1,401 THE 2025 SWINDON SHUFFLE, Swindon The Hop, The Victoria and The Beehive, Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th September 2025

It’s Swindon Shuffle time again! This multi-venue, multi-night charity-focussed local event, conceived by my old mate Rich Craven as Swindon’s answer to the Camden Crawl and shining a light on the musical talent available in the ‘don, had been shamefully absent from my Dance Card for 3 years for a variety of reasons, but mainly due to the demise of my local faves Raze*Rebuild. With nothing else local really grabbing me by the ‘nads and depositing me on the dancefloor like Si’s blue-collar popcore rockers did, I allowed myself to drift a bit from the goings-on within my very own town. However, with a smattering of intriguing local acts that I’d been meaning to check out, plus a couple of old faves and one surprising Big Name (well, at least for The Shuffle!) on this year’s bill, it felt time to end my self-imposed absence…

Starting with the (musical) opening night on Thursday, and a run of checkable-outable acts on at the upstairs room of The Hop. I drove up the hill early doors and parked in Britannia Place behind the venue, greeting Linda, manning the merch, and popping upstairs to join the early comers for openers AQABA, on at 7.15. A veteran Bath unit, this lot, I have to confess I didn’t hear too many of the supposed Death Cab/ National US alt-rock influences in their sound, but what I did hear was intriguing; some taut, brooding rhythms on opener “Girls On Glass”, then some more upbeat keyboard embellished jangly 70’s new wave and more understated melancholic pop on subsequent tracks. A couple of bum notes too, but to be expected from this evening’s opening act, which I cut short as I needed to return a call from my brother. 

Stepped back in via a chat with old mate Andy, for SEBASTIAN AND ME, next up. This was immediately much more the ticket, and right in my 90’s alt-rock wheelhouse; “Keep On Running” was an anthemic slice of Dinosaur/ Superchunk laze alt-rock, and “Love Conquers All” featured some nice choral harmonies from this Devizes lot, along with some more sweeping and widescreen middle 8 guitar work. “I Wanted You To Know”, apparently a recent release, recalled early Teenage Fanclub in its chunky ascending guitar pattern and mid-song harmony break, and overall this was a heartfelt emotive rock set played with attention, purpose and no shortage of talent, culminating in the band exhorting a mate to add the “la la la”s on closer “Typical Boy”. Good stuff from a band whose overall sonic template would have seen them fitting right in with TFC, Posies and even my faves Gigolo Aunts in that 90’s post-grunge era… 

Took a break in the pub downstairs, running into old Posse mate Rog, in town for the Shuffle! Popped back upstairs for the more popular SOBER SUNDAYS; a younger band (clearly with plenty of mates in the crowd!), I liked the slow-burn, heartfelt number about the singer’s older brother, which ultimately proved an outlier to their usual oeuvre of bouncy, taut, tempo-changing almost funk based pop with occasional pastoral interludes and brief nods to knockabout Britpop indie, over which the chunky, kinetic vocalist largely rapped his delivery. As I said, a popular set and clearly good at what they do, but not my cup of eclecticism.

Another downstairs break, another old friend; this time my fellow R*R fan Paul, whom I’d not seen for a few years! Catch-up time then, and a quick chat with the Sebastian And Me gents (which earned me a free CD. Yay!) before we joined the busiest crowd of the night for the 9.30 arrival of BETTER HEAVEN… this was so busy, in fact, that much of the young BH massive had stepped up onto the front of the Hop’s admittedly wide stage. This however created a two-pronged issue for us folks at the back; not only did this render seeing the band nigh-on impossible, but it also mucked with the sound, the onstage bodies absorbing the speaker volume and bouncing it back onstage. Given that BH’s material was largely wispy female fronted Summery yet understated ethereal dreampop, this gave the impression that their songs might just drift away on the slightest of breezes! So ultimately a frustrating experience overall, with their most memorable number being the closer, a real outlier with an almost scuzzy glam metal base. Bizarre! 

And so to tonight’s headliners WILD ISLES. I’d heard good reports of their billowing and windswept post grunge/ alt-country sound, which made them sound like a toned-down Manchester Orchestra, and the lead singer’s fulsome beard only added to that impression! However, opener “Stand In Silence” was much more upbeat than expected, giving very Therapy? vibes in its rambunctious riff-heavy alt-rock groove. Things became mellower thereafter; “What Would You Say” was a blend of slow-burn QOTSA desert/ stoner rock with strumalong interludes and a big crashing crescendo; a “couple of emo things” were suitably brooding and plaintive; and “Fake Hearts” was a more upbeat Gaslight Anthem-esque heartland blue-collar bluesy rocker. Closer “Still Dreaming” featured a big singalong choral hook and a riff-heavy climax, before Shuffle impresario Ed persuaded the band back out for an impromptu (and moshpit-inducing) encore, rounded off with thanks from the singer, “for staying out way past my bedtime!” Mine too, but chats and catch-ups with Paj and Avril saw me getting home about half 11, after a fine Shuffle Day 1 won out, for me, by Sebastian And Me!

Shuffle Friday, as per last night at The Hop, was a one-venue night, Vic all the way for me; a slightly later drive up the hill meant the usual Vic car park was already full, with cars circulating aimlessly, but luckily, I grabbed the last space in the car park behind the Roaring Donkey. These parking shenanigans however meant that I was a bit late for ANYMINUTENO’s opening set at 7.45. Featuring mate Pete “Monkey” backing up his punk rock scenester brother Jeeves, I was expecting this to be a bit of a buzzsaw UK82-alike hardcore racket. Happily I was proven wrong from the outset; this was strong-armed robust street urchin punk rock, undoubtedly, but with more leanings towards the class-struggle polemics of the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, and the ‘No’s most obvious comparison, New Model Army (a bit on the nose, this comp, but hey, if I hear clip-clops, I’m saying “horse”…). Much more coherent and actually melodic than I expected too, particularly when Jeeves hit the frantic strumalong acoustic guitar button, this was a fine opening set, Jeeves announcing at the end, “there’s loads of other bands coming up; [however] I can’t remember them as I’ve got a fish head,” his bandmate retorting with, “and a mouse cock…!” 

Loads of folks already out – Paul, Andy, Dubs, Paj and Avril, and old punk mate Olly (it’s crusty old punk rocker night, of course Olly is out!) – so a bit of rock chat whiled away the time between bands. A particularly fun catch up too with old You Are Here drummer Alan, who I’d shamefully not recognised putting in a shift with Jeeves’ lot, which then pitched us up for Essex folk trio WILSWOOD BUOYS, next up. Taking the noise down a notch, their set was however still shot through with a similar protest punk attitude (viz. the early emotive anti-war protest “Crisis”) alongside their rootsier hoedown material, with an early “This Must Be Love” a bouncy hoedown with a stream-of-consciousness gabbled vocal. “Change”’s speeded-up ending required some intricate picking from guitarist Joe, and “Save The Queen”, referring to a drinking game of the same name, was a punkier closer recalling (again, clip-clops = horse) Frank Turner.

