Mari Mathias, Katie lou and GRACIE at Porter’s Cardiff, 9th February 2022

Porter’s is an amazing venue for intimate gigs, and the warm lighting and cosy stage setup was perfect for a chill, acoustic show by an all-Welsh line-up of Mari Mathias, and support acts Katielou and GRACIE. For my first gig of 2022, this was certainly an amazing way to start.

GRACIE kicked off the gig, opening with an original song, ‘birds’, captivating the audience with her relaxing vocals and guitar. She performed a combination of both original material and a few covers, including a cover of The Foundations ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’, which was bound to put a smile on everyone’s faces. A particular favourite of mine was her cover of Lilly Allen’s ‘LDN’, as she completely made it her own. Her performance was a stunning way to start the evening.

Katie Lou was next to perform, also accompanied by her guitar. She performed a set of original songs, including some brand-new material, which was really enjoyable. My personal favourites were ‘In My Blood’ and ‘Limit’, and Katielou’s vocals were beautiful, along with her lyrics.

Her energy and the way she interacted with the audience made her set even better, and there was a sense of closeness between us and her as she performed. Both Katielou and GRACIE’s sets were the best build-ups to the headline act of the evening, Mari Mathias.

Mari Mathias, accompanied by her band, were the perfect headliners to a really lovely evening of acoustic music.

Her set of traditional Welsh folk music with her own unique twist really got the crowd going, in the centre of the floor, a group of girls were laughing and dancing along, with their arms linked, encouraging everyone else to join in.

She played originals, like ‘Ceffyl Bach’, and a few unreleased songs on an album coming out in March, alongside her own twist on some traditional Welsh folk songs “remastered in a contemporary fashion”. The famous quote is true, music definitely has no language, as all of her songs were sung in Welsh, and being English speaking meant I didn’t understand the lyrics. However, this didn’t mean I enjoyed the set any less, I could feel the passion and how happy Mari and her band were to be performing; the joy on their faces was infectious.

Chloe Mullis

HENGE- The Globe, 3rd February 2022

Photo Copyright Sam Haskins

This was my second outing at The Globe, and I was again encountering a new band who were rather intriguing due to their otherworldly nature…

Not really knowing what to expect beforehand, I came out of the gig having enjoyed a really unique and intimate performance from the dressed-up musicians on stage. Their entrance was brilliant, each member of the group came from different parts of the venue, mixing and interacting with the ‘humans’ who came to worship them.

The lead singer/guitarist had a plasma ball attached to the top of his head, whilst two other members had alien masks and costumes on to give them a very mysterious look. It was almost like watching a theatre show as well as a musical performance and it was brilliant. 

Audience participation was a big part of the show, where the frontman would speak to them in both English and some alien language, all adding to their unique presence on stage.

The music itself was something special as well. Every song had a familiar-sounding drum beat that reminded you of earth, but the two synths and cool guitar effects added to their identity of ‘Cosmic Dross’, as it made you feel as if you were transmitting through the galaxy with them. 

In particular, their performance of a newly released music video ‘New World’ encapsulated their individual musical genre, with the synths sounding like something from a sci-fi film with a distinctive extra-terrestrial effect, which was then followed by a heavy metal chorus with a strong guitar and drums lead.

They had the audience in a trance, as they were headbanging and making good use of the dance floor, and it was interesting to see this style of music that many would never consider going to see. So, if you do get the chance, I definitely recommend seeing HENGE or a band of a similar nature. They were great fun and create unique but solid music that can be an enjoyable experience for anyone. 

Sam Haskins

Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum, Sin City

Image Copyright Mike JC

You may know him from his stellar performance as Dexter in the self-titled series as well as being celebrated for his many other often critically acclaimed acting credits, including in the rather stunning performance in the David Bowie composed musical Lazerus. Michael C. Hall is part of a talented trio of musicians who call themselves Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum, tonight was all about the music.

The band consists of the aforementioned Hall on vocals, guitarist and keyboardist Matt Katz-Bohen also known for his work with Blondie, the trio completed by drummer Peter Yanowitz, co-founder of indie group Morningwood as well as working with a long list of musicians across the genres from Yoko Ono to Andrew W.K.

