Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
Late afternoon or early evening? Either way it’s ‘twixt the hours of five and six on a chilly but sunny Spring day in the Welsh capital city. The giant mural of bilingual singer Gwenno (Welsh and Cornish) gazes wistfully down, from its spot upon the southern side of Clwb Ifor, upon a typically bustling Womanby Street.
On the opposite side of this historic street – purported to be one of the oldest in the city – the legendary Fuel Club is hosting the all-dayer Noizzefest, further adding to the already hustling and bustling scene. Not to be outdone Clwb Ifor is home for not one but two gigs this evening. Whilst we’re downstairs above the reggaematic bass-driven electronic melding of the Dub Pistols adds to the vibrant atmosphere.
The Cruel Knives, along with their main tour support Crashface, have certainly clocked up the mileage having already hit up Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, and Bournemouth before heading northwards to Birmingham to complete a most industrious schedule of six gigs across six days. No breaks or brakes simply hard on the collective accelerator throughout.
Local trio Seeweed, an outfit completely new to me, get things going early doors with a bright, summery set that neatly diverges into an indie realm. “We’re a tad lighter than the other bands tonight!” quips bassist Morgan McCarthy midway through their set. Their decompressed, chilled out vibes are a tasty contrast to the intense kinetics to be released upon us later.
The atmospheric six-string talents of Matthew Pearce intros the opening track ‘Will It Take You Home’. It’s a bold manoeuvre to open with an instrumental but these likeable lads pull it off as the precision of Pearce’s Strat dovetails with the raucous low end provided by drummer Tom May and bassist McCarthy, the latter proudly sporting a Welsh themed bass strap.
There’s certainly a touch of Muse herein however this isn’t the only dimension that they inhabit. Something which is displayed in the XTC / 10CC crossover of ‘Four Walls’ that follows the breezy warmths of ‘Last Request’.
Those filling the intimate surrounds of CIB’s ground floor venue hop onboard with the bluesy delights of Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing’. A number which perfectly encapsulates what this triumvirate are all about, this is a band to watch out for.
Segueing neatly into the deep soulful blues driven ‘My Love’ their laid-back approach salivates. A second instrumental ‘Release’ ensues as the energy rises into 2022 single ‘Oncoming Storm’ that possesses touches of Pink Floyd and, contrastingly, The Police. Pearce’s searing licks echo resoundingly.
With a “2-3-4” McCarthy counts in the crisp 21st century despatch of ‘Collective Consciousness’ before the set is concluded in fine style by up-tempo debut single ‘Issues’. Thanks for the introduction chaps, we’ll be keeping a close eye on future endeavours.
Since formation, some four years ago Crashface have transcended across boundaries and defiantly defied classification. There are over 200 sub-genres, if you believe what you read on ‘t’internet’, across the sonic metalliferous spectrum however Crashface stubbornly refuse to be categorized into a box singular.
They ebb and flow with the intrinsically damaging strengths of a full-blown tsunami at once taking you by the hand for the rollercoaster ride of your life whilst lumping you right between the eyes with a megalomaniacal sledgehammer. Their enraged output is 21st century, no doubt of it, lying somewhere, personally, between the unique aspirational despatches of feral blues-punkers Mother Vulture and alt grime metallers DeadWax.
This year expanded to a four-piece the nucleus duo of vocalist Charlie Hinton and bassist Otto Balfour leave CIB in tatters with their shock and awe tactics. Dark forces rumble from the PA afore a heavily thudding beat shakes the walls. With a wild crash of percussion Hinton punches the air above the drum kit with aplomb; it’s showtime!
The seismic mayhem of the set-opening ‘Tripwire’ sets the venue ablaze, the raw and bleeding guitaring stabs out in the darkness as Hinton, cutting a figure somewhere between Billie Joe Armstrong and Joe Strummer, acerbically spasms “Kill it with fire.” Thrashing out, taking CIB apart brick by brick, domination is assured.
This is a ticking timebomb but be aware as Crashface employ the shortest of fuses. ‘Arguments’ is an unrelenting blur of dynamics akin to the conflagrancy of The Prodigy and My Chemical Romance. This is an alloy that really shouldn’t have any intrinsic strengths but with an ingenuity mixed with an inner angst it truly does. Detonative yet controlled.
Hurricane energies flood forth as further explosive elements threaten existence itself with the splendidly psychotic ‘Murder Dream’; remember where you first encountered Crashface as this has the potential to be off-the-scale.
Balfour leans on the backline as Hinton barks out the opening lines of latest single ‘C.H.A.I.N.S.A.W.’; grinding emo, punk hardcore with a techno beat in a sledgehammer delivery takes no prisoners. The chainsaw remains menacingly atop the cabs, this isn’t no prop. Quite befitting as there is absolutely nothing whatsoever fake about this band.
Hinton’s frenzied vocals etch upon pulsing guitars in the Trivium / Pendulum cocktail of the very well-received ‘Scream’. Signature track ‘ultraplasticplanetkiller’ ably demonstrates why Radio 1 and Kerrang! both champion and why Crashface took last year’s Download Festival by the scruff of the neck.
