Week 14 – Sunday 3rd April – Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff – The Sunshine Underground (£12.50)
“What do you mean you’re not coming out for dinner? I went through 26 hours of labour for the pair of you!”
It was Mother’s day, and like all good sons, Sandro and I had made plans of our own. Of course, we believe that every day is Mother’s day, and rejected conventional gifts, instead rewarding our deserving mother with a truly heartfelt gift; the gift of love.
Admittedly, that's just another way of saying we were too tight to splash out on any real gifts, but don’t tell her that. Besides, everyone knows childbirth isn’t really that bad.
Admittedly, that's just another way of saying we were too tight to splash out on any real gifts, but don’t tell her that. Besides, everyone knows childbirth isn’t really that bad.
We found ourselves at Big O’Neill’s on St. Mary’s Street in the late afternoon. It was there that we met regular guest Gigaweekers, Gavlova and P. Mushy, for a couple of pre-gig pints in spite of some severe hangovers. It had been P. Mushy’s birthday the day before, so I’d thought of a good excuse, and went to get drunk elsewhere.
The special Mother's Day gig was just around the corner at the Millennium Music Hall, which is in the Millennium Plaza by the Millennium Stadium, which was built around the turn of the Millennium, to the tune of 'Millennium' by Robbie Williams, much to the disgust of Gary Barlow fan Ed Milliband.
The Millennium Music Hall has been one of Cardiff's handful of music venues for a couple of years now, having previously been known as Sub 29. It was a nightclub before that, and it’s fair to say that it’s a tad dark and dingy, but it has a decent capacity and seems to be attracting more and more gigs.
The Millennium Music Hall has been one of Cardiff's handful of music venues for a couple of years now, having previously been known as Sub 29. It was a nightclub before that, and it’s fair to say that it’s a tad dark and dingy, but it has a decent capacity and seems to be attracting more and more gigs.
Before nipping inside, we made a quick trip to a nearby cash-point, where we were approached by a man wearing a drunken homeless man fancy dress costume. He asked for 30 pence to allow him to catch a bus home to see his mother.
'On Mother’s day! What a touching story' I thought gullibly, and with admirable generosity I handed over, not 30, but 50 (fifty) pence.
“Thank you ever so much,” he said graciously, before turning to Gavlova and asking for more. Gav sent him packing, and I was left with a slight suspicion that my 50p wasn’t going towards a bus fare after all.
I’d fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. The old ‘Bus fare to see my Mother on Mother’s Day’ scam that all grifters know, and make millions out of each year. I’m sure I’ve even seen it on The Real Hustle.
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The band playing the MMH were Leeds based The Sunshine Underground, whose first album Raise the Alarm came out nearly five years ago and is highly recommended by P. Mushy. A band with formerly warm fingers, they were initially hotly tipped and pigeonholed with the likes of Klaxons as part of the ‘New Rave’ movement which lasted about 12 minutes, and was probably made up as a joke by somebody’s mum in the first place.
They released their second and latest album, entitled Nobody’s Coming to Save You, last year to far less media attention.
They released their second and latest album, entitled Nobody’s Coming to Save You, last year to far less media attention.
Support was due from the former front man of The Zutons and his new band. We speculated as to whether it was the ‘proper’ front man Dave McCabe or possibly some unknown original front man, who’d sung for The Zutons when they were still in primary school or something. The Millennium Music Hall was by no means even half full but there were a lot more present than I expected for a Sunday night.
The band were midway through their set at the time, and we were pleased to see that it was in fact the real McCabe and his new band. Unfortunately there were no Zutons classics, but they didn’t sound bad. McCabe seems like the kind of guy who’s still capable of unleashing some pop beauties in the future (if I said any different he’d probably put the head on me).
“He walks like a Scouser, doesn't he?” I said to Sandro afterwards.
“What does that mean?” he replied.
“I don't really know, but it kind of makes sense don't you think?” I said.
“I suppose. He is a scouser too, so it must be true.”
“He walks like a Scouser, doesn't he?” I said to Sandro afterwards.
“What does that mean?” he replied.
“I don't really know, but it kind of makes sense don't you think?” I said.
“I suppose. He is a scouser too, so it must be true.”
At the bar, a chatty bloke with a valleys accent, who was already so sloshed that he was slurring, had built up an uncomfortable relationship with one of the bar staff. He slurred that The Sunshine Underground were an aweshome and musch underrated band, so I decided it wasn't a good idea to tell him that I’d never listened to them, or that he smelled terribly.
