Buzz Magazine - June 2019

WHAT’S ON JUNE 2019

“We found Sid Vicious’ bondage trousers in a cupboard!”

bananarama KELLY JONES | THE ALARM | GROOVE ARMADA | WNO – FREEDOM ART | CULTURE | MUSIC | FILM | FOOD+DRINK | S P O R T | L I F E S T Y L E | L I S T I N G S

“Bourne is a masterly storyteller” The New York Times

MEHEFIN 18 – 22 JUNE 2019

photography: Johan Persson design: feastcreative.com marketing: emg-ents.com

Dychmygwch gyfnod heb gariad...

Imagine a time when love is forbidden...

june 2019 44reviews

buzz...

04roundup

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

10upfront

contributors KEIRON SELF (FILMS), TIM ALBAN, CHRIS ANDREWS, DENIECE CUSACK, JUSTIN EVANS, DAVE FREAK, MOLLY GOVUS, CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, ALICE HUGHES, JASON MACHLAB, CARL MARSH, GARETH MITCHELL, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAKHT, CHARLIE PIERCEY, ALISON POWELL, CAMPBELL PROSSER, OLIVER R MOORE HOWELLS, RHONDA LEE REALI, KATRINA REES, CHRIS SEAL, ALEX SWIFT, ISABEL THOMAS, MARK TIMLIN, FERN TREGONING-LIDDLE, LEE LOTTIE URQUHART, LAURA WOOD, BEN WOOLHEAD phone number 029 2022 6767 general enquiries info@buzzmag.co.uk editorial editorial@buzzmag.co.uk listings listings@buzzmag.co.uk accounts accounts@buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ MAGAZINE 220C Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY published EAC PUBLISHING

“I’ve got a girl playing the drums and another girl on the violin who plays a bit of piano”

Absolutely rammo section this month, even though I’m pretty sure it takes up the same number of pages as usual, so I am just going to quickly run through some of the highlights – Welsh National Opera’s Freedom season, new Welsh movie Last Summer, Bananarama – to give myself room to recommend you read the first paragraph of the Mike Peters interview to yourself in an Alan Partridge voice

34film

Richard Curtis has done a film about waking up in a world where The Beatles never existed. I would imagine it’s set in a society of fully automated luxury communism where dogs with the face of Paul Weller run free in the street and at the end someone quips, “Is it still The Beatles never existing? I hadn’t noticed.” Now to read Keiron Self’s review of it and find out

36previews

Nice to have some Raymond Pettibon artwork in this magazine (illustrating the Hand Drawn Action Packed exhibition, in which he features, opening in Swansea this month). What’s your least favourite pop-culture parody of that one drawing of his off the Sonic Youth album cover? Hard to look past the Rick & Morty one for me, Clive

I like the new layout of the album-and-no-single reviews page, but I wish it didn’t yoke us to having to put a big picture of any album cover which appears, at the top of a column. That’s why the naff artwork for Richard Hawley’s new one is there. You’d never know it had “as much ferocity as Iggy And The Stooges circa Raw Power” but our review says it does, so it must do

49lifestyle

June’s traditional paragraph-long mention of the Man vs Horse race in mid-Wales, a nice sounding cake and contributor Gareth’s top five indie breweries in Wales.

Particularly enjoyed reading this last one, despite his picks being completely different to if I’d done it, as it had clearly been done with some degree of consideration rather than pulled randomly out of his drip tray

61listings

Worst band names in this issue: Bad Joker’s Cream, Tribeless, Chaosaroma, The Guy That Gets The Girl, Seas Of Mirth, The Quaintest Show On Earth

78competitions

This morning, just after Theresa May announced her resignation, editor Fedor asked me if I would be changing any of my copy to acknowledge this. In fact I will use this space to thank everyone who looked for and eventually found my missing cat the other day, and especially Martin and Mary who donated loads of food to him. Also, win some tickets and stuff on this page

cover BANANARAMA contents GO FASTER STRIPE COMEDY

FEST – GEORGE EGG

buzzmagwales

@Buzz_Magazine

@buzzmagwales

buzzmagtv

www.buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ 3

What’s on our radar this month WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR

Organised by Literature Wales, this award ceremony celebrates the small yet fertile Welsh literature scene annually. The competition touts three categories, Poetry, Fiction and Non-Fiction, with both having Welsh and English-language finalists.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 20 June. Info: 01970 623232 / www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

NICK CAVE

One of the world’s finest songwriters is set to bring an intimate evening of song and talk, whereby he answers questions from his fans on various topics, in between a few renditions of Bad Seeds classics. If you can’t make it, you can follow the Red Hand Files online, where he continues the fan-to-artist conversation via email.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 15 June. Tickets: from £30 (sold out).

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

MATTHEW BOURNE’S ROMEO AND JULIET

Choreographic genius Matthew Bourne’s retelling of Shakespeare’s most famous play is brim-full of UK dance talent, including some inspired to take up dance by previous performances at the WMC. With a stellar design team including Lez Brotherston, Paul Constable and Terry Davies, it promises to be a delight for the senses.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 18-Sat 22 June. Tickets: £18-£47.

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

BUZZ 4

TAKE THAT

Bringing their Greatest Hits Live tour to the Principality Stadium, one of the UK’s biggest acts promise a night of sing along and old familiar tunes. The cheese will be real with this one, especially with Rick Astley as support.

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 8 June. Tickets: from £55.

Info: 08442 777888 / principalitystadium.wales

RICKY GERVAIS

Philosophical funnyman and Twitter-botherer performs his latest show SuperNature. The creator of The Office, Extras, and new Netflix series After Life, Gervais has added a second date at the Motorpoint after the Wed 26 show sold out.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wed 26 + Thurs 27 June. Tickets: from £36. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

BBC CARDIFF SINGER OF THE WORLD 2019

Annual week-long competition in which a cabal of 20 young professional opera singers, whittled down from 400 worldwide, perform with BBC National Orchestra Of Wales (conducted by Ewa Strusińska) and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra (conducted by Arian Matiakh). The winner walks away with £20,000.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 15-Sat 22 June. Tickets: £10-£42.

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

AQUAPARK

From the last weekend of June onwards, Cardiff Bay will be graced by one of only three massive inflatable aqua courses in the UK. The Aquapark measures over 100m by 80m and includes obstacles like climbing walls, balance bars, blast bags and trampolines.

Cardiff Bay Barrage, from Sat 29 June. Tickets: £20.

Info: www.aquaparkgroup.co.uk/cardiff

CARDIFF WELLBEING FESTIVAL

Established in 1995, this festival’s organisers Vision For Living promote a way of living life healthy and happy through natural means. This one-day event encompasses everything from vegan food to talks on confidence building, yoga and meditation.

City Hall, Cardiff, Sat 22 June Tickets: from £5 Info: www.visionforliving.co.uk BUZZ 5

Pic: Tom Oxley

K E L LY J O N E S Lead singer of the Stereophonics, still filling stadiums after 20-plus years, Kelly Jones is stepping out on his own for a solo tour this month. He chats to Carl Marsh.

You’ve said that this solo tour of yours is about overcoming things, and moving on from obstacles and building strength from that. Would you care to elaborate?

Well, a bunch of the songs that I tend to play in the solo shows are particular songs that got me through different things in my life over the past 22 years. There are about 150 songs that I’ve written, and when you play Stereophonics shows, you play 27 or 28 songs – a lot of which are the big radio songs that people are familiar with – but songwriting is my outlet to get me through whatever is going on in my life, and some of those songs on the records never get an airing really.

It’s not just like an acoustic set: I’ve got a girl playing the drums [name of Cherrise Osei – ed] and another girl on the violin who plays a bit of piano [that’d be Fiona Brice – ed]. There’s also Gavin Fitzjohn from Cardiff who’s played with Paolo Nutini and Manic Street Preachers, he is playing a bit of trumpet, and guitar, and some bass, so it’s quite a dynamic show really. It’s really kind of raucous at some moments and very pretty and beautiful at other moments. It’s just a different kind of experience, stepping outside my Stereophonics zone.

What has prepared you best for life in Stereophonics?

I guess I’ve put a lot of hours in, but it’s the songs, I suppose, that are the main thing for me. All I ever wanted to achieve was to leave behind an excellent catalogue of music, as all the other stuff kinda comes and goes – the magazines, all the people knowing who you are – that stuff is alright when you’re starting out, but for me it’s always been about making the music.

I get a buzz out of doing the recordings, and I love playing live. I like to challenge myself to do different things with every album, to make it different than the last.

Sometimes people come with you, sometimes they don’t: occasionally, new kids discover the band, and you’ll get 15-year-old kids in the front row along with people that have been following the band for 20-odd years. It’s usually 50/50 male/female too.

BUZZ 6

When did you realise the creative possibilities that music could offer to you?

I was in a band from about 12 or 13, just playing covers, and Stuart [Cable] was with me in the band. He was about four years older than me. Then when I got to art college, I started writing mini-screenplays as I was in film school and that span over into lyric writing. I guess from about 17 or 18, I started seeing that storytelling could work within the music, and that’s when I found my own niche. It was about what I wanted to say.

Like a storyline then, is that the secret to putting on a good show?

I think with a show, people pay their money, and they want to go for a good night out – they want a release, they want to forget their own life for two hours – so we try to take them on a journey with good music, which is the big songs that they’re all familiar with. We don’t ever shy away from playing all that, we are proud of our catalogue.

There is a percentage of our set where we pick some of our favourites as well, and thankfully we’ve had some big songs on every record, so we’re not always harking back to the 90s – we’ve maintained a good collection of songs up until the present day. That is the key to it, which is to give the audience a good night out.

Kelly Jones: Don’t Let the Devil Take Another Day – A Solo Tour, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 8 June. Tickets: from £42 (sold out – check box office for returns). Info: 029 2087 8444 / stdavidshallcardiff.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

Al Murray Landlord of Hope & Glory 03.06.19

Family Prom / Prom y Teulu CPO, Derek Brockway & Behnaz Akhgar 21.07.19

Taking Care of Elvis The King is Back 30.06.19

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World BBC Canwr y Byd Caerdydd 15.06.19 - 22.06.19

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra Beethoven & Shostakovich 29.06.19

The Horne Section That’s How I Like My Tour 27.06.19

Woman to Woman 26.06.19

Philharmonia Orchestra - The Planets feat / gyda Clare Hammond 25.06.19

Stewart Francis Into the Punset 07.06.19

PIC: Dwayne Smith

BOOK NOW GLADYS KNIGHT

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Thurs 4 July Tickets: from £45 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

SECRET SPACES: PORTHDINLLAEN GWYNEDD With Tafwyl 2019 looking to be the Welsh-language festival’s biggest year yet, Gareth Mitchell chats to festival director Llinos Williams and co-ordinator Lia Hawen.

With the news of Tafwyl being opened up for an extra day, and the announcement of a further three-year sponsorship deal with Clwb Ifor Bach, what’s next for Tafwyl?

The team behind Tafwyl is predominantly female. How does this inform both the festival and your support of the Welsh language music scene, if at all?

Llinos: Things are looking very exciting for Tafwyl. Reaching maximum capacity last year pushed us to develop and expand further this year.

The festival has been growing in appeal for years, so it’s nice to be able to give more people the chance to come and experience this unique event on the Friday evening. Tafwyl will hopefully be showcasing the best in Welsh language music, arts and culture for many years to come!

Llinos: As two women programming the event we obviously realise the importance of programming female artists, but everyone on the Tafwyl bill is there on their own merit. It’s certainly not a token gesture. Two out of three of this year’s headliners are predominantly female acts, and almost the entire Friday evening lineup is female.

Lia: Recent Welsh Government funding aims to extend the reach of the festival beyond Wales too. It’s nice seeing a home-grown event like Tafwyl showing Wales as a vibrant and outward looking nation on a national and international level.

What would you say to non-Welsh speakers who maybe feel that Tafwyl isn’t something they can get involved in?

Llinos: Tafwyl has always been inclusive and open to everyone. The whole idea is for people who haven’t experienced Welsh language and culture before to give it a go. As a free event in a very prominent city centre location, it attracts lots of non-Welsh speakers, who pop in to see what’s going on but end up staying all day enjoying the music, street food and the general festival vibe.

You don’t have to understand Welsh to enjoy those three things!

BUZZ 8

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

Lia: Porthdinllaen Gwynedd, on the north coast of the Llŷn peninsular. With views across the Irish Sea and miles of sandy beaches, it’s THE most beautiful place in the world. There’s plenty of beautiful walks along the coast where wildlife is thriving, seals perched on the rocks, birds nesting in the sandy cliffs, and even dolphins are spotted often. The Ty Coch pub is definitely one to visit, and can only be reached by foot! You can start your walk from Morfa Nefyn beach and walk the one mile stretch along the beach to the front door.

Tafwyl, Cardiff Castle, Fri 21-Sun 23 June. Admission: free.

Info: www.tafwyl.org

MICHAEL PALIN – THE QUEST FOR EREBUS Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Wed 17 July Tickets: £20 Info: 01646 695267 www.torchtheatre.co.uk

STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, Ebbw Vale Fri 26-Sun 28 July Tickets: £96/£60 Sat 27 or Sun 28 only Info: 01495 370093 www.steelhousefestival.com

AN EXPERIENCE WITH ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ICC Wales, Newport Wed 18 Sept Tickets: from £99 Info: www.anexperiencewith.com

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

Various venues, Abergavenny Sat 21 + Sun 22 Sept Tickets: £15 weekend wristband Info: 01873 851643 www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

IONS’ ‘SURPASSES ALL 17 — 22 June • Meh PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS’ NORTH WEST END, BLACKPOOL

“THE BIGGEST LIVE THEATRE SENSATION OF ALL TIME” “SURPASSES ALL PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS” North West End, Blackpool

THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE

4 - 8 Jun • Meh

Theatre Tours • Teithiau Theatr Sat 29 June - Mon 1 July • Sad 29 Meh - Lun 1 Gorff e5378 New Theatre programme template.indd 1

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

07/08/2018 18:14

BUZZ 10

BANANARAMA The grand queens of British girl groups, with more charting hits than even the Spice Girls, Bananarama remain in the hearts of British pop fans. Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward talk to Carl Marsh.

How did a couple of punk rockers end up as a girl group singing on the Fun Boy Three song It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It)?

Sara: Keren and I were at school when punk happened. We were about 13 or 14, and I think we adopted this ‘do it yourself’ attitude because we loved The Slits and they were a girl band, and they did it themselves. We took that attitude with us, even though Bananarama didn’t start until 1981.

Keren and I had met Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols in a club, and we were living in a hostel at the time in London. When he found out that they were closing the hostel, he said that he had this room above the rehearsal room that the Sex Pistols used to use and that we could drag some mattresses in there and just sleep on the floor. It really was a hovel, there was no hot water and no bathroom, it was only Malcolm McLaren’s office and this Pistols rehearsal room. Keren and I loved it because we were little punks at school, so it just felt great. It had John Lydon’s drawings all over the wall of Sid and Nancy, it had Sid’s bondage trousers in the cupboard. It was just amazing to two teenage girls.

Keren: Now I think it’s a heritage site and our names are on the wall with the Pistols, which is classic. We wrote them ourselves, obviously!

And then we did Drama with Murlyn, who were huge Swedish music producers. The only thing the albums have all got in common, really, is that they are by us and we like pop. We’ve always chosen the direction of who we work with.

Sara: And because we’re not a manufactured band, we’re the masters of our own destiny.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We’ve had a really long career, and it’s had ups and downs, but fortunately for us, we’ve just had a great Top 30 hit with our current album In Stereo. We couldn’t be more thrilled about that.

Don’t you now own your own record label?

Keren: Yes – we’ve done it all ourselves, which is why we are so thrilled as this is something that we couldn’t even have contemplated in the past, and I don’t think it was necessarily done in the past. It was something that we decided to do.

Sara: I think a lot of people do it now, especially if you have been around for a long time. You know how it works and if you’ve got a team of people around you that can use for the media side of things – it’s quite easy to do really.

“I think they just saw three girls with backcombed hair and lipgloss, thought “oh, just a few bimbos,” and didn’t want to take us seriously”

Was Paul Cook the most significant influence, career-wise, on yourselves?

Keren: Had we not met him it might have been a very different beginning, in that the Fun Boy Three record came from that demo that we made with Paul – so if Sara and I hadn’t met Paul, then I don’t know. We did do backing vocals with other people, but Paul had the connections because he had been in the music business. He helped us record a demo, which is something we wouldn’t have had a clue how to do or had the opportunity, so he was instrumental in actually getting us off the starting blocks.

Your first album was a bit more fun while the second album became a bit more serious. Whose decision was that?

Sara: It was just a sexist business. I think they just saw three girls with backcombed hair and lipgloss, thought “oh, just a few bimbos,” and didn’t want to take us seriously.

Obviously, we were new to the music industry but we wanted to write all our own music, and we did! And we did dress ourselves, we didn’t have stylists or anybody telling us what to do.

So in that respect, it was quite hard for us to be taken seriously because we were very young girls. That was probably a reaction as to why we were going to write about politics.

At the end of the day, you can still have those views, but you don’t necessarily have to put them into songs and be all aggressive about it.

Would you say your music through your career has evolved?

Keren: I think so – we went from a kind of quite alternative music with Cruel Summer and the first few albums, then went very pop with Stock, Aitken and Waterman. Then Keren and I, as a duo, did Pop Life with Youth [producer Martin Glover, also of Killing Joke], which was guitar, drum and bass and had all these new samples that were coming in, so that was very different.

Anything that any of you regret over the last 35 years?

Keren: No, not really. Everything is a learning curve and nobody can be massively popular and at the top of your game forever.

It’s a job, it’s a career but it’s also creative and great fun. We are both very, very fortunate that we can still make a living out of something that we absolutely love.

Has there ever been a moment when you have thought about giving it all up?

Keren: The odd moment, say in the 1990s. The 1980s were just so mental so, perhaps not giving it up exactly, but certainly having to take a break. But I couldn’t love it any more now. If I had to say my favourite years then they would have to be the last 10 years, which sounds really strange but it’s been the point where we, ironically, know exactly what we are doing and what we’re good at.

I think I had insecurities in the 80s when we didn’t develop our live performances. Now it is a combination of the songwriting and the live stuff, which is what I have wanted from the very beginning. And it is in our own hands completely, which is how we like it.

