We're picking up the pace as we head towards the end of the November with two unmissable gigs and Trinity's first high-profile comedy night.

Americana outfit Okkervil River kick off the week as the quintet make their way from Texas to Bristol bringing with them dark brooding narratives and their own take on American roots music."They're the Wilco waiting to happen" say the BBC. Catch them here on November 21. Doors open at 7.30 and tickets are £15 in advance.

Following in their footsteps on November 22 is CW Stoneking. Drawing influence from jazz, pre-war blues, calypso and folk, Australian-born CW is a unique artist, guitarist and banjo player who will be accompanied by brass band, the Primitive Horn Orchestra. Doors open 7.30 and tickets are £12.50 in advance.

Closing the week on Friday 25 November is all-female comedy trio Zoe Lyons, Suzi Ruffell and Jen Brister. Touring their first live show since storming Edinburgh Fringe, the threesome will be accompanied by live music act, Amity. If you're up for a laugh, come down to Trinity on Friday 25th November. Doors open at 7.30pm. Tickets costs £13.50 in advance.

Head to Bristol Ticket Shop to purchase tickets.

The Maccabees

2 November 2011

The Maccabees are happy to be back and the crowd are pleased to see them. It hasn't been that much of a hiatus, but the cheers that greet them when they wander on to the Trinity stage is undoubtedly a warm embrace.

Kicking off with new song, Child - a more ambient track for the strum-based janglers - Orlando Weeks’ vocal is as free and jittery as ever. Still, Child feels a little more considered than the tracks from their last album, Wall of Arms. It feels, well, a little bit more grown-up with the musicians having to focus to reach the crescendos that make the crowd really jump. And, they jump... a lot - especially when the band start to haul out old favourites like First Love and Precious Time and a throng of people race to the front for a glimpse of the angelically bashful frontman.

For newcomers to the group, fresh fare such as Child and Pelican could well be highlights, but for stalwart fans these tracks hint towards The Maccabees' upcoming album, Given to the Wild (due January 2012), containing the Brighton-based outfit's best work to date.

This show is part of a mini UK tour in the build-up to the release of Given to the Wild, and the album looks set for success. On one side of the stage people are calling guitarist Hugo White a sexy beast, on the other side his brother and fellow six-stringer Felix White is thrusting and lunging at the crowd over the amplifiers to generate the fever pitch they clearly want.

The Maccabees' chemistry is still raw with band members pairing off while playing new tracks to make things sound as impeccable as possible. The encore begins with the urgent X-Ray sending the crowd into absolute overdrive before another newbie, Grew up at Midnight closes the show with a thrashing finish. These songs are locked down and ready to be released.

The Maccabees have matured, but not grown up. They’ve held on to the mischievous performance style that a lot of bands lose when their sound develops. The Maccabees are happy to be back, because they know they won't be going anywhere.

Duncan Harrison

Trinity has been hosting gigs since 1980. Head to the Trinity Archive to find out more about our rich musical heritage

Excitement is building around Trinity Community Arts' latest project in the Old Market area. The new centre at 6 West Street, due to launch early November, will be a hub for community and arts activities with low-cost office space, a café with free wi-fi and exhibition space.

As part of the building's redevelopment, Bristol graffiti artists Silent Hobo and Mr Riks have just completed a dynamic makeover, painting a mural which depicts the cityscape of Old Market spotted with emerging butterflies - and a friendly looking pigeon! Covering the entire face of the building, the Bristol artists' work means 6 West Street should attract plenty of positive attention.

Silent Hobo is a traditional graffiti artist whose work featured in the 2009 Crimes of Passion Exhibition at the RWA. His characters can be seen around Bristol on walls, in community centres, pubs, libraries, train stations and at festivals. His work has been exhibited across the city and beyond.

Mr Riks is part of the Elusive Collective a group of professional graffiti artists who design graphics, murals and deliver workshops in the art form.

This year both artists took part in creating the BrisFest mural and also worked on the recent See No Evil en mass graffiti-art pop-up-gallery along the length of Nelson Street, Bristol. Both artists have also led courses for young people at the Trinity Centre in how to become a professional artist.