The night started with support from the Bridgend based band Fire Fences, a talented outfit whose energy and catchy anthems did well in readying the crowd for the headline act.

From the moment Princess Goes to the Butterfly Musem took the stage there was an excitement, a gleeful look etched on Hall’s face as they dove into a set featuring tracks from their debut album Thanks For Coming with some newer tracks sprinkled into their setlist. There was real momentum felt with each delivery, song after song flowing from the stage to our ears in rapid succession, the energy at the venue benefiting from this relentless pace. Songs such as Eat an Eraser and the pulsating Nevertheless receive applause and cheers from the crowd, much to the delight of Hall, whose childlike excitement was infectious, a feeling of real enjoyment from both him and his bandmates after what has been a long and arduous road back for live music during the COVID-19 era.

As a frontman Hall fills the stage with personality as well as an impressive vocal range, Yanowitz on percussion providing bombast and subtly in equal measure alongside the often entrancing electronic melodies of Katz-Bohen. 

Other notable tracks included the more industrial The Deeper Down, the anthemic Airhead and a rather fantastic cover of Phantogram’s Cruel World. You can no doubt detect some David Bowie influence in the sonic banquet provided as well as some Nine Inch Nails & Giorgio Moroder respectively, but all of this is constructed in such a way it is undoubtedly all their own. 

Image Copyright Mike JC

Forgoing an encore, in his own words Hall stated they would “skip the going on and off bit” and proceeded to treat us to two more songs followed by sincere thanks to us all in attendance. In what felt like the blink of an eye the band were gone, such was the pace of their set. During the 75 minutes of high-quality entertainment, Hall took to talking sparingly, but on those rare occasions, he spoke to the crowd with a distinct feeling of humility and playfulness in his interactions, all of which were very well received by those of us in attendance. I for one hope they bring the butterfly museum on tour here again soon.

Review Mike JC

Highlights:

Eat an Eraser

Nevertheless

The deeper down

Airhead

Cruel World (Phantogram cover)

All Images Copyright Mike JC

MARILLION ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF 17/11/21

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Marillion are one of those bands I just don’t get. 

It’s not that I don’t get their musical intricacies or their enduring success in the face of industry apathy and oh-so-cool music press snobbery. It’s not that I can’t get my head around the fact that they can’t really be defined (hard proggy emotional ambient avant-garde rock with a bit of added funkadelia?). 

No. I mean, I don’t get why they aren’t huge. 

They know how to write sparkly riffs and soaring soundscapes topped off with a band sound, lyrics and vocals that hit you right here. Their repertoire ranges from ready-made radio hits (demonstrated tonight with The Release and You’re Gone), to story songs that can bring an audience to tears (Runaway had someone a few seats away from me snuffling into a tissue… at least, I hope it was emotion and not the dreaded lurgi…). Their frontman, Steve Hogarth, crackles with charisma and sings with passion and power and faultless precision. The rest of the band are clearly virtuoso musicians. When you see the success of bands like Muse or Radiohead (clearly influenced by Marillion) or Genesis or Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin (clearly influences on them), you just know they could’ve ruled the world. I don’t get it.

But after tonight’s gig at St David’s Hall, I’m glad I don’t get it. If Marillion had become the world-striding stadium act they could’ve been, the audience in Cardiff wouldn’t have been enraptured by the epic 10-minute (but still hugely catchy) new song Be Hard On Yourself from their fan-funded soon-to-be-released album An Hour Before It’s Dawn, or the breath-taking crowd favourite Neverland. Instead, they would probably have been confined to creating hits, feeding the industry monster.

As for an actual review of the show… As a seasoned journalist, I believe it’s always important to remain critically impartial. But it’s hard to be critical of a show that’s this good. It was raw yet faultless; it made you want to dance and cry (not usually at the same time), but most of all it felt as if those of us in the audience had been invited into a secret society of musical brilliance. 

So, in a way, this review is a call to anyone who reads it not to give Marillion a go. Call me selfish, but those of us who have discovered their music are quite happy with them as they are, thankyouverymuch. We don’t need them to suddenly become too big to be allowed to write songs like The Party or Easter or The Leavers. So don’t try and catch them on tour or buy their new album when it’s out and for the sake of all that’s good and right with the world, please continue to ignore them.

