The Everyday Gig Review Roundup (November '21, Part 2)

We’re back at it again with our November live music roundup. This month, we’ve barely had a pause for thought as we’ve bounced from one show to the next, but had such a good time in the process that we’re bringing you a double bill. Perhaps second time really is the charm…

First off, Marcus Hood indulges in a bonfire weekend treat seeing Hull-based shoegazers BDRMM at the Crofter’s Rights. Also out on the loose in Bristol, Frances Pope parties the night away with Loco Klub’s selection of female, LGBTQI+ DJs, and enters the dreamy world of local synth-folk breakthrough Alesund. Culture editor Kerry hits Bristol Beacon to sample some of the fresh talent the city has to offer, Ben Reade gets a warm, fuzzy feeling watching Metz Jnr perform in Birmingham, and Lucy Pratt enjoys a bombardment of genre-bending by Tankus the Henge at The Fleece.

Bdrmm @ The Crofter’s Rights, Bristol. Saturday 6th November 2021.

Words and images by Marcus Hood.

Bdrmm @ The Crofter’s Rights.
Credit: Marcus Hood.

Bdrmm is a four-piece shoegaze band based in Hull. They released their debut full-length album in 2020 and the single 'Port' in October. I went to see them perform the last gig of their tour at The Crofters Rights in Bristol on Saturday the 6th of November.

It feels good to be in a venue such as the Crofters Rights, which I was familiar with before the Covid outbreak. Arriving early, I prepare my camera and buy a drink before the show gets underway. The venue quickly fills up with a mixture of older and younger rock fans.

The support, Home Counties, kick-started the night with a tight 30 minute set of new wave rock. In punky vocals, the lead singer sang stories of the doldrums of life in English towns and working-class existences while the rest of the band provided backing. I turned around to see the venue full of bobbing heads and tapping feet. The audience is completely behind The Home Counties' Punky blend of synth, guitar and percussion. As the Home Counties set comes to its end, the buzz in the audience is undeniable.

Bdrmm released their first full length just as the UK went into its first Covid lockdown and only put on one gig that year due to restrictions. During a year of almost no gigs, they have been able to massively increase their fan base. It's easy to see why. Between the moody vocals and the textural guitar drones, their recorded music makes a compelling listen. To really appreciate their sound, however, you simply must see them live.

Enveloped by the earthy bass, I was transfixed by the band's masterful control of their instruments and effects pedals. Vocalist and guitarist Ryan Smith's words took on another level of urgency when performed live. This is music you can really feel. All of the textural complexities heard on the debut album were present, with the band tightly weaving the sounds of their instruments together.

Bdrmm's new single, 'Port', was a definite highlight. With its creeping synth buildup and devastating lyrics, it is a sinister behemoth of a song that sent the audience into an intoxicating trance. As the tune opens up, the beats and the drones become more and more cataclysmic, mirroring the vocals. The end of the song is bookended by the eerie lyrics, "I don't know about you, I'm sure you know about me."

This was a powerful performance from a band that has not only survived the pandemic but has found the audacity and character to build upon their existing audience; I'm sure this gig is only a sign of the phenomenal music that Bdrmm have waiting for us.

Firejam @ Loco Club, Bristol. Saturday 6th November 2021.

&

Alesund @ The Crofter’s Rights, Bristol. Thursday18th November 2021.

Words by Frances Pope.

On Thursday, November 18, Firejam Productions put together a night of women and LGBTQ+ DJs at Bristol’s Loco Klub, featuring DJ Ammi, FKHIA, Ree, and MINX.190.

The Loco Klub, under the railway arches next to Temple Meads, must be one of Bristol’s most atmospheric venues. A joint venture with Invisible Circus, its entrance is decked out in glittering dolls’ houses and circus-vibe paraphernalia. It’s dark, inviting, creepy, and cozy all at once. An incredibly friendly team make the space welcoming and warm, and in the Ash Pit, a whirling glitterball of acid-yellow lights made for an immersive atmosphere just right for dancing. All three acts were backed by intriguing and unsettling visuals – blurry human forms, cyborg limbs, intricate organic patterns, and strings of data and numbers.

