Being a former indie teenager who perfected the art of persuading her parents to let her go to gigs on school nights, I’ve seen a lot of people live. As gigs continue to make a promising return, I’ve rounded up the best of the best to see live.
Lynks
Lynks is perhaps the most exciting act to come out of Bristol ever. I mean that completely seriously. Their Instagram bio reads ‘best musician in the entire world’, and they’re right. Leading a queer revolution in the most incredible masked uniform, Lynks was born to perform. Their gigs are a celebration of the atypical, fuelled by dirty underground electronic beats and witty lyrics about nights in Lizard Lounge. I caught them in Crofter’s Rights by accident, but was gladly baptised with strangers’ sweat and confetti. It’s impossible not to dance to a Lynks track, and their elaborate dance routines are infectious – we were even taught some of the choreography. Lynks is everything live music should be; when they’re inevitably back in town, I’m begging you to go.
Best tracks to check out: ‘Str8 Acting’, ‘Pedestrian at Best’, ‘This Is the Hit’
Beabadoobee
The phrase ‘Beabadoobee mosh pit’ may seem oxymoronic, but in fact couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s hard to believe that the voice behind ‘Coffee’, the song that had TikTok in a chokehold for most of 2020, could ignite the kind mosh pits that cause serious bruises, but somehow it happens. I’d initially gone to her gig partly as a joke, but was pleasantly surprised. Talking to others in the crowd I soon realised the average age was about 14, and at 20, I felt insanely old. Yet, it was strangely comforting to find that the indie mantle I once carried has been passed down to a crowd of young people who know how to fully embrace a concert. Bea’s shyness and brief pauses for thanks are comically at odds with her fans, who will mobilise violently to any of her tracks. Her impressive live performance may be a testament more to her devoted Gen-Z fans than her own stage presence, but nevertheless, Beabadoobee is definitely one to catch whenever you have the chance.
Best tracks to check out: ‘Care’, ‘She Plays Bass’, ‘Apple Cider’
KEG
Every band takes time to perfect a niche, but KEG discovered theirs pretty quickly – a trombone and a conch shell. While the band’s sound could be described as post-punk, it’s still baggy, leaving room for wild experimentation; seven pals with different musical backgrounds from jazz to hip-hop have melded to make idiosyncratic chaos, but in the best way. The band’s oeuvre was made to be played live, and after seeing them at The Lanes, they proved the perfect soundtrack to get rowdy to. Lead singer Albert Haddenham has all the confident swagger a frontman needs, and a set of moves that rival Mick Jagger. When trombonist Charlie Keen pulled out a conch shell and somehow managed to make beautiful sound, I knew this would be a live performance I’d be talking about for years. The atmosphere of a KEG gig is something difficult to put into words – you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.
Best tracks to check out: ‘Heyshaw’, ‘Presidential Walk’, ‘Farmhands’