“Join in by shouting yee-haw whenever you like!”, The Kelly Line’s Ben tells the crowd. The younger one of the father/son songwriting duo (The Kelly Line can be traced all the way back to 1890s Ireland), he’s getting the night underway with a solo acoustic set.
Sometimes he performs with a full band, but tonight he’s on his own up there – and fully owns it. His easy-going personality is a hit with the crowd, as is his indie-folk-punk sound that evokes thoughts of Frank Turner, Pat The Bunny and early Jake Bugg all at once.
He’s followed by grunge-punk trio NTM, who regale the crowd with stories of broken toes and Babybels, and of course some very fucking good music. They bring raw energy and excitement to the stage, in a set that belies their relative lack of experience.
Their original material is certainly ear-catching and provides raucous entertainment, with ‘Tomorrow’ a highlight – vocalist Izzy Warren is reminiscent of Gwen Stefani, and though the band actually cover No Doubt’s ‘Just a Girl’ in their set, it’s no carbon copy of the original – there’s a real sense defiance in Warren’s vocals, as if they’re here to take no shit, giving the track a sharper edge.
We’re then treated to a cover of Wolf Alice’s ‘Moaning Lisa Smile’, again a real hit, and original track ‘Imposter’ before Warren – who is presumably sponsored by the popular lunchbox snack – throws Babybels out to people in the crowd; it’s a hell of a lot of fun and is more punk than anything the Sex Pistols have ever done too.
The night is rounded off by headliners The 409 Club, the four-piece serving up a set of vibrant indie for a fantastic night of South Wales talent.
Written by Adam E