Live Review + Gallery | Dot To Dot 2024

Dot To Dot Festival

Multiple Venues, Bristol

25th May 2024

Photography by Hannah North (@flosphotography__)

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.

Dot To Dot Festival saw Bristol party together with some of the best dance, indie and punk acts as well as hidden gems from the local scene

Out of all of Bristol’s many day festivals, Dot To Dot has something a bit special. Dot To Dot takes over Bristol every year, before uprooting itself and travelling all the way to Nottingham (with the majority of its lineup) the very next day.

With huge acts Jockstrap and Wunderhorse headlining, the lineup was refreshing and vastly varied, with a great selection of local Bristol bands joining the bigger names.

The first of these we caught were Factor 50. The Bristol-based art-rock band made the most of their 30 minute set in Mr Wolf’s, patiently working through several lengthy and multi-phased epics, while leaving time for some indie pop bangers too. The highlight came from set closer ‘Foundations’ which saw frontman Akers hunched over screaming into his mic, his voice swamped by hypnotic vocal effects. The final section is extremely emotional, with cinematic trumpets and sax transporting you far away from a day festival at 3pm.

*Factor 50 – Photography by Hannah North*

In the first of many massive vibe shifts, we hurried over to Strange Brew to catch Babymorocco: TikTok flexer, Jockstrap collaborator and, most importantly, a guy who can put on a hell of a show.

Swigging from a bottle of vodka, Babymorocco brought an insane amount of energy for so early in the day. Their sound explores techno, hyperpop and even hardstyle and goes so so hard live. It’s all incredibly silly but, with a new project produced by Taylor Skye on the way, catch Babymorocco if you can.

Across the street in SWX, Mary In The Junkyard were creating a very different atmosphere, leading us into the woods and showing us the magic that they found on their travels. For a band so early in their career, Mary In The Junkyard play so confidently, winding through their indie rock songs with a perfect balance of fragility and power. The atmosphere they create is otherworldly and the vocals heavenly. I would love to know how they got hold of their Jason Donervan shirts too.

*Mary In The Junkyard – Photography by Hannah North*

The main hub of the festival was right outside Thekla, on the quayside. Perfectly matching the sunny weather were Welly, who, in usual Welly attire (school uniform of some sort), brought even more energy than most of the bigger names combined. Their indie tunes are just so much fun and, while they’re not experimenting with anything wild, they are a perfect example of the indie pop formula: tight, catchy tunes + energetic, characterful performance = a good indie set.

Hearing the chorus of ‘It’s Art’ live never ever gets old. The Bug Club are down a member but have somehow lost none of their energy and charm. Their short power-pop tracks are the perfect fit for a festival set and, as they rattled through them with no nonsense, they showed off how many bangers they truly have. With new track ‘Quality Pints’ making an appearance amidst the packed setlist, their set was one of the funnest and most charming of the day.

*The Bug Club – Photography by Hannah North*

And so, the time came to choose. The battle of two headliners: Wunderhorse VS Jockstrap. And for anyone who has met me at a festival before, the choice was clear for me. Stepping onto the stage of the packed O2 Academy, the odd couple of Jockstrap took us on a trip, jumping from club hits to twisted remixes to gorgeous folk.

For the uninitiated, they are an odd sight, with the glamorous Georgia Ellery effortlessly pop-starring alongside the deadpan, synth-enclosed Taylor Skye. Despite the slight disappointment of no new tunes, Jockstrap did shake up their setlist a little, with a few additions of remixes from their 2023 project ‘I<3UQTINVU’. Highlights included the pumping ‘Good Girl’ and sweetly romantic ‘Sexy 2’. As all their sets typically do, the night ended with ’50/50′, one of the best dance tunes of the last few years. Joined by a seriously rowdy and pumped up Babymorocco, the crowd lit up.

For the last slot of the day, The Dare made his way all the way from Wide Awake in London to close off the night in boat-venue Thekla. Despite the late performance, the venue was rammed and with an insane amount of bass, The Dare played one of the best sets of the whole day. The entire set was a huge party, with not even a second of downtime to catch your breath. Crowdsurfers made it on stage, hundreds of sweaty, smiling bodies danced and The Dare was entirely in control of the whole hour. As a closer for a festival, you really couldn’t ask for more.

Check out the full gallery below: