Buzz Magazine February 2020

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WHAT’S ON FEBRUARY 2020

JAMES NORTON stars as heroic Welsh journalist in Mr Jones

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG | DICK STRAWBRIDGE | BABYMETAL | GABRIELLE APLIN | MARIKA HACKMAN

ART | CULTURE | MUSIC | FILM | FOOD+DRINK | SPORT | ECO | BOOKS | LIFESTYLE

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GYDA CHANEUON POBLOGAIDD GAN Al Green, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire, John Legend a llawer mwy.

FEATURING HITS MADE FAMOUS BY Al Green, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Tina Turner, Earth, Wind & Fire, John Legend and many more.

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publisher EMMA CLARK editor SAM PRYCE listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER advertising EMMA CLARK accounts TERESA CLARK social media ELIN EVANS design LEMONDOGCREATIVE.UK contributors KEIRON SELF (films), CHRIS ANDREWS, LOIS ARCARI, REBECCA ASTILL, CORRIE DAVID, JOHN-PAUL DAVIES, MORGAN DEVINE, SAM EASTERBROOK, EMILY EDWARDS, RHYS FISHER, FRANCESCA GARDNER, DAISY GAUNT, NEIL GOODMAN, DAVID GRIFFITHS, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, ALICE HUGHES, BETTI HUNTER, ELLIE HUTCHINGS, MATT LEE, TONICHA LUFFMAN, JASON MACHLAB, CARL MARSH, SEREN MCKEEVER, GARETH MOULE, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAKHT, ALEX PAYNE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, ALISON POWELL, HANNAH RAYBOULD, RHONDA LEE REALI, RACHEL REES, OWEN SCOURFIELD, CHRIS SEAL, JAMIE WALKER, BEN WOOLHEAD, SOPHIE WILLIAMS phone number 029 2022 6767 general enquiries info@buzzmag.co.uk editorial editorial@buzzmag.co.uk listings listings@buzzmag.co.uk accounts accounts@buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ MAGAZINE 220C Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY published EAC PUBLISHING cover & contents

“I wanted to make something innocent and ignorant”

Albums (more 3/5 reviews than normal), demos (these still exist), books (so do these) and various types of moving picture-based audiovisual entertainment including the return of Glenda Jackson in Help! My Son Is A Nerd, a BBC drama about an elderly woman who, despite being struck by dementia, remembers with crystal clarity one thing: her son is a nerd

JAMES NORTON IN MR JONES (SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT)

Famine-exposing 1930s journalist Gareth Jones is the subject of a new film, Mr Jones, and we speak to both its lead actor and director. John Abell makes the case for civil unrest through interview quotes and paintings alike, and Marika Hackman shouts out Kathy Acker while going for the previously unexplored Tori Amos/Bernard Manning visual aesthetic

28film

Paying attention this month to Keiron Self’s review of Dark Waters, a Mark Ruffalo vehicle based on the real-life environmental chicanery of the DuPont company a little over 20 years ago. Not long after that, as it happens, they sicked their lawyers on a friend of mine for using the word Teflon in his performing name without permission. A graver crime than poisoning people to death with contaminated water? Not for me to say!

32previews

Considering no-one really gets their arse into gear until March or so (see the entry for Listings), in terms of actually booking stuff round here, this looks alright. Nice to have Napalm Death, one of the first ‘meme metal’ bands but also actually good, back in south Wales after a long absence; Gerald Scarfe might have boosted the iconic status of that one overrated Pink Floyd album but his Nixon cartoons were dece, not that they’ll be in the exhibition we’re previewing

buzzmagwales

@Buzz_Magazine

The food and drink subsection of this bit has a new beer column! (It started in December but I didn’t mention it in these contents for some reason.) I [boorish laddy voice] like drinking beer, appreciate that there is now a plurality of decent examples brewed in Wales, and push for something like this to exist every so often. This one is a Six Nations special featuring three beers named after Welsh rugby icons, if you like that sort of thing

59listings

Here’s a thing about the listings this month: there’s not very many of them (see the entry for Previews).

Therefore, to fill the allotted space we have used multiple tricks including typefaces increased to ‘decrepit high court judge’ size, photos to scale of Slipknot’s masks, and various longwinded diversions from actually describing the event being listed – each more tangential than the last

78competitions

In effect, everything in the first 77 pages of Buzz is a precursor to page 78, in that we soften readers up by telling them that various events (all theatrical in this case) will be good, and then hit you at your most vulnerable by offering you free tickets for them, if you engage with us on social media somehow. It’s really quite clever

@buzzmagwales

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Pic: Idil Sukan

What’s on our radar this month

TOM ROSENTHAL: MANHOOD

The star of Friday Night Dinner and Plebs turns his rage at being circumcised at a young age into a night of comedy, explaining everything damaging about what he calls “the theft of my foreskin”. The frank honesty, in what is essentially an hour of genitalia-centred jokes, ensures that the show avoids becoming whiney and instead unites the audience in an anticircumcision cult.

Pic: Greg Watermann

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 28 Feb. Tickets: £17.50.

Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

WALES CONTEMPORARY

This international open competition invites artists to submit work inspired by the heritage, history, landscape and/or contemporary culture of Wales. Submissions will be judged by a panel of prestigious artists (including Basil Beattie RA, Gerda Roper and Sebastien Boyesen) awarding a first prize of £4,000.

A touring exhibition of the best work will be shown at Milford Haven’s Waterfront Gallery and the Senedd in Cardiff Bay from June to September.

Open for entries now; competition closes Tue 14 Apr. Info: 0203 6530896 / www.walescontemporary.artopps.co.uk

BETH HART

The much-anticipated album from Beth Hart, War In My Mind, landed in September 2019, and now the LA blues-rock favourite is taking it on tour. Showing off her talent for blurring genres throughout the record, Hart invites everyone to join her on this journey of self-acceptance. Her Cardiff date also features special guest Kris Barras.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 12 Feb. Tickets: £43-£48.

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk BUZZ 4

Pic: Ben Tibbetts

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL This international film competition and presentation brings a spanking new selection of action and adventure from the most uninhabitable corners of the world to Cardiff. The films exhibited are chosen from hundreds of entries and may leave you feeling inspired to whack out the hiking boots yourself.

THE LITTLE PRINCE

This modern take on the 1943 novella by Antoine de SaintExupéry injects dialogue, dance and comedy to produce a family-friendly production. When the Little Prince leaves his asteroid and travels across the universe, he learns lessons about friendship, love and survival. Catch this adaption in Ammanford as part of a UK tour.

CONVERSATIONS WITH STACEY DOOLEY

Pic: Matthew Shave

Miners Theatre, Ammanford, Tues 4 Feb. Tickets: £10 Info: 0345 2263510 / www.theatrausirgar.co.uk

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 27 Feb + Wed 25 Mar Tickets: from £11.50.

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

KISSTORY PRESENTS: THE BLAST OFF! TOUR

With a lineup to satisfy your deepest throwback desires, this package tour’s opening night is at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena at the beginning of March. Acts include Just A Dream singer Nelly, Shaggy of It Wasn’t Me fame, and the duo behind Push It, Salt N Pepa. If you fancy boogieing the night away in a blaze of r’n’b/ hip-hop/ragga/pop nostalgia, this one’s for you.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 2 Mar. Tickets: from £37.50 Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

She’s a popular investigative reporter for the BBC, though you might know Stacey Dooley better for the dramatic Paso Doble that won Strictly Come Dancing in 2018. Either way, the journalist and documentarian has become a household name, and this rare live appearance promises an inspiring insight into her career so far.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 21 Feb. Tickets: £20.50-£25.50.

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www. stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

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ALEX EDELMAN

This Jewish Bostonian’s latest standup show, titled Just For Us centres around the occasion of his clandestine visit to a white supremacist meeting in New York, with diversions including the gorilla who mourned the death of Robin Williams, his Winter Olympian brother and his bank accusing him of fraud. A welcome return from a star of 2018’s Edinburgh Fringe.

Grand Theatre, Swansea, Thurs 6 Feb. Tickets: £17.

Info: 01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre

CARDIFF SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Taking over various venues across the Welsh capital, this four-day festival is packed with innovative events designed to inspire and educate, happening throughout the city’s cafes, bars, libraries and streets.

Across Cardiff, Sat 15-Tue 18 Feb Info: www.cardiffsciencefestival.co.uk

LEVELLERS

Once again gracing our turf with their unique mishmash of folk, punk, indie and rock, enduring Brightonians the Levellers take on three dates in south Wales this month: Brecon’s Theatr Brycheiniog on Wed 26 Feb, the Princess Royal Theatre in Port Talbot on Thurs 27 (this one’s already sold out) and Blackwood Miners Institute on Fri 28.

Tickets: £27.50. Info: www.levellers.co.uk

RIOT ACT

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots as well as LGBT History Month, Riot Act is created from performer Alexis Gregory’s interviews with one of the only remaining Stonewall survivors, drag artist and AIDS activist Michael-Anthony Nozzi. Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair fresh from the West End, Riot Act offers provocative stories of sexuality, activism, love and addiction.

Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Tue 11 Feb. Tickets: £13/£11.

Info: 01646 695267 / www.torchtheatre.co.uk

GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB

Known for their unfailingly smart shirt-and-tie appearance, this dubstep/reggae big band are back in their regular tour stop-off of Cardiff. Having played festivals from Glastonbury to Bestival, V and Secret Garden Party in the UK, this appearance in the capital is likely to be a hot ticket.

Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 16 Feb. Tickets: £18.50 Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com BUZZ 6

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL GŴYL FFILMIAU MYNYDD BANFF 27.02.20

QUEEN SYMPHONIC 22.02.20

BEN FOGLE Tales from the Wilderness 05.03.20

BOYZLIFE Brian McFadden & Keith Duffy 07.02.20

STACEY DOOLEY 21.02.20

SUSAN BOYLE The Ten Tour 10.03.20

KATYA & THE COMEDY QUEENS 16.02.20

BEYOND THE BARRICADE 08.02.20

THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS 20.02.20

CATRIN FINCH & CIMARRÓN 03.02.20

ELO AGAIN Re-Discovery 29.02.20

MONEY FOR NOTHING Europe’s No.1 Dire Straits Tribute 14.02.20

q+a

DICK STRAWBRIDGE The star of Channel 4’s Escape To The Chateau is touring the country with his wife and co-presenter Angel in Dare To Do It, allowing fans to pick their brains. He chats to Carl Marsh.

What is the concept behind your Dick & Angel: Dare To Do It tour?

The TV series is nice, light entertainment on a Sunday evening for you, so the tour is about why we do it and what motivated us to make such a big decision in the first place. All of those things are not covered by the telly.

How have you translated your home makeover TV show to the stage?

When we come back home to the UK, we get stopped everywhere we go – people want to know that little bit more. People just want to look you in the eye, and they want to ask you questions. And we thought, well, we have events where people come to us, but not everybody can get to France.

It’s much easier if we go to people and give them a chance to come along and see us. We will be talking to people in a much more intimate way.

That makes sense as, with a TV show like yours, it must be edited down so it’s watchable.

They don’t want to film someone just painting a wall for an hour, do they?

[Laughs] There is only so much you can get into a programme. And television’s interesting as we have people come here [to the Chateau] and the recurring comment we get is that we are the same as we are as on the TV. That’s who we are. So, I BUZZ 8

know the production company try to keep it as real as possible. And that’s very, very important that we don’t all come across all ‘jeopardy and drama’ that’s not there. We’d both thought about what we are doing. We wouldn’t have jumped into this just to waste money and end up crying and stuff like that – that’s not who we are. We are planners.

You know, Angela comes from an entrepreneurial and accountancy as well as a design background.

I’m an ex-army colonel, for goodness’ sake. We are sensible and that’s one of the things the TV show is about: being sensible, knowing you can do it if you just think about it.

A lot of people dream about doing what you guys did, but it’s the ‘but’ that stops a lot of people.

The dream doesn’t have to be a castle in France.

The dream can be a change in career, write your novel; the dream can be anything, but it’s there to do what you want to do in life. And for us, it involves a castle and involves sort of just silly things, you know, “Who would buy a castle!” Especially with no water, electricity, heating or sewage, that is a stupid thing to do! [laughs] It’s not because we wanted what we wanted, and we got it. But if somebody just wants to get a boat and sail around the world – get on a boat and sail around the world! Do what you want. We only live once.

What’s your advice for those who ‘dream’ but never ‘do’?

It’s too easy to just wish. Regrets aren’t usually about what you do do; they’re usually made from what you don’t do! But you have to think, and that’s the bit that comes back. Our TV series isn’t a full-on car crash, with people crying and wailing and saying, “This is terrible, what are we going to do?” People don’t watch Escape To The Chateau as a voyeur, watching us fuck up. You just don’t! [laughs] What they do is they see our little kiddies growing up and having a lovely time... All of those stories are just warm, lovely things. You can make your life like that, if you’re prepared to do it. The harder you work, the luckier you get – but you have to work hard at it. It’s not just luck.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Mon 9 Mar. Tickets: £25-£29.50 (sold out – check box office for returns).

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Yma i’ch

Here to

Diddanu

Entertain You

11 - 15 Feb

Chwe

18 - 19 Feb

Chwe

22 - 23 Feb

Chwe

25 - 29 Feb

Chwe

newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8889

Mae’r New Theatre yn eiddo i ac, yn cael ei rheoli a’i harinannu Gyngor Caerdydd · The New Theatre is owned, managed and funded by Cardiff Council

Pic: Mike George

BOOK NOW CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN

Singleton Park, Swansea Sat 23 May Tickets: from £39.20 Info: 01792 297854 www.swansea.gov.uk/singletonpark

SECRET SPACES: KETNIPZ The cute doodles of Cardiff’s Ketnipz, aka Harry Hambley, took Instagram by storm and have earned him millions of fans across the globe.

With merchandise, animations and video games on the horizon, he chats to Buzz.

How did you come up with Ketnipz?

I was in my last couple of years of high school – I was bored, just doodling away and uploading it to Instagram, and didn’t think anything would really come of it. I was doing graphic design client work on the side, and one of my clients saw what I was doing and wanted to get involved, so became my business partner in the States. I got pretty lucky with it.

Ketnipz is not really anything – just a pink, blobby, naked bean thing with a face. I wanted to make something innocent and ignorant. The cartoons are about how Bean deals with the world in different scenarios… and maybe they can give some insight into how to deal with your own problems, or at least show how not to deal with them!

A lot of your messages are very motivational – do they come from you? What is your process?

There are subject matters which I try to explore and one of them is mental health, but in less of a preachy way.

Personally, I’ve gone through some stuff, and I look back on that, and think: how could I have calmed myself down or gained perspective? And how can I communicate that through my work? It’s not a rulebook or a bible, just an honest take.

You’ve accomplished so much at 20.

Where do you get the drive from?

I’ve always been a bit industrious. I sold cookies in school to make some pocket money. I didn’t come from a very wealthy background and I’ve always wanted independence. My family have BUZZ 10

always been supportive – my mum and dad always wanted me to do something in art. I didn’t do the whole uni thing and I’m probably better for it.

Who inspires you artistically?

Tove Jansson who wrote the Moomins is great; Pendleton Ward from Adventure Time, and typically Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss have so much character development and personality.

How do you feel about being an inspiration to other young people?

If there is someone who’s in their bedroom all day drawing doodles, not knowing what to do in the future, then that could be cool because for me, a lot of my inspiration came from people who just stuck with it.

What’s the next step?

I’m starting to get into animation and working on a video game, which is fun.

I’m working on a Visa to go out to the States. Cardiff is my base but, in terms of working, the rest of the team are out there and it’s easier to make something when you’re all in one place.

If you could recommend one place in Wales to a first-time visitor that’s off the beaten track, where would it be and why?

The gardens at St Fagans are great to visit during the springtime! Or Sully Bay, which is a bit more out the way. I just really like the views from there and it’s a chill place to walk around. www.ketnipz.com

BARRY MANILOW

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Tue 2 June Tickets: from £42.40 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

DUA LIPA

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Sun 7 June Tickets: £60.10 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

LITTLE MIX

Cardiff City Stadium Sun 28 June Tickets: from £52.85 Info: 029 2078 8399 www.cardiffcitystadium.co.uk

MICHAEL BUBLÉ Cardiff Castle Wed 5 Aug Tickets: from £79.50 Info: 029 2087 8100 www.cardiffcastle.com

RUSSELL HOWARD Aberystwyth Arts Centre Sat 5 + Sun 6 Sept Tickets: £33.60 Info: 01970 623232 www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

BILLY OCEAN

St David’s Hall, Cardiff Thurs 24 Sept Tickets: from £27.50 Info: 029 2087 8444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Pic: Signature Entertainment

JAMES NORTON From playing a psychopath in Happy Valley to a crime-fighting vicar in Grantchester, and Stephen Ward in The Trial of Christine Keeler, James Norton is a man of many parts. He stars as Gareth Jones, the heroic Welsh journalist who uncovered Stalin’s famine in Ukraine. How does this role compare? Carl Marsh finds out.

Were you aware of Gareth Jones and the Holodomor famine before you embarked on the film?

No, embarrassingly not. It was one of the stories which you read, and you can’t quite believe it. The fact that Gareth became the first man to singlehandedly blow the whistle on the Soviet Union and call them out for the Holodomor travesty, then ultimately pay the price of his life... What is even more embarrassing is that I didn’t know much about the Holodomor, at all. I felt a certain amount of shame, but it was also exciting to know that we were going to produce a film to shed light on it. When we were in Ukraine, the reaction we had from the people was so humbling and very powerful.

How did you go about researching the part?

Through a mixture of ways, really. The director Agnieszka Holland and writer Andrea Chalupa are both very well versed on this period. Especially Andrea because she was in touch with the Jones family – we had private emails and correspondences with them. We had the incredible resource of garethjones.org, a website that was set up by his family, and we had all the letters, notebooks, etc.

What was most valuable for me was uncovering the letters and reports. His greataunt wrote about how great he was with children – he might not have had children of his own, but he had his nieces and nephews back in Wales and the kids loved him because he was their faithful, older uncle. That, for me, was very valuable because you hear about this very serious, earnest journalist on this mission to uncover the truth. You don’t necessarily hear so much about the private man.

We were keen to bring out a sort of naivety, a sense of humour, a warmth, an awkwardness.

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I have got to mention the Welsh accent... it’s very convincing! How did you go about learning and practicing the accent and the language? I mean, Welsh isn’t easy!

I had a great Welsh dialect coach who was there for all the big dialogue scenes.

On set, there were plenty of Welsh accents: Celyn Jones, who was wonderful; Julian Lewis Jones who played ‘my dad’ Major Jones. It’s particularly unnerving when you’re filming with Welsh actors. You just feel extremely self-conscious about borrowing their language and their sounds. They were so helpful, so useful.

Someone said to me, “Think about it, you’re playing a Welsh-speaking journalist who speaks fluent Russian. If you can deliver a Welsh accent, great, but you will be speaking both Welsh and Russian all at once!”

What did you learn from working with director Agnieszka Holland?

I didn’t realise how much of an icon she is. She is much more than a director and that became very apparent – particularly in the evenings when we were in the depths of Ukraine. The crew would be huddled into these small hotels and one of the producers would somehow always magic up a bottle of vodka. We were filming in -15 degrees, but the winds were -25. I had an electronic thermal with a battery pack on underneath my costume because it was so cold.

One of my favourite memories from the shoot is that she would sit there in silence waiting for us, and everyone would start to huddle together to keep warm.

Agnieszka would start singing an old Polish folk song. The crew was made up of Ukrainians, Russians and Poles. I was the only Brit at times, and I would be in the middle of all these languages. Within about 20 seconds, you would have the whole crew singing this song at the top of their lungs. She was always our leader; she’d rally us together and we’d all sing songs. I have an immense amount of love and respect for her – that lady is the real deal.

MR JONES Even in his own country, Gareth Jones remains something of an unsung hero. Sam Pryce explores the new film about the man, which aims to bring his story to the world.

Not enough of us know the story of Gareth Jones, the Welsh investigative journalist from Barry who uncovered the Holodomor, a man-made famine that killed millions of people living in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933. The story was reported around the world, but the journalist was later banned from ever returning to the Soviet Union. During his brief career, Jones reported on the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and the Troubles in Ireland. He died in 1935, aged 29 and in murky circumstances – killed by bandits in Inner Mongolia, with the Soviet interior ministry suspected of involvement.

A new film called Mr Jones, directed by Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Holland and starring James Norton (Little Women, Happy Valley, McMafia) in the title role, seeks to celebrate the legacy of this unsung hero. Set in 1933, the movie follows Jones on his journey to Soviet Russia to report on the country’s apparent ‘utopia’, looking to set up an interview with Joseph Stalin. By this point, he has already made a splash with his interview with Hitler, and his connections to David Lloyd George allow him to obtain official permissions to travel to Moscow.

However, finding that his movements are being closely monitored and his planned interview with Stalin unlikely, he makes the dangerous journey to Ukraine, where the horrors of starvation he encounters are worse than he could have imagined.

The Colley family, who are descendants of Gareth Jones, have amassed an enormous amount of research on the reporter: biographies, archive material and the online resource garethjones.org. Graham Colley is Jones’ great-nephew; Colley’s mother (Dr. Margaret Siriol Colley) and brother (Nigel Colley), though both no longer alive, were heavily involved in researching all areas of Jones’ life and the preservation of his archive. The film, says Colley, can claim considerable relevance in this age of fake news.

“It’s very exciting but has a very strong political message as well. [Gareth Jones’] method of journalism is becoming even more relevant today.”

What made you go to university to study theology?

Wow... that was a long time ago! When I was looking for a degree, I’d previously studied history, theology and English at A-level, and really enjoyed going to a Roman Catholic school and being exposed to the Benedictine faith. We had these incredible debates and I became fascinated by the idea of faith. When I went to study at Cambridge, the theology course offered so much more than just Christian theology – it had papers on imagination and the arts...

Theology will always remain a fascination to me, partly because of my school, having travelled in India and being exposed to a lot of religion. Half of the people that were doing my degree were there on the premise of faith, but I was very much studying because of my interest. I would encourage many people to study theology. I think that the more understanding that we have around institutionalised religions and the more acceptance we can have in this complicated, often dangerous world, the better.

Obviously then you went to RADA – a bit of a change?

It was. I always loved acting from a young age: I remember a moment, being five or six years old, and playing Joseph in the Nativity. I just loved it. I don’t know where it came from, because my family aren’t into acting at all. When I was at university, I was very lucky to meet a young director who encouraged me to apply to RADA and she allowed my farfetched, almost childish dream to turn into an adult reality.

When you’re on your way to drama school in London, you realise that it is much more than a dream. I haven’t ever looked back.

Colley was also impressed with the leading man’s portrayal of Jones.

“James Norton’s performance of Gareth was excellent,” he said. “I’ve been asked if I’m a fluent Welsh speaker. I’m trying – I’m doing my Duolingo! But James, as far as I could tell, he manages his bits in Welsh extremely well.”

Jones was remarkably well-educated and spoke several languages fluently yet came from a modest background. “My great-grandparents were very keen supporters of Lloyd George and had some connections in Wales to him,” says Colley. “Gareth was obviously very bright. He went to Aberystwyth [university], then to Cambridge, and mixed with various people who went on to be Soviet spies – and Alistair Cooke, the great American commentator. I think that his parents wanted him to be an academic, but I think he probably thought it wasn’t for him. He wanted to report on war.”

But did the fact that Gareth was Welsh have any significance to the way he worked and what he was able to discover? “I suspect being Welsh made him slightly more of an observer,” says Colley. “I always see Wales as looking in on the rest of the world. It gave him a different take on things. And he was not prepared to be told what to do and what not to do. He was going to be his own man.”

For the rest of Jones’ remaining family, it seems like the man’s ethos has lived on. “Gareth’s legacy has influenced my life,” says Graham, who works as a solicitor as well as being Chair of the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association. “He’s inspired me to be a liberal like he was, and I share his views about freedom of speech and expression and humane treatment of people. And I’d like to think that all of the members of my family share those views as well.”

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Pic: Jacek Poremba

DID YOU KNOW…?

Gareth Richard Vaughan Jones was born in Barry, 13 August 1905.

He was educated at Aberystwyth, Cambridge and Strasbourg Uni, and spoke several languages, including Welsh, French and Russian.

He acted as the foreign policy adviser to the former Prime Minister and Welshman David Lloyd George.

Jones reported on the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, interviewed Joseph Goebbels, and flew aboard Hitler’s private plane (the first non-Nazi journalist to do so).

The Polish director of Mr Jones talks to Carl Marsh about why, in the age of fake news, we need this film more than ever.

The script was written by first-time screenwriter Andrea Chalupa. Could you talk about how you came across the script?

She is a young American journalist with a Ukrainian background. Her grandparents emigrated after the Second World War to the US; her grandfather was a Holodomor famine survivor and a principal witness in front of the American Congress when it was identified. Because she is a politically engaged journalist, the role of fake news in contemporary propaganda gave her a special point of viewpoint on the story.

Sometimes it is difficult when you read a script to find the style in which to tell a story, but this one grabbed me. I felt it was relevant today and I am always attracted to the investigation about ‘the good’ – why some people are as courageous as they are, and why they have this ‘gene of justice’ as they call it.

We are living in an era of fake news and the war on truth. What do you think today’s audience would learn from Mr Jones about the media?

I think that they could learn two things: how propaganda can be very useful and very convenient and how important objective, investigative and factual journalism is – journalism that doesn’t take sides.

James Norton gave a sensitive, sympathetic portrayal of Gareth Jones – was it important to you that the audience realise how much of a forgotten hero he was?

Yes, of course. The general meaning of the story is also a tribute to this particular guy, and also to the Holodomor famine which was a crime against humanity practically unknown to the public. It is important to remind [ourselves of this], because the fact that we somehow forget and forgive this kind of political regime makes another regime of a similar kind much more probable.

With the Holodomor famine, why do you think now was the right time for a film to be made about the subject?

Ukraine is in a very difficult moment, politically and militarily, but they are trying to build up a new national identity. I am afraid that Holodomor will become a part of this renewed national identity. It would be dangerous to build a fundamental identity on such victimology. At the same time, it is so deeply entrenched in the people’s biography and collective psychology. It is a very deep trauma [that needs to be] expressed and expelled, and I think a film like Mr Jones plays some role.

Mr Jones is out in cinemas from Fri 7 Feb.

BUZZ 14

By writing about the Holodomor famine (193233) in Ukraine, he publicised a state-directed genocide estimated to have killed 10 million people.

While investigating Japanese territorial expansion in Inner Mongolia, Jones died in mysterious circumstances on 12 August 1935, aged 29.

The Gareth Jones Trilingual Memorial Plaque was unveiled by then Ukrainian Ambassador, Ihor Kharchanko, at the Old College, Aberystwyth in 2006.

Pic: garethjones.org

AGNIESZKA HOLLAND

He spoke to many influential figures as an interviewer, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Lippmann and William Randolph Hearst.

‘STRICTLY FANS OR NOT, THIS IS A SHOW THAT HAS TO BE SEEN’

ON Magazine

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MAWRTH 15 MARCH 2020

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wmc.org.uk

“I decided to stop trying to be ‘cool’.”

BUZZ 16

GABRIELLE APLIN English folk-popper Gabrielle Aplin made her name on YouTube but has since established herself IRL too.

Her third album’s fresh out and she’s back in Cardiff in March, so Carl Marsh had a chinwag.

Some of the tracks on your new album Dear Happy are very uplifting. Did your experiences of touring and travelling the world affect the way you approached writing this album in comparison to the previous two?

Definitely! I just had more stuff to write about – I had a more developed brain and I have been to loads of places that I wouldn’t have been to if I didn’t make songs. I’m always soaking things up. I don’t really write while I’m touring or travelling, it’s something I focus on when I get home. I wrote a song called Dear Happy with my friend Liz, but I eventually decided to use the same name for the album, as it’s a love letter to happiness.

What music were you influenced by while making Dear Happy?

Loads of pop music! I got really into Scandi-pop – they’re the best songwriters. I listened to a lot of Beck – he was probably my biggest inspiration.

Would you say that Dear Happy is your most honest album to date?

Yes, but I think in the way that I decided to stop trying to be ‘cool’ – you sometimes try and make things too flouncy, in a way that when you tell a story, you’ll try and use fancy words. I’m out of that phase now.

Do you keep a diary of experiences that you can use when you get back to writing?

I have definitely tried to see more while I’m touring now and I always make sure that I get out and about, wherever I am. I don’t really keep a notebook as such, but if there is something I really want to write about, I will make a note straight away. I keep notes in my phone, but mostly I take pictures and if it’s a good enough idea, I’ll remember it! I’m not very organised, to be honest.

Would you say that social media is a more positive or a negative ordeal for you as an artist?

I understand that as an independent artist, it is so important to be present on social media - it is more of a requirement for someone like me. I don’t put too much of my own life on there and if I’m honest, I’m not on my phone a lot. I do the bare minimum! All that matters is that I interact with the people that listen to my songs.

From your YouTube days, you have undergone a huge transformation in your sound, proving your versatility. Do you have a particular favourite style to perform on stage?

I just get bored really quickly, and I don’t really see any reason as to why I should confine myself to one genre.

Not everything needs to have an acoustic guitar on it! I have learned to understand what compliments a song, and what flatters a song the most. I just love different themes and contexts as well.

Most people know you for your Christmas number one cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power Of Love, released in 2012.

How did you discover that record and put your own spin on it?

Well, obviously, it was such a big hit that I was aware of it. My parents listen to a lot of music, and I’d always listen to what they were listening to. But I was aware of that song my whole life and loved it.

You set up Never Fade Records with your manager a few years ago as a way of self-releasing your music. When you look back, how crucial was this in your discovery and how important is the Never Fade community to you now?

We have built this amazing community of musicians with this label; it is a safe space for artists, so that they can have their records put out in the way that they want them to. We just fill in the gaps for them, whether that may be in a financial sense or a creative sense or if they need management, ideas – we help them with whatever they may need. Every month we have a Never Fade Night, which is a space for new artists to play a gig in London with an established artist. People will always come, regardless of who is playing, and it gives artists the chance to play to a respectful crowd in London for once!

Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 13 Mar. Tickets: £20.

Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com Gabrielle Aplin’s new album Dear Happy is out now.

BUZZ 17

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG From cookery to crooning, there’s nothing that self-proclaimed doyen of light entertainment Count Arthur Strong can’t do. Turning his hand to stargazing, the legendary comedy creation blathers to Sam Pryce.

Your new touring show, Is There Anybody Out There?, is all about astronomy and the mysteries of the universe. As a “doyen of light entertainment”, what insights can you offer us into these subjects that people like, say, Brian Cox or Carl Sagan cannot?

Well I’ve got a telescope for a start. And a book on astronomy. Or astrology?

Whichever one of them it is. And I bet neither of them know all the planets in order from the sun. Mars, Jupiter, February, July, Mothering Sunday, Whitsuntide, Youranus, Pluto, Daffy Duck and the other one. See. When did you first become interested in the stars and the planets and whatnot?

When I switched the telly on and saw Brian Cox making a fortune for doing next to nothing. And how do we know what he’s telling us is true? I thought, “I could do that!”

Have you ever seen an alien or a UFO? I’ve seen both. Though I must admit I saw Alien by mistake. I thought I was going to see The Sound Of Music but I went in screen four instead of screen 14. The first inkling that there was something funny going on, was when John Hurt came out of her stomach. I remember thinking, “That’s not Christopher Plumber. And what’s happened to Climb Every Mountain?” I got my money back though. Eventually.

You decided to call your memoirs Through It All I’ve Always Laughed. But was there any point in your topsy-turvy, glamorous life that was not a laughing matter? Have you really always laughed through everything?

Yes. Apart from these questions. And Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Pic: Andy Hollingworth

Having had success on radio, TV and the stage, which of these do you like doing the most and why?

The one I like doing most is whichever of the three I’m currently doing. Also, you forgot to mention my writing.

I am, of course, a published author and writer. My latest novella Codename Rattlesnake has just come out to raving revues. It’s the first volume of my wonderful Inspector Marsden Mysteries. And everybody I’ve given one to says she really likes it.

BUZZ 18

What is the touring life like for a performer of your advanced age? I imagine it’s rather challenging.

I’m not quite sure what you’re getting at? I’ve taken to touring like a duck I have.

And who are you calling old? Come over here and say that.

Do you have any pre-show rituals or superstitions?

No, I don’t. Apart from saluting magpies. But that’s not a superstition. I just do it because I think I might have some bad luck if I don’t. And whistling in the dressing room. If you do that you have to go out of the room, turn around three times and eat some coal. I don’t know why? But we all do it. Sometimes there’s quite a queue. And coal’s not cheap you know.

You’re a man of many talents, from ventriloquism to cookery to crooning.

Is there anything you can’t do?

No. There is literally nothing I can’t do. You name it, I’ll have a go at it. Hang gliding, boxing, knitting, whatever. As long as the money’s right. I’m not an idiot. Call my agent and we’ll sort something out.

And finally, we know that you have an affection for your native Doncaster. But can you tell us about any of your fond memories of performing in Cardiff or indeed Wales?

Oh, me and the Welsh go back a long way. I’ve played all the major cities in Wales. Swansea, Cardiff, Glasgow, Vienna. I would say though that my favourite theatre there is the wonderful Swansea Grand. Oh yes, I shall be tucking into my usual plate of haggis and porridge after the Swansea show alright! I literally can’t wait for that.

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 7 Feb. Tickets: £22.

Info: 029 2064 6900 / shermantheatre.co.uk Grand Theatre, Swansea, Thurs 5 Mar. Tickets: £23.50.

Info: 01792 475715 / swansea.gov.uk/ swanseagrandtheatre

Les vêpres siciliennes Verdi The Marriage of Figaro Mozart Carmen Bizet Chwefror 8 – 29 February Archebwch nawr ar yganolfan.org.uk Book now at wmc.org.uk 16 – 29 oed? Tocynnau ar gael am £10* Aged 16 – 29? Tickets available for £10* *mae telerau ac amodau yn berthnasol | terms and conditions apply

wno.org.uk/spring20 Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig | Registered Charity No 221538

B A B Y M E TA L Ahead of their debut show in these parts, Betti Hunter speaks to the Japanese rock phenomenon and pioneers of so-called kawaii metal to find out just what their deal is.

The metal scene is unforgiving of the uninitiated. In such a hyper-macho subculture, you’d think that three teenage girls with pop idol pedigree singing about chocolate would be eaten alive and spat out in bits. Japanese phenomenon Babymetal shouldn’t have broken through, but they did.

“When we first formed, many people said, ‘this isn’t metal, this music is wrong,’” recalls backing singer and dancer Moametal. “But we believed in our music and kept doing what we do.”

Now even diehard metalheads are going wild for this experimental new shit – Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford went so far as to describe them as “the future of metal.” When they launched in 2013 their schtick was unique: a technically flawless band of heavy-as-death musicians paired with three adorable, talented graduates from the Japanese pop factory with no prior interest in the genre.

Together, they set out to spearhead an entirely new movement, ‘kawaii metal’.

Their self-titled debut, released in 2014 when singer-dancers Su-Metal, Moametal and Yuimetal were between 14 and 16 years old, was an instant hit at home. Pretty soon, Western audiences were simultaneously baffled, amused and impressed by the fusion of brutal musicianship and peppy dance moves.

Perhaps this unprecedented success is in part attributable to the influence of the mythical Fox God, part of the legend the band has woven around themselves to explain their rise as so-called leaders of the ‘metal resistance’. But whether their sustained popularity is the result of divine intervention or next-level music biz savvy, seven years on Babymetal has evolved into a juggernaut that stands out among the line-ups of some of the world’s biggest festivals. Their videos have hundreds of millions of views and they’ve amassed a diverse and dedicated global fanbase. Following Yuimetal’s departure in 2018, Su and Moa continue to lead the band to defy all expectations – not least their own.

“Through Babymetal, I’ve learned about metal and so much more,” said lead singer Su. “I used to say that it was our dream to create one music genre called Babymetal, but it’s not a dream anymore. It’s a goal that is not too far to achieve.”

New album Metal Galaxy certainly showcases this progression in the band’s scope. While remaining true to Babymetal’s thrashing sound, it explores jazz, BUZZ 20

Indian and Latin elements and features guest appearances from members of Sabaton and Arch Enemy. “This album combines the knowledge and experiences we’ve gained while touring the world for almost an entire decade,” said Moa. “What we take from encountering new types of music and people has widened the variety of our new material.”

Babymetal is undoubtedly the biggest Japanese breakthrough act of the 21st century. But bigger audiences and international notoriety means that the band has more to prove than ever. “Our first ever metal festival was Sonisphere,” explains Su. “At the time, I felt that there was no expectation of us. I think our staff and support bands were more nervous than us! I am happy that many people know about Babymetal now but at the same time, we have to do a performance that goes beyond expectations, so it’s more pressure.”

“We prepare a lot to bring our best performance,” adds Moa. “Training is hard, but it is all for our fans. We have learned the importance of believing in ourselves.”

Following a frenzied set at Download Festival in 2018, Babymetal return to the UK this year for a sold-out string of shows before hitting the festival circuit once again. “We call the UK our second home,” said Su. “Sometimes at shows it feels like we are back in Japan. Every moment in the UK is a very important piece of Babymetal’s history and every time we visit I am excited to see what is to come.”

So, indeed, are Babymetal’s UK fans. As Su and Moa have come of age, the band’s shows have become increasingly polished, dramatic, and unpredictable.

When asked what Cardiff can expect from this latest tour, Moa’s answer is enigmatic. “Only the Fox God knows!”

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 20 Feb. Tickets: £32.50 (sold out – check box office for returns).

Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com

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MARIKA HACKMAN As she gears up to tour her latest record Any Human Friend, Marika Hackman chats to Sam Pryce about resisting genre, reading Kathy Acker, and why we should all be nicer to pigs.

“I like to feel challenged. I like to feel that I’m pushing and scaring myself, because it feels like I’m moving forward.” The 27-year-old singer-songwriter Marika Hackman is discussing the changes that led to her latest album Any Human Friend, a bold and uncompromising exploration of sex, bodies, queer identity and female empowerment, swapping acoustic guitar for electric and strings for synths. “Across the board, I think genre is dying,” she adds. “People are quite open to the idea of an artist changing, and I’ve always said I never want to make the same record twice. It’s fun to shake it up a bit.”

And she’s done exactly that. Back in 2015, when her plaintive, folk-infused first album We Slept At Last had just been released, a typical Marika show was a quiet, understated, often melancholic affair, usually just her and her guitar. 2017’s I’m Not Your Man saw Hackman open up about her sexuality on tracks like Boyfriend, as well as experiment with arranging her music for a full band. But as she’s been touring this third record – which features amped-up indie-pop anthems about masturbation (Hand Solo) and sex between women (All Night) – her live shows have taken on a dazzling rock-star swagger.

“I’m really enjoying playing the songs off the new album live, ‘cos there’s room for more showing off!” she laughs. “It’s quite an energetic, fun show, which is a stark contrast to when I was first starting out – when it was just me and a guitar, and it was all about the darkness and the silence.”

She’s also not bothered by those who might prefer the ‘old Marika’. “To me, that’s still a positive, because I’ve put out some music that someone’s really connected with, and they can listen to that as much as they want.”

Inspired by Dutch photographer Rineke Dijkstra, the cover art for Any Human Friend depicts a deadpan Marika wearing nothing but white Y-fronts and brown socks as she cradles a piglet in her arms. “When I was studying art at school when I was about 17, I came across a series of her photos of women with their babies just after they’d given birth. They looked so vulnerable yet strong, not sexualised but with a strong female energy. We recreated this shot, with the fact that I’m pretty much naked. I’m exposing my body like that; I’m letting everyone see it and judge, which is really what the record’s about.”

