GIG REVIEW – Y Niwl / Wobbly Hearts @ Telfords Warehouse, Chester
(review n pix by neil crud)
It’s a stellar line up, the kind of line up I get excited about… Yes, Muse might well be playing (thrice) in some sold out stadium this weekend at an event that’ll cost you a stellar price to see, but it’s gigs like tonight that get me excited. The meek may one day inherit the earth, and if Wobbly Hearts are among the meek, then the earth will be a better place once it’s in their possession.
I have the honour (for that is true) of releasing their debut single (and my label’s) here on link2wales records (all lowercase), and they opened up with Anityme (correct spelling), which is the b-side (track 2 on the CD), but with a wonderful gospel ditty at the start, which threw the tough Chester crowd at first, but they soon warmed to the cockles on stage.
Wobbly Hearts are a progression of Gintis. Where Gintis would sometimes-often mess up on stage, on radio and in life, the Wobblies are leagues ahead in the professional department and I guess it’s the Carpet cohesion of Jules and Hargi and the sheer no nonsense compentance of Junebugger Ralph Latham that allows Rob and Carl Gintis the occasional freedom to fly off the handle.
Gintis have written some absolute gems spanning the last decade, gems that I rate right up there in my all time greats, Wonderful Show, Philosophical Dreams just to mention two. Wobbly Hearts are a channelled continuation of that gem production line, and the single Boom On (With God on My Side) cements that statement (albeit played a little too fast tonight).
There’s only a handful of copies left – buy here.
I’ve known Alun TanLan since what seems like the dawn of time (1988), so it’s always good to catch up and have a moan about the Welsh Mutual Appreciation Society and those who used to make a living churning out any old shit in the medium of Welsh because they knew they could sit back count the royalty money from all the Radio Cymru airplay. But not anymore, which is a good thing and also a bad thing for real bands, who do it for real, rather than as a money making scam.
Y Niwl I guess had the novelty of being a Welsh instrumental band, but didn’t get the airplay from Radio Cymru that lesser (shitter) acts got. Thankfully 6Music embrace Y Niwl (particularly Marc Riley) and they also double up as Gruff Rhys‘ backing band.
It’s a pleasant surprise that Y Niwl have continued with new material that’s more intricate, and still as damn catchy as their repertoire. I half expected them to pack it in after all the highs of the last couple of years before they became a novelty act, after all, how many surf tunes can you write before you feel you have to put words to them? Well, Y Niwl are up to about 40 now and it seems there’s still plenty left in the tank.
Shame they made pretty boy Gruff ab Arwel wear a false beard and glasses for the entire evening.. oh.. it’s a real beard…? Really..!!?
http://yniwl.com/
