Buzz Magazine - May 2019

WHAT’S ON MAY 2019

Food & Drink Special

Your guide to the best places to eat and drink across Wales!

Jon Ronson

On porn podcasts

Stewart Francis

On punography

HOLLIE MCNISH | BILL BAILEY | DOG-FRIENDLY TRAVEL | HAY FESTIVAL ART | CULTURE | MUSIC | FILM | FOOD+DRINK | S P O R T | L I F E S T Y L E | L I S T I N G S

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wmc.org.uk/supperclwb

may 2019 42reviews

buzz...

04roundup

publisher EMMA CLARK editor FEDOR TOT listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER advertising EMMA CLARK accounts TERESA CLARK design LEMONDOGCREATIVE.UK

Bulked out, like rusk in a good sausage or sawdust in a bad one, by 2019’s incarnation of Buzz’s food and drink guide! Fifty Welsh entities doing good culinary or liquidculinary (technical term) things right now. Almost as familiar to this section: Bill Bailey, Jon Ronson; less so: Hollie McNish, Sofie Hagen

contributors KEIRON SELF (FILMS), JAKE ANDREWS, SAM BALL, KARLA BRADING, LLOYD BEST, MELISSA COMPTON, RHYS FISHER, CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, JASON MACHLAB, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, OLIVER R. MOORE-HOWELLS, ALICE HUGHES, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAHKT, ALEX PAYNE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, MEGAN POTTERTON, ALISON POWELL, CAMPBELL PROSSER, RHONDA LEE REALI, JOSH REES, CHRIS SEAL, OWEN SCOURFIELD, MARK TIMLIN, RHIA WILLIAMS, JASPER WILKINS, TAMZIN WILKS, LAURA WOOD, 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 MAE MU ON UNSPLASH contents THE CLINK, CARDIFF

buzzmagwales

“There won’t be an appearance from RuPaul”

10upfront

32film

We all saw Bohemian Rhapsody, or read a synopsis of it, and drew our own conclusions about what Mercuryrelated anecdotes should have been included. Well, thanks to school newspaper copywriter turned film director Dexter Fletcher, we can now do the same with Rocketman, about Elton John. For example, I bet it doesn’t include the time when he did so much coke in a hotel he phoned reception and demanded they improve the weather

34previews

Romeo & Juliet, in ballet form? Dad doesn’t have a problem with that. Virginia Woolf’s proto-genderfluid 1928 novel Orlando adapted for the stage? Complexion slowly purpling but lid remaining on. Robinson Crusoe, 300 years later, with the shipwrecked protagonist replaced by a modern teenage girl and featuring an ASMR element? Oh dear, there’ll be some muffled bellowing in the shed tonight

@Buzz_Magazine

Lots of interesting albums (although fairly indie and very guitar-based, for which I will of course wear a hairshirt as penance) and a book partly about interesting albums, by Bob Stanley from Saint Etienne.

It’s part of a series of books by musicians; the next one’s by a guy I know called Joe who I also suspect to be my friends’ postman. This makes more sense if you read the book. Sorry

47lifestyle

More bankable food&drink content, including an interview with another old Buzz favourite, Shauna from BBQ spot Hang Fire. Then there’s the travel listicles, which you know and love, or if you hate haven’t mentioned to me personally. B&Bs in reappropriated planes, buses and, for that ‘liberal lawyer condemning Jeremy Corbyn for not stopping Brexit’ vibe, windmills

61listings

Worst band names in this issue: Liberty Slaves, Death And The Penguin, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Rimfrost, Ass Deep Tongued, Free Beer & Bacon

78competitions

Five golden oppos to be snatched up, including tickets to a cabaret night with drag artists including Dixie Normous, a name which thus completes its journey from secondary school toilet wall graffiti to Austin Powers character to drag queen moniker

@buzzmagwales

buzzmagtv

www.buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ 3

What’s on our radar this month RITA ORA

Making a one-night pit stop at the Motorpoint Arena, Rita Ora kicks off the UK leg of her Phoenix tour in Cardiff.

Following the release of her second album, Phoenix, the Girls singer will play a multitude of hits, alongside a few new fan favourites.

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Tue 21 May. Tickets: from £32.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

AL MURRAY

Step backwards into the future with Al Murray’s latest tour as he stops off at St David’s Hall. The Landlord Of Hope And Glory, as the current tour is called, promises to unite the country, albeit via satire rather than chest-thumping slogans. Murray has ran for Parliament in previous years, against Nigel Farage in South Thanet. How halcyon those days of comedians entering politics as a joke seem now.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Mon 3 June Tickets: £29.50. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

THE BATH FESTIVAL FINALE WEEKEND

Bath finale weekend is back, on Saturday Mabel and Corinne Bailey Rae support headliners Clean Bandit and on Sunday, Corinne Bailey Rae supports legendary Van Morrison. The Big Top stage will play host to a host of artists including Little Thief and Tom Speight across the whole weekend with artisan food stalls and family fun.

The Bath Recreation Ground.

Sat 1st & Sun 2nd, Bath Showground.

Tickets from £22.50.

Info: www.thebathfestival.org.uk

HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN FESTIVAL

With over 300 events ranging from debates, talks, music and comedy, HowTheLightGetsIn –in many ways a Fringe-style companion to Hay Festival – returns for another year. The 2019 headliners include comedian Phil Wang, musicians British Sea Power and American philosopher and logician Saul Kripke.

Riverside Site / Globe Site, Hay-On-Wye, Fri 24-Mon 27 May. Tickets: £148 (festival pass). Info: www.howthelightgetsin.org

WALES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL Returning for its fourth year, the Wales International Documentary Festival heads to Chapter for a four-day celebration, showcasing a range of documentary film talent into the heart of Wales. Amidst the worldwide talent on offer, there will be opportunities to soak up documentary shorts, workshops, panels and Welsh films. Not to be missed by ambitious filmmakers or film fans.

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Tue 7-Fri 10 May. Tickets: £25 full pass. Info: www.widf.info BUZZ 4

MADNESS – A DAY AT THE RACES

Of the bands that came in the wake of the UK’s reggae and ska explosion in the ‘70s, Madness have maintained perhaps the highest profile, thanks in part to their bouncy personae and upbeat lyricism. This summer, they’ve booked out a series of dates at racecourses through the UK – you can bet on this one being a great gig!

Ffos Las Racecourse, Carmarthenshire, Sat 25 May; Chepstow Racecourse, Sat 8 June. Tickets: £44. Info: www.madness.co.uk

VALE OF GLAMORGAN FESTIVAL One of the premier classical music festivals in Wales, the Vale Of Glamorgan Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. This year’s programme includes music both old and new, highlights including a series of performances by the Armida Quartet with pieces by Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, as well as 10 new pieces commissioned specifically for the festival, to be played on Astrid the Street Organ.

Various venues, Cardiff and the Vale Of Glamorgan. Tickets: varies per event (£8-£16, some free). Info: www.valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk

SPICE GIRLS: SPICE WORLD TOUR

Five additional dates have been added to The Spice Girls UK Tour after previous tickets sold out in seconds. The era-defining, female girl group are back for their first reunion since the London 2012 Olympics… minus Posh Spice. Get ready to Spice Up Your Life with the girls on stage as they perform all your favourite hits from the 90s..

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Mon 27 May Tickets: From £170 info: 0844 847 1881 / www.principalitystadium.wales

MOTHER TONGUE Sinfonia Cymru, Wales’ leading youth orchestra, are working in collaboration with South African cellist Abel Selaocoe to produce Mother Tongue. The concert will be a unique blending of the stories of women from South African townships, going back over motherhood and family, alongside music curated by Selaocoe.

Tramshed Tech, Cardiff, Sat 25 May. Tickets: £5-£12.

Info: www.sinfoniacymru.co.uk

BUZZ 5

JON RONSON Following two hit podcasts about the porn industry, Tales From The Last Days Of August and The Butterfly Effect, Jon Ronson arrives back in his hometown of Cardiff with a unique show following on from his experiences. He talks to Rhys Fisher.

Can you tell us a little bit about the tour? We know it’s based on the podcasts, but is it going to differ or expand upon any of the things discussed there?

It’s going to be very different. I don’t want to do a show that’s just repeating what’s already out there. It’s going to be about the porn world but it’s also about a lot of other things; it’s about mental health, it’s about journalism, it’s about ethics, it’s about empathy, but it’s also very funny. I think it’s going to start very funny, and then grow increasingly bleak, kind of like life, and then I want to try and find a way to bring it round and make it funny again.

I suppose that’ll be part of the challenge, taking it from bleak to funny?

Yeah, it’s similar to my early journeys into the porn world, which were really funny and sweet and human, but then everything got quite a lot darker. I think I’ve learned a lot in the last three years and I think I’ve really learned some mature things.

Your style of gonzo journalism goes against some classic journalistic conventions. Have you ever faced any sort of judgement from others in the profession because of this?

I mean, nothing serious. People have scrutinised me – I suppose when you become well known, your head’s above the parapet, but I’ve never really found anything too intense. I’ve been a very ethical journalist over the years, and more ethical as I get older. These days, ethics, morality, and empathy mean more to me than they ever have. But ethics have always been there, partly because I’m anxious, and the last thing in the world I want to do is to make a mistake and have it come back to haunt me.

A striking element of your work is the obscure nature of the subjects and concepts that you look at. How do you decide on these topics? Are there any processes you go through or follow?

The first word that comes into my mind is mystery. Other journalists have a BUZZ 6

subject that they’re really passionate about and then they explore that subject from lots of different angles. I can’t do that, because I don’t see myself as an expert, I see myself as somebody who solves mysteries – which means that I can never return to the same subject more than once. So I’m always looking for something about the world that I really don’t understand, and if I try and understand it, it will be a good adventure.

I’m looking for a journey I can go on that will be exciting and entertaining and funny, but also dark and serious, and a combination of those contradictory terms.

Then basically I’m hoping this mystery and journey will shed some light on the way that our world works.

A common theme amongst the people who appeared on The Last Days Of August and The Butterfly Effect podcasts was the stigmatisation that they felt from being involved in the porn industry. Did you ever feel stigmatised at all for being involved within the industry, even if it was only in an observer’s role?

There was a little bit of prejudice, I would say. People would say to me, “well, if you do stories about porn, you know you’re not going to get featured in the New York Times”. Also, it’s much harder to sell advertising if it’s a story about porn – BMW aren’t going to want to link themselves to us.

However, I want to add a caveat to all of that by saying that I’m in a really fortunate position: I’m well known, my career is pretty sealed in stone at this point, and I don’t think anything will ever happen now that will stop me from working. I’m in a privileged position where I can do difficult stories and people will still listen. I also think people are more accepting of those kinds of stories than they would have been 20 or 30 years ago. These days there’s a lot more of what people call ‘sex positivity’.

Jon Ronson: Tales From The Last Days Of August & The Butterfly Effect, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thurs 16 May. Tickets: £27.50.

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

Howard Jones & China Crisis 26.05.19

Ministry of Sound feat. Judge Jules 31.05.19

Cory Band & Only Men Aloud Brass & Voices at the Movies 25.05.19

Soul Legends

Harry Redknapp

feat. Lemar 23.05.19

I’m A Celebrity Winner Comes to Town!

29.05.19

Sandbox Percussion 21.05.19

Jasper Carrott Stand Up & Rock 08.05.19

Jon Ronson Tales from the Last Days of August 16.05.19

The Hallé feat. Viktoria Mullova 18.05.19

The Guilty Feminist Live 15.05.19

Alaw Roots Unearthed 20.05.19

Capital City Jazz Orchestra feat. Alan Barnes 28.05.19

BOOK NOW RHOD GILBERT: THE BOOK OF JOHN

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Thurs 9-Sat 11 May / Fri 7 + Sat 8 June Tickets: from £32.50 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

SECRET SPACES: NICK SAUNDERS Host to all manner of quirky events in Cardiff, Depot has become a key part of the capital’s independent furniture. Fedor Tot chats to director Nick Saunders.

Depot is getting involved in a number of things over the next year or so, can you tell us about any particular plans you have?

We’ve been operating for over four years now, and our plans for the venue would be to develop our current model, to have more in-house kitchens for chefs to come in and work, and develop the business for corporate stuff that we’ve not been able to previously do because of unavailable facilities.

A big part of Depot’s future is to move to a new location. Wherever we go next, we’re looking to create a site to house startups, whilst also having an events base with a street food market element to it and all sorts of live music to try and develop it all into an all-inclusive venue. We’re hoping to move somewhere where we can have the late-night and more live music, because we’re limited to certain noise levels here [on Dumballs Rd].

What was your initial inspiration for Depot?

We saw that Cardiff was lacking in independent venues back in 2015 and how other capital cities – or just general cities around the UK and Europe – were hosting warehousestyle events which gave a blank canvas to people and creatives to go in to develop an idea that clubs or more traditional venues can’t offer.

We’ve taken elements from a ton of our global inspirations and tried to make a go of it ourselves here. Certain figures in the council are a little bit oldfashioned: there’s quite a few barriers

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you have to go through before you can get stuff off the ground. I’m not saying we’re not going in the right direction, but we are a little bit behind the times.

You moved to Cardiff for university and decided to stay in the city afterwards, how much do you think has changed in that space of time?

People are trying to do more creative things – there’s been a bigger output in outdoor events across the city, and I like to think we’ve helped with that process. Back in 2017, we put on an event for 6,000 people; we now have Depot In The Castle and there have definitely been an influx of events in general that have benefitted the city.

Insole Court hosted an event last year called BITE, which was a really good and forward-thinking food event. More events happening isn’t competition for us, it’s helping the city and creates a buzz about Cardiff to make people come here.

If you could recommend one place in Wales to a first-time visitor that’s not on the tourist maps and off the beaten tracks, where would it be and why?

Sen BBQ! It’s my favourite restaurant in Canton. It might not look much from the outside but it’s unbelievable and well-priced.

www.depotinthecastle.com

MRS BROWN’S BOYS D’MUSICAL

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Thurs 13-Sun 16 June Tickets: £27-£47 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

CARRIE UNDERWOOD: THE CRY PRETTY TOUR Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Sat 30 June Tickets: from £35 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

WESTLIFE

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Mon 1 + Tue 2 July Tickets: from £60 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

GARBAGE

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union Sun 14 July Tickets: £35 Info: 029 2078 1458 www.cardiffstudents.com

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029 2087 8889

Tue 7 – Sat 11 May 7.30pm Maw 7 – Sad 11 Mai 7.30pm

What’s On Stage

newtheatrecardiff.co.uk Box Office 029 2087 8889

New York Press

7newtheatrecardiff.co.uk — 11029 2087 May 8889 • Mai

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Tue 7 – Sat 11 May 7.30pm Maw 7 – Sad 11 Mai 7.30pm

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WALES’S NO.1 AMATURE COMPANY

i d 11 Ma a S – 7 DENNAF GWMNI Maw 1 Mayo|.uk 1 t a S AMATUR CYMRU – 7 .c Tue eatrecardiff 8889 new•thMusice by 9 2087Tesori 02Jeanine Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire x Offic and Neal Street Productions‘SURPASSES ALL 29 May • Mai - 2 Jun • Meh BoTheatricals Originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS’ NORTH WEST END, BLACKPOOL

“THE BIGGEST LIVE THEATRE SENSATION OF ALL TIME”

“SURPASSES ALL PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS” North West End, Blackpool

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Tue 7 – Sat 11 May 7.30pm Maw 7 – Sad 11 Mai 7.30pm

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Thurs & Sat 2.30pm / Iau a Sad 2.30pm

THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE

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

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★★★★★ “A Massive 5 Star Hit!”

Humble Onion

WMC - Supper Club Pic: kelsey Chance-

Pic: Ali Inay-unsplash

FOOD & DRINK GUIDE From cafes to champagne, Michelin stars to moussaka, Wales is brimming with great places to eat and drink.

Over the next six pages, we’ve rounded up the best and brightest of the foodie scene across south Wales.

Written by Sam Ball, Poppy Manning, Fedor Tot and Tamzin Wilks

Key Veggie/Vegan Value for Money Michelin Star/Bib Gourmand Destination Good drinks Cafes -

Anna-Loka -

Blanche Bakery -

Albany Road, Cardiff Run by a Hare Krishna monk preaching the goodness of the plant-based diet, this restaurant is a rare find in that it is 100% vegan. The food is Instagram-worthy colourful goodness, packed with nutritional value: wraps, gnocchi, curry, burgers and numerous sides. All of the sauces are recognisable – ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet chilli, BBQ – yet all homemade to ensure they are 100% vegan. An extensive drinks list includes shakes, smoothies, teas and juices.

Mackintosh Place, Cardiff For those desperately seeking a vegan and/or Instagram-worthy café for a bite to eat and a pink or blue coffee, Blanche is worth paying a visit to. Their seasonal and themed doughnuts fly off the shelves within minutes and require an early start to grab one before the morning rush.

Info: www.anna-loka.com

The Britannia Inn -

Beach House Oxwich Bay, Gower Peninsula Overlooking the sands of Oxwich Bay, and just emerging from its infancy, Beach House boasts of a bright and fresh look that wouldn’t look out of place on the seafronts of exotic towns. Head chef Hywel Griffith, having earned three AA rosettes and a Michelin star, brings a menu of hake, Welsh beef, lemon sole and pollock to life with an extensive wine list and an idyllic view.

Info: 01792 390965 / www.beachhouseoxwich.co.uk BUZZ 10

Info: 07426 000528 / www.blanchebakery.co.uk

Llanmadoc, Swansea A beautiful bar, restaurant and beer garden located in Llanmadoc, on the northwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula. The pub has stuck to its 17th century roots and still uses the original bread oven and fireplace; the beams in the ceiling are said to be from shipwrecks that washed ashore. Its beer garden also looks onto the Loughor Estuary.

Info: www.britanniagower.com

Asador 44 Quay Street, Cardiff Cardiff remains home to a little slice of Spanish heaven, the brainchild of two Welsh brothers specialising in sourcing and serving the finest Spanish produce. Offering Rubia Gallega chuleton steaks, giant carabinero prawns and Segovian suckling pig on their menu, there’s also a 140-strong wine list and an open kitchen.

Info: 029 2002 0039 / www.asador44.co.uk

Bully’s -

The Dead Canary -

Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff In the heart of Pontcanna lies Bully’s, long since regarded as one of Cardiff’s finest little culinary gems. Whilst all seasonal produce is sourced from Welsh providers, the wine list grows with the help of small French growers. Few places have such a unique, noticeably eclectic identity, matching its varied menu with its imaginative décor.

Barrack Lane, Cardiff An infamously hidden gem, the Dead Canary has a reputation for great cocktails and great experiences alike. The menu is made up of business cards representing people – why not try an Aneurin Bevan, or a Christian Bale? And if no name strikes you, go off-menu: the mixologists are more than capable of whipping up a concoction to tickle your fancy.

Info: 029 2022 1905 / www.bullysrestaurant.co.uk

Info: www.thedeadcanary.co.uk

The Coach Cowbridge Road, Bridgend Home of brewers The Coach Brewing Co, this small, atmospheric and dog-friendly Bridgend pub is a hit with the locals. Serving a wide yet selective range of craft beer, ciders and real ale, entertainment ranges from regular jam sessions to weekly live music, fortnightly quizzes and beer festivals.

Info: 01656 649231 / facebook.com/thecoachbridgend

Coast Coppet Hall Beach Centre, Saundersfoot Much like its sister company, Beach House, Coast sits along the Saundersfoot coastline and invites diners into an open and bright restaurant that opens out onto the vast horizon. Smoked haddock, salmon ballotine, stone bass, apple tart tatin: all components in a relaxed and calming dining experience. Keep on the lookout for upcoming events with guest chefs serving up taster menus.

Dusty Knuckle Llandaff Road, Cardiff A husband-and-wife duo who’ve furiously worked their way up in the pizza world, learning how to craft the best pizzas Neapolitan style. In recent months they’ve finally found a permanent home in Llandaff Road, giving a sense of permanence to their efforts, and they’ve been well-rewarded by the locals since, with Dusty Knuckle managing to break through to numerous top pizzeria lists amongst national newspapers.

Info: www.dustyknuckle.co.uk

The Felin Fach Griffin Felin Fach, Brecon The Bib Gourmand-prized Felin Fach Griffin remain focused on producing thoughtful and high standard food for guests of both their pub and their accommodating rooms. Nestled between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, a daily-changing menu ensures the best of current, locally-sourced produce is served.

Info: 01874 620111 / www.felinfachgriffin.co.uk

FinCo Coffee Ltd The Castle Emporium, Womanby Street, Cardiff Playing host to guest coffees, FinCo are big movers in staying sustainable and promoting local businesses around Cardiff since landing in Castle Emporium a few months back. Since June 2018, they’ve been traveling round events and festivals in their classic Citroën van, serving the different ground coffee beans before taking on their current spot in the Emporium.

Info: facebook.com/finco.coffee

The Clink – Her Majesty’s Prison, Cardiff What has become a Cardiff classic is still pleasing diners to this day. At the Clink, you’ll have your meal cooked by prisoners who are in training towards gaining NVQ certificates in the catering industries.

Set within the prison grounds, the standard and experience is one to remember, and the menu boasts selections like blackened darne of salmon and chickpea ragu.

Info: www.theclinkcharity.org/restaurants/cardiff

Info: 01834 810800 / www.coastsaundersfoot.co.uk

Crafty Devil’s Cellar Llandaff Rd, Cardiff and Windsor Rd, Penarth; Beelzebub’s, Church St, Cardiff Cardiff locals Crafty Devil have captured the hearts of the capital’s beer drinkers, watering locals with their love of beer and fresh and tasty styles. With the cosy Cellar in Canton, a flagship city-centre venue in Beelzebub’s and a third place newly open in Penarth, they’ve been expanding quickly. Their taste in beers is certainly on the heavily-hopped end of the spectrum, but always imaginative and a pleasure to nurse.

Info: 029 2021 8099 / www.craftydevilbrewing.co.uk

Spiced pumpkin and ricotta tortellinni

The Hardwick Old Raglan Road, Abergavenny Offering a dinner with a view, with large open windows looking out onto the Brecon Beacons National Park., This rustic pub/hotel’s specialised take on modern British cuisine provides a sizeable seasonal menu.

From chargrilled burgers to braised octopus, there’s always the option to have a wine or two and spend the evening in one of their luxury rooms.

Info: 01873 854220 / www.thehardwick.co.uk

Hare & Hounds -

GinHaus Deli

GinHaus Deli -

Hang Fire Southern Kitchen -

Market Street, Llandeilo A family-run deli and bar in the heart of Llandeilo, filled to the brim with all plentiful deli fancies, plus a whole host more. Stocking over 40 different cheeses (including 16 locally-sourced ones), olives, ham, salami, wines and beers and over 240(!) different gins, it’s not difficult to get lost amongst the shelves and selections and have a tipple or two along the way.

The Pumphouse, Barry Hang Fire began life in Cardiff some five years ago, peddling wares at street food events and in pubs as a pop-up; now it’s a lauded restaurant bringing passion, heart and the taste of good ol’ Southern BBQ to the rain-drenched UK. Progenitors Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn now have a cookery book and two BBC cooking series to their name.

Info: 01558 823030 / www.ginhaus.co.uk

Info: www.hangfiresouthernkitchen.com interview on pg. 54

Greazy Vegan Castle Arcade, Cardiff Ask most vegetarians and vegans what they miss most about their pre-green existence, and many might say the sweet, sweet taste of junk food. Greazy Vegan are proudly plugging that hole, with a selection of Voppers, vebabs and fried chickun, which looks and tastes so much like the real thing it could pass for it in a blind taste test. Fast becoming a Cardiff favourite.

Info: www.greazyvegan.com

The Harbourmaster Quay Parade, Aberaeron Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner by day and offering a place to rest your head by night, with panoramic windows to watch the boats on the harbourside, The Harbourmaster also carry ales from the best new breweries in Wales. Their plentiful menu presents sea bream, sea bass, pollock and duck breast or specials, classics and desserts to be enjoyed at the main bar. An idyllic place in an idyllic town.

Aberthin, Cowbridge The Hare & Hounds has been a pub for over 300 years, and more recently has also become a gourmet restaurant. Winners of numerous awards and hosts to varying events, in particular their popular ‘changing of the seasons’ tasting evenings, local lad Tom Watts-Jones and partner Sarah are at the helm, with Tom turning his culinary skills in the kitchen and Sarah front of house. The success of the Hare is now being replicated in their sister venue, The Heathcock in Cardiff.

Info: www.hareandhoundsaberthin.com

Hogwurst North Road, Cardiff This rustic-style place does hot dogs like no other.

The menu offers a range of breakfast dogs and a whole lot more. Most hot dogs are about £7.95, but the portion sizes are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The Samurai, for example, includes crispy chicken bites, katsu curry, homemade sauerkraut, crispy onions and a seaweed crisp. The menu also a new Welsh favourite, the Glam dog, with Caerphilly cheese, leek and Glamorgan sausage, served with sweet chilli and tomato relish and crispy onions. Hogwurst also has homemade milkshakes served in pint-sized glass milk bottles, with flavours like cherry Bakewell and mint and coconut.

Info: www.hogwurst.co.uk

Info: 01545 570755 / www.harbour-master.com

Heaney’s Romilly Crescent, Cardiff Heaney’s ever-changing menu, based on local produce and the season, ensures each visit will be different from the last.

Their chilled and relaxed bar/ restaurant lends a helping hand in the overall Heaney’s dining experience, and their dishes – crab risotto, Welsh lamb and scallops, to name a few – are expertly cooked by Tommy Heaney and co. Heaney is also opening a wine bar next door.

Info: 029 2034 1264 / www.heaneyscardiff.co.uk

BUZZ 12

Pic: Priscilla-du-preez-unsplash Llanerch Vineyard

The Humble Onion -

Milkwood -

Mr Villas -

Station Road, Dinas Powys True to its name and its surroundings, set between Barry and Cardiff, The Humble Onion take their ingredients back to basics and reinvent their dishes with every change in the seasons. The quaint former coach house regularly tops expectations in taste, quality and service and has just undergone a complete refurb.

Pontcanna Street, Pontcanna, Cardiff Moving into the old Cibo unit, where business partners Tom and Gwyn first began cooking together, Milkwood’s petite independent Welsh bistro has nestled itself into the heart of Pontcanna.

Championing locally-sourced produce, their minimal menu features lentil samosa, duck breast with pancetta and crab risotto amongst starters and mains. Reservations are definitely advisable.

Bron-Y-Mor, Barry This nautically-themed restaurant is tailored to its location and cooks up seaside favourite fish and chips alongside a number of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. If that’s too much to handle, there’s a light meal menu offering fresh crab or egg mayonnaise sandwiches, onion tarts and salmon fishcakes – just far enough away from the business of Barry Island to avoid the crowds.

Info: 029 2023 2226 / www.milkwoodcardiff.com

Info: 01446 730662 / www.mrvillasbarry.co.uk

Mint & Mustard -

Nata & Co -

Whitchurch Road, Cardiff Originating in Cardiff in 2006, this delightful taste of southern India embraces its home roots and brings the best version of Indian cuisine to Wales. Whilst encapsulating the essence of Keralan food, Mint & Mustard also lend their expertise to showcase Indian flavours to British diners. There’s plenty of trad-Brit comforters on their specials list – your chicken kormas and tikka masalas – and a range of vegetarian options too.

Castle Arcade, Cardiff / Clifton Street, Cardiff / Bute Street, Cardiff Bay Expanding across Cardiff over the last few years, this Portuguese bakery company has found a gap in the Welsh market, bringing Portugal’s trademark delicacies to the capital. Custard tarts, cream doughnuts, coconut cakes, fruit tarts and breads are all baked in traditional Portuguese style. Whether you’re craving a pastel de nata, guardanapo or delicia folhada, there’s a plentiful chance to try something new.

Info: 029 2062 0333 / www.mintandmustard.com

Info: 029 2034 2200 / www.nataandco.co.uk

Info: 029 2051 4900 / www.thehumbleonion.co.uk

James Sommerin The Esplanade, Penarth High quality food with a view. This Michelin-starred restaurant, led by Welsh-born James Sommerin, is a high-end classic. Situated on The Esplanade in Penarth, looking out on the Severn Estuary, there’s a three-hour, nine-course taster menu, alongside a traditional menu serving high-quality local produce.

Info: www.jamessommerinrestaurant.co.uk

Llanerch Vineyard Hensol Llanerch Vineyard is Wales’ answer to the wine valleys of France, boasting a hotel and a bistro. Run as a family business, the Cariad restaurant and bistro is a fine dining experience that celebrates all things British. You can pair your meal with a wine from the vineyard itself and enjoy local produce at its best.

Info: www.llanerch-vineyard.co.uk

Marco’s Café Promenade, Barry Made famous from its periodic sightings on Gavin & Stacey, Marco’s Café has become a Barry Island hotspot for tourists to dine whilst watching over the promenade.

This family-owned business has been a highlight of the island for many years, offering up a number of breakfast, brunch and lunch options and service with a smile. If you plan to pop down, don’t forget to snap a selfie with the lifesize poster of the G&S cast.

Info: twitter.com/marcos_cafe_

BUZZ 14

International Welsh Rarebit Centre High Street, Defynnog, Brecon That’s right – a whole place dedicated exclusively to Welsh rarebit. Beautifully converted from an old school, and housing an art/exhibition space, this is renowned in the area as the go-to for both classic and unusual takes on this national signature. Baking fresh bread from their specialised in-house bakery, they also offer cakes, drinks, buns, soup and daily specials.

Info: 01874 636843

Pysgoty -

Oscars -

Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth This seafood restaurant was built on the site of an old public toilet block, positioned between the harbour and the marina, offering great views. Run by a husband and wife team; one a fishmonger and one trained chef, the seafood is of the highest quality.

High Street, Cowbridge A contemporary culinary restaurant in the market town of Cowbridge, Oscars serve up delightful takes on a variety of home comfort classics: chicken Milanese or tomato ragu, say. Their stylishly cosy chic interior provides desirable comfort all wrapped up in an excitingly fresh eatery.

Info: www.pysgoty.co.uk

Riverside Market -

Info: 01446 771984 / www.townandcountrycollective.co.uk

Fitzhamon Embankment; Roath Market, Keppoch St; Rhiwbina Market, Heol Y Felin, all Cardiff The original Cardiff Farmer’s Market follows the bank of the River Taff and offers up a celebratory selection of the best food and fresh products from local businesses within the surrounding areas of Cardiff. The market is always teeming with fresh meats, coffee, cheeses, crepes, pastries and the finest selection you’ll need for the perfect afternoon.

The market moves around the city – you can it in Rhiwbina (Fridays), Roath (Saturdays) and Riverside (Sundays), plus St. Fagans once a month.

Info: 029 2019 0036 www.riversidemarket.org.uk

The Old Post House -

The Potted Pig -

St.Fagans, Cardiff This Grade II-listed building, whose previous function has been retained in its name, is nestled in the centre of this historic town. Offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and Sunday dinner, the new touches don’t overshadow its historic nature.

High Street, Cardiff A high-quality restaurant serving up culinary delights in an old bank vault beneath the streets of Cardiff.

Despite its rep, you might not know that you can book a table just to enjoy drinks in their gin lounge.

With 30 different gins on offer, this place is an underground gem.

Info: www.oldposthousecardiff.co.uk

Parc Pantry Malpas Rd, Newport There is no item on this menu over £6.50, and to pair with the good prices, the food is tasty too. Stacks of pancakes for breakfast (coming in at £5) or a brunch burrito stuffed with bacon, chorizo, peppers, cheese, spicy beans, spinach and chipotle sauce (£4)? The lunch menu sees baguettes at £4 a pop – great value, great food.

Info: www.parcpantry.co.uk

Pear Kitchen High Street, Cowbridge Want a quick bite to eat without worrying about the menu? Pear Kitchen is a vegan cafe offering light lunches and snacks – its hot dishes include mung bean dahl, scrambled tofu breakfast and sweet potato wraps. The cafe also has cakes and shakes tantalizing enough to draw in non-vegan customers.

Info: 01446 772001

The Plough & Harrow Monknash, Cowbridge Tucked down a Monknash country lane sits one of the oldest buildings in the area, dating back to at least the early 14th century. This Grade-II listed cottageesque building serves up some mighty generous pub portions with a selection of real ales to wash down a Sunday lunch and has regular live music, beer festivals and welcomes well behaved dogs.

Info: 01656 890209 / www.ploughandharrow.eu

BUZZ 16

Info: www.thepottedpig.com

The Potting Shed Café Insole Court, Fairwater Rd, Cardiff Tucked away inside the mansion’s grounds of Insole Court lies a cosy café with a name to match its flourishing, garden surroundings. Ensuring to cater for all, many options are strictly ethical, keeping in line with their clean, environmentally-friendly standards that they proudly promote. After moseying around the mansion rooms, The Potting Shed is a visitor’s favourite for relaxing tired legs and washing down a homemade lunch, or freshly baked cake.

Info: 029 2116 7920 / www.insolecourt.org/the-potting-shed The Plough & Harrow

R.P. Culley & Co Exchange Hotel, Cardiff Bay Dating back to 1886, R.P. Culley opened The Exchange Restaurant within the walls of the Bay’s coal-trading centre, The Coal Exchange. Fast forward 131 years to 2017 and the then-derelict Grade II listed building was restored to complement its former glory.

R.P. Culley & Co restaurant celebrates the life and legacy of its predecessor and serves diners the same quality expected back in its heyday.

Info: 029 2010 7050 / www.exchangehotelcardiff.co.uk/bar-restaurant

Rum & Fizz Castle Arcade, Cardiff Offering over 250 different kinds of rum, Rum & Fizz is certainly the place to be for any who likes a taste of sugar cane. The decor alone lives up to the drinks – lively and exciting, like something out of a chic New York film. The venue is a brainchild of the same people behind Gin & Juice and Barker Tea House, both of which are also recommended.

Info: www.rumandfizz.com

Big Pit Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru | Big Pit National Coal Museum

Gwledd Sul y Tadau Father’s Day FEASTival Ymunwch â ni am Wledd yn Big Pit gyda stondinau bwyd, diod a chrefft, adloniant am ddim i’r teulu, cerddoriaeth fyw ac arddangosiadau bwyd. Hefyd, picen am ddim i bob Dad!

Mehefin 16 June 11am-4pm

Join us for a Feastival of fun at Big Pit with a selection of food, drink and craft stalls, free family activities, live music and food demonstrations.

Plus a free cuppa and welsh cake for every Dad!

029 2057 3650 www.museum.wales/bigpit

Thurs 6 June iau 6 mehefin

snowpoeT Fri 7 June Gwe 7 mehefin

hAnnAh GrAce sat 8 June sad 8 mehefin

rwcmd biG bAnd

AmserJAzzTime FesTiVAL 2019

A Four-dAy ceLebrATion oF JAzz dAThLiAd pedwAr diwrnod o JAzz

sat 8 June sad 8 mehefin

huw wArren & JoVino sAnTos neTo sun 9 June sul 9 mehefin

ATLAs FeATurinG sArA coLmAn #AmserJAzzTime @AmserJAzzTime

6—9 June meheFin Tickets | Tocynnau 029 2039 1391 www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru

St Fagans National Museum of History

Caerdydd, CF5 6XB amgueddfa.cymru/sainffagan

Cardiff, CF5 6XB museum.wales/stfagans

Pic: Crew - Unsplash

Tintern Old Station Tea Room Tintern, Monmouthshire This train station-turned-tea room in Tintern is a great place to stop off whilst rambling, cycling or roving around the Wye Valley. This place is all about the cake, with local bakers and hand-finished touches in the tea room.

Info: 01291 689566

Tiny Rebel Womanby Street, Cardiff; High Street, Newport; Rogerstone Industrial Estate, Newport Growing exponentially in their eight years to date, Tiny Rebel are at the forefront of Welsh craft brewing.

They’ve got a mammoth range of beer to work through at their three bars and to be enjoyed with pizzas, burgers or wings. They also keep a lively range of entertainment, with music, comedy and arcade game nights taking turns in their bars.

Sunflower & I

Info: 029 2039 9557 / www.tinyrebel.co.uk

Sosban / The Old Butchers -

Vegetarian Food Studio -

Menai Bridge, Anglesey This Michelin-starred restaurant offers a unique culinary journey. At Sosban they are all about savouring the food experience, imploring diners to “forget the menu”. With this level of control taken out of the dining routine, you get what you are given, and the proof is in the pudding.

Penarth Road, Cardiff One of the city’s finest vegetarian places, Vegetarian Food Studio is a favourite amongst herbivores.

Producing food from the Gujarat region of India, where most people are vegetarian, there’s a litany of curries based around mushrooms, spinach, chickpeas and all manner of traditional ingredients.

The price is at times surreally low, and average of under £5 a dish means you will not be leaving hungry.

Info: www.sosbanandtheoldbutchers.com

Sunflower & I Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay Eclectic, fresh and quirky, Sunflower & I bring a Polish-led menu to the Bay for a lengthy lunch or a quick tea pit stop. The décor is superbly tasteful, betraying the venue’s initial origins as a gift shop (and you can still buy some of the items on display!).

The fresh floral scent lingers in the air amongst the lavish and multi-era style setting with occasional musicians, concerts and events being hosted – like something out of Mitteleurope rather than Wales.

Info: 029 2048 4211 / www.sunflowerandi.co.uk

Info: 029 2023 8222 / www.vegetarianfoodstudio.co.uk

The Whitebrook Whitebrook, nr Monmouth Nestled in the Wye Valley and with Chris Harrod at the helm, The Whitebrook holds local ingredients at a high value: Harrod has teamed up with Henry Ashby, a local forager, to ensure the food is from the local surroundings. The foraged herbs include pennywort, three-cornered garlic, bitter cress, wild onion and hogweed. The restaurant also has accompanying rooms to enjoy the Wye Valley for a weekend.

Info: www.thewhitebrook.co.uk

Ffresh, WMC Bute Place, Cardiff Bay The WMC is a fine place to eat alongside your theatre visits. With everything gluten-free, there is a classy menu that includes lamb flatbread, polenta with mushrooms and beef saqaar, with one eye on the Bay’s historically multi-ethnic heritage. With interval drinks available and the Supper Clwb to come (see page 50 for more info), where dinner will include entertainment from a host of stars, from comics to burlesque to drag queens like Charlie Hides [pictured], there’s plenty of options available.

Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org

The Walnut Tree Llanddewi Skirrid, Abergavenny Famous across the UK, The Walnut Tree has been a stalwart on the foodie scene since the 1960s. Run by Michelin-star chef Shaun Hill, the a la carte and set menus change every day. Hill, in the chef game since the 60s and once a regular customer at The Walnut Tree, ended up taking over in 2008; the restaurant is in gifted hands and the Michelin star only goes to attest to his skill.

Info: www.thewalnuttreeinn.com

The Wildflower Café near Upper Killay, Mumbles Get back to nature and dive into the world of this eco-friendly building, which plays host to a little cafe offering homemade cakes and daily specials, using homegrown herbs from their outdoor nursery. Enjoy locally produced fare at its roots.

Info: facebook.com/pg/swanseasa2

Ynyshir Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth, Powys One of few Michelin-starred restaurants across Wales, Ynyshir serves a monumental 20-something courses over a four-hour visit, with head chef Gareth Ward obsessively ensuring the food is at the highest standards – both in flavour and in radical imagination (the philosophy is based around a fusion of Welsh and Japanese flavours, as you do), and lots and lots of fermentation. Burrowed on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, there are a few rooms available for staying (but only for one night, presumably to sleep off the food) in the countryside and soaking up the tranquillity of the area.

Info: 01654 781209 / www.ynyshir.co.uk

BUZZ 18

Bill Bailey, he of the perpetually receding hairline and the musical antics, returns to Cardiff ahead of a new season of In The Long Run. He catches up with Jake Andrews.

Your show Larks In Transit has been described as a look back over your career and 20-plus years in the industry. What can fans expect?

I’ve been touring this show for quite a while – we’ve taken it across Europe, around Australia and New Zealand, and we’ve just finished a run in the West End and that’s since changed into what it is now. There is a lot more music in this show. It was unintentional, but it’s turned into a right old knees-up! I’ve tried this time to get the crowd involved as much as possible.

You’ve always been well known for using music in your comedy shows. How would you describe your process of bringing these two practices together?

I like to make sure that the music is intrinsic to the comedy, rather than it be just some funny words. I think that’s given me a kind of niche. It’s certainly allowed me to experiment with some different instruments and bring things to the stage that you don’t normally hear. You don’t normally hear someone playing a theremin or a mandola, and that’s what I like to put into a show – the unexpected music that you might not have heard before. Everything and the kitchen sink thrown in.

How would you say the role of the comedian has changed over the years and how important is comedy in relation to politics and current affairs?

I think comedy is a way where we can have a laugh about something and suddenly it doesn’t feel quite so overwhelming. People today use comedy as a way to become informed but also to have a laugh at the same time; it seems to me that comedy has become a form of escapism. A way of forgetting about the realities of daily life and leaving it behind for a couple of hours. There’s a section where I talk about what’s going on and I find that it’s a way to get the audience in and to comfort them, it’s almost like I’m saying that we’re all in this together.

You’re just about to start filming the second series of In The Long Run with Idris Elba. How was it revisiting the 80s and how relevant are the themes today?

It’s extraordinary how many similarities there are with Britain today. The mid-80s was this period of great turmoil and political convulsion which hasn’t really shown any signs of letting up, but the 80s were also a time of change. There was this great energy about it creatively and certainly in the arts, it was a decade of opportunity. There were strikes and the riots, people had aspirations, they wanted to get on.

In The Long Run is set on an estate in East London; there was a lot of tension around, a lot of racism and the show doesn’t shy away from that. At the same time, it doesn’t make it a big issue of it, but it acknowledges its presence and unfortunately some of those sentiments are around today. It’s a funny, family-friendly comedy-drama but it does have a few points to make.

You’ve talked about how performing has led you all over the world. How would you describe Wales’ national identity and is there anything unique about performing here?

Well my mother’s family came from Wales and I still have relatives here. As a child I have vivid memories of my grandparents speaking Welsh, and in fact some of my fondest memories from when I was a kid would be in Wales. My whole family in a tent in south Wales, me and my cousins playing on the beach. It was my first experience of another country – going over the Severn Bridge became this symbolic passage into another world which was fantastic. The gigs are great, something I always look forward to. The last time I was in Swansea we used the recording for [2001 DVD] Bewilderness.

