Burst's February Picks: The Best of Bristol This Month
With a city as vibrant as Bristol, it can often be overwhelming to keep track of what’s on and where, what’s worth going to, opportunities for free entry and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Do not fear! Here at Burst we are breaking it down for you, so you never have to experience that gut-wrenching FOMO feeling again.
February is an exciting time as ever in terms of Bristol’s music scene and, as always, there’s tons of great gigs coming up this month - starting with Die Twice at Clock Factory on the 15th February. Die Twice may be one of the least recognisable names on this list, however this does not mean their performance should be anticipated with any less excitement. Combining indie/punk Rock with a Jeff Buckley-esque voice this music guarantees an epic atmosphere – not one to miss! An often-understated genre in the Bristol music scene, the calibre of country and folk artists that come to this city is unmatched. A group to look out for this month is The Shovel Dance Collective; the group will be playing at Strangebrew on the 16th February. Their work is moving and laced with tradition. Take this gig as an opportunity to try something new, slow down and reflect. But, if that’s not your thing, then on the 16th February, classic indie rock band The Wombats are performing at Marble Factory - forget Thekla Thursday and hear your favourites play live! On the 24th February, jazz-house artist Berlioz is playing the Bristol Beacon as part of his Open This Wall tour, supporting the release of his new album. Irish singer and rapper Biig Piig will also be coming to Bristol on the 26th February, performing at SWX. Biig Piig offers a slightly more relaxed evening, with more of a dream-pop sound, a perfect transition into spring. On the 29th February, American indie band The Magnetic Fields, will be playing the Bristol Beacon. The Magnetic Fields is a highly anticipated arrival to close the month. Their most known song being ‘The Book of Love’, their music is nostalgic and light, and will most likely be familiar due to a lot of their work being featured in popular scores for film and TV.
It’s easy to overlook Bristol’s art scene, especially if it is not your area of expertise. However, with multiple renowned galleries dotted around the city, it would be a shame to miss out on it completely, especially with the exhibitions that are on this month! From the 11th February to the 27th May, UWE will be opening their life drawing lessons to the public every Tuesday with free entry, hosted at the Arnolfini. This is a great opportunity to perfect your art skills, or just to have a bit of fun and try something new! Also at the Arnolfini, is the Rinko Kawauchi exhibition, her first UK exhibition since 2006, showing her photography as it captivatingly combines the ethereal with the everyday. If you do want to attend this, hurry! The exhibition runs until the 16th February. If you don’t get the time to visit, fear not – the RWA is also showing an art exhibition, considering similarly humanistic themes in a very different way. This exhibition will be made up of art created by older people living with dementia as well as those who care for them, integrated with paintings from the RWA collection, exploring ideas of memory, love, and the power of art. Lastly, The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is offering Late night exhibitions from 6-9pm for Wildlife Photographer of the year. The sessions are accompanied by live performances and DJ sets with entry being £8, so hopefully your student budget can stretch to fit this one in.
By Olivia Hill