And what about the pig? “Well, we have all these ideas about pigs being disgusting, gross, stupid... but they’re extremely intelligent, very clean creatures. They’re also quite sexual – I think a female pig can orgasm for, like, 90 minutes or something... I’m holding this creature that everyone thinks of in a certain way. But I’m accepting it for what it really is, rather than judging it.”

Though Hackman avoids listening to much music when writing, in case she “accidentally magpies”, she does read voraciously, and Kathy Acker’s novel Blood & Guts In High School – an irreverent mash-up of stories, obscene doodles, dream maps and poetry – emerges as the catalyst for her no-holds-barred approach to lyric writing. “The way she writes with this complete disregard for any sort of form,” says Marika. “It’s so visceral, aggressive, sexual, so full of shame as well as acceptance. We’re all capable of feeling all these different things, and that’s okay.”

Even as far back as her first EP That Iron Taste, Hackman has been known for her gory imagination.

“I’ve always been interested in the themes that unite us as humans,” she says. “Blood, water, bones, sick… These are all things that we have to deal with, but we find them kind of embarrassing.” Her preoccupation with the body also calls back to a formative personal experience: an appendix scare in her late teens which required emergency surgery. “As a 17-year-old, you think you’re invincible. You’re not confronted with death at that age. I suddenly had this big shock... And it threw on a switch in my head about how fragile we all really are. But admitting that you’re vulnerable is so scary for people.”

The Gate, Cardiff, Sat 29 Feb. Tickets: £16.50.

Info: 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk

BUZZ 22

K U .

O C .

S E AL

W C D N W O

N K O BO

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, 20-21 March 7.30pm Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, 27 March 7.30pm Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, 2 April 7.30pm The Riverfront, Newport, 8 April 7.30pm

Pic: Bill Cooper

WELSH NATIONAL OPERA’S SPRING SEASON With the arrival of a new Artistic Director imminent, WNO is in a state of flux.

In 2019, Yvette Vaughan-Jones became the first woman to take the role of Chair and Aidan Lang was named their new General Director. For their Spring Season, however, WNO are sticking to the classics, with the exception of one rarelyperformed Verdi opera.

After ending his tenure as Artistic Director of WNO last year, Sir David Pountney returns to complete the Company’s critically acclaimed Verdi Trilogy with its final part – Les Vêpres Siciliennes. Pountney’s versions of the preceding instalments of the Trilogy – La Forza Del Destino and Un Ballo In Maschera – were sprawling, sumptuous romps of those two great operatic tropes: sex and death. Soprano Anush Hovhannisyan appears as bride Hélène, while Jung Soo Yun makes his WNO debut as Henri.

It’s accompanied by two crowd-pleasing favourites of the repertoire, both of which are returning productions and ideal options for first-time operagoers. The first is Mozart’s rambunctious wedding-night farce The Marriage Of Figaro, originally directed by Tobias Richter in 2016, this time with David Ireland as Figaro. The second is Bizet’s Carmen – directed by Jo Davies with a modern, feminist agenda, it returns following a well-received run in the autumn, with a new cast led by American mezzo-soprano Julia Mintzer in her UK operatic debut.

There’s no doubt that WNO will present these works with the poise and sophistication they’re known for. But I wonder whether it’s time the company took a few more risks in their programming, such as performing more modern pieces or giving platforms to emerging composers. In London, recent productions of operas

by Birtwistle, Stockhausen and Glass have garnered rave reviews. Meanwhile, Conor Mitchell’s Abomination: A DUP Opera illustrated that this age-old art form can still have a political impact. Hopefully, these changes at the top will signal new ventures for this valued Welsh company. SAM PRYCE Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 8-Sat 29 Feb. Tickets: £14-£50. Info: 029 2063 5000 / www.wno.org.uk

ROUND THE HORNE The latest of the classic radio comedies to hit the stage is Round The Horne.

The original show ran on BBC Radio between 1965 and 1968 and, in its prime, regularly attracted an audience of 15 million for half an hour every Sunday afternoon. Recreations of iconic productions often fall foul of the criticism of loyal fans, but this version of the British comedy perfectly resurrects the camp and innuendo-filled humour.

The success of this stage version is, simply, in its similarity to the classic.

Producer and director Tim Astley has compiled scripts from the original broadcasts to take the audience on a trip down memory lane. The original show has a special place in the heart of British showbiz, and with this new version, fans can rejoin the regular characters Rambling Sid Rumpo, Charles and Fiona, J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, and Julian and Sandy – all played by actors who sound uncannily like the original cast members.

The original Round The Horne lasted for four series; a planned fifth was cancelled in 1969 after the death of its star, Kenneth Horne. By this point, television was superseding radio in the household entertainment stakes. However, Astley has succeeded in combining the radio elements with an innovative visual show, with the actors dressed and the set designed to match the setting of the radio programme.

The show features the traditional movie spoofs, including a nod to James Bond, and its fabled manipulation of the English language will appear, innumerable double entendres and all, the visual element only bolstering the hilarious absurdity of the script. If the humour might come across as outdated to younger generations, it all adds to the charm of the nostalgic hark back to the 1960s.

Although the stage production offers a chance for old fans of Round The Horne to reminisce on an era of radio greatness, it’s also entertaining and self-contained enough to appeal to first-time viewers. Pop along to any of the Welsh dates for a celebration of classic British comedy. REBECCA ASTILL New Theatre, Cardiff, Tues 18 + Wed 19 Feb; Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Thurs 20 Feb; Savoy Theatre, Monmouth, Fri 21.

Tickets: from £16.50. Info: www.apollotheatrecompany.com BUZZ 24

JANEY GODLEY You wouldn’t expect your average 59-year-old Glaswegian woman (if there is such a thing) to be an internet superstar. But for stand-up star Janey Godley, her political voiceover videos – in which she dubs over clips of Nicola Sturgeon and Theresa May in her own unmistakable Scottish accent – have amassed an enormous audience on social media. How did it start?

“As comics, we always wait on TV people coming to see us. They never have,” Godley says. “So, what comics like me have done is create our own content, find our own audience, and now my videos get more hits than some TV shows.”

Even before this, Godley had gone viral for her political activism in 2016, when an image emerged of her holding an obscene protest sign against Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland following the Brexit result. “People get upset at me swearing, but nobody minds the word ‘foodbank’,” she says, with audible anger. “I think ‘foodbank’ is a worse word than ‘cunt’!” It goes without saying that she’s not one to mince her words.

Godley has spoken frankly of her traumatic early life, surviving poverty and sexual abuse, not to mention her mother’s murder at the hands of a violent boyfriend in 1982. When discussing this onstage, the last thing she wants is pity. “There’s an opportunity to air a lot of issues out through comedy. But I write about poverty because it’s still very endemic and entrenched in our society today.”

After honing her crowd control skills running one of Glasgow’s dodgiest pubs, she burst onto the ‘alternative comedy’ circuit in the 1990s. As a working-class Scottish mother, she made a space for herself on a scene overwhelmed by young, often middle-class men. But is the industry more accepting now? “No, there are still barriers. I was the first working-class Scottish woman to be on Have I Got News For You, and that was just last year.” Her daughter, Ashley Storrie, is also a comedian – but has she had any advantage, with a mother in stand-up? “Comedy’s a meritocracy. It doesn’t matter if your da’s Billy Connolly – if you’re shite onstage, people will tell you.” SAM PRYCE The Riverfront, Newport, Fri 14 Feb. Tickets: £17.50.

Info: 01633 656757 / tickets.newportlive.co.uk

MARK STEEL The left-leaning comedian is back on the road with Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright, a standup show determined to find shreds of hope in personal and political shitstorms. But isn’t it a surprisingly chirpy title for a show about Brexit, Trump, and the end of his 11-year marriage?

“When I first thought of the title, I thought it was quite funny because it’s about everything – both globally and personally – going down the plughole,” says Mark.

“But, in fact, it’s sort of come to be true in a way, because eventually everything does seem to turn out alright. I don’t want to get too serious about it – it’s supposed to be a load of jokes really!”

In between his live shows and columns for the Independent, Mark is also very active on Twitter. Does he have any trouble with trolls whose feathers he’s ruffled?

“Oh, thousands of ‘em,” he groans. “There’s nothing you can put on Twitter that wouldn’t upset someone, somewhere. You could put ‘I’m enjoying a delightful sunset in Dorset’ and someone would reply: ‘Not so delightful if you suffer from sunset-aversion-in-Dorset, actually. Have a thought for SAD sufferers, please!’”

He chuckles and adds: “I tweeted something about Trump being a psychopath and people sent me messages saying, ‘Please don’t add to the stigma against psychopaths’.”

His Radio 4 show Mark Steel’s In Town has been going for a decade, with a new series on the horizon. Setting himself the demanding task of writing new material for each location he visits, I wondered if he finds some towns funnier than others.

“D’you know what, I don’t think they are. I think every town is funny and I’ve learnt that doing the show.” When I ask about any plans to visit Wales in the new series, Mark expresses his fondness for Newport: “I think Newport’s fascinating.

It’s got a really distinct accent that I’ve got no idea if I can do, but I really fancy having a go at it. I’ll probably fail miserably.” SAM PRYCE Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Wed 4 Mar; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 13 Mar; Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: £15. Info: marksteelinfo.com

BUZZ 26

L3

l o l f a Bringing the best in music to Swansea

Kameo Quartet Great Hall

l o u n g e

WHAT’S ON/AR FYND February/Chwefror 2020 – May/Mai 2020

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY 7.30PM

NOS SADWRN 8 CHWEFROR 7.30PM BREABACH

25.02.20 – 8pm

CHRIS WOOD 17.03.20 – 8pm

TABEA DEBUS & LAEFER QUARTET 14.04.20 – 8pm

London-based Kamao Quartet is a chamber jazz group with a contemporary approach to American jazz, from the swing/bebop era to Django Reinhardt legacy. KAMAO means “I like/I love/I want” in Romani.

CAPITAL CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA & ENRICO TOMASSO 28.04.20 – 8pm

Characterised by the electric guitar of band leader Jean de Talhouët, with the rhythm guitar of Dave Kelbie, the clarinet/tenor saxophone of Dave Shulman, and backed up by double bassist Ruth Goller, this is a fresh take on Gypsy jazz.

SEAN SHIBE 12.05.20 – 8pm

www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk

Pic: Helen Maybanks

FASCINATING AÏDA

Pic: Johnny Boylan

Delighting audiences since 1983 with their sophisticatedly silly songs, Fascinating Aïda have established themselves as the undisputed queens of cabaret. They’ve also recently become a viral phenomenon – but does an online audience provide the same satisfaction as a live one? “It’s a completely different experience,” says chief songwriter Dillie Keane. “The warmth from our live audiences is just wonderful – it’s like being in a room with friends, and you can’t replicate that with a screen!

When Cheap Flights hit its first million viewers, I was on holiday and we had terrible Wi-Fi and 3G, so I had to lean out of the window to get it, and watching the digits move from six figures to seven figures was a thrill I will never forget.”

Though Liza Pulman rejoins them on their latest tour, only Keane and Adèle Anderson have been the two lasting members since the group’s inception.

“Like any creative partnership that lasts such a long time, we have our ups and downs,” she says. “It’s like being married to someone you never fell in love with, or had sex with, so it can sometimes feel like you’re trapped. But when it goes well, it’s terrific!”

They also had no idea, when they first met, that they’d be working together for almost four decades. “I particularly remember a journalist asking us if we thought we’d be working together forever,” she reveals. “And Adèle said, ‘I don’t think it would be very dignified if we were still doing this in our 40s.’ And yet, here we are in our late 60s!”

From Brexit to budget aviation, their songs have always remained topical. Isn’t it time we had a climate change anthem? “But there is one! It’s called Lerwick Town – a funny but bleak fantasy about how the climate has changed so much that we now grow pineapples and mangoes in the Shetlands,” says Dillie, who also runs a blog about eco-friendly living called Shit You Don’t Need. “The song’s back in this show and it’s a bit darker now. It’s now received with a gulp rather than a laugh.

That’s a much more satisfying response.” SAM PRYCE

SEREN CARDIFF POETRY FESTIVAL After the success of the last two years, Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival (formerly Seren Cornerstone) is moving to the Temple Of Peace in Cathays Park, for a weekend of readings, lectures and creative writing workshops. Aptly timed for Valentine’s weekend, the Poetry Festival promises an exciting and diverse line-up from both new and established voices.

Kicking off the weekend is poet Rhian Edwards, presenting Vinegar Valentine – a workshop exploring lovers lost and unrequited inviting participants to write a character portrait about a lover, promising to be creative, visceral and humorous. For the Meic Stephens Lecture, Kieron Smith discusses the poetry and documentaries of Swansea-born John Ormond. On day two, Deryn Rees-Jones will be reading from her new collection Erato, which features autobiographical narratives and poetic sequences questioning both the beauty and the horrors of the world.

Poems For The Planet joins poets Carrie Etter, Jane Lovell and André Mangeot in readings of their work, focusing on the consequences of the climate crisis on the natural world. On Saturday evening, the inaugural Wales Poetry Award will be given. The final day of the festival will welcome Eric Ngalle Charles’ short film A Hymn To Tolerance, which looks at his life, from his early years in Cameroon, to being trafficked to Russia, before finding his place of refuge in Cardiff.

The festival will also be paying tribute to Cardiff-born poet Dannie Abse, CBE (1923-2014) in Remembering Dannie Abse. His daughter Keren Abse, Seren Director Cary Archard, and Managing Editor Mick Felton will all say a few words and read one of his poems. Welsh poet Robert Minhinnick will read from one of his essays on Abse’s work, and Lynne Hjelmgaard will recall her final years spent with Abse.

Finally, the event concludes with Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield presenting Desert Island Poems; interviewed by Huw Stephens, Bradfield will share a selection of his favourite verses. ELLIE HUTCHINGS Temple Of Peace, Cardiff, Fri 14-Sun 16 Feb. Tickets: £30-£55 for a weekend pass; events priced individually.

Info: www.cardiffpoetryfestival.com BUZZ 28

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 15 Feb. Tickets: £25.

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

"An intimate, haunting triumph" The New York Times

RACHEL NEWTON February 14th 7.30pm Tickets £13.20

LLYFR GLAS NEBO 27th February

10am and 7.30pm Tickets £13.20

JOHN BRAMWELL 21st March

7.30pm Tickets £16.50

SOUL TRAIN 27th March 7.30pm Tickets £22

The Riverfront, Newport UK PREMIERE Glan yr Afon, Casnewydd PREMIERE Y DU 27/02/2020 • 19:30 • tickets.newportlive.co.uk

Theatr Clwyd, Mold / Yr Wyddgrug 02/03/2020 • 19:45 • theatrclwyd.com

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Canolfan y Celfyddydau Aberystwyth 03/03/2020 • 20:00 • aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

Southbank Centre, London / Llundain 13–14/03/2020 • 19:45 • southbankcentre.co.uk

Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru, Caerdydd 27/03/2020 • 19:30 • rwcmd.ac.uk

MUSIC. THEATRE. WALES.

Pic: John Sinclair.

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JOHN ABELL

Hard Scrabble, 2019 Linocut 90 x 200 cm.

Among half-finished canvases, paint-streaked palettes and countless brushes, John Abell sits creating images that seem out of a dream, crosslegged on the floor, swiping cobalt blue along the curved lines of a horse climbing a ladder. “It’s a motif I rely on a lot,” he tells me, at his studio based in an empty shop in Cardiff’s Capitol Shopping Centre.

“For me, it represents us – we are always trying to do the impossible; it makes you draw a parallel with the real world.”

These existential concerns are present in Abell’s new exhibition Becca And Her Children, at the National Trust’s Newton House in Dinefwr, Llandeilo, which began in January of this year. In the first artist’s residency undertaken by the National Trust for their 2019 People’s Landscape programme, it marks the 180th anniversary of the Rebecca Riots (1839-43), when cross-dressing farmers and agricultural workers protested unfair taxation across mid and west Wales.

The chaotic nature of his studio is a far cry from Abell’s strict artistic discipline and routine. “I work every day. A lot of the time, it seemed like it was for nothing, but it’s so good now – do not quit!” In making these pieces, Abell was determined to immerse himself in the world of the rioters completely, living in a cottage neighbouring Newton House – where much of the riots took place – for three weeks. “Walking in the deer park, painting all day, then coming home and making etchings – it was a really meditative time,” he remembers. “I hope I have done the people [who took part in the riots] justice.”

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This artistic immersion is something Abell, who studied at Camberwell College Of Art and now lives and works in Cardiff, is burning to share with the whole nation. “I think of my art as having a spiritual connection with my audience,” he says. “I want to change their perception of things, even just for a minute.”

Through these pieces, Abell invites his audience into his swarming, vivid reimaginings of the riots: a technicolour dreamworld; a whirlwind of raw emotion, empathy and violence prevalent within the protests. The pictures seem to silently ask the viewer what they would do, how they would respond to the poverty and injustice imposed on them by an unfeeling, oblivious government.

The collection of linocuts, etchings and prints will be bringing a “large and diverse” examination of tenant farmers “forced into radicalism” by Turnpike Trusts, who owned most of the main roads and fields and introduced tollgates. By dressing in women’s clothes as “Rebecca and her daughters”, they were inspired by the Old Testament, where vigilant Rebecca urges her followers to “possess the gates of those who hate thee” (Genesis XXIV, verse 60). “It’s such a revolutionary quote,” says Abell. “To take back from your oppressor what they have stolen.”

The “capriciousness and violence” of the Old Testament translates into Abell’s works, with harsh lines and edges depicting the cutthroat nature of both man’s greed and the “incredible torment” suffered by the farmers. Depicting “people forced into extreme measures”, the rioters burned the toll gates

Pic: Kathryn Campbell

For his artist’s residency at the National Trust’s Newton House, Dinefwr, Welsh painter John Abell was inspired by the building’s tumultuous and radical history for the pictures in his new exhibition. Daisy Gaunt visits his Cardiff studio to find out what makes him tick.

– real representations of the high taxes and economic exploitation enforced upon them – and demanded that fares were lowered or eradicated.

“The riots are an example of radicalism actually working. I don’t think that would happen today; I’m feeling pretty nihilistic about politics at the moment,” Abell says. “I wish we valued art a bit more,” he continues, suggesting that the marginal space occupied by Wales throughout history has limited a certain “form of art-appreciating culture”, prolific in England or France, from developing sufficiently.

Welsh painters are not so readily celebrated as, say, Turner or Constable are in England. Yet with Abell’s “determination that it will all work out in the end”, is Welsh art on the cusp of a renaissance?

Becca And Her Children, Newton House, Dinefwr, Llandeilo, until Sun 26 Apr. Admission: £8.50. Info: 01558 824512 / www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dinefwr

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by Keiron Self

BIRDS OF PREY ***

Dir: Cathy Yan (15, 120 mins) Margot Robbie’s exuberant Harley Quinn was the only highlight in the dire Suicide Squad film. And with dogged persistence and a baseball bat, she has returned to the character but on her own terms. The Joker has been jettisoned and this instalment is all about her “fantabulous emancipation”, as the full film title would have us believe. Said emancipation involves another team-up however with some other female DC characters: Huntress (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a dab hand with a bow and arrow; Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s martial artist/songstress Black Canary; and Rosie Perez’s tough, no-nonsense cop Renee Montoya. Together, they end up protecting a sassy kid (played by Ella Jay Basco) from the evil crime lord Roman Sionis and his henchman Victor Zsasz (Ewan MacGregor and Chris Messina, respectively). Though reluctant to work together initially, the ladies soon discover they have a similar set of skills and need each other. All are highly proficient at the old fisticuffs; stunts abound, and it’s fabulously female-led in most departments – from director Yan to writer Cristina Hodson, as well as its powerhouse cast, ensuring that this will be a superhero picture free from too much macho posturing. Get those mallets out! Opens Feb 8

DOLITTLE ***

Dir: Stephen Gaghan (PG, 106 mins) Here’s a reboot no one ever wanted. After the initial dreadful Doctor Dolittle starring Rex Harrison back in 1967, and then the Eddie Murphy vehicles for the family-friendly funnyman of the late-90s and early-00s, the man who could talk to the animals was surely in no need of another cinematic excursion. They’d reckoned without a post-Iron Man Robert Downey Jr., however, and his allegedly Welsh accent. Now taking on board more soulless CGI, Dolittle arrives with its menagerie of animals voiced by the likes of Emma Thompson’s parrot, Ralph Fiennes’ moody tiger and Rami Malek’s anxious gorilla, to name but a few. Jessie Buckley crops up as Queen Victoria who has fallen ill and the reclusive Dolittle, still mourning the loss of his wife, is sent to look for a cure on a mythical island with his animals as company. With Syriana director Gaghan at the helm, this could be a crowdpleaser. But that Welsh accent, Robert... Opens Feb 7

DOWNHILL ***

DARK WATERS ****

Dir: Todd Haynes (12A, 126 mins) A solid, worthy drama that makes full use of star Mark Ruffalo’s environmental credentials, this shocking true story angers and informs in concise, plainspeaking style. Ruffalo plays Robert Bilott, a high-flying corporate defence attorney used to helping businesses out of troublesome lawsuits, who has a crisis of conscience when the DuPont chemical company’s misdeeds are brought to his attention. In 1998, Ruffalo’s lawyer is confronted by a farmer from West Virginia – Wilbur Tennant, played with irascible gruffness by Bill Camp. His cattle have been dying, poisoned by the water dumped by the nearby DuPont chemical plant – contaminated with a chemical called PFOA, used in Teflon products – and, as Ruffalo finds out, what kills animals kills humans too. Ruffalo’s dogged, obsessive lawyer finds that greed comes before truth, however, when he tries to battle the CEO (Victor Garber) and convince his own boss (Tim Robbins) to back him. All the while, his family life with wife Anne Hathaway gradually deteriorates and his crippling anxiety increases. Starkly directed by Todd Haynes, this is a frightening (and ongoing) real-life horror story in which we are all complicit, as the planet and its inhabitants become subsidiary casualties for profit. Opens Feb 28

Dir: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (15, 90 mins) If anyone has seen the brilliant Force Majeure, this remake feels rather offensive. It was a superb darkly comic Swedish drama, written and directed by Ruben Ostlünd, about a family facing up to buried issues after the husband/father puts himself first in the wake of a potential avalanche. Its subtleties and nuances don’t feel like they play well in a Will Ferrell universe, who takes the lead role, but under the indie director tutelage of The Descendants writers Faxon and Rash, this could still prove interesting. Julia Louis-Dreyfus co-stars with Ferrell as the wife forced to reassess her relationship after the incident. It’s a marital horror story grimly played out in the original Force Majeure – and hopefully this remake will keep some of its original ambiguities and pain. Ferrell has the capacity to make strong dramas, as Everything Must Go and Stranger Than Fiction proved, but this might prove a heavy ask.

See the original: it’s very good. Opens Feb 28

GREED ***

Dir: Michael Winterbottom (15, 104 mins) A critique of the super-rich and their ability to exploit, Greed is a showcase for Steve Coogan but remains an ultimately unsatisfying satire. Coogan plays Sir Richard McCreadie, a Philip Green-esque mogul who buys up clothing firms, runs them into the ground and makes obscene profits. He leads a life of excess and his 60th birthday is about to be marked by a celebration on Mykonos. However, the party organization is in chaos, Syrian refugees have washed up on the beach causing problems with the view, and celebrities are not coming due to bad press. A series of sketchy encounters ensue, with David Mitchell making an impact as Nick, Coogan’s would-be biographer. Underdeveloped characters pop up and disappear again – Isla Fisher especially wasted as Coogan’s ex-wife. Sporadically amusing and with something to say about workforce exploitation, Greed doesn’t quite gorge on its potential, but Coogan and his teeth shine. Opens Feb 21

ALSO RELEASED FEBRUARY 2020: DANIEL ISN’T REAL (15) An imaginary childhood friend comes back to haunt a student following a crisis with twisted results in this superior horror. MR JONES (15) Welsh journalist Gareth Jones breaks the news about famine in Ukraine under Stalin in the 1930s. A little known story, well-executed. PLUS ONE (15) So-so romcom as two friends agree to be plus ones for their friend’s weddings and, yup, realise they love each other. Indie vibes with Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine. EMMA (PG) Another go at the Jane Austen matchmaking heroine, this time with Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role and lots of Brits doing cameos. Seen it all before, but this time Miranda’s in it. FANTASY ISLAND (12A) A horror reboot for the cheesy TV show. Hopefully someone shouts “The plane! The plane!” FIRST LOVE (15) BUZZ 32

PARASITE ****

Dir: Bong Joon-ho (15, 132 mins) This brilliant South Korean drama, from the director of The Host and Snowpiercer, defies expectations, blending comedy, horror and caustic social satire to gripping effect. Kim Ki-taek (played by Kang-ho Song) and his family all live in poverty in the slums, where their ramshackle flat is urinated on regularly and none of them have proper jobs. By chance, thanks to a friend, his son inveigles himself into the lives of the upper-class, wealthy Parks, taking over as a tutor to their daughter. The unemployed family then start to occupy other roles in the household – Ki-taek becoming the family driver, his wife the maid and his daughter an art therapist for the younger son, all by cunning subterfuge. Then events start to get darker and darker. To reveal more would reduce the delightful, arcane twists in the film; suffice to say, events lead to violence. Director and writer Bong Joon-ho always subverts genre, but Parasite transcends into a cutting comment on class, wealth and ignorance. The cast are all superb, the Parks blissfully ignorant of the tribulations of the poor and Song as the patriarch of his own struggling family is magnificent, as events become more farcical and tragic. An original, mind-bending and ultimately moving experience. Opens Feb 7

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE ****

Dir Celine Sciamma (15, 121 mins) This 18th-century tale, set on a remote island in Brittany, lingers long in the memory. Noémie Merlant plays Marianne, an artist commissioned to paint Héloïse (played by Adèle Haenel) by her mother in order to secure her daughter’s wedding and her future in a world where women can rarely make their own way. Marianne lives in the shadow of her father’s work and is desperate to create her own artistic voice. What follows is a very slow-burning love story, conveyed through lingering glances and elliptical gestures, as the superb Merlant and Haenel fall for each other under Sciamma’s brilliant direction. When they can finally reveal how they feel about each other, it’s electric and shot from a female gaze – no prurience here. Can their love survive in a society that will not allow it? Writer/ director Sciamma takes a nuanced approach with flawed yet believable characters, and a final scene that will leave you in tears. Superb. Opens Feb 28

THE INVISIBLE MAN ****

Dir: Leigh Whannell (15, 100 mins) A reimagining of the classic novel by H.G. Wells, this stalker thriller rachets up the tension with Elisabeth Moss anchoring the horror brilliantly. She plays Cecilia Kass, a woman trapped in a controlling, abusive relationship with her scientist husband. When she finally decides to leave him, she is told that he has killed himself and she has inherited $5 million if she can prove she is mentally competent. Weird things start happening – objects moving, a feeling of someone in the room – and it ultimately leads to the realisation that her husband can make himself invisible. Naturally, no-one believes her, and her sanity is called into question. Then the abuse steps up and people start getting killed. From the writer of the original Saw Leigh Whannell (who also directs), this is a brisk, efficient thriller that Moss totally sells, battling against doubts about her own mental stability and the disbelief of others. This is the treatment of the old Universal monster movies that feels relevant today; it lifts the genre with a gutsy performance and uses the source material to make a comment on the #MeToo movement and the uphill battle to get allegations of domestic abuse believed.

A horror film with a solid point amidst the enjoyable schlock. Opens Feb 28

THE CALL OF THE WILD ***

Dir: Chris Sanders (12A, 101 mins) Jack London’s classic dog-based adventure gets the fully rendered photorealistic animals treatment that made The Lion King look so odd, as Buck, a bighearted canine, finds himself uprooted from California into the Yukon during the 1890 gold rush. A family film that enables a dog to do outrageous stunts via technology, The Call Of The Wild’s VFX still look a little wrong, but the human performances at least add weight. Harrison Ford is on fine form as grumpy gold prospector John Thornton, who has escaped the world in the wastes of Alaska but whose heart begins to thaw when he discovers Buck – a St Bernard/Scotch Collie cross who leads him back to life. Their adventure takes them through rapids, bear attacks and frozen lakes under the direction of experienced animator Chris Sanders, with cameos from Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens and Omar Sy. A picaresque journey proceeds with charm, if you can get past the CGI. Opens Feb 21

UNDERWATER ***

Dir: William Eubank (12A, 95 mins) An alien clone set on the seabed, Underwater does have some effective moments and well-staged action but ultimately feels constrained by its 12A rating.

Kristen Stewart plays Norah, a deep-sea engineer who, along with a predictably ragtag group of co-workers, is drilling six miles beneath the ocean. A seismic event wrecks their rig and kills the majority of the crew, leaving Stewart, captain Vincent Cassel, annoying ‘comic’ relief T.J. Miller, brainy scientist Jessica Henwick and John Gallagher Jr. the task of walking out onto the seabed to reach safety in a main drilling station. Obviously, the seismic incident has unleashed something else from geothermic vents and the underwritten characters are confronted by what they were not meant to have unleashed. Sat on the shelf for years, this rips off Alien, down to its unnecessary underpants sequences, but is a competent creature feature with the occasional flourish. Opens Feb 7

Extreme filmmaker Takashi Miike goes romantic in this violent tale of a boxer and a call girl. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (PG) Finally the video game superstar gets his own film. Weirdly animated and with a gurning Jim Carrey on villain duties. Erm… LIKE A BOSS (15) Limp business comedy seemingly parachuted in from the 80s starring Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne battling against Salma Hayek for little reward. LITTLE JOE (15) Genuinely unsettling drama as a happy plant is cultivated by doctors Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw which has mind-altering capabilities. Gets under your skin. TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG (18) Strong crime western drama set in 1870s Australia based on fact as Ned Kelly goes on the run with his gang with bloody consequences. George MacKay (excellent in 1917) shines in the lead here too.

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© The National Gallery, London

art

IMAGINE A CASTLE: PAINTINGS FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON National Museum Cardiff Until Sun 10 May This is an opportunity to view an impressive collection of paintings to celebrate the acquisition of Bernardo Bellotto’s The Fortress Of Königstein From The North (1756-8) – one of the most original and significant examples of 18thcentury landscape painting. It appears alongside five other major paintings depicting castles and fortresses by European Old Masters. The National Gallery is committed to sharing the collection so it can be enjoyed throughout the UK, and its first stop is the National Museum Cardiff. The tour is supported by Art Fund and allows visitors to explore how artists have used their creativity to present castles over the last 500 years, in both realistic and imagined ways. It is hoped that the exhibition will reach many people who haven’t before had an opportunity to see the National Gallery’s collection.

The paintings of castles feature heavily in the collection and works include Jan van Beerstraaten’s snow-topped Castle Of Muiden In Winter (1658) [pictured] which captures the mood and feel of winter and the building’s physical state of preservation. Other more fantastical works include Claude’s quietly menacing Enchanted Castle (1664), depicting a tale from Ancient Rome, and French Symbolist Gustave Moreau’s Saint George And The Dragon (1889-90), in which the castle provides a backdrop for a story from Christian legend. With over 600 castles of our own, Wales is known as the ‘land of castles’. Aptly then, National Museum Cardiff’s own collection of artworks depicting Welsh castles will complement the touring pictures, offering an insight into “the sense of identity and history that many communities in Wales associate with their local castles”, according to David Anderson, the museum’s Director General.

As part of the exhibition, children from local schools will be invited to explore what castles mean to them and to create their own responses to Bellotto’s painting in the form of GIFs, shown on a screen in the exhibition space. EMILY EDWARDS Admission: free. Info: 0300 1112333 / www.museum.wales/cardiff

Neil Wilkin

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Until Sat 15 Feb Performance art at its finest and zaniest has come crashing into Swansea’s Elysium bar and gallery. A hidden gem that offers art classes, workshops and displays amongst its offerings, Elysium needs to be given more consideration from art fans and cocktail connoisseurs alike. Until Sat 15 Feb, at 7pm every night, Express Yourself hosts a series of evenings of performances, art happenings, dance, music, magic, film, and just about anything you could conjure up creatively. Produced by Mr & Mrs Clark and Upmarket Galleries, the evenings are a latter-day tribute to cabaret and Dadaism, first conceived in Newport’s Le Pub, and part of an artistled initiative.

A rallying cry against the bland, it promises to kick the High St up the backside with a jolt of puckish, punkish fun. While it certainly embraces eccentricity, one of the aims of the project is to broaden the horizons of performers and audiences alike.

Pretentiousness has no place here: just 15 minutes of each act in a lazy susan style. During the Clarks’ residency at the bar, they will host performing workshops on the first three Saturdays in February, as well as mentorship sessions.

Admission: free. Info: 07980 925449 / www.elysiumgallery.com (LA) BUZZ 34

GERALD SCARFE: STAGE AND SCREEN

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Until Mon 9 Mar Renowned for his political cartoons, Gerald Scarfe’s career first took off when he started drawing for Punch in the 1960s, before beginning his 50-year-long career as the Sunday Times’ political cartoonist in 1967. Perhaps a less well known aspect of Scarfe’s career is his contribution to the performing arts.

This touring exhibition from the House Of Illustration features over 100 works, with pieces ranging from preliminary sketches to storyboards, set designs, photographs, and even costumes.

Alongside designing ballets, operas and plays for companies including the English National Opera, Los Angeles Opera and English National Ballet, Scarfe’s repertoire includes work for film and TV. This exhibition includes his work for the feature film Hercules, as the only ever external production designer for Disney, as well as character and animation designs for Pink Floyd’s 1982 film adaptation of The Wall. His artwork for Pink Floyd arguably served to establish The Wall as an iconic piece of pop culture. When speaking about his artwork, Scarfe says, “I always want to bring my creations to life – to bring them off the page and give them flesh and blood, movement and drama.”

Admission: £8.25. Info: 01970 623232 www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk (EH)

AIMEE LAX: RADIOACTIVE BOGLACH

Mission Gallery, Swansea Until Sat 21 Mar At some point in our lives, we all ask ourselves ‘what if?’ What if I won the lottery? What if I’d swiped right instead of left? What if Wales had won the Rugby World Cup, thrashing England 85-0 in the final? But for Aimee Lax, graduate of the Royal College Of Art and current Ceramics Lecturer at Stroud College, the hypothetical scenario was a far weightier one: what if radiation from nuclear warheads buried in the hills around Cove Park, Scotland should leak into the surrounding environment? What sort of organisms might such a disaster create? The results of her imaginative flight of fancy are presented in the timely, thought-provoking art exhibition Radioactive Boglach, here as part of a UK-wide tour.

The impressive, visually arresting sculptures and ceramics on display toy with themes of attraction and repulsion, exploring the disturbing yet strangely fascinating effects that man-made substances wreak on the natural world.

In an era of Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg and the devastating Australian bushfires, Lax’s artwork is both shocking and necessary: a eminder of our need to protect wild flora and fauna from the fallout of our industrial ambitions.

Admission: free. Info: 01792 652016 / www.missiongallery.co.uk (RR)

ANNABELLE MAY HAMPTON: TRANSCAPE

Oriel Joanna Field, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Mon 3-Fri 28 Feb To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, the Torch Theatre are showing the work of transgender artist Annabelle May Hampton. Having previously sold two paintings to the National Library Of Wales in Aberystwyth, her latest work shows keen attention to detail when it comes to both landscapes and the human body, preferring to use oil and acrylic paint on canvas or paper.

Hampton’s art relates to her experience of being transgender. The artist describes her trans status as being with her all her life – just like her desire to draw and paint – and has been living as female for the past three years, going on to have gender reassignment surgery in September 2018.

As well as previously working in both psychiatric nursing and teaching, Hampton has a BA in Fine Art from Birmingham Institute Of Art And Design as well as an MA in Fine Art from Aberystwyth University. Now, Hampton paints and draws in her flat, describing herself as “an artist, sometime poet, and storyteller, not necessarily in that order. I also work as a cleaner – it helps pay the rent, just!”

Admission: free. Info: 01646 695267 / www.torchtheatre.co.uk (EH)

National Museum Cardiff Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd

Tymor Ffotograffiaeth 2019-20 Dathlu gwaith pedwar o’r artisitiaid fwyaf dylanwadol yn hanes ffotographiaeth

Photography Season 2019-20 Celebrating the work of four of the most influential artists in the history of photography Martin Parr yng Nghymru Martin Parr in Wales 26.10.2019–04.05.2020 Top: Eryri, 1989 Snowdonia, Wales, 1989 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos / Rocket Gallery

YSTAFELLOEDD ARTIST: August Sander ARTIST ROOMS: August Sander 26.10.2019–01.03.2020 Gwaelod, chwith: August Sander, Ysgrifennydd gyda Radio Gorllewin yr Almaen, Cwlen, Bottom, left: Secretary at West German Radio in Cologne ARTIST ROOMS Orielau Cenedlaethol yr Alban a'r Tate. Benthycwyd gan Anthony d'Offay 2010 ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Lent by Anthony d'Offay 2010 © Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur - August Sander Archiv, Cologne / DACS 2019 Ffoto © Orielau Cenedlaethol yr Alban / Photo © National Galleries of Scotland

Bernd a Hilla Becher Delweddau Diwydiant Bernd and Hilla Becher Industrial Visions 26.10.2019–01.03.2020 Gwaelod, dde: Bernd a Hilla Becher: Glofa Blaenserchan, Pont-y-pŵl, De Cymru, 1966 Bottom, right: Bernd and Hilla Becher: Blaenserchan Colliery, Pontypool, South Wales, GB, 1966 © Ystâd Bernd a Hilla Becher, cynrychiolir gan Max Becher, trwy garedigrwydd Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur – Bernd und Hilla Becher Archive, Köln, 2019 © Estate Bernd & Hilla Becher, represented by Max Becher, courtesy Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur – Bernd und Hilla Becher Archive, Cologne, 2019

Cefnogir yr arddangosfa gan y sefydliadau canlynol: The exhibitions have been generously supported by the following organisations:

stage

DENIS & KATYA

Pic: Nathan Chandler

Pic: Hugo Glendinning

The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 27 Feb; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Tue 3 Mar; Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Fri 27 Mar Here’s a new opera which brings the art form into the 21st century. Inspired by a harrowing real-life story, Denis & Katya is a chamber opera filtered through the lens of social media, voyeurism, real-time response and fake news. It recounts the final days of Denis Muravyov and Katya Vlasova, two troubled 15-year-old Russian teenagers fleeing from apparently abusive families. Reports viewed them as part Romeo and Juliet, part Bonnie and Clyde when, in 2016, they ran away to Katya’s stepfather’s house and began a three-day stand-off and firefight with Russian Special Forces that ended in their own suicides.

What composer Philip Venables and writer-director Ted Huffman have tapped into is that Denis and Katya livestreamed, posted and Instagrammed about their final days to friends and, subsequently, anyone else online who was interested. This devastating video footage was watched, rightly or wrongly, by masses of internet users. The story runs rich with the poetic tragedy of classic operatic tales but is made uncomfortably immediate through the dual setting of the text (both spoken and sung), projected social media posts and the dispassionate beeps and clicks of modern technology. But, as the story reaches its ending, expect the humanism and passion of operatic writing to soar above the cold, clinical social media setting.

Co-produced and co-commissioned by Music Theatre Wales, Opera Philadelphia and Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, its UK premiere will be in Newport, before touring to Mold, Aberystwyth, London and finally Cardiff. It has already enjoyed a world premiere in the USA, as part of Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O19.

Scored for two singers and an ensemble of four cellos, the music keeps the tension full-throttle throughout this one-act, 70-minute production. Starring mezzosoprano Emily Edmonds and baritone Johnny Herford, the UK performances are in association with the London Sinfonietta. JOHN-PAUL DAVIES Tickets: £10-£25. Info: www.musictheatre.wales

FEED

Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea Thurs 13 Feb Physical theatre ensemble Theatre Témoin return after the sell-out successes of The Marked and The Fantasist, bringing their vibrant play Feed, co-produced with The Lowry and Everyman Cheltenham, to Swansea on its nationwide tour. Directed by Ailin Conant, this cyberspace comedy had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and has since stacked up a number of rave reviews.

