Image Martin Ashford Copyright
This was an interesting gig scenario. A personal invitation from Steve Johnson to watch a band he founded – The Anonymous Iconoclasts - play their first gig for over two years at a completely unknown (to me) Cardiff venue – Rhostio in Crwys Road.
I was completely unfamiliar with Steve's band though I have seen him perform numerous times at an Open Mic Night in the Pipeworks, Pontyclun. I was aware of the name but not the music or the band members. My guess was that it would be worth checking the band out, as Steve is clearly a passionate musician. I was not surprised to see a group of mature musicians quietly setting up their gear in the fairly spacious environment of Rhostio.
The building itself was familiar to me. Once the home of Peter Noble's Instruments ( I had bought my first Marshall amp there in the 80's) it is now a cool coffee bar with an amazing roof terrace. The audience was small but the vibe was relaxed. What would this band be like? A soundcheck of two songs confirmed that this band are serious professionals. The sound was crisp, not too loud and very, very tight. The Anons sounded completely together, fully rehearsed. Intriguing!
The gig started proper under very weak stage lighting (my only real complaint) as darkness fell outside. How could they see their instruments? I noticed that the lead guitar player Keyo was improvising really well on most of the songs – something I always enjoy and appreciate being a guitarist. The bass player Mic seemed to be playing quite simple parts but he also seemed to grow in confidence. Sean the drummer was very precise indeed and Steve began throwing himself around right from the start- a consummate frontman – something that I hadn't really noticed before.
I had no clues to what the songs were about but they were all melodic, occasionally searing and never boring. After a break, the second set contained even more jamming and the bass had been turned up a notch as I had recommended to Steve. Now the band were cooking and rocking out . An excellent cover of Psycho Killer led into one of Keyo's numbers with a long jammed out ending. I was rivetted.
The final number was written during the Lockdown and had very thoughtful lyrics - this one was just Steve and Mic. Perhaps it was just too new for the others to get their heads around.
Overall I really enjoyed the gig and I loved the venue. More people need to be aware of The Anonymous Iconoclasts, a fine Cardiff outfit with great material on offer.
Martin Ashford 6th June 2022