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What's that coming over the hill...?

15th June 2007

Is it a one-hit wonder from Welsh boys the Automatic? Actually, it seems not...

Beginning with their lesser known hit, Raoul, the Automatic belted it out and grabbed the attention of the Summer Ball masses. Pulling in the biggest crowd so far, the Automatic put on an awesome set and managed to assure a mildly sceptical audience that they certainly weren't a one hit wonder. Catching up with the boys before their set, they seemed bowled over by the surprisingly captivating performance from Viva Machine, as Automatic frontman Alex Pennie could be seen watching them from the side of the stage. "These guys are brilliant," says guitarist/vocalist James Frost, as they are the first band of the night to dedicate a song to recently departed (in the record business, not in life) Liberty X. Bassist Rob Hawkins quickly gets pulled aside by adoring fans, but the chat continues with Frost. The Automatic are also playing at Cardiff University's Summer Ball, but apparently there's no competition between which is the better venue. "Oh definitely, everyone knows how we love to streak down to the beach after a set [referring to their Brighton gig]. I mean, Cardiff's great but the atmosphere here is just great and I think it'll be hard to beat."

Of course, by the time their 2006 Monster hit (just had to get that pun in somewhere) comes around, the crowd are absolutely loving the Automatic. Even the lesser known songs such as Recover are finished with incredible adoration from the Summer Ball students. Monster was still by far the best crowd-pleaser and despite it being their least favourite to play, the band still performed it with such an electric energy that it was impossible to spot any distain from the Automatic for the song.

With several dates lined up in the USA from the end of June, it seems that the Automatic are in for a busy few months. If their performance at Swansea's Summer Ball is anything to go by, these boys have certainly still got their feet on the ground and are well on their way to becoming a hell of a lot more than just a one-hit wonder.

Amy Wilkinson