THE INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR MUSIC IN WALES ISSUE 13

FREE

GRUFF RHYS Madman or Maverick

ATTACK! ATTACK!Kings of Live

BOWLING FOR SOUPAmerica Calling

SARAH BLASKOMinimalist Music

MERTHYR ROCKBest Welsh Festival

LIVE REPORT SPECIALSWN, Cardiff Big Weekend, Friends ElectricOnly Boys Aloud, Shy & The FightRise To Remain, Snoop Dogg, Tinie TempahKids In Glass Houses, Katy B, Arctic MonkeysDeaf Havana, LostProphets, The Specials

PLUGGED IN 43

EDUCATIONIWA Educator of the Year Gail Griffiths and PCE Qualified Darren Warner, the

co-founders of the award-winning PLUGGED IN magazine, the unique photography and literacy project that is a stepping stone into the creative industries, are able to facilitate a number of courses that will be tailor-made to suit individual participant groups, which

educate young people in a professional environment.

As industry-standard professionals who have over 25 years’ experience within the photography and media fields, both Gail and Darren have a highly proven track record of

success with their past students and the work they do for PLUGGED IN magazine, with many of the young people previously tutored entering further education or employment, as well

as gaining a fuller, more rounded understanding of the subjects they are taught.

PLUGGED IN Education can provide a variety of bespoke courses for your Community Group, School or Arts Centre, with many of the courses feeding into PLUGGED IN magazine.

For example:

Basic PhotographyLive Performance & Band Photography

Portrait Photography (Studio & Location) Landscape & Urban Landscape Photography

Interview Skills & TechniquesLive Performance Review Writing

CD Review WritingCreative Writing: Poetry & Short Stories

PLUGGED IN magazine has helped me so much. It has helped my confidence as before

I would be a bit scared or nervous about going up to do interviews with people but PLUGGED IN has helped me overcome my

nervousness and has built up my confidence. The experience has been great and the fact that my work has been published is brilliant. Now I have been able to build up a portfolio of work. The experience has also enabled me to get a place on a university course

that I have wanted to get on for years. This was also due to a great reference from Gail and Darren which was greatly appreciated.

VICTORIA TURNER I was so excited when I saw a poster for the PLUGGED IN creative writing workshop I

attended. I thought it was really cool that an actual magazine would be willing to educate and help those interested. I have learnt a lot about how to make my writing interesting,

like what angles you can write a review from. I have grown more confident with each piece I have done and learnt a lot about the process from stage to page! Walking into a gig knowing that you’ve got to remember

lots of details about what you’re going to see because you need to review it can be quite daunting but the creative writing workshop

prepared me for it! McKENZY RENVAL

I’m definitely more confident with my writing and am even more interested in music

and journalism than I was before. When I applied to study Media at university I had an interview and literally out of the portfolio of work I’d taken with me, the only thing they were interested in and wanted me to talk about was the Super Furry Animals review I’d done for PLUGGED IN. I had loads of

coursework in the portfolio but they really didn’t care about anything other than the

printed article! ROBYN KENNEDY

PLUGGED IN is an excellent project for inexperienced writers who want to have a writing career. It’s a really good starting

point. Seeing your name in print for the first time is thrilling, it does wonders for your

confidence! So in that sense, it’s good for the soul. But on an educational level, it’s a great

experience; it keeps young people off the streets, gives them something to work for,

and gives them some real purpose. And taking myself as an example, it makes you want

to do more. It makes you want to do better again. It’s a great stepping stone for writers. I have so much respect for the magazine and

Gail and Darren who run it. MARIA MURPHY

The photography workshop I was a part of introduced me to critiquing myself and others’ work, showing me exactly what to

aim for. PLUGGED IN has really helped push my photography, before working with Darren I had next to no experience photographically,

especially when it came to gigs. Whilst working for the mag I gained a passion for photography and unlike most I can claim to have published work at a young age,

which will no doubt be attractive to future employers. COREY-LEIGH JOHN

I am now studying a BA in Photography at Falmouth University. I have no doubt that PLUGGED IN had a role to play in that, as

at least a third of my portfolio was work for the mag. Not to mention the skills I acquired

in talking about photographs which also contributed to my interview. I really do owe

Darren and Gail a lot for that. JAMES BANNISTER

4 Music News 6 Rising Talent

10 Gruff Rhys

12 Merthyr Rock

19 Attack! Attack!

22 Bowling For Soup

23 Rise To Remain

24 Sarah Blasko

26 Cardiff Big Weekend

29 SWN

30 Katy B

33 Only Boys Aloud

34 Snoop Dogg

37 Shy & The Fight

40 Quick Chat

41 CD Reviews

Also in RAWR Issue 3

The Saturdays

Contentseditorial@pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

www.pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

WELCOME to Issue 13 of your independent voice for music in

Wales, PLUGGED IN magazine. It’s been a busy time during the last few months with our team going to gigs and festivals all over the place, so we have decided to dedicate this issue to the many live performances in Wales we all enjoyed. Included in this issue is coverage of the amazing Merthyr Rock, a festival that highlighted so much brilliant Welsh talent in its vast line-up that we could have devoted the whole magazine to just that one event! In fact we did create a special 8-page magazine prior to the festival with members of the team in Merthyr Tydfil, which you can read about on our news page. Our education section has also been hugely busy since the summer, facilitating a variety of Creative Writing and Photography workshops, as well as a number of fantastic magazine projects — which will mean that by the end of 2011 we will have published an additional 18 magazines on top of the regular PLUGGED IN and RAWR magazines. And to top it all the young people of the HQ Crew at Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive in Beddau, who worked with me in RAWR issue 1, have recently won an Outstanding Contribution To Art & Literature award for their work in that magazine. So I am very proud and pleased to say that with my IWA Award and the magazine’s Red Dragon Community Music Award, which we won in 2008, we can honestly be described as a multi-award winning project! Talking about award winners, well done to our cover star Gruff Rhys for receiving the Welsh Music Prize for Hotel Shampoo — an excellent album.

PLUGGED IN magazine is the creation of Haul Fryn Publishing on behalf of PLUGGED IN magazine (Limited), Company Number: 06766289. All rights reserved. All contributions to PLUGGED IN magazine must be original, not pre-published and not posted/printed anywhere until after publication in PLUGGED IN. Haul Fryn Publishing reserves the

right to modify any material submitted for publication in PLUGGED IN magazine. Reproduction of any of the content of PLUGGED IN magazine, without prior permission, is strictly forbidden.

Gail IWA Educator of the Year

PLUGGED IN 03

Advertising Rates

by placing an advertisement in PLUGGED IN you will be reaching a captive audience of 5,000

readers over a period of three months

Sponsorship of One Issue, including a Full Advert (if required) £3,000

— and a great sense of well-being!

Full Outside Back Cover £400Full Inside Front Cover £350Full Inside Page £300Half Inside Page £165Quarter Inside Page £90 Insertion of Flyers £100 per 1,000

for further details, contact us at: advertising@pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

PLUGGED IN magazine is a not-for-profit social enterprise, produced by unpaid volunteers

MANAGING EDITOR & PUBLISHERGail Griffiths

IWA Educator of the Year

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Darren Warner

CONTRIBUTORS Adam Perkins, Alexandre Griffiths,

Bianca Ferrari, Carl Francis, Charliee Williams, Chloe Lawless, Connor Scourfield, Corey Clack,

Craig Thomas @ Opposite Images, Cristina Shuker, Daniel Holley,

Dawn Norman, Esther Blair, Finn Beales, Gary Bolsom,

Georgia Brittain, Georgia Morgan, Hannah Davies, Ian Thomas,

James Duggan, James Powell, Jazmin Williams, Jen Haste @ Dragonfly,

Kern Bridges, Kevin McGrath, Lisa Derrick, Les Davies @ Clixx

Photography, Meirion Tovey, Paul Bachman, Pippa Bennett,

Polly Love, Rhys Kinsey, Rhys Milsom, Ritchie Samuel, Rob Jones,

Robyn Kennedy, Rosie Barton, Rui Semedo, Seanna Fatkin,

Shannon Jackson, Steve Meaden, Steven Prebble

& Stephen Lewis

PLUGGED IN Education has been busy delivering its unique style courses throughout

many areas of the South Wales Valleys within the last few months, with many more workshops in the pipeline. One such course

that we facilitated for Head For Arts via Glamorgan Gates in Merthyr Tydfil was to produce a mini-magazine to highlight the Merthyr Rock festival that took place in

September. The idea of the course was to enthuse and excite young people who had

never experienced music journalism before and to help them express their opinions on the variety of bands playing at the event,

then encourage them to write enough words to fill the pages of the

magazine. It was a brilliant success, with the resulting magazine

being distributed throughout Cardiff and

the Valleys. The students who attended the course then gained entry to the festival and you can read some of their opinions in the live review section

of this issue. If you want PLUGGED IN to help you

with a similar project in your area, then email us at editorial@pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

Cardiff has been selected as the city to host WOMEX, the leading world music expo, in

2013. The announcement comes at the end of a year-long campaign to bring the event to the Welsh capital. Described by UNESCO as

the most important international professional market of world music of every kind, WOMEX

evening performances will be held at the Wales Millennium Centre, and the day time showcases, trade fair, conference and film screenings will be held at the Motorpoint

Arena Cardiff. The prestigious international showcase event is expected to include around

60 concerts featuring 300+ artists, and will take place between 23-27 October 2013.

Cardiff presented WOMEX with the best all-round offer in the bidding process and beat tough international competition. The bid to

host WOMEX in 2013 was led by Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales, a partnership between Welsh Music Foundation, Wales Arts International

and Arts Council of Wales, with support from British Council and Welsh Government.

As part of the Cardiff 2013 campaign, “Queen of Harps” and Music Ambassador Catrin Finch fronted a Cerdd Cymru: Music Wales showcase to a packed audience of world music industry professionals at WOMEX 10 Copenhagen. She welcomed the news: “It’s fantastic news that

WOMEX will come to Cardiff. WOMEX is a really exciting event for musicians and music lovers. For us in Wales, it’s a chance to hear the best in the world on our doorstep and a chance to make sure that Welsh music is

known and heard around the globe.”

After the exceptional success of the award winning RAWR, the literacy based arts

magazine that you’ll find free in the centre of PLUGGED IN, our education section was commissioned to co-ordinate and

help produce 15 school cluster magazines throughout RCT in association with the local

council’s Services For Young People. Each cluster area team of young people had to

compile enough relevant information to fill a 16 page magazine with the emphasis on how

to Get Involved, a strategy that PLUGGED IN believes in having spent years inviting

anyone of any level to have a go at writing for us. What has been produced is a colourful

set of beautifully illustrated and inventive magazines that show the individuality of

each school cluster while still retaining the integrity of a professional-looking publication like PLUGGED IN. The students’ submissions to the magazines will be used as evidence of learning for a Level 2 OCN in Magazine Production, as the young people are also taught those all-important vocational and basic literacy skills they’ll need once they

leave school. Within the magazines you’ll find stories on one young girl’s time spent with pop sensations The Wanted to an interview with intrepid rugby playing explorer Richard Parks. The magazines have proved to be a

fun way of learning with a tangible piece of evidence for any young person’s CV to show prospective employers. If you’d like us to do

the same in your area, then contact us at editorial@pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

It’s been a busy time recently for PLUGGED IN favs Friends Electric with the boys seemingly turning up at every possible festival that has

been happening over the last few months both here in Wales and beyond, while also working on many remixes. It had been a while since

our Creative Director and Chief Photographer Darren Warner had seen the band last and boy did he get a shock. “I must admit, I’ve

always had a soft spot for Friends Electric as they seem to be fairly unique here in Wales

with very few electronic based bands coming close to their songwriting skills and live

performances, hence the magazine’s interest in them. Well, when I thought the guys may have reached their peak they disappeared off our radar for about nine months only to return this summer. And boy have they up’d their game. The songwriting has surpassed

anything previously produced by the band and their live performance is a much slicker and

overall approachable affair. Basically they are downright brilliant.” But don’t take his word for it, read the reviews in this issue and go to

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6GOEUgrf2E to watch their excellent video for the single Golden Blood. You’ll be dancing big time.

Once again this year, and for the fourth time, PLUGGED IN Education in association with

RCT Youth Arts has been delivering its unique Performance & Band Photography course to a group of 14-19 year old students. During the eight weeks, the students have learned more about their camera and basic photography, experienced live performance photography first-hand, as well as taken part in studio based photography sessions and computer manipulation workshops. To top it all they have gained an OCN qualification as well as having a selection of their work published in this issue. PLUGGED IN Education provides a variety of photography workshops and

courses from Basic Photography, Landscape Photography, Documentary Photography to Performance Photography which can either

be accredited or not if required. If you are an arts organisation within Wales and would be

interested in involving PLUGGED IN within your programme please do not hesitate to contact

us at editorial@pluggedinmagazine.co.uk

PLUGGED IN 05

...AND INTRODUCINGAs part of our education policy here at

PLUGGED IN we have decided to introduce you to other areas of the music business as well as the different bands and artists who are trying to make it in this noble business.

In the coming issues we will speak with promoters, independent record shops and labels, as well as lighting engineers, venue managers and public relations companies. So if there is an area that you’d like us to investigate, then feel free to email us at

editorial@pluggedinmagazine.co.ukPlease remember, our aim at PLUGGED IN

is to help you and the Welsh Music Industry gain the recognition it deserves. Also if you work in the industry, feel strongly

about the part you play and are prepared to put pen to paper, then please tell us about yourself and the contribution you make to this fantastic Creative Industry

within Wales. We welcome suggestions and written pieces from all of you in the know!

July saw The Pop Factory in the Rhondda once again open its doors to re-establish

itself as a platform for up-and-coming Welsh talent. The official re-launch of the venue under the name The Factory took place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with many

guests in attendance at such an important event. Taken under the wing of Valleys’ Kids, a South Wales based charity, the building is

again playing host to a range of strong Welsh talent. Already local bands are lining up eager

to get a chance to play at a venue which in years gone by has had an impressive résumé of acts, such as Lostprophets, Stereophonics and The Blackout. Aside from this, The Pop

Factory also had its own television show which was aired on ITV Wales until 2008

and brought attention to the talent of local presenters such as Steve Jones and Alex

Jones who have both gone on to have highly successful media careers since this humble

beginning. The Pop Factory Awards are another important landmark when looking at the history of the building. Launched in 2005 the awards recognised the incredible musical talent present in Wales. Awards such as Best Live Band and Best New Act

applauded the work of bands such as Funeral For A Friend and Kids In Glass Houses. These

awards were yet another chance to celebrate and broadcast the success of home-grown

achievements. Following its re-launch, The Factory will be keeping the tradition of music

shows being filmed in the building with a brand new digital TV programme LockeD. The Pop Factory was officially opened by

Tom Jones in 2000 but this time around the event was a fairly low-key celebration with

speeches from the likes of BBC Radio 1 presenter Bethan Elfyn and a range of performances from drama groups, choirs

and various other performers. Treorchy based Sweet Manics closed the show with a 45

minute pop/rock set which was well received by the audience, especially members of

the Valley’s Kids organisation who proved that even at a young age the enthusiasm for live music in South Wales is as thriving as ever. In the coming months following its re-opening The Factory will be ringing with

the sounds of bands such as Kyshera and The Method and will once again be a space where

a community can join together through a mutual love of all things music.

ROBYN KENNEDY

The excellence of Welsh Music Talent was celebrated this year with the first Welsh Music Prize which was announced in late October during the SWN festival. The winner was our cover star Gruff Rhys with his third solo outing Hotel Shampoo, but as Christmas approaches we thought

we should remind you of all the nominated albums that you could ask Santa for.

With the recent news of the tragic death of footballing legend Gary Speed, Stereophonics’ frontman Kelly Jones has recorded his version

of a classic Andy Williams track Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, the song which became the adopted anthem of the Welsh football supporters during Speed’s international

career. He was approached by the BBC to record the track for a TV special on Speed, knowing he was a follower of the national

side as well as a Leeds United fan — the team in which Gary Speed began his footballing

career. Jones explained: “I was with my two daughters at the Millennium Stadium after the Wales v England international in March. We were waiting at the lift and Gary ended his phone conversation and shook my hand.

We had a chat about the game and shared the lift to the ground floor. He was a very nice man, a good-looking fella. I was consumed

the whole day when I heard the news, I couldn’t get my head around it. Then the

BBC approached me to record the song. It’s a 10-minute job but I hope it was a fitting

tribute for the show.”

Al LewisIn The Wake

70s style songwriting with a modern twist from North Wales

ColoramaBox

Carwyn Ellis’s beautiful and awe-inspiring music

Funeral For A FriendWelcome Home Armageddon

Welsh rock’s beating heart on a band

Gruff RhysHotel Shampoo

Winning entry from the Super Furry’s frontman

LleuwenTan

Results of a partnership from Lleuwen & Vincent Guerin

Manic Street PreachersPostcards From AYoung Man

10 albums in and there is no stopping MSP passion

StaggaThe Warm Air Room

Berlin-inspired music from the Cardiff producer

Sweet BabooI’m A Dancer/Songs About Sleepin’

Stephen Black’s tender musings of a restless soul

The BlackoutHope

A perfect title for a perfect rock album from the Merthyr boys

The Gentle GoodTethered For The Storm

Beautiful modern folk tinted with psychedelia

The Joy FormidableThe Big Roar

UK’s largest export who have toured the world

Y NiwlY Niwl

Cold weather surf music from the North West coast

Main Photographs by Daniel Holley, Georgia Brittain, Chloe Lawless, Alexandre Griffiths,

Esther Blair & Connor Scourfield

The Hotel AmbushYou won’t find many better UK metal bands around right now than The Hotel Ambush. The Valleys quintet will rip you to pieces with a mix of tantalising guitars and a barrage of pure brutality. This is stunning stuff as showcased through Turning Tides, a rip-roaring journey into the depths of purgatory. Hellatious lead guitars ebb and flow with both elegance and menace, and rioting drums and base-lines provide a tight, pounding, dynamic and meaty rhythm. It all comes together so well, and is one for the “repeat” button on your stereo. “We try to keep it metal and stay away from hardcore because there seems to be so many hardcore bands out there at the moment. If someone comes to practice with a hardcore riff they’ll get kicked out of the band!” Current mini-album The Condemned is a riot, punching above the weight of most debut records. It features six cracking tracks, including Bury Tomorrow which fuses the heavy and the melodic. A signature track, played to close their live set, it has a big ending with a harmonised guitar solo. “When we play live it’s more technical. There’s a lot more guitar work and harmonies, and we’ve changed some of the tuning for the harmonies.” One of the hardest working bands in South Wales, The Hotel Ambush have been perennial giggers over the last 18 months, and any success is down to their hard work and determination. Hopefully, opening the Sunday at Merthyr Rocks has helped elevate them towards this. “We do prefer our newer stuff, which feels more energetic. We always try and make the next one better than the last one, and if it ain’t then we’ve got work to do.” Expect something new around the Summer of 2012, filled with more energy, bigger riffs and much more noise. ADAM PERKINS

The Roseville BandThis Wrexham based band initially came together as a four piece,

before eventually adopting the two piece horn section in 2008, which culminated in the recording of their debut album Little Eyes in The Universe. They returned in 2011 with a second album Shake

The Walls and gained headline festival slots at Liverpool Sound City and Focus Wales, as well as invitations to perform at Swn Festival in Cardiff and Canadian Music Week 2012 in Toronto next March. “We’ll also be touring in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany in the New

Year, and that will be coming off the back of our shows in Canada, so there’s a really good buzz in the band right now, and we’re just eager to get out there and do it. Our new album will be out in the autumn, so these shows abroad will give us a great opportunity to gig the new songs ahead of the recording.” Describing their music

as being Rootsy Rock’n’Roll, with three part harmonies which is embellished by the horn section, they say that they absorb the

influences of the likes of Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, while drawing on fresher inspiration from such bands as Fleet Foxes and

Arcade Fire. “The Welsh music scene is very exciting right now, with lots of great new acts coming through, and we’re happy to be a part

of that. When we’re touring abroad we’ve found that people are very interested in what’s going on here in Wales, and it makes us

feel very proud to be Welsh.” PLUGGED IN

The VendettasComing from the Rhondda Valleys and self-confessed Valleys Boyos bound together

with a love of The Ramones, Guns N Roses and Thin Lizzy, these guys’ song lyrics are influenced by the good and the bad of living in the Rhondda — which leaves them raw, real and relatable to people. Their self-titled debut EP was recorded with Mike Chiplin

(drummer for LostProphets, The Unsing and Accident Music). Setting them apart is their gutsy rock and roll attitude and persistence to succeed, which adds up in music — especially when they go out and blow people away on stage. The band will be gigging anywhere that anybody will have them, hopefully across the UK if things go their way. The EP is available now to listen on their facebook page. There’s something a little bit

special here that could blossom over time. RITCHIE SAMUEL

Against Fate“The main thing that’s influenced our music over the past year is we are all sick to death of being told what music to play and we find the idea of following trends ridiculous. In the UK right now we feel there’s a lot of pressure put on people to just fit in and not think for themselves... And that’s what makes us different. We’re also fed up of being consistently fed lies by time wasters and our music is an outlet for our frustration.” With a statement like that it’s not surprising that Against Fate have created a sound that is truly their own. The aggression is portrayed by the pounding drum beats alone, and the chugging guitars and meaty vocals only further emphasise this and mold the band into a force to be reckoned with. Originally a Rhondda based band, but now residing in Chepstow and Newport, they got together when guitarists Jonny and Jordan started jamming together in 2009, later to be joined by bassist Mark. The band played shows around South Wales in 2010 before Tucker took over the vocal position, giving the band further momentum. They competed in the Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition, reaching the finals, before Lee joined the band to take over drum duties. This did not slow the band down one bit, recording a new demo/EP, filming their debut video As The Daylight Fades and playing dates supporting DevilDriver, Malefice, Collapse, Chapters, Messai, amongst others. Reflecting on the Welsh music scene they say, “It’s what we’ve grown up in and been a part of for many years now. I guess it’s important to us because it’s our roots. Being involved with any music scene you’d want to see it thrive. The bigger and better the scene, the bigger and better opportunities may arise.” And of course it’s this community that pulls together to help each other. “We are thankful to all who have supported Against Fate since we started up. From Darkside Clothing, to Vick and Wayne at the Green Rooms, to the guys and girls at Urban Circle who run Battleturf in Newport.” PLUGGED IN

