Headfirst Editor's Pick
"A delectable Down Stokes triple bill for all the red-eyed nostalgists! Mild Orange bottle late-afternoon light and turn it into weightless widescreen guitar pop, Magic Shoppe conjure reverb-drenched psych-gaze incantations for narcotic bliss, and Pocket Sun weave textured dream-pop worlds with slow-dissolving synths and delicate jazz flourishes."
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A gig held at The Full Moon & Attic Bar on Thursday 16th October. The event starts at 20:30.
Returning for its third year, Down Stokes is a four-day independent festival running from 16–19 October 2025 in the heart of Stokes Croft. Curated by Velvet Echoes and Extra Terrestrial, the festival celebrates the fiercely creative spirit of the area with a handpicked lineup of favourite artists. Expect an eclectic mix across the psychedelic rock spectrum—from laid-back lounge rock to hard-hitting psych rock.
Thursday
Welcome to the first night of this years Down Stokes! On Thursday 16th October we will be floating along the attic bar, enjoying a line-up that will leave you wondering whether to gaze at your shoes or dream your worries away - not to worry, you can do both! This is beautiful, melodic and ethereal music at its finest.
Mild Orange
Magic Shoppe
Magic Shoppe are known for their love of distortion and reverb. Taking notes from My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raveonettes, Sonic Youth and Loop, the band has a shoegaze sound that flirts with noise rock. Dark, fuzzed-out guitars can wash into soundscapes or crash into a sonic maelström. They balance retro and futuristic music with driving bass and dirty rhythms, mixed with dark vocal melodies.
Magic Shoppe have offered up their own wall of sound blend of raw Shoegaze across 6 LPs, 6 EPs and 1 Live LP over the past 13 years. The band recently hit 3.5 million streams for their top Spotify songs, as well as having 105,000 Spotify monthly listeners. In October 2024 the band had a song featured on the popular Netflix series, Outer Banks. In the last 5 years, Magic Shoppe have completed 5 tours of the EU/UK and 3 mini-tours of the US/Canada.
In September 2025 Magic Shoppe will be releasing their 7th vinyl EP on Little Cloud Records in the US & Canada, and on Cardinal Fuzz in Europe and the UK, followed by tours of the US and the EU/UK.
Pocket Sun
Pocket Sun’s debut full-length album, Mirror In Blue Light, released in September 2024, marks an exciting new chapter for the Bristol-based band. Celebrating its launch with a sold-out show at The Jam Jar, a 250-capacity venue, Pocket Sun capped off a season of immersive live performances that have captivated audiences across the UK.
In the months following the release of Mirror In Blue Light, the band received significant support from the likes of CLASH, B24/7, Fame Magazine, Crack Magazine, and international radio play from Nashville to Japan. These milestones have helped build strong momentum around the album, which draws from the band’s signature blend of alternative pop, psychedelia, and jazz.
Pocket Sun’s previous EP, Binocular, featured the lead single “Wake Up,” produced by Ali Chant (known for his work with PJ Harvey, Portishead, and Gruff Rhys) and re-released on Kitsuné, aligning the band with acts like Hot Chip, La Roux, and Two Door Cinema Club. This EP helped solidify the band’s evolving sound and vision.
Hailing from a dreamy, synth-driven soundscape, Pocket Sun combines ethereal melodies and hypnotic grooves that invite listeners to drift into a surreal, synaesthetic experience. Fronted by vocalist and synth player Gina Marie Tratt, whose background in 70s-inspired animation shapes the band’s aesthetic, each release is a seamless fusion of sound and visual storytelling. Lyrically, Pocket Sun delves into themes of escapism, consciousness, and nostalgia, adding a poetic depth that resonates universally. Alongside four years of releasing singles, EPs and their debut album, Pocket Sun has crafted a distinctive live show, featuring custom animations, slick stage-craft and even their very own scent ‘Memory Lane’.
Entry requirements: 18+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Thursday
Welcome to the first night of this years Down Stokes! On Thursday 16th October we will be floating along the attic bar, enjoying a line-up that will leave you wondering whether to gaze at your shoes or dream your worries away - not to worry, you can do both! This is beautiful, melodic and ethereal music at its finest.
Mild Orange
Magic Shoppe
Magic Shoppe are known for their love of distortion and reverb. Taking notes from My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raveonettes, Sonic Youth and Loop, the band has a shoegaze sound that flirts with noise rock. Dark, fuzzed-out guitars can wash into soundscapes or crash into a sonic maelström. They balance retro and futuristic music with driving bass and dirty rhythms, mixed with dark vocal melodies.
Magic Shoppe have offered up their own wall of sound blend of raw Shoegaze across 6 LPs, 6 EPs and 1 Live LP over the past 13 years. The band recently hit 3.5 million streams for their top Spotify songs, as well as having 105,000 Spotify monthly listeners. In October 2024 the band had a song featured on the popular Netflix series, Outer Banks. In the last 5 years, Magic Shoppe have completed 5 tours of the EU/UK and 3 mini-tours of the US/Canada.
In September 2025 Magic Shoppe will be releasing their 7th vinyl EP on Little Cloud Records in the US & Canada, and on Cardinal Fuzz in Europe and the UK, followed by tours of the US and the EU/UK.
Pocket Sun
Pocket Sun’s debut full-length album, Mirror In Blue Light, released in September 2024, marks an exciting new chapter for the Bristol-based band. Celebrating its launch with a sold-out show at The Jam Jar, a 250-capacity venue, Pocket Sun capped off a season of immersive live performances that have captivated audiences across the UK.
In the months following the release of Mirror In Blue Light, the band received significant support from the likes of CLASH, B24/7, Fame Magazine, Crack Magazine, and international radio play from Nashville to Japan. These milestones have helped build strong momentum around the album, which draws from the band’s signature blend of alternative pop, psychedelia, and jazz.
Pocket Sun’s previous EP, Binocular, featured the lead single “Wake Up,” produced by Ali Chant (known for his work with PJ Harvey, Portishead, and Gruff Rhys) and re-released on Kitsuné, aligning the band with acts like Hot Chip, La Roux, and Two Door Cinema Club. This EP helped solidify the band’s evolving sound and vision.
Hailing from a dreamy, synth-driven soundscape, Pocket Sun combines ethereal melodies and hypnotic grooves that invite listeners to drift into a surreal, synaesthetic experience. Fronted by vocalist and synth player Gina Marie Tratt, whose background in 70s-inspired animation shapes the band’s aesthetic, each release is a seamless fusion of sound and visual storytelling. Lyrically, Pocket Sun delves into themes of escapism, consciousness, and nostalgia, adding a poetic depth that resonates universally. Alongside four years of releasing singles, EPs and their debut album, Pocket Sun has crafted a distinctive live show, featuring custom animations, slick stage-craft and even their very own scent ‘Memory Lane’.
Entry requirements: 18+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Other indie rock gigs
— Bristol Beacon
indie rock
post-punk
synthpop
experimental pop
