Electric lift-off for Rocket CD (From Western Telegraph)

Electric lift-off for Rocket CD

Some bands quite publicly do it at HMV, some do it at a Virgin Megastore with scant regard for the shopper, and now one of our top local acts Love Rocket has done it at independent music shop Tangled Parrot in Carmarthen.

This was probably the first time in this area that a CD launch has opened with a live gig in a record shop, but Matt Davies, owner of Tangled Parrot, has never been one to shy away from a challenge. Always a supporter of the local music scene, Matt plans to build on the success of this maiden outing and have more CD launch gigs at his shop in the future.

At the rock-friendly time of 1pm, this intimate shop promised to turn itself into a Tardis, a feat it didn't quite manage to achieve. In fact with so many people there, I almost ended up sitting on drummer Perry's knee while he played - hey, it's not all fun being a music reviewer, honest.

Well worth a visit, Tangled Parrot is favoured by Radio One's Huw Stephens (a frequent visitor) and stocks not only a wide selection of dance music, but also rock, punk, indie, reggae, industrial, jazz and even spoken word, plus an A-Z of local bands from The Avenue to Zi-Kronic Waves.

The red carpet had been metaphorically rolled down Bridge Street, Carmarthen and the crowd followed for this raucously triumphant CD launch debut.

On characteristically blistering form, Love Rocket whipped up a typhoon in the record shop as they tore through the songs on their muscular and eponymous EP. The band's notorious and elemental surge of energy guaranteed the attendant buzz of media interest, and a documentary film crew following them around added to the airpunching urgency.

Fiercely struck guitars and urgent drums make up the breakneck rock sound of this EP, with the battle-cry chorus of pulsating band anthem Love Rocket at its core.

Second-hand record junkies (and any one with an old juke box) may be interested to know that Tangled Parrot's back room has been opened up especially for them, with a treasure trove of over 2,000 classic albums and numerous seven-inch singles, so, along with Slipped Discs in the Market, this surely makes Carmarthen a record buyer's heaven.

MOLL