The Gulps - Clwb - 3/2/2023

The Gulps are preparing for their UK headline tour in just under two weeks. This will see the alternative rock band of five, frontman, Javier Sola and guitarist Juan Carlos Ruiz (both from a small town in La Rioja, Spain), bassist Simon Mouchard (from Nantes, France), rhythm guitarist Francesco Antonio Buffone (from Calabria in southern Italy) and drummer Raoul Khayat (from Beirut, Lebanon), touring sold out tours in London, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester. 

But their first stop was Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, where they supported welsh alternative rock band, ‘Trampolene.’ Trampolene’s set remained true to its welsh origin as the welsh national anthem began before they even got on stage and the second, they got on stage, they reminded anyone who didn’t know where they were from with a welsh flag with all their surnames on it. This was a nice personal touch which really made the set their own. This created a huge crowd reaction as chants begun and the music started the blare… it was an electric atmosphere. 

The Gulps said how excited they were to support them as they mentioned “We watched Trampolene in a festival over Taylor Swift, and now we are supporting them!’ They said. Before singing their first song, ‘Candy”, followed by ‘The Kings House’. Their stage presence was outstanding, and this was proven, as the venue was filled quickly as fans of all ages flooded in, all moving in time to the vibrant music. 

Their next song, ‘Boys’ was one of my favourites as they interacted with the crowd to sing back the lyrics. Shouting “Come on guys we sing boys, and you sing it back!” The vocals from both the crowd and band filled the room and it was nice to see the band engaging with the audience. 

And finally, their new song ‘mirror mirror’ took to the stage like a storm as they sang, drummed and strummed their hearts out. It was defiantly a best till last moment, as it’s groovy and repetitive lyrics got everyone on their feet. And the only negative I can say is they weren’t on stage for long enough! If only they were head lining their own shows…

Oh, wait they are! So, if you want to see them headlining their own shows and immerse yourself into their refreshing take on indie rock music you can grab yourself tickets for just £11! See you there! 

Casey - The Fleece - 12/1/23

After their almost four year break from music, Casey reunited with a tour of England and Germany, starting in Bristol on the 12th January. 

Casey are a five-piece Welsh Rock band formed in South Wales in 2014. They have released two albums and numerous singles.

Being in The Fleece, a small but lovely venue in Bristol, there was not one space free in the crowd. The venue was packed full of dedicated fans. 

Casey opened with their new song “Great Grief” which has meaningful, poetic lyrics and an impressive use of instruments. Straight after was “Atone” of a similar nature. They then followed with their older music which the fans adored. Looking around, the majority of the fans were passionately screaming the lyrics to each song and I could see how much this meant to some of them. Throughout the night the music was very loud and clear making it a memorable experience. 

Towards the end of the set, lead singer Tom Weaver asked the crowd where they had travelled from and one group were attending from Australia! This is a huge dedication to be able to see this highly motivating band that clearly have a reassuring impact on lives. 

Upon announcement of reuniting, Casey tickets sold out within just five days. In result of the demand, there was a venue upgrade and two extra nights added. From seeing the gig and following on social media, it is evident that the band are incredibly grateful for the support they have from their community. It is exciting to envisage what the band has for the future and it was an honour seeing them perform.

Pierce The Veil – The Great Hall Cardiff -01/12/22.

The San Diego rock band Pierce The Veil has had British fans in a chokehold all year as they’ve been

teasing their return to touring in the United Kingdom since early 2022. Fans of the group were

especially excited as this was their first time performing in The UK since their last album was

released in 2016.

The UK tour kicked off in Cardiff on the 1st of December and is set to run through the 10th December,

including two nights at the highly revered O2 Forum in London.

Despite the icy weather, fans could still be seen queuing outside of Cardiff University Student’s

Union for hours prior to the doors opening at 7pm. It was clear that despite the band taking six years

away, they were still more adored than ever.

