline for 2018. Although he can’t say yet which label is releasing it, you can probably guess between a few. ‘It’s a slightly different take on what I’ve been writing lately. I’ve been playing the tunes out a lot anyway, so when the time does come, some people might recognise them. ‘I feel like it’s not a typical track I would make. It’s almost a kind of hybrid between the Wu Yen stuff and the Hi5ghost bits, just at a faster tempo. The EP isn’t finished, I’ve still got to knock out another two tunes for it, but it’s halfway there.’

Words: Rachel Morris Photography: Dominika Scheibinger soundcloud.com/hi5ghost

26 // PREVIEW

PREVIEW

NITELIFE PRESENTS: ELDER ISLAND BEST OF BRISTOL NYE PARTY

Live electro outfit Elder Island are fast becoming a musical sensation, since the launch of their confident second EP Seeds in Sand just a year ago, they’ve enjoyed sold out dates in London and Bristol, a European tour supporting Glass Animals, as well as a packed out summer festival season. With the trio currently deep in writing mode, as well as gearing up for their first UK headline tour this January, we were delighted when they accepted our invitation to join us at Hy-Brasil on New Year’s Eve, with their debut Bristol DJ set leading us right into 2018.

That physical thing when you’re dancing and they’re dancing, everyone’s dancing together, it’s exhilarating The event in question is a collaborative effort between some of Bristol’s best music platforms, agencies, promoters and artists, including Electric Harmony, Hy-Brasil, BBC Introducing

in the West, The Bristol Music Show, Tap The Feed, 1% of One, Leisure Records, Word On The Street and Nitelife. Each of us has invited one of our favourite Bristol acts to play, creating a diverse and frankly unmissable lineup. Alongside The Gnarwhals, Harvey Causon, Mauwe, No Violet, Rozelle, Tropic, Wish and Youth, Nitelife presents Elder Island’s debut Bristol DJ set – their second ever after a debut at Lost Village festival this summer. They will be playing us some of the music that they love, alongside some dancefloor reworks from other major artists; plus a rare opportunity to hear some exclusive DJ edits of their own work. Elder Island’s pioneering sound combines mellifluous vocals with a myriad of electronic rumbles and is derived from a tapestry of influences, nestling somewhere between the likes of Jamie XX, Maribou State and Mount Kimbie. We caught up with Katy, Dave and Luke as they peeled themselves away from their studio, where they’ve been shutting themselves away over winter. Initially experimenting with a more folky sound, it seems that the band are delving forever deeper into electronic territory, as they continue to advance their sizzling synths and experimental production, which can be heard in recent

singles Welcome State and Bonfires, however, they’ve also got some DJ edits of their own tracks under their hat, which they will be unveiling at the Best of Bristol NYE show. ‘We’ve naturally progressed into electronic territory,’ explains Katy. ‘Advancement in equipment drives how the sound is, and we’re exploring what can be achieved and putting new ideas out there.’ ‘When we play to a party crowd, especially at festivals, we tend to play stuff that is much dancier so that people start reacting more,’ says Dave. ‘Then we react more to that and it just keeps feeding back and forth, maintaining that kind of level.’ ‘Yeah, it’s lovely when people stand and you can see their absorption’, adds Katy, ‘but that physical thing when you’re dancing and they’re dancing, everyone’s dancing together, it’s exhilarating.’ The three-piece have also put a few tracks at the mercy of other producers, with a few considerably dancier remixes appearing on their Spotify lately from artists including house and techno producer Kalyde and Mumbai-based glitchy, electro wizard Sandunes, who both re-imagined Welcome State in very different ways.

PREVIEW // 27 When discussing how they choose the remixes that are to their taste, Katy explains: ‘We try and look at it from a different perspective. If we didn’t like it, other people might for different reasons. I mean, we’ve never had a happy hardcore edit but I would be quite interested to hear what it was like, even though I might not listen to it in my own time!’ Luke agrees: ‘They’re the ones that interest me the most, the ones that are a lot different or have something that has taken the track further.’ Looking forward to the Best of Bristol NYE bash, Dave says to expect ‘party, fun, and a complete mix of disco, house, techno, Japanese stuff, all sorts…’ ‘DJing together is quite a new thing, so it’s quite exciting,’ Katy explains. ‘We’re just enjoying partying down in the basement and practising and stuff. But it will be influences, what we’re enjoying at the moment and then we’ll squeeze in some tracks of ours, stuff to keep the vibe going – we’ll make it interesting!’ The band are excited to be playing to their home crowd on NYE and when asked if there is added pressure gigging here, Katy responds: ‘The Bristol gigs mean a lot more as we want to make them especially good. When we’re here you can just feel the electricity. It means something.’ Although not originally from Bristol, Elder Island have said that going out in Bristol is what gave them their musical education. Katy and Dave met after both coming to Bristol for university, with Luke – a long time friend of Dave’s – crashing regularly on the sofa, before eventually making the move from Wales himself. ‘The best thing about Bristol’s music scene is the diversity,’ says Luke. ‘You can go down St Pauls and you’ve got dub or some kind of grime, then you can come over here and there’s a Ceilidh band in the Canteen. There is such a good range of artists and venues and a constant flourish of different scenes everywhere with some real nice independent record labels popping up.’ Katy adds: ‘It’s manageable as well. It’s not like London where there is too much and you can’t really find a scene.’ With the importance of independent music venues being particularly topical thanks to the current and constant threat to many of Bristol’s iconic live music and club venues including Thekla, I thought I would ask the trio’s opinion about how crucial these venues are to up-and-coming artists… ‘The support you get when you’re starting out is invaluable,’ says Dave. ‘If it wasn’t for the independent venues, you wouldn’t get a chance to actually get feedback. You get the opportunity to try stuff out, experiment, and you can network and gauge responses to get a better understanding of how well it’s going.’ ‘Thekla is an extremely important venue with a lot of history,’ says Luke. ‘The first time I came to Bristol was to see a show on

that boat. We’re playing it in January for the first time and it’s a really big deal for us.’ ‘When we first started playing here in Bristol, we were still working out how we were going to play live,’ says Katy. ‘The sound guy at The Louisiana was brilliant, he really nurtured us into this gig which was actually pivotal for us, because we enjoyed it and it sounded great. We wouldn’t have got that if we were in a place that was just trying to churn acts out.’ Lately, the Bristol-based band have been spending a lot of time bashing heads in their studio, or ‘the basement’ as they call it, though as Katy says, ‘Luckily it’s winter, so it’s not horrible. The sun isn’t out with us all down here, pasty looking!’

It’s comforting to hear that despite nurturing their electronic sound, the trio have no plans on losing the entrancing live elements to their recording process or live shows. The UK winter tour, which finishes up at Thekla on 27 January, will see the full band setup. This looks something like: Katy on vocals, cello and looper pedal, Dave on guitar and keys, and Luke on drums and bass – with lots of wires between them. Katy continues: ‘We’re trying to figure more stuff out live, rather than spending a lot of time trying to arrange it, which is actually really refreshing. It’s nice to not be sat behind a computer, while we try become a bit more live and organic.’ With so much time being dedicated to the studio, we can’t help but hope that a debut album is on its way soon. With smiles all round, Katy cautiously answers, ‘Possibly… Maybe. We’re trying anyway. We have about a month to put a good basis down, so we’ll see.’

