SY On The Sly – Why, why, why…Julyla! Fun Fun Fun! Sun Sun Sun! Come Come Come! There’s no doubt about it, Bristol is definitely a summer city: The rivers, the parks, the people and there are so many different events and festivals happening every weekend! July sees exciting annual summer parties like St Paul’s Carnival, The Bristol Wine & Food Fair and The Bristol Harbour Festival alongside Bristol’s usual array of amazing monthly offerings so there’s really no excuse not to have an amazing time. For ideas of the best way to spend the longer evenings, get browsing this month’s previews section from page 49 onwards and I’ll see you out there! July sees the sixth issue of SY On The Sly, the sister publication of Suit Yourself Magazine – Bristol’s number one independent, quarterly magazine which investigates, uncovers and promotes everything that makes Bristol such a fun, vibrant and altogether amazing place to live! Read away and don’t forget to check out the latest issue of Suit Yourself Magazine, our listings service and our constantly updated blog, all found at: www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk
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3/ Why, why, why‌Julyla! 6/ Lib Dem Fix For Bristol? 9/ Summer Fashion Bashin’ 12/ Fixed Gear Bikes eh? 15/ Auntie Harper A Sly look back at June 20/ The best of Gigs 33/ The best of Art 45/ The best of Clubs 48/ The best of Cinema A Sly look forward at July 52/ Recommended Gigs 55/ Recommended Art 58/ Recommended Clubs 64/ Recommended Stage 68/ Recommended Cinema 70/ Horoscopes by Mystic Ginger For those of you pretending to work, you can also read the magazine online at www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk www.bristollistings.co.uk 5
Lib Dem Fix for Bristol? “Can we fix it? Yes we can!” So say both Bob The Builder and US President Barack Obama – and now that they have at last won overall control of Bristol City Council, Bristol’s Liberal Democrats have a clear opportunity to fix Bristol. Their manifesto, called ‘Six To Fix’, gives six pretty specific benchmarks against which we will all be able to assess their progress (though these are mostly small scale changes, avoiding bigger/general problems and no timescale is given): 1. ‘Cut congestion and get better transport for all’: The Lib Dems propose to back suburban rail, give more money for road safety, pedestrians and cyclists and introduce a cashless ‘Oyster Card’ system for Bristol buses. The key benchmark of progress here is congestion. 2. ‘A clean and green city’: That means more money for street cleaning, getting tough on fly-tipping, a ‘parkie’ in every major park and more play areas for children, fighting the green belt grab and preserving our green spaces. Green belt preservation is an interesting one here, particularly since Bristol City Football Club propose to build a new stadium on green land. The scheme is backed currently by all party leaders and could bring World Cup football to Bristol but the Ashton Vale site is green belt. The key indicators here are green spaces and carbon emissions. 3. ‘Boost Bristol’s Bobbies’: Including a fair share of police, campaign against ID cards and new crime reduction schemes on repeat offenders. Police and Community Support Officer numbers are easily counted and tracked but this does not necessarily mean more peaceful, orderly, lower crime neighbourhoods, so the benchmark is not so straightforward. Real, effective leadership would give us less crime and more peace and order.
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4. ‘Three new libraries, a new school [North Bristol] and a new pool [East Bristol]’: This precise policy includes a promise to ‘fix Labours school places mess’ which saw such chaos for parents and pupils this year. We will all be able to see whether the various facilities are built but there is no promise on an overall improvement in the quality of education. It also looks like the Lib Dems will go ahead with plans to create bigger primary schools which some see as going against the quality of the educational experience. Real, effective leadership would improve the quality of education, not that this is straightforward to assess! 5. ‘Beat Gordon Brown’s recession in Bristol’: Schemes including keeping the Council Tax as low as possible and campaigning for it to be scrapped, extra help on debt for small businesses and individuals, and investment in training and apprenticeships are more nebulous and designed to pick up votes during a time of recession. We all know that the council cannot make Bristol a recession-free zone and everybody would subscribe to the other policies under this heading the way they are worded! 6. ‘50% recycling by 2010 and no incinerator’: This means switching from an incinerator to clean and cheap new technology, free corn-starch brown-bin liner bags and reversing the recycling rate drop under Labour. These sound straightforward targets but are quite ambitious, especially the 50% recycling which would be great to achieve. We still need to push on a lot from there if we are to have a low waste city though and someone needs to get a grip on total waste, most of which is not generated in households of course. Glenn Vowles http://vowlesthegreen.blogspot.com
[gig review]
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Hot In The City It is no secret that Bristol’s eclectic personality is widely built on its music and arts culture, though it is the creativity of the fabulous people who live here that makes Bristol what it is. As the best season of the year creeps upon us, however reluctantly, I am reminded that whilst this is an
inspiringly arty place to be, it is certainly a stylish one too.
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It was obvious, when trawling the streets in my style-hungry quest for Bristol’s best dressed, that dressing for an English summer day is no easy feat. Whilst some had faith in the forecasts, ditching tights and cardigans for summer dresses and gladiators, others took a more realistic approach. More often than not Bristol’s style tribe opted for light layers, leggings and summer jackets. Each of the different looks was a refreshing take on dressing for summer as the style conscious among us clung to their quirks.
10 [gig review]
The stylish elite are resisting the urge to strip down, a trend adopted every year by the sun worshiping masses, and have risked potential t-shirt tans all in the name of fashion. I think I can declare that the summer of 2009 is a time for scrapping stereotypes and confirming Bristol’s innate uniqueness by wearing whatever you like! Lara Angol
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Bristol Fixed Gear Bristol based charity Sustrans received a wopping £50m grant to improve cycling conditions in the city. This is great news for environmentalists and I’m sure we’ve all seen a marked increase in the “one less car” stickers on display. However, the impending improvement of cycle routes will also benefit the new breed of cyclists on our streets. All the twenty-something riders I know are shedding their gears and breaks for an altogether smother, sleeker and sexier bike. A more minimalist form of riding has emerged. We now see riders track-standing at traffic lights, ready to go without their feet touching the floor. Gone are the days of the monotony of breaks, here are the days of skid stops, as less on you’re bike means less can go wrong. The new craze is still relatively small on the Bristol streets, but interest is growing as more and more fixed gear bikes appear. Fixedgearlondon.com shows images of guys with the kind of effortless cool we’ve come to associate with bmxers, the Bristol equivalent portrays a slightly less thrill seeking bunch, taking part in organised cycle rides with scheduled cake stops; however, things are changing. Bristol fixed gear riders are getting younger and they have a passion for their bikes, which is a force to be reckoned with. When I spoke to a couple of riders they explained that the aim is to strip the bike down to its bare essentials, they said they would feel stupid on a road bike with loads of gears. Fixed gear bikes are inspired by the New York and London couriers who are able to dart in and out of traffic and are one of the fastest forms of transport in cities. But it’s also about the thrill; bike courier is one of the most dangerous jobs around. But for the Bristol riders it’s not a job it’s a passion. Their bikes get simpler and simpler, and when pressed about why they choose to ride fixed gear they admit, it just looks cooler. www.fixedbristol.org.uk Jessica Pennock
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Auntie Harper No matter what I try I can’t get a decent tan!! How can I compete in the park and on the beach? Mate, I’m a ginger and I never tan. However, I am the best looking ginger in Bristol and I get loads of fanny. No-one can ever compete with me and my good looks when down at the beach. Harper! What’s better - Summer or Winter? Hot or cold? If you can show me a place in winter where the sun always shines, women look great and the beer always tastes amazing then I’ll switch to winter. For the time being, I’m sticking with summer, thank you very much! Would you like to come to my BBQ? If you’re a girl then I’d be happy to come to a BBQ and spread my mayo over your burger baps. If you’re a bloke, then I’d rather chop off my nob with a rusty bread knife than come to your BBQ!
