Review - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Principality Stadium 05/05/2024

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It was a triumphant return to Wales for the legend that is Bruce Springsteen and his E-Street band opening his European tour in Cardiff last night in true ‘Boss’ style with a stunning 3-hour set that left his adoring fans stunned.

I must confess that not being a great Bruce fan, it took some convincing to attend this gig, yet walked away cheerful in the fact that I’d just witnessed one of rock’s greatest ever performers and after all these years I finally ‘got’ what all the fuss was about.

Looking extremely fit for all of his 74 years and backed by the quite brilliant E-Street band his songs played live take on a life of their own played with jaw-dropping intensity and power, almost like a religious experience, worshipping at the Church of Bruce.

Opening with So Young and in Love the tempo was set early on as Bruce and band powered from song to song with little or no introduction. Songs like No Surrender and Better Days were anthemic and incredibly uplifting whist his control throughout, changing tempo and pace showed what a great and iconic performer he’s become so comfortable and at home amongst his thousands of fans, knowing full well that he can do no wrong in their adoring eyes. And he certainly delivers.

His mega band consisting of E-Street Band stalwarts Nils Lofgren, Steve Van Zandt and Jake Clemons ( nephew of the late Clarence Clemons, former E-Street giant) were what you would expect from a band with so much experience and talent, a joy to listen to as they superbly supported their leader through such an exhausting evening.

Sadly, the heartfelt solo acoustic tribute to his friend George, Last Man Standing, was drowned out by inane chatter that tends to be a problem of late at this type of gig. That and the constant stream of people heading to the bar does frustrate but fortunately Bruce was so good that this irritation was quickly forgotten.

Major highlights for me were his cover of the Commodores Nightshit, slotted effortlessly in amongst Springsteen classic like the stunning The River and Because The Night whilst the last 30 minutes of a quite splendid show was one of the best I’d ever seen with both band and crowd bonding for what was an electric finish, from one of rock’s true greats.

Setlist

So Young and in Love

(tour debut, first time since 2013)

Lonesome Day

No Surrender

Prove It All Night

Darlington County

Ghosts

Better Days

(tour debut, sign request, first time since 2017)

The Promised Land

Spirit in the Night

Hungry Heart

If I Was the Priest

(tour debut, sign request)

My City of Ruins

(interspersed with band introductions)

Nightshift

(Commodores cover)

The River

(tour debut)

Last Man Standing

Backstreets

Because the Night

(Patti Smith Group cover)

She's the One

Wrecking Ball

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

Encore:

Born in the U.S.A.

(tour debut)

Born to Run

Bobby Jean

Dancing in the Dark

(followed by band introductions)

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Twist and Shout

(The Top Notes cover)

Encore 2:

I'll See You in My Dreams

(solo acoustic)

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes: Live in The Great Hall 06/02/2024

Cardiff is the first date on Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes’ new UK tour, following their fifth album ‘Dark Rainbow’ being released on the 26th of January.

Despite being the first night of the new tour, the entire set is perfectly executed, the band never missing a beat as they frame the stage - each member swaggering over to a new position to receive fresh cheers from different faces. Carter in particular fully engages with

the crowd, choosing to tower above them on the front barricade, or off of the corner of the stage, soaking up the crowd’s adoration as they clamor to be close to the front man.

Before Carter can perform his set, opening acts Hot Wax and The Mysterines welcome a growing crowd. First up, the three-piece band Hot Wax channel the likes of Courtney Love in a dynamic grunge inspired set.

Soon followed by The Mysterines, a four-piece band whose alternate rock sound is haunting and almost hypnotizes the audience.

Carter’s set is a mix of his top hits and material from the new album, the blend proving that this band should be considered icons within modern rock music, and that as time passes they only improve.

Moving between heavy classic rock songs like ‘Devil Inside Me’ to slower ballads such as ‘Sun Bright Golden Happening’ Carter’s seductive vocals are smooth and consistent, never missing the mark and managing feats such as belts and yells still in key.

The audience is able to participate by listening to Carter’s demands, forming a female only mosh pit mid show, and later asking the audience to get to the ground before leaping up on Carter’s que, creating absolute chaos.

Teasing the crowd, Carter and the Rattlesnakes leave the stage keeping them in the dark as they chant for one more song. Returning they play two more before thanking the crowd and leaving on a mysterious and slow note, their theatrics only adding to the enjoyable night.