Sara: No, never really. I could weather the storm. When it doesn’t work, it is quite depressing but when you look back at it, you realise that’s how life works. It’s not one massive high all the time, so it is only to be expected. And like Keren says, the last 10 years or so where we’ve been touring, I’ve absolutely loved it. The band are our friends and we just go all over the world with them. It’s great fun.

Bananarama headline Feels Like Summer, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Sat 20 July. Tickets: £49.50/£24.75 kids/free under-5s.

Info: 0333 663366 / tickets.glamorgancricket.com

BUZZ 11

FREEDOM Welsh National Opera’s latest season, Freedom deals with hefty subjects: human rights, liberty and oppression. Fedor Tot looks ahead to this expansive project, which includes VR and AR exhibitions alongside the music Freedom is an ambitious month of programming, taking in not just opera, but also a series of exhibitions, many of which make full use of the possibilities of Augmented and Virtual Reality storytelling, and a host of debates and talks.

Combing through such wieghty material is no easy task.

To begin with, the season of operas chosen tends firmly towards the newer side, with only Act II of Beethoven’s Fidelio representing any work from before the 20th century. Of the rest, the oldest work is Brundibár, written in 1938. Written

by Jewish Czech composers Hans Krása with a libretto by Adolf Hoffmeister, the opera was intended to be performed by children, for children, specifically those at the Jewish orphanage in Prague. Eventually, most of the original performers and staff were sent to Theresienstadt Concentration Camp, and eventually murdered during the Holocaust. It has a special connection for the opera’s musical director Tomáš Hanus, whose mother was one of the Theresienstadt performers. Here, opera doubles as a function of remembrance.

As WNO producer Maris Lyons states: “When Hans Krása and Adolf Hoffmeister originally wrote the piece, they did not know at the time that it would be staged

by Jewish children in a concentration camp. They created a lovely opera for children played by children, but they also aspired to create something that would help the children fight against evil and stimulate solidarity.”

Opera is often seen by its critics as an out-of-touch artform focusing on works that are centuries old and have little relevance to today’s world. Much of Freedom’s programming reads as a riposte to that, looking at ways in which music can respond to and challenge our preconceptions. “Opera is so often associated with historical works, and there is perhaps a misconception that it is something outdated and old fashioned,” says Lyons. “But contemporary opera, particularly newly commissioned works, is enjoying increasing popularity BUZZ 12

right now, as audiences seek fresh voices to interpret the complexities of our times. A generation of young composers like Jake Heggie [Dead Man Walking] are challenging the traditional boundaries of the art form, creating work that is as viable as it is dramatic, and can readily translate. We felt that with a subject matter as current as Freedom, so focused on real human experiences, we needed to hear from composers with an equivalent relevance and immediacy to their craft.”

Music with a political bent has always been a difficult thing to transmit. We tend to respond to music in a more abstract way than to film and theatre (think of Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA, an anti-war parable that frequently gets mistaken for a piece of flag-waving patriotism). So what challenges in particular did that present for a programme as openly political as Freedom?

“I wonder if it’s because we don’t sing through our days or sing to communicate in our everyday lives, so just the fact that the cast is singing suspends belief for some, and can be a difficult bridge to cross,” Lyons muses. “But then again, the power of music can also help transport the audience to a certain emotion and thought process.

“These are challenges faced by our artform every day – tackling themes of a political bent are no different from tackling other themes. I think the difference with this season is that we are keen to explore the issues and themes in more depth off the stage too. This isn’t because we can’t express all we want to in opera, but because we want to examine the issues in more detail, and provide a platform for further discussion.”

Hence where the talks, debates, and exhibitions come in. Many of the exhibitions, based around AR/VR methods, are in a way an attempt to humanise and bring individual empathy to the mass suffering we’re often told about.

Where numbers fail, individual stories can bring a closer touch. “That is the beauty of the work,” says digital producer David Massey. “We’re looking beyond the broad brushstrokes and statistics we’re fed by the media and stepping into a world where we can walk alongside the vulnerable and dispossessed. We take a moment, an interaction, an experience, and we open it up and invite you to step inside. I hope audiences will come away feeling overwhelmed by what they have experienced.”

Melding the material and the medium was a key factor, avoiding any gimmicky aspects. “I was really conscious that the technology should lend itself well to the stories we are telling on stage,” Masseys says. “I don’t think any of the digital experiences that we are exhibiting were created with the intention of being novel. There is an element of theatre when putting on a AR/VR headset, yet it’s also a very intimate, private experience and each participant will react differently to each piece of content we’ve chosen to exhibit.

“The interesting thing about stories explored in VR and AR is that it can transport you to another time and place, allowing you to experience history in a way that surpasses the confines of other more traditional art forms and mediums. Gabo Arora’s The Last Goodbye takes us into a photogrammetric scan of a concentration camp where we walk side by side with a Holocaust survivor. As an audience member you’re taken to an alternate reality, one that you wouldn’t experience in real life. The immediacy of the experience is all encompassing as the barriers between the artwork and us are broken down.”

That ability to break down barriers is crucial to the thinking behind Future Aleppo, created by Mohammed Kteish, Alex Pearson and Andy Overton, whereby we visit a paper recreation of a pre-war Aleppo. Initially, for Pearson, “VR was the one platform I didn’t want to use. I wanted something accessible and affordable that would enhance the lives for whom Future Aleppo was intended

– the children surviving the conflict and at the time VR was the very opposite of those prerequisites. The mood change came when Mohammed’s sister Limar insisted on trying the headset I had taken with me, and in an instant was completely liberated from her own reality into something completely different.

It was evident that VR could offer a brief respite to children from the horrors they had witnessed firsthand and, furthermore, could empower them if those worlds they escaped into had been created by them.”

One of the highlights of the programme here, in terms of breaking down those barriers between audience and art, is Asad J. Malik’s Terminal 3. It explores the realities of being a Muslim crossing the US border, where you ‘play’ an immigration officer directly interrogating a hologram passenger to determine whether they’re to be let into the country or not. The aim, according to Malik, is to “create a surreal power dynamic where the viewer is not only in control of the hologram’s faith but is also the only ‘real’ person in the room. The project juxtaposes almost poetic real-life stories of Muslim passengers with the coldness of the interrogation room. I hope that viewers have a harder time than ever before when they try to pin down the characteristics of what it means to be Muslim in today’s world.”

Ironically, Malik himself won’t be able to visit his creation in the flesh due in part to ‘visa-related complications’. “Maybe next year I’ll come as a hologram?” he wryly suggests.

Freedom, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay and various other venues, Fri 7-Sat 30 June.

Tickets: prices vary, some events free.

Info: www.wno.org.uk/freedom BUZZ 13

FREEDOM ROUNDUP In a programme bursting with issues and things to see, it might be a little difficult to separate the worthy from the worthwhile. John-Paul Davies picks out some of the highlights from the ambitious Freedom season this June.

THE GIRLS OF ROOM 28

THE CONSUL

BRAVE: SPOTLIGHT ON YOUNG HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

DEAD MAN WALKING

Fri 7-Sun 30 June Memories of Theresienstadt also form the content of this moving exhibition in the WMC’s Glanfa foyer. The survivors of the concentration camp felt the need to mark the passing of the girls who lived alongside them in Room 28. The girls were all murdered during the Holocaust and mementos, such as poems, letters, diaries and drawings, are used to commemorate their lives – as well as the lives of the adults from the Ghetto who preserved the artefacts and vowed that the young innocents would not be forgotten.

Mon 10 June Brave is chaired by Amnesty’s Education Officer, Hayle Davies. With the rise of young Extinction Rebellion protesters and the emergence of Greta Thunberg, WNO is right on the money here as this talk puts a panel of youth activists at the centre of its discussion. Young and old alike can be inspired by stories from the real-life campaigners who maintain the momentum behind human rights change.

THE PRISONER | FIDELIO ACT II

Fri 14 June The revolutionary fervour of youth is just as evident in the choice of material for the adult performers. Beethoven’s Fidelio (though only Act II is being performed) is the grandfather presiding over a gang of operas all composed between the 1930s and now. The Prisoner by Luigi Dallapiccola joins it as part of a double bill alongside Beethoven’s only opera. Both focus on themes of liberty and tyranny and will be semi-staged and directed by WNO artistic director, David Pountney.

BUZZ 14

Wed 12 June Menotti’s The Consul opens the lid on the slow-turning wheels of bureaucracy and the corruption of officials, as a family try to flee an unnamed European dictatorship. Having benefited from huge exposure in America, the land of the free, Menotti’s three-act work is becoming part of the modern opera canon. With a cast in single figures, a running time under two hours and a melodious score from an otherwise dissonant age, it’s easy to see why. A good introduction for opera newbies into the world of modern operatic realism.

Fri 7 June Better still could be season opener Dead Man Walking, the debut opera by Jake Heggie, first written in 2000. Based on the book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean and also adapted into a film starring Susan Sarandon, this now-familiar true story tells of Prejean’s time as a spiritual advisor on death row. Certainly a fine fit for the heightened drama of opera.

THE VOICE OF A CHILD

Wed 17 June The final talk of the season, The Voice Of A Child marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child. Chaired by Children’s Commissioner For Wales, Sally Holland, the discussion also marks the inaugural sitting of Wales’ new Youth Parliament. By positioning such engaging operatic works alongside events that place young people at the heart of political debate, WNO may have hit on a winning formula. They have created a real chance to engage a new audience and show the importance of art as social commentary in the perilous future of 21st century democracy.

Tymor sy’n archwilio’r thema o hawliau dynol Operâu | dadleuon | arddangosfeydd A Season exploring the theme of human rights Operas | debates | exhibitions Mehefin 3 – 30 June Archebwch nawr a yganolfan.org.uk Book now at wmc.org.uk wno.org.uk/freedom Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig | Registered Charity No 221538

LAST SUMMER Rife with both summery nostalgia, and traumatic undertones, Last Summer is a coming-of-age film set in rural Wales, inspired in part by writer/director Jon Jones’ memories of childhood. Fedor Tot looks closer.

Brooks, woods and fields have been part of many a childhood, especially in Wales, where an abundance of greenery means plenty of room to roam in. Last Summer, the feature film debut directed by TV veteran Jon Jones harks back to a childhood in Wales many might remember, although the themes of trauma and its rippling effects might be somewhat less commonplace.

Set somewhere in rural Wales sometime around the mid-70s, we follow a group of boys – Davy and Iwan Davies, Rhys and Robbie Morris – as they spend their summer holidays mucking around in the countryside near their village, occasionally crossing paths with Kevin Morris, an older sibling who teaches them how to catch and kill fish and various other ‘boy’s-own-adventure’ shenanigans.

One day, tragedy strikes. The Morris siblings’ mother starts to leave; in retaliation, her husband shoots her before killing himself, and the boys are all witness to the horror. What follows from then on is an exploration of grief and trauma, with the four responding to the shock in different ways, with a particular focus on Davy (Noa Thomas), who rejects the trauma most fervently out of the four.

For director Jon Jones, even though Last Summer tells a somewhat universal story, it is filtered through a particularly Welsh specificity, that of growing up in rural West Wales as a child. “I grew up in a kind of strange time; there was an awful lot of change going on, and I suppose I was witness to a lot of that. The rural world was very small and very isolated, with lots of small little farms that were trying to hang on to things as the modern world came along and swept them all away. I remember there was an element of desperation in people at that time, as they tried to deal with these economic forces that were driving them to sell up. But as a kid, we could kind of run around this beautiful landscape that was less manic than it is now, and felt entirely free – so when various adult things were happening, we just pressed on.”

BUZZ 16

There’s a sense of wanting to record a specific sense of ‘ordinary’ Welsh culture, he admits, “before it completely disappears, because the world is connected differently now.” Fish and chips for tea; abandoned buildings ripe for turning into mini playgrounds; Penguin chocolate bars lifted from biscuit tins (a more commercially developed script would have changed a small detail like that to just ‘chocolate’). The cast and crew are almost entirely Welsh too, making use of natural accents. It’s small details but it contributes to a sense of reality, of the specificity of the location adding to the universality of the story.

The story itself is filmed firmly from Davy’s point of view – there’s not a single shot of an adult that’s taken from above waist height, and many of those adult conversations between parents, police and social care services after the murdersuicide are glimpsed from behind doorways. “It’s how he perceives everything in the story,” Jones says. “I think one could possibly criticise that, because we don’t really delve into why the murder happens, but as a child I think you don’t process things like that. Davy processes it really weirdly.

“Different children deal with things differently, but this particular child decided not to process it in a way. He just wanted his childhood to continue, and therefore refuses to acknowledge these very complicated adult things that were going on.

It’s really a film about a boy trying to hang on to his childhood, and the sadness of the fact that he’s going to lose it.

“His values are so small. We live in this age of superheroes, where generally people have to save the world, and I’m aware that it’s an odd thing therefore to make a film about a kid literally just trying to do his best for his mates and all these tiny things, but I think that’s what stuck with certain people.”

That stubbornness and small-world sincerity played into working with the child actors too, who rise to the dramatic weight placed on them admirably. “That was all part of the challenge. I was trying to get to a point with very inexperienced

FILM + TV ROUNDUP There’s a whole host of great Welsh-based film and TV coming out over the next few months.

Fedor Tot picks a few of the highlights of the calendar.

WILD HONEY PIE

Released Fri 14 June Directed and written by Porthcawl-based Jamie Adams, this comedy/ drama looks to be as much of a vehicle for the talents of leading star Jemima Clarke, who you might remember from her appearances in Girls and leading role in Tiny Furniture. Here she plays Gillian, married to Oliver (Richard Elis). The two are drifting – he is a smalltime DJ, she’s an aspiring writer whose career has mostly stalled, until she has the bright idea to kick off a Shakespeare festival.

Jamie Adams has fine form with quirky British dramedy – his previous work includes Black Mountain Poets, which starred the ever-brilliant Alice Lowe, who gets a supporting role here.

YEARS AND YEARS

(On Tuesdays, 9pm, BBC One, catchup on iPlayer) Russell T. Davies returns with some of the most cracking and addictive TV around. Following a single family from 2019 through to 2034 as the world undergoes political and environmental catastrophe alongside a healthy dose of war, this ambitious drama takes inspiration from such disparate sources as Black Mirror and old-school melodrama. And a brilliant show it is too – pitched at a fine balance between bonkers OTT and smart satire, it’s a glorious soapy pleasure from one of the UK’s finest writers.

actors to try and tell this story. It was an amazing experience working with these boys because, interestingly, they were quite like the kid in the story, who doesn’t really think about things, and can’t quite understand the significance of them.

The character lives in a very binary world of good and bad, and he’s not looking to understand; he just wants his childhood back.

“The kids, when they approached the job of acting, were similarly unphased by ‘ooh look, it’s a big movie and I’m gonna be an actor, and I’ve gotta think about my process, and my direction and motivations’. They just went at it, as kids do: ‘right, I’m going to throw myself into this, and I’m not going to think too much about it, I’m not gonna try and process that, I’m just gonna do it.’”

Richard Harrington, who plays Dai – a neighbouring farmer who appears largely as an ambivalent and mysterious figure for the kids – surmises, “It could be the worst day of your life and the best day of your life. Obviously, kids’ attention spans are not as broad as ours... even though mine’s questionable at times. You can either embrace it, which is what I learnt to do, or you fight against it, which is a losing battle. What I got out of it was their enthusiasm for life, which can only infect what you do on screen. It makes the dramatic scenes even more poignant, really.”

Finally, one last minor miracle within Last Summer. Filmed in Wales, much of its outdoor scenes are in glorious sunshine. How fortunate was Jon Jones? “It was a lot of luck!” he laughs. “We did cheat a bit in post-production, the odd sky we replaced, but there was luck involved in the whole thing. I mean, we made it with £750,000, which is ridiculous, so we didn’t have much wriggle room – if anything went wrong, we were done. So we were very, very lucky.” Nothing did go wrong, and out of that comes one of the finer Welsh films in recent memory.

Last Summer is out in cinemas from Fri 7 June

GOOD OMENS

(Out Fri 31 May on Amazon Prime) Admittedly, the Welsh connection here starts and stops at Michael Sheen, but any excuse to watch him is a good one. Here, he stars as an angel alongside David Tennant as a devil, teaming up to stop the apocalypse. Written by Neil Gaiman, adapting from his co-written book with Terry Pratchett and carrying out the deceased author’s wishes, it’s sure to be a funny and fantastical romp, the go-to shout to fill the immediate post-Game Of Thrones vacuum.

BUZZ 17

BRADLEY FREEGARD Un Bore Mercher and its English version Keeping Faith has been a runaway success for Welsh TV in recent years. With a new series kicking off, Carl Marsh chats to the show’s Bradley Freegard, who plays Evan.

In the opening episode of season two’s Un Bore Mercher, your character receives a headbutt from your character’s wife Faith [played by Bradley Freegard’s real-life wife Eve Myles]. Did you send Eve lots of chocolates and flowers in the days building up to that scene so that she would go easy on you?

Haha! Of course not, I trust her implicitly. You know what, Eve is and always has been really very good at anything to do with stunts and physicality that the job requires. If you go back to her Torchwood days, she did all of her own stunts.

How many times did it take to shoot that scene, was it just one take or many?

What happens is you rehearse it with a fight coordinator to make sure everyone knows exactly what they are doing, and you rehearse it at a snail’s pace. You slow it down roughly 100%, so that everyone can judge precisely how close everything is going to be. It’s kind of a technical exercise really, choreographed like a dance: “this shouldn’t go there” and “that has to be there”; “you should do this” and “this leg goes there”.

Everything is choreographed carefully, and then slowly and gradually, you start building up the speed without any emotion at all, until it is up to pace. Then you can put some emotion into it. But obviously, with the amount of emotion we put into that scene, the first assistant director said that we have only three attempts at this because actors start to get fatigued, and that’s when accidents happen.

So we had three goes at it as that’s all we had, and luckily I think we managed to get something that we were really after and it was quite shocking really. We were lucky to have a live audience watch the opening episode at the premiere. There was an audible gasp in the cinema that evening, which was lovely to hear.

What attracted you to the role of Evan in the first place?

Any role in that production, I was attracted to – I was lucky enough to have read the scripts in the form that they were in a very long time ago. Now when Eve was BUZZ 18

first approached to play the role, I thought, “wow, what a fantastic opportunity to be a part of this production”.