"We hope that our new mural will bring a new creative energy to Old Market and encourage people to take a different look at the area", says centre manager, Emma Harvey.

Our work at 6 West Street is part of a wider development plan for the Old Market area. The Old Market Community Association have been working with the Princes Foundation to lead interactive public workshop sessions exploring the key issues for local people and the vision for the future of Old Market. The sessions will culminate in a final report outlining the phased development plans to reinvigorate the high street and improve services. For more information email oldmarket.future@gmail.com or visit www.oldmarket.org.uk.

The Horrors have announced their new rescheduled date for Friday 20th January - all original tickets still valid.... it will be a great way to kick start the new year!

The Horrors have unfortunately had to postpone their gig, scheduled for Sunday 23rd October 2011. However, don't despair, they will be announcing a replacement date very soon and all orginal tickets will still be valid.

Keep an eye on our website where will we post full details as soon as we find out.

If you have any questions regarding your tickets, please contact the ticket issuer direct.

Hype Dance Company have opened for big-name acts including Sean Paul, they've won a string of awards and accolades and they've been involved in nearly every major Bristol event from the Balloon Fiesta to the Harbour Festival.

They are also one of the most established community street dance groups in the country and they hold classes in Trinity every Wednesday between 6-8pm. The evening is divided into three groups: Lil Hype is for younger dancers between five to 10 years. This session kicks off at 6pm and finishes at 7pm. Hype Juniors and Swoop (11-30 years), with choreographer Lewis Norman, starts at 7pm and finishes at 8pm.

Hype has been running for seven years and the group has had a positive impact on its students: "It's an exciting and vibrant street dance training which is not only fun but a good way of keeping fit," says instructor Natasha Benjamin, who also says that 90% of students between 2007 and 2009 went into further education - some to study dance.

Each session costs £4 per session and Hype are keen to get new recruits, especially younger dancers to join Lil Hype.

If you'd like to come along, contact Natasha Benjamin on 07789212804 or email thype@hotmail.co.uk.

Recognising the exceptional potential of the Old Market area, The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment has offered their expertise and support in developing a vision for our neighbourhood.

All members of the community are invited to attend the two interactive public workshop sessions at the Marriott Hotel.

The first, public session on  25 October between 7pm-8:30om will be asking "What are the key issues for Old Market?". The second session on 27 October from 7pm-8pm will ask attendees "What is your vision for Old Market?". There will also be a third meeting on  26 October with stakeholders including the Old Market Community Association, the Village Business and Residents Association and Destination Bristol.

This is your opportunity to shape the future of Old Market - don't miss it!

For more information email oldmarket.future@gmail.com, visit www.oldmarket.org.uk or phone 0117 929 0484.

As well as hosting some of Bristol's best gigs, Trinity is now up for a bit of a laugh as we open the doors to three of the UK's funniest female stand-ups, Zoe Lyons, Suzi Ruffell and Jen Brister.

The trio are out on the road on their first live tour having each stormed Edinburgh Fringe with their respective shows. "Lyons has personality and real skill," said The Guardian of Zoe while Time Out called Jen Brister "gorgeously talented".

The threesome will also be accompanied by live music act, Amity. Stand Out, Trinity's first high-profile comedy tour, will take place on Friday 25th November. Head to our Events page for full details of the night.

Trinity has been home to some of the world's biggest and best musicians in every genre from punk to dubsteb, folk to electronica. Acts that have performed at Trinity range from international names such as Public Enemy, grassroots artists like Laura Marling, timeless 80s superstars Duran Duran to local heroes such as Massive Attack.

With more great gigs coming up we need fantastic writers to review the gigs for our website and e-newsletters. If you love music and are keen to get experience writing music reviews, we'd love to hear from you. Although, we can't pay for reviews you will get free entry into gigs as well as seeing your work published.

To apply to be a Trinity music reviewer, email katen@3ca.org.uk with a 100-word review of a recent gig.

The deadline for applications is Friday 21st October.

