Sometimes things drop into your lap that you’re basically eternally grateful for. This, I think, was one of those occasions. I free Friday night and a peruse of the Sheffield gig guides drew me to Yellow Arch Studios for two Welsh bands who had – to that point, been on my radar, but only just. Now, they’re two of my favourite bands out there.
Both bands use the Gorkys / SFA playbook, but a have their own distinct personalities and that was on show tonight. Pys Melyn are the more psychedelic of the two, but write these beautiful wistful songs, sung in both Welsh and English, which conjure up hazy evenings and nights drawing in. That’s not to say they can’t do the scuffed up pop and get all angular and post punk on us sometimes -as both bands can and do so very well, it just there’s this hue that hands over the that is so satisfying.
Melin Melyn are frankly wonderful. They take to the stage dressed in uniform of matching outfits (almost anyway) – red shirt (Glyn) green shirts (band) along with dark trousers and white pumps and including large visors, and proceed to blow the audience away with one psych pop gem after another. The band are missing Garmon, who’s doing his acting thing at the Lyceum, but arrives mid set to choreographed boos to take on backing vocals, and the band are helped out by the more than able Ben (from Mr Ben & The Bens) and Charlie on keys for the evening.
Songs such as Rebecca, new single I paint Dogs, Lucys Odyssey, Nefoedd yr Adar all receive an outing, but really it’s unfair to pick songs out, such is the quality of their repertoire. Special mention to the Rhinestone Cowboy which got everybody singing and dancing along. But it’s not just the music that gets you with Melin Melyn – there’s humour in abundance, irreverent and but also theatrics and pathos and it’s not long before they have the audience in the palms of their hands, and not just because of the brilliance of their playing.
seeing Melin Melyn is a fantastic, life affirming thing to do, and I urge you to do it as soon as possible. Don’t sleep on either of these bands, it might not drop into your lap…..
