Review: Dot To Dot – ‘Another success marked off on Bristol’s music calendar’

Music fanatics had their pick of the lot over bank holiday of where to go and who to see.

With Love Saves the Day taking place at Ashton Court, in the centre of town, Dot To Dot Festival was kicking off at several different venues.

If you thought Dot To Dot would be less busy considering the scope of bands, the amount of venues and another huge event in BS41 then you would be wrong.

First up was Saloon Dion at SWX 2 – their upstairs room. A small, intimate room that was filled with people wanting to watch the five piece band.

Following the release of their debut EP earlier this month, the band were as entertaining as ever, exuding a confidence that was both captivating and fun.

Saloon Dion looked right at home at SWX. photo: Issy Packer

Heading over to the Thekla, pinkpirate was providing the soft pop sounds on the outdoor dockyard stage.

The singer-songwriter offered up experimental, synth-drenched pop alongside haunting vocals, creating a distinctive sound.

Influenced by the likes of The Japanese House, James Blake and Bon Iver, pinkpirate seems to have crafted a unique space for herself and her live performance was just as exciting as her records.

Possibly my favourite performance of the day came from Tyla X An. The Israeli born, Bristol based singer commanded the stage and captured the crowd’s attention for the entirety of her set.

Her playful tracks, including Daddy and Holy J from her debut EP TXN, were a throwback to the pop sounds of Y2K. Alongside smoky lights and dark visuals, the back room at Dareshack could have been a nightclub in Berlin.

Glasgow punk band Humour took to the dockyard stage at Thekla for an afternoon session. Formed in 2021, the band felt like they had been going for years.

Glaswegian rockers, Humour, were a Saturday afternoon delight. photo: Issy Packer

A sense of assuredness threaded the set as the band thrashed on stage, with heavy guitar riffs and hard-hitting vocals the band are definitely one to keep an eye on.

For a slight change of pace, we headed over to The Louisiana for Nell Mescal. The Irish singer performed with a three piece band and completely charmed the crowd.

Blurring the lines between bedroom pop and a soft-folk sound, her set felt so personal and emotional that you couldn’t help but be drawn in.

Opus Kink were next on our list however the queue for the band snaked round the back of The Fleece and there was no way we were getting in. It was hard not to be disappointed by this and I wonder if a change in venue would have served the band better.

We waited for Hi Vis, who were the final band at The Fleece. The five piece band are an atypical punk band.

Their stage presence is gripping and, at times, agressive but lyrically, they’re unafraid to confront subjects such as class politics and mental health. It’s a welcome repreive from other hardcode bands with Hi Vis offering something fresh and relatable.

A high energy set from Hi Vis at The Fleece. photo: Issy Packer

But don’t let the songwriting fool you, the band still drew an incredible crowd with people climbing the pillars, stage-diving and crowd surfing all within 45 minutes.

American singer-songwriter Yot Club is perhaps the antithesis of Hi Vis but in no less way enthralling. From soft-pop and indie rock to synth and new wave, it was a beautifully performed set.

We ended the day back at Thekla to watch one of the most exciting artists on the Bristol music scene, Grove. Looking right at home on stage, Grove dominated their set with disco hits and underground sounds.

Book-ending the day with two great Bristol artists only emphasised how much talent we have in the city right now.

Despite some long queues and a couple of missed acts, the day was another success marked off on Bristol’s music calendar. Until next year.

Main photo: Issy Packer

Read next:

• Preview: Dot To Dot 2023
• Review: Dot To Dot 2022 – ‘With so much live music across the 11 hour day, it was hard to narrow it down’
• Dot To Dot announce first wave of acts for 2023

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: