Buzz Magazine March 2020

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march 2020 40reviews

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04roundup

“TRAITOR COSTELLO!”

12upfront

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), JOE ALI, CHRIS ANDREWS, JOHN-PAUL DAVIES, MORGAN DEVINE, SAM EASTERBROOK, EMILY EDWARDS, STUART FAGG, FRANCESCA GARDNER, DAISY GAUNT, NEIL GOODMAN, NAOMI GRIFFITHS, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, BETTI HUNTER, ELLIE HUTCHINGS, RACHAEL HUTCHINGS, MAB JONES, JASON MACHLAB, CARL MARSH, LYDIA MCGURIN, RHIANNON MORRIS, ELLA MOSELEY, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAKHT, ALEX PAYNE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, ALISON POWELL, HANNAH RAYBOULD, RHONDA LEE REALI, JOSHUA REES, RACHEL REES, OWEN SCOURFIELD, CHRIS SEAL, WILL STEEN, ALEX SWIFT, MEGAN THOMAS, FEDOR TOT, JAMIE WALKER, ISABEL WEAVER, SOPHIE WILLIAMS, SHANIA WILSON, BEN WOOLHEAD 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

HAIL CREMATION! PETER PRENDERGAST GREEN TAL Y BONT OIL ON BOARD 1992

Four pages on a sheaf of New Welsh Theatre about to hit the boards, adding up to a very good article in my opinion. A page for Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Jamie Cullum, among others, and two for Jay Rayner. You’ll notice we only briefly discussed his having argued on Twitter with people from Cardiff in the article, because it’s not important, and local publications banging on and on about it is deeply smalltime behaviour

32film

Although the 120 years or so of cinematic history to date has opened up vast new possibilities of artistic expression, one recurring issue with movies is how they sometimes employ metaphor and symbolism rather than just explicitly telling you what reaction to have. Two of Keiron Self’s chosen 10 this month, The Painted Bird (the other birds batter him cos he’s got all paint on, or something) and Vivarium (what if trapped in lifestyle, but actually), are examples of this distasteful practice

34previews

Double-barrelled names used to just be for poshos, a demographic occasionally found in the art, stage, clubs and live music worlds alike, but now normal people are also using them and making it harder to know who to do ‘reverse classism’ against.

Mark and Emma Daman Thomas out of Islet, for example, got married, which isn’t posh in itself.

Luke Seidel-Haas is German. Not sure what their deal is

buzzmagwales

@Buzz_Magazine

The album reviews page starts off with two five-star reviews of Welsh language albums, which serves as an epic clapback to a person I’ve just imagined who thinks that we don’t give enough coverage to things in the mother tongue. Elsewhere there are also albums sung in Turkish (this one rules) and, as far as I can tell, various Scandinavian languages

47lifestyle

The beer column is back in for another month, I know I wrote about in this section’s contents entry for the last issue but we could all be dead by April. A few days ago I drank one of the beers he writes about in it, the bara brith brown ale, and while I couldn’t detect much bara brith-esque flavour in it I was struck by its brownness. That sounds sarcastic but is actually sincere

57listings

Not many dreadfully named bands coming through this area in the last few months, it seems. Either a harbinger of a time where beat combos name themselves with greater flair and tastefulness, or one where hardly any bands play full stop

78competitions

In the photo of Fish we’ve used alongside the interview with him on p.24 (ahead of his Cardiff gig which you can win tickets to) he is standing by the sea and wearing a body-length wetlook raincoat, making him look somewhat like a fish. Apparently it was a pre-music nickname someone gave him because he took lots of baths, so I reckon this is inadvertent

@buzzmagwales

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What’s on our radar this month PHIL WANG

The smartly silly comedian is making two stops off in Wales with his imaginatively self-titled tour Philly Philly Wang Wang.

Covering his British-Malaysian heritage, his tragic dating life, and the aches and pains of his advanced 29 years, you’re going to want to book this show before it sells out, again!

Grand Theatre, Swansea, Sat 28 Mar; St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 23 Apr. Tickets: £17.

Info: see venue for details.

WALES ONE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL AN EVENING WITH JO BRAND

The comedian and actress comes to Swansea for a tribute to a close friend: Welsh actress, playwright and screenwriter Helen Griffin, who passed away in 2018. The event will feature special guests and is set to be a moving celebration of the passion at the heart of the creative industry. Proceeds will contribute to a young actor’s development.

Grand Theatre, Swansea, Tue 31 Mar. Tickets: £23.

Info: 01792 475715 / www.swanseagrand.co.uk

Returning to venues across Wales, this film festival brings a selection of world-class cinema from across the globe. It opens at Newport’s Riverfront on International Women’s Day with Rubaiyat Hossain’s Made In Bangladesh – an emotionally charged drama about a female sweatshop seamstress. The second AberCon, the anime convention, coincides with the fest on Sat 21 Mar.

The Riverfront, Newport, Sat 7 + Mon 9-Wed 11 Mar; Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Sat 14 Mar + Mon 6-Wed 8 Apr; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 20-Thurs 26 Mar; Pontio, Bangor, Thurs 26 Mar-Wed 1 Apr; Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Thurs 16 Apr. Info: www.wowfilmfestival.com

MICROWAVE

Run Amok present this gutsy new play from Elinor Cook (one of the writers working on Killing Eve’s third series) examining the pressures facing young women today. Following the friendship between straight-A student Kelly and homeless teenager Carly, this could be described as a feminist spin on Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers for the 21st century.

The Riverfront, Newport, Tue 17-Fri 20 Mar; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Tue 24; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 27. Tickets: £14/£12.

Info: see venue for details.

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Pic: Mark Douet

FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ

This Chilean artist exhibits his paintings for the first time in Wales as part of Chapter’s Art In The Bar this Spring. Featuring a cast of sinister characters in intriguing situations, his work references graphic animation and Japanese drawing, with a limited colour palette and a dark, off-the-wall sense of humour.

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, from Sat 14 Mar. Admission: free. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org

OPERASONIC: VEHICLES

Newport-based company Operasonic produce this brand-new opera for children aged 8-12, composed by Martyn Harry and directed by Rhian Hutchings. A fun, energetic production devoted to time travel and the history of transport, Vehicles follows Captain Houston and Lieutenant Schmidt on an intergalactic mission that goes horribly wrong!

Pic: Johan Persson

The Riverfront, Newport, Tue 3 Mar. Tickets: £8/£6. Info: 01633 656757 / www.tickets.newportlive.co.uk

LOST IN THE RHYTHM Welsh Strictly star Amy Dowden and her British dance champion partner Ben Jones are touring Wales with a night of elegance and opulence, fusing Latin and ballroom dance. Recreating the Strictly experience with live vocals and a thumping soundtrack, they are joined by Welsh athlete and Strictly finalist Colin Jackson.

Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Thurs 19 Mar; Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry, Fri 20; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Fri 27; The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 2 Apr; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Sun 5. Tickets: £28. Info: www.audiencewith.co.uk

MATTHEW BOURNE’S THE RED SHOES

Set to the music of Bernard Herrmann, who provided the soundtrack to the Golden Age of Hollywood, Matthew Bourne’s dance adaptation of the classic 1948 Powell and Pressburger film returns to the Wales Millennium Centre at the end of the month. With two Olivier Awards under its belt, this is a safe bet for an evening of elegance and glamour.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 31 Mar-Sat 4 Apr. Tickets: from £18.

Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk BUZZ 5

PUSSYCAT DOLLS

Don’t cha wish your magazine was free like me? Cos if it wasn’t, you might’ve missed out on this.

Performing together for the first time in over a decade, this major UK tour sees the return of the chart-topping girl group from Los Angeles, comprised of Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberley Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Carmit Bachar.

This selection of photographs, by Cardiffborn Kyriacos Asprou, are the result of five months’ worth of travelling throughout Wales, taking over 16,500 pictures.

But don’t worry – there won’t be that many to look at! This exhibition presents whimsical snapshots of Welsh people and landscapes in all seasons, inspiring you to travel around the country more often.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 6 Apr. Tickets: £47.50 (sold out – check box office for returns) Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff, Thurs 12-Sat 28 Mar. Admission: free. Info: 029 2047 3373 / www.cardiffmade.com

Pic: Helen Maybanks

FY NGHYMRU – MY WALES

FRIENDSICAL

If the title didn’t provide enough explanation, this musical theatre parody of, yes, the iconic 1990s sitcom Friends is a safe bet for anyone looking for a big slice of nostalgia. Writer Miranda Larson has taken the show’s most memorable moments and quotes and turned them into songs like (He’s Her) Lobster! and Richard’s Moustache.

New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 17-Sat 21 Mar. Tickets: £10-£30.

Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

BEAUTIFUL

This earth-moving jukebox musical was a hit on the West End. It pays tribute to singer-songwriter Carole King, who sold her first hit Will You Love Me Tomorrow aged just 17. Soon, she was reeling off number one hits for the biggest acts in rock’n’roll, until she found the courage to step into the spotlight herself.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 9-Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: £18-£52. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

JOHN KEARNS

THE SLOW READERS CLUB

The Northern indie rockers were previously unheard of outside a Manchester postcode. But now they’re selling out venues all over the shop, and they stop off in Cardiff this month on their mammoth UK and European tour after recently announcing the release of their fourth album The Joy Of The Return (out 20 Mar).

The Globe, Cardiff, Sun 29 Mar. Tickets: £19.60.

Info: 07590 471888 / www.globecardiffmusic.com BUZZ 6

A double Edinburgh Comedy Award winner and renowned plonker, John Kearns offers up absurd, comedic performance art that leaves half the audience in hysterics and the other half cheesed off.

For his tour Double Take And Fade Away, he has chosen to book places where it looks like “people share hot water bottles with their landlords”.

Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 17 Mar. Tickets: £12.

Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk/cardiff

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL GŴYL FFILMIAU MYNYDD BANFF 25.03.20

THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS 25th Anniversary Tour 14.03.20

BEN FOGLE Tales from the Wilderness 05.03.20

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA gyda / with Tasmin Little 13.03.20

THE BOWIE COLLECTIVE 26.03.20

SUSAN BOYLE The Ten Tour 10.03.20

BURN THE FLOOR gyda / with Kevin & Joanne Clifton 29.03.20

THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS AND BEYOND 15.03.20

ED BYRNE If I’m Honest 21.03.20

PAUL CARRACK The 20/20 Tour 07.03.20

THE BOYS ARE BACK Five, A1, 911 & Damage 23.03.20

CARDIFF PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Opera Spectacular!

20.03.20

Pic: Ray di Pietro

q+a

E LV I S C O S T E L L O One of Britain’s songwriting greats, a graduate of 1970s punk and latterday auteur, Elvis Costello talks to Carl Marsh ahead of a Cardiff show with his band The Imposters.

Back in 2005, after Glastonbury, you said that you didn’t want to play England or Wales again, as you thought the British public had lost touch with your music. How are you approaching that now?

That was a good lesson on why you should never answer a question directly off the stage! I’d just opened a tour with Bob Dylan, playing in a big arena in South Carolina. I had such an unbelievable reaction, even though I was just playing on my own.

I came off and went, “Well, that maybe explains a little bit of a difference.” Then of course you’ve got the interview – I don’t have control of what they did to it! Next thing you know, it’s in the tabloids and it’s like “TRAITOR COSTELLO!” But I never said any such thing.

I haven’t lived in Britain for 30 years. So, whether I feel entirely at home or not, you can take what you want out of the fact that I’ve not lived there. I lived in Ireland for many years and North America for the last 15. That doesn’t mean I have any superior or negative feelings. I still travel home all the time to visit my mother, or my eldest son who lives in London. Although the family I have right now are the other side of the world.

Do you think you will ever come back to live here in the future?

I mean, it isn’t my decision to make alone, is it? As BUZZ 8

a family, we have to think if it’s a great idea. My wife [Diana Krall] loves to be in Britain, but she doesn’t get to tour around Wales and Scotland, let alone Ireland, as much as I do.

I was brought up with your music in the 1970s.

Would you say you’re more of a storyteller than a songwriter?

How do you write a song? If they knew how to do that, they’d be doing it all the time. People assume I’m writing everyday but I’m not. I really don’t have a sense of how I define myself. If you ask me what I do, I could have a big grand idea and say I’m a writer. It doesn’t say “writer” on my passport, it says “musician”. Musician contains songwriter, narrator and storyteller. Musician will cover it.

Do you write songs differently than you did 30 or 40 years ago?

Yeah, you can’t get the quill pens now! [laughs] Sometimes I’ll get an instrument that I don’t play very well and fool around on it. Other times, you can pick a guitar up and it can turn into something very familiar. You can start strumming, one chord will lead to this chord, and it’s predictable.

The piano is a bit more like a voyage out to sea.

Recently, I went back to some of my notebooks and looked at the way the lines were developed in some quite famous songs. They could’ve gone a

completely different way if I’d written that. I didn’t remember that until I saw them again.

Now you type something directly into a computer, which is convenient because you can communicate it to someone else really quickly. When you do it with a pen, pencil or a sharp stick, you’re doing something that is going over it. In the period where I had the most success, I’d write the lyrics out over and over again in the book. I suppose I was testing their consistency.

Do you still feel like you have something to prove in the music industry?

I never think about the music industry. I’m not in a league like a footballer. I don’t think about how I have to win the cup. I feel very fortunate that my vocation is also my occupation. The biggest drawback to having a long career is the sense of entitlement to the audience’s attention. You don’t demand it. I try to stay out of the business pages. If I can still pay the rent and keep the lights on, I’ve made my contribution.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 16 Mar. Tickets: £38.50-£82.50.

Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

Pic: Mike George

BOOK NOW NITRO WORLD GAMES 2020 Principality Stadium, Cardiff Sat 23 + Sun 24 May Tickets: from £25 Info: www.nitroworldgames.com

SECRET SPACES: MATT WRIGHT As co-founder of Cardiff’s “immersive arts space” CULTVR Lab, Matt Wright aims to help emerging artists, filmmakers and musicians create unique audiovisual experiences. He chats to Sam Pryce.

How did the idea for CULTVR Lab come about?

How can emerging artists become involved with CULTVR Lab?

Janire [Nájera, co-founder] and I have shared a passion for the creative possibilities that immersive domes provide but were held back due to the lack of accessible infrastructure available. We’ve been producing 360º films and touring them in our domes for the last 10 years, with the intention of creating a space where live performance could be also presented within the dome. We wanted to be able to do this in-house and extend this opportunity to fellow local creatives.

We’re working hard to develop a programme of residencies to create opportunities for all in the short and long term. If you have an idea that could leverage the space, just drop us a line or speak to us at one of our events.

What kind of events and functions does the space offer?

We decided to create a flexible immersive venue to host an array of artists from different disciplines: dance, theatre, live music, film, visual arts and more. We’ve hosted live performances, symposiums, residencies, training sessions and multimedia exhibitions. It has three different dome spaces, a film and photo studio, co-working facilities and a gallery space.

Is there anything coming up at CULTVR Lab that we should be particularly looking forward to?

We’re working with local artists to create new experiences, such as Black Mantis in collaboration with electronic musician Deri Roberts, which will premiere on Fri 29 May. In January, we had DJ Yoda performing and we’re working on having him back because it was incredible! We’re also planning to bring digital artists from Canada and Brazil, so keep an eye on the website as we can say no more!

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Live music venues in the UK have declined by 35% over the last decade. How do you hope to combat these statistics?

As an independent venue, we fully rely on our audience to survive – and, as such, we hope to offer something not just unique to Wales but the world.

One key element to this is flexibility and adaptability. We’re not just a music venue, as we also contain a large exhibition space, Wales’ largest screen, and a whole host of production facilities.

When we do music events, you’ll be getting a lot more of an experience than you would at a more traditional venue, as we collaborate closely with each band or artist to augment their sound with visual experiences.

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?

Trefil Quarry, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. I have been returning to this stunning spot for several years; its combination of post-industrial loss and stunning vistas sums up Wales beautifully. I’ve been there in snow, gale force wind and on beautiful sunny days.

It never fails to impress.

CULTVR Lab, 327 Penarth Road, Cardiff. Info: www.cultvr.cymru

INSIDE OUT FESTIVAL Bute Park, Cardiff Fri 5 + Sat 6 June Tickets: from £66 Info: www.insideoutcardiff.co.uk

JOKER: LIVE IN CONCERT

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Sun 21 June Tickets: from £37.50 Info: www.ents24.com

BEYOND THE BORDER: WALES’ INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Dinefwr Park, Carmarthenshire Fri 3-Sun 5 July Tickets: from £55 Info: www.beyondtheborder.com

ALAN CARR

Grand Theatre, Swansea Fri 4 + Sat 5 Dec Tickets: £28 Info: www.alancarr.net

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Wed 9 Dec-Sat 16 Jan Tickets: from £25.50 Info: www.wmc.org.uk

Yma i’ch

Here to

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Diddanu newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8889

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N E W W E L S H T H E AT R E A new wave of writers, directors and performers are finding unique ways of putting Wales on the stage. Buzz selects five unmissable events happening this month and chats to the creatives behind them.

TYLWYTH In 2010, his trailblazing debut play Llwyth brought the experiences of Welsh-speaking gay men to a worldwide audience. As he returns to those characters a decade later for his new play Tylwyth, Daf James talks to us about what’s changed.

“When I started writing, I thought I knew what the story was going to be about.

Once I put the characters in a room together, the play just took on a life of its own.”

Welsh playwright, composer and performer Daf James is telling me about how he wrote his latest play Tylwyth [Family], which receives its world premiere in March.

A co-production between the Sherman Theatre and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, it returns to the same group of gay friends living in Cardiff depicted in James’s autobiographical debut play Llwyth [Tribe].

While audiences don’t need to have seen Llwyth to understand Tylwyth, the show will feature members of the original cast, including Simon Watts as Aneurin, Danny Grehan as Dada, and Michael Humphreys as Gareth. It also sees James reunite with director Arwel Gruffydd, in what has been a large part of both their creative lives. But why did now feel like the right time to revisit these characters?

“In the last decade, my life has changed,” says Daf. “I’m engaged to be married to my partner; we’ve adopted two children. Gay politics has moved on, but so has national politics. I mean, who would’ve expected Brexit in the last 10 years?”

The main character of Aneurin finds himself in similar circumstances in Tylwyth: he’s got a partner and two adopted children, yet still feels haunted by past demons.

Gone are the hard-partying days we saw in Llwyth, but that same group of friends are still tied together. “The first play means ‘tribe’, exploring the idea of friends: a Welsh tribe and a gay tribe. What does the word ‘tribe’ mean now?”

Like its 10-year-old baby brother, Tylwyth is written mostly in Welsh, but incorporates a mixture of different strains of the language, from colloquial Wenglish to elevated, poetic Welsh. This mishmash of dialects chimes with the playwright’s own relationship with the Welsh language. “I speak many different types of Welsh and jump from one language to the other,” says James. “One of things I wanted to do with Llwyth was put all the various registers of speech on stage together. There is a character, Gareth, who’s in a relationship with a Welsh speaker, but he doesn’t speak Welsh.

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“The same goes for Tylwyth, which has a North Walian character, so it’s nice to have a different accent and dialect on stage.” Non-Welsh speakers needn’t worry though, as every performance includes surtitles in English and Welsh, as well as the app Sibrwd which translates plays as they’re happening for audiences.

“Identity is very much rooted in language,” says James. “I always encourage writers to use their own language. They shouldn’t have to compromise who they are and speak in another language that isn’t theirs because it’s about putting who you are, uniquely, on stage. The more specific you are, the more truthful and universal you can be.”

This was something that Llwyth proved when it toured to the Taipei Arts Festival in Taiwan. “That’s what was so crazy! I’m very interested in how Taiwanese audiences responded to the play – how they could see their own Taiwanese identity in relationship to China,” he recalls. “It was the understanding of the minority within a dominant order. That really spoke to them.”

But this is not just a play about sexual and national identity; it’s also a love letter to Cardiff. “I almost think that Cardiff is an additional character in the play,” he says. Llwyth unravelled over the course of a night out in Cardiff, while Tylwyth finds the characters in their 40s and dealing with the rapid changes of the Welsh capital’s gay scene. “When they go back, it’s like, ‘Oh, we’re not in Kansas anymore!

This isn’t what we remembered.’

“There’s a line in the play: ‘make way for progress.’ And it’s the idea that everything is always shifting and changing: landscape, identity... Nothing stands still. We have to keep moving. Keep living, I suppose.” SAM PRYCE Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 10-Fri 13 Mar; Galeri, Caernarfon, Tue 17-Wed 18; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 20 + Sat 21; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Tue 24; Theatr Hafren, Newtown, Thurs 26; Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Sat 28; Pontio, Bangor, Tue 31 + Wed 1 Apr; Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Fri 3 + Sat 4 Apr. Tickets: £16-£26. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

HAIL CREMATION! National Theatre Wales present a new musical inspired by cremation pioneer Dr William Price, a radical figure who walked on the wild side of Welshness. Writer Jon Tregenna tells us more.

The subject of a new musical called Hail Cremation!, which premieres this month at Newbridge Memo, has remained a largely neglected figure in Welsh history until now, though he does have a statue in Llantrisant where he lived from 1866 up to his death. Dr William Price (1800-1893) is otherwise known as ‘the father of modern cremation’, but was equally famous in his day for his eccentricities: an outlandish dress sense, militant vegetarianism, entering a relationship with a woman 60 years younger than him in his ninth decade and employing a cart pulled by goats as his mode of everyday transport.

Perhaps the most famous incident in his life came when his five-month old son died of natural causes, and Price burnt the baby’s body on a hill as nearby chapels emptied one Sunday morning. After being arrested and put on trial, Price successfully argued his case against the prohibition of burning corpses, paving the way for the 1902 Cremation Act. Recently, Robert Downey Jr. revealed that Price – whom he described as a “nutty, neuroid doctor from the 19th century” – was the inspiration behind his (appalling) attempt at a Welsh accent in new film Dolittle.

But how did the musical’s writer-composer Jon Tregenna discover this strange and passionate Welshman?

“When I was a kid my parents had a Poems & Pints album which had a song with the chorus ‘I don’t give a bugger what anybody thinks of me,’” says Jon. “The song was written by Meic Stevens and was about Price. In 2014, a mate at Swansea Museum brought some Price artefacts to the Laugharne Weekend. It was then that I saw the ‘green onesie’ picture and needed to know more. I read Dean Powell’s majestic biography on Price, went on a tour of Price’s haunts, and decided that this dazzling yet largely forgotten figure had to be brought back to life.”

Directed by Adele Thomas, Hail Cremation! also features a superb, all-Welsh cast including Matthew Bulgo, Gruffudd Glyn, Lee Mengo and Seren Vickers, as well as dancers Iestyn Arwel, Ella Biddlecombe, Elan Elidyr and Kyle Flaherty.

Stephen Black (better known as Welsh indie-folk stylist Sweet Baboo) features in the band performing Tregenna’s music, alongside Tom Cottle, Aidan Thorne and Paul Jones – all of whom will be dressed as goats. But why was psychedelic musical theatre chosen as the best vehicle for Price’s story?

“If Price was alive today, he’d attend Green Man and Glastonbury, and so a rock gig also came to mind/,” he says.

“We want to capture his restless, curious spirit through a mix of video art, fabulous costuming and dance: part-carnival, part-concert and part-catwalk show.” With music inspired by The Fall, The Streets and The B-52’s, the resulting production promises to be as strange and feral as the man himself.

There are plenty of reasons why Price’s story is an important one for modern Wales to hear. “Wales is a tad lost,” says Tregenna. “We’ve always been tribal, but recently, the Brexit and Welsh independence debates have really polarised people.

So, who are we? What do we want?” Tregenna is reminded of that Welsh word ‘hiraeth’, translating literally as ‘homesickness’ or, as Emyr Humphreys wrote, “a sense of loss for an ancient land.”

“We’re the secret Celtic nation but tend not to make a song and dance about anything, unless we win rugby matches.” As far as Tregenna is concerned, Dr. Price is someone who deserves to have a song and dance made about him – a relic of “a magical, wild, supernatural, trippy Wales that dates from the Mabinogion.” Price, who today would be all over the media as well as the fashion magazines, represents the “charismatic leader” that Wales needs “not just to thrive, but to be glorious.”

SAM PRYCE Memorial Hall, Newbridge, Mon 23 Mar-Sat 4 Apr. Tickets: from £10. Info: www.nationaltheatrewales.org

NDC WALES: KIN

In a new show from the Wales Millennium Centre, theatre maker Kaite O’Reilly teams up with deaf and hearing artists to tell an extraordinary story of the unsung female heroes of World War II.

The latest tour from National Dance Company Wales features pieces inspired by history, politics and even rugby. Artistic Director Fearghus Ó Conchúir reveals the ideas behind them.

The Beauty Parade was never meant to be seen on the stage. Like the hidden lives of the three female spies at the heart of this unique Kaite O’Reilly production, The Beauty Parade was created with a strict, for-your-eyes-only policy. In this case, the eyes were those of WMC Senior Producer Emma Evans, who passed word up to the top that this story needed to be propagated to the people.

This unique one-act piece, created with composer Rebecca Applin and performer/visual language expert Sophie Stone, seamlessly weaves together physical performance, projection, song, visual language and spoken word into a thrilling, multi-sensory evocation of wartime espionage. It gives a voice to the unknown women of World War II, who were scooped from obscurity only to be dropped deeper into anonymity by the British army. The enrolment criteria: female, bilingual, patriotic, fearless. Training only lasted seven weeks and life expectancy in the field was less still.

Nevertheless, on a full moon in 1944, fighter pilots would exchange their usual cargo of bouncing bombs for bombshells – redhead, blonde or brunette. These willing women-in-arms took the one-way ticket into occupied France to do what they could to undermine the common enemy. The pilots’ code for these moonlight flight nights: The Beauty Parade.

What director Katie O’Reilly [pictured] sought to explore, through her Creative Wales Major Award, was the “performative power of words and music.”

O’Reilly, a pioneer in using the aesthetics of access as a creative tool, came across the tale of the Beauty Parade in the early 1990s. What began life as a creative exploration into the bilingual nature of words, music and non-BSL visual language is now being fully realised in a show that will be accessible to all and of special interest to the hearing impaired.

O’Reilly feels the wartime message of unity, within a world that actively celebrates diversity, is as essential as ever. “I’m trying to remind people that evil can happen,” she says. “The wonderful thing about theatre is to imagine what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes. When you don’t have compassion and you don’t have empathy, that’s how you have the atrocities of the Second World War.” JOHN-PAUL DAVIES Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 5-Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: £12/£6 Thurs 5 only.

Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

BUZZ 14

Kin brings together works that examine different versions of community, combining poetry, sport and identity. Lunatic, by Welsh-born Nigel Charnock, is a riotous romp through time with a mixture of 1950s and 1990s pop culture and music.

Alexandra Waierstall’s 2067: Time And Time And Time elegantly moves between history, time and destiny. Rygbi: Yma / Here, a new piece by Artistic Director Fearghus Ó Conchúir, celebrates Wales’ national sport, bursting with the pride and passion of players and fans. It shows how we all can come together, even with rivals on the field. Ó Conchúir reveals how it came about.

“It was important that we understood the game because of the dancers,” he says. “They come from Wales but also across the world, so they wouldn’t necessarily know the game themselves. We immersed them in rugby, both by watching games, by looking at photographs but also by going to games, meeting rugby players and working with them. The great thing about good dancers is they absorb all of these influences and transform it in their bodies.”

With 2067, is that an abstract dance? “In dance, it’s different from an abstract painting

or sculpture because it’s always human beings that are in front of you. [The dance] is beautiful. It’s quite meditative and brings us into a very different state of something like Rygbi which has high energy, effort and physicality. This middle piece is like a beautiful still pool that we cleanse ourselves in for a moment.”

The third piece on the tour, Nigel Charnock’s Lunatic, deals with themes of nationality, gender and class. “Charnock was extraordinary and way ahead of his time, making work through the 1990s and 2000s until he died in 2012. He was part of a movement that was living through Thatcher’s Britain – a repressive social situation but also a period of possibility where people fought for rights whether they were related

Pic: Rhys Cozens

THE BEAUTY PARADE

NEW 2020 FESTIVAL Now in its seventh year, Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama’s festival of new writing brings four original plays to Cardiff over three days this month.

to gender, sexuality, or class. In the 2000s, we thought those battles were won. It was very important to me to bring back Nigel’s work because he foresaw that progress isn’t linear.

You have to put that energy back in to fight the battles for rights again.”

RHONDA LEE REALI Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 20 + Sat 21 Mar; Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Fri 27; Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Thurs 2 Apr; The Riverfront, Newport, Wed 8 Apr. Tickets: £14-£23. Info: www.ndcwales.co.uk

FIVE MORE WELSH SHOWS TO CATCH IN 2020…

Performed by a cast of 33 final-year RWCMD students, as well as providing platforms for emerging directors, all four plays are showing in Wales before transferring to London’s Gate Theatre in April. As part of New 2020, playwright Tracy Harris and director Matthew Holmquist bring issues of trauma and addiction to the forefront in Ripples, which receives its world premiere at the festival. Set in a Bridgend rehab centre, Harris explores the convoluted minds of eight individuals who struggle to identify with each other. Harris acknowledges Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre for their collaboration in the project, after completing their New Welsh Playwrights Programme which “forced [her] to take [her] writing to the next level.”

Award-winning playwright Charlotte Josephine will be unveiling Moon Licks, which raises questions over social media’s impact on the lives and minds of the younger generation, presented in collaboration with Paines Plough and directed by Hannah HauerKing. Adapted from Eugene Ionesco’s 1959 play Rhinoceros with director Debbie Hannan, the festival’s third play is slightly more abstract. Described as a “radicalisation horror for the fucking normies of the Netflix generation”, Nessah Muthy’s After Rhinoceros: The Red Pill adds a slice of the avant-garde to proceedings. The fourth play to premiere, Half Full, is directed by Milli Bhatia and written by Yasmin Joseph. It draws attention to the power of food and consumerism, presented in collaboration with the Royal Court. SHANIA WILSON

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Tue 17-Thurs 19 Mar. Tickets: £5-£8. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 9 June-Wed 22 July.

Info: www.wno.org.uk

Joe Murphy directs Brad Birch’s drama for the post-truth era, inspired by the Ibsen play of the same name but shifting the action from southern Norway to the Valleys of south Wales.

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Thurs 30 Apr-Sat 16 May. Tickets: £10-£20.

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

BALLOON GIRL Created by Hannah McPake and commissioned by Radical Creatures, National Theatre Wales bring a largescale outdoor performance inspired

by Cardiff’s Great Exhibition of 1896 to an iconic, though currently undisclosed, location.

Venue TBC, Cardiff, Fri 24-Sun 26 July.

Info: www.nationaltheatrewales.org

WNO’S SUMMER SEASON A double bill of Stravinsky’s The Nightingale and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle are the summer offerings from Welsh National Opera, the latter featuring the return of Sir Bryn Terfel to the company.

MILKY PEAKS Written and composed by Seiriol Davies, this surreal new musical set in a small town under threat in deepest Snowdonia opens at Theatr Clwyd this month before touring Wales later this year.

Touring throughout 2020.

Tickets: from £10.

Info: www.theatrclwyd.com

EVERYMAN CARDIFF OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL Box office opens this month for this award-winning theatre festival across six weeks in central Cardiff, which this year includes Blackadder Goes Forth, Twelfth Night, Carousel, and High School Musical.

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Thurs 18 June-Sat 25 July. Tickets: TBC. Info: 0333 6663366 / www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.com

BUZZ 15

Pic: Sigrid Pic: Spinnox Goat

N O F I T S TAT E B R I N G S L E X I C O N B A C K T O C A R D I F F B AY Fresh from a sell-out run at the Roundhouse in London, NoFit State’s latest production, LEXICON, comes back to Cardiff Bay. LEXICON brings world class circus and music to a daring, free-spirited and mischievous take on contemporary circus.

This is a truly joyous production inhabited by wild misfits and furious poetry, which revisits the history of circus, bringing traditional circus skills into a contemporary context for a modern audience. Since its last visit to the capital in 2018, LEXICON has toured the world, from Melbourne to Marseille, and been showered with critical and audience acclaim. If you were lucky enough to see this outstanding non-narrative show two years ago as part of the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, don’t miss the chance to see the next development of this world class production. If you weren’t able to get a ticket last time, now is your chance to see a show that will thrill and inspire you with “a multitude of deliciously surreal memories”.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY: *****

“Evocative, beautiful and life-affirming” Western Mail

“Absolutely stunning” Time Out Melbourne

Yet again NoFit State have brought together the best of Welsh circus talent with international stars to create a truly memorable and life enhancing performance.

NoFit State productions only come to Cardiff twice in their touring life, so this is probably your last chance to see this extraordinary show in the city.

NoFit State’s iconic silver big top tent will be back this Easter from Wed 8-Sat 26 Apr, on the site of the old Doctor Who Experience building at the Bay. Performing at home in Cardiff tickets are sure to move fast, so book early to make sure you don’t miss out on this spectacular show.

“NoFit State’s new show mixes skill and physical poetry with a large dollop of nostalgia” The Guardian

“A multitude of deliciously surreal memories” The Arts Desk

“Proper heart-in-mouth stuff” The Stage

There will be a café and bar on site cooking up hotdogs, popcorn and other tasty snacks, plus fridges fully stocked with locally sourced Welsh beer and cider as well as wine, prosecco and soft drinks. The site opens an hour before the show, so you can get settled in before the show begins. The tent is fully accessible and suitable for audiences of all ages. Matinees are at 2.30pm or 4pm and evening shows are at 7.30pm. The show is two hours long including a 20-minute interval.

Pricing on Weekdays (Monday-Thursday) £22 – Full Price; £14 – Concession; £55 - Family of 4 Pricing on Weekends (Friday - Sunday) £26 – Full Price; £18 – Concession; £70 - Family of 4 Box Office: www.nofitstate.org/lexicon / 029 2132 1021 BUZZ 16

“Combines laugh-out-loud moments with draw-droppingly beautiful moments” Arts Scene in Wales

“Thrilling and awe-inspiring, dramatic and entertaining, Lexicon is an incredible blend of circus and theatrics” Cardiff Mummy Says

Newbridge Memo, Trecelyn / Newbridge 23 Mawrth / March – 4 Ebrill / April 2020 Tocynnau / Tickets: nationaltheatrewales.org 029 2037 1689 Canllaw oedran / Age guidance 14+ @ntwtweets

Rhif Cofrestredig Y Cwmni / Company Registration No: 6693227

#HailCremation

Elusen Cofrestredig Rhif / Charity Registration No: 1127952

“…THE SHERMAN, THE GOLD STANDARD IN WELSH THEATRE” Western Mail

YOUR CITY. YOUR STORIES. YOUR THEATRE. EICH DINAS CHI. EICH STRAEON CHI. EICH THEATR CHI. Theatre made in the heart of Cardiff / Theatr wedi’i greu yng nghalon Caerdydd

PREMIERE BYD / WORLD PREMIERE

Theatr y Sherman / Sherman Theatre & Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru

TYLWYTH Gan / By Daf James

10 – 13 Maw / Mar WORLD PREMIERE / PREMIERE BYD

Sherman Theatre / Theatr y Sherman

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE By / Gan Brad Birch After / Ar ôl Henrik Ibsen

30 Apr / Ebr – 16 May / Mai WORLD PREMIERE / PREMIERE BYD

BOOK NOW ARCHEBWCH NAWR SHERMANTHEATRE.CO.UK 029 2064 6900

Sherman Cymru Productions Ltd | Registered Charity Number / Rhif Elusen Cofrestredig 1118364

Sherman Theatre / Theatr y Sherman & the National Theatre

Sherman Theatre / Theatr y Sherman & Theatre Uncut

ROMEO AND JULIE

THE MERTHYR STIGMATIST

By / Gan Gary Owen

By / Gan Lisa Parry

16 Sept / Medi – 3 Oct / Hyd

2 – 17 Oct / Hyd

Pic: Levon Biss

“If you think your dish is only going to be appealing if it’s served on a trowel, then there’s something wrong with your dish.”

BUZZ 18

J AY R AY N E R Currently on the road to promote his latest book, My Last Supper, restaurant critic Jay Rayner chats to Elin Evans about food fads, death row dinners, and his views on the Cardiff restaurant scene.

Your new book My Last Supper: One Meal, A Lifetime In The Making grew out of being asked repeatedly about your dream death-row meal.

Why did you decide to write this book now?

I’m consistently asked this question, but I’m also fascinated by it, so I thought I should investigate.

Plus, I’ve been doing this job for 20 years, so it was worth marking that by stepping back and saying “Who am I? What would happen if I decided to go for this meal?” It’s a fun vehicle for memoir.

The foods we’re attracted to are the ones we have an emotional attachment to.

As part of the show, I ask the audience to tweet me their last supper and get some beautiful stories. One of the sweetest comments I got was a chap who said, “I would go and knock on the door of the house where my grandma used to live and ask if I could sit on the back step and eat a Dairylea triangle.” And that’s a man recalling a moment from his childhood when he felt safe and loved. Although, some people when I ask for their last suppers come back with what is clearly an attempt to signal their connoisseurship: “I would have this Montrachet with that caviar…” And I think, “Really? Because I wouldn’t.”

don’t need to be in the West End to have a restaurant.

I can drop my prices and keep my menu tight and changing, because a menu just needs to be a piece of paper.” That’s brilliant.

And the worst?

The worst are places that feel that eating out can only work if it’s attended by frivolities which have nothing to do with the food. They’re throwing ridiculous money into that, which they then must earn back, so the high price you pay is not for the food. It’s a cheap win for me to say, “I hate things not served on plates.”

But it’s true! If you think your dish is only going to be appealing if it’s served on a trowel, then there’s something wrong with your dish.

Last time you came to Cardiff, you reviewed The Classroom…

Yes, that ended well, didn’t it?

How have you found performing this more personal, serious material?

I’ve loved it actually! The show’s built around five monologues of stories of my life, and it’s closer to theatre than anything I’ve ever done. I can’t act, but I suppose the part I’m playing is myself, so it’s not very hard to get to the heart of it. I enjoy telling stories.

Have you come back here since?

The reality is, if you have one of these high perches – which I do – you deal with an awful lot of stuff on social media. Every weekend when my review comes out, I wait to find out what terrible mistake I’ve made.

My comment, which I held to at the time, was that, for a city the size of Cardiff, the really good eating options, worthy of note, were not as numerous as they should be. There were quite a few people who went, “You know, he’s right!” But then there was also this vociferous reaction of, “How dare you!”

So, I thought, “I don’t need this. If I’m going to go back to the city worrying every time that I’m going to get a deluge of abuse, then there are many other places in the UK I can go to. So, perhaps I will.”

Although, I admit I was slightly controversial with that Bristol line – that was bad! But I will say that I know of a bunch of places that have opened since then, and my intention when I come back [to Cardiff] for the show is to review again.

Over the past 20 years of reviewing restaurants, what are some of the best fads in the culinary scene you’ve seen?

The best one is going on right now, and it’s a growing confidence among young cooks that they can go it alone, without having to go through grand kitchens for many years. The small-scaled independent restaurant, with a short, changing menu, is a glorious thing. In London, outside the centre, young chefs are going, “I

Is there a certain dish you’ll use to gauge how good a restaurant is?

No. I have dishes I might keep an eye out for, but so many styles of cooking are so different. Although, if I’m in a restaurant offering a very country-French menu, and they offer a cassoulet, I’m going to order it – partly because I really like cassoulet. But also, because it’s a very specific thing which requires a lot of care and attention. The thing I always say is, I’m

What’s your first memory of food?

As a very small boy, under sheets and blankets – this was pre-duvet – being fed broken-up buttered toast with soft boiled eggs. I must’ve been under two, and it was just a little eggy something on a tray. It’s a classic first memory of food, something we associate with being cared for.

not a food critic; I’m a restaurant critic. I’m going to review the whole thing and tell you how much pleasure your money can buy.

How do you choose the restaurants you go to?

It’s very simple, I’ll be looking for which one I think I can get the most interesting 1,100 words out of. I have to write an interesting column and I’m not here to sell restaurants. I will be looking for somewhere I hope is good. I don’t seek out places I think will be bad.

You play jazz piano in your own Jay Rayner Quartet, so music is obviously very important to you. If you had to pick three songs to put on your soundtrack for your last supper, what would they be?

I include a soundtrack in the book, but if I’m only allowed three, I think it would have to be Fats Waller’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, which was one of the first tunes that really got me into jazz piano. Then, Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon from Sinatra At The Sands, which is a very specific live recording accompanied by an orchestra under the baton of a very young Quincy Jones. Finally, and not for the reason you’d think, it would be my own quartet doing The Ladies Who Lunch by Stephen Sondheim. I think the singer on that track does a brilliant job – and the singer is my wife!

If you had to have your nightmare meal, what chef do you think would prepare it for you?

