The next biggest thing: Bleach Lab review Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach 3/03/22

Copyright Bethan Stewart

Bleach Lab are a South London based dream pop quarter who released their first single ‘Heartache of The Season’  in 2019. In 2021 GigWise named them as part of their ‘Artists To Watch’ Bleach Lab currently have four EPs under their belt with the most recent being titled ‘Nothing Feels Real’, released in 2021, the EP includes ‘Real Thing’ and ‘Talk It Out’. The band recently completed their first UK headline tour which consisted of eight shows across the country. 

  Opening the night was Cardiff based 90’s inspired four piece Big Thing who put on a beautiful performance. Big Thing currently have six singles out on Spotify with their most recent being 2021 release ‘Say When/ Eye To Eye’ that are 100% worth checking out. 

   Shortly after South London based multi instrumentalist HUSSY took to the stage to showcase her talent through releases such as self released ‘HUSSY’ (2021) and Slayer (2019). Her DIY dream pop style genre is showcased throughout the performance in unique ways and had a clear good response from the crowd. 

   Then it was time for Bleach Lab who really are marking themselves up to be the next big thing with catchy hooks and incredible vocals from frontwoman Julia Jacklin. There was so much clear passion put into the performance with sing-a-longs in tracks ‘Real Thing’ and ‘Old Ways’. 

  Bleach Lab return to Clwb Ifor Bach in June alongside Stephen Fretwell and Later Youth and are performing at iconic Steventon event Truck Festival in July. 

Bethan Stewart

Henry Birt- The Crown, Bristol- 4th March 2022- Gig Review from a Performer Perspective

Photography subject to copyright from Thomas Pitt Photography

This review is an interesting one to write about given the fact that I was a member of the band on stage. I’ve known Henry since I was 5 years old, we’ve grown up together, performed multiple times together throughout secondary school in previous bands, and I had the honour of sharing the stage with him under his own name in our hometown again. 

There were 5 of us in the band; Henry Birt on vocals and rhythm guitar (having also written all of the songs), Billy Price on lead guitar, Addison Gordon-Evans on Bass, Harrison Pugh on drums, and me on keys. All of us brought a unique talent to the band, and it made for great sounding music. 

The venue of The Crown was great and different to anything I had performed in before. It was small, dimly lit and would make you feel as if you were in some sort of a shelter underneath the pub. The acoustics were great though with the curved ceiling, and after the soundcheck we were all itching to get on stage and perform. Despite the excitement there were also nerves, or at least on my behalf, perhaps because it was the first time I had performed for roughly 4 years or so.

When the cavern started to fill up of familiar and unfamiliar faces, the reality started to kick in and our hard rehearsals for the last couple of months was about to come down to a half an hour performance. 

When we were on stage, the dimly lit cavern seemed to be dim no more, with the bright lights shining in our faces and almost blocking the view of the audience to help settle the nerves! 

4 of the 5 songs were unreleased but all original material produced from Henry, and each one carried itself in different ways. ‘You’ll Show Me The Rest’ was a great opener- a catchy guitar and bass heavy song with some cool riffs from Addison in particular and is fast to get the audience moving straight away. 

‘Leave Here in the Morning’ is similar in terms of pace, and it is my personal favourite with a strong string synth throughout the song. Billy’s solo was also electric, as he presented his own slick skills to everyone there. 

‘Open My Eyes’ slowed down the set in a great way, and really showcased Henry’s incredible vocal ability, with the chorus stretching his range high and low, encapsulating the crowd. 

‘Hymns of Peace and Love’ is another slow and relaxing tune, that also sounded the best it had done over the couple of months of practice, giving off vibes similar to that of The Verve.

The big finish was Henry’s newly released single ‘Rainbows I Could Not See’ and was again the perfect song to end on, with its high energy and allowing all of us to showcase our talents. Harrison plays left handed with a right handed set up, allowing for some really unique fills to be heard in he live performance that isn’t heard on the recorded single. Some of the crowd even knew the words as all of us heard them singing their hearts out along with Henry.

Overall though it was an amazing night that many of the fans enjoyed thoroughly with their kind comments afterwards. The two other bands were great as well, Sub Cultures and Rosellas, so definitely give them a listen on Spotify if you get the chance. It gave Henry a great start to his solo career too, but also allowed us all to form an amazing chemistry that we will hopefully share again on stage in the near future. 

