Republica back at Thekla on 29 November

Republica are coming back to Bristol this winter, and their Thekla show on Sunday 29 November is the last date of their UK autumn tour. The band are celebrating 30 years since their self-titled debut album and its big single, "Ready to Go". Formed in 1994 in Windsor, they built their sound by mixing guitars with electronic production and club culture, a blend that sits somewhere between rock, indie and dance. The remix of "Ready to Go" released in February 1997 reached number 13 in the UK, while the debut album climbed to number 4 in the UK Albums Chart. Anyone who remembers the late nineties will probably know the chorus already.

This run of shows is called the "30 Years Of Ready To Go" tour and started in October. Saffron, who has fronted the band from the start, is the only member of the original line-up still in Republica. Since June 2024 the live drum seat has been taken by Steve Hewitt, who previously played with Placebo and Six by Seven. Earlier this month, on 9 October, the band put out a 30th Anniversary Special Edition of the debut album as a double vinyl. It pairs the original record with a live recording from 1997, called "A Day At The Races", made at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London.

Thekla is a fitting place for a night like this. It is a converted German cargo ship moored in Bristol's harbour, and it's the only music and club venue in the city that sits on a boat, though according to the venue it does not actually set sail on the night. The main stage is in the ship's hold, which holds 400 people, and upstairs there is a 170-capacity bar that is usually used as a second room for club nights. Over the years the venue has hosted acts such as Stormzy, Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski, so it has seen plenty of different crowds. The show is 14+, doors open at 7pm and the listed start time is 19:00. As with most gigs there, the night finishes by the 10pm curfew, and some shows use strobe lighting.

Tickets start at £30.00 through DICE, and they are also sold through See Tickets UK, Viagogo and resale sites. Thekla does not have a box office, so you can't pick up advance tickets at the venue. If the show hasn't sold out by the time you're reading this, you can still buy tickets on the door. For anyone who grew up with the band, or who only knows the big tunes from films and adverts, this is a chance to hear a set built around one of the decade's most recognisable sounds, in one of the city's best-loved small venues.