Music / Review
Review: Outer Town Festival – ‘Proved itself to be one of the city’s most successful day festivals’
For one day only, Outer Town Festival took over Bristol’s Old Market for a day of punk, experimentation and incredibly exciting new talent.
Starting off the day was Factor 50 at the Elmers Arms. Fresh off the release of their debut EP, the Bristol indie group played a punkier set than normal; powering through tracks from the EP, previous singles and even some unreleased material.
The tightness and energy of this band really made them stand out, even when crammed into the intimately tiny venue. Even at the end of the day, Factor 50 remained one of the most exciting bands at Outer Town.
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Over at Glitch, the hair salon turned venue, Blue Bendy fit right in. With the hanging pot plants and cosy atmosphere, their warm sound filled the room.
Fans of Black Country, New Road would have loved this set, with a great mix between quiet intimacy and heavy emotional climaxes.
The venue was the perfect example of what makes Outer Town so special: unique spaces used to their full potential to highlight new talent.
In every one of the venues, the sound was excellent. The Exchange hosted a variety of acts, from the suitably buzzy indie rock of Hunny Buzz to the manic live show of Public Body.
Utilising both the main room and the basement, the venue packed in as many bands as possible.
Another highlight of the day was the fantastic Getdown Services. Up and coming Bristol legends, the duo smashed through a tight setlist of banger after banger.
Both topless and backed by groovy drum machine beats, the pair’s deadpan spoken vocals rip into modern culture, with Bristol getting a lot of the heat.
They mastered the balance between arrogance and likeability, never holding back with their audience interactions but always giving energetic performances.
Despite major technical difficulties halfway through their set, Grandma’s House delivered one of the most energetic sets of the day.
The band were forced to halt their set midway through after a delay but they returned back to the stage to finish what they started, with their blisteringly heavy punk seemingly unaffected by the problems.
Courting rounded off the night at The Old Market Assembly, playing with a confidence and stage presence that is unbelievable for a band playing their first ever headline slot at a festival.
They are one of the most exciting bands to come out of the indie scene recently, and their mix of pop choruses and experimental effects worked perfectly in the live setting.
Playing to the heaviest crowd of the day, Courting played hit after hit, even passing round the cowbell through the crowd at one point.
After a dance at the eclectic DJ set at festival hub Moor Beers, Outer Town rounded off and proved itself to be one of the city’s most successful day festivals.
With more and more of these festivals cropping up, Bristol always feels like the perfect home for them, with its abundance of independent venues, excellent local beers and rowdy but always friendly crowds.
Main photo: Hannah North
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