I think it’d have to be someone I was deeply suspicious of, so I’d probably get Marco Pierre White to do it. He seems to have majored in turning his name into a brand, on restaurants which aren’t really worthy of our time. It’s a shame because, obviously, he’s a gifted chef and an immense talent, so it seems strange to me that he’d be willing to put his name to so many lacklustre restaurants. One of the great stories to come out of my review of The Classroom was the announcement that Marco Pierre White was opening a restaurant in Cardiff, but I would not be invited!

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Thurs 26 Mar. Tickets: £21. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

BUZZ 19

JAMIE CULLUM Jazz-pop maestro Jamie Cullum has long suffered tedious barbs about his stature, but his latest record Taller reaches new heights. Sophie Williams hears him out.

Jamie Cullum knows that he has always been the butt of a running joke. Standing proudly at around 5’4”, the 40-year-old jazz-pop singer and pianist has been gently teased about his height since childhood. And throughout an illustrious career spanning two decades, tabloids, fans and the like haven’t been particularly shy when discussing his physical stature.

But now, he wants the whole world to know that he has always been in on the gag, too. When it came to beginning work on his eighth studio album, Cullum decided to put it all upfront by naming the LP – you guessed it – Taller. “There is the obvious joke of the album in that it is called Taller,” he explains over the phone. “But there is also a deeper side to it – Taller is so much about this feeling of looking within, introspection. Making Taller helped me to develop a greater sense of emotional maturity as I began to think more about my feelings and ways to open up properly.

I knew that I was trying to grow in some way as a person.”

And grown up he has done. Taller is a confident step forward for an artist once heralded as the revivalist of jazz on a mainstream level, an appellation that came to life via his platinum-selling third album Twentysomething. That record helped him to finish 2003 as the UK’s biggest selling jazz artist of all time. But to Cullum nowadays, the artist behind Twentysomething sounds “quite innocent”, as he sees his former self as “someone that was simply trying to find his own voice.”

The aura of Taller is, in contrast, one of sublime confidence that translates to a musician wholly self-assured with a recent foray into respective avenues of bluesy pop, R&B and soul. “When I hear the music that I am making now, I feel like this is where I want to be,” he says. “I want to be making this music that feels personal, and as a songwriter, I feel like things are improving, which is great! You can always get better, but I am finally happy, really, really happy with where I am. For now, the interest is just in writing songs that move me. When you start to think more about songwriting, you think less about the things that are prominent in the case of jazz – improvisation, focusing on musicianship, et cetera.”

He is quick to theorise that Taller works tirelessly to position him at these musical crossroads, but that doesn’t necessarily mark a departure from his flourishes of big band swing that millions once fell in love with. “As a songwriter, you think more about the lyrics and how they intersect with the music, which is a process that may lead you to other genres. If people have stayed with me for this long, it is because I am still following my own nose.”

Billed as a “love letter” to his wife, author and model Sophie Dahl, it also is on Taller where some of the macro-troubles of Cullum’s world – Brexit, masculinity and anxiety – are refracted through the micro lens of a deeply personal relationship. Across 12 eloquent, expressive and open tracks, he reconsiders the ways in which one can grow via intimacy and closeness, just as marriage can do.

“I think that my relationship has really shaped who I am in many ways. It is a really interesting situation, and that is what this exploration is all about,” he muses. “What did I see once I saw myself reflected back? For me, it feels like when you commit to someone and things go correctly, you can see a much clearer picture of yourself.”

Still growing in all ways but physical, Jamie Cullum in 2020 is an artist renewed and matured. It’s as if he always knew that he would have the last laugh.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Tue 24 Mar. Tickets: £38-£52.50. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk BUZZ 20

C U R

A T

E The Complete Piano Concertos

Where our musicians creativity comes to life Lle daw creadigrwydd ein cerddorion yn fyw

Pavel Kolesnikov | Gábor Takács-Nagy

Stiwdio Seligman | Chapter March April May June

| | | |

Mawrth 2020 Ebrill 2020 Mai 2020 Mehefin 2020

Mawrth 21 & 22 March 2020 Hoddinott Hall | Wales Millennium Centre

Enchant Spiritual Borderlands Endangered Two Nations Tango

LIF DC FE

UST TR

THE RA

26 23 28 25

FO

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7 DE D IN 1

14

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS...

HENNING WEHN Speaking to Sam Pryce, the self-styled German Comedy Ambassador discusses starting out in standup, appearing on Question Time, and his thoughts on – ahem – Brexit.

When Henning Wehn first came to the UK in 2002, it was to work for Wycombe Wanderers Football Club in the marketing department. The story goes that, one night, he was walking past a nearby pub, which was hosting the Laughing Horse Comedy Club – an evening of standup. Not knowing what this word ‘standup’ meant, Henning decided to go in: “I watched it and I thought, ‘Well, I really like the concept of what I’m seeing here, and I wouldn’t mind giving that a bash’.”

And quite a bash he gave it too. After meeting fellow standup Gary Delaney, he was able to build up a network of contacts on the circuit and, after a few years, became a warmup act for the likes of Stewart Lee. Nowadays, with six major standup tours behind him, he’s a regular face on all the panel shows, from Mock The Week to Would I Lie To You?. Was any of this imaginable when he came here all those years ago?

“No, it definitely wasn’t. Living in England? I’m properly chuffed about that, and still haven’t got my head round it. Doing standup comedy? And not even that, but doing it in English? That would’ve been inconceivable, but that’s how life goes, isn’t it?” He’s not too bothered about dwelling on what might’ve been, had he not wandered into that pub that night. “If you could predict the future, nobody would get divorced.”

Listening to Wehn, there’s more than a hint of Cockney in his accent, not to mention all the British colloquialisms he uses freely. “I think to learn a language, you really have to live in a country and just use it,” he tells me. “It’s important to socialise. I played 11-a-side football, went down the pub and what have you. I had no contact with any Germans at all.

I’m not sure there were any Germans anywhere in Buckinghamshire, to be honest.”

Later, having established a presence in comedy, Wehn also made a brief foray into voiceover work, in the hope that companies might like a German accent to sell their products. He didn’t get very far though, when his clients complained he “didn’t sound German enough”. “They were always like, ‘He can’t be German – he doesn’t sound like the Germans from ‘Allo ‘Allo!’”

Political commentary has always been closely related with Henning’s approach, so much so that he appeared as a panellist on BBC’s Question Time last year.

“The hardest thing about that was knowing that it is recorded as live. So, if you say something incredibly stupid, there’s no editor who can save you,” says Wehn.

“Luckily, the political debate in Britain at the moment is fairly predictable, in regard to the subject matter,” he adds, with a cackle.

The way that Question Time puts our politicians on a platform to be criticised seems to me like a very British phenomenon. Henning concurs: “That’s the thing about British debating culture – say, in the House Of Commons with the two sides, just constantly shouting abuse at each other,” he laughs. “In Germany, the parliament is a bit more restrained.”

With the Brexit transition period finally upon us, it seems that Wehn’s latest tour Get On With It! is more relevant than ever. “I named this show in early 2017 – and even then, you knew that [Brexit] would not be resolved by 2020, or 2030 even,” he says. “It’s certainly not time for Was It All Worth It? yet.”

Has it been a challenge, then, updating the show based on events since then? “Yeah, I had to update the name of the Brexit Secretary on a regular basis,” he says. “But I think the basic premise hasn’t changed. Public debate hasn’t really changed over the past three years. I mean, if you look at the election results, it’s still 50/50, as it’s always been. So, it’s like people want some sort of closure, rather than any more squabbling.” Wehn might not be able to break up the fight, but he can certainly get us laughing at ourselves.

Grand Theatre, Swansea, Thurs 26 Mar. Tickets: £22.50. Info: 01792 475715 / www.swanseagrand.co.uk

BUZZ 22

THE RIVERFRONT

THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE NEWPORT

Limited number of £5 TICKET S for 15-25 year ol ds available

Here are some highlights set to entertain and delight theatre lovers in the coming weeks. BOOK NOW!

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MIKE DOYLE: ROCKING WITH LAUGHTER

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BALLET CYMRU 2: MADE IN WALES 31 MARCH

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Bringing the best in music to Swansea

MILKY PEAKS

A FIERCE NEW MUSICAL A fabulous, edgy musical comedy

FRIDAY 17 & SATURDAY 18 APRIL 7.30PM Theatr Clwyd | Áine Flanagan Productions | Seiriol Davies

www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk

THE LAUGHARNE WEEKEND The latest edition of the Laugharne Weekend, an annual arts and culture gettogether in the eponymous west Wales town, has by all accounts had a trickier than normal gestation. Thanks to their funding – which, worst kept secret alert, is the only way for virtually any cultural occurrence in Wales even slightly outside of the mainstream to exist – being removed last year, 2020 could have been the first Laugharne-less year since the festival began in 2007. But nope, it’s battled on and whipped up a typically strong lineup of notable figures from the music, art, comedy, acting and literary worlds, among others.

Indeed those worlds will often cross over, as cultural milieus do. Tracey Thorn, once of Everything But The Girl and latterly a solo musician, will be talking to Radio 4 comedian Robin Ince about “teenage suburbia”. Stephen Morris of New Order will also be doing something spoken word-y, presumably related to his recent autobiography in some way. There are quite a few memoirists set to rock up here, in fact: Amy Rigby, Kate Spicer and pioneering boxer Jane Couch to name three. Other non-fiction peddlers hitting the narrow streets this weekend include crime reporter Duncan Campbell, Pete Brown – a beer writer who’s recently written In Defence Of British Food – and Ned Palmer, whose new volume on British cheese should be a suitable pairing.

Comedy invariably occupies a fair chunk of these bills (why, you might say it puts the “har” into “Laugharne”), and this year we have Susan Murray with her show How Not To Die In A Plane Crash; Luke Wright’s The Remains Of Logan Dankworth; and Twitter collagist Cold War Steve, who isn’t a comedian in the standup sense but will presumably be expected to ‘be funny’. Musically, there’s new British folk hopes Grace Petrie [pictured] and The Trials Of Cato (previewed on the Live Music page), old folk mighty oak Martin Carthy, and Cardiff bands Clwb Fuzz and Panic Shack. Plus festival mascot Keith Allen, performing a role akin to a giant inflatable tube man waving its arms outside a second-hand car dealership.

NOEL GARDNER Various venues, Laugharne, Fri 27-Sun 29 Mar Tickets: £100 (full weekend pass).

Info: www.thelaugharneweekend.com

FISH It may come as a disappointment to some of you that ex-Marillion frontman and Scottish prog maestro Fish, real name Derek William Dick, is bowing out of his music career at the age of 61. When I catch him on the phone, he is in the final stages of recording what will be his final solo album Weltschmerz – a German word meaning “pain of the world”. At around 86 minutes, it’s a mammoth work, albeit not far off standard length for a prog album. He began working on it in 2018, after a two-year songwriting hiatus while he recovered from the death of his father and several physical health problems.

“It’s a grey look at the world at this moment in time,” he says, when I ask about the themes behind this epic concept album. “All you have to do is switch on the news and you feel dirty. It’s not taking a big imperial worldly perspective; it’s looking at normal people.” Each song acts as a kind of short story, dipping into the lives of people dealing with mental health issues, dementia, and grief. “It sounds very dark when you explain it,” he admits. “But the delivery is beautiful and positive.”

On his UK tour, stopping off in Cardiff this month, Fish will perform his 1990 debut solo album Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors in its entirety, alongside some previously unheard tracks from Weltschmerz – which won’t be released until mid2020, exactly 30 years after his first. Despite the low mood of the material, Fish is determined to leave his life in music behind on a high.

“I am so supremely confident that, when we play these songs live, people are going to immediately relate to them – they’re that strong,” he says, with the conviction of Brian Pern. “I want to finish with the best album I’ve ever done, in the same way that when I left Marillion, I thought we did our best album with Clutching At Straws. I want to leave at a high benchmark, rather than like an old soldier, fading away.” SAM PRYCE Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 19 Mar. Tickets: £32.50. Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com

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CARDIFF CAERDYDD

WILL GREGORY MOOG ENSEMBLE AMY DICKSON

5.4.20, 5.00PM bbc.co.uk/now 0800 052 1812

C YNHYRC HIA D C AN OL FAN MI L E N I WM C YMRU A K A IT E O ’R E I LLY A WAL E S MI L L E N N I U M C E N TR E A ND K A IT E O ’ REIL LY P RO D U C TI O N

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wmc.org.uk

Pic: The Other Richard

CABARET Kander and Ebb’s legendary musical Cabaret comes to the Wales Millennium Centre this month, in Rufus Norris’ smash-hit production presented by Bill Kenwright. Set in early 1930s Berlin, the glamour and decadence of the Kit Kat Club provides the backdrop for the travails of would-be writer Clifford Bradshaw, as the decline of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazism simmers away. One of the production’s stars, Anita Harris, first rose to fame in the 1960s as a singer and actress on stage and screen – most notably in two Carry On films. Here, she takes the role of Fräulein Schneider, landlady of the boarding house.

“When the offer came through, I really had to think about it,” Anita tells me.

“I’m finding it a huge challenge but loving every minute of it.” Harris has had plenty of experience in showbusiness, from dancing in Vegas as a young showgirl to recording numbers with Burt Bacharach. In this, however, Anita has found “a different voice for herself,” as she puts it.

“Schneider’s songs are more recitative; they keep within the framework of the story. The richness of the lyrics works better for me in a slightly deeper voice, which is interesting because I’ve been up and down the scales a few times!”

The demanding role of the Emcee – which has had previous iconic portrayals from the likes of Joel Grey and Alan Cumming – is here taken by ex-Eastenders star John Partridge. “We’ve done a couple of things together – his cooking is better than mine!” laughs Anita, who appeared alongside Partridge in Celebrity Masterchef, which he won in 2018. “He’s just phenomenal in this – he’s made the part his own.” Kara Lily Hayworth, whose performance in Cilla The Musical garnered rave reviews, also features as Sally Bowles.

With such a glittering career, it’s a wonder that Harris hasn’t lost that “feeling of excitement” when performing. But what’s her advice to aspiring performers? “I use the word ‘believe’: believing in yourself without being a big time about it… A lot of it is luck, but keep learning, keep training, keep believing – and if it is meant to be, then your day will come.” SAM PRYCE Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 24-Sat 28 Mar. Tickets: £19.50-£47.50. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

20 FILMS | 20 DIRECTORS This anthology of short films targets current sociopolitical issues. Made up of 20 films made by 20 different directors, The Uncertain Kingdom covers topics such as climate change, disability, homelessness and sexuality. Billed as being “for uncertain times”, the films aim to create a portrait of the nation, encourage discussion on how situations are dealt with and offer insight into how each filmmaker views the UK. According to their website, there’s also an aim to screen the films in “local communities” this year, and create conversations about the subjects raised – treat this as a kind of nano-Sundance.

One of the films, Camelot, directed by Alison Hargreaves, is a reimagining of the Welsh legend of King Arthur, filmed from the perspective of a group of boys growing up in the Valleys, highlighting the innocence of youth as a result of their imagination. There’s something endearing about the mentions of The Hulk, John Cena and Stormzy – modern-day heroes all giving it their best shot at pulling the sword from the stone. The film is a gentle reminder to society about the appreciation of the small things in life, with Arthur mentioning that his aims as king will be to have a hamster – well, that and an environmentally-friendly castle.

Some shorts are fantastical tales inspired by our uncertain reality as a nation, like Death Meets Lisolette by Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered), in which a little girl helps the Grim Reaper escape from a barn after her neighbours become immortal.

Meanwhile, Jason Wingard’s Pavement provides a modern parable in which a woman watches a homeless man literally sinking into the pavement. There are politically-charged films, too: Iggy LDN’s Sucka Punch is a rallying cry against social media, while Hope Dickson Leach (best known for The Levelling) delves into who and what makes women angry right now.

Drawing artists working across film, theatre, TV and animation, it allows for a dynamic and diverse cinematic experience. The Chapter screening will also feature a post-film Q&A with some of the creatives behind the films. LYDIA MCGURIN Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Tue 31 Mar. Tickets: £7.90/£6.

Info: www.theuncertainkingdom.co.uk

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

17–19 Ebrill / April 2020 Plant am ddim / Kids go free*

BREABACH

25.02.20 – 8pm

CHRIS WOOD

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14.04.20 – 8pm

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TABEA DEBUS & LAEFER QUARTET

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17.03.20 – 8pm

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Ysbrydoliaeth gardd | Cyngor arbenigol Sgyrsiau a gweithdai | Cyfle unigryw i siopa Hwyl i’r teulu | Cerddoriaeth a bwyd CAPITAL CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA & ENRICO TOMASSO 28.04.20 – 8pm

Garden inspiration | Expert advice Talks and workshops | Unique shopping Family fun | Music and food

Archebwch nawr Book now rhs.org.uk SEAN SHIBE 12.05.20 – 8pm

*Telerau ac Amodau’n berthnasol, ewch ar y wefan i gael manylion.

Terms and Conditions apply, see website for details.

Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig yr RHS 222879 / SC038262 | RHS Registered Charity no. 222879 / SC038262

THE SCRIPT

Irish pop band The Script have a fanbase transcending all ages. Speaking to lead singer Daniel O’Donoghue, I ask him why he thinks that is. “I come from a really old school lyricist’s background: I worked under a guy called Billy Steinberg, where I studied songwriting for a long, long time before any of my music was ever presented to the public,” he says. “For me, the art of songwriting has been down to the fact that it’s all now muscle memory. There’s a way that a song should be written and there’s definitely something in songwriting that is handed down from generation to generation.”

The new album, Sunsets & Full Moons, is The Script getting back to their roots.

It’s as if Danny and the rest of the band had realised this is what the fans wanted after the last album Freedom Child received mixed reviews – so, why the U-turn?

“We made a conscious effort, and it’s good that people are recognising that too, but we’ve always been those kind of melancholic ‘we might be down right now, but you know, we’re still looking up’ people.”

The last album did go down a fairly different path, compared to what loyal Script fans may have been used to – and this is something that Danny is very aware of.

“With Freedom Child, we definitely pulled the elastic band a little further over to the left, and pissed off a lot of people. However, we gained a whole new audience by being experimental and changing the sound a little bit. Instead of looking back to the past, we are embracing who we are.”

What’s evident is that you can’t have any misconceptions about who the band are by this point. As Danny says, “After 12 years, the fucking ticket sales are flying!

The place where I would have put my hat on as far as to what music is meant to be, and what it means to people, it’s really come true. We are just looking after the sound so that everything else will follow.” CARL MARSH Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Tue 10 Mar. Tickets: £27.50-£99.

Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

CLASSICAL PLAYLIST: LIVE This classical music concert with a difference returns for 2020, after last year’s at Brangwyn Hall in Swansea. For this year’s edition, BBC National Orchestra Of Wales take over Cardiff’s recently relocated Depot on Sun 5 Apr, to perform classical pieces from Beethoven to Benjamin Britten across three stages.

Alongside BBC NOW, Will Gregory – one half of synthpop legends Goldfrapp – will make an appearance with his Moog Ensemble, featuring members of Portishead and Florence & The Machine. They will perform electronic reinterpretations of music by the likes of Bach, Satie and Purcell. “We usually perform music arranged or composed by members of the group,” Will tells me. “However, this is an exciting experiment because we’ll be teaming up with members of the orchestra to meld the electronic with the acoustic in what will hopefully be a new sonic world only accessible together, and hitherto unexplored.”

There’s something about the older, analogue synth models that keeps him hooked. “It’s that feeling you get from that gear,” he says. “A richness of sound that comes from the fact that they’re more unstable, less reliable – more raw and untamed. You’re actually listening to electricity being looped, squashed, stretched and filtered.”

So, what can a synthesiser bring out in a classical composition? “There are basic things synths can do beyond conventional instruments: play higher and lower, louder and softer with a much wider range of sonic possibilities,” says Will, who was inspired by Wendy Carlos’ synth renditions of Beethoven and Bach. “I don’t think all classical music suits synths, however. Certain compositions rely on being performed on the instruments they were conceived for. But others, like Bach, seem to come across well on almost any sound palette.”

There’s been a surge recently of orchestral performances of electronic and house music, like the Ibiza Prom. I wonder, though, if this concert-hall validation is necessary. Luckily, Gregory is not as cynical as I am: “If it brings an orchestra to those who might never have encountered that, it can only be good.” SAM PRYCE Classical Playlist: Live, Depot, Cardiff, Sun 5 Apr. Tickets: TBC. Info: 029 2034 1199 / www.depotcardiff.com BUZZ 28

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

ON Magazine

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PMB Presentations Yn Cyflwyno \ Presents

G A REIMAGINCIN K OF THEIR BA CATALOGUEITS& GREATEST H WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2019

MAWRTH 15 MARCH 2020

MOTORPOINT ARENA CARDIFF REWORKED EP1 AND EP2 OUT NOW

SNOWPATROL.COM

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY

Tuesday 24 March 2020

St David’s Hall Cardiff

VIP Tickets also available

by arrangement with CAA

T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E F R O M

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KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN Whether writing for sketch group Gein’s Family Giftshop or hosting her podcast about serial killers, Kiri Pritchard-McLean has never been one to hide her dark sense of humour. Sam Pryce asks the comedian if being Welsh has anything to do with it.

You were raised in the countryside, on a farm in Anglesey. Was this ample preparation for a career in comedy? Is it the secret to your dark sense of humour?

Absolutely – all the best comedians grew up watching their parents pull stuff out of sheep’s fannies. And cows are a great captive audience, if you need to practice some jokes. I do think growing up in the middle of nowhere, seeing nature in all its brutality, has given me an off-kilter sense of what’s dark and what isn’t. I’ll do a joke that I think is fine, and I can see the look on audience’s faces thinking, “Christ, is she alright?” – and I am, I’m just Welsh.

How would you define “Welsh humour”? Do you think that you fit comfortably into that category?

I think Welsh people have a really interesting, unique sense of humour. It’s offbeat – because we think differently – and a good mix of clever and up for filth. I’m not just trying to win the home vote like a Scottish person on X Factor; I genuinely love gigging in Wales.

Your new stand-up show, Empathy Pains, is about understanding people that you struggle to empathise with. How did you begin researching and writing this show?

I think I’ve been interested in it for the last few years, as politically and culturally the gaps seem to be expanding in this country. I think a bit of empathy BUZZ 30

from either side might help stuff, but no-one wants to concede any ground, and trying to empathise is seen as a weakness. I’ve been on and off writing it for years now, which should mean it’s better, but it might mean it’s just impossible to make funny.

Your previous shows have covered issues such as sexism, child grooming, emotional abuse, adoption... how do you find the funny side of typically uncomfortable, dark subjects?

Well, I’m sure there’s plenty of reviews that will assure you that I can’t make them funny. I think, for me, it’s about challenging myself to talk about things I think should be spoken about and then trying to make them funny. People are much more likely to listen to you if you’re being funny and, ultimately, all I want is everyone listening to me.

You’re also known as the writer/director of macabre sketch group Gein’s Family Giftshop.

How does writing sketches and stand-up compare? Do you have a preference?

I love writing stand-up, but I think the most fun I have is writing for Gein’s or Tarot, our new sketch group. Stuff as a team is always more fun, as long as you’re on the same page. If you’re not, it’s just weird and tense – everyone pushing their own agenda, like when you’re all queuing for the baggage carousel after your flight home.

In your podcast All Killa No Filla, you and Rachel Fairburn talk at length about your shared passion: serial killers. What have you learnt about murderers over the course of this show?

I’ve learnt that to be a serial killer there has to be errors of policing and, generally, I think it tells you a lot about the time period they occur in. What type of people can be murdered before people start caring is fascinating; spoiler alert, it’s nearly always women and queer people!

If you were a serial killer, what would be your preferred method of slaying?

I’d go for a slow burner thing, like putting a bit too much salt in people’s food and hoping over decades it contributed towards heart disease.

Do you have a favourite serial killer?

It’s probably worth saying I don’t think these lads – and it is mainly lads – are heroes. I haven’t got a Ted Bundy tattoo or anything. But I’m fascinated by people like H.H. Holmes. He built a whole castle to murder people in – I mean, the dedication to roll it into your home life is something else. I resent the space I give over to sequined outfits in my bedroom, let alone putting a furnace in my basement.

Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 2 Apr. Tickets: £14/£12. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk/cardiff

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

by Keiron Self

A QUIET PLACE PART II ****

Dir: John Krasinski (15, 120 mins) Following the nerve-shredding events of the first film (a surprising and worthy critical and box office smash), the family at the centre of this sci-fi horror return.

The Abbotts live in a world of silence pursued by aliens who react to any noise, a brilliant conceit executed expertly in A Quiet Place under the unlikely but assured direction of The Office’s John Krasinski. Heading away from their farm refuge, the rest of the quiet world unfolds, and it seems as if the aural aliens might not be the only threat. Emily Blunt plays the strong matriarch, Evelyn, overcoming loss as well as caring for a new baby. Millicent Simmonds is her hearing-impaired daughter Regan, whose sign language skills prove a continued godsend, and Noah Jupe is her son Marcus, growing awkwardly into a man. Kicking off seconds after the first film finished, the family leave their homestead and the sandy paths that protected them in search of fellow survivors. They come across Cillian Murphy’s steel mill dwelling Emmett, who may or may not be a friend, and other damaged individuals struggling to exist in a world turned deafeningly quiet. Expect the same tension-fueled scares, hopefully brought to life in a sequel that will continue the classy original rather than be a cash-in. Shhh. Opens Mar 19

BLOODSHOT **

Dir: David S.F. Wilson (12A, 100 mins) Another month, another new superhero film. This comes from a different table than Marvel and DC though, Valiant Comics now having their back catalogues plundered for celluloid. This, however, seems incredibly derivative. Vin Diesel is Jeff Garrison, a soldier killed in action and brought back to life via a shadowy company and some amazing nanotechnology.

He’s now virtually indestructible, with superhuman strength, self-healing powers but his memories are withheld by the company that rebuilt him, RST, headed by Guy Pearce on baddie duties. His memories are manipulated, with false info reloaded to serve the company’s needs, not his own. Diesel is the meaty frontman fighting other enhanced super-soldiers amidst slo-mo CGI and 12A violence to get his revenge as he discovers what really happened to him and the fate of his wife. It’s Robocop meets Wolverine with added Groundhog Day. Opens Mar 13

MISBEHAVIOUR ****

MILITARY WIVES ***

Dir: Peter Cattaneo (12A, 112 mins) A formulaic feelgood drama that panders to the heartstrings, anchored by two fantastic actors. Director Peter Cattaneo brought us The Full Monty and here retreads similar territory, although instead of stripping miners we have military wives. Based loosely on the true story of a group of women on a military base who found solace in singing whilst their husbands waged war abroad, and gained chart-topping success, this adds some friction to the mix. Kristin Scott Thomas plays stiff-upper-lip Kate, who has lost her son in battle while her husband is embroiled in the Afghanistan conflict. She, along with the other soldiers’ wives, wait for news of safe returns or tragedy for their loved ones. She chairs the social committee, bringing her up against Sharon Horgan’s less traditional Lisa, who thinks the women need strippers rather than boring social gatherings. They ultimately decide on a choir to bring all the wives together and the disparate group gradually coalesce and become passable harmonisers and friends. It inevitably leads to an opportunity to sing at a Festival Of Remembrance with predictable, shamefully manipulative results. For all the relentlessly ticked emotional boxes, the warmth is evident and inescapable. Do-re-mi. Opens Mar 6

Dir: Philippa Lowthorpe (12A, 106 mins) Set around the 1970 Miss World competition, this comedy drama gives several perspectives to that cheesiest of events, the beauty pageant. Keira Knightley and Jessie Buckley play Sally Alexander and Jo Robinson, members of the Women’s Liberation Movement – who disrupt the event, hurling flour at host Bob Hope, slimily played by Greg Kinnear with Lesley Manville as his wife Dolores. Contestants Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Pearl Jansen (Loreece Harrison) hail from Grenada and South Africa respectively, representing black women in an event watched by 100 million people worldwide.

Rhys Ifans and Keeley Hawes play the Morleys, who run the event with flair and attitude: swimsuits are important. Writers Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe, along with director Lowthorpe, manage to balance gender and race politics with winning humour and intelligent point-scoring. Opens Mar 13

MY SPY **

Dir: Peter Segal (12A, 102 mins) Like Arnie (Kindergarten Cop), Vin Diesel (The Pacifier) and most recently John Cena (Playing With Fire), hardened fighter Dave Bautista attempts to soften his image with a family comedy involving precocious kids. Bautista is a CIA agent, recently demoted and his new assignment is undercover, keeping a family under surveillance with new partner Bobbi, the winningly quirky Kristen Schaal. Nineyear-old daughter Sophie (a sassy Chloe Coleman) soon rumbles them and, in exchange for not blowing their cover, she gets Bautista to train her to be a spy.

Life lessons ensue, Sophie gets more street-smart and Bautista shows his emotions and grows to like her, before an action-packed denouement. Bautista has comic chops and helps move moments along, as does a Ken Jeong cameo, but the script is full of well-worn clichés and the whiff of earlier failed musclemen family comedies is heady. Opens Mar 13

ALSO RELEASED MARCH 2020 RADIOACTIVE (12A) Marie Curie biopic starring Rosamund Pike as the pioneering scientist, balancing love with breakthroughs. ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA (15) Apartheid-set true-life drama as political prisoners Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber and Ian Hart mount an escape. Quite gripping. SULPHUR AND WHITE (15) A devastating true tale of coming to terms with childhood abuse boasting fantastic performances from Mark Stanley and Emily Beecham. TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM (12A) Documentary about the superb, groundbreaking writer and the impact she had on the cultural landscape. FANTASY ISLAND (12A) ‘The plane! The plane!!’ AND THEN WE DANCED BUZZ 32

MULAN ***

Dir: Niki Caro (12A, 120 mins) Another remake from the Disney back catalogue. Thankfully, this isn’t a shot-forshot CGI folly (like the immensely successful yet pointless The Lion King), but a reworking of the 1998 cartoon into a live-action epic. Disney seems to have taken the basis of the original Mulan story to create a martial arts extravaganza. Liu Yifei plays Mulan, a young woman who joins the Imperial army pretending to be a male warrior to save her ageing, infirm father from fighting, after the Emperor calls up all able-bodied men to war against a dynastic threat. Mulan is whipped into shape, the only woman warrior, ready to do battle against Gong Li’s evil sorceress and the dastardly Northern generals, led by Jason Scott Lee. Donnie Yen is on commanding duties putting the raw recruit through her paces, whilst another martial arts legend Jet Li plays the Emperor. Kiwi director Niki Caro is at the helm, bringing the sensibilities behind her excellent Whale Rider to the fore and hopefully adding dimension to the Crouching Tiger action. Whether there will be a CGI dragon version of Eddie Murphy’s Mushu and the occasional power ballad is open to question, but hopefully the female empowerment message will be front-and-centre amidst some well-choreographed mayhem. Opens Mar 27

THE PAINTED BIRD ****

Dir: Václav Marhoul (18, 169 mins) Václav Marhoul’s monochrome epic has caused mass walkouts thanks to its unflinching brutality, but remains incredibly powerful. Based on Jerzy Koziński’s 1965 novel, this follows a nameless Jewish boy played with incredible resilience by Petr Kotlár as he drifts through the Second World War. Filmed over several years, Kotlár ages as his journey continues and the boy meets several people along the way – Udo Kier’s abusive miller, Stellan Skarsgård’s stoic and kindly German soldier, Julian Sands’ paedophile farmer, Harvey Keitel’s misguided priest, and Barry Pepper’s American sniper. The Painted Bird itself is a starling daubed with white paint, ripped apart by its flock when mistaken for an enemy – a fairly soft-core act compared to the unfettered excesses of violence.

Writer/director Marhoul piles on his despair at humanity in beautiful compositions; a film to endure and admire, rather than enjoy. Opens Mar 27

THE PHOTOGRAPH ***

ONWARD ****

Dir: Dan Scanlon (PG, 100 mins) A comedy action road movie set in a fantasy world where magic has been forgotten, this new Pixar film looks set to have heart as well as laughs. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt voice teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot living in a fantasy world, The Realm, where magic has been replaced by technology.

Their father died before they knew him, but with the aid of a wizard’s staff they have the ability to see him one more time for one day. The spell casting doesn’t go well, however, and they only manage to conjure back half of him (the bottom half), so the race is on to get enough sorcery to see the rest of him before their 24-hour window ends. A road trip ensues, peopled with mystical creatures given a grungy spin: unicorns that spit and go through bins like alley cats; a fearsome Manticore who now mostly waits tables, voiced by Octavia Spencer; and centaur police officers who are sticklers for rules. Naturally there’s curse involved too, into which the bantering elf brothers stumble. A fresh, original film from Pixar that is thankfully not a sequel, this could have the heart of Up and Inside Out and the slapstick comedy of Monsters Inc. Opens Mar 6

Dir: Stella Meghie (12A, 106 mins) Warmhearted romance with a likeable central pair of lovers in Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. When famous photographer Cristina Eames (Chante Adams) dies, she leaves in her wake an estranged, angry daughter (played by Rae) and a series of questions about her own past and romantic life. The discovery of a photograph, hidden away by Cristina, sets her daughter off on a journey to discover more about her mother’s own romantic history and makes her question her own fear of commitment and ability to love. Stanfield is the rising journalist Michael Block for whom she falls; there’s great chemistry between the pair as they flirt and question their relationship: she’s afraid of commitment; he’s keen to be more a part of her life. Strong comic relief comes in the shape of Get Out’s Lil Rel Howery as Stanfield’s sarcastic friend, and it’s affably entertaining and slushy for any late Valentines. Opens Mar 6

VIVARIUM ****

Dir: Lorcan Finnegan (15, 97 mins) This dark drama feels like an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone, with Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots’ married couple, Tom and Gemma, touring a sprawling housing project, Yonder. The houses are uniform, painted a sickly green; Jonathan Aris is the android-like estate agent showing them around, and the couple decide this is not for them and try to leave – except they can’t. Yonder’s roads stretch endlessly in an infinite loop. They are trapped, confined to a suburban lifestyle. Things become even more complicated when a baby arrives in a box, with the promise that, once they’ve raised it, they can leave Yonder. Whilst satirising cookie-cutter suburban dwelling, gender roles are also examined as the couple struggle to define themselves, asking lots of questions about how life ought to be lived.

Fascinating, engrossing and disturbing, this is sci-fi with a bite. Opens Mar 27

(15) Romantic dance drama set in Tbilisi. BACURAU (18) An off-kilter Brazilian arthouse action film that is rather good. CALM WITH HORSES (15) Irish crime family drama starring Barry Keoghan. gritty. DOGS DON’T WEAR PANTS (18) Dominatrix dark comedy about an emotional, stunted man addicted to being suffocated. From Finland. Obvs. PETER RABBIT 2 (PG) Noooooooooooo!!!! Beatrix Potter spins in her grave once more. SYSTEM CRASHER (15) German drama as an out-of-control nine-year-old causes havoc in her family. Angry and funny. THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (15) A female doctor runs for political office in Saudi Arabia, much against the wishes of all around her, in this stirring, timely drama.

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ANNA FALCINI: IN BETWEEN THE FOLDS ARE PARTICLES Aberystwyth Arts Centre Mon 16 Mar-Mon 11 May This is an opportunity to experience a modern take on the work of distinguished Welsh artist Gwen John, known for her self-portraits, paintings of quiet domestic interiors and of other women. Visual artist Anna Falcini was influenced by archival material, letters and diary entries from the National Library of Wales. In her artwork, she incorporates various mediums – film, sound, text and photography – to draw together her own contemporary responses to John’s life and art, with a century between their lives.

At the centre of this exhibition is a 32-minute film entitled Chère Julie, in which Falcini traces John’s footsteps across the most significant places of her life: Paris, Meudon, Dieppe and Tenby. Born in 1876 in Haverfordwest, John moved to Paris in 1903, where she began a decade-long affair with sculptor Auguste Rodin, best known for The Thinker.

Though the film is initially an attempt to delve into John’s ‘interior’ life, it becomes an exploration of “the slippery nature” of seeking out half-forgotten pasts, and how Falcini’s pursuit reveals as much about herself as it does about John.

Admission: free. Info: 01970 621903 / www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk (LM) BUZZ 34

© The National Gallery, London

art

MARK FOLDS: CRISES

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Until Sat 18 Apr Personal experience causes the word ‘crisis’ to mean different things to different people, yet when faced with a crisis, human nature rules that, at the very least, we must all react and respond. In this exhibition, Mark Folds uses a wide range of media including sculpture, performance, text and video to conduct an in-depth study of the word ‘crisis’.

From global and personal crises, Folds, who graduated from Wimbledon School of Art in 1986 ,explores issues of identity and place, encouraging his audience to consider the situations he presents from alternative perspectives.

As part of the exhibition, Folds is interested in studying the audience’s responses and reactions to the crisis presented in his work. Inspired by this, he intends to create further site-specific artworks inside and outside Elysium Gallery during the exhibition period.

He’s also been working in collaboration with clients from homeless charity Crisis Swansea, creating sculptural installations for Gallery Two using wood and other materials connected with the notion of ‘home’. In Gallery Three, Elysium show images and sculpture by Swansea-based Bourdon Brindille.

Admission: free. Info: 07980 925449 / www.elysiumgallery.com (NGr)

WORK TO BE DONE

Ffotogallery, Cardiff Until Sat 4 Apr This exhibition of pointedly post-Brexit photography looks at the consequences of such structural change for European work environments. Curated by Johanna Havimäki and Tuula Alajoki, known together as Whack ‘n’ Bite, it will feature work from five Nordic artists, challenging gender stereotypes and exploring the shifting relationship between work and home.

Freelance photojournalist Johan Bävman is based in Sweden. His recent project Swedish Dads aims to illustrate his country’s unique parental policy and encourage other fathers to take a more active role in the lives of their young children. Dublinbased Beta Bajgart’s previous credits includes the two-year project A Woman’s Work, a collaborative programme led by Ffotogallery which illustrated the changing face of women and work by telling the stories of 60 women who have chosen to pursue predominantly male career paths. In 2017, the photography book of A Woman’s Work was launched in Dublin Castle, raising money for Women For Election, a women’s rehabilitation centre in Tiglin and for The Shona Project.

Latvian video installation artist Katrina Neiburga is known for 2003’s Traffic, which balanced documentality and fiction as she collected the stories of taxi passengers in a contributor-oriented project. Mikko Suutarinen is a Finnish photographer, mainly working in documentary photography, who dips into the lives of female truck drivers in his Truckers [pictured]. The fifth and final artist is cinematographer Neila Nuora, whose Midwife follows Mikko Tarvonen as, in the titular role, he delivers children into the world.

The work of these acclaimed artists can be seen at Ffotogallery, as part of the venue’s commitment to fostering European partnerships. They attempt to map society’s attitudes to work and the gender-coded territories that it involves, as well as the impact upon family life. ELLIE HUTCHINGS Admission: free. Info: 029 2034 1667 / www.ffotogallery.org

PETER PRENDERGAST

Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff Wed 11 Mar-Thurs 2 Apr Martin Tinney Gallery, in St Andrew’s Crescent near Cathays, shows a selection of paintings and drawings by Abertridwr-born artist Peter Prendergast (1946-2007) this month. Prendergast is something of a household name, known for his bold, abstract expressionist paintings inspired by his home surroundings in Snowdonia. He was fiercely proud of his Welsh heritage and, in the art world, is noted as a leading post-war landscape painter due to the spirit and dynamism of his work – and how the appeal of his pictures stretches much further afield.

Born to an Irish Catholic coalmining father and a Cardiff-born mother, Prendergast trained at Cardiff College Of Art and the Slade School Of Fine Art, where he was tutored and mentored by figurative and expressionist painter Frank Auerbach, as well as studying under Francis Bacon, Sir William Coldstream and Jeffrey Camp. He moved to Bethesda in north Wales in 1969 with his wife, teaching art part-time to pay his way. Today, his work is exhibited in many public and private collections, including the Tate Gallery and National Museum Wales. This exhibition will consist of 25 selected paintings and drawings, all of which are for sale.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2064 1411 / www.artwales.com (RHu)

STANDING STILL

Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay Sat 14 Mar-Sun 10 May Drawing together three artists who share a similar interest in nature, Standing Still looks at the environment through various artistic mediums.

Nick Davies, Sasha Kingston and Jayne Walker have all found creative inspiration in the landscapes of south and west Wales, examining the rocky contours and surfaces of the Welsh coastline.

Davies, based in Llantwit Major, uses the “micro world of nature” in order to inspire his artwork. After studying at the University Of South Wales, he found an interest in creating art using embossed printmaking, photography and semisculptural techniques. Kingston studied at the Royal College Of Art and uses a range of techniques from printing and stitching to paperwork, often inspired by the structure of plant life and maps.

Using Crystacal plaster, Walker creates three-dimensional sculptures inspired by the various effects of erosion on the landscape, also utilising pencil drawings to further emphasise textures like water and sand.

Alongside the exhibition, there are opportunities to get involved with a programme of workshops which will explore ideas, materials and the artistic process.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 4611 / www.makersguildinwales.org.uk (LM)

stage

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

New Theatre, Cardiff Tue 10-Sat 14 Mar The return of the mysterious Inspector Goole to the stage follows a sell-out London season and American tour.

