As we draw ever closer to summer, it’s time for the fifth instalment of Bristol’s Outer Town Festival. Spread across 10 stages in the Old Market area, over 60 acts – ranging from industrial noise to triphop to smart indie pop – perform on a rapid 10-hour schedule. Leaning towards up-and-coming bands, the lineup at Outer Town has a knack for finding rare and promising talent. Look no further than Bristol’s own Getdown Services in 2024’s edition, who are now gearing up for a highly-anticipated Beacon show. It is a delightful pre-festival season treat – though we could have done without being drenched with hail on our way to the wristband queue. Still, at least we’re spending most of the day indoors.
After acquiring our wristbands (and a merciless queue-jumping pass, which will come in handy later), it’s time to start the day at Trinity Castle itself. Just as the hail eases up and the sun comes out again, Brighton indie group Big Long Sun aptly get started in the garden tent. Playing a ramshackle selection of ecstatic and vibrant pop tunes, the band are confident and assured. Set highlight ‘My Stars Aligning’ combines Black Country, New Road-esque chorus vocals with a quiet, trundling verse. During a particularly chaotic passage, the Super Hans-ey guitarist charges and jumps straight into the lead singer. Their music is all quite reminiscent of MGMT’s Congratulations, and their playful attitude sets the tone well for the rest of the day.
After some confusion about the festival layout, we then head off to see Magnolia at Wiper and True brewery. It is one of the better venues at Outer Town, spacious and open with a lovely beer garden to boot. The huge fermentation tanks at the side lend the space an unconventional and unique look – something straight out of Guitar Hero. Magnolia themselves play an exciting tapestry of avant-garde rock, and have garnered a fairly substantial crowd. I am informed by my knowledgeable friend that they have played 8 shows in the last 8 nights, and their commitment shows in their unusually tight performance. Set ender ‘Television’ is particularly intense, blasts of saxophone chasing fidgety drums and screaming vocals.
(The Cindys)
To cool down, we head to To The Moon bar for a drink and a feisty game of Jenga. Next up is The Cindys at The Exchange. The birthchild of Jack Ogborne (AKA Bingo Fury), the band specialise in smart jangle pop with infectious hooks. The clean guitars and controlled drums lead to an impeccably satisfying sound, and it’s one of the best sets of the day. Ogborne himself, looking like a cross between Isaac Wood and King Krule, is a casually cool and assured frontman. He announces to the crowd that they finished recording their new album yesterday, and I’ll certainly be taking a look.
Our dedication to The Cindys, and my casual-at-best walking pace, means we are late to see Dermot Henry back at Wiper and True. Though he only has one song released, Henry has garnered a loyal following on social media, which shows in his young, infatuated crowd. He has a lovely voice, similar to that of Dove Ellis, and he and his band play a relaxed set of sentimental folk songs. As my festival-buddy said better than I could, the band was “giving friendship”.
(Dermot Henry)
On our way back to The Exchange, we encounter some of the ‘lore’ of Outer Town on the streets. From what I can garner, the idea is to transform the Old Market into another realm from the dark ages. Up until this point, the world-building had been contained in the Trinity Centre, so it was a nice surprise to see some commitment to the bit out and about. However, it is a bit frustrating getting stuck behind a procession of actors holding supersized vegetables when you’re trying to get to the next set. As we struggle on past, one man dressed as a merchant pretends to drop his big tomato on us, shouting ‘Big Veg! Big Veg!’. In all honesty, it is quite random, but it does add a sense of cohesion to the theme of the festival. And there will always be something funny about seeing people getting whacked with giant blow-up radishes.
Stepping back into the real world, we’re back at The Exchange Dungeon to see wing!, the Welsh-based producer also known as Adam Swan. Alongside his drummer and bassist, he makes mellifluous and ethereal electronic music combined with hip-hop sensibilities. After winning the Green Man Rising competition last year, and realising his debut EP Missed It Just The Once in September, wing! has been slowly garnering a cult following. He is superbly talented, and his soundscapes are completely immersive and epic. We are stood right next to the speaker, and so experience his set at joyous, decibel-breaking volume. EP ender ‘In A Second I Will Need A Second’ is an absolute festival highlight. Here, Swan picks up his guitar and joins the electronic drone and ecstatic drums with screaming guitar. A breathtaking moment – it’s safe to say he has a new fan.
(wing!)
After a much-needed leg rest and pint across the road, we’re back yet again at The Exchange Dungeon to see Glasshouse Red Spider Mite. This is an impressive set of melancholic indie- slash-grunge, adorned with pristine vocal harmonies and driving guitars. The two guitarists are rocking a comically large selection of pedals, and spend quite a substantial amount of time looking at the floor. Still, this does lead to a tantalising selection of ethereal guitar sounds throughout. ‘Everyone Loves You’ – the first song on 2025 EP What Do You Mean
The Monster?… Hahaha – is especially brilliant. A gem of a ballad that stands apart from the other songs. As you may have guessed by the name, they are a strictly spider themed band, and we spend most of the time between songs hearing pre-recorded lessons about the reproductive habits of spider mites. A unique gag the first time around, this eventually gets a bit tired. But a very promising band, nonetheless.
As we encroach upon the late-evening, The Old Market Assembly opens up for a double bill starting with Manchester group Truthpaste. Playing off-kilter folk music backed with a drum- machine, they are immediately likeable. The array of instrumentation, including saxophone, violin, acoustic guitar, and what looks like a slide-guitar makes for intriguing and constantly surprising listening. Despite unconventional song structures, they are never far away from a gorgeous harmony or beautifully resolving melody (see 2025 single ‘Bleary Eyes’ for the best example). The crowd, now loosened up from 8 hours of beer, contribute to a lovely and inclusive atmosphere. During new single ‘Friendship is The Truth’, a great song in its own right, I notice a group behind us linking arms and dancing in circles. It is a testament to the festival that it attracts such a quirky and friendly crowd.
Then, in an act of catastrophic misjudgement, we leave for a snack break. The off-license flapjack is delicious, but we are then stuck in the unfortunate situation of getting back into the venue. Not-so-proudly sporting our fast-track wristbands, we spend an awkward thirty minutes across from the main queue as headliners Do Nothing get started on their hourlong set. Eventually, we sheepishly make our way inside to catch the last half, which makes the wait well worth-it. Their first show in over a year, the Nottingham four-piece are clearly glad to be back. Their tunes are catchy and infectious, with frontman Chris Bailey moving through the set with an Alex Turner-esque swagger. On early single ‘LeBron James’, a steady beat meets a devilishly funky bassline as Bailey leans into the mosh-pit: “I got all dressed up for nothing!”. A brilliantly confident performance to end the festival.
And then it’s time to head back home in the cold and wind, my ears ringing but spirits high. This was a wonderfully eclectic and enjoyable day out.
Conor Lang