Bill Bailey: Larks In Transit, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Sat 18 May. Tickets: £41.

Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk BUZZ 20

Pic: Andy Hollingworth

BILL BAILEY

GLEE BUZZ FEB 2019

4 SUPERB COMEDIANS EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT GREAT FOOD & DRINK DEALS

COMEDY TOURS SUN 07TH APR

SHAPPI KHORSANDI SUN 14TH APR LEE NELSON THU 18TH APR ANGELA BARNES SUN 21ST APR BANK HOLIDAY COMEDY SPECIAL SUN 28TH APR WAHALA COMEDY CLASH THU 02ND MAY GARY DELANEY SUN 05TH MAY MICKY P. KERR

THU 09TH MAY

IVO GRAHAM SUN 26TH MAY FAMILY COMEDY SHOW SUN 09TH JUN GARY MEIKLE WED 03RD JUL STAND UP FOR SHELTER CYMRU THU 04TH JUL MARVELUS SUN 07TH JUL SPONTANEOUS POTTER WED 17TH JUL GILL SIMS - WHY MUMMY DOESN’T GIVE A ****!

MERMAID QUAY • CARDIFF BAY • CF10 5BZ

SPECIAL EVENTS THU 25TH APR CHAD MICHAELS & FARRAH MOAN SUN 19TH MAY THE GILDED MERKIN WED 22ND MAY ROSS EDGLEY TUE 28TH MAY SAARA AALTO SUN 02ND JUN LADY BUNNY TUE 04TH JUN TRINITY THE TUCK MON 01ST JUL INSIDE THE MIND OF THE SERIAL KILLER

Pic: Helmi Okbara

HOLLIE MCNISH Hollie McNish has carved out a name for herself as an honest and eloquent poet, connecting to younger generations of readers. “We need to get over ourselves and open up to young people,” she tells Josh Rees.

How important is live performance to poetry?

The live experience is just different – more communal. I like hearing a poet’s voice and intonation. I like experiencing a performance with other people, the same way I love listening to live music.

Nobody Told Me dealt brilliantly with pregnancy and the early years of your relationship with your daughter. How has motherhood influenced your poetry?

It’s given me an insight into a different sort of love I couldn’t have fathomed before, as well as a different sort of rage at how dismissed motherhood is in general; how badly mother’s bodies are treated culturally and politically. On a practical level, it’s bloody impossible to do any of those lovely writing residencies which can be so helpful for authors. Time to write has become minimal. Perhaps it’s made my poems a bit shorter for that reason too!

You teach a lot of poetry classes and workshops, especially in schools.

Do you get the sense that pupils are hungry for more creative outlets, especially poetry, on the syllabus?

Young people engage more quickly with poetry when they hear someone read it live. But mainly, it’s the writing – getting their own descriptions, feelings, questions down into words – being given space to put their own thoughts across.

I read a lot of poems about sex in schools – about periods, masturbation, about media’s depiction of sex. I get so many genuine concerned questions from young people desperate for truth and practical advice around these issues. We owe it to them, in the internet age, to be more open about these things. The last gig I did in front of 300 15-18-year-olds, I made a small comment about masturbating in one of the poems and had a girl in tears afterwards because she’d just been called a slut for admitting she masturbated – during a conversation where all the boys in her class were talking openly about the fact they did. I think we need to get over ourselves and open up to young people.

BUZZ 22

Do you think there should be a more contemporary spread of poets taught in schools?

I don’t know the curriculum well, but I think it was recently changed for the worst – with more BAME writers taken off. I don’t like the “poetry isn’t just old, dead white men anymore” titles of many articles on the recent re-rise of poetry, as if those men must be dismissed now. They were, for the most part, superb writers.

But I think the curriculum needs to diversify in voice. So yes, I guess I do!

Poetry seems to be in the middle of a resurgence in popularity. Do you think this is a reaction to our current political climate?

No, not really. I think it’s due to social media. People watch and read poetry online, for free, and share it with others. I think sometimes we underestimate how intimidated many people are by arts venues, by poetry, by theatres. I avoided entering the Poetry Café in London for about a year simply because I was too scared to go in. I walked past it, even tried the doorknob a couple times and fled.

When I did make it in and they told me the poetry readings were downstairs, I left again. Just because I couldn’t see downstairs and was worried about it. I’ve also paid for my own gig before – a gig I was headlining – because I felt awkward telling the doorperson I was doing poetry.

That poetry is so much easier to access now is great. I have lots of people coming to gigs after starting to follow poetry accounts on Instagram or seeing a reading on YouTube. Those people then start to buy poetry too.

What advice would you give to aspiring poets?

Read lots of poetry. Read lots of literature in general. That’s it. Read as much as you can. And don’t throw your poems away, even the ones you think are shite.

Keep them, they’ll be good to look back on.

Hollie McNish (with support from Clare Potter), Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed 15 May. Tickets: £15 (sold out – check box office for returns). Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

Tymor sy’n archwilio’r thema o hawliau dynol A Season exploring the theme of human rights Mehefin 7 – 23 June Mwy o wybodaeth ar | More information at

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

STEWART FRANCIS As he sets off on his last standup tour, famed punographer Stewart Francis chats to Oliver R. Moore-Howells about new beginnings, old endings, and why we shouldn’t expect any Sinatra-style comebacks.

If he were a cartoon character, he’d be Punocchio; if a rock band, Puns N’ Roses. And yet, when that final curtain falls, the last giggle dwindles and the applause dies away, Stewart Francis – as you know him – will be no more. Still, never say never?

“Nope. It’s very much the end. One hundred percent… the end! There’ll be no Frank Sinatra here,” says Francis, emphatically. Besides, his upcoming tour Into The Pun-Set kind of says it all. So what’s next? “I’m quitting standup to become an actor. Most of my creative juices will go towards that. I’ll do voiceover work and write some screenplays too.”

Having starred in the UK sitcom Not Going Out, and undertaken a more serious role in An American In Canada, acting is by no means alien to him. But will comedy play a big part? It appears not. “I want to be taken as a serious actor – I’d love to get dramatic roles. Casting directors can sometimes get a bit lazy and think, ‘oh, he’s a comedian – let’s not cast him.’ I want there to be a distinct separation between me being a comedian and going for dramatic parts. Whatever comes my way, I’m open to new challenges.”

Still, he’s not gone yet. Looking back over his career, one has to wonder if there is, or ever was, much room in the oneliner comedy bunkhouse for the likes of him, Jimmy Carr, Tim Vine and Milton Jones? He doesn’t hesitate. “So far, yes.

We’re all doing well. There’s plenty to go around, especially since I’m stepping away.”

And rivalry? “No. Anyone with any competence doesn’t have any ill feelings. I wish them all well.” He claims he doesn’t even watch other comedians for fear of comedic crosscontamination. “I don’t want to step on any of their material or be distracted from what I’m doing because we have a similar way of approaching comedy. I’m a real purist so I kinda removed myself from that scene. As of December 8, however, I’ll be watching everyone and loving them!”

BUZZ 24

Who then, does he admire? Surely there’s someone who set Francis’ comedy bus on its course to Giggle Street, as he likes to call it? “I didn’t know I wanted to be a comedian until later adulthood, but I remember watching the Johnny Carson show. Rodney Dangerfield, I just loved watching him – he’s a joke machine. That must have planted a seed.”

As for his stage routine, Buzz wonders how Francis goes about the whole writing process. Does he undergo a particular ritual beforehand, say, taking a hot bath whilst clutching a whisky? “I do enjoy a hot bath, though that’s unrelated to my routine of writing jokes,” he laughs. “As a one-linerguy, I start with the punchline and work backwards. Things tend to come to me through the day, over the course of weeks and months. I might be watching TV, or hear a turn of phrase, and then I’ll go into my brain and shift some words around and see what I come up with. I’ve only ever sat down and consciously written two jokes.

They were good. I should have done it more often.”

When he isn’t pursuing c o m e d y, F r a n c i s possesses not just a funny bone but a big heart too. Though tight-lipped about it all, after his farewell tour he plans to work with his country’s First Nation people and set up a charity to repair relations between the two groups – natives and immigrants.

“Canada’s a wonderful country, and I’m very proud of it, but we do have a dark history. I want to actually draw up my sleeves and get things done - to help with education and resources. To raise funds and stuff like that. It’s the method I’ll be employing that’ll be kinda unique.” But pressed on what method he remains tight-lipped, so that may be an interesting space to watch.

So, the end is near for Stewart Francis the comedian. However, one thing’s for sure – it‘s not gonna be as much pun without him.

Stewart Francis: Into The Punset, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 7 June. Tickets: £25.

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

THE RIVERFRONT THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE NEWPORT £3

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR CINEMA LISTIN GS TICKETS FROM

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

Facing the music with Patricia Routledge & Edward Seckerson

Jerry Sadowitz: Make Comedy Grate Again!

WEDNESDAY 8 MAY, 7.30PM

Robin Morgan: Honeymoon

016

FRIDAY 10 MAY, 7.30PM

SATURDAY 11 MAY, 7.30PM

The Girl with Incredibly Long Hair

Welsh National Opera’s

newp

THURSDAY 16 MAY, 7.45PM

Don Pasquale

FRIDAY 17 MAY, 5.30PM SATURDAY 18 MAY, 2.30PM

Y Ferch gyda’r Gwallt Hynod Hir SADWRN 18 MAI, 11:30AM

Kingsway, Newport, NP20 1HG

01633 656757 SATURDAY 25 MAY, 7.30PM

newportlive.co.uk/riverfront

BUZZ AD.indd 2

Sinfonia Cymru

Curated by | Wedi’i guradu gan Abel Selaocoe Words of South African townships women are presented blended with music for voice, clarinet, cello, percussion, violin, kora and harp to explore motherhood and family.

Cyflwynir geiriau menywod o faestrefi yn Ne Affrica wedi eu cyfuno â cherddoriaeth ar gyfer y llais, clarinet, cello, offerynnau taro, ffidl, ‘kora’ a’r delyn i archwilio mamolaeth a theulu.

Tramshed Tech, Caerdydd | Cardiff 25 Mai | May, 8.30pm Tocynnau / Gwybodaeth - Tickets / Information: sinfoniacymru.co.uk

15/04/2019 12:40

@sinfoniacymru

/sinfoniacymru

WALLACE AND GROMIT’S MUSICAL MARVELS The nation’s favourite animated duo arrive in the capital in early June for Wallace And Gromit’s Musical Marvels, created by Carrot Productions in partnership with Aardman Animations, the famed studio responsible for the creation of the two household clay names. The interactive show features specially created animations from Aardman alongside orchestral accompaniment from The Picture House Orchestra.

Rachel Whibley, managing director for the production, gets to relive a childhood favourite, she says. “I remember watching A Grand Day Out with my family on Christmas Eve in 1990 and being amazed by the whole concept. I’d certainly never seen stop-motion animated film like it before. Subsequently, I loved watching Aardman’s Creature Comforts, then eagerly awaited all the subsequent Wallace & Gromit films.”

Expect onscreen montages of clips from all five – five! – Wallace And Gromit films, including the affable Yorkshireman’s with Wendolene, Piella and Lady Tottington as well as penguined-up chase scenes. This will be accompanied by live music performed by a crack orchestral ensemble. Further ventures into the fourth wall are provided by a video link to Wallace & Gromit’s dressing room below the concert hall, onstage presenter Matthew Sharp chatting to them as they do whatever a claymated man/dog duo do in a theatre dressing room.

A new musical composition by Wallace is due to be played by the end of the night, called (dad joke alert) My Concerto In Ee, Lad. Combining animation with live music is something that Carrot Productions have plenty of experience in, having presented The Snowman in a similar vein to audiences for the past six years. It’s conducted by the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Steve Magee, with musicians are from various leading UK orchestras, the rehearsal process however involves intense work. “Steve will have spent hundreds of hours practising conducting the scores before arriving at the first rehearsal, and the musicians will have learnt their parts too, which certainly helps!” says Whibley.

After the Saturday afternoon show there will also be a chance to take part in a workshop with some of Aardman’s expert model makers.“You get to learn all the tricks of the trade and other bits of juicy insider info,” Whibley promises. MEGAN POTTERTON St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 1 June. Tickets: £21/£19.

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

WALES IN VENICE Cardiff-born artist Sean Edwards is representing Wales at one of the world’s biggest art festivals, the Venice Biennale. Set to be the ninth time Wales has presented an artist there, Edwards has a solo exhibition devised in conjunction with guest curator Marie-Anne McQuay of the Bluecoat Arts Centre in Liverpool and Wrexham-based Ty Pawb.

Edwards attended Cardiff School Of Art & Design before going to the Slade School of Fine Art to pursue a Masters in sculpture. Returning to Wales in 2005, nine years later he received the Gold medal for Fine Art at the Welsh Eisteddfod. Showcasing artistic talent means Wales can share its contemporary culture globally, and Welsh art is important to Sean. “You don’t need to live in London!” he says.

The work presented here focuses on shared personal experiences, a sense of a life lived without much in the way of expectations. The inspiration stems from his childhood on a Cardiff council estate in the 1980s: “It takes an autobiographical starting point and weaves together themes of family, class, loss and displacement.

I hope that, in using a kind of personal and autobiographical way of telling ‘small stories’, the work might tell a much wider story about the state of class divides in the UK today.”

Edwards’ new body of work includes sculpture, prints, film, Welsh quilts and a live daily radio broadcast. In partnership with the National Theatre, Edwards has a spoken piece – a new venture for him. Titled Refrain, it will be played every day of the Biennale at 2pm, read by Sean’s mother and transmitted from her Cardiff home. When forming the idea, Sean approached the topic carefully with her as she is not used to performance art. “I wanted to think about different ways of telling stories,” he explains. “Her reading of the work also shapes my writing.”

Towards November at the Biennale, Refrain will be played across radio stations in Wales by the National Theatre and Ty Pawb. Edwards’ exhibit will tour the UK in spring of next year.

TAMZIN WILKS Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, Castello, Venice, Sat 11 May-Sun 24 Nov. Admission: free. Info: www.arts.wales/arts-in-wales/venice BUZZ 26

BBC National Orchestra of Wales Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC

Concerto Piano Rhif 2

Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 Thursday Nos Iau 6/6/19, 7.30pm

Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 Concerto Piano Rhif 2 Mahler Symphony No. 1 Symffoni Rhif 1 – Mark Wigglesworth Conductor Arweinydd Martin James Bartlett Piano For information and tickets Am wybodaeth a thocynnau

bbc.co.uk/now 0800 052 1812

2018, 2017, 2014

CASNEWYDD / NEWPORT Glan yr Afon / Riverfront 30-31 Mai / May, 7.30pm

2018, 2017, 2014 Elusen rhif. / Charity No. 1000855 © Sleepy Robot Photography

newportlive.co.uk/riverfront 01633 656757 welshballet.co.uk

Pic: Marsha Arnold

H AY F E S T I VA L The UK’s biggest annual celebration of literature and arts returns once again to the bookish town. Laura Wood looks at what to expect.

Over the course of 10 days, 100,000-plus visitors will turn up at the Welsh border town to engage with the world’s greatest writers, poets, philosophers, historians and scientists. These take up the majority of the day activities, whereas the nights are devoted to music, comedy and film. This year’s lineup includes names such as Stephen Fry, Jacqueline Wilson, Ian McEwan, Jimmy Carr, Nigel Owens, Sam Warburton, Jo Brand, and The Waterboys.

This year, there’s a distinct running theme with a surfeit of environmentalist speakers, including Natalie Fee – environmental campaigner, author and founder of City To Sea, a charity focused on stopping city plastics at source reaching the ocean. With a funny and playful way of making issues relatable, we can expect her appearance to encourage audiences to change the world in ways you didn’t know were possible. Also billed are British environmentalist and author Tony Juniper, climate scientist Emily Shuckburgh and Dr Mariecia Fraser: with all of these names planting their wisdom into your ear, you might well go completely green by the week’s end.

There is a whole day dedicated to health and nutrition with talks from Simon Fairlie and Safia Minney, but surely one of the most exciting is an appearance from Anthony Warner, better known as ‘The Angry Chef’. Logically enough, he’ll be talking about what makes him angry – it’s not, apparently, when people insult his food.

Literature remains the vital kernel of Hay, of course, and the schedule does not disappoint. Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, celebrates the book’s 20th birthday with stories and songs based on its irrepressible legacy – join in the celebration and get a first look at her brand new stories before anyone else. At the other end of the spectrum, there are figures like Eric Ngalle Charles, a former Cameroonian refugee bringing his new play Death On The Third Floor to the BUZZ 28

festival. Beyond that, there’s talks with Newsnight host Emily Maitlis, as she describes the “imperfect art of making news”, and how she didn’t expect to spend three hours in a lift with Alan Partridge nor have the Dalai Lama tell her the story of his favourite toilet trip.

Music and comedy fills the night air, with Sara Pascoe, Ibibio Sound Machine and The Waterboys all performing live. Pascoe, following a sell-out UK tour, brings her show LadsLadsLads to the Hay Festival – presented as a thinking person’s stag do, one which she implores visitors not to bring a stag to. For those more in the mood to get their feet moving after a long day of brainwork, Ibibio Sound Machine will be relaying their unique brand of West African funk and postpunk, whilst Mike Scott’s Waterboys will be opening proceedings on the first night. With the classic lineup in place, an effusive two-part set will span new and old material.

Haydays, running alongside the main event and covering the May half-term, allow schoolkids to get involved and inspired by literature. The aforementioned Jacqueline Wilson and Julia Donaldson form part of the Haydays programme, but there’s also events focused around how to become a ‘Fake News Detective’ (surely something that some parents could do with too…) and workshops on skills as varied as cookery, radio production and food foraging.

The Hay Festival is about celebrating our culture and recognising the voices that shaped the way we think. If you are looking to educate yourself on topics you may know nothing about, hearing from inspiring speakers, or are just looking to have a good weekend away, there are few more pleasant places than Hay. Various venues, Hay-On-Wye, Thurs 23 May-Sun 2 June.

Tickets: £5-£40 (depending on event). Info: www.hayfestival.com



‘ROYAL STORY IS A FEAST OF BRILLIANCE’

newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8889

21 — 25 May • Mai

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SOFIE HAGEN Making her name with a personal, often confessional, but never less than hilarious brand of comedy, Sofie Hagen has become one of Britain’s (and her native Denmark’s) finest standups. She tells Fedor Tot more.

You’re currently doing both a tour of your show Bubblewrap from a few years ago, as well as reading from your book. Is it because the themes of both are well-suited together?

The theme of Bubblewrap is basically how I learned how to love my body – but it’s told through stories about boybands and kinky sex. The book is about fatness, and my fatness, in general. Bubblewrap sort of marks the beginning of my ‘journey’ and the book is a summary of it. I’m very excited to see how they work together.

At what point did you go from just occasionally doing stand-up to realising “oh! I can do this!”?

I never occasionally did stand-up. From the moment I started, and actually from two months before I started, I went to see comedy every single night. If I didn’t have a gig, I would still go, in case they suddenly needed a comedian. I would ask for just five minutes. If they said no, I’d ask for four minutes. Then three. It’s very hard to justify why you don’t have two minutes for a young comedian wanting to be on stage. But I didn’t realise I could do it till a few years in. I remember calling my best friend saying, ‘I think… I think maybe I’m good at this,’ and it was a very big moment.

Your comedy is often quite personal – do you think it’s cathartic or therapeutic to write about issues you’re going through or have been through?

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It is, yes. But to perform them before you’ve actually gone through them, I don’t have the best experience with. I need to be well over on the other side of my trauma and my issues before I can really make it funny. I’ve tried talking about a break-up I was in the middle of on stage and it was just… sad. The reason Bubblewrap is such a funny show is because I’ve dealt with all of those issues. I’m happy now.

Are there any elements you think are absolute no-go zones for a comedy show? Or is there no limit – can anything be made funny given the right approach?

Comedy is a skill, a technique. It’s about words and timing and tone. So you can, in theory, make anything funny. Topics in themselves aren’t funny; it’s how to shape comedy from them. But that doesn’t mean you should do it. I just want my comedy to never hurt or harm a marginalised or oppressed group. I’m fine with kicking upwards – kicking the system, the patriarchy, white supremacy and all that.

But I wouldn’t do a joke at the expense of people who are already battling the entire system themselves.

You also talk a lot about mental health in your shows. Comedy can sometimes be a lonely place, especially for example on the road home after a bad gig – how do you build up a response to that?

Therapy and community. This industry is hard. It’s really hard. It’s important to have people around you

who have had the same experiences. I’m not saying I know exactly how to handle it in a healthy and adult way. I’m more the type to loudly proclaim that I’ll never ever do a gig in Maidenhead again after what they did to me.

I realise it’s a cliché that all Scandinavians speak good English, but how does writing in what is presumably your second language work for you? Does it require a different mode of thinking or conceptualising of what works, comedically?

I have a friend that I run everything by. He went to Cambridge and likes to mention it, so I fully take advantage of that. Five times a day I will ask him “is it forest or forrest”, “what do you call those thingies you use on a pan” or “why is the ‘n’ in environment silent” and he patiently answers me each time.

What are your plans for Edinburgh this year?

I will be doing my new show, The Bumswing every day at 7pm at the Queen Dome. I’m really, really excited. It’s about memory and sex holidays.

Sofie Hagen, Bubblewrap / Happy Fat, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 26 Apr. Tickets: £15. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

WORLD PREMIERE PERFFORMIAD CYNTAF ERIOED

LOSE YOURSELF 10 – 25 May / Mai

By / Gan Katherine Chandler Director / Cyfarwyddwr Patricia Logue Designer / Cynllunydd Carla Goodman A wild and tragic ride into the darker side of our celebrity obsessed culture.

Taith wyllt a thrasig i ochr dywyll ein diwylliant sydd wedi’i ganoli o amgylch enwogion.

SHERMANTHEATRE.CO.UK 029 2064 6900 Sherman Cymru Productions Ltd | Registered Charity Number / Rhif Elusen Cofrestredig 1118364

by Keiron Self

ALADDIN ***

Dir: Guy Ritchie (12A, 120 mins) A whole new world? Not really; more a case of Disney shamelessly remaking its back catalogue with less wit. After the poor pachyderm antics of Dumbo via Tim Burton, the sly subversion of corporate Disney aside, we now get geezer Guy Ritchie in the director’s chair and a blue, pantoworthy Will Smith. The original animated classic came out in 1992 and proved a showstopper for Robin Williams’ improvisational skills as the genie of the lamp, his voice perfectly fitting the cartoon. Those are very big pointy shoes to fill and, with the trailer featuring shot-for-shot nods to the original, creative hopes are not high for this retread. Mena Massoud is the parkour Aladdin and Naomi Scott the slightly feisty Princess Jasmine, with whom the street urchin falls in love. Marwan Kazri is the corrupt Grand Vizier Jafar who entrusts Aladdin to get the magic lamp to bring him untold power, only for the magic carpetflying wastrel to pretend to be a prince and try to win Jasmine’s hand for himself.

Too much CGI will proliferate and the songs will be odd. Anyone who has seen the original will query the Disney strategy on this and the plethora of recent remakes that seem rather inert by comparison with their cartoon forbears. Did this lamp really need another rub? Opens May 22

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE *** Dir: Joe Berlinger (18, 108 mins)

The life and hideous crimes of notorious 1970s serial killer Ted Bundy gets another airing in this film from documentarian Joe Berlinger, also responsible for recent Netflix documentary Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. This time, Berlinger looks at Bundy from the perspective of long-time girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins). Zac Efron, determined to throw off his torso-bearing High School Musical shackles, throws his all into the apparently charming Bundy.

Details of his activities are mostly kept hidden as Kloepfer drinks and frets, choosing to believe charming lies about cover-ups and framing rather than the harsh truth. Berlinger takes a rather inert approach in a bid to show how we, along with Kloepfer, could have been kept in the dark, allowing scarce glimpses into Bundy himself or any real examination of the reasons behind the mutilation of over 30 women. Opens May 3

LONG SHOT ****

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS ****

Dir: Michael Dougherty (12A, 140 mins) Following Gareth Edwards’ occasionally excellent first bash at the re-invented Japanese kaiju, Godzilla returns to do battle with various monster nemeses as the survival of humanity hangs in the balance. The Titans, an ancient race of creatures who walked the earth for millennia, have lain dormant but now have been found by Monarch, a crypto-zoological agency. Godzilla was their first find, but now they have to deal with Rodan, a fire bird; Mothra, a big moth no rolled-up newspaper could dispatch; and the scary three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. Amidst the fantastical VFX and city-leveling destruction are a family comprising of Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things and her mum (Vera Famiga) and dad (Kyle Chandler). The estranged parents are scientists trying to deal with the beasts that walk amongst us whilst other nefarious humans try to harness the monsters’ might for military ends. There’s an ecological thrust to the proceedings, with the Earth in danger.

The scientists believe that the Titans hold the key, but they may end up destroying everything in the process. Blue fire is exhaled, skyscrapers demolished and the movie Monsterverse expanded, following on from Kong: Skull Island. Another sequel, Kong Vs Godzilla is already underway. Blockbuster behemoth battles await. Opens May 31

Dir: Jonathan Levine (15, 125 mins) Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron play an unlikely power couple in this romantic comedy that drops political, satirical and feminist points. Rogen is Fred Flarsky, a maverick liberal journalist. Charlize Theron is Charlotte Field, American Secretary Of State, trying to shepherd her ex-TV-star President (Bob Odenkirk) who is running on empty despite projecting elegance and calm. In this case, Theron was also Rogen’s babysitter over 20 years ago. Meeting again at a Boyz II Men concert, she’s impressed by Rogen, employing him as a speechwriter as she makes a Presidential bid, and they find themselves falling for each other. There are some barely hidden barbs at political figures – Odenkirk’s clueless Trump-alike, Andy Serkis’ Rupert Murdoch-esque mogul and a version of Justin Trudeau played by a game Alexander Skarsgård – which work well throughout.

Laugh-out-loud funny and with a heart, this manages to work as both commentary and romcom. Opens May 3

THE CURSE OF LA LLARONA **

Dir: Michael Chaves (15, 93 mins) Another in the ever-growing universe around horror hit The Conjuring, this 70s-set jump-scare heavy horror adds an old Mexican legend to the mix. The legend in question is that of 17th century Weeping Woman La Llorona, who drowned her children in a rage after discovering her husband’s infidelity. Now she walks the Earth looking to do the same to more kids, as you do. On the receiving end is Patricia Velasquez, playing a mother who has kept her children locked in a closet in her apartment to protect them from evil. Once social worker Linda Cardellini takes them away from her, placing them in foster care, Velasquez’s children are found dead in a reservoir. In a fit of vengeance, Velasquez now wants the Weeping Woman to kill the social worker’s children, and guess what? Her house has a big swimming pool. It’s a formulaic shocker, with lots of ‘behind you!’ moments, slamming doors and spooky faces; will please those who like their horror schlocky. Opens May 3

ALSO RELEASED MAY 2019: DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) Ryan Reynolds voices the yellow Pokémon in a noir take on the cuddly monsters that may or may not work. A DOG’S JOURNEY (PG) A dog finds meaning to canine life in this odd family film. THE CORRUPTED (15) Ex-con Sam Claflin tries to go straight in the shadow of the 2012 Olympics in this crime thriller. Lots of cockernee accents. AMAZING GRACE (PG) Uplifting documentary about Aretha Franklin. ARCTIC (12A) Mads Mikelssen vs the elements in this snowy survivalist thriller. DESTINATION WEDDING (15) Keanu Reeves reteams with Winona Ryder in this so-so romcom. HIGH LIFE (18) Unsettlingly arty and sexy BUZZ 32

JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM ***

Dir: Chad Stahelski (15, 91 mins) Keanu Reeves’ unstoppable assassin returns in a third slice of B-movie action with extra star wattage and body count. Wick now has a $14 million price tag on his head after his previous antics make him a target for every hitman and hitwoman from around the globe. He’s also killed a high-ranking member of the Assassin’s Guild, making him persona non grata and potentially bereft of any help – though of course, that’s not entirely true as Ian McSianhane’s Winston and Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King return to aid the grizzled action hero on his way. Joining the cast are Halle Berry as one of Wick’s old associates Sofia, with trained German Shepherds biting for her on command and Anjelica Houston as the mysterious Director of the High Table. All that really matters is the hyperkinetic stylized violence, as over the top and unnecessary as ever. Wick kills people whilst on horseback, has a swordfight on motorcycles (lifted from South Korean flick The Villainess) and stabs and headshots his way blithely through an army of willing stuntmen. The violence is all there is to it and although well-staged it is a little quease-inducing in its glamourisation. More of the shooty same, if you want it. Opens May 17

TOLKIEN ***

Dir: Dome Karukoski (12A, 122 mins) The man behind The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit gets his own movie, though not a trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, in this biopic about J.R.R. Tolkien’s formative years. An impoverished childhood as an orphan, university days at Oxford and the horrors of World War I all shape the Middle Earth creator’s outlook on life. Harry Gilby plays the young Tolkien, creating fellowships with his fellow friends, escaping into his imagination. Nicolas Hoult then takes up the mantle as the student at Oxford, expanding his horizons with a love of made-up languages and literature, before the horrors of conflict add darker depths. Hoult is solid as the author, Lily Collins equally so as Edith, the woman with whom he falls in love with at his boarding house.

There are cameos from Derek Jacobi as a supportive tutor and dragons imagined on the battlefields. It’s well-executed, if ultimately a little slight; perhaps his creativity does need a trilogy? Opens May 3

VOX LUX ****

ROCKETMAN ***

Dir: Dexter Fletcher (15, 120 mins) After the rip-roaring commercial – if not critical – success of Bohemian Rhapsody comes another biopic of a gay musical icon. This time, Dexter Fletcher gets to direct the whole film rather than step in at the last minute to replace Bryan Singer. A more fantastical take on Elton John the entertainer than the nuts-and-bolts blandness of Freddie Mercury’s somewhat white-washed celluloid life, this has Taron Egerton on ivory-tinkling impression duties, in a potted version of Elton’s transformation from chubby, bespectacled Reginald Dwight to flamboyant superstar. Jamie Bell plays John’s longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, while The Bodyguard’s Richard Madden plays John Reid, his manager and first male lover. Bryce Dallas Howard polishes her English accent as John’s mum Sheila Eileen, amidst cameos from Stephen Graham, Harriet Walter and Steven Mackintosh. The music is central, of course, with huge dance numbers peppering the film along with concert footage.

Written by Lee Hall, who also wrote Billy Eliot, there’s a lot of wish fulfillment; darker aspects of John’s life are examined but this an unashamedly sparkly portrait of the boy from Pinner. Tiny Dancer, Candle In The Wind and, natch, Rocketman are among the songs destined to be trotted out for the audience. Opens May 24

Dir: Brady Corbet (15, 115 mins) Natalie Portman shines in this arthouse drama as Celeste, a woman whose fame has come at a cost. As a 13-year-old, Celeste gets caught up in a Columbineesque school massacre; in a bid to cope with its aftermath she sings a song written by her sister, which goes viral. Scooped up by slimy manager Jude Law, she becomes a pop success, but 17 years later she’s an alcoholic diva full of venom. Lashing out at everyone around her whilst being a terrible mother to her daughter Albertine – played by Raffey Cassidy, who doubles as Portman’s teen self – Portman chews the scenery as the ex-megastar staging a comeback when another atrocity similar to the one that birthed her fame occurs. Director Corbet captures the toxicity of fame and the shallowness of pop as Portman electro-divas through Sia-penned songs. Vox Lux is anchored by Portman’s performance and insights into popular culture. Opens May 3

THUNDER ROAD ****

Dir: Jim Cummings (15, 92 mins) A brilliantly observed character study of the lost American male, expanded from writer/director Cummings’ award-winning short. Thunder Road opens on an unbroken 10-minute take of a eulogy given by mustachioed policeman Jim Arnaud (Cummings) at his mother’s funeral. It manages to swing between narcissism, deep grief and a version of Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road on a children’s keyboard. Arnaud is a man in the midst of a messy and costly divorce with his wife (Jocelyn Deboer) and partial custody of his daughter (Kendall Farr): flummoxed at what the world demands of him and is unable to admit that things are not fine. It’s a great performance from Cummings that infuriates and moves in equal measure. An intelligent, detailed glimpse at a great swathe of confused masculinity, the men-children of the world who repudiate their roles in their own destinies. Opens May 31

sci-fi with Juliette Binoche and Robert Pattinson. MADELINE’S MADELINE (15) Very off-kilter and disturbing character study of a theatre piece that gets out of hand. Not much like this around. THE HUSTLE (12A) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels remade with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson as mis-matched con artists. THE INTRUDER (15) Dennis Quaid goes all creepy as a man too attached to his house when a new couple move in. Obviously, he’s a nutcase. WHERE HANDS TOUCH (15) Amma Assante follows Belle and A United Kingdom with another intriguing look at race, following a mixed-race girl in Germany during World War II. Engrossing.

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art

DAVID NASH: SCULPTURE THROUGH THE SEASONS

National Museum Cardiff Fri 3 May-Sun 1 Sept David Nash is an artist internationally renowned for his dramatic wood sculptures.

The artist, who lives and works in a former Methodist chapel in Blaenau Ffestinog, has works dating from the late 1960s to the present day. Nowadays a member of the Royal Academy, Nash’s first solo exhibitions were in 1973 in York and Bangor in North Wales, with that decade and it’s premonitions of environmental doom proving crucial to Nash’s work.

There are two recurrent modes of work for Nash; connecting with the outside world, where his pieces are placed into the landscape itself, and pieces which are presented indoors in relation to their architectural environments, as if entwining with space around them. His exhibition marks the fiftieth anniversary of the artist and his work.

This recent exhibition includes a photography collection of David Nash’s Ash Dome.

This piece was created in 1977 by planting a circle of trees near his home – the piece is still live, in a way, as the trees continue to grow, curving and following the seasons, with Nash ‘training’ them to grow in a circular, spiral-type vortex. David Nash’s creative style gives his work a sensory feel to it; you almost want to reach out and touch it, particularly as its firmly rooted in a fascination with the natural world; working in his youth with the Commercial Forestry Group he became smitten with trees. Much of his work stays within the natural landscape once he’s finished with it, giving a sense of permanence to his art. Yet there’s also something relatable about Nash’s work; it doesn’t desire explanations, but instead requires a physical experience, an essential part of its appeal.

The exhibition will be in Cardiff for four months before moving on to Eastbourne and is supported by both Colwinston Charitable Trust and Henry Moore Foundation. Sculpture Through the Seasons is set to be intriguing, exciting and sensory, a one of-a-kind experience. MELISSA COMPTON Admission: free. Info: 0300 1112333 / www.museum.wales/cardiff

Jessica Warboys - Hill of Dreams

FOREST + FOUND: WALKING THE LINE

Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen Sat 11 May-Sat 6 July Forest + Found are a collaborative duo of London-born artists, Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth, whose latest exhibit Walking The Line is coming to Carmarthen this month. Forest + Found came to being in 2015 to create a shared collaborative space to explore their differing techniques. Both artists take their inspiration from the natural world, and together they combine the ideas of contemporary art and traditional crafting techniques. Their work includes wooden sculptures, bowls, jars, and dyed material wall hangings.

Walking The Line is their biggest collection of work shown to date, previously exhibited at the Ruthin Craft Centre last year. Booth focuses on textiles, quilting and painting, taking inspiration from landscapes; Bainbridge creates sculptures out of wood and explores the tangible presence of physical art. A deep connection with the natural world is clear here – presented together, their work has a strong grounding in nature, far removed from bright and urbane modes of contemporary art, with an emphasis on minimalism and simplicity.

Admission: free. Info: 01267 222775 / www.orielmyrddingallery.co.uk (TW)

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PEMBROKESHIRE AN INSPIRATION

Oriel Joanna Field, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Mon 6-Fri 31 May An exciting new collaboration between a group of like-minded Pembrokeshire artists, including the excellent Hazel Morris, Pembrokeshire, An Inspiration looks set to be an exhibition worth visiting.

Taking place at the Torch Theatre, the exhibition hopes to celebrate the wealth of local artistic talent in Pembrokeshire as well as it the beauty of the local landscape through an eclectic mix of 2D artwork and photography. Specific details about the exhibition are currently thin on the ground – it has not been confirmed whose will be accompanying that of Hazel Morris. However, given that Pembrokeshire is one of the most aesthetically pleasing areas in Wales, this is guaranteed to be a treat for the eyes and a balm for the mind.

Pembrokeshire has a growing reputation for local art, partly thanks to galleries including Glan-Yr-Afon/Riverside in Haverfordwest and Oriel Y Parc in St. Davids, but also thanks to a flourishing art scene. There are a lot of great artists emerging from the area and some especially exciting things going on there.

Pembrokeshire An Inspiration should stand as a testament to this creativity.

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

RUMBLESTRIP

G39, Cardiff Sat 4 May-Sat 13 July You’ll find a rumblestrip on the edge of a motorway road, for the purpose of awakening drowsy or absentminded motorists from drifting to the hard shoulder. The wheel rolls over the strip and a thunderous rumble shocks the driver back to reality, preventing a crash. Rumblestrip is a collaborative exhibition by six contemporary artists – Jessica Warboys, Nooshin Farhid, James Moore, Paula Morison, Paul Eastwood and Emanuel Almborg – who aim to present pieces that work with that sense of sudden interruption.

Almborg documents a youth theatre group, who’ve been aiming to link the 19th century Rebecca Riots (where farmers in Wales protested against unfair taxations) to the 2011 London riots, with a focus on time, revolt and repression. Elsewhere, Nooshin Farhid presents a video piece following the journey of a bullet through the street – a simulation caught between the past and the present, searching for an impact.

Another highlight will likely be Paul Eastwood’s work. The Wrexham-born artist recently came out of a successful first solo exhibition at Chapter, and uses a mixture of media to investigate how art frames the way we tell stories socially.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2047 3633 / www.g39.org (TW)

RUTH SINGER: TEXTILE TRACES

Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran Sat 25 May-Thurs 20 July Ruth Singer is a textile artist creating detailed and intriguing textile artworks.

She uses natural and vintage textiles combined with hand-stitching and fabric manipulation to create her detailed surface texture. Above all, Singer is a storyteller; through her work she brings life to her own personal experiences as well as those experiences of the community around her, aiming to transmit these experiences into physical fabric. One particularly unique project of hers is the Criminal Quilts project, which aimed to create work inspired by photos of women who spent time in Stafford prison at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Textile Traces uses personal and emotive objects from everyday life, and highlights the traces they leave behind. It combines Singer’s previous work exploring human experience with thoughtful and emotional textile making. Her delicate work references loss, memory, fragility and damage displayed by both the physical cloth and the lives of the viewers. The processes used to make these pieces honour the invisible traces of textile inheritance her grandmother left her, making this work personal yet relatable.

Admission: free. Info: 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk (LW)

PRESENTS

PONTY’S BIG WEEKEND SATURDAY 17 AUGUST 2019 YNYSANGHARAD WAR MEMORIAL PARK, PONTYPRIDD

the bluetones

glc

legends The Pitchforks 18 – 24 May 2019

Exciting new music by the composers of today BBC NOW play Steve Reich 18 May | Wales Millennium Centre Sandbox Percussion 21 May | St David’s Hall

Al Moses Young Garbo

valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk valeofglamorganfestival vogmusicfest

TICKETMASTER.CO.UK | 0800 988 4440 COLISEUM THEATRE ABERDARE PARC & DARE THEATRE, TREORCHY

stage

LOSE YOURSELF

Pic: Sian Trenberth

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Fri 10-Sat 25 May The latest work from Katherine Chandler, the Sherman Theatre’s current playwright-in-residence, tells the story of a transformative day for three characters from three different perspectives. As with most of Chandler’s previous work, we can expect Lose Yourself to be a harsh commentary on the world around us. The main characters, Nate, Josh and Yaz, are played by Aaron Anthony, Tim Preston and Gabrielle Creevy respectively, all making their Sherman debuts in what’s expected to be an uncompromising and direct production about how three young friends discover the dark side of our celebrity-obsessed culture in the midst of a heavy night out.

Chandler won the inaugural Wales Drama Award, commissioned by the BBC and National Theatre Wales, with her most recent play, Thick As Thieves receiving critical acclaim at national level. Another of her productions, Peggy’s Song, is due to go on tour later this year with the NTW. Lose Yourself is directed by Patricia Logue, completing an all-female creative team.

Of the actors, Aaron Anthony – veteran footballer Nate, winding down his playing days – is best known for playing Adam in seasons one and two of Sky’s Delicious.

Tim Preston, playing the role of young soccer star Josh, is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama and has performed in the Sherman/RWCMD coproduction of All That I Am, with his most recent appearance as Martin Clunes’ son in BBC1 sitcom Warren. Gabrielle Creevy, also making her stage debut here as the carefree Yaz, has previously been seen on TV in Casualty and on the BBC Three pilot In My Skin.

Lose Yourself is a relevant story, built for the right-now, filled with humour and dark truths. This threesome of outstanding actors are set to make this a production to be remembered, but be warned: distract yourself all you want, but when things get out of control, there are consequences to pay… LAURA WOOD Tickets: £15-£18. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

ROMEO AND JULIET

Various venues Thurs 30 May-Wed 26 June An upcoming production of Romeo And Juliet, presented by Ballet Cymru, will tour Wales in May and June, as part of a wide-ranging UK tour. Some shows are easier to sell than others, and this one sells itself: a revival of what the Theatre Critics Of Wales Awards awarded Best Large Scale Dance Production in 2014.

Audiences can expect a visual treat, including striking video projections, and exquisite costumes courtesy of the renowned George Meyer-Wiel, who trained at The Royal College of Art. Like all ballets, the aesthetic appeal of the production might draw people in, but it will be the dancing that keeps them glued to their seats. The show’s choreography has been arranged through a collaboration of Darius James OBE, Amy Doughty and the Dancers Of The Company, so audiences can expect some dazzling physical displays that will reflect the drama and passion of the source material.

Romeo And Juliet will be appearing at Newport’s Riverfront (Thurs 30 and Fri 31 May), Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon (Thurs 6 June), Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl (Thurs 13 June) and the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven (Wed 26 June).

Tickets: £10-£15.

Info: www.welshballet.co.uk (JR)

BUZZ 36

ORLANDO

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon Thurs 23 May “Who is she? Who is he? Who are we?” asks the teasing line of Dyad Productions’ adaptation of Orlando – a play, based on Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel, that explores romance, gender and adventure. A tale that crosses gender and time as the plot saunters from the 1600s to present day following its immortal title character, who climbs the social ladder in 16th century London and becomes renowned for his debauchery.