Review by Craig Hooper

Review - Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri - The Long Road Home Tour - Acapela Studio - 13/11/2021

It’s been a year in waiting for the return of Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri, and certainly, after their performance on a chilly Saturday evening, it was well worth the wait.

The Acapela Studio is fast becoming a beacon for live music in the area and a venue where you can get up close and personal to the artist in a quite chilled environment and something that no doubt attracts both performers and fans who find large concert halls both antiseptic and cold.

Yet the 13th proved rather prophetic for the duo as the gremlins struck during their opening number with a power issue, but they battled on gamely despite the false start with Kiki Dee casually annoucing that a glass of red wine would help calm the jitters, whereupon, a glass appeared at the front of the stage, courtesy of the management, and a very grateful singer.

If getting through the first number “What You Wish For” appeared a little traumatic, the rest of the evening was simply plain sailing with a lovely acoustic version of her biggest hit (with Elton John, his first No 1) “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, “Small Mercies” a song about appreciating life, and a quite stunning version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”.

There were a few exceptional covers during the two-set performance. Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me To The End Of Love” a heart tugging “Let It Be Me” by The Everly Brothers and best of all Sinatra’s “Very Good Year”, in a suprising, yet classy selection.

Dee’s voice, as strong as it ever, was supremely complimented by Luggeri’s virtuoso guitar, creating soundscapes that provided the perfect foil for Dee, who pitched in with some occasional keyboards .

It’s been a long and rewarding career for Kiki Dee, something which was emphasised by her hit “Amoureuse”, released in 1973 and performed so perfectly in 2021, as she turned back the clock in quite stunning fashion, a very youthful looking 74 years of age.

For those Strictly fans in the audience it was interesting to hear that she had turned down this year’s series, saying she was to be the ‘token’ oldie in the competition, but, declined her inclusion due to a family illness. On this evening’s performance, It was obvious she was quite capable of putting a few of the younger ones in the shade, had she been able to perform.

But, back to the music, and the highlight of the evening. “Until We Meet Again”, a touching song about her mother and how the death of her father affected her and having to re-invent herself and embrace her life without her husband and life partner.

Ending proceedings with another hit “I’ve Got The Music In Me” a big UK and American hit, it was a triumph after such a frustrating start for the duo. They say good things come to those who wait, so hopefully, for Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri, an early, post-pandemic Acapela return will be on the cards.

Review and Pix - Tony Woolway

Skinny Lister- The Globe, 13/11/2021

Copyright KCL

Little did I know about Skinny lister before encountering them at The Globe Cardiff, but the unexpected nights and unheard-of bands are always the best, and this was no exception.

Organised chaos is the best way of describing their performance. From the get-go the crowd were indulged in the music and matched the energy of the Lister members, who really showed their passion for their unique style of music.

Doing some research beforehand told me that their identity is heavily influenced by folk music, shown by their arguably unique use of accordions and the huge double bass. The sound created by the modern-day guitars, bass, and drums against these perhaps outdated and fewer mainstream instruments was something special, and it made for a great live experience.

All 6 band members were excellent, but Maxwell Thomas was a standout performer, not only because of his energy and enthusiasm that got the crowd going, but also because of his ability to mix up his chosen instrument; the accordion, the piano, and the banjo being the three he used on the night.

The vocals were mainly passed between Daniel Hepinstall and Lorna Thomas who both have really strong voices that complement each other well when they sang together. All members did have a microphone though, and they harmonised well throughout the set.

They featured a large number of new tracks from their latest album release “A Matter of Life & Love”, the name of the album also being one of their songs which was a more indie-pop hit, with a catchy off-beat guitar riff and upbeat drums reminding you of summer days.

“Bonny Away” was a nice mellow track that allowed the crowd to take a short break from headbanging and gave the longer serving fans a recall to one of their first released songs.

It was also nice to see the support band (The Longest Johns) join them on stage for a few songs including “Damn the Amsterdam”, Listers most streamed of their newest album, demonstrating their roots in the folk genre.