DJ Ammi and FKHIA

FKHIA is an Italian producer and DJ who has been making music since 2018. Her DJ sets blend grime, dubstep, and deep bass. DJ Ammi is a Bristol-based artist playing dubstep and D&B at venues such as Jam Jar, Lakota, The Lanes, and Crofter’s Rights. Billed back-to-back, the two DJs ended up collaborating, and together they built up a supercharged energy, bouncing off each other and visibly having masses of fun.

DJ Ammi looked very much at home on the turntables, with FKHIA on the controller. The set was an absolute joy, full of super-heavy bass, dub, and acid glitches to set your teeth buzzing – all of which sounded fantastic on the Loco Klub’s sound system. Under gleaming lights, the two artists filled the space with their energy and giant sound.

Whatever they have up their sleeve for upcoming shows – whether individually or together – is worth getting excited for.

Ree

Something of a wild ride, songwriter and producer Ree’s set felt like a visit from the future, or perhaps a parallel universe. Her off-the-wall persona (think robot-clown make-up, dark shades, and long white hair) fit perfectly with the venue’s vibe, while her music brought to mind a hyper AI dystopia: a top-speed collision of the digital fabric of our lives with an intimate, personal, and very human side.

Ree has been making music under her current moniker since she moved to Bristol, having previously performed as Leslie Kim with an acoustic singer-songwriter style. Her current music explores both human relationships and the digital world, weaving in computer sounds, techno, and drum and bass. She has worked with platforms such as Saffron and the Beatriarchy and believes firmly in supporting communities of women and non-binary artists.

Persona or not, Ree made a real connection with her audience, and by the end we were all on first-name terms.

MINX.190

Producer and performer MINX.190 – who describes her sound as “gabber, hardcore, and chiptune mashed with lots of donks, breaks, and cute samples” – played a skilful, self-assured set. Her style mixed the kind of beats you sink or swim in, bass to shake your eyes out of their sockets, searing breaks, and unsettling chipmunk vocals. The chanson-style samples were a real highlight, and the set felt like a mad ride on a turbo-charged motorbike, with meadows of spring flowers blurring by. MINX.190 was super calm and collected, with this barrage of hardcore sounds and sugary references at her fingertips. An intense experience that was also somehow a lot of fun, and definitely one to blow the cobwebs away.

On Tuesday, November 16, the Crofter’s Rights played host to three bands, and three distinct yet complementary sounds, in a show spilling over with warmth.

Acoustic guitar duo Rookeries (Finnian Evans and Kieran Glas) opened with deliciously deep and undulating instrumentals. Under oceanic blue and green lights, the two guitarists shifted deftly between tempos, moods, and styles in a dynamic journey through the potential of acoustic guitar: with finger-picking and arpeggios as their backbone, the compositions built and blossomed into a lush arrangement of textures and shapes.

From a glistening ebb-and-flow piece, they passed to a heftier track with a densely strummed build-up, feeling about as close to heavy metal as two acoustic guitars could get (and Glas, shaking lengths of blond hair, certainly channels something of the metal guitarist). The next piece shimmered with intricately tessellating patterns, bringing to mind the meditative pulse of kora music. An immersive and varied set, by turns reflective, bracing, and healing.

Rookeries’ latest album, Mnemosyne, launched on September 4.

Next up were Bristol-based singer-songwriter Agata and her band with their soulful, stomping songs of poetic heartbreak and revelation. Following up on a string of live shows this year, including at The Louisiana, Dot to Dot festival, and Bristol Exchange, Agata and the band sounded fresh, gutsy, and energized.

“The Bottom” was pacy and dark, its swinging beat resting on a deep kick and soft claps, with broad synth tones overlaid with Agata’s ribbony vocals. “Farewell to Nothing” was a glorious puddle of heartbreak, its muted colours glooping like petrol on water. Latest release “Unusual Behaviour” (which featured on BBC Introducing in May 2021) was a rousing, post-breakup, scales-from-the-eyes type reckoning, and the audience swayed and stomped along, enjoying every minute.

