By Sophie Stradling, Head of Photography and Benjamin Ladner, First Year, Geography
Gaws
The first band I got to see at Bristol’s Dot2Dot was self-titled ‘loud band’ Gaws who captured The Lanes venue with a set that felt both familiar and yet ever-changing. Playing to a crowded room at 2:30, they managed to mesmerise their audience, leading everyone to forget it was mid-afternoon with the sun bearing down outside. The opening song ‘Thank You For Everything’ spun a mystical atmosphere, pairing clean vocals with an organ-soaked guitar sound before launching into a heavier second song. This transition encapsulated their ability to merge the psychedelic with the post-punk. I have been lucky enough to see this local Bristol band a number of times, and one thing that is unchanging is their approach to grit: despite the weight and distortion, everything they play remains clear and punchy. They finished their second song ‘Courts of God’ with a grungy, punk-inflected groove that kept the crowd moving, eventually collapsing into a doom-laden outro reminiscent of Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard.
Their high-energy cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Smokestack Lightning’, driven by the punch and urgency of The Yardbirds, was one of my favourites to watch live. The track featured rough, gravelly vocals from the guitarist, who quite literally howled into the mic, before seamlessly morphing into Led Zeppelin’s ‘How Many More Times’. Boot-tapping and head-nodding, like everybody else it had me on the verge of dancing. The band’s ability to weave blues and classic rock foundations into their own distinctive sound is but one testament to their combined musical skills; you can tell they have spent time studying the greats.
The closing number ‘The Yard’ was the set's most striking moment. The song began with recordings from the 1957 doomed Soviet space dog mission. The combination of crackling voices and dark, sludgy guitar created the unsettling sensation of sitting in a submerged vessel. The verses unfolded as a chant-like sermon from the lead singer before erupting into an angry chorus. Gothic, darkly romantic and eerie, it brought the performance to a memorable conclusion.
A captivating set from skilled local musicians who understand both where their music comes from and how to make it their own, Gaws are well worth catching at their next gig.
Mandy, Indiana
To describe Mandy, Indiana’s performance at Electric Bristol in all honesty, it was feral. As soon as I entered the room, having run there from the O2, I felt the relentless drums and deep, drilling basslines vibrating through my ribcage. The English-French noise rock band had complete control of the audience. What initially began as jagged and harsh, quickly became hypnotic, drawing me deeper into the sound and the crowd. The experimental, techno-infused set carried a kind of rawness and rage that intoxicated the whole room. Political speeches on women’s and trans rights and calls for free Palestine cut through the noise, giving the band’s anger and intensity a strong sense of purpose and direction.
To describe the performance as confrontational is an understatement. Each song was gritty, honest, and unapologetically loud. Dark skeletal visuals flickered behind the band while the guitarist swung his guitar and body around to create huge waves of sustained noise and delay. His crazed movements conducted the crowd into a constant churn and sway. The energy never dropped; the lights were incredible, the mosh pit was in full force, and by the end it felt less like watching a gig and more like being caught inside it. Music you don’t just hear, but feel it in your bones. Afterwards, everyone piled out onto Nelson Street sweaty, laughing and in disbelief. Be sure to catch these guys if you get the opportunity.
Lambrini Girls
While Mandy, Indiana felt like being compelled by the music, Lambrini Girls felt like being commanded. I had been excited to see this band the entire day, to me they were the climax of the festival. The Brighton-based band had total control of the room. Pushing and pulling, headbanging, boogie-ing, throwing yourself into the pit; the crowd moved as one. It was a sea of happy faces, collectively joined together to celebrate great music and let off some steam.
The punk-rock duo’s politics were front and centre but the gig felt like an invitation to let go for a while. As lead-singer Phoebe Lunny put it, ‘pretend the world's not on fucking fire’ for an hour and simply enjoy being together. There was rage, but it was cathartic and full of joy and unity. Musically, they were incredible. The drumming was technical and thunderous, a blend of drum and bass and pure punk. It provided the perfect backbone for the monstrous bass that rattled the room. The Orange amp-stacking was impressive. The chemistry of Lambrini Girls is also impossible to ignore. They bounced off each other effortlessly, while constantly engaging with the audience through stage dives and crowd surfing. ‘Cuntology’ was the undeniable highlight. With a thrilling call and response, I found it especially enjoyable surrounded by such a passionate and friendly audience. ‘Big Dick Energy’ as the finale was the perfect end to their set. I’m sure the rest of the crowd had to wait patiently for their voices to return the next day. My ankles ached for two days, but it was more than worth it, and felt almost like a token from the night.
