Roeddwn heb glywed Race Horses yn fyw ers Gwyl Gardd Goll 2010, a roeddwn yn pryderu i glywed y 'swn newydd' yma roeddwn wedi clywed gymaint amdano. Roedd Mei, Dyl a Gwion yn dal yn rhan o'r band, ond gyda dau wyneb ychwannegol, un ohonynt yn ferch, gan ychwannegu dyfnder newydd i'w cerddoriaeth. Gan ddilyn We Are Animal a Yucatan i'r llwyfan, roedd Base, sef clwb nos ar gyrion tywyll dref Bangor, yn teimlo yn llawer mwy cyffrous wrth ddisgwyl i pumawd poblogaidd i ddod ar y llwyfan. Roedd y band yn dal i ddefnyddio'r egni y maen't yn adnabyddus amdano, gan chwarae clasuron fel 'Pony' a 'Grangetown 02920', ond y caneuon newydd wnaeth fy nharo i fwyaf. Fel arfer, mae'n well gini ddod i adnabod caneuon dros CD cyn eu clywed nhw yn fyw, ond fe wnaeth y caneuon hyn fy nghipio o funud cyntaf y gig, hyd at y funud lle roeddent yn cerdded oddi ar y llwyfan, un fesul un.
Nid dyma oedd y Race Horses fel roeddwn wedi dod ei adnabod dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf. Roeddent yn defnyddio 'synth' ychwannegol, offerynnau taro fel 'cowbells' a roedd hyd yn oed Mei, y chwaraewr bass a'r canwr, yn defnyddio rhywfaint o ddrwm bass. Fe gipwyd pawb yn y clwb gan y gerddoriaeth - ac am y tro cyntaf mewn gig 'SRG', fe roedd 'ravers' amlwg mewn tracsuits a baseball caps yn dawnsio ac yn mwynhau.
Yn sicr, tydw i methu disgwyl i glywed yr albwm newydd, sydd i'w ryddhau o fewn y ddau fis nesaf, ac i barhau i'w dilyn mewn gigiau ar draws Cymru.
I must admit, I was shocked when I heard that Alun Gaffey, one of Race Horses' founding members, had decided to go his seperate ways. But, in spite of this, I was looking forward to hearing how they would sound without him, and if they would be able to cope!
I hadn't heard Race Horses in a live gig since Gwyl Gardd Goll last summer, and was apprehensively awaiting to hear the 'new sound' of which I have heard so much about over the last few weeks. Mei. Dyl and Gwion were all familiarly part of the set-up, but there were two new faces - one being a girl - which added new depth in to their music. Following We Are Animal and Yucatan to the stage, Base, a night club in the dark parts on the outskirts of Bangor's city centre, was buzzing as the anticipated crowd were awaiting the popular headliners to take the stage - and certainly lit up this side of Bangor. The famous energy possessed by the band was still as strong as ever, as they belted out fans favourites such as 'Pony' and 'Grangetown 02920', but it was the new songs that really caught my attention. I usually prefer to get to know new songs by listening to them on a CD before hearing the live product, but these songs caught my attention from the minute the band took to the stage, to the minute when they all walked off to the familiar sound of feedback that we've heard so often at Race Horses gigs.
This wasn't the Race Horses I had come to familiarise myself with over the past two years. There was an extra synth, an extra percussion player and even Mei, the bassist and lead singer, played the drum base on one song. Everyone in the club was caught up by this piece of art - and for the first time in a Welsh Rock Scene gig, I saw hardcore ravers dancing along and really having a good time.
Certainly, I personally cannot wait to hear their new album, which is set for release within the upcoming two months, and to continue to follow them in gigs around Wales over the summer.
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