FLOODLIGHTS
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff - 3rd September 2025
Support: The Slow Country
Now THIS was one of those shows you just don't forget. One of the best albums of the 2020s without a shadow of doubt was/is Floodlights' third 'Underneath', a record that spread unmitigated joy throughout chez Robster, and continues to do so.
So we were amazed that not only was the show held in the tiny downstairs bar at Clwb, but that it was also barely half full. Like WTF? This place should have been absolutely heaving. But then, we live in a world where a mentally ill orange fascist gets elected as president of the most powerful nation on Earth, so I guess weird shit is just the norm now.
Opening proceedings were The Slow Country, a young band from Manchester who came across as a sort of cross between Pulp and The Waterboys. And yes, they were every bit as good as that sounds. It's early days for them, but there are signs that this lot could explode in a couple years or so. MrsRobster was especially excited by them. They rounded of their set with a cover of Fisherman's Blues, which evoked memories of my first Glastonbury, sitting outside my van with my mate, drinking warm cider and playing Waterboys songs on my mandolin. I relayed that to the band after the show and they seemed delighted. A lovely bunch who we will go see again without a thought.
But... Floodlights undoubtedly stole the show. Despite the criminally small audience, they played as if a stadium-full of devoted fans were in front of them. The majority of the latest album was aired, which is a very good thing, and the energy of the band members totally belied the tiny space they were set up in. There were far too many highlights to mention, but The Lights Won't Shine Forever is my favourite song of 2025, and it was as great as I hoped it would be.
I've been spoilt over the years by the number of good bands I've seen, but even now, 37 years after my first show, I can still be absolutely blown away by live music. This was not only my best gig of the year, but MrsRobster's too.
No videos online can capture how brilliant Floodlights were on the night, so I'll just post these from their London show the following night and be done with it. They were far better than this footage suggests.
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