November will mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. To celebrate his life, and to raise money for AIDS charity the Mercury Phoenix Trust, Trinity will be hosting a night of Queen-themed burlesque on November 26th.

Who Wants To Live Forever will have host and compere Tiger Tiger at the helm to introduce a bevy of burlesque acts including Lady Lace and Cherry Blush, live music will come courtesy of Miss Terri Davies and The Dolly Mixtures plus there'll be boutique stalls from Polly Darling, Smutters and Snells and Pomegrante Boutique.

"If you're a fan of Freddie Mercury, Queen and burlesque, then this event is going to feel like heaven!" says Tiger Tiger. "There are going to be sexy routines, silly routines and a bit of drag thrown in, all accompanied by boutique stalls and a raffle which will include a Freddie-themed Christmas cake - all in the name of charity!"

The fun starts at 8pm and tickets costs £12. Head to our Events page for full details of the night.

After a six-year sojourn, Pop Will Eat Itself will be celebrating their 25th anniversary this month with a tour to support their new album, New Noise Designed By A Sadist. As part of a nationwide tour, the Poppies will be playing a mix of classic tracks and new material at Trinity on Friday 21st October.

PWEI were one of the first groups to blend heavy rock sounds with rap and electronica in the late '80s. The four-piece from Stourbridge made their name with tracks such as Bulletproof and Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies! and they became notorious for their incendiary live shows, sharing the stage with the likes of Primal Scream, Public Enemy and Run DMC.

For reviews of Public Enemy's gig at Trinity, or for features on Trinity's rich heritage of hosting alternative music, go to our Archive section or head to our Events page for details on how to buy tickets for what promises to be an unmissable gig.

Following the huge success of the sell out SWhoop in 2010, Hooping Mad are proud to announce two 3 day SWhoop events for hooping enthusiasts. The event last year was truly amazing, with over 500 hoopists from across Europe and the US coming together to practice and celebrate their craft. Tickets for SWhoop 2010 were exclusively promoted via SWhoop internal networks, however this year's event, which will run twice across two consecutive weekends, has allowed the event to be accessed by even more hooping fans.

The hoop has come a long way since the 1950s, when it was predominantly marketed as a toy for children. Over the past few years, hooping has become a true art and dance form, sparking trends including fitness regimes, an International Holiday and even fire hooping!

SWhoop 2011 will see two weekends of workshop events, led by the best and most renowned hoopers and teachers from across the UK and the US. International teachers will be the same for both weekend and include Anah "Hoopalicious" Reichenbach, Malcolm Stuart, Emma Kerr and Loz Becausebut. We will also see sessions delivered by UK teachers including Satya Bella (11^th-13^th) and Angie Mack (18^th-20^th).

There will be additional optional dance and circus workshops from complimentary disciplines as well as ample social and playing time. Each weekend will feature a Saturday night showcase and LED Ball. This is truly a unique opportunity for those with a passion for hooping and one not to be missed.

For more info, and to reserve tickets, check out the Hooping Mad website.

Dinnall is a Bristol born singer, rapper and producer who has been making music for the last 4 years at Trinity Bristol.

He is influenced by Neyo, Usher, Dot Rotten, D Double to name but a few. Dinnall currently works with us part time as a music mentor, providing support to other younger artists as part of our Music Training Programme.

The track, Love 4 You is currently being featured on 100% Homegrown as Target's selection for Unsigned Track Of The Week. The station promotes new black British music, every Sunday courtesy of BBC Radio 1Xtra.

To check out the track and download visit: BBC Radio 1Xtra - Homegrown

There'll be joined on October 29th at club night How Come... by a host of DJs and live bands for what promises to be a night of eclectic fun at Trinity. Genre-stepper Green Gartside, aka Scritti Politti, should get the crowd warmed up. AJ Holmes will be proving his skills on the decks while Goan Dogs will be airing their brand of atmospheric rock live on stage. Head to our events page for full line-up details on the night.