Exploring the inner workings of fake news, echo chambers and clickbait culture in today’s media playground, Conant’s production casts a darkly humorous spotlight on the horrifying potential of the internet by taking an innocent situation to the extreme. Feed follows a photographer, a journalist, a blogger and an SEO specialist as their actions lead a well-meaning article exposing Israeli crimes in Palestine to go viral. As the story progresses, the characters get tangled up in a media storm which quickly spirals each of their lives out of control.

Scrutinising the ways in which capitalism shapes the information we receive online, Feed exposes how our feelings and emotions are for sale when algorithms are designed to deliver what people want to see.

Tickets: £10-£12. Info: 01792 602060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk (EH) BUZZ 36

GHOST STORIES

New Theatre, Cardiff Tue 25-Sat 29 Feb After a record-breaking world tour and a sell-out West End run, Ghost Stories brings its scares to Wales for the first time. Cardiff’s New Theatre will play host to Professor Phillip Goodman, debunker of supernatural activity and exposer of fraudulent psychics, whose lecture acts as a frame for three macabre cases that seem to have a chilling connection to his own life.

Written by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman (who has co-written many of Derren Brown’s magic shows), the play comes with a warning for those of a nervous disposition to think carefully before attending, and an age restriction of 15+. Jeremy Dyson is the faceless fourth member of comedy troupe The League Of Gentlemen and, if that’s anything to go by, you can expect a fair selection of offbeat characters and sinister undercurrents. The play utilises sound and smell to ramp up the tension for heart-thumping frights.

As with all horror, it’s the not-knowing that gets the adrenaline flowing, the expectation that any second something could jump out, scream or crash. Much like Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, the enduring success of Ghost Stories is due in part to audiences keeping its secrets.

Tickets: £13-£34. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk (LN)

LLYFR GLAS NEBO

Various venues across Wales Mon 10-Thurs 27 Feb Manon Steffan Ros adapts her own award-winning novel, Llyfr Glas Nebo, bringing it to the stage with Frân Wen and Galeri.The tale follows Rowenna, her son Siôn, and baby daughter Dwynwen as the family try to survive in a post-apocalyptic village in north-west Wales.

Following a nuclear disaster, Nebo is left abandoned and destroyed, with any signs of life left fading fast.

Living without electricity and modern technology, Rowenna and Siôn record their experience of living off the land in a little blue book. Llyfr Glas Nebo explores the human ability to adapt when faced with the need to survive, while questioning the structures and norms of the contemporary world.

Directed by Elgan Rhys with music from R. Seiliog and choreography

by Matt Gough, Llyfr Glas Nebo will be performed in Welsh with selected performances accompanied by English surtitles. It visits Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre on Mon 10 and Tue 11 Feb; Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon on Thurs 13; Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Mon 17 and Tue 18; the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen on Tue 25 and Pontardawe Arts Centre on Thurs 27.

Tickets: £10-£12.

Info: www.franwen.com (EH)

TO MOVE IN TIME

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Tue 4-Wed 5 Feb Following a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, To Move In Time – a stream-of-consciousness monologue written by Tim Etchells and performed by Tyrone Huggins – is touring the UK, with its run beginning in the Welsh capital. It offers an opportunity to consider what life would be like if we were able to travel backwards and forwards in time.

Whether it’s stopping the rise of Hitler, photobombing scenes of historical importance, or remembering to save that important computer document, Etchells’ unnamed protagonist daydreams about the possibilities of changing the past and its effect on the present.

Huggins, an actor who has previously worked with Improbable and the RSC as well as founding his own company Impact Theatre CoOperative in 1979, also had input in the production alongside Sheffield’s Forced Entertainment (Table Top Shakespeare, Speak Bitterness). As always with the theatrical thought experiments of Etchells, this play is not just another take on a well-worn sci-fi idea, but rather pursues a deeper human study into the concept of time travel and its existential consequences.

Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org (EE)

FEBRUARY AT SHERMAN THEATRE MIS HYDREF YN THEATR Y SHERMAN

TYLWYTH 10 – 13 Maw / Mar

Gan / By Daf James Cyfarwyddwr / Director Arwel Gruffydd Capsiynau yn Gymraeg a Saesneg / Captions in Welsh and English

COUNT ARTHUR STRONG: IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? 7 Feb / Chwe

GET IT WHILE IT’S HOT: WINNERS 11 – 15 Feb / Chwe

LA VOIX: THE UK’S FUNNIEST REDHEAD 13 Feb / Chwe

THEATR IOLO: MUCKERS

7+

19 Feb / Chwe

SHERMAN YOUTH THEATRE THEATR IEUENCTID Y SHERMAN: THE IT 27 – 29 Feb / Chwe

SHERMANTHEATRE.CO.UK 029 2064 6900 Sherman Cymru Productions Ltd Registered Charity Number / Rhif Elusen Cofrestredig 1118364 Image / Delwedd: Burning Red

clubs

AL WOOTTON

Binary @ Kongs, Cardiff Sat 8 Feb “We are delighted to welcome him to Cardiff for the first time,” write Binary of Al Wootton, headline DJ for their third night to date. The assertion in that sentence is only accurate with a stretched technicality, though: before Al Wootton played out as Al Wootton, he was best known as Deadboy, under which name he released a solid body of 12”s on labels like Numbers, Ten Thousand Yen and Local Action, and generally kept busy in the mephedronechoked lairy post-dubstep scene of the early 2010s. Deadboy played Cardiff’s now-defunct Buffalo in 2014, indeed I’m pretty sure I previewed it, but tears in the rain and all that.

Fans of Deadboy’s output who’ve removed their eyes from the ball may be pleased to hear that Wootton’s (relatively recent) reversion to his birth name has not altered his sound vastly.

His latest EP – Body Healthy, on his own label Trule, also a new gambit – tries a steppers dub vibe on for size, but marries it to some large techno/garage rhythms.

Binary only debuted in October, but judging by this night and its DJ supporting cast of Tywi, Jeeves and P-Rail, look well up for it.

Admission: £6-£8.

Info: www.kongsbars.com (NG) BUZZ 38

PLEASUREKRAFT / SPEKTRE

High-Fi @ The Vaults, Cardiff Bay Sat 29 Feb …And we’re back! Not in time for Vaults’ first output of the year, but definitely for the biggest so far: Pleasurekraft and Spektre, both of the former’s own Kraftek label, which is absolutely rushed off its feet booking big lovely joint UK tours for its star acts and pushing the term ‘cosmic techno’. The label bosses postulate that within this forbidden celestial genre “pulses a heart that yearns toward a greater understanding of the cosmos and our humble place within it,” and if you take your techno clean, with plenty of ping-pong reverb and a synth sound so thick that one class-action lawsuit would see the label permanently renamed as “John Carpenter’s Kraftek”, then you’re probably already halfway there.

It is lovely, though. In the interests of self-actualisation or interstellar travel, Pleasurekraft have been chasing their decade long career with frightening new recent hits in tracks like Prison Planet and Alien Body Double (have you spotted a theme yet?), and along with Leeds lads Spektre [pictured] dominate the spacetech niche (just ahead of NASA). With whopping stream figures large enough for the acts to be considered ambassadors for modern techno in the US and UK respectively, the spread of the astral message is apparently far from over, as both acts come gunning hard with new material as we flip over to space year 2020.

Spektre have their brand new album Against A Dark Background to peddle, while Pleasurekraft are riding high from last year’s Drumcode outing (with an Adam Beyer/Layton Giordani/Green Velvet remix), Space Date, still furiously giddy about getting to work on another track about space. Keen to spread the love, Cardiff Bay is just one titchy footnote in a more supermassive tour for the Pleasurekraft boys, who have been touching astro-boots down in the Americas, Asia and Europe in a global invasion almost constantly for well over a year and are showing no signs of slowing. Cosmic techno and the astral learnings therein will be available for your own enlightenment at the end of February. JASON MACHLAB Tickets: £13-£17.50. Info: vaultspresents.com

COSMIC GATE

Club Logic, Swansea Sat 8 Feb This night of high-energy trance music in Swansea’s Club Logic will be headlined by Grammy-nominated German duo Cosmic Gate. Claus Terhoeven and Stefan Bossems will be supported by local stalwart DJs Big Al, Jonny Griffiths, John Hughes, Rob Rees and Andrew Butty Davies, with more still to be announced.

Cosmic Gate have proved their success in the last 20 years with a record of high-scoring chart hits and sell out shows, and show no sign of stopping.

In the UK, they first became wellknown outside trance-specific circles in 2001, when their single Fire Wire was released here. Since then, they have partaken in festivals including Creamfields, Ministry and SW4, as well as EDC and Ultra in the US. Their Grammy nomination came in 2018, for their remix of Gabriel & Dresden and Sub Teal’s Only Road.

Despite mainstream success, Cosmic Gate remain loyal to their trance roots, making the show suitable for old and new ravers alike. Stopping in on a 10date club tour that includes London’s Ministry Of Sound, expect a night of unmissable melodies and dynamic drops – this globetrotting pair are unlikely to be making another visit soon.

Tickets: £15-£20. Info: 07763 000382 / www.clublogicswansea.co.uk (RA)

LSB & DRS

Incurzion Audio / The Deep @ Kongs, Cardiff Sat 15 Feb The guys from Incurzion Audio don’t stand still for long. Established in 2018, the Welsh drum’n’bass label has already curated a roster of talented local artists and released an impressive run of records. Their latest event joins forces with promoters The Deep for the Cardiff launch of The Blue Hour, a collaborative album from LSB [pictured] and MC DRS, two wellrespected names in liquid d’n’b.

First signed to Deep Soul Music and DJ Zinc’s label, Bingo Beats, LSB has risen steadily through the scene, setting up his own imprint Footnotes in (again) 2018. DRS has had equal success as a vocalist, featuring on releases from Calibre, Marcus Intalex, Icicle, and more.

The Blue Hour isn’t the first time the pair have linked up, but it builds on a growing number of collaborative tracks including The View, Angels Fall and Missing You. Combining LSB’s soulful production with the distinctive vocals of the Mancunian MC, the album’s Cardiff launch promises to showcase the best of two artists’ talents.

Supporting are Ransom, Obsidian, and Caaza (Incurzion Audio) and Brave DnB and Maria-Lea (The Deep).

Tickets: £14/£12.

Info: www.kongsbars.com (FG)

MR TRAUMATIK & DJ FRENZEE

Patti Pavilion, Swansea, Sat 22 Feb; Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 28 Feb Following a hefty record of sell-out shows across the UK and overseas, Cardiff MC and producer Mr Traumatik [pictured] returns to his home city for a live showcase brought to you by the Dazed crew and backed by DJ Frenzee. Known for his high-energy live performances, Mr Traumatik has gained a loyal and ever-increasing following in south Wales and further afield.

A regular on lineups across the drum’n’bass scene, he’s appeared alongside Devilman, Sub Zero, Ray Keith, Majistrate, and many other highprofile producers and MCs. However, his style refuses to be boxed into one genre, spanning grime, hip-hop and more downtempo beats, as heard in his acid-tinged, self-produced track Psychedelic Ascension.

Recently back in the UK after a whistlestop tour of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Traumatik is sure to be welcomed home by his local fans.

Support in Cardiff comes from Clique, with more artists to be announced – and for readers in or nearer Swansea, Mr Traumatik will also be at the resurgent Patti Pavilion venue, again with DJ Frenzee, the weekend before.

Tickets from £9.50 (Swansea) / from £6 (Cardiff). Info: 01792 475444 (Swansea) / 029 20232199 (Cardiff) (FG)

08/02/2020

cosmic gATE Giuseppe Ottaviani Maria Healy PAUL VAN DYK 04/04/2020

09/05/2020

Guiding Light’ tour

KILIMANJARO BY ARRANGEMENT WITH UNITED TALENT AGENCY & JEM MUSIC GROUP PRESENTS

MONDAY 13 APRIL 2020

CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA CRAIGDAVID.COM MYTICKET.CO.UK

live

NAPALM DEATH

Pic: Joseph Connor

Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour @ Tramshed, Cardiff Wed 19 Feb Napalm Death are a British institution. Had their brand of politically motivated grind metal been deemed more palatable then I’m sure the influential Birmingham four-piece would have been offered – and turned down – knighthoods a long time ago. As it is, they continue to do what they’ve done best since the 1980s, laying waste to every city they hit.

Joining them on this tour will be New Orleans sludge veterans Eyehategod, Baltimore death metallers Misery Index, Finnish grinders Rotten Sound and Municipal Waste spinoff Bat. So Napalm Death frontman Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway has got to be looking forward to this one, right? “I think if I wasn’t, I probably wouldn’t bother doing this anymore!” says the man whose guttural growls have fronted the band since 1990. The tour itself is a gathering of old pals, with Barney remembering Eyehategod’s Jimmy Bower from his time with Crowbar. “You have to be comfortable with who you’re touring with – we’re a hands-on, DIY band.”

With all these years of touring and with no signs of slowing down, there must be things that Barney absolutely must have, to kill time on the road. “Well I still do a lot of the driving, but if not then I take a bag of books – I’m like a sponge for new information.” Napalm Death’s roots go back to 1981, while their discography includes 15 studio albums – selecting a setlist every night must have its challenges.

“We try and give a bit of something for everybody,” explains Greenway. “Napalm is one of those bands that tends to get split into two eras” – referring to the band’s late-80s incarnation, with Lee Dorrian on vocals, and before him Nik Bullen – “so using that logic we try and pick something from everything. I’m a fan of those early records and if I didn’t hear Scum I’d be disappointed!”

And with that, the conversation veers off to football and Barney’s beloved Aston Villa, but with 2020 still in its infancy the heaviest package tour of the year may just be in the Tramshed this month. CHRIS ANDREWS Tickets: £23. Info: 029 2023 5555 / tramshedcardiff.com

GEORGIA

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Tue 3 Mar Aptly titled Seeking Thrills, the new album from electro-pop musician Georgia is an exploration of the exhilaration and effervescence of those hair-raising experiences that we’re all familiar with, promising to leave the listener pining for more.

The producer and singer grew up in London and is the daughter of Neil Barnes, one half of 90s electronic group Leftfield. Surrounded by her father’s record collection, Georgia began her career as a drummer for Kwes and Kate Tempest among others, and in 2015 released a self-titled debut album that earned comparisons to Missy Elliott and MIA. Seeking Thrills coveys more sincerity and self-assurance than her earlier work: it’s already placed Georgia on the BBC’s Sound Of 2020 list as well as stacking up a number of rave reviews.

Following an electrifying performance on The Park Stage at Glastonbury last year, Georgia went on to win the Association of Independent Music’s One to Watch award in September 2019 – and is living up to expectations so far. Embarking on a UK and Europe tour early in 2020, Georgia will also be appearing at one of Germany’s largest festivals, Hurricane, in June.

Tickets: £9. Info: 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net (EH) BUZZ 40

KACY & CLAYTON

City Hall, St Davids, Pembrokeshire Fri 7 Feb Following previous records Strange Country and The Siren’s Song, Kacy & Clayton are bringing their new album, Carrying On, to St Davids. Released in October 2019, Carrying On is influenced by Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, combining psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the traditional music of Southern Appalachia.

The new album was created and perfected over the last two years on the duo’s almost non-stop tour, telling stories about life in the small Canadian village of Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, where they both grew up. Conveying an acknowledgement that their music takes them far from home, Carrying On is influenced both by a community where playing music is a constant part of daily life, and the country, blues, and English folk-rock the duo collect.

After touring the UK and Europe in 2018 supporting fellow Canadian folkies Deep Dark Woods, Kacy & Clayton are now embarking on their own tour, promising “This album has, by far, the most intense and confident performances we’ve ever done on record and I hope that intensity will be felt by the listener.”

Tickets: £15. Info: 07779 345279 (EH)

REMI HARRIS

Sunflower & I, Cardiff Bay Sun 1 Mar Gypsy jazz guitarist Remi Harris is swapping sold out festivals for intimate venues as he takes on Cardiff Bay’s Sunflower & I as part of his 2020 tour.

Growing up in Herefordshire with artists for both parents meant that he was encouraged to experiment with creativity early on. Inspired by the greats from Led Zeppelin to Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Peter Green and Stan Getz, Harris’ style combines the best bits of a multiplicity of genres. His music is a melange of jazz, blues and rock, with folk, funk and pop also seamlessly blended in.

Harris has played myriad gigs and festivals including the Brecon, Cheltenham and Montreal Jazz Festivals, BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and Buckingham Palace; performed alongside Jamie Cullum, John Etheridge and Gary Potter; and peaked at number seven on the iTunes jazz charts with debut album Ninick.

Sunflower & I, meanwhile, is not a widely recognised gig venue, but is a cosy yet stylish and atmospheric café in the heart of the bay, which will set the perfect backdrop to Harris’ versatile talent.

Tickets: £10-£12. Info: 029 2048 4211 / www.sunflowerandi.co.uk (RA)

SAM LEWIS

Sin City, Swansea Sat 22 Feb A songwriter described as “a modern Townes Van Zandt” is bringing his country soul from Nashville to Swansea in February, touring to promote the release of his new album Solo.

Unfamiliar with Sam Lewis? If ex-Byrd Gene Clark had been signed and nurtured by Stax, whilst at the same time reflecting on social and political themes within his musical output, then what you would have is something sounding fairly similar to what Sam Lewis has been doing since 2009.

A good starting point for the inquisitive is the gloriously soulful song One And The Same or even his cover of Loudon Wainwright’s Natural Disaster. Lewis has been listed in Rolling Stone as an ‘artist to watch’, but has not been handed anything on a silver platter.

Lewis worked quite a few shifts at Walmart, whilst at the same time honing his songwriting skills; his hard graft and persistence over the last 10 years is now finally coming into fruition, as deserved recognition is now forthcoming. Too damn good to ignore, take a trip to Sin City to hear Sam Lewis in full flight with his songs of faith, devotion and togetherness.

Tickets: £12. Info: 01792 468892 / www.sincityclub.co.uk (DN)

GABRIELLE APLIN +

Maelor Hughes

DEAR HAPPY TOUR SPECIAL GUESTS

WEDNESDAY 26TH FEB 2020

THEATR BRYCHEINIOG, BRECON NEW STUDIO ALBUM COMING IN 2020

13 MARCH 2020

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DREADZONE

THE HARA

4 APRIL 2020 THE GATE, CARDIFF

17 APRIL 2020 SIN CITY, SWANSEA

10 MAY 2020 THE GLOBE, CARDIFF

SATURDAY 23RD MAY 2020

SWANSEA SINGLETON PARK ONLY WELSH SHOW OF 2020 TICKETS £35 + BOOKING FEES

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24 MAY 2020 ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

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reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (Arrow Video, Blu-Ray)

Terry Gilliam’s hallucinatory adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s unfilmable book receives an eyepopping 4K restoration here, making it even more of a visual feast than it was in the first place. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro are on top form in this carnivalesque, drugged-up romp. This two-disc limited edition bulges with bonus material about the film’s history, Thompson and his original book, plus For No Good Reason – a documentary about iconic Welsh illustrator Ralph Steadman, whose inksplattered artwork graces the packaging. ****SP

THE IRISHMAN (Netflix)

Martin Scorsese’s take on American labor union official and mob hitman Frank Sheeran (who supposedly confessed to killing friend Jimmy Hoffa) is dreary and overlong. Spot-on period locations, sets, clothing and cars but the direction and writing lack suspense. The CGI de-aging of leads Robert De Niro, a miscast Al Pacino and Joe Pesci is distracting and alien-like: their younger faces don’t match their slow-moving bodies. These old pros give it a good try, but this vanity project should have been left swimming with the fishes along with De Niro’s blue eyes. ***RLR

EDGE OF THE AXE

(Arrow Video, Blu-Ray)

A masked axe murderer runs wild in this naff madefor-TV horror. All the ingredients of your typical 80s slasher appear: schlocky acting, lurid colours, synth soundtrack. But it’s marred by an awkward script that sounds like something by Tommy Wiseau. Extras include interviews with two cast members — one of whom became a schoolteacher — and the special effects artist who doesn’t seem to remember working on this movie at all. Despite this, it’s beautifully restored. No matter how trashy the film, Arrow will always treat it with tender love and care. **SP

ELIZABETH IS MISSING (BBC)

A welcome return to our screens, after an almost 30-year absence, for the formidable Glenda Jackson giving it everything she’s got. This mystery drama focuses on Maud (Jackson), an elderly woman spiralling downwards in the grip of dementia. Despite moments of clarity, her mind is as mixed-up and cluttered as the reminder notes she writes herself. She tries to unscramble the disappearance of her friend Elizabeth and of the vanishing of her sister in 1949. A shatteringly honest and unflinching look at how the disease robs individuals and families. *****RLR

THE TUCKERS (BBC)

Attempting to reflect regional diversity, the Beeb commissioned this new sitcom by Steven Speirs about a dodgy-dealing Welsh family with the most Englishsounding surname imaginable. Speirs stars as scooter-riding Glyn, Lynn Hunter shines as matriarch Peggy, and Alan David amuses as Dai Up & Down. But the hardworking cast can’t save a lacklustre script with paper-thin characters. Comparisons to High Hopes and Stella are inevitable. But it’s lightweight and polite, with Valleys clichés galore, which some might enjoy simply because it’s rare to see an allWelsh cast nowadays. But where are the laughs? **SP

BUZZ 42

albums

s s

CABANE **** Grande Est La Maison (Cabane Music) This elegant debut from Belgian writer/ composer Thomas Jean Henri enlists Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and This Is The Kit’s Kate Stables to croon delightfully over this lovely intimate suite of delicate tunes, underscored with fingerpicked guitar and drenched in string arrangements from the High Llamas’ Sean O’Hagan. If you’re not tempted by that already, read on – it’s like a Mediterranean Kings Of Convenience, Nick Drake in espadrilles, This Mortal Coil’s pastoral moments, or Damien Rice lightening up on a French holiday. CS

ENVY *** The Fallen Crimson (Pelagic) Have a half-decade hiatus and the first line-up changes in their 28-year history reinvigorated the Japanese post-hardcore/rock veterans?

Swaying Leaves And Scattering Breath and Memories And The Limit blaze with heavy anthemicism, A Faint New World is a nod – well, a vigorous headbang – to their roots and HIKARI promises and duly delivers a crushing climax. But other tracks feel rather tepid and tame, lacking grace and power, and Rhythm is Evanescence clumsily repackaged for Mogwai fans. BW

FRED DEAKIN *** Presents... The Lasters (Impotent Fury)

CERRONE **** DNA (Malligator/Because) Disco pioneer and venerated pillar of dance music Cerrone launches into the sixth decade of his career with a true odyssey of an album in DNA, the kind of rousing, epic disco (or ‘progressive house’ as it is now marketed) that will surely be set to 2001-style images of the universe whizzing by. Vocals melodies have given way to a fanfare of synth lines which crash to roaring guitars, sure to be spinning in the discotheques of the world come release. JM

DAN DEACON *** Mystic Familiar (Domino) It’s been a while since we last saw Dan Deacon on 2015’s Gliss Riffer, and Mystic Familiar shows the eccentric Baltimore native back in familiar territory.

Building on ideas from previous releases, there’s the expected glitchy electronics as well as more reflective instrumental passages. Dan has dialled down the chipmunk vocals of early releases, and the album lacks the surprise and innovation of an album like Bromst, but it’s still an enjoyable listen. ML

ELLIOT GALVIN ***** Live In Paris, At Fondation Louis Vuitton (Edition) It takes a certain type of genius to improvise an entire solo piano concert and for it to sound this good. UK jazz musician/composer Elliot Galvin begins his six-part performance, recorded live in Paris, with a blistering run of piano keys and hardly stops for breath, moving between needle-sharp staccato, graceful harmonies and darker, discordant sounds. What stands out most is his ability to transform the unplanned and unpredictable into something sublime. FG

Ever found yourself wondering what a Lemon Jelly album would sound like in 2020? Well, here you go. Fred Deakin, one half of said electronica duo, drops a sprawling sci-fi concept album filled with playful psychedelia and climate change warnings.

Think Jeff Wayne’s The War Of The Worlds, but about the last family on Earth escaping to Mars… I think. It’s all a bit silly but kinda fun, the glam chug of Come To Me the highlight. SE

GODSTICKS **** Inescapable (Kscope) Denigrate, the dynamic new single by south Wales four-piece Godsticks sets the scene for their fifth album.

Their blend of indie-rock and alternative metal has emotion and depth, lyrics telling of singer Dan Charles’ personal struggle and inner demons.

Inescapable is energetic and punchy but Charles’ vocals shine the brightest on Breathe, the softest track of the nine tracks. There are some great riffs and solos here and the nineminute Change is worth waiting for. LN

HMLTD *** The West Is Dead (Lucky Number) Following a couple of tricky years where it was ‘all to play for’, HMLTD have re-found their feet with debut The West Is Dead, shirking the over-production that enfeebled their stint in Los Angeles in return for the inspired, and largely atypical, songwriting that characterised their early material. Is the kitschy lyricism ironic? Or perhaps even post-ironic? I doubt anybody really cares anymore about the ‘artistic intent’ of this band; the album is perfectly good, and they put on a lively show. JW

s

s

HUMANIST ****

PEGGY SUE ***

Humanist (Ignition)

Vices (French Exit)

Producer and Exit Calm guitarist Rob Marshall’s debut album as Humanist is something that demands repeat listening.

Industrial electronic sounds dominated by a psychedelic post-punk guitar wall-of-sound twang weave their way through songs that emotively tackle “life, birth, death, religion and mortality.” Collaborators include Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan, on Shock Collar, and Mark Lanegan, who adds some deep vocal menace to four tracks on what without any doubt is an all-killer-no-filler album. DN

Play this, London duo Peggy Sue’s first album since 2014, in the background while you carry on with something else and you’ll soon be humming along, with your shoulders swaying and a smile on your face. Their melodies creep up on you unannounced and their vocals, which if listened to directly can be rather sharp on the ears, take on a softer edge. Vices has a definite early 60s folky vibe going on and it’s quite enjoyable. LN

KATIE GATELY **** Loom (Houndstooth) Katie designed this album from seismic sounds, electronica and symphonic textures, as a tribute for her mother who died from a rare cancer. Her love, anger, sorrow and respect permeate every song, but this is no pity party, combining Björk at her most bracing with the accessible side of Holly Herndon. On Allay, Katie speaks as the disease, layering vocals and samples of pill bottles shaking and cymbals crashing to a headspinning crescendo, like a malignant Laura J Martin. CS

LEE RANALDO & RAÜL REFREE *** Names Of North End Women (Mute) Two guitarists known respectively for alternative rock and flamenco team up to create this freeform album that mostly eschews their instruments of choice. The songs are experimental in tone, where tape loops, found sounds and vocal melodies drift in and out with spoken word passages. These stream-ofconsciousness passages wouldn’t be misplaced on any Mark Kozelek album post-2014, although the duo are a lot more cohesive than him and don’t dwell on their colonoscopy or boxing quite as much. GM

NICOLAS GODIN **** Concrete And Glass (Because) Half of iconic French synth-pop duo Air, Godin’s second release in his catalogue of solo work illustrates his mastery at conceiving polished, bewitching electronic pop songs. Wistful harmony floats over solid percussion and memorable melodies are bolstered by a selection of great featured vocalists – not to mention Godin’s signature vocoder. Overall, it’s more of what made Air special, yet with a personal approach making it something entirely separate. CPI

PET SHOP BOYS *** Hotspot (x2) Now that their nemesis, conservative philosopher and complete bastard Roger Scruton, is dead, the Pet Shop Boys are free to not write their own songs, as they once successfully sued him for claiming. First, though, their 14th studio album, which teems with multiple PSB hallmarks. Pumping hi-NRG sits by plaintive bedsit ballads (Burning The Heather); Years & Years assert themselves well on single Dreamland and Monkey Business, which sounds like Kid Creole, is possibly this duo’s zenith of zaniness. NG

POLIÇA **** When We Stay Alive (Memphis Industries) For Poliça frontwoman Channy Leaneagh, inspiration for her synthpop band’s fifth album was found in the months following a back injury. Sonically, Ryan Olson’s delicate and moody production seamlessly reflects her muse, departing from both the rich orchestral tones of their previous album, and the poppier approach to the one before that. Praising an album for its mixing is hardly glamorous, but Leaneagh’s haunting vocals are balanced with delicate strength, and elevates an album that could have otherwise sounded sparse and flat. AP

PULLED BY MAGNETS ****

s

s

SEPULTURA **

YORKSTON/THORNE/KHAN ***

Quadra (Nuclear Blast)

Navarasa: Nine Emotions (Domino)

The Brazilian metal legends return with Quadra, their 15th studio album, in what has been teased as a return to their black/death beginnings. While there are elements of that ferocity here, ultimately Quadra is a polished but insignificant metal album that tries too hard. The musicianship is outstanding, but they lack that raw attitude of old and the addition of symphonic interludes does nothing for me. The sooner the Cavaleras and Kisser/ Paulo Jr realise how much they need each other, the better. CA

Now on their third album, this intrepid trio of folkster Yorkston, double-bassist Thorne and Khan, who brings the Middle Eastern Sarangi vibe and vocals, cover the nine (nava) emotions or sentiments (rasa) of the arts, ranging from disgust, anger and horror to mirth, beauty and compassion. The first two-thirds show cross pollination at its most wondrous and immersive on Sukhe Phool, The Shearing… and Westlin Winds, while the jarring Twa Brothers is an incongruous culture clash too far. CS

SETH LAKEMAN **** A Pilgrim’s Tale (BMG) Lakeman follows in the tradition of bands such as Jethro Tull where lyrics often carry more weight than music. His latest offering tells of the Pilgrim fathers’ journey to the New World, which is celebrated in detail including a song called The Great Iron Screw.

Actor Paul McGann supplies between-track narration for this history lesson, with fiddle, banjo and Cara Dillon on backing harmonies.

An album for those who appreciate Lakeman’s gentle voice, or enjoy sea shanties. LN

WIRE **** Mind Hive (Pinkflag) Quickly establishing themselves at the forefront of the postpunk movement in the late 70s, Wire were one of the most interesting bands to emerge in the wake of punk’s scorched earth policy. Despite being around since Adam was a boy, it’s a pleasure to find them still making music this good nearly 45 years later. Mind Hive veers between pop and something with a harder, slightly menacing edge. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but this is a solid entry in their catalogue. DG

WRANGLER ****

Rose Golden Doorways (Tak:til)

A Situation (Bella Union)

To be honest, I can’t see black metal jazz becoming a widely acknowledged genre – but if perchance it does, this record should be one of its shining examples. Seb Rochford (leader of post-jazz stylists Polar Bear, and member of Basquiat Strings and Sons Of Kemet) fronts this new trio, whose debut album is a post-apocalyptic soundscape unleashing the most powerful and monstrous sounds imaginable from the traditional set-up of sax (Pete Wareham), bass (Neil Charles) and drums (Rochford). SP

Synths growl, gush and gurgle on the latest LP from electronic supergroup Wrangler, made up of Ben ‘Benge’ Edwards of The Maths, Phil Winter of Tunng and Stephen Mallinder, one half of Cabaret Voltaire.

Bleak, dystopian lyrics about ecological collapse and state surveillance conjure up a typically Ballardian universe. And with Mallinder’s breathy, half-whispered vocals, there’s a good slab of industrial sleaze on tracks like Machines Designed (To Eat You Up), alongside interludes of pristine, Kraftwerkian techno-pop (Anarchy Of Sound). SP

demos PLASTIC ESTATE facebook.com/plasticestate These Cardiffians have scaled down from a full band to a duo since releasing their first music, in the process excising most of their obviously indieish stylings in favour of slick leftfield synthpop. There Must Be More Than This is Plastic Estate’s first fruits for 2020, and it pulsates with a swooning grandiosity that I’d be unsurprised to see scooping an attentive audience. That said, I can’t help noting that every word of my first sentence could also describe their peers Private World. NG

REVOLUTION RABBIT DELUXE www.revolutionrabbitdeluxe.com And then you’ve got these guys from Blackwood, which used to be just one fella – Rev Rabbit, he calls himself – until he added three more. They’ve done a full CD album, Swipe Left, which despite its neologistic title has overly-tinkered-with artwork that looks like a relic of the Photoshop-happy early 00s, and music that straddles indie and punk in a way Steve Lamacq would have probably bigged up in the early 90s. RRD’s coalescing of whimsy and invective might hit harder with punchier production. NG

VEINS FULL OF STATIC veinsfullofstatic.bandcamp.com Immersive and impressive drifting electronics which I like more the bleaker and un-beat-y it gets. A Cardiff resident named Jamie with three releases to date, Veins Full Of Static’s latest is titled Passenger Songs and the Bandcamp blurb suggests these sparse, clanking rhythms and fuzz-dappled, vaguely pastoral ambient synths would ably soundtrack a journey where one is chauffeured in whatever manner. On a ‘netlabel’ that occasionally does tapes or CDs; I’ll buy a copy of this if given the option. NG

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

Cardiff city centre venue 10 Feet Tall, which opened in 2008 and incorporates a dining area and basement-level club Undertone over its three floors, has been earmarked for redevelopment by its landlords. Proposals were submitted to Cardiff Council in early January detailing an intention to transform the ground floor into a restaurant, Undertone becoming its kitchen, with office space on the upper levels. The fallout from this becoming public included the venue’s staff resigning en masse, citing an ongoing lack of communication with 10ft’s directors – who, in turn, claimed (in part via social media accounts otherwise operated by staff) that they were equally unaware of these plans, and intended to keep the venue open until further notice. At press time, events booked in there have though been relocated or postponed Not that this was the only casualty of the now-traditional January venue bloodbath, of course. The Attic in Swansea, which had built itself up into a prime spot for club nights in the last couple of years, closed in the first week of the year as a result of its parent venue Walkabout doing likewise. The unexpected shuttering of the Brass Bat, on Cardiff’s St Mary Street, has left the likes of emo DJ collective Team Up! looking for a new home. And nearby, musical instrument shop Gamlins – which opened in 1960 and has been in its current location for 40 years – is to close in March due to its owner retiring, and has a sale on now Revered Bristolian post-techno DJ/producer Batu is behind a new summer festival in Monmouthshire. En Masse takes place at Three Pools, a permaculture farm near Abergavenny, from Fri 12-Sun 14 June; it follows in the footsteps of Headroom, a similar case of Avon ravers decamping to south Wales, which launched

last year and is back in the same location for 2020. No lineup information is available yet, but Batu’s taste in electronic music as reflected in the output of his record label, Timedance, makes this a very promising addition to the calendar Luxurious-mopped German ivory-tinkler Ludwig van Beethoven celebrates his 250th birthday this year, and Cardiff sees no reason why it shouldn’t crash the party.

There’ll be concerts of his music performed throughout 2020, plus during May, a public art/performance scheme devised by organisations including BBC National Orchestra Of Wales and Welsh National Opera. Twelve pianos will be placed around Cardiff city centre, each given an artistic coast of paint and free for the public to play. For now, the scheme – titled Keys To The City, geddit – is looking for submissions from people with proposals regarding the pianos’ visual side. If you have one, email keystothecitycardiff@gmail.com by 10am on Mon 10 Feb Matt Davies, stalwart promoter of underground music in Carmarthenshire and owner of the Tangles Parrot record shop (plus, previously, the Parrot music venue) is launching a new label, Ffynnone. “No big agenda, great music with great artists,” is its prosaic mission statement, and with the high priest of Welsh postpunk David R Edwards [pictured] selected for the debut Ffynnone release, it’s a justifiable statement. Edwards, best known as vocalist and chief songwriter in Datblygu, has two songs here, unusually for him in English.

Geraldine Emerald is described as “a love song to my best friend,” while The Truth, The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth is “the tale of when I was the victim of attempted murder in spring 2019”

ONES TO WATCH...

ANI GLASS

The journey leading to Ani Glass’ debut album Mirores dates back to the late 00s, where Ani Saunders – her given name, pre-pseudonym – joined The Pipettes as half of a duo, alongside older sister Gwenno. Faintly absurdly, this meant the Brighton indiepop girl group consisted of two Welsh siblings with no link to its original lineup; the band split in 2011, but it served as a springboard for both Saunders’ next movements.

Following a period heading a Cardiff band, The Lovely Wars, Ani Glass first emerged in 2015, her mode ethereal slowburner synthpop in Welsh, her first language. Various singles and EPs followed, notably Ffrwydrad Travel in 2017: produced by the esteemable WH Dyfodol (aka Y Pencadlys), it marked the beginning of Ani’s relationship with elusive label Recordiau Neb, who are also releasing Mirores.

Notably, these 10 songs are self-produced – a first for Ani – and while there are stylistic deviations, her taste for leftfield disco synth gleam and churchy, almost dreampop-like vocals is clear. Close listening will also reveal field recordings of Cardiff, apparently part of a concept which binds together the album’s running order, while the title is a reference to Saunders’ Cornish bardic name. Obliged, here, to note that Gwenno has channelled her Wales-Kernow dual heritage into electronic pop both bolder and more successful than anyone might have envisaged during her Pipettes days; if Ani Glass has taken longer to unfurl her creative vision, the results are similarly worthwhile. facebook.com/aniglasscymru

BUZZ 44

one louder DON’T like the idea of this column becoming a CASSETTE REVIEWS ROUNDUP, as it’s done every February for years now? Think that the revival of the format, enduring as it’s proved, remains silly and superficial? No worries – you can listen to everything covered here online. Apart from the first two things I’m going to highlight. Ha ha! Ain’t I rotten.

BATU is a cool and eclectic DJ/producer from Bristol who bubbled up when dubstep turned into weird techno over there. He’s recorded a 90-minute mixtape for the RWDFWD label, and it’s some trippy tackle, resplendent with beats, but often slow and slurring, sharing space with dialogue and odd FX. No clue about the tracklisting or where you might be able to buy it right now, sorry.

You can (as I type) buy Sewer For Life by BODILY FLUIDS, but no Bandcamp or similar for you pal.

It’s released on the Outsider Art label run by Dean Robinson, who plays in the band and therefore also takes some blame for Bodily Fluids’ grim, monolithic and invigorating Brainbombs-type primitivism.

Robinson’s other projects include a punishing solo noise guise, KNIFEDOUTOFEXISTENCE, whose latest release The Future Grows Beneath My Skin – just under 20 minutes of grinding semi-ambient machine murk – is also on Outsider Art. We can get uglier and more antisocial still with Vultures, a cassette by London’s DELTA POINT on Geordie label Cruel Nature. They’re a shouty power electronics combo with a line in extreme gabber, where the beats are so fast it just sounds like noise (even to people who like noise), and lard that with samples of moody sounding blokes. It’s horrible! I like it a lot. A slightly friendlier if equally OTT spin on gabber comes from GABBER MODUS OPERANDI, whose 2019 album Hoxxxya got a limited tape pressing in December. GMO are from Indonesia and clearly love trance, footwork and the idiosyncracies of their native pop music as well as terror-paced kickdrums; cuts like Tekyan are undeniable euphoria, and these guys could blow up in 2020.

A bit more serious-faced, albeit not wholly unfun, are NEW SINCERITY, a duo from Finland who I know little about. Opal Tapes, who released their EP Fibreglass Pools, mentions “sound design” in their blurb, and sure these electronic pieces are meticulously crafted, but the bassweighty influence of dubstep, abstract jungle and neo-dancehall means a groove is always thereabouts.

Finally, I love this brand new/hella old (recorded from the 1930s-50s, apparently) collection of Greek rebetika folk on the strange Death Is Not The End label, who specialise in bootleg comps of crackly, globally-sourced sides. It’s called The Sun Is Setting On The World and the songs appear to have been selected for their thematic gloominess, although rebetika’s default mode is mope. It’s great and beautiful, anyway, and I’ll be playing it more this year as the apocalypse draws ever nearer.

