The return of Bristol Sounds will be celebrated with legends of rock, reggae, punk and dub – and will feature the city’s first ever all day open air rock event in summer 2024. Celebrating a decade of the open air concert series, Lloyds Amphitheatre will be headlined by Skindred, Gentleman’s Dub Club, The Skints and The Breeders over the course of three all day events on Saturday 22, Sunday 23 and Sunday 30 June 2024.
With more dates and artists yet to be announced – including another full day party and three evening shows – Bristol Sounds’ opening date will see Bristol’s first ever all day open air rock event arrive in the city. Headlined by UK ragga-metal heavyweights Skindred, Sounds-goers should expect their unique brand of reggae, rock and metal to take over the amphitheatre. Hailing from just across the water in South Wales, this will be a real treat for all Bristol rockers following their latest album release ‘Smile’, following their meteoric rise from Newport to the world stage.
Also on Saturday and reinvigorated by fresh additions to the band lineup, Glastonbury rockers Reef will be ready to ignite the amphitheatre – re-energised like never before. Sharing the stage will be one of modern hard rock’s most exciting breakouts in recent years, the Kris Barras Band, who will be bringing all-new grit to 2024 with their new album ‘Halo Effect’. Amplifying their heavier sound, 2024 is set to be a phenomenal year for former MMA fighter Kris Barras and his band. A further wave of talent for this all day event, including a second stage of new and upcoming acts, is due to be announced.
Event promoter Conal Dodds of Crosstown Concerts said “We’re proud to announce our 10th anniversary of harbourside shows with a bill that represents the city’s diverse musical tastes and heritage. We’re really excited to bring some great names to play in one of Bristol’s best locations. 2024 is set to be the biggest Bristol Sounds to date. There will be four all day shows over consecutive weekends alongside three evening only events.”
Let a little love in your heart for high grade headliners, Gentleman’s Dub Club on Sunday 23 June. If there’s one thing the Leeds-based outfit know, it’s how to deliver a live show. With everything from reggae and ska to high energy instrumental drum and bass on the menu, dub’s best dressed gentleman will really turn up the volume. An all day ska, reggae and dub day, Sunday will be co-headlined by the “Torchbearers of reggae music”, The Skints. Renowned for their heavy touring ethic and reggae fused beats, an incredible live show is part and parcel of what they do.
Both will share the Sunday stage with five piece electronic and dub band Dreadzone, bringing their old skool dread sound to Bristol’s harbourside. Earlier West London artist, Hollie Cook will also be bringing her critically acclaimed live appearance to Bristol. With her unique vocal talent and charming charisma, Hollie is one not to be missed. Meanwhile opening the main stage will be London’s Kiko Bun, an artist heavily influenced by Jamaican Roots, dub, and rocksteady. The main stage will also feature the DJing delights of Bristol resident Count Skylarkin, with a line up of second stage DJ’s still to be announced.
Following the recent announcement of multi-venue event Ritual Union in March 2024, Bristol Sounds will see the first ever “Ritual Union presents” all day event, on Sunday 30 June 2024. With Crosstown Concerts promoters Simon Bailey and Richard Walsh bringing the multi-venue Ritual Union energy to the Bristol Harbourside, Sunday will see an all day indie rock event at Lloyds Amphitheatre, headlined by American nineties icons, The Breeders.
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. Cannonball basslines and a punk rock attitude will ensure this won’t be the bands last splash in Bristol waters. One of the leaders of the new psych-influenced garage rock scene that erupted in California in the late 2000s, Ty Segall will support with a catalogue as prolific as it is diverse to the Bristol harbourside.
The marvellous Squid will support, fresh from two nights at Bristol’s SWX earlier this year. Teeming with melodic epiphanies and layered sounds, Squid’s second album O Monolith is a musical evocation of environment, domesticity and self-made folklore, and makes for a truly energetic live performance. Further main stage acts and a second stage line up will be announced shortly.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday 8 December at 10am at: https://crosstownconcerts.seetickets.com/tour/bristol-sounds
For more information and early ticket access, sign up to the Bristol Sounds mailing list at: https://mailchi.mp/crosstownconcerts/bristolsoundssignup
Images, Bristol Sounds 2023
