Multi-award winning indie rock band Foals took Cardiff Castle by storm on Thursday night with Wales' biggest live music gig since almost all coronavirus restrictions were lifted last weekend.
The concert has been a long-time coming for the four-piece outfit's loyal fans. The festival regulars, who are Ivor Novello, Brit and Mercury Prize award nominees, were due to play at the open-air venue last year, but had to reschedule the date due to pandemic.
Now, with the lifting of lockdown, thousands of supporters showed up to watch as Foals finally welcomed return of live music to the park, while just a short distance away, Manic Street Preachers were performing a more intimate Radio 2 gig at St David's Hall. Read the review here.
Organised by DEPOT, the sell-out Foals concert kicked off a weekend of gigs at the castle, which will see the Kaiser Chiefs headlining Depot At The Castle on Saturday, August 14 when they will be joined by Tom Grennan and Ella Eyre,.
Read more: The big gigs happening in Cardiff this summer
Before we arrived at this first event, we felt reassured that coronavirus measures were being taken seriously, as all attendees had to do a lateral flow test no more than 48 hours beforehand, showing proof of the negative test at the gates - and anyone who had forgotten could purchase a test at the gate for £20.
We also had to complete a Test and Trace form in advance and there were also other precautions, such as hand sanitiser provided throughout the venue and at the entrance.
When the doors opened at 4pm admitting people into the castle, there were only a few fans trickling in. But by about 6pm, the crowds both inside and outside the venue had swelled considerably, with thousands of fans gathering throughout the night.
The set up inside was a wonderful sight to behold - the sprawling castle grounds full of fans sitting on the grass with food and drinks in hand, as music thrummed in the background and multicoloured flags waved in the breeze.
The contrast between the huge crowds and the stage with the castle backdrop was pretty breath-taking - a lovely mixture of old and new. As for the weather, we couldn't have been luckier with a warm and sunny evening.
As we waited for Foals to come on stage at 8.30pm, we were treated to two and a half hours of performances by support acts.
Welsh pscyhedelic pop band Islet, who formed in the capital and have been shortlisted twice for the Welsh Music Prize, got the crowd going, then rock band Everything Everything, who have made it twice to the Mercury Music Prize's shortlist, performed, bringing in even more numbers.
As they performed, people milled around the bar and numerous street food vendors. At one point the queue for the bar stretched as far back as the stage - with some people waiting around 45 minutes for a drink.
Finally it was time for the indie rockers to take to the stage. They were supposed to perform at 8:30pm, but didn't appear until 9pm. This didn't matter though, as the entire field was packed and pretty much everyone was standing by this point, inching closer to the stage.
After spending 18 months indoors, the atmosphere was incredible, with people clapping and cheering in anticipation of the group's arrival.
When they finally arrived on stage, the band sang some of their famous hits like My Number and Mountain At My Gates and everyone was up on their feet singing, dancing and taking pictures - it seemed like life was back to normality and it was lovely.
Several people had climbed on each other's shoulders and as the night went on the crowd only seemed to gain more energy.
Lead vocalist and guitarist, Yannis Philippakis, checked in with the crowd after every few songs to stir us up again. The band's stage presence was nothing short of electric.
All in all, it was a brilliant return to live music in Wales - one which I'm sure will be very memorable for all who attended.
And if you missed out on Foals in Cardiff, they are also performing at Swansea's Singleton Park on Saturday, August 14 and tickets are still available. Meanwhile Olly Murs will be at the Swansea venue on Sunday, August 15.
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