THE RPMS / BANDICOOT / VIOLET WALK / THE CASPIENS | LIVE REVIEW
This Feeling @ The Moon, Cardiff, Thurs 5 July
A rather humid summer evening saw the Moon’s cosy surroundings play host to a lineup of local Welsh acts in support of Brightonian headliners The RPMs. Setting the tempo, The Caspiens commanded an agile, taut and spirited display of frayed quasi-garage rock fare, with lead vocalist Adam Ovens channelling the sonorous tone of Alex Turner whilst confidently navigating high notes reminiscent of The Beach Boys. Coupled with playful yet consummate chemistry between the band members, the performance acted as an effective antidote to any lingering residual apathy amongst attendees.
Despite being only their sixth gig, Cardiff five-piece Violet Walk exhibit the sprite charisma and organic interplay with an audience symptomatic of more seasoned live acts. Dual vocalists Evie and Jen effusively rolled through a series of breezy Laurel Canyon-style folk and piano-driven numbers, floor-filling the venue’s intimate capacity in the process. A layered off-kilter rendition of Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Head and the revelry of forthcoming single Ruby helped summon a level of mystique with which the band seem to instinctively thrive.
Swansea trio Bandicoot brought their foppish and at times funk-tinged brand of indie-pop to the roster, with Rhys Underdown flitting between faux-Morrissey melancholia and spontaneous saxophony to affect a sound aspiringly akin to Foals. Juxtaposing sullen vocals with an animated stage presence proved spry, if at times jarring.
Tight and polished songwriting has become a defining characteristic of The RPMs. Kickstarting their UK tour in Cardiff, the quintet spared no time in injecting renewed vigour into the room, frontman Jack Valero’s baritone drawl lending itself to a fusion between the American heartland rock of Tom Petty and the synth-soaked beach-pop of, say, The Drums. The band seamlessly conjure bombast and technical prowess in equal measure, negotiating reverb-drenched anthem territory alongside kaleidoscopic moments like the pristine electro-pop of Let Things Happen, which helped garner Valero a crowd-surfing stint in the closing phase of the set. Visible recognition of the feel-good fervour these guys effortlessly inspire.
words CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH