Swn Festival is a multi-venue showcase of the underground’s finest artists. It’s been running for almost 20 years and is a dot-to-dot weekender showcasing over 100 artists as part of Cardiff City Music Festival.
It felt only right to start inside Clwb Ifor Bach, an iconic music venue at the heart of Cardiff’s grassroots music scene. Here, John Francis Flynn’s silky Irish folk gave a warm welcome to the festival.
Rising Welsh soul singer Betsan then performed in Tiny Rebel and had the venue packed out the door. Her masterful band and backup singer fleshed out her touching ballads that perfectly encapsulate girlhood.
Coming in with the accolade of performing in the Jazz Cafe, Bel Cobain had the stage presence of a star and the voice, storytelling and substance to match. Following this, Pixie McCann’s electronic bedroom pop was masterful, mixing her dreamlike voice on stage with her angelic soundscape. It’s fresh and at the cutting edge of alternative music.
Luna Morgenstern flew all the way from Germany for the festival, and her vocals over self-produced atmospheric techy bassline tracks stunned. She was choreographed and flawless, truly a highlight of the festival.
As the night drew on, Turnspit left a mark with their haunting and magical yet shorter set that left you wanting to explore more of their weird, dark soundscape.
Thursday night ended with a mind-blowing performance from Working Men’s Club. Putting anarchist calls to action over invigorating beats, they were captivating and electrifying. A must-see if you ever see them on a lineup near you, and an intoxicating end to Thursday.
Friday brought another rapid onslaught of artists and an energetic atmosphere to the city for the second day of this Welsh parade.
To begin, highly decorated Cerys Hafana was situated with their harp in the most fitting of venues, St John’s Church. The sun shone through the stained glass as Hafana recounted Bible stories in their classical style. It was moving.
Wrkhouse’s bilingual art pop was melodic as they displayed their North Welsh pride, and outfit Theatre has an exceptionally strong female vocal lead amplifying their Irish ethereal rock.
Junkie Kut’s screaming industrial techno brought a different speed to Friday afternoon, followed by another visit to church for Jamie Emmanuel as the sun set. His touching gospel had the entire church singing in unison.
Nation Unrest then ended the evening with their dark and entrancing electronic rhythms.
Saturday continues on from Friday’s frantic pace, with bands changing at breakneck speed. Packed full of youth and passion, Die Twice persevered through broken strings and cut fingers to put on an enriching performance at the beginning of the day.
Cowboy Hunters’ rave rock had Fuel’s stage spilling out the door as people stood on tables, benches and hung from ceilings to get a spot. Their vulgar Scottish anthems and carefree creativity were invigorating, and Blood Wizard slowed the tempo as their elevated indie rock led another sunset session in the church.
Later on, Good Health Good Wealth’s effortless flow and hypnotic beats made them a standout. After releasing an album last week, they brought energy and talent to the stage, echoing themes of brotherhood and unity.
Then, Cardinals’ gothic Irish-trad-rock brought flavour and culture into the final stop at Clwb Ifor Bach.
Holybones got up close and personal with the crowd in Jacobs Basement. They’re transformative, taking you to their evolving world to finish our Sŵn.
Sŵn truly represents what Cardiff’s grassroots music scene is all about. Promoting artists from around the UK and beyond, showcasing a wide range of genres, sexualities and gender.
If you judge a festival by how diverse its lineup is, Sŵn’s is to be commended. You notice how it ignites passion in its participants as conversations about recording sessions and successful networking fill the crowd.
The culture in the city bleeds through even on the walk between venues, as Cardiff’s street performers keep the music going. It’s essential for the culture, and Sŵn will keep returning to inspire the community and keep the music alive in Cardiff.
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