Saturday, 22nd June Cannons Marsh Amphitheatre
Saturday marked the annual reopening of Bristol’s renowned Canons Marsh Amphitheatre for this year’s edition of the ever-anticipated Bristol Sounds. Recent years have welcomed numerous star-studded lineups, with headliners such as Noel Gallagher, Paolo Nutini, and The War on Drugs. This year’s opening event saw the South West’s metalheads and rock aficionados flock to the waterfront for Welsh reggae-metal icons Skindred, supported by a wonderful undercard of Reef, A, Rxptrs, and Mother Vultures, among many others.
The day commenced at one o’clock on the second stage—located in the well-supplied food court—with a metal-based DJ set from Choker, followed by three mindblowing sets from Mallavora, Tova, and Kid Bookie. As the hours ticked by, edging closer to half-past four, crowds of fans made their way to the smaller second stage once again to witness one of the day’s many highlights: Mother Vulture. Having made noticeable waves in the metal scene following their debut album in 2022 and their formidable stage presence, fans edged closer to the barrier, waiting to catch a glimpse of Bristol music’s bright future. Looking around, the band’s appreciative supporters were seen adorning their latest Mother Vulture merchandise as the energetic group made their way up the stage steps and into the glaring summer sun. Playing songs from “Mother Knows Best,” with a few new tracks too, fans persisted to mosh and headbang throughout the compact set of adrenaline. A highlight of their set was undoubtedly Brodie Maguire’s “in-crowd shred,” which saw him on his hands and knees in the middle of the crowd, tearing up the guitar as the fans stood in amazement. Mother Vulture returns to their hometown this October for a concert at The Exchange.
Undoubtedly, following the energy that had been induced into the Mother Vulture set, it was going to be tricky to rival such a brilliant start to the day. However, fellow hometown band Rxptrs perfectly accepted the challenge. With many of the crowd remaining at the second stage, Rxptrs rekindled the energy once again. While the Mother Vulture set aimed to keep the moshing and circles at the front, Simon Roach’s group sought to involve the whole food court. Calling for the crowd to “make a circle around the whole food court,” fans quickly began to run past the Gyros and merchandise stalls, before completing a lap past the pork stall and back to the front of the stage to reinvolve themselves with the ever-present mosh. As the set drew to a close, and the final crowd surfers were carried to the front, Roach chose to have a piece of the action. With his back facing the mass of metal-lovers, he was lifted into the air and began to sing upside down. Alongside Mother Vulture, Rxptrs showed why Bristol is one of the United Kingdom’s greatest musical cities. They brought constant energy and lit up the faces of every crowd member, leading to a perfect start for Bristol Sounds 2024.
As the sun began to set behind the onlooking office buildings, the crowd began to assemble towards the main stage in anticipation of A’s grand return. Walking out in a bright orange Just Eat jacket, Jason Perry explained that it was their only show of the year as the band was busy “being old and being parents,” raising a laugh from the crowd. However, this was soon followed up with the announcement that the band is currently recording a new album—their first in eighteen years. Playing classics such as “Monkey Kong,” “Old Folks,” “Nothing,” and “Here We Go Again,” Jason Perry was able to re-energize the crowd, who—admittedly—were flagging in the aftermath of the sun’s heat that had only just stopped. Alongside bringing the sunburnt crowd back to life through the energy that permeated from the stage, the band also brought something very special to the day: Bristol’s inaugural walking circle pit! In a comical dialogue from Perry, recognizing that his fans had aged, the band introduced the walking circle. The crowd split—much like it had for the rest of the day—and began to slowly turn anti-clockwise to the blaring tunes of A. Thus far, the day had lived up to the expectations that the lineup had promised, and it was only going to get better.
