Sasha Andresier
It was the perfect sunny day for Dot2Dot 2025, and Nottingham city centre was abuzz. The festival, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary, has made over 15 venues across the city become the ultimate collective of gig venues for the day, includes the likes of Rock City, Bodega, Rescue Rooms, and the list goes on.
Each venue cultivated its own atmosphere, with some even hosting multiple gigs at once. Anyone’s first impression would be of how alive this event is, and this is no small feat if nothing else, for the 12 hours of live music that plays non-stop across the city. I, myself was privy to five gigs in five venues, each living up to the standard of the upstanding Dot2Dot name.
Kicking off the day at Rock City was Nottingham’s own Girlband! who set the tone for celebration. The local trio were easily a highlight of the day for many, with people flooding into the venue as soon as the doors opened. They played with jaw-dropping energy that was a welcome mood-booster for the whole audience. The joyous love of rock music from the group was clear in their cover of T-Rex’s ‘Hot Love’ and slotted perfectly into their modern rock sound. With songs such as ‘21st Century Suffragette’ and ‘Not Like the Rest’ in their discography it‘s effortless to understand their current, and to-be-continued, success. Whilst I had some reservations about such a notable set happening at only two-thirty in the afternoon, it was clear that no other performance could have been the one to set Rock City’s tone for the day, not least with such a vivid and inspiriting performance.
KNOWN FOR HIS [GREG FREEMAN’S] LYRICAL, INDIE MUSIC, HIS SET WAS PERFECTLY TUNED TO HIS HOSTING VENUE.
Moving from Talbot to Pelham Street, our beloved Bodega hosted Greg Freeman at 4 o’clock for one of the more emotional and introspective sets of the day. The Vermont-born musician was accompanied by a saxophone and a smile to say just how pleased he was to perform. Known for his lyrical, indie music, his set was perfectly tuned to his hosting venue. The compelling, if turbulent, narratives of his music transformed the upstairs room of Bodega into a campfire setting where secrets of hardship, grief and isolation could be shared. These vulnerable themes did not make for a meek set, however, but instead generated an anticipation for his album ‘Burnover’ now released as of August 22nd. Much in the way of Bodega gigs, I came away excited about the future of indie music and expectant for the next gigs there.
One set I had a particular interest for was Lunar Vacation at Rescue Rooms. The Atlanta originating band were nearing the end of their European tour and played a seamless set of indie rock songs. Their performance was understated but enchanting, fit for a band attempting their break into the British music scene. While this was perhaps one of the more lowkey performances of the day, it was no less enjoyable and allowed for some breathing room in a busy day, gladly accompanied by dreamlike melodies and ethereal vocals.
ONE OF THE NEWER ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION OF DOT2DOT HOSTS, [JAMCAFE] ADDS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VIBE WITH A MORE RELAXED AND INTIMATE SETTING.
Similarly, Katie Keddie played a charming set in Jamcafe. The venue is one of the newer additions to the collection of Dot2Dot hosts and adds a completely different vibe with a more relaxed and intimate setting. Keddie’s soft indie folk set suited the venue perfectly, allowing an opportunity for gentle chatter. With just her guitar and gentle, but poignant, vocals she created an atmosphere of complete romance. To hear more about Keddie, read here for an interview with Impact’s own Amelia Cropley for Project Beyond the Campus.
Finally, onto Rough Trade and the effervescent oreglo, who for me were the act of the day. Their set was completely captivating and bold, as well as unforgettably fun. Their set was punchy and full of surprises, most notably a spoken word interlude on the theme of tiramisu. The crowd, both humoured and completely swept up in the bizarre world of the band’s creation, seemed in many ways like they couldn’t believe their luck to see such an exciting performance. Oreglo are definitely ones to watch!
Simply put, there was no shortage of activity for the whole day and, with that, some FOMO for the more Type A amongst us (myself included). This was particularly clear to me when the surprise 1am gig at Bodega was announced and it was the impressive Sports Team, who had taken that same spot three years earlier in 2022. My friends and I had deliberated staying, but ultimately the nine hours of gigs, walking, eating and drinking had caught up to us, where ‘we’ll catch them next time’ sounded like a plan. And one I’m looking forward to. Of course, the day is simply what you make it. For all its popularity, Dot2Dot is a smooth-sailing ship, and a day that I would recommend to anyone.
Sasha Andresier
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
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