As part of their UK Headline tour, northern punk rock HOT MILK brought their void of a show to Bristol’s Trinity Centre, for night of heavy music and chaos.

After much anticipation from the sold-out crowd, the lights went down and, to a loud chorus of cheers, out came the band, with front people Han and Jim, and getting straight into WELCOME TO THE…

To say the crowd were on it would be an understatement, with people singing along and keeping the energy high. Han and Jim were moving around the stage like singers possessed, and by the end of the third song, both were clearly drenched in sweat.

But that didn’t stop them and didn’t stop the crowd from giving it their all. Voices were coming from the crowd, filling in the gaps left deliberately by the singers.

A few mosh pits were opening up, and security were on hand in case anyone came over the barrier, but on this Tuesday night we didn’t see any crowd surfers. Despite the high levels of energy and enthusiasm, the crowd were relatively sensible, and were looking after eachother.

HOT MILK really gave grown massively, both in themselves and their fan base. I was both surprised and happy to see such a mixed crowd, of all ages, genders and walks of life. HOT MILK call themselves an emotion, not just a band, and it was clear that this is the case amongst this crowd.

The main part of the set was brought to a close with FORGET ME NOT, a song full of raw emotions and memories, and for a few people on the barrier it was clear that this song meant a fair bit to them.

After a short walk off and walk on, the band came back for one more song, and Glass Spiders brought the night to a final close. With one last massive cheer from the crowd and a sea of smiling happy people, it was another night done.

A massive thanks goes out to the band and everyone involved in making this show happen.

Words and photos by Ted Stargatt

A sea of brightly dressed fans wrapped around Trinity Centre tightly like a hug waiting for South African born Bella Latham (more widely known as Baby Queen) to take to the stage. After the summit of her critically acclaimed debut “Quarter life crisis” to the top ten on UK charts it is no surprise that this gig was well and truly sold out to the point of the crowd being squashed up against the iconic venue walls; ravenous to get a good look at Latham as she hit the stage to perform a staggering sixteen song set. 

Bathed in a beautiful technicolor light, the set began with titular track “Quarter life crisis” an incredibly relatable tune depicting the anxiety and doubts that twenty somethings face once their teenage years fly away from them. One thing I noticed about Latham as a performer is that she maintains the same level of excitable energy throughout her nearly two-hour long set, an impressive feat with her consistent explosive dances and interaction with her band and fanbase. Judging from the roar from crowd after “Quarter life Crisis’ ended I knew that tonight was going to be something to behold, the atmosphere was wild with electricity and the crowd was eager for more. 

“Dream girl” a particular favorite of mine from the album certainly follows the synthy sounds reminiscent of Charli XCX’s older work and caters happily to fans of hyper pop and to members of the LGBTQ+ community who started waving flags of every color towards the stage as Latham relays her experiences of a love triangle with another girl. I noticed whilst many of her lyrics are hard hitting and constantly relatable, Latham and her band massively play into the satire of growing up and experiencing issues globally dealt with, there is an inconceivable sense of belonging that she creates from her happy demeanor and intoxicating stage presence. 

Latham’s’ set was expertly curated to supplement fans new and old playing fan favorites “you shaped hole” a heartbreakingly relatable track highlighting the pain after a recent break up, and despite the somber lyrics, the entire crowd was dancing to its funky melodies and screaming word for word mirroring Latham’s pain as she painted its picture on stage. “Buzzkill” was played later in the set, its heavy drums and guitar riffs filling the room to the brim highlighting heaviness you feel when you are depressed and feeling alone.  

“Love killer” another highlight of mine from the debut features spoken word-esque bridges stamping out Lathams’ laments of failed relationships; the snappy snares hitting you hard in the chest as the cheery beat juxtaposes from the depressingly accurate lyricism. Social media and the internet generation is a poignant piece of imagery which resides throughout the whole of Lathams set with “internet religion” ringing repeatedly through the venue, highlighting the true effect of technology on our generation. 

The end of the night rolled around quickly, the high-strung exuberance of Latham and the band never diminishing as they jumped around the stage like wildfire, “I can’t get my shit together’ appearing to be a brand-new fan favorite, its simple chorus resonating with the young crowd before them. ‘Want me and” the iconic “we can be everything” finalized a fantastical display of live vocals, “We can be everything” having been the statement track of Netflix’s “Heartstopper” and an important piece of music for the young queer fans chanting the words back to Latham like a mantra; Latham lifting it up the LGBTQ2+ flag proudly in the air waving it around her joyful fandoms heads. I absolutely adored seeing an artist so beloved in such a welcoming and friendly environment and I will certainly be looking forward to future projects made by Baby Queen and her incredible band.

Words and photos by Rosie Risdale. No use without permission.

For their second UK tour, Welsh cover group Punk Rock Factory brought their Just A Stage tour to Bristol’s SWX for a sold out show to open up the run of 12 shows across the UK.

