Ragweed at Undertone
It was an odd start to the evening on the second date of the Ragweed tour at Undertone in Cardiff. The doors opened late and there was no one on hand to take our money from us as we entered, this was followed swiftly by the mysterious disappearance of the first support act Fire Season (we subsequently found out this was due to a technical reason) then there was uncertainty over whether the bands could sound-check; this all left the artists and punters alike milling around looking confused. Luckily Ragweed took matters into their own hands and started setting up, so at just after nine there was music to be had, and luckily it was worth the wait.
Given that they took to the floor (no stage at Undertone just a vague performance area off to one end of the room) without checking their instruments or sound levels, the Brighton trio plunged in with admirable gusto, but we (by we, we mean the shamefully small audience, even for a Sunday) needn't have worried, as they rose to the challenge of the night brilliantly. Playing a mix of tried and tested tunes and new material, some from their spanking new, recently recorded EP, Ragweed quickly succeeded in lifting the mood of the place with their excellent scuzzy punky-pop tunes and charmingly low-key banter.