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FABULOUS YELLOW TAIL SUMMER GIVE AWAY Fancy some Rosé with your R&B or Shiraz with Pop music? This summer, fun-loving Australian wine, [yellow tail], is launching the [yellow tail] Sample Sessions - treating wine lovers to their favourite wines with music. Visit the [yellow tail] stand at the Bristol Wine & Food Show, 10th-12th July, and you’ll be able to chill out in comfy deckchairs and enjoy a glass of wine with a choice of tunes. REWIND through the mists of time when it was acceptable to have a crush on Bon Jovi or Debbie Harry and perms and mullets were actually fashionable. Music never sounded so good, and the coolest hobby around was making mix-tapes. FAST FORWARD to 2009 at the [yellow tail] Sample Sessions stand. Thinking back to some of your favourite mix-tapes made in time gone by, you STOP briefly to wonder which [yellow tail] wine will match UB40’s Red, Red Wine, and dance over to the [yellow tail] Sample Sessions stand to find out! It’s PLAY time and [yellow tail] have come up with eight wine and music matches sure to enhance the enjoyment of your favourite wine. [yellow tail] is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a wine and music pack of their own. For more details on Sample Sessions, and the chance to win [yellow tail] goodies, see www.yellowtailwine.com/uk/samplesessions [yellow tail] wines are widely available at £5.99. TO WIN SIMPLY LOG ONTO WWW.SUITYOURSELFMAGAZINE.CO.UK AND FOLLOW THE LINK FOR COMPETITION
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A SLY look back at June Reviews of all the best gigs, art, clubs, stage and cinema over the last month in Bristol 19
The Thermals
Sunday 14th June 2009 @ Thekla, Bristol The Thermals are the sort of band you dream of introducing your mates to - spunky, enthusiastic and down right catchy; think Weezer about 5/10 years ago, before they got all self-indulgent. Tonight is the first date of their new UK tour and though it’s a Sunday evening, the turnout is pretty decent and at the heart of it all is a freshly shaven Big Jeff - the dreaded goatee is no more! Boo! Hiss! The Thermals’ set is a fast and punchy one, full of unashamedly poppy, two and three minute rock numbers with lots of addictive, foot-tappable riffs. The crowd may be too middle-aged or too embarrassed to dance much but you can tell they are enjoying themselves and frankly, I don’t blame them – this is really, REALLY good stuff! Tracks like Now We Can See, No Culture Icons and Here’s Your Future are textbook pop-rock and our three American geek-rockers are a joy to watch, sweaty throwing themselves around onstage at every opportunity. Lead man Hutch Harris may look like Spock, but after a few songs he is transformed into a gloriously sweaty rockstar, the veins on his neck throbbing and straining as he gives it his all every song. Bassist Kathy Foster is cuteness personified, the pint-sized beauty star-jumping and head-banging her way threw the set but my favourite has to be drummer Westin Glass. An accomplished musician, his drumming is spot on but he’s great to watch as he seems to wince every time he beats, as if he’s afraid he’s going to break his drum skins or the whole kit’s going to explode! The Thermals are the sort of band that have you hooked after one listen. If they get a bit more radio play and the tour goes well, I can really see them wrestling Weezer’s crown and taking over planet geek-rock. www.thethermals.com Matt Whittle
20 [gig review]
White Rose Movement Thursday 4th June 2009 @ The Fleece, Bristol
You have to feel for art-rockers White Rose Movement. Had they burst onto the scene last year, they’d probably have wound up, well, everywhere. Like big-selling contemporaries Klaxons and White Lies, they’d have been carried triumphantly along the NME-sponsored eighties revival wave. Neon-clad teenage girls would have swooned at frontman Finn Vine’s tight trousers and dashing cheekbones and drooling execs would have lapped up the quintet’s ‘retro’ leanings and resulting profitability. Another star would have been born. Like all the greatest happenings, White Rose Movement were ahead of their time – and that is probably why they found themselves playing to four men and a dog at The Fleece in Bristol. It was a criminally small crowd – especially when you compare it to the throngs the aforementioned Joy Division cover act, White Lies, somehow attract. Thankfully White Rose Movement are back with album number two on the way and, unperturbed by the sparse audience, they hurled themselves into proceedings with infectious gusto. Tracks like London’s Mine and Testcard Girl were greeted like long-lost friends and the sumptuous Girls In The Back sounded massive, the anthemic chorus sending the female-dominated crowd into a maniacal, cider-soaked dancing frenzy. This is a band who have honed their signature post-punk sound – heavily influenced by Depeche Mode and Duran Duran – to perfection, and Vine’s Robert Smith-like vocals literally soared above Jasper Milton’s jagged guitar and Owen Dyke’s unrelentingly funky bass. Threatening to upstage the lot, however, was captivating keyboard maestro and occasional vocalist Poppy Corby-Tuech. Heartbreakingly beautiful and armed with a stage presence to rival the most hypnotic of frontmen, she alone is a star in the making. After wowing the hungry punters with thunderous newbie Fever, the London quintet saved their best for last in the form of debut single – and the track Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke wishes he had written – Love Is A Number. Edgy and stylish, it’s glorious enough on record but live it was transformed into a hedonistic, adrenaline-fuelled explosion, all crashing drums and towering electronica. It was a joy to behold – as were White Rose Movement. Let’s hope that, when the second record does arrive, there are a few more doing the beholding. This lot deserve it. www.whiterosemovement.co.uk
[gig review] 21
The Saturdays
Sunday 14th June 2009 @ Colston Hall, Bristol With Support From: Jessie Malakouti, Pixie Lott The evening starts well; I’m scanning myspace to find out what I’d let myself in for whilst my daughters and their countless friends were dressing up at great audible volume in new outfits, purposefully purchased for this long awaited gig. Slightly disappointed that Colston Hall’s all new entrance was firmly closed even after all the recent unveiling hype, we made it inside the bustling venue to this sell out show with predominately young girls and gay men all in high spirits awaiting the pop onslaught! There was no mention on Colston Hall’s website or The Saturdays’ about any warm-up acts so I was taken aback when this week’s top forty chart number one star, Pixie Lott was there, second on the bill after Jessie Malakouti. Performing on a shallow stage curtained off from the main show, Pixie kicked pop ass: great vocals, giving it her all, dancing with her two backing dancers, followed by an acoustic section which really highlighted the power of her vocals. Pixie was smiling, loving giving the performance and I’m fairly sure she’ll be back on this very same stage next year as the headline. Then came the main event, The Saturdays’ high-budget stage show, vibrant and professional with countless costume changes. The music starts and one by one the girls are lit, looking amazing and sounding even better. No backing tracks here, a full band knocked out the tunes and the whole place danced and screamed. It was starting to get really hot and everyone was fanning themselves with folded literature but we still keep dancing and singing along. The girls perform a great show, playing all their hits such as Just Can’t Get Enough, Issues and Up, along with more tracks from their album and modern covers. The band were clearly enjoying performing and bonded with the audience well. Vanessa’s sprained ankle held back her dancing skills but she made up for that with her voice. The fans left excited, soaked up the merchandise and got a chance to leave video messages for the band’s website before dispersing in high spirits. Poptastic. www.thesaturdays.co.uk
22 [gig review]
Matt Collins Photos by www.crushimages.co.uk
[gig review] 23
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes Saturday 6th June 2009 @ Academy, Bristol
