The Breeders at Canons Marsh Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside
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A gig on Sunday 30th June. The event starts at 13:00.


Doors/Gates Open: 13:00– please note this is not when the show will necessarily start – show times will be confirmed closer to the date of the show.
Curfew: 22:30
Age restrictions: 5+ (U16’s must be accompanied by an adult 18+) – Strictly no under 5’s on site.

With their volatile mix of hooky pop and experimental tangents, the Breeders shaped the early-'90s alternative rock revolution and have forged a resolutely independent path ever since. The band started as a way for ' Kim Deal and ' to let out some suppressed creative energy, and those bands' shifting dynamics and warped pop sensibilities could be heard within the Breeders' 1990 debut album Pod. However, it was 1993's platinum-selling Last Splash -- and its smash hit single "Cannonball" -- that brought the band's mischievously sexy style to a wider audience while drawing on country, surf, and reggae influences. Their later albums, such as 2008's Mountain Battles, were more stripped down but just as unpredictable. When the reunited Last Splash lineup returned with 2018's tough yet vulnerable All Nerve, the Breeders' enduring influence was apparent in the work of artists like , , and .

When bassist Deal and guitarist became friends during their bands' 1988 European tour, they pledged to make music together. Initially inspired by , they tried their hand at making their own version of dance-pop, recording a version of and 's "Tell Me Something Good" and the original "Rise." In 1989, they worked with violinist/vocalist Carrie Bradley and bassist Ray Holiday -- for this project, Deal switched to guitar as it was easier to play while singing -- on a set of country-tinged demos.

After hearing the songs, and ' label greenlit an album from the group, which was dubbed the Breeders after an LGBT slang term for straight people; Deal previously used this name for the music project she had with her twin sister when they were teenagers. Deal and brought in 's as bassist, and when couldn't get enough time away from her job to become the band's drummer, 's Britt Walford joined the fold under the pseudonym Shannon Doughton. The Breeders recorded their debut album at Edinburgh, Scotland's Palladium studio in January 1990 while Deal's bandmates were starting work on Bossanova in Los Angeles (she joined them in the studio that February). Engineered by Surfer Rosa collaborator , Pod arrived in May 1990. The album peaked at 22 on the U.K. Albums chart and won praise from critics and artists including 's for its roomy, lively sound and unconventional songwriting.

Though Deal and recorded demos for the Breeders' second album following Pod's release, departed in 1991 to form her own band . Walford left around the same time, but he and both contributed to the Breeders' next release, April 1992's muscular yet melodic Safari EP. The EP also marked the debut of as the band's second guitarist, and was their only release to feature both her and . Later that year, the Breeders drafted drummer Jim MacPherson and played their first high-profile gigs in 1992, opening for on their European tour.

As the band worked on its second album in the beginning of 1993, disbanded, leaving Kim Deal able to pursue the Breeders full-time. Produced by Deal and co-produced by Mark Freegard, August 1993's Last Splash added some pop gloss to the band's sound but also incorporated touches of reggae, grunge, country, and surf as well as noisy experiments. Driven by the success of the sonic collage "Cannonball," an Alternative Airplay number two hit that also charted in several other countries, Last Splash catapulted the group into stardom. The album was certified platinum in the U.S., silver in the U.K., and gold in Canada, Australia, and France and spawned two other charting singles, "Divine Hammer" and "Saints." The Breeders rounded out the year by joining on the In Utero tour and lending a live version of Pod's "Iris" to the Red Hot Organization's AIDS benefit compilation No Alternative.

In 1994, the Breeders had a prime spot on 1994's Lollapalooza tour and released the -produced Head to Toe EP, which featured covers of 's "Freed Pig" and ' "Shocker in Gloomtown" along with originals from the band.

Just as quickly as success hit the band, the Breeders went on a sudden hiatus, partly due to exhaustion from the rapid nature of their fame and from their extensive touring. Late in 1994, was arrested for drug possession and went to a rehab clinic in Minnesota; the rest of the bandmembers went their separate ways while she recuperated. played with musicians around New York, ultimately forming with them; Kim returned to Dayton with MacPherson, learned how to play the drums, and continued writing songs. By early 1995, Kim had an album's worth of new material ready to record. Though she considered recording them on her own, Deal decided to assemble a backing band of MacPherson and other Dayton-area musicians, including Nathan Farley and Luis Lerma of the Tasties. Not surprisingly, -- originally called Tammy & the Amps -- sounded like a rougher, lo-fi version of the Breeders; their gigs and their 1995 album Pacer emphasized the loose, charming spontaneity of Deal's style.

