The beginning of Spring and it’s Ritual Union in Bristol! Traditionally, Spring is a time of renewal and that’s exactly how we see Ritual Union, a chance to reset our musical horizons with some new and upcoming artists. And on this occasion, to see the changes to the bar and live band space at Rough Trade Bristol too!
And it was at Rough Trade we started with a brilliant set from Pina Palau. Based in Zurich the band play folky and indiepop and they are very, very good at it. Pina has a wonderful voice and the whole LP ‘You Better Get Used to It’ is full of some great guitar work, chilled vibes and a very cool relaxed feel. Oh, and Rough Trade bar area is bigger and much improved!
Next we were off to Electric 2 for Nobody’s Dad (above), a four-piece Bristol grungy and heavy shoegaze band who are making quite an impression locally. Lots of variation in the set from some punky tracks to more subtle slower and fuzzy songs. And importantly no lack of confidence in their performance and bags of stage presence too. Looking forward to seeing them again soon.
Then it was a small walk to Strange Brew for one of our present favourite bands, who we have been playing on Dandelion Radio a lot. An electronic and dance masterclass from Another Country $$$$ who certainly did not disappoint. Playing tracks from the LP ‘Cursed Frame’ this was a banging set full of peaks and troughs, underpinned by some excellent drum work and a video montage.
We were back in Electric 2 for Lemonsuckr, who in our opinion were the standout band of the day. Exciting and energetic from the start and throughout, this is a band not confined by the limitations of the stage. They spent a considerable amount of time in the crowd and even climbed on the bar. Pulsating and urgent, this was a feast of post-punk, indiesleaze and fun. Outstanding.
Downstairs in Electric for Working Men’s Club who also delivered one of the best sets of the day. Absolutely impossible to not move your hips, knees or feet. A mixture of old and new tracks, it’s easy to forget how long they’ve been making great music. And yet, there’s no let-up in standard, the new stuff is as good as the old – yes, it all still sounds fresh like they’ve just started. Fingers crossed we will see them again later in the year.
A slow and tired walk to Rough Trade for our final band of the day, thistle (main picture). And what a treat! Grungy and noisy, this was music without any clear lines, no songs that outstayed their welcome and wonderful for it. Having squeezed down the front, we may have done damage to our hearing (don’t copy us), but this was a great jump around and chaotic finish to the day.
Check our Instragram @one_bighouse for clips of these bands and others.
If you are interested in new and emerging artists, then give Dandelion Radio a listen and search the schedule for One Big House.
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