Friday 24th until Sunday 26th September 2010 @ The Amphitheatre, Bristol

The Bristol Festival is a cutting edge community showcase of local talent, designed to inspire passion and creativity. A three day urban spectacular that brings the excitement of a summer festival to the heart of the city.

The main outdoor hub of BrisFest activities including live stages, festival tents, food stalls, art installations, light shows, dance classes, street theatre, kids areas and more will be held in Lloyd’s Amphitheatre in the city centre, followed by an almighty afterparty spread throughout 12 venues across the centre.

www.brisfest.co.uk

Bristol’s folk scene could currently be described as being in rude health. This city is blessed with a plethora of fantastic bands who all dress in tweed and flat-caps and sing heartfelt songs about devils stealing brides and the weather beating at their hearts through their big, bushy beards. A glance at the A-board outside Golden Lion, at The Folk House’s notice window or at the chalk board in the Old Duke will see them full of names like Sheelanagig, Babel, The Zen Hussies, Pepino, The Wraiths, Moscow Drug Club, Jane Taylor, Fromage en Feu and Yes Sir Boss, just some of the bands that have been pushing Bristol’s folk and gypsy loving envelope at gigs and festivals across the city for years. One name deeply involved in the scene and a firm crowd favourite that used to be a staple of these listings is Pete Roe.
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Thursday 16th September 2010 @ Colston Hall, Bristol
With Support From: Roy Harper

Roy Harper begins the evening with his guitar and vocals. The white haired, bearded man is an expert with those strings and a respect already there or quickly acquired floods from the audience for the newly ‘un’retired talent. Harper is clearly a living legend and as he sings, it’s obvious every song is deeply personal, and to be frank, it’s easy to imagine him luring in the 60s and 70s lady. He could just as easily slice you with intelligent, dry wit, as with a heart felt sentence. Full of discussion, thoughts and deliberations, he was a contributor to a pioneering musical and cultural era and is still able to leave his listeners dreaming in his hums. Walking around in the break, Colston Hall echoed with people singing Me And My Woman, Harper’s brilliant final song, lasting for days.
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‘My idea is that there is music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you can.’ One might consider Edward Elgar’s quote some sort of prophecy. When you look at the way in which music is consumed these days it seems Elgar’s ethos is literally being played out. There is no denying the effect modern technology has had upon independent music stores, with the internet being (generally) free, easy and more convenient. Some might argue the progress has been liberating, others diminishing with hundreds of independent record stores being buried across the world in the past twenty years.

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Thank you 2010. The music industry continues to flounder, the death of BBC 6Music, more cookie-cutter synth-pop and plumbing the all new depths of NOW 75. You may come to the conclusion that my outlook on new music for the decade is a rather negative one; this is thankfully not the case because of Teenage Rampage.

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Friday 3rd September 2010 @ The Louisiana, Bristol
With Support From: Ajanta, Phantom Quartet

We turn up over-ready to spunge sonic energy from the much hyped and terminal The Fyxx. The night oozes electricity as fans and band members alike get fixed up on their pints and who knows? The two preceding bands, Ajanta and Phantom Quartet, fail to get the crowd amped as their insecurity and insufficient stage presence prove a sleeping policeman to any kind of crowd acceleration. They’re going nowhere fast, not helped, or thanks to, a groove killing familial presence. It’s all friends and family with the barmaid proving the only intelligence in a lacklustre humping of their greatest hits.
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Thursday 2nd September 2010 @ Grain Barge, Bristol
Featuring Performances From: The Magic Lantern, Rozi Plain, This Is The Kit

An evening of folk heaven. All kudos to the endearing Joe, the organiser of Flyin’ Folk at the Grain Barge, who was mentioned consistently throughout the evening by the folktistes. And deserving he was of audience clapping, for tonight’s friendly affair was as relaxing as lying in a warm bath, with a glass of wine and pink and blue petals touching velvet bottoms on the water’s surface.

Firstly we had The Magic Lantern, a messy haired, woollen adorned chap with a likeable mouth and strong themes to his songs; including being a modern 25 year old. The quandary. He’s much like Johnny Flynn, but with a little less joviality and polish. Surprisingly captivating. I’d recommend certainly.
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Just when you thought life couldn’t get any better, something always surprises you. In this case, Bristol-based band Last Casanovas (originally Late Night Fiasco) aren’t so much of a surprise, more an explosion of creativity and talent! Their combination of musical instrumentals and innovative yet haunting lyrics generate a tantalising image of the future of rock/indie.
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Friday 27th until Sunday 29th August 2010 @ Secret Location, Northamptonshire

It felt like most of Bristol had upped sticks to live in the flamboyant, glittery, eco conscious land of Shambala for a few days. If only this festival existed all the time, 365 days a year, down a spankly little portal. Whipping on a furry lion suit and faux diamond encrusted headband, we could simply take a shimmy ‘Shambala break’. Be there dancing with men in tight pink trousers and women in purple wigs - kids dressed as monsters. But unfortunately this world doesn’t sit next to the KitKats in the vending machine at work and we have to make do with the Shambalic festival pleasure but once a year.
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Friday 27th until Sunday 29th August 2010 @ Little John’s Farm, Reading
Featuring Performances From: Gogol Bordello, Streetight Manifesto, Delphic, Lostprophets, Guns N Roses, Rolo Tamassi, Hadouken, Dizzee Rascal, The Libertines, Ash, Limp Bizkit, Cypress Hill, Weezer, Paramore, Blink 182

Reading Festival 2010 kicked off, in a true British fashion, with rain and lots of it! Naturally this was never going to dampen spirits though, just tents and summer wardrobes. Having bought some wellies and much needed ponchos, I set out to see as many of the bands I had put a mental ‘tick’ next to and with such a strong line up this year, there was bound to be overlaps and hidden gems.

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