Gentleman’s Dub Club, a nine-piece ensemble from Leeds, took over the Tramshed in Cardiff for the first night of their rescheduled UK tour – and they certainly started with a bang. I’ve seen GDC perform live multiple times, and each show leaves me craving more.
Possessing amazing chemistry that is a wonder to witness onstage, GDC’s contagious, high-energy performance excites any crowd, with this show being no exception. The lighting and effects throughout the show complemented the mood of each track really well and helped guide the audience on an adventure through time and space. Big ups to the sound engineer also as the mix was crisp and on point.
Following sterling support from tour opener Kiko Bun, a good mix of old tunes plus the cream of 2021’s Down To Earth album was showcased. Lead singer Jonathan Scratchley blew me away, his impressive range taking over the room as he effortlessly switched from soothing melodies to fierce bars whilst barely taking a breath. Music Is The Girl I Love, perhaps the closest thing GDC have to a crossover hit was an inevitable crowd favourite: it was sick to see the Tramshed erupt as soon as the stinking bass dropped.
Band and Cardiff crowd alike radiated a beautiful aura and raised the vibrations in the room with their beautiful music. It was nice to see various ages in the crowd celebrating good music together, too – you get the impression that many had been apart for so long this constituted a reunion. The night ended with a huge encore following calls for Gentleman’s Dub Club to perform one final tune: they could have performed all night, but all good things must come to an end eventually.
words LAURA FEDELI photos JONATHAN HERRON