Didn’t you audition initially as the part of Steve, the ex-criminal who befriends Faith?

I did, much the same as the other actors that were up for the roles in it – I just auditioned and then I was offered the role of Evan. I was absolutely over the moon, and even more now that he has returned in season two.

How does it compare to acting opposite your real wife, compared to other actors that you are not married to. Is it hard mentally separating real-life with the fiction of acting work?

It’s a strange one. You have to compartmentalise, as the onscreen and offscreen relationship has absolutely no bearing on each other. It’s fiction, it’s drama, and we are there to do a job. The advantages are obvious with the fact that Eve and I have known each other such a long time: we first met when we were 16, and we’ve been together 20 years, married for six.

So yes, we know each other very well and have a shorthand when it comes to being able to read each other, as you do with anybody that you have a long-term relationship with – whether that be your wife or your best mate, you know that person, so you’re very comfortable in their presence. Something that happened in the series that we wanted to explore was the silences between married couples, and having the confidence to play those silences and pauses.

Un Bore Mercher is currently screening weekly on S4C and is available on iPlayer. Keeping Faith will be on BBC later this year.

Coming up at the Arena...

motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk 029 2022 4488

B E T TA N Y H U G H E S Historian, author and broadcaster Bettany Hughes’ television programmes are a worldwide staple of the BBC’s history programming. Oliver R. Moore Howells catches up with her ahead of a visit to Swansea.

Tell us about the talk on Istanbul you’re doing at Taliesin Arts Centre this month.

I visited Istanbul when I was 18 and fell in love with the place. It’s one of the most exciting cities on earth. I’ve spent 10 years writing this book on Istanbul and what it takes to make a city. As part of the talk, I’ll be asking big questions as to how we can all manage to live together and all the challenges and delights of that.

It’s one of the most extraordinary cities in the world and also one of the most powerful, spanning 8,000 years. There’ll be a mixture of anecdotes, juicy gossip and gobbets of history, but also a look at how we can all live together as a species.

What key principles do you think we can learn from ancient civilisations?

It may sound a bit corny, but the civilisations that were the most successful were those that loved each other. You see the great big thinkers like Socrates, Buddha and Confucius and they all talk about that. I think it’s important to get on with those around you, and also recognise the importance of culture and the part it plays. Even in really tough times, people took time out to listen to music, to get together and have a good time. It’s not just the living life but loving the living of it.

Many voices from antiquity have been suppressed or simply ignored. Do you see it as your duty to give a voice to the voiceless?

Absolutely. As a historian I think you should find where the gaps are and try to fill them in. One of the characters I’ll be talking about at the lecture is an amazing empress called Theodora, who was one of the most powerful women on Earth – yet most people wouldn’t have heard of her. I’m trying to write those sorts of people back into history. History is written by the winners, the most powerful, but that doesn’t necessary mean those are the most interesting or truthful stories.

BUZZ 20

Who do you think is the greatest, and who the most repulsive, person according to history?

There are lots of historical characters who are really fascinating – the empress Theodora, and another, Wu Zetian. I would love also to spend a dinner chatting to Socrates, Alexander The Great and Constantine The Great, who founded Constantinople. There are many people from history I’d love to spend an evening with asking them what their motivation was.

In regards to the most repulsive – being a historian can be very depressing at times as you come across a lot of them. I won’t select one but the casual cruelty of history is such that you can get post-traumatic stress disorder just reading about it; the lives that people lived meant that death was just around the corner. As a historian you have to focus on where life is really working and analyse what they were doing right.

I take a more hopeful view, since life is better now that it has been for most people for thousands of years: whilst we’re absolutely not perfect as a species we do learn from our mistakes – sometimes – so you could say we’re heading in the right direction.

In regards to Wales, are there any Welsh men, women, eras you think we should take particular note of?

The Roman period in Wales is incredible. There are lots of Roman words which are taken from interactions with the Welsh. I think it’s a forgotten chapter in a way but it was incredibly influential both in terms of Wales’ history and the Romans and what they thought about themselves. People talk about Roman Britain but Roman Wales is what we should focus on.

Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Fri 7 June. Tickets: £8/£5 NUS or under-18s. Info: 01992 602060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk.

Istanbul: A Tale Of Three Cities, published by W&N. Price: £25 hardback/£8.50 paperback.

GROOVE ARMADA The esteemed British electronic duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato are set to bliss out Caerphilly Castle this July, for their first south Wales date in forever. Ryan Heeger plays catchup.

Given the sellout success of Pete Tong and The Heritage Orchestra in Cardiff Castle last July, it’s safe to assume that many of the same clientele will make this Sunday pilgrimage and pay their respects to one of the UK’s longeststanding electronic/live crossover acts. While Tong’s event employed the recent phenomenon of reinventing ‘Ibiza classics’ by adding the classical element of an orchestra, Groove Armada have been pioneering a similar sound since their beginnings, most notably channelled through Andy Cato’s iconic trombone on At The River and Superstylin’. Both of those tracks are pretty much guaranteed in a GA set, as are some fine guest/regular vocalists and MCs, such as dancehall/ reggae artist Red Rat. “Red Rat is sadly not with us at Caerphilly,” says Tom Findlay, the other half of GA along with Andy. “But we have a brilliant soul singer, Veba, plus MAD [the voice of Superstylin’] and Saint Saviour, who sang on a lot of tracks from our Black Light album like I Won’t Kneel and Paper Romance, so we’ve got ALL the bases covered.

We got the offer of playing the castle, and had heard amazing things about the venue, so it was really quite easy to say yes.”

With Judge Jules having also visited St David’s Hall at the end of May with Janice Robinson and the London Concert Orchestra to represent Ministry of Sound’s The Annual Classical, do GA see the rise of the DJ with orchestra as something to be revered, or competition for the trail they have blazed?

“I’ve seen Pete’s show a few times and I really like what they do,” Tom confirms.

“They invest a lot of time and effort in recreating those tracks, and the production of it all is amazing. So essentially good luck to them, there’s room for all of us, and I love the fact it’s all properly live.”

It’s been nine years since they’ve put out a full studio album – the aforementioned Black Light – and four years since their contribution to the Moda Black series with compilation and remix hybrid, Little Black Book. With such a big date looming here in south Wales, can we expect new material and even an incoming album?

BUZZ 22

“There’s lots coming,” Tom reveals. “We’re working on a new record that should come out at the end of this year, or the beginning of next, depending how firmly we get our skates on. It’s sounding really good, and we’re working with some great singers. There’s also a GA21 compilation coming in July around the Caerphilly show that should pull together everything we’ve done in the last 21 years.”

It’s been over a decade since the band last performed in Wales, and 10 more before that since this writer saw them on the Ericsson tour at Cardiff Uni’s Great Hall with Hybrid and Paul Van Dyk. To make it such a historic venue is to return with something of a flourish that should bring out plenty of ex-clubbers who now only venture out for an event such as this. But what is it about their brand of dance music that endures?

“I guess our love of all the best things in the genre cuts through,” explains Tom. “We’re lucky to bring out all the semi-retired ravers, plus a younger generation.

Everyone has the chance to engage with music across all genres, and that’s a wonderful thing. To be honest, we’ve not had as much experience of Welsh crowds as we’d like, so this one should set the record straight, and if it all goes well, we’ll see y’all again in 2020.”

You’re well advised to arrive early for some warm-up fun in the sun (hopefully) with very worthy opening act – and the founder of Cardiff’s now sadly defunct Plastic Raygun label – Jean Jacques Smoothie, even if it’s just to throw shapes to his 2001 blinder 2 People.

Caerphilly Castle, Sun 14 July. Tickets: £40. Info: 029 2010 0888 / thinkorchard.com

THE RIVERFRONT THEATRE & ARTS CENTRE NEWPORT £3

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR CINEMA LISTIN GS

Ceri Dupree

TICKETS FROM

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

SATURDAY 1 JUNE, 7.30PM

Les Musicals

016 SATURDAY 15 JUNE, 7.30PM

Matt Rees & Saskia Preston

WEDNESDAY 19 &THURSDAY 20 JUNE, 7.30PM

newp

FRIDAY 21 JUNE, 7.30PM

Frisky & Mannish Pop Lab THURSDAY 18 JULY AT 7.30PM

Kingsway, Newport, NP20 1HG

01633 656757 SATURDAY 22 JUNE, 7.45PM

BUZZ AD.indd 3

newportlive.co.uk/riverfront 03/05/2019 16:29

MIKE PETERS Celebrating 30 years of The Alarm’s definitive album Change and with a new album, Mike Peters talks to Oliver R Moore-Howells about Sigma, the band’s upcoming tour and what inspires him to write.

The Alarm’s built on smashing things up, tearing things down and starting again!”

Seeing himself as a ‘midwife’ to the ideas that come to him, he recounts the time he toured with Bob Dylan. Standing behind a mysterious figure at immigration control, he says he could see the words, Robert Zimmerman, written on the passport in front.

Immediately, a melody arrived in his head which, in turn, became the song No Frontiers.

“It’s like the big man upstairs was sending some music down to planet Earth, it missed Bob Dylan and got me instead! I feel I’m the recipient of these energies.”

With his upcoming gig at Cardiff University, Peters feels well enough to travel again rather than letting the fans come to him in North Wales. Titled The Midsummer Gathering 2019, he says it’s based on the fan-centric gatherings The Alarm have had in their neck of the woods over the last 27 years: their way of maintaining their relationship with their fans in the flesh rather than merely keeping in contact via social media. An all-day event, there’ll be music, films and a Q&A session, plus Mike will play some solo sets, all commemorating 30 years since The Alarm put out what might be the first bilingual album in Wales – Change/Newid.

Not enough to quench his musical appetite, Peters is also be going on an acoustic tour titled Hurricane Of Change later in the year. “It’s an opportunity to represent those albums (Hurricane and Electric Folklore) in a historical context. Something I feel I can only do on my own as the Alarm family has changed over the years,” he says.

It appears, then, that Mike Peters is unstoppable.

Seizing life by the proverbials: “Every day’s a miracle in the Peters household. We’re hitting the road and living life to the full!”

The Alarm, Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sat 29 June. Tickets: £27.50.

Info: 029 2978 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com / www.thealarm.com

Pic: Andy Labrow

It’s 8.45am on a Friday. The bed’s cosy, eyes are heavy – sleepy time. But wait!

What’s that noise? The alarm? No. The Alarm. Mike Peters is on the blower.

Seemingly up with the sun, Mike’s spent his morning breakfasting on omelettes, seeing the kids off to school and planning a weekend hike with his wife in the hills of his native north Wales. But does he normally get up this early, Buzz wonders? He laughs. He does, obviously.

Chatting away, Mike’s pumped, leaving little or no opportunity for an empty crevice to open up in the conversation. The questions, however, are queuing up, eager to probe the man’s extraordinary, if turbulent, life. He and his wife Jules’ battle with cancer is well-documented, though both are now in a ‘good space’.

“I’ve still got leukaemia, obviously, and if I stop taking [the anti-cancer tablets] I’m gonna fall off the edge of the planet!” he says. “Still, whilst I’m taking them, I’m as normal as the next person.”.

Despite his family’s illnesses, it would seem that with suffering comes creativity. Mike has formerly taken to art or else recording his feelings into his mobile phone in a bid to make sense of it all – he also helped nurse his wife back to health in 2016. With the condition of both steadily improving, he decided to share with her all he’d written. “I think you’re looking at your next Alarm record here, Mike,” Jules told him, spawning both Equals and that of the upcoming Sigma. Originally planned as a double album, Peters decided instead to release them separately, one year and one day apart.

Greek for ‘summation’, Sigma is a summary of a fouryear period dating back to the time The Alarm played at the Wales Millennium Centre with the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales – around the time Peters suffered a relapse whilst Jules was diagnosed with breast cancer. Containing mathematical symbols, the album’s artwork’s indicative of the answers he was searching for in regards to “navigating the waters I’d been placed in the middle of.”

And having always written from the heart, it looks set to be an honest retelling of the struggles he’s been through as well as some of the troubled times we’re facing as a country.

“My lifeblood’s not playing safe.

BUZZ 24

Pic: Helmi Okbara

PA M AY R E S Pam Ayres’ comedic poetry has been delighting her public for decades.

With a new collection set to arrive in September and a tour of the nation’s theatres, Laura Wood finds out what’s in Pam’s attic.

In your latest shows, are you using material from your most recent book, Up In The Attic?

Some readings from there, yes, but it’s really a whole selection of poems, stories and anecdotes from across my whole body of work. I don’t use a lot of the old stuff, but I have to do I Wish I’d Looked After My Teeth otherwise I think I’d get lynched! I did one last night which is called Round And Round The Car Park which is going endlessly round the car park trying to find a space, and you’re late and you are in a terrible state and it was the first time I have performed it and it went down really well.

Do you think people have misconceptions about what happens in your shows?

I’m always a bit unnerved when people say it’s a reading – I don’t actually read, I learn everything. I think if I had to read it aloud, I would have to put my glasses on and would have to have a book in front of my nose. I wouldn’t be able to connect with the audience at all. But I don’t think people who come to see me regularly do, no – I wouldn’t say ‘here is the first poem, thank you, now here is the second poem.’ I think we would all die of boredom!

Your next book is being published in September. What motivates you to write, four decades after you first started?

I’ve always done it, it’s just a part of me. Some people are good at mathematics, some people are interested in painting, I just love writing and trying to write things that will make people laugh. It is a tremendously rewarding job, to write something, learn it, perform it and see people fall about laughing – it’s just addictive.

Do you think social media has changed the way you write?

No, I don’t. It’s a good thing: I like it because I can speak for myself, you know, for once I have a voice. Once I got onto Twitter, if someone said “Pam Ayres did such and such…” I could go on and say “no I didn’t” or “yes I did”, and that’s great. It’s also an interesting discipline, being on Twitter, to try and get the things I had to say down to the number of characters I had, and to make it concise and grammatically correct, it’s a very interesting challenge.

Do you have a particular process you go through when you write?

Yes – if I get a good idea make a note of it, wherever I am, because they can soon evaporate. However, I don’t try and write a poem straight away – if I come across an area that I would like to write about, I would just gather up every possible angle that I could think of, not try and make it rhyme or anything but just try and bring together all the various thoughts, feelings, fears and experiences that I have had, so I finish with a big jumble. I then try and pick out the things that might be especially poignant and make them rhyme.

Do you have any advice for young aspiring writers or poets?

If you believe in it, get out there and perform it. It’s no good writing something and shoving it in a drawer, waiting for it to be discovered. You have to get out there and let people hear it, even though you might be terrified. The thing to remember is the more you do it, the easier it gets. So don’t hide your work away – if you really believe that it’s good and that people will enjoy it, jolly well get out there and perform it.

An Evening With Pam Ayres. Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Mon 8 + Tue 9 July; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Wed 10 July. Tickets: £25 Info: www.torchtheatre.co.uk / www.theatrausirgar.co.uk

BUZZ 26

newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8889

13 — 15 June • Meh

ASPERGERS ARE US Aspergers Are Us are a sketch group formed of Ethan Finlan, Jack Hanke, Noah Britton, and New Michael (or just Michael Ingemi), all of whom have been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, performing a set of deadpan sketch comedy, a form which they describe as “without connotation or meaning”. In 2016, they were the subject of an HBO documentary named after the troupe. Admirably, rather than telling their story for them, or using patronising language such as ‘inspirational’, the film follows the four-piece through their day-to-day lives, allowing them to narrate.

You may think from reading the name that Aspergers is directly tied into their comedy. Indeed, pieces like Job Interview Sketch and The Restraint Song could be seen to comment on difficult social situations, or the expectations placed on autistic individuals. However, as they clarify via email: “We almost changed our name to ‘Funny’ because we’re really sick of people expecting the show to relate to autism in any other way than the style of humour we use.”

Notably, they cite their heroes as Monty Python and Kids In The Hall. Not necessarily because they reflect any of their tropes or influences though, but because “they both regretted their names, but were stuck with them after they got a following from TV and movies. We’re the same.”

When asked how they feel about performing in the British Isles they say they’re excited to return. Yet, in typical absurdist style, they add, “If the queen dies while we’re there, we hope we’re quickly exonerated as suspects, as we have nothing against her and want her to teach us how to wave so painlessly.”

Importantly, Aspergers Are Us make clear that they enjoy what they do. Theirs isn’t necessarily the style of comedy which can be easily retold in less than five minutes. Rather, there’s a lot of subtle wordplay and suggestion which will serve to catch you off-guard, making you contemplate, while you’re laughing out loud.

ALEX SWIFT Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Wed 26 June. Tickets: £11/£9.

Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org

CARDIFF OPEN AIR THEATRE Since its launch in 1983, Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival (in association with Everyman Theatre) has become a calendar highlight for a wide demographic of theatregoers in Wales. Over the years, it has grown from strength to strength, with over 14,000 visitors a year enjoying innovative interpretations of productions which aim to challenge and entertain audiences. Offering up Shakespeare, musicals, family shows, and light entertainment/comedy productions, the festival is a bag of pick‘n’mix waiting to be devoured by theatre lovers.

Held at Sophia Gardens, this year’s festival will showcase new takes on some wellknown productions, alongside cinema singalongs, comedy and cabaret. There are two Shakespeare productions on offer: Much Ado About Nothing, one of his most frequently performed works, and back by popular demand, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. An amateur production of Jesus Christ Superstar, by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd, looks set to be a highlight as they retell the “greatest story ever told”, whilst fans of Disney and families in general will want to check out The Little Mermaid.

If comedy is more your thing, there will be laughs a plenty as you join Ted, Gladys and the Maplins gang for Hi-De-Hi, based on the BAFTA award-winning BBC series. You can also enjoy some Stand-Up In The Park, in partnership with Amnesty International Cardiff. Alternatively, if you just fancy a good old fashioned sing-song, Hello Cabaret In The Park will be right up your street, whilst Cinema In The Park will be bringing us singalong versions of two of the most iconic films in history, Grease and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

All of the performances will be under cover with tiered seating, which is a blessing considering the unpredictable Welsh weather in the summer. You can even hire a blanket for £2 if you’re feeling a little cold during the evening. KATRINA REES Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Thurs 27 June-Sat 3 Aug. Tickets: £10-£18.

