Ethel Cain performs at Cardiff Castle
I had the incredible privilege of attending Ethel Cain’s Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour last night in the grounds of Cardiff Castle. The 28-year-old American singer-songwriter and recorder Hayden Silas Anhedönia, known professionally as Ethel Cain has brought her ambient and Southern Gothic style music to the heart of Cardiff. This is her first ever headline show in Wales and she surely has made an ever-lasting impact on myself and the fans. For my first time seeing her live at concert, I can only say her stage presence and aura is simply unmatched.
Her performances almost felt as if you were in a movie as she explores themes of family trauma, small town America, ghosts, grief and decay with romantic and horror themes. I was truly memorised by how the singer was able to transform her stage into something that felt like stepping into a film or novel. I felt a sense of connection as I observed her relationship with her fans as they sang along to each lyric with compassion. It is truly an art to create meaningful lyrics but to create songs that embody her upbringing and turn it into something cinematic and authentic is truly empowering to be a part of. To additionally experience the contrast of Ethel Cain’s persona against the castle walls entirely felt like a religious experience and something that made the whole night for me.
Her fans truly embodied her overall aesthetic of lost girl in a rural horror film aesthetic with cowboy boots, denim, vintage pieces, lace, smoky eye liner with tones of black, creams and browns. This in addition added to the feeling of stepping into Ethel Cain's universe. You were almost able to escape reality for a moment and immerse yourself within the narrative she was creating and not just the performance alone. Towards the end of her set, she reached out to take a Welsh and LGBTQ+ flag from a fan which was a really special moment for not only her fans but a memorable moment for the singer to commemorate Cardiff being her first UK headline. A significant moment was the closing song personally where the singer delivered powerful vocals on the song ’Sun Bleached Flies’ when it began raining which really brought the lyrics to life and added emotional depth when she sang “If it’s meant to be, then it will be” and “I forgive it all as it comes back to me”. Ethel Cain delivered a performance that was such a transcendent moment for her career, and I would highly recommend it if you have the chance to witness her truly unique take on her deep-rooted Christian upbringings which you will not be disappointed on.
