Once more, we boarded the good ship Thekla in Bristol for the sold out leg 1 of Herefordshire band Pentire.
First up was Chase The Wild, a six-piece indie rock band combining the groove of Australian surf-rock with the grit of early Arctic Monkeys. They clearly had a great following in Bristol and their tight set was greeted with enthusiasm from the very full deck at Thekla.
Next up was Mitch Sanders, a singer songwriter with a small but perfectly formed 3 piece, bass and drums and Mitch singing and playing guitar. Mitch has a wonderful voice and the set had Sam Fender vibes, without the Geordie accent, from this south Bristolian. 2025 could be a big year for Mitch and look forward to catching up with him along the way.
Then it was time for Pentire, well it was meant to be. The crowd filled every orifice of the boat, port hole to port hole, as I was wedged in against the stage but the sound guys frantic efforts to 'swap out a dud cable' escalated to what looked like a re rooting of half of the PA. It was frustrating for all concerned but the full house behaved and the band were quick to apologise and relieved to even deliver an abridged set. Fair play to all involved, it took 45 minutes, but they got it working and that's a credit to them.
So a few scribbled out songs on the set list and a strict curfew to make sure they were clear for club night, meant we got a short sharp dose of full on Pentire. And considering the delay and frustrations, they smashed it. Their indie tinged pop songs are really catchy and the young crowd sang every word back to them while they bounced and danced.
It may not have started in a way they planned but the response to every song surely exceeded their expectations. While the crowd may have wanted more, all good things come to and end and it was time to pack up and head on up to Manchester. But not before the boys did what looked like a lively DJ set late into the Bristolian night. Definately worth catching these guys live in 2025 for a really fun night, with top songs.
Words and Pics by Glenn Morrison
