June 13, 2007

The Full Ponty

Ynysangarad Park, Pontypridd, Saturday May 26

This is not only the worst-named, but the rawkest of the weekend’s offerings. First stop on our tour of this 10,000-capacity, one-day event are local boys Dopamine, whose soulless punk-pop is almost as bad as Reel Big Fish’s cover of ‘Boys Don’t Cry’.

Next up The Automatic set out to prove that ‘Monster’ won’t be the undoing of them. It’s a typically hyperactive performance, Pennie goose-stepping around in a state of mild dementia over a terrific ‘Seriously… I Hate You Guys’. ‘Monster’, meanwhile, is wisely dismissed early on, so we can get on with going mental to ‘Recover’. Everybody’s happy.

On the second stage, meanwhile, as Gallows play quite literally on top of the crowd, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams stakes her claim to superstardom-in-waiting with a masterful set, and looks genuinely bemused by the size of the crowd that greets her band’s arrival. Local heroes and boy band metallers Lostprophets are straight in to steal her thunder though. Shamelessly playing the hometown card – whose heart couldn’t melt at the sight of Ian Watkins’ nan onstage in front of 10,000 people? – they nonetheless put on a grand spectacle; this gig clearly means the world to them. As a climactic ‘Last Train Home’ brings events to a close, the crowd set out to terrorise sleepy Pontypridd.

Mike Sterry

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