THE WYTCHES | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Tue 1 Dec
The legendary late-80s Sub Pop Records sound has been resurrected from its crusty Seattle grave by Brighton’s dirty garage rockers, The Wytches. Signed to Heavenly Records, who boast some of the most interesting alternative acts in the UK, The Wytches have emerged as one of the major breakouts of the indie scene in the last couple of years.
Being in my twenties, I don’t often walk into a gig and feel old as hell. With the average age of the crowed being 16, though, I felt more at home hugging the wall with the balding dads watching their kids swirl and push their way to the front of the moshpit. All the same, it’s pretty rad seeing so many young kids getting into alternative music despite the brainwashing effect of top 40 radio.
Supported perfectly by Black Honey and Traams, The Wytches stumbled onto stage and began to create a wall of sound to shock the crowed into a bobbing mess. Having caught The Wytches a couple of times now, this is probably the tightest set I’ve seen from them. They created a visceral atmosphere of energy, which they dipped in and out of throughout the set. Kristian Bell’s vocals are raw and emotional and keep you on the edge of a razor blade throughout songs like Crying Clown, Digsaw and Robe For Juda.
It will be interesting to see where The Wytches will go in the future. With the music climate being the way it is with all alternative bands hitting the indie glass ceiling, I would love to see The Wytches break into a wider demographic and have a bigger cultural impact.
words and photo JAYDON MARTIN