Those Damn Crows / Sophie Lloyd / Himalayas
Cardiff Utilita Arena
Saturday 14th December 2024
It feels somewhat fitting that my final gig of the year that I turn 60, is to travel home, to within a few hundred yards of where I was born, to witness the coming of age of one of the standout bands of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement, Those Damn Crows.
Taking the risk, or having the confidence to put on an arena headline show was soon seen to be paying off as social media was alive with excitement in the days prior to the gig, with fans (the “Crow Family”) coming from Scotland and Europe as well as the huge Welsh fan base for the boys from Bridgend.
Arriving at the venue there was a cheerful, excited vibe, built up over the day as a merchandise sale had been taking place at Fuel, a rock bar in the City, and by the time opening band Himalayas took to the stage the crowd was sizeable.
Not overwhelmed by the scale of the stage at all, the Cardiff quartet stuck to the centre of the stage and entertained with a tight, enjoyable set. Boasting material co-written with Brian Johnson of AC/DC in the shape of “V.O.V.” it shows a reputation is being made and amongst the set “What If?” (the latest single) and the album title track “From Hell to Here” show the breadth of material they are capable of. A thirty-minute set flew by and ended with a very enthusiastic reaction from those who had ensured they were in the venue early.
A very brief changeover and it was Sophie Lloyd’s chance to impress in the flesh, with a band and guest vocalists bringing her playing from YouTube to the stage. The sheer skill of her playing is dazzling and the set mixes tracks from her album ‘Imposter Syndrome” with well-chosen covers. Helping her deliver the material she switches between guest vocalists Marisa Rodriguez (of Marisa and the Moths) and Gaz Twist (KilliT) along with Christian (rhythm guitar), Adam (bass), and Chris (drums), and whilst the aim is to clearly showcase her shredding ability they form a VERY tight unit.
Highlights from the set for me came as the set reached peak intensity with a superb variation of the solo from “Comfortably Numb”, “Imposter Syndrome” (where Rodriguez ably replaced Lzzy Hale), a cover of “Enter Sandman” and set closer ”Do or Die” (with Twist handling the Nathan James vocals). I will be very interested to see where Sophie takes her material in the future. The online presence is clearly a way of reaching huge audiences but the thrill of playing live being a more emotional and addictive way of performing. Shortly after the show, it was announced that Sophie would be performing at Steelhouse Festival in 2025 so if you would like to get a taste, get yourself “up the mountain”.
So, to the Crows.
The big question for me was how they would balance the three aspects of a performance necessary to deliver a memorable arena headline show. Firstly, the setlist and material in it must flow and consist of quality songs that vary in tempo and intensity. Secondly, the individuals on the stage need to command that huge space in a way that feels natural and not over-rehearsed. Finally, the staging needs to be balanced, with effects supplementing the music rather than either being there simply to distract or so over the top that they feel unnecessary.
Well, spoiler alert, Those Damn Crows achieved all three in a way that many, bigger, far more experienced bands have failed.
Taking the last question first, the staging was superb. A large stage extension allowed Shane Greenhall to interact with a much larger number of fans than a flat stage front. There were runways allowing Lloyd Wood, David Winchurch and even, at times Shiner to move up and down between the stage and the raised drum kit home of Ronnie Huxford. The use of flames, explosions, and smoke was appropriate and well-placed, and the lighting rig one of the best I have seen in a long time making every song a unique experience. The sound was a little muffled and bass-heavy, but I have yet to be in that space and it not be as it is basically a huge shed! That said, the engineer did as good a job, if not better, than many.
Then to the individuals and their comfort on stage. Well, the phrase “Born for it” says it all. Greenhall is such an engaging and natural performer. Whilst there were no balconies or lighting rigs to hang off, there were still several leaps to burn off some of his hyperactive energy, he covered every inch of the stage and some of the pit, and for the entire set, his voice didn’t miss a note.
The thing I love about TDC is that each of the band has their own personality, which, taking a leaf from the created boy band playbook, means that everyone has their favourite, and they create a cohesive and visual image together, from the blonde, flowing locks of Wood, to the shades and shadow loving intrigue of Shiner. The band each takes a turn to take a spotlight, with Winchurch’s solo being a masterclass of the theory that it isn’t how many notes you play, it’s the ability to play the exact, right ones, Ronnie and Lloyd showing that the rhythm section can entertain as well as keep the rest on track and even Shiner having a brief moment of attention.
Finally the material.
Partway through the set Greenhall announced that as the most recent album “Inhale/Exhale” reached number 3 in the UK album charts, the new forthcoming album set for release on April 11th, 2025 via Earache Records “God Shaped Hole” (the title alone deserves recognition) had better go higher and, it feels that, for the first time in a long time, a number one selling album is within reach of a NWoCR band. We got to hear three tracks from that album, “Glass Heart” (first time played live), “Let’s Go Psycho” and the latest single “Still”, performed by Greenhall solo on acoustic guitar. That last one alone could appeal to a VERY wide audience as it has both commerciality and deeply emotional lyrics that many will identify with.
We got a cover, “Video Killed the Radio Star” which was glorious kitsch.
We also got the (for me) Crow classics: “Who Did It” which opened the show, “Don’t Give a Damn”, “Rock n Roll Ain’t Dead” (joined by Sophie Lloyd), and “Blink of an Eye”. Every time I have heard the latter I have said this is the song that will show the class of the band in an arena. It did! From the moment the piano rose out of the stage, it was as perfect as I had ever imagined it would be in that situation.
In the middle of the set came the big announcement. As we were all thinking that this would be a career highlight, Greenhall gleefully announced that he could announce that the Sunday headline spot at Steelhouse Festival would be the culmination of the symbiotic relationship between the two.
The energy after the show, as the lights came on when the band took applause and then slowly disappeared below the stage on the piano riser was as high as it was for the first notes and has continued for days after on social media.
If you are quick you can get tickets for a March 2025 tour of much smaller and more intimate venues or for that seminal headline appearance at Steelhouse in July.
The only question now is: What’s next?
Review and all images – Danni & Rob Wilkins
Pre-order ‘God Shaped Hole’, HERE
March 2025 dates are:
Mon 10th Mar – OXFORD O2 Academy Main Room
Tue 11th Mar – FROME Cheese & Grain
Thu 13th Mar – BOURNEMOUTH Tofs
Fri 14th Mar – NORWICH Waterfront
Sun 16th Mar – EXETER Phoenix
Tue 18th Mar – SHEFFIELD Corporation
Wed 19th Mar – LINCOLN The Drill
Fri 21st Mar – MORECAMBE Alahambra
Sat 22nd Mar – EDINBURGH La Belle
Mon 24th Mar – ABERDEEN Lemon Tree
Tue 25th Mar – LIVERPOOL O2 Academy 2
Thu 27th Mar – LONDON 100 Club
Ticket info, HERE