After opening acts Carolesdaughter and Against The Current had set the tone of the night with their

passionate performances, the band kicked off their tour in Cardiff by playing two songs from their

2012 album - Collide With The Sky - titled ‘May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep’ and ‘Hell

Above’. The audience were quick to start screaming as the members started to appear on stage. It

was easy to see that they were just happy to be back as the audience were to have them.

It was hard to tell that this was the band’s first show in the UK in a long time as their stage presence

was unparalleled. The quartet strutted onto the stage with such confidence and dived right into

performing without skipping a beat.

Any older fans who were looking for their fix of nostalgia were in luck. Songs from the band’s earlier

albums were all performed at the show, each with more energy than the last. Their 2010 song

‘Caraphernelia’ was played towards the end of the set, but the energy from the crowd was still

explosive nonetheless as fans chanted the lyrics to the beloved track in unison. Despite the song

being released roughly 12 years ago, the fans excitement to see the song performed live was

palpable.

In addition to playing some of their quintessential songs such as ‘Bulls In The Bronx’ and ‘Circles’ ,

Cardiff was also given the opportunity to hear Pierce The Veil perform two new songs from their

upcoming album - The Jaws of Life - live for the first time ever. The third song on the set list titled

‘Pass the Nirvana’ was released in August 2022 and was the first song the band has released since

2016. They also played their newest single ‘Emergency Contact’ which was released in November

this year. As a longtime fan, it was incredibly exciting to see the band perform a mixture of both

their older songs as well as their most recent releases as it felt like a reflection of how far they’ve

come as artists. Anyone can see that the band still haven’t lost their touch, even after so many

years.

It was my first time seeing the group live and they all delivered immensely. Fuentes’ vocals exceeded

any expectations I could’ve had from watching their recorded performances online and hearing his

voice paired with such talented musicians Tony Perry, Jamie Preciado and Lionel Robinson made for

an astounding show.

In addition to the amazing performance, the technical aspects of the concert were incredible. A

combination on perfect lighting, smoke machines and confetti raining down on the audience made

for a magical experience. It felt unlike any show I had been to before as I was left praying it wouldn’t

end.

As the concert came to an end the band departed from the stage. However, fans were quick to start

begging for more. While chants for an encore filled the venue, Fuentes was quick to return to the

stage with his acoustic guitar in hand. In contrast to their earlier performances, the singer slowed it

down by playing their song ‘I’m Low On Gas And You Need A Jacket”. This performance evoked an

emotional response from fans as many started singing along and even shedding a tear.

Finally, the group closed the show by playing one of their most popular songs titled ‘King For A Day’.

The audience screamed in anticipation as the first few chords of the song started to play. The song

was the perfect way to end their set as they left the venue on a high note. Throughout the show

Pierce The Veil performed with such high energy and enthusiasm so it made sense that they would

choose such a lively song to end on.

While the hit rock group take the UK by storm it is clear that the best is yet to come as they’re fifth

album -The Jaws Of Life- is set to release on February 10, 2023, once again leaving fans in

anticipation of what’s to come.

Pet Needs - Clwb Ifor Bach - 7/12/2022

This is a four-man punk band from Colchester in Essex. They performed their new album ‘Ibiza in winter’ for their first Welsh audience in Clwb Ifor Bach on December the 7th. 

The venue was small and intermate, but brothers Johnny and George Marriott filled the room with their vocals and Jack Lock skilfully played the drums whilst Rich Gutierrez accompanied them on bass. They all worked well together and had a great stage presence. 

But before their set, ‘Bridget’ a singer, song writer also from Colchester, was their support act. She sang her most popular song ‘Deflate’ and my personal favourite, ‘The Drive.’ This was one of my favourites because she really interacted with the crowd and got them singing her lyrics back to her. So, this really got the audience warmed up for Pet Needs. She also stayed after her set, and I got the chance to chat to her and she was lovely!

