LIVE REVIEW: BRAMWELL, PUSHBIKE, AND ST. CECILIA @ THE CANOPI, CARDIFF

At Cardiff’s Canopi, three very different bands played a wicked gig. From hypnotic folk-rock (St. Cecilia), post-hardcore (Pushbike), to power-pop (Bramwell). Aesthetic differences aside, what they share is that their music brought people together to a lovely grassroots event.

St. Cecilia

Opening the night was the shimmering sextet, St. Cecilia. Named after the Patron Saint of Music, their music is gothic and vast. The whole audience was allowed to sway as frontwoman Florence softly sang. This effect was created through rhythmic drumming with creative spacey guitars and bass. To me, the standout part that made their music feel so deep were the lovely trumpet parts that would fade in and envelop the song in ambient beauty (courtesy of trumpeter Charles “Sideburns“ McCafferty).

Pushbike

At this point of the evening we were all breaking a sweat in the packed venue. Pushbike came in with scouring guitars guided by the vocal synergy between frontmen George and Niall. They played an electric, stomping set in the vain of bands like Cap’n Jazz. A mosh formed half-way through which peaked when they played ‘Bet You Know’, a song that gets a five minute build up with a very violent pay off. By the end, everyone was (pleasantly) drenched.

Bramwell

Finally we had energetic twee-poppers, Bramwell. Recorded, their music is like the sensible catchiness of the Kinks combined with the exulted force of Guided by Voices. Live, they rock hard, having many satisfying licks and (literal) kicks (mid-air). Their best moments are when the cymbals crash and the guitarists pose with theatrical glory. They are a true, new rock band.