Gruff Rhys @ Bongo Club, 8 October

Live Review by Paul Mitchell | 12 Oct 2011

The latent tension of a heavily oversubscribed Bongo Club and a few early technical "malfunctions" fail to deter Gruff Rhys from his stated mission; that of entertaining arrivals at the faux-shambolic, slacker haven that is Hotel Shampoo. Guests are treated to a comprehensive rummage through the Super Furry Animals' frontman's back catalogue with surf rockin' support act Y Niwl joining him on stage/in reception.

Thus, pleasing gentle folk pop from Pwdin Wy (1 and 2, happy then sad) and The Court of King Arthur from previous albumsYr Atal Genhedlaeth and Candylion become formidable slices of power pop delivered with gusto, introduced with deliciously sardonic humour.

In fact, Candylion comes out of the whole experience rather well, as further highlights include a turbo-injected Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru and a simply constructed yet stunningly effective techno finale (reminiscent of the Furries) to Cycle of Violence (possibly the highlight of the evening's set). In comparison, tracks such as Conservation Conversation and Sensations in the Dark from his eponymous Hotel seem flat. But that's probably because they're among the weaker songs on the album – Rhys goes on to knock the socks off wistful ballads Vitamin K and If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme) while playfully indulging in 6 minutes of powerchord rock with In a House With No Mirrors. In other words, it’s a genuine shame for the 50 or so folk outside (with tickets) who couldn't get in. 

http://www.gruffrhys.com/hotelshampoo