On a dreary Wednesday evening in the backstreets of Newport, I met up with one of Wales’ rising rock bands, Catalysts! Nothing new here; the Welsh music scene has always been close to my heart and a significant part of my photography work. However, this time, it felt different.
The location was a post-apocalyptic, run-down side street that would have fit perfectly in a 1960s B-movie. As I parked and locked up my car, I noticed something unusual – not the smell of damp mildew and crumbling concrete under foot, but a powerful sound. It was both new and familiar, evoking a sense of longing and desire for more.
Suddenly, I was drawn to the muffled tones emanating from the One louder studios the location for today’s shoot. Ascending flights of New York-style fire escape stairs, I was buzzed into the building and headed to the main recording studio.
Upon entering, everything changed. The power, the light, the apocalyptic drive of Welsh music that so many had forgotten existed. It was all happening in just one room, hidden away from the city’s smoke and hustle, oblivious to the magic and power brewing within its walls.
From the ultra-powerful vocals delivered with drive and passion to the scientifically tight drumming, to the guitars that were played to the edge of destruction yet as if they were an extension of the musician’s limbs, this band possessed a unique energy. Normally, this level of gusto and sprit was only seen from time to time from old legends, but now, we had a new type – one driven with so much passion that stillness was impossible when surrounded by this euphoric envelope of audio.
This five-piece from the valleys of Wales was as if they were one, conjuring a magical spell that captivated me with their rock riffs and attitude. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered before.
The band came to a halt with some coy smiles and introductions, who were Dave Challenger on vocals Haitiam on drums Paul gripping his bass as if his life depended on it. Craig on guitar with a glint in his eye and a cheeky smile. And who can forget Elliot another guitar muse I found myself in the presents of. But much of the pleasantry passed over my head due to the stunned state I still found myself in. Despite this, the band remained calm and collected, chatting as if nothing had ever happened. They were oblivious to the spell they had already cast in just a few short bars.
From the first few moments you knew instinctively that these guys mean business. They were about to put in some serious overtime.
As best as I could I followed my notes and went to work trying to capture this magic as best as I could.
Now I know my way around a camera and light and how to show and capture feeling and emotion I do it daily. but there was something else happening here that no amount of photographs in the world could convey
Tune after tune, this Providence band delivered a flawless performance. Every note and vocal was pitch perfect, and the confidence flowed like wild rivers, engulfing me in a sonic tsunami. However, I found myself caught in a web of mindblowing riffs, the sheer power of the five-piece absorbing into my own person.
This isn’t something a camera can capture – no photographs, no video cameras can capture this. It’s something you can only experience in real life.
Catalysts are more than a Welsh rock band; they are the essence of Welsh music personified. If you’re lucky enough to see them live, be warned: the lyrical and musical spells they cast are strong and unshakeable.
The night after the shoot, I was lying wide awake in my bed at 3 am, while the rest of the family and the surrounding streets were sound asleep. But this music was controlling me. Instead of joining the rest of the world in a peaceful slumber, I found myself replaying the hooks and the liquid lyrics over and over in my head.
Who needs sleep anyway? This music is my adrenaline now, filling my mind with a higher state of consciousness.
You have been warned!
