On the 26th September, nestled in the concrete crook of the A3029, Curbside Skatepark hosted the Tainted Magazine issue 1 launch party: an all-day fundraiser gig of DJs and bands, raising money for St. Mungo’s homeless charity. Initially started in 2025 as a zine project, Tainted's first issue soon expanded to organising its own massive event, bringing together faces from across Bristol’s music scenes. We sat down with Elle Oberg (pictured), founder of Tainted and first year University of Bristol Film and English Literature student to discuss the fundraiser, and what we can expect from Tainted in the future.
Why did you start Tainted Magazine, and why choose a zine format over anything else?
Elle: It was made originally with the intention of collaborating with creatives in Bristol, to make something as a community… I really want to put in every aspect of creativity that interests me and other people, and I think a magazine is the best place to do that…
I was thinking about how a lot of people think that empathy, especially when it's quite overwhelming, is a weakness- I have a lot of friends who grew up with mental illnesses… it impacts the way we perceive our world and our perspectives.
And I decided I wanted to utilise that and start to think of (empathy) as a strength rather than something that holds us back. That’s the reason I chose St. Mungo’s.
The fundraiser gig was a long time in development – how did it evolve as the process went on?
Elle: At the beginning, I was kind of like, oh, I want to throw an event. Raise money.
Eventually, I was in deeper than I originally thought, especially with the promotion going so well, because I made that social media account for Tainted magazine and I got quite a few followers and a lot of people really interested.
So as the year progressed, I got more and more help from more lovely, lovely people. I think it progressed through the help of other people really.
What do you love about Bristol’s skate scene that fostered the creation of Tainted?
Elle: I think especially with skating, it’s that kind of sport that is very different to others in that it's not competitive. Everyone started out somewhere, everyone's learning new tricks… you're not judged, you're just progressing, and that's how it goes.
Everyone started there too… So, I think that was a big thing that really made me realise, wow, Bristol is great because of its skate scene. It's great for meeting new people. And then the music scene, it's amazing as well. There's everything that you could ever want to listen to.
What’s next for Tainted Magazine?
Elle: Well, me and my mate are currently working on the next magazine. It's going to be a lot better, a lot bigger, a lot more time to prepare it this time, which would be great.
Obviously, the funding is a bit difficult… I think the plan for this time is to make back what we spend on the printing, generator, and sound system, and then the profits all to charity. (As opposed to Tainted’s previous model in which every ticket and zine sale went 100% to charity.)
Another idea is to do it in an indoor venue, I was thinking we could try Loco Klub. I'd be really interested in collaborating more with students, like DJ Society, Gig Society, or Underground Music Society. I think a big thing about this is the student kind of side of it as well.
The Fundraiser
Around noon, the first DJ sets sound tracked the skaters and Curbside regulars, as the audiences began to arrive in and gather on the grass. The sound system, provided by Divine Vibrations, echoed out over the concrete hills and graffiti-clad pillars. I was reminded of a mini-festival, as picnic-like groups settled in under the clinging remains of summer heat and a clear sky. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the bands began to set up – Parkii (skate pop-punk with an emo streak), Riverboat (fuzzy psych-grunge), Shiloh (scuzzy post-hardcore, prev. called On a Broken Edge), The Common (hazy Portsmouth indie), and 1000 Legs (frantic Bristol sax-tinged hardcore).
By this point, the crowd had grown, and the grey slopes and green verges of the skate park were filled with bodies, silhouetted by the floodlights. Pitch-black encircled the enclave of the makeshift stage, and the festival feel merged with the clandestine buzz of a free party. Bands, DJs, skaters, ravers, punks and gig-fiends mingled over tinnies in the shadow of the overpass, nestling by the thorn bushes between sets and erupting over to the speakers for half-hour bursts of dancing.
Katie Asha
On my way from one side of the skatepark back to the sound system, I chatted with a homeless man in his forties. He told me he was attending the gig, but was kicked out earlier by the police, who had been looking around a few times over the course of the day. When I told him that the gig was raising money for St. Mungo’s, he broke into a smile. I took his portrait for him and we rejoined the crowd.
By the time the prolific Bristol-based band 1000 Legs had finished the final set of the day, the police showed up again to shut down any after party. One policeman tastelessly joked that the music was a ‘welcome break from the usual noise we get out here’ and was met with silence.
At this point, the crowd had been out all day, and filtered off to free parties, gigs, and raves elsewhere, keeping the spirit of the party going long into the morning. By the end of the night, Tainted Magazine had raised exactly £1000 for the homeless.
The Tainted Magazine fundraiser was a masterclass in grassroots events, and brought together people from across Bristol's music scenes for a common cause.
Featured image: 4NA Media / Mia Roberts
Will you be keeping an eye out for the next issue of Tainted?
