By Emily White, Third Year English
Whether you’re a musician looking to get involved in the local scene, or a music lover wanting to experience cheap gigs and drinks with your new mates, Bristol is studded with clubs and bars amplifying an abundance of genres and bands.
The Fleece
Situated in Redcliffe, The Fleece has been a renowned music venue since the '80s, welcoming artists like Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Amy Winehouse, and Nirvana.
If you’re drawn to more alternative music or wish you could hear The Cure on a night out, they’re known for hosting monthly events like ‘'80s Night’, and ‘Black Parade’ which is dedicated to early 2000s emo anthems.
Tickets for these events range from four to eight pounds including ‘Propaganda’, an alternative student club night providing drink deals alongside pop-punk tracks from bands like Paramore and Blink-182. There’s also the extra perk of getting money off drinks if you bring ‘The Fleece’ cups back to the bar (up to five cups and one pound off each).
If you’re after the occasional gig, live acts at The Fleece are very reasonable too and tickets are often no more than twenty pounds. They are known for welcoming an array of cover bands across many genres, tributing Nirvana, Abba, and Jimi Hendrix, so you can experience an immersive, exhilarating performance of your favourite artists.
It’s a very inclusive venue for bands, hosting smaller underground acts for you to discover local musicians as well as bigger acts like The Last Dinner Party, so it’s the place to go if you’re looking to perform!
Mr Wolfs
If your vibe is more jazz, funk, and soul, Mr Wolfs is the place for you, offering cards for University of Bristol students to get discounts on drinks and tickets!
The Jazz Funk Soul Society hosts open-jam nights every Tuesday at 19:00pm where you can meet and play with like-minded musicians or vibe along to a bluesy bassline.
You can see a variety of blues, jazz, reggae, and funk-based bands with reasonable prices, and the DJ set from midnight until 03:00am combines club classics with jazz and blues hits.
There is also an iconic photo booth and a free cloakroom, so you don’t have to panic about finding spare coins! Hearing the saxophone amongst dreamy artwork and luminescent lights creates an ambient atmosphere for jazz lovers.
The Exchange
Retro café in the day and buzzing bar at night, The Exchange is found in the Old Market where bands like The 1975, Sleaford Mods, and The Melvins have performed. Whether you’re into D&B, jungle music, or dissonant punk rock, this is an inclusive venue for all vibes of music. The bar features a downstairs that hosts gigs with a diverse range of bands, and the room upstairs hosts DJ sets.
For only six pounds I watched four local bands ranging from gritty grunge to melodic post-punk, getting a glimpse of the enchanting local music scene without suffering financially.
The venue is small enough to conjure a sense of community where I found myself chatting about music with people in the crowd, and the welcoming smoking area offers a very similar vibe.
With the crowd captivated by the music and the walls littered with vintage posters, the atmosphere gave out the energy of a dive bar in the 1990s and was one of the most unforgettable nights I’ve had in Bristol.
The Jam Jar
Hosting immersive art events, pub quizzes, DJ sets, and live music, The Jam Jar in St Judes is an innovative upstairs venue for those looking to explore the depth of Bristol’s music scene. If you’re interested in discovering new genres and sounds, this bar brings a lot of world music to the stage including funk, blues, and afro and Colombian beats.
The psychedelic lighting creates an immersive experience as musicians collaborate with various instruments, hosting frequent open mics and jamming events. Gig tickets here are up to twelve pounds, offering cheap early bird tickets, and most live performances are free walk-ins, making it very accessible to students. If you’re a musician looking to share your music or meet your future bandmates, the open jam nights draw in many local creatives!
Zed Alley
In the heart of Bristol’s city centre, Zed Alley is a prominent venue hosting underground events, comedy gigs, and live music with reasonable tickets starting at five pounds. Zed Alley is a vital part of Bristol’s grassroots community, promoting and supporting a range of bands from psychedelic synths, experimental jazz, or thrashing punk.
The club and bar also host various DJ events stretching into the night, from darkwave tunes to drum and bass. Their club nights feature a variety of genres rarely heard in club chains, featuring industrial techno, old-school EBM, and gothic synths, making it an invigorating underground venue to discover new sounds and artists. If you’re an artist yourself, Zed Alley often promotes and welcomes a variety of small bands and is an exciting venue to share your music for the first time.
Where is your go-to gig spot in Bristol?
