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Post-Rock Gigs in Bristol

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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

Haunting post-rock laments full of bucolic imagery and eerie melancholy… The Declining Winter swoons with orchestral textures and Richard Adams' soft world-worn vocals. Sounds like a folk tragedy soundtrack or The Leisure Society’s sinister sibling. Immense FFO: Red House Painters, The Microphones, Good Night & Good Morning. Bristol date for this double-bill tour

Spring has finally sprung and multi-visual, multi-media crew Cellar Door are celebrating the shedding of our winter cocoons with Lipworm’s wiggy psych-rock, swooning dream-folk shoegaze from Ladylike + Rabbitfoot’s sprawling electronica, baroque-pop and post-rock fusion. Essential FFO: Black Country, New Road, bdrmm. Audio-Visual & arts jamboree spanning folk, shoegaze, baroque pop, noise-rock, jazz and electronics. Music across 2 floors, exhibition in the cellar!

Prolific 21st century giant of sprawling post-rock drone, Nadja’s Aidan Baker drowns the Cube in his spectral guitar drift with A-Sun Amissa’s cinematic neo-classical disintegrations. Embrace the infinite FFO: Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Belong, GY!BE, Jesu, Oren Ambarchi, Deaf Center. An evening of ambient drone

Irreverent looping violin violence and electro-punk poetry from a true originator! Sieben graces the crypt with a rare appearance alongside Slow Knife’s singular Salford no-wave / dark-jazz cinematics + your alchemical chamber goth hosts, DSCM. Simply stunning FFO: In The Nursery, Fad Gadget, Barry Adamson, Jo Quaill, Badalamenti. An eclectic evening of cinematic / post-punk / electro-acoustic artists

What our editors say

“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

““The fifth album - created entirely in his native Sardinia - Pathei Mathos confirms the post rock project S A R R A M as a rich and highly emotional masterpiece. There is a lot to discover and experience here."”
From: SARRAM / SHE THE THRONE / MONIKA BADLY / SICKATRIX

“One of the South West's freshest post rock / math rock outfits, Essential Formulas have been picking up momentum in their respective scene since their formation 2 years ago, garnering support slots with the likes of Bicurious, Parachute for Gordo and local friends in Bristol's Hexcut, picking up a loyal following along the way.”
From: Essential Formulas

“Leading the way for the current wave of math and post rock bands coming out of Ireland and the UK, Bicurious' popularity comes down to the fact that they've put a refreshing and fun take on a genre that had faded into obscurity in the independent math rock scene.”
From: Bicurious All-Dayer

“Combining elements of free jazz and post rock. Thematically exploring chaos and refuge, Ex Agent are a petri dish harbouring Parp Noir, Gonzo strains and No Wave bacterium. Music to balance the four humours.”
From: Ex Agent, Zelt, GRANDCHILD