ALED RHEON AND THE GORGEOUS CHARGE | LIVE REVIEW
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 25 Nov
On an all-Welsh bill, support for tonight’s sold-out show in the capital’s premier arts space comes from a couple of acts who between them suggest that the next generation of Welsh folk artists will be something special. Up first is Merthyr Tydfil’s Bryony Sier, a talented songwriter blessed with a mature voice that belies her young age, who treats the steadily filling room to a set of country-tinged blues.
Ofelia, who follow, offer something totally different. Ever seen someone shred on a mandolin? Yeah, it was a new experience for me, too, and just one of the elements that make this five-piece band from Caerphilly stand out as ones to keep an eye on. With impeccable three-way vocal harmonies, a strong set of songs and a relaxed, playful manner on stage, they impress tonight. Both acts are backed by the Forté Project, an Arts Council Wales-funded scheme to ensure that talented musicians from south Wales get the audience their ability demands. Based on tonight’s performance, both Ofelia and Sier will blossom under such exposure.
Tonight’s headliner, Aled Rheon, has received similar support, as one of a crop of emerging talents to have been included in BBC Cymru’s Horizons/Gorwelion scheme last year, which gave him the opportunity to play at various festivals and receive extensive broadcast coverage. New EP, A Gorgeous Charge, launched tonight, is a strong justification for the investment placed in him. It’s a sublime record, which showcases the best of Rheon’s songwriting gifts and his delicate vocal talent.
Stark, in an all-white outfit, he is backed by The Gorgeous Charge, an eight-piece ensemble decked in contrasting black, who bring out the best of his material. Fellow singer-songwriter Eve Goodman lends honeyed harmonies to Rheon’s subtle melodies and a three-piece string section adds depth and a touch of magic to the night. Their arrangement for Rheon’s excellent cover of Radiohead’s Lucky, in particular, is a masterstroke. His own material is equally as impressive: You Have Me Now is an explicit dissection of a relationship at breaking point, engaging in its openness, while Wrap Up Warm, played early in the set, is as nourishing as a bowl of chicken soup on a cold day.
Affable and unaffected, Rheon makes everyone in the room feel like he’s their best mate and when he leaves the stage after an encore, it’s to warm applause and raised glasses.
words and photos HUGH RUSSELL