FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND ..... A STAMPEDE OF BUFFALO! We recently gave away a load of tix for an intimate gig the guys played at The Point in Cardiff Bay.

The gig was organised by 'Jack Daniels' and there were loads of freebies available for ticket winners.

We thought it would be cool to get an impartial review from one of our winners, so thanks are due here to Ryan Stevens for his thoughts on a memorable occasion:-

The JD Set presents: Funeral For A Friend, The Point, Cardiff Bay, Sunday 16th May 2004
As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. And when free means free Jack Daniel's cocktails, free food and free live music, life doesn't get much better. Or does it? Tonight's crowd of competition winners welcomes Funeral For A Friend with one eye on the bar and FFAF realise straight away that this isn't going to be an ordinary gig. The strict age limit imposed by the organisers' means that a large contingent of Funeral's fan base is left at the door, and the crowd is largely subdued, drunk and standing at the back. But FFAF are the kind of band that likes a challenge. They play like a stampede of buffalo, with equal parts power and grace. Whilst 'Rookie Of The Year' fills the audience with indifference, the between song banter is endearing, and by the time they play 'She Drove Me To Daytime Television', everyone seems to be having a good time. In the intimate surroundings, FFAF sacrifice nothing. The epic beauty of their songs lends itself as easily to this converted church as it will in the stadiums the band is bound for. Matt Davies has more energy than a nuclear reactor; the crowd would do well to follow suit. Valiant efforts to pump life into the audience are thwarted, so Funeral cut their losses, but not before leaving with the parting shot of 'Juneau', by far the best song of the night, and there's even a sing along in the refrain. After the gig, FFAF hang out playing table football and chatting with fans. Whilst they may not count it as their greatest show, their efforts are appreciated. Expect greatness, because this lot are a bit special. RDS