It then got noisier again (and a damn sight busier!), with a double-whammy of younger local punk/ emo types. NOT WARRIORS, on at 9.15, had seemingly brought their families and all their college mates with them, and played it hard and riff-heavy from the outset, with an early “Escape Redefined” taking me right back to those 2000’s Finch/ All American Rejects/ Taking Back Sundays times. A well-observed cover of Modern Baseball’s excellent “Your Graduation” was an early highlight for me (also sounding a bit scuzzy and Midway Still-esque to these old ears!), a punk rock cover of the Scooby Doo theme had me texting my absent son Logan (a headache precluding his planned attendance tonight – lightweight!), and a frantic, noisy yet occasionally quite hooky and anthemic set closed out with a robust fist-pumping “King Of The Playground”. A chat with a passing Pete Monkey, before VIDUALS kept the volume up at 11 and the pace setting to Eiffel Tower High with some hard-hitting emo punk popcore. A bit more haphazard and thrashier than the previous lot, surprisingly, Swindon’s self-confessed “laziest power trio” nonetheless ploughed gamely through their technically beset (the singer repeatedly cussing out his pedal board) yet well-received heavy beat/ power-chord driven set, the hooky chorus of closer “Coming Back To You” the best of a Greatest Hits set from an apparently long if unproductive career… 

This took us to 10.30 and the place surprisingly thinned out a little (past Not Warriors’ college mates’ bedtimes, maybe?!), but I was joined by Beef and his mate Jas for tonight’s headliners, and possibly one of the best-known bands to play The Shuffle. “I’m so fucking excited I might wet myself!” exclaimed Shuffle Head Honcho Ed by way of introduction to PET NEEDS; I’d last seen this Essex rabble delivering an impressive set in support of Frank Turner in Bristol in 2022 (gig 1,248), and since then they’d put together a valid case to be the Mega City Four of current times, packing in their day jobs and embracing a DIY “have van, will travel and gig” ethos which has seen their profile raise accordingly. Quite a coup for The Shuffle, then (I suspect my gig friend Joanne, who’d toured Europe with them as merch person and was standing next to me, front and centre, at this point, had a hand in their inclusion...), and the boys proceeded to justify their status from the outset, tearing the Shuffle a new one with a high-octane, high energy set of rabble rousing yet hooky emo punk/ old school punk noise. “We’ve got a brand-new van – it’s been cleaned inside and out and is the slippiest thing ever!” announced frontman Johnny Marriott, prior to a riotous Buzzcocks-esque “Fingernails”; “Separations” was a super-speedy gabbling punk rock luge ride with Johnny’s in-your-face vocal a feature; and “Tracey Emin’s Bed” an old school proto punk romper stomper. Throughout, Johnny demonstrated he’d learned much at the feet of the archetypal audience mass communicator Frank, calling for singalongs, jumpalongs and general involvement and inclusion from the unusually engaged Swindon crowd. The “ba ba ba” singalong of “Toothpaste” and emotive and anthemic “Get On The Roof” rounded off a breathless and incendiary set from a band I really need to get to see more often… 

Caught my breath, grabbed a list and got it signed by the buoyant band, and bade farewell to all and sundry after a very enjoyable punk rock Shuffle Friday, home after midnight via the kebab van for a (very) late tea. I still got up for my usual Saturday morning gym sesh, however, but the after effects of said workout and the Friday night, plus the Red Sox on TV, persuaded me to give the Saturday Shuffle a miss altogether. Now who’s the lightweight…? Nonetheless, after a family Sunday lunch gathering, I was up for some Sunday afternoon acoustic shenanigans at the Beehive, this time with son Logan and his boyfriend Kristian in tow. We hit the surprisingly quiet ‘hive at 4.30, the Tuppenny apparently having run late so shunting back acts here by 15 minutes. We grabbed a drink and a seat in the side room, then, for a listening brief for Beehive openers TRIAMI at 4.45. A trio of 3 female voices and one lightly strummed acoustic guitar, their stock in trade was warm, wistful and wispy pastoral strumalongs with layered and intertwining choral harmonies, very angelic in expression and delivery, and formed a pleasant backdrop to our quiet chatting (didn’t want to disturb any listeners…). 

Ben Sydes and Evie arrived midway through after apparently travelling 5 ½ hours (!) from Pembrokeshire for his B SYDES set; we offered our services as a backing chorus if he wanted to compete with the opening act but thankfully he declined, announcing to a fuller crowd when he kicked off his set at 5.30, “[those were] lovely vibes from the previous act – and now I’m going to ruin all of that!” After a suitably pacey and impassioned new opening number, “Crutches” was its’ usual rollicking self, Logan and I chanting “knees! Knees!” at the suitable juncture. Another newie, the slow-burn descending chorus of a stark “Full Of Screams” preceded a singalong to “This Was My City Once”, and another newie, the sombre and introspective self-examination of “Character Arc” was followed by the discordant emo of “Self-Sabotage”, before an ebullient Ben rounded off an energetic and intriguing (with some splendid new material on show) half hour with another rousing choral singalong to “The Desperate Dance”. Fine work, young man! 

We took a break outside as this oddly shaped multi-tiered pub got really stupid busy, popping outside into the side alley as Tim and his bandmates arrived, so we stayed out there chatting instead of catching an expanded Canute’s Plastic Army. Sorry! At the appointed hour, we shoe-horned our way back in, past mates Paul and Paul (!), and managed to grab a bar space alongside Paj and Avril and Avril’s sister Ingrid for THE SHUDDERS’ onstage arrival at 10 past 7, now in front of an utterly rammed Beehive (so much so, that Ed suggested as part of his introduction that if anyone needed the loo, they go out of the door at the back and walk round the outside of the pub rather than trying to squirm through!). Tim and the boys were however in no mood to make concessions to the packed and seriously hot venue, delivering a full-on rock set of their indie/ alt-Americana blend, with opener “Get Out Of Here” setting the tone with some rocking and chunky early 90’s Gin Blossoms vibes, and the layered harmonies of “Thought I Saw You” featuring some intricate and melodic picking from guitarist Liam and a fine crescendo build.

 “We’re almost there, and we’re all still alive…” commented vocalist Danny before the Byrds-ian heartland country rock of “Long Way Down”, then the sombre and morose yet widescreen “Mary’s Grace” provided some respite from the rock (“we were going to start with this one but thought we wouldn’t be bastards!” quipped Danny before kicking this one off). Closer “Rolling Sea” however was the highlight, a slow burner which built momentum throughout, a big harmonic pre-middle 8 crescendo particularly notable, and earned a comment of praise from Ed at the conclusion of this slightly truncated but fine, dynamic set from “the Shuffle House Band!” as Ed described them.

