The Globe, Cardiff
27.01.10
Having lived in Cardiff for the greater portion of the last three years, I’ve developed a fondness and a particular attachment to the city, yet my experiences with the new, uninvited zeitgeist that has haunted the city’s music scene has left me frightened and a little pissed off. Let me attempt to elaborate; tonight’s event takes place at The Globe, a gorgeously unique establishment that has waves of incense flooding out the windows that attract some of the most diverse and spectacular musicians to make some noise there.
Apparently, this noise is unacceptable in a city that favours sprawling shopping centres and money over anything that has some personality – so the venue is to be closed if it does not become quiet. Tonight is one of many fundraising gigs to ‘Save The Globe’, meaning things in the future won’t be quiet, but contained a little.
The music scene itself has suffered as a result of standardizing this lovely little city, and a great deal of the fresh, young acts from the capital are sleepy, twee and painfully uninspired, making it very hard for me to optimistic about a city I genuinely love. This, thankfully, cannot be said about the two bands playing this evening. Aside from a support act I couldn’t find memorable if I tried (and from the look of their outfits, oh how they did try – imagine if two Tom Baker impersonators hooked up with a bass player who works in a shitty music store and gives 10% discount to anyone who smiles at him, then made music inspired entirely from their Dad’s driving CD), the night was a hopeful one for the raw musical talent that clearly still thrives in a place where it sadly isn’t always encouraged. And Houdini Dax don’t hesitate in reminding us of that.
Context: the average age of Houdini Dax is 18. I wouldn’t normally mention this, as age is irrelevant in creative work, but how many 18 year olds do you know that aren’t complete fucking twats? I was 18, and I was such an awful piece of shit. Unmotivated, arrogant and ungrateful for how easy life was then. But in just the way they fill the stage, holding the audience’s attention confidently and with substance to match, Houdini Dax go beyond expectations of immaturity and instead of running to tick all the boxes of the young musician’s checklist, use their expert ear for goodness to make their own, then throw it all away and just jam the fuck out. These guys are very talented, play extremely danceable rock ‘n’ roll and offer an inexplicable something that makes good bands good. Watch out for these.
The Method are tonight’s headliners and have long been part of Cardiff’s musical protest for getting people to appreciate and get out to see good fucking music. But all activist tendencies aside, lead singer Rich and his cronies play fantastically energetic, ear-throbbingly good music with a menacing stage presence. Combined with the roaring riffs and synth-infused melodies, The Method demand (sometimes through spoken imperatives) body movement and active audience participation. Tonight happened to be guitarist Johnny Alchemist’s birthday also, and necking a bottle screaming “SING UP YOU FUCKS!” during an impromptu birthday singalong is the kind of attitude you should expect from these guys if they head your way. And they will. Perhaps whilst gurning, but oh they will come your way. Don’t stand still.
Stanley.