Bristol Harbour Festival Opening Night with Outlook Orchestra and Roots Manuva
Posted on: 2017-07-21
Our rating:
The opening night of the Bristol Harbour Festival was an absolute corker despite the somewhat dodgy weather.. with UK rapper and producer Roots Manuva hitting the stage at 7pm.
The Outlook Orchestra + Roots Manuva (A celebration of sound system culture) - Bristol Harbour Festival Opening Night at Lloyd's Amphitheatre
There are moments when I am just so grateful for the wonderful city that is Bristol and the gigs that are put on here and last night's show (Friday 21st July) at the Lloyd's Amphitheatre was one of them.
The opening night of the Bristol Harbour Festival was an absolute corker and despite the somewhat dodgy weather before this long-awaited for outdoor gig, it got into full flow and people's enthusiasm was infectious when UK rapper and producer Roots Manuva first hit the stage at 7pm. The crowd were in high spirits and there was a sea of smiles as people sipped their drinks and got into the party mood.
This was an extra special night in our city because it marked the 150th anniversary of the Colston Hall and it was an honour to know that some of the UK's best known musicians had come together for this one celebration and were taking the crowd along for the ride.
The gig goers went crazy when Roots Manuva sang the classic 'Witness the Fitness' towards the end of his initial set and you could see a constant flow of bobbing heads moving in time to the music. He came back on stage later but before then, we got a ton more entertainment in the form of Congo Natty, Pharoahe Monch (the crowd went mental when he performed 'Simon says (Get the f••• up)), Jehst (who completely smashed it with his short time on stage), Foreign Beggars (who wowed everyone with 'Hold On') and Jenna G.
The night just got better as it went on though, with Ruby Wood (Submotion Orchestra) giving us her beautiful tones and house hold names Horace Andy followed by Dawn Penn taking us back. A lot of us just shut our eyes and allowed the epic sound systems to take us on a journey; it was a truly seminal evening.
A personal favourite for me was the 20-piece Outlook Orchestra who performed a live mix of some massive famous tracks that were put out in their own unique style. They were led by award-winning composer Tommy Evans (the person behind both Submotion Orchestra and Gentleman's Dub Club) and they provided the perfect accompaniment throughout the night.
Another highlight was the penultimate rendition of the classic 'Brown paper Bag' by Bristol's own Roni Size before we went back to Jenna G for 'In Love'. The audience lost their mind and as all of the performers came onto the stage for a final dance and jump around session, we all mirrored their adrenaline fuelled actions.
Even though there were many people at this night - this felt like an intimate summer party and everyone had a spring in their step when it came to an end. Bristol is a very unique, special place and this event was about raising a glass to that fact.
Article by:
Kelly worked as a journalist for the BBC for 12 years before she changed careers and went into the field of marketing. Having worked at BBC 6 Music for several years, she is passionate about many different genres of sound. Her other interests include theatre, comedy, books, food and days out with the family (she has a young daughter who she describes as a "whirlwind of fun.") Kelly is married to Vik who is a true Bristolian to the core! She is also studying nutritional therapy.
