Arriving in Cardiff under a fiery sunset, although very pretty, did mean we had missed out on some festivities. We did not, however, miss the chance to see Friday night headliners, Bo Ningen bring another roof down. After catching them pack out the Compass in Chester the night before they again stormed through a set of heavy-hitting punk grooves. Saturdays trip to the museum, although inspiring, did not set us up for getting thrashed by Leeds’ Black Moth where metal meets grunge creating a storm of powerful riffs and vocals. Sticking around Clwb Ifor Bach everything got crushed under the Glaswegian weight of Holy Mountain. Over the road Tall Ships raise the temperature with a set of swirling math-rock and, for me at least, create huge anticipation for Gallops’ set later that night.
The anticipation was high with everyone else it seemed. The venue swells as eight-legged noisemakers Gallops take to the stage then erupts as they break open their bank of electronic post rock layered as complex, vast and fascinating as the geology of Arizona.
Bo Ningen
Crackling Vinyl, after hosting some great bands at Telford’s Warehouse, host a stage at Dempsey’s and, predictably, choose great bands. The crowd eagerly anticipated Mowbirds set and they delivered. Their raucous sound and bolshy demenour are always crowd pleasers, but they definitely lift their performance for Cardiff shows – the band regard the city as thioer home crowd – and this was no exception. To quote guitarist Ben, “The heart of the band is in Cardiff. We’ve done nine gigs here over the past two years”. Next up were Sex Hands. I’d heard the name a bunch of times before SWN Weekend, always mentioning that they sang songs about everyone’s decade-defining situation-comedy, ‘Friends’. A fact well worth ignoring as the four-piece breeze through lo-fi pop set with a strange combination of confidence and apathy. A short trip across town led me to Joanna Gruesome, a group of kids that can stand proudly in front of their wall of noise; a loud mix of late 90’s American rock (the good stuff, though) and biting self confidence. Back to Dempsey’s for a set bursting in confidence and melody from the ever-earnest Shy and the Fight.
Mowbird
Sex Hands
Shy and the Fight
A nice taxi man took some of us to Chapter Arts Centre, which is a bit off-piste when it comes to Swn venues. The journey was well worth it for Golden Fable though. The Swn show was the culmination of their ‘Star Map’ album launch tour, and as ever their charm and talent beamed into the crowd. No one who made the trip left disheartened. Some of us stayed nearer the center for a secret show from Cardiff experimentalists Islet. Climbing around the stage and through the crowd, I doubt there were many new to the quartets antics, particularly after a sell out at Chapter the night before, and I doubt many left disappointed as they assertively and passionately blitzed and blurred through a set of heavy drums, distorted electronics and psychedelic fuzz
Islet
