George Ward
Freelance journalist and online editor for CLUNK. Can be found out and about in Bristol, finding cheap records or having a pint on King Street.
New Bristol promoter Drawerfull put on their first gig at Cafe Kino last week, with raw performances from Omertà, 1000 Legs and Beal
Last week, new promoter Drawerfull put on their first event, taking over Bristol’s Cafe Kino for a night of punk from Omertà, 1000 Legs and Beal. Completely sold out, insanely sweaty and suitably chaotic, it was a wild night celebrating some of the best new music from Bristol, Cardiff and London.
First up were new Cardiff band Beal, the new project from Casual Smart member Emily Beal. A lovely way to ease us into a night of chaos, Beal’s set was made up of country-tinged indie rock songs, reminiscent of the softer side of Wednesday. Though Emily plays with a four-piece band, it is their songwriting that takes centre stage, and we’re excited to hear what this sounds like in the studio.
1000 Legs upped the energy, with their tense post punk filling the basement viciously. With five band members crammed tightly on stage, the frontman stood over his adoring mosh pit proudly, allowing the band to whip up the crowd into a frenzy in long, sinister build ups. When the track inevitably exploded, there was a feeling of real ferocity in the room, with hunched over guitar solos and gutturally screamed choruses erupting. The addition of saxophone filled the band’s sound satisfyingly, bringing to mind contemporaries like Maruja.
Closing out the night was London’s Omertà, who travelled down to Bristol for their first ever gig in the city. The most chaotic set of the night, Omertà’s performance was passionate, ridiculous and messy in the best possible way. The band’s sound is propulsive, jetted forwards by driving drums, punchy synth lines and unrelenting guitar riffs.
There was a real feeling of Omertà making things up as they went along, and this unpredictability fit perfectly within the four walls of Kino. With the band hurriedly telling guest synth player, event promoter and Casual Smart frontman Peter how to play each synth line seconds before each track began, you really felt part of their chaos, and this was felt the strongest when their frontman entered the crowd, desperate to be swallowed by the mosh pit at every opportunity.
Stripped to his underwear and writhing on the floor, you couldn’t have asked for a more fitting band to close out this exciting new event, and we hope Drawerfull continue to bring vital new music to Bristol for many more gigs to come.
Photography by Bethan Celeste