Review: Kids In Glass Houses & Boys Like Girls
Sold out months before the bands got anywhere near the capital, it was obvious where Cardiff stood in regards to Kids In Glass Houses and Boys Like Girls on Sunday night.
As we arrived at the entrance of Cardiff University's Great Hall, we were shocked, horrified but also weirdly pleased with the amount of people that had turned up to support the bands that night. With the queue trailing from the doors all the way down the road for about 200 yards, we joined the end expecting a long wait. However the staff at the Students' Union handled proceedings well and we were inside the great hall within ten minutes max.
As we were arriving the supporting act was already mid-flow with their first song, You And What Army were a band of decent performers with a lot of talent to show in the bassist and guitarist and had some catchy songs, however I would be the first to say that some were a bit hit-and-miss depending on the audience. A promising band on first impressions with plenty of potential despite the (just stating my opinion here) slightly irritating vocalist/DJ.
Next in line was the American four piece Boys Like Girls, certainly making an entrance with their hit single Love Drunk, with all 70 guitar picks lined up ready on the mic stands to throw into the crowd at random intervals they were off. Vocalist/guitarist Martin Johnson ran the stage with a commanding presence while he sang surprisingly well for the amount he was jumping around, a well drilled band that delivered well and certainly questioned some people’s opinions on the ability of the band.
After the well-executed performance by Boys like Girls, a theatrical style curtain descended on the stage while it was set up for what everybody was waiting for.
Waiting agitatedly the crowd became restless and the lights descended at breaking point, erupting screams and applause bellowed from the mouth of the crowd as the curtains were raised and the silhouette of the band was revealed.
Sunshine blasted through the speakers and the crowd went wild, a surge forward as everyone tried to get as close as they could to the band. Reading the perfect way to get the crowd riled up it was amazing how comfortable the band looked on stage. Aled showed his colours with a stunning vocal performance fuelled by his enthusiasm and interactions with the crowd, guitarists Iain Mahanty and Joel Fisher and bassist Andrew Shay looked confident throughout, all set to unrelenting rhythm by Philip Jenkins on the drums.
As one of the few bands I know of that sounds almost identical live as they do recorded in a studio they are almost guaranteed to keep going up, up and up in the music industry. Playing all the great new songs Dirt has to offer and the classics there was something to please everyone, from hardcore fans to Moshers, the feeling was mutual.
We even got a listen to a new song only ever played four times to an audience, more on that with the upcoming album scheduled for March.
Overall this was one of the best concerts I've attended and would recommend a listen to anyone, even if their style isn’t to your taste, you've got to admire the commitment.
Keep on your toes if you want tickets to the next gig, I can feel an another sell-out coming on...
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