GIG REVIEW // MONICO BLONDE // THE ASSIST // MELLT // CLWB IFOR BACH

Womanby Street Cardiff certainly had its fill last night as Clwb Ifor Bach was packed to the rim. Two gigs both upstairs and downstairs just enhances the buzzing and iconic feel of Cardiff's vibrant scene. This is all about Clwb's downstairs extravaganza from Monico Blonde last night.

Doors opened and it wasn't long before people were flooding in. The first act to grace the stage was Welsh Bilingual triplet Mellt consisting of Glyn Jim, Tex Walker and Yankee Jake. Doors open, it's always a bit of time before people start to pile in and as an opener, your always playing before it's in full swing. But Mellt played one song to a crowd of just a few and it was in a matter of no time more and more came down to catch the boys and were really involved with their tunes. Mellt bring a super cool feel to the stage with a new wave punk evocative sound with some gritty indie style vocals, infectious drum beats and some cracking guitar riffs. Sticking in a couple of cheeky covers in there including one from The Jam which they absolutely nailed with their own musical sound. They had the crowd pumped and super ready for what's was to follow for the rest of the night.

Next up, keeping the spirits well and truly at their peak was Walsall based pop/rock four piece The Assist. A set packed with relatable lyrics, addictive chorus' and catchy guitar riffs. Vocally sometimes verging on some old school Jamie T esque ambience with a slightly rockier edge. This quadruplet had a great stage presence and really captivated the crowd as they had a full house to catch their set. The set saw so much energy and the accents flowing strongly through the vocals of the band heightening the lyrics. A really cool set from these guys and definitely well worth a check out if you haven't before!

The crowd buzzing, Clwb Ifor Bach absolutely rammed, headliners Monico Blonde took to the stage and everyone was in their element. Monico Blonde, clearly tightly rehearsed and their set more than on point, brought us straight in with their almost 80s inspired synth sounds mixed so wonderfully with an indie rock vibe. A very talented group of musicians, the set was honestly beyond exceptional. Throughout the set the crowd were undoubtedly singing along and rightly so following brand new release 'Love Is An Only Child' being spun super recently on Radio X, this has only been out for a couple of days but its understandable to see how everyone already connected with the song. In particularly with 'Love Is An Only Child' they've managed to blend a really nice and subtle sense of psychedelia crushed in with beefy rock beats.

The harmonies throughout the set were outstanding and really eluded a professional level of musicianship. In particular Bad Thoughts which came mid way through seemed a sure favourite with the bodies that filled the room. From Davey's infectious and super melodic drumming to Jack and Owens harmonising over those greatly crafted keyboard synths, with some dark rock fueled bass. Jack's carefully collated lyrics reached out and came across incredibly well, it was a crisp, clear set that showcased the boys talent massively. If you went not knowing who these guys were, you would have left with a new band for your playlist. With an extensive and captivating sound already, these guys are going to be big, they could fill a mainstage at a festival easily with their sound. Watch.This.Space