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Cutting The Beef“We are all from the Rhondda Valleys and the band as it is now has been playing our acoustic funk rock mix, both gigging and recording, since early 2010. We met as friends, originally being a three piece, until Joss joined the band via Lydia and since then the line up has stuck. As a band we’ve been influenced by many different people and artists including Pixies, Kula Shaker, Gomez and Prince, while individually we have hundreds of different influences. We’re all into very different genres and we think that’s what gives us a uniqueness.” The band go on to explain how they feel about the Welsh music scene saying, “It’s extremely important to us as a band to be part of any music scene. We’re Welsh and proud, there’s no place we’d rather share our love and music. We’ve met and worked with some great bands in our time and have built our own studio with the money we’ve earned from gigging. Also as a band and friends we jam constantly, busk around different areas of South Wales and meet lots of interesting people — some of whom have helped us a great deal so far and vice versa. We’re currently in the process of sifting through songs, deciding how we’re going to approach recording an album.” Something, then, for all of us to look forward to! PLUGGED IN

We’re No HeroesDriven by improvisation and creativity, We’re No Heroes offer dramatic beats and instrumental anarchy with their brand of math-pop. With a fun and funky sound, layered with tempo changes galore and dancing guitars, this band are worth getting excited about. Tigers is an outstanding track, full of energy, soul and creativity. Instrumentally brilliant, with a groovy pop vibe, it sits somewhere between Battles and Foals, and offers so much to the listener. “We’d been in funk bands before, and we think that comes across. Our first effort, the Crossing Over EP, featured clean guitar and dancy beats without getting mixed up with chords. It seems quite minimal and simple, but that’s what we were going for, and Quiet Colours, the latest EP, is a natural progression as we’ve tried to expand on the sound and make it much fuller.” The EP’s opener Atlantic Hearts sums it up with its pumping, dancy beats and lead guitar twinging and twanging its way throughout, while Empty Beat is cool and groovy and gets the head bopping. Group singing from the three-piece acts as instrumental

infusion and you can’t help but sing along to the simple lyrical content. “Our first gig was a house party and we love that vibe.” We’re No Heroes have crafted a real mix of funk-pop and creativity to make a sound that lights up the room. They’re well worth checking out. ADAM PERKINS

Jessie JenkinsJessie Jenkins, who originates from Porth in the

Rhondda Valleys is a Rising Star who has come to the forefront because of her singer/song-writing talents.“I grew up listening to stories from my grandfather about his time in the Sixties when he was friendly

with Gordon Mills, Tom Jones’s manager, and I started singing and song-writing in local community centres

while learning to play the piano.” Not one to sit back and wait, Jessie started performing at the young

age of nine. “I was part of the Expo 2000 festival in Germany and sang in front of an audience of 10,000

people. That feeling of being in front of large crowds got me hooked.” At the age of 12 she entered four of her original songs into the Junior Eurovision Song

Contest, reaching the semi-finals. Taking every opportunity that is open to her, Jessie has entered

many singing competitions, the most successful being this year’s X-factor where she reached the final 30 in the boot camp category. “I’m currently in the running for The Voice UK, which is a new singing competition

going to be broadcasted on BBC and in the middle of writing new songs to release as a five track ep.” Jessie loves to sing country and pop songs, listening to Dolly Parton, Nina Simone and Anastacia. “When I write my own music I use the inspiration of country music, which is writing about true life experiences. From listening to my music I hope that my audience

feel that I give them a taste of my personality.” When asked about her influences she says, “Life,” then

adds, “The love of sharing my ideas and voice with others. Also the people who have taken time out of their lives, like my family and friends, and inspired

me over the years to improve my skills.” PLUGGED IN

Man Without CountryPerhaps a band that needs no introduction, but certainly a band making a stir right now is this one. You’d be mad not wonder what the fuss is all about. It’s good to hear a different noise making waves from South Wales, gathering interest from Radio 1 et al, with their electronically pulsing soundscapes that bombards you with intrigue and marvels of geniotic creativity. South Wales duo Ryan James and Tomas Greenhalf, joined by Mike Monaghan for live drums/percussion, are fully charged, with new EP King Complex released in September. A mass of shoegaze and electronics melded with melodies and hooks that fly off the wall, creating an interesting concoction of the atmospheric and the anthemic which is a joy to behold. “It feels good to have something released. It’s nice to be appreciated. When you’ve locked yourself away for so long and then people come out and support you, it’s really nice and makes you want to work hard and keep going. We’ve always had a really strong vision of what

we wanted, and we’ve been struggling to find the right person to work with so we decided we were better off doing it ourselves. You can do that these days, and there are no rules with production any more. As long as it sounds the way you want it to sound and the product is what you want.” Working with Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros/M83) on debut album Foe has no doubt offered much knowledge. The EP’s title track has keys softly floating alongside fast, dancing drums and flowing soundscapes. It’s like Sigur Ros meets Explosions In The Sky meets Muse. “Melodies and

hooks help make our songs interesting, rather than just being full-on popsongs. We like to keep an open mind to different music. It’s the beats and production that gets us.” The live show offers a whole different experience as the vibrant electronics takes over, creating a crazy, impulsive and spontaneous atmosphere. Man Without Country — put them on your map! ADAM PERKINS

High DemandHigh Demand are a fresh and exciting five-piece with tonnes of potential from Pontypridd, glued together with charm and energy within a great rock sound of raging guitars and cool melodies. Such is the buzz that they’ve already supported the likes of The Blackout, The Automatic and Attack!Attack! Learning and growing together, the quintet have developed into a fine outfit, after Phil dropped guitar to take up the sticks when he, Harrison and Pedro first started playing together. “We’ve picked up some confidence and have some stronger rhythm now. And we’re at a point where we can carry on and see where

the ride takes us.” Debut single Take Off Your Disguise was released on fledgling South Wales label Man Over Records, and the track really hits the spot like something from the book of the Foo’s or the Prophets. It’s got a cool sing-a-long chorus, great guitar solo and some harmonic keys in the breakdown which helps give them the authenticity that makes them who they are. With an EP done there is plenty to look forward to. Tracks like the fast and fearless Don’t Look Down offers some fist-pumping combat as grungy bass and drums plate up a hot-bed of action for dancing guitars and keys, whilst Harrison’s infectious vocal sound adds to the melody. High Demand are coming to the party and bringing plenty of fuel for the fun! ADAM PERKINS

Replaced By RobotsAsked to describe what influences their music, RBR say, “Life, the universe and everything! From our favourite music, films and literature, to our hopes, fears, dreams and aspirations. Some songs may have personal relevance and others may be a wild three-minute burst of music. But it’s all done with passion.” All Aberdare born and bred they have known each other for years through the local music scene. Dorian played in Clay Statues, while Wayne and Craig both played in Serotonin, and it was through this they guys became close friends. “You often forget the importance and significance of being part of a subculture or scene, but local music is and will continue to be a very big part of our lives. It can define you and your identity. We have made strong bonds and connections with people over the years based on that mutual love of music. In some ways we’re closer than family because of it. We had never made music together but have always thought about collaborating on something, and as soon as we started writing we realised it had become its own entity — it’s out of our control now. We’re trying to distil that into something that we’ve never done before. There are no boundaries but yet we want to push the boundaries we’ve had in our other bands. In some ways it’s like listening to your favourite mix tape.” Replaced By Robots was only formed in September 2011 and in the months since their birth they’ve written, recorded and produced all their own material, gone to Number 1 on the Reverbnation charts for Indie/Rock Music in Wales and are currently sitting pretty at Number 24 (as of November 24th) in the QBS Alternative Rock 40 in Doha, Qatar. “We are gaining new fans and spreading the gospel every day. Believe me, 2012 is going to be the year of the Robot.” PLUGGED IN

Mike ThomasWhen PLUGGED IN reviewed Mike Thomas’s ep Different Man for Issue 12, we knew that he was someone writing differently from his contemporaries — a talented artist with an amazing intelligence and creativity. When we finally met him he became the living proof of success over adversity. “The biggest influence on my music has ultimately been life. Being disabled and having to use a wheelchair has given me a certain perspective on the world — I’m not saying that all my songs are about disability, but my experiences have given me a sort of emotional vocabulary. I’ll hold my hands up and say that I’ve suffered with depression for pretty much all my adult life, so I try to tap into the feelings of isolation, loneliness, anger and so on that I’ve felt over the years, and talk about them in ways that everyone can relate to. Not everyone can understand what it’s like to be in a wheelchair but we’ve all felt low, we all understand love and loss, that’s just all part of the human experience. As a songwriter, I’m not really interested in trying to make statements, political or otherwise, I’m more interested in what makes people tick and trying to make them feel something when they listen.” Mike first got into music seriously when he signed up to join a group called the Rhondda Rock Orchestra which was basically an orchestra/choir that performed pop/rock songs as opposed to the usual classical stuff. “That’s where I met my writing partner Gwyn Jones, when I handed him my first lyrics at the age of 12. My first song was actually written about the Dunblaine massacre, which was a bit of a problem at gigs because no one could bring themselves to introduce a song entitled Why Do Children Have To Die, so it was always sheepishly referred to as ‘Mike’s Song’. Seventeen years later we’re still writing songs together and I honestly don’t know where I’d be now if we weren’t.” Mike writes in an eclectic range of musical styles, including Blues, Jazz, Country and Pop, with influences from people like Elton John, Billy Joel and Van Morrisson. “Basically, if the musical style and my lyrics mesh I’ll try anything. The important thing for me is whether a song feels right when it’s performed in a certain style. I’ve never really felt part of any scene. It took me nearly 17 years to record an EP and then pluck up the nerve to put it online. I don’t gig regularly and it’s been months since I last did an open mic night. A lot of that’s down to my circumstances, venues are tough to access, and a lot of people have told me that I can’t make it because I’m disabled…so I’ve never really had any backing or promoted myself as an artist, never gained any real notoriety. But that said I think being part of the Welsh Music Scene is important. We’ve got a

great musical heritage and who wouldn’t want to be lumped together with other Welsh bands and artists like The Manic Street Preachers, John Cale, et al, to be seen as part of the next wave of interesting artists?” Mike has gained airplay on BBC Radio Wales appearing on The Roy Noble Show twice. “Maybe not a show for the youth of Wales, but it was airplay!” But I think the most exciting thing that happened to me was in 2001 when I performed with Neil Finn during his Band Of Strangers Tour. I was taking part in a Prince’s Trust Rock School at The Pop Factory in Porth the same week as Neil Finn was due to play there. The day of the gig I’m outside practising and the next thing I know I’m being told that Neil’s people heard me and would like me to be part of the Band Of Strangers. It was a great experience and it taught me that I actually might have a chance of getting noticed. Saying that, I think one of the most interesting things I’ve come across is the way that the music industry seems so more concerned with image than actual music. A lot of people have told me that I’ll never make it as an artist because of my wheelchair, without hearing any of my music. How can I be judged on the way I look, how can they know that people won’t listen to me just because I’m disabled? I once played a gig with a big band in Cardiff and the two people who were the most receptive were teenagers wearing Marilyn Manson T-shirts. When I first saw them I thought they’d walk out after a few bars, but they were very receptive to my performance and really liked my music. You can never guess what kind of person might respond to a particular song or style of music based on how they look so how can you make the same call with an artist?” PLUGGED IN

The UndividedCardiff rockers The Undivided really hit the

spot with their guitar-driven rock ’n’ roll. It’s got passion, energy and a fantastic vibe.

Their fabulous rock sound is very loud, and complemented by fantastic vocals which offer

real added value as featured on new mini-album, Safety. “We’ve had to do a lot of growing and

changing to find our feet musically, and recorded the Machines EP at the end of 2010 as a stamp of our work to that point. But then we went on tour with People In Planes, and realised that we

had to get better, so we sat down and wrote a lot of new songs as a group and found a really good formula and songs that we were happy with.” Such tracks as the catchy Wasted Time offers a classy rock sound with a dancing bass, building to a great sing-a-long chorus, and You & Me, a cool, dirty-rock riff, lovely lead guitar and vocals that really hit the spot. This wouldn’t go amiss on a Feeder

record. Quite simply, The Undivided craft a wonderful rock sound that will have your head bouncing and joining in on vocals. It’s not cocky, or eccentric, it’s straight forward, passionate and loud.

Don’t panic, The Undivided are here to save us! ADAM PERKINS

Survivalists“The band are originally from all over, we have a Belfast guitarist (Will), a drummer from North Wales who grew up in Germany (Gareth), then myself (Josh) and Chris our singer are from the Valleys. One thing we had in common was a sense of isolation which comes from growing up in small villages that took us from our small towns to Cardiff. We got together by chance, Will had put an advert in the Cardiff music shops looking for band members. I had never answered one of these adds before and must have kept the number for two weeks before making the call. The four of us had never met before meeting at a rehearsal room but we have been like family ever since as artistically we just clicked.” Describing their music as alt-rock, they say they grew up on bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins so have always been attracted to the quiet/loud punk rock structure, but try to keep things interesting and add different elements to the music. “The Manic Street Preachers said it best with the line ‘Culture alienation boredom and despair’. I couldn’t relate to the Valleys and found it a boring place to live. There’s a sense of melancholy in the air, the effects of the mining strike were still very visible growing up. As a form of escapism we digested as much music, books and film as we could borrow or steal, with the teen angst of bands like Placebo something we really related to. Survivalists are carrying on that tradition of passionate angry music that has become diluted and has lost a lot of edge over the last 10 years — we’re bringing back passion to the music scene. Being part of the Cardiff music scene is a wonderful thing. The variation of music and the quality is better than anywhere else in the UK. London likes to pretend it has a great music scene but every time I go there I seem to find a lot of middle class people copying stuff we did in Wales 10 years previously and trying to pass it off as new. We still don’t see ourselves as a Welsh band, we want to be the biggest band in the UK! People don’t like to admit that any more as it goes against the punk rock code, but we want as many people as possible to hear about us. We have already recorded our first EP The Last Bastion with producer Charlie Francis (REM, Future Of The Left) which is available now from Spillers records and facebook.com/survivalists and shall be starting our first UK tour in February.” PLUGGED IN

John Lewis TrioWe may feel a million miles away from Memphis but the Billy Banks Housing Estate in Penarth has proved to be an unorthodox yet ideal location for Welsh rockabilly hero John Lewis to record his latest album. After drummer Billy Roberts became the last remaining tenant on the soon-to-be demolished housing estate, the idea of recording an album in his front room with no concern for noise complaints from neighbours was just too good to resist. Despite the desolate surroundings John Lewis and his Trio turned those four walls into a 1950s juke joint of the mind, driven by toe-tapping rockabilly, honky tonk country and good time rock’n’roll. John Lewis’ calibre is well established from his days with Welsh rockabilly legends The Rimshots, who recorded several albums and received an accolade at the British Country Music Awards for their Tribute To Hank Williams. He also fronted Johnny Bach & The Moonshine Boozers and has had endorsements from all manner of stars, including Imelda May, Van Morrison, as well a rock’n’roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis. With his versatile guitar and distinctive vocals Lewis gives his rockabilly a unique Welsh twist while always maintaining the original spirit. The album The Billy Banks Sessions is the diamond in the dirt of that old estate and proves that it’s not where you’re from that matters, but where you’re at! Visit www.therealjohnlewis.com for details and live shows info. PLUGGED IN

Eric Unseen Feel the vibe and get out those dancing shoes, because Eric Unseen’s cool pop-rock sounds will have you up and bouncing, and begging for more.Refreshed after a two-year break, and reinvented with a new sound and complete line-up change, Eric Unseen are back and firing on all cylinders, including an opening slot at the recent Merthyr Rock festival. “It’s a totally fresh start. It felt like we were the only ones left in our area who wanted to do this, and from day one there was a spark between us. We feel our previous experiences have given us a desire to make the most of this. We are all really enjoying it, and we are pushing to see what we can get out of ourselves.” Sounding fresh and vibrant, EP Meat & Razorblades is full of fun, upbeat and charismatic tunes that offer so much. The title track was a punk song from the original guise, but is now a warm, big band track with brass section. It’s got a lovely acoustic intro and then bounces in with warmth and swagger. It’s the type of track that sticks a smile on your face. Good Night Soho’s sing-a-long chorus charms alongside a wonderful riff that melds between the soft and cheerful melody of the track, and Sex In The City screams in orgasmic pleasure, as pop-charm meets creative breakdowns in a fast, fun-filled party tune. “We’re doing what’s coming natural and being true to what we enjoy, rather than aiming for a specific sound. We want to follow bands like The Smiths and The Clash, and doing something natural and writing about real stories and experiences.” Have you seen Eric yet? They will penetrate your ears and warm your soul, so get down to it. ADAM PERKINS

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It’s the second day of this year’s epic SWN festival and the streets of Cardiff are bouncing with music from live performances

coming out of every orifice imaginable. Amongst this pandemonium BBC Radio Wales presenter Adam Walton stands up in front of a small audience to announce the winner of the inaugural Welsh Music Prize. And although the artist who has been chosen to be the recipiant of this first award seems in shock about the decision as he wanders to the stage beer bottle in hand saying, “I really didn’t expect to win, so I didn’t prepare anything”, most people in the room and beyond who had paid attention to the awards understood that Gruff Rhys winning the prize was more or less a foregone conclusion since the list of 12 artists was announced three months earlier.

But don’t get me wrong here. I believe that Gruff’s third solo album Hotel Shampoo deserved the prize over the other contenders, all of which I’d recommend you to go out and explore anyway. It’s this unaware attitude that seems to sum up this maverick of a man who is listed by many famous faces, including Cerys Matthews, as being a musical influence on their lives. Gruff leaves a massive wake behind him wherever he goes, though it doesn’t even register to him that he is swimming through the water, shark infested or otherwise.

Take a step back to PLUGGED IN Issue 12 when we published our long-awaited compilation of the 50 Best Albums by Welsh Artists and you’ll find not one but six Super Furry Animals albums given a mention in the chart with two, Fuzzy Logic and Guerrilla, making the Top 10. Although the number of votes for an album placed the Stereophonics Word Get Around in the top spot, the greatest number of votes cast for any one artist went to Gruff Rhys and the Super Furry Animals, though spread across their amazing back catalogue. Choosing a definitive album to sum up this body of work is no easy task as Gruff’s writing takes on many different mantles and personas, rarely repeating a formula to tie them down to one defining style — and it was this element I wanted to talk to him about.

I was due to ring Gruff for what in the business is termed a phoner (basically an interview over the phone) and waited for my allotted time with trepidation as I knew what dealing with the man was like. You see Gruff has a very unique style of conversation, with long pauses and a very staccato way of speaking in his very North-Walian accent that makes you wonder if he is still there at the end of the phone.

I’d watched and photographed a live interview with the musician before the premiere of his film Separado at the Soundtrack Film Festival in 2009, where he had been so laid back he’d almost slipped off the shining leather seat, eyes closed and looking as if he had fallen asleep while contemplating his answers. At that time the film’s director Dylan Goch had come to the rescue and answered most of the questions before Gruff added his few carefully considered words of wisdom. So I knew that having him on the end of the phone could be a rough ride. The phone rings and I

announce myself to Gruff with the pleasant welcome reply, “How’s it going?” A good start I think.

Then we begin the conversation to discuss the way he goes about his song writing and the elements that influence it.

“Urm… Well… You can’t… discount anything as… a valid subject… for a song… if it’s part of your life… Everything is valid… I get enjoyment… writing a song… if it comes from an original thought… or it’s somehow different… to the other songs.” The sentence is peppered with long pauses and then there is a silence at the other end of the phone before a small inward laugh comes through the speaker. This signals the end of that answer and it’s time for me to continue with my questioning.

You seem to have such a diverse range of lyrics. How do you stay so original? “I get into... the gist of writing... a different kind of song... For example... on the Neon Neon album Stainless Style... it was so exciting to write... because it was... an auto biographical album... on the life... of John DeLorean. I had... a spurt of... energy... getting obsessed... with the subject... for a while... writing 10 songs... before it ended.”

Do you find yourself becoming obsessed with different subjects often? “Yes... but I suppose... I’m like anyone... in that way... It’s good... to be able... to document... that obsession... as you can then... look back... at certain songs... and albums... as definite periods... of your life... and your obsessions... at that time... coming through the songs.”

Does writing come easy? “Writing songs... is always... interesting... because sometimes... the melodies... define... the lyrics... so you end up... working a lyrical idea... into the melody... Occasionally... the opposite... happens where... you get... a lyrical idea... and set it... to music... There is also... combinations... of both... It can... be... extremely... varied... and that’s... what keeps it... interesting.”

Do you ever worry about your musical creativity drying up? “I think... that... would be fine... I feel... incredibly... fortunate... that I’ve had... the chance... to record... so many... albums... so if inspiration... dries up... then so be it... It’s not... something... that you take... for granted... but for some reason... I’ve always... been able... to write... and have... always... been enthusiastic... about writing.”

You are highly regarded by many musicians as influential on their work. What is it like to be deemed influencial? “I’ve been... influenced by... a lot of people... I wouldn’t... flatter myself... by saying... I influenced them... It’s always... a huge... compliment... in fact... the biggest compliment... of all... when people... cover... your songs... No matter... how good... or bad... they are... it’s always a compliment.”

At this point I mention the 50 Best Albums by Welsh Artist citing the large number of votes the Super Furry Animals gained. I ask him why does he believe that people find it hard to define one definite SFA album. “This... is a good... thing... for the band... as it means... that we’re not... living in the shadow... of

one... particular... record... which also... means that... when... we tour... we play... the new songs... and it seems... quite valid.”

Is that what makes your live shows so diverse? “Yeah… we’ve never... wanted... to dwell... on past tours... If we’ve had... costumes... we destroy... them... so not... to go back... and wear them... in a revival... meet up... in years... to come.”