After a trip to Constantinople and a fateful night with a gypsy, he sleeps for a week and wakes as a woman. Orlando’s bold character reacts to the confines and expectations of women, from Victorian London until the present day, switching between gender roles. Directed by Elton Townend Jones and starring Rebecca Vaughan in the eponymous role, the play explores what it is like to stay true to yourself while finding where you fit in.

Woolf’s novel is considered a feminist classic and early exploration of genderfluidity, one adapted into a film directed by Sally Potter and starring a then-upcoming Tilda Swinton. Dyad, meanwhile, are known for productions including The Time Machine, Dalloway and The Unremarkable Death Of Marilyn Monroe.

Tickets: £12. Info: 01874 611622 / www.brycheiniog.co.uk (TW)

ROBINSON: THE OTHER ISLAND

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Thurs 9-Sat 18 May Marking 300 years since Daniel Defoe first published Robinson Crusoe, the first ever English-language novel, a new production will be reapproaching the classic work from a different angle, turning it into an examination of loneliness. A topic ever-relevant in the age of social media and the internet, both of which are meant to bring us closer together but often seem to push us further apart.

This is the latest project from Give It A Name, a group of artistic collaborators formed in Cardiff. The premise sounds very promising, showing the creative clout the group are known for. “part stage show, part radio play, part ASMR experience”, GIAN say.

The story follows a young woman, Bianca, who is “shipwrecked by the modern world”, and finds solace in reading and routine. It works well as metaphor of a disconnected society and poses the question: how would we cope without the comfort of our modern playthings? Would a millennial incarnation of Robinson Crusoe be able to stay sane on an island disconnected from the world? Books, in particular, help Bianca to keep the horror of reality away. Sure to be an idea that resonates with a lot of people.

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

SILENT LINES

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli Sat 11 May A key figure on Britain’s modern dance circuit, Russell Maliphant is bringing his latest artistic endeavour to Llanelli as part of a UK tour. Silent Lines showcases an explorative and investigative approach to dance through the anatomy aided by body movement, animated video projection, and Maliphant’s firm favourite, lighting. He’s been heading his own two-time Olivier award-winning dance company since its conception in 1996.

The inspiration behind the piece derives from Maliphant’s interest in anatomy and the core tissue of our bodies. Now 57 and still dancing, there’s perhaps even a sense that the numerous knee surgeries he’s had over the years has altered his dancing and pushed forth an interest into the internal workings of the body and how our inner structures connect. Working alongside video artist Panagiotis Tomaras to create visual projections, whose moving images are reflected onto the body to provide a drawn element, to explore what’s inside of us. Together they have created a unique body of work with the help of Michael Hulls, a long-time collaborative partner of Maliphant, to direct lighting to bring the vision to life.

Tickets: £14/£12. Info: 0345 2263510 / www.theatrausirgar.co.uk (SB)

clubs

ELECTRIC SOUP #10

Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff Sat 8 June Electric Soup is a semi-regular night usually held at M.A.D.E., an art gallery and shop in Roath, Cardiff.

Its approximate remit is to showcase electronic music, or music with some demonstrable electronic element, in the form of live sets; having done this nine times in the last couple of years, they’re marking a minor milestone by taking #10 to a larger room a mile or so away.

The biggest Electric Soup lineup to date is typically eclectic. Headliner Kayla Painter [pictured]covers a fair bit of ground herself: the Bristol producer typically wanders between glitchy IDM, wispy folktronica and chunkier, dubsteppier jams. She played Cardiff twice last year and went down a treat both times. Private World are the most ‘rock’ entity on the bill, but their dreampop-via-Roxy Music style is built to a large extent around gauzy, impressionistic keyboards. Jaxson Payne, meanwhile, is a sight to behold, playing triggered MIDI drums which produce ravey results. Bristol’s Tara Clerkin Trio offer looped-up ambient jazz; Lecu, a Cardiff resident, is somewhere between 90s melodic techno and DIY synthpop and Massa Circles drone lushly on analogue synths.

Admission: £15/£10 adv.

Info: 029 2047 3373 / www.cardiffmade.com (NG) BUZZ 38

BALTER FESTIVAL

Chepstow Racecourse Fri 31 May-Sun 2 June Balter is something else. If festivals are where the normals go to cut loose, Balter is where the loose go to get lairy; the tents pulling up on the border every summer like a raver’s carnival, each pointing their subwoofers at the other.

Far smaller than fellow harem-trouser haunt Boomtown, Balter pounce straight for the hard and the underground when drawing up their line-up posters. Those colourful tents (10 stages this year) cover the spectrum of bassline, tekno, drum‘n’bass, 4/4, dub, and gypsy ska-punk in a precision strike on bringing the essentials at the heart of mixing together a hard skank. There’s two kinds of people wandering around at Balter – the kind that know exactly where they’re going to be on the site minute-by-minute at the time of writing, on the day clutching their circled programmes as they stomp around in front of the speakers; the other type stumbles through the staging area ears-first, cutting desire-paths to what sounds good.

The organisers pride themselves on the slog of tuning their roster with the cream of the underground. Henge are back again, with a higher place on the poster this time, alongside Dub Phizix & Strategy, The Mouse Outfit, Black Sun Empire, Chester P, and a cascade of the almost unheard-of that drag in the ‘almost’ crowd from the world over for some seriously hard nights. Not to give the impression that It’s not all in the name of a bit of fun: if the weekend had a mission, it would be silliness at no matter the cost, and the Balter community is happy to oblige.

The weekend is known for its cheeky sideshow quirks and spontaneous pop-up happenings that are often courtesy of the frenetic, friendly weirdos the fest attracts, bringing an untamed free party energy from home to outdo the neighbours and then take it back again with them on the Monday. They give the whole thing a kind of party-out-of-bounds touch. Balter is funny and strung-out and a little bit mental, and seeks like-minded souls for a bit of a goer. JASON MACHLAB Tickets: £100-£130. Info: www.balterfestival.com

INSIDE OUT FESTIVAL

Bute Park, Cardiff Fri 31 May + Sat 1 June Visitors to Cardiff’s most central park are usually rewarded with visions of feeding birds and picnicking in the sunshine. For the fourth year in a row, though, they will need to leave behind the frisbees and blankets for one weekend, as it’s the Inside Out Festival.

This year, it’s kicking off at the dawn of summer – rather than at its end, as in previous years – and with what looks like a more stacked lineup to boot.

Friday headliners feature grime lord of the 0161, Bugzy Malone [pictured], alongside dual-headliner Not3s bringing his own burgeoning Afroswing/bashment to the forefront – with the originator of the Dutty Rock, Sean Paul, appearing as a special guest.

Saturday offers more dance and electronica than Friday, with My Nu Leng and one of the longest proprietors of UK garage in the scene, DJ EZ. There seems to be something of a divide in sound, albeit slightly blurred, between electronic vibes with house and garage and then grime, rap and Afrobeats artists. Although there doesn’t seem to be too much diversity of genre in the lineup, this could be made up for by the street food vendors, funfair and gin bar.

Tickets: £66/£46.75 per day/£96.25 VIP/£159.50 VVIP. Info: www.insideoutcardiff.co.uk (CP)

MARGARET DYGAS

Delete @ Jacobs Market, Cardiff Sun 26 May It’s that time of year when Delete Cardiffian party throwers, nine years old this month - start getting DJs of renown to come and play records in car parks. Previously, this would have usually been the one behind Gwdihw, but the taking away of one nice thing is not insurmountable thanks to Jacobs Market, which in addition to its stalls selling taxidermy and war memorabilia has a big basement and a space round the back perfect for erecting a rave marquee.

Margaret Dygas, a Polish DJ who made her name in London before moving to - do I even need to say it? - Berlin 12 years ago, headlines Delete’s ninth birthday party. Lauded, and globally demanded, for over a decade now, Dygas’ sets typically join dots between minimal techno, classic deep house and dubbed-out experimentation. It’s a blend that feels most suited to the middle of the night, really, so it’ll be interesting to see if she gets a bit more upfront with her reflections in acknowledgement of this being a daytime party, shutting off at 10.30pm. And if your bodyclock has an issue with early finishes, you can pay £5 more and go down to the previously mentioned basement until 4am.

Tickets: £18/£23 inc afterparty.

Info: 029 2039 0939 / facebook.com/ deletecardiff (NG)

ROUGH & TUMBLE

Various venues, Aberystwyth Fri 10 May This looks like a more or less unique event for Aberystwyth, and a fairly original partying concept in general.

I mean, it’s a Friday night pub crawl in essence, so not when you put it like that, but Roughion – Gwion James and Steffan Woodruff, based in Aberystwyth – have pulled out many stops for this night, booking various fun acts into six pubs and clubs.

Rough & Tumble starts at 6pm, and with a peaktime ‘tude, as newish techno promoters Ymuno host a room in Cal’s Kitchen, a cafe normally specialising in fryups. Bar 46, one of the best smallscale places in town for rave jollies, has a crop of DJs from 10pm until late, with the big name being Cardiff’s Bodhi. A briskly-hyped name near the start of the decade, thanks to bootleg edits and original productions in a gospel-flecked deep house style, Bodhi has been lying low for the last two years, but this appearance and others might signal a resurgence.

Roughion themselves feature at another local clubby den, The Angel Inn, cranking out their multi-styled electronica alongside another large booking, drum’n’bass remix dons Phibes, plus lairy bassman local Paranoize.

Tickets: £20 (price includes tote bag and T-shirt). Info facebook.com/ roughion (NG)

17th May

The Allergies (Feat Andy Cooper)

SIN CITY 24th April

10th May

Bilk

w/Motel Thieves & Taxi Rank

£5.00 || Doors 7pm

24th April - 7pm 3rd May - 10pm 4th May - 7pm 10th May - 7pm 10th May - 10pm 17th May - 7.30pm 22nd May - 7pm 1st June - 10pm 7th June - 10pm 15th June - 10pm 25th July - 7pm 27th July - 10pm

£10.00 Doors: 7.30pm

Kyle Falconer (The View)

£15.00 || Doors 7pm

22nd May

Bullets & Octane w/ Pearler £8.00 || Doors 7pm

Bilk w/ Motel Thieves & Taxi Rank £5.00 || 16+ From £6.00 || 18+ Outlook Festival - Serum £12.00 || 16+ Bruce Springsteen Tribute Kyle Falconer w/ Pastel & Samuel Owens £15.00 || 16+ From £5.00 || 18+ Abba - Disco Wonderland The Allergies (Feat Andy Cooper) £10.00 || 16+ £8.00 || 16+ Bullets & Octane w/ Pearler From £10.00 || 18+ Andy C £10.00 || 18+ Dazed - King of The Rollers From £10.00 || 18+ Heft - DJ Hazard £17.00 || 16+ The Hot 8 Brass band £10.00 || 18+ Pete Tong - Official Afterparty *Terms & Conditions may apply

live

OMAR SOULEYMAN

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Sat 11 May This is the first ever appearance in Wales by middle-aged, tab-puffing Syrian party rocker Omar Souleyman, and it feels long overdue, but these things are all relative. He’s only really been someone who embarked on UK tours worthy of the name for a few years; only been invited to perform in Britain since 2011, when his brand of quavering, sometimes warp-speed electronic pop balladry lit up Glastonbury and All Tomorrow’s Parties.

He’s only been known outside of his home country, to which he’s been unable to return for several years due to civil war, since tireless ethnographic label Sublime Frequencies compiled some of his huge arsenal of songs in the mid-00s. His performing career dates back another decade or so again, and what a career it’s been. Before Wenu Wenu, Souleyman’s 2013 album, his output was music for wedding parties: an economical setup, needing just vocals, keyboard and backing track, it’s fiendishly addictive chantalong fare.

Not only is it obvious why he was so in demand for nuptials, dance music latching onto him is no surprise either – his last two albums were released on Modeselektor’s Monkeytown and Diplo’s Mad Decent.

Tickets: £18. Info: 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net (NG) BUZZ 40

CARDIFF PSYCH & NOISE FEST

Womanby Street, Cardiff Fri 24-Sun 26 May Kind of sneaking up on us this May bank holiday is the Psych & Noise Fest: 60+ acts funnelling down Cardiff’s Womanby Street and into Clwb Ifor Bach, The Moon and Tiny Rebel. In the past, the fest has been a lovely opportunity to dredge up as much alternative and cart it into town as can be, with enough unknowns about for each band to be potentially Psychy-er and Noisier than the next.

You’ll appreciate the type: somewhere at the intersection of heavy and indie, and with all the shades in between. Big kickdrum sounds, free distorted guitar sections, and syrupy synth sounds are the house specials. The event has been known to unearth some leftfield screamers before, and always come with at least a few familiar names attached for those looking for guarantees in their ticket prices.

For nervous nellies, the festival opens on Fri 24 with a free welcome party in The Moon for subtle reconnaissance.

For others though, the intimidating act list is a chance to update some of their stagnant playlists. Teeth Of The Sea swerve wildly between glitch-tech and Swans territory, Bruxa Maria take the term ‘hardcore punk’ as some sort of personal challenge, Coventry-based artist Vieon channels Giorgio Moroder with some postrock edges, and Haiku Salut make nice twinkly ambient-techy songs. Take your musical shopping trolley out, listen to something loud and encouraging, and get an idea of whether the experimental have discovered anything yet.

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard [pictured] will be one to make sure you catch if you’re about; a Wrexham-raised doom band who went so much further than their piss-take name would imply with their latest album, Yn Ôl I Annwn. Jessica Ball’s soft shoegaze vocals sift through big, chugging guitar and drums for perhaps the most striking sound in Welsh metal in recent years, and the new album complicates things further by being a minty-fresh retelling of all your favourite doom metal tropes, and something entirely different all at once. JASON MACHLAB Tickets: £15-£26. Info: www.themooncardiff.com/psych

QUEENS OF REGGAE

Los Amigos, Newport Sat 8 June Event organiser Reggae In Motion brings Queens Of Reggae to Newport for a night of feelgood, hip-swaying Jamaican music. Los Amigos, Stow Hill’s hidden gem (which you’ll find through the gated archway) plays host to two of the biggest and most enduring singers on the reggae scene.

Janet Kay has performed consistently for over five decades and her hit Silly Games is as popular today as it was in 1979. Carroll Thompson [pictured] is a veteran of lover’s rock whose solo singles I’m So Sorry and Simply In Love topped the charts in the 1980S; she also sang lead vocals on jazz-funk combo Floy Joy’s album Into The Hot and 2019 sees the release of her tribute to the late Phyllis Dillon.

The divas will be supported by two local stars. Relative newcomer Aleighcia Scott is a Cardiffian who blends reggae, soul, r’n’b and gospel into her music – her 2018 EP Forever In Love reached the top 10 of the UK iTunes reggae chart.

Tracey ‘Sista T’ Francis, meanwhile, is a longstanding reggae artist who has a big following on and offline.

A tasty menu of powerful, soulful vocals and cool tunes combined with Tex-Mex food should make for an evening full of flavour.

Admission: £20/£15 adv/£23 with food.

Info: 07468 452335 (LN)

ETHAN JOHNS & THE BLACK EYED DOGS

Druidstone Hotel, Haverfordwest Sat 8 June If you were minded to make a gig into an overnighter, this one might be a fine choice. The Druidstone Hotel sits on a cliff by the beach, with picturebookpretty sea views; it’s not bad if you turn around, either, on account of being within Pembrokeshire Natonal Park. They also do a bit of live music, and in early June Ethan Johns & The Black Eyed Dogs will trot out their languid, rolling Americana at the Druidstone.

Johns has been in the music business for around three decades, gravitating - first as performer, then as engineer - towards country-rockish material. His credits are extensive, breaking through in the early 00s with production on two of now-cancelled pest Ryan Adams’ LPs before overseeing the first few Kings Of Leon records. Tom Jones, Laura Marling and Paolo Nutini are among those who’ve since sought his touch.

Johns seems to have an affinity with Wales, most recently playing an acoustic set at breakfast time in Cardiff record shop Spillers, and will perform as part of a quintet with The Black Eyed Dogs. Their sound has a depth and romance which should suit slow dancing and sea air.

Tickets: £12.50. Info: 01437 781221 / www.druidstone.co.uk (NG)

RAKHI SINGH QUARTET & VESSEL: WRITTEN IN FIRE

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff Sun 5 May Written In Fire is a collaborative piece between electronic musician Vessel and classical violinist Rhaki Singh [pictured].

Inspired by Czech composer Janacek’s second string quartet Intimate Letters, originally from 1928, the two artists will perform the 30-minute piece from memory, combining their genres of acoustic and electric to create a contemporary explosion of sound.

Written… is part of Atmospheres, a three-day festival celebrating new music and artists, with composers from the Royal Welsh College alongside special guest acts.

Born in Llandeilo, Singh has studied classical music since she was young and has travelled the world doing so, as well as being guest lead for the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

Vessel is the pseudonym for Bristolian electronic producer Sebastian Gainsborough, also part of the lauded Young Echo Collective.

Written In Fire debuted last year at the Aldeburgh Music Festival in Suffolk; Singh and Gainsborough are working on a second piece, inspired by baroque music and Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Tickets: £7/£5. Info: 029 2039 1391/ www.rwcmd.ac.uk (TW)

THE STRANGLERS

THE STRUTS

PETE TONG & THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA

+ RUTS DC

IBIZA CLASSICS

FRI 5 JULY CAERPHILLY CASTLE

SAT 27 JULY SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

TUE BOYS 21 VIAGRA CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

MON

MEN I TRUST 13 CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

WED

NICK LOWE 05 THE GLOBE, CARDIFF

MAY

MAY

WED

THURS 17 OCTOBER THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

MAGNUM 05 COLISEUM THEATRE, ABERDARE

SAT

29

JUN

JOAN AS

SAT

29

JUN

POLICE WOMAN JUN THE GATE ARTS CENTRE, CARDIFF

SAT SINGLE MOTHERS 06 10 FEET TALL, CARDIFF

06

SU N

WED

THU

OCT

OCT

NOV

JUL

CAFE 06 PENGUIN ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

SAT

PUBLIC SERVICE

|

SUN

GLYNNE 28 JESS SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

BROADCASTING

JUL CAERPHILLY CASTLE

JUL

23 9BACH CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

SATURDAY 1 JUNE

JACOB BANKS

RALEIGH RITCHIE JAZ KARIS | ANOTHER SKY BALCONY | LITTLE THIEF

THE ALARM

A MIDSUMMER GATHERING JUN THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

07 FEEDER THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

SUNDAY 2 JUNE

CORINNE BAILEY RAE | HOTHOUSE FLOWERS MF ROBOTS | TOM SPEIGHT RENEGADE BRASS BAND THE DESERT | MICHAEL CLARK

TICKETS: WWW.ORCHARDLIVE.COM

reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

ONE, TWO, THREE

(Masters Of Cinema, Blu-ray/DVD)

After the critical success of The Apartment, Hollywood legend Billy Wilder followed it up with this Cold War satire starring James Cagney as a tough-nosed Coca-Cola executive in Berlin, desperate to climb the corporate ladder.

Masters Of Cinema have brought out a number of Wilder films of late that aren’t quite from his top tier, but strong second-string works, and this is no different, even though it was considered controversial at the time for daring to make fun of both the Soviets and – gasp! – the Americans. It looks crisp, throws sharp barbs at both sides, and emerges a fine film. ***FT

BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY (Altitude, Blu-ray/DVD)

This documentary on papier-mâché comedian Frank Sidebottom, and the man behind the mask Chris Sievey, is a labour of crowdfunded love that does a lot to bring out the humour and brilliance of its inspiration, as well as hints of his darker side. Given access to a huge amount of archival material -VHS tapes, doodles, half-finished songs – what emerges is an image of a relentlessly creative mind, occasionally trapped by the runaway success of what was meant to be an off-the-cuff character. Great stuff. ****FT

CATFIGHT (Netflix)

Going under the radar big time during its cinematic release in the UK two years ago, this utterly brutal black comedy is now waiting to be rediscovered on Netflix. Starring Sandra Oh and Anne Heche as two ex-college frenemies who end up meeting in adult life, with one a struggling artist and the other a rich trophy wife, class tensions bubble underneath, breaking out into a series of frankly nasty fights. But that’s the trick – both actors commit, and despite not being ‘action’ actors, they bring a bleakly humorous brutality to the fight scenes. A bitter satire on the poisonous effects of class tension and privilege. ****FT

A TWELVE-YEAR NIGHT (Netflix)

You may remember Jose Mujica, Uruguay’s left-wing exPresident and subject of a thousand Buzzfeed-style “Look at this ultra-humble President, why aren’t our politicians like this” clickbait articles for living on a chicken farm and giving most of his salary to charity. No doubt a fine character who has done the Latin American country a lot of good, this biopic chronicles his time in prison during the country’s military dictatorship alongside two comrades. It’s a fine, if slightly dry historical drama, but the sheer repetition and sense of isolation it engenders in the viewer is a wellexecuted experiment. ***FT

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT SEASON 5 (PART 2) (Netflix)

Like a drunk uncle at a wedding spouting, stupid conspiracy theories and fully ignoring everyone’s pleas to please just stop, Arrested Development trundles towards its final season. The cast are barely interested, and often barely there (you can literally see the editing joins!) and yet somehow, it lumbers on. A few sprinklings of the old magic remain, but they are few and far between. You’re better off if you just blue yourself. **FT

BUZZ 42

albums

s s

ALDOUS HARDING **** Designer (4AD/Flying Nun) The much-praised New Zealand singersongwriter has made a fine followup to 2017’s Party, raising the stakes when it comes to the quizzical and captivating. Simple, effective melodies are once again a key draw particularly in opener Fixture Picture and lead single The Barrel. The lyrical content and her contrasting vocal tones paint a perplexing and beguiling picture: I’ll never know what “show the ferret to the egg” means but I certainly can’t stop singing it. CPI

A CERTAIN RATIO **** ACR:BOX (Mute) When it comes to unearthing unheard gems, Mute have the knack. ACR:BOX celebrates 40 years of A Certain Ratio and contains more than 20 previously unreleased tracks from the punk-funk pioneers. Included is Talking Heads cover Houses In Motion, originaslly earmarked for Grace Jones’ guest vocals but never completed – which is ACR at their funkiest.

Also in the box are alternate versions of singles and B-sides. ACR:BOX is essential and more than just a completist’s dream come true. DN

CHARLY BLISS ***** Young Enough (Lucky Number)

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS **** Amyl & The Sniffers (Rough Trade) Following last year’s reissue of their two scarce EPs, Oz rockers Amyl And The Sniffers are back, with all the candid energy of punk and the self-awareness of 70s rock. Full to the brim with a balanced concoction of intimacy and immediacy but tempered with a healthy dose of self deprecation, it’s hard to not appreciate the raw energy of this album. While the tracklist can suffer from some throwaway songs, it’s thankfully punctuated frequently enough with plenty of crowd-moving, raucous bangers. AP

BEAR’S DEN *** So That You Might Hear Me (Communion) This Ivor Novellonominated two-piece are back, and presumably hoping to better the sixth place in the charts they reached in 2016.

So That… offers 10 brand new tracks of their trademark folky rock, intimately woven like a tapestry. The thud of a drum machine keeps Fuel On The Fire burning bright, folding in nicely with the electronic side of Bear’s Den. Blankets Of Sorrow, meanwhile, hits a trance-like feel, projecting a poignant familial message. OS

Charly Bliss’ Eva Hendricks has an unusual voice that, combined with synthdriven upbeat music, adds a comic-book quality to songs about pain, abusive relationships and other serious matters. Their lyrics may be dark but are never preachy, and the songs have emotional depth.

It’s unusual to find an album where all the tracks have equal merit, but this is one. In the midst of so much generic indiepop, this Brooklyn four-piece are a breath of fresh air. LN

CLINIC *** Wheeltappers And Shunters (Domino) Part of the fun of the fair, Clinic understand, is feeling the thrilling frisson of fear. “You’re joining the circus”, hisses Ade Blackburn on Tiger, like Papa Lazarou doing an impression of Thom Yorke.

The Liverpudlians are as reliably unsettling as ever on their first LP for seven years, a creepy psych-garage skewering of Brexity nostalgia for Britain’s misremembered past. It’s over far too soon, and there’s nothing here to rival their early ‘hits’, but should Scarfolk ever become a TV series, it’s got a readymade soundtrack. BW

DRAHLA *** Useless Coordinates (Captured Tracks)

CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN **** The Balance (Island) The follow up to 2016’s The Ride hits the shelves and playlists after a busy few years on the road for the Welsh foursome.

That unmistakable vocal of frontman Van McCann and clean, crunchy palm-muted guitar tone makes for a pretty identifiable formula for the north Walians – hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Every song has a perfectly rhythmic progression, leading to a climatic chorus, standouts Fluctuate and Coincide perfect examples of said style. OS

For any fans of Kim Gordon who find her post-Sonic Youth project Body/Head a bit too esoteric, may I recommend Drahla. The trio’s debut LP starts off deceptively, Gilded Cloud initially coming across like slowcore legends Codeine before the familiar prickly on-edge guitars, needling drums and Luciel Brown’s casually deadpan vocals kick in. Serenity is anything but, while Stimulus For Living gives Joy Division an artpunk makeover. If only the skronking sax had been used a little more sparingly, though. BW

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FAT WHITE FAMILY ****

GONG ***

NOUVELLE VAGUE ****

TACOCAT ***

Serfs Up! (Domino)

The Universe Also Collapses (Kscope)

Curiosities (Kwaidan)

This Mess Is A Place (Sub Pop)

Fat White Family has returned with a gorgeous, sophisticated and refined sound, which is not to say they’ve lost their identity. Serfs Up! is rife with an animalistic energy that FWF excel at, yet there are also understated, soft moments with hints of jazz – take Vagina Dentata, an unexpected but pleasant addition to their sound and one which breaks up the wilder moments on the album such as Feet and Tastes Good With The Money. LB

Gong began in 1969 and have fallen into myth and legend. Their latest offering is four tracks of old-school psychedelic space-rock with hints of sitar: discordant and jazzy with lyrics that need deep analysis. Opening track Forever Reoccurring is 20 minutes long and covers a lot of bases – not all of which are pleasing to the ear. There are glimpses of melody here that made me want more, but much more that made me want less. LN

The fourth album by this Seattle band is also their first since spring 2016, which naturally ushers in a pretext for This Mess Is A Place being galvanised by life – particularly as feminist punks – in Trump’s America. For all that, their lyrics rarely feature direct targets, and are more given to invoking coping strategies in a grim timeline. Musically, their harmony-heavy powerpop is given a little more buff and bombast, although not enough to turn off old fans. NG

FLAMINGODS ***

HONEYBLOOD **

Certainly different reimaginings, these. Will Nouvelle Vague’s jazzy, bossa nova-styled new wave covers make you forget what came first?

No, but that’s not the point. They succeed in changing things up. Girl You Want is now rockabilly cool; the spaghetti western feel of Under The Flag is preferable to the original.

Slow Shiver’s vocals are oh-so-smooth on the ballad I’m In Love With A German Film Star and the orchestral Bacharach-ish Brass In Pocket, while Blank Generation could have been a beatnik anthem. RLR

Levitation (Moshi Moshi)

In Plain Sight (Marathon)

Indie disco openers Paradise Drive and Koray could have come from any half decent synth- and 60s-loving indie band from the last decade. As they go further down the tracks, though, Flamingods’ Arabic DNA starts to mutate their fun festival music into an east-meets-west cosmic bazaar of Baba ganoush and Baba O’Reilly, with Eastern scales threaded throughout psychedelic Peaches and the camel walk shimmy of Club Coco. Olympia is herculean and Mantra East is a bubbling and Beatleseque raga. CS

In Plain Sight represents a fresh start for Honeyblood: new line-up (just founding member Stina Tweeddale), new label, new producer (US indie’s current go-to guy John Congleton) and new ambitions. However, whether this break with the past will secure the big break Tweeddale is clearly angling for is debatable. Fuzzed-up girl-group stomp The Third Degree made for a terrific lead single, but otherwise the attempts at self-reinvention fall rather flat, suggesting she’s leapt into the unknown without first checking her parachute. BW

FLOWDAN ****

PETROL GIRLS **** Cut & Paste (Hassle) Petrol Girls didn’t take any shortcuts making this album. Every note is hit as hard as anything you’ll ever hear and every word is sung or spat with the conviction of the hurt and the hungry. Feminism runs throughout the album, with standout songs like Big Mouth spelling out the problems in no uncertain terms: “Bite your tongue / Keep your head down / Know your place.” But the treatment of women isn’t presented like a theme for discussion, more like a inescapable truth that lives in all their songs. JPD

Full Metal Jacket (Tru Thoughts)

IMPERIAL WAX ***

One of the absolute best grime MCs historically and contemporaneously: Flowdan’s mic style, mixing the rapidfire cadence of his chosen genre with the gruffest ragga chat, has been instantly recognisable since the early 00s. Full Metal Jacket is his third album, and finds this OG hooking up with, mostly, fresh heads: Plastician and Footsie produce a track apiece, alongside the newer Filthy Gears and, er, Muszolini. A kind of crisply minimal bombast prevails as Flowdan unloads his time-honoured icy menace. NG

Gastwerk Saboteurs (Saustex)

THE SKINTS ***

When Mark E Smith died, the three remaining members of The Fall weren’t about to chuck away years of honing their craft together, or the opportunity to play without having their kit interfered with.

Imperial Wax are named after the first Fall LP they contributed to and the album title could have come straight from the pages of Smith’s beer-stained notebook, but this messy cocktail of punk, psychobilly and Touch And Go Records noiserock suggests that in time they can escape that sizeable shadow. BW

Swimming Lessons (Mr Bongo) Reggae, punk, rap, soul – some super chilled, sunny grooves take you into the weird and wonderful word of The Skints. Having dug their way out of the London punk scene, they seem to be riding the crest of a wave right now. Learning To Swim has a nostalgic No Doubt feel about it, while I can only hear Madness while Restless rings out.

That’s not a bad thing, certainly. Definitely one for a summer afternoon. OS

demos ACOUCHRISTO acouchristo.bandcamp.com Formally known as Chris Young, AcouChristo is a Cardiff-based soundtracky/soundscapey sort whose practise ranges from music for theatre pieces to more song-based compositions.

Tongues, a 16-track collection, doesn’t appear to be for anything precisely, but ranges nicely from cutup instrumental electronics to cryptocommercial near-EDM stuff to showcases for poets and spoken word artists. Rufus Mufasa is the most prominent of these guests, with her words feeling especially trenchant on midalbum cut Dynion. NG

LEYTON D JAMES facebook.com/leytondjames A hip-hop MC and producer from Cardiff who has recently uploaded two of his songs online, Ego Tripping has a remarkably heavy bassline (I tell yer, this isn’t turned up loud and I’m expecting the neighbours to complain any minute), It Takes Two style whoops and early 90s style sunny vibes. One In Seven Billion is a shouty paean to positive affirmation with a bizarre trashy electro-rap fidelity that I strongly suspect is not supposed to remind me of Peaches… and yet. NG

SPOTLIGHTS *****

THE SECRET FACES

FRANK CARTER AND THE RATTLESNAKES ***

MAC DEMARCO ****

Love & Decay (Ipecac)

facebook.com/thesecretfaces

End Of Suffering (International Death Cult)

Here Comes The Cowboy (Mac’s Record Label)

Based on the frontman’s past work, I was expecting something real heavy, but to my surprise this is a rollercoaster of rock’n’roll in a nutshell.

Distorted to the max, Frank Carter covers numerous bases on his 40-minute showcase. Love Games, a nice tip of the hat to Amy Winehouse, leaves a haunting sound echoing throughout; Little Devil’s grungy rhythm cuts through stunningly, while Tyrant Lizard King’s funky licks are lent a hand from special guest Tom Morello, who adds some vintage Rage stylings. OS

The Canadian reaffirms a cultish reputation for smooth slacker songcraft here, blending the familiar alchemy of quirky humour and laconic lo-fi with a genre-hopping tendency, tacitly dabbled with on This Old Dog. Embracing an increasingly synthsoaked sound, DeMarco faithfully deploys his signature hazy acoustic balladry while veering into r’n’b and funk territory, notably on Heart To Heart and Choo Choo. Firmly in his element, this fourth album delivers a reliably mellow soundtrack for summer sauntering. CHP

On their latest release, Brooklyn-based duo Spotlights strike a balance between oppressive downtuned instrumentation and ethereal vocals to bring accessibility to sludge metal. With a relatively trim run time and innovative approach, it avoids the bloat, repetition and stagnation from which the genre can suffer, yet still produces a morbidly inviting soundscape. By borrowing elements from shoegaze and electronic music, the album shrugs off traditional expectations and heavily moulds the melodies, all without losing sight of its metal roots. AP

A lyric from These Days, the first song The Secret Faces have stuck online, has been recycled into a slogan of sorts: “Live fast, laugh loud, roam free”. This so closely resembles wall art one might find in the kitchen of an extremely corny family, I’m wondering if this Brecon Beacons area band are blithely unaware of such cliched naffness, or very aware of it and think it’s good. Musically, These Days is ponderous gravel-voiced MOR Americana which touts the likes of CSNY as influences but is closer to the Bon Jovi song of the same title. NG

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

After a lengthy wait which began with its announcement in December 2017, the Cardiff Council-commissioned report into the health and potential future of the city’s live music scene was finally published in April. Compiled by Sound Diplomacy, a company who work with cities in matters of music-related strategy, development and economy, the 109page report includes a wealth of stats as regards Cardiff’s purported income generated through music, as well as local music professionals’ own feelings about the current scene, presented in graph form. Sound Diplomacy also make several proposals in the report: some of which would require major investment, others the creation of new employment roles, others a tweak to current licensing policies

Cardiff’s Swn Festival returns in its regular spot on the calendar, the third weekend of October, having been passed from its founders into the capable paws of Clwb Ifor Bach last year and successfully relaunched. The initial lineup announcement is set to hit the net just before this issue hits the shelves, with around 60 acts confirmed. Marquee names include Gruff Rhys, The Comet Is Coming, Flamingods, Amber Arcades and Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs; a few smaller-but-exciting bands are playing this city for the first time (Bilge Pump, Housewives, Scalping) and lots of local types get their due too, natch. Venues, ticket price and running order are TBC in due course

Newport Rock Collecting is the name of a new project set up by south Wales media company Winding Snake, aiming to compile an audio archive of stories, memorabilia etc from people who went to gigs in Newport between 1970 and 2010. This period encompasses, among other things, the earliest live performances of Joe Strummer; the Sex Pistols

and other first wave touring punk bands playing; John Sicolo setting up his venue TJ’s; a scene coalescing around bands like 60ft Dolls in the 90s and Le Pub becoming the preeminent Newport venue as TJ’s declined. Winding Snake are working in partnership with Newport Museum & Art Gallery, where this collection is eventually planned to be displayed. Go to www.rockcollecting.co.uk for more

Horizons, a scheme set up five years ago by BBC Cymru Wales and the Arts Council of Wales, has been fielding applications from Welsh or Wales-based musicians in recent weeks (closing date is Wed 1 May, so you might even see this in time), with this year’s 12 chosen artists set to be announced in June. Previous years [2018 Horizons artist Eadyth pictured] have found the project aiming to represent a broad range of genres and regions, and showcasing it under the Horizons banner at festivals including SXSW and Glastonbury. Another recent, ongoing development is a partnership with the FAW, in which music by Horizons artists is used to soundtrack Welsh football events and campaigns, both online and at games

The Ankstmusik label, a crucial platform for some of the best and least compromising Welsh indie music in the 1980s and 90s, is to give digital reissues to two long-out-of-print releases in early May. The self-titled mini-album by Pop Negatif Wastad, released in 1989 and which now sells for around £50, was the brainchild of Gareth Potter (then an Eastenders cast member, now a Cardiff DJ) and featured an inspired Welsh language cover of Big Black’s Kerosene amidst its DIY technopop. Potter also features on the other reissue, LL.LL. v. T.G : MC D.R.E., as a member of Ty Gwydr alongside dub-techno duo Llwybr Llaethog and Datblygu’s David R Edwards. Both crucial listens

ONES TO WATCH...

LIBERTINO RECORDS SPECIAL Carmarthenshire-based imprint Libertino might be the busiest Welsh indie label going right now, ponying up some dough for LPs (by Adwaith and Alex Dingley) now and again but dedicated in the main to showcasing new(ish) musicians in the form of one-song digital singles. Three of these are fresh in the virtual racks, all by acts new to Buzz.

Breichiau Hir [pictured] hail from Cardiff and have six members – unusually numerous for a band playing angular post-hardcore of this kind, but one way or other they have a full, expansive sound on Penblwydd Hapus Iawn. The lyrics, according to frontman Steff Dafydd, are about a birthday, but not a strictly happy one; musically, ATDI-style brood’n’slash meets more polished choruses a la Thursday.

Also Cardiffian, Sybs are a youthful quartet describing themselves as “slacker indie”: a greatly overused term, yet one backed up by Paid Gofyn Pam, a jangly meander in the style of Pavement or Archers Of Loaf with a singer, Osian Llyr, sounding authentically unbothered where many before have betrayed earnestness. If that, or the cardboard box drums, don’t turn you off, this song has a lovely country twang and melodic nous. Finally, originating in Aberystwyth but currently found in Cardiff is Ynys, a solo vehicle for Dylan Hughes. Formerly of Race Horses, who themselves were formerly called Radio Luxembourg, on Caneuon Hughes retains that band’s sugar-encrusted, near-powerpop cheer and gives it a bit of added Big Star/Teenage Fanclub wistfulness. www.libertinorecords.com BUZZ 44

one louder

YOU’VE doubtless been watching, indeed probably to the exclusion of everything else, the rollout of the candidates selected by nascent political party Change UK to contest this month’s European Parliament elections. On the offchance that you’ve been busy doing absolutely anything else, though, it’s been a right laugh, I can tell you. A motley bunch who have taken the party founders’ reputation for slick, focus-grouped politics, before casting that aside by (a) making a bunch of unsavoury tweets in the past and (b) not deleting them before declaring their candidacy. There again, no-one really thinks CUK’s founders are slick or focus-grouped any more, so it all evens out.

For One Louder, though, One Louder being of a certain age, one name stood out among the chancers hitching their wagon to this single-issue party-who-ill-serve-most-of-us-who-essentiallysupport-them-on-that-issue. That was Crispin Hunt, set to stand in the South West England constituency and best known for being the singer from vaguely foppish lower tier Britpop band, Longpigs. Now, in the interests of scrupulous fairness, Longpigs had a couple of top 20 singles, and Hunt has gone on to a decent career co-writing songs with the sort of pop acts who would prefer you to think they didn’t have co-writers, so it’s not like he got nominated by mistake after asking Heidi Allen for 50p. It’s just that his old band are, in what passes for the public consciousness, a symbol of tail-chasing mid-to-late-90s UK music industry overkill, where money was being thrown at guitar groups who were really nowt special.

A factoid noted only in passing during Longpigs’ heyday, though, is that Hunt’s stepdad is Mark Fisher, a Labour MP at the time. This was occasionally used by the singer, as I recall, for publicity-based leverage, like when he mentioned picking up a hard drug dependency while recording the second Longpigs album before adding, “I won’t talk about this because my dad’s a politician”.

There’s nothing like a parliamentary dynasty, and this may well be nothing like one, but there’s no reason to think that Hunt is following this path for anything other than sincerely held principles, even if electoral failure is an affordable option for him.

Just like it has been, six times no less, for Dave from Blur, tenacious in his repeated efforts to win a Labour council seat. Oddly, despite there being some credible examples of successful musicians who became successful politicians (Sonny Bono; the fella out of Midnight Oil), it feels like your Dave from Blurs are more canonical examples of the practise, would-be polymaths who enter the arena in a fit of what cynics might call boredom.

On Thurs 23 May, after being one of maybe 35% of eligible Britons to vote in the EU elections, watch THEE OH SEES in Cardiff’s Tramshed.

Before that, NEKTA, TERRA SOROR, GLIB and STRONG ARM (Le Public Space, Newport, Sun 5); SLOMATICS, MADE OF TEETH, ESTUARY BLACKS and KONG LIVES (The Moon, Cardiff, Sat 18) and VACATION (Exist, Swansea, Tue 21). After that, ARGUMENT?, PISSY and LIVID (Le Public Space, Tue 28) and JUDICIARY (Fuel, Cardiff, Fri 31). NOEL GARDNER

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FREE GIGS IN CaRDIFF BaY!

MAY 2019 just fill out this form and post it, along with a cheque to:

Buzz Publishers Ltd, 220c Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

ASH BEFORE OAK Jeremy Cooper (Fitzcarraldo)

Jeremy Cooper’s latest novel is often so realistic you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a memoir. But it’s fiction, excellent fiction, in the form of a journal following the quotidian existence of a lonely writer living in Somerset. In the opening paragraph of the first journal entry, the narrator, writing about a rose arch he built, declares: “My work is not in itself beautiful, but the act of doing it was, the replacement of a fallen frame, an old rose set to prosper.”

This sets the tone for the next 500 or so pages – the narrator’s subtle introspection, mixed with his keen awareness of the world around him. What makes this novel so effective is how convincingly Cooper constructs his re-engagement with the world, with life. He writes beautifully, in clipped, poetic prose, evoking the rural surroundings in which the narrator finds himself. It is a redemption tale, of sorts, although of the least flashy kind imaginable. There are no Rocky-style montages among the flora and fauna.

One of the biggest strengths of the book, its subtlety, is at times also one of its weaknesses. For the first 50 pages or so, it is easy to wonder why you are reading at all – there are some concise, beautifully evocate descriptions of rural life, but no clear narrative. Yet Ash Before Oak is well worth sticking with: the more you read, the more you want to read. The narrator finds a strange, steady rhythm, and the narrative gently builds to a very moving ending.

JOSH REES Price: £12.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com

A BOOK OF BONES John Connolly (Hodder & Stoughton) John Connolly returns with the latest chapter of his crime/horror/supernatural series of Charlie Parker novels, as the forces of evil search for The Fractured Atlas – which is indeed fractured, but when complete, will usher in the end of the world. Charlie Parker, Angel and Louis, Connolly’s anti-heroes, relocate to Europe where, alongside the real villains, they leave a bloody swathe.