February gigs to try include ALULA DOWN (The Globe, Hay-On-Wye, Sat 1); ZINC BUKOWSKI, DISJOY, NIL and GLUD (The Bunkhouse, Swansea, Sun 2); F EMASCULATA and PUNCH ON! (Le Public Space, Newport, Fri 7); ROMEO TAYLOR and ORDEAL BY ROSES (Le Pub again, Wed 12); SHUCK, JAXSON PAYNE and GLUD again (The Moon, Cardiff, Fri 21); MASSICOT, SLAGHEAP and JOHN PAUL (Moon, Thurs 27). NOEL GARDNER

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

WALKING CARDIFF Peter Finch & John Briggs (Seren)

“There are a few things about a good walk ... it should get you lost and then it should find you,” writes Peter Finch – poet, psychogeographer and editor of Seren’s Real… series of guidebooks – in this superb collection of 20 walks around Cardiff. Like a knowledgeable and witty friend, Finch accompanies the reader on comprehensive tours and countercultural excursions, from the vibrant city centre to its overlooked outskirts.

Along the way, he uncovers the forgotten histories of its diverse neighbourhoods, as well as a surprising number of literary landmarks. In his photographs, John Briggs (who was born in Minnesota but has lived in south Wales since the 1970s) somehow manages to make Llandaff and Roath look like districts of a fashionable European city, while never shying away from their rough-and-ready charm.

My average working day is spent slumped behind a desk, so time for urban wandering is scarce. Luckily, Finch writes so well that even armchair explorers feel they’ve walked miles. Over the course of a few carefully planned lunch hours, however, I managed to trek abridged versions of walks around Canton and Ninian Park. In practice, Walking Cardiff’s only flaw is perhaps its size and heft: a walking book ought to be light, even pocket-sized, but this one’s quite weighty. This problem is easily avoided though, as all the walks are uploaded to an online route planner for smartphone-wielding ramblers.

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a born-and-bred Kairdiffian, you’re bound to discover something new in the Welsh capital with this book as your companion.

SAM PRYCE Price: £14.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com

A DEATH IN MAYFAIR Mark Ellis (Headline) This noirish detective novel from Mark Ellis, a thriller writer from Swansea, is set in 1941 against the backdrop of the Second World War, and features a medley of gangsters, Satanists and corrupt film industry personalities embroiled in the investigations of DCI Frank Merlin. I was expecting a fast-paced thriller, but the in-depth research and multiple subplots make it more of a good old-fashioned detective story. The vivid descriptions of the era provide ideal background for the charismatic and likeable Merlin.

Having not read any of the previous novels in the series, the lack of background knowledge didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book, and I would recommend this to readers as a standalone novel. I now have the rest of the series to look forward to! RH Price: £8.99 Info: www.markellisauthor.com EXPOSITION Nathalie Léger, trans. Amanda DeMarco (Les Fugitives) Part-biography, part-autofiction, part-essayistic collage, Exposition is resistant to categorisation. A deceptively conventional premise sees Nathalie Léger’s narrator given the task of curating an exhibition on the Countess of Castiglione, notorious aristocrat and mistress of Napoleon III. An intense period of research follows and, with it, the prose becomes an unbridled stream of consciousness that uses the Countess’ life as a sideways lens to examine the lives of icons of art and cinema, from Louise Bourgeois and Robert Mapplethorpe to Isabelle Huppert and Marilyn Monroe. While these grand meditations on femininity and creativity are diverting, Exposition is at its most affecting when exploring the narrator’s own relationships and inner life. Léger’s showy, self-reflexive autofiction might be a turn-off for some, but as a true original it is deserving of attention. AH Price: £12. Info: www.lesfugitives.com BUZZ 46

COMPRESSION Tim Cundle (Earth Island) Compression, the debut novel by Welsh author Tim Cundle, was originally going to be released in the mid-2000s, but the publisher died. Then it was due to be released a second time by another publisher, whose business went under.

So, Earth Island might be worried about this “cursed” book they’ve released. They needn’t be.

It’s a story of the small-town boy who makes it big in the world of punk rock, only to come home years later to be confronted by the demons of what he left behind. Cundle, himself part of south Wales’ punk scene for almost 35 years, draws from his experience to great effect in the book, lending an autobiographical feel to this quasi-true crime novel. Laced with dark humour as well as brutal trauma, this tale leaves you asking whether we can ever really escape our past. CA Price: £7.99. Info: www.earthislandbooks.co.uk REAP THE WHIRLWIND Mark Timlin (Crime & Mystery Club) Timlin’s hardboiled antihero Nick Sharman is revisited in Reap The Whirlwind, made up of a long-lost novella from the 1990s and a handful of short stories. An urgent, fluid yet sardonic writing style throws us back into a noirish rendition of 90s south London. With Sharman threatened by everyone, from shady underworld leaders to wallet thieves and pimps, ...Whirlwind celebrates classic, thoroughbred crime fiction. A supporting cast of familiar faces and new characters pop up along the way, as Sharman follows nothing but risky leads and his own moral compass. Previous Sharman thrillers may have suffered a little from slow starts, but this pacier, shorter format hurtles along faster than ever, and oozes with action, brutality and suspense. Even after almost 30 years, Timlin’s brainchild continues to offer gritty, entertaining escapism. AP Price: £19.99. Info: www.crimeandmysteryclub.co.uk

DELILAH Rhodri Wyn Owen (Gwasg Gomer) A murder at the Millennium Stadium, inspired by a Tom Jones song.

While Delilah couldn’t be any more stereotypically Welsh, it reveals a side of the nation we rarely see in literature.

The plot follows Twm Bradley, a local newspaper journalist, who must clear his boss’s name when a recent murder brings up a buried past. When a book has as much detail as this, it can be excruciating not to try and solve the mystery before the protagonist reveals all, but it’s a thrilling read. This debut novel provides an exciting alternate history of our beloved Millennium Stadium around the time when it was being rebuilt in the 1990s, inspired by the atmosphere of rugby tournaments. If you like rugby, crime writing, Wales, or indeed all three, then you will enjoy Delilah. CD Price: £8.99. Info: www.gwales.com

WHAT REMAINS AT THE END Alexandra Ford (Seren) Set against the blustery backdrop of Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, American woman Marie Kohler embarks on a trip that will – hopefully – help her piece together the broken history of her grandparents’ childhood as ethnic Germans (or Danube Swabians) in Yugoslavia under Tito’s Partisan regime. Feeling disconnected from her heritage and grief-stricken about her grandfather’s death, Marie heads to Serbia with David, and attempts to establish her ancestry. The novel also has passages set in 1940s Yugoslavia, connecting the present with the past. Based on her own personal experience of growing up with Swabian grandparents, Alexandra Ford’s debut novel is hard-hitting to say the least. But, with its mix of slick wordplay and meticulous research, the reader comes face to face with forgotten, genocidal atrocities swept under the proverbial carpet. DG Price: £9.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com

Pic: Markus Spiske

eco

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR AN E C O - F R I E N D LY H O M E Whether you’re looking to live sustainably or to save money, Seren McKeever has put together a list of 10 simple things you can do this year for a more environmentally friendly household.

LED LIGHTBULBS These use much less energy than incandescent or halogen bulbs, while also lasting way longer. A LED bulb can last up to 15 years, meaning it’s a simple way to contribute to reducing costs, and the carbon footprint of your home.

USE NATURAL CLEANING PRODUCTS Standard cleaning products release unnatural, harmful chemicals into the water. However, for dayto-day cleaning, you can actually use citrus fruits, bicarbonate of soda, and vinegar. Often, these come with less packaging, so you’re helping in more ways than one.

BRING A PACKED LUNCH TO WORK Food waste is one of the biggest causes for greenhouse gases worldwide. The UK throws away around seven million tonnes of food every year, and almost three quarters of it could have been eaten. By using leftovers for your lunch the next day, you can save both the environment and your wallet.

CREATE YOUR OWN COMPOST Although most UK governments now provide recycling bins for food waste, putting a compost bin in your garden lets you visualise how much food you’re actually throwing away. Not only this, but food compost also provides great fertilisation for plants.

EAT LOCAL, AND SEASONAL Although veganism and vegetarianism is on the rise, that might be too big of a change for some people.

However, buying local, organic meat can make a big difference to the environment too. Additionally, transporting food from one country to another causes a lot of pollution, so by paying attention to what vegetables are freshly available in Wales each season, you help more than you realise.

SWITCH OFF PLUGS Leaving your phone charger plugged in when there’s no phone connected is something we all do. The same goes for the kettle, the microwave, and hundreds of other items. By switching off these plugs at the wall when they’re not in use, you stop ‘phantom energy’ and save a lot of money on your electricity bill.

THINK You’d be surprised how much you can cut back just by taking a moment before each purchase. Do you need it, or can you wait, or repurpose something you already own? Doing this means you can cut the amount of products, waste, and CO2 output you have by surprising amounts.

BUY LOOSE-LEAF TEA OR COFFEE BEANS This is one of the simplest switches to make, but effective in helping to cut out single-use plastic.

While you probably already know about coffee pods’ plastic, you might not know teabags also contain plastic in their fibres. So, switching to the alternative really helps the planet.

LAYER UP Although it’s tempting to blast the heating when you’re sitting at home cold, it’s much better for everyone if you put an extra jumper on. Doing this saves your heating bill, and it saves the environment.

BUY YOUR CLOTHES IN CHARITY SHOPS The fashion industry is predicted to cause 25% of worldwide carbon output by 2050. The UK is one of the worst contributors, burning thousands of pieces of clothing annually. By keeping your clothes longer, or buying new pieces in charity or vintage shops, you help show the fashion industry that its current way of working isn’t one that should continue.

All of these steps have been picked for how easy they are to do. Plus, while you don’t have to do every one, most of them also help you save money as well. So, they help you as much as they help the planet!

BUZZ 47

Pic: Matilda Bellman

WALES ALES

News, views and reviews on Welsh brews from Neil Goodman The Six Nations tends to unite two of Wales’ greatest treasures: real ale and rugby. Whether you’ve worked up a thirst by playing or just watching the game, there’s really no finer way to find refreshment.

HOW TO CONSTRUCT T H E U LT I M AT E L U N C H B O X Let’s face it – that soggy supermarket hoisin duck wrap is not going to make you (or your tummy) happy. Do yourself a favour and make your co-workers jealous with our formula for the ultimate lunchbox, devised by Elin Evans.

BASE White rice, pasta and bread might be the most popular choices for our lunchboxes, but sweet potatoes, brown rice, beans and chickpeas are complex carbohydrates which give us much more energy. Roast chickpeas, first tossing them in olive oil and playing around with spices.

PROTEIN It’s usually cheaper to buy raw meat and cook it yourself with different herbs and spices, but this requires a bit more organisation. If you’re not eating meat then use a combo of boiled eggs, tofu, edamame beans, green peas, lentils or quinoa to up your protein intake. My favourite marinade works particularly well with chicken and tofu, and involves chucking Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice and garam masala together to make something which tastes like you’ve made a lot more effort than you have.

VEGETABLES As well as a salad, try to get as many different coloured veggies in your lunchbox as possible.

Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals which help protect the cells in your body from damage. Plus, they have the aesthetic {je ne sais quoi} a potato salad sorely lacks. Artichokes, carrots, beetroots and spinach will soon be in season, so that’s a good start.

DRESSING The secret to making everything taste 10 times better also takes about 40 seconds. Forget supermarket dressings, because the ingredients for your own (superior) dressing are already in your kitchen: an acid, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep your homemade dressing in the fridge for a couple of BUZZ 48

weeks and shake it up every time you use it.

Classic: lemon juice, olive oil and Dijon mustard.

Slightly fancy: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and honey.

Showing off: lime juice, sesame oil, honey and soy sauce (instead of salt).

TOPPINGS Go wild with toppings. Fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, feta, hummus, you name it. Peanuts, almonds and chia seeds are particularly good for bulking up the protein in your lunchbox.

MEXICAN LUNCH BOX Base: three bean salad, brown rice or sweet potato.

Protein: chicken or tofu.

Vegetables: mixed peppers, sweetcorn and avocado.

Dressing: lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Toppings: fresh coriander and feta.

MEDITERRANEAN LUNCH BOX Base: brown rice or chickpeas.

Protein: chicken or tofu.

Vegetables: mixed peppers, tomatoes, cucumber.

Dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic.

Toppings: fresh mint, Greek yogurt, black olives, hummus, feta.

PAD THAI LUNCH BOX Base: rice noodles or brown rice.

Protein: chicken, prawns or tofu.

Vegetables: carrots, green beans, edamame, mixed peppers.

Dressing: lime juice, sesame oil, honey, minced garlic.

Toppings: fresh coriander, crushed peanuts, red chilli.

MIKEY RAYER – CRAFTY DEVIL Going on a Mikey Rayer? Low in alcohol at 4% but big in flavour with a clean, crisp finish, this is brewed by Cardiff’s Crafty Devil with Maris Otter Extra Pale malt and oats. An all-day thirst-quencher with a super light appearance and bags of mouthfeel. There’s not many players whose alcoholic exploits have led to them becoming rhyming slang for a day on the booze. Reminisce about the former Cardiff full-back scoring two tries in the mud for Wales against Scotland in 1994 as you sip.

BALL CHASER – DOG’S WINDOW Just like Shane Williams, this brewery may be small in stature but have been producing the goods at quite some pace. A beer from their experimental small batch series which proved so popular that it’s become part of the main range, this New England IPA is naturally hazy with a lovely fruity aroma. Brimming with New Zealand and American hops, it has plenty of bite at 5.3% - a light amber-coloured beer which will have you reaching for more at half-time.

GATLAND’S LAW – TENBY HARBOUR Tenby Harbour Brewery break with their usual tradition of naming beers after local boats to rebrand with a rugby theme. Paying homage to former Welsh rugby coach Warren Gatland, this is a striking pale ale whose hoppiness comes from the blending of New Zealand hops to give a tropical, fruity tang. Nicely balanced with Maris Otter malts, it also comes in at a very sessionable 4.2%, so light in strength and colour, but full of flavour.

A grand slam of a beer!

For more info: www.walesales.com

Pic: Kristiana Pinne

OF THE BEST WELSH CHOCOLATIERS Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a box of chocolates.

Whether it’s for a loved one or just to scoff yourself, Daisy Gaunt goes cocoa-loco to find you the finest chocolate manufacturers that Wales has to offer.

WICKEDLY WELSH CHOCOLATE With the threat of climate change looming, it is important to look at the packaging of the products we buy. That’s why family-run chocolate makers Wickedly Welsh, in Haverfordwest, use fully sustainable, Fairtrade ingredients and compostable or recyclable packaging. With unusual flavours such as ginger and black pepper or raspberry and vodka, there’s no excuse not to indulge in some wicked temptation. www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk

LITTLE WELSH CHOCOLATE COMPANY Another company with the aim to make the chocolate industry a kinder place is the mother-daughter duo behind Little Welsh Chocolate Company, who produce organic chocolate bars out of Cwmbran and have removed palm oil and soy from their recipes.

From lime, sea salt and dark chocolate to an ‘aromatic’ white chocolate, orange, cardamom and pistachio, there’s something to suit every palate. www.thelittlewelshchocolatecompany.com

SALMON WITH CREAMY CAPER SAMPHIRE Words Alison Powell Served with a pile of mash, this is scoop-it-up-with-just-a-fork style comfort food. But with some buttered baby potatoes, and a bit of care with presentation, it is equally a romantic dinner à deux, for anyone wanting to spoil someone they love this Valentine’s Day...

INGREDIENTS Serves 2 • 2 pieces of salmon (I used fillets but if you prefer, use steaks) • 100g of samphire • 2 heaped tsps of capers • Juice of half a lemon • 1 tbsp olive oil • 100ml single cream • Good grind of pepper

CATHRYN CARIAD CHOCOLATES From chocolate champagne bottles, handbags and shoes to truffle trays and dragon eggs, Cathryn Cariad produces fine handmade chocolates from her Victorian farmhouse in Snowdonia, work that’s earned her 20 gold Great Taste Awards and a True Taste Of Wales Award. There’s also an impressive range of dairy-free and vegan selection boxes. www.cathryncariad.com

CHOCOLATE HOUSE For those of you who love to get stuck in and prefer a more personalised experience, the Chocolate House is the one to go for. With their own on-site café serving afternoon tea and more chocolate than you could ever imagine, Chocolate House also hosts school visits, educational events, workshops and more at the Welsh Mining Experience in Rhondda Heritage Park. Also available are personalised chocolate boxes, which can be designed to your own branding. www.chocolate-house.co.uk

SARAH BUNTON – AWARD-WINNING WELSH CHOCOLATIER An artisan chocolatier based at Devils Bridge in the Cambrian Mountains of midWales, Sarah Bunton has received a dozen Great Taste Awards for her craft, as well as Gold and Silver True Taste awards. Using local ingredients such as honey from Welsh bees and Merlyn liquor, the chocolate feels imaginatively nostalgic. Some use traditional sweets such as liquorice allsorts and coconut mushrooms to transport you back to childhood. www.sarahbunton.co.uk

• 2 level tsps dried dill

HOW TO 1. Add the oil to a frying pan and place your salmon, skin side down in the pan too. Grind on some black pepper and fry the salmon on a medium heat for 6-8 minutes. You know when salmon is cooked when the translucent red turns to a coral pink. If you have a particularly thick piece of salmon, gently flip it over partway through cooking and check that it is cooked through.

2. Once the salmon is cooked, remove it to your serving plate and add the samphire to the pan. Give it a little stir as it gently fries, but don’t have the heat on too high.

3. After a couple of minutes, sprinkle on the dill, lemon juice and capers and mix through.

4. A minute later, pour on the cream. Give this a good but gentle mix to ensure any leftover salmon bits get enveloped in the creamy mixture... they all add flavour. Add another grind of black pepper, but no salt, as the samphire takes care of that side of things.

5. Serve the creamy samphire on top of the salmon, with some lightly steamed or boiled green vegetables.

@ASPwriter BUZZ 49

Pic: Skyla Design

FEBRUARY FOODIE FOCUS Whether you’re looking to pig out on sausage and cider, learn a new baking skill, or keep up your vegan stint past January, Elouise Hobbs has got you covered with her picks of the foodie events happening in February.

Vegan Cooking Classes, Greens Vegan, Cardiff, every Tuesday in February Following on from the success of Veganuary, this course is perfect for anyone looking to expand their cooking skills and knowledge when it comes to vegan foods. The three-hour course will teach participants how to ‘veganise’ dishes (offering alternative recipes that substitute meat with plant-based produce) and create healthy vegan lunches and winter meals, alongside developing cooking skills to create desserts and puddings.

It will also provide practical tips on how to change your diet, such as how to buy vegan foods on a budget and the best ways to source ingredients. At the end of the course, all recipes will be supplied via email and participants are encouraged to bring reusable containers so they can take their food home with them.

Tickets: £22.15/£120 for the full six weeks.

Info: www.greensvegan.co.uk February Monthly Modelling Meet-up, Pearl’s Coffee Shop, Swansea, Tue 4 Feb If you have ever wanted to try your hand at sugar-paste modelling, this is your chance to learn with The Raspberry Cakery. Sugar-paste modelling dates to the mid-18th century, where French chefs developed the art of creating figures and characters to decorate cakes. This monthly group guides attendees through the basics of modelling and lets every participant create a simple model on a theme. All the tools and materials are provided, and every participant will also get to enjoy a hot drink of their choice from the café. Classes are limited to eight people and if you are unable to make the class in February, it takes place on the first Tuesday of every month.

Tickets: £22.15. Info: www. theraspberrycakery.co.uk BUZZ 50

Sausage and Cider Fest, The Depot, Cardiff, Sat 15 Feb One of the inaugural events in the Depot’s new location on Curran Embankment, this touring event is visiting Cardiff for the first time this February. After scouring the country for quality sausages from butchers across the UK, this event (comprising two half-day sessions, from 12-5 and 6-11pm) promises to bring some of the best producers and products together. Alongside an array of meat and drink, there will also be live music throughout the event – and if cider isn’t for you, they will also be providing a craft beer and gin bar.

Tickets: £15 per session. Info: www. sausageandciderfest.co.uk Hiraeth, The Early Bird Café, Cardiff, Fri 28 Feb This event has a simple ethos: “a local pop-up, at a local venue, by a local chef”. However, the menu is anything but simple, bringing together quality ingredients in a creative and ingenious way for a six-course tasting menu. The menu opens with an imaginative twist on a traditional bread and olives dish, treating diners to an oat and buttermilk loaf topped with homemade vinegar and local honey. This is followed by meat, fish and game courses in the form of beef cromesqui, torched soused salmon and braised venison, followed by two desserts. An evening of discovery in the lovely surrounding of The Early Bird Café.

Tickets: £35. Info: www.earlybirdbakery.co.uk

UNDERGROUND GOLF BAR PAR 59 COMING TO CARDIFF A new bar, restaurant and crazy golf venue is set to open in the basement of Cardiff’s Capitol Shopping Centre in early April.

The venue will consist of two independent kitchens, two adult-only crazy golf courses, two large bar and dining rooms and an additional area for private bookings. The centre is located on the corner of Queen Street and Station Terrace, and the bar is being developed by the same team behind DEPOT. Par 59 is the first of the wider renovations planned for the Capitol centre.

Capitol Shopping Centre, Cardiff Info: www.par59.com

DANISH BAKERY BRØD OPENS SECOND PREMISES IN PENARTH Pontcanna’s popular Danish bakery Brød is expanding, opening a second premises on Penarth’s Glebe Street. The original café has been open since 2015 and sells traditional Danish pastries like snegl and spandaeur, speciality sourdough loaves, and hot and cold drinks. Founder Betina Skovbro opened the bakery in search of a taste of home, having moved from Copenhagen to Cardiff in 1988; her grandfather was a baker in central København and she used to bake at home with her mother and grandmother, so has solid grounding in the art.

6 Glebe Street, Penarth Info: www.thedanishbakery.co.uk

Pre-Theatre Escape With the theatre scene a buzz throughout 2020, we’ve designed a delightful getaway for two make the most of a theatre visit to the city.

Just a stone’s throw away from the Wales Millenium Centre, this amazing package is perfect for couples wanting to escape for a short city break in Cardiff.

Complete with everything you’ll need for an enjoyable trip to the theatre with; Overnight stay featuring an En Suite with Spa Bath, 3 course luch, a treat hamper for the theatre & full Welsh breakfast.

Cost: £129 per couple Where: The Exchange Hotel, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CF10 5FQ Tel: 02920 107050

* T&C’s apply. Subject to availability, Monday to Thursday. £40 supplement for Friday and Sunday. January to October only.

LUNA’S VEGAN CORNER

26 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff. 07813 430390 / facebook.com/lunasvegancorner Food ***** Atmosphere **** New independent businesses on Wellfield Road have, unfortunately, always had a fairly quick turnover, but lately a crop of new shops and restaurants have made it safe haven for customers focused on ethical and sustainable living. Luna’s Vegan Corner is one of them. The inside is light and neat, painted a vague shade of green with shelves of plants and pieces by local artists dotted around the room. We were slightly surprised to find it not too busy at midday on a sunny Saturday; however, after some light eavesdropping, we learned that we were surrounded by regular customers, and with a bar fully stocked with wine, whisky and vodka, it looks as though a lot of Luna’s business comes in the evening for a (plant-based) good time.

Our waitress let us know that the arancini (£5.99) are one of their most popular dishes, so we opted to make them gluten free and share them as a starter. The three arancini came served on homemade tomato sauce and pesto and were impressive for my first try of vegan cheese, delivering on both crispiness and gooeyness in equal measure. And, while the arancini themselves were delicious, it was the sauce which was scraped clean from the bowl.

For mains, I went for the Greek mezze (£7.99) from the brunch menu, while my gluten-free friend was happy to find that most options could be made suitable for her and chose the fettuccine al luna (£10) with a creamy wild mushroom sauce. Although a new vegan restaurant has competition around here, where Luna’s has the edge is its appeal for those who made ‘eat less meat’ their New Year’s resolution but aren’t quite ready to try aquafaba or tempeh yet.

Those craving a Buddha Bowl can most certainly get one, but I appreciate how Luna’s vegan menu isn’t recognisably so, with pancakes, pasta and curries all on offer at a very reasonable price. It’s easy to see why such a new restaurant already has regulars, and I will probably be one of them. ELIN EVANS

UISCE

4 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff. www.heaneyscardiff.co.uk/uisce Food **** Atmosphere **** Uisce. Pronounced ‘ISH-ka’. Even the name – the Irish word for ‘water’ – has a deeply satisfying mouthfeel, something you can enjoy slurring regardless of how much wine you’ve had. It calls itself a café, but don’t be fooled – it might be the kid brother to stylish next-door neighbour Heaneys, but offers a comparably fine dining experience where everything is prepared and presented with care, attention, craft and imagination in surroundings that are simultaneously contemporary and cosy.

Charcuterie is one of Uisce’s specialities, so we start with a platter of Houghton pork loin – interestingly flavoured and nice enough, though confirmation of the universal truth that you should never choose anything ahead of chorizo.

Meanwhile, the frothy pink parfait beneath which rich, meaty duck rillette is buried functions primarily to create a lucky dip for the fork, and the trend for lacing perfectly serviceable dishes with pomegranate remains baffling.

Other combinations, however, such as cauliflower and apple beurre, are a delight. A sensational steak and Guinness pudding, doused in gloopy lamb jus and crowned with a crunchy garnish, not only thoroughly deserves its place on the specials board but makes up for the disappointment of learning that the much-fabled lamb crumpet isn’t on tonight’s menu. Most remarkable, though, is the parsnip cream served with the cod, which easily wins over someone with an avowed aversion to the anaemic carrot and thereby pulls much the same alchemical trick as Heaneys does with its Marmite butter.

Some might lament the absence of a fresh, palate-cleansing dessert, but one bite of an impossibly light and airy churro liberally smeared in molten chocolate would make them change their tune. Likewise, a single spoonful of the espresso panna cotta, topped with pieces of gooey brownie.

A flavourful tempranillo and a crisp Vinho Verde are among the cheapest options on the wine list, which begs the question: just how good must things be when you work your way further up? We’ll just have to come back again to find out.

BEN WOOLHEAD

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Visit the award-winning Penderyn Dissllery Visitor Centre Exhibiion, Dissllery, Tassng Bar & Shop Book online at www.penderyn.wales Penderyn Dissllery Penderyn, Rhondda Cynon Taff, CFFF SX

community

CARDIFF MERLINS At the forefront of championing the joys of baseball to the Welsh population, the Cardiff Merlins are fresh off a debut season in the South West Baseball League. Rhys Fisher hears more.

To your average Brit staring across the Atlantic, things don’t appear to come much more American than Major League Baseball. Yet despite being so intensely embedded in American culture, it seems the British public are beginning to take more of an interest in MLB-style baseball as a sport, rather than just a fashionable bit of headwear. Take the Cardiff Merlins, who’ve just completed their debut season in the South West Baseball League. Craig Lawton, current player and media officer for the Merlins, explains how the inception of the team is almost entirely down to one guy.

“I would say Ed Peebles essentially set up the team. He always says that he didn’t, but I’m gonna be a bit nicer to him than he would be to himself. He was one of the founding members, and he runs the majority of the training sessions, and just a lot of the general running of the team.”

Lawton goes on to explain how the incarnation of the Merlins was very much a case of ‘that which doesn’t exist, you create it’. Tired of commuting back and forth to Bristol, Ed was desperate for a baseball team a little closer to home – so he created one. Whilst many might think – this writer included – that a newly formed baseball side in south Wales might struggle to attract players, they/I would be very wrong.

A lot of the Merlins’ recruits have come from Cardiff’s extensive softball community, as well as people like himself, who have an interest in so-called American sports. “We get a lot of guys turning up in NFL jerseys who are fans of American football, or basketball.” Why does he think this crossover exists between three sports which appear so different on the surface? “Major league sports in America are all held at a certain level and all viewed in a certain way.

Getting into one, it’s quite easy to get into another.”

Another major breeding ground for the Merlins are lifelong baseball fans young and old looking for a chance to pursue their passion – often, says Lawton, “people who work over here or are students, but are from or have spent a lot of time in North or South America, so played a lot when they were younger.” Much of the local baseball-playing demographic are in, or approaching, middle age

BUZZ 54

and have been watching baseball for 30 or 40 years: the Merlins, and teams like them, present their first opportunity to “pull on a proper baseball jersey for their own team, which is a really cool moment.”

For now, the sport’s current level of local popularity only helps the Merlins’ appeal, believes Lawton. “We’re the only competitive baseball club in the country. So we’re arguably representing the whole of Wales.” However, whilst there appears to be no lack of interest, Lawton is quick to point out that they are keen to grow the Merlins as much as possible, and attract as many players as they can.

“Anyone who’s interested in giving it a go, the first two practice sessions are always free, and all of the equipment is provided as well. We want to give people the opportunity to try it out without having to splash out on all of the gear.”

When Craig Lawton discusses the Cardiff Merlins, what really stands out is the togetherness of the group, and the community-like environment they appear to have built. Here is a group of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds chipping in to help build a pitcher’s mound down at their home on Pontcanna Fields, just so they can keep playing a game they love. We may not be naming chocolate bars after Merlins’ players anytime soon, and their names may not be appearing in Kanye West songs just yet, but there’s a chance that America’s pastime may become Wales’ passion.

Info: www.cardiffbaseball.co.uk

CHWIP

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F E E L - G O O D SAT U R DAY

NIGHTS

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wmc.org.uk/supperclwb

Pic: Keith Morris Chateau Rhianfa

Pic: © Hawlfraint y Goron

Exchange

Gwesty Cymru

Portmeirion

Great House

Roch Castle

R O M A N T I C G E TA W AY S I N W A L E S Sure, you could go to Paris or cruise round the Med. But for a truly unique Valentine’s Day, could you get any more romantic than a staycation in Wales?

Buzz picks out some Welsh destinations for a candlelit dinner or a weekend away.

PORTMEIRION, GWYNEDD

GWESTY CYMRU, ABERYSTWYTH

HARBOURMASTER, ABERAERON

Step into a slice of romantic continental Europe in this Italian Riviera-style village on the north-west coast of Wales. Famously featuring in the 60s cult series The Prisoner, the quirky seaside village – which doesn’t have any permanent residents – is a one-of-a-kind destination in the UK. There is a cost to entering the village, but you can get in for free if you purchase a two-course lunch at Castell Deudraeth Brasserie, lunch or afternoon tea at The Hotel Portmeirion, or a treatment at the Mermaid Spa in advance.

The best thing about Gwesty Cymru is its incredible sea view, on display even from some of the bathrooms.

This hotel is a safe bet for a small and private getaway, with only eight rooms and an restaurant in the basement (albeit more lavish than that might imply). Expect a slice of traditional Welsh culture accompanied with a splash of luxury.

As the name suggests, this striking blue hotel and restaurant stands on the quayside of the small Georgian town of Aberaeron in Cardigan Bay. The rooms have silver bathtubs, and either sea views or panoramic views of the town; underfloor heating, Welsh blankets and fluffy towels ensure a cosy night.

The menu features locally sourced seafood, meat and vegetables, with a large selection of wines to wile the night away. If you fancy sitting outside and watching the boats come and go, electric heaters and blankets are provided.

Info: www.portmeirion.wales

EXCHANGE HOTEL, CARDIFF BAY Not only will you be hard-pressed to find a more elegant setting than the Exchange Hotel, every Saturday, they serve up a two-course ‘bottomless brunch’ where you and your loved one can choose from classic brunch favourites – plus locally flavoured alternatives like a chorizo and Black Bomber omelette or a bara brith bread and butter pudding. If that’s not enough to make anyone fall head over heels, then an unlimited supply of bubbly for a solid hour and a half should do it.

Info: exchangehotelcardiff.co.uk

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Info: www.gwestycymru.com

THE GREAT HOUSE, BRIDGEND Just 10 minutes away from the seaside town of Porthcawl and 25 minutes from Cardiff or Swansea, The Great House Hotel is a reliable venue for a staycation or a romantic dinner. Offering a splendid dining experience in relaxed surroundings, their food showcases what Welsh cooking is all about, using locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible and offering a £55 tasting menu.

Info: www.great-house-laleston.co.uk

ROCH CASTLE, HAVERFORDWEST This castle is located just a 20-minute drive from St Davids, with free transfers on offer each evening.

The venue is no stranger to the limelight, with past celebrity guests including Tom Cruise. If you’re keen to explore Pembrokeshire with your loved one, or perhaps catch a glimpse of an A-lister, this is the place to be.

An exclusive Valentine’s Day offer can be pre-booked online which includes a seven-course tasting menu.

Info: www.rochcastle.com

Info: www.harbour-master.com

CHATEAU RHIANFA, ANGLESEY Situated with a stunning view over the Menai Strait and the mountains of Snowdonia, this tranquil hotel is in fact a Grade II-listed castle. Its intention as a setting of romance dates back to 1849, when it was first given as a gift by Sir John Hay Williams to his wife Lady Sarah. Although the food is on the pricier side, there are three choices of dining room and the Welsh scones served at afternoon tea are not to be missed. It is also a short walk to the Roman town of Menai, which is home to coastal cafes and restaurants.

Info: www.chateaurhianfa.com Research: Rebecca Astill, Elin Evans and Tonicha Luffman

BUZZ FESTIVAL GUIDE OUT APRIL 2020

Green Man, Hay on Wye, Lakefest to Fire in the Mountain to Tafwyl, the best in live music, family friendly, food & culture Buzz picks the best for you to enjoy in our essential guide to who what, when and where!

Welsh, national and international festivals Previews and interviews Festival fashion Camping essentials Exclusive reader offers 25,000 copies delivered across Wales Available online + to download To ensure your festival is part of this essential guide which covers April - October and hits the audience it rightfully deserves, place your advert in Wales’ number one entertainment magazine.

To secure your advertising space contact: Emma - 029 2022 6767 or emma@buzzmag.co.uk Advertising deadline March 8th Editorial deadline March 4th

OUT APRIL 2020

SPORTS ROUNDUP: FEBRUARY No getting away from the big sporting tournament this month.

Unless you’re a darts or snooker head, in which case it’s probably pretty easy. Owen Scourfield considers all angles anyway.

WALES SIX NATIONS Yes, it’s that time of year again. The World Cup came and went; the players have slowly made their way back to feature for their club teams just in time for the 2020 Six Nations Championship. This year, it’s all the blues at home for Wales: Italy (Sat 1 Feb) is followed by France (Sat 22 Feb) while Scotland will be our Super Saturday finale opponents next month (Sat 14 Mar).

Wayne Pivac has ambitiously taken over the reins from Warren Gatland, a decision that I’m sure will see him scrutinised from the off as he begins to fill the void left behind by the last coaching team. From a squad point of view, the majority of the World Cup team will be there in numbers, yet some young up-and-coming players are more than putting their hands up for selection. Across the bridge, winger Louis Rees-Zammit has been in scorching form for Gloucester. Do not be surprised to see him included.

WELSH OPEN SNOOKER Other than the World and UK Championships, the Welsh Open tournament is snooker’s longest running world ranking event – having been an ever-present fixture on the calendar since 1992. The event this year sees 128 of the world’s leading players at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, battling for the £70,000 winning prize and the coveted Ray Reardon Trophy.

Past winners of the trophy include snooker legends Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis; last year’s champion Neil Robertson will be keen to defend his title after disposing of Stuart Bingham 9-7 in last year’s final.

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CELTIC DRAGONS NETBALL TRI-TOURNAMENT On Sat 8 Feb at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre, Celtic Dragons netball team will be hosting a pre-season tri-tournament, featuring Team Bath and London Pulse. This meeting will be one of the final chances to prepare for the teams involved ahead of the new Vitality Netball Superleague season starting on Sat 22 Feb at the ‘Big Season Opener’. The tri-tournament will feature three matches, each consisting of four 10-minute quarters and beginning at 2pm, 3.30pm and 5pm.

Celtic Dragons recently welcomed back Rebekah Robinson and Latanya Wilson from Jamaica; the team’s two import players for the season have already made a huge impression in the trademark green dress, helping the Dragons to the semi-final of the 2019 British Fast 5 All-Stars tournament.

SWANSEA CITY AND CARDIFF CITY RACE TO THE PLAYOFFS As the New Year is in full swing, in the Championship the race for promotion is typically unpredictable. At the time of writing, Swansea City and Cardiff City both sit within four points of the play-off positions in the league. January’s derby game saw the Swans miss out on a chance to claim the first league double over the Bluebirds in 108 years of the fixture. The face-off at the Cardiff City Stadium lacklustre to say the least; a draw and a share of the points was a fair result, but some goals wouldn’t have gone amiss.

February sees both Welsh outfits play six games in four weeks, and on paper neither team have a comfortable run of games. Swansea travel to Preston, Hull, Blackburn and Fulham, while entertaining Derby, QPR and Huddersfield at home. Cardiff have just as tricky a run of fixtures: trips to Luton, Huddersfield and Stoke, while welcoming Wigan, Nottingham Forest and Brentford to the capital.

PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS The Professional Darts Corporation’s (PDC) popularity within the sport continues to rise.

Bumper crowds, to-the-wire competition, and some top-notch rivalries – the World Championship tournament over the Christmas period a prime example of the level of product currently on offer.

The Premier League tournament returns to Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Thurs 20 Feb as part of the 16-week tour of arenas across Europe.

Newly crowned World Champion Peter Wright and runner-up Michael van Gerwen are joined by Grand Slam champion Gerwyn Price and World Matchplay and European Championship winner Rob Cross.

Two-time Premier League champion Gary Anderson is among the invited players, alongside 2018 runner-up Michael Smith, 2019 semi-finalist Daryl Gurney, and new additions Nathan Aspinall and Glen Durrant.

listings

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recommended *–u – repeated

PENDERYN MUSIC BOOK PRIZE / L AUG H A R N E W E E K E N D Info: www.thelaugharneweekend.com Now in its sixth year, The Penderyn Music Book Prize is the UK’s first such award specifically for the year’s best music title. Once hailed as “the Mercury Prize of books” by NME, it was launched in 2015 by Richard Thomas, with the intention to honour music history, theory and biography titles published within the UK. Previous winners include folk legend Shirley Collins for her 2018 memoir All In The Downs: Reflections On Life, Landscape And Song, and Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, the first volume of his historical trilogy.

The Penderyn Music Book Prize’s long list for 2020 was announced earlier this month, with notable nominees including journalist Vivienne Goldman’s oral history of women in punk, Revenge Of The She-Punks, and

Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn, Brett Anderson’s account of his time in Britpop icons Suede. The prize is awarded annually at a ceremony held at The Laugharne Weekend, a small-scale literary and culture festival in the township of Laugharne, Camarthenshire. Names confirmed so far for 2020 include Jeremy Deller, Susan Murray, Wreckless Eric [pictured], Martin Parr, Amy Rigby, Jayne Couch and, intriugingly, Cold War Steve.

However, with this year’s festival under threat due to the Arts Council Of Wales pulling their funding, a crowdfunder is currently under way in order to preserve both Prize and Weekend. Hosted by Gofundme, it’s got a £20,000 target – the annual figure ponied up by the Arts Council to date – and is linked to on the Laugharne Festival website.

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art clubs events live stage BUZZ 59

* – recommended

art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE

University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. MonSat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/ artscentre Gerald Scarfe Him of The Wall and myriad infamous political cartoons has a touring exhibition focusing on his work in animation, theatre and costume design. See Art. (Until Mon 9 Mar) Ignite Part of The Incubator Project, aimed at supporting Wales-based makers, this features work from Ross Andrews, Hannah Walters, Elin Hughes and Nathan Mullis. (Until Sun 15 Mar) Thinking Members of Sculpture Cymru create work based on the exhibition’s title inside a square box. (Until Mon 16 Mar) Our Digital Past Imagery derived from the digital survey and interpretation work of the Royal Commission On The Ancient and Historical Monuments Of Wales.