Is that why you’ve done so many collaborations, to keep things fresh? “Collaborating... isn’t actually... something... I crave... to do or... something... I go looking for... It’s just... something that... happens... developing... often from... a drinking session... My collaborations... have always... been... with people... I know... already... or have... toured with... There is... only one... exception... and that... was El Perro Del Mar [Swedish singer]... who I approached... I was so... surprised... when she agreed... to sing... as I’m... a big fan... of her lyrics... and her songs... are quite dark...”

So what would Gruff Rhys be doing if he hadn’t made it as a musician? “I’m like... most musicians... I’d still... be... writing music... anyway... Many... of my... friends... are musicians... and although they... don’t make... a living... out of it... it doesn’t... make those... songs... any... less valid... It’s just... some fluke... that I... get... to make... a living... out of it... at this point... of time... but... you never know... I feel... incredibly... fortunate... that I... can get... my records... released... Whatever... I imagine... I would... be making... music... in any case...”

We say our goodbyes and I notice that the interview took just under 17 minutes, two minutes longer than I was prescribed — but if you account for all the pauses, I only had 8 minutes of actual interview! Still I was happy with the results.

Gruff is five years younger than me, but I feel I’ve grown up with him following the Super Furry Animals since the release of Fuzzy Logic to watching a phenominal performance of tracks from Dark Days/Light Years at the Coal Exchange two years ago. It was within the week after the interview that Gail and myself sat down in the posh confines of St David’s Hall for the Hotel Shampoo live experience. The stage was dark and subdued, and I had to push my camera to its limits to achieve an effective cover shot for the mag, but this again was part of Gruff’s personality. It’s a building block of a concert with the songs gaining momentum throughout the show, with songs like Candylion, In A House With No Mirrors, Whale Trail and Shark Infested Waters, while we were given a true cinematic experience with the graphics and films on the screen behind. Gruff becomes part of the spectical rather than fronting it in the same way he rarely refers to “I” in his interviews. He may be the main man, but he sees the show and the musical experience as more important than himself.

Out of all the musicians I’ve ever watched and interviewed, nobody has been like Gruff. He is unique but totally humbled by the success and adoration he gains. A madman or a maverick — or both? Who am I to say really.

Words & Photograph by Darren Warner

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A Brief Biog of Gruff RhysBorn in Haverfordwest in 1970, Gruff initially played drums for the band Emily before fronting Ffa Coffi Pawb and releasing three albums Clymhalio, Dalec Peilon and Hei Vidal! When the band disbanded in 1993 Gruff and drummer Dafydd Ieuan formed the basis of what was to become the Super Furry Animals. They signed to Creation Records after the company’s head Alan McGee watched one performance of them live, and soon after released their first and highly acclaimed Fuzzy Logic album in 1996. They then went on to release Radiator (1997), Guerrilla (1999) and the Welsh language album Mwng (2000), before moving over to Sony and releasing Rings Around The World (2001), Phantom Power (2003) and the commercially unsuccessful Love Kraft (2005), after which the band and label parted company.

Signing to Rough Trade, SFA bounced back with a vengeance releasing the sublime Hey Venue! (2007) followed by one of their best albums to date Dark Days/Light Years (2009). As a solo artist Gruff released his first album in 2005. Called Yr Atal Genhedlaeth it was a Welsh

language album on which Gruff played most of the instruments. When SFA signed to Rough Trade the label agreed to take on his solo work as well, releasing the captivating Candylion (2007) and the Welsh Music Prize winning Hotel Shampoo (2011). In 2007 he also released the Mercury Music Prize nominated Neon Neon collaboration with Boom Bip called Stainless Style, which featured a number of guest artists, including Fab Moretti from The Strokes, The Magic Numbers and Welsh artist Cate Le Bon. Gruff has also collaborated with a number of artists, including Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Del La Soul and Gorillaz, as well as releasing the movie Separado!

about his trip to Patagonia in search of his Welsh ancestors.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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Since the demise of The Full Ponty, it has taken a few void years of wandering in the wilderness of the Valleys before some bright spark realised that the green grass they have walked on is the perfect place for a true Welsh Rock Festival. These Valleys are the home of some of the best rock artists to have ever come out of Wales and it was time to re-ignite that passion. Merthyr Rock was born and didn’t just create a rock explosion, it blew most other festivals off the map with the amazing line up of Welsh-bred talent — including headlining home town boys The Blackout. PLUGGED IN wasn’t just there to enjoy seeing great bands play live, listen to the music and take some brilliant photos

for you, oh no — through our education section we actually produced an 8-page special edition magazine, PLUGGED IN @ Merthyr Rock, to celebrate the event. Here is a tiny taster for you...

Words by Gary Bolsom & Seanna Fatkin with additions from Carl Francis, Ian Thomas & Meirion Tovey

Photographs by Craig Thomas & Darren Warner

Merthyr Rock certainly lived up to its name and the promise of a good weekend event — even though the

weather tried to spoil it...not a chance! Revellers came from far and wide for the festival set at the heart of Merthyr in the beautiful surroundings of Cyfarthfa Castle.

Between arriving late on the Saturday and the downpour I didn’t get a chance to see everything that was on offer but what I saw was thoroughly enjoyable. One band that grabbed my attention early on was Broken Vinyl Club. I’m a sucker for that retro sound of 60s bands and these guys have it going on. The good turnout for these guys would certainly have gained them more fans after their fab performance.

Town was also one of the bands that played early on in the main stage tent, and they played a stormer of a set as the rain started creeping ever so near. It was a set full of catchy shout-out anthems which make a band instantly likeable.

Cuba Cuba were looking pretty slick and delivered a set to match, played with an excellent rhythm similar to that of Bloc Party that ensured people were up and about dancing their socks off. Tiger Please was one of the bands that I hadn’t heard before and I was most impressed. Singer Leon Stanford really impressed as a vocalist — melody meets brute force! Leon’s voice is well complimented by the band’s music. One good thing that came about with the rain pouring down heavily was that more people crammed into the tent to witness the brilliance of Tiger Please!

Straight Lines lifted the begrudgingly wet crowd with their quirky on-stage presence and even had a conga line going! If we’re singin’ in the rain then we may as well be dancin’ in it too! Friends Electric get better every time I hear them. Nobody gets bored at a Friends Electric gig with their catalogue of dancefillers that even gets the most flat footed fool to bust a groove worthy of approval. Synthetic sounds flow through the body and it’s a great sensation.

Goldie Lookin’ Chain aren’t normally my cup of tea but I had been built to such a dancing frenzy that I unashamedly enjoyed them! The boys from Cwmbran owned the stage and I was glad that I wasn’t in the carnage that ensued in the crowd...I’m getting old now but it certainly did look enjoyable! After the madness of that I had to

give the old knees a workout and decided to go for a wander. Upon doing so I encountered none other than The Blackout doing a mini-acoustic set comprising of Ambition Is Critical and Higher & Higher. It felt quite intimate up by the Radio Wales booth as not many people knew it was up there on the banking which made witnessing it all the more special.

The band up next on the main stage was the one I was most looking forward to seeing, a band I grew up with, part of the soundtrack to my teenage life. Cast had reformed and I was thankful of the chance to see them live and not miss out this time. John Power was back at the front of the stage playing songs that I’ve missed. There was a nostalgic feel in the air as I heard songs such as Walkaway, Alright and Guiding Star being performed without that feeling of ever growing old. I surprised myself singing along to every word wondering how I had remembered them. I guess your favourites will stay with you forever, even without hearing them for what seems like a lifetime.

Headliners for the night were none other than Ocean Colour Scene. Merthyr Rocks had gone Britpop crazy...and I was in heaven! The band and their music hadn’t aged a bit and I was once again back as my teenage self belting out these tunes through my Sony Walkman. The tent was bursting at the seams as everyone crammed in to be a part of the biggest sing-along that Merthyr as ever seen! Songs like The Riverboat Song and The Circle had many doing their best air guitar and miming the great Steve Craddock, also songs like Profit In Peace and The Day We Caught The Train had the crowd in fine voice — “Ohh Oh La La Laa”. What felt like the whole of Merthyr was in that tent and every one of us was enjoying ourselves and made OCS feel right at home. Singer Simon Fowler draped the Welsh flag on the stage much to the approval of the crowd, you could see by his gratitude to the audience that he held a soft spot for Wales and even looked humbled at the response of the crowd at the end of their set.

A perfect end to the Saturday night for me. I got home with ears ringing, feeling cold and wet but with a sense of utter enjoyment running through my soul. The only hitch for the day was the weather which proved a hindrance to some bands performing on the open air stage unfortunately. In Wales, when it rains it pours, and when it pours...we sing!

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Merthyr Rock – Sunday – Second StageThe artists on the second stage were handpicked by Kids In Glass Houses, providing a mixture of genres and styles of bands. First up were The Hotel Ambush who won a Battle Of The Bands competition to open this event. The band are heavily influenced by ‘screamo’ music and had a captive audience watching them, seeming to be a hit with the crowd. Crossbreaker were up next and influenced by the same style of music also had a captive audience. The screaming element was very much lessened with the next band Dead Beggers Club who had more of an indie element with more melodies and precise timing. Next on Spycatcher seemed to be a mixture of the first three bands with elements of very melodic riffs and elements of screaming. They exuded energy from every fibre of their being and attracted many of the people walking by. Definitely one to watch! Then came The Social Club who burst onto the stage with a rendition of Aerosmith’s Love In An Elevator which immediately grabbed the attention of the crowd and turned many people’s heads. If the band finds that little something extra, they will definitely be set for big things in the future. Finally, Save Your Breath bounced onto the stage. This band has been all over the music scene recently, supporting Kids In Glass Houses and New Found Glory. As they begin their very Blink 182-esque sound, they were a very captivating band to watch — and just as everyone was beginning to wander off to the Main Stage, Sean Smith appeared on stage with them to play one of their songs with them. This was apparently a surprise to the band as well, but a welcome one! Exit International brought something entirely different to the stage. With a hint of glam rock, great dance-floor fillers and a sound that is entirely their own, every head within hearing distance was turned to see who was playing. Glam rock seemed to be on the cards for the next band Jetblack. With a singer sounding like he belongs in the glam rock era, they instantly grabbed my attention. This band impressed me more than any other I had seen today (with the exception of one). With a nice mixture of heavy riffs and power ballad sounding songs, there’s something for everyone. This band is my pick of the festival and should have a fruitful future ahead of them. Finally closing this stage are Future Of The Left. Most of their songs seem to lull you into a false sense of security that the song is going to be softer than you think. This is very evident in their song Arming Eritrea, but the harsh vocals are a welcome surprise. This band are a very good act to see live and it is very evident as to why they were picked to headline the second stage. They are very different to every other band that has played on this stage today, yet they seem to have an element of each band. A very good closing act .

Merthyr Rock – Sunday – Main StageOpening the main stage were local band Go-X. I’ve seen them play numerous times and their energy on stage never ceases to amaze me. Throughout the set people continued to flood into the tent to listen. With the constant flow of lyrics and amazing harmonies that the band emitted, people were enthralled. Despite being very much unknown to most of the audience, this band really stepped up to the mark and met with the standards expected on the main stage. The Guns were up next, who I hadn’t heard from since seeing them at the Full Ponty in 2008. The band attracted a substantial crowd and sounded very melodic, but to my ears they sounded the same. They

still sound amazing live, and obviously they belong on stage, but the band could do with coming up with something different to make them stand out from the crowd. If they manage to do this, I believe they will go very far. Next up were Revoker, who were not to my taste as they sound very Slipknot-esque. However, the crowd they had attracted was vast and seemed to be appreciating the music. And musically, this band is very talented — the breakdowns in the music are amazing and even made my jaw drop. This band has found something that works and is sticking to it! The fourth band to invade the stage was My Passion who had been highly anticipated by many. The dance element in the music had the audience moving for one of the first times today, including a pit started by the lead singer. This band has something different that everyone in the crowd seemed to love. As always, My Passion were bouncing round the stage and they all gave an amazing performance. Welsh rockers Attack! Attack! were next to take to the stage. Last time they played in Wales was for Cardiff’s Big Weekend when they had been on top form. With numerous hits under their belt, the crowd was soon singing along in collective voice and it didn’t end until the set was over. Attack! Attack! are playing really well at the moment so I highly recommend going to see them sometime in the near future. Up next were Young Guns, but first the crowd was subjected to a sample of very strange introduction music. It was very clear that there was a section of the crowd which had turned up to see Young Guns and only Young Guns. For the rest of the crowd, the songs were virtually unknown and I heard someone next to me muttering that the band sound more ‘poppy’ than any other band on the bill tonight. I do agree, but the band has not released as many singles as the other bands playing so less is likely to be known from them. However, when Winter Kiss was played, there were only a handful of people not singing along or mouthing the words. When the band has more hits under their belt, people may be eating their words. Then Skindred finally arrived on the stage. Throughout the promotion of this festival the phrase, “Oh my god, Skindred for £20!” had become a staple and overheard phrase. It was evident that most who had mentioned this phrase had packed into the main stage tent to watch the Newport band play. This was the first time I had seen or heard anything by Skindred and I was completely blown away, not just by the music from this band, but from the crowd control heralding from the band’s lead singer. With a demand for mosh pits and for audience members to discard their T-shirts and wave them above their heads, every member of the crowd, whether they were a Skindred fan or not was having an immense amount of fun. Skindred’s music is very consistent, and when you think you know what’s coming next a surprise is unleashed on the crowd. The final and most surprising of all was when the beginning of Tinie Tempahs Pass Out began to blast through the speakers. A very entertaining set and my favourite band of the day! Skindred were a tough act to follow, but next up onto the stage were another of the Welsh favourites Funeral For A Friend and they were willing to give it a go. As soon as this band began, there was a much heavier sound to their music than many that had played previously. The drums throughout the set were very distinctive and the vocals were very hard throughout all the songs played by the band. The crowd’s reaction for the band was the loudest that had been heard throughout the festival today

and, predictably, were only topped by the headliners. I could barely hear the band’s vocalist over the crowd’s version of the songs. A very heart-warming response for the band. Finally, the headline band The Blackout took to the stage. The band was back from Reading and Leeds and were ready to play a festival in their own back yard. It seemed the remaining members of the crowd had very much been waiting all day for The Blackout to play, and they were not disappointed. With a mixture of songs from their new album Hope and from their previous hit albums, the crowd was singing along continuously throughout the whole of the band’s set. Halfway through the set, vocalist Sean Smith told the crowd a story about a time when they played Cyfartha Park in the past. Apparently he caused so much chaos, a member of security had told him, “You’ll never play this park again.” In response to this, Sean Smith raises his middle finger and says, “Well look where the f*** I am now!” Again, the crowd control from this band was huge, with a successful attempt at making the crowd kneel down in the mud and jump up on cue, the night had been closed very successfully and every member of the audience left happy, if not slightly more muddy than usual! The festival had been an obvious success and will hopefully be back next year with a line-up to rival that of this year.

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Arctic MonkeysMotorpoint Arena, CardiffIn 2006, one band changed the face of British indie guitar music with the release of their debut album and the hype that surrounded them could not be ignored. That band was and still is Arctic Monkeys, and it could be argued that for my generation they are the greatest band Britain has ever produced. Five years on from the initial hype, they have had four studio albums, numerous headline festival slots and are still selling out arenas, of which tonight’s performance was one. Opening up to the guitar heavy Don’t Sit Down... which saw fromtman Alex Turner add a little bit of charisma to the performance, something that he is not known for. Arctic Monkeys let their songs do the talking as they roll through numerous singles, Crying Lightning, Florescent Adolescent and I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor, and you begin to see how focused and tuned the songs actually are when you compare to other bands. These songs are lyrical poems, which ooze class and intelligence added with musicianship which you can’t help be drawn in by. There is one monkey in particular that you have to admire, and that is Matt Helders (drums), showcasing the ferociousness and savagery and speed that he can hit the skin. A View From The Afternoon and Brainstorm are perfect examples of superb drumming, but when he takes over lead vocals on Brick By Brick whilst still drumming he has to be acknowledged as one of the greatest drummers that the UK has ever produced. When The Sun Goes Down evokes the biggest crowd response of night, with a mass sing-a-long followed by the crowd going frantic. Of course there are flashy light displays on show but, they don’t distract from the performance yet don’t add anything to them either. With set closers Suck It & See and 505 confirm this, with no lights needed the focus is firmly on the songs and cements the band’s continuous rise to success — and long may this continue. Throughout the show you feel warmed by the personas who still remain down to earth, remember their Sheffield roots and haven’t let fame go to their heads completely. RITCHIE SAMUEL

The SpecialsMotorpoint Arena, CardiffCardiff saw The Specials return in 2011 and even more fans appeared to be present than in 2009! The array of ages and attire of the audience is an entertainment in its own right, and the role of these pumped-up punters is central to The Specials’ stage success! The album tracks and hit singles that gained anthemic status between 1979 and 1981 are indelibly tattooed into the memories of many fans. If lyric sheets had been given to the majority of the crowd it would not have made any difference because these people recite the words to The Specials’ songs as if they were being asked to declare their own names and addresses. Those all-important and still resonant personal and politicised messages are married to The Specials mix of musical moods, and those memorable gems are unleashed to a receptive gathering — Do Nothing, Friday Night Saturday Morning, Rat Race, Ghost Town, Nite Klub, Gangsters, Concrete Jungle, International Jet Set, Stereotyopes and more display why The Specials were (and still are) an extremely important pop act. The Specials live chop and change from a seven-piece (still minus the legendary Jerry Dammers) to a 10- and also a 13-piece. The aim to toy with the sound when possible was evident and that became crystal clear via an en masse call for racial harmony on the epic Doesn’t Make It Alright. The fine fare just keeps on coming for over 90 magical m inutes. Several characters fell over in the quest to achieve choreographic highs, but they just pick themselves up and carry on with their manic moves. One guy present recounted his teenage tales of seeing a youthful version of The Specials at (the sadly departed) Cardiff Top Rank in 1978. This chap was very sceptical of the credibility of a band 33 years on; and he did not want to damage his recollection of a golden yesteryear night (that had also witnessed The Clash and Suicide on fine form). However, as soon as the infectious rhythms of The Specials struck a chord, this man threw away his premonitions and danced and sang as if he was a born-again 17-year-old! He was not alone as The Specials sonic tonic sparked countless children of the 70s and 80s into dance action and the Welsh capital was Ska-rdiff for the evening! Nostalgia for the now — that is the skill of The Specials! ROB JONES

The Red AgeTen Feet Tall, CardiffThe Red Age are an intelligent, composed guitar band with a subtle and stylish, tuneful electronic feel. The foursome’s sound seems more akin to North America than Cardiff, although they already have a gig history in the city’s key venues such as Buffalo, (the former) CIA and Clwb, as well as being finalists in the recent Oxjam Battle of the Bands, which suggests a growing following and soon to be firm place within the Welsh capital and hopefully beyond. On this particular Thursday evening in Ten Feet Tall, a sizeable crowd had gathered despite popular rival gigs taking place just a wine fuelled hop, skip and jump away. They were an attentive audience, taking in the band’s melodic

tracks threaded with a slightly 1960s tinged, yet gently electronically spiky guitar sound, resulting in an overall musical texture not dissimilar to a Two Door Cinema Club/Band Of Horses hybrid. The band comprises Rory Lewis (bass) and Jean-Pierre Marquis (drums), but Craig Stewart and Mike O’Kane (both on vocals and guitar) are clearly the band’s front men, both in poise and literal positioning. Craig’s low-key, harmonious vocals with a Bowie-esque edge underpin the band’s style, and Mike’s evident mega-guitar-talents seem effortless yet are the star of their show. Amidst their own tracks such as the wittily titled Good God, Great Gatsby, The Red Age believably covered the independent English record label Warp’s Bibio and his track Lover’s Carvings, whilst their Myspace offers a version of Regina Spektor’s Us — their unusual selections indicating a guitar band more discerning and thoughtful than the standard. Craig’s guitar was injured mid-performance, but despite a string break, the guys played on without difficulty and handled the interruption with laughter — all part of a live show after all, which added to their likeability. The crowd certainly weren’t critical, demonstrated by stage front dancing for the finale! The Red Age are a Cardiff band to watch — I’m looking forward to their next performance, and can’t help be curious as to what quirky cover they might choose to play. Look out for their series of single releases throughout 2012. LISA DERRICK

LostProphetsSolus Bar, Cardiff UniversityTonight’s support is Newport band Town. Over the past three weeks, this band’s name seems to have been thrown around a lot on Twitter, Facebook and in conversation. Due to this, I was apprehensive about watching this band live, not because I’d heard any bad reviews about them, but the expectations were very high. With a mix of pop punk riffs and a slightly indie sound to their music, they didn’t disappoint. The energy and stage presence that oozes from the band with every movement is phenomenal and they will definitely become competition for the larger Welsh bands that are around these days. The Uni is sold out tonight for the LostProphets, with everyone wondering whether any of the band’s back catalogue will be played or whether it will all be the new album. However, the crowd was not disappointed, apart from the opening song every other track on the set list was from the past four albums and hits known to every person in the room (avid fan or not), including Town Called Hypocrisy, Rooftops, Last Train Home and Burn Burn. Even though the band still sounds as tight as ever, there is something missing from tonight’s performance. Everything sounds brilliant, but there is no interaction with the crowd which doesn’t feel right to me. All in all the music was practically perfect, the performance and execution wasn’t. SEANNA FATKIN

Sitting in the semi-darkness of Cardiff University’s Great Hall, filled with empty tables and chairs, it seems a sinister place to greet one of Wales’ and the UK’s hardest working alternative rock bands. Yet

it feels right, in that eventually one day their hard work will see them headlining this very venue. Tonight though the band are headlining next door in the slightly smaller Solus Bar, moving up from three and half years ago when the guys headlined the tiny Barfly (Issue 3) and when PLUGGED IN last formally spoke to them. Two full albums later and numerous highlights in their career, it’s time for an overdue catch up.

