The Wave Pictures At Cardiff's Clwb Ifor Bach

September 10th, 2008

The Wave Pictures are back in Cardiff, celebrating something of a homecoming after forming in university here, and frontman Dave Tattersall lets it all happen with the air of a man in a hammock in the sun. The Pictures tonight are like a troupe of martians from an indie heaven where Darren Hayman is king, Franic Rozycki’s bass making waves for Tattersall’s guitar to surf in wonderful flowing lines, his voice booming over the top with lines of silken, romantic, skilfully surrealist and sensual poetry. The Pictures are a painterly kind of band, gently evoking a golden trio of Pop gods in their rich and colourful landscapes. There’s hints of Ritchie Valens here, hints of Jonathan Richman there, hints of Darren Hayman and Hefner of course throughout, and it’s enough to make the large crowd feel like they can fly to the bar afterwards.

© 2008 Neil Jones

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