The Bristol gigs mean a lot more. When we’re here you can just feel the electricity. It means something. The band have another exciting project underway, as they explain that they are in the process of designing and building a light rig that they will control live, with the intention of delivering knockout performances as they continuously strive to get better and better. ‘After touring with Glass Animals, we realised we wanted a show with that extra wow factor,’ says Luke. ‘For people to come away saying that it was even better than last time – that’s the dream.’ With a substantial amount of new material in tow and an added wow-factor light show (although we’ve yet to not be completely wowed by Elder Island), their end of tour show at Thekla this January should be one for your diaries. In the meantime, join us all on 31 December at Hy-Brasil to ring in the New Year in some great company.

31 December – Best of Bristol NYE, Hy-Brasil 27 January – Elder Island, Thekla Words: Georgie Partington Photos: Khali Ackford

28 // THE INFLUENCERS

THE INFLUENCERS // BEHIND THE SCENES WITH

SISTERWORKS Louisa Jones is no stranger when it comes to building a platform for women in music. The Dutty Girl founder has been in the music game for over fifteen years. Known behind the decks as Diss Miss, Louisa established DJ and MC collective Dutty Girl with the launch of new female-led clubnight in 2003. She has remained at the heart of Bristol’s music and music culture scene ever since, with a desire for female equality and opportunity never far from her mind.

in case they thought something more going on. ‘I thought it would be nice just to have girls together to do that with, but I looked around at the time and couldn’t find anything. Also looking around at festivals and events, I couldn’t see many girls on any of the lineups. That’s when I started putting on the Dutty Girl nights, to bring more women in the music scene together.’

Dutty Girl expanded to include Bristol-born lifestyle brand Shop Dutty (now That Thing), which she co-founded with friend and local designer Joh Rindom. But after a lengthy legal battle against retail giants Massimo Dutti over name rights, and the birth of her son last year, Louisa decided to part ways with the shop and take a brief step back from everything.

Following a launch party at Crofters Rights last month, SisterWorks will be kicking off the new year by extending this concept to the women of Bristol and beyond, with a day full of workshops and panel discussions on all aspects of the music industry for women, by women.

‘There will also be workshops based around things like empowerment, how we speak about ourselves and how we can price ourselves in the creative industries, with hopefully a few things on events and festival promotion too.’

Taking place at dBs Music’s studios on 13 January, the day will consist of an all-star team of experts and influencers sharing their knowledge and skills across the board, including music, art and dance. From getting a grasp on the basics or honing your DJ skills, learning to create a piece of graffiti art or forging a career in dance, the action-packed day will provide something for all women thirsty to learn more about the music and creative industries.

As we continue to talk, Louisa expresses why she believes this type of action to unite women within the creative and music industry is welcomed and encouraged now more than ever. ‘There are so many empowering conversations between women going on at the moment, and there’s a lot more women coming up through the ranks in these industries. I think feminism is being accepted and rejoiced more, rather than being frowned upon. People are recognising that things do need to change and we are not going to be complacent. What with all the Harvey Weinstein reports, along with everything else going on in the media, it feels like now’s the time for people to make a change.’

And while Bristol is lucky to already call itself home to some brilliant platforms for women in the industry, including Saffron Records and Bristol Women in Music, there is still much to be done, because the sad fact is that women in the British music industry account for only 30% of senior executive roles, despite making up more than half the entry-level positions. That’s why Louisa and the SisterWorks network, which currently stands at 40+ women, hope to make SisterWorks a permanent fixture in Bristol.

Things do neeed to change and we are not going to be complacent ‘When I started DJing over 15 years ago, I found it hard to meet other women that were into it. I knew guys that were doing it, but I never felt ‘safe’ to ask them to help me or ask to have a go on the decks myself. I suppose the confidence wasn’t there and I was worried about asking guys to help me,

While the full event lineup is yet to be released, so far confirmed speakers and workshop leaders include Bristol singer, songwriter and MC Eva Lazarus, Bristol’s first lady of reggae Queen Bee, graffiti artist Miss Hazard (listed in The Guardian’s top 5 female graffiti artists in the UK); and Hannah Williams of Bristol soul band Hannah Williams & the Affirmations, whose track Late Night Tales and Heartbreak was heavily sampled on the title track of Jay-Z’s recent album 4:44. Louisa goes into a bit more detail: ‘We’ve got Hazard, who is an amazing established graffiti writer from Bristol doing a graffiti workshop. We’ve got Hannah Williams from Hannah Williams & the Affirmations, who were recently sampled by Jay-Z coming along to do a singing class. We’ve also got female DJs from all over Bristol giving you various genres of DJ workshops, using CDJs or vinyl.

Louisa used the time out to refocus and form together her most passionate project yet, SisterWorks – an open network of women in the music and creative industries to share knowledge and skills, motivate and inspire each other.

Nitelife had a chat with Louisa about the exciting upcoming event, but before we went into detail about the day, Louisa describes her own experience starting out in a male-dominated music industry.

to women who have a career in music, learn how they got to where they are and get a taste of their skills and knowledge. Whether people are interested in having their own career or fancy a hobby, it’s about giving women confidence in what they choose to pursue.’

Coming to the end of the interview, Louisa looks forward at what’s on the horizon for the newly established SisterWorks community after their first big workshop event.

Moving forward to the present day, Louisa explains the concept behind SisterWorks: ‘It’s a place to share skills. SisterWorks mainly consists of women who have a professional career or some form of success in the music or creative industries, who are able to share these skills with other women over sixteen. We’re not focusing on young women, we want to be open to all ages, ethnicities and anyone who identifies as a woman. ‘Twenty-six seems to be the age where you stop receiving workshop funding, which is a shame because I think these kinds of workshops should be available to everyone. Often, it’s around the age of twenty-six when you actually decide what you want to do in life! ‘The event in January will be a place to come along and speak

‘Creating a platform for women is the main thing. It could be that we are sharing and empowering as many women as we can, but I think potentially longer-term workshops is the way forward. Who knows what the future holds for Sisterworks though, it could go on to become many things. I think as more women get involved, they will soon find their own niche within it. I’m excited to get everyone together and see what is possible.’

13 January – SisterWorks Music & Creative Workshops for Women, dBs Music Facebook.com/SisterWorksUK Words: Abi Lewis Photos: Martin Thompson // TheFaceCollective

THE INFLUENCERS // 29

30 // FASHION

Liv wears Jacket: Sequin denim biker – That Thing Top: Polo Ralph Lauren cropped shirt – Sobey’s Trousers: High-rise frayed hem jeans – Sobey’s Shoes: Karhu Fusion 2.0 trainers – 5 Pointz Bag: Holographic mini backpack – That Thing

SHIPSHAPE & BRISTOL FASHION Photography: Dominika Scheibinger Models: Sonny Barthley, Liv Weston Styling: Fi Plummer Hair: Milena Konopa (Bristol Style Collective) Shoot assistant: Matt Bailey

FASHION // 31

Sonny wears Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger windbreaker jacket – Don Majors Top: HUF printed t-shirt – 5 Pointz Shoes: Air Max 1 Premium ‘Flax Pack’ trainers – Cooshti Bag: Herschel Supply Co. backpack – 5 Pointz

Sonny wears Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger button jacket – Don Majors

