What's On / Bristol Gigs / post-rock

Post-Rock Gigs in Bristol

upcoming gig

Bristol's Post-rock Scene

What ever happened to post-rock?

Britannica defines post rock as a form of experimental rock that incorporates aspects of jazz and electronica, so what happened to the genre that was so popular in the 90s and 00s. Bands like Mogwai and Tortoise have gone quiet and local Bristol post-rock acts too. The problem with post-rock is that it’s so loosely defined, that it hasn’t really gone away or at all. Rather than decline, the term has just gone out of fashion. Post-rock lives on in the fusion-ready music of local Bristol acts like Ishmael ensemble. With many kids that would’ve been rockstars in the 90s, now making electronica - maybe we should call this post-post-rock now?

What we said in 2015
Right now Bristol’s post-rock and alternative rock scene is at it’s healthiest for years. In addition to some excellent local venues and consistently strong live bookings, we also have promoters like Simple Things purveying some of the boldest festival programming in the UK. Recent Simple Things events have paired post-rock headliners like Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor with cutting edge electronic music and innovative techno producers. In terms of consistent Bristol venues for alternative rock - The Exchange, The Stag And Hounds and The Fleece (who’s past bookings include Thee Silver Mt Zion and Deerhoof) lead the way. The Thekla also makes solid bookings (past guests include 65daysofstatic, And So I Watch You From Afar) and annual ArcTanGent Festival is not to be missed.

Buy tickets for post-rock events in Bristol

Our recent post-rock recommendations

Cuculi returns with pianist-composer Laurie Torres’ uniformly gorgeous post-minimalist piano pieces, shoulder-to-shoulder with multi-instrumentalist James Gow’s flickering cello, bass, and brass shapes. Seductive, intimate and mysterious FFO: Harold Budd, Duval Timothy, Ben Seretan. Subtle lo-fi piano experimentations from acclaimed Canadian artist

Ambient basement mid-weeker from three local faces including Kayla Painter collaborator Jilk, fusing post-rock guitar drone, lilting keys and bitcrushed glitch into kaleidoscopic soundscapes. Mercurial drift FFO: Boards of Canada, Venetian Snares, claire rousay, Roméo Poirier, Jan Jelinek. With Aztechsounds and Laughing At Oblivion

A delicious left-turn from those crazy IGH kids as they launch a new label for their rotating improv scene collabs and freewheeling live cuts! Grab their first release then dive into: postmodern percussion poetry from wayward bardist Sean Noonan (‘the punk-jazz Alan Lomax’), Horsefair’s potent post-rock convulsions and IGH’s ever-mutating house band packing a special bumper line-up. Celebration of first release + future regular !

9 hour, 19 band marathon of scathing guitar rot seeping upstairs/downstairs/from all corners of the bloody Exchange! Featuring Gnasch’s low-end sludge woe, Kushthulhu’s swamp-infested doom, Vicarage’s blackened hxc bludgery and Bubblegum Hypnosis’ batshit garage-fuzz stoner prog (to name but a few). Unmissable shopping spree FFO: Eyehategod, Locust, Brutal Truth, Sleep, Celtic Frost, Negative Approach. Explore a wild array of sounds rooted in the DIY ethos of hardcore

What our editors say

“swelt Following the release of their debut album 'Bones', swelt bring their fractured, slow-burning songs to Cafe Kino. Rooted in restraint and release, their sound channels '70s folk, slowcore and first-wave post rock. FFO: Sparklehorse, Acetone, Talk Talk, Low”
From: SWELT + RILEY/RADLEY + ESTHER POLLOCK

“Back for another Noid after a legendary sell-out date at Zed Alley in 2024, Mitsubishi Suicide return this March with their unique blend of visceral skramz, post rock-y interludes & a playful approach to emo/hardcore. Having laid low whilst members focused in on other projects (like 300SkullsandCounting & Most Things) the band are back with a new live show and a new lineup for 2026.”
From: Mitsubishi Suicide, Betrayers & You Are Drowning in Evil..

“JayetAl are one of the UK's most exciting dance acts, transcending post rock and electronica boundaries to create a sound which is truly original. Using live instruments combined and cinematic electronica, the duo have built their reputation on euphoric and impassioned live performances, and played extensively across the UK, toured Eastern Europe and played international festivals. The unique appeal of the sound they have created is reflected in the quality and diversity of acts they have played with, from Plaid & Cluster to HEALTH, The Chap & Gary Numan. www.jayetal.co.uk”
From: Phoenix-Flare

“KATATONIA released their triumphant Napalm Records debut, Sky Void of Stars, in 2023 to the enthrallment of critics and fans alike. The album showcases their brilliant, genre-defying fusion of melodic death metal and atmospheric post rock. Following its release, the band jumped on a massive headline tour across Europe and the UK alongside Sólstafir and SOM.”
From: Katatonia

“We're thrilled to invite back Jennifer Walton to her second Enter the Noid slot having played our first ever show at the ICA back in June 2023. In the time between, she's gone from strength to strength; contributing electronic elements on Caroline's second album, forming an unstoppable supergroup called Microplastics with aya & 96 Back and releasing her debut album, 'Daughters' on Local Action last month to an exceptionally warm critical response. Her singular output blends post rock & slowcore structures with hyperpop-indebted vocal manipulations moments of crescending orchestral euphoria.”
From: Jennifer Walton, Shoplifting1080p, Lowkey-E + DJs