Ritual Union Festival, Bristol
23rd March 2024
Strange Brew | Rough Trade | SWX | The Island
Photography by Anna Hatfield (@anna.h_photos)
Anna Hatfield
Freelance photographer, videographer, and journalist. Specialising in all things music and will most likely be found in a photo pit somewhere muttering about lighting conditions
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.
Bristol’s multi-venue day festival Ritual Union returned last week, showcasing some of the most exciting new artists in some of the city’s best venues
Following last year’s lineup of Porridge Radio, The Orielles, Heavy Lungs and many more, Ritual Union returned to Bristol last weekend for another day of genre-spanning bands and musicians from across the country.
Taking place over SWX, Rough Trade, The Island and Strange Brew, Ritual Union confirmed once again just how well Bristol does its day festivals.
Maruja
This band is the perfect fusion of powerful post-punk vocals with melodic and technical saxophone, combined together with an element of storytelling that I would struggle to compare to anything I’ve heard before. Their stage presence was phenomenal, making the whole room vibrate with the guttural vocals and jazz-punk fusion.
The energy only grew when saxophonist got in with the crowd and started them off in an energetic mosh; an impressive feat for so early on in the day. This was a phenomenal start to the festival and a truly fantastic way to build the energy for the rest of the bands to come. Maruja is definitely one to watch in the coming months.
Sam Akpro
Sam Akpro provided the perfectly timed break in the heavier music and regaled the audience with a slow build in energy for those flagging in the middle of the day. The collage of sounds, held together by Sam’s talented lyricism, provided a beautifully curated set that was a joyful fusion of noise from start to finish.
The standout for me was the bassist, who fuelled the backbone of every tune with wonderful grooves and a driving rhythm. The up-and-coming band is definitely sure of themselves in the kind of innovative music that they produce. There was a strong hip-hop influence, fused with electronic beats with the live band who truly pulled this whole thing together behind the guitar and vocals of Sam.
Cheekface
Cheekface are a band with a clear cult following, as seen in the enthusiastic crowd singing along to every word, almost as loudly as the energetic band themselves. Cheekface filled out Strange Brew with both audience members and sheer joy. This is a band who clearly love what they do, don’t take themselves too seriously, and have as much fun as possible with their material.
I don’t think I saw their keys player stop moving the entire set as he also provided a multi-instrumental backing to the otherwise classic setup the band operates with. The crowd’s energy was fantastic the whole time but it truly reached its height when the band started the familiar drumbeat of their song ‘Popular 2,’ which definitely earned its name without a doubt. This was such a lovely atmosphere to witness and a demonstration of how fun music can be.
Arcadia Planitia Five-a-Side Football
Listening to this band was like being in a trance from start to finish. They combined heavy electronic beats alongside clarinet and guitar and pushed the boundaries of spoken word vocals. The audience’s attention was well and truly captivated, despite the lack of traditional melody or vocals, and the outfits certainly helped with that captivation.
The band knows how to put on a show both visually and musically and certainly became one of the most memorable acts of the day for me. I left The Island (a venue perfectly suited to this band) feeling as though I’d been to see a whole performance, not just a piece of live music.
Mary In The Junkyard
One of the buzziest bands on the list, Mary In The Junkyard had a seriously long queue forming out of the fully packed Strange Brew before their set. With only two songs out in the world, it was a pleasure to see their full set show off the band’s versatility and character.
Mary In The Junkyard’s off-kilter indie rock is elevated by the technical abilities of the trio and just how much interesting noise they can make between the three of them. From the sinister walking basslines to the wonderfully warbly vocals of Clari Freeman-Taylor, this band is something very special in the indie scene.
Do Nothing
With the release of their debut ‘Snake Sideways’ last year, Do Nothing proved themselves to be one of the most subtly interesting indie bands around. Their slightly wonky indie rock translated brilliantly to the stage, with the tracks sounding heavier, tighter and more energetic than ever before.
Watching Do Nothing work their way through their album, EPs and singles made you realise just how many hits they already have, despite having only one album under their belt. Fan favourite ‘Handshakes’ closed off the set, solidifying Do Nothing as one of the tightest and catchiest bands of the day.
William Doyle
William Doyle closed off festivities at Rough Trade’s cosy stage, making his way through his solid discography with excitable passion and performing one of the most technically impressive sets I have seen in a long time.
With his acoustic guitar, cellist accompaniment and a very powerful little laptop, Doyle utilised vocal effects, looping and all sorts of other digital wizardry to transport his crowd into the magical world he has so carefully crafted. Not having any idea how he was pulling it all of was the fun of it and his childlike energy was such a joy to watch.
Minor Conflict
This list would not be complete without a mention of Bristol’s very own Minor Conflict, who took to Strange Brew at the festival’s afterparty. Their blend of experimental genres is fascinating to watch unfold and their sound is entirely unique. It is rare that a band sounds so different from everything else in their scene but Minor Conflict absolutely fit into this definition.
With the genius inclusion of a harp, the band’s sound is otherworldly, as disturbing and bewitching as it is serene and playful. If you can catch them in Bristol or beyond, you will not be disappointed.
Check out the full gallery below:
Photography by Anna Hatfield (@anna.h_photos)