Liv wears Jacket: Moncler puffer – Don Majors Top: Cropped bright shapes jumper – That Thing

32 // FASHION

FASHION // 33

Sonny wears Top: Moschino shirt – Don Majors Trousers: Dickies skate trousers – Sobey’s, Shoes: adidas Originals Haven – Cooshti, Hat: Flat peak cap – That Thing Liv wears Jacket: Fleece mid-length coat – That Thing, Champion satin coach jacket – Cooshti Dress: Sequin party dress – That Thing, Trousers: Moschino skinny fit trousers – Don Majors, Shoes: Nike Air Max 97 trainers – Cooshti, Accessories: ‘Gary’ necklace – That Thing

Cooshti // cooshti.com • Don Majors // donmajors.co.uk • Sobey’s // @sobeysvintageclothing • That Thing // thatthing.co • 5 Pointz // 5pointz.co.uk

WWW.THATTHING.CO 45-47 STOKES CROFT BS1 3QP

WWW.DONMAJORS.CO.UK 233 CHELTENHAM RD, BRISTOL BS6 5QP

Use code NITELIFE01 in store or online for 15% discount

VINTAGE DESIGNER STREETWEAR

Find us on Asos Marketplace MARKETPLACE.ASOS.COM/BOUTIQUE/DON-MAJORS

THE STABLE BRISTOL

NEW YEAR IMPRINTS RAZZOMO

WITH BEATBOX & MC

DJ NEV 7PM - LATE EARLYBIRD: £10 / £20 WITH FOOD • GENERAL SALE £15 / £25 WITH FOOD TICKETS: bitly/stablebristolnye

51 stokes croft

38 // VENUES

51 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QP | Twitter - Coming soon | facebook.com/51stokescroft | 01179 148 048 | 51stokescroft.com

A vibrant and welcoming venue with traditional and historic roots, being one of the oldest Public Houses in Stokes Croft. The space is versatile and creative, blending homemade, locally sourced food with live music, art and late night party DJs and the beautiful garden offers a sunny sanctuary amongst the hustle and bustle of Stokes Croft.

DJ RYU: ROCKIT SCIENCE

DJ Ryu plays everything from party-starting hip-hop and disco, to club oriented indie-dance and house, armed with a healthy dose of remixes, re-edits and secret weapons. Prepare to never leave the dancefloor again.

5 Dec // 10pm - 2am // Free

DJ AARMSTRONG

AArmstrong is a progressive disco producer & DJ who loves to make you move. He’ll be blasting a simultaneous mix of hip-hop, soul, boogie and disco vinyl at No.51 for your dancing pleasure this December.

8 Dec // 10pm - late // £3 - £4

02 academy

VENUES // 39

Frogmore Street, Bristol, BS1 5NA | @o2academybris | facebook.com/o2academybristol | 0905 5020 3999 | o2academybristol.co.uk

The o2 Academy is one of Bristol’s busiest music venues playing host to major touring acts as well as up and coming artists. They’ve established themselves as one of the best venues to catch your favourite bands in the Southwest, while also being home to Ramshackle - Bristol’s Notorious Weekly Rave: A fine selection of all thats good in music mixed by Patrick Nazemi, Chezney & Guests.

LANY

facebook.com/o2academybristol twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris facebook.com/o2academybristol youtube.com/o2academytv

With echoes of prime 80s FM pop, 90s RnB and new-wave electronica, alt-trio LANY will be taking over the O2 stage this December in celebration of the release of the self-titled album.

twitter.com/o2academybris instagram.com/o2academybris youtube.com/o2academytv

5 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £12.50 Fri 1st Dec • SOLD OUT

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Mon 4th Dec • SOLD OUT

Scouting For Girls Tue 5th Dec • £12.50 adv

LANY

Wed 13th Dec • £27.50 adv

Fish

Wed 14th Feb • £19.50 adv

Tue 3rd Apr • £22.50adv

Thu 15th Feb • £22.50 adv

Fri 6th Apr • £14 adv

Arch Enemy The Used

The Vaccines

Fri 16th Feb • £20 adv

The Amy Winehouse Experience ...A.K.A Lioness

Wed 21st Feb • £27.50 adv

Sat 7th Apr • £16 adv RESCHEDULED DATE

Hell Is For Heroes Franz Ferdinand Thu 22nd Feb • £15 adv

MØ + Skott

Thu 14th Dec • SOLD OUT

Sun 8th Apr • £19.50 adv

Shed Seven + Cast

The Temperance Movement

Fri 15th Dec • £19.50 adv

Tue 27th Feb • £17 adv

Walk The Moon

Purple Rain

A Celebration of Prince

Mon 18th Dec • SOLD OUT

Extreme + Dan Reed Network Thu 21st Dec • £21.25 adv

The Twang + Jaws + Methods Thu 31st Dec • £10 adv 10pm-4am • over 18s only

The Front Bottoms Fri 2nd Mar • £12 adv

Cash - A Tribute to The Man In Black Tue 6th Mar • SOLD OUT

Tom Misch

Wed 7th Mar • £27.50 adv

Feeder

New Year’s Eve: Ramshackle In Wonderland

Fri 9th Mar • £16 adv

Fri 5th Jan • £21 adv

Stiff Little Fingers + RUTS DC

The Hunna

Fri 19th Jan • £17 adv

Motionless In White Thu 25th Jan • From £12 adv 8pm-1am • over 18s only

Moose Blood

Sat 10th Mar • £20 adv

Wed 14th Mar • £23.50 adv

The Wailers

Thu 15th Mar • £27.50 adv

The Stranglers + Therapy?

Epica + Myrkur + Oceans Of Slumber Mon 9th Apr • £18 adv

Thu 12th Apr • £25 adv

Love From Stourbridge

The Wonder Stuff + Ned’s Atomic Dustbin + Graham Crabb DJ set (P.W.E.I.)

Fri 13th Apr • £23.50 adv

Tokio Myers

Mon 16th Apr • £24 adv / £75 VIP

Trivium

Fri 20th Apr • £16.50 adv

The White Buffalo Mon 23rd Apr • £16 adv / £50 VIP

Calum Scott

Wed 25th Apr • £21.50 adv

Skindred + CKY

Wed 2nd May • SOLD OUT

Gomez

Chinese Man

Tue 20th Mar • £25 adv

Youthstar + ASM, Baja Frequencia, Mophono

Skid Row

Sat 27th Jan • £30 adv

Thu 22nd Mar • £25 adv

Mon 5th Feb • £16.50 adv

Sat 24th Mar • £12.50 adv

Tue 6th Feb • £18 adv

Wed 28th Mar • SOLD OUT

Fri 9th Feb • £20 adv

Thu 29th Mar • £17.50 adv

The Fratellis

Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory

Sat 10th Feb • £26 adv

Fri 30th Mar • £20 adv

Fri 19th Oct• £13.50 adv

Steel Panther

While She Sleeps Alien Ant Farm + Soil + Local H Don Broco

The Damned

Blue October Vance Joy

The Wombats

Alabama 3

Mon 7th May • £19 adv

Brothers Osbourne Tue 15th May • £27.50 adv

Machine Head

Sat 19th May • £29.50 adv

Rita Ora

Sun 23rd Sep • £30 adv

Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana

O2 Academy Bristol Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1 5NA • Doors 7pm unless stated

ticketmaster.co.uk

Venue box office opening hours: Mon - Sat 12pm - 4pm

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

o2academybristol.co.uk

RAMSHACKLE IN WONDERLAND

Dec • 2017

This New Years Eve, come and enter the magical wonderland at O2 Academy. Visual Architects are set to transform Ramshackle into a mystical paradise, for one night only. This will be a night like no other.

