LIVE REVIEW: The Bouncing Souls @ The Fleece, Bristol

Bristol is currently almost buckling at the seams with the sheer amount of exceptional music passing through. With so many amazing venues, and a vibrant and diverse audience, it’s no wonder THE BOUNCING SOULS decided to stop off for a visit on their 30th anniversary tour. We were in town to check it out, so without further ado, find out what we thought!

There is a surprising amount of power that comes from THE DIRTY NIL, who are the first band to kick of this unashamedly punk rock evening. And unashamed the band are, as their pop influences shine through in droves thanks to their massive choruses that are hidden within every song. There are clear relations to bands like PUPPY, as the heavy bass rings through and the drums are hit so hard it’s amazing the drumheads don’t cave in on themselves.

The room feels tame for THE DIRTY NIL, and it can’t be ignored that near enough all the energy is top loaded at the stage, as opposed to being spread evenly throughout the early crowd. The small crowd doesn’t hold them back though, as the bassist kicks and bounces and jives his way through the set next to a flamboyant frontman who oozes confidence as he rips through bluesy guitar solos and pop-punk hooks. THE DIRTY NIL do exactly what an opening act should do; rattle some heads and tee up the night for an absolute home run.

Rating: 7/10

For a band that have been going as long as DEATH BY STEREO have been, it’s genuinely impressive how much energy the band come out the gate with. Considering this is the start of the tour, there feels to be a sense of good timing for everyone here, as the thought of the band delivering this level of intensity every night they play is dizzying to think about. They are all over the place in the best possible way, boasting chugging rhythms that bleed into duel metalcore harmonies before slingshotting back to classic punk rock fodder. The diversity of influences is the engine that fuels DEATH BY STEREO and this engine is running at full welly tonight.

After the vocalist has had his moment screaming from the bar, the remaining musicians all buy shots without missing a single beat or letting the energy drop once. The room becomes explosive, as the crowd begins to bounce off one another thanks to the infectious playing from the Californian punks. Shame that the new song is one of the weaker cuts from the set, but DEATH BY STEREO have been doing this long enough to know exactly what they’re doing. After the band finish it’s fair to say the party has well and truly started.

Rating: 8/10

As the guys on stage lament, being in a band for 30 years is a ridiculous feet. But, THE BOUNCING SOULS are doing just that in their self professed favourite city in the UK. The sell out crowd makes it clear that they are here to celebrate with them, as the opening songs erupt with beers flying through the air and limbs flailing from the lively front row. THE BOUNCING SOULS have done well to maintain this level of energy throughout their career, and the skate punk vibe brings a strong nostalgic feeling of simpler times, and when the world just didn’t feel so big and scary. There is a strong sense of community as near enough every chorus is shouted back at the band and the movement in the crowd never seems to cease. Even when the band ask the audience to pick songs, they are answered immediately, and the tangible connection between the band and the audience is one of the best things about the night in general.

The band play off each other incredibly well, showing off how they’ve glued together so well after the years. Even after playing for a good portion of their set, the punk mainstays seem to just have more songs to launch at the audience, with That Song erupting with particular spice. Even though the frontman seems to lack the expressions of both openers, it never detracts from anything, and his dad dancing gives a certain panache to the bands uplifting and often times frantic punk rock offerings. There are still minor moments of improvements to be had, but these come down to the vocals laying low in the mix and getting drowned out by the fantastic backing band. Even with this, the audience often picks the up slack.

All in all, the sense of celebration is consistently thick in the air, and the fact THE BOUNCING SOULS are still writing tunes that fit so well into their varied yet familiar back catalogue is testament to just how good they remain, even after 30 years.

Rating: 8/10

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