What's On / Bristol Gigs / funk and soul

Funk, Soul and Motown in Bristol

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Bristol's Funk And Soul Scene

Funk and soul - the secret undercurrent to Bristol music?
Funk and soul is now synonymous with radio personalities like Craig Charles and long-running nights like Soul Train (in Bristol). While its roots are deep, there was a period in the 90s when soul ran freely through the city via trip-hoppers Massive Attack who combined a soulful edge with current, to the minute electronic production. The more tortured soulful grooves of Tricky were like a bleak West Country version of neo-soul acts like Erykah Badu. While these acts rarely get called soul, their debt to 70s funk and soul legends like Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown and Bootsy Collins is undeniable.

Live Funk in Bristol
Funk isn't huge in Bristol but there are still some good funk bands playing regular gigs, even if the market is slightly smaller than it used to be. Quality hammond led jazz-funk jams can often be found at the Golden Lion on Gloucester road. For faster more sweaty funk gigs, keep and eye on what's on at the Mr Wolfs in Bristol city centre.

Live Soul in Bristol
In the early 2000's there was a much needed soul revival in the UK. At the core of this revival was Brighton and in particular it's Tru-Thoughts record label. Artists like Alice Russell and Belleruche ventured into 'nu-soul', while bands like the Quantic Soul Orchestra revisited raw early funk. While the albums made during this period were nothing hugely special, the performances that came with them were a welcome return of quality and engaging soul music. Being an important city in the UK's live music scene, Bristol and it's venues were (and still are) a key tour-stop for modern soul gigs. Whilst the revival is not as strong as it was, there are still some consistent soul and funk venues in Bristol to check whats on. Trinity Centre is the new home of Tru-thoughts / Stones Throw / Freestyle Recs type tours, with recent (2010) Bristol events including Belleruche, Speedometer and The Bamboos. The 02 Academy, Colston Hall and the Bristol Thekla are Bristol's main venues for bigger name musicians or comeback tours for legendary Motown and soul singers. It's also worth checking the Lost Horizon listings, they seem to have a great ability of booking upcoming talent before it hits the big time. While not strictly soul or funk, the venue has hosted some great cross over artists including Little Dragon and The Apples.

The Park Bar in Clifton with it's Hot Buttered Soul nights is also worth looking into.

If you're looking for disco clubnights in Bristol check the mainstream city centre venues (which we don't list on this website).

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Our recent funk and soul recommendations

Raw and intimate Hindustani classical wonderment melds with piped Scots ballads of travellers and pilgrims in this inspired no-borders double billing. Muslim Shaggan’s voice soars and intertwines with celestial harmonium drones like two lovebirds in flight; Quinie’s unfettered ancestral outpourings will summon tears from your urban eyes. Simply staggering folk, whatever your palette. Muslim Shaggan / Quinie / Durga Ramakrishnan at The Cube.

Local one-man hammer machine Lawi Anywar draws art rock gold from a heady melting pot of psych, funk, prog and shoegaze, spoiling Strange Brew with new album delights alongside mega support from ethereal grunge angel Eli Dayo + uncanny post-folkers Foot Foot. Unmissably hypnotic heft FFO: Meshell Ndegeocello, Yves Tumour, Slint, American Football, TV On The Radio, Brontide. Lawi Anywar, with Eli Dayo and Foot Foot at Strange Brew.

Tara Lily crafts a rich, soulful sound palette that weaves together R&B, trip-hop, jazz and electronica with Indian classical arrangements. You really gotta catch the Virgil Abloh and King Krule-approved artist’s truly dreamy and enthralling sonic concoction if you’re into: Nilufer Yanya, SAULT, Hope Tala. South London, British-Bengali musician Tara Lily heads to The Jam Jar with a genre defying blend of music inspired by jazz, electronica and classical Indian soundscapes.

Sell out warning! Space is the place, but earth will do for the last true original of astral gospel and synth folk-blues wonderment. Lonnie Holley crash lands at the Microplex for 2 dates of macrocosmic outsider enlightenment and eccentric musical radiation. Infinite soul enrichment FFO: Sun Ra, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Laraaji, Lil B’s Rain in England, Mourning [A] BLKstar. Free spirited, anticolonial sound & visual art

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What our editors say

“Washington DC native GoldLink makes progressive hip-hop that’s steeped in culture, from the homegrown hip-hop sound of At What Cost (2017) to the eclectic styles of African, Latin American and Chinese music on 2019’s Diaspora. The MC’s “future bounce” (a refreshing breeze of rap, house and funk) has earnt him multiple Grammy nominations and been featured on tracks by Christina Aguilera, Gorillaz and labelmate Kaytranada.”
From: GoldLink

“Dutch quartet YĪN YĪN release their fourth album, Yatta!, extending their unique mix of disco, funk, psychedelia and Southeast Asian music, and revealing a band whose groove just keeps getting deeper.”
From: Yīn Yīn

“Fusing funk, acid house and indie swagger, Shaun Ryder, Bez and co. became the unruly heart of the Madchester scene – their hedonistic energy immortalised in classics like Step On, Kinky Afro and the platinum-selling Pills ’n’ Thrills and Bellyaches.”
From: Happy Mondays + The Farm & Northside

“"It’s a sound that condenses elements of acid rock, psych soul, library funk and new wave oddities into a movie soundtrack for your mind. It’s a journey from ‘60s west coast LSD-drenched excursions to ‘80s synth and post-punk mutations"”
From: Schwet with CV Vision

“The Cement Garden are a 3-piece post punk outfit hailing from Bristol. Having been together for 5 years, they deliver a fast-paced mix of thunderous drums, funk-driven basslines and aggressive guitars, all garnished with socially charged lyrics, and bring maximum energy to every song. FFO shame, Soft Play”
From: The Cement Garden