Wednesday, May 28, 2008

GIG REVIEW: FEEDER at The Point, Cardiff Bay

Fantastic night and occasion tonight watching FEEDER play the first of a small round of low-key UK gigs at The Point in Cardiff Bay who put on a show and a half, rocking the place out.

The Point is a brilliant venue where gig-watching is an intimate experience. This was sold out with its 350 or capacity (maybe it's more, I'm not sure) meaning the band and the watchers are almost as one and everyone is able to get a good view.

Feeder are soon to launch their 7th studio album, their first since 2006's Greatest Hits style package, but have no fear that they're now in decline. The new songs showcased - about 7 or 8 - were straight out of the typical Feeder song and anthem book with the riffs, the hooks, the singalong woo-hoos and their ineffectious bounceability. New single, We Are The People, didn't even seem the best one so they've got plenty in the locker. You just know a couple will feature in tv/sports montages as some of Feeder;s tunes usually do.

While those songs were first hearing to the majority ("if you singalong any of these with me, then I know you've illegally downloaded our album" joked Newport frontman Grant Nicholas on top form), all the Feeder standards were in there too bar the, perhaps, surprising omission of Buck Rogers and they even threw in a few early numbers not played for a while too..

Just The Way I'm Feeling, Lost & Found, High, Feeling a Moment, Pushing the Senses and so many more with my personal highlights being blistering versions of Come Back Around and the crowd-pleaser Just A Day to end the night.

Once they got into the swing, it was like being hit by a wall of sound as they amped up as a 5 piece with Mark Richardson (who has probably been with Feeder long than his 1st group, Skunk Anansie) setting the standard by pounding GBH into his drum kit.

Fantastic stuff. Looking forward to the new elpee and a full UK tour to apparently follow in October.

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