LIVE REVIEW: Zolle @ Mother’s Ruin, Bristol

Tucked away off the beaten track of Bristol’s city centre is the Mother’s Ruin, a rather quirky one-up, one-down pub that has built a sold reputation for live music over the years. With a Happy Hour going from 12-8pm and a surprisingly spacious upstairs gig venue, it’s a favourite haunt of many and tonight’s audience for ZOLLE even includes Big Jeff, a local celebrity who regularly attends seven gigs a week and has a knack of picking the best ones in the city on any given night. No pressure to the four bands playing, then…

“Good evening Bristol, even though most of you are downstairs!” jokes Armstrong of NOISEPICKER as the duo begin their set. Noticeably sparce at first, it’s a welcoming sight that the place fills as the set goes on. It’s an eclectic mix of styles; one can hear punk, psychedelic, blues, stoner and grunge across the half-hour that NOISEPICKER are on stage and it’s enough to get heads moving and a resounding appreciation. The highlight of their set is the brilliantly titled ‘I Hear You Talking and It Sounds Like Bullshit to Me‘ and with a likeable presence and feel, it’s a good, solid start to tonight.

Rating: 6/10

HAGGARD CAT have been smart – they could have probably gone straight out on a headline tour with the reputation of HECK behind them, but playing second on a four band bill shows that they’re happy to build a new foundation and take a step out of the limelight for the time being. Said limelight will come back soon enough though because they steal the show tonight. It’s odd seeing the duo of Matt Reynolds and Tom Marsh sticking to the stage and not jumping around the place but it allows the music to take centre stage and the likes of Gravedigger, The Felon and a truly excellent American Graffiti are delivered with the pure, raw talent and energy that made HECK so beloved in the first place; HAGGARD CAT really are the phoenix rising from the ashes.

Rating: 8/10

Local outfit PHOXJAW are the only band tonight with more than two members and this forces bassist Danny Garland to set up on the floor as opposed to the stage, but this spilling over just adds to the overall show because the chaos that ensues as they tear into their set is unprecendented. By the beginning of the second song more than half the band are topless and keys/sampler Huw Allen, a rather quiet and reserved individual beforehand gets more and more demented as things go on. Their sound is innovative too, the lovechild of ROLO TOMASSI and RETOX, with massive ambient tones and crushing hardcore riffs; it’s not hard to see why they’re growing in stature around the local scene.

Rating: 8/10

Headliners ZOLLE have made the trip over from Italy for this short UK run and have actually brought a bit of a show – there are helium balloons with their logo, a lush, red curtain backdrop adorning the stage and tube lighting flashing around member Ste‘s drumkit. The eerie clown music that plays as an intro goes on for far too long however, and that sets the tone for the rest of the duo’s set. They’re the only instrumental group here tonight and whilst they have lots of stomp and rhythm and a small core of fans that are pitting at the front throughout, there’s no telling where one song finishes and one begins, leaving ZOLLE sounding like they’re having a glorified jam session that begins to drag all too quickly. They might be putting in effort, but they’re not changing the world any time soon.

Rating: 5/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Bristol from Serena Hill Photography here: