An intimate songwriting evening where three Bristol-based artists perform and discuss their songs, hosted by Blair Dunlop.
Suntou Susso, Natalie Holmes and Sam Brookes are at Rough Trade Bristol on Wednesday 11 November for another Bristol Song Circle evening, hosted by Blair Dunlop. It's not a conventional gig: each songwriter takes a turn performing one of their songs and then explains how it came together, where the ideas came from and what happened along the way, with plenty of room for conversation and audience questions. The room is seated, so it's a night for sitting and listening rather than standing and dancing.
Susso is a Gambian-born, Bristol-based kora player born into the 700-year-old Mandinka Griot tradition of musicians and storytellers. His 2025 album Jaliya Silokang (The Path of a Griot) won several awards, and his 2026 schedule includes a 29-date UK solo tour. Natalie Holmes is an alt-pop songwriter whose debut Vitamin Be picked up praise from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Clash and EARMILK; her second album, Opposite Day, arrived last year. Sam Brookes is an alternative folk artist known for a four-octave voice and the title track of his 2023 album Black Feathers, produced by Grammy nominee Dom Monks.
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Between the three of them, you've got the kora, alt-pop and alternative folk on one bill, and the format lets you hear the stories behind the songs as well as the music itself. Doors open at 7pm, the night starts at 7:30pm, and tickets are £22.50. It's for ages 14 and over.
