Swn @ Clwb
PICS: Nadine Ballantyne
"Are you feeling the double denim?" asks Strange News From Another Star (****) frontman Jimmy Watkins of the band's attire.
The rammed ground floor of Clwb Ifor Bach concede with cheers before being drowned out as the three piece launch into another two-minte schizoid fusion of power punk and hillbilly mania.
Based on tonight's performance, SNFAS will soon be giving this evening's headliners Future Of The Left a run for their well deserved dollar in the main name stakes. Having recruited bass player Mark 'Manchasm' Foley - who remains zen-like atop two chairs throughout their awesome set - their energy and inspired banter make for a great start to this Swn event.
Upstairs, The Joy Formidable (****) take mere minutes to amass fresh fans with their massive soundscape. We can't figure out if the soaring orchestral accompaniment the three piece pad out their set with is thanks to a backing track or a delay pedal of Ritzy Brian's; what matters is that the London-based North Walians push an epic noise to carry Brian's confident, distinctive vocals. I know comparisons is lazy journalism, but Glasvegas + Ladytron = The Joy Formidable.
Back down the steel stairs we all trudge to get an eye and earful of Leeds loons Pulled Apart By Horses (***). Confident young men they are too, taking the show beyond the monitors and into the capacity audience by any means available, mainly chairs and walls. Drums are fallen into, DJ booths are scaled and a bloody good time is had by all to a soundtrack of chanty thrash and high energy stoner rock, if there is such a thing.
It's a pleasure to still be able to see Future Of The Left (*****) in a venue as small as Clwb. We feel masonic in our knowledge of the underground genius Cardiff has spawned that will one day explode forth into larger venue territory. But for now we get a nice spot stage left and absorb the bass shudders and aural hammering distributed by a particularly vicious rendition of opener Arming Eritrea from FOTL's forthcoming second album, Travels With Myself And Another.
The craic with the crowd is as top drawer as ever; at one point a security dude takes residence next to Kelson and is immediately singled out, with Andrew reassuring us that we "all had Dairylea on toast before you came out but I guarantee he had two whole chickens and some Rohypnol".?
Blinding new tracks (I Am Civil Service / You Need Satan More Than He Needs You) compliment older (Small Bones Small Bodies / adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood), all of which are as tight as a gnat's chuff.?
Kelson's usual show capper in Clwb's top room doesn't go as smoothly as usual, though. He's carried through the crowd on the shoulders of Pulled Apart By Horses' guitarist James Brown, but the ceiling's girders prove elusive as he tries to swing his legs over to play upside down. It doesn't matter, because then the drum kit and all gear is brought forward for us to smash away at like Longleat monkeys. Feedback. Chaos. Edgy bouncers.?
All kudos to the Swn collective for putting on one of the best night's we have had in this venue for years. We look forward to the official festival in October.
