Well I started safe by popping over the road to the Gate to see Mr Huw… They really should make more use of this place as a music venue. It’s slap bang in the middle of Roath and isn’t too far from Cathays – surely capturing a significant majority of Cardiff’s gig going public in one fell swoop. There was a nice candle lit atmosphere in the bar, Mr Huw was much louder than I expected and his simple guitar-bontempi keyboard set up works well. Sadly I’m not fluent so he could being singing about sleeping with serial killers for all I know but it barely matters.

Stayed with him for 30 mins, then off to see Stray Borders… Pleasent Explosions-style post-rock though a lot quiter and more meloncholy really. Starting to get itchy by this point… Clwb is probably one of the places that will sell out tonight, and I’m desperate to see Rolo Tomassi. If I don’t go now will I be able to get in at all? I head over to Womanby Street then and find myself watching Volcano! in a packed downstairs bar. Mr Volcano! wears a pencil thin moustache and looks like a circus wrestler. Nothing wrong with him here, he’s a bit cheeky and makes I laff a few times. They’re a bit math-rock but more of a shambles than to have their time signatures down to a precise equation. Curious to see if the band has started upstairs I wonder, err, upsatirs…

Oh dear. The Big Pink have started playing already and there’s no bugger in here. They are literally playing to a big empty space. That must be like one of those nightmares people in bands must have except actually really happening. I go downstairs where its inexplicably rammed and tell Vivers to drag some people to PAY THEM SOME RESPECT. So eventually there are about 25 people. Its no ones fault really, Big Pink apparently had probs getting into Cardiff and Volcano! started late. It’s a festival, shit happens, its all part of the fun…. The band are really quite awesome and for me are the first nice surprise of the evening. I don’t think I’ve really seen a shoegaze band up close before but they were throbbing – more with synths than with guitars. It was the first time that I considered not having ear plugs may be a decision I’ll later regret. Hey, we’ll find out the next time my smoke alarm goes off… But really, Big Pink were like being hit over the head with a cloud of fuzzy hammers. Lovely.

As quickly as BP finished Rolo Tomassi started. I’m surprised by how divisive this band are. You’re either into screamo-prog-small-person-spazzing-and-jumping-around-like-a-contorted-cancer-victim or you’re not I suppose. I have had Hysterics on me iPlod for a good couple of weeks now and I feckin’ love it, so it surprises me the first 3 sons are almost a perfect facismilie of the album. I don’t know what came first, I’ve not seen them before but by common folklore I imagine the album is a good representation of their live set, rather than the live set being a representation of… you know. Anyway ….. is jumping around and has to stop to take a breath at points. Thank yBREATHou. I haven’t seen this kind of bodily commitment since I saw sweat pouring off all of Explosions in the Sky. Wish there was more shuffling at the front, the band seem to be doing all the work….

Rolo finish, head upstairs, Clinic start! Excellent timing. To be honest Clinic are one of those bands who I have criminally ignored over the years. The only song of theirs I’m familiar with is the Evil Bill one, which is awesome, but that was almost ten years ago now when I was a tiddler. Clinic are still around and have produced a great deal of material which I JUST DON’T KNOW. So I’m stood here with my BRAINS in a cup and its pleasent enough, I like the theatrics and the fact they still dress like doctors. Very bluesey, almost relaxing shudder, some chaps in the front are going mental for them, giving unfortunte glances of their stomachs on several occasions. They’re fairly middle aged as well, don’t they have homes to go to? That’s really fucking condescending of me. Evil Bill is part of the encore and it rules and I jump up and down like the moron I couldn’t be when I bought it and wasn’t old enough or bearded enough to go to live musicals. It’s a stomper and sounds as good now as it did then. Faith restored.

Clinic finish, I have it whispered into my ear that Kaz Bar still has bands on and low, Casiokids are on. On their myspace they sound a bit… well lame really but live its different. This is the kind of cow-bell disco punk nuttery that everyone was going mental for five years ago that people forgot about because they confused dance indie with the Klaxons. Cunts. I’m dancing like a moron and I don’t care what anyone thinks. The stage show, for a predominantly electronic band, is highly evolved and they don’t just stand there. No button pressing for us. Well received I think. My second surprise of the evening.

I’m hooked, and like a heorin addict I need more. Day two, please…