 And that was us all Shuffled out, as I needed to take Kristian back home to Malmsbury. Farewells to all and sundry, then, before we hit the road after an excellent weekend of fine music and company. Glad I ended my Shuffle exile this year then; whilst “outsiders” Pet Needs may have been hands down my favourite band of the weekend, an intriguing and entertaining slew of new (well, new to me) local bands, headed by Sebastian And Me, enlivened my first 2 nights, and veteran faves B Sydes and The Shudders delivered fine Sunday sets too. So hopefully after this year, The Swindon Shuffle will stay back on my Dance Card again!

1,190 THE 2021 SWINDON SHUFFLE, Swindon The Hop, The Tuppenny, The Victoria and The Beehive, Thursday 9th to Saturday 11th September 2021

 

After a Covid-induced one year hiatus, and a slight bump from its’ usual slot into early September, “The Swindon Shuffle” – the ‘don’s answer to the “Camden Crawl” and a free, multi-venue, charity fundraising showcase of Swindon’s musical talents – makes a welcome return to my gig itinerary! And this time I’m out for more than just the single “one and done” nights I’d been restricted to in 2019 and 2018, due to a number of intriguing acts being scattered across the breadth of the event. Also, this year the charity beneficiary is, appropriately, The Prospect Hospice, falling in line with the recent “My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad” Festival fundraiser in honour of recently lost Swindon musical stalwart Dave Young. So I’ll be throwing some folding into buckets at some point…

 

So, “Shuffle Day 1” Thursday (although event organiser Ed Dyer would argue the Shuffle starts with Wednesday’s quiz night!) saw me “on it” pretty much from the off, parking up in Old Town and hitting the upstairs room of The Hop about 7.30, just as opener JIM BLAIR was finishing off his set with a fuzzed-out cover of stompy old blues staple “Come Together” and his own “Dancing Barefeet”, one of Dave Young’s favourite numbers. Caught up with folks before my real early-bird motivation, ABSTRACTION ENGINE, due on at 8. Since catching an impressive showing from this lot at 2018’s “12 Bands”, I’d been meaning to sample a “live” set of their own material, but events and unfortunate clashes have thus far conspired against us, so I was glad to set that straight tonight, settling in front and centre for their set. For whatever reason, I’d expected a set of post-millennial, intelligently crafted US alt-indie-influenced rock from vocalist David Moore and his charges, and opener “Low” initially underlined this, creeping in low and slow-burn in a pseudo-laze Real Estate-meets-Promise Ring style. However, “What Would You Say” was notably more upbeat, with cascading ringing guitar interplay and some very fine hooky choral harmonies, and by “Dreamer”, next up, the robust drum intro and darker, almost proto-Gothy atmospherics saw them almost channelling “Spiritwalker”-era Cult! A chameleonic lot, this, then, with various rock/indie musical styles and references aplenty thrown into their melting pot; difficult to pigeonhole, but thanks to a welcome penchant for insistent, hooky chorus lines (“Talk In Your Sleep” even recalling a rootsier Big Star chorus!), very easy to enjoy. Final number “Shiine”, which with its absorbing melancholy and largely instrumental intricate meander felt as if it could have walked off 90’s Boston faves Wheat’s “Hope And Adams” album, put the final polish on a splendid set – nearly 3 years in the waiting, but well worth the wait!

 

Had a chat with David – a fellow veteran of the post-punk wars! – and his splendid bandmates in the beer garden, before heading off to The Tuppenny. CANUTE’S PLASTIC ARMY were rounding off their set in front of a full house, with some galloping acoustic guitar and Anish’s as-ever strident, commanding vocals the feature of their version of the old folk staple “Gallows Pole”. I caught up with some folks (again) and took an early watching brief (which, happily for my buggered knee, turned into a sitting brief next to my old Brunel mate Andy) for THE LOST TRADES. Opening with “One Voice”, this collective of 3 acoustic/ folky singer-songwriters again proved the whole is greater than the sum of its’ parts, with an enchanting set of stripped-back, smoothly pastoral numbers overlaid with interwoven 2/3 part harmonies. A lot quieter than I’d normally go for, but I’m a total sucker for choral vocal harmonies (the likes of Gigolo Aunts would attest to that), and this equally honey-throated trio delivered them by the bucketload. Some fun between-song banter as well, Jamie debating the rights and wrongs of wearing the t-shirt of the band you’re going to see (a total no-no in my book!), and Tamsin bubbling over the video for a finger-clicking “Oaks” garnering them a mention in “The Guardian” (!). “Good Old Days” was again my highlight, Phil contributing some comparatively startlingly strident electric bass, and “Groom Of The Stools” (“Horrible Histories in musical form!” quipped Tamsin) was a untypical yet jolly way to end another charming Lost Trades set. And for me, to end Day 1!

 

“Shuffle Day 2” Friday – or “Nappy Night” as some termed it, stealing a reference to those 70’s/ 80’s U18 Brunel Rooms nights – was all about young bands up The Vic! I parked up behind the Roaring Donkey and headed in at 8.30 for openers KOTONIC, or, “the Kotonic two!” according to the vocalist/ guitarist, due to the absence of their drummer for Covid reasons. This impromptu duo played an interesting brand of dark emotive rock, veering towards 90’s post-grunge, 2000’s emo and even contemporary darkwave, without plunging headfirst into any of those styles. Easy to see where the big riffs would be, even in these stripped-back acoustic versions of their material, and clearly the vocalist is used to howling above the noise, evidenced by his strident yet commanding tones and the conviction of his delivery. New single “Roots” and a later “Not Broken” were both slow burns towards big, angst-ridden chorus crescendos, and whilst some of the material seemed a bit overwrought and serious, there was definite promise here.

 

But my main target, and ultimately my highlight of the night, was next up. I’d been meaning to check out CONCORD DRIVE for some time, not only due to some favourable “live” reports indicating a young indie band of burgeoning promise, but also because the guitarist was the son of an old friend – yup, that’s where I am now, I’ve graduated from supporting my mates’ bands, to checking out my mates’ kids bands! I’d caught up with Nathan briefly earlier, so hit the front for their set, the band emerging at 9.15 in front of a packed and unsurprisingly young crowd of their contemporaries. Opener “Stranger Still” immediately underlined that reported promise, being the kind of urgent, insistent indie rock that would have seen me gleefully piling into a mosh in my 90’s heyday, and the repetitive hook and looser, almost funky drummer beat of “LDN News” marked them out as more than one trick ponies. But it was the latest single, “Don’t Wanna Be” that was my highlight; a proper indie banger, this, a thrashing dervish of a song recalling Indoor Pets’ excellent “Teriyaki”, and delivered in a confident, swaggering style by young vocalist Jacob, who with his Justin Young-meets-Jarvis Cocker stage presence, preening and posing and rabble-rousing in equal measure, is either a natural-born frontman or the biggest show-off in town! “Train To Boston”, a Bowie/ T Rex glammy stomper was another highlight of a rapturously received set of urgent, vital and propulsive indie rock from a very promising band: “next year’s headliners?” mentioned Ed Dyer to me… maybe…