31 Dec // 10pm – 4am // £12.50

canteen XX

40 // VENUES

Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1 3QY | Twitter – @IntheCanteen | facebook.com/thecanteenbristol | 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. With free live music every night, expect gentler tones from Sunday – Wednesday spanning folk, jazz and acapella ensembles, then Thursday – Saturday sees things ramp up from 10pm, when the tables are cleared for the unavoidable rip-roaring dancing times.

CULTURE DUB QUARTET

6 Dec // 9.30pm – 12am // Free

Fri 1st

Luo

The latest sounds from Brighton-based producer/guitarist Josh Trinnaman brings a gentler acoustic quality to his ambient electronica but the urgent pulse of dance music still runs through everything his live band Luo play when they get on a stage.

Fri Mamadou Cissoko Album Launch 8th

Hailing from the famous Cassamanca region of Senegal, Modou’s roots lie in the Griot traditions of his family, a tradition that shows whether he’s singing, drumming or playing mesmerising music on the kora.

WED 13th

Ruby Confue

Calling Ruby Confue a singer barely scrapes the surface - she’s a rapper, poet, performance artist and songwriter, using a perfect blend of jazz, hip-hop and urban soul to build music that’s so cool even a slice of Shakespeare sits comfortably over Rare Groove rhythms and soaring trumpets. It’s a great trick and by no means the only one up her very capacious sleeve.

Sat 9th

King

Porter Stomp Brighton’s good-time heroes are always welcome on the Canteen stage because they bring a promise of a fun night of brass-funking ska-hop guaranteed to give you ‘a fire in your belly and a pocketful of rocket fuel’. And we all need that from time to time.

WED 20th Boudica Boogaloo This fab new trio goes straight to the heart of those rootsy tunes, promising “3 sweet ol’ gals, 3 dirty harmonies and one hell of a good old-time.

You might have caught the original duo version of Little Thief rocking a backfield tent with hard-edged slamming beats at one of your favourite festivals. Now a three-piece outfit they’re giving the classic guitar/bass/drums formula an epic run for its money.

FRI 23rd

Little Thief

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

LAZY RIVER BAND

Easy, breezy acoustic swing quartet Lazy River Band, play classic jazz numbers from the pre-war years with vocalist Rachel Lawrence relaxing into those old-timey tunes. The perfect post-Christmas celebration treat.

27 Dec // 9.30pm – 12am // Free

colston hall

VENUES // 41

Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR | @Colston_Hall | facebook.com/ColstonHall | 0117 203 4040 | colstonhall.org

Colston Hall is Bristol’s largest concert hall, presenting major names in rock, pop, jazz, folk, world and classical music such as Laura Marling, John Grant, Richard Hawley, Robert Plant and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. It houses world-class comedy, film screenings and light entertainment, as well as local choirs, orchestras and schools.

15 BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE

Benjamin Clementine has ignited the world with his hair-raising vocals and heart-felt lyricism. Prepare to witness an emotive masterpiece by the remarkable singer songwriter, in his eagerly anticipated Colston Hall performance.

winter at colston hall 0117 203 4040 colstonhall.org

8 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £22.50 fri 8 dec benjamin clementine sat 9 & sun 10 dec jools holland & his rhythm & blues orchestra wed 13 dec greg davies: you magnificent beast thu 14 dec the darkness tue 19 dec the bootleg beatles sun 31 dec funk yeah! nye party feat. craig charles & soultrain 25th anniversary wed 10 & thu 11 jan ricky gervais: humanity fri 26 jan silent comedy gala with tim vine fri 26 jan martin hayes quartet sat 27 jan slapstick silent comedy gala: lee mack's laurel & hardy classics

sat 27 jan first a fender: a beginners' guide to rock with ronnie golden (part of slapstick festival) mon 29 jan band of burns tue 30 jan liima thu 1 feb dear esther live thu 1 feb iain stirling: u ok hun? x fri 2 feb the mavericks sat 3 feb mogwai sat 3 feb bobby mair: loudly insecure sun 4 feb kaia kater tue 6 feb transatlantic sessions wed 7 feb jimmy carr

fri 9 feb daliso chaponda: what the african said sat 10 feb iglooghost (av set) & kai whiston tue 13 feb nick hakim wed 14 feb lefty scum: josie long, jonny & the baptists & grace petrie sun 18 feb seal thu 22 feb paul carrack thu 22 feb baxter dury fri 23 feb katherine ryan: glitter room sat 24 feb jake bugg tue 27 feb chouk bwa libete wed 28 feb apocalyptica

wed 7 feb christine tobin

FUNK YEAH! NYE PARTY FEAT. CRAIG CHARLES + SOULTRAIN + MORE Lace up your dancing shoes and get ready for the New Year’s Eve shindig to top them all. Headed by the inimitable Craig Charles, NYE will be an unforgettable funk, soul and retro grooves takeover.

31 Dec // 7pm – Late // £35 - £42.49

crofters XX rights

42 // VENUES

117-119 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RW | @Crofters_Rights | Facebook.com/croftersrights | 0117 2310079 | croftersrights.co.uk

Situated in the heart of Stokes Croft, Crofters Rights has an ever changing list of 17 keg and cask, draught beers and ciders. Ray’s Neapolitanstyle pizzas are served every day and the back room hosts everything from punk gigs to storytelling, comedy to experimental noise.

KUKANGENDAI + COIMS + DJ ORINOCO NO FLOW

Totality presents a night of truly Avant Garde and underground music, with Japanese noise-math trio Kukangendai and Bristol’s very own Coims. Plus, the joyously rad DJ team Orinoco No Flow.

3 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £5 - £6.66

SLEEPTALKING + NO VIOLET

Young Bristol based alt-rock band Sleeptalking shook the local alt-rock scene with the release of their debut EP Oh Isn’t It Strange? earlier this year. Performing alongside Sleeptalking will be local altgrunge band, No Violet.

1 Dec // 8pm – 10pm // £7.70

exchange XX

VENUES // 43

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

Exchange plays host to both gigs most nights of the week with Club Nights most weekends. Having opened in September 2012, Exchange has already hosted performances from a varied array of internally revered artists including The 1975, Four Tet, (the) Melvins, Jungle, Diplo, Haim and Sick Of It All to name but a few.

SPECIALIST SUBJECT XMAS PARTY

Specialist Records and DeadPunk Promotions have joined forces to deliver a Christmas party to remember. With Bristol based punk band Caves and London based indie rockers Doe, you’ll be rolling in Christmas with a hardcore cheer.