Finally, headliners Ålesund shifted the energy again with an eminently danceable, light-on-its-feet set. Led by vocalist Alba Torriset, Ålesund stand out for their blend of synthy folk vocals with complex rhythms and clean broken beats, offset with piano and brass. Often hazed in echoes and synth, Alba’s show-stopping voice cuts through the instrumental swirl like a bright, misted moon through sweeps of cloud.

Pared-down “Lightning” was my personal favourite – gorgeous rhythmic textures from drummer Jai Widdowson-Jones, bright gleaming notes from guitarist Lloyd Starr, and lyrics (“When lightning strikes, be my thread in the dark”) alive with electric imagery. The band also pulled off a fantastic cover of Foals’ “Exits,” followed by their newest track, “Dawn Chorus,” which felt very close to their hearts. Alba explained that she wrote the track during one of those eery, unprecedented periods of silence brought by lockdown, in which birdsong was suddenly and deafeningly noticeable. A joyous riot of colour and life, the song served as a reminder of some of the strange blessings of the last year.

Ålesund poured so much warmth and feeling into both the songs and their connection with the audience. Like Agata and her band before them, they were profoundly grateful to be playing live again after such a long hiatus – this tour was put on hold in early 2020 and is only now resuming – and the pandemic has obviously had a huge impact both on their creative direction and songwriting, and on their return to live shows: back in front of an audience, their energy and engagement were almost tangible. The crowd, happy to be along for the ride, sent back waves of appreciation, and a well-deserved encore was met with wild applause.

Metz Jnr @ The Hare and Hounds, King’s Heath, Birmingham. Thursday, 18th November 2021.

Words by Ben Reade.

Metz Jnr combined expertise in composure and performance with an awesome sound and a crescendo of positive vibes. Their performance on Thursday 18th November at The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath was a night that I truly believe will go down in history at the legendary venue.

As I climbed the stairs of the Hare & Hounds for the first time in 5 years, I was presented with a white envelope fashioned with a silver sticker on the front. I opened it quickly like Charlie looking for his chance to go to the Chocolate Factory. However, what lay inside was much more magical than a golden ticket to see Gene Wilder in a purple coat.

On this cold winter’s evening, each member of the audience was presented with two ‘Tickets of Love’. Individually the beautiful bits of card had a different task on, for example one of mine instructed me to run a random errand for someone. It was only later, during the song of the same name, that the band told the bubbling crowd that we were to keep one of the tickets and pass the other to someone. The Ringo Starr like message struck me to the core, it is rare to find feel-good music that speaks sense and not in fairy tales. Unfortunately, I don’t have a physical card to give to you as the reader, but I do have a task for you. A ‘Ticket of Love’. Go and see Metz Jnr Live!

The show begins with each member slowly gathering on stage and building on top of the trance-like track. One by one the talented performers built up to the point in which a black cloaked figure swooped on stage. I mean, I know it’s a full moon, and I get the fact that this room has a magical feeling about it, but I never in a million years expected to see a wizard open the show. With a smile and a laugh, the cloak was flung to one side and the room exploded with light and sound. Mr Metz Jnr had arrived.

Never have I seen every crowd member, from the back to the front, instantly start to move the beat. It is a testament to Metz Jnr Band, as they have created the music and the vibe which meant that it was physically impossible to stand still. The music truly attacked your whole body with the most pleasurable mix of reggae and jazz.

The Midlands-based band formed in 2020 and have worked hard on producing their individual sound over the last year. Whether they aimed their showcase at the Hare & Hounds to be in November or not, the beautiful song ‘It’s Not a Sunny Day’ was so fitting for the evening. It was during this song that I realised the scope of the Metz Jnr Band. They can combine multiple complex instruments, and a fast tempo of lyrics whilst sitting on the infamous reggae off-beat to produce something that can only be compared to those great ska bands of the 1970s. On top of all of this, you have the sprinkling of that prog rock kind of sound that transcends the songs to a new level.

