Review: Baxter Dury, SWX – ‘Full of joy’

I rushed across for this one and met my sister for a delicious Pizza in The Lanes and a beer in the Bank where the queue was formed at the bar full of people heading around the corner to see Baxter Dury at SWX.

Sweet relief from a rain-soaked Bristol evening.

Support this evening came from Oneda. The Manchester-based rapper and leader of Herchester, a community for female emcees.

Instantly OneDa is supremely charismatic and energetic. She is direct and straight down the line in her quest for Pussy Power to take over the UK.

She is excited to share her drum’n’Bass EP, PUSSY POWER, with a Bristol crowd for the first-time citing Bristol as a massive drum’n’bass city.

Delivering each line with speed, precision and passion. Lyrically it feels like she is on a quest for truth, justice and of course Pussy Power.

Rude Girl is a perfect example of this while her new single, Love Reality, has a relentless flow which has a beat that which would win over any crowd, if they weren’t already.

Tonight, Baxter Dury is celebrating the release of his latest album, I Thought I Was Better Than You.

The place is full, the bar is packed, and Big Jeff is on his feet. Baxter opens with So Much Money, a lament where he asks, “Who Am I Mummy?” “Who am Daddy?” a calming start. He plays a game of limbo with the mic stand and flirts with taking his suit jacket off throughout.

I find seeing Baxter live a lot of fun, full of silly dancing where the songs transform from something to ponder to something to dance and smile to.

He doesn’t smile a lot, but he is clearly having a lot of fun. I move closer for Pleasure (one of my favourites) and as the tempo lifts, people form a mini indie mosh pit beside me.

Madeline Hart vocals are pristine, she provides the sweetness to Baxter’s bluntness. Without her the songs would be half as good.

For me this contrast is most evident in funky classic Miami. I’m a massive Baxter fan, so naturally I’m wearing my Miami lyric shirt.

He performs this song screaming the lyrics as the crowd lap it up, smiling screaming along with to every word.

The encore starts and Baxter expresses his deep love and connection with Bristol. Baxter and Madeline are beaming at this point and loving the recognition from an excited and full SWX crowd and now the crowd are ready to dance.

Celebrate Me sees the crowd light up under purple strobe light with their arms in the air giving Baxter the adulation he craves!

Baxter (These are My friends) is a 2am paranoid dance hit. The place is now a dancefloor, feeling like a club night, the place is full of joy.

There is a sense of euphoria as the strings kick in. This show is explicit, heartfelt and funny with an atmosphere that built to a crescendo and peaked in all the right places.

Baxter closes the night by saying “The last thing to say is I love you”.

Main photo: Matt Barnes

Read next:

• Review: The New Cut, Crofters Rights – ‘My new favourite Bristol band’
• Review: Levert, The New Room – ‘Spontaneous, unplanned magic’
• Review: Skpinnish, The Fleece – ‘There’s something of The Pogues about them’

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