Drum and bass in Bristol needs no bigger homes than Lakota and Blue Mountain. Both on the same street in Stokes Croft - they’ve continued Bristol’s drum n bass lineage from DJ Krust and Roni Size through to Intrigue Music and the more experimental UVB76 crew. Bristol’s place in the history of drum n bass is assured. Figureheads like DJ Die draw the line between the jungle and drum n bass scenes, jungle is key in Bristol - a city with so much Caribbean heritage, roots reggae’s influence on drum n bass comes through the language of jungle. But with both Lakota and Blue Mountain closing their doors soon to developers, is Bristol in a drum n bass crisis?
Drum and bass in Bristol encapsulates the genre in the wider world. Big venues play host to big acts with nights such as Bedlam, One Nation and Shit the Bed offering International stars including Pendulum, Chase and Status, Andy C and Noisia on a regular basis. In addition to this, alternative venues like the Dojo Lounge, Basement 45 and the Black Swan foster the rarefied sounds of dnb's many sub genres offering the city a unique depth to its plethora of drum and bass music. New years eve in Bristol clubs sees the city's venues rammed to the brim with all of the drum and bass's big players djing somewhere in Bristol.
Agro, Dissident and Mongrel offer dnb of a techy, dark variety while the bastion of the deeper sound, Intrigue, continues to push artists such as Marcus Intalex, Calibre and Fabio. Torque, straddling the line between dark and deep is a drum and bass monthly of significant recognition, hosting label nights and affiliated artists from Club Autonomic to Critical and Shogun Audio.
With drum and bass such a popular genre in Bristol, most clubs present dnb of some description at least once per month. Basement 45 has emerged as a consistent venue, with Torque, Abstraction and Nine Tree all on regular rotation at the club. Dojos plays host to the aforementioned Intrigue while Lab is home to Signal which runs as a bi-monthly event.
Of the larger venues Motion has a throng of events that are less frequent but larger in scale. Although many of these nights are multi-genre affairs, Run and Shit The Bed routinely promote dnb artists as their headline acts.
Lakota is another important dnb venue, housing Concrete Beat, Agro and since September 2010, Bedlam. Hospitality's residency at the Thekla ensures dnb is consistent fixture on the ship, while the rave-ready Black Swan is the spearhead for the harder jungle-tek sounds of the dnb genre.
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Our recent drum and bass recommendations
Three pillars of Bristol darkcore dnb / breakbeat junglism assemble to raise funds for Suicide Prevention UK. All about that OG Metalheadz grot and half-step UVB-76 / Ilian Tape futurism; cast your Hospitality CDs into the Avon my child!
Corn present a night of deep & dark jungle & techno mutations - all profits going to suicide prevention UK
Live techno / breakcore / raggatek nastiness raising cash for Camp Breakerz’ ongoing work in Gaza. Featuring abrasive hardcore hero the Teknoist bringing industrial breaks with noise-techno drone merchants Organchrist.
Benefit night for Camps Breakerz in Gaza
Cult ‘all tribes / all genres’ soundsystem night promising no two songs of the same genre b2b for a slice of pure ADHD genre escapism. Expect everything from congotronics to gospel, jungle to lovers rock, bhangra to dancehall.
All night curveballs for oddballs
Sell out warning! The cult of Kesh keeps swelling with an army of followers behind the ‘all tribes / all genres’ soundsystem experience. With a dedicated festival now in bloom, expect everything from samba to jungle to gospel to acid, all run at utopia-inducing volume.
Bonkers live bands, a bone rattling soundsystem & lots of sweaty cuddles x
More Photos of Bristol's Drum & Bass Events
What our editors say
“New multi genre event off your bass will be held at dare to club in Bristol we are teaming up with DejaVu for the first event the main room is off your bass and is multi genre hardstyle, hardcore and drum and bass room 2 is hosted by DejaVu and will mostly be hardcore it will be £6 on the door and the doors close at 1.30 soo make sure you get there before this is gunna be a night not to be missed”
From: Off Your Bass Mike Antix Birthday Stomp & DejaVu
“No other city has had quite the same influence on drum'n'bass and jungle as Bristol. Jungle began igniting dancefloors across Bristol, London and the rest of England in the early 1990s with its gritty mix of deep basslines and rhythms influenced by reggae and hip-hop. Jungle music has come a long way but its roots in rave culture never waiver, we host some of the UKs hottest jungle & hardcore artists who are pushing the scene to new levels and heights.”
From: GREENWORKS IN: JUNGLE W/ RANDALL
“"Immerse yourself in the pulsating rhythms and electrifying energy of a daytime drum and bass rave with FullyGassed where the beats are fierce, the basslines relentless, and the vibes absolutely electric. Get ready to dance under the open sky as the sounds of drum and bass keep you moving from dawn till dusk.”
From: FullyGassed Summer Day Party
“One Small Step heads to thekla">Thekla on May 31st for their biggest show to date. Expect two rooms filled with the finest 140, garage, breaks and jungle, headed by the heavyweights that are SICARIA and Zoro. In support we have Fonzo, Rea, Lily Huu + lots more!”
From: One Small Step SICARIA, Zoro, Fonzo, Rea, Lily Huu
“Come celebrate Xrey's birthday at Four Quarters Bristol on Park Street in Bristol, UK! It's going to be an epic night filled with Jump Up drum and bass all night long filled with dancing, and good vibes. Join us for a night to remember as we party the night away in honor of our favorite person's special day. Don't miss out on the fun - mark your calendars and get ready to have a blast!”
From: XREY'S BIRTHDAY BASH