Zun Zun Egui are currently wowing the music press with their African-influenced, experimental sound, with The Guardian describing Katang as an “unselfconscious and exhilarating" album. Book now to avoid missing out. Doors will open at 7pm. Tickets costs £6 in advance plus booking fee.

With generous support from Bristol City Council we have been entirely redeveloping the building, which is situated along the vibrant high street of Old Market. Old Market is not only one of the most diverse areas in the City, also one of the most historic, with over 60 listed buildings.

We want to provide a crucial information and signposting point to help people better access services. We also want to create a space where people can come, get involved and have their say, to shape the ongoing development of the area. We are working closely with local stakeholders including Destination Bristol, VBRA West (Bristol's LGBT Business Association) and the Old Market Community Association (OMCA), who are all working collectively to create a brighter future for Old Market.

Next month will see the launch of Arts West Side - a volunteer-run, community-led space. Initially we will be providing an exhibition space for local artists, meeting and activity space for community groups and a base for the OMCA so that people can find out more information about what's going on in Old Market and how to get involved. The project is totally in its infancy, so anyone getting involved will have the opportunity to shape this vibrant new community space.

We are currently exploring ways we can fund a project manager to help coordinate its use, provide support to the OMCA and develop community and arts activities. We are also looking at ideas to deliver an Old Market Heritage Project from the space, that will allow people to learn more about the area's extensive and captivating history.

We are looking for dynamic, confident, outgoing people, with an interest in community and the arts to come and be part of this unique project. If you're passionate and have got what it takes to make stuff happen, we'd love to hear from you. Contact info@3ca.org.uk if you would like to get involved.

Tickets can only be bought at the following places, in person, so get them while they last!

Bristol Ticket Shop - 26 Union Street, Bristol, Avon BS1 2D  

Fopp Record Shop - 27-29 College Green, Bristol BS1 5TD  

Rise Records - 70 Queens Road, Clifton Bristol BS8 1QU

On sale 12 noon Saturday 24th September

The Maccabees announce low key dates at intimate venues to perform tracks from eagerly awaited third studio album.

‘The Maccabees are entering the prime of their musical lives’ - NME

The Maccabees have today announced a run of low key dates to perform tracks from their eagerly anticipated, as yet unnamed, third studio album.

The five-piece from London, Orlando Weeks, Hugo White, Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle, are putting the finishing touches to the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2009 album Wall Of Arms at their Elephant and Castle studio space.

The bands decision to play smaller intimate shows to road test new tracks comes in the wake of electrifying performances at Portsmouth Wedgwood Rooms and the Phoenix in Exeter. As with both of these recent shows and the forthcoming dates the performances will also include songs from the bands much loved first two records.

The run of shows begin on 21st October in Gloucester, ending in Bristol on 2nd November and includes one off small, capacity London show at the Village Underground on November 1st.

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday 24th September. The band have decided to keep booking fees on tickets low by making them available through local records shops wherever possible.

For more info on this and other upcoming events, visit our events page

• Alabama 3 • The Ambling Band • Andrew Bird • Angelic Upstarts • Anna Calvi • Antony & the Johnsons • The Automatic • Babyhead • Battles • The Beat • Bellowhead • Bill Callahan • Black Mountain • Blood Red Shoes • The Buzzcocks • Carpet Crawlers • Chemical Brothers • Courtney Pine • The Cramps • CW Stoneking • DIY • Dr John • Dreadzone • Dub Mafia • Duran Duran • Easy Star All Stars • Echo & the Bunnymen • Ed Harcourt • Eddie Reader • Emiliana Torrini • The Fall • Feist • Fionn Regan • Gil Scott Heron • Glasvegas • The Glitzy Bag Hags • The Good, the Bad, the Queen • Graham Coxon • Guillemots • Hard Fi • The Horrors • Hot Wuk • Hugh Masekela • Irration Steppas • The Jesus & Mary Chain • Jon Spencer Blues Explosion • Josh Ritter • Joyce Simms • Joy Division • Kid Carpet • The Kills • King Tubby • Kosheen • Laura Marling • Lianne La Havas • Low • Lower Than Atlantis • Luke Vibert • Lykke Li • M83 • Maccabees • Massive Attack • Meet Your Feet • Metronomy • Noah & the Whale • Nouvelle Vague • Okkervil River • The Orb • Pains of Being Pure at Heart • Patrick Wolf • The Pharcyde • Pigeon Detectives • Pop Will Eat Itself • Portishead • The Proclaimers • Prodigy • Public Enemy • Pulled Apart by Horses • Red Snapper • Regina Spektor • Roni Size • Salif Keta • The Scrub • Seth Lakeman • Sheelanagig • Skatalites • Skunk Anansie • Smith & Mighty • The Stingr

