Reviews

(Credit Jordan Hughes and Alfredo Flores) Each year, BST books a diverse range of the biggest touring artists in the world to headline their 65,000 capacity festival in Hyde Park. Recent editions are selling out faster than ever before which is testament to the strength of their booking power and the increasing social media attraction […]

Returning to Bristol under her stage name Soccer Mommy, American singer-songwriter Sophia Regina Allison steps onstage with a wry introduction: “We are Soccer Mommy, this is my band” — a line that playfully blurs the lines between solo artist and group identity. Soccer Mommy’s laidback style of grunge-rock can feel dreamy and calm in its […]

Folk singer-songwriter, Nadia Reid, is touring in support of her fourth album, ‘Enter Now Brightness’ which was released earlier this year. The stop at Strange Brew comes two years after she was last in Bristol, road-testing some of these songs at Crofters Rights. That 2023 performance was solo acoustic but this time the singer has […]

It might have been a Sunday night but The Dare and his audience made it feel like the start of the weekend. The American electropop musician has been credited as one of the artists bringing back “indie sleaze”. His 2023 project ‘The Sex EP’ went viral on TikTok and he gained further recognition for producing, […]

Machine Girl are a difficult band to describe; their music straddles so many genres that it can be quite an assault on the senses. Their latest release, 2024’s ‘MG Ultra’ album, is electronica, hardcore, punk and rave with the songs jumping around between these different sounds. One song can feel like listening to 100 Gecs […]

Irish folk singer, Fionn Regan, brought his O Avalanche tour to a sold out Strange Brew. It’s his first gig in the city in almost 13 years, following his 2011 Trinity show. It’s a peculiar set up in the venue with around 100 or so seats in front of the stage and then other ticket […]

Photo by Craig J Simmonds Media Glaswegian indie-rock legends, Travis, have had a busy 2024. The band released their 10th studio album, “L.A. Times”, which became their highest charting album in 23 years when it reached Number 2 in the Summer. They played a string of festival dates and supported The Killers on their UK […]

Foals frontman, Yannis Philippakis, debuted his solo project this year. The EP, “Lagos Paris London”, was created in collaboration with the late Tony Allen. With only five songs and clocking in at just over twenty-one minutes, it’s hard to imagine how this will lend itself to a full gig in a larger venue. Anyone expecting […]

It is impossible to think of a more zeitgeist-capturing concert in 2024 than Charli XCX’s tour. Her most recent album, “BRAT”, is an era-defining masterpiece which took over popular culture when released earlier this year. From remixes with your favourite popstars, every brand apparently having a ‘brat summer’, Kamala Harris’ use of the album title in her […]