Pretty Shitty City

Bar Sigma’s Alternative Rock night every Wednesday – 8.04.09(

(Update – This review doesn’t mention Vice, a dedicated alternative club in Swansea – sorry guys!)

Trying to compare a city’s only two alternative nights can be very tricky at the best of times, but Shinfo seems to be taking the lead in this race. Competing with Sin City’s “Face Off” rock night – every Friday – Shinfo offers more variety and covers every aspect in the “Alternative Rock” spectrum. Playing from punk to indie, electro to ska, metal, rock and even some elements of pure “cheese” just to keep the guys happy.

Shinfo has been rocking Swansea’s student night now for almost 15 months, and they’re still going strong with DJ Luc Frost finding new material every week ever since he thought of bringing this new alternative to Bar Sigma. Even though Luc did a pretty good juggling the night on his own, the duo was made complete when new DJ on the block, Tom Frayne, joined in the New Year. Now Shinfo sees a jam packed Sigma every Wednesday between 10 and 3, and never fails to dissatisfy. Read the rest of this entry »

Played at Uplands Tavern on March 27th.

Where to even think about starting on how to describe these guys is a task in itself. They are the most unusual, diverse, and just plain quirky band I think I’ve ever seen around in a good few years. They’re more than just your usual jazz band, to be honest, I think it’s only a few who would even say that they are jazz, but their combinations of amazingly funky bass riffs, incredibly catchy choruses and soft vocals; the “genre” that I have placed them under would be somewhere between jazz with a Latin twist. However, even though most people would class them as this, some of their songs take under exception. One of the newest numbers to their ever growing set-list, which, doesn’t have a name as yet, completely takes the turn and shows Ockhams Raiser performing country and western style, which surprisingly they can pull off very well. Read the rest of this entry »

Bar Sigma in Swansea – 5th March 2009

After around 3 years of trying find the right layout, Temp have finally found the perfect formation for the perfect songs. After adding and removing members; Temp have finally decided on Chris Fox on vocals and Lewis Pearson and Rob Crowley on guitar, after Josh Bower left in 2008.

Opening their set with their amazingly soft cover of Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol; Temp are a well connected band who know how to play chilled out music. Even though they sound SO good together, and Chris, well, his voice is just indescribable; Temp seem to be very much “set in their ways”; in the sense that they don’t seem to deviate from their usual style of music. Usually, this doesn’t cause problems, but when the music is so relaxing and soft, which in Temp’s case, it most definitely is, I felt myself drifting into a daze!

The covers of Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, Machines by Biffy Clyro and a very well done version of Umbrella by Rhianna , were done perfectly; as well as their own songs like: “Amber Skies”, “Miss you” and “Star War” mixed laid back vibes with meaningful lyrics resulting in some killer laid back tunes.

Once these guys step outside their safe box; they’ll make something fantastic.

Beth Daniels