Article by Olivia Young:
Bristol is a city renowned for its diverse and eclectic music scene, attracting both world famous and underground artists, making it easy to be intimidated by the wide variety of music available to new students. To make your transition into the Bristol music scene seamless, we introduce our ‘Freshers’ Guide to Bristol’s Best Gig Venues’.
The Louisiana:
With a miniscule 140 capacity, The Louisiana is one of the most intimate venues in Bristol that has seen massive acts such as The Chemical Brothers, The Scissor Sisters and Florence and the Machine grace its stage before they found fame. The Louisiana therefore prides itself as a family run business that does its utmost to advocate for local musicians and find the next big thing.
The Old Duke:
Taking jazz back to its New Orleans roots, while also championing the blues, The Old Duke sees live music performances every night of the week with the occasional open mic night. This, together with its band poster-laden ceilings, great cider and cosy space makes The Old Duke the perfect authentic venue for any fan of jazz.
The Island:
Like many Bristol clubs, the Island provides an unconventional environment for its events, having once been a police station. The eccentric space is dedicated to art and culture across a range of mediums, however, at night often becomes an immersive backdrop for gigs, and is particularly well known for its Timedance parties which host a variety of techno sets.
Image: Motion
Motion:
Labelled the 16th best club in the world by DJ Mag in 2018, Motion is renowned for its warehouse-style multi-room space that sees world famous DJs perform on its stages. Embracing the city’s vibrant music scene, events are often curated by Bristol based institutions such as Crack Magazine, Shall Not Fade and Just Jack, introducing the likes of Ben UFO, Mall Grab and Helena Hauff.
Blue Mountain:
Not for the faint of heart, Blue Mountain is one of a handful of clubs in Stokes Croft and is known for holding its SlamJam nights every Tuesday that are characterised by drum and bass, bassline and grime. The venue is small, almost dingy, often with psychedelic light shows against the walls, which perfectly encapsulates the style of music often found there.
Image: Mr Wolf’s
Mr Wolf’s:
Mr Wolf’s is a small family run business known as a champion for local artists, introducing to Bristol an eclectic range of performances and is particularly well known amongst students for both its jazz and open mic nights.
Lakota:
Considered a local landmark by the Bristol City Council, Lakota is one of the oldest clubs in Bristol, having opened its doors nearly 30 years ago. Since its conception, it has been incredibly well known amongst fans of underground music, so much so that plans to demolish the club in 2008 and 2011 were scrapped due to public outrage. It’s known for its long nights and is famed amongst the rave scene, particularly for being the host of psychedelic club night TRiBE of FRoG.
Cosies:
With its roots in reggae, dubstep, and drum and bass, Cosies is epitomised by its name, for it is an intimate venue characterised by its brick vaulted ceilings and old church pews which becomes a spirited music hub at night.
O2 Academy:
Inevitably popular owing to the nationally known brand with venues in many cities and towns, the O2 Academy perhaps isn’t the most exciting venue in Bristol to catch a gig but the tried and tested formula certainly allows for students to watch their favourite popular artists spanning across many genres.
Image: Thekla
Thekla:
Thekla is no doubt one of the most recognisable venues in Bristol, particularly since having been captured in the TV show Skins. It’s incredibly popular owing to its harbour view, frequent club nights, such as POP Confessional, and gigs that host artists across a wide range of genres.
SWX:
SWX is predominantly known for its popular clubnights such as Far Fetched Fridays centred around R&B and pop music, however, under new ownership, the venue will now bring more live music to Bristol over the coming months. Introducing an eclectic range of artists including 808 State, Shame and The Coral, SWX is a catchall venue sure to satisfy all fans of music.