The Louisiana 6th June
Laura Jazmyn Band
Anglo Welsh 5 piece, Laura Jazmyn are cutting a unique cloth with their blend of jazz chords and indie pop melodies, Overlaid with soaring vocals & a hint of soul. It’s refreshing in its approach & efforts to breakaway from the cookie cutter sounds of the scene that can become all too familiar at times.
Not to be confused as a solo artist with backing band, Laura Jazmyn consists of Laura Huckbody – vocals, Ava Henley – lead guitar, Alex Vaughan – rhythm guitar, Tom White – drums and (at least on Tuesday) Tom Holman on Bass. Tom, from Holy Reptile, kindly stepping in on bass due to the absence of the bands regular bassist.
From the start Laura & co filled the room with warmth & colour. The lyrics touching on themes of new beginnings as well as reflecting on past experiences. All delivered with a smooth stage performance that enthused those watching & brought a little bit of the bright evening sunshine into the dark upper room of the venue.
7 songs drifted effortlessly by. The bulk of the set made up of 2021 EP “Ride or Die”. With “Run Away”, “Same Old Girl” and “Open Up The Door” all delivered with the familiarity of long-time friends being reacquainted. “Run Away” taking us on a virtual summer road trip of roof down, tunes up & sunglasses on. “Open Up The Door” given a barnstorming airing that really showcased what the band is about & allowed Laura to express her versatility as a performer & a vocalist. Material new & old was floated into the ether & vibes of summers spent & summers yet to happen punctuated the minds of all those lucky to enough to be in attendance.
It was also very noticeable how much this project is about the whole & not the one. Laura taking time to shift the crowds focus & wander the whole stage, interacting with each member of the band during the set as well as, of course, those watching.
At its core Bristol is a music city, with very strong roots in both Jazz and indie. A band that can effortlessly capture and fuse both genres together like Laura Jazmyn are doing is surely going to stamp it’s name firmly on the musical map.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / @thebristolnomad
Last One Home
Its been over a year since we last caught The Last One Home boys in action. The Pop Rockers have had a line up rejig in that time as well as adding a fourth member. Now consisting of lead vocalist/guitarist Tom Westlake, bassist/vocalist Fin Dawes, guitarist/vocalist Ali Fewell and drummer George Noonan we were keen to catch up.
The melodic pop rock sound with its roots firmly in 00’s alt-rock culture is still undoubtedly there, but the band have definitely evolved since our last viewing. The sound is more atmospheric with electronic rock leanings complimenting the melodic pop backbone.
The seven song setlist is a giddy mix of recently released material such as opener “Lifeline” from 2021 and 2022’s “Wildfire”. And unreleased additions to the armoury such as “The Chosen” and “Trick Of The Light”. The latter of which is a lil bit special.
It’s obvious from the set list choice that the band are keen to push forward with their sound. Favouring more recent releases rather than reaching back to the songs of their early years, which extend all the way back to 2016. That said we finish up with the song that really announced the band as a local force, 2018s anthemic “Give You The World”.
Overall the line up refresh and new material feels like the band have started to settle on a direction of travel. And we look forward to jumping on the bus with them for the exciting journey.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / @thebristolnomad
Hunny Buzz
A justified buzz.
We had been recommended to catch Hunny Buzz for a while by both our team members and other purveyors of the local scene. Having caught the tail end of the band’s recent set at Cotham Hill Street party, we were sold and eagerly awaited this headline date to roll around.
Turns out we were not the only ones, @alpaca.presents put on a stellar line-up, selling out Bristol’s iconic Louisiana. Hunny Buzz (Lydia Read – vocals, guitar, Rowan Barfoot – guitar, Ewan Base – Bass & Billy Pedrick – Drums) took the stage to an enthusiastic welcome. Looking relaxed and full of smiles, they launched us into a ten-strong set that epitomized their indie-pop, jangly sound.
That pure, upbeat, indie-pop sound infused with rich guitar fuzziness creates a fantastic juxtaposition to the lyricism that often deals with the relationship challenges of youth, delivered beautifully by Read’s effervescent, twangy, and wispy vocal. It’s clear early doors that the four-piece are a cut above the “local band” tag. The set contains many tracks that would not be out of place on a national radio playlist. Indeed, February’s release “Love Me Like You Used To” has been championed by BBC Radio One’s Gemma Bradley.
Alongside the aforementioned “LMLYUT” are staple stand-out tracks “Girlfriend In The band” & “Short Black Skirt,” which rightly receive whoops and cheers from the tightly packed mob. Who, from the start, have been dancing, smiling, and singing along. Away from the released tracks, “Nicotine” proved a very strong favorite. And we need to give “Palpitations” & “Nice Guy” high praise as well. An unplanned but heavily demanded encore rounds it off.
After spending 60 minutes in the company of Hunny Buzz, it’s clear to see that we could be looking at a genuine breakout indie band for 2023/2024.
The Bristol Nomad / @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