Socials: @Henrybirt, henrybirt.com, Henry Birt

Review Sam Haskins

Photography subject to copyright from Thomas Pitt Photography

Holding Absence Play Cardiff Tonight

Supporting Funeral For A Friend, Holding Absence Play Y Plas Tonight.

Here is a Retro Review of their previous Performance there back on 28/10/21.

Cardiff based post hardcore giants Holding Absence had a promising year in 2021; with the release of second studio album ‘The Greatest Mistake of My Life’ making its way to number 5 in the Kerrang! rock and metal best albums of the year. Earlier in 2021, Holding Absence were found performing at both the government trialled Download Festival and Reading and Leeds festival.

The tour was the direct follow on from the album release and was set to cover 8 shows within the United Kingdom.

Opening the tour at a hometown show in the capital of Wales with support from Australian pop punk band Yours Truly and Buckinghamshire rock band As Everything Unfolds. Kicking the night off with a bang was As Everything Unfolds who were definitely a highlight of the night for me. I had previously heard them but the concert definitely made me a fan. 2021 brought the release of debut studio album ‘Within Each Lies The Other’ they brought a mix of new and fan favourite; capturing the audience for their whole performance. I would recommend this band to fans of Dream State, VENUES and Holding Absence.

Continuing the night was a high energy performance from Yours Truly accompanied by the incredible vocals of frontwoman Mikaila Delago. Touring the release of their 2020 release ‘Self Care’ they are truly a force to be reckoned with. I would recommend this band to fans of Stand Atlantic, Between You and Me and Tonight Alive.

And then it was time for headline act Holding Absence, walking onto the first song of the night appropriately titled ‘Celebration Song’ with the haunting first line ‘I’m alive’ echoing around the room between fans. As the storm hits hard outside they lit up the room with fan favourites and brand new masterpieces crafted by the band.

Frontman Lucas Woodland never fails to impress the crowd with his powerful vocals, creating a plethora of emotions through his poetic lyricism on tracks such as ‘In Circles. The crowd singing back the words to every song showed to me how loved this band really is in the alternative music scene, this was witnessed the most during fan favourite tracks like ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Like A Shadow’. Later in the evening, Woodland brought on his sister to perform their duet in ‘Die Alone’ in which she displayed her amazing talent alongside his.

Closing the night Woodland warned the fans of an emotional goodbye as the iconic intro to ‘Wilt’ begins to linger around the room; by the end of the track, the crowd turned sombre and peaceful as the final lyric of the night ‘maybe I can be free to love you for an enternity’ plays out.

Holding Absence are set to perform with Welsh legends Funeral For a Friend beginning February 28th, before heading to the Valleys for a one off show at the Redhouse Cymru in Merthyr Tydfil and then taking to the States with a tour alongside DaySeeker.

Bethan Stewart

The Kooks – 12th February 2022

All Images Copyright Kacie Evans

The Kooks are celebrating 15 years of their award-winning album ‘Inside In / Inside out’ This was a significant gig in the Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, with the venue capacity being 7,500. 

With a similar music style to The Kooks, the show kicked off with the support of The Snuts, a Scottish indie rock band. They played 8 original songs and the crowd seemed to be familiar with the lyrics enabling them to sing along which created excitement for the main performance. I noticed the crowd was packed with a variety of people. An even split of both men and women both younger and older. This shows the inclusivity that The Kooks bring through their music and personalities. 

The crowd went wild when The Kooks opened with ‘Seaside’ an adored song that is just over a minute long. Taking a step back, the entire venue was filled with singing bodies sharing the same experience which was incredible to see after many tight regulations during the pandemic. There was a special feeling of togetherness that I can only experience through a concert.

After performing a few of the songs from the album, lead singer Luke Pritchard was ideally interactive with the crowd making comments such as “We love you guys” and “Are you ready” I enjoyed this aspect because it created a hype that is necessary during an important gig like this one. The band then played ‘She Moves In Her Own Way” which was incredible. Being such a popular song, the fans were singing word for word and I could tell how cheerful the band was to be performing it. 

The show continued with an engaging setlist. Following the generic concert trend, The Kooks returned with an encore of three songs concluding with ‘Naïve’. This is arguably their best song and definitely the most well-known with 418,163,920 listens on Spotify. 

