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Articles by Jake Paterson
Review: FORWARDS Festival 2024
By Jake Paterson Music Editor and Megan Foulk Co-Deputy Music Editor A festival that feels like it has been a permanent fixture in the calendar for Bristol gig-goers for decades, despite only being in its third year, FORWARDS returned with perfectly curated lineups, excellent organisation and a focus on the climate and future - remaining relevant in a time when UK festivals are struggling.
Review: Dot to Dot 2024
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor and Dylan McNally, Co-Deputy Music Editor, Susie Long, Music Subeditor A staple in any Bristol music fan's diary, Dot to Dot returned in 2024 with a stellar lineup full of household names and up-and-coming oddballs. With almost one hundred artists playing in some of the greatest venues the city has to offer, the team at Epigram did our best to cover as much as we could. Here are some of our highlights.
Bristol Central Hustings: ‘Democracy, ladies and gentlemen’
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor On Monday night all six candidates to become Bristol Central’s member of parliament were in attendance at a hustings held by Bristol 24/7 at the Lantern Hall. A final chance to highlight key policies to the electorate before the General Election tomorrow, the issues discussed by the candidates in most detail were racial equality, arts and culture, social media, and the sale of arms to Israel.
Epigram Music's Top Study Music for 2024
By The Epigram Music Team Deadline season is here: but fear not, Epigram Music is here to help. Whether its dissertations, assignments, projects and exams (or all four and more), the team have picked our favourite tunes to listen to when crunch time is upon us. So sit back: pick out a seat in your favourite library, put on your headphones and start up your focus sessions to get ready to lock in with some serious study bangers.
Bursting Back Into Orbit: reflecting on the return of Burst Radio
By Benji Chapman, Co-Deputy Music Editor Burst Radio is back. Bristol University's very own radio station, now in its 25th year of operation, opened the 2023/2024 academic year with a host of socials following fundraising efforts from the year prior. Revitalised with a broad new selection of hosts, committee members and accolades, Epigram takes a look at the station's success and its future endeavours.
'This is the part of the revival where shoegaze starts influencing the charts and genres like never before' - In conversation with Whitelands
By George Dean, Proofreader Coming off the back of warming up for Slowdive during their February 2024 tour, Whitelands are carrying the torch for shoegaze’s next generation. Their elegantly-titled debut album Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day (released 23rd February 2024) is a darkly oceanic record. Sending the listener inside a wave under the luminous dark of the night, time is reverbed – crashing gently through drenching guitars, we sink and float into the soundscape.
Review: Declan McKenna @ Bristol Beacon
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Forever a teenage darling in my eyes, having seen him six times prior to this show and the first being in 2017, it was a joy and pride to watch such a full and well oiled machine produce a spectacular performance that could tour the world. Never far from turning political turmoil into tunes set for dancefloors, his third album has turned him into a true mainstay in the magic British music machine.
Previews: Bristol New Music Festival
Bristol New Music Festival stands out amid the many festivals Bristol has an offer in the Spring Season. Its line-up has previously included abstract sound installations alongside more traditional performances, avoiding the inclusion of big name headliners to focus on up-and-coming artists looking to make a name for themselves within the competitive setting of Bristol's live music scene.
University of Bristol's hand in the future of AI
By Miles Gilroy, First year, Astrophysics A recent wave of investments from UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) into the development of AI has seen the University of Bristol receive £21 million in funding to set up two research hubs with the aim of developing AI in areas that benefit the general population and propelling the UK into a dominant position in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Ife Ogunjobi @ Bristol Jazz Festival
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Rebranded and refreshed, the Bristol Jazz Festival marked its debut in its new home of the Tobacco Factory with a series of joyful events. The real gem amongst the collectives, individuals and big bands was Ife Ogunjobi, famed for playing with Mercury Prize winning Ezra Collective, who released his debut solo work at the tail end of last year.
Review: Ife Ogunjobi @ Bristol Jazz Festival
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Rebranded and refreshed, the Bristol Jazz Festival marked its debut in its new home of the Tobacco Factory with a series of joyful events. The real gem amongst the collectives, individuals and big bands was Ife Ogunjobi, famed for playing with Mercury Prize winning Ezra Collective, who released his debut solo work at the tail end of last year.
Review: Ritual Union 2024
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Bristol is spoiled for multi-venue day festivals across the musical calendar. A quick glance tells you that Dot to Dot manages to attract the most widely-appealing and household names (think Dua Lipa and The Horrors in the past ten years), Simple Things the most boundary-pushing and underground wunderkinds, Outer Town the most physical and DIY, and brand new ones popping up like Down Stokes which debuted last year.
A taste of opera
by Benji Chapman, Co-Deputy Music Editor Bristol may be known first-hand for its thrivingly eclectic dance and electronic music scene, but a taste of the opera served by Bristol University Opera Society (BOpS) inside the tranquil St Paul's Church proved that you don't need a massive sound system to be transported to euphoric soundscapes.
