The Eat My Dust tour is currently in full swing, and on Tuesday night Dead Pony took over The Globe in Cardiff, marking their return to the city after previously supporting You Me At Six on their 'Final Nights of Six' farewell tour. This concert also marked a significant milestone for the band, serving as their first headline performance in Wales. Fans were clearly eager to be part of the occasion, with a queue forming outside the venue and stretching down the street.
Lady Garden
The first band on was Lady Garden, a name that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore within the South Wales music scene. The band have rapidly built a reputation for themselves through two sold-out shows at Fuel, and, by now playing on some of the larger stages in Cardiff such as on Clwb-Ifor-Bach's main stage supporting Chroma in April. Their growing popularity was even evident at The Globe as fans were spotted wearing Lady Garden's merch.
Despite having only one officially released single, 'Funny', Lady Garden already have a strong catalogue of live material to offer that also showcases an impressive amount of range, from the catchy choruses of 'Charlie' to a fiery cover of Lambrini Girls' 'Big Dick Energy', a band whose influence can clearly be felt throughout Lady Garden's sound. The cover also saw lead guitarist Emily Powis step up to the microphone, delivering a furious and commanding vocal performance that brought a fresh dynamic to the set.
Overgrown
Next to take the stage were Edinburgh four-piece Overgrown. Their sound felt like a fusion between grunge and nu-metal, combining the clean yet powerful vocals of frontman Callum Ter Morsche with the fuzzy, hard-hitting instrumentation from bassist Elliot Johnson, guitarist Marc Mitchell and drummer Mike Essery.
Although their set was relatively short, the band packed plenty into it. Fan favourites such as 'Mistake' and 'Pieces' sat comfortably alongside newer releases including 'Give Up', giving the crowd a broad taste of their discography. The band also treated everyone to an unreleased track, 'Blind', which offered a glimpse into what's to come. The song perfectly balanced the crushing heavier moments with softer melodic sections synonymous with the band.
The standout moment of the set came with Breathe, a trance-like track that gradually pulls you in before you realise you're nodding along and headbanging. Its hypnotic energy proved captivating throughout, before an impressive guitar solo near the end elevated the track even further.
Dead Pony
By the time Dead Pony were ready to take the stage, The Globe was packed and buzzing with anticipation.
Adding to the excitement, guitarist Blair Crichton appeared on stage early to warm up the crowd. Keen to see Cardiff bring the energy he urged fans to outdo the audiences from the tour's English dates, sparking a loud response from the masses eager to prove themselves. The tactic worked perfectly. The crowd was fully primed by the time the band made their way onto the stage, and Dead Pony wasted no time making an impact. Opening explosively with 'Eat My Dust', they had the audience moving from the very first note.
The set offered a strong balance between material from the band's latest EP, and tracks from their 2024 debut album 'IGNORE THIS'. Newer songs such as 'Fury' and 'Freak Like Me' sat comfortably alongside fan favourites including 'RAINBOWS' and 'COBRA'. Halfway through the set, Dead Pony also delivered a cover of Alanis Morissette's 'You Oughta Know'. Already a captivating song, it proved a perfect fit for Anna Shields' powerful vocal delivery, with the frontwoman making the track her own while still retaining the original impact of the song
Despite the limitations of The Globe's relatively small stage, Anna Shields commanded every inch of it. Constantly engaging and interacting with fans wherever possible. At one point she could be seen taking out a small polaroid photo and handing it to someone in the front row. The band's performance was relentless from start to finish. Their endless energy was mirrored by the crowd, creating an atmosphere that left The Globe hot, sweaty and in constant motion. Whether it was mosh pits breaking out or fans throwing themselves into the choruses, the room rarely stood still
As the set drew to a close, the band opened the floor to suggestions for their final song. While plenty of fans could be heard calling for '23, Never Me', the group had already made their decision, seemingly before the question was even asked. "This is the 'Eat My Dust' tour," they declared before the band launched back into the tour's titular track. Despite already serving as the electrifying opener, its reprise somehow hit even harder the second time around, providing a fittingly high-energy finale to Dead Pony's first Welsh headline show.
