W: Robert S Baker I: Bryon Jeremy
Portland’s favorite dark-folk punk purveyors, Bridge City Sinners, are officially heading back across the Atlantic for their long-awaited Repent and Repeat UK and Ireland tour. Kicking off at Brighton’s Chalk on September 30th and running through October 11th, the run marks the band’s first time back on British soil in two years.
Formed on the sidewalks of Portland, Oregon back in 2016, Bridge City Sinners have turned street-busking roots into an unstoppable DIY powerhouse. Armed with a lineup of banjo, fiddle, guitar, upright bass, and ukulele, the group effortlessly collides old-time Appalachian folk and pre-war jazz with raw, unapologetic punk energy. Their explosive live performances alternate between spine-chilling, eerie ballads and booze-fueled, throat-shredding singalongs—a chaos-fueled recipe that has earned them mainstage slots everywhere from Punk Rock Bowling to Muddy Roots and Oregon’s Bluegrass String Summit.
“Can’t wait to be back in the UK. It’s been two years since we’ve tasted those beautiful breakfast beans,” laughs guitarist, co-writer, and vocalist King Strang. “We get to celebrate our favorite holiday for two full weeks this year and we’re going all out.”
That DIY ethos isn't just an aesthetic; it’s the band's fundamental DNA. Co-founders Libby Lux and upright bassist Scott Michaud built the Sinners out of Portland's street-music scene, releasing their records through Flail Records—a community-minded, independent label founded and operated by Michaud. Operating under strict DIY/DIT ("Do It Together") principles, the label keeps creative control squarely in the hands of the artists.
The formula is clearly working. Their 2024 powerhouse record, In the Age of Doubt, stormed the charts—claiming No. 2 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums, alongside massive runs on Heatseekers and Top Current Album Sales.
If you want to catch the true essence of Bridge City Sinners before their UK arrival, skip the polished studio promos and head straight to their visual catalog. Across standouts like the macabre, cemetery-set video for "Devil Like You" and the frantic, shadowy imagery of "Doubt", the band showcases a distinct theatrical visual universe—part Southern Gothic fever dream, part rowdy basement-punk chaos. Their videos seamlessly mirror the music itself: frontwoman Libby Lux channeling dark, manic cabaret energy while surrounded by acoustic instruments whipped around with pure hardcore intensity. It's a stark, cinematic glimpse into an aesthetic that translates directly to their unhinged, high-octane stage shows.
Following their 10-date UK and Ireland run—which wraps at Bristol's iconic Fleece—the band returns stateside for a run of Halloween 'Trick or Treat' West Coast shows before joining ska-punk icons Streetlight Manifesto across Texas this November.
With new music already locked in for 2027, this autumn tour is your chance to catch one of the most vital, unhinged acoustic-punk acts on the planet in intimate venues. Don't sleep on tickets.
UK & IRELAND TOUR DATES
- Sept 30 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk
- Oct 01 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
- Oct 02 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK @ Anarchy Brew Co
- Oct 03 – Manchester, UK @ Club Academy
- Oct 04 – Glasgow, UK @ Room 2
- Oct 07 – Belfast, NI @ Oh Yeah Music Centre
- Oct 08 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
- Oct 09 – Birmingham, UK @ Castle and Falcon
- Oct 10 – London, UK @ The Dome
- Oct 11 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece