By Alys Hewitt Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn ÔÇô AKA Sleaford Mods ÔÇô have over the last few years gained great credibility as an act through their pairing of beat-driven musical minimalism with cynical, tongue-in-cheek social commentary. Their live show at Y Plas is a reminder of their formidable presence as a duo, as they explore material both from past albums and their latest release … Continue reading Live Review: Sleaford Mods, Y Plas, 05/04/19

By Max Modell Barns Courtney is a rock star in the purest sense. He swaggered on stage in a velvet suit, with an open black shirt, before beginning to strut across the stage in a manner reminiscent of Mick Jagger. Like all the greatest rock stars, Barns is undeniably sexy in the way he owns the room with such ease. In an age of indie … Continue reading Live Review: Barns Courtney in Support of The Hunna, Tramshed, 01/04/19

By Max Modell I think everyone involved with the Cardiff music scene has heard stories of the legendary The Killers gig at Clwb Ifor Bach on 22nd November 2003. That night the indie rock legends gave fans a taste of future classics such as ÔÇÿJenny Was a Friend of MineÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿSomebody Told MeÔÇÖ, and of course ÔÇÿMr BrightsideÔÇÖ, prior to the release of their debut … Continue reading Live Review: Sea Girls at Clwb Ifor Bach, 06/03/19

By Sallie Phillips ShakinÔÇÖ Stevens is back! The Cardiff-born singer, nicknamed ÔÇÿThe Welsh ElvisÔÇÖ due to his musical style, performed at St. DavidÔÇÖs Hall on Sunday 3 March. Backed by a 10-man strong band, this was one of ShakyÔÇÖs first performances back in his hometown, and certainly the first time I have ever seen him perform live. I like the music of ShakinÔÇÖ Stevens because … Continue reading Live Review: Shakin’ Stevens at St Davids Hall, 03/03/19

By Max Modell Every time I go to a gig downstairs at Clwb Ifor Bach, I am always overcome by a feeling that I wish more people were in attendance. It is a small room; however, it never seems to be full, despite always proving great music. Sean McGowan was no exception to this rule, with him and his band providing the energy needed to … Continue reading Live Review: Sean McGowan at Clwb Ifor Bach, 14/02/19

By Max Modell Frank Turner has been a prominent feature in the soundtrack of my life for years. Scoring heartaches, holidays and some of my happiest memories. Yet, until last Saturday I hadnÔÇÖt been blessed with the opportunity to see him perform with his band, The Sleeping Souls. I saw him perform an acoustic solo performance at Victorious Festival 2017, which while incredible felt like … Continue reading Live Review: Frank Turner at Motorpoint Arena, 02/02/19

By┬áMartina Merenda With their almost-all sold out UK tour, The Vaccines make their explosive comeback to Cardiff University’s own Students’ Union. The sold-out concert took place in the Great Hall, and words cannot fully explain what I had the honour to witness on the evening of the 1st February. The expression “times flies by when you’re having fun” was undoubtedly coined after a gig, because … Continue reading Live Review: The Vaccines, Hatchie and Jesse Jo Stark at The Great Hall, 01/02/19

By Max Modell When I spoke to Beans on Toast last month, he promised at his Clwb Ifor Bach he would be coming out bright eyed and bushy tailed, and he wasnÔÇÖt wrong. The energy levels of him and his band were off the chart and it was very clear they were all good mates, sharing a laugh between songs and flashing look during many … Continue reading Live Reviews: Beans on Toast at Clwb Ifor Bach, 31/01/19, ÔÇ£It is rare for a gig to have such a positive impactÔÇØ

By Eva Zhang Set up in high school, Australian rock bandÔÇöThe Faim came from Perth Australia, ambitious to win the global audiences. The band name means ÔÇ£the hungerÔÇØ in French. The boys confess their desire in this name. They are inspired by bands such as Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and Metallica, and an array of musical influences, from indie rock to jazz, … Continue reading Live Review: The Faim, at The Globe, 27/01/19

By Indigo Jones The music of The 1975 creates a sense of nostalgia for fans, as it brings back memories of 2013 listening to ÔÇÿChocolateÔÇÖ during break time before having to prepare for double science lessons. This nostalgia is what makes the band so popular. Although IÔÇÖve been a fan for years I havenÔÇÖt listened to their newer music as much. I didnÔÇÖt originally book … Continue reading Live Review: The 1975 at Motorpoint Arena – 14/01/19

By Alys Hewitt Twentytwo in Blue, the second record by New York natives Sunflower Bean, cherry-picks its influences with effortless ease, pairing breezy yet immersive psych-pop ballads with spikier tracks encapsulating the spirit of glam rock and punk. Their November show at CardiffÔÇÖs Globe, which marked the beginning of a tour of the UK, maintained a similar energy, moving seamlessly between the shimmering power pop … Continue reading Live Review – Sunflower Bean at The Globe, 19/11/18

By Laura Dazon ItÔÇÖs an agitated melting pot of people queuing around the Mortorpoint Arena of Cardiff that.┬á People of all ages, and, without bad wordplay, from all horizons, brought together to have a good time. While the concert room fills up, in this vibrant pre-night atmosphere: some people are in a hurry to get to the first row, where they wonÔÇÖt miss a thing, … Continue reading Live Review ÔÇô Bring Me the Horizon at Motorpoint Areana ÔÇô 27/11/2018

By Ellis Garamszegi I hadnÔÇÖt heard much of Katie Melua for many years but vaguely remembered two of her big hits ÔÇô “The Closest Thing to Crazy” and “Nine Million Bicycles”. When I heard she was touring I was quite intrigued as to what a mellow Melua performance would be like live, and in short, it was nothing short of beautiful. Call Off The Search … Continue reading Live Review: Katie Melua at St David’s Hall

By Alex Payne While Folk in the mainstream has seemed to have found itself in an awkward spot in the last couple of years, it seems to have missed Newcastle rockers Holy Moly and The Crackers completely. Their return to Cardiff was greeted by a crowd as eclectic as the band themselves, an odd assortment of die-hard fans and old friends, of all ages and … Continue reading Live Review: Holy Moly and The Crackers at The Moon – 08/11/18

By Jeni Gough The first thing that I noticed about the event was the variety of age groups attending, considering that it took place Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs Student Union. This was an audience that I felt shouted diversity and yet was united in music taste. The evening passed quickly but was definitely worth the price of a ticket, with a large enough venue that provided all … Continue reading Live Review: Courtney Barnett at The Great Hall – 18/11/18