Review: ASIWYFA @ Clwb
This is the fourth time theSprout has enjoyed And So I Watch You From Afar, the last few times being at the now defunct Barfly.
The move around Kingsway to the slightly larger Clwb Ifor Bach is good on many levels, but mainly thanks to the chairs dotted along the side walls we can stand on for a tidy view.
First up were Samoans, a Cardiff trio made up of non-Cardiffians who push a nice blend of screamo indie and chugging instrumentals. Although not this writer's barrel of monkeys, they nonetheless had a faultless rapport with the gathering crowd.
The less said about next band up, Tubelord, the better. I caught some of their set at the Swn Festival in 2008, and my memories of them were slightly less scathing than they are following tonight.
If anyone can explain the reason for their popularity, please feel free to comment below. Painfully bland indie pop with girly vocals is eclipsed only by painfully bland attempts at comedy interludes: "This one is dedicated to World War III. Hooray!" etc. Erm, right-o. But the singer has long purple hair, if that helps.
Thank feedback, then, for the return of Belfast instrumentalist mentalists, ASIWYFA. Their shows are a frenzied melee of time changes and guitar hammering unlike many you'll see on this level, and their debut at Clwb proved itself as such.
From face-melters like S Is For Salamander and new single Straight Through The Sun, to their more meloncholic and balls-out back catalogue including The Voiceless and Eat The City, Eat It Whole, the four lads pushed their instruments to breaking point for the hundredth time.
What really stands out is the switch from melodic intros, to schizophrenic thrash, to almost silent breakdowns (at some points so quiet that you can hear Clwb's air con) and back up to insane levels.
An encore of Set Guitars To Kill and the rarely-played-live Don't Waste Time Doing Things You Hate really got the pit going and wrapped things up nicely.
While the manic sounds ASIWYFA specialise in might not be everyone's bag, you could do far worse with your Wednesday night than find out what the fuss is about.
www.clwb.net
www.myspace.com/andsoiwatchyoufromafar
www.myspace.com/tubelord
www.myspace.com/samoanstheband
Previous ASIWYFA Review #1
Previous ASIWYFA Review #2
