Sunday arrives suffused with a vibrant energy – despite the drab weather conditions – as c.25,000 music lovers descend on Durdham Downs for day 2 of Forwards Festival. Even with all the hangovers being nursed from the previous day’s extravaganza, the festival horde remains eager to raise their pulses again to another showcase of sensational music talent headlined by Little Simz.
While sauntering to the festival grounds I constantly overhear the gleeful anticipatory chatter of fellow attendees discussing which acts they are dying to see, acts they have never seen before, others they cannot wait to see again today, and even some people prematurely proclaiming who they want on the bill for next year.
The weather starts with blustery wind and grey clouds, which is a temporary reprieve from the rain which is forecast for most of the day and night. The erstwhile optimism for a hot, sunny weekend was evident from the large black bins with ‘drinking water’ scrawled on them, alongside boxes of paper cups tucked away under the stages. There will be no clambering over bodies for a refreshing slurp of H2O following a sweaty mosh under the sun’s angry rays, today.
The event organisation and layout is commendable as the East and West stages face each other, at a suitable distance, offering a direct line for attendees to travel between the non-conflicting sets. Additionally, all the expected amenities (food, water refill, toilet facilities, etc) line that route, in abundance, and so the arena never felt congested and long queues never materialised.
To my delight, the organisers also delivered a diverse musical smorgasbord for the day. I began at the East stage where French experimental popstress, Oklou, treated her audience to the hypnotic combination of dreamy, pensive art pop and pulsating clubby rhythms which reside in her 2025 debut record Choke Enough. At one point she is so at ease watching the crowd sway to her beat that during ‘Take Me By the Hand’ she takes a seat and swings gently on what appears to be some low-hanging light rigging. Her set is an enchanting toe dip into the festival’s exciting schedule.
Next up, as if materialising from a different planet to who I just witnessed, came Princess Nokia with a boldly sexual, punkish and female-forward stage performance. This, combined with her unique blend of trap, alternative RnB and rap rock, cultivates an effervescent atmosphere where gyrating bodies and whimsical self expression. The conviviality culminates in the form of a particularly liberated looking group of barefooted and shirtless revellers hoisting a soft toy ‘Gizmo’, from the movie Gremlins, high above the crowd while dancing and inviting strangers to shelter from the rain under their huge flapping tarp.
(Princess Nokia performs on the West Stage)
Of course, Forwards offers more than quality music. The organisers make a great effort to nurture a comfortable, relaxed, inclusive and stimulating environment offering plenty of nourishment for body and soul. There is a great selection of kids and family activities, along with small market stalls selling their wares. And for the more cerebral and sociopolitically engaged, there is the Information tent hosting talks on a variety of topics and the Interactive tent which promotes cultural exchange and collaboration.
Darkness had already descended as Amyl & the Sniffers started in high gear with a blistering punk vitality. It produces a febrile crowd with bodies slamming, girls atop shoulders and arms punching high up into the chilly air. Frontwoman, Amy Taylor, wears her passion for performing, and appreciation for the crowd, all across her face and throughout her body and she delivers a storming show dressed in her signature hot pants and bikini top combo.
On stage, the pace never subsides as the band rip through high-octane hits such as ‘Doing In Me Head’, ‘Guided by Angels’ and ‘Jerkin’’. The audience shows it is equal to the powerful energy on the stage as the vibrant Bristol crowd pulsates with hedonistic abandon. Amy takes a brief moment to share her message of love and hope to a world that appears to be running short of both, before the band sends another lightning bolt into the crowd which stirs them back into a frenzy.
With about 15 minutes to go before Little Simz is due on stage to close out this year’s edition, fans begin making their way from East to the West Stage. There’s a palpable wave of thrilling expectation as the crowd continues to gather and furtively check their timekeeping devices. That build up of energy bursts into a chorus of cheers and applause as Simbi calmly steps out from the wings enveloped in a heavy camouflage jacket, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, and topped off in a red leather beret.
The band behind her immediately launches into ‘Thief’; the opening track, and caustic tone-setter, for 2025’s Lotus album on which Little Simz delivered some uncomfortable truths. The seductive bass and explosive chorus act like a rock striking right between the eyes of the audience. From this point onward our gaze is firmly fixed on the stage.
(Little Simz taking leave of the West Stage)
As the show continues, Little Simz sheds layers and ditches the shades, and that signature beaming smile reveals her unfiltered joy at being on stage and delivering a uniquely enthralling experience. A triumph at which she excels like no other in her field. At one point, she sways her way over to the extreme left of the stage to vibe with the BSL signers showcasing her flawless instincts and how she is perfectly in touch with the moment.
Around the midway point, following an incredible rendition of ‘Venom’, Little Simz, the visionary rapper, shapeshifts into DJ Simbi as she hits the decks to spin more sonic euphoria. It serves to give a clubby feel to the evening and further loosen the hips of the audience, before she snaps back into her familiar form.
The setlist is populated with a diverse array of tracks from her now extensive catalogue which mixes up moods, vibes and beats. Little Simz pulls the audience in the direction of joyous, care-free singalongs, as with ‘Selfish’ and ‘Woman’, but also plunging us into the abyss of the sinister, but powerful statement against misogyny, the aforementioned ‘Venom’, before granting salvation with the sexy Afrobeat rhythms of ‘Point and Kill’ and the jazzy groove of ‘Gorilla’ replete with its cinematic instrumental flourishes. Bristol was certainly blessed to be chosen as the final date in Little Simz’s summer calendar.
Despite the unsettled, blustery weather, and frequent rain showers, Mother Nature could not dampen or tame the spirits of Sunday’s festivalgoers. The crowd were in spectacular form and gave their body and voice in shows of adoration for every performer who took the stage. Thus proving, forever and again, that the Bristol live music audience is the best crowd in the country.
Dan Adshead
