The Beat Surrender

It’s the Thursday before the Bank Holiday weekend, I’ve conned my boss into letting me leave work early and I’ve booked the next day off. Add to that the fact I’m meeting my favourite person to go to gigs with (yes Mr.Knight that’s you) and a few friends who I used to work with for a pint before the gig, you’d think I’d have all the key ingredients for a top night.

But, what I’d forgotten to take into account was my method of transportation; the train. Now all I can say is how hard can it be to get to Cardiff from Bristol. Technically Cardiff is in another country, but it’s a pretty straightforward route, simple eh? Ah ha so you know what I’m going to say next, well I left Bristol at 5.50 (loads of time for pre-gig pint and catch-up) and arrive in Cardiff about 8.45! I’ve managed to miss my ex-colleagues and meet Mr. Knight with a face like thunder.

Hurrying along St. Mary’s Street becomes pretty pointless as we pass members of the band heading in the opposite direction. They’re going to get Jim Noir up, apparently they went to Zoë Ball’s party the night before and had quite a heavy one, so the tension of missing any of their set disappears and the thought of some much-needed alcohol suddenly lifts my mood. We get in and spot a friend who’s taken her better half along on my recommendation; they’ve never heard any of the singles, so I’m interested to see their reaction and keeping my fingers crossed that it’s a good one. The support band, Half Light are still on, but unfortunately for them they don’t really grab much audience attention and the two/three songs that I see them play aren’t really much to write home about.

Anyway they come off, and the gnomes come on, and strangely enough they don’t look out of place. Jim and the rest of the band follow and after a quick introduction open with the extremely chirpy Key of C. It’s a fantastic feel-good song that can’t fail to raise a smile, and gets the crowd instantly warming to them.

After watching them support Shack at The Fleece in Bristol earlier in the week, I was really looking forward to seeing them play a longer set and show more of their personality, and they didn’t disappoint. The equally upbeat I Me You I’m Your follows with Standing On a Corner, and Eanie Meany (that song off the Adidas advert) and the feeling that you’ve been transported back to the 60’s suddenly comes over you.

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