You could feel the bass line shake the room, sending vibrations through your feet and rattling your bones. The drums and percussion matched the sound of your heartbeat, getting faster with excitement and slowing down with reflection. The guitar pierced through it all, hitting your brain like a euphoric freight train. The raspy vocals bounced on every note, with each line you felt your soul being replenished with peace, love and understanding. The keyboard then was the cherry on the cake, holding everything together unifying mind, body, and soul. And then the saxophone, I mean come on, it cut the room in half like a hot knife through butter. Individually, fantastic. Together, was an experience I was lucky to be a part of.

Initially the reggae sound was commonly a way for Jamaicans to comment on the world around them. So often have we heard great artists bring up a social or political issue, and then magically come up with the solution. When a group of guys from around Birmingham apply this mentality, this desire for us all to get on - you get songs like ‘Space We Share’. The saxophone leads into that raspy voice which only gets better throughout the evening. “We need to come together even if we disagree” was a lyric which really cemented my opinion. This band has all the best bits of ska, reggae, jazz and Birmingham’s soul in one.

The lyrics of ‘What did you do?’ echoed through me as I walked home under the illuminated moon. I must ask you now, Metz Jnr, What did you do to me? That’s the question. Well, I’ll tell you. You brushed off my COVID concert cobwebs with style. You introduced me to a sound that will easily replace John Lennon’s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ this festive season. But most of all, you have set the live concert bar very high.

The Bristol Takeover @ Bristol Beacon and Online on Saturday 20th November

Words by Kerry Mead, images by Vonalina Cake Photography

Showcasing the best bands, DJs, musicians and emerging artists Bristol has to offer, The Bristol Takeover, organised by Bristol Beacon and curated by local promoters 1% of One, is a free one-day festival which, after moving online in 2020, was back in real life for 2021 on Saturday 20th November.

The festival spanned three stages and if you couldn’t make it in person, the whole thing was streamed online and SWU FM’s seven-hour takeover of The Terrace Bar was broadcast live on the station. We popped down on Saturday afternoon to check out some of the live music, as, to be honest, I’m done with live streams for the next decade.

It was pretty quiet when we arrived around 14.45, but we managed to catch the end of the set from Kwazi and TAE that was drawing most of the crowd that was there early doors up to the stalls bar stage, with their UK take on rap and r&b. We literally caught two tracks, which was a massive shame, because I really want to hear more after seeing them bringing a fresh take to a very old skool east coast hip-hop flavoured track before veering seamlessly into some killer Trap, something altogether more of our millenium.

We headed downstairs to the foyer stage next to watch DAMEFRISØR, who formed at a Bristol club night in 2019 with a collective appreciation for all things shoegaze. This five piece band may not have been around long, they’ve just released their first single Do You Think I’m Special, but watching them live you wouldn’t guess it. As soon as they take to the stage and the set erupts into action you can’t help but be struck by their influences - they are giving off very strong Joy Division and New Order vibes, even down to lead singer Kazhi Jafhar’s borrowing of Ian Curtis’s vocal style, brooding physical presence and jerky movements.

But don’t think they are some kind of 80s alternative tribute act - they are more of a spiral collecting a wide range of influences in order to create something more contemporary and of their own rather than just copycatting. As well as the aforementioned New Order and Joy Division elements, I was reminded of Mogwai and Cocteau Twins too, especially evident in one track I didn’t catch the name of which spun a wall of light-as-gossamer electronic sound around Jafhar’s brooding lyrics. Their last track sang out the refrain ‘Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be anyone but me’ over a guitar-heavy brooding landscape - I couldn’t help but smile at this due to their heavy borrowing from musical styles of the past, but they do what they do so well I really hope they find their own voice and style even more as they develop as a band.