(Until Mon 23 Mar)

ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY

Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth. Free. MonFri 10am-5pm. 01970 622467 / www.aber.ac.uk Simon Pierse ‘Shy Green – Ice Blue’ Paintings of Greenland and the Northern Lights. (Until Fri 7 Feb) John Duffin Painter and printmaker who makes images of the urban environment that show the energy and drama of contemporary life. (Until Fri 7 Feb) ALBANY GALLERY

74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery.com Little Trasures A group exhibition themed around small paintings, featuring works in a variety of mediums by a range of artists.

(From Thurs 13 Feb until Sat 7 Mar) THE ANDREW BUCHAN

29 Albany Road, Cardiff.

029 2021 2509 / facebook. com/andrewbuchanbar Glenn Edwards Former UK Press Photographer of the Year Edwards explores Wales’ backbone road

the A470. Precise closing date to be confirmed but likely early March, I’m told. .(Until early 2020 TBC) ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHIENIOG)

Canal Wharf, Brecon.

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.

Free. 01874 611622 / enquiries@brycheiniog. co.uk / www.brycheiniog. co.uk Ann Seymour ‘Charlie’s Year’ A photographer captures a year’s work by a young farmer on a Welsh farm in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

(Until Sun 1 Mar) ARCADECAMPFA

Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff.

Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. arcade-campfa.org Superfreight Group show of Wales-based and international artists whose work reflects current digital culture. (Until Sat 29 Feb) ART CENTRAL

Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Free. 01446 709805.

Stand Together Holocaust Memorial Dayrelated exhibition, 2020

also marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

(Throughout February) ATTIC GALLERY

37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Sat 10am4pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Mixed Group Winter Show Annual selling exhibition. (Until Fri 7 Feb) The Royal Watercolour Society Of Wales Showcase exhibition.

(From Tue 18 Feb until Sat 7 Mar) CARDIFF MASONIC HALL

8 Guildford Street, Cardiff.

Free. 029 2039 6576 / cardiffmasonichall.co.uk Jack Valentine ‘Psychedelic Sins’ Onenight-only (7-11pm) exhibition, Jack’s debut solo venture, featuring seven large-scale paintings situated within an immersive installation of gold mirrors.

(Sat 15 Feb only) CHAPTER GALLERY

Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri 12-8pm. Free. 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org Jon Pountney ‘Waiting For The Light’ Photographic works by local photographer whose previous shows and collections have been more in the documentary vein; this however utilises a type of bright, low sunlight to add a specific colour and mood to images of everyday objects and settings. Art In The Bar exhibition. (Until Sun 1 Mar) CHEPSTOW MUSEUM

Gwy House, Bridge Street, Chepstow. Daily 11am4pm. Free. 01291 625981 / www.monmouthshire.gov. uk/chepstow-museum RICHARD COX: DREAMS FROM DETROIT Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran, Sat 8 Feb-Sat 21 Mar Admission: free. Info: 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Subtitled “images of the American car in the mid-20th century,” the Detroit of that period being the nation’s automotive manufacturing epicentre.

Globalisation and various periods of economic yo-yoing have changed the face of the US industry since, but if the carbon footprint of a typical family vehicle assembled in the Motor City from the 1950s to the 70s might seem unforgivable with our 2020 hats on, the design aesthetic has arguably never been bettered. Richard Cox, an artist and lecturer based in Cardiff, has had a hands-on interest in this aesthetic since the 60s, building an archive of photos, prints and drawings over the decades, and highlights from it will be shown at Llantarnam Grange for six weeks, exploring how developments in air and even space travel filtered down, visually speaking, onto the American highway.

BUZZ 60

A Horse’s Head In The Frost Artwork inspired by the Mari Lwyd tradition, where revellers follow a horse’s skull on a stick festooned with ribbons around houses/pubs etc in south Wales. (Until Tue 31 Mar) CRAFT IN THE BAY

The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free.

029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales. org.uk Aelwyd – Towards A Contemporary Welsh Interior Exhibition on the subject of ‘the home’

or with it in mind, featuring Claire Cawte, Sarah Christensen, Mandy Coates, Ann Catrin Evans, Rosie Farey, Helen Flynn, Astrid de Groot, Simon Hulbert, Llio James, Sophie Schärer, Mick Sheridan, James and Tilla Waters, Neil Wilkin, Deiniol Williams and Yusuke Yamamoto. (Until Sun 1 Mar) CULTVR LAB

327 Penarth Road, Cardiff.

Viewings by appointment.

Free. 07910 491565 / cultvr.cymru Gareth Phillips ‘NH5: An Odyssey In Fragility, Beauty & Danger’ Photographs documenting the NH5, a road in the west of the Indian Himalayas, which follows the Sutlej River that flows from China into Pakistan. (Until Thurs 6 Feb) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE

226 Stow Hill, Newport.

Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Tom Dart ‘Picturing Newport Town’ Thirty black and white photographs by Dart, a late Newport historian and photographer, curated here

by John Briggs. (Until Sun 16 Feb) CYFARTHFA CASTLE MUSEUM

Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon Rd, Merthyr Tydfil. £2.20/£1.10 NUS or OAP/ free under-16s. 01685 727371 / museum@ merthyr.gov.uk Capturing The Crawshays Victorian-era photography featuring the Crawshay family and dating from 1855-79. (Until Sun 1 Mar) Gwyther Barnes Drawings of notable buildings in Merthyr, some no longer standing.

(Until Sun 1 Mar) ELYSIUM GALLERY

210 High Street, Swansea.

Tue-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www.elysiumgallery.com Mr & Mrs Clark / Upmarket Galleries ‘ExpressYourselF’ South Wales performance art mainstays and Newport-ish collective present “a series of evenings of performance, art, dance, music, spoken word, magic, film, and durational performance inspired by Performance ArT Happenings and Cabarets since Dada

u – repeated

times”. (Until Sat 15 Feb) Ryan Jones ‘Replica’ Work shown in the bar from a Swansea College Of Art graduate. (Until Sat 15 Feb) FFOTOGALLERY

Fanny Street, Cardiff. WedSat 11am-5pm (Tue-Sat from late October). Free.

029 2034 1667 / www. ffotogallery.org Work To Be Done Curated by Whack N Bite as part of a series called A Woman’s Work, these photographs explore the perceived gaps between home life and employment, and the gendered nature of that in society. (From Thurs 27 Feb until Sat 4 Apr) Y FFWRNES

Park Street, Llanelli. 0345 2263510 / theatres@ carmarthenshire.gov.uk Peter Spriggs ‘Tales Of Sosban Fach’ Carmarthenshire-based painter and member of the 56 Art Group with a solo exhibition curated by Michele Laugharne Perrott.

(From Tue 6 Feb until Tue 17 Mar) FUTURES GALLERY / ORIEL GALLERY

Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead. org Cartographic Imaginaries: Interpreting Literary Atlas Twelve original artworks commissioned to evoke the themes of 12 English-language novels set in Wales; these form part of the wider Literary Atlas Of Wales project. (Until Thurs 20 Feb) Y GALERI, CAERFFILI

Lower Ground Floor, The Visit Caerphilly Centre, The Twyn, Caerphilly.

Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

029 2132 2570 / www. ygalericaerffili.co.uk Reunited Front Collaboration with Museum Slager in the Dutch city of s’Hertogenbosch, featuring art inspired by Wales and the Welsh. The Welsh artists were selected to participate are Elin Siân Blake, Louise Collis, Bert Evans, Nicholas Evans, Howard Jones and Jane Malvisi. (From Tue 4 Feb until Sat 14 Mar) THE GATE

Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk

Share A Life Customised portraits telling the stories of Cardiff’s homeless community and aiming to break down barriers of homelessness in the city. (Until Fri 6 Mar) GLYNN VIVIAN ART GALLERY

This Is Canton A collaborative photography project by University Of South Wales Documentary Photography students, showcasing the community in which this gallery is located. (Until Mon 17 Feb) LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE

Alexandra Rd, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Free.

01792 516900 / www. swansea.gov.uk/ glynnvivian

St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk

Swansea Open 2019 Annual exhibition seeks to display a diverse selection of work across mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking and film.

(Until Sat 23 Feb) The Mary Rose: People And Purpose A selection of unique objects from one of the world’s most famous sailing vessels, brought

Richard Cox ‘Dreams From Detroit’ Drawings, prints and photos detailing the design evolution of American cars from the 1950s to 1970s. (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) Pete Williams ‘Terra Incognita’ Illustrations from Cardiff-based printmaker Williams, created in response to Arthur Machen’s novel The Three

Roll up, roll up (your trouser leg) for a one-night-only art exhibition in Cardiff’s Masonic Hall by Jack Valentine, a local artist with his first solo show.

Psychedelic Sins is paintingbased, but presented in an installation context. to Wales for the very first time and previewed this month in Art. (Until Sun 1 Mar) Swansea Stories Works from this gallery’s permanent collection – the largest amount ever shown at once, supposedly – to mark Swansea’s 50th anniversary as a city. (Until Sun 15 Mar) KING STREET GALLERY

33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@ kingstreetgallery.co.uk Donna Gray Portraits and figurative pieces displayed in the Spotlight Room. (Throughout February) Members New Year Exhibition A new selection of works by gallery members, able to purchase. (Until Tue 3 Mar) Little And Large Selected Large scale pieces displayed alongside smaller works in the Chate Room.

(From Fri 7 until Wed 19 Feb) LLANOVER HALL ARTS CENTRE

Romilly Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Fri 10am-8.30pm, Sat 10am-12pm. Free. 029 2087 2030 / www. llanoverhall.com

Imposters. (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) Gesamkunstwerk – Total Art Work Pieces

by BA ceramics students from Cardiff School Of Art & Design, aiming to transfer their practise and aesthetic into the form of a bowl. (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) Daphne & Molly Jewellery showcase from a duo who combine traditional silversmithing with modern design.

(From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) Fflur Owen Craft showcase from north Walian Owen, fusing the flexibility of leather with hand-contoured clay or carved felled wood. (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) Ketch Landscapes in oil and mixed media on canvas, by a Cwmbran painter and displayed in the Cafe Gallery here. (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) M.A.D.E. GALLERY

41 Lochaber St, Cardiff.

Wed-Sat 10am-6pm. Free.

029 2047 3373 / facebook. com/cardiffmade View From The Edge: Contemporary Landscape Paintings In The Digital Age Group show featuring Zena

Blackwell, Caitlin Flood, Christopher Holloway, Maggie James, James Moore, Jon Pountney, Jason Rouse and Eleanor Whiteman. (From Fri 7 until Sat 22 Feb) Zosia Jo ‘Fabulous Animal’ Installation incorporating photography by Grace Gelder, sound composed

by AcouChristo and performance and workshops celebrating International Women’s Day on Sun 8 Mar. (From Tue 26 Feb until Sun 8 Mar) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY

18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

029 2064 1411 / mtg@ artwales.com Claudia Williams Welsh painter, now in her late 80s and living in France, with a now-rare show of paintings and pastel drawings; this is Williams’ ninth show at this gallery. (From Wed 5 until Thurs 27 Feb) MISSION GALLERY

Gloucester Place, Swansea. Tue-Sun 11am5pm. Free. 01792 652016 / www.missiongallery.co.uk Gweni Llwyd Work in the [...] space exploring how physical and digital materials may be embedded with social, sensory and cultural meanings.

(Until Sat 21 Mar) Verity Poulford Maker In Focus show Experimental glasswork created in the research and development phase of a project. (Until Sat 21 Mar) Aimee Lax ‘Radioactive Boglach’ Sculpture themed around alien forms, radiation and changes to DNA. (Until Sat 21 Mar) MONMOUTH MUSEUM

Priory Street, Monmouth.

Mon, Tue + Thurs-Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 01600 710630 / monmouthshire. gov.uk/monmouthmuseum/ The Arborealists ‘A Wye Valley Woodland Through Artists’ Eyes’ The Arborealists are an art group who were resident in Monmouthshire’s Lady Park Wood in 2016, making art inspired by their surroundings; this is the first full showing of the results, here on a long-term basis.

(Until July) MUSEUM OF CARDIFF

The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff. Daily 10am-4pm. Free. 029 2034 6214 / cardiffstory@cardiff.

gov.uk *People Of Butetown The centenary of the 1919 race riots in Butetown form the basis for artists from the area to tell stories of prejudice and racism, likewise community resilience and creativity through film, poetry, painting, photography and music. (Until Sun 26 Apr) Protest! Objects For Change From the Suffrage movement of the early 1900s, find out what the people of Cardiff have fought for over the past 100 years. (Until Thurs 30 Apr) NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF

Cathays Park, Cardiff.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / museum. wales/cardiff Photography Season Three conjoined exhibitions featuring work by photographers August Sander, whose work here is taken from his seminal People Of The Twentieth Century project; Bernd & Hilla Becher’s Industrial Visions, documenting industrial structures in Europe and the USA; and Martin Parr’s Wales-based documentary work, stretching back to the 1980s.

(Until Sun 1 Mar; Martin Parr section until Mon 4 May) NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM

Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am5pm. Free. 029 2057 3600/ museum.wales/swansea Itchy Finger Textiles – Discovery Exploring scientific events such as space exploration, the studies of Welsh mathematicians, medical advances, and the discovery of unusual metals. (Until Sun 23 Feb) Cartwn Cymru Artwork, and a look at the process behind it, by this Welsh animation company. (Until Sun 29 Mar) Carwyn Rhys Jones ‘The Quarrymen’ Portraits of five different quarrymen and their worklife in north Wales quarries, plus an accompanying documentary film. (From Sat 29 Feb until Sun 10 May) NEWTON HOUSE

Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. £8.50 (entry to house). 01558 824512 / dinefwr@ nationaltrust.org.uk *John Abell ‘Becca And

Her Children’ Cardiffbased artist who specialises in wood- and linocuts presents a new body of work marking the anniversary of the Rebecca Riots in Wales (although they happened between 1839 and 1843 so it’s not entirely clear which anniversary).

See Upfront for a chat with John. (Until Sun 26 Apr) ORIEL CRIC

Beaufort Street, Crickhowell. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am1pm. Free. 01873 813669.

Landscapes Real & Imagined New Year show including paintings by Louella Gwillim, Ellie Ling, Lee Wright and Louise Collis, among other regular exhibitors at this gallery..

(Until Sat 7 Mar) ORIEL DAVIES

The Park, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@ orieldavies.org Gareth Griffith ‘Trailer’ North Wales sculptor with a retrospective exhibition of his work from the 1960s-80s, also including paintings and depicting Liverpool, Jamaica and the Ogwen Valley, his three areas of residence during that time.

See Art. (Until Wed 1 Apr) ORIEL JOANNA FIELD

Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free.

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Annabelle Hampton ‘Transcape’ Transgender art – in terms of both Hampton’s identity, having transitioned in 2018, and her subject matter – mostly in the medium of oil and acrylic paintings, plus some pencil work and photo montage. (From Mon 3 until Fri 28 Feb) ORIEL MYRDDIN

Church Lane, Carmarthen. 01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk Gareth Griffith ‘Trailer’ North Wales sculptor with a retrospective exhibition of his work from the 1960s-80s, also including paintings and depicting Liverpool, Jamaica and the Ogwen Valley, his three areas of residence during that time.

(Until Sat 21 Mar) ORIEL Q

The Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01834

869454 / www. orielqnarberth.com Figurative Members’ show open to all members of Oriel Q, indeed you can become a member if you want to show figurative work in this exhibition.

(From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 21 Mar) ORIEL Y BONT

University Of South Wales, Ty Crawshay Building, Llantwit Rd, Treforest.

Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm.

Free. 01443 480480 / gallery.southwales.ac.uk Art Of Regeneration Exhibition by Nichola Goff, Shaz Magill and Natalia Dias, who have worked with local community organisations to look at the changing environmental and economic fortunes of Treforest and other parts of the valleys. (Until Sat 28 Mar) PENARTH PIER PAVILION

The Esplanade, Penarth.

Daily 10am-5pm. Free.

029 2071 2100 / www. penarthpavilion.co.uk Penarth Open Art Exhibition 2020 Artwork selected from submissions by predominantly, but not exclusively, local artists.

(Until Mon 23 Feb) QUEEN STREET GALLERY

Queen Street, Neath.

Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. Free.

01639 631081 / www. queenstreetgalleryneath. co.uk Kate Bell ‘The Listening Sea’ Paintings focusing on the coastal landscape, specifcally the cracks and fissures created by water and erosion over time. (Throughout February) Open Art Finalists and winners’ work will be on show having been subject to the judging process shortly beforehand.

There’s a prize-giving party on Sun 9 Feb in fact. (From Sat 8 until Sat 29 Feb) REDHOUSE

Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil.

Free. 01685 384111 / info@redhousecymru. com Many Voices, One Nation Touring exhibition devised by Ffotogallery and Wales’ National Assembly to mark 20 years since Welsh devolution.

(Until Tue 24 Feb) Alan Salisbury Postmodern figurative paintings using European art historical references with narrative, humour and irony. (From BUZZ 61

* – recommended Sat 29 Feb until Sat 4 Apr) SWANSEA MUSEUM

Victoria Road, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-4.30pm.

Free. 01792 653763 / www.swanseamuseum. co.uk 50 Years Of Music Part of the celebrations making half a century since Swansea became a city, a journey through its musical heritage since 1969: venues, influential people, and standout gigs as well as local and visiting musicians. (Until Sun 23 Feb) TENBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk Mick Armson Painter and printmaker who lives in Greenwich but spends as much time as possible on the Pembrokeshire coast (that’s from the bio on his website, which appears to have last been updated in 2011, so not my problem if it’s out of date). (From Sat 8 Feb until Sat 7 Mar) TOWER GALLERY

49 High Street, Crickhowell. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Recycling & Sustainability Mixed exhibition following workshops with children from local primary schools.

(Until Sat 25 Mar) VICTORIA FEARN GALLERY

6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm.

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Floral Exhibition “Fresh, uplifting paintings [with a floral theme] to bring a little happiness to your home,” says the gallery. (From Fri 7 Feb until Fri 6 Mar) VOLCANO THEATRE

27-29 High Street, Swansea. Mon-Fri 10am4pm. Free. 01792 464790 / www.volcanotheatre.co.uk Oliver Bunn Painter who uses a variety of techniques to create texture and whose approach to portrait work, he says, is to strip as much detail away until it borders on unrecognisable. (From Thurs 6 until Tue 18 Feb) WATERLOO TEA

21-25 Wyndham Arcade, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 8.30am5pm, Sun 9.30-5pm. Free.

029 2037 6249 / BUZZ 62

waterlootea.com Lisa Malyon Oil paintings depicting architectural structures, buildings and landmarks in Cardiff and beyond; all works are for sale. (From Tue 4 Feb until Mon 2 Mar) WORKERS GALLERY

99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, nr Porth. 11am-4.30pm Thurs-Sat and by appointment. Free. 01443 682024 / www.workersgallery. co.uk Zed Nelson ‘The Slate Sea’ Photographs of north Wales. (From Thurs 13 Feb until Sat 28 Mar) The Community View Textile hangings produced

by Rhondda Creative Community Group and Ynyshir Primary School; inspired by a photograph

by David Hurn. (From Thurs 13 Feb until Sat 28 Mar) WYESIDE ARTS CENTRE

Castle Street, Builth Wells.

Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm.

Free. 01982 552555 / wyeside.co.uk John Richardson & John Welson ‘Surrealism: Wellspring Of The Imagination’ Paintings looking to maintain the tradition or surrealist art and its relevance to the modern world. (Until Wed 1 Apr)

clubs 10 FEET TALL

11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo. co.uk Wednesdays House Party 10pm-3am, free before 11. Drum’n’bass, disco, house, techno, UK garage and bass, aimed at students and over this venue’s three floors every week. Thursdays Rock hits from DJ Andy Rhys Lewis. Thurs 13 Havoc 8pm-3am, from £5. Launch night for a new rock club type thing. Starts with three live bands (see Live Music listings) and continues with DJing from 10.30, including Benji out of Skindred from 12-1am.

Fridays + Saturdays Resident DJs playing soul and funk. Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul. Disclaimer here: no-one really knows if this venue is going to be open in any form during

February, with skeleton/ scab/no employees, but the bosses seem to be making out that they’re going to push on, so make of that what you will.

16’AN HALF MEN

Location TBC, Cardiff.

16anhalfmenevents@ gmail.com Sat 15 Space Dimension Controller 10pm-3am, from £7. Mad Irish cosmic electro fella headlines a bill also featuring Dan Newman, Jetta, Mason James and Rossy D. Promoted by Valleys ravers 16’an Half Men on their first Cardiff showing, and I for one like a secret location (unless it turns out to be one they could have easily told us the name of but didn’t to make it seem more interesting, which is shite).

BAMBU BEACH BAR

51 Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 651651 / www. bambu-bar.co.uk Fri 21 Switch Fridays 9pm-4am, from £3. Launch of a new season of this monthly house and techno night.

BLIND TIGER

49 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 243500.

Fridays Beekay & Friends 11pm, £3-£5.

House, techno and bass music with guest DJs, breaking producers and residents from Wales’ freshest nights. Fri 14 is a Valentine’s special in some way. Saturdays Re:work 11pm, £5. Underground and cutting edge club music promised. Sat 7 Mar Shift 10pm-5am.

House (I think?) from Brett b2b Dennis, Hector Riva b2b Smokey Bacon, Jake Verlander b2b Travis Morgan, Orangepeel, Rizzo and The Edinbrothers.

THE BUNKHOUSE

24 Park Street, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk Sat 8 Wonkcrafts 10pm5am, £5-£10. Room 1: drum’n’bass from 4K, Llew, Execute and Sir Dokha b2b Pie-Fi. Room 2: bassline, garage and grime from Vex-T, DG Boh, J.T, L.B.H and hosts LRB, Mista-Ree, Syphr and more TBC. Fri 14 Tundra 9pm-5am, £3.

Not sure what this actually is but it has a Valentine theme. Fri 28 Heft: Saint Dave’s Free Rave 9pm6am, free. Described here as “a bass-heavy celebra-

tion of Welshness”. Sat 29 Larynx Live 3 8pm-2am, £5 adv. Live hip-hop from T-Rev, Skinny Bill, Defects Of The Dock, Organised Chaos, RealtoddC and 3hree 8ight CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION

Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com Fri 7 Bedlam 10pm5am, £20 adv. With Sub Focus, SaSaSaS, Turno, K Motionz, Unglued, Document One and more TBC. Fri 6 Mar Hybrid Minds 10pm-4am, £20 adv. Live drum’n’bassers touring their Outline album. They’re joined by Tempza and Charlotte Haining plus other guests TBC. Wednesdays YOLO 9pm-2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11. Midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers. Good name, really on trend. Saturdays Juice 10pm-3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop.

CATHAYS SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB

152-156 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff. 029 2022 0906 / cathayssportssocial.co Sat 23 Fabulous 8pm1am. Long-running Cardiff mod night returns with its diet of northern soul, ska, reggae, Motown, R&B etc. Looks like it’s back on regularly for the first time in a few years now. Sat 29 Gingerino’s Boss Sounds 7.30pm, £4. Ska, rocksteady and reggae.

Also on here on Sat 25 Apr. CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE

Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org Sat 1 Silent Disco 8-10pm, £5. Evening hosted here by the venue’s Young Programmers.

CLUB ICE

Broadway, Pontypridd.

07771 920726 / www. clubiceponty.com Tuesdays Boujee 10pm3am. R’n’b, dancehall, rap and hip-hop hits. New night launching at the start of December and aimed at students. Fridays Flashback 10pm-3am.

Retro hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s. Saturdays Gravity 10.30pm-3am, £7/£5 before 11. House, techno and dance every week on the club’s Void soundsystem.

CLUB LOGIC

12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.clublogicswansea. co.uk/ Sat 8 Cosmic Gate 9pm-6am, £20 adv/£15 early bird. Trance stalwarts headline over Big Al, Jonny Griffith, Rob Rees, John Hughes and Andrew Butty Davies. See Clubs. Sat 7 Mar Logic XtraHard 3rd Birthday 6pm-6am, from £10. A full half-day of hard dance with a lineup incliding Spanish hardcore DJ Lady Dammage and many more TBC. Fridays Open Mic Night 9pm4am. With resident DJ Trixta plus guests each week. Saturdays 9pm4am. With residents Rob Rees, Jay P, John Hughes and Dip-E, plus guests each week.

CLUB OXYGEN

1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 / www.globaloxygen.co.uk

u – repeated

Clique and more TBC. See Clubs. Tuesdays Nuke 10.30pm, £3/£2 NUS. Pop, r’n’b, hip-hop, indie etc.

Fridays (bottom) Yum! 11pm-3am, £3-£5. Indie and pop. Saturdays Dirty Pop 10pm-4am, £5.

Three floors of fun: Grltlk and Andrew Rhys Lewis’ top floor resident indie shindig; Dirty Pop; and Mr Potter’s proper disco.

COTTON CLUB

54 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Fridays Rock & Rum 9pm, £2-£4. Rock, indie, alt and pop from Aaron Lillie and Jaivinder. Selected drinks from £1.50. Fri 14 is a Valentine’s special.

Saturdays Whatever® 10pm. Indie, rock, alt and pop. I am doubtful that this venue actually holds the registered trademark for the word ‘whatever’.

COURTYARD

48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Urban Circle, Newport-based promoters of grime, r’n’b etc, have a night in Newport Centre on Thurs 13. No lineup details yet but how does “1500 people with the biggest sound system in the city” sound to you?

Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-4am, free. House, house & bass and tech-house all night.

Saturdays 11.30pm-5am, £5/free before 1. Upstairs: deep house, commercial house and tech-house.

Downstairs: urban, chart, classics, r’n’b, hip-hop and UK garage. Sat 1 features special guests DJ Luck & MC Neat plus Sweet Female Attitude.

CLWB IFOR BACH

Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Mon 3 Thnks For Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, £4 adv.

Emo revival club night. Fri 7 Brooklyn Zoo: The Drakeover 11pm-3am, from £3. Hip-hop night offering a surfeit of Drake tunes this time. Fri 14 Vice City: Queen Night 11pm, £3-£8. Queen (the band)-centric student night along the lines of previous Abba and fleetwood Mac nights by Vice City. Fri 28 Dazed 11pm-4am, from £6. Drum’n’bass from Mr Traumatik & DJ Frenzee (also in Swansea on Sat 22 this month),

Fridays Let’s Go Deep 10pm-6am. Three rooms ofd urban with Flipz and Matt Kirke; dance anthems with Matt Smooth; techno and house with Beekay.

Part of the NPCLUBHOP price deal. Fri 14 is a Valentine’s special.

Saturdays Mista Ifsta’s Block Party Dance/commercial music as part of a multi-venue deal.

CREATURE SOUND

Ken Bu Kan, 1 Bethesda Street, Swansea. 01792 301178 / www. creaturesound.com Sat 8 Jam Palace 10pm-4am, £5/£3 adv. UK garage, house and breaks from Selecta Tespres, Leigh Parry and Con RW. EDDIES

4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 779595 / www.eddies.co Sat 29 Hospitality 9.30pm-5.30am, £17 adv.

Drum’n’bass from Kings Of The Rollers & Inja, Grafix, Unglued, Urbandawn, Degs and DJ Lens plus host MCs Dynamite and Ruthless.

FICTION & VINYL

The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub. co.uk/swansea Thurs 20 Soju Kpop Party 11pm-3am, from £5. A touring celebration of the hypercapitalist music genre from Korea we all know and love. Mondays Quids In 10.45pm-2.30am, £3.50/£2 before 11. Chart, cheese, r’n’b, dance and house. Mon 10 sees the crowning of Mr & Mrs Quids, bestowed on people who go here every week, and Mon 17 is a Where’s Wally Party. Wednesdays Underground 11pm3.30am, £3.50/£2 before 1. House, chart, r’n’b and cheese across two rooms.

Fridays 11pm-3am, £5/£3 adv. Drinks offers and, uh, music I guess.

Fri 7 is “Harry & Megan Royal Leaving Drinks”. If you don’t have your own Union Jack, borrow one from a Swansea City fan.

Saturdays Agenda 10.30pm-3am, £3.50/£2 before 1. Fiction: house, r’n’b, EDM. Vinyl: pop and party. Sat 1 is billed as a UV rave.

THE FLOURMILL

56 High Street, Blackwood.

01495 707333 / flourmillblackwood@ hotmail.com Sat 29 CK1 Takeover 8pm-2am, £4. House and techno from CK1, Travis Morgan, Jake Verlander, Tom Prosser and Spctrm.

Sat 1 + Sat 7 Mar Dead Of Night 9pm-3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month. Sat 29 100% Old Skool 9pm3am, £20 adv. Featuring a Swansea debut for Melvo Baptiste of Glitterbox, plus Greg P and residents in room 1; room 2 has Kai & MC Footy.

HAVERHUB

12 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. haverhub. org.uk Fri 7 + Fri 6 Mar Vintage Reggae 8pm1am, £5. Expect tunes from the likes of Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, Gregory Isaacs, UB40 and Eddie Grant, aimed at “dancing and fun” and with Jamaican food on offer. Sat 7 Mar Rhymes Of The Time 5-10.30pm, £5/£4 for entrants. Hip-hop and grime MC competition, with both freestyle and prewritten catagories.

INKSPOT

The Old Church, Newport Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 0254 / www. inkspotartsandcrafts.com Sun 8 Instincts: Spirit Trance Gathering 10pm-4am, £5. Psytrance from Dr Nitrogen, MissTiffied, Acid Drop Anton, PsyCartel, Radiostorm and Meskalin.

JACOB’S MARKET

West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939.

Sat 29 Delete 10pm5am, £19.50 adv. House from Sweely (live set) and 5 Womanby Street, Cardiff. Freakenstein, plus resi07970 063107 / facebook. dents Marc Parsons, Matt com/fuelcardiff Owen and Lee Graves.

FUEL

Thursdays FUBAR 10pm-2am. Rock, metal and alternative clubnight.

Fridays + Saturdays Fuel Rules Rock and metal anthems each weekend, plus special guests when such types are in town.

THE GLOBE

125 Albany Road, Cardiff.

07590 471888 / www. globecardiffmusic.com Sat 8 Saved By The 90s 9pm-2am, £5. Decadespecific club night. Fri 28 Ultimate Power 9pm-2am, £6. Power ballads club night. Fri 6 Mar Swiftogeddon 9pm-2am, £7. Taylor Swift-themed club night.

HANGAR 18

50 Plymouth Street, Swansea. 07984 664008 / facebook.com/hangar18mv

KONGS

114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. info@kongsbars. com / www.kongsbars.com Mon 3 Bump & Grind 10pm-3am, from £1.

Student-friendly r’n’b/ hip-hop night returns for its first event in a year. Fri 7 Get Funky 11pm-3am, £7-£13. House from Jasper James and no bugger else, as he’s playing all night.

Sat 8 Binary 10pm-4am, £6-£8. House and techno from Al Wootton, who you might know in his former production guise as Deadboy, plus Tywi and Jeeves. Moved from Undertone; see Clubs for a preview. Sat 15 The Blue Hour 10pm-3am, from £12. Drum’n’bass from LSB & MC DRS, Ransom, Obsidian, Caaza, Brave and Maria-Lea.

LABYRINTH

13 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 760680 / www. labyrinthbar.com Fri 14 Back To Bassix 9pm-2am, £7/£6 before 11. Drum’n’bass from Audiomission, Gray, Zoro and Illustrate MC, plus more across two floors. Sat 22 Mad Ting 9pm-2am, free. Liquid and rolling drum’n’bass from Arkala Dre, Illustrate, Late Knight, One_Z and Llew. Sat 7 Mar Squash Records 90s Free Rave 10pm2am, free. Drum’n’bass all night from a lineup TBC. LE PUBLIC SPACE

High Street, Newport.

01633 221477 / www. lepublicspace.co.uk Sat 1 Thnks Fr Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, free.

Emo, pop-punk and numetal from the previous decade, here on the first Saturday of each month.

THE LOOK OUT

Heol Porth Teigr, Cardiff.

Bay. 07395 109055 / lookoutbar.cardiff@gmail. com Sat 8 Network 4pm1.30am, House and techno from Alex Taylor, Shaun Edwards, Aled Wynne, Knoll Beach and Helix.

Sat 22 Reggae, Funk, Soul Fever 9pm-12am, £5-£10. All those genres plus related ones, from DJs Silver, Jimanoli and Big Scott. Taking place on the last Saturday of every month (although this date isn’t that).

MARY’S

89 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Mon-Thurs 4pm-2am, Fri 4pm-3am, Sat 12pm-3am, Sun 12pm-1am. 029 2066 8647 / www.maryscardiff. co.uk Mondays Miss Kitty’s Late Night Ditty 9pm12am. A “one woman Kitty Kabaret Show with the songs from the past to now and of course the Merthyr Two Step challenge for a bottle of her very own Chateau De Kitty from Kitty Kat Manor.” Wednesdays Victoria Scones’ Cabaroke 8pm-2am. Singalong fun, also with DJ Chris.

Thursdays Amber’s All Sorts 8pm-2am. Fun, games, and cabaret with Amber Dextrous and DJ Jay. Fridays Non Stop Party 8pm-2am. DJ Lee plays tunes from the 90s onwards. Fri 7 is the return of Hey Mary, with DJ Sissy Boy Tears, Drunken Miss

SPACE DIMENSION CONTROLLER 16’an Half Men @ venue TBC, Cardiff, Sat 15 Feb. Tickets: £13.

Info: 16anhalfmenevents@gmail.com The reason this one is listed as ‘venue TBC’ is not, as you may have presumed, because of the increasing difficulty in securing a functioning venue for club music in Europe’s worst capital city. Rather, it’s because the strangely named 16’an Half Men, a small collective of ravers from up the Valleys throwing a do in Cardiff for the first time, want to keep it secret. Why? That’s a secret too! The important thing is that Belfast’s Jack Hamill, better known as Space Dimension Controller, is headlining, and can be expected to offer a wicked spin on Detroit techno, space disco, bumpin’ electro and other strains of innate booty music – possibly including cuts from his new album Love Beyond The Intersect, an electronic space opera with a Hawkwind-style sleeve.

Orderly and Princess Bonkers, with hosts Nemesis Repulsa, Medusa Repulsa, Cressida Wolf and Electra Complex, The last Friday of every month is a Zodiac Party with Amber and Kitty. Sundays Service 5pm-2am, free.

Bingo with Aunty Ade and Aunty Betty from 5pm, with cash prizes; DJ Mary Golds until 9pm; guest cabaret at 9pm and DJ Billy Joe on the tapes (this is an odd turn of phrase but I like it) until 1am.

METRO’S

Baker’s Row, Cardiff. 029 2039 9942 / www. metroscardiff.com Wednesdays Cheapskates 10pm4am, £2 before 11. Pop and alternative old and new. Fridays Meltdown 10.30pm-4am, free before 11. Punk and rock anthems. Saturdays Lose Yourself 10.30pm4am, free before 11. Stereo Brain playing indie, beats, treats and pop-punk.

MINSKYS SHOW BAR

Cathedral Walk, St David’s Centre, Cardiff. 029 2023 3128 / www.minskysshowbar.com Fridays & Saturdays 8pm-1am. Dancing and cabaret with regular drag acts including Tina Sparkle, Miss Babs and Jolene Dover.

MOCKA LOUNGE

Mill Lane, Cardiff. MonSat 11am-late. 029 2022 1295 / www.mockalounge. com Thursdays Iqos Social Club / Intuition 7-9pm: Iqos Social Club; 9pmlate: Intuition with DJs Monique B and Dan Willow.

Fridays Feeling Soul,

funk, disco, rare groove and r’n’b with resident DJs and happy hour from 5-8pm.

Saturdays House Of Play House and r’n’b from resident DJs. Sundays Secret Resident DJs play 90s music.

THE MOON

Womanby Street, Cardiff.

029 2037 3022 / info@ themooncardiff.com Wed 5 Electronic Producers Network 7-10pm, free. Monthly live tunes/showcase type night. Fri 7 Urban Dun Differently 6pm, free. Hip-hop showcase showcase featuring, deep breath: Mace, USLXT, Culture Vultures, B Wild & Veez, AG, Zaru, Caston, Scuzzy & Jaytee, Izzie Jay/7Breaths/Jolie Jade, Jamie Pearce, Hayez & Tricks, MD Sterling Sounds, Thalia Richardson, Neeks, She Sings, Saint Bernadette, Tbella, Rhi Rhi, Becky Cee, Missy G, Cara Elise, Unit, Tei Fi and hosts Smxk3, DJ Mumble B and DJ Rev Dread.

Wed 26 Womanby’s Clubbing 5-8pm. Monthly clubbing events for adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions.

Run in partnership with Student Volunteering; email k.sillah@svcymru.org for more info. Wednesdays Rum & Reggae 10.30pm2.30am, free. Reggae, dub, ska, hip-hop and jungle.

Thursdays One More Time 10.30pm-2.30am, free. Music from the 90s and 00s. Fridays Gigantic Until 4am, free.

Funk, punk, rock’n’roll, hip-hop, indie, reggae and soul after bands finish playing. Saturdays Five Dollar Shake Until 4am, free. Bebop, funk, soul,

Motown, hip-hop, reggae, ska and everything in between, after bands finish playing.

THE NEON

Clarence Place, Newport.

01633 533666 / www. theneon.co.uk Fri 14 U18 Valentines Party 7pm, £10 adv.

R’n’b, house and dance for today’s Valentinin’ teens.

Sat 15 Silent Disco 7-10pm, £5 adv. Described as “a clubnight with a twist!” by the venue. Nigel Farage in one channel of your headphones, Katie Hopkins in the other?

NEWPORT CENTRE

1 Kingsway, Newport.

01633 656757 / www. newportlive.co.uk Thurs 13 Valentine Shutdown Concert 7pm, £7 adv. This is presented by Urban Circle and features a lineup TBC (including “celebrity guests”) plus what they say is the biggest sound system in the city.

PATTI PAVILION

Mumbles Road, Swansea.

01792 475444.

Sat 22 Fusion Events 6.30pm-12am, from £9.50 adv. Drum’n’bass, house and techno from Mr Traumatik and DJ Frenzee (also in Cardiff on Fri 28), Moore, Aaron Price, Connor Thomas, Barry Green and Matt Parker.

See Clubs.

PEN & WIG

22-24 Stow Hill, Newport.

Mon-Thurs 10am-11pm, Fri + Sat 10am-12am, Sun 11am-10.30pm.

01633 666818.

Sat 14 ‘Port Electro 7.30pm-1am, £3 adv.

Electro/alternative club night with lots of classic BUZZ 63

80s synthpop etc. In aid of WAY. Widowed and Young Foundation.

PITCHER & PIANO

Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com Sat 15 Groove 2020 Opening Party 4pm12am. With a lineup TBC. Sat 22 The Return 6pm2am. Presented by Urban House, DJs not specified.

POPWORLD

96 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Mon, Tue + Thurs 9pm3am; Wed 8pm-3am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 1pm-3am.

029 2023 5825.

Mondays Pop Rocks 9pm. A night of what they call alternative pop.

Wednesdays Top Banana 10pm-3am.

Retro gaming, giveaways and DJ Giggsy playing the songs. Thursdays Top Of The Pops 10pm-3am.

Discounted drinks, free entry and a chance to party the night away. Fridays Reflex 7pm-3am.

Drinks deals until 11pm.

Saturdays Popworld Party 1pm-3am. Drinks deals from 3-6pm.

POPWORLD

2-5 Wind Street, Swansea.

Mon-Fri + Sun 8pm-3am; Sat 3pm-3am. 01792 470676.

Mondays Cheapskates 9pm-3am. With DJ Rubell “spinning the mixes on the decks” in the slightly confused-sounding words of Popworld itself.

Wednesdays Quids In 8pm-3am. Student night where drinks are £1.

Thursdays Neon Disco 9pm-3am. Dance r’n’b, pop, chart and punk. Fridays #WTF 9pm-3am, £2-£4. Tunes, games etc.

Saturdays Pop Party 8pm-3am, £2-£4. Sundays SIP 9pm-3am, That’s short for Service Industry Party.

