I am often late to the party when it comes to artists who may have already been around for years. I will admit that Plini and Sungazer were both bands who were really in peripheral vision only prior to this Electric Bristol show.
Plini – Sungazer
Electric Bristol – 21 May 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
I was unsurprised that a virtuoso guitarist, whose debut album Electric Sunrise prompted Steve Vai to comment over a decade ago that “When I saw Plini play, I felt that the future of exceptional guitar playing was secure,” could have a good pop at filling one of the bigger venues in Bristol.
There are many people who find this music deeply absorbing. For me, it was a night of discovery and appreciation of true high-level ability.
Plini (Plini Roessler-Holgate) takes the stage flanked by a trusty trio of musicians. Simon Rowe on bass, Jake Howsam Lowe on guitars and drummer Chris Allison provide the vehicle for the Australian to showcase his talent, and over the 90 minutes of the show, all four demonstrate why technically Vai was correct.
The musicianship flows beautifully, with each member of the band (apart from Allison) switching to instruments with more strings. Eight-string guitars, six-string bass? No worries. It is all here.
It is a set based on his most recent album, An Unnameable Desire, with six tracks, including two of the opening trio, the title track, and Ciel getting an airing.
Virtuosity only counts for so much, though, and although the healthy-sized audience was soaking up every note, there were times I found my attention wandering.
It is ironic that I had spent the previous weekend in Zottegem, Belgium, lapping up post-rock bands of all shapes and sizes. Ironic because this is another outfit who avoid lyrics. But Plini has a couple of key strategies to maintain attention. The main one is getting the audience a little “weirded out.”
At various points in the evening, we have the audience making farmyard animal noises instead of applause or cheers. Of course, getting the crowd to moo is suspiciously close to a boo, something that Empyre used to make their own strategy.
At the start of the penultimate song, The Time Will Pass Anyway, there is a surreal wall of death, one side mooing and the other imitating a rooster, before a gentle yet lively mosh pit briefly kicks into life.
It is something of a challenge to watch musicians as skilful as this. Rowe looks like he could be out for a walk on a Sunday, whilst Allison’s controlled percussion anchors everything. And Howsam Lowe is no slouch either, trading licks or solos with the main man.
It is a lively evening, closing with Electric Sunrise to a huge ovation. Plini is a maestro, his band are exemplary musicians, and it is an honour to watch such talent up close. I may not have the attention span needed for such intricate work, but I can certainly admire and appreciate it.
Sungazer
With 56,000 streams a month, Sungazer are hardly unknowns. Tonight they strike a nerve, which is welcomed.
Their avant-garde progressive jazz fusion is compelling, as is the between-song banter from bassist and founder Adam Neely. Having missed the band at ArcTangent in 2025, this was the perfect opportunity to find out why the band straddle genres.
It is the dominance of saxophonist Jared Yee that stands out, although once more, the combination of Neely, drummer Shawn Crowder and guitarist Joshua De La Victoria make this such a compelling band.
Their style is relaxed, consummate musicians going about their art with a gentle confidence. The songs are driven yet not forced, with the interplay between Neely and Crowder and the audience a true highlight. They have the audience dancing, well, shuffling to the Sungazer two-step, and there are smiles all round.
A striking uniform approach is there on stage, too. The band appear in matching tie-dye outfits, which look like whoever oversaw laundry had made a drastic cock-up.
But their skill is in making things look easy, and they do that magnificently. They even eschew the laptop and click track for the last song. There is a ceremonious closing of the equipment before they hit a very impressive cover of Return To Forever’s Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy to close out a massively enjoyable set.