Pet Need’s set started at 9pm and lasted just over an hour. But they managed to sing a variety of songs from their albums. Starting with, ‘Lost again’, ‘Pavlovian’ and ‘Kayak’. Then on to the album title, ‘Ibiza in winter’ followed by a crowd favourite, ‘Punk isn’t dead; it’s just up for sale.’ The audience went wild when they heard this, and they screamed back every word to the equally excited band members. ‘Wales, we love you, thanks for having us!!!’ They said. 

In between the songs the band told funny stories about their experiences in Wales, their families and shone some light into their personal lives. This really suited the venue because it was small and intimate, you felt like you were friends with the band rather than fans, so it was nice for them to have been as chatty as they were.

An emotional song ‘Dear Abi’ was played for the first time, was completely striped back and took the audience by surprise because it was the opposite of their usual punk, rock genre. However, the sentimental and thoughtful song went down a treat and the crowd loved it and took in every word. – especially all the ‘Abi’s’ in the room.  

But the vibe soon picked up and was back to their punk rock genre as Bridget came back on stage for a duet with the band, to sing ‘The argument’. This was great to watch and both artists put their heart and souls into the performance and the song, which looked like it meant a lot to both. Bridget then left the stage, and they played a couple more songs, including, ‘Spirals’ and ‘Toothpaste.’ With a welsh accent attempt from Rich and an audience member jokingly saying, ‘you can stop doing that now.’ The show soon came to an end…

Until, the crowd repeatedly roared, ‘encore’, ‘encore’, they came rushing back on to sing, 3 more songs, including their most popular one, ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’. And it was defiantly worth the wait.

They are on tour till early 2023, so if you get the chance to see this energetic and talented band I would recommend. And with an equally male and female audience with all ages, everyone would have a great time. So, go get your tickets, they are as cheap as £10!

Sea Girls - Great Hall - 22/11/22

All Images Subject To Copyright

It’s a funny story how I discovered Sea Girls. I was driving along the narrow roads between Betws-y-Coed and Bala in the summer of 2021. My playlist had come to an end and there was nowhere to pull over in sight. Spotify began to play my recommended songs – which never seem to be of any interest to me – when ‘All I Want to Hear You Say’ came on. 

In the coming months, I became completely infatuated with the song – I’d listen to it in the shower; when walking around; before I went to sleep. It was like nothing I’d really heard before and I loved it. 

The London-based band sold out Cardiff Uni Great Hall on Tuesday evening, with a crowd of varied ages and genders hanging onto every word they sang and every chord they struck. 

Lauran Hibberd, whose monthly listeners on Spotify equate to 88,000 at the time of writing, opened for the band. Her charismatic approach got the crowd engaged, while her stage presence demanded the attention. ‘Average Joe’ off her 2022 album ‘Garageband Superstar’ was the standout anthem. 

The four-piece indie-rock band opened with 2019 single ‘Damage Done’ and followed up with ‘Lucky’ off their 2022 album ‘Homesick’ before addressing the crowd for the first time to the pandemonium of onlookers.  

It was the first time I’ve been to a gig and seen the majority of the crowd being loyal supporters. You couldn’t move for Sea Girls t-shirts and people screaming as they recognise the next song from the first chord played.

Captivating frontman Henry Camamile was idolised by the flock of avid supporters, who repeated most lyrics back to him. Lead guitarist Rory Young danced around the stage as though he was one of the crowd members. 

Arguably the most entertaining sequence of tracks were ‘Violent’, ‘Lonely’, ‘Sick’ and ‘Do You Really Wanna Know’, with each song gaining greater reaction than the last. 

Their encore included ‘Daisy Daisy’, ‘All I Want to Hear You Say’ and ‘Call Me Out’, ending with their two most popular songs in true indie-rock band fashion. 

If you haven’t witnessed one of their shows live, I’d really recommend you do. Their variety of melodic, dancey and mosh-pit-worthy songs is fantastic and I’m sure people of all ages would have a great time. 

Blossoms - Great Hall - 26/11/2022

All All Images Subject To Copyright

Despite the torrential downpour outside and the disappointing week for Wales at the World Cup, Blossoms reminded those who attended their gig at the Student Union that you can still have a blast with live music. 