The former search for evidence of otherworldly creatures and the latter try to conceal every hint of their existence, except in the world of old wives’ tales and children’s rhymes. This is a massive novel in every sense (700+ pages), but not a word is wasted. As it says on the front jacket, “The finest crime series currently in existence” – I can’t argue with that, as it was a quote from one of my own reviews back in the day, and I stand by it still. This could be Connolly’s masterpiece. MT Price: £20. Info: www.hodder.co.uk DOCKLANDS: A GHOST STORY Damian Walford Davies (Seren) Never have I read such eloquent descriptions of Cardiff’s streets as I did in Docklands: A Ghost Story.

For example, I’ve walked Womanby Street hundreds of times, but I have never noticed the “gartered ladybirds” described here. And therein lies the beauty of this book. Initially conceived as an exercise in getting to know his new surroundings upon moving to the city from Aberystwyth, Damian Walford Davies’s intriguing examination of those worlds “at the edges of the eye” is set in Victorian Cardiff and told entirely in verse. While this may not be to everybody’s reading taste, it offers a well-researched insight into our city’s past, as well as a thoroughly engaging tale of abuse, and grief that will send a shiver down your spine. CA Price: £9.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com BUZZ 46

A DEVIL COMES TO TOWN Paolo Maurensig, trans.

Anne Milano Appel (World Editions) Strange things are happening in a quaint, Swiss mountain paradise in Dichtersruhe.

The townsfolk, in a bizarre mass effort, are wildly enthused by the notion of publishing their creative endeavours.

Even more so when – coincidentally – the Devil comes to stay with the promise of granting a contract and a large sum of money to one lucky winner. A Devil… is a twisted, gothic tale, exploring a town’s misplaced passion, whilst surrounded by rabid foxes, slick-tongued demons and distrusting priests. Maurensig’s writing is crisply unsettling and the novel’s darkly-threaded plot generates a real thirst for answers. Are the townsfolk immersed in magic and mysticism? Or are they just mad with disillusionment and dreams? This parable-like accomplishment will stick its horns in deep and stay with you forever. KB Price: £9.50. Info: www.worldeditions.org MY LOVELY WIFE Samantha Downing (Michael Joseph) Sometimes, what happens behind locked doors and closed curtains between a man and his wife are beyond comprehension. And then, sometimes, it is beyond comprehension to those behind the doors and windows too. So, when a serial killer haunts the streets of a small American town, who’s to say who’s guilty, and who’s innocent, and who’s just playing games? In My Lovely Wife, something nasty lurks behind a white picket fence as Millicent and her unnamed husband dance a deadly waltz that can only end in tears. This is one that grips from the get-go and doesn’t let go. A perfect read for the summer holidays, but don’t turn your back on the other half and the kids. Who knows what surprises they might have in store for you? MT Price: £12.99. Info: www.penguin.co.uk

CRUSHED Kate Hamer (Faber & Faber) A twisted tale based around the theme of witchcraft forms the basis of this novel by Cardiff-based author Kate Hamer. Narrated by three teenage characters, Phoebe, Orla and Grace, each chapter delves into the different struggles faced by each person in both their home and school lives, and the dire consequences when they join to harness the power of the mind. In what appears to be a fantastical subject, the themes of love, friendship and betrayal are prominent and dealt with in a heartfelt manner. Set in Bath, the location forms a sound basis to the plot as you imagine the characters in situ. A powerful tale with a distinctive narrative and unexpected outcome; it will be exciting to see what Kate Hamer does next. RH Price: £12.99. Info: www.faber.co.uk

SLEEVENOTES Bob Stanley (Pomona) The first in a new series by Pomona, where musicians choose favourite tracks from their past output and opine and expand. In this case it’s Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne.

He says he’s unlikely to write a memoir; this may be the closest we get to one. Pop records (often second-hand) and record shops are his life; most of his childhood vinyl collection was given to him, including his first album. The Saint Etienne songwriter takes us on a journey where we’re riding pillion on a scooter through the late 60s to the present. We learn of Stanley’s early jobs, that his influences are films, books, art, architecture and other people’s records and of musicians he thinks sold-out.

He derides music snobs but is one himself, but that’s OK because we all are deep down. RLR Price: £7.99. Info: www.pomonauk.com

A PLASTIC FREE DIET Our need for convenience foods and the resulting packaging is dramatically contributing to the mountains of plastic waste we are creating. Buzz has a look at some alternatives that will help to reduce your footprint.

Food wraps

Lunch recipe book

This alternative to clingfilm is made from hemp and organic cotton. The wraps allow you to sculpt around softer foods and allows your food to breathe so you won’t end up with sweaty butties.

6 Abeego Small PackWraps – £15 www.asliceofgreen.co.uk

Avoid falling into the trap of meal deals and make your own. You will save money, know what you’re eating and limit your plastic waste.

Packed – Lunch Box Recipe Book – £12.99 www.asliceofgreen.co.uk

Lunch food container

Unpaper Towels

Once you’ve got a few nice lunches under your belt, why not go pro and get yourself a stainless steel insulated food container?

It will last years and remain easy to clean.

Insulated Stainless Steel Bento Box – £32 www.asliceofgreen.co.uk

Although very convenient, most paper towels contain unpleasant chemicals and micro plastics which aren’t recyclable.

These cotton towels look fantastic and can be reused time and again.

12 Unpaper Towels – £20 www.peacewiththewild.co.uk

A nice cuppa

Foraging course

There are many brands offering plasticfree teabags, which come at a price and/ or have string and laminated plastic labels attached, making them non-compostable.

The easiest option is to go back to making loose leaf with an infuser.

Stainless Steel Tea Ball Infuser – £1.42 www.amazon.co.uk

Not all ingredients can be found in the supermarkets. Based in Cardigan, Jade Mellor runs foraging courses teaching you what can be eaten from hedgerows to beaches.

Wild Spring Greens & Edible Blooms – £25 www.wildpickings.co.uk

Give it away Austerity has been biting for a while now, and though we’re all doing our best to conserve and be frugal there are those with very little to dine on most days.

Consider donating time, money or food to your local food bank. www.trusselltrust.org

Pic: trusselltrust.org

Recycled cup Sip in confidence. The rCup is the world’s first reusable cup made from recycled paper cups; it comes in various sizes and has a very welldesigned pop-up lid which allows drinking from any angle. rCUP, cream and teal 8oz – £11 www.rcup.co.uk

BUZZ 47

Pic: Neil White

Cowbridge Food Fest

Abergavenny Food Fest

FOOD FESTIVALS As summer starts to shine, a whole litany of food festivals spring up throughout Wales. Buzz has rounded up some of the best for you to get to.

CAERPHILLY FOOD FESTIVAL

THE BIG CHEESE

MERTHYR VEGAN FESTIVAL

BITE FESTIVAL

Caerphilly town centre, Sat 11 May With Caerphilly Castle looming over the background, this local favourite descends annually upon the streets surrounding the castle. With over 100 vendors set to be confirmed, serving the best food from the region, expect specialist cheese stalls plus cooking demos, and a few street entertainers, including, apparently, some sausages on stilts.

Admission: free. Info: caerphillyfoodfestival.co.uk

St Tydfil Square Shopping Centre, Merthyr Tydfil, Sat 11 May An array of delicious and local vegan food, gifts and products with a wide range of pop-up stalls in the centre as part of its Vegan Fest market. Local musicians will be performing and, you’d like to think, testing out the treats on offer, which will include vegan pies, cakes, pizza and superfood bars.

Admission: free. Info: www.goevvnt.com

COWBRIDGE FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL

Old Hall Gardens, Cowbridge, Sun 26 + Mon 27 May Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, the Cowbridge Food & Drink Festival is introducing a whole batch of new stalls, including a whole new vegan section. So far the Parsnipship, Tast Natur and regular visitors the Samosa Co. are confirmed. Take home some exotic meats and garlic the size of your fist. Plus it has a champagne tent – what’s not to like?

Tickets: £5 per day/£8 weekend. Info: www.cowbridgefoodanddrink.org

CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Oval Basin, Cardiff Bay, Fri 5-Sun 7 July Cardiff is rife with great food events these days, from pop-ups to one-day fests, but this one remains the biggest of the lot. With over 100 stalls from local, national and international culinary experts offering food, drink, crafts and live music, it certainly lives up to the international part of its name.

Admission: free. Info: www.visitcardiff.com

BUZZ 48

Caerphilly Castle, Fri 26-Sun 28 July The Big Cheese has undergone a bit of a makeover for 2019 and promises to be bigger and better than ever. Three huge food halls will be packed with street vendors as well as local food and drink purveyors and a dedicated cheese market. There’ll be a full programme of live music in the new bar, and being as it all takes place in the middle of Caerphilly Castle, it would be rude not to have a medieval reenactment too.

Admission: free. Info: www.bigcheesecaerphilly.co.uk

Insole Court, Cardiff, Sat 27 July This innovative event was a huge success last year at Insole Court and is now returning for a second go-round. The idea is simple – with so many great chefs around but with so little time and/or money, why not collect a few of them in one place, where each chef does one dish at £3 a go? It’s a surefire way to get through a whole bunch of good eating in a short amount of time without filling to bursting point.

Admission: free, £3 per dish. Info: facebook.com/bitecardiff

LAMPETER FOOD FESTIVAL

University Of Wales, Lampeter, Sat 27 July This sleepy Welsh town is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of rugby in Wales, but set in the heart of Ceredigion it’s a prime location for a festival full of great local produce. A full lineup of stalls and chef demos is set to arrive, but it’s well worth a trip.

Admission: free. Info: www.lampeterfoodfestival.org.uk

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

Various locations, Abergavenny. Sat 21 + Sun 22 Sept One of the biggest annual festivals in Wales, attracting over 30,000 visitors to the small town of Abergavenny, this two-day haven is the place to bring together chefs, food businesses, food producers and many other foodies in leading celebration.

Pretty much any leading food figure you are to mention has been billed one year or other, giving demonstrations or talks. Day or weekend wristbands gives all attendees free access to chef demos, street food and live entertainment, whilst all kids’ activities are free!

Tickets: £15 weekend wristband/free under-16s/many events individually priced. Info: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

The Early Bird

CHILLI CHORIZO PASTA Words Alison Powell

OF THE BEST PLACES TO EAT IN CATHAYS Just outside of Cardiff’s city centre is the capital’s student centre. Cathays is bursting with delicious restaurants and cafés – Abby Wilson rounds up the best.

BBK

Not GBK, but Cathays’ own BBK. Standing for Bagel and Burger Kitchen, this burger joint on Salisbury Road offers well-priced, delicious tasting burgers and bagels. Their chocolate bar milkshakes are definitely worth a try too.

98 Salisbury Road, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2023 3329 / www.bbkitchen.co.uk

THE EARLY BIRD

The perfect place for brunch, bakes and brews. It’s quite small, and so is its menu, but everything on offer is heavenly. If you fancy something sweet, try the Nutella Fitzgerald (souped-up French toast for £7), or for something a little different, Don’t Worry, Brie Happy! (brie, mushrooms and garlic on sourdough, also £7).

38 Woodville Road, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2132 0520 / www.earlybirdbakery.co.uk

IRIE SHACK

A Caribbean bar and grill located on Woodville Road, Irie Shack’s enticing menu features myriad traditional dishes. Generous portions and delicious, aromatic flavours will leave you full to the brim. Not sure what to have? Their famous one-pots are great.

106-110 Woodville Road, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2037 3272 / www.irieshack.com

MOWGLI’S

On Crwys Road, Mowgli’s is a great-value-for-money Indian restaurant with friendly staff and mouthwatering food. A good Indian restaurant in the vicinity is practically a prerequisite of a student neighbourhood these days.

151 Crwys Road, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2034 3705 / www.mowglis.co.uk

EMBASSY CAFÉ

Located at the front of the multi-functional Cathays Community Centre, Embassy is – like its parent building – a commendable project which strives for inclusivity. Their changing menus are all vegetarian and mostly vegan, but allay any fears of worthy mush and expect bright, worldly flavour combos. The Herbivore team also have a weekend residence here, reopening on Sat 18 May after a holiday break.

Cathays Community Centre, 36 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2037 3144 / www.cathays.org.uk

Spicy, sloppy and slurpy, this can be an elegant dish for friends or a big bowl of comfort. Either way, the chilli kick will tickle your tastebuds on the way to filling your tum.

INGREDIENTS Serves 4 • Spaghetti or linguine (allow 80-100g per person) • 225g of chorizo, sliced in to pieces about 0.5cm thick • 2 medium onions, finely chopped • 3 cloves of garlic • Green pepper • Red pepper • 250ml red wine • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes • Tablespoon olive oil • Heaped teaspoon dried oregano • Heaped teaspoon paprika • Teaspoon chopped chilli (leave seeds in if you want extra spice) • Salt and a good grind of black pepper

HOW TO 1. Fill a pot, big enough to hold your pasta, with cold water and a pinch of salt. Pop a lid on and bring it to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, finely chop your onion, crush your garlic and soften both in a deep frying pan in the olive oil, on a low heat. This’ll take 5-6 minutes.

3. Chop the peppers and add these to the onions and garlic, then sprinkle on the oregano, paprika and splash in the red wine. Give it a gentle stir.

4. Put your spaghetti in the boiling water to cook.

5. Add the chopped chorizo to the onions and peppers in the frying pan. Pour over the chopped tomatoes. Halffill the tin with cold water and add that, giving it a good but gentle stir.

6. Add salt and pepper, stir once more and let it bubble away whilst the pasta cooks. This will take 8-10 minutes.

7. Ladle a spoonful of the pasta water in to the tomato sauce and stir. Drain the pasta.

8. Add the pasta to the chilli chorizo sauce, mix until coated and then spoon into bowls. Add olives, a sprinkle of parmesan and a further grind of black pepper to taste. @ASPwriter

BUZZ 49

Dusty Knuckle Pizza

MAY FOODIE FOCUS Elouise Hobbs ventures far and wide (or encourages you to do so, strictly speaking) in her quest to highlight May’s top sustenance-based happenings.

Get Well Fed Pop Up, Dusty Knuckle Pizza, Cardiff, Tue 21 May Some of the best culinary experiences around right now are coming from new and energetic south Wales food scene ventures. One of these is Get Well Fed, a catering startup which claims to really care about what their customers are eating: their approach focuses on producing global-yetlocally-sourced dishes with fewer calories and less saturated fat. For their special pop-up with local favourites, Dusty Knuckle, they are producing a Middle Eastern-inspired menu including mezze and baklava; for the mains, they have kept people guessing with the only choices being ‘chickpea’ or ‘lamb’.

Tickets: £20. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Mexican Feast Night, Trehale Farm, nr Mathry, Pembrokeshire, Fri 31 May A Mexican night on a Welsh farm – what’s not to love? Set in the undercover barn, the evening’s menu, which includes vegetarian and vegan options, looks set to take a twist on traditional dishes. On the night, there will also be a bar serving local ales, ciders and lagers, and everyone is invited to meet the animals and have an authentic farm experience. As such, everyone is advised to dress ready for a brisk Welsh evening.

If you want to make a weekend of it, ticket prices also include free camping.

Tickets: £15/£12 under-10s.

Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

BUZZ 50

Home Brewing Coffee Workshop, Quarters Coffee, Glen Avon House, Newport, Thurs 16 May Little preferable to waking up on a lazy Sunday morning with breakfast in bed and a hot coffee – and what could make this experience even better? If the coffee is freshly brewed to your exact tastings. The team at Quarters are running an evening on how to make your own home brew coffee. Working with v60 pourovers, Aeropress, and French presses, you will learn different techniques including how to choose and correctly weigh your beans. The evening will also cover the fundamentals of grinding and extraction.

Throughout the night, there will be lots of tastings and 10% off all coffee and homebrew equipment.

Tickets: £20. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Advanced Breadmaking Course, Cwmdu Inn, Cwmdu, Thurs 23 May Making bread is often a labour of love, but one all worth it when you have the finished loaf. This course promises to provide everyone, regardless of experience, a few new techniques, and ideas to make different types of bread. Starting with a seeded wholemeal loaf, the day will move on to cover the more specialist likes of focaccia and soda bread. Participants will not only gain the skills to make this bread at home, but they will also get to take any leftovers away.

Tickets: free (booking essential).

Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

SUPPER CLWB AT FFRESH The Wales Millennium Centre is hosting a new run of nights in its cabaret bar, Ffresh, combining its dinner menu and some rather interesting dinner companions. With a weekly supper club offering food, comedy, drag, and cabaret, for £30 a throw you also get a cocktail and a three-course meal, with your entertainment, so you’ll be well fed and watered so long as the laughs don’t cause you to snort the cocktail out of your nose…

The opening night, on Sat 1 June, is dragfocused. Hosted by local performer Connie Orff, last seen in Ffresh with a Christmasthemed show, guests will include fellow drag queens Dixie Normous, Dolly Trolley, and one of the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9, ‘Dame’ Charlie Hides.

Following that, Sat 8 June offers a night of musical theatre, curated by David Mahoney, and starring Vicki Bebb – one of the stars of WMC’s Tiger Bay – with Steffan Rhys Hughes, currently one member of the classical group Only Men Aloud.

The next weekend, Sat 15 June, sees a night of British burlesque, curated by FooFooLaBelle.

Another luminary of Cardiff cabaret, FooFoo has put together sold-out shows already at the WMC, as part of last autumn’s Performances For The Curious series – this time should be no less exciting. Details for the following weeks are yet to be fully announced, but look set to be just as appetising.

Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, every Saturday from Sat 1 June. Tickets: £30.

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

£30.00 per adult | £15.00 per child Sunday 9th June 2019 | 13:30 - 16:00 Join us as we take a musical journey in time, back through the biggest chart-toppers of the age all the way to the swinging 60s.

We’re inviting you to sit down and enjoy a one of a kind afternoon tea inside our striking Grand Hall where we are providing live entertainment from the talented diva Emily Clark.

Working her way through all your favourite tracks from the likes of Etta James, Dame Shirley Bassey and many more, Emily will encourage you to sing-along and dance the day away.

Raise your glass to music from the most stylish decade of the last century at The Exchange Hotel’s Diva’s 60s Afternoon Tea.

Book now on 02920 107 050 or via Eventbrite

SUNFLOWER & I

1 Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay. 029 2048 4211 / www.sunflowerandi.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere ***** Sunflower & I feels like something of a hidden secret, even though it’s been a well-established venue in Cardiff Bay for a number of years. Perhaps it’s the fact that the Coal Exchange next door has been undergoing a long-term renovation, or perhaps because years of managerial neglect have sucked the life out of Mermaid Quay, ensuring less nearby footfall – even the promised £50m renovation in the area feels more like one of those sky-high plans that real estate suits come up with every few years here in the Cardiff but amount to no concrete change. Nevertheless, Sunflower & I is a real beauty in Cardiff, and certainly one of the prettiest restaurants/cafes going.

It feels rather like some 1920s-era Mitteleuropan café, and the décor – flowery, art deco-inspired, with suitcases and chairs seemingly glued on the wall above you makes the venue deliciously pleasant to sit in. The recent addition of lounge-type music sessions on Sunday evenings is a great touch, even if they occur when the kitchen is closed; it’s worth coming down just for these, with the piano and instruments placed centrally in the venue.

The food is Polish, which is typically hearty and full of stews, pastries and meats (not far off British food), but with arguably a wider variety of flavours thanks to regional influence. Prices are fair, with mains landing between £7.50 and £12.50 and platters at £13.50, and the quality is uniformly excellent. Our party of four gorged on sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi (cooked just right with the filling succulent and rich), breaded pork chop (I’m a sucker for these things, and aside from the a small section of the cut being somewhat chewy, the fry was great), Breton-style beans (more filling than they looked), and breaded chicken breast roulade (also great).

Dessert consisted of two poppyseed cakes, one Viennese cheesecake and one Cracovian cheesecake. Aside from our bickering over what constitutes the difference between Viennese and Cracovian cheesecake, they were all superb once again. Added to the fact that the multilingual waiter was able to take orders in both Serbian and Portuguese (the lingua franca of our table), it was hard not to be impressed. FEDOR TOT

STIWDIO 3

High Street, Cardigan 01239 758088 / www.makeitinwales.co.uk/stiwdio3 Food ***** Atmosphere ***** Stiwdio 3 is full of life and activity as we step into Cardigan’s latest, and most individual, eatery. These days it’s not unusual to see a cafe with art for sale, or a gallery with somewhere to eat, or a craft shop that runs workshops. At Stiwdio 3, all of this is happening under one roof, at once, with a singular vision of a collaborative Wales that brings people, practitioners and produce together.

The first area of this open-plan space that we see is the shop. There is a small till point tucked away in the corner and a young lady reading on a stool next to it. There’s no need to hardsell the quality products on sale here. There’s everything from artist prints, craft kits and biodegradable food wrappers on display and all of it made in Wales. We buy a magazine by local photographer, Leia Morrison.

A large round sign at the far end of the cafe displays the maxim Make It In Wales: the name, in fact, of the Community Interest Company behind Stiwdio 3. A name that challenges you to get involved with various workshops (paper marbling, open spine bookbinding or coatmaking from Welsh wool tweed, to name three).

The cafe itself is cleverly spread across four spaces and three levels but all within easy earshot of an open kitchen. There are large family tables on the ground floor and intimate tables for two on the gallery above or cwtch below.

We are tempted to sit nearest the kitchen by a beautiful array of cakes atop the counter. From the Sunday morning brunch menu we order Turkish eggs, a bacon sandwich and vegan French toast with caramelised banana. All excellent.

Two hours later we tuck into the cakes accompanied by a coffee that is really exceptional.

In between courses we make a visit to the beautiful gallery above. A stunning space, full of light. A little place of quiet above the bustle below that gives local artists every opportunity to Make It In Wales.

JOHN-PAUL DAVIES BUZZ 52

Pic: Foodie Factor Pexels

health

N E W - T R I T I O N PA R T 4 Anxiety around weight-loss and crash dieting can lead to a yo-yoing health.

This month, Jonathan Sutton looks at how simply just making concrete decisions can help you to begin with.

Do you really want to be ‘the healthiest version of you’? Or do you actually just want to look good on the beach?

Let’s face it, we all say that we want to live a more healthy life, but when it comes down to taking advice and action, many of us seem to choose a path entirely detrimental to our long-term health – often favouring a fast track to vanity over a true lifestyle change. Maybe we need a six-pack for that trip to Ibiza, or perhaps we just have to fit into that dress for the wedding of the season.

Indeed, even if many of us do want to eventually live longer, move more and feel better, we often seem to lack the motivation to change unless it makes us look better. A recent study by the BBC reported that some 13 million British people are on a permanent diet. And many of those looking for a shortcut have turned to the quick fixes offered by fasting and crash diets which could lead to a dramatic drop in health, or at least energy levels, alongside the drop in weight.

So, whilst fasting or crashing will almost always serve to reduce the waistline temporarily, which of the latest diet trends or food types is actually best for longterm weight loss or health benefit?

The answer may in fact be none. Neuroscientist and nutritional expert Stephan Guyenet, in a recent debate with Gary Taubes (a low-carb researcher), stated on the Joe Rogan Podcast that after a two-week period of overfeeding one group with fat and another with carbohydrates, both groups “gained the exact same amount of body fat”.

This study was questioned for its short turnaround time (two weeks isn’t long enough in the eyes of Taubes and other experts), yet Guyenet would have expected at least a small sign that carbs are the culprit. But none whatsoever? If wider studies off the back of this trial give similar results, it could change everything we currently think about low-carb diets.

Whilst it is true that fans of the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carb) have claimed massive weight loss results, backed up by a Harvard study, the scientists involved admitted giving the subjects a low-calorie version of the keto diet which could just as easily account for the weight loss. Similarly, at first glance, advice on the Healthline website might suggest ‘vegan’ is the way to go if you’re looking to shed those pounds: “It’s thought that going vegan may lead to reducing the number of high-calorie foods you consume.”

But notice the wording: the only suggestion for potential weight loss is that you may choose to take on less high-calorie foods. It doesn’t claim that the food itself will actually help. The most likely explanation for weight loss across all diets could be down to the ditching of heavily-processed foods. Any foods with excess carbohydrates (usually from sugar or wheat), though perhaps not any more likely to add weight to your belly if eaten in the same volumes as ‘clean’ meat and vegetables, can often contain many hidden calories. It can then be difficult to stop eating and can cause a hunger crash an hour after doing so.

But if you’ve opted for a meat-based, plant-based or any other kind of diet, you’ve probably chosen to take your general health more seriously. So, the chances are you’ve ditched these ‘treats’ in favour of foods with a longer, but less immediate, satiation period. And perhaps you’ve also started to exercise more, giving your body a massive boost in the balancing of the calorie books. The data suggests that the anecdotal evidence of people losing weight thanks to a sudden change in the types of food they eat can more likely be attributed to the things they’ve stopped eating than started. Because, if the most recent studies into weight loss are to be believed, watching calories-in versus calories-out was all you ever needed to do.

BUZZ 53

HANG FIRE SOUTHERN KITCHEN Road tripping across America, discovering a passion for Southern-style barbequing, and why Dolly Parton’s the unofficial patron saint of this Barry restaurant. Shauna Guinn of Hang Fire talks to Oliver R. Moore-Howells about her foodie adventures.

Sitting round having lunch with Dolly Parton, Freddie Mercury and Michelle Obama in the seaside town of Barry? Hang Fire Southern Kitchen’s co-owner, Shauna Guinn, is adamant. “I think about that question all the time,” she says, mulling her dream dinner guestlist. After all, it was her love of Dolly that led Guinn and her business partner Samantha Evans on a life-changing trip to the other side of the world.

“She’s the queen of country and the unofficial patron saint of Hang Fire – a massive inspiration! Not just as a musician, but as a woman, especially in regards to women’s empowerment.” As for Michelle Obama, says Guinn, “she’s the coolest living woman on the planet” – her championing of women’s rights and what’s she’s done for young girls also duly noted.

Chipper as she talks to Buzz, the passion in Guinn’s voice is evident.

Unsurprising, since the pair have hit what our American cousins would call paydirt. Armed with nothing but an abiding love of country music and a vague idea concerning a food business, a few years back Guinn, a former social worker, and graphic designer Evans set off on a coast-to-coast road trip across the USA where they discovered a new direction for their lives.

“We decided to quit our careers and go to the Deep South to meet Dolly Parton,” she says. “We knew we wanted to set up a food business, and when we arrived, we were just so intoxicated by all the barbeques we saw taking place along the roadside and all the people they attracted. I mean, who doesn’t want to light a fire for a living?

Have gorgeous hunks of meat, stick something in the smoker and play guitar with your friends over a few beers? It’s a really easy thing to fall in love with!”

It was Franklin Barbecue in Austin which truly changed their lives, leaving them fixin’ to bring their idea back to Wales. Fast forward a few years and you’ll likely know just how well that road trip went. Starting off as a street food pop-up, Hang Fire is now a well-established restaurant that took 1,300 bookings within its first 24 hours of opening and now runs a four-month waiting list. They’ve also released BUZZ 54

The Hang Fire Cookbook and a cooking series called Sam And Shauna’s Big Cook-Out (whose second series is currently on the BBC, whilst having recently been commissioned for a third). You’d be wrong, however, if you think the latter’s all about the Yankee dollar.

“We didn’t want to make a cooking show just for the sake of it. It’s more about shining a light on amazing volunteer communities across Wales – groups such as the Clwyd Special Riding Centre and Deri Diamonds Ladies RFC. It all happens for real. It’s not just for the telly.”

Since last speaking to Buzz, they’ve also won an Observer Food Monthly award, for Best Restaurant, and a Great British Entrepreneur Of The Year award. Still, Shauna’s the first to admit she didn’t know much about the food business when they started. “What I always say to people is, because we’re not from the food industry, I learnt how to run a restaurant from watching Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares whilst learning to run a business from Dragon’s Den!” Despite this, the pair have landed on their feet. Specialising in the many cuisines connected to the South – French, Creole, Cajun, African and Italian – by way of brisket, hot links, chicken and waffles and so forth, Shauna struggles to pick a personal favourite. “That would be like a parent choosing one of their favourite children!”

So, if you’re wanting to relax Southern-style and get as fat as a tick, pay a visit to Hang Fire. The waiting list’s as long as the slow-cooking method, but nothing good comes easy: if you’re looking, you ain’t cooking…

Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, The Pumphouse, Barry.

Info: www.hangfiresouthernkitchen.com Series Two of Sam and Shauna’s Big Cook-Out is on weekly on BBC and on iPlayer

CARDIFF FESTIVAL

OF WELLBEING 22.06.19

CITY HALL CARDIFF

26-28/7/2019 Caerphilly's Big Cheese has a

Y Caws Mawr Caerffili – gwedd

new layout & a new feel

newydd a theimlad newydd

Street Food Vendors

26/7

Traeth Trefol

Live Lounge Bar Area

4pm - 10pm

Ardal Bar Lolfa

Urban Beach

Gerddoriaeth Fyw

27/7 &

Gwerthwyr Bwyd Stryd

Demonstrations

28/7

Arddangosiadau Coginio

Three HUGE

10am - 6pm

Tair Neuadd Fwyd

Cookery

Food Halls!

ENFAWR!

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD AND PRODUCTS

NATURAL THERAPIES

Hotline/Llinell Frys 029 2088 0011 www.bigcheesecaerphilly.co.uk www.caerffilicawsmawr.co.uk @ VISIT CAERPHILLY

NATURAL MAKE UP AND SKINCARE

11/5/2019 9am-5pm

FREE TALKS AND CLASSES YOGA ZONE MUSIC DRUMMING CHILL OUT SPACE

£5

SS DAY PAnc e in adva

Pay on the door for £6 or book in advance and avoid the queues at

Caerphilly Town Centre Over 100 Food & Drink Stalls Street Entertainment Cookery Demonstrations Cheese Market Cra t & Art Stalls

Canol Tref Caerffili Dros 100 o Stondinau Bwyd a Diod Adloniant Stryd Arddangosiadau Coginio Marchnad Gaws Stondinau Celf a Cref t

www.visionforliving.co.uk

22 June, City Hall Cardiff CF10 3ND 10.30am – 5pm Cardiff-Festival-of-Wellbeing www.visionforliving.co.uk

Hotline/Llinell frys 029 2088 0011 www.caer hillyfoodfestival.co.uk

@ VISIT CAERPHILLY

www.gwylfwydcaerffili.co.uk

lifestyle

D O G F U R - I E N D LY W A L E S Sometimes, a trip with your pooch can be a problem – so Poppy Manning’s rounded up some of the finest dog-friendly places to get to with your best friend.

THE PONTYPOOL AND BLAENAVON RAILWAY

Blaenavon Stopping at the dog-friendly Whistle Inn, with a tea room on board that allows dogs in, this rail route is a great way to see Wales, whilst learning about its industrial history. Although the dog might not take as much interest in that.

Info: www.pbrly.co.uk

CRAIG Y NOS CASTLE

Craig Y Nos, Brecon Beacons Not only is this castle-slash-hotel surrounded by incredible views and walking trails, the entirety of the experience is based around bringing dog-lovers together. www.craigynoscastle.com

THE WOODLANDS TAVERN

Chepstow There’s plenty to see when visiting the Woodlands Tavern, what with being in one of Wales’ more picturesque towns, with plenty of history around. The pub welcomes anyone into the pub including the well-behaved four-legged kind. www.thewoodlandstavern.co.uk

CINEMA WITH YOUR DOG

Cinema & Co, Swansea Cinema & Co are an independent film house who host a night each month where you can take your dog, cuddle up and watch a film. The décor is very cosy and you’re sat on a sofa-style pallet, so there’s no uncomfortable arm in-between. www.cinemaco.co.uk BUZZ 56

BRECON CANAL BOATS

Llangattock, near Crickhowell If you fancy rolling down the river in a houseboat around the beautiful Beacons, then doing so with Brecon Canal Boats allows you to do so with your dog.

Alongside the canals there are plenty of paths for you to hike and explore. Even better, your dog gets to stay for free and you’re supplied with a dog towel to wipe them down after that sudden dip in the water! www.beaconparkboats.com

ACTION PETZ

Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate, Newport A huge indoor play-park designed specifically for dogs, located in Newport with a Cardiff branch hoping to open. Weather can be an unpredictable thing in Wales, natch, but you can visit Action Petz any time and guarantee your dog a run around. They also host events most months to go along to or take part in as well as providing a doggy day care service and dog-training classes. www.actionpetz.com

MUMBLES PIER

Mumbles, Gower Peninsula Going the extra (Mumbles) mile in making sure your pet isn’t missing out on pierbased fun, this is a great place to visit after a long walk on the adjacent beach.

With a regular social media winner for ‘dog of the week’, the café also has their own doggy ice cream with different flavours for you to choose from, so they’re never left out on the treats. www.mumbles-pier.co.uk

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travel

The Majestic Bus

FLAIR BnB Wales is beautiful enough as it is, but it gets even better when you combine with some of the places you can stay around the country.

Poppy Manning rounds up some of the most unique.

GEODOME

Talachddu, near Brecon Beacons Escaping all your worries and leaving technology behind, The Geodome looks like a mini Eden Project and relies solely on natural lighting, with only candles and lanterns for the evenings. A wind-up radio and board games provide the entertainment; this unique stay is perfect for a couples’ retreat where you can relax in front of a woodburning stove in armchairs looking up to the stars.

Guide price: £485 for 3 nights. Info: www.argoedbarns.co.uk

MELIN NEWYDD WINDMILL

Tynlon, Anglesey A restored windmill situated in the countryside of Anglesey. Inside the luxury décor will make you feel at home, but there’s the unique layout of the area as well, with a spiral staircase curling throughout. A balcony on the third floor provides views for miles, perfect for the holiday snaps.

Guide price: from £505 for 7 nights. Info: www.cottages.com

DEN BY THE STREAM

Llangoedmor, near Cardigan You reach a certain age where you think it’s only children that want to sleep in dens and treehouses, and then you realise that, actually, there’s few things better.

This Peter Pan-esque escape brings those childhood memories alive. Waking up in the morning to sounds of the stream, the Den By The Stream also shares its back garden with otters and badgers.

Guide price: £320 for 3 nights. Info: www.canopyandstars.co.uk

BUZZ 58

THE JET STAR

Redberth, Pembrokeshire Once a private plane that would have carried nine passengers, The Jet Star is an experience like no other with most of its original features still intact.

Recommended for a couple or a small family of four, facilities include an Xbox in the cockpit to stay entertained! No turbulence to be found here.

Guide price: £125 per night. Info: www.applecamping.co.uk

THE MAJESTIC BUS

Radnorshire Hills, near Hay-on-Wye Keeping it all love and peace and taking you back to the 1960s, the Majestic Bus oversees panoramic views over green valleys. The bus has a handcrafted kitchen with a wood-burning stove, camping at its finest and completely unique.

Guide price: £245 for 2 nights. Info: www.majesticbus.co.uk

HOBBIT HOUSE

Pengenffordd, Brecon Beacons Live out your Lord Of The Rings dream by staying in a Hobbit House, without the threat of marauding orcs or Ringwraiths, whilst taking in the special views available. Even if you’re not inclined to the odd fantasy film here or there, this is a space you’ll want to stay in.

Guide price: £60 per night. Info: www.airbnb.co.uk

Pics: Bob Bixley

sport

SPORTS ROUNDUP A global tournament is coming to Wales this summer, but it’s not the rugby one! Rhys Fisher looks ahead to the ICC Cricket World Cup, plus other treats for sports fans this May. CRICKET WORLD CUP

SSE SWALEC, Cardiff, Thurs 30 May-Sun 14 July England and Wales are to host the ICC Cricket World Cup from late May. For those of us residing west of the Severn Bridge, the tournament has perhaps flown under the radar: although in its entirety the team name reads ‘England and Wales’, it is usually shortened to just the former, and has always felt more like an English team.

In fact, you’d have to go back to the heroics of Simon and Geraint Jones during the historic 2005 Ashes series victory to find a Welshman who has represented the England and Wales side. Unfortunately, this trend does not appear to show any sign of being bucked, with Glamorgan languishing near the bottom of Division Two in the County Championship.

However, Wales will still be playing a big part in the tournament, with the SWALEC stadium in Sophia Garden playing host to four fixtures throughout June. Although England’s match against the inconsistent yet dangerous Bangladesh will undoubtedly be the most eagerly anticipated, for neutrals the clash between Sri Lanka and New Zealand could be a great one. Both sides will enter the tournament under the enviable billing of ‘dark horses’, and will make this game to make a statement of intent.

England will be rightful favourites for the tournament. With home field advantage, and a batting lineup that has gotten used to chasing down 300+ for fun, they’ve climbed to number one in the ICC world rankings, with every intention of banishing the demons of 2015, where they failed to make it out of the group stages.

CARDIFF FIXTURES

New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Sat 1 June Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, Tue 4 June England v Bangladesh, Sat 8 June (sold out) South Africa v Afghanistan, Sat 15 June Tickets: from £18 (£6 child). Info: www.cricketworldcup.com

BUZZ 60

WWE

Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Fri 17 May Fresh from a historic Wrestlemania that saw the first ever women’s main event, WWE bring their unique blend of athleticism and showmanship to Cardiff this month. With a rumoured lineup that includes newly crowned Universal Champion Seth Rollins, and his former Shield brother Roman Reigns, as well as both the men’s and women’s tag team titles being contested, it promises to be a great show for casuals and hardcore fans alike. With this being a fine showcase for some of the most talented wrestlers in the world, and the Motorpoint Arena provides a great venue to witness this up close and personal.

Tickets: £41-£75. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

MONSTER JAM

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 18 May Time once more for the Principality Stadium to trade in men built like trucks thundering into each other for actual trucks thundering into each other, when Monster Jam returns to Cardiff for its yearly pilgrimage of wonderment and destruction. The hallowed turf will be replaced with an obstacle course fit for giants, as these behemoths perform flips and stunts that leave viewers questioning the laws of physics. With the return of favourites such as Megalodon and Grave Digger, this year’s show seems set on continuing Monster Jam’s streak of providing one of the most utterly unique forms of entertainment on the planet.

Tickets: from £15. Info: 08442 777888 / principalitystadium.wales

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

VICTORIA

New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 21-Sat 25 May Tickets: £14-£34. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk Not regularly found staging ballet performances, Cardiff’s New Theatre is however the setting for Victoria, the latest production by Northern Ballet.

Indeed, the venue hosted a 2018 production by the Leeds company, Jane Eyre, as part of its UK tour, and Victoria too can be expected to provide a splice of innovative, high-level choreography and a well-known, 19thcentury-derived narrative.

Albeit with a caveat: the Victoria of the title is Queen Victoria, and this interpretation of her regal life is told by Beatrice, her youngest daughter, who reads her mother’s diaries. This allows for a sizeable cast, so as to accommodate both the pomp of a Victorian royal household and the monarch’s lumpen subjects, and sequences which portray events from the past – the diary entries – as well as Beatrice’s real-time reaction to them.

Both mother and daughter are struck by romance: in Victoria’s case, with the man who would become Prince Albert and father her nine children, an exhausting pattern of nativity which Victoria seeks to highlight. Likewise, his death in 1861 left her widowed for 40 years, and in an essentially permanent state of mourning.

Cathy Marston, also responsible for Jane Eyre, is again head choreographer for this ballet. Straddling innovation and accessibility, Victoria should prove suitably opulent while remaining emotionally resonant.

CONTENTS pg 62 pg 63 pg 66 pg 70 pg 75

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 61

* – recommended

art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Linda Jane James ‘Indefinity’ A single work – not actually certain of its medium – created over one year and commenting on waste, accumulation and productivity. (Until Mon 6 May) In My Shoes Arts Council touring show examinng how British artists – notable names featured including Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Rachel McLean – have presented their own image in their work. (Until Sun 12 May) Kate Haywood Olion/ Traces: The Language Of Clay’ Touring ceramics exhibition from Mission Gallery in Swansea. (Until Sun 9 June) Borth Arts Exhibition of mixed media work by Borth Arts, a group of artists living and working in Borth and Ynyslas. (Until Thurs 13 June) ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth.

Free. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.

01970 622467 / www.aber. ac.uk Print Rebels: Haden, Palmer, Whistler & The Origins Of The RE Touring exhibition from The Royal Society Of PainterPrintmakers and Bankside Gallery. (Until Fri 3 May) Degree Exhibition And Postgraduate Exhibition (From Sat 18 until Thurs 30 May) Classic/Romantic: Works From The School Of Art Collection Curated by undergraduate students here who are doing a module titled Curating An Exhibition: Researching, Interpreting, Displaying. (From Mon 20

May until Fri 30 Aug) ALBANY GALLERY 74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com Dai David, Peter Morgan & Robert Sawtell Three artists with very different painting styles, all however inspired by the beaches and harbours of the Welsh coast.

(Until Sun 4 May) Maggie Brown Pembrokeshire based artist whose work is created in response to the intimate engagement and ‘feelings’ she has with this precious landscape. Also on show: ceramicsd by Daniel Wright. (From Fri 9 May until Sat 1 June) ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHEINIOG) Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk Damaged Not Destroyed The Divergent Contemporary Art Collective – Susan Matthews, Rainier Lericolais, Jules Nerbard, Fi Latus, Mark Ingram and Anne Songstagen – presents an exhibition of mixed media work exploring how we may struggle through the experiences, challenges and traumas of life and triumph through adversity. (Until Sun 19 May) Similarities And Differences Artwork by Members of Powys People First in collaboration with Theatr Wildcats. (From Sat 25 May until Sat 29 June) ARCADECARDIFF / CAMPFA GALLERY Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. arcadecardiffcic@gmail.com / www.arcadecardiff.co.uk Jessica Akerman Artist and maker whose work is inspired by social histories; this show will be located in the Campfa

gallery and will feature all-new work, responding to the shopping centre location. (Until Sat 4 May) ART CENTRAL Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Free. 01446 709805.

Open Books – Chinese Folding Books And Works On Paper Collaboration with BayArt in Cardiff Bay, and their current show Paper Exchange, this features work from a variety of artists including Mary Husted, who devised the concept. (Until Sat 11 May) Keith Moore ‘A Year In The Life Of Barry’ Photographer who has spent recent months capturing ordinary people and scenes in this very town. (From Sat 18 May until Sat 1 June) ATTIC GALLERY 37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am4.30pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Peter Cronin, Michael Howard & Nick John Rees Work by these three artists.

(From Sat 4 until Sat 25 May) BARNABAS ARTS HOUSE New Ruperra Street, Pillgwenlly, Newport. Free.