Set shortly before World War I, the play follows Arthur Birling, his wife Sybil, their daughter Sheila and son Eric. The inspector of the title calls at the Birling household during a family dinner celebrating Sheila’s engagement, his enquiry concerning the death of a young woman. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that each member has one or two skeletons in the closet – which, alongside the inspector’s revelations, promises to leave the audience challenging their own consciences.

First opening at the National Theatre in 1992, Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of the classic thriller is the longestrunning revival of a play in history – a radical version of J.B. Priestley’s 1945 novel, seen by more than four million people worldwide. Previously, the production received Olivier Awards for Best Director, Best Revival and Best Designer (the latter for Ian MacNeil’s innovative set), as well as two Evening Standard Awards. An Inspector Calls is on a UK tour until May 2020, so theatregoers have plenty of opportunity to see how this revival holds up.

Tickets: £13-£33.50. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk (EH) BUZZ 36

SPRING FRINGE 2020

The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff Tue 3 Mar-Sat 4 Apr We can always count on The Other Room to give us cutting-edge, new theatre. For their Spring Fringe, they’re presenting themes of history, national identity, body image, sex, sexual abuse, communication (or lack of) and loads more over the last four plays of the season.

Back To Berlin (Tue 3-Fri 6 Mar) is the debut production by Cardiff-based CB4 Theatre. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was a momentous occurrence – and if you were lucky enough to be there, what a groundbreaking party it was. Before that, for 30 years, Berliners on the wrong side didn’t have much to celebrate.

Luke Seidel-Hass tells the true story of Bernhard and his trip back to his former heimat. Katie Greenall’s first piece of theatre work came about because she was exasperated at the dearth of representations of bodies and stories like hers. The result was Fatty Fat Fat [pictured] (Thurs 12 + Fri 13), an autobiographical exploration of what it is to be fat and the angst that comes with it. Why do people, who wouldn’t even think of mocking a disabled person or shouting racist remarks, think it’s OK to disparage and disrespect a large person?

Sexy Lamp (Thurs 26-Sat 28), created and performed by Katie Arnstein, is a post-#MeToo testament to the sexism, prejudice and abuse of power in the acting industry. The production was inspired by the ‘Sexy Lamp’ test, which calls out films where a female character can be substituted with a sexy lamp without any plot change. Arnstein says the show is semi-autobiographical and tells of her arrival in London as a 21-year-old looking for work, combining comedy and music.

Why are we still so bad at talking about sex? That’s one of the questions that Harry Clayton-Wright’s Sex Education (Tue 31 Mar-Sat 4 Apr) asks. It explores how we learn about sex and how it shapes our lives. His mum wouldn’t discuss sex with teenage Harry; dad bought him gay porn DVDs. Clayton-Wright says he’s banned his family from seeing this show. I wonder why! RHONDA LEE REALI Tickets: £10. Info: 0333 6663366 / www.otherroomtheatre.com

BLUE STOCKINGS

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Tue 17-Sat 21 Mar Everyman Theatre Company will be returning to Chapter once again this month, with the play Blue Stockings

by Jessica Swale. It follows the Cardiff company’s last production of Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector with a similarly political significance.

An insight into women’s equality in Victorian Britain, it follows four women who arrive at Girton College in Cambridge in 1896, and how the story of their fight for education unfolds.

Although not formally educated, they are a match for their male equivalents.

The play offers an intimate portrait of these women, who must deal with the implications of their choice to be educated. This is perceived as ‘unladylike’ and ‘unnatural’ as opposed to following their typical choices of staying at home to raise a family. These revolutionary women were referred to negatively as ‘bluestockings’.

Despite proving themselves worthy of their degrees, there is still question of whether the women should receive their degrees or not. The college grants a vote of the University alumni as to whether these women should receive their degrees, facing them with uncertainty and careers hanging in the balance.

Tickets: £14/£12. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org (EE)

MADAME OVARY

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Thurs 5 Mar Written and performed by Rosa Hesmondhalgh, whose auntie you may know as Corrie’s Hayley Cropper, Madame Ovary combines humour with intense sadness in a brave, real-life tale of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 23. Seeking to raise awareness of this strain of cancer in young women, Hesmondhalgh shares her own personal story of symptom diagnosis, hospital admissions, treatments, near-death experiences and recovery uses text projection, poetry and dance.

Inspired by a blog written throughout Hesmondhalgh’s cancer, the show takes the form of a monologue, which begins in January 2018. Like many others her age, she’s writing her New Year’s resolutions: do yoga, create art and stop dating idiots. But a bloated belly has been bothering her for a while, and she cancels a second date for a day of medical tests. Her typically millennial worries are obliterated when faced with the Big C. Her resolutions are replaced by a single, all-important one: survive the year. This poignant, funny one-woman play explores the struggle of being confronted with your own mortality when your life has barely begun.

Tickets: £8-£16. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk (NGr)

CHWARAE

Various venues across Wales Sun 1-Sat 21 Mar Chwarae is an interactive Welshlanguage play for children aged 4 and up, presented by Theatr Iolo and touring venues in Cardiff, Milford Haven, Barry, Porthcawl, Mold, Newport, Aberystwyth, Pwllheli and Bangor. Written by Elgan Rhys, known for his work in Welsh-language theatre, this play aims to help children make sense of the world around them, as well as their place in it. With live music, a friendly atmosphere and comfy cushions scattered across the floor, the show invites children into the denlike theatre where they are given the opportunity to interact with the cast, be silly, and most importantly, to play.

In partnership with Pontio and inspired by workshops with families from north Wales, Chwarae follows the story of a young boy who loves to play.

One day whilst playing, the boy loses his mum and gets lost in his own makebelieve world. Without warning, he finds himself alone in an adult world, with no one around to tell him what to do!

The interactive and individual nature of Chwarae explores how play has a role in helping children and their families through life.

Tickets: £4.50-£12.

Info: www.theatriolo.com (NGr)

K U .

O C .

S E L A

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

Tramshed, Cardiff Sat 28 Mar Past, present, and future – it’s rare you hear all three in one album, never mind a live show. However, this is exactly what to expect from 808 State’s upcoming tour, which reaches Cardiff this month, following the release of their first studio album in 17 years. Transmission Suite, recorded at Manchester’s Old Granada Studios, captures a vast timeline of electronic dance music, and echoes the city’s cultural and geographic past.

“The building had an impact on the project and almost became a character in itself,” explains Graham Massey. “It’s in an interesting area of Manchester that has a lot of heavy history to it.” The surroundings of the former TV broadcasting studio encompass ancient Roman ruins, a civil war burial pit, the world’s first railway station and the earliest computer model. These darker edges of the city’s heritage filter into the dystopian, industrial soundscape of Transmission Suite.

However, 808 State never shy away from innovation, embracing new generations of music technology. “We both have sons who are producing music,” says Andrew Barker. “They have a big influence on what we do and supported our last tour – we’re thinking about having them back for this one.”

Recent developments in underground dance music are heard in several tracks taken from the album. “A lot of innovation comes from rhythm,” explains Massey.

“People say The Ludwig Question has a footwork sound, and it’s the change in rhythm that creates such a noticeable shift in style.”

While it may be nearly two decades since their last studio album, the pair haven’t stopped. Taking their live show across the world, they’ve captured influences from their travels in tracks like Tokyo Tokyo. 808 State’s ever-evolving sound channels the energy and artistry of their improvised live sets. As Barker describes: “We take an army of lasers out with us, it’s a very visual performance. We’re not just two guys with their heads stuck in their laptops.” FRANCESCA GARDNER Tickets: £22. Info: 029 2023 5555 / tramshedcardiff.com

Pic: George Nebieridze

Pic: Gavin Perry

clubs

808 STATE

BITCH, PLEASE!

Kongs, Cardiff Sat 28 Mar Imagine an LGBT+ clubbing scene with enough variety, and enough promotional pulling power, to entice good and noteworthy DJs – ones who honour the history of gay nightlife, and push it forward as well – to come and soundtrack it. Surely a ridiculous, impossible dream! Well not quite, some other places have it together, but unfortunately they’re not in the area this magazine covers. However, a glittery glimpse of what could be is on offer in Cardiff this month, courtesy of Bitch, Please! – a Bristol collective who have become a byword for inclusive club nights with myriad kings and queens of house, techno and disco tearing up the booth.

Debuting in 2016, with the first party under their own steam being graced by Honey Dijon and Spencer Parker, BP have since been at the heart of every Bristol Pride, packed out the cavernous Motion venue with regularity and taken their wagon to Glastonbury, Boomtown, Brighton and Cardiff (twice). For this party, DJs will include a few Welsh stalwarts: Kofi Tarris, Clare James and Butch Queen, harking back to the Backroom raves of the early 2010s.

ZenZero [pictured] and Rob Walker complete what should be a riotous bill.

Tickets: £5-£10. Info: 029 2064 4114 / www.kongsbars.com (NG) BUZZ 38

CALL SUPER

Haŵs @ Jacob’s Market, Cardiff Fri 6 Mar “Expect nothing short of ecstasy,” promise Cardiff rave promoters Haŵs, who this month have booked transiently experimental UK DJ Call Super. Currently one of the hottest names in the left field of the techno scene, a Call Super set is known for trance-like transitions and imaginative conceptions, earning him a spot in the erstwhile Fabric mix CD series in 2017 plus a Radio 1 Essential Mix a year prior.

London-born Joe Seaton adopted the pseudonym Call Super for a discography which shows his amorphous versatility, shifting from the hard centre of techno to softer hints of jazz and adding layers of thoughtful tenderness to his most recent album, 2017’s Arpo.

Even his tour dates are eclectic: he’ll be stepping into Jacob’s basement on 6 Mar (supported by Tywi and Pi-Singer) and performing in Italy the next day.

Previous dates headlining Barcelona’s Sonar festival in 2018, or frequent slots at Panorama Bar in his current home of Berlin, hint at the electric excitement of his sets, his carefully honed craft taking him anywhere.

Tickets: £16/£15. Info: management@ hawsmusic.com (RM)

KANINE & INDIKA

Bassline @ Sin City, Swansea Fri 6 Mar Of the three nights Swansea drum’n’bass pushers Bassline have at this venue in the space of just under a month, a busy schedule even for them, this double-headliner affair looks the most interesting. Londoner Kanine was last at Sin City in February 2019, with DJ Guv, since when he’s slung out new tracks at a prolific rate. With some coming via the more esteemed labels of the contemporary d’n’b scene, like Playaz and Shogun, it’s not surprising that heads have latched onto his dirty, oft-eclectic style. Guest spots from Killa P and P Money, grime MCs from the old(er) skool, sit alongside collaborations with genre peers including Friction and Annix.

Indika [pictured], from Manchester, is another DJ who had a gamechanging 2019. Building a decent rep in her home city, a big break came when Chase & Status picked her to play an album launch party in London. At the time of writing she’s yet to release any of her own productions, but her DJ style – upbeat and fun, but with plenty of weird, techy twists and classic junglisms – has proved more than enough so far.

Tickets: from £10. Info: 01792 468892 / www.sincityclub.co.uk (NG)

STERLING MOSS

Carpe Noctem @ Inkspot, Cardiff Fri 3 Apr A roster of pounding, blasting, nasty, balls-to-the-wall acid techno artists, something crossed between Jez and Hans’ Big Beat Manifesto and someone putting up shelves next door.

The waveforms of these tracks are ridiculous: big brick walls, or the blocky uniform skyline of some ex-Soviet city, looming office high-rises of incessant clattering kicks, squelchy acid bass, and raucous noise that drop off suddenly when the kicks cut out. Then the bassline loops and everyone grabs a gasp of air before the kicks engulf them and it all begins again. It’s all-intense, all the time and there’s very little letup.

Sterling Moss is the headliner: a veteran of the style to the degree that Roland have been on his case to program one of their new 909s, and boasts driving this frenetic, ear-splitting style in the honour of the 303 and 909 lines across the dancefloors of the world. The S.U.S.S. Twins are very much in the same vein, Swansea-raised lads that were going to free parties while their peers still collected Yu-Gi-Oh cards and were playing them by the age of 16 (the gigs, not the cards). Other acts on the bill tonight include Madame Twisted, Miss Mayhem, and Zeno.

Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2049 0254 / www. inkspotartsandcrafts.com (JM)

TRAMSHED LISTINGS

UPCOMING SHOWS MARCH 01

MARCH

HOWLIO: COMEDI CYMRAEG GYDA

MAR STEFFAN ALUN A

20

PALACE

01

HOWL ST DAVID’S DAY COMEDY NIGHT MAR FEAT ROBIN MORGAN + SUPPORT

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JONAS BLUE SOLD OUT

07

THE SHERLOCKS MAR + AL MOSES

12

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13

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MAR

14

22

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MAR

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LOVELY LAURA

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M HUNCHO

28

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30

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THE FRATELLIS

APR

LLOYD COLE

21

06

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CLUB MAR TROPICANA: WHAM! SPECIAL

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SON OF DAVE

13

THE DOORS ALIVE

25

THEE HYPNOTICS

26

PETE & BAS

27

ULTIMATE FLOYD

28

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MAR MAR MAR BEYOND:

BRASIL E ALÉM

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BALLS DEEP

MARTIN KEMP:

APR THE ULTIMATE BACK TO THE 80’S DJ SET

25

SET IT OFF

STEELHOUSE

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02

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ROXY MAGIC

07

TOM CLARKE

APR + POIZON APR

THE SHOWHAWK MAY DUO

20

MAY

THE GOLDHAWKS

11

MARTIN TURNER

12

THE BON JOVI

13

THE NIGHT CAFE

APR (EX WISHBONE ASH)

21

NO FUTURE

MAY FESTIVAL

DE LA SOUL

MAY

MARK LANEGAN

22

APR EXPERIENCE

TOOTS & THE

MAY MAYTALS: 2020

MAY

THE LAST TOUR

14 AN AUDIENCE 24 ANDY AND THE MAY WITH: LIVERPOOL MAY ODD SOCKS LEGENDS JO WHILEY’S

MAY 90S ANTHEMS

HIRE OUT OUR BOUTIQUE CINEMA SPACE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES Email: ryan@tramshedcardiff.com

TRAMSHEDCARDIFF.COM 029 2023 5555 TRAMSHED, CLARE RD, CARDIFF, CF11 6QP

NOVANA

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MAY 02

THE PETE WHYLIE

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THE HANDSOME

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THE SNUTS

MAY SHOW

MAY BEE GEES

MAY FAMILY SHOWING ALL WALES MATCHES

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APR

THUNDER

GREATEST HITS

PINEGROVE

16 SPACE - MUSIC FOR APR PLEASURE, MUSIC FOR PAIN TOUR

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MAR (LIVE)

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UPCOMING SHOWS

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MAY MAY + SUN I TARAFI

+ SHANTZ

GLOBECARDIFFMUSIC.COM 125 ALBANY RD, CARDIFF, SOUTH GLAMORGAN, CF24 3NS

live

ISLET

Pic: Ian Davies

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Sat 7 Mar “This album belongs very definitely to this place,” says Islet’s Emma Daman Thomas. The group’s new album Eyelet was recorded entirely within the home she shares with husband and bandmate Mark and their two children, huddled among the moody slopes of the Black Mountains. “The photos on the sleeve are of hills I see every day – I only slightly exaggerated their innate Postman Pat nature.”

Islet have been as Welsh a staple as those mountains within the local scene for several years, last playing Clwb Ifor Bach last May during the Psych & Noise Fest and returning again this March – this time launching their first release in four years. Floaty, chirpy, sometimes groovy psych-pop may not be what you associate with the Beacons – even less so than with lyrics that dart between the right to abort, hedging planting, the newborn in the house, and decrying white supremacy.

The connection made, however, is quite profound, as inspired by the Raymond Williams novel People Of The Black Mountains.

“In these times of fragmentation, division and suspicion I find it comforting to think of how many human eyes of all kinds have looked out across the same hills. It’s a welcome reminder of the insignificance of the tiny blip of time that is currently ours,” Emma explains. The striking backdrop and the significance of all who have dwelt within it are only part of the appeal, however: “Commuting time is short when you’re recording in your own house. We can make as much noise as we like, the volume of farm machinery makes our rocking out puny by comparison.”

Final member of the trio Alex Williams stayed as houseguest for the months of writing. “The recording was a fairly intense period of time, but I like the house being full of people coming and going, babysitting, recording, cooking,” says Emma on the subject of downtime. “Writing is the downtime! Sort of. Having the time constraints of small children certainly sharpens the mind, there’s little time to procrastinate so you do have to get on with it.” JASON MACHLAB Tickets: £13. Info: 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net

AMADOU DIAGNE & CORY SEZNEC

Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire Wed 25 Mar The Senegalese Amadou Diagne [pictured] is a singer-songwriter, percussionist, guitarist and griot – from the latter tradition, this intending to distribute stories through the medium of music. Songs of his like Senegal and Africa Stop War help reflect his political intentions, encouraging a focus on the conflicts within Africa. A former percussionist for the Senegalese National Band; Diagne has made waves in the music scene of Dakar, Senegal’s culturally bustling capital.

Diagne’s music incorporates much of its style from Senegal, mixing acoustic guitar and soft drumming in order to create a rhythmic beat. After winning a Battle Of The Bands contest hosted by the World Music Network, he got some recognition in the UK, too, and is now signed with Waulk Records.

Cory Seznec, a French-American guitarist and banjo player, developed his interest in African musical styles in the course of researching fingerstyle playing techniques; his style altered to become more polyrhythmic as he moved away from typical musical approaches, and became yet more cosmopolitan after moving to Ethiopia for a few years.

Tickets: £12. Info: burnettshill.co.uk (LJM) BUZZ 40

LLOYD COLE

Tramshed, Cardiff Sat 4 Apr With a tour title of From Rattlesnakes To Guesswork, Lloyd Cole walks the fine line of an artist of restless creativity whose biggest release was 26 years ago.

Rattlesnakes’ bookends, Perfect Skin and Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken, are musts in any Cole setlist.

The last time I saw Cole was in Clwb Ifor Bach, over 20 years ago. Back then his fans were frighteningly precious over their 80s idol and strict silence was maintained throughout the performance.

I wonder if the Tramshed crowd will be as quiet through the electronic wanderings of latest release Guesswork.

After a return to rockier form with 2013’s crowdfunded and well received Standards, Cole’s first collection of new material since is a little harder to engage with. Guesswork has some lovely moments. Remains slides lazily around the speakers while When I Came Down From The Mountain sounds like someone turned the tempo up on a Leonard Cohen backing track, in a good way.

So it will be interesting to hear how Cole approaches this material live and how he’ll make the concept of a careerspanning setlist work with such varied material. But don’t forget, keep it quiet at the back...

Tickets: £26. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshed.com (JPD)

THE TRIALS OF CATO

The Gate, Cardiff, Sat 21 Mar; Abersytwyth Arts Centre, Wed 1 Apr The Trials Of Cato’s name has overtones of ancient Rome, although the band took it from their former dig-sharing landlord who didn’t care for their music. They formed in Beirut while working as English teachers in 2015 and earned high marks in Lebanon.

The trio of William Addison (Irish bouzouki, accordion, percussion, vocals), Robin Jones (mandolin, tenor banjo, vocals) and Tomos Williams (guitars, backing vocals) came back home to Britain and toured. A 2017 self-titled EP was followed a year later by debut album Hide And Hair, which won Best Album at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Jones and Williams both hail from Wrexham, Addison from Leeds, and while they honour traditional folk music, they don’t follow that genre to the letter – they update, modernise and can rock out. Gloria, an original tune about a 16-year-old miner who follows his heart with a surprise metamorphosis, is a story that is current while also something people have been doing for ages. The Trials of Cato get an A plus – excellent.

Tickets: £13.50. Info: 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk (Cardiff); 01970 623232 / aberystwythartscentre.co.uk (RLR)

XHOSA COLE

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff Fri 13 Mar Every Friday evening, the Royal Welsh College showcases two of Wales’ most exciting jazz bands, which has proven to be both a great opportunity for young musicians to perform, and for members of the public to catch a glimpse of what the future of the genre may sound like.

The latter is exactly what this AmserJazzTime special with Xhosa Cole promises to deliver. The winner of the BBC Young Jazz Musician competition in 2018, whose saxophone performance was acclaimed at the time as “heartfelt, sincere and communicative,” Cole’s success has been heralded as a product of Birmingham’s numerous community arts programs, including its Music Service, from which he received free tuition and instruments.

Hailing from Handsworth, his name is rightfully now the latest in the city’s long lineage of saxophonists. Cole’s enthusiasm for the arts was jumpstarted through dance, but described falling in love with the saxophone in his early teens. With endorsements from industry names such as Mike Williams, Cole and the other student performers seem set to deliver a delightful evening for jazz fans and the unitiated alike this month.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk (AP)

THE BATH RECREATION GROUND

SUNDAY 24 MAY

SATURDAY 23 MAY

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

featuring ALI CAMPBELL & ASTRO

BILLY OCEAN

KT TUNSTALL

FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS

LAURAN HIBBERD

SETH LAKEMAN • BLOCO B

JOSH GRAY • NOVACUB DESSIE MAGEE • LUNA LAKE

HANNAH GRACE • CASEY LOWRY PORT ERIN • LIFE IN MONO

FRI THE WOODS 20 HAUNT TINY REBEL, CARDIFF

SAT

GRAHAM GOULDMAN

FRI APLIN 13 GABRIELLE Y PLAS, CARDIFF UNI

MAR

MAR

WED

GRACE 08 HANNAH CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

WED

APR

SKY 15 ANOTHER CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF APR

FRI 17 DREADZONE SIN CITY, SWANSEA

SUN

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reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

8½

(Blu-Ray)

‘Masterpiece’ is an overused term, but Federico Fellini’s 1963 landmark movie is one of the few films that truly deserves that title. Striking a perfect balance between fantasy and reality, it concerns troubled filmmaker Guido Anselm (Marcello Mastroianni) battling with director’s block during the making of his latest film, which is becoming more and more autobiographical. Frequently named by renowned directors as their favourite film, it’s easy to see why it has been so revered when you see it in this stunning new 2K restoration from CultFilms. *****SP

AJ AND THE QUEEN (Netflix)

Oh hunny! Be prepared for no dry eyes when you watch this series. Drag legend RuPaul plays showgirl megastar Ruby Red, as she survives a scandal with a sidekick like no other. Filled with familiar drag faces and some new ones, this Netflix series embraces political issues facing the LGBT+ community today with witty, feelgood comedy and old-fashioned reading, darling. From the creators of Sex And The City, this queer gem is sure to leave you gasping for more while giving insight into drag culture. ****JA

HIDDEN / CRAITH S2 (BBC4)

The welcome return of Hidden / Craith is enough to make us cancel Saturday night plans for the foreseeable future (or at least the next eight weeks).

Hidden is refreshingly fancy-free; the captivating cinematography and smooth intertwining of Welsh and English make it unique. Upon finding a decaying body, DI Cadi John (Sian Reese-Williams) and her fatigued partner DS Vaughan (Sion Alun Davies) press on with the case, while new characters, schoolkids Mia, Connor and Lee, suspiciously try to avoid the police and continue as normal. Although the show perhaps requires more punchy acting, the storyline is enough to have us hooked from the off. ***DG

MESSIAH (Netflix)

This attempt at precision-engineered, bingeworthy TV takes the format to an unmanageable extreme.

The first 50 minutes of each episode is made up of grindingly slow exposition, finished off with five minutes of action/interest/plot twists that keep you excited for long enough to let the autoplay of the next episode kick in. Is this the second coming? Or is the well-cast, extremely handsome, annoyingly enigmatic lead just another extremist with more subtle, manipulative ways of breaking the world?

Unfortunately, by the end, I just didn’t care. But did the last five minutes of episode 10 make me want to watch season 2? Uh, yeah. ***JPD

HOLIDAY (Blu-Ray)

New distribution company Anti-Worlds have released this controversial Danish drama directed by one-towatch filmmaker Isabella Eklöf. A shocking, clinically shot drama about sexual violence, reminiscent of the work of Gaspar Noé, that chronicles the abusive relationship between a middle-aged, small-time drug lord and his damaged younger girlfriend (played superbly by Victoria Carmen Sonne) whilst on “holiday” in the Turkish Riviera. Unflinching in its exploration of rape and toxic masculinity, this film is released in a limited edition of 3,000 copies. ****SP BUZZ 42

albums

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AL LEWIS *****

BODY COUNT **** Carnivore (Century Media)

This concept album was inspired by the stories of Welsh author Kate Roberts – stories of growing up, poverty, religion and belonging in a north Walian slate mining community at the turn of the 20th century. Lewis’s voice is smooth and rich, and the melodies burst with emotion. The Tea In The Heather Choir adds the harmonies that give this a hymnal feel, which is at times rather beautiful. LN

Continuing the resurgence that saw them nominated for a Grammy in 2018, Ice T’s rap metal outfit Body Count haven’t missed a step, with new album Carnivore proving that the heavier hardcore edge of Bloodlust wasn’t a flash in the pan. If anything they’ve upped the ante, roping in Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta and Riley Gale of Power Trip for vocal duties. Evanescence’s Amy Lee also makes an appearance and the cherry on the cake is a cracking cover of Ace Of Spades. CA

ANI GLASS *****

BUFFALO SUMMER *****

Te Yn Y Grug (self-released)

Mirores (Neb)

Desolation Blue (Silver Lining)

Mirores relays the song of the mechanical Siren, beings of perfect machinery powered by the engine of dreams. These words were partially taken from Peirianwaith Perffaith and illustrate the potential paradox at the heart of Ani Glass’ fantastic debut: ethereal, oft choral in character, vocals paired with a Kraftwerk-esque synth methodology. Welsh factory-works coated in a silvery gossamer. The result is a beautifully delicate body mover. A triumph from one of the leading figures of the Welsh-language popmusic boom. JW

A third album offering from these south Wales rockers, Buffalo Summer serve up a gritty yet mysterious and magical sound compounded by some of the most addictively crunchy riffs you’ll hear. These boys are up there as one of the underrated rock bands on the scene right now.

Everybody’s Out For Number 1 is bulging with the trademark attitude you’d expect from this quartet, while Hit The Ground Running grips you with an addictive wish to stomp your feet. Blistering. OS

BURNING WITCHES ** BAXTER DURY ****

Dance With The Devil (Nuclear Blast)

The Night Chancers (Heavenly)

Robust, if shamelessly retro, NWOBHM-style metal made by an allfemale five-piece from Switzerland. Vocalist Laura Guldemond shows versatility, falling somewhere between Dio and King Diamond with her belting shrieks; blazing opener Lucid Nightmare boasts breakneck riffs, while Wings of Steel marries anthemic melodies with guttural growls. But Manowar cover Battle Hymn (featuring Ross The Boss and Mike LePond) feels like a disappointing closer for a band in danger of becoming a tribute act. SP

The Night Chancers picks up where Baxter Dury’s fifth album Prince Of Tears left off, with a disturbing and humorous collection of songs that shine a light on flawed relationships and individuals in situations, that only enhance their hidden vulnerabilities. When it comes to placing character observation within songs, Dury is as equally perceptive as his late father Ian was with his own material. When his words collide with the orchestral flourishes on this album, it is genuinely touching. DN

CIRCA WAVES **** BLOODSLUGS ***

Sad Happy (Prolifica Inc)

One More Last Time (Pet Slug)

Part of the new generation of heartfelt indie, Circa Waves’ latest is an exercise in emotion. Move To San Francisco beguiles with luscious and vibrant harmonies, while Hope There’s A Heaven calmly nourishes with subdued serenity. Multiple sides of their personality make themselves apparent: a moment like Jacqueline could enthuse you, while Battered & Bruised can break your heart. While the admittedly typical combination of guitars and synths won’t win over detractors, to fans it may be viewed as a triumph. AS

Keen Cardiff gig-goers might recognise the name BloodSlugs, a two-piece lo-fi blues act that has steadily built a reputation over the past four years on the local circuit. On their studio debut, the duo don’t get bogged down with trivial things like originality or variation that might prohibit them from making the heaviest noise possible, and they’re unapologetic about it, relying on their impassioned vocals and chugging, gravelly riffs instead. It’s visceral punk, through and through. AP

s

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DEAP LIPS **

JONATHAN WILSON ****

REAL ESTATE ***

WASTED SHIRT ***

Deap Lips (Cooking Vinyl)

Dixie Blur (Bella Union)

The Main Thing (Domino)

Fungus II (Famous Class)

It’s a tale as old as time: man in town on a mission to source massive edible stage props meets woman backstage at a Wolfmother gig and an unlikely alliance is formed. Neither the Flaming Lips nor Deap Vally are strangers to collaborations, but that unimaginative cut-and-shut name gives advance warning of how disappointing the venture is. Largely the product of a long-distance relationship, Deap Lips consists of half-baked ideas and reheated leftovers from other projects, a whole that is substantially less than the sum of its parts. BW

The revered American singer-songwriter brings another hefty concoction of folk, rock and country to the table. It’s a heartfelt chronicle of his yearning to return to his North Carolina roots: a nostalgia trip identifiable to anyone.

The live takes, done with the band, bring a certain magic to the recording, and the affinity between the musicians is palpable throughout.

Apart from a few cliched moments, this record is, on the whole, a comforting, rewarding listen. CPI

From purist beginnings, Real Estate are layering more studio embellishments upon their C86 sound, but this feels like a band running out of capital. The aimless Procession is a bit of a traipse around Ikea; Paper Cup is like Aztec Camera on polaroid and Also A But starts underbaked but sizzles on a jazzy middle eight. Silent World is laden with strings but takes a while to go places. However, the intricate harmonies and guitars make November glide while the titular tune is tricky time-signatured pop. CS

The product of a six-day recording session 18 months ago between Brian Chippendale, Lightning Bolt drummer who’s been so good at drumming for so long I fear he’s taken for granted, and prolific multifaceted garage rocker Ty Segall, the first (possibly only?) Wasted Shirt album starts off with stonking metal wheedle and moshable bass riffs. Such highs crop up throughout Fungus II, but with some fair water trod in between. Far from dud, but both musicians play better with others. NG

DERRERO *** Time Lapse (Recordiau Cae Gwyn) This Welsh band are back after almost 20 years, offering a melodic mix of psych-pop with bursts of feedback. Selfrecorded and produced, we hear eclectic sometimes abstract themes amongst others, that include sobriety, strange animals, an Oscar Wilde lecture tour, growing up in Trinidad, a psychedelic experience and a massive move.

Lecture Tour, Endings, Blue Mutations and Rolling Past Vistas (a lovely, gentle song about the longevity of being in a band for years, skateboarding and beautiful, seasonal light) are some standouts. RLR

ISLET ***** Eyelet (Fire) Powys’ Islet return with album number three, their first release since 2016’s Liquid Half Moon EP. Lusher and more melodic than previous releases, Eyelet is a crazy cawl of tropical pop, electric psych, and odd rock. In lesser hands, such a scattergun approach could soon grate, but here Islet has made something special, in particular, the tabla-driven Radel 10 and the sweeping electronica of Geese. SE

JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET ****

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE **** Spook The Herd (Bella Union)

SLOW READERS CLUB *****

Spook the herd?

Lanterns On The Lake would barely say boo to a goose. Their fourth LP is being billed as a more direct confrontation of contemporary crises, but opener When It All Comes True, an entirely characteristic pocket epic, makes clear from the outset that, while politically charged, the record will be no crude call to arms. It is, however, an exemplary exercise in palliative care, particularly the second half. Given we’re currently drowning in shit, we could all do with Swimming Lessons. BW

Joy Of The Return (Modern Sky UK) The fourth album by this Manchester four-piece is about “love, alienation, the rise of right-wing populism and comments on algorithm-driven propaganda…” but that really doesn’t matter because this is like a jaunty trip back to the 80s. There are echoes of The The, Depeche Mode and other indie-pop bands and yet SRC manage to sound new and fresh and cool, without a jarring note or an off-key vocal to be found. LN

TAMIKREST **** MY DYING BRIDE ***

Tamotaït (Glitterbeat)

The Ghost Of Orion (Nuclear Blast)

If you’re familiar with Tinariwen and the satellite bands around them drawing on the same nomadic, desert lifestyle, then you’ll know what the deal is here. Tamikrest are perhaps the most ‘rock’ of all those bands, and Tamotaït is further evidence of that, five albums in. It’s 40 minutes of widescreen desert rock, backed by noisier drums and bigger riffs than you’ll get elsewhere in the genre, and the production values are crystal clear without losing any of the energy. FT

Despite utilising expected metal tropes – soaring lead guitar arpeggios, bleakly mystic wordplay, volatile vocal contrasts – there’s a murky charm present on these gothic doom veterans’ latest album.

From the Celtic folk elements on Your Broken Shore to the majestic theatricality of The Long Black Land, there’s always a sense of risk and adventure lurking beneath the surface. To have seen these elements become more involved would have won considerably more favour off me; however, there’s a menacing and immersive experience to be had here. AS

VARIOUS ***** Uzelli Elektro Saz (1976-1984) (Uzelli)

People Get Ready (We’re Moving On) (Audio Network)

MYRKUR **

The music colleges turned poor JT away when he asked to be taught classical arrangement techniques.

Undaunted, Taylor joined a local church choir to better understand how part writing works.

All this was in preparation for an album that merges his regular quartet with some pretty lush orchestral string arrangements. The instrumentals are perfect funk soundtracks to the 70s cop movie of your life; the vocal tracks turn up the heat in the soul kitchen. No radical departure but time well spent. JPD

‘Black metal to trad folk’ is just a little too clean a description for the journey to Myrkur’s third album; in truth the latter element was always key to the Danish artist’s mystical, symphonic, frequently hilarious ear-bashing. Folkesange is challenging in a different way though: in its pure focus on highvoiced keening and medieval instrumentation, the album displays an unfortunate Enya lob-on, an extended po-facedness not exactly ameliorated by chucking some raven noises in.

Return the metal! WS

Folkesange (Relapse)

From the mid-1970s onwards Uzelli, a Turkish record label, put out a ton of domestic music that probably didn’t go beyond the border much.

Some of it prominently featured trad folk instrument the saz in its amplified form, which enjoyed a similar role to the electric guitar in early rock’n’roll: freaked out the squares, made killer noises.

This compilation offers 13 such examples from Uzelli’s archives and hip-swinging psychedelic radness results: pull up Gülcan Opel’s Yaz Dostum right now or stay ignorant. NG

demos 100% RABBIT 100percentrabbit.bandcamp.com Quite an intriguing entity, 100% Rabbit: a Polish duo living in Cardiff who make 80s-tinted synthpop, and have divided their time between Polska and Cymru fairly busily. They emailed me a link to their album last year, several months after it came out, but here’s a followup single, Thin Layers, which is a bit newer. I’m always up for that Cybotron/electroboogie drum/synth sound that forms its backing track, while vocalist Małgola Gulczyn´ska supplies a counterweight of human emotion. NG

TWIN STRANGER facebook.com/twinstrangerofficial This band used to be called Garden Party Pills and were billed as being from Bristol.

Now they have a less memorable, if also less embarrassing, name and claim south Wales residence. Twin Stranger’s first song, Tears Of Joy, is a brisk psych-indie dreamalong with whirring organ that lends an Inspiral Carpets type feel. Confident on photo evidence that main Stranger Alex McConnachie is far too young to remember that band’s heyday, but then he sings “1992” repeatedly throughout so maybe knows his historical onions. NG

MOTEL THIEVES facebook.com/motelthieves Motel Thieves, from Swansea, look even younger than that, and claim deeply ‘cusp of Gen Z and millennial’ influences (Blossoms, Sam Fender). Make It Better, their second track to be released following apparently healthilystreamed debut Stitches, has one eye on the more bookish end of Britpop and the other on jangly, fuzzy-guitar-solo US college rock. Quite agreeable, unlike the single’s artwork on their Soundcloud page which features one member pointing at what looks rather like dog muck on the sole of his shoe. NG

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

Among many residencies and establishments in the south Wales Valleys to be damaged by the effects of Storm Dennis in mid-February were two small music venues. Clwb Y Bont in Pontypridd, a delightful place tucked away off the high street which hosts comedy and community events as well as gigs, was deluged by floods which rose to around seven feet inside the building.

Accordingly, a major cleanup process is ongoing, as with The Green Rooms in nearby Treforest – a twin venue/rehearsal space whose newly built stage came a cropper among amps and other music gear. Both venues have been aided post-storm by local volunteers, and are currently crowdfunding the money for repairs and replacements, while benefit gigs are being arranged. The Moon in Cardiff has six confirmed for this month, and Porth’s Pop Factory is to announce the lineup for two in early March Meanwhile, in Cardiff’s Riverside district, the Transport Club – which, again, was not a full-time music venue but was capable of serving that function tidily – closed in December. Some active in the city’s scene thus wondered if, in light of nearly all sub-200 capacity venues having closed in the last few years, this might offer a small way of reversing the trend. A petition was uploaded (and remains ongoing) suggesting that Cardiff council, who purchased the building, turn it into a community centre with the capability to host artistic events. The council, though, were quick to pour cold water on this idea, confirming that the building would become a temporary homeless support centre with the ultimate aim of being turned into flats. A spokesperson, demonstrating the care and understanding that’s made Cardiff’s ‘music city’ status such a positive development, decreed the nearby Tramshed (capacity: 1000; not a community venue) to be sufficient for the area

More positive news for so-called grassroots venues in Wales comes via the announcement of new funding opportunities, courtesy of Creative Wales and devised with the help of the UK-wide Music Venue Trust. This avenue of support, to the full tune of £120,000, was announced at the end of January and is ongoing: Welsh venues looking to receive more info can email creativewales@gov.wales, while MVT have also pledged to give support (as in advice etc) to those looking to make a bid Monnow Valley recording studio in Monmouthshire is currently up for sale, with the site to be redeveloped from early March onwards should a buyer not be found. Situated in a 17th century stone building, it was originally part of the larger, adjacent Rockfield – probably the only studio in Wales with a grander reputation – but became an independent entity in the 1980s. The site includes three studio rooms for vocals, drums (this being something for which it’s especially prized) and live, plus 10 bedrooms and two and a half acres of land. The asking price: just shy of £1.5 million The fourth Cardiff Music Awards [pictured] are to take place on Thurs 9 Apr in the Tramshed, its capacity dropping to below 1000 in this instance on account of the main room being filled with tables and chairs. Public voting remains open until Thurs 2 Mar, with the finalists having been chosen across no less than 22 categories. As with previous years, there’ll be a bunch of performances on the night, with Keys, Lucas J Rowe, Adwaith, Local and the Ladies Of Rage DJs being confirmed so far. Tickets for the event are £10 and you can buy one, and vote, at www.cardiffmusicawards.co.uk

ONES TO WATCH...

CULTURE VULTURES

The sort of hip-hop Culture Vultures specialise in is slow, creepy and psychedelic, built on cratediggy samples of probably-pitched-down strings and other weird soundtrack shit. They love their internal rhymes and ‘dope multis’ and give the impression of liking 90s boom-bap, the darker side of 00s UKHH and the Wu-Tang Clan’s extended universe. There used to be more stuff like this in Wales (and in general, to be fair); now there’s hardly any, at least that makes it as far as me. That said, Culture Vultures are from Carmarthenshire, and for a rap trio to germinate there and get heard beyond its county lines is kinda wild, in a good way.

The three core members of Squires Da Gem, Po Griff and Hagie have rolled with a strong personal brand from the off, releasing their first album Squawktown (their fictional home) in 2015. I caught them by chance some time after this, performing on the street in Cardiff, and was charmed by their tight MCing, bad taste asides and the impression they gave of being wicked stoned. All of which carries through into WOTW:One, their new album (and first to get a physical release, I think). It’s got ample west Walian humblebragging, addictively sludgy beats and some notable guest spots: London rapper Bisk on the opening 1984 and Hollie Singer, from Carmarthen band Adwaith, with an impressively soulful turn on Reflection. It’s clever, but not in a wanky way. You might dig it. wingerrecords.bandcamp.com

BUZZ 44

one louder IT’S A national nightmare: a futile attempt to cure a malaise whose roots are deeper and more complex than anything that could be solved by the enshrining of law. There’s no real proof that a majority of the populace even want it, but we were warned, and now it’s happening.

Readers will at this point be saying to themselves, “That reads like he’s talking about Brexit, but it’s probably a laborious pretext for talking about something else,” and that something else is the new minimum alcohol pricing laws for Wales, which in hiking up the cost of crates of cheap lager will punish the pockets of this column’s patron saints, small-scale gig promoters whose budget includes hospitality riders.

On top of which, there’s also Brexit. Specifically, the plan – mentioned, in passing and with limited clarity, in a Home Office policy paper published in February – that touring in the UK is to become more expensive for musicians from the EU, subject to significantly more stringent background checks, and making it exponentially more likely that attempts to perform here will be refused.

