This fantastic fundraiser gig has been a win-win concept from the off. Featuring local and upcoming bands, the whole night has been designed to raise money for grassroots venues through the Music Venue Trust – so bands used to playing in places like Swansea’s Bunkhouse get to play onstage in the Arena and raise money for venues like the Bunkhouse. Genius!
It was a full day of music, with artists in the coffee shop beforehand and then Pseudo Cool kicking things off on the main stage at 5pm. This reviewer got there in time for the last four of the eight bands, and the standard was high. Grey FLX performed an intense set of heavy songs by singer-songwriter, frontman and guitarist Logan Powles – who basically is Grey FLX, and who was very happy to be sharing the big stage with his backing band, including some tasteful sax playing over a lot of ambient synth backings.
If any of the pre-headliner bands won over the hearts of the crowd, though, it was Monet. Punk and thrash, with a side of funk and ska beats thrown in, Monet’s no-compromises approach to serving up their songs was genuine and infectious. While they sell themselves as a ‘quartet of chaos’, these guys were seriously well-rehearsed – not that that dampens their spontaneity. When the final song descended into a full band pile-on, with the frontman emerging bloodied and brilliant, you knew they would be a hard act to follow.
The Fiends rose to the challenge and were another example of how every band on the stage did their own thing tonight – more brooding and groove-based, but the joy of having the opportunity to perform in front of nearly a thousand people and play through the Arena’s PA was obvious.
And so to headliners Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, kings of the Cardiff scene and a band apart in terms of confidence and experience. Frontman Tom Rees was on guitar for the whole set which opened with their floor-filler Double Denim Hop and didn’t let up with the intensity until the final Love Forever. With his Gibson SG tight to his body, Rees’ often Jagger-like antics were replaced by a mix of Angus Young struts and Jim Carrey gurning.
Playing a set of songs almost entirely from their upcoming album Skinwalker, this was another band who were determined to show who they are right now, without compromise. New single Therapy was an absolute stand out of epic progness and Sugar Sandwich proved Buzzardx3 can produce the hits even with a heavier sound.
A brilliant night of music for a great cause, one that showed that grassroots and the big stages can work together when everyone goes into it with the right attitude. And with the bands on display tonight, there was attitude to spare.
House Party, Swansea Arena, Sat 24 Feb
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES photos LLOYD STRANAGHAN / MARTIN DYKSTRA
