Constructed from the collective mind of local creatives and friends, Below the Belt prefers to scout the talent emerging from the city’s vibrant pool of artists, providing a platform for short-form content. Alongside their films, recordings, and live sessions, this eclectic group produce a printed zine of their own, ‘Double Hammer’, dissecting these creatives and their practice. Launching the release of their third issue, the gang held a night featuring a lineup of collaborators in the latest issue. It formed a triptych of genres – UK rap, folk, punk – three important areas that make up the city’s exciting and rich music scene packed into one small intimate venue.
Descending the narrow staircase to the basement of Cloak, our first artist of the night was Kwazi, who utilises UK rap and hip-hop to thread a personal narrative exploring his progression as an artist. Kwazi is unique in his lyricism as he frequently references pop culture, particularly anime, utilising references from ‘Naruto’, ‘One-Piece’ and ‘The Last Airbender’, twisting them into metaphors. These references created an interesting angle on growing up in the 2000s and being a young adult in the current climate, all from the perspective of a Gen Z artist. He forms a casual connection with the crowd as he jokes about throwing together a last-minute setlist, being at the whim of his ‘DJ’, referring to his laptop. Cloak was hooked on Kwazi’s every word, preparing an attentive crowd for the rest of the evening.
Following Kwazi’s electric set and shifting the event into its next musical phrase, Eve Appleton Band bore the torch as they transcended their genre, meticulously weaving strings of melodies with such powerful instrumentation and ethereal vocals that they cut through the basement like the bitter chill of a crisp rush of air. Eve Appleton and her band exuded the spirit of a troupe out of time. There was depth to their sound as they fused multiple different genres, from being rooted in folk, to Celtic, and alternative music. A clear blend of inspirations formed a beautiful new sound that could be a mixture of artists like Billie Marten, Pavement, Adrienne Lenker and Fleetwood Mac. From the vocal harmonies to the syncopated rhythms each member became one with their instruments, their chemistry when playing seemed to be the cog that kept everything turning like clockwork, creating music that has escapism tied to it in every way.
There was an exciting buzz around the venue, as people eagerly prepared themselves for a storm of spirit and vigour. The basement instantly packed out as Grandmas House took stage, performing only inches from the crowd, a stark contrast to their performance at Bristol Sounds the week before. Back to the station they’re more used to, they performed an explosive set that perfectly encapsulated the chaos of underground punk shows. Yas had no choice but to back into the crowd as she roared, making the most out of the space the four members had to share. The energy seemed to reach boiling point as mosh pits broke out in the cramped space, eventually engulfing the entire floor as sweat dripped from the ceiling. The soaked hair, sticky clothes, and busted lips were completely worth it as Grandmas House hailed a riot. I couldn’t even resist throwing my camera equipment aside to join in for the chaos of ‘Body’.
All this is to say that Below the Belt’s launch of issue three is one to be remembered: they’ve solidified themselves as a hand that reaches out to artists as they compered the evening with grace and humour. The atmosphere was something I could only describe as like a DIY underground gig in the American urban: even aside from the artists, this gig was endowed with one of the strongest senses of community that I’ve been to in a long time.
Isaac Stubbings @ilnsimages
Role: Photographer & Reviewer
Hey! I'm a photographer who uses music as a core influence in all my photography. I love looking towards colour and lighting to try and emulate a narrative that enhances my work.
Qualifications: I study Photography at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots and Touring
First attended gig: The first gig I went to was to see the band Beach House in Brighton when I was about 14. It was in a big church and I remember the dreamy vocals and synths sounded amazing with the acoustics of the place. After that, I was hooked on the experience of going to see live music.
First gig shot: In college I shot a couple of my friends’ bands in tiny venues, but I think the first proper gig I shot was Newdad at Thekla. Wanting to get back into music photography, I reached out – not really expecting to hear back – and it meant a lot to me when I was put on the list to shoot one of my favourite bands. It was such an enjoyable and rewarding experience for me, so after that I was set on pursuing it further.
Dream gig: Big question. There are so many I could think of, but it would have to be The Cure in a small intimate venue.
