A woman walks into a coffee shop, buys a pint and finds a wall to lean against. Sounds like the setup to a terrible joke, right? Instead, it was how I, and around 100 other fellow hip hop fans, kicked off the first May bank holiday weekend.
While other cafes around the city had closed up shop for the day, Stokes Crofts' Boston Tea Party was undergoing quite the transformation.
Once the stomping ground of those who brunch, the small eatery was now filled with a youthful crowd eager to hear Bristol's up-and-coming hip hop artists.
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Hosted by Hip Hop Coffee Shop (HHCS), founded in 2018 by Luke Guest, Ian Avery and Rachel Wiltshire and later joined by James Kennaby, the night kicked off with Illusionist playing his very first DJ set to a small but grateful crowd.
I found myself alone in that very crowd and, while I'd usually approach a solo night out with some trepidation, my mind was eased by the knowledge that HHCS operated an 'Ask Angela' system in which bar staff are on hand to help with any unwanted attention.
Any anxiety I might have felt ahead of the gig soon seemed unnecessary. As the cafe filled with bucket hats and tracksuits, I was left feeling as though any member of the crush would have looked out for me.
But it's not just the spectators who are cared for; Creating opportunities for emerging artists like Illusionist is Luke's manifesto: "It's no secret that there are often barriers to the music industry.
"By ensuring we have an artist on the line up who is new to the scene, we can help the artist gain experience, resources and, most importantly, connections to build their brand.
"New artists contribute to Bristol’s top-notch creative scene, which in turn, benefits everyone in the events ecosystem."
Later, headliner, Krush Landing, cleared the smoking area as we crammed our way onto the intimate dance floor to listen to her soulful beats and transfixing voice.
For me, a highlight of the night was Finn Kinnara, who had the whole room singing into his mic: "The audience got involved more than I could have ever imagined. It was the first time performing those tracks and I managed to get people involved to the point it felt like they knew the tracks. Great interaction from everyone."
This gave Finn Kinnara a lightbulb moment: "I realised after years of performing that crowd interaction is half of the performance. The change of energy is so important.
"After this gig, I now feel confident to perform anywhere and everywhere."
And he's one I'll be keeping a close eye on as he does more live performances. In fact, Finn Kinnara will be one of the acts to head over to Jersey in late May as Hip Hop Coffee Shop takes over a stage at Krafty J’s Rum Festival.
But music wasn't the only attraction. At Hip Hop Coffee Shop, caffeine and mental health awareness go hand in hand.
Luke is a certified mental health first aider and is on a mission to create a safe space that brings hip hop to everyone.
"Events as a whole can be pretty scary places. Having lots of people using the same space can be overwhelming and can feel mentally uncomfortable at times," said Luke.
"On a personal note, I really struggle mentally with attending events unless I have a specific role to do there, and I’m sure that can relate to a few people too.
"Hip Hop is for everybody. As promoters, we have a duty to ensure that we can welcome as many people as possible to our events and be there for those who need a little breathing space."
And that's exactly why the event ended up in Boston Tea Party: "Because of coffee shop settings, some of the performance and social pressures you may get at a music venue are slimmed down. You can enjoy delicious hot drinks as well as alcoholic beverages."
Talking of hot drinks, April's edition of HHCS saw the launch of its very own coffee blend in collaboration with Wogan, a family-run roastery based in St Jude's.
"From the get-go, Wogan have been super supportive of our brand and have guided us through the process of starting our own blend," said Luke.
"Coffee enhances the music listening experience and we host music experiences in coffee shops... It made complete sense to develop our own blend. Just like hip hop, our coffee is bold, unapologetic and memorable."
Hip Hop Coffee Shop's next event takes place at St Jude's Lost Horizon on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in collaboration with Monkey Shoulder and will feature the launch of Vice Beats' new album, Aspects. The team will then head to Jersey on May 26 to 28, for a stage takeover at the Krafty J’s Rum Festival.
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