HOT 8 BRASS BAND / AFRO CLUSTER | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Thurs 4 May
I have to say I had very high hopes of seeing both these bands live for the first time. Afro Cluster are an afro-funk hip-hop collective from Cardiff who were supporting at Tramshed. The title of their most recent single We Don Land is Nigerian Pidgin English for “we have arrived”; it’s also their most memorable moment, yet they certainly made an impression as they savoured every second of their set time. Bands like this and Dirty Alex are championing hip-hop in Cardiff.
Full of charisma, the New Orleans-based Hot 8 Brass Band opened with an energetic recreation of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart – this song being a definite favourite of mine, I was instantly hooked. They continued to dish out recognised songs such as Get On Up (a play on James Brown’s Sex Machine) and their most well-known number, a cover of Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing which had the place bouncing.
It made sense that the Hot 8 Brass Band opened with these anthems, songs everyone could sing along to, before diving into their original compositions from recent fifth album On The Spot. Their new material did not disappoint: offering a funkier feel, it’s a testament to their songwriting, as we’re so accustomed to hearing covers from the Grammy-nominated group.
I think many people believe that brass bands’ sole purpose is classical renditions, but the Hot 8 Brass Band’s combination of funk and hip-hop offers a more accessible take to the familiar marching band style sounds. Built with sax and trumpet solos, this set created a real party aura, and there wasn’t a single dull moment.
words CADI DAFYDD JONES