Described by its organisers as the festival Wales has been waiting for, Merthyr Rock arrived at the tail end of the festival season boasting a great line-up of bands spread over two days and a wonderful setting courtesy of Cyfarthfa Park, resplendent with a castle, great facilities and several thousand clued-in music fans.

Day One of the festival was a little lightweight for the heavyweight ears of the UR Massive (as was the Friday teaser featuring DJ sets from the likes of Ian Watkins from Lostprophets) although nothing but fantastic reports of a glorious day filled with the sounds of the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, Cast and Goldie Lookin Chain filtered through. As Team Uber waltzed tearfully into the final festival of the year (our annual pilgrimage to Hard Rock Hell not withstanding), the buzz around the heavily Welsh influenced line-up almost as loud as that of the wasp that our teenage rampage, photographer Ashlea Matthews, sat on in painful fashion, we could only marvel at the impressive set-up that greeted us. The festival Wales has been waiting for? For once the PR appeared to have got something severely correct.

While I waited for the action to start on the main stage our man in the field, Rob Watkins, braved at least four different weather systems to catch the bands on the Big Deal Clothing stage, curated by Kids In Glass Houses....

Big Deal Clothing Stage

Hitting the stage running and bashing Day Two of the inaugural Merthyr Rock Festival into action at 12.30pm (well, how else can they squeeze eighteen bands over two stages into ten and a half hours?) The Hotel Ambush find plenty of early crowd reaction and belief and, when a band earn their place on the bill from finishing runner up in a national battle of the bands competition it begs the question, are they worthy of a slot of this stature? Oh hell, yes indeedy judging by this showing; focus and drive and a nice dual Gibson axe attack, the band bouncing in unison - is that their form of praying on this normal day of rest? "It's not too early to clap" screams guitarist Adam amidst all this groove-laden hardcore being dished out and as they put it "It's your lucky day, there's time for one more" and that one more is these young upstarts' slant on the Flo Rida/Dead Or Alive classic 'Right Round' - release it fellas, fly it high from The Hotel Ambush flagpole.

"Merthyr Rock, we are Crossbreaker" introduces some angry and brutal doom-soured hardcore for the Merthyr Masses to thrill themselves with. The singer boy Joshua Smith, with his microphone angled to the skies at all times throughout the set, is extremely distinctive on stage leaving the rest of his bandmates trailing in the image/stage presence stakes. Lots of intense riffage from the Newport crew with their no nonsense heads-down sort of affair that's certainly right up the assembled, briefly sun kissed, punters' street.

And the Newport boyos are out in force this afternoon, this time with an '80s inspired indie twang from The Dead Beggars Club and I second their remark of "Brilliant this Merthyr Rock business!" Some neat, catchy hooks and biting melodies flow out of the speakers with various artists coming to mind, such as The Libertines and all those sorts of musical downbeat types, could possibly do with a tad of life support on the old movement side though, I must utter.

I love the sound of keyboards on a Sunday afternoon stood next to coffee drinkers, possibly the first usage of said instrument of the day? Venturing all the way from Watford and stepping into the arena are Spycatcher, made up of former members of Haunts, Gallows and Cry For Silence, offering a little indie palaver; well put together tunes but ever so slightly predictable I should whisper...and are we hearing a statement from deep within with the words "nobody listens and nobody cares"........

The Social Club are a jangly jangly London-based four piece instantly heading towards a Weezer comparison with some okay hooks and melodic passages, but what sticks out like an enlarging sore thumb is the singer's excited, no, wait, demented facial expressions that become irritating after a short while and overshadow the act's musical prowess. A snippet of the intro to Nirvana's 'Come As You Are' is warmly applauded and (I assume the title is) 'She's In Love' leans into Scouting For Girls territory and it all seems to be going down well with the onlooking second stage currators Kids In Glass Houses....but I'll get to you guys later....

Just as the Big Deal stage gets its best turn-out of the day, the heavens open - well, come on, it is a goddamn festival after all so what did you expect? But as long as you have Save Your Breath to entertain you it's certainly worth enduring a dampening. 'Lost Boys' braves the last throes of sunlight and we have that kinda let's jump, let's dance, let's sing pop punk atmosphere (what downpour?) and all with a stand-in bassist in tow. 'Stay Young' features a guest vocal from a Mr Sean Smith who I think is on sometime later in the evening under the warmth and shelter of the big top on the main stage. With 'Don't Let Me Down', lifted from new album 'Vices', they're outta here.

If you've not heard of Exit International then at some time in the not too distant future you will, believe me. With not a six string guitar in sight, this trio is made up of a drummer and bassist and a singer/bassist. "We're gonna make you wet one way or the other" bellows frontman Scott Lee Andrews. 'My Mouth Is Your Mouth' has influences springing to mind but none too direct which spouts originality aplenty...loud exciting alternative vexed fuzzy punk garage band elements.. I'll stick some grunge in there too while I'm here and, whilst the Cardiff mob are being recorded for radio it seems rude not to incoporate the C-word into your vocab at the correct and precise moment. Debut release 'Black Junk' coming soon....

