Buzz Magazine - July 2019 by Buzz Magazine

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON JULY 2019

exclusive

NILE RODGERS

interview

WIN WIN WIN FEELS LIKE SUMMER + DEPOT IN THE PARK STEELHOUSE TICKETS

plus MICHAEL SHEEN + THE HOMELESS WORLD CUP MICHAEL PALIN EREBUS TOUR

SPORT

ECO|

LIFESTYLE

ENILLYDD! POB GWOBR SIOE GERDD FAWREDDOG WINNER! EVERY MAJOR BEST MUSICAL AWARD

SIOE GERDD NEWYDD WEDIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;I HYSBRYDOLI GAN STORI WIR

A NEW MUSICAL

INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY YN SEILIEDIG AR Y FFILM MIRAMAX KINKY BOOTS A YSGRIFENNWYD GAN \ BASED ON THE MIRAMAX MOTION PICTURE KINKY BOOTS WRITTEN BY

GEOFF DEANE & TIM FIRTH

LLYFR GAN \ BOOK BY

GEIRIAU A CHERDDORIAETH GAN \ MUSIC & LYRICS BY

CYFARWYDDWYD A CHOREOGRAFFWYD GAN \ DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY

HARVEY FIERSTEIN CYNDI LAUPER JERRY MITCHELL

GORFF 22 JULY - AWST 3 AUG 2019

july 2019

buzz... publisher EMMA CLARK editor FEDOR TOT listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER advertising EMMA CLARK accounts TERESA CLARK design LEMONDOGCREATIVE.UK contributors KEIRON SELF (FILMS), CHRIS ANDREWS, MOLLY CATTERALL, JOHN-PAUL DAVIES, SAM EASTERBROOK, DAVE FREAK, CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, RHIANON HOLLEY, ALICE HUGHES, PAUL JENKINS, MAB JONES, ALEX KEENE, TONICHA LUFFMAN, JASON MACHLAB, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAKHT, ALEX PAYNE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, ALISON POWELL, SAM PRYCE, RHONDA LEE REALI, JOSH REES, KATRINA REES, ANDREW REGAN, FFION RIORDAN-JONES, OWEN SCOURFIELD, RUTH SEAVERS, CHRIS SEAL, KAIYA SIMON, JANANI SURI, JON SUTTON, WILL STEEN, MEG THOMAS, MARK TIMLIN, LEE LOTTIE URQUHART, RHIA WILLIAMS, SOPHIE WILLIAMS, 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 NILE RODGERS contents HOMELESS WORLD CUP (PIC: PAUL JOHN ROBERTS)

buzzmagwales

04roundup

42reviews

“The earth, in all its glory, without having to leave the comfort of its atmosphere”

12upfront

These contents entries have been known to ‘take the Michael’ now and again, but this month we are GIVING the Michael to you, the reader, in the form of interviews with Michaels Sheen (repping the Homeless World Cup, which starts late this month) and Palin (promoting his book about a ship that sunk in the 19th century). Plus Nile Rodgers, Graham Nash, Susie Dent and Thunder among others

32film

One of the articles in this section, about ecologically conscious beauty products, is titled ‘Care For Hair And Air’. The person who wrote this headline think it’s naff and embarrassing, others (me) consider it to be what battle rappers call a ‘dope multi’

Worst band names in this issue: Metal Maidens, The Britpop Boys, Crywank, Rxptrs, Boxing Day Rage, I Am Gravity, No:ir

78competitions

Two children’s books, first published when I was myself a child, now theatrically adapted and featuring in the Stage section this month. But what if The Bangers And Chips Explosion had got all the kudos, revenue and cultural positioning which instead went to the Harry Potter series? Would internet perverts write erotic fiction involving school canteen sausages; would centrist simps laud Billy Baxter as a hero of the #resistance?

@Buzz_Magazine

49lifestyle

61listings

Intrigued this month by Keiron Self’s review of Vita And Virginia, which is set in the 1920s and apparently opens with the authors dancing to drum’n’bass at a house party. Much like Damon Albarn positing that Kurt Cobain should have played football to cheer himself up, it strikes me that if someone had taken Virginia Woolf down to Metalheadz she might still be alive today

34previews

While assembling this section I edited reviews, in order, of north Wales’ most venerable The Alarm, American black metal group False... and the new album by indie-gone-pop mitherers Two Door Cinema Club, titled False Alarm. Proof that even the most incredible of coincidences can be extremely boring

According to the sales notes here the Inspector Montalbano box set lasts 3,400 minutes, or a little under 57 hours. If you were to try and watch them all in one go, you would probably require assistance from the very criminal underworld the Italian detective has worked so hard to quash. Strikes me as rather hypocritical of you

@buzzmagwales

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www.buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ 3

What’s on our radar this month FRISKY AND MANNISH

Frisky And Mannish’s comedic under-the-microscope look at the pop industry blends music with stark cynicism in a performance the duo has perfected as they have taken it across the world. You’re invited to answer the questions plaguing the music industry right now in their new rendition of a family-favourite show. The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 18 July. Tickets: £14. Info: 01633 656757 / tickets.newportlive.co.uk

CECILE SOLIZ: TWIST

Sculptor Cecil Soliz is exhibiting her latest body of work, Twist. Designed to delve into the impact manipulating material in simple ways can have on the space around them, the contemporary show will form part of her most recent award as she explores of the effects of making straightforward alterations. Oriel Davies, Newtown, until Wed 11 Sept. Admission: free. Info: 01686 625041 / www.orieldavies.org

BITE FESTIVAL

Last year’s Bite was a resounding success, innovating upon the standard model of a food festival, with 20 food producers all selling one single dish each for £3 a go. It’s a great way to try out a number of cuisines in one go without putting too many eggs in one pricy basket, and this year’s edition is set to include folks from The Humble Onion, The Warren and pizza maestros Dusty Knuckle, to name just a few. Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff, Sat 27 July. Admission: free, dishes £3 each. Info: www.facebook.com/bitecardiff

ISLE OF FIRE

Two evenings of flames, street entertainment, and hopefully not too many accidents, the Isle Of Fire is returning to dazzle onlookers. With food on offer, and the promise of a flaming Viking ship, the event usually attracts people in their thousands. Island Gardens, Barry Island, Sat 20 + Sun 21 July. Admission: free. Info: 01446 704737 / www.visitthevale.com

WALES NATIONAL AIRSHOW

One of the largest free events, tens of thousands flock every year to take in the aerobatic displays and air-bound vessels both vintage and modern. New for 2019 is a special evening show on Sat 6, with hot-air balloons and nightflying aerobatic teams. Swansea Bay, Sat 6 + Sun 7 July. Admission: free. Info: walesnationalairshow.com

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GLASTONBARRY

An annual weekend for lovers of top-quality tribute acts, bands emulating the likes of Queen, Oasis and Abba are set to feature in what will be GlastonBARRY’s sixth year of running, while the festival will also tip its hat to the pop stylings of Bruno Mars and the classic rock of The Rolling Stones. New for 2019, too, is GlastonBARRY Juniors, which is on Fri 26 and features Rihanna [pictured], Little Mix and Ed Sheeran tributes. Romilly Park, Barry, Fri 26-Sun 28 July. Tickets: £37.50 Info: www.glastonbarry.com

AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

Delve into the science, engineering, technology, and history of Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Panther, and Iron Man at this interactive exhibition. On display is an extensive range of costumes and props, offering Marvel fans the opportunity to delve into the backstory of the characters and play with the weapons in simulated battle scenes. St David’s, Cardiff, until Mon 9 Sept. Tickets: £10-£48. Info: avengersstation.co.uk

GAZE AT GAIA

The earth, in all its glory, without having to leave the comfort of its atmosphere. Installation artist Luke Jerram’s 23ft-wide 3D depiction of our planet, produced from NASA imagery, celebrates the beauty of the ecosystem we live on. This touring artwork, 1.8 million times smaller than the earth, offers all of the detail of the real thing without the danger. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 20 July-Sun 1 Sept. Admission: free. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

London-based archive-rockers Public Service Broadcasting will be sampling old films and Pathé News footage to live instrumentals, with selections from their latest album Every Valley. Caerphilly Castle, Sat 6 July. Tickets: £35 Info: www.orchardlive.com

YVIE ODDLY + PLASTIQUE TIARA

The winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 teams up with one of her fellow competitors for the Pretty Weird tour: an evening of drag, glitter, and a whole host of other peculiarities. Yvie won plenty of plaudits for her off-beat, idiosyncratic form of drag, The Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Tue 6 Aug. Tickets: from £25. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk

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SUSIE DENT Cheeselogs, scurryfunge and snagglers may not be common words to come across in daily conversation, but it’s par for the course with Susie Dent of Countdown fame. Interview by Molly Catterall, words and research by Ben Woolhead. “Celebrity lexicographer and etymologist” might be an unlikely epithet, but it’s an entirely accurate description of Susie Dent, who brings her show The Secret Lives Of Words to Cardiff this month. The longest-serving member of the current Countdown team, Dent made her Dictionary Corner debut in 1992 and has gone on to feature in comedy spin-off 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. “I was never meant to be on TV at all,” she admits, revealing how, after taking up “a perfectly normal editorial job” at Oxford University Press, she was persuaded into reluctantly appearing on the Channel 4 show. “It certainly wasn’t the career path that I had deliberately chosen and I’m naturally the sort of person who likes to fly below the radar.” Dent has grown to love the role, though, and her insatiable, infectious enthusiasm for words of all hues is evident both on screen and in conversation. During the course of the interview, she looks things up on the OED Online – “my desert island book, always” – and eagerly makes notes on terms that fascinate her. Her book How to Talk Like A Local, in which she explored regional dialects, threw up a whole host of gems: ‘dardledumdue’ (an East Anglian expression for a daydreamer), ‘dimpsy’ (meaning dusky, “possibly one of my favourite Devonian words”), ‘chuggy pig’ and ‘cheeselog’ (two of the many dialect terms for a woodlouse). “Quite honestly”, she says, “my favourite word changes from day to day”; if pressed, though, she confesses a fondness for the old US term ‘scurryfunge’, which means “to madly rush about the house frenetically tidying up just before visitors arrive – because I do that a lot.” Dent’s most recent book looked at “modern tribes” and the distinctive, specialised languages that they use. Most interesting to her was the code spoken by prisoners as “a method for survival”, both to “escape the notice of the authorities” and “develop some kind of banter”. Similar codes are also evident in more mundane settings, though, such as restaurants and coffee shops. A former waitress herself, Dent admits that “there’s a real temptation to talk about customers and yet you BUZZ 6

can’t always do it – you don’t want to be blatant about it, you don’t want to be overheard.” If you catch yourself being referred to by a barista as a ‘snaggler’ (a disagreeable customer) or a ‘camper’ (someone who lingers for hours nursing a single drink), then you can let them know they’ve been rumbled. Her mission might be to resurrect useful words that have fallen into obsolescence, but Dent is quick to emphasise that “there has never been a golden age of English where everything was perfect” and that linguistic change is inevitable. New modes of communication (email, texting, social media) have undoubtedly had a profound impact on language – “what we have now is a kind of written spoken language where we write as we speak” – but this impact is not necessarily negative; on the contrary, she insists that the internet has “actually enriched language, in that there are so many new dialects that are appearing.” Of the OED’s controversial decision to select an emoji as the Word Of The Year in 2015, she is firmly supportive: “Emojis are almost certainly the fastest-moving area of language at the moment. Pictorial representations of words have been with us for centuries.” However, she does concede that technological advances can sometimes be a communicative hindrance: “You actually have to be quite good at English to be able to use a spellchecker – otherwise it can lead you astray.” What, we ask, can we expect of The Secret Lives Of Words? A “nerdy wordy” show encompassing everything from etymological delights and a section on American English to some “silly videos” from Countdown and a mini-guide to swearing – “why it’s always been with us and always will and why we absolutely need it.” The Secret Lives Of Words, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 16 July. Tickets: £22. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

JAZZ PROM / PROM JAZZ CCJO feat / gyda Clare Teal 22.07.19

FOLK PROM / PROM GWERIN The Spooky Men’s Chorale 25.07.19

LAST NIGHT OF THE WELSH PROMS feat / gyda Wynne Evans 27.07.19

AMANDA PALMER There Will Be No Intermission 19.10.19

FAMILY PROM / PROM Y TEULU CPO, Derek Brockway & Behnaz Akhgar 21.07.19

MOVIES & MUSICALS feat / gyda WNO & Sophie Evans 26.07.19

BEN PHILLIPS LIVE Ben vs Elliot 27.09.19

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? A Tribute to Tina Turner 13.09.19

LES MUSICALS Jai McDowall & Jonathan Ansell 07.10.19

LLEUWEN Roots Unearthed / Gwrando'r Gwreiddiau 09.07.19

OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL GŴYL FFILMIAU’R CEFNFOR 15.10.19

PENGUIN CAFE 06.10.19

PIC: Ben Salter

BOOK NOW INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP: MANCHESTER UNITED V AC MILAN Principality Stadium, Cardiff Sat 3 Aug Tickets: from £25 Info: 0844 2491999 www.principalitystadium.wales

SECRET SPACES: DILYS PRICE Record-breaking skydiver and founder of the Touch Trust charity, Dilys Price is hosting a fundraising evening at the Wales Millennium Centre this month. She tells Molly Catterall more. What is Touch Trust, and what you’re doing at the WMC this July? Touch Trust is a community charity focusing on the creative expression for those with disabilities. The Wales Millennium Centre is so essential for us and the work we do. We find ways to bring people back into society for those who have felt isolated. Until the day I die I am motivated by the smiles of the people I help. This fundraising evening will allow us to remain at the place we so much love and continue to grow the programme abroad to places where it really needs to be.

Why are dance and touch effective in helping disabled people? Right after the war, children at an orphanage were not touched. Touch is an essential part of the development and everyone needs to be touched. Our unique programme is an effective form of therapy through the exploration of our senses. We found after children were exposed to touch, they wanted to be touched more. There is a realisation and need for creative, expressive approaches – helping us discover who we are.

In a world surrounded by negativity, war, and climate breakdown, what encourages your drive, your get up and go – while maintaining your happiness and motivation? I feel we need to learn not to get depressed from the negativity seen within the media. As people, we have two instincts. We have one for survival

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and the other for service or giving. We can’t have a good community unless we fulfil both. If we shine a bit of light, there is a huge amount of good which is going on. I feel my role is to help someone understand that being small can make a difference, by changing the world from the ground up. The Dalai Lama once said that, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” Often people have said to me ‘you have your head in the clouds’, but I have my feet anchored and head in the clouds. If you want to change the world you need to have both. Once people become tense, they begin to lose touch with themselves and start to feel disconnected. You have to find a passion and motivation to do something about it from your heart. For me, after feeling too stressed to do anything, I discovered skydiving. You have to turn those stones over.

If you could recommend one place in Wales to a first-time visitor that’s off the beaten track and not on the tourist maps, where would it be and why? I love going to the Big Pit in Blaenavon, I take my children there. It’s full of wonder and allows them to be creative.

An Evening With Dilys Price OBE, Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 14 July. Tickets: £25/£20. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www. wmc.org.uk

RUGBY UNION: WALES V ENGLAND Principality Stadium, Cardiff Sat 17 Aug Tickets: £20-£70 Info: 0844 2491999 www.principalitystadium.wales

ANNIE

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Mon 19-Sat 31 Aug Tickets: £19-£44 Info: 029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk

BIANCA DEL RIO Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Tues 17 Sept Tickets: £41.55 Info: 029 2022 4488 motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE IN CONCERT St David’s Hall, Cardiff Thurs 19 Sept Tickets: £32.50-£52.50 Info: 029 2087 8444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Theatre Tours • Teithiau Theatr Sat 29 June - Mon 1 July • Sad 29 Meh - Lun 1 Gorff

6 - 7 July . Gorffennaf 6 — 7 July • Gorff

16 - 20 July . Gorffennaf newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8889 Mae’r New Theatre yn eiddo i ac, yn cael ei rheoli a’i harinannu Gyngor Caerdydd · The New Theatre is owned, managed and funded by Cardiff Council

MICHAEL SHEEN Michael Sheen and the Homeless World Cup Foundation bring the Homeless World Cup to Cardiff, this month where all teams contribute players comprised solely of those who have experienced homelessness. He talks to Fedor Tot about the initiative.

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How did you get involved in the Homeless World Cup? It started about four or five years ago, where an organisation called Street Football Wales got in touch with me. They said, “we organise football tournaments and teams for people who have experienced homelessness,” and invited me down. I thought, “why are people wasting their time and money on football for homeless people when they could just be dealing with the issues directly?” I didn’t quite understand it. So, I spoke to them and saw the brilliance of their ideas. The football is the hook. Football brings people in that might not get involved otherwise. Once they’re there, they start making connections with people, with a bit more of a social network. They gain self-confidence and you can get services to them a lot easier. I saw how that was working and how transformative it was for a lot of people, and as a result, I heard about the Homeless World Cup. Again, I thought, “What? How does that work?” It seems sort of nonsensical in some ways. I went to the Homeless World Cup in Oslo – I travelled with the Welsh male and female teams. It was amazing – I had an extraordinary experience. When you’re sitting next to people who have gone through what they’ve gone through and they’re sharing their stories, it’s incredible. Ultimately, you’re all together supporting the rest of the team. It breaks down a lot of psychological barriers. Suddenly, it’s not about them over there. It’s us. You hear what contributes to people finding themselves in difficult circumstances. It’s stuff we can all relate to. Mother died, father died, lost a job – whatever it is, it’s something that is relatable. There’s obviously extreme trauma some people go through that, thankfully, not all of us experience. You also see the effect that putting on a jersey to represent your country has on people. It doesn’t matter if you’re Gareth Bale or if you’re living in a tent on Queen Street. You put that jersey on, and you represent your country. A lot of these people are travelling for the first time. The experience of going to another country and being welcomed and looked after in that way is a powerful thing. These experiences can be transformative. I saw a woman who was part of the Welsh’s women’s team; I’d heard a bit of her story and the things she had struggled with in the past and the things she was struggling with at that moment. I saw her score a goal for the first time in her life, for Wales. I’ll never forget what that did for her and how that changed her life in many ways. People’s journeys are not straight lines. They’re messy. But an experience like this has an affect for the rest of your life. How did Cardiff get the World Cup? Well, two years ago, we made a bid: it was very competitive, we put a lot of work into it. We said what we were aiming to do – for me, it has always been about not only creating a fantastic tournament, but behind everything must be the idea of a legacy. How can we create effective change around these issues and how can we make the most out of this opportunity? That seemed to resonate with the organisers, and we got the bid. That’s what has been at the heart of every decision, really: how can we use the platform that the Homeless World Cup gives us to create change? What happens to the players when the World Cup is over? Interesting you should say that. I asked if there was a way in the past that we could look at the way it has affected people afterwards. The players are only able to represent their country once. The idea is that this is an experience that is essentially transformative. The criteria for being able to play and represent is slightly different from country to country. Essentially, within the previous 12 months, if you’ve experienced

homelessness or another form of social exclusion then you’re eligible to play. You want to make sure that it’s not the same people coming back each year – but people stay involved, like Wayne, who played a few years ago and is now coach of the Wales team. His story is an extraordinary journey of being given opportunities and running with them every time. We talk about it being quite a powerful and overwhelming experience and then when it ends, you go back to how things were before and suddenly, there’s no high. There’s a massive comedown. Particularly people who are dealing with substance misuse – the chemicals released in you create a real high, and the comedown can be dangerous in some ways. So, this year, for the first time, there will be actual tracking and recording evidence of what happens afterwards for the players. We’re going to make sure that there’s some sort of research done into what happens. What I want to do in Wales is make sure that when the football ends, the support doesn’t. Our involvement in this is only the starting point – we only begin when we start to launch things afterwards. We want to make sure that we’re looking at all the opportunities, like the volunteering programmes available. We need to keep that support going and keep the relationship and try and push to get them into work opportunities afterwards. Homelessness is more visible and present now than it was 10 years ago. How has it changed for you since growing up? Well, you talk about in the last 10 years and you think that’s around the span of the austerity policies that we’ve been living under since the financial collapse in 2008. In that 10 years, nationwide, we’ve seen a real squeeze. There’s not enough social housing – the right-to-buy scheme that’s allowed a lot of people to buy their own council houses is great, but the fact that lots of social housing hasn’t been replaced is a huge problem. The goal that we should have is that if homelessness should happen, it should be brief, it should be rare and it should be non-recurring – so that we focus on making sure that if you’re experiencing homelessness it’s for as short a time as possible. A focus on crisis prevention and crisis support, so that emergency accommodation is available. [There’s also] preventative measures. Seeing who is more at risk of becoming homeless and giving them the support at that point. People coming out of the care system, prison, military – preventative measures. It’s not just about taking people off the street and putting them in houses. How do they stay there? I’ve heard stories of people setting up tents in housing because that is what they feel most safe and comfortable with. You have to support them long-term to stay in that house and the accommodation. Like Housing First, for example. Instead of saying, “you need to sort your issues out before we can give you a house,” it’s the other way around. That is the future. We have a lot of positive things in place, potentially. The Wales Housing Act of 2014 has made a big difference. That, along with a housing first approach and a push to create more social housing, those things make a real difference. And finally, who do you think will win the Homeless World cup? Haha! Well, having seen the teams play, the Latin American teams are hard to beat. They’re tough. Brazil, Mexico, they’re always difficult. Homeless World Cup, Bute Park, Cardiff, Sat 27 July-Sat 3 Aug. Admission: free. Info: www.homelessworldcup.org

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BUZZARD BUZZARD BUZZARD About to gift the upcoming Homeless World Cup its official anthem, Cardiff rockers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard are hitting the ground running. Ben Woolhead catches up with frontman Tom Rees. Selling out Clwb Ifor Bach, appearing on Soccer AM, supporting (and getting a Radio 2 shoutout from) Noel Gallagher – you’ve had quite a couple of months. What’s been your highlight? Selling out Clwb would be the main highlight of the lot! Playing with Noel and being on the telly is of course absolutely mental – but nothing ever quite compares to playing a show with the Cardiff gang! People were climbing on the ceiling, and we hosted a boxing match in the middle of the show – absolute madness. How did your involvement with the Homeless World Cup come about? I think a bit of divine intervention came into play in the form of our Lord and Saviour Michael Sheen, as Michael had caught wind of our first single and was apparently a big fan! He asked us to be involved, and considering the cause and how important it is to all of us, we were honoured, especially as homelessness is becoming such a deeply penetrative problem across the country and more specifically in Cardiff. The opportunity to be involved meant that we could hopefully make a little more noise about the tournament, and in turn allow for more people who have experienced homelessness to get involved and access help. What makes a good football anthem? Are there any you wish you’d written or that you drew on for inspiration? I think football anthems fall into the same category as Christmas tunes. I’m not sure if you can class it as a football anthem, but I wish I wrote I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Wizzard. BUZZ 12

In John Lennon Is My Jesus Christ you pay tribute to your musical heroes – who’s your footballing hero? Contrary to popular belief, if that belief exists, I’m not very football mad, though I was a big fan of Gabriel Agbonlahor when I was a young boy – don’t ask me why. I decided I was going to start supporting a football team about two years ago, so at random selected West Ham, though it’s safe to say my interest in them dwindled after a fortnight – it was never the same after they moved to the new ground. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard form a five-a-side team: who’s in goal, who’s up front and who’s your ringer? Ethan’s in goal – he’s actually a really good keeper. I reckon Ed’s our ringer. We’ll bang Zac up front – why not? And then it would probably be best to keep me on the bench. What’s a good place you’ve been recently? It sounds a bit high society but there’s a vineyard in Abergavenny called Sugarloaf Vineyards. It’s at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain and they make all of their own wine – it’s delicious and cheap and beautiful and makes you feel like the Lord or Lady of Abergavenny. Daffodil Hill by Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard is the Official Anthem of the 2019 Homeless World Cup and is available on Youtube

H O M E L E S S WORLD CUP Starting on Sat 27 July, 64 men’s, women’s and mixed teams from across the globe will descend on Cardiff for the Homeless World Cup. Competing in 15-minute matches, players will go head-to-head for a week of intense four-aside games. With goalkeepers confined to their penalty boxes, the rules of this competition are different to the traditional tournament. But the spirit remains, as does the players’ desire to leave the event crowned champions and use it as a stepping stone to change their lives. Question is, how does this annual event help those facing homelessness and social exclusion? For the men and women’s Welsh teams, Street Football Wales offer support in the 12-week runup to kickoff and in the six weeks following it. From help finding housing to assistance fighting mental illness, players can receive advice at weekly training sessions. Squads competing at the cup can find help is at hand during their training for the tournament, while anyone who is a part of the 40-team league running throughout Wales can seek support as well. The tournament is designed to inspire as well as support. Keri Harris, founder of Street Football Wales, says players leave the tournament with more self-confidence, better self-esteem and a vastly diminished chance of falling victim to substance misuse. He sees the tournament as a chance to change the country’s perception of those struggling with homelessness, as well as offer support to people looking to change their lives. As the 17th edition of the Homeless World Cup takes over Cardiff’s Bute Park, Street Football Wales are set to help more than 1,000 players this year alone. In their 16 years, more than 5,000 people have participated in their country-wide league. Players for the cup are selected from this league based on attitude, commitment, and some footballing talent is also a bonus.

NILE RODGERS Nile Rodgers is about as close to legendary as you can get, sprinkling his magical funk dust over dozens of hits through the last four decades. In an exclusive interview ahead of his headline show in Cardiff Castle, he chats to Buzz about his music, pickled cucumbers and how to go about making a hit.

At the time in the 70s, disco was sniffed at by a lot of critics and some of the record-buying public, but now it’s almost universally lauded. What do you think has changed? When you put the focus on the songs, which is ultimately what it’s all about, the disco era – which I am very proud of – produced some of the greatest songs of all time, not to mention the insane musicianship and production. Forty-one years later Le Freak is the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records and Good Times is not far behind. That tells you exactly how people feel about disco. Your music has nearly always focused on rhythm first – is that for you the primary building block of a song? If you open up any music book, it will tell you that the most important element of any composition is rhythm. It’s a universal rule. If it’s a Nile Rodgers song, you will undoubtedly be able to move, but whether it starts with the rhythm or the melody, the key is that the song has to have what we call the DHM. The Deep Hidden Meaning. In order for the song to be everything it can be, I need to understand what that is. Collaboration has always been a huge part of your work with Chic and as a producer. Is good music possible without it? Of course it is, because from Beethoven to Stravinsky there are a gazillion great examples but my work with Chic, Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, INXS, Daft Punk, Disclosure, Avicii et al creates a great case for collaboration being the way to go!

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You’ve always been known for playing your Fender Stratocaster – ‘The Hitmaker’. What drew you to a Strat in the first place? I actually started on a semi hollow-body because I was schooled on jazz. My partner, Bernard Edwards, always hoped I would graduate to a Strat or Les Paul so that I could have a more controllable live sound. I resisted until one day during the course of a tour we were doing with the Jackson 5 we had a headline show and the guitarist in the band that was opening for us had a Strat. His sound was instantly 10 times better than mine and he was completely in control. Bernard looked at me with a ‘see-I-told-you-so’ look and that day I went to a pawn shop in Miami and traded in my hollow-body for [what became] ‘The Hitmaker’ and $300 cash in my pocket! How do now feel following your health scare, how has it changed you and your views and how you live your life? I write more songs, I do more collaborations and I play more live shows. Is it true Bernard gave his favourite bass guitar to John Taylor from Duran Duran and have you ever given one of your guitars away to a fellow musician or a fan? I’ve given many many many guitars that were well-loved by me to other musicians. I know Bernard gave a bass that meant a lot to him at the time to John. That’s absolutely true.

OF THE BEST: NILE RODGERS With such a massive back catalogue to draw upon, this could have been a Top 50. But as it is, here are five of Nile Rodgers’ finest moments, as chosen by Chris Andrews.

BEST RIFF

Catchy as hell and funky to boot, I’m Coming Out is the quintessential Diana Ross track, containing perhaps Nile’s most famous and most sampled riff ever, which of course had new life breathed into it in the 90s when The Notorious B.I.G sampled the main riff for Mo Money Mo Problems.

BEST GROOVE

You find yourself unable to resist whenever Good Times drops at a party as Nile has you in the palm of his hand with his signature funk style-riff. It’s a classic anthemic disco track that has withstood the test of time.

QUICK-FIRE ROUND! After working in a pickled cucumber factory can you bear to eat them? Gus The Pickle King! Yes, I love them! Are you still an avid reader and what are you currently reading? I love to read and I’m reading Neil Degrasse Tyson’s book Astrophysics For People In A Hurry. Black Matter! Which song can you listen to over and over again and not be bored by it? Soup For One – the full length version! Which artist/band have you yet to work with but want to? I’m loving working with Dua Lipa right now.

Name a current jazz artist you would recommend listening to? Kokoroko. They’ll be in Meltdown with me in London this summer! What’s next for you? More new music, more collaborations, more live shows! You’re nearing your 70th birthday (a few years away!) – how are you planning to celebrate? That’s still the better part of four years away but I’m working on my musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the 45th and 50th anniversaries of Chic are coming so I’m looking way beyond 70!

Nile Rodgers & Chic, Cardiff Castle, Fri 12 July. Tickets: £65.50/£80 VIP. Info: 029 2034 1199 / www.depotcardiff.com

TICKIN ON P ETS AGE

BEST COLLABORATION

Where do you start with this? Rodgers has worked with Madonna, Bowie, Duran Duran, INXS and their careers have been the better for it. But when it comes to putting yourself over to a new audience, his collaboration with Daft Punk [pictured] and Pharrell on Get Lucky topped the charts the world over and reminded us all what a special talent he is.

MOST INFLUENTIAL

Again, any number of songs could lay claim to this title but Le Freak, with its combination of soul, jazz and funk, is the track that made the world stand up and take notice of disco. It can also lay claim to influencing the careers of the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus and Faith No More in the mid to late 80s, who all took influence from Rodgers’ approach to the guitar.

GUILTY PLEASURE

Perhaps not one every Chic or Nile Rodgers fan would choose as their go-to track. But in the late 80s, when feelgood powerpop tracks were topping the charts, Rodgers collaborated with Steve Winwood of Traffic fame on Higher Love: a song that might be a little cringeworthy with its overenthusiastic horns, but is still one that sticks long in the mind.

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M I C H A E L PA L I N British comedy lynchpin turned tireless travel scribe Michael Palin has turned his gaze on Erebus, an infamously mysterious mid-19th century shipwreck. He chats about the ship, his book and the tour to Ruth Seavers. In the wake of Monty Python, the epochal comedy group that starred Michael Palin alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, Palin made a tentative move into travel documentaries and writing in the early 1980s. “I got lucky breaks with my travel books,” he recalls, three decades after the first of them. “When I did Around The World In 80 Days, a book was commissioned by the BBC to go with it, that was really my own version of the journey. And it did well, really well. And from then on I was lucky to be able to write seven or eight books about the places that I’d been – Pole To Pole, Himalaya, Sahara.” Being a writer, though, was something he’d always thought about. “I wanted to write books for as long ago as I can remember. I love words, I loved books growing up. And for me, the best thing of all was to be able to write your own book, even though there are many, many – hundreds of thousands – of people doing the same thing.” Moving this time, he says, into more academic territory, Palin is currently on tour with his show Erebus: The Story of A Ship. In this, he brings to life the story of the tough little ship HMS Erebus that took on the Antarctic and the Arctic. Launched in Pembroke in 1826, it was designed as a bomb ship, and was named after the Greek underworld: ‘Erebus’ is a personification of darkness in Greek mythology. Later converted to a scientific ship, it launched an expeditious career which took it to the ends of the Earth. Erebus disappeared around northern Canada in 1845; lost for over a century and a half, it was finally rediscovered in 2014. The talk is set to richly illustrate the life of this little ship, and its ultimate tragedy. The book was “quite a departure,” Palin says. “What I wanted to do was to not get stuck in academia. To be accurate on details, to be thorough in research, but also to keep it to a good story – that was the main thing about Erebus.” Palin discovered the story of Erebus while doing some character research for a man called Joseph Hooker. “He virtually founded and ran Kew Gardens during the 19th century. I found out, to my great surprise, that when he was only 22 he signed up for a four-year journey to the Antarctic. Which had not been embarked upon at all – no-one knew what the Antarctic was.” And it was HMS Erebus that Hooker sailed on. “When I heard in 2014 that the hull of the ship had been discovered under the waters of the Canadian Arctic,” he says, “I thought, ‘well this is it. The story has legs!” And The Story Of Erebus was born. The book is a piece of storytelling that stands alone, Palin says. “But in order for it to work, you have to go into the detail. You have to know – because I chose it to be a story of a ship – I wanted to know about the ship. How it was made, where everybody was on board, how they survived in Arctic conditions. The research was really important, but it’s a bit of old fashioned storytelling, really.” The sketch comedy pioneer still enjoys doing stage performances. “You’re directly there, the audience is in front of you, and no one is getting in the way between. The Erebus talk I’ve done a number of times, both here and in America and in Australia. So BUZZ 16

I’ve got that down to a fairly fine art now, but I still enjoy telling the story, and bringing life to it as I tell it. And that’s a great start to the evening.” The second part of the evening is more to do with Python and Palin’s backstory – but it was Erebus which brought him to Pembrokeshire in the first place. “One of the first journeys I did was to find out where she had been built, which was Pembroke Dock. I was quite impressed that some of the old dockyard is still there. It’s a bit run down now, and a bit depressing in one way, but there was enough left of the old Georgian buildings of the early 19th century. This was a proud place, and remained a proud place for quite a long time. Until it was all closed down in the 1920s.” So what will Palin be up to in Pembroke while staying here? “Staying overnight in Pembroke, and the next day I’ll go to see an auxiliary boat that’s going to go on the Sir David Attenborough to the Atlantic – an exploration ship.” Then a week’s acting, as soon as the tour finishes. “Almost too soon! I’ve got a number of things to do.” Among this list are preparations for another tour, Erebus - Owen Stanley sketch concerning North Korea Journal: Palin’s next book, due out in September and detailing his travels to North Korea last year. It documents 13 days spent in the notably secretive state, longer, he says, than most people get to spend, let along when bringing a film crew with them. “It’s quite an eye-opener.” A two-part documentary for Channel 5 was aired in September last year. “So this is the book to go with that. We may well go back – we don’t know yet.” In terms of what inspires him to travel to certain places, and plan future destinations, there are various different approaches, Palin says. “Around The World In 80 Days really started my traveling career, but that was a BBC idea – they set all that up. For the second one, I worked with the director and said, ‘Well, where do we go after this? If we’re going to do another big journey, we’ve been around the centre of the Earth – let’s go north to south. So we thought up North Pole [to] South Pole. “[2004 book and BBC series] Himalaya was an idea I had: I thought, well no-one’s ever been from one end of the Himalaya to the other – people go across it, through it, and that’s that. Brazil [documented by Palin in 2012] I’d always wanted to go to because I didn’t really feel it got the attention it deserved here. So these were all conscious decisions of mine and my team. North Korea came out of the blue: that came from Channel 5 and ITN, who said, ‘we’ve got access and Michael’s the man we’d like to take with us.’ So it’s a bit of both. You start a ball rolling on your own and then someone else runs with it, and up come ideas.” Michael Palin – Erebus: The Story Of A Ship, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Wed 17 July. Tickets: £20. The book will be available for purchase, and to be signed by Michael, after the show. Info: 01646 695267 / www.torchtheatre.co.uk

BUZZ 17

THUNDER Venturing back up the mountain this year for a headline appearance, Thunder will be rocking the Steelhouse Festival for the first time since 2016. Chris Andrews spoke to singer Danny Bowes about longevity and rainy festivals. They’ve rarely played a rain-soaked festival, claims Danny Bowes, lead singer of British rock icons Thunder. That is indeed music to the ears of fans of Steelhouse Festival, who have suffered more than their fair share of bad weather over the years. This year’s Saturday night attraction at the annual classic rock gathering, Thunder have survived a number of different trends over the years, hair metal, grunge, Britpop, so I put it to Danny: just what is their secret to staying at the forefront of the rock world? “I think it’s our close relationship with our fans. Trends come and go but if you are true to yourself and the music you love, and just keep plugging away it becomes a very honest, two-way exchange.” Remaining relevant is in fact one of the band’s biggest achievements in Bowes’ eyes, something that he feels comes from constantly pushing the boundaries, within the rock confinement, of what can be achieved. “I think it’s very challenging to constantly test yourself and bring your audience along with you, so to be able to still do that after 30 years – and on top of some of the things we’ve done to ourselves over the years, we’re just happy to be functioning in some way, shape or form.” And that’s just 30 years of Thunder. Danny has been playing in bands with Thunder guitarist Luke Morley since 1975 and puts a lot of their success down to Morley’s songwriting ability. “The rest of us have dabbled, but he’s just too bloody good at it!” adds Bowes. “He writes the tunes, I just shout over the top.” He’s selling himself short, of course: where did the frontman get those pipes from, who were his influences growing up? “Paul Rodgers!” is the immediate answer. “When I heard Free Live, I knew I wanted to be a singer. I had a blinding moment where I realised that this guy makes the noise, that matches how I feel about music and I wanted to do it like that. It set me on the path – and after that I heard Stevie Wonder and it changed my life again.” BUZZ 18

Thunder’s last album, 2017’s Rip It Up, was their highest charting release since the classic Laughing On Judgment Day back in 1992. How have they caught the attention of the music-buying public this far down the line? “I think a lot of it is to do with timing: it probably says a lot about the market at the moment. But from our point of view – coming back in 2015 with Wonder Days, after not making an album in six years, a lot of people didn’t think we had an album that good in us. So we wanted to raise the bar again and so everything was taken up a notch, from the writing and recording, down to the mixing. We made it hard for ourselves deliberately, to ensure that we gave our everything.” So, with Thunder currently riding the crest of a wave, is there a new album in the pipeline? “The hunger is very much now to write another rock album,” Bowes says. “We have about half an album written, we’ve done one session in the studio and we are going to go back in later in the year when we have some more tunes and see what comes out, but we’ll release another record next year and there will be more shows too.” So having played Steelhouse in 2016 what are Danny’s memories from up the mountain. “Just how warm it was. People had told me about the rain and the mud and I was expecting a nightmare, but it was glorious, so heads up to the Steelhouse guys. Get your sun cream out – you’re going to need it...” Steelhouse Festival, Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, nr Ebbw Vale, Fri 26-Sun 28 July; Thunder headline on Sat 27. Tickets: £95 weekend/£60 Fri 26 + Sat 27 only or Fri 26 + Sun 28 only. Info: www.steelhousefestival.com

GWEN 2019 is proving to be a quietly powerful year for Welsh cinema – and near the top of the list is Gwen, a gothic drama set in the looming mountains of Snowdonia. Fedor Tot talks to writer and director William McGregor. Craggy peaks, isolated farmsteads, and ominous clouds. Snowdonia has been used plenty as the cinematic backdrop to various films, from sky-high fantasy to medieval period drama, but so rarely has it been used to play itself. Gwen, the feature debut from Norfolk-born William McGregor, makes full and glorious use of the landscape, a gothic drama with an undercurrent of horror that suits the geography perfectly. Set in the 19th century, it tells the story of Gwen (played by Eleanor WorthingtonCox), who lives with her little sister and her mother Elen (Maxine Peake), in nearpoverty deep in the hills, the father away to war. In the local village, fast becoming a slate-quarrying centre, are a series of masculine figures – most recognisably Mark Lewis Jones and Richard Harrington – who cast suspicious eyes towards the family. There’s shades of modern folk-horror like Robert Eggers’ The Witch, though Gwen is far from a horror in any meaningful sense of the word. The landscape, though, remains central, something that McGregor had in mind from the start. “Once myself and [producer] Hilary Bevan Jones talked about choosing this idea of a fairytale in Snowdonia, the next step was to go and stay in Snowdonia. We stayed in Betws-y-Coed and explored the area and some of the scenes in the story came from exploring the landscape. A lot of folk stories and gothic stories [exist] because you’re exposed to this wild, bleak conspiring, dangerous landscape and that inspires the stories that people tell within them.” That sense of landscape permeates much of McGregor’s work to date. “My filmmaking started that way, just telling stories about specific places. People told each other folk stories by word of mouth – it’s about your neighbour and the land you grew up in. My next project is set in the Norfolk Fens, and it’s a story about that region. A sense of place and where you’re from is what inspires me to tell my stories.” If the film were being fully historically accurate to the time period, of course, its principal cast would be speaking Welsh. It was, in the end, a decision based mostly on functionality, a question of “Can I make my first feature film in another language?” for McGregor – he directed a short version of the film in Slovenia called Who’s Afraid Of BUZZ 20

The Water Sprite? (available on YouTube), which he admits to finding difficult. But, he concedes, it would have been interesting “especially with the anticapitalist message of the film because the language was used as a defence. People that worked together spoke Welsh and the English mine owners couldn’t understand them... The language and landscape tie together. The language is so beautiful and poetic and has its own richness and flavour and that’s why we had all the singing in Welsh and that’s why, even if it’s just ‘nos da’, we wanted little moments peppered throughout and also not to subtitle it. If you speak Welsh, you’ll understand the richness of it, and as a non-Welsh speaker you appreciate it is a part of the landscape and their world.” Will McGregor didn’t make shooting his first feature wholly easy on himself. Gwen was shot in November on location, but that extra effort adds a sense of authenticity to the film. Obstacles included days where the director of photography couldn’t set up the lighting rig because the wind was too strong, or the snow turned the landscape into something completely unrecognisable. “The location manager who I worked with had on the wall in the office, ‘I’m a part of something bigger than the heartache,’ so for all of the issues, you’re thinking about the bigger picture. Had Gwen been made in a studio, the blister of mountains would have been green screen and it would have been easier, but the authenticity [would have been lacking]. You know what to expect if you’re shooting in Snowdonia in November!” Gwen is out in cinemas from Fri 19 July. Preview screenings and a Q&A with William McGregor are at Chapter Arts Centre on Mon 8 July; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 11 July. Info: www.bulldog-film.com/films/gwen

GRAHAM NASH Supergroup songwriter Graham Nash is bringing his first ever greatest hits tour to Cardiff. He tells John-Paul Davies how he chose which songs to include from a 50-year career as a solo artist and member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Over The Years..., your retrospective compilation from 2018, is a beautiful collection of songs. How did you choose the material from such a huge back catalogue? I realised that there had never been a greatest hits album of my music. Yes, we’d had the greatest hits of The Hollies and CSNY [Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young] but none of my music, particularly. So, because I’ve been a solo artist for the last three years, I figured out the 15 most popular songs that my audience love, and so I wanted to put them out. I realised, of course, that a lot of people had bought those songs in various formats from vinyl to CDs to Blu-Ray etc – and so I wanted to know how I could make it more interesting. I went into my archives, which I’d kept for the last 50 years, and found 15 demos and put those on there. And that is what people are finding very, very interesting: to see the genesis of some of the songs that they love. The demos are brilliant quality. Is it always just you performing on those recordings? All me. Just two-track, a simple tape recorder. That’s pretty much how they sounded. Listen to the demo of Marrakesh Express, that’s the one I showed The Hollies! And somewhere in the bowels of Abbey Road is The Hollies’ attempt at Marrakesh Express which is, quite frankly, pretty lifeless because that song needs the energy of a train behind it. It’s a song about a train journey from Casablanca down to Marrakesh. And The Hollies version had no life in it whatsoever. It was at that time that I began to realise – ‘man, they’re driving me crazy these guys!’