It seems like this will affect two types of musician the most. Orchestras, for whom any tour necessarily involves a lot of people and who generally operate with very narrow margins. And bands of the type prefixed ‘grassroots’, ‘underground’ or ‘DIY’, who will often be lucky to break even while touring and who may thus rationalise it as a holiday with a bit of singing every evening. Would you book a holiday, though, if you knew there was a fair chance of being prevented from going on it for opaque reasons by the government of your destination?

A question which might not be hypothetical for someone of, for example, Middle Eastern extraction.

So here’s the thing: the Visa requirements and administrative box-ticking now being mooted for EU musicians is likely to be akin to those already in place for performers from America and Japan among others; or, worse, those in place for creative workers from, for example, the Middle East. Or Africa. Those from the latter group are more expensive to process and have a far higher rate of rejection, as has been angrily highlighted by people from festivals such as Womad.

In effect, it’s a levelling up of the Home Office’s foul, racist ‘hostile environment’ policy, so as to treat mainland Europeans with the same cold disdain as the rest of the world has been subject to by us (‘us’!) for decades. No-one perceives Belgian bassoonists or Danish DJs as a threat to Our Way Of Life, though: this is gesture politics as it’s done now, where the gesture is one of dismissive spite to show off to a voting bloc which revels in the same.

I could have chosen a more internationally representative set of gigs than PC WORLD, NYLEX, BEAUTY PARLOUR and EX CATHEDRA (The Moon, Cardiff, Tue 3 Mar); THE SILVER FIELD (BBC Hall, Swansea, Wed 4); SPECIAL INTEREST, PINK GRIP, SHISHU and HORRIBLE MEN (Tiny Rebel, Fri 13); PAUL DUNMALL/PHIL GIBBS QUARTET (Queens Head, Monmouth, Wed 18); RAYMOND MACDONALD (Flute & Tankard, Wed 18); FRIENDSHIP, KUROKUMA, TIDES OF SULFUR and more (Moon, Sun 22) and LAS KELLIES (Moon, Mon 30) but whatever.

NOEL GARDNER

4 Drama NewyDD | 4 ysgrifeNNwr | 33 actor 4 New Plays | 4 writers | 33 actors

mawrth 17—19

cyNNwys sy'N aDDas i oeDolioN coNtaiNs aDult coNteNt

march 17—19

Cefnogir gan | Supported by Sean MathiaS and the SpielMan Charitable truSt

MARCH 20 just fill out this form and post it, along with a cheque to:

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tocynnau | tickets www.rwcmd.ac.uk 029 2039 1391

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

JOHN BRAMWELL 21st March

7.30pm Tickets £16.50

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:

SOUL TRAIN 27th March 7.30pm Tickets £22

Photos | lluniau Kirsten Mcternan

gŵyl ysgrifeNNu NewyDD coleg BreNhiNol cerDD a Drama cymru the royal welsh college of music & Drama's New writiNg festival

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

WELSH SAINTS ON THE MORMON TRAIL Wil Aaron (Y Lolfa)

Wil Aaron has told a remarkable historical non-fiction tale in Welsh Saints On The Mormon Trail. On looking at the size of the book, you might believe it unlikely that this 22-year span of the history of Welsh families who emigrated to North America is told succinctly. But when you consider the breadth and scope of experience, and the timeframe that was undertaken for this holistic picture to be painted, it really does achieve a tonal brevity that is crucial for this type of book. It covers the years 1847 to 1869, during which roughly 4,500 Welsh people created and followed the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake City in Utah.

Though much more can (and should) be said for a decision as epic as the one made by these Welsh adventurers all those years ago, a strong theme is identifiable that weaves its way through the book. It is an overarching sense of loyalty, bravery and hardiness – the kind of personality traits that are essential when forging such a pathway through the Rockies, which ceased only after the introduction of the railways. Aaron begins his intricate world-building from the very first page, captivating his readers with a sense of intrigue that’s firmly rooted in the facts, making for a rich and detailed reading experience but also an emotionally invested one. This work’s commitment to exploring this neglected avenue into Welsh history is substantial and impressive. The Welsh Mormon Saints have a fascinating story which, for the most part, has been overlooked.

MEGAN THOMAS Price: £14.99. Info: www.ylolfa.com

BENT Joe Thomas (Arcadia) Taking a break from his acclaimed Sao Paolo quartet, Joe Thomas brings us Bent, the re-imagined story of Harold ‘Tank’ Challenor, a real-life wartime SAS hero turned corrupt cop, hell-bent on cleaning up the nefarious underground of 1960s Soho, even if it means breaking the law. The most anti- of anti-heroes, in Thomas’s hands Challenor is a world-weary sleuth who could have stepped out of a Raymond Chandler novel, although the world he inhabits contains less pulpy glamour. This is a grimy tale and, for the most part, a convincingly told one. Less convincing is a dual narrative which recounts Challenor’s exploits during the war. Not only do these sections sap the momentum of the main narrative, they fail to reach a meaningful conclusion.

Neverthless, Bent is a slick, highly readable yarn. RH Price: £9.99. Info: www.arcadiabooks.co.uk FIFTY MILES WIDE Julian Sayarer (Arcadia) Sayarer is an award-winning travel writer: here we see why.

This memoir traverses its world on two wheels, and despite his “Pedalling, always pedalling”, we as readers want to join Sayarer on his journey. And we do, for from this vantage point we get an inside view of life in Israel and Palestine as the author swerves between terrains and topics. His style is both vivid and meditative, and we are treated to some spectacular vistas along the way, as well as an ensemble of interesting characters.

Simple interactions take on deeper meanings: Palestinian bread becomes a symbol of home and loss, for instance; and cyclists keep cycling despite army checkpoints determined to hinder them. Hope is found, again and again, nowhere more so than in this wonderful book. MJ Price: £9.99. Info: www.arcadiabooks.co.uk BUZZ 46

BOX HILL Adam Mars-Jones (Fitzcarraldo Editions) If Tom Of Finland had grown up in deepest Surrey in the 1970s, his homoerotic sketches of muscly motorcyclists and police officers might’ve resembled the men depicted in this slim, smouldering novel, which won the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize. By turns shocking and wittily observed, this poignant character study follows Colin, who we first meet aged 18 when he begins a love affair with an older man, leather-clad biker Ray, whose legs he trips over when walking across Box Hill. Colin finds himself moving in with Ray and introduced to his biker friends as a submissive tagalong. A vividly realised coming-of-age tale, Mars-Jones – known for his elegant fiction as well as penetrating literary criticism – lets it all hang out in this quietly powerful exploration of sexuality, sadomasochism and the self. SP Price: £9.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com HEARTLAND Edited by Niall Griffiths & Rhiannon Hooson (Parthian) This is an anthology of the poetry and short stories shortlisted for the annual PENfro Festival competition, selected by novelist Niall Griffiths and poet Rhiannon Hooson, taking the reader on a whistlestop tour of European cities, isolated islands and struggling Welsh sheep farms.

The collection touches upon subjects as diverse and intimate as grief, the relationship between myth and reality, and the ways in which we are formed and reformed by our natural surroundings. For me, Kathryn Tann’s Blushing Rainwater and Moira Ashley’s Double Helix stood out for their vivid imagery and the freshness of their concepts.

Overall, though, despite the undeniable talent of its writers, this is an anthology which focuses almost exclusively on the darker side of modern life. It’s crying out for some humour and, oddly enough given its title, genuine heart. RR Price: £9.99 Info: www.parthianbooks.com

DIALLING A STARLESS PAST Mike McNamara (Arenig) Here’s a dizzying, lyrical and emotionally frank collection of poems, from a surprising source – the frontman of veteran south Wales entertainers Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band! An inquisitive and curious mind is at work in this little book, seeking for scraps of meaning in the mundane and the half-remembered. The Waster Land (A Babble Of Voices) recalls the T.S. Eliot epic, but through a haze of alcohol and drugs. The poet’s musical life gets a tribute in Soul Music, while the hallucinogenic Adrift In The Asylum recalls his experience of being on a psychiatric ward for drug dependency aged 17. Though more variation in metre and structure would elevate them to a higher level, these poems are busy dreaming about what’s out of reach, stargazing from the gutter. SP Price: £5.99. Info: www.arenig.co.uk OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT Petina Gappah (Faber & Faber) This extraordinary novel reimagines David Livingstone’s last journey as he was transported through Africa to the coast following his death, in order to be buried in England. Narrated by two characters who formed part of the procession, Halima and Jacob, the journey is brought to life from contrasting viewpoints through their vivid tales of love, loyalty, death and the bravery of the travelling companions. Despite the novel featuring much of the suffering faced by the group (including many unexpected, deceitful deaths), the lyrical prose manages to depict an enchanting tale highlighting the positive and honorary nature behind this historic journey, bringing those unheard voices to the forefront of our minds. A fascinating and well-researched story about the explorer, but more so the many people that supported him on his journey. RHo Price: £16.99. Info: www.faber.co.uk

Pic: © BBC

eco

PLANET EARTH II Fuelled by her passion for environmental causes, biochemist and TV presenter Liz Bonnin has no time for world leaders who won’t listen. Ahead of the Planet Earth II tour coming to Cardiff this March, she chats with Carl Marsh.

You’re doing the Planet Earth II tour. Was it your ultimate goal to do something like this?

The more that I think about it now I’m doing press for it, the more I realise what an absolute dream job it is. There’s a 74-piece orchestra [City Of Prague Philharmonic, conducted by Matthew Freeman] with music written by an absolute genius, Hans Zimmer.

I think it’s going to be a very special and unique experience. What I’m looking forward to more than anything is how we’re all going to be connected in that celebration of wildlife.

What are you going to bring to the show?

My role is really to take the audience by the hand and contextualise each theme. I really want the music, the visuals and the sequences to work their magic, and to keep the talking to a minimum. I do want to add my experience to it. Ultimately, I hope, because of my experiences and my understanding of the natural world, I can bring that into some of the narrative to add another layer of understanding and appreciation.

You mentioned music there – weren’t you in a girl group back in the day called Chill?

Oh gosh, yes. I was young and playing at being a popstar.

How did you go from that to presenting Rise on Channel 4?

At that point, I was supposed to do a PhD in neurodegenerative diseases after my biochemistry degree. I knew that I wanted to veer into wildlife

conservation and understand how to protect the planet. I took a year out and had been singing in a band. I was very open to just any opportunity.

Someone approached me to present a music award show on RTE in Ireland and that led to another thing and another presenting job. Before I knew it, someone from Channel 4 asked if I would like to present a breakfast show in London. I’m really grateful for that experience because what that has resulted in is combining my first love for science and wildlife with this newfound passion for storytelling.

It sounds to me like you’ve always been destined to do what you do. Were you not tempted to sidetrack and go into something else through TV? It was always academia. I was very mindful that I was ready to go back to academia and I wanted to play a role in protecting our wildlife. That was always the plan.

Do you think enough is being done for the environment by the media?

I don’t think enough is being done at policy and big industry level, that’s for sure. I am under no illusion about where the buck stops. We’ve all got to make our voices heard as individuals. It’s our role to cut through all the fake news, all the nonsense and all the greenwashing. Greta Thunberg was sitting outside parliament in Sweden with a placard by herself a year ago. Now, millions of people are coming together speaking out about how they want change and they want their global leaders to change. Change can happen.

Perhaps I’m being naïve, but I didn’t realise how normal this was – most politicians are funded by corporations. I won’t believe a word any of these politicians say if they’re funded by the very industry that led to the existential crisis. This is the biggest existential crisis that we’re facing in our history and apparently for the fossil fuel industry, it’s business as usual. I’m saying this as a member of the public who can’t understand that this is the way our leaders are deciding to run our world. That’s why I really commend women like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and why I wholeheartedly support the climate strikes. The only way it’s going to stop is through us making our voices heard this way.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Thurs 26 Mar. Tickets: £35-£55. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk BUZZ 47

health

Earth Hour is once again taking place, this year on Saturdy 28 March from 8.30pm-9.30pm. With events happening all across Wales, this is an opportunity to reconnect to nature and fight for our world.

Whether it’s switching off your lights, switching off your phone for an hour or spending time with others, Earth Hour’s a time to reconnect to what’s important. You’ll thank yourself for it. Here are a few ways to get involved:

ORGANISE YOUR OWN EVENT

DINNER IN THE DARK

JOIN AN EVENT NEAR YOU

Host a candlelit feast with friends and family, or maybe even a potluck dinner where everyone brings something along.

PLAY A GAME Maybe it’s time to turn off the telly and break out the boardgames, show off your best charades or even get stuck into a murder mystery. Tonight’s about quality time with your loved ones.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE You’re not alone! Millions of others are switching off for Earth Hour across the world – join the conversation on social media for inspiration and share what you’re doing. #EarthHourWales #AwrDdaear

WATCH THE LIGHTS GO OUT Some of the most iconic landmarks and places will be turning off their lights for one night in the year only. Take a trip down to see it happening with castles such as Caerphilly Castle and Caernarfon castle taking part.

Bring together your community by organising your own event for Earth Hour, from quizzes to parties to beach cleanups!

From big countdowns to community feasts, the Earth Hour community’s got an event for you! Events this year include Head4Arts returning with their hugely popular arts and crafts activities in Caerphilly’s Parc Penallta and a candlelit tapas night with live music at Caffi lechyd Da in Camarthen.

EARTH HOUR EVENTS IN WALES Head4Arts Earth Hour family craft event – Caerphilly FAN Neath Earth Hour family craft event – Neath Ynni Sir Gar Earth Hour family craft event – Carmarthen Y Gegin family feast event – Pembroke Lantern Procession Earth Hour event – Tenby Earth Hour dining event – Carmarthen Earth Hour dining event – Cardiff Lights out event – National Trust Wales - Dinas Oleu, Barmouth Earth Hour Quiz Night – Llangan & St Mary Hill, Vale Of Glamorgan

For more information and to find events in your area, please visit: www.wwf.org.uk/earthhourwales

BUZZ 48

AWR DDAEAR TROWCH OFF AM EICH BYD

EARTH HOUR SWITCH OFF FOR YOUR WORLD

SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2020 8:30 - 9:30PM

DYDD SADWRN 28 AIN O FAWRTH 2020 8:30 - 9:30YH

TH

Ymunwch a miliynau ar gyfer y digwyddiad diffodd byd-eang a byddwch yn rhan o’r frwydr am eich byd.

Cymerwch ran: wwf.org.uk/awrddaear

Join millions for the global lights out event and be part of the fight for your world.

Take Part: wwf.org.uk/earthhourwales

#AWRDDAEAR #EARTHHOURWALES c Matt_Gibson

Pic: Dane Deaner

WALES ALES

Reviews of Welsh brews from Neil at Wales Ales.

No St David’s Day celebration is complete without a Welsh beer to toast the nation’s patron saint. Here’s how to quench your thirst on March 1st.

F I V E WAY S T O E AT L O C A L As the pressure of climate change mounts in our minds, it might be time to rethink the way we eat. Rhiannon Morris offers five tips to help you avoid the supermarkets by eating and buying more local food.

RESEARCH YOUR LOCAL RESOURCES More than half our food comes from abroad – mostly from the EU, South America and south-east Asia. But the further it travels, the bigger its carbon footprint.

Foodinnovation.wales provide a database of local food and drink producers based on your postcode.

Read up on food fairs and farmers’ markets on farmshop.uk.com. Most fairs advertise on social media, but Visit Wales provides a comprehensive list of those taking place across the country. Most festivals provide a list of their exhibitors on their website, which is a great way to discover the independent food providers near you.

WELSH IS BEST Most of us remember baking Welsh cakes at school, but how many of us turn to Welsh recipes on a daily basis? It’s a great way to utilise the ingredients we have in abundance. Your local butcher can provide a shoulder of the finest Welsh lamb, or your greengrocers can stock you up on leeks for a warming bowl of cawl. Watch Hafod cheddar bubble and melt over toasted bread for the perfect rarebit. Swap your hash brown for the salty, sea-flavoured taste of oatmixed laverbread cakes.

GET OUTSIDE You can’t get much more local than picking the food yourself, surrounded by fresh air. Start small with berry-picking in the summertime for jams and tarts.

Pickyourownfarms.org.uk finds nearby farms that encourage families to pick their fruit before buying.

Foraging is also a fun, immersive method of collecting organic ingredients. Books like Adele Nozdar’s The BUZZ 50

Hedgerow Handbook and Daniel Butler’s Fungi Forays are good for the basics of foraging wild herbs, garlic and mushrooms. Adele also offers courses with Brecon Beacons Foraging, whilst Daniel leads wild mushroom safaris in Rhayader.

GROW AT HOME If you don’t fancy wandering in the woods or rummaging in hedges, then bring the wild inside. For those without a garden, all you need is a windowsill, some containers, soil and seeds to grow microgreens like basil and parsley. Or you can easily purchase grow-your-own herbs at most supermarkets. If you have a garden or allotment, you can use the seeds from fruit you’ve bought locally to re-plant and grow.

Rhubarb, apples, plums and pears are also perfect for gardens, automatically growing back each year.

Growing your own is ideal for saving money, though be prepared for a lot of trial and error.

STAY IN SEASON Sourcing local ingredients limits you to what’s in season. No more Spanish strawberries in winter!

This might not help your food cravings, but it will help you vary your diet. BBC Good Food’s Seasonality Table tells you which months you can expect to get the freshest fruit, veg, meat and fish, so you can plan your meals with the best quality produce for optimum flavour. Try and use the same ingredients for more than one recipe, as well as checking the shelf life of your produce and whether it can be frozen. This will reduce waste and save money.

ARCADIAN – BARA BRITH 4.3% ABV Out of the capital comes this fine brown ale from new girls on the block Arcadian.

Bara Brith is a malt-forward brown ale at a very sessionable 4.3%.

An uncommon style which seems to have gone out of favour but is having a bit of a resurgence, this is a well-balanced and complex beer, dark brown and lightly hopped with a nice malt profile. There’s dark malt and raisin on the nose with a rich breaded taste, reminiscent of a classic bara brith.

GLAMORGAN – WELSH CAKE STOUT 4.8% Glamorgan has obtained a fine reputation on the back of some stunning lighter beers like the awardwinning Jemima’s Pitchfork. However, for Glamorgan to produce a stout is quite a departure. Inspired by one of their favourite treats, they decided to experiment by adding a mix of oats and raisins to a brew. The result is a rich, dark, and easy-drinking stout: think of this as a lighter Guinness, but with a Welsh twist.

BANG-ON – DAI (330ML) 5.5% ABV Officially released for St David’s Day, this lightly carbonated pale ale is packed to the brim with quality ingredients.

A concoction of fruity flavours, you’ll pick up tastes of pineapple, orange and lemon, but also a ginger and cinnamon spiciness on the aftertaste. So, whether you are a David, Dave, Dafydd, Dewi or Dai, then this is the beer for you!

For more info: www.walesales.com

Pic: Toni Cuenca Pexels

OF THE BEST WELSH GINS William Hogarth might’ve feared it. Jay Rayner might abhor it. But the fact is, that drink once known as mother’s ruin is in the throes of a huge revival. Buzz selects some Welsh varieties that are just the tonic.

PENDERYN On the southern tip of the Brecon Beacons, the site of Penderyn’s distillery has its own supply of fresh, natural spring water which they incorporate with botanicals to create their gin. With flavours including chocolate orange, rose petal, and rhubarb and cranberry, this award-winning gin aims to go from Wales to the world. www.penderyn.wales

ABER FALLS Though these are also more famous for whisky, this distillery bottles and produces its own premium Welsh gins in north Wales, using a copper gin still to ensure refined quality. From orange marmalade to rhubarb and ginger, Aber Falls’ flavoured gins also incorporate a base of juniper and lavender within the recipe in keeping with Druid origins. www.aberfallsdistillery.com

GOWER GIN COMPANY Out of a converted bike shed in Port Eynon on Gower, this micro-distillery is home to gins like Pinwydd and Rhosili. Founded by Sian and Andrew Brooks, this small but mighty company makes up to 300 bottles at a time. With the freshness of the sea, local herbs and berries, you can recognise their nautically themed, blue-and-white striped bottles a mile off. www.thegowergincompany.wales

JIN TALOG A nano-distillery owned by Anthony Rees and David Thomas, who distil, bottle, label and package everything by hand. Sticking to a single botanical London dry recipe, they extract the oils from juniper using a top-secret method. Committed to eliminating waste, deliveries even arrive wrapped in sheep’s wool! www.jintalog.wales

CYGNET Boasting a balanced blend of Welsh water and the finest botanicals, Cygnet gin from Swansea is firmly tied to its historical roots. The story goes that the centuries-old recipe for this gin originated with two local men, Peter Wakely and William Lee, who thought they could cure cholera with this herbal drink. It may not have cured anyone, but it certainly tastes good. www.cygnet-distillery.co.uk Research by Daisy Gaunt & Lydia McGurin

LENTILS WITH ZA’ATAR TOFU Words Alison Powell I love za’atar. Zingy and fragrant, you can blend your own using a mix of sumac, oregano, sesame, maybe a bit of thyme or marjoram, or buy it in pots ready-mixed. This is a great salad to serve with something or it can be happily eaten on its own as a tasty lunch or light dinner.

INGREDIENTS Serves 2 for lunch or a light dinner • 150g firm tofu, cut into bite-size chunks • 250g pouch of tomatoey puy and green lentils (I use Merchant Gourmet, but other brands may be available. You are looking for lentils that have been precooked and simply need warming through) • Clove of garlic, peeled • 2 tbsps of olive oil • 2 heaped tsps za’atar • Small red onion, peeled and very finely sliced • Red pepper, finely sliced • Around 14 pitted olives, cut in half (but feel free to add more) • 30g bunch of coriander • Good grind of black pepper and pinch of salt

HOW TO 1. Pop the tofu chunks in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, the crushed garlic, a tablespoon of olive oil and a heaped teaspoon of za’atar. Mix it gently so the chunks are coated and try to leave it in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour.

2. Fry the sliced red pepper, half the onion and a teaspoon of za’atar with a tablespoon of olive oil on a low heat until very soft. Grind over some black pepper and a pinch of salt as they fry. It’s okay if the peppers catch a bit and slightly blacken, as this gives colour and flavour. Turn the peppers and onion mix into a large mixing bowl or serving bowl.

3. Gently tip the tofu into the frying pan. The aim is to brown it on most, if not all sides. Resist the temptation to prod it too much as you don’t want it to crumble.

4. In the meantime, gently warm up the lentils, as per the pack instructions.

5. Add the tofu and lentils to the peppers and onion and add the rest of the red onion to give a nice crunch, chop in the coriander and add the olives. Give it all a gentle stir and then serve.

@ASPwriter BUZZ 51

Pic: Priscpriscilla Du Preez

MATSUDAI RAMEN, WALES’ FIRST RAMEN-ONLY RESTAURANT

MARCH FOODIE FOCUS From cupcake decoration to vegan mastication, Elouise Hobbs casts her hungry eyes over the gastronomic goings-on of the month.

Oasis Cardiff Pop Up, Kemi’s At Pontcanna, Cardiff, Wed 11 Mar Regulars at Kemi’s will be well aware of the amazing dishes created in the small Pontcanna kitchen by the mother-and-son duo. Over the years, they have grown a reputation for innovative menus that focus on fresh, local ingredients, and this month are hosting a special supper club alongside Oasis Cardiff, with a five-course meal that hopes to showcase food and culture from around the globe. In addition to the food, there will be a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available to buy on the night, including Kemi’s ‘special’ cocktails.

Tickets: £25. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Raw Chocolate, Superfoods And Energy Balls Masterclass, Soul House Yoga, Cardiff, Sun 15 Mar With Easter coming up, learn how indulgence and health can combine. Chocolatiers and nutritionists Rebecca and Rhiannon will lead the masterclass which will include everything you need to know about making gluten/dairy/refined sugar-free treats using raw chocolate. Attendees will learn how to incorporate superfoods into their cooking and make nutrient-packed energy balls alongside the sweets. There will also be a chance to taste some chocolate during the plant-based afternoon tea, which is included in the ticket price. After the workshop, participants can take home their handmade chocolates – finished with gift wrap and a tag – alongside the recipes so they can recreate the treats at home.

Tickets: £40. Info: www.soulhouseyoga.co.uk

BUZZ 52

Vegan Thai Banquet Brunch, Barnabas Arts House, Newport, Sun 15 Mar South Asian cooking is one of the more sustainable world cuisines – many of the dishes are vegetarian or vegan and are usually comprised of local ingredients and spices. Now, the Vegan Thai Banquet Brunch is set to bring this dining experience to South Wales. Diners will be able to enjoy a vast array of authentic Thai dishes served on top of banana leaves around a large table, traditional Thai familystyle. Dishes on the night will include the renowned son-in-law tofu, which is baked with a sweet tamarind dressing, yellow curry and butterfly pea rice, all finished with a coconut and mango dessert. The event is bring-your-own, so remember to take a bottle.

Tickets: £27.68.

Info: www.barnabasartshouse.co.uk Cupcake Design Course, The Beacon Centre, St. Mellons, Cardiff, Thurs 19 Mar Two-hour course wherein attendees will learn how to use piping nozzles to design delicate, edible flowers, just in time for Mother’s Day. Beginning with the basics of cake design, everyone will be guided through the intricacies of sugarcraft and piping techniques and will finish the workshop with their own bouquet of flower cupcakes. All materials will be provided and there will be a raffle to win a cupcake decorators’ starter kit.

Tickets: £22.50. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

Taking over the kitchen of Blue Honey Local in Roath, Matsudai will be open weekly until early April, from Wednesday to Saturday, and is the prime chance to try everything from miso bowls to tonkotsu to flavoured broths, all made using handmade noodles and toppings. Founder James Chant is a self-proclaimed ramen expert who began his journey by testing recipes on his wife and now is leading a successful pop-up movement. And what’s his tip for the best way to eat ramen? Fast!

Blue Honey Local, Roath, Cardiff, until Sat 4 Apr. Info: www.matsudai.co.uk

THOMAS BY TOM SIMMONS OPENS IN PONTCANNA Chef Tom Simmons, who reached the quarter finals of Masterchef: The Professionals back in 2011, has opened his first restaurant in Wales, taking over the Cameo Club in Pontcanna. Thomas By Tom Simmons serves classy British-French cuisine and occupies a foodie district of the Welsh capital, with Tommy Heaney’s restaurant only a short walk away. While the takeover followed the club’s announcement last year that it was set to close after 20 years, Simmons, from Pembrokeshire, hopes to preserve the former members’ club’s “legendary status” and offer a dining experience akin to his eponymous restaurant in London’s Tower Bridge.

Info: www.thomas-pontcanna.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.

THAI ASIAN DELISH

Central Market, St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2241 7655 / facebook.com/jeebthai Food **** Atmosphere *** For a writer, research is usually a necessary evil. It’s often arduous and tedious.

But occasionally it can be delicious. Suffice to say that visiting Thai Asian Delish three times in three weeks, each time with a different dining partner, all in the interests of sampling as much of the menu as possible, was very much a pleasure rather than a chore.

Reviewing the kitchen in early 2016, shortly after it opened, Cardiff-based food blogger Gourmet Gorro expressed his hope that more street food stalls might follow, rejuvenating the Central Market and helping to attract new visitors. Four years on, it can boast the likes of Ffwrnes, Franks and Noglu, with Anand George’s Indian canteen Dosaa opening soon. Thai Asian Delish may not have the sharp contemporary branding or social media visibility of the recent arrivals, but it can certainly hold its own in their company.

You’ll find it close to the St Mary Street entrance – just listen for the clatter of woks and look out for the queue. Be sure to line up right next to the serving hatch, though, if you want to avoid incurring the wrath of the stallholder opposite.

I’ll be honest: I was smitten from the very first visit, and a beef massamam that was remarkably generous with both meat and sauce. A subsequent garlic and pepper beef just sealed the deal. One companion’s prawn pad ped had a pleasing piquancy (perhaps a liberal interpretation of the one-chilli rating, mind).

Another’s penang looked deceptively similar to a massamam but hit with the sort of fiery heat that coconut milk might have doused, but a Hard Lines coffee couldn’t. Every time we marvelled at the exceptional value for money, with most dishes comfortably under £6.

‘Eating in’ involves perching at a shelf round the back amid the midday market bustle. Even on a chilly day there’s no chance of your dish going cold, though – scoffing rapidly is not a problem. Alternatively, you could take your bounty back to the office in a takeaway tub, but if envious looks could kill, you’d be dead before you could tuck in. BEN WOOLHEAD

THE HELLENIC EATERY

100 Crwys Rd, Cardiff. 029 2132 1600 / www.thehelleniceatery.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere **** Describing itself as “alternative Greek”, The Hellenic Eatery has been a muchloved presence on Cardiff’s Crwys Road since it opened in 2014. Known for friendly service, laidback atmosphere, and incredibly generous portions, it’s a family-run business that’s easy to overlook with its unassuming exterior. By sampling one of their portable pitta wraps, you can get an authentic taste of Greece for as little as £4.50. Or you could slip comfortably into a food coma after one of their meat platters.

On the night in question, my partner and I were after something to line our stomachs before seeing Count Arthur Strong at the Sherman Theatre, which is less than a 15-minute walk away. But after sampling not even a fraction of the menu of this humble (if not humbly named) eatery, we were quite sad to leave.

They specialise in souvlaki, a popular Greek fast food consisting of chunks of meat and vegetables grilled on a skewer (like a kind of sophisticated kebab, essentially – though I expect someone will correct me). Their hard-to-pronounce gyros are made from succulent pork meat roasted on a vertical spit. I had them cwtched up in a pitta bread wrap with chips, tomatoes, onions, and oozing with tzatziki. My vegetarian companion – who tried her best to ignore the fervour with which I savoured every shred of delicious pork – also wolfed down her “I Love Cyprus” wrap, which substituted the meat with salty slabs of halloumi.

To accompany these, we also sampled lemony hummus mopped up with more pitta, scrumptious Greek olives, and a straightforward hunk of briny feta cheese, unadorned except for a pool of Greek olive oil and a sprinkling of oregano. Along with a £14 bottle of respectable house white, we nearly smashed our plates in celebration when we saw the very reasonable bill.

By the time we’re on our way out, the place is bustling with regulars, all of whom can probably pronounce ‘gyros’ correctly. The folks behind this place have also recently opened up a sister restaurant with a similarly grand title – The Athenian Tree – on Cowbridge Road East, which going off a few raving TripAdvisor reviews seems also to be doing quite well. SAM PRYCE

BUZZ 54

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

THE PERFUME SHED Out of a shed in his Cardiff back garden, perfumer Tim Tyson Short composes personalised scents. Each is unique to the client and uses only natural and essential oils, which smell different on everyone, in the place of chemicals. It’s the distillation of a lifelong passion that began in childhood, when he carried incense around as a boat boy in church.

While travelling, Tim would always pick up essential oils and perfume blends from the countries he visited, before they started to pile up at home. He started to become interested in the esoteric art of perfumery, acquiring books and completing courses. Now, he offers consultations where people come to his home and test out different scents, before taking home their own perfume. “It becomes almost like a therapy session!” he says. “Smells are such a big part of our primal brains; they evoke memories.”

Initially, I’m a little sceptical and confess my lack of curiosity in odours and aromas and the like. Too many of those department store fragrances are far too sweet for me. Quietly, he dabs some of his own ‘Sweet Frankie’ perfume (laced with frankincense) on a little strip for me to try. Immediately, I’m transported back to memories of Christmas concerts in school at the local church, overcome with a feeling of childlike happiness. “We call that one Churchy,” he says.

Tim, as you can probably guess, smells very good himself, often wearing his own specially crafted cologne. He frequently gets people coming up to him on the street, eager to discern his scent. “I had a homeless man come up to me and asked, ‘Ooh, that’s a nice perfume – what have you got?’ I told him it was one I’d made myself, and he was like, ‘That’s lovely, man.’ I said, ‘That’s great that you asked.’ And then he told me, ‘People think that we smell, but we sit and smell the whole world go by. Some people smell horrible, but you smell really nice.’ Of course, I had to give him the perfume then.”

Once you catch a heady whiff of one of his aromatic creations, chosen especially for you, it becomes the thing you never knew you wanted.

Info: 07957 305957 / www.theperfumeshed.co.uk

MENTAL STRENGTH: HUMEN SPACE In the UK, 84 men commit suicide every week; 75% of all UK suicides are male.

And, despite these statistics, men only make up 36% of GP referrals. The most atrisk demographic has somehow become the least supported. It’s time that men felt enabled to talk about their mental health.

A new “gym for the mind” in Cardiff, called the HUMEN Space, provides a nonclinical environment for men to talk on a regular basis. Its founder River Hawkins has recently opened the fourth HUMEN Space in the UK, at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre, and is concerned with the way men deal with their own mental health issues and hopes to empower them to gain the confidence to speak.

After seeking therapy for depression, he was turned away from getting further help unless he said he was suicidal. The fact that there are no ‘preventative measures’ to help men before suicide becomes even a passing thought is detrimental to all men suffering in silence. Hawkins’ response was to found HUMEN – a space for men to engage with their own feelings and that of others, in a safe “non-clinical” environment.

“When I was trying to seek talking therapy, I felt like a number,” says River.

“These sessions were in a hospital and I spent the first half ticking boxes.” At HUMEN, everyone is made to feel they can express themselves without being judged. “Often, if people don’t want to talk, they just listen and hear something that unlocks a response, creating this amazing domino effect.

“Boys are taught to reject anything feminised; empathy, compassion, vulnerability – anger is always our go-to,” admits Hawkins. “As men, we have to comply with the outdated notion that we have it all together and, in turn, emotions get downplayed.”

The fact men and boys are taught not to embrace their own vulnerability is perhaps the crux of the issue here. Yet the space offered by this charity proves it’s never too late. The past can’t be changed but maybe we can reach towards a more compassionate future. DAISY GAUNT HUMEN Space: A Gym For The Mind can be found in Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, every Monday from 6.30-7.30pm.

Info: www.wearehumen.org BUZZ 56

Pic: Tim Alban

listings

Inclusion in Buzz listings is free. Send via email (listings@buzzmag.co.uk) or post (220c Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY) by the 17th of the previous month. Buzz takes no responsibility for material sent or any errors made after this date.

recommended *–u – repeated

VA L L E Y A I D The Pop Factory, Porth, Fri 13 + Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: TBC. Info: 01443 687080 / facebook.com/thefactoryvenue As this issue goes to press, two nights of live music are in the process of being arranged by media company Avanti as part of a swift response to the Storm Dennis floods. Dubbed Valley Aid and held in Avanti’s Porth venue The Pop Factory, the opening night on Fri 13 Mar seeks to raise funds for Pontypridd’s Clwb Y Bont, which suffered extensive water damage during the mid-February storms. A long-time supporter of Welsh language music, acts including Bryn Fôn and Huw Chiswell will be performing to support the Ponty venue.

The following day, stars including Manic Street Preachers vocalist James Dean Bradfield, folk-rock soloist/songwriter to the stars Amy Wadge, The Alarm’s Mike Peters and elder statesman of Welsh pop Andy Fairweather Low will appear, with more TBC. Bradfield, ex-Motörhead member Phil Campbell and Queen’s Brian May (who gets his strings from Pontypridd – hot rock trivia for you there) have each donated a signed guitar.

Full lineup and ticket info will be announced on Sun 1 Mar. Valley Aid’s ongoing efforts on this front join other high-profile funding drives by notable figures such as actor Michael Sheen, who has already crowdfunded some £60,000 at press time.

pg 60 pg 62 pg 64 pg 67 pg 74

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 57

art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE

University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. MonSat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / aberystwythartscentre. co.uk 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) Anna Falcini ‘In Between The Folds Are Particles’ New work produced in the course of Falcini’s research into the archives of Welsh painter Gwen John, who died in 1939. (From Mon 16 Mar until Mon 11 May) Hydro Psyche Collaborative exhibition featuring three Welsh artists – Karen Pearce, Dewi Roberts and Liz Pearce – with work including poetic narrative, paintings, mixed-

media, film and photography. (From Mon 23 Mar until Mon 18 May) ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY

Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth. Free. MonFri 10am-5pm. 01970 622467 / www.aber.ac.uk Another Line to Follow Work by June Forster, Rachel Rea, Tom Voyce, Carolyn Wallace and Alysia Webster, all artists connected to the School Of Art. (Until Fri 1 May) A Radical Tradition / Eine Radikale Tradition Heimat Photograph in the Third Reich, featuring work by by Hans Saebens, Hans Retzlaff and Erich Retzlaff.

(Until Fri 1 May) ALBANY GALLERY

74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

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

(Until Sat 7 Mar) Peter Kettle Work resulting from a journey to the Basecamp of Mount Everest, with the aim of tidying some of the litter left there by arseholes.

Said litter has been recycled in these mixed media works, including collage, acrylic and watercolours. (From Thurs 12 Mar until Sat 4 Apr) THE ANDREW BUCHAN

29 Albany Road, Cardiff.

029 2021 2509 / facebook. com/andrewbuchanbar

852690 / artshopandchapel.co.uk

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)

The Printmakers A variety of different print techniques on show by gallery artists plus a few new names, including painters, illustrators and mixed media artists. (Until Sat 11 Apr)

ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHIENIOG)

Canal Wharf, Brecon.

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.

Free. 01874 611622 / enquiries@brycheiniog. co.uk / www.brycheiniog. co.uk Cameron Morgan Multidiscipline artist who has worked with this gallery’s Project Ability programme since 1991, and here shows a body of art produced through it. (From Mon 9 Mar until Thurs 30 Apr) ARCADECAMPFA

Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.305.30pm. arcade-campfa. org University Of South Wales Illustration Students Group showcase. (Until Sun 15 Mar) ArcadeCampfa Studios Show Artists and studio holders Zena Blackwell, Lara Davies, Rhiannon Davies, Richard James and Lucia Jones present recent work. (From Wed 11 Mar until Sun 8 Apr) ART SHOP & CHAPEL

8 Cross Street, Abergavenny. Tue-Sat 9.45am-5pm). Free. 01873

FORTY YEARS ON Newport Museum & Art Gallery, Tue 31 Mar-Sat 4 July Admission: free. Info: 01633 656656 / museum@newport.gov.uk A college reunion with a difference, in that this one has a nobler purpose beyond getting one over on an old rival or committing adultery, Forty Years On is the brainchild of artist Neil Carroll and seeks to highlight the career paths of 37 of his onetime peers at Newport College Of Art. Carroll, like most of those featured here, graduated in 1980 and has developed into a highly regarded landscape painter. Other Newport College alumni that year, though, include travel photographer Cathy Cooper [pictured], bespoke chair maker Philip Cumpstone, pop vocalist of an extremely 80s flavour (Then Jerico backing singer, anyone?) Bari Goddard and Graham Bebbington, who got his break in animation with SuperTed in the early 80s and touched up Space Jam and Fantasia in the following decade.

BUZZ 58

ATTIC GALLERY

37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Sat 10am4pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk The Royal Watercolour Society Of Wales Showcase exhibition. (Until Sat 7 Mar) Sian McGill Featured artist within a a continuous and changing mixed group show (note – starting with this exhibition, this format is going to be the standard one for this gallery). (From Sat 14 Mar until Sat 4 Apr) 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 Francisco Rodríguez Painter’s debut exhibition in Wales, referencing animations and Japanese drawings as well as post-impressionist work. Displayed in the bar area. (From Sat 14 Mar until Thurs 21 May) Mel Brimfield ‘From This World, To That Which Is To Come’ Three major multimedia works, again a Welsh debut and looking at the role mental health plays in one’s daily lives. (From Sat 21 Mar until Sun 10 May) CHEPSTOW MUSEUM

Gwy House, Bridge Street, Chepstow. Daily 11am4pm. Free. 01291 625981 / www.monmouthshire.gov. uk/chepstow-museum 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. (Throughout March) CRAFT IN THE BAY

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

029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales. org.uk Standing Still – A Shared Aesthetic Work by artists Nick Davies, Sasha Kingston and Jayne Walker, who share inspiration for their artworks from the erosion and weathering of the local coastline. (From

Sat 14 Mar until Sun 10 May) Lyndsey Mann Contemporary jewellery showcase. (From Sat 14 Mar until Sun 10 May) CULTVR LAB

327 Penarth Road, Cardiff.

Viewings by appointment.

Free. 07910 491565 / cultvr.cymru Raquel Garcia ‘Nightcall’ Photographic work features suburban landscapes from places including Cardiff, Montreal, Hong Kong and Norway, all using long exposures at night. (Throughout March) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE

226 Stow Hill, Newport.

Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Tom Sloan ‘Miles From Home’ Paintings of Pembrokeshire and Newport (the one this arts centre is in, not Newport in, er, Pembrokeshire), from a Tenby-based artist. (Until Sun 22 Mar) 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 Hilary Barry ‘Pit Girls’ Head and shoulder portraits of women who worked at local coal pits, based on William Clayton’s photographs. (From Tue 3 Mar until Sun 31 May) Open Art 2020 Exhibition featuring amateur and professional artists alike. (From Tue 17 Mar until Sun 14 June) ELYSIUM GALLERY

210 High Street, Swansea.

Tue-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www.elysiumgallery.com Bourdon Brindille ‘Breakage And Repair’ Swansea-based artist with an installation in Gallery 3 here, influenced by kintsugi, a Japanese art philosophy that advocates “replacing broken pottery with gold”.

