Review: Ritual Union – ‘An obvious fit for the Bristol music scene’

Returning less than six months after their successful debut, there was a lot of pressure on Ritual Union – were they able to not only equal last year’s event but actually exceed it?

We kicked things off at SWX which is where we spent most of the afternoon.

It would have been beneficial to have at least six other people to cover the all day festival, one person per venue/room, as it was extremely hard to narrow down who we wanted to watch.

Setting the tone for the day were the four piece punk band Panic Shack. The whole bottom floor absolutely packed as we all took to the floor to watch the Welsh girl group dominate.

A crazy chaotic set including smash hits such as The Ick and Meal Deal before they all did a shot of tequila prior to the final song (‘a Bristol tradition’, they tell us), the group cemented their place in the 21st century industry as one of the most exciting live bands around.

Continuing our day at SWX, the next band were Brighton group Lime Garden. Following their stint at SXSW in Texas, the band provided a change of pace to the day.

It’s no surprise that Paramore’s Hayley Williams is such a fan of Lime Garden. photo: Issy Packer

Taking inspiration from 70’s funk, 80’s synth and post-punk, the group are completely enthralling. Sick & Tired and Love Song were highlights, particularly the latter which subverted the very meaning of what a love song is and made you want them all to sound like this one.

Up next were the punk rock band Heavy Lungs. The Bristol band are well-known for their ferocious performances and this was no different.

Quite possibly the best crowd of the entire day, the band rocked on and off the stage with the lead singer Danny Nedelko (you might recognise his name from the IDLES song which was named after him) moshing on the floor with the rest of us.

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Featuring well-loved tracks, new songs and a brief cover of Kelis’ Milkshake, the band were just as exciting as you’d expect them to be.

A momentary calm in the middle of the crashing punk storm came from Rozi Plain. The London musician has garnered acclaim these past few months following the release of her fifth album, Prize, and will be supporting Paramore on their upcoming UK tour.

The singer emitted a soft, folksy sound that encompassed the entire venue. Offering a heartfelt performance, the singer proved that there’s a space and a need in Bristol for a range of sounds and genres to be heard.

We headed upstairs to watch the Brighton trio Ciel. There was a difficulty to see the band due to the layout of the room but fortunately this didn’t hinder their performance.

Providing alt-pop sounds and melodic tracks, the band were completely self-assured in their presence on stage, a live performance that left you wanting more.

The finale performance we saw at SWX was The Oriellies. The indie rock band had dominated the scene when they released their debut album in 2018 but it seems that they have fallen slightly behind these past few years.

The Orielles’ performance was marred by technical difficulties. photo: Issy Packer

It was a packed out crowd as they took the stage but it was a disappointing affair with the performance marred by technical issues which meant they were late.

Unfortunately, it seemed the issues weren’t fully resolved as the band continue to have sound issues throughout their set.

It seemed that the band were unable to win the crowd over after such a late start and some technical issues as they all looked on sulkily. Overall, it was a disappointing performance.

We headed over to Strange Brew for the final few perfomances of the day. We spent a brief time in the second room where Sniffany & The Nuts were dominating the stage.

Providing a potent energy that rivalled Heavy Lungs’ set earlier in the day, Sniffany & The Nuts looked right at home on the stage in the back room.

English rock band, TRAAMS, took to the stage in the main room at Strange Brew. On the scene since 2011, the trio provided a good, if not a little boring, performance.

An enjoyable set and a great venue, TRAAMS provided a decent set. photo: Issy Packer

If TRAAMS were the only band I had seen that day, I might have been more captivated but following the performances of Ciel, Lime Garden and Heavy Lungs, their performance felt slightly lacklustre.

The final performance of the day came from Buzzard, Buzzard, Buzzard. A surprise set which was announced only a few hours before, the crowd welcomed the Welsh band with open arms.

The rockers were a great way to close the day, transporting us back to those 80’s rock days with a front man exuding cool, the set was a welcome surprise.

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Ritual Union fits so well within the Bristol music scene that it’s hard to believe that it hasn’t been around for years.

Although it was only five months since the first edition of Ritual Union, it felt like Bristol longed for this day to come.

It’s now been 48 hours since the second edition and we’re already waiting for even the slightest hint of when we can expect the next one.

Main photo: Issy Packer

Read next:

• Review: Ritual Union – ‘A welcome addition to the city, we can only hope it returns again soon’
• Preview: Ritual Union

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