PRYZM

Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

029 2023 3854 / www. pryzm.co.uk/cardiff Mondays Quids In Cardiff 10pm-3am, £5/£3 before 12/£1 with guestlist.

Featuring £1 drinks all night and free McDonalds.

Saturdays Agenda 10pm-3am, £5. Three music arenas, VIP booths, other stuff.

PULSE

3 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

029 2064 1010 / www. pulsecardiff.com. Gay venue.

BUZZ 64

Wednesdays Kapow!

10pm-4am. Student night with Jolene Dover and DJ Warren. Fridays Full On 10pm-5am, £4/£3. DJ Craig downstairs, Opal upstairs.

Saturdays The Sound Of Saturday 10pm-5am, £5/£4 b4 11. The very best chart remixes and classic hits all night long.

REVOLUTION

Castle Street, Cardiff.

Open from 11am. 029 2023 6689 / www. revolution-bars.co.uk Fri 7 KulkanRave Cardiff: Reggaeton Revolution 11pm-3am, £4 adv. DJ Adam Cariad plays reggaeton, dembow, electrolatino, rumba and r’n’b all night.

SIN CITY

Dilwyn Street, Swansea.

01792 468892 / www. sincityclub.co.uk Tuesdays Hustle 10pm3am, £3/£2 before 12.

Motown, r’n’b and hip-hop.

Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3. Student night. Sat 1 Bassline 10pm-4am, £7.50-£10.

Drum’n’bass headlined by Turno. Fri 14 Bassline 10pm-4am, £15. More drum’n’bass, headlined this time by Wilkinson. Sold out by the looks. Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South SODA

St Mary Street, Cardiff.

029 2037 3363 / www. sodacardiff.com Wednesdays Replay 9pm-4am, £4. Chart, cheese and r’n’b for students.

Fridays Guilty Sounds 10pm-4am, £4/£6 VIP. R’n’b and house from the 90s and 00s. Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am. Three rooms including the Attic which is “the social playground for the high flyers and social elite, the only place to be seen.” Imagine catching your reflection in the mirror just after writing that. Sundays Soda Sundays 9pm-3am, £4/£8 VIP. Three floors of music for students and industry workers.

STORY

Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. info@storynightclub.co.uk Mondays Quidz 10pm3am, from £1. Student night. Fridays Smack.

10pm-3am. Student night across four rooms, poached back from Pryzm who I

guess poached it from some other crap student club. Fri 7 has a live performance from Deno.

Fridays Antisocial 11pm-4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. Weekly student night with special guests. Saturdays Iconic 11pm-4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. R’n’b, hip-hop, house etc. Sat 1 has a guest appearance from Steeel Banglez TEN 11

10-11 Broad Street, Barry. www.ten11.co.uk Fri 28 Underground Sounds 9pm, £10 adv.

Tuff techno from D.A.V.E The Drummer, Simon G, Madame Twisted, Fattman b2b Salted Slug, JaMo and Iolo.

TIGER TIGER

Friary House, Greyfriars Rd, Cardiff. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-2am, Sat 12pm3am, Sun 12pm-12.30am.

029 2039 1944 / www. tigertiger-cardiff.co.uk Every Day Lucky Voice Karaoke From £2.50 per session. The UK’s leading private karaoke experience each day of the week.

Mondays Dolla Dolla 10pm-3am, £5/£2. Student night with special guests.

Tuesdays Sync 10pm3am, £3. R’n’b and hip-hop from DJ Sole and Alex Davies; disco, house and bass from Lewis Disson, Kyle Thom and Jordan Witts. Wednesdays Shotgun Rules 10pm3am, £5/£3.50. Exclusive midweek student party.

You don’t need NUS to get in though. Fridays Tic Toc 10pm-3am, £4. “Forget the DJs who play the stuff you’ve never heard of, ours will be playing your favourite tracks all night long.”

Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc.

£6. “A creative collective of artists, musicians, and creatives traveling the length and breadth of the country in search of the quirkiest event spaces.”

Listings wishes them luck with the search. Fri 28 Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club 8pm, £10£18. Rescheduled from December.

Deep/liquid drum’n’bass from Alix Perez, Jubei, Monty, Bredren, SP:MC, Obsidian, Brave and MariaLea. Fri 28 Canopy 10pm-5am, £15-£20.

Drum’n’bass night, also a showcase for the Souped Up label. Lineup includes Serum & Inja, Voltage b2b T>I & Carasel MC, Benny Page, Nicky Blackmarket.

Benny V and MC XL. UNDERTONE (BASEMENT Sat 29 Wax Format & OF 10 FEET TALL) Journey 2-10pm, £17.5011a + 12 Church Street, £22.50. Follow-up to a Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / launch event in January www.undertonecardiff. last year where all DJs com play all-vinyl sets. Room 1: Progressive, trance Sat 15 Pull Up and hard trance classics 10pm-4am, £6/£4 adv.

Drum’n’bass from Gray and from Lange, Mario Piu, more TBC. Fri 21 Global Mark E.G, Sam Mitcham, Sounds 10pm-4am, £4-£6. Hywel Matthews and Smudge. Room 2: hard UK garage, breaks and trance and hard house breakbeat (“the origins from S.H.O.K.K., Paul of the UK dance scene” Maddox, Nick The Kid, according to the promoters) from LRB b2b CIA, DJ Richie Knight, Ed Lynam, Nervous, Cromie, BMI and Rhys Thomas & Callan Christie and A-J / 72. Sat Hardcakes. Another dis29 High-Fi 10pm-5am, claimer: both these events from £13. See Clubs for were looking to relocate at press time due to the venue more on this, which starts right after the event listed either closing or losing all previously finishes and has its staff, so if they sound sets from Pleasurekraft, good to you look them up Spektre, Tekno Tom and on Facebook. more TBC. VALE WAREHOUSE

Cambria House, Penarth Road, Cardiff. 07955 270870 / info@ valewarehouse.com Fri 21 90s Rave 9pm2am, from £5. Touring student clubnight where attendees get given glowsticks, UV paint etc. Sat 7 Mar Foreverland Cardiff: Cosmic Circus 10pm-3am, from £12.50.

House, bass, garage and drum’n’bass from Taim, Bitr8, Royal Hustle and host Tyrone, plus a headliner TBC. More importantly, lots of added decor and inflatable things.

THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE

Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com

The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www. vaultspresents.com

Fri 7 Time Flies Big Birthday Party 8pm3am, £25 adv/£35 VIP. Lineup features Todd Terry (who I think might be playing Cardiff for the first time in the 20+ years I’ve lived here, so fair dos), X-Press 2, Seb Fontaine, John Kelly, Dave Jones, Footlong DJs, Shane Morris, Dave Eaves, Jason King, Rick Latham, Tyrone Rose, Dave Mills, Gary Pugh, Uptonogood and DJ Pipes.

Fri 14 Triple Cooked: Garden Of Eden 9pm,

Sat 1 Tremor Teens 3pm, £10-£17.50 adv.

Daytime rave for trance fans aged under 18 – a demographic I genuinely had no idea exists. Will Atkinson, Cai B, Bradz, PH & Lam, CJM, Delta, Attached and Jonny Griffiths are the DJs. *Sat 1 Haws 10pm-5am, £12-£15 adv. Headlined by Special Request, aka UK house type Paul Woolford in his old-skool rave/jungle guise. Sat 8 Empire 10pm-5am, from £15 adv.

TRAMSHED

WOW BAR

11 Windsor Place, Cardiff.

Gay venue. www. wowbarcardiff.com Wednesdays Get Pound£d Free. Music from DJ Karlos, cabaret from Bonida and various cheap drinks. Thursdays Krazy Karaoke Free.

Music from DJ Chris, hosted by Dominique Trix and with a free shot for everyone who does a song.

Fridays Campilicious Cabaret Free before 11.

Hosted by various members of the WOW Showgirls, plus special guests every week. Saturdays Phat & Sassy Free before 10.

Pop and party with DJs Gypsy and Krys. Sundays Spotlight 5pm, free.

DJ Krys and Chris play the tunes until late, plus there’s cabaret and karaoke from Miss Kitty and Gina respectively.

events EVERY MONDAY

uEscape Reality Cardiff Escape Reality, John Street, Cardiff.

Mon-Fri + Sun 1.30-9pm; Sat 12-9pm, £16-£20 per player. Info 029 2132 3120 / cardiff@escapereality.com.

Escape room setup where players have an hour to solve puzzles and exit the room in question. Offers each day for hen/stage parties, corporate events etc. uNoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff. £1-£15 per class. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Classes for various age groups on every day; check the website for full details. uUp Side Down Circus Classes Cave Venture Workshops, Tremorfa Industrial Estate, Cardiff.

Info 029 2048 8854 / info@ upsidedowncircus.co.uk.

Classes for various skill levels on every day; check the website for full details.

EVERY TUESDAY

uAdult Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine’s Park, Cardiff. 6.30-7.50pm, £15. Info 029 2048 4880.

Every Tuesday to Thursday.

Beginners Ballet Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6.15-7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2063 5614. Covering key ballet principles including developing core strength, improving posture, basic steps, flexibility and coordination. Hosted by National Dance Company Wales.

Beginners Contemporary Dance Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30-8.45pm, £6. Info 029 2063 5614. Exploring the basic principles of contemporary dance through a set of exercises. Hosted by National Dance Company Wales.

Caban Sgriblio Brecon Library. 4-6pm, free. Info 01873 811579. Drop-in creative writing sessions led

by Uschi Turoczy. Running throughout summer but with no set finish date at present.

Community Choir Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 7-9pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info oceanartscardiff@gmx. co.uk. Drop-in sessions.

English Conversation Group For Beginners M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11am, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Led by a qualified English language teacher.

Mid Wales Dance Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219. With Lesley Walker. Also on Thursdays, Fridays aand Saturdays.

Open Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@

porterscardiff.com. uOrganised Kaos Circus Classes Cwmaman Church Hall, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. Info 07799 266505 / info@ organisedkaos.org.uk.

Inclusive community circus offering an environment for young people and adults alike to develop circus skills, promoting self confidence and community. Various classes from Tuesday to Friday; find the timetable at www. organisedkaos.org.uk.

Uplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 12.30-1.30pm, £5/£4. Info 01874 611622.

Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219.

Rhiwbina Farmers Market The Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina. 10am1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

EVERY SATURDAY

Mid Wales Dance Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219.

Roath Real Food Market Mackintosh Sports Club Car Park, Roath, Cardiff. 9.30am1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

EVERY SUNDAY

Come Down Sundays Crafty Cuppa Redhouse, Quiz Porter’s, Cardiff.

Merthyr Tydfil. 10am-12pm, 8pm, £1 to play. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. £3. Info 01443 490390.

Draw Somebody’s Creative coffee mornings led by tutor Rhian and the Sunday Body Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 1.30Artis Community Team.

3.30pm, £7.50. Info 07830 Price includes refresh381930. Hosted by Cardiff ments and art materials.

Life Model.

EVERY THURSDAY Learn To Roller Skate FAN Group Meeting Cardiff Central Youth Club, Cardiff Central Library.

Cardiff. 12-1pm, £3/£40 5.30pm, free. Info www. for eight weeks at two sesthefancharity.org. Meet new sions per week. Info www. people, make friends and brawlers.co.uk. Uncoached get to know your neighsession hosted by Tiger bours.

Bay Brawlers.

Learn To Roller Skate Riverside Farmers’ Cardiff Central Youth Club, Market Fitzhammon Cardiff. 6-7.30pm, £4/£40 Embankment, Cardiff. for eight weeks at two ses- 10am-2pm, free. Info 029 sions per week. Info www.

2022 7982. Always worth brawlers.co.uk. With Cardiff a trip. roller derby team Tiger Bay Sunday Board Games Brawlers; fully coached and Cardiff Chapter Arts with veteran skater lead.

Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, free.

Also on every Sunday.

Info 029 2030 4400. Weekly Mid Wales Dance session featuring a mixture Academy Theatr of competitive and coBrycheiniog, Brecon. Info operative games.

01874 623219.

SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY Singing For Lung An Evening With Paul Health Bridges Centre, Gascoigne Vale Sports Drybridge House, Arena, Cardiff. 6pm, £25Monmouth. 11am-12pm, £3. Info 03000 555555. New £200. Info 029 2240 4901. singing group set up by the The venue are billing this as an invitation to fondly British Lung Foundation remember Gazza’s goal and open to anyone living against Scotland in Euro with a lung condition.

96, which I guess might Yinyasa Yoga Class find more favour here than Cathays Community in Scotland itself, but not Centre, Cardiff. 1.05by that much.

1.55pm, £5. Info facebook.

Chinese New Year com/yinyasacardiff.

Family Fun National Yoga First Floor, 3 Assembly Square, Britannia Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am-3pm, free.

Quay, Cardiff Bay. 12.30Info 029 2057 3600. Stories, 1.15pm, £5. Info elliecopcrafts, cultural music and a tor@hotmail.com. With mini lantern parade.

Mat Roblin.

Dewch i Ganu National EVERY FRIDAY Waterfront Museum, English Conversation Swansea. 11am, free. Info Group For Advanced 029 2057 3600. Join musiAdult Learners M.A.D.E. cian Delyth Jenkins and Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. learn Welsh through song.

11am, free. Info 029 2047 uDinky Donkey 3373. Led by a qualified Walking Venue TBC, English language teacher.

Brecon Beacons. £35/£25 Mid Wales Dance under-17s. Info 01874 EVERY WEDNESDAY

749092. Spend a couple of hours with a pair of Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys. A Good Day Out event. Also on Sun 2, Sat 15, Mon 17, Sun 23 and Sat 29.

Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry. 10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149. Every first Saturday of the month. uExpress Yourself Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info www.elysiumgallery.com. Cabaret nights (also on Sat 15 this month) hosted by Mr & Mrs Clark and featuring 15-minute performances from a wide variety of local theatre/art/music/etc types.

Introduction To Hand Embroidery National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 11am-4pm, £65/£55. Info 029 2057 3070. Workshop suitable for anyone from total begin-

uMini Donkey Agility & Games Session Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £30/£20 under-17s. Info 01874 749092. Learn how to interact with animals and do agility and target training with the donkeys.

A Good Day Out event. Also on Sun 16 and Sun 23. uPiggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £30/£20 under-17s. Info 01874 749092. Take a pair of friendly Kune Kune pigs (from New Zealand, look a bit like Ewoks) for a walk, then return to the smallholding for refreshments. A Good Day Out event. Also on Mon 3, Sun 9, Tue 11 and Tue 25 this month.

Progress Wrestling Chapter 102: Bang Tidy Tramshed, Cardiff.

4pm, £20. Info 029 2023 5555.

Vintage Kilo Sale

The annual Narberth A Capella Voice Festival returns to the Queens Hall on Sat 15 and Sun 16, featuring vocal-led performances and workshops in a variety of styles and drawing on multiple cultural traditions.

Also on Tue 18, from 10.30am-12.30pm. uArt Club Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.308.30pm, £8 per class/£10 annual membership. Info 01656 815757. Open to all abilities and ages; every Tuesday until 11 Feb. uContemporary Conversations Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Meeting up twice a month (also on Tue 18), this group discuss ideas and themes from current and recent art exhibitions. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Also on Tue 11 and Tue 25 this month, with a theme of ‘warm climates’.

Tea Dance Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2pm, £6. Info 01656 815995. With Jeff Guppy.

WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY

uAdult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday this month. uCreative Textiles Club Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-12pm, £8. ners onwards.

Cornerstone, Cardiff. 10am- Info 01656 815757. Every Open Club Day Le Public 4pm, £3/£1.50 after 12. Info Wednesday until 12 Feb; open to all abilities.

Space, Newport. Free. Info hannah@vintagekilosale.

Drink & Drew The Gate, sam@lepub.co.uk. Part of co.uk.

Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 a Europe-wide scheme in Wedding Fayre The which venues open their Orangery, Margam Park, nr 2048 3344. Learn the skill doors for a full day so Port Talbot. 11am, free. Info of caricature with artist Rachel Rasmussen. locals or other interested 01639 883553.

Leather & Leatherette parties can come in and MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY Jewellery Workshop learn more about the place.

M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

Chunky Yarn Snood Soap Making M.A.D.E. 6.30am-8.30pm, £25. Info Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30amlarkdesignmake@gmail.

12.30pm + 2-4pm, £25 per Gallery, Cardiff. 6.30-8pm, £15. Info larkdesignmake@ com. Hosted by Lark session. Info gmail.com. Hosted by Lark Design Make. larkdesignmake@gmail.

Reminiscence Monthly Design Make. com. Hosted by Lark Museum Of Cardiff, The uGrangetown Design Make.

Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, Community Choir SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY free. Info 029 2034 6214.

Cornwall Street Baptist An Introduction To Come to the museum Church Hall, Grangetown, Table Loom Weaving and share your memories Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, Craft In The Bay, Cardiff of Cardiff, on the first £10 per session/£80 for Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £80. 12 sessions. Info paulWednesday of every month.

Info 029 2048 4611. With uScriveners Writers’ inedown7@gmail.com.

Laura Thomas.

Group The Badminton With Pauline Down, every Cardiff 5k And 10k Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info Monday until 30 Mar. Winter Warmer Run 01495 309863 / burninguQi Gong Tai Chi Bute Park, Cardiff. 10amCarnegie House, Bridgend. canary@aol.com. Also on 1pm, £16 5k run entry/£19 1.30-2.30pm, £3. Info 01656 Wed 19 this month.

10k run entry. Info theWales v The Rest Of 815757. With tutor Geoff fixevents.com. In aid of The World Question Of Cheetham; every Monday Shelter Cymru.

Sport Presidents Lounge, until 10 Feb. Cardiff Storytelling Principality Stadium, TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY Circle Chapter Arts Cardiff. 6.45pm, £75/£600 uArt Babas Glynn Vivian for eight people. Info Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £5.

Art Gallery, Swansea. 10.30- cityhospice.org.uk. A City Info 029 2030 4400.

11.30am, free. Info 01792 Jesmonite Coasters Hospice fundraising event 516900. Relaxed sensory M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. featuring Ellis Jenkins, craft session for parents/ 10.30am-1pm, £30. Info Nick Williams, Gareth carers and children from larkdesignmake@gmail.

Anscombe, Owen Lane, six months to three years. com. Hosted by Lark Olly Robinson and host Book in advance please.

Design Make.

Frances Donovan.

THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

uArt Class Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am12pm, £8. Info 01656 815757. Open to all abilities and ages; every Thursday until 13 Feb. Bridgend Writers’ Circle: Scriptwriting Evening Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7pm. Info 01656 815757. Help turn your novel/short story/idea into a script for radio, TV or film.

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2030 4400. New poetry and fiction, this month from Eoghan Walls. I had him listed as being here in December so I assume it was rescheduled.

L:ittle Lambs National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 10.30am-12pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070.

Kids’ activities. uSamba Band Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-8pm, pay by donation. Info 01656 815757. Learn to play Brazilian beats; open to all abilities. Every Thursday until 20 Feb uT-Shirt Printing The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £150 (four-week course).

Info 029 2022 0349. With Tom Whitehead, every Tuesday this month and again in April.

FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY

uBingo Lingo Patti Pavilion, Swansea.

6-10.30pm, £7-£9. Info 01792 477710. New venue for this japey night which features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”. Here every Friday this month. uBingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5.

Info www.depotcardiff. co.uk. This all takes place in the Depot’s new venue on Williams Way, which is fairly close to their old one, and is also on Fri 21 and Fri 28 this month.

Booklaunch: Grace Blakeley Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University.

6-8.30pm, free. Info wlgcardiffvale@gmail. com. Blakeley is one of your panel show socialists, she seems pretty sound and has a new book titled Stolen: How To Save The World From Financialisation.

Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (three-month trial membership). Info 07526 141392 / www.cardiffivc.org.uk.

Meeting here on the first Friday of each month.

BUZZ 65

ROOTS UNEARTHED FEBRUARY 2020 To celebrate significant career milestones, musicians will often release a best of album, produce a commemorative T-shirt or publish a glossy coffee table tome of previously unseen photos. In this regard, Scottish band Breabach have gone the extra mile by collaborating with Scotland’s oldest working distillery, Glenturret, to produce their own Breabach single malt!

The reason for this rather brilliant idea is to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the band’s formation, something that hardly seems possible those of us who have been following their career.

Formed in 2005, Breabach really made their mark a couple of years later with their nomination as Best Folk Band at the 2007 Scots Trad Music Awards and again the following year. Since then, they’ve released a series of acclaimed albums and have been nominated for and won many awards, including a nomination for Best Group at the BBC Folk Awards and being crowned Scottish Folk Band Of The Year (2012) and Live Act Of The Year (2013) at the Scottish Trad Awards.

With their roots deep in the Scottish tradition, Breabach’s current line up of Calum MacCrimmon (bagpipes, whistle, bouzouki, vocals), Megan Henderson (fiddle, vocals), Ewan Robertson (guitar, cajon), James Duncan Mackenzie (bagpipes, flute, whistle) and James Lindsay (double bass, vocals) also look further afield for inspiration – as they proved on 2016’s Astar, an album that saw the collaborating with musicians from Norway, Quebec, Australia and New Zealand.

The band’s most recent album – 2018’s well received Frenzy Of The Meeting, which mixes traditional tunes and songs with their own compositions – was recorded live in the studio to capture something of the feel of their high octane live performances, which can also be experienced first-hand when they embark on a short tour of Wales at the end of February.

Kicking off at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Tue 25, they will then visit Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells (Wed 26), Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea (Thurs 27), Ponti, Bangor (Fri 28) and Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan (Sat 29).

BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: Vicki Swann & Jonny Dyer Great songs and blistering musicianship.

Lyceum Folk Club, Newport (Thurs 13) Jez Lowe Rightly acclaimed County Durham songwriter.

Valley Folk Club, Pontardawe (Fri 14) Tim Edey Award winning multi-instrumentalist.

Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun (Wed 26) Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767

BUZZ 66

Little Mice Club National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10.30am-12pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event for preschool children and their parents/ carers.

Marian Keyes Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £20. Info 01600 772467. Novelist talks about her career and latest novel Grown Ups, a copy of which is included in the price.

Only Fools And Boycie Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £20. Info 029 2089 0862. John Challis from Only Fools And Horses does one of his popular ‘evening with’ evenings.

He’s mates with Ice-T you know. On Twitter. You probably saw that weeks ago. uSt Fagans Museum Ghost Tours National History Museum, St Fagans. 8-10pm, £16. Info 029 2057 3500. Hosted by Dark Wales Tours. Also on Fri 21 and Sat 29 this month.

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY

Aberration: Forgotten Stars Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £8-£10.

Info 01970 623232. Talks and performances to mark LGBT History Month. uCardiff Anime & Gaming Con 2020 Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa, Cardiff.

10.30am, £12 Sat 8/£9 Sun 9/£19 both days. Info www.cardiffanimecon.com.

Tournaments, stalls, cosplay, boardgames, J-pop etc etc. On tomorrow also. uCraft Fayre Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. Free. Info 029 2087 7959. Handcrafted products made in Wales, on tomorrow also. uDrawing With Nature II – Gesso & Natural Inks Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £180. Info 029 2048 4611. With Amanda Blake. On tomorrow also.

Drop-In Knotwork & Beading Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 11am-3pm, £5.

Info 029 2048 4611. With Suzen Millodot, every second Saturday of the month.

Eros Ball Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground, Cardiff.

7pm, £65 adv. Info vents@ vip-hire.co.uk. A City Hospice fundraising event featuring James Williams, Pzazz Dancers, Nicky Piper, Wyburn & Wayne and a three-course meal.

Family Fun Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

10am-4pm, £3 (suggested

donation) per activity. Info 01792 516900. Workshops and a screening of a (the?)

Pokemon movie.

National Storytelling Week National History Museum, St Fagans.

11.30am-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Stories from the Mabinogion, in Welsh from 11.30am-12.30pm and in English from 1.30pm2.20pm, then 2.35pm3.30pm.

Pre-Loved Kilo Vintage Fair National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am5pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Selling clobber for £15 per kilo.

Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3. Info 0845 2263510.

Swishing Party National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. Free. Info 029 2057 3070. Bring items you no longer wear and exchange them for something new (to you).

Talk: Industrial Visions National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Curator-led tour of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s Industrial Visions exhibition.

The First 100 Years Of Photography Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil. 2pm, free after entry to museum.

Info 01685 727371.

Seated talk by Dr. Michael Pritchard. uTraditional Fairground National History Museum, St Fagans. From £1 Info 029 2057 3500. For ages 2-11; on tomorrow also.

SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Exist Pro Wrestling Cwmfelin Social Club, Swansea. 1.30pm, £8/£10 front row. Info existprowrestling@gmail.com.

Marina Market Dylan Thomas Square, Swansea.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food.

Swansea Winter Vintage & Makers Market National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY

Cardiff Humanists Event Cardiff Quaker Meeting House, Charles St, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £2/£1.

Info www.cardiffhumanists. co.uk. Taking place on the second Monday of each month; February sees Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed talking about humanism in Islam.

Fused Glass – Seaside Beach Huts Old Hall, Cowbridge. 10am-4pm, £48.

Info hello@valemakers. org. Vale Makers workshop headed by Frances Lloyd.

Live Poets Society Cinema & Co, Swansea.

7.30pm. Info 07982 624959.

Headlined by Manjit Sahota, activist and cofounder of Poets Against Racism.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Arts Society Talk: The Paintings And Watercolours Of Ireland Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2.30pm, £8. Info 01874 611622. With Tom Duncan.

Cardiff Left Bookclub Bub’s, Cardiff. 7-8pm, free.

Info facebook.com/ cardiffleftbookclub. This takes place on the second Tuesday of each month and talks about a book which is left-wing in its outlook or has relevance to that ideology. This month it’s The Drowned World by JG Ballard.

Smut Slam Cardiff: Epic Fail Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2063 6464. Described as a “dirty storytelling open mic” and in this venue for the first time, the theme of this event is shagging that went wrong in some way.

Strictly Ann: An Evening With Ann Widdecombe Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £23. Info 01600 772467. I’ve purchased all the front row seats for this and plan to bust a bunch of pregnant women out of prison, give them the tickets and then all of us sit there making the loser sign at Ann the whole time.

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Music Networking / Developing Your Live Show Workshop The Moon, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Register via Eventbrite. The workshop starts at 6pm, the networking session at 7.30.

Paula Obrien Jurys Inn, Cardiff. 7.30-10pm, £19.95£30. Info 0161 7742983.

Spirit medium does her thing in a hotel which shares her enthusiasm for removing apostrophes from names.

Simon Yates Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £15.

Info 0871 4720400. Spoken word show from mountaineer.

Tea Dance Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 2pm, £7.50.

Info 01792 475715.

THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY

Arts Society Cardiff Lecture Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400.

Charles Hajdamach with a lecture titled ‘From Rome To Stourbridge: 2000 Years Of Cameo Glass’. uCardiff Science Festival Various venues, Cardiff. Info cardiffsciencefestival. co.uk. The return of this multi-venue, six-day (their own blurb says four days, in that it starts in earnest on Sat 15) celebrating STEM. Launches tonight at Techniquest in Cardiff Bay at 5.30pm, then there’s a free lecture on astronomy

by Dr Edward Gomez at the Cardiff School Of Engineering at 7.30pm.

Sat 15: hands-on science demos in the Capitol Centre; fossil displays in Techniquest; discussion of water shortages and surpluses, plus the ‘science of witchcraft’, in the Bute Park Education Centre; a 3D Space Experience in the Cardiff Deaf Centre; and a chance to learn about programming in Rhiwbina Library. Sun 16: learn about diamonds and lifesaving in the Capitol Centre; microplastics in Bute Park Education Centre; A Brief History Of Life in the Flute & Tankard.

Mon 17: space-themed activities in the Capitol Centre. Tue 18: make a bee house in the Bute Park Education Centre; Cancer Research Wales Science Cafe in the Virgin Money Lounge. Plus various things running from Sat 15-Tue 18 including Cardiff Bay wildlife walks, ‘science busking’, the science of cosmetics in Lush and some escape room shenanigans. (Until Tue 18) Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01685 722555. Featuring guest poets Steve Griffiths and Mari Elis Dunning. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Pontcanna Scout Hall, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 dropin/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723. Choir, led by Laura Woodford, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune. Also on Thurs 27 this month. uYin Yang Yoga: Lunchtime Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 1.10-2pm, £5. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Also on Thurs 27 this month. uYin Yoga Urban Zen

Yoga & Movement Studio, Swansea. 7.45-9pm, £7. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Also on Thurs 20 and Thurs 27 this month.

FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY

uAlexandra’s Enchanted Garden Alexandra Park, Penarth.

5.20-8pm, £8.50 adv. Info info@alexandrasenchantedgarden.co.uk. After-dark installation for kids. Every day apart from from Mon 17 and Tue 18. (Until Sat 22) uAnatomy Lab Live: Contagion Village Hotel, Cardiff. 5.30-10.30pm, £81.99 adv/£72.99 NHS/ MOD employees or NUS. Info 029 2167 1120. This is a touring event which comprises a two-course meal in a dining room-cumoperating theatre, so you get to eat food and then dissect a replica human body. On tomorrow also; in Swansea on Sun 16. uCardiff Poetry Festival Temple Of Peace, Cardiff. Prices vary per event. Info seren@ serenbooks.com. Presented

by Welsh book publisher Seren, this three-day festival begins today with workshops, lectures and an open mic hosted by Mike Jenkins, Eric Ngalle Charles and Ifor ap Glyn. Tomorrow starts at 10.30am and has showcases, workshops, readings etc. Sun 16 features a tribute to Dannie Abse, a music/poetry performance

by Zoe Skoulding with Alan Holmes, and James Dean Bradfield talking about his ‘desert island poems’. Go to cardiffpoetryfestival. com for more info. (Until Sun 16) Emerging Circus Directors Toolkit NoFit State, Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff.

11.30am-3.30pm, free.

Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Session hosted by Citrus Arts; part of the Transitions Project, a circus artist and teacher development programme run by NoFit State Circus.

Kendal Mountain Festival Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £18.50/£10.50 under-25s or NUS. Info 0845 2263510.

Showcase of explorer footage, similar I guess to the BANFF Mountain Film Festival which is a little further on in this month’s listings. In Cardiff tomorrow; Pontardawe on Sat 29.

Retro Games Gathering Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff

Bay. 7.30-11.30pm, free.

Info oceanartscardiff@ gmx.co.uk. Social event on the second Friday of every month.

Victorian Love Letter Writing Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 6.307.30pm, £8.50. Info 029 2116 7920. Activity hour with a glass of prosecco in the price. You get given quills and parchment to do this, although I think both were outmoded by the time of Queen Victoria’s coronation.

with vocal-centred performances this evening from Semi Toned (barbershop harmony), Ye Vagabonds (Irish folk) and Durga Ramakrishnan (Indian).

Workshops in Irish/folk, Indian, Corsican, Georgian, Welsh and Looping will also feature, likewise a talk about choral activism

Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Monthly pop-up hosted by Riverside Market. uStone Lithography Print Market Project, Canton, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £75. Info printmarketprojectstudio@gmail.com.

One-day printing method

hosted by Twin Made.

Dragon Pro Wrestling The Neon, Newport.

5.30-9.30pm, £9 adv/£20 VIP. Info 01633 533666.

Featuring an All Wales Title Match, Celtic Crown Women’s Title Match, Dragon Pro Tag Team Title Match and #Nextwave Title Match.

SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY

Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am4.30pm. Info 01495 753782.

Every third Saturday of the month.

Castrum Leonis Roars Again: Reconstructing Holt Castle, Denbighshire National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Talk by Chris Jones-Jenkins about making a 3D computer model of said castle.

Crash #2 Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com. New poetry night, the second in the series indeed, with readings from Luke Kennard, Thomas Stewart, Maria Stadnicka, Peter Daniels, David Turner and Jess Mookherjee. uDylan’s Animals Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Self-led activities for kids. Tue 17 is a family workshop from 1-4pm. (Until Sun 21) Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ntlworld. com. Second Saturday of every month. uIncredible Inventions Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Half-term family activities in the galleries.

(Until Sun 23) Kendal Mountain Festival Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. uMakers Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-5pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3500. Stalls, workshops and demonstrations all week. (Until Sun 23) uNarberth A Capella Voice Festival The Queens Hall, Narberth. £60/£58. Info 01834 861212. Annual two-day event (on tomorrow also)

SMUT SLAM Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 11 Feb Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk If you’re desperately trying to avoid Cupid’s line of fire this month, Smut Slam might just be the best place to hide. Billed as “an antidote to Valentine’s Day”, Smut Slam is Cardiff’s only NSFW open mic event and this month’s theme is ‘epic fail’. To quote the proverb, things don’t always work out in the way that they’re supposed to, and Smut Slam want to hear your filthy, first-person stories of times when expectations, romance or sex (or all three) may have failed you, but at break-neck speed. Host Cameryn Moore will be on hand with prizes and drinks aplenty for participants who are willing to bring their very, very worst.

What could possibly go wrong? (this sounds interesting!) from Kirsty Martin and a Sing For Wellbeing clinic with breathing and singing exercises.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month.

Repair Café Wales Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 10am-1pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. The premise of this is that the public bring in items to be fixed – bikes, computers, clothes, say – and a team of volunteers attempt to do so. You can volunteer to be a volunteer too if you like!

Sausage And Cider Fest The Depot, Cardiff.

12-5pm + 6-11pm, £15 per session. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Another of these touring pissups, also featuring live music and DJs. Headsup for anyone who actually likes cider, the ones listed on the organisers’ website are all those flavoured Lilley’s jobs that taste nothing like cider.

St Fagans Real Food

tutorial with Pete Williams.

On tomorrow also. uStop Motion Lego Animation National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am-2pm, £6.50. Info 029 2057 3600.

Sessions for ages 7+. On tomorrow also. uYin Yoga Natural Health Service, Swansea.

9.15-11am, £8/£4 trial class. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Also on Sat 22 and Sat 29 this month.

SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY

Anatomy Lab Live: Contagion Village Hotel, Swansea. 5.30-10.30pm, £81.99 adv/£72.99 NHS/ MOD employees or NUS. Info 01792 341270. This is a touring event which comprises a two-course meal in a dining room-cumoperating theatre, so you get to eat food and then dissect a replica human body. On tomorrow also; in Swansea on Sun 16.

Car Less Car Boot NosDa, Cardiff. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

New event on the third Sunday of every month,

Mixed Aerial Taster NoFit State, Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff.

12-2pm, free. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Vertigo Pro Wrestling: Collision Course Jac’s, Aberdare. 2.30-6.30pm, £11/£7.50 kids. Info 01685 879491. Featuring one bout billed as an ‘Aberdare Street Fight’.

MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY

uLeap Year Time Capsules National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Half-term drop-in activities.

(Until Sat 22) TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY

Colin Grant Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01873 852690. A talk with the author of recently published book Home Coming – Voices Of The Windrush Generation.

WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY

After Dark National Museum Cardiff. 6-9pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Evening activities, mysteries and experiments for

families.

Alan Johnson: In My Life Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18. Info 029 2089 0862. I’ve purchased all the front row seats for this and plan to bust a bunch of Momentum thugs out of their CLP meetings, give them the tickets and then all of us sit there making the loser sign at Alan the whole time.

Aperture M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, free (donations welcome).

Info 029 2047 3373. New monthly open performance platform hosted by Finlay Pelling and Alastair Gray.

Brecon & District MIND: Lost And Found The Muse, Brecon. 7pm, £5/£2 members. Info 01874 611529. Amanda Renwick talks about her search for her birth family.

Capture The Crawshays Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil.

11am-1pm + 2-3.30pm, free after entry to museum.

Info 01685 727371. Create Cyanotype copies of Robert Crawshay photographs, using the current exhibition here as inspiration.

Family Festival Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 12-3pm. Info 01792 516900. Featuring an Automated Painting Workshop and a screening of the Lego Movie Welsh Wrestling Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.50/£9.50. Info 0845 2263510.

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Bridgend Festival Of Light Carnegie House, Bridgend. 2.30-8pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

Featuring a lantern lit parade, a fire display by circus group Organised Kaos and a samba band performance.

Exposure Wrestling Pontnewydd Workingmans Club, Cwmbran. 6-9pm, £8/£5 kids. Info www. exposurewrestling.com.

Kelvin Lee Rhys Pritchard Hall, Llandovery.

7.30pm, £5. Info 01550 720232. Leading the monthly Llandovery Folk Dancing night.

Stacey Dooley St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25.50/£20.50. Info 01792 475715. Presenter on various BBC investigative shows talks about her life and work.

SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY

Exposure Wrestling Severn View Club, Caldicot.

6-9pm, £8/£5 kids. Info www.exposurewrestling. com. In Caldicot tomorrow.

BUZZ 67

* – recommended

GREEN MAN 2020 Wales’ biggest music festival is back for another year, in its regular August slot, and with the first lineup announcement scarily hot off the press as we write, the initial crop of over 50 acts is cause for applause. Indeed, it even got some yelps of glee from corners of the Buzz office on hitting the inbox.

Pic: Christine Lai

Topping the bill as it currently stands (there’ll be dozens more names added in the next few months) are Michael Kiwanuka, whose

MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY

Pic: Daniel Roberts

The Green Man Festival, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons, Thurs 20-Sun 23 Aug. Tickets: £195/£170 NUS/£130 under-18s/£30 under-13s/free under5s. Settlement ticket packages (Mon 17-Sun 23 Aug), local resident day tickets, coach and cycle packages also available. Info: greenman.net BUZZ 68

SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY

uCandlelit Singing Sessions Cardiff Tibetan Buddhist Centre, Canton Cardiff. 5-6.30pm, £10 (suggested donation). Info paulinedown7@gmail.com. meditative harmony songs using texts from different spiritual traditions around the world, with Pauline Down. Also on Sun 22 Mar. Creative Writing Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10am-2pm.

Info brionygoffin@ googlemail.com. Hosted by Briony Goffin.

melding of folk-rock and classic soul has scored the Londoner snowballing praise across three albums to date; Mac DeMarco [pictured], a Canadian playing jam-happy indie rock and causing people to use the term ‘slacker’ more frequently than any time since the mid-90s; fellow Canuck Dan Snaith, better known as Caribou and primed to dazzle in the dark with an electronic spin on psychedelic rock; and Swedish ensemble Little Dragon, longstanding favourites of the post-club soulful chillout set.

Just below them, there’s a healthy mix of Green Man debutants and trusted favourites including synthy stalwarts Goldfrapp [pictured], LA jazz fusion wildman Thundercat, crunchy, prolific garage rocker Ty Segall, currently hyped twiddly rock youngsters Black Midi and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys. Indeed, if this first wave of announcements is anything to go by, this could end up being the most eclectic Green Man lineup ever. It could be the best, too.

Tickets don’t often hang about, so you know what to do…

uSilkscreen Printing Print Market Project, Canton, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £60. Info printmarketprojectstudio@gmail.com. On tomorrow also.

Wood Engraved Christmas Cards Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Kath Littler. Rescheduled from before Christmas, in case you’re thinking the timing is a bit odd (NB real heads buy all their Christmas stuff in the January sales).

The Gay Men’s Book Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. This month it’s a discussion of The Buddha Of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi.

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY

uLife Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Also on Sat 29, from 2-4pm.

RNIB Art Group Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Tutor-led class for people with visual impairments.

WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY

Oriel Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

This is the All-Wales final of FameLab, a competition to discover the next big science communicator.

Psychic Sally St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £26.50. Info 01792 475715. uSample Sessions The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 5-8pm, £45.

Info 029 2022 0349. uThe Wearable Art Show Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.15pm, £6-£11. Info 029 2039 1391. Annual avant-

u – repeated

Fayre Vernon Place Community Hub, Briton Ferry, Neath. 10am-2pm, £10 to set up a table. Info kiyander@hotmail.com.

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY Craft Session: Quilting BANFF Mountain Film National History Museum, Festival St David’s Hall, St Fagans. 10.30amCardiff. 7.30pm, £15. Info 12.30pm, £5. Info 029 01792 475715. Annual tour- 2057 3500. With Samantha ing showcase of explorer/ Jones, every month here. adventure footage. Also Instagram: A here on Wed 25 Mar. Symposium National Scrappy Sheep Club: Museum Cardiff.