Set List:

1. Can I Take You Home

2. Brambles

3. American Spirit

4. Queen of Hearts

5. Self Love

6. Kitty Sucker

7. Wild Flowers

8. Tyrant Lizzard King

9. Devil Inside Me

10. Juggernaut

11. Honey

12. Happier Days

13. Sun Bright Golden Happening

14. Lullaby

15. Crowbar

16. Man of the Hour

17. Thunder (Encore)

18. Dark Rainbow (Encore)

Courting - New Last Name - Album Review

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Courting released their sophomore album ‘New Last Name’ today, January 26th and it shows huge growth from their debut album ‘Guitar Music’. Originating from Liverpool, Courting are known for infusing their music with a compelling blend of post-punk and indie rock elements and pop culture references. With punchy guitar riffs, infectious rhythms and candid catchy lyricism, they take inspiration from artists such as Parquet Courts, Home Counties and Yard Act.

Courting's musical evolution from their debut album to their sophomore release is palpable, showcasing a notable maturity in both their songwriting and sound. While their debut album initially acquainted listeners with their infectious energy and raw talent, their latest album plunges into heartfelt pop lyricism while upholding Courting's signature upbeat instrumentals and distinctive style.

Courting has been actively promoting their album for some time now, even hosting a gig under the pseudonym “The Throwbecks”, humorously claiming they didn't show up, prompting Courting to perform their own songs instead. The album's marketing campaign has been fascinating to observe and has definitely grabbed the attention of their fan base.

Courting unleashed four electrifying singles, igniting the music scene with "Flex" on August 7th, followed by the fiery "Throw" on November 8th. The captivating melody of "Emily G" on December 14th mesmerised listeners, while the infectious beats of "We Look Good Together (Big Words)" on January 8th left fans craving more. Among these standout releases, "Emily G" and "We Look Good Together (Big Words)" shine as the prime highlights, showcasing Courting's remarkable musical abilities and clever lyrical compositions. These tracks stand out with a unique combination of skillful instrumentation and insightful wordplay.

Apart from the singles, one track that truly stands out for me on the full album is “Babys”, distinguished by its gentle introduction and the incorporation of a captivating saxophone. Among Courting's repertoire, “Babys” in my eyes, emerges as the most progressive release, seamlessly blending elements of indie rock with subtle yet evocative saxophone melodies, offering listeners a refreshing new sound.

"The Hills", "The Wedding", and "Happy Ending" share a cohesive ambiance, characterised by stripped-back moments that highlight their themes and emotional impact. These tracks form a harmonious blend within the album, each offering its unique narrative while contributing to the overall immersive experience.

The album concludes with “America”, opening softly and delving into the intricacies of modern relationships through its lyrics. The outro, featuring the album's title “You’ve got a new last name”, provides a fitting conclusion. Overall, Courting delivers a captivating release that leaves me eagerly anticipating their future musical evolution with their next project.

Despite the absence of a Cardiff date on their tour schedule, Courting will embark on a tour from February 6th to April 20th and will take the stage at Bristol Exchange on February 22nd with support from Cosmorat. 

Full Track-list:

1. Throw

2. We Look Good Together (Big Words)

3. The Hills

4. Flex

5. Emily G

6. Babys

7. The Wedding

8. Happy Endings

9. America

Details:

Release Date - 26th January 2023 / Record Label - Lower Third

Spotify Link - https://open.spotify.com/album/7DnPfehpIKOC7BVsUc0a8H?si=k1anCXWSTCyw550ASDVBKQ

Tour  - https://www.seetickets.com/tour/courting

Penny Rich Live in Porter’s

A storm of pure energy, Penny Rich bring Noise Rock to the student scene and are met with violent enthusiasm. Ear protection highly recommended!

Penny Rich came to Porter’s to perform a single launch show for their latest track ‘PC’ released via streaming services on the 24 th of November. But before they could close the show with the track, they tear up the stage with a mix of their hits from their debt album ‘If Everyone’s An Expert, What’s Left To Be Learnt?’.

A later show than most in Cardiff, the warmup acts started from 9pm. First up, a relatively new band FUBELT played a post-punk set, with hints of psychedelic rock mixed through their music. Droning guitars and almost chanting lyrics change rapidly into full punk screaming, shocking those who were unfamiliar with their work, while energising their fans. Next up was a band with slightly more experience, having been around since 2011 - This Is Wreckage. Their harsh basslines are reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine and, accompanied by grating vocals, their music has an overall grungy tone.

