Bristol Live Music Highlights - October 2018
Posted on: 01 Oct 2018Here at 365Bristol, we're committed to making you aware of the best Bristol has to offer in terms of live music, great food and drink, days out and more. With the Live Music Highlights series, we'll be providing you with a list of the top live events at the beginning of every month, taking into account some of the city's favourite acts and venues as well as some you might never have heard of. We're ranging from the unmissable to the downright unusual this month as Jorja Smith makes her O2 Academy Bristol debut, Simple Things Festival returns for its 2018 edition and Thekla welcomes a Ned Flanders themed metal band through its doors for the first time. Check out all the details below.
Darwin Deez @ Thekla, Wednesday 3rd October
The jangly rock-pop of New York indie outfit Darwin Deez is wacky, wonderful and full sunshine-doused vibes. Infectious, off-beat rhythms and racing riffs drip through and drive Deez’s dabbling lo-fi accents and witty, loved-up lyrics. Following the success and critical acclaim of his breakout hit 'Radar Detector', Darwin Deez has toured tirelessly across the US, Europe and now, the UK.
Jorja Smith @ O2 Academy Bristol, Friday 5th October SOLD OUT
2018 has been an incredible year for Birmingham-born Jorja Smith, releasing her full debut album Lost & Found in June to widespread critical acclaim and touring extensively across Europe and the UK before going on to North America in November and December. Since releasing music for the first time on Soundcloud in 2016, Smith has gone from strength to strength, receiving endorsements and collaborating with the likes of Drake, Stormzy and Preditah, the latter featuring her on the all-conquering track 'On My Mind'. Tickets for this one have unfortunately sold out, but keep your eyes peeled for any going spare - it's sure to be one of the O2 Academy's 2018 highlights. In the mean time, check out Smith's mesmerising June 2018 NPR Tiny Desk live session here.
Okilly Dokilly @ Thekla, Saturday 6th October
Describing themselves as "the world's only Nedal band", Okilly Dokilly are certainly in a league of their own when it comes to their unique craft. Aesthetically, the group have gone with the soothing guise of beloved next-door neighbour of The Simpsons, Ned Flanders, but their music couldn't be much more of a juxtaposition of the moustachio'd good-guy that we know and love. The band's no-nonsense metal sound will certainly come as a shock to some, but we'll certainly be at Thekla on Saturday 6th October, out of pure intrigue alone.
Editors @ The Marble Factory, Monday 8th October
Having formed in 2002, Editors found notoriety in the mid-2000s with their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album The Back Room. The album featured hit tracks Munich and Blood, and the band went from strength to strength from there. Their follow-up album, An End Has A Start, went to Number 1 in the UK Albums Chart in 2007 and earned Editors a BRIT Award nomination for Best British Band. Originally due to take place as a part of Bristol's 2018 Skyline Series, the gig has been moved to Motion's Marble Factory space.
Toots and the Maytals @ O2 Academy Bristol, Wednesday 17th October
They don't come much bigger than Toots and the Maytals when it comes to live reggae acts. Formed in the genre's heyday in the early 1960s, the group are responsible for some of the biggest reggae tracks of all time, including 54-46 Was My Number, Louie Louie, Pressure Drop and many more. Not only that, but their 1968 track 'Do The Reggae' is understood to be the first-ever track to use the term in its lyrics, leading to experts crediting it as the first ever introduction of the genre to a mainstream, international audience. Toots and the Maytals' 2018 UK tour will see them perform at cities across the UK, with the all-important Bristol show falling on the 17th - the perfect pick-me-up for an Autumn Wednesday evening.
The Greg Cordez Quintet @ The Bristol Fringe, Wednesday 17th October
Inventive Bristol-based composer and bassist Greg Cordez will be bringing his latest jazz show to The Bristol Fringe in Clifton Village this month, backed up by four of Bristol's most accomplished musicians including saxophonist Jake McMurchie, Pete Judge on the trumpet, drummer Matt Brown and Steve Banks on guitar. The show is certain to be an intimate affair, with Cordez expected to play a selection of tracks from his most recent album, Last Things Last.
Simple Things Festival @ Multiple Venues, Saturday 20th October
Crack magazine's all-conquering multi-venue festival is back this month, boasting yet another cutting-edge lineup that should have underground music fans shaking with excitement. Split for the first time this year into a day and night programme, the daytime will see an array of immensely talented musicians take to various Bristol stages in the daytime before a huge lineup of some of the biggest names in electronic music take over the Lakota complex when the sun goes down (check out our evening preview here). Notable names in the day lineup are revived English rock group Slowdive for a hotly anticipated headline show, upcoming UK rapper Octavian (a late addition to the programme), modern jazz aficionado Kamaal Williams and fast-rising London artist Jimothy Lacoste, with many more on the billing - do not miss this one.
Harvey Causon @ The Louisiana, Saturday 27th October
Bristol-based singer-songwriter Harvey Causon has gone from strength to strength this year and is showing no sign of slowing down with a short three-date headline tour booked in for late October. Alongside prolific Bristol producer Gabe Gifford and drummer Ben Toon, he'll be performing in London and Brighton either side of an all-important hometown show at The Louisiana. Causon and Gifford released their collaborative EP, titled Murphy's Hand, to critical acclaim in late August, and are expected to be previewing some new material at the October shows.
KRS-One @ The Fiddlers Club, Sunday 28th October
A prominent member of New York's hip-hop golden generation, KRS-One's arrival in Bristol this month has been eagerly anticipated by the city's vast hip-hop following. Creator of seminal albums like Return of the Boom Bap and Criminal Minded (in the late 80s as a part of Boogie Down Productions), his repertoire is among the most recognisable in the genre and is sure to form a memorable live show at The Fiddlers on Sunday 28th. A must-see for Bristol hip-hop heads.
George Fitzgerald live @ The Marble Factory, Sunday 28th October
The humble electronic live set can be a thing of beauty in the right hands, and there aren't many on the UK scene at the moment more capable than George Fitzgerald's. Having taken a short sabbatical after the release of his debut album, Fading Love, in 2015, Fitzgerald returned to the scene in late 2017 and has been playing out prolifically throughout this year. Of course, live sets often come about at festivals or parties when you're in no state to appreciate the craft, but this Sunday evening slot gives you the perfect opportunity to take in some top-quality electronic music and still make it to work/uni the day after.
Ticket availibility and information for the above events is correct at the time of writing, but is subject to change. For more information on each event or to see what else is on at their respective venues, follow the links in the headings.
Article by:
Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.
