Live Review + Gallery | caroline @ Trinity Centre, Bristol

caroline

Trinity Centre, Bristol

31st May 2025

Photography by Ella Nicholls (@elnichphoto)

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.

Two days after the release of their second album, London 8-piece caroline graced the Trinity Centre for a beautifully cathartic and human performance

Having been to many gigs at Bristol’s Trinity Centre in the past, I was pleasantly surprised to be pointed upstairs when I arrived on Sunday. A smaller venue than the main room, this one’s stage is backed by the church’s gorgeous stained-glass window: the perfect setting to hear caroline’s incredibly special new album ‘caroline 2’ in full.

Once the 8 members had taken to the stage, vocalist Caspar came to the front of the stage. With a snare drum in hand, he stood by an amp, holding the drum to the speaker as the bass frequencies of a saxophone vibrated, setting off the drum and building a lovely atmospheric tension.

**Photography by Ella Nicholls** (@elnichphoto)

Set in a semi-circle, there is no lead member of caroline. Each member can see each other, and absolutely make the most of this, constantly eyeing one another, remaining deeply in sync as they breathe in and out with each musician. Just as you clock who is singing, a different voice will appear, sometimes softly humming a melody, sometimes soaring with layers of autotune.

Each member’s performance is completely committed, with the band playing with a warm sincerity, lost in the emotions of each track. Luckily though, this seriousness is broken up with moments of connection with the audience, asking us if we liked their new album and telling us to block our ears when cables were unplugged. Of course, as was expected, this would never result in a loud pop, with this noise mischievously waiting to surprise us midway through a song instead.

These talking moments let the band explain some of the record to us too. Before ‘Coldplay cover,’ they explained that the track was recorded in a house in London, with half the band playing one song in one room, as the other half played a different song in another room, while the microphone moved between rooms, blending the tracks together.

Magically, caroline somehow managed to pull this off live, with the band split in two on either side of the stage. With each group of musicians focusing solely on their group, the left side began to play, building up to their climax before the right side began their part. Most impressively, these songs aren’t initially in time with each other, and watching each side of the stage remain completely focused on their part and not distracted by the other was incredible to watch.

As well as performing their new album in its entirety, we were treated to two from their debut ‘Dark blue’ and ‘Good morning (red)’. While the new tracks were highlights, hearing these older tracks was a joy, and their looser, more improvisational feel fit perfectly with the more structured newer tracks.

Closer ‘Total Euphoria’ was undoubtedly the highlight. Summing up everything that makes caroline so special, the band built the anticipation, strumming guitars and swelling their sound in unison with one another. Then, mixed more like noise rock guitars, the violin begins to ratchet up the tension, before the sound explodes, in one of the most satisfying moments of catharsis I can remember seeing live. As if all the emotion bottled up has finally been released, caroline burst into life here, with every member and every instrument feeling as important as the last.

It is moments like these that solidify caroline as one of the best live acts around, blending folk, post-rock and pop with a refreshing confidence and conviction. Catch them on the rest of their tour or at a festival this year, if you get the chance.

Read our interview with caroline here.