PEACE / IDLES / SEAZOO / CHROMA | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Fri 20 Oct
The band kicking off this Swn Festival night was Pontypridd rock trio Chroma. High energy and lots of noise got the crowd warmed up and, despite the sound quality being quite poor throughout their set, managed to maintain their attention. What really made Chroma’s set memorable was their stage presence and ability to put on a show: a band you have to see live before deciding whether or not you like them.
Next up: north Wales’ Seazoo, the only band tonight I hadn’t heard of before. Perpetually giving the impression of enjoying themselves, this reflected onto the crowd; Seazoo’s melodic indie-like riffs and interesting sound effects made for an engaging half-hour.
The main support of the evening, Bristol-based Idles, were fresh from supporting Foo Fighters at London’s O2 Arena, and the band I was the most excited to see. As soon as they got onstage, the crowd erupted into moshpits; their energy maintained throughout, lead singer Joe Talbot kept everyone hanging off his every word, and both audience and band members crowdsurfed with regularity. Performing the bulk of 2017 debut album Brutalism, such as fan favourites Mother and Well Done, this set turned me from someone who merely enjoyed Idles’ music, to a superfan. I even lost an earring… One of the best bands in the world right now. Fact.
It was finally time for headliners Peace [pictured] to take to the stage, whereupon moshpits and anger turned into moshpits and happiness. Not only because, compared to Idles, Peace are considerably less belligerent, but also because fans have been waiting for Peace to return from their hiatus for a pretty long time. Opening with Lovesick, one of their biggest hits, and continuing with their best known numbers (special mention to 1998, the song every Peace fan prays they’ll play), they have clearly come back with more confidence, and, well, it was a stunning experience.
After moving from my spot at the barrier after Idles, I viewed this set from the back, and watching the crowd during 1998 was possibly more incredible than watching the actual band. Every fan knew exactly when the beat was going to kick in and the whole room was bouncing. A sole new song wasn’t as upbeat and exciting as their back catalogue, although it got a great reception from the crowd as it meant that more new music is on the way. Peace are back from the dead and everyone should be very excited about it.
words CONNIE MATTHEWS photos AMY FARRER
