Photo Credit: Peter Eason Daniels
Words: Abi Jones

Basking in the spotlight, Galway indie rock band NewDad invited Cardiff to dance, rage, and maybe even cry a little all in one night. Celebrating the success of their sophomore album, “Altar”, they have taken on a world tour, sharing their new music and capturing the hearts of fans and newcomers all over the globe. The band delivered a night full of emotional highs and lows that showcased their growth as one of Ireland’s brightest indie exports of the decade.

Speaking of Irish indie exports, joining NewDad this Thursday night were Cork five-piece Cardinals, whose talent certainly met the high expectations. Their set gave the Cardiff crowd just a taste of their musical abilities which they’ll surely grow to excel in. Their performance included latest singles “The Burning of Cork” and “Masquerade”, which will be on their debut album set to be released next February. As well as the newer singles, some older tunes like “Roseland” opened up the audience to their outstanding, imaginative take on folk infused post-punk. Their use of accordion was particularly unique to see in today’s modern indie scene dominated by guitars and drums. The band’s first time in Cardiff has definitely earned them some new fans waiting for their return to the Welsh capital in the near future.

At quarter past nine, NewDad’s set began in a beautiful kind of simplicity with lead vocalist Julie Dawson stepping onto the stage in a lone spotlight to sing “Other Side”, the latest album’s haunting opener. The xylophone opening was somewhat reminiscent of the ethereal lullaby-esque found in Björk’s early sound before building up to become the bands’ familiar shoegazey feel. The authenticity of this performance was truly admirable, just Julie and her voice seeping into the microphone in front of a gazing audience. The rest of the band joined in shortly to ignite a strong chorus with Fiachra Parslow on drums and Seán O’Dowd on guitar, expanding the once delicate, vulnerable performance into something bigger and bolder.

Then came “Entertainer”, steadily carrying on the brisk pace set by the opening track. Its tempo captures the band’s ever-growing confidence with a much more immediate heaviness compared to their earlier work, yet still unmistakably carrying classic NewDad energy. They made sure to include some oldies too, “this one’s for the old fans”, Dawson explained, before enchanting the crowd with the iconic, wispy guitar riff from 2020’s “Blue”. “Sickly Sweet” is another track that united dedicated fans and newcomers with its punchy chorus and catchy drum fills.

“Mr Cold Embrace” slowed down the evening into a much more tender and sentimental experience, exploring the familiar feeling of homesickness and missing the small comforts of home. Dawson once again, being the interactive performer that she is, introduced the song as “a song about missing mum or the cat”, gaining a few light giggles and nods of agreement from the audience.

Slightly drifting from NewDad’s usual lyrical gloom, “Pretty” stood out as a love song as a deep purple shone on the trio. This song perfectly encapsulated the warmth radiating from the crowd that built a deep-rooted bond with each other and the band.

After a short break with the audience chanting “one more song!”, the trio brought the night to a euphoric close with a remarkable encore. Fan favourite “Angel” saw Dawson step down from the stage, singing with an adoring audience and creating an unforgettable, intimate moment with fans. There was truly no better way to end the night than with “Roobosh”, the lead single that started the “Altar” era and rebranded NewDad as the indie rock band we now know and love. Dancing through the venue was an unbreakable energy fuelled with rage and passion but also a collective comfort between concert-goers and the band. NewDad continuously prove that they are not afraid to star and shine in front of crowds of people across the globe, and still achieve to keep the treasured intimacy and connection of just three friends from Galway.