Bright lights over Oystermouth Road, a buzz on the streets, an unseasonably balmy evening.
It was the first night of Swansea Arena.
Five years after the plans were signed off, the doors of the long awaited live performance venue finally opened.
READ MORE: First look inside Swansea Arena as it prepares to open to the public
Friday saw the first of two 'housewarming' events, giving staff and managers, as well as punters, a taste of what life will be like at the 3,500 capacity venue.
Palpable excitement in the air.
Ticket holders finally got the chance to walk over the landmark golden bridge which straddles Oystermouth Road, creating a real sense of occasion on the approach.
Outside, almost 100,000 LED lights lit up the building's gold-coloured panels, announcing to the world the arena was open for business - what a feeling it must have been for the evening's performers to see their bands' name up in lights.
Inside, it felt like a different city. The concourse hummed, curiosity filled the auditorium. Everyone, it seemed, acutely aware they were in on the very first night of a little bit of the city's history.
First night; the first song played, the first band to perform, the first to headline. And the first audience to let down their hair and show their appreciation in their uniquely Swansea way. Coming after the slow crawl back to post-pandemic normality made it taste even sweeter.
The sound seemed impressive to these untrained ears; the audience is close to the 'infinity' stage creating a discernible relationship with the performers.
The 'test' shows are a chance to try out house emergency system trials, such as fire alarms, and you won't expect to see so many on-duty fire officers mingling with the crowd once safety measures are fully signed off and the arena opens for good.
There were long waits at the bar, but staffing levels, I was told, were duly noted by those who manage these things. This is the point of such test events.
Openers, the Vega Bodegas, put it to the audience they 'came out for a good nice night but got an experience' - only slightly wrong. They got both.
The four-strong bill featured bands drawn from across the region, and all were clearly as excited as those they entertained to be in on the opening night. Who wouldn't be? Even bone fida legends such as Elvis Costello and Alice Cooper, who are heading to the arena in the coming months, won't be able to say they were the first.
Inscape and The Now filled the space before the night's headline act - local boys done proper good Trampolene. The three piece's debut album, From Swansea to Hornsey, was named one of the best of 2017, leading to support slots with both Liam Gallagher and The Libertines.
Preposterously charismatic front man Jack Jones is a proud Jack. The home crowd is keen to claim him for their own and he revels in their affectionate terrace chant of being the local offspring of unmarried parents.
Many of the band's songs are reflections on life growing up 'on the hill' - Swansea Arena is just a short walk from Mount Pleasant's Terrace Road, where Jack and his friends learned about life, love and loss.
He said: "This felt like an historic night, an historic band, historic songs. We were living the dream. It seems perfect that a band like us, a Swansea band, got to be the very first to headline the venue. We are so proud of being from Swansea, and hopefully Swansea can be proud of us too. The whole tone of the night was just right".
Music critic Pete Paphides, who with wife Caitlin Moran took Jack into their home when he was homeless in London and living in a van, had been unable to attend the opening.
He tweeted: "First time I met Jack, before Trampolene, before I heard a note of his music, I knew I was in the company of a star. One of the great privileges of my adult life has been seeing him realise that potential. Gutted I can’t be there tonight, but also heart-burstingly proud of these guys".
The band's performance was followed by an announcement of an 'emergency incident' necessitating the evacuation of the building. There was no such incident, of course. It was another opportunity to test the house's safety systems. There were no issues from the the exiting crowd still bouncing from Trampolene.
The housewarming continues tonight. Another local band, Prosperina, headline a bill which also includes King Goon, The Orange Circus, Lost Tuesday Society, Cities, Fallen Temples, and Pearler. Bring it on.
First night at Swansea Arena - worth the wait?
Not half.
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