Up All Night: A love letter to Bristol’s nightlife

“It’s a tough time out there,” says Colin Moody, one half of the creative duo behind a new book that celebrates the diversity, grit and glory of Bristol’s nightlife.

He’s referring to the challenges plaguing the grassroots music scene and nighttime economy.

In response, the award-winning photographer has been working on Up All Night: A Bristol Nightlife Story for the last five years and, three years ago, was joined on the project by writer and musician Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley.

They call the book ‘a visual celebration that also advocates for the preservation and support of Bristol’s nighttime economy.’

It features after-dark tales from the characters on the ground – ‘the community that breathes life into the city once the sun sets.’

Co-authors Colin Moody and Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley say the book presents ‘an exciting smorgasbord of adventures to be had’

“We need to keep the story alive,” says Moody. “In Bristol, the memories and vibrant energy of the city’s nightlife are woven into its cultural fabric, a unique blend of music, art, and community.

“Our shared commitment is to keep Bristol lively and welcoming, a city where culture thrives and everyone feels they belong.

“We need to amplify both the positive message – that we’re a city that adapts, with lots of DIY music and culture – but also that there are problems.”

The book captures the pre-Covid era, lockdowns and the present day through interviews and personal reflections alongside stunning photography.

It embraces multicultural voices, social organisations, and DIY communities like Bristol Ballroom, a queer network centred around vogueing.

“I started looking at things that the mainstream press would say were ‘on the margins’, but actually for them it’s everything, it’s their world. It became part of a whole ‘being seen, being heard’ kind of thing,” says Moody.

The pair are crowdfunding to get the book published; supporters will have the opportunity to help decide the final book cover, with one design featuring Bristol Ballroom Community in action

“This book is not just about going out and getting drunk, it’s about what it’s like for people from different backgrounds to have a nightlife here.

“I wanted the whole book to feel, visually, like a journey of a night experience – the vibe and spark of Bristol’s night life. We’re concerned about homogenised nightlife experiences. Bristol’s not like that – but for how long?”

Current struggles are seeing independent venues closing across the country, but delving into the scene has helped the pair retain their optimism.

“We’ve become aware that there are people in their 20s that understand the culture here. That’s very powerful: they’ll spark cross-fertilisation, taking things from different genres and mixing them, creating something new. That spark is what we’re most excited by.

“We’re obviously concerned about some of the iconic things that could be lost from the city. But as soon as a venue shuts, the young people who went there will find something else, they always do. Change can be positive.

“It feels like the massive cost of living crisis we’re still in is going to drive the most powerful creative spark of new music we’ve ever seen. We want that to be heard. But we also won’t shy away from what happened during Covid.

“The lockdowns took a heavy toll, leaving people isolated and hitting the nighttime economy hard. These times of separation underscored the role of nightlife as not only a form of entertainment but a critical part of social connection and wellbeing.”

Interviewees have said they will often have more fun on the way home than they did in the club they spent the night in; the authors want to spotlight these unique experiences as part of what makes the city’s nightlife so special

Moody cites the city at night as an essential “third space”, where the first is home and the second is work, with the third critical for personal wellbeing.

“There’s so many ways you can have an experience at night,” he says. “When you bump into people on the dancefloor, your energy levels transcend and it becomes something special that you need in your life.

“You’ll find this book very beautiful and interesting. But more than that – it will help the nightlife see itself. If people are seen, those cultures feel they belong.”

The pair’s video series of conversations with players from Mark Davis of Basement 45 to Turbo Island fans, musicians like KOG, Dr Meaker and Stevie Toddler, restaurant owner Jason Mead and historian Edson Burton to name just a few, give a strong sense of what makes the city’s scene so special.

“I owe so much of my sense of creative identity and joy to Bristol’s music scene and creating this book with Colin gave me an outlet to express my frustrations, as well as providing a platform for others in that world to showcase their brilliance,” says Ketibuah-Foley.

“We hope the book sparks some meaningful conversations and is a seed for better things to come.”

Turbo island is part of the spark of Bristol’s nightlife ‘that will never go out’, says Moody

“We want to keep these conversations going and for people to understand that they shouldn’t give up,” says Moody.

“Just keep going. Yes, it is hard work to break into the music businesses or do whatever you want to do at nighttime – but in Bristol we support each other. That’s what this whole thing is about.”

Moody and Ketibuah-Foley are fundraising to get the book published. Find more information at www.kickstarter.com/projects/1510807110/up-all-night-a-bristol-nightlife-story

All images: Colin Moody

Read next:

• Application submitted for Turbo Island to get ‘village green’ status
• Review: Sheelanagig, Strange Brew – ‘Wild and raucous’
• Review: Grandmas House, Old England – ‘An explosion of emotion’
• Katy J Pearson: ‘It’s a very strange time to make music’
• Bristol24/7 is throwing a B10 party you won’t want to miss!