Featuring – Self Esteem, Anna Calvi, Lynks & Divorce
Five days full of fun in the sun came to a gloriously anthemic end as @selfesteemselfesteem and her band brought the curtain down on another hugely successful Bristol Sounds.
A shorter day than Saturday, but just as jam-packed with new and established artists providing a fruit cocktail of variety in genre and styles. @divorcehq got the party started with their unique brand of alt-country/grunge(ish) music. The Nottingham band opened up in blazing sunshine and blustery winds, illuminating and blowing away those who had arrived early.
Next up was London’s cult underground sensation @lynkslynkslynks. The merchant of pure gay chaos brought a heady mix of drag, cabaret, and pure queer dystopia of electro-punk excess to Bristol’s harborside. The crowd lapped it up.
Adorned in a Michael Jackson Thriller-style red leather jumpsuit and safety-pinned gimp mask, Lynx set about wowing the crowd with their brand of theater and precision choreography. The dance routines with their three backing dancers were an absolute highlight of Sunday’s event.
The main support slot was occupied by @annacalvi, who provided one of the greatest solo performances I have ever seen from an artist I had not come across before. It’s been a long time since I have seen anyone make a guitar bleed with so much passion. An atmosphere that was cranked up further with the operatic vocals that had hairs standing and goosebumps rising.
Our headliner for the evening was Yorkshire songstress @selfesteemselfesteem, who has quickly become an adopted Bristol darling following incredible recent performances in the city. Tonight was no different as the performer, on course to become pop royalty, unleashed a powerhouse performance that had the crowd singing in full voice right from the start. Straight out of the box, dropping “Prioritise Pleasure” and “F*cking Wizardry,” and inducing a huge release of energy from the front barrier to the throngs dancing at the back. Self Esteem and the entire band are such a warm wall of positive energy; it felt like the perfect way to close out this year’s festival.
Day 5 Headliner: Self Esteem
When Self Esteem plays Bristol, count us in! Having already been converted to the church of prioritizing pleasure at the sold-out show at Bristol’s Marble Factory earlier this year, there was no way we were not going to be front and center for this one.
Self Esteem gigs are anthemic, high-energy prisms of positivity. From the get-go, you are enveloped in a wall of harmony, light, and sound that prickles the senses and forges an invisible connection with those around you.
The genuine sisterhood that Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor), along with her usual trio of backing singers and dancers made up of Marged Sion, Levi Heaton, and Seraphina D’Arby, as well as multi-instrumentalist Sophie Galpin and drummer Mike Park (token male), create, is tangible. They are a group of very special performers.
Ever honest and humble, Rebecca greets the large crowd with affection and bursts into “Prioritize Pleasure” and “F*cking Wizardry.” Both garner deafening responses as the crowd explodes into life and sings every single word back at the artist, who seems a little taken aback at the vociferous reaction. Quickly settling into her now-iconic dance routines, it’s obvious we are in for a special performance.
Sharp wit, unrivaled melodies, and West End-level staging abound by the time we hit the crushing beats of “Mother.” The autobiographical nature of Self Esteem’s music gives it an honest edge that allows it to connect and resonate on such a personal level with the audience, never more so than with “Girl Crush” and “John Elton.”
The crowd is so deeply invested in the performance that the set seems to flash past in the blink of an eye. Rebecca teases the crowd, saying, “This’ll be my last song,” “Oh come on Bristol, you’re a clever city… you know how this works… I’ll be back out.” True to her word, we receive “The 345” before the night and Bristol Sounds itself is capped off with “I Do This All The Time,” crowd and performer emotionally bonded as one. Hearing revelers singing the set as they wander off into the night reflects the high regard this performer is held in.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
