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Review: Billy Nomates, Electric Bristol – ‘A night of artistic richness and emotional resonance’
Summer is over!
Our reward? Gig season.
It was in full swing on Wednesday, with Bristol awash with live music everywhere you looked, and what better way for my gig season to begin than with a hometown show for Billy Nomates (BNM), celebrating the release of her third album, Metalhorse.
is needed now More than ever
Having been a fan of from the start of her career, I was looking forward to the latest live incarnation of BNM.
Normally solo, on Wednesday Tor (otherwise known as BNM) was accompanied by a live band that has been integral to her progression in sound.
Eager early arrivers were treated to a refreshingly different kind of support act.
The night began with an audacious athletic display of breathtaking grace and dexterity, featuring circus artist Emily Sanders.
The lights came up as Emily appeared on stage beside a glistening white mannequin and accompanied by a narrated introduction.
It wasn’t long before there were audible gasps as Emily spun upside down, got up on bricks and performed a range of tricks.
Ballerina pumps were plucked from the stage and bottles lined up as Playground, by Bea Miller, aptly filled the Electric Bristol air.
Emily then tiptoed across glass bottles, holding her body weight on her tippy toes in front of an astounded crowd.
The aerial hoop stage rear became Emily’s tool as she spun, looping the mannequin leg around with unshakable poise.
She defied belief and left the crowd wishing they had one tenth of her creativity and strength.
Her ‘Beneath the Big Top Show’ will be along for the ride for the rest of the tour. Get there early.
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The stage was set to reiterate the Metalhorse theme of a decaying fair/circus, with a merry-go-round-style white metal horse centre, and a sign which read “Balloon or Toy if you lose” and several “Loser” balloons hung up around the place for good measure.
After Emily, Tor bounded onto stage, dressed all in black with the word “Magic” on her chest, armed this time with drummer Liam Chapman and bassist supreme Mandy Clarke.
She hit the ground running, giving us all the new album material, and her sound was instantly elevated by the live band.
The chemistry of smiles between her and Mandy was great to see, sharing glances, kicks and harmonising alongside some downright funky basslines.
I couldn’t help feeling it must make things easier to share the overwhelm of being on stage by being part of a gang.
In between songs, Tor appeared nervously appreciative that so many people had come out to see her.
But the moment every single song started, she was in the zone.
She confidently swished the mic right to left – a true performer.
All mistakes were laughed off. “It’s the opening night, what do you expect?”
Plans was my album highlight and now is a live highlight too.
It’s a twinkling light of a song: bright, breezy and galloping along in pop perfection. This song makes you move.
It feels so upbeat in an album that addresses grief and loss, trying to drag hope from wreckage and having to carry on, no matter the grief, to clamber your way back into the light.
This song, when performed live, shone.
Tor sounded better than ever
Another highlight was Strange Gift, an ode to the recent loss of Tor’s father. This is a song that grabs at the heart.
Visibly overwhelmed, Tor picked up her acoustic guitar and broke our hearts. Yet, vocally, she sounded better than ever, seamlessly hitting all notes.
Then Dark Horse saw drummer Liam replacing The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell on backing vocals.
“There’s no need to win over a Bristol crowd, is there?” Tor beamed, before giving us some “old stuff”.
Hippie Elite had a beefed up bassline and No was delivered with its usual attitude and groove. (No is definitely a word we could all do with saying more I reckon. “ No is the greatest Rrsistance, “no is a power” – exactly.)
Billy Nomates is “way too cool for an impractical encore”. Why waste time when you have two bangers in your armoury?
Cacti’s grungy guitar-based Spite made the crowd start dancing as the beat kicked in with the bass pumping along, building a euphoric mood.
Single The Test closed the set, as it should, with smiles all round.
A night of artistic richness, performance art and emotional resonance to a very appreciative Bristol crowd.
All photos: Matt Barnes
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