Seven diverse days in the life of the Bristolian music scene - and there were plenty of great shows that we couldn’t fit into this selection. You’ll spot a couple of unconventional options in here too, just to make life that little more rich and varied. It’s Gigs of the Week time. Have a good one.
Thursday 11th April
Fontaines D.C. - Thekla
There’s a difference between excitement and hype. There’s a lot of excitement building around Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. at present. They’ve sold out Thekla and they’re seemingly heading for an SWX sell-out in November. Their childhoods may have been small, but they’re going to be big. More here…
Friday 12th April
Nilüfer Yanya + Westerman - Thekla
Interviewed for our March magazine, Nilüfer Yanya spoke of how uptight ‘self-help’ culture can be the least helpful way of nurturing humanity forward. So why not stop battering yourself with bettering yourself and just be your good self in her company at Thekla. More here…
The Travis Waltons + World’s Best Dad - The Lanes
The new track by The Travis Waltons, ‘Find It In Your Heart’ showcases a fine dynamic to the band, with bassist Amy Bevan taking the lead on vocals, with Dan Flay’s voice augmenting. It’s fizzy synth-pop, with a cheeky slug of some fortified spirit mixed in. Potentially intoxicating. More here…
Saturday 13th April
Ã…lesund - Visual Radio Arts
So, it’s not exactly a gig, and you don’t have to go anywhere. Staying in is the new going out. Frome-based, Visual Radio Arts are hosting Ã…lesund live on Facebook on Saturday night. You’ll just have to tell your own family to stop talking through the music and smash your own guitar at the end. More here…
Porridge Radio + Swallow Cave + Oh Peas - Old England
“My Mum says that I look like a nervous wreck because I bite my nails right down to the flesh,” sings Dana Margolin of Porridge Radio on ‘Sweet’. How a band can manage to jangle so ominously is baffling, but they do it superbly. The song continues,”You will love me when you meet me.” Too true. More here…
Record Store Day - Rough Trade
On one day, in one place, whilst also digging for some exciting Record Store Day special releases, you can hear Rozi Plain, Band of Skulls, The Leisure Society, Yard Arms, Slagheap, Steve Lamacq (DJ SET), Straight Arrows, Creatures and Crows. Unbridled joy. More here…
Sunday 14th April
ThisisDA - Rough Trade
Again, not your standard gig, but Bristol Hip-hop producer, ThisisDA is taking over the live room to play back his new album in full ahead of its release, alongside visuals and more. On Facebook, he writes, “Get there this Sunday at 5. We’ve got some extras for you.” What could they be? Hope it’s crisps. More here…
Good Weather For An Airstrike + Umber + Calum Hunt - Café Kino
First conceived in 2009 as a project to alleviate the effects of tinnitus, Tom Honey’s Good Weather For An Airstrike might sound like it’s going to be rather heavy, but you could play this ambient post-rock to your sleep-terrorist baby to lull them back to gentle slumbers. More here…
TVAM + Hockeysmith - Thekla
Joe Oxley wowed us all with his debut album Psychic Data in 2018, under the name of TVAM. So-called ‘bedroom’ projects tend to be associated with introspection, peppy dream-pop, but tracks like ‘These Are Not Your Memories’ surge with Chemical Brothers-style digital aggression. More here…
Monday 15th April
China BowlsChina Bowls + Fred Fredas + Chesqua + Chiedu Oraka + Vital - Louisiana
The Welcome To My City Tour, curated by Punch Records, reaches Bristol on 15th April. It tours the home cities of its component acts, with the hometown act headlining each time. We have the pleasure of Saffron Records’ China Bowls to look forward to on Monday night. More here…
Alice Phoebe Lou + L.A. Salami + Olmo Mathilda - Thekla
A South African, based in Berlin, you can hear the spirit of exploration and wanderlust throughout the material produced by Alice Phoebe Lou. There’s a folky core to what she does, but with bewitching technological innovations that intrigue, as does her voice. More here…
Get The Blessing + The Evil Usses - Exchange
They have members who’ve been involved in Portishead and Radiohead. They wear spherical things on their head. Their music messes with your head. They’ve always mixed jazz, funk, rock and electronica in a way that’s more of a potion than a fusion. Enjoy the ideal society, the Bristopia of Get The Blessing at Exchange. More here…
Wednesday 17th April
Named Press Club and in possession of an excellent album entitled Late Teens, these Melbourne indie-punks sound like a quaint kids’ TV programme about running a school newspaper. Then you listen to them, and they sound like a teenage rampage. Check out ‘Suburbia’ for further proof. More here…
Hickeys + Swallow Cave – The Lanes
Hickeys/love bites are a odd thing. Vampiric? Cannibalistic? Generally evidential of someone with excessive powers of suction? Formed in Madrid three years ago, Hickeys have proceeded to make the kind of music that claims you and hangs around for days, just like their icky namesake. More here…
You want more? We’ve got more. Check out our full listings here.
Can’t quite get out of the house? Listen to our In Stereo Sessions here.
