They weren’t the main headliners on the night but Portishead’s first gig for eight years was still the most talked about performance of this six-hour musical extravaganza to raise money for children suffering in the Ukraine war. Organised by charity War Child, the Help concert at 02 Academy was attended by the lucky winners of a ticket draw but also streamed live to thousands of music fans around the world, but it was the ultra rare sight of Bristol’s legendary Portishead that was always going to be the highlight of this special event.
The strong anti-war message of the event may have been an international one but this was a quintessentially Bristol-born gig. As well as the artists themselves, there was merchandise designed by Massive Attack’s 3D, a raffle of local prizes hosted by Bristol-based Dr Who actor Paul McGann and namecheck for local businesses who helped make the event happen, right down to Pieminister which supplied the crew and artists with pies during the day.
