PREVIEW: Reverie Fest 2024
This Friday and Saturday, 29-30 March, Bristol’s Exchange venue transforms into the epicentre of genre-bending DIY alt goodness as it hosts Reverie Fest for two unforgettable days. Reverie Fest has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of the Bristol scene, and this year's line-up is an absolute gem, featuring some of our faves like OTHER HALF, Exit Child, Lawi Anywar, and CLT DRP on an exceptionally stacked bill.
Wit a total of 20 odd bands spread across two days, spanning genres from emo to funk and delving into experimental noise, Reverie Fest promises something for every music lover. But it’s not just about the incredible music – Reverie also offers a Creators Market, where you can directly support some of the best creators out there by purchasing their unique items.
We're beyond stoked to be attending this year's fest, and below, you'll find a preview of what to expect on each day. Get ready for an immersive experience that celebrates the diversity and creativity of the DIY music scene.
Friday
Lawi Anywar gets everything going at 5:30 PM
Friday at Reverie Fest kicks off with a bang as it takes over the main room at Exchange. Make sure you're there when doors open because at 5:30 PM, the incredibly talented and downright hilarious Lawi Anywar will grace the stage. Anticipate a set that will undoubtedly be one of this year's highlights, as Lawi brings his unique blend of funky-shoegazey-psychy awesomeness to his hometown stage.
At 6:15 PM, fellow Bristolians Sans Froid will grace the stage, showcasing their distinctive blend of art-prog that's guaranteed to captivate the audience. Exciting news just in – the band has announced their debut album Hello, Boil Brain, set to drop this autumn, so brace yourselves for something truly special. Then, at 7:00 PM, prepare for Blank Atlas to unleash their big choruses and angular chugginess on stage. Describing themselves as a treat for fans of McFly and Meshuggah, their performance promises to be nothing short of intriguing.
As the night progresses, things will only get noisier when Bristol noise merchants PEACH hit the stage at 7:45 PM, delivering a raw blend of desert rock, punk and grunge that's both angry and honest. At 8:30 PM, our friends Exit Child will grace the stage with their 90’s infused alt rock sound, offering a glimpse into their evolving musical journey as a three-piece once again. And calling all drummers – Exit Child are on the lookout for a brand new full-time member, so if you're up for the challenge, don't hesitate to reach out to them.
Finally, at 9:15 PM, prepare for the Friday headliners and one of our all-time favourite bands, OTHER HALF, to take the stage. The Norwich-based trio has been hard at work on their third album, with the first fruits of their labour dropping early next week – hopefully, they'll treat the Reverie crowd to a sneak peek of their latest creations.
Saturday
Catch CLT DRP at 8 PM in the Main Room
On Saturday, Reverie expands to encompass both of Exchange’s stages. Upstairs in the Main Room, things kick off at 2 PM when another one of the hometown’s excellent talents, Muncle, hit the stage. Muncle is the musical project of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and is bound to be an exciting start to the main room’s day.
Then, at 3 PM, prepare for more local goodness as syth noise punks BENZO QUEEN take the stage. Following them at 4 PM are Post-Punks KNIVES who just dropped a new banger “Headcase” last week. At 5 PM, it will be time for God Alone., who will bring their dance-infused math/noise rock all the way from Cork in Ireland.
Then at 6 PM, Mancunian punks Loose Articles will hit the stage. There's massive hype for the four-piece who are set to drop their debut album later this year and also have the small task of opening for the Foo Fighters in June. London’s Delaire The Liar will bring their weaponsided punk rock attitude to the Bristol stage, promising a set that is both eclectic and emotional.
Things keep getting better as at 8 PM it will be time for Brighton-based electro-punks CLT DRP to bring their supercharged energy to the stage. The band just dropped their banging single “Until You Showed Me” last month, showing a continued journey from last year's Nothing Clever, Just Feelings album. Headlining the Main Room and closing out the whole festival are Black Foxxes who hit the stage at 9:30 PM. The Exeter three-piece will bring a blend of 90s grunge, indie, alt-country, and emo to the stage and look set to close out the festival in style.
Reverie has had M4D SM4SH curate the basement stage on Saturday, and it also boasts a stellar lineup. Kicking things off at 3:30 PM are Bristol duo qariaq, who bring their unique sound to the intimate stage. At 4:30 PM, the excellently named A Pig Called Eggs hit the stage, who describe their sound as bringing together the frenzy of The Cardiacs with a splash of brine to the swine.
Babygreen follows at 5:30, bringing their instrumental epicness with them. At 6:30 PM, post-punk/math-rock tribe SENECA hit the stage for even more epicness. With the band announced to be playing ArcTanGent later in the year, we are super excited about their set. Birmingham’s outlander hit the stage at 7:30, bringing their epic droney noise to the Bristol crowd. Headlining the Basement at 8:45 PM is STRAIGHT GIRL, the non-binary grave rave succubus from Leeds, who looks set to rip the stage up.
