Sitting somewhere between the catchy pop-rock sounds of Weezer’s Blue Album and the maximalist noise of My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, Bristol 6-piece Hamburger teach a masterclass in restrained yet layered songwriting. With a trio of guitarists, dual lead vocalists, keys, bass and drums all competing for airtime, Hamburger balance straightforward melodies with clouds of clashing fuzz.
Still riding the wave of their November 2024 EP Beat Back The Ghouls, Hamburger deliver a vibrant set full of awkward humour, overlapping harmonies and breathy falsetto vocals. With guitarist Fearghall and keyboardist Katie leading the charge, the sextet prove themselves to be one of the thriving Bristol underground’s most enticing indie-pop treats.
Taking inspiration from everyone from Feeble Little Horse to Neutral Milk Hotel, Bristol’s own Foot Foot have spent the last few years exploring their chaotic folk meets prog sound, pushing into broad sonic territory without frontwoman Esther Pollock raising her voice above an intimate whisper.
Picking tracks from their debut album Still Waters, Empty House, released back in February, Foot Foot carry their live show with a quiet confidence, driven by violin and saxophone melodies intertwining with American Football style guitar work and off-kilter rhythms. While they draw from influences far and wide, there are truly few bands that sound like Foot Foot.
Self-styled brat metal trio Eville open the night, a fusion of driving pop, rap and nu metal. Opening with ‘Brat MBL’ off their debut EP BR4T METAL, its drum n bass indebted beat is a strong start, and the sound gets even bigger when vocalist Eva Sheldrake grabs a guitar for the odd song here and there. They’re clearly newcomers and fit more into that Prodigy-indebted side of modern alternative music, but despite their relative greenness they’ve got an identity carved out for themselves that they translate onstage and get people moving early.
The nights may be growing darker and colder as we are deep into spooky season, but ‘The Blue Basement’ of Jack White owned Third Man Records it is hot as it is cramped as 60 lucky people come together with the avant-punk quartet The None. A looming intro track fills the tight quarters, building anticipation, as if a spaceship from a far off land is descending to bring the message of its crew. And yes, The None is here to present their communiqué around the topics of “poverty, identity, and substance misuse.” Ploughing their way into ‘Plow’ vocalist Kai Whyte and Co. demand the attention of the underground box of a room. Gordon Moakes’ bass punching through the innards of every gut. Alongside Jim Beck’s harsh guitar licks and Chris Francombe’s rhythmic beats, this is a train that is steaming towards the ear drums of those in attendance at speed.
Not letting up as they kick into the glorious pounding of ‘My People’, this is an impassioned performance of what they have put together in quite a short timeline, yet they are delivering it like they are four musicians who have been around for quite some time and know what they are doing (funny that). Bringing in added details to up their live show, such as Kai’s use of two differing mics, adding a rawness and a second voice when needed.
Announcing this was their fourth show in three days, you would not have known as they barrel through their standalone single ‘At Hope’ alongside the EP tracks and excitingly two new tracks. Both of which may appear on an incoming album they “are furiously writing” Kai announces. ‘Daddy Doesn’t Make Mistakes’ is The None dialled up to 11 on heaviness and a rousing preview of the development of their sound.
The foursome is a well oiled machine already and rightfully receiving high praise. Every cog and feature of the band gets an opportunity to shine through, yet everything is essential to the overall sound and unified. Barrelling into the penultimate song of the night ‘Pigs Need Feeding’ the physical tension breaks in the front of the crowd as a small pit somehow erupts considering everyone is cheek to cheek like sardines and rightfully so. The None should be on everyone’s radar and list of must-sees.
With The Fleece decked out in Poundland’s finest Halloween tat ahead of the coming weekend’s club nights, tonight’s environment is quite a strange one for this bill. After all, one doesn’t envision Halloween themed student nights and all the hijinks they entail when listening to MONO. But Kevin Daniel Cahill presents something that’s perhaps even more terrifying than the cheap plastic ghoulies hanging from the venue rafters; one’s own thoughts.
One half of post-classical duo Cahill Costello, Kevin Daniel Cahill’s set is 30 minutes of looping ambient fretwork that’s minimal as it is atmospheric. With just a single guitar, an array of pedals and an evident understanding of how to get the most out of such a setup, Cahill essentially distils the atmospheric qualities associated with their headlining tour-mates and post rock as whole into a singular, one-man-delivered soundscape.
The end result is a sound to get lost within, a sound liminal and one perfect for pondering, reflecting and getting lost within ones own tangled thoughts. Clearly, it’s a sentiment clearly shared by all within this building given now everyone is either staring transfixed or listening with closed eyes. It’s a wonderful set that shows how expansive minimalism can be, and one that’s hilariously contrastive with it’s environment.
Denial of Life open the show with serious intent, hammering through a riff-heavy, thrashy set that builds momentum as it goes. Frontwoman Brenna Gowin’s unrelenting energy carries the room, while the lead guitar lines give the songs extra bite. A cheeky ‘Raining Blood’ intro drops midway through and does no harm at all to the growing confidence and flair of the set. By the end, what started as a cautious crowd and fairly sparse crowd has built to wholehearted support and loud applause.