Next we were back up the stairs to the stalls bar to catch the last half of Amy May Ellis’s light, ethereal, guitar folk. The vibe here was very chilled - most of the audience lolling on the floor, tired preschoolers in parent’s laps whilst they precariously balanced pints on changing bags. Amy’s quirky vocal invokes a still moment over well-executed guitar playing, evoking timeless folk traditions with a difference.

And then time for something completely different. Brummies Tom and Dylan moved down to Bristol a couple of years back and formed Mass House, an indie-electro duo that does more than what it says on the tin, bringing synth-driven tongue-in-cheek social commentary and fun to a genre that can occasionally be a bit up it’s arse. I’ve been meaning to see them live for ages, and without wanting to sound incredibly hackneyed, they really did not disappoint.

Their set was bonkers and glorious from the moment they stepped onto the stage. Visually we are treated to what would happen if the cast of Miami Vice stepped out of a time machine onto a 2021 club dancefloor, musically their set delivers squelchy bass, scratching, aural laserbeams, wry yet fun vocals and an obvious complete mastery of their instruments and tech. They fill the space completely, and are easily the highlight of my very short afternoon at The Beacon before I have to head home.

I open my laptop later that evening once the kids are in bed and sample a little of the dancefloor energy provided by SWU FM up on the terrace, and some of Run Logan Run’s chilled, sax driven set, featuring Olympic-level circular breathing that left my jaw rolling under the sofa, as well as Zoobers’ laid back wonky electro. But, if I’m honest, the live stream experience instilled something close to a PTSD event in me and I tuned out before I started looking up banana bread recipes and crying into my gin and tonic again, circa 2020. It’s just too good to be back experiencing live music at Bristol Takeover again, and I’ll definitely be down the front in person next year for a taste of what has been going on musically in all corners of my fair home city whilst I was busy elsewhere.

Tankus The Henge @ The Fleece, Bristol. Friday, 28th November 2021.

Words by Lucy Pratt, with images by Marcus Hood.

‘I sometimes get a bit worried, coming out to these gigs, that people won’t turn up’ states Tankus the Henge frontman Jaz Dalorean. The crowd laughs - an empty venue at a Tankus gig feels unlikely - their cult following are dedicated… and they have to be able to keep up with the band’s relentless touring schedule. Tankus were the first British band to tour the EU post-Brexit AND post-COVID. Their commitment is difficult to dispute.

‘Shoeshine’ opens the set, with the apt first line ‘where do I begin?’. Indeed, where to begin? Tankus are a difficult band to pin down. Their sound is a melting pot of genres, from jazz and funk to psychedelic rock. A tooting brass section will give way into a reverberating electric guitar solo, which in turn segues into Dalorean’s raspy, defiant vocals. Somehow, it feels seamless, and it doesn’t take long to feel convinced by Tankus’ experimental sound.

Tankus’ Musicianship is as dextrous as their sound. ‘Pilgrim’ sees João Mello on keys take lead vocal, switching out as Jaz moves to brass. It attests to an admirable musical skill, enabling a set that is diverse, surprising and consistently engaging.

It would be an incomplete review not to commend Tankus as performers. Their show is theatrical, carnivalesque and relentlessly energetic. Dalorean enchants the crowd throughout - he’s a formidable frontman, with charisma and embulliance by the bucket. As a unit, the group exude charm, with each member contributing to the band’s striking on-stage presence. Humorously, Dalorean’s piano doubles as a prop, spilling out dry ice and serving as a pedestal upon which he swiftly leaps atop, cavorting and jigging with an infectious glee. It’s worth noting that this is a band that really should be witnessed live - studio recordings capture just a fraction of Tankus’ capability.

Tankus make sure to play the classics - and there are many - as well as tracks from their most recent album, ‘Luna Park!’, released in December 2020. The album is a tonic for our times and plays like an optimistic, uplifting letter to those left feeling despondent at the state of the world. ‘god, oil, money’s chorus closes with the phrase ‘love is where we start, love’s where we end’. As the gig closes, indeed, love is where we end. I don’t think I’ve heard a crowd chant ‘one more song!’ with more gusto.

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