David Kitt - Clwb - 31/3/2023

David Kitt performed at, Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, on the 31 st of March to showcase his ninth studio album, ‘Idiot Check.’

But before his indie set, support act, Ivan Moult, whose genre is folk, played songs from his 4 th coming album. This is set to be released on the 26th of May. His set list started with “Written On The Wall” which set the tone, as very chilled, and the atmosphere as relaxed.

And as he continued to sing, “Tell Me When” and “Right Now” the relaxed atmosphere continued, which worked well as the song was stripped back with just vocals and guitar. He then finished on “Out Of Time” which he joked ‘hahaha very well timed’ before thanking the crowd and leaving the stage.

David then came to the stage and his set began. The crowd was unfortunately quite small but that didn’t affect David as he joked about it saying, “I was here around 20 years ago, but there were about 20x more of you!” And he continued to start his set with ‘Balances’, ‘Make It Mine’, and ‘Every Little Drop’. His vocals were great, and he put such emphasise on every lyric, which showed how important his songs meant to him.

He then played “Wexford Strawberries” and played his most played song on Spotify, ‘It’s Yours”, and looked up to the crowd and said, “Well looks like not a lot of my listeners are from Cardiff…” But continued, nevertheless.

‘Wishing Well’, ‘All Folly’, ‘Still Don’t know’ and ‘Step Outside In The Morning’ all filled the room as the crowd swayed to the soothing music. It was a really chilled evening which I enjoyed.

And out of all his songs, my favourite was the one he played last. This was called, “There Will Always Be This Love”. It was a little more upbeat and it was a fun song to end on. He then thanked the audience for coming and wished us a good rest of our nights.

I think he worked well on stage with all the instrument and music changes, and like I mentioned his voice was great. He could have been a little chattier with the audience but overall, it was a good night, and his performance went smoothly.

You can catch him on his tour all over the UK, from Bristol, to Belfast, to London to Edinburgh. So go and get tickets because, it has just begun!

Native Harrow - Acapela - 26/2/23

Native Harrow are a married duo who preform folk rock music. Originally from the USA they have now moved to Brighton in the UK and are currently on their ‘Old Kind of Magic’ tour. With lead vocals from Devin Tuel and her husband and backup singer, bassist and pianist, Stephen Harms. The pair worked amazingly together, with undeniable chemistry on stage. 

They performed songs from all their 5 albums, on the small stage in Acapella Studios, in Cardiff. A venue Devin described herself as ‘cosy and intimate’. And with around just 10-12 tables of two it was the perfect, and relaxed venue for Devin’s strong vocals to fill. 

The concert began at 8pm and they started with the song ‘A song for Joan’, followed by the title of their new album, ‘Old Kind of Magic.’ These were beautifully sung and accompanied perfectly by the instruments. As the room was so silent, you could hear a penny drop as the audience grasped on to every enchanting lyric Devin sang and note Stephen played. 

The breaks between songs were filled with stories romanticising the smallest things, such as seagulls and charity shopping… But also, things such as, falling in love, missing out on things from being on tour and the personal experience they had moving, not just a new city, but a whole new country. Which is what their next songs were about, ‘Turn Turn’ and ‘We can’t go on like this’. 

I really enjoyed listening to the singing but also to the stories that came with the songs. It gave a different dimension to the song and understanding what the lyrics meant made the audience feel more connected to the music, which was a super unique experience. 

‘Happier now’, ‘Shake’ and my favourite from the album, ‘Used to be Free’ was also performed in their magical set. And again, each song came with a story. Towards the end of the set the duo started to play louder and said, “we can’t play pretty songs all the time!” And the audience roared, ‘more, more, more’ before they sang a final two songs. Continuing with the two final songs, ‘I was told’ and ‘Heart of Love.’ 

This was probably one of my favourite concerts and I think everyone else in there would agree as the atmosphere was unbeatable and as we left everyone was staying how impressed and brilliant the duo was and I couldn’t agree more. And when they left the stage they said, “hopefully we will be soon, thanks for having us!” And I hope they are!

You can catch them on the rest of their tour dates, in London, Exeter or Brighton, and I fully recommend. So, go get your tickets! 

Spacey - Jane 12/2/23 - SWX

The Australian band of four, ‘Spacey Jane’ took to the stage in Bristol’s popular venue, SWX. They sang a collection of songs, which were mostly from their album ‘Here Comes Everybody.’ And I think this was one of my favourite concerts I have ever been too!

The venue was great, really accessible and the fans quickly flooded in, excitedly waiting for Spacey Jane. But before they came on stage at 9, the support act ‘Dolores Forever’ (Julia and Hannah) sang a few of their songs from their album ‘Baby Teeth’. This included, ‘Funeral’, ‘Conversations with strangers’ and ‘Party in my Mind.’ I really enjoyed their set as they sang upbeat and catchy indie/alternative songs, which I have actually had on repeat since the concert! They then thanked the fans and ran off stage, leaving us with what seemed like an impossibly long wait for Spacey Jane.

