FORMIDABLE FEST | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 23 Nov
All-dayers can be a hit or miss affair. Managing a diverse yet coherent lineup and maintaining momentum over an eight-hour event is a tough tightrope to walk. Upbeat north Wales alt-rockers The Joy Formidable [above] promised much with Formidable Fest, a mish-mash celebration of contemporary UK indie, low-key acoustic acts, live art and two full sets of their own. Could they deliver?
On the whole, yes. Leaving aside the fact that mid-capacity venues in Cardiff are currently in short supply, Tramshed was a smart choice. Formidable fans could slip effortlessly between the cosy upstairs bar, which hosted a quieter bunch of bilingual acoustic acts and local artists, and the noisy big hitters in the main hall. Mercifully, this staggered approach meant that time spent idly waiting at the bar between set changes, contemplating another pint and longing for a comfy seat, was kept to a minimum. Nicely done.
But what of the lineup? TJF set out to shoehorn together a mezze platter of Welsh-language acts, long-established names and local heroes from across the UK, all united under the so-broad-it’s-basically-meaningless indie-rock umbrella. It could so easily have been a mess, but it worked. The faerie-folk jumble of Islet confused, delighted and divided the crowd in equal measure. If bells, avant-garde chaos and artsy theatrics are your bag, seek out their next show pronto.
Their whimsy was blasted into the past by baby-faced 80’s throwbacks Walt Disco. No matter that the gothy Glaswegian quintet are certainly not old enough to have been born in the decade, let alone to have lived it; their earnest study of spiky post-punk was spot on, augmented by flamboyant frontman James Potter’s powerful vibrato and authentic mullet.
Brighton veterans Blood Red Shoes were one of the night’s big draws. After a decade in the business as a powerhouse guitar and drum two piece, Laura-Mary Carter and Steve Ansell took four years out to reassess and regroup before hitting back with fifth album Get Tragic in early 2019. They’ve returned as a more developed band, beefed up by an additional two touring members live. But though their sound is bigger and better than ever, BRS’s onstage delivery is disjointed. Drummer Ansell tears through each song with the same vigour he brought to shows back in 2005, but though Carter’s performance is technically flawless it’s hard to shake the sense that she’s weary, perhaps even bored. Is this an exercise in cool posturing or a sign that she’s ready to give it all up again? Hard to tell.
Fortunately, headliners and masterminds The Joy Formidable flipped the switch back up to ‘max power’ with their exuberant second set. Though the trio are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning, the relentless posi vibes they brought to the party made it feel like the first big-stage outing of an excitable young band in their infancy.
Frontwoman Ritzy Bryan grinned her way through the set, eyes wide and bright as she surveyed the bouncing, balloon-batting crowd, closing only when her vocals soared into the stratosphere. It was the home-from-homecoming of a band who have endured ups and downs and emerged, smiling, at the top of their game. The three-piece showcase the best of accessible yet innovative Welsh indie, and even this newbie to TJF’s back catalogue left as a full-blown fan.
words BETTI HUNTER