Bombay Bicycle Club, Cardiff University Great Hall, Cardiff, 16th March 2014

I know I've just got home from the gig but while it's all so wonderfully fresh in my mind (and I'm full of kebab, not so wonderfully fresh) I'll scrawl everything down now. 

Hello, anyway. It's been a while - since you last read from me I've done a few bits and bobs. I went to see Drenge and that was MEGA cool and I worked a CHVRCHES gig and heard their set from the cloakroom.

Back to tonight. I bought the tickets for my brother's birthday bloody ages ago and only recently had it creeped upon me. At the time of buying the tickets, Bombay weren't my favourite band and my memories of them live hadn't been up to much. I was however, a huuuge fan of their second album, Flaws, and thought it'd be nice to go. I'm so so glad I did. Earlier this month So Long, See You Tomorrow was released and if you haven't given it a little spin already, you bloody should. This latest release is funky as HELL and most of it was showcased tonight in the sweatiest gig I've been to for quite a while. Didn't help that I was wearing a big bloody coat but I'd have been sweatin' anyway. 

In the queue for tonight I was handed a little business card for "tonight's supports GUYYSS", Flyte. With no idea who these guys were, let alone the fact they were supporting, I had no idea what to expect, but for a first support these guys were totally solid. Try to imagine what The Byrds or America would sound like with synths. That doesn't sound all too convincing but I think you'll get what I mean when you listen to them in that their harmonies are clear as day. Clever, too, despite the frontman apparently looking "as if he's off it", according to my brother. Tunes like "Over and Out" were reminiscent of The Drums' beachy vibes whereas "Yellow Rain" was comparable to Bombay's new guitar style on So Long, See You Tomorrow and Everything Everything, electronically. It seemed like these guys are fans of climbing arpeggios and rather traditional note clashes - I'm a big fan. I don't think I'd be mad to propose that these guys could be playing an afternoon slot on the NME stage at Reading in a year or two and it'd be totally cool. 

Now, for some reason, I'd be under the impression for months that The Ramona Flowers were supporting but recently I discovered it'd be Rae Morris. Absolutely no problemo. Rae features on "Luna" from Bombay's new album so it only makes sense (I'm gonna thrust a gorgeous Radio 1 Live Lounge version in your face HERE). By the time Ms Morris had graced the stage, my brother was wankered on cheap Carling and was going "OMG ISIT ROYALS?". Nope, not Lorde, I'm afraid. Better. Vocally, Morris is pure and powerful and yet gorgeously saccharine. Whack this onto sustained pianos, muted drums and slidey distorted guitar and you've got a recipe for completely zoning out and looking a bit weird with your eyes closed - especially for the devastatingly gorgeous "Don't Go". I can't believe I'd dismissed her before as "another girl singer-songwriter". I'm a sexist prat.

Rae Morris doing her thang (thanks to my brother for taking some snaps).

My brother and I were relatively near in time for Bombay, and as you can imagine, close to a load of dickheads in bandanas and shirts with upturned collars who were rather loud. I could dismiss this when there were a load of pretty projected images (think Yellow Submarine meets Bollywood) and a very impressive light show to lead Bombay on to first song (and first on So Long, See You Tomorrow) "Overdone". As I mentioned, the first half of the set focused on the newly released stuff with what felt like a lot more bass (espesh for "Come To") which I'm always a fan of, before pleasing the crowd some oldies but goodies like "Evening Morning" (with its own sexy bass intros). By this time I was a bit worried I'd be missing out on the gorgeous "Home By Now" and "Luna" from the new album but I should have known Bombay wouldn't disappoint. "Home By Now" (despite the absence of the early 00s ambient electric piano throughout which features on the studio version,) was amazing and I think I probably hit some people dancing to that. Soz, everyone. Best song of the evening went to "Whenever, Wherever" (dedicated to Shakira, ofc) which left me really really sweaty. This song just built up until it sort of exploded, fizzed out and revealed RAE MORRIS ONSTAGE FOR "LUNA". Words cannot describe my love for this song. I went a bit too beserk for an indie gig and sang with my eyes closed (I wasn't even drinking). The guys finished with classic "Always Like This" and (the apt) "So Long, See You Tomorrow" before returning for a mainstage-worthy encore. Bloody hell, it was the heaviest I've ever seen a band who've covered the likes of Joanna Newsom in the past. Final song "Carry Me" was explosive and brought the set to a climax right at the end. Just brill. 

"So Long, See You Tomorrow" or at least very soon, Bombay. 

During "Luna" where I went currraazzy.

REVIEW: Sau - Songs for the Queen EP

Well well - isn't this exciting. I've actually been forwarded some music to review for the first time. I'm hoping it's not the last. This might make the blog seem legit (sporadic as the posts are).

So yes. My first requested review is for the new EP of James Alston - under the alter ego "Sau". My brother had sent me a couple of video clips from a set he'd done in Cardiff recently but of course, I needed to hear the real deal and not muffled crowds and/or my brother going "IT'S LIKE CRYSTAL CASSLES INI".