01633 673739 / barnabasartshouse@ outlook.com / barnabasartshouse.co.uk Alex Arnell ‘Human Conditioned’ New work from a London-based artist known for his street art in and around Brick Lane; here he presents a selection of unconventional portraits. (Throughout May) BAYART 54 B/C Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2065 0016 / www.bayart.org.uk Paper Exchange Drawingbased show borne of crosscultural dialogue between British and Chinese artists, namely Chen Xujiang, Chen Yan, Guan

MAGGIE BROWN Albany Gallery, Cardiff, Fri 9 May-Sat 1 June Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery.com Pembrokeshire painter Maggie Brown is the sort of artist that this Roathbased gallery likes to place on a pedestal: that is to say, one who works with tried and true methods but enacts them in striking, non-obvious ways. Inspired by, and most often depicting, local landscapes and weather-related phenomena, Brown’s pieces attempt to convey her emotional closeness with the natural world, while using a variety of wilfully imprecise markmaking techniques. A regular inclusion in Albany Gallery’s mixed artist exhibitions, this is a solo show but has bonus material in the form of Daniel Wright’s attractive ceramics [pictured].

BUZZ 62

Huaibin, Gu Rong, Huang Jun, Hua Jun, Shi Bing, Xi Wang, Zhang Hao, Zhou Jin, Iwan Bala, Richard Cox, Ifor Davies, Dave Gould, Mary Husted, Sue Hunt, Maggie James, Philip Nicol, Valerie Coffin Price, Lois Williams and Sue Williams.

(Until Fri 3 May) CASTELL COCH Tongwynlais, nr Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. 02920 810101 / castellcoch@gov. wales Laura Ford ‘Squatters’ A series of over 20 new sculptures in bronze, jesmonite and ceramic, and clothed in wool and felt; located inside this castle, created in partnership with Cadw and presented by Gallery/Ten. (Until Mon 6 May) 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 Freya Dooley ‘The Song Settles Inside The Body It Borrows’ Multi-screen audiovisual work which explores how music can affect the mind and takes as its starting point the 1876 short story A Literary Nightmare by Mark Twain. Dooley also has work featured as the Art In The Bar artist at the moment, I believe, but I don’t have any further details. (Until Tue 28 May) CHEPSTOW MUSEUM Gwy House, Bridge Street, Chepstow. Daily 11am-4pm.

Free. 01291 625981 / www. monmouthshire.gov.uk/ chepstow-museum Stuffed, Pickled & Pinned A delightful-sounding (assuming you can stick taxidermy and the like) collection of natural history objects compiled from other museums across Wales. (Until July) CRAFT IN THE BAY The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free. 029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales.org.uk Trees That Make...

Artworks created from elements of trees – carved from tree trunks, printed from leaves or constructed from bark, thorns and seeds.

(Until Sun 19 May) TRacey Watkins Maker in Focus exhibition featuring a new collection of leather bags. (From Sat 11 May until Sun 23 June) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE 226 Stow Hill, Newport.

Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Conor Elliott ‘Babble’ Surreal photographic takes on old Dutch still lifes. (Until Sun 5 May) Journeys: A To C Work from a diverse group of artists who exhibit as A Shared Walk, and who celebrate individual journeys through internal and external landscapes. (From Sun 19 May until Sun 16 June) CYFARTHFA CASTLE MUSEUM Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon

Rd, Merthyr Tydfil. 01685 727371 / museum@ merthyr.gov.uk Open Art Exhibition 2019 First show of this type in this gallery, promising a wide range of professional and amateur artists. (Until Sun 23 June) ELYSIUM GALLERY 16 College Street, Swansea.

Wed-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www.elysiumgallery.com Ruth Murray’ Good Morning, Midnight’ See Art for more on this show by British painter Murray. (Until Sat 11 May) FOUNTAIN FINE ART Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com David Grosvenor & Duncan Johnson North and south Wales landscapes described in oil and watercolour respectively. (Until Sat 11 May) Gareth Thomas Thirty new paintings of Wales and Provence from a highly respected figure in Welsh landscape painting; this, say the gallery, may be his last exhibition of new work due to declining health. (From Sat 18 May until Sat 8 June) G39 Oxford Street, Roath, Cardiff. Saturdays 11am5.30pm. Free. 029 2047 3633 / post@g39.org Rumblestrip Group exhibition featuring Emanuel Almborg, Paul Eastwood , Nooshin Farhid, James Moore, Paula Morison and Jessica Warboys. The loose, implcit theme is one of heeding danger ahead and uncertain futures, expressed via documentary photography, film, painting, video and text. (From Fri 3 May until Sat 13 July) Tom Cardew ‘Love Hangover’ Installation im which “a series of linked narratives are played by computer-generated avatars” with ghostly, disembodied voices. (From Fri 3 May until Sat 13 July) 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 Spring Showcase Work from invited artists who take their inspiration from the landscapes and seascapes of Wales, includiung a special profile slot for Bryony Rich.

(Until Sat 8 June) THE GATE Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk Phrame Collective ‘As We See It’ Diffusion Festival exhibition showcasing this new female photography collective.

(Until Fri 17 May) GLYNN VIVIAN ART GALLERY Alexandra Rd, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Free.

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

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Then & Now: 80 Years Of CASW Since 1938, the Contemporary Art Society For Wales has acquired around 900 works by 500 artists, now held in public collections across Wales. This exhibition will include works including David Jones and Glenys Cour.

Curated by Dr Peter Wakelin.

(Until Sun 12 May) Phytopia Film, photography, sculpture and painting based on the concept of the ‘tree of life’.

Includes pieces by Derek Jarman, Paul De Monchaux and Rasheed Araeen alongside 19th century nature orints (Until Sun 26 May) INSOLE COURT Fairwater Road, Llandaff, Cardiff. Daily 10am-5pm.

Free. 029 2116 7920 / www. insolecourt.org Roath Botanic Gardewn Artists Paintings and prints from artists including Louise Young, Helen Lush, Jill Schoenmann, Sally Williams, Pat Gregory and Ginny Brink.

(From Wed 8 May until Sun 30 June) KING STREET GALLERY 33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@kingstreetgallery. co.uk New Beginnings Work by Aberystwyth Printmakers featuring a diversity of printmaking techniques including linocut, woodcut, etching, screenprinting and lithography. (Until Wed 15 May) THE LITTLE MAN COFFEE COMPANY Ivor House, Bridge Street, Cardiff. 07933 844234 / www.littlemancoffee.co.uk.

Adam Whitmore ‘Expired

By Cardiff’ Photography documenting the city of the title, with Whitmore – exhibiting his work for the first time – using a range of vintage cameras. (Until Sat 25 May) LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Ingrid Murphy ‘Seen And Unseen’ Sculptural/ceramic work in clay, as previously seen in Swansea’s Mission Gallery (and this magazine’s Art pages). (Until Sat 11 May) Jin Eui Kim Pieces showing the development of tonal clays and techniques towards new artworks. (Until Sat 11 May) Janine Partington Craft showcase exploring mark making through the carving and painting of leathers. (Until Sat 11 May) Monique JeffreyJones Jewellery showcase inspired by the Cornish moorlands. (Until Sat 11 May) Cerys Jackson Prints inspired by native wildflowers.

(Until Sat 11 May) M.A.D.E. GALLERY 41 Lochaber St, Cardiff.

Wed-Sat 10am-6pm. Free.

029 2047 3373.

Viridis Group exhibition of selected emerging and established artists from South Wales in celebration of spring. (Until Sun 5 May) The Way We See

It Graduate show from final year BA Hons Photographic Practice students at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Bridgend College. (From Thurs 9 until Sat 18 May) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

029 2064 1411 / mtg@ artwales.com Susan Gathercole & Sigrid Müller New paintings from two Wales-based artists: Gathercole was born in Glasgow but lives near Llanberis, while Müller is a German who moved to Swansea over 20 years ago.

(From Thurs 2 May until Thurs 6 June) MISSION GALLERY Gloucester Place, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free.

01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Sian Addicott [...] Space exhibition taking an activistlike approach to curation, aimng “to enhance the volume of voices that rarely get heard in contexts like public galleries.” (Until Sat 1 June) Thibault Brunet Jane Phillips Award International Residency show for a French artist who looks here at photography’s role in an increasingly digitalised world.

(Until Sat 1 June) Alastair Duncan Maker In Focus show for an artist working with tapestry weaving and digital media. (Until Sat 1 June) NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / museum.wales/cardiff Leonardo Da Vinci: A Life In Drawing £5/£4/free under16s. Twelve drawings from the Royal Collection’s... collection of Da Vinci works, also part of a year-long commemoration of 500 years since his death. See Art. (Until Mon 6 May) David Nash ‘Sculpture Through The Seasons’ Important British sculptor with an exhibition marking 50 years of working from the same studio, a chapel in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

(From Fri 3 May until Sun 1 Sept) NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am-5pm.

Free. 029 2057 3600/ museum.wales/swansea Welsh Music Legends Exhibition charting the making of an interactive book by pupils from Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn school and Cwmrhydyceirw Primary, featuring both feature famous Welsh musicians and songs recorded by the pupils. I would like to hear the songs. (Until Mon 6 May) Pobl Discover the stories of people who have shaped the way in which this museum has evolved and its role as a community space.

(Until Sun 29 Sept) Self/ Place Poetry and artwork members of charity Crisis considering themselves and their place in the world. (From Mon 13 May until Sun 14 July)

NORWEGIAN CHURCH ARTS CENTRE Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm. Free.

029 2087 7959 / www. norwegianchurchcardiff. com The Gallery Gift Shop A collaboration of artists, artisans, crafters and photographers from around South Wales offering their products at this exhibition-cum-pop-up.

(Until Sun 12 May) Louise Clough ‘Fluffy Love’ Artist based in Llantrisant and who makes specifically Walesthemed art. (From Mon 20 May until Sun 2 June) ORIEL CANFAS Glamorgan Street, Canton, Cardiff. Tue-Fri 1-4.30pm, Sat 10.30am-4.30pm. 029 2066 6455 / www. orielcanfas.co.uk Tony Goble ‘Visionary Voyager’ A rare opportunity to see a collection by this artist, who died in 2007. (Until Sat 18 May) ORIEL CRIC Beaufort Street, Crickhowell. Mon-Sat 10am5pm, Sun 10am-1pm. Free.

01873 813669.

Spring Exhibition Annual mixed exhibition showcasing the work of regional and visiting artists. (Until Mon 20 May) Open Art Exhibition Annual show here, always popular.

(From Fri 24 May until Sun 7 July) ORIEL DAVIES The Park, Newtown, Powys.

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm.

Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@orieldavies.org Anna Falcini ‘In Between The Folds Are Particles’ New work by Falcini featuring film, drawing, photography, sound work and object-based installation borne out of five years of researching late Welsh artist Gwen John – presented as a ‘conversation’ between the two. (Until Wed 5 June) ORIEL JOANNA FIELD Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free.

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Hazel Morris & Friends ‘Pembrokeshire An Inspiration’ A diverse collection of 2D artwork and photography by a selection of likeminded artists living in Pembrokeshire. (From Mon 6 until Fri 31 May) ORIEL MYRDDIN Church Lane, Carmarthen.

01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk Angela Maddock: ‘Sometimes All You Can Do Is Walk’ The results of a challenge undertaken by Maddock, namely to walk to Middlesbrough from somewhere in the Midlands; she sent material seen or collected during her journey back to the gallery at regular intervals. (Until Sat 11 May) Rose Teleri Pembrokeshirebased jeweller and artist who works with silver. (Until Sat 11 May) Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth ‘Walking the Line’ Duo known collabo-

ratively as Forest + Found, who produce sculptural and wall-based works influenced by landscape and blurring the distinction between art and function. (From Sat 18 May until Sat 6 July) 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 1SSUE International Collaborative artist books made over 2 decades, with a focus on 1SSUE 41 containing work by artists working with film, soundscapes, textiles, paintings, prints, drawings and experimental creative writing.

(Until Fri 7 June) QUEEN STREET GALLERY Queen Street, Neath. WedSat 10am-4pm. Free. 01639 631081/ www. queenstgallery.co.uk Bert Evans Portraits and landscapes, all new works by local painter Evans. (From Fri 3 until Sat 25 May) REDHOUSE Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@

Tue-Sun 10am-4.30pm.

Free. 01792 653763 / www. swanseamuseum.co.uk Cefn Coed Remembered Subtitled An Exhibition Exploring The Working Life And Patient Care At Cefn Coed Hospital From 1932 To Present Day, which should cover it for this listing’s purpose. (Until Sun 9 June) TENBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk Olivia Argent ‘The Journey’ New and old oil paintings, line drawings featuring ink and large wall hangings on mulberry leaf paper, inspired by Argent’s main vocation, dance and ballet. (Until Sun 19 May) Anna Warchus Ceramics. (From Fri 24 May until Sun 30 June) THEATR HAFREN Llanidloes Road, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625007 / thehafren.co.uk Julia Wilson Illustrator who works in a photographic style using pencil, pen and ink, watercolours, acrylics, clay, photography and a variety of

The Cwtsh Gallery in Newport has a group exhibition featuring work by members of A Shared Walk. As per their name, their art centres on journeys through landscapes, and is here from Sun 19 May until Sun 16 June. redhousecymru.com Alan Perry ‘From Aberfan To Grenfell’ An exhibition of illustrations by Perry, accompanied by poems in Merthyr dialect by Mike Jenkins. (Until Sat 4 May) ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMA Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat + Sun 10am-4pm. Free. 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk Giant Props Exhibiton Items created by our Design For Performance students following a four-week prop making project. (From Wed 8 May until Sat 1 June) SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE Singleton St, Swansea.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

01792 475715 / www. swanseagrand.co.uk UWTSD BA Graphic Design Graduate Exhibition Work by this year’s crop of graduating Swansea students, as is the case for the show following this one. (From Fri 3 until Mon 13 May) UWTSD BA Graphic Design Graduate Exhibition (From Fri 17 until Thurs 30 May) SWANSEA MUSEUM Victoria Road, Swansea.

craft materials. (Until Wed 31 July) TOWER GALLERY 49 High Street, Crickhowell.

Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Robert Macdonald Painter, printmaker and current president of the Royal Watercolour Society Of Wales. Also showing work by all members of the Usk Valley Artists’ Co-operative.

(Until Sat 18 May) VICTORIA FEARN GALLERY 6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm.

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Lustre Multi-artist, mixed media show whose theme is also the title of the exhibition.

Easter-themed gifts will also be for sale. (Until Sat 11 May) VOLCANO THEATRE 27-29 High Street, Swansea.

Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Free.

01792 464790 / www. volcanotheatre.co.uk Geraint James Davies ‘Matter, Geometry And The Imagination’ Multidisciplinary exhibition which looks at the – perhaps unappreciated – potential of using one’s imagination in the fields of science. (From Fri 3 until Fri 17 May)

WEST WHARF GALLERY Jacobs Market, Cardiff.

Thurs-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. westwharfgallery@gmail. com Fragments Work showcasing the University Of South Wales MA Arts Practice course in Fine Art and Arts, Health and Wellbeing. Opening night on the Thursday is from 6-8pm.

(From Thurs 9 until Sat 11 May) WORKERS GALLERY 99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, nr Porth. 11am-4.30pm Thurs-Sat and by appointment. Free. 01443 682024 / wood4tt@gmail.com Paul Cabuts ‘Chapel’ Photographic exhibition, part of the Diffusion Festival, which looks at how the chapels near the Workers Gallery have played a significant role in the lives of individuals and the local community. (Until Sat 18 May) Selected Artists Group Show Featuring Chris Griffin, Chris Williams, Louise Collis, Melanie Honebone and Luz Erika Chick. (Until Sat 18 May)

clubs ABERGAVENNY CASTLE Castle Street, Abergavenny.

01873 854282.

Sun 12 Owain Glyndwr Silent Disco 5pm, £7 adv/£5 under-18s. “Join in dancing the rebellion to a DJ mixing club classics and original tunes, inside his rivals’ castle at Abergavenny. Experience the high and lows of the uprising, with fierce twmpath, strategy games, dance-offs, sieges, betrayals, and defections.”

Devised by Welsh theatre types Light, Ladd & Emberton, this is probably stretching the definition of a clubbing event to breaking point but hey ho.

THE ANGEL INN 57-59 Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth. 01970 617878 / facebook.com/ theangelinnaber Fri 31 Mayhem 11pm-4am, £8/£5 adv. Techno from the amusingly named Twist3dkaos, Luke Armstrong, State Of Minds and DJ N.vee.

THE ATTIC 5-6 Castle Bailey St, Swansea. facebook.com/ theatticswansea Sat 4 Slide Away 11pm3am, £4-£6. Britpop club night with a focus on Oasis. Sun 5 My House 10pm-3am, from £5. Headlined by Meduza from Milan. House I guess. Sat 11 Rise x The Deep 10pm-3am.

Drum’n’bass from acts TBC. Sat 18 Kevin & Perry Go Large: Swansea Vol 2 11pm-3am, £4-£6. House and trance from “the goldewn era of clubbing” aimed at people who were unborn or tiny babies. How is this a thing?

Fri 24 Jungle Vs Jump-Up Round 3 11pm-3am. This is hosted by Noise Makers 21 and will feature three ‘clash’ type sets in the named styles, plus some hip-hop early on by the SA Collective.

BALTER FESTIVAL Chepstow Racecourse. info@balterfestival.com / www.balterfestival.com Fri 31-Sun 2 June Balter Festival £100-£130 adv.

Heavy-duty ravers’ choice weekender returns to the horse track to say neigh. Way too much on to print the whole lineup but the stages are Caravan (live acts); Jigsore (jungle); Hex (drum’n’bass); 24 Hour Garage Girls (UK garage); Drawing Room (hardcore, jungle and tek type stuff I think); Balkanical Circus (Balkan beats, dub, reggae); Buckyham Palace (looks like a bit of everything); The Lab (breakcore?); Phlegmgazm (digigrind-ish bands?) and Disco (disco).

BAMBU BEACH BAR 51 Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 651651 / www. bambu-bar.co.uk Fri 10 Intirave Swansea International Reggaeton Party 8pm-3am, £3/£3 before 10. Latin music from El-J and Adam Cariad. Saturdays Tropical 5pm-3am. New night that promises “chilled, disco, soulful, jackin’ and funky grooves” from DJs Leon Atolagbe, Laidback Lew and Dan Purcey plus weekly guests.

THE BIG TOP / 10 FEET TALL 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo. co.uk Thursdays Rock hits from DJ Andy Rhys Lewis. Fridays + Saturdays Resident DJs playing soul and funk.

Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul. Sat 4 Hungry Heart 8pm, £10/£8 adv. Bruce Springsteen-themed club night that’s touring the UK this month.

THE BIRD 124 Commercial Street, Maesteg. 01656 730138 Fri 3 The Zoo Project Ibiza 10pm-2am, £10/£8.

Acid house, disco, house, techno and trance from Lee Pennington, Lloyd Haines and a guest headliner TBC. BLIND TIGER 49 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 243500.

Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Cocktails, drink deals and tunes as part of a cross-city midweek session.

Fridays Beekay & Friends 11pm, £3-£5. House, techno and bass music with guest DJs, breaking producers and residents from Wales’ freshest nights. Saturdays Re:work 11pm, £5. Underground and cutting edge club music promised. Sat 11 Fixate 4pm-4am, £5. Twelve hours of house and techno from Stu Grady, Danny Phillips, Iolo, Jamo, Boy Griff, AZA, Tom Ashton, Madame Twisted, Dan Waite and J-Tech.

THE BUNKHOUSE 63 The Kingsway, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk Sat 4 Dogruff Basement BUZZ 63

* – recommended Party 8pm-4am. Held, as per the event name, in the venue’s basement, this will feature Mikki James b2b Clare James, Alex Taylor and Callum Davies.

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / www. cardiffstudents.com 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 10pm-3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop. Sun 5 Shangri-La 10pm-4am, £30 adv. House and techno from Jamie Jones, Yousef, Senzala, Lucas Alexander and Nico Balducci.

CLUB ICE Broadway, Pontypridd.

07771 920726 / www. clubiceponty.com Fridays Flashback 10pm3am. Retro hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s. Saturdays Gravity 10.30pm-3am, £7/£5 before 11. House, techno and dance every week on the club’s Void soundsystem.

CLUB OXYGEN 1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 / www.globaloxygen.co.uk Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-4am, free. House, house & bass and tech-house all night. Saturdays 11.30pm5am, £5/free before 1. Upstairs: deep house, commercial house and tech-house. Downstairs: urban, chart, classics, r’n’b, hip-hop and UK garage.

CLWB IFOR BACH Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Thurs 2 Vice City: Abba Night 11pm, £3-£8. Touring student club brand thing. Wed 8 Gucci Gang Trap Night 11pm, £5/£4. More touring student fodder, focusing on contemporary rap music.

Fridays (bottom) Yum! 11pm-3am, £3-£5. Indie and pop. Fri 3 Dazed 11pm-3am, from £7. Liquid drum’n’bass headlined by SpectraSoul. Fri 10 Cure 10pm-4am, from £7.

House and techno headlined

by Kettama, a DJ from Galway.

Fri 7 June Dazed 11pm4am, from £7. Drum’n’bass featuring Upgrade b2b T>I with MC IC3, Clique with MC XL, Codify and Cymbolic.

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. Sat 18 is a Eurovision special COURTYARD 48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Mon 27 Spice Girls: The Party (Unofficial) 3pm.

If you’re going to Cardiff for the concert, come here before and after for some sort of 90s retro shebang, plea the venue. Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Upfront dance anthems and “Urban Vibes”.

Fridays Spotlight Sessions / The Kickstart 5pm, £3/ free before 9. Urban and club BUZZ 64

anthems and drinks deals.

Part of the NPCLUBHOP price deal which also includes entry to Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Labamba. Saturdays Mischief Beat-driven anthems is the ambiguous description for tonight’s music policy. Sundays Good Time Social Club 8pm, free. DJs til late and the weekend’s sports highlights.

CWMBRAN STADIUM Henllys Way, Cwmbran.

01633 627101.

Fri 3 Stadium Anthems 7pm-1am, £21.75 adv.

Featuring Example, DJ Sammy, Nancie, Big Al, Racy and host MC Shocker.

DE VALENCE PAVILION Upper Frog Street, Tenby.

01834 218228 / www. devalencepavilion.com Mon 6 Raver Tots 3-5pm, £8 adv. Rave event for babies, toddlers and their parents, featuring a set from Slipmatt and MC Chalkie White.

EDDIES 4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 779595 / www.eddies.co Sun 5 We Like To Party 90s Dance Classics 9pm5am, £11 adv. Live PAs from Rozalla, Sonique, Urban Cookie Collective, Baby D and Dario G. FICTION & VINYL The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub. co.uk/swansea Mondays Quids In 10.45pm2.30am, £3.50/£2 before 11.

Chart, cheese, r’n’b, dance and house. Wednesdays Underground 11pm-3.30am, £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. Saturdays Agenda 10.30pm-3am, £3.50/£2 before 1. Fiction: house, r’n’b, EDM. Vinyl: pop and party. Sun 5 Steel Banglez 10.30pm, from £2. Currently popular UK rapper does a turn here. Sun 26 Osh 10.30pm, from £3.50.

Social media-popular UK rapper does a turn here, also.

FRONTAL LOBE WAREHOUSE Unit G, St Catherines Park, Cardiff. otis@flevents.co.uk / www.flwarehouse.co.uk Fri 10 XL Invites 10pm-4am, from £8 adv. Drum’n’bass from The Upbeats, Upgrade Music, Traumatize, DJs from the Dazed stable, Incurzion Audio, Dox and hosts CommaDee and MC XL. FUEL 5 Womanby Street, Cardiff.

07970 063107 / facebook. com/fuelcardiff Thursdays FUBAR 10pm2am. Rock, metal and alternative clubnight. Fridays + Saturdays Rock and metal anthems each weekend, plus special guests when such types are in town.

HANGAR 18 50 Plymouth Street, Swansea. 07984 664008 /

facebook.com/hangar18mv Wednesdays Propane 10pm-3am, free before 11.

House and techno spun by members of the Swansea University DJ Society. Sat 11 Black Parade 11pm-3am, £4 adv. Emo, pop-punk etc.

THE HEFTY CHEST The Strand, Swansea. facebook.com/kingshandbar Sat 4 Dead Of Night 9pm3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month.

INSIDE OUT FESTIVAL Bute Park, Cardiff. www. insideoutcardiff.co.uk Fri 31 + Sat 1 June Inside Out Festival 12-10.30pm, £66/£46.75 per day/£96.25 VIP/£159.50 VVIP. This has moved from September to May/June and upped its game to two days.

Fri 31: Bugzy Malone, Not3s, Redlight, Majestic Limitless, Sean Paul (halfway down the poster but in the biggest font), 24 Hr Garage Girls and Foor (main stage); Problem Central, Basslayerz, Traumatik, Chopstick Dubplate, Nicky Blackmarket and Ego Trippin (Other Stage); Royal T, Jamie Duggan, Shaun Dean, Kissy

ever reason, featuring Jamie Tiller, Violet, Body & Beat and Señor Chugger & Count Van Delicious.

LASER STATION Bridge Wharf, Carmarthen.

01267 235648 / www. laserstationwales.com Sat 11 Crags Carnage 9pm-3am, £10/£8 adv.

Drum’n’bass and hip-hop (I think) from OneZ, Crag, Drum Therapy, Gemini Twins, Phibes and Raw x Kross Sektion. Fri 29 Wonkcrafts 8.30pm-1am, £5. Drum’n’bass locals with an 18th birthday party for Pie-Fi, who is performing this evening alongside 4K, Arkade, Proffesorjo, Matenj, LRB, Aksrevenge, Syphr, Nu-East and MCM. LEVEL 2 @ KONGS 114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. info@kongsbars. com / www.kongsbars.com Fri 3 C-Y-N-T 10pm-4am, £8/£7. Headlined by Londonbased DJ Peach (real name Serena Pasion – why would you use a pseudonym?), who will deliver cool leftfield house tackle alongside Viewpoints, Eben Rees and ElliotFelixMitchell. Sat 4 Function:al 10pm-3am, £8-£12. Drum’n’bass from

Look, we’re not saying Owain Glyndwr enjoyed silent discos.

That would be ludicrous.

But if he did, it would be the Owain Glyndwr Silent Disco at Abergavenny Castle on Sun 12 May, where club classics meet educational theatre.

Sell Out and Billy Da Kid (Boom Box). Sat 1 June: DJ EZ, Wilkinson, My Nu Leng with Dread MC, Danny Howard, DJ Q, Artful Dodger, Emerald, Pax and Rewire & Varski (main stage); Hannah Wants, Sam Divine, Monki, Jess Bays and Nancie (Other Stage); Steel Banglez, Ms Banks, Colin Francis, So Solid Crew and Sharky P & DJ Sole (Boom Box). See Clubs.

JACOB’S MARKET West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939.

Sat 25 Babylon Rooftop 4-10.30pm, £20 adv. Disco and cocktails while vlooking out over the city, sort of.

DJs: Arturo Martinez, Dav Pollard, Dean Hawker, Joey Rich, Lucas Alexander, Nick Saunders, Ross Powell and Seb Bliss. *Sun 26 Delete 1-10.30pm, £18 + £5 for afterparty (10.30pm-4am). Ninth birthday bash for stalwart local house/techheads, with Margaret Dygas headlining over Marc Parsons, Matt Owen, Lee Graves and Shaun Edwards. Held in the carpark by the main building, then there’s an afterparty until 4am in the basement. See Clubs.

Sat 1 June Teak: Miami Vice 3-11pm + 11pm-4am, £20 adv full/£12 adv daytime only. Annual party under the Miami Vice name for what-

Drumsound & Bassline Smith, DJ Storm (“the First Lady of d’n’b is no lady on the turntables!” add the promoters, witlessly), Missy G, Digital, Blackeye MC, Ransom and Lubi J. Fri 10 SXSWales One Night Stand 10pm-2am, from £4 adv. House and techno from Bristol’s Boulderhead and Cardiff’s Viewpoints, plus more TBC. Fri 24 The Mixtape x Buena Disco Social Club 9pm-3am, £9 adv. Groove dance jams of no specific genre from Glowing Palms, Buena Disco Social Club and residents. Fri 31 Haws 10pm-4am, £8-£13.50 adv. With headliners Chaos In The CBD, who Buzz previewed in February when they played a sold-out Swansea night.

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 Wednesdays Wednesday Club 8pm-2am. Dance and chart toppers with DJ Chris.

Thursdays Mixxet 8pm2am. Fun, games, and cabaret with Amber Dextrous and Alphaa Heart. Fridays Non Stop Party 8pm-2am. DJ Lee plays tunes from the 90s onwards. Saturdays 8pm2am. Dance, pop and chart

with DJ Billy Joe. 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 10pm-4am, £2 before 11. Pop and alternative old and new.

Fridays Meltdown 10.30pm4am, 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 8pm1am. Dancing and cabaret with regular drag acts including Tina Sparkle, Miss Babs and Jolene Dover.

MOCKA LOUNGE Mill Lane, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 11am-late. 029 2022 1295 / www.mockalounge.com Thursdays Iqos Social Club / Intuition 7-9pm: Iqos Social Club; 9pm-late: 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 Thursdays One More Time 10.30pm-3am, 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.

MUSIQUE BAR & LOUNGE Market Street, Newport.

01633 533666 / theneon. co.uk/neon-bar-lounge Fridays + Saturdays 9pm-2am, free. Soul, funk, old skool hip-hop, reggae, house, UK garage, lovers rock etc.

Sun 26 Switch 6pm-3am, free. Techno, tech-house and deep house from Mike James, Jon Williams, Danny Mulcahy, James Evans and Ryan Goodman.

THE NEON Clarence Place, Newport.

01633 533666 / www. theneon.co.uk Sat 18 Alzheimers Society Benefit Night 8pm-2am, £10 adv. Happy hardcore from Ultrabeat, Adam Harris, Caii B, Murkage Music and MC Wotsee.

u – repeated

NO.3 The Old Warehouse, Bridge Street, Haverfordwest. no.3entertainment@ outlook.com / facebook.com/ no.3nightclubhaverfordwest Sat 4 Back To Bassix 10pm-3am, £5. Jungly breaksy stuff with resident DJs. Sun 5 Boogie Nights: Alfresco 9pm. This is hosted by Dai Die Fünf and takes place in the smoking area outside this club.

OCEAN ARTS CARDIFF Unit 2, East Moors Business Park, East Moors Rd, Cardiff. 029 2132 0030 / www.oceansrtscardiff.co.uk Sat 25 Mini Rave 3-5pm, £5 kids/£2 adults/free under-2s.

Baby rave with an ambioent atmosphere, a set from DJ Boo and toys etc.

PENARTH EX-SERIVCEMEN’S CLUB 69 Windsor Road, Penarth.

029 2070 7530 / www. penarthexservicemensclub. co.uk Sat 18 Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm-12am, £3 adv. A night of classic soul, northern soul etc. Further 2019 dates are on Sat 13 July, Sat 14 Sept, Sat 16 Nov and NYE PITCHER & PIANO Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com/ Fri 7 June Paradox 7pm2am, £5 adv. House from Craig Harrison, Jack Darwin, Mathew Hart and Ryan Ross.

PLATFORM 11 High Street, Pontypridd.

Fri-Sun 7.30pm-2am. www. platform11.co.uk Sun 5 Bank Holiday Alldayer 4pm-4am, £6-£10.

House from Jimmy Switch and Jamie Roy. Sun 26 4pm-4am, £7-£10. Techno from Glasgow’s Frazier and Swansea’s Lindsey Matthews.

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 but their examples (Green Day, Blink, Linkin Park) seem to suggest will be pop-punk and nu-metal. Ah, it’s all just names at the end of the day. Thursdays Top Of The Pops 10pm-3am.

Discounted drinks, free entry and a chance to party the night away, all advertised using the logo from defunct TV show Top Of The Pops which, as a national brand of venues, I assume Popworld are using with the full permission of the BBC. 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 Pop Is A Drag 9pm-3am. With Drag host Opal Fruits and DJ Chris Toole.

Wednesdays Quids In 8pm-3am. Student night where drinks are £1. Thursdays Neon Disco 9pm-3am. Dance r’n’b, pop, chart and punk.

Fridays #WTF 9pm-3am, £2-£4. Tunes, games etc.

Saturdays Pop Party 8pm3am, £2-£4.

PRYZM Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

029 2023 3854 / www. pryzm.co.uk/cardiff Mondays Quids In 10pm3am, £1 adv/£6 VIP. Student night featuring various special guests. Fridays Smack.

9pm-3am, £4 adv. Weekly student event described by one enthusiast as “lit Friday nights with chilled fam bams and regular bants”. 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.

THE RAINBOW ROOMS 12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.the-rainbowrooms. com Fri 17 90s Rave 10pm-3am, £7 adv/£3 early bird. It’s a rave, like from the 90s. Glowsticks and that. Sat 4 Logic Xtra Hard 8pm-6am, £15 adv. Hard dance that even tips into gabber and Frenchcore, with sets from Destructive Tendencies, DJ Thera, Ed ET, Deimos, MCP, Toxic, Kujin FU, Jason P & Rob Rees, Onyx, Angel Eyes, Rusty Nuttz, Odd-S-E b2b Patchy & Vandellio, Delgado and hosts K-NER and Twisted Saturdays 9pm-4am. With residents plus guest DJs each week: Sat 11 has Jay P, Sat 18

has Rob Rees and Sat 25 has John Hughes.

ROUGH N TUMBLE Various venues, Aberystwyth. 07399 011769 / facebook.com/roughion Fri 10 Rough N Tumble 6pm-4am, £12.50-£20. This is a multi-venue party devised by the Roughion collective taking in house, techno, disco, groove, drum’n’bass and jungle. Cal’s Kitchen: Ymuno presents Bryn, Conan and Quality Tom. Bar 46: Bodhi, Ios and a DJ competition winner. Llew Du: Joe Easton v DJ Dilys.

The Angel Inn: Buzz presents Phibes, Giorgi G, Paranoize and Roughion. The Libertine: secret headliner TBC. Top priced ticket gets you a tote bag and t-shirt. See Clubs.

SIN CITY Dilwyn Street, Swansea.

01792 468892 / www. sincityclub.co.uk Tuesdays Hustle 10pm3am, £3/£2 before 12. Motown, r’n’b and hip-hop. Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3. Student night. Fridays Monsters Of Rock 10pm3.30am, £4/£2 before 12.30.

Indie in room 1, metal in room 2. Fri 3 Outlook Festival Swansea Official Launch Party 10pm-4am, £15/£12.

Drum’n’bass from Serum, AMC & MC Phantom, Blazin’, Teagle, Mike Braithwaite, Brave and MC XL. Hosted in conjunction with Deep and Rise. Fri 10 Abba Disco Wonderland 10pm-4am.

Touring Abba/disco club night.

Fri 7 June Dazed 10pm4am, £12/£10. Drum’n’bass from Kings Of The Rollers with Inja; AC13 v Ben Snow v a special guest TBC with MC XL; Clique v Dox v Friends On Benefits with MC Pablow; Ebbens vs Noski; Nu:Motive Promotions and hosts Inja, MC XL and Pablow. Not sure if it’s just because I’m ill but this lineup hurts my head to read.

Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am.

Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sat 18 Thnks Fr Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, £5.

Emo anthems from the 00s.

Sat 1 June Bassline 10pm4am, £22.50 adv. Featuring a two-hour set from Andy C. SODA St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3363 / www. sodacardiff.com Wednesdays Replay 9pm4am, £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. F Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am.

Three rooms including the Attic which is “the social playground for the high flyers and social elite, the only place to be seen.” Imagine catching your reflection in the mirror just after writing that. Sundays Soda Sundays 9pm-3am, £4/£8 VIP. Three floors of music for students and industry workers.

TALYWAIN RFC New Road, Talywain, Pontypool. 01495 772597 / talywain.rfc.wales Sat 1 June Tremor 2-10pm, £20/£15. Hard dance from Andy Whitby, Cally, Shocket, Big Al, PH & Lam, Caii B and Bradz v CJM. TECHNIQUEST Stuart Street, Cardiff Bay. 029 2047 5475 / www. techniquest.org Sat 1 June Silent Disco 9pm-1am, £16 adv. This is presented by the HUSH Collective, who have previously arranged silent discos in Cardiff’s National Museum.

Those sold out and this might well do also.

TIGER TIGER Friary House, Greyfriars Rd, Cardiff. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-2am, Sat 12pm-3am, Sun 12pm-12.30am. 029 2039 1944 / www.tigertigercardiff.co.uk Every Day Lucky Voice Karaoke From £2.50 per session. The UK’s leading private karaoke experience each day of the week. Mondays Dolla Dolla 10pm-3am, £5/£2. Student night with

DIFF SHELLERZ Locos, Cardiff, Fri 24 May Tickets: £7. Info: facebook.com/therealtruble Might well be the first event of its kind in Cardiff, this – as well as Diff Shellerz’ out-of-town headline acts, this night will feature what head promoter Truble is calling “Wales’ biggest grime cypher”. A sheaf of local MCs – Local, Skamma and Fernquest are best known among them, I’d say – are already confirmed, and you can apply too by videoing yourself doing a 16-bar freestyle and sending it to the Facebook event page. As for the marquee names, it’s an impressive twosome of Grim Sickers [pictured], an MC who’s blown up in the last few years thanks in part to links with Ghetts and recent tour partner Mike Skinner; and Westy, a producer who, in coming from Norwich, proves that class beats can bubble up from anywhere.

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 10pm-3am, £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 Sat 4 Hed Kandi 9pm-3am, £19/£15. Funky house brand lineup Sandy Rivera from the now-ironically named Kings Of Tomorrow, Mark Doyle, Soraya Vivian, Storm and Lady V. Sun 5 UKG Brunch 12-6pm, £36/£31. Featuring Artful Dodger, Jordan Valleys, Team Litty, DJ Spin E.B, BBBrown and host Aurie Styla. Your £30+ also gets you all you can eat fried chicken and all you can drink rum cocktails for 90 minutes at a time. Good luck out there. Fri 10 Trevor Nelson’s Soul Nation 8pm, £19 adv. Trevor Nelson, playing records. Fri 24 The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club 7pm-12am, £19 adv. If you have a venue-filling problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire Craig Charles. Sun 26 Hospitality Cardiff 9pm-3am, £15-£21 adv. Drum’n’bass from Camo & Krooked, Maloto, Hugh Hardie and “special guest” (is it really that hard to just put him wherever is most appropriate on the bill?) Roni Size. Fri 31 Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems 8pm-1am. Jo Whiley, playing records. Sold out several weeks in advance thanks to... your big sister? Lib Dem councillors? Who is the audience for this?

UNDERTONE (BASEMENT OF 10 FEET TALL) 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Thurs 2 Zero Tolerance: Welcome to The Jungle 10pm-3am, £6. Drum’n’bass, a genre which I note many responders to Cardiff Council’s recent music venue survey complained there was too much of in the city, gets yet!a!nother! night making its debut. Features Bandit (token old school garage set), Diskrete, T-Bone, Apollo, Raudi TT b2b Mumble and host Ryder MC. Fri 3 The Mixtape 10pm-4am.

House, disco etc. Sat 4 Gas Mark 10 10pm-4am, £10 adv. “Cardiff has a new drum’n’bass event” – oh thank god! – “aiming to rock the socks off any raver.” A noble aim indeed. DJs: Terrence & Phillip, Jaydan, Riddim 68, Ransom, Lowgli, Dekane b2b Shellerz, Dox and an MC competition winner. Hosts: Basher, Comma Dee, XL, Vizable and Pablow. Sun 5 Skank Ground 10.30pm-

4am, £4/£1 adv. Drum’n’bass/ bassline from ManGo & OCG, Reload b2b Aktik, Raudi TT, Bandit and Sarki. Fri 10 Helium 10pm-4am, £7-£10.

With headliner Cloonee, apparently purveyor of “nononsense tech-house”. To paraphrase John Peel (talking about ‘intelligent jungle’), this implies the existence of nonsense tech-house, which I would likely prefer. Sat 11 Noise Makers 21 x Ladies Of Rage Drum’n’bass/jungle, presumably with a focus on female DJs/MCs but no further details here as yet sorry. Wed 15 Fire Dub Club 10pm3am. UK garage, dancehall, UK funky, dub and jungle.

Thurs 16 Bass Warriors 10pm-3am, £3.50. Dubstep, drum’n’bass, bassline and “more big dirty stinking bass”.

Sorry, just nodded off there.

Fibrewire, Delphine Radio, CJ Watson, Hyde and Mx.Down are the DJs. Fri 17 Robot Monkey: The Hat Party 10pm-4am, £7/£5 adv. Deep house and live percussion, with all proceeds going to homeless charity Huggard.

Dress code is to wear one’s best hat, finding these promoters on safer ground than their quietly cancelled last night, where they requested that attendees dress up as Native Americans. Sat 18 Junction 10pm-4am, £5-£12.

Drum’n’bass. Fr i 24 Switch Up Garage, drum’n’bass, jungle and bassline. Sat 1 June Rotary Club 10pm4am. Residents night, no more details but probably a fiver or so on the door and some nice house and disco etc.

VALE WAREHOUSE Cambria House, Penarth Road, Cardiff. info@ valewarehouse.com Fri 7 June Canopy 2-11pm, £tbc. Drum’n’bass and breaks from DJ Hype, DJ Hazard, Ed Solo b2b Deekline b2B Serial Killaz, Bou Delta Heavy present: Only In Dreams and host MCs I.D, Daddy Earl, XL,Trafic and Medic.

THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents. com Sat 4 Got Bass 2nd Birthday 10pm-5am, £15/£12.50. Featuring Flava D, Kanine, Champion and more TBC. See Clubs. Sun 5 Journey 15 Years 9.30pm5am, £25/£21. Cardiff trance stalwart’s decade-and-a-half milestone, and I think their biggest bash yet! Main room: John Askew (three-hour set), The Thrillseekers, Sam Mitcham, Hywel Matthews, Joe Byrne and Arran Roberts.

Room 2: Überdruck, Richie Knight, Rhys Thomas b2b Dan Mcshane, Callan Christie, Fattman & Slug and Ben Dursley.

WAREHOUSE 54 54 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Wednesdays Hump! 7pm.

Cocktails, drink deals and tunes over two floors. Fridays Sunset Havana 9pm, £2-£4.

Rock, indie, alt and pop from Aaron Lillie and Jaivinder.

Saturdays Raise The Roof 10pm. Funk, disco, r’n’b and classics. Sat 25 Rise Up And Rave 4pm-5am, £10 adv.

