Dot to Dot Festival is a staple in the Nottingham events calendar. But it's also been happening in Bristol for almost as many years as it has here. This year we thought we'd go and see what it's like down South…
Dot To Dot in Bristol is much like it’s older Nottingham sibling. It just takes place a day before (on the Saturday not the Sunday) and in a load of venues 140 miles away. Most of the headline bands are the same, but the fringe acts differ more widely. The key venues involved are the O2 Academy Bristol (where the bands who would usually play Rock City play), Thekla and The Fleece (which are both a similar size to Rescue Rooms), The Louisiana (a small venue which is about half the size of The Bodega), and SWX (where the bands who would usually play The Level play). Both cities also have a Rough Trade record store, which act as venues for the festival.
Midnight Rodeo
Plenty of Nottingham artists also took to the stage in Bristol, so we simply had to go and show our support away from home. The first that we managed to catch was Midnight Rodeo, our city’s very own surf-pop sextet. When lead singer Maddy Chamberlain asked the crowd in The Fleece to take a few steps forward because the 450-capacity venue was at its limit, I knew we were in for a good show, and it was great to see them draw such a crowd. I could barely move throughout the thirty-minute set, but I still couldn’t resist nodding my head along to songs like The Big Melt and more. They teased their upcoming single at the end of the set, and I for one can’t wait until it is released in the near future. Gemma Cockrell
Jerub
Fresh off the back of opening King Charles III’s coronation concert last month, Jerub graced the SWX stage with his pure and captivating vocals. Managing to get a front row spot against the barrier, this was easily one of my favourite performances of the day, and while the venue was relatively busy throughout the set, I couldn’t help but feel that Jerub still deserved to be playing to a larger crowd. Songs from his new EP Finding My Feet such as singles Cold and Scared To Be Myself went down a treat, and it seems like it’ll only be a matter of time before he becomes a household name. There was a real sense that we were watching a superstar in the making – it seems that he has now found his feet and it is evident that he is on track for great things. Gemma Cockrell
Nell Mescal
The streets of Bristol were sunny and alive as we sauntered over to burgeoning Irish star Nell Mescal’s show at 7:30pm on Saturday evening. Due to the delightful chaos of Dot to Dot, we rocked up to The Louisiana fifteen minutes into Nell’s set, but still got to hear her play multiple songs – including her new upbeat yet introspective singles In My Head and Homesick. The only negative was that the venue was so full that the crowd could barely move. Dot to Dot clearly underestimated how many would turn out for Nell. Multiple people arrived to watch but had to leave – physically unable to enter the room due to how packed it was.
The 20-year-old is at the beginning of her career, only currently having four songs out on Spotify, but that did not stop her putting on a great show. The singer’s vocals were powerful, bewitching the audience. Her style is reminiscent of artists such as Holly Humberstone and Gracie Abrams, with poignant lyrics, and it will be exciting to watch Nell’s career take off, as it evidently will. Lucinda Dodd
Girlband
They may have no official releases on streaming platforms just yet, but Girlband are one to watch out for. Not to be confused with the former Dublin outfit who went by the same name, this Nottingham indie-rock trio fought through some technical difficulties with their bass guitar to put on a brilliant show in SWX 2. The conga line they requested might not have quite come into fruition, but the crowd were lively and having a boogie, nonetheless. It’s clear they are on their way to great things. Make sure to catch them at Isle of Wight Festival later this month if you’re there, or closer to home at their Bodega headline show in September. Gemma Cockrell
Alvvays
Canadian indie-pop sensation Alvvays headlined Bristol’s SWX for Dot to Dot, bringing the crowd to life on Saturday night from their opening track Pharmacist. The atmosphere continued to build when the five-piece moved onto After The Earthquake – a summertime essential with soft guitar, rhythmic drums and lead singer Molly Rankin’s euphonious vocals. Accompanied by colourful, abstract background animations behind them, the band played for 75 minutes – giving them time to make their way through all the tracks from their 2022 album Blue Rev while leaving time for their classics too.
The already enthused room grew in excitement for their most popular song Archie, Marry Me and their aptly named dream pop hit Dreams Tonite. Introducing Bored in Bristol, Rankin amusingly confessed to the crowd she had never actually been bored in Bristol, and in fact had fond memories of playing at the city’s iconic cargo ship venue, Thekla. Naively arriving just fifteen minutes before their set, I was disappointed to have to watch Alvvays from the back of the room, but it’s a testament to the dedicated fan base the group, who formed back in 2011, have fostered. They were a clear highlight of the day. Lucinda Dodd
The ibis MUSIC programme celebrates up-and-coming talent all over this world, and as the official accommodation partner for Dot to Dot, they were kind enough to let us stay at the hotel in Bristol centre to review Dot to Dot 2023. A huge thank you to ibis MUSIC and FINN Partners (on behalf of Accor) who made this review possible.
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