Rowan Bruce
Much like headliners Michael Cera Palin, Exeter indie four piece Soot Sprite have spent plenty of time making a name for themselves before releasing a full length album, dropping their first singles back in 2018. Now, just a week before their debut album Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon sees the light of day, the quartet is sounding more complete than ever, shedding their lo-fi bedroom pop origins for a thicker, shoegaze informed sound. Opening with their 2024 single ‘I Went Swimming’, Soot Sprite tore through an inspired mix of old favourites and brand-new material, veering between understated pop grace and My Bloody Valentine inspired shoegaze.
Flexing their indie songwriting skills with their album’s single ‘All My Friends Are Depressed’ and showing off their more vulnerable, intimate side with ‘Vicious Cycles’, Soot Sprite’s live set is sure to have built plenty of hype for their upcoming album.
An appearance from itoldyouiwouldeatyou has become a rare sight to look out for like Halley’s Comet or Mothman but with more moving, personal lyrics and dense sonic textures. The band have made quite a name for themselves in underground circles over the last decade with their outstanding live show, led by captivating front person Joey Ashworth’s hypnotic vocals backed by layers of swirling dual guitars and airy clouds of keys. Floating into focus on stage to their track ‘To Love Another’ the five-piece grabbed the audience by the scruff of the neck, keeping them fixated throughout their set.
A highlight of the band’s set was the latest single ‘Moscow Is Silent’ with its driving bass and twinkly math rock lead guitar line backing a powerhouse vocal performance. Itoldyouiwouldeatyou’s unique mix of political rage, subtle dynamics and grandiose instrumentals acted as the perfect midpoint between Soot Sprite’s understated shoegaze and headliner Michael Cera Palin’s energetic Midwest emo.
Ascending to legend status in their scene before even releasing a full length album, Atlanta based indie punk trio Michael Cera Palin took the stage for their Cardiff debut to an eager crowd. Blending intimate lyrics and virtuosic musicianship with wild punk energy, the three-piece, made up of guitarist and lead vocalist Elliott Brabant, bassist Jon Williams and drummer Chad Miller, strode out confidently to their second EP’s opening single ‘Portrait Of A Woman On A Couch With Cats’.
Despite their bare-bones setup, Michael Cera Palin fill out their sound with intricate lead guitar lines and melodic, upper register bass. In the hands of a lesser act, songs like ‘Wisteria’ would lack complexity but, with their incomparable emo spirit, these more straightforward tracks spring to life. While many bassists are content to simply stand motionless playing the root notes, Jon makes himself the centre of attention, bouncing and spin kicking his way around the stage while ripping through intensely difficult lines.
For their Cardiff debut Michael Cera Palin stormed through the hits with tracks like ‘Admiral’ and their Sheryl Crow cover ‘If it Makes You Happy’ sending the crowd into a moshing, crowd-surfing tornado. Deeper cuts from their newly released debut album such as ‘Murder Hornet Fursona’ and album opener ‘Feast or Famine’ kept the same feral energy from the transfixed audience.
Closing out on their 2021 single ‘Bono!! Bono!!’, Michael Cera Palin kept both their howling punk energy and intimately personal delivery on top form through their entire set, dropping back to back hits from throughout their decade long career. While on paper the trio may not have the same amount of material as a lot of other acts who’ve been around this long, Michael Cera Palin proved that they punch well above their weight in a live setting.