It’s November 5th. I am driving to Cardiff under a barrage of fireworks and sights of bonfires on the hills. Putting my political views of how Guy Fawkes had the right idea aside (not sorry), I am not heading to any firework displays. I am off to see Wargasm UK in a dirty rock show, along with Knives and Tropic Gold.
Wargasm UK – Knives – Tropic Gold
Tramshed Cardiff – 5 November 2024
Words And Photography: Georgia Brittain
I first discovered Wargasm during the Download Pilot back in 2021 after many fellow punters told me to check them out. There are a few songs I have enjoyed since, and I was looking forward to hearing some more now these guys are growing their following.
One thing I loved back then was their presence onstage, and it is just as high energy now as it was back then. Ride The Thunder is a new song I heard tonight, and it has stuck with me since seeing the show.
There is a lot more that catches my ear, and I need to give their new album Venom a listen in its entirety when I have the time to give it my full attention.
The crowd is going absolutely wild for Wargasm, with mosh pits, crowd surfers and circle pits refusing to stop. I have a brilliant view upstairs and can see the full energy of the band and the crowd feeding off them.
The encore has Spit in it first, which is one of the songs I fell in love with back at Download Pilot. Sam Matlock is straight into crowdsurfing for this, which adds to the crowd’s high energy.
Finally, we are on Do It So Good, and I recognise this from a time my partner was watching WWE, and we both mentioned the soundtrack. I had not thought about it since, and damn, have I been missing out.
This is a great end to a great night, and while I am envious of being unable to join in the circle pits tonight, I am not envious of how sweaty the punters must be after running around all evening.
Tropic Gold
For a three-piece band, these guys bring enough noise for you to expect a five-piece. These are openers I will not forget any time soon. All three members bring a high amount of energy. I am almost chasing the singer across the stage to get my photos.
It is a shame the crowd is not responding to what they are asking, with only head nods and a few bangers instead of the mosh pits. I can imagine these guys headlining a smaller venue, bringing absolute carnage. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for that show in the future.
Knives
I see a saxophone coming to the stage while Knives are setting up, and I find myself curious. And holy shit, if that didn’t pique my curiosity, the band would have forced it out of me. We have gone from a three-piece to a six, and there’s no energy lost from our openers.
All members are going absolutely fucking crazy, clearly loving their time on stage. Knives have a heavy punk sound about them, and that saxophone that grabbed me adds an almost haunting sound to some of their songs. The crowd has picked up for these guys, with a mosh pit ongoing and the singer even coming down to join them.
This is not a genre of music I would usually run with, but the mere stage presence and clear joy in their music is what keeps my attention and makes me really enjoy myself.
Whoever booked the opening acts for this tour did a straight bang up job, 10/10 for both openers.
