Artist of the Week: Trampolene — Swansea Music Hub

When we had our first meeting with BBC Horizons about their curated stage at the Swansea Fringe 2017 Joe and I were asked if there were any bands from Swansea that we would like included on the line-up. Without talking about it before hand, we both said “Trampolene” at the same time.

I missed their gig in September 2016 at The Scene Swansea but I remember seeing videos from friends and from my girlfriend’s younger teenage brother and his mates. I was blown away with how much energy there seemed to be in that room. We had to get them in Cinema & Co for the Fringe. If we could get anywhere close to the energy from those videos (and from what seems to be every other gig they play) we’d be in store for a something special.

Trampolene perform Alcohol Kiss, live at Swansea Fringe Festival 2017. Horizons/ Gorwelion is a scheme delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Arts Council Wales to develop new, independent contemporary music in Wales. Mae Gorwelion / Horizons yn gynllun a redir gan BBC Cymru Wales mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru i ddatblygu cerddoriaeth gyfoes annibynnol, newydd yng Nghymru.

Trampolene headlined the Swansea Fringe on the Friday night and they did not disappoint. The volume of people coming through the door at Cinema & Co just for them was staggering!! It was such a great moment. The sound and crowd was so good that I had to arrange with Joe to do a one song in / out routine between watching their set and manning the door so that we could both see their set!

I knew that it was somewhat of a homecoming for the boys in Trampolene as they’re now based in London so I didn’t expect to catch them on the evening of the show as so many of their family and friends were in attendance – but they all made a point of chatting to myself and Joe to talk about the festival and the Swansea music scene. I remember growing up as a gigging teenager in Swansea and supporting what now is Trampolene under a different guise back in the mid noughties and thinking that they were really decent down to earth guys – and nothing had changed.

They had such a positive outlook on Swansea and the potential that it has as a music scene. I think the last thing frontman Jack said to me on the Friday night as he left (draped in a Welsh flagged and drenched in sweat) was along the lines of “it’s time to build this scene up from the ground but bands, artists and venues have to do it together”.

Since the Swansea Fringe, the band has released their debut album “Swansea to Hornsey”, have played shows in Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester and to top it all off they’ve secured four support slots opening for none other than Liam Gallagher on his world tour (catch them in Birmingham 12/12, Cardiff 13/12, Brighton 15/12 and Manchester 16/12). Oh, they’re also squeezing in a show with The Libertines on the 14th December in Blackpool!

And if that wasn’t enough, it was announced last week that their debut album made it to the Independent’s 30 best albums of 2017 – sandwiched amongst names like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Queens of The Stone Age and more.

If you haven’t heard Swansea to Hornsey, I urge you to listen. It’s certainly in my top albums of 2017! And if you haven’t seen Trampolene live, I urge you to see them!! It’s one of the best gigs I’ve seen this year too.

Written by Simon Parton