BIG SPECIAL
Electric Bristol, Bristol - 24th February 2026
Support: Gans, Good ealth Good Wealth, Matt Nõmme
My, how they've grown. Our fourth encounter with the now Bristol-based Brummie boys was in a venue you could fit at least two of the other venues we've seen them at into. With maybe a bit of space left over? Yet it was absolutely rammed.
Mind, it was busy from the off as quite a number turned up to see the support bands. Good Health Good Wealth kicked things off. An Anglo-Lithuanian duo who owe more than just a little to The Streets. And that's really not a bad thing. To be fair, they're a good fit to be sharing a stage with Big Special. Powerful, poetic lyrics delivered with energy and good humour set toa part-live, part-prerecorded musical backing. The singer sported his arm in a sling. "This isn't an act," he tells us. "I fell down the stairs. Not very rock 'n' roll, but I may or may not have had a few pints..." But the highlight was a track about his dad, a wonderful tribute to the man who calls him Beautiful Boy. It showed depth and humility behind the geezer-like delivery. I knew that MrsRobster was thinking to herself: "Nice lads, I'd have them round for tea."
Gans were a different beast altogether, a snarling garage duo now augmented by a sax/flute player (who would later make a cameo appearnace with the headliners). Their opening salvo was absolute dreamland for me - a heavy psychedelic maelstrom of noise that turned my brain into a swirling mess. Marvellous stuff. Their set was just balls-out great, and MrsRobster and I are very tempted to go see them again very soon. Watch this space...
Before each band played, we were treated to a short set from Cardiff comedy poet Matt Nõmme. Weirdly, MrsRobster had played me four of his poems earlier in the day. He delivered all four on the night too. Despite his subject matter being pretty much ingrained in Welsh life, it wasn't lost on the Bristolians who are close enough to probably know this part of the world pretty well.
Big Special loaded their set with faves from their first album, but surprisingly few from their second. They did, however, play the two recent non-album singles Sluglife and the spine-tingling tribute to a dear friend who recently passed away Dragged Up A Hill And Thrown Down The Other Side during which Joe played guitar (yes, really) and sang heartfelt lyrics that made the hairs on the back of our necks stick up.
There are a few directions Big Special can take from here. Going by their recent output, whichever way they turn, they're likely to get even better. And Bigger. And even more Special.
And here's a couple from this very show...
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