And from the future we wander rather aimlessly back in time with Jettblack; it's 1984 again - fond memories but here is now and now is 2011. Every old school heavy metal cliché in the book rears its ugly head and can it get any worse? Yes, as the vocalist points to the guitarist and exclaims "This song is about me, John and two hot girls coming out in the sunlight..." Spinal Tap meets Steel Panther, but there is a market for this retro-tinged stuff, I should admit loudly. 'When It Comes To Lovin' is introduced as a song about fingering people and these rockers are certainly living the dream as they tell the bemused crowd that for the last two weeks they've been living on nothing but baguettes and croissants, although they do finish on a high with the closest thing to an anthem their catalogue offers in 'Get Your Hands Dirty' though their parting comment of "See you all at the signing tent" is concerning. Kids In Glass Houses should be pistol whipped for their inclusion of Jettblack on this fantastic bill.

As they kickstart their set it's fairly obvious as to why Future Of The Left are headlining The Big Deal Stage; emotional intensity as the songwriting level is moving onwards and upwards, angry and intelligent lyrical content, strong musicianship and the between-song banter is second to none - "Anyone here from Kerrang, We're the Lighthouse Family....dull c**ts!" As we get used to the typical two guitar, bass and drums set up the guitars are put to one side and vocalist/guitarist Andy Falkous brings his Roland Juno to the fore for some almost experimental '70s Euro synth pop that works a complete treat. This is an extremely tight musical unit rounded off by drummer Jack Egglestone, guitarist Jimmy Watkins and bassist Julia Ruzicka. Yet more musical chairs as Ruzicka takes over the synth and Falkous plays the four string for more witty, sarcastic, enchanting, caustic indie rock and with his final words "Don't kill anyone unless they deserve it" they thank everybody and it's goodnight from the Big Deal Stage........(RW)

Main Stage

I'm a little taken aback as I enter the main stage area to see openers GO-X; the set-up is impressive to say the least, with a fantastic lighting system and a couple of video screens (displaying tweets about the event between bands - thankfully no ex-members of Rankelson know that I'm reading) catching the eye immediately. To the music though, and GO-X set the bar relatively high with their energetic set. On record (Record! How old am I?!) the band lay down cool alt sounds that hang around on the edges of both The Mars Volta and Jimmy Eat World camps - check out their immensely-titled 'Thank You For Using The Postal System' online - but live their high octane performance reminds me of something like a contemporary version of Terrorvision; the singer is all over the stage, busting out Anthony Kiedis moves around his micstand at times, while the guitarist (who the old me would be sure to slap a Rocky Dennis lookalike tag to) breaks a string and carries on regardless, endearing me to them even further. A very good start to proceedings.

"This isn't a cool-fest, this is a barn dance" exclaims Alex Wiltshire, frontman of The Guns who, I think it would be fair to say, certain factions of the Uber Massive are totally gay for. Straight outta Blaina, this band never fail to astound. With just a five song, twenty-five minute set to play with, it is testament to the attitude of this band that they still open with the slow-burner 'Colder'. Nobody lucky enough to see this band live could ever dispute Wiltshire's qualities as a frontman, many lucky enough to meet him could not dispute the fact that he is a confident motherfucker, but it is often forgotten just how fantastic a vocalist he is; this stunning opener reminds everyone in the fucking..err..tent that this is how it is, like it or not. A quick look around tells me that 'like' is a massive understatement. As the stunning duo of 'It's On Like Donkey Kong' and 'Treacle And Pie' pour out of the speakers like aural gold the sight of a sea of people getting off on these tunes and singing every fucking word is one to behold. With the drummer from We Ride Tigers recruited to fill the drum stool vacated by a bone-breaking incident concerning Stix Davies at short notice fitting in seamlessly, The Guns turn in one of, if not the, best performances of the day, even at this early stage. Crazed banter featuring both Jesus and Darth Vader is bookended by the fantastic 'Answers' and set closer 'Gordons And Lemonade' which, with its words sung by almost everyone in the venue, is just one of many anthems that this band seem to throw out with ease. The band's new album, released on October 31^st, will kill. Possibly my favourite Welsh band right now......

......closely followed by a bunch of noisy, young bastards called Revoker. 'Revenge For The Ruthless', the band's debut album for Roadrunner Records, has been barely off the stereo at URHQ since release and this seven song set featuring the spine of one of my favourite albums of the year is as lethal as hoped. Opening with the killer combo of 'Time To Die' and 'Psychoville' this band tear things up like a hurricane hitting the town. Forthcoming single 'The Great Pretender' is followed by the awesome 'Not Be Moved' and by the time the mammoth 'Thief' smashes and grabs all listeners the day's first circle pit is making a mess of the grass underfoot. 'Stay Down' knocks everyone upside the head before closer 'Born To Be An Outlaw' kicks them while they're down. Revoker's upcoming UK tour with The Defiled is a must-see. Onwards and upwards for these fuckers.