 There was a smoky atmosphere throughout the show and was spotlight heavy, alternating between blue and red backdrops, combining to extenuate the band’s appearance. The crowd’s warm fellowship created a noticeable sense of community and I am proud to have been able to witness The Kooks performing in my hometown. 

Kacie Evans

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

Burke Shelley RIP

Cardiff music legend John (Burke) Shelley was born, as many of us were, at St David’s Hospital in Canton, Cardiff on 10th April 1950. Soon known as Burke, as a teenager, he formed the Hills Contemporary Grass band in 1967 with guitarist, Tony Bourge and drummer, Ray Phillips.

Shortly after, the band name changed to Budgie. This was chosen, as a parody, naming a heavy rock band after a tiny, gentle little bird for fun!

Budgie released their eponymous debut album in July 1971, releasing ‘Squawk’ and ‘Never Turn Your Back on a Friend’ over the next couple of years, as their reputation grew.

Budgie became one of the flag bearers of the hard rock scene, influencing many other bands. Notably, this included Metallica who have released two covers of Budgie songs, the fabulously titled ‘Crash Course in Brain Surgery’ and ‘Breadfan.’

Metallica often played Budgie songs, including at their 40th anniversary San Francisco gig. Other Metal bands who featured Budgie songs in their sets included Iron Maiden and Van Halen. Burke Shelley was Budgie’s longest-serving member, appearing on all 11 of their studio albums. The band first split in 1988 but made a number of comebacks and retained respect and popularity amongst Hard Rock fans.

Burke was a warm, friendly, humble guy. He’d often turn up and be invited to join bands on stage for a few numbers. I personally enjoyed watching him play, at Cardiff’s original Moon Club and at the Royal Oak, in its heyday. I also occasionally bumped into him at the Andrew Buchan Bar but am so disappointed that I wasn’t there the night he grabbed a guitar for a poignant rendition of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’.

Cardiff has lost a fabulous musician, a man who made a major impact for all us. He was also one of nature’s good guys.

Thank you, Burke xx

SJ

What Does Your favourite Christmas Film Say About You?

FRIENDLY REMINDER: These are simply jokes, and I am in no way making fun of a real-life event or person. All scenarios are made up and are strictly for my own entertainment, (and hopefully yours too!). 

We all love a Christmas film, even the cringy, lovey dovey ones. To be honest though, during the Christmas season when I’ve asked the ever important “what’s your favourite Christmas film?” Some of the answers freak me out. I’m not one to judge, obviously, but I can definitely tell what kind of person you are based on your 'fav Christmas film'. I don’t know, I mean, I’m not a mind reader but I know most ‘Star Trek’ fans love Lego and I know all ‘UP’ fans are hopeless romantic ‘golden retriever types’. If you are one of these following people, let me know so I can laugh! So, without further ado, here’s what your 'Christmas fav' says about you: 

Die hard:

Middle-aged man who hates Christmas but tolerates it for his wife and kids. Probably has never and will ever watch The Grinch (either version). Every year you have to remind the kids to be quiet because the 'Queen's speech is on. You pester your wife in the kitchen, eating your body weight in gammon and stuffing and snarl when your hands are whacked away. You Prefer a cheese board over any other Christmas dessert and you're snoring just in time for the family charades game. Budweiser is the only one on your side today as you internally sob in credit card debt. 

Home alone collection:

A sarcastic older man who ironically laughs when the burglars fall down every single step, and you gasp in fear that Kevin isn’t gonna make it out alive. OR, you’ve been forced to watch it for the first time by a family member or your significant other and love it. You stopped watching after number 2, though, because why ruin Christmas? Your favourite saying is “keep the change ya filthy animal” and you just googled Macauley Culkin to see how the child actor's doing. Just runway modelled for Gucci? My god, the child actor who had it all, lost it all and has reverted to the former with a newborn and a million and one new job offers? Wow! The power of Christmas amiright? 

A Christmas Carol: 

A mums favourite! Loves the animated version best and “you’d never think Jim Carey was Scrooge!” You patiently sit with a big smile on your face, black bag in hand ready to collect wrapping paper at 8 am. The film's on as background noise as you put the meat on a slow cook and stand there basting the turkey thinking “I wonder what Ghost would come to threaten me? My mother’s disapproval of my life choices are scary enough!” and “I wonder if (insert husbands name) will agree to watch The Grinch this year, it is a classic after all”. You absolutely MUST have a glass of Bailey's before 3 pm. 

