Rowan Bruce
Representing the UK’s shoegaze scene is Northampton trio thistle., riding high off the release of their acclaimed, genre bending new EP Backflip and appearances at Outbreak and All Points East. Careening wildly between the sounds of alternative heroes as far apart as Nirvana, Wisp and Yard Act, this young three-piece clearly have a long career ahead of them.
Blazing through a half hour of songs that hide a catchy pop-rock core under layers of dense fuzz, thistle. give far more energy to their stage show than their laid-back shoegaze sound would suggest with guitarist Cameron Godfrey and bassist Judwyn Rushton marching across the stage to face off in the middle. Weaving unexpectedly strong hooks in and out of layers of fuzzy guitars, this young Northampton band are bound to find fans among the bands whose sounds they’re building upon.
A decade on from their debut album, California quartet Modern Color are making their mark as one of America’s most consistent shoegaze acts. Alongside this run supporting Citizen the LA quartet have crossed support slots with Thrice, The Used and Superheaven off their bucket list over the last couple of years, showcasing their tender and crushing mix of subtle shoegaze and heavy, earnest alternative.
With dual fuzz-laden guitars and plenty of punk energy, Modern Color take to the stage in front of a packed crowd in the crane room. Putting their driving bass lines at the forefront surrounded by overwhelming distorted guitars and post-hardcore inspired percussion, the LA Bay four-piece bring together scrappy California punk-rock charm and old-school emo grit with Title Fight style shoegaze atmosphere. Closing out on their breakout hit ‘Pale’, Modern Color deliver a memorable and earnest set full of hits ready to carry them up to the big leagues.
Despite being fifteen years into their career, Ohio rockers Citizen show no signs of slowing down or giving up. Living comfortably as an underground curiosity for years, the fourth-wave emo trailblazers seem to have exploded in popularity becoming mainstays at Outbreak Festival and Warped Tour and appearing alongside Turnover, Taking Back Sunday and Drug Church. Now, on their biggest Bristol headline show to date, the Toledo quintet make a strong case for their status as one of the fastest growing acts in their extremely competitive and diverse scene.
Taking to the stage to a trio of hits from their new album Halcyon Blues, it’s easy to see why Citizen have captured the imaginations of so many. Frontman Mat Kerekes gives the band an intense hardcore punk energy, leaping about the stage and wielding his mic stand like a weapon on tracks like set opener ‘Good Fortune’ and spinning the crowd into a frenzy on fan favourites like ‘The Summer’.
Through more honest and tender cuts like the fuzzy ‘Sick And Impatient’ and the soft, emo inspired title track from Halcyon Blues, Citizen bring the energy down and open up without losing the crowd, leading the packed audience in a constant sing-along. Without missing a beat, the crowd pick up the push pit for the chugging track ‘Numb Yourself’ as Kerekes croons in front of a backdrop of driving post-hardcore style guitars. These heavier moments, like on the barking, hardcore inspired ‘Matador’ or the bouncy ‘Death Dance Approximately’ are where the band really start to shine their brightest.
Closing out their UK run on ‘Highs and Lows’ and an encore of arguably their biggest hit, 2013s ‘The Night I Drove Alone’, Citizen bask in the cheers as they conquer not only the niche worlds of emo and shoegaze but stamp their name in the rock history books.