The five-tracked Songs for the Queen takes you on a little experimental journey, albeit shortlived. Its aura is a sort of yearning frustration, beginning with what I first imagined was a Frank Ocean - "White" vibe for its low tempo and jazzy notation. "Oceana" emits this yearning: "dance with me dance with me / were's the only ones left here" in the "moonlit halls" - certainly sung as if in a moonlit hall which was once full of people. Second track "Kleptocracy" seems more reserved and yet shows that Sau has a lot more potential, with twinkly piano notes layering the tapping drum beats, leading into "Is It Colours", where the EP really evolves. Here we could compare Sau's stuff to the likes of Distance in terms of rhythm, together with a gradual crescendo reaching a climax and sick chord change around the 3:30 mark. Penultimate "Breakfast at Drake's" introduces acoustic guitars and what I *assume* is a fingerpicked G chord on top of a rhythmic wood block tapping sound (you know those blocks of wood you'd whack in primary school during "music"? Like that but a bit more in time).

Sau left the best 'til last with final track "MPS2", lyrically as well as instrumentally. On top of light organ chords are James' more emotional and imagerial vocals, comparing his subject to some some sort of prized memento or jewel, perhaps? - and it's unclear to me whether this is good or bad with its "dime a dozen" face, and yet "I need your antique touch / your relic skin on fresh meat".

All in all, I'm really intrigued to see what else Sau has to offer in the future. Keep an eye out for a couple of sets around Cardiff soon.

You can listen/download (name your price) here.

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If you'd like me to review a single/EP/LP or a show you're playing - let me know!
(niaewebb@googlemail.com)

Owen, Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff, 9th December 2013

Hello. Last night I had a great time.


I should really get a better camera. Or learn how to use a phone.

I had been waiting a bloody long time to see Owen, otherwise known as Mike Kinsella of American Football, Cap'n Jazz, and a few more of your emo faves. Tonight, his gig (put on by STHC) at my much frequented Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff would be my first chance to see the man in action. If you've not heard of Mike Kinsella/Owen before, you might like him if you like twinkly acoustic guitars, self-deprecating lyrics and buggering up half way through songs and still managing to look cool as hell. 

Support for the night were locals Pipedream, a Cardiff three-piece comprising of Tom on guitar, Josh on bass and the return of Harry on drums. Tonight's gig proved quite special in that this was Harry and indeed Pipedream's first gig since an incident which left Harry very seriously injured. Following some sort of superhuman recovery, Harry was back in the swing of things and Pipedream sounded no different to how they'd done the other few times I'd seen them - which is top notch. Pipedream's sound (you can have a little gander/listen here), to me, sounds surprisingly textured for a three-piece. (Just on an aside, sorry if the phrase "three-piece" makes you think of a two-piece swimsuit with an extra bit on the side. Like a swimming cap or something. That's what I'm thinking of, anyway.) But yeah, Pipedream's sound is textured and yet raw at the same time? Maybe it's all the work of all these FX pedals that I've been trying to decipher since I got my Fender Telecaster when I was about thirteen. I can't explain it. Basically, if you like Basement's earliest stuff but a little less clean sounding or perhaps Jawbreaker, they're your go-to. My personal fave is "Burn the Midnight Oil" from their 2011 Demo which they happened to play last night. Happy days.

Despite the fact that I won't be able to pay my rent next month as it is, I bought two Owen LPs which Mike signed before his performance. To me, he seems like the nicest guy ever with just an air of "fuck the world" behind gritted teeth. If you're wondering why there's a silver scribble on my "No Good For No One Now" LP then that's because he spelled my name as "MIA!" and I had to correct him. Bit awks. Nice guy though.

For his set, he got us all to sit down as he didn't want us hovering over him or us having to struggle to see. Fair point, actually. I ended up with a numb arse and pins and needles for a bit but that's alright because he was bloody great. I spoke with a guy afterwards and we were in total agreement that his voice sounds exactly the same live which is something that you don't come across often.

I just went on my phone to get up the setlist... and I didn't save it. Balls. You now have permission never to read my blog again... But all is not lost! It's okay, I remember that he started with "The Armoire", one of my favourites from Ghost Town, the first Owen album I actually heard. I was struck by a nasty jealousy in that I would never be able to play the acoustic guitar like that with such ease. Finger-picking just pisses me off because the height of my abilities in that area is "The House of the Rising Sun" at half its normal speed. He also did "The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi", a favourite of mine that I'd forgotten about until about a week ago and wondered what I'd been doing. Crying over some of his other songs, probably. Hearing the cute little intro in the flesh actually wet my eyes (rather sadly) and it was hard not to start shouting along. Might have been a bit awkward to do so in a room full of people sitting on the floor. When he played "Nobody's Nothing", my all-time favourite Mike Kinsella song, (and a song I didn't think I'd get to hear,) I kind of winced, but in some sort of ecstatic way (you'll probably have gathered by now that I don't explain feelings or sounds very well. I'll hopefully be able to do that soon). Like I said before, Mike had to stop once or twice during songs to sort out his guitar playing, but I can't play the guitar in public without sweating profusely and staring intently at the fretboard hoping I get my A minor chord correct so we'll cut him some slack. He took some requests off this bloke who sat right in front of him and sang along to every single word (there's always one) which was nice. I was glad to hear "One of These Days" but it struck a nerve as it mentions a few little familial issues with which I can relate - when it's normally the relationship and "WHERE AM I GOING IN LIFE?" stuff. So apart from feeling a little subdued by that, I was feeling like I always do in nice gigs, which is the "Live music is the essence of life!" feeling.

...Until I got home and my friend who I went to the gig with texted me to tell me that he was in Urban Tap House and that Mike Kinsella had just bought him a pint. Prick. 

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Soon I'll do my top ten albums of 2013, complete with my top ten gigs. That's when I'm done sleeping when I go home for Christmas. Until next time!