Review: Ultramagnetic MC's @ Bristol Beacon
It's not rare that musical legends come to Bristol. New ones, old ones and artists that are somewhere in between can be found most weeks across the concert halls of the city. Something about Ultramagnetic MC's felt unique however, breaking this pattern with a tireless attitude which can only stem from such an attentive and devoted following that has stuck by despite the long years.
Declan McKenna: slipping through our fingers?
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor At first glance Declan Mckenna’s latest album, What Happened to the Beach?, looks polarising. An over-saturated album cover, press videos that see him looking for something he never finds, and tunes he described as ‘marmite’ to NME. Instead he shows us that he is blooming into a more honest version of himself. It’s a silly, wonky record full of British self-doubt that has you in a delightfully strange state of mind for just over half an hour.
Epigram Music's Top Love Songs of 2024
Valentine's Day is upon us (whether we like it or not), and to celebrate the Epigram Music team are taking us through the songs that pull on our heartstrings till they feel like they're going to tear. Whether it's a day to bitterly recollect the cursed memories of your evil ex, pine in secret or cherish those close to you - these are the songs for the occasion.
Review: Rabbit Party no. 1 @ Strange Brew
Music — Entertainment — culture — 2024 At the end of last term, designer Sophie Spratley - the brains behind the fashion label Rabbit Baby - hosted an ethereal night of artistic celebration, drawing together the creative expressions of fashion and music for a truly great event.
Previews: February Live Music
Only two months into the new year and gig-goers can expect to be treated with a staggering variety of live music on offer this month. Niche acts are shaping up to fill smaller venues available with their cult fan-bases, whilst giants in their respective sound are coming to Bristol too: many of whom will be playing brand-new material only days after their official studio releases.
A story is never just a story: anti-Ukrainian narratives in Russian Cinema.
By Mia Iseult Murray, Second Year, Chemistry (Trigger Warning - This article discusses Nazism, anti-Semitism, sexual abuse and violence). Film, as an expansion of art, is a medium whereby freedom and imagination are invariably evoked. Time and time again filmmaking has been utilised in the critique of Western disenchantment - political disillusionment and social class disparity to name just two.
The rhythm of transience in Maestro
By Victor Bennet, Film & TV Sub-Editor The biopic of famous composer Leonard Bernstein, Maestro, is a film which embellishes the allegro vivace gifts of such a talented composer, but equally, the Mesto burdens that such talent brings with it. The film has struggled to escape the controversy surrounding producer Bradley Cooper’s decision to wear a prosthetic nose when playing Bernstein.
Bristol Sounds add Placebo and James Arthur to 2024 lineup
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Taking place in one of Bristol's most dynamic cultural locations, the Bristol Sounds festival brings some of the biggest names in international music to the Harbourside for perfectly curated days to get excited for. Returning this year from June 22 to June 30, there will be three all-day events followed further by captivating headline shows from household names.
Love Saves the Day announce 2024 lineup
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor For those who remember the joyous memories of a weekend of glorious sunshine and music down at Ashton Court last year, you will be delighted to hear that Love Saves has announced its initial programme of artists for 2024.
Review: James Marriott @ SWX
By Emily Jordan, Third Year Marketing Having seen James Marriott on his first tour at Thekla only early last year, I knew he was one to watch. The Are We There Yet tour accompanies the album of the same name, released late last year to solid reviews across the board.
UoB's Sound of 2024
By Epigram Music Writers, curated by Jake Paterson, Music Editor After The Last Dinner Party were crowned the BBC's band to watch for 2024, interviewed by Epigram last year before their stratospheric rise, we have taken up the task of finding the most exciting bands on the verge of a breakthrough this year. Grab a cuppa and put your headphones on as we take you through the names to watch in the alt scene this year.
Epigram Music's Top 100 Songs of 2023
By Featured Writers for Epigram Music, curated by Susie Long, Music Subeditor As another year comes to an end, the Epigram Music team have been contemplating the songs that, for us, have defined this year. With the first 90 songs in no particular order, followed by our select, ranked top 10 tracks, this is our soundtrack to 2023 (all bundled up in a lovely little Spotify playlist at the end of the article for you!). 100.
Review: Ashnikko @ Marble Factory
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Ashnikko is synonymous with excess. More personality, more noise, more colour. Expecting a show from her is then an expectation to bring your fullest and most extravagant self. To scream about the intrusive thoughts that plague you everyday and to do it amongst the warmest collection of people.