There are some songs that are included as demos but not as finished recordings. Did you prefer the original raw sound? I like the intimacy of the very first time. When you create a new song, that’s exciting! I mean, who knows where it came from, where it’s been hiding? And I still feel that sense of excitement in those demos. I still don’t know where songs come from. I know that I see something that I have to talk about, speak my mind about. But that creative process - I’m still not sure where that comes from. I just feel incredibly lucky to have been doing that for the last 50 years. On this tour you’re joined by some longterm collaborators. How does it compare performing the songs you’ve sung for decades with CSN to sharing the stage with Shane Fontayne and Todd Caldwell? It feels free to me. I’ve always loved being a member of a band. But holy shit, you know, it’s hard to get your stuff across when you’re in a band with me and David and Stephen and Neil. And we’re all strong writers and we all write and we all want every one of our songs on the record but there’s only room for 12! So what do you do with all the stuff that you write that you’re not recording? And I’m having a good time singing these songs because Shane and Todd can sing beautifully and some of this three-part harmony that we’re doing is sweet. The songs that I do from CSN are interesting. I do Ohio [written by Neil Young], I do 4 + 20 which is a brilliant Stephen Stills song. And I can do what I want to do. Not what anybody’s telling me to do. And it’s a great feeling. You know, the truth is I’m 77 years old now and I’m just having the best time. Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 20 July. Tickets: £32£150. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

BUZZ 22

WELSH PROMS 2019 Why make the pilgrimage to London’s Royal Albert Hall when you can experience all the magic of the Proms in the so-called land of song? This month marks the 34th season of the Welsh Proms, which has brought some of the UK’s finest soloists, musicians and orchestras to Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall for nearly 35 years. First-timers are just as welcome as seasoned aficionados, with a varied programme that encompasses swing, jazz, film scores, showtunes, male voice choirs, and of course the very best in the classical music repertoire. Join Huw Edwards and the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales for One Small Step… (Sat 20 July) – a musical voyage to outer space in a concert celebrating 50 years since the first lunar landings, with excerpts from Gustav Holst’s symphonic sci-fi blockbuster The Planets, Berlioz’s epic Symphonie Fantastique, and more. The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra return, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, for the Classical Extravaganza (Tue 23), an evening packed with some of the alltime most loved classical pieces, from Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. And, back by popular demand, this year’s Movies & Musicals Prom (Fri 26) includes John Williams’s iconic soundtracks to Jaws, Harry Potter and Star Wars, as well as music from Queen, The Wizard of Oz and the musical Wicked. Any event provides a great opportunity for children to become interested in classical music — but especially, the Family Prom (Sun 21), where Welsh weather presenters Behnaz Akhgar and Derek Brockway celebrate the summer with the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra. And for even younger audiences, there’s the Tiddly Prom, aka Bert’s Magical Musical Kitchen: an educational and interactive concert for the under-5s to experience live classical music, happening every day of the festival. It’s all rounded off in style with the Last Night Of The Welsh Proms (Sat 27), where the WNO Orchestra perform music by Elgar, Karl Jenkins and others, in a lively concert hosted by the Caruso of car insurance, BBC Wales’s Wynne Evans. But don’t worry, the Go Compare song is not on the bill. SAM PRYCE St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 20-Sat 27 July. Tickets: £7.50-£42. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk / www.welshproms.com

THE ZUTONS Speaking with Dave McCabe, frontman of Liverpudlian indie stalwarts The Zutons, he comes off as a down-to-earth, sweary kind of guy, which really serves to make him irresistibly likable upon interviewing. He has no airs or graces and when asked what made him decide on the name The Zutons, replies “Fuck knows. I think I was having a shit one day. “I came up with The Zutons and [2004 debut album] Who Killed…… The Zutons? for a laugh and everyone liked it. So it just kind of stuck.” Tired Of Hanging Around, the band’s second album, notably included Valerie – the Zutons’ biggest chart hit, and one which rose to pop culture phenomenon status with Amy Winehouse’s sharp, Mark Ronson-arranged cover of it, adding depth and jazz to make it one of the rarer cases where the cover measures up to the original. It’s been almost a decade since The Zutons quietly disbanded, but now feels like the right time to get the old gang back together, McCabe says. “We wanna play together again. And I don’t think there’s a band about like us.” So what separates BUZZ 24

them from the rest? “Well, songs for a start. Saxophone, and general musicianship – and me being really good looking.” He laughs. So what have they been up to before forming together again? “Oh God,” he says. Then, lyrically: “Been having a breakdown, then I had a break-up, then I had another breakdown. Then I broke down on meself. And then I got really bored. Probably drank too much, took all kinds of fucking drugs like a dickhead. And you know, woke up one day, and decided I gotta be one thing or the other. And I’m not gonna start bricklaying. So it’s time to get the band back together.” The tour has gone great, he says. “Great reception. I’m really proud.” It’s a different climate now, but he’s not here to change the world, he’s just here to play. So what does he think of modern music? “I couldn’t tell ya, I’m still listening to Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back.” RUTH SEAVERS Caerphilly Castle, Fri 12 July. Tickets: £35. Info: orchardlive.com

BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales Cerddorfa a Chorws Cenedlaethol Cymreig y BBC

Tymor 2019-20 Season Subscriptions on sale

28 May Mai 2019 General on sale

25 June

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Selladoor Family a Hartshorn – Hook Productions mewn cydweithrediad â Libby Brodie, Cynhyrchiad Stephen McGill Productions a Rigmarole Productions/Rachel Kraftman Productions o \ Selladoor Family and Hartshorn – Hook Productions in association with Libby Brodie, Stephen McGill Productions and Rigmarole Productions/Rachel Kraftman Productions, production of

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AWST 6 – 11 AUGUST 2019

KINETIC Kris Crowley founded The Kinetic School Of Performing Arts in 2013, and has seen it grow to become one of Cardiff’s most industrious and creative theatre companies. Recognising a gap in the arts scene, artistic director and producer Crowley formed Kinetic in 2013 to give youths a chance to develop their skills with fees that were accessible to all. “We started with modest expectations of producing a show in the first year, but it developed at an incredible rate and two years in we had opened a youth academy [for 6-16-year-olds] and had produced five musicals.” The growth continued and in the past six years the company has staged 35 musicals. Crowley also saw this as a way to give back: as an active part of the LGBT+ and Cardiff community as a whole, he feels Kinetic has an important role in supporting charity. “It feels only right to be able to give something back. ‘If we can, we will’ is our motto.” But what can a student expect if they walk through the doors at Kinetic? “We have students who perform and students/ex-students who have stepped up and taken on production roles such as lighting design, stage management and set and production design. It’s amazing we can offer that level of experience to our students, whilst working alongside professionals in their field on a technical level.” So even if performing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there’s still a role to be had. The company’s biggest achievement to date was a spectacular sold-out show at Cardiff City Hall last year, to celebrate their fifth anniversary, where the kids performed a collection of favourites from over the years as well as a few surprises. “In the space of 12 hours we had a band call, a set built, tech/dress rehearsals, performed the show, dismantled the set and left. It was a manic day and night but everyone pulled together and it was phenomenal.” Constantly seeking to develop and hone their standards as well their reputation, and with several productions in the pipeline, it’s onwards and upward for the Kinetic School and their talented youngsters. CHRIS ANDREWS Kinetic perform Chicago at Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Tue 23-Fri 26 July. Tickets: £15/£12.50. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

WALES IN EDINBURGH The Edinburgh Fringe Festival returns next month for its annual swallowing up of the comedy and theatrical calendar. As ever, there will be a strong Welsh presence, hopefully with a few breakout stars in waiting. Louder Is Not Always Clearer, directed by Mr & Mrs Clark, is a sensory experience, following the story of its star and progenitor Jonny Cotsen – a deaf performer, whose multimedia performance allows both deaf and hearing audiences to explore the power of communication. It’s won plenty of plaudits, including a handsome review in these pages, as it brilliantly explores Cotsen’s story, moving between the hearing and deaf worlds. Likewise, How To Be Brave, written by Siân Owen, is a one-woman play exploring the journey of mum Katie. Through Katie’s mission to remain strong as the little girl who once climbed trees, we embark on an adventure through Newport on a stolen BMX and learn how to survive in a crumbling world. National Theatre Wales are also bringing a pair of plays up to Edinburgh. First is Cotton Fingers by Rachel Trezise, who takes the audience on an intense journey with a pregnant woman making a trip from Northern Ireland to have an abortion, whilst For All I Care by Alan Harries tells the story of Clara and Nyri as their two worlds collide. All of the above are at Summerhall. Lightening things up on the comedy front are a cabal of excellent Welsh standups bringing new shows to the Fringe; Ignacio Lopez (EspañYOLO at The Caves), Steffan Alun (You Can’t Escape Free Stand-Up at Waverley Bar), and Chris Chopping (The Artist Currently Known As Chris Chopping at Bar Bados Complex), alongside Carys Eleri’s [pictured] hilarious one-woman show on matters of the heart, Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) at Underbelly. Last, but definitely not least, is The Death Hilarious’ Razer. Formerly a sketch duo, now a sketch uno comprising of one Darren Coles, early previews of Razer suggest a dark, absurdist trip into the disturbed headspace of Mr. Coles, via a fox reciting a bank statement. MOLLY CATTERALL Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fri 2-Mon 26 Aug. Ticket prices vary per show. Info: www.edfringe.com BUZZ 26

CARDIFF OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL: EVERYMAN 19 ^ Gwyl Theatr Awyr Agored Caerdydd: Everyman 19

Box Office/Swyddfa Docynnau

0333 666 3366

cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk + All seating numbered and undercover/ Mae seti’r gynulleidfa dan do a phob set wedi eu rhifo +

HI-DE-HI!

Paul Carpenter & Ian Gower

27 June/Mehefin – 6 July/Gorffennaf

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING William Shakespeare

11 – 20 July/Gorffennaf An Amateur production by arrangement with The Musical Company Ltd.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

25 July/Gorffennaf – 3 August/Awst

THE LITTLE MERMAID

27 July/Gorffennaf – 3 August/Awst #CDFOpenAirFest

@cardiffopenairtheatrefest

@CDFopenairfest

DEPOT IN THE CASTLE Cardiff’s Depot venue, organisers of the annual Depot In The Castle, are about to hold their biggest ever event. Last year, a mix of entertainment, food and live performances brought around 5,000 to Cardiff Castle. This year, it is hoped that the introduction of a second stage, and a second Saturday headliner, will attract more than 8,000 partygoers. The smaller second stage will exclusively play host to local talent: Welsh-born musicians looking for the chance to share a venue with some of the music industry’s biggest pop artists. Acts will be playing throughout the day, offering a range of genres and ensuring audiences interested in the up-and-comers of the local area will have plenty to enjoy. Tom Odell is set for his first ever gig at Cardiff Castle as he supports electronic pop masterminds Clean Bandit [pictured]. Bringing his brand of unique vocals and acoustic instrumentals to the (hopefully) sunny surroundings, he will provide a relaxed atmosphere to proceedings. This relatively young artist is certainly a favourite among fans of mellow pop, as his rise towards increasing stardom appears irreversible. If you’re excited for a party atmosphere, look no further than Clean Bandit. Top of the roster, this three-piece band boast four billion (!) global streams and a host of top 10 hits. They offer up an interesting mix of classical moods and electronic music – see recent hit Rockabye for a perfect example. The result is clear: tunes you can’t help but move to. Perfect for an event like this. In their capacity as headliners, Clean Bandit will finish out the night will all the energy and skill they can muster. In another change, the festival’s street food village will be extended to include 15 traders. That means there will be an even bigger range of local food to choose from. As the event continues through the day, entertainment and vendors will be in place to keep you occupied while the music offers the perfect soundtrack to your day. It’s sure to be a picturesque, pint-filled celebration of some of the best music of the moment. ALEX KEENE Cardiff Castle, Sat 13 July. Tickets: £42.50/£21.50 under-18s/£5 under-12s. Info: 029 2034 1199 / www.depotinthecastle.com

FEELS LIKE SUMMER The inaugural Feels Like Summer event looks like it’s going to be the place to be for old-school pop fans. British pop sensations Bananarama, who graced the cover of Buzz’s June issue, are set to headline, while special guest Bonnie Tyler [pictured] will keep the party going throughout the day with the help of some exciting-looking supports. Tyler, distinctive husky voice in tow, shot to fame in the late 1970s – now, 40 years on, she is set to appear in what will hopefully be the first of many Feels Like Summers. Best known for timeless karaoke staple Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Tyler is sure to make a big splash at Sophia Gardens; if her recent concerts are anything to go by, the setlist is likely to include deeper Bonnie bangers from the early It’s A Heartache to the unforgettable album namesake Faster Than The Speed Of Night. Whatever she chooses to grace the stage with, lovers of her brand of country-pop-rock will love every minute. Elsewhere on the bill, you might not think that a health and wellbeing coach would be able to put on a good show. Well, Mr Motivator is poised to prove you wrong as he prepares to take to the stage earlier in the day. His ability to get the party well and truly started, as first seen in the annals of 1990s UK breakfast television, cannot be ignored. Cardiff Music Award-winning local DJ duo GRL TLK are taking a break from their usual club scene to join the schedule and are sure to get a warm welcome from the crowd. While not strictly pop-based, their club classics can be easily translated to the scenic setting. You’ll be mostly focused on the music, but the food is important too. Pizza vendors will join forces with gin and prosecco bars to make sure you don’t risk all that dancing on an empty stomach. A final touch in the form of a retro roller disco makes it abundantly clear that this is not the organiser’s first rodeo when it comes to putting on events to remember. ALEX KEENE Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Sat 20 July. Tickets: £48/£25.50 under-18s/free under-5s. Info: feelslikesummer.co.uk

BUZZ 28

BUZZ Magazine

‘deliciously ‘low brow’!’

‘consistently hilarious’

Don Pasquale Donizetti Gorffennaf 9 July 7.30pm Cyfle olaf i’w weld yng Nghymru! Last chance to see it in Wales!

‘Very Welsh and very funny’

Archebwch nawr | Book now rct-theatres.co.uk 03000 040 444 wno.org.uk/pasquale #WNOpasquale Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig | Registered Charity No 221538

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BRANDO’S BRIDE Drama, drugs, and decadence coloured Cardiff-born Anna Kashfi’s life. Long dismissed as ‘Marlon Brando’s first wife’, this is being reversed by Sarah Broughton, who talks to Mab Jones about her Kashfi biog. What attracted you to Anna and her story? I was just really intrigued by her journey, how that happened. I couldn’t figure it out, because she had no contacts in Hollywood – these days, everything is always about who you know – so I was really interested in following that. I mean, her parents lived by Gabalfa roundabout, and Anna had once worked in a butcher’s shop. I was also really interested because there was a parallel with my own life. My mother was in India at the same time, and was an actress at the same time that Anna was an actress. And, as I unravelled Anna’s story, my mum started looking into our family background, and we discovered that we, also, were Anglo-Indian. I was discovering things about Anna whilst getting emails from my mother saying “You’ll never guess! Your great-grandad worked on the railways in India.” So there were all these links, I felt – these strange parallels between the two stories, the two journeys. That’s fascinating. Yes. The other thing I was really intrigued by is that there are loads of Marlon Brando biographies. When I was first writing I counted 53; there have been several more since then. Almost every single one of them repeats the same information about Anna – they all state that she lied about her background. Even in her obituary [she died in 2015, aged 80], it said she was ‘ethnically ambiguous’ and was always very mysterious about her origins. BUZZ 30

I’d never heard of Anna. Was she a big star? Anna made her first four films, which turned out to be her only films, by the age of 23. In her first film she’s playing opposite Spencer Tracy, in her second film she’s opposite Rock Hudson, in her third she’s with Jack Lemmon, and in her final film she plays Nat King Cole’s wife. So she had a very stellar career, and who knows what might have happened if she hadn’t been derailed. By the marriage to Brando, I presume... Well – she arrived in New York at the age of 21, flew to LA and within two weeks she met Brando. They started an on-off relationship and two years later, she married him. By the following September, they had separated. It’s a bit like a star that’s rising and rising, then crashes and burns. The infamy part comes from the fact that she was so castigated. If you look at the Brando biographies, even now, they are venomous about her, saying she was a gold-digger, that she seduced Brando. They are very derogatory, and I wanted to restore that in some way. What happened after? Anna was still just 23. When she divorced Brando, she got the largest settlement of her day – that there had ever been – so I think she spent some time spending that...

So, she had a good time? She had a good time... except it was also a descent into alcoholism and prescription drug addiction, which I talk about in the chapter entitled Dirty Drugs. It made her behaviour more erratic, which didn’t help with the fact that she spent another 14 years in and out of court with Brando, contesting custody of their child. It culminated in her having her son kidnapped. He was eventually found in Mexico, and, unsurprisingly, she lost custody of him. That’s very dramatic. What are your hopes for the book? I hope that people will read it and form a different opinion of her. One of my chapters involves three of Anna’s contemporaries, young actresses, who all had horrible early deaths. It kind of shows how the world was for those young starlets, and how tricky to navigate. Anna got through these things and the other three didn’t. She was a survivor. Brando’s Bride by Sarah Broughton, published by Parthian Books. Reviewed on p.46. Price: £10. Info: parthianbooks.com

THE RIVERFRONT THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE NEWPORT

On Screen this month WILD HONEY PIE! (15)

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR CINEMA LISTIN GS

ROCKETMAN (15) GLORIA BELL (15) BALLOON (12A)

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

Frisky & Mannish: Pop Lab THURSDAY 18 JULY, 7.30PM

at the Riverfront

20-21 BUZZ AD.indd 4

NEWPORT’S FREE FAMILY STREET THEATRE JULY FESTIVAL!

£3

Flossy & Boo: Girl on Girl

A Mr & Mrs Clark Production

Louder is Not Always Clearer

Edinburgh

previews

TICKETS FROM

Edinburgh

WEDNESDAY 24 JULY, 7.45PM

previews at the Riverfront

THURSDAY 25 JULY, 7.45PM

previews at the Riverfront

Edinburgh

previews at the Riverfront

Kingsway, Newport, NP20 1HG

01633 656757

newportlive.co.uk/riverfront 14/06/2019 14:26

by Keiron Self

MIDSOMMAR ****

Dir: Ari Aster (15, 102 mins) Prepare to be creeped out once more by writer/director Ari Aster, who made the excellent and disturbing Hereditary. Channeling The Wicker Man, Midsommar follows Dani and Christian (the ever-great Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor), a couple whose relationship is on the rocks. Christian is on the verge of abandoning Dani to head to a possibly hedonistic Swedish festival that occurs every 90 years, but then she receives some terrible news and ends up accompanying Christian and his friends to get out from under her grief. One of those friends, Josh (Will Poulter), thinks it’s the wrong move but acquiesces. Initially, the festival is endlessly sunny, flowery and full of smiling Scandinavians dancing around poles and the like. But it also holds a darker secret, one into which the group of friends are inexorably drawn towards with nasty results. Cloaked in secrecy, the film has been described by its director as The Wizard of Oz for perverts and an apocalyptic breakup movie. Bathed in overexposed sunlight, this looks to bring the dread in the daylight after the shady goings on in Hereditary, as the bizarre competitive nature of the cult is revealed with bloody, disturbing results. Midsommar should be another nightmare-troubler from the newest purveyor of slowburn horror. Opens July 5

ANNA ***

Dir: Luc Besson (15, 90 mins) Luc Besson retreads well-worn ground in a genre that he himself helped rebirth. The French director made Nikita back in 1990, a stylish, neon-drenched thriller with a beautiful female assassin in the shape of Anne Parillaud. Since then, there have been many violent hitwomen thrillers with varying degrees of success/grit/ titillation – Atomic Blonde and the excellent Killing Eve being the most recent – with Charlize Theron and Jodie Comer athletically offing a slew of baddies. Here, Russian supermodel Sasha Luss plays Anna in this John Wick-esque B-movie, capably taking down rooms full of men with fists, feet, knives and guns in hyperkinetic style. Helen Mirren plays Luss’ handler, Olga, all big glasses and accent, whilst Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy are the other agents on her trail. Boasting highoctane action and a return to Besson’s comfortable grounds after the big-budget flop of Valerian, this should be a competent action adventure. Opens July 5

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME ****

Dir: Jon Watts (12A, 114 mins) After the emotional heft of Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel universe returns to something lighter. Jon Watts’ Spiderman: Homecoming was a great deal of fun, with Tom Holland nailing the role of Peter Parker after the sludgy emo-ness of Andrew Garfield’s spell as the webslinger, making it the best live-action arachnid actioner since Sam Raimi’s Spiderman 2. This seems set to continue the entertainment with Parker, still mourning the loss of mentor Tony Stark heading to Europe on a school trip. Surrounded by friends MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), it’s an opportunity to deal with Endgame’s aftermath, until Nick Fury comes a-calling. Apparently, supervillain Thanos’ ‘snap’ in the previous film has caused a rift in time and space, creating a multi-verse with beings called the Elementals crossing over and causing havoc. Spiderman has to team up with Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, re-tooled from a low-level baddie in the comics to do battle and save the world from the likes of Hydro-Man and Molten Man. Yes, it’s more city-destroying antics, but done with confident verve, wit and lashings of comedy amidst the jeopardy. A crowdpleasing upbeat palate cleanser after the tears of Endgame, this proves that Marvel still knows what it’s doing as it enters its next superhero phase. Opens July 2

ANNABELLE COMES HOME ***

Dir: Gary Dauberman (15, 90 mins) Having written the previous devil-doll movies Annabelle and Annabelle Creation, this is the directorial debut of Gary Dauberman, expanding The Conjuring horrorverse, a true B-movie series with ever-increasing spooky returns. Adding Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga to the mix as the paranormal investigators from The Conjuring is a smart move, bringing a touch of gravitas to the ludicrous scares. Here, the Warren family take possession of the creepy possessed doll, locking it in their supernatural artefacts room at home – in a glass case, so it’s bound to be safe and contained, right? Well, their 10-yearold daughter Judy and her friends go into the locked room, and soon all manner of paranormal activity is unleashed as the doll possesses everything the Warrens keep in their house. Uutter nonsense told with accustomed brio: plenty of jump scares, dark rooms, hands on shoulders and misdirection. Opens July 5

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: THE MOVIE – ROTTEN ROMANS **** Dir: Dominic Brigstocke (PG, 100 mins)

Following the hugely successful TV series adaptations of Terry Deary’s phenomenally successful books, Horrible Histories comes to the big screen. The Celts vs Romans section of history pits Craig Roberts’ would-be Emperor Nero against Kate Nash’s Boudicca. We mostly follow things through the eyes of teen Roman soldier Atti (Sebastian Croft) and Celtic warrior wannabe Orla (Emilia Jones), flitting between ancient Rome and Britain with Pythonesque vim. The same blend of historical fact, slapstick, stupidity and musical numbers that worked on TV have moved to the big screen, but cast-wise, only Dominique Moore has made the transition. Instead a starry cast packed with the likes of Derek Jacobi, Kim Cattrall, Nick Frost, Rupert Graves and Lee Mack add to the anarchy in what should be a family crowd pleaser with added educational value and fart jokes. Opens July 26

ALSO RELEASED JULY 2019: ESCAPE PLAN 3 (15) Apparently Sylvester Stallone has to escape from somewhere again with the help of Dave Bautista. VOD Dreck. IBIZA: THE SILENT MOVIE (15) Documentary about the party island and its music madness. KNIFE AND HEART (18) Arthouse horror soft porn with a touch of giallo. NEVER LOOK AWAY (15) A German artist escapes East Germany but is plagued by his past in this engrossing drama. THE QUEEN’S CORGI (PG) CGI comedy following the favoured dog of royalty with Brit-heavy hijinks and a diminishing return of family-friendly laughs. ARMSTRONG (PG) Documentary about the famous astronaut who set foot on the moon 50 years ago, unless you’re a conspiracy theorist. KURSK: THE LAST MISSION (12A) Submarine drama about the Russian disaster and the political fallout that followed. BUZZ 32

STUBER **

Dir: Michael Dowse (15, 105 mins) A mis-matched buddy action-comedy? Yes, we’ve seen it before, with classics like 48 Hours, Midnight Run and the more recent 21 Jump Street reboot, but also plenty more that have been dreadful and fallen into formula, weak one-liners or were Cop Out. Stuber falls somewhere in the middle: competent enough with two likeable stars in Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjani; saddled with a script with too much air, misfire improv and some nasty violence. Nanjani is Stu, an Uber driver desperate to improve his rating, who picks up cop Vic, in hot pursuit of athletic terrorist Iko Uwais and unable to drive due to recent laser surgery on his eyes. Mayhem ensues. Uber jokes proliferate, as do car chases, flippant sadism and low-level misogyny. The fight scenes with Uwais make use of his martial arts skills but it’s hard to care about anyone as the glib set pieces roll out. Karen Gillan cameos, Natalie Morales has a thankless role as Bautista’s daughter, and though the central duo spark off one another well, we have seen it all before. A lot. There is nothing to really separate Stuber from the likes of any mismatched bland buddy action film of the last two decades. Taxi please. Opens July 12

TELL IT TO THE BEES ***

Dir: Annabel Jankel (12A, 106 mins) A by-the-numbers period romance based on Fiona Shaw’s novel, elevated by the performances of Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger. Smalltown rural Scotland in the 1950s, and Lydia (Grainger) is abandoned by her war veteran husband, leaving her to fend for herself with son Charlie (Gregor Selkirk). Local doctor Jean (Paquin) returns to the town following the death of her father and ends up treating Charlie after he is ruthlessly bullied at school. The two women strike up a friendship that turns into something more. The boy is fascinated by Jean, who encourages him to read, and teaches him about bees, encouraging him to tell these creatures his secrets. Naturally, this idyll doesn’t last for long as the women’s love affair is discovered and the venom of the small-minded town turns on them. A solid romance with an abundance of issues but with enough character grace notes to make cinematic honey. Opens July 26

THE DEAD DON’T DIE ***

THE LION KING **

Dir: Jon Favreau (PG, 120mins) The circle. The circle of life. It’s come around again for the money-makers at Disney as they remake another classic. After the stumble that was Tim Burton’s bland Dumbo and the pantomime blue Will Smith of Aladdin you’d think the company would have had enough, but no. At least Jon Favreau is at the helm of this anthromorphised remake, all CGI jungle and animals, having brought us the most satisfying and different Disney reboot to date. Favreau’s version of The Jungle Book at least had some teeth and style amidst the spectacle. This seems to be more of a shot-by-shot remake though. Donald Glover voices Simba the lion cub, who must avenge the death of his father Mufasa – who still boasts the regal tones of James Earl Jones, as in the 1994 original. Along the way Simba encounters the weirdly rendered Pumbaa and Timon (Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner), whilst Beyoncé provides the pipes for Nala, Simba’s beloved. Chiwetel Ejiofor intones baddie Scar with the necessary gravitas, all amidst a lovingly rendered recreation of the original. Supposedly introducing a new audience to a classic from 25 years ago, this will doubtless make money, but although technically innovative and daring, like the other Disney reimaginings it seems a bit lazy and pointless. Opens July 19

Dir: Jim Jarmusch (15, 105 mins) Cult director Jim Jarmusch turns his ever-quirky, laconic and offbeat eye to the zombie genre, The Dead Don’t Die seeming so aware of itself as to get in the way of any sense of jeopardy. Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny and Bill Murray play three diligent cops in a typical American town, Centerville, peopled by eccentric locals like Steve Buscemi’s reactionary Farmer Miller, grizzled Tom Waits’ Hermit Bob and Caleb Landry Jones’ comic-bookshop/gas-station owner. Their ‘normality’ is about to be destroyed by the arrival of Tilda Swinton’s Scottish samurai and Carol Kane’s character, a drunk who rises from the dead. Graves spew out bodies, thanks to some non-specific polar fracking, and the trio are forced to do battle with dead teens moaning ‘wifi’ and a coffee-obsessed zombie Iggy Pop amongst others. Murray, as ever, is very watchable along with Sevigny and Driver, who prove a winning trio in this self-satisfied shaggy dog story. Opens July 12

VITA AND VIRGINIA **

Dir: Chanya Button (12A, 110 mins) A period biography with modern flourishes, telling the tale of the love affair between writers Vita SackvilleWest and Virginia Woolf in the 1920s. Gemma Arterton convincingly assays Vita, flitting from maddening to flirtatious to endearing with aplomb; Elizabeth Debicki’s Woolf is less successful, skirting around the writer’s mental illness and not helped by a stagey script. Much of the film is made up of the letters the pair used to write to one another, delivered as direct address to camera and often sluggish – in marked contrast to an opening cinematic house party soundtracked by drum‘n’bass, with fantasy sequences illustrating how Woolf saw the world. The supporting cast, including Isabella Rossellini, are given little to contribute to the proceedings. The script, co-written by Button with actor Eileen Atkins, ends up weighed down by exposition in a noble if misfiring attempt to bring a ‘scandalous’ affair to life. Opens July 5

Well-mounted and gripping with Colin Firth on noble form. ONLY YOU (15) British romantic drama that starts with a row over a taxi. Slight but well-acted. THE BRINK (15) Disturbing documentary following fascist Steve Bannon as he plots world domination. THE INTRUDER (15) Dennis Quaid menaces the people who move into his house in this 90s-esque thriller. PAVAROTTI (15) Documentary about the rotund Italian opera singer. Nessun Dorma, chicken korma. VARDA BY AGNES (15) Documentary about the recently deceased ace filmmaker, made by herself. TEEN SPIRIT (15) Dakota Fanning in unconvincing X Factor-esque singing drama THE CHAMBERMAID (15) Mexican drama following a chambermaid in a luxurious hotel in Mexico City. THE CURRENT WAR (15) The battle over the birth of electricity is given spark in so-so historical drama. BUZZ 33

art

FRANCES RICHARDS: AN ARTIST APART

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Until Sun 1 Sept The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery assembles a previously unseen collection of drawings, monotypes and embroidery collages, showing the work and perspective of Frances Richards, one of the most celebrated artists of her time. The exhibition captures both the light and dark years of the painter’s life. Many of this unseen work was created during World War II, reflecting the sombre state of a life lived amidst death and destruction. Richards illustrated the post-war period through embroidery collages, filled with symbolism, and a lightness due to being reunited with her children, from whom she had been separated during the war. An Artist Apart is curated by Richards’ daughter Rhiannon Gooding and accompanied by a thoughtful essay in which Gooding reflects on her feelings about her mother as an artist and person. Richards’s earlier works contain elements of Biblical religious feeling and mystery –though, according to Gooding, the artist did not stay fast to Biblical themes throughout her entire work, the ideas and stories remained with her always. Admission: free. Info: 01792 516900 www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian (JaS)

BUZZ 34

CARTOGRAPHIC IMAGINARIES: INTERPRETING THE LITERARY ATLAS OF WALES

Swansea Museum Sat 6 July-Sun 8 Sept Twelve English-language novels set in Wales, from Lloyd Jones’ fantastical Mr Vogel to Alys Conran’s tragic Pigeon, are explored through a series of commissioned artworks as part of the Literary Atlas Of Wales project. The interactive online project aims to investigate how literature set in Wales contributes to the understanding of the country and its history. In the commissioned brief, the 12 artists were encouraged to “play with traditional notions of cartographic mapping”; each creator takes a diverse approach to this invitation, showcasing the infinite ways of interpreting a printed work or knowing a particular place. Measuring The Distance by Rhian Thomas is one of the pieces created for this exhibition. Responding to Border Country by Raymond Williams, Thomas takes the semi-autobiographical story of the Price family’s life in a small Welsh village and conveys the power of human attachment to a given place. Thomas’ background is in architecture, rather than fine art, resulting in a unique style that bridges the gap between design and creation. Through the tearing and layering of historic maps, she creates a work that is carefully curated yet wonderfully abstract. The multidimensional craft includes a train line, symbolising the novel’s main character Matthew, whose struggle to distinguish between the current awareness of his environment and the romanticised memories he holds, is a key theme of the book. Each artist featured in this exhibition has a completely different style, the result of which is a truly contrasting collection of ‘cartographic imaginary’ Wales. Tinplated cast bronze, photography, sketchbooking, and sculpture are just some of the mediums that will feature in Cartographic Imaginaries. The exhibition will be at Swansea Museum for two months before moving on to Caernarfon’s Galeri, then the Senedd in Cardiff Bay at the beginning of next year. LEE LOTTIE URQUHART Admission: free. Info: 01792 653763 / www.swanseamuseum.co.uk

HELEN BOOTH: MATTER

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Fri 5 July-Sat 10 Aug Helen Booth is a contemporary painter living and working in west Wales, having exhibited at various galleries throughout the UK, and whose latest exhibit Matter comes to Swansea’s Elysium Gallery this month. Her work uses traditional mediums such as oil and gesso, through which she hopes to explore the themes of thought, memory, possibility, transience, life and death through her art. Matter continues to do so; it’s Booth’s response to the Icelandic landscape and its inherent, volcanic and ethereal beauty, fusing with the watery medium of oil paints, as if intangible. Living in a rural part of Wales, nature forms another key inspiration for Booth, despite the abstract style of her work. Monochromatic yet elegant and natural, Booth’s new paintings focus on the limitless variations and repetitions of a single dot, suggesting many things such as the end of a sentence, but it hopes to offer viewers a meditative pause – a peaceful reminder of the brevity of the human condition. Booth’s fascination with the notion of memory shapes her ideas, something which will hopefully be fully evident in Matter. Admission: free. Info: 07980 925449 www.elysiumgallery.com (KS)

JULIE CHRISTINE GANNON

Oriel Joanna Field, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Throughout July Influenced by the beauty of her home of Pembrokeshire, Julie Christine Gannon presents a series of paintings reflecting her feelings of beauty, love and warmth for the place and the people residing in it. Pembroke Dock, known for its sandy beaches, intensely blue sea and the friendly atmosphere, is the predominant setting in her work. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a close location near Gannon’s home, is pictured in several of her paintings. With soft brushstrokes and intense hues, she showcases her love of her surroundings, and the coastal environment – perhaps through the texture of the sand, or painting the way that people feel when they look at the sea. Gannon has exhibited widely throughout west Wales, and has most recently taken up an artists’ residency at the Oriel Q Gallery in Narberth. During her residency, she painted over 30 paintings of Freshwater West, 20 of which were later exhibited in the Pembroke Dock Gallery. The exhibition aims to capture the bright color of the coastal paths and the wilds of Pembrokeshire – featuring soft, muted grays, deep blues, creamy yellows, and pale greens – blended together to create an enticing color palette. Admission: free. Info: 01646 695267 / torchtheatre.co.uk (JaS)

LAND ACTS

Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Camarthen Sat 27 July-Sat 12 Oct Land Acts unites five different artists with a shared passion – to explore the contemporary relationship between the land and the socioeconomic structure of the communities who experience it. The exhibition aims to open the floor to a discussion about how artists help people to re-imagine their connection with the land, and what it might be in the future. Rebecca Chesney is known for her pieces depicting the evolution of land, and how it might be affected by various historical and environmental elements, with her themes looking at ecosystems in India, Germany, Italy and the USA. Morag Colquhoun’s work depicts the idea of ecological innovation as a phoenix, arising from the ashes. She shines a light on the beauty of nature through collaborative films, photography and printed textiles. Elsewhere, Owen Griffiths’ vision is that community land projects provide the lifeblood of a city’s future. He often brings together members of the community as a key element of his projects. He builds his pieces around the celebration of traditions, such as Ty Unnos, a Welsh folk tradition in which those able to build a house in one night on common land were then entitled to that land. Admission: free. Info: 01267 222775 / orielmyrddingallery.co.uk (JaS)

Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd National Museum Cardiff

Nadroedd! Snakes! –

Message here

22.6.19 – 15.9.19 Dewch i ddysgu am fywyd rhyfeddol nadroedd mewn arddangosfa i’r teulu cyfan. Discover the slithering, secret life of snakes in this family friendly exhibition.

