Not many festivals forecast who is next up better than Cardiff’s Sŵn. From Bathing Suits to Shaking Hands, below are some of the best new bands who brought the roof down in Wales this past weekend.
The sun beams down on an amiable Friday afternoon as I step out of Cardiff Train Station. A ten-minute walk to my hotel for the evening sees three Wetherspoons passed. I feel uneasily safe. There’s a lot to like about the city, for a short stay, at least. The accent is warming and familiar, but sharp and salty when it needs to be, which is sort of exciting; like I’m where I need to be and yet far away from what I know.
Sŵn Festival is a fixture of the Welsh capital, taking over a handful of venues for a boozy weekend every October. Indie music lovers and industry heads congregate to stand cross-armed in crowds and enjoy music more than they appear to. It’s a line-up that predicts and previews the bands and artists who’ll be increasingly active next year, a chance to see buzzy acts in smaller, more intimate spaces ahead of successes to come.
It’s a three-day-long festival, but after months of punishing my physical and mental well-being, and London weekend plans to get back to, I can only stomach one: the stacked Friday. There’s a plethora of goodness on offer; here’s the best of it…
Esmeralda Road
Pure eclectic sauce. The room where the gig is held is unforgiving, upstairs at the ironically named Liittle O’Neils which is lit like a rundown social club in north west Preston. But the Belfast band make it work, very much in command. Frontman Charlie Magill has an insatiable unpredictability that is exciting and essential.
Side note – for those wondering, there is a big O’Neills, but just called O’Neills without the ‘Big’ which is quite disappointing.
HMLTD
Releasing their third album a week after their performance, enigmatic and engaging collective HMLTD put on a hell of a show. There’s an industrial Joy Division edge, with sense-shifting synths and smouldering salivation, heavy on the ears but light to the touch.
Shaking Hands
0 audience interaction, but why would there need to be? This is Class A, spellbinding instrumentation with excellent instrumentation and song-structuring; a band beyond restriction, slinging out eight-minute cinematic masterpieces like it’s no one’s business. Great hair, even better compositions. Dazzling stuff.
Honeyglaze
In the wistful effervescence of St. John’s Church, Honeyglaze set down a marker for their next era. At first I’m doubting whether it’s the right location, with the mix (especially the drums) feeling a bit out of sorts, but the set grows by the track. New music sounds gorgeous; the classics from their first two albums are seminal. One of the most underrated British bands around right now.
Bathing Suits
Getting the party started, Bathing Suits hold a coveted late evening slot for a reason. The Leeds quarter bring the freak and the fervour, from snarling chanted hooks to masterful sonic tension-building, causing a mini crowd tsunami as Friday night reaches its climax. Early doors for the band – a lot to come.
Words – Ben Tibbits
