Back in March, after watching Richard Ashcroft at Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, I suggested his summer return to Cardiff Castle had the potential to be something special. Four months later, with glorious sunshine, clear blue skies and one of Wales’ most iconic venues providing the backdrop, that prediction proved spot on.
Opening the evening, Apollo Junction wasted little time winning over the early arrivals. Their uplifting indie rock, infectious energy and genuinely likeable stage presence made them the perfect choice to kick things off, and by the end of their set they had undoubtedly earned plenty of new fans.
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan ensured the momentum continued. As the castle grounds steadily filled, he had the Cardiff crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, cheekily greeting them as “you Welsh f***ers” before joking that he’d played just about every venue in the city, even pointing beyond the castle walls towards the Principality Stadium. Delivered with a grin, it landed exactly as intended and perfectly captured the relaxed mood of the evening.
Although there was a little more space than at some of Cardiff Castle’s biggest shows this summer, that was perhaps no surprise given Ashcroft had already played Cardiff earlier this year. Those who returned, however, were treated to a completely different experience.
Ashcroft walked on stage with the same quiet confidence that has defined him throughout this tour. He has never relied on elaborate production or over-the-top theatrics, and he didn’t need them here. Cardiff Castle, bathed in the evening sunshine, did much of the work for him, creating a setting perfectly suited to songs that have become part of the soundtrack of so many people’s lives.
The opening notes of Sonnet immediately settled the crowd before The Drugs Don’t Work became one of the evening’s defining moments, thousands of voices taking over as the sun slowly slipped behind the castle walls. A beautifully understated acoustic performance of Velvet Morning offered one final moment of reflection before the inevitable finale of Bitter Sweet Symphony. This song still has the power to unite an audience decades after its release.
Having now experienced both of Ashcroft’s Cardiff performances this year, it’s difficult to separate them. The Utilita Arena showcased the songs with intimacy and precision, while Cardiff Castle allowed them to breathe beneath an open summer sky. On one of the finest evenings of the year, it felt like the right music in exactly the right place, a reminder that some artists don’t need to reinvent themselves to remain utterly compelling.
