Great band small crowd
A disappointingly small crowd gathers around the downstairs stage at Clwb Ifor Bach on this cold December Sunday night for I Am The Avalanche's first visit to Wales since their inception in 2004, (perhaps the student population has already vacated Cardiff for the Christmas break?). The lack of bodies does unfortunately result in a slightly flat atmosphere when they take to the floor which is a shame as the band really pump all their energy into entertaining us with their high energy punk rock tunes.
IATA are well practiced and tight as a drum, not just musically; Vinnie's patter is charming and fun, he even deals with a couple of strange girls at the front pretty well when they start shouting things at him in an unintelligible Welsh screech that even the audience struggles to understand.
The band plays plenty of tracks from their new record released in October, with front man Vinnie Caruana's passionate vocals ringing out and their upbeat attitude piercing even the most down-beat lyrics on tracks like 'Dead Friends'. Tunes like 'Gratitude', an anthem to being grateful for what you have, really shines and gets the small crowd moving. It's a real shame there weren't more here to catch I Am The Avalanche as the New Yorkers blasted through a great set here in Cardiff, luckily those that were here were more than happy to show their appreciation. If you missed them be sure to grab a ticket for their 2012 dates as they head back to the UK on tour with Brand New in February next year.