Words and photos by Alice Lumley
On potentially one of the coldest and stormiest nights in Cardiff, I had the pleasure of going to see Spear of Destiny at a beloved Cardiff venue, The Globe. The Globe is one of my favourite venues in Cardiff as the staff are lovely, the venue is small and intimate but not too crowded and the drinks are cheap and have great facilities. It’s a venue I recommend to everyone for both club nights and live events, and the tickets are never more than ┬ú15.
Spear of Destiny, fronted by Kirk Brandon thirty-seven years ago, is a British post-punk rock band, currently touring the UK to promote the release of their fifteenth album, Ghost Population. They have an ever-changing lineup, with only one member, frontman Brandon, being part of the band since its forming.
Walking into the venue, I was definitely the youngest there by at least twenty-five years. While waiting for the band to come on, I chatted with some fans at the bar, one of whom had been following the band for so long, he has ended up befriending them and gets invited backstage every show – every big fanÔÇÖs dream, right? He assured me that every performance of theirs was incredible and that I was in for a treat – and safe to say I was not disappointed.
As soon as the band came on stage, the small venue felt so electric and full of energy, it felt as though we were about to take off. For a man whoÔÇÖs sixty-six years old, Kirk Brandon is an incredibly enigmatic performer who has not lost his edge at all. Their setlist was a mixture of old fan favourites and songs from their new album, and the entire crowd knew all the words.
People were dancing, singing and getting really into the concert – in fact, while I felt completely out of place, I danced a bit and even joined in on some of their singing, although I know none of us have a future on stage. While I was quite literally the only person there not wearing a Spear of Destiny t-shirt, I felt strangely welcomed.
The setlist itself was long, and with no opener, the band did not have long to perform, which they made up for by barely speaking in between songs. The full setlist was sixteen songs, and consisted of: Land of Shame, Radio Radio, Shine, Rocket Ship, Waster, Young Men, Clarion Call, So in Love With You, The Price, Neolithic, These Days are Gone, Lucky Man, Pilgrim, Prison Planet, Pumpkin Man and I Can See.
My personal favourite song was So in Love With You – the whole crowd was singing, itÔÇÖs a catchy song with great lyrics. All of the songs were great, and the mixture of personal and political themes both energised the crowd and created a phenomenal atmosphere.
Overall, I recommend that everyone see Spear of Destiny, especially if you are an old rock fan – theyÔÇÖre playing in the Students’ Union supporting Big Country in March, so get your tickets now!