16 Dec // 6pm – 11pm // £8

DECEMBER SHOWS FRI S AT SUN TUE WED FRI S AT S AT SUN WED THU FRI S AT

01 02 03 05 06 08 09 09 10 13 14 15 16

DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC

S AT SUN FRI S AT FRI

16 17 22 23 29

DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC

MICRODOG 2017 SHOUN SHOUN F E L I X H A G A N & T H E F A M I LY + K E R M E S ALGIERS + MOON DIAGRAMS BOOTSTRAPPED + POISONED CROW 47 SOUL LOST AVENUE + SUPER SECRET CLUB + MORE LAST RESORT: FREE ENTRY POP PUNK + EMO G N O D / M A S S I M O & T H I G H PAU L S A N D R A CRY WANK + TOODLES + DOGEYED T H R O W I N G S T U F F + Y O U N G C O N S E R V AT I V E S S P R AT L E Y ’ S J A P S + J O N P O O L E + Z O F F F DON’T BREAK DOWN: A FILM ABOUT JAWBREAKER S P E C I A L I S T S U B J E C T X M A S PA R T Y APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE + KAMIKA ZE GIRLS ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS XMAS SPECIAL PU NK R OCK STAR S I N THEI R E YES PRETTY THINGS

7 2 - 7 3 O ld M a r ke t S t, B r i s to l B S 2 0 E J — w w w. exc h a n g e b r i s to l. c o m Tickets available from all usual outlets

ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS

22 Dec // 7.30pm – 2am // £12 - £13.50

the fleece

44 // VENUES

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

Legendary live music venue previously hosting the likes of Oasis, The Strokes, Goldfrapp and Bloc Party. Live music 7 nights a week and new club nights coming soon The Fleece is a must for music lovers and students. The in-house promotions team are also responsible for promoting many gigs across the city in other venues, so follow them on Twitter and Facebook to receive updates on their upcoming gigs

SMERINS ANTI-SOCIAL CLUB + DJ CHEEBA

8 Dec // 7pm – 10.30pm // £13.75

BREAK STUFF NU YEARS MILLENNIUM MONSTER BALL It’s 1999, the year of the Nokia 3210 and the rise of nu metal. Break Stuff invites you to travel back in time to bring in the millennium cheer all over again, with some of your favourite nu metal classics.

31 Dec // 10pm – 5am // £11 - £16.30

THE FULL MOON / ATTIC BAR

VENUES // 45

1 North Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3PR | Twitter - Coming soon | facebook.com/pages/The-Full-Moon-and-Attic-Bar | 01179 245 007 | fmbristol.co.uk

The Full Moon pub, Attic bar, with its Moonshine bar and Shisha bar are all the on the same grounds. This really is a hub for all nightime activities from events, parties, drink and food. To add to this there is also a backpackers hotel which adds an international vibe to a great night out. What more could you ask for?

BUGGSY

Bristol’s fast-spitting MC Buggsy, is renowned to hype the crowd at every show with his energetic desire to entertain. Come and check out the silver-tongued MC’s impeccable skills at his Attic Bar performance this December.

8 Dec // 8.30pm – 2am // £4

HONEYFEET + LORI CAMPEBELL + DJ DAD

14 Dec // 8pm – 1am // £8

the gallimaufry

46 // VENUES

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

An independent bar, restaurant and music venue on the Gloucester Rd. A relaxed coffee shop vibe in the day, ‘The Galli’ serves food and drinks all day with live music and DJs 7 nights a week (always free entry). Working with local suppliers, artists & artisans wherever possible. Check www. thegallimaufry.co.uk for up-todate info on menus and events.

FORTH & BACK: GOLDEN ERA HIP HOP HOUSE BAND

12 Dec // 8pm - Late // Free

mondays

Open Mic

Hosted by Mike Dennis

tuesdays

december

5th From the Forest presen ts Hippo + Valita 12th Forth & Back Golden Era Hip-Hop House Band

19th The Ne xt Movement: Live Jazz,

Afrobeat & Ne o-Soul hosted by Ce lestine

wednesdays

Featuring a dream team of Bristol’s finest playing classic hip hop with Cassie Madly (vocals), Marcel Osborne Rafa Dornelles, Dorian ChildsProphet and Chris Langton, plus some incredible guest MCs. A perfect combination of live hip hop.

Waldo’s Gift

thegallimau

fry.co.uk

thursda

Hip-hop, Math, Jazz, Groove & Electronica

6th Waldo’s Gift Trio 13th Reworks: Burial

t, producer, Paying tribute to an artis l labe or r pose com

20th Feat. Rob Pemberton ive nted drummer from progress Tale folk band Low Chimes

27th Feat. Migs Andrews g star groove drummer and risin

Backbe

Forward

thinkin

g soul m 7th Sna usic zzback 14th H ippo 21st Ho use Ban d feat. Jak 28th TB e Herber C t

fridays

Solid

Children of th e Sun

saturdays

Hosted by So

ulworks with

Lites n Satta on the moo Whitey’s

ests , VMO$ + gu Withdrawn & bass ps m bu s, play beat

sundays

ns ol Sessio The Briest d an B R& soul,

All-star liv th Royall hosted by Ru rare groove

Davis 3rd ft. Dale DER Choir N 10th ft. SO easure Pl o M 17th ft. Special ve E as m X 24th

guests Worldwide rh ythms, electr onic soul & lo-fi ho use 1st Chaouch e (Live) + La te Night Tales DJ

s 8th Shush 15th Rikki H umphrey 22nd Xmas jam

new year’s eve

The Next Movement

8pm-3am / free entry

Live Hip Hop hosted by James Paton

WALDO’S GIFT

Weekly residency with talented trio, Waldo’s Gift, bringing out-of-thisworld musicianship combining Math, Jazz, Groove and Electronic elements. With a shifting line-up of special guests and tribute sessions you can expect to hear something new and innovative every week.

Every Wednesday // 8pm – Late // Free

the golden lion

VENUES // 47

244 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8NZ | @goldenlionbriz | facebook.com/goldenlionbristol | 0117 924 6449 | goldenlionbristol.co.uk

The Golden Lion is a renowned Bristol Music venue offering live music on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday Afternoon. A surprise mix bag encompassing the whole music spectrum. Keep up to date on their social media pages for full listings and details. Bar open ‘til 1am Friday and Saturday, and midnight on Sunday -Thursday.

GOLDEN LION

BON TEMPS PLAYBOYS

Bon Temps Playboys are the UK’s longest running swamp rock band, with their high energy continuing to shine through in ever show. This will be an afternoon to remember, so grab a partner and get dancing.

10 Dec // 4pm – Late // Free

LIVE MUSIC DEC 2017

BIG FAT MOSTLY MUSIC QUIZ - MONDAY @ 9pm “NEW” OPEN MIC NIGHT - WEDS @ 8pm FRI SAT SUN

1st 2nd 3rd

SN DUBSTATION & DJ TRANSITION Ska Dub Reggae £2 THE WEEDS New Indie Roots Project BOWL OF THRILLS / NOTCHKA Gypsy Folk 4pm

THU FRI SAT SUN

7th LATIN DESCARGA New Latino Live Jam Night 8th RAZZOMO (FULL BAND) / STRINGLE BEATS Balkan House! 9th BAD LOSERS / TWIN ARROW Garage Rock 10th BON TEMPS PLAYBOYS Cajun & Zydeco Fun 4pm

THU FRI SAT SUN

14th ENTER THE LION Songwriters Showcase 15th MAD APPLE CIRCUS Ska Hip Hop Mayhem £4 16th IMAGINE THAT’S XMAS PARTY From 3pm 17th THE RAILWAY SLEEPERS Pickled Swing 4pm GRANAREUNITED Classic Rock Indulgence 7pm

THU FRI SAT SUN

21st 22nd 23rd 24th

ONE DROP REGGAE JAM Hosted by Hotsteppas HENRY HERBERT Honky Tonkin Piano Genius THE HUCKLEBUCK Swinging Jump Blues TEA FOR TWO Christmas Eve Special 8pm

N.Y.E. THE RIN TINS Folk Fuelled Jazz Jive Boogie Plus

The Railway Sleepers & DJ’s til late

£10 @ Bristol Ticket Shop

THE RAILWAY SLEEPERS

Fast-paced, gypsy punk and Balkan Blues outfit The Railway Sleepers are a local delight in Bristol. If you’re looking to warm up this winter, then come along to The Golden Lion for a good old-fashioned foot stomping session.

