MAYBESHEWILL/ FLOOD OF RED/ SAMOANS | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 10 Dec
Maybeshewill are the BEST BAND IN THE WORLD. Well, maybe not, but certainly that’s the opinion of the jelly-spined loon, spasmodically headbanging in a full 180-degree arc in front of me. He’s not alone in this view, nor in his impassioned response to the impressive instrumental rock these five lads from Leicester pump out. They’ve developed a fervently enthusiastic fanbase, hard-won after years of touring with everyone from …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead to earthtone9, and plenty of them have filled Clwb on a freezing Wednesday night.
Whetting the appetite before tonight’s main act, Samoans clatter through a brief but noisily excellent set, which showcases a diverse range of influences, reminiscent at times of early Biffy Clyro, at others of recent Deftones (the punchy Lightning Beneath The Sea, in particular, would not have sounded out of place had it been snuck on as a bonus track on Diamond Eyes). As support bands go, they’re spot on for tonight’s show, filling the room early with a crowd of eager friends and fans, keen to shake their tails to the Welsh Music Prize nominees’ raw-throated anthems.
Airdrie’s Flood Of Red are, at least tonight, a far more underwhelming proposition, playing with only rare flashes of urgency. Still, they’re an experienced bunch and know well how to bond with an audience, drawing appreciative applause throughout. They close on mellow standout track Ye Die, Ye Die, demonstrating a depth to their songwriting which makes up for the tepid delivery.
Maybeshewill, inevitably, boost the energy levels in the venue, bounding on and blasting into an hour of uplifting post-rock. Fifty-eight dates into their current tour, the band are precise and practiced. Onstage banter is minimal, and a few lights and a backdrop are the band’s only concessions to aesthetics, but their soaring, keyboard-drenched material alone is enough to incite elation in most of those present. Tracks from latest record Fair Youth are met with as positive a response as older, heavier songs and the sweat pouring from so many of Maybeshewill’s supremely animated fans by the end is testament to both the quality of the band’s songwriting and to the merits of hard work.
words HUGH RUSSELL
