SPRING KING | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 15 Feb
Injecting an early dose of summer into Cardiff in the dead of winter is no easy feat, but that’s exactly what post-punk foursome Spring King did on a drizzly Wednesday night at Clwb Ifor Bach, with an impressive arsenal of nostalgic tunes and good vibes. Getting straight to business in front of a packed house, the Manchester band powered swiftly through the tracklisting from their first full-length release Tell Me If You Like To, giving lead vocalist and drummer Tarek Musa scarcely enough breathing space between each upbeat, riff-riddled banger – much to the pleasure of the eager fans in attendance.
As the enthusiastic crowd bounce energetically to previously released singles City and Detroit, it’s refreshing to see expressions of pure pleasure on the band members’ faces, each one pitching in with vocal accompaniment to Musa’s lead and clearly having an absolute blast doing their thing. What’s refreshing is their completely candid, down-to-Earth attitude as they politely thank those for coming out and chat away, whilst continuously ramping up the positive atmosphere in the room song after song, from the slightly uneasy Demons to the sassy sax solo and reverberating chants that shake the room in Who Are You?
As unusual as it feels to some to see the lead vocalist going at it from behind the drumkit, Musa definitely deserves to be applauded for keeping up a constant stream of intense pounding throughout the night, whilst simultaneously managing to maintain clean, on-point vocals that never lose key. Taking a break with a slower number for the somewhat gloomier Take Me Away, it’s here that you can also appreciate another side to the singer, songwriter and producer powerhouse behind it all, and hear the intricate songwriting for what it is – an in-depth story with a sharp, witty edge.
It’s this whole package that really makes the band an attraction and keeps the crowds coming back – their quirky, punk attitude together with their distinctly unique sound, from the nostalgic Beach Boys-esque throwback provided by ‘The Summer’, to the mover and shaker that is Rectifier. There’s an overpowering sense of fun throughout it all that provides the glue to the whole evening, and something tells me that glue will only get stronger with time.
words ANNIE BISHOP