It’s a Saturday night and the weather has turned its back on the summer again but that wasn’t going to stop the Academy’s main attraction tonight and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes took to the stage in Hawaiian shirts and bright white trousers, bringing a slice of sunshine with them. Those of you unfortunate enough to not have heard of Me First & The Gimme Gimmes should be ashamed; they are a punk band who cover many random songs from many genres and re-mash them into two minute long punk anthems! Their music is the perfect road trip or party music and tonight it’s the ultimate mosh music! Nothing is safe from their tribute tyranny. Highlights from the almost 30 song set included such fan favourites as Summertime, Jolene and I Believe I Can Fly (with the awesome trademark ukulele intro). My personal favourite was the punk rendition of Science Fiction Double Feature from Rocky Horror and I was pretty pleased they played it. Having never seen Me First… live before, I wondered if the energy of the songs would transfer to a live show well but it actually enhanced all the songs. The performance was just as much a comedy act as it was a live band show. You can tell that the band have a lot of fun when they are on tour and they let the fans in on every joke. Every time Spike, the lead singer, said “this next one’s a cover,” the joke never got old and the quips between songs and dance moves between band members were hilarious. The best thing about this gig was that you could literally take anyone to it and they would have a ball. You don’t need to know their songs because chances are you’ve heard them already! It would be a perfect gig for anyone who wants to have a dance and sing along to some great music performed in a different way. If you don’t have them in your collection what are you waiting for? Summer is upon us and these guys will make it so much better whatever the weather! www.gimmegimmes.com Stu Freeman
24 [gig review]
The Blizzards
Thursday 11th June 2009 @ Start The Bus, Bristol Unless you’re a former Bristolian who’s upped sticks and relocated across the Irish Sea, the chances are you might not have heard of The Blizzards yet. Make the most of that blissful state of ignorance folks because, judging by this showing, this lot aren’t going to stay below the radar for long. The indie-pop quintet, led by dashingly strapping frontman Niall Breslin, are blooming massive in their native Ireland. So gargantuan, in fact, that they’re supporting Oasis – along with The Prodigy and Kasabian – at their epic, 100,000-capacity gig at Slane Castle gig in Dublin on June 20. They’re still working on superstardom in the UK though, which means we had the pleasure of catching them in the slightly more sedate surroundings of Start The Bus. It’s to The Blizzards credit then that they clearly approach these smaller shows exactly the same way they do the huge ones – with professionalism, charisma and a setlist packed full of great pop songs. From the outset I was struck by how tight they were as a band and just how polished and slick their live offering was. They leapt into action with tasty debut UK single Buy It Sell It, a flawlessly-crafted slice of guitar pop documenting the importance of true love, and didn’t look back. Equal parts indie, pop and rock (with a cheeky hint of ska), The Blizzards kept the audience dancing all night, each expertly-delivered tune sounding bigger than the last, like a dozen potential singles instantly implanting themselves into your grey matter. The ridiculously hummable and immediate Trust Me I’m A Doctor, in particular, sounded catchier than the common cold live and is surely destined for the radio airwaves this summer. In fact the only downside to the evening was that it came to a close too quickly. By the time the boys signed off with the excellent Fantasy – another absolute belter – the gig-goers before them were eating out of the palm of their hands, won over by the sheer infectiousness of it all. www.theblizzards.ie Barry Deradish
[gig review] 25
Bizali: Album Launch Party Friday 19th June 2009 @ Fiddlers, Bristol
Once upon a time there was a beautiful band named Bizali. Their sound portrayed a youthful, invincible exuberance, devoid of pain, omitting a blend of feisty funk. Then the couples that fused the group broke down and the members spiralled through the labyrinths of new emotion and into the shattered realms of heartbreak; ‘It’s about embracing the highest levels of bliss and the depths of despair,’ says wildly curled song writer, Aaron Zahl. Quite. Bizali’s new album, Dance Yourself Alone, takes the audience to their own heart affected places, facilitating an indulgent wallow into the extremities of their own
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emotional reaches. The best writers are arguably those that have had some form of poignant catastrophe in their lives. It makes them far more appealing to their audience; everyone adores relating themselves to music. Bizali have gained and grown from their divisions. They have a confidence and stern ambition that transpires through their polished and passionate performance, as displayed tonight. The sound has become more soulful, with a smattering of the rocky, as the sadness, anger and vulnerability twists and turns throughout the album’s tracks but with an overriding, deep feeling of love that Blythe Pepino’s quirky, smooth voice and genuinely feeling performance communicates. Of course, she must understand it the most. The band received huge levels of affection from the packed Fiddlers audience as they jumped to the electro beats in Dawn and swayed to the funky folk of Friday. Tears Spark The Flames resonated as its high notes shot through the steamy air and the guitars and drums prompted energetic dancing. The band were joined onstage by a host of other musicians and dancers towards the end (there thirteen of them up there at one point!) for Cogs and the mighty Calm, displaying a synchronicity and prompting a real stomp; the girls’ paper streaming outfits going berserk. The only negative thing all night was a lack of an encore. Encore Bizali! We all want more!! www.bizali.co.uk Helen Martin Photos by Bex Wade
[gig review] 27
Jamie T
Sunday 21st June 2009 @ Thekla, Bristol Jamie T is loudly welcomed onstage with football chanting from “the lads” that have become his staple audience; it’s irritating and intimidating but we’ll happily put up with it because T is fucking A. At least the burly crowd create an instant atmosphere and from the off they’re all moshing and loudly singing along to every, EVERY word. Jamie T is their idol; in between his rap/punk/reggae songs about night’s on the town getting into fights, he’s swearing and downing drinks and when he comes to the front of the stage, they literally can’t keep their hands off him! He plays along though and is full of relentless energy and enthusiasm like any great frontman. Excitement levels reach untold heights as the first bars of Calm Down Dearest chime in and Thekla is fit to explode as Jamie T goes crowd surfing mid-song and then has a wander through the mosh-pit, still singing. It’s set to get even more frantic though: Sticks And Stones, the final song of the epic encore, prompts a stage invasion and in the middle of the mayhem, a girl gets her long, red hair stuck in the tuning pegs of Jamie T’s guitar! The song carries on full throttle and after the final crescendo the bouncers violently push everyone offstage and back onto the dancefloor, enjoying it a bit too much. Jamie T gets caught up and thrown down too and only after the crowd have cheered and applauded their last does he emerge back onstage a sweaty, exhausted mess. Blimey – that was eventful! www.jamie-t.com Matt Whittle
[gig review] 29
A Hawk And A Hacksaw Wednesday 17th June 2009 @ Fiddlers, Bristol