Parc Cathays, Caerdydd CF10 3NP amgueddfa.cymru/nadroedd Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP museum.wales/snakes

SPONTANEOUS POTTER

The Glee Club, Cardiff Bay Sun 7 July After a three-year run with their improvised Sherlock Holmes jaunt, the Edinburgh-based Spontaneous Players traded 221B Baker Street for the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry last year. Based on a possible fan fiction title suggested by the audience on the night, their on-thespot magical adventure quickly spirals out with plenty of cheeky character impressions, in-jokes, observations and occasional crudity, as the cast of four, accompanied by a musician, recount a previously untold tale. The Players’ last trip to The Glee resulted in Harry Potter And The Curse Of The Multiplying Cheeseburgers. More confusing than a game of Quidditch and more alarming than any Daily Prophet headline, it deftly incorporated philosophers getting stoned, Draco on The Jeremy Kyle Show and Lucius Malfoy plotting in a Parisian McDonald’s. Given the cast’s cavalier attitude, it’s predictably not endorsed by JK Rowling or in any way connected to the official Harry Potter franchise, yet the players’ love of the original source material is clear. A delight for any Potterhead; Muggles also welcome. Tickets £10. Info: 0871 4720400 www.glee.co.uk (DF) BUZZ 36

Pic: Helen Maybanks

stage

THE BANGERS & CHIPS EXPLOSION

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Thurs 25-Sat 27 July Lover of chips? So is pupil Billy Baxter and his classmates. The Bangers & Chips Explosion, written by Brough Girling and first published 30 years ago, has been transformed into a stage play which will be performed by Sherman Youth Theatre participants, ranging from 8-18 years old. Directed by Sherman Theatre’s Communities And Engagement Co-Ordinator Timothy Howe, expect plenty of life and a lot of slapstick comedy. Teacher-turned-writer Girling has long been a fixture of children’s literature, with a wry and surreal sense of humour. He’s also worked as a cartoonist and standup comic, though his work with chlidren’s literature like this is perhaps his most enduring. The two-hour-long play explores the story of pupils on strike, furious at the lack of chips on the menu, with head-teacher Mr. Mackintosh close to the edge. Yet when chips eventually do return to the frying basket, something mysterious is cooking up in the kitchen, with pupil Billy Baxter and his friends tasked with looking past their insatiable desire for more chips to unlock the deeper mystery. Will they find out in time? Tickets: £8/£6/£4 under-25s. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk (MC)

KINKY BOOTS

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Mon 22 July-Sat 3 Aug Since making its Broadway debut in 2013, Kinky Boots has captured the hearts of theatregoers across the world. A West End production opened in 2015, bringing the story to the UK. The show later won every major Best Musical award in the industry, including an Olivier Award in 2016. Kinky Boots has been touring the world ever since, and an extensive UK tour now makes its way to Cardiff. Based on the 2005 movie written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, Kinky Boots tells the story of shoemaker Charlie Price, who reluctantly inherits his father’s shoe company after his passing. With the company on the brink of bankruptcy, Charlie acknowledges the need to conjure a fresh idea with which to save the business. A chance encounter with drag queen Lola inspires an unusual idea which would serve an ‘underserved niche market’, kicking off a tale of triumph in the face of adversity. Both Charlie and Lola embark on their own unique journeys but come to realise that they might not be so different after all. Joel Harper-Jackson (The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time UK tour; Beautiful – The Carole King Musical) takes on the role of Charlie, previously played by the likes of Killian Donnelly, Brendon Urie and Jake Shears during its West End and Broadway runs. Kayi Ushe (Motown the Musical; The Book Of Mormon; Avenue Q UK tour) will be bringing sass and fabulousness to the stage as the iconic Lola, whilst the character of Lauren is played by Paula Lane, best known for her role as Kylie Platt in Coronation Street. Songs penned by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, including Sex Is In The Heel, Not My Father’s Son and The Soul Of A Man. The current tour has already received rave reviews from a number of outlets and its previous stopoffs and general feelgood factor might even encourage you to take more than one visit to Price & Son’s factory... KATRINA REES Tickets: £19.50-£72.50. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

THE LADY VANISHES

New Theatre, Cardiff Mon 15-Sat 27 July The Classic Thriller Theatre Company, present a new adaption of the 1938 British mystery-thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, itself an adaption of the 1936 novel The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White. This quickwitted, devilishly fun play sees an English tourist travelling by train, and discovering her elderly companion has disappeared – even though fellow passengers deny ever seeing her. The production includes some familiar faces: Maxwell Claufield, known for his roles in Grease 2 and Dynasty, is Dr. Hartz, a surgeon onboard; Juliet Mills is Ms Froy, the vanishing lady herself. Lorna Fitzgerald, who played Abi in Eastenders, leads proceedings as Iris, trying to track down Ms Froy. The theatre adaption of The Lady Vanishes includes all the characteristics you might expect from an early Alfred Hitchcock movie –a beautiful heroine, murder and suspicious bit players. This production includes a set which transforms from a train station into a carriage, working compartments and all, with the minimum of fuss, whilst the costumes all look to be reminiscent of the time. Prepare for chaos and tragedy to occur in equal proportion. Tickets: £12-£33 (standard). Info: 029 2087 8889 / www. newtheatrecardiff.co.uk (KS)

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Wed 17 July What exactly could go wrong when three friends take a boat trip? Kick In The Head productions’ adaption of Jerome K. Jerome’s classic novel attempts to answer that question. Giles Shenton, star of previous KITH effort Old Herbaceous, plays the role of the wistful narrator, Jerome. One evening, he recalls the time that he and his best friends, George and Harris, decided that the best cure for their “illnesses” was to take a boat trip up the River Thames. Joined by Jerome’s faithful dog, Montmorency, the trio put their plans into action, and much hilarity ensues. Director Simon Downing re-imagines the popular book by setting the entire journey in Jerome’s London flat. Through sound effects and Shenton’s narrative techniques, the show aims to take its audiences on the same boat trip as the Jerome and pals – whether it’s pondering on “the advantages of cheese as a travelling companion”, singing songs, or recalling the historical significance of Magna Carta Island. Though it’s a one-man production featuring only Shenton, he aims to make sure that the presence of each character is known and felt, from shy George to loud and irritable Harris. Tickets: £13/£11. Info: 01646 695267 / www.torchtheatre.co.uk (JaS)

clubs

COLOUR CLASH 2019

Tredegar Park, Newport Sat 13 July Now in its fourth year, the Colour Clash line up infamously delivers in bringing the best of underground and frontrunning producers to the stages and this year is no exception. Starting with the headliners: Aussie powerhouse Pendulum, here with a DJ set. After the release of their reworked debut album last year, the Tarantula dynamites have certainly been granted a new lease of life. With drum’n’bass legends in the mix, the other marquee booking is special guests Faithless. Guaranteed to transport you back to the 90s, this addition should open up the largely young demographic of Colour Clash to an older, trance-raised generation. For a bit of added fun to the day, Fester Skanker Lethal Bizzle will be sizzling up the Main Stage as well as bassline’s most mischievous producer, Darkzy. There truly is something for everyone in this one-dayer, with jump-up master DJ Hype ready to whip things into a frenzy and UKG legend Matt Jam Lamont [pictured] taking to the Urban Stage. From humble beginnings, Newport Colour Clash continually pulls out the stops. If you want to have the full festival experience, with a myriad of talent at a fraction of the price, Colour Clash is an event you simply can’t afford to miss. Tickets: £33/£44 VIP. Info: www.colour-clash.co.uk (FRJ) BUZZ 38

WESTIVAL

Shipping Hill Farm, The Ridgeway, Manorbier, Tenby Fri 19-Sun 21 July True to name, you’ll be bundling your sleeping mats between your knees on a trainride past Carmarthen for this one, an intimate little music experience that opens up right out of the station in the village of Manorbier near Tenby. You might have seen the swish advertising campaign for Westival, popping up not quite completely everywhere as the nights have been growing warmer. The festival’s big USP is that it picks its roster based on “class not genre” which apparently means that the artists, isolated based on their skills in their chosen styles, are allowed to go ham in an extended set that celebrates those however they feel best. Highlights this year will probably be the excellent Canadian tech DJ Peach; house and disco mixer Marcellus Pittman from Chicago; Swahili-singing Afrobeat artist Mim Suleiman, and funky deep-cuts selector Donna Leake. Mixmag are to owe for this little bit of eclecticism, and the format demands that you know your stuff at least a touch, or can adapt to some kind of boogie in a pinch. Beyond the love of the sound though, the festival also seems to have an obsession with glamping. You can pick up the standard whack-a-tent-on-the-floor-andsit-outside-with-a-can tickets for only 70 or 80 quid each, but if the weekend is just too long a time away from your house you can shell out quite a lot more and sleep on a mattress, with duvet, eye mask, toiletries, and your spoiled Lithuanian captain-of-industry’s daughter for company, taking Instagram photos for use in next year’s swish Westival advertising campaign. The standard tickets are cheap enough, though, that if you like a dance, dig for your music, want to do the previous in a cosy weekend on the Welsh coastline but find Gottwood too heavy, then I don’t see that you have much of a choice. Westival comes about at the end of July for positive vibes, good tunes, fresh cuts, and hopefully a completely rained-out and parched blue sky to replace this year’s currently disappointing sequel to last year’s shoulder-burner. JASON MACHLAB Tickets: £70-£80. Info: westival.wales

TIME FLIES 25TH BIRTHDAY SUMMER BALL

Tramshed, Cardiff Sat 27 July This year marks the 25th birthday of Wales’ longest running club brand Time Flies, and they’re not planning to stop partying until everybody has celebrated with them. North Walesoriginated, internationally recognised house specialist K-Klass is set to top the listing of their second birthday party event: a summer ball packed out with the best of 90s house producers. Danny Rampling, one of the founding fathers of the British rave scene, will make an entrance as the night gears up to its full nostalgic potential. Also on the roster: Jeremy Healy, Graeme Park [pictured] and Jon Pleased, three giants of the scene sure to offer a night of top class mixes and sets that hark back to the brand’s humble beginnings in the mid-90s. Some local talent will be on show in the form of Tyrone Rose and Dave Eaves, both Time Flies regulars who have found fame on dancefloors across Wales and further afield. This event’s bill seems to be endless, as Time Flies prove once again they know just what is needed to pique the interest of house junkies across the country. Tickets: from £20. Info: 029 2023 5555 www.tramshedcardiff.com (AK)

URBAN CIRCLE SUMMER FESTIVAL

Tredegar House, Newport Fri 2 Aug Newport youth organisation Urban Circle is back for another fun packed summer festival in the disarmingly grand setting of Tredegar House, and Birmingham grime MC Lady Leshurr will be headlining proceedings on Fri 2 Aug. Best known for her series of cheerfully acerbic freestyles, Queen’s Speech – the fourth in the series, from 2015, was the one which really made her name – Leshurr’s unique style is centred in her witty observations of everyday life and extensive energy. Rarely seen in this neck of the woods, so definitely worth grabbing a ticket if you’re a self-respecting grime fan. Along with Lady Leshurr, the main stage at Urban Circle will be opened up to a wide range of local talent this year for a fun-filled festival, including a range of music, food, and attractions. Admission is free, thanks to funding by Beacons Cymru and Arts Council Of Wales, but you’re required to book your place in advance, via Eventbrite. Following the event, Fri 3 Aug sees Urban Circle co-host the Reggae & Riddim Festival, where cult British reggae figure Macka B is performing along with plenty of local acts. Tickets: Fri 2 free; Sat 3 £4 (£10 group ticket for up to four people). Info: info@urbancircle.co.uk (MC)

DJ W!LD

Hedone @ Shooters Sports Bar, Neath Sat 3 Aug Neath house and techno promo crew Hedone Music: small by their own estimations, but mighty. Their monthly gigs have attracted some pretty impressive artists, from the young Shaf Huse to the quickly rising techno star Jordan Peak. They haven’t slowed their roll with their latest offering either, as DJ W!ld prepares to take to the Neath stage in early August. This French electronic artist has enjoyed a steady, continuous rise from popularity in Paris’ underground scene to global acclaim. As his ever-popular mix of techno and acid continues to draw in audiences, it is safe to say audiences heading for this event will find it pretty easy to connect to the mixes being dropped throughout the evening. Hedone residents will top off the night as the brand celebrates their 3rd birthday in style. This is set to be an intimate gig, planned for a small-ish venue with a limited capacity (moved from their more regular location of the Duke, we should also add). In their usual style, Hedone have managed to announce an exclusive event sure to be oversubscribed by those eager to witness the likes of DJ W!ld, who has packed out some pretty prestigious venues in his tenure. Tickets: £5-£7. Info: 01639 643892 / facebook.com/hedonemusic (AK)

live

KATE NASH

Pic: Jo Bongard

The Globe, Cardiff Tue 30 July Having made a household name for herself following the release of her 2007 debut record, Made Of Bricks, Kate Nash was practically omnipresent in British pop culture at a very specific time. A time where, for indie-pop stars like Nash herself, it was somewhat cool – and acceptable, for that matter – to don choppy fringes, dress in the remnants of a Peacocks summer sale and sing with an ostensible mockney accent; she rhymed “bitter” with “fittah” on undisputed smash hit Foundations, for crying out loud. Fast forward 12 years and Nash is still making music, albeit without bothering the charts since the noughties. Her career has always stayed just about afloat, Nash remaining very much in the public eye by masterfully oscillating between releasing a flurry of polka dot pop singles (2016’s Good Summer, 2017’s Call Me) and taking on the role of the larger-than-life Rhonda in the ingenious Netflix series GLOW. Last year, the 31-year-old singer-songwriter decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign in order to release her fourth album, and in doing so, raised over £120,000 from supporters. A few months later, the fan-funded Yesterday Was Forever was born, kicking and screaming its way into the world, and bringing slightly gauche extracts from a teenage diary with it. That’s not to say that Kate Nash lost her innate knack for penning wide-eyed, often confessional pop hits, and if anything, Yesterday Was Forever was an achievement of sorts, the catalyst for the proper resuscitation of her music career – both on and off record. Off the back of Yesterday Was Forever, her first full-length release in five years, Nash is set to embark on a brief album tour with her all-female band. Stopping at The Globe on Tue 30 July, you can expect an evening of catchy backbeats interspersed with bubblegum pop hooks. One tip: when those singalong choruses hit, don’t forget to cocknify your accent, yeah? SOPHIE WILLIAMS Tickets: £20. Info: 07590 471888 / globecardiffmusic.com

BRECON JAZZ FESTIVAL

Various venues, Brecon Fri 9-Sun 11 Aug Now celebrating its 36th year, the Brecon Jazz Festival returns with a typically impressive lineup of both established and upcoming musicians, playing in cafes and venues across this scenic town such as the Guildhall Theatre and the Castle Hotel. Acts such as Rory Ingham [pictured], Siriol & Talfan Jenkins, the Ross Stanley Trio and Liane Carroll take to the stage to regale audiences accordingly. Steve Waterman, one of Britain’s most esteemed jazz trumpeters, will be beginning the Friday cheer, directing the Festival Big Band to perform a series of lively compositions. Sat 10 Aug will see the streets of Brecon close down to become a whirlwind of colour and sound, making way for the Saturday Carnival and other festivities, parades and fairs. The streets will be set up with the Brecon Jazz outdoor market, where local vendors, producers and artisans will exhibit their wares. Attendees will also get to view – for free – the Junior Jazz Festival. Here, instrumentalists and vocalists aged 8-18 perform, led and directed by the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama. Tickets: £6-£38 individual concerts; £175 full pass; £85 Sat 10 only; £65 Sun 11 only. Info: breconjazzfestival.co.uk (JaS)

BUZZ 40

CLOUD NOTHINGS

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Wed 10 July Cloud Nothings began life as an underground rock band – quite literally, they were born in Dylan Baldi’s parents’ basement – but have become gradually more visible with each passing release. Judging by their CV, the quartet from Cleveland, Ohio appear to be on a mission to work with all of the very best producers in the US. Having previously engaged the services of Steve Albini for 2012’s Attack On Memory and John Congleton for 2014’s superb Here And Nowhere Else, a career high whose hooks were so big you could see them from space, they turned to John Goodmanson for 2016’s more muted Life Without Sound. In that context, the news that they had switched again, this time to metal maestro Randall Dunn, for their most recent LP sent out a clear signal – and sure enough Last Building Burning pushes everything back well into the red, clamping its jaws around your throat from the very first second and only loosening its grip temporarily during the feedback lull of 10-minute-long epic Dissolution. Previously the question was whether they could capture the intensity of their live performances on record; now it’s whether they can reproduce the intensity of their latest record live. Tickets: £12. Info: 029 2023 2199 (BW)

NASEEBO LAL

National Museum Cardiff Sat 20 July Pakistani playback singer Noor Jahan gained fame and love from the 1950s onwards, becoming known as the queen of melody. Today, Punjabi folk/pop artist Naseebo Lal aims to honour Jahan’s spectacular essence to entertain audiences, accompanied by a full backing band, The Legends. Lal has previously established herself as a big Jahan fan, singing several of her songs to rave reviews. She came to be dubbed the “melody queen”, having released over 1500 songs and more than 100 albums. Aside from her other output, she is also a prolific playback singer for the Punjabi film industry, working with several composers and singers; Lal’s first teamup with The Legends came in 2015, and they’ve since accrued an established fanbase for their work. Hopefully, Cardiff will harbour some of that fanbase’s members. Based in Birmingham and with a background in bhangra but with a versatile skillset, The Legends are part of concert promoters Moviebox’s roster. The concert promises to include some new material by both Lal and the band, so expect an evening of energetic, soulful tunes that fans won’t want to miss. Tickets: £24-£75. Info: 07813 570372 (JaS)

WHITE DENIM

Tramshed, Cardiff Tue 30 July Texan indie rock outfit White Denim have been making raw, lo-fi guitar music for more than a decade. They started out in the mid-2000s — when the consumerfriendly rock of The Killers and Interpol was at its peak — and so the band’s loose, freeform song structures and unique mix of prog and punk were not exactly in vogue. It wasn’t until their commercially successful albums D (2011) and Corsicana Lemonade (2013) that their racket began to make a serious impression. The core duo of James Petralli and Steve Terebecki (who are usually backed up by a revolving cast when performing) have now built their own studio and, for their 2019 release Side Effects, took stock of all their unfinished material in a swift follow-up to the album Performance from 2018. The new album is a collection of unapologetic psychedelic garage rock – the punk energy of their earlier work is still intact, but moderated with smoother interludes of sonic experimentation. At their Cardiff show at Tramshed this month, support comes from Cardiff’s own Boy Azooga, whose 2018 debut 1, 2, Kung Fu! was an assured blend of the buoyant synthpop of William Onyeabor and the bleary-eyed psych of Super Furry Animals. Tickets: £20. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com (SP)

GROOVE ARMADA

IBIZA CLASSICS

SUN 14 JULY CAERPHILLY CASTLE

SAT 27 JULY SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

FRI THE STRANGLERS 05 CAERPHILLY CASTLE JUL

JESS GLYNNE

PETE TONG & THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA

+ JEAN JACQUES SMOOTHIE

+ NINA NESBITT + HANNAH GRACE

+ ALFREDO (DJ SET)

SAT

06 JUL

SUN 28 JULY SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

PUBLIC SERVICE

FRI THE ZUTONS 12 CAERPHILLY CASTLE

BROADCASTING CAERPHILLY CASTLE

JUL

FRI ATLANTIC 30 STAND SIN CITY, SWANSEA

MON

THE PALE WHITE 16 CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

TUE

SEP

THU

SUN

SEP

OCT

TUE 22 9BACH CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

OCT

SAT 26 LULU ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

THU

FRI MONDAYS 29 HAPPY THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

AUG

19 CHILDCARE CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

OCT

PALE WHITE 17 THE SIN CITY, SWANSEA

CAFE 06 PENGUIN ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

07 FEEDER THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

NOV

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

the bluetones

glc

legends The Pitchforks | Al Moses | Young Garbo

NOVEMBER  UK TOUR

W E D   TH N OV E M B E R

S T DAV I D ’S H A L L CARDIFF

TICKETS: WWW.ORCHARDLIVE.COM

reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING... BLACK MIRROR S5 (Netflix)

Is the Charlie Brooker brilliance beginning to wear off? After the novelty and occasional genius of Bandersnatch, this three-episode fifth season is lacking a little spark. First episode Striking Vipers is a smart investigation of marriage and desire which ultimately sputters out towards the end. Smithereens is superbly directed and ultra-tense, the best of the season, but its ending is little more than a PSA, whilst the final episode starring Miley Cyrus is good fun but ultimately treads very familiar ground for Black Mirror. Netflix bloat is taking effect – good TV weakened by diminishing returns. **FT

BODIES AND SOULS: THE CINEMA OF CLAIRE DENIS (Mubi)

Claire Denis is a treasure, an endlessly imaginative visionary whose films, even when misunderstood at first glance (as so often), keeps finding ways to tell stories in unique, evocative ways, exemplified by the recent release of the brilliant High Life, starring Robert Pattinson. Just as well, then, that Mubi are bringing a season of her films to its platform, including the career-best of Beau Travail, one of the greatest films of all time, rife with male-on-male longing and repressed desire. Elsewhere are some lesser-seen deep cuts – Nenette and Boni, as well as difficult and complex recent work like White Material and Bastards. Long may the queen reign! *****FT

THE PERFECTION (Netflix)

This Netflix original release stars Allison Williams, she of the crazy girlfriend in Get Out in an altogether not too dissimilar role. Here, she is a former classical music prodigy who returns to the academy that took her in and strikes up a relationship with new prodigy Lizzie (Logan Browning). I won’t divulge more of the plot than that, as part of the film’s pleasure is its constant twistiness. The Perfection is a gloriously entertaining mix of the highbrow and the pulpy, ugly lowbrow, and frankly, we need more horror like this. ****FT

LA RONDE

(Bluebell Films, Blu-ray)

A re-release of one of post-war European cinema’s most well-regarded films. Max Ophüls’ La Ronde is a comedy of sorts, following pairs of lovers through their trysts, with one half of each pair connecting each segment like a cinematic game of pass the parcel. For this writer, I’ve always preferred his straight-ahead melodramas, so rich in Mitteleuropan elegance and literary grace are they, whilst his comedies have dated much more easily. That said, the camerawork and set design is utterly stunning, as always with one of cinema’s greatest stylists, aided by a fine Blu-ray transfer. ***FT

TWO FILMS BY JOHN WOO: HAND OF DEATH AND LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY (Eureka, Blu-ray)

John Woo, of course, is one of the greatest action directors of all time. Whilst most of us are familiar with his OTT 90s work – Face/Off, Broken Arrow – and the older of us may even remember the brilliance of Hard Boiled and The Killer, Eureka have done film fans a huge service by bringing two of his early 70s films back into circulation. The Blu-ray transfers look great, the booklet is informative and insightful, and whilst not bulging with extras, what is there is helpful. And the films themselves? Well, Hand Of Death is leavened a little by lack of budget, whilst Last Hurrah is altogether much more accomplished and confident. Both have scores of absolutely superb direction and beautifully handled choreography – a must for action fans. ****FT BUZZ 42

albums

s s

75 DOLLAR BILL **** I Was Real (Tak:til/Thin Wrist) Something about music that sounds wide-open and endless attracts me, horizons unfurling in front forever into the turning sky. 75 Dollar Bill provide that soundscape majestically, with I Was Real a collection of improvised compositions perpetually rolling and circling. Comprised principally of percussionist Rick Brown and guitarist Che Chen, with a revolving cabal of collaborators, the music has echoes of Tuareg desert rock bands like Tinariwen, so fluent, hypnotic and fluid is the playing. FT

FALSE **** Portent (Gilead Media) This sextet lurk in the American Midwest and play black metal, which is to say their name is a bit of preemptive irony. Anyone inclined to call them lowercase-f false for, say, their punk background and lack of cryptofascism isn’t someone you want on board anyway, so let us simply praise Portent, their second album, for its scorching blend of cold, murky riffs and gleaming keyboards, attuned to the Norwegian second wave of BM considerably more than that whole ‘blackened hardcore’ carry-on. NG

THE FLAMING LIPS *** King’s Mouth (Bella Union)

THE ALARM **** Sigma (The Twenty First Century Recording Company) Opener Blood Red Viral Black kicks in with a whole lotta heavy. The next 11 songs don’t quite follow suit, stylistically, but the whole album is performed with the same energy and dedication as the standout first track. On the more relaxed side of The Alarm’s soundworld, gospel rocker Psalm is brilliantly effective and Heroine sounds like Mike Scott at his best. What these better songs have in common is brave arrangements and dramatic shifts in texture that really work. JPD

Thirty-six years into their career, nothing should surprise us any more about The Flaming Lips. A concept album about a benevolent monarch who sacrifices himself to save a city and its people, inspired by Wayne Coyne’s interactive art installation and featuring deadpan narration from Mick Jones of The Clash? Par for the course. If there is an element of the unexpected, it’s that King’s Mouth is focused and concise rather than gruesomely selfindulgent, its weightless psychedelia pierced by lucid moments of life-affirming profundity. BW

JADE JACKSON *** Wilderness (Anti-)

BABII *** HiiDE (Deathwaltz Originals) The debut album from Margate’s BABii is all icy holographic electropop yet kinda falls between two stools. Compared to the precision-tooled synthpop of your Sigrids and your Robyns, HiiDE lacks killer hooks; on the flipside it doesn’t quite have the sonic inventiveness of your Grimes and your FKA Twigs. What you’re left with is a pretty, sugary sweet, and well-made pop album (dub don Adrian Sherwood produces here) that’s just unsure where to sit. SE

DMA’S ** MTV Unplugged Live (Infectious) Previously setting a precedent for live albums, the MTV Unplugged name is now often misused to crowbar watered-down acoustic material into an artist’s discography. Prime case in point: Australian rockers DMA’s. Here, the ostensible Britpop revivalists gleefully rely on their chantalong choruses and layered harmonies, only breaking up the nostalgia drenched canon with a tepid cover of Madonna’s Beautiful Stranger. They just want us to know that they can offer more than lad rock catnip, you see. SW

The second album from the much-touted Californian countryrocker finds her visiting themes of addiction and recovery – opener Bottle Up is a bittersweet romp, drunken and defiant. When she’s not rocking it up for the weekend line dancers, she does a mean line in introspective balladry, notably on Dust. Jackson’s syrupy voice and ear for a catchy hook (especially on the aforementioned Bottle Up) makes this a solid effort. PJ

JESCA HOOP **** Stonechild (Memphis Industries) Producer John Parish tempted Jesca down to Bristol to record her fifth album, paring her sound back to campfire basics (with wifi access) through sparing use of electronica and tough love. Opener Free Of The Feeling is her trademark frontier folk, with Lucius adding goosebump volume to the harmonies here and on Shoulder Charge, whose soft percussion and subtle circular guitar sounds like a hushed Bloc Party. Later on, Jesca channels Judee Sill on the lilting Death Row. CS

KHRUANGBIN ***

NIGHT MOVES ****

SENDELICA **

WILL YOUNG ***

Hasta El Cielo (Night Time Stories)

Can You Really Find Me (Domino)

This album has a subtitle which you very much need to be aware of! Con Todo El Mundo In Dub reveals it’s actually a rework of Khruangbin’s previous album doctored with dub mixes courtesy of renowned Jamacian producer Scientist. After careful consideration, the results fit rather nicely. Leaning heavily on bass and space as you might expect, it allows the group’s arrangements even more breathing room. Still, approach with caution if you’re not a dub fan. CPI

Cromlech Chronicles IV: The Door Into Summer (Fruits De Mer)

Lexicon (Cooking Vinyl)

If I hadn’t known better, I’d swear these Minneapolis-based boys were channelling late 70s Fleetwood Mac – there’s a definite Stevie Nicks vibe to the vocals – and it’s this familiar sound that makes the band’s third album easy listening. But that’s not to say they’re entirely without originality – there are more psychedelic elements and synths here. Ribboned Skies is full of echo and powerful riffs but overall the album is sweet pop-rock. LN

LADY NADE **** Safe Place (Mintlime) Easy on the ear and consistently charming, this new album from Lady Nade is impossible not to enjoy. Her jazzy alto could sound a little dated in the wrong hands, but the arrangements and production that surround her provide a timeless haze that the quality of her delivery deserves. There are folky turns and indie pop hits amongst these 15 songs, but extended closer Heart Beats Strong pushes the sonic envelope on an album that is professional without being over-polished. JPD

MORT GARSON **** Mother Earth’s Plantasia (Sacred Bones) There’s been a resurgence of interest in old synth music, with a cottage industry competing to see who can reissue the most obscure lost gem. Garson’s Plantasia makes the bold claim of being the first Moog-based album targeted at house plants. Listening today, what must once have sounded challenging, unearthly and futuristic now feels nostalgic, and slightly twee. Undoubtedly charming, it’s an enjoyable snapshot of how people in the past imagined the future would sound. Your plants probably listen to Skrillex. APR

MUNGO’S HI FI X EVA LAZARUS *** More Fyah (Scotch Bonnet) Glasgow’s soundsystem crew Mungo’s Hi Fi mix reggae, roots, dub, dancehall and other genres to shake out this effort that centres on livin’ your dreams, partyin’ and smokin’ weed while tryin’ to rid yourself of material and police hassles. They rework some tunes, including one by S.O.S. Band. The gorgeous, soulful pipes of guest vocalist Eva Lazarus come to the fore when she splits her man for Amsterdam and fires up Gasoline (rapping with a jazz-age retro vibe) and the title track. She’s a star in the making. RLR

OLYMPIA *** Flamingo (Opposite Number) Burke Reid, who twiddled the knobs on Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit..., pushes Olivia Bartley, aka Olympia, deeper into powerpop territory on album two, with Star City a standout three-minute spritz of stardust. The bouncy synth-glam of Two Hands deserves a longer stay, and the glitterbeat of Hounds has them “chasing after me for fleeting moments of bliss” – apt for an album half gold, half pyrite, which is a worthwhile addition to Australia’s aural amber nectar. CS

THE QUIET TEMPLE ***** The Quiet Temple (Point Of Departure) It is easy to imagine this record as being a rare obscurity that was found in a record store in Los Angeles in 1969. In reality, The Quiet Temple are a group of maverick musicians brought together by Duke Garwood and Soulsavers’ Rich Machin. Amongst their ranks are members of Stereolab and Spiritualized, and their sound is something like The Doors being fronted by John Coltrane instead of Jim Morrison. This album is incredible cosmic jazz with a hypnotic groove. DN

ROSALIE CUNNINGHAM ***** Rosalie Cunningham (Cherry Red) Eyebrows may have been raised when Purson, a band both critically acclaimed and barely out of their infancy, announced their breakup at the height of their success, but frontwoman Rosalie Cunningham is back, and stronger than ever. While her solo foray retains the same camp and vaudeville charm that made Purson brilliant, it tames the instrumentation slightly to allow her beautifully opulent vocals to shine brighter. Cunningham’s self-titled debut is a cohesive masterpiece that’s not to be missed. AP

The fourth instalment of the Cromlech Chronicles — a series of albums by Krautrock-influenced group Sendelica, from west Wales — feels less like a focused concept album and more like an improvised set, meandering off into alternate worlds and wildernesses. Sendelica stay loyal to their classic psych-rock roots, with album closer Lightstar (Reprise) a riproaring highlight. But they lack the conviction and focus to be distinguished from their influences, succumbing too often to a dated brand of prog indulgence. SP

SENDELICA / SECRET KNOWLEDGE / THE ORB *** Windmill EP (Fruits De Mer)

Young, the first Pop Idol winner and latterly an LGBTQ campaigner, sings his heart out with faultless vocals on this his seventh album that swooning gals, guys, Kylie drama queens and their mothers will gush over. He tries to break free of MOR but doesn’t fully succeed, because of mostly cliched songwriting concerning looking for love and making and breaking up. Part dance and ballad electropop, everything is catchy, especially My Love. Forever and Faithless Love show more maturity and range. RLR

demos

Welsh psych-rockers Sendelica collaborate with The Orb’s Alex Paterson and duo Secret Knowledge (comprised of punk journalist Kris Needs and vocalist Wonder Schneider) on four versions of the track Windmill, inspired by the death of Needs’ soulmate, author and literary agent Helen Donlon. On the original mixes, Schneider’s soulful, expressive vocals overlay an otherworldly, oceanic backdrop, while Paterson’s chilled-out remixes give them a muchneeded update. Nevertheless, a moving musical tribute to the loss of a companion. SP

SIENNA

TRASH KIT *****

newsfromnowhere1.bandcamp.com

Horizon (Upset The Rhythm) Comprising members of Sacred Paws, Bamboo, Shopping and Bas Jan, and pretty much forming an epic confluence of all these bands, Trash Kit, on album number three here, have landed a joyous, exploratory career-best bomb. There’s plenty of Rachel Aggs’ superbly anti-macho guitar rippling of course, just locked tightly into an incredibly strong mesh of improvisation and interplay, skittering drums and lunges of melody, piano chimes and saxophone skronk. Giddy and pure, it’s a thrilling new language. WS

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB *** False Alarm (Prolifica Inc) Blipping on an oversaturated indie-pop landscape in the late-00s, the Northern Irish band have since persisted with a trend-mirroring sound, with jaunty guitar melodies recently switched for smooth synthpop. This fourth album commits to the latter but with a tinge of identikit vapidity. The funk-flecked Talk and Human League-esque Nice To See You represent relative grace-saving fare, alongside the Technicolour charm of lead single Satellite, but False Alarm proves lacking in standouts. CHP

facebook.com/siennacdf Proclaiming influences from Foals, Peace and Palace, indeed describing themselves as “a must listen for fans of” those three acts, Cardiff’s Sienna seem content in a hyperspecific neo-indie niche, and on four-song EP Handshakes And Formal Attire present themselves ably enough to justify their blunt market-targeting. Swelling guitars with faint echoes of post-rock, basslines comparably suggestive of funk, crashing choruses and a bit of weepy get-yer-phone-torches-out balladry titled Waxwork. NG

NEWS FROM NOWHERE Unsure to what extent this new song by Swansea whimsy-drinkers News From Nowhere is intended as a ‘demo’, given they released an album as far back as 2013, but this is their first review in Buzz so let’s smuggle ‘em through that door. Beaujolais Day – referencing, and concerning, the inexplicable popularity of this wine industry tradition in Swansea city centre – sits at an odd but agreeable midpoint between early, bookish Britpop and rickety Pavement-type Americindie. NG

RAYCHI BRYANT notevenadick.bandcamp.com Raychi Bryant is the bass player for Al Moses, a south Wales indie band who just released a new single and who sound nothing like this whatsoever. Despite the jokey Bandcamp URL, Bryant’s latest music – a four-part EP titled Cows In Tornadoes – is serious, meditative and low-key ambience sculpted from guitar feedback (I think), field recordings (I, once again, think) and unaccompanied, doleful piano. PS: found this artist via Ash Cooke’s Experimental Wales booklet/zine, which is strongly recommended if you’re interested in weird Welsh DIY music. NG

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

The latest dozen-strong crop of young Welsh musical acts to benefit from the Horizons mentoring project were announced in June at Cardiff venue Clwb Ifor Bach. A BBC Cymru Wales and Arts Council Of Wales scheme, helmed by Welsh radio presenter Bethan Elfyn with the help of a panel of 25 music industry figures from around Wales, since 2014 Horizons has aided and promoted its chosen acts over a 12-month period. This year’s selected 12 are electro-rockers Codewalkers, bluegrass type Darren Eedens, north Wales house head Endaf, excellent post-soul artist Esther, folk-pop soloist Eve Goodman, indie-rockers Gwilym, postmodern popster Hana2k, Newport ladrocker Jack Perrett, Wrexham’s TV soundtrack perennials Kidsmoke, Rosehip Teahouse [see below], singer-songwriter Sera and Bala indie mob Y Cledrau The Carmarthen space occupied until recently by bar and music venue The Parrot is set to be taken over by Cwrw, a new venture which appears to have a comparable ethos. Although the upper floor of the building on King Street is still occupied by its record store relative, Tangled Parrot, the venue side of things ceased operations on New Year’s Eve, citing financial constraints. However, Cwrw have recently started refurbishing the downstairs area with a view to opening in early August, saying, “In order for it to be sustainable it will not just be a venue for gigs. We aim to include the community, for the foodies, beer enthusiasts, the socialites, and, of course the artists and gig lovers alike” Ponty’s Big Weekend, a one-day live music jamboree which ran annually in Pontypridd’s Ynysangharad Park but was retired in 2014, is to return next month. A family-friendly all-day type affair which leaned towards the pop end of the spectrum, its reboot – promoted by Welsh events company Orchard Live – is more guitar-

based in its outlook, with Britpop war veterans Ocean Colour Scene occupying the headline spot. Other acts confirmed to play so far are Goldie Lookin Chain (in their trimmed-down GLC Legends guise) and Welsh rockers Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, The Pitchforks, Al Moses and Young Garbo. Tickets are on sale now at £40 Anthony Reynolds, louche Welsh rocker and himself a survivor of the 90s UK music battlefields, has an album titled A Painter’s Life out now. Reynolds grew up in Cardiff, as detailed in the album’s lyrics (parts have been adapted from A Small Spit Of Land, his 2013 mini-opera paying tribute to Splott), before moving away in the early 90s to pursue success as frontman of the band Jack. This never quite arrived, but the musician – since returned to his birth city – has remained creative, composing music and penning biographies of artists including Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen and Japan. All of whom cast a shadow over the grandiose arrangements of A Painter’s Life: indeed, Japan guitarist Rob Dean guests on the album alongside ex-60ft Dolls drummer Carl Bevan and others Country-soul smoothie Jeb Loy Nichols [pictured] also settled in Wales after a rootless period, although his origins are in Wyoming and Missouri, and he now lives in a rural bolthole near Welshpool making music and art. Indeed, you can take one of his lino print workshops at Mid Wales Arts in Powys on Sat 3 Aug, should you be willing/able. Before that, new album June Is Short, July Is Long comes out this month, recorded with his touring band The Westwood All-Stars. If his releases have intermittently experimented, notably with dub reggae influences, this album is very much a typical Jeb Loy Nichols album: his voice rich in the vein of prime-era Van Morrison, his songs carefree as someone like Terry Callier

