Shoe-gaze dreams at Clwb Ifor Bach with TTSSFU
Words/Photos: Ceirios Bebb
★★★★★
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Even on a Thursday night Clwb Ifor Bach was bustling, even with the football proving this show to be a night that promised something special. TTSSFU had finally arrived in Cardiff as part of their UK tour this year.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
The stage itself felt like an extension of the artists, crowded with colourful guitars, each one telling its own story. Front and centre was lead singer Tasmin’s guitar, decorated in a whimsical scrapbook style with photos, stickers, and the visible wear of past shows, a visual archive of TTSSFU’s action packed journey so far.
Opening the night was recently formed band Wyatt, who wasted no time in warming up the room for the night. Their music blended gritty guitars with a melancholic undercurrent, and the addition of a trumpet adding a whole other layer of emotion to the sound. There was a strong sense of indie rock nostalgia running through their set.
Despite not having officially released any music, Wyatt handed out homemade CDs around the venue. Each sleeve featuring little doodles, giving every copy a personal touch. It was an interesting, memorable gesture, and by the end of their set, they’d left Cardiff buzzing with anticipation for their recorded debut.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
A brief silence fell over Clwb a split second quickly interrupted by cheers and applause of an electrified crowd. Highly anticipated headline act, TTSSFU took to the stage in a fairy-like, floaty dress over a layer of “fragile” tape stuck across her chest. As the opening notes of ‘California’ rang out, the room in unison began moving almost instinctively as the band’s dreamy shoegaze sound washed over them.
What followed was a seamless shift between hazy nostalgia and bursts of energetic indie rock. TTSSFU moved effortlessly between moods, never losing the crowd’s attention. There was little need for chatter between songs with poetic lyrics that spoke for themselves, creating an immersive, almost hypnotic atmosphere.
Midway through the set, Tasmin broke the spell with a moment of humour. Teasing the audience about a very special guest. “Sam Fender?” prompting confused glances and people looking around before quickly admitting, “oh, he’s not here.” and the room broke out into laughter. “Tom Jones?” she added, doubling down on the joke and keeping the mood light.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
Later, introducing Weekend, she hesitated—“we’re not playing ‘Weekend’ because it’s too sad” only for a member of the crowd to protest. Tasmin asked their name and dedicated the song to them. As well as venturing out into the crowd during the final few songs of the set TTSSFU drew in the crowd from the beginning making everyone feel involved.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
By the end of the night, Clwb Ifor Bach had become a space of emotion, humour, and connection. Wyatt proved themselves as a band to watch, while TTSSFU delivered a set that was as dreamy as it was dynamic, leaving the audience swaying long after the final note faded.