 

TRANSFER WINDOW, another youthful lot, followed in short order; they’d apparently recently shed one member so were debuting as a 3-piece, the young guitarist/ vocalist apologising for his, “terrible voice,” in advance of their opener, an upbeat emo-esque beast with an angular, backbeat chorus. This set the tone for another frantic, fast paced indie rock set, with an early “Shallow Tendencies” (“the first song we ever wrote – it’s fucking terrible!”) an embryonic and grungy howl, and other numbers veering between punky amphetamine gallops and emotive thrashes (one later number recalling Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness” for me). In similar musical territory to Concord Drive, they might be a bit behind in terms of songcraft and development, although their recent personnel changes probably won’t have helped their forward trajectory. Either way, still another young band worth watching out for…

 

This brought us to 10.45 and headliners STAY LUNAR. Still a bunch of spritely young bucks themselves, they seem almost veterans of my sojourns into the local scene now, as I’d seen them as Shore and Rainy Day Fund as well as their current incarnation. I’d always enjoyed them before without being blown away, but tonight they took a step up with easily the best “live” performance I’d seen them deliver. From the strumalong opener “Thinking About You”, through the upbeat robust jangle of “Not Your Fight” to the smoother (dare I even say radio-friendly) 80’s synth-embellished pop vibe of “Anywhere/ Everywhere” they were notably more practiced and polished than previous outings, whilst retaining their hazy, dreamy 80’s melody. The 80’s in fact are quite the touchstone for Stay Lunar, with many and varied similarities popping into my head (C86, The Smiths, Nick Heyward, even The Lotus Eaters!). New number “Hello Old Friend” a song about mental health, shone with its introspective charm, and closer “Brainshake” was a funkier groove to close out their popular set, before Ed persuaded them back out, somewhat reluctantly it seemed (!), to reprise an earlier “Immediately”. A set-list grab and a chat with Concord Drive’s Jacob (tonight’s Star of the Show for me; sorry Stay Lunar…) rounded off a very successful “Nappy Night”!

 

So “Shuffle Day 3” Saturday was my final action, as other commitments precluded my Sunday attendance; after a busy and emotional day, I was out early as well, parking up behind the cinema and wandering up to The Beehive, scene of tonight’s shenanigans. Met SI AND MATT HALL outside for a chat before taking a spot stage-front alongside Paul and Sophie Carter for their opening set, prompt at 7.15 under the watchful gaze of a photo of esteemed local music reporter Flicky Harrison, also lost earlier this year, the Beehive stage renamed for The Shuffle in her honour. The boys kicked off with oldie “Rhythm And Rhyme”, before “My Remedy”, the first of a smattering of newies, underlined what compere “Dubs” had alluded to in his introduction, feeling a little more alt-Country than Si’s usual tubthumping blue collar rock, Springsteen-meets-Mould style. “Slow Burn”, another newie, lived up to its name with some hushed guitar work underpinning an angsty lyric; then a storming, singalong “Back To The Fall” (“an old Raze*Rebuild number for these guys [Paul and myself]”) was my set highlight, predictably enough. “Reluctant Shut-In” and closer “Audiobook”, racier musically yet coming-of-old-age lyrically, proved Si has had as productive a song-writing lockdown as brother Matt has had a guitar-making one, Matt showing off his new construction this evening!

 

Ran into Rich and entourage before popping outside and chatting with Si, Matt and various other folks; then back in for the first couple of numbers of SPLAT THE RAT’s Irish folk set. I enjoyed their authentic cover of The Waterboys’ fiddly-diddly 80’s classic “Fisherman’s Blues” whilst musing that it felt contrary to the spirit of The Shuffle ethos to play lots of covers (oh shut up, you bloody purist!). But in any case, my busy day and a couple of late nights were catching up with me, so I bailed at 9, grabbing a kebab and heading home. Sorry Flour Babies (headlining The ‘hive tonight)… I will catch one of your sets ere long!

 Thus endeth The Swindon Shuffle for me; once again an excellent opportunity to catch up with old and new friends, as well as a fine showcase of the musical talent Swindon has to offer; plus, tellingly, evidence that the torch is being passed to a younger crowd, both of performers and punters, which can only serve to revitalise and enrich the scene. Whatever, after the Covid cancellation of 2020, it was just great to have it back!

 

1,146 THE 2019 SWINDON SHUFFLE (Friday only), Swindon The Hop and the Victoria, Friday 12th July 2019

One day later than planned, thanks to last night’s impromptu White Lies gig, I’m finally out Shuffling! This, the 13^th annual celebration of all things fertile and creative in Swindon’s musical scene, represented the 5^th time that I’d sampled its’ delights, yet (as per last year) due to family commitments over the weekend, also represented a Friday night only “one and done” Shuffle experience for me. If that were so, I’d picked the right night, with the Mighty Raze*Rebuild headlining events at The Victoria, this time in their full-on amped-up band mode. So, after medical considerations conspired against my dancing to their recent Regent set, tonight also represented an opportunity to rock out to da Raze once again!

Preparations were duly made, so it was a be-shorted, knee-strapped and lenses-clad Sheriff that rocked up the hill just after 8, after watching an absorbing Wimbledon men’s semi-final, to meet with the Raze boys early doors at The Vic. This wasn’t my initial musical destination, however; the band schedule at tonight’s 2 venues seemingly fell into 2 broad categories, namely jaunty indie pop at The Hop, and grunting rock piggery at The Vic! As my musical tastes arguably fall Midway (Still?) between these 2 generic categorisations, I was planning to split my time between the 2, so it was first off to The Hop, a new venue this year, to catch the last knockings of ABSTRACTION ENGINE’s early set. A droney, haunting and morose US alt-rock/ indie influenced final number, with suitably doleful lyics (“falling by the wayside” and suchlike) made me hark back to late 90’s Boston band Wheat for comparisons, and make me regret staying at home for the tennis, particularly when I ran into Beef in this amply-attended upstairs room, who informed me that this final number was a fair representation of their set. D’oh! Anyway, I was now here, and seated near the front for next band up, introduced by Shuffle co-promoter and Hop compere Ed Dyer as, “the band who change their name every 10 minutes!” – no longer Shore or Rainy Day Fund, this was now STAY LUNAR. They pretty much epitomised this stage with some, well, jaunty indie pop, falling between the Byrdsian C86 gauche yet bright and breezy jangle of the likes of The Razorcuts, and slightly blander, more anodyne Haircut 100 type fayre. Nonetheless, it drew quite a crowd, who were all prepared to groove out; “you may have noticed I’ve got a lot of family here,” commented the curtain-haired blond vocalist which was true, most of them dancing in front of our seats!

