The Joy Formidable, a Welsh band that mixes elements of 90’s alt-rock (Garbage, Cranberries), shoegaze (Slowdive, Lush) and modern all-over-the-place indie rock, played the Irenic this week for a good sized and very enthusiastic crowd. Sometimes I wonder how groups like this get discovered by so many people. There is really no rock-radio or video channel supporting bands like this but tours with groups like Muse and Editors must have helped them build a solid following.
One thing is for sure – this band knows how to ROCK OUT! Their records are hardly mellow affairs, but as a live act The Joy Formidable puts its foot on the audience’s throat and barely lets up the entire show. The Irenic is not a big venue but this group played as if they were in the Sports Arena coming on after The Foo Fighters! Also, being Welsh, the band members, vocalist/guitarist Ritzy Bryan, bassist Rhydian Dafydd, and drummer Matt Thomas, were charming and quite funny.
I didn’t really have a good angle for pictures or video but here’s what I got (“Maw Maw Song”, “The Cradle”, and two parts of “A Heavy Abacus” :
drummer is Matt Thomas, not James
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thanks – not sure how I mixed that up…
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