Encapsulated by a night of political turmoil, ‘Give a Sh*t Xmas’ was an evening of solidarity. A homeless charity fundraiser with a difference. Chants of ‘f**k the tories’ and ‘oh Jeremy Corbyn’ midway through Danny Nedelko embodied a crowd with a shared passion and a hunger for change.
The night opened with Billy Nomates then Beak> before IDLES and finally Bootleg Blondie closing into the early hours. The night raised over £80,000 for local homeless charities through 100% of ticket sales, a raffle (where Jon Talbot donated his car) and Banksy producing the t-shirts and art prints for the night.
Introduced by Martin from Homes Under the Hammer (yes), and launching into new song ‘war’, IDLES dominated a show with anger, frustration, love and unity. Contradictory emotions that embody their work. Smashing through each of their 11-song set, with enough energy to dominate an arena, IDLES transitioned between frustration, angst and politics, highlighting the state of the NHS, the rise of toxic masculinity, the importance of mental health, feminism and socialism. Highlights include 1089 Gotho, Mother and Samaritans.
Why is it significant?
Historic England describe the classification of heritage sites to fall under the following value categories: Communal, Social, Aesthetic and Historic.
The nature of the night, a sense of community and belonging is a prime example of attendees at gigs sharing a communal view and appreciation for the band.
The venue, Marble Factory has only recently opened within Bristol’s live music landscape described as ‘through meticulous consideration and immersive staging, the venue challenges how live music is experienced’. But its aesthetics embody the historical ‘feeling’ of its Victorian Warehouse origins, being a staple in the community not just for industry but for cultural production.
Ending the night was Big Jeff’s DJ set. Having first seeing Jeff at (pretty much every show at) Primavera, Jeff is a local legend who encapsulates what live music means to individuals. Read more here. He is part of the Bristol scene and suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, averaging at 7 gigs a year over 13 years, his community, his society, is live music and he is not alone in that mindset.
Heritage Venue Project 