Info: 0333 6663366 / www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk

BUZZ 28

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

Tanysgrifiadau ar werth:

Cyffredinol ar werth:

Mehefin 2019

For information and tickets Am wybodaeth a thocynnau

bbc.co.uk/now 0800 052 1812

BlurringBlurring boundaries and and borders, inspired themusic music and poetry of Wales boundaries borders, inspired by by the and poetry of Wales and theand UK the UK Cymylu terfynau a ffiniau, wedi’i ysbrydoli gerddoriaeth a barddoniaeth Cymylu terfynau a ffiniau, wedi’i ysbrydoligan gan gerddoriaeth a barddoniaeth Cymru Cymru a’r DU a’r DU

June / Mehefin: 13 Band on the Wall, Manchester / Manceinion 15 St Matthias Church, Stoke Newington 21 The Gate, Cardiff / Caerdydd 22 Taliesin, Swansea / Abertawe 23 Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells

sinfoniacymru.co.uk @sinfoniacymru /sinfoniacymru

THE JUST US LEAGUE: MARVELUS London-based standup comedians and self-confessed superhero nerds Gary Tro and Javier Jarquin joined forces to form The Just Us League to celebrate and lampoon the world of comic book heroes. They’re currently touring MarvelUs, an unofficial parody of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, from 2008’s Iron Man, to this year’s Captain Marvel and the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame – racing through all 22 films in a much more digestible 90 minutes. Prior to their appearance at Cardiff’s Glee Club, Gary (red onesie) and Javier (blue onesie) give Buzz a buzz.

Both are longstanding comic book fans, as Javier explains: “We started on the gateway comics and naturally moved to the harder stuff.” With the ever-increasing hugeness of the films, keeping up-to-date is a challenge. “We’re constantly editing and adding to the show to keep as current as we can with the flurry of MCU movies that come out. Slow down Marvel!... don’t slow down, please. Ever!”

Now that Endgame has broken box-office everywhere – “a love-letter to its fans; so many nods to previous movies and little tidbits in there to be enjoyed,” says Gary – what do they hope for from the next sequence of Marvel movies? “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again... Moon Knight! I think there’s so much awesome story telling that could be done with that character. I don’t care if it’s a TV series or a film but I want some Moon Knight!”

“Bad guy-wise, I think some Dr. Doom would be cool, or even a bit of Galactus,” Javier adds. “Both of those are Fantastic Four rouges, though so it might not be until [the licensing issues are resolved] we see them appearing in the MCU.” The two being such hardcore comic fans, is there perhaps an ulterior motive to the show? Like say, fishing for a cameo or something of the sort? “The show is us actively trying!” yelps Gary.

As for Edinburgh Fringe plans, the duo have universe-expanding plans not too dissimilar from Marvel’s. “We’re taking two new shows up this year – a new sketch show called MarvelUs: Awww Snap! and an improvised show called MarvelUs: Improvengers Assemble! We can’t wait.” DAVE FREAK MarvelUs: All The Marvel Movies... Kind Of, Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 4 July. Tickets: £12/£10.

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

GO FASTER STRIPE COMEDY FESTIVAL Now in its fourth year, the Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival owes its existence to a trio of factors, according to founder Chris Evans. First, there’s practicality and economics: “It turns out that filming comedy shows properly is really expensive.

We hit upon the idea of filming many shows over a few days, which means we can still pay everyone properly and end up with more stuff when we’re finished.”

Then there’s Chris’ curatorial urge – an enduring passion that first manifested itself as an obsession with mixtapes in his youth. And finally there’s his dream of a festival where “there’s no chance of a clash” and intervals for food, drinks and comfort breaks. “It’s very civilized.”

Chris’ only criterion when booking performers is simply that they are funny. “But because I’m a jaded comedy fan, acts that I find funny all tend to be original in the way they approach things.” That policy translates into appearances by Seymour Mace, “a proper unique genius of a man”; Perrier Award winner Christian Reilly, a purveyor of “funny, catchy and wise songs”; and George Egg, the self-styled ‘anarchist cook’ whose show offers the audience the opportunity to sample food cooked using only hotel-room appliances. However, Chris admits that he’s most excited about The Elvis Dead, which sees Rob Kemp [pictured] performing Elvis songs against a backdrop of The Evil Dead 2.“He’s got fake blood and a chainsaw and all sorts. It’s quite the spectacular.”

Idiosyncratic talents and high-concept shows mean that not everything works – but for a fiver a ticket, you can afford to take a punt. For Chris, the element of risk is most thrilling. He names Alfie Brown’s 2018 appearance as one of his festival highlights: “He tried something a bit different that didn’t come off. It was such a glorious failure.”

Having begun in London in 2016, the festival is now in its second year in Cardiff. “I used to work in Chapter,” says Chris, “and it’s where we made our first few recordings, so it feels like our spiritual home. It’s lovely to be back there and to get a lovely crowd of comedy fans coming to see stuff.” BEN WOOLHEAD Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 7 + Sat 8 June. Tickets: £5 per show. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org BUZZ 30

DAVID MAHONEY A CHANOLFAN MILENIWM CYMRU YN CYFLWYNO DAVID MAHONEY AND WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE PRESENTS

ROOTS UNEARTHED GWRANDO’R GWREIDDIAU G R E AT A C TS , G L O B A L S O U N D S & R E L A X I N G AT M O S P H E R E

S I O E A U G W YC H , S E I N I A U BY D - E N W O G A C AW Y R GY L C H B R A F

WHAT’S ON/AR FYND June/Mehefin 2019 – January/Ionawr 2020 MEHEFIN 23 JUNE 2019

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS BLAIR DUNLOP 04.06.19 – 8pm DANIELLE HOPE

JOHN OWEN-JONES

KERRY ELLIS

DAVID THAXTON

TA C H W E D D 1 7 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

MOVIE MIXTAPE

SONGS FROM THE SILVER SCREEN

IAN H WATKINS

NOEL SULLIVAN

LUCIE JONES

LLEUWEN 09.07.19 – 8pm

CONNIE FISHER

M AW R T H 3 M A R C H 2 0 2 0

MARTIN SIMPSON 10.09.19 – 8pm

HEART AND SOUL

A MOTOWN, RNB AND SOUL CELEBRATION

MARISHA WALLACE

ARWENIR GAN CONDUCTED BY

DOM HARTLEY-HARRIS

JACKIE OATES 19.11.19 – 8pm

DAVID MAHONEY

MARTYN JOSEPH Auditorium/Awditoriwm 28.01.20 – 7.30pm

wmc.org.uk

profile

SIMON WESTON Caerphilly-born Simon Weston been through thick and thin, fighting for better aftercare for injured veterans, but remains in ebullient mood as he chats to Carl Marsh.

When you were injured in 1982 – and I know from my own personal experience in the Army as well – did you spend a few years in limbo after being medically discharged from the Army?

Well as you know yourself, having a career [in the Army], you just think it’s all going to go the way that you want it to, and then all of a sudden it grinds to a halt. And then the wheels came off via the Ministry Of Defence. While the Welsh Guards were brilliant, the rest of the machinery with the MOD just didn’t work, so yes, limbo was definitely it. And that is when the depression and the drinking all come into play.

With the PTSD, that was most definitely going to happen anyway based on what we know now. I just don’t think the depression would have been as bad as it was had there been more done professionally to help me find my way forward. [MOD aftercare] is far better today but still not good enough. That’s the way that life goes.

You’ll be stopping at a few venues here in Wales, what will you be talking about?

It’s my life story but with the bits that you haven’t read about. There is more humour in it than there is sadness. It’s honest, and it tells the truth about everything really, from the sadness and the tragedy to the fun. The fact is that I am 57, nearly 58 now, so there has been a lot of water under the bridge.

Like all people that have served in the military, no BUZZ 32

matter what the tragedy or whatever’s happening, there are still very funny moments and people laugh. And afterwards, they belly-laugh. I just hope that people are more uplifted when they leave the theatre and they can get the chance to have a photo taken or to ask questions at the end of the evening.

Are you worried that anyone that’s not served in the military and is not used to the military banter might not get some of the humour?

Well, it is what it is in the military: people are only rude or cruel to you because they know you are going to survive, they wouldn’t do it if you weren’t.

You know, we are not animals, but if someone loses their legs, the first thing people [in the military] say is, “Is that right that you have a pair of slippers to sell?” [laughter]. That’s just the way of the beast, isn’t it?

People are far happier being cruel to be kind in that way. You were probably like that before you got injured towards other people who did get injured, and that’s how people will be from now until the end of time, I hope. That’s part and parcel of military banter, which is a lot of what we do when we do the show. We talk about some of the sad and tragic parts, of course, we do because it would be rude to ignore that as it would be an insult to those people that didn’t come home, or to those that took their lives after the end of the Falklands war. It is

essential that we talk about that side of it, but we don’t dwell on it because it can be a very dark and depressing moment if you do dwell on it for too long.

If you don’t mind me asking: when the bombs hit the Sir Galahad in 1982, did you lose consciousness?

No, no, no, I stayed awake through all of it, abso-bloody-lutley, abso-bloody-lutley. If I had been knocked out, I would have been dead. What we were doing at the time was winching some equipment on a pallet to be put on a landing raft.

We were winching them out as the back doors of the boat had jammed, otherwise we would have walked up to the tailgate, chucked our gear in the back of a boat and got off and been on the beach in 10 minutes. But what happened was that one of the boats was commandeered and we had no transport to get off, so we got hit as we were there too long and there was no preparation for us arriving. The weather that day was also probably the nicest day of the whole campaign, which was our downfall as the Argentinians could see for miles.

Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen, Wed 12 June; Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Wed 17 July.

Tickets: £18.50/£20.50.

Info: www.theatrausirgar.co.uk / www.brycheiniog.co.uk

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

FESTIVAL - GŵYL

MAGICAL LAKESIDE FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, FOOD OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AND FESTIVAL FUN

BOOKING HOTLINE - 01267 600 650

CODE BUZZ10

THEBIGCWTCH .com

www.

10% OFF

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

by Keiron Self

LATE NIGHT ****

Dir: Nisha Ganatra (15, 102 mins) Emma Thompson pairs well with Mindy Kaling in this late-night chat show comedy with a mission. Thompson plays TV host Katherine Newbury whose show is on the ropes. Positing that a writers’ room full of white male writers might be the problem, she decides to enforce some affirmative action and escape criticism that her long running show is a dinosaur. Along comes Kaling’s Molly Patel, a woman of colour used to entertaining people at the chemical plant where she works, rocketed to the misogynistic writers’ room to add pep to the proceedings. She is a big fan of the show so it’s a dream come true for Molly to write for her hero, but it’s not going to be easy. Katherine is on her way out, with low ratings and a loss of relevance.

Kaling decides to confront that head on, writing more edgy material and aiming to strike a blow for the under-represented in the industry in the process. Kaling writes well for Thompson, who relishes her one-liners and also adds weight and gravitas in an engaging comedy with an agenda that speaks to the #MeToo and diversity movement with wit and class. Opens June 7

BRIGHTBURN ***

Dir: David Yarovesky (15, 90 mins) Essentially Superman as a horror film, Brightburn follows a child whose ultimate intentions are not to save mankind but something far more sinister. Elizabeth Banks and David Denman are the Breyers, a couple longing for a child, only for one to appear from the skies one night. They believe they have been blessed, but matters take a nasty turn. Jackson A. Dunn is creepily convincing as their adopted son Brandon, the antiSuperman who discovers he has powers but uses them for evil rather than good. He lashes out at school bullies, assaults nasty parents and destroys planes. He must be stopped, but can this cape-wearing, red-eyed child be defeated, even as his adopted mother clings to the belief that there is good in him? Lots of jump scares, moments of nasty gore, and a novel twist on superheroes, this is confidently directed by Yarovesky and written by cousins Mark and Brian Gunn, with Brian’s brother James Gunn also producing. Opens June 21

CHILD’S PLAY ***

TOY STORY 4 ****

Dir: Josh Cooley (PG, 89 mins) After the devastating emotional climax of Toy Story 3, which proved a very satisfying end to the adventures of Woody and Buzz and their Andy, this sequel seems risky indeed. What more can be said? And said well enough to honour what has come before? Let’s hope Pixar and director Josh Cooley, together with five writers, can come up with the goods. Woody has a new owner, Bonnie, alongside her new favourite toy at school, Forky (voiced by Tony Hale), a spork with eyes and pipecleaner arms. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) take it upon themselves to look after him. The family go on a road trip and Forky has an existential crisis; he’s cutlery, not a plaything, and so he runs away. It’s up to Woody and the gang to get him back and prove that being a toy is as good as it gets. Along the way Woody reconnects with a resourceful Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and encounters scary ventriloquist doll Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks), fairground prizes Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) and the hilarious Evil Knievel-esque Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves). The charm and wit of the originals will hopefully remain intact and worthy of going to Infinity and Beyond once more.

Opens June 21

Dir: Lars Klevberg (15, 120 mins) Chucky is back – you can’t keep a good devil doll down – and this time he’s voiced by Luke Skywalker!

The franchise is seven movies deep by now, with this latest reboot for the doll originally possessed by the soul of a serial killer: this time, it’s an apparently evil robot brought to life via wi-fi. Aubrey Plaza is the mum to Gabriel Bateman’s Andy, buying the far-from-cuddly Buddi doll, flogged by Kaslan Corp, headed by Tim Matheson’s dodgy mogul. The doll takes on a life of its own, and despite the protestations of Andy and his group of friends, the grown-ups don’t believe him, Brian Tyree Henry’s detective amongst them. What follows are some grisly deaths, nasty quips and apparently the same weird creepy/funny vibe of the so-so 1988 original, rather than the kitschy sequels. Resurrected by the people behind the It remake, this Child’s Play reboot should please horror aficionados and Chucky fans by offering more of the same silly slasher antics. Opens June 21

GLORIA BELL ****

Dir: Sebastian Lelio (15, 102 mins) Julianne Moore is captivating as the title character in Sebastian Lelio’s American remake of his own femalecentred Chilean drama Gloria from 2013. Moore plays the fiftysomething free spirit, a divorced mother of two grown-up children (Michael Cera and Alanna Ubach) who split with her husband (Brad Garrett) 10 years ago.

He has subsequently remarried but she’s still looking for someone she can spend her life with. She meets Arnold (an excellent John Turturro), a needy and conflicted paintball enthusiast at a club for older singletons. These are wonderful three-dimensional relationships captured with subtle alacrity by Leilo; Moore’s bespectacled Gloria is a force of sensitive nature. She carries the film with understatement and quiet determination, her loneliness as retirement looms disappears as she dances with abandon in nightclubs. Much like his award-winning A Fantastic Woman, Gloria herself is a fantastic woman, comfortable in her own skin. Opens June 6

ALSO RELEASED JUNE 2019: LAST SUMMER (15) Harrowing 70s-set Welsh drama starring Richard Harrington with a Stand By Me vibe, following four boys on the road to tragedy.

LIAM GALLAGHER: AS IT WAS (15) Documentary about the arrogant Oasis loon. DIRTY GOD (15) Ex-con Sam Claflin tries to go straight in the shadow of the 2012 Olympics in this crime thriller. Lots of cockernee accents. DIEGO MARADONA (15) Engrossing documentary about the troubled yet brilliant Argentinian footballer, from the makers of Amy. WE THE ANIMALS (12A) Rich coming of age story following three brothers in New York, blending reality with animated moments of fantasy. WILD HONEY PIE! (15) Rather lovely freewheeling BUZZ 34

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX ***

Dir: Simon Kinberg (12A, 114 mins) The Dark Phoenix saga was previously filmed and fumbled in 2006 with The X-Men: The Last Stand by lumpen director Brett Ratner. Now it gets a retread from its writer-turned-producer/director Simon Kinberg. It’s an emotive story arc with consequences for the mutants in what may be their last screen outing. The X-Men were last seen battling a purple Oscar Isaac in an underwhelming Apocalypse. Ten years later, they find themselves answering a distress call from a space shuttle, and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) gets exposed to cosmic rays, granting her immense powers. The world is in danger as she starts to lose control; unable to harness what she has been given, Jean seeks the help of Michael Fassbender’s Magneto, now living in mutant-haven Genosha and trying to put his past behind him. Also wrestling for her soul is Jessica Chastain’s Eve, whose motives are far from benevolent. The rest of the cast return to do battle: James McAvoy’s proper bald Professor X, Evan Peters’ Quicksilver, Tye Sheridan’s Cyclops, Nicolas Hoult’s Beast and Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique for what feels like a final hurrah with character deaths on the cards.

Although whether it can muster the emotional wallop of Avengers: Endgame is open to question. Opens June 5

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL ****

Dir: F. Gary Grey (12A, 120 mins) The initial trilogy of Men In Black films came to an end in 2012; the original 1997 pairing of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones was an offbeat sci-fi comedy, subsequently diluted by less successful sequels. It’s still a franchise, however, so here comes its do-over.

Replacing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the alien-locating agents are Thor: Ragnarok duo Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Thompson plays American agent M, stoked to be part of the organisation she secretly glimpsed as a child. Hemsworth goes quasiBritish again as London-based agent H. They are on the lookout for a mole within the organization and a portable black hole, which obviously would cause problems if it fell into the wrong tentacles. Other cast members include bosses Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson, The Big Sick’s Kumail Nanijiani playing tiny alien Pawny, and Rebecca Ferguson as three-armed arms dealer Riza.

Prepare to be neuralysed. Opens June 14

YESTERDAY ****

Dir: Danny Boyle (12A, 112 mins) A ludicrous premise powers this likeable romcom as two unlikely bedfellows, Trainspotting director Danny Boyle and Britcom maestro Richard Curtis, pair up in a flight of whimsy. Jack Malik (ex-Eastender Himesh Patel) is a struggling singer-songwriter, blissfully unaware that best friend Lily James is in love with him.

One night he has a bike accident, whilst the world around experiences a blackout.

When he awakes, the world is apparently the same but The Beatles and all their excellent hits have vanished. Jack claims The Beatles’ songs as his own, and soon finds himself on the road to fame and fortune with the unlikely help of a game Ed Sheeran. Success takes him away from his roots, and Lily James, and into the clutches of corporate megalomania, as Kate McKinnon sets out to exploit our hero.