A Hawk And A Hacksaw (AHAAH), despite being from Albuquerque, New Mexico are obsessively Eastern European in their sound. Multi-instrumentalist and former Neutral Milk Hotel drummer, Jeremy Barnes, and violinist Heather Trost have travelled Romania and Hungary, collaborating with the countries’ foremost musicians in order to assimilate and recreate the folk tradition. On this year’s superb Délivrance, AHAAH have finally succeeded in marrying their own idiosyncratic musical vision with the Eastern European music that they have immersed themselves in. The album’s compositions appear unfettered, altogether more organic with the moods conjured rather than forced. There is a warmth to Délivrance’s complex and playful tracks that smacks of optimism and tonight’s set at the consistently excellent Fiddlers is a clear celebration of this musical epiphany. AHAAH perform tonight as a five piece with Barnes and Trost joined by musicians on the tuba, bouzouki, and trumpet. They open the set with the spiked violin and lilting vocals of I Am Not A Gambling Man from Délivrance. Barnes then leaves the vocals behind to focus on playing his accordion with impressive zeal as well as the limited but expertly employed percussion of a bass drum and cymbal. Trost too is a virtuoso musician, equally spellbinding on the violin and the visually and aurally delightful Stroh violin. For the next forty minutes the band delivers a superlative selection of marches and instrumental folk-jazz jigs that ebb and flow with dizzying muscianship. Then Barnes, announcing that, “Electricity was not always the best thing for folk bands,” leads the band from the stage and into the centre of the crowd. The five musicians proceed to perform several tracks acoustically, closing out the show in an intimate dream-like pod of music and movement. The up tempo waltz of The Sparrow is mesmerising as the band members swap places in a hypnotic dance, allowing the audience to experience their instruments in turn. www.ahawkandahacksaw.co.uk Tom Spooner
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Roxy’s Wardrobe: Medication Released: 05/09 Getting bored of the mainstream 80’s pop cliché comeback? Remember once upon a time when indie-rock bands ruled the world? Everyone loved a good mosh and headbang but then Razorlight became big (and pretentious) and ruined the genre for everyone. Roxy’s Wardrobe reminisce the good old indie-rock days with a versatile bunch of songs that show where our musical roots really should be, whether we’re a youth starting in a band or a Dad rocking at a disco. First track, Medication, introduces us to Roxy’s Wardrobe with its straightforward lyrics; “She fell in love with the medication,” and its insatiable, unstoppable riff. This EP is four tracks long and each song is made by its drumbeat, setting a consistent, infectious pace; four tracks that effortlessly articulate the tribulations of those marmite (love them or hate them) females. Dead Machine brings to mind early Nirvana with its perplexing combination of instruments that emphasises the drum pounding and puts you in a fixated state of awe: these kids have talent! Roxy’s Wardrobe are easily likeable and a talent that will go much further than Johnny Borrell’s ego! www.myspace.com/roxyswardrobe Skye Portman
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Check out Suit Yourself Magazine, the sister publication of SY On The Sly. Suit Yourself Magazine is a free, quarterly printed magazine that has been going strong for over four years and can be found in every shop, cafe, pub, club, restaurant, hairdresser, gallery and venue all over Bristol! Suit Yourself Magazine is an independent publication, a voice for all those young at heart, those interested in music, fashion, adventure, the arts, their environment and everything in between. A magazine which investigates, uncovers and promoters everything that makes Bristol such a fun, vibrant, and altogether amazing place to live. Pick it up on the streets of Bristol or read back issues at: www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk
Banksy Versus Bristol Museum
Exhibition runs between Saturday 13th June and Monday 31st August 2009 @ Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol
[ART review] 33
‘Best kept secret’ is a term which is banded around so often nowadays it has lost all meaning; it has morphed into a media cliché to try and imitate hype for something that people are completely disinterested in. The latest exhibit from Bristol’s number one cultural son though, truly has to be heralded as one of the very best kept secrets since Prince Gingernut went gallivanting around Iraq with a croquet set and submachine gun – and even that one was leaked early! If anyone’s good at keeping secrets though, it’s the as yet unmasked, art terrorist Banksy, and as secrets go, this one is bloody Everest: Banksy’s first show in Bristol for over 9 years; the biggest show he’s ever done in Britain; a show that would see one of the world’s most famous and popular artists transform Bristol’s cultural institution for over two and a half months; and 100 odd exhibits, over 70 of which have never been seen by the public. Whatever you might think of Banksy, his work (criticised as over-simplified and over-pretentious), his price tags and his showbiz fans, the fact is he is fucking good. His work is consistently interesting, funny, provocative and very contemporary. Banksy Versus Bristol Museum is all of these things and more. The range of styles, techniques and ideas on show here is simply unparalleled. Normally this grand building is home to artefacts and paintings that document Bristol’s history but now, and for the rest of the summer, it is filled to bursting with Banksy’s unique blend of humour and controversy. As you walk into the distinguished Edwardian foyer, your view is dominated by a burnt-out ice-cream van, its giant 99 cone having melted but it still limply hums its distinctive ice-cream jingle, soundtracking the scene of urban decay around it – broken shopping trolleys, vandalised road signs and, oddly enough, a riot police officer riding a child’s motorised rocking horse. It’s classic Banksy, eye-catching, laugh-out-loud funny and oddly provocative, and it sets the tone for the rest of the exhibit.
34 [ART review]
The temporary exhibition hall has been completely transformed into a ‘Banksy Bunker’ with exactly the sort of art we know and love - there’s a mocked up studio, a vandalised portion of wall being mopped up like an old rug and a spectacular painting of apes running parliament – but what makes this exhibition so special is the way Banksy’s work bleeds into every corner of the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. In rooms amongst the permanent natural history exhibits and watercolour collections, you will find the odd Banksy imposter simply credited ‘Local Artist’: A scene of a couple dogging amongst some of the century’s greatest landscape paintings; an undercover vole complete with mini backpack and spray can in a marsh wildlife display; and Banksy’s own animatronic wildlife collection with a memorable CCTV family nest scene. No corner of the museum’s vast four floors is left untouched and everywhere the line between the permanent and the staged is blurred. This in itself manages to be a statement about the role of and what we value about art – which is the more real? These meddlings also expose the shallowness of his own popularity, people only looking at the other art and displays on show in case it’s got his tag at the bottom. But far from being something he wants to shake off, Banksy is indulging and playing with the very concept of popular art. A nice touch and what I leave thinking about is the very last piece you see as you exit his bunker, two stick figures discussing art; “Never underestimate the power of a big gold frame” www.banksy.co.uk Matt Whittle Photos by www.ianbradleyphotography.com
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Bristol Design Festival 09 Between Friday 5th and Thursday 11th June 2009 @ The Old Firestation, The Lanes, Tobacco Factory, Photographique, Jamaica Street Studios, The Architecture Centre, King Street Studios and everywhere in between, Bristol Bristol Design Festival has only been going for three years and what’s most impressive is just how large it’s become it that time and how ingrained in is in the Bristol festival calendar. The sheer amount of design based events they put on, were aligned with and supported over this June week was nothing short of staggering; there were thirty venues, yes…thirty!, on the Design Trail in the creation of biggest Bristol Design Festival yet. First port of call for anyone wanting to attend the festival had to be this year’s base at The Old Firestation on Silver Street. Inside the building’s striking entrance were endless corridors and rooms showing off work from over 100 different individual designers, businesses and agencies, be it product design, fashion, future, art, sculpture and anything and everything else, as well as the ever popular Grafikea exhibit. The Grafikiea competition simply encouraged the public to redesign an Ikea coffee table and this year’s results were as weird, wonderful and memorable as ever. The range of design talent on show at The Old Firestation was the most impressive element and people spent hours wondering through all the buildings nooks and crannies, taking it all in.
