Gig Goin’ – The Flying Spider Revival

The Castle in Tredegar is one of those pubs where live music just feels right. Saturday nights are always buzzing, and for a door fee of just £2 you get great value, a warm welcome, and a night surrounded by locals and staff who make it feel like home. The atmosphere is relaxed but electric when the bands strike up – a proper community music hub.

Flying Spider Revival are no strangers to Newport City Radio. We first played their music back in 2017 when they entered our Love Live Music song contest with Mynydd Machen – their ode to the 362-metre hill between Risca and Machen that has inspired countless walks, stories, and now, songs. Their original material often draws on South Wales’ landscape and history, giving their sets a unique and authentic local flavour.

But when I caught them last night at The Castle, they weren’t just storytellers – they were crowd-pleasers. With their high-energy, boot-stomping take on classic and contemporary country songs, they had the room bouncing, singing, and laughing along. Imagine Dr Hook meeting The Pogues in a backstreet pub and deciding to form a supergroup – that’s Flying Spider Revival.

The band have been together for 16 years, and it shows. Mark keeps everything tight on drums, Bob holds down the groove on bass, Rick drives things forward on guitar, and Rob fronts it all with vocals and rhythm guitar. The chemistry between them is effortless, and it’s clear that they’re not just bandmates but good friends.

Rob has also been part of some fun projects outside the band. In 2024 he joined Newport City Radio’s Covers Club, where songwriters swapped styles in unexpected ways. Rob was challenged to rework a reggae track into a country song, while one of Flying Spider Revival’s own originals was transformed into reggae. The experiment was a triumph and showed the band’s playful creativity.

If you’re looking for a proper singalong, a dance, and a night where you can forget your troubles, Flying Spider Revival deliver every time.

Upcoming gigs:

• The Colliers Arms, Pontrhydyfelin – 27th September

• The Dragonffli, Pontypool – 4th October

Catch them if you can – you won’t regret it.

Kym Frederick