Patel is excellent as the conflicted crooner belting out everything from Back In The USSR to The Long And Winding Road, reminding us of the brilliance of The Beatles and skating over some of the trite formulaic plot and logic gaps. Whimsical and enjoyable, this is another picture-postcard version of Britain from Curtis, tellingly with an Asian lead, packed with excellent tunes and occasional directorial flourishes. A love letter to the Fab Four. Opens June 28

SOMETIMES ALWAYS NEVER ***

Dir: Carl Hunter (15, 91 mins) A whimsical mystery drama with winning performances from the pen of Frank Cottrell Boyce, Sometimes Always Never sees Bill Nighy playing Alan, a stylish tailor, whose eldest son storms out after a contentious game of Scrabble never to return. Plagued by the moment, Nighy resumes the search for his son years later, after discovering an online Scrabble player whom he believes to be his missing son. Alan enlists the help of younger son Peter (Sam Riley), now married to Sue (Alice Lowe) and with a son of his own, taking him on a picaresque tour around Merseyside, rebuilding their fractious relationship as they try to solve the mystery of the disappearance. There’s a Scrabble hustle, where Nighy faces off against Tim McInnerny, and a night of passion with Jenny Agutter for the 70-year-old, leading to the hope of a family reunion. This offbeat comedy has Nighy on charming form, as ever, and stalwart support from an engaging cast. Opens June 14

SUPPORT THE GIRLS ****

Dir: Andrew Bujalski (15, 93 mins) Regina Hall shines in this big-hearted comedy about a low rent Hooters-style bar, that sells its food and drink on the basis of the waitresses’ measurements. Hall plays Lisa, the manager of Double Whammies, and we follow her trials and tribulations over the course of a shift. She is the trier, the motivator to a group of young twentysomething women trying to make a living.

Amongst the girls are Haley Lu Richardson’s perkily vacant Maci, the blunt Shayna McHayle as Danyelle and tip-chasing Jenelle played by Dylan Gelula. Despite their apparently demeaning jobs, they have forged a family of sorts together, with Hall very much the kindly matriarch solving a constant stream of problems, all whilst trying to implement the restaurant’s number one rule: No Drama. Bujalski’s script is witty and aware, capturing the daily grind as well as celebrating small triumphs greatly aided by a fabulous central performance. Opens June 28

Welsh comedy, starring Richard Elis, Jemima Kirke and Sarah Solemani, from Porthcawl writer/director Jamie Adams. THE CAPTOR (15) Based around the 1973 bank heist and hostage situation that gave rise to the term Stockholm Syndrome. Noomi Rapace, Ethan Hawke and Mark Strong star. ANNABELLE COMES HOME (15) Another film set in The Conjuring universe as ghost troublers the Warrens, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, try and sort out the nasty doll… again. APOLLO 11 (12A) Documentary about the moon mission of 1969. One small step for man… IN FABRIC (15) Odd horror comedy about a haunted red dress which “blends Are You Being Served with Suspiria”… take from that what you will.

BUZZ 35

art

REFLECTIONS ON IDENTITY FOLLOWING BRAIN INJURY

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Until Sat 22 June Reflections On Brain Injury is a collaborative enterprise that sees brain injury survivor and project manager Emma Brunton, photographer Lee Aspland, The Health and Well-being Academy at Swansea University and the Brain Injury Service (Swansea Bay UHB) exhibit at the Elysium Gallery, Swansea.

Reflecting on propositions of identity before, immediately after and once an extended amount of time has lapsed, the exhibition aims to represent what it is to be yourself after a major trauma. In exploring these questions of identity to its maximum potential, the exhibition is to be split into three parts corresponding with the stages of trauma: Reflections On Identity Before Brain Injury, Reflections On Identity Immediately After Brain Injury and Reflections On Identity Long Term. Through the process of dividing these chronologically defined episodes, we’ll hopefully see a comprehensive window into how the selfascription of identity changes from before brain trauma to a long-while after. It aims to provide an insight into the world of brain injury, and its long-term effects on people, to those who may not necessarily have any prior knowledge of it.

The exhibition is set to showcase the photography of everyday people who have survived brain injury. It plans to showcase real people’s struggles with the formation of selfhood, something most of us take for granted when we wake in the morning.

Reflections… is one of four photographic exhibitions going on at the gallery this month alongside the ESPY Photography Award and works by Mohamed Hassan and Shelly Hopkins. This exhibition is also is also the first in the venue’s YOURSPACE series, led by Swansea communities and promoting the learning of new skills and social development within the community whilst championing the creative and independent sectors of the city. Thus, Reflections… is set to be an eye-opening exhibition into a relatively unknown world. GARETH MITCHELL Admission: free. Info: 07980 925449 / www.elysiumgallery.com

Raymond Pettibon - No Title (No pepper games...)

HAND DRAWN ACTION PACKED

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Sat 15 June-Sun 1 Sept Hand Drawn Action Packed promises to be a cerebral ride that puts the medium of drawing front and centre.

By emphasising the potential of the medium to express concerns that range far and wide, the work of the 10 artists that make up the exhibition tackles subjects as far-reaching as consumer capitalism to cultural identity.

For example, Raymond Pettibon, known for his highly stylized ink drawings (he’s designed cover art for Black Flag and the Foo Fighters to name a few), promises to deliver a style that hybridizes the forms of drawing and text. Otobong Nkanga, a visual and performance artist from Nigeria whose past work has touched upon the harsh realities of postcolonialism and questions regarding identity, will bring a whole new dimension to the exhibition.

Elsewhere, we are treated to the work of Nalini Malani, a contemporary Indian artist whose work has been so vast and expansive that it has moved from the realms of drawing into visual media such as animation and film. So, whatever you want from your art, Hand Drawn… promises to have something that will not only hold your attention but inspire you.

Admission: Free. Info: 01792 516900 (GM) BUZZ 36

SARAH HOSS: LEARNING TO FLY (BY FALLING)

Oriel Joanna Field, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Fri 7-Thurs 27 June An exciting, yet thought provoking exhibition by Sarah Hoss, a former BBC producer and journalist, Learning To Fly (By Falling) explores what it is like to live and raise children, one of whom has Down Syndrome, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Through candid images that would not be out of place in a family photo album, Hoss seeks to convey the everyday trials, tribulations, wins and spills in living life with Down Syndrome.

Using techniques that are both at once at home in the art world and more modern means of capturing the everyday, such as shots taken with a camera phone for example, Hoss’s photos seek to unveil the family as a unit that, during times of great stress, can band together to care for and nurture the most vulnerable within them. Thus, the exhibition serves as a celebration of disability and paints a picture of a young man whose emergence into adulthood is supported by a family’s willingness for him succeed. So expect an emotionally moving, yet reaffirming take on life in a place of great ecological and aesthetic beauty, and some great pictures too.

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

SNAKES!

National Museum Cardiff Sat 22 June-Sun 15 Sept Created by Blue Tokay, with additional content from the natural sciences collections of National Museum Wales and supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, Snakes! is a touring exhibition which will educate and fascinate snake lovers of all ages. A Burmese python skeleton, preserved snakes and award-winning photographs of serpents from all around the world will be on display at the museum, whilst you will also get the chance to face your fears by meeting with live specimens such as a boa constrictor and a royal python. Don’t worry, they’re not poisonous but it’s probably best if you don’t hiss them off!

The educational exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about these extraordinary creatures and their habitats. The importance of conservation will be discussed, whilst you will also count your blessings as you hear about what life is like in countries where they encounter deadly snakes on a daily basis.

After learning about the captivating creatures, why not test your knowledge with some snake puzzles and quizzes?

You can also find out the answer to the age-old question of what snake weight you are, and check out the fun interactive displays on offer.

Admission: £3-£7. Info: 0300 1112333 www.museum.wales (KR)

LINE & FORM

Oriel Canfas, Cardiff Sat 29 June-Sat 20 July Line & Form is an exhibition of four very different artists, all of whom use line as an integral element of their craft. Dilys Jackson’s pieces derive from an interest in the kinaesthetic relationship between forms seen in nature, and those in the human body. Jackson primarily makes use of bronze, iron, steel, or stone, presenting structures that arise from the processes of growth and decay.

Sue Roberts’ work incorporates a variety of media, from film and photography, to cast iron, to paint and charcoal.

Not limited to one style, her works are diverse and plentiful. Her pieces are emotion-based and deal with ideas of beauty in an abstract form. Gwyneth Price’s childhood in South Africa is an inspiration when creating her wood and stone carved pieces. Ideas for Price come from the observation of human and other natural forms, and her work often begins with a series of drawings before leading to a sequence of carvings.

Finally, Valerie Coffin-Price is an artist-letterer whose work responds to the resonance of language and its relationship with the environment and with cultural identity. Price explores ideas of mapping in relation to a sense of place by looking at connections between natural and man-made environments.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2066 6455 www. orielcanfas.co.uk (LLU)

JUNE 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

The world awaits...

Mae’r byd yn aros...

June 15 - 22 Mehefin 2019

St David’s Hall Neuadd Dewi Sant Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru Single tickets are on sale now and you can catch all the action across the BBC Mae’r tocynnau unigol ar werth nawr a gallwch ddal y cyffro i gyd ar draws y BBC stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk 029 2087 8444 Ad 46 Buzz Mag 190x135.5.indd 1

20/05/2019 17:41

stage

ACHILLES

Various venues Tue 4-Thurs 6 June A reinterpretation of the classic myth of Achilles and of the siege of Troy from Glasgow-based Company Of Wolves, set to drag their show away from its Scottish origins and to multiple venues across Wales. However, don’t expect too much of that Hollywood blood and guts or Michael Bay explosions.

Achilles – a production based around the solo performance of one of the founding members of the theatre company, Ewan Downie – will explore the vulnerability behind the mythic figure through a hybridized mode of storytelling that fuses narrative with song and dance. So, prepare to have any preconceptions you have about Achilles tested, as Company of Wolves bring a myth to heel by exposing what lies beneath the savagery and brute strength; a man consumed with loss and grief at the death of a friend.

Achilles’ immersive and hypnotic storytelling hopes to force audiences not only to reconsider what you really know of history, but what you consider to be the essence of a stage production.

It appears at Abergavenny Borough Theatre (Tue 4), Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli (Wed 5), and Pontardawe Arts Centre (Thurs 6).

Tickets: £10-£14. Info: www,companyofwolves.org.uk (GM) BUZZ 38

ELECTROLYTE

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Tue 18 June Sixteen million people in the UK – around one in four adults – will experience a mental illness at some point each year. While mental health issues are becoming more and more prevalent in conversation, thus understood, it remains vital that we support those around us who may be suffering.

Over the years, we have seen many new and innovative projects unveiled which aim to encourage others to adopt a positive conversation and to speak about their struggles. Theatre company Wildcard is set to continue the discussion surrounding mental health with their latest ambitious production, Electrolyte, currently on a 31-venue tour across the UK. Written by James Meteyard, with music and lyrics by Maimuna Memon, Electrolyte is an electrifying piece of gig-theatre which explores grief, depression and psychosis for a contemporary audience. The production, which is written in spoken word poetry and underscored by original music, tells the story of Jessie, who is sick of her hometown Leeds, a city she believed she would never leave.

Feeling suffocated by her surroundings, Jessie contemplates her life in a dirty nightclub when she is suddenly blinded by the light of singer-songwriter Allie Touch. This ignites a spark in Jessie, as she follows the singer to London in the hope of fulfilling a different life. However, her mental health is soon on the decline which leads to a fight for recovery.

Performed by six multi-instrumentalists, Electrolyte looks set to be a raw and powerful production, integrating a multitude of musical genres including house, jazz, folk, drum’n’bass and rock, underpinned by expert storytelling. The production has already won a number of accolades, notably the Mental Health Fringe Award and the Pleasance Best Newcomer Award 2018. Gig theatre is a huge growing trend and it looks like Electrolyte is the latest production to truly challenge what theatre is expected to be in 2019. KATRINA REES Tickets: £16/£8 under-25s. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk

CALON LÂN THE MUSICAL

Grand Theatre, Swansea Fri 28 June-Sat 6 July Premiering at the Grand Theatre this month, Calon Lân is based on the true story of Evan Roberts, a young miner from Swansea supposedly called upon

by God to lead a world revival and save one hundred thousand souls. The musical is set against the backdrop of early industrial Wales, and depicts Roberts finding himself fighting against union leaders, mine owners, and members of the church with nothing but his faith and a group of teenage girls dramatically named The Singers Of Dawn to aid him.

In charge of musicality is Welsh favourite Mal Pope [pictured], one of the most storied writers of musical theatre around. Pope has written both the lyrics and the score for the show, so the production promises to be an authentic Welsh experience with a bit of edge. Olivier Awards 2018 nominee Maxine Evans, known for her unflinching re-tellings of Welsh history, has taken the role of director, and the cast includes an array of Welsh talent including West End performer Claire Hammacott. In Swansea’s 50th year as a city, the musical will no doubt cast a light on the rich history Wales has to offer.

Tickets: £13-£25. Info: 01792 475715 / swanseagrand.co.uk (FTL)

DON PASQUALE

Various venues Sat 1 June-Sat 13 July Welsh National Opera bring us a contemporaneous and riotous version of Don Pasquale, set in a doner kebab van, in their latest production. Gaetano Donizetti’s Italian masterpiece has been reworked by director Daisy Evans, musical director Stephen Higgins and designer Loren Elstein to fit a slightly more Welsh theme.

The opera’s larger-than-life patriarch Don Pasquale (played by Andrew Shore) is a self-made man who came to Cardiff in the 1970s and since then has been building his kebab empire. He is then visited by his millennial nephew Ernesto (Nico Darmanin), who proceeds to conspire with vegan girlfriend Norina (Harriet Eyley), tricking Don into handing over his business. The show claims to take the audience down the streets of Cardiff while creating an intimate operatic experience, due to the small cast and onstage orchestra.

This production looks to be a genuinely promising 21st century reworking of a much-loved classic, and the Welsh twist is an added bonus.

Don Pasquale will be touring across Wales and the UK until mid-July, with dates in Swansea (Sat 1 June), Milford Haven (Thurs 6), Brecon (Sat 6 July) and Aberdare (Tue 9 July).

Tickets: £7-£19. Info: 029 2063 5000 / www.wno.org.uk (FTL)

WHEN IN ROAM

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli Mon 17 June Where is home? In an ever-changing society, the boundary of home has become blurred. This performance by choreographer and artistic director Thania Acaron aims to explore such an idea. The minimalist staging presents a blank canvas for each performance, inventing its own ‘home’ with a change of setting each time a new performance occurs. The multi-modality of the show emphasises the many ways in which the word ‘home’ can be interpreted.

Where we consider to be ‘home’ is subjective: a nation, a town or a physical house. Acaron aims to reveal this through movement and celebration of language: Welsh, Spanish, French and English are all spoken within the performance. That multilingualism is something of a mini-trend in Welsh theatre at the moment, with recent productions such as Y Brain/Kargalar at Chapter and Shooting Rabbits at Sherman making use of more than just Welsh and English.

Acaron’s previously roamed and toured across Puerto Rico, Madrid and Scotland, so When In Roam is certainly an apt name. Home can be found anywhere, and the need to roam is an instinct within us all.

Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 0845 2263510 / www.theatrausirgar.co.uk (GR)

26-28/7/2019

18 & 19 June/Mehefin 8pm | £15 (£12)

Caerphilly's Big Cheese has a

Y Caws Mawr Caerffili – gwedd

new layout & a new feel

newydd a theimlad newydd

26/7

Traeth Trefol

4pm - 10pm

Ardal Bar Lolfa

Street Food Vendors Live Lounge Bar Area Urban Beach

27/7 &

Gwerthwyr Bwyd Stryd

Demonstrations

28/7

Arddangosiadau Coginio

Three HUGE

10am - 6pm

Tair Neuadd Fwyd

Food Halls!

Market Road, Canton Cardiff/Caerdydd www.chapter.org 029 2030 4400

Gerddoriaeth Fyw

Cookery

ENFAWR!

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

clubs

PAWSA

The Attic, Swansea Sat 22 June The increasingly popular Con7rol returns for another night of uptempo hedonism, in association with Solo Events, this time bringing the continuingly rising star Pawsa into the mix. Pawsa’s presence in this particular scene has become somewhat inescapable since his debut EP was released Pilot (2014) and his position has been solidified by popular tracks like Groovy Cat, which shows off his ability to provide distinctive wavey house tracks (with the help of a superb sample of the theme from The Pink Panther).

More recently, he’s been releasing harder-hitting tech-house tracks with nostalgic vocals, reminiscent of acid house but with his own idiosyncratic twist – most notably with Party and Back 2 Front. These have been released on his own label, Pawz. Listen to any of Pawsa’s tracks and it’s clear that these are not sombre tracks to be listened to in a bedroom alone; the producer has evidently spent time crafting anthems destined for the dancefloor, with a sole mission of working crowds and lifting moods. Pawsa has managed to deliver this during tours in Australia and throughout his residency in Ibiza, so there’s little reason to think he will serve up anything different in Swansea.

Tickets: £17. Info: 01792 450850 / facebook.com/theatticswansea (CP) BUZZ 40

DEREK CARR

Dogruff @ Box Bar, Swansea Sat 15 June Swansea techno pushers Dogruff, who will be a decade old later this year, are seasoned sesh enablers. Certainly, this ain’t their first all-day rodeo, although it is the first one in the Box Bar on the Strand, a spot which has been picked out by local club promoters in recent months. (A brief trivial diversion: did you know the guy who founded the venue played scrum-half for the Tongan rugby team when they beat Italy in the 1999 World Cup? I’d love to credit him for allowing a euphoric electronic marathon to happen in his gaff, but he doesn’t appear to be involved with it any longer.)

This event comes in two parts: a daytime party outdoors, located in Box’s courtyard from 2pm until 10 or 11 I’d imagine, then a continuation inside until 4am. That’s 14 hours on it, if you want it. Derek Carr, the marquee name on the lineup, will top off the daytime party with a live set fashioned from his own productions. From Westmeath in the Irish Midlands, Carr has been releasing records since 2001 – pretty much anything of his more than a few years old now sells for a chunk of change – and taking DJ bookings selectively, rather than voraciously.

