Bristol's Blues Events

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Bristol's Blues Scene

Is blues music under-represented in Bristol?

While other American-originated music like funk and soul enjoy a huge number of acts and dedicated venues, where is the home of blues in Bristol? With its roots in the oppression of the black peoples of America, blues was transplanted over to the UK via white rock acts like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. A quick browse of blues played on the BBC recently and tyhe Guardian’s list of the best blues festivals show some support for nearby Bath, but nothing for blues in Bristol. This begs the question: who will lead the new blues revival in Bristol?

Blues gigs in Bristol are found in pretty consistent venues with places like The Prom and the Thunderbolt popular live blues spots. Generally blues-rock seems more prominent in Bristol than traditional rhythm and blues bands or delta blues singers, although there is some really interesting stuff out there. Other venues to check for blues include the Cori Tap in Clifton and the Blue Lagoon on Gloucester Rd.

It's always worth looking at what's on at the Canteen in Bristol whose listings vary in style but are usually consistently high in quality - some potential blues gems there...

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Our recent blues recommendations

Local virtuosic experimentalist Nik Rawlings lends their sublime operatic vocals to this new series exploring DIY spatial sonics! They're joined by Duncan Speakman’s visceral fog of guitar-processed musique concréte and spectral dronewave from Natalia Mamcarczyk – immersive minimal soundscapes await at this essential one FFO: Éliane Radigue, Kali Malone, claire rousay, Blank Forms. PUNK/T SPATIAL #1 Nik Rawlings, Duncan Speakman, Natalia Mamcarczyk at Arnolfini.

Revamped south-of-the-river spot The Star & Dove invite your favourite IGH scallywags through their freshly glossed doors! It’s a continental double-feature with: Belgian composer Mélodie Blaison’s experimental classical odysseys; luminous analogue/digital interweavings from generative synth minimalist Sara Mokrani; plus creepy crawly punk-jazz clownery from 1000 Legs for good measure. 1000 legs/Mélodie Blaison/Sara Mokrani/Marouchka/Igh Mass Orchestra at The Star and Dove - Totterdown Bristol.

Delegates from Turin – the land of chocolate liquor and autonomous spaces – interrogate the Microplex hivemind in a 2 day exchange of gonzo DIY culture. Inside: impressionistic films mapping the city’s rapidly disappearing squat culture, AV Jumblesail inna perverse trash media clash with circuit glitch hero Craxi Driver, Jabu’s Guest serenading you with her light-controlled organelle + more inexplicable Euro weirdness. Like Static in the Dust at The Cube.

BEEF hosts an avant-crud lineup of AV experimentalism and bizarro sonic wanderers, headed up by Popon’s wiry industrial scuzz soundtracking Laura Phillips’ DIY 35mm film collages. For starters: PanOrama celebrates Daphne Oram’s centenary with improvised cello and synths, while Annie Gardiner brings acoustic melancholy and Lucia layers in feminist readings. 10/10! Popon - PanOrama - Annie Gardiner at KIT FORM.

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What our editors say

“Having played bluegrass festivals in England, the Netherlands, France and the USA the band have honed their own take on American music from the 1950s to the present day. With various combinations of the four voices, expect to hear interesting harmony and subtle instrumentation as they play their way around festivals, pubs, Arts Centres music venues and local markets.”
From: The Hogranch

“Growing up in between the deserts and refugee camps of Algeria, Ibrahim was regarded as a wanderer and a loner – he was nicknamed ‘Abaraybone’, meaning ‘ragamuffin child’. One day, he remembers, he was watching a western at a makeshift desert cinema and was struck by a scene in which a cowboy plays a song on a guitar. Inspired, he built his first guitar using an oil can, a stick and a bicycle brake wire. He started to learn to play, practising old Tuareg melodies, modern Arabic pop tunes and the Malian blues music of Ali Farka Touré.”
From: Tinariwen

“With a shared passion for modern bluegrass, The Charlotte Carrivick Band brings together four of the most exciting musicians in the UK today. Charlotte Carrivick is a flatpicking guitarist of international renown, sought for her inventive lead playing and regarded as an expert fiddle tune interpreter on the guitar.”
From: The Charlotte Carrivick Band + Erika Olson

“This intimate acoustic show features one man, one guitar, one voice. Raised in the home of southern blues-rock guitar, Kevin McLoughlin is back from Florida in the US for his second UK tour. His uniquely authentic southern Americana Blues Rock sneaks in an improvisational twist that makes every performance unique.”
From: Kevin McLoughlin

“Their second album Kirschblütenboogie (2025) follows their acclaimed debut — a lovingly loose, subtly crafted collection of instrumental tunes that feel like a warm breeze through strange weather. The music drifts between Khruangbin's mellow psych-funk, Hermanos Gutiérrez’ desert blues, and the cinematic elegance of Connan Mockasin or Mac Demarco.”
From: LÖWENZAHNHONIG