With so many artists jumping ship in favour of more fashionable genre name, it's always amazing to see how much falls under the 'rock' umbrella. Classic rock venues in Bristol include The O2 Academy and The Fleece.
Have Idles put Bristol rock music back on the map?
Idles have put Bristol rock music back on everyone’s mind, but they’re just one of the talented Bristol rock bands who have the nation’s attention. While more retro rock gigs like Let’s Rock Bristol festival and rock and metal cover bands at the Fleece and Beerkeller (RIP), make Bristol’s rock scene look 80s focused, the List of current bands in Bristol is long. Bands like Heavy Lungs, Stolen Body record their own brand of psychedelic rock (including the popular yearl Bristol Psych Fest). For those who love to rock: Bristol’s live music scene salutes you.
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Our recent rock recommendations
Fever dream psychedelic glam-rock meets sci-fi outsider pop; with lashings of feedback and theatrical vocals from Jemma Freeman, formerly of Bella Union’s Landshapes. Plus atmospheric, ethereal post-rock trio Oh The Guilt.
+ TV Death + Oh, The Guilt + DJ Heidi Heelz
Garage rock journeyman and Black Lips guitarist Jeff Clarke turns singer-songwriter with freewheeling and poetical one-man-and-his-guitar folk/blues/country results. Guaranteed to charm fans of Elliot Smith, Townes van Zandt, Steve Earle, Two Dollar Guitar, Otis Gibbs etc.
Black Lips Jeff Clarke showcases his new solo album Locust
The Shits eat Idles for breakfast, spitting them out with a glorious primal-garage-sludge belch then bludgeoning eachother with the bones. This is the menacing craft/flat-white baiting band we need NOW FFO: Stooges, Flipper, Gnod, Sex Swing, Birthday Party, Pissed Jeans, Rocket Recordings.
Leeds, UK / Rocket Recordings.
Free entry pop-punk banger and heartfelt weekend-starter for fans of Muncie Girls, Bikini Kill and Garden Centre et al.
FFO: Charly Bliss, Bikini Kill, Sløtface, PUP and Pixies!
More Photos of Rock Gigs in Bristol
What our editors say
“Formed through a mutual love of 80’s goth and alternative rock music. Sanctum Santorium are a live 6-piece band that faithfully recreate classic hits by artists such as The Cult, Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Cure, Bauhaus and more. Smoke machines at the ready with the clothes and the attitude.Visually and musically, they are startlingly accurate. SS deliver a blistering live set from She Sells Sanctuary and Love like Blood through to Bela Lugosi’s Dead & This Corrosion. Dust down your leather jacket and paint your nails and get ready to be transported to The Dark Side of the 80’s.”
From: Sanctum Sanctorium
“We are delighted to welcome Grey Muzzle favourite Charley Stone (Desperate Journalist, Sleeper etc) back, this time with her Actual Band! Expect lo fi art rock tales of hangovers, ladybirds and bodyswapping. Not to be missed!”
From: The Maisonettes + Charley Stone + Second Wife
“Join us for an evening with Dayshifter and special guests Dayshifter: Known for their emotive and powerful sound, the band has been on a mission to carve out their own unique sound, blending the intensity of hardcore with the melody of alternative rock.”
From: Dayshifter