Despite both DJing and making tracks for a good two decades, the notion of showcasing himself in a club setting seems to have come to Carr only recently (he’s previously said that playing his own music appeals less to him on account of having listened to it so much), and as such, Dogruff will host one of his first ever such performances. While sometimes veering into the jacking or the acidic, his productions are most often expansive, analogue works which bow down to the pioneers of Detroit techno – robotic yet soulful, a paradox that makes total sense if you dig the pioneering likes of Model 500 or Derrick May, later adopters of the sound such as Aril Brikha or European bleepers like B12. A classy affair underscored by supports Lewis James, Marlon Clark, Luke Tainton and Dan Knight outside; Mora, Mikki James and Amy Amor indoors. NOEL GARDNER Tickets: £15/£10. Info: facebook.com/dogruff1

HEFT PRESENTS DJ HAZARD

Sin City, Swansea Sat 15 June Heft debut at Swansea’s top venue Sin City by properly laying all their cards down for what they’re about. If you don’t know who DJ Hazard is, you don’t even do drum’n’bass anyway, but if you do and your Swansea night-out plans have been completely turned on their heads by the preview headline, then you don’t need a bio, you need tickets; £12 and already on final release.

MC Phantom goes on with the headliner, a big name for himself and fresh from a run of huge collab sets with AMC, in the role of the hard southeast patois with the stage presence to match. Co-headliner Bou’s Poison quickly joined the likes of Bricks Don’t Roll as a d’n’b rave standard when it dropped in summer 2017, the man himself a specialist in heavy rollers and yobbish, popping groovers in some of the best-produced tracks hitting UK decks.

AC13’s tracks are a bit more smoothedoff: highly-produced tracks that you associate with girls in high-end trackyb’s, faux-fur coats and rhinestones.

Variety, then, for all that Swansea uni lot who are fresh out of exams and still have this semester’s maintenance loan bloatedly hanging around like it doesn’t have places to be.

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

RED ROOM

Undertone, Cardiff Fri 7 June This month will see the sixth event under the Red Room banner, also marking a year since setting up. The previous five have hopped at will between Cardiff and Bristol, which is nice, and this evening they’ll treat the former to one of the best new DJs from the latter.

‘New’ is a slightly elastic term for Daisy Moon, who taught herself to DJ four years ago after her housemate Shanti Celeste stuck her on a lineup. The cramming paid off: Moon joined Celeste in Bristol’s Housework collective not long after, and now co-runs DJ workshops with the aim of getting more women to follow her trajectory.

She’s accrued international renown in the last year or so especially, taking Housework to Berlin and playing Croatia’s Love International fest in July; clock her blend of immersive deep house and off-to-one-side rhythmic weirdness in a far smaller venue this month. Sophie Redmond, aka DJ Red [pictured], who founded this night, and Tetra do the rest of the night’s honours.

Tickets: £7/£5 early bird. Info: 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecf.co.uk (NG)

SOUND CLASH CANTON

The Boiler House Graffiti Gallery, Cardiff Fri 28th June Reggae and ska fans! Boiler House is teaming up with Grandmaster Clash Events for an evening of good vibes with a dub twist as two DJs battle it out to win the affections of the crowd. The two heavyweight selecters hail from the local Dub In The Pub and Peaceful Progress crews; Tumbleweed, known for his dancefloor bangers, will be taking on Brain, a specialist in Japanese ska. Both Tumbleweed and Brain were previously involved in transforming the old Lansdowne pub into one of Cardiff’s busiest reggae hotspots.

Master of ceremonies will be Dregz, once of Cardiff hip-hop crew the Skinz, and partly responsible for bringing the Higher Learning nights to Cardiff, including names like Grandmaster Flash and Ozomatli. The event has been built around the values of good people and good music, which means free entry and a non-profit venue – held in the Boiler House Graffiti Gallery, the UK’s first dedicated graffiti gallery space.

Support for the evening will be provided

by Rich Roast and Rob45 – each bringing their own flavours of reggae, funk and disco, this pair have over 35 years of experience between them.

Admission: free. Info: 07977 138587 / boilerhousegraffiti.com (FTL)

FRIDAY JUNE 21

SATURDAY AUGUST 3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

SATURDAY JUNE 22

FRIDAY AUGUST 9

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

FRIDAY JULY 5

SATURDAY AUGUST 10

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS TBA

SATURDAY JULY 6

FRIDAY AUGUST 16

STRING THEORY

THE GOVERNMENT

WINE MORALS

THE STRAY PURSUIT & THE LUKA STATE

WINDSHAKE

FAR FROM ANIMALS

STATE OF DECEIT

TAXI RANK

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £5

FRIDAY JULY 19

FRIDAY AUGUST 23

NEWS FROM NOWHERE

HEAVY ON THE RIDE & PETER GREENE

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

SATURDAY JULY 20

FRIDAY SEPT 6

HARMONIES OF THE REVISED

MOTEL THIEVES DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £3

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS TBA

FRIDAY JULY 26

VANILLA

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £4

FRIDAY AUGUST 2

INSCAPE

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS TBA

SATURDAY SEPT 7

WHITE RIOT

DOORS 7PM | TICKETS £4

live

ALGIERS

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Wed 3 July In his excellent book Detroit ‘67, Stuart Cosgrove narrates a turbulent year in the lives of both Berry Gordy’s Motown label and Motor City itself. Rising racial tensions resulted in rioting, the metaphorical flames having been fanned by incidents of police brutality. Martha & The Vandellas’ Dancing In The Streets became the civil rights movement’s unofficial anthem as protest and violence engulfed the city that summer – but the title track of Algiers’ second LP would have been even more appropriate. The press release’s claim that The Underside Of Power “finds a glorious midpoint between Suicide and The Temptations” sounds fanciful, but is on the money.

Even though it’s no longer 1967, times have hardly changed – which is precisely why Algiers are so utterly vital. Franklin James Fisher deals not in nebulous, commodifiable angst but righteous fury, offering a bleak vision of black experience in Trump’s America, while those behind him – Lee Tesche, Ryan Mahan and former Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong – create a dizzyingly inventive fusion of gospel, post-punk, soul and dystopian industrial electronics.

Algiers’ appearance at Clwb offers the opportunity to hear material from their forthcoming third album. Seize it with both hands.

Tickets: £11. Info: 029 2023 2199 (BW) BUZZ 42

JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN

The Gate, Cardiff Sat 29 June The enigmatic Joan As Police Woman comes to Cardiff in support of her newlyreleased career retrospective, Joanthology. The three-CD compilation goes back as far as 2006’s Real Life, Joan Wasser’s debut album under her artist moniker, but not to the early days of The Dambuilders. Back then Wasser was still on violin after years playing in the orchestras of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

It wasn’t until the death of her boyfriend, Jeff Buckley, that Wasser sang and fronted a band, joining some of his bandmates to form Black Beetle. On the phone from New York City, she tells me that those recordings may never see the light of day. “I’ll never say never to anything but that was a growth process – a way to stay alive, for everyone.”

So this is not an album, or tour, covering the formative years, or collaborations with Antony And The Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright. Joanthology is a chance for Wasser to bring together songs that her audience love, alongside songs they may never have heard before, including a compilation of live BBC performances.

“People gravitate, they connect really heavily with one record. I wanted to put a smattering of everything on there and be like: here, check this out!”

Wasser’s passion and stage presence shine through the whole project. The release is being heralded by a series of podcasts getting into the story of each album and a six-month solo tour that will see Wasser perform material from the last 13 years.

Across those years Wasser has moved between styles, from jazz to pop, and from acoustic to electronic backings. But it’s all music to her and all happening all at once. “I don’t feel time in that linear way, it’s pretty psychedelic.”

The same contradiction is there in her conversations, brimming with confidence while always questioning if that confidence is well-earned. She’s the sort of artist you want to see up close and personal, alone on stage with it all on show. Or as she would put it, “It could be the worst idea ever!” JOHN-PAUL DAVIES Tickets: £22.50. Info: 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk

AMSERJAZZTIME FESTIVAL

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff Thurs 6-Sun 9 June As the Royal Welsh College celebrates its 70th year, this year’s AmserJazzTime Festival, an extension of the weekly free foyer concerts of the same name, celebrates current and alumni jazz musicians from the college. The festival kicks off on Thurs 6 with Snowpoet, a duo combining Lauren Kinsella’s hushed expressive singing with the multi-instrumental skills of RWCMD graduate Chris Hyson, as well as other contemporary jazz musicians.

Programmed for the following evening, Hannah Grace’s soul-inflected songwriting, on the other hand, is more chart-friendly, but hints of her education at the college peek through.

Sat 8 sees two stalwarts of the college performing: firstly, the RWCMD Big Band, showcasing the music of classic arranger Bob Curnow, and secondly, Welsh jazz pianist and composer Huw Warren, who will join with Brazil’s Jovino Santos Neto for an evening of Brazilian-inspired jazz – while Sun 9 rounds off with graduate Rebecca Nash’s band Atlas [pictured], who blend together strands from 70s fusion to electronica, joined by accomplished vocalist Sara Colman.

Tickets: £6-£12 per event. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk (IT)

PORTSTOCK 2019

Rodney Parade, Newport Sat 22 June Portstock 2019 is a brand new, one-day festival headed up by Stereo MC’s [pictured], who some of you may remember from their breakthrough early 90s album Connected – and if you don’t, you’re missing out. But the rest of the line-up is just as banging, including the likes of Dr. Feelgood, south Wales folk-rockers Rusty Shackle, Newport indie veterans The Darling Buds and blues singer Joe Kelly And The Royal Pharmacy.

Alongside the live music, the event will be host to an array of top quality, Welsh food and produce stalls. All proceeds from the event will go directly to St David’s Hospice Care; the event is completely family-friendly, and as such offers free entry for kids under five, and a concessional rate for those under 16; there is also a £70 family ticket, granting a discounted entry fee for two adults and two children under 16.

So why not support Newport, local traders and St David’s Hospice care all at the same time and purchase a ticket for what is, undoubtedly, going to be a day to remember.

Tickets: £28/£10 under-16s/free under-5s.

Info: 01633 851051 / portstock.co.uk (GM)

SADO OPERA

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Fri 28 June Willkommen dahlinks! Formerly direct from St. Petersburg, now via Berlin, Sado Opera are bringing their own raw, racy brand of humour and electro-funk disco sound. At this inclusive gathering, girls will be beautiful, boys will be beautiful and everyone in between will be, too. Life is a seemingly steamy, non-stop erotic cabaret, but they mix serious business with pleasure.

Fervent LBGTQ+ activists, Sado Opera have campaigned for human rights even in Russia. Packing a punch, new single Patriarchs is a ballsy retort to the repressive regime. For their debut in Wales, they’ll be performing on the 50th anniversary of NYC’s Stonewall riots andare excited to see and get to know the Cardiff community.

Asked to give a hint of things to come, the flamboyant fighters and lovers played coy, replying they hoped the night would bring the feeling of a big family gathering. “We’ll bring some new, unreleased music; some of the songs are dedicated to one of our residential venues in Berlin – queer bar and club Ficken3000 – so there might as well be a taste of the kind of fun we celebrate in Berlin.” Opener is 20-year-old Welsh electronic r’n’b artist Eädyth. Be sure to check your inhibitions at the door.

Tickets: £15. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org (RLR)

GROOVE ARMADA

IBIZA CLASSICS

SUN 14 JULY CAERPHILLY CASTLE

SAT 27 JULY SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

SAT

29

+ NINA NESBITT + HANNAH GRACE

+ ALFREDO (DJ SET)

JOAN AS

SAT

POLICE WOMAN JUN THE GATE ARTS CENTRE, CARDIFF

SAT

JESS GLYNNE

PETE TONG & THE HERITAGE ORCHESTRA

+ JEAN JACQUES SMOOTHIE

PUBLIC SERVICE

29

SUN 28 JULY SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA

THE ALARM

SAT SINGLE MOTHERS 06 10 FEET TALL, CARDIFF

A MIDSUMMER GATHERING JUN THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

JUL

SAT ZUTONS 12 THE CAERPHILLY CASTLE

THU

SU N

WED

OCT

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

06

BROADCASTING

JUL CAERPHILLY CASTLE

CAFE 06 PENGUIN ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF

OCT

CHILDCARE 19 CLWB IFOR BACH, CARDIFF

JUL

SEP

LLOYD 16 JOHNNY 10 FEET TALL, CARDIFF

07 FEEDER THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

NOV

NOV

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

the bluetones

glc

legends The Pitchforks | Al Moses | Young Garbo

G L A S TO N B U RY F E S T I VA L WA R M U P

THURSDAY 27TH JUNE

TRAMSHED, CARDIFF

TICKETS: WWW.ORCHARDLIVE.COM

reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

DEAD TO ME (Netflix)

Starring Christina Applegate and Freaks And Geeks’ Linda Cardellini, Dead To Me chronicles the friendship of unemotional widow Jen, and tender-hearted Judy after they meet at a grief support group. As Jen strives to find out more about her husbands’ death, we begin to suspect that Judy may not be all she claims to be, and the series ends in an explosive climax. Both hilarious and heartbreaking, the show doesn’t shy away from the realities of life after losing a loved one – but also makes sure to tell viewers that even after the worst happens, it’s ok to laugh. Based loosely on the life of creator Liz Feldman, Dead To Me is a bingeworthy dark comedy encompassing grief, friendship, and how it’s alright to go a little crazy sometimes. ****FTL

LOVE, DEATH & ROBOTS (Netflix)

Arguably one of the best original series to come out of Netflix recently; Love, Death & Robots firmly takes hold of viewers in episode one of the 18-part series and doesn’t let go until it’s finished. Created by visionary Tim Miller, who brought us Deadpool, Love, Death & Robots includes a different insane storyline in each episode, each animated in a different style. To say the stories are quirky would be an understatement. Plots include a lost civilisation living inside a freezer, and sentient yoghurt taking over the world.

As with any compilation series, some episodes are stronger than others, with the only downside of the show being that apparently even cartoon women need to be nearly naked at all times. Strongly recommended are Sonnie’s Edge and Good Hunting. ****FTL

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE (Netflix)

A rousing, hugely empathetic documentary, which follows four Democratic primary challengers as they aim to beat incumbent and establishment Democrats to gain a clear run at Congress in the 2018 US midterms. All four are women on the progressive side of US politics from working-class backgrounds; one of those women ends up being Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Hopeful yet tinged with sadness, this is a hugely moving documentary filmmaking that aims to light a way forward in the US’s moribund electoral system, however difficult and hard it may be. That it succeeds at all (and how were the filmmakers to know that AOC would end up becoming the star she became?) is testament to there being a glimmer of hope for many of us. ****FT

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE S11

albums

s s

AKA TRIO ***** Joy (Bendigedig) Complete harmony with acoustic debut album from virtuosos Antonio Forcione (guitar), Seckou Keita (kora and lead vocals) and Adriano Adewale (percussion). It’s so relaxed that you‘re feel as if you’re on secret Italian, Senegalese and Brazilian beaches, gentle waves lapping at your feet. Keita sings of love on Kanou; there’s a hint of bossa nova on Saudade; rhythms flow in a stream where you’re jumping from stone to stone on Empathy, while instruments weave in and out like players in The Beautiful Game.

Absolutely gorgeous. RLR

ARTMAGIC ***** The Songs Of Other England (Artmagicmusic) Folk sensibilities combined with indiepop-rock is an unlikely coupling but the two blend seamlessly.

Richard Oakes, also of Suede, and Sean McGhee sing about fields, flowers, fish and birds, truth, lies, religion and relationships; the tracks have depth musically and lyrically – there are no clichés here but plenty of metaphors – and it’s all very relaxing. There are tiny traces of early Genesis but this, the second album by the duo, can stand up on its own. LN

CAVE IN **** Final Transmission (Hydra Head) The newest release from post-hardcore favourites Cave In is a hard listen for any fan, as it’s the last to feature bassist Caleb Scofield, who was tragically killed last year. The opening track, a phone recording of Scofield’s final idea submitted to the band before his untimely death, will absolutely break your heart. Overall, Final Transmission is a fitting tribute, one ultimately as sonically satisfying as anything else from Cave In’s very impressive back catalogue. CA

(Netflix)

Shantay, please stay! Drag Race Season 11 has approached its grand finale, which will have most likely aired by the time you read this. The season has been a fierce and gagworthy mixture of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. With Brooke-Lynn Hytes literally walking the runway on her tiptoes and Yvie Oddly serving one of the best lip syncs in drag race herstory, Season 11 has been a fierce competition to watch and an asset to the exposure of queer performance.

That said, some of the judges’ decisions have been questionable, as if keeping one eye on the TV viewing figures.

Roll on Drag Race UK! ****JA

BUZZ 44

CRAZY P **** Age Of The Ego (Walk Don’t Walk/!K7) Funky yet atmospheric, serious yet ridiculously catchy, Age Of The Ego is a diverse record. Crazy P tackle everything from social media to UK politics in a record that will have you thinking and toe-tapping at the same time. The instrumentation is varied, including guitars dripping in reverb, popping bass and synths that will make you feel as though you’re floating through space. Plus, the production is immaculate: modern yet soaked in nostalgia. GMI

DJ YODA ***** Home Cooking (Lewis) DJ Yoda is back with another classic album, full of jazzy hip-hop that’ll put an instant smile on your face. The all-star cast of supporting artistes is something to behold. From the wonderful vocals of Eva Lazarus on Rising Brook and Eastville, old-skool hip-hop spots for Ed O.G and the Jungle Brothers are always something to be celebrated; Nubiya Garcia and Omar are also here and the album is a classy journey with flavour. Summer has arrived! JE

EARTH **** Full Upon Her Burning Lips (Sargent House) Now a staggering 30 years into their career, Earth return with a curious album that sees the team of Dylan Carlson and Adrienne Davies exploring the soundscapes in between the actual instrumentation, rather than filling all the space with music. It’s not as drone-heavy as their early work and very much keeps in line with the more meditative theme of recent albums. They keep it minimal and remember, it’s all about what you don’t hear. CA

FIRE! ORCHESTRA **** Arrival (Rune Grammofon) Variously raucous, elegant, elegaic and mystical, this is an album of experimental big band Swedish jazz which, even if those words give you the boak, might prove more palatable than expected.

