It’s a chilly February evening, and I am thrilled to be piling into a packed out Marble Factory for a night of live music. Drinks in hand, the crowded room chats and laughs, waiting for the show to begin.

Gladie are up first, a five piece hailing from Philadelphia. From the get go they set the stage on fire with their youthful energy and dynamic songwriting. Opening with ‘Thank You Card’, they immediately had my attention as it dawned on me I had this song saved on Spotify! The band have a nervous but charming presence, and having already embarked on several significant support tour, they are one to watch. Their smooth lead guitar lines and intricate songwriting boasts a maturity beyond their years. With a unique style both musically and fashion-wise, Gladie injected a refreshing vitality into the scene, leaving the crowd eager for more.

Following Gladie, Prince Daddy & The Hyena took the stage, returning to British soil after several UK appearances last summer. They delighted the audience with hits new and old, having notably added ‘Black Mould’ to their setlist since I last caught them at 2000 Trees in July. Each song was punctuated with chugging bass lines and cowboy-esque exclamations, showcasing their trademark blend of punk rock attitude and infectious enthusiasm. Their setlist, which included a brand new song, was a testament to their evolving sound and continued relevance in the punk scene. My only regret from this show is not grabbing one of their black and pink hoodies from the merch table… maybe next time!

By the time The Menzingers stepped into the spotlight, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation, thanks to the electric atmosphere set by the opening acts. Armed with a Les Paul, a black Telecaster, and a sunburst bass, the band delivered a tight, punchy performance from the get-go. Seamlessly blending Celtic-inspired punk with elements of English 70s punk rock and country, The Menzingers treated the audience to a relentless barrage of anthems old and new. From the opening chords to the closing notes, there was hardly a moment to catch your breath as the band commanded the stage with seasoned expertise.

Hits like “I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore” and the epic “Good Things” ignited the crowd into a frenzy of dancing and singing, showcasing the band’s undeniable charisma and stage presence. With flawless delivery and unmatched energy, The Menzingers proved why they consistently pack out venues.

My personal highlight includes a slower bridge on the third song (annoyingly I didn’t know the songs name! I will find it with enough Spotify digging and coffee!) with their tasteful use of backing vocals. Their ability to bring a crowd down and back up with them in that song was amazing, and I loved every second of it!

Lead vocalist Greg Barnett informs the crowd they have had a very British Sunday, after going for a roast dinner. I wonder if we could contact Greg for a comment on the best place for a Sunday roast in Bristol?

As the cheers and laughter reverberated around the room, it was clear that The Menzingers would be back, and the audience would be eagerly awaiting their return!

Words by Jace from The Bristol Music Journal

Photos by Glenn Morrison – no use without permission

“A sold-out show at the O2 Academy is always guaranteed to get sweaty, but there were very few that could compare to the level of energy and passion from both the audience and performers the night Don Broco came to Bristol. They started as they meant to go on with ‘Gumshield’ as their opener, and it only got better from there. The level of commitment and talent throughout the show was phenomenal, including the two opening bands, Trash Boat and Ocean Grove, who warmed the crowd up nicely for a hell of a show.

The show was rooted in heavy rock with blends of pop and a splash of metal, reminiscent of early 2000s rock, giving it a nostalgic feel while being 100% contemporary and original. The heavy bass lines came through strong, especially in my personal favorite song, ‘Pretty.’ By that point, I had joined the crowd in becoming one connected mass of bouncing sweaty bodies, and the energy was infectious.

The visual spectacle that came from both the stage design and lighting only added to the experience. There was a healthy amount of strobes, adding to the absolute chaos down below in the mass of bodies that was the mosh pit. For me, the visuals are just as important as the music when seeing live music, and this was a show that I could confidently say ticked all the boxes. The stage presence of frontman Rob Damiani was also phenomenal as he moved constantly from one side to the other, jumping and dancing his way through the set. He was joined with equal enthusiasm by the rest of the band, and with that, the stage came alive for a night.

The crowd matched the energy from start to finish. At one point, the attention was focused on two children who were experiencing their first-ever live gig. Drumsticks were quickly passed in a human chain back to the two youngest audience members, much to the celebrations and congratulations of the entire venue. What a first gig.

First or thirtieth gig, this was one to remember, and the entire crowd left happy, sweaty, and a little deafer than when they came in. The entire evening showed how live music should be done, and that, although formed over 10 years ago, Don Broco is still at the forefront of avant-garde musicality and has no intention of stopping.”

Words and photos by Anna Hatfield – no use without permission.

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