Sim0ne @ Thekla review: A night of mainstream pop and club classics

Bristol’s renowned independent music venue, Thekla, has been home to many raves and live music events throughout its 50+ year residency. Hosting live music from a range of genres, some of its biggest names include Massive Attack and Portishead in the late 90s to Chris Lorenzo in the early 2000s and most famously, the Hubspot for the iconic birthday party scene in Skins. 

On Friday 8th March rising Scottish artist and DJ, Sim0ne, touched down at Thekla for the second date of her Club Zero event. Playing on International Women's Day amongst a line-up of talented rising women and non-binary DJs, the night was a gentle reminder of the importance of representation in this scene. 

Photo credit: @david_jh_photgraphy

Setting the atmosphere on the top deck is HARMONIA: made up of a range of women and non-binary DJs, throughout the night, the collective dropped a mixture of tropical house beats, hyper-pop remixes and glitchy electronica. Their setlist was dub-heavy, with each remix transcending into distorted hard techno sound waves. HARMONIA set the bar high from the get-go as they deep-dived into obscure and niche cuts from the vortex of avant-pop electronica, including a dub-heavy remix of Peaches 'Fuck the Pain Away'. 

As you make your way around the boat and into the main room, you pass by windows with views overlooking the sea. Fans mutter amongst themselves “are we underwater now?” as they settle their way into the main room. Warming up the crowd ahead of Sim0ne’s set is London-based DJ, saint ludo., who is playing a mixture of hard drill beats, and heavy bassline at 140bpm. Remixing colossal hits from Nicki Minaj’s 'Superbass' to Mason’s 2007 club classic 'Perfect (Exceeder)', Ciara’s 'Get Up' and Tempa T’s 'Next Hype', throughout her set, the artist makes an ode to showcase her range. Each transition is as unpredictable as the next and keeps everyone on their toes. 

Photo credit: @david_jh_photgraphy

Arriving on stage and hugging saint ludo as she walks on, Sim0ne, finally takes to the decks with a show we can only describe as honouring the early 2000s club scene. Whilst most DJs can often take you on a journey to climax, Sim0ne got straight to the point, diving into bouncy club music with EDM-inspired drops. Slamming into mainstream club classics such as T2’s 'Heartbroken', and Riton’s 'Rinse & Repeat', Sim0ne adds her own flair of protruding basslines and euphoric toplines. 

Although she has just three official releases on Spotify, Sim0ne gave us an eclectic mix of music that showcased not only her taste but her signature mixing style. Often weaving trance-driven electronica with deep house vibes, her set was a vivid reflection of her own music taste. 

Blowing a kiss to the crowd before unleashing a heavy club-centric drop, fans shriek as they anticipate her critically acclaimed remix of HorsegiirL’s 'My Barn, My Rules'. 2 am strikes with the sound of club sirens. There’s just 30 minutes left on the clock of Sim0ne’s set and she sends it out with a bang. Throwing her hands into the air before slamming into a remix of Caroline Polachek and Charli XCX’s 'Welcome to My Island'. The room goes completely dark and is filled with pink strobe lights bouncing from wall to wall for a large drop of Afrojack’s 'Take Over Control', which is shortly followed up by a remix of Nirvana’s 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Throughout her set, the DJ keeps guessing, as most tracks transcend into songs from completely different genres. This is a common theme from each DJ on the night, but if there’s one distinct way to describe a Sim0ne live show, it’s that it’s a concoction of mainstream pop hits, OG club classics and a whole lot of spontaneity. 

Photo credit: @david_jh_photgraphy

The crowd cheers and whistles in awe as her set comes to a close. Phones appear in the air as everyone tries to capture the last few moments. Putting her hands to the sky before placing her fingers in a heart shape, Sim0ne gracefully walks off stage to a roar of cheers. Sim0ne wraps up a memorable show at Thekla that pays homepage to early 2000s commercial club music. A night perfect for newbies exploring the dance music scene and for lovers of all things EDM. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.