News

Our Local Scene: The Decoy

• 28th May 2015

We were absolutely blown away by The Decoy‘s debut EP ‘Parasites’ recently (see our review here) so we caught up with the boys to get the lowdown on their local scene in and around Pontypool, South East Wales. Warning, it’s a bit sweary – what are they like eh?

THE BANDS:

1. Still Bust – How Much We Sound Like Rise Against (and other things we shouldn’t say to each other)

Weird ass riffs, three part main vocal scream offs, awesome song names and being bad ass fuckers on stage. Still Bust put on a blinding gig in the Moon Club, Cardiff (Tearing venue!) and ended up with the guitarist on my shoulders. Big up!

2. Blue Collar Decade – Beer and Loathing

These boys are tight and loud live. Bluesy riffs and chunky shit. Chew on a fat power chord and leave the left overs for bargain hunt. For fans of Every Time I Die all day! These guys are in your face as fuck and would definitely get you pumped, ready to down your pint and fuck a goat (metaphorically obviously!)

3. Blowgoat – Yo Bitch… I’m Tom Waits

This is a throw back to 2012 with Barry (hey Barry!) not playing with The Drafts. Loud and angry shouty riff twat smash plant pot. These guys aren’t playing anymore but they fucking rock hard.

4. The Guns – Missing Girls

The Guns. What can’t be said? They don’t play anymore either but they were fucking loud and tight as a mother fucker. Riffs everywhere, going fucking mental, bluesing your death metal shouty angry party anthems. We’ve known these guys for about 10 years and they still do. Check out GoonTeeVee for ultimate mega tv. Miss these guys!

5. Simple As! – I Don’t Care

Known these boys for ages too and they’re fucking good mates. Much love out to these lot and this filthy angry smash the bar up tune! Go check out their shit on YouTube and Facebook, they’re class as fuck.

6. Red Rebel Patriots – Dominion

Sludge metal style fat chunk off riffs. These dudes aren’t playing at the moment but knowing them, they’ll be back. With tracks like Labyrinthian this band just wins. A ten minute long track with more unreal riffs than anyone hands down? That’s these guys. They will fuck you up.

7. Soylent Majority – Skank Island

These chaps are good friends too and make some sweet punk. Skank Island is a full blow ska winner. Go to your special place Pats. Go to your Skank Island. Much love!

THE VENUES:

TJ’s – Newport
No one can be in a band from Newport and not pay homage to this mighty place. It’s sadly gone now, but what a fucking place. We were so lucky to play there about 5 times, and it was fucking awesome. Really really heart wrenchingly sad to see this place close.

Le Pub – Newport
Wooden beast hot in the summer, cold in the winter, good feels, good vibes, good bands, good Newport. In the words of Uncle Snoop “if you don’t know, you wont know”. Sam Harries runs a banger of a place, and gets all the good ass bands in. Top JOB.

Warehouse – Newport
This place is big! It’s a weird feeling because the upstairs kinda hovers over the downstairs in a weird way. Big stadium high ceilings make you feel like a little stadium band. Good cocktails, good vibes, pissed up people watching you play. It’s all good.

Meze – Newport
Meze was an epic venue to begin with, but became even better with a renovation. We played here with one of our favourite bands Press To Meco, so it holds a special place in all our hearts though sadly it is no more.

Full Moon – Cardiff
The Full Moon has a fucking balcony door thing upstairs. It’s hard to explain but imagine someone put a double door upstairs and instead of admitting the fuck up, they just stuck a rail outside it and said “balcony, innit?”. Fucking class venue, bar by the stage so you can get drunk hearing the good stuff.

Clwb Ifor Bach – Cardiff
Never actually played here but I came to see Deaf Havana support Emarosa time ago. For us this is THE venue that we thought about as kids! We tried like mother fuckers to get a gig here because it just seemed like that classic place. Fucking awesome venue. Go there!

Fuel Club – Cardiff
Come out of Moon Club and walk left. Well done. You’re at Fuel. HEAR THE ROCK. This place is banging. This little street has so many good venues. It’s fucking stupid, how’d you pick one? You don’t, you do them all. DO THEM ALL.

Hobos – Bridgend
This place is fucking sweet. Big stage and a big sound in a big room. Bridgend is a good place for bands, everyone there is keen for a good time and a party.

The Scene – Swansea
The scene has a beast promo team and let bands sell their tickets for whatever price they want, and they get to keep the money they raise. FUCKING COOL. FUCKING REALLY FUCKING COOL. Beast sounds from Pete the sound man and got 14 plus shows. GOOD JOB. KEEP THAT SHIT UP PLEASE.

Sin City – Swansea
This place is big. Like a big Sheffield Corporation big, whatever that means… They give local and independent bands opening slots on some beastly shows which is cool as fuck. GET YOUR FOOT IN THAT FUCKING DOOR. Another awesome promo team comes from outta this place. Big Gary and Pete Tancock, yawl do yawl good.

Lemon Factory – Swansea
Through a doorway in Swansea into the depths below you will be drawn and fucked up. Theres a room up the back with an Xbox and a Tv and a beast stage to play on. Real fucking good place. Just watch you don’t bang your head as the stage has a low ceiling. That shit hurts.

Parrot – Carmarthen
Not only is this place a fucking banging venue, it has a record shop upstairs. Now that is a fucking awesome thing. Browse your tunes, hear your tunes, browse the tunes your hearing, buy that bands album, good times.

Percy’s – Shropshire
We LOVED this place. We’ve never felt more at home outside of home that at Percy’s. Everyone there made us feel totally welcome and gave us a fucking banger of a gig which we greatly appreciated at the start of our first tour! Look forward to going back! Ultra über love to these guys.