Benefit event for veterans with PTSD, featuring the following DJs: Andy Galea, Mike James, Lukasz Gelardi, Jaydee, Krisis-Greg Cattleprod, James Evans, Ryan Goodman, Sophia Lowndes, Auf Cee, Aaron Brook and Chris Cain on the house side of things; FiskyG, Rabbit, April Maize, Brad Pickle, Hywel Matthews, Richie Knight, Madame Screech, Lukasz Gelardi again and Johnny P playing trance.

WOW BAR 4 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

Gay venue. Free all day Sun-Thurs; before 11pm Fri + Sat. 029 2066 6247 / www.wowbarcardiff.com Thursdays Throwback Free. DJ Lee soundtrack nonstop fun and games, hosted

by Gina Grigio. Fridays Kitty’s Ditties Free before 11. With WOW Showgirl Miss Kitty, plus special guests every week. Saturdays Devilishly Divine Free before 10. Pop and party upstairs, chart and dance downstairs. Sundays Fundays 12pm-1.30am, free.

DJ Krys and Chris Army play the tunes until late.

events EVERY MONDAY uNoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff. £4-£12 per class. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Classes for various age groups on every day; check the website for full details. uUp Side Down Circus Classes Cave Venture Workshops, Tremorfa Industrial Estate, Cardiff. Info 029 2048 8854 / info@ upsidedowncircus.co.uk.

Classes for various skill levels on every day; check the website for full details.

EVERY TUESDAY uAdult Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine’s Park, Cardiff.

6.30-7.50pm, £15. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Tuesday to Thursday.

Beginners Ballet Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6.157.30pm, £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.

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.

BUZZ 65

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.

EVERY WEDNESDAY Djembe Drumming Workshops Ocean Arts Cardiff, Splott, Cardiff. 6.309.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx. co.uk. 6.30-8pm: beginners (£3); 8.15-9.30pm: intermediate/ advanced (£5). Drop-in classes.

Welsh Conversation For Learners M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Led by a qualified Welsh language teacher.

EVERY THURSDAY 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. 11am12pm, £3. Info 03000 555555.

New singing group set up by the British Lung Foundation and open to anyone living with a lung condition.

Yinyasa Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre.

1.05-1.55pm, £5. Info facebook. com/victoriauceleyoga.

EVERY FRIDAY Bingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”.

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. 9.30am1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

EVERY SUNDAY Cooper’s Quiz Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, £1 to play. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Hosted by Ben Cooper.

Draw Somebody’s Sunday Body Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 1.30-3.30pm, £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.

BUZZ 66

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 co-operative games.

WEDNESDAY 1 MAY uAdult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday this month. uCoedlan: High Ropes National History Museum, St Fagans. 10.15am-4.30pm, £10.

Info 029 2057 3500. Obstacle course for anyone over six years old and 110cm tall, here until the autumn. (Until Thurs 31 Oct) uDinky Donkey Walking Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £35/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Spend a couple of hours with a pair of Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys. Also on Sat 4, Thurs 9, Sun 12, Sat 18, Thurs 23, Mon 27 and Thurs 30 this month.

Drink & Draw The Gate, Cardiff. 8pm, £3.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Learn drawing skills with artist Rachel Rasmussen, every first Wednesday of the month.

Reminiscence Monthly Cardiff Story, 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. uScandinavian Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks; also on Wed 22 this month. uScriveners Writers’ Group The Badminton Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info 01495 309863 / burningcanary@aol. com. Also on Wed 15 and Wed 29 this month.

THURSDAY 2 MAY Bridgend Writers’ Circle Carnegie House, Bridgend.

7pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

Meeting here on the first Thursday of every month.

Craig Morris & Gareth Lewis Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £14. Info 01633 868239. Psychic mediums (media? [no]).

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 029 2030 4400. New poetry and fiction, this month with Seren Books writers.

Gardens Walk And Talk: Late Spring National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am, £2.

Info 029 2057 3500. uJapanese Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks; also on Thurs 23 this month.

Kemi’s Storytelling Suppers Kemi’s, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 7pm, £14. Info 029 2037 2055. Monthly gathering starting up again after summer, this edition featuring guest storyteller Cath Little.

Price includes food.

Mark Beaumont Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £16

adv. Info 0300 0040444. A chat with record-breaking endurance cyclist, not to be confused with the awful music journalist of the same name. in Newtown on Sat 25.

Special Forces Guide To Surviving The Real World Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6.30pm, £22.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Frankly incredible looking show in which some retired action men offer guidance in the event of situations ranging from bullying to terrorist attacks and civil unrest.

Suffice to say that if Isis show their face around Llanelli any time soon, they will rue the day!

Swansea Pride Hits The Dancefloor! Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £18-325.

Info 01792 475715. Ballroom dancing a la Strictly to celebrate Pride in Swansea, accordingly featuring competitive dancing from, quote, “popular and celebrated Swansea couples of the same gender”.

Words Art Music Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, nr Porth.

7-9pm, free. Info 01443 682024. Words from Clare Ferguson-Walker, art from Paul Cabuts and music from the More Than A Song Community Choir.

the day his exhibition (see Art listings) also launches.

The Moon Rum Fest The Moon, Cardiff. 5pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Annual weekender featuring 70 or more rums, DJ sets and the following live bands: Hallouminati and Capra Mamei (tonight), The Brandy Thieves and Seas Of Mirth (Sat 4) and Aleighcia Scott, Royal Ascension Sound and Conners And The Con Men (Sun 5). (Until Sun 5) The Spirit Sisters Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01600 772467. Sibling mediums. uYin Yoga Class Natural Health Service, Swansea. 7.309pm, £8/£4 for your first class.

Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Yoga class designed to balance out the stresses of the modern world.

Here every fortnight; also on Fri 17 this month.

SATURDAY 4 MAY uArt About Town: Urban Sketching And Printmaking Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-3pm, pay what yuu can. Info 01656 815757. Art workshops with Claire Hiett. Today’s theme is ‘roots festival’; also on Sat 4 and Tue 28, both of whose themes are TBC.

Fri 17 May sees The Mutterscream taking over the top floor of Cardiff’s Jacobs Market. This is an art and music show subtitled Crepuscular Lush, and a followup of sorts to an entertaining evening back in January.

FRIDAY 3 MAY uBeer Fest Bendigedig Boiler House Graffiti Project, Cardiff. 5pm-12am, £3.50 per day. Info 07977 138587.Bank holiday celebration of the best UK cask and keg beer, with food and music in the mix also.

On from 12pm-12am tomorrow and Sun 5. (Until Sun 5) uBeer Festival West End Club, Barry. 4pm, free. Info 01446 735739. Featuring 15 or more guest ales and ciders all weekend, plus live music from The Boogiemen on Sunday afternoon. (Until Sun 5) uBingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”. Every Friday this month; Fri 24 has a guest DJ set from Bez. Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (threemonth trial membership). Info 07526 141392 / www.cardiffivc. org.uk. Meeting here on the first Friday of each month.

Harlem Globetrotters Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7.30pm, £20-£61. Info 029 2022 4488. Annual reminder that Henry Kissinger is an honorary Harlem Globetrotter.

In Conversation: David Nash National Museum Cardiff. 7pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2039 7951. North Wales-based sculptor of renown, here on

uCheese & Cider Festival Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 10am5.30pm. Info 01792 371206.

As well as the two products of the title, there’ll be live music from Ian Charles, Ian James, Men Of Sweynes Eye (Morris dancers), James Rees, Worried Men, Ukcoholix, Ragsy, Sicknote Steve, Dai And The Ross Band, Gower Cosmic Smiles and The Balkaneers (Sat 4) and Ray & Jackanda, Ian James, Eleri Angharad, Alun Wyn Jones, Neil E Young, The Occasional Domestics, Anduy Tamlyn Jones, The Orange Circus Band, No Obligation and Soul Skunks (Sun 5). (Until Mon 6) 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. uFestival Of The Celts Various venues, Llandeilo. £5.

Info 0333 9000919. Food and drink, music, dance, spoken word, artists and woodcraft offered across various bars, pubs and big posh houses dotted around this small town. On tomorrow also.

Gentle/Radical Imagination Forum Riverside Warehouse, Cardiff.

10.30am-2.30pm, £4/£2/free asylum seekers. Info facebook.com/gentleradical. Exploring the term and practice of ‘allyship’ – how we understand it, and better enact it. uHave A Go Model Boats Margam Park, nr Port Talbot.

Free. Info 01639 881635.

Located on New Pond. (Until Mon 6) Knit, Sew & Crochet National History Museum, St Fagans. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

May Day Celebration National History Museum, St Fagans. 11.30am, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Folk dancing and the raising of the maypole.

Mini Mono Workshop The Printhaus, Canton, Cardiff.

1-5pm, £35. Info 029 2022 0349. One-day course on the first Saturday of every month this year. uMiss Beauty UK 2019 Grand Finals Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 3pm.

Info 029 2048 7602. Beauty contest, the main part of the finals being tomorrow. “Miss Beauty UK is a natural pageant system – accepting of all types of Beauty!” it says here Nabba Mr & Miss Wales The Riverfront, Newport.

12.30 + 6.30pm, £21/£10 under-14s. Info 01633 656757. Bodybuilding contest.

Afternoon time is the prejudging session (and a lot of you out there have pre-judged bodybuilders in your time, i’m sure); evening is the awards show. uPig Street Craft Fair The Queens Hall, Narberth.

10am-4pm, free. Info enquiries@pigstreetcrafts. co.uk. Selling original arts and crafts here most months until Christmas; also on Sat 25 this month. uPlant Sale M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff.

11am-5pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Annual fundraiser sale, on tomorrow also.

Swansea Pride 2019 Swansea city centre. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

LGBT-related activities and events all day, beginning with a carnival style parade. uTalk At 4 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. This month concerning the exhibition currently running here, Freya Dooley’s The Song Settles Inside Of The Body It Borrows. Also on Sat 18.

Vintage Kilo Sale Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

10am-6pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144. Designer labels at £15 a kilo.

SUNDAY 5 MAY ABP Newport Wales Marathon Newport riverfront (start/finish point). £42-£52 (marathon registration)/£20-£25 (10k registration)/free to spectate. Info newportwalesmarathon.co.uk.

Cardiff Storytelling Circle: Tales For The Turning Year Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info 029 2030 4400.

Echoing Sound & Weave Course Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, £150

(four sessions). Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop, also on Sun 2 June, Sun 7 July and Sun 4 Aug. Gin Ladies Tea Party The Depot, Cardiff. 2-11pm, £6 adv. Info www.depotcardiff. co.uk. Live, music, drag from Jolene Dover and gin served in various vessels.

Katie Paterson: First There Is A Mountain Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Participatory artwork event touring the UK until October. Attendees are invited to make beaches and mountain ranges out of sand.

MONDAY 6 MAY Blink In Mirrors: Those Glorious Imperfections Shift, Cardiff. 7-10pm, free.

Info shiftcardiff@gmail.com.

Monthly open mic poetry night, hosted by Tom Kirby and also featuring a secret headliner.

Come Train Your Dragon Margam Park, nr Port Talbot.

10am, £7.65/£5.95 kids/free under-2s. Info 01639 881635. uPiggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £25/£10 under-16s.

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. Also on Mon 13, Sun 19, Mon 20, Sun 26, Tue 28, Wed 29 and Fri 31 this month.

TUESDAY 7 MAY 60 Second Show And Tell National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 2pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Museum curators talk about various objects.

Board Games The Gate, Cardiff. 6.30-11pm, £3.50.

Info 029 2048 3344. Hosted

by Rules Of Play on the first Tuesday of every month. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10.30am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Discuss authors and books old and new, the theme this month being biographies.

Also on Tue 14.

Local And Family History Fair National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Nicci Gerard Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 01873 852960. Talk by writer and campaigner on the subject of dementia, also that of her latest book.

Swansea, The Riverside Town National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Talk by local author Gerlad Gabb.

Tea Dance Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2pm, £6. Info 01656 815995. uUplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

12.30-1.30pm, £5/£4. Info 01874 611622. With Tanya Walker. Every Tuesday this month. uWales International Documentary Festival 2019 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 5.30pm. Info 029 2030 4400. Annual events featuring screenings covering many esoteric subjects; go to www.widf. info for full details. Culminates on Fri 10, at 8pm, with the WIDF Awards Ceremony, hosted by Carys Eleri. (Until

Fri 10) WEDNESDAY 8 MAY Nikki Kitt Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Spirit medium.

Nova: A Night For Surrealism Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 07982 624959. Fundraiser event for UWTSD Illustration, featuring a film screening, exhibition and print sale.

THURSDAY 9 MAY Alun Havard Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01792 473238. Spirit medium.

Dementia Friendly Underground Tours Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon. Free. Info 029 2057 3650. Also on Fri 21 June and Mon 15 July. Book in advance please.

Nôstalgia Kongs, Cardiff.

7pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2064 4114. An evening featuring a showcase of brand new indie video games as well as some live electronic music by acts including Tetrahex. Part of the SXSWales series of events in Cardiff this week.

Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm, free. Info 01685 722555. With guest poets Rhian Elizabeth and Natalie Holborow. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Aspire Fitness, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 drop-in/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723. Choir, led by Mei Gwynedd, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune.

Also on Thurs 23 this month.

FRIDAY 10 MAY Patricia Routledge The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01633 656757.

Decorated British actor who had a decent career in musical theatre pre-Hyacinth Bucket etc. This show is her talking about that part of her career with the Independent’s classical music critic (former critic, according to his own website, not that that embarrassment of a publication can be arsed updating its records) Edward Seckerson. uTredegar House Folk Festival Tredegar House, Newport. £45 weekend. Info 01633 246241. Folk dance, song and music over three days. See Music listings for individual concerts; there are free events (dance displays, children’s entertainment, live music concerts, workshops and sessions) on Sat 11 and Sun 12 until 6pm. Plus a CAMRA bar with 25 real ales.

Day prices: Fri 11 concert £18/£17, ceilidh £8/£7; Sat 11 concert £18/£17; ceilidh £8/£7/ free under-7s; Sun 13 concert £20/£19. Under-7s go free all weekend. (Until Sun 12) SATURDAY 11 MAY Annual Gardening Bring & Buy Sale Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 10am-12pm, free (£1 for car parking). Info 029 2116 7920.

Basketry/Weaving With Willow Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 11am-4pm, free.

Info 029 2048 4611. With Susie Vaughan. Demonstration/work-

shop event aimed at young people, one of several here this month.

Caerphilly Food Festival Caerphilly town centre. 9am5pm, free. Info 029 2088 0011.

Annual event featuring over 100 stall holders Family Fun Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

10.30am-4.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Drop-in activities.

Folk Day Caerphilly Castle.

11am-4pm, £5.30-£8.90/free members, disabled people and their companions. Info 0300 0256000. Welsh folk traditions including songs in Welsh and English, harp workshops, storytelling and a display of Welsh folk dancing.

Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea.

10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ ntlworld.com. Second Saturday of every month. uLeaf Collage Workshops Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 11.30am-1pm, free. Info 029 2048 4611. With Jenny Kenna.

Also on Mon 27.

Music Bazaar Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

3-5pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144. Family-friendly music workshop hosted by the people behind SXSWales.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month.

Saturday Workshop Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

10am-1pm, free (suggested donation £3). Info 01792 516900.

Scooters On The Square 2019 Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 10am-5pm, free. Info 01685 384111. Scooter rally hosted by Merthyr Scooter Club. There’s also a Who tribute band playing here this evening.

SpringSoul Holistic & Wellbeing Event Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

11am-4pm. Info 029 2037 3144. Featuring arts and crafts, stalls with ethnic goods (their description not mine), crystals, aromatherapy oils, jewellery, holistic therapies, plants and more.

Street Food And Live Music Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 4-10pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Every second Saturday of the month until October.

Swansea Zine Fest 2019 Volcano, Swansea. 12-5pm, free. Info www.volcanotheatre. co.uk. A celebration of fanzines and DIY self-publishing.

Vegan Fest St Tydfil Shopping Centre, Merthyr Tydfil. 10am-4pm, free. Info www.sttydfilshoppingcentre. co.uk.

Ynyswen Craft Show Ynyswen Welfare Hall, Treorchy. 9am-4.30pm, £5 to set up a table. Info 01443 520299.

Young Makers Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Turn your drawings into professional quality animation puppets and three-dimensional theatre sets. Book in advance please.

Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

10am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Workshop for 11-16-year-olds, hosted by Rebecca F John.

SUNDAY 12 MAY uDylan Day Drop-In Activities Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Creative writing, puppets, games, reading corner, crafts and dressing up costumes, all inspired by Dylan Thomas.

Also on Sun 19 this month.

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 National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food.

South Wales Morris Minors Branch Rally And Classic Car Show Caldicot Castle. 11am-4.30pm. Info 07583 105849.

Swansea Vintage And Artisan Fair National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Vision (Sound In Art) Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, free. Info 07830 381930. A day of sound art installations created by local Cardiff artists.

Voices On The Bridge Globetrotters, Pontypridd.

7pm, free. Info globetrottersbar@gmail. com. Poetry, spoken word and song from Boyd Clack, Kirsten Jones, Siôn Tomos Owen, Mike McNamara, Rhoda Thomas, Ben Smith, Nicholas McGaughey, Suzanne Iuppa, The Cheatin’ Hearts, Pipers On The Bridge, Stephanie McNicholas, John Marshall and compere Rob Cullen.

MONDAY 13 MAY Cardiff Humanists Event Cardiff Quaker Meeting House, Charles St, Cardiff.

7.30-9.30pm, £2/£1. Info www. cardiffhumanists.co.uk. A talk on the question “what is happiness” by Dean Burnett, local writer with a book on a similar topic. uHave Fun / Meet New People Grangetown Community Choir Cornwall Street Baptist Church Hall.

Grangetown, Cardiff. 7.309.30pm, £10 per session/£80 for 12 sessions. Info paulinedown7@gmail.com.

With Pauline Down, every Monday from today.

TUESDAY 14 MAY Andrea Gibson Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £21 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. American slam poet. 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 three years. Book in advance please. Also on Tue 28.

Book Club The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344.

Third Tuesday of every month. uLife Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Also on Sat 25.

Meet The Maker: Alison Moger Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 2.30-4pm, free.

Info 029 2048 4611.

CARDIFF CAR FREE DAY Cardiff city centre, Sun 12 May Admission: free. Info: www.letsride.co.uk/events/cardiff When the 2018 equivalent of this event took place, air pollution monitors were installed in the city centre to measure the impact of removing motor vehicles from Cardiff’s compact, often snarled-up network of inner-city streets. They revealed that nitrogen dioxide levels dropped by 69% during the day – a nice surprise for data analysts, and this year’s Cardiff Car Free Day is set to include many more, of a less number-crunchy nature. A partnership between Cardiff Council and HSBC’s pro-cycling initiative Let’s Ride, who launched the event last year, multiple locations in the centre will offer family-friendly fare like sports, dance performances and live music between 10am and 4pm. The afternoon will also feature a bike parade, with no reckless drivers to worry about.

The Great British Paint Off – Constable v Turner Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2.30pm, £8. Info 01874 611622.

Arts Society Brecknock lecture

by Nicola Moorby.

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY Gwanwyn Festival Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

11am-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Pop-up events, activities and workshops to as part of this month-long festival held across Wales each May celebrating creativity in older age.

Conservation Surgery Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-12pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Meet the Glynn Vivian conservation team and go behind the scenes to the conservation department.

The Art Of Conservation Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Meet the gallery’s conservator and ask questions about how to care for your own art. Book in advance please.

The Guilty Feminist St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50-£30. Info 029 2087 8444. Popular podcast goes live with spcial guests including Grace Petrie and Suzi Ruffell.

THURSDAY 16 MAY Dementia Awareness Week Tea Dance National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

1.30-4.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Book in advance please.

International Dylan Thomas Prize Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7pm, £8/£6. Info 01792 602060. You get £30,000 if you win, you know.

Jon Ronson St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £27.50. Info

029 2087 8444. Here with his new show Tales From The Last Days Of August And The Butterfly Effect, and also interviewed Upfront this issue.

LBT+ Speed Dating Night Beelzebubs, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk.

Charity night in aid of Cardiffbased LGBT+ domestic violence service Rainbow Bridge.

Museums At Night: Up On The Roof Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 6-8pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. An illustrated tour of the building, finishing on the roof for a view of the city. Book in advance please.

Open Space: Peter Jones & Ceri Stennett Central Library Hub, Cardiff. 5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116.

Local authors discuss their non-fiction books Dear Mona: Letters From A Conscientious Objector and In Proud And Honoured Memory: In Remembrance Of The Valiant Sons Of Whitchurch. Book in advance please.

The Scummy Mummies Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Podcast types turned stage performers who were here a while back. Still have a low bar for scumminess I suspect..

FRIDAY 17 MAY uHey Clay Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. £5 per session.

Info 029 2048 4611. Drop-in hour long sessions with Makers Guild members as part of the national Get Creative Festival of pottery events.

(Until Sun 19) Llandovery Folk Dancing Rhys Pritchard Hall, Llandovery. 7.30pm. Info www. llandoveryfolkdancing.co.uk.

With caller Keith Lascelles.

Museums @ Night Afterhours Quiz Night National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7pm, £3.50 adv. Info 029 2057 3600.

Stitch Art Workshop Carnegie House, Bridgend.

6.30-9pm, £15. Info 01656 815757. With textile artist Alison Moger.

The Mutterscream: Crepuscular Lush Jacobs Market, Cardiff. 7.30pm-1am, free. Info 029 2039 0939.

One-evening-only art and music show. Art from Ellie Walker, Camilla Mason, Tyr Leach Martin, Fran Gonzalez Camacho, Alex Colley, Petros Kourtellaris, Matt Kirby, Zena Blackwell, Charly Morgan-Ivey, Marta Junquera and Eve Diveney-Clegg; music by Little Gee, Sean Addicott, Aperol Xav, Andy Warpole and Obey Cobra.

WWE Live 2019 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £41£75. Info 029 2022 4488.

SATURDAY 18 MAY Craft Fair Community Hall, Neath. 10am-4pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk.

Craft Session: Quilting National History Museum, St Fagans. 10.30am-12.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2057 3500.

Doge: Prince Or Prisoner National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Lecture by Dr John Law. Fossils From The Swamp Family Fun Day National Museum Cardiff. 11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Relating to an educational exhibition launching here today.

Full Steam Ahead National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. A chance to see BUZZ 67

ROOTS UNEARTHED MAY 2019 It may have taken a while, but the Welsh folk music scene is in particularly good health at the moment, with many artists wowing audiences both at home and abroad. Last month, the inaugural Wales Folk Awards were held in Cardiff and proved beyond doubt that the nation’s homegrown talent is a match for anything from elsewhere in the UK and beyond. From Martyn Joseph’s politically charged song writing to Lleuwen Steffan’s thought-provoking songs; from Calan’s exuberant reinterpretations to the chamber-folk of Vrï and from Pendevig’s slightly bonkers collision of folk and electronica to The Trials Of Cato’s winning formula, it’s clear that Welsh traditional music is in safe hands.

Among those safe hands are fiddler Oli WilsonDixon, accordionist Jamie Smith and guitarist Dylan Fowler. Each musician is considered to be among Wales’ finest so it should come as no surprise that when they combine their considerable talents the results are something quite special. Collectively known as Alaw, Oli, Jamie and Dylan have been steadily building a formidable reputation through their albums and, as a live act, bringing a wealth of experience to their shared passion for the traditional music of Wales.

All three musicians have previously worked together in different combinations. Oli and Dylan have a long history of working together on projects including The Devil’s Violin, Szapora and The Ian McMillan Orchestra, while Jamie and Oli are well known as the front line of Jamie Smith’s Mabon. Add to that Dylan’s work with such luminaries as Richard Thompson and Danny Thompson, and the results speak for themselves.

With the band’s second album Dead Man’s Dance (Dawns Y Gŵr Marw) having been nominated for the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (Best Traditional Track – Lisa Lân) and with a very well received performance at the Royal Albert Hall Proms in August last year, Alaw’s star is firmly in the ascendant, as you can discover when they play at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on Mon 20 May. BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: Sharon Shannon & Seckou Keita. Senegalese kora ace guests with legendary Irish accordionist.

Pontardawe Arts Centre (Wed 8) Julie Murphy. Fernhill’s singer in rare solo performance. The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff. (Fri 17) Fishguard Folk Festival. Jim Moray, The Melrose Quartet, Alaw, Andy Cutting, Miranda Sykes, The Trial Of Cato, Hannah James and more. (Fri 24-Mon 27) Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767

BUZZ 68

the replica Penydarren steam locomotive. uGeekedfest Newport Centre. 11am-6pm, £18 weekend (£10 kids)/£10 per day (£6 kids). Info 01633 656656.

Comic convention. On tomorrow also, from 11am-5pm; a folllowup event is in Swansea on Sat 3 and Sun 4 Aug. *Monster Jam Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £15-£50. Info 08442 777888.

Monster trucks are great and this show is great.

Plant Fossil Workshops National Museum Cardiff.

11am-4pm, £3.50. Info 029 2039 7951. uSheep Trekking Crai, Brecon Beacons National Park. £35/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Take a sheep for a walk on a lead in a 200-acre organic farm. A Good Day Out event. Also on Sun 19, Sat 25, Sun 26 and Wed 29 this month.

St Fagans Real Food Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

With Riverside Real Food.

Vintage Kilo Sale YMCA, Swansea. 10am-4pm, £3/£1.50 after 12. Info 01792 652032.

Designer labels at, again, £15 a kilo.

Wales On Wheels National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Vintage and otherwise vehicle showcase.

When Wales Was A Tropical Swamp! National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free (£2 deposit). Info 029 2039 7951.

Dr Christopher Cleal tells you the deal about 300,000,000 years ago.

Willow Hare Garden Sculpture Workshop Carnegie House, Bridgend.

9.30am-4.30pm, £15. Info 01656 815757. With Mel Bastier.

Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

10am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Workshop for 8-11-year-olds, hosted by Sion Tomos Owen.

SUNDAY 19 MAY Exposure Wrestling Ferns Club, Newport. 6pm, £10 adv/£8 kids. Info www. exposurewrestling.com.

Subtitled Night Of The Valkyrie, which means this is Exposure’s women’s wrestling division, this evening will feature Xia Brookside, Nadia Sapphire, Kat Von Kaige and more.

NoFit State Circus: Flying Trapeze Taster Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff.

11am-1pm. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Pontcanna Plant Fair Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Rare and unusual plants and flowers. Also here on Sun 16 June and Sun 15 Sept.

Spring Zine-ing The Moon, Cardiff. 6-10pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Zine-making workshop, also featuring live bands who are listed in Live Music.

MONDAY 20 MAY Mary Portas Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £22.

Info 029 2064 6900. An ‘in conversation’ type event from supposed shopping guru.

Ticket price includes a copy of

her new book.

TUESDAY 21 MAY uCardiff Yesterday III Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £8.50.

Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture by Matthew Williams. On tomorrow also.

Company Of Words Open Mic Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £4. Info 07830 381930. With guest poets Johnathan Edwards and Mike Jenkins.

From The Darkness Into The Light! Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2030 4400. Monthly literature-inspired readings on a changing theme.

Iolo Williams Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01495 227206.

TV wildlife guy talks about his earlier career with the RSPB. 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 22 MAY Ross Edgley Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £26/£70 VIP.

is at www.hayfestival.com and these days I don’t even really have the space to include highlights, sorry! Let’s just say there are some legends appearing, some bastards, and many melting away in the middle. (Until Sun 2 June) uHowTheLightGetsIn 2018 Riverside Site / Globe Site, Hay-On-Wye. 6.30pm, £148-£164 weekend (£103.60 NUS or under-25s)/£38-£64 per day/free under-12s. Info howthelightgetsin.org. Annual art/culture/philosophy/etc festival, coinciding with Hay and acting as a de facto fringe of it I suppose. Check the website for the full lineup in all its ‘good people on both sides’ glory. (Until Mon 27) Summer Vintage Hair Evening Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-9.30pm, £12.

Info 01656 815757. With hairt and makeup artisat Kelsey James. uThe Big Retreat Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. £159 weekend/£60 kids/free under5s (Fri £49/£15 kids; Sat + Sun £60/£20 kids). Info www. thebigretreatwales.co.uk. A

The Gwanwyn Festival, organised by Age Cymru, takes place across Wales during May and aims to provide opportunities for the elderly to take part in numerous artistic, creative or physical pursuits.

Info 0871 4720400. This is the guy who swam all around mainland Britain last year, as you would imagine he is both very physically fit and mustard keen for everyone else to be like him.

THURSDAY 23 MAY Arts Society Cardiff Lecture Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400. Stella Grace Lyons on ‘The Man With The Pitchfork: Iconic Paintings From Early 20th Century America’.

Kendal Mountain Festival 2019 Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £15.40/£11 under-25s.

Info 01792 863722. Adventure films, touring the UK I assume.

FRIDAY 24 MAY Circus Extreme Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 5 + 7.30pm, £13-£37. Info 0845 3451400.

“It’s time to awaken your soul and stir the imagination of your family!” My family are perfectly imaginative as it is, thanks. On at 3pm and 6pm tomorrow and Sat 1 June; 2pm and 5pm on Sun 26, Mon 27 and Sun 2 June; 3pm and 7.45pm on Tue 28-Fri 31.

(Until Sun 2 June) Glynn Vivian At Night Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 5-8pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Afterhours activities with a licenced bar, co-hosted by the Dylan Thomas Centre. uHay Festival 2019 Various venues, Hay-On-Wye. 11.30am-11pm. Info 01497 822629. The full programme

weekend offering – in the order they are listed on the poster – fitness, a talk tent, yoga, music, cookery, kids, bushcrafts and art & crafts.

Get the impression it’ll make that thing Cerys Matthews does in north Wales look like Woodstock 99. Go to the website for the full lineup. (Until Sun 26) Weekend Adult Workshop: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am-1pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

SATURDAY 25 MAY Back To Basics Course The Printhaus, Canton, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £60.

Info 029 2022 0349. One-day course, on the last Saturday of every month this year.

Botanical Cyanotype Mission Gallery, Swansea.

11am-4pm, £30. Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop where you can create blue cyanotype prints with Carly WilshereButler.

Dressmaking Workshop Carnegie House, Bridgend.

10am-4.30pm, £12. Info 01656 815757. With Corrie LewisBishop. uDylan’s Travels: Family Self-Led Activities Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

Free. Info 01792 463980. creative writing activities, puzzles, word searches and crafts all inspired Dylan’s adventures and travels. Also on tomorrow, Wed 28 and Fri 30, then Sat 1

and Sun 2 June.

Find The Face Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Search the galleries to find some hidden characters. (Until Sun 2 June) uLet Battle Commence!

Caerphilly Castle. 11am-4pm, £5.30-£8.90/free members, disabled people and their companions. Info 0300 0256000.

See Caerphilly’s mighty siege engines in operation this weekend and meet the men and women of the 13th century.

(Until Mon 27) Made It Markets St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli.

10am-4.30pm, £12. Info 07971 242730. Quarterly craft and produce fair. uSt Fagans Makers Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am5pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Meet the makers and find out more about their crafts (they’d probably like it you buy something too) as they run workshops and demonstrations. (Until Sun 2 June) uMargam International Kite Festival Margam Park, nr Port Talbot. Free. Info 01639 881635. (Until Mon 27) Mark Beaumont Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £16.

Info 01686 614555.

Pop-Up Skatepark National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Hour-long skate sessions for kids, presented by Exist.

Vintage Kilo Sale Treforest Community Centre. 10am4pm, free. Info 07923 142285.

Selling vintage gear at £15 per kilo.

SUNDAY 26 MAY uGower Good Food Festival Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 10am5.30pm. Info 01792 371206.

Also featuring vartious kids’ activities as well as stalls etc.

On tomorrow also.

Make Your Own Zine!

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

3-5pm, £3. Info 029 2030 4400.

Aimed at ages 8+ and doing it in the style of the true creators, using only paper, glue, scissors and a photocopier.

Meet The Objects: Twenty Years Of The National Assembly National History Museum, St Fagans. 11.30am, 1pm + 2.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Please, they prefer to be called ‘AMs’. On in English, Welsh and English in that order PAN-musicale 3.0 / Latin The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Third in a series of events in which attendees will “focus upon the music of a particular territory or genre, share authentic food together and engage in open cultural conversation.”

Pizza & Prosecco Festival The Depot, Cardiff. 2-10pm, £22.50 adv. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. There’s DJs, live music and “glitter girls” as well as the consumables noted in the event name.

Pontcanna Brocante Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Vintage flea market, every last Sunday of the month until October.

Welsh Open Stoneskimming Championships Llanwrtyd

Wells. 10am, £5 to enter. Info 01591 610666. Sponsored by the Heart Of Wales Brewery, this is the first Green Events competition of 2019, presaging many more marginal rural challenges (bog snorkelling, man v horse racing etc). There are various categories with ribald titles relating to “tossing”, being “stoned” etc.

MONDAY 27 MAY The Gay Men’s Book Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. This month it’s a discussion of Prodigal Son by Mary Barbara Kingsolver. uUrdd National Eisteddfod 2019 Wales Millennium Centre and surrounding area, Cardiff Bay. 7.30am, £13 per day. Info 029 2063 6464. Annual Welsh language-promoting youth festival. (Until Sat 1 June) TUESDAY 28 MAY Dylan’s Travels: Story Maps Family Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4am, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 463980. Family activities offering the chance to create fictional towns and worlds, a la DT’s Llareggub.

Ekphrastic Writing Group The Gate, Cardiff. 7-45-9.30pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344.

Readings and discussions. On the fourth Tuesday of every month. uHalf Term Family Art Workshops National Museum Cardiff. £2. Info 029 2039 7951.

Drop-in sessions. (Until Fri 31) Super Soapy Soap Socks Margam Park, nr Port Talbot.

11am-4pm, £3 per session.

Info 01639 881635. Soap socks are made from felt and used to clean one’s hands WEDNESDAY 29 MAY Harry Redknapp St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £32.50/£82.50 VIP. Info 029 2087 8444. Chuckling at the thought of Harry reading the press blurb for this, which makes it very clear that it considers his appearance on I’m A Celebrity to be of more significance than his career in football, and giving his trademark thumbs-up and a shrug. Then recalling that he said he couldn’t read and shrugging too.

My Face – Mini Masterpieces National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12.30, 1.30 + 2.30pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3600. Join artist Susan Evans to create your own self portrait. (Until Sat 1 June) Oriel Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Practically Poppins Bedwellty House, Tredegar.

12 + 2pm, £16. Info 01495 353397. Themed party featuring afternoon tea, tricks, games and singing.

Quiz For A Cause The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, 35. Info 029 2048 3344. Raising money for Cardiff Foodbank. uSelf-Led Activities Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

11am-4pm, £5. Info 01792

516900. All-ages drop-in events. (Until Fri 31) THURSDAY 30 MAY Booklaunch: Matt Morgan Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07852 824393.

Promoting his new book Critical: Science & Stories From The Brink Of Human Life. uFlower Power Plant Hammering National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre.

1203pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Transfer the image of a flower onto fabric at the tap of a hammer with this Scrappy Sheep craft. On tomorrow also.

Lyrical Miracles NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Welsh Wrestling Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7pm, £12/£9. Info 01495 227206. In Treorchy tomorrow.

Wine Tasting Talk Evening National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7pm, £15/£12.50. Info 029 2057 3600. Concentrating on the south of France this evening.

FRIDAY 31 MAY Welsh Wrestling Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7pm, £12/£9.

Info 0300 0040444.

live WEDNESDAY 1 MAY uBandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.”

Also on Fri 17.

Battle Of The Bands Semi Final 2 The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Featuring sets from Exit To Main Menu, I Digress, String Theory, Above The Machines and Cheating Lights. uBella Collins Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 15.

Ben Thomas / Davide Logiri Quartet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Bruno Heinen Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz.

Concerts And Cakes The Riverfront, Newport. 2pm, £6.

Info 01633 656757.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Penarth. 7.30pm, £5/£4.40 adv. Info feelgoodmusicorg@gmail.com. Also featuring swing DJ The Medicine Man. European Union Chamber Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£49.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. “What would be good here is if I stood by the bar pre-concert and shared a few wry quips about Britain’s ongoing relationship with the European Union” – you.

Freschard + Stanley Brinks The Moon, Cardiff.

7-10pm, £8/£6.50 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Two French indie-folkies club together.

Liberty Big Band with Ben Jenkins 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. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Joe Kelly.

Open Mic Night Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm, free.

Info 01685 384111. First Wednesday of every month.

Pontypridd Jazz Club Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd.

7.30pm. Info 01443 491424.

Sam Sweeney Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £16/£15. Info 01239 621200. Former member of Bellowhead, plus band, making WWI-themed folk music.

Sarah Birch + Joel Morgan + The Warbirds Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Indie/folk artist, also a member of Lost Tuesday Society.

Talisk Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Scottish folk band. In Ystradgynlais tomorrow. uThriller Live Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£40. Info 01792 475715.

West End-popular theatrical Michael Jackson homage. On at 5pm and 8.30pm on Fri 3; 4pm and 8pm on Sat 4. (Until Sat 4) WNO Orchestra: Northern Lights Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £16.50/£14.50. Info 029 2039 1391. Performing works by Sibelius and Tchaikovsky.

THURSDAY 2 MAY Alden Patterson & Dashwood Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01970 633088. Folk trio.

Christopher Howe The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Gwilym Bowen Rhys Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. North Wales folkie.

Hackensack Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, from £5. Info 029 2038 7026. New jazz musicians’ showcase.

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Monthly singalong around the piano.

Latenight Honeymoon + The Roselles + Sienna UK + The Now The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Presented

by This Feeling.

Llyr Williams Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20-£24. Info 029 2039 1391. Piano recital featuring works by Debussy and Grieg.

Nubiya Garcia + Darkhouse Family Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15.

Info 029 2023 2199. Cool exemplar of UK jazz’s new school

headlines. Previewed on last month’s Music page also.

Ocean Mic Ocean Arts Cardiff, Splott, Cardiff.

8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk.

Monthly open mic night with a different host each month.

Oran Bagraidh Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01239 621200.

This is a poem, set to music from myriad Celtic folk musicians, dating from about 1300 years ago and in a language, Galloway Gaelic, which only survives in the form of this poem.

Out Cold + Melwood + Medway + Lake Sycamore + Welterweight The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7.30pm, £3. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Headliners are definitely not the class American hardcore band of the same name.

Peter Karrie Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01970 623232. Musical theatre favourite, who used to appear in these listings basically every month in about the mid-00s but has gone off my radar since. Welcome back Pete.

Tony Furtado + Ron Block The Angel Inn, Llandeilo. 7.30pm. Info info@ llandeiloacoustic.com. A Llandeilo Acoustic Club night.

Talisk The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 8pm, £12/£10.

Info 01639 843163.

The Broadway Irregulars Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm. Info 01443 491424. Trad jazz.

The Wedding Present Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £21 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

What album are these indie stalwarts celebrating the anniversary of this time, you ask?

Bizarro. Its 30th.

FRIDAY 3 MAY u22nd Anniversary Weekender The Patriot, Crumlin. 6pm, free. Info 01495 247178. That anniversary being of this venue. Here are all the bands playing, schedule TBC: Gin Annie, Hell’s Addiction, Chasing Dragons, Buffalo Summer, Devilfire, Scarlet Rebels, Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters, Theia, At The Sun, Tomorrow Is Lost, The Howling Tides, Revival Black, Kikamora, White Raven Down, Shyyne, Ravenbreed, Surrge, Liberty Slaves, Parisha Soul, Bad Dog, Weston Rd and Black Tree Vultures. (Until Sun 5) Acoustic Sinners The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge.

9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. uAmserJazzTime Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5.30-7pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Weekly jazz sessions in the foyer, every Friday until 28 June.

Anna Popovic + Ben Poole The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Blues-rock guitarists.

A Vision Of Elvis Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £24. Info 0845 2263510. Tribute act.

Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses South Wales Semi Final 1 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107. The second semi is

on Sat 18.

Calypso The Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194.

Crocodile Rock Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 6.30pm, £21.50. Info 01495 243252.

Elton John tribute act.

Daniel Hall & The Prestige 6 Orchestra Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2039 1391.

Jazz orchestra, kicking off a weekend of live performances here under the umbrella Atmospheres 2019.

ESP The Windsor, Penarth.

9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675.

Faith – The George Michael Legacy Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £23.50-£35. Info 0300 0040444.

Tribute act. Top price is a VIP meet and greet presumably aimed at people who think it’s the real, somehow still alive George Michael . uFfli Stock 5 The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, pay by donation. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Three alldayers, starting today with Crisis Talks, Psychic Junk, World Vs World, Gruda and Igam Ogam, plus The Revelators, Hugh James, DV and Nigel Davis in the Acoustic Corner. Sat 4: Dead At 27, Trep, Greenmailer, Foxbite, Kinstrife, Rhys Davis & The Liberators and Who Knows Didley?, plus Joe Kelly, Kid Reddy, Ian Lynn Palmer, Laura Power and Tom Crow in the Acoustic Corner.

Sun 5: Stay Voiceless, Sweet Ignitions, Mirages, Beyond Oblivion, The Rivers, Second Hand Arms Dealer and Lead Coloured River, plus Vinna Beee, The Kelly Line, Pay The Man, Tom Roynon-Blake and Katie Rands in the Acoustic Corner. (Until Sun 5) Fistful Of Rage + AntiCrust Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 01685 879491.

Rage Against The Machine tribute band headline.

Frankie Wesson + Tarion + Puffer Abergavenny Labour Hall. 7pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Album launch gig for headliner.

Idge Logan Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Islet + Psycho Betty Radnorshire Ales Microbrewery, New Radnor, Powys. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01544 350456. Cool Welsh tripsters Islet back playing gigs, this one being in a village near where most of them now live.

Poignant detail about New Radnor: “In the 2001 census, the population of 410 was split evenly between male and female. The population at the 2011 census was 409.” *Legends Of Reggae Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £24.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Featuring Big Youth, Max Romeo, Eek A Mouse, The Mighty Diamonds, Yellowman and Sir Coxsone Outernational. This is actually dead cheap for a bill of wall-towall icons, admittedly none of them spring chickens.

Local Enemy The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Motel Thieves + Fire Fences + Wine Morals + Harbour Way Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Nightlives + Drip Fed Empire + Lung Money The Green Rooms, Treforest.

7pm, £4. Info 01443 841133.

Open Night Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 8pm, £3. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Paul Ashton The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

Ross Gurney City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Skunkadelic & DJ Veto + D-Low + Redbeard + Daniel Rowntree + Shawgz + Beatbox Hann Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm.

