1,463 THE 2026 SWINDON SHUFFLE, Swindon The Victoria, Thursday 10th and Saturday 12th September 2026

 

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 9^th 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 20^th Anniversary – see you next year for the 21^st!

1,454 WILDERNESS STATES, Salvador Scott, Swindon The Castle, Thursday 23rd July 2026

 

Another one close to home, this, which suits my petrol consumption and carbon footprint, I guess! This time it’s for one of local gig impresario Ed Dyer’s “Songs Of Praise” Thursday Night Music Club events at the Old Town’s venerable Castle pub, tonight’s musical hosts being Oxford 5-piece Wilderness States. I’d received enough recommendations from learned gig colleagues (Ed himself, Beef, plus Oxford based mate Rich Craven) to check them out; they initially took a minute to land with me, but a couple more listens (at the gym earlier in the day!) started to unpeel the onion and reveal an alt-rock band of stately grandeur and promise. As ever, however, the acid test is “live”, so let’s see…

Drove up the hill, meeting Beef and mate Jas in the car park, plus Facebook friend Geoffrey, the “Head” of music and a fine gent to whom even my head must bow, in terms of knowledge and enthusiasm for “live” music (one of only 2 folks I’d admit that about, the other one also being called Jeff!)! We hit the Castle, taking seats in the back room and chatting as the band soundchecked. Another plus point for tonight’s gig for me was support Salvador Scott, former vocalist of locals Nostromo (a band I meant to see but the stars never aligned) but more importantly, the son of my old school friend (and occasional member of our curry table, despite living in Reading these days) Michael! Armed with a battered old acoustic, Salvador played a charming solo set veering from pastoral lo-fi indie evoking Scots Big Star acolytes such as The Vaselines, BMX Bandits et al (viz. opener “Fireflies”) to late 60’s post-psychedelia LA Laurel Canyon folk rock, via “Laika Shooting Star” which had an offbeat, quintessentially English 60’s Kinks vibe. A couple of well-chosen covers, particularly The Stone Roses’ “Fools Gold” (which required – and got! – some dextrous and intricate picking) enlivened his set, as did his deadpan and dismissive between song banter (“I hate the opening lines [to “Laika..”] so I’m going to sing them quietly” and “everyone having a good time? And it’s going to get better; but not if I play that…!” being two examples) and general mannerisms, which reminded me so strongly of my similarly offbeat and unique old friend, a point I made to Salvador afterwards… 

Thanks to Ed for this pic of Salvador... I forgot to take one myself!

A quick turnaround saw the headliners take the stage at 9.30 in front of a score or so interested parties, kicking in with the discordant opening of “Mighty Thames” which, like it’s titular subject, meandered through a changing stop-start landscape of melodic melancholy. The subsequent “Piece Of Mine” had a more dramatic build towards a widescreen soaring chorus with strident vocalist Shauna Reed’s impressive pipes a feature, more aptly setting the tone for the set. 

I’d initially baulked on Wilderness States as I thought I heard shades of The Cranberries in their sound (a band I never got on with at all), but happily repeated listens, plus tonight’s performance, proved first impressions can be wide of the mark. The Wilderness States modus operandi is instead more akin to the wallowing bedsit ennui of The National or “Bends”-era Radiohead (i.e. before they got all pretentious and prog on us), with backbeat drum patterns and shimmering, intricate guitar work weaving a hazy, dolorous atmosphere, before more dramatic builds to windswept, epic choral hooks and louder crescendo outros, powered by Shauna’s sonorous tones, which often recall the propulsive yet dispassionate tones of a Siouxsie or a Florence. It’s serious stuff – they’re not likely to cover “Shiny Happy People” any time soon – but the blend of strident atmospheric melancholy gives their sound an epic grace and poise. “Eden”’s brooding, understated verse nevertheless ceded to a trademark big chorus; “The Capture” tested Shauna’s vocals with a lengthy choral note which was held immaculately; and, following Shauna’s remark of, “we’re only halfway through! This is the longest set we’ve ever played!”, a more morose and elegiac “Don’t Try Falling” was my set highlight thus far, the keyboard flourishes leading into a typically dramatic denouement, the band commenting, “that’s as depressing as it gets – it’s uphill from here!”

 The penultimate “Black White Red”, a slight outlier with a more upbeat, pseudo Goth tinge almost recalling 2:54 or Desperate Journalist’s more contemplative moments, probably pipped “Don’t Try Falling” for me, but overall this was an impressively delivered set of well-constructed and atmospheric numbers from a band I’d like to see more often. Quick chats with guitarist Matty (who’d called me out for making notes during the set!) and a lengthier one with Ed, before I scooted down the hill and home. Wilderness States are back in the ‘don for the Autumn Shuffle – I’ll be doing my damndest to make sure I’m there too!