Thekla unveil lineup for huge 35th Anniversary weekend from Thursday 2nd-Sunday 5th May 2019
Posted on: 08 Mar 2019Bristol's favourite water-borne club venue is celebrating its 35th birthday this year, and the team behind the world-famous Thekla have put together an unmissable musical programme to mark the occasion. From Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th May, performances from Steve Lamacq, Pangaea, Roni Size and many more are locked in to ensure that Bristol marks the milestone in style.
Celebrating 35 years since the infamous vessel first welcomed party-goers aboard under the name 'The Old Profanity Showboat' back in 1984, Thekla has undergone several restorations and developments over the years to become the top-class club venue we know and love today.
From hosting hundreds of theatre, cabaret and comedy shows back in the day to the array of top-notch live musicians and DJs in recent years, Thekla has always been a hub of entertainment in Bristol, and what better way to mark its milestone 35th birthday than with a four-day party hosted by some of the hottest names on the UK music scene?
Kicking things off on Thursday will be Radio 6 Music's in-house champion of new music, Steve Lamacq, as he heads up Thekla's legendary Pressure club night. Having run for almost ten years in the very capable hands of DJ Mr SteveBob, it was labelled a "Brizzle music institution" by NME last year and has been a part of the Thekla calendar for nearly a third of the club's lifespan.
Anthemic rock outfit October Drift make their Bristol return on the following day for the weekend's first evening of live music on Friday 3rd, where they'll be joined by exciting Bristol newcomers Some Bodies and some more very special guests for their biggest headline show to date.
Certainly the standout electronic booking of the weekend, Hessle Audio dignitary Pangaea will be coming aboard alongside a very special guest (TBA) Sheffield collective Denham Audio and Bristol selector Borai. With releases spanning techno, house and jungle and a style that incorporates several styles to create an incendiary finished product, Pangaea's sets truly need to be seen to be believed, as anyone who was in the crowd for his huge b2b set with Special Request at Lakota last month will tell you.
Bristol heavyweights Laid Blak and Dr Meaker are set to take over on Saturday to bring a night of festival vibes to the bottom deck. Having supported the likes of Ed Sheeran, The Wailers and Damian Marley in the past, the pair have perfected their live show on some of the world's biggest stages so you can rest assured they'll just about tear the roof off a setting like Thekla's.
Following that on Saturday will be Thekla's much-loved Pop Confessional party. Hosting the evening's festivities will be Valentine Spinoza, spinning his usual mix of all your favourite guilty pleasure pop bangers until the early hours of Sunday morning.
Sunday's billing is the icing on the proverbial cake as Thekla hosts an all-day live music event featuring the sounds of grunge-heavy three-piece Soeur, fellow Bristol locals Leeches, prolific songwriter Slonk, the impossible loud Sans trio, fuzz-pop outfit INDIGOs and plenty more surprised still to be announced. Following that, the one and only Roni Size will be taking care of an extended three-hour set alongside Dynamite MC as part of a homecoming set from one of the city's most renowned electronic exports. The prolific DJ and producer will be supported by Bristol DnB label Intrigue, whose residents will be on hand to showcase the best of their recent releases.
Tickets for Thekla's 35th Anniversary celebrations running from Thursday 2nd-Sunday 5th May 2019 are on sale now and can be found here. For more information or to find out what else is on at Thekla in the coming weeks, visit their website or check out their Facebook page.
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.
