Sŵn Competition
Cardiff
21-23 October 2022
Keith Goldhangers’ Sŵn Competition overview continues together with his ideas on the leisure supplied on the ultimate day of this three-day multi venue new music occasion (Half One right here).
Sunday at Sŵn Competition begins simply after noon and begins as good as yesterday had ended. Low-cost Tooth we already know are fabulous, as proved a 12 months in the past at Gas once they appeared amongst names resembling Lice, Deadletter and Enola Homosexual and nonetheless stood out. A fifth member has since joined this Edinburgh band enjoying keys and including to the already big line of vocals that everybody aside from the drummer contributes to. Immediately’s present is as very good as we anticipated it to be, and Low-cost Tooth are effectively definitely worth the early begin {that a} first rate quantity of individuals have made to the day.
Greta Isaac is a reputation that got here to our consideration in 2018 at this occasion when Undone grew to become a success in some individuals’s lounge. Again then she appeared with two backing singers and a man on an acoustic guitar, was relatively great, however was certainly one of many acts we by no means bought to cross paths with once more. Throughout this time Greta has supplied a few first rate up tempo pop tunes to maintain us , and at the moment is the day we really feel we have to catch up. She’s moved on from these early tunes it appears, but performed alongside the more moderen How To Be A Lady and the massive sounding Payrise as soon as we’re house we recognise she’s at present accountable for a formidable quantity of great catchy pop songs that deserve much more consideration. She’s now standing in the midst of two individuals on electronics and guitars, and offers a fantastic half an hour’s leisure that sits properly amongst the noise and mayhem that we appear to have been surrounding ourselves in over a lot of this weekend.
After the primary little bit of head scratching this weekend, we resolve to stroll round and attempt to discover one thing we’ve got no earlier data of. This might go both method in fact however can typically present new favourites (2019 – Alien Tango, 2013 – Rad Stewart) and future extra evenings away from our homes on moist Tuesday evenings.
Lunch Cash Life has gear arrange on stage that has certainly one of us hoping for some intense digital ear-splitting dance music, resembling we’re used to seeing Holy Fuck offering, however perhaps we’re simply dreaming an excessive amount of. As soon as the band begins this digital jazz nonsense, it fails to attach with something we’ve beforehand been accustomed to, and a swift exit is made.
Pet Deaths may need been extra to our liking with out the trumpet, violin and purple Corduroy trousers. Encouraging the viewers to hitch in by jangling their keys is a superb second although and a kind of concepts we are able to’t imagine hasn’t been used earlier than.
We get so far as The Moon Membership earlier than not having the ability to transfer any additional once more as soon as Snayx hit the stage and appear eager on shifting these of us right here across the room simply as we’re getting comfortably far sufficient away to look at. We really feel that if we had been to start out exiting this venue at this second, we’d likely be dragged again heels first by the band fronted by one other tall chap struggling to boost his head while on stage. This is likely one of the most entertaining acts of the weekend when it comes to witnessing a band personal a room and ensuring everybody inside remembers them, stays with them after which falls in love with them. It’s as if the three roughest youngsters from the (Chatsworth) property have turned up after-hours telling us we’re having a lock in whether or not we prefer it or not, and that after a number of extra pints will present the musical leisure whether or not we prefer it or not too. They win the venue’s affection and it’s hugs throughout on the finish.
We have now in entrance of us a scary however loveable trying chap with a gold tooth that shines into our faces as he continuously smiles and makes eye contact with everybody one after the other. He’s enjoying bass by a formidable financial institution of results alongside a drummer hammering away at tunes that at instances sound as livid as Queens Of The Stoneage. Throughout this wonderful quick set we get a fantastic cowl model of Slowthai’s Doorman, and nobody will get away with out getting inspired by the singer to bounce in direction of the tiny stage. Throughout one track that features the chorus ‘What does that say about you?’ the singer approaches the viewers one after the other to handle us individually. There are not any guitars, as no guitars are required. By the top of the thirty or so minutes the inhabitants of this room are as out of breath because the band. Everybody’s completely happy as we depart, and once we discover on our return house that Louder Than Battle’s Naomi Dryden-Smith did advocate these as ones to look at in 2022 we are able to see why. High notch stuff by a band that seem to know tips on how to make pals while concurrently trying indignant but cuddly on the similar time. It was fierce, it was good, it had a couple of nice second that gained’t be revealed right here. Go and see them no less than as soon as and thank us later.
