Review: Thistle, Ugly Ozo and Rex Records tour you need to see

Review: Thistle and Ugly Ozo on the Rex Records tour you need to see

Venue: Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff — May 7, 2026

Let’s talk about Rex.

There have been - and still are — multiple record labels called variations of Rex, but the one you need to know about right now is the one run from a studio near Islington by producer called Macks. T-Rex puns may be tempting but this is more of a velociraptor; smarter, smaller, more agile.

Last night the modest Rex bandwagon rolled into Cardiff for the first date of a tour headlined by grungegaze hopefuls Thistle and your next favourite band Ugly Ozo. And it bangs. Or slaps. (Let me know in the comments what other appalling 6Music dad lingo I could have used here.)

This is my first sight of Ugly Ozo and it won’t be my last. The Isle of Wight trio are fronted by Jessica Baker, who has a knack for teasing out gossamer light guitar hooks and then plunging them into a lava bath of grungey power pop.

With such a bass-forward sound it’s hard not to think of The Breeders but there’s also a lot of Bleach-era Novoselic in there. And I’m totally here for it with a big goofy smile on my face. The reticent punters are won over very quickly. They shuffle forward to fill the chasm between band and crowd.

Baker invites the man-heavy throng to copy her dance moves. They don’t. She pushes on regardless. The sister is doing it for herself.

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But this is a band with BIG CHOONS not gimmicks. Hi, How Are You has girl power lyrics wrapped in a doomy swirl. Jackpot has a puppydog bouncy baseline. Godspeed has an early ‘90s indie feel and Elastica and Sleeper wouldn’t have turned their noses up at it as an album track. MISERY has the mix of lyrical hooks and melodic earwormery that might make it the song that gets airplay in a post-Wet Leg world.

This band are a hot playlisting away from really breaking out. Go see them soon so that you can make yourself look like a hipster next year. Their new EP Dive is out now.

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On the changeover between bands the DJ’s musical choices are Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins – we are in grunge revival territory, Toto.

Thistle arrive and just rip the shit out of Wishing Coin, the last track on their magnificent 2025 EP Nice To See You, Stranger, which gets a full airing .

That EP’s songs are well worn in and sound fantastic; swirling, moody, riptides of power. There’s the tiniest snifter of Pavement in Cobble/Mud, while the EP’s title track is pure undiluted Dinosaur Jnr.

The Northampton band’s upcoming EP Backflip is out on May 29 and tonight is a first chance to hear it all.

Its lead single Pylon catches the vibe of early Foo Fighters and adds some shade to the white hot sun of guitars eventually bursting from Pieces. There’s a drum pad problem that threatens to derail it but at the 3rd attempt they unleash it without the pre-recorded problem and it still sounds great.

They run straight into Tied, a very short and fast injection of pace. That was a canny in-the-moment deviation from the set-list. Wise heads, young shoulders. It reinstated momentum.

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Set closer BiteBiteBite has co-frontman Cameron Godfrey and bassist Judwyn Rushden thrashing around the stage in their full glory as Lewis O’Grady treats his drums with equally toxic measures of love and disdain.

Tonight feels like a set of moments rather than a cohesive performance but this first headline tour will sand off some of those edges. There’s melodic mastery and technical excellence but more than anything they just fucking rock.

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It’s still very early days for Thistle yet there’s already something monumental to them. When this band are at it, they are undeniable.

So, Rex Records has two great bands on its little roster. You can see them both on this tour for about £15 which, in a cost of living crisis, is still really great value. Do yourself a favour and go.

Catch the tour here:

May 8: Manchester, UK – The Rat & Pigeon

May 10: Glasgow, UK – The Poetry Club SWG3

May 11: Sheffield, UK – Sidney & Matilda

May 12: Bristol, UK – Rough Trade Bristol

May 15: London, UK – MOTH Club

May 16: Southampton, UK – The Joiners

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