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 new main stage, plenty of local talent and an eclectic mix of sounds, Outer Town returned stronger than ever
In our quest to go to every Bristol day festival, the next on the list was the highly anticipated Outer Town. Taking place entirely on Old Market Street, Outer Town finds its stages mainly in the pubs up and down the street, including The Exchange, The Ill Repute and The Elmers Arms. This year, however, the festival had an upgrade, with a new mainstage born outside the Trinity Centre. Under a big tent, it was a perfect addition, giving the whole day more of a festival feel, especially with the lovely craft stalls from local artists.
Opening the day were Eve Appleton Band, whose romantic folk songs set the sunny scene perfectly. With Appleton joined by a hefty group of friends on stage, her songs were transformed, making us hopeful for her to find herself climbing up festival lineups in the coming years.
Switching up the vibe on the Trinity stage was Tlya x An, who, backed by DJ and backing dancers in full Scream/Ghostface attire, made the most of the early crowd with their sassy poppy beats. With full choreography and clean, playful production, Tlya x An performed with a similar energy to a Jockstrap set.
A hidden gem of the day came in the form of Flip Top Head. It must be noted just how much of an impact Black Country, New Road have had on 7-person friend groups with a horn player. All jokes aside, this really is a band you should keep an eye on. Each member is utilised, building post-rock verses into hugely dramatic climaxes, helped especially by a trombonist tromboning as hard as they possibly can. Trust us, you will be hearing a lot more about this band and, by the looks of how packed The Exchange was, some people are one step ahead of you already…
It wouldn’t be a Bristol festival without Getdown Services. Despite having seen them countless times, I just can’t help myself and find my feet drawn towards the boys every single time. With as big a crowd as any headliner of the day, Josh and Ben were somehow even more energetic than normal, rattling through banger after banger from their debut album ‘Crisps‘. Their funky beats and jabs at Bristol hit so much harder in their hometown and the crowd laps it up every fucking time. With a fantastic and less cynical new track thrown in the mix, as well as the hilarious addition of a sample pad (“This party’s getting craaaazy”), Getdown Services were at their very best.
As we entered prime clash territory, we opted for UGLY, fresh from the release of their debut EP ‘Twice Around The Sun‘. As always, the 6-piece provided a beautiful and tight set of ethereal art-folk tracks. With the sheer amount of talent spread evenly over every member, vocal harmonies elevate UGLY above the rest, with the many voices melding together into an angelic soundscape. With the tasteful but complex arrangements of the EP coming to life effortlessly, UGLY continue to be one of the most consistently impressive bands on the scene.
On the main stage, a psychedelic fog was forming around the crowd. Flamingods easily transported the audience instantly, with their insane lineup of instruments and impressively multi-talented band. Just as you thought you had the hang of their setup, all members would swap positions, jumping from drums to keys to an instrument you’ve never even seen before. All you can say is: “What is that? It sounds sick”.
Keeping up this psychedelic energy were festival favourites Snapped Ankles. With the masks on, the beats launched and the mythology pouring over us, we quickly forgot we were in the middle of the city, instead transported to the deep, dark woods of another planet. I was entirely hypnotised the entire set, moving from mosh pit to the front left, gazing at each member and wondering just how they achieved each and every sound. Logs were plugged into midi controllers, synth knobs were twiddled with magic hands and vocal effects drowned out any meaning that could be gained from the lyrics. Snapped Ankles are masters of the festival set, always keeping their crowd on their toes and never once letting their foot off the pedal.
Opus Kink brought their wild post-punk energy towards the end of the night, their sound sleazy and unhinged as ever. Here is yet another band vastly improved by the presence of horns, with saxophone and trumpet roaring through each track. The set was complete wonderful chaos: a mic fell into the saxophone, the band tripped over each other into a pile and frontman Angus Rogers stood in the crowd, soaking up the worship and ordering everyone to lie on the ground. And they did. As always, their energy was incredibly fun and the mosh pit was one of the rowdiest of the day.
At the Moor Brewery afterparty were the incredible Tokky Horror, with a DJ set full of techno bangers and countless dancers on the decks. As their last ever performance, they went HARD, with tune after tune transforming the unlikely brewery into a warehouse party. Getdown Services made another appearance as the final DJs of the night, with a hilariously eclectic mix of 00s pop and whatever else they fancied, really. Did they know what they were doing? Probably not. Did it still go hard? Yes.
Yet again, Outer Town proved itself to be one of Bristol’s best and we can’t wait to see how they shake things up again next year.
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