12 Bristol musicians to catch at festivals in 2017

1. Eva Lazarus

Eva Lazarus is a well-known festival gem, playing around the country and further afield, from the big names of Boomtown, Shambala and Outlook, to smaller, local offerings like Valley Fest.

“People just let themselves go a little bit more in a field, rather than the confines of a building that’s part of normal life and the concrete jungle we live in,” Eva says in an exclusive interview with Bristol24/7. “Instead, you live in a tent and you’re covered in glitter. There’s a freedom you find, that’s difficult to find at club nights.”

From reggae, hip hop, D&B to jungle and beyond, her music spans a wide repertoire of genres. Being signed onto Mungo Hifi’s Scotch Bonnet record label and with an upcoming EP on the way, 2017 is showing to be an exciting year for the Bristol-based vocalist.

“It’s the most amazing but heart-breaking experience for me to go to all these incredible festivals. I’ve played at Boomtown for the last few years and collaborated with so many artists – last year was unbelievable, I did more than 10 shows over the weekend.

“I was there, but I didn’t really get to see the festival like a punter and properly enjoy it. As a performer, unless you’re a superhuman, you can’t be hungover. My voice suffers if I’m up late or smoking.

“The festival stages open at 11am, so if you do go out the night before, you might have to sing at 1pm sounding like Marge Simpson if you don’t control yourself!”

Eva this year, Eva is playing at Fieldview Festival (August 5), Valley Fest (August 4-6), Boomtown (August 10-13), Shambala (August 24-27) and Outlook (September 7-10).

2. Pinch

Revered dubstep artist Pinch is a legend within the Bristol dance music scene. Having started his own record label, Tectonic Recordings, Pinch, AKA Rob Ellis, has also had notable releases and involvement on Soul Jazz and Swamp 81 records. No stranger to the party scene, he has been involved in festivals in the UK and abroad since 2008.

Pinch will be playing local Somerset festival Farmfest (July 28-29) where he will be sure to bring the heavy bass vibes.

3. Asbo Disco

Infamous heavyweight jungle and drum & bass crew will be finishing off summer with a boom, bringing bangers to the huge, ever-expanding festival of top quality music and arts that is Boomtown Fair. Due to their heavy involvement in the festival since its humble beginnings, Asbo Disco are curating their own stage,  and are sure to go down a storm.

Asbo Disco will be playing at Boomtown Fair (August 10-13).

4. George Ezra

The Hertfordshire-born but self-proclaimed Bristolian singer/songwriter will be performing his mix of folk/roots rock and blues at Berlin festival Lollapalloza in September. Described to have a “soulful, wizened tone that would feel more at home coming from an Alabama shrimp captain than a 21 year-old Bristolian,” Ezra will sure to have many flocking in their masses to Berlin to see him perform.

Catch George Ezra at Lollapalooza in Berlin (September 9-10).

5. Roni Size

Ask any drum & bass fan for some of the most influential artists on the genre and Roni Size is sure to be mentioned. Founder and leader of collective Reprazent, and 1997 Mercury Prize winner for their acclaimed album New Forms, Roni Size restarted Reprazent in 2008 and has been performing since to the joy of many drum and bass fans at festivals across the globe.

Roni Size will be playing at local The Downs Festival in Bristol (September 2), and also further afield Soundwave Festival in Croatia (July 27).

6. Evermoor Sound

Evermoor Sound have gone from strength to strength in the Bristol dub and reggae scene, playing at venues such as Cosies, Lakota and Black Swan. Signed onto Dub Theories record label, and producing original music whilst mixing vinyl tracks from roots to digital dub, Evermoor have already been a hit at Beat-Herder festival and Nozstock amongst others.

Catch them at Boomtown Fair (August 10-13) and at Shambala Festival (August 24-27).

7. Kahn and Neek

Dubstep legends Kahn and Neek have been pioneering the Bristol new wave dubstep scene since 2011, including scoring a record deal with global heavyweight label Deep Medi. Since then, the duo have also been producing bass-heavy grime tunes on their more recent home-grown label Bandulu Records. The label has been showcasing the darker forms of instrumental grime permeating from Bristol’s underground scene, and has been creating a great deal of hype on the Bristol dance music scene.

Kahn and Neek will be playing at Europe’s leading sound system culture festival Outlook (September 6-10).

8. Stanton Warriors

Since bursting onto the scene with their multi award-winning compilation The Stanton Sessions back in 2011, the Stanton Warriors’ sound has remained the soundtrack to some of the UK and beyond’s biggest parties over the past 16 years. Playing massive sets at Coachella, Glastonbury, Burning Man and Ultra, along with plenty of UK-based festivals along the way, the warriors are no stranger to the festival scene. Making some of the catchiest, most inspired bass music, they’re sure to go down a storm.

Stanton Warriors are playing at Bristol’s Tokyo World (September 23 & 24) along with Cumbria’s Solfest (August 25).

9. Alfresco Disco

South west house and techno ­­legends Alfresco Disco have been known to host some of the best and most creative parties around the country. Featuring secret locations never before used, with huge attention to detail in décor along with some of the most forward-thinking artists and bands, Alfresco always give it everything.

Alfresco Disco will be playing in Cornwall at Leopallooza festival (July 28-30).

10. My Nu Leng

The Bristol bass duo have been influencing the UK underground scene hugely since their first release, with a Black Butter Records and MTA deal. With a musical spectrum ranging from drum & bass, dubstep, UK garage and grime, My Nu Leng fuse these expertly to create compulsively danceable tracks. Having toured across the world, they’ve come a long way since their humble Bristol roots, but are always about to show the Bristol scene a thing or two.

My Nu Leng will be playing Boomtown Fair (August 10-13) and also Shambala Festival (August 24-27).

11. Almatic

Since smashing onto the hip-hop/trip-hop scene as recently as April 2017 and dropping their debut EP, Almatic have already shown their worth at venues across Bristol, along with their performance at Subsonic Weekender in May, and Beat-Herder festival in mid-July. Almatic combine live jazz instruments, fast flowing bars and beautifully harmonic singing fused into their own unique style.

Catch them at Boomtown Fair (August 10-13).

12. DJ Die presents: Gutterfunk

One of the former members of Roni Size’s celebrated drum & bass group Reprazent, and the founder of Full Cycle Recordings, Die has been one of the foundations that the classic ‘Bristol sound’  is built upon, with his eclectic sounds of jungle and drum & bass. More recently, Die has proved to be much more than just a D&B producer, after launching his multi-genre record label Gutterfunk, which has since featured at many Bristol nights.

Gutterfunk will be bringing their selection of tunes to Shambala Festival (August 24-27) along with Boomtown Fair (August 10-13).

Read more: 24 festivals happening in September 2017