Sunshine Underground, Barfly

Posted 807 days ago

Sun 26th Feb, 6pm

Opening is Spencer McGarry, formerly of Room Orchestra. Following a number of solo performances around Cardiff he now appears accompanied by drummer and chatty bassists. With strong, catchy riffs he sounds like an early Jack White mixed with John Cale and songs like Hey Leonard are received with deserved attention by an eager crowd.

However, this eagerness subsides as Strange Pains take to the stage and prove themselves worthy of their name delivering a dull set. Even the Sunshine Underground can be found snoozing on the leather sofas at the back of Barfly.

Straight from their power naps and up on stage, the Underground still appear half asleep as poor levels and missed cues hamper the first song. After much stalling last single, Put you in your place delievers a manic blow, affirming that comparisons to the Rapture have more relevance than a crazed cowbell.

New single Commercial Breakdown truly hits like Jo Brand falling 1,000 feet and the B-side show‘s the Dead 60‘s what Ghostface Killah should have sounded like, and some. Each song is glorious in it‘s delievery but the breaks between these gems are so long it feels like they‘ve played seven encores. But who needs an encore when a storming track like Just tell it like it is sees a band exit the stage. You have been told. JL