Merry reference is made in the press material to Fire! Orchestra’s newly slim lineup (14 members, compared to 28 previously), and Arrival, their fourth album, is their first whose richness has felt just right for this listener’s blood. Covers of Robbie Basho and Chic betray their diverse inspirations, and are both gorgeous. NG

HAYDEN THORPE **** Diviner (Domino) Comprised of swelling keys, subtle electronic elements and a truly idiosyncratic voice, Hayden Thorpe, of Wild Beasts fame, has crafted an emotional debut solo album. Diviner is a dynamic album that is centred around Thorpe’s pipes but subtly moves from one genre to another, so much so the album seems to fly by. Maybe not the kind of listen for a session on the treadmill or the morning commute, but on those cold, quiet nights: perfect. GM

s

s

s

s

HOT CHIP ***

PLAID ****

RICHARD HAWLEY ****

YOUSSOU N’DOUR ***

A Bath Full Of Ecstasy (Domino)

Polymer (Warp)

Further (BMG)

History (Believe)

Hot Chip could compile a mint best-of package from their six prior albums, and pick a few from their seventh. For the first time, the Chippers entirely cede the production reins to two externals – Zdar (Cassius, Phoenix) and McDonald (The XX, Sampha). Single Hungry Child is the totem, with its New Order fourto-the-floor; Positive is a burbling beaut, Why Does My Mind is iridescent and Clear Blue Skies an Arthur Russellesque treat. CS

It’s hard to envisage the wider world and/ or electronic music tastemakers getting collectively excited about the release of a new Plaid album again, but nearly 30 years (!) into the UK duo’s existence, Ed Handley and Andy Turner’s 10th album builds sweetly on the legacy of the previous nine. Plaid’s skill for composing melodies is near-unmatched in techno (term used broadly), with Dancers and, especially, All To Get Her beatific on an almost new age level. NG

On Further Richard Hawley sounds like a cross between Harry Nilsson and Mark Lanegan, with songs dealing with departure, loss and uncertainty. Kicking off with Off My Mind which has as much ferocity as Iggy And The Stooges circa Raw Power, there’s a fragile beauty to many of the tracks on this record, like the country soul-induced Midnight Train and album closer Doors. Hawley’s eighth album is concise, varied and beautiful: a real treat. DN

Some super-pleasant Senegalese pop stylings here. Although a few of the tracks (most notably the remixes Hello and Birima) are brickwalled and slick to the point of airlessness, much of it is relaxed, effervescently sunny stuff. Opening track Habib Faye rings with the sound of that wonderfully sweet West African guitar sound, all bright and clean. There’s plenty to dance to, and the trilingual (I think – could be more!) lyricism is a reminder that, ultimately, music is as fine a way as any to bring folks together.

Solid stuff from a seasoned master. FT

JAMBINAI ****

THE RHYTHM METHOD ***

Onda (Bella Union)

THE PRIDE ***

With K-pop outfit BTS topping the album charts and selling out two Wembley dates in two minutes, the UK has evidently developed a taste for Korean music.

Jambinai are cut from a very different cloth, though, using traditional instrumentation in the service of epic post-rock/post-metal. In The Woods, the only track really given space to stretch out and explode in its own good time, will appeal to fans of Mono, while the intense thrash and percussive brutality of Event Horizon and Sun. Tears. Red stun you into submission. BW

Magic And Molecules (Dope Biscuits)

How Would You Know I Was Lonely? (Moshi Moshi)

Hypnotic, hallucinogenic and psychedelic: all adjectives which describe this album by south Wales hip-hop collective The Pride.

Space-like vibes accompany a range of voices that preach humanistic concerns such as togetherness and class issues; the beats are varied, and so are the voices, which helps these 14 tracks flow succinctly. Some of the lyrics went over my head, but that doesn’t matter. Magic And Molecules is an intriguing listen regardless of personal experience. GMI

The Rhythm Method’s debut album, How Would You Know I Was Lonely?, is a funky pilgrimage through contemporary British times.

Concurrently tragic, in a typically millennial #firstworldproblems kind of way, and funny, the album is crammed full of pop-culture references and evokes – at the same time – The Streets, albeit far less venomous, and Chas & Dave. Slightly repetitive, true, but I guess that’s part of its charm. A sonic Where’s Wally of modernity. GMI

Lust For Youth (Sacred Bones)

QUANTIC ****

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH *****

The Scandinavian duo continue to trade minimalist electronic origins for glistening Eurodance intonations on this slick sixth album.

Straddling between Depeche Mode, Technique-era New Order and Balearic beat vitality, this self-titled release reaffirms an increasing inclination towards accessible synth melodies, with the shimmering scope of Great Concerns and Insignificant’s throbbing rhythm proving vivid standouts.

Leaning towards a balmy, less austere tonality, the outfit augment a fluid sound flaunted on predecessor Compassion; a fresh, addictive and polished formula. CHP

Atlantic Oscillations (Tru Thoughts)

I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream (AWAL)

From his habitually prolific catalogue of music comes Will Holland’s most considered output to date. The first release under the main Quantic moniker since 2014’s Magnetica is a totally refreshing listen. His far ranging mélange of influences flow nicely across the record: West African rhythms, Columbian grooves and mystical electronics all exquisitely arranged.

Stand out tracks just happen to have choice features on them: Orquídea, featturing Sly5thAve, and You Used To Love Me with Denitia. Get it in your system. CPI

From the harmonica in the opening of Hotel Bar to the last notes of the title track, Kristian Matsson’s fifth album is captivating. Matsson has one of those sad and lonely voices that carry emotional lyrics well, while the guitar sounds like it’s being played on a dusty back porch. I’m A Stranger Now is a vibrant yet poignant single, and this is a beautiful collection of songs. LN

PIXX ****

¡QUE ASCO! ***

Small Mercies (4AD)

Reaper (Maiden Voyage)

Eighties-style synth/ grunge-pop with influences (Throwing Muses, Tears For Fears, even Lene Lovitch on first single Disgrace, her middle-finger to Catholic school) but imaginatively done. More dark nods to religion and relationships (not all of the human kind). Top of the pecking order is latest single Andean Condor, with cool countryish surf guitar from Dylan Jones, while the Cure riffs of the frantic title-track are also hit material. Hannah Rodgers’ alter ego is a bona fide individual force. RLR

The debut LP from Cardiff crew ¡Que Asco! (translated from the Spanish: How Disgusting!) is a mazy meander through the annals of late-80s/ early-90s US alternative rock. The faux-American accent grates and the accompanying press release writes cheques the record simply can’t cash, but John Gotti and lead track Marigolds are spirited if scrappy and I’m loath to discourage any band that can offer a fine approximation of A Thousand Leaves-era Sonic Youth at their most languorous (Walk On By). BW

LUST FOR YOUTH *****

YOUNGHUSBAND ** Swimmers (Opposite Number) This is a gentle album, one which – while pleasant enough – lacks variety. Its 10 songs are in the same tone and lack emotional bite.

I longed to be taken somewhere unexpected, but Swimmers is more of a paddle than a swim, and in a pool rather than the sea. There are a few breezy guitar moments but overall it’s a little too restrained – though some folk may prefer the safer option. LN

demos STARLING’S PLANET starlingsplanet.home.blog Art-psych with an electronic skeleton from a Cardiff trio who use pseudonyms but who feature two art centre employees, and why not? Uri D’Obscuree, as I am happy to call him, croons and murmurs and barks over drum machine clonk and budget exotica. There are jokes, as hinted by titles like I Love Your Shoes, which is distinct from Starlings Planet being a joke. This four-song EP could have come out on Absurd Records in 1979, which I intend as a great compliment. NG

MINAS facebook.com/minassound A concept EP, according to its chief architect James Minas, about the Cardiffian’s mental health-related struggles and attempt to find a musical identity of his own. Certainly, the foursong Granted is relentlessly glum, whether an instrumental swirl of slo-mo beats and twinkly synths or abetted by his own lachrymose vocals – or even a guest rap from local MC Razkid. In the Frank Ocean/James Blake lineage of wallow-worthy electro-balladry, Minas is accomplished and melodically affable, but no easy listen. NG

KINGKHAN soundcloud.com/kingkhandotwave More “sad trap-influenced pop music” (artist’s own words) from the Welsh capital, Kingkhan – a newish producer, real name Khalid – leans a little further towards the club on his Lovesongs & Melodrama collection. Rattling 808s are anchored by synthesised strings and Autotune, likewise a lyrical tack which is really quite endearing in its puppy-sappy romantic mooning. Kingkhan is also a beatmaker for hire, according to his Soundcloud page; heck, I’d probably shell out if I needed a beat. NG

BUZZ 45

music news EXTRA

Following the Sound Diplomacy report, published in April, analysing the health of Cardiff as a city of live music, an official enquiry into the condition of Welsh music as a whole is to be launched in the coming weeks by the Welsh Government. Set up by the National Assembly’s Culture, Welsh Language And Communications Committee, it pledges to investigate issues concerning music venues, music festivals, talent development and general sustainability. It’s also set to look, where appropriate, at how these things play out in Wales’ more rural regions, rather than just its cities.

People are encouraged to submit their views to the consultation by Fri 21 June; for more details, email seneddcwlc@assembly.wales

The latest south Wales venue to voice concern about architectural proposals in its vicinity is the Tramshed, in Cardiff’s Grangetown. Open since 2015 and featuring a 1,000 capacity main room as well as a cafe, cinema room and office space, the owners feel that their efforts to manage parking of tourbuses and other large vehicles, and to disperse crowds when events finish, will be made considerably more difficult by a planned seven-storey block directly beside it. Moreover, the floors would be used both for residential and office space, with both the Tramshed and councillors Lynda Thorne and Ashley Lister questioning what consideration has been made for noise pollution

After a warmly received debut volume in 2018, the second Create Vinyl Sampler compilation LP has recently been released. This is a showcase of 13 songs from students [pictured] from the School Of Music & Sound at the University Of South Wales in Cardiff – everything you hear

on here was written, played and produced by them. Brought together by Lucy Squire, the School Of Music & Sound’s academic manager, it’s an eclectic and accomplished listen.

Highlights for this writer included the brash garage rock of Carmarthen’s commendable Adwaith, Bloom!’s late-70s style powerpoppin’ punk and the slice-of-life outsider synthpop of Dan Ham Hub Festival is to light up central Cardiff once again over the August bank holiday weekend (Fri 23-Sun 25), with the majority of its 150 or so acts announced in late May. Highlights from the very long list – in this biased column’s opinion – include Sexswing, The Death Of Money, Godspeed You! Peter Andre, Witching Waves and Mugstar. Other nonband-specific attractions include a hip-hop stage curated

by Ladies Of Rage and The Hold Up; showcases from Welsh labels Libertino, Cosh and Double Hex, and a series of free workshops and talks in the week before the festival. It’ll be £26 for the full weekend or £15 per day

Steve Andrews, suburban Cardiff’s cult psychedelic folksman, has a new album out, his first since the late 90s. Songs Of The Now And Then was recorded with Jayce Lewis, Bridgend rock polymath and pal of Brian May, and its 10 tracks maintain Andrews’ taste for upbeat acoustic jaunts with lyrics addressing environmental concerns and romantic whims in equal measure. Known semi-officially as the ‘Bard Of Ely’, Andrews now lives in Portugal and has maintained a sideline writing books on herbalism and its intersection with shamanism and astrology. He also still sports his trademark green beard

ONES TO WATCH...

HLEMMA

Hlemma, a Cardiff-born electro-pop band comprised of a collaboration between members of Carw and Winter Villains, have just released their debut EP Slow To Tremor through all mainstream digital outlets. Their dystopian vibe is steeped in calming synth motifs that blend naturally with the soft, ethereal texture of vocalist Faye Gibson – the perfect beat to accompany lying down and turning off the world.

The band’s three musicians share the writing and production responsibilities equally: Owain Griffiths, who makes melodic electronica as Carw, plus Faye Gibson and Josef Prygodzicz, already warmly regarded as “chamber-indie” duo Winter Villains. All influential figures of the Cardiff music scene in their own right, the Hlemma collaboration has been steadily gaining momentum with summer 2018 appearances at Larmer Tree festival, and the Settlement Stage at Green Man, curated by Cardiff venue Clwb Ifor Bach Hlemma have since relocated to Sweden and Germany, where they finished production of the five-song Slow To Tremor with the help of producer Llion Robertson, also notable for his work as part of the Welsh Music Prize-nominated Cotton Wolf. (FTL) facebook.com/hlemmamusic

BUZZ 46

one louder

THERE’S a saying, you know, that goes something like “we hate it when our friends become successful”. Sadly, no-one knows who originally said it, but in today’s crazy mixed-up world true success is closed off to nearly everyone, yet virtually anyone can stumble into some sort of fleeting – yet worldwide – notoriety. More a case of “we hate it when our friends go viral”, you might say!

A recent, regionally relevant example of this came in the week I write this, when Cardiff record store Spillers posted online in fairly cursory fashion that they would not be stocking the new album by overrated racist Morrissey, his recent endorsement of fringe political party the Literal Fascists being a tipping point in this regard. On another day, this could have passed without much comment, but once one content-aggregation-crazed news site gets wind of something like this, it’s open season, and for, oh, 24 hours or so, this was the proverbial shot heard round the world, albeit heard mainly by fans of overrated racist Morrissey.

Although his fanbase have responded in the normal and level-headed way you would expect (“FASCIST SHARIA ENFORCING SPILLERS BANS MORRISSEY,” writes one visitor to the shop’s Facebook page), the persons involved aren’t really the point of this miniature tale. Private businesses taking stands of this type always elicit the same types of responses from the same types of people, ones who combine a concern for the erosion of free speech and thought with a low aptitude for critical thinking. To some, this is functionally indistinguishable from censorship, which implies that an independent record emporium has a moral, rather than merely commercial, obligation to stock anything that people might want to buy. Certainly, it would be in the interests of Spillers’ bottom line to sell not just the new album by overrated racist Morrissey, but also copies of the Sun, hot cakes, and Lockheed Martin tactical missiles.

Another, marginally more sophisticated line of argument is the ‘thin end of the wedge’ one: if we are to turn our focus on one problematic musician today, then tomorrow we should move on to the innumerable others who have done or said distasteful things. While it isn’t for me to decide how Spillers sets its moral compass, although plenty of alleged free speech absolutists seem to think it’s for them, to be the change I want to see in the world I have purged my own music collection accordingly. No more Wagner, no more Eric Clapton, no more Eric Clapton Plays Wagner. Burzum, Ice Cube, Spade Cooley and Steve Brookstein were next to be removed from my record shelves; in fact, by the end of the day I had pulled hundreds of musicians off and my arms were aching. It’s only fair to overrated racist Morrissey, after all.

NEUROTIC FICTION, DISJOY and THE NICOTEENS (Andrew Buchan, Cardiff, Sat 1 June), DAVID TERRY, MÖBIUS and DEEP HUM (The Moon, Sun 2), LOWER SLAUGHTER, NYET KLUB, DIE! CHIHUAHUA DIE! and KATE WOOD (Moon, Fri 7), GRAND COLLAPSE (Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd, Sat 15), and LEFT LANE CRUISER (Le Public Space, Newport, Sun 23) have not been cancelled as of press time. NOEL GARDNER

LIAM GALLAGHER

AS IT WAS

WORLD PREMIERE PLUS EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE BROADCAST THUR 6 JUNE 7.30pm Film only 21-27 June

Market Road, Canton, Cardiff www.chapter.org 029 2030 4400

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

THE BEE BOOK Jo Byrne (Graffeg)

From their perfectly formed hives and social structures to the myths and legends that surround them over the centuries, this beautiful little book will help you understand what amazing creatures bees truly are.

The first bee fossil dates back to around 100 million years ago and is believed to be a descendent of the wasp. Bees have appeared in literature throughout the ages, including Kahil Gibran’s famous poem The Prophet and in Aesop’s Fables. Assyrians and Egyptians regarded bees very highly, understanding the beneficial properties of pollination and honey, burying their dead in it and using it for mummification.

Of more than 20,000 varieties of bees – who knew? – the ones we mainly know are honeybees and bumblebees, which are the only social ones that form colonies or hives.

Many of us associate bees with being stung, but this is purely a defence mechanism and a last resort which ultimately means death to the bee. The wonderful sound you hear when a bee is near is created by both the rapid beating of the wings and flight muscles it uses, which bumblebees use whilst on flowers to vibrate and loosen the pollen.

The more you read about these incredible insects, you understand how complex they are and what part they play within their own ecosystem and on a wider scale. Wasps and bees are essential to maintain balance – as are all creatures – both being great pollinators, with wasps in particular a phenomenal natural pest control system.

