The Tubs: Live at Llangollen Fringe Festival

About

With support from Roscoe.

The Tubs' second album, Cotton Crown, sees the Celtic jangle boyband dive into darker, more personal territory while sharpening their signature hook-filled, genre-blurring sound. Expanding their sonic palette, they weave together soulful pub rock, Hüsker Dü-style aggression, and melancholy sophisti-pop, earning them comparisons to everyone from Richard Thompson and Pentangle to The 1975. As Pitchfork put it, The Tubs treat jangle as a "vast world of moods and muses," and this album is proof of their continued exploration into that landscape.

At the heart of it all is Owen 'O' Williams' unmistakable vocal delivery—often compared to a young Richard Thompson—and his frank, darkly humorous lyricism, tackling themes of love-psychosis, mental illness, and the harsh realities of being a musician in London. Cotton Crown's closing track, Strange, stands as one of Williams' most personal songs, reflecting on the awkward, well-meaning but intrusive interactions following the passing of his mother, folk singer Charlotte Greig. The album artwork, featuring a baby Williams being breastfed in a graveyard (a promotional shot from Greig's debut album), underscores the raw intimacy woven throughout the record.

Despite the bleak lyrical content, The Tubs offset their introspective depth with exhilarating, hook-laden blasts of indie rock. Guitarist George Nicholls seamlessly shifts between Marr-like virtuosity, folk-rock textures, and shimmering modern grooves, while the ferocious rhythm section of Taylor Stewart (drums) and Max Warren (bass) delivers power-pop energy reminiscent of Guided By Voices at their raucous best.

Their debut album, Dead Meat, became an underground indie sensation, earning praise from Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, SPIN, and more, while also catching the attention of Iggy Pop, who sang their praises on BBC 6Music. Their live performances—boozy, blistering, and full of raw energy—have made them festival standouts at Green Man, End of the Road, Melbourne Rising, and Canela Party. Members of The Tubs previously played in Joanna Gruesome, winners of the Welsh Music Prize, and continue to be part of the Gob Nation collective, recently profiled in The Guardian.

Tuesday, 15th July
Llangollen Town Hall
Doors: 7:30pm | £12
Tickets: https://bit.ly/LFF25_TheTubs

This is one of the most exciting and unpredictable bands in the UK indie scene right now—catch them live before they explode even further.

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With support from Roscoe – a rising alt-rock four-piece whose debut EP What Do We Do It For? channels 90s noise with a fresh indie edge. Expect raw emotion, big riffs, and a sound full of energy, growth, and heart.

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Save on tickets by buying a festival pass and immerse yourself in an unforgettable nine-day festival experience featuring Adwaith, Afriquoi, Alasdair Beckett-King, Bill Ryder-Jones (Duo), Breabach, Cerys Hafana, Filkin's Drift, Jali Bakary Konteh, London Afrobeat Collective, Mr. Scruff, N'Famady Kouyaté, and The Tubs
https://bit.ly/LlangollenFringe25