The Grinch:

You’re a 20 something old girl and love the “that’s it I’m not going” meme. You have 'Primark' Grinch slippers and matching PJs and you roped your boyfriend into buying a set too. You sit cross legged on the sofa at 8pm with a hot choccy to feel the full effect, but by 8:30 you’re scrolling on your TikTok feed just as the Grinch goes flying down the icy mountain. You’re obsessed with the idea that the Grinch’s only friend is his dog because dogs are the most amazing and beautiful creatures on the planet. Who doesn’t love dogs? You want 10 puppies when you grow up and when your significant other says no to anymore, you buy an eleventh to p*ss them off. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas:

You listen to Fall Out Boy daily and Halloween is your favourite holiday. OR, you’re a teenage boy, probably between the ages of 14-16 and you play the bass guitar. Either way, it’s not that you don’t like other Christmas films, you just prefer the aesthetic that TNBC brings, but you know your mum will definitely not let you watch it in the family room because the EastEnders special's on in an hour and she wants to know who killed so and so. You don’t like veg on your Christmas dinner and you’re probably vegetarian too. This Christmas you ate roast potato, mashed potato, boiled potato, and ketchup. 

The Holiday:

You’re a probably single, hopeless romantic who loves the idea of meeting your soulmate at Christmas time. You work a 9-5, Monday to Friday job and come Saturday evening, you're on the sofa, Chinese plated up and glass (bottle) of wine at the ready. Christmas is your favourite holiday but you're longing for a significant other to spend it with, so for now you're decorating the tree alone, and Tinder notifications are dinging away, replicating the melody of 'Jingle Bells'. You also watch 'School of Rock' unironically once a month. 

Bad Santa:

Christmas is a chaotic time of year for you, and you love to watch 'Bad Santa' go off the rails because he’s living your dream. You're an extremely sarcastic person anyway and are obsessed with the main character because you understand him more than anyone else. Every year you promise yourself that your shopping will be done by middle of November; but alas, come 23rd of December, you're running around like a headless chicken, still don't know who you're celebrating Christmas with this year and you're paying off 3 speeding tickets from the stress of it all. You used to love Christmas as a child, but adulting isn't working out like you'd hoped, especially at this time of year.

Elf:

You're definitely in your late teens or early twenties. You've watched this movie every year since childhood and always envision how spaghetti and syrup taste together. People call you a 'big kid' because you're still obsessed with whipped cream and marshmallows on your hot chocolate; only now, you've added a shot of Bailey's. You wouldn't hurt a fly, just like Buddy the Elf, because you're an absolute softy and probably have AT LEAST three teddies sitting comfortably on your bed right now. You're definitely the cleverest sibling in your family, but if we're discussing most absent minded? You take that crown too. You’re also a die-hard Will Ferrell stan and your favourite movie is 'Step Brothers'.

It’s A Wonderful Life:

If you have heard of it, you love it. It’s a true Christmas classic. It’s one of the only times this year you’ve felt truly grateful for the life you have, and you take full advantage. You go around the rooms of your family home asking family members to go carol singing with you. You also get out the memory book to gather everyone around to look at previous Christmas' together. You don't want Christmas Day to end because you know you have another 365 days to go before you get to feel this magical again. You say, "oh I hope it snows!" six times a day leading up to Christmas, to feel the full effect. The Christmas dinner isn't half bad either. 

The Polar Express:

Now that you watch it as an adult, you realise it’s actually a really badly made film but you loved it so much as a kid so it’s too late to go back on your choice. You spend more time defending this film and your life choices than you do watching it, and when you do, you're guaranteed to spend more time on your phone... Or doing absolutely anything else. It's ever so slightly started to freak you out just a little bit more every year, seeing Tom Hanks as basically every character. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be Christmas without defending your (so not) favourite Christmas film. It's your personality trait by now, it must be!

Any Netflix original Christmas movie ever:

Re-evaluate your options. You’re lying to yourself. Please stick ‘The Santa Clause’ on. If it's not a classic, it's not your favourite Christmas film. Look at the options above, pick a new favourite, and then we can talk. 

Cassie Moreland