Penny Rich is extreme and certainly not for the faint hearted, but if you enjoy punk music or noise rock, then their live performance and crowd interaction will blow you away. Right out of the gates they create a wall of sound, attacking their instruments with reckless abandon. Their first track ‘Last Meal’ has the audience moving erratically along with the tempo, head banging to the gritty hook threaded through the piece. The vocals of both lead and backing singer are impressive to say the least, achieving almost chainsaw like screams and maintaining this energy to the very end, still managing prolonged growls in songs such as ‘Sugar Pill’.

The command they have over the crowd is unbelievable, successfully controlling the moshing whirlpool and even clearing a section for the bassist the jump into. Riled up fans attempt to jump onto the stage throughout the show, and encouraged by the band, a microphone is placed into the crowd for them to join in, people clamouring to be the first to shout along.

Closing the show, they thank the crowd for staying out late, and break into their brand-new single ‘PC’. The track is relentless making use of the reverb and feedback their setup allows, constantly creating an aggressive sound. Certainly a band to watch if punk music is your scene.

Set List: 1. Last Meal 2. Spirals 3. Violent Glitch 4. On and On 5. Sugar Pill 6. Expert 7. PC.

The Sweet, Tramshed, Cardiff, 17/12/2024

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The evening started well with a good set from the American Blues singer Sari Schoor.  I thought I should give the support act a mention!

I have to tell you the first single I ever bought was Blockbuster so I was really looking forward to this concert. Taking to the stage with what else but Action, as the set opener, the crowd in the packed Tramshed knew they were in for a great 90 minute set.

There are bona fide classics that original member Andy Scott knows that need to be played. These were all present. The band also played new material, such as Don't give me water and Changes from their forthcoming album Full Circle which were well received by the crowd.

Lead singer Paul Mansi delivers a fine vocal performance and the band's harmonies are spot on.  You can see this is a band that really enjoys playing together.

The last part of the set was filled with classics like Teenage Rampage, Love is like Oxygen and Blockbuster. The band  finished with what else but Ballroom Blitz, hands lapping and voices in unison, as The Sweet proved again why they are a class act.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of people in the crowd in their thirties, so the band are finding new fans all the time.

Try to catch these guys if you can!

Steve Davies YYFM

Beans on Toast: Live in The Globe 07/12/24

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With his new album ‘The Toothpaste and the Tube’, released December 1st , Beans on Toast plays Cardiff The Globe and is met with a dedicated crowd, many of who already know the lyrics for his new tracks.

His sixteenth album so far, Beans on Toast, aka Jay McAllister, has been performing since 2005 and therefore brings an established fanbase with a wide range of ages out to venues.

Warming up the crowd Tensheds play first, a one-man band playing elaborate bluesy piano, a synth beat pedal, and singing simultaneously. His rasping vocals are emotional, and the lyrics are melancholic, yet his improvisatory piano playing is joyful.

Next up, Bassie Gracie performs poetry for the audience, prefacing some of her work with her concern that music audiences do not want to hear poetry, and serious poets find her work trivial. However, her poetry was witty and empowering, moving between conversational sections to rapid rhymes, all while maintaining the audience’s attention.

Both Tensheds and Bassie Gracie – now playing bass – return to the stage, forming Beans on Toast’s band for the tour. He kicks the set off with ‘Work to do’ from the new album, signing about social problems such as plastic pollution, global conflict, and mental health. Between the upbeat folk-like melody, and focus on the work giving humanity purpose, the song manages to have a cheerful and optimistic character.

B.O.T succeeds in leading sing-a-longs without even trying, the entire audience swaying, cheering, and belting out lyrics to one of his more popular songs ‘Watching the World Go By’. The audience reaches such a volume, that McAllister shouts “F*ck Yeah Cardiff! See you are gonna try to make this the best night of the tour!”.

Many of his songs focus on social issues, and how as a community we can overcome them. An example of a song combining both light-hearted fun, and a serious message is the M.D.M. Amazing and ‘The Children of Bedford’ mashup. Halfway through the first song, he pauses to tell the tale of a young fan interaction, of how it shocked him and his band, and how it inspired him to write a song cautioning regular drug usage. After telling the story, he begins ‘The Children of Bedford’ before resuming ‘M.D.M. Amazing’ and imploring his crowd to listen to the message behind both tracks.

The communication between B.O.T. and the crowd is phenomenal. Just before he begins the song ‘The Greenwash’ he invites a member of his team as well as two people from the crowd to join the band and him on stage. They act as his backing singers, after being taught their line to chant, and he regularly runs over to prompt them to join with varying levels of success. Just like the rest of his act, his message is serious, and yet he is still able to create an unusual and entertaining way of performing, managing to get the crowd to laugh, listen, and dance – a skill that has had the crowds turning up for him for 18 years.