After a few numbers, I noted very little variation in Stay Lunar’s material so cried enough, and popped back to The Vic. The rather excellently-named COBALT FIRE were about to kick-off; apparently the new project of local veteran chanteuse Ells Ponting, and if so this was quite a departure from my previous viewing (back at Treefest 2012, gig 854!), Ells swapping low-key acoustica and Postal Service covers for more strident, operatic dark rock. Some dirty, grungier moments appealed to the early 80’s Goth in me, but at times it felt a little overblown, plodding and operatic, making me think of Evanescence which for me is never a good comparison. Still, I really liked her final number, a dark and dramatic manifesto number called “Fuck Pretty” with some spot-on lyrics, and kudos to Ells for challenging herself and her audience with a dramatic new direction.

Back to The Hop, for TALK IN CODE’s funky and slightly baggy indie pop last knockings in front of an appreciative and mobile crowd; then I was faced with my Shuffle clash dilemma of the night… how much of WYLDEST’s set could I catch before I needed to bail out for the Raze set? Luckily, consultations with Ed revealed The Hop had a strict 11pm curfew and The Vic was running late, and I was also buoyed by the presence of Raze drummer Jamie behind me, Jamie partaking of Wyldest’s early numbers whilst waiting for the shout from Si at The Vic. So I was able to avail myself of most of Wyldest’s set, and I was glad I did; Zoe Mead’s dreampop vehicle have developed commensurably since my last band encounter (when, as Wildest Dreams, they opened the 2014 Shuffle for me), the 3-piece plying a very beguiling blend of woozy, hazy and ethereal dreampop, some darker, atmospheric and chiming guitar driven shoegaze (second number “Rolling Waves” reminding me of 90’s indie soundscapers Kitchens Of Distinction, no less) and some shinier, poppier yet quirky material recalling Belly (viz. later number “Alive”). Zoe herself was a charming if slightly nervous frontperson, commenting on my Death Cab For Cutie t-shirt after a rambling song intro, and pointing out her parents, both rocking new album t-shirts!

I’d managed to catch most of the set, but time was now bumping up to 10.55, Jamie having left 10 minutes earlier, so I handed a watching Shuffle co-conspirator Dave Franklin a tenner, with strict instructions to get me the Wyldest CD – and the setlist! Hotfooting it over to The Vic, I had time to get a drink in before RAZE*REBUILD kicked off their headlining set in front of the hardy and appreciative Shuffle faithful. The initial couple of numbers felt controlled and confident, particularly a rather splendid actually yet almost laid-back “Face For Radio”, but the boys really cut loose with the rock after an epic “Kat, I’m Sorry”, the subsequent “New Leaf” powerful, potent and punk-tastic, compelling me to really rock out down the front.

As ever, Raze were an awesome rock beast tonight; less ragged and ramshackle than the recent Regent gig, tonight it all felt well-honed, well-practised and precision-delivered. Well paced too; “Sand In The Petrol” giving this whirling dervish a necessary mid-set breather, before “Jaded Heart” slowly picked up the pace, Raze again cutting loose with a brilliant anthemic double of “All The Gear” and new single “Troubled Minds” (look out for that video, folks!). The boys made light of tonight’s one slip-up (well, the only one I noticed, anyway…), Si commenting to Matt, “you’ve ruined my slickness!” after a counting-in error to final set number “Poison Air”, but made up for it for me, introducing a brilliantly swooping, soaring and rocking encore “Back To The Fall” with, “this one’s for Dave… to be honest, they’re all for Dave…!”. I didn’t even mind the punctuation point of their Queen cover of “Don’t Stop Me Now”; this was a triumphant set, the essence of Raze*Rebuild, and more than worthy headliners tonight.

An end to proceedings then, but not the end of the night, as Ed and I enjoyed a late-night Mr. Cod and chat before I wearily headed off, home for 1. One and done again, but thanks to Wyldest and particularly Raze, it was well done again, Swindon Shuffle!

1,096 THE 2018 SWINDON SHUFFLE (Saturday only), Various Swindon Venues, Saturday 14th July 2018

The 2018 Swindon Shuffle... now with extra added Top Table Posse reunion action!

OK, so let’s clarify here... following a 20-odd year absence, I’d re-connected with old friend Roger Herman a couple of years ago, at a London 100 Club June Brides gig (gig no. 977). Our promising to keep in touch was happily made easier by his recent addition to Facebook; so when Rog announced on his page that he’d be visiting the ‘don to partake of Saturday’s itinerary for the Swindon Shuffle, our annual showcase of the finest original music Swindon has to offer, I also saw this as a rare opportunity to get as many of our old 80’s/90’s drinking/music/footy gang, The Top Table Posse, together. So the call went out... now who would answer?

Having made family arrangements for the second music-related Saturday out in a row (this one albeit slightly different to the Cure Hyde Park gig last week!), I headed up the hill and hit afternoon venue The Tuppenny just before 2, where Si Hall and his boys were just arriving to set up for their acoustic show. Yup, you read that right...! I grabbed the front-centre table, then Rog arrived and so did Dave and Ady, and we caught up awhile before Si called his boys to arms, to open Shuffle Saturday!

So, as I mentioned, “acoustic”...! RAZE*REBUILD were truly living up to their name with this performance, having razed their usual titanic, earth-shaking rock to the ground and rebuilt it into a “low key” “acoustic” line-up, powered instead by Si’s irrepressible ebullience and Jamie’s sore palms pounding manfully away on his percussive beatbox (which at least meant, as he’d remarked beforehand, that his kit set-up was a lot quicker!). I’ve put those words in quotation marks because of course, even with this set-up, R*R were as powerful and intense as most bands (local or otherwise) manage to be, fully amped-up! “Back To The Fall” fairly rattled along with its usual righteous Husker Du-lite pace and potency, an early “Kat I'm Sorry” was stark and emotive, benefitting from this arrangement, and despite Si commenting, “I feel naked - mercifully I’m not!”, and occasionally quipping “how is that an acoustic song? That’s normally much louder!” before the likes of “All The Gear” and “New Leaf”, this was an utter triumph, even impressing both cynical Bevan boys! The bottom line is that in a stripped-back show, you stand or fall on the strength of the songwriting, pure and simple, and in this regard Raze*Rebuild succeed spectacularly.

A final thank-you from Si (“you're much kinder - and there’s many more of you! - than I expected!”) and a stark, emotive “Sand In The Petrol” brought an excellently judged set to a close. Congrats to all before a quick turnaround; SUMITA, next up, was a young keyboard soloist with some whimsical tunes featuring stories of ghosts and mountaintops, and songs called “Monster” (no, not that one) and “Jody’s Spaceship”. Bright, quirky and vaguely dream-like pop delivered in Sumita’s clipped and perfectly-enunciated voice, this wasn’t my usual thing but I admired her drive to do something different and off-the-wall, although it was a shame that she seemed to be losing her battle against the hubbub from the pub.

