Music / Reviews
Review: Grandmas House, Old England – ‘An explosion of emotion’
Celebrating the release of their new single Screw It Up, Bristol-based Grandmas House returned to their roots at The Old England in Montpelier.
Unapologetic, gobby, loud, and punchy, Grandmas House is a captivating presence.
With gaggles of fisherman beanie-clad, Doc Marten-wearing people piling into the pub on a rainy Friday, it was obvious that this band appeals to Bristol’s post-punk backbone.
is needed now More than ever
The night was opened by Cardiff psych-rock group The Family Battenberg. This band was, to put it simply, brilliant. Combining elements of modern punk with 1970s-esque twangy electric guitar riffs, I have since added many of their tunes to my rotation.
The Family Battenberg hail from Wales and play regularly in Bristol – photo: All Roads Festival
After a short break perusing raffle prizes – because, in true party fashion, this gig had a raffle draw – Grandmas House took to the intimate stage.
Making a comical entrance out of the men’s bathroom and wielding inflatable zimmer frames and walking sticks, this set was a joy to watch from the very beginning.
Playing older crowd favourites like Desire and Always Happy, as well as premiering a handful of totally new songs, Grandmas House had the audience eating out of their palms throughout. They even sprung into a remix of Black Eyed Peas’ Pump It, serving as a testament that they could perform just about anything and it would sound great.
Something that struck me about the band’s discography was the length of their songs. Averaging around two minutes, this band says what they have to say and moves on – and I like that. Everything felt new and fresh, with attention constantly shifting to new places. The approach adds to the punch and emphasis that they are synonymous with; it felt very impactful.
The band mixed old classics with new numbers at their intimate single release party – photo: Susie Long
Every member of Grandmas House gave it their all at this gig, and I have a feeling they always do. From Poppy Dodgson’s pounding drums that could be felt in the ribcage to lead singer Yasmin Berndt’s gravelly, powerful vocals, it felt like an explosion of emotion.
As they laughed their way through technical difficulties and recounted stories of Bristol gig mishaps, the band had the perfect balance of crowd interaction and seriously locking in for their performance.
In such a small space in their hometown, with an audience seemingly populated with the band’s friends and family, it was a truly lovely atmosphere.
A highlight for many of us there was Dodgson’s performance of Haunt Me. An unreleased song, and something the band had “never tried before”, this moment was absolutely beautiful.
Creating a shift from their usual upbeat angsty sound, the song had minimal instrumentation, allowing an exploration of grief, love, and loss to fill the space in its place.
Suffice to say, I love everything that Grandma’s House is doing, and their new single is but another excellent example of these guys’ talent.
The band return to Bristol on December 12, performing with Heavy Lungs at The Louisiana – I will definitely be booking a ticket.
Main image: Susie Long
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