(Until Sat 18 Apr) Drawing The Figure: A Collective Activity Work created in the life drawing classes at this gallery over the past eight months. (Until Sat 18 Apr) Mark Folds ‘Crises’ Scultpural responses to the concept of a crisis. See Art for more. (Until Sat 18 Apr) Bench Marks Exhibition of work by memebrs of homeless charity Crisis.

(Until Sat 25 Apr) 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. (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.

(Until Tue 17 Mar) FOUNTAIN FINE ART

Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. MonSat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www.fountainfineart.com All Creatures Great And Small A celebration of the animal kingdom in painting and sculpture from artists including Penelope Timmis, Seren Bell, Rachel Ricketts, Louise Brown, Keza Rudge and Jessica R Townsend.

(Until Sat 28 Mar) FUTURES GALLERY / ORIEL GALLERY

Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead. org Phrame Collective ‘Everywoman’ Marking International Women’s Day on Sun 8 Mar, this exhibition by members of south Wales photography collective Phrame elebrates women’s work that otherwise might go unnoticed. (Until Wed 25 Mar) G39

Oxford Street, Roath, Cardiff. Wed-Sat 11am5.30pm. Free. 029 2047 3633 / post@g39.org Rat Trap Cardiff-based artist collective who’ve done a few things round town and debut in this gallery.

Multimedia work from Aled Simons, Carlota Nóbrega, Cybi Williams, Dylan Huw, Elin Meredydd, Ella Jones, Gweni Llwyd, Hugo Brazão, Inês Brites, Jennifer Taylor, L. Barron, Mark Hicken, Molly Sinclair-Thomson & Rhys Aneurin. (Until Sat 29 Mar) 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

ideological positions”. (From Fri 6 until Sat 28 Mar)

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. (Until Sat 14 Mar) Katherine Jones Contemporary pen and ink drawings of Welsh landmarks by an architectural artist. (From Tue 17 Mar until Sat 25 Apr) Linda Beech Wall-hung and freestanding driftwood sculptures inspired by nearby places of interest. (From Tue 17 Mar until Sat 25 Apr)

33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@ kingstreetgallery.co.uk

THE GATE

Keppoch Street, Roath,

KING STREET GALLERY

Members New Year Exhibition A new selection of works by gallery members, able to purchase. (Until Sat 7 Mar) Joe Frowen ‘One Year On’ Ceramics from an artistr who won first prize at the 2018 Graduate Show at this gallery. (From Fri 27 Mar until Wed 1 Apr) LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE

St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Richard Cox ‘Dreams From Detroit’ Drawings, prints and photos detail-

GS Artists (formerly Galerie Simpson) in Swansea shows a body of work by Anja Stenina, who is from Latvia but lives locally, from Fri 6-Sat 28 Mar. It’s about the increasingly binary and polarised nature of discourse, political debate etc.

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

Alexandra Rd, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Free.

01792 516900 / www. swansea.gov.uk/ glynnvivian 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) GS ARTISTS

217 High Street, Swansea.

Tue-Sat 12-4pm. Free.

07714 327523 / galeriesimpsonswansea. com Anja Stenina ‘You Know What I Mean’ Swanseabased fine artist from Latvia whose work (NB I’ve picked out the least ‘academic jargon’ bit of the blurb here) “explores the breakdown of communication between

ing the design evolution of American cars from the 1950s to 1970s. (Until Sat 21 Mar) Pete Williams ‘Terra Incognita’ Illustrations from Cardiffbased printmaker Williams, created in response to Arthur Machen’s novel The Three Imposters. (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. (Until Sat 21 Mar) Daphne & Molly Jewellery showcase from a duo who combine traditional silversmithing with modern design. (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.

(Until Sat 21 Mar) Ketch Landscapes in oil and mixed media on canvas, by a Cwmbran painter and displayed in the Cafe Gallery here. (Until Sat 21 Mar) M.A.D.E. GALLERY

41 Lochaber St, Cardiff.

Wed-Sat 10am-6pm. Free.

029 2047 3373 / facebook. com/cardiffmade 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. (Until Sun 8 Mar) Kyriacos Asprou ‘‘Fy Nghymru / My Wales’ Photography show featuring images created during a five-month period of travelling around Wales. (From Thurs 12 until Sat 28 Mar) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY

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

029 2064 1411 / mtg@ artwales.com Peter Prendergast Some 25 paintings and drawings, all for sale, from one of Wales’ most esteemed landscape painters. (From Wed 11 Mar until Thurs 2 Apr) 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 featuring 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) Chris Bird-Jones & Malcolm Glover ‘Breathe’ Collaborative art-film created from video portraits taken during a research visit to the Indian city of Firozabad. (From Tue 24 Mar until Sat 6 June) Nathan Jarvis Work displayed on the Print Wall here, combining illustration and fine art in the mediums of print, drawing and painting. (From Wed 25 Mar until Sat 6 June) Samantha Silverton Maker In Focus show featuring ceramic collages and assemblages inspired by the landscape.

(From Wed 25 Mar until Sat 6 June) 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 Imagine A Castle: Paintings From The National Gallery, London Six National Gallery European Old Master paintings featuring castles and fortresses, touring venues around the UK until early 2021. (Until Sun 10 May) Martin Parr ‘In Wales’ Final of three linked photographic exhibitions, showcasing Parr’s Walesbased documentary work stretching back to the 1980s.

(Until Mon 4 May) NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM

Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am5pm. Free. 029 2057 3600/ museum.wales/swansea 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. (Until Sun 10 May) Ysgol Pen-YBryn Exhibition celebrating 10 years with this school, featuring past projects as well as their latest work.

(From Sat 28 Mar until Sat 28 June) NEWPORT MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

John Frost Square, Newport.Tue-Fri 9.30am-

5.30pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm.

Free. 01633 656656 / museum@newport.gov.uk Forty Years On See Upfront for more on this exhibition with a neat premise: bringing together Newport College Of Art graduates and tutors from (mostly) 1980 and showcasing what they’ve been up to since. In some cases fairly impressive stuff, including photographer David Hurn, poet Gillian Clarke, someone who did a Mike Oldfield album cover and (here’s the big’un) the special FX guy on Space Jam. (From Tue 31 Mar until Sat 4 July) 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) Borth Art Group A diverse group of artists living and working in Borth and Ynyslas using a variety of media and techniques. (From Tue 10 Mar until Mon 18 May) 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 Phil Clark ‘At The

Water’s Edge’ Monoprints, etchings, drypoints and screen prints, largely depicting waterside locations despite Clark living in Brecon. (From Tue 3 until Mon 30 Mar) 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. (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) Speak To Me... Work resulting from a weekly group for Syrian and Sudanese refugees now living in this region, native speakers taking creative writing workshops, and graphic artists who made posters based on the conversations that took place in these meetings.

(From Mon 23 Mar until Fri 1 May) QUEEN STREET GALLERY

Queen Street, Neath.

Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. Free.

01639 631081 / www. queenstreetgalleryneath. co.uk Felix Akulw ‘Towards The Light’ New abstract paintings by an artist who also works under his real name, Andrew Wluka. Not sure why the pseudonym.

(From Sat 7 until Sat 28 Mar) REDHOUSE

Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil.

BUZZ 59

Free. 01685 384111 / info@redhousecymru. com Alan Salisbury Postmodern figurative paintings using European art historical references with narrative, humour and irony.

(Until Sat 28 Mar) TACTILEBOSCH LOUNGE

Capitol Shopping Centre, Queen Street, Cardiff.

Daily 9am-7pm. Free. www.tactilebosch.co.uk Concentric International Women’s Day-related show with work from Jacqueline Alkema, Pip Barrett, Tess Gray, Penny Hallas, Leona Jones, Kay Keogh, Charlotte Morgan, Temmah, Patricia Ziad and Dinah Vagina.

(From Mon 2 until Fri 20 Mar) 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). (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. (Until Sat 7 Mar) In The Kitchen An exhibition whose theme is explained by its title, is the impression I get. (From Fri 13 Mar until Sat 18 Apr) VOLCANO THEATRE

Skorohoda, Benesek Monk, Demian Johnston, Ellie Day, Jeremy Gluck, Melissa Rodrigues, Mitja Zupanc, Owain Sparnon, Scott Mackenzie, Tomos Sparnon and Zoe Mills. (From Fri 13 until Fri 20 Mar) What Are You Doing Here?

Group show featuring Alicja Bronowska (sculpture and painting, I think), Julie Brunskill (sculpture), Jess Parry (painting) and Alina Skorohoda (mixed media).

(From Mon 23 Mar until Mon 6 Apr) WATERLOO TEA

5 Waterloo Gardens, Cardiff. Free. 029 2045 6073 / www.waterlootea. com Ellie Sykes ‘Protein’ Cartoonish pieces from Cardiff illustrator.

(Throughout March) WATERLOO TEA

41 Wellfield Road, Cardiff.

Free. 029 2019 5071 / www.waterlootea.com John Briggs ‘Walking Cardiff’ A selection of images from a recently published book by Peter Finch, working with photographer Briggs. (From Mon 2 until Mon 22 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. (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. (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)

27-29 High Street, Swansea. Mon-Fri 10am4pm. Free. 01792 464790 / www.volcanotheatre.co.uk

clubs

Axe Head Collective ‘I Have The Biggest Heart In The World But...’ Group show featuring the following Swansea College Of Art alumni: Alina

57- 59 Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth. 01970 617878 / facebook.com/ theangelinnaber

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THE ANGEL INN

Sat 7 Ymuno 11pm-4am, £3. House and techno from Conan, Dan & Jay, El Choop, Etien, Reg, Bryn and Freerotation’s Suzybee on VJ duties.

Fri 3 Apr Shockwave Sounds: Gabberystwyth 11pm-4am, £4. You (probably) guessed it, this is a night of gabber – plus tek, Frenchcore, donk, dubstep and drum’n’bass – with DJs Hanwe, J-Rich, Dysfunction, Sherpa and Thirdyear b2b Keys.

THE ARCH

11 Commercial Street, Neath. 01639 646090 / jack.thearchneath@gmail. com Sat 14 Breach 10pm-4am.

Techno from Blap (live set) plus DJs Lee Gray, Phil Williams, Andrew Powell and Matthew Hart. Sat 21 Newtown 9pm-4am. Argy headlines a night of house, jackin’ house, funky house and techno.

BAMBU BEACH BAR

51 Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 651651 / www. bambu-bar.co.uk Sat 4 Apr My House 6pm-4am, £15-£25. Day and night party headlined

by Lovely Laura with Ben Santiago.

BAROQUE

18 Windsor Road, Penarth.

029 2070 8220 / www. baroque-penarth.co.uk Fri 6 Circle Eight 10pm-3.30am, £5/£4 adv/ free before 11. Drum’n’bass from DJs Stuss, Aktik, T.Bone, Razor, Apollo, Pabz, Joe Blow, Bason, Ejay and Lowgli, plus MCs Ewhy Easy, Vizable, Tempz, RC, 4Dee and Pablow. This venue seems to be one of these newjack gin bars so not sure how a load of rowdy jungle mooks will fit in.

BARRY ISLAND SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB

11 Redbrink Crescent, Barry. 01446 735173 / www.barryislandssc.co.uk Sat 28 Northern Soul Island 2nd Anniversary 6.30pm-12.30am, £4. DJs Tim Hayhoe (West Wilts Soul Club, Paul Davies, Sarah Caple, Paul Roberts and Laurence Cullen with vinyl-only sets of 60s oldies, 70s modern, crossover and 60s R&B. BLIND TIGER

49 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 243500.

Sat 7 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. Sat 14 Fixate 10pm-5am.

Techno from Argy, Just Jesus, Madame Twisted, Dan Waite and J-Tech.

Fridays Apollo 11pm, £3-£5. House, techno and bass music with Beekay and Phil Koncept. Saturdays Re:work 11pm, £5.

Underground and cutting edge club music promised.

THE BUNKHOUSE

24 Park Street, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk Fri 20 Free Rave: D&B vs Bassline 10pm-6am, £5/£4 adv/£3 before 12/free before 11 with guestlist.

DJ sets from Teagle, Robbo, Stone, Chancey, Spoon, Replicait, Chiron, Madconcepts, Kyro and Boov. Fri 27 Dogruff 10pm-5am, £10-£15. Techno locals with their first bash of 2020, featuring sets from Carl H, John Shima, Shuan Edwards, Mikki James, Luke Tainton and Alex Taylor.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION

Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com Fri 6 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. Fri 27 Bedlam 10pm-5am, £16 adv. Under the banner of My Nu Leng & M8s, who are MC Dread, Friction & Linguistics, Mantra, Alexisitry and Redlight.

Wednesdays YOLO 9pm2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11. Midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers.

Good name, really on trend.

Saturdays Juice 10pm3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop.

CHAPEL 1877

Churchill Way, Cardiff.

029 2022 2020 / www. chapel1877.com Fri 6 Decadence International Women’s Day Celebration 7pm2am, £10 adv. Dance to female-fronted music and raise money for Women’s Aid at this event, which is aimed at lesbians and bisexual women.

CLUB LOGIC

12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.clublogicswansea. co.uk/ Sat 7 Logic XtraHard 3rd Birthday 6pm-6am, from £10. A full half-day of hard dance with a lineup

including Spanish hardcore DJ Lady Dammage, Halestone, Natski, Ed ET, Faze 2, Jason P & Rob Rees, Mad Dog, D Grove, Corruptor, Odd-S-E, Ryan Rees & Martin Rogers and hosts Shocker, Venom and K-Ner. Fri 13 Deck Devils 9pm-4am, £3/free before 12.

Hard dance from D Grove, MWB, Trixta, Ryan Rees & Martin Rogers, Jay P and DJ Dolly. Sat 4 Apr Logic & RN Events 9pm-6am, from £10. Trance from Giuseppe Ottaviani, Maria Healy, Big Al, Jonny Griffiths, John Hughes, Rob Rees, Andrew Butty Davies and more TBC. Fridays Open Mic Night 9pm-4am. 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 Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-4am, free. House,

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. Saturdays Guilty Pleasures v Meze Memories 9pm-5am. Until midnight: party bangers and secret pleasures weith DJ Matt Smooth. Until 5am: rock, indie and alternative as used to be played in the Meze Lounge over 100 years ago.

COURTYARD

48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Breach are some new techno promoters in Neath, debuting on Sat 14 at the Arch. Live hardware duo BLAP headline with an undoubted stoater of a set, with four other DJs joining them on the bill. house & bass and techhouse 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 28 James Hype 11.30pm5am, £10-£20. With a headline set from a Liverpool DJ mainly known for remixes of contemporary pop hits.

CLWB IFOR BACH

Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Fri 13 Get Funky 11pm4am, £10 adv. Fourth birthday night for these promoters, with headliner Demuja from Australia playing a three-hour sets of (what sounds like) ‘proper’ deep house. Thurs 19 Suddenly Funk 10pm3am, £4-£8. Yet another deeply naff looking touring club njght with disco/ funk/house DJ sets from Putri Mai, Mr Valentine, Jomo and Lleu plus various added attractions (decorations, glitter, face painting, your own mother on hand to breastfeed you etc). Tuesdays Nuke

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.

Saturdays Mista Ifsta’s Block Party Dance/ commercial music as part of a multi-venue deal. Sun 29 Eclipse 6.30-9.30pm, £2 adv. Monthly club night aimed at adults with additional needs, plus their friends, family and carers.

THE DEPOT

Williams Way, Cardiff. 029 2034 1199 / depotcardiff. com Sun 15 Big Fish Little Fish x Camp Bestival 2-4.30pm, £7.50 adv/free pre-walkers. The return of this parent-and-toddler afternoon rave, featuring DJ sets from Boy Azooga and Super Furry Animals’ Huw Bunford, plus a craft area with some kind of Bestival tie-in.

EDDIES

4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 779595 / www.eddies.co

Fri 27 Mad Ting 9pm-4am, from £10 adv.

Drum’n’bass from Kmotionz, 4K, Mackay, Araka Dre, One_Z, Saunders, Sinnergy, Harlem and Intenzive Sound.

EXIT 7

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mary Ann St, Cardiff. 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff. co.uk/restaurant/exitseven Sat 7 WunderGround 9pm-3am, £10 adv. Techno, house and trance from Madame Twisted, RealRay, Tom Ashton, Smudge and more TBC. Described as “an alternative to the commercial EDM and r’n’b that is currently on offer in most nightclubs in the city” but is largely vague about what this alternative might be.

FICTION & VINYL

The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub. co.uk/swansea Mondays Quids In 10.45pm-2.30am, £3.50/£2 before 11. Chart, cheese, r’n’b, dance and house. Mon 2 is a Krispy Kreme Party, where you can pull out each other’s weaves to get yourself one of these overrated doughnuts. 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 6 is titled Retro Flashback and has things like a ballpit and arcade machines.

Saturdays Agenda 10.30pm-3am, £3.50/£2 before 1. Fiction: house, r’n’b, EDM. Vinyl: pop and party.

THE FLOURMILL

56 High Street, Blackwood.

01495 707333 / theflourmill.uk Sat 7 Club Anthems 8pm-2am, free. With headline DJ Big Al. Sat 14 Rock Da House 8pm, free. With headline DJ Desi Jones.

FRONTAL LOBE WAREHOUSE

Unit G, St Catherines Park, Cardiff. otis@ flevents.co.uk / www. flwarehouse.co.uk Sat 21 Jungle Cakes 10pm-4am, £10-£15.

Drum’n’bass sorta kinda but not exactly with Ed Solo, Deekline AND Serial Killaz (those three playing b2b), Jessi G and Buckfast Boys Club.

FUEL

5 Womanby Street, Cardiff.

07970 063107 / facebook. com/fuelcardiff Thurs 19 Havoc 7pm2am, £5 adv. Three live bands (see Live Music listings) followed by DJs playing alternative, ‘guilty pleasures’ and more, with Benji from Skindred the guest on this inaugural night. 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 Fri 6 Swiftogeddon 9pm-2am, £7. Taylor Swiftthemed club night. Sat 7 Club Tropicana 9pm2am, £6. Eighties club night which is a Wham! special this month.

HANGAR 18

50 Plymouth Street, Swansea. 07984 664008 / facebook.com/hangar18mv Sat 7 + Sat 4 Apr Dead Of Night 9pm-3am, £3.

Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month. Fri 20 Attached 10pm-4am, from £5 adv. Drum’n’bass from Mr Traumatik & DJ Frenzee, clearly not content with their two February dates in this region (and one in Cardiff’s Vale Warehouse on Fri 3 Apr), plus more TBC. Described on the poster as a “multi-genre showcase” FYI. Sat 28 Higher State Of Trance 10pm-3am, £3/£2 NUS. Trance classics from April Maizie, Tim McCarthy, Andrew Butty Davies and more TBC. Fri 3 Apr Oysterteeth 10pm4am, from £8 adv. Breaks and bass (not sure what people mean when they say this nowadays TBH) from Benton, Hamdi, Mulla and Tespres.

HAVERHUB

12 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. haverhub. org.uk Fri 6 + Fri 4 Apr 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 Rhymes Of The Time 5-10.30pm, £5/£4 for entrants. Hip-hop and grime MC competition, with both freestyle and pre-written categories. Wed 18 Lyoness 7pm, free.

Monthly drum’n’bass session in the bar.

INKSPOT

The Old Church, Newport Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 0254 / www. inkspotartsandcrafts.com Fri 3 Apr Infinite Presents Carpe Noctem 10pm-4am, £10 adv. New night of acid techno bosh headlined by Stay Up Forever stalwart Sterling Moss plus the Suss Twins, Madame Twisted, Miss Mayhem and Zeno. See Clubs.

JACOB’S MARKET

West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939. *Fri 6 Haws 10pm-5am, £15 adv. Cardiff debut for Call Super, plus locals Tywi and Pi-Singer. Good booking. see Clubs. Sat 21 Teak 10pm-5am, £12 adv. House and disco from Budino, David J Bull and James Teak. This is the promoters’ sixth birthday.

KONGS

114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2064 4114 / info@kongsbars.com / www.kongsbars.com Thurs 5 House Of Rhythm 10pm-3am, £10 adv. Bileld as “A celebration and discovery of all that is hip-hop” with sets from Skunkadelic and DJ Proper Soul. There are also workshops on street art and breakdance beforehand, from 6-8pm, and you can get combo tickets for both parts for £15. Fri 6 Locally Sauced 10pm-3am, £5-£8.

Various DJs from the area give you house and techno etc: Douvelle19, Arthur Dudley, Jake Cornford b2b Emyr (Rotary Club) and James Lacey (Pointless Radio) b2b Ben Hunter (City Bass). Sat 21 Drwm Collective 10pm-3am, from £6. Drum’n’bass from Critical Impact, MC XL and more TBC. Fri 27 Team Up! 10pm-3am, from £3.

Emo and pop-punk type night which will be here on the last Friday of every month ‘going forward’. *Sat 28 Bitch, Please!

10pm-3am, £5-£10. Queer/ ballroom house promoters from Bristol with a “Cardiff takeover” as they call it, with DJs Kofi Tarris, Butch Queen, Clare James and Rob Walker. See Clubs. Fri 3 Apr RawSynth 10pm-3am, £7-£14. Drum’n’bass from Shimon b2b Leaf, Nectax and more TBC. LABYRINTH

13 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 760680 / www. labyrinthbar.com Sat 7 Mar Squash

PERC Westgate Hotel, Newport, Sat 28 Mar Tickets: £8. Info: 0151 2074496 / percclub@gmail.com Pleasing confluence of countercultural entities a-go-go, as the first party in nearly a year for Perc – Newport ravers consistently looking for unusual spaces and upholding the 90s party spirit when others in the city have melted away – takes place at the Westgate Hotel on Stow Hill. This building is historically significant for being the location of the murder of 22 Chartist marchers in 1839, but fell into disrepair in recent years; volunteers spruced it up in time for November 2019’s Newport Rising festival, though, and it’s now suitable for jollies like this. Starting in the smaller Bar 22 round teatime and cranking out big room techno and classic house in the ornate main ballroom until 3am, Paul Blandford [pictured], Owen Kilby, Richie Moulton and Jon Williams are tonight’s DJs. Records 90s Free Rave 10pm-2am, free.

Drum’n’bass all night from Vex-T, ProfessorJo, Arkala Dre b2b One_Z, Sinnergy, Illustrate and Bricksuit. Sat 21 Get Funk’d Part 2 9pm-2am, free. Funky house from Mark Muller, DJ Obelix, Doghouse Al and more TBC. LE PUBLIC SPACE

High Street, Newport.

01633 221477 / www. lepublicspace.co.uk Fri 6 Busta Move 11pm3am, free. General purpose funky music from the 60s to the 80s, going by the names on the poster. Here on the first Friday of each month.

THE LOOK OUT

Heol Porth Teigr, Cardiff.

Bay. 07395 109055 / lookoutbar.cardiff@gmail. com Sat 28 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.

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.

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 10.30pm-4am, 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 Sat 21 Electronic Producers Showcase 6pm, free. Monthly live tunes/showcase type night.

Wed 25 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. Sat 28 Dig Deep For Denny & Marley 7pm-4am, pay by donations. Drum’n’bass and garage night raising money for two children’s cancer operations in the USA. Performing: DJ Billa, Triz, Missy G, Apollo, Lubi J, Ransom, Becky Cee, Kontact, Miss HD, Tamika, D-Sia, Deliquent and Delta Victor. Sat 4 Apr Urban Dun Differently 6pm, free. Hip-hop showcase showcase featuring a lineup TBC. 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.

OCEAN ARTS CARDIFF

Unit 2, East Moors Business Park, East Moors Rd, Cardiff Bay. 029 2132 0030 / www. oceanartscardiff.co.uk Fri 13 All Accessible Club Nights 7.30-11.30pm, £3/free for carers. In the BUZZ 61

venue’s words, a gentle club night with music, a bar and chillout area, accessible toilet and friendly staff. Also open to under-18s until 9pm. Next event is on Fri 1 May. PATTI PAVILION

Mumbles Road, Swansea.

01792 475444.

Sat 28 Boiler Room: Bass & Percs 10pm-4am, £12 adv. This seems to be co-promoted by various local types but is a touring session by ‘streaming DJ set’ moguls Boiler Room. Not sure of the lineup. Also in Cardiff Bay’s Vaults on Fri 13 this month.

PENARTH EX-SERIVCEMEN’S CLUB

69 Windsor Road, Penarth. 029 2070 7530 / penarthexservicemensclub. co.uk Sat 14 Mar Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm-12am, £4 adv. A night of classic soul, northern soul etc.

Further 2020 dates are Sat 16 May, Sat 18 July, Sat 12 Sept and Sat 14 Nov. PITCHER & PIANO

Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com Fri 27 Avalon 8pm-2am, from £4 adv. Manchesterbased eclectic house DJ Hidden Spheres is the special guest here, with other DJs TBC. 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 10pm3am. 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 BUZZ 62

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 Sat 7 Inside Out presents Wiley 10pm-3am, £8 adv. Here as part of a tour called Back To The Village.

No idea what this’ll be like, to be fair I could see it being more ‘classically’ Wiley than when he’s touring with a band or whatever. Fri 27 The K-Pop UV Party 10pm-3am, from £1. “K-Club aims to bring you the hottest KPOP themed club nights in the UK starting with our Nexus Tour. Join us for a night of dancing, singing and appreciating everything KPOP”. Mondays Quids In Cardiff 10pm-3am, £5/£3 before 12/£1 with guestlist. Featuring £1 drinks all night and free McDonalds. Mon 2 has a special guest appearance from Fatman Scoop, who is at the Motorpoint Arena earlier in the evening. 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.

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 13 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 Fri 6 Bassline 10pm-4am, £10. Drum’n’bass headlined

by Kanine and Indika. See Clubs. Sat 14 Rise &

Heft: Skankandbass 10pm-4am, £10 adv.

Drum’n’bass headlined by S.P.Y and 1991, with Rise and Heft residents also in the main room; room 2 is hosted by Twisted Roots. Fri 20 Treatment & Cure 10pm-4am, from £10. With a headline set from house fella Mella Dee. Sat 21 Bassline 10pm-4am, £10.

Jump-up drum’n’bass headlined by Manchester’s Bou. Fri 3 Apr Bassline 10pm4am, £15. Drum’n’bass headlined by High Contrast.

Saturdays Sink 10pm3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South Tuesdays Hustle 10pm-3am, £3/£2 before 12.

Motown, r’n’b and hip-hop.

Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3. Student night.

SODA

St Mary Street, Cardiff.

029 2037 3363 / facebook. com/sodacardiff Mon 2 Throwback Parties Part One 9pm3am, £4-£10. DJs Monique B, DJT and Jigga play 90s and 00s r’n’b, hiphop, house and garage.

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 playing various music.

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. 10pm3am. Student night across four rooms, poached back from Pryzm who I guess poached it from some other crap student club. Fridays Antisocial 11pm-4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. Weekly student night with special guests.

Saturdays Iconic 11pm4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. R’n’b, hip-hop, house etc.

SURGE

20 Market Street, Abertillery. facebook.com/ surgenightclub Sat 7 Biometric 7pm1am, £10/£7 before 9.

Techno and hard dance from Swankie DJ, Alter:Ego (change your name), Jamie ‘Tiktok’ Taylor, Vishaun & Trampy, Toad, Eyes Crossed and Scott Sandercock & Shane Aubrey.

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 Fri 20 Holi Party 11pm3am, £8/£5 early bird. That thing which originated in India where people chuck tons of powder paint over each other. It would be wrong of me to imply that Tiger Tiger’s version of it will be reductive and disrespectful, though, as it has not yet taken place. 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 10pm-3am, £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.

TRAMSHED

Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Fri 21 Mungo’s Hi Fi Soundsystem 9pm, £11.

Dub reggae festival faves with guests MC Gardna and local live funk types Afro Cluster. Fri 3 Apr Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago 7pm, £23.50 adv. A sax player and DJ respectively.

I assume this will be akin to their usual club appearances (such as Bambu in Swansea tomorrow) but maybe not as it starts earlier and is pricier.

VALE WAREHOUSE

Cambria House, Penarth Road, Cardiff. 07955 270870 / info@ valewarehouse.com Sat 7 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. Fri 3 Apr Astro Pack 10pm-4am, £20-£35.

Garage and drum’n’bass

over two rooms and on an RC1 soundsystem, with guests Sir Spyro, Heartless Crew, Mr Traumatik, BassLayerz, MC Local, Conrad Stone, Belji Wild, Dubmatt, Dubzta’s Diff Showcase with Shannyshan b2b Lubi J, Benny Bootleg, Raudi TT b2b Leightdon, Supa Darkaz, PKT, Jaydee, E Why Easy, Yaz Mean, Smoke, Ezrah, Luke RV, Slim Teng, Stickylemons and some DJ competition winners.

THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE

The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www. vaultspresents.com Fri 13 Boiler Room: Bass & Percs 10pm-4am, £10 adv. This seems to be co-promoted by various local types but is a touring session by ‘streaming DJ set’ moguls Boiler Room. Not sure of the lineup. Also in Swansea’s Patti Pavilion on Sat 28 this month. Fri 27 Vaults Presents 10pm5am, from £10 adv. With a three-hour headline set from Euro techno big pumper Chris Leibing, who was here about two years ago I think, plus support TBC. Sat 28 DnB Allstars 10pm-5am, £18 adv. Drum’n’bass from DJ Hazard, Bou (also in Swansea’s Sin City this month), Sub Zero, AC13 and more TBC. WESTGATE HOTEL

Stow Hill, Newport. 0151 2074496 / percclub@ gmail.com Sat 28 Perc 6pm-3am, £8 adv/£5 early bird. Newport techno specialists with their first party in a while, held in an until recently derelict hotel which was revived last year by the people behind the Newport Rising festival.

Cool. Paul Blandford, Owen Kilby, Richie Moulton and Jon Williams are the DJs. 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.

Fri 13 Killing Moon 1-pm, £3 adv. New wave, indie, postpunk, goth etc.

Recently relocated from 10

Feet Tall and now resident here possibly. 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. MonFri + 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.

Yoga Classes Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12.30-1.15pm + 6-7pm.

Info 029 2087 7959. Drop-in classes.

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. 6.157.30pm, £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.

Life Drawing Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 6-8pm, £10 adv. Info 01873 852690.

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-CaeGurwen. 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. uSeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour National Museum Cardiff (pickup point). 9am-5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine.

Info 029 2022 7227 / www. seewales.com. Tuesdays and Fridays: Mines & Mountains, visiting Big Pit Mining Museum and Brecon Beacons National Park.

Wednesdays and Saturdays: Romans & Ruins, visiting Caerleon, Caerwent, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley, Abbey Mill Craft Centre and Raglan Castle. Thursdays and Sundays: Golden Gower, visiting the Gower, Swansea Bay, Parc-Le-Breos, the Dylan Thomas Centre and more.

Uplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

12.30-1.30pm, £5/£4. Info 01874 611622.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Crafty Cuppa Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 10am-12pm, £3. Info 01443 490390.

Creative coffee mornings led by tutor Rhian and the Artis Community Team. Price includes refreshments and art materials.

EVERY THURSDAY

FAN Group Meeting Cardiff Central Library.

5.30pm, free. Info www. thefancharity.org. Meet new people, make friends and get

to know your neighbours.

Learn To Roller Skate Cardiff Central Youth Club, Cardiff. 6-7.30pm, £4/£40 for eight weeks at two sessions per week. Info www. brawlers.co.uk. With Cardiff roller derby team Tiger Bay Brawlers; fully coached and with veteran skater lead.

Also on every Sunday.

Mid Wales Dance Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219.

Singing For Lung Health Bridges Centre, Drybridge House, Monmouth. 11am-12pm, £3. Info 03000 555555. New singing group set up by the British Lung Foundation and open to anyone living with a lung condition.

Yoga First Floor, 3 Assembly Square, Britannia Quay, Cardiff Bay. 12.301.15pm, £5. Info elliecoptor@hotmail.com. With Mat Roblin.

EVERY FRIDAY

English Conversation Group For Advanced Adult Learners 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.

Rhiwbina Farmers Market The Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina. 10am-1pm, 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. 9.30am-1pm, free.

Info 029 2022 7982.

EVERY SUNDAY

Come Down Sundays Quiz Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, £1 to play. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Draw Somebody’s Sunday Body Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 1.303.30pm, £7.50. Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model.

Learn To Roller Skate Cardiff Central Youth Club, Cardiff. 12-1pm, £3/£40 for eight weeks at two sessions per week. Info www. brawlers.co.uk. Uncoached session hosted by Tiger Bay Brawlers.

Riverside Farmers’ Market Fitzhammon Embankment, Cardiff. 10am2pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982. Always worth a trip.

Sunday Board Games Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Weekly session featuring a mixture

of competitive and cooperative games.

SUNDAY 1 MARCH

Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. uCraft Fayre Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. Free. Info 029 2087 7959. Handcrafted products made in Wales, also on Sat 14 and Sun 15. uGlynn Vivian Youth Group Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Young people aged 16-24 are invited to create, connect and chat about art and the world around us. Every Sunday this month.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Paget Rooms, Penarth.

11am-12.30pm, £1.50/kids free. Info 07760 802088.

Featuring 28 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and childrens items.

National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Music, craft, a twmpath and more.

St David’s Day Run Bute Park, Cardiff. 9am-1pm, £24 to enter/free to spectate.

Info office@invncbl.co.uk.

In aid of Kidney Wales and organised by Invincibl.

TedxCardiff Cardiff University School Of Journalism, Media & Culture. 10.30am-4.30pm, £25 adv. Info tedxcardiff. co.uk. Talks by Gina Rippon, Judah Armani, Juha Kaakinen, Kate Arden, Cathey Hawley and Jon Alexander. Sold out though.

MONDAY 2 MARCH

uDinky Donkey Walking Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £35/£25 under-17s. Info 01874 749092. Spend a couple of hours with a pair of Miniature Mediterranean

St Mellons Council Hub in Cardiff is the not-especiallygrimey venue for a talk on ‘how to be an independent grime artist’ on Sat 7. It’s part of a scheme aiming to get teens into creative pursuits, and features MC Blakie and the head of the No Hats No Hoods label. uLeather Journal

Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

10.30am-12.30pm, £25 per day. Info larkdesignmake@ gmail.com. Hosted by Lark Design Make. On tomorrow also, from 6.30-8.30pm.

Mini Donkey Behaviour & Play Session Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £30/£20 under-17s. Info 01874 749092. Learn how to interact with these animals.

A Good Day Out event. 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 2, Sun 8, Sun 15 and Sun 22 this month.

St David’s Day National History Museum, St Fagans.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Harps, folk dancing, lambs and craft.

St David’s Day National Museum Cardiff. 11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Craft, trails, family entertainment and harps at this drop-in event.

St David’s Day Party!

Donkeys. A Good Day Out event. Also on Fri 6, Sat 7, Sat 14 and Sat 21 this month. uGrangetown Community Choir Cornwall Street Baptist Church Hall, Grangetown, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 per session/£80 for 12 sessions.

Info paulinedown7@gmail. com. With Pauline Down, every Monday until 30 Mar. Nataly Churchill Barry Island Sports & Social Club.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 01446 735173. Psychic medium.

She Deserves Fairtrade: Women In Leadership Portland House, Cardiff.

6.30-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2082 1056. Fair Trade Wales present an evening of stories concerning both ‘invisible’ women and inspiring women leaders, with speakers including Jenipher Wettaka Sambazi, Kathryn Llewellyn, Chisomo Phiri and Katie Colvin.

TUESDAY 3 MARCH

uArt Babas Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10.3011.30am, free. Info 01792 516900. Relaxed sensory craft session for parents/ carers and children from six months to four years. Book in advance please. Also on

Tue 17 and Tue 31.

Conservation Surgery Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 12.15-1.15pm, £5.

Info 01792 516900. bring an art object, or photograph of it, to the session to receive specific advice on its care. uContemporary Conversations Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Group discussion of ideas and themes from current and recent art exhibitions. Normally twice a month, but on Tue 17 and Tue 31 for March. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Also on Tue 10, Tue 17 and Tue 24 this month, with a theme of ‘warm climates’. uPaper-Based Screenprinting The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £120 (four-week course). Info 029 2022 0349. With Nigel Bowles, also on Tuesdays 10, 17 and 24 this month. uTea Dance Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2pm, £6. Info 01656 815995. With Gareth & Andrea. Also on Tue 17, with Jeff Guppy.

Tea Dance National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1.30-3.30pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3600.

The Art Of Conservation Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-12pm, £5.

Info 01792 516900. Guided tour. Book in advance please.

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH

uAdult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday this month.

Bath Bomb Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am1pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Drink & Draw The Gate, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2048 3344. Try out Van Gogh’s style with artist Rachel Rasmussen.

Reminiscence Monthly Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214.

Come to the museum and share your memories of Cardiff, on the first Wednesday of every month. uScriveners Writers’ Group The Badminton Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info 01495 309863 / burningcanary@aol.com. Also on Wed 18 this month.

THURSDAY 5 MARCH

An Evening With Floyd Mayweather Vale Sports Arena, Cardiff. 6pm, £35£349. Info 029 2240 4901.

Unblemished pugilist does the talk/Q&A circuit, this being one of several UK dates but Floyd’s first in Wales.

Ben Fogle St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £29.50. Info 01792 475715. If you like Ben’s TV shows you’ll love this live show, is the strong testimony from the copywriter for this spoken word evening. In Aberystwyth on Tue 17.

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2030 4400.

New poetry and fiction, this month from André Mangeot and Rhiannon Hooson . uIntroduction To Geology National Museum Cardiff. 1-4pm, £75-£90. Info 029 2039 7951. A series of five illustrated lectures from geological researchers here, on every Thursday until 2 Apr. Little Lambs National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 10.30am-12pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070.

Kids’ activities. uRat Trap: Blind Date G39, Cardiff. 6-9pm, free.

Info 029 2047 3633. This is part of the Rat Trap exhibition at this gallery (see Art listings) and is described as “a very public candlelit dinner-date with two mystery artists [who] develop brand new work in collaboration with each other”. This first stint, running until Sat 7, is the second of four residences; the others are from Thurs 12-Sat 14, then Thurs 19-Sat 21. (Until Sat 7) The Commemoration Of The 35th Anniversary Of The End Of The Miners Strike Pontardawe Arts Centre. 12 + 6pm, free. Info 01792 863722. A panel of exminers and trade unionists and Peter Hain recall their memories and consider the legacy of this era. uYin Yang Yoga: Lunchtime Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 1.10-2pm, £5. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Every Thursday this month. uYin Yoga Urban Zen Yoga & Movement Studio, Swansea. 7.45-9pm, £7. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Every Thursday this month.

FRIDAY 6 MARCH

An Evening With Shaun Ryder Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £22.

Info 01600 772467. Spoken word krazy anecdote show which is preceded by “an exciting new band from BUZZ 63

ROOTS UNEARTHED MARCH 2020 Chris Wood is a self-taught guitarist, fiddle player and singer who’s also recognised as one of the finest songwriters and composers of his generation – with a unique ability to chronicle the ordinary and make it extraordinary, as he’s proved time and again from 2005 solo debut The Lark Descending to his most recent release, 2016’s So Much To Defend.

Chris was once told that he had “a remarkable eye for trivia”, something that he’s put to good use on songs that range from the delights of non-league football (Only A Friendly), and the pursuit of a simpler life (My Darling’s Downsized) to weightier subject matter such as the killing of Brazilian electrician Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in 2005 (Hollow Point), or the mixed emotions of a parent as their children fly the nest (This Love Won’t Let You Fail).

Whatever their themes, Chris’s ability to draw the listener into the worlds of the people that populate his songs is truly remarkable. Take the title track from that most recent album. Within the space of seven minutes we’re introduced to a cast of characters that are so recognisable and relatable, by the end of the song we’re rooting for them as if they’re old friends. It’s small wonder that Tom Robinson and Squeeze’s Chris Difford are fans, that bands including Stick In The Wheel and The Unthanks cite him as an influence, or that he’s been the recipient of six BBC Folk Awards.

Anyone familiar with Chris Wood’s career will know that in addition to his songwriting, he’s also a champion of English folk music as well as the traditional dance music of France and Quebec, the latter beautifully realised through his celebrated partnership with legendary melodeon player Andy Cutting. He’s also a regular contributor to Simon Emmerson’s groundbreaking and genre-busting Imagined Village project that reworks the English tradition – as exemplified by his stunning duet with Eliza Carthy on a beat-driven, Indian-influenced Cold Rainy Haily Night.

Chris will be telling it like it is at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on Tue 17 Mar as part of the Roots Unearthed series.

BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: Lleuwen. Powerful and emotional cutting-edge Welsh songwriter. Miners’ Theatre, Ammanford (Wed 18) Georgia Ruth. Noted Welsh singer and harpist launches new album. Memorial Hall, Newport, Pembrokeshire (Fri 20) Amadou Diagne & Cory Seznec.

