RØRY- Tramshed, Cardiff Live Review (4/3/25)

You can’t beat a ten-year overnight success story. It’s a daft saying, I know, but sometimes fame and, more importantly, success, can seemingly appear from nowhere, and just, happen, at face value at least, but we don’t know the WHOLE story. Specifically in the arts in this instance. Let’s take a look at a couple of famous examples…how about, Bob Ross? Everyone’s favorite happy painter, with his soothing teachings, even smoother brush strokes, and luscious landscapes, you could have sworn he worked his whole life through art school, struggled through commissions, and that cliché sense of ‘unemployed’ financial artistic hardship. Dying to be recognized. Nope. He was in the US Air Force for two decades and then taught HIMSELF how to paint aged 41, before becoming a national treasure.  

An art form in its own right, it’s so finger-lickin’ good (Not sponsored) KFC was founded by Colonel Sanders and first opened its doors in 1952, with their special secret 11 herbs and spices. Sanders was 62 years old, after being everything from a fireman to an insurance salesman. He finally found his fried chicken calling when most people were looking towards retirement. My point? It’s never too late…never give up. This brings us to tonight’s gig, and more importantly, RØRY.  

Real name Roxanne Emery, the Southampton-born songstress and instrumentalist has been releasing music since 2011, but it wasn’t until she made personal life choices that led to sobriety in 2018 that became a turning point, and she’s flourished ever since; growing in name, confidence, and reputation. On Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, RØRY found herself playing Cardiff’s Tramshed as part of a sold-out UK tour for her latest album “Restoration”…and she brought friends. Here’s what went down, when All About The Rock returned to the Welsh capital, to learn about RØRY, and understand the hype. 

It’s a bit of a mad scramble tonight, as I head to Cardiff relatively last minute due to other 9-5 commitments, so I get to the venue literally minutes before tonight’s opening act starts their set, but boy am I glad I made it, as LAKE MALICE [7] are FULL of piss and vinegar, and absolutely raring to go. They begin tonight with “Blossom”; the opening track of their 2023 EP “Post-Genesis”, and they bridge crushing riffs and electronica for a truly post-nu metal/metalcore mauling. The Brighton-based outfit primarily comprised of vocalist Alice Guala and guitarist Blake Cornwall, cites influences such as Japanese anime, and trauma (I’m grateful they didn’t say Hentai)…which explains the explosive energy the outfit displays on stage.  

The newest single “Scatterbrain” really emphasizes these influences with an up-tempo, brutal instrumental mauling of crunching guitar, fast-paced percussion, and vocal distortion that at times could nod towards MAD CAPSULE MARKETS, but the cleaner vocals allow for a well-balanced melodic structure, resulting in an incredibly intense performance. They don’t take themselves TOO seriously however, as during the track “Mitsuko”, Blake jumps into the crowd, a circle-pit conga-line is formed around him, and early on this is bonkers energy. Overall, this first half an hour is intense, it’s aggressive musically and both the band and crowd are having fun from the get-go here, which is brilliant. Not quite Lake Bodom, but Lake Malice is killing it and these deserve your attention. 

Next up we have Nottingham’s AS DECEMBER FALLS [8] and a brief moment of familiarity for this reviewer. Having seen them in the intimate settings of Fuel Rock Club across the city, as well as a headline show at Bristol’s SWX, it’s been good to see these pop-rockers grow, and justifiably so. No label, no management, just pure determination and it’s paid off. They’ve become one of the UK’s hottest independent bands and tonight they prove exactly why.  

They open with “Ride” from their self-titled debut and it proves that that quality has been there since day one. The melody-infused emo-tinged rock can’t help but exude PARAMORE comparisons here but damn it’s catchy, and it keeps the crowd bouncing. Vocalist Bethany gives off cute and charismatic but feisty vibes in equal measure and she’s so confident as a front-woman, and that charm carries through the performance perfectly. New tracks like “Therapy” up the ante regarding angst-riddled rock and it’s a lot more intense, a lot more direct, with a sense of self-reflection, with a very apropos breakdown fuelling the track message and aesthetic.  

The crowd goes wild for established tracks like “I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great” which induce huge singalongs proving that a great support band goes a long way for any gig. Despite the title of the song, the positivity is oozing from everyone right now, and that guitar solo never gets old. They have the crowd in the palm of their hand and it only reinforces their force as an independent band; this is all home-grown, self-made, and superb. With a fourth album on the way later this year, if you haven’t acquainted yourselves with As December Falls yet, I suggest you do so out of respect. Genre preference or not, this is a band doing everything for themselves, by themselves, and doing everything right. Their last album was called “Join The Club” for a reason. Sign up, you won’t be disappointed. 

Finally, then, we have the hype and hysteria that is RØRY[8] and what can we expect from this blue-haired emanation of emotions? She opens her set with “In The Bible” and we get a slower, emotive declaration of self-empowerment, showcasing the struggles of depression, addiction and anti-depressants, and finding the light in your darkest hours. It’s a powerful self-help remedy through music and a message, and it’s immediately understandable why she’s become so popular. Rory is the voice of lost generations who can relate to struggle and need support. They need help guidance, and affirmation that things can get better. It’s a painfully poignant and relatable track. 

Tracks like “Baby Vendetta” highlight past relationship traumas and abuse in the most jovial, passive-aggressive manner possible. Delivering the ultimate middle finger; the ladies in the crowd rejoice over the empowerment, and I stand with them. RØRY has managed to turn a painful experience into a perfectly crafted piece of comforting music for anyone suffering similar issues and it’s an anthem for every woman who’s ever been wronged, emotionally or physically by an insecure man baby.  

The accountability continues with “Help Your Friends Get Sober” which highlights that spiraling party lifestyle, that self-destructive mindset, never knowing when enough is enough until it becomes an issue; until it’s ultimately too late. A good time isn’t a good time when your time has run out, and this is an emotionally nourishing message of awareness and encouragement; help your friends and loved ones. Given her switch to sobriety, SOME may deem this preachy but the message is heartfelt, sincere and frankly an important one. Talk to those close to you…I say as I polish off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.  

Tracks like “Family Tree” reference the loss of her mother at a young age and the difficulties we face in terms of personal loss, and credit to her here, Rory asks for a raise of hands who has suffered losing a loved one, not having closure, and there’s a genuine sense of community here tonight. This is the take-away impression of the night. Fantastic live music aside, this is more than a gig; this is a safe place, and the crowd demographic reflects that. Throughout the rest of RØRY’s impressively lengthy set, we see her perform from the balcony to include everyone and appreciate her audience, to further anecdotes, and eventually closing on “Blossom”, ironically taking us full circle, (Has a support band started with a song and a headliner finished with a song, of the same name, but be different songs before? Food for thought).  

RØRY’s success hasn’t been a flash-in-the-pan situation, she’s gone through and dealt with a lot to get to this point, and it’s on nights like this, you get to appreciate her story firsthand. The fact that not only was this crowd heaving, but the tour as a whole is sold out is a testament to her story, and her connection with her audience, old and new. “Restoration” is clearly more than just an album title…it’s a mindset; a personal mission to restore confidence in anyone who’s suffered hardship and the overall feeling here tonight in Cardiff is that RØRY doesn’t have fans, she has an extended family, and she cares about each and everyone in attendance. You couldn’t ask for a more wholesome gig.