On Friday night, I had the full Bristol (or should I say “Brizzle”) experience at The Exchange, celebrating with Skimmity Hitchers during their Urban Indoor Wassail. It was an unforgettable evening of ancient West Country tradition, lively music, and, of course, copious amounts of cider!
For those unfamiliar, Wassailing is an age-old West Country custom dedicated to blessing apple trees in hopes of a bountiful harvest. Traditionally, Wassailers gather around a tree, adorn its branches with slices of bread or toast, sing songs, perform pantomimes, and make merry. While this Wassail might have been “urban” and indoors, the spirit of the tradition was alive and well.
The night began with a set by solo artist DD, who serenaded the crowd with his banjo and rustic tunes. By the end of his set, he had everyone chanting along to “Ooooh arhhh oooh arrrh eyyy!” Next up was DJ Buttercup, who flew all the way from Norway to spin a mix of West Country classics by the likes of The Wurzels and The Watersons.
Things kicked into high gear when The Shinkickers took the stage. This seven-piece band delivered what they proudly described as “Alternative Scrumpy”—cider-soaked shanties and folk-punk anthems that had the crowd roaring along. Tracks like “Turbo Island” were clear fan favorites, while a hilarious moment saw one band member don a gas mask to pour the alcoholic apple beverage into cups while the audience chanted “Cider!”
A personal highlight for me was seeing their lead singer, who also happened to be one of my old secondary school teachers, Mr. Ford. It was surreal and brilliant to witness him thriving on stage in such a wild, joyous setting.
Midway through their set, The Shinkickers paused to present a Wassail play. The script, they joked, might have been discovered under The Exchange’s floorboards. With additional cast members, they acted out a bizarre and hilarious tale of the Broadmead Witch, accused of trying to access someone’s “fishy bits.” Admittedly, the cider had taken hold of me by this point, so my memory of the finer details is hazy, but the room was in stitches throughout.
To complete the Wassail tradition, attendees adorned an “apple tree” with bread and fruit. However, since this was an indoor Wassail, the tree was represented by a man wearing a spiky motorbike helmet. Organizers scrambled to tape slices of bread to him while others stuffed apples down his shirt and into his mouth. As The Shinkickers launched into a Wassail song from the 1700s, the crowd erupted into a dance that culminated in a cider-fueled conga line around the “tree.”
If that wasn’t enough, the headlining Skimmity Hitchers took to the stage, with the frontman kicking things off in true West Country style, exclaiming, “Who’s ready for some sister fisting, badger lovin’, scrumpy, and Weston!?” Their music was a wild cocktail of The Specials meets The Wurzels, infused with a generous dose of alternative comedy.
They launched into their set with a cider-themed rendition of “Ring of Fire,” reimagining Johnny Cash’s classic as an ode to drinking pints of scrumpy—a theme that carried on throughout the night. Highlights included their hilarious take on Prince Buster’s “Madness,” reworked as a song about Magners, and a cider-soaked parody of “Billie Jean” about “Old Bristolian.”
Much like The Shinkickers before them, Skimmity Hitchers brought the crowd into the chaos. At one point, they singled out a man from the audience—who I believe was named Gavin—and dressed him in a badger costume. Gavin wasted no time, launching into a mosh pit before starting a conga line, all while the band performed their own version of Toots & The Maytals’ “Monkey Man,” aptly renamed “Badger Man.”
I believe the Urban Indoor Wassail is an annual event, and I’ll most definitely be back next year. This gig was a non-stop cider-fueled party, and I left feeling truly warm and merry, part of an authentic Bristol celebration on a cold Friday night in January. What a way to kick off a year of gigs—if you get the chance to see Skimmity Hitchers, don’t miss it!
Bio: Professional photographer since 2016, specialising in nightlife and live music photography. I’m passionate about supporting grassroots music venues, with notable experience at venues like Thekla, where I’ve had the privilege of capturing both bands and club nights for over 6 years.
Available for: Gigs & Headshots
First Gig Shot: All Saints at the O2 Academy Brixton, 2016
Dream Gig: Paul McCartney, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones
www.davidjeffery-hughesphotography.uk
Instagram: @david_jh_photography
