As the end of seventh week loomed and our respective dissertation/thesis deadlines crept ever closer, my friend and I agreed that we desperately needed an escape from Oxford – so what did we decide to do? Embark on a side quest to Bristol for a few days to go to a concert. Classic third year behavior…
M60 are a four-piece indie rock band with its members coming from towns across Manchester – and were the reason for our getaway. On their website, they describe their sound as ‘guitar-led noise with an undeniable Manc twang which takes shape in the form of energetic and anthemic tunes’. Since releasing their debut single Honey in 2016, the band have been releasing and performing music for the past five years. Their most successful track I Don’t Mind is what put the band on the map back in 2018, gathering nearly 4 million streams on Spotify, and the band itself has now garnered 84,642 monthly listeners (*at the time of writing). M60 came to Bristol for the end leg of their mini tour of the south, setting up shop in pub and independent live music venue The Louisiana for what would turn out to be a night of intimate indie tunes.
Housing around 140 guests, The Louisiana reminded me of the inherent value of local music and smaller-scale gigs. Having been around for 35 years, the venue claims to prioritise supporting local artists, staying true to its ethos of giving ‘an unknown act a chance’. Though I love to attend any concert and will happily go to large stadiums to see my favourite artists in action, M60’s intimate venue choice reminded me of the connectivity of music. With the band less than two feet from me, where we could lock eyes and even talk to one another in between tracks, the music felt even more direct and tangible. Indie is certainly booming back into mainstream music, but it’s comforting to see that the sanctity of small gigs and traditional venues still holds out despite this growth.
The night featured two support acts (neither of which I had heard of prior): Kiwi and Harvey Jay Dodgson. We unfortunately rocked up just as Kiwi were wrapping up. Harvey Jay Dodgson, however, caught us by surprise. The Portsmouth based indie/alt labelled band music was certainly indie but with a rock and even metal edge at times. With harsh guitar, intense lyricism and even interspersed screams amongst the melodies, they kept my head banging and my ears pricked. Their lyrics almost echoed the grit of debut Sam Fender, and I look forward to searching them up on Spotify.
M60 are certainly a small band, but their fan base is clearly strong as lyrics were belted by the majority of the room for every song they played – even one that had been released only ten days prior to the night. Opening with Let Me Know kicked the gig into high gear, following on seamlessly with my personal favourite, Cards We Dealt, keeping the good vibes flowing. With eighteen tracks on the setlist, the gig stretched over a few hours, which meant pretty much everyone was able to hear their favorite track played live. The set finished off strong with I Don’t Mind, ending the set on the most popular tune was a clever choice from M60 and meant the audience were left with a great final sing-along that would certainly stick in their heads for weeks to come – or at least it stuck in ours!
After the gig, the band hung around to chat, sign items and take pictures with fans – my friend is now the proud possessor of a signed setlist, stripped from the floor by the drummer’s feet and handed to him upon request. It was heartwarming to see how much they valued the people who had paid for tickets and made an effort to come out to see them. I even got a message from the band’s page after the show, replying to my Instagram story clip of the gig and thanking me for coming. This kind of fan base interaction is how smaller bands like M60 keep people interested. They are either just simply lovely blokes, or their marketing team is super strong…
If you have not heard their tracks before, I would highly recommend giving them a listen. Whether you are an age-old fan of indie tunes or just looking to dip your toe in, M60 is a great place to start. And if you can catch them live, you should snatch up some tickets asap as you will undoubtedly be in for a good show.
M60 performed at The Louisiana on the 9th March 2025.
You can check out M60 here on their Website, Spotify and Instagram.