36 [FESTIVAL review]
Just up the road, The Lanes was hosting 40 ďŹ nal year UWE Creative Product Design students and their year pieces. It was really interesting chatting away with the students about their ideas and designs, from the very clever to the very crazy, though it was a shame they were effectively hidden away upstairs in, what has to be said, felt like a dingy, scabby attic. It would have been nice to see them displaying in the main venue or at least in the actual Lanes venue with some vaguely human surroundings! Other highlights included the Robert Hunters’ illustrations at Photographique, and the fabulous Matryoshka Army exhibition in the King Street Studios where local artists and designers were asked to personalise a range of russian dolls in the creation of an army! The dolls on show ranged from the touching to the hilarious and the simplicity of the exhibit was really nice and well executed. With all this stuff going on as part of the Bristol Design Festival and a fantastic little brochure listing it all in a Design Trail you can follow, I felt privileged to be in the middle of it all! Good old Bristol. www.bristoldesignfestival.com Photos by www.ianbradleyphotography.com
[FESTIVAL review] 37
Jamaica Street Artists Open Studios 2009 Open between Friday 5th and Sunday 7th June 2009 @ Jamaica Street Studios, Bristol
Like many on the Gloucester Road to City Centre shuffle, I trudge by the unobtrusive mass of the Jamaica Street studio nearly every day. Despite its size, it’s easy to pass its scarlet and green frame and abundance of windows without realising it’s the diamond in Stokes Croft’s creative rough. Sometimes a paint-covered overall with a fag and a cup of tea in hand reveal its secret, but you’d rarely guess that inside this discreet building there’s a frenzy of activity as a community of artists go about their creative business. Last weekend’s open studio was a chance to wander through this usually unseen warren of art, natter with the artists about their work and purchase their skilfully crafted wares. Selling in a mid-recession market has been tough for many of the studio’s artists, but economic downturn hasn’t affected the incredibly high standard of work found within these walls nor the overwhelmingly friendly atmosphere. After venturing up the narrow staircase beside a decidedly rickety-looking iron elevator, punters were met with room upon room of treasure-filled studios. The range of media that the building houses is as varied as it is impressive. The hidey-holes of more traditional fine artists sit comfortably aside those of illustrators of children’s books, edgy ceramicists, machine embroiderers, poster-makers and jewellers. Highlights included Sophie Woodrow’s beautiful porcelain mutants that combine cutesy fauna with urn-like menace, Karin Sabine Krommes’ intricate paintings of aircraft mechanics, kooky characters and visual puns from Bjorn Rune Lie and the playful and exquisitely embellished textile pieces of Louise Gardiner, among many others.
38 [ART review]
The Jamaica Street creatives were well aware that all work and no play makes dull artists and the opening night was just as much of a wine-fuelled celebration as a serious exhibition. An electric after-show party at the nearby Croft saw cracking sets from the strangely attractive Dagger Brothers – tiny t-shirted electronica meets performance art that must be seen to be believed – and plenty of DIY athleticism from loop peddle champion S J Esau. No doubt there was many a headache when then studio opened it doors bright and early the following morning but these guys are professionals and the show must go on, hangover or no. It was once again a pleasure to have brief glimpse into a studio that is at the epicentre of Stokes Croft’s creative and cultural identity. As the builders begin to encroach, let’s hope that this gem is kept well and truly away from the property developers’ greedy paws. To ensure the studio’s future, the artists within need to raise the money to buy the building themselves and so please donate and support them in whatever way you can. www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk Laura Snoad Photos by www.ianbradleyphotography.com
[ART review] 39
UpFest ‘09: The Urban Paint Festival
Saturday 6th June 2009 @ Tobacco Factory, Grain Barge, The Garage, Bridewell Island, Try Again Pub, View Art Gallery and everywhere in between, Bristol When you first arrive at the Tobacco Factory (UpFest’s main and focus venue) and make your way outside to the beer garden and car park, the first thing that hits you is the sheer amount of stuff going on. There were so so so so so many artists all together there, all in their element going at the walls, boards, floors, cars, canvas and hexagon towers ‘hammer and tong’ (or is that ‘can and brush’) you had trouble trying to take it all in! UpFest ‘09 was a true celebration of everything urban art. A downpour Friday night put the fright into everyone though, fretting whether anyone would come to a soggy festival but I think the celebrating masses showed it will take more than a spot of bad weather to put off graffiti fans.
[ART review] 41
Last year’s, and the first, Urban Paint Festival was such an across-the-board success the organisers wanted to go all out to make this one even bigger and better. 2008 had about 50 artists at the Tobacco Factory but this year saw over 150 artists (including 30 odd that had travelled from Europe and North America especially) at a range of venues that stretched across the whole of Bristol in the creation of the biggest festival of ‘live’ urban art in the UK. There was just a staggering amount of stuff going on be it beatboxing, exploding paint installations, hip/hop dancing, graffiti stalls, kids areas and DJs, all underpinned by live painting literally everywhere and anywhere you looked. What really overwhelmed you was the knowledge that this intense focus of urban art culture was happening not just here, but it venues all over Bristol. A quick trip down North Street to The Garage revealed another building absolutely bursting with stencils, cans, paint and large blokes with larger digital SLRs snapping everything in sight. It was almost too much! The range of techniques employed by the artists was equally impressive and easily sustained everyone’s interest for the entire day; from mind-bogglingly detailed stencilers like DON and T3, to classic point and spray artists like Cheo, Cheba and SEPR, to intricate illustrators like Andy Council through to purer artist like DOC, as well as a few more eccentric artists like Ian Cook who only puts paint to canvas using remote control cars – his style was a little bit gimmicky and I’m not sure if the pieces he created gained anything from being painted with tyres but it was interesting to watch nonetheless.
