Daily Post: Gog Sound

AMONG the most exciting new acts to emerge in Wales last year were Llanrug balladeers Brigyn.

The duo, consisting of Ynyr and Eurig Roberts, have spent the 12 months since the release of their debut record quietly composing new songs and, after a recent tour of California, (featured in last week's Wednesday edition of Yr Herald), finished the week supporting South Walian singer-songwriter Amy Wadge in Theatr Clwyd, Mold, on Friday.

There was not the most auspicious of starts to the evening - the entire district suffered a power cut minutes before curtain up, so the organisers were reduced to lighting the venue with candles! Not that the interruption fazed the Roberts brothers - when they finally did take to the stage, 45 minutes later than scheduled, to play a set that had to be cut in half, the duo turned in a performance as assured as those they had been playing in San Francisco to appreciative crowds only days earlier.

This was an acoustic set - which was just as well, as the theatre's back-up generators barely provided enough power for the PA system - and as such,, it served as an indicator of the duo's musicianship as well as their songwriting abilities. The acid test of any ballad is how well it sounds when it is stripped back to the barest of instrumentation.

With just a guitar and bass as backing, Brigyn's songs passed with flying colours. The ever-popular Bohemia Bach (Little Bohemia) was warmly received by the 100-strong crowd, as was Lleisiau Yn Y Gwynt (Voices In The Wind) and the haunting song Angharad.

There were also some tracks from Brigyn's new album, enigmatically entitled 2 and released last month on Gwynfryn Cymunedol. Here the joyous Bysedd Drwy Dy Wallt (Fingers Through Your Hair) stood out. The anthemic Diwedd Y Dydd, Diwedd Y Byd (End of the Day, End of the World) rounded off an excellent showing.

Craig Owen Jones

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