Preview: Ten acts to see at FOCUS Wales 2025
Oh yeah! Can you feel it in the air? Yes I can, thank you for the reminder Dananananaykroyd.
Adult DVD
Whatever you do, don’t just Google Adult DVD. Do I need to draw you a picture? They are an exciting melange of synths and guitars that are disco bangers and dance rock. Their last EP, Next Day Shipping was as released in September last year and slaps extremely hard. Like one of those slapping competitions where their faces gets distorted in slow mo. That hard. (JA)
They play 23.05pm at Penny Black (Ground Floor) on Saturday 10th May.
Baby Schillaci
Those of you with a love of the beautiful game and of a particular vintage, will know the plucky Sicilian forward who lit up Italia 90 with his match-winning exploits and winning smile. So when four Swansea musicians with a love of explosive, off-kilter punk needed a name, it could only come from Toto. Baby Schillaci released a ferocious and darkly funny debut album The Soundtrack in late 2024 and come with a live reputation for sheer chaos. They play with an infectious passion, like they've just bent one in the top corner in injury time. (SB)
They play 20:40pm at Penny Black (XS) on Saturday 10th May
Bloodworm
I saw these playing a hometown gig supporting Desperate
Journalist at Bodega in Nottingham in January and they tore the roof off
the place. Two excellent singles ‘Depth’ and ‘Back Of A Hand’ were
released last year and they’re forging quite the live reputation.
Whilst walking the Post-Punk tightrope, they weave melancholic minor chords and bristling counter melodies. One of the most exciting bands coming out of Nottingham according to Dom Gourlay of Under The Radar and he should know, he’s heard pretty much all of them. (JA)
They play 21.15pm at The Parish on Friday 9th May.
Dead Air
Independent British rock music has found itself at a bit of a crossroads in recent times, but it's not through a lack of trying. The bands are certainly there, but the infrastructure to success continues to erode at an alarming rate. But please don't despair, because bands like Dear Air are bubbling up under the surface and could be just the right fit to reverse the decline. The band have worked incredibly hard, touring where possible and gained a cult following with comparisons to Queens of the Stone Age, Muse and Rage Against The Machine ringing in their ears. Expect your ears to be doing very much the same. (SB)
They play 19:45pm at Penny Black on Satruday 10th May.
Diary
In recent years, FOCUS Wales has increasingly been linking with other showcase festivals all over the world to bring in talent from far afield. One such festival is New Colossus in New York City bringing acts like NNWNF favs Mary Shelley and Punchlove over to win hearts and minds, and mend the special relationship with excellent tunes and sheer entertainment. The latest band to cross the pond in this slot are the hugely talented Diary. Combining elements of classic jangle pop, shoegaze and dream pop, the band have won fans wherever they've taken their impressive live show. Expect to be grinning from ear to ear by the time their set finishes. (SB)
They play 19:00pm at Penny Black on Thursday 8th May, 12:00pm at Glyndwr Uni on Friday 9th May and 17:55pm at The Parish on Saturday 10th May.
Kathryn Joseph
The ethereal and magical Kathryn Joseph is playing a special set in St Giles Church on the Saturday which promises to be something else. Despite its usual practices, a church is a perfect place to listen to someone like Kathryn, acoustics are it’s best feature, and this will no doubt be spectacular. New singles ‘DEER.’ and ‘HARBOUR.’ will more than likely make an appearance and I shall be the blubbing, gibbering wreck if she plays “From When I Wake, The Want Is”. (JA)
See her at 19.30pm at St Giles Church on Saturday 10th May.
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Martha O'Brien
All this cathartic, noisy, chaotic Rock n' Roll is all well and good, but sometimes you've got to balance it out with some sad girl energy. Growing up as one of six children, Martha O'Brien is no stranger to choosing her words wisely and has harnessed that upbringing to create something truly spellbinding. Having found inspiration in prose and poetry, O'Brien took to songwriting like a duck to water and creates songs that cling to your soul with warmth coating the sadness. All sang with a voice that has an effortless, refined charm. (SB)
See her at 17:20pm at Old No.7 and 19:40pm at The Royal Oak on Friday 9th May
The Family Battenberg
One of the most exciting and loud live bands I’ve seen over
the past few years. This is my third consecutive year at Focus and also it is The
Family Battenberg’s third consecutive year. I snoozed and missed out on
seeing them at The Parish in 2023 as they’d locked the doors to the cramped pub,
saw them in Hope Street Church last year and they melted Jesus’s face off. They’re
in Ty Pawb this year and are a must see.
They haven’t released much recently. In fact there’s been nothing since ‘Rocket Dustbin’ before last year’s festival set but check that, plus ‘Runny Hunny’ and ‘Fuzzy Features’ out. (JA)
They play Ty Pawb Performance Space at 22.20pm on Saturday 10th March.
The Family Men
The Swedes don't mess around when it comes to a full-on, punk rock assault on the senses. Following in the footsteps of Refused, Viagra Boys, Millencolin, The Hives et al are frenetic newcomers The Family Men. The bands' multi-faceted live show incorporates Samplers, broken electronics, tape looping and brazen use of feedback to create a full throttle live experience. Singer Gustav Danielsbacka often finds himself in the middle of the action, throwing himself into the mix with scant regard for personal safety - like every great punk front man should. Not for the faint hearted certainly, but those in attendance will be left wondering what hit them. (SB)
They play Glyndwr Uni at 17:00pm on Friday 9th May, The Parish at 00:00am on Saturday 10th and Penny Black at 18:30pm.
We Hate You Please Die
The French trio are returning to grace our lands with their sexy
Gaelic punk, gothic, garage and noise rock. Hailing from a huge circumference
of several hundred square miles “near Paris”, these roustabouts released their
brilliant LP “chamber songs” last year, the sound of those European metal spiral
stairs falling down a set of entrance hall stairs in a manor house falling down
the broken stairs of a squat. Which is a good thing.
Singles ‘Stronger Than Ever’ and ‘Adrenaline’ will be huge highlights of the set. (JA)
They play 18.15pm at Ty Pawb Flexible Space on
Thursday 8 May and 21.45pm at The Rockin’ Chair Room 2 on Friday 9 May.
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