ONES TO WATCH... ROSEHIP TEAHOUSE

Cardiff-based indie quartet Rosehip Teahouse have just released their second single Growth: a two-song 7” on Hampshire label Beth Shalom, following its release of their digital-only debut Same Sky a few months prior. Brimming with jangly alternative rock melodies and beautifully constructed harmonies, equal parts joy and sadness, their individual approach to bedroom pop offers pitchperfect escapism into a dreamy world. The band, now consisting of Faye Rogers (guitar and vocals), William Dickins (drums and backing vocals) and Kristy Leigh Cromwell (bass and backing vocals), began back in 2015 as a solo vehicle for Rogers, and latterly has developed into a cohesive unit. With their roots in the Cardiff indie/punk DIY scene, Rosehip Teahouse’s first live performances last year caused word of mouth to do its work. Most recently, they’ve been announced as one of the 12 acts on the 2019-20 Horizons scheme, developing new and contemporary music across Wales. From the bedroom to the stage, Rosehip Teahouse are looking at a deservedly busy summer: as well working with Horizons, a tour is booked that’ll incorporate a show at Cardiff’s Moon venue on Fri 12 July, and festival-cum-tweepop Mecca Indietracks on the last weekend of the month. Info: facebook.com/rosehipteahouse BUZZ 44

one louder

THERE’S been a cover-up in the record industry going back over a decade and affecting some of the most famous and highly regarded musicians alive. There’s a strong chance you haven’t heard about it, what with it being a cover-up. How, then, did the writer of this column get the inside scoop? Well, I read about it in a New York Times article titled The Day The Music Burned, published a few weeks ago and running to well over 10,000 words. OK, so no longer a cover-up; but until now, this industry scandal was barely known outside of very rarified circles, and even publication of this feature doesn’t seem to have prompted a great deal of follow-up by other mainstream outlets. The incident in question is a fire in June 2008 at a Hollywood warehouse used to store film and music archives owned by Universal. It made the news at the time, but reports made no effort to question the PR spin proffered by the company, which suggested that little of value was lost in the inferno, especially not on the music side of the operation. The NYT article, the product of research spanning a number of years, exposes this as a bald lie: it’s a near-certainty that thousands of master tapes, including some of the most important recordings in 20th century music, were turned molten. Writs served by artists affected are already in the works. At which point there is invariably pushback from people with a certain mentality about musicians: that they are hugely privileged to do what they do, and that it is vulgar of them to try and improve their lot. This is exacerbated by the way in which recorded music is viewed by most people. Even if the master tapes, the best possible quality copy of a recording, have been lost forever, does it really matter as long as there still exist CDs, MP3s and so forth, which are perfectly adequate for the average consumer’s listening needs? An argument which, if extended to visual art – if we can produce faithful reproductions of great works, then the originals have negligible cultural value – would have those making it accused of philistinism and worse. As statements go, ‘music isn’t valued’ is blunt enough to invite multiple counterpoints. When this column is printed, the BBC will have just finished broadcasting dozens of hours of Glastonbury footage, for example; Buzz, certainly, interviews a lot more pop singers than painters. Questions of its preservation, though, are a different matter: a popular perception prevails that pop is quick-fix entertainment, which will tell us nothing about culture decades or more hence. The trickle-down effect of this mentality almost certainly had much to do with why Universal didn’t bother giving more than a cursory thought to storing irreplaceable pieces of musical history: it’s made us dough, let’s move on. This affair might be a wakeup call for the company, but for the record industry as a whole? Or even for national archivists who decide what’s worthy of preservation in museums? Don’t hold your breath. OBEY COBRA and ZINC BUKOWSKI (Cinema & Co, Swansea, Sat 6 July); SINGLE MOTHERS (Big Top, Cardiff, Sat 6); SIMON PROFFITT & ASH COOKE (Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth, Thurs 18); TORPOR, SURYA and THEY LIVE | WE SLEEP (The Moon, Fri 19) and UNIFORM and BAD BREEDING (Moon, Wed 24). NOEL GARDNER

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

BRANDO’S BRIDE Sarah Broughton (Parthian Books)

Brando’s Bride is the evocatively-titled story of Anna Kashfi, who came from Cardiff and was the little-known first wife of famed Hollywood actor Marlon Brando. Written by Sarah Broughton, this biography is the only one of the Welsh actress, who in her time played alongside such greats as Jack Lemmon and Spencer Tracy. However, Kashfi only made four films in total and, by the age of 23, her marriage to Brando was over, as was her film career. Broughton tells the story of their romance, but also what came before and, for much of the book, what came after. With the introduction of the tranquiliser ‘Miltown’ to the public, Kashfi, as a Hollywood starlet, was also indoctrinated into its use. Other drugs came after. She was also the victim of much unfair press as a result of her marriage to Brando – and her non-white heritage. Broughton wrote this book as part of her PhD. As a result, the research is extremely thorough, and there are long lists of references at the end of every chapter. However, the book is a biography, and it reads as such – the style is clear, concise, and engaging, with a beautiful narrative flow that is very well paced, and an overall structure that is well thought-out and highly accessible. Thanks to Broughton, readers are enabled to see beyond the ‘sandalwood perfume’ of so-called seductress Kashfi, through to the real woman. Glamorous and gritty by turns, Brando’s Bride is an absorbing and entirely fascinating read. MAB JONES Price: £10 Info: www.parthianbooks.com

A RIGHT ROYAL FACE-OFF Simon Edge (Lightning Books) With a glance at this scrapbook-style cover, you might feel apprehension towards A Right Royal Face-Off. Maybe even a bit of pretention. Well, that’s exactly the type of thing Simon Edge is satirising here. A collage of old and new, it gets the kind of balance that can only be mastered in a novel about rival painters in the 18th century and modern TV people at a wannabe-haughty antique show trying to figure out whether the battered painting that just arrived is, as it is claimed to be, a Thomas Gainsborough, one of England’s greatest portrait artists. The more of Simon Edge you read, the more you realize that every element of his stories is hand-selected and glued to the bigger picture – it’s whimsical, farce-like... scrapbook-y, in the best possible way. MTh Price: £8.99. Info: www.eye-books.com SELFIES Sylvie Weil, trans. Ros Schwartz (Les Fugitives) Originally published in French in 2015, Sylvie Weil’s much acclaimed collection of art-inspired personal essays, Selfies, has finally been translated into English, thanks to translator Ros Schwartz and publisher Les Fugitives. Each of the 13 essays uses a piece of art as its starting point, from which Weil then segues into personal territory, covering everything from Weil’s accidental first orgasm to the story of a friend’s dog to the search to find Weil’s true heritage. Selfies is a slim volume, but Weil is a talented enough writer to cover a distance most writers wouldn’t manage in a book of twice this size. In the selfie era, she is reminding us that what truly makes us interesting cannot be captured in a freeze-frame. JR Price: £12. Info: www.lesfugitives.com BUZZ 46

A SUPERIOR SPECTRE Angela Meyer (Saraband) A Superior Spectre may be Angela Meyer’s first offering, but it’s two entwined stories: one a historical drama, and the other a dystopian sci-fi in a similar vein to The Handmaid’s Tale. Like all great dystopian novels, it’s intensely political, with an overarching focus on social freedom; one protagonist faces an overbearing draconian society that physically limits where she can go and who she can love, while the other relieves himself from his own isolation by parasitically and patriarchally infringing on the other. It’s regrettable that juggling two contrasting stories sees interesting side themes, like which desires are acceptable, fail to reach real fruition, and the dystopian world that’s alluded to is sparsely developed. Nevertheless, it’s consistently a thought-provoking and well-written stab at one of literature’s bleakest genres. AP Price: £8.99. Info: www.saraband.net THE SLEEPWALKER Joseph Knox (Doubleday) The Sleepwalker is the third DC Aiden Waits novel by Joseph Knox, and once again, he trawls the mean streets of 21st century Manchester, where substance abusers suck out the contents of soap dispensers in public toilets to get high on the alcohol content, and one local estate is known as Spice World. Knox’s Manchester peers angrily in all directions, probably followed by a hard slap, or a look down a gun barrel. The Sleepwalker kicks off with a bang: a selfconfessed murderer of a mother and three children, dying in a closely guarded hospital ward, is firebombed. But Waits should have been in the room, and senior officers question who the real target was. Knox’s novels are not pretty: certainly not for your granny, unless your granny eats iron filings for breakfast. I love them. MTi Price: £14.99. Info: www.josephknox.co.uk

GRINGA Joe Thomas (Arcadia Books) Following predecessor title Paradise Lost, Gringa – the second book in Thomas’ São Paulo quartet – follows protagonist Mario Leme, a detective in the civil police investigating the unexplained disappearance of English journalist Ellie. The trail leads him to uncover the corrupt world of drug dealers, military police and those in power during the runup to the 2014 World Cup. A fast-paced account from the beginning provides a sense of urgency to proceedings, adding to the atmosphere, which features vivid descriptions of São Paulo. All the characters are flawed and unlikeable, yet have a realness that makes them believable. Having already read the first novel, it does ease the reading experience to have a bit of knowledge about the backstory, but Gringa also makes for a good read as a standalone novel. RH Price: £14.99. Info: www.arcadiabooks.co.uk VIVIAN Christina Hesselholdt, trans. Paul Russell Garrett (Fitzcarraldo Editions) Vivian Maier lived and died in relative obscurity, working as a nanny for middle-class families in Chicago and New York, with a personal hobby of taking photographs while out walking in the city. Shortly after she died in 2009, her extensive collection of pictures were discovered by chance, and she was hailed by critics as one of America’s most extraordinary street photographers. Now, Danish novelist Christina Hesselholdt examines Maier’s life through the lens of fiction, looking for the story behind the pictures – her dysfunctional upbringing, her conduct as a nanny, her eye for detail, and why she chose to remain quiet for so long. Skilfully told through multiple perspectives, confessions and thought fragments, Vivian is an outsider’s tale of creativity, urbanity and loneliness. SP Price: £12.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com

GREEN FINGERS You may have a concrete yard, small balcony or only a windowsill, but making the most of your outdoor space can bring wellbeing for you and help encourage wildlife into your surrounding urban area. Buzz looks at some kit to get you started.

Window boxes

Raised beds

Even your windowsill can be a refuge for flora, attracting pollinators and adding a bit of colour to your view. These planters are manufactured in Italy from recycled plastic and includes a watering kit. Hydroflora Nicoli window box – £25.44 www.amazon.co.uk/

These can even make a concreted wasteland look good. Grow your own veg or fill it up with plants that attract pollinators and you’ll have yourself a natural oasis in an instant. Forest Garden Caledonian Corner Raised Bed – £79.99 www.wickes.co.uk

Garden furniture

Lighting

Enjoy your garden with this 100% recycled plastic garden dining set. Recycled plastic is ideal for this purpose as it will survive Welsh weather for years to come. London Dining Set – £995 www.recycledfurniture.co.uk

With the development of solar, you don’t have to worry about hooking up complicated wiring systems to your garden just to light it up. These pretty-looking jars will impress your evening guests without costing you a penny in electricity. Firefly Jar Solar String Lights – £14.99 www.lighting-direct.co.uk

Waterbutt

Lonesome Bee

Saving water and living in Wales might seems a bit pointless. Collecting water when it rains can save you money on your bills but will also help reduce overconsumption of our natural resource. This stackable waterbutt will allow you to grow your storage as you go and also has handy planting areas to disguise it. 3 Tier 200 Litre With Planters – £189 www.rainwater-terrace.com

Essential for pollinating plants, the solitary non swarming bees are a natural friend to your garden. This FSC-approved wooden hanging log will be an ideal home for them. Pollinating Bee Log – £19.95 www.worm.co.uk

Herbs

Secateurs

You may not have the space or time to create your own veg patch but this book will help you create a herb garden. This beautifully illustrated book will give you all the advice you need to start your self-sufficiency journey. Herbarium – £13.85 www.amazon.co.uk

Once your green space has taken off you’ll need to manage it. These are the professional gardeners choice in secateurs and will last you as long as your garden: almost all parts are replaceable meaning you’ll never need to throw them away. Felco Model 8 Secateurs – £41.48 www.amazon.co.uk

BUZZ 47

THE GIN TO MY TONIC SHOW

A large selection of distilleries and tonic manufacturers will be in attendance at the Cardiff debut of this touring gin expo. In addition to workshops, product samples and a free tote bag, the pricier Gin Connoisseurs Package bags you a branded Copa glass and coaster set and a Signature G&T in the exclusive Connoisseurs Lounge. Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Fri 5 + Sat 6 July Tickets: £16.50-£38.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 / motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

W H AT M A K E S A GOOD COFFEE? Ruth Seavers picks up the baton to find out what goes into a damn fine cup o’joe. The rise in coffee culture in Britain now means we all have our own personal preference for our own watering hole when it comes to our coffee. But what actually makes for a good cup? We can make it pretty well at home nowadays, with mini barista bars and steamers popping up in kitchens everywhere. So why do we still frequent cafés so much? There are so many different variations of beans, technique, farming, harvesting and roasting that the answer to “what makes a good coffee?” is one of vast variation and opinion, and quite philosophical in essence. Varietals (types of beans) are known by the region they come from, such as Colombia or Java. There are two main types, Arabica and Robusta, the former being more popular. Arabica coffee beans come from predominantly Latin America or Ethiopia; Robusta beans southeast Asia and west Africa. Starting with the base ingredients, the seeds of coffee fruit are what we commonly refer to as coffee beans. After the country of origin and roast, the next most important characteristic of coffee is the method of process. The dry process gives a slight earthiness to the taste; in wet processing, the bad coffee cherries drop to the bottom, giving a fuller, rounder taste. If you want to get technical about what makes a good coffee, ‘cupping’ is the professional analysis. There isn’t really a metric: it’s more about identifying the individual characteristics of beans, processing and taste. The cupping process starts by pouring water over the grounds at 91˚C and 96˚C, so the coffee does not burn and the aroma changes as it touches. The second smell test is done in the cupping process BUZZ 48

to identify the notes of the coffee, which should now show a smooth creamy foam. This is when you can see what quality and taste the coffee will produce – as extraction and taste changes, the longer it is left soaking in the grinds. Because the coffee bean that we roast is actually the seed of a fruit, many coffees include a floral or more fruit-like aroma. Varying greatly in taste, from rich and berry-like to citrus, this pairs with the ‘sugar browning’ of the beans – when amino acids and sugars are exposed to heat, bringing out tastes such as roasted nuts or cocoa. Then it’s down to individual preference. How coarse do you want your grind? Extra coarse is used for cold brewing and French press. Medium for drip, fine for your staple espresso and extra-fine grind for Turkish coffee. Bitter, sweet, strong, weak: it all depends on the different variants in bean, process, preparation and preference for your roast. Blending coffee also contributes to taste variation; blending different roasts from around the world to create individually tailored tastes is a fine art. Professional coffee roasters select beans that they think will complement each other. If a bean on its own lacks body and flavour, but also possess notes you wish to conserve, you can pair it with other blends to complement each other. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.

THE BIG CHEESE

Bringing together Welsh food and drink producers across three large food halls, a dedicated cheese market, live music and medieval reenactments within the castle grounds, this year will see Caerphilly’s annual Big Cheese weekend take on a new layout complete with giant urban beach, live lounge area, and cookery demonstrations. Caerphilly Castle, Fri 26-Sun 28 July Admission: free. Info: 029 2088 0011 / caerphilly.gov.uk

The Little Man Coffee Company

OF THE BEST COFFEE HOUSES Armed with your newfound knowledge of how first rate coffee is made (see facing page), you’ll want some places to drink it. Tonicha Luffman has you covered there, too.

CHEESE, HARISSA AND SPRING ONION QUESADILLA Words Alison Powell Food purists may balk at me adding a quintessentially North African cooking ingredient like harissa to a typically Mexican dish like a quesadilla. But I hope food lovers will enjoy the hit of complex, aromatic spice and forgive any global foodie meanderings; settle down and just enjoy...

THE LITTLE MAN COFFEE COMPANY

Hidden in the shadow of various Godzilla-sized buildings – St David’s shopping centre, the Admiral offices, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff – you’ll find Little Man. A laidback environment and rustic interior is complemented by the art space they have in their basement, known to host drama performances as well as turning into a creative space for artists. Ivor House, Bridge Street, Cardiff 07933 844234 / littlemancoffee.co.uk

HANDLEBAR BARISTA

A mobile coffee bar which serves workers in the Welsh capital daily: the titular barista rides a pedal-powered trike fitted with an Italian coffee machine in front of its titular handlebars. Common haunts for the Handlebar Barista include the square in front of Cardiff Central station and the Castle Emporium on Womanby Street, but if you want to pin them down they’re available to hire. Meanwhile House, Cardiff and around the city centre 07533 058961 / handlebarbarista.co.uk

OLIVE’S ATTIC

Treforest is a small village in the borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, home to the University Of South Wales main campus – and Olive’s Attic. This family-run business is never short of coffee, cakes and fresh food as well as hosting open mic nights and private functions. 3 Fothergill Street, Treforest, Pontypridd 01443 400725 / facebook.com/olivesattictreforest

THE ESPRESSO BAR

The first location for Coal Town Coffee, The Espresso Bar is part of the Old Victorian Arcade in the former mining town of Ammanford. Employing local people, the business has a purpose to share its own roasted coffee with the community while educating them on the drink. 4 The Arcade, Ammanford 01269 400105 / www.coaltowncoffee.co.uk

QUARTERS COFFEE

In the heart of Newport, this coffee house is new but already making its mark. Its simplistic interior is relaxing and offers a space for students, business meetings or just a catch-up with friends. Opening slightly later on Fridays and Saturdays, Quarters Coffee also sells craft ales for that after-work chillout. Unit 1, Glen Avon House, Millennium Walk, Newport quarterscoffeeuk@gmail.com / quarterscoffee.com

INGREDIENTS Serves 2 for a light snack, 1 for a meal •

2 tortillas (wheat, corn, whichever you prefer)

•

2 spring onions

•

100g extra mature cheddar cheese, grated

•

Roughly 10g fresh coriander (around a handful)

•

Heaped teaspoon of harissa paste

•

A good grind of black pepper

To serve: salad, sour cream and jalapenos

HOW TO 1. Put the grated cheese in a bowl, wash then snip the spring onion into small chunks (using scissors is easier than using a knife), chop the coriander (stalks and leaves) and mix together with the black pepper and harissa paste. 2. Place one tortilla, flat, in a non-stick frying pan, or if you want a charred line effect, use a griddle pan. If you haven’t got a non-stick pan, use a tiny drizzle of olive oil or oil spray. Top the tortilla with the cheesy harissa mix and spread it out, but not too close to the edges. Place the other tortilla on top and press down gently, then start frying on a medium heat. 3. Fry for 1-2 minutes until browned and using a spatula, gently turn it and fry on the other side for 1-2 minutes. 4. Carefully remove and slice into chunks. Serve with a green salad, sour cream, jalapenos and any leftover coriander you may have.

@ASPwriter

BUZZ 49

Pic: Simon Evans

J U LY F O O D I E FOCUS Elouise Hobbs looks at the most exciting foodie events coming up in July, featuring craft beer takeovers, Kerala, and Cardigan Bay. Go Girl Gets Cooking!, Roath Church House, Cardiff, Thurs 25 July Originally set up to help promote confidence and self-esteem for girls aged 9-16 at summer camps, the Go Girl Academy has now branched out to offer a range of events to young girls across south Wales. Their latest venture is into the world of cooking, offering a oneday summer cookery school based around using fresh ingredients to create healthy and nutritious meals. Everything will be provided to create a three-course dinner, and afterwards, participants can take home what they’ve created and share it with friends and family. Tickets: £39.50. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Two Anchors Kitchen Takeover, Beelzebubs, Cardiff, Wed 10 July Fresh, sustainable seafood dishes mark out The Two Anchors amidst Cardiff’s food scene: while relatively recent arrivals in town, they look like they’re here to stay. For one night, they take over Crafty Devil’s city centre spot Beelzebubs to rustle up a three-course seafood or vegan menu. Upon arrival, you’ll be treated to nibbles and three halves of any Crafty Devil beer (included in the ticket price); indeed, as per the location, the recipes get a tad boozy too, with delights such as beer-steamed chilli Welsh mussels, beer-battered monkfish cheeks with seaweed fries, and beer-battered tofu. Tickets: £32. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

BUZZ 50

Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival, Quay Parade, Aberaeron, Sun 7 July The Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival began in the summer of 1997, when a small group of local fishermen came together to show the town their catch – and to make people aware of the locally available seafood. The festival [pictured] now attracts thousands of visitors each year and includes stalls, samples and chef demonstrations – chefs are given a selection of fresh fish and shellfish, to which they then add their own ingredients to produce truly creative dishes. Stallholders continue to grow in numbers and variety, bringing some of the best produce around: everything from sushi to cheese, local wine and homemade bread. Admission: free. Info: www.aberaeronfishfest.com Cardiff Charity Night, Mint And Mustard, Whitchurch Road, Cardiff, Wed 17 July Since opening in 2008, the Mint And Mustard restaurants have become a firm favourite with diners – now boasting three venues and numerous awards – for dishes inspired by traditional cooking from the southern Indian state of Kerala. In support of Whitchurch’s City Hospice, the Cardiff restaurant is hosting a charity do, including a menu created especially for the night showing off the best cuisine Kerala has to offer. In addition to the meal, there’s also a charity raffle, with prizes including places on Mint And Mustard’s prized cookery classes. Tickets: £37.95. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

THE COCONUT TREE OPENS

The fifth branch of Sri Lankan street food joint The Coconut Tree has just opened in Cardiff, offering traditional food and ‘cocotails’, as they call them. Sri Lankan cuisine often features thinner, more heavily spiced curries than those from neighbouring India; The Coconut Tree will offer options for meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans. Mill Lane, Cardiff. Info: 029 2034 3266 / www.thecoconut-tree.com/cardiff

BANN THAI SMILE OPENS

A new Thai restaurant is opening on Cowbridge Road East, another challenger to the city’s otherwise healthy Thai food scene, even if you are still mourning the loss of Guildford Crescent’s Thai House. Bann Thai offers plenty of the classics of Thai cuisine that we’re used to, with a few twists in the mixer; the prices are fair, too, the most expensive dishes going no further than £15. 145 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff. Info: 029 2023 3945 / facebook.com/banthaismile

SUPPER CLWB

Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 029 2065 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk Food ***** Atmosphere ***** At the back of Ffresh Bar, an inconspicuous entrance leads you to a darkened room cut off from the outside world by thick black curtains – and for good reason, too: this ‘cave’ is the home of the Supper Clwb. Tonight was the first burlesque show in a rolling programme, produced by Cardiff Cabaret Club and hosted by Stage Door Johnny, whose humour and off-the-wall songs made him an entertainment package in his own right. Apart from a short break while meals were served and eaten, the acts were non-stop and included Miss Betty Blue Eyes – winner of the British Crown at the World Burlesque Games 2016, no less – as an opera singer with more than one pair of false lips; Vixie Rouge, who educated us on the eating habits of the flamingo; FooFooLaBelle the dancing mermaid; and even a young version of the Queen, Kitty Katastrophy, who strutted her stuff to the Sex Pistols. Robert Young, the pianist who sat quietly corner stage, gave the evening a touch of class. The audience, mostly women or couples, lapped it up, becoming more raucous as the night progressed. There were plenty of boas, tassels and wiggly bottoms, but it was all in the best possible taste. And talking of taste, the three small plates of food were fresh and flavourful, and just big enough to leave room for more wine or cocktails. I chose the vegetarian option: polenta with mushrooms, spicy sweet potato, and a cooling fennel salad. Having launched at the beginning of June, this Saturday night entertainment is not for the fainthearted. Adult themes abound, no language is off limits, and innuendos are not so subtle. This is cabaret without censorship, and great fun with it. Supper Clwbs themed around drag, musical theatre, burlesque and comedy are on every Saturday until 19 October, and while shows are on a rolling basis they won’t be the same twice. Tickets are £30, which gets you food, two cocktails and live entertainment. Leave your preconceived ideas at the door and expect the unexpected. LYNDA NASH

LLANERCH VINEYARD

Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 01443 222716 / llanerch.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere **** The UK’s first vineyard hotel has opened and it’s in Hensol, just 20 minutes from Cardiff. This is the result of a £2 million investment by owner Ryan Davies, who has long aimed to have the same success with wine tourism as he saw at other vineyards when in New Zealand and Australia. Llanerch Vineyard is home to the award-winning Cariad wines, popular winetasting and vineyard tours, and a restaurant which serves lunch, dinner and afternoon teas throughout the week. On the opening evening we were treated to a three-course meal, starting with chicken terrine, followed by Welsh lamb and Eton mess – all from local suppliers – served with Cariad wine. Llanerch has become the largest vineyard in Wales and attracts visitors from around the world with its restaurant and bar, which regularly holds wine tasting, arranges trips around the local area and hosts Angela Gray’s Cookery School. Eating is a big part of the experience here, of course: the restaurant regularly changes its menus and dishes to serve food that has been grown, caught and reared in and around the county. All of which are created by resident chef Michael Hudson, who has earnt an incredible reputation for his cooking and commitment by only using seasonal produce from local areas. Staff are on hand to suggest pairing wines and are both courteous and knowledgeable. The hotel is made up of 26 rooms and suites, each accompanied by the stunning views of the Welsh countryside. Each of the suites has an open-plan lounge area and bedroom, with a foldaway wall. There are a number of rooms for those who would like to bring their dogs, which given the surroundings is a must for dog owners. Ryan and his team aim to create a total experience: enjoy the food, wine tasting, explore the local area, and feel part of a journey that he and his family have undertaken. This is the first of its kind in the UK: the opportunity to gaze at the Llanerch vines from your suite to complete the experience of spending time here. ANTONIA LEVAY

BUZZ 52

Pic: Stage-7-Photography

Pic: Milada Vigerova

Pic: Jan Sedivy

health

N E W - T R I T I O N PA R T 6 Diet and exercise runs hand in hand, we’re so often told, but is the truth so simple? Can you do one without the other and still achieve results? Jon Sutton has a look. The relationship between diet and exercise has never run smoothly. It can be nighon impossible to get excited over the benefits of kettlebells and kale when you’re being stalked around the clock by the dastardly duo of cake and couch. But which of these metrics holds the key to long term weight loss: diet or exercise? In a recent study, 90% of weight-losers reported one hour per day of light-tomoderate exercise – but that study only served to cloud the issue, since it’s difficult to know whether the weight loss was actually down to diet or exercise or a combination of both. For many years, literature has hovered around the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of weight loss should come through diet and 20% through exercise. But today’s experts are a little more divided on the facts. Michele Olson, PhD, in defence of exercise, told Huffpost: “Exercise is an important component. Without it, only a portion of your weight loss is from fat – you’re also stripping away muscle and bone density. Since working out stimulates growth of those metabolic tissues, losing weight through exercise means you’re burning mostly fat.” Shawn M. Talbott, giving the case for the opposition, countered: “As a rule of thumb, weight loss is generally 75% diet and 25% exercise. An analysis of more than 700 weight loss studies found that people see the biggest short-term results when they eat smart.” Giving a more detailed view, Dr Emily B Porter MD, in one of her highly informative YouTube videos, has this to say on the topic: “I’d encourage people to start with diet. It’s much easier to cut calories from diet than to burn them through exercise.” This would perhaps suggest that diet is the best starting point for weight loss or getting healthier and that exercise should come next. Dr Porter goes on to explain the potential issues of exercising whilst trying to lose weight: put simply, “the more you exercise the hungrier you are going to be.” This will likely lead to eating more and the pattern could continue into weight gain. But Dr Porter does offer viewers advice on how to curb weight gain by keeping

a diary and identifying – then addressing – areas of indulgence in processed or sugary foods. Whilst that advice may cover what to eat, another aspect of the argument leaving experts divided is when to eat: before or after exercise? For many years, we’ve been sold the benefits of the pre-workout snack as a way to boost energy levels and guarantee peak performance in the gym, but studies now show that it actually may be more beneficial to train on an empty stomach. The University Of Bath, in a recent study, proved that exercising whilst fasted will ensure that you burn body fat instead of food. Sounds straightforward enough in theory; if there’s no food in the belly, then there’s nothing to burn but body fat. Yet the truth is not quite so easy when considered outside the realms of this lowintensity study and into the world of high intensity workouts. Experts believe that the human body can return better results when burning foodfuel than its own fat reserves. And it’s thought that the increased energy levels experienced after eating allow for a higher level of intensity to be achieved, leading to more calories being burned by the exerciser in the long term. Chris Carmichael of trainright.com says that, if you train on an empty stomach, “your power outputs during interval workouts will decline.” And fitness expert Laura Williams told Harper’s Bazaar: “Research has shown that training in a fasted state burns more fat during the workout, but training in a fed state leads to higher fat oxidation over a 24-hour period.” As with most dietary and exercise advice it seems, the answer lies in trial and error. Find what works for you – and stick to it.

BUZZ 53

Pic: Sarah Perry

eco

CARE FOR HAIR AND AIR As the environmental revolution slowly envelopes the beauty industry, one of the most wasteful around, Rhia Williams looks at how things are changing in Cardiff. Businesses all over Cardiff and Wales are making greater strides towards environmental sustainability. Food shops and clothing brands attract much attention regarding this issue, yet consider the beauty industry: one which consumes mass amounts of plastic and chemicals in virtually everything it does. One report states that the cosmetics industry is responsible for 120 billion units of packaging per year. And that’s just packaging! Even though some ingredients are natural, like palm oil, they are produced at an alarming speed at the expense of the environment. Palm oil is a major catalyst for deforestation and the destruction of biodiverse habitats, but remains an essential industrial asset for developing countries and the lifeblood of many communities. It is a complicated issue, but in the long-term palm oil simply must be produced more sustainably. There are, however, a few beauty brands in Wales aiming to be as eco-friendly as possible. Luna Organic Beauty Boutique’s own products are all palm oil-free and they’re also undergoing checks to ensure the products they carry don’t support deforestation. No method is perfect, but choices such as these may just change the way we, as customers, consume environmentally damaging materials. Luna, located on Cardiff’s Merthyr Road, was founded by Samantha Davies, whose ethos is to “be as ethical and sustainable as [they] possibly can”, aiming to source ingredients that are organic, non-toxic and cruelty-free. Their day-to-day operations are driving towards acting more responsibly and “kinder to people and the planet”, partly by ensuring they use eco-friendly cleaning products, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified waste paper and no single-use plastic materials. A zero-waste solution is arguably drastic, at least relative to most people’s regular patterns of consumption, but we’ve seen it introduced in zero-waste stores such as Ripple on Albany Road. Alongside recycling and renewable energy, can Luna and likeminded salons become more eco-friendly by introducing the option for refillable containers, so there’s no need for customers to dump more plastic into landfills? Similar businesses across the UK are doing their bit, but the industry itself doesn’t seem to be changing. The huge beauty companies, most guilty of mass production, aren’t making commitments to address environmental issues and you could argue businesses like Luna are fighting a losing battle: while taking steps to reduce BUZZ 54

their impact in-store, the real damage is done in the factories. By supporting the research into sustainable beauty packaging and championing more natural ingredients, the damaging production process can be curbed. Examples of this can be found close to home, in the centre of Cardiff. Amaryllis, an eco-friendly salon located on Cowbridge Road, specialise in hair care and carry Davines, an Italian hair care brand with a sustainable ethos. Davines is a certified B Corporation: a worldwide designation applied to brands such as Alpro and Patagonia, who to receive the certification have committed to making decisions that consider their impact on people and the environment. Davines created the Zero Environmental Impact Salons initiative, encouraging hairdressers to take steps to act ethically and spread the word to their clients. Another eco-friendly contender; Naissance, founded in the Brecon Beacons, is an online natural beauty brand, specialising in ethically sourced ingredients. Ensuring operations are always dependent on being environmentally ethical, Naissance is partners with sustainable growers only; a commitment capable of making a difference on a larger scale if adopted by more businesses. Last but not least is Spectrum, a makeup brush brand specialising in vegan brushes – a runaway success story where two sisters from Barry kicked off a brand that’s now worth £12m. Practices such as this have begun to pave the way for reducing our carbon footprint, from small businesses to larger commercial concerns as in the examples given above. On a micro, individual level, meanwhile, a little research can help in weighing up the pros and cons of where you spend your hard-earned money. Factories continue to cause destruction of the environment, and abuse the needs of impoverished communities, like those palm oil farms, so the need to seek out these sustainable choices has never been so great. While the nature of the beauty industry – likewise many global industries – make full avoidance of waste and chemicals impossible, searching out great places on your doorstep, setting an example by joining the effort for a more sustainable future. info: bcorporation.net

bann

RESTAURANT & TAKEAWAY RESTAURANT & TAKEAWAY

now open Authentic Thai cuisine by experienced traditional Thai chefs serving fresh dishes made on the premises. 150 seater restaurant with separate party room for functions and private parties available to hire

JULY 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

Opening Times (including bank holidays) Monday – Sunday 5pm – 10.30pm To book a table or order a takeaway call 029 2023 3945 145, Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff, CF11 9AH

ST JOHN

ASMA K HAN

HANG FIR E

SANDOR K ATZ

DIANA HENRY

OL LY SMITH

ZOE ADJONYOH JOSÉ PIZARRO BEE WILSON TOMMY HEANEY BREWER JAEGA WISE YNYSHIR’S GARETH WARD ROSIE BIRKETT DJ BBQ TV’S DIRTY VEGAN MATT PRITCHARD JOSH EGGLETON ELLY PEAR AND MANY MORE STREET FOOD NIGHT MARKET FESTIVAL FARMYARD FEASTS FAMILY ACTIVITIES COOKERY SCHOOL FORAGING TOURS MASTERCLASSES DRINKS THEATRE KIDS GO FREE WYE VALLEY MEADERY DUSTY KNUCKLE SWSHI BROTHER THAI ROGUE PRESERVES BLOXS BUTTER CWLBOX TREALY FARM CHARCUTERIE OVER 200 FOOD STALLS

Wristbands and tickets on sale now at:

www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com @afoodfestival #AFF2019

Pic: Hefin Owen

Pic: Gordonplant

travel

Pete’s Eats Café

Portmeirion

Tu Hwnt I’r Bont

A MEAL WITH A VIEW Alice Hughes explores some of the best locations for a Snowdonian summer break away from it all, recommending some unmissable epicurean hotspots along the way. LLANBERIS

Where better to start than Snowdon itself? Base camp for most walkers attempting Wales’ highest peak, Llanberis offers a wealth of activity for adrenaline junkies, including centres for climbing, canoeing and diving. And no visit would be complete without a post-hike pitstop at Llanberis institution Pete’s Eats, where tea is famously served by the pint in their giant, branded mugs. Accompanied by a fried egg butty, it’s a glorious ritual after a bracing hike. Once you’ve freshened up from conquering Snowdon, the Bryn Tyrch Inn in nearby Capel Curig is a great bet for supper, a recent Wales Pub Of The Year with good food and even better views.

DOLGELLAU

Far less trodden than the more northerly part of the region, southern Snowdonia is an underrated gem. Dolgellau, a handsome market town gloriously nestled between estuary and mountains, is an ideal base for discovering this part of the world. For daytime activities, Coed Y Brenin is the largest dedicated mountain bike trail centre in the UK, while those looking for more sedate diversions will be captivated by the Mawddach trail, a footpath that takes in the disused railway line along the estuary from Dolgellau to Barmouth, and that will suit walkers of all abilities. A short hop from the trail is the high-end Mawddach Restaurant, which focuses on fresh, locally sourced produce and whose huge windows overlook the majestic sweep of the Cader Idris mountain range. Beer aficionados are catered for by Cader Ales, who do tours of their micro-brewery during the summer months (booking ahead essential).

BUZZ 56

LLANRWST

There’s a real buzz about Llanrwst this summer, which is playing host to this year’s National Eisteddfod. Alongside this celebration of Welsh culture, there is plenty to tempt visitors away from the Maes. The self-styled Blas Ar Fwyd – Welsh Food Hub – is a foodie Aladdin’s cave, with its shelves reading like a roll call of the finest producers in Wales. Across the road from the deli is its sister shop, the Amser Da Cafe Bar, where customers can enjoy classic Welsh cuisine with a modern twist. On a more traditional note, the restored 15th-century house Tu Hwnt i’r Bont, now an idyllic tearoom on the banks of the River Conwy, is worth a visit for the historic surroundings alone. However, its culinary bona fides are just as sound, with the recipe for its delicious, chunky scones a wellkept secret. Further afield, Bodnant Food Centre – a sprawling complex that includes a cookery school and a well-stocked farm shop – is just a short drive away, a perfect rest stop en route to picturesque Conwy.

HARLECH

Harlech is famous for its miles-long golden beach, medieval castle and spectacular views of the Llŷn peninsula. With Castle Cottage, its foodie reputation is also secured: this restaurant with rooms offers sumptuous fine dining with a seasonal focus. Opt for the inventive and reasonably priced tasting menu for the best value, and book into one of their rooms for a luxurious coda to an outdoorsy day out in Snowdonia. just up the road from Harlech, Italianate-style village Portmeirion is hardly a well-kept secret, but not all visitors will be aware of the two excellent, award-winning restaurants onsite, in particular the Art Deco Hotel Portmeirion, whose vegan table d’hôte menu is impressively substantial.

30 T H A N D 31 S T AUGUS T 2019 CRUGYBAR , CARMARTHENSHIRE

FESTIVAL - GÅµYL

MAGICAL LAKESIDE FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, FOOD OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AND FESTIVAL FUN R a i s i n g f u n d s f o r s k i 4 a l l wa l e s and other local communit y projects

THEBIGCWTCH .com

www.

BOOKING HOTLINE - 01267 600 650

Pic: Stephen Gidley

Pic: Adam Tas

travel

Littledean Jail Pic: Mrs Airwolfhound

Cornist Hall

Beaumaris Gaol

DARK TOURISM IN WALES – A BRIEF GUIDE Ruth Seavers offers a guide to the Welsh locations with tragic histories, grisly auras or mysterious origins. BEDD ARTHUR, PEMBROKESHIRE

Up in the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire, this is a small henge-like structure or (hengiform) that is possibly neolithic. Similar to Stonehenge, there are 13 standing stones and two fallen. The stones are all under 13 centimetres and make a horseshoe shape thought to have serve ritualistic purposes. Like many stone monuments that exist throughout Pembrokeshire and Wales, we have little idea of what they were used for, though the local story is that this King Arthur’s resting place.

BEAUMARIS GAOL

Built in 1829, Beaumaris Gaol was made to accommodate approximately 30 inmates but was closed just 11 years later. Pitched as a tourism destination that is “full of sad memories and secrets”, since becoming a disused prison, there is actually a rich history of what happened to the building up until today. Variously used as a police station, children’s clinic and finally a museum in 1974, the prison also held the town’s air raid siren during the Cold War.

MAINDIFF COURT HOSPITAL

This otherwise unassuming countryside hospital just outside Abergavenny might not look like much, but during WWII it was repurposed as a military hospital and POW centre. Its most famous prisoner, who stayed there for three years from 1942, was one Rudolf Hess, deputy to Adolf Hitler. He was imprisoned there after secretly flying to the UK for an attempt to negotiate peace. The hospital is still in use today, but provides a bizarre link to one of the leading architects of humanity’s darkest hour.

NORTH WALES HOSPITAL AKA DENBIGH MENTAL ASYLUM There are few things more liable to freak you out than an abandoned mental asylum, and this has its. This one, in Denbigh, was in use for 150 years from 1848 until being put out of use in 2002. Whilst only ever partly a mental health facility, at its peak it held about 1500 patients. You can’t actually visit the grade II-listed building, but you can at least get a solid view from the gates, the imposing dilapidation a testament to a building whose walls saw some unpleasant treatment of patients, deviating from its initial good intent. BUZZ 58

CORNIST HALL

Situated a mile from the town of Flint in north-east Wales, this former luxury mansion, now abandoned, was built in the early 1700s. It was the birthplace of Thomas Totty, a Welsh Naval officer who ended up inheriting the house, before selling it on where it changed hands a number of times until its closure in 2012. Popular amongst urban explorers, the modernity of the building’s features is jarring: there are still chalkboards advertising Sunday carveries for £6.95 and objects with brands we use every day, littered about the place. Other abandoned mansions in Wales, many frozen in time from decades ago, include Hafodunos Hall and Kimmel Hall in Conwy, Caerleon’s Clawdd Manor and the sprawling Carmarthenshire estate Golden Grove.

LITTLEDEAN JAIL

A collection of the darkest, weirdest and most taboo subjects, Littledean Jail actually recommend you avoid visiting if easily offended. Found in Cinderford, in the Forest Of Dean (just inside the English border, but close enough and fascinating enough for us to place it here), it houses the UK’s only Baphomet – a devil-like deity which features heavily in occult symbolism – and their Crime Through Time Collection, self-described as a “no holds barred Aladdin’s cave of True Crime.” As a private collection, it is seemingly a personal endeavour and therefore not subject to being made palatable for the more wholesome of the general public, or the family outings which are many tourist attractions’ bread and butter.

LAVERNOCK BATTERY

This abandoned military bunker, at Lavernock Point in the Vale Of Glamorgan, would make for a surefire horror filming location, although it’s arguably not a dark tourism locale – not so much outright suffering occurred in this place. Still, its gloomy views and military past make for a tense visit.

