The Necks in Bristol

The Necks are an Australian instrumental trio formed in Sydney in 1987 by pianist Chris Abrahams, bassist Lloyd Swanton and drummer Tony Buck. Their music centres on long-form improvisation shaped by jazz, minimalism and ambient sound. The debut album Sex established their extended-piece approach, followed by records including Aether, Drive By and Open. The four-disc live set Athenaeum, Homebush, Quay & Raab, released in 2002, documented the trio’s concert practice across four performances. Townsville, captured at Riverway Arts Centre in 2007, preserved another complete improvised performance. The group performs on piano, double bass and drums, building each concert as a collective improvisation without a predetermined set list. Beyond Australia, the trio has performed at Cafe Oto in London and at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville.