18 things to do in Bristol this week: September 12-18 2022

Monday: Rowan Rheingans, Wardrobe Theatre
After the release of her award-winning debut solo album The Lines We Draw Together, Rowan Rheingans creates a blend of story-telling and emotive folk music performances, telling of her grandmother’s experiences growing up in 1940s Germany.

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Monday-Tuesday: Friendsical, Redgrave Theatre
Friendsical is an original and unique new parody musical inspired by the gang in Friends, the iconic TV show. We are excited to reveal Jake Quickenden, star of I’m A Celebrity and Dancing On Ice, will be guest starring in Friendisical at The Redgrave Theatre.

Tuesday: Infringed Poetry, The Bristol Fringe
A comfortable, welcoming open mic poetry night for first timers and seasoned veterans alike. Now running on the second Tuesday of every month, the evening aims to inspire those who have been thinking about getting into poetry/spoken word performance to take that next step and get on stage.

The venue is one of Bristol’s top spots for comedy, spoken word and poetry – photo: Bristol Fringe

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Wednesday: Henry Blofeld – My Dear Old Things, Redgrave Theatre
Being confined to the pavilion for the past couple of seasons has given Henry time to reconnect with his Norfolk roots and reflect on a truly extraordinary life. This reflection inspired the online film, At Home With Henry, and this new theatre show.

The legendary cricket commentator returns to Redgrave Theatre this week – photo: Redgrave Theatre

Wednesday: Candlelight: A Tribute to Coldplay, The Mount Without
Known for creating magical candle-lit tributes to some of the world’s top musical artists, Candlelight return to The Mount Without for a mid-week celebration of all things Coldplay.

The candlelight brand put on performances in over 20 countries, and are renowned for bringing both visually and sonically stunning shows – photo: Candlelight

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Thursday: Robyn Hitchcock, Redgrave Theatre
Multidisciplinary artist Robyn Hitchcock has been carving his legacy as a singular rock’n’roll troubadour for six decades. The London-born musician, poet and painter’s work spans Dadaist pop with The Egyptians and The Soft Boys’ proto-psych-punk to his expansive solo work. Hitchcock’s songwriting abounds in vivid poeticism, astute wit and sage anecdotes. His solo career, launched with the 1981 album Black Snake Diamond Röle, encompasses over 20 albums and he’s collaborated with R.E.M., Yo La Tengo and The Decemberists. More recently, Hitchcock released his first book Somewhere Apart: Selected Lyrics 1977-1997 published via his own Tiny Ghost Press imprint.

Thursday-Sunday: Come Bye Festival, Near Abergavenny
A small, intimate festival on a farm just outside of Abergavenny, Wales, Come Bye Festival invites people to bring something along with them for the festival, whether that be a small gift to give to the new friends you will make, or a service that you feel would benefit your fellow festival goers. There’s also a wicked lineup of DJs and bands to keep you entertained throughout the weekend.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChXkgTWDlvQ/

Thursday: Stitch & Switch: A Sustainable Fashion Evening
An evening of clothes swapping and mending, inspiring talks to share knowledge surrounding sustainable fashion, music and drinks!

The event is part of a series of sustainability themed events happening at Future Leap – photo: Future Leap

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Friday: Church of Jungle, Trinity Centre
The Interference crew presents: The Church of Jungle. This event does exactly what it says on the tin, get ready for a years worth of amens with a godly jungle line-up, the likes of which Bristol only sees once in a blue moon.

Friday-Saturday: Bristol Sea Shanty Festival 2022, Various Locations
Across Bristol harbour this weekend, you’re likely to hear the melodies of sea shanties being carried along with the wind, as Bristol Sea Shanty Festival returns. Beginning at the Hen & Chicken on Friday evening with a performance from Bristol’s The Longest Johns, the festival then moves to various venues around the harbour, bringing you two days of nautical themed folk performances.

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Opens Friday: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, Watershed
An engrossing portrait of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen through the lens of his most famous and enduring work.

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Saturday: A Touch of Zen, Watershed
Widely regarded as the greatest martial arts epic of all time, A Touch of Zen won awards worldwide (including at Cannes), smashed box-office records and had an incalculable influence on the genre as a whole.

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Saturday-Sunday: Tokyo World 2022, Eastville Park
September sees Bristol’s Eastville Park play host to the iconic UK Festival: Tokyo World. Cemented as the ultimate final send off to the festival season each year, 2022 sees the bar set at a new height for this powerhouse event with a bigger and better lineup than ever before. Fans of Hip Hop, House, Techno, Disco, Drum & Bass, Jungle & RnB will need to save the date – this year’s edition is not to be missed.

Tokyo World 2022 will be taking place in the usual location of Eastville Park – photo: Tokyo World

Saturday: Immortal Technique, O2 Academy
Known for his outspoken political lyricism, American Hip-Hop artist Immortal Technique comes to the O2 Academy this weekend for a no doubt raw, thought provoking performance, with support from a plethora of hip-hop talent.

Sunday: Comedy Night, The Square Club
What is usually a private members club for the film and creative industries opens its doors for some Sunday evening comedy in the surroundings of their Lower Deck cocktail bar. The night will be jam packed with local comics testing out new material, and previewing some of their Edinburgh Fringe material, so get down if you’re a comedy fan looking for a sneak peak of what’s to come.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch-Pmx4Dt_n/

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Sunday: Garden Party: Revolution Sounds, Trinity Centre
Celebrate the end of a summer of arts and music activities and head down to Trinity on 18 Sep for Garden Party: Revolution Sounds; a free, community party that will bring together some of the best arts activists, covering music, sound, poetry, art and performance.

The party is free to attend, and has something for everyone – photo: Trinity Centre

And coming soon…

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September 23: MOBO UnSung, Bristol Beacon Foyer
MOBO UnSung is one of the country’s strongest annual talent competitions for unsigned artists producing original work. This September the UnSung Class of 2022 are going on a UK tour ahead of a compilation album release later this year. Joining us in Bristol will be Genesis Elijah, Sarah Ikumu, Adreyn Cash and A30. The event will also feature a panel discussion titled ‘Breaking Through in Black British Music’. This will cover funding opportunities, overcoming the challenges facing DIY musicians, achieving organic growth in a digital world, artist progression phases and more, offering essential advice and guidance for emerging artists looking to make their mark on the music industry.

The event has become a beacon for the discovery of unsigned musical talent – photo: Bristol Beacon

Main photo: Alexander Dodgson, Come Bye Festival

Read more: Art on the hill returns to Windmill Hill

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