The mostly Mississippi quintet The Weeks – probably best known for touring with Kings of Leon in recent years – graced a disappointingly tiny crowd in the equally tiny ‘Clwb Ifor Bach’ in Cardiff with their presence last Wednesday.

I was met with the tinny roar of the support bands slightly tuned down guitar and rattling drums, which were far too loud for such a small venue. As I walked in, I could tell that Apache Relay were definitely extremely talented acoustic players, with one of the most skilled guitarists that I have heard in a very long time. You can tell that he is heavily influenced by the likes of Zeppelin and AC/DC, but the only time he gets to show this off is during the solos. I was actually disappointed that he wasn’t hopping around on one leg, dressed as a school boy.

The most disappointing thing for me was that I felt that they were miming the sound of The Weeks a bit too much, living in their shadow almost. The fact that their guitar and drums were so loud – drowning out any hope of hearing the vocals or bass – totally ruined their set for me. But one thing that was surprisingly louder was the double denim statement that they seemed to have going on!

The Weeks, however, were phenomenal. They still gave it 110% despite being met by a disappointingly small crowd. Lead singer Cyle Barnes scanned the room over the thick rims of his specs as he asked everyone to take a few steps forward, which gave the gig a sense of intimacy, which goes hand in hand with not only the songs, but Cyle’s almost exhibitionist stage persona. You can really watch him get lost in the music, something you don’t really see with many frontmen anymore.

Although the band gained their rock ‘n’ roll stripes from being regulars on the sweaty booze infused Mississippi live circuit, I found that Cyle’s performance was very similar to Morrissey. Like Moz, he has a real exhibitionist, almost feminine persona, as he effortlessly flings himself around the stage rolling his eyes into the back of his head, which really helps bring the songs to life. So there’s their indie stripes being added.

Twin brother Cain, is without a doubt, one of the best drummers I have ever seen play live. The energy he gives off is enough to keep the whole band going throughout; it’s this energy from both him and Cyle that coincide so well, and will definitely continue to carry them throughout the rest of their career.

The highlight of their set for me had to be ‘House That We Grew Up In’. It was the one song in which Cyle totally submerged and lost himself in. He sang every word as if he meant it, as if he was addressing every individual person in the room. The more that Cyle looses himself, the more that you lose yourself, making him a really is an interesting guy to watch, and with an amazing voice. I actually don’t think he realises how much power he holds as a frontman, and how much of an influence he has over his audience; he had them firmly in the palm of his hand from the second he walked on stage.

If you’re a Kings Of Leon fan, not necessarily a huge one, or are into any kind of country/indie crossovers, or even just a sucker for riffy guitars and ecstatic drum fills, then try and catch The Qeeks on the rest of their UK tour. They should be selling out arena sized shows in a few years, so go out and grab a ticket and see them up close and personal for just £8 while you can!

Abbi Parcell

@abbilennon