REVIEWS

All music reviews go here… pretty simple really.

LIVE REVIEWS

BAKING THE NIGHT AWAY

Jacob Richards-Powell
First published 21 May 2018: There’s a place hidden in plain sight, an innocuous venue seamlessly disguised as something as beige and bland as a doctor’s waiting room. A place where the uninhabited can sneak […]
BY BAND

TTNG

Jacob Richards-Powell
Prior to this gig I knew nothing of TTNG, a dear friend of The Shonk asked if I’d like to come along and I said yes. I did however forget to put it into the […]
BY BAND

CALVA LOUISE

Jacob Richards-Powell
Whether it’s age, COVID or a combination of the two, something that I have found difficult to muster over recent months is getting excited by gigs. During these long periods of isolation I’ve caught many […]
Photo of the band Wych Elm
BY BAND

WYCH ELM

dukeofearl
[Taken from Bristol Psychfest 2018] Wych Elm provided refuge in that I could now reduce my dancing speed by 27% percent as I was caught up in their delicate, if not at times borderline collapsing […]
ALBUM REVIEWS

ALTERED MYTHS!

Jacob Richards-Powell
Altered Myths /3113 This prolific pair from Penarth bring us an audio onslaught akin to apocalyptic omens and impending dread. 3113 is concise, focused and unsettling. Is it a track or a warning? It brings […]
ALBUM REVIEWS

DAVID HOPEWELL

dukeofearl
The corridors and offices of Shonk Towers are empty and dark. The causation, a global pandemic that has led to the extermination of most of our staff, with nothing more than an intern popping in […]
ALBUM REVIEWS

CARDIACS

dukeofearl
For months, maybe years I kept thinking about writing this piece, to just talk about my love for Cardiacs. Tim might have said ‘there’s no rush’ but those words can carry a lot of foreshadowing. […]
ALBUM REVIEWS

CHEW

dukeofearl
Alas, a component of my life I have missed this year is the ability to walk into a gig ‘ear-blind’ – It’s an amazing way to install new music into one’s mind. Clearly the solution […]
ALBUM REVIEWS

JERSKIN FENDRICKS

dukeofearl
Since I saw him opening for Black Midi at Rough Trade in a Bristol a couple years ago I have been awestruck by Jerskin Fendrix. I remember watching the show bewildered and excited by what […]