Dot To Dot 2018 Festival Review
Posted on: 2018-05-29
Our rating:
It was a suitably upbeat way to wrap up this year’s Dot To Dot experience which once again proved itself to be one of the most enjoyable ways to discover new music talent. Roll on next year!
Bristol city centre became the backdrop to one of the highlights of the music calendar when the Dot to Dot Festival returned to once again showcase a multitude of new music. Martin Allen and Laura Allard covered as much ground as possible and picked out a few of the highlights…
To say there’s something for everyone on a line-up like this one would be a huge understatement. The wealth of new music on offer offered a journey from pure pop, through all strands of indie, and into the rockiest of rock.
Across 18 separate stages, the programme included hundreds of acts, kicking off around Saturday lunchtime and carrying on until the small hours of Sunday morning, offering the chance to see ground-breaking, emerging acts in mostly intimate surroundings.
One of the earlier acts on the bill was Bristol band Fossette who drew a suitably large crowd to the Thekla’s top deck. Loud and energetic, they offered the perfect way to get things kick-started. Down the road at HY Brasil Club, soulful and catchy tunes were in plentiful supply thanks to Girlhood (London duo Christian Pinchbeck and Tessa Cavanna) whose material mixes classic soul with piano house and dance chillout in a very real and raw way.
The main stage at the o2 Academy got underway with a very fine duo of bands, starting with BRIDGES (who will be returning to the city in November with a show at Rough Trade) who delivered a flawless half hour with soaring guitars and captivating lyrics. They were soon followed by American rockers Turnover, stopping by on the Dot To Dot weekend in the middle of a huge European tour, who demonstrated exactly why they are so big on the global stage.
(1).jpg "Kawala by Martin Allen")
By early evening, the real schedule clashes started to occur, with tough choices having to be made between the likes of finely crafted indie-pop from hotly-tipped Men I Trust, bouncy beach-pop vibes from talented duo Kawala, and local bands Cousin Kula and Swimming Girls – the latter stepping into a later-than-planned slot to fill in for another band.
Australia’s Haiku Hands were ones to catch at SWX. Bringing electro hip-hot with an at times retro 80s edge, they didn’t disappoint with a lively, confident set.
Back at the o2 Academy’s main stage, some of the festival’s big guns were in full flow. Local band Bad Sounds delivered one of the performances of the day, full of fun as they delivered their unique and inventive material to a crowd that was lapping it up. Fronted by brothers Ewen and Callum Merrett, this is a band on a sure trajectory towards bigger things, certainly once their debut album lands later this year.
They were soon followed by Manchester’s Pale Waves, a band not short on hype but all of it justified. The performance of lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie was mesmerising as she and her band delivered an impressively polished 45 minutes that was every bit as slick as their recorded material, including ‘Television Romance’, ‘New Year’s Eve’ and the brilliant ‘The Tide’. A hugely anticipated album is due for release in the Autumn.
Event headliners The Horrors then took to the stage. Initially beset with microphone issues which plagued the first song, the goth-rock outfit from Southend-on-Sea recovered to create a spellbinding atmosphere in the festival’s largest venue. Aided by a dramatic and persistent light show throughout their set, frontman Faris Badwan delivered his typically dominant stage presence with plenty of swagger, and not just due to his towering 6’5’’ frame.
The award for hottest, sweatiest gig of what was in any case a humid, sultry day probably goes to The Regrettes, whose ridiculously popular appearance in the o2 Academy 2 suggested a bigger venue might have been wise. It didn’t stop both the band and the crowd loving every minute of an attitude-packed showing – although our correspondent having to drink a pint of water immediately afterwards perhaps conveys a little of how hot it was in there!
American singer-songwriter Gus Dapperton (real name Brendan Rice) brought a unique and highly distinctive edge to proceedings, entertaining with his ‘unusual’ dance moves and trademark bowl haircut as much as with his innovative and fresh indie-pop. Tracks ‘I’m Just Snacking’ and ‘Prune, You Talk Funny’ showcased just what this 21-year-old New Yorker is capable of.
Meanwhile, Birmingham-based Mahalia illuminated the stage at SWX with her incredible vocal talent and down-to-earth, personable stage presence. She included the superb ‘No Reply’ and ‘Sober’ in her excellent half hour set.
Many others made a big impression throughout the day too. Originally from Bristol, the talented pop artist Rothwell will certainly be one to watch for the future. Her tunes ‘Velvet Heart’ and ‘Left Me At The Party’ were great to hear live on board the Thekla. Peach Pit rocked the boat too with an absolutely stomping set on a packed main stage.
Sandwiched between Rothwell and Peach Pit was Winston Surfshirt, whose mellow lounge music style was just perfect to drink in on a warm Saturday afternoon – although he arguably would have been best enjoyed at one of the smaller venues on the event circuit.
Connie Constance provided a sublime, chilled out way to unwind towards the end of a frenetic day of music. She filled The Louisiana with her soulful voice, wrapping up the venue’s eclectic schedule which also include some fine moments courtesy of Oscar Jerome and Puma Blue among other highlights.
Reading five-piece Valeras are another band that have been much talked about in the blogosphere and they crammed onto the modest stage at HY Brasil Club to massively impress with confidence and polish. Their tuneful rock – exemplified by their single ‘Painkiller’ – sounds simply superb live and they should be on anyone’s ‘must see’ list.
We wrapped up our Dot To Dot with a fantastic feelgood set from Cassia. The trio from Macclesfield clearly enjoyed themselves in front of an enthusiastic, packed-out Thekla crowd. Their calypso-infused sound seemed wholly appropriate for somewhat tropical temperature of the evening, with tunes ‘Sink’, ‘Weekender’ and ‘100 Times Over’ showing the strength of their material.
It was a suitably upbeat way to wrap up this year’s Dot To Dot experience which once again proved itself to be one of the most enjoyable ways to discover new music talent. Roll on next year!
Photo credit: Martin Allen
Article by:
As a lifelong music obsessive, Martin brings his extensive journalism experience to bear on reviewing some of the many gigs that make Bristol's music scene one of the liveliest in the country. Originally from London, he spends his time following AFC Wimbledon, tormenting his children with Dad Jokes, and getting out to see as much live music, comedy and theatre as possible.