It seems logical to start the discussion with the latest album, The Latest Fashion, a title that pokes fun at bands just following the in thing at the moment in music. “It’s been well received,” agree both Ryan (guitar) and Mike (drums). “It’s more rock based than the last one, which a lot of people picked up on. Everyone seems to love it and we are enjoying playing it.” The guys have had a low-key summer, doing odd shows like Cardiff Big Weekend, Guilfest and Merthyr Rock. However, the band were caught up in the London riots. “We were playing there!” says Ryan. “When we finished the show no one could buy T-shirts, we had to quickly pack up our stuff, so they could board up the venue!” adds Mike. “Instead of driving back home, we drove through London to meet up with Zebrahead, who we had played with that night, at their hotel. We caught a glimpse of a few helicopters, cars on fire, but it wasn’t as bad the TV was making out, it was only a few streets that were crazy,” explained Mike.

The band has a reputation for being hard working, which can be seen as four years ago they were opening for LostProphets and now they are filling Solus Bar as headliners. The band flyer their own shows and continue to keep the hard working ethos going. “It is rewarding, being able to play such nice venues,” says Mike, but Ryan quickly adds, “We are only playing venues like this in Wales though.” Which indicates that the guys know much hard work is still needed to keep building their profile. “If you want a job done, do it yourself. On this tour we actually booked/promoted five out of the eight shows and the worst turnout has been for the three we didn’t book,” says Will. “When it’s us doing the promotion material, we know it’s getting done.” Ryan adds, “We’ve had too many bad experiences with promoters, I don’t think some understand their job role.” And both agree that UK promoters can benefit heavily from continental European ones. Pushed on whether they’d rather play the big shows or small intimate special ones, Ryan replies “The big shows!” with a huge grin plastered across his face.

One thing that does standout on the band’s CV is the inclusion of single You And Me on the Guitar Hero franchise. So what does it feel like to have potentially millions of people globally playing your songs every night? “It’s funny,” replies Ryan. “I’ll never forget the day that Neil rung me up and told me we were on the game. They were good to us and helped us out a lot by using us for a lot of promotion for the game, even taking us out to Germany for a huge gaming event to play.” However the band haven’t got a perfect 100% on the game they tel me, as they laugh at the question before leaving to get ready for their gig.

So after opening sets by Alternative Expression, 8th Time Luckie, Colours Of One, Reaper In Sicily, Dutch pop-punkers Destine and Failsafe, forever known as ‘that band from the inbetweeners’, it was time for headliners Attack! Attack! to take to the stage. Which they did with purpose and poise to show this was their home turf and they wouldn’t be overshadowed. Starting off with Neil (lead vocals/guitar) showing off his signature guitar dance and smiling like a Cheshire cat throughout the set, it seems this is the most comfortable and happy they have ever been as a band. The band roar through tracks such as No Excuses, We’re Not The Enemy and This Is A Test but allow moments to soar with Not Afraid which is played and sung like their career depends on it. Which is does, as the band realise one bad show could result in losing fans. Whilst Blood On My Hands allows the crowd to slow down and appreciate the intimacy that the band can create with their music. Tonight I can safely say that after having seen this band grow from being an opening act in small venues, this is best they have played.But it is not their peak — I reckon that is to come in the future and I bet their time will come soon.

So what does the future hold for Attack! Attack! then? Well the four down-to-earth guys from the South Wales Valleys are demo-ing songs for their third album, and this strengthened with their hard work ethos and knack for writing a good catchy song, as well as being fuelled by a strong energetic live set, you can’t help but think a bright future is theirs for the taking.

Words by Ritchie Samuel Photograph by Craig Thomas

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Kids In Glass HousesSolus Bar, Cardiff UniversityIt’s been a long time since I’ve been in the Solus Bar when it was sold out. It’s a brilliant atmosphere inside the venue with a hoard of eager teenagers gathering, some of whom have been queuing since half nine that morning. The headline band is supported by two of South Wales’ up-and-coming bands — Save Your Breath and Straight Lines. SYB are the first on stage and they bounce around it like they’ve only been allowed out for that one night and they’re going to make the most of it. With catchy melodies and a very enthusiastic sound everybody in this room has left the gig with either their new album Vices in their hands or with a very fond memory. Next up is Straight Lines, a band which has been all over the local Welsh music scene for the past few months, and if you haven’t seen them yet I would

highly recommend you do so and pronto! They’re a strong band with a very large following developing, and just great to see playing live. Kids In Glass Houses then ‘up the game’ and let loose on the audience. With the release of their new album In Gold Blood just out, some of their new tracks have their avid fans excited and apprehensive as to whether the band has changed the sound that has captivated their collective following through their back catalogue of music. The fans are not disappointed by the sound that comes from their new tracks, which are more mature and great heard live. When you think there are no surprises left, the band bring a small brass section on to the stage which adds something a little different to their music. Thankfully, the band were not there to just play their new album, they also got everybody in the room moving with well known hits from their Smart Casual and Dirt albums. When the band launches into Undercover Lover and Matters At All nearly everybody in the room is moving. The night is ended with the band playing their well known hit Give Me What I Want which has everybody leaving in high spirits and ready for the band’s midnight singing. From what I have heard this evening, the new Kids In Glass Houses album is very much one to download and listen to thoroughly over the next few months! SEANNA FATKIN

The WombatsSolus Bar, Cardiff UniversityStanding in Cardiff’s student union, which was full to the brim with an excitable indie crowd chanting ‘WOMBATS!’, Matthew Murphy hit the first note of Our Perfect Disease and the crowd erupted. With the pumped up crowd warmed up, the three-piece Liverpudlian band flew into old favourite Kill The Director. The band seemed to find a decent balance between old favourites and songs from their latest album, This Modern Glitch, which kept the crowd happy. Even though The Wombats formed in 2003 it wasn’t until 2008 that they were commercially recognised as a band to look out for. Since the first album, A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation, their sound has changed, boasting more of an electro element, but keeping the uncomplicated lyrics and supporting harmonies, making the songs easy for a crowd to chant along to, creating a brilliant atmosphere. Their change of sound is showcased in the single, Jump Into The Fog, the band’s sixth Top 40 hit. The band’s energy and ‘fun’ factor made for a good gig and as old album favourite Patricia The Stripper came to an end, lead singer Matthew Murphy announces that this is the first date of the tour and they couldn’t have picked a better week to visit Cardiff. As university Freshers’ period is kicking off the crowd is made up of largely excited new students, and other teenagers, making a crowd perfect for their song 1996, reminiscing about ‘having no cares’ and ‘knowing of no downfalls’ in the 1990s. A standout track for me was Techno Fan, the fourth single from This Modern Glitch, and in my opinion one of the best from the album. With accompanying green lasers that spun round the room, the crowd definitely hit high energy levels. Drummer, Norwegian born Tord Øverland-Knudsen asked us at the end of this track if we liked their lasers, and the screams of the crowd were enough to say that we definitely did. At this stage the gig seemed to gather a bit more steam, the band launching into Backfire At The Disco, a simple but infectious as ever song and apt for the environment. Moving To New York continued the upbeat and catchy sound that the band are recognisable for, and as the gig was coming closer to the finale, the crowd continued to gather energy, fist pumping and jumping to the beat. Before the gig I was unsure how the band would perform live, and if the songs would work amongst a crowd of thousands. While formulaic in structure, the songs boast clean cut choruses that almost beg to be chanted, and the lyrics aren’t lost amongst the screaming voices. The live performance also featured heavier bass and drums, giving the songs more drive and filling the venue as well as any other band could. After the obligatory mock-ending, the crowd left in the darkness to regain some energy, and screams of ‘encore,’ the band’s shadows could be seen coming back onto the stage. The atmosphere electric, I was expecting to hear their NME award winning 2008 best dance-floor filler, Let’s Dance To Joy Division, but instead we are greeted with the dreary opening to Anti-D, in my opinion not their best song. However, the song was received well, and filled the position of compulsory ‘swaying’ song, phone and camera lights in the air. Finally, the beginning notes of Joy Division kick in, and as if the crowd weren’t worked up enough, the venue was absolutely bouncing. It is clear why the song won an award for floor-filling, as even some of the people who had spent much of the gig quietly head-bopping towards the back of the venue came forward to dance excitedly. The song, with a fun yet strange feeling of how ‘everything is going wrong but we’re just so happy,’ captures everything the band is about: catchy songs with slightly tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and generally a fun atmosphere. The band definitely worked live, and as the closing notes ring out Matthew, his hair now a lot less bouncy, and plastered all over his face, drummer Dan drenched in sweat and Tord somehow remaining energetic as ever, wave to the crowd and leave the stage. ROSIE BARTON

SylosisCF10, CardiffAn exited crowd was already gathered and waiting impatiently when I arrived at the venue. All of us had come together to witness the combined power of four of the UK’s fastest rising Metalcore powerhouses; Chapters, Anterior, Malefice and the headliners Sylosis. When the doors finally opened the crowd piled inside the already sweltering venue and rushed to the barriers in front of the stage. Before long, London Metalcore crew Chapters stormed the stage and unleashed their blinding sonic assault on the already thrashing crowd. After Chapters came Cardiff boys Anterior, vocalist Luke Davies whipped the crowd up into a frenzy, with his roaring screams and frequent trips into the crowd. Their seven song set was made up of belting tracks like Seraph and The Silent Divide which really got the crowd going. No sooner than Anterior had finished up their set, Reading quintet Malefice took over stage in a blur of movement and sound opening their set with the ear splitting Dreams Without Courage. Lead vocalist Dale Butler cut an imposing figure constantly on the move about the stage bellowing out lyrics with the voice of a giant as the rest of the band thundered out tracks like Awaken The Tides, and adding a bludgeoning soundtrack to the swirling pit of euphoric fans. After the punishing set from Malefice fellow Reading boys and tonight’s headliners Sylosis took to the stage and immediately filled the room with the sound of The Blackest Skyline from their first album Conclusion Of An Age. The crowd barely had time to recover its energy between songs, as lead vocalist/guitarist Josh tore through the set-list letting tracks like Teras and Swallow The World mesmerise and stun the gathered crowd. Their set was rounded off by Josh inciting a wall of death in the crowd, and on the count of four we charged whilst the opening notes of closer Empyreal split the air around us. Then all too soon the night was over, and all that was left to do was grab a T-shirt from the merch stand and head home with a ringing in my ears and a smile upon my face. JAMES DUGGAN

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Friends ElectricMuni Arts Centre, PontypriddI arrived at the Muni knowing very little about each of the five bands playing, but I left with the intention of adding them all to my ever expanding music library. First up was Among Others, a fresh and exciting six-piece from Caerphilly. Although the crowd was on the small side Among Others played with enough vigour to wake up next door’s cat. As they got further into their set, more and more people drifted in through the doors and their cover of Green Day’s American Idiot was well received by the crowd who sang and danced enough to make up for the poor audience. Next on the stage was Amerette, a female fronted band who even though started off with technical problems managed to keep the crowd moving with their catchy vocals and Paramore-esque songs. Amerette’s cover of Stereophonics The Bartender & The Thief reminded me that I was in the Valleys as the Welsh lungs of the crowd emptied through the Muni and out the doors. Third to grace the stage was the insanely fun and exciting Add Mission. With songs like My Leg Feels Funny and Gravy, Add Mission were instant crowd pleasers with their energetic and brash songs. They played their instruments the way they were meant to be played — loud! Next to the stage was an acoustic set by ex Before The Escape frontman Matt Lloyd. This strange but fun set immediately got the crowd’s attention by becoming a sing-along with songs like Jessie J’s Do It Like A Dude and Tenacious D’s Tribute. Matt Lloyd did a perfect job in getting the crowd ready for Friends Electric with his masses of charm and sensuous voice. Although the support bands all had great appeal none could compare to Friends Electric. This Electro four-piece seemed to cast a spell on the crowd as everyone there appeared to find it impossible not to dance to their indie dance beats and beautiful melodic vocals. The set was excellent with Fireworks and Golden Blood definite favourites with their infectious lyrics. Overall another great night for Welsh music and some definite bands to keep your eye on. KERN BRIDGES

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Settling down for a cosy chat in a comfy terraced Valleys house on a Monday

afternoon, I find myself on the other end of a conversation with Erik Chandler, bassist for pop-punk legends Bowling For Soup with a career spanning over 15 years. Not so long ago he was sitting comfortably in the comfort of his home in North Carolina before the band embarked on their UK tour for latest and 11th studio album Fishin’ For Woos.

So with continued success is Erik surprised at the longevity of the band? “Would you believe me if I said, No?” he replies jokingly, before very humbly saying, “Seriously, I’m always surprised after we put our seal of approval on it and let it go. I’m really surprised though after 17 years and our 11th album that new people are still picking it up. It’s a very cool thing.”

Ten years ago, when this writer was about to enter puberty, BFS caught me and my friends in the upbeat catchiness of arguably their biggest hit Girls All The Bad Guys Want, and remains a sing-along track and dance floor filler in any club to this very day. So with an extensive back catalogue, does the band ever get bored? “I don’t get bored of playing them. There are songs every once in a while that people do get bored of and we’ll work out of the set, but a couple of years later be ready to play it again. It’s nice that we have enough material to be able to do that and people don’t see the same show year after year.”

In between the 10th and 11th album, Erik and Jarrett (Reddick, lead vocals) ventured on two sold-out acoustic tours in the UK. On the outset it seemed like a bold adventure, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. “Jarrett and I started doing the acoustic sets in 1987 and that’s how initially we could quit

our day jobs, and we were making more money in the three nights a week we played than our day jobs. We played these crazy four-hour long sets though. We planned the acoustic tour two years before it actually got off the ground. We did these shows in Texas and realised that people were flying all over to come and watch, so we got the idea that there was more in them.”

Being a pop-punk band is all about bringing high energy, catchy sing-a-long songs and most importantly a bucket load of fun. “The live show is just us hanging out on stage. When we started out we wanted it to be fun and happy.” Erik explains how to keep it going after 17 years of being a band. “People bring stuff to shows and signings and throw them on stage, but nothing really takes us by surprise. Jarrett got hit in the face once with a boot and another time with a bar stool. It was a really weird show because everybody was having a great time, but were throwing water bottles, shoes and other stuff at us! The first year we played main stage at Download festival someone threw an inflatable sheep at us!”

This then led the band the next year at the festival to have a giant inflatable sheep as stage prop. Seeing as Welsh people get connected to sheep quite frequently outside of Wales, the guys thought it was a great way to introduce themselves to the Welsh audience on their first Welsh appearance by remarking, “Hey you bunch of sheep f***ers, we’re a bunch of cow f***ers from Texas!” I heard Jarrett later tell the audience at Solus this story, as the Texan pop punkers bantered back and forth with the crowd. This would set the tone for the show really, a night full of humorous banter and great catchy pop-punk tunes for true heroes of the genre.

Solus Bar, Cardiff UniversityAfter meeting one of my heroes it was time to go see them live. The crowd at Solus was warming up to the surreal pop-punk-ska sound from Suburban Legends, who had an energetic synchronised dancing brass ensemble and a highly likeable front man in Vincent. The upbeat danceable beat and the bizarre yet fantastic cover of I Just Can’t Wait To Be King from Disney’s The Lion King won absolutely everybody in the room over. Bowling For Soup had a tough act to follow, but the veterans rose to the occasion. Playing through the back catalogue of hits with the teenage angst of The Bitch Song, Teen Year Crush Of Emily, Teenage Year Of 1985 and Punk Rock 101 all remain relevant to today’s youth culture with their fast-paced riffs, quirky lyrics and instant sing-along choruses. The songs sound fresh, and backs up what Erik told me as not one ounce of fun has been squeezed from them and makes them exciting to listen to today. If the on stage inclusion of a bar, with the band humorously taking a break during 1985 for a drink doesn’t showcase the fun, then you have no funny bone inside you. The grown-up single of Turbulence played somewhat acoustically goes down well, yet it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb and is instead delicately woven into the set and would have been the standout song, if set closer Girl All The Bad Guys Want wasn’t given the frenetic outing is needed to leave the night on a high. BFS have continued to capture audiences old and new, getting a huge cheer from first-timers responding to the question. The future for BFS looks to continue for some time yet, and long may it do so.

Words by Ritchie Samuel

Photograph by Seanna Fatkin

With a durge of mediocre metal bands sprawling the endless pages of the internet, it is always a delight when you hear something

that leaves you breathless and dazzled from what you have heard. Rise To Remain are this band, and I know I’ve made a huge statement here!

My explanation begins with their debut album City Of Vultures, which combines intricate and balanced metal sounds with clean crisp vocals and powerful screams. I met up with the band before a recent Cardiff gig and asked a few things I needed to know, like how is the album being received? “We are stoked and excited with the reactions, because when you release your first album to the world, you don’t know what the reaction will be,” says Joe (bass). “It is nice to see people physically buying our album in this day and age, and showing their support.”

The guys released the album through EMI, who they are full of support for and have a good working relationship with. “They never stifled any creativity and have just been very supportive of our own thing,” adds Will. Although to their surprise and confusion, a delighted Austin, the band’s front man, tells me, “We have a top record in India!”

The guys were currently a week through a huge UK tour, showing the desire to get out there to play and showcase their stuff. “It’s really cool to mix the shows up with our new album in the set, and seeing the kids who come out every night,” says Austin on the subject.

The band has toured with firm PLUGGED IN favourites Funeral For A Friend, so did they learn anything from the scene’s veterans? “Hell yeah,” is the instant response from Austin. “We learned a lot about stage presence, playing, we caught them exchanging licks with Ben (guitarist) too,” Will adds.

On the March 2011 tour, where other favourites Tiger Please supported, it was evident that the banter on the tour shows the guys’ fun loving side, as on stage antics with a non-pg rating were discussed. The guys had a hectic year playing Download festival, Hevvy festival, Sonisphere and European festivals adding in touring Australia earlier in the year too. “This time last year, we hadn’t played outside the UK! It’s down to hard work and it is tiring but that’s how we like it! It’s our dream,” adds Austin. The guys noted their further busy schedule of more European shows, more UK shows and even dates in the US.

What do they think sets them apart from other bands? “Practice, and thought. We revisit and rethink out songs all the time, so they are unique,” says Austin. Ben’s father is a orchestral conductor, which the guys acknowledge as being a positive thing in their music, “We like to construct and compose songs instead of just jamming them out,” says

Will. This is a main part to their success in my opinion and why the songs are so much better than anything else out there.

The guys have been riding a buzz wave from the media recently, so do they feel the pressure? It’s at this point that Austin shies away as Will acknowledges the band’s connections they have had since day one. Austin is son of Iron Maiden’s front man Bruce Dickinson, which is something that I have tried to avoid in this interview, as the two are totally different yet brilliant front men in their own right.

“We’ve got to prove to people that we are not a make believe band, which we are not, we’re just four kids from London,” says Will. “I love it when bands talk sh*t, it’s just because we are better than them and has nothing to do with Iron Maiden,” chips in Austin. “A lot of bands think that playing those sh*t pubs and shows is working for them, to some extent it is, but you have to play them well and write good songs,” adds Will. “Through my dad’s name, I could book a 3,000 capacity venue, but what’s the point, no one would turn up and we’d be a sh*t band,” remarks Austin. This final conclusion just adds to the grounded determination that drives them forward.

So does the band live, exceed the high standard the album sets them? I was about to find out as I made my way to Clwb Ifor Bach to see them play. After a hard, snappy and highly energetic set from their buddies The Starting Fire, followed by Bleed From Within who nearly incited a riot in the venue with the audience crashing onto the stage with all the energy flowing around their metal core noise, that made bodies sweat from dancing and drained the voices of the audience who sang along.

This was a high level of support that the Rise To Remain boys had to follow. The guys took to the stage performing with the ferocity of a lion in a hunt, giving everything they had to the audience. Technically superb playing made every riff and lick heard to the superb timing of the drumming. Yet whilst your ears were being treated to the sound, your eyes were firmly locked upon Austin, despite the small stage to manoeuvre he commanded your attention by getting sweaty amongst the thick of the crowd and climbing whatever he could find around him. Despite his vocals hurting, he told us all, “I’ve never cancelled a show in my life, and I wasn’t starting today Cardiff!” Which just backs up the band’s determination and drive that he spoke of hours earlier. Firm headliners in a packed downstairs Clwb, a venue in which I’d be surprised they play ever again — such is the rise of Rise To Remain. Metal bands raise your standards or you’ll be chasing the shadows of these boys.

Words by Ritchie Samuel Photograph by Seanna Fatkin

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Sarah Blasko is a name that may not be familiar in these parts of the world, but a name that I implore yourselves to become more

familiar with. I jumped at the chance of seeing her at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff and also posed a few questions to her before the gig, which at the time had me squealing like an obsessed little girl at a JLS concert!

Coming all the way from the other side of the world Sydney, Australia, meant Sarah was a long way from home, but I hope she felt a part of it was right here with her in (Old) South Wales. Clwb Ifor Bach’s audience certainly gave her a warm reception, as if she was one of our own. I didn’t know, though, that she’d been here before. “I’ve been to and played in Cardiff before, at the end of last year I believe.” Now busy writing for her next album, she told me, “I’m in the thick of it at the moment. I had a month or so earlier in the year and hope to have the album written by the end of September and to start recording early next year.” I suggested taking a writing holiday in the stunning Welsh countryside would compliment her beautiful writing style, to which she replied, “I may try that then considering your recommendation!” Oh, if only she knew how happy that made me feel!

This current UK tour was a chance for Sarah to promote her current album As Day Follows Night, which has taken a year to be released over these shores since its original release in Oz. After querying why such a long delay she ensured me we wouldn’t have to wait that long again for her follow up. “Hopefully not too long. I’d love to have a new album out midway next year.” Good!

Many of the songs that Sarah performed through the night were taken from her recent album which is filled with emotion, creativity, stunning vocals and perfect song craftsmanship, which is a rare find these days. Sarah’s performance encapsulated everything that makes the album an excellent listen. Her voice haunting and echoing around the Clwb had every audience member entranced with its beauty — and for all we knew there could have been widespread panic outside in the streets of Cardiff, but we were all content at marvelling at the voice before us.