Review: DMA's @ O2 Academy
By Sean Lawrenson, Second Year English Last Monday, the Australian indie rock band played to a sold out crowd at Bristol’s O2 Academy, alongside resounding support from both Mia Wray and Stone. The evening could perfectly be described in these three stages: Mia Wray brought indie-pop energy to the forefront, Stone played their emphatic punkish set and DMA’s wowed us with banger after (well, you know how the phrase goes). I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by both support acts on the night.
Moles Closure: what's next for the South West's grassroots venues?
By Emma Laroche, Third Year History Two students meet eyes, both from opposite ends of the country, invigorated by the magic these walls encapsulated. An unknown Oasis almost being denied their performance by a reluctant Philip Andrews. A makeshift stage, barricaded by the managers from the jam-packed crowd there to catch a glimpse of The Cure. A place to meet lovers, to propel your passion for music, to witness the beginning of The Smiths alongside 40 other audience members.
Review: Laura Misch @ Strange Brew
By Sean Lawrenson, Second Year English To be honest, when I first arrived at Strange Brew last Thursday for this gig, I walked in to see a near empty dancefloor, wondering why no one was going to see such an amazing artist. Fortunately, in the hour preceding her show, the dancefloor filled, at in no time the venue was rammed. Then, the background music ceased, and we were greeted to the beginning saxophone solo ‘sax rise’. It was a wondrous way to begin a set, just us the audience and Misch.
Review: Slow Pulp @ Strange Brew
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor On the surface, Slow Pulp seem to perfectly fit the character of a college band. Playing house shows, musing on adolescent anxiety and relationships over waves of reverb, and attracting an audience of people who would likely give it all up to have what they’ve got. Part teenage dream part click back into reality, their set at Strange Brew was woozy if a little impenetrable.
Review: Alice Phoebe Lou @ Trinity
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor What Loving and Alice Phoebe Lou created at Trinity was a home. I mean that in the sense that there was freedom for improvisation, dropping pretence and embracing comfort and honesty, having open conversations with each other and the crowd, and performing from the heart and not the head. It was the warmest and joy-filled experience I’ve had this side of summer. Alice Phoebe Lou is a Berlin-based singer songwriter and Loving are a band from the United States.
Sample the Sky: In conversation with Laura Misch
By Sean Lawrenson, Second Year English When speaking on the phone with Laura Misch ahead of her upcoming headline UK tour, she is travelling to Stockholm, when I ask her how the tour has been so far she states ‘Amazing. Exhausting, but amazing. We’re in Stockholm now and it’s on the verge of snowing.’ Misch has been in the middle of the European leg of her tour, travelling from Germany to the Netherlands and ending in northern Europe.
Bristol Beacon Officially Opens
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor A world-class multi-dimensional venue, the Bristol Beacon opened its doors to the public for the first time since its closure for renovation in 2018. The transformation marks the second largest investment in the arts in England by Arts Council England this century, and the Grade II listed building welcomed Bristol back with a performance from the Paraorchestra, Surgeons Girl and accompanying audio-visual projection mapping from Limbic Cinema.
Bursting Point: what the closure of BURST says about the future of student radio
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Excluding the pandemic, BURST, Bristol University’s radio station, had been in constant operation since 1997 until the end of the 2022/23 academic year when after months of financial difficulty the station closed indefinitely.
Epigram Interviews Bristol SU's postgraduate officer
By Neve Dawson, Third Year, English and History Following an Undergraduate Degree at the Open University, Timber Hill set their sights on Bristol for a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering. Now an Education Officer for the SU, Hill provided Epigram with an informative and personalised take on Postgraduate Life at Bristol University.
'Being free; noodling about. It's organic': In conversation with Gotts Street Park
By Raf Nieto, Third Year Law On their latest album, On the Inside, Gotts Street Park saturate soul with a cinematic flair. Just before it came out, Epigram sat down with Joe Harris, the band's guitarist. EP: Congratulations! On the Inside comes out tomorrow. Is tonight going to be a heavy night? JH: Ah, no plans. Tom just had this mad eye surgery. I texted him. He says looking at a screen is like having a chilli in his eye. First, I wanted to talk about the new album.
Review: The Japanese House @ Trinity
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor The Japanese House's new album, In The End It Always Does, has one of the most brilliant front covers I’ve seen in a long time. Seemingly drawn by hand, there’s a big blue circle with an arrow rotating clockwise, leaving us with the feeling that the theme of the record is painfully simple. No matter how far you’ve come or pushed yourself in either a positive or negative direction, things tend to right themselves, and you end up right where you started.
Review: Blondes @ Crofters Rights
By Will Buckley After I’d hastily taken up the open offer to review Blondes, and carried out some brief research, I thought I had them worked out. I thought I was in for a few hours of unoriginal Spotify-recommended slop which I would then smugly mock to my followers (all 107 of them!), and that would be that. Instead, right from the start of the show, I felt my layer of pretentious MusicBro™ ice melt away as Blondes supplied banger after banger. Toes were tapped. Hands were waved.