African American roots fusion. Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy (Wed 25) Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767

BUZZ 64

Creation Records”. So one case of having a tax bill to pay, and another of trying to engineer a smaller one.

Some might speculate that, anyway. 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”. Also on Fri 13 and Fri 20 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 every Friday this month.

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.

Democracy Now: Two Parliaments Compared Faraday Lecture Theatre, Singleton Campus, Swansea University. 7pm, free. Info www.risw.org. Bethan Sayed AM and a local MP debate the relative effectiveness of the UK Parliament and the National Assembly. Hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

Little Mice Club National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am-12pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Monthly event for preschool children and their parents/ carers. uMosaic Open Adult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900.

Create mosaics for the Gallery garden with the help of volunteer asylum seeker mosaic artists. Every Friday this month. 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 13 and Fri 20 this month.

Surrealism: An Evening Of Readings Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells.

7.30pm, £5. Info 01982 552555. Courtesy of Jean Bonnin, Neil Coombs, David Greenslade, John Richardson and John Welson, all self-proclaimed surrealists living in Wales.

Women’s Equality Network Wales Celebrate International Women’s Day 2020 Small World Theatre, Cardigan.

2pm. Info 01239 615952.

Featuring an exhibition, 100 Welsh Women, launching at 2pm; a zine workshop from

3.30-5.45pm and a community playback theatre piece, Climate Challenge, from 6-8pm (£8/£5). uWales’ Interceltic Festival Hi Tide, Porthcawl. £55/£40 (weekend pass). Info www. cwlwmceltaidd.org. Annual weekend festival consisting of concerts, ceilidhs, workshops and sessions. (Until Sun 8) SATURDAY 7 MARCH

Artisan Market Market Hall, Brecon. 10am-4pm.

Info emma.events9@gmail. com. Raising funds for Usk House Hospice.

Blakie & No Hats No Hoods: How To Be An Independent Grime Artist Council Hub, St Mellons, Cardiff. 12-5pm, pay by donation. Info chantal@ commonwealththeatre.co.uk.

This is part of a scheme called Everyone Is An Artist which is aiming to get kids aged 11-16 into creative stuff. In this instance, a noted grime MC and the head of one of its top indie labels. Cool lil event imo!

Dewch I Ganu National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Join musician Delyth Jenkins and learn Welsh through song.

Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry. 10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149. Every first Saturday of the month.

Florist Spring Bouquet Workshop Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 2-4pm, £45. Info 029 2116 7920.

Hosted by Secret Garden Florist.

Macrame Plant hanger Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am1pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com. Hosted

by Lark Design Make.

Our Voices, Our Lives Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

6pm, £5-£7. Info 01970 623232. Talks and live performance for International Women’s Day. uPainting With Egg Tempera & Natural Gesso Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £270 (three days).

Info 029 2048 4611. With Amanda Blake. On tomorrow also, then Sat 14. uRat Trap Breakfast Club G39, Cardiff. 10am12pm, free. Info 029 2047 3633. Part of the Rat Trap exhibition at this gallery (see Art listings) these sessions combine arty workshops with breakfast and are also on Sat 14 and Sat 21.

Saving Treasures; Telling Stories Seminar National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3500. Looking at the achievements of this project, awkward semicolon in its name and all, which has been working on putting antiques/treasure discovered by the public into museums. Having paid a fair price for it, I assume.

Vintage Kilo Sale Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 10am-6pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144. Designer labels at £15 a kilo.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Cowbridge Comprehensive School.

11am-12.30pm, £1.50/kids free. Info 07760 802088.

Featuring 35 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and childrens items.

Marina Market Dylan Thomas Square, Swansea.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food. 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 15 and Sun 22.

Science Show – Blast Off!! National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 2pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Learn about the specifics of being an astronaut.

Sheep Dog Session Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £25.

Info 01874 749092. Spend the morning with an expert sheepdog handler, seeing his dogs in action and learn how to use voice commands and body language to control the dogs’ movement, then have a go. uShibori Dye Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

10.30am-12.30pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make. On tomorrow also, from 6.30-8.30pm.

Super Science Swansea National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. With an International Women’s Day theme.

The Rabbit Hole Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 1pm, £15.

Info 0871 4720400. Live taping of a podcast featuring Iain Lee and Katherine Boyle.

MONDAY 9 MARCH

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; March sees palaeontologist Cindy Howells

talk about dinosaurs and deserts in Wales.

Dick & Angel St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25£29.50. Info 01792 475715.

As in Strawbridge, the retired colonel husband/ entrepreneur and designer wife who front TV show Escape To The Chateau. “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,” counselled Dick in February’s Buzz.

Yeah cheers for that pal.

Anyway this is sold out.

TUESDAY 10 MARCH

BANFF Mountain Film Festival Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01874 611622. Annual touring showcase of explorer/adventure footage. In Llanelli tomorrow; Porthcawl on Thurs 12; Cardiff on Wed 25.

Cardiff Castle: A Welsh Victorian Camelot Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2pm, £8. Info 01874 611622.

Art Society Brecknock lecture by Matthew Williams.

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 Feed The Resistance: Recipes + Ideas For Getting Involved

by Julia Turshen. uLife Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Also on Sat 28, 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 11 MARCH

BANFF Mountain Film Festival Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £14/£12.50.

Info 0845 2263510.

Lol Verse Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £6-£8.

Info 01970 623232. Poetry from Heather Williams, Nigel Humphreys, Hugh Parry and Roger Boyle.

Maria Leijerstam The Theatre, Cowbridge Comprehensive School.

6.30-8.30pm, £10/£6 under18s. Info 07862 227187.

Leijerstam, from the Vale Of Glamorgan, is the first person in the world to cycle to the South Pole, and she’ll be talking about how she did it here.

THURSDAY 12 MARCH

Arts Society Cardiff Lecture Chapter Arts

FRIDAY 13 MARCH uPrintmaking

Workshop: Making A Mark Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 710am-5pm, £190 (two days). Info 01873 852690. With Ruth BarrettDanes. Price includes materials, lunch and refreshments.

SATURDAY 14 MARCH

Attack! Pro Wrestling: Road To Sacrifice Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £16. Info 029 2037 3144.

Big Phil Campion + Paul Eastwood Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01792 475715.

Campion, with his name like a lower division football manager, is in fact the latest ex-SAS man to go on a spoken word tour around the smoking ruins of the UK. Eastwood appears to be a regular standup comic.

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.

Family Fun Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

10am-4pm, £3 (suggested donation) per activity. Info 01792 516900. Workshops and a screening of a movie.

Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ntlworld.com.

Second Saturday of every month.

Made It Market Canolfan Gorseinon. 10am-2pm. Info 07971 242730. Craft and produce fair.

Margam Park Chilli Festival Margam Park, nr Port Talbot. 10am-5pm, free.

Info 01639 883553. Annual event (well it launched last year) with chilli-based produce to eat/taste/buy. No challenges or competitions are mentioned on the poster, I thought these were the main attractions at such events.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month.

Parent & Child Lipstick & Balm Making M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am12.30pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3.

Info 0845 2263510.

Through The Eyes Of Another Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 2pm, free. Info www.elysiumgallery.com.

Multimedia art event promising musicians (Metal Maidens, Daz English, Felix Subway and King Goon), poets, story tellers, games, virtual reality, dancers and artists.

Urban Sketching Workshop Barnabas Arts House, Newport. 10am12pm, £15. Info 01633 673739. Informal session for all abilities, hosted by Julian Merriman.

Vintage And Makers Market National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070.

Winger Records Poetry Night Cwrw, Carmarthen.

7pm, free. Info 01267 223230. With Trudi Peterson, Gary Dapper, Dominic Williams, Mad Paul and Dana Perry plus more TBC. SUNDAY 15 MARCH

An Evening With Amanda Owen Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 3 + 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01600 772467. A shepherdess from Yorkshire who has her own show on Channel 5 apparently. This sort of thing is usually fast-tracked onto the editorial pages like a royal into Eton so I guess I’m the only one here who’s noticed

it’s happening. Evening show is sold out.

Car Less Car Boot NosDa, Cardiff. 12-4pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866. New event on the third Sunday of every month, hosted by Twin Made.

Queer Tours: LGBTQ+ National Museum Cardiff.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. This is a pretty neat idea: a look at various art pieces in the museum through a queer lens (notwithstanding most if not all of those pieces predating the use of the term in this way), devised in partnership with Pride Cymru. Hourlong sessions in English at 11am, 1pm and 2pm; Welsh at 12pm.

Shift & Thrift Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 12-5pm, free. Info 029 2039 9557. Clothese swap afternoon, apparently with some live music too.

Watercolour Painting Mission Gallery, Swansea.

11am-4pm, £30. Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop led

by Lucy Donald.

TUESDAY 17 MARCH

Ben Fogle Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £26.50.

Info 01970 623232.

Company Of Words Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff.

6.30-9.30pm, £4. Info 07830 381930. Poetry night hosted

by Alix Edwards, with guests The Red Poets plus open mic spots.

Racker Donnelly + Dublin Mensshed Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £10. Info 01239 841387.

Donnelly is a slam poet from Ireland. He doesn’t look like my admittedly vague visual conception of a slam poet but more power to him for this I say. Dublin Mensshed are a male voice choir and today is St Patrick’s Day in case you didn’t notice.

William Shatner Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £45. Info 029 2063 6464. This starts with a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan and then Will does his showbiz stories/Q&A thing.

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

Brush Lettering Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm, £40. Info larkdesignmake@ gmail.com. Hosted by Narelle Darcey with Lark Design Make. uGood Afternoon Choir Albany Road Baptist Church, Cardiff. 1-3pm, free. Info 01761 472468.

Inaugural meeting of this new informal choir, led by Joy Amman Davies and on every Wednesday from this date.

THURSDAY 19 MARCH

An Evening With

© Magnum Photos, Rocket Gallery

Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £7.

Info 029 2030 4400. Alan Read with a lecture titled ‘Very Bad For Art: The Impact Of The Great War On Three British Artists ’.

BANFF Mountain Film Festival Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £12.50£14. Info 01656 815995.

Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01685 722555. Launching a new anthology, There’s Always Room For Poetry And Song, featuring work by some 70 Welsh writers. uPaned A Phapur National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 12-1pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070.

Fortnightly Welsh learners’ session , also on Thurs 26.

Retro Games Gathering Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 7.30-11.30pm, free. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx. co.uk. Social event on the second Thursday of every month. 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 26 this month.

Whose Art Is It Anyway?

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

10.15am, free. Info 01874 611622. A day discussing and exploring participatory arts practice with and for disabled artists and disabled people.

IN CONVERSATION: MARTIN PARR & MICHAEL SHEEN National Museum Cardiff, Fri 27 Mar. Tickets: £16. Info: 029 2039 7951 / museum.wales/cardiff Michael Sheen, as you probably know, is from Wales, and to his credit has used this status to aid – or draw attention to the plight of – dispossessed people in this country, rather than just as leverage for his personal brand.

Martin Parr is not from Wales, but in a photojournalism career dating back to the mid-1970s has created a strong association with its regions through hundreds of published shots – generally witty and culturally astute, some now practically iconic. One would expect the two to have much to discuss, and as luck would have it they’re set to converse onstage in the Museum’s Reardon Smith theatre. Parr has an exhibition of his Welsh scenes in the gallery here until Mon 4 May, so that’ll probably feature in the chat.

Jonathan ‘Fox’ Davies Bedwellty House & Park, Tredegar. 7pm, £48. Info 01495 355945. Welsh rugby icon. Price includes a threecourse meal.

Open Space: : Mab Jones, Siân Melangell Dafydd & Anna Lewis Central Library Hub, Cardiff.

5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116. Poets and novelists read in English and Welsh.

Book in advance please.

FRIDAY 20 MARCH

23rd Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

6.30pm, free. Info 01874 611622. ‘A Pretty Castle and a Fair Place’ : the conservation and interpretation of Tretower Court and Castle

by Dr David Robinson.

Strictly Speakeasy Gala Ball Exchange Hotel, Cardiff Bay. 7pm-12am, £75. Info 029 2010 7050.

Including a three-course meal and 1920s style cocktail reception. Hosted by Robin Windsor who was on Strictly.

Surrealism Is Dead, Long Live Surrealism!

Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 7pm, £5. Info 01982 552555. Presentation by Johns Richardson and Welson, making the case for surrealism in the 2020s and tied in to the exhibition currently on here (see Art listings).

WOW Film Festival Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Info 01970 623232.

Screenings, talks, discussions and an anime convention, no further info onlione

right now though.

SATURDAY 21 MARCH

200 Years Of Astronomy 1820-2020 National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, £2.

Info 029 2039 7951. Talk

by Professor Michael G Edmunds from Cardiff University’s School Of Physics & Astronomy.

Adult Masterclass: Natural Ink Making Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, £40.

Info 01792 516900.

Cardiff Music Conference Freedom Warehouse, Trade Street, Cardiff. 12-7pm, £4-£15 adv.

Info enquiries@ cardiffmusicconference. co.uk. Inaugural event described as “workshops, talks and performances from some of south Wales’ top local talent”. Seems to be focused on stuff that would come under the ‘urban’ umbrella, which seeing as most of these industry type things are heavily biased towards guitar bands is OK by me.

Craft & Produce Fayre St David’s Church, Neath.

10am-3pm, free. Info 07971 242730. Also featuring live music .

Craft Fair Community Hall, Neath. 10am-3.30pm.

Info ariancrafts@hotmail. co.uk.

Dyeing – Intro To Indigo National History Museum, St Fagans.

10.30am-4pm, £65/£55. Info 029 2057 3500. One-day course hosted by Cat Lewis. uEtching Print Market Project, Canton, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, £65. Info printmarketprojectstudio@gmail. com. One-day introductory workshop with Pete Williams. On tomorrow also.

Family Fun Day Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Arts, crafts and storytelling. presented by the Romani Cultural & Arts Company, working alongside famous Gypsy and Traveller artists. uGower Artisan Festival Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 10am5.30pm. Info 01792 371206.

Craft, food and clothes stalls, on tomorrow also.

Kidsmarkets Spring Mega Market Howells School Sports Hall, Llandaff, Cardiff. 11am-12.30pm, £1.50/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Featuring 40 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and childrens items. uLandscape: Expression And Structure King Street Gallery, Cartmarthen. 10am, £160 (two days). Info 01267 220121. With David Tress.

On tomorrow also.

Make A Rush Mat National History Museum, St Fagans. 10.30am-4.30pm, £75/£60. Info 029 2057 3500.

One-day course hosted by Clare Revera.

Mum, You Rock! National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am, 2pm + 3.30pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2057 3600. Rock decorating kids’ workshop for Mother’s Day. Needle Felting A March BUZZ 65

Hare M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am5pm, £54/£50 early bird.

Info 029 2047 3373. With Ruth Packham, who hosts another felting workshop here tomorrow.

Repair Café Canton 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!

Shamrocks & Shenanigans The Depot, Cardiff. 5-11.30pm, £5-£9 adv. Info www.depotcardiff. co.uk. St Patrick’s Day special with various drinky stereotypical activities, taking place four days late because this isn’t America so no-one is going to celebrate this day in the week.

Star Attractions At The Museum National Museum Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Astronomybased shows, displays etc for a family audience.

St Fagans Real Food Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Monthly pop-up hosted by Riverside Market.

Visible Mending Workshop National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070. One-day course looking at traditional techniques to mend both knitted and woven fabrics.

SUNDAY 22 MARCH

Candlelit 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.

Exposure Wrestling Pill Millennium Centre, Newport.

6-9pm, £10/£8 kids. Info www.exposurewrestling.com.

From Neccessity To Luxury Assembly Rooms, Presteigne. 2.30-3.30pm, £5.

Info 01544 267163. Lecture on the changing history of the wool industry in Wales

by Mark Lucas from the National Wool Museum.

Pete Whittaker Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £17/£15. Info 01874 611622. Spoken word show from a proponent of something called underground crack climbing. [Beavis & Butt-head laughter] Quirky Bird FeltMaking Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am-5pm, £65-£74.

Info 029 2047 3373. With BUZZ 66

Ruth Packham.

TUESDAY 24 MARCH

David Hurn Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01873 852690.

Conversation with esteemed documentary photographer.

Jesmonite Coasters M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

10.30am-1pm + 6.30-9pm, £30. Info larkdesignmake@ gmail.com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Seasons In The Garden – Spring National History Museum, St Fagans.

10.30am-1pm, £35/£26. Info 029 2057 3500. Half-day course giving tips on what to do with your garden this season.

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH

Crochet Intermediate – Amigurumi Octopuses M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

10.30am-12.30pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Oriel Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Sample Sessions The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 5-8pm, £45.

Info 029 2022 0349.

THURSDAY 26 MARCH

Jay Rayner Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £21. Info 029 2064 6900. In Cardiff for the first time in a couple of years, I think, with a show based on his book about the concept of a last meal. See Upfront.

Manuel Iris Assembly Rooms, Presteigne. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01544 267163.

Mexican poet reads from his much-praised verse.

Spring Coffee Morning Swansea Museum.

10.30am-12pm, £3. Info 01792 653763. Hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

Taith Iaith National Museum Cardiff. 12.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Monthly Welsh learners session. *The Shining Pyramid National Library Of Wales, Aberystwyth. 9.30am9.30pm, £20 adv. Info www. listentothevoiceoffire.com.

Experimental music, talks, film and an exhibition inspired by the alchemy, magic and folklore of Wales, with guests including Embla Quickbeam, Rotten Bliss, Itdreamedtome, Sean Vicary, Ffrwd, John Harvey, Luke Thurston, Ed Wright, Facing The Ocean, Mark Goodall, Leona Jones and Tristan Rhys Williams. Not a ton of info I can find about this but it looks interesting.

Young Art Force Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

11am-2pm, free (£3 sug-

gested donation). Info 01792 516900. Open art class exploring and responding to the Gallery’s exhibitions and collection displays.

FRIDAY 27 MARCH

Athletico Mince Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 6.45 + 9pm, £27.50. Info 029 2064 6900. Two hour-long live sessions of this podcast hosted

by Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson, who does a podcast with Bob Mortimer.

Creative Writing Club Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am-12pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Free workshop for adults.

Contact amina.abushahba@swansea.gov.uk to book your place.

In Conversation: Martin Parr & Michael Sheen National Museum Cardiff.

7pm, £16 adv. Info 029 2039 7951. Onstage conflab between snapper and thesp, Parr with strong links to Wales and Sheen one of its eminent leftish public voices.

The Ledlender Trails In

Griffiths and Keith Allen.

(Until Sun 29) SATURDAY 28 MARCH

Back To Basics Course The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £60. Info 029 2022 0349.

One-day course, on the last Saturday of every month until April.

Breaking Down Barriers Creature Sound, Swansea.

6pm, £3/£2 before 8.30. Info 01792 301178. Featuring live music from The Epic Harbour Way, Hefte & Lemon and Jackhammer, plus burlesque from RockSeduction. There is also drag and virtual reality (?) turns during the evening.

Chris Needs Park & Dare, Treorchy. 2.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 0300 0040444. Cosy light entertainer. In Aberdare tomorrow. uFLEat Market Small World Theatre, Cardigan.

5-9pm, free. Info 01239 615952. Annual community market, on tomrorow also from 11am-3pm.

Foraging Walk &

Wales’ rich history of magick and folklore is the theme for a 12-hour event at Aberystwyth’s National Library on Thurs 26.

Titled The Shining Pyramid and organised by experimental collective Listen To The Voice Of Fire, it includes live music, films, discussions and art.

Spring Ball 2020 The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01834 861212. Black tie event with ballroom dancing soundtracked by the Phoenix Dance Band.

Deeply charmed by the poster for this event being made using Microsoft Word and clip art.

Spring Open Day Bute Park, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info bute-park.com.

Free events all day including talks, tours, a guided tree walk, kids’ activities, a plant sale and more. uTaste Of West Wales Spring Festival National Botanic Garden Of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire. 10am5pm. Info 01558 667149.

Food and craft. On tomorrow also.

Weekend Adult Workshops: Upcycled Sculpture Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am1pm, £5. Info 01792 516900.

Woodcut & Relief Printing Print Market Project, Canton, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, £75. Info printmarketprojectstudio@ gmail.com. One-day printing method tutorial with Pete Williams. On tomorrow also.

Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am-12.30pm + 1.30-4pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 463980. Hosted by Literature Wales and featuring guest poet Natalie Ann Holborow.

SUNDAY 29 MARCH

Motion Film Tour The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7pm, £11 adv. Info 01834 861212. Trail and ultrarunning footage presented at this venue by Narberth Nobblers. uThe Laugharne Weekend Various venues, Laugharne. £100 (three days). Info laugharneweekend@gmail. com. Annual literary and culture festival, taking place across several venues in this small Carmarthenshire town. Confirmed so far: Tracy Thorn, Stephen Morris, Grace Petrie, David McAlmont, Max Porter, Kerry Hudson, Mark Thomas, Martin Carthy, Elizabeth Macneal, Jess Phillips, Wreckless Eric, Susan Murray, Ned Palmer, Martin Parr, Brian Bilston, Jeremy Deller, Eimear McBride, Cold War Steve, Daniel Rachel, Amy Rigby, Kate Spicer, Chris Bryant, Nathan Filer, Nick Revell, Jane Couch, Travis Elborough, Pete Brown, Carys Eleri, Martin Rowson, John Niven, Richard King, Duncan Campbell, Robin Ince, Niall

Botanical Ink Making National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am4pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2057 3600. The foraging will take place on Kilvey Hill in Swansea and be led by Adele Nozdare; the subsequent ink making workshop back at the Museum is hosted by artist Cath Lewis.

Francis Rossi Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £30-£75. Info 01970 623232. Spoken word show from the man they all call Mr Thumbs In The Belt Loops.

Top price is VIP, as is the middle one (£40) but just not quite as I. Made It Market St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli.

10am-3pm. Info 07971 242730. Craft and produce fair.

Paper Mill Road Market The Bone Yard, Cardiff.

12pm, free. Info www. shippingcontainerstudios. co.uk. On the last Saturday of every month all year.

Paper Sculpture Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-12.30pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Danielle Sullivan.

Beginners Modern Calligraphy M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am1pm, £55. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make and Inkrdbl Calligraphy Studio. uBook Fair Fundraiser M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Raising money for this very venue.

Also on Tue 31, from 10am6pm.

Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run 2020 Oval Basin, Cardiff Bay (starting point).

10am-3pm, free-£26 to enter/ free to spectate. Info www. cardiffbayrun.co.uk. Part of the Healthspan Wales 10k Series of runs, with Velindre as the charity partner.

Cardiff Comics Carnival 2020 Kongs, Cardiff.

12-6pm, free. Info 029 2064 4114. Small press, comics, zine and illustration fair showcasing some of the most exciting creators from south Wales and beyond.

Chris Needs Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 2.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0300 0040444.

Wag This Way Bute Park,

Cardiff. 10.45am, £5 to register. Info 029 2052 4150.

A City Hospice fundraising charity dog walk.

MONDAY 30 MARCH

The Gay Men’s Book Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. This month it’s a discussion of Billy Budd by Herman Melville.

live SUNDAY 1 MARCH

Adam And The Hellcats + Altered Myths + Cancel The Transmission Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 6-10.30pm, £5.

Info 07970 063107. Benefit show for the Huggard.

Alaw Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10/£1 kids. Info 01239 841387.

Battle Of The Bands Heat 4 Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7pm, £4/£3adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Featuring sets from Tom Auton & The Bottlebreakers, Fly by Night, King Cerulean and Solar Strides. The final is in Clwb Ifor Bach on Fri 20.

BBC NOW: Calan St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £5-£43. Info 01792 475715.

Welsh folkies join the orchestra to perform their new album of trad. arr. tunes Cân Cnawd Y Pridd.

Blaenavon Male Voice Choir Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £8/£7.

Info 01873 850805. St David’s Day concert.

Blodau Papur + Mei Gwynedd Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Buttonsville Trio Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Choirfest Jac’s, Aberdare.

1-5pm, free. Info 01685 879491.

David Ivory Paul Kirner’s Music Palace, Porth. 1.45pm, £7 adv. Info 07974 813445. A selection of songs, including some for St David’s Day, on the many organs in this mad sounding place.

Earl And Pearl The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Jazz.

Francesca Dimech Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

3.30pm, £4. Info 01656 815995. Welsh language songs about climbing mountains, it says here.

Gabriela Montero Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 11am, £9-£20. Info 029 2039 1391.

Piano recital.

Gwyr Y Stac The Swigg, Swansea. 4-6pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Knight & Day Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2-4pm, £8. Info 01495 243252.

St David’s Day afternoon concert.

Lastelle + Defeatist + I Am Gravity The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Lee Gilbert & Friends Park & Dare, Treorchy. 6pm, £12.50. Info 0300 0040444.

St David’s Day concert.

Mark Fortnum Café Jazz, Cardiff. Info 029 2038 7026.

No Mean Biscuit Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7pm, £8 adv.

Info 07818 056599. Jazz.

Open Mic The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

With Dave Kenwrick.

Remi Harris Sunflower & I, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, £15 adv.

Info 029 2048 4211. Gypsy jazz guitarist with a gig previewed in February’s issue.

I didn’t know it started at 4pm then, but it does. Remi is also in Abergavenny on Sun 29.

Smash Fest The Moon, Cardiff. 2pm, £5.50 (today only). Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Final day of three for this loosely punky weekender, with sets Grand Collapse, Not Since The Accident, Next Year, Bogans, Lighthammer, Flavourmaid and Huni.

The Adicts + Pizzatramp The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Early 80s Britpunx with a running Clockwork Orange theme.

They must have a fanbase at that ticket price but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song of theirs, or anyone discussing them IRL. The Goodfellers Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Tobias Robertson The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm, free. Info 01685 387925.

Your Wales Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 3-8pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Multilingual musical performances in the Donald Gordon Theatre.

MONDAY 2 MARCH

Barnardo’s Cymru Young Supporters’ Concert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £8-£17. Info 01792 475715. Featuring choirs from schools across Wales.

Bond In Concert Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £21.50-£29.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. A band called Session One doing James Bond themes.

Clwb Fuzz + Think

Pretty + The Serotines The Moon, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £6 suggested donation. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

This is one of six gigs (so far?) here this month aiming to raise money for Clwb Y Bont and The Green Rooms, two venues in the Rhondda that got done over by the recent floods (see Music News Extra for slightly more on that). More bands TBC on most of these gigs too.

Groucho Club Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Live jazz, on here every Monday.

Kisstory Presents The Blast Off! Tour Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

5.30pm, £67.50 seats/£56.50 standing. Info 029 2022 4488. Featuring Nelly, Shaggy, Salt N Pepa, Mýa, Blu Cantrell, the UK Garage Allstars and host Fatman Scoop.

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.

TUESDAY 3 MARCH

Acoustic Tuesday The Apothecary, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400.

Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Cardiff University Contemporary Music Group Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £15/ free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Performing works relating to the title ‘British experimentalism and its legacy’.

Charlotte Carrivick & Kieran Towers Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 651725.

Appalachian string band duo.

Georgia Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £9 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Previewed on last month’s Music page and since sold out.

Heart And Soul Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £26.50-£46.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. Soul, Motown and R&B tribute show.

Jim Bashford Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15.

Info 029 2089 0862. Folk duo who are also married, and not any kind of married either – they’re married to

each other.

Michael Ball & Alfie Boe Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £50-£185. Info 029 2022 4488. Musical theatre big dogs. Top price gets you several VIP perks including, it says here, “designated check-in and onsite event staff”. Hell yeah. Sold out though. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff com.

Every Tuesday. *PC World + Nylex + Beauty Parlour + Ex Cathedra The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£6 adv.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Postpunk and noisy dance music, presented by Hotel De Marl.

Pete’s Old Pals Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Thomas Nicholas Band + The Distance The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £8 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. As in the guy who played Kevin in American Pie. In Merthyr on Thurs 5.

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH

Alex Lockheart Group Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Bella Collins Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. uBunkhouse Battle Of The Bands 2020 Preliminary The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm.

Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. There are eight rounds of this BOTB, this is the fifth and they’re on every Wednesday until 25 Mar. Femur + Dactyl Terra+ Dan Han Porter’s, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

James Arthur Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £29.50£99. Info 029 2022 4488.

Singer-songwriter who seems to play here about every five minutes.

Liberty Big Band & Singers Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@ dancebands.plus.com.

A South Wales Big Band Society gig, on every Wednesday.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Jim Swidenbank.

Pengshui + Kid Bookie + Benji Wild Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv.

Info 029 2023 2199.

Samantha Fish The

BRAZIL AND BEYOND The Globe, Cardiff, Sat 28 Mar. Tickets: £6.50. Info: 07590 471888 / globecardiffmusic.com In some cases, quite far beyond as it happens – the lineup for this seven-hour jamboree of drums and gurns includes acts from and/or inspired by West Africa and the Balkans. It’s Barracwda, though, who are the chief organisers of Brazil And Beyond, and whose status as Cardiff’s top Afro-Brazilian percussion collective permits them to set the evening’s terms. Samba Galêz, another many-membered Latin-oriented local drum ensemble, will also turn in a rhythm’n’dance set, as will their Bristol counterparts Bloco B. Klezmer/gypsy group Capra Mamei, Wales-based Guinean balafon player (and recent Gruff Rhys tour partner) N’famady Kouyate [pictured] and DJs Ben-Jah and Sean Magee complete the bill; proceeds go to Cardiff refugee charity Oasis.

Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Blues-rock solo artist. Sold out.

Tassos Spillitopolis Swedish Band The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Jazz.

The Acoustic Strawbs Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18. Info 029 2062 6015. Proggy folk band, acoustical.

The George Michael Legacy Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £24.50£29.50. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute show by the inelegantly named Wayne Dilks.

The Magpies Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14.

Info 029 2089 0862. Folk quartet.

The Silver Field + Seán Clancy & Andy Ingamells BBC Hall, Swansea Studios. 7-10pm, £7/£5. Info 01792 654986.

Nawr presents some more of that good ass experimental sound, the headiners being a London duo who released an album on Tim Burgess’ label last year.

Thomas Nicholas Band The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925.

THURSDAY 5 MARCH

Flowvers + Motel Thieves + Kid Reddy & The Features + Tracy Island The Moon, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8/£7 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

Glass Jackets + Jack Perrett Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Herman’s Hermits Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £24. Info 01495 227206. In Porthcawl tomorrow; Carmarthen on Sat 7, Jamie Smith’s Mabon Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01873 850805.

One 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 Penally (Fri 6) and Porthcawl (Sat 7, part of the Cwlwm Celtaidd Festival).

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Monthly singalong around the piano.

Jive Talkin’ New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25/£22.

Info 029 2087 8889. Bee Gees tribute show.

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.

Rosalie Cunningham + Son Of Man Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

8pm, £18.75 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Rosalie used to be the singer in Purson who did a neat, very poppy take on occult rock. Son Of Man

are people from, would you believe, Man, among other 70s prog bands.

Soul Kinda Wonderful The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £22. Info 01633 656757. Drifters tribute.

The Abstract Open Mic Le Public Space, Newport.

8pm, free. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

Tragedy + I Am Drug + Democratus The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Enduring Bee Gees-in-a-metal-style tribute band headline.

FRIDAY 6 MARCH

Abba Forever Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £23.50. Info 01873 850805. Tribute show.

Absolute Bowie Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £16 adv. Info 029 2062 6015.

Tribute show.

Al Lewis Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 01239 621200. Welsh singer-songwriter touring a new album. *Ani Glass + Twinfield Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Album launch gig for Ani Armonico Consort St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5-£25. Info 01792 475715. A performance of Bach’s Mass In B Minor, with soprano Elin Manahan Thomas.

Beano Naboo & The Real Keepers + Men On The Chessboard + Comfort State Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info

J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R A P R I L : E L I Z A C A R T H Y ( Po n t a r d a w e A r t s C e n t r e , F r i 3 ) B R O K E N W I T T R E B E L S ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , C a r d i f f , S a t 4 ) T H E F R AT E L L I S ( Tr a m s h e d , C a r d i f f , S a t 1 8 ) F E R O C I O U S D O G ( T h e G l o b e , C a r d i f f , T h u r s BUZZ 67

* – recommended 029 2039 9557.

Crystalline + Veridian + Glass Heart + Beefywink The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Deathtraps McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport.

8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648.

Herman’s Hermits Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 01656 815995.

Hot House Combo The Butterfly Collector, Barry.

7pm, £5 adv. Info 07561 143114. Thirties style swing band Roots N All gig.

Huw Chiswell + Gruff Sion Rees Canton Liberal Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info clwbcanna@ gmail.com. Venerable Welshlanguage singer-songwriter headlines a night promoted

by Clwb Canna. This venue’s function room, which I assume this takes place in, is worth a look if you have a gig that’s not too heavy/ raucous etc.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Penally Village Hall, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10£12. Info 01834 844467.

Jazz Boys Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Joe Kelly + Jack Ellis + Beth Davies The Westgate Hotel, Newport.

7pm, free. Info passthebuckpromotions@ gmail.com.

Jonas Blue Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16 adv.

Info 029 2023 5555. One of those dance-pop producers who has insanely high streaming statistics and top tier songwriting credits but no-one really knows who he is.

Li Harding with Gary Phillips Band The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night, now on every fortnight.

Like Pink! Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7.30pm, £10 adv.

Info 01495 243252. Pink tribute act.

Mark Davies Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026. Bluesrock.

Metal 2 The Masses: Heat 1 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970

063107. Annual battle of the bands comp where the winner plays Bloodstock. Bands tonight are Altered Myths, The Autumn Killers, State Of Deceit, Fractvres and Grym.

Heat 2 is on Fri 20, heat 3 on Fri 10 Apr, heat 4 on Fri 17 Apr, heat 5 on Fri 8 May and heat 6 on Fri 15 May. My Darling Clementine Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £14. Info 029 2089 0862. Band who aren’t a tribute act per se but who are in this instance doing a set of covers of Elvis Costello’s country-ish songs.

Olivia Louvel Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400.

UK multimedia experimental musician performs a suite called Data Regina.

Owen Money’s Juke Box Heroes 3 The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £18.50.

Info 01495 355945. In Merthyr tomorrow; Milford Haven on Fri 13; Cwmbran on Fri 20 and Sat 21.

Prima Nocte The Duke, Neath. 7.30pm. Info 01639 643892. Metal.

Rusty Shackle Hi Tide,

Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £20/£15.

Info www.cwlwmceltaidd. org. Playing as part of the Cwlwm Celtaidd (Wales’ Interceltic Festival) weekend.

Secret Base The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Syteria + Foreigner’s Son The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Headline band feature someone from Girlschool.

The Bakery + The Puss Puss Band + Oxbowlake Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

The Fizz Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7pm, £24.92 adv. Info 01639 763214. That’s early 80s pop icons Bucks Fizz with three original members: Mike Nolan, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston. They’re only missing fourth member Bobby G, who is contracted to perform exclusively with his band Primal Scream.

The Manics-Phonics Experience Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7.30pm,

u – repeated

£10/£8 adv. Info 07512 237983. Twin tribute band.

The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

8pm, £65/£55. Info 029 2022 4488. Mad to think that when I was a little kid, holograms were about 5cm wide and given away free in cereal packets to put on your bike spokes. Technology has come on in leaps and bounds since then.

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Myrddin & The 3 Welsh Tenors Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

St David’s Day performance.

Pick up your late slips, schoolkids!

SATURDAY 7 MARCH

4th Kind McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648.

4th Street Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Rock covers.

Aubrey Parsons The Mariners, Laugharne.

8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Mariners tomorrow.

Black3lvis + Benji Wild

+ Martin Jones NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Brecon Music – A Celebration Brecon Cathedral. 7.30pm, £13. Info www.brecknocksinfonia. co.uk. In aid of South Powys Youth Music, this features the Brecknock Sinfonia conducted by Michael Bell, with Rachel Podger and the South Powys Youth Orchestra.

David Bowie / Queen Tribute Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Playing after the rugby.

Gut Bucket The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Herman’s Hermits Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £24.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Hurtling + Hot Sauce Pony + I, Doris Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Promoted by Loud Women from London.

Illegal Eagles The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £30/£28. Info 01633 656757.

live review BABYMETAL

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 20 Feb

Japan’s Babymetal have shaken up preconceptions of what metal can be. Hyper-choreographed kawaii dancing instead of headbanging? Bring it on.

Switching screams for Bollywood-inspired anthems about karma? Big yes. Ten years ago, it would have been damn near impossible to imagine a heavy-asballs Japanese metal collective fronted by three teenage pop idols as anything other than a laughable gimmick. But these days even hardened metal fans are willing to accept Babymetal as one of the future faces of the genre.

Though arguably their initial breakthrough was a result of their jaw-to-the-floor novelty factor and eminently shareable, insane videos, the band has consistently proved themselves worthy of the space they now inhabit in the mainstream consciousness.

The rabid fandom they inspire is glaringly evident: in one of the most mixed-up crowds this writer has ever seen, girls with space buns and Lolita dresses bounce and enthuse alongside old-timers in Anthrax jackets with speckled grey beards that reach their chests.

Riffing on the theme of new album Metal Galaxy, the show opens with a journey through time and spacestyle projection of colour and light. From the off, it’s clear that Babymetal plans on stretching the bounds of mid-level venue production. It’s hard to tell that the kick-off is album opener Future Metal over the audience’s screams, which reach dangerous decibel levels when Su-Metal, Moametal and their unnamed backup dancer (a stand-in for recently departed third member Yuimetal) stride in and begin their relentless, hour-long dance party at the front of the stage.

The ride is wild and steamrollers through their most viral hits from the past five years. Gimme Chocolate, a thrashing ode to enjoying a bar of Dairy MIlk, is note- and step-perfect, and the three jump through the entire four minutes of synth-laden Megitsune.

But their newer, experimental material is even more impressive. Indian influences abound on 2019 single Shanti Shanti Shanti, and Sabaton vocalist Joakim Brodén makes a cameo appearance via video for a nuts fusion of J-pop, metal, traditional Czech folk and Irish jigging. Unbelievably, it works like a lucky charm, and by the time closer Road Of Resistance rolls around, everyone – including the band, most likely – is totally bounced out.

words BETTI HUNTER photos MORGAN DEVINE

2 3 ) T H E S O U T H ( T h e G l o b e , S a t 2 5 ) R E N H A R V I E U ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , Tu e 2 8 ) J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R M A Y: T H E M I G H T Y WA H ! ( T h e G l o b e , S a t 2 ) T H E S N U T S ( T h e G l o b e , Tu e 5 ) R I C H A R D D A W S O N ( B u n k h o u s e , S w a n s e a , We d BUZZ 68

Tribute band. *Islet + Despicable Zee + Melin Melyn Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. See Music.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Hi Tide, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £20/£15. Info www. cwlwmceltaidd.org. Playing as part of the Cwlwm Celtaidd (Wales’ Interceltic Festival) weekend.

Kill 66 The Dolls House, Abertillery. 8pm. Info 01495 213300.

Landing Mané Cardiff University Concert Hall.

7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Senegalese musician who has been here before at least once and indeed is here in April too.

Lifesigns Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20.

Info 029 2089 0862. Prog/ AOR group apparently formed as a result of a pub argument. Imagine if the Kray twins and George Cornell had settled their differences by becoming a popular beat combo and getting everyone in the Blind Beggar up and jiving.

Martyrials + Infinite Space Theory + Windshake + Oblong Creature Sound, Swansea.

7pm, £3. Info 01792 301178.

Memphis Duo The Station Inn, Caerphilly. 8.30pm, free.

Info 029 2115 8964.

Owen Money’s Juke Box Heroes 3 Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £18 adv. Info 01685 722176.

Pastel The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Paul Carrack St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £42.50/£37.50. Info 01792 475715.

Pipedream Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv.

Info 01443 682388. Rock covers.

Q The Music Show James Bond Concert Spectacular Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £25. Info 01646 695267. A band who do Bond themes. Not sure if this is the same band that’s in Cardiff on Mon 2. There was one in Llanelli last month as well but they are all billed under different names.

Sepulchre + Audioplague The Duke, Neath. 7pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

Slash & Myles UK The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, £6.

Info 01495 247178. Tribute act to GN’R guitarist and his right-hand man.

The Groundnuts & Independents + Gonhill + Kneeon

Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

7pm, free. Info www. elysiumgallery.com. Local punk bands play a birthday gig.

The Holland Quarter Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7-10pm. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Hot House Combo Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07818 056599.

The Navarones The Garage, Swansea. 8pm, £7 adv. Info 01792 475147. Ska covers.

The Schmoozenbergs The Globe At Hay, Hay-OnWye. 8pm, £7 adv. Info 01497 821762.

The Second Waltz Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Sherlocks + Al Moses Tramshed, Cardiff.

7pm, £19.60. Info 029 2023 5555. Mildly laddy indie bands.

The Upbeat Beatles Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £22. Info 01874 611622. Tribute band.

Torchbearer + Scarsun Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107.

University Singers: Galargerdd Verdi Requiem Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £2-£12. Info 01970 623232.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH

Ålesund Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2089 0862. Norwegian band, sound quite trip-hoppy going on the description.