When he suggested a tad aggressively that I’d “let one off” (for once I hadn’t), I took my beers and left him to enjoy his own aroma.
When he suggested a tad aggressively that I’d “let one off” (for once I hadn’t), I took my beers and left him to enjoy his own aroma.
Later I spotted him with a group of mates who all seemed in jubilant mood singing along to every song. The Sunshine Underground were playing their last set of shows with bassist Daley Smith who’d recently announced his decision to leave the band. Their fans were drunk enough to give him a good send off.
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They impressed and entertained me, which is a lot more difficult than you might think. I had P. Mushy on song naming duties for me, so I knew that the band set the tone early on with a song called 'Wake Up' and continued apace with the rip-roaring 'Coming to Save You', both of which delighted the crowd. I was particularly impressed by the song 'P. Mushy is a Legend'.
Even a newbie like me was entertained by songs such as 'We’ve Always Been Your Friends' and crowd pleaser 'A Warning Sign' from their most recent album.
Even a newbie like me was entertained by songs such as 'We’ve Always Been Your Friends' and crowd pleaser 'A Warning Sign' from their most recent album.
They didn’t slow down or lose any steam throughout, playing songs that you could justifiably dance or rock out to. I couldn’t decide which was best to do, so I ended up doing a mixture of both: a sort of crazed pigeon movement that led to admiring glances.
The audience was lapping up the music and my highlights came in the latter half of the set. “We’re only giving you what you want, giving you what you want, giving you what you want, giving you what you want!” the swaggering front man sang in 'Spell it Out' and he was right, except he didn't give me any cakes.
'People With Big Noses are More Attractive' was also an excellent song, and 'Borders' went down a storm, but my personal favourite was another song from their first album, 'I Ain’t Losing Any Sleep'. When they finished on 'Put You in Your Place', they left the stage to rapturous applause.
The audience was lapping up the music and my highlights came in the latter half of the set. “We’re only giving you what you want, giving you what you want, giving you what you want, giving you what you want!” the swaggering front man sang in 'Spell it Out' and he was right, except he didn't give me any cakes.
'People With Big Noses are More Attractive' was also an excellent song, and 'Borders' went down a storm, but my personal favourite was another song from their first album, 'I Ain’t Losing Any Sleep'. When they finished on 'Put You in Your Place', they left the stage to rapturous applause.
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It wasn’t just the music that kept us entertained throughout. Standing centrally but toward the back of the crowd, directly in front of us was an older woman, whose long grey hair suggested she was at least 27.
She looked like a genuine TSU fan and was apparently accompanied by her entire family, suggesting it may have been her Mother's Day outing.
Singing along and swaying to the music, she slowly moved backwards at the same time, until she settled in a position no more than a foot in front of P. Mushy’s nose (which is about 2 feet in front of his feet).
He stepped a couple of paces to his left to regain his view.
She took a couple of steps to her left.
He stepped a few paces to the right.
She took a few steps to the right too.
He stepped backwards a few feet.
She did likewise.
It seemed whichever way he went she was drawn to him, and he couldn’t get her out of his eye-line.
He went to the toilet.
She went to the toilet too and stood in front of him.
He took a piss anyway.
Her cardigan got very wet.
Enjoying the show, but feeling left out, Sandro, Gavlova and I took up positions at the rear in single file.
She looked like a genuine TSU fan and was apparently accompanied by her entire family, suggesting it may have been her Mother's Day outing.
Singing along and swaying to the music, she slowly moved backwards at the same time, until she settled in a position no more than a foot in front of P. Mushy’s nose (which is about 2 feet in front of his feet).
He stepped a couple of paces to his left to regain his view.
She took a couple of steps to her left.
He stepped a few paces to the right.
She took a few steps to the right too.
He stepped backwards a few feet.
She did likewise.
It seemed whichever way he went she was drawn to him, and he couldn’t get her out of his eye-line.
He went to the toilet.
She went to the toilet too and stood in front of him.
He took a piss anyway.
Her cardigan got very wet.
Enjoying the show, but feeling left out, Sandro, Gavlova and I took up positions at the rear in single file.
If you can’t beat them, do the conga with them.
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April
2-8 - The Sunshine Underground - ✓
9-15 - Pete & The Pirates
16-22 - Metronomy
23-29 - Beady Eye
2-8 - The Sunshine Underground - ✓
9-15 - Pete & The Pirates
16-22 - Metronomy
23-29 - Beady Eye
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