Review - The Blockheads - Acapela Studio - 08/12/2023

Images Tony Woolway

There are few bands that could survive the loss of such an iconic figure like Ian Dury but the Blockheads continued gigging is credit to how much the band were an integral part of the legend that their input helped create alongside Dury’s wonderfully descriptive lyrics.

The band are quite simply a creative force of nature and whilst the tendency nowadays is to play their quite distinguished back catalogue they are prone to occasionally surprise with the addition of a new song or album track with that telltale Blockheads sound.

With Mike Bennett providing the vocals and proving a very able deputy for the late Dury you can forgive the band playing on autopilot such is their years of experience playing such memorable and much loved tunes. But on this evening’s performance the band were certainly anything but laboured and played with great enthusiasm that was contagious.

Long time bandmates John Turnbull and Chaz Jankel were in top form trading guitar licks with Jankel the king of rhythm whilst fellow Blockhesd stalwart Mick Gallagher’s keyboard mastery was the brandy in very tasty Christmas pudding.

Nathan King on bass was easily proving that there’s more the one top class musician in the family ( brother is Level 42’s Mark King) and gave Norman Watt -Roy’s stand- out bass lines a fresh update and with drummer John Roberts solid drumming allowing the band to thrive, with Dave Lewis adding the icing with some sultry and punchy saxophone.

Classic Blockheads tune followed tune with the opening track on the brilliant New Boots and Panties, “ Wake Up And Make Love To Me” setting a high bar straight from the off. It was lovely to see old tunes like “Lullaby for Francies” and “Sink My Boats” getting an airing and quite refreshing it was to hear these two seldom played songs.

The massive selling “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” with its line, “In the dock of Tiger Bay” received cheers as did a raucous, full-on version of the band’s long held signature tune “Blockheads” which brought the evening to a successful and very satisfying conclusion.

The band return to the same venue in 2024, you’ll be sad to miss it.

Tony Woolway

Pet Needs: Live in Clwb Ifor Bach 24/11/2023

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Leaping across the stage, Pet Needs gets their crowd moshing to a unique blend of punk music.

Walking out to an onslaught of cheers, they make clear how much they appreciate their fanbase, a feeling that is reciprocated. The band has been able to support itself financially for two years now, and instead of discussing merch, the band chose to praise their warmup acts and their friends who helped make touring possible. The first warm-up act of the night was Private Party - a relatively new indie pop group, with bright guitar solos, and catchy melodies from their vocalist Violet.

The second support act was Glitchers - covered in duct tape and playing gritty hardcore punk music, they pull increasingly chaotic antic on stage while singing about their problems with the politicians and modern-day society. Pet Needs had one of the best setups I have seen in Clwb Ifor Bach, but that might be due to the sheer number of people that filled the venue. They used the booths for their merchandise, consequently forcing people to stand up patiently and wait for the acts to begin, creating an immediate crowd in front of the stage.

A refreshing take on punk music, Pet Needs switches between different intensities of the genre, keeping the set engaging and unpredictable. At times songs such as ‘Kayak’ appear to be heavy punk rock, with distorted guitar solos and full shouts – encouraging chaos in both the moshing audience and the lead singer jumping across the stage. Whereas songs like ‘Tracey Emin’s Bed’, while still punk, feel much more like early 2000s Blink 182, following a singable melody and anthemic choruses. Between songs the band makes sure to promote their third album ‘Intermittent Fast Living’, coming out next February 16th, even playing ‘Separation Anxiety’ a single off the album, building anticipation for the release.

Pet Needs made one thing very clear to their audience, that they expected enthusiasm and energy. At times they dare the audience to out-jump and sing their previous crowds, stating “Every show before this has been a warmup for Cardiff!” and encouraging them to put Bath (the previous night’s venue) to shame. Jack Lock on drums, Ryan Sharman playing bass, George Mariott playing guitar and lead singer Johnny Mariott finish off the show with the same high energy as they started it, being sure to thank the sound team and promising to play again with the new album next year.

Set List: 1. Separation Anxiety 2. Tracey Emin’s Bed 3. Ibiza in Winter 4. Fear for the Whole Damn World 5. Overcompensating 6. Tried and Failed 7. Primetime Entertainment 8. Kayak 9. Pavlovian 10. As the Spin Cycle Span 11. Scratch Card 12. Punk Isn’t Dead 13. Lost Again 14. Toothpaste 15. Get on the Roof