42 [ART review]
The sheer amount of art on show though did have its drawbacks. There were so many artists exhibiting at UpFest that to fit them all in, pieces had to be piled up next to and on top of each other, often overlapping. In moderation, this can look fantastic with two or three works combining and complimenting each other really well but when you’ve got twenty or even thirty artists all in your view, thirty artists each with very distinct styles, colours and techniques, each trying to be as bold and eye catching as possible, it becomes too much and instead of flattering each other, they serve to highlight each others faults and less accomplished artists really do stick out like paint splattered, sore thumbs. On their own in a Bristol back-alley, each of these works would look fabulous and in a way, it’s a shame when so many of them are bunched together like this and some of their impact is inevitably lost, but hey that’s the point – this is a festival after all!!! www.upfest.co.uk Matt Whittle Photos by www.ianbradleyphotography.com
[ART review] 43
Bristol wine & food fair Win free tickets... www.suityourselfmagazine.co.uk
2ManyDJs
Tuesday 9th June 2009 @ Academy, Bristol Tonight’s 2ManyDJs set was a postponed gig from earlier in the year and so the gig has sold out quite easily. For those of you unaware of 2ManyDJs, they are a French duo who are most famous for their incredible remixes and mash-up dance mixes. They have also been know to go under the guise of Soulwax, Radio Soulwax and Hang The DJ. Tonight, after a plethora of random warm-up DJs, the cut-up masters took to the stage in full tuxedos looking pretty damn smooth. They began their set with one of their most famous remixes; The Soulwax Nite version of Standing In The Way Of Control by mighty punk band The Gossip. This remix not only catapulted The Gossip to fame but was also the infamous song to accompany the famous Skins house party adverts. As soon as the mix started, two HUGE and impressively bright video screens were revealed either side of the decks. This was static until the songs chorus kicked in and then the cover to the single started to animate. This was an amusing sight as they animated the single or album cover to every song on the screens throughout the night. Nothing is too safe or too taboo to mix in this set and sop we got everything from Depeche Mode to Dizzee Rascal and Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Dolly Parton. Although there wasn’t as many ‘mash-up’ songs cut together as I expected, it was easily one of the most well balanced DJ sets I have ever heard. The frantic and occasionally gurning crowd could not help but smile and look on in awe at the videos as they constantly danced to the amazing array of anthems they were witnessing. The choice of songs was perfect and it seemed no-one would brave a drink or loo break in fear of missing another awesome mix or classic track. 2ManyDJs are possibly one of the best DJ acts in the world to dance to and I can honestly say their CD Radio Soulwax Part 1 is the best dance mix album you will ever own. www.2manydjs.com Stu Freeman
[club review] 45
Quantic – Album Launch Thursday 11th June 2009 @ Watershed, Bristol
A burst of piano, a running of strings, a harp thrown in, and then the funk starts. Relaxed and smooth, with a complete omission of pretentiousness. Quantic is a delicious, ice-cool, high spirited drink on a humid electric summer evening and after a blue skied day in Bristola, there was a united feeling of embracing the sun’s contagious contentment and the South American notes. Quantic’s Will Holland is only in his twenties but he has already released a huge amount of soul and funk remixes, capturing the crux of the original music’s desires, whilst whacking in a fat dollop of his individual sound; the unmistakable, eyes closed, twirling sound of Quantic. Tonight was the launch party for Quantic and his combo Barbaro album, featuring a Quantic DJ set, Quantic question time, a photographic exhibition and collection of short films by photographer and film maker B+ featuring legendry Brazilian composer, Arthur Verocai. I particularly enjoyed the film Postcard From Cali, an observer’s deep look at the Columbian City. The discotheque relics of the 60s and 70s, the kids pushing bikes across the mud plains, the hideous neon party bus meandering through the night’s streets and the school teacher with the enchanting voice, singing of the Pacific Ocean. The film shows Holland embracing the South American raw sounds and classic beats, combining and embracing them to create his own tracks. The lesson is in the rhythm and beat. Within the hearts and souls and the depths of South America, long before their worship in the nether reaches of our land. Quantic shows a combining of traditional, contemporary and cross cultural talents, displaying a beautiful sound that defies static, moving you from your core. As shown by the later DJ set, an embracing mix of conscious, excited and sensual sounds. www.quantic.org Helen Martin
46 [CLUB review]
Shit The Bed 9
Saturday 6th June 2009 @ Lakota, Bristol Anyone expecting Shit the Bed 9 to be anything less than incredible needn’t have bothered going because the number of excitable clubbers who did attend meant that this incredible ‘Dubstep, Drum and Bass and much more’ event sold out two weeks in advance of the doors opening. Featuring possibly the best line-up for a Shit The Bed so far, people queued from seven thirty for a nine thirty open time to get their hands on the 100 tickets sold on the door. Highlights of the night included sets from Scratch Perverts with Dynamite and drum and bass legend Subfocus with MC Jakes, to name but a few, but the most anticipated set was a collaboration between dubstep royalty Plastician and Skream, who pulled out all the stops in a 90 minute set that saw the main room and balcony jammed all the way to the back. Aside from the main room there was more action to be had in the upstairs rooms, as the Brookes Brothers opened the night by filling the attic room with raving drum and bass fans and later on Reso entertained clubbers into the early hours of the morning with dubstep that certainly kept everyone awake. In fact, it wasn’t until hours after the sun rose that the club began to empty and those hardcore enough to stay until the end certainly got their money’s worth with ten and a half hours of wild music and crazy dancing under their belts. Despite the rain, as the smokers huddled underneath the marquee outside and the non-smokers were glad they didn’t have to, everyone agreed that Shit The Bed 9 was a night to remember. www.myspace.com/theblast_bristol Rory Evans
[CLUB review] 47
Anything For Her
Screening between Friday 5th and Thursday 18th June 2009 @ Watershed, Bristol Playing with themes of romance, love and the endurable differences of the family, Anything For Her is not your usual summertime flick. Using a nail-biting narrative, first time director Fred Cavaye explores the disintegration of the perfect family by thrusting them into an unwanted nightmare where they will never be able to live ‘perfectly’ again. Lise (Diane Kruger) and Julien (Vincent Lindon) live a quiet married life with their baby, Oscar. Their sex life is sizzling and they equally manage to balance their full time careers along side their child with no usual bickering. They are happy in love and ultimately have (at the film’s outset) what people strive for but this fairytale family can not survive in a world full of unpredictability and Cavaye shatters it as Lise is dragged away by the police, accused of murder. The subtitles enhance the concentration of this ‘whodunit’ thriller but the question is answered a little bit too early, as Lise’s innocence is clarified through a flashback thus giving audience motive to side with Julien. From here the focus then shifts from Lise and her plea for innocence to Julien and the lengths he will go to to save his wife – anything for her it would seem. With a fantastic cast and a gritty plot, this film ties the audience to their seats as they watch a heart wrenching love story that’s disturbing and desperate. ‘Escaping is easy, it’s staying free that’s difficult.’ As we leave the cinema we ask ourselves if this family can stay free, in a society enriched with unpredictability. The audience writes the sequel for this film, the sequel we think the family deserve. After watching this film, a box of flowers and a bunch of flowers from the one you love, just won’t seem enough. www.watershed.co.uk Kayliegh Cassidy
