JOANNA GRUESOME | LIVE PREVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Sat 26 Sept
Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net
Much more than just a standard Headliner Plus Local Bands line-up, this gig reads like some excellent cross-section of a lot of the most vibrant and exciting music from round these parts, as well as a big shindig of JG friends and extended musical family. If Clwb catches fire this evening, then it’ll be okay as they have well maintained safety procedures.
Something of a homecoming gig for at least half of Joanna Gruesome this, and part of a UK tour surfing the deserved acclaim for their second album Peanut Butter, which stomps in the same footsteps as 2013’s Weird Sister. Since forming in Cardiff amidst changing line-ups and media-pranking backstories (they met, I dunno, skydiving), their addictive mix of US alterna-indie and UK jangle pop, of sugary sweet vocals and caustic guitar noise, has netted them a big heap of acclaim, plus US tours and a Welsh Music Prize gong.
This is the first JG tour since singer Alanna left, so say hello to new members Roxy (of Two White Cranes, Towel and a telephone directory more) and Kate, ex-of nails Glasgow punks Pennycress. This band is a total rush of high volume greatness, so get right down the front.
Utterly choice supports too: Bristol’s Towel are the no-questions best band around at the moment, a surreal mess of keyboard skronk, shouting and songs about imaginary office jobs. They’re like God doing karaoke and if you don’t like them you can fuck off. Fresh from their last Cardiff appearance, alienating the duller half of the Owen Pallett crowd, Brighton’s King Of Cats are a superbly gutwrenching trawl through disjointed lo-fi and warped torch songs. More Bristol champs in The Jelas, an angular ideas school of serrated guitar pop, while Cardiff represents through Twisted, a terrific blast of turbo garage punk.
Kudos to top-drawer local promoters Shape for allowing this youngster pile-up. Unless you actually can’t afford it, you can’t afford to miss this gig.
words WILL STEEN