Rainbows National 12-4.45pm, £4. Info 029 Wool Museum, Dre-fach 2039 7951. Half-day session Felindre. 12-3pm, free. of panels and roundtables Info 029 2057 3070. Your looking at ‘the gram’ as a kids can make a rainbowkey context for contempocoloured friendship brace- rary art and culture. let to celebrate LGBTQ+ Introduction To History Month.

Natural Dyeing – Young Art Force Indigo & Shibouri Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, National Waterfront Swansea. 11am-2pm, free Museum, Swansea. (£3 suggested donation).

10am-3pm, £65/£55. Info Info 01792 516900. Open 029 2057 3600. All-day art class exploring and workshop organised by our responding to the Gallery’s GRAFT team and exploring exhibitions and collection this ancient Japanese dye displays. technique.

Kendal Mountain Film FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY Festival Pontardawe Arts Creative Writing Club Centre. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Dylan Thomas Centre, Info 01792 863722.

Swansea. 10am-12pm, Seedy Saturday Chapter free. Info 01792 463980.

Arts Centre, Cardiff. 11amFree workshop for adults.

2pm, free. Info 029 2030 Contact amina.abu4400. Buy seeds, plants shahba@swansea.gov.uk and honey plus take part in to book your place. workshops hosted by Green Glynn Vivian At Night City Events.

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, St David’s Day Party Swansea. 5-8pm, free (£3 National Wool Museum, suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Art and craft Dre-fach Felindre. 10am3pm, free. Info 029 2057 workshops, films, poetry, 3070. Twmpath, crafts, live music, performance facepainting, games, stoand a licensed bar.

Open Space: Ray Noyes ries and a singalong.

Cathays Heritage Library, Cardiff. 11.30am, free.

Info 029 2078 5580. Talk from author whose books have focused on post-war Cardiff and the creation SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY of Grangetown pre-1900.

Book in advance place, and All Ears Avow + also note that this edition Floorboards Sin City, of Open Space isn’t at the Swansea. 7pm, £7/£5 adv.

Central Library as is usuInfo 01792 468892. ally the case.

Al Moses + Tiger Bay Yin Yoga & + Death Cult Electric Mindfulness Workshop + Wigwam The Moon, Urban Zen Yoga & Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£4 adv.

Movement Studio, Info info@themooncardiff.

Swansea. 7.30-9pm, £10/£5 com. Headliners are in trial class. Info facebook.

Newport tomorrow. com/victoriauceleyoga. *Alula Down + Ellis Monthly event.

Green + Neil Pulling On His Organ + Emma SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY Coulthard The Globe At uBack To Basics Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 7.30pm, Course The Printhaus, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Chapter Arts Centre, Experimental music Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £60. presented by Nawr. Alula Info 029 2022 0349. OneDown are recommended, day course, on the last by me.

Saturday of every month Beer Hunters The Swigg, until April.

Swansea. 9pm, free. Info Charity Craft & Gift 01792 466026. garde catwalk show. On at 1pm, 4pm and 7.15pm tomorrow and Fri 28. (Until Fri 28)

live

Biffy McClyro The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Tribute band gamely taking on the challenge of making their heroes’ already dire name even worse.

Boss Acoustic Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £12.

Info 01633 483238.

Borough Blues Club gig.

Desperado The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Eagles tribute.

Half Hour At The Hilton + Millllkie + Mason Bee M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff.

7pm, £7.50 adv. Info 029 2047 3373. The latest night of electronic/leftfield music under the name Electric Soup.

Ian Shimmin The Mariners, Laugharne.

8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Ion Maiden Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 01443 682388. Tribute band.

Kamikazee Millionaires The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm. Info 01685 387925.

Kano Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £30 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Leading light of London grime. Previewed in the Dec/Jan issue of Buzz.

Keepcadstockalive Fundraiser Barry Island Sports & Social Club. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 01446 735173.

Featuring live sets from Black Jam Circus, Second Chance, Stonehouse, Falling From Grace, Ben Nicholas, Me & Him, Dean Caldwell and Bro Radio.

Lleuwen Steffan Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 07818 056599.

Marky Dawson Café Jazz, Cardiff. 7-10pm, free. Info 029 2038 7026.

Described here as “a pocket-sized pop-up piano bar”.

Mighty Vipers + Cara Means Friend The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 01743 860246.

Moretallica The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm, £5. Info 01495 247178. Metallica tribute.

Nirvanot + Foo Fakers Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd.

7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 01443 491424. Tributes to Nirvana (a bit cheeky when this venue already has a resident Nirvana tribute band) and Foo Fighters. Both are

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MARCH: PENGSHUI (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 4) ISLET (Clwb Ifor Bach, Sat 7) THEE HYPNOTICS (The Globe, Cardiff, Wed 25) HAYSEED DIXIE (Patti

also in Pontypool on Sat 29.

Resurrection The Arch, Neath. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 07519 273859. Stone Roses tribute band.

Sepulchre + Moon Reaper The Duke, Neath.

7pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

Soul Lotta Funk Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Super Marine + White Riot + Hertz Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

The Crackers Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Tom Sutch Duo The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Tool Shed + Scarsun The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £8/£6 adv.

Info 01495 213300. Tool tribute headline.

Tribeless + THiS + Wynt Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199.

Ultimate Floyd Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £8. Info 01685 879491. Pink Floyd tribute band.

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Al Moses + The Rotanas + Hippodrone Le Public Space, Newport.

7pm, £5/£4 adv. Info sam@ lepub.co.uk.

A Lone Atomic Superman & Tudor Suganami + Finn Pelling & Gemini Andersen + Annabelle & Dylan M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 3-6pm, £4. Info 029 2047 3373. A Sunday Songfolk Sessions local acoustic artist showcase featuring three duos.

The ampersands denote which ones perform together, the plus signs separate them. Hope that helps.

Cauldron + Moralslip + Phaze Two + Shallow Graves Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

7-10.30pm, £6. Info 029 2037 3144. Hardcore and metal bands presented by Nuclear Family. Cauldron are from the Midlands and not the retro metal types who were around a while back.

Daisy Chapman Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £12. Info 029 2089 0862.

Henry Martens Ghost The Swigg, Swansea. 4pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Junior + Nightlives +

Scavengers Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv/£6 for Progress Wrestling ticket holders.

Info 029 2039 9557. This is presented by Tone Deaf Creatures and also serves as an afterparty for a Progress Wrestling show, which is in the Tramshed earlier in the day.

Justin Preece + Oxbowlake The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509. Playing the monthly open mic night hosted by Dave Kenwrick.

No Mean Biscuit Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Ponchtrain The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Jazz.

The Mark Fortnum Group Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £5/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Leading a jazz jam session.

Wainwright & Williams Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, Barry. 6.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07561 143114. Folky duo of Sloan Wainwright (brother of Loudon) and Brooks Williams play Roots N All gig. Sold out. *Zinc Bukowski + Disjoy + Nil + Glud The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £5. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. Some fine rock and punk from various parts of south Wales here.

MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY

uCardiff Welsh Traditional Music Session The Goat Major, Cardiff. 8-10.30pm, free.

Info www.sesiwn.com. Play, sing or just listen to an informal session of Welsh traditional music in the bar of this city centre pub every Monday.

Catrin Finch & Cimarrón St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14£20.50. Info 01792 475715.

Combo of Welsh harpist and Colombian joropo band. Finchy got married the other week and we had some publicity photos from the wedding emailed through, which felt a bit... optimistic?

Dave Cottle / Garry Phillips Band Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Live jazz, on here every Monday.

Outback Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Wildhearts + Backyard Babies +

CKY Tramshed, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £29. Info 029 2023 5555. Rock bands from the Toon, Sweden and the States, none of them spring chickens.

TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY

Acoustic Tuesday The Apothecary, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Hot Strings Cafe Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Lil Mosey Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £24. Info 029 2023 5555. Rap newjack.

Matheus Prado Septet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz. Prado is a Brazilian who grew up in Spain, then studied at the Royal Welsh College. uOpen Jam Session NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Presented by Pi & Hash, every Tuesday this month. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff com.

Every Tuesday.

Orchestradventure!

Beethoven Musical Supremo St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 11am, £3-£7.

Info 01792 475715. Kidfriendly performance by the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra.

Pedro Faria Gomes Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

Stone’s Throw: Lament Of The Selkie Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01873 850805. Live music with a theatrical element, written and performed by Rachel Taylor-Beales in collaboration with Lucy Rivers. In Ystradgynlais tomorrow.

The Bohemians Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £24. Info 01792 475715.

Queen tribute band.

THE KAMAO QUARTET Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Sat 8 Feb Tickets: £11. Info: 01792 602060 / taliesinartscentre.co.uk With a repertoire ranging from weepy gypsy ballads and swinging jazz breaks to mesmerising original compositions and even Brazillian choro, it may seem like The Kamao Quartet have their fingers in many musical pies. Despite this, the group is keen to stress how they solely draw inspiration from traditional Manouche and Romani music, a form that beautifully combines elements of jazz with the warmth and spirit of Western European Gypsy culture. Led by vocalist and guitarist Jean de Talhouet, The Kamao Quartet’s contemporary take on Manouche is a fresh reinvention of the classic style for a new age. And to answer your burning question – Kamao? It translates to “I like/I love/I want” in Romani.

Of The Bands 2020 Preliminary The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm.

Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. There are eight rounds of this BOTB, this is the first and they’re on every Wednesday until 25 Mar. *Clwb Fuzz + Twthpaste + Only Fools & Corpses Porter’s, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Dave Jones Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Lyn Mackay Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 12.45pm, free. Info 01792 475715.

Piano recital.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Trystan Huw Clarke.

Royal Welsh College Harps Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Performing a Amy Speace Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14. tribute to John Thomas, who was a Welsh harpist.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Bella Collins Café Jazz, Sinfonia Cymru The Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 Riverfront, Newport. 1pm, £5. Info 01633 656757.

7026.

Lunchtime concert.

Bridgend Big Band Stone’s Throw: Lament Rogerstone & Bassaleg Of The Selkie The Social Club, Bassaleg, Welfare, Ystradgynlais.

Newport. 8pm, £10. Info 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01639 malc@dancebands.plus.

843163. com. A South Wales Big Teilhard Frost Art Shop Band Society gig, on every & Chapel, Abergavenny.

Wednesday.

8pm, £13 adv. Info 01873 uBunkhouse Battle

852690. Canadian old timey folk fella.

The BBC Big Band: The Music Of James Bond... And Beyond!

Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £30. Info 0845 2263510.

Whiskey River Trio Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Beans On Toast The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Goofy folk-punk guy from southern England.

Bowie Experience Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £24.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Tribute show.

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Monthly singalong around the piano.

Katielou Rands Cellar Door, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 07930 857897.

Acoustic originals and covers in this micropub that looks really nice.

Kristiana Ignatjeva & Kumi Matsuo Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Cello/piano duo.

No Good Boyo Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £7.50. Info 01656 815995.

Ocean Mic Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.

co.uk. Monthly open mic night with a different guest each month. uOpen Mic Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm, free. Info 07818 056599. Every Thursday this month.

The Blues Band Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £26.75. Info 01495 227206. uThe Carpenters Experience The Met, Abertillery. 8pm, £17/£16.50. Info 01495 355945. Tribute show. On tomorrow also.

The Dead Freights + Fire Fences + Versify + Glass Violet The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

The Game Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £29.50. Info 029 2023 5555. One-time superstar rapper whose appeal has become more selective it would seem.

Tomos Williams Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY

Alexis Kings + Our City Fires Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£7 adv. Info 07970 063107.

A Night For Temucin Karagulle The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, pay by donation. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com.

Specifically a fundraising event for his funeral, the

Pavilion, Swansea, Mon 30) GRACE PETRIE (The Moon, Cardiff, Tue 31; The Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 28 May) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL: PUSSYCAT DOLLS (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 6) WALES GOES POP! (The Gate, Cardiff, Fri 10-Sun 12) GATECRASHER CLASSICAL BUZZ 69

* – recommended local resident having died on Christmas Day. Bad Manners De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 8pm, £20 adv. Info 01834 218228.

Boyzlife St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £32.50/£83 VIP. Info 01792 475715.

One member each of Westlife (Brian ‘Just The Way You Are (Drunk At The Bar)’ McFadden) and Boyzone (Keith Duffy) trot out hits by those bands. In Swansea tomorrow.

Children Of The Gravy McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm.

Info 01633 253648. Black Sabbath tribute.

Cynefin + Three Legg’d Mare Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 615952.

Folk outfits.

Dead Mob + Icantdie + Counterweight + Throwing Knives McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 01633 253648. Hardcore and metal bands presented

by Kick A Bin. This is in the

basement of this venue.

Fastlove The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £24.50.

Info 01633 656757.

George Michael tribute. In Blackwood on Fri 21.

F Emasculata + Punch On! + Falaun + Salt Bath Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. X Filesthemed hardcore band from Cornwall headline.

Attendees are asked to bring something to give to a food bank.

Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band Clarence Hall, Crickhowell.

7-10pm, £22 adv. Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com.

Gwilym Bowen Rhys + Mari George Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £8-£10. Info 01970 623232. A Cicio’r Bar poetry and music nigh, hosted by Eurig Salisbury and Hywel Griffiths.

HMS Morris + Cotton Wolf + Rhodri Brooks Cinema & Co, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info 07982 624959.

Holiday In The Mind Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Isolation Cwrw, Carmarthen. 7pm, free.

Info 01267 223230. Gothic/ horror metal band.

Jeff Hooper Band The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

As of this month these are only going to be fortnightly, rather than weekly as it was before.

Jonian Ilias-Kadesha & Fillippo Gorini Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Violin and piano duo.

Kacy & Clayton + Arborist City Hall, St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

7.30pm, £15. Info 07779 345279. Folk duo from Sasketchawan, promoted here by Boia Gigs Luke De-Scisio The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-

Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Magic – A Kind Of ELO Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £21. Info 01633 868239. Tribute band.

Open Night Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Our Man In The Field + Cara Ludlow Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2039 9557.

Papur Wal + Los Blancos + Ynys + Melin Melyn + Lewys + Bandicoot + Thallo + Tiger Bay Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 5-10.30pm, free. Info 029 2023 2199.

Welsh Language Music Day gig. Also featuring DJ Dilys and DJ Garmon. uRetrospect Riverside Sports Bar & Kitchen, Newport. 9pm. Info 01633 439166. Also here on Sat 29.

Ron Geesin + CVC Chapter Arts Centre,

u – repeated

Cardiff. 8pm, £16. Info 029 2030 4400. Gig featuring veteran Pink Floyd associate Geesin, who performed in Cardiff 50 years ago at a gig to raise funds to establish Chapter, plus locals CVC who sound like a band who might have done.

Roopa Panesar & Kaviraj Singh Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £7.50£13. Info 029 2039 1391.

Indian classical duo on the sitar and santoor.

Soultown USA Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 0300 0040444.

Classic soul covers.

Soul Train Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £21. Info 01873 850805. Pretty much the same thing as the event listed above.

Southbound + Scarsun + Zed Motel Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £3 adv.

Info 01685 879491.

The Calling + Psycho Village + Living Dead Stars + Paul

Bartolome + Apathy Avenue Sin City, Swansea.

6pm, £20 adv. Info 01792 468892. Headliners are an American radio rock band who were briefly popular in the early 00s. Recent(ish) ly toured with Live and Lifehouse – now that’s what I’m talking about. In Merthyr on Sat 15.

The James Oliver Band The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. Blues.

The Spectrums Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388.

Synthpop/new wave cover band.

Tina Turner & Tom Jones Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, £12.

Info 01495 243252. “Join Tom Jones and Tina Turner for a jam packed night of entertainment at Newbridge Memo!” That’s all it says, and until I hear otherwise I will assume that’s all it needs to say.

Welsh Language Music Day M.A.D.E. Gallery &

live review

SLIPKNOT

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wed 22 Jan Hard to believe it’s been two decades since the nine-piece from Des Moines shocked the world with the heaviest metal and most aggressive stage performances the wider world had seen. The masks may have changed, as well as some of the faces behind them, but the band and the brand has stayed the same. After the release of their most accessible album, We Are Not Your Kind, the band see an arena gig in Cardiff as getting back to where it all began.

And, just like back in the day, the ferocity of their performance amounts to an audiovisual attack. The incredible energy and noise they create takes you on, and wins. But there’s no aggression toward the crowd, just love. “Seeing you guys reminds me of our love of music,” Corey Taylor tells us, sometimes calling the crowd his friends but usually his “family”.

In Cardiff, this family was as big and diverse as their career-spanning setlist.

The Motorpoint was packed with all ages, including pre-teens in homemade masks, cheering along to Psychosocial and the new, instant classic Unstained.

The moshpit in front of the stage started off friendly enough but, as with all family gatherings, a few minor disagreements broke out after a couple of hours together.

On stage the band gave it everything in outfits that ranged from militant to martial arts. Having three drummers is visually fantastic and the energy Tortilla Man put into the night was astounding: climbing the scaffolding, rocking his drum riser until it almost lost its balance, headbanging, screaming his lines down the mic. Taylor had the screaming down too, though he also showed off his very impressive melodic chops.

The only disappointment was that they got a little lost under the barrage of sound that the Motorpoint’s acoustics just couldn’t seem to cope with. The pyrotechnics and projections may have kept the production values high, but it was obvious what Slipknot really wanted to show their audience: no matter what’s going on in the world outside, nothing breaks apart the bonds of love and music. Good, old-fashioned, Slipknot family values.. words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES photos MORGAN DEVINE (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 11) DREADZONE (Sin City, Swansea, Fri 17) JOE BROWN (New Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 17) BOOMTOWN RATS (Cardiff University Students Union, Sat 18) FEROCIOUS DOG (The Globe, Thurs 23) THE SOUTH (Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot, Fri BUZZ 70

Shop, Cardiff. 7-10pm. Info 029 2047 3373. Lineup TBC. Whitney – Queen Of The Night Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01446 738622.

Tribute show.

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY

Beyond The Barricade St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £27. Info 01792 475715. Songs from the musicals, notably Les Misérables.

Bowjangles Assembly Rooms, Presteigne. 8pm, £12 adv. Info 01544 267163.

String quartet who do pop songs, movie themes etc.

Boyzlife Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £31.50.

Info 01792 475715.

Chameleon The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762.

Dire Streets Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

Dire Straits tribute.

Dog Heaven + Gonhill Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

8pm, free. Info www. elysiumgallery.com.

Duppy Busters Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Fight Like They Have The Green Rooms, Treforest. 2pm-12.30am, £3. Info 01443 841133.

Metal alldayer in aid of Velindre Cancer Care, with sets from Confessions Of A Traitor, Lead By Lies, NO:IR, Seeker, Fractvres, Good Morning Vietnam, Surya, Copehill Down, Sydney Fate, Secrets Of Mariana, Garuda and CounterWeight.

Holiday In The Mind + Sean O’Brien + The Honest Poet Tramshed, Cardiff. 6pm-12am, free.

Info 029 2023 5555.

James Alexander Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm. Info 01685 879491.

Jason Rebello Cardiff University Concert Hall.

7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Jazz pianist and session musician.

John Lewis The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Kamao Quartet Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £5-£13. Info 01792 602060. Gypsy jazz group from London.

Laura Benjamin The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 466026.

Magic – A Kind Of Queen Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £21. Info

01633 868239. Tribute band. I think it has passed me by until now that this band and the similarlynamed ELO one (see yesterday) are one and the same, at least I assume they are.

National Youth Jazz Orchestra Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7.30pm, £5-£12.

Info 01792 602060.

Performing their Legends Of Jazz set.

Pretty Cool The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Rhys Meirion Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £7.50-£12.50. Info 01970 623232. Noted tenor.

Scotch Corner Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv.

Info 01443 682388.

Sense & Sensibility Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 7pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2116 7920. A duo of Despina Homatidou (harpsichord) and Simone Laghi (violin) perform works by Mozart, William Jackson and more.

Stereosonics The Dolls House, Abertillery. 12pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 01495 213300. Stereophonics tribute band playing after Wales v Ireland in the rugby (actual time not specified but the game should be done by about 4pm). Stereosonics are also in Swansea on Sat 29.

Stonehouse Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Theia + Verity White + The Unresolved The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, free.

Info 01495 247178.

The Naked Citizens + Fred Snow + Madi Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Tootinskamoon The Eagle Inn, Narberth. 9pm.

Info 01834 860769.

Velvet Insane + Indya The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Zee Davine + Telgate + Panic Shack + Sarah McCreadie + Evrah Rose + Renn Hubbuck-Melly Le Public Space, Newport.

7pm, £7. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Music and spoken word (the latter from the last three people listed here); headliner was until recently the singer in the band Queen Zee.

SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Anti-Flag + The Creepshow + Maid Of Ace The Globe, Cardiff.

7pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Stalwart US punks headline.

BBC NOW: Passion Of Youth St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £5-£43. Info 01792 475715. Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts a programme of Beethoven, Bruch and Walton.

Brew Monster Open Mic Brew Monster, Cardiff.

7-10pm, free. Info cardiff@ brewmonster.co.uk. New craft beer place on the high street with its debut unplugged session, hosted

by Jim Webster.

Calling Apollo + Kite Thief + Crystalline + THC Dreams + We Need To Talk Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 6pm, £6 adv.

Info 07970 063107.

Ceredigion Schools Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 1.45 + 7.30pm.

Info 01970 623232.

Dai C Thomas The Swigg, Swansea. 4pm, free.

Info 01792 466026.

Daniel John Martin & Dave Cottle Trio Langland Brasserie, Swansea. 7pm, £30. Info swanseajazzland@gmail. com. Presented by Swansea Jazzland. Price includes a two-course meal. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm.

Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 23 in February), with an extra blues/acoustic session on the third Sunday too.

Good Companions Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Keith James Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2089 0862.

Performing his Cat Stevens tribute set.

Reclaimer + We Struck Gold + Good Morning Vietnam + Equinox The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£6 adv.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Poppy hardcore presented by DFTS. The Marc Davies Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6-8pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Tom Gray & Jenny Jones Café Jazz, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £5/£3 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Playing the Hot Club Swing night here; also features a jam session.

MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY

Dick Hamer Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea.

8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Marc Copland Trio Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

8pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. Seasoned jazzers.

The Three Tremors The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £12 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. This is pretty interesting for metal fans in a ‘god knows what it’ll be like’ way: a band featuring Ripper Owens aka not Rob Halford in Judas Priest, plus Harry Conklin of Jag Panzer and Sean Peck who is in some band with Ross The Boss from Manowar. They’re all vocalists so not sure how it works as a lineup.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Alan J Preston Dolman Theatre, Newport. 2pm, £7.

Info 01633 263670. Songs from the 1950s and 60s.

Albion Quartet Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Performing works by Mendelssohn and Brahms.

Am Samstag + Sydney Fate The Duke, Neath.

8.30pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

Breabach Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01874 611622. Scottish folk big band. In Cardiff on Tue 25, Builth Wells on Wed 26, Swansea on Thurs 27 and Cardigan on Sat 29.

Grangetown Bumps Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7.

Info 01792 475715. Piano recital.

Kevin Lawlor Trio The Muse, Brecon. 8pm, £12/£10 members. Info info@breconjazz.org.

Brecon Jazz Club gig. uRoyal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz. Two sets by acts currently TBC. Also here on Wed 26, lineup also TBC. WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Beth Hart + Kris Barras St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £48/£43.

Info 01792 475715. Blues-

rocker headlines. She played here a couple of years back and we interviewed her then.

Counterparts + Can’t Swim + Chamber + Static Dress Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 468892.

Headliners are “Canadian hardcore legends” according to the blurb. Never heard of them myself but they seem to be some sort of generic metalcore thing with a current lineup of [‘primary school teacher reading the register’ voice] Brendan, Alex, Kyle, Blake and Tyler.

Dave Jones Irish Quartet The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Jazz.

Evil Scarecrow + Witch Tripper + Sentry The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. UK metal bands.

Golden Melodies With Craig & Jason The Met, Abertillery. 2pm, £8. Info 01495 355945.

Loathe + God Complex + Phoxjaw Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £14/£12 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Presented by Tone Deaf Creatures.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Tomos Lewis and this evening is co-presented by the intriugingly named Big Bear Social Club.

Parish + White Riot + Paisley Park Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Presented by The Forté Project. *Romeo Taylor + Ordeal By Roses + Penny Lope Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Headliner is an extremely ribald electropop Scotsman who also plays in an indie band, Rapid Tan. Actually it says here their last gig is this month. Hotel De Marl present this one anyhoo.

Royal Welsh College Piano & Percussion Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. Performing Bartók’s Sonata For Two Pianos And Percussion.

Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize Semi Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391.

Skymasters Little

Big Band Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 26.

THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY

Battle Of The Bands Heat 2 The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Presented by Cardiff Live Music Society and featuring Bloom!, Fiasco, Kampango and Nathan Warnes. Heat 1 is in Fuel on Fri 31 Jan (in case you somehow see this before that date), heat 3 is in Tiny Rebel on Thurs 20 and heat 4 is in 10 Feet Tall on Sun 1 Mar. Equinox Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 8-10.30pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2039 9557. Jazz night with the headline trio doing a hard bop set from 8-9pm, followed by a jam session.

Evade Escape + In The Cards The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Grits N’ Gravy String Band Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 651725.

Irish bluegrass ensemble.

Hot Club Gallois Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £9.50. Info 01656 815995.

Gypsy jazz and swing.

Iceland Symphony Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£43.

Info 01792 475715. Yan Pascal Tortelier conducts a programme of Bizet, Ravel and Prokofiev, plus the Icelandic Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

Katielou Rands Monusk Tapas & Wine Bar, Newport. 7pm, free. Info 07496 725246.

Kevin Lawlor Trio Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Korason Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862.

Playing as part of Pizza Night here. Entry is free but the pizza isn’t.

Tredegar House Folk Festival Fund Raiser Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport.

8pm, £8/£4 members. Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night, lineup currently TBC. Vicki Swan &

24) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MAY: PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT (Motorpoint Arena, Fri 1) THE HOLLIES (St David’s Hall, Fri 1) JOE BONAMASSA (Motorpoint Arena, Sat 2) NEWTON FAULKNER (Patti Pavilion, Sat 2) NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (Motorpoint Arena, Sun BUZZ 71

* – recommended Johnny Dyer Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

Wonderbrass Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY

Adam Walker & James Baillieu Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6.

Info 029 2039 1391. Flute/ piano duo.

Bad Sam + Igam Ogam Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 221477. Singer launch for headliners.

Breadmakers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Bye Bye Baby Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £22. Info 029 2089 0862.

Frankie Valli tribute.

Cara Dillon Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £22/£20. Info 01970 623232. Irish folk-rocker.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Hawthorn Community Centre, Pontypridd.

7.30pm, £10-£12. Info communitycentre. hawthorn@gmail.com.

The first of several dates in this area billed as the Last Huzzah tour for Welsh folk ensemble. Said crop of dates go on until summer but this month they’re also in Solva (Sat 15) and Monmouth (Sat 22).

Jez Lowe Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Jimmy Mac’s Blues Band Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

John Adams Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £14. Info 01792 475715. Singersongwriter.

Money For Nothing St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £27.50. Info 01792 475715. Dire Straits tribute band.

Mused The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Muse tribute.

Rachel Newton Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01792 863722. Harp-playing folkie who sings in English and Gaelic.

Shed Seven + The Twang Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £28.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. This gig was scheduled for December

but Shed Seven vocalist Rick ‘Kwik Fit Fitter’ Witter was poorly.

Simon & Garfunkel: Through The Years Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01446 738622. Tribute show.

The Rezillos + Pizzatramp + Fatal Blow Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm, £15 adv. Info 01685 879491. First Rezillos album rules.

The Shrinking Violetz + Aber Taiko Drummers + The Snooties + Plastic Sam’s Stagazer + The Squirts The Garage, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10 adv. Info 01792 475147. Benefit concert for Prostate Cancer Morriston Hospital.

The Valentine Jazz Five Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01970 633088.

Toby Hay Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50£15. Info 029 2039 1391.

Instrumental guitarist from mid-Wales.

SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY

Back Street Symphony The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Brass Bands Championship 2020 Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

11am-2pm + 3-7pm, £7.50£9.50. Info 01656 815995.

Cardiff Electronic Producer Showcase The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

Coachellas Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Colin Currie & Royal Welsh Percussionists Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

4pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391. Performing three works by Steve Reich.

Dark Valley + Who Knows Didley + The Autumn Killers Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Dave Cottle & Gary Phillips The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Exit Forty Nine Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Flats And Sharps The Globe At Hay, Hay-OnWye. 8pm, £8. Info 01497 821762. Cornish bluegrass

band.

Hagie’s Banging Rap Night Cwrw, Carmarthen.

8pm, free. Info 01267 223230. With Soldiers Of Monochrome, Culture Vultures and DJ Ffi Hagin plus more TBC. Hue & Cry Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £22. Info 029 2089 0862.

Sold out.

Junction 24 St Mary’s Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£5 kids. Info ruffceilidhs. org. A RUFF Ceilidhs night.

Lipstick On Your Collar The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £22. Info 01633 656757. Thetrical live revue with hits from the 50s and 60s.

Mae Bradbury + Mike Dennis NosDa, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Mark Morriss + Nick Parker + The Doublecross St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2056 2022. Solo show from Bluetones frontman

SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY

Ben Huws The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Jazz.

Blues And Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm.

Info 07477 627267.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Gentleman’s Dub Club Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £18.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Live dub reggae outfit, still got the most cringeworthy press photos in the biz.

Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Maz O’Connor Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14.

Info 029 2089 0862. Folkie.

Paul Dark Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Roosevelt Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

Cardigan’s Cellar Bar has a sort of miniature winter edition of its annual Dr Sardonicus psychedelia festival on Fri 21 and Sat 22. The first (free entry) night features Broken Lines and Paradise9; the second is headlined by Sendelica.

Morriss. Woodfired Summit present.

Paul Dark The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free.

Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow.

Risorius + Mat Troy + Doops + HMS Morris Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Soul Stripper Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 01443 682388. AC/DC tribute band.

The Calling The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

8pm, £25/£20 adv. Info 01685 387925.

The Shivvers The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Weimar’s Dark Cabaret National Museum Cardiff.

3.30-4.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. RWCMD students perform Kurt Weill songs to honour the Weimar Republic-era LGBT movement, as it wasn’t called then.

6-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The 45s The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

The Elvis Years Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £23.50/£22.50. Info 0845 2263510. With Mario Kombou as Elvis.

The High Sheriff Of Mid Glamorgan’s Musical Extravaganza Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £20-£30. Info 029 2039 1391. A celebration of young musical talent from solo vocalists, solo instrumentalists and choirs.

MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY

Rosie Flores Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Texan rockabilly guitarist who did sort of cowpunk/proto-alt-country stuff in the 80s. Not previously familiar with her but she sounds cool.

Skiltron + Ethereal

u – repeated

Sin + Democratus + Prophecy The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. Headliners are folk metal faves whose name sounds a bit like ‘stilton’.

Tommy Harris Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea.

8pm. Info 01792 447360.

TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY

All That Jazz Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Dubioza Kollektiv The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Mashup party Boomtown type band from Bosnia.

Inhaler + Feet Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

Two new UK rock groups on what must be the worst ever combo of names to tour together.

Quatuor Capriccio Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

String quartet.

Stephen King Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 12.45pm, free. Info 01792 475715.

Organ recital.

WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. *Napalm Death + Eyehategod + Misery Index + Rotten Sound + Bat Tramshed, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £23. Info 029 2023 5555. See Music for an interview with the headliners of this impressive touring jamboree of grindcore and sludge metal.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Ben Dain Smith.

Phil Thomas Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Royal Welsh College Brass Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391.

Performing music for stage and screen Royal Welsh String Soloists with Anthony Marwood Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Simon Spillett The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

The Estevans Le Public

Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Indie.

The Siglo Big Band Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Trep + Endeavour + In Which It Burns + Throwing Knives Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107.

We Love Little Mix Grand Theatre, Swansea.

6pm, £17. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show..

THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Apre + Plastic Estate + Polly Money Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199.

Babymetal + Creeper Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £32.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Mad kawaiimetal-pop hybrid from Japan. See Upfront. Sold out!

Battle Of The Bands Heat 3 Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7pm. Info 029 2039 9557.

BBC NOW: Conflict & Triumph Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £5-£20. Info 029 2063 6464. Anu Tali conducts a programme of works by Dvorák and Sibelius. In Swansea tomorrow.

Griever + The Oklahoma Kid + Boxing Day Rage + Deadweight + Equinox UK The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Kate Gibson Duo Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Morganway Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2089 0862.

MOR country band from East Anglia. Never heard of them before but I instantly recognised the stage they’re performing on in the photo used on Acapela’s website. Braziers Park in Oxfordshire, since you asked.

Slash Fiction + Nervous Rex + Trigger Warning And The Safe Spaces Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5.50.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Queercore or perhaps queercore-adjacent bands from Sheffield, Bristol and Cardiff.

The Chicago Blues Brothers St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27. Info

3) THE HANDSOME FAMILY (The Globe, Mon 4) JOHN GRANT (New Theatre, Mon 4) MCFLY (Motorpoint Arena, Mon 4) NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS (St David’s Hall, Tue 5) MELT YOURSELF DOWN (Clwb Ifor Bach, Sat 9) GREGORY PORTER (Motorpoint Arena, BUZZ 72

01792 475715. Songs from lots of musicals including the Blues Brothers.

The ELO Experience Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715. Tribute band.

Tobias Robertson The Stable, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2022 1721.

Working Men’s Club + Lazarus Kane Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199.

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Al Lewis Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10.

Info 01970 623232.

A Vision Of Elvis Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £26.40 adv. Info 0300 3656677.

With Rob Kingsley as The Elf (Elvis Presley’s nickname).

Bandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.”

BBC NOW: Conflict & Triumph Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23/£15.

Info 01792 475715.

Broken Lines + Paradise9 Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, free.

Info 07818 056599. Psych bands presented by Dr Sardonicus, who do a festival of such sounds here every August. There’s another of theirs on here tomorrow, too, not for free.

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199. In Aberystwyth on Fri 28; Carmarthen on Sat 29.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Classic soul.

Fahran + Ashen Reach The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Fastlove Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £26/£24. Info 01495 227206.

James Blunt + Ward Thomas Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, from £29.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

Langkamer The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762.

Myke Gray ft Kym Jennett Hangar 18, Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv.

Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue. co.uk. Myke Gray was in Welsh hard rock band Skin and Kim Jennett is a sort of blues-rock singer from

Manchester.

Red Telephone Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Rumney Folk Club St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff. 7.45pm.

Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk.

Monthly session with regular and guest performers.

Sam Lee The Gate, Cardiff. 7pm, £22. Info 029 2048 3344. UK folk type. *Shuck + Jaxson Payne + Glud The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Cosmic Carnage and Lesson No.1 present the proverbial mixed bill of sludge punk, live drum’n’bass/IDM and banging hardcore punk.

Sigala Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £18 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Dance-pop cypher from Norwich equally at home in the UK pop charts, River Island’s PA system and your phone company’s tech support hold music.

Stereo Hearts + Spencer Segelov Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £7.50. Info 01792 863722.

The Breakfast Club The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £3. Info 01685 387925. Eighties tribute band.

The Diary Of One Who Disappeared Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Work by Janácek, performed by Nicky Spence (tenor), Simon Lepper (piano) and the Royal Welsh College Singers.

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Tribute band.

The Wall Of Floyd Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £18. Info 029 2089 0862. Pink Floyd tribute.

SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY

Alden Patterson And Dashwood The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762. Norfolk folkies.

Archfest The Arch, Neath.

2.30pm. Info 07519 273859.

All-day music festival, albeit ones that seems to be organised around Wales v France in the rugby.

Boogiemen Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £5 adv.

Info 01443 491424.

Dressed To Kill The

Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Kiss tribute.

Hideaway Trio The Mariners, Laugharne.

8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Ironed Maiden The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm.

Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Iron Maiden tribute.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Narth Village Hall, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £10£12. Info 01600 860664.

Sold out.

Penelope Tree + Brightr Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 01633 221477.

Pop Divas Live!

Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

5-8pm, £15. Info 01495 243252. Performing a Little Mix tribute show.

Queen Symphonic St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £38-£49. Info 01792 475715. As in Queen the band. So what it sounds like.

Quo-No Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Status Quo tribute band. If you ask me they should be called Quo-Yes! Rorke’s Drift Concert Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £10/£9.

Info 01874 611622. Annual event featuring over 100 young musicians from the Army Cadet Force.

Sam Lewis + Bonnie Bishop Sin City, Swansea.

7pm, £12 adv. Info 01792 468892. Country soul fella.

See Music.

Sendelica + Elfin Bow Band + The Mahatmas + Sonic Trip Project + Omnichron Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 4-11.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07818 056599.

Showaddywaddy Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01792 475715.

The Feens + White Riot + Two Til Twelve The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7.30pm, £7 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Presented by This Feeling.

The Fureys Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £23. Info 0845 2263510.

The Kenny Driscoll Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 6015.

The Trends Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Tribute Festival Tramshed, Cardiff. 2pm, £17.90. Info 029 2023 5555.

Specific details are pretty thin for this but there are

Beatles, Bowie, Queen and Fleetwood Mac tributes mooted.

Truckstop Honeymoon Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01970 633088. Bluegrass, jazz and rock’n’roll.

Wizards Of Oz The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm.

Info 01495 247178. Ozzy Osbourne tribute.

CHAPTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT Chapter Arts Centre is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1970 benefit concert, which, with an almost mythical status, brought an earlycareer Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath to Sophia Gardens.

SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY

Chris Rees Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Eira/Snow The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Jazz.

Generation + Bodyhacker + Enouement Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

3-6pm, £5. Info 029 2037 3144. Emo and noisy rock from Manchester and Cardiff in the afternoon and early evening.

Girl Ray Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. UK indie band.

Jordan Marks The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 466026.

Malojian Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2089 0862.

Northern Irish singer-songwriter, seen here last year supporting Jason Lytle.

Puzzle Tree + Riding Giants + Tarion Jac’s, Aberdare. 5-8pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

The 1975 + Beabadoobee Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £45.

Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out.

The Worried Men Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6-8pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Young Hearts + Gold Bloom + These Five Years + Penelope Tree + Foxbite Golden Lion Hotel, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £5. Info 01267 243909. Pop-punk type stuff.

MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY

Concerto Competition Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

6pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391.

Dominic Norcross Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY

Breabach St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£16. Info 01792 475715.

Sun 10) MARK LANEGAN (Tramshed, Wed 13) 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER (Motorpoint Arena, Mon 18) KOSHEEN (The Globe, Thurs 21) CARFISH & THE BOTTLEMEN

A year before opening the doors to the public in 1971, Chapter’s founders – writer Mik Flood and artists Christine Kinsey and Bryan Jones arranged a benefit concert to raise support for their project of establishing the first arts centre in Wales. New forms of art were emerging and Cardiff artists were in need of an affordable space away from the increasing pressure of commodification. The founders were also keen to support community interests, hosting theatre groups, a folk club and arts societies.

In the old converted schoolhouse, parents and children could attend a nursery that allowed for participation in the arts, while in the same building visitors could experience experimental art, sculpture, dance, theatre and film.

At the time of the concert in February 1970, the new arts centre was without a name, and promotional materials described it as the ‘Cardiff Arts Centre Project’. For 25 shillings, ticketholders were promised more than eight hours of live music, following a free afternoon of entertainment including poetry and a puppet theatre. Among the mix of psychedelic rock, blues and folk on offer, Black Sabbath had released their first single a few days earlier, and headliners Pink Floyd were working on Atom Heart Mother with Ron Geesin, a composer and orchestrator.

With his name on the bill of the 1970 poster, Geesin will be the only original performer returning for the 50th anniversary concert, presenting an improvised performance of “piano, banjo, percussion, poems and stories”.

Emerging south Wales band CVC are on hand to recreate the sounds ticketholders would have heard 50 years ago, with a mixture of 1970s covers alongside their own form of psychedelic funk. While audiences have more to look forward to next year, with a larger series of events celebrating fifty years since the official opening, a post-gig Q&A session with Geesin and the original founders will satiate those with an interest in this important chapter of Cardiff’s music and arts history.