Preview: Maisie Peters @ O2 Academy
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Following up her debut record You Signed Up For This with her hypnotic rollercoaster of an album The Good Witch in June this year, Maisie Peters cemented her artistic ambition with tracks full of indie-pop confidence. Written during the whirlwind of her 2022 tour that saw career highs and personal lows, the new record is a true time-capsule for that time that recounts romantic breakups, the importance of friendship and the power of self-worth.
Review: Slaughter Beach, Dog @ SWX
By Zoë West, Second Year Sociology Perhaps lesser known than frontman Jake Ewald's first (now disbanded) project Modern Baseball, his second project Slaughter Beach, Dog explores a whole new pathway into the indie rock scene. Straying away from his roots in one of the most iconic bands of the midwestern-emo sphere, Ewald and the band have produced five studio albums, with their 2017 project Birdie being one of my personal all-time treasured albums. Certainly, no shoes have been left unfilled.
Review: Laguna Goons @ Crofters Rights
By Charlie Bennett, Msc International Security Bristol welcomed Laguna Goons for their first trip to the UK, touring with our very own Tokyo Toy Company. Following on from a sold-out show in London and a gig in Cardiff they headed to the Crofters Rights for their first taste of the Bristol music scene. The band hail from Andalusia, Spain but are less Enrique Iglesias and more Damon Albarn.
Review: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs @ SWX
By Louis Amor, Third Year Zoology Having seen Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs only a few weeks prior to this show, I walked into the venue with immense excitement knowing I would probably leave very sweaty and with my ears loudly ringing. This would be the exact state I left in a few hours later! The evening opened with two fantastically engaging support acts who brought a great energy to a steadily growing crowd.
Drifting through Holy Waters with Puma Blue
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor As I expected, Puma Blue’s lead singer Jacob Allen is something of an angel on earth. His early work that was constructed intricately and intimately using nothing but a drum machine and guitar created an image of him as a sensitive and yearning entity brandishing a nomadic emotional soul. Inevitably expanding from this space, he’s become a multi-disciplinary artist branching out into the visual as well as sonic world on his sophomore album Holy Waters.
Low-Value Degrees to be Capped
By Maud Humphries, News Digital Editor The announcement came in July from the Conservative PM that the government will take action on higher education courses that they feel are 'low-value'. This action, much anticipated, is in response to the Augar review under May's government in 2017 looking into the quality of courses offered at university.
Review: Puma Blue @ Thekla
By Jake Paterson, Music Editor Most of Puma Blue’s discography feels like being submerged in water. The moments he offers you through his music sit alongside something like a contemplative dusk, sitting between light and dark, hope and despair. His new record, Holy Waters, cuts deeper than anything he’s released before, and the pairing of bedroom tracks that are nearly ten years old with captivating new sonic landscapes made a show both beautiful and pulsating.
Strange Brew's Third Birthday
By Nick Richards, Second Year Philosophy Family birthday parties are often a strange affair. It’s one of the few times a year that a group of people that happen to share some sort of DNA are obliged to turn up and attempt to be amicable for a few hours.
In Conversation with Anna Erhard
By Benji Chapman, Deputy Co-Editor Anna Erhard is a Berlin based singer-songwriter well-versed in the field of DIY music. Her fearless approach to tackling new genres began when she launched a 5 piece collaborative folk project Serafyn. The quintet launched with a hands on approach, touring France in a busking tour to take their music straight to the streets.
Review: Victoria Canal at The Louisiana
By Susie Long - Music Subeditor Walking in (embarrassingly) a few minutes late, we were pleasantly surprised to see the whole room was sat down. An armchair sat invitingly on the stage, and the whole scene was lit by the soft warm glow of a pink standard lamp draped in ivy which stood in the corner. Opening with the unbelievably talented Sam Vano, whose gentle vocals and seamless guitar set the scene beautifully.
Review: Sonotto - 'Casual Sex'
By Milan Perera, Deputy Editor Dubbed as ‘Bristol's answer to Ziggy Stardust’, Sonotto’s mesmerising new single has sent sonic ripples through the electronic music landscape. The single, 'Casual Sex' is the result of a larger movie project, deeply rooted in the historical context of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. It never fails to take listeners on a compelling journey through the complexities of desire, betrayal, anger, and self-fulfilment.
Brunel: Bristol’s favourite adopted son
By Lucas Mockeridge,SciTech Deputy Editor A flamboyant, swashbuckling engineer, Brunel was one of the best that Britain has ever produced. His influence on Bristol remains strong, 180 years after his SS Great Britain first floated out into the harbour. Isambard Kingdom Brunel is hard to escape from in Bristol. His name adorns everything from maritime museums to Indian restaurants. But Brunel was born in Portsmouth in 1806, and called London home. So why does Bristol regard him as one of her own?
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