SWN: SUNDAY

Various Venues, Cardiff | October 21st

As is inevitably the way, Sunday’s vibe was a decidedly more low-key affair as the wear and tear of the weekend began to show on the faces of Swn festival-goers. Pints were cradled rather than downed and punctuated with soft drinks and moments of dread at the week ahead. The plus side of this stage of the marathon was that the music itself took pride of place. 

Splashh, the Hackney/Aussie four-piece, were a stand-out of Sunday afternoon. This surf/grunge/punk sound is very much of the moment, thanks to the likes of Wavves and Crocodiles, and as their name would suggest, harks very much at their sun-soaked homeland, rather than the rather more concrete surroundings of their current location. Their display was extremely impressive, and surmises another of the elements that makes Swn so special; this could quite easily join the ranks of sets who people now casually say “yeah, I was there last year with a hundred people” when the band in question are busy headlining arenas.

Over at O’Neill’s on St Mary’s Street, Toy were in action. They’re often spoken of as kindred spirits to The Horrors, and it’s evident in their psychedelic, overlapping sound, although there is an underlying krautrock element to their sound which sets them apart. And it’s a bold and brilliant sound on record, which meant this set was hotly anticipated. Though there was plenty of quality on show from the London five-piece, the textured richness and subtle nuances struggled to quite translate in these surroundings.

To end a weekend that had involved an awful lot of sheer volume, ending the weekend in the presence of super talented pint-sized scouser Laura J. Martin in Dempseys was bliss. Bare footed and shrouded in loveliness, she revived our spirits from the Sunday depths. Her deep folk sound is utterly refreshing, summoning a remarkable variety of noises for such a small lady. She held the immaculately-behaved crowd in captivation as she switched from flute to mandolin to piano, creating a sublime sound which is entirely her own. At the press of a button, the sound would explode into technicolour splendour, utilising loops with fierce creativity. The appearance of Gareth Bonello, aka The Gentle Good, provided a further element to lift proceedings.

It was with a heavy heart that it was decided that this was a suitable high on which to bring an end to our weekend’s proceedings. Swn 2012, as we knew it would, saw the festival taken up yet another notch. Who knows how far it can continue to grow.

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Words: Teleri Glyn Jones

Photo: Pippa Bennett