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sport

The Celebrity Cup

Glamorgan Vitality Blast Fixtures

British Transplant Games

ROUND UP Owen Scourfield scours the best of the sporting world on offer this month in Wales, with plenty of big-hitters and pure belters on the cards. LONG COURSE WEEKEND WALES

North Beach, Tenby, Fri 5-Sun 7 July Pembrokeshire plays host to this weekend-long event with one discipline per day; starting on Fri 5 with The Wales Swim, on Tenby’s North Beach and a distance of 2.4 miles. This is followed by The Wales Sportive, 112 miles of punishing Welsh countryside cycling; and to top it all off on Sunday, just your run-of-the-mill 26.2-mile Wales Marathon. Over 20,000 individuals have attempted the challenge since its first event in 2010, and to put into perspective, out of last year’s 1,000 competitors, only around half managed to cross the finish line. Tickets: from £20 to enter/free to spectate. Info: www.lcwwales.com

GLAMORGAN VITALITY BLAST FIXTURES

SSE SWALEC, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Thurs 18 July-Fri 30 Aug For those of you that struggle to sit through a multi-day County Championship game, Glamorgan’s seven home Vitality Blast group matches will be a lot more bearable. The bitesized Twenty20 form of the game always manages to pull in a good crowd, especially as the Cricket World Cup draws to a close. The first home fixture opens against local rivals Somerset. The concluding fixtures run into August and will see Glamorgan field Australian brothers Shaun and Mitch Marsh as their two overseas signings for the tournament. Tickets: £60 for all seven home games. Info: www.tickets.glamorgancricket.com BUZZ 60

THE BRITISH TRANSPLANT GAMES

Newport International Sports Village, Thurs 25-Sun 28 July. 2,500 transplant recipients, donor families and supporters come together to compete Olympics-style in the 42nd edition of the British Transplant Games. Participants of all ages can still register to take part in one of 25 sports. Tickets: free. Info: www.britishtransplantgames.co.uk

PAUL JAMES TESTIMONIAL: CLASSIC LIONS MATCH

The Gnoll, Neath, Sat 27 July Welsh international prop Paul James has been awarded a much-deserved testimonial year by both the WRU and the Ospreys, which will conclude in August after an impressive career playing top-flight rugby for Neath RFC, Ospreys and Bath, in addition to achieving international honours for both Wales and the Barbarians. The year-long testimonial events are building up to this one-off Legends Game on the Gnoll in Neath: the Paul James Select XV already boasts a strong lineup in Gavin Henson, Shane Williams, Ryan Jones and Adam Jones, while the Classic Lions opposition will see Dafydd James, Delon Armitiage, Chris Wyatt and Ceri Sweeney run out. Tickets: £10/£5. Info: www.ten21testimonial.info

MANCHESTER UNITED VS AC MILAN

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 3 Aug Following pre-season games overseas in Perth, Singapore, Shanghai and Norway, Manchester United will be on Welsh soil for an interesting, and presumably money-spinning, showdown with AC Milan in Cardiff as part of the International Champions Cup. This will be United’s sixth friendly fixture of the summer, and their last before the 2019-20 Premier League season opens the following weekend. Hopefully Welsh United fans will get a first glimpse of Daniel James, recently transferred from Swansea City. Tickets: from £25. Info: www.principalitystadium.wales

THE CELEBRITY CUP

Celtic Manor, Newport, Sat 13 + Sun 14 July Stars from sport, showbiz and beyond will be returning to the Celtic Manor for the annual golf Celebrity Cup, with defending champions Team Wales returning to take on teams from England, Scotland and Ireland. Celebs signed up so far include TV presenter Gethin Jones and former rugby stars Jonathan Davies and Scott Quinnell for Wales; actor James Nesbitt plus Westlife’s Brian McFadden and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy for Ireland; Dragon’s Den regular Peter Jones and rugby player Mike Tindall representing England. Meanwhile, presenter Jenni Falconer is joined by a strong Scottish rugby contingent in Stuart Hogg, and Greg Laidlaw. Tickets: from £5. Info: 01633 413000 / www.celtic-manor.com

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.

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GARBAGE

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sun 14 July Tickets: £35. Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com The first and last time American alt-rock icons Garbage performed in south Wales was in Newport Centre over 20 years ago. Indeed, Sun 14 July will mark their first ever performance in Cardiff. What’s taken them so long to return? After forming in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994, initially a conceptual assembly of Nirvana producer Butch Vig plus his studio partner Steve Marker and long-term bandmate Duke Erikson, Garbage added Scottish lead singer Shirley Manson and released their self-titled debut album the following year. Garbage went on to sell four million copies. In their 25-year career to date, they’ve maintained alternative rock royalty status: over 17 million albums sold worldwide, live performances in more than 35 countries.

They always say that releasing your second album invites a lot of pressure, so with 1998’s Version 2.0 Garbage decided to push their sound as far as it could go rather than changing their formula per se. They didn’t need to worry: it went to No. 1 in the UK on release, and spawned hit singles I Think I’m Paranoid and Push It. Their UK leg of Garbage’s tour kicks off in London on Sat 13 July, visiting Cardiff the following day and also including Leeds and – an impressively irregular addition, this – Dunfermline. Du Blonde, the musical pseudonym of Beth Jeans Houghton, will be the tour support.

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art clubs events live stage BUZZ 61

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art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Clay Local responses to the recent International Ceramic Festival by schools, colleges and charities (Until Wed 14 Aug) Welsh Illustrators Exhibition celebrating the best published Illustration from Wales, and coinciding with the Welsh Book Of The Year awards here on the opening date. (Until Thurs 22 Aug) Road To Discovery Contemporary examples of work from the seven potteryproducing areas in Uzbekistan. (Until Mon 26 Aug) Gareth Griffith ‘Trelar’ Paintings from north Wales-based artist who seeks to explore connections between time and place: 1960s Liverpool, 70s Jamaica and his current home in the Ogwen Valley. (From Mon 22 July until Sat 7 Sept) ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. 01970 622467 / www.aber. ac.uk 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. (Until Fri 30 Aug) Ailymweld Cymru A’r Mudiadau Modern / Wales And The Modern Movements: Revisited A look back at an exhibition, Wales And The Modern Movements, held here in 1973 and which aimed to interpret 20th century art through the

works of artists working in Wales. (Until Fri 30 Aug) ALBANY GALLERY 74b Albany Road, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com Summer Exhibition A tradition as regular as the coming of summer itself, this will feature over 50 artists both old and new, including Donald McIntyre, Mike Jones, Tim Fudge, David Barnes, Theo Crutchley-Mack, Sol Whiteside and Emily Powell. (From Thurs 4 July until Sat 17 Aug) ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHEINIOG) Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free. 01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk Brecon Welcomes the Zulus! Group exhibition by local artists and photographers, depicting memories from the 2017 Brecon Zulu visit to celebrate the visit of King Goodwill in July 2019. (From Thurs 4 until Sun 28 July) ARCADECAMPFA Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. arcade-campfa.org Pyrophyte: Contemporary Ceramics From Cardiff Exhibition showcasing emerging young ceramicists based in Cardiff but from international backgrounds, and looking to question the distinction between craft and fine art. (Until Sat 6 July) Ric Bower, Nástio Mosquito & Kelly Schacht ‘The Reverse Panopticon’ Subtitled “a brief introduction to AEI (Aesthetically Enhanced Interrogation)”, this incorporates performance and an

installation, and was produced in participation with the Iranian refugee and asylum seeker community in Cardiff. (From Fri 19 July until Sat 24 Aug) ATTIC GALLERY 37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am4.30pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Summer Mixed Show Over 40 Welsh artists will show here, with the display regularly changing to reflect the variety. (From Sat 6 July until Sat 21 Sept) BARNABAS ARTS HOUSE New Ruperra Street, Pillgwenlly, Newport. Free. 01633 673739 / barnabasartshouse@ outlook.com / barnabasartshouse.co.uk Pete Williams ‘Terra Incognita’ Illustrations created for Arthur Machen’s book The Three Impostors. They look really cool actually. (Until Sat 20 July) BOUNDARY ART 3 Sovereign Quay, Havannah Street, Cardiff. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 029 2048 9869 / www. boundaryart.com Inscape Work by painters Ping Gang Cheng, Daleet Leon, Sarah Spencer and Sky Siouki, plus ceramicist Aaron Davies. The exhibition is named after a term coined by Victorian poet Gerard Manley and, says the gallery, “conveys the unique inner nature of a person or object as shown in a work of art.” (From Sat 6 July until Sat 31 Aug) CHAPTER GALLERY Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri

JIM MORTRAM: SMALL TOWN INERTIA Workers Gallery, Porth, until Sat 27 July. Tickets: Free. Info: 01443 682024 / www.workersgallery.co.uk Jim Mortram’s photography is designed to bring light to the lives of those facing loneliness and isolation. A full-time carer, his work is inspired by his own plight into social exclusion. His connection to his subject-matters is palpable throughout the collection, which he spent a decade collecting. Mortram’s work, recently published in a book also titled Small Town Inertia, hinges on his ability to produce true to life imagery with expert technical ability. He portrays the reality of what many vulnerable people are faced with on a day-to-day basis in a harsh light, forcing his audience to understand the pain some live in. After months of fundraising, community gallery The Workers will now exhibit his work in an effort to highlight the impact austerity measures have had.

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12-8pm. Free. 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org Freya Dooley ‘The Song Settles Inside The Body It Borrows’ / ‘Find Joy In These Scenes Of Fruitless Labours’ 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’s Find Joy In... commission also features in Art In The Bar. (Until Sun 14 July) 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 Michael Flynn Solo exhibition of figurative ceramics, created over the last 15 years, by Cardiff-based sculptor who takes much of his inspiration from myths and fairytales. (From Sat 6 July until Sun 18 Aug) Verity Pulford North Wales-based artist who draws and creates experimental glass work that investigates the correlation between structures and micro-structures within plant and human biology. (From Sat 6 July until Sun 18 Aug) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE 226 Stow Hill, Newport. Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Response Summer showcase of work by students of Cardiff & Vale College, specifically CAVC BTEC diploma and CAVC/USW Foundation Degree In Photography courses. (Until Sun 21 July) CYFARTHFA CASTLE MUSEUM Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon Rd, Merthyr Tydfil. 01685 727371 / museum@ merthyr.gov.uk A Celebration Of Welsh Contemporary Painting The second biennial celebration of contemporary artists working in Wales, with work ranging from oil paintings to street art. (From Mon 8 July until Mon 23 Sept) ELYSIUM GALLERY 210 High Street, Swansea. Wed-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www.elysiumgallery.com Helen Booth ‘Matter’ See Art for more on this exhibition, monchrome dot paintings created as a response to the Icelandic landscape. (From Fri

5 July until Sat 10 Aug) Kelly Ewing & Jason Gregory ‘Equilibrio’ Recent paintings from two artists – from Londonderry and Tonypandy respectively –who offer very different approaches to the same medium. (From Fri 5 July until Sat 10 Aug) Katie Trick ‘Looking Through, Odes To Nowhere’ Figurative and abstract paintings from a Port Talbotbased artist. (From Fri 5 July until Sat 10 Aug) Kate Bell ‘Poetics Of Place’ Painter (primarily) and art teacher (of 30 years’ standing) who is based out of the Elysium studios, and whose work here work is concerned with concepts relating landscape to philosophical thought about place and space. (From Fri 5 July until Sat 10 Aug) FOUNTAIN FINE ART Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Summer Group Exhibition New mixed discipline work from regular gallery artists here. (Until Sat 13 July) Tywi Valley Open Studios Exhibition Work from artists and makers along the Arts Trail. (From Sat 20 until Fri 26 July) Andrew DouglasForbes Solo work depicting Welsh farms, Welsh dressers and flower studies. (From Sat 20 July until Sat 10 Aug) FUTURES GALLERY / ORIEL GALLERY Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead.org South Wales Art Exhibition Work by members of the South Wales Art Society, now 131 years old and having shown work in each of those years, so if they want to give their show a prosaic title they jolly well can. (Until Thurs 4 July) 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. (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. (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 Jill Baird ‘Inroads’

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Paintings inspired by Baird’s love of trees, while also referencing the hard geometric shapes that humans relentlessly impose on the natural world. (Until Sat 6 July) Summer Show Evolving showcase of artwork by established and emerging Welsh artists and makers. (From Tue 9 July until Sat 3 Aug) THE GATE Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk Cerys Knighton ‘Bipolarity’ Pointillist artwork examining Knighton’s mental health experiences. (Until Fri 2 Aug) GLYNN VIVIAN ART GALLERY Alexandra Rd, Swansea. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Free. 01792 516900 / www. swansea.gov.uk/ glynnvivian Hand Drawn Action Packed See Art for more on this drawing-based show featuring 10 artists of renown: Marcel Dzama, Marcel van Eeden, Inci Eviner, Yun-Fei Ji, William Kentridge, Nalini Malani, Otobong Nkanga, Raymond Pettibon, Amy Sillman and Rinus Van de Velde. (Until Sun 1 Sept) Frances Richards: An Artist Apart Frances, wife of Ceri Richards, is represented here in the form of her wartime-era embroidery-collages and unseen drawings and monotypes, plus figurative and flower paintings from her later years. (Until Sun 1 Sept) KING STREET GALLERY 33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@ kingstreetgallery.co.uk Early Summer Exhibition A new selection of works by gallery members, featuring disciplines including painting, fine art ceramics, photography, sculpture and jewellery. (Until Thurs 4 July) Kate Bell & Graham Parker Two artists from Elysium Studios in Swansea; Bell is concerned with nature and transitional space, Parker also explores relationships between sky, land and sea. (Until Thurs 18 July) LION STREET GALLERY 6 Lion Street, Hay-On-Wye. Mon + Wed-Sat 10.30am5pm, Sun 11am-3pm. Free. 01497 822900 / www. lionstreetgallery.co.uk Summer Show Large group show of what this gallery says are some of the best artists working in Wales today, with 15 artists and sculptors taking part. (Until Sun 28 July) LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Ruth Singer ‘Textile Traces: Personal Stories

In Cloth’ Textile-based exhibition by an artist who, according to our preview in the May issue, “She uses natural and vintage textiles combined with hand-stitching and fabric manipulation to create her detailed surface texture”. (Until Sat 20 July) Jennifer Collier Craft showcase featuring sculptures from vintage recycled materials in conjunction with stitch. (Until Sat 20 July) Dovile Jewellery Jewellery showcase for pieces whose ageing process (made from materials like black wood and Baltic amber) is inherent to their aesthetic. (Until Sat 20 July) Tess Seymour ‘Women’s Spaces’ Ongoing portrait photography project in which Seymour photographs inspiring women in her life, in a space chosen by the women themselves. (Until Sat 20 July) M.A.D.E. GALLERY 41 Lochaber St, Cardiff. Wed-Sat 10am-6pm. Free. 029 2047 3373 / facebook. com/cardiffmade Summer Prize Art Exhibition Biennial show of a selection of south Wales professional artists, one of whom will be rewarded with a solo exhibition scheduled within the M.A.D.E. arts programme for 2020. (From Thurs 4 until Sun 28 July) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2064 1411 / mtg@ artwales.com Summer Selection Changing exhibition by leading Welsh artists including Kyffin Williams, Peter Prendergast, Ceri Richards, Harry Holland, Shani Rhys James and Kevin Sinnott. (Until Thurs 8 Aug) MISSION GALLERY Gloucester Place, Swansea. Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free. 01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Arts In Health Maker In Focus exhibition featuring work aiming to create environments that enhances the wellbeing of patients, at the behest of the ABMU Health Board. (Until Sat 13 July) Criw Celf West Showcase exhibition in the [...] space, featuring work created in this gallery’s flagship education programme by kids aged 9-19. (Until Sat 3 Aug) Migrations Work in the [...] space featuring contemporary dance films from a company who bring international contemporary dance and installations to Wales. (From Sat 20 July until Fri 16 Aug) Beverly Bell-Hughes Maker In Focus show from an artist who uses flattened coils of clay into which other materials are added. (From Sat 20 July until Sat 14 Sept) MUSEUM OF CARDIFF (FORMERLY CARDIFF STORY) The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff. Daily 10am-4pm. Free. 029 2034 6214 / cardiffstory@cardiff.gov.uk

Not Forgotten: Cardiff Memories A documentary film, an interactive display, portrait photographs and a variety of craft-based projects collectively capturing the memories of Cardiff residents living with dementia. (Until Thurs 11 July) Cardiff’s Sound City Lab exhibition highlighting the different sounds and styles of music that are important to Cardiff’s communities. (Until Sun 2 Feb) Voices And Images Of The South Wales Jewish Community Exhibition by the Jewish History Association Of South Wales, aiming to capture the spirit of late 19th/early 20th century Jewish communities; after this period the population gradually declined in this region. (From Mon 22 until Sun 28 July) NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / museum.wales/cardiff 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. (Until Sun 1 Sept) Snakes! Price TBC. Family-friendly educational show about, in short, Snakes! (Until Sun 15 Sept) NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2057 3600/ museum.wales/swansea Self/Place Poetry and artwork by members of charity Crisis considering themselves and their place in the world. (Until Sun 14 July) 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) Andrew Vicari ‘King Of Painters, Painter Of Kings’ Vicari was born and brought up in Port Talbot and went on to paint some of the most influential figures in modern history; this is a look at how that journey transpired. (Until Sun 3 Nov) Tina Francis ‘The Changing Face Of Mining’ portraits of miners at the East Pit opencast mine at Tairgwaith, one of Wales’ last such operating mines. (From Sat 20 July until Sun 1 Sept)

Cardiff. Tue-Fri 1-4.30pm, Sat 10.30am-4.30pm. 029 2066 6455 / www. orielcanfas.co.uk Line & Form Work by four sculptors – Dilys Jackson, Sue Roberts, Gwyneth Price and Valerie Coffin Price – exploring the natural world through carving, casting and installation, and who all use lines within their practice. (Until Sat 20 July) ORIEL COFFI 5 High Street, Llanidloes. Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Free. 01686 625041 / www. orielcoffi.cymru Sarah Jane Brown Exhibition at this brand new fine art gallery in Pembrokeshire, featuring distinctive landscapes influenced by walking the local coast and working on the sea. (Until Sat 31 Aug) ORIEL CRIC Beaufort Street, Crickhowell. Mon-Sat 10am5pm, Sun 10am-1pm. Free. 01873 813669. Open Art Exhibition Annual show here, always popular. (Until Sun 7 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 The Sculpture Collection Significant sculptural works from the University Of South Wales Art Collection, including pieces by David Garner, Andrew Cooper, Lilian Rathmel, Dilys Jackson, David Nash and Islwyn Watkins.

The Albany Gallery’s annual summer exhibition gives visitors a chance to view work by more than 50 artists. This will run from Sun 7 July until Sat 17 Aug, with artists including Donald McIntyre, Emily Powell and Tim Fudge. ORIEL DAVIES The Park, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@orieldavies.org Cecile Johnson Soliz ‘Twist’ Drawing and sculptural works from Cardiff-based artist, with some pieces incorporating both forms and using materials like paper and fabric, Soliz’s art reflects her interest in process and what constitutes a finished product in art. (Until Wed 11 Sept) ORIEL JOANNA FIELD Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free. 01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk

NORWEGIAN CHURCH ARTS CENTRE Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm. Free. 029 2087 7959 / www. norwegianchurchcardiff. com

Julie Christine Gannon Pembrokeshire painter living and working in Pembroke Dock, who draws her inspiration from local sea- and landscapes. See Art. (Throughout July)

Judith James Paintings from an artist based just outside Cardiff and who has had a few exhibitions here before. (From Mon 29 July until Sun 4 Aug)

ORIEL MYRDDIN Church Lane, Carmarthen. 01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk

ORIEL CANFAS Glamorgan Street, Canton,

who produce sculptural and wall-based works influenced by landscape and blurring the distinction between art and function. (Until Sat 6 July) Criw Celf 2019 Work created throughout 2019 as a result of the Criw Celt scheme, which creates opportunities for people aged 9-14 to work with professional artists and designers in a series of masterclasses. (From Thurs 11 until Sat 20 July) Land Acts Work by five artists – Stefhan Caddick, Rebecca Chesney, Morag Colquhoun, Ella Gibbs and Owen Griffiths – collectively exploring the power of land and contemporary, rural experience. (From Sat 27 July until Sat 12 Oct)

Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth ‘Walking The Line’ Duo known collaboratively as Forest + Found,

(Until Fri 6 Sept) ORIEL YR ARDD National Botanic Garden Of Wales, Middleton Hall, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire. Daily 10am-6pm. £10.50/£8.75 concessions/£4.95 under17s/free under-5s. 01558 667149 / botanicgarden. wales Annette Townshend ‘For Safekeeping’ Wax botanical sculptures of wildflowers and original drawings on copper plates of preserved insect specimens from a museum collection. (From Sat 20 July until Sun 8 Sept) QUEEN STREET GALLERY Queen Street, Neath. WedSat 10am-4pm. Free. 01639 631081/ www. queenstgallery.co.uk Purple Art Group Hailing from the Neath area, this group formed several years ago with the aim of providing a venue for a group of artists to get together, paint for pleasure and exchange ideas. (Until Sat 6 July) Dawn McIntyre ‘Life At A Standstill’ Still life paintings and prints. (From Sat 13 until Sat 27 July

Summer Exhibition Mixed and evolving exhibition of gallery artists and newcomers including painting, mixed media artworks, printmaking, ceramics, jewellery and applied arts. (From Sat 20 July until Sat 31 Aug) REDHOUSE Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@ redhousecymru.com New Blood Work by Fine Art students from The College Merthyr Tydfil. Part of Celebration Of Welsh Contemporary Painting, a programme of various exhibitions and events across Wales this summer. (From Mon 8 July until Sat 10 Aug) RUG ART GALLERY Unit 16, Ground Floor, Capital Centre, Queen Street, Cardiff. Daily 12-6pm during exhibitions. Free. www.rug-gallery.net Gordon Dalton & Chris Shaw ‘Quack’ Paintings from two Welsh artists experimenting with process – no brushes in Shaw’s case – and tackling feelings of loss and home. The blurb talks about ducks quite a lot but it is not clear if there are any actual paintings of ducks. (Until Sun 14 July) THE SHO Castle Emporium (upstairs), Womanby Street, Cardiff. Tue-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Free. www. thesho.co.uk It’s Magic Group exhibition featuring mixed media art inspired by magic, ranging from original paintings and sketches to framed limited edition prints. (Until Thurs 4 July)

using pencil, pen and ink, watercolours, acrylics, clay, photography and a variety of craft materials. (Throughout July) TOWER GALLERY 49 High Street, Crickhowell. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Graeme Galvin & Kath Littler Respectively a thratre designer/printmaker and a wood engraver. Also showing work by all members of the Usk Valley Artists’ Co-operative. (Until Sat 20 July) TYWI VALLEY OPEN STUDIOS Various locations, Tywi Valley, Carmarthenshire. Free. www. tywivalleyopenstudios. wales Tywi Valley Open Studios Arts Trail 2019 The premise of this annual event – 2019 is its seventh – is that artists working along the Tywi Valley, within 15 miles of Llandeilo, let people come and see them bustling away in their studios as well as taking part in workshops etc. There are 36 artists taking part so it’s impossible to list properly here, but the website above has more info and a brochure with full details, downloadable as a PDF. (From Sat 20 until Sun 28 July) VICTORIA FEARN GALLERY 6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm. Free. 029 2052 0884. Fifteen This gallery opened on June 21 2004; this anniversary show launched 15 years later to the day and features 15 of Fearn’s favourite artists. (Until Sat 13 July)

SWANSEA MUSEUM Victoria Road, Swansea. Tue-Sun 10am-4.30pm. Free. 01792 653763 / www. swanseamuseum.co.uk

VOLCANO THEATRE 27-29 High Street, Swansea. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Free. 01792 464790 / www. volcanotheatre.co.uk

Cartographic Imaginaries: Interpreting The Literary Atlas Of Wales See Art for more on this multi-artist exhibition, commissioned artwork in response to 12 English language novels set in Wales. (From Sat 6 July until Sun 8 Sept)

PRINTopia Original prints from Swansea print workshop; the followup to a similar, successful exhi0bition here last year. (From Thurs 4 until Fri 26 July)

TENBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids. 01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk Pamela Scott Wilkie A solo exhibition of paintings, prints and drawings by this widely exhibited artist, now in her early 80s. (From Fri 5 July until Sun 18 Aug) 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

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE Bute Place, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2063 6464 / www. wmc.org.uk Luke Jerram ‘Gaze At Gaia’ Installation piece, in 3D and 23ft across, based on detailed NASA images of the Earth’s surface. (From Sat 20 July until Sun 1 Sept) THE WARREN 11 Mansel St, Carmarthen. Tue Wed + Sun 9am-4pm, Thurs-Sat 9am-10pm. Free. 01267 236079 / warrenmanselst.co.uk Heather Birnie ‘Elder Trees’ Presented by Carmarthen gallery Oriel Myrddin and funded by the Gwanwyn Festival, Birnie’s BUZZ 63

* – recommended photographs document the gallery’s recent nature engagement project with older people. (Until Sat 6 July) WORKERS GALLERY 99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, nr Porth. 11am-4.30pm Thurs-Sat and by appointment. Free. 01443 682024 / www.workersgallery.co.uk *Jim Mortram ‘Small Town Inertia’ Photographic work focusing on residents of Dereham in Norfolk who are struggling under austerity, and which can also be seen in a book of the same title. (Until Sat 27 July)

clubs THE ANDREW BUCHAN 29 Albany Road, Cardiff. 029 2021 2509 / facebook. com/andrewbuchanbar Tue 2 + Sun 14 Vinyl Cruise 7pm, free. Casual DJ session, regular in here but on twice this month: Tue 2 is a birthday party for Cardiff DJ/general head Dave Grooveslave, while Sun 14 promises “sizzling summer sounds”. BAMBU BEACH BAR 51 Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 651651 / www. bambu-bar.co.uk Saturdays Tropical 5pm3am. New night that promises “chilled, disco, soulful, jackin’ and funky grooves” from DJs Leon Atolagbe, Laidback Lew and Dan Purcey plus weekly guests. Sat 6 Groove: The Summer Send Off 4-11pm, £10 adv. Tech-house with guest headliner Josh Butler, who is also in Pontypridd’s Platform 11 club this evening. 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. Fri 19 Killing Moon 11pm-3am. Alternative hits from the 1980s, albeit with the net of ‘alternative’ cast wide enough to include Fleetwood Mac and Culture Club. Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul. 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 6 Fixate 10pmBUZZ 64

5am, £5. House and techno from Wheats of the Toolroom Records stable plus Marco Strous, Madame Twisted, Dain Waite and J-Tech. Sat 13 Colour Clash After Dark 10pm-6am, £5. The OFFICIAL, that’s OFFICIAL afterparty for the Tredegar Park alldayer, which is previewed in Clubs. Blind Tiger will have the house and techno but your fee will also give you entry to the other five affiliated venues around town. Sat 3 Aug Fixate Sunset Session 4pm-4am, £5. A full half-day of chuggers up on the roof terrace with these DJs: Owen Kilby , Tom Ashton b2b Adam Evans, Ryan Goodman, PH & Lam, Lee Cooke, Jamo, Madame Twisted, Dan Waite and J-Tech.

www.globaloxygen.co.uk

THE BRASS BAT St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 6802 / www. thebrassbat.com

COLOUR CLASH Tredegar Park, Newport. www.colour-clash.co.uk

Fridays Team Up 10pm4am, £5/£3 adv. Emo, poppunk, alternative, metal, hardcore etc every Friday, with lots of drinks deals. Sean Smith, ex of The Blackout, is now the guest DJ every last Friday of the month also. THE BUNKHOUSE 63 The Kingsway, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk Fri 19 Disco 2000 7pm2am, £5. Indie clubnight with a particular taste for the 90s returns to this venue, including a live set from genrespecific covers band Mad For Britpop (not that Britpop was really a genre but you know). CHAPEL 1877 Churchill Way, Cardiff. 029 2022 2020 / www. chapel1877.com Sat 13 Lose Yourself To Dance 8pm, free. Disco and house with live vocal/instrumental performances as well as DJs. This is Lose Yourself To Dance’s first night. 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 LOGIC 12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.the-rainbowrooms. com Fridays + Saturdays 9pm4am. With residents plus guest DJs each week. Sat 27 K405 10th Birthday 8pm-6am, £12 adv. With sets from Trance Generator, Kidd Kaos, Cally b2b Ed ET, McBunn, Shocker, Narcotic Smugglers, Mr E & Travis, Jason P b2b Rob Rees, and more TBC. CLUB OXYGEN 1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 /

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 Fridays (bottom) Yum! 11pm-3am, £3-£5. Indie and pop. Saturdays Dirty Pop 10pm-4am, £5. Three floors of fun: Grltlk and Andrew Rhys Lewis’ top floor resident indie shindig; Dirty Pop; and Mr Potter’s proper disco.

Sat 13 Colour Clash 2019 12-10.30pm, £33 adv/£44 VIP. Bigger than last year’s debut Colour Clash, this features three stages of major and local acts alike. Main stage: Pendulum (DJ set), Faithless (DJ set), Hardy Caprio, Lethal Bizzle, DJ Hype, Darkzy, Nathan Dawe, Sharky P,

01834 218228 / www. devalencepavilion.com Sat 13 Martin Kemp – Back To The 80s 8pm-12am, £18 adv. Spandau Ballet man doing his apparently popular decade-specific DJ set. EDDIES 4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 779595 / www.eddies.co Sat 13 Clubland Classix 9pm-6am, £14.25 adv. Pop-rave doyens galore, namely Ian Van Dahl, Kelly Llorena, Ultrabeat and Flip N Fill, plus your host for the evening Keyes. FERNHILL FARM BARN Pennydarren Road, Merthyr Tydfil. cellardoorcardiff.com Sat 3 Aug Cellar Door 3pm-2am, £20 adv/£15 early bird. House and techno from the stable of this south Wales clubbing brand, up on a farm and with a Martin Audio WPC soundsystem which Cellar Door reckon is impressive. FICTION & VINYL The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub.

Lates:Space invites you to explore Cardiff’s National Museum at night with top DJs Jane Fitz and Don Leisure, plus video, performance, live music and dance, on Thurs 18 July. It’ll be a night full of artists, astronomers, visionaries and inspiration. Philip George, Sweet Female Attitude (yes!) and 3 Of A Kind. Urban Arena, Deno, Geko, Matt Jam Lamont, Tribute To Cadet, Logan Sama, Murkage, Local, Fernquest and DJ Lee presents Grimewave. Rewind Arena: Andy Whitby, Sonique, Ian Van Dahl, Flip & Fill, Ultrabeat, Kelly Llorenna, G-Funk and the Blackout Crew (double yes!), plus more TBC it says here. COURTYARD 48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161. Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Upfront dance anthems and “Urban Vibes”. Fridays Spotlight Sessions / The Kickstart 5pm, £3/ free before 9. Urban and club 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. DE VALENCE PAVILION Upper Frog Street, Tenby.

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. FRONTAL LOBE WAREHOUSE Unit G, St Catherines Park, Cardiff. otis@flevents.co.uk / www.flwarehouse.co.uk Fri 6 Cvlt Worldwide Summer Event 4pm-2am, from £7. Two stages of drum’n’bass featuring Agro, Casey Jones, Too Greezey, Ransom, Pabz, Leightdon, Raudi TT, Kingdom b2b Archive_dnb, Plethora, Bandit, Blokeye b2b Benny Bootleg, Aktik b2b Reload, AL-X, Manik, Tremmah, Sarki, Wrekka and hosts MC XL, Ez Rah and Pablow. Originally booked in Inskspot but moved here. 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 Sat 6 Dead Of Night 9pm3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month. Sat 27 Delusion & Journey 10pm3am, £5. Dance classics and thems all night from Swansea and Cardiff’s trance loyasists. JACOB’S MARKET West Canal Wharf, Cardiff. 029 2039 0939. Sat 6 Lamerica 10pm-5am, £20/£15. House and disco old and new from Melvo Baptiste, Craig Bartlett, Gareth Hopkins and Darren Stewart. Lamerica did a similar party this time last year and suggested it’d be their final one, but guess not. Sat 27 Boiler Room: Cardiff 5-11pm, £24 adv. The unthinking person’s The Hitman And Her returns to Wales’ capital with a lineup that sold out before any DJs were announced. LASER STATION Bridge Wharf, Carmarthen. 01267 235648 / www. laserstationwales.com Sat 20 Summer Sound Clash 6pm-3am, £7 adv. Hosted by Conspiracy and featuring reggae, dancehall, jungle, bashment, garage, hiphop and r’n’b, plus a BBQ until 9pm; then, after 9, UK garage, house, bassline, Afrobeat, drum’n’bass and grime. LE PUBLIC SPACE High Street, Newport. 01633 221477 / www. lepublicspace.co.uk Sat 6 Thnks Fr Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, free. Emo, poppunk and nu-metal from the previous decade, this month featuring a guest DJ set from Sean Smith, erstwhile frontman of The Blackout. 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

u – repeated

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 Wed 31 Womanby’s Clubbing 5-8pm. Monthly clubbing events for adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions. Run in partnership with Student Volunteering. 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. Sat 13 Electronic Music Producers Showcase 7pm, free. MUSIQUE BAR & LOUNGE Market Street, Newport. 01633 533666 / theneon. co.uk/neon-bar-lounge Fridays + Saturdays 9pm2am, free. Soul, funk, old skool hip-hop, reggae, house, UK garage, lovers rock etc. OCEAN ARTS CARDIFF Unit 2, East Moors Business Park, East Moors Rd, Cardiff Bay. 029 2132 0030 / www.oceanartscardiff. co.uk Fri 5 All Accessible Club Nights 7.30-11.30pm, £3/

free for carers. In the venue’s words, a gentle club night with music, a bar and chillout area, accessible toilet and friendly staff. Also open to under-18s until 9pm. First Friday of every month. PENARTH EX-SERIVCEMEN’S CLUB 69 Windsor Road, Penarth. 029 2070 7530 / www. penarthexservicemensclub. co.uk Sat 13 Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm-12am, £3 adv. A night of classic soul, northern soul etc. Further 2019 dates are on Sat 14 Sept, Sat 16 Nov and NYE. THE PHILHARMONIC 76-77 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2132 0740 / www.thephilharmoniccardiff. co.uk Fri 2 Aug Paradox 9pm3am, from £7 adv. Newish house and techno promoters with a night spread over three rooms. Room 1: KUSP, Mathew Hart and Ryan Ross; room 2 (the terrace): Old As Dust, State Of Minds, Lee Grey and Jamie Howells. Room 3: chillout room. PITCHER & PIANO Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com Sat 13 Hedone 5-10pm, free. Neath house heads pop over bearing DJ sets from Sam Jones b2b Nath Howard, Connor Williams b2b Jake McAvoy, Dale Williams and Dean Morgan. Sat 20 Glitch 4pm-1am, £6 adv. Tech-house business out in the garden, headlined by disco-inflected London DJ Iglesias. Tom Murray, Smiley, Rhys Jenkins, Luke Armstrong, Callum Gillings and Black Magic also feature. PLATFORM 11 High Street, Pontypridd. Fri-Sun 7.30pm-2am. www. platform11.co.uk

Sat 6 028 4pm-4am, £7-£12. Headlined by deep house crossover merchant Josh Butler (also playing an earlier slot in Swansea’s Bambu Beach Bar today), although with 12 hours to fill I imagine many more names are also TBC. POPWORLD 96 St Mary Street, Cardiff. Mon, Tue + Thurs 9pm3am; Wed 8pm-3am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 1pm-3am. 029 2023 5825. Mondays Pop Rocks 9pm. A night of what they call alternative pop 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 10pm-

3am, £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. Sat 27 features a guest DJ set from Charlie Hedges off Radio 1. 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 RED LION 97 Queen Victoria St, Tredegar. 01495 724449 Sat 6 Revolution 7pm, £5. Hard dance of various kinds from Ed ET, DNA. Gen-O-Side, The Instigator, Welsh Stan 303, Slick Rick, Valley Houser and Demonix. THE ROBIN HOOD 126 Monnow Street, Monmouth. 01600 713240 / facebook.com/ therobinhoodmonmouth Sat 27 Helium Summer Showcase Part 2 2pm12am. Cardiff house/techno promoters venture out to what looks like a properly old skool pub for an all-day sesh. SHOOTERS SPORTS BAR 16 New Street, Neath. 01639 798090. Sat 3 Aug Hedone 9pm4am, £7/£5 before 11. House and techno headlined by DJ W!ld from Paris. Previously announced as being at the Duke, and earlier in the day, in

KUSP Paradox @ The Philharmonic, Cardiff, Fri 2 Aug. Tickets: £7. Info: 029 2132 0740 / ryan.ross59@yahoo.co.uk Paradox, a Cardiff-based (with detours into Swansea) club night which launched earlier this year, presents its largest night yet for the start of August: spread over three rooms in Cardiff’s reborn-asa-ravers’-destination Philharmonic and headlined by KUSP. A Liverpudlian duo of Jack Brown and Luke Bennett, KUSP made waves in big room techno circles across 2018, with their crisp, efficient productions getting played out by the likes of Alan Fitzpatrick, and their DJ slots sharing bills with Amelie Lens and Ben Klock among others. Here, they’ll be headlining the main room, with Mathew Hart and Paradox’s own Ryan Ross also cranking ‘em out in there; the other two areas are a “techno garden” on the Philharmonic’s terrace, and a chillout room like clubs had in the 90s.

case you saw that first. 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. Fri 7 Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sat 27 Ibiza Classics Afterparty 10pm, £10 adv. This takes place after the Pete Tong And The Heritage Orchestra show in Singleton Park (see Live Music listings) but there isn’t any more info about it currently. 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 10pm4am, £4/£6 VIP. R’n’b and house from the 90s and 00s. Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am. Three rooms including the Attic which is “the social playground for the high flyers and social elite, the only place to be seen.” Imagine catching your reflection in the mirror just after writing that. Sundays Soda Sundays 9pm-3am, £4/£8 VIP. Three floors of music for students and industry workers. TALYWAIN RFC New Road, Talywain, Pontypool. 01495 772597 / talywain.rfc.wales Sat 3 Aug Tremor 1-10pm, £15/£10. Hard dance from Jordan Suckley, Steve Hampton, Bradz, pH & Lam, CJM, Cai B, Paul Hicks and The Insomniacs. 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 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.” Fri 5 is a Pool Party (pool not included, as far as I can make out); Fri 12 and Fri 19 are Gradulation Parties. Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with

cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc. TRAMSHED Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Sat 27 Time Flies Summer Ball 7.30pm-3am, £25 adv/£35 VIP. Featuring Danny Rampling, Jeremy Healy, Graeme Park, K-Klass Live!, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Dave Jones, Jason King, James Merritt, Paul Lyons, Shane Morris, Dave Mills, Craig Bartlett, Gareth Hopkins, Uptonogood, Gary Pugh, Rick Latham, Dave Eaves and Tyrone Rose. Plus a Sun Terrace with a VIP bar. UNDERTONE (BASEMENT OF 10 FEET TALL) 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Thurs 4 + Fri 26 Switch Up 10pm. Garage, drum’n’bass, jungle and bassline. Fri 5 Disco Rekah 10pm-4am. Drum’n’bass and jungle. Sat 6 Rotary Club 10pm-4am, £5 adv. House, disco and techno, lineup TBC. Wed 10 Undertone’s House Party 10pm, £5. House, disco, techno, garage, bassline, dubstep and drum’n’bass. Fri 12 XL Invites 10pm. Drum’n’bass. Thurs 18 Bass Warriors 10pm-3am, £3.50. Dubstep, drum’n’bass, bassline and more. Fri 19 Tukan 10pm-4am, £5. Techno from Innerkey, Tommy H, Tom Gatley and Xango. First night for Tukan I think. Sun 20 Junction 10pm. Drum’n’bass. Wed 24 Jacques 10pm. This night launched in June and seemed to be playing grime and drum’n’bass, not sure if that’s a constant though. Thurs 25 Zero Tolerance 10pm. Drum’n’bass. VALE WAREHOUSE Cambria House, Penarth Road, Cardiff. info@ valewarehouse.com Sat 3 Aug Groove Car Park Summer Series Part 2 3-10.30pm, from £8. Located outside, as per the event name, this has been on the roof of Glam for the last two summers but is now here. Lineup currently TBC. THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents. com Sat 20 Circle Eight Meets 360 Showcase 10pm-5am, £15-£20. Drum’n’bass. Main room: 360 showcase featuring Nicky Blackmarket, Fatman D, Profile, Voltage, Trigga, Traumatize, Reeality, Joe Blow, Bason, T. Bone, Dubmatt, Lowgli, Skamma, Basher, Vizable, RC and Slim Teng. Room 2: Battle Of The Brands hosted by Stickylemons and featuring Darth v Heft, Para Noize v Noise Maker 21 and Switch Up v Bullion.