Having found their feet from Tiktok, they were supported by US rock group Adam and The Metal Hawks. From these 4, we were treated to a mix of heavy style covers and their own songs, including their top track Wastin’ time.

With Matt Stocks keeping the crowd entertained between the sets, with his mix of alt-nite and club classic bangers, it wasn’t long before we were treated to the main band of the night.

After a quick intro, with something about being late due to a sausage, we were straight into Just can’t wait to be king, which saw front man Peej come down onto the barrier to sing along with the crowd. You could tell everyone was excited, with the venue feeling like it was filled to bursting.

If you’ve never heard a punk-rock cover of Mamma Mia, where have you been? These boys knocked it clean out and had everyone singing along.

The band rocketed through their mammoth 23 song main set, including the Jackass section, which saw two of the audience crowd surf on Lilos, and one of the lucky ones managed to make it to the bar and back around again.

Adam from AMH came out to join the band for Pokemon, before a section where the audience got to choose the next song from an online selection. I don’t think I’ve seen an audience choose section which hasn’t been people shouting songs out loudly and the band struggling to hear, so this was a nice change from this.

Some jokes about life and their previous tours introduced some of the next songs, my favourite being how when they were in Australia they were Defying Gravity.

Let It Go and Wish Upon A Star brought the main set to a close, with cheers and confetti, before a quick walk off walk on and the last two songs of the night. Oh What A Night and How Far I’ll Go brought the night to a final close, and for their biggest headline tour to date these boys really did a good job.

There’s a couple of dates left on this run of UK shows, before they head to Europe, and then back across the UK in October and November 2024. Ticket available here.

Words and photos by Ted Stargatt – no use without permission.

After last being in Bristol supporting Brian Fallon, American singer-songwriter Chris Farren was back in Bristol. This time, he was joined on stage by drummer Frankie, combing his mix of live music, visuals and sounds, to create an immersive concert experience.

The set started with a few technical hitches, with Bluish having to be restarted a couple of time. But once we got going we knew were on track for another perfect set.

Chris’s 2022 album Death Won’t Wait was a motion picture soundtrack, for a still unmade and unreleased movie, and his new album, Doom Singer, takes on a different sound, going to a more traditional indie-rock style album.

My favourite from the album has to be Statue Song, which saw Chris come out into the audience to sing the song, with only a handheld light to illuminate his face.

Although only a short set, with it just hitting the hour mark, Chris and Frankie kept the energy high for the whole night. Chris’s signature videos projected behind him the whole time, Cosmic Leash started to bring the night to a close, before Human Being brought it to its end.

It’s a shame that Exchange Bristol did not see the same level of ticket sales as other venues did on this tour, with London having completely sold out. Chris has been putting out music for a while now, and his albums and shows are only getting better and better each time. Given the opportunity, this is one artist you don’t want to miss the chance to catch live.

Review and photos by Ted Stargatt

“You are cordially invited,” reads The Last Dinner Party’s Instagram bio. It’s a statement that makes the band appear to be more than a band: they are an event, an aesthetic, a community. But it’s difficult to see to what extent they are more than a band until you see them live. Their fans understand this, as people clad in flowing white shirts, long, Victorian-inspired skirts and an assortment of vintage jewelry flood into Birmingham’s Hare  & Hounds. 

So when the show starts and the solemn instrumental introductory track starts playing and the room goes dark, murmurs of excitement ripple through the crowd as the band silently make their way onstage. They are dressed similarly to the crowd: dainty dresses, astonishingly high-heeled boots, and immaculately-styled hair. Assuming their positions and brandishng their instruments, they start. 

‘Burn Alive’, a brooding, haunting, twinkling guitar track track opens the set. But whereas most crowds would sing along to the songs’ every word, these fans stay silent. The reason? Despite having sold out the venue’s main room; having their first single, ‘Nothing Matters’ amass an astonishing five million listens on Spotify in mere months; and most recently, played Glastonbury, the band have only released two songs. Having gone viral on Twitter earlier this year for being accused of being so-called ‘industry plants’, a term applied to the ‘nepo babies’ of the music industry, the band set out to prove that not only are they not industry plants, but that they deserve every ounce of attention they are receiving.

But despite almost every song on the set being unreleased, this does not stop the lead-singer Abigail Morris from giving it her all, and the crowd from giving everything back. Jaw-dropped faces litter the room as eyes are fixed on her. Alternating between strutting and prancing around the stage (a stage that barely fits the five-piece band, may I add), she undoubtedly steals the show, her lustful, deep vocals ricocheting off the venue’s walls, leaving a deep impression in their wake. She has an air of Kate Bush or Florence + The Machine to her stage presence, but Morris makes her performance her own, 

Acting out lyrics and making piercing eye contact with the audience. It is feminine, powerful, energetic, and most notably, original. There are no other bands quite like The Last Dinner Party at the moment. 