It’s hard to pinpoint the special moments in the gig because it was pretty special overall, from the soothing Night And Day to the unique simplicity of We Won’t Run, and the waltzing madness yet relaxing Down On Love, to the insecure beauty of All I Want. All showing the creativity that has made Sarah a household name in her native Australia.

As Day Follows Night was Sarah’s first chance at writing an album solely on her own, after parting ways with Robert Cranny who had input with her previous albums. I asked her how this had an impact on making this album and dealing with the creative control that was solely in her hands. “I’ve always felt that I had creative freedom, but it is a different approach when you work on an album on your own. You go much deeper into yourself which can be very difficult sometimes. It can be very liberating to go into a bit of a fantasy world but it can also be lonely. I do feel like As Day Follows Night was special because it was the first album I wrote entirely on my own, that’s why I dedicated it to my mother. In a sense I felt it was my truly first record.”

At the time of writing ADFN, Sarah’s creativity was flowing in torrents so she decided to dip her toes into the Shakespearian world and composed a score for a stage production of Hamlet! “It was actually quite a satisfying way to do it, because the work I did on Hamlet was like a nice research project. The play was very inspiring and so I felt that it fuelled much of my album writing.”

The madness of Sarah’s hard work ethic doesn’t stop there and she has recently recorded and performed with two fellow Australian musician’s Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby under the pseudonym Seeker Lover Keeper. “We got together because we like each other’s music, so one night we all got together after a gig and started talking about the idea of working together. From there we sent each other songs via email and decided to make a really simple acoustic record with loads of harmonies. The response has been wonderful so far, so I hope we’ll do it again some time for sure.”

There are no ends to Sarah’s talents and her live shows are a marvel to be a part of. So I urge, implore and demand that you take 45 minutes out of your time and give As Day Follows Night a listen and be prepared to take another 45 minutes out as you will certainly want to immediately start it all over again. That being said, I would also expect to see you at the next Sarah Blasko gig in Wales!

Words by Gary Bolsom Photograph by Darren Warner

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Man Without CountryClwb Ifor Bach, CardiffTonight’s SWN show saw the hotly tipped Man Without Country launch their King Complex EP, copies of which sadly weren’t available due to the events a week before in London causing problems. However, that didn’t spoil the show, opened tonight by Cuba Cuba. It was the first opportunity for me to see them since our Issue 12 interview, and I was looking forward to hearing the new material. Playing almost entirely from their new album, with a tight set and their blend of indie, dance, pop and rock, I realised their music has come on leaps and bounds from their debut mini-album. The songs sound so much heavier and have been pumped up to give it that live edge you just can’t get on record, their professionalism has just crept into every aspect of this band, making them a must-see live act. So could headliners Man Without Country live up to the hype surrounding them? A categorical yes! Extremely tight in their heavy electronic music, reminiscent of InnerPartySystem but more dark and moody with an added cutting edge which makes very good listening. Their tightness showed not just musically in juggling the various samples, beats and chords needed to create a backing track but also in a very tight visual show which has to be seen to be appreciated fully. No crowd interaction until after set completion, but it was not needed as simply the presence the guys have overwhelmed the place. MWC have the best of heavy electronica mixed with the best catchy rhythms of dance music, which fits comfortably in a rock venue as well as that of a dance nightclub. Congratulations SWN, two excellent Welsh bands which need to be seen by everyone reading this fine publication. RITCHIE SAMUEL

Deaf HavanaMuni Arts Centre, PontypriddFirst support for the evening was Straight Lines, and it had been a few years since I’ve seen them live and from what I could recall I had really enjoyed them. It seems to me that in those few years a lot has changed, not only did I enjoy them but I really fell in love with them! Everything was there, from the catchy guitar and the chorus that gets stuck in your head for weeks after a gig, to the voice that you want to keep listening too because it’s that good! Next up were The First , a really good live band with an amazingly varied set that went through nearly every genre you could think of, which for an unsigned band was seriously impressive. The songs had a really punchy pop punk beat and a really strong bass line that made you want to jump around, so if you go to a show, wear your comfy shoes because they will have you up dancing for their entire set. Getting the main support for a Deaf Havana show is no walk in the park, so expectations were really running high for Not Advised, and they delivered! They performed a really energetic set and smashed out some great songs with catchy guitar and amazing drumming which kept the beats really bouncy. Everything was rounded off by a singer that had a really melodic voice and worked hard to keep everything note perfect — I really enjoyed them. The last time I saw Deaf Havana play they had a screamer of a set, so this time I was anxious to see whether they were still as impressive. And they were, they really pulled it out of the bag! Every member of the band put their own mark on the performance and gave it their all during the entire set. I loved the fact that the bass played such a prominent part in the songs. The guitar was really punchy and gave the starting point for some catchy songs that get stuck in your head. The set was filled with intricate solos and melodic breakdowns. The vocals were beautiful, but when you sound like Johnny Craig I guess that’s pretty much a given! I really enjoyed the performance, they were well worth the trip to the gig, and I feel they’re a great band to look up to. CHARLIEE WILLIAMS

Michael Jackson ForeverMillennium Stadium, CardiffOn Saturday, 8th October 2011, Michael Jackson’s music was brought back to life with a tribute concert using some of his best and most memorable songs. Many famous chart topping artists came to honour him by singing their favourite Michael Jackson songs and some even tried out doing a few of his best-loved dance routines such as the Moonwalk. The show featured images of the star on the screens behind the acts as they were singing or dancing to his timeless songs. Artists such as Ne-Yo and Alexandra Burke graced the stage and belted out their favourite MJ tunes and showed their own take on his dance routines. Every artist had their own special memory of him and all said that he was an inspirational character. The Jackson Brothers and Latoya Jackson came out of retirement to pay tribute to their brother. Michael’s nephews also did a special performance in their group 3 T’s. There to announce Beyonce, who appeared via video link as she couldn’t make it, were Michael’s three children, Prince-Michael, Paris and Blanket – each wearing some of Michael’s most iconic outfits. After a struggle to sell tickets in the months leading up to the concert the Stadium was almost full, with the floor level packed with dancing fans. The concert lasted four hours, and although this was around twice the length of a normal concert I didn’t want it to end. This once in a lifetime concert was a great tribute to the entertainment legend that was Michael Jackson. HANNAH DAVIES

Words by Ritchie Samuel

Photographs by Les Davies @ Clixx Photography

& Darren Warner

CARDIFF BIG WEEKEND

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DAY ONEOn a beautiful, sunny evening with a gentle, cool breeze flowing through the air I made my way to the first evening of a three-day event in Cardiff, located at the perfect setting outside the City Hall. Kicking off proceedings were, Death Before Sunrise with their brand of upbeat post-hardcore which had licks and influences from tonight’s headliners throughout. Then came Cardiff indie band, OK, whose sound stood out from the rock on offer, with their contagious nod-along upbeat melodies, similar to those of The Wombats, perfectly complementing the beaming sunshine. Returning to the festival for a second year, were firm favourites Attack! Attack! dipping heavily into their most recent album, The Latest Fashion, alongside singles from their debut album. Despite some technical difficulties in their set they showed a heavier side to their music, inciting a huge pit and a feared wall of death. With the crowd pleased, it was the turn of headliners Funeral For A Friend — to play their first Cardiff show since Darran Smith’s departure. Ultimately at any FFAF show you’re going to be a bit gutted because they are always going to miss out at least one of your favourite tracks, and tonight they skipped most of the third album and the entire fourth album. Newer material such as Sixteen and Front Row Seats To The End Of The World bring back the early day screaming with a much heavier and frenzied sound. The highlights came from the first two albums, with Juneau, Red Is The New Black and Streetcar. Roses For The Dead and History clench at your heart and tears form in your eyes, with the raw emotion that they still contain whilst being sung live. It was set closer Escape Artists Never Die that just acts as a reminder that FFAF are still here, alive and kicking, doing things their way — and that they will always come through the other side and defy the odds.

DAY TWOKicking off into the afternoon, with the sun still shinning bright, was Zong Zing Allstars who brought the feel-good factor to Cardiff with some Central African Cavacha music — giving their sound a perfect carnival feeling, with bongos being played and some fun dancing lessons being taught to the family audience. Now sadly for next act Dom Duff, the great Welsh rain decided to absolutely pour down leaving the audience scrambling for shelter and umbrellas. The Frenchman did his best, learning some Welsh for the show, with his Gaelic Celtic Folk music to try and win over the dwindling crowd, those who braved the elements were very appreciative of his performance. By the time Jazz Jamaica hit the stage, the sun was back out and the crowds come swarming back. With a thumping cello bass line propelling the performance for their blend of Ska and Jazz, they got older members of the audience skanking to the music, with their unique version of John Barry’s James Bond theme tune and bringing Reggae legend Myrna Hague to the stage, as well as including a wonderful cover of My Boy Lollipop. Mixing it up even more was jazz singer, Hayley Scarlett whose vocal style is reminiscent to that of Amy Winehouse on her Frank album. With powerful and soothing vocals in her performance throughout, she’s worth keeping an eye on for the future. A last-minute addition were Dub Asante, who brought more reggae vibes. Drawing inspiration from The Specials at times, the crowd two-stepped in the sunshine for some fun times, to the mellowed out sounds hitting the ear drums. Vintage Trouble cranked up the pace, with some 50s style rock and roll and some 70s guitar influences shinning through. Coming with a recommendation from Jools Holland, their buoyant, chirpy and funky tunes got the crowd going. The charismatic and commanding front man, whose soulful James Brown style voice firmly kept the audience with the band all the way. Overall

a surprising and delightful find that are a must-see. Tonight’s headliner was Gabrielle who brought a hit-laden set to Big Weekend. With over 20 years of being an artist, the Hackney Soul/R&B diva delivered the songs effortlessly — and you can’t help but admire her down to earth feeling that she emits when interacting with the crowd. Belting out hits such as Sunshine, Rise and Out Of Reach with the crowd smiling and singing back it was a great gig. But it was to be Dreams that provided the moment of the night, with a mash-up of Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car just before the final verse when the night’s fireworks went off to make a good evening of music simply magical.

DAY THREEThe sun only popped out for PLUGGED IN favourite Ffred Jones, playing his unique folk rock and drawing a big crowd towards the end of his set. With a full band allowing his creativity to flow through, he even brought on a Cardiff MC to show that his music is diverse. His style and delivery reminds me of Ed Sheeran, with all the songs flowing and beautifully played, it was a travesty that his set wasn’t longer or in a more prestigious slot. Edei wasn’t so lucky with the weather as the weekend’s worst downpour hit her set for six. Her songs fused some funk, soul and pop and she could potentially be someone the UK will be hearing more from. Even with the crowd dispersed those who braved the horrendous downfall were happy with what they heard. Lacking no confidence what-so-ever was next artist King Charles, whose arrogant and cocky attitude might give Liam Gallagher a run for his money. This indie king influenced both visually and musically by Adam Ant had a good melody to his songs although the random guitar solos did grind at times. Another set of PLUGGED IN firm favourites were up next — Friends Electric played a mesmerising set despite the poor weather, with their tight and edgy electronic music that you just can’t help dancing too. Single Fireworks is just a highlight of what they can do and shows their skills off so well, with a good catchy chorus that builds up through tremendous twinkling verses. Bigger things are to come of this band — you can just feel the excitement pour through with the potential and heights they can smash. Next up were Brit-pop era throwbacks, the reformed Dodgy — a band you can’t remember the name of, but silently soundtrack a few bits of their songs which have got stuck in your head. Although the rain was holding off, smash hit Staying Out For The Summer did brighten up faces but not the weather. Other hit single If It’s Good Enough For You did exactly the same, and as a retro treat is good fun but you can see how much music has progressed since Brit-pop for the better. Nerina Pallot however can sure write lyrically interesting songs that have hard tackling issues or emotions at the centre. Her folk pop blend to which they are composed is even more of a pleasure to listen to, as her vocals soared high and mighty to it all. Whilst her hit single Everybody’s Gone To War was played early in set to capture people in, it worked as songs such as Turn Me On Again and All Bets Are Off just leave you wanting more. Tonight’s headliners The Feeling kicked off in dramatic fashion with energy and composure in their indie pop style that had everyone dancing and singing along. Playing all the hits off their two albums, including Never Be Lonely, I Thought It Was Over and Fill My Little World Right Up, it was breakthrough single Sewn that left your hair stand on end. The enthusiasm the guys gave, showed they can perform at the highest level. They poured their hearts into the performance, which certainly gave it the wow factor and justifiably the performance of the weekend. Ending with a rocking cover of the Beastie Boys’ You’ve Gotta Fight For Your Right it was a fitting accompaniment to another firework display that left everybody very satisfied.

The Fall/The NightingalesCardiff UniversityOn paper this was a decidedly mouth-watering prospect, with the legendary Fall being supported by seminal post-punk combo The Nightingales and cult-comedian Ted Chippington. However, what had appeared to be a huge coup for the SWN organisers turned into something of a travesty. As a long-time admirer of Ted Chippington, indeed I saw him supporting The Nightingales at a classic gig at the then Poly of Wales in Treforest, back in 1988, I found it uncomfortable to watch him struggling before a largely unappreciative audience. Whilst there was an amusing enough routine about the cost and quality of the decking in his back garden (it was funnier than it sounds) the performance smacked of poor preparation and a dearth of new material. Next up were the ’Gales, fronted by the mean, moody and magnificent Robert Lloyd, a key figure in the history of punk/post-punk — Lloyd’s original band, The Prefects, had been part of The Clash’s White Riot Tour. Criminally overlooked by the mainstream media, he remains one of the greatest lyricists rock music has produced and I reckon good enough to be bracketed alongside the likes of Ray Davies, Morrissey, Elvis Costello and Mark E Smith. Lloyd was in a bellicose mood throughout, prowling the stage, occasionally berating the crowd for their lack of order, as the band played an uncompromising set of songs from their new Lost The Plot ep, and their as yet untitled, forthcoming album. Though the set was well received, and bands obviously have to “road test” new material, I was disappointed that Lloyd neglected to play any of the classics from his peerless back catalogue. Highlights of an intense show were therefore few and far between, but a scorching version of the brutal Born Again In Birmingham (“his mother was all Iceland and British Legion Prize Bingo”) and a gloriously vituperative cover of I Didn’t Know I Loved You Till I Saw You Rock And Roll were certainly memorable. The Fall, it goes without saying, are a British Institution and the phlegmatic Mark E Smith something of a National Treasure. However, their set turned into a farce. After 30 minutes of solid, if not spectacular, material including Nate, Cosmos 7 and Strychnine, the idiosyncratic Smith strolled off, jacket draped over shoulder, never to return. The band soldiered on for another four numbers, with keyboard player Eleni (Mrs Smith) picking up the vocals on a passable version of Bury Pts 1 & 3, before the crowd began to drift away. Ted Chippington’s unscheduled appearance at this point was always likely to provoke an already restless crowd and the resultant barracking was easily predictable. Of course, anybody parting with their hard-earned cash to watch The Fall knows that it could all end in disaster at any moment. Ultimately, though it may be a case of “buyers beware”, there is simply no excuse for punters being short-changed in a way that bordered on highway robbery! KEVIN McGRATH

Madina LakeGreat Hall, Cardiff UniversityFirst up tonight is the Super Happy Funk Club, with a mainstream sound very much in keeping with modern and new music. This band is very technically apt and, despite a few glitches, delivers a very good performance. However, each song is very much the same as the last and they do not manage to captivate many people’s attention throughout the entire set. Then My Passion begin their set and proceed to bounce around the stage with the same exuberance they seem to ooze at each and every one of their performances. With hit songs being performed such as Day Of The Bees and The Mess We Made Of Our Lives, lead singer Lawrence immediately has the majority of the crowd singing and dancing along with them. It is safe to say I didn’t start out liking My Passion, but they and their songs are growing on me with every performance I see. Next the headliners take to the stage. Madina Lake are on tour to promote their new album World War III, and even though the venue is not filled to capacity and not everyone has heard the new album, it’s evident that Madina Lake has a huge UK following. In between their new songs, they play hits such as House Of Cards, Never Take Us Alive and Here I Stand from their first two albums. Throughout the set, the Leone twins continue to move around the stage constantly, with lead singer Nathan even leaping into the crowd into his sea of fans. The band plays as if it is their first night on tour and seem to enjoy every minute of it. After the show, they greet fans outside, pose for pictures and even got to fetch a couple of lucky fans guitar picks they’ve eagerly asked for. How nice this American foursome seem to be! SEANNA FATKIN

TurbowolfClwb Ifor Bach, CardiffOpening the stage tonight was one of UK’s hardcore scenes brightest prospects in The James Cleaver Quintet — you might recognise their faces skateboarding in a Lucozade advert covering a Feeder track. On stage, they roar through songs with aggression and intense focus with a powerful delivery at a break-neck pace. There’s a lot of buzz around these guys and it’s not hard to see why, the dynamism of the guys getting up close and personal with the audience leaves a mark of intensity. The JCQ are ones firmly to keep an eye on for the future. Hawk Eyes however fail to hit the heights set by their predecessors, keeping audience interaction at a notch just above non-existent while focusing on the songs they have to offer. They deliver post-hardcore, jaw-slamming riffs which are infused with a dash of metal. They had more energy than a power plant on stage, even grabbing the mic stands and playing some songs in the crowd, so musically they kept you in awe, but the lack of audience interaction kept a lingering awkwardness. Bristolians Turbowolf then took to the stage and produced raw, edgy and high speed rock and roll. Slice up influences of The Doors, early Pink Floyd, Super Furry Animals and tie them together with some pyschedelic genre ribbon and you can only just have started to begin to imagine what these guys sound like. Keeping it up-tempo and potent at all times, with gruff high pitched vocals it’s a winning formula to keep you entertained. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but it’s a retro rock fuelled engine that is undeniably going to suck you in for the ride. You can start to question if the band will be at the forefront of magazines and go on to bigger things, but you can’t deny that Turbowolf are not enjoyable and enthusiastic in what they do, and most importantly loving every moment of being on that stage. RITCHIE SAMUEL

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Cardiff’s 2011 city hopping festival Swn was even bigger this year. Instead of legging it from electronica band to acoustic artist to folk singer for three days, in 2011 the event allowed gig-goers to do so for four. Whilst upping the chances of needing rehab, it offered an entire extra day to choose from a plethora of hand picked acts. For those not in the know, Swn means ‘sound’ in Welsh, and the fest is organised by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and Cardiff-based super promoter John Rostron. Using only city centre venues to host its events, it is easy-peasy for customers to navigate. Instructions: buy a wristband for the whole weekend; choose the acts you want to see; wear your wristband to get into any venue. There’s even an iPhone app to help plan your schedule, and you get to sleep in your own bed at night — or hotel if you’re visiting — with no tents or toilet cubicles in sight! Out of over 150 acts on offer, I saw 18 and here I’ll highlight my top eight. I only wish I could relive it a few times over, changing my gig combo each time!

Alt-JAlt-J’s friendly frontman Joe Newman (we chatted post-gig) has chameleon-like vocals he uses to change styles and pace regularly, his sound quirky, engaging, scratchy, like a Paolo Nutini/Thom Yorke hybrid who can sing to send a shiver down your spine, yet deliver hip-hop sounding tracks with ease. I cannot pin a genre onto this Leeds-born band, their sound outside a single definition. Theirs is a complex mix of quick heart-poundy jumpy tripping beats, folky sounding harmonies, beautiful guitars, xylophone, percussion and bass — tracks which simultaneously made me want to cry and dance at this magical Swn performance. Oh, and their track Tessellate makes triangles sound seductive — surely a stand-out skill worth mentioning.

Among BrothersSlowly building layers of instruments combine to create captivating, enrapturing soundscapes which are the Among Brothers’ signature sound. All five members of the Cardiff band crammed onto the tiny stage in Undertone for their Swn gig, whilst the anticipative audience mirrored them with shoulder to shoulder positioning, beautiful music enveloping the tiny, packed space. Their sound is emotive, dreamy, dancey. It has depth you can lose yourself in, and I certainly got lost in this performance.

CymbalsThe London-based purveyors of spiky, jagged, lo-fi dance-making music were a fantastic surprise, their great recordings translating into a stunning live performance in the intimate venue space in Dempseys. The guys tested out their Welsh on the audience and when Sean, the super shy bassist, confessed to being lost for words, he received lots of supportive banter from the crowd. To summarise: bendigedig (wonderful)!

Herman DuneThe French John Peel-approved anti-folk band presented the audience with sometimes dance-inducing, sometimes beautiful heart-rending harmonies, with romantic titles such as My Home Is Nowhere Without You and I Wish That I Could See You Soon, all delivered via lead singer and guitarist David-Ivar Herman Dune’s slightly odd, are-they-or-aren’t-they-off-key tones. Theirs is happy-making music, and in spite of the fact David-Ivar happened to

wear the tightest jeans I have ever witnessed on a male, this was a happy-making gig.

Joshua CaoleThis man is Wales’ answer to Ryan Adams, but with a gentler, more mournful sound. Hailing from The Forest of Dean, but now Cardiff based, his brooding brand of bluegrass details love, loss and wisdom beyond his youthful years, delivered with feeling and gorgeous guitar playing. Josh’s Ten Feet Tall Swn gig was particularly eventful, as he suffered several mishaps, including a stage stepping trouser split and a nastily cut finger. He still played beautifully and bantered with the crowd, continuing to drink beer, despite visibly paling — very rock and roll! If you’re a fan of Americana, I recommend catching Mr Caole live, and have a future song title suggestion for him…Blood On The Guitar Strings?

Niki & The DoveMy friends and I just about made it into the Trinity Street O’Neills venue, the one in one out entry policy working in our favour minutes before the Swedish duo began, releasing us from the queue into the packed to capacity room. We filled the only apparent gap in the crowd, which was right at the front, resulting in me standing so close to Gustav Karlof I could have reached out and touched him were I a stalker type fan. Thankfully for us both I am not, and I concentrated instead on the other worldliness of Niki & The Dove’s sound and presence. Malin Dahlstrom was a smiling vision of big hair, strong make-up, facial glitter and shoulder pads, her male partner in music looking rather more serious and slick. They have quirkiness in spades, their music an assemblage of stacks of synth, changey beats, pulsating electronic sounds and enchanting vocals which combine to be instantly winning whilst complex.