Aubrey Parsons Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

BBC Young Musician 2020 Keyboard Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £10/£5. Info 029 2039 1391. First of five categoryspecific finals between today and Thurs 12.

Burn The Fiddle The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Day At Night – The Doris Day Songbook Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

2pm, £15.50. Info 01656 815995. Tribute show.

Filmores The Swigg, Swansea. 4-6pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Flood Relief Benefit Concert For Clwb Y Bont & The Green Rooms Jac’s, Aberdare. 12-9pm.

Info 01685 879491. Those being venues in Pontypridd and Treforest respectively which got flooded during the storms last month. Bands TBC at the time of writing. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House,

Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 22 in February), with an extra blues/acoustic session on the third Sunday too.

International Women’s Day Concert Cardiff University Concert Hall.

3-4.30pm, £5/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. With performers and composers from Cardiff University School Of Music.

Little Concerts Urban Crofters, Roath, Cardiff.

3pm, £10 family ticket. Info 029 2115 4631. Interactive performances aimed at families with kids aged 10 and under, with musicians from the RWCMD and elsewhere.

Venue seems to be run by a Christian group, getting a pretty evangelical vibe from their social media FYI. The Invisible Orchestra The Lost Arc, Rhayader.

8pm, £8-£12. Info 01743 860246. A 16-piece band who play a variety of styles that frankly sounds a little farfetched.

The James Oliver Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6-8pm. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Primrose Piano Quartet Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 3pm, £5-£12. Info 01792 602060.

Victoria Klewin’s Swing Trio Café Jazz, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026. Playing the monthly Hot Club Swing jam session.

MONDAY 9 MARCH

BBC Young Musician 2020 Woodwind Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £10/£5. Info 029 2039 1391.

Jango Haze Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Joel Harrison Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Unland St Padarn’s Church, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 adv. Info www. listentothevoiceoffire.com.

Flute/violin/harp/electronics improv from Rhodri and Angharad Davies, Richard Craig and Dafydd Roberts.

White Riot + Bedface + Versify + The Catacombs The Moon, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £6 suggested donation. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Ponty and Treforest flood fundraiser gig.

TUESDAY 10 MARCH

A 21st Century Perspective On Lizst

Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

Performed by Jakob Fichert and featuring three interpretations of the composer’s Années De Pèlerinage.

BBC Young Musician 2020 Brass Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Lacertilia + Wonderbrass + Aniya Savage + Eleri Angharad + Laura Power + Lauren Evans The Moon, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £7 suggested donation. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Ponty and Treforest flood fundraiser gig.

Lunar Bird + Red Telephone + Laura Power Porter’s, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Single launch for headliners. uOpen Jam Session NosDa, Cardiff. 7-10.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Presented by Pi & Hash, also on Tue 17, Tue 24 and Tue 31 this month.

Rockers Reunion Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

8pm. Info 029 2062 6015.

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz. Two sets by Pierce Joyce’s Electronics And His Acoustic Friends and Saida.

Also here on Tue 24, with a different lineup.

Susan Boyle + Jai McDowall St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £35.50-£58.

Info 01792 475715. Toasting a decade since her talent show musical birth.

The Script + Becky Hill Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £27.50-£99. Info 029 2022 4488. See Upfront, too, for an interview with The Script, answering the burning questions we all have about this group such as “who are you?” and “who are all the people going to your concerts?”

Victoria Klewin & Jim Barber Trio The Muse, Brecon. 8pm, £12/£10 members. Info info@breconjazz. org. Brecon Jazz Club gig.

WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH

BBC Young Musician 2020 Percussion Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £10/£5. Info 029 2039 1391.

Kit Hawes & Aaron

Catlow Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Lewis Capaldi Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £29.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

This has been sold out for ages so, as Lewis clearly doesn’t need me to boost his profile, I’ll use this space to highlight fellow fun-loving Glaswegian Romeo Taylor, who I saw play to about 20 people last night and who many are calling “the thinking person’s Lewis Capaldi”.

Matt Ford & Capital City Jazz Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Matt Owens Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14.

Info 029 2089 0862. Singersgonwriter formerly of Noah And The Whale, who were, like, Tad to Mumford & Sons’ Nirvana or something.

NosDa’s Got Talent NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866. Hosted

by Alcie Bella and Sophie Crabtree.

Powercut Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Royal Welsh College Chamber Winds Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£8. Info 029 2039 1391. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 25.

The South Wales Clarinet Choir & Treble C Peterston-Super-Ely Village Hall, Cowbridge.

6.15pm, £10/£5 under-16s.

Info angelacooper03@ gmail.com.

THURSDAY 12 MARCH

BBC Young Musician 2020 Strings Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391.

Buddy Holly & The Cricketers The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 8pm, £17/£13.

Info 01639 843163. Tribute show.

Cabin Boy Jumped Ship + Red Method + Incursion Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Lulu Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm. Info 029 2023 5555.

This hasn’t been announced at the time of writing, barely a fortnight before the gig, but it is. I’m told.

Mike Farris + Hegsy And The Elements

+ Cardiff Methodist Community Choir + Llantrisant Male Voice Choir St Andrew’s Church, Roath, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £10-£15. Info 07713 120077. Fundraiser night for this church, headlined

by Southern rock type Farris who used to be in a band called the Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies and is playing in Porthcawl tomorrow.

Movies, Musicals & More! Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.15pm, £12/£10.

Info 0300 0040444.

Featuring the Lewis Merthyr Band, Pendyrus Male Choir, Treorchy Comprehensive School Choir and Côr Y Cwm. Parla Porter’s, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Sefrial Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

8-10.30pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2039 9557. Jazz session featuring a potentially interestingsounding Bristol quintet, followed by a jam.

Son Of Dave The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888.

The J And J Orchestra Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862. Playing as part of Pizza Night here.

The Peach Fuzz + The Mondaines + Kmapango + Sun Spot The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£7 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

Tomos Williams’ Electric Traw Trio Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5.

Info 029 2038 7026.

UK Pink Floyd Experience Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26.50. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute band.

FRIDAY 13 MARCH

Bandicoot + TJ Roberts + Dactyl Terra Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

BBC NOW: Beethoven Eroica Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5-£23.

Info 01792 475715.

Jonathan Bloxham conducts a programme of Beethoven’s third symphony, plus Metamorphosen

by Strauss.

Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7pm. Info 029 2062 6015. Sold out.

Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07818 056599.

Dave Bush Quartet Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 9pm,

6 ) S H O W H A W K D U O ( Tr a m s h e d , T h u r s 7 ) PA U L VA N D Y K ( C l u b L o g i c , G o r s e i n o n , S a t 9 ) B E A R D Y M A N ( T h e G l o b e , S u n 1 7 ) T O O T S & T H E M A Y TA L S ( Tr a m s h e d , F r i 2 2 ) C A R D I F F P S Y C H & N O I S E F E S T ( Wo m a n b y S t r e e t , C a r d i f f , F r i BUZZ 69

* – recommended

FESTIVAL OF VOICE Now in its third incarnation, Cardiff’s Festival Of Voice will now become an annual celebration. Until now, the festival, which debuted in 2016, has run biannually with high-calibre performers such as Van Morrison, Patti Smith, John Cale, Hugh Masekela, John Grant and Laura Marling.

It showcases an international range of iconic and recognisable voices in the lavish auditorium of the Wales Millennium Centre, as well as nearby Portland House.

Graeme Farrow, the venue’s Artistic Director, has stated that the reshaping of the festival is part of “Cardiff’s commitment to placing music at the heart of the capital’s development.”

This year will introduce wristbands, day and weekend passes as well as some free public performances. Shifting the festival into a more traditional format with a Cardiff landmark as its backdrop is a strong step towards putting the Festival Of Voice on the map as an iconic celebration of music.

The festival’s ethos is to champion the voice in all its forms, and talks from

guests will accompany live music and performance. The event will feature Welsh singer Cate Le Bon as guest curator as well as one of the performers, who has described her aim as “to champion voices that bring joy, that guide, inspire, challenge, soothe and unite us whilst political division and disconnection is being peddled.” Other performers will be announced soon, but early bird tickets covering all four days are available to buy now.

Wales Millennium Centre / Portland House, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 29 Oct to Sun 1 Nov. Tickets: £90 early bird weekend passes.

Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk/voice

£5. Info 07933 844234. Jazz.

David Keenan Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Sensitive young singersongwriter.

Enuff Z’nuff + Emotional Debris The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £15 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. Glam metal survivors.

Fortunate Sons Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026.

Gabrielle Aplin + Emily Burns & Nick Wilson Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Singer-songwriterly stuff, interviewed at length in the Feb issue.

Idlechord + Elektrik + Frank Einstein Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Jack J Hutchinson Band The Patriot, Crumlin.

7pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Jack Mac’s Funk Pack Porter’s, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Jack Rutter Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Katy Hurt The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762. UK country singer.

Man Bites Zombie + Deep Hum + No Murder No Moustache The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Mark Simpson & Richard Uttley Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Clarinet/piano recital of Simpson’s own compositions.

Mike Farris Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £7.50. Info 01656 815995.

Oh What A Night! Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £22 adv.

Info 0300 3656677. Frankie Valli tribute.

Owen Money’s Jukebox Heroes 3 Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £18.

Info 01646 695267. Fifties hits performed by a band, The Bluejays.

Powerhouse Gospel Choir: Amazing Grace Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £18. Info 01792 863722.

Professor Bad Trip Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £13-£16. Info 01970 623232. New electroacoustic composition by the Wales New Music Ensemble.

Pure Diamond Exchange Hotel, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm-

12am, £30. Info 029 2010 7050. Including a twocourse meal and glass of champagne.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£51.50.

Info 01792 475715. Thierry Fischer conducts a programme of Borodin, Mozart and Brahms, with guest violin soloist Tasmin Little.

Southbound McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport.

8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648. *Special Interest + Pink Grip + Shishu + Horrible Men Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Hotel De Marl with a ripper show of punk and hardcore.

Headliners are from New Orleans and sound like a total blast live.

Stiff Little Fingers + The Professionals + TV Smith Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Belfast punks headline. They play here pretty much every year, though the supports don’t.

The Doors Alive The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Tribute band.

The Sensational 60s Experience Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £29. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute show.

The Wicked Jackals + Meansteed + Dominic Nation & The Dirty Dead Hangar 18, Swansea.

7.30pm, £3. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Toploader Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £25.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Trivax + Nomos + Blasfeme Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107. Black metal bands.

Twin Atlantic Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £20. Info 029 2023 5555. Scottish rockers.

Up The Creek + Ofelia + Bryony Sier + Hazel & Grey Globetrotters, Pontypridd. 7pm, free (donations welcome). Info globetrottersbar@gmail. com. Benefit gig for fellow Ponty venue Clwb Y Bont. *Xhosa Cole Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391.

AmserJazzTime special with UK jazz saxophonist. See Music.

SATURDAY 14 MARCH

Brighouse & Rastrick Band Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £16/£15.

Info 01686 614555. Yorkshire brass band who reached no.2 in the singles chart in

u – repeated

1977. Mull Of Kintyre was no.1.

Buddy Holly & The Cricketers Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7pm, £22.50/£17. Info 0845 2263510. Tribute show.

Creature Comfort Creature Sound, Swansea.

2-7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 301178. This is promoted

by R*E*P*E*A*T and is being put on to mark the UN’s Anti-Racism Day. Better than working with SWP front groups like these guys normally do, I suppose.

Anyway, the bands playing are Bloom!, Dominic Nation And The Dirty Dead, DTT, Inscape, Kikker, Memory Camp, News From Nowhere, Spaghetti Time, The Sandinistas and Tundra.

David Childs & Chris Williams Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

Euphonium/piano duo.

Elliot Oakley Porter’s, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Playing after the rugby.

Guns 2 Roses The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Tribute band.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddy! Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18. Info 029 2089 0862. Buddy Holly tribute show.

Igam Ogam + Po-Lice + Ill Gotten Gains Vulcan Lounge, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free before 9. Info vulcanloungecardiff@gmail. com.

Jake Bugg Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Notts ladpop fella who flirted with arena act status but, it appears, was turned down.

Laura Benjamin The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 466026.

Louise Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £22.50. Info 029 2023 5555. As in Redknapp, but she’s not using her married name any more having been freed from the shackles of rapaciously greedy landlord Harry “I’m not a facking wheeler-dealer” Redknapp being her father-in-law.

Metallica Reloaded Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £8.

Info 07970 063107. Tribute band.

My Name Is Ian The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Rihab Azar & Luke Daniels The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 8pm, £10/£8.

Info 01639 843163. Azar is from Syria and plays the oud; Daniels the UK and

plays the accordion and melodeon.

Scarlet Rebels + Revival Black + Ravenbreed + I Am Gravity Hangar 18, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Skacasm Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 01443 682388. Ska covers.

Skinflint McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648. uStereophonics + The Wind And The Wave Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £47.50. Info 029 2022 4488. On tomorrow also, both dates sold out.

Swansea University Orchestra And The Welsh Sinfonia Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7.30pm, £5-£10.

Info 01792 602060.

The American Four Tops The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01633 656757. Tribute show.

The Dirty Flamingos + Big Bambora + Just Drive + Two Til Twelve The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £4 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

The Jedis Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Jive Aces Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01495 243252.

Swing revivalists.

The Wicked Jackals + Meansteed + Grym The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm, free.

Info 01495 247178.

Thunderstruck + Holy Diver UK Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7.30pm, £13/£10 adv. Info 07512 237983.

Tributes to AC/DC and Dio. Wille & The Bandits + Troy Redfern The Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £16/£14.50 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

SUNDAY 15 MARCH

Abertawe Festival For Young Musicians Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7pm, £7/free under-19s. Info 01792 602060.

Atlas Empire + Strange Orchird The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

BBC Young Musician 2020 Semi-Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391.

Blues And Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm.

Info 07477 627267.

Buffalo Summer + Pearler The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 01495 247178.

Deborah Bonham + Jo

22-Sun 24) JEFF BECK (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Mon 25) GRACE PETRIE ( G l e e C l u b , C a r d i f f B a y, T h u r s 2 8 ) L E T ’ S R O C K W A L E S ( Tr e d e g a r Pa r k , BUZZ 70

Burt The Patriot, Crumlin.

1pm, £10. Info 01495 247178. Blues-rocker and little sister of the late John Bonham headlines afternoon show.

Faeland Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.

Info 029 2089 0862. Folk-pop quartet.

Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5/£3 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Monthly jam session.

Jimmy Mac’s Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

6-8pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Otto + Apostle + Ophelia Xerri + Chew + Hayez + Dan Ham + DJ Jaffa + This Is Wreckage + Die! Chihuahua Die! + Icantdie The Moon, Cardiff. 3pm, £7 suggested donation. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Ponty and Treforest flood fundraiser gig.

Paul Edwards The Swigg, Swansea. 4-6pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

The Adrian Jones Experience The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Jones is the singer in Excellent Skeleton, a psych type band, and will be doing a mix of songs and spoken word in solo guise here.

The Bay Rum Hounds Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

The Harrisons The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

The Music Of Star Wars And Beyond St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £17.50£49.50. Info 01792 475715.

As played by the London Concert Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Inglis.

MONDAY 16 MARCH

Dick Hamer Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters + Ian Prowse Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £38.50£82.50. Info 029 2063 6464.

See Upfront.

Hyll + Altered Myths + The Desdemonas The Moon, Cardiff. 3pm, £6 suggested donation. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Ponty and Treforest flood fundraiser gig.

Sløtface Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Norwegian pop-punk band.

TUESDAY 17 MARCH

Chris Wood St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£17.

Info 01792 475715. UK folk-

rocker.

Excellent Skeleton + Lighthammer + Old Samuel The Moon, Cardiff.

3pm, £6 suggested donation.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Ponty and Treforest flood fundraiser gig.

Gaffa Tape Sandy + Beach Riot + Tiger Bay Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Ivan Ilic St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 01792 475715. Lunchtime piano recital.

Moonshine Boulevard Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Sam Leak Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz.

Sean Montgomery Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

12.45pm, free. Info 01792 475715. Organ recital.

Seven Drunken Nights Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £26.50. Info 01792 475715. A musical-or-maybeit’s-really-more-a-tributeband-with-a-bit-of-narrationbetween-songs type show, concerning The Dubliners.

The Riot Ensemble Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

Vocal chamber music which is performed from various points around the hall; accordingly the evening is titled Vantage Point..

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

Abigail Pettican & Lloyd Cottrell Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £10.

Info 029 2039 1391. Clarinet/ saxophone duo.

AshesToAngels + A Night Like This + Inscape + Glass Heart + Faith Taker The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £7/£5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. *Banshee & Raymond MacDonald Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Monthly jazz improv night featuring MacDonald, founder of the Glasgow Improvisers’ Orchestra and general lynchpin of the city’s skronkier scene.

Broken Chanter + Randolph’s Leap + Moonsoup + The Gentle Good The Moon, Cardiff.

7-10pm, £8/£6 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Presented by Pop’n’Hops Cardiff County And Vale Of Glamorgan Junior Music Festival St David’s

Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £9-£13.

Info 01792 475715.

Concerts & Cakes Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare.

1pm, £4.50. Info 0300 0040444. Presented by Live Music Now. Covent + Thick Skin + Seven Stories High + Church Place Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 25.

Gary Potter The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Lleuwen Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7.30pm, £12.50.

Info 0845 2263510. Welsh folk-rocker.

Mike & Dylan James Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. Breton duo play a Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Chris Mercer.

01792 475715.

Fish + Doris Brendel Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £32.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Prog-rockin’ Scot who I will always write out as ‘Fish from Marillion’ despite knowing he has not fronted that band for some time, and that it would annoy him greatly. See Upfront for an interview.

Glass Heart + Aviira + Lead By Lies Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 07970 063107. Playing as part of the Havoc club night Haggard Cat + Calling Apollo + Icantdie The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Ian Bruce Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8pm, £8/£4 members. Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night.

Judy Cook Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm, £8/£5. Info

Mike Farris is a Tennessee rocker, ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan sideman and bornagain Christian. Perhaps not uncoincidentally, he is headlining a fundraiser gig for, and at, St Andrew’s Church in Cardiff on Thurs 12 – plus Porthcawl Grand Pavilion the following day.

Paul Dunmall/Phil Gibbs Quartet The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8pm, free. Info 01600 712767. UK free jazzers, on sax and guitar respectively, who’ve been collaborating for about 20 years.

Slide By Slide Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@ dancebands.plus.com.

A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

The South Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £26.

Info 0845 2263510. It’s The Beautiful South without the people you like in the band.

THURSDAY 19 MARCH

BBC NOW Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £5-£20.

Info 01970 623232. Lesley Hatfield conducts a programme of Prokofiev, Mozart and Tchaikovsky.

Cardiff County And Vale Of Glamorgan Spring Showcase St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £9-£13. Info

01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

Monkjack Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2089 0862. Playing as part of Pizza Night here.

Pallet Porter’s, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Live bands and live art, both TBC in terms of identity.

Saving Grace De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 6.30pm, £29.50 adv. Info 01834 218228. Robert Plant’s latest band, working in a kind of folk-rock style.

Sheets Of Sound Blowing In The March Winds Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Jazz quintet doing a John Coltrane tribute.

Sound Bar Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391. Electronic music showcase in the foyer.

The Doublecross + Divers + AJ Simmonds + Wolfpunch + Elastic

Bandit The Moon, Cardiff.

7.30pm. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 80s Live Coliseum Theatre,

Aberdare. 7.30pm, £25. Info 0300 0040444. Decadespecific covers.

Bandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.”

Battle Of The Bands Final Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Bowie Experience 2020 The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £23. Info 01633 656757. Tribute show.

Cappella Fede Temple Of Peace, Cardiff. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Performing a 400th anniversary concert of the works of Isabella Leonarda.

Captain Accident And The Disasters + Timbali The Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £16/£12 adv.

Info 01834 861212. Cardiff ska types headline. The pay on the door price is in fact, according to the poster, £15 plus £1 booking fee. Words no longer have meaning.

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra: Opera Spectacular! St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6.50£25. Info 01792 475715.

Michael Bell conducts a programme of orchestral selections and airas galore.

Clare Teal & Jason Rebello Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8-9.45pm, £17.50/£5 kids. Info 01239 841387.

Clusterfuck + The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk + 6foot7 Market Street Club, Barry. 7pm, £5 (suggested donation). Info 01446 733863.

Corners Of Sanctuary McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Classic soul.

DiEnw Llanwrda Hall, nr Llandovery. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01550 720483. Playing the Llandovery Folk Dancing night. Bring some food to share say the organisers.

Georgia Ruth + Bardd Newport Memorial Hall, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £10/£8. Info 01834 869323.

Welsh folk, presented by Span Arts.

Gwenllian Llyr Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039

1391. Harpist.

Haunt The Woods Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £9 adv.

Info 029 2039 9557.

Katie Lou + Jam Sullivan + Rowan Coombes The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Lindisfarne Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £25/£24. Info 01656 815995.

Folk-rockers of olde.

Look Mum No Computer Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £9 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Live electronics from a guy who seems to use a combo of modular synths and circuit-bent old toys.

Metal 2 The Masses: Heat 2 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107. With sets from Black Pyre, SouthBound, Boxing Day Rage, King Kraken and Misanthropia.

Mike & Dylan James Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea.

7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Monico The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. uOwen Money’s Jukebox Heroes 3 Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £18. Info 01633 868239. On tomorrow also. uSteve Harley Acoustic Band Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2089 0862. On tomorrow also, both gigs sold out.

Palace + Chartreuse Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £14.

Info 029 2023 5555.

Parachute For Gordo + Fort + Borrowed Atlas + Blue Amber The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Presented by HyperPower.

Rumney Folk Club St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff.

7.45pm. Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk.

Monthly session with regular and guest performers.

Snake Oil And Harmony Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £18.50. Info 01685 879491.

Hard rock featuring US guitarist Dan Reed and Danny Vaughn from Tyketto.

The Harcourt Players The Globe At Hay, Hay-OnWye. 7pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 01497 821762. Performing a live soundtrack to 1920s silent movie Nosferatu.

Tootinskamoon Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 9pm. Info 07818 056599. Apparently they’re recording a live album at this gig.

Wannabe: The Spice Girls Show Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm,

Newport, Sat 30) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR JUNE: WHITESNAKE + FOREIGNER + EUROPE (Motorpoint Arena C a r d i f f , M o n 1 ) B A R RY M A N I L O W ( M o t o r p o i n t A r e n a , Tu e 2 ) P E T S H O P B O Y S ( M o t o r p o i n t A r e n a , We d 3 ) T H E BUZZ 71

* – recommended £23 adv. Info 01639 763214.

Tribute band.

Welsh Camerata: Celestial Revelations St Mary’s Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info www.welshcamerata. org. Performing choral works by female composers from Hildegard of Bingen to Barbara Strozzi What? St Mary’s Church, Hay-On-Wye. 7.30pm, £10. Info 07717 416319.

Jazz quartet likened to the classic ECM sound, and who feature the sometime duo Beresford Hammond, so colour me interested on both counts.

Yowl + Josh Ace + Gonhill Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info www.elysiumgallery.com.

SATURDAY 21 MARCH

Alden Patterson & Dashwood Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth.

7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01970 633088.

Bob Marley Experience + Ecko Vybz Sound System The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £15 adv/£20 VIP. Info 01633 533666.

Tribute act headlines.

Cardiff Electronic Producer Showcase The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

Celtic Pride Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info crowleysrockbar@ hotmail.com.

Elektrik Live Orchestra Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, £16 adv. Info 01443 490390. ELO tribute band.

Festival Heart Porter’s, Cardiff. 10pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Gecko + Otto + Natty Paynter Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7 adv.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Henry Marten’s Ghost The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Ignitemares + Vampire Money + Quorum The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Presented by Smash Mouse.

I’m Still Standing Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £20.

Info 01873 850805. Elton John tribute.

Islands In The Stream Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £23. Info 01495 227206. A tribute to the music of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

John Bramwell Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £15. Info 01792 863722. Singer from the band I Am Kloot. Website copy for this gig describes

him as “the Mercury Prize nominee” and adds a blue badge to the corner of his photo saying “MERCURY PRIZE NOMINEE”.

John Fairhurst The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 8pm, £6 adv.

Info 01743 860246. Blues soloist. Rescheduled from last year. uJon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 7pm, £2 after 11. Info 029 2038 7026.

Also on Sat 28.

Kamikazee Millionaires McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648.

Letz Zep Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2062 6015.

Tribute band.

Mae Bradbury + Mike Dennis NosDa, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Martin Harley Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01873 852690. Folky blues slide guitar type. In Barry tomorrow, though that one’s sold out.

Mishra Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. 7pm, £23 adv. Info 029 2062 0415.

Indian-influenced folk duo.

Price includes a buffet.

Monsters Of Mock Hangar 18, Swansea.

8.30pm. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue. co.uk. Tributes to Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden, in that order and played by the same band.

Neil Lockwood & The Blue Lights Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Neil Sedaka Tribute Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7.30pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 07512 237983. Doesn’t seem to have a name.

Los Blancos + Pasta Hull + Pys Melyn + Twmffat + Sybs + Radio Rhydd Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 4.30-10.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Six hours of Welsh-language indie bands.

Moonshine The Swigg, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Philomusica Of Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £2-£12.

Info 01970 623232.

Performing works by Gershwin and Ibert among others.

Rookery Kane The Mariners, Laugharne.

8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Seinwedd Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7pm, £10. Info 01656 815995. Four choirs and Porthcawl Community Orchestra create a “sound-

scape of Wales” and there’s some photography and spoken word in the mix too.

Sidewinder Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv.

Info 01443 682388. Rock covers. uSinfonia Cymru: The Complete Beethoven Piano Concertos Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 3 +7.30pm, £3-£18 per performance (£30-£42 for all three). Info 029 2063 6464.

Featuring performances of piano concertos 1 and 2 this afternoon; symphony no.2 and piano concerto 3 this evening; and piano concertos 4 and 5 tomorrow at 2pm.

Ska Monkeys Rhoose Community Centre, Barry.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info friendsofrhwsprimary@ gmail.com. Ska and 2-tone covers.

Swansea University Wind Orchestra Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7.30pm, £5-£10.

Info 01792 602060.

The Jukes The Globe At

does a turn in this Cathays Caribbean joint for Mother’s Day. When I say free I mean that if you go in and buy a meal Aleighcia will come gratis.

Bowie Starman The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £12 adv. Info 01685 387925. Tribute act.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Clannad St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £33-£63.

Info 01792 475715. Irish folkies on their last ever tour.

David Gray Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £35£99. Info 029 2022 4488.

Touring to mark 20 years since the release of White Ladder so he’ll be playing that in full.

Flare Up The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509. London band from the 80s. I believe they include a member who is a mate of this venue in some way.

On Fri 20, St Mary’s Church in Hay-On-Wye is the setting for a performance by What?, a jazz quartet from the area whose name is likely to confuse as readily as their drifting, ECM Records-esque lushness will soothe.

Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free.

Info 01497 821762.

The Trials Of Cato The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50. Info 029 2048 3344.

See Music.

This Way Up with Ian Ludbrook St Mary’s Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£5 kids. Info ruffceilidhs.org. A RUFF Ceilidhs night.

U2 Baby The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Tribute band.

Unholy Alliance The Dolls House, Abertillery.

6pm. Info 01495 213300.

Welsh Chamber Orchestra Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 01874 611622.

Wizards Of Noz St Fagans Village Hall. 7.30pm, £8/£6/£4 kids/free under12s. Info 029 2023 2970. The Spring Bal of the Pentreffest Noz folk night.

SUNDAY 22 MARCH

Aleighcia Scott Irie Shack, Cardiff. 12pm, free. Info 029 2037 3272.

Cardiff’s top reggae vocalist

*Friendship + Kurokuma + Tides Of Sulfur + Grief Ritual + Victim Unit + They Live | We Sleep The Moon, Cardiff. 6-10.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Really strong bill of grind, doom, powerviolence and other chonky stuff from Cosmic Carnage and FHED. Headliners are from Japan.

Georgia Ruth Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

5.45pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232. Album launch gig.

She lives round here now apparently.

Ivan Ilic Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30-10pm, £12. Info 01239 841387.

Pianist.

Jean Louis’ Gypsy Jazz Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 12.30-2pm, £18 with food. Info 01239 841387. Playing to accompany a Mother’s Day lunch.

Jemma Krysa The Swigg, Swansea. 4-6pm, free. Info 01792 466026.

Leeched + Godeater + Counterweight Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 6-9pm,

u – repeated

£12/£8 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Sludgy hardcore band from Manchester, with an album recently out on the Prosthetic label, headline.

Magnum Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023 5555. Proggy hard rock veterans.

Martin Harley Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, Barry.

6.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07561 143114. Sold out..

Roving Crows Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14.

Info 029 2089 0862. Celtic folk.

SP3 The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Jazz.

The James Oliver Band Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Tumbling Dice Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Rock covers.

MONDAY 23 MARCH

5ive + A1 + Damage + 911 St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

8pm, £25-£60.50. Info 01792 475715. Second tier boybands from 20 years ago on a package tour together.

Top price is a VIP/meet and greet thing, and god knows your turn-of-the-millennium self would be furious at you for spurning that opportunity. There again life hasn’t exactly panned out like you hoped in general.

Elaina Hoss Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360.

Jordi Davies Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

M Huncho Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £18.50. Info 029 2023 5555. A rapper who always wears a mask so no-one knows what his face looks like.

Top Brass Trio Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30pm, £4.50. Info 01656 815995. A Live Music Now afternoon show.

TUESDAY 24 MARCH

Jamie Cullum St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £38£52.50. Info 01792 475715.

Lite jazzman of the wireless, interviewed Upfront in this issue.

Plain White T’s + Harry Marshall Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Pop-punk relics of the early to mid 00s.

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz. Two sets by Ollie Wyatt & Friends and Whatthehelliwell.

The John Davies

Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

The Velvet Hands + Black3lvis + Sienna The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£7 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH

Amadou Diagne & Cory Seznec Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 651725. See Music.

Bloom! + Dan Ham + Riding Giants + Porter’s, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff. com. Presented by The Forté Project.

Gemini Anderson + Ruby Kelly + Holiday In The Mind The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £3. Info 01685 387925.

Presented by U&I Radio.

Gethin Liddington’s High Society Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. With guest vocalist Sarah Meek. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Joe Webb Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz.

Live Dead ‘69 Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Grateful Dead tribute band doing all of their Live Europe ‘72 triple LP. Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Dr Bland’s Bad Batch.

The Chancellor’s Concert Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 6.30pm, £5-£10.

Info 01792 602060. Swansea University’s Music Scholars perform classical solos, chamber music and jazz Thee Hypnotics The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Fuzzy psych-rock band who trod the boards about 30 years ago and have reformed with what seems like minimal fanfare.

Thomas Cameron Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £15. Info 029 2089 0862. Tenor vocalist.

THURSDAY 26 MARCH

Afternoon In Paris Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth.

8pm, £5-£13. Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night.

Alaw Y Parlwr, Splott, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£10.

U N D E R T O N E S ( C a r d i f f U n i v e r s i t y S t u d e n t s U n i o n , T h u r s 4 ) I N S I D E O U T F E S T I VA L ( B u t e Pa r k , C a r d i f f , F r i 5 + S a t 6 ) D U A L I PA ( M o t o r p o i n t A r e n a , S u n 7 ) R A M M S T E I N ( P r i n c i p a l i t y S t a d i u m , S u n 1 4 ) R O N A N K E AT I N G ( M o t o r p o i n t BUZZ 72

Info facebook.com/yparlwr. Welsh folk band play homely sounding venue in a former library.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Cardiff University Symphonic Winds Cardiff University Concert Hall.

7-8.15pm, £5/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

Daoirí Farrell Llanhennock Village Hall, Caerleon. 7.30pm, £15. Info www.caerleon-arts.org. Irish trad folk fave, presented here by the Caerleon Arts Festival.

Dutty Moonshine Big Band + Funke And The Two Tone Baby Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Boomtown Festival type stuff.

InVisions + Nightlives Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, free. Info 07970 063107.

Lyrical Miracles NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Monthly live hip-hop open mic night.

Otto Lunar Bird + Ell South + The Caspiens The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £4.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

Pictish Trail + Savage Mansion Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Longrunning indie-folk project headlines.

Planet Earth II Live In Concert 2020 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £35£55. Info 029 2022 4488.

Featuring the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and hosted by Liz Bonnin, with loadsa footage of sharks and that on a big screen.

Rhymney Millennium Mixed Choral Concert The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01495 355945.

Sinfonia Cymru: Enchant Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £3-£14.

Info 029 2030 4400. First of four curated evenings looking to introduce audiences to music. This one’s curated

by Stephanie Tress.

Soundwire + The Dix + The Distance + Two Til Twelve + Rainy Day Rainbow The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

The Bowie Collective St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £28. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

FRIDAY 27 MARCH

Banzai Pipeline Creature Sound, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 301178.

BBC NOW: London Afternoon Wales

Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £5-£20. Info 029 2063 6464. Jamie Phillip conducts a programme of Briten, Vaughan Williams and Grace Williams (no relation, but she was taught by him).

Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra And Chorus St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £9/£6.

Info 01792 475715.

Côr Lleisiau Hardd Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510.

Dirty Laces +White Riot Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6 adv.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

From Gold To Rio Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £18. Info 029 2089 0862. Another of those tribute bands who combine two acts into one set, in this case Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran.

Ion Maiden Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Tribute band. In Cardiff tomorrow.

John + Arndales + Death Cult Electric Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Luna Bec + Nightingales Watch The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Marty O’Reilly + The Riverside Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 615952. Two American acts on a blues/ folk/country tip.

Minas + Shlug + Nigel The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Ocaso Porter’s, Cardiff.

10pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Organ Recital National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7951.

Oxbowlake The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Folk duo. In Newport on Sun 29.

Peggy Sue + Grip Tight Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Garage-pop outfit with a new album (reviewed in the Feb issue) headline.

Perfect Body + Twthpaste + Bloodshots + Charybdis Gentileza, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info gentilezacdf@gmail.com.

Four local bands playing this cafe as part of an exhibition launch from the Hiccup Collective. If you’re reading this before Fri 13 Mar, you can still submit work to hiccupcollective@gmail.com.

Puzzle Tree + Frank

Einstein + The Origin Of Machines Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £3. Info 01443 682388.

Some Might Say Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7.30pm, £12/£10.50 adv. Info 07512 237983. Oasis tribute.

Talk Show + Panic Shack The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £6 adv.

Info 01495 213300. First of four Welsh dates for these two bands, respectively from Manchester and Cardiff; they’re also on Newport on Sun 29, Swansea on Mon 30 and a place on Tue 31 we can’t mention because it’s up north. OK, it’s Wrexham.

Telgate M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £6.50/£5 adv. Info 029 2047 3373.

The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

The People The Poet + Heavy Flames + Bedface Jac’s, Aberdare.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25. Info

Cathedral. 7.30pm, £13. Info 01874 611622. Performed by the Brecon Cathedral Choirs and In Spiritu Chamber Choir.

Icarus Peel’s Acid Reign + Broken Lines Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 07818 056599.

Brace of psych bands, the headliners being no relation to UK thrash metal funsters Acid Reign.

Ion Maiden Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £9 adv.

Info 07970 063107.

Joanne Shaw Taylor Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £29.50 adv. Info 01792 468892. UK blues-rock guitarist.

Kamikazee Millionaires + Rockhouse + Un-Pland + Metal Maidens The Patriot, Crumlin. 6.30pm, £6. Info 01495 247178.

Llandaff Cathedral Choral Society Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20/£10 NUS or kids. Info llandaffcathedralchoralsociety. org.uk. With a programme

The annual Cwlwm Celtaidd festival, at the Hi Tide in Porthcawl, takes place from Fri 6-Sun 8 and alongside the various daytime activities features two main evening concerts: Rusty Shackle on Fri 6 and Jamie Smith’s Mabon on Fri 7.

01792 475715. Tribute show.

Ultimate Floyd The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Pink Floyd tribute.

SATURDAY 28 MARCH

*808 State Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £22. Info 029 2023 5555. See Clubs for an interview with this pioneering Manc electronica duo. *Brazil And Beyond: Brazil E Além The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm-2am, £6.50 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Barracwda presents a night of samba rhythms and similarly percussive rinseouts from other countries, courtesy of Barracwda, Samba Galez, Bloco B, N’Famady Kouyate plus DJs Ben-Jah and Sean Magee. Proceeds to go Oasis Cardiff.

Dali Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Dukey & The Howlers The Station Inn, Caerphilly.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2115 8964.

Handel’s Messish Brecon

featuring William Mathias’ St Teilo.

Malign + Depravity + Kold War + Counterweight Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

6pm, £6. Info 029 2037 3144.

Metallic hardcore bands presented by Death Clock.

Mal Pope Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01982 552555.

Music For Lent Choral Concert St German’s Church, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 07966 288567.

Featuring the Cantemus Chamber Choir directed by Huw Williams.

Never The Bride Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

London blues-rockers. Roger Daltrey says of the singer, “Nikki Lamborn has the best female rock voice since Janis Joplin and I know what I’m talking about, I knew Janis”. That’s a logical fallacy Roger. A Rogical fallacy.

Oliver/Dawson Saxon + Sidewinder The New

Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £15/£12 adv. Info 01685 387925. This is the touring version of Saxon without Biff Byford in it. I always initially read it like it’s a single guy called Oliver Dawson Saxon.

Pearl Jamm Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Tribute band.

Pontypridd & Cowbrodge Choral Societies & Rhondda Symphony Orchestra Bethel Baptist Church, Pontyclun. 7pm, £10. Info jenjones47@btinternet.com.

Performing works by Parry, Brahms and Puccini.

Pyramid McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8.30pm, free. Info 01633 253648.

Retrospect Riverside Sports Bar & Kitchen, Newport. 9pm. Info 01633 439166.

Rushed Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Rush tribute.

Sepulchre + Greywall Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com.

Shellyann Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £13.50.

Info 01792 863722.

Six Sided Men NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Slipped Disco Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Stillhouse Junkies Str Mary’s Church, Barry. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07561 143114.

Roots N All gig, apparently also part of the Barry Arts Festival but there is (at the time of writing) no other evidence online of this taking place in 2020.

The D Teez + Red Light Syndrome + Trackstar Pornstar The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Punk bands.

The Long Game + Slackrr + 6foot7 The Dolls House, Abertillery.

8pm, free. Info 01495 213300.

The Magic Of Motown Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £29. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

The Sounds Of Simon The Met, Abertillery. 8pm, £15. Info 01495 355945.

Simon & Garfunkel tribute.

The Troubadors The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2070 8675.

ThunderHammer Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7.30pm, £12.50/£10 adv. Info 07512 237983. Hard rock tribute show.

True Strays The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £8.

Info 01497 821762.

Twin Lizzy Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 01685 879491. Thin Lizzy tribute.

Vrï + James Bower St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff.

7pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 029 2056 2022. Classical/folk trio headline a gig presented by Newsoundwales.

Year Of The Rat Closing Party G39, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2047 3633.

Live sets from Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Keys, Private World, Panic Shack and The Bug Club to mark the end of an exhibition here by the Rat Trap art collective (see Art listings for more).

SUNDAY 29 MARCH

Cardiff Polyphonic Choir Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

2.30pm, £12/£5 NUS/free under-16s. Info 029 2039 1391.

Defeatist + Lonesome + False Hope For The Savage Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Finding A Voice Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391.

Showcase concert for the CoDI Text project, where six composers worked with two mentoring artists to develop their skills at composing with text. Book in advance please.

Flare Up + Mercy Of The Current + Mass Envy Jac’s, Aberdare.

5-8pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Henry Marten’s Ghost The Swigg, Swansea.

4-6pm, free. Info 01792 466026. *Las Kellies + Callum Easter The Moon, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Headliners are some neato Argentinians on an ESG/ Delta 5 tip. I put them on yonks ago.

Liv Austen + Eleri Angharad + Louise Parker Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2089 0862. Three solo UK country artists.

Mary Hofman & Richard Ormrod Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

3pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Music Club concert.

Misfit Pearl And The Oddfellows The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free.

Info 01600 712767.

Nogo Abang Cardiff University Concert Hall.

3-4.30pm, £5/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Cardiff University’s gamelan

A r e n a , S u n 1 4 ) C R O W D E D H O U S E ( M o t o r p o i n t A r e n a , Tu e 1 6 ) S E P U LT U R A ( Tr a m s h e d , Tu e 1 6 ) G E O R G E B E N S O N ( S t D a v i d ’ s H a l l , F r i 2 6 ) W E S T L I F E ( C a r d i f f C i t y S t a d i u m , F r i 2 6 ) L I T T L E M I X ( C a r d i f f C i t y S t a d i u m , S u n 2 8 ) BUZZ 73

BAFTA CYMRU MARCH 2020 The Cymru Awards open for entries on Mon 2 Mar, so check out the website for further details, as by the April edition of Buzz the deadline will be almost upon you! We’re continuing to encourage individuals to self-nominate again this year as well as free entry for our Breakthrough Award, which recognises a genuinely new practitioner or team of three in any part of the production process.

Continuing the theme of supporting new talent, Sat 21 Mar sees the return of the Guru Live Cardiff one-day festival – our event that helps you find out more about the roles in film, games and TV from those in the know. Join us to expand your horizons! The event, aimed at 16-25-year-olds, will offer at least 15 amazing masterclasses and workshops.