WAREHOUSE 54 54 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161. Wednesdays Hump! 7pm. Cocktails, drink deals and tunes over two floors. Fridays Rock & Rum 9pm, £2-£4. Rock, indie, alt and pop from Aaron Lillie and Jaivinder. Selected drinks from £1.50. Saturdays Raise The Roof 10pm. Funk, disco, r’n’b and classics. WESTIVAL Shipping Hill Farm, The Ridgeway, Manorbier, Tenby, Pembrokeshire. westival.wales *Fri 19-Sun 21 Westival 10pm-3am (Fri 19 + Sat 20) / 10am-10pm (Sun 21), £70-£80 weekend/£30 per day/£20 per say before 12pm. See Clubs for more on this classy looking raveup. Fri 19: CC:Disco, ESA, Afriquoi, Donna Leake, Masalo, Harri Pepper, Kake, Jac Pepper b2b Eneldee, Uncle Funk, Simon Rhys Davies, Cimac, Saeph, Beak And Trotters, J Harsh b2b Finn P, B9, Autarchy Soundsystem and Colours. Sat 20: Marcellus Pittman, Tech Support, Mim Suleiman, Cervo, Yaaba Funk, Timbali, Tropical Dave, Is That Fair?, Double Vision, Pookie Knights, Flows, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Sound Condition, Dokter Zed, Tekno Disco, Jacky Legs, Luz, Tugi + Mystery, Other, Sood x Kiana, Grace Giles and Karis. Sun 21: Jamie Tiller & Orpheu The Wizard, Peach, Kijana, Hot Taties, Continuous Movement, Ros T, Doug Moiser b2b Mr West, Rhod Parry, B.L.O.O.M, Burno, Breeze, Precinct, Hi Life Hi Fi, Blackburn Bros, Groovecartel, Natalia, the Mixtape, Mehndi B, Maracuya Soundsystem and Stout. 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 uEscape Reality Cardiff Escape Reality, John Street, Cardiff. Mon-Fri + Sun 1.309pm; Sat 12-9pm, £16-£20 per player. Info 029 2132 3120 / cardiff@escapereality.com. Escape room setup where players have an hour to solve puzzles and exit the room in question. Offers each day for BUZZ 65

hen/stage parties, corporate events etc. 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. Caban Sgriblio Brecon Library. 4-6pm, free. Info 01873 811579. Drop-in creative writing sessions led by Uschi Turoczy. Running throughout summer but with no set finish date at present. English Conversation Group For Beginners M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11am, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Led by a qualified English language teacher. Mid Wales Dance Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219. With Lesley Walker. Also on Thursdays, Fridays aand Saturdays. Open Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. uSeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour National Museum Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales. com. Tuesdays and Fridays: Mines & Mountains, visiting Big Pit Mining Museum and Brecon Beacons National Park. Wednesdays and Saturdays: Romans & Ruins, visiting Caerleon, Caerwent, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley, Abbey Mill Craft Centre and Raglan Castle. Thursdays and Sundays: Golden Gower, visintg visits the Gower, Swansea Bay, Parc-Le-Breos, the Dylan Thomas Centre and more. EVERY WEDNESDAY Djembe Drumming Workshops Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 6.30BUZZ 66

9.30pm, £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 FAN Group Meeting Cardiff Central Library. 5.30pm, free. Info www.thefancharity. org. Meet new people, make friends and get to know your neighbours. Learn To Roller Skate Cardiff Central Youth Club, Cardiff. 6-7.30pm, £4/£40 for eight weeks at two sessions per week. Info www.brawlers. co.uk. With Cardiff roller derby team Tiger Bay Brawlers; fully coached and with veteran skater lead. Also on every Sunday. Mid Wales Dance Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219. Singing For Lung Health Bridges Centre, Drybridge House, Monmouth. 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/yinyasacardiff. Yoga First Floor, 3 Assembly Square, Britannia Quay, Cardiff Bay. 12.30-1.15pm, £5. Info elliecoptor@hotmail.com. With Mat Roblin. EVERY FRIDAY Bingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”. Also in Newport on Sat 29 this month. 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. 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. MONDAY 1 JULY Blink In Mirrors: Those Glorious Imperfections Shift, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info shiftcardiff@gmail.com. Poetry night, taking place here on the first Monday of each month. 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 this summer. Live Poets Society Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7pm, free (£4 donation welcomed). Info 07982 624959. Poets this evening include Gemma June Howell, Phil Knight, Rhoda

3600. Discuss authors and books old and new, the theme this month being biographies. Also on Tue 9. Leather Espadrille Sandal Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am1.30pm + 6.30-9.30pm, £30 per session. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. Life Writing Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 2-4pm, £45. Info 01873 811579. With Renée Stanton. Every Tuesday until 16 July. uUplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 12.30-1.30pm, £5/£4. Info 01874 611622. Every Tuesday this month. WEDNESDAY 3 JULY Gardens Walk And Talk: Summer National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am, £2. Info 029 2057 3500. Join members of the St Fagans gardening team for a tour of the gardens looking at plants of interest this season, with tips about how to grow them. uHedgehog Experience West Wales Hedgehog Rescue, Lampeter. £45. Info 01874 749092. Be a volunteer at a hedgehog rescue for three

Visit the very cute-looking Art Shop & Chapel in Abergavenny on Wed 3 July for a talk by Jill Furmanovsky – a big-league rock photographer who got her break in the 70s and has taken some famous shots of Oasis. Thomas, Iqbal Malik, Matt and Tim Evans. Paul Harrison Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £20. Info 0871 4720400. Talk, Inside The Mind Of The Serial Killer, whose content is presumably explained by its title. uPiggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £30/£20 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 Tue 9, Mon 22 and Fri 26. uToddler Time National History Museum, St Fagans. 1.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Themed toys and activities with Museum staff. Also on Mon 8 and Mon 15 this month. TUESDAY 2 JULY 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. Chapter Readings: Cicadas Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Spoken word/recital evening featuring James Tyson and hosted by Valmai Jones. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 029 2057

hours as part of a very small group. A Good Day Out event. Also on Wed 17, Sat 27 and Wed 31 this month. Jill Furmanovsky Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01873 852960. Talk by rock photographer to the stars, who’s been in the biz since the 70s. Reminiscence Monthly Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Come to the museum and share your memories of Cardiff, on the first Wednesday of every month. Museum Of Cardiff is the new name for Cardiff Story. uScandinavian Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks; also on Wed 24 this month. Wasteless Garden Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6.309pm, £11. Info hannah@ greencityevents.co.uk. Hosted by Green City. THURSDAY 4 JULY Bridgend Writers’ Circle Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7pm, free. Info 01656 815757. Meeting here on the first Thursday of every month. First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 029 2030 4400. New poetry and fiction, this

month hosted by Seren’s poetry editor Amy Wack. Imperfect Wasters The Gate, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £6. Info 029 2048 3344. An interview/ Q&A with Sophie Rae from Ripple Living, a sustainable shop in Roath quite near to this venue. uJapanese Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks; also on Thurs 25 this month Macrame Bottle Holder Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6.30-8.30pm, £12. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop aimed at anyone over 11. Open Mic Night Druidstone Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, free. Info 01834 869323. Hosted by Span Arts and National Theatre Wales and featuring at least 15 performers in various artistic disciplines. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Pontcanna Scout Hall, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 drop-in/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723. Choir, led by Laura Woodford, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune. Also on Thurs 11 and Thurs 18 this month. FRIDAY 5 JULY An Evening With Ray Parlour Barry Island Sports & Social Club. 8pm, £25 adv/£55 VIP. Info 01446 737339. Ex-Arsenal and England player takes time out from tweeting photos of bottles of lager to tell some anecdotes here. Hosted by comedian Lenny Dee. Presented by Mack Events. 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. uCardiff International Food & Drink Festival Oval Basin, Cardiff Bay. 12-7pm, free. Info 029 2087 2087. Annual weekender. There’s normally some nice stuff to eat and drink here, as well as live music and street entertainment. This year is the 20th festival as well. (Until Sun 7) 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. Cathy Ace Worm’s Head Hotel, Rhossili, Gower, Swansea. 3pm, £10. Info info@gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival presents a talk by Swansea-born crime writer. How Wales Turned Green Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £5. Info 029 2116 7920. Talk by Dr Chris Cleal about about the available evidence for the early evolution of plant life in Wales. uInternational Ceramics Festival 2019 Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 10am, £100£150 weekend/£90-£100 Sat 6 only/£80-£90 Sun 7 only. Info 01970 623232. Annual

weekend here featuring live demonstrations, talks, performances and kiln firings by ceramicists from China, France, Italy Japan, Latvia, the USA, Uzbekistan and the UK. More info at www. internationalceramicsfestival. org. (Until Sun 7) Meet The Maker: Verity Pulford Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 2.30pm, free. Info 029 2048 4611. North Walesbased glass artists talks about her work. Swansea Poetry Slam 2019 Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7.30pm, free/£5 to compete. Info 07982 624959. Hosted by Iqbal Malik and with a prize of £100. uThe Gin To My Tonic Show Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30-10.30pm, £16.50/£38.50 connoisseurs package. Info 029 2022 4488. “Not”, according to the blurb for this touring spirit showcase, “your typical gin event,” although everything they go on to list sound like things which also feature at your typical gin event. On tomorrow also, at 12pm-4pm and 6pm-10pm. SATURDAY 6 JULY uCaravan & Motorhome Show Chepstow Racecourse. 10am-5pm. Info 0844 2491000. Might jack it all in and become a practical caravanner. On tomorrow also, from 10am4pm. Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry. 10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149. Every first Saturday of the month. Gardeners’ Question time And Plant Fair Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free (suggested donation for Question Time £2). Info 029 2116 7920. Glamorgan Vintage Iron Horse Society Display Of Tractors Margam Park, nr Port Talbot. 10am, free. Info 01639 881635. uGood Morning Family Yoga National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am, £4/£1.50 kids. Info 029 2057 3600. Also on Sat 20. Lit On The Lawn Priory Hotel Festival Marquee, Caerleon. 11am-5pm + 7.30pm, £20/£10 day only/£15 evening only. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event featuring readings, discussion etc. 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. Monmouthshire Show Monmouthshire Showground, Monmouth. 9am-6pm. Info 01873 890365. Ostensibly an agricultural show but with a bunch of other stalls plus live music etc. Shibori (Indigo Dye) Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 2-4pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. Snapped Up Summer Market The Printhaus, Canton, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, free. Info 029 2022 0349. Try

your hand at T-shirt printing, pop in to open artist and makers’ studios and browse the stalls full of local arts and crafts. The Bone Yard Big Summer Bash The Bone Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 12-7pm, free. Info 07738 092524. A bumper version of the regular market here on the first Saturday of the month. uWales National Airshow Swansea Bay. Free. Info 01792 637300. Annual event with lots of airplanes doing loops the loops and so forth, plus various other family attractions. On tomorrow also. SUNDAY 7 JULY Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival Aberaeron seafront. 10am-4pm, free. Info www. aberaeronfishfest.com. Food demos from noteworthy chefs, free samples, stalls, art. 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 13, Thurs 18, Sat 27 and Wed 31 this month. Echoing Sound & Weave Course Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, £150 (four sessions). Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop, also on Sun 4 Aug. Healthspan Porthcawl 10k 2019 Porthcawl Pavilion (start and finish point). 9am, £5-£22 to enter/free to spectate. Info www.porthcawl10k.co.uk. Organised by Run 4 Wales. Taiko Taster Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 10.30-11.30am + 11.45am1.15pm, £7/£5 kids. Info 01874 611622. Taiko Mynydd Du with a Japanese drumming session. Organised Kaos Circus Masterclasses: Open Door Event Organised Kaos HQ, Heol-Cae-Gurwen, Ammanford. 11.30am-6pm, free. Info 07799 266505. Meet the trainers, watch performances and try some circus skills in an informal setting. Tough Runner UK: Cardiff Epic 10k Fforest Fawr, nr Cardiff. 10am, £24 to enter/free to spectate. Info info@ toughrunneruk.com. Second annual Cardiff date for this national trail race org, this one is in/near the Tongwynlais/ Castell Coch type area. Vertigo Pro Wrestling Jac’s, Aberdare. 2.30-5.30pm, £9 adv/£6 kids. Info 01685 879491. Including a royal rumble type match plus free doughnuts (while stock lasts). MONDAY 8 JULY Cardiff Humanists Event Cardiff Quaker Meeting House, Charles St, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £2/£1. Info www. cardiffhumanists.co.uk. Taking place on the second Monday of each month; July’s topic is based on a film Morality Of The Tribe, which asks whether it’s possible to treat all people equally. Gypsy, Roma & Traveller History Month Children’s Festival 2019 St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 10.30am-3pm, free. Info 029 2087 8444. uPam Ayres Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £25.

Info 01646 695267. As interviewed in the June issue of this magazine, cementing our position on the cutting edge of culture. On tomorrow also; in Llanelli on Wed 10. Soulful Storytelling Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Soulful Sunrise and also featuring live music. Price includes a drink. Storytime with Louby Lou Bedwellty House, Tredegar. 11am, £7. Info 01495 355945. Interactive storytelling for kids. TUESDAY 9 JULY The Neuroscience Of Love Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 7-9pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2048 7602. Funzing talk by evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Anna Machin. WEDNESDAY 10 JULY An Evening with Pam Ayres Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £25.50. Info 0845 2263510. uScriveners Writers’ Group The Badminton Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info 01495 309863 / burningcanary@ aol.com. Also on Wed 24 this month. The FIFA Ramble Charity Football Quiz & Live Podcast Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07830 381930. In aid of MIND. Organisers do not appear to be affiliated with the international football federation of the same name. THURSDAY 11 JULY Company Of Words Showcase Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £3 (suggested donation). Info 07830 381930. Featuring poet Olivia Tuck and publishing company Black Rabbit Press. uCraft Night M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6-8.30pm, free. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Hosted by Lark Design Make; also on Thurs 25 this month. FRIDAY 12 JULY uBridgend County Show Country Showground, nr Pencoed College Campus, Bridgend. 10am-5pm, free. Info 01656 651749. Entertainment, trade stands, horticulture, food, equestrian events and a lot more over three days. (Until Sun 14) Caitlin Moran Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27. Info 029 2064 6900. Latest show from CM, titled How To Be Famous and based on her book of the same name. Sold out. uNRT Fest Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields, Neath. 6pm, £20 both days/£14.30 adv. Info 0300 3656677. Two-day event formerly known as Neath Carnival and featuring live music (tonight: The Feeling, The Hat & The Fiddle Band and I Digress; tomorrow: B*Witched, Underline The Sky and The Reflex), a funfair and various stalls. Penned On The Bont Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01656 815757. Irregular literature event with

THE BIG SPLASH The Riverfront and surrounding area, Newport, Sat 20 + Sun 21 July Tickets: free. Info: bigsplashnewport.com This annual community festival is preparing to make waves once again as Newport gears up to welcome acts ranging from the fascinating to the downright bizarre. The event offers up the chance to take in some puppetry in The Hunt For The Twrch Trwyth or join dance theatre duo Whimsy [pictured] if that’s more up your street. Project_Vee, a homage to Soviet-era circus, is joined by the comedic efforts including Topiary Trauma, The Last Post and Flossy & Boo’s latest work, The Ramshackle’s Brilliant Adventure. Do What Ya Mama Told Ya even manage to combine the two disciplines in their food-based show, while Mystic Myfanwy’s contemporary dance/fortune-telling mashup is sure to be an interesting experience. Live music can also be found throughout the weekend. guest Jonathan Edwards and Zoe Brigley Thompson. uUcele Yoga: Yin Yoga Class Natural Health Service, Swansea. 7.30-9pm, £8/£4 for your first class. Info facebook. com/victoriauceleyoga. Quiet, mindful yoga open to all. Here every fortnight; also on Fri 26 this month. uVintage For Victory Library Gardens, Whitchurch Village, Cardiff. £40 both days/£25 per day/£30 kids both days/£20 kids per day/free under-12s. Info www. vintageforvictory.co.uk. “Set in the past it celebrates all that was great from the 1940s 50s & 60s”. Gag me with a prisonsharpened spoon. Dance lessons, replica fighter planes, vintage clothing and music. Tonight has an introductory set from Route 403; Sat 13 (starting at 12pm, as does Sun 14) features The Jive Aces, The Satin Dollz, Sarah Collins & Keep The Faith, All That Soul, The London Belles, Elle & The Pocket Belles, Glas, The Hot Rods and Madassa Soul Band; Sun 14 features Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band,Miss Annie & The Midnight Shift, Jackson Sloan & The Rhythmtones, My Favourite Things, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, Glas, The Hot Rods and The Bluejays. (Until Sun 14) SATURDAY 13 JULY uCeramics Workshop UWTSD College Of Art, Swansea. 10.30am-3.30pm, £75 (two days). Info 01792 652016. With Dan Butler. On tomorrow also. Chilli & Chutney Food Festival Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 12-6pm, free. Info 029 2116 7920. I think this

is based around Indian food but the people organising it aren’t very specific. Creative Writing Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am-2pm, £35/£25 unwaged. Info 029 2047 3373. With Briony Goffin. Book in advance please. Dye Garden Walk, Talk And Afternoon Tea National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. uEdge Of The World Party The Shed At Mwnt, Cardigan. 5-11.30pm, £20 adv. Info 07929 168994. Featuring music from Nigel Clark, Kenneth J Nash, Jack Blackman, The Woo Town Hillbillies, UnPunkt and Dom James; soundtracked silent movies form The Harcourt Players; and a community art piece on the beach tomorrow at 1pm, courtesy of Marc Treanor. Was hoping this was a flat earther festival but I don’t think it is. Exposure Wrestling; LuchaMania Dolman Theatre, Newport. 6.30pm, from £5. Info 01633 263670. Featuring Lucky Bowden, Axel Carter, Casey Wild, Jay J Roberts and many more. Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ ntlworld.com. Second Saturday of every month. Fleece To Felt Shearing Experience Brecon Beacons National Park. £90/£45 kids. Info 01874 749092. Full day small group session including shearing and felting with the wool. Price includes lunch. A Good Day Out event. uGolf: The Celebrity Cup Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 9am,

from £22. Info 01633 413000. Annual two-day event (on tomorrow also) where teams of slebs form golf teams to represent Wales (inc. Scott Quinnell), England (inc. Bradley Walsh), Scotland (inc. Jenni Falconer0 and Ireland (inc. Brian McFadden, emulating the leisure activities of Donald Trump instead of spending his day tweeting about how great Donald Trump is). uHave A Go Archery Caldicot Castle & Country Park. £1.50 per four arrows. Info 01291 420241. On tomorrow also, plus Sat 27 and Sun 28. Life Drawing Evening: Dance Days Special National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 6.30pm, £7.50. Info 029 2057 3600. Local Archaeology Day: Discover Merthyr’s Hidden Past Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil. 2pm, free. Info 01685 727371. Talks by various archeological and historical experts. Book in advance please. Miss Universe GB 2019 The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £30. Info 01633 656757. Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month. Paper Sculpture Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. Create a floral sculpture or tiara,using reclaimed books. With Danielle Sullivan. uPenarth Summer Festival 2019 The Esplanade, Penarth. 12-7pm, free. Info www. valeofglamorgan.gov.uk. Today: “the famous” Downhill

Derby, entertainment, street food, games, live music and fireworks. Tomorrow: Perarth’s traditional carnival day with free family activities. Pontypool Party In The Park Pontypool Park. 11am5pm, free. Info 01495 742805. Featuring live music from Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band, market stalls, a dog show, a funfair, farm animals and more. Small Press Day Book & Zine Fair ArcadeCampfa, Cardiff. Info clare@arcadecampfa.org. Event designed to spotlight the possibilities of small press publishing and to introduce its practitioners. Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3. Info 0845 2263510. Street Food And Live Music Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 4-10pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Every second Saturday of the month until October. Talk 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. Ynyswen Craft Show Ynyswen Welfare Hall, Treorchy. 9am-4.30pm, £5 to set up a table. Info 01443 520299. Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am, free. Info 01792 463980. Workshop for 8-11-year-olds, hosted by Emily Vanderploeg. SUNDAY 14 JULY Dilys Price OBE Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £25/£20. Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront for BUZZ 67

ROOTS UNEARTHED JULY 2019 At the end of last year Welsh musician Lleuwen Steffan released Gwn Glân Beibl Budr (Clean Gun Dirty Bible), a startling album bringing together her own compositions with a unique take on the Welsh hymnbook. Music that’s by turns thought-provoking and unsettling, but never less than compelling, the album won her the Best Original Welsh Language Song category at the inaugural Welsh Folk Award for the song Bendigeidfran. It’s familiar territory for the Brittany-based north Walian singer. In 2005, together with composer and pianist Huw Warren and saxophonist Mark Lockheart, she released Duw A Wyr/God Only Knows. An album of contemporary jazz interpretations of Welsh hymns, it brought her vocal talents to the attention of a wider audience, with the Observer Music Monthly including the album in their top 20 albums and with rave reviews appearing in London’s Time Out, Mojo and The Guardian. From an early age, Lleuwen’s life has revolved around music. The daughter of singer-composer Steve Eaves, she sang on some of his recordings as a young girl and also gained experience at Ysgol Glanaethwy, the Bangor school renowned for its choirs. Experience she put to good use when finding her own voice, initially with the jazz group Acoustique and then as a solo artist with her 2007 album Penmon. When she left Wales to live in Brittany, Lleuwen became increasingly interested in the area’s Celtic traditions – learning the language and working with local musicians, singer Norwen Korbel, and bassist Vincent Guerin, to compose the songs that would eventually be released in 2011 as the album Tân, a collection where traditional music, jazz and rock all came together to create something unique. Constantly evolving, Lleuwen’s music isn’t easy to pigeonhole. From hymns to jazz and pop to folk, she’s a restless artist who revels in breaking down musical barriers with astonishing results, as you can discover when she and her band play as part of the Roots Unearthed series at Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall on Tue 9 July. BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: State Of The Union (Brooks Williams & Boo Hewardine) American and English singer-songwriters in harmony. Lyceum Folk Club, Newport (Thurs 4) Rory McLeod Hugely entertaining folk troubadour. West End Club, Barry. (Thurs 18) Spooky Men’s Chorale Acapela from Australia’s Blue Mountains. St David’s Hall, Cardiff. (Thurs 25)

Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767

BUZZ 68

an interview with eightysomething skydiver who I imagine has been called a national treasure by someone at some point. Full Steam Ahead National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. See the Penydarren steam locomotive replica drive down a track. Make A Mosaic! Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil. 1-4pm, £10. Info 01685 727371. A Festival Of British Archaeology 2019 event. All materials provided. Marina Market Dylan Thomas Square, Swansea. 10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food. Singalonga Grease Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £17/£14 under-16s/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival screening. uWalk A Sheep 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 21, Sat 27 and Sun 28 this month. MONDAY 15 JULY Dementia Friendly Underground Tours Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon. Free. Info 029 2057 3650. Book in advance please. Singalonga Rocky Horror Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £17/£14 under-16s/ free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival screening. TUESDAY 16 JULY Life Drawing Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-8.30pm, £10. Info 01656 815757. Susie Dent Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22. Info 029 2064 6900. Quiz show doyen with a show titled The Secret Lives Of Words. See Upfront for an interview. Van Gogh: A Lullaby With Colour The Drill Hall, Chepstow. 7.30-9.30pm, £10/£7. Info 01291 625981. Illustrated talk by Eleanor Bird. WEDNESDAY 17 JULY Gill Sims Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.15pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. A show titled Why Mummy Doesn’t Give A ****, based on a book of the same name which I imagine really stands out in Waterstones thanks to the large implied swear word on the jacket. Michael Palin: The Quest For Erebus Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01646 695267. One-man show in which Palin, presumably more with his travel programme hat on than his Python one, tells the story of the ship which launched near this town nearly 200 years ago and sank about a century laer in the Arctic. See Upfront. Pointillism Art And Wellbeing Workshop The Gate, Cardiff. 2-3pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344. Hosted by Cerys Knighton, whose art

exhibition is currently showing here. Book in advance please. Simon Weston CBE Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01874 611622. Interviewed in June’s issue of Buzz. Wildlife Walks: Brilliant Bumblebees National History Museum, St Fagans. 2-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. With the Wildlife Trust Of South & West Wales. THURSDAY 18 JULY Book Club The Gate, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344. Third Tuesday of every month. Espadrille Shoe Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am-1.30pm + 6.30-9.30pm, £30 per session. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. Lates: Space National Museum Cardiff. 6.45-11pm, £23 adv. Info 029 2039 7951. This is co-presented by Blue Honey and Tactilebosch and features DJs Jane Fitz and Don Leisure, video, performance, live music, dance,

Mitchell. Each month’s edition has a different theme, July’s is ‘skeleton’. Thrifty Sew ‘n’ Sews Club Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 7-11.30pm, free. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk. Sewing and altering social event, aiming to stop people buying sweatshop clothes and generally be more sustainable. FRIDAY 19 JULY Antiques Roadshow National Botanic Garden Of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire. Free. Info 01558 667149. Fiona Bruce et al are taping an episode here today, come along and thrust your tat at the BBC ‘sperts. Bingo Boogie Vale Sports Arena, Cardiff. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2240 4901. Bingo with a club night of sorts thrown in. uDubs At The Castle 2019 Caldicot Castle. 9am-6pm, £10 per day/free under-16s. Info 07583 105849. Annual festival based around the display of Volkswagen vehicles while also featuring live music, stalls, food and drink and kids’ activi-

Something called The Edge Of The World Party takes place on Sat 13 and Sun 14, not at the edge of the world but The Shed At Mwnt in Cardigan. Music from various acts including Dodgy’s Nigel Clark, plus a community art piece created on the beach on the Sunday. participatory art and theatre, all taking place amidst the museum’s display of moon rock etc. First event under the Lates banner, assume they’re hoping to do more. 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. NES, Nibbles & Boardgames Night Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, free. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk. Retro social event – other consoles are available (Xbox and Gamecube, specifically). Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, free. Info 01685 722555. With Jonathan Richards and Wendy Holborow. Open Space Central Library, Cardiff. 5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116. Readings from poets Katherine Stansfield and Stephen Payne’s latest works, respecvtively titled All That Was Wood and Pattern Beyond Chance. Book in advance please. Ten Stories High Beelzebub’s, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk. Spoken word meets comedy type night hosted by Dan

ties. Finishes at 4pm on Sun 21. (Until Sun 21) Peter Brock: Playford Dancing Rhys Pritchard Hall, Llandovery. 7.30pm, £5. Info www.llandoveryfolkdancing. co.uk. A Llandovery Folk Dancing night. SATURDAY 20 JULY Apollo And Saturn: America’s Race To The Moon National Museum Cardiff. 11am, free (£2 refundable deposit). Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Phill Wallace of Cardiff Astronomical Society. One of various moon landingrelated events here today. uBig Splash Various outdoor locations, Newport. Free. Info 01633 656757. Street theatre, music, kids’ activities and more over two days, in several different places but with the Riverfront venue as its ‘hub’. Acts/performances confirmed so far: Project_Vee, Mystic Myfanwy, Do What Ya Mama Told Ya!, Topiary Trauma, Whimsy and The Hunt For The Twrch Trwyth. On tomorrow also. Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm. Info 01495 753782. Every third Saturday of the month. Craft Fair St Davids Church, Neath. 10am-4pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk. Did We Really Land On

The Moon? National Museum Cardiff. 3pm, free (£2 refundable deposit). Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Phill Wallace of Cardiff Astronomical Society. I assume he would answer in the affirmative so, in the manner of the BBC’s ‘get an idiot with a ridiculous opinion for balance’ approach to panel shows etc, they should really have a flat earther to argue for the other side. uIsle Of Fire Barry Island seafront. 7.30-10.30pm, free. Info 01446 704737. Annual event in which Barry Island is transformed into a firey landscape, in a good way, with a lantern parade, flaming Viking ship, live music and street entertainers. On tomorrow also. Karen Wilson Cathays Sports & Social Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2022 0906. Spirit medium who is making a face like this :s on the poster. Midsummer’s Family Fun Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free (suggested donation £3). Info 01792 516900. Drop-in events comprising Shakespearian storytelling-themed activities and specially selected family films, inspired by some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. Organised Kaos Circus Masterclasses: First Look Pirates Teasers – Acrobatics Organised Kaos HQ, Heol-Cae-Gurwen, Ammanford. 11.30am-2pm + 3.30-6pm,. Info 07799 266505. uPlanetarium In The Great Hall Caerphilly Castle. 10am-4pm, £5.30-£8.90/free members, disabled people and their companions. Info 0300 0256000. Another moon landing anniversary event, featuring hour-long ticketed sessions. On tomorrow also. St Fagans Real Food Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. With Riverside Real Food. Swansea’s Street Tramway National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Lecture by David Beynon looking back on the history of Swansea’s passenger tramcar system. Tenby Prosecco & Gin Festival De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 12.30 + 6.30pm, £12.50 adv per session. Info 01834 218228. The Moon Landing 50th Anniversary National Museum Cardiff. 11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Games and activities, display of moon rock and similar objects plus a display from Cardiff Astronomical Society. Unicorn & Prosecco Festival Tramshed, Cardiff. 12-4pm, £15 adv/£20 adv including t-shirt. Info 029 2023 5555. “World’s Largest Inflatable Unicorn Unicorn Rodeo Enchanted Photo Mirror Unicorn Performers/ Dancers Unicorn Glitter station UNICORN EVERYTHING.” Find these things a bit puzzling but I think their audience is that conceptual demographic the ‘hun’, and I don’t mean Rangers supporters.

SUNDAY 21 JULY Pan-Musicale 5.0: Sounds Of The Equator The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Fifth in a series of events in which attendees will “focus upon the music of a particular territory or genre and engage in open cultural conversation.” Rock On The Rooftop Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 2-10pm, £50/£20 under-12s. Info 01633 413000. Held on the rooftop terrace here, this event in aid of St David’s Hospice Care features music from Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band, Brotherhood Band, The Apple Tree Theory and some choirs; two meals, a raffle, a live auction and some other stuff. MONDAY 22 JULY uRoyal Welsh Show Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. 8am, £25 adv Mon-Wed/£23 adv Thurs only/£5 ages 5-16/under5s free. Info 0844 5450517. Family-friendly livestock competitions, forestry, horticulture, crafts, countryside sports, shopping and food and drink. (Until Thurs 25) TUESDAY 23 JULY Capturing The Voices Of The Welsh Jewish Community Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 2pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Talk by Katherin Williams relating to a week-long exhibition which launched here yesterday (see Art listings). 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. Holiday Memory: Journals Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4am, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 463980. Family drop-in workshop. There are Holiday Memory workshops running all summer here, until Sun 1 Sept to be exact. uSummer Holiday Free Activities Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am4.30pm, free (suggested donation £1). Info 01792 516900. A week and a bit of drop-in selfled activities based around the Hand Drawn Action Packed exhibition, including a Giant Magnet Board, a collaborative drawing conveyor belt, a threedimensional world-building project and a competition to draw yourself as a dog. Plus craft stuff and activity packs. (Until Thurs 1 Aug) WEDNESDAY 24 JULY uFamily Crafts Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-3pm, £1. Info 029 2034 6214. Drop-in activies, also on Wed 31. Morriston Orpheus Choir Open Evening The Calon Lan Centre, Mynyddbach Chapel, Swansea. 7-9pm, free. Info 07854 883469. Featuring solo and choir performances plus a chance to meet the

choir and the people of this chapel. uWildlife Wednesday Parc Bryn Bach, Tredegar. 10am2pm, free. Info 01495 355945. Blaenau Gwent Council’s Green Team present naturerelated activities including pond dipping and a nature walk. Also on Wed 31, from 10.30am-2.30pm. THURSDAY 25 JULY Lyrical Miracles NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Spoken word. FRIDAY 26 JULY An Evening with Justin Tipuric The Hyst, Swansea. 7pm, £40 adv. Info 01792 654366. Welsh rugby international talks to compere Lenndy Dee and answers questions. Price includes a two-course meal. Charity Fashion Show Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7pm, £5. Info 01600 772467. Raising funds for this venue. uLiving Seas Roadshow National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Look at Welsh marine wildlife using the Sea Wales 7D VR technology. On tomorrow also. uThe Big Cheese Town centre, Caerphilly. 3-10pm, free. Info 029 2088 0011. Popular annual event. Today featuring the Great Cheese Race at 6.30pm, live music, funfair and a firework display at 10pm. Tomorrow and Sun start at 10am and features reenactment displays, live music in domes dotted around the area, three large food halls, a cheese market etc. (Until Sun 28) The Welsh Cheese Company Pop-Up Cheeseboard Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7-10.30pm, £25. Info 07830 381930. New monthly cheese/wine/beer tasting event, your outlay getting you nine cheeses, two wines and a beer, plus a cheeseboard afterwards and bubbly/canapes on arrival. SATURDAY 27 JULY Archaeology At St Fagans National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Talks, tours and activities focusing on this museum’s collections, as part of the UK-wide Festival Of Archaeology. 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. Bite! Food Festival Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 10.30am-10pm, free. Info 029 2116 7920. Outdoor all-dayer which launched last year and sold small innovative dishes by respected chefs, as opposed to the same 10 or so stalls who occupy every other middlemarket food gathering in south Wales. They were also priced at £3 a throw, which I think will remain the case for 2019. uHomeless World Cup

Bute Park, Cardiff. Free. Info homelessworldcup.org. See Upfront for an article on this and an interview with its ambassador Michael Sheen. In addition to a week of football matches featuring some 500 homeless players, there’ll be an area hosted by Green Man with music, family activities, theatre, art, workshops and debate. (Until Sat 3 Aug) Landscape Photography Brecon Beacons National Park. £65. Info 01874 749092. Three-hour small group session with local photographer Sean Crawford. A Good Day Out event. Let’s Talk Research National Museum Cardiff. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. An afternoon presented by Health And Care Research Wales, offering family-friendly activities and talks by their researchers about their experiences. Life Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Life Drawing Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 10am3pm, £25. Info 01873 811579. With Tony Tribe. Also on Sat 24 Aug. uMakers Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-5pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Also featuring workshops and demonstrations as well as wares for sale. (Until Sun 11 Aug) Martyn Joseph Masterclass Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 10.45am, £50/£30 under-18s. Info 01524 840539. Songwriting and guitar-playing tutorials from noted folk-rocker. That phone number is for Image Acoustic who are the people putting this on. uMonmouth Festival Chippenham Fields, Monmouth. Free. Info www. monmouthfestival.co.uk. Annual event, on this site as opposed to the town centre for the first time this year. Not clear exactly what’ll be on offer, apart from no music in the main bit as in previous years. (Until Sat 4 Aug) Owl Encounter Brecon Beacons National Park. £30/£20 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Two-hour session in a barn in the Beacons handling and flying at least four owl species under the guidance of a conservation enthusiast. A Good Day Out Event. Pig Street Craft Fair The Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am4pm, free. Info enquiries@ pigstreetcrafts.co.uk. Selling original arts and crafts here most months until Christmas; this month’s instalment is for charity. uPirate Week Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 10am-5.30pm. Info 01792 371206. Kids’ activities such as gold panning, bouncy castle, craft activities, movies held in Wales’ smallest cinema La Charrette, and the opportunity to cross swords with Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Charlotte Duberry. (Until Sun 4 Aug)

uRope Making National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Using a replica 19th century rope-making machine. On tomorrow also. Weaving Rush & Bark Handbag/Kindle Case Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £85. Info 029 2048 4611. With Clare Revera. 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. This month participants can try experimental drawing, taking inspiration from the Hand Drawn Action Packed exhibition currently showing here. SUNDAY 28 JULY Dinosaur Spectacular Margam Park, nr Port Talbot. 10am-5pm, £7.65/£5.95 kids. Info 01639 881635. Pontcanna Brocante Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Vintage flea market, every last Sunday of the month until October. Sheepdog Experience Venue TBC, nr Crickhowell. £25. Info 01874 749092. Learn how to command a Welsh collie moving sheep around a field with a young local shepherd who competes nationally in sheepdog trials and trains young dogs. A Good Day Out event. MONDAY 29 JULY Gay Men’s Book Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Discussing a different book on the last Monday of each month; for June it’s Daphnis And Chloe by Longus. TUESDAY 30 JULY Holiday Memory: Puppets And Theatres Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4am, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 463980. Family drop-in workshop. WEDNESDAY 31 JULY uBat Walks National History Museum, St Fagans. 9pm, £5. Info 029 2057 3500. Afterdark journey looking for bats. Dress up sensibly and bring a torch. Also on Wed 7, Wed 14, Thurs 22 and Wed 28 Aug. Diarmis McCulloch Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01873 852960. Talk by a fella who holds the position of Professor Of The History Of The Church at Oxford University and has written various books and appeared on TV talking about related subjects. Sunset Cinema: Dirty Dancing Pembroke Castle. 7pm, £13/£11 adv. Info 01646 695267. Classic movies screened outdoors (they have Jurassic Park on Wed 14 Aug also).

live MONDAY 1 JULY Gwent Music Summer Showcase Concert 2019 St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £8.50-£12.50. Info 029 2087 8444. London Concord Ensemble St Peter’s Church, Newton, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@gowerfestival.org. First event in this year’s Gower Festival, classical performances in churches (mostly) until Sat 13. This group are also performing tomorrow and Wed 3. Tommy Harris Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Playing the jazz night which is here every Monday. uWestlife + Keelie Walker + The Rua Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £60. Info 029 2022 4488. On tomorrow also. uWindow Sessions 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 8pm, free Info 029 2022 8883. New acoustic night, hosted by Tomos Lewis and on every Monday. TUESDAY 2 JULY Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers. Graviton Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. UK jazz group led by pianist Andrew McCormack. uJohn Barrowman St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £27.50-£57.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Musical hit numbers and cost anecdotes from showbiz staple. On tomorrow also, that date having been added due to demand, although both seem to still have tickets on sale at the time of writing. London Concord Ensemble St George’s Church, Reynoldston, Gower, Swansea. 2.30pm, £10. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. 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. Ron King’s Rhythm Aces Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. WEDNESDAY 3 JULY Algiers + Silent Forum + New Haunts Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. Intense postpunk band from the States (albeit partly UK-based I believe) headline, and were previewed in the June issue. Brecon Town Concert

Band + The Cosmopolitan Music Society Of Edmonton Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7pm, £8.50/£6.50. Info 01874 611622. Film and stage music. 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. London Concord Ensemble Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 6.45pm, £20/£15. Info info@gowerfestival.org. Love Featuring Johnny Echols The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18 adv. Info 07590 471888. Psychedelic rock icons ploughing ahead without their late frontman Arthur Lee. Marky Dawson Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Martin Curtis Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night. Noson Jazz Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm. Info 01443 491424. Monthly jazz club night. 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. Sinfonia Cymru The Riverfront, Newport. 1pm, £5. Info 01633 656757. Skymasters Little Big Band with Jane Williams Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig, on every Wednesday. Welsh National Opera: Summer Opera Classics The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £20/£17. Info 01633 656757. Ysgolion Ceredigion Schools Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7pm, £7/£4. Info 01970 623232. THURSDAY 4 JULY Calling Apollo + Raiders + Delayed Departure + Bear Island Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, £5. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. South Wales rock bands. Raiders feature Sean Smith of The Blackout, who is also DJing here on Sat 6. Castell Coch Choral Society Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862. Soundtracking pizza night here. Ciaron Elm + Calum Ward NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Crows Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8pm. Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night. Gladys Knight Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £45. Info 029 2022 4488. Soul legend, no Pips. Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Monthly singalong around the piano. Mumtaz Jafri + Will Ford

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR AUGUST: THIS IS THE KIT (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Sat 10) TACOCAT (Clwb Ifor Bach, Wed 28) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR SEPTEMBER: LOS PACAMINOS (Earl Haig Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wed 11) PETE MURRAY (Clwb Ifor Bach, Wed 11) JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET (Taliesin BUZZ 69

* – recommended Gentileza, Cardiff. 7-9pm, free (donations welcome). Info gentilezacdf@gmail.com. Two solo musicians perform in this cafe/artspace, found in Duke Street Arcade. Ocean Mic Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@ gmx.co.uk. Monthly open mic night with a different host each month. July’s is Thoby Davis and there’s a special guest TBC also. uOpen Mic Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, free. Info 07818 056599. Every Thursday this month. Simon Trigg The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. State Of The Union Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night featuring a duo of Broosk Williams and Boo Hewardine. Veronica Spergia & Max De Bernardi The Angel Inn, Llandeilo. 7.30pm. Info info@llandeiloacoustic.com. A Llandeilo Acoustic Club night. Veronica and Max are in Barry on Sat 6. Young Garbo + Vanilla + Two Til Twelve + Beano Naboo & The Real Keepers The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com. Presented by This Feeling. FRIDAY 5 JULY 2Rude + Ka’s Ska Souls Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, £15.50. Info 01495 243252. Tribute bands. Bootleg Blondie Town Hall, Maesteg. 8pm, £15.50. Info 01656 815995. Tribute band. Boy Azooga + Katy J Pearson Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, £8 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Featuring Boy Azooga in their original solo incarnation, ie Davy Newington on his tod. Pearson is their/his new labelmate on Heavenly Records. Catfish + Trevor Babajack Steger The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01743 860246. Blues. Cath Jones Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Chris Kelly The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Christian Li & Gordon Back St Peter’s Church, Newton, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. Drew Bryant The Cross Keys, Dinas Powys. 9pm, pay by donation. Info 07713 608814. Grant Sharkey The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. uGwyl Gwenlli 2019 Synod Inn, Llandysul, Ceredigion. 7pm, £20 both days/£25 with camping. Info 01559 370861. Two-day festival of Welsh language music, mostly but not wholly rock bands. Today features Mari Mathias, Mellt, Hwntws, Bois Y Gilfach and Jess, plus an Adwaith DJ set.