Al LewisI walked into the downstairs space of Clwb Ifor Bach mid-Al Lewis’ set to be instantly blown away by the beautiful melodic music being played with the accompaniment of Al’s band. His stuff is low key and subtle, emotive and touching without being sentimental, a mix of English and Welsh language acoustic folk. The hushed crowd who had gathered for the performance obviously shared my love of his music and whether already familiar with Al or an instant fan like me, the atmosphere was electric, everyone mesmerised by the allure of the North Walian born musician’s stunning sound.

David DonderoTo listen to David Dondero’s songs is to be entertained, and his live performance offers even more fun. The American folk singer who has recently joined Conor Oberst’s Team Love label, weaves amusing tales of people and places, delivered via his deadpan style, dry sense of humour, and melodic, sometimes pretty, sometimes rugged guitar playing. Examples of his tracks include Not Everyone Loves Your Doggie Like You Do and Please Hand Me Over To The Undertaker. He’s not all about comedy however, he also belongs to the traditional school of Americana with songs about heartbreak — not surprising then US’ National Public Radio declared him one of the greatest living songwriters. This was one of the most fun Swn gigs I saw, due to Dondero’s connection with the Ten Feet Tall audience — and amusing anecdotes aside, he makes amazing Americana.

My Top 8 Picksby Lisa Derrick

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KATY BCardiff UniversityThe gig started with a DJ set from Monki, mixing up all the tunes that seem to have influenced Katy’s music in a seemless set. Next on stage was P Money who fused together his own grime rhymes from his upbringing in London with the backing beats to the current sound of the London scene, dubstep. Although not igniting the crowd, you can’t ignore the potential with his unique delivery, heavy dubstep beats that make your knees bend like elastic, an image as cool, sleek and stylish as an Aston Martin sports car, and lyrics as witty as they are cutting. Another talent, whom I’m sure we’ll see getting some mainstream airwaves and video, plays soon. Tonight however was all about Katy B, the dubstep-pop beauty graduate from the BRIT school and on a mission to change pop music — which has brought her to the Welsh capital. Opening to hit single Broken Record which set the tone for what would be a dance filled evening with its upbeat broken beats and Katy’s voice soaring like an eagle on top of it. Katy is easy on the eye, so to speak, but she doesn’t let this become a distraction from her music, which is an absolute credit in a society where sex sells. With an impressive stage set-up that links two tiers together and a video wall, the scale and imagination is impressive if under utilised tonight. Showcasing tracks from her debut album Katy On A Mission, the music has a jerky and distorted bassline that shimmers with a pop gloss finish which makes her music move your feet. The dubstep pioneered track Perfect Stranger by Magnetic Man lets you dance with poise and get the feeling of elation as it slows up and down the scale. Why You Always Here? brings the Ibiza chillout feel to the venue before single Witches Brew allows the energy to be cranked up and the crowd to throw the shapes out. Every song Katy B sings has more energy packed inside than a child on dip-dabs, as she moves effortlessly around the stage. By the time set closer Lights On is played you get the sense the party isn’t going to stop for the night’s crowd, this is what Katy B is all about — fun, energy, impulsive dancing and, most importantly, great catchy pop songs. RITCHIE SAMUEL

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Photograph of Katy B

by Seanna Fatkin

Drain The LakeTreorchy FestivalI first saw Drain The Lake in June at Sweatbox and I was impressed by their performance and ability, for such a new band they showed a lot of flair and showmanship. However at Treorchy Festival they really came into their own, and gave a truly professional performance. Each song showed more ability than the last. The guitar riffs were really energetic, as was the guitarist who jumped into the crowd and started to pit whilst still hitting every note perfectly. The drums were punchy and far beyond what I first expected from such a young drummer. The bass lines were really steady and I was shocked to see the bassist just carry on after snapping a string, to me that showed a real sense of ability and good musician. At the forefront of the band was an utterly effortless vocalist, with lyrics that really fitted the songs and vocals that hit you right in the chest. Drain The Lake are a must-see, must-listen-to band for those into Bring Me The Horizon and Gallows. CHARLIEE WILLIAMS

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Marie Curie Charity GigThe Office, SwanseaWhat could be better than raising money for a brilliant charity and enjoying a good gig with awesome bands? Event organiser, Kelly Tremlett made excellent an choice when asking NinePlanFailed to be the support act for headliners The Insiderz. The evening started off being fairly quiet but with enough people there to keep the bar busy. Bass guitarist and backing vocalist Neil Grant from The Insiderz said the place was like, “Spit and saw dust without the sawdust.” NinePlanFailed took to the stage with one of their tracks, Mad World, which aroused the bar into a head nodding frenzy, with all in agreement of how impressive the band are live. Then came The Insiderz, a Swansea Blues Rock band who were formed in the 70s and are still going strong today. The bar soon filled up with many different sorts of people, from young to old, who were all up on their feet dancing to a medley of well-known classics, such as All Right Now by Free, 1000 Miles by The Pretenders, I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Cheifs and many other classics like my personal favourite Summer Of 69 by Bryan Adams. Although the night started off quietly and didn’t give NinePlanFailed the lively audience they rightly deserved, it turned out to be a brilliant night and The Insiderz definitely showed Swansea that we have talent. CRISTINA SHUKER

Evan DandoThe Globe, CardiffEvan Dando has always been on the periphery of my musical interests. As a 1990s grunge devotee, The Lemonheads was a band name I couldn’t fail to notice, yet somehow I didn’t delve into their discography, only being familiar with their most well known material such as the 1992 album It’s A Shame About Ray and their hugely successful cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s Mrs Robinson, released from the same record. And I had never even touched upon Dando’s non-Lemonhead solo stuff. So I eagerly anticipated the evening when I’d get to see the Boston-born musical icon in the flesh, and finally have a taste of his music in the lovely setting of The Globe’s original, faded theatre-style furnishings still intact pre the August closure and refurb. The promise of a special night was implicit. Audience members gathered expectantly that warm Wednesday were of a certain age, indicative of fans old enough to have followed Dando since his musical birth in the late 1980s. A hush fell as Evan appeared on stage, his head bowed, hair in his eyes, fingers fiddling with guitar leads, but this slightly uncomfortable start was relieved as he began playing. His voice was beautiful — tender with gravelly undercurrents, melancholy and mesmerising. His music did not disappoint. Sparse and simple, pared back from the band sound of his recordings, emotive and heartbreaky. But as one track ended, another began instantly. There were scarcely any words from Dando to the crowd, no banter, no eye contact, no warmth. It was a bit weird. He seemed a bit sad. His set finished and he seemingly could not wait to depart the stage, returning for the obligatory encore without enthusiasm. The audience were a bit bolshy by now, being noisy and no doubt adding to his maudlin mood, but despite my usual no talking tack, I couldn’t blame them. People had paid to watch him perform and he seemed rude — although I must admit to feeling torn, as though I ought to give a consolatory cwtch rather than criticism. Evan Dando, depressed or dour, who knows? His Cardiff gig ended with the same whimper it began, and two things were proven: sometimes promises (of a special night) are broken; and sometimes a build-up is better than reality. I will buy his records, but won’t watch him live again. LISA DERRICK

Jam With RobinaCardiff Central LibraryOne early afternoon I found myself in the unusual surroundings of the fifth floor of Cardiff Library, with panoramic views of the city and surrounded by books, and the perfect place to listen to the semi-acoustic folk art of PLUGGED IN favourites Jam With Robina. Drawing heavily from new album Dark Recollections, and joined by guitarists Ryan and Rory, Mark and Ro set about bringing their songs to life. The delicate riff work on both guitars and bass from Ryan, Rory and Mark allows Ro to be a free spirit and let his vocals to soar like an eagle. The re-worked I Am The Man with a bass line breathes new life into the old song, but it’s the new material such as Norse-legend inspired Sons Of Odin, which combines frantic beat-box slapping guitars with fast paced riffs, that takes my breath away. Spirit Of The Fire with fast strumming sees the guys going down a more dance vibe direction, but Silhouettes, Imaginary Space Club and The Dammed all retain the dark prog-folk vibe that I have come to love about this band. As the sun shone throughout the entirety of the performance, my face couldn’t resist having a smile put on it. JWR as a four-piece — and I had reservations before going to see them — just falls into place like pieces in a jigsaw. They have grown musically and lyrically as a band and are a wonder to behold. It would be a criminal offence not to go and watch these guys entice you into a trance. RITCHIE SAMUEL

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Three PhantomsWales Millennium Centre, CardiffFirstly I am willing to admit that I am not a huge lover of musicals at all, the idea of someone breaking into song mid-conversation just seems completely implausible. Yet I’m a huge Sci-Fi fan, which means I should really give musicals another chance before I dismiss them completely. So the production of Three Phantoms was in the iconic venue of the WMC, somewhere I’ve always wanted to see a music themed event. This was a night for celebration for music from the musicals, and in particular Phantom Of The Opera by three of the West End’s most talented stars. Two former phantoms, Matthew Camelle and Earl Carpenter, and current phantom Wales’s very own John Owen-Jones took to the stage alongside Rebecca Caine, who played Christine in the musical alongside Michael Crawford. The stage banter between the three phantoms was very amusing, so you warmed to them as individuals and as much as Earl tried to come out on top, it was hero John who lapped up the applause from the audience like a cat to milk. Singing songs from some of the most famous musicals, like Les Miserables (that had some of the audience sobbing, including the young girl next to me), Beauty & The Beast and We Will Rock You, all showcased Earl and Matthew’s hidden talents as a drummer and pianist respectively, whereas John let his fantastic voice hold the audience in the palm of his hand. Conductor Anthony Gabriele, who led the concert philharmonic orchestra throughout so not a single note was misplaced, has to be commended as the work put in by him was tremendous and listening intently to the music you could hear each section of the orchestra respond to his every command. Rebecca showcased her diverse vocal talents as both a lead musical performer and an opera singer that really had your hairs standing on end. All three of the guys exhibited their amazing vocal abilities to hit the high note and hold it for you to hear — you just had to be impressed. My knowledge of musicals is limited I have to admit, but Three Phantoms had me engaged for the entire performance. This was a perfect night and introduction into the glitzy and glamorous world of musicals, almost dipping your toe in so to speak ,which will no doubt see me take the plunge sooner rather than later. A showcase of talent and music all performed in front of your eyes that any fan of music can sit down and enjoy. RITCHIE SAMUEL

Only Men AloudParc & Dare Theatre, TreorchyI found it weird not walking into a hot, sweating pub with sticky floors when going to see a gig but Only Men Aloud like to do their concerts in style. The Parc & Dare isn’t a very big theatre but it was sold out quickly. This was Only Men Aloud’s final concert in their summer tour — a tour which visited the areas of their roots, and along with singing their hearts out all over Wales they also helped local Charities, what lovely men! To start the night off, conductor Tim Rhys-Evans, wearing a surprisingly purple pair of shoes, introduced the opening act — a local group called Ten Of Us, a sing-for-life choir with members who all have a link to cancer, whether it be themselves or a relative. Dressed in black and red attire, they sang Higher & Higher by Jackie Wilson and Lean On Me by Bill Withers. They were later followed by Mark Llewelyn Evans, who he told us was starring in the new Sherlock Holmes film and was the brother of the Go Compare man — trust me, they didn’t look alike at all! He sung a medley of tracks from musicals Oklahoma and Civil War. To be fair, he had an amazing voice but his voice was too big for the small theatre. Then, we were greeted by the beautiful voices of the beautiful Welsh Men we were waiting for from off stage. They began singing a trio of Welsh hymns, which was the general idea of the first half of the concert. They then got the crowd laughing with their idea of a maritime theme, which they did on the show Last Choir Standing that brought them to fame — What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor? and Rocking The Boat. After a small interval, the second half saw a change shoes from Tim who came on in a silver sparkly pair. The Men began with their classic cover of Rain On My Parade which got the crowd clapping along with them. The excitement continued with their version of Cocoa Cobana and in proper Welsh style a Tom Jones medley of It’s Not Unusual, Green Green Grass Of Home and Delilah. They then performed a long list of songs from well-known musicals. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s famous track Hushaby Mountain relaxed the crowd from the earlier excitement. Then along came a well-choreographed Rhythm Of Life from Sweet Charity and the theme to Band Of Brothers, which is their new album. Next they sang Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffany’s and God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. Tim then introduced their ‘mash-up’ of Rule The World by Take That, Viva La Vida by Coldplay and Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears. There was a roar from the crowd as they all stood for an encore, which got the Men singing Don’t Stop Believing by Journey. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the show — even though I felt a little under-dressed in my jeans! I have to give it to the Men, they made me proud to be Welsh and I would definitely see them again because they are vocal geniuses and are actually really good dancers. CRISTINA SHUKER

KT TunstallTheatr Brycheiniog, BreconIt seems very strange that an established artist such as KT Tunstall is playing somewhere right in the heart of the Welsh countryside. However, the venue is very much right for the audience and the gig that is being played here this evening. Kicking off the show tonight on the first night of KT Tunstall’s solo UK tour, is singer/songwriter Rozi Plain. As the singer sashays onto the stage, the only word that springs to mind is eccentric and, honestly, I do not hold high hopes for this artist. But then she opens her mouth and begins to sing. Admittedly the songs very often don’t make sense and she doesn’t seem to be creating much of an atmosphere, but her voice is very captivating and it’s very hard to take your eyes off her. Rozi Plain’s guitar does overpower her voice, but whilst watching this artist you have to look past the clunky guitar and the weird dress sense and just listen to the sound that is being emitted by her mouth. Then her performance is breathtaking. The second support act is Sam Lewis, and as this singer begins to play it is obvious why he has been chosen to support KT Tunstall on this tour. Throughout the whole of the set, there is a very country sounding element that really compliments the voice of the singer. However, after listening to one song, it is kind of easy to work out how the rest of the set is going to sound. Finally KT Tunstall herself bursts onto the stage with a big welcome spoken in the Welsh language. She eases the audience in with a few funny stories and creates more atmosphere in five minutes than there has been all evening. As soon as this amazing singer begins her first song, it is already evident that this performer is in a higher league than that of the other two acts this evening. Throughout the set, KT Tunstall uses a loop pedal to high effect making her songs sound unique during the entire duration of her performance. Performing on her own with no other musicians, it is very pleasing to see KT switch between very different sounding guitars and a piano. At one point, she even adds a kazoo into the mix by playing Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. Finally, with a finale of her hit song Suddenly I See, she has the entire crowd on their feet and dancing (difficult to do in an entirely seated venue). I would highly recommend going to see this woman, you will thoroughly enjoy her set and performance. SEANNA FATKIN

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Only Boys AloudParc & Dare Theatre, Treorchy

Since its creation in April 2010 Only Boys Aloud has become a phenomenon that has grown from strength to strength, surpassing everybody’s expectations for a choir of novices and young hopefuls. Launched by Tim Rhys Evans, the musical director for the internationally renowned and Last Choir Standing supremos Only Men Aloud, it set out to encourage young men aged between 14 to 19 to get involved and invigorate

the traditional choir within the South Wales Valleys through arrangements with popular and modern music. The task was immense, with the first concert of the then non-existent choir to be performed later that year in July — live on television at the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale. At the time Tim spoke about his reasons for the project saying, “This is the heartland of the Welsh male choir — I’m just very passionate about sharing that with as many people as possible. The Valleys are a fantastic place, but with the closure of the coal mining

industry and everything we need some aspiration — we need to get a positive attitude going. I’m not saying that with everyone singing all of a sudden the world is a lovely place, but just doing something really positive like singing is really beneficial for the greater community.”

The OBA regional choirs were mentored by members of Only Men Aloud over a jam-packed couple of months to get them ready for their debut performance as a 150-strong choir made up from all the regional groups. They made such an impact on that July evening that the choir received three standing ovations - and the happy smiling young men understood the true power of the song. Over a year has passed and the boys have performed in front of 15,000 people at the Millennium Stadium for the launch of the Ryder Cup, BBC Proms in the Park

as well as a supporting role to Only Men Aloud’s extravagant Christmas Concert at the recently renamed Motorpoint Arena (formally Cardiff International Arena). A year on and the boys celebrated their first birthday by packing out the Parc & Dare Theatre in Treorchy for a show of incredible talent and amazing song, mixing traditional and modern songs together — like Calon Lan and Sosban Fach alongside Madness’

It Must Be Love and CeeLo Green’s Forget You. The night was a breath of fresh air breathed out through the Rhondda Valley and a true testament to the abilities of people working together. Of course it doesn’t stop there. This December the boys once more take to the stage with their mentors Only Men Aloud for the now traditional Christmas celebration, Welsh Style, while they have also been recording vocals

to be included on the new Only Men Aloud album. DARREN WARNER

Snoop DoggMotorpoint Arena, Cardiff

Snoop Dogg, the Californian Long Beach rap legend, and his gangly limbs emerged on stage at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena — back with a ton of crowd pleasing hits to perform to the thousands in attendance. The self-proclaimed ‘Doggfather of rap’, seemingly unaware of the Michael Jackson tribute concert happening on the same night, arrived in Cardiff for the first time since 2005 to pepper the set with a catalogue of hits including Signs, Beautiful and Jump Around. The instantly recognisable sound that once heard is never forgotten attracting a sizeable crowd; those fans who love the man that helped enrage their parents nearly 20 years ago are now old enough to influence a new generation of hip-hop artists. Fans who arrived at 6pm for doors were treated by Radio 1xtra’s Mistajam, Airplane Boys and Yasmin, and the legend’s main support act was UK rapper Chipmunk, who kicked off proceedings in style with hits such as Diamond Rings and Champion and had the Welsh crowd in the palm of his hand. But it was the legendary wire-thin solo performer who we had all come to see. As Snoop made his way to the stage, he was accompanied by filmed skits and interludes from the 1993 classic. The showman that is Snoop was met with deafening screams from both young and old fans who have watched the hip-hop hero grow over the past few decades. The album Doggumentary, Snoop Dogg’s most recent, was only represented by new track Wet. This is because every tour is a greatest hits tour, with the ‘Doggfather’ knowing only too well what the crowd expects — and the crowd got with Gin & Juice, What’s My Name, Drop It Like It’s Hot, Next Episode and House Of Pain. With over four hours of Westside entertainment and after leaving the stage for a short while, the Long Beach gangsta rapper returned to the stage donning a Welsh rugby jersey which looked really cool. However, it was the floor filling David Guetta hit Sweat that initiated a fist pumping frenzy around the arena. Hopefully the hip-hop star can grace Cardiff much sooner than the six years hip-hop fans endured from 2005 to 2011. STEVE MEADEN

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Photograph of Snoop Dogg by Craig Thomas

King BluesMuni Arts Centre, Pontypridd

Opening up a gig is never easy but Exit International did a fairly good job of whetting everyone’s appetites. Their blend of rock, which can only be described as an eclectic mix of bands such as the 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Sharks and modern punk bands such as The Computers, moved along quickly and, if anything, the set felt too short — such was the enjoyment that oozed from the band into the crowd like some kind of poison gas. The vocals ranged and digressed from the attitude of punk to a less in-your-face version of screamo. The third song, especially, showed the vocal styles at their best as the two frontmen (who both wield bass guitars) interchanged the vocal duties while the drummer worked tirelessly away behind. The fourth song was the highlight of the set. It was a spazzy amalgamation of fast-paced punk laden with a riff hard not to nod along to and a bass-line that ground away until the song pared down and the bass-line was all that remains in its dirty, rhythmical way. Their album, which is released soon, should be an interesting listen. Attack! Attack! have been on the circuit for some time now and it showed, as many people in the crowd were banging their heads along to their songs and singing along, too. Their music was accessible and well-structured but had an underlying atmosphere that threatened to explode into a much more aggressive sound than that which they play. The third song was a highlight — after a sleepy start, it burst into life, with the guitar laying down a riff that allowed a solid bass-line to filter through and the drums to nail the whole sound with a tight, muscular beat. The last song ended their set on an impressive note – it was played with passion and was a good song to end on as it stayed in your head long after it had finished. Politically charged and full of attitude, the King Blues came to the stage with the crowd ready and waiting for a show that lived up to the expectation laid down by the support bands. It’s little wonder that the King Blues have been given so much press, as this was a gig that showed their class and love for the music they play. The whole set got the crowd jumping, dancing and singing. The band themselves didn’t stop moving throughout and frontman, Jonny ‘Itch’ Fox, showed why he’s become something of an icon amongst the anarchic youth, with his style of spitting out the lyrics as if the world has done him some injustice. The guitarists and bassist also grabbed the attention with their constant dancing and interaction with the crowd, as if they didn’t want to be outdone by their frontman. Set The World On Fire, a favourite with the crowd, initiated a skanking moshpit and pogo-ing galore. Nearly everyone was singing along and the band responded to the intensity of the crowd with as much appreciation as they could muster by doing what they do best: creating a great live atmosphere and playing impressionable, angry music. I Want You, with its bitty guitar riff, pounding bass and well-played drums, showed the band at their bombastic best — and it was a welcome addition to the rest of the set, which was full of distaste for politics and disgust at the country’s higher powers. Headbutt was another crowd-pleaser and the song flowed effortlessly. The spoken word of Five Bottles Of Shampoo was a special moment to witness. Itch made the crowd listen, in his inimitable way, and his anger seeped on to everyone. It was an outstanding performance, one that will stay in the memory for a long time. RHYS MILSOM

