15 years ago this month I was fortunate to be in San Francisco on summer vacation and discovered that my then favourite outfit were playing on tour.

JOY FORMIDABLE 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 was the band. They hail from a town with the wonderful name of Mold, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿.

[Ed. Note- rex now releases he was just a short drive from Mold on July 12, whilst in the U.K.]

They were brilliant- both live and on vinyl.

Here is my #1 cut- “Austere” (the original video for this PG channel thanks) from their debut LP “The Big Roar.”

Now, here is a live version from the next year- 2011 – live on KEXP.

SPOTIFY-

https://open.spotify.com/track/2aj6E4hqgQsy2cYs37KC5o?si=qvpvj7WVSFqGhYAQ3RxJpg

(SONG 1181)

[Ed. Note- In doing this post rex discovered that JOY FORMIDABLE released an LP in 2021 (“Into The Blue”) that he now must find! More orphan vinyl in search of a home.]

Play Loud Or Perish

8/15/2025