Bristol O2 Academy, 2nd April
Review @thetorsband
O2 Academy Bristol 2nd April
West Country charmers
Brothers Matt and Theo Weedon and Jack Bowden’s combo punch of cheeky charm and anthemic indie bangers proved to be the perfect support for Sam Ryder at a sold out Bristol O2 Academy on Sunday.
Hand picked by Sam for the UK tour, after providing great support across Europe, Tors arrive with a glowing reputation.
The Bristol crowd had filled the venue early doors, so when fellow West Countrymen Tors arrive on stage they do so to a enthusiastic welcome. The band come out the gate strong with the upbeat strains of “Heavy Hearts” filling the arena.
Tors are a dynamic band in that whilst a lot of their lyrics pertain to emotive subject matter and angst of young life. They do it with soaring harmonies and catchy, singalong choruses that have ear worm potential strewn across them.
Songwriting aside the band are genuinely funny, cheeky and likeable. Some of the sibling banter between the brothers had the crowd in stitches. Jibes at drummer Jack’s forlorn lost love prior to “Amsterdam” raising chuckles from the stick wielder and crowd alike. As did the good natured and brave way vocalist Matt ribbed the crowd throughout the evening.
The support tour has been timed perfectly to coincide with the release of latest EP “Anything Can Happen”. The Song and EP real road markets in the bands personal & professional lives.
“‘Anything Can Happen’ is probably the most important song we’ve released to date. It’s an honest stripping back of our ongoing experiences with depression and a hopeful reminder to celebrate the tiny victories on the long road to recovery.”
The seven song set showcased exactly why the band are rated so highly. And destined to enjoy a breakout year in 2023.
If you enjoyed Tors you wont have to wait long to catch them again. They return to Bristol to headline in their own right on 22nd June.
📝 @bristolnomad_gigphotography
📸 Porthjess
@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