New Found GlorySolus Bar, Cardiff

This evening the American headliners are supported by two up-and-coming bands from different parts of the UK. First up is Newport band Save Your Breath, who seem to be all over the music scene at the moment and definitely proving why they deserve to be supporting bands like New Found Glory. The energy that comes from the entire band will knock you off your feet. They are very much up for the challenge of supporting well known bands and they will win over many fans in the process. Second up on the bill is a band originating from Ireland, called Fight Like Apes. This band would deserve a main support slot to a similar sounding band, but tonight they seem out of place. With the lead singer’s eccentric and unique dress sense, and music as individual as the singer’s style, it’s not to the taste of many but it is captivating and interesting. Finally, New Found Glory bounce onto the stage. Despite this band being around for 12 years, the majority of the audience are under the age of 25. With an extensive back catalogue of albums and hit singles everyone is on edge as to what the band are going to sing. They kick off with Something I Call Personality and Don’t Let Her Pull You Down. Throughout the set, classics are entwined well with newer songs, including hit single My Friend’s Over You and Sixpence None The Richer cover Kiss Me. A great night with everyone leaving happy. SEANNA FATKIN

Tinie TempahMotorpoint Arena, Cardiff

In-between his birthday celebrations and embarking on a UK wide tour, Tine Tempah still managed to find time to create a spine-tingling feeling of anticipation in the packed crowd. This feeling was only added to by support acts Red Light and J-Cole who did a fantastic job in preparing the crowd for the man himself. Tine Tempah exploded onto the stage, his enthusiasm was instantly reflected in the crowd’s response as there was not a single person in the venue standing still. His dedicated fans sang and rapped along to every word as Tine belted out the hits such as Frisky and Pass Out, the songs his fans had queued for hours to hear. Suddenly, the music stopped, only for a video link with the Swedish House Mafia, after speaking to the crowd the party started all over again. The whole evening was a huge surprise, especially when Tine began to sing about moshpits, making the crowd start to form their own —a rarity in rap music! We went to the Motorpoint Arena that night as casual listeners, but it is safe to say we’re now genuine fans of Tine Tempah! ESTHER BLAIR & ALEXANDRE GRIFFITHS

Will YoungSt David’s Hall, CardiffAfter being suitably warmed-up by support acts Jodie Marie, who had a really beautiful voice, and boy band Lawson, who were surprisingly good entertainment, Will Young and his band entered the stage through a door that had been positioned in the centre, before taking their respective places and removing their outdoor coats. An unusual entrance it certainly was, but it was classic quirky Will! The set-list for the evening was a combination of old and new tracks and the balance worked really well, with his new dancier sound fitting in perfectly next to his classic pop hits — Light My Fire, Evergreen, Who Am I?, Personal Thunder, You And I, Outsider, I Just Want A Lover...and so much more. The audience lapped it up and Will really appreciated that we’d all turned up to see him. I love the fact that Will talks to the audience and shares a few jokes — he’s really funny! At one point he told us that he was getting a Welsh puppy the next day, and someone shouted out “You can have my puppies Will!” To which he responded, “Er, thanks, I’ll get back to you on that!” He is absolutely fantastic, performs energetically, sings beautifully and actually seems to enjoy being there! I would definitely recommend that you go see him if you have the chance. DAWN NORMAN

Twin AtlanticCF10, CardiffKicking off their biggest ever UK headline tour in Cardiff, Twin Atlantic played to a packed and hot venue — playing an hour and a quarter set, which Sam (vocals) told the crowd was the longest they’ve ever played to anybody. In Sam McTrusty Twin Atlantic have such a unique vocal sound, with a husky yet soothing Glaswegian voice, you are instantly enchanted by it taking you further into the already rich, vibrant and poignant rock riffs and hooks that seize your hearing and lock you in for an adventure. Songs like Free, Edit Me and Make A Beast Of Myself showcase the knack for writing a good elevating rock song with no gimmicks that other bands seem to employ in modern British music, and You’re Turning Into John Wayne just adds class to tonight’s proceedings. Whilst the lights employed pulsate at the right time with precession, it sure gives you the feeling that this band shall be moving on to bigger venues across the UK. Twin Atlantic thoroughly deserve their success — yes there are going to be Biffy Clyro comparisons, but that’s not because they are of the same nationality, it’s because they can really blow you away with their performances. If you like any guitar-based music, then this band must not be sniffed at. RITCHIE SAMUEL

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Reaper In SicilyThe Globe, CardiffOn a cold November evening, down in Cardiff, queues began to build up waiting for Reaper in Sicily’s EP launch. In true star style, they were late opening the doors — but that didn’t put the crowd off one bit. Finally getting into the upstairs venue, I was impressed at how quickly it filled up. The night kicked off with a selection of well chosen support acts, beginning with Falling With Style, a melodic hardcore young band, then a four-piece alterative rock band, The Red Room Therapy from The Cynon Valleys, followed by Western-Super-Mare’s very own Show It Off, who were a surprisingly happy band, and last but not least Colours Of One from Bridgend. Finally, it was Reaper’s time to shine. The venue was packed and the crowd waited in anticipation as Reaper’s members, Mike Evans, Jonny Chappell, Richard Boggis and Matthew Jenkins, pulled off a dramatic stage entrance with Rhys Bernardo arriving late, without any shoes, as per usual. The crowd roared with excitement as the guitars ripped through the speakers. Kicking off their set with their usual intro to warm the crowd up, this was then followed by Sinking Ships and We Are The Show, which must be one of their most popular if the singing of the crowd was anything to go by! This was then followed by one of their new songs Tiger Blood, which impressed not only me but the whole crowd. World’s End was up next, then the oddly named The Pen Is Blue and finishing on Save The Cheerleader. Unfortunately, they cut the set sort because of the time, much to the disappointment of the crowd, but I don’t think that will stop any fans coming back to another gig. This band is a crowd pleaser and they are awesome live, with no disappointments. CRISTINA SHUKER

Ed SheeranCardiff UniversityIt’s a testament to Ed Sheeran that this venue of 1,500 is sold out months ago, considering it was originally scheduled for the much smaller Millennium Music Hall. The ginger singer/songwriter with his blend of folk, acoustic and hip-hop has captured the attention and hearts of millions across the UK. First however, was local lass from Pontypridd and PLUGGED IN sweetheart Amy Wadge. Taking to the stage, equipped with just her voice and an acoustic guitar to showcase her folk melodies, she was greeted with a warm reception — as well as every time she sang with her soulful, heartfelt lyrics, sounding at times like a stream flowing downstream: peaceful and beautiful. In between songs, Amy told stories of her and Ed, and you sensed that tonight’s atmosphere was going to be very intimate when he arrived on stage. Abandoman then followed in a chalk and cheese fashion, bringing an unpredictable comedic element to the night. They instantly joked about being Ireland’s fifth best hip-hop collective — of which there are only seven — showing that they were the yin to Amy’s yang. The unpredictability shown by the guys ranged from free styling to taking random objects from the crowd and pulling up audience members to rap about elements of their life. The guys are comedic intelligence at its best, innovative and captivating whilst doing so. Ed Sheeran took came on stage to a deafening scream from the hoards of female fans and I’m sure a few male ones too! Equipped with his weapons of choice, his signature guitar with paw logo and a network of loop pedals, it was time for battle. Watching Ed build up the backing track that you hear on record, with a mixture of beat boxing and guitar strums, in front of your eyes leaves you amazed at how much effort he puts into recreating the sound live. If you aren’t taken back by his talent when you listen to his creative, thoughtful and intelligent lyrics then you have a heart made of stone. Seeing him live adds and extra dimension to the music, which at times took this gig veteran’s hairs and made them stand on end. Lego House shows Ed’s ability to mix up lyrics of strong emotional content with a strong, yet peaceful vocal delivery but showcases his ability to rap as fast as a super fast sports car on a racetrack. Kiss Me which Ed explained, was written for a relative’s wedding, is one of the most perfect love songs ever and drew a tear to my eye. Whilst The A Team drew a huge crowd reaction, as you’d expect it to, especially as it was enhanced by a contribution from rapper Mikill Pane. But it was to be Amy Wadge’s reappearance to the stage to sing Gold Rush, which they co-wrote together, would be the collaboration that made this performance unique and special as they complemented each other like salt and pepper. Closing on an extended version of I Don’t Need You... which lasted 10 minutes as Ed brought together all the different elements that make him an outstanding talent, in total he played a whopping 1 hour 40 minutes on stage. Tonight was intimate and yet exploded in places that just indicates that the rise of Ed Sheeran is not going to stop anytime soon. RITCHIE SAMUEL

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As soon as I shook hands with the members of Shy and the Fight in Cardiff’s Ten Feet Tall back in August, the guys confessed to being rubbish at interviews, and

invited me to conduct ours in the bar’s outdoor smoking area. Cigarettes in hand, the seven strong band circled me on the paving stones of Church Street, and asked me not to print everything I heard that evening. I found my usual interview-y nerves quickly subsiding with their banter and light hearted self-deprecation. “That’s why we’re in a band, so we don’t have to talk,” they grinned, telling the unprintable tales. I promised to keep some secrets — at least until they’re famous and I can sell the stories to The Sun!

Shy and the Fight consists of original members Tom Hyndman (vocals, guitar, banjo), Carrie Anderson (violin, tuned percussion, melodica), Chris Done (bass, vocals, banjo), Jackson Almond (keyboards, live electronics and lap steel) Michael Deponeo, known as Depo (guitar, vocals, banjo), and Tom Wootton (drums, percussion)…as well as the later drafted in Sam Williams to stand in for repeated wrist breaking drummer Tom W! The idea of having both Sam and Tom W simultaneously drumming on stage has now been realised.

I asked the obvious question first, one I imagine most who encounter the band will wonder. What’s the story behind their name? The guys had decided amongst themselves to answer a question each in turn, but this one was batted back to Tom H — as the band’s main vocalist and founder, he seemed the natural spokesperson. He told me it was representative of emotional opposites, feeling shy in contrast to fighting, and an analogy for his song writing style which allows him to say things he wouldn’t otherwise. One of his lyrics sums this up: “There is more truth in what I sing than what I speak.”

I read the lyrics for one of their tracks, Imploding Man, which are a mix of surrealism and personal experience — ‘…as the street filled with blood/and all of my friends were all sporting fangs/and at first I was scared but then I just smiled and put on my coat/thought finally something to leave the house for…’ — and asked whether this was typical of their song writing, and what the process behind it involved. I also wondered if the location which inspired the lyrics could be revealed? The band told me Tom H, Depo and Chris tend to initiate the words, tune or both, and then everyone contributes collaboratively to the song during practice. As mentioned earlier when the band name was discussed, their song lyrics convey ideas which would be difficult in verbal conversation, and this particular track is about life in Chester and Tom H’s feelings as many of his friends left the city to “do better things.” “I never write political songs,” Tom H told me. “People need to be clever enough to know how, but songs don’t have to be political to be powerful.” I asked what the music scene is like in Chester and North Wales. “Dry,” was the response. “Some really good bands come out of Chester but haven’t come out of Chester.” And Shy And The Fight too don’t plan to leave just yet. They feel they may be lost in the masses within a place such as London and would prefer to grab attention whilst travelling to bigger cities and keep a local name and following.

A claim to fame the band hold is being featured on a banned advert for the clothing company Jack Wills. One of their tracks was put forward for the advert by a synching agency, and in turn, selected for use — but a complaint from the Daily Mail about the ad’s content led to its withdrawal and meant their connection with the brand was short lived. “Not quite our style anyway, and we definitely don’t wear the clothes,” added Tom H. More fitting boosts to the band’s profile have included playing at 2010’s Stop Making Sense Festival in Croatia, and plenty of airplay from BBC Radio Wales’ Adam Walton, and more recently, BBC Radio 1’s Jen Long.

So what’s next for Shy And The Fight, I wondered? “Having fun!” was the reply, as most members were off for their annual band holiday, this time in Newquay. “Playing lots of festivals,” was a more long-term plan, and, “To play lots of places we’ve never appeared live before.” Finally, I asked whether the guys wanted to add anything else to my write up. Chris was keen. “The rum in Ten Feet Tall is great,” he stated enthusiastically. “Especially The Havana Special!”

This punctuated the interview perfectly, and summarises the fun, warm and friendly attitude of Shy And The Fight. They aren’t all about banter, however, as their thoughtful song writing and instrumental talent conveys. The gig which followed further demonstrated a band with a genuine love for their music and one another. They smiled and chatted to the audience and each other throughout the set, playing an engaging mix of both gentle and lively folk pop, sometimes ethereal and dreamy, sometimes dance evoking, always with a full, instrument-rich sound and a happy-making feel. Shy And The Fight are a lovely band to talk to, listen to and watch live. I imagine they’re a great band to drink Havana Specials with too.

You can listen to Shy and the Fight via their myspace, or bandcamp. Their single All That We See Or Seem will be released by label Popty Ping in January 2012.

Words by Lisa Derrick Photograph by Pippa Bennett

The SweatboxParc & Dare Theatre,TreorchyJuly’s Sweatbox had four low-key Welsh bands performing for an audience of 16+: Say When, Alternative Expression, Magden Audio and the headliners Tiger Please. As the first band, Say When, began to warm up the audience gathered around the fence in front of the stage to get a good view of the stage. The lights dimmed down and the band introduced themselves before performing their first song, We’ll Crash & Burn, which was very upbeat and easy to listen to. Next up was Leave, which I thought had a great tempo and was sung emotionally by the lead singer. They connected with the audience during the third song when they asked if anyone had an ex partner they no longer liked as this song was dedicated to them. Called All The Lights We See, it again was a very upbeat track with strong vocals and I think my personal favourite, as the audience and I knew the meaning behind the lyrics. Their fourth song was called I Won’t Forget which was another upbeat number and the band amused the audience when they stood in a line and head banged in time to the beat. I thought Say When was a very lively band and would definitely be interested in seeing them live again. Next, Alternative Expression took to the stage ploughing straight into their first song Nine & Ten, which was rather metal-like and brought a really good atmosphere to the gig. They then played Look At Me, which

had a much stronger beat. Their third song, Take Them Down, was slightly disappointing as I couldn’t hear the vocals very well as the music was extremely loud, though it was very upbeat music and they had good composition and timing. Overall I found the band very interesting and I’m pretty sure I’ll be hearing more from them in the near future. Next up were Magden Audio who proved to be very popular with the audience. In fact, so popular, I couldn’t hear any of the song titles that were given as the audience were cheering so loudly and the lead singer seemed to be quite quiet. But I still thought they were a great band with great lyrics, strong vocals and a very good tempo with all of their songs. I found it a shame that I couldn’t find out any of the song names as when I asked around, the audience agreed that they couldn’t quite hear what the titles were either! Headliners Tiger Please were another crowd pleaser. As they took to the stage, the audience went wild and were clearly excited to hear their music. Their song Being Human had great vocals which were very strong and I could hear the interesting lyrics very clearly. Again, I couldn’t catch all of the song titles thanks to the audience being so crazy, but the rest of the songs kept everyone remaining on their feet until the very end of the gig with the great vocals, epic guitars and extremely catchy beats. The band were absolutely awesome to listen to and I would certainly consider listening to all four of the bands again. This Sweatbox gig has yet again proved to me how much talent we have in Wales and I hope for the best for all of the bands that performed. JAZMIN WILLIAMS

The September Sweatbox gig was also a celebration of the first birthday of the Young Promoters Network. The crowd were in good spirits and were pumped up for the night’s entertainment. The Vendettas kicked off proceedings with their energetic punk tunes and set the mood with their humorous comments and stage banter. Heroes & Outlaws followed with ear pleasing harmonies and technical riffs by their lead guitarist, their mix of high tempo metal and slow paced ballads resembling that of Avenged Sevenfold. Falling With Style were the third band of the night and although young they held their own with an array of catchy choruses and a set list which was a balanced mix between pop punk and rock. Having only heard Charnel House’s music on their Facebook and YouTube pages I was intrigued to see if they could match the high quality of their studio recordings. It was immediately clear from the lead singer’s charisma and showmanship why they had been chosen to headline. Their set, featuring crowd pleaser Sahara, was an onslaught of low pitched screams, pinched harmonics and brutal breakdowns which got everyone out of their comfort zone and jumping around, and totally exceeded my previous expectations of the band. Charnel House certainly stole the show and made the night a fitting party for an organisation that works so hard to keep the South Wales music scene running. Happy Birthday YPN! RHYS KINSEY

Cwmaman Music FestivalCwmaman InstituteHaving attended last year’s CwmFest, my expectations were high and I didn’t think it could get any better. However this year’s line up put up a great fight. When approaching the Rats In The Cellar Stage in the downstairs of the venue, I was greeted by a rowdy and exciting atmosphere, filling the whole floor. Aberdare’s duo Clay Statues were first on my watch, out-doing their last performance at the Institute and drawing some of the more excited members of the audience to the floor. One of which being a bald mystery man with some interesting moves! I edged my way to the front, eagerly awaiting local boys Reaper In Sicily. Having had the privilege of watching the five-piece once before, I knew I was going to enjoy their performance. Opening with their first single and crowd favourite We Are The Show, the boys got the whole audience to their feet and the floor bouncing. The atmosphere was amazing, despite the increase in spilled drinks and shoving buddies. Continuing with classic energy and enthusiasm, the Reaper boys soared on with new single World’s End, and crowd pleasers Save The Cheerleader and I’m Matthew Terry, NO! I’m Matthew Terry. Leaving the audience wanting more when their set came to an end, the boys — including birthday boy Matthew Jenkins (guitar) — left the stage. Next up was Ebw Vale’s five-piece and previous performers of CwmFest, Fell On Black Days. Following the brilliant performance from the previous set, FOBD were great contenders. Vocalist Gavin Robinson was on par with RIS’s Rhys John Bernardo (despite the difference in styles), maintaining the ecstatic and friendly atmosphere. I made my way upstairs to the Stu Cable Stage, just in time for local girl band The Kix. I was greeted by the same winning atmosphere and friendly crowds as downstairs, but this time, the room was jam packed. The sound of My Generation spread across the room and I hit the dance floor with my fellow rockers. Lastly, but certainly not least, was Protektion Rakett. As headliners of the night, these guys put on a great set. Songs included the classic Basket Case by Green Day, Highway To Hell by rock legends AC/DC and Led Zeppelin’s The Immigrant Song, each getting the exhilarated crowd exploding with cheer and song. Tributes went out to local legend Stuart Cable, through covers of Local Boy In The Photograph and More Life In A Tramp’s Vest. A great end to a great night! SHANNON JACKSON

WIBIDIClwb Ifor Bach, CardiffRashid Omar aka Wibidi, is a hugely likeable front man who exuded energy throughout this Grab Promotions hosted live performance in Clwb Ifor Bach. The Tiger Bay bred Radio Cardiff DJ has collaborated with Daf Ieuan, Guto Pryce and Cian Ciaran of Super Furry fame to form this funky, punky, electro tinged reggae-inspired band, the name of their debut album — Tiger Baby — reflecting its geographical roots. Wibidi’s raw raspy, scratchy vocals wouldn’t sound amiss in a metal band, but work amazingly well with uplifting, dance-making tracks such as Car whilst also sounding great in melodic, chilled and pretty songs such as Life’s A Gas. Heaps of the band’s friends had obviously turned out for this performance, the downstairs space becoming a dance-floor as Wibidi’s zest and enthusiasm infected the crowd. This was a fun, lively, energy fuelling gig, which inspired me to order their August released album when I got home! LISA DERRICK

IncubusMotorpoint Arena, CardiffIt’s the 5th of November and Cardiff’s skyline is awash with coloured spectacles of amazing expense that last five seconds as the annual ritual of celebrating a complete failure takes place once again. You’d think in the promotion business that local knowledge would be part of the criteria when booking tours, but maybe not as there is no surprise to see a half empty arena on this night to watch American band Incubus play in support of their latest offering If Not Now, When? Supported by a very disinterested Brit band Fin, it was just about 30 minutes later that Incubus ignited their own fireworks as they exploded on to the stage with Megalomaniac, one of their more heavier offerings, and continued at a pace playing a variety of classics such as Wish You Were Here, Nice To Know You and Vitamin though it was Drive’s sing-alonga-Incubus that got the crowd really going. Of course, many tracks from the latest album were played too, including Promises Promises, Switchblade and Tomorrow’s Food, which appeared in the encore being performed by Brandon Boyd and gang with such perfection it was a shame that I still felt, with no real crowd/performer interaction, they were just ticking the boxes — Cardiff: Done. Incubus are a well known band but not big enough in the UK to fill this massive arena and once again proved that we desperately need a medium sized venue in this city. DARREN WARNER

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On the release of their compilation album Hidden Thoughs, PLUGGED IN caught up with Ruffstylz, so-founder of Cardiff-based hip-hop label Associated Minds to chat about the album and life in general.

Tell us about your label and how you got it together? Associated Minds is a click of heads who know what’s good about hip-hop and want to maximise our impact. We’re all similar enough and different enough to form a unit unlike any other label I think. I’d say if you got in any of our heads you’d find inside all of us we’ve all got our own ideas of how things should be done and that really benefits AM in terms of the kind of spread of stuff we put out. I think we’re well balanced and hopefully we’re striking a chord between being fun and mature, we’ve created something unique and it’ll only get stronger and more interesting as we go on. We got together by being neck deep in the scene our whole lives and realising we had enough knowledge to add more to it.

Describe your style of music. Hip-hop, in whatever form we see fit. We might release other styles as well if we want to.

What would you say has influenced you as a label? Whatever’s new and interesting. Mudmowth and Mayor listen to a lot of hip-hop and they like some singer-songwriter stuff outside of that. Ralph’s up on the latest swagger in hip-hop as well, plus he veers towards some other experimental listening. I check for Lupe Fiasco hugely, listening to other hip-hop’s more recreational for me really; then I’m into stuff like MIA, TV On The Radio, Kanye West. Beatbox Fozzy listens to some brain-murdering Swedish dubstep hip-hop — he probably listens to a bit more west coast shit than the rest of us, garage and bassline, he’s a 1Xtra head. PLO likes Feist, The Roots, classic rock like Led Zeppelin, he even manages to wear a Queen T-shirt and it’s OK. Metabeats is at the centre of all the new and interesting scenes, like the instrumental beat stuff, stuff with rugged and raw emcees, plus he’s got this house element none of the rest of us really have, he’s a DJ too and he plays around the world. And Sam Rockwell’s out of the country so we’re not as plugged into him, but we keep that connection and he’s always been a diehard

hip-hop fan. So that probably paints a picture. Basically we haven’t got any interest in being stuck in the past.

