Sŵn presents or in that Welsh, yn cyflwyno 5 bands over two floors, 4 of them I know are brilliant, one of them I know nothing about so it’ll be like a little surprise for me. The bands in question are:
FUTURE OF THE LEFT
THE JOY FORMIDABLE
PULLED APART BY HORSES
THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT
STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR
A packed 5-band bill, with music from 7.45pm non-stop until close at 11.00pm. As one band finishes on one floor, the next will start on another. It’ll be an assualt on the eardrums and the senses from beginning to end What a line up.
FUTURE OF THE LEFT
I’ve written a billion Future Of The Left previews and reviews on this site and I don’t know what more to say. If you’ve seen them before and are thinking you might give this one a miss, don’t. The set is crammed full of new songs from forthcoming new album Travels With Myself And Another and they’re all fucking brilliant. Some of you may’ve downloaded it, if so, don’t tell the band. Singing along also gives the game away as fans on this tour have found out!! If you’ve not seen them before then you can’t really afford to miss this as they’re one of the best live bands in the UK and people will laugh at you in the street if you don’t go.
THE JOY FORMIDABLE
The beginnings of TJF began several years ago, when school friends Ritzy and Rhydian chatted on a night out in their hometown of Mold, North Wales. Both opinionated and madly into music, an instant respect was formed and they began meeting regularly at the legendary Buckley Tivoli; then a North Walian mecca for local and touring bands. It was a source of much inspiration to the musically aspiring pair; alongside Ritzy’s parents enormous, exhaustive record collection. Nevertheless, in an otherwise provincial, sleepy setting, itchy feet and a fleeing were inevitable; Ritzy to Washington DC and Rhydian to Manchester, where they enjoyed separate but strangely parallel journeys as singer songwriters. It was a single phone call that reunited them, this time they would write and record together.
Back in North Wales a flurry of early recordings revealed a voice emerging; the beauty of their surroundings against the sadness of personal circumstances tugging conflictingly in their songs and selves. They decided to move, choosing London as their new home and a base for their live aspirations.
With Matt Thomas on drums, a conjoint surrealist and raw, forceful drummer The Joy Formidable have thrived on the live front. Soundscape layers are spiked by the nakedness of a 3-piece; gargantuan, clamorous bass and guitars come in waves, Ritzy seething and cooing in equal measure.
Their material still has its roots in the vast, lonely countryside of the Clwydian borders but London has roused offshoots from the TJF bough. They have become a uniquely home-grown affair with the band driving every creative aspect, visually and musically. The band’s bedroom a chrysalis, that mutates daily from sleeping quarters, to studio to workshop. It was here they recorded first singles Austere and Cradle and their 8 track CD “A Balloon called Moaning” – a defiant release of optimism against their own heavy hearts.
I saw them at Swn, they were blinding. Epic swirly guitar shoe gazinging stuff. One of my favourite bands are Six By Seven and my formulative music listening years were the early nineties, I was bound to like them.
PULLED APART BY HORSES
Saw these at Swn too, a very odd mix between very up to date loud guitar rock in the Biffy mould crossed with Deep Purple. These guys love a seventies guitar workout.
‘Nobody said the revolution would be pretty. Equine-based torture never sounded so sexy.”.’‘NME
‘This Leeds four-piece are causing quite a stir with their manic art-punk convulsion, discover why Pulled Apart by Horses are the name on everyone’s lips.’‘Rocksound Magazine
‘The weirdest show on earth. Choppy, twitchy riffs and yelped vocals give way to crushing noise chaos before returning to the insistently urgent and upbeat.’‘Metal Hammer
‘an explosive rush of brash guitar from the moment they step onstage. With angry expressions fixed firmly to their personas the group are brimming with powerful angst…….they’re capable of turning any crowd into an emotional mess.”.’‘The Fly
‘Awesome earbending post-hardcore rock n roll from one of the best bands in the UK’‘Artrocker
‘An incredible band that played a storming set at Leeds & Reading festival. Awesome, totally bodacious.’ ‘Huw Stephens – BBC Radio 1
‘One of the best live bands we have seen this year, the new single from this Leeds outfit goes some way to harnessing that energy on record.’ ‘Music Week
THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT
I know nothing about them and neither their myspace or official site help me out. Go have a listen.
STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR
Jimmy Watkins + Harry Jones + Mark Foley x Double Denim = Total Face Melt and Head Sex.
Doors / Drws 7.15pm
please arrive early – first band onstage 7.45pm / curfew 11.00pm
Advance tickets £10 from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/47993 / www.clwb.net / Spillers Records or Diverse Music
