Bandicoot @ Clwb Ifor Bach
(4/10/19)
Words and Photos by Hannah Nicholson-Tottle
Swansea alternative outfit Bandicoot have certainly made a name for themselves from supporting the likes of Blaenavon, VANT, and Spring King to a myriad of sell-out shows…but will their debut Cardiff headline gig live up to the hype?
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First up were fellow Swansea four-piece Clwb Fuzz. Although I missed the beginning of their set (cheers Uber) a horde of head-banging had already begun as I arrived; a far cry from the scattered groups talking into their pints that often overlook the opening set. Their teeth-baring grunge sound and tumbling riffs were an instant hit with the crowd.
With a packed-out full-house, Aberystwyth outfit Mellt launched into a hefty set. They slipped seamlessly between Welsh and English, smashed out fan favourites ‘Rebel' and 'Planhygion Gwyllt' and finished with a triumphant instrumental to round off ‘Cysgod Cyfarwydd.’ Gwnewch y pethau bychain a gwrandewch ar Mellt indeed.
Sock offered up some space to breathe between the hookier sets in the form of woozy dreamscapes. Expertly blending bittersweet harmonies, intense breakdowns and darker sub-currents, they left the stage to the sound of demands for one more song.
Then came Bandicoot. Kicking things off with a classic, Everything I Need, the crowd took to the band like old friends. It’s always been difficult pin down what defines the four-pieces sound, their eclectic mix of ambient instrumentals, funk-filled riffs, driving drums and rich writing is unquestionably their own. And this was taken to another level as demonstrated in new tracks ‘Worried Blues, Dark Too Long and Nad Fi Wyt Ti.’ The Welsh language never sounded so good bouncing off the iconic walls of Clwb Ifor Bach and echoed back to the band via an adoring audience and sweltering pits. Hitting it home with ‘Shake,’ this was Bandicoot's long-awaited, first headline gig in Cardiff, and it was nothing short of biblical.