17 Dec // 4pm – Late // Free // The Golden Lion

Hy-Brasil XX

48 // VENUES

7-9 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1RU | @hybrasilmusicclub | facebook.com/HyBrasilMusicClub | 0117 930 4370 | hybrasilmusicclub.com

Named after a mythical island off the coast of Ireland, Hy-Brasil is a late night music venue located in the heart of Bristol. Join them for 2-4-1 burgers on Tuesdays, awesome drink deals and an array of live and electronic events throughout the week.

FRAU DJS: CHRISTMAS TAKEOVER

All-girl party collective Frau Djs return to Bristol as part of their Christmas tour, to showcase high energy and selection of electric beats. Come and dance your Christmas socks off at Hy-Brasil this December.

9 Dec // 9pm – 2am // Free

BEST OF BRISTOL: NEW YEAR’S EVE TAKEOVER

To celebrate this news New Year’s Eve, Hy-Brasil are putting on a party Nitelife cannot wait to be part of. Featuring a specially hand-picked line-up by Bristol’s favourite names, including Nitelife’s chosen band, Elder Island.

31 Dec // 5pm – Late // £6.75

kingsdown XX vaults

VENUES // 49

31 Kingsdown Parade, Bristol BS6 5UE | @TheKingsdownVaults | facebook.com/TheKingsdownVaults | 0117 942 4353

A quirky city boozer that offers plenty of fun with an eclectic mix of live music, BYO vinyl and open mic nights, old-skool quizzes and loads more. A proper good local.

THE SCHMOOZENBERGS

Conjuring up the mood of 1930s Paris, fused with the energy of a campfire jam session, The Schmoozenbergs bring you irresistible rhythms, jaunty melodies and their own little bit of‘special sauce’ to create a heart-warming, hip-swinging sound.

9 Dec // 9pm – 1am // Free

LIVE MUSIC & EVENTS - DECEMBER 2017

EVERY THURSDAY @ 8pm -

OPEN MIC SESSIONS

Fri 1st Sat 2nd Sun 3rd

Victoria Klewin & Denny Illett - Jazz Blues Bartoune - Original Swing Music and beyond Chris Quinn - Acoustic Roots Folk & Blues - 5pm Irish Music Night - Bristol Hibernia - 8pm

Fri 8th Sat 9th Sun 10th

Leo James - Acoustic Blues, Roots & Americana The Schmoozenbergs - Swinging Gypsy Jazz Andrew Christie Quartet - Contemp’ Jazz

Fri 15th Sat 16th Sun 17th

String Twisters - Semi Acoustic Country Blues Dead Fast Hares / Ryan McMurtry Sam & Harry - Christmas Special - 5pm Irish Music Night - Bristol Hibernia - 8pm

Fri 22nd Sat 23rd

Gris Sanderson & the Radial Band - Wow! John Fenlon & Eddie Denny - Blues Roots

Sun 31st

N.Y.E with PONCHARTRAIN & DJ Yule Log

free entry - please donate to the hat Blues - Folk - Roots - Americana - Jazz - Country - Rock n Roll

LEO JAMES

Accoustic singer songwriter Leo James draws influences from acoustic blues, roots, Americana and folk. With his warm lyrics and soothing husky vocals, Leo magnifies his raw talent in his live shows.

8 Dec // 9pm – 1am // Free

theXX lanes

50 // VENUES

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

Rapidly establishing itself amongst the ranks of city’s most respected music venues. As well as playing host to both international and local live music and clubnights, The Lanes also offers round the clock bowling, an Italian style pizzeria, karaoke, a vintage shop and even a bed for the night. All in a genuinely laid back atmosphere.

LUKE AND ED’S LOVE BOX: ARBOR ALES EDITION

Armed with a box of carefully selected 45s and some red disco lights to set the mood, DJ Crazy Cat Lady and DJ Ed will be your hosts for the evening, with party tunes all night long.

14 Dec // 9pm – 3am // Free // The Lanes

CIRQUE DU FAT LIP NYE PARTY

The Lanes favourite punk rock night Fat Lip will be hosting this year’s NYE with an action-packed night, including circus performers, balloons, confetti and more. Get ready for some of your favourite pop punk anthems.

31 Dec // 7pm – 3am // £10 - £15

the lantern

VENUES // 51

Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR | @Colston_Hall | facebook.com/ColstonHall | 0117 203 4040 | colstonhall.org

The Lantern at Colston Hall presents a packed programme of cutting edge artists playing everything from jazz, electronica and pop, to folk, world and hip hop. Recent visitors include Kamasi Washington, Julia Holter, Slum Village, This Is The Kit and Saul Williams. Grab a bite to eat at Beerd and relax in Colston Hall’s stylish modern foyer before you head to the show.

BAND OF BURNS

Twelve-piece, international folk collaboration, Band of Burns will be celebrating the life and work of Scottish national poet Robbie Burns in an intimate performance, with top folk artists Adam Beattie, Mikey Kenney, Dominie Hooper and more.

29 Jan // 8pm – Late // £18.81

Highlights Fri 26 Jan Martin Hayes Quartet

Fri 9 Feb Daliso Chaponda: What The African Said

Thu 1 Mar Broken Brass Ensemble

Sat 27 Jan First A Fender: A Beginners’ Guide to Rock with Ronnie Golden (part of Slapstick Festival)

Sat 10 Feb Iglooghost (AV Set) & Kai Whiston

Fri 2 Mar Hannah Williams & The Affirmations

Mon 29 Jan Band of Burns

Wed 14 Feb Lefty Scum: Josie Long, Jonny & The Baptists & Grace Petrie

Wed 7 Mar Solomon Grey

Sat 17 Feb Patrick Monahan: Rewind Selector 90s

Sat 10 Mar Carl Hutchinson

Tue 30 Jan LIIMA Thu 1 Feb Iain Stirling: U OK Hun? X Sat 3 Feb Bobby Mair: Loudly Insecure

Tue 13 Feb Nick Hakim

Thu 22 Feb Baxter Dury

Sun 4 Feb Kaia Kater

Tue 27 Feb Chouk Bwa Libete

Wed 7 Feb Christine Tobin

Wed 28 Feb Martin Harley & Daniel Kimbro

www.facebook.com/colstonhall @colston_hall instagram.com/colstonhall

Tue 6 Mar Raghu Dixit

Fri 9 Mar Field Music

Mon 12 Mar The Fureys Mon 19 Mar Bob Log III Sun 25 Mar Lady Maisery

New music in The Lantern sponsored by

Box Office: 0117 203 4040 www.colstonhall.org/the-lantern

LIIMA

Liima might be a new project by Efferklang band members and Finnish percussionist Tatu Rönkkö, but their musical exploration of experimental pop and contemporary classical music has already made a huge impact.

