Having previously visited the Welsh capital while opening for Touché Amoré, Scowl‘s return to Clwb Ifor Bach comes as they prepare for their upcoming sets at Reading and Leeds Festival this coming weekend. However, for now, the focus was entirely on bringing their rowdy energy to a packed out room.
Once the crowd had been warmed up by openers Shell and Perp Walk, Scowl took to the stage to an eruption of applause and cheers, bursting into action with the ever-relatable anthem ‘Retail Hell‘ as Scowl go about demonstrating their powerful brand of hardcore with a distinctive swagger.
As the band grooves from song to song, lead singer Kat Moss‘ stage presence is undeniable, shifting from each side of the stage to the other, all the while dancing or two-stepping to each and every song.
‘Psychic Dance Routine’ is easily one of Scowl’s most prominent tracks, so the incredible reception it received came as no surprise, and with some encouragement to dance from Moss herself the majority of the crowd were bouncing along to the melodic track to the extent that even the floor of the room was shaking underneath.
As any hardcore band will tell you though, the greatest compliment from the crowd comes in the form of moshing, which is something the crowd most definitely didn’t disappoint on. Each song saw limbs flail and people throwing themselves off the rather stout stage that Clwb’s top floor is home to, some more successful than others, though.
While it’s always been an issue for bands containing female or femme presenting members, Scowl’s increase in popularity in the past year, as well as their willingness to depart from the traditional hardcore sound, has seen them come in for unfounded criticism from people within the scene, and is exactly why their track ‘My Turn 2 Play’ resonates so well with their audience, with Moss dedicating it to anyone in the room who believed that they were never able to truly be a part of the hardcore scene, whether that’s as a fan, photographer, or even a band.
As the night came to a close, and the last few chords of ‘Opening Night’ ring out across the room it’s clear to see just how much this band means to so many, and vice versa also. Hopefully Scowl aren’t away from Welsh shores for too long before their next return.
