Steve Symons is programmer of this year’s Spiegeltent. Among other jobs, he is a main stage booker for Glastonbury Festival and part of their senior management team. Before music programming, Steve was a DJ.
Here are Steve’s top-five Bristol favourites:
The Canteen
“Not for The Canteen itself but because the Stokes Croft venue exemplifies Bristol’s excellent small band scene. Nationally, it’s a tale of woe with venues closing all over the place. Intelligent programming from the likes of John Blakeley at the Canteen or Matt Aitken at Start the Bus are part of it but Bristol just loves live music and that’s great.”
No.12 Easton
“Just the most perfect little deli and cafe selling all the things I most love to eat. The fact that No. 12 Easton is just down the road from where I live and is a major part of the foodifcation (rather than gentrification) of my ‘hood has everything to do with it.”
The harbourside
“As someone who’s run many events in the amphitheatre I’ve got to know this area very well. There’s much that I love about it from the lights of Millennium Square to the network of skilled people that keeps the place going – and the boats afloat.”
The Island
“I’ve been involved in a lot of events at The Island including the Simple Things festival. It’s an amazing venue to have a party with the warren of underground cells, the old crown courts and Bridewell police station providing unique spaces. It’s also populated by some of Bristol’s more interesting characters. Further redevelopment is coming soon so get down there while you can.”
The Greatness of the Magnificence Orchestra
“Take 20 to 30 of Bristol’s best musicians and the insane creative genius of ex-Moonflower Jesse Morning Star and get them to interpret the music of Ennio Morricone and other stalwarts of 50s and 60s exotica and you’re onto something special. Having The Greatness of the Magnificence Orchestra conducted by a giant grasshopper might not be an obvious move but in no way detracts from the overall wonderfulness of this project.”