Tomorrow opens at 12pm and features Gwilym, Newshan, Alffa, Ani Glass, Mari Mathias, Dafydd Pantrod, Los Blancos, Chroma, Bwca, Ail Symudiad, Cantorion Clwb Rygbi Crymych and H A’r Band, plus DJ Gwen. Plus street food etc. In Which It Burns + We Come From Ashes + State Of Deceit The Duke, Neath. 8pm. Info 0300 3656677. John Howes & Friends Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. Valley Folk Club night. Maet Live And The Never Neverland Express The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £11 adv. Info 07590 471888. Meat Loaf tribute. uMeddwlfest Midsummer Masque The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6-11.30pm, £5 per night. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Two-evening charity event in aid of Gofal. Tonight features Death By Disco, Enemo-J, Grym and two more acts TBC, Sat 6 features Point Of Extinction, Chemikill, Lazarus Moon (with guest performance by Metal Maidens), Who Knows Didley? and Sepulchre. Nell Bryden Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. “Darling of BBC Radio 2” as it says on the poster. Rain Kings City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913. Scarsun + Eulogy Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm. Info 01685 879491. Shellyann Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 863722. Swansea singersongwriter who was on the telly in some capacity, I think, and is in Cardiff on Sun 7. Simon Trigg The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017. Stay Voiceless + Hatepenny + Red Light Syndrome The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm. Info 01495 213300. Summer Showcase St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2056 2022. Songs from musicals, popular standards etc. The Algal Bloom The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, £6 adv/£9 with copy of EP. Info 01495 247178. EP launch gig. The Bohemians Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £21. Info 01656 815995. Queen tribute band. The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues. The Mike Ross Band The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £12. Info 01497 821762. Presented by Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club. The Stranglers + Ruts DC Caerphilly Castle. 5pm, £37.50. Info www.orchardlive.com. Brace of punk veterans, presented here by Orchard who are doing four more concerts at this castle between now and Sun 14. Unplugged Club Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3. Info

07818 056599. Acoustic music session. Wars + Homelands + Voidcaller + Sydney Fate Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 07970 063107. Presented by Two Punks and Bandit Music PR. Wine Morals Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Local band play a show in this venue’s Hometown Shows series, which is running all summer. WNO: Summer Opera Classics Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £16.50/£15. Info 01686 614555. Conductor Harry Ogg conducts the orchestra plus soprano Joyce El-Khoury and baritone Jason Howard. SATURDAY 6 JULY Addiction + Vinna Bee + Head Noise Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £3.50. Info 01443 491424. Almost P!nk The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01633 533666. Tribute act. Aubrey Parsons The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow. Baggy Trousers The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info info@bunkhousebar.

free. Info 01656 654753. Incursion + Recall The Remains + Nebula State + Led By Lies Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 07970 063107. John Otway Priory Marquee, Caerleon. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event. uJon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Funk and Latin tunes, every Saturday this month. Junior Conservatoire Advanced Course Summer Festival Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2.45 + 5pm, free afternoon; £7/£3.50 evening. Info 029 2039 1391. Recitals in the foyer first, followed by a concert from 5pm. Live/Wire Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £20/£16 adv. Info 01834 869323. AC/DC tribute band. Llyr Williams St Peter’s Church, Newton, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. MeatLoud Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £11 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Meat Loaf tribute act playing in aid of charity Holibobs. Mishka Shubaly + Who

The annual Folk On The Lawn festival returns from Thurs 11-Sun 14 July at the Abbey Mill, Tintern. It’s free entry, although relies on donations, and offers acts from a wide spectrum of folk styles. co.uk. Madness tribute band. Bandoliers Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Budgie tribute. Cadence The Pheasant, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 653614. Children Of the Gravy Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £4 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue. com. Black Sabbath tribute band. Children’s Concert Gowerton School, Gower, Swansea. 1pm, £5. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance in aid of Save The Children. Chris Kelly Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. City Voices Cardiff Top Hits St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £5-£14. Info 029 2087 8444. Classic pop songs performed by a choir. Community Chorus Summer Concert Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391. Hims And Arias Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Male voice choir, punny name. Hollie-Anne The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm,

Are The Monsters? + Red Light Syndrome The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Headliner is an American musician and writer who played here last year. *Obey Cobra + Mook + Zinc Bukowski Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info 07982 624959. Quality rocking from Cardiff, Swansea and Pontypridd. Papa Gee The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen. 1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com. Presented by Rewired Music. Pi & Hash Showcase NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Public Service Broadcasting + Boy Azooga Caerphilly Castle. 5pm, £35. Info www. orchardlive.com. Retro visual indie rockers plus local luminaries in support. Rhoose Summer Music Milburn Park, Rhoose, nr Barry. 12-11pm, from £15. Info www.valeofglamorgan. gov.uk. Live music from The Britpop Boys, 2 Rude, Brother Steve, Jumpin’ Jimmy & The Nice Guys, Rocket Joe Joe & The Old Time Bangers plus

u – repeated

DJ Lou-E. Single Mothers The Big Top, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Canadian indie punk band. South African Music & Dance Extravaganza The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7pm, £14/£12. Info 01639 843163. Brecon’s Regimental Museum Of The Royal Welsh commemorate the visit of King Goodwill of the Zulu nation to Ystradgynlais. Stray Pursuit + The Luka State + The Zinvandels + Diggs Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Hometown Shows gig, although The Luka State are from Cheshire. Summer Blues Festival Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran. 12pm. Info 01633 483238. Presented by the Borough Blues Club and featuring sets by Will Killeen, Workshop Band, Albino Frogs, Stompin’ Dave, the Marc Davies Band, Blues Central and the Mike Ross Band. The Brightoners The Buck Sports Bar & Grill, Barry 7pm, free. Info 01446 736333. Mod tribute band. The Mariachis The Depot, Cardiff. 6-11pm, £10. Info www.depotcardiff.co.uk. “These guys bring the party mexican style by bringing you pop classics with a mehico twist!” The Mean Mistreaters Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 07818 056599. Blues and jazz. The Roy Orbison Story In Concert Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £23.50. Info 0845 2263510. With Barry Steele as Roy. The Siren Sisters Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 2.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. The Smyths The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07590 471888. The hook this time is the 35th anniversary of Hatful Of Hollow. The Stompers Jazz Band + Cambrensis Concert Band Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 NUS and kids. Info 029 2022 1380. Concert in aid of VSO and Space4U Cardiff. Veronica Spergia & Max De Bernardi + The Bay Rum Hounds West End Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 735739. Welsh Camerata: Affairs Of The Heart St Andrew & St Teilo’s Church, Cathays, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info www.welshcamerata.org. Summer concert directed by Andrew Wilson-Dickson SUNDAY 7 JULY Aubrey Parsons Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688. uDave Cutter The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen. 1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail. com. Presented by Rewired Music. Cutter is also playing here on Sun 21. Flogging Molly Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. LA folk-punk band

who’ve been going for nearly 20 years, can’t recall them playing south Wales before though. What I can remember is that the singer used to be a member of 80s spandex rockers Fastway. I did initially call Flogging Molly ‘faux-Irish’ when typing this listing but it turns out he is actually from Dublin. uFrankie Wesson Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 8pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month. Lea Salonga Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £29.50-£57.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Filipino musical theatre fave with a concert rescheduled from March. Open Mic with Dave Kenwrick The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. *Please Mind Your Head IX Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 12pm, £8.75. Info 029 2023 2199. The ninth edition of this annual benefit gig for Headway Cardiff, this year featuring sets from Zervas And Pepper, Threatmantics, My Name Is Ian, Zabrinski, She’s Got Spies, Inanna Meets The Dawn, Surreal Kinnock and Gindrinker. Shellyann The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. uSteve Tarner Jazz Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 2pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month. The Great Unknown The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675. Tongwynlais Music Academy Musical Soiree Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 7pm, £7.80/£6 under-17s. Info 029 2089 0862. MONDAY 8 JULY Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band Priory Hotel Festival Marquee, Caerleon. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event. Cardiff Arms Park Male Choir Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2071 2100. Dude Trips + Scavengers + Foxbite + Timberwolves Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5/£3. Info 07970 063107. Presented by Rarity. Gypsy Jazz Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Fiasco The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £4/£3 NUS. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Jessica Robinson & Llywelyn Ifan Jones Siloam Baptist Church, Killay, Gower, Swansea. 2.30pm, £10 Info info@gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance featuring soprano and harpist. John Owen-Jones Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 6.30pm, £26.50. Info 01495 243252. West End fave. TUESDAY 9 JULY Banshee Therapy Session Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

Arts Centre, Swansea, Sat 14) MALLORY KNOX (Clwb Ifor Bach, Sun 15) DRAB MAJESTY (Clwb Ifor Bach, Sun 22) THE EX (Clwb Ifor Bach, Sun 22) CREED BRATTON (The Globe, Cardiff, Sept 29) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR OCTOBER: PULLED APART BY HORSES (Le Public Space, Newport, Wed 2) GARY NUMAN BUZZ 70

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com. Monthly jazz improv session. Cluster Concert Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 5.30pm, £5. Info 0845 2263510. Featuring kids from various schools in the area. Grangetown Bumps Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Itoldyouiwouldeatyou + Floorboards + Kingkhan The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Headliners are doing a warmup gig for the 2000trees Festival. Beers Over Tears present. Lleuwen St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£16. Info 029 2087 8444. A Roots Unearthed gig for Welsh folk-rocker. Ray d’Inverno / Tony Woods Quartet The Muse, Brecon. 8pm, £12/£10 members. Info info@ breconjazzclub.org. A Brecon Jazz Club event. Wales International Academy Of Voice St Cenydd’s Church, Llangennith, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. WEDNESDAY 10 JULY AVA Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Ambient classical sort of stuff from a piano/ violin duo. Bridgend Big Band & Singers Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. Cloud Nothings + Drahla + Human Heat Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199. See Music for a preview of the headliners. Dan Cassidy & James Hickman Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 651725. US/UK folk duo. Hana2k + Macy + Foxxglove Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. A Forte Project gig. Holding Absence + Raiders + Welterweight The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £8 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. Headliners are doing a warmup show for 2000trees Festival. Ji Liu St Peter’s Church, Newton, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. Morriston Orpheus Choir St Cadoc’s Church, Caerleon. 6.15pm, £12. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event. Noson Werin Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm. Info 01443 491424. Monthly folk night. Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Alcie Bella. ¡Que Asco! + Papur Wal

+ Surreal Kinnock + TJ Roberts The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Presented by Libertino and Maiden Voyage. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 24. THURSDAY 11 JULY Adam Print & Melanie Stevens Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862. Soundtracking pizza night here. Carducci Quartet St Rhidian & St Illtyd’s Church, Llanrhidian, Gower, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. uFolk On The Lawn Tintern Abbey Mill, nr Chepstow. 7pm, free (donations welcomed). Info info@ folkonthelawn.com. Annual SW weekender of folk, folk-rock, bluegrass, country and other related styles. Today is an evening gig with The Gentle Good plus Avital Raz. Fri 12: Faeland, Mud On The Tyres, The Boxwood Chessmen, Avital Raz and Dennis Remme (River stage); The Hicksters, Melanie Pegge, Anna My Charlotte, Ste Halliwell and Caim (Bar stage). Sat 13: The Hittites, Autumn Dawn Leader, The Face That Boils Itself, Melanie Pegge, Jelling Spillemandslaug, The Hicksters, The Adventures Of Bert And Henry, We Are Muffy, Caim and The Rob Connolly Band (River stage); The Warbirds, Jig Of Slurs, The Hittites, Spencer Segelov, Town Musicians Of Bremen and Jelling Spillemandslaug (Mill stage); The Boxwood Chessmen, Louis Rive, The Darren James Band, Leon Gormley, Blind River Scare, Sally Thompson, Freya & Matt and Avital Raz (Bar stage); Fi Angwin, The Ed Lofstedt Assembly, The Warbirds, Ste Halliwell, Jon Matthews and Louis Rive (Filling Station stage). Sun 14: We Are Muffy, The Ed Lofstedt Assembly, Darren James Band, Molly’s Kiss and Spencer Segelov (River stage); MG Boulter, The Face That Boils Itself, Blanid and Blind River Scare (Mill stage); Molly’s Kiss, Nic Puccaco, Jon Airdrie & The Enablers, Fi Angwin and Sally Thompson (Bar stage); Caim, The Rob Connolly Band, Leon Gormley, Julie’s Band, Anna My Charlotte and Freya & Matt (Filling Station stage). (Until Sun 14) IATB Ensemble The Dog House, Caerleon. 6.30pm, £8. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event featuring eclectic jazz combo. Into The Groove Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715. Madonna tribute. James Kennedy The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Money For Nothing Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £2. Info 01639 763214. Dire Straits tribute. uNeath Music Festival Various locations, Neath.

11am-9pm, free. Info 07774 265090. This apparently features over 100 acts across four days and three stages; the stages are Charlies Bar, New Street Square and Angel Square but none of the acts are confirmed as I write. (Until Sun 14) Songwriters Network Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk. Meetup and jam type night, every second Thursday of the month. Wonderbrass Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. FRIDAY 12 JULY 360 Degrees City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913. u6 Hands Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2089 0862. Jazz guitar trio of John Williams, John Etheridge and Gary Ryan. On tomorrow also, both dates sold out. A Different Thread The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 01497 821762. Aled Rheon + Dam Lambert + Finlay Pelling The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7. Info 029 2048 3344. Folkrockers times three. All Saints Chepstow Racecourse. 4pm, £22-£32. Info 0844 2491000. Famously easygoing 90s girl group sing the hits in between bouts of men beating horses to make them run faster. Arrest! Charlie Tipper + Helen McCookerybook + The January Dead Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Benefit gig for Hope Not Hate and Stand Up To Racism. Arrival Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £24. Info 0845 2263510. Abba tribute band. In Pentyrch on Sat 20. Calypso The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017. Cath Jones The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Fortunate Sons Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. R&B. uHiraeth 2019 Bryn Bettws Lodge & Bike Park, Gyfylchi Farm, Pontrhydyfen. £8 per day/£30 weekend including camping. Info hiraeth2019@ gmail.com. Three days of music at a mountain biking centre. If you’re there for the weekend you can camp or sleep in log cabins. Today’s lineup: The Sandinistas, Carolines, Anonymous Iconoclasts, Chopsy and Matthew Frederick. Sat 13L Fire Fences, Rhys Davis & The Liberators, Wynt, The Breakfast Club, Taffy Was A Thief, Farenheit, Bedface and The Hat & The Fiddle. Sun 14: Kamikazee Millionaires, Ravenbreed, Surrge, Kinstrife, Cripplecreek, Head Noise and Wager. (Until Sun 14) Hyll + Y Sybs + Haze + Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023

HOMETOWN SHOWS PRESENTS Sin City, Swansea, various dates throughout summer Tickets: £3-£5. Info: 01792 468892 / www.sincityclub.co.uk When you’re a young musician, enthusiastic but only just starting out, what’s the one thing you need? A place to play, probably. Hometown Shows has been launched by Swansea venue Sin City to give fledgling bands a platform and offer audiences with an ear for Welsh talent a place to get their fix. Falling somewhere between indie and mellow punk, Wine Morals (Fri 5 July) are followed by The Stray Pursuit and Cheshire’s The Luka State (Sat 6); News From Nowhere (Fri 19, pictured) are also set to showcase new music. Harmonies Of The Revised (Sat 20) and Vanilla (Fri 26) are both currently recording debut music. Early August sees electronica-rockers Inscape (Fri 2), quickly followed by Windshake (Sat 3) and Far From Animals (Fri 9). 2199. EP launch for the headliners. Also features DJ Garmon. Jarzino The Bell Inn, Caerleon. 8.30pm, £8. Info 01633 430194. Caerleon Arts Festival event. John Newman Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. The man behind summer smash Love Me Again, it says here. I have never heard of this song or this person. Apparently it was a number one six years ago. John Nicholas St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Major. 7pm, £7. Info 01446 792439. Singersongwriter sort. Motel Thieves + The Rotanas + String Theory + French Alps Tiger The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Nile Rodgers & Chic Cardiff Castle. 5.30pm, £55.50/£80 VIP. Info 029 2034 1199. First of two big concerts hosted by the Depot venue (that’s their phone number), the other being tomorrow. See Upfront. Oliver Wass & Huw Wiggin Clyne Chapel, Mayals, Swansea. 2.30pm, £10. Info info@gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival performance. Party At The Park Tredegar Park, Newport. 4-10.30pm, £35£49.50 adv. Info www. partyattheparknewport. co.uk. Featuring Sister Sledge, Gabrielle, T’Pau and Omar, plus a Rum & Reggae Stage

hosted by Irie Shack. Pembroke + Dead Mans Pick + Katie Rands The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. uRudry Music Festival Rudry Parish Hall, nr Caerphilly. £46 both days/£15 Fri 12 only/£35 Sat 13 only (£23 youth both days/£7.50 Fri 12 only/£17.50 Sat 13 only). Info 07740 192879. Festival of pleasant music, arts, crafts, spoken word and nature activities. Playing today: Easy Stride Band, Resonant Rogues, Junior Bill and Dave Morris And The Knock. Tomorrow: Captain Accident & The Disasters, Funke & The Two Tone Baby, Rainbow Maniac, Gaz Brookfield, Katell Keineg, VRi, The Rumblestrutters, Siobhan McCrudden and Matthew Frederick. Scarsun + Sentry + Garuda + Reggie Satanas And The Dim Panico The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm. Info 01495 213300. Sepulchre + Rapture’s End + Harbour Way The Duke, Neath. 8pm, free. Info 0300 3656677. Headliners are in Swansea tomorrow. Simon Trigg Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Slingshot Dakota + Fresh + Rosehip Teahouse + Soft The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Rosehip Teahouse are profiled in the Ones To Watch section this

issue. Thank You For The Music Cardigan Castle. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 01239 621200. Abba tribute. One of several gigs Theatr Mwldan are promoting at Cardigan Castle this month; KT Tunstall is tomorrow, for example. The 1990’s The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Britpop tribute band play Definitely Maybe by Oasis in full. The Phoenix Choir Of Wales + The J Birds + Jonathan Lycett Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5-£12. Info 01792 602060. The Wicked Jackals + Dominic Nation & The Dirty Dead Creature Sound, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 301178. The Woo Town Hillbillies Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 07818 056599. The Zutons + The Subways Caerphilly Castle. 4pm, £35. Info www. orchardlive.com. See Upfront for a Zutons interview. Toploader + Bedface The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01685 387925. True Gold Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £13/£10 adv. Info 01685 879491. Spandau Ballet tribute band. Twisted Ankle + Salt The Snail + Maines + Little Islands Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 029 2039

(Tramshed, Cardiff, Thurs 3) RICHARD HAWLEY (Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 3) TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Thurs 3) CAMELPHAT (Titan Warehouse, Cardiff, Fri 4) PENGUIN CAFÉ (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sun 6) WILL YOUNG (St David’s Hall, Tue 8) CARWYN ELLIS BUZZ 71

* – recommended 9557. We Come From Ashes + Black Lakes + Excursia The Lion, Chepstow. 8pm, free. Info 01291 630886. SATURDAY 13 JULY Alice In Londonland The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925. Alice Cooper tribute. Bandicoot + Al Moses Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 468892. Presented by Beacons and Swansea Music Hub. Black Angus Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £6 adv. Info 07970 063107. AC/DC tribute. Black Stone Cherry Caerphilly Castle. 5pm, £39.50. Info www.orchardlive.com. Sold out. Blind Divide + In Which It Burns + Greywall Creature Sound, Swansea. 7pm, free. Info 01792 301178. Metal. Brenig The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen. 1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com. Presented by Rewired Music. uCaerleon Arts Festival: The Big Free Various venues, Caerleon. 12.40pm, free.

Info 01633 430194. Bands (and a few dance groups, landscape painters, writing groups and bell ringers) at The Bell Inn, Hanbury Arms and on the Festival Field all day today and tomorrow. Depot In The Castle Cardiff Castle. 12pm, £42.50/£21.50 under-18s/£5 under-12s. Info 029 2034 1199. Featuring live sets from Clean Bandit, Tom Odell and Circa Waves, plus street food from Brother Thai, Dirty Bird, Bearded Taco etc and various family-friendly activities. James Kennedy The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753. Kamikaze Test Pilots + Teenage Mutant Single Mothers + Grym + Harbour Way The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. KT Tunstall Cardigan Castle. 8pm, £25 adv. Info 01239 621200. Led Hendrix Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. A tribute to Led Zeppelin... and... Jimi Hendrix. Lisa Jenkins The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Massa Circles + Vinna Bee + Surreal Kinnock The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Welsh acts paying tribute – I assume in the sense of covering the music but not positive – of the soundtrack to the movie A Clockwork Orange. Megadeth UK Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk. Tribute band. Parti Ponty Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 5-11pm, £3. Info 01443 491424. Featuring sets from Glain Rhys, Danielle Lewis, Alffa, Gwilym and four bands created in workshops led by Mei Gwynedd. Punk Rock Alldayer The Crown Inn, Abertillery. 2-11pm, free. Info 01495 321710. Featuring Grand Collapse, Pizzatramp, Sick Pins, Ill Fate, Deathtraps, System Reset, Trigger McPoopshute, Social Experiment, Red Light Syndrome and X Twenty Two Sepulchre + Voltane + Infernal Diadem Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 8pm. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com. Sir Karl Jenkins SeventyFifth Birthday Gala St

Mary’s Church, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info info@ gowerfestival.org. Gower Festival closing performance featuring Côr Caerdydd, the Chamber Orchestra Of Wales and Catrin Finch. Stereophonics + Tom Grennan + Gruff Rhys + Fireroad Singleton Park, Swansea. 3.30pm, £45 adv. Info stereophonics.com. Sold-out gig marking 20 years since Stereophonics’ first stadium show (I think), at Swansea’s now bulldozed Morfa Stadium. The set apparently included a run through As Long As We Beat The English while audience members waved Welsh flags, sparking a debate in the NME that suggested such combative patriotism was irresponsible at a time when there had been rumours of KKK activity in the Valleys. 1999 really was better than Prince ever dreamed it might be. Stuart Townend & Cambrensis St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15/£11 under-16s. Info 029 2087 8444. Christian singer-songwriter backed by a choir. Up Shot + Penny Rich + Heavy On The Ride + Tacet NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm,

live review

CONVERSATIONS WITH NICK CAVE Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 15 June

Nick Cave arrived to a packed Wales Millennium Centre, beginning the UK leg of the Conversations With… global tour – following on from The Red Hand Files, where fans ask him questions online and Cave personally responds. The event started promptly with a recorded spoken word intro, Steve McQueen, followed by the lights turning on to Cave, alone at a piano, opening with God Is In The House from 2001’s No More Shall We Part. The concept is simple: Nick Cave takes questions from the audience and plays a few numbers now and then. He also asked that nobody record or film the questions, as some would be incredibly personal – social media and its ills too great a risk. And many of the questions proved to be deeply personal: from partners passing away to cancer diagnosis, via questions about belief in God and how to help a daughter addicted to heroin. Cave always answers with incredible sympathy, depth and interest, which isn’t easy seeing as both he and the person asking are thrust into the spotlight in front of 2,000 others. It’s surprising, indeed, how emphatically he manages to respond. When asked if he suffers from stage fright, he openly explained that while he had in the past, he now imagines his son – Arthur, who tragically died in 2015 – standing next to him as he walks on stage; reminding him that that whatever could go wrong has already happened and nothing could top that. There are plentiful discussions on his writing practices, including the note he’d love to create a horror movie soundtrack with Warren Ellis. He also came prepared with pre-printed lists for questions on books and music inspiration, to be collected from the stage, clearly popular past questions. Some of the questions didn’t really get anywhere – participants rambling on too long to a confused Cave, though I suppose that’s part of the risk with these events. Often the questions were followed with song requests. Some were met with a flat ‘no’ but the approved ones would see him walk over to his piano and dedicate it to that person, his voice clear and dark as the night, the lone piano ringing out. Personal favourites were Grinderman’s Palaces Of Mantezuma which he admitted to never playing solo before and being incredibly impressed with himself for pulling it off. There were some other deep cuts that don’t get much of an airing these days, such as Papa Won’t Leave You Henry from 1992 album Henry’s Dream, and a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Avalanche, amidst some stunning renditions of Jubilee Street, The Weeping Song and the evening’s final number, The Ship Song. This was a unique and immersive experience that took a lot of nerve to pull off, which Nick Cave did with a natural ease. It might not be of interest if you’re not already a fan, but if you are, it’s a glorious evening. words DANIEL JONES photos DANIEL BOUD

BUZZ 72

u – repeated

free. Info 029 2037 8866. SUNDAY 14 JULY Affinity Choir Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Billed as a celebration of music from America. Côr Heol Y March Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £12/£8. Info 029 2039 1391. Children’s choir based near Cowbridge. Elinor Bennett Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.50. Info 029 2089 0862. Welsh harpist. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 28 in July), with an extra acoustic session on the third Sunday (Sun 21) too. Garbage + Du Blonde Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £35 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Wisconsin avatars of 90s alt play their first Welsh gig for 21 years, one month and eight days. Look it up! I did. Groove Armada +

Jean Jacques Smoothie Caerphilly Castle. 5pm, £40. Info www.orchardlive.com. See the June issue for an interview with (one of) Groove Armada. Laura Power + Yasmine And The Euphoria + Pay The Man Jac’s, Aberdare. 5.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Headliner is playing in Pontypridd on Fri 19; Cardiff on Sun 27. Pete Mathison Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688. Tom Gray & Gary Phillips Café Jazz, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £3-£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Playing Hot Club Swing, the monthly gypsy jazz jam night. Too Many Zooz The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. MONDAY 15 JULY Beyond Words: Hit The Right Note Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7pm, £12-£22. Info 029 2022 4488. Performance by a choir of 1,000 young local people. Dom Norcross Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Only Boys Aloud Academi + Rubicon Dance Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5 + 8pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Music/dance dual showcase. Tyrannosaw + The Woodsman + Zed Motel The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info info@themooncardiff. com. TUESDAY 16 JULY Open Mic Penarth Pier Pavilion. 6.30-10.30pm, free. Info 029 2071 2100. Rhydypenau Primary School Annual Summer Concert Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £6. Info 029 2039 1391. Syd Lawrence Orchestra Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £22/£20. Info 0845 2263510. The Final Slide Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. WEDNESDAY 17 JULY Akode The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Free jazz from England and Sweden featuring semi-regular performer at this venue Alan Wilkinson. Beach Boyz Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01792 475715. Tribute band. In Milford Haven tomorrow. uBella Collins Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 31. Cardiff And Vale Music Service Summer Showcase Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. *David Cross Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2062 6015. Former King Crimson member with a band including David Jackson of Van Der Graaf Generator. I saw this band – might not have all the same members here, but definitely the two Davids – last year and it was really good. Forever Came Calling + These Five Years + Cue The Bad Guy The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Jonathan Wilson Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. American singer-songwriter bloke, seems popular with your Uncut magazine types. Keys + Los Blancos + Sock The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Welsh indie bands presented by Libertino. Mrs Ackroyd Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night. Olly Chalk / Sam Ingvorsen / Gwylim Jones Trio 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. With a different

guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Sophie Crabtree. Pete Long & Capital City Jazz Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. 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. Rory McCloud Cwtch Coffee, Pembroke Dock. 7.30pm. Info 01646 687635. Worldly folk fella. THURSDAY 18 JULY Beach Boyz Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £20.50£22.50. Info 01646 695267. Crywank + The Menstrual Cramps + Live, Do Nothing The Big Top, Cardiff. 6pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Indieish stuff presented by Club Babe. Danielle Nicholls Band The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Massy Ferguson + Peter Bruntnell + Robertson Matthews Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Americana kinda stuff, the headliners coming from the USA and naming themselves after a tractor. Pi & Hash Showcase The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever + Thyla Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie psych band from Melbourne headline. This sold out ages ago mind. Rory Mcleod West End Club, Barry. 7pm, £10. Info 01446 735739. Sarah Meek with Dave Cottle Trio Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £5-£11. Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night paying tribute to Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Shootin’ The Crow Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, free. Info 01656 815995. Americana type stuff. Says it’s sold out on the website, not sure if they actually mean that tickets aren’t available as it’s free. Simon Proffitt & Ash Cooke Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth. 8pm. Info 01970 633088. “Twin guitar improvisations dealing with nontonal playing and extended technique” from these two stalwarts of the Welsh expeirmental underground. The Bon Jovi Experience Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26/£24. Info 01792 475715. Tribute band. The Calennig Show Band Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8pm. Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night. FRIDAY 19 JULY Aiden Hatfield + Crystalline + String

Theory Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 07970 063107. Bandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.” Black3lvis + When Worlds Collide + The Honest Poet Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Presented by Newsoundwales. Broken Lines + The Fens Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599. Bruce Anderson Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Classic soul. Duchess Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01792 602060. NYC vocal trio inspired by the likes of The

029 2047 3373. New night curated by Teddy Hunter, titled Paper Boat. Neptune’s Daughters The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm1.30am. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Open mic night. News From Nowhere Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Hometown Shows gig. Open Night Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 8pm, £3. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night. Phil Beer St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff. 7.45pm. Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk. Playing the monthly Rumney Folk Club night. Piano-oke The Hyst, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 654366. With Bobby Cole, architect of Titanic-themed musical The Queen Of The

The Rudry Music Festival, in Rudry Parish Hall near Caerphilly, combines cheerful music (Junior Bill, Captain Accident, VRï, Rainbow Maniac) with a general family-friendly tent-pitchy atmosphere, on Fri 12 and Sat 13.

Andrews Sisters. Fistful Of Rage + Casual Overload Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 01443 491424. Rage Against The Machine tribute band headline. Gender Roles The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Presented by Beers Over Tears. Geraint Jarman Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £14. Info 01656 815995. Rangy Welsh language rock veteran who doesn’t play live too often these days I don’t think. Grooveline West End Club, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 735739. Hollie Anne City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913. James Kennedy The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017. Laura Power + Gracie + Christian Punter Globetrotters, Pontypridd. 8.30pm, £3. Info globetrottersbar@gmail.com. Lewis Barfoot The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 01497 821762. Mad For Britpop The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Britpop covers band playing as part of an indie clubnight that’s on until 2am, so could be playing any time Moon Biscuit + Inanna Meets The Dawn + Indigo Haze M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info

Ocean which I am thrilled to note is returning to this venue in November. Punchline The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Revival + Excursia + Finding Aurora + A/M Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, free. Info 01495 243252. The Physics House Band + False Hope For The Savage + Death Cult Electric Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Proggy post-rockers from Brighton headline. Their latest release has a guest spot from Stewart Lee. The V.U. Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 01685 879491. Velvet Underground tribute band. *Torpor + Surya + They Live | We Sleep The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com. Doom metal and hardcore bands presented – for free, mark you! – by Cosmic Carnage and Lesson No.1. Saw Torpor last year and they were great, can’t wait to clock ‘em again. Whole Lotta Led Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17. Info 029 2089 0862. Unplugged gig from Led Zeppelin tribute band. SATURDAY 20 JULY Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267.

Arrival Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £24. Info 029 2089 0862. Bon Jovii Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 491424. Tribute band. Celtic Pride Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Rock covers. Dai C Thomas The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow. Ethereal + Agrona + Black Pyre Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm. Info 07970 063107. Black metal bands from England and Cardiff. Feels Like Summer Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 3pm, £48/£25.50 under-18s/free under-5s. Info feelslikesummer.co.uk. Featuring the June issue’s cover stars Bananarama plus Bonnie Tyler, S Club, Liberty X, Mr Motivator and Grltlk. Plus a retro roller disco, gin and prosecco bars and various food stalls. Fishguard Music Festival Opening Concert St David’s Cathedral. 7.30pm, £15-£30. Info 07474 072118. There are several events between today and Fri 2 Aug, not all of them in Fishguard as you can see. Islwyn Evans conducts Bryn Terfel, pianist Llyr Williams and harpist Hannah Stone. Graham Nash Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £32-£150. Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront for a chat with the man who is neither Crosby, Stills or Young. Top price here is a Soundcheck Experience Package; I’d be interested to see stats on how many punters, having forked out £100 or more to watch a soundcheck, go on to repeat this transaction. Harmonies Of The Revised Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Hometown Shows gig. Kenfig Hill Male Voice Choir Annual Concert Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7pm, £10. Info 01656 815995. Lifer + Beneath The Divine + Trigger Mcpoopshute+ SmithGrind The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Cancer Research charity night. Rock Bottom The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm. Info 01495 247178. UFO tribute band Roxy Magic Band Cardiff Bus Transport Club. 7.30pm, £17 adv. Info 029 2023 3658. Roxy Music tribute band. Rushed Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Rush tribute. uSondheim On A Summer’s Evening Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2087 7959. Vocalist Tim Reynolds and pianist David George Harrington celebrate musical theatre don Stephen Sondheim. On tomorrow also. The Bunkhouse Hootenanny The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 3pm, £11 adv/£6

early bird. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. Folk and country festival across two stages, the only acts confirmed so far though are Lost Tuesday Society, Little Folk and Holy Home Video The Korgis The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Pop-rock band from the 70s, feel like the sort of thing you’d flip past in used record shops a hundred times and never look at but apparently they have a fanbase who have insisted they play south Wales. The Lizzy Legacy The Dolls House, Abertillery. 9pm. Info 01495 213300. Thin Lizzy tribute band, who also do related acts including Black Star Riders and Gary Moore Three Dead + Claytoride + Amber Lights NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Welsh Proms 2019: One Small Step St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Owain Arwel Hughes conducts a programme including Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Wagner. It’s 50 years to the day since man pretended to land on the moon so the Proms are hitching their wagon to that. SUNDAY 21 JULY Ben Walker Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2089 0862. Folk guitarist. Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar. Cripplecreek + Bad Reputation Jac’s, Aberdare. 6pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Rock covers. Dai C Thomas Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688. Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2038 7026. Junior Bill The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7 adv. Info 01497 821762. Louise Claire Marshall with The Jon Crespo Trio The Small Space, Barry. 7pm, £25. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Jazz. Mid Wales Opera Gala Gregynog Hall, nr Newtown. 6pm, £15. Info 01686 614555. Concert featuring young singers from Wales International Academy Of Voice plus pianist Charlotte Forrest. The Eclectic Shed Experience Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 07818 056599. Welsh Proms 2019: Family Prom St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £12.50/£7.50 under-16s/ free under-5s. Info 029 2087 8444. Michael Bell conducts the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra; Derek Brockway and Behnaz Akhgar present. Witterquick + Minus Alive Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 07970 063107. MONDAY 22 JULY Adwaith + Telgate + Surup The Moon, Cardiff.

(The Gate, Cardiff, Thurs 10) AMBER RUN (Cardiff University, Fri 11) MIDGE URE (Tramshed, Fri 11) ALICE COOPER + THE STRANGLERS (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sat 12) BLACK FLAG (Tramshed, Sat 12) IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE (Cardiff University, Tue 15) KEIFER SUTHERLAND (Tramshed, Tue BUZZ 73

* – recommended 7-10pm, £5. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Presented by Libertino. Capital City Jazz Orchestra & Clare Teal St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50/£8.25 under-16s. Info 029 2087 8444. Welsh Proms event. Fitzwilliam String Quartet St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event. Goldies Cymru Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £2. Info 01656 815995. Particpatory singalongs for people in their 50s and older Handyside & Langshaw Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Welsh Proms 2019: Organ Prom St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2087 8444. With organist Elin Rees. TUESDAY 23 JULY 100 Years Of Venice Church Of The Holy Martyrs, Mathry, Haverfordwest. 2pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event. All That Jazz Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Geoff Eales Theatr Gwain, Fishguard. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event subtitled 100 Years Of Jazz Piano. Massive + Gorilla Riot Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7-10pm, £10 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com. Hard rock twosome, the headliners being from Australia. Planet The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Soundworks Concert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1-2pm, £7.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Arts Active present a performance for adults and young people with physical and learning difficulties. Welsh Proms 2019: Classical Extravaganza! St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Owain Arwel Hughes conducts a programme of Brahms, Handel, Verdi and more, for massed choirs and organ. WEDNESDAY 24 JULY Billy Bragg Cardigan Castle. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 01239 621200. The left-winger’s friend, the skateboarder’s foe, hear William sing tales of capitalist woe. Bunkhouse Battle Of The Bands 2019 Grand Final The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £7/£7 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. Featuring sets from Exit To Main Menu, Cheating Lights, String Theory, Two Til Twelve and Inscape. Catrin Finch St Mary’s Church, Newport, Pembrokeshire. 2pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event.

