Music / Reviews
Review: A Decade of Bristol Music, The Fleece – ‘creativity & passion in spades’
Forgive us for reviewing our own show. Not documenting such a strong lineup of Bristol talent would have been a clear dereliction of duty.
The spiralling cost of living has led to lean times for the music scene, but the creativity and passion of Bristol musicians is a wonder to behold. We could arguably have squeezed in more punters, but we couldn’t have hoped for better performances.
Singer-songwriter Tianna was up first. She’s been releasing music for a couple of years and already has an impressive catalogue of songs. Backed here by smooth guitar and keys, her rich voice and jazz-inflected melodies made for a soothing start to a Sunday music marathon. If you arrived late and missed her, you can catch her at The Gallimaufry tonight. Failing that, there’s an interview here.
is needed now More than ever
There was something magical about Holysseus Fly’s performance, and it wasn’t just the fairy godmother-style dress and between-song talk of mermaids. The stripped back solo setting – just pristine vocals, piano and drum machine – upped the intensity of her deeply personal songs, which twisted sensationally through unsettling chord changes and vocal acrobatics. Holly’s profile is growing thanks to champions like 6Music’s Lauren Laverne, and she clearly has the talent and vision to take it to bigger stages.
Elijah from Oh, The Guilt
Oh, The Guilt mixed driving rockers with gothy ballads – music that’s rooted in darkness but performed with joy. Highlights included the punchy Bella and the magnificent, seven-minute torch song, Darkest Days. Their recently released Deadnames & Deed Polls is a must-hear debut album from a must-see band. It’s always a treat to see bandmates who are such good friends – the love on stage was as infectious as the music.
Tlya X An is a perfect example of DIY art school pop. Her sharp performance benefited from the presence of a balaclava-clad DJ (Charli EQ) and a pair of Scream-masked dancers, but she wrote and produced all the tunes herself. The songs were all under three minutes long, with dirty, club-ready beats and hooks that tunnel into your skull and get cosy in your brain. Daddy – a highlight from last year’s TXN EP – was pure electronic punk.
Snazzback
Everyone was dancing by this point so Snazzback dropped in at the right time. Jazz-funk with inflections from hip-hop and Afrobeat, their percussion-heavy grooves were dancefloor-friendly from the start. There was an uplifting, cinematic quality to a lot of the band’s arrangements, albeit one that gave way to muscular solos when they let the horns rip. Snazzback will almost certainly appear at a festival near you this summer and they’ll almost certainly get you moving.
Finally, UK hip-hop survivors Split Prophets arrived to remind us why they’re still so loved in their hometown. We were here to celebrate a decade of music, and this lot have been central to the local scene throughout via classic releases like Scribbled Thoughts and Delta Bravo Kilo. For many years Res One, Upfront MC and the crew were the go-to support for touring rap stars like MF Doom and Wu-Tang Clan. While they’re no longer gigging as often as they did, their energy and chemistry were as strong as ever, as was their ability to connect with an audience. Here’s to the next ten.
Main photo: Holysseus Fly
Photos by Leonor Guimaraes
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