Live Review - Westside Cowboy - Exchange Bristol, 6 February 2026

Westside Cowboy - Bristol's Exchange, February 2026

Arriving to an already packed out room, there's no doubting the hype that surrounds Manchester's Westside Cowboy. From winning Glastonbury's emerging talent competition last year, the recent release of their So Much Country ‘Till We Get There EP and an upcoming opening slot for Geese, it's safe to say it's been a whirlwind 12 months - and they show no sign of slowing. 

Melting frantic chaos and intimacy in equal measure, the band wasted no time in creating an impressive atmosphere as they walked on to Jackie Wilson's (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.

Moments before, their lead guitar was passed overhead through the audience from the sound booth, crowd-surfing its way back to the front of the stage to cheers and laughter. A sign of just how busy the room was, and a perfect snapshot of the night ahead.

They opened with a loose confidence, slipping into a cover of Santo & Johnny's Midnight Cowboy with an easy warmth before tearing into fan favourites like Alright Alright Alright, which sounded bigger and more buoyant than ever in the live setting. Drunk Surfer landed with a raw, scrappy edge, its momentum feeding off the tightly packed room, while Pinup Boys showcased how sharply their songs translate on stage, hooks hitting harder with every chorus as Aoife Anson O’Connell lead out a blinding ostinato outro.

Between tracks, the band kept things light, joking about having poorly timed their pre-show dinner and half-warning that it might make a return appearance. Thankfully, the front row escaped!

When the set shifted into more delicate territory, the atmosphere changed completely. Songs like Slowly I’m Sure drew the room into near silence - so quiet you could hear your own breath. It was a rare kind of respect, one earned rather than requested, and it gave those songs a fragile, and almost suspended quality. Certainly one of the more respectful crowds I've been amongst in recent years. Top marks Bristol!

Sadly all good things must come to an end, and with such a short and snappy set, the band rounded up in 50 minutes, leaving Bristol's Exchange wrung out, in the best possible way. Stood front centre, they gathered together, drum and guitar in hand, for a blissful closing moment with In the Morning. 

By the time they reached the final notes, Westside Cowboy showed they can stretch a room to its limits and pull it back into silence at will, all without the weight of an album behind them. And on this strength alone, they’ve made it clear that rooms like this won’t hold them for long.  

*****