Indie Gigs in Bristol

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Bristol's Indie Scene

Bristol has a decent spread of indie venues for both big names (keep your eye on the O2 Academy listings) and local up-and-coming indie bands. Perhaps the most important mid-sized indie venue is The Louisiana whose "played-here-before-they-were-really-famous" list boasts Bloc Party, Kings of Leon, Fleet Foxes and Muse.

What’s become of Indie music? For many of a certain generation the early 2000s were the peak of indie music here in Bristol and in the UK as a whole. Not to be confused with the association of independent music (although indie does stand for ‘independent music’) indie came out of the 80s DIY scene and peaked in the 00s mainstream with acts like the Strokes and the Libertines. So where is indie now? Now indie in Bristol might just amount to clubnights like Ramshackle, and we have the decline of grassroots music venues to blame maybe. So while independent music might always be around, the genre formerly known as indie might be dead!

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Our recent indie recommendations

Sell out warning! Last chance to see the baroque existentialism of Porridge Radio! Fresh off a farewell tour announcement, the oft-transcendent Brighton band’s final Bristol show is unmissable. The formula is tried and true: Dana Margolin’s grimly combustible poetry of the everyday stacks up until set ablaze by her band’s serrated post-punk arrangements. Don’t miss the swan song of one of the UK’s most vital bands of the past decade. Porridge Radio at The Trinity Centre.

Hedonistic-as-hell garage punk from Arizona, Class hit Kino with driving rhythms, insanely catchy vocal hooks, and melodic joy cutting straight to the energetic heart of power-pop. Catch 'em splitting top billing with old-school lo-fi indie served by Missouri’s Soup Activists: psychedelic distortion, jangly guitars, and plenty of acerbic wit. Outsider bliss FFO: Exploding Hearts, Television Personalities, The Raincoats. CLASS , STUPID WORLD and SEIZURE SALAD at Cafe Kino.

It’s a Hellmouth-sized celebration at The Lanes as Punka go all out for their third annual cabaret-meets-clubnight The Buffy Ball. Come in your best Slayerverse dress-up for drag, dancing, Bronze-worthy indie rock from Broken Dreams Club, and a full live performance of all the musical episode hits. THEY GOT THE MUSTARD OUT! THE BUFFY BALL at The Lanes.

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.

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What our editors say

“The "Sports" band from Oklahoma is an indie-pop group known for their '80s-influenced, breezy sound, formed by brothers Jacob and Christian Theriot and vocalist Cale Chronister. The group have been notching up viral indie pop bangers, building a global fanbase on their own terms. ⁠”
From: SPORTS + special guests

“Based in Brooklyn, The Antlers began as Peter Silberman’s solo project, gradually evolving into a larger ensemble with Michael Lerner and formerly Darby Cicci. Their music blends indie rock with elements of art rock, dream pop, chamber pop and ambient textures.”
From: The Antlers + special guests

“Leith Ross is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They recorded their debut EP, Motherwell, while studying at Humber College, and subsequently found success on TikTok, most prominently with the song "We'll Never Have Sex" in August 2021.”
From: Leith Ross

“Celebrated for their sharp songwriting, unpretentious charm and jaw-dropping musicianship, The Wave Pictures bring their timeless mix of indie rock, blues and off-beat wit to Strange Brew.”
From: The Wave Pictures

““Karly Hartzman’s storytelling remains a beautifully magpie-like collection of little details drawn from memory and observation, woven together into a transcendent indie rock tapestry.” - The AV Club”
From: Wednesday + Bleary Eyed