Back in our September issue, I raved about ‘Heavy Jelly’ - SOFT PLAY’s first album since their hiatus and re-brand. It’s without a doubt one of my favourites of the year and, for me, their best record yet, so I was buzzing to catch some of these new tracks live at NX. Cardiff-based punk outfit Panic Shack were supporting. I’ve loved them ever since I discovered their song ‘The Ick’, which recounts the experience of catching feelings for someone and then finding out that they put the milk in first when making a cuppa. They put on a brash, energetic performance that was oodles of fun - I’d not seen a support act get a crowd going like this in a while. Only SOFT PLAY could amp up the atmosphere even further. It’s incredible how this duo commands a venue with all the power (if not more) of a full band. I felt like I was watching tennis as my eyes darted between guitarist Laurie hurling himself around the stage while still managing to play his fiery riffs to perfection, and vocalist/percussionist Isaac as he simultaneously thrashed his set and vocal chords. It’s beyond me how his voice manages to hold out for an entire tour. The band largely stuck to tracks from ‘Heavy Jelly’, and the way the crowd was already shouting back all the lyrics despite the album only being out a few months is a testament to how well their music connects with people. They owned criticism that they’d ‘gone soft’ with their new identity by unveiling a huge backdrop that read ‘Soft Cunts’, all while playing one of the hardest punk sets I’d ever had the pleasure of watching. My personal highlight was when the noise was lulled as they played an intimate version of ‘Everything and Nothing’, a beautiful song about grief and mental health struggles. I was actually brought to tears as Laurie strummed the sweet notes of a mandolin and Isaac delivered an incredibly heartfelt performance. What other band could have you headbanging to whiplash point at one moment, then tearing up the next?

Leanna Thomson