Dry Cleaning/DEHD – Tramshed Cardiff - 28/02/2023

Dry Cleaning are a post-punk band from South London made of four, vocalist (Florence Shaw), guitarist (Tom Dowse), bassist (Lewis Maynard), and drummer (Nick Buxton). Their first album ‘NewLong Leg’ was released in 2021 amidst one of the many lockdowns as a result of COVID-19.

The group were quick to gain popularity as they soared to the top of the UK charts and were named Rough Trade’s album of the year. Roughly two years later the four-piece have celebrated the release of their second album ‘Stumpwork’ by embarking on a worldwide tour.

For the first time since Green Man Festival 2022, they have returned to Wales to bring those with a love of art-rock and experimental lyricism together once again, this time at Tramshed, a music and arts venue in Cardiff.

As the doors opened at 7pm, fans gradually started to fill the venue. Prior to their set, there were two opening acts. The first to take the stage was Thus Love, an alternative trio made up of lead singer and guitarist (Echo Marshall), drummer (Lu Racine), and bassist (Nathaniel Van Osdol).

They played multiple songs from their album ‘Memorial’ as well as their new single ‘Centerfield’, followed by a performance by DEHD. The three-piece indie rock band from Chicago played songs from their new album ‘Blue Skies’, including their hit song ‘Bad Love’, which has amassed over four million plays on Spotify.

The quartet played ‘Stumpwork’ in its entirety, opening with ‘Kwenchy Kups’, a song with buoyant and airy instrumentals paired with optimistic spoken-word lyrics inspired by the sights of Bristol.

The upbeat nature of the song made it the perfect choice to open with as it energised the crowd in preparation for what was going to be a fairly long set. The energy remained high throughout the show as they proceeded to play ‘Viking Hair’, a song released as part of an earlier EP in 2019.

It was clear that this was a fan favourite as the crowd were quick to sing along.

In addition to the music itself, the performance was also captivating visually. Florence Shaw combined unusual facial expressions with eccentric hand movements and a lack of eye contact to create a unique atmosphere on stage.

I found this aspect of the performance particularly interesting, primarily because it reinforces the art-rock elements present within the group’s work. Personally, I think that her approach was refreshing as it differentiated from the standard formula vocalists usually go by when performing and the unconventional way she performs paired perfectly with the absurdity of some of their lyrics.

As the night came to an end, fans were still wanting more. ‘Scratchcard Lanyard’ and ‘Anna CallsFrom the Arctic’ were played as the encore, ensuring fans of the band left the venue on a high note.

Dry Cleaning are continuing their world tour and will be heading to Europe this spring.

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.