“Tough crowd,” I warned my friend Rich May as he set up for his solo THE KING IN MIRRORS set. Knowing that even with his usual band, Rich’s atonal and slightly nasal vocals can tend to be understated and low-key, I was worried that they might be submerged in the noise of the pub. No worries there, as Rich actually gave his vocals some extra oomph, in a valiant and largely successful attempt to win over the room. “Deepest Blue” set the tone, being more in-your-face than anticipated, “Rolling In The Sun” was replete with charming Teenage Fanclub/BMX Bandits-infused melody, and Rich even delved back for a Babytrain number, “Bodysnatchers”, which was unsurprisingly darker and more gothy than his usual TKIM oeuvre. A more upbeat “By Tomorrow” closed a nice acoustic vignette, Rich having projected his vocals very effectively, and rightly being happy with the outcome. Nice one, mate!

Front and centre then for Roger’s landlord for this evening; STEVE COX, apparently mainman for local veterans Mr. Love And Justice, impressed with a highly accomplished set veering between 70’s folky acoustica, baroque and pastoral countrified pop and rootsy Americana, switching seamlessly between these styles. He reminded me of this year’s Arthur Buck CD which I’m enjoying immensely, and subsequently also the stripped-back elements of REM’s breakthrough “Out Of Time” album. Steve was also sufficiently relaxed to try a new number, “Me And Jeremiah”, despite said number allegedly not being complete – “we could workshop this!” Good stuff from a clearly talented veteran.

This actually took us up to 5.30, and with a relative lull in proceedings, we decided to take the opportunity for some food! One Mela curry later, we were therefore ready for this evening’s mainly Victoria-based Shuffle shenanigans, although by now we’d lost Dave and gained both Phil and non-Posse member (but 90’s Level 3 veteran, so there!) Rich May along for the ride.

Said ride started with openers PALM ROSE, on at 8.20. Facebook friend and former Well Dressed Thief Adam had given me the heads-up on this, his new band, inviting me along to their inaugural gig (which was on my birthday, so I couldn’t make it), and reporting they were going for a dreampop/ post-punk sound. Two of my favourite musical things right there, then, so I was hoping for good things from this set. From the outset, I wasn’t to be disappointed; opener “Daydream” was a widescreen anthem with enticing keyboard flourishes, building to an almost orchestral crescendo, full of epic, slightly faded yet quintessentially English pomp and grandeur. I was suddenly very glad I’d worn my Wild Swans t-shirt, as Adam’s charges seemed their spiritual heirs; the big fella himself took vocals, revealing a hitherto unsuspected commanding and multi-octave voice, propelling the soaring and building rock. “Seattle”, next up,  was a growling slow-burner which suddenly burst into life, with Edge-like intricate guitar licks, and the stately “Humid” featured some nice 3-part acapella harmonies. Already sounding well-practised too, this was a superb set from a highly promising young band.

Young bucks RAINY DAY FUND, formerly known as Shore, were always going to struggle to follow that for me, but they manfully applied themselves to the task, delivering a spritely set of bright, sturdy sounding indie pop. I’d come across them in their former Shore incarnation, covering a Smiths number at “12 Bands Of Christmas”, which seemed apt as their sound wasn’t a million miles removed from that classic clean indie Rickenbacker jangle. “Slipping Away” had some nice choral harmonies augmenting its angular backbeat, and the almost-eponymous “Rainy Day” was punkier and more insistent. Nice work overall!

They rounded off at 9.45, and we weren’t up for the subsequent Fabien Darcy - no offence, but rap’s just not my thing - so took a wander down the hill to The Beehive, with the intention of checking out the musical fayre there. That kind of didn't really work out, the pub being stiflingly hot and busy, so our time was spent outside socialising with various folks! We eventually wandered back to the Vic for headliners WASUREMONO, due on at 10.50 but taking time getting their banks of keyboards and impressive amounts of spaghetti plugged into the right holes (and apparently this is a more streamlined stage set-up these says!). Since my one previous sighting, 2 years ago with the much-missed White Lilac, they’d gained considerable national exposure, to the point of having 2 upcoming support slots for The Flaming Lips, no less! No surprise that Shuffle mainman Ed, on introducing them, remarked, “this will be the last time I’ll be able to afford to put them on in Swindon!”

Opener “Checking Out” came down firmly on the “dream” side of dreampop, an eerie, sleepy vibe, whilst “England's Slave”’s layered dynamics sounded much fuller “live” than on their fine if slightly understated CD. “Alligator”’s taut groove even recalled The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven”, and thereafter the set relied more on mood and atmospherics and oddball lyricism, delivered in William Southward’s occasionally high-pitched and eerie vocals. A fine accomplished set from a band with no obvious antecedents (the bleak minimalism of 70’s post-punkers Young Marble Giants was the best I could come up with!), who bring together a number of disparate elements and styles into their music, folding them into an intriguing blend of dreamy melodies and stark electronica, and clearly going places in the process. Props to them - and for getting Ed up onstage wearing a bear head during “For All The Bears”!

A fine way to close out the day’s music; bade farewells to the Posse, plus various Shuffle luminaries, before dropping Rich off and heading home for a bleary-eyed 12.30. So, “one and done” - that was my Shuffle this year, family stuff precluding any further attendance on my part. However, in my experience (and by other social media accounts) the Shuffle was once again a most successful and enjoyable event, and I’m glad I got to catch up with old friends in the process! Same again next year, boys?

1,048 THE 2017 SWINDON SHUFFLE, Various Swindon Venues, Friday 14th to Sunday 16th July 2017

And now… it’s Shuffle Time! Time for the annual weekend-long multi-venue festival showcasing the finest in Swindon’s original music scene, initiated 11 years ago over a few drinks by my old friend Rich Craven, who, as with the inception of so many great ideas, simply asked, “what if …?” Only the third time I’ve supped from the heady nectar of the Shuffle’s cornucopia of delights, I’m afraid to say, given that my long-term broad ignorance of the local scene (well, all but any band my friend Tim Owen was playing in, at least…!) was still only relatively recently cured. However, given my thorough enjoyment of this event last year both from a musical and social standpoint, I was again determined to continue to make up for lost time, and Shuffle along as much as I could!