Into it's third year running, our Christmas Art Market, taking place Saturday 3rd December is now accepting bookings for stalls. If you are a local artist looking for an opportunity to exhibit and sell your work in an busy, festive setting then you have come to the right place.

The last two events booked out in advance so don't leave it too late to get your pitch.

Contact us for more info or to request a booking form.

We will have a selection of live acoustic music to keep you entertained, more lovely hot mulled wine to keep you warm and the usual mince pies!

See our events page for full details

Trinity Community Arts is launching a new course is designed to help young people build confidence, discover, develop ideas about future study and career paths and find routes to get there.

The course is targeted at young people aged 16-18 not in education employment or training.

Courses will be delivered in a relaxed learning environment at the Trinity Centre with experienced tutors and support workers to give young people the help they need. A flexible group working approach allows tutors to respond to the needs of those in each session with one to one assistance also available.

Each week young people will get the chance to build their CV and develop job search skills and receive guidance and support in where to go in the future whilst also taking part in creative activities including Music, Photography and Graffiti sessions and more.

Students can also choose to to move on to one of our other creative courses to develop skills further and gain nationally recognised accreditations in subjects such as ICT and Maths.

If you know a young person who you would like to refer to this course or you are a young person interested in signing up, please contact 0117 935 1200 email training@3ca.org.uk or drop in to the Trinity Office.

Trinity to launch new site on West Street

Trinity Community Arts will be launching a dynamic new community space along the high street of Old Market in Autumn 2011.

6 West Street will be developed by Trinity to provide a hub for community and arts activities, including affordable meeting and office space with reduced rates for local people and groups, a café with free wi-fi and low-cost internet access and exhibition space for local artists.

Historic Old Market is currently undergoing significant change, welcoming new residents and businesses and developing its identity as a diverse and vibrant area. Known for its eclectic mix of traders, its vibrant lesbian and gay community and a bustling nightlife, the high street currently acts as a gateway for communities of Easton & Lawrence Hill to the Cabot Circus development and the City Centre.

Trinity Community Arts already run the Trinity Centre – a community centre and live music venue situated at the top of Old Market, providing services to Easton, Ashley and Lawrence Hill. 6 West Street will complement activities and events already happening at Trinity and around the local area.

The project is in its development phase and consultation is being carried out in order to create a multi-purpose community space where local groups can use facilities, computers and meeting space.

Emma Harvey, Centre Manager of Trinity Centre said; “This is a really exciting new project in one of Bristol's most important cultural quarters. We would love to hear from anyone with ideas for the space and interest in getting involved.”

Trinity is working closely with local partners including the Old Market Community Association, the Bristol Gay Village Business and Residents’ Association, Bristol City Council and Destination Bristol who are driving the Retail Sector Development Project. The retail project is seeking to help reinvigorate the Old Market High Street and improve the situation for its businesses.

Project Manager, Eva Stuetzenberger, said: “The new Trinity outlet will be right in the heart of Old Market, injecting new arts and culture into the life of this vibrant and diverse community. A fantastic opportunity and resource for residents, visitors and businesses alike.” The development of 6 West Street will help raise the profile and visibility of local activities and contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Old Market.

Ideas for the space include providing an information and meeting point for community and arts activities, affordable office and meeting space through the Trinity Community Initiative which provides subsidised spaces for grassroots groups and an exhibition space for local artists.

If you are interested in sharing your ideas and helping with the development of West Street, please contact info@3ca.org.uk or visit the project area of our website.