An inner-city adventure that’s been taking the temperature of indie rock and pop with reliably exact precision for 20 years now. Celebrate the organisers’ tastemaking excellence with a line-up of tomorrow’s stars, and headliners Fat Dog, Jasmine.4.T and The Horrors. The catch? You’ll need to clock up the miles between venues.
Up first in Bristol are post punk pop band My First Time known for their energetic live shows while the exciting punk trio Grandmas House championed by Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music, DIY, Dork and Upset bring raucous guitar riffs, thumping basslines and deadpan lyricism. Expect riotous blues punk from Thekla regulars Mother Vulture while post punk band The New Cut bring modern themes and wry lyricism. Clemencie combine the dark synth soundscape of Wolf Alice and danceable pop feel of Blondie while Sober Sundays, the band formed at Bath Spa University, have built a devoted following for their heartfelt songs.
Nottingham alt-rock group Girlband! have been making waves in their hometown and beyond with their killer songs, big sound and general love of making sure everyone has a great time. The hotly tipped Bloodworm lean towards the darker side of post-punk being compared to the likes of Bauhaus and The Cure. Expect musical experimentation unbound by genre from Blood Wizard who sit between the worlds of art, punk and folk. Grain Mother will bring indie folk led by acclaimed songwriter Alice Robbins while Davoli weaves intricate lyrical narratives over jangly guitar-led instrumentals reminiscent of Tom Petty. Alternative rock band Marvin’s Revenge are sure to deliver a raucous set while Skitz are all hardcore punk. The now Brighton-based Swallowtail will be given a warm welcome on their return with their atmospheric and unrelenting sound.
Dot To Dot Festival booker Ben Ryles said: “Supporting the local scene is a vital part of Dot To Dot Festival and we’re really excited to be shining a light on some incredible regional acts with this latest wave. Showcasing rising artists across the greatest grassroots venues is right at the heart of D2D, so supporting the local music scene is completely intertwined with that ethos. We look forward to seeing many of these artists on festival line-ups for many years to come!”
Completing the Bristol leg local additions are [1313], Anwen, Belishas, Broadsheets, Disaster Clinic, Dreamwave, Dye, EtonMess, Factor 50, Foot Foot, HAGA, Hibiscus, Humdrum, INDIGO, Immy, Jakabol, Kibbo Kift, Lara Rose, Mass House, Max Sloan, MLY, Muncle, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, Pack of Animals, Portrait Of, Rizts, Runner Up, Sam Paul, Scuttlers, SENECA, Sonda, SQUIDGE, Supermarché, The Breaks, The Issues, The Outlines, TRASHED, Two Day Coma, Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine, Who Killed Bunny?, Windshake, Zalizo, Zena and Zoe Myrna.