Any doubt of the future of metal? Then closing volatile track techno punk metal ‘Molotov Smile’ should dispel them in an impactful manner. The singular voice who had heard of Crashface prior to tonight has now been joined by a considerable percentage of the healthy crowd gathered within. “It’s always special to come and play Cardiff” notes Hinton, nodding towards his Penarth roots.
This is a staggering kinetic that is ultra-keen to stake its claim to be a bold part of the forward drive of 21st century metal. Ensure your building and contents insurance is fully paid up as further structural destruction is imminent if Crashface’s current rocketing trajectory is maintained.
With emergency treatment required for the PA after the wondrous onslaught and obliterative effects of Crashface all eyes are upon headliners The Cruel Knives. Although formed in 2017, from the ashes of Heaven’s Basement, this quartet didn’t come to my attention until last year’s Steelhouse Festival.
Sadly though, under leaden skies on what has become known as ‘Soggy Sunday, they didn’t quite cut through the murk atop the mountain. I wrote, in that day’s review, “but in spite of some quality material there’s little in the way of engagement with the Steelhouse crowd and I’m left just a fraction cold.” Given what has just passed I confess, as the band set up, to wondering whether our headliners could vault over the high bar set.
Happily, however, I can report, with hand upon heart, that with the hi-energy engaging set delivered by The Cruel Knives tonight, in all honesty, have thrust every last word back down my metaphorical throat!
As the abyssal notes of final track ‘Crawl’ reverberate about the intimate surrounds of Clwb Ifor Bach I’m most satisfied that I heeded my concluding words upon TCK from Steelhouse – “A further watching, minus the dampening distractions of the weather, is definitely required.” Job done for sure in a fine fettle as their inner demons are unleashed.
Touring with Those Damn Crows at the tail end of last year has paid off on many fronts. Indeed, Crows’ merch was in evidence amongst many in the CIB ensemble. By the hour of nine Clwb is neatly full as the doomy ‘dance of the dragon queen’ infused intro emits from the venue’s PA. Dry ice swirls as, firstly, drummer Al Junior followed by bassist Rob Ellershaw, six-stringer Sid Glover and, lastly but by no mean least, affable frontman Tom Harris.
Right foot angled on his pedal board Glover hunkers over his Les Paul as Junior pounds the intro beats of the hard-hitting ‘The Life We Made’. Dispensing with his mic stand Harris, with eagle-eyed precision, notes that the connecting cable has come loose. Swiftly, without a blink, the errant object is reconnected and, smiling, Harris raises a victorious ‘V’ to the crowd.
The level of kinetics and engagement, just a track in, are noticeably on a much-elevated plane compared to Steelhouse as throughout the ranks there appears to be a collective shift up through the gears. The major hook of the nu-metal of ‘Overdose’ follows with Glover taking centre stage for one of many absorbing ascendant solos.
Successfully beckoned closer to the stage the crowd raise their hands at the bequest of Harris whilst Glover, eyes firmly closed, is beautifully lost in the moment of mellifluousness. Moody and explosive ‘Black Eye Friday’ the impassioned crowd is saluted with Glover’s raised guitar and Junior’s sticks in a likewise ascending location.
The devilish demonic ‘Kill The Messenger’ follows accelerating to the maximum, metallic V8’s roaring as the revs flow through them as 2017 debut EP ‘Side One’ is dusted off. The sides are flipped over as the southern grooves of ‘Hollow People’ collide a pounding rhythm. Infectiousness of elevated levels abound as the crowd headbang throughout.
A swaggering Sabbath-infused furrow is ploughed within ‘On A Leash’; Harris lyrically enquires “Why are you looking so scared?” whilst Glover, to his left, sends plumes of molten magmatic sounds flying. With gothic undercurrents ‘Nail Them To The Walls’, a single release late last year, is a rage of coherence that applies titular accuracy.
Apparently, according to Harris, this The Cruel Knives’ first headline show in Cardiff and the response to his enquiring “You guys want us to come back?” is an unequivocal and resounding positive. The set is ratcheted upwards further with hallmark number ‘All Your Heroes Hate You’; a tall, bearded gent, a couple of rows from the front, roars the chorus with enthusiastic gusto catching the eye of Harris. There’s a nod towards The Hives’ ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ herein and it’s all the better for it.
Rolling headfirst into most recent release ‘Itchy Trigger Finger’ TCK continue an emphatic despatch prior to a live airing of the, as of yet, unreleased ‘Shotgun To The Head’ with its darkened touches of Primal Scream and a gloriously curious edge towards The Cure within the guitar solo.
This evening we’ve borne witness to a much different beast to the one encountered up that Welsh mountain. One which has unshackled the character within the band’s ranks and within the intimate environs of Clwb Ifor Bach has worked an absolute treat. With a nap hand of singles since 2019’s ‘Side Two’ EP I’m eagerly awaiting further studio releases from this fine outfit.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
