The Amazons, Cardiff Dec 2023

Following the release of their recent album 'How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me?' in 2022, The Amazons announced a run of intimate of UK tour dates taking place at venues they'd not frequented for a while. A perfect way to round up the year. And thankfully that meant a Cardiff appearance, their first show in the city for a number of years and one not to be forgotten. 

Joining the band on tour was Scotland's Swim School who despite a number of technical difficulties powered through to create a memorable introduction to their sound blending ethereal vocals with thrashing guitars and percussion. Their offset, genre defying compositions truly come to life in the live environment and proved more than enough to get the crowd warmed up.

A short wait between acts and the wailing screams marked The amazons arrival as fans soon found themselves amongst the band's charging guitar riffs and pummelling percussion as Ready For Something kicked off proceedings. If Matthew Thomson's sparkling jacket wasn't electrifying enough, the band's live sound more than proved it was up for the challenge as they left no stone unturned. By the time Stay With Me from their self titled debut album was played, mosh pits had already formed after only three tracks in. A sign of things to come as faltering energy seemed to be a word not in their vocabulary.

Swim School, Cardiff Dec 2023

As the room lit up from phone lights in ironic fashion to Northern Star's soft tempo and luscious vocal choruses, the band took a moment to reflect and humbly apologised for missing out Wales on their last headline tour. I think it's safe to say all's forgiven following tonight's performance, not to mention smoothly nailing the Welsh phrases they'd been practising as Thomson explained, "Cymru Am Byth"!.

Now with a glowing back catalogue of LP's and singles, choosing a setlist has likely become an almost impossible task, but its one they curate with such dexterity taking in track's across all three records. From the swinging reprise on Georgia that sees Chris Alderton and Thomson battle it out centre stage, throwing down of some of the tightest guitar shredding I've heard in recent times, to the stadium ready anthem Doubt It, the intensity quickly reached boiling point as they powered through the hits.

By the time a surprise cover of Stereophonics Dakota is played, the mosh pit had grown and now engulfed most of the crowd. Each time the atmosphere reached its peak it went up a notch further before the whole room jumped around as they received a raucous reaction. 

There's a real adoration from the fans, and the band never take this for granted as they recall fellow Welsh artist's who they enjoy and have played with from Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard to Boy Azooga as lead singer Matt plays merit to the deep culture we're lucky to have here. 

With some fans having waited years for this, they weren't left disappointed as the band neatly wrapped up the evening with a two track encore featuring the monstrous Mother and Fuzzy Tree. An evening with Reading's finest The Amazons is always an evening well spent. And with shows like this, they continue to prove why they're top of their game.

*****