REVIEW: FRANCESQA AT CARDIFF CLWB IFOR BACH (27/02/10)
Since getting picked by Blink 182 front man Tom Delonge to play last years Slam Dunk festival, Francesqa have been making an impact on the live gigging scene and are becoming one of the fastest rising bands in the UK. It was only last year Francesqa were supporting Cardiff band Tiger Please for their headline show in this same venue. Since then the band have developed a dedicated fan base and has already toured with the likes of Young Guns, Aiden and The Pretty Reckless. Francesqa are now taking on an extensive tour of the UK and Ireland with support from American rockers The Dangerous Summer. The Dangerous Summer are relatively unknown here in the UK but are becoming a dominate name over the states. After making their entrance the room seems to be getting fuller, each track played from their debut album, ‘Reach from the sun’ sounds like it has great potential to be a hit. You can see the band have great passion and eagerly encourage the crowd to sing-along with them throughout their set making this performance more memorable. As Francesqa take to the stage, teen cheers welcome the five piece from Newbury. Bursting straight into their newly released single, ‘All I Had’, lead vocalist Ashley Wilkie has the Clwb Ifor Bach crowd in the palm of his hands. Full of energy and enthusiasm they deliver a performance that’s complete with new tracks and hits from their independent release, ‘We Lived’. ‘Hopeful” and ‘Crooked Little Sun’ are stand out songs that get the crowd moving with the band and singing. The band plays an incredibly tight set with zero faults, clearly rehearsed to perfection; you can only wonder how much longer Francesqa will be playing these intimate venues before getting the big break that’s deserved. Francesqa end the show with their debut single and crowd pleaser ‘Ghosts’, the song is electrifying live and easily receives the biggest ovation of their set. The band has just rereleased their EP, ‘We Lived’ for this tour and have added acoustic renditions to the EP. There are only big things to come for Francesqa in 2011.
Words: Mike Lewis