As I said before, I wouldn’t usually choose to go and watch bands of this particular genre, but Skinny Lister’s gig really opened my eyes and proved that anyone can enjoy any kind of music, no matter your taste.

Review Sam Haskins

Copyright KCL

China Crisis - Acapela 05/11/2021

All Images Copyright KCL©

It’s been very nearly 40 years, yet for China Crisis, what’s a few years amongst good friends.

80’s bands and their music can be a little cheesy to the discerning listener and whilst many rave about that particular era, which without doubt saw some amazing talents, quite a few bands never seem to get the credit their music deserved and who still very much inspire. One such band is China Crisis.

Despite achieving some considerable hits and critically acclaimed albums, when compiling lists of the great and the good during those times, China Crisis rarely get acknowleged and it’s a frustration that, no doubt the band, as well as their die hard fans would love to correct.

But what China Crisis do, as opposed to their contemporaries is continue to produce the goods both writing and performing at times new material, as well as performing songs from a quite stunning back catalogue.

If I’m sounding very much like a fan, then I admit to being hooked from their earliest begins with the release of their debut album, Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain, which was released in December 1982 and the singles "African and White" and "Christian". All seeming so fresh and different at the time.

Fast forward 40 years and I’m still getting that buzz with each performance, and trust me, I’ve seen quite a few!

The China Crisis of today is certainly a different animal, and whether seeing them as a duo, quartet, or full-blown band, they never fail to produce an evening of sublime music and hysterical chatter, something to a newcomer, is totally unexpected.

Fronted by the genial Eddie Lundon and Gary Daly, it’s Daly in particular who lifts proceedings to another level with his good natured and whimsical account of the band’s career and recordings as well as hilarious name-dropping the good and not-so-good people they’ve met during their considerable career.

But, it’s the music we initially came for and the four-piece band were in quite excellent form as they played a selection of singles and album tracks in between Daly’s side-splitting anecdotes.

Songs from the band’s Walter Becker (Steely Dan) produced album Flaunt the Imperfection and the Langer/Winstanley What Price Paradise sounded as fresh as the day they were released with “Arizona Sky” in particular, with it’s catchy refrain still reverberating days/weeks later.

It would be unfair to not mention the contribution made by Jack Hymers (keyboards) and Eric Animan (sax) who completed the band and are indispensable to the China Crisis ‘sound’

Unfortunately/fortunately, with all the chat, the band lost sense of time leaving them rushing to beat the Acapela curfew yet still managed to squeeze in the wonderful “Christian”- before sheepishly ending yet another quite fabulous evening.

For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure then the band are out on tour next year celebrating their 40th Anniversary and with luck, coming to a town near you.

Tony Woolway

Images Copyright KCL©

DMAs Review- Cardiff University Student Union, 6th November 2021

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Managing to escape Covid secure Australia, the 3-man band led by Tommy O’Dell, with the addition of 3 other live band members, really put on a spectacle at the Cardiff University Student Union.

I was familiar with a few of their songs prior to going to the gig, admittedly mainly due to their appearance on one of the FIFA games but I can now say I will keep track of their new releases and consider myself a new fan. 

I was captivated from start to finish as were the other couple of thousand participants in the venue, and didn’t want to miss a single song, word, or chord. The crowd on multiple occasions, led the vocals of tracks whilst O’Dell stood back and admired the experience of performing live again. 

For me, their standout songs were their most streamed hit ‘Silver’ which caused an oddly pleasant, restricted view due to the number of fans on shoulders singing their hearts out, an extended version of ‘Play It Out’ with some awesome drum fills not heard in the recorded version, and ‘Appointment’ which showcased the bands’ vast musical ability by slowing it down too.

The venue was perfect and ensured that even if you were to be standing near the back your view and experience of the music wouldn’t be hindered, and the band themselves set up nicely on the wide stage, with cool light poles behind them which they regularly lit up red for Wales, a nice touch to show their connection to the audience.

So overall, if you ever get the chance to see them on tour or at any festivals they play at, I highly recommend attending. Their energy on stage is matched by their musical talent that will get you moving in a good two step, but also a few mosh pits if you’re in the thick of it! 

Review Sam Haskins

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