Dot To Dot Festival 2025
Multiple Venues, Bristol
24th May 2025
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.
With a great mix of local talent and bigger names, Dot To Dot took over many of Bristol’s best venues for their 20th year
Dot To Dot’s lineup can be a daunting thing. With a huge selection of names, from buzzy headliners to underground local bands, there is an insane amount to try and cram into one day. But, with some careful planning and a lot of playlist listening, we tried our best to catch as much as we could, racing from venue to venue, all over Bristol city centre.
Our first stop was Mr Wolf’s to see Bristol favourites Factor 50. Like most acts throughout the day, their set was a short 30 minutes, but the band made the most of every one of them. With frontman Eddie Akers giving a vocal performance both unhinged and emotional, he led the band through soon-to-be-released material, complete with Factor 50’s signature horn moments, vocal harmonies and satisfying build-ups. We look forward to seeing what these tracks sound like in the studio.
In The Lanes were another Bristol band, Broadsheets. With a slower, moodier sound, the band held the crowd, patiently making their way through their weighty, atmospheric set. The inclusion of flute was a lovely surprise, bringing some refreshing brightness to the grungy sound.
In Rough Trade, we caught one of our favourite finds of the year, pencil. With new EP ‘Bohemian Clutter’ out earlier this month, pencil more than lived up to expectations, delivering a gorgeous and seriously tight indie folk set. The set felt like one of the quickest 30 minutes of the day, with Thomas Fiquet’s shuffling drums and Coco Inman’s effortless violin guiding the band through beautifully.
Equally beautiful was jasmine.4.t, who played to a packed out Thekla. Despite being crammed at the back of the crowd with not much of a view, hearing her debut album come to life was wonderful, with heavier guitar moments than the studio and softer moments highlighting her unique vocals. The first two tracks summed it up perfectly, with jasmine.4.t opening with the gentle and romantic ‘Kitchen’ accompanied only by her guitar, before ripping into ‘Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissassociation‘ with her full band. As a performer, she looks to be having so much fun, and we can’t wait to see the hype around her continue to grow this year.
For the most drastic vibe shift of the day, we rushed to The Fleece to catch The Orchestra (For Now). I first saw this band when they opened Green Man 2024, having won the Green Man Rising competition for new bands, and as good as their set was, I found myself wishing for a darker, more packed venue. Their set at Dot To Dot delivered this and more. With the biggest sound of the day, The Orchestra (For Now) were explosive, moving from quietly foreboding build-ups to complete chaos with every track. Often compared to BC,NR’s earlier sound and for good reason, the band still held their own, ripping through their set with a confidence seriously impressive for such a young project.
Equally massive were RIZTS, who treated us to highlights from their 2024 self-titled album. RIZTS are one of the funnest bands you could watch at a festival, bouncing from genre to genre sometimes in a matter of seconds. You can find yourself losing yourself in a noise rock explosion, before a dub beat kicks in, followed by a hardcore breakdown. Fronted by Billy Mattock and his signature telephone-mic-situation, if you’re into anything remotely loud or experimental, you will find something to love from RIZTS.
Sextile were one of our most anticipated acts of the night and, having not seen them before, it was a pleasant surprise to see a drum-kit on stage. Combining these live drums with the electronic chaos behind was a genius move, and Sextile put on my favourite set of Dot To Dot. With their new album ‘yes,please’ fresh in the crowd’s mind, the energy on the boat was chaotic and full of joy. Sexy, noisy and silly, Sextile’s blend of techno, pop and punk should see them rise to the level of Confidence Man, if there is any justness left in this world.
Photography by Hannah North (@flosphotography__)