I’m no stranger to Blossoms, having already seen them numerous times at Reading Festival and in my home city Bristol, but this gig was something beyond what I had already seen of the band. I was saying to my friend afterwards how it was more like a performance or an event rather than a gig, with a great support act from Brooke Combe beforehand, followed by a great selection of tracks from the likes of Oasis and Neil Diamond to really get the crowd in the mood.

The atmosphere was electric and when the band walked on the stage, opening with one of their signature tunes ‘At Most A Kiss’, the room was bouncing. The band were unbelievably tight, and lead singer, come guitarist, come pianist, come harmonica(ist!) Tom Ogden roamed the stage like he owned it. 

Some songs would lead blissfully into the next without mention from Ogden, reinforcing their tightness and capabilities as a band. A special mention to the three additions to the original 5 of the band, who really boosted the live sound created on the evening, making it sound just as if it was pre-recorded.

Ogden also gave some interesting insights at times as to how some of the tracks were written and the backstory to them, my favourite in particular being ‘Ode to NYC’, which he revealed was originally written for a Netflix show, only to be pushed aside once the band recorded it. Unlucky Netflix! This was also where Ogden showed off his musical prowess playing guitar, as well as singing, and then a beautiful harmonica solo to finish the song. 

Charlie Salt on bass and backing vocals, Myles Kellock on keys, Josh Dewhurst on lead guitar, and Joe Donovan on drums all put on a show as well, interacting with Ogden as he led from the front. 

If you’ve heard or indeed listen to Blossoms, you’ll be aware that their music is usually quite fast and energetic, as was evident on the night with songs like ‘I Can’t Stand It’, ‘Your Girlfriend’, and ‘How Long Will This Last?’. However, the 8-piece became a solo for one song, where Ogden slowed it down with his acoustic and piano, playing first album track ‘My Favourite Room’ which was a spectacle in its own right.

They finished the show big with arguably their most popular song and another old classic ‘Charlemagne’, which was the perfect way to close the show, with people on other’s shoulders and the room bouncing once more. 

I have to admit, I’ve seen some good gigs, including the ones I’ve seen from Blossoms in the past, but none compete with this one. If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it! You won’t regret it. 

Snakes Don't Belong In Alaska and Kong Lives – The Moon - 11/11/2022

Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska

Three men walk into a bar. One is wearing a light-up rainbow afro with a mortarboard hat, one dons a Starship Enterprise uniform, and the last man hides his face with a demon mask.

While this may sound like the set-up to some bizarre joke, it was in fact the sight that greeted patrons of the Moon, a music venue located on Womanby Street, on Friday 11th of November.

While the Moon is not a particularly spacious venue, the room was soon packed to the rafters with an enthusiastic crowd of metalheads and alternative music lovers – most likely also drawn in by the fact that it was a free gig. I had personally not been planning to go out that night, wanting instead to have a lazy night in, however, I chose on an impulse to attend after being invited on a Tinder date. Having said that, I have to admit that the outing turned out to be well worth it, even if it was a full and utter whim on my part, due to the unique and interesting sounds presented by the two bands that played.

Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska, a psychedelic rock band based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was formed in 2015 by Aaron Bertram, Alex Johnston, and Chris Watson and joined by Jarrid Kolodnicki in 2020. However, in early 2022 Watson departed the band, leaving them to function as a power trio. Since the beginning, the band has been formed with the idea of improvisation in mind, with the trio themselves describing their sound as ‘face melting psychedelia’. When discussing the conception of the band’s sound, Bertram stated: ‘We had a gig supporting Laundered Syrup at little buildings in Newcastle, possibly early 2016 and we came up with this crazy idea of not using any of our rehearsed material, just getting up on stage and jamming. The rest is history.’

