It’s September, it must be Swindon Shuffle time… However, due to another gig and other family commitments, my sampling of the wares dished up this year by the now-20 year running local original band multi-venue, weekend-long showcase was going to be potentially brief… but hey, at least it would be better than 2022-2024, when I was absent from the whole shebang altogether! This time though, my intent from the outset was at least to catch up with an old friend in an old/ new band, plus some visiting Oxonians who’d impressed last time out, and maybe…. just maybe… sneak out on Saturday for some more Orange…!
So, Thursday saw me driving up the hill for my 9th Swindon gig of 2026 (again, a vast improvement on last year’s measly 2!), dumping the motor behind the Donk after a slight parking-mare and hitting the Vic just before 7.45. A quick chat with Shuffle Head Honcho Ed and old mate Paul C, before LOOPHOLE, first band on tonight, took the stage. They immediately set out their stall with a indie pop opener with jazzy pop notes and impressively strident vocals from strong female lead Romey Smogur. This set the tone for a similarly tuneful set which also featured elements of Kula Shaker psych-Britpop (“Girl”), pastoral St. Etienne/ Cardigans vibes (the big chorus of “Latch”) and even some 80’s wine bar jazzy pop stylings. I particularly enjoyed their broodier, darker final number “Escape” (which they’re apparently playing in a forthcoming new band showcase at the Royal Albert Hall!) but could have done without the slightly jarring cover of Jet’s stomping “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”; overall, though, this was a listenable and well-delivered set for such a young band, Romey in particular demonstrating bundles of charisma and a fair set of pipes. Nice!
Took a watching brief as the BLOWBACKS, that aforementioned old/ new band, set up… Led by friend Gareth of the very fine Abstraction Engine, my only previous Blowbacks viewing was a short cover song set at “12 Bands Of Xmas” waaaay back in 2013 (gig 899), before I even knew the man. For this newly resurrected Blowbacks iteration, however, it seemed he’d roped in all of his fellow AE bandmates, plus saxophonist Kitty, which promised – and happily delivered – much. “Back Yourself” led the charge and set the tone with a robust and layered slice of proto psych Britpop, the rest of the set largely following suit, with late period Beatles and more obviously “Giant Steps”-era Boo Radleys influences looming large. Conversely, this meant the set felt much more coherent than their parent band’s usual fayre (AE are a fine band but can tend to be somewhat stylistically scattergun), with the sweeping, symphonic (and short!) “Ever Decreasing” and brash indie banger finale “Spin A Coin”, which cut the engines midway through before accelerating to a frantic and noisy crescendo outro, also highlights. A little ragged and unrehearsed at the edges, sure, but who wants note-perfect anyway? This was a fine way to celebrate Gareth’s Shuffle Anniversary, the man apparently having appeared on the first ever Shuffle bill!
A
few words with Gareth and the rest of the Abstraction (Blowbacks?) boys, and I
was back in situ, house left, for WILDERNESS STATES at 9.20. They’d impressed
with some brooding yet epic and widescreen indie at the Castle in July (gig
1,454) and maintained that favourable impression with a vignette set of similar
pastoral, brooding yet stately alt/ indie, building to their trademark soaring
choruses, showcasing another impressive female voice in Shauna Reed. Opener
“Split” was a suitably windswept and open number building to a strident hook;
the elegiac “Molasses” was drum-powered to an impassioned choral delivery from
Shauna; and a later “Black White Red” was again my highlight, a more upbeat
coruscating pseudo-goth jangle with a proper choral gallop. The change of pace
closer “Bonny Bear” was an initial slow burn, picking up momentum to a more
strident final crescendo, rounding off another fine and evocative set from
these “honorary Swindonians”, Shauna commenting, “we’ve played Swindon a few
times now – we love it!”
STAY LUNAR were on in short order at 10.15; I’ve enjoyed them at past Shuffles but tonight they seemed a little anodyne after the stately majesty of Wilderness States and bullish buoyant psych of Blowbacks, so after a couple of their nonetheless layered wall of Smiths/ Aztecs indie jangle numbers, I left them and the increasingly full crowd to it, joining various folks outside for a chat and some cool air. Back in for SL’s penultimate number which was a little different, more textural and shoegazey in feel, and a more metronomic riff-fuelled closer. Strong finish then, maybe I should have stayed for the full set… anyway, that was it for me, so I headed off home, mission accomplished after the Blowbacks and Wilderness States’ sets!
Shuffle
Friday was always going to be a miss from me as it clashed with my previously
booked Holy Holy reprise in Bristol (gig 1,464) and Saturday looked awkward;
however after some family rearrangements I was able to slip out about 20 to 10,
hitting a full Vic room just as I SEE ORANGE were setting up. Happily, the Vic
was running to time and Giselle (who’d complimented my Pixies teeshirt as I
moved to the front, house right) kicked the band into gear with an urgent Veruca
Salt-alike “La Bruja”, drummer Charlie Hart already propelling this post-grunge
powerpop number purposefully along. The brooding bass intro of “Love Me Too”
ceded to some savage slashing Nirvana-like quiet/ loud riff dynamics, the band
initially struggling with some slightly muddy and murky sound but powering
through with their trademark dynamism. Giselle plugged their album before a
down and dirty, almost bluesy “Crow Field”, which also featured a sneering
choral vocal and abrupt mid-song buffer stop, before a build to a noisy
crescendo. Giselle then dodged a flying drumstick, squealing, “[Charlie] always
tries to kill me!” before an excellent “Wine Boy”, guitarist Cameron effortlessly
switching from its’ almost jangly strumalong verse into the roaring choral
riff. Giselle exclaimed to the full room, “It was a pleasure to play for you
tonight!” before strident sleazy set closer “Mental Rot” rounded off another rousing
and dynamic I See Orange set, which hopefully won over some new fans tonight.
And that was me Shuffled out! A quick chat with both old friends Rich and Helen May, and compliments to a buoyant band, before my brief Saturday Shuffling was over, home before 11! Overall, a bit of a toe in the water this year due to circumstance, but hopefully I’ll be able to immerse myself more fully next time. Either way, congratulations to the Swindon Shuffle for its 20th Anniversary – see you next year for the 21st!
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