The hymen-cracking scream that welcomes the arrival of My Passion frontman Laurence René to the stage tells me immediately that I am about to witness something special. Approximately one song later I'm thinking that I should add the word 'needs' to that statement. Breaking tween hearts with his son of Dr. Robert looks and dodgy Freddie Mercury micstand, René leads his troupe of stylist-afflicted pomp rockers through a set riddled with samples and guitars worn so high that they could act as bibs ready to catch teenage girl tears and the rotten tomatoes that the punters who fancy some substance over style are fingering in their pockets. Their show, it would be hard to argue against, is something of a spectacle, but it smacks of hollowness and is as plastic as the in-ear monitors that the band seem to be having great difficulty dealing with as they throw their shapes. There are a couple of bright spots, musically, in the shape of 'Crazy & Me' and 'Day Of The Bees' but, as the prepubescent pit starts to resemble the scrum for squash at a youth club, I realise that I am far too old and far too male to get passionate with this boy band.

At the opposite end of the style/substance equation, Welsh alt pop punkers Attack! Attack! cut my attention span from its impromptu shoelace noose and impress with a fast-paced, hook-laced set of infectious tunes. The drummer is wearing a Crue shirt, the guitarist a Cure shirt and I'm at a loss as to which one of them misread the stage wear memo. The most idiotic of band requests, the zzzzzzzzzz-inducing wall of death, results in everyone in the crowd under the age of twenty either having their teenage acne popped by the sweaty face of a similarly-aged clod or watching it happen, thereby reducing the number of people actually watching the band by at least half. Still, it's all about the kids, innit?! Cool tunes in the form of 'No Excuses', 'Honesty' and 'Blood On My Hands' save the day.

A quick sojourne to the Big Deal stage is curtailed by monsoon-like weather, luckily my Uber Rockin' amigo Rob Watkins is wearing a hat.....

My dampened spirits are quickly lifted by the appearance of Young Guns. Coming out of album number two hibernation, and showcasing a fantastic new song from it, the band, whose 'All Our Kings Are Dead' album impressed the hell out of me last year, banish thoughts of the inclement weather outside from every person in the, seriously huge, crowd, moving all bodies with a great set. The now-blond Gustav Wood shows Dr. Robert-lite how to be a proper modern pin-up/rock star, warming hearts with his friendly, likeable demeanour. That he can sing a bit too is a bonus. 'Weight Of The World' is emotionally-charged, 'Winter Kiss' and the fantastic 'Crystal Clear' hanging around not too far behind. Suddenly, we're at a proper, full-on, modern rock show and it is bordering on the fantastic. Who on earth could push it over the edge?

I was astonished when I saw Skindred own the entire audience when I saw them support Rob Zombie at the start of the year. Making a possibly partisan crowd their own is a quality that this band excel at, generally due to the performance of ringmaster general Benji Webbe, perfect for this big top style arena. That he can abuse and mock the majority of the audience and get them loving him in return says it all about this natural entertainer, enticing everyone in attendance to do both the robot and the 'Newport Helicopter'. Opener 'Stand For Something' almost tears a hole through the aural-affected awning and 'Pressure' stains the ears with class. This year's tidy 'Union Black' album is represented by 'Cut Dem', 'Doom Riff' and, following chunks of Metallica's 'Sad But True' and The Prodigy's 'Breathe', set closer 'Warning'. As awesome as expected, Skindred are so good they make the sun come back out.

Funeral For A Friend appear and it starts raining again. Surprised? I have the utmost respect for FFAF, as with any band that come from similar backgrounds and towns as my good self and excel, but I'd be lying if I said they rocked me like a hurricane or shook me all night long. That there are people here that know every single lyric to every single song yet I struggle to know a song title says it all; I come from race cars and goth rock so this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The light-hearted banter from frontman Matthew Davies-Kreye is a surprise to me though, and I am heartened and impressed that I hang around to watch their entire set. The entrance to the stage is now a foot-deep mud bath so the fact that I possibly couldn't leave even if I wanted to is irrelevant.

I've been under the impression ever since this festival was announced that the people who would be most impressed with the fact that local boys The Blackout were headlining the event would be the band themselves. Special moments like this must mean everything when involved in a business soured by so many hangers-on, corporate cock suckers and star fuckers that, looking around as both band members and their families struggle to hold back tears, you'd have to be some right royal cunt to deny these boys this opportunity. "You can take the boy out of Merthyr but you can't take Merthyr out of the boy" is the winning slogan slapped onto the front and back of the band's newest merch item that at least two of the members are wearing on stage and it goes just a small way to explaining just how moved these guys are to be playing a show of this scale in their hometown. With both frontmen, Sean Smith and Gavin Butler, hanging over the barrier into the crowd within seconds of their bandmates hitting the stage, the promise of an electrically-charged event of a show is nailed on. 'I'm A Riot? You're A Fucking Riot!', 'Children Of The Night' and 'It's High Tide Baby!' are staggeringly well-received, and 'Spread Legs, Not Lies' is stunning.

That The Blackout were invited to headline this fantastic event in their home says everything you need to know about the people behind Merthyr Rock. With the best facilities and set up that I have ever seen at a Welsh festival, these unsung heroes deserve hearty pats on the back for what they have done with this inaugural event. If the rumours of next year's line-up are true then, yes, Wales might really have found what it has been waiting for.....

[Photos by Ashlea Matthews]

Ashlea Bea Photography