Throughout the day, Reef t-shirts could be seen everywhere, and as the sun continued to lower behind the amphitheatre, Reef’s ardent supporters congregated front and center of stage one. The recognizable tuning of the Glastonbury band’s guitar hit the ears of every fan as the group came out to the sound of “Shoot Me Your Ace.” Stood in awe of the events on stage, the crowd responded by singing each lyric and bouncing to each song. Stringer spoke for the band, saying that he wanted the evening to celebrate tracks from their second album, “Glow” (1997). Reef went on to play “Higher Vibration” and “Consideration” from “Glow,” before moving into fan favorite “Place Your Hands.” Every member of the main stage crowd raised their hands during the chorus, taking in every moment. As the set progressed, the band played numerous charting singles, before choosing to play a unique and sublime cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Their set ended, and the South West crowd roared one final time before the evening’s headliners entered the fray.
Newport, most notably during the 1990s, has produced some notable acts—once being renamed “the new Seattle.” A prominent genre that saw Newport’s music scene boom was its connection to alternative rock and metal. Alongside the likes of Feeder, who recently played in Bristol, Skindred is one of South Wales’ finest exports. Fusing metal music with reggae and other genres, the band was formed in 1998 as an offshoot from its predecessor, Dub War. Over the years, the band has blessed many stages, including the likes of Glastonbury and Reading, and this Saturday it marked Bristol’s turn to witness the wonderful live set that Benji Webbe and his bandmates have to offer. Before walking on stage, a few lucky fans met Webbe as he casually walked through the crowd and into the backstage area. He carried this same casual swagger an hour later as he entered the stage in a full leather trench coat, holding a Skindred flag, backdropped to a remixed version of John Williams’ Star Wars track “The Imperial March.” After a brief assessment, and approval, of the anticipatory crowd, the echoing guitar of the group’s 2023 track “Set Fazers” began to play and Webbe muttered “Burn Dem,” sending the metal fans into a frenzy. Watching the crowd move, Skindred continued to play, treating the fans to “Pressure,” “Ratrace,” and “That’s My Jam.” Following what can only be described as a heavy opening to a set, Webbe chose to play a reggae track “L.O.V.E (Smile Please)” which brought a smile to every crowd member’s face as everyone sang along to the catchy chorus. The band went on to treat their listeners to more of their greatest hits, before creating one final mosh to “Gimme That Boom.” The Welsh band came back out one final time to play two tracks. Following a memorable rendition of “Our Religion,” Webbe reinvited Kris Barras and Gary Stringer (Reef) onstage for one final celebration that day, playing “Warning.” As the song came to its closing notes, the crowd clapped one last time in appreciation for the seven-hour metal spectacle they had been lucky enough to witness. Skindred, and all involved, created the perfect opening ceremony for another wonderful edition of Bristol Sounds.
Bristol Sounds truly did get off to the most perfect beginning and promises to continue to treat music fans this summer with many more acts to come. Tickets to the events can be found here: [Bristol Sounds](https://www.bristolsounds.co.uk).
Words: Johnty Tennant Images: James Crisp
Role - I am a passionate writer with an interest for reviewing concerts and music.
Available For - Gig reviews and artist interviews.
Qualification - Currently I am studying BSc in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath.
First Concert - The first concert I ever attended was Coldplay at the Royal Albert Hall (2014). It was to promote the release of their ‘Ghost Stories’ album. I will never forget the call my dad gave me to say he had managed to get two tickets for the both of us. The whole experience was just pure joy. The relative intimacy (for Coldplay) of the Royal Albert Hall, will always make that night one of the best (if not the best) concerts I have ever attended.
Dream Concert - In all honesty this is too difficult to answer with just one concert. If I were to select a few artists that I would love to see, it would have to be: Hope Sandoval, feeble little horse, Greg Foat, Kurt Vile, Lucy Dacus (specifically playing ‘No Burden’ in its entirety), Jadu Heart and The Moldy Peaches.
There is also the difficulty of dream gigs that are not able to be done. These would be: Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Ann Peebles, Karen Dalton, Leon Russell, Mojave 3, The Smiths, and George Harrison (“All Things Must Pass” just from start to finish).