48 [CINEMA review]
A SLY look forward at July Previews of all the best gigs, art, clubs, stage and cinema coming up next month in Bristol 49
Bristol Wine & Food Fair
Between Friday 10th and Sunday 12th July 2009 @ The Amphitheatre, Bristol The three-day Bristol Wine & Food Fair is an opportunity for wine and food enthusiasts to sample, enjoy, learn and discover more about the UK’s and world’s fine wine and good food. The fair attracts over 40 quality wine exhibitors from around the world and some of the best gourmet food producers from across the UK. Visitors can sample, discover and enjoy quality wine, dining and good food in the Wine & Cheese Pavilions and Food & Drink Producer’s Market. You can discover and learn from the many experts during the many wine and cheese tastings or join a Chef’s Masterclass with Michelin starred UK Chef’s while the children join in the Kid’s Cookery School. But it’s not just a kind of connoisseur’s corner for wine buffs, this is a festival anyone can come to and enjoy. New features for 2009 include longer opening times, free wine tutorials, The Wine Tasting Forum, Children’s Activity Area and food and wine matching. Barry Haughton from Bristol’s Restaurant the Bordeaux Quay said last year; “It’s got all the hallmarks of a really special event. It’s grounded in Bristol, it’s for Bristol people, it’s people having a lovely day, drinking lovely wines and celebrating Bristol as one of the great, historic wine ports of the country. I think it’s brilliant!” Suit Yourself Magazine has a pair of tickets to The Bristol Wine & Food Fair and a case of Yellow Tail wine to give away. Log onto the SY Blog to be in with a chance of winning! www.bristolwineandfoodfair.co.uk
50 [festival preview]
[festival preview] 51
Lisa Hannigan
Tuesday 14th July 2009 @ The Fleece, Bristol Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan brings her beautiful folk show to Bristol for the first time. Expect velvety vocals, wry-smiles and self-content humming. Yum! www.myspace.com/lisahannigan
52 [gig Preview]
Other Recommended Gigs for July in Bristol Nine Black Alps
T4 On The Beach
Wednesday 1st July 2009 @ Thekla
Sunday 19th July 2009 @ Weston-Super-Mare
The Cat Empire
The Warlocks
Thursday 2nd July 2009 @ Academy
Tuesday 21st July 2009 @ Thekla
Lets Talk Tactics // 65 Days Of Static
The Leisure Society
Saturday 4th July 2009 @ Thekla
White Denim
Thursday 23rd July 2009 @ Thekla
Bristol Harbour Festival Friday 31st July 2009 @ The Amphitheatre
Tuesday 7th July 2009 @ Thekla
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Photography Competition Bristol: A Second Look 2009 Opening exhibition runs between Thursday 16th until Wednesday 22nd July 2009 @ Photographique, Bristol Competition runs between Wednesday 22nd and Midday Monday 31st August 2009 Finalists’ exhibition and public vote runs between Thursday 10th September and Thursday 1st October 2009 @ Photographique, Bristol Bristol: A Second Look 2009 is a public photography competition in Bristol encouraging people to think more about their city and how they know it. The competition opens with a group show from Second Look members showing their ‘second looks’ at the city. The competition brief is simply to take pictures that show unnoticed aspects of Bristol, things that might otherwise pass by. The small things we take for granted, details with hidden interest or beauty, places which people might not normally be able to see. www.myspace.com/bristolasecondlook www.secondlook.org.uk
[art peview] 55
Connect
Showing between Saturday 18th and Wednesday 29th June 2009 @ Centrespace Gallery, Bistol A diverse painting exhibition by six young developing artists, celebrating originality and imagination including this month’s featured front cover artist, Hannah Nelson. www.hannahnelson.co.uk www.centrespacegallery.com
56 [art review]
Other Recommended Art for July in Bristol The Joyful Bewilderment
Tuesday 7th July until Saturday 8th August 2009 @ Here Gallery Curated by The Outcrowd Collective, The Joyful Bewilderment is an international group exhibition showcasing the outpourings of over 100 like-minded image-makers. Fundamentally, the artists in the show all share an essential motivation to explore the possibilities of enhancing everyday life by making magic from the mundane. www.joyfulbewilderment.blogspot.com
Stanley Donwood: El Chupacabra
Friday 10th July until Sunday 9th August 2009 @ Weapon Of Choice Gallery As the semi-official sixth member of Radiohead, Donwood’s work on the group’s albums and all associated artwork has gained him worldwide recognition. This show features 13 fictional characters – Pandemons, which Stanley describes as feral carnivorous parasites who are feasting ingloriously on the foully smoldering remains of late-period Western consumer capitalism. Wearing suit and tie, these Pandemons represent white-collar criminal/politicians. www.weaponofchoicegallery.co.uk
Sequelism Part 3: Possible, Probable and Preferable Futures
Saturday 18th July until Sunday 20th September 2009 @ Arnolfini This exhibition is a project that looks into the future and that which is yet to happen. It will consider how the inexact arena of futurology might be utilised as a means to better comprehend, rethink, obscure or colonialise the present. www.arnolfini.org.uk
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[Regular Club Ni Monday
Tuesday
Pool Competition – Win £50 bar tab.
9 Ball Pool Competition – Win £50 bar tab.
Wednesday
Academy Bierkeller The Cooler Elbow Rooms
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Mr Wolf’s
Every 2nd Tuesday – Weapon of Choice – Live graffiti. £3
Native
Run – Drum & Bass. £4/£5
Open Mic Night
ights] Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Ramshackle – The UK’s biggest alternative night out. £3/£5
Phuct – Punk, metal and rock to make your spine tingle. £3/£5
Ooompah – Boozy mayhem, pefect for Stag/Hen parties. £5.50
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday – Beat Surrender – Live bands and indie DJs. £4/£5
Espionage – Live bands and sixties funk and soul DJs. £4
Klub Kute – Classic and new indie. £4/£5
Crunchie – Party music. Free
By The Pool – Part music. Free
Alternate - Empathy, Byte, Tape, Monterpiece, The Blast. Techno, house, D&B.
Western Soul – Live bands and DJs.
Grass Roots – New and old reggae. Free
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[Reg Oceana
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Monday Night Chill
Shipwrecked – Student Night
Poker League
Po Na Na
Fatpoppadaddys – Funk and indie classics. £2/£3
Queen Shilling
Treason – Bristol’s only gay alt/indie night. £2
Wednesday Wannabe – Karaoke. £2
Start The Bus Propaganda – Massive indie night. £3/£4
Syndicate Thekla
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Gorilla Audio – Indie/pop. £2/£3
gular Club Nights] Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Come Play – Themes, live acts.
Commercial RnB, Garage, Pop/ Rock, Dance.
Over 21s.
UK Club Culture – Under 18s.
The Shisha Mashup – Musical mash but free shisha! £1/£3
Soul A-Go-Go – Funk and soul. £3/£4
Po Na Raa – Collars up, cocktails down. £6
Shagtag – Student night. £2/£4
Camp as Tits – Themed chart and dance. £3/£5
Alternate – Glow, Core, Sale, Switch. Dance and funky house.
Bat Cave – Alternative mash-up. Free
Alternate – Wriggle, What A Drag. Alternative.
Alternate – Beef, Juke2000. Alternative.
Sunday Roasted – Dance and cheese. Free
Voodoo – Dance and old school.
Death From Above – Indie, electro. Free/£3
Alternate – Fruity Antics, Shoestring, Hospitality, Play, Monkey! Knife! Fight!, Blow Pop. Liquid D&B and electro.