Thursday night’s previously booked Mercury Rev gig precluded my attendance at Shuffle Day 1, so I thereby missed Misfires at The Castle, whom I’d enjoyed at Level 3 recently. Reports indicated it was both a packed-out success, and a bit of a youth club kids’ rock night out! Friday evening at the same venue promised the same albeit for the older punters, a slew of heavier acts giving the schedule the look of a real Grunting Rock Pig stage! An early start too, as I parked up and hit the venue on a sunny Friday evening, shorts and double kneestrap in situ, well before 7! MY SOCIAL DECLINE were soundchecking for their early set, and after my mate (and MSD guitarist) Rich Carter paused for a quick chat, they were straight on in front of the early doors punters at 7.20. They were determined to play it hard and heavy from the outset, all scowling, sneering vocals from Rich Bellis, following their usual scuzzy instrumental opener, and driving, Stooges riffery from Messrs Bellis and Carter. “Rhubarb” featured a big dumb Ramones-ish riff and profanities liberally scattered around like machine-gun victims, “With Nirvana” had a more 90’s indie feel and a fun “Girl From Mars” reference (Rich Carter’s favourite song, apparently!), and “Maverick” probably featured the best hook of the set, some militaristic drum peels from young Liam Dearing, and a Drones/ Models proto-punk feel. I also actually enjoyed final number, the grungy, quiet-loud “You Mean Nothing To Me”, this time out, as this quickfire set provided a fine, slightly discordant but enjoyable Shuffle start!

Chats with Rich afterwards – he couldn’t hear himself onstage so just concentrated on making noise! – and Paul and Ellen Carter (no relation to each other – any of them!), then Bristol’s DOWNARD were next up. A boy/ girl, drum/ bass duo in grey boiler suits and colourful goggles, their confrontational, hard and fast post-hardcore noise was primitive and industrial, with distorted vocals from the drummer, recalling the strident noise assault of Spectres, Slaves and Idles. Not really my cup of sump oil but I warmed to their tumbling drums and palpable bass noise, although I wondered if this is what having an enema of the ears would sound like. One thing for sure; they’d kick the likes of Royal Blood up and down the street any day of the week!

I chatted with the arriving Hall brothers, pondering the absence of usual drummer Jamie from their line-up tonight, and we ruminated on how tonight’s set would work, with short-notice replacement drummer Liam O’Halloran (ex of Polar Front, now Hail) having only practiced once with the band! Next up onstage were another drum/ bass duo, GAGREFLEX, who again played it hardcore and superfast, with more tumbling drums and tempo changes not only giving the set a tense, agitated feel, but also recalling the embryonic stylings of early Biffy Clyro. Conversely, their set felt too intense and got repetitive for me, so I retreated to the refuge of the bar to gather myself for my Highlight of the Night!

Took a wander down the front, taking a pew as RAZE*REBUILD set up; strange not only to see a different face on the drumstool, but also to see something other than “Back To The Fall” as opening song on the list… perhaps I can ease myself in tonight then…! Ha! No chance of that, as newie “Burden Of Youth” was just as fast, frantic and widescreen, a flag-waving, breast-beating rock anthem worthy of a much bigger stage, followed in quick succession by the joyous popcore sonic assault of “New Leaf”. No easing myself in – I was rocking down the front as hard as possible from the off, thankful for the double kneestraps!

Tonight represented the 8^th time I’ve seen this band in barely over a year, and if anything, I’m becoming more of a fan with each outing. The quality of Si’s songwriting is matched only by his kinetic, scissor jumping, vein bulging performance, and the band’s inclusive, open honesty. And Liam was a revelation; shirtless after 2 numbers (“it’s bloody hot [up here]!”), he scarcely missed a beat, his slightly more overt drum style a perfect substitute for Jamie’s more laid back technique, astonishing for just one practice! Praising his performance mid-set, Si joked, “[He’s] young and pretty too; we probably should have put him at the front!” “Back To The Fall” was again superb, this time sandwiched between two newies, the frantic “Never Saved My Soul” and a more sprawling, tempo changing closer “Poison Air”, which thankfully featured some slower interludes, necessary for this old dancer as, given the band effectively finished the set with 4 fast ones, the air was rapidly disappearing from the room! A pounding, visceral and once again brilliant set from a band rapidly becoming one of my favourite bands around, period!

Brief congrats afterwards with the boys before I needed some air and a drink, and I stayed at the bar for headliners 2 SICK MONKEYS. Veterans of the Swindon scene, they’re apparently knocking it on the head this year, so the back room was packed with veteran rock punters determined to make the most of this showing. They’re a very “marmite” band and I confess I’m very conflicted with them; vocalist/ bassist Pete (whom I’d referred to, affectionately (honest!) as a “badger haired gobshite” when they supported the Dickies for gig 826 a few years back) is a rapid-fire, entertaining raconteur (an early diatribe including, “I’ve got no money, I’m can’t pay, we’ll take that monkey away!”), but their ramalama leather and studs style primitive punk assault sails uncomfortably towards the type of band (Discharge, Anti Pasti and their homogenous ilk)that turned me off punk back then. They went down a storm, so good on them for that, but, sweaty and tiring, I hit the road before their set concluded, to close out my Shuffle Day 1.

My Shuffle Day 2 didn’t start with the lunchtime library sessions, as had been the case in previous years, due to Kasey having a stagecoach end-of-term show! Instead, this was a Saturday evening affair, as I picked up my wingmen for the night, Messrs. Carter and May, and the 2 Rich’s and I parked up in old town in time to grab a drink in The Tuppenny and take our pews for MOLEVILLE’s early set at 5.30. Familiars mainman and occasional Vaudeville performer Steve Skinley’s side project, this, and I was pleased to see his Moleville material didn’t deviate too much (overlapping frequently, in fact!) from Familiars’ usual modus operandi of dark, rich evocative late night mood music with just a soupcon of Nattionals-esque baroque US alt-indie. Filtering a looped drumbeat through his keys to flesh out the sound, “Battlecry” was an early highlight, mournful and haunting with Steve’s vocals as smooth and dark as mahogany, Steve also plugging his “Oliver Postgate/ 50’s Sci-Fi” YouTube video for this track! A lush, lovely “Red Forest” was apparently inspired by the reclamation of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site by nature, “Dynamite” was a deliciously morose penultimate number, and Steve perversely left us with a final, more upbeat and almost fuzzy pop number about reality TV! Overall, a lovely start to the night thanks to this truly talented gentleman.

Steve joined our table as well for some music and comics chat, as OLI NORMAN, next up, set up. Unfortunately his set was beset with technical issues; 2 strings broken during the first number, forcing compere Ed Dyer into a time-filling stand-up routine (!) and tuning issues visibly frustrating him thereafter. He deserved props for perseverance, though, and his smooth, well-structured melodic numbers, which for me had the feel of 70’s singer-songwriters such as Paul Simon, and for Steve Bon Iver, eventually shone through. I could even forgive the use of those dreaded loop pedals to add harmonic depth - in fact I actually liked that! “Stockholm”, his final, darker and racier strumalong number, was my favourite of his set.

