The multi-venue festival proved once again why it’s world class.

I’ll admit it, I’ve been slack with live music recently. If the line-up doesn’t grab my attention and I’ve got to travel to get there, you won’t see me. But something had to give, eventually, especially if you’re a music fan of any sort. I’ve been turning that around, seeing small bands in dingy bars again and really trying my very best to get there and turn up for those that need the audience.

Despite that, I still hate to travel, so if the gig is in London or my local area and I can keep my travelling down to below 30 minutes one way, you might just see me there (granted it’s a Friday or the weekend, of course).

So, it’s very unlike me to pack up my suitcase, travel three and a half hours on a stuffy coach just to soak up some live music, but duty calls. And when The Magic Gang and Jockstrap come knocking, always answer that call.

Fresh from saying “bon voyage” to The Magic Gang at The Roundhouse in London two days prior, I prepared myself for the real goodbye — the last rodeo. Maybe I’ll finally shed a tear, perhaps I won’t — after all, I first saw The Magic Gang perform in a 200-capacity room at The Horn in St. Albans and now I’m seven years older and none the wiser, about to see them perform some of the tracks that shaped my pivotal years for the very last time. Spoiler: I didn’t cry.

When I go to these multi-venue festivals, the way I see it is that I’m not resting unless the schedule allows. I’m going to see as much new talent as possible, and I’m truly making sure it’s all time well spent. With a jam-packed line-up, I started my day catching the best part of DREAMWAVE’s set, who had just released their debut EP a week or two prior and were still surrounded by that new buzz. Impressively, the room was packed to the point the body heat almost made it hard to breathe — that’s hard to do, so hats off to them for putting on such a mystifying, Earth-shaking show that attracted such a large crowd at 12:30 in the afternoon.

Next on the agenda was Automotion, a band I’ve had on my radar for a good few months now, thanks to singles like Liquify, Lost in the Spinal Labyrinth and Speaking the Static bringing them to the forefront (and our 2024 playlist). The band didn’t let us down, with one of the key highlights from their set being the bassist’s incredible, almost entrancing talent that had us heaping praise on him the moment we stepped out of The Fleece.

Our next escapade led us down a Magic Gang-shaped hole with Gus Tiramani, the bass player from the band, having been booked to play the festival three days prior. He came bearing just his electric guitar and a dream, and he left us in awe of his natural songwriting ability and knack for sweet yet simple storytelling. He swapped his guitar and the upper deck of the Thekla boat for the stage outside, joining Magic Gang frontman Jack Kaye on keys for Jack’s new project Go Easy, who TMG drummer Paeris Giles also joined on the sticks to make it a truly collaborative effort, making for a captivating live show that geared us up for the full band later that day.

Next up, we swapped the serene sounds of Go Easy playing outdoors in the Summer breeze for the sweaty, jam-packed crowd of indie sensations mary in the junkyard at SWX. With one of the biggest audiences of the weekend, it’s safe to say their recent debut EP this old house has gone down a treat. If there’s one to watch from Dot to Dot, it’s this young band without a doubt: they came on the scene with their debut single back in October last year and have already started playing to crowds of hundreds, if not thousands. In between songs, singer Clari Freeman-Taylor noted, “Look at my pedalboard, you can tell I’m not used to playing stages this big.” I’m sure in no time playing stages that vast will be second nature.

We then gathered ourselves, escaping from the venue during the last song, knowing full well the hoard of people leaving was not something we wanted to be part of, and took some time to recuperate before heading down to The Louisiana to catch Brighton’s finest Hutch.

With a song about snails and a girl working at Brighton’s Radiator Centre, Hutch are masters of catchy lyrics, psych-soaked melodies and some of the nicest harmonies you might ever hear live (take my word for it), and this truly translates into a glorious live performance no matter the venue size.

With a stop at Thekla to refuel on vegan burritos and hotdogs, we lost track of time, thanks to our day starting at the crack of dawn, and made it just in time for the very last time I’d see The Magic Gang. Naturally, they had to shorten their set compared to the farewell show — where they played over an hours worth of music — and still found themselves running slightly over. Still, they managed classic Magic Gang tracks like Alright, Caroline, Take Back The Track and How Can I Compete, with the latter one being a fitting end to a well-rounded set. The band will be missed from future Dot to Dot line-ups, that’s for certain.

As The Magic Gang left the stage to make way for the final act at O2 Academy Bristol, the change of atmosphere was felt by everyone, with photographers excitedly waiting by the side to get the chance to photograph one of the hottest acts and the word on everyone’s mouths: Jockstrap. Since giving us their debut album, I Love You Jennifer B back in 2022, the band have been on our radar ever since.

We’d previously seen singer and all-around performer Georgia Ellery as part of Black Country, New Road, back when Isaac was still frontman and Covid was still a thing that haunted our lives. Georgia joined electronic producer Taylor Skye for something completely different from her other band, taking a long departure from the soundscapes I’d heard from her before, but still revelling in her skills as a violinist. The duo have given themselves room to breathe, moving away completely from any sound associated with Ellery, and into something electronic, sometimes acoustic and sometimes fit for a rave. Jockstrap are like a Kinder egg; there’s a surprise in store, and they are the masters of surprises.

The duo put on a phenomenal hour-long performance, playing tracks from their debut album and even fitting in some from their remix album I<3UQTINVU, with their formidable sound connecting with the crowd and ending our day at Dot to Dot on an undeniable high.

Early-bird tickets for May 24th and 25th in Bristol and Nottingham are available to buy here.