LIVE REVIEW: Ward Thomas @ St David's Hall - Cardiff

Last night (March 4th) record making British Country-Pop duo Ward Thomas brought their Restless Minds tour to Cardiff.

The evening at the packed venue in the heart of the Welsh city started with the stunning harmonies of fellow rising UK Country-Americanna trio The Wandering Hearts who performed a selection of their biggest hits off debut album Wild Silence.

Major standouts included the title track, the gorgeous Til The Day I Die, new track Your Love Hurts and the rousing Devil. They delighted the Welsh audience and won many new fans who were instantly won over by their standout sound.

After a short interval it was time for the main event. As Ward Thomas arrived on stage to a thumping drum beat and huge cheers it was obvious that this show was ready to rock the Capital of Wales.

They kicked off their barnstorming set with their leading hit single Lie Like Me off new album Restless Minds. This opening showcased the girls growth from when they first performed in the city 5 years ago.

They then went straight into Radio 1 rotated hit Guilty Flowers which got the St David’s Hall crowd clapping and singing along.

Same Love was next and this drove the performance into new avenues and shone a light on the wonderful dynamic between the twin sisters.

They then took things down a notch for Hopeless and the breathtaking Little Girl Sorrow. The acoustics at this venue allowed for the sensational harmonies of Ward Thomas to really shine and Catherine was blown away by the beauty of the venue.

The girls were also quick to thank the Cardiff crowd for coming out on a Monday evening and confirmed that they had spent the day in the city and even performed a song on top the Castle, although Lizzy quipped that she wasn’t sure they were actually allowed.

The second half of the show saw the girls performing a stripped back set with just their guitars and no band. This three song middle section included Cartwheels, No Fooling Me and Deepest You.

These moments in between a breathless set-list allowed for their luscious vocals to really shine and also gave the show time to breathe.

Up next was the rousing, inspirational Ain’t That Easy followed by the duo’s current favourite song One More Goodbye. This took the tour showcase to new heights and showcased how much they have grown in the past several years.

It was then time for the major sing-a-long of the evening with ‘I Believe In You’. This had the entire hall on their feet, singing and clapping along and also competing in a little competition for the “you’re on your way, yeah you’re” section.

This section kicked the performance into high gear and you could clearly see the sisters were having the time of their lives on stage.

It’s Not Just Me followed. This song is all about realising you’re not alone in any struggles and is always a huge standout during any set list and last night was no different.

After an interlude which allowed the band: Huw Foster, Gabe Piers-Mantell, Billy Adamson, and Dave Baker to have their moment in the spotlight, it was time for a super fun medley of Good and The Right, Town Called Ugley and Push For The Stride. PFTS had the hall on their feet once again and had the packed venue singing and dancing along.

The evening then took another major pivot with the rousing Rather Be Breathing which features an insanely catchy whistle riff and also a side-to-side dance from Catherine and Lizzy.

No Filter was next which is a song that a lot of the Restless Minds album theme came from. Catherine gave a little speech about how everyone is better when they forget all the “sh*t” and strip away the filters allowing for you to be your true self. This resulted in huge applause.

The girls then closed out their phenomenal set with Never Know which had the crowd in high voice. They left the stage to foot stamping and deafening cheers before returning for a two song encore.

This Too Will Pass brought the Cardiff crowd to a complete standstill as a hush fell over the audience and the twins’ stunning voices rang out. Although the moment took a little turn when Lizzy pointed out Catherine had missed a word and was singing the wrong part.

This resulted in huge laughs and Catherine pointing out that she didn’t think anyone would have noticed if Lizzy hadn’t had pointed the mistake out. They then started the song again and the result was a mesmerising showcase of their truly outstanding harmonies.

They then closed out the evening with a rousing performance of their massive hit Carry You Home. This had the Cardiff audience on their feet and in full voice for a truly sensational finale. They left the stage to a standing ovation and loud cheers and whistles.

After seeing Ward Thomas back in 2016 at the Globe and then again at the Tramshed in 2017 it was truly phenomenal to see them last night headlining the leading concert hall in Cardiff: St David’s Hall.

To see them grow tour on tour and from show to show has been truly inspirational and a huge honour. Ward Thomas owned the stage last night and Cardiff truly loves them.

RATING: 5/5

Tickets for the Restless Minds tour are on sale now!

We’re you at the show last night? Let us know over on Twitter @CelebMix.

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