MUSIC

Various venues, Bristol (Sat 22 Oct)

It may well be an overcast Saturday afternoon, but the Stokes Croft strip is rarely ever this quiet. So what’s occurring and where for this bohemian byway to be so deserted? A discarded junk-food wrapper of a tumbleweed spins across the road in a chillsome wind. All is hushed and uniformly grey. Except, that is, the gaggle of Oxjam fairies floating around The Canteen. Clad head to toe in pink, faces daubed with blues, greens and silvers, they cradle picnic hampers laden with sweet treats. They accost whoever's at hand – ANYBODY – for a donation. In return, they proffer doughnuts and offer to spiff up faces with glitter. Two bearded, cautious-looking men approach. After much pleading from the fairies, the pair stoically reject their advances, one muttering “We've only come here for pint” as he saunters off into the gloom. And sadly, especially for everyone involved in this great heartfelt project, that line, “We've only come here for a pint” fairly well paints the mood of the day.

Indeed, today's Takeover suffers from a seemingly popped-up-from-nowhere anonymity (such are its low-key profile and widely unattended performances), despite it having been advertised well in advance throughout the year. Actually, a whole host of events have preceded it: film nights at Shop on Christmas Steps; quizzes with Paul Parry; face painting at the Puppetry Festival at the Tobacco Factory; gospel nights and six brilliant gigs (so the press release says).

Up to now, the team have raised a modest £2,500. Their aim: £7,000. Whether they reach that target tonight remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that there's an intelligently and democratically curated showcase of local talent strung out across six of the city's best venues – The Prom, Leftbank, Cafe Kino and The Croft, The Attic, The Canteen. Shame there's barely anyone around to appreciate the excellence on offer.

Anna Young (Leftbank) Anna Young has the fleet-footed traveller-cum-sing-song troubadour down pat. Her honeyed vocals and longingly thrummed ditties of love and adventure are pleasant enough. However, we strain to get a decent earful over the soused chit-chat pervading the venue.

Andy Valentine (Leftbank) In the toilet, clearly sozzled, Andy Valentine persuades Venue to hang around for his act. “I'm doing a cover of ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’, you'll love it.” He's wearing tight red pipecleaners and a fancy feather necklace. We decide to stay. Ten minutes later, he appears on stage, wasted, wielding a gratingly out-of-tune electric. He hacks his way through Snap's classic, before getting into an argument with an indignant lady down the front over the worth of rap music. She gets her coat and leaves. It's hilarious and embarrassing in turns.

Hello Lazarus (The Attic, pictured) Down at The Attic, this tasty three-piece fling arrows of razoring power rock. Jabbing, dagger-like riffs twist and turn, undercut with bruising drum fills, all barbed with hooky melodies that carve deep. They know how to turn on a sixpence, too, without succumbing to snobbish math-rock pretentiousness. Like Biffy Clyro, basically. And that ain't a bad thing.

Land's End (Cafe Kino) Land's End is one man, his acoustic and a looping pedal. Down in the white-washed cove that is Cafe Kino's cellar, his ethereal folk wafts by like shifting clouds. Ocean spray drizzles from his guitar, while his voice drifts in from nowhere in particular, hanging in the room like a faintly formed remembrance. Enchanting.

Liz Kearton (Leftbank) Dressed all in black, Liz Kearton channels Kate Bush and Tom Waits through her guitar, keyboard and uke. Impeccable timing, since both those artists have recently released new albums. Liz is very much more down to earth, though, displaying as she does a markedly wholesome and homespun grasp of music. (Jamie Skey)

Copyright Jamie Skey 2011