If you are interested in finding out about roles in the make-up and hair department, Claire Pritchard-Jones and her team will be talking about their work on Doctor Who, Sherlock and many other high-end TV dramas. We’ll also have a team panel with Joe Neate and Shelley Preston,

respectively the Executive Producer and Lead Designer on Sea Of Thieves, and Chloe Kwok who is an Audio Intern with them at Rare (the studio behind Donkey Kong, Banjo-Kazooie, and Conker). As well as learning from those at the top of their game about skills and roles, we will be offering sessions on freelancing, making short films, starting a startup and being resilient in an often challenging industry. Tickets are on sale now, for £6 each or 2 for £10.

Don’t forget, we’re also still accepting membership applications and you are able to join now for 17 months at special rates. Have a look at all the benefits of membership, including free cinema, on our website.

Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 74

ensemble.

Oxbowlake Cellar Door, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 07930 857897.

Remi Harris Trio Melville Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £13/£11/£3 NUS. Info 01873 853167. Black Mountain Jazz gig.

Singing In The Seasons Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 3 + 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Promenade performance with the WNO Community Chorus among others. Book in advance please.

Swansea University Big Band Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01792 602060. With a set celebrating 100 years of jazz.

Talk Show + Panic Shack Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6 adv.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

The D Teez The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

The Slow Readers Club The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Manc indie band whose album is reviewed in this issue.

Whitchurch Jam Session #124 Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

5.30-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

MONDAY 30 MARCH

Circa Waves Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 029 2023 5555. Glossy indie band who are reviewed in this issue.

Gethin Liddington Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Grace Petrie + Sarah McCreadie The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

This is a rescheduled gig from October when Grace booked two shows in here on one day but then lost her voice for the second. It’s sold out though.

Hayseed Dixie Patti Pavilion, Swansea. 7.30pm, £17.50. Info 01792 477710.

Talk Show + Panic Shack The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

The Who + Conor Selby Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £65-£90. Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out.

TUESDAY 31 MARCH

Amy Wadge + James Smith St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£15. Info 01792 475715. String trio with a lunchtime performance of Beethoven and Ernö Dohnányi.

Preservation Rhythm Kings Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Sam Fender Motorpoint

Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £25. Info 029 2022 4488.

Sold out. Sam was gonna play Cardiff University in December but cancelled cos he was poorly and now he’s doing places this size (and probably going up another level soon). What’s the deal when something like this happens because the uni must have lost an absolute fortune on bar takings.

Sinfonia Cymru St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 01792 475715.

String trio with a lunchtime performance of Beethoven and Ernö Dohnányi.

Zoot Warren Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz.

one more act TBC. Robin Morgan + Steffan Alun + Steffan Evans + Priya Hall + Firuz Ozari + Lorna Prichard Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30-10pm, £5. Info 029 2023 5555. Standups presented by Howl Comedy.

Seen: Utopias The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff.

5.30pm, £5. Info info@ otherroomtheatre.com.

Scratch theatre night featuring three 10-minute script-in-hand performances of new work, followed by a Q&A. Another Seen night is here on Sun 29 this month.

Welsh Rarebit Dolman Theatre, Newport. 2pm, £7. Info 01633 263670. St David’s Day songs and verse.

stage

Chwarae Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 11am, £8/£6.

Info 01646 695267.

MONDAY 2 MARCH

SUNDAY 1 MARCH

Alice Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 1 + 5pm, £9/£6.50. Info 01633 868239.

Presented by the SL Dance Academy. I assume by the graphics on the flyer it’s based on Alice In Wonderland in some way. uChwarae Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 11am + 2pm, £8. Info 029 2030 4400. Family-friendly Welshlanguage play by Elgan Rhys. Also here on Wed 11 and Thurs 12, and touring to Milford Haven tomorrow; Barry on Wed 4; Porthcawl Sun 8; Newport Sat 14; Aberystwyth on Sun 15.

Jayde Adams Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2030 4400.

Comedian with a show titled The Ballad Of Kyle Jenner’s Old Face. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

Noel James Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info www. elysiumgallery.com.

Comedy Club night with more acts TBC. Roald Dahl And The Imagination Seekers Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

11am, £6.50/free adults. Info 01656 815995. Kids’ theatre which imagines a scenario where Roald Dahl’s body of work is being removed from the public imagination.

What kind of stinker would just pick on his books for no reason?

Robin Morgan + Jeff Japers Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, £10/£7/£16.50 with food/£12 with kids’ food. Info 0871 4720400. A Family Comedy afternoon (before its headliner trots over to Grangetown) with

TUESDAY 3 MARCH

uBack To Berlin The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info info@otherroomtheatre. com. New play by CB4 Theatre commemorating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. (Until Fri 6) Beefy’s Comedy Club Wolf’s Castle, Llanishen, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2075 4349. With a lineup TBC. Call Mr Robeson Miners Theatre, Ammanford.

7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. One-man show about the life and work of Paul Robeson.

Crafty Laughs The Cambrian Tap, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

Standup comedy here on the first Tuesday of each month; lineup currently TBC. Denis + Katya Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £7.50-£16. Info 01970 623232. Music Theatre Wales with a play about a Russian teen couple with a death wish. We wrote about it last month when it opened in Newport. In Cardiff on Fri 27.

Giovanni Pernice Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £28-£68. Info 01792 475715.

Dance show from a guy off Strictly.

Muckers Miners Institute, Blackwood. 10am + 1pm, £6. Info 01495 227206.

Kids’ theatre, described as being about “a quest for self-acceptance” and partly in Spanish. In Newport on Fri 6. uMurder On The Nile 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 7 (tickets £11 at 2pm). (Until

Sat 7) Operasonic: Vehicles The Riverfront, Newport. 1 + 6.30pm, £8/£6 schools.

Info 01633 656757. Operatic journey through the history of transport, aimed at kids. uSister Act Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.15pm, £16. Info 01792 602060.

Musical based on the movie and presented by Cockett Amateur Operatic Society.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 7. (Until Sat 7) WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH

Cabaret At The College Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391. Taking place in the foyer.

Chwarae Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 10.30am + 1.30pm, £8.50. Info 01446 738622.

Fidelio Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 10.30am + 1.30pm, free. Info 01686 614555. Interactive classical music-themed show for kids featuring Sinfonia Cymru.

Fly Half Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £12.75.

Info 01495 227206. New local rugby-themed play by Gary Lagden.

Jen Brister Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

Comedian with a show titled Under Privilege.

Jimmy Carr Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £32. Info 029 2063 6464.

Mark Steel Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

8pm, £15. Info 01646 695267. Comedian with his latest show, Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright.

In Aberystwyth on Fri 13; Porthcawl on Sat 14.

Paul McCaffrey Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £12. Info 0871 4720400.

Comedian with new show titled Lemon.

Rough As Comedy Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

7pm, free. Info www. elysiumgallery.com. Sarah Brideman hosts an evening of new/in-progress standup.

Stewart Lee St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27.

Info 01792 475715. Doing his latest set Snowflake/ Tornado, but it’s sold out.

The Marriage Of Figaro Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 01874 611622. Opera, presented

by Mid Wales Opera. In Aberystwyth on Tue 10; Milford Haven on Wed 18; Newport on Sat 21; Llanelli on Wed 25.

THURSDAY 5 MARCH

Andrew O’Neill + The Death Hilarious The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv. Info info@

bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Comedy night presented by Barrel Of Laughs.

Count Arthur Strong Grand Theatre, Swansea.

8pm, £23.50. Info 01792 475715. Interviewed in last month’s issue.

Dan Thomas + Simon Emanuel + Drew Taylor + Paul Dennis The Garage, Swansea. 7pm, £8 adv/£6 NUS or NHS. Info 01792 475147. Comedy. uFinal Cut Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £45. Info 029 2063 6464. Ye olde ‘interactive dining experience’ presented

by Yello Brick and set on the last day of a big bucks film shoot. Price includes a three-course meal. On at 1pm and 8pm on Sat 7.

Back in this venue from Wed 14-Sat 17 Oct. (Until Sat 7) Forbidden Nights Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £18/£21.50 first five rows. Info 01446 738622. Male strippers.

Honk! Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7.30pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510. Kids’ theatre based on The Ugly Duckling. On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 7; 10.30am and 3pm on Sun 8.

(Until Sun 8) Jack Dee Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £23. Info 01970 623232. DID YOU KNOW? In Tyneside, the name ‘Jack Dee’ means ‘Jack Do’.

Liam Pickford + George Willoughby + Jorden Haste + Carl Mann Look Out Cafe Bar, Cardiff Bay. 8-10.30pm, £5.

Info 07395 109055. Comedy.

Madame Ovary Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£16. Info 029 2064 6900.

Wild Child with a play based on one woman’s experiences of ovarian cancer.

Robin Morgan + Tom Ward + Charlie Baker Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£17 with food. Info 0871 4720400.

A Pie Face Comedy night.

Donnelly and Askins are also here tomorrow and Sat 7. uThe Beauty Parade Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £6.

Info 029 2063 6464. Play by Kaite O’Reilly named after the codename of a WWIIera project placing civilian women behind enemy lines as spies and suchlike. Today is a preview night; thereafter the price is £12. On at 7pm on Mon 9. No performance on Sun 8. (Until Sat 14) uThe Marxist In Heaven Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £9-£11. Info 01970 623232. Play by Hattie Naylor, part of the National Theatre Connections festival and on tomorrow also.

FRIDAY 6 MARCH

A Hand Of Bridge + The Diva + The Old

Maid And The Thief The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2048 3344.

Three short comedic operas by local community opera group Opera In Situ.

Chris Chopping + Rob Hughes + Sarah Bridgeman The Flourmill, Blackwood. 8pm, £8 adv.

Info 07378766257. Comedy night followed by a disco until 2am.

Comedy Club Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12.50. Info 0845 2263510. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 20. uEvolution Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £19.50-£49.50.

Info 029 2063 6464.

Programme of new work by Acosta Danza, a company helmed by ballet icon Carlos Acosta. On tomorrow also.

Girl On Girl Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0300 0040444. Flossy & Boo, most often seen here doing kids’ theatre, with a show for ages 16+ about “what it means to be female in the modern world”.

La Bohème Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £16.50-£34.50. Info 01792 475715. Puccini’s opera, presented by Ellen Kent Opera.

Live At Big Moose Spring Edition Big Moose Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £4 adv. Info 07977 585548.

Comedy night MCd and hosted by Vix Leyton and Jen Smith, with further acts TBC. Mike Doyle Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £21.50. Info 01646 695267.

Local light entertainer. This one features him with a live band but he has been listed in this section since I started compiling these listings and I refuse to change this for any reason no matter how reasonable. In Aberdare tomorrow; Newport on Fri 13; Llanelli on Fri 20; Abertillery on Sat 21; Neath on Fri 27. uMorgan Rees + Tom Ward + Charlie Baker 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.

Muckers The Riverfront, Newport. 1 + 6.30pm, £8.

Info 01633 656757. uResident Magicians The Small Space, Barry.

7.30pm, £20. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk. Notably small (only 20 seats!) magiccentred Vale venue. Also on Sat 7, Fri 13, Sat 14, Fri 20, Sat 21 and Sat 28 this month.

Rock Seduction Hangar 18,

Swansea. 8pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

“Wales’ first all-female rock inspired burlesque dance troupe that brings female empowerment to the 21st century. These girls ain’t no strippers!” That last sentence is the kind that causes people to ask questions already answered by the sentence. uThe Department Of Distractions Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £13£16. Info 01970 623232. Play

by Third Angel and Northern Stage about a secret organisation whose job is to intrigue, and thereby distract, the general public. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 7 MARCH

Festival Of Diversity XVII New Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12. Info 029 2087 8889. Show hosted by the Malaysian Students’ Society of Cardiff University, about the history of their home country.

Madama Butterfly Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £16.50-£34.50. Info 01792 475715. Another Puccini opera, presented by Ellen Kent Opera.

Mike Doyle Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £16/£14. Info 0300 0040444.

Phil Cooper + Simon Emanuel + Eleri Morgan + Chris Chopping Phyllis Maud Performance Space, Newport. 7-10pm, £10. Info 01633 673739. Comedy night in this cute looking art space run by the people behind Barnabas Arts House.

Rob Brydon Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £41.50. Info 01792 475715.

Songs and stories, it says here. The venue seat map lists about 12 available tickets with just over a month to go so I assume this will be sold out by the time you read these listings.

In Aberystwyth tomorrow, which is definitely sold out.

Theatre In Focus: John Galsworthy Circle Bar, Grand Theatre, Swansea.

12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715. A talk followed by a script-in-hand reading, presented by Fluellen.

The West End Comes To Wales Folly Farm Theatre,

Begelly, Pembrokeshire.

7.30pm, £20. Info 01437 763223. Folly Farm, the place to find giraffes, penguins and – for one night only, unless he ‘goes native’ and refuses to leave – Russell Grant, who hosts this charity concert featuring songs from the musicals in aid of the nearby Paul Sartori Hospice.

Women’s Day Hafla Y

PARISH KHAN: AN INDIAN ABROAD The Riverfront, Newport, Sat 21 Mar Tickets: £13.25, concessions £11.25. Info: 01633 656757 / newportlive.co.uk An Indian Abroad is brought to the stage by comedian and performer Pariah Khan, depicting a comic role-reversal that tackles white colonialism and the student ‘gap yah’ experience. Khan stars as a bored middle-class student in India, who in taking a journey to the “exotic” isle of Great Britain, attempts to discover himself and ponder life’s spiritual questions, but things get complicated when he falls in love with one of the country’s “natives”. Humorous and subversive, Khan’s comedy seriously explores themes of privilege and cultural ignorance reflected in our own society. Alongside his short film Slice commissioned by Channel 4’s Random Acts and his inclusion in BBC Three’s Top 50 Creative Young People list, An Indian Abroad proves Khan is one to watch.

Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1pm. Info 0845 2263510. Showcase from Lotus Sisters Belly Dance.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH

Chwarae Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 10.30am, £4.50/ free adults. Info 01656 815995.

Dancing To Neverland St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

3pm, £17/£10 under-8s. Info 01792 475715. Peter Panthemed dance performance.

Fabulous Animal M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 5-7pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Solo performance by Zosia Jo, forming part of her exhibition/installation which finishes here today (see Art listings).

Gilly Adams Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400.

One-woman show by playwright, about her 40-day walking expedition in Spain.

Rob Brydon Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £36.

Info 01970 623232.

The Vagina Monologues Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth. 7-10pm, £12.50/£10 adv. Info 01970 623232. International Women’s Day performance from local community members.

MONDAY 9 MARCH

uBeautiful – The Carole King Musical Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £18£46. Info 029 2063 6464. It’s a musical, and it’s about Carole King. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 12 and Sat 14. £22-£52 on Fri 13 and Sat 14. (Until Sat 14) TUESDAY 10 MARCH

uAn Inspector Calls New Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £14-£30.50. Info 029 2087 8889. Famous thriller novel adapted for the stage

by Stephen Daldry. On at

2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 11, Thurs 12 and Sat 14. £13-£23 on Wed 11 and 2.30pm on Thurs 12; £15£33.50 on Fri 13 and Sat 14.

(Until Sat 14) Fragility Of Man Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01792 863722. One-man play by David Wiliam Bryan whose protagonist is 12 years old and homeless.

Milton Jones Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £29.50. Info 01792 475715.

In Cardiff tomorrow.

The Marriage Of Figaro Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £16-£20. Info 01970 623232.

The Second Best Bed Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £14/£12.50.

Info 01646 695267.

Play set on the night of Shakespeare’s funeral, its protagonist his wife Anne. uTylwyth Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6.50-£21. Info 029 2064 6900. See Upfront for a bit on this play, a sequel to Llwyth from 10 years ago. £8.50-£26 from Wed 11-Fri 13. In Aberystwyth on Fri 20 and Sat 21, Llanelli on Tue 24, Newtown on Thurs 26 and Cardigan on Sat 28, plus a few up north. (Until Fri 13) WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH

uA Regular Little Houdini The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £5-£14.

Info 01633 656757. Return of this popular play set in early 20th-century Newport and concerning a Houdiniidolising boy. On tomorrow also. uDecades Of Dance Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7pm, £7.50. Info 01633 263670. Presented by GLD Dancers. Tickets £8.50 on Fri 13 and Sat 14. (Until Sat 14)

uFiddler On The Roof Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.15pm, £11. Info 01633 868239. Presented

by Congress Youth Theatre.

(Until Sat 14) Jim Davidson Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715.

This tour is titled Last Man Standing and sees Davidson styling himself as ‘General Jim’ while wearing some sort of cross-shaped medal. Not an Iron Cross. If it was he wouldn’t be stealing valour.

Milton Jones St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £30.

Info 01792 475715.

West Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £9.50.

Info 01656 815995. New play starring Gareth John Bale and Gwenllian Higginson, about two Welsh people moving to pre-independence America and premiered in Milwaukee last year.

THURSDAY 12 MARCH

A Little Space Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £17/£15. Info 01874 611622. Theatre production

by Mind The Gap. uBetty Blue Eyes Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £13.

Info 01873 850805. Musical presented by Concept Players. (Until Sat 14) uFatty Fat Fat The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info info@otherroomtheatre. com. One-woman show by Katie Greenall about fatphobia and bodily self-image. On tomorrow also.

Ministry Of Absurdism Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

8pm, free (donations welcome). Info www. elysiumgallery.com. Monthly experimental comedy night with the theme ‘prehistoric adventures’ for March and a lineup featuring Dan BUZZ 75

Thomas, Charlie Webster, Mat Troy, Beth Jones, Dalia Nikadon, Matt Walters, Ray Turner and MC Ali Hancock.

Robin Morgan + Joanne McNally + Micky P Kerr Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£17 with food. Info 0871 4720400. A Pie Face Comedy night. McNally and Kerr are also here tomorrow and Sat 14.

Russell Kane Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 8pm, £20.50. Info 0845 2263510.

In Port Talbot tomorrow; Treorchy on Sat 14. uStage & Screen: A Celebration Of Musicals And Movies Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510. Songs form the musicals for Curtain Up Theatre Company’s annual fundraising show. On tomorrow also. uThe Opposite Sex Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01600 772467. Comedy play by David Tristram, set in the 1980s. (Until Sat 14) Trusting Unicorns Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £4. Info 01970 623232. Reading of a play by Lucy Gough (I think – it’s worded confusingly). Price includes a glass of wine.

FRIDAY 13 MARCH

I Want That Hair The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01495 355945. Hull Truck Theatre-originated comedy set in a northern English hair salon.

King Lear Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7pm. Info 07512 237983. Presented by Oddbodies. uLost Voice Guy + Joanne McNally + Andy Robinson + Micky P Kerr 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).

Mark Steel Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £15.

Info 01970 623232.

Mike Doyle The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £19.50/£17.50. Info 01633 656757.

Russell Kane Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot.

8pm, £22 adv. Info 01639 763214.

Suzi Ruffell Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £16. Info 029 2064 6900.

Standup with a show titled Dance Like Everyone’s Watching. uSwansea University Dance Society Annual Showcase Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10/£7. Info 01792 602060.

On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 14 MARCH

Chwarae The Riverfront, BUZZ 76

Newport. 11am + 2pm, £8.

Info 01633 656757.

Mark Steel Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £15.50. Info 01656 815995.

Russell Kane Park & Dare, Treorchy. 8pm, £20.

Info 0300 0040444.

The Circus Of Horrors St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

8pm, £20.50-£29.50. Info 01792 475715. This show has been going 25 years but the blurb makes great play of the cast getting to the final of Britain’s Got Talent once. Imagining a longterm ‘Circushead’ who gets really annoyed by this cheapening of his favourite show... and frankly having some sympathy for him.

We Will Rock You Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 12 + 7pm, £11/50/£9.50. Info 0845 2263510. Queen musical presented by Young@Part.

SUNDAY 15 MARCH

Brendan Cole Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £22-£42. Info 029 2063 6464.

Chwarae Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 11am + 1pm, £8-£12. Info 01970 623232.

Tommy Sandhu + Hyde Panaser + Slim + Omar Handi Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 5.45pm, £18.

Info 0871 4720400.

MONDAY 16 MARCH

uThe Slightly Annoying Elephant Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 12.30 + 4.30pm, £9/£7.50 schools.

Info 01792 602060. Little Angel Theatre with a kids’ show based on a book written by the (slightly) more annoying of the two main Little Britain guys. On tomorrow also, at 11am, 1pm and 4.30pm.

TUESDAY 17 MARCH

uAfter Rhinoceros: The Red Pill Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5-£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Play by Nessah Muthy, one of four new productions starting here today. On at 1.30pm and 8.30pm on Wed 18; 6.30pm on Thurs 19. (Until Thurs 19) uBlue Stockings Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2.30pm, £14/£12. Info 029 2030 4400.

Everyman Theatre with a play about women’s efforts to attend and graduate from university in the late 19th century. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 21. (Until Sat 21) uChicago Mike Barlow Theatre, YMCA, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12. Info 07703 056088. Presented by the Llandaff Theatre Conpany.

On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 21. (Until Sat 21) uFriendsical New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£30. Info 029 2087 8889.

A parody musical about Friends, the TV show from the 90s. Not really sure what the point is of parodying a comedy. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 18 and Sat 21. £11-£22 on Wed 18 at 2.30pm; £12-£30 on Fri 20 and Sat 21. (Until Sat 21) uHalf Full Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, £5-£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Play by Yasmin Joseph. On at 1pm and 8pm on Wed 18; 8pm on Thurs 19. (Until Thurs 19) John Kearns Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian with show titled Double Take and Fade Away. uMicrowave The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £12.50/£5 age 15-25. Info 01633 656757. New play looking at the plight of the modern teenage woman.

In Llanelli on Tue 24; Blackwood on Wed 25; Aberyswyth on Fri 27. (Until Fri 20) uMoon Licks Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Play by Charlotte Josephine, On at 6pm on

Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £18.50. Info 0871 4720400.

Comedian. Sold out.

James & Sam’s Comedy Jam Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 07712 728105. New open mic night held in the basement here and scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month.

Rich Hall Miners Institute, Blackwood. 8pm, £17. Info 01495 227206. uThe Little Mermaid Jr Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7pm, £13. Info 01792 863722. Presented by the Performance Factory Stage School. On tomorrow also; in Llanelli on Sat 21.

The Marriage Of Figaro Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £7.50£20.50. Info 01646 695267.

THURSDAY 19 MARCH

Adam Kay Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £25. Info 029 2063 6464. If I could contribute in any way to a situation where this guy was constantly reminded, a la Baddiel having done blackface in the 90s, that he

I Want That Hair! will be the cry on everyone’s lips at the Met in Abertillery on Fri 13, that being the title of a comedy created by Hull Truck Theatre and set in a northern English salon.

Wed 18; 1pm and 6pm on Thurs 19. (Until Thurs 19) uMy Mother Said I Never Should Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.15pm, £9. Info 01633 868239.

Theatre Ad Hoc with a play that looks at the lives of four generations of women and is on tomorrow also Rich Hall Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £17.

Info 01970 623232. With his latest show, Hoedown Deluxe. In Blackwood tomorrow; Cardigan on Thurs 19; Milford Haven on Fri 20. uRipples Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5-£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Play by Tracy Harris. On at 1.30pm and 8.30pm on Thurs 19. (Until Thurs 19) WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

AJ Pritchard Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £25-£100. Info 029 2063 6464. Dance-y fella off of Strictly. Top price is VIP. uCats Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. Musical, presented by Young Venture Players. (Until Sat 21) Iain Stirling Glee Club,

wrote a song about shooting tube drivers because they were striking for better working conditions, then I feel I would have done something positive with my time.

Dolly Chicken Comedy: Fun At The Flute Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, £7.50/£6 adv. Info dollychickencomedy@gmail. com. Featuring Tara Newton Wordsworth, Paul Scoble, Steffan Evans, Danielle Johns and MC Anita Shaw.

Everything (But The Girl) Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8-£14.

Info 01792 602060. 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.

Lost In The Rhythm Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

8pm, £25.50/£56.50 VIP. Info 01656 815995. Dance performance from Amy Dowden and Ben Jones off Strictly, plus guests including Colin Jackson. Meet and greets starts at 6pm. In Barry tomorrow; Llanelli on Fri 27.

Rich Hall Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 8pm, £17. Info 01239 621200. uThe Revlon Girl Little

Theatre, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £7.50. Info 01495 366196.

Neil Anthony Docking’s play, set in Aberfan in the aftermath of the 1966 disaster. In Merthyr on Thurs 26 and Fri 27. (Until Sat 21) FRIDAY 20 MARCH

Abigail’s Divorce Angel Hotel, Cardiff. 7-10pm, from £129.50. Info www. murder57.com. This is an interactive quasi-play where you have to work out who the murderer is, with a three-course meal and a room for the night included in the price. This one uses domestic abuse as the central underlying theme, and I guess it would be prudent to go and see it before writing it off as tasteless but I’ll probably not be doing that myself.

Adam Hess Exit 7, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7pm, £12. Info 029 2022 4488. Comedian.

Andrew Ryan + Mike Wilmot + Garrett Millerick + Dana Alexander 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).

Done To Death By Jove!

Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.45pm, £13/£11. Info 01686 614555. A #playaboutaplay riffing on the detective genre.

Esyllt Sears + Vix Leyton Big Moose Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info 07977 585548. Work-inprogress standup.

Gabby Killick Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 8-9.30pm, £8 adv. Info 07933 844234.

Comedian with a show titled Girlfriend From Hell – Milking It! that’s a compilation of her previous two shows with some new material. uKin Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£23.

Info 029 2064 6900. Three dance pieces by National Dance Company Wales. On tomorrow also; in Brecon on Fri 27. uLittle Shop Of Horrors Grand Theatre, Swansea. 1 + 7pm, £6-£15. Info 01792 475715. Musical presented

by Gower College. Afternoon performance today is for schools. On tomorrow also, at 2.pm and 7pm.

Lost In The Rhythm Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £28/£27/£58 meet and greet. Info 01446 738622. Meet and greet starts at 6pm.

Mike Doyle Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £14.50-£17.

Info 0845 2263510.

Novello And Son Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01600

772467. As in Ivor, and his mum Clara Novello Davies; this is a play about their lives and relationship.

Rich Hall Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 8pm, £17.

Info 01646 695267. uTylwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £9-£16.

Info 01970 623232. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 21 MARCH

Discover Dance Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 1pm, £9. Info 029 2064 6900.

Interactive performance aiming to give kids a lesson in dance. In Brecon on Fri 27.

Ed Byrne St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £27.50. Info 01792 475715. Touring his show If I’m Honest.

We wrote about him in the Christmas issue, as he played Swansea in December.

Ian Waite & Vincent Simone Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £35/£63 VIP. Info 01686 614555.

Two blokes off Strictly, this month seemingly high season for sending the show’s alumni out on tour.

Mike Doyle The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £16/£15.

Info 01495 355945.

Pariah Khan The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13.25/£11.25. Info 01633 656757. Comedian with a show titled An Indian Abroad. uRhod Gilbert Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £27.50. Info 029 2063 6464. With his latest set, The Book Of John. On tomorrow also.

Sam Avery Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £20. Info 01792 475715.

Comedian with a show titled Toddlergeddon. In Cardiff tomorrow.

The Little Mermaid Jr Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

2 + 7pm, £13/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

The Marriage Of Figaro The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 01633 656757.

SUNDAY 22 MARCH

Sam Avery Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £18.

Info 0871 4720400.

MONDAY 23 MARCH

Actors Showcase Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1 + 7pm, £6-£11. Info 029 2039 1391.

Two-minute performances in quick succession by 33 actors. uGuys & Dolls Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01646 695267. Musical, presented

by MHAOS (Milford Haven Amateur Operatic Society, but I like their acronym).

(Until Sat 28) uHail Cremation!

Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

7.45pm, £10-£15 adv. Info 01495 243252. See Upfront for more on this play, the first in National Theatre Wales’ 2020 season, written

by Jon Tregenna and loking at the life and work of Welsh radical Dr William Price. On at 2.45pm and 7.45pm on Sat 28 Mar, Thurs 2 Apr and Sat 4 Apr. No performance on Sun 29 Mar. (Until Sat 4 Apr) TUESDAY 24 MARCH

Aftermirth The Riverfront, Newport. 11.30am-1pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01633 656757. Comedy club for parents with young kids. uCabaret Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £19.50-£40.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. Musical.

Probably covered elsewhere in this issue. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 26 and Sat 28. £22.50-£47.50 on Fri 27 and Sat 28. (Until Sat 28) uClue On Stage Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2071 2100.

A whodunit theatre production, presented here by Red Herring, based on the board game which is called Cluedo in the UK. (Until Sat 28) Microwave Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.50/£10.50.

Info 0845 2263510. uSpring Awakening Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.15pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2064 6900. The Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama present their take on noted rock musical. On at 2.15pm and 7.15pm on Fri 27. (until Sat 28) uThe Tiger Who Came To Tea Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 4pm, £13.50 adv.

Info 01874 611622. Kids’ show based on kids’ book.

On tomorrow also, at 10am and 1.30pm. uThe Wedding Singer Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15/£12.

Info 01792 473238. Adaption of the movie by Swansea Amateur Operatic Society.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 28. (Until Sat 28) Tylwyth Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £8-£16. Info 0845 2263510.

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH

Best Of Be 2020 Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, free. Info 01970 623232. Three 30-minute dance/physical theatre/performance art shows uCarousel Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12/£8 under-16s. Info 01600 772467. Musical, presented by Monmouth Music Theatre. Tickets are £15 (full price) after today’s performance. (Until Sat 28) Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

8pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475715.

Come What May Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23.50. Info 01792 475715.

Apparently a tribute to Moulin Rouge. uCosi Fan Tutte Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £9-£18.

Info 029 2039 1391. Mozart’s operatic comedy, presented here by the David Seligman Opera School. On at 2pm and 7pm on Fri 27. (Until Fri 27) uLast Ditch Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2 + 7pm, free.

Info 01970 623232. New play

by David Ian Rabey, performed by drama students at this uni. On at 7pm only on Thurs 26 and Fri 27.

(Until Fri 27) Mark Thomas Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 8pm, £19. Info 029 2064 6900.

Performing his latest set, 50 Things About Us. Microwave Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01495 227206. uMiss Havisham’s Wedding Night Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, £4-£8.

Info 029 2039 1391. Halfhour opera which you can pop into on lunch if you like.

The Marriage Of Figaro Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 0845 2263510.

The Storm The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01639 843163.

Bombastic production presented by James Wilton Dance.

THURSDAY 26 MARCH

u13 The Gate, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5/£3. Info 029 2048 3344. Mike Bartlett’s play, adapted for the Welsh language and presented

by University Of Wales Performing Arts students.

(Until Sat 28) Exit Stage Left... And Never Rejoin The Human Race... Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 8pm, free.

Info www. elysiumgallery.com. A night hosted by Matthew Walters and Tyrone Jenkins, described as “a baroque reimagining of Dadaism involving a heavily stained string vest, quantum physics and a full scale exposé of liberal philosopher Alain de Bottom, prising open his bottom.”

Henning Wehn Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01792 475715.

German, that being his USP in his chosen pursuit, comedian. See Upfront for an interview.

Joel Dommett Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 8pm, £18.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Comedian. uLondon Suite Dolman

Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £8/£6 kids. Info 01633 263670. Four interconnected one-act plays set in a London hotel and presented by the MAD Theatre Company. On tomorrow also.

Robert White + Danny Clives + Sally Anne Hayward Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10.

Info 01970 623232. Comedy Club night Robin Morgan + Phil Nichol + Mick Ferry Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£17 with food.

Info 0871 4720400. A Pie Face Comedy night. Nichol and Ferry are also here tomorrow and Sat 28. uSexy Lamp The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info info@ otherroomtheatre.com. Katie Arnstein’s showbusinessthemed solo show. On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 28.

(Until Sat 28) The Joke At The Jenner Jenner Park, Barry.

7-10.30pm. Info 01446 709553. YMCA charity fundraiser comedy night with Rob Hughes, Sarah

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. Denis + Katya Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£18. Info 029 2039 1391.

Discover Dance Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

1pm, £6.50 adv. Info 01874 611622. uHarriet Kemsley + Ray Bradshaw + Mick Ferry + Phil Nichol 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).

January Rees Golden Lion Hotel, Carmarthen.

7pm, £10. Info 01267 243909. Blue comedian from round here somewhere.

I just had a look at her Facebook page and it’s really something. If you like racist banter aunties.

The Phyllis Maud Performance Space is a small but perfectly formed (notwithstanding its past life as a public convenience) Newport venue which on Sat 7 hosts a comedy night with four acts including Phil Cooper and Eleri Morgan.

Bridgeman, Dylan Jones, Dai Davies, Ruth Hine, Ali Hancock, Steve Rego, Gilly Webb, Sue Jones, Sug Wallace, Richard Hoare and MC Dai Rhys Towler, who also organised this. Jenner Park is Barry Town FC’s ground, I assume the acts will be performing in the clubhouse rather than on the pitch!! One of you can use that in your set for free. uThe Revlon Girl Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01443 490390. On tomorrow also.

Tylwyth Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 01686 614555.

W.H.I.P: A Scratch Night Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01656 815995. Embryonic theatre pieces from a company whose name stands for Working Hard In Progress.

FRIDAY 27 MARCH

Arrive Dance Platform Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £10/£8.50. Info 01873 850805. New work presented by the Ransack Dance Company.

Comedy Club Theatr

Kin Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £16/£14.

Info 01874 611622.

Kockov The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £20. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk.

Comedian, magician and mindreader who under his real name also owns this venue.

Lost In The Rhythm Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £28/£27. Info 0845 2263510.

Microwave Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £13£16. Info 01970 623232.

Mike Doyle Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £16 adv. Info 0300 3656677.

Olaf Falafel + Sooz Kempner + Ignacio Lopez + Clare Ferguson Walker Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard. 8pm, £10-£14.

Info 01348 873421. Span Arts comedy night headlined by a bloke who regularly drinks from the poisoned chalice that is the ‘best joke (which also works written down) of the Edinburgh Festival’ competition.

The Joe & Dianne Show Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7.30pm, £23.50. Info 029 2022 4488. A variety show

with Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell, finalists on Strictly.

I’m going to print a version of this month’s listings with all the contestants from this show removed, like how people Photoshop the blokes out of shit festival lineup posters, and it too shall be a barren landscape. uWe Will Rock You The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01633 656757.

Queen musical presented

by The Children’s Academy Of Stage Training. On at 1pm and 7.30pm tomorrow; 1pm only on Sun 29. (Until Sun 29) SATURDAY 28 MARCH

Beach Body Ready Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.45pm, £2013/£11. Info 01686 614555. A feelgood show about body image, the media etc from a group called The Roaring Girls.

Blackwood Little Theatre 90th Anniversary Celebrations Blackwood Cricket Club. 7-11.45pm, £15. Info 01495 366196.

Variety night. Price includes a buffet.

Dylan Was Here Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715. Fluellen present a new comedy from Ray Williams, about “the Dylan Thomas industry” and set in Laugharne. Rotten luck that the Laugharne Festival is on this weekend, so those who would most need to hear what I assume is this play’s message won’t be around to watch it.

Phil Wang Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £17. Info 01792 475715.

Tylwyth Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£14.

Info 01239 621200.

SUNDAY 29 MARCH

All That Jazz + Nobody’s Child Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7pm, £8. Info 01792 863722.

Two plays by the Rising Stars Theatre Company.

Burn The Floor St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 5pm, £38-£88.

Info 01792 475715. Ballroom dance-based show helmed by siblings Kevin and Joanne Clifton.

Family Magic Show The Small Space, Barry. 5.30pm, £12.50. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk.

Seen: Cycles The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff.

5.30pm, £5. Info info@ otherroomtheatre.com.

White Yardie Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £25 adv/£20 early bird. Info 0871 4720400. One of those Instagram-big comedians you get nowadays. He grew up in Jamaica and retained the accent, apparently, hence the name.

MONDAY 30 MARCH

Soapbox Comedy Night NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866. Hosted

by Sam Smith.

TUESDAY 31 MARCH

Babi Comedi Llanover Hall Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff. 1pm, £3. Info 07711 216625. An afternoon comedy show you can bring babies to.

Ballet Cymru 2: Made In Wales The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £11.25/£9.25. Info 01633 656757. Showcase evening for this company’s preprofessional dancers Dom Joly’s Holiday Snaps Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £18. Info 01600 772467. This is a show about the various places Dom has lived or travelled to apparently.

Fagin? Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £14/£13. Info 01646 695267.

A play centred on the Oliver Twist character and his various complexities.

Jo Brand Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £23. Info 01792 475715. This will have other comedy acts TBC and is a tribute show for Helen Griffin, a Swansea actor who went to nursing college with Jo and died in 2018. uSex Education The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info info@otherroomtheatre. com. New solo show by Harry Clayton-Wright, exploring how we learn about sex and how it shapes our lives. See Stage. (Until Sat 4 Apr) uThe Red Shoes Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £18-£45. Info 029 2063 6464. Acclaimed dance production by Matthew Bourne, based on the movie. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 2 and Sat 4 Apr. £22-£49 on Fri 3 and Sat 4 Apr. (Until Sat 4 Apr) The Unremarkable Death Of Marilyn Monroe Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01873 850805.

One-woman show presented

by Dyad Productions. uWater Wars Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0300 0040444.

New play presented by Cwmni Pen Productions, about the effects of climate change in the future. On tomorrow also, at 1pm and 7.30pm.

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.

Cardiff was the first town in Wales to get electricity – in 1885!

March is National Noodle Month. This is because there is an increase in the number of noodles eaten at the start of the year due to the cold weather. It is also the time of year that some religions give up meat for Lent.

Cows moo in regional accents.

TWO TICKETS TO FRIENDSICAL AT NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF Friends fans will be pleased to know that not only are the cast reuniting soon for a one-off TV special, but also that we’ve got a pair of tickets for musical parody Friendsical, coming to the New Theatre from Tue 17-Sat 21 Mar. Enter by Thurs 12 Mar. TWO TICKETS TO FISH AT Y PLAS, CARDIFF Catch the world’s only singing Fish before he bows out of his musical career, at Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union on Thurs 19 Mar. The ex-Marillion frontman will be playing his first solo album Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors in its entirety, as well as selections from his last Weltschmerz. Enter by Thurs 12 Mar. TWO TICKETS TO CLASSICAL PLAYLIST: LIVE AT DEPOT, CARDIFF Featuring Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson, Welsh tenor Tristan Llyr Griffiths, and the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble (featuring members of Portishead and Florence & The Machine), this promises to be a classical music concert like no other, happening on Sun 5 Apr. Enter by Mon 23 Mar. TWO TICKETS TO THE RED SHOES AT WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF See Matthew Bourne’s spellbinding dance adaptation of the classic 1948 Powell & Pressburger film The Red Shoes, which returns to the Wales Millennium Centre from Tue 31 Mar-Sat 4 Apr. It’s set to the music of Bernard Herrmann, known for soundtracking the golden age of Hollywood. To win a pair of tickets to the opening night, enter by Tue 24 Mar. WIN A COPY OF MATT MONRO’S STRANGER IN PARADISE ON CD We’ve got three copies to give away of this two-disc album from Matt Monro, the East End of London’s answer to Frank Sinatra. Disc one contains the lost and never-before-released New York Sessions, while disc two offers a newly curated selection of greatest hits, from Born Free to Wednesday’s Child. Enter by Tue 31 Mar. TWO TICKETS TO RHS FLOWER SHOW, CARDIFF From Fri 17-Sun 19 Apr, Cardiff will bloom with vibrant spring colour. Don’t miss a supersized Floral Marquee, fascinating talks and demonstrations and garden ideas galore. We’re giving away a pair of tickets to attend the 15th anniversary show. Two under-16s go free with each accompanying adult.

Enter by Wed 1 Apr. 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

Jay Rayner was awarded the prestigious title of Beard Of The Year by the Beard Liberation Front in 2011. The BLF is an organisation that campaigns to support beards and opposes discrimination against those who wear them.

In Wales, the size of a garden used to be determined by how far you could throw an axe.

Henning Wehn initially only planned on staying in the UK for 12 months but was persuaded to stay for the “good weather, tasty food and classy women.”

Every St David’s Day, the Royal Welsh regiment conducts a leek eating competition. Soldiers – usually the youngest members of the company – must eat a leek raw in its entirety, in front of the whole regiment, before raising a toast to St David himself.

When jazz musicians improvise, they actually turn off a part of their brain. According to a study by John Hopkins University, during improvisation performers shut off the prefrontal and lateral orbital regions linked to selfcensoring and turn on the medial prefrontal cortex, the section of the brain linked to self-expression.

Susan Boyle’s Britain’s Got Talent audition became the most watched video on YouTube in 2009. But did you know that the music video for Despacito is the current most watched video, with over 6.6 billion views?

As Sat 14 Mar is National Butterfly Day, you can start your educational experience with this startling revelation: butterfly wings are actually transparent! The colours are caused by the light reflected off their see-through scales.

Cardiff once employed an ‘ale taster’, who acted as the official sampler of the city’s beer and ale to ensure that it was of good and sound quality. Sadly, the office was removed in the 19th-century with Edward Philpot listed as the last man to hold the title.

(Disclaimer: some of these may not in fact be true)

Are you the friend everyone wants on their pub quiz team? If you’re a general knowledge general and want to be in with a chance of winning a book, film, or CD, then tweet us (@Buzz_Magazine) with your fact and #DidYouKnow.

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