Though the Breeders' break was supposed to be temporary, it lasted several years. Along with her time in , later formed with 's Vivian Trimble and co-produced Klassics with a "K" by , another side project. After completed her rehab, she formed her own solo project, . She toured and released an album with this group, 1996's Go to the Sugar Altar.

That year, Kim reclaimed the Breeders name and played some California dates with the band, which featured members of and Bradley. In 1997, the Breeders played the Tim Taylor Memorial Benefit Concert -- in honor of 's singer/keyboardist, who had been killed in a car accident earlier that year -- with that group's drummer Tyler Trent replacing MacPherson (the latter went on to play with ). Later that year, Deal went into the studio in one of many frustrated attempts to make the third Breeders album. However, the group's low profile didn't mean that it didn't have any hits; a sample from "Cannonball" used in 's worldwide smash "Firestarter" earned Kim songwriting credits and royalties. By early 1998, had rejoined the band and the duo continued to write and record songs, contributing a cover of ' "Collage" that appeared on the soundtrack to the big-screen adaptation of The Mod Squad.

In 1999, Kim and spent time in the studio with , and in 2000, the Breeders played their first gig in over three years (and Kim's first show with in over six) at a free, secret show in Los Angeles. This version of the band featured bassist Mando Lopez and guitarist Richard Presley (both formerly of ), and drummer backing the Deal sisters. The group reconvened in the studio with in 2001, completing an album's worth of songs. The Breeders began a flurry of activity in 2002, including the release of the Off You and Huffer singles and their long-awaited third album, Title TK, that May. A rawer-sounding effort than Last Splash that put the Deals' harmonies at the forefront, the album reached 51 on the U.K. Albums chart and 130 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S. That year, the Breeders appeared on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and in 2003, they covered "Wicked Little Town: Hedwig Version" for the Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute album Wig in a Box.

In 2004, Kim Deal joined on their North America and Europe reunion tours, with accompanying her on the road to work on Breeders songs. The songwriting process extended into 2007, and the group -- which comprised the Deal sisters, Lopez, and -- worked with several engineers, including , to record their next album. Appearing in April 2008, Mountain Battles continued Title TK's minimalist rock; it peaked at 46 in the U.K. and at number 12 on the Independent Albums chart in the U.S. While touring the U.K. in late 2008, the Breeders recorded some songs written after Mountain Battles' release at London's Fortress Studios and continued sessions at 's Electrical Audio studio and in Kim Deal's basement studio. Released in April 2009, the Fate to Fatal EP featured a cover of 's "Chances Are" and guest vocals from . Later in the year, the band curated the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Minehead, England. The following September, they played the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival again, this time in Monticello, New York. In 2013, the band celebrated the 20th anniversary of Last Splash with a deluxe reissue that included singles, B-sides, demos, and live performances. Kim and also reunited with and MacPherson for a tour where the band performed Last Splash in its entirety.

Following the tour's success, the band began work on their fifth album. The Breeders recorded with longtime producer at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, as well as with Mike Montgomery at Kentucky's Candyland Recording Studio and with Tom Rastikis at Ohio's Fernwood Studios. In October 2017, the band delivered its first new music in eight years with "Wait in the Car," the lead single from All Nerve. Featuring backing vocals by , the album was released in March 2018, nearly 25 years after Last Splash. All Nerve peaked at 79 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S., cracked the Top Ten in the U.K., and charted throughout Europe.

The members of the Breeders began the 2020s spending time on their individual projects. Kim wrote a solo album; Kelly worked with and ; MacPherson played with the surf band , and collaborated with drummer Jon Mattock. In 2021, they reconvened to contribute a version of 's "The Dirt Eaters" to the compilation Bills and Aches and Blues. Two years later, the Breeders hit the road to commemorate Last Splash's 30th anniversary with dates at Coachella and Riot Fest as well as with , , and . September 2023 saw the release of a Last Splash reissue that was remastered from the original analog tapes and included two previously unreleased songs from the album's sessions: "Go Man Go," which was co-written by ' , and "Divine Mascis," a version of "Divine Hammer" with on lead vocals. ~ Heather Phares & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Entry requirements: no age restrictions

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