Kill it Kid - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, 22/9/2011

  by Steve McDermott

published: 3 / 10 / 2011

intro

In his first review for Pennyblackmusic, photographer Steve McDermott watches a stunning set of indie blues rock from young Bath-based indie blues band Kill It Kid at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff

I don't like hanging around. It's dead time. For once though I didn't really mind, I knew it would be worth the wait. I was outside the ominous front doors of Clwb Ifor Bach waiting admission to Kill It Kid’s Cardiff date of their tour to promote the release of their second album 'Feet Fall Heavy' and, after hearing a few of their tracks. I couldn’t have been happier for them to be the subject of my first review for Pennyblack. Their strong vocal talents and varied range of songs promised some excellent listening and one hell of a show. The doors opened every now and again as if to tease the small audience waiting outside and eventually some familiar faces emerged. First of all, Dom Kozubik (Bass), Stephanie Ward (piano/vocals) and Marc Jones (drums), closely followed by Chris Turpin (guitar/vocals) with manager David Pears. After a brief introduction and chat with the band I watched them wander off in search of food, kicking myself that I hadn’t used the opportunity for some outdoor shots (Idiot! Me!). The night opened with Fjords (formerly Don't Tread On Spiders), a lively Cardiff based seven piece alternative rock band who did a good job of getting the crowd warmed up (although unfortunatly the crowd at this point consisted of only a handful of people). Next up were Broken Hands from Kent who describe themselves as a ‘raw alternative-indie-blues’ band and live up to the description. They played an energetic set to an appreciative (and now growing) audience and by the time they had finished we were all ready for headliners Kill It Kid to take the stage. Right from the start Chris ripped the mic to pieces with his powerful voice which is something of a shock given his youthful looks. The band are extremely professional but after three years, two albums (Chris and Steph have already started writing a third) and numerous live appearances (including the Spring Break festival, Austin Texas in 2010) it’s no surprise. Although they haven’t been around very long they’ve certainly... er... been around. Their self-titled 2009 first album was recorded at Bear Creek studio in Seattle with producer Ryan Hadlock (Foo Fighters/The Strokes) steering them in the right direction. A direction that’s clearly working well for them given the constant stream of praise from their Twitter and Facebook followers. The night's set included the melodic 'Send Me an Angel Down', 'Burst Its Banks' (minus the violin) and 'Let My Feet Fall Heavy', the title track from the new album. 'Pray On Me' is a great example of the band's versatility, and is a gritty blues track where Chris shares vocals with Stephanie who compliments his voice perfectly, equalling his effortless raw sound. The pair battle it out throughout the song with the clear winner being the entire band of course for pulling off what must be one of their more difficult live songs. It was a shame that Clwb Ifor Bach had a 9 p.m. curfew due it being a disco night as the crowd (who were now crammed in any available space) were almost begging for an encore. The only other regret for the night was that the room they played in was nowhere near the size such a loud, strong-sounding band needs. Maybe next time I’ll get to see them at a more suitable venue. Oh, and get those outdoor shots I missed out on this time...