Live Review: Drug Church, Downward and Liquid Mike | Trinity Centre, Bristol | 10/09/26
It’s Drug Church, joined by Liquid Mike and Downward, playing a literal church. There’s certainly a pun in there, but everyone’s too busy hurling themselves off the stage to think of it.
“Who’s Mike?” a punter asks facetiously as Michigan’s Liquid Mike lurches into their set. Rude indeed, but let’s be honest: you can’t really blame someone for that question. Whilst Liquid Mike have swiftly become a household name in alternative soundtracked dwellings on their respective side of the Atlantic, the band have remained a relatively unknown and niche proposition on our shores. Such a thing and previous questions might be redundant after this tour, though; Liquid Mike sounds wonderful tonight.
Playfully jaunting through a set mostly composed of material from their most recent record, Hell Is An Airport, Mike and his liquid peers sound totally agreeable tonight. Offering a breezy and warmly nostalgic set that pulls motifs from halcyon powerpop, naughties emo and the kind of alt rock that can only come from the dejected youth, it’s essentially impossible not to be endeared by both the band’s time-warping sound and its malleable delivery. Sure, the band’s chirpy Korg synth riffs, recurring trumpet and playful pop sensibilities may not be what comes to mind when thinking about what a support for Drug Church would entail, but there’s no denying those here are loving it. There’s little surprise why this band has swiftly become such a dotted-on act in the States, and should this set be any indication, they’re likely to cultivate a similar following over here in Europe come the end of this first tour.
Photo Credit: Rowan Bruce
As for Downward, it’s quite a tonal and thematic shift. Whereas Liquid Mike was an upbeat exercise in modernist powerpop, Downward’s set is approximately 40 minutes of asphalt shoegazing and concrete reverb in the vein of Trauma Ray and Soul Blind. Not that such a thing is necessarily a bad thing, but it’s certainly an 180-degree turn in events. A contrastive experience that juxtaposes what just came prior and what is set to come next, whilst the Oklahoma four-piece may sound and present themselves as po-faced and stoic, it’s clear their grungy nu-gaze resonates with most of those gathered here tonight. Emphasises on most.
Whilst Downward’s despondent style is well received by those riding this current wave of shoegaze revivalism, it’s hard to ignore how the momentum of this evening is affected. Of course, variety and contrast are highly important in any live environment; after all, who wants to experience the same sound, energy and vibe being peddled by different acts over the course of an evening? But saying that, there’s no denying that the energy and vibe courtesy of Liquid Mike is crushed and extinguished by the sawing shoegaze and herculean riffs of this band. That’s not to say that Downward aren’t a good band or are unwelcome this evening. They are genuinely great at what they do. But compared to the instantaneous energy of the bands that they’re sandwiched between, this set does feel oddly placed. As said, a large portion of those here do quietly enjoy this, and for good reason, but there’s also a portion who clearly do not have the patience this band requires – something evidenced by the bar staff looking like they’ve been robbed of what was an anticipated break during this set.
Photo Credit: Rowan Bruce
Thankfully, and as anticipated, tonight’s headliner drag the energy and mood back up in seconds; the bodies are already flying even before they can drop into opener ‘Million Miles of Fun’. Arguably the concept of stage diving personified, Drug Church is, as always, an hour of community spirit and ardent inclusivity made manifest via flailing limbs and what are essentially trust falls on a mass scale. But what separates this headline set from the band’s previous sets in Bristol is the scope of the evening. Without question, this sold-out show at the 600-capacity Trinity Centre is the biggest headliner Drug Church has played in the local area. And with that in mind, here’s the real question: does Drug Church translate well to these larger rooms? Of course they do; they’re one of the most fun bands in the world.
As the band breathlessly run through a setlist that mostly pulls from the band’s last three records, tonight just shows that regardless of the venue, a Drug Church set will always remain the same. As punters trapeze off the stage during the likes of ‘Slide 2 Me’ and ‘Unlicensed Hall Monitor’ and as mic grabs define the shout-along nature of ‘World Impact’ and ‘But Does It Work?’, this set ultimately comes to pass as an exercise in shared joy, the crowd as animated as frontman Patrick Kindlon. The antics of everyone here make this evident, but the factor that truly defines this sentiment is how the audience here is an amalgamation of different people belonging to different scenes.
Yes, Drug Church have long been defined as a hardcore-adjacent band, and of course those in Speed jerseys and Spy shirts and the like are plentiful. But also here are those in emo merch, shirts belonging to noise rock bands and even fresh Download Fest hoodies. At other shows, mutterings about ‘tourists’ or the like may be uttered under breaths, but here, it’s nothing but joyous inclusivity. Drug Church even seem to be more than aware of their pull outside of hardcore, with the set featuring a comedic lesson on stage dive etiquette and the anthemic likes of ‘Hey Listen’ and ‘Unlicensed Guidance Counsellor’ being dedicated to those newcomers wanting to get their first stage diving licks in.
But of course, it’s the likes of ‘Myopic’ and closer ‘Weed Pin’ that get the biggest reaction, with the latter ultimately culminating in a stage invasion. Even the stage security, nervous and forced to side stage, seem to crack a smile or two. But come the end, and as sweat starts to dry, a realisation comes to mind. There’s no denying that Drug Church are certainly on the upswing now, and no doubt some may be concerned about the band being jettisoned into larger rooms such as this literal church of a room. But from tonight, it’s clear that regardless of the capacity of the room they play in, Drug Church shows will always be like tonight: joyous communions in shared energy and momentum being soundtracked by one of the best bands in modern punk.
Photo Credit: Rowan Bruce