But the band’s appeal lies far beyond their visuals. Charged with catchy choruses and gripping baselines and hooks, their accessible baroque, 80s pop-inspired alt-rock sound is a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape that can often feel monotonous and unexciting. As opener Nell Mescal put it, “you will leave this show singing songs that haven’t even been released yet.”

‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’ is an example of this. Like much of their discography, it is theatrical, brooding, and sensual, and it is impossible not to sway your hips too. Another standout is ‘Beautiful Boy’, a melodramatic and operatic solemn piano-and-flute led track. Their closer, ‘Lady of Mercy’, is a cacophony of clapping and toe-tapping beats, set to a roaring riff. It is frivolous, eccentric and exciting, with the band’s two guitarists, Lizzie Mayland and Emily Roberts, making the track textured and rich.

As the show goes on, Morris becomes more and more engrossed in her performance up until the final songs (which include, of course, ‘Nothing Matters’), where she breaks the fourth wall, so to speak. Jumping into the tightly-packed crowd, making piercing eye contact with fans, clutching onto them and singing to them, she becomes the all-powerful leader to the cult she has built during their hour-long set.

As if it wasn’t clear from the hype the band have generated online, by the end of the show, it is clear—the band are destined for greatness. People leave the venue, and one singular  question lingers on everyone’s lips: Where is the  album? So when the band eventually release thd album and thus  inevitably become pioneers of the alternative music scene, one thing is for certain: you, too, will be cordially invited.

Review and photos by Sophie Flint – No use without permission.

Last month at the O2 Academy in Bristol brought legendary punk rockers The Damned, who were formed in the mid 70’s, and were back on tour with their brand new album Darkadelica which promises to be among their best. There was a large crowd eager to hear what’s on offer.

The set kicked off with a visit to 1985’s Phantasmagoria and the opening track Street of Dreams which gets cheers from the crowd. Next we are treated to the first new song The invisible Man, with it’s eerie sounds at the start then the beat kicks in with powerful drums and punchy guitars, and this gets the heads banging in the packed audience, it’s great to see them still working a crowd after all these years and with new songs too. Next up, two songs from The Black Album and we hear Wait For The Blackout start closely followed by Lively Art’s.

What follow’s is a bold move as they start a run of 9 songs from the new album. With strong vocal harmonies and melodies we all enjoy it proves to be a very good move. Powerful songs including Leader of the Gang which is about the fate of a certain Glam rock frontman.

The Damned have always been visually stimulating when on stage and this evening is no different, as front man Dave Vanian who is dressed in a stylish three-piece suit and tie with a equally matching fedora and shades, he looks the part and his vocals are as strong as ever.

Once the new tracks are out of the way its back into the old tunes as Born To Kill, Love Song, Second Time Around, Standing On The Edge of Tomorrow and the absolute power track Neat Neat Neat.

Next follows the encore with the ever popular Eloise and Smash it Up which has the whole crowd singing along and the band leaves the stage, but the lights don’t come on and no exit music sounds, and they take the stage again and for the second encore we are treated to one more new song, in the shape of Girl I’ll stop at Nothing which hits hard and is worthy of an encore slot. Finally a blistering version of New Rose, a wall of energy and noise coming from the stage and the frantic voices of the still packed venue.

Tonight has shown that The Damned are still as relevant today as they ever were and don’t look to be fading away anytime soon.

Live review and photos by Martin Smith – to use without permission.

Last month at Marble Factory saw the return of The Skints in a co headline with Gentle-mans Dub Club, two of the UK’s reggae powerhouses.

The opening act was the very capable Welsh-Jamaican Aleighcia Scott, who gets a good reaction from the crowd.

They are suitably warmed up and ready for GDC, who enter the stage to warm applause. Hailing from Leeds, GDC have been around the scene for quite some time and have built up a good following, and from the look of the crowd there are many of the loyal GDC fans in tonight and they are in for a treat.

Playing hit such as “Music Is The Girl I Love” and playing a remake of that classic track “Superstylin” by Groove Armada they ended with the beautiful “High Grade” All in all a great and balanced set amd start to the night.

Next up in this evening of Reggae madness is The Skints, who were last in Bristol as support to The Interrupters back in August 2022. Having formed in London back in 2005 they have an impressive back catalogue to choose from.

The 4 piece outfit, which comprises of the multi talented Marcia Richards (vocals, keyboards, alto saxophone, melodica, flute, guitar), Joshua Waters Rudge (vocals, guitar), Jamie Kyriakides (vocals, drums) and Jonathan Doyle (bass guitar), tore through a set that included many of their best songs such as “rat-at-at”, “This Town” and “Rise up”.

Midway through the set they played their version of Capdowns “cousin Cleotis” which resulted in a big Ska ‘skanking” circle, which see’s a big energy release from the hyped up crowd, and much to the delight of The Skints Joshua, declaring “you guys are f**king awesome”. The set ends with the punchy “culture vulture”, with its lyric “I’m just trying to have a good time” which gets an enormous cheer from the audience….who it is safe to say has had a thoroughly good time.

Words and photos by Martin Smith (no use without permission)