Ritual Union Presents is coming Bristol. The first addition features performances from Ain’t, Opal Mag, and Nobody’s Dad!

Ritual Union Presents: one small step for bands, one giant leap for your
playlist.

We invite you on a genre-bending journey through the musical cosmos, showcasing some of
the most exciting up-and-coming artists from across the galaxy but often closer to home!.
In the lead up to Ritual Union Festival, taking place 28th March 2026, these monthly
showcases set in legendary grassroots venues in Bristol allow you to discover some of our
favourite artists, and offer you the chance to familiarise yourself with some of the line up
ahead of the big day. The first addition features performances from Ain’t, Opal Mag, and Nobody’s Dad!

Ain’t
Bringing together the stranger side of ’90s guitar music from both sides of the Atlantic, Ain’t
expertly toe the line between nostalgia and ingenuity. Comprised of George Ellerby
(Guitar/Vox), Ed Randall (Guitar), Hanna Baker Darch (Vox), Joe Lockstone (Drums), and
Isaac Griffiths (Bass), Ain’t’s compulsion to create seeps through with urgency and heft.
Having already played showcases for the likes of So Young, Rough Trade, The Alt Escape,
and The Windmill, their first two singles, “Oar” and “Teething,” arrived last summer and
marked the quintet as that rarest of things—a band with a feverish word-of-mouth reputation
even before releasing a single official track. The songs delivered on that promise, earning
widespread support: a digital cover with Dork and praise from the likes of Stereogum, NME,
CLASH, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, and So Young, as well as radio play from BBC Radio 6
Music, Radio X, Apple Music 1, and more.

New singles “Pirouette” and “Jude” mark the band’s opening salvo for 2025, setting the tone
for what’s shaping up to be another meteoric year. Recorded with Theo Verney (English
Teacher, Lime Garden, Egyptian Blue), the tracks showcase Ain’t’s knack for complex
dynamics—combining heavily textured, hook-driven instrumentation, subtle vocal harmonies,
and a combustible rhythm section.

Opal Mag
Taking influences from the likes of Mazzy Star, The Sundays, The Breeders, and The
Smashing Pumpkins, Opal Mag blends hazy, atmospheric soundscapes with confessional,
unfiltered lyricism. Writing for the dreamers and the bedroom dwellers, her songs feel like
secrets whispered late at night; raw, intimate, and achingly real.
With recent supports ticked off alongside acts including Black Honey and Phoebe Green,
and several festival appearances lined up in the coming months, the songwriter’s early
releases have already won acclaim from tastemakers Stereogum, So Young Magazine and
Under The Radar, and found a home on stations such as BBC 6 Music (Emily Pilbeam),
KEXP (Cheryl Waters) and Triple J (Colby Robertson)

Nobody’s Dad

Wrapped in the Bristol music scene are Nobody’s Dad: an artistic blend of shoegaze,
alternative rock, and indie. The band hits hard with gritty guitars and pounding drums,
juxtaposed with delicate vocals and lyrical hooks. Through their honest songwriting, the
group share real life experiences – weaving relationships, mental health, and coming of age
in post 2020 Britain.