Live Review: FOCUS Wales International Showcase Festival 2025 (Part 1)

 

Thank you for the music. Don't stop the music. Music makes me lose control. Play that funky music. Music to watch girls by. Music to watch boys to.  Music is my hot, hot sex. 

Yes, they are all song titles. Great detective work there Sherlock. They're all song titles that resonate with those of us driven by the thing that makes us tick most, and makes the increasingly unpleasant human experience that much more bearable. So here we are again, pounding the streets of Wrexham for another three days motivated by nothing more than the sheer love of music. Got to get those steps in this day and age.

And beer.

Lots and lots of beer.

FOCUS Wales returned between 8-10th May providing a sheer feast of musical delights with something for every musical palette. This year is the 15th edition of the festival that continues to grow and become a staple for artists, music industry types and fans alike. Stephen Birch and Jim Auton were there to sample the many delights. Where to even start?

MOONRIIVR

MOONRIIVR set us off sedately. Whilst hunting a pint after a four hour drive (..for Jim, I live 20 minutes away on a train. SB) and the first glimpse of sunshine, we discover that all line-ups have been moved from Hope Street Church to NGHTCLB (pronounced nnnntt cllllllbbb) as we venture down the hill to opposite The Parish to well.. a nghtclb. It’s probably more in keeping with a gig venue than Hope Street Church although it doesn’t look like it’d do as good a coffee. But that’s okay, because we want lager and it's lovely, foamy, bubbly, thirst-quenching, healing properties. There’s just two Canadians on stage, playing pleasant bluesy country lilts and that is enough for starters.

Mirage are one of the bands to play for The Spanish Wave party that also takes place at NGHTCLB. They're not the most technically gifted of musicians you'll see throughout the weekend, but they put on a spirited performance and by the end of their set it's impossible to not leave with a big, cheesy grin on your face.

The Pill come from the Isle of Wight and play expertly sardonic punk about the young, female experience in 2025. Lottie and Lily compliment each other brilliantly on stage, as they give an unforgettable high energy take on what they call 'Jank Punk'. The crowd swells as their set progresses showing just how highly thought of this band are. Expect a big 12 months for them and if this is anything to go by, it'll be richly deserved.  

NAP EYES

Canadians' Nap Eyes are a welcome change of pace at The Wynnstay Hotel, playing a set of beautifully balanced Americana (is it right to call it that in 2025? Possibly not) that finds an appreciative audience from the start. If you close your eyes - as I do at points - it's like hearing Tom Petty jamming with 'Range Life' era Pavement and it's a beautiful experience. I envisage many lazy summer days listening to these and it's a pleasant thought.

We Hate You Please Die are sexy French punk, and a bit of post, and we find them at Ty Pawb as part of the French Mixer. From now on, all punk rock records must be sung in a French accent. And if you’re not French, then you can’t make a punk rock record. Think of a new genre. 

Unsurprisingly, New York City continues to produce the goods at Focus in 2025. Like Mary Shelley and Punchlove before them, Diary arrive as one of NYC's finest wave of new bands the city has to offer. Part of the impressive Kanine Records roster, the band played two shows in the main part of the festival, whilst also playing for Glyndwr University early on Friday. You can tell there are some collective nerves as they start their first set to an impressive turnout at The Penny Black, but they soon get into their stride. New single 'Stevie' is nothing short of indie pop perfection; a summer anthem that glides effortlessly with a chorus that finds solace in Alvvays, and would sit nicely on the C86 compilation of your choice. 

DIARY

The second set is in the confines of the hottest venue known to mankind: The Parish. Not only is it one of the hottest days of the year, but by the time the band perform it seems to have developed it's own ecosystem; it's a possibility by the end of this set, the rainy season will arrive. Sure it's sweaty, but it's practically impossible to tear yourself away from Diary at this point. Front man Kevin glides around with an effortless cool, guitarist Jess looks like she was born to be on stage, lead guitarist Chris flits around his fret board creating the insanely catchy melodies, and the rhythm section of Johnny and Adam are the unsung heroes keeping everything together at the seams. The second time of seeing them reveals more, with heavier psych-infused guitar tracks like 'Sunday's Shadow' and 'Brush Pile' bursting into life in the more intimate setting. Frankly, we're smitten. Can we all go to the Karaoke Bar again please?

There's no doubt Sprints are becoming a bit of a big deal. They're everything you expect and more, playing tracks from debut album Letter to Self and sprinkling some new material on top, that will no doubt cement their growing reputation. The set is an absolute riot, especially when they introduce their new guitarist, Joe Need from Bored Marsh, who has somehow blagged his way on to the stage. This weekend just keeps on getting better and weirder. 

It's been 21 years since the last album from mclusky. Since then we've had more albums from the follow up band Future of the Left, than these noise rock legends managed the first time round. It's bloody great to see them back and gaining new fans in 2025 and there's no doubt they do after this performance. See the video for their ace song 'Autofocus On The Prime Directive' above. 

Approaching the witching hour at The Rockin' Chair, there’s a moment where the dusky yellow light falls on the pit and young people with long hair are a throwing themselves around almost in slow motion that looks like the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video. For some reason security get their knickers in a twist and enter the throng just before Andy shouts "Alan Is A Cowboy Killer". The room goes ballistic around them and they come to their senses and wisely leave them to it. The new tracks from The World Is Still Here And So Are We are every bit as good as the classic cuts from .....Do Dallas - especially ‘unpopular parts of a pig’ and ‘people person’ - and the room is full of sweaty, content fans by the time 'Too Hell With Good Intentions' has worked it's magic. 

There is so much to talk about, so we shall reconvene at a later date. Part 2 is stuffed full of more highlights from FOCUS Wales 2025, so keep your eyes peeled and you glass full.