By Aditi Hrisheekesh, Music Deputy Editor
For a long time, music has flourished at the heart of Bristol. From the trip-hop pioneers of the '90s to today's drum and bass and jungle scenes, underground venues have helped boost many artists and communities over the decades. Yet, grassroots spaces have become increasingly under threat. Many venues are closing under rising rents and shifting regulations, taking with them the spaces that keep the scene alive.
Croakheads is a DJ collective that has grown out of this very ecosystem. What began as a simple SoundCloud page has become a full-fledged collective championing the people and spaces that sustain the underground.
Bristol University alumnus and founder of Croakheads, Zaba, has said, 'The original concept was just to connect with some nice DJs and give grassroots DJs a guest mix slot who wouldn’t get opportunities to be recognised at other collectives.'
This idea expanded into something bigger – a WhatsApp group became a growing online community, and then an active collective committed to making a difference. Zaba has also recently taken the issue into local politics, after writing to his MP about the crisis.
Venue closures have hit particularly hard in Bristol, where iconic spaces like Blue Mountain, Lizard Lounge, and dozens of smaller grassroots spots have shut their doors in recent years. ‘So many of my favourites were shutting or at risk of closure and I wanted to do more to raise awareness,’ says Zaba. To that end, Croakheads has pledged to use their events and socials to highlight the issue and is now raising money for the Music Venue Trust through merchandise sales.
On the 21st of November, the collective is celebrating its first birthday with an event at Basement 45 that brings it all together. Running from 10 pm to 3 am, it’ll feature two rooms of drum and bass and 140 music.
The night will also mark the launch of their Ambassador Programme, designed to give students and supporters a chance to get directly involved. The collective is also offering student society discounts if the societies get in contact.
‘Students who help promote us and support us with helping run our events or doing flyering will get guestlist and other bonuses, ’ Zaba explains. ‘They also get to help us with our running and be involved in our community streaming.’ This is the perfect opportunity for anyone who is passionate about protecting grassroots spaces and keen to make active change.
As part of their ongoing commitment to the Music Venue Trust, Croakheads will be selling merch on the night — everything from handmade jewellery and trinkets to friendship bracelets made by the team. All proceeds go directly to MVT, and flyers will be distributed to share information about the current rate of UK venue closures.
Recent MVT reporting and industry coverage show that a large share of grassroots music venues have been pushed into loss-making positions or have stopped hosting live music altogether, and that the sector has seen a marked decline in places to play in the last few years. That decline threatens the places where new artists are first heard and scenes are built.
‘We will be around with friendly faces, happy to talk about the issue, and be available for advice for anyone to wants to start a new collective and run their own local events’, Zaba has said.
Members of Croakheads include Solsan, Buttons, Saskquatch, arrJae, and Acolyte. The collective’s range of talent is striking, with members having performed at venues like 33hz, The Volks, Basinghouse, and Basement 45 (where Zaba was introduced properly to the drum-and-bass and jungle scene at a grassroots event as a student). They’ve also supported artists such as Ruth Royall, Blooom, Jam Thieves, and so many more, as well as working with other collectives such as Heavy Sonics and Inertia.
Since launching, Croakheads has expanded beyond Bristol, with a Croakheads North team now running their own events in Manchester. Croakheads’ growing influence has reached radio too, with Zaba appearing on SWU Rinse FM alongside Ruth Royall and Euphonique to discuss venue closures, while another team member did a show on Rinse with Mozey.
Resisting against the attrition of venues, Croakheads use the tools they have to create visibility and raise awareness. It is, at heart, a grassroots strategy to protect other grassroots spaces.
Featured Image: @croakheadsWill you be there on the 21st of November?
