Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Yes (Pink Room). 22nd April 2022

The jury is still out on the brilliantly named Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard for me. I got hooked on songs like ‘Double Denim Hop’ and ‘Hollywood Actors’, but then sort of forgot about them. Until I was waiting for The Blinders to come on stage, not really paying attention to the support, when my foot started tapping and I thought, this is pretty bloody good. I was pleasantly surprised that it was of course the 4 welsh lads headlining Yes’ Pink Room tonight (5 if you include their mate with the cowbell, who’s also quite nifty on the keys). Buzzard (I’m not typing it in triplicate every time) play a sort of hip shaking funky rock and roll that’s a little at odds with a lot of the other bands I review. They’re poppy, like Supergrass if they’d been obsessed with sun drenched Americana. It’s indie 70s glam, which explains if not excuses their attire on the promo shots. Singer Tom has apparently been unwell. His voice giving way after a string of recent dates. He sounds good tonight though. High kicking and sticking his arse out like Grayson Perry impersonating Mick Jagger. He’s undoubtably the star, strutting during the foot stomping ‘You’, he’s full of witty banter between songs too. Where lots of new bands really stumble with that sort of interaction, Tom excels. It makes the audience really warm to him, even when he’s slagging off Fontaine’s DC and Cardiff Council. On record these songs are tight, poppy and full of hooks. That’s all here tonight too, but live they’re ridiculously good with room to flex and let loose at the hint of a wink and sway of the hips. If songs like ‘Good Day’ are the soundtrack to a late August road trip, then ‘New Age Millennium Magic’ is the trigger to pop the roof down and floor it, it’s utterly blissful. Midway through the set Tom ditches the guitar/keyboards and unencumbered he’s he’s a shameless swaggering showman. He steals the limelight for sure and I feel bad for not mentioning the rest of the band, but honestly they’re great too, the drummer going full Animal on ‘Late Night City’ and they all look like they’re having a blast. Everyone is, a Buzzard gig is fucking fantastic. If you’re not dancing like a loon as they finish with ‘Double Denim Hop’ and ‘Forever Love’, then you’re dead, you must be, no one with a pulse could resist. So despite my trepidation I guess the verdict is in, I love Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard!