Tuesday 9th March 2010 @ The Lanes, Bristol
With Support From: On Off Switch

Tonight at The Lanes it’s a juicy line-up of Bristol bands. First up are On Off Switch whose funky-punky choruses really hold their set together. They’ve got instantly recognisable hooks, lovely collaboration between the rhythm section and some really well thought out breaks and it’s what makes these guys unique; unfortunately, what comes between their driving choruses is laziness branded as multi-instrumental ability.
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Friday 5th March 2010 @ Colston Hall, Bristol
With Support From: Charlie Winston

If it’s possible to have a relaxed excitement, I’d probably have to say that that’s exactly how tonight’s show felt. Tonight’s support, Charlie Winston, plays an array of well crafted tunes and while they’re not necessarily very original, they are well written and give the crowd a good taster and prime them just right for Mr. Faulkner.
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Friday 5th March 2010 @ Academy, Bristol
With Support From: Tinashe, Tiffany Page

The Academy was already heaving as Tinashe started the night off with an animated and audacious performance. His driving acoustic chord progressions complemented his smooth yet controlling vocal melodies and the strong musical influence from Zimbabwe was clear which was fascinatingly merged into a wild mixture of syncopated rhythms and synthesized riffs. A young man with an extremely promising future.
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Wednesday 3rd March 2010 @ Thekla, Bristol
With Support From: Sparrow And The Workshop

Tonight on board the good ship Thekla we are treated to a pairing of new and old in the shape of Idlewild and their chosen favourites to accompany them on their European tour, this being the very first night! Whilst the name Sparrow And The Workshop seems to follow the format favoured by most of the hit parade these days, their style and sensibilities do not. As the crowd falls silent, the trio meets us and two strong, sweet voices sing in harmony, soon joined by the loud crash of symbols and the thrum of the drum beat; we are introduced to the sound of this unique Scottish/American/Bristolian clash that states their style loud and clear.
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Wednesday 3rd March 2010 @ Louisiana, Bristol

The glockenspiel provides a sweet but ghostly shivering soundtrack to the tiny rotating ballerina, dressed in a pink little plastic dress, in the open jewellery box. Her glassy and expressionless face stares with silent eyes into her endless future. No-one knows what the ballerina has seen since she was first purchased for a ringletted girl all that time ago. But there’s something wild about the figurine, like she’s lived in a forest with furiously flighty trees and turquoise softly winged insects. Her twinkled, trapped existence, the background music for princesses passed and being born, is a cocoon of escapism for each child she tends to.
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Wednesday 3rd March 2010 @ Academy, Bristol

With the evening already having been slightly soured by the announcement that British music’s new golden girl, Ellie Goulding, would not be appearing as advertised, I entered tonight’s show a little more under-enthused than I had been previously. I could only hope that a suitable replacement had been found for what was previously a genuinely exciting support act. Unfortunately I was under-whelmed by what I had been provided instead. A DJ that, to be honest, was easier to ignore than listen to and a poorly judged grunge band as a warm-up for an exciting uplifting electronic unit was not exactly what I or, it seems, the rest of the crowd had in mind. The vibe in the room seemed to drop from impatient to frankly inexistent.
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Friday 26th and Saturday 27th February 2010 @ Metropolis and Motion, Bristol
Featuring Performances From: Pee Wee Ellis, Andreya Triana, Dubkasm, Minotaur Shock, King Midas Sound, The Bug, Theo Parrish, Dixon, Appleblim, Headhunter

The Global Music Academy took a weekend off its month-long London ‘term’ to festoon Bristol’s keen beat enthusiasts, head-nodders and vinyl spinning elite with a celebration of the city’s inspirational musical heritage and potential.

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Friday 26th February 2010 @ The Croft, Bristol
With Support From: Truffle Pig

The Croft, with its Narnia style door to the cavernous ‘Band Room’ behind the scenes of a normal looking pub, is the perfect setting for a raucous gig. Even better perhaps, it lends itself adequately as the setting for a video shoot staged by new Bristol heavyweights, The Hit Ups, for their song Dirt Pile. With a gaggle of bright young things tripping through the door to participate, you get the sense that these guys are bound for the dizzying heights of fame.

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Wednesday 24th February 2010 @ Academy, Bristol

A gentle start, with a sea of crowds flooding the dance floor, so it’s almost impossible to get down, people hanging off the banisters to get a look at the five-piece yet to appear. As the tension builds in the dark room, everyone eagerly awaits. The electronic beat kicks in and takes its grip. The crowd start bobbing gently, almost like a valium induced rave, and the ever upbeat but chilled Hot Chip take to the stage. The lights turn to a moody blue and smoke envelopes them. As Ready For The Floor begins to play, it is a clear crowd pleaser and everyone wakes up; the atmosphere remains chilled, yet excitable.
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Monday 22nd February 2010 @ The Cooler, Bristol
With Support From: Alan Pownall

On the same day that her debut album, The Family Jewels, entered the charts at a very healthy number 2, we go to see Marina and The Diamonds live at The Cooler on Park Street. On arriving, we’re handed postcards and stickers and photographed by a pretty girl who says; “Marina like’s to have pictures of her diamonds”. That’s nice.
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