ISABEL THOMAS Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 7 Feb. Tickets: £16. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org BUZZ 73

* – recommended Henrik Jensen Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Jane Williams Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Simon Debruslais & Jakob Fichert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 01792 475715.

Lunchtime recital from trumpeter and pianist.

WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY

Breabach Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells.

7.30pm, £15/£14. Info 01982 552555.

CAVMS Youth Orchestra + Gwent Youth Big Band Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, free. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Example + Sam Tompkins + Local + Livsey + Hayla Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £18.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

UK pop-rapper. Nice to see a full undercard of locals listed.

Levellers Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £29.50. Info 01874 611622. In Port Talbot tomorrow and Blackwood on Fri 28.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Dr Bland’s Bad Batch.

Smiling Tigers + Shovelface + Modern Neutrals The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £3. Info 01685 387925.

Presented by U&I Radio.

Sorcha Richardson Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £9. Info 029 2023 2199. Dublin singersongwriter.

Tim Edey Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club.

7.30pm, £8/£5 members.

Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £18. Info 029 2062 6015. Veteran rock organist.

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY

Bobby-Joe Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Breabach Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£14 Info 01792 602060.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s,

Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Chris Batchelor’s Zoetic Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 029 2039 1391. Jazz trumpeter plus band.

Chris Farren Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 01633 221477. US indiepop guy. *Disjoy + Twthpaste + Only Fools & Corpses Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144.

Finn & The Jacques M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2047 3373.

Levellers Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot.

7.30pm, £29.50. Info 01639 763214. Sold out.

Lyrical Miracles Christmas Special NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Monthly live hip-hop open mic night. *Massicot + Slagheap + John Paul The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info info@themooncardiff. com. Cool booking featuring Swiss postpunx Massicot, Bristol horsey girls Slagheap and Sleaford Mods’ mate John Paul.

Motel Thieves + French Alps Tiger The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. Presented

by Scruff Of The Neck.

Sarah Meek & The Sheek Quartet The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £10.

Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Cardiff-based jazz singer plus backing group.

Tom Jenkins Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, free. Info 01656 815995.

Acoustic Club gig.

Tom Mathias Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Violin recital.

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY

As December Falls + 3ree + Sydney Fate Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, £9.50 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Beth Rowley Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

Cowboios Rhos Botwnnog Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth.

7.30pm. Info 01970 633088.

Elkie Brooks Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £28. Info 01656 815995. Veteran UK bluesrock type.

Elles Bailey St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2056 2022. Folk blues type presented here by Woodfired Summit.

Guns 2 Roses The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 01495 247178.

Tribute band.

Ji & The Rainbirds The Globe At Hay, Hay-OnWye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Levellers Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £28. Info 01495 227206.

Lighthouse Family St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7pm, £28-£118. Info 01792 475715. You might not have noticed it but this group definitely got some sort of critical rehabilitation in the last few years. That may not be why this gig is sold out, but it is. Sold out, that is.

MR Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07818 056599. Current solo incar-

u – repeated

Brother Ray Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Cân I Gymru 2020 Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7pm, free-£25. Info 01970 623232. Live Welsh singing competition shown live on TV. Captain Starfighter & the Lockheeds Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 01443 682388. Space rock tribute band, I think.

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Dai C Thomas The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 466026.

Dawson Smith & The Disaster Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01633 483238. Borough Blues Club gig.

ELO Again St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27.

Info 01792 475715. Tribute band.

Foo Fakers + Nirvanot The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

Popular Welsh folkies Jamie 7pm. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com.

Smith’s Mabon are playing their Geno Washington And The Ram Jam last ever sets of dates over Band The Queens Hall, the coming months, starting Narberth. 7pm, £21. Info in Pontypridd’s Hawthorn 01834 861212.

Gwawr Edwards & Community Centre on Fri 14 Ysgol Gerdd Ceredigion Feb and also visiting Solva (Sat Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, 15) and Monmouth (Sat 22) this £27.50. Info 01239 841387. month.

Featuring Ceri Davies, from Wales’ International Academy Of Voice, plus Cor nation of Mark Roberts, ex Uproar Wales New Music Ensemble Crymych. of Catatonia.

Chapter Arts Centre, Hot 8 Brass Band Great Organ Recital National Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15/£12.

Hall, Cardiff University Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400.

Students Union. 7pm, £20 Info 029 2039 7951.

Showcase of electroacous- adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Ramnastax Porter’s, tic composition.

New Orleans brass band, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info Zoe Smith Royal Welsh presented by Clwb Ifor info@porterscardiff.com.

College Of Music & Drama, Bach. Play Cardiff about Rock And Roll Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. once a year, this is their Revolution Torch Info 029 2039 1391. Welsh biggest show here to date Theatre, Milford Haven. classical pianist, joined by though I think.

7.30pm, £19.50. Info soprano Jessica Robinson. Huw Chiswell Clwb Y 01646 695267. Fifties hits Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm, SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY performed by a band, The £10 adv/£8 members. Info Bluejays.

AC/DC UK + Guns 2 uSmash Fest The Moon, Roses + Motörized UK 01443 491424.

InWhichItBurns + Cardiff. Free (Fri 28 only; The Neon, Newport. 7pm, full weekend £10; £5.50 per £15 adv. Info 01633 533666. Greywall + Scarfoot + Sydney Fate + day). Info info@ Three hard rock tribute Throwing Knives + themooncardiff.com. acts on one bill.

Full Circle Creature Loosely punky weekAlaw Assembly Rooms, Sound, Swansea. 8pm. Info ender with sets from Dog Presteigne. 8pm, £12 adv.

01792 301178. A birthday Chocolate, Pizzatramp, Info 01544 267163. Welsh party for someone called Grand Collapse, Havelocke, folkies.

Vinny, plus a venue fundSydney Fate, Not Since Anonymous Iconoclasts raiser.

The Accident, Next The Andrew Buchan, John Blek RAFA Club, Year, Bogans, The D Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

Teez, Lighthammer, The 029 2021 2509.

7.30pm, £10. Info 07779 Woodsman, 6Foot7, Next Breabach Theatr 345279. Folk-pop sort, proYear, The Tuffragettes, Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, moted here by Boia Gigs Boxcat, Sexy Pretty Things, £15/£14. Info 01239 Keys + Sock Cultvr Lab, Wager, Ignitemares, Sparky 621200.

Renegade, On The Flipside, Half Hour At The Hilton, Fake Friends and Huni. No confirmation of running order yet but this evening is free entry. (Until Sun 1 Mar) Songs We Love To Sing Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.30pm, £9. Info 01633 263670. Variety concert in aid of Centrestage Cymru.

St David’s Concert Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £12.50.

Info 0845 2263510.

Featuring Côr Lleisiau’r Cwm, Harmoni, Steffan Hughes, Catrin Soons, Joseph Cavalli-Price and Heddyr Gregory.

The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

The Fugitives The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm. Info 01685 387925.

The Rollin Stoned Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15. Info 029 2062 6015. Tribute band.

Cardiff. 7pm, £20/£17.50 adv/£15 early bird. Info cultvr.cymru. Two local indie/psych type bands with a gig at this new “immersive cross-disciplinary space”, the USP being the addition of 360-degree visuals all over the dome in which it takes place.

Legion Promotions All Day Event Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

2-10.30pm, £11 adv. Info 07970 063107. Featuring sets from Necronautical, Agrona, Deus Mori, Ruadh, Marw, Misanthropic Existence, Hellfekted, Black Pyre, Sepulchre and Misanthropia.

Marika Hackman The Gate, Cardiff. 7pm, £15.

Info 029 2048 3344. See Upfront for an interview.

Clwb Ifor Bach are promoting this one. Fair play to Marika for wearing Bernard Manning’s underpants on the cover of her new album, also.

Meic Stevens Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. 7pm, £26 adv. Info 029 2062 0415.

Veteran Pembrokeshire folk-rocker, last seen saying – just saying – that the bus that takes his granddaughter to school in Cardiff has more Muslims riding it than white people. Time will tell if this gig, whose price includes a buffet, will move the needle back for Stevens.

Nawr Volcano, Swansea.

Info 01792 464790.

Featuring experimental music performers Rhodri Davies, Jenn Kirby, Rose Linn-Pearl, Dan Linn-Pearl and Daryl Feehely, no further details on what they’ll be up to precisely however.

NosDa Introducing 2nd Edition NosDa, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Local acts showcase, names TBC. Passionate About Piaf!

Penarth Pier Pavilion.

7.30-10.30pm, £13. Info 029 2071 2100. As in Edith, whose life and songs are paid tribute to here by Gwenno Dafydd.

Retro Electro The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv.

Info 07590 471888. A tribute to the synthpop 80s.

St David’s Celebration Concert Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6.30pm, £18.50/£16.50. Info 0845 2263510. With the Pontarddulais Male Choir, Elin Manahan Thomas, Côr Curiad, James Oakley and host Heddyr Gregory.

Stereosonics Sin City,

+ YOU ME AT SIX + FEEDER (Singleton Park, Swansea, Sat 23) THE ZOMBIES (Pontardawe Arts Centre, Sat 23) THE SHIRES (St David’s Hall, Sun 24) PETER FRAMPTON (St David’s Hall, Fri 29) GERRY CINNAMON (Cardiff Castle, Sat 30) BUZZ 74

Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv.

Info 01792 468892. *Stray + The Groundhogs Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £15 adv.

Info 01792 468892. Two UK bands who’ve been going since the 60s, played a big part in making rock music heavier and louder, and have some serious jams in their locker. Groundhogs were good when I saw them a few years ago.

Tarantism + Efa Supertramp + Tracey Curtis Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01633 221477.

Presented by the Green Gathering Campaign.

The Boogie Men The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

The Brwmys Paget Rooms, Penarth. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2070 0721.

Hosted by the Cardiff & Vale branch of the National Autistic Society.

The Darker My Horizon + The 501s + Silverkord The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

The Hicksters The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £5. Info 01685 387925. Americana/folk band from Aberystwyth.

The Mighty Vipers The Globe At Hay, Hay-OnWye. 8pm, £6. Info 01497 821762.

The Mysterines Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

The Offspin Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £8 adv/£13 VIP. Info 01685 879491.

Offspring tribute band. No explanation as to what VIP tickets might offer.

The Police Academy & The Sting Operation Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £17. Info 029 2089 0862. This is one band, paying tribute to The Police and Sting solo, but they do so in two separate sets.

Sting first, then The Police.

The Vanderbilts Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Too Late For Tears Cross Keys, Neath. 8pm, free. Info 01639 643927.

Totally Tina The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £24/£22. Info 01633 656757. Tina Turner tribute show.

True Gold – The Spandau Ballet Experience The Garage, Swansea. 8pm, £15/£10 adv. Info 01792 475147.

Tribute band.

What’s Love Got To Do With It? Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £25.50.

Info 01656 815995. Another

Tina Turner tribute show.

stage SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY

Bipolar Me Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01348 873421.

Play by Ceri Ashe about her experiences of living with bipolar disorder.

Dreams Of Anne Frank Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £9-£11. Info 01970 623232. Presented by Aberystwyth Arts Centre Youth Theatre.

Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 1 + 7.30pm, £56. Info 029 2063 6464. This again. On tomorrow also, again at 1pm and 7.30pm, with tickets only remaining for the last of those performances (as of Fri 10 Jan).

National Opera Studio Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, £10. Info 029 2063 6464. A semistaged production of opera scenes, directed by Emma Jenkins and featuring the WNO Orchestra conducted

by Sian Edwards.

Noel James + Jarlath Regan + Ninia Benjamin + Spencer Jones Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £19.75/£10.50 NUS/£28.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. uResident Magicians The Small Space, Barry.

7.30pm, £20. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk.

Notably small (only 20 seats!) magic-centred Vale venue. Also on Sat 8, Fri 21 and Sat 29 this month. uThe Comedy Of Errors Theatr Arad Goch, Aberystwyth. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £7/£5. Info 01970 617998. Shakespeare, presented by the Nomadic Players. On tomorrow also, at 7.30pm only.

The Finale Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £13. Info 01686 614555.

Showcase for local dance company Adiict.

Trivial Pursuits Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £10/£9.

Info 01873 850805. Even the late Frank Vickery was not immune to the appeal of a #playaboutaplay, and that’s what this is.

SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY

Katie Pritchard + Riordan DJ + Beth Jones + Charlie Hunt + Lorna Pritchard Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.3010pm, £5. Info 029 2023

5555. Standups presented

by Howl Comedy. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

MONDAY 3 FEBRUARY

uBrecknock YFC Festival Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

6.30pm, £9.50 per night (£12 Sat 8). Info 01874 611622. Weeklong festival in which young farmers from the Brecknock area compete for various theatre-related accolades.

Sat 8 is a gala evening in featuring performances from the various winners.

(Until Sat 8) TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY

Crafty Laughs The

uThe Diary Of Anne Frank Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. Presented by Newport Playgoers Society.

On at 2pm and 7.15pm on Sat 8 (tickets £11 at 2pm).

(Until Sat 8) The Little Prince Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £10/£7. Info 0845 2263510.

Famous story told through the medium of dance and presented by Protein. uTo Move In Time Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. One-man show performed by Tyrone Huggins and devised by Tim Etchells. See Stage. On tomorrow also. uWonder Of The World

The pointedly middle namesporting Welsh actor Gareth John Bale stars in a new play, West, about 18th-century migration from Wales to America. Its Welsh premiere (it opened in Milwaukee last year) is at Pontardawe Arts Centre on Fri 14.

Cambrian Tap, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952. Standup comedy here on the first Tuesday of each month; lineup currently TBC. uFame – The Musical Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7pm, £8/£5. Info 0300 0040444. Presented

by Aberdare Community School. (Until Thurs 6) Jonny Awsum Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £14/£12 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian whose stage name has annoyed me for several years, a quiet seething that has only resulted in Jonny going on this, his first solo tour. uMotortown Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391. The Richard Burton Company presents a play directed by Michael Fentiman, about the struggle of a soldier post-war. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Fri 7. (Until Tue 11) uTartuffe Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £7-£14.

Info 029 2039 1391. The Richard Burton Company presents a play directed by Sean Linnen and adapted

by John Donnelly. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 6; captioned on Mon 10. (Until Tue 11)

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.15pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391. The Richard Burton Company presents a play directed by James Callás Ball about a woman who goes to Niagara Falls to discover herself. On at 2.30pm and 7.15pm on Sat 8 and Mon 10. (Until Tue 11) WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY

Cabaret At The College Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391. Taking place in the foyer.

Jamali Maddix Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13. Info 029 2023 2199.

Comedian with a show titled Strip Club Einstein Jimeoin Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01600 772467.

Comedian. uLunatic: Open Rehearsals Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Presented by the National Dance Company Wales. Book in advance please. Also on Wed 12.

Paul Smith Vale Sports Arena, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £25. Info 029 2240 4901.

Comedian.

The Circus Of Horrors Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £22-£28. Info 01792 475715. uWhen We Are Married Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01646 695267. Artistic Licence present a JB Priestly comedy about three concurrently occurring silver wedding anniversaries.

(Until Fri 7) THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

Alex Edelman Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 7.30pm, £17.

Info 01792 475715. US comedian, seemingly more popular elsewhere, with a show titled Just For Us. Material Men Redux Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10-£16. Info 01970 623232. Dance piece with two performers drawing on classical Indian and hip-hop styles, respectively.

Miz Cracker Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £20. Info 0871 4720400. Drag Race contestant #63265 with a show described, rather drily, as “a discussion upon the way in which drag queens and gay men can become better allies to women in an age where feminism is more important than ever!” uRobin Hood The Pantomime Mike Barlow Theatre, YMCA, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info 07703 056088. Presented by Cardiff Players. On at 10,30am and 7.30pm on Sat 8. (Until Sat 8) FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY

Comedy Club Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £12.50. Info 0845 2263510. Presented

by Kill For A Seat; with acts TBC. Connie Orff Pontardawe Arts Centre. 8pm, £16.50/£11. Info 01792 863722. Drag cabaret fave.

In Llanelli on Thurs 20.

Count Arthur Strong Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £22. Info 029 2064 6900. See Upfront. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 21. uMo Omar + The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.75/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19.75/£10.50 NUS/£28.95 with food); one more comic TBC on both nights. uThe Love Of The Nightingale Theatr Arad Goch, Aberystwyth. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £5. Info 01970 617998. By Timberlake

Wertenbaker and presented by the Nomadic Players. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY

King The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £15.50. Info 01633 656757. Dance showcase by the Charlotte May Dance Academy, seemingly named in reference to there being lots of Elvis songs on the soundtrack. uLes Vêpres Siciliennes Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £14-£50. Info 029 2063 6464. Verdi’s opera, presented by Welsh National Opera. Also on Sat 15 and Sat 22.

Ned And The Whale Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

10.30am, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Kids’ theatre presented by Flossy & Boo. SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Artists Passed Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1 + 6pm, £13/£11. Info 0845 2263510.

MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY

uLlyfr Glas Nebo Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 029 2064 6900. Frân Wen and Galeri present a play, in Welsh and based on a recent novel, about a family who survive a nuclear apocalypse. Featuring surtitles today only. On tomorrow also, at 1pm and 7.30pm; in Brecon on Thurs 13, Aberystwyth on Mon 17 and Tue 18, Carmarthen on Tue 25 and Pontardawe on Thurs 27.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY

uA Murder Is Announced New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15.50£31.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

A Miss Marple mystery adapted for the stage. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 12, Thurs 13 and Sat 15. £14.50-£25 on Wed 12 and 2.30pm on Thurs 13; £16.50-£33 on Fri 14 and Sat 15. (Until Sat 15) uOur House Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7pm, £7-£9. Info 0300 0040444.

Madness-themed musical performed by pupils from Treorchy Comprehensive School, who I imagine were already fans of Madness and so really thrilled to have to listen to and sing their songs for weeks on end. (Until Thurs 13) Riot Act Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01646 695267. One-man show by Alexis Gregory about the history of the UK LGBT rights movement. uThe Moon, Sea & Stars Cerdigion Museum, BUZZ 75

BAFTA CYMRU FEBRUARY 2020 February will be all about assisting the future of the industry at BAFTA Cymru. In the month of the EE British Academy Film Awards in London (on Sun 2 Feb, and screened on BBC One), we will be hosting a number of events to help our creative talent in Wales access information about getting into the industry and progressing through it.

(If you happen to read this at the end of January, on Fri 31 we’ll be hosting a special screening of all four nominated short films from last year’s Awards and a Q&A with the filmmakers about how they made them – hosted for free at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea.)

On Wed 12 Feb we’ll be welcoming actor/writer/director extraordinaire Craig Roberts back to south Wales to celebrate his latest film Eternal Beauty. Following the preview screening, Craig and producer Adrian Bate – plus hopefully another guest from the film’s cast and crew – will discuss this new film, which premiered at London Film Festival last year and stars David Thewlis and Sally Hawkins.

The entries for the 29th British Academy Cymru Awards will open on Mon 2 Mar, so start thinking about anything you would like to enter – you can self-nominate for the craft categories, and all film and TV productions that were broadcast or shown at one of our recognised festivals/ screenings between 1 Apr 2019 and 31 Mar 2020 will be eligible.

We’re also still accepting membership applications and you can join now for 16 months at special rates. Have a look at all the benefits of membership, including free cinema at the new Everyman location in Cardiff Bay, on our website.

Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 76

Aberystwyth. 7.30pm, £9-£11. Info 01970 623232.

Theatrical storytelling by local young performers, presented by Aberystwyth Arts Centre Youth Theatre.

(Until Thurs 13) uWinners Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900.

New play presented by Nova and part of the Get It While It’s Hot platform, which gives attendees a pie and a drink as part of their ticket price. (Until Sat 15)

FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY

uAladdin Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £16/£12. Info 01633 868239. Panto – two months late or 10 early, you choose – starring Owen Money. On at 2pm only on Sat 15-Thurs 20, Sat 22 and Sun 23; 2pm and 7pm on Fri 21. (Until Sun 23) Anti-Valentines Burlesque Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£5 adv.

Info 029 2039 9557. Hosted by the South Wales Sirens.

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY Benidorm Nights Memorial Hall, Newbridge. uGuys And Dolls 7pm, £15. Info 01495 Theatr Arad Goch, 243252. An adult comedy Aberystwyth. 7pm, £8/£5. show based on TV series Info 01970 617998.

Benidorm, it says here.

Musical, presented by uGwent YFC Drama Curtain Call Musical Dolman Theatre, Newport.

Theatre. (Until Sat 15) 7pm, £10. Info 01633 uJekyll & Hyde Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea. 263670. Annual competi7.30pm, £12/£0. Info 01792 tion. On tomorrow also, with tickets at £18.

473238. Adaption of the Janey Godley The classic novel by Swansea Riverfront, Newport.

Little Theatre. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 7.30pm, £17.50. Info 01633 656757. See Upfront for an 15. (Until Sat 15) interview.

THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY Strangers On A Train Feed Taliesin Arts Centre, Set Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £15. Info Swansea. 7.30pm, £5-£12.

01646 695267.

Info 01792 602060. Dance uTanyalee Davis production on the topic of + Nigel Ng + Carl clickbait, fake news etc.

La Voix Sherman Theatre, Donnelly + Andy Askins Glee Club, Cardiff Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22. Info Bay. 7pm, £16.75/£8.50 029 2064 6900. Drag type NUS/£24.95 with food. Info who specalises in imper0871 4720400. On tomorsonations. row also (£19.75/£10.50 Llyfr Glas Nebo Theatr NUS/£28.95 with food).

Brycheiniog, Brecon. 1 West Pontardawe Arts + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info Centre. 8pm, £11. Info 01874 611622.

01792 863722. New play Robin Morgan + starring Gareth John Bale Carl Donnelly + and Gwenllian Higginson, Andy Askins Glee Club, about two Welsh people Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 moving to pre-indeNUS/£17 with food. Info pendence America and 0871 4720400. A Pie Face premiered in Malwaukee Comedy night. Donnelly last year. and Askins are also here tomorrow and Sat 15.

SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY uShrek The Musical Amazing Aviation Grand Theatre, Swansea.

National Waterfront 7pm, £12-£16. Info 01792 Museum, Swansea. 2pm, 475715. Presented by free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Harry’s Youth Theatre. On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 15. Educational theatre show presented by Fluellen.

(Until Sat 15) Fascinating Aïda St St David’s Hospice David’s Hall, Cardiff.

Care Charity Comedy 7.30pm, £25. Info 01792 Night The Riverfront, 475715. Musical comedy Newport. 7pm, £20. Info trio.

01633 656757. Featuring Hummingbird Royal Hal Cruttenden, Mike Welsh College Of Music & Bubbins, Eleri Morgan, Sarah Breese and compere Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 Jools Constant.

1391. Play by Tooth+Nail Strangers On A Train about the Lonely Hearts Set Miners Institute, Killers, a real life duo from Blackwood. 7.30pm, 1950s USA. £10.75.£12.75. Info 01495 Mark Watson Savoy 227206. WhimsicalTheatre, Monmouth. sounding crime drama 8pm, £19. Info 01600 quasi-parody presented 772467. Comedian with

by LipService. In Milford show rescheduled from Haven tomorrow.

November.

Popblast! Torch Theatre,

Dad’s Army Radio Show Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £16.

Info 01792 475715. Three episodes of the wireless version of this sitcom performed by two actors armed with various sound effect etc.

Fern Brady Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13. Info 029 2023 2199.

Comedian with a show titled Power & Chaos. uMy Fair Lady Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £17/£14. Info 0845 2263510. Presented by Carmarthen Youth Opera.

On at 2.30pm on Wed 19; SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat A Box Of Light & 22. (Until Sat 22) Dreams Assembly Puss In Boots The Rooms, Presteigne. 4-6pm, Queens Hall, Narberth. £8/£4.50. Info 01544 2pm, £22. Info 01834 267163. Storytelling, 861212. Kids’ theatre premusic and shadow pupsented by Patrick Lynch. petry for kids, presented by uRound The Horne Emergency Turtle.

New Theatre, Cardiff.

Katya & The Comedy 7.30pm, £16.50-£26. Info Queens St David’s Hall, 029 2087 8889. Another Cardiff. 8.30pm, £38-£123. vintage radio comedy Info 01792 475715. Klub revived in a live setting. On Kids revue. Top price is a tomorrow also; in Milford VIP thing.

Haven on Thurs 20 and uThe Marriage Of Monmouth on Fri 21.

Figaro Wales Millennium uWhat A Wonderful Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, World Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. £14-£50. Info 029 2063 1 + 3.30pm, £5/£3.50.

6464. Mozart’s opera, preInfo 0845 2263510. Kids’ sented by Welsh National show about creating a new Opera. Also on Fri 21 civilisation; by Marcello (7pm), Sun 23 (4pm) and Chiarenza, adapted and Fri 28 (7pm). performed by Patrick Lynch.

MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY Yana And The Yeti Aladdin Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, Miners Institute, Blackwood. 2 + 4pm, £5.50. Info 01873 850805. £6.75. Info 01495 227206.

Panto, presented by the Kids’ theatre show set Abergavenny Pantomime in the Arctic Circle. In Company. On at 2.30pm and 7pm on Fri 21; 1.30pm Newport on Thurs 20.

WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY and 6pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) James & Sam’s uLlyfr Glas Nebo Comedy Jam Little Man Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6pm, 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info free. Info 07712 728105.

01970 623232. On tomorNew open mic night held row also. in the basement here and uZog St David’s scheduled for the third Hall, Cardiff. 4.30pm, Wednesday of each month. £15.50/£13.50 kids. Info uMother Goose 01792 475715. Kids’ show, Coliseum Theatre, based on book. On tomorAberdare. 7pm, £9-£12. Info row also, at 11am and 2pm. 0300 0040444. Kids’ show, presented by Colstars. On TUESDAY 18 FEBRUARY at 2pm and 7pm on Thurs uAladdin Dolman 20 and Sat 22. (Until Sat Theatre, Newport. 7pm, 22) £12. Info 01633 263670.

Half-term panto presented Muckers Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 11am

by Newport Pantomime + 2pm, £10. Info 029 Society. On at 2.15pm 2064 6900. Kids’ theatre, and 7pm on Sat 22. (Until described as being about “a Sat 22) uChicago Princess Royal quest for self-acceptance” and partly in Spanish. In Theatre, Port Talbot. 7pm, £16 adv. Info 01639 763214. Aberystwyth on Fri 21 and Sat 22; Abergavenny on “Immersive” musical preThurs 27; Pontardawe on sented by Melyncrythan Fri 28.

Musical Theatre. On at 1.30pm and 6pm on Sat 22. Puss In Boots Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 1 + (Until Sat 22) 3.30pm, £5/£3.50. Info 0845 Milford Haven. 1 + 3pm, £8/£7. Info 01646 695267.

Interactive kids’ show offering movement, dance and games.

Rob Beckett Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £23. Info 01970 623232. Comedian.

Which Leg Are We On? Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 615952.

Collaboration between over-60s physical theatre group Good News From The Future and Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama composition graduate Sam Barnes.

2263510. Family theatre, presented by Lyngo.

Tom Brace Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 4pm, £12.50/£7.50 kids. Info 01495 243252. Familyfriendly magician/comedian. In Barry tomorrow.

THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY

A Pirate’s Adventure Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

2-4pm, £7. Info 01495 243252. Family theatre show.

Connie Orff Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Dolly Chicken Comedy: Fun At The Flute Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, £7.50/£6 adv. Info dollychickencomedy@ gmail.com. Featuring Leroy Brito, Jeff Japers, Jessie Nixon, Abi Clarke and MC Anita Shaw. uGuys & Dolls Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £10-£15. Info 01656 815995. Presented

by Bridgend Youth Theatre.

On tomorrow also.

Harvey Greenfield Is Running Late The Small Space, Barry. 7pm, £10 adv.

Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. One-man comic play by and featuring Paul Richards.

Mark Thomas Volcano, Swansea. 8pm, £17.50/£12.50 Info 01792 464790. With a new show titled 50 Things About Us. Robin Morgan + Allyson Smith + Marlon Davis Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£17 with food. Info 0871 4720400. A Pie Face Comedy night. Smith and Davis are also here tomorrow and Sat 22.

Round The Horne Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £17.50/£16.50. Info 01646 695267.

Tom Brace Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 4pm, £10/£8.50 kids. Info 01446 738622.

Yana And The Yeti The Riverfront, Newport.

11.30am + 2.30pm, £8.

Info 01633 656757.

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Comedy 4 Kids Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. Aimed at ages 6+, and featuring standups TBC but apparently ones from the ‘adult’ circuit tailoring their set accordingly. uJane Eyre Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5-£11. Info 01792 602060.

Novel you may have heard of adapted for the stage by Polly Teale and presented by the West Glamorgan

Youth Theatre Company.

Jessica Fostekew Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13/£10.

Info 029 2030 4400.

Comedian with a show titled Hench, about getting just that by lifting weights while maintaining a feminist outlook. Sold out already however.

Jimmy Carr Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7 + 10pm, £31.50. Info 01792 475715. The earlier performance sold out so there’s another at 10. “Having political correctness at a comedy show is like having health and safety at a rodeo,” says the copy for this tour. Indeed, rodeos do observe health and safety regulations as a matter of course, so hats off to Jimmy for his commitment to progressive values. uMuckers Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 11am + 1pm, £8.50-£14.50. Info 01970 623232. On tomorrow also. uPat Cahill + Paul Thorne + Allyson Smith + Marlon Davis Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.75/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19.75/£10.50 NUS/£28.95 with food).

Round The Horne Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £17.50. Info 01600 772467.

The Girl Who Couldn’t Pretend The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 2pm, £6. Info 01639 843163. New show for kids by Flossy & Boo. SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY

Del & Rodney The Queens Hall, Narberth.

12.30 + 6.30pm, £46.

Info 01834 861212. Two showings of this, the latest ‘theatre show with a threecourse meal to be loosely based on an old BBC sitcom’ gambit. uPeppa Pig’s Best Day Ever New Theatre, Cardiff.

10am, 1pm + 4pm, £12.50£19.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

On tomorrow also.

The Bad Mood Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 11.30am, £9. Info 029 2039 1391.

Music-based theatre for kids, presented by Troupe.

SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY

10 Minute Musicals Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6pm, £5.

Info 0845 2263510. New shorts showcase, presented

by Leeway.

Clinton Baptiste Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £18. Info 0871 4720400.

Fella best known for his role in Phoenix Nights with a show that’s sold out

weeks in advance.

Mimi & The Mountain Dragon Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 11am, £6.50.

Info 01656 815995. Kids’ theatre written by Michael Morpurgo.

MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY

uRob Auton Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Comedian presents his latest prosaically titled set, The Time Show. On tomorrow also.

Soapbox Comedy Night NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866.

TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY

uGhost Stories New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14-£31. Info 029 2087 8889. See Stage for more on this West End hit

by Jeremy Dyson off of League Of Gentlemen and someone I haven’t heard of until now. On at 6pm and 8.30pm on Fri 28; 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 29. £13-£26 on Fri 28; £15-£34 on Fri 28 and 7.30pm on Sat 29.

(Until Sat 29) Kin Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £12-£15.

Info 01970 623232. Triple bill presented by National Dance Company wales and comprising Rygbi: Yma/ Here, Lunatic and 2067: Time And Time And Time.

Llfyr Glas Nebo Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 10am + 7.30pm, £8 (morning); £12/£10 (evening). Info 0845 2263510. The morning performance is aimed at schools.

WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY

Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01646 695267. Variety show presented by the Pembrokeshire WI. uA Tomb With A View Llanover Hall Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £10/£8. Info www. peculiarproductions.co.uk.

Dark comedy thriller by Cardiff-based theatre company Peculiar Productions.

(Until Sat 29) Birth Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510. Visual theatre/ live music piece concerning the bond between three generations of women.

Lloyd Griffith Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £14/£12 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian who once appeared on Songs Of Praise as a choirboy but apart from that appears to have had the most generic career possible for a UK standup to date.

Murder To Watch Grand

ACOSTA DANZA: EVOLUTION Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Fri 6 + Sat 7 Mar Tickets: £19.50-£49.50. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk Following a successful international tour, visionary artistic director Carlos Acosta and his acclaimed Cuban company bring a mix of new and existing dance works to the Wales Millennium Centre.

Making a guest appearance as part of the ensemble in Rooster, Acosta leads the Acosta Danza troupe through a piece of intense physicality, soundtracked by the music of The Rolling Stones. Elsewhere, Acosta Danza perform brand-new work from Spanish ballet icon Maria Rovira, who was commissioned to create Impronta especially for this tour. Set to Claude Debussy’s original score, Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Faun rounds off the bill with a dynamic reinvention of the original Nijinsky ballet. With a sell-out looking imminent, you may have to beg, borrow or steal a ticket to get in.

Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995.

Lunchtime theatre presented by Fluellen.

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY

uCarmen Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £14-£50. Info 029 2063 6464. Bizet’s opera, presented by Welsh National Opera. Also on Sat 29, at 3pm.

Denis & Katya The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £5-£19.50. Info 01633 656757. Music Theatre Wales present a showcased on the recent saga of two Russian teenage runaways. See Stage.

Kojo Anim Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £20. Info 0845 2263510. Newish comedian from Hackney who was on Britain’s Got Talent last year.

Llyfr Glas Nebo Pontardawe Arts Centre.

10am + 7.30pm, £12. Info 01792 863722.

Muckers Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

11am, £8.50/£6 schools/ free teachers. Info 01873 850805.

Ray Badran + Rosie Jones + Tiernan Douieb Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232. Comedy Club night. uRhod Gilbert Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £29.50. Info 01792 475715.

On tomorrow also.

Performing The Book Of John set; one or both of these shows are being recorded, should that entice or indeed repel you.

Rhys James Exit 7, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7pm, £11. Info 029 2022 4488. Comedian. Sold out.

Robin Morgan + Mike

Bubbins + Jenny Collier Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£17 with food. Info 0871 4720400. A Pie Face Comedy night; all three comics are also here tomorrow and Sat 29.

FRIDAY 28 FEBRUARY

Ardal O’Hanlon Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £22. Info 01600 772467.

Birth Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. The Richard Burton Theatre presents a play about three generations of women.

Comedy Club Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

8pm, £10. Info 01874 611622. Monthly night with standups TBC. Comedy Shed The Riverfront, Newport.

7.45pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757. Monthly standup night, acts TBC. Harlem Globetrotters Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7.30pm, from £19. Info 029 2022 4488. We don’t list sport events any more for space reasons but having crunched the numbers on this team’s results over several decades I have concluded that this is more akin to a type of theatre.

Muckers Pontardawe Arts Centre. 1 + 6pm, £7. Info 01792 863722. uRobin Morgan + Mike Bubbins + Jenny Collier Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.75/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19.75/£10.50 NUS/£28.95 with food).

Tom Rosenthal Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.45pm, £17.50. Info 029 2064 6900. Comedian from

various telly things with a show called Manhood, about circumcision (his, specifically).

SATURDAY 29 FEBRUARY

Everything (But The Girl)Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £10-£16.

Info 01970 623232. Dance triple bill featuring two pieces by by Tamsin Fitzgerald, 7.0 and Hollow In A World Too Full, plus The Qualies by Fleur Darkin.

Mike Doyle Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 01600 772467.

Tango Fire Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £19.50-£32.50. Info 01792 475715. On tomorrow also.

Argentinian dance frippery with live tango music.

The Debate Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715.

Lunchtime theatre presented by Fluellen.

The Marriage Of Figaro Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £20/£18.

Info 01686 614555. Opera, presented by Mid Wales Opera.

Transitions Dance Company Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 3 + 7.30pm, £12.

Info 029 2063 6464. Triple bill of short dance works

by H2DANCE, Cameron McMillan and Elisa Pagani.

Wi-Fi Wars Miners Institute, Blackwood. 2pm, £8. Info 01495 227206.

A live interactive comedy show where audience members play along on their phones. Hosted by Steve McNeil.

BUZZ 77

COMPETITIONS HOW TO WIN: Unless otherwise stated, our competitions are generally shared on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

To enter a competition, keep an eye on our social media channels and click ‘like’ and ‘share’ when published. Alternatively, email competitions@buzzmag.co.uk with the name of the competition in the subject line and up to two sentences on why you think you should win the competition. The more original you are, the better your chances.

TWO TICKETS TO WNO’S LES VÊPRES SICILIENNES AT WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF Fancy a night at the opera? We’ve managed to get you a pair of tickets for Verdi’s grand opera at Wales Millennium Centre on Sat 15 Feb from 6.30pm. This production sees director Sir David Pountney complete his Verdi trilogy. Enter by Fri 7 Feb. TWO TICKETS TO FASCINATING AÏDA AT ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF With songs about cheap flights, dogging and being a see-younext-Tuesday at Christmas, Fascinating Aïda are always a safe bet for a fabulously filthy night out. See the queens of cabaret in action, as we’ve a pair of tickets to give away for their Cardiff gig on Sat 15 Feb. Enter by Mon 10 Feb. TWO TICKETS TO ROUND THE HORNE AT NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF Reminisce about the glory days of radio comedy with this live show of the 60s classic. Featuring the likes of Rambling Sid Rumpo and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, it comes to the New Theatre on Tue 18 and Wed 19 Feb and there’s two tickets up for grabs. Enter by Tue 11 Feb. TWO TICKETS TO DENIS & KATYA AT RIVERFRONT THEATRE, NEWPORT This new chamber opera garnered rave reviews when it premiered in the US. We’ve secured two tickets to its muchanticipated UK premiere in Newport on Thu 27 Feb. Courtesy of Music Theatre Wales, we also have exclusive offer codes for discounted tickets to give away to runners-up. Enter by Mon 17 Feb. TWO TICKETS TO GHOST STORIES AT NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF Why wait until Halloween to scare yourself silly? Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s spooky live show is coming to Cardiff’s New Theatre from Tue 25-Sat 29 Feb. We’ve made sure to secure a pair of tickets, as no one should brave this one alone!

Enter by Mon 17 Feb. TWO TICKETS TO BBC NOW: ST DAVID’S DAY CONCERT AT ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF Celebrate our national day in style with a pair of tickets to this BBC Now concert celebrating traditional Welsh music, on Sun 1 Mar from 3pm. It features Welsh folk group Calan, Angharad Lyddon, the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales and the BBC National Chorus Of Wales. Enter by Fri 21 Feb. T&Cs: WE DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR T H E S E C O M P E T I T I O N S T O B E R E P L I C AT E D ANYWHERE ELSE

BUZZ 78

In Old English, February was called Kale-monath, which literally means ‘cabbage month’.

A slice of cake from the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, was auctioned off for charity in 2017 – that’s six years after they got married.

On average, Britain uses 52 million eggs on Pancake Day – 22 million more than any other day of the year.

The tradition of having a ‘best man’ at a wedding is thought to have originated with the Germanic Goths of the 16th century. He was so named because he was considered the best man for the specific job of stealing the bride from her neighbouring community.

The highest ever pancake toss recorded reached 329cm high. That’s flippin’ huge!

Before baking soda was invented, cooks would use fresh snow when making pancakes, as it contained ammonia, which helped the pancakes come out fluffy and soft.

According to an old English superstition, if a bride finds a spider in her wedding dress it’s a symbol of good luck.

The Overnight Scentsation or ‘space rose’ is a miniature rose that was grown in space, on NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery Flight STS-95. The experiment intended to see if loss of gravity would cause a shift in the scent of the rose, but researchers discovered that the rose had produced an entirely new scent.

In Denmark, brides and grooms traditionally crossdressed to confuse evil spirits.

Every year since 1445, the world-famous Olney Pancake Race is held in Buckinghamshire. Participants must dress in a scarf and apron and run 415 yards carrying a frying pan, tossing their pancake at the beginning and end of the race.

At weddings in the Czech Republic, the bride and groom are showered with lentils or peas as well as rice, because this is thought to ensure fertility.

February isn’t just about Valentine’s Day and Shrove Tuesday. It’s also used to mark Canned Food Month, Grapefruit Month and Hot Breakfast Month.

(Disclaimer: some of these may not in fact be true)

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