NIA ARCHIVES X SAVE OUR SCENE X STEP TWICE BRISTOL HOUSE PARTY

Last Saturday marked a milestone for British music sensation Nia Archives as she unveiled her debut album, “Silence Is Loud” with Island Records. And what better way to commemorate the occasion, than joining forces with Step Twice and Save Our Scene to curate an electrifying two-part celebration in the heart of Bristol City Centre? So I headed down, with my camera to see what the fuss was about.

Bristol-based events label Step Twice has been making waves in the events world, with back-to-back sold-out nights, major line-ups, and a recent Bristol Bög set. This time they stepped it up by teaming up with Save Our Scene, the music activists fighting a loud and proud battle to save the UK's ever-growing list of dying grassroots venues. Together, they threw an intimate 200-person surprise house party under Bristol’s famous arches.

The jam-packed day started with a bang, as the team took over a newsagent on Gloucester Road, offering fans an exclusive opportunity to snag Nia’s latest merchandise and vinyl releases.

As the afternoon started, the sun appeared just in time to see 200 eager party-goers descend under the arches. Greeted by the renowned Firmly Rooted Soundsystem, and a stacked lineup. With high energy sets by the Step Twice crew, Lily Huu, Cheetah, and Nia Archives were heard pulsing for miles.

From the meticulous setup to the goodbyes at pack-down, the event was a testament to unity and the unyielding spirit of the music community. Revellers were kept hydrated by the Jubel team, while Riot Eliquid delighted attendees with complimentary vapes— Now that’s what we call hospitality!

But the night was just getting started. As the sun set, Bristol witnessed an insane 2700-capacity jungle rave in Bristol’s brand-new underground car park venue.  Step Twice, Artemis, DJ Flight, Sherelle, Cheetah, Guido YZ,  Nia Archives & Clipz tore it up all night long powered by the legendary Scotland Yard sound system.

Beyond the music, there was a bigger mission at play. Save Our Scene, at the forefront of the fight to preserve the UK’s dwindling live music landscape, unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with the Music Venues Trust—a fund designed to inject vital support into struggling venues, artists, and promoters. With 16% of the country’s venues shuttering in the past year alone, the initiative represents a beacon of hope amidst adversity.

George Fleming, Save Our Scene CEO and founder, called the putting on of an event of this calibre with Nia Archives a “dream come true” and said that the organisation is “so grateful to Nia for letting us amplify what we feel is such an important cause”.

Maximum respect to George from SOS for continuing to give smaller artists and promoters the platform and opportunity to be seen, while fighting for such an important cause.

The whole day was an absolute fever dream, and I’m sorry to say this, but this was not one to miss.