Their performance was furious, funny, and genuinely freeing. A display of passion from a band who understands that protest and pleasure don't have to exist separately. Finding myself part of what was declared ‘the biggest mosh pit Bristol has ever seen’ felt like a shared achievement, and I can’t wait to do it again. I recommend you do the same.
Adult DVD
Adult DVD are one of the latest bands of a long lineage to meld rave electronic with harsh post-punk theatrics. In the past, groups like The Prodigy would rely largely on samples to replicate this combination live – whereas today, outfits like GANS, Ebbb, or indeed Adult DVD play most of it by hand. The crux of the Adult DVD sound though is how uncompromising their approach is. The drums and bass rely on the three R’s: “Repetition, Repetition, Repetition”, while the guitars and synths amalgamate into a din reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s more experimental moments. This energy directly diffused into the crowd at the Bristol O2 on D2D fest day – the universal appeal of rave-rock was evident in the packed theatre. Students and middle-aged locals moshed together to the highly danceable racket Adult DVD produced. One of the most interesting parts of modern post-punk is the different influences the genre absorbs into its sound; be that the electronic vamps of Adult DVD, BC,NR’s avant-chamber pop sensibilities, or Omerta and MPTL Microplastics’ forays into noise music. Some of these combinations make you wonder what kind of records were in their parents’ gloveboxes when they were children. I suspect for Adult DVD it was “The Fat of the Land” and “The White Room.” In any case, Adult DVD are one to catch for a good, sweaty time.
The Scuttlers
The Scuttlers are Bristol’s best kept secret, but maybe not for much longer – lately they are playing shows in Brixton and Manchester – their cult empire is expanding into paths untrodden for the Bristol art-punk four-piece. And “cult” really is the word. Attending these shows, you’ll always see the same ten or fifteen faces - and they will know who they are when they read this. You have to be an intrepid music fan to show up to their shows, often they will be held in small, cramped, sweaty venues (e.g: The Elmer’s Arms, The Exchange Basement, The Old England) where mosh pits are less like distinct pits, and more like waves of colliding bodies. Once I saw them and got covered in beer in the first ten seconds of music. Their set on the Louisiana free stage at D2D was no different, except they were given a lot more space to walk around. For once, Connor (guitar) didn’t have to stand on top of Ben (drums) to play those intricate, indistinguishable time signature riffs. And Louis (bass) was able to play at full strap length, rather than hit those thumping lines like he’s Buddy Holly. This set was different, however, for the singer – Myer Clark. Usually when he stagedives he’s able to touch the ceiling, not this time. After thumbwrestling with a member of the crowd, he crowdsurfed nearly to the ceiling of the Louisiana’s bar during one of the band’s earlier cuts – Jennifer. This show was special though, as it was shortly before the release of their two new singles (How Come and Step Out), which were both performed on this night. If you haven’t caught the enigmatic quartet yet, now is the time.
foot foot
foot foot are a Bristol-based post-rock/folk quartet taking Bristol’s underground by storm. They fuse gentle folk instrumentals with avant-jazz freakout breaks to craft a heady mixture of the unknown. Their lineup displays this: the traditional three cornerstones of guitar music, plus a violinist – which lends itself simultaneously to the lulling folk melodies and the frenetic post-punk crescendos. Lyrically, foot foot blend a sense of tranquillity with something slightly more disconcerting – imagine the atmosphere of the village in The Wicker Man (1973) condensed into tightly-woven prose. The free stage at The Louisiana was the perfect, unsuspecting venue for foot foot to weave their distinct form of auditory witchcraft; unsuspecting bar patrons were subjected to their hexes and subsequently put under their spell. There is much to be said about the intersection between post-punk adjacent subgenres and folk music in todays alternative subculture: even on the last black midi album (Hellfire, 2022) there were songs bringing together gentle, swaying folk and wild, noisy post-punk sections. This combination of the idyllic and extreme is typical these days, shown particularly by Black Country, New Road’s recent evolution from neurotic, wiry post-rock into avant-folk pop music. foot foot continue to be a mainstay in the Bristol music scene, and I recommend you catch one of their sets as soon as you can.
Featured image: Epigram / Sophie Stradling and Ben LadnerWere you at Dot To Dot this year?
