Electric atmosphere (From Western Telegraph)

Electric atmosphere

Five Bands,The Queens Hall, Narberth, March 5th

It was encouraging to see that such a large crowd had turned out to support this well organised event in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

The band changeovers were quick, slick and professional and the atmosphere electric, as the five bands gave us their all, and while girls were thin on the ground at floor level, they were well represented on stage.

Dirty Dog kicked off to an appropriately rowdy reception, tackling their meaty and beaty brand of ska, reggae and funk at a percussive gallop. Entertaining as it was, some set pruning wouldn't have gone amiss.

Sounding older than their birth certificates, My Dads On Fire had mined music's vaults (well their parents' CD collection anyway) to give us some fantastically assured and over-ambitious covers of such legends as Madness, Carlos Santana and Muse's Hysteria, going some way to justify their seven-piece outfit. Safety in numbers?

Although perhaps trying too hard to be all things to all men, the band's natural exuberance and sheer musical bravado carried us with them and the only thing missing was a bit of judicious guitar tuning between songs.

Causing more than a ripple of anticipation were Halflight. Fronted by ex-Jylt member Sarah. This three-piece (two guitars and an electric cello - proving that less is often more) were utterly absorbing.

They unfurled their sweet, melancholy and exquisitely tuneful songs with a fluidity that you would expect from Sarah, as she showed us her emotional vocal range, culminating in one of Jylt's last songs, the very beautiful and powerfully emotive Treading Water, which Sarah dedicated to the memory of Nia.

This minimalist line-up has always suited Sarah's voice and style of song writing, and I have a feeling that Halflight will soon be stepping out of the shadows as the limelight surely beckons.

It was a triumphal night for Clarity, and their inoffensive sunny rock scored highly with the crowd.

They turned in a very confident and polished performance, showing how far they've come in the past year.

Frontwoman Di's rapport with the audience ensured that the band's performance was perfectly pitched and attuned to the prevailing mood - the best I have ever seen them.

Madding Crowd didn't quite pull out all the stops for this gig, unlike when they supported chart-topping Snow Patrol a while back, but I guess we all have our nights.

And let's not forget that tonight five local bands gave their time and considerable talent for a deserving charity. Cheers guys.

Pictures: Chris Rees