Is being part of the Welsh music scene important to you, if so why? If not why not? As a label, no. As a community, yes, because people are cool round here. In Cardiff in particular there’s something about it that’s quite refreshing, it’s an interesting place with interesting people, quite an intelligent city I think. The music scene’s got a huge amount of diversity in it for such a small place, people seem to value their individuality here and they stay themselves. It’s really healthy and I think maybe now a scene’s formed that could be talked about as a city. People here don’t generally force the scene, they just do it passionately and then stuff gets passed around. We were at one of our friend’s birthday’s recently — Don Leisure from Darkhouse Family — there were about 40 of us and as well as being a celebration of him it was like he’d brought about a really special milestone day of the people of the city, some of the music scene of the city and it was a super-super cool vibe, really dope. So that’s what I identify Cardiff’s vibe as, I think even if people didn’t like each other’s stuff they’d still respect it from a distance and it all works well with each other. It’s something that’s built over years, you can’t buy it.

Tell us about the Hidden Thoughts compilation that you have just released? It’s us getting excited about what’s on it. because listening to it feels like we’re hitting that bar where we stand alongside people globally now and we know we’ve got some fireblazing shit lined up and we know we can keep the standard up. But that’s all I’ll say because we’re in a much more honest era now, where you get directed to something by a good recommendation and then you decide what you think of it. Definitely check it out when it drops though and thanks to everyone who’s ever supported us, it’s useless having great music unless you’ve got great listeners. More info on www.associatedminds.com

It’s been a triumphant rise for Twin Atlantic: having support slots for huge bands such as Angels & Airwaves, Biffy Clyro, My Chemical Romance and The Gaslight Anthem; prestigious festival slots at major UK festivals; being hand-picked by The Smashing Pumpkins to support them; packed worldwide tours. This year also saw them have a Top 40 UK album with Free, “I try not to pay attention to the reviews because I read them all fully,” confesses Sam McTrusty (vocals), “I even took the ones our fans put on youtube to heart.” Sam and Ross McNae (bass) are clearly both still stunned it made the Top 40 UK album charts. At the time of this interview, 30 minutes before the opening show of their biggest ever UK tour, how was the mood? “We’re nervous and excited,” admits Sam, with Ross nodding to agree. “We’ve been doing a show

[stage effects] in Scotland for the last few years and now we can finally tour it and not look like idiots.” Having been on tour with Blink 182 they have now added one of that band’s trademarks to the show: having sweets on stage like Tom DeLonge does with Blink. The guys have had a strong Welsh connection right from their early days, as their debut EP was recorded in Cardiff with Romesh at Longwave Studios. “We chose

him for the way he makes the guitar sound, when we were more guitar focused. He’s also an amazing producer, and all-round great guy. Once when playing a show in Clwb Ifor Bach, Sam put his guitar through some technical equipment, but Romesh saved the day. Fond memories!” So with this under their belt do the guys ever feel overwhelmed? “Yeah, we do,” both admitting that everything they do surpasses the last thing they did. In my brief time with them, I felt the guys remained grounded, friendly and genuine, with the world at their feet. My advice is check them out before they hit the heights of fellow Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro, because Twin Atlantic will reach them. RITCHIE SAMUEL

Member of the multi-platinum selling band the Jonas Brothers, Joe Jonas has decided to release Fastlife, his debut solo album. PLUGGED IN caught up with the stadium filling artist after his performance at the BBC teen awards and asked him some pressing questions.

After being in a group it must be a little bit daunting going out by yourself, is it a bit like starting from scratch? Sometimes — it’s cool to be back and to be able to do my solo stuff here. It’s a little bit scary to be up there by myself but I’ve been getting great support so overall I’m just happy. Your debut album Fast Life is now out in the UK and with this album you collaborated with many different writers, producers and artists such as Chris Brown and Lil Wayne. Has working with these artists been important in your musical transition to a more R&B influenced sound? Yes definitely but it’s always a good feeling when you work with artists which are that incredible. I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to work with some really amazing artists and some amazing songwriters.How different was the creative process with making an album as a solo artist in comparison to making an album with the Jonas Brothers? It took a WHILE! I wanted to really spend time on this album — to take my time to make sure I made music that I was really proud of; that I wasn’t holding back from anything necessarily. I didn’t want to just rush this album at all so I was very pleased with taking the time, and really finding the sound that I wanted to go with. There’s been some times with my brothers that we’ve done some things and really just rushed them, like making records quickly and I wanted to take my time with this one.If everything goes to plan with your solo career would that mean you would have to put the Jonas Brothers on hold? No, we’re still going to be doing Jonas Brothers stuff, nothing yet is plan, no specific stuff for when we’re going to make our next album, we’re just taking our time.

Twin Atlantic

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Friends ElectricGolden Blood/Fireworks

It’s quite simple. I want you to go and download these two tracks now. Don’t wait to read on, just do it! Because what you’ll hear is the best music to come out from Wales in the last year. More than dancefloor fillers,

these are kings of sound with their electronic overtones given a good welsh indie kick.

Neath based Friends Electric have been on PLUGGED IN’s radar since Issue 1 and it’s safe to say that no other band have risen to such

high levels in that period of time. Exceptional music. Have you downloaded them yet! DW

Joint PopThe Longest Kiss Goodnight

Trinidad and Tobago’s answer to alternative pop, with licks of British influences pouring through the seams. It’s not ground breaking in any sense, but neither is it a bad listen. There’s a mix of seriousness mixed with tongue in cheek lyrical humour that just

leaves the overall outcome being a teeny bit bland. RS

The SaintsAll Times Through Paradise

The Saints formed in Australia in 1974 and their inspiration was 50s rock n roll and 60s garage gusto. By 76/77 the singles I’m

Stranded and This Perfect Day (as covered by The Fall) placed The Saints at the forefront of quality punk power. The Saints rocking

rebellion and further tunes can sway towards a New York Dolls RnB rhythm v guitar gusto Motown. The Saints studio stomp and live offerings are collated on this superb four

CD box set! RJ

Replaced By RobotsWake Up World (demo)

Beautifully crafted songs from the Aberdare trio that remind me of the bands I used to

listen to back in the early 80s, like B-Movie, who combined great guitar and keyboard work over simple but effective tunes. Of course this is now, and Robots stand out

against a backdrop of hardcore rock like a gasping breath of fresh air — making them simply a great band to watch out for. And

yes, the untitled instrumental track 5 on this demo with its early Numan’ish keyboards is a

total joy. Love it. DW

FrancoboolHarpholma

Swedish lo-fi garage indie, that fails to tick a lot of boxes it sets out to hit. Stripped back minimal sound, that attempts to harmonise in places and is successful at rare moments. The wailing guitars and the shrieking vocals really do leave your eardrums feeling as if

they have taken a battering. It’s upbeat and funky in places that make it enjoyable, but only for very short spells before the wailing and shrieking take over. Back to the drawing

board unfortunately guys. RS

MagazineNo Thyself

No Thyself is the first Magazine album since 1981, and their Real Life and Secondhand

Daylight experimentation reappears. Howard Devoto delivers his erudite/explicit/existential lyrics and Noko redefines the skills of the late, great guitar guru John McGeoch. Aural alchemy allows for individual brilliance,

while as a band Magazine burn again. May Magazine continue to enjoy a long life —

unlike Ian Curtis, Kurt Cobain and Elvis whose tragic demises are discussed here! Radiohead

celebrate the magnificence of Magazine, and you can join this select club of lustrous

listening too. RJ

Funeral For A FriendSee You All In Hell (ep)

More like a mini-album with four live tracks and two acoustic recordings from their last album Welcome Home Armageddon, FFAF

return with two new tracks High Castles and Will To Die. With each new release the band seem to be getting harder and harder leaving

all sense of commerciality behind them in the ever disappearing distance and making

music their loyal fans will love. These are still worthy pieces of anarchic rock that scream at you to gain attention, though I must say that the LoveGadgetHateGizmo remix of

Medicated is fantastic and worth the cost of the ep alone. Excellent stuff. DW

CantDreams Come True

NY Grizzly Bear member Chris Taylor goes solo with his side project. At first it deceives you into thinking it’s mellow listening, but

you need to fully immerse yourself into it to truly appreciate the art for what it is. It’s

experimental electronic music in the vein of Brain Eno, which really does let your mind

fly as free as a bird. Self-titled track Dreams Come True gives the urgency of tribal beats and an eerie sense that you’re not allowed

to listen to it. This release isn’t for the faint of heart and not to everyone’s taste, but to those who love electronica music it’s a must

listen at the very least. RS

JusticeAudio, Video, Disco

The Justice album Cross created a ground-breaking dance-rock fusion. The French duo

responsible for this modern masterpiece labelled it ‘opera-disco’ but the 70s ‘prog’ overload of their new Audio, Video, Disco record is ‘pompous-nonsense’. Of the 11 tracks the closing title-tune shows what

the band can do, but it is too little too late because the dance floor has cleared and the

punters have fled for the exit! RJ

Alabama 3Shoplifting 4 Jesus

Created at the heart of last summer’s riots in Brixton and described by Welsh front man

Larry Love as “the sound of middle England’s worst nightmare...” Shoplifting 4 Jesus

comes close to being the best album that the band have ever produced. Opener Have You

Been Having A Nightmare actually creates the opposite feeling to what the title suggests,

giving a calming effect laying down the start of what turns into a groove filled album full of poignant lyrics sung against reality based

social conscience vibes. This is music of protest, gleamed from the dark streets of

London and turned into a beautiful shout at the rich kid politicians in charge. Real music

with meaning. DW

The Damn JammageWell Hanged (ep)

Here we have dark moody blues-folk kicks that could certainly take its place in a dingy pirate’s bar that is located in the

wrong part of town. It’s an odd eclectic mix of instruments that seemingly fits together like jigsaw pieces, the bustling harmonica,

rustic piano and wailing organ. Vocally there’s something missing in action, whilst the big soulful blues voice is grinded out and adds depth to the songs at times. It’s when the vocals don’t work with the music, instead

fighting against it and making time agonising, that using a well-placed instrumental would

counter this. RS

The NightingalesLive In Paris

This CD set captures the raw rush of a UK post-punk treasure and offers rebel rousing to a Gallic gathering — and a Paraffin Brain mentality puts its foot to the pedal! The Gales offer a unique lyrical and musical package and on stage they cannot be

bettered. Here we go now! RJ

T.O.T.S.OSlippin’ Out Since 83 (ep)

This 5 track ep from the Swansea boys hits the spot with it’s powerful riffs and strong

harmonised vocals. Bouncy and full of vigour you can’t but help joining in with the fun and

frolics. Pretty damn fab I’ll say. DW

SealSoul 2

Sometimes I think back to when CDs were a new invention and Seal’s first album, with the classics Killer and Crazy, was being constantly

played by Gail in our house — and thinking how inventive, exciting and unique the singer

was. Well Soul 2 is none of these things musically, though his voice is still sublime,

which just about carries his head above water. I’m never sure why a major artist has to bring out an album compiling of already

established pop classics, especially when they can rarely be bettered — but they do. So I

assume it’s either for the money or they have writers block and need to remind people of their existence. But at least with Seal you’ll get your money’s worth as his voice carries you through from song to song and if it ain’t

for you, your mum will love it. DW

CDs, EPs, Demos & Downloads

42 PLUGGED IN

CDs, EPs, Demos & Downloads

Isaacs AircraftMathmatics

Whether it’s the dirty distorted guitars, pulsating electro sound from the synthesiser the twinkling keys, or the fast quipped vocals splurged across this delightful wall of sound, something will draw you in. As it drags you

in initially, the grasp it has is slowly released and disengages your interest only at times reminding you of the brilliance you first

heard. Delightful in places, annoying that it isn’t maintained throughout. RS

The CureBestival Live 2011

The Cure can master any mood from funeral through to fun. Their Bestival

set unites 32 diverse and diligent career highlights, including three-minute love songs

and extended post-punk overtures. The proceeds of this live and lustrous 150 minute

release benefits youth charity, so head to Fascination Street and get your copy now. RJ

REMPart Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth,

Part Garbage, 1982-2011I remember seeing REM on one of their

first UK dates back somewhere in the mist of time and they really impressed me then.

To say musically since that point their career has bounced around more times than

one of my girls’ rubber balls would be an understatement. This album includes the highs, with excellent tracks like Orange

Crush, Stand, Losing My Religion and Nightswimming, while also including lesser

known tracks from their later period as they dug their hole and started to bury themselves into musical obscurity baring a court case or two. Part Lies etc is not so much a greatest hits, but more of an over long retrospective that tends to highlight too many mediocre

moments unless you’re true fan, though I’m sure now they have announced their split a greatest hits package will be along soon,

followed by another one, and another one... This album is good, but not great which is a shame considering REM are/were great. DW

John Reilly Zebulon

John Reilly has created a collection of songs full of catchy hooks that gives a sense of

familiarity which could appeal to the mass audience. Full of soul, guitars and orchestras

it makes for an interesting listen, most evident on Building Avalon. Not Alone is John Reilly at his most beautiful, a piano

driven power ballad which if it had a renowned artist attached to it would be a

sure-fire hit but sadly isn’t the case. A unique collection of pop songs makes Zebulon a

pleasant listen. GB

Make SparksYour Hearts On Fire/Apollo!Apollo

It’s easy at first to draw simple comparisons to Twin Atlantic with similar style and that

distinctive Glaswegian vocal running a

peaceful riot all over. A rough and ready indie rock charm that captures you with hints of

magic that really excites you on Your Hearts On Fire while Apollo! displays the mellow

Biffy Clyro influence. Make Sparks are on to something that really could be the next big

thing from the Scottish borders! RS

Ryan AdamsAshes & Fire

Mr Adams has been at the forefront of Americana New Country for quite a while

now, though some of his music can be a little hit and miss for tastes on this side of the

pond. Not so for this album as it definitely is on the hit side. It is a superb standout release

with its country tinged rock’n’roll that is both beautifully sung and played with such versatile skill. I loved the 2001 Gold album, a major on my all time play list but Ashes & Fire surpasses even that classic taking it

stratospheric. Excellent! DW

Baxter Dury Happy Soup

You can be forgiven for drawing on a resemblance to his dad Ian Dury by the tone of Baxter’s voice, but take that out of the

equation and Happy Soup is an album drawn on indie influence most prominent on the

opening track Isabel which has a slight Blur tinge to it. There is also a dance feel (that

of a dreamy nature) to the album filled with wonderful melodies and spoken parts that reflect Dury’s lyrics telling of failed

romance and general Cockney life. Title track Happy Soup is Dury at his most vulnerable lyrically and vocally. It’s a marvel to hear

the simplicity of the dance synths and subtle beats fuses with sound reminiscent of 90s

Britpop. GB

The KushAniseed/Loose Lips

Geordie Rock group with notable influences of Kasabian, Americana and The Rolling

Stones throughout the two songs, that are a mish-mash of styles and influences from

a band on the way to define their own sound. Loose Lips really shows how much a

saxophone can be rocked out upon and is the stronger of the two songs, with a blend of

grunge influenced guitars and husky vocals. Great effort and showing the potential to

come when their sound is more defined and their own. RS

TurbowolfTurbowolf

It does excatly what it says on the tin. A fantastic mash up of noise, screaming guitars and gutteral vocals reminiscent of Dinosaur

Pile-Up that takes rock ’n’ roll into a junkyard and lets it loose on the crushing machine. Powerful 100mph car cash music. Fab. DW

Pinkunoizu PEEP (ep)

PEEP is a brief insight of Pinkunoizu’s sound and what that sound is...I cannot say. I can safely say that I have never heard a sound

quite like this before but there are many weird and wonderful sounds out there so I

have no doubt that there is a movement going around somewhere. Out of the three unique sounding tracks it was track 2 that grabbed

my attention the most, mixing dreamy female vocals with odd sounding snyths and bongos which come together to what I can

best describe as a road song for a space-aged robot! GB

Model SocietySystematic

Essentially that indie-rock sound that clocks in at 2:25, meaning it’s short, frantic

and to the point. Although not ground breaking, it shows the ability to write a

classic is there. In all it’s as British as tea and an enjoyable listen, although there is some way to go to be joining the UK’s elite. RS

Diagram 8Black Light

Subtle and sublime, this album from former Tunng front man Sam Genders is just what I need to relax after my recent operation.

Never over complicated but always retaining interest, it ebbs and flows throughout its

length though never allowing the listener to fall into that warm and comfortable zone

as if somebody had put needles in your bed. Interesting and effective. DW

Cosmo JarvisIs The World Strange Or Am I Strange?The offerings from this Devon young man

are varied with songs about pirates, cheating on your partner and introducing your partner

to your parents for the first time. Whilst the songs very from style to style, there is

always a funky backing track at the heart of every song. At times you can become lost and others fully engaged. Is the world or Cosmo

that is strange? In reality it’s a bit of both. RS

The Leisure Society Dust On The Dancefloor (single)

This is a slight redirection for The Leisure Society, branching off from their folk

roots with an up-tempo beat that has you pleasantly tapping your feet to the soothing

guitar sounds and shuffling drumbeat. Accompanied by a cover of the song

Wanderin’ Star that I’m sure all you Western musical loving fans will remember was

originally done by Lee Marvin! Due to the deepness of Marvin’s voice in the original it may not be to some people’s tastes, but this cover together with its dreamy guitars and a higher range vocal may make it more

appealing to some. GB

You Me At SixSinners Never Sleep

I’ll probably be strung up by every under 25-year-old member of the PLUGGED IN team but You Me At Six, I don’t get them and the hold they have on people. Yes the songs are well crafted, even quite exciting in places

for Indie Pop Rock, but I’m not hearing

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anything that makes me believe that they deserve stand-out status. I know their live

performance is phenominal, you just have to read the reviews in the pages of PLUGGED IN to see that, but on record it’s no more

than the LostProphets, FFAF and The Blackout have been doing already without something

to really key into. This album became a wash of songs that blurred into one another with no ball grabbing attention-seeking pieces of masterdom that I had been led to believe

should be included. It started, it ended. So what! Sorry team, I’ve tried — but I’m sure

that the band don’t give a f**k what this 47-year-old bloke thinks anyway. DW

Kate McGill Replaced

Female singer/songwriter Kate McGill has taken to the studio after attracting interest

on Youtube with covers. Her sweet voice shines through on a number of songs, such as Similar with the likes of Ellie Goulding, but I feel the over-production makes the voice less prominent which is a shame. There are signs where Kate shows promise of breaking it into the scene such as the whirlwind tranquillity

of opener Cursed and the sweet innocence of track 3 Full To The Brim. GB

GorillazThe Singles Collection 2001-2011

Non-conformists Gorillaz conform by bringing out this singles collection just in

time for Christmas. That’s the bad part, on with the good. Non-conformists Gorillaz bring

out this singles collection which shows the massive diverse talent that they are with

their unique style and range of musicability. This collection includes the brilliant Clint Eastwood, Feel Good Inc and Superfast

Jellyfish which features our cover star Gruff Rhys on vocals, so if you’ve never bought a Gorrillaz CD, now is the time, Christmas or

otherwise. DW

Wakey! Wakey! Almost Everything I Wish I’d Said

The Last Time I Saw YouI loved this album upon hearing it for the

first time. Songs filled with a lush piano and sweeping strings really strike a chord. Wakey! Wakey! focus on the tried and tested theme of love and heartbreak and manage to make

the theme still fresh without any of the songs and lyrics crossing into the cheesiness field. Mike Grubb’s voice transmits the pain and

heartache vocally throughout and is a mark of a great vocalist. GB

VVolvesWhen I’m Down (ep)

VVolves are a newly formed band from Cardiff whose members enjoyed previous success with Zimmermans and Byd Dydd Sul, supporting the likes of Marina & The Diamonds and Race Horses, in addition to receiving Radio 1 and Radio Cymru airplay.

This new union has also attracted Welsh music royalty attention, as VVolves were invited to play at one of Bethan Elfyn’s ‘And Friends’ nights in Buffalo, Cardiff,

and they’ve also supported the venerated Welsh bands Gallops and Threatmantics. In short, they come recommended. But what do they sound like? I investigated via their October released EP, When I’m Down. My

first impressions were reminiscent of 1990s indie, with a refreshed feel. Their sound is an understated, melancholic yet melodic

industrial, interspersed with gorgeous soaring vocals and haunting synth. Comparison wise, I’d mix hints of Gene and The Happy Mondays with the more recent US venture Broken Bells to concoct a VVolves-y feel. One of the three tracks, Where You’d Start, has been re-mixed

by flourishing Cardiff producer Matthew Mayes, aka Channel Swimmer, resulting in a

beguiling, subtle dancey version flooded with layers and beats, which becomes addictive after the first play. This is a great EP which is extra listenable, and shows promise for

the Peski Records signed band. I’m hoping for more future releases, and if you fancy

checking them out in the meantime, the Channel Swimmer remix is currently

available as a free download: http://vvolves.bandcamp.com/ LD

Los Campesinos!Hello Sadness

Los Campesinos return with this their fourth album which is altogether a darker

more intense release than previous albums. Also it’s their best album because it marries the distinctive sound we’ve come to know with probably their best lyrical writing to

date. Los Campesinos were like Marmite to me, you either loved them or hated them. I’ve just gained a taste for this particular group — unlike Marmite itself, which I still

loathe. Brilliant album! DW

WIBIDITiger Baby

A real good-time album hinting towards a reggae feel from the Super Furry

Animals members side project. Following in the footsteps of the great Bob Marley,

WIBIDI show their hate for intolerance and corruption alongside their passion for other musicians’ work by including a cover of Marc Bolan’s Life’s A Gas. This is an ‘in yer face’ album that needs to explode through your

speakers so go buy it now! DW

Texas Radio BandBluescreen

Returning from a four year hiatus Texas Radio Band return and sound like they’ve

never been away with a brilliant collection of divisive tracks. From the mellow to the bombastic, this album covers every level imaginable and then some. A great

introduction if they’re new to you, a great album if you remember the band of old. DW

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