6pm on a Thursday. I’ve transformed myself from office mode via my gold boots and long feather earrings. Is ‘Countrifying’ a word yet? I turn off Bristol’s central shopping area and onto a side-street formerly only known for its multistorey carpark and a legendary mosh pit back in the 90s. And there it is. A neon cowgirl, the fellow giddy guestlist, and the Lil’ Nashville sign I’ve been waiting months for.
It’s the launch party, so as soon I step down the strip-lit entry stairs (the perfect spot for surveying the three distinct zones of the venue) I’m handed a complimentary Jack Daniel’s cocktail. A promising start.
But can Bristol’s new honky-tonk live up to the hopes conjured when I spoke to the founder a week earlier?
I met Helen – one half of the married couple behind Lil’ Nashville in London and now Bristol – over zoom. Her Corey Kent t-shirt instantly calmed my fear that this bar I’d been hearing about would turn out to be corporate country-face, cashing in on a current trend with plastic cowboy hats and Shania hits on a loop.
Instead, my list of questions slipped off my desk as the contagiously passionate Mancunian fell into stories that mirrored my own experiences of being a teenage country music fan in the UK in the 1990s. She reminisced about the times before streaming services when we had to wait for U.S. holidays or go mining for country albums in the ‘world music’ section of record shops. The days where stumbling on a Rascal Flatts CD in a random bargain bin was like pulling up the Hope Diamond.
Helen had been the one to convert her housemate-turned-husband Rob to country music and their joint bar idea formed over a series of holidays in Nashville.
“We knew country music bought so much joy to us, and so we wanted to create somewhere that would do the same for other people.”
It’s at this point in the interview I feel a bit of longing for all my own boozy country-music ideas which never made it out of the group chat. Mainly though, it’s admiration for this couple who followed through with their plan alongside their day jobs.
Helen still works in marketing and Rob in construction.
“We weren’t getting any younger. I think I just hit 40 and I had one of them… ‘oh my God, what does the rest of life look like?’… and we wanted to really work on what we felt passionate about.”
May my own midlife crisis – no, my second act – be this glamorous.
Now, at the launch party, the crowd – a mix of ages with varied levels of commitment to western wear – have finished a line dancing lesson and are watching an energetic performance by British country band the First Time Flyers. But, temporarily, I’m not watching the stage. Instead, I’m watching this couple standing intertwined at the side of it beaming at the fruit of their joint labour. They built it. We came.
Sipping a Texan lone star beer (having learnt my lesson that, for me, Pabst Blue Ribbob is best left in song lyrics) I am indeed transported to my first trip to Nashville Tennessee. I’ve sampled a BBQ chicken wing from a passing tray – perfectly sticky, sweet and delicate. It’s for research purposes of course, as are the peppery brisket slider, crumbling cornbread and key lime pie which follow. Live music is alternated with a modern country soundtrack over speakers. There’s the hubbub of new friendships being made and bar stool seats around the edge that let me know I’d be comfortable popping in solo.
The bar merch stand by the entrance feels typically Nashville, but there are unique nods to the owners (displays of Helen’s old albums) and to the Bristol location. A vibrant wall mural depicts Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson ang Ella Langley – a signal this venue is for the country fans old and new as well as the simply country curious.
The verdict? Our Thursday night crew are unanimously won over – the only grumble being the mirrors in the ladies’ loos are too high for most women to see into. For tonight at least the venue, in all its industrial and neon glory, has more than delivered on what Rob labelled the holy trinity: “a good stage for live music, a good bar, and good food”.
Their strategy to keep delivering is translating the highs of the iconic Nashville bar experience in a way that’s versatile enough for the UK market. Helen explains their DJs need to be able to read the room and know when to whip out into the crowd pleasing floor-fillers (her arsenal includes Wagon Wheel and Chicken Fried) vs when the die-hard country fans are in town and ready for some lesser known tracks.
“In Nashville [Tennessee] each bar has its own identity; you’ve got bars that are just for a party or bars that are just [live music] listening rooms. But because country music is still niche here, we pivot our venues a lot. We can be a party on a Saturday night, or an Ella Langley tribute one night. But we can also be a writer’s round on a Sunday and promote original music.”
So – for research purposes, of course – at 1pm on Sunday I am back at that neon cowgirl sign. What had been the dancefloor is full of tables and a steady stream of day-drinking diners arriving – couples, friend groups and families. I take in extra details like the drum kit suspended from the ceiling, its cymbols forming lightshades.
Now the place has the warm vibe of a Southern diner with the menu to match. They’re out of chicken and waffles so I try the comforting brisket hash and can confirm the portions sizes are also authentic to the U.S. experience.
On the stage Nashvillian singer Clint Fisher strums and sings his soothing take on a set of favourites from Johnny Cash to Chris Stapleton. The crowd pauses their food and cocktail-sipping to join in on Wagon Wheel.
Across the table, my non-country-fan-husband confesses a fear that I’ll be spending more time at Lil’ Nashville than at home. His concern is justified.
Experience Lil’ Nahsville for yourself: Head to one of their ticketed events like the regular Big Nash Bash club nights, or line dancing lessons on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Or drop by during their normal bar and restaurant opening times which often include live music. They sometimes open early for pre-drinks if there’s a big country gig in town.
LOCATION: Lil’ Nashville Country Bar and Kitchen, All Saints Street, Bristol, BS1 2LZ
USUAL OPENING OURS: Weds / Thurs 5pm -11pm, Fri 5pm – 1am, Sat 12pm – 1am, Sun – 12pm – 8pm
See you by the bar?
Leave a Reply