Why Choose

Thursday night and the third gig of the week. It was Shopping at the Gwdihw.

I'd been to see Sacred Paws earlier in the year, and Shopping are Rachel Aggs other band, which does seem to be damming with faint praise I know.

I cycled up to the Gwidi Hw to see the lovely Julia Short and her boyfriend entering the venue. They were nice enough to buy me a drink and we yapped about gigs and Swn. It was pretty packed and good see a lot of friends including Trev Oddbox, Keef and Anna. The first band on were a joyfully shambolic Cardiff band, when often the drummer seemed to be playing a different song from the rest of the band.

The next band on were Gauche from Washington DC, never heard of them before and thought they were great. I'm a sucker for a singing drummer and a band swapping their instruments. I also love it when a band looks like an odd mix together which is what Gauche were, I could sorta hear some of the influences but they'd been thrown up in the air and had landed in a great pop indie mix.

I was in the mood for merch! So between the bands I went to the back of the Gwdihw when they'd discovered how much the t-shirts were. i gambled on a medium fit (I think it's paid off) and was convinced by Shopping's drummer to buy an album, then after finding a fiver I didn't know I had on the recommedation of Rachel Aggs iI upgraded to the limited edition clear vinyl version, have to say the sleeve is rubbish.

Shopping were great, they've got a harder edge to them than Sacred Paws, although the same afro beat influences. I may be wrong but I think they did some Sacred Paws tracks. they had a technical hitch half way through the set and the drummer filled in by telling jokes, e.g "How do you make Lady Ga Ga cry? Poke her face." which made me laugh. Shopping were great bouncy, energteic gig fun and Rachel is such a great front person which ever band she's in. The band were having a good time which always helps.

I may have actually witnessed one of the first true encores of my gig going career (although Skinny Girl Diet were unprepared for an encore when I saw them earlier this year in Bristol). The PA music came on and the band walked off stage, not that they could get far. People were calling for more, the band looked at each other, shrugged and got back on and did another song.

Great night, brilliant bands and unexpected yapping with good friends. So three very different gigs all at different venues in Cardiff, it's what life's all about, well for me at least.