30 Jan // 8pm – 11pm // £13.44

MarbleXXFactory

52 // VENUES

74-78 Avon Street, Bristol | 0117 972 3111 | @MarbleFactoryUK | facebook.com/marblefactorybristol | marblefactorybristol.com

Set in what was formerly a skate park, Bristol’s newest live venue The Marble Factory has been completely re-developed and re-configured to host live music, club nights and much more. The philosophy applied throughout the process of developing the venue was to offer artists and promoters an enjoyable and affordable option with the emphasis on having everything needed in-house and ready to go.

NATTY

London based singer songwriter Natty, is a difficult one to pin down to a genre. His beautiful vocals and reggae roots style is enough to captivate anyone’s attention. Get your tickets ready to witness Natty’s heartfelt material.

6 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £16.50

PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

Get ready to hear one of your favourite Joy Division and New Order albums ‘Substance’ performed by Peter Hook & The Light this December. Hear some of your favourite tracks including the cult classic track ‘Blue Monday’.

9 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £24.75

mothers’ ruin

VENUES // 53

7-9 St Nicholas Street, Bristol, BS1 1UE | @TheMothersRuin | facebook.com/The-Mothers-Ruin | 07546 082 009 | mothersruinbristol.co.uk

Bright Red, behind the market on St Nicks street, a three floor mad funhouse that specialises in super sweaty aural delights of Rock n Roll, Pop and Disco. The Mothers’ Ruin pride themselves on being Free to enter nearly every night, without compromising on entertainment. Upstairs or downstairs you won’t be going anywhere quite like here!

MOTHERS RUIN - RAINMAKERS EP LAUNCH

Imagine That presents Rainmakers EP launch at Mothers Ruin this December. This gig will give you the chance to taste the sounds from the 4-piece post-punk band, and witness their blending fuzzy riffs and melodic bass lines.

9 Dec // 8pm – 12am // Free

SOUL POPPIN’

On the last Saturday of every month, Mothers Ruin like to throw in a little treat, with their monthly northern soul and motown classics at Soul Poppin’. Put the talc on the floor and get shuffling to some of your favourite oldies but goodies.

30 Dec // 9pm – Late // Free

mr wolfs

54 // VENUES

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

Wolfies is the place for live music and late night party. It’s the place you’ll get the opportunity to see up and coming bands, to bust some moves on the dance floor, to watch talented artists paint live, to hear some quality musicians come together and jam their hearts out. We are open 7 nights a week and look forward to seeing you soon....

NIGHTBUS XMAS PARTY: GOAN DOGS + THE DESERT Nightbus have had a bloody fantastic year.This time, Bristol band Goan Dogs will be headlining their xmas show, with support from folk band The Desert and DJ Conductor closing the night.

16 Dec // 9pm - 4am // £3.50 - £4.50

WHITE STATION + BORDELLO + DJ NINO

A night of bluesy rock ‘n roll from White Station, celebrating the release of their first single ‘Gotta know’. Support from Bristol band Bordello, who been causing a storm around Bristol and Bath with their new EP Take Soul.

21 Dec // 9pm - 4am // £3/£4

NocheXXNegra

VENUES // 55

30 Clare Street Bristol, United Kingdom | @patanegrabristol | facebook.com/patanegrabristol | 0117 927 6762 | patanegrabristol.com

Venture up the stairs above Pata Negra on Corn Street and you’ll discover Noche Negra, a Latin inspired secret cocktail bar and nightclub serving fruit laden cocktails in a relaxed party atmosphere. Enjoy student Thursdays, funk and soul Fridays and house, disco and classics on a Saturday in one of the city’s best kept secret venues!

NOCHE NEGRA NEW YEAR’S EVE FIESTA!

31 Dec // 8pm – Late // £35

CHRISTMAS AT PATA

Noche Negra is staying relatively quiet this month so it can cater for all Pata Negra’s hungry Christmas diners. Keep an eye out for some of Bristol’s finest external promoters helping it warm up again from January 2018.

See you in the New Year

the oldXX bookshop

56 // VENUES

65 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1ES | @theoldbookshop | The Old Bookshop | 0117 953 5222 | theoldbookshop.co.uk

The Old Bookshop is an informal, sociable café-bar located on North Street. With its eclectic decor, homemade food, unique cocktail bar, boatyard beer garden, and famous Sunday roasts, The Old Bookshop is known for doing things its own way. The bar showcases guest ales and local craft beers week-by-week, and the ever-changing menu from guest chefs, pop-ups and street food vendors.

COYOTE BLUE

16 Dec // 9pm – 11pm // Free

DODGY DISCO NYE

It’s New Year’s Eve, so there’s only one thing to do – join in with a special edition of the infamous Guilty Pleasures club night, with the likes of B’Witched, Beyonce and Wham!

31 Dec // 9pm – Late // Free

the Old Market Assembly

VENUES // 57

25 West Street, Old Market Bristol | @oldmarketassembly | facebook.com/oldmarketassembly | 0117 373 8199 | oldmarketassembly.co.uk

The Old Market Assembly is a completely independent restaurant and arts venue situated in the heart of one of Bristol’s most up-andcoming nightlife hubs. Hosting everything from local bands to wild parties with touring artists. The Old Market Assembly perfectly combines locally sourced affordable food and hospitality with a wide array of live music and club nights.

BRASS JUNKIES

8 Dec // 10pm – 12am // Free

Fri 6th

SAT 16

Hejira

Lush expansive soundscapes, hissy beats and soulful vocal lines.

4 SAT 2

Midnight Ritual feat No Go Stop, Area Boys and Panther Panther

Midnight Ritual is back at The Old Market Assembly, this time bringing with it the afro beat belters, No Go Stop, global bass DJ duo ‘Area Boys’ and Midnight Ritual resident Panther Panther. Not to be missed.

4 FRI 8 Brass Junkies

Dynamic 8 piece Bristolian brass band inspired by the funky Mardi Gras sounds of the New Orleans street bands. Two trumpets, two saxophones, trombone, drums/ percussion and tuba keeping it funky at the bottom end this high-energy, good-time music will bring some carnival atmosphere to a festive Friday.

4 FRI 15

Balia la Cumbia

We’ve got a special place in our hearts for the 10 piece Cumbia band as they played our opening night almost two years ago. Their eclectic mix of vocal tunes and instrumentals, original pieces and fantastic cover versions of classics get the party going and keep it up throughout the night.

Simply Rouge

If you’ve never felt the red hot love of simply rouge you are in for a treat and if you have you know what a good time you are going to have! Party classics performed in ways you didn’t quite expect. This one is going to be bags of fun so make sure you arrive early and don’t miss out on a festive

4 SAT 23 RSVP

We can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas eve,eve than with the guys from RSVP RSVP are well known for their high-energy, interactive and fun Bhangra music experience that is guaranteed to get you movin’

4 SUN 31

NEW YEARS EVE Extravaganza Feat: The Zen Hussies

We’ve survived the possibility of a nuclear war, Trumps first year in office and more ridiculous conservative decisions than you can shake Terresa May’s wig at! At The Old Market Assembly we want to say goodbye and good riddance in style…and style is something we got! We’re packing our beautiful building to the rafters with some top class local talent! With fabulous drink daring DJs and a headline act that ALWAYS brings the party! Expect some surprises along the and get ready to dance your way into 2018.