But as soon as it was 9pm, the crowd started to go crazy as Caleb Harper (lead singer), Ashton Hardman – Le Cornu (lead guitarist), Kieran Lane (Drummer) and Peppa Lane (bass guitar and back-up vocals) took to the stage. The energy they brought to the stage was immaculate and everyone in the audience was so in awe of the talent before them as we sang along to every word Caleb Harper, the lead singer sang to us. 

They started of their set with ‘Lunchtime’, ‘Skin’ and my favourite, ‘Sitting up’. ‘Lunchtime’ definitely got the audience’s attention as it is upbeat and got the crowd moving, a perfect song to start on. And ‘Sitting up’ brought us back down, as it is more relaxing, but still brilliant live! So, this combination of songs was a good taste into what their set was going to include. And it didn’t certainly disappoint! 

And neither did their stage presence or relationship with the audience. “We love you Bristol and we are so glad to be back.” Caleb said in his Aussie accent. As the crowd repeatedly shouted, “We love you!!!” throughout the performance. It was a great atmosphere.

They then continued to sing, ‘Yet’ ‘Saw teeth’, ‘Weightless’ and ‘Pulling through.’ The vocals and instruments all sounded great together, and their chemistry as a band was clear to see as they worked so good on stage. And I can say I have never seen a man with more energy or jump so high. Ashton Hardman really put his heart and soul into the performance and put on an incredible show. Peppa did an impressive solo as well and Kieran smashed it on the drums!

They then continued to sing, ‘Thrills’, ‘Headcold’ and ‘Lots of nothing.’ Said goodbye to the fans and ran off stage. But then chants began of ‘more, more, more’ and out they came again to sing ‘Hardlight’ and ‘Booster seat’ which is their most popular song, so I am glad they came back to sing it! 

I was gutted to see them leave the stage because this was such amazing performance and experience, which I would recommend to anyone. I had a great night and hope they come back to the UK ASAP! Or I might have to go to Australia… 

Spacey Jane are an Australian indie rock band from Fremantle, which formed in 2016. The group consists of Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu, Caleb Harper, Kieran Lama and, since 2019, Peppa Lane. 

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! 

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!

Deaf Havanna - Tramshed - 8/11/22

Deaf Havana kicked off their 2022 UK tour in Cardiff’s Tramshed, on the 8th of November. This was to sing new songs from their 6th studio album, ‘The present is a foreign land.’ 

Originally a band of 8, only 2 remain of this alternative rock band. Brothers, James and Matthew Veck-Gilodi from Norfolk were brought back together during the pandemic as they ‘felt the urge’ to start writing songs again and so that’s exactly what they did. Preforming 9 songs from their new album and 16 from the rest, they brought a good stage presence and a whole load of talent. 

But before their 95-minute set two support acts took to the stage. The first one was, an alternative and indie band ‘Jaws the Shark’, with lead vocalists and guitarist, Olly Bailey, successfully hyping up the crowd between preforming his new releases. And ‘KHAZALI’ brough a whole new vibe to the stage, the lights were lowered, and he performed his indie pop songs, alongside his striking dance moves. 

But the lights were lowered for long, as the room flooded with adoring fans, Deaf Havana’s set was about to begin. At 9:15pm the crowd went wild as they ran on stage catching everyone’s attention. ‘Pocari Sweat’ was the first song they performed and the fans knew it word for word, their vocals filled the room. They also went on to sing, ‘Trigger’, ‘England’ (which was accompanied with an English chant), ‘Worship’, ‘Evil’ and ‘Nevermind’. The crowd then sang happy birthday to Deaf Havana’s own, Mathew, who responded with ‘Wow thanks guys, I am so happy to be here.’ 

And you could really tell the brothers were, not to mention the crowd as well. Repeatedly   screaming ‘I love you’ one fan showed her dedication as James even recognised her as he jokingly said, ‘oh no not her again.’ The crowd then laughed, and the band carried on playing a couple more songs, such as ‘Kids’, ‘On the wire’ and ‘Sinner’.

‘One more song’, ‘one more song’ gradually got louder as the crowd begged for another as it got towards the end of their set. And to the fans delight they got an encore of 5! – at this moment the atmosphere was unbeatable. And I can say, I have never been to a concert where the fans are in such awe of the artist, and this was really warming to see. 

This was the first night of the tour, and Deaf Havana commented on Instagram the success of the night. “Thankyou for last night Cardiff, what an unbelievable crowd.”

They have 5 tour dates left around the UK and tickets are still on sale. 

Liam Gallagher - Cardiff Bay - 15/9/2022

Liam Gallagher preformed at Alexandra Head, Cardiff Bay on the 15th of September 2022. This was to perform songs from his 3rd studio album “C’MON YOU KNOW, which was released back in May. 

