The Louisiana, Sunday 10th October 2021
HAWXX
Our expectations were high, very high when the shield maidens of the South East walked on to stage & picked up their weapons of choice.
Our expectations were utterly exceeded by the time the battle was over, HAWXX soaring above all they had laid to waste.
Y’know those big Hollywood blockbusters? Where the film’s protagonist enters some ultra cool, cyber punk club. The soundtrack making your heart beat faster and your hairs stand on end… the camera pans to the stage… it could easily be HAWXX standing there.
These lionesses have such a polished stage presence, charisma and aura about them. Only exceeded by the power of their songs and the message etched into every line of lyrics.
The difference it makes when a band believe in every word they are performing is palpable.
Couple that with the haunting delivery of @anna.hawxx and we might have seen the start of something very special indeed.
The set, including new material and featuring all four tracks from the deadlands EP was blistering. And it’s exceptionally rare to hear songs delivered so closely to the crisp production levels of a digital download.
This band is quite frankly exceptional live.
The performances of Blunt & Low will stay with me for a very long time.
And what an honour to be present as @anna.hawxx @hannah.hawxx @iman_ahmed_music & @jessicadrums debuted the video of new single “Death of Silence”
Remember the name because you’ll soon be watching HAWXX gliding to a very high altitude of that we are sure.
MALLAVORA
We have been waiting to catch Mallavora for TWO years.
Finally the planets aligned & the hope became a reality.
We can only imagine the frustration of moving to the city of Bristol. Only for the rug of the music scene to be pulled from underneath you within days of arriving due to the pandemic.
That frustration was laid bare as Mallavora made the walls shake from the get go. Straight out the traps with “favourite mistake” and never dropping a beat from there on in.
Not afraid of mixing it up with covers of wicked game (which had us won straight away as one of our favourite ever tracks) and first performances of new material. It became evident that the foursome have used the time spent in isolation productively.
It’s so great to see a band tread that iconic stage with the passion and enthusiasm it deserves.
And Mallavora are all about the passion… Passion and energy, the key word takeaways from our first live experience of the band.
An appreciative crowd agreed as they whooped and clapped each track with genuine approval.
We are so happy to have Mallavora as part of the Bristol music family. And eagerly await seeing them pop up all over the cities music venues over the coming months.
RACEHORSE
One of my favourite things about shooting and reviewing music is finding a local gem of a band that I might not have come across before.
@racehorsetheband fit that Bill perfectly.
It’s refreshing to see a band performing for the love of it and having a bit of fun. It doesn’t have to be serious all the time.
@racehorsetheband delivered a set full of good songs, with a cheeky smile and packed full of lyrical wit.
Prize fighter the stand out for us. And the Long Odds EP is very much worth a stream.
A feel good band, that left the crowd smiling.
@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
