Private View: Fri 19th Sept, 6pm - 10pm
Opening Daily: Sat 20th - Wed 24th, 12pm
Weekend and Monday events and times listed below.
Spectres are a noise-rock band who formed in North Devon in 2009 before moving to Bristol shortly afterwards as their music was very much not appreciated back home. Instantly inspired by a new city full of new musicians and artists, two of the band, Adrian and Joe, set up Howling Owl Records and through this label and Spectres, they went on to put on countless memorable events and releases over the next several years.
This exhibition & series of events is happening because our debut LP ‘Dying’ was ten years old this year, and when you realise something like this is ten years old, you tend to ponder those times. For us those times were thrilling. When you could still work part time but put events on, run a record label and tour Europe.
The show will feature troves of unseen photography, video, illustration and more from the vaults as well as new work and installation pieces. Hopefully this won’t be viewed only as a nostalgia trip, but as a love letter to that incomparable feeling of being in a DIY band and getting to have fun with loads of other people able to carry out their DIY endeavours.
Dying was released in March 2015 on the Sonic Cathedral label to widespread critical acclaim, positioning the band as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK. If only critical acclaim translated into ticket sales. Three further albums, Condition (2017), It's Never Going To Happen And This Is Why (2020) and AM-DRAM (2024) cemented their reputation as one of the UK’s most visceral and uncompromising acts. However. Their situationist, subversive skirmishes with the music industry created many hot messes and cold shoulders. And here we are.
Friday 19th September: Dying For Ten Years exhibition opening
Private view 6pm
We will be presenting troves of unseen photography, video, illustration and more from the vaults as well as new work and installation pieces. On the opening night we will be creating parts of the 10th anniversary release artwork live.
The exhibition will be open daily from 12pm. There will be events taking place at this time on Saturday and Sunday, but the exhibition will still be open to the public whilst these take place.
Saturday 20th September (Day): Join The Youth Against Fascism Band
Musical Workshop / 12pm - 4pm / Free
Youth! We are inviting you to be part of the 'Youth Against Fascism' band. Together we will record a modern distortion of the song ‘Youth Against Fascism' by the legendary New York band Sonic Youth. We will then release this into the world via a format decided by you that day. We will lead the workshop, with mics and recording equipment in place and will supply instruments.
If the state of the world has you angry, disenchanted or furious then joining the Youth Against Fascism Band will offer you brief a burst of cathartic respite through the medium of song. Can’t play an instrument? Who cares. Can’t sing? Good. Just bring the noise and we’ll all do the rest.
This event is aimed for those 18 and under, but no one will be turned away. Never too old to be Youth.
Event page here: Headfirst
Sign up here: Form
For more info please contact youthagainstfascismband@gmail.com
Saturday 20th September (Night) : Spectres: Dying (Done to Death)
Live concert / 7.30pm - 10pm / £10 / Tickets here
We perform our debut album live in full, for the first and final time since the album launch show in March 2015. Sometimes it’s fun to dig up the past.
Opening the show will be Year Of The Rabbit, the v.fresh experimental art punk project taking inspiration from 1970s no wave who pull just as much from Sylvia Plath as they do from Sonic Youth.
Sunday 21st September: Spectres In Purgatory
Performance / 2pm - ??? / Free
The conversation between bandmates about when to pack it in can be an awkward one. 15-ish years is a long time. How long do we keep doing this for? And why are we? Instead of having this sensitive discussion with one another in person with words, we will be having this sensitive discussion with one another live at Centrespace Gallery by performing our song ‘This Purgatory’ live, on a loop, until we can no longer physically or mentally play it any more.
Come spend a lovely Sunday afternoon with us, locked into this durational performance of meditative masochism.
Monday 22nd September: DIY CAN NEVER DIE
After many eventful years of putting on events as Howling Owl Records and Spectres, we have now been out of the promotion game for a few years. Things have changed an awful lot in the 10 years since we released Dying, with many, many new challenges faced by those trying to present new and exciting music and art.
We thought it would be a nice idea to have a conversation with some of those keeping the fire burning in the city. We have tried to invite representatives from a range of organisations including People Like Us, Club395, Noods and En Masse (participants subject to change).