Fans of all ages flooded into the sold-out arena where 10,000 of us waited for his set to begin. But before he came on to sing his new bangers and some of his old ones from his time in Oasis, The Charlatans took to the stage as Liam’s support act. 

This is an English rock band with 3 remaining members Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes and Tim Burgess. They started of the concert with a bang, preforming for around 45 minutes and this set list included their most popular songs, “the only one I know” and “one to another”.

After this the stage crew got ready for Liam’s set, which started at 9. So, whilst waiting for his arrival the crowd roared chants of ‘Liam, Liam, Liam’ which were probably heard for miles. But then as ‘F*cking in the bushes’ blared out as his first song, the astonished and in awe audience began following his every lyric, and he had the whole crowd in the palm of his hand. 

Liam was great with the crowd with my favourite line of his being ‘you’re going to see 2 kings this week and I am one of them, c’mon Cardiff, you know!’ And you can probably guess which song he sang next… yes, it was ‘C’mon you know’. This was then followed by more tracks from his new album, ‘Better days’, ‘Diamond in the dark’, ‘Everything’s electric’ and my personal favourite, ‘More power’. But he didn’t forget his classics from the start of his solo career and his days from Oasis. 

As he impressed the crowd with ‘Roll it over’, ‘Once’, ‘Cigarettes and alcohol’ and ‘Wonderwall’. (I would pay the full price of the ticket just to see that song live again… it was amazing!) And then just when we thought it was all over, Liam came out for an encore singing classics such as, ‘Live forever’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’.

So, overall, this was a great concert with a good mix of his new and old songs, the crowd were well involved, and the fact the concert was outside made it 10x better. So, I would defiantly see Liam again, even though the ticket was quite pricey at 75 pound, I think it was worth every penny.

KCL Festival Tips

Ellie Spark has come up with some great tips as we approach Festival Season.

Now, you’re at a festival you want to look the part, right? Bright clothes, those cool ‘ugly’ shirts, big hats, funky sunglasses, the lot. But my first tip may compromise the fashion side of things. (Even though I can never be convinced ‘ugly’ shirts are fashionable in the first place…) So, you may have the perfect festival outfit, but you can’t show it off if you can’t walk, so, my first tip is, to wear comfortable shoes! At one festival I actually thought it would be okay to wear sandals. Sandals. For all 5 days - I know, big mistake! But I learned my lesson and last year my feet remained intact. So, from a festival goer to another, comfy shoes are the way to go, even if it does ruin your outfit slightly. 

Losing your friends is inevitable. And losing them is a part of the festival culture. It’s like you haven’t really gone to a festival if you haven’t lost your friends. So, my next tip is to make a meeting point where you can all meet when you’ve got no service, your phones are dead, or you just can’t find them. I don’t recommend it being your tent though because finding your tent is harder than finding your friends… Try your favourite food stand or the festival entrance? Somewhere quiet but obvious. Me and my friends would text ‘MEET AT BIG ORANGE FLAG.’ And within minutes we would all be there. So, I would say this is an important tip, unless you’re going to a festival solo, you’ve got no worries!

And whether you’re hunting down your friends, watching an artist or in the toilet queue (which takes ages btw) you’ll probably be in the sun all day. So, pack lots of sun cream. Sounds boring and such a mum thing to say but you want to be looking your best tanned self, right? Just applying some before an artist will save you a lot of pain later. And *insert favourite artist here* would want you too as well. And I wouldn’t have thought of this as a top tip until one year my friend had to miss the last two days of the festival because she got so sunburnt. She was gutted and I know you would be as well. So, apply that sun cream! 

Staying hydrated is also a top tip, like the sun cream one. Because if you don’t keep hydrated, you can end up, obviously dehydrated. And I’m not doctor but I know it can lead to feeling dizzy, tired, and irritation, all feelings you don’t want to feel at a busy festival. So, drink water, easy as that. They sell it across the festival and even when you’re in the crowd, security guards give it out for free. So, you’ve got no excuses, keep hydrated! 

Now, absolutely everything is expensive at festivals. Car parking, clothes, blankets, tents and sun cream. You name it, it will be expensive. So, thank God for the free water, right! But one of the most expensive things is the food. It is super worth it, but not the most expensive items, on the first night. So, my tip is not to spend all your money, leaving you hungry for the rest of the weekend. Because we all have that one friend that spends all their money on the first day and is complaining about it the rest of the weekend. (Normally me actually) So, talking from a personal experience, save your pennies through out the weekend. 

And you can save your pennies for my final tip. And that is making sure your phone is always charged. So, a portable charger, will be a great buy. It is so important for finding friends, paying for stuff, taking photos, and videos, that you can keep forever. And you can also keep the portable charger for ever as well. So, a win win situation I would say, wouldn’t you?

So, these are my 6 top tips. Pretty simple right? And if you follow these, you’ll have a fab time. So, happy festivalling and hope you have an experience as good as mine!