Socialism – Indie, electro, punk. Free/£5
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Native Closing Party Friday 24th July 2009 @ Native
Opened in September 2005, Native has played host to some of the biggest names from the underground music scene in the UK and has been home to some of the best club nights in Bristol including Run, Dubloaded, Western Soul and The Blast. The club’s absence will mean a huge loss to Bristol clubbing and the local music scene in general. For the closing weekend, local promoters Byte is joining forces with Ruffnek Diskotek to bring a sizzling summer smash-up of the finest quality. Say goodbye to Native the right way. www.nativebristol.com
[CLUB Preview] 63
Out Of Touch
Showing between Wednesday 1st and Sunday 5th July 2009 @ Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol After last year’s stunning, twisted fairytale, Red Man, FairGround Theatre return with a trilogy of one act plays written by Adam Peck. Following three relationships through themes of memory, time and death, the trilogy promises to be a stirring watch, created by one of Bristol’s most ambitious and exciting new theatre companies. www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com
64 [stage preview]
Bristol Brouhaha! Comedy Festival Friday 17th until Saturday 25th July 2009 @ Tobacco Factory Theatre And The Hen & Chicken Nine nights of some of the most dynamic and inventive standup comedy acts currently working in the UK previewing their new shows that are bound for Edinburgh Festival in August. Each event is a double billing and some of the comedians on show include Rhod Gilbert, Jon Richardson, Lucy Porter, Ian Stone, Richard Herring and Matt Kirshen. www.thecomedybox.co.uk
[stage preview] 65
St Paul’s Carnival
Saturday 4th July 2009 @ St Paul’s, Bristol
This amazing street party, celebrating Bristol’s Afro-Caribbean influences, attracts around 65,000 people to Portland Square and the streets of St Paul’s every year so get yourself down there and joint in the community carnival! Don’t miss the stunning procession of home-made costumes in the afternoon and be sure to get yourself some Jerk Chicken! www.stpaulscarnival.co.uk Photos: www.crushimages.co.uk
66 [festival preview]
Other Recommended Stage for July in Bristol Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall
Saturday 4th until Saturday 18th July 2009 @ Bristol Old Vic Spike Milligan’s celebrated war memoirs are finally brought to the stage. This anarchic odyssey charts Gunner Milligan’s progress through World War Two - and with Spike’s sense of lunacy, anything can happen along the way! High comedy and tragedy collide, as we follow him and his jazz quartet, adrift on the tide of great historic events. www.bristololdvic.org.uk
Some Voices
Monday 13th until Saturday 18th July 2009 @ Alma Tavern Theatre When Ray is discharged into his brother’s care, falls in love with the pregnant Laura and incurs the wrath of her jealous boyfriend, some voices offer good advice, and others drive their hosts to destruction. www.almataverntheatre.co.uk
The Tale Of Lady Stardust
Sunday 19th July 2009 @ Alma Tavern Theatre Ziggy and Gary wait patiently for the day of judgement in a dingy tower block flat in south London. Finally, today, there’s someone at the door. The cautionary tale of a box, a believer, a dubious angel and David Bowie. www.bristol.ac.uk/drama/theatre
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Kisses
Friday 17th until Thursday 30th July 2009 @ Watershed This charming, fairy tale-like drama featuring enchanting performances from its non-professional leads, tells the story of two children living in a housing estate on the fringes of Dublin devoid of life, colour and future prospects. Kylie lives with five other siblings and her overworked mother, while her best mate Dylan lives next door in the shadow of an alcoholic father and the memory of an elder brother who ran away from home. After a violent encounter with Dylan’s father, the youngsters run away from home towards the magical lights of inner city Dublin in search of Dylan’s brother and the possibility of a better life. www.watershed.co.uk
68 [cinemA PReview]
Other Recommended Cinema for July in Bristol Looking For Eric
Friday 12th June until Thursday 16th July 2009 @ Watershed Soccer-mad Manchester postman Eric is losing control over what little remains of his life. His wife has gone, his stepsons are wild, but it is his own secret that is driving him to the brink. Despite misplaced goodwill from his mates, he eventually has to turn for help to his hero: footballing genius Eric Cantona. www.watershed.co.uk
Drag Me To Hell
Wednesday 1st until Friday 3rd July 2009 @ Cube Sam Raimi’s highly anticipated return to horror: Alison Lohman is a finance clerk who turns down a loan request from an old gypsy woman and is subsequently cursed. There are plenty of gross out moments and Raimi’s skill gets old fashioned scares from what isn’t seen. It’s a rollercoaster ride, from the intense opening scene to the shocking finale; you’ll squirm, shriek and laugh out loud. www.cubecinema.com
Frozen River
Friday 17th until Thursday 30th July 2009 @ Watershed Living in upstate New York, Ray Eddy finds herself alone with her kids and completely broke when her gambler husband runs off with their savings. An answer to her problems seems to come in the form of Lila Littlewolf, another poor single mother who is involved in a risky operation transporting Chinese and Pakistani immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River from Canada to the USA. www.watershed.co.uk
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Cancer: Tensions at home for you this month, but don’t give in to depression. Just because your Dad says the cellar is soundproof, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try screaming anyway. Leo: Ups and downs in your professional life this month. For a while you seem to be moving forward, but when you get to the front of the queue the Job Centre, the lady says you should have been in yesterday and stops your benefit. Virgo: This month the butler did it in the gunroom, with the candlestick. Did what, you ask? Oh Virgo, you will see. Some people pay good money for that kind of service. Libra: Jupiter comes into your chart, so you may feel blue at the beginning of the month, but within a week your arms and legs will be feeling more yellow by the day. Scorpio: Mars is descending in your chart this month so be careful – he’s liable to snap when he’s on a comedown. If you had a waist size of 6,792 km you’d crash hard too. Sagittarius: Leopard skin is totally in this month, for those Sagittarians who are leopards. For human Sagittarians, try human skin. Buffalo Bill may be able to help. Capricorn: You may find romance this month in a phone box, Capricorn. And yes, that is a genuine photo. Cash only, no time wasters. Aquarius: Drama at home for you this month, when Peggy discovers Phil’s sneaky plan for the Vic. I know, that’s not you, it’s Eastenders. That’s how boring your month is. Pisces: Replay last month backwards and you will hear messages from Satan. Cool, huh? Obey them! Aries: You are the talk of the town this month! But don’t worry, they let you out when they realise the mix-up. Don’t ask how old you will be by then. Taurus: This month is more about spirituality than material things and sitting outside your old house watching the new, happy family who don’t have to sleep in the park. Gemini: This month could go two ways, if you have a time machine. Otherwise, just boring old forwards for you, I’m afraid.
Editor: Matt Whittle / matt@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk CEO: Faye Westrop / faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Design and Illustration: James Penfold / penfold@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Front Cover: Hannah Nelson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of Suit Yourself Magazine. Suit Yourself Magazine and SY On The Sly are independent publications distributed throughout Bristol. Advertising Enquiries: faye@suityourselfmagazine.co.uk Contributors for Issue: Lara Angol, Ian Bradley, Kayleigh Cassidy, Matt Collins, Barry Deradish, Rory Evans, Anna Freeman, Stu Freeman, James Harper, Helen Martin, Ian McDonald, Jessica Pennock, Skye Portman, Laura Snoad, Tom Spooner, Glenn Vowles, Bex Wade