Info 029 2063 6464. Local hiphop showcase.

Stealing Sheep Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie synthpop from Liverpool.

Sore Teeth + Drunken Marksman + System Reset + Throwing Knives + Positive Reaction The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £4. Info 01495 213300. Punk, crust, hardcore etc.

Sweaty Palms + Twthpaste + Horrible Men Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

The Andro Sisters St Fagans Village Hall. 7.30pm, £8/£6/£4 kids/free under-12s.

Info 029 2023 2970. Playing the Pentreffest Noz folk night.

The Blow Monkeys Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £24 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Soulpoppers from the 80s.

The Fretless Pennar Hall, Pembroke Dock. 7.30pm. Info 01646 621942. Canadian folk band.

The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Legend Of Springsteen Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 8pm, £24.20 adv. Info 01639 763214.

Tribute show. To Bruce. Are there any other famous or even noteworthy Springsteens?

The Riff Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199.

The Upbeat Beatles Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £23. Info 01970 623232.

Tribute band.

SATURDAY 4 MAY Backwater Roll Blues Band Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01633 483238. Borough Blues Club gig.

Benedict Benjamin +Alice Robbins Ocean Arts Cardiff, Splott, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8.50 adv. Info oceanartscardiff@ gmx.co.uk. Singer-songwriter, ex of the band Peggy Sue, headlines.

Black Angus The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £7/£6 adv. Info 01495 213300. AC/ DC tribute.

Borders + The Human Veil + MTXS + Sydney

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR JUNE: PIP BLOM (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Thurs 6) KELLY JONES (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 8) BLOSSOMS (Cardiff University Students Union, Wed 19) STATUS QUO + BONNIE TYLER + DR FEELGOOD (Pembroke Castle, Fri 21) GABRIELLE + SISTER SLEDGE (Pembroke Castle, Sat BUZZ 69

* – recommended Fate Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, £8. Info 07970 063107.

Bruce Juice Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 01792 468892. Springsteen tribute.

Casio Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Claire Taylor Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Craig Ogden Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8-9.45pm, £15 adv. Info 01239 841387. Guitar recital.

Disco Divas Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £19/£18. Info 01495 227206.

Triple-threat tribute to Diana Ross, Joni Sledge and Donna Summer.

Dylan Champagne + Jon Sims + Freddie Hill Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391. Three performances of new compositions.

Francesca’s World Salad + Jeff Japers Globetrotters, Pontypridd. 7pm, £4/£3 adv.

Info globetrottersbar@gmail. com. Music, comedy and indeed musical comedy.

Helldown + King Kraken + Captain Meatshield The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm.

Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Hollywood Undead Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £18 adv.

Info 029 2078 1458. LA numetal band who have seemed to maintain a serviceable career despite having no obvious distinguishing features.

John Lennon UK Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Tribute act. uJon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Funk and Latin tunes, every Saturday this month.

Letz Zep The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925. Tribute band.

London Calling The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Clash tribute.

New Harmony Singers Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7pm, £10/£8. Info 01633 868239. Featuring Caroline Sheen, a West End singer.

Mojo Phono + Windshake Creature Sound, Swansea.

8pm. Info 01792 301178.

Motörheadache Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7.30-10.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info www. hobosmusicvenue.com.

Motörhead tribute band.

Nine Lives Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Rock covers.

Punchline Hen Dderwen, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 203631.

Pwer Festival Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 3pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. Alldayer with sets from Vukovi, Rews, Soeur, Chroma, Bellevue Days, Death And The Penguin, These Five Years, Nightlives, Sienna, Catalan!, Fort and Peaks.

Rachel B The Pheasant, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 653614.

Rhythm Thieves The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762. Trancedance-folk-rock, they claim.

Showaddywaddy Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £25.80.

Info 0300 3656677.

Simon Trigg The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Sylvia Villa Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2039 1391. Music for solo dance and mixed ensemble.

The Italics Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

The Sisterhood The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

The Tony Breen Band The Roath Park, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2047 1961. Tom Jones Tribute The Seagull Inn, Porthcawl. 9pm, free. Info 01656 785420.

Vinna Bee + Massa Circles The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Wall Street Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Pop covers.

Whitehall Parade NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

SUNDAY 5 MAY Catfish & The Bottlemen Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £30. Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out.

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard + CVC + Rainn Byrns + Showbox Orchestra Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 9pm, £8.

Info 029 2023 2199.

Darren Eedens & The Slim Pickins NosDa, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. uFrankie Wesson Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 8pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month.

Henry Dent Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Joey Landreth RAFA Club, St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

8pm, £12.50 adv. Info 01437 729517. Country/folk type from Winnipeg. *Nekra + Terra Soror + Glib + Strong Arm Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm, £5. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Hardcore and punk bands from London and Cardiff presented by Hotel De Marl.

Open Mic with Dave Kenwrick The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Robert Plane Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2039 1391. Works by Boulez, Reich and Luciano Berio.

Royal Scam Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm.

Info 029 2062 6015. Steely Dan tribute.

Spirit Of Boogie + Superfreak Jac’s, Aberdare.

3pm, £5. Info 01685 879491.

Headliners’ set will include, it says here, an attempt to break their own record for the most number of people onstage at once. Er, good luck! uSteve Tarner Jazz Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 2pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month.

The 4 Of Us Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12

adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Acoustic rockers, big in Ireland in the early 90s.

The Great Unknown The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2070 8675.

The Maddisons Blinkin Owl, Cwmbran. 9pm, free. Info 01633 484749.

Trailand Etzroth Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391. New work for string septet and field recordings titled Above The Stars.

Vessel & Rakhi Singh Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391. A collaboration inspired by Janácek’s string quartet Intimate Letters, performed here by the Singh Quartet.

Wheatus The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm, £12.50 adv. Info 01685 387925.

Description on the event page for this simply says “Wheatus”, and they make a fair point. In Swansea on Wed 22.

MONDAY 6 MAY Backtrax Wales The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen. 1.30-3.30pm, free.

Info rewiredmusic@gmail. com. Presented by Rewired Music.

Dick Hamer & Dave Cottle

launch gig for headliner. uOpen Jam Session NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by Pi & Hash, every Tuesday this month. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Every Tuesday.

RWCMD Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz featuring sets from the Clem Saynor / Timothy Boomer Group and the Thom Voyce Quintet.

The John Davies Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 8 MAY Aberystywth University Concert Band Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7pm, £2-£6/free schoolchildren. Info 01970 623232.

Anfu Hague Quintet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Atrium University Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Ell South + Eleri Angharad + Natty Paynter Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@

Artmagic, a duo who include Richard Oakes of Suede and play a kind of hypnotic, textured folk-rock, release their second album in June and play The Big Top in Cardiff on Tue 14 May. Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360. Playing the jazz night on here every Monday.

Jimmy Mac’s Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Blues/rock/soul.

Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

8pm, £26.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Tribute band.

The Wildhearts Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £26 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. UK rock troopers.

TUESDAY 7 MAY Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Janet Price Opera Prize Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Katherine Jenkins + AJ Brown St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £31.50-£57.

Info 029 2087 8444. Not often you see a classical artist, if Jenkins still counts as one, with a support act.

Minas + Teddy Hunter + Dead Method The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com. EP

porterscardiff.com. A Forte Project gig.

Halfnoise Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50. Info 029 2023 2199. Some so-called altpop-rock from Zac Farro, who formed this band after leaving Paramore but is now back in Paramore again.

John Doyle Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Lleuwen A’r Band Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. In Aberystwyth tomorrow.

Logiri/Thomas Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Monmouth Big Band with Gareth Roberts Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Sophie Crabtree.

Press Club + Human Heat + Peachfuzz Clwb Ifor

u – repeated

Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £6.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac Grand Theatre, Swansea.

8pm, £36.50/£26.50. Info 01792 475715. Tribute band.

Sam Brookes Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Solo folk-rocker.

Sam Lee’s Singing With Nightingales Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 8pm, £15/£14. Info 01982 552555.

UK folk singer with a concert themed around English woodland in some way.

Sara Trickey & Daniel Tong Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7.30pm, £5-£12. Info 01792 602060.

Violin/piano recital.

Sharon Shannon & Seckou Keita Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £18 adv. Info 01792 863722. Acoustic music from Ireland and Senegal.

Slowthai The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £0.99. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Slowthai is an oiky rapper from Northampton who I’ve yet to actually hear but seems pretty interesting/different.

Moreover, he would otherwise play much bigger venues than this, and not for under a pound, although I think you have to preorder his album to get a ticket.

THURSDAY 9 MAY Acoustic Sinners The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

All Them Witches + Swedish Death Candy Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199.

American psych/hard rock types headline. Gig is sold out, didn’t know they were that popular.

BBC NOW: Mozart & Bartók St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£41. Info 029 2087 8444. Jac Van Steen conducts.

Heather Peace The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50 adv.

Info 07590 471888.

John Connolly & Rob Van Sante Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

John Reischman And The Jaybirds Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01792 602060.

Mandolin player and his band.

Kumar Chopra Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Lleuwen A’r Band Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Songwriters Network Ocean Arts Cardiff, Splott, Cardiff. 8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk.

Meetup and jam type night, every second Thursday of the month. uSteve Edmunds The Lime Tree, Chepstow. 8pm, free. Info 01291 620959. Also here on Thurs 23 this month.

Summer Of Love Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £23.50/£22.50. Info 01656 815995. Sixties covers.

Tom Auton + Finding Aurora + The Rumble + Hang11 The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, £4. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

William The Conqueror + Big Thing Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Americana type band headline FRIDAY 10 MAY Abba’s Angels Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £29 adv. Info 029 2048 7602.

Tribute band. Tickets price includes a two-course meal and glass of champagne.

BBC NOW Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£22.

Info 01792 475715. Jac Van Steen conducts a programme of Mozart, Beethoven and Bartók.

Bob Fox + Will Pound & Eddy Jay + Brooks Williams + The Paul Lloyd Nicholas Band Concert Marquee, Tredegar House Folk Festival, Newport.

7.30pm, £18/£17. Info ceri33@ btopenworld.com. Opening concert of the Tredegar House Folk Festival, which features folk dance, song and music over three days.

Drahla + Sleep Eaters + Private World Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Headliners’ new album is out today and reviewed in this issue.

Eleri Angharad + Ian Lynn Palmer + Laura Power The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £3. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Flash Hangar 18, Swansea.

7.30pm, £15 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Queen tribute. In Aberdare on Fri 24.

Fortunate Sons Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band Paget Rooms, Penarth. 7pm, £20 adv.

Info 029 2070 0721. Iconic soul shouter plays a gig co-promoted by Woodfired Summit and Penarth Soul Club.

Hullabaloo Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £15/£13 adv.

Info 01834 869323. Muse tribute band.

Kyle Falconer Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 468892. Singer from The View, famous to millions for having an album called Which Bitch?.

My Octopus Mind + Mike Dennis The Moon, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Organsm Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. A very badly named band, unless the venue spelled ‘Organism’ wrong in which case it is slightly less bad.

Real Magic The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £15.50.

Info 01495 355945. Queen tribute band. uRevival Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £17/£16. Info 01633 868239. Abba tribute.

On tomorrow also.

Sarah Birch + Joel Morgan + My Girlfriend’s A Zombie + Dunkie Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm. Info 01685 879491.

Sentry + Fangs + Voidcaller + Led By Lies

22) JUDIE TZUKE + BEVERLEY CRAVEN (St David’s Hall, Wed 26) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR JULY: ALGIERS (Clwb Ifor Bach, Wed 3) HOLDING ABSENCE (The Bunkhouse, Swansea, Wed 10) COLOUR CLASH 2019 (Tredegar Park, Newport, Sat 13) KT TUNSTALL (Cardigan Castle, Sat 13) GARBAGE + DU BLONDE BUZZ 70

Le Public Space, Newport.

6.30pm, £5/£3.50 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Metal bands.

Session The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

Sex Gang Children Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £17 adv. Info 07970 063107. Cult goth-rockers perform their 1983 album Song And Legend in full.

Spiro Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Folk quartet.

Stanley Strong The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Supernaut + Molly Karloff The Patriot, Crumlin.

7.30pm, £6. Info 01495 247178.

Black Sabbath tribute band headline.

Sweet Adelines International Quartet Of Nations 2019 Convention: Quartet Contest St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £32.50. Info 029 2087 8444. The best in women’s a capella barbershop singing from the UK and Netherlands, no less. First of three such contests, the other two being tomorrow. uThank Abba For The Music Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £19.50/£18.50.

Info 01646 695267. Tribute show. On tomorrow also.

The Dirty Youth The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £9 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

The Groundnuts & Independents + Deathtraps + TenPlusOne Creature Sound, Swansea.

7pm. Info 01792 301178. Punk bands from south Wales.

The Italics City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

The Kennedy Soundtrack + Maddison + Jugganote The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Early-00s nu-metal locals, now regrouped, headline.

The Satellites Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Punk covers.

Tim Parkinson & Siwan Rhys + Viridian BBC Hall, Alexandra Road, Swansea.

7pm, £7/£5 adv. Info www. rwan.cymru. Nawr present a premiere of a piano composition by Angharad Davies, performed by Parkinson and Rhys..

SATURDAY 11 MAY Alaw + Patty Gurdy + The Hut People + The Rob Lear Band + Morfa Concert Marquee, Tredegar House Folk Festival, Newport.

7.30pm, £20/£19. Info ceri33@ btopenworld.com. Tredegar House Folk Festival concert.

All Ears Avow Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Safe Gigs For Women fundraiser presented

by Beers Over Tears.

Arcadia Roots The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7.

Info 01497 821762.

Back To Bacharach The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £25/£24. Info 01633 656757.

Tribute show.

Buck And Evans The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Blues-rock band

who are from Cardiff but don’t seem that keen to make a point of this. Not that I’m saying that’s bad on their part.

Captain Accident & The Disasters + Fat Cat Sound The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 8pm, £7.50 adv. Info 01743 860246. Ska/reggae.

Chris D Bramley + Joe Kelly NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Deadwood The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £3. Info 01495 213300. Classic rock covers.

Dewdropper + The Ecelectic Shed Experience + The Leila Dee Band + Phoebe Rees Concert Marquee, Tredegar House Folk Festival, Newport. 12pm, free.

Info ceri33@btopenworld.com.

Tredegar House Folk Festival concert.

Eden Roots Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Reggae.

Filthy/Gorgeous Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Georgia Paterson The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Hey Pixies + Zed Motel Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 01685 879491. Pixies tribute band – that’s a niche – headline.

Isobel & Alan The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen.

1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com.

Presented by Rewired Music.

Justin Crowe The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Luke Jackson Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. UK singer-songwriter.

Malum Sky + Epsilon Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£4 adv. Info 07970 063107. Local metal bands playing as part of the SXSWales series of events this week.

Meddwlfest: Matriarchy Creature Sound, Swansea.

3-11pm, £10. Info 01792 301178. Benefit gig for Gofal, so named because it consists of “(predominantly) female fronted music”: namely The Loved And Lost, Scarsun, Sydney Fate, Poison Crow, Powderhead, Raised By Wolves, 9xDead, Rapture’s End and Urfe.

Montgomery County Music Festival Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £12/£6. Info 01686 614555. Classical/choral recitals. *Omar Souleyman + Threatmantics Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18.

Info 029 2023 2199. See Music for a preview of Syrian legend Omar’s debut Welsh gig. Joy Collective DJs between bands also.

No Future Festival Tramshed, Cardiff. 2-10.30pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Punk bands mostly of a 70s and 80s vintage: Cockney Rejects (first Welsh gig in decades?), UK Subs, Discharge, GBH, 999, Vice Squad and Criminal Mind.

Paul Young Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 8pm, £44.50/£32.

Info 01792 475715. Tour to celebrate 35 years since the release of Paul’s album No

Parlez, vinyl copies of which can be bought for as little as 10p on Discogs.

Phoxjaw + The King Is Dead + Calling Apollo The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £8/£5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Punchline Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Rock’n’ Roll Paradise Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01495 227206. Songs from the 50s and 60s, selected by a jukebox but performed by humans. I assume.

Rusty Shackle Priory Centre, St Mary’s, Abergavenny. 7pm, £12.50 adv.

Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com. Welsh folk-rockers, presented by Woodfired Summit.

Silent Forum + Perfect Body + Red Telephone + The Bloodshots The Big Top, Cardiff. 6pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Local indie bands playing as part of the SXSWales series of events this week.

Stanley Strong Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Sweet Adelines International Quartet Of Nations 2019 Convention: Chorus Contest St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 11.30am, £32.50.

Info 029 2087 8444.

Sweet Adelines International Quartet Of Nations 2019 Convention: Showcase Of Champions St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

8.15pm, £22.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

The Hip Priests + DC Spectres + Deathtraps Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, £5 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Garage punk type stuff.

The Johnny Cash Roadshow Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01874 611622.

Tribute show.

The Jokers The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £4 adv. Info 01685 387925. Classic rock band.

The Navarones Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £6 adv. Info 01443 491424. Ska/2-tone.

The Oasis Experience + Happy Mondaze The Neon, Newport. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01633 533666. Tribute bands.

The People The Poet + Fire Fences Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £5/£3 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

This Is Wreckage + BloodSlugs + Science Bastard + Clay Statues The Moon, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

Trouble County + Souljacker + Jesse’s Divide The Patriot, Crumlin.

7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 01495 247178.

Ultimate Floyd Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info 07512 237983.

Pink Floyd tribute band.

Who’s Next The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £13/£10 adv.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Who tribute band.

Who’s Who Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 01685 384111.

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Cardiff Castle, Fri 24 May Tickets: £45. Info: 029 2087 8100 / www.cardiffcastle.com “A great night of live music and a storming atmosphere” was how Buzz’s live review dubbed the most recent Cardiff gig by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, in May 2018. Perhaps it will become an implicit tradition, a la Jools Holland playing every Christmas, for Gallagher plus band to rock up in the Welsh capital in this month each year, cranking out the hits and trading profane banter with a sunburned crowd. Certainly, this gig – the ex-Oasis man’s first outdoor show here, and a size up from the previous show at the Motorpoint Arena – might carry a start-of-the-summer feel for those in attendance. Support sets come from former Supergrass singer, the equally unquashable Gaz Coombes, and Cardiff’s own indie breakout sorts Boy Azooga.

Another Who tribute band, playing after the scooter rally here (see Events listings).

SUNDAY 12 MAY Blaenavon The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Indie band, not from Blaenavon or anywhere near.

Broken Glas Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Calan + Frank Hennessy + Belshazzar’s Feast + Jez Lowe Concert Marquee, Tredegar House Folk Festival, Newport. 3pm, £20/£19. Info ceri33@btopenworld.com.

Final Tredegar House Folk Festival concert.

Cédric Tiberghien Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 11am, £8-£20.

Info 029 2039 1391. Pre-lunch piano recital, lunch being on offer afterwards in the cafe.

Emma Stevens Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Folkpop solo artist. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 26 in May), with an extra acoustic session on the third Sunday (Sun 19) too.

In Time For Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £3-£5.

Info 029 2038 7026. Playing the monthly Hot Club Swing night.

Kenny Driscoll Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Man Bites Zombie + Herad Noise + Intergalactic Electronic

Mermaids Jac’s, Aberdare.

5pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Shawn James + Cormac Neeson The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £11 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

James is a “songwriting guru and melodic riff merchant” while Neeson is also a member of The Answer.

Sorry Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. London indie band who recently toured with Shame.

Contrition and I Will Do Better Going Forward were unavailable on the given dates.

Tenements + Good Morning Vietnam + Garuda + Sydney Fate + Lead By Lies + Exit To Main Menu Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 6pm, £7 adv . Info 07970 063107.

Year Of The Dog + Gemma And The Owls + Moc Isaac The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £4-£7. Info info@themooncardiff. com. Playing as part of the SXSWales series of events this week.

MONDAY 13 MAY Advent Sorrow + Agrona + Levitas + Cistvaen Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, £15/£12 adv. Info 07970 063107. Black metal, the headliners coming from Australia.

Atrium University Night Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Dom Norcross Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360.

Mammoth Penguins The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£5.50 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Indiepop band from Cambridge. This is

an all ages show, for all you Mammoth Penguins-lovin’ tweens out there.

Men I Trust Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13. Info 029 2023 2199. [looking around to make sure everyone can hear] Men I Trust? I guess there’ll just be an empty stage at this gig, right!?

TUESDAY 14 MAY Alun’s Birthday Bash Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Don’t know who Alun is but he’s got a bunch of local jazz names playing.

Artmagic The Big Top, Cardiff. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. This is a duo featuring Richard Oakes from Suede and Alison Moyet sideman Sean McGhee. They have an album out around now which seemed partway interesting when I listened to it a couple of days back.

Bem Thomas / Julian Martin Quartet The Muse, Brecon. 8pm, £12/£10 members. Info info@ breconjazzclub.org. A Brecon Jazz Club event.

Dboy + Nigel Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199. Headliners are a garage punk band from Ontario with a schtick that seems decidedly subTurbonegro.

Frank Hennessy Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff.

7.45pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2116 7920. Professional Cardiffian sings songs and makes merry in this venue’s billards room.

James Yorkston The Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £14 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Scottish folkie, very much

(Cardiff University, Sun 14) BILLY BRAGG (Cardigan Castle, Wed 24) HOT 8 BRASS BAND (Sin City, Swansea, Thurs 25) CHARLOTTE CHURCH’S LATE NIGHT POP DUNGEON (Cardigan Castle, Sat 27) WHITE DENIM (Tramshed, Cardiff, Tue 30) KATE NASH (The Globe, Cardiff, Tue 30) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR AUGUST: BUZZ 71

* – recommended settled in a stylistic nook nowadays really but always quietly good.

Liam Byrne & NASduo St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £10/£3 NUS. Info 029 2087 8444. Byrne plays the viola da gamba, the NASduo bass clarinet and percussion. Sounds potentially good.

Matthew And The Atlas The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Sad boi indie MOR stuff, looks to be sold out.

Mini Mansions + Sons Of Raphael Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £14. Info 029 2023 2199.

Paul Carr St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 029 2087 8444. Organ recital.

Samuel Jack Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. New soul-pop voice.

The Holiday 6 Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY All That Cabaret Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Songs from the musicals.

Andy Panayi with Dave Cottle Trio The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

BA Johnston + Cruel Prank + Lt Meat Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Headliner is a Canadian folkrocker with an evident zany streak, who has played Le Pub before and become a cult fave therein.

Banshee Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.

com. Jazz jam session, leaning towards the freer end of the style it says here.

China Bowls + Comfort State + The Strands Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Jeff Hooper & Capital City Jazz Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Ian Lynn Palmer.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. Pleased to announce the ‘worst band names of the issue’ contents entry will be returning this month.

Reverend James & The Swingtown Cowboys Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Penarth. 7.30pm, £5/£4.40 adv.

Info feelgoodmusicorg@gmail. com. Also featuring swing DJ The Medicine Man. The Churchfitters Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01646 651725. Bluegrass group from Newcastle.

THURSDAY 16 MAY Alex Goodyear Bop Septet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5.

Info 029 2038 7026.

Andy Hague Quintet Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £5-£11. Info 01834 869323.

Spanjazz night.

Dean Friedman The Hyst, Swansea. 8pm, £28. Info 01792 654366. American pop-rock veteran, also in Pentyrch

tomrorow.

Henry Marten’s Ghost The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2025 2042.

Jason Lytle Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Lowkey piano-and-vox set from Granddaddy frontman. Neat booking but sold out.

Jinski Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, free. Info 01656 815995. Geordie folk duo.

Little Bird + Heaven Knows + Wildfire Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8.

Info 029 2023 2199. Little Bird are better known as south Wales emo band Casey, who are splitting up after touring this month; this is their last local gig and is already sold out. Why it’s being advertised under a different name I have no idea.

FRIDAY 17 MAY Bjorn To Rock Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 7pm, £35. Info 01633 413737. Abba tribute band. Price includes dinner.

Blue Evolution Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2039 9557. EP launch gig.

Body Type + Krush Puppies + Fuzz Club Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.

Info 029 2023 2199.

Cancel The Transmission + Atmos + Foreigner’s Son The Patriot, Crumlin.

8.30pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Claire Taylor The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Old school soul.

Dean Friedman Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £28 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

live review

STEFFLON DON

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 18 Apr It’s easy to see why Stefflon Don stands out in the UK music scene. While other prominent female rap artists position themselves as relatable and real, Stefflon strides proudly in the opposite direction, with a swagger that more closely resembles the brash glam of American hip-hop. Her collaborator list is just as mighty, with superstars like Sean Paul, French Montana, Big Sean, Future and even Idris Elba all sharing artist credits with her. Seriously, can we have networking lessons from this woman?

The set kicks off a not-so-fashionable 30 minutes late, though this does little to deter the manic crowd. When Steff finally appears, sprawled across a gold throne and surrounded by a troupe of pink backing dancers, the screams are deafening. Her chart-friendly crossover blend of rap, afro-beat and dancehall has won her a diverse fanbase – certainly enough to pack out the Great Hall tonight. The word DON stands behind her in 10-foot tall white lettering. The opening mission statement is clear: Stefflon Don is here to take charge.

What follows is a bombastic ceremony of supercharged hits, twerk-offs, and bucketloads of attitude. It’s big and loud and boisterous, with Steff’s easy patter in her distinctive Hackney accent smoothing the gaps between songs.

We’re treated to fresh cuts from the debut Secure album, as well as snippets from her numerous features on tracks like Wiley’s Boasty and Jeremih’s London. Early career single 16 Shots continues to be a punch-in-the-face banger that Stefflon delivers with bad bitch aplomb, and mainstream breakout hit Hurtin’ Me is predictably an audience favourite. All hail the queen. words and photos JASPER WILKINS

BUZZ 72

Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra + Molara Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £14-£18. Info 01834 869323.

Also featuring DJ Eugene. uDevauden Festival Hood Memorial Hall, Devauden, nr Chepstow. 6pm, £20 weekend/£13 kids (£12/£7 kids Fri 18; £16/£9 kids Sat 19). Info devaudenfestival@yahoo.com.

Two-day family-friendly fest.

Today is headlined by Rusty Shackle, while tomorrow is topped by Tankus The Henge.

Echobelly Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. Britpop B-leaguers play acoustic set.

Faith No More Or Less + Temporary Chaos Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £5. Info 01443 491424. FNM tribute band headline.

Hippodrone + Twthpaste + Nigel + Kikker Hangar 18, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Jack Blackman The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762. Another of the seemingly inexhaustible supply of earthy and soulful singer-songwriters with ‘Jack’ and ‘man’ in their names.

Julie Murphy The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 029 2048 3344. Welsh folkie.

Killer Queen St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25. Info 029 2087 8444. Queen tribute band.

La Villa Strangiato The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Rush tribute band.

Little Villains + King Kraken + Miss Kill The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £5. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. This is the band who Phil Taylor from Motörhead formed

u – repeated

with some younger bucks including one of Vails a decade or so back. Phil is dead now but the band are playing some gigs anyway.

Mal Pope Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01646 695267.

Popestars Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £6. Info 07970 063107. Tribute to Ghost, as in the spooky Swedish hard rock band.

Ross Gurney Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Rumney Folk Club St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff. 7.45pm. Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk. Monthly night, usually on the third Friday.

Sara Ashley The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

Session City Arms, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Siberian Meat Grinder + Grand Collapse + Pizzatramp + Migraines Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Headliners are a crossover thrash band from Moscow. Sound very zany.

The Allergies Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01792 468892. Live hip-hop stuff featuring Andy Cooper from Ugly Duckling in this incarnation.

The Manfreds Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £21.50 adv. Info 01792 863722.

The Orange Circus + The Last Southern Ghost The Garage, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv.

Info 01792 475147. Country and bluegrass.

The Rivers + Diggs + Malakites + Harmonies Of The Revised Jac’s,

Aberdare. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

The Sharpeez + Glas The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01495 355945. R&B and blues-rock.

The Woodsman The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm. Info 01443 841133.

West Coast Eagles Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 07512 237983. Eagles tribute band.

Wet Wet Wet Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £26 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. This is a Pellowless version of the group FYI. Young Garbo + Bear Island + The Mondaines The Moon, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

SATURDAY 18 MAY Abertillery Rock & Blues Weekend The Met, Abertillery. 2pm, £15 adv. Info 01495 355945. Featuring, in chronological order, Dawson Smith & The Disscenters, Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band, The Cadillac Kings and Full House (playing Frankie Miller).

Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters + Scarlet Rebels + The Black Tree Vultures Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Astrid The Street Organ: 10 World Premieres Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11am, free.

Info 029 2063 6464. Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event featuring eight pieces written by Welsh composers for fairground organ. In St Fagans tomorrow.

BBC NOW Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm,

£3-£16.50. Info 029 2063 6464.

Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event in which Ryan Bancroft conducts a programme including the Welsh premiere of Steve Reich’s Music For Ensemble And Orchestra.

Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses South Wales Semi Final 2 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107.

CJ Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Crisis Talks Le Public Space, Newport. 8.30pm, free.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Single launch gig.

Do Not Panic Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 01443 682388. Hawkwind tribute.

Flatworld The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762. Eastern European style folk.

Funky Love Posse The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Glas The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free. Info 01639 882381.

Helen Ensor Morgan The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow.

Iconic Eye + Atlas The Patriot, Crumlin. 7.30pm, free.

Info 01495 247178.

John Etheridge’s Sweet Chorus Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 01792 602060. Classicalmeets-prog-meets-other-stuff guitarist who was in a late-70s incarnation of Soft Machine as well as various other, more marginal UK rock bands.

Lost Tuesday Society + Greenmailer The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Low Down Dirty Dog Blues Band The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen.

1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com.

Presented by Rewired Music.

Marcus T The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Meddwlfest: Pentaphonic Creature Sound, Swansea.

3-11pm, £5. Info 01792 301178.

Benefit gig for Gofal, featruring sets from And The Sky Darkened, King Kraken, Trep, State Of Deceit and Scarsun. *Michael Chapman Bluestone Brewing Company, Newport, Pembrokeshire.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 820833. UK folk guitarist and minor legend plays a venue which is actually a huge marquee on the side of a brewery.

Mused The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £9/£7 adv. Info 01685 387925. Muse tribute band.

Never 42 Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £20.50/£18.50 adv. Info 01834 869323. Level 42 tribute band play a gig whose cash-in-hand price is as fiddly and annoying as a Mark King bass solo.

Newtown Male Voice Choir Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.30pm, £15. Info 01686 614555.

Night Machine The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £3.

Info 01495 213300.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Rhiannon The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 8pm, £10/£8.

Info 01639 843163. Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

Rob Lear + Yasmine Davies + Ben Dain-Smith NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Sara Ashley Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Ska Monkeys Cardiff Bus Transport Club. 8.30pm, £5.50 adv. Info 029 2023 3658. Ska and 2-tone covers. *Slomatics + Made Of Teeth + Estuary Blacks + Kong Lives The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Cosmic Carnage and Lesson No.1 with some doom metal and sludge bands. Headliners are from Ireland, in Cardiff for the first time I think, and very rarely available to be watched for free I can tell you!

The Hallé St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£49.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. An International Concert Series event where Sir Mark Elder conducts a programme of Smetana, Sibelius and Berlioz.

The Manfreds The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01633 656757. Some sort of derivative of Manfred Mann.

The Pintados + Hay Ventura Jac’s, Aberdare.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

Rock and pop covers SUNDAY 19 MAY Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells.

4pm. Info 07477 627267.

Becki Biggins Melville Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £10/£8/£3 NUS. Info 01873 853167. Black Mountain Jazz gig.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Fairground Organ Performance National History Museum, St Fagans.

11am-12pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event featuring eight pieces written by Welsh composers for fairground organ.

Fara Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Folk quartet from the Orkney Isles.

Helen Ensor Morgan Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free.

Info 01994 427688.

Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026.

Kasia + Common Spit + Belle Mellor + Seaside Witch Coven Jac’s, Aberdare.

5pm, £3. Info 01685 879491.

KSI & Randolph Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £23.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. I know a nineyear-old that likes these guys.

Not sure if they’re age appropriate. Not that I’m grassing him up or anything.

Michael Ball St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £42.50-£62.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. Sold out.

Not Since The Accident + BoxCat + The Woodsman + Eaten By Owls + Aaron Hopkins The Moon, Cardiff.

6-10pm, free. Info info@

themooncardiff.com. Playing as part of a zine-making workshop which is listed in Events.

Pharis & Jason Romeo Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, Barry. 7.30pm, £13 adv.

Info 07561 143114. Roots N All gig for Canadian folk husband’n’wife.

Prognosis Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015. Prog tribute band.

The Orpheus Singers National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

MONDAY 20 MAY Alaw St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

8pm, £16. Info 029 2087 8444.

Welsh folk band play Roots Unearthed gig.

Alex Lahey Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Australian singersongwriter.

Composer Spotlights Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Vacation + Ssssnakes + The Boneless Ones Exist Skatepark, Swansea. 7-10pm.

Info 01792 474095. Punk bands. Headliners are from Cincinnati and do kinda poppunk meets JAMC noisepop stuff maybe, or “the punk rock Beatles on acid” as the promoters put it. Not sure if there’s a price for this, might be a donation thing.

Viagra Boys + Squid Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199. Postpunk band from Stockholm headline.

Year Of The Knife + Chamber + Cauldron + Watch Me Die Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Hardcore bands presented here by Nuclear Family.

WEDNESDAY 22 MAY Armida Quartet Ewenny

The annual Fishguard Folk Festival returns to the Pembrokeshire coastal town from Fri 24-Mon 27 May, with headline performances each day in Theatr Gwaun and a host of smaller ones in 10 or so venues around the way.

Bay. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv.

Info 029 2063 6464. Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event featuring Welsh premieres of two piano trio work by composers Brian Noyes and Andrew Wilson-Dickson.

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Gethin Lidington Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360. *Gwenifer Raymond + Cara Cullen The Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £7/£5.50 adv.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Very cool Brighton-based, Wales-orginated folk guitarist headlines.

TUESDAY 21 MAY Montague / Downes / Goller Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Pharis & Jason Romero Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £12 adv.

Info 01873 852960. Canadian folk duo.

Rita Ora Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, from £32.50.

Info 029 2022 4488.

Sandbox Percussion St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£14. Info 029 2087 8444.

Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event featuring youthful NYC percussion quartet.

Sandbox Percussion Primary Schools Concert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 11am12pm, £3. Info 029 2087 8444.

The Sopranos Café Jazz,

Priory, Vale Of Glamorgan.

7.30pm, £3-£15. Info 0300 6663366. Vale Of Glamorgan Festival event.

Bullets & Octane + Idestroy + Pearler Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £8 adv.

Info 01792 468892. Glam metal stuff.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Charlie Says.

RWCMD Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz featuring sets from the Isaac Hamilton Quartet and Hivemind.

Swingcopation Big Band with Phil Lee Thomas & Dianne Horan Hill Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 29.

The Hut People Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night featuring insturmental duo, one of whom is ex-Beautiful South. Garry Hammond, since you asked.

The Wonder Stuff Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Tom Baxter Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17

adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Poprock singer-songwriter.

Wheatus Coyote Ugly, Swansea. 7pm, £16.50 adv. Info 020 84784888.

Year Of The Dog + Christian Punter + Harvey Jones Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. A Forte Project gig.

Zoe Francis & The Jim Mullen Trio The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £13. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

THURSDAY 23 MAY Chris Hodgkins International Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026. uEradication Festival 2019 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

4pm, £35 weekend/£15 Thurs 23 only/£20 per day all other days. Info 07970 063107. Extreme metal festival returns. Today: Fleshcrawl, Sodomized Cadaver, Body Harvest, Ascaris, Infected Dead, Democratus and Total Consumption. Fri 24: Raised

By Owls, Avslut, Monstrance, Sectesy, Bloodthread, Strangle Wire, Mist Of Misery, Seprevation, Live Burial, The Crawling, Anoxide and Anal Floss Is Boss. Sat 25: Avulsed, Fleshless, Azziard, Warlord Uk, Necrosy, Mutilated Judge, Casket Feeder, Zealot Cult, Blind Divide, Ablated, Mortis Cruentus and Nomos. Sun 26: Rimfrost, The Sickening, The Infernal Sea, Ass Deep Tongued, Inferia, Agrona, Oncology, Burial, Wolfbastard, Crimson Throne, Mortishead, Atonement and An Endless Path. (Until Sun 26) Gong + The Ed Wynne Band The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £14. Info 07590 471888. Spacerock prog icons whose main dude Daevid Allen died a few years ago, but Gong are kicking on cos it’s what he would have wanted. *Oh Sees + Prettiest Eyes + Heavy Lungs Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23.50 adv.

Info 029 2023 5555. Heavy Cali psych-punks, release albums all the time, always good value playing live.

Soul Legends St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £24.50£32,50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Just a night of covers, except Lemar is one of the vocalists.

Stanley Strong The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Vida + Pastel + The Stray Pursuit Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie bands presented by Hoyfest.

FRIDAY 24 MAY Albini Frogs The Garage, Swansea. 8.45pm, £10. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Andy Cutting Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. Valley Folk Club night.

Anne-Marie Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £26.50.

Info 029 2022 4488. The person who had that song about early 00s nostalgia that made American Pie seem like

Finnegan’s Wake. And I guess lots of other popular songs too, as this is sold out.

Athena + Steffan Rhys Hughes + Chôr Ysgol y Strade Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7pm, £14/£13. Info 0845 2263510. Various Welsh classical/choral sorts.

Belshazzar’s Feast Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire.

8-9.45pm, £12 adv. Info 01239 841387. Folk.

Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, £15. Info 01495 243252. uCardiff Psych & Noise Fest The Moon, Clwb Ifor Bach + Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

6pm, £26 weekend/£15 per day/free today only. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

See Music for a preview of this great weekender, which debuted last year. Today is in The Moon only, is open to all and features USA Nails, Dead Arms, Lacertilia, Wylderness, Rough Music and Fuzz Club. Sat 25, from 2pm: Islet, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Kapil Seshasayee, Gravves, Emily Breeze, El Goodo, Memory Of Elephants, Olanza, Slumb Party, Ratatosk, Jemma Roper, Cvc, Stereocilia, Aaronson, Conqueror Worm, News From Nowhere, Conformist, Blue Amber, Smudges, Kate Wood, Shishu, Free Beer & Bacon, Bad Vibes, Jaxson Payne and Karmen Field. Sun 26, from 2pm: Raketkanon, Haiku Salut, Teeth Of The Sea, Sly & The Family Drone, Gallops, Death And Vanilla, Ill, 20 Guilders, Sendelica, Meadows, Perfect Body, Lunar Bird, Telgate, Mute Group(s), Obey Cobra, Moe, Bruxa Maria, Sock, Borrowed Atlas, This Is Wreckage, Twin Siblings, Vieon, Massa Circles and Made Of Teeth. (Until Sun 26) Classic Intensions The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017. uFishguard Folk Festival Various venues, Fishguard.

Free. Info judy.whitehouse@ gmail.com. A series of sessions, live performances and dance showcases, in the following venues (and possibly others): Ffwrn, Town Hall/Library, The Royal Oak, Bennetts, Theatr Gwaun, TS Skirmisher, the Ship Inn, the Yacht Club, Peppers, Mannings and the Gwaun Valley Brewery.

Main performances, all at Theatr Gwaun and £12 adv/£6 under 17s: Jim Moray and Folklaw (Sat 25, 2.30pm); The Trials Of Cato and Andy Cutting (Sat 25, 7.30pm); The Melrose Quartet and Hannah James (Sun 26, 7.30pm); Alaw and Kim Edgar (Mon 27, 12pm). (Until Mon 27) Flash + Codewalkers Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01685 879491. Queen tribute band – headline.

Glas City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Graham Fitkin Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Piano recital of Fitkin’s own compositions, as part of Vale Of Glamorgan Festival.

Higher-On Maiden Hangar

BLACK PEACHES (10 Feet Tall, Cardiff, Thurs 1) LEFTOVER CRACK (The Globe, Tue 6) ASH (The Globe, Fri 23) BEIRUT (Tramshed, Sun 25) CATE LE BON (Portland House, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 29) LITTLE STEVEN & THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL (Tramshed, Thurs 29) WAYNE HUSSEY (Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff, Fri 30) BUZZ 73

* – recommended 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £6 adv.

Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Iron Maiden tribute band.

Kat Jones Ty Newydd, Barry.

9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Marcus T The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. uMerthyr Rising Festival Penderyn Square, Merthyr Tydfil. 1pm, £50/£25 per day.

Info www.merthyrrising.uk.

See Roundup for a... roundup of this festival’s proudly leftist ethos. Here’s who’s appearing: Sugarhill Gang, Cast, Black Grape, Lowkey, Vant, Brushy One String, Neville Staple Band, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, Electric Swing Circus, The Sandinistas, The KarPets, Henry’s Funeral Shoe, Red Rum Club, Hang11, Du Bellows, The Now, Carolines, Hana2K, Thee Deadtime Philharmonic, Stay Voiceless, Son Of Man, The Moon Birds, Knitwear Junkees, Year Of The Dog, Charlie Says, Young Garbo, The Mondaines, The Rotanas, The Pagans S.O.H, Adrenaline Animals, Chris King, Craig Thomas, Bryony Sier, Killjoys, Jack Mason & The Martyrs Boys, Al Moses, Diggs Galliers, The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk, Bute, Rhys Davis, Tracy Island, Acid House Therapy, Police Rave Unit, Pastel Official, Belle Mellor, Bedface, Attila The Stockbroker, Barnstormer 1649, Public Order. (Until Sun 26) Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds + Gaz Coombes + Boy Azooga Cardiff Castle. 5-10.30pm, £45.

Info 029 2087 8100.

Punchline The Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194. ¡Que Asco! + Paraskenia + Riding Giants The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Storm Chorus Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 07818 056599. Gothic folk duo who Mojo magazine described as a cross between Nick Cave and Shirley Collins, which I fear may be a case of writing them a bigger cheque than they’re capable of cashing.

The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Cureheads The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11 adv. Info 07590 471888. Cure tribute band.

SATURDAY 25 MAY 2 Tickets 2 The Gun Show The Seagull Inn, Porthcawl.

9pm, free. Info 01656 785420.

Acoustic Sinners Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2031 1319.

Addiction The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509. Reformed late-70s punks.

Carus Thompson + Jim Blair + Christian Smith NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Cath Jones The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Cory Band + Only Men Aloud St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £29.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Playing/singing songs from movies and musicals.

David Juritz & Sarah Briggs Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8-9.45pm, £15 BUZZ 74

adv. Info 01239 841387. Violin and piano recital.

ELO Encounter Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Tribute band.

Fleetwood Bac The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Tribute band.

Glas Cockett Inn, Swansea.

9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Higher-On Maiden Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Iron Maiden tribute.

Hollowstar + Florence Black Ebbw Vale Institute.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 01495 708022.

