On their first visit to The Factory, Porth a pre-gig meet with The Nightingales found the band to be an affable cast of characters. As the show approached ‘Gales guru Robert Lloyd became the living proof of the current anthem ‘Diary of a bag of Nerves’ as he entered a zone that was a mix of fear and focus. The Birmingham bard has an obvious faith in his musical aides but he does not want to disappoint an audience made up of the knowledgeable and the novices.
However, there was no cause for concern because a wonderful, melting-pot of non-stop, no-nonsense power unfolded. The Nightingales stand proud on the pop platform because the nostalgia train does not stop at their station. Every time this band plays live you will not get the same presentation and line up alterations help keep things fresh and fertile.
Tonight a fiery four piece take to the boards. To the rear, Fliss Kitson attacks her drum kit with passion and precision while also chipping in with her visceral vocals. To the right, the towering figure of Faust man Andreas Schmid offers bombastic bass and a robust rhythm section prospers. To the left, the gifted Alan Apperley carves out a series of killer guitar licks that take the tunes through an array of aural adventures.
Centre stage, the powerful presence of Lloyd can fix a stare as if he is using binoculars while wearing a balaclava! In a confined area Lloyd adopts a variety of ungainly stances but a recall for his lexicon of lyrics is remarkable especially when considering that this expansive world of words can be fired out at a breathtaking speed. The microphone stand is launched in to the arena at one point as Lloyd shows that he is a man not to cross! However, the vocalist who was on the edge earlier on pushes himself to extremes in order to satisfy his own standards. Britain’s got Talent….and here it is!!!
There are no gaps between the songs as the ammunition barrel fires out ‘A Bullet for Gove’ and a magazine of momentum follows. This foot to the pedal juggernaut of joy does not relinquish its reverberations until it’s time to depart this remarkable rock ‘n’ roll ride. Since 2009 a variety of Lloyd led incarnations have played several dates in the principality, and the evidence is conclusive….The ‘Gales in Wales never fails!
£5 to see the Nightingales is a bargain (and there were six other turns on the bill as well!). Lloyd stated just before their van headed to Fishguard to get a ferry for Irish dates that The Nightingales will once again sing near Porth Square at the 2015 Rhondda Rocks Festival! We cannot wait!
