Freak Slug
Strange Brew, Bristol
18th March 2026
Photography by Kaya Oatley
Kaya Oatley
8 years in the game and still at it, I’m a photographer and musician based in Bristol. I love the music scene with my whole heart and capturing the little moments that might be missed is all I want to do. Big canon apologist, tiny camera fanatic and fond of anything that reminds me of Frank Ferdinand.
Manchester indie rock artist Freak Slug brings her live show to Bristol’s Strange Brew, following the release of her debut album last year
Kicking off the night with a broken guitar, Manchester born artist Freak Slug started off as she meant to go on: candid and charming with truly lethal vocals. The crowd was impressively mixed, with 18-year-olds who’d caught the train down from hours away to die hard fans in their 50’s all dancing away together. It was one of those nights that made you grateful for the ability of live acts to bring people together under a common ground.
The lights burned with red and oranges, fluorescent greens and blues and the band hit it hard. Freak Slug’s vocals made the journey from sugar-soft highs to more stripped back songs where the grit in her voice really came through.
With three guitars on stage, the melodies were complex but still addictive, with a kind of catchiness that was accessible but still advanced. The crowd said it all, with dancing (yes, actually!) and singing along to an impressive portion of the lyrics. Freak Slug stayed behind to sign t-shirts and meet the fans and everyone stepped out into the evening on a solid high.
Photography by Kaya Oatley