Concerts & Cakes Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 12.30pm, £5. Info 0845 2263510. Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Lucy Atkins. Septura Brass Septet St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event. Sienna Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £3. Info 029 2039 9557. Slide By Slide Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. Sugar Rush + Adults Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Pop-punk and indie type shenanigans.. *Uniform + Bad Breeding The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Great booking by Slush Puppy here, a two-pronged tour of NYC industrial punks Uniform and anarcho-influenced UK band Bad Breeding. Welsh Proms 2019: Brass, Voices & Organ St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Owain Arwel Hughes conducts a programme of Wagner, Bach, Kark Jenkins and more. THURSDAY 25 JULY Annabel Thwaite & Matthew Jones St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event with piano/ violin duo. Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Dean Friedman Priory Centre, St Mary’s, Abergavenny. 7pm, £30 adv. Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com. Poprock solo man who has played the region Buzz covers a bit this year already. Woodfired Summit are presenting this gig.. Hot 8 Brass Band Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £17 adv. Info 01792 468892. New Orleans funky brass group who specialise in covers and play south Wales quite a lot. Ian Poole Quartet The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Mellt + Wigwam + Spector Haul The Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £10. Info info@themooncardiff.com. This is a gig raising funds for young people to travel to Patagonia, as some are wont to do when earnest and Welsh. The Magic Of Motown Cardigan Castle. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 01239 621200. Tribute show. Welsh Proms 2019: Folk Prom St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6.50-£24.50. Info 029 2087 8444. With The Spooky

Men’s Chorale. FRIDAY 26 JULY 360 Degrees The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017. Amanda Cook & Bibi Heal St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£8. Info 029 2056 2022. Classical guitar and soprano. Part of the Cardiff Guitar Festival, which is at Chapter Arts Centre apart from this concert and runs until Sun 28. Blue Amber Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Calypso City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913. Chris Kelly Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info 01792 234447. Dan Messore Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Edison Junction Band The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Ghost Train Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

name seems particularly resonant when I find myself looking at this theatre’s listings each month. Musicfest 2019: National Youth Brass Band Of Wales Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232. First event of this year’s Musicfest, which runs until Sat 3 Aug. This concert is conducted by Philip Harper. Organ Recital National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Oye Santana Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7pm, £20. Info 01874 611622. Santana tribute act. Roderick Williams, Susie Allan & Jenny Agutter Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £20 adv/£5 under26s/£1 under-16s. Info 01239 841387. Fishguard Music Festival event. Agutter, your dad’s favourite, reads poetry over a performance of Schubert. Rxptrs + Cope + Boxing Day Rage + The Reality The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

There are a few gigs in Cardigan Castle this month, with (subjective opinon alert) the most fun-looking one arriving on Sat 27, presented by Huw Stephens and headed by Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon. Glas The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. GlastonBARRY Juniors Romilly Park, Barry. 4-8.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01446 737339. Preceding the GlastonBARRY proper, which runs tomorrow and Sun 28, this is aimed at young pop fans and includes tributes to Rihanna, Little Mix and Ed Sheeran. Guilty Pleasure The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free. Info 01639 882381. Hempolics Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01834 869323. Crossover reggae type band. Hippodrone + Dactyl Terra + That Which Ate The Moon Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, free. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Local psych/post-rock bands. Icaris Duo Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 1pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance. I Set The Sea On Fire The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com. Kidsmoke + Red Telephone + Plastic Estate Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie stuff. Headliners are from Wrexham. Let’s Hang On Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 01792 475715. Frankie Valli tribute act whose

7pm, £5 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. uSteelhouse Festival Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, nr Ebbw Vale. £95 weekend/£60 Fri 27 + Sat 28 or Fri 27 + Sun 29. Info www.steelhousefestival. com. Stalwart hard rock and metal fest. Fri 26 is the ‘real heads’ launch and featurers Those Damn Crows, Massive Wagons, The Rising Souls and Blackwater Conspiracy. Sat 27: Thunder, The Temperance Movement, Gun, Crobot, The Wild!, Hollowstar and Ryders Creed. Sun 28: Thin Lizzy, Living Colour, Uriah Heep, Danko Jones, Tax The Heat, The Amorettes, Wille & The Bandits and Liberty Lies. See Upfront for an interview with Thunder. (Until Sun 28) Sydney Fate + Dead At 27 + Exit To Main Menu Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7-10pm, free. Info 07970 063107. Sylvia Hallett + Rhodri + Davies + Pat Morgan + Rhys Trimble The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01497 821762. Experimental music presented by NAWR. uThat’ll Be The Day 2019 Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £26. Info 01646 695267. Rock’n’roll nostalgia. On tomorrow also. The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

u – repeated

The Magic Of Motown Cardigan Castle. 6.30pm, £25 adv. Info 01239 621200. Tribute show. The Small Fakers Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12. Info 029 2062 6015. Small Faces tribute band. The Total Stone Roses Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01685 384111. Tribute band. The Trenchtown Experience Chepstow Racecourse. 3.45pm, from £20. Info 0844 2491000. Bob Marley tribute act enliven a day at the races. Too Late For Tears Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk. Rock covers band playing two sets, interspersed with 75 minutes of standup comedy from acts TBC. Toploader + John Adams Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £25. Info 029 2089 0862. Vanilla Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Hometown Shows gig. Welsh Proms 2019: Movies & Musicals St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Owain Arwel Hughes conducts a programme of movie soundtracks, musical hits and whatever Bohemian Rhapsody is in this context, with Sophie Evans and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. Who’s Next Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 879491. Who tribute band. World Vs World + Swamp Thief The Duke, Neath. 8pm. Info 0300 3656677. X Twenty-Two + Igam Ogam + The Fist + Blunt Trauma The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm. Info 01495 213300. A farewell gig for the headliners, who are moving to Brighton to go to university. All of them? That’s what it seems to say. Your 80s Live Show Paget Rooms, Penarth. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2070 0721. Songs from 1980s movies, in aid of the Wales Cystic Fibrosis Centre and also a fully signed show. SATURDAY 27 JULY Access All Areas + Neon Ballroom + The Strip Lights + Best Served Chilled The Green Lady, Caerphilly. 7pm, free. Info 029 2135 8743. BKS + Throatpunch + Deathtraps + Die! Chihuahua Die! + Positive Reaction The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardif.com. Punk, hardcore and crossover thrash bands presented here by DFTS. Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon + Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard + Adwaith Cardigan Castle. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 01239 621200. Presented by Huw Stephens and also featuring a DJ set by him. Chris Kelly Three Horse

Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630. Derek Gripper & Tunde Jegede Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance. Diafol Fest 2019 Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £8. Info 07970 063107. Featuring Parting Gift, God Complex, Invisions, The Uncharted, As Flames Rise, Cutting Teeth, Awakening Hyperia, Familiar Spirit, I Am Gravity and Sentry. Dylan Fowler & Gillian Stevens Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 1pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance. Extremely Dan Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26.50. Info 01792 475715. Steely Dan tribute band. Fell Out Boy The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925. Fall Out Boy tribute. uGlastonBARRY Romilly Park, Barry. 1-9pm, £37.50 adv/£15 kids. Info 01446 737339. Featuring, over two days, tributes to Queen, Abba, Oasis, Kings Of Leon, AC/DC, Blondie, Bruno Mars, U2, The Police, Take That, The Kinks, Frankie Valli, Stereophonics, UB40, The Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Madness, The Specials and Bryan Adams. See Upfront for more. On tomorrow also. Grooveline The Seagull Inn, Porthcawl. 9pm, free. Info 01656 785420. Ian Lynn Palmer The Stable, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 029 2022 1721. Country rock fella plays the pizza joint under the Admiral building. Into The Valley 19 District Club, Pontypridd. 3-11pm, £12.50 adv. Info 01443 402550. Punk and ska from Roddy Radiation, Skacasm, Millie Manders And The Shutup, The Special Brew, Tenplusone, WDSMN and Addiction. James Kennedy Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Justin Crowe The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440. Last Night Of The Welsh Proms St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Owain Arwel Hughes conducts “a feast of beloved classics in an atmosphere of fun and frolics”, also featuring Wynne Evans off the advert. Laura Power + Bryont Sier + Tim Brooks + Martin Jones NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Live Music Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Musicfest 2019: Gala Opening Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £24/£22. Info 01970 623232. Conducted by David Russell Hulme and featuring the Sinfonia Cambrensis. Pete Tong Presents Ibiza Classics Singleton Park, Swansea. 5pm, £55.70 adv. Info orchardlive.com. Dance

15) THE STRUTS (Cardiff University, Thurs 17) AMANDA PALMER (St David’s Hall, Sat 19) JAMES ARTHUR (Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sat 19) BLACK STAR RIDERS (Cardiff University, Thurs 24) LULU (Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 25; St David’s Hall, Sat 26) AL STEWART (Tramshed, Mon 28) BUZZ 74

staples performed by the Heritage Orchestra. There’s an afterparty in Sin City also. Petty Crinimals Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 01685 879491. Tom Petty tribute band. She’Koyokh Letterston Memorial Hall, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event with a sevenpiece Eastern European trad music ensemble. Playing tomorrow (at breakfast time) in Fishguard. The Bob Marley Experience De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 7.30pm, £16 adv/£10 under-16s. Info 01834 218228. Playing something titled the Tenby Indoor Reggae Festival 2019, which as short, tragic stories go beats “For sale: baby’s shoes, never worn” by precisely one word. The Claire Jones Concert Ensemble St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2087 8444. Afternoon recital headed up by Welsh harpist. 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 Jam’d Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £16 adv. Info 01834 869323. Jam tribute band. The poster for this spells the venue name with three Es so it looks like it’s being read out by a boxing announcer. The Songbirds Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £15/£10 under16s. Info 0845 2263510. Music from the musicals, movies etc. Trigger Thumb + Fort + Common Spit Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. SUNDAY 28 JULY Advanced Student Showcase Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 5.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance, featuring music composed by Gerard Cousins. Book in advance please. Claire Jones Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 3pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 475715. Welsh harpist accompanied by percussionist Chris Marshall and students from Jones’ Concert Ensemble. Gerard Cousins Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 1pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance. Harmonies Of The Revised + The Rotanas + Thelixx Jac’s, Aberdare. 5.30-8pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Henry Dent Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688. Jess Glynne + Nina Nesbitt + Hannah Grace Singleton Park, Swansea. 4pm, £49.50 adv. Info orchardlive. com. Presented by Orchard Live. Musicfest 2019: Evening Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £20/£18. Info 01970 623232. Conducted by Damian Iorio and featuring the National Youth String Orchestra. Musicfest 2019: Lunchtime Recital The Old College, Aberystwyth. 1.30pm,

£14/£12. Info 01970 623232. A flute/viola/harp trio. National Youth Brass Band Of Wales Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2039 1391. Rob Luft Band Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Guitar Festival performance. She’Koyokh Lower Town Quay, Fishguard. 8am, free. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event. The band will be playing on a quayside while people eat breakfast in the cafe there. Soundtrack 2.0: Get Carter The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Musicians TBC paying tribute to the music from this movie, which is by UK jazzer Roy Budd. The Bevvy Sisters Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 01239 841387. The Shirt Tail Stompers Melville Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £10/£8/£3 NUS. Info 01873 853167. Black Mountain Jazz gig. The Unravelling Wilburys Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17. Info 029 2089 0862. Tribute band. Whitchurch Jam Session #118 Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 5.30-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015. MONDAY 29 JULY Dick Hamer Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Helicon + Soundwire + Excellent Skeleton The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £6. Info info@themooncardiff.com. Llyr Williams St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. 7.30pm, £1-£20. Info 07474 072118. Piano recital, specifically one part Lizst to five Chopin. Fishguard Music Festival event. Musicfest 2019: Evening Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £20/£18. Info 01970 623232. Featuring the 24-strong Claire Jones Harp Ensemble. Musicfest 2019: Lunchtime Recital The Old College, Aberystwyth. 1.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01970 623232. Featuring Blackweir Brass. TUESDAY 30 JULY Cerddorfa WNO Orchestra St David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £1-£25. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event. Jazz Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344. Josh Schofield Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz. Also featuring Christos Stylianides on trumpet. Kate Nash The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £18 adv. Info 07590 471888. See Music. Musicfest 2019: Evening Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £20/£18. Info 01970 623232. Featuring the Sacconi String Quartet and saxophonist Kyle Horch. Musicfest 2019:

Lunchtime Concert The Old College, Aberystwyth. 1.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01970 623232. Music for two saxophones and a piano. Traditional Jazz Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. White Denim + Boy Azooga Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. American indie types plus on-the-up-still-I-think local support. See Music. WEDNESDAY 31 JULY Black Tongue Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue. com. Doomy metal from Hull. Dave Jones Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz combo from the region, and subject to some acclaim. Matthew Byrne Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night. Byrne is Canadian. Musicfest 2019: Evening

stage MONDAY 1 JULY uCalon Lân The Musical Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £13-£25. Info 01792 475715. Mal Pope’s musical about an evangelist miner from Swansea. On at 2pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 4; 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 6. (Until Sat 6) Good Night Comedy Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. uHi-De-Hi! Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£15 under18s/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Opening play of Everyman Theatre’s annual Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival, which runs until Sat 3 Aug. On at 3pm and 8pm on Sat 6. (Until Sat 6) Richard Parker Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01792 863722. Comic play by Owen Thomas about two men who meet on a boat. uRwtsh Ratsh Rala

On Sat 6 July, Cardigan’s Small World Theatre presents Kōtuku And The Moon Child, the heartwarming theatrical adventure for kids. A story of an unlikely friendships told using puppetry and masks.

Orchestral Concert Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £24/£22. Info 01970 623232. Conducted by Toby Purser and James Henshaw and featuring trumpeter Clara Falkowska. Musicfest 2019: Lunchtime Concert The Old College, Aberystwyth. 1.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01970 623232. Featuring the Solem Quartet. Nightlives + No:ir + Peaks Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Electro-punk, “prog/ rap metal” and melodic hardcore presented by Tone Deaf Creatures. Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Dr Bland’s Bad Batch. Skyliners Big Band with Jane Williams Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig. Welsh National Opera Chamber Ensemble St Mary’s Church, Haverfordwest. 7.30pm, £1-£18. Info 07474 072118. Fishguard Music Festival event.

Rwdins Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 12.30pm, £6. Info 0845 2263510. Popular – indeed nearly 30 years old – Welsh language’ theatre for ages 3-8. On tomorrow also. In Newport on Tue 9; Cardiff on Thurs 11; Barry on Fri 12. uThe Gondoliers Or The King Of Barataria Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7pm, £6.50-£22. Info 029 2064 6900. Gilbert & Sullivan opera. (Until Wed 3) uThe Hunchback Of Notre Dame Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. RWCMD production based on both the original novel and Disney film. On at 2.15pm and 7.30pm on Tue 2. (Until Wed 3) TUESDAY 2 JULY uAladdin Jr Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Presented by Seren Performing Arts. (Until Fri 5) uPwy ‘Sgrifenod Honna? Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2063 6464. Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru presrnts rehearsed readings of plays by local playwrights Melangell Dolma and Cai Llewelyn Evans (today); Gruffudd Eifion Owen and Lowri Morgan (tomorrow). Taking place in the Preseli Room. uSchool Of Rock Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7pm, £12. Info 0300 3656677. Presented by the Performing Arts students

and staff at Cefn Saeson School; listed only as “a hugely popular rock musical”, with “copyright restrictions” cited for this, on the Gwyn Hall website. Would Andrew Lloyd Webber fly back to the UK just to sue a school in Neath? It remains to be seen. (Until Thurs 4) WEDNESDAY 3 JULY Ignacio Lopez + Steffan Alun + Gwen Jones + Sam Lloyd + Hales Corney The Albion, Penarth. 8pm, free. Info 029 2033 0743. Comedy night, marking one year of doing such events at this pub. Interior Designs 2019 Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Lunchtime theatre written by Kate Bowman and presented by Fluellen. Laura Lexx + Gary Tro The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Two comedians doing Edinburgh Fringe preview shows. uMore Than We Can Chew The Hyst, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv/£7 with a glass of wine. Info 01792 654366. Comedy sketch show performed by Banned Brand Theatre. On tomorrow also. uShrek The Musical Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7pm, £12. Info 01639 763214. Amateur production presented by Stars. On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 6. (Until Sat 6) Stand Up For Shelter Cymru Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £25. Info 0871 4720400. Charity gig featuring POBL, Lost Voice Guy, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Mike Bubbins and Chris Corcoran. You Will Laugh Edinburgh Preview Night Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, pay by donation. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Monthly night, acts TBC right now but set to feature Edinburgh Fringe preview sets, and should be confirmed by the time you read this I am given to understand. THURSDAY 4 JULY All That Cabaret Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 0300 0040444. Songs from films and musicals. Marvelus Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12/£10 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Interviewed in last month’s Buzz, this is a sketch show based on all the Marvel movies by the Just Us League, who do comedy about nerd stuff basically. FRIDAY 5 JULY Comedy Club Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510. With comedians TBC. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 19. King Cetshwayo: The Musical The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7pm, £14/£12. Info 01639 843163. The story of the Zulu’s defiance against the English and Welsh Regiments during the AngloZulu Wars in 1879. Precedes a South African Music & Dance

Extravaganza in this venue tomorrow, while this musical is in Brecon on Tue 23 and Wed 24 Much Ado About Nothing Caerleon Amphitheatre. 6pm, £15/£12. Info 01633 430194. Opening event of this year’s Caerleon Arts Festival, performed by the Festival Players. Performance starts at 7.30pm, with Monmouthshire & Newport Community Choirs performing between 6.15 and 7. The Festival runs in various locations around Caerleon until Sun 14. uReach For The Stars Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £8.50. Info 01633 263670. Dance show. On at 5.15pm and 7.15pm on Sun 7. (Until Sun 7) 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 apart from Fri 19 and Sat 20. uSeussical The Musical The Met, Abertillery. 6.30pm, £8. Info 01495 355945. Presented by Encore Theatre Academy. On tomorrow also, at 2.30pm and 6.30pm. Sport Powys Dance Festival Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £6/£4. Info 01874 611622. Pupils aged 11-18 perform acts in the style of street dance, cheerleading, contemporary and ballet, plus additional primary schools performances. The Tempest Chepstow Castle. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. First of three outdoor theatre perrformances here this month. This one is presented by Illyria. SATURDAY 6 JULY A Midsummer Night’s Dream Cardiff Castle. 7.30pm, £14 adv/£9 kids. Info 029 2087 8100. Shakespeare, as presented by seasoned Barders The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. uBen & Holly’s Little Kingdom New Theatre, Cardiff. 10am, 1pm + 4pm, £11-£18. Info 029 2087 8889. Kids’ TV favourite adapted for the stage. On tomorrow also, at 10am and 1pm. uConfiDance Summer Show 2019 Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7pm, £7. Info 0300 3656677. Showcase performances from Neath and Rhos dancers. On tomorrow also. Don Pasquale Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 01874 611622. Opera, presented by Welsh National Opera. Kotuku And The Moon Child Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 3-4pm, £10/£5 under-16s. Info 01239 615952. New Zealand’s Birdlife Productions with a show about an unexpected adventure, told via puppetry, masks and piano music. Musical Theatre Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30 including food. Info 029 2063 6464. Curated by David Mahoney. The first Supper Clwb night in Ffresh this month, they’re also on Sat 13 BUZZ 75

BAFTA CYMRU JULY 2019 As the summer holidays beckon, we are not resting on our laurels here at BAFTA. We’re gearing up for cinema teepee time! The annual cinema teepee programme travels to Llanrwst in north Wales for the National Eisteddfod, which is taking over from Sun 3-Fri 9 Aug. We’re working with partners to provide 45 different events over the week, from premieres and kids’ screenings to new archive films from across Wales – and across nine decades – as well as talks and workshops. Find out more about the Sinemaes teepee on our website. Back down south, on Wed 14 Aug we’ll be previewing the new Channel 4 Blacklight films at Chapter Arts Centre, with a chance to quiz the filmmakers on their experiences making these half hour dramas for broadcast later this autumn.

If you are interested in getting involved with the BAFTA Cymru Awards this year now is the time to note the following da te s. Nominees in p e rf o rma n c e , production and cra f t c a t e g o rie s, celebrating the best of Welsh film, games and television, at the 2019 British Academy Cymru Awards will be announced on Facebook Live on Thurs 5 Sept, while around 1,000 public and industry guests will be attending the ceremony at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Sun 13 Oct. You should join us and find out who has been doing what in creative media near you in the past year. Tickets for the red carpet, champagne reception, ceremony and afterparty go on sale on Thurs 5 Sept via our website. The BAFTA Cymru membership year started on Sun 1 June, with new applications flooding in from students, career starters and professionals. If you would like to apply to join the other 700+ members, please have a look at all the benefits of membership, including free cinema, on our website.

Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 76

and Sat 20. Revolution Go Dance Academy Showcase The Riverfront, Newport. 5pm, £14.25/£12.25. Info 01633 656757. uRubicon Dance The Gate, Cardiff. 2.30-4.30pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2048 3344. End of year showcase performance. On tomorrow also, at 7.30pm. uTom Stade + Adam Hess + Ed Patrick + Tom Deacon Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food). SUNDAY 7 JULY Dansation XIV St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6pm, £13/£12. Info 029 2087 8444. Dance showcase from the Debbie Chapman Dancers. Family Show The Small Space, Barry. 5.30pm, £12.50. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Magic show with kids in mind. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday. Spontaneous Potter Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10. Info 0871 4720400. An improvised Harry Potter-themed play. Stand Up In The Park Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £18/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival event in aid of Amnesty International, and specifically in support of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, featuring sets from Robin Morgan, Dane Baptiste, Angela Barnes and compere Clint Edwards. The Noise Next Door Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 8pm, £15/£13. Info 01874 611622. Improv comedy crew. MONDAY 8 JULY Alaska & Jeremy Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £20/£40 VIP. Info 0871 4720400. That’s drag fave Alaska Thunderfuck plus longtime collaborator Handsome Jeremy. TUESDAY 9 JULY Don Pasquale Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 0300 0040444. Opera, presented by Welsh National Opera. Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins The Riverfront, Newport. 1pm, £8. Info 01633 656757. uSchool Of Rock Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £11/£9. Info 01873 850805. Performed by pupils of King Henry VIII school. (Until Thurs 11) WEDNESDAY 10 JULY The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 4.30pm, £9. Info 01792 602060. Kids’ show based on kids’ book. THURSDAY 11 JULY uBlue Stocking Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01792 473238. Jessica Swale’s debut play, set at Cambridge Uni in the late

19th century and concerning a drive for female equality. On tomorrow also. uCats Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01792 863722. Famous musical presented by Class Act Theatre School. On at 2pm and 7.30pm on Sat 13; 1pm only on Sun 14. (Until Sun 14) uGodspell Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 6.45pm, £8. Info 01633 868239. Youth theatre production of musical. (Until Sat 13) Ministry Of Absurdism Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info www. elysiumgallery.com. Self-styled absurdist comedy night. uMuch Ado About Nothing Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£15 under18s/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival performance. On at 3pm and 8pm on Sat 13 and Sat 20. No performances on Sun 14 or Mon 15. (Until Sat 20) Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 11am, £9. Info 029 2064 6900. FRIDAY 12 JULY uGeorge Rigden + Evelyn Mok + John Hastings + Scott Gibson Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food). Here Come The Boys St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27.50-£100. Info 029 2087 8444. Ballroom/Latin dance stars Aljaž Škorjanec, Giovanni Pernice and Gorka Marquez strut their stuff. Top price gets you VIP tat. Private Lives Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 695267. Noël Coward’s three-act comedy of manners. In Picton Castle tomorrow and Sun 14. Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 10.15am, £6. Info 01446 738622. West Side Story Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 6pm, £17.50 adv/£5under-16s. Info 01239 841387. SATURDAY 13 JULY Cardiff Cabaret Club Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30 including food. Info 029 2063 6464. FooFooLaBelle hosts performers including Dave The Bear and Boylesque, Ana Kiss and Sir Midnight Blues. uDance Days Castle Square, Swansea. 11am-6pm, free. Info 01792 602060. Annual event – this is the 14th – featuring dance performers both local and national. Companies/perfomers involved include Circus Eruption, KAPOW Dance, the County Youth Dance Company, 2Faced Dance, Company Chameleon, Folk Dance Remixed, Blaze Tarsha, Ruby Gibbens, Kitsch & Sync, Joss Arnott Dance, Crossing Borders Dance Group and the Chinese In Wales Association Dance Group. On tomorrow also, at the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Marina.

James Acaster Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £21. Info 029 2063 6464. Comedian with a show titled Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999, which was originally the name of a Whatsapp group he was part of. Might be sold out. Land Of The Dragon Town Hall, Maesteg. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Kids’ puppet theatre. Magical Place Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. New work in development by Cardiff theatre company Yeah Yeah. Book in advance please. uMid Wales Dance Academy Annual Showcase 2019 Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 6pm, £10.50/£9.50. Info 01874 611622. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 5pm. uPrivate Lives Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire. 2.30pm, £11. Info 01646 695267. On tomorrow also. Steffan Evans + Alun Griffiths Bluestone Brewing Company, Newport, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 01239 820833. Welsh standup comedians. SUNDAY 14 JULY Let Loose Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 6pm, £14.50/£12.50 kids. Info 01639 763214. Mark Jermin Stage School end of term showcase. Young Herbert’s Horrors Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 10.30am + 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Pirate-themed play for ages 4-9. TUESDAY 16 JULY uThe Lady Vanishes New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13£30. Info 029 2087 8889. New theatre adaption of Hitchcock movie. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 17, Thurs 18 and Sat 20. £12-£25 on the afternoons of Wed 17 and Thurs 18; £14-£33 on Fri 19 and Sat 20. (Until Sat 20) WEDNESDAY 17 JULY Jimmy Carr Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 8pm, £32.45. Info 01639 763214. Miss Sylvia Sceptre The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Mind reading and cabaret from a time-travelling Victorian clairvoyant, it says here. uNational Dance Company Wales: Open Rehearsals Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6-7pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Held in the Dance House and showcasing the gestation of a production, Rygbi – Annwyl I Mi, by Fearghus Ó Conchúir. Book in advance please. Also on Wed 24 and Wed 31. uThe Little Mermaid The Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £7. Info 01495 355945. Presented by AYDMS Junior Section. (Until Fri 19) The Lost Fairy Tales Of West Wales Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £10/£7. Info 0845 2263510. Three Men In A Boat Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01646 695267. One-man show with Giles Shenton playing the part of Jerome K Jerome, narrating his punt-based novel. THURSDAY 18 JULY Daniel Chard The Small Space, Barry. 7pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Card magician. First event in the Barry Fringe Festival, which is two shows a night (and a couple in the daytime too) between today and Sun 21. Dolly Chicken Comedy: Fun At The Flute Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, £7.50/£6 adv. Info dollychickencomedy@gmail. com. Featuring Gein’s Family Giftshop (Edinburgh preview set), Eleri Morgan, James Trickey and Josh Kingsford plus MC Anita Shaw. Frisky & Mannish Pop Lab The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £14. Info 01633 656757. Preview of a show going to Edinburgh next month by a comedy duo whose schtick is doing ‘scientific’ readings of pop songs. Gangsta Granny Chepstow Castle. 7pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. David Walliams book presented by Heartbreak. Ignacio Lopez The Small Space, Barry. 9pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Comedian performing after Daniel Chard (see above). Noson O Gomedi Cymraeg Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Welsh language standup. The venue’s event page for this has photos of people who I assume are the performers, but it doesn’t say their names so I don’t know who they are. In Llanelli tomorrow. Old Herbaceous Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01600 772467. One-man play about a gardener. Phil Cooper + Chris Chopping Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7-10pm, free (donations welcome). Info 01443 491424. Two Edinburgh preview sets. u‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9/£4.50 under-25s. Info 029 2064 6900. Sherman Players present this notorious Jacobean thriller. On at 2pm and 7.30pm on Sat 20. (Until Sat 20) FRIDAY 19 JULY Adrift The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2048 3344. Clock Tower Theatre with a play set in the middle of the Atlantic, with three men clinging to a piece of wood after a mutiny backfires. uNimble Biscuits And Other Offerings Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £8-£11. Info 01970 623232. Dance showcase by Aberystwyth Arts Centre Ballet School. On tomorrow also, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Noel James The Small Space, Barry. 6.30pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Comedian. Noson O Gomedi Cymraeg

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Paul Zenon The Small Space, Barry. 8.30pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Magician off the telly. uTanyalee Davis + Jake Lambert + The Noise Next Door + Rory O’Hanlon Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food). SATURDAY 20 JULY Aidan Goatley Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599. Standup comedy. uAlice In Wonderland Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 4pm, £10/£9 kids. Info 01639 763214. Ballet, presented by Children’s Ballet Wales. On tomorrow also, at 2pm. Come Alive Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 6.30pm, £8. Info 01792 475715. Showcase for Mellin Theatre Arts students aged 4+. Frankenstein Chepstow Castle. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. David Walliams book presented by Illyria. uHeroes Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 1.30pm, £9. Info 01633 868239. Aurora Dance Academy showcase. On tomorrow also. Jarlath Regan + Drew Taylor + Lorna Prichard + Robin Morgan + Leroy Brito Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30 including food. Info 029 2063 6464. Comedy. Mandy Muden The Small Space, Barry. 7pm, £25. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Comedy magician who was on Britain’s Got Talent. Mark James The Small Space, Barry. 2pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Family magic show. MODE – The Library Of Curiosity Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £13/£11 kids. Info 01792 475715. Makers Of Dance Energy with a show celebrating 20 years in the biz. Snow White And The Seven Ugly B******s Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 863722. ‘Rude’ panto that is nevertheless too cowardly to print the mild swear of its title in full. uTiddly Prom: Bert’s Magical Musical Kitchen St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 10.30am, £7.50. Info 029 2087 8444. The children’s event of the Welsh Proms returns for this year, the premise being that Bert bakes a cake while an orchestral score forms in analogous fashion to said cake. No performance on Sun 21. (Until Sat 27) SUNDAY 21 JULY Bryan & Jasper The Small Space, Barry. 2pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Family magic show from the resident magicians here. Darren Mac The Small Space, Barry. 12pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk. Family magic show.

MONDAY 22 JULY uHow To Be Brave Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Dirty Protest present a preview of a one-woman show by Siân Owen, before it goes to the Edinburgh Festival. On tomorrow also. uKinky Boots Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £19.50-£64.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Musical based on a mid-00s film, itself based on actual events concerning the owner of a shoe factory in Northampton. See Stage for more. On at 5pm and 8.30pm on Fri 26; 2.30pm and 7.30pm on sat 27 and Sat 3 Aug; 8.30pm only on Fri 2 Aug. No performance on Sun 28. £19.50-£72.50 on Fri 26; £24.50-£72.50 on Sat 27, Fri 2 Aug and Sat 3 Aug. (Until Sat 3 Aug) TUESDAY 23 JULY u9 To 5: The Musical Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 01446 738622. Presented by BillBoard Ensemble. (Until Fri 26) uChicago Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15/£12.50. Info 029 2039 1391. Musical presented by Kinetic Theatre Arts. Chores Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7.75-£10. Info 01970 623232. Australian comedy circus show. In Llanelli on Wed 31. uKing Cetshwayo: The Musical Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01874 611622. On tomorrow also. uZog Grand Theatre, Swansea. 4.30pm, £16.50/£14.50. Info 01792 475715. Kids’ theatre based on the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books. On tomorrow at 10.30am, 1.30pm and 4.30pml Thurs 25 at 11am and 2pm. (Until Thurs 25) WEDNESDAY 24 JULY Alice In Wonderland Bryngarw Park, nr Bridgend. 6pm, from £8.50. Info 01656 815995. Outdoor family theatre. uFor All I Care Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. National Theatre Wales present a preview of Alan Harries’ play about two women – a nurse and a mental patient – which is at the Edinburgh Festival next month. On tomorrow also. Louder Is Not Always Clearer The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £10/£8. Info 01633 656757. Edinburgh preview of this Mr & Mrs Clark show which debuted last year and looks at the experience of deafness within society. THURSDAY 25 JULY Flossy & Boo The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13.25/£11.35. Info 01633 656757. Local cabaret/comedy duo who often do wacky shows for kids, this one however is an Edinburgh preview and titled Girl On Girl so probably isn’t. Grange For A Laugh The

Grange, Cardiff. 7.45pm, free. Info 029 2025 0669. Standup in pleasant Grangetown pub on the last Thursday of every month. uJesus Christ Superstar Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£15 under-18s/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival performance of noted rock opera. On at 3pm and 8pm on Sat 27 and Sat 3 Aug. No performances on Sun 28. (Until Sat 3 Aug) uThe Bangers And Chips Explosion Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£4 under-25s. Info 029 2064 6900. Brough Girling’s comedic book, set in a primary school, is adapted for the stage by Sherman Youth Theatre. (Until Sat 27) What’s In The Box? Beelzebub’s, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk. New 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 26 JULY Comedy Shed The Riverfront, Newport. 8.15pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757. With standups TBC. uDanny McLoughlin + The Stevenson Experience + Brennan Reece Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food); one more act TBC on both nights. Gabby Killick The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 07590 471888. Comedian with a show titled Girlfriend From Hell, which “offers new series of life hacks on today’s dating and partying scene from how to resist sexy Chardonnay’s after you promised swaggy Buxton Water you wouldn’t see her again”. Think that may have been written by a neural network. Jayde Adams + Lorna Prichard Penarth Pier Pavilion. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2071 2100. Standup comedy, more acts TBC Phil Cooper + Calum Stewart + Priya Hall + Ignacio Lopez Cardiff Bus Transport Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5.50 adv. Info 029 2023 3658. Comedy night. uThe Little Mermaid Jr Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30 + 7pm, £8-£11. Info 01656 815995. Musical presented here by Performance House. On tomorrow also. SATURDAY 27 JULY Blodyn & Tatws Town Hall, Maesteg. 11am + 2.30pm, £3. Info 01656 815995. Welsh language storytelling and street theatre for ages 4-8. Cafficadabra Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8-10pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Magic from Joseff Badman in the bar. Chuckles & Cheesecake Copper Bar, Swansea. 8-10.30pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 456689. Charity comedy night for Ty Hafan featuring Sianny Thomas, Karen Sherrard,

Sian Fisher, Gilly Webb and Eleri Morgan. Price includes free cheesecake and the flyer includes the ‘pointing and laughing’ emoji more normally found on memes shared by elderly people. uDisney’s The Little Mermaid Jr Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 10.30am + 12.30pm, £10/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival performance, presented here by Andgo Theatre. On at 12pm and 2.30pm on Sun 28, Tue 30, Wed 31, Thurs 1 Aug and Fri 2 Aug. No performances on Mon 29. (Until Sat 3 Aug) Frankenstein Abergavenny Castle. 7pm, £13/£11. Info 01873 850805. Open air theatre presented by Illyria. Frankie Allen Vale Sports Arena, Cardiff. 7pm, £15/£12.50. Info 029 2240 4901. Liverpudlian insult comedian who seems to mostly appeal to football lads. uHairspray Jr Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6.30pm, £11.50/£9.50. Info 0845 2263510. Musical presented by Stage 8 Theatre School. On tomorrow also, at 1.30pm and 6.30pm.

FESTIVAL TIME WIN TICKETS TO FEELS LIKE SUMMER AT SOPHIA GARDENS, CARDIFF Feels Like Summer is a brand new event boasting an impressively varied lineup. As it looks prepared to be one of Cardiff’s biggest party destinations, headliners including Bananarama [pictured], Bonnie Tyler and Liberty X will take over Sophia Gardens on Sat 20 July in a homage to old-school pop. 1st prize: 2 tickets to Feels Like Summer and an exclusive Buzz prize of a meet-and-greet with Bananarama 2nd prize: 2 pairs of tickets

SUNDAY 28 JULY A Chance To Dance St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £13.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Raising money for Velindre Hospital and featuring children from several dance schools from across south Wales. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £10/free carers. Info 0333 6663366. Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival performance, presented here by Everyman Theatre. Glee Family Comedy Show Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 1pm, £10/£7 kids/£16.50 with food. Info 0871 4720400. Featuring Jarred Christmas & Hobbit plus one comic TBC. The Tempest Abergavenny Castle. 7pm, £13/£11. Info 01873 850805. Open air Shakespeare presented by Illyria.

2 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO DEPOT IN THE CASTLE AT CARDIFF CASTLE The third annual Depot In The Castle event includes some modern pop giants in the form of Clean Bandit, Tom Odell [pictured] and Circa Waves. As one of Cardiff’s biggest events, this music and food festival on Sat 13 Jul is quickly becoming a must-attend family day out. We also have an additional pair of tickets to our cover star Nile Rodgers the night before on Fri 12 Jul

MONDAY 29 JULY uCarrying On As Normal Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £10/£6 under-16s. Info 01600 772467. A play about Monmouth during WWI. On tomorrow also. WEDNESDAY 31 JULY A Midsummer Night’s Dream Bryngarw Park, nr Bridgend. 7pm, £8.50-£10.50. Info 01656 815995. Outdoor Shakespeare, presented here by Immersion. Chores Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1.30pm, £10/£8. Info 0845 2263510. Frankenstein Cardigan Castle. 7pm, £11-£16 adv. Info 01239 621200. Open-air theatre presented by Illyria.

To enter either competition simply click, share and like our Facebook page (and give us a quick message to say you’ve done so!). Winners will be picked at random and informed by email. Closing date is 5th July

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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 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO GLASTONBARRY IN ROMILLY PARK, BARRY An annual weekend of Europe’s top tribute acts emulating the best and the brightest, this year’s line-up includes the likes of Oasis, Abba and Queen. We have two pairs of tickets up for grabs for this increasingly popular celebration of some of the world’s most popular musicians. If you’re a fan of these universally loved artists, get yourself down to Barry’s Romilly Park on Sat 27 and Sun 28 July. TWO TICKETS FOR THE LADY VANISHES AT NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF This quick-witted thriller has been sparking the interest of film audiences for a generation; now the show comes to the stage in a new adaptation of the classic cinema favourite. Presented by The Classic Thriller Theatre Company, the show comes to Cardiff’s New Theatre from Tue 17 to Sat 20 July and follows the mystery of a vanishing train passenger. TWO TICKETS FOR STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL IN EBBW VALE South Wales’ answer to Download Festival, Steelhouse is a two-day event held from Fri 26-Sun 28 July, in the heart of some of Wales’ most beautiful scenery. Headliners this year include Thunder and Thin Lizzy, presenting a Black Rose 40th anniversary set. Eight years after their inaugural event, this year’s Steelhouse is set to be the biggest one yet. TWO TICKETS FOR MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING AT SOPHIA GARDENS, CARDIFF Will Shakespeare’s fin de siècle drama is performed this month, in all its double-crossing, Italian-set glory, amidst lush greenery as part of the Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival. Running from Thurs 11-Sun 20 July, we’re offering a pair of tickets for the opening night. ONE INSPECTOR MONTALBANO COMPLETE COLLECTION 1-9 BOX SET Brooding thrills and spills set in Italy’s crimiest corners, with the protagonist of the title – detective Salvo Montalbano – at the heart of it all. Inspector Montalbano has been a consistent TV hit since launching 20 years ago, and we have a mammoth DVD box comprising all nine collections. Binge-watching and a half, if you send us an email with the answer to this: What part of Italy is Inspector Montalbano from? Siena / Sardinia / Sicily

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The Eiffel Tower grows in summer, as metal expands in heat. It can grow up to six inches (15cm) in hot weather. No country has ever won the World Cup during the papacy of a Pope from the same country. Antacid sales generally increase by 20% on the day after the Super Bowl in America. If you were to place the planet Saturn in a big enough bowl of water to accommodate it, it would float. The longest movie ever made is 85 hours long, and is titled The Cure For Insomnia. A snail can sleep for three years in a row. Former Italian footballer Dino Zoff is the oldest player to ever win a World Cup title, at 40 years and 133 days. Pele is the youngest player to win the World Cup title, at 17 years and 249 days. Dallol, located in Ethiopia, holds the title of hottest place year-round in the world, with an average annual temperature of 34.6C. Wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of your left hand, because it is believed that the vein in this finger goes directly to your heart. The term ‘mad hatter’ really does originate from hatters going mad. Mercurous nitrate was used in the hats to give their structure, but after prolonged exposure caused mercury poisoning. Vending machines kill four times as many people as sharks per year. Coca-Cola would be green if food colouring wasn’t added to it. The total weight of all the ants on Earth is greater than the total weight of all the humans on the planet. In a 2008 survey, 58% of British teenagers thought Sherlock Holmes was a real guy, while 20% thought Winston Churchill was not. (Disclaimer: some of these may not in fact be true)

Are you the friend everyone wants on their pub quiz team? If you’re a general knowledge general and want to be in with a chance of winning a book, film, or CD, then tweet us (@Buzz_Magazine) with your fact and #DidYouKnow. If your tweet is used in the magazine you win a prize!

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