DREUW, eventually next up at 7.30 after a fiddly set-up process, were an intriguing prospect; an eponymous vocalist/ guitarist backed up by Perry Sangha, formerly of the very fine Polar Front on occasional guitar and computer-based backing tracks. In fact, with the set-list sticking out from Perry’s set-up, it occasionally looked as if he was playing a photocopier! They opened with a cover of Chris Isaak’s mournful “Wicked Game”, their chilled, stripped-back interpretation even quieter than the original, and their set thereafter was equally low-key, quiet, atmospheric and delicate, veering between Bella Union Americana and even Galaxie 500’s hushed ballads (although both Steve and Rich C drew comparisons to Explosions In The Sky, a band I’m unfamiliar with). A great shame, therefore, that it was fighting a losing battle in a room full of noisy people, ironically many of which were their own entourage!

We headed off a couple of numbers before the end, as our parking ticket was due to expire, and repositioned the car at the bottom of the hill (I don’t do hills, me, if I can help it!), hitting a packed Beehive for 8.15, midway through CANUTE’S PLASTIC ARMY and their introspective, folk-tinged works. They provided the soundtrack to our greeting folks and getting the drinks in, although I took notice again of their apposite reading of Pulp’s “Razamatazz”. I then took a wander to the front of the performance area (tucked away by the door, necessitating a viewing spot almost in the face of the performers) for NICK PARKER, a (very) late addition to the bill (getting the call, “a couple of days ago,” apparently!) and due on at 8.45 but taking the stage at 9. A 25 minute set time-slot only then, and this was an object lesson in making the most of it. Grabbing the attention from the outset with opener “Departures”, he weaved a tapestry of observational life, holding a mirror to the minutiae and mundanity of humanity. A splendid opener, recalling Del Amitri’s “Nothing Ever Happens”, he followed this in short order with a jolly, knockabout “Down With The Yoof”, bringing on his German friend Emily for vocal accompaniment on a mid-set ballad. “Terry And June”, a folky “list song” which for me always recalls The Lemonheads’ “Being Around” as well as Ian Dury’s list-based lyrical style, was next up, and a splendid vignette of a performance was concluded with Nick joking, “my name’s Nick Parker, or TBA as the poster says!” and a great, singalong “Es Tut Mir Leid”, during which I got to hold up the “Entschuldigung” placard and conduct the crowd in the choral singalong. Affable, dry, funny and inclusive – great stuff again Nick!

We took a breather outside the cramped pub thereafter, complimenting Nick on his performance and catching up with other folks and friends. I’d fully intended to catch some of the next set from the splendidly named and punkish Cupcake Diaz And The Felt Tip Pens, but hunger was a greater call, so we headed off for sustenance, before I dropped the boys off to round off my Shuffle Day 2!

Family commitments unfortunately precluded my joining Shuffle Sunday until mid-evening (sorry Si and Matt!) but I hurriedly headed into town, to a packed and sweaty Beehive, after Logan arrived home from his swim class. No real need as the schedule was running an hour late, so I managed to catch the last knockings of BUSWELL’s set. A local musical maverick, Shaun Buswell tonight fronted a relatively conventional 6-piece band, running through a powerful, potent Nick Cave-esque number, “about a serial killer,” and an equally strident and dynamic cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” (again!), with some nice flute embellishment, and Isaak’s lilting soprano replaced by Buswell’s lionesque roar,. Glad I caught some of that!

Next up, as I caught up with Tim and Tracy in the bar and briefly outside, were the 6-piece BLACK SHEEP APPRENTICE at 8.15. The irrepressible Richard Skidmore (we’re all “Skiddy’s Shuffle Hotties!” this year according to his 2017 badge, which is far preferable to his 2016 version!) took the stage to a Cowboy theme film music backing track, then led his black Stetson-clad charges into Wild West territory, dishing up dark and rampant Country-tinged powerpop, dusty Alt-Country and whisky-soaked murder ballads in equal measure. “Let It Go” recalled Posie Ken Stringfellow’s excellent Chariot project, a darker “Born To Walk Alone” was dedicated to his mother, then Skiddy got “The Maiden” out (a gorgeous white Gretsch with gold trim) for a morose and (ironically) parched-sounding “Water”, giving props beforehand for the Shuffle organisers by announcing, “people involved in the [Swindon] Arts are special… well, not that [type of] special!” The set highlight, however, was a stunning, elongated “I Cursed Your Name”, a menacing, Violent Femmes-like revenge ballad with a lengthy, repetitive hook and some excellent slide guitar from Jim Blair. The eponymous and cacophonous “Black Sheep Apprentice” rounded off a startling set, Skiddy, soaked at the finale (commenting earlier, “it’s between me and Si from Raze*Rebuild for [the title of] Swindon’s sweatiest performer!”), having poured all kinds of scary conviction into a stellar performance.

Another breath of fresh air outside, catching up with familiar faces from the past (hi Bex!), then back in for the finale of the weekend. Or, as Ed Dyer put it before thanking all and sundry for a successful weekend, “we’ve got one band left, and we were desperate!” THE SHUDDERS however were absolutely the perfect act to close out the Shuffle; right band, right place, right time! After the gathering storms of the nonetheless superb BSA set, the clouds parted as they delivered an upbeat, inclusive and celebratory set of harmonic powerpop worthy of the occasion. “Thought I Saw You” was all Summery harmonies and Posies powerpop riffs, “Words Of A Fool” racey and ramshackle, and newie “Star Bright” featured a great memorable hook. Another newie, “You Look Good”, could have walked off Teenage Fanclub’s “Songs From Northern Britain” album, and “Sorry” was deliciously understated, the boys round harmonising as Paj filmed the band and audience. “In the spirit of the festival,” Danny ironically announced a cover, Neil Young’s fine countrified “Powderfinger”, which saw Danny, Liam and Tim all taking lead for one verse each, before the song rounded off with a chorus of “Rocking In The Free World”. That should have been it, but the crowd clamour prompted a final run through of “Lost And Broke”, the jaunty Irish reel and singalong hook proving a great way to finish proceedings.

More catch-ups with Tim and Darren Dust afterwards, before I reluctantly bade farewell to all and sundry and headed home to conclude my Shuffle Day 3. Thus ended (for me, at least…!) another great Swindon Shuffle, with excellent performances throughout from truly talented people. If a relatively small town such as Swindon and its’ environs can throw up excellent songwriters and performers of the likes of Si Hall, Steve Skinley, Nick Parker, Rich Skidmore and the Shudders, playing in small venues to friends and contemporaries for a worthy cause in mental health charity Mind, it baffles me that the likes of Ed Sheeran can pack out Wembley Stadium 2 nights on the bounce. Nothing against the guy, but there are far better singers and songwriters out here going unnoticed. Scratch the surface, people, there’s musical talent right on your doorstep, and, year after year, The Swindon Shuffle goes a long way towards proving it!