One thing I love about 2000 Trees is their ability to appreciate both larger established bands and local talent, giving emerging talent the same platform as these other bands and creating a lineup that feels both exciting and cohesive. Some festivals struggle to show love to talent local to their location, but Trees will continue to break these boundaries we (unfortunately) see in the industry.
Read MoreHow do you survive a festival in the rain? The historic drought of summer 2026 had left any adaptive rain skills completely dried up; my waterproofs were nowhere to be seen and I was clinging onto my July tan. But if there’s one notable thing about Forwards to take away, it’s that the music never stops playing. The energy never dips.
Read MoreIt’s harrowing news to hear the City Road cultural hub, Paradise Garden, announce struggles to extend their lease with their crowdfunding campaign falling significantly short with less than a week to go.
A staple of the local scene, providing a relaxing atmosphere, an audiophile set up, and a programme of daring and adventurous promoters and in-house events make this venue standout amongst the rest. It's a transient space - one that doesn’t need to explain itself, any night programmed boasts to be one of the most interesting in the city.
Read MoreBleachers have been around for a hot minute now, but they often slip through the cracks of indie pop. Off the back of the millennial optimism anthem ‘We Are Young’, Jack Antonoff’s side project band originally existed as a departure from immense pop success achieved via the band ‘fun.’. Antonoff saw Bleachers as a space to explore new sounds and more personal narratives, and this gradually turned into a space to produce an even stronger dose of millennial optimism.
Read MoreBristol Song Circle, the new booming event hosted at one of Bristol’s quirky independent and live music venues ‘Rough Trade’, hosted an exceptional night of exciting new music from a quartet of brilliant local folk artists.
Read MoreWalking through Ashton Court Estate on the most gloriously bright bank holiday Saturday could easily be the most wholesome activity imaginable. The sun beams down on rolling green hills and there are no cars in sight, but as you climb the impossibly long hill on this specific weekend, up and then down past the manor house, the twee sounds of nature get replaced by something a bit more invigorating: dance music.
Read MoreMost people know Richard Starky – aka Ringo Starr – as the drummer from The Beatles. Although Lennon and McCartney were the songwriting powerhouses of the band, from 1965 onwards, Starr had the opportunity to showcase his songwriting prowess on a handful of track – as solo writer on Octopus’s Garden and Don’t Pass Me By, and as a co-writer on What Goes On, Dig It, Maggie May and Flying.
Read MoreThe phrase ‘perfect arrangement’ holds many meanings when the topic of conversation is the electrifying Dutch band, Yin Yin. The band divinely weave their influences of funk, disco, psychedelia and Southeast Asian 60/70s music whilst in person, this is only amplified when Kees, Remy, Erik and Jerôme grace the stage as one - where each member breathes life into their records - outstandingly in sync with one another.
Read MoreThe Diverse Artists Network (DAN) has announced the programme for DIASPORA! 26 returning from 1-10 May. Following the success of the 2024 pilot, this landmark festival has doubled in length, to spotlight the incredible creative diversity of the region.
Read MoreFor Mo, identity was never something abstract. It was lived, in sound, in silence, in inherited memory.
Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, with a Mauritian father, he understood early that belonging could be layered and complex. His father had arrived in Britain with hope, like many migrants, searching for opportunity and stability.
Read MoreThe Wake feels like a quiet exhale, rooted in instinct, shaped by time, and grounded in the understanding that sometimes the best thing you can do is simply listen. 28 years ago, Foy made a quiet promise to himself to create seven records after his father passed. Now, standing at that seventh, there is a sense of return and revival.
Read MoreLos Angeles based ambient outfit, Green-House encourage imagination on their new LP, Hinterlands – a glistening ode to our dwindling natural spaces. In a time of environmental annihilation and overwhelming nihilism, the duo (Olive Ardizoni, Michael Flanagan) conjure faraway paradises as an act of agency – a way to reconnect with the biosphere lying outside of our sprawling urban landscapes.
Read MoreOne night whilst indulging in a pre-bed doom scroll, phone inches from my face, a post claiming to list the ‘underground artists who went mainstream in 2025’ was enough ragebait to make me go trawling the gutters of Reddit for second opinions.
Read MoreStrange Brew initially seemed an interesting choice to me for Ninajirachi’s first ever UK tour (moodily lit and adorned with precarious looking props), but any doubts I had were immediately thrown out the steamed-up window. By the time Ninajirachi took to the stage, I knew we were in for a treat, the vibes were already immaculate, but I had no idea how heated things were about to get.
Read MoreRitual Union is scheduled to take place on the 28th March 2026, and I must say they’ve really outdone themselves this year.
It’s an all-day festival taking place right in the heart of Bristol city centre with infamous venues, The Strange Brew, Rough Trade and Electric Bristol. Now with the addition of the Lanes, where you can chillout, grab pint and a chat with other fans
Read MoreThe third album from Swiss/French composer, Noémi Büchi comes as the fourth chapter in her series exploring the physicality of music in a world becoming increasingly intangible.
Read MoreIt’s a wet Sunday in Bristol—the kind that seeps through your socks and settles in your bones—I step inside Bristol Electric and feel the temperature spike. Any lingering damp evaporates the second Lambrini Girls hit their stride. What unfolds isn’t just a set, but a sermon delivered at breakneck speed: blistering riffs, sharp-tongued monologues, and lyrical gut-punches aimed squarely at the systems that grind down marginalised communities—inside the scene and far beyond it.
Read MoreThe UK festival scene is about to be shown a beacon of hope, as yesteryears have shown our sovereign festivals straying away from the high quality, standards and values they used to hold. Alex Lane, who has been thoroughly involved across major festivals and creative explorations is launching a brand spanking new festival with an aptly adorned name, Show of Hands.
With an Avengers-like team behind him, a revolutionary vision and reiteration of what makes UK festivals so important to the scene, we seized the chance to have a conversation with Alex before the festival takes place
Read MoreThe term ‘New Wave’ gets thrown around a lot in relation to musicians of a certain era, but it can be tricky to label a song as ‘New Wave’ just by listening to it. Why is this?
Read MoreIf anything, iconic rock band James just won’t stop evolving. Known for their impressive discography and electric live shows, James have managed to retain a sense of concentrated passion and vibrant spontaneity across all aspects of their musical career. Having released their first single in 1983, the band are keeping their foot pressed down on the accelerator, with arena tours and new music in the near future.
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