Persevering with our quest to stroll into rooms with out realizing what we’re about to witness we enter a room the place Eliza Shadad can be proudly owning the room however another way solely. The room is just about silent because the tunes are fantastically introduced to us with simply assistance from a guitar that the centre of consideration is enjoying faultlessly, giving a number of moments of peace and serenity we didn’t realise we wanted.
Which then convey us to a different tip for 2022 we supplied on this website; Vlure. In comparison with the likes of Ditz, Thumper and Snayx this lot don’t get it proper in the way in which that the trio of bands beforehand witnessed did. Pages are written earlier than enhancing this as to what we really feel was incorrect. Phrases resembling random tattooed blokes with beanie hats, Southern Dying Cult, all in Wrestlers and new romantic refrains had been used and nothing they appeared to be doing was wherever tinged with irony. Go and see these too simply in case we’ve completely misunderstood them from the quick set witnessed right here.
Wandering into Gas as a result of we haven’t managed a complete gig there this weekend, we catch Yabba who, by the point we get right here, even have all their shirts off and are screaming. For causes we’ll name intuition, we’d recommend that is alright. This retains us completely happy for a number of seconds, nevertheless on making an attempt to find extra about this band all the pieces about them appears to be written in Welsh, so our minds and our bodies wander off to O’Neil’s and catch The Beautiful Eggs but once more and witness them simply be bloody pretty and charming once more.
Holly’s voice continues to be distinctive, robust and fairly splendidly distinctive. Somebody will get to level in direction of a Poly Styrene affect earlier than we break their fingers. The gong is nice, it’s an enormous package in entrance of David and with a lot gear for a duo already, we surprise if we may very well be that arsed ourselves carrying a gong (and a stand) up a twisted flight of stairs simply to be hit as soon as. It’s necessary although, and it’s the little issues that make an occasion such a superb place to be. No chopping corners.
Quick sharp energetic songs performed with the passion you’d anticipate from a few youngsters enjoying for the primary time make this a efficiency to savour. We get to study concerning the (self-sufficient) band coming nose to nose with large venues that demand a lower from their merchandise takings, adopted by the bands ‘Fuck It’ anthem that we’ve all come to like.
Swnarmi (see what they did there?) are offering a few of the higher Coldplay influences there can be found again at Clwb Ifor Bach earlier than attending what appears like an annual Bdrmm expertise (not at all times at Sŵn) again upstairs, the place we are going to stay for the remainder of the Competition. Simply as we could have mentioned as soon as upon a time about God Pace You! Black Emperor or Sigor Rós, Bdrmm are undoubtedly value seeing no less than as soon as. This can in all probability end result (simply because it did with these acts) in returning three or 4 instances as this band make such an exquisite racket you’ll end up watching repeatedly and once more. It may very well be shoegaze 2022. It’s unbelievable
We’re on the finish. London’s PVA are right here to provide everybody left standing what we needed. Pure easy digital dance music that, for all we all know, we might have been dancing to at any time over the previous thirty years with out realising. They’re one of the best younger band that would should ship this weekend off with a superb finale. Nothing too flash, just some extra arms within the air moments to recollect all of it by earlier than all of us name it a day.
Sŵn Competition is one other a kind of necessary occasions that assist maintain the music business ticking by. It’s as necessary as 6music, Radio X, BBC Introducing and the assorted occasions of the same nature that happen across the UK in the course of the 12 months (you already learn about these in fact). A few of these bands could disappear and by no means be seen once more, some will seem (or reappear) on our TV screens earlier than the 12 months is out. Some will seem in entrance of 1000’s in large venues or pageant phases ultimately, nevertheless most we anticipate to see once more over the following few years in no matter capability room they occur to look in, and fairly probably with a lot of you standing subsequent to us. Which is all we ever must distract us from the nonsense happening elsewhere.
Should you get pleasure from multi-venue, mutli-band occasions which are held in venues shut to one another and run with a dependable schedule, then Cardiff wants visiting. It’s one of the best of the lot. Yearly we return house praising the robust line up, having found extra recent new acts that we’ll be eager to see once more and aain.
It’s definitely lots of people’s primary alternative each October.
Finest weekend of the 12 months in fact.
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Phrases by Keith Goldhanger. Extra writing by Keith on Louder Than Battle might be discovered at his writer’s archive. You too can discover Keith on Fb and Twitter (@HIDEOUSWHEELINV).
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