Madness Ffos Las Racecourse, Carmarthenshire.

3pm, £40. Info 0844 2491000.

Madness are touring racecourses this summer, for whatever reason, including two in this area: this one, then Chepstow on Sat 8 June. #MotherTongue Tramshed Tech, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £12/£5 NUS. Info 029 2023 5555. The words of women from South African townships blend with music for voice, clarinet, cello, percussion and harp to explore motherhood and family.

Curated by Abel Selaocoe and presented by Sinfonia Cymru.

This sounds neat!

Open Mic Eagle Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £16.50.

Info 029 2023 2199. Alt-rap type, played Cardiff not too long ago.

Owen Money & The Travelling Wrinklies Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £18/£16.50 adv. Info 01834 869323.

The Hold Up: Inner City Cypher Oner Signs, Cardiff.

1-5pm, free. Info 029 2037 1231. Monthly hip-hop session inviting MCs, beatboxers, DJs etc down to jam.

The Magic Of Motown 2019 Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.15pm, £27. Info 01446 738622. Tribute show.

The Masterplan Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm. Info 01685 879491. Oasis/Noel Gallagher tribute.

The Murderburgers + Traverse + Honest Thieves Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, £5 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Pop-punk.

The Navarones + Skacasm + The Underclass + Evil Turkeys Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 3.30pm, £17.50 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Ska and 2-tone bands, plus guest DJs throughout the day.

UKBlondie Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Tribute band.

SUNDAY 26 MAY Howard Jones St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £20£101.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Synthpop survivor now sporting a vegetation-rich ‘Shearer’s Island’. Top price is VIP. Karmen Field NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Los Blancos + Breichiau Hir + Papur Wal + Eadyth + Kim Hon + Melin Melyn Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 4pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2023 2199. Various Welsh language bands presented here

by Twrw.

Madison Violet Acapela,

Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Canadian MOR pop duo.

National Urdd Eisteddfod 2019 Opening Concert Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, from £5. Info 029 2063 6464.

Sarah & Danny Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Snatch It Back West End Club, Barry. 5pm. Info 01446 735739. Blues.

The Omega Blend Hobo’s, Bridgend. 8pm, free. Info www. hobosmusicvenue.com.

The Sex Pistols Experience + Addiction Jac’s, Aberdare. 6pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01685 879491. Tribute band headline.

Whitchurch Jam Session #118 Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 5.30pm, free.

Info 029 2062 6015.

MONDAY 27 MAY Jango Haze Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Revulsion + Shallow Graves + Asidhara Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm,

1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. Choral classics from various periods Death By Shotgun + All Better Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Gwilym + Wigwam + Hebenw Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Jazz Cafe The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344.

Moonshine Boulevard Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Olly Murs + Rak-Su Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, from £39.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

Rachel Head 6tet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Saara Aalto Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £35/£80 VIP. Info 0871 4720400. Alumnus of X Factor and Dancing On Ice as well as various musicals.

The Futureheads The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Jabby bouncy postpunk indie from

Michael Chapman, a quiet titan of British folk who helped shift the genre into the leftfield in the 1960s and 70s, plays at the Bluestone Brewery in Newport, Pembrokeshire on Sat 18 May. £7 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Hardcore bands presented here by Greyscale. Asidhara write their name in Sanskrit but this crappy version of Indesign can’t deal with the caret on a Welsh W let alone something from another alphabet.

Ryan McCombs The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £12.50 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. Guy from the bands Soil and Drowning Pool plays an acoustic set.

Spice Girls + Jess Glynne Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

5pm, £60.50-£291. Info 08442 777888. That range of tickets in full, cheapest first: reserved seats/wheelchair platform, standing/unreserved seats, Official Platinum, Zigazig ah VIP Standing, Spice Circle Premium Pitch Standing and Spice Up Your Life VIP (Spice Circle) Standing..

The Crackers Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

TUESDAY 28 MAY *Argument? + Pissy + Livid + Shishu Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2037 3144. Hotel De Marl present some punk and hardcore bands, three debuting here and one being marv’lus locals Shishu.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £14/£7 NUS. Info 029 2087 8444.

Choralia Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

north-east England, and indeed from the late 00s, except they’re back!

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY Albert Lee And His Band Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

8pm, £20. Info 01600 772467.

Fairport Convention Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01646 695267.

Gethin Liddington’s Goodkatz Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. Price inclues a buffet Make Them Suffer + Lotus Eater Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £12 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

Matheus Prado Septet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

MG Boulter + Matthew Frederick + Ian Lynn Palmer Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Singersongwriterly Americana type stuff.

Mouth Of Words Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s guest host is Sophie Crabtree.

Paul Divers + Head Noise + Blunt Trauma The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9-11pm, £3. Info 01685 387925.

u – repeated

A U&I Radio night.

Thea Gilmore Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Singer-songwriter who plays in south Wales every 18 months to two years I reckon.

THURSDAY 30 MAY Andy Hague Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Candelas + Y Cledrau + Lewys Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Fairport Convention Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £27.50 adv. Info 01792 863722.

Ian Poole Quartet The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Jive Talkin’ Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23/£12 kids. Info 01792 475715. Bee Gees tribute.

Little Mix Experience 2019 Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 5.45pm, £13.50. Info 01446 738622. Tribute band.

Nigel Barker Creature Sound, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 301178. Americana-ish solo artist.

Owen Shiers Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01970 633088. Folk singer with a set drawn from his project, Cynefin, which aims to discover the musical landscape of Ceredigion/west Wales. Sounds up my alley.

Rachel K Collier Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

The Kingdom Choir St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27-£37. Info 029 2087 8444.

Winter Wilson Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8pm.

Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night.

FRIDAY 31 MAY 2 Tickets 2 The Gun Show The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Acoustic Sinners The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017.

Capra Mamei Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Conducting Showcase 2019 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. Featuring RWCMD conducting students Christopher Holley, Heejun Lim and Stefano Boccacci.

Dead Ringer For Love Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715. Tribute to Meat Loaf and Cher. Hard to know what will offend Meat Loaf more, the venue writing his name ‘Meatloaf’ or the guy playing him looking like Robbie Coltrane.

Dressed To Kill Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Kiss tribute band.

Fairport Convention Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £28 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. uFire In The Mountain 2019 Cwmnewidion Isaf,

Cnwch Coch, Aberystwyth.

12pm, £135 weekend/£55 teens/£40 2-12-year-olds/£5 under-2s. Info www. fireinthemountain.co.uk. The return of this purposely smallscale festival on a folk, bluegrass etc tip, and emphasises jam sessions, workshops etc.

Lineup (schedule TBC): Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Chance McCoy, Ye Vagabonds, The Po’ Boys Cajun Band, Côr Meibion Machynlleth, Fishclaw, Whiskey Moonface, Ichi, Rachael Dadd, Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, The True Strays, Truckstop Honeymoon, Diddly Squat, Cynefin, Interstate Express Band, The Firecrackers, Nick Hart, The Odd Folk, Cable Street Rag, The Gin Bowlers, Carreg Bica, Cut A Shine Barn Dance Band, Luke & Lisa, Remix Reeling, Solana, James Patrick Gavin, Hardwicke Circus, The Yellow Belly Stragglers, The Old Time Wasters, The Drystones, Johnnie Glaz String Band, Tree And Wood, Big Chimney Barn Dance, Alabaster dePlume, Noemie Ducimetiere, Junior Bill, The Hicksters, Joe And Jolene, Juju & Heg, Boogaloo String Band and The Mermerings. (Until Sun 2 June) Forever Abba The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £11/£9 adv. Info 01685 387925. Tribute band.

Graham Larkby + Dave Illingworth Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. Valley Folk Club night.

Iron Altar The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm, £4. Info 01443 841133. Metal band playing Swansea tomorrow.

Ishmael Ensemble + Waldo’s Gift Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Judiciary + Vamachara + Cruelty + Road Mutant + Frantic State Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8 adv.

Info 07970 063107. Hardcore bands from the US and UK, presented here by Nuclear Family.

Kat Jones City Arms, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Leather And Lace Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £18. Info 01873 850805. Hard rock covers.

Mark Porter Swing Band Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

7pm, £12. Info 01495 243252.

Ministry Of Sound – The Annual Classical St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £32.50£58. Info 029 2087 8444. A bunch of old dance hits played by a 50-piece orchestra and hosted by Judge Jules.

No Disrespect Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Organ Recital National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7951.

Pizzatramp + Clay Statues + Oblong Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Punk and postpunk.

Punchline The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381.

The Blues Sisters Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026.

The Rotanas + Al Moses + Motel Thieves The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5

adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Zervas & Pepper + Ivan Moult St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.3010pm, £15/£12.50 adv. Info 07960 820645. Album launch gig for soft-rockin’ headliners.

stage WEDNESDAY 1 MAY uAnnie Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12.50.

Info 01633 263670. Musical presented here by Centrestage Cymru. (Until Sat 4) uAwakening Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£23. Info 029 2064 6900.

National Dance Company Wales with three pieces: Afterimage, Revellers’ Mass and Tundra. On tomorrow also. uCalendar Girls Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £19.50£42.50. Info 029 2063 6464.

Musical about old women taking their clothes off for a charity calendar, devised by dirty old Gary Barlow. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 1, Thurs 2, Sat 4, Thurs 9 and Sat 11; 7.30pm only all other dates. £21.50-£47.50 on Fri 3, Sat 4, Fri 10 and Sat 11. (Until Sat 11) uClass Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12.

Info 029 2063 6464. Abbey Theatre production about a nine-year-old struggling at school. (Until Sat 4) uCrave The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info info@ otherroomtheatre.com. Trainee showcase production of a play

by Sarah Kane. Tonight is a preview price; tickets are £12 hereafter. (Until Sat 11) Matt Rees + Josh Elton + Simon Bracey + Ali Hancock + Sandro Ford The Albion, Penarth. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2033 0743. Comedy night. uPeeling Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £14/£10.

Info 029 2030 4400. New Welsh language production of this Kaite O’Reilly play by Taking Flight, with English captions and audio description. Based on Eripides’ The Trojan Women. On at 2pm and 8pm on Thurs 2 and Sat 4. (Until Sat 4) uSaethu Cwningod / Shooting Rabbits Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2064 6900.

Previewed in April’s issue, this new theatre production

by PowderHouse concerns the Welsh contingent who travelled to Spain to fight Franco’s fascists. In Aberystwyth on Thurs 9; Ammanford Fri 10.

(Until Sat 4) uThe Addams Family Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01646 695267. Musical comedy. £11 concession price is for tonight only. (Until Fri 3) uThe Stick Maker Tales Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £13/£12. Info 01646 695267. A National Theatre Wales production of a oneman show about an elderly shepherd, played by Peter Cox. On tomorrow also; in Newtown

on Fri 3, Swansea on Sat 4, Brecon on Tue 7 and Rhayader on Fri 10 and Sat 11.

Up Next With Pride!

Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7pm, £14.50/£12.50 adv. Info 01639 763214. Variety show as part of the 2019 Swansea Pride celebration.

THURSDAY 2 MAY uAs A Tiger In The Jungle The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01633 656757. Circus theatre featuring three performers from Asia. On tomorrow also; in Aberystwyth on Sun 12.

Discover Dance Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 1pm, £9. Info 029 2064 6900. National Dance Company Wales present an interactive afternoon session for kids.

Elmer The Patchwork Elephant Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 1.30pm, £8-£12.

Info 01873 850805. Puppetbased kids’ show.

Fidelio Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15/£5. Info 01792 602060. Welsh language version of Beethoven opera, by Meredid Hopwood. In Brecon on Sat 4; Carmarthen on Tue 7; Barry on Sat 11.

Gary Delaney Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £17. Info 0871 4720400. One-liner specialist comedian.

Laura Lexx + Simon Emanuel + Sheep & Mash + Lorna Prichard Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 01685 879491. Comedy night presented by Howl. uLegally Blonde Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01656 815995.

Musical, presented by Porthcawl Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 4.

(Until Sat 4) Seann Walsh Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £15. Info 01600 772467.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £5.50-£13.20. Info 01792 863722. Two new one-act plays presented

by Lighthouse Theatre. In Aberystwyth tomorrow; Pembrokeshire on Sun 5; Milford Haven on Tue 7; Blackwood on Thurs 9; Porthcawl on Wed 15; Cwmbran on Thurs 16; Newtown on Fri 17; Swansea on Sat 18; Llanelli on Wed 22; Ystradgynlais on Thurs 23.

Tickles And Tarts The Big Top, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 8883. Standup and sketches hosted by Joe Granville..

FRIDAY 3 MAY uButtons Undone Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £18.50.

Info 01656 815995. It’s a panto, but sort of rude, and Owen Money is in it. On tomorrow also; in Aberdare on Sun 5; Swansea on Fri 10 and sat 11; Carmarthen on Fri 17 and Sat 18. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 17.

Farrah Moan Fiction & Vinyl, Swansea. 8pm, £25-£40.

Info 01792 828777. Prelimiary event ahead of Swansea Pride 2019 with this Drag Race star.

Jackson Live In Concert Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £23.50. Info 01873

850805. Tribute show LIFT Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01792 602060. Work from LIFT Dance Company’s Craig Coombs alongside the work of Saydi Jones, Elise Addiscott and Vicky Burroughs. uMachynlleth Comedy Festival Various venues, Machynlleth. 7-11pm (Fri); from 10.45am (Sat + Sun), free-£15 per show. Info machcomedyfest.co.uk. Annual weekender, regarded by many as the ‘comedian’s comedy festival’ or similar. A full programme can be viewed and downloaded on the festival’s website, and trust me when I say there’s way too much to even begin listing it here. Lots of work-in-progress shows, comics playing smaller rooms than normal, live podcasts, nothing over £15 a pop I don’t think. (Until Sun 5) uResident Magicians The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £20. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Notably small (only 20 seats!) magic-centred Vale venue. On every Friday and Saturday this month (Sat 20

presented in conjunction with the National Theatre: Luke Barnes’ The Sad Club (5.30pm), Tom Wells’ Stuff (6.35pm) and Laura Lomas’ Chaos (7.50pm).

Remembering The Movies St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £27-£102. Info 029 2087 8444. Aljaz and Janette from Strictly don’t just remember the movies, they dance about them too. uSean Percival + Paul Tonkinson + Damian Clark + Vikki Stone Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS).

The Greatest Of Shows Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15.

Info 029 2063 6464. Singalong musical compendium.

The Stick Maker Tales Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060.

Transitions Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Short dance works

Sensitive Comedy, a new standup night with a name guaranteed to irk dads everywhere, debuts at Cardiff M.A.D.E. on Thurs 9 May, with sets from Siânny Thomas, Jake Sawyers and more TBC. sold out), with a special guest on Sat 25.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232.

The Stick Maker Tales Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.45pm, £12/£10. Info 01686 614555.

SATURDAY 4 MAY Dau Hanner Brawd Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £12. Info 01239 621200. Play, in Welsh and presented by Cwmni Myrddin, based on the Old Testament story of Ishmael and Isaac.

Fidelio Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01874 611622.

Louder Is Not Always Clearer Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10. Info 01239 615952. Jonny Cotsen’s portrayal of life as a deaf person, presented by Mr & Mrs Clark.

In Cardiff from Wed 8-Sat 11 National Opera Studio: Devotion And Desire Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, from £10. Info 029 2063 6464. Scenes from various classic opera, all linked by the twin concepts in the title.

Nehemia The Musical Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 4pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2039 1391. Biblethemed musical by Naomi Lane.

NT Connections Festival Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

5.30pm, £20-£24. Info 01970 623232. Three new plays

by choreographers Karole Armitage, Marina Collard and Hetain Patel.

SUNDAY 5 MAY Buttons Undone Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £18. Info 0300 0040444. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

Luna Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

3.15pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2039 1391. WWI-themed opera by Ethnie Foulkes.

Micky P Kerr Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian who was on Britain’s Got Talent last year and appears to be now doing a set about that, choosing jaded ironic distance over earnestly building on this opportunity.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire.

7.30-9pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 841387.

MONDAY 6 MAY Standup Comedy Open Mic NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866.

TUESDAY 7 MAY Fidelio Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £15.50. Info 0845 2263510.

MHT Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23/£21.

Info 01792 475715. Comedy drag show. Not sure what the name stands for. uNew Jersey Nights New

Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50-£29. Info 029 2087 8889. Any time I see either ‘(New) Jersey’ or ‘Night(s)’ in the title of something, I know that something Frankie Vallirelated is afoot, and indeed this musical celebration of him and his band has been an international smash hit. On a 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 9 (£13-£25 at 2.30pm) and Sat 11. £14.50-£32 on Fri 10 and Sat 11. (Until Sat 11) Open Mic Comedy Night Le Public Space, Newport.

8pm, pay by donation. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. First comedy night of 2019 here.

Second Best Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Fluellen present a new comedy by Stewart Thomson.

T42 Dolman Theatre, Newport. 2pm, £7. Info 01633 263670. Variety entertainment. uThe Girl With Incredibly Long Hair Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 5pm, £7. Info 01446 738622. Kids’ show based on Rapunzel but set in those ‘modern time’ we know and love. In English today and 10am tomorrow; Welsh at 1.30pm tomorrow. In Pontardawe on Wed 15.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01646 695267.

The Stick Maker Tales Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

WEDNESDAY 8 MAY Jasper Carrott St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £29.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. I got an email about this techno producer called Kasper Marrott today and like to imagine it’s one of those Com Truise/ Hudson Mohawke lame 80s references, except I think it’s his actual name.

Jerry Sadowitz The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01633 656757.

Scottish magician/comic who was the first live standup I saw in Wales. Also one of the last as I don’t really like standup.

Jerry featured in the last issue of this mag giving wilfully angry answerrs to Buzz’s wilfully banal questions.

Leviathan The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7.30pm, £10/£8.

Info 01639 843163. Moby Dickthemed dance production by James Wilton Dance. uLouder Is Not Always Clearer Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. uMaximillian’s Showcase Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.30pm, £8. Info 01633 263670.

Songs and dance 1920s style from the STD Musical Society.

On tomorrow also.

One O’Clock From The House The Met, Abertillery.

7.30pm, £9. Info 01495 355945.

Frank Vickery comedy. In Cwmbran tomorrow. uRobinson: The Other Island Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Described as “part stage show, part radio play, part ASMR experience”, this production’s premise features a woman, detached from the modern world and immersives herself in the novel Robinson Crusoe. Presented by Give It

A Name. On at 3pm and 8pm on Sat 18; no performances on Sun 12 or Mon 13. In Swansea from Thurs 23-Sat 25. (Until Sat 18) THURSDAY 9 MAY Dancing Queer + Holly Morgan Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Under the shared banner Against The Grain, performances by, respectively, an Egyptian bellydancer and a cabaret type with a show tiled Madonna Or Whore?.

Gavin Webster + Tom Taylor + Danny Deegan Narberth Rugby Club. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01834 869323.

Comedy Club night hosted by Span Arts.

Hormonal Housewives Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.30pm, £24. Info 01686 614555. Demographic-specific comedy natter featuring Vicki Michelle and cohorts.

Ivo Graham Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian with a show titled Motion Sickness, which he notes shares its name with songs by Hot Chip and Phoebe Bridgers. Cheers for the indie recommendations Ivo, just what I want from my comedians.

Noel James Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10/£9. Info 01970 623232. Comedian.

One O’Clock From The House Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £9. Info 01633 868239. uRhod Gilbert Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £32.50.

Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out on all three dates this month.

Also on in June: Fri 7 (sold out) and Sat 8 (not currently sold out). (Until Sat 11) Rich Hall Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £17. Info 01600 772467. In Carmarthen tomorrow.

Sensitive Comedy M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 029 2047 3373.

This is a new night showcasing queer standup and performers at this inaugaral event will include Siânny Thomas and Jake Sawyers.

Shooting Rabbits Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01495 227206.

The Little Mermaid Jr Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7pm, £10.

Info 0300 3656677. Presented

by Class Act Theatre School.

On at 12pm and 4pm on Sat 11; 12pm only on Sun 12.

(Until Sun 12) uThe Nature Of Why Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Dance production apparently inspired by theoretical physicist Richard Feynman.

Also features a score by Will Gregory out of Goldfrapp, performed by the British Paraorchestra. On at 6pm and 8.,30pm tomorrow and Sat 11.

(Until Sat 11) FRIDAY 10 MAY uAdam Rowe + Dan Nightingale + JoJo Smith + Rob Rouse Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a BUZZ 75

BAFTA CYMRU MAY 2019 Entries are now closed for the Cymru Awards – mark the diary now for the event which will take place at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Sun 13 Oct. Nominees will be announced on Thurs 5 Sept and tickets go on sale to the public on the same day – a chance to come and rub shoulders and sip champagne with the best of Welsh film, games and television talent.

In terms of events for the public with an interest in creative media to attend, we are hosting a few great sessions around South Wales this month. We’ll be screening the new BBC drama Years And Years [pictured],with a special Q&A with Russell T Davies, on Thurs 2 May in Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre. Starring Emma Thompson, Rory Kinnear, Jessica Hynes, Ruth Madeley, T’Nia Miller, Anne Reid and Russell Tovey, the drama follows the Lyons family as their complex lives converge on one crucial night in 2019.

The Wales International Documentary Festival is moving to Cardiff from Blackwood this year and we’ll be hosting a session with BAFTA-winning filmmaker Molly Dineen (The Lie Of The Land) on Wed 8 May with an opportunity. If you haven’t already checked it out, you can access loads of great BAFTA Q&As from the past on our Youtube and Soundcloud sites, from the making of Sherlock to Gareth Edwards’ journey on Rogue One, to the making of feature film Their Finest and BBC drama War And Peace.

All of these events are open to the public (at a cost) or to our members for free, and you can book via our website below.

We’re also still accepting membership applications and you are able to join now for 13 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 76

drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS). uButtons Undone Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £16-£20. Info 01792 475715.

On tomorrow also.

Cardiff Cabaret Club: New Stuff Whitchurch Rugby Sports And Social Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv.

Info www.cardiffcabaretclub. com. Cabaret, burlesque, belly dance and comedy from popular locals.

Ceri Dupree Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 01639 763214.

With a show titled The Ladies I Love.

Connie Orff Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Eurovision-themed drag show.

Jon Wagstaff + Cal Stewart + Alice Campion + Ali Hancock + James Ryan The Globe At Hay, HayOn-Wye. 8pm, £8. Info 01497 821762. Comedy night.

La Voix Town Hall, Maesteg.

8pm, £22.50/£20.50. Info 01656 815995. More female impersonation antics, this time from someone who was in the Absolutely Fabulous movie. uLose Yourself Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£18. Info 029 2064 6900. Premiere of a play by Katherine Chandler, resident playwright here, concerning “the darker side of our celebrity-obsessed culture”.

On at 7pm on Tue 14; 2pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 23 and Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) Matt Forde Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01970 623232. Comedian, podcaster and last remaining member of the Tony Blair fanclub with his current show, Brexit Through The Gift Shop. The word ‘Brexit’ is already a derivative of the word ‘exit’, Matt! That does not qualify as wordplay!

Radio Active Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £20. Info 01600 772467. This was a Radio 4 comedy show starring Angus Deayton – TV’s Mr Sex in his public life, Radio’s Mr Drugs in his private – which has returned, initially for the Edinburgh Fringe and now here with the original lineup.

Rich Hall Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £17.50.

Info 0845 2263510.

Shooting Rabbits Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. uThe Stick Maker Tales CARAD, Rhayader. 7.30pm, £10-£12. Info 01597 810561.

On tomorrow also uUnder Milk Wood Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £7.

Info 01239 621200. Performed here by Cartdigan Theatre. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 11 MAY Fidelio Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 6.45pm, £5-£18. Info 01446 738622.

Isosceles Triangle The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 3pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Three new, short plays by Unity Productions.

Jay Foreman Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 10am, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Jay is a musical comedian for kids and this show is called Disgusting Songs For Revolting Children. “Victoria

Wood for the Spotify generation,” wrote someone at Chortle, before retrieving two darts from a large board.

Linzi Richards Dance Company Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 6.30pm, £10.

Info 01792 475715.

Silent Lines Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £14/£12.

Info 0845 2263510. Dance production from the Russell Maliphant Company.

Verve Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. New dance work from choreographers Joan Clevillé, Maxine Doyle and Ben Wright, plus a restaging of Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof’s Shutdown.

SUNDAY 12 MAY As A Tiger In The Jungle Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01970 623232.

Iconic Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2pm, £7.50/£5.50.

Info 01495 243252. Dance show presented by New Dimension.

Milkshake! Live Wales

2063 6464. Musical which I am confident you already know of.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 15 and Thurs 16; 8pm on Fri 17; 2pm and 5pm on Sat 18. £19-£38 on Fri 17 and Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) uOklahoma! Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £12/£11. Info 01873 850805.

Musical. On at 6pm on Sat 18. £11 concession is for this opening night only. (Until Sat 18) uPride And Prejudice Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £8.50-£12.50. Info 01633 263670. Austen, J, adapted for the stage in fastpaced fashion. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) uRock Of Ages Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £17-£43. Info 01792 475715.

Hard rock-themed musical. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 15 and Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) WEDNESDAY 15 MAY An Evening Of Eric & Ern New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £24. Info 029 2087 8889.

The latest production from Welsh circus theatre specialists NoFit State is titled Lexicon, produced in tandem with Theatr Mwldan and is at Bluestone in Narberth from Fri 24 May-Sun 9 June.

Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11.30am + 2.30pm, £14.50-£19. Info 029 2063 6464. Popular kids’ show.

MONDAY 13 MAY uGlorious! Little Theatre, Neath. 7.30pm, £8/£5 under16s. Info 01639 643462.

Dramatisation of the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, who was famous in the 1940s for being terrible at singing. (Until Sat 18) Iris On Stage Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2063 6464. LGBTQ+ film festival branches out into theatre with these scratch performances, payment for which is up to you. uMusical Theatre Showcase Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Speeches, duets, songs and company numbers from various musicals. On tomorrow also.

TUESDAY 14 MAY Comedy Scratch Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2063 6464. New material from Ignacio Lopez, Esyllt Sears, Chris Chopping, Priya Louise Hall, Mac Bernie and Leroy Brito.

Jarred Christmas + Andy Askins The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk. uJoseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £16-£31. Info 029

That’s Morecambe & Wise to you, and this is a compilation of their sketches performed

by Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel.

Dirty Protest: A Monday Mixed Scratch Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2063 6464. Showcase of new Welsh writing talent.

Hollie McNish + Clare Potter Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Performance poets.

Sold out.

The Girl With Incredibly Long Hair Pontardawe Arts Centre. 1 + 5.30pm, £8.80/£6.60. Info 01792 863722. In Welsh in the afternoon; English in the evening.

The Joke In The Oak The Royal Oak, Cardiff. 7-10pm, free. Info bigarddaitowler@ hotmail.com. Comedy night in aid of Anna’s Rescue Centre and featuring Esyllt Sears, Robert Hughes, Sarah Bridgeman, Luke Burns McGruther, Josh Kingford, Mark Phillips and hosts Steff Evans and Dai Rhys Towler.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995.

The Witching Hour Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £10.75.

Info 0300 3656677. One-man show featuring tales of antiquarian terror, it is claimed.

THURSDAY 16 MAY uBlackwood Musical Theatre Society Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.15pm, £10.50. Info 01495 227206.

Featuring, tonight, the Gwent Police Choir. On tomorrow also, without the warbling coppers. uDot And Billy Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232. Play based on the WWI-era letters of Dot French and Billy Burditt. On tomorrow also.

Drag That Scratch Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2063 6464. Up and coming drag artist showcase curated by Connie Orff.

Footloose Dance Showcase Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7pm, £6.50. Info 01686 614555.

Jordan Brookes + Tre Stewart + Gein’s Family Gift Shop + Mike Bubbins Cardiff Castle. 6.30pm, £12.

Info 029 2087 8100. Comedy, presented by Little Wander and located in the Uncercroft. uMedea Volcano, Swansea.

7.30pm, £7/£5. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. Gower College Swansea’s Acting Company presents Greek tragedy, starring Rachel Isaac from Casualty, The Office etc.

On tomorrow also. uMenopause The Musical New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £29.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

Second time at this venue for more or less self-explanatory show. On at 5.30pm and 8.30pm tomorrow; 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) Robin Morgan The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757.

Welsh standup comedian with his newest show, Honeymoon. uTowards Zero Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Agatha Christie whodunit, presented here by the Phoenix Theatre Group Of Llanelli. (Until Sat 18) The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

6.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01633 868239.

The Opera Boys Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £19. Info 01656 815995.

FRIDAY 17 MAY uButtons Undone Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £18.50. Info 0845 2263510. On tomorrow also. uMike Cox + Steve Williams Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400.

With two more comics TBC tonight. On tomorrow also, with Andrew Rutledge and one more TBC. (£19/£10 NUS).

On The Bench Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2063 6464. Poetry, song and drama from members of Disability Arts Cymru.

Sofie Hagen Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £15.

Info 029 2064 6900. With a set titled Bubblewrap plus readings from her book, titled Happy Fat. The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.45pm, £11.

Info 01686 614555.

SATURDAY 18 MAY A Decade Of Dance Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 2 + 6pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2064

6900. Variety dance show presented by The Dance Centre, whose 10th anniversary this is.

Bill Bailey Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £41. Info 029 2022 4488. See Upfront for an interview with the comedian who, like Jon Ronson, always talks to Buzz when most decline to even piss on our grave.

Choice Grenfell Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £14/£12. Info 01600 772467. A tribute show for Joyce Grenfell, whose sketches etc are performed here by Airlie Scott.

Noel James Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £15.

Info 01792 475715. Comedian.

Shylock Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 01874 611622. An examination of/tribute to the character described here as Shakespeare’s most famous Jew. Swan Lake Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 6.30pm, £10-£18.

Info 01495 243252. Ballet, presented by Ballet Theatre UK. The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01792 473238.

When In Roam Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10.

Info 01239 615952. Dance, music and spoken word

by Thania Acarón and the Orphaned Limbs Collective.

SUNDAY 19 MAY RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £52.50/£42.50. Info 029 2063 6464. In which “a team of intergalactic queens including Asia O’Hara, Aquaria, Detox, Kameron Michaels, Naomi Smalls, Kim Chi, Monét X Change and Violet Chachki ... save our solar system from a dark entity intent on harnessing its power.” Thanks, queens!

The Gilded Merkin Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, £15.

Info 0871 4720400. Burlesque.

TUESDAY 21 MAY uAvenue Q Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7pm, £14/£12. Info 0300 3656677. Ribald puppet comedy presented here by Neath Amateur Operatic Society. On at 5.30pm on Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) uComic Potential Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

Alan Ayckbourn’s sci-fi comedy play, presented by Everyman Theatre. (Until Sat 25) uMadagascar The Musical Grand Theatre, Swansea. 1.30 + 6.30pm, £18-£42. Info 01792 475715.

X Factor winner Matt Terry stars in this, living the dream no doubt. On at 1.30pm and 6.30pm on Wed 22, Thurs 23 (relaxed performance 1.30pm) and Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) Ray Bradshaw Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. Comedian with a show titled Deaf Comedy Fam, a reference to both Ray’s parents being deaf. That’s quite a clever pun. Also this is performed in British Sign Language as well as English. uVictoria New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17-£34. Info 029 2087 8889. Northern Ballet present their take on the life of Queen Victoria. On at 2.30pm

and 7.30pm on Thurs 23 (£14£28 at 2.30pm) and Sat 25.

(Until Sat 25) WEDNESDAY 22 MAY Untitled: Holy Hiatus 12 Small World Theatre, Cardigan.

4-10.15pm, free. Info 01239 615952. Six and a bit hours of avant-garde performance art exploring the use of liminal space. This venue host a similar event annually.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510.

THURSDAY 23 MAY uCollins And Rossiter St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £14. Info 029 2087 8444.

Two-one act plays about, respectively, Joan Collins and Leonard Rossiter. Theatre concepts you come up with at 1am after watching 1980s TV ad compilations on YouTube.

Also on Sat 25. uHundred Percent Positive Witness Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391.

Sonali Bhattacharyya’s play about a woman searching for her terminally ill sister. (Until Sat 1 June) Lloyd Griffith Exit 7, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7pm, £11. Info 029 2022 4488.

Comedian with a show titled All-Rounder.

Orlando Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01874 611622.

Comedic take of a poet whose tale begins in the 17th century.

Outside The Box Ysgol Caer Elen, Haverfordwest.

6pm, £10/£8. Info 01834 869323. Theatre devised by Full Circle Productions and presented by Span Arts.

Passionate Machine The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £12.25/£10.25. Info 01633 656757. Play aimed at ages 12+, based around the building of a time machine. uRobinson: The Other Island Volcano, Swansea.

7.30pm. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. (Until Sat 25) uSweeney Todd Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £12/£8. Info 01686 614555.

Presented by NPTC Performing Arts. On tomorrow also.

The Gruffalo Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 4.30pm, £12/£8. Info 01600 772467.

The Kaiser & I + On Scarborough Front The Welfare, Ystradgynlais.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01639 843163. uThe Sicilian Courtesan Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391.

English language version of Lope De Vega’s Fenisa’s Hook. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 29. (Until Sat 1 June) FRIDAY 24 MAY Drag For Autism Mary’s Cardiff. 9pm, £4. Info 029 2066 8647. Fundraising night of drag performances, raising funds for the Autism Directory and featuring the following: Keelime Pie, Medusa Repulsa, Pom Pom, Mariana Trench,

Nemesis Repulsa, Polly Esther, Dee Ryder, Cressida Wolf, Fae West, Malady Masterwort and Jessica Jungle, plus hosts Gwaed and Luna Sea. uKeith Farnan + Emmanuel Sonubi + Ben Norris + Andy White Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, with White replaced by a comic TBC (£19/£10 NUS). uLexicon Bluestone, Narberth. 7.30pm, £18/£12 unwaged. Info 01239 621200.

NoFit State’s latest circus theatre production, presented here in conjunction with Theatr Mwldan. On at 4pm on Sun 26, Sun 2 June and Sun 9 June; 2pm and 7pm on Mon 27, Wed 29, Sat 1 June and Sat 8 June; 7pm only on Thurs 30, Wed 5 June and Thurs 6 June. No performances on Tue 28, Mon 3 June or Tue 4 June.

(Until Sun 9 June) Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 10am, £6. Info 01873 850805. Welsh language kids’ show uSeussical Jr Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £10.

Info 01633 263670. Presented by the Mini Venture Players.

On tomorrow also.

The Little Prince Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 6.30pm, £9. Info 01792 602060. New adaption of this famous story

by Protein. uThe Wolves Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £6-£13.

Info 029 2039 1391. Sarah DeLappe’s play about an allgirl high school soccer team.

On at 2.30pm and 7.15pm on Thurs 30. (Until Sat 1 June) SATURDAY 25 MAY Cafficadabra Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8-10pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Magic from Tim Bromage in the bar.

Don Pasquale The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £19.50/£16.50. Info 01633 656757. Comic opera, presented here by Welsh National Opera.

Etienne Pradier The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £25.

Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. France-born, UK-based magician.

Stick By Me Miners Institute, Blackwood. 10am + 12pm, £5.50/£4. Info 01495 227206. Kids’ show about the importance of small things. In Llanelli on Wed 29. uStrictly Come Dancing: The Professionals 2019 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, from £46.35. Info 029 2022 4488. On tomorrow also, at 7.30pm only.

The Sooty Show Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 11am + 2.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. uUrdd National Eisteddfod 2019 Youth Show Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £11.

Info 029 2063 6464. Featuring pupils from Stanwell School.

Also on Mon 27.

SUNDAY 26 MAY Glee Family Comedy Show Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 1pm, £10/£7/£16.50 with food.

Info 0871 4720400.

Seen: Spectrum The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 6pm,

IVO GRAHAM Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 9 May Tickets: £12. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk The blurb for Motion Sickness, the latest show by twentysomething UK standup Ivo Graham, sets out its indietastic credentials (named in reference to songs by Hot Chip and Phoebe Bridgers) before anyone would have thought to ask. The set itself, one understands, finds Graham doing something quite similar, talking with pre-emptive self-effacement about his education at Eton and Oxford – a period which also saw him in and around a few notable Brit-comedy awards, and signed to a major standup agency. More recently, Motion Sickness reveals, he’s bought a flat, got engaged and entered therapy. As such, this may not prove a tale of hardbitten struggle, but it seems that Ivo Graham has found an audience who deem him both relatable – apart from the Eton thing, maybe – and amusing. £5 adv. Info info@ otherroomtheatre.com. This seems to be a showcase evening of short, submitted works concerning spectrums of various types: mental health, sexuality, gender etc.

The Little Prince Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232.

Kids’ theatre show based on the book of the same name.

TUESDAY 28 MAY Troi Heddiw Yn Ddoe Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, from £5. Info 029 2063 6464. Urdd Eisteddfod primary school theatre production.

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY Adrian Goatley The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk.

Two comedians (the second one currently TBC) doing Edinburgh Fringe preview shows.

Cabaret At The College Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6-7pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Songs from the musicals, performed in the foyer.

Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

8pm, £11.50. Info 01792 475715. uDisney’s Alice In Wonderland Jr Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

Presented by Forge Drama.

On at 2.30pm on Sat 1 June.

(Until Sat 1 June) uMagic To Do The Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £6. Info 01495 355945. AYDMS annual May concert. On tomorrow also. uShrek The Musical New Theatre, Cardiff. 2 + 7pm, £14-£26. Info 029 2087 8889.

Presented by Orbit Theatre.

On at 2pm only on Sun 2 June. (Until Sun 2 June) Stick By Me Y Ffwrnes,

Llanelli. 2 + 6pm, £5/£4. Info 0845 2263510. Various Welsh classical/choral sorts.

Three Men In A Boat Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £7.50£14. Info 01873 850805.

One-man show based on the Jerome K Jerome book.

THURSDAY 30 MAY uDance Stars Academy Goes To Hollywood Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

6.30pm, £8.50/£7.50. Info 01633 868239. Dance school revue. (Until Sat 1 June) Marcel Lucont + Sara Barron + Ignacio Lopez Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Little Wander’s Comedy Club night.

Pirate Pearl & The Big Blue Monster Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 4.30pm, £9. Info 01792 602060. Kids’ show presented by Little Blue Monster. uRomeo A Juliet The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £14.75/£12.75. Info 01633 656757. Presented by Ballet Cwmry. On tomorrow also.

Sing A Song Of Sixpence Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01685 384111. Heritage Theatre Cymru present a play about Mary Ann Rees, a Merthyr woman murdered in 1908 and now thought by some to haunt the town. (Until Sat 1 June) uThe Crucible Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

7pm, £11. Info 01792 475715.

Presented by Luna Theatre.

(Until Sat 1 June) What’s In The Box? Beelzebub’s, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk. Newe improv comedy night which is scheduled to be on the last Thursday of each month and will feature three-minute slots on a topic chosen by the audience.

FRIDAY 31 MAY uA Midsummer Night’s Dream Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7pm, £10. Info 01874 611622. Presentred by Brecon Little Theatre. Tonight is a relaxed performance. On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 1 June; 2pm only on Sun 2 June. (Until Sun 2 June) Comedy Shed The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13. Info 01633 656757. With standups TBC. uDoctor Dolittle Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £9.

Info 01633 263670. Musical, presented by the Sharon Higgins Musical Theatre Group. On tomorrow also. uMark Maier + Kiri Pritchard-McLean + Craig Hill + Daliso Chaponda Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS). uOliver! Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Musical, presented by Actors Workshop. On tomorrow also.

Stick By Me Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 1 + 3pm, £8/£6.

Info 01970 623232. Show abnout friendship and play, aimed at ages 3-6.

Studio Comedy Club Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12/£9 early bird. Info 029 2064 6900. With acts TBC. uThoroughly Modern Millie, Jr Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01656 815995.

Musical set in New York. On tomorrow also.

BUZZ 77

COMPETITIONS HOW TO WIN: Unless otherwise stated, our competitions are generally shared on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

To enter a competition, keep an eye on our social media channels and click ‘like’ and ‘share’ when published. Alternatively, email competitions@buzzmag.co.uk with the name of the competition in the subject line and up to two sentences on why you think you should win the competition. The more original you are, the better your chances.

TWO TICKETS TO SUPPER CLUB AT FFRESH, WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF BAY Want to indulge in a night of delicious food and the best cabaret in town? Connie Orff is serving you the hottest drag talent in all the land, including appearances from Dixie Normous, Dolley Trolley and headliner Charlie Hides. Ffresh is the only place to be on Sat 1 June.

The largest Welsh cake ever made was in Bala, North Wales in 2014 and was 1.5m wide.

In medieval Welsh law, cheese soaked in brine belonged to the wife, and when it was ready to eat and out of the brine it belonged to the husband, this distinction was often used in divorce settlements.

One of Henry VIII’s last acts was to introduce apple trees to his Privy Gardens.

South Wales brewery Felinfoel was the first outside of America to produce beer in cans.

Ketchup was sold in 1830s as medicine.

TWO TICKETS TO THE MINISTRY OF SOUND ANNUAL CLASSICAL AT ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF Judge Jules is the DJ and host for this storied clubbing brand’s classical crossover concert, appearing alongside the London Concert Orchestra. On Fri 31 May, clubland smashes from these seminal mix albums will be orchestrally reimagined, with a stunning laser light production and sensational vocalists.

TWO TICKETS TO NOEL GALLAGHER AT CARDIFF CASTLE On Fri 24 May, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are landing in Cardiff for a night of hits and fan favourites.

The erstwhile Oasis songsmith will be supported by former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes and Cardiff’s fast-rising Boy Azooga, to boot.

FAMILY TICKET TO THE COWBRIDGE FOOD FESTIVAL

There is evidence that hot chocolate was enjoyed all the way back in 1900 BC.

The smell of chocolate makes the brain relax.

Love it or hate it, Marmite was first made in 1902.

Honey never goes off and can last up to 3,000 years.

Across the globe, there are more than 600 different shapes of pasta.

A cabbage is 91% water.

On Sun 26 and Mon 27 May, the great tastes of south Wales are in abundance at the annual, ever-anticipated Cowbridge Food Festival. An unmissable opportunity to indulge in local treats with the whole family.

Avocados are not vegan.

TWO TICKETS TO ERIC AND ERNIE AT THE NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF

In very rare cases, chicken pox makes children under two develop feathers.

From the Oliver-nominated duo behind West End hit Eric & Little Ern comes a homage crammed full of renditions that hit all the right notes. An Evening With Eric And Ernie is coming to the New Theatre on Wed 15 May for one night only, and whether it’s a laugh you are looking for or just pure nostalgia, this duo will take you back to your Sunday evening telly time.

It would take 20 years to try every variety of apple as there are 7,500 different kinds.

Astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich into space in 1965.

(Disclaimer: some of these may not in fact be true)

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

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.

If your tweet is used in the magazine you win a prize!

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