The Old Market Assembly, 25 West Street, Old Market, BS2 0DF bookings@oldmarketassembly.co.uk ; 0117 373 8199

BALIA LA CUMBIA

Old Market Assembly have got a lot of love for the 10-piece Cumbia band. Their eclectic mix of original pieces and fantastic cover versions of classics to keep the party going throughout the night.

15 Dec // 10pm – 12am // Free

SWX XX

58 // VENUES

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

SWX is a live music venue and event space in Bristol city centre. Equipped with a state of the art sound & lighting system, they host some of the biggest gigs the city has to offer. It’s also home to two of Bristols most loved Club Nights; Far Fetched every Friday and CODEC every Saturday night. Head to SWXBristol.com for their latest listings.

BEANS ON TOAST + SKINNY LISTER

Label mates and drinking companions, Beans on Toast and Skinny Lester make a perfect touring duo. Bringing a unique and modern take on English folk music in two loaded sets, and barrel of laughs in between.

9 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £16.50

KISSTORY NYE

KISSTORY are throwing a huge New Year’s Eve club night at SWX. Don’t miss out on the biggest hip hop, dance, garage and R&B anthems from special guests and KISS DJs to bring in 2018 in style.

31 Dec // 9pm – 4am // £16.50/£19.50/£22

thekla

VENUES // 59

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

Bristol’s only music venue and club on a boat! From live toe-tapping Americana to the dirtiest Dubstep this side of London and everything in between, we have all your musical needs covered. We play host to the cream of the city’s weekly club nights as well as national and international touring live acts every week. Welcome aboard!

HONEYBLOOD

Scottish duo Honeyblood share a mutual love for indie, rock, with Stina and Shona capturing the true essence of indie punk in both their music and demeanour. Catch them perform music from their latest album Babes Never Die.

THEKLA

LIVE LISTINGS The Grove East Mud Dock Bristol BS1 4RB theklabristol.co.uk | thekla.club F L theklabristol | I X theklabris

18 Dec // 7.30pm – 11pm // £12.65

alt-tickets.co.uk • gigantic.com • bristolticketshop.co.uk

THURSDAY 1ST FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 1ST DECEMBER

BLAENAVON

SOLD OUT

THE OH HELLOS

+ CAROUSEL

+ THE NIGHT CAFE

SATURDAY 3RD FEBRUARY

HOT SNAKES

SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER

THE SPITFIRES

THURSDAY 8TH FEBRUARY

+ THE NOVATONES

GIRAFFAGE

SUNDAY 3RD DECEMBER

NECRO

+ SKINNYMAN

WAY OUT WEST LIVE

TUESDAY 5TH DECEMBER

PUMAROSA

HOLLIE COOK

THURSDAY 7TH DECEMBER

BROKEN WITT REBELS MONDAY 11TH DECEMBER

CLOUD NOTHINGS & THE HOTELIER WEDNESDAY 13TH DECEMBER

ARDYN

+ WILDES + MAX RADFORD

THURSDAY 14TH DECEMBER

TALL SHIPS

+ SCHAMMASCH + TREPANERINGSRITUALEN

TUESDAY 23RD JANUARY

TO KILL A KING SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY

ELDER ISLAND

SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY

DERMOT KENNEDY FREE ENTRY

SATURDAY 24TH FEBRUARY

THE STYLE COUNCILLORS

THE DIY CLASS OF 2018 TOUR

FRIDAY 12TH JANUARY

+ SET TO STUN

PARADISE LOST

THURSDAY 8TH MARCH

HONEYBLOOD

ESCAPE THE FATE

+ GENERAL ROOTS

SATURDAY 17TH FEBRUARY

TUESDAY 27TH FEBRUARY

MONDAY 18TH DECEMBER

MONDAY 22ND JANUARY

TUESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY

HIGH TYDE

+ TANGLED HAIR + T. HAYES

BATUSHKA

+ HOTEL GARUDA

SATURDAY 10TH FEBRUARY

FEATURING: PALE WAVES + OUR GIRL + BLOXX FRIDAY 9TH MARCH

INSECURE MEN THURSDAY 22ND MARCH

TOM WALKER TUESDAY 27TH MARCH

THE MAGIC GANG THURSDAY 29TH MARCH

ELIZA AND THE BEAR

THE PRESSURE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Welcome to Bristol’s biggest and best indie and alternative club night. Open your mind and let yourself go, to a place where every week is spooky. This month things get festive with The Pressure Before Christmas.

21 Dec // 9.30pm – 3am // Free - £4

to the moon

60 // VENUES

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

A new venue off the beaten track of Old Market’s main streets, To The Moon is a bar-come-boutique and vintage shop, serving up awesome cocktails, local beers and Pieminister pies, with a great spirit collection – particularly when it comes to rum, with over 20 top-notch rums to try. To The Moon also puts on a growing range of club nights and gigs and are currently on the lookout for more DJs and promoters to get involved.

LIQUID LUNAR SESSIONS –

31 Dec // 7pm - late // Free

BAD LIFE CHOICES KARAOKE

Enjoy singing in shower or serenading your cat on a Friday night? Why not bring your talents to the stage at To The Moon’s first ever spaced themed karaoke night. This time, it’s an Xmas special.

8 Dec // 8pm – 12am // Free

trinity

VENUES // 61

The Trinity Centre, Trinity Road, Bristol, BS2 0NW | @trinitybristol | facebook.com/trinitybristol | 0117 935 1200 | 3ca.org.uk Xxxxxxxxx

One of the few truly independent venues with performances from the likes of Gorillaz, Daniel Johnston, Roni Size and Animal Collective as well as a venue for great club nights like Teachings in Dub and now Bump Rollerdisco. Famous for hosting some legendary band names such as U2, Massive Attack, Portishead, Public Enemy and The Specials. Trinity can rightly claim to be the birthplace of the Bristol sound.

NEOSIGNAL

Bristol Drum & Bass Events present their second installment of Neosignal label night, with a huge line-up to tempt you even more. Featuring, The Upbeats, Misanthrop, Emperor, Prolix and hosted by Carasel, Remidy and YDott.

2 Dec // 1pm – 4am // £14.50

MOULETTES

The ever-evolving Moulettes are renowned for their breathtaking live shows. Lead singer Hannah Miller takes her performance to an enchanting level, backed by the perfect blend of acoustic and electric instruments.

7 Dec // 7pm – 11pm // £14

AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEM INSTALLATIONS

AUDIO | LIGHTING | VIDEO

DESIGN & INSTALLATION SERVICES FOR VENUES, CLUBS & BARS

To hear things with clarity, contact us...

WWW.WIREDAV.CO.UK

INFO@WIREDAV.CO.UK | 01594 821 270 | 07917 698 635

WiredAV.indd 1

12/06/2017 10:32

EVERY saturday 11PM-4AM the fleece 12 St Thomas St, Bristol BS1 6JJ

drinks from £1 entry from £4

Tickets and info: www.thepropaganda.com propaganda djs playing Arctic Monkeys Blink-182 bastille blossoms The Strokes The 1975 ed sheeran CATFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN & more!