The band’s most recent release, an album called “INTERSTELLIC PSYCHEDELIC” was made available for purchase on August 5th, 2022. This record may be defined as having elements of space rock, krautrock, and even a unique take on the idea of jazz. Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska was supported by Kong Lives, a post-metal/doom band hailing locally from Newport, formed in 2016 by ex-members of the bands Tradish and Desalvo. Riding off of the high of their 2021 album ‘Thy Kingdom Kong’, the four-piece band played an energetically heavy set consisting of nothing but extraordinarily lengthy songs, including Rose Ascension, a 23-minute piece split into two separate parts – the longer of which hails in at a remarkable sixteen minutes. This is uniquely impressive for this specific band due to the heavy metal vocals sustained over the course of these lengthy tracks. I can personally only liken their sound to bands such as Neurosis or Isis.

Their sound also has elements of shoegaze, with an airy mixture of blended vocals, distorted guitars, effects, feedback, and loud volume.

Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska entered the stage at 10pm, accompanied by a futuristic voiceover that sounded like it came right out of Star Trek. Nobody quite knew what to expect from the relatively unknown band, the majority of the patrons only attending due to the free entry, so anticipation was high. However, from the moment bassist Aaron Bertram began to play, the room erupted into movement, the crowd already riding the buzz of Kong Lives’ dynamic set. What followed was something I could only describe as an hour of psychedelia, with the band improvising a full 40-50 minutes of free-form rock, a constant flow of music that just seemed to have no end, nor even any breaks. This is not to say it was boring – far from it, I found it utterly fascinating to watch how the band responded to each other’s subtle cues to change the music in little ways that kept it interesting. It was amazing to see how you pick up on little things in the music once it had been a constant background noise – I realised I was picking up on even the smallest changes in, for example, the bassline.

Even as someone with zero knowledge about anything technical in relation to music, I found myself deconstructing everything that went into the pure mind-melt that was Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska’s set. After around 50 minutes, the music simultaneously came to an abrupt stop with what seemed like little to no communication, leaving the room in stunned silence as we were confronted with the thought of ‘what just happened?’. One of the band members – the one who wore a rainbow afro – broke the silence by leaning into the mic and muttering what were the first words we’d heard from them for the entire set. “Thank you,” he said, nodding his head towards the crowd. “That was our first song.” With that, the crowd erupted into laughter and applause, giving Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska a warm exit as they dissipated to the bar.

Overall, for saying it was a total whim, I found myself utterly blown away by the uniqueness of the two bands I’d seen. From the absolute riot of the energy provided by Kong Lives – I was half convinced I’d go deaf by the end of the evening – and the pure psychedelia of the jam session played by Snakes Don’t Belong In Alaska, there was something to please any alternative music lover.

Eve Astle

Kong Lives

The Architects - Cardiff International Arena- 14/11/2022

Earlier this year, Scottish rock legends Biffy Clyro announced a UK arena tour with Architects; the announcement caught fans of both bands' attention.

I knew as soon as the tour was announced that I didn’t want to miss this lineup, with Architects being a favourite of mine. Having just released the mammoth new album ‘The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit’ on the 21st of October a whole new setlist was in the making.

After headlining the Motorpoint in May with Sleep Token and Malevolence, it was time for their swift return. Opening their set to brand new track ‘deep fake’ the night was off to a start and being able to witness this from the second row was truly an almost magical experience.

Not once slowing down the energy, it was then time for ‘tear gas’, a track with a catchy chorus that will get stuck in your head for days. Throughout the whole set, the sound was massive, filling the arena with vocalist Sam Carter’s haunting screams and powerful clean vocals.

Later on, they performed arena rock gold ‘Meteor’ with the arena singing in harmony to ‘I should be moving mountains but I’m like fire in the snow’ solidifying that this song is a staple in any Architects setlist. ‘Dead Butterflies’ was the standout moment for me, with the whole venue swaying and holding their phone torches in the air. As expected ‘Doomsday’ woke the venue up; both casual and super fans were in their element.

Finishing off their set was ‘when we were young’ and ‘Animals’ , both huge tracks that successfully got the crowd’s energy up for Biffy Clyro.