A genuinely interesting and beautifully illustrated little book. ANTONIA LEVAY Price: £9.99. Info: www.graffeg.com

CHINESE SPRING Christopher New (Contraband) Set in Hong Kong, this is an intriguing premise, bringing an important moment in history to the fore. The story follows the protagonist Dimitri who, after receiving a cancer diagnosis, visits the annual vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. As he reflects on his past, we explore his relationship with his friend Yu Guodong as he faces being detained for protesting against changes in his ancestral village. Chinese Spring is an interesting story full of drama, combining politics and family dynamics; at times it can become difficult to invest wholeheartedly in the characters, as they always seemed to be on the periphery with much left unsaid. However, this is a thoroughly emotive and engaging read and it was difficult not to be swept up in the significant historical moments. RH Price: £8.99. Info: www.saraband.net

THE GOVERNESSES Anne Serre, trans. Mark Hutchinson (Les Fugitives) Anne Serre’s The Governesses presents a plethora of social injustices against women within society. Although explored so overtly through language, the issues remain hidden behind the house’s domesticated walls. Behind “the golden yellow gates” of the setting, the women are empowered, but outside, they roam without purpose. The fairytale style of narrative is ironic; it is not about dreams, love or fulfilment but instead about Serre subverting this style to reveal something more sinister about our society. I was left feeling somewhat disappointed with the world once I turned the last page. Initially, the book itself appears so far from our own reality, but once we explore behind those barriers and the gates set up by Serre, it appears that it’s not so far from what we know at all. MG Price: £10. Info: www.lesfugitives.com BUZZ 48

SURRENDER Joanna Pocock (Fitzcarraldo Editions) Any point until the cessation of humanity will likely be a ‘good time’ to publish a book on the subject of radical environmentalism, but if most of us are fiddling while Rome literally burns, many people encountered by Joanna Pocock in this illuminating memoirtravelogue hybrid are not. Finisia Medrano, a sixtysomething trans woman who’s dedicated her life to rewilding – planting wild foods across the expanses of the western United States – is its standout voice for her colourful anecdotes and withering views on environmentalists half-assing it. Pocock, a Canadian long settled in London, attempts an ill-fated move to Montana during Surrender’s timeline; when her family return, she remains, attempting to locate the heart of this fringe at an excruciating-sounding ‘ecosex’ festival and while boiling various strange roots. NG Price: £12.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com THE WHISPER MAN Alex North (Michael Joseph/Penguin) The pre-publicity for this one is huge: it’s been sold in 18 countries already, with the film rights also snapped up by Russo Brothers, directors of Avengers: Endgame. It certainly has best-seller DNA all over it. When Tom Kennedy and his son Jake move to the picturesque village of Featherbank after Tom’s wife dies, they know nothing about the multiple murderer of young boys, 15 years previously, known as ‘The Whisper Man’. “Hush hush, whisper who dares” goes the old nursery rhyme, which terrified many a child, and when Jake begins to hear whispers himself, and another boy goes missing, terror stalks the new family home. History begins to repeat itself. Just remember not to leave the door half open. The Whisper Man certainly ramps up the tension to 11, and I challenge anyone to put it down once started. MTi Price: £12.99. Info: www.penguin.co.uk

THE CLOTHESLINE SWING Ahmad Danny Ramadan (The Indigo Press) The Clothesline Swing is a poetic and immersive debut English-language novel from Ahmad Danny Ramadan. Weaving stories inspired by One Thousand And One Nights, we learn about main character Hakawati’s journey and the difficult experiences that lead him from wartorn Damascus to his current residency in Vancouver. As he reminisces about the past whilst facing the impending death of his partner, the use of death as a character emphasises the sense of doom which creates a heightened emotional and atmospheric presence. Dealing with themes of love, death, sexuality and war, the melancholic subject matter doesn’t reflect the rich and inspiring storytelling. It’s no wonder that the book has received a host of acclaim already; it’s a thoroughly engaging and evocative read. RH Price: £12.99. Info: www.indigopress.com THE TORTURE GARDEN Octave Mirbeau, trans. Michael Richardson (Dedalus) Originally published in 1899, writer and political activist Octave Mirbeau’s avant-garde classic is both a savage takedown of the bourgeoisie and a surreal study in kinkiness. Although hard going at the beginning, its dense satire on murder and 19th century French politics gives way to a compelling second half where the anti-hero narrator travels to the luscious garden of a Chinese prison with his mistress, Clara. There, a horror story of extreme torture plays out amid the cherry trees and hibiscus, much to the delight of Clara. Not everyone will be taken with Mirbeau’s heady mix of stylised sadism and anarchic rage, but if fin-de-siècle decadence is your cup of tea, look no further than this forgotten curio.

Bonkers? Yes – but deserving of this latest reprint. AH Price: £9.99. Info: www.dedalusbooks.com

RESPONSIBLE RAMBLING Summer’s on its way and it’s time to get out and explore what Wales has to offer. Buzz looks at ways you can take in nature’s beauty without contributing to nature’s demise.

Take it easy

Socks

Life Under Canvas, a Welsh company based in Powys, have a range of beautiful recycled picnic mats if you’re after a more relaxed day out. www.lifeundercanvas.co.uk Recycled Picnic Mats – £15

Look after your feet with these comfy merino wool hiking socks. You can rely on this ethical Welsh brand to have sourced and manufactured these items with as little damage as possible for the planet. www.howies.co.uk Esgidau Merino Boot Socks – £18

Pick it up

These boots are made for walking

Dogs are a fantastic walking companion, but of course, picking up after them can be a pain. A lot of dog-litter bags take years to degrade; these are made from maize starch and use a cardboard roll instead of plastic. Much kinder to the Earth! www.zooplus.co.uk 4 rolls Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags – £2.49

These lightweight, breathable trainers are perfect for summer walking.

Adidas have teamed up with Parley to produce recycled products made from ocean waste. www.adidas.co.uk Terrex Addidas/Parley shoes – £69.95

Hot and cold flask

Stay connected

Keep your drinks nice and chilled or hot if you prefer with one of Sigg’s colourful flasks. They come in a variety of sizes and colours. Being Sigg, there are lots of replacement parts. www.sigg.com/uk Thermo Flask Hot & Cold 0.5l – £22.99

If you can’t live without sharing selfies then you’re going to run out of juice while in the outdoors. The perfect solution is a fold-up travel solar panel so you can charge wherever you are. It’s waterproof, folds down to the size of most phones and includes a flashlight. The future is here. www.amazon.co.uk Addtop Solar Charger – £38.99

Whose coat’s that jacket>

Carry your stuff

Although we are entering into summer, we can never rely on the sun in Wales. Luckily the chaps over in Cardigan have come up with some lovely lightweight showerproof jackets for active wear that are PET/ PFC free. www.howies.co.uk Women’s Clearer Ultralight – £69

All this stuff and you’ll need something to put it in. Patagonia produce a fantastic range of day bags in great colours and it goes without saying that their environmental credentials are second to none. eu.patagonia.com Patagonia Arbor Classic Pack 25L – £65

BUZZ 49

MATT PRITCHARD: THE DIRTY VEGAN

Depot’s latest food collaboration brings us TV’s latest vegan chef, Matt Pritchard, who will kickoff the evening with a welcome talk about the benefits of ethical eating and a runthrough of the menu before guests take their seats at 7pm. Diners will enjoy five courses of vegan cuisine and will then be entertained by a DJ for the rest of the night.

Depot, Cardiff, Sat 15 June. Tickets: £45.

Info: www.depotcardiff.com

JADE MELLOR Foraging has become increasingly popular among folks trying to escape reliance on supermarkets.

If you’re stuck for where to begin, professional forager Jade Mellor of Wild Pickings might have your answers. She chats to Oliver R Moore Howells.

What attracted you to foraging and to organising a business around it?

I studied horticulture and had an allotment for years.

When I moved to rural Wales, I started learning the wild plants. Realising some can be eaten, and that they’re often delicious, was like unlocking a secret world. My interest increased: gathering, cooking and preparing, and feeding myself and others. Fourteen years ago, I worked with a local forager who gathered herbs and sent them to restaurants in London. I wanted to bring my wild food creations to my local community so set up my business, Wild Pickings.

I sold at farmers markets and food festivals; I met people who wanted to be taught, which became a major part of it.

Has the growth of veganism led to more of an interest shown in foraging?

The increased interest in food provenance and the way food is often mass-produced whilst disregarding the welfare of birds, bees and animals has definitely inspired foraging. Veganism is part of this picture.

Do you owe any part of your success to the likes of Bear Grylls and Ray Mears?

I think they’ve helped bring foraging into the mainstream, but we’ve evolved as hunter gatherers, it’s in our blood. It may have skipped a generation but there’s a desire to feel closer to the land.

Do you feel that educating people about foraging gives the public control rather than relying on supermarkets?

Yes! It also connects them to their environment, to the hedgerows around them, to the weeds in their gardens. Knowing more makes them want to protect and preserve the countryside. It’s empowering to be able to feed yourself without having to buy everything.

Can one sustain foraging long term as a supplementary addition to their everyday lifestyle?

I believe so. I mostly forage commonplace plants.

I’m interested in making these taste delicious rather than picking rare, endangered ones. Taking a little from here and there, it’s like being a roaming grazing animal. Weeks later, the plants are re-growing. By BUZZ 50

eating just a little bit of wild food, by using it as a special garnish or exquisite sprinkle, I think it is sustainable.

Is foraging a hobby or can it dramatically reduce everyday shopping bills?

Personally, it’s part of my lifestyle; a passion and obsession more than a hobby. During certain seasons it definitely reduces my bills: in spring I gather nettles and wild garlic and buy hardly any greens. In the autumn I fill up on berries and fruits.

How safe is foraging?

Well, some plants look edible but are poisonous if consumed. Beginners therefore should avoid certain plant families – like the carrot family which has some of the most poisonous plants. I’ve never eaten something toxic or poisonous by mistake, but that’s not because I know everything. I am cautious and only eat what I am 100% sure of.

What’s your favourite landscape on which to forage? And your favourite place?

Depends on the time of the year: Gathering seaweed on the beach in late winter. Being in the hedgerows and woodland edges in spring. Estuaries are teeming with tasty edibles in the summer, and I love the woods in autumn for mushrooms, nuts and berries. I live in a wooded valley not far from the sea, which is a favourite place of mine.

What can someone expect from your foraging sessions?

My workshops are generally season-based. I love the whole cycle of foraging, cooking and eating, so I get people gathering and identifying wild plants and then preparing and eating them, so as to know how to use wild food and be inspired.

Where would you ultimately like to take the business?

I’d love to write a cookbook. I’ve got so many recipes in my head. I love collaborating with different people, so maybe TV or radio. The idea of a little wild food cafe tucked away in the countryside appeals too.

Info: wildpickings.co.uk

MERTHYR STREET CHILLI FEST

This annual occurrence brings crowds the best chilli products in the UK from a wealth of traders, set to the soundtrack of Duo Flex and their Caribbean steel drumbeats. The festival ends with a Clash Of The Titans-style chilli eating contest, one not for the faint of heart.

Hopefully pints of milk will be ready for the (un)lucky winner.

Penderyn Square, Merthyr Tydfil, Sat 22 June. Admission: free.

Info: www.welovemerthyr.co.uk

The Early Bird

OF THE BEST CRAFT BREWERIES Wales has seen an explosion in craft and microbreweries of late. Gareth Mitchell takes a look at some of the best brewing operations to have sprung up recently. Cheers!

TOMOS A LILFORD

With the motto “adventures in beer”, Tomos A Lilford’s range of understated, unique beers includes some outright bangers which make use of unexpected and strange ingredients. There’s Annwyl, a blonde ale brewed with rose petals, and Cwrwgl, a seaweed stout, to name just two.

Vale Business Park, Llandow Info: 01446 677757 / www.tomosalilford.com

BANG-ON BREWERY

Opened in late 2016, Bang-On Brewery has gained an extensive following in their hometown of Bridgend. Sporting an extensive range of beers – including Mel V1, a collaboration with Cardiff University professors – the site at Bang-On hosts an impressive looking microbrewery alongside a small bar to enjoy their wares.

George St, Bridgend Info: 01656 760790 / www.bangonbrewery.beer

MAD DOG BREWING CO

Founded in 2014 from a home kitchen, Mad Dog Brewing Co has come a long way from its early days. Having moved from the kitchen to a full business premises, Mad Dog has found its stride with its aptly mad beers. From Third Eye Blind, a delicious pale ale made with hops from both New Zealand and America, to a personal favourite, Stouty McStoutFace, Mad Dog are smashing it.

Park Farm, Plough Road, Pontypool Info: 07703 731197 / www.maddogbrew.co.uk

VOG BREWERY

With a beer, Dark Matter, that won Champion Beer Of Wales in 2015, VOG (standing for Vale Of Glamorgan and no relation to the – also fine – Glamorgan Brewing Co.) are no stranger to making their mark. The brewery’s range of beers includes Miami Weiss, a dry-hopped American weissbier, and South Island, a New Zealand pale ale which is very much on the pale side.

Atlantic Trading Estate, Barry Info: 01446 730757 / www.vogbrewery.co.uk

GREY TREES

As brewers, Grey Trees pride themselves on using the finest ingredients and immense skill. A personal favourite is the Black Road Stout, with its smooth-roasted intensity.

Other highlights include Caradog’s Bitter with its crispness, and golden ale, Digger’s Gold. Aesthetically pleasing as well as tasty.

Gasworks Road, Aberdare Info: 01685 267077 / www.greytreesbrewery.co.uk

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRY CAKE Words Alison Powell Summer is full of strawberries and this cake has them snuggled up with soft sponge and flecks of white chocolate.

Whether it’s warm enough to go on a picnic or not, it’ll always feel sunny with a slice of this…

INGREDIENTS 8 slices • • • • •

120g butter 180g caster sugar 3 eggs 180g self-raising flour 100g white chocolate chips For the icing...

• 100ml milk • 20g butter • 200g icing sugar To decorate...

• 250g strawberries, washed and sliced • 4 tablespoons of good quality strawberry jam

HOW TO 1. Grease and line a 23cm springform tin and preheat the oven to 200˚C/ gas mark 6.

2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar, using either a fork or food processor.

3. Beat the eggs and mix into the butter and sugar.

4. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Pour into the lined cake tin, pop in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

6. After 15 minutes, carefully check it. If you insert a knife into the centre, it should come out clean if cooked. If not, pop it back in for another five minutes.

7. Once baked, leave it to cool for a while then remove from the tin and rest on a cooling rack.

8. Make the icing by mixing the butter and milk and then sifting and stirring in the icing sugar. Taste it and check it has enough icing sugar for your taste – add a little more if needed.

9. Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally. Smear the jam on the bottom half and then replace the top half.

Smear the icing on top and then decorate with slices of strawberries. @ASPwriter

BUZZ 51

JUNE FOODIE FOCUS From castles to Castilian flavours, Arabic aromas to alcoholic ice cream, Elouise Hobbs has the lowdown of the best foodie events this June.

Four Course Dinner, Caerphilly Castle, Thurs 13 June Fresh from MasterChef success, Caerphilly resident Stephen Ford will team up with fellow contestants Thomas Elson-Knight and Alex Talbot to form SALT Kitchen which is holding a special pop-up kitchen in the iconic Caerphilly Castle. The four-course dinner will feature some of the dishes that impressed the MasterChef judges alongside new recipes inspired by seasonal ingredients and local produce. And of course, every dish will include complimentary drinks pairings to complete the experience.

Catching each of these three chefs in this new experimental venture seems like a prime opportunity to get ahead of the curve.

Tickets: £75. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Spanish Tapas Cookery, Healthaspire, The Old Smoke House, Milford Haven, Fri 7 June This one-day course run by Healthaspire offers a hands-on experience to learn the techniques in creating staple Spanish tapas dishes – tomato and basil meatballs, garlic mushrooms, paella, stuffed aubergines – and desserts such as creme Catalana and chocolate and raspberry tart. All ingredients and equipment will be provided, and recipe sheets will be on hand so you can recreate the dishes at home.

Tickets: £42. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

BUZZ 52

Supper Club: Middle Eastern Feast, Tramshed, Cardiff, Fri 7 June Former head chef to Jamie Oliver and Waitrose London, Leyli has created a varied and exciting six-course menu, which plays with the idea of traditional dishes with a modern twist. Courses include crispy lamb nuggets with wild garlic and baba ghanoush, pork belly with celeriac shawarma and white chocolate cremeux – a traditional French pastry – paired with Persian candy floss.

Tickets: £45. Info: www.tramshedcardiff.com Greedy Pig Kitchen Takeover, Dusty Knuckle SafeSpace, Llandaff Rd, Cardiff, Tue 18 June The aim of this evening is that everyone leaves feeling stuffed, both with great food and memories. It looks like a sure bet. All the meat is sourced from Farmers Pantry in Llantwit Major and accompanied by Chilli Of The Valley sauces and rubs. Homemade scratchings, beer-glazed sausages, burgers, pulled pork and chicken lollipops will be on hand; for sides, mac‘n’cheese, slaw and sweet potato wedges; dessert: chocolate porter brownie with beer ice cream. Plus craft ales from Mad Dog and Bang-On. Tickets: £21. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

THE DACHSHUND CAFÉ

Complete with a dog-themed menu for customers and a menu of treats for their canine pals, this pop-up afternoon is pitched at dachshund owners especially, though anyone is welcome to enjoy an afternoon of food, drink, and dogs! Book in advance, mind as unsurprisingly the events are very popular.

Revolucion De Cuba, Cardiff, Sun 9 June Tickets: £7.50 (dog-owners)/£10 (others).

Info: www.revoluciondecuba.com

FARESHARE CYMRU

The Welsh branch of the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, FareShare Cymru, has announced that in the last year, it’s saved a record 511 tonnes of fresh, in-date food from going to waste, by diverting it to those who are most in need. The surplus produce FareShare Cymru takes can’t be sold in shops, either because of a short shelflife or packaging errors, but is still good to eat. The food is donated to 64 charities and community groups throughout south Wales, including domestic violence refuges, school breakfast clubs and food banks.

Info: www.fareshare.org.uk/faresharecentres/cymru-south-wales

THE FISHERMAN’S REST

Quay St, Cardigan. 01239 612359 / facebook.com/fishermansrest Food **** Atmosphere ***** Cardigan is probably one of this writer’s favourite places in the UK. It’s small but full of life cultural and culinary, and with much of the town’s architecture loaded with character, situated in the heart of some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales. It lacks the touristy-ness of Tenby, and the lack of a university means it’s a little bit slower-going than Aberystwyth, but that makes it perfect for a bore like me.

A place like The Fisherman’s Rest, then, is a perfect place to enjoy some of Cardigan’s pleasures, especially on a fine spring day, sitting alongside the Teifi River with fine views of the estuary and the town itself, helpfully provided by the restaurant’s sizeable outside area. I imagine it might not be as fun in the winter, though inside is pleasant enough.

The menu is generally small in variety but superb in value for money: I don’t recall anything being priced over £10. Our collective party had a mix of seafood chowder and a seafood platter, whilst I stubbornly refused to acknowledge the restaurant’s name and ordered a steak and ale pie. Nevertheless, mine was a fine choice – it’s a simple dish that’s easy enough to balls up if your balance of pastry-crunch to baking-hot innards is ill-thought-through, and your choice of sauce is bland.

The seafood meals were great and loaded with freshness: we visited on a baking hot day, so the chance to have something refreshing, easy on the stomach and relatively light was grabbed with both hands. The chowder, leavened with potatoes, mussels and carrots, was a pleasure, and the platter – a smorgasbord of fresh prawns, smoked salmon, and peppered mackerel – was filling and varied – not too much of anything to bore, but always leaving you wanting more of it.

And the seasonal tomatoes must be commended – the UK has a tendency to produce flavourless tomatoes (sorry not sorry) whereas these were gorgeously sweet and moreish. Why can’t we procure nice tomatoes with regularity?

FEDOR TOT

THE BYRD’S NEST

138 Crwys Rd, Cardiff. 029 2025 1246 / facebook.com/thebyrdsnestcafe Food **** Atmosphere **** Feeling slightly fragile on a Saturday morning, this writer was in dire need of something to fill the stomach. In need for something a bit fancier than the usual delivery, daresay. That was the first step towards finding the hidden gem that is The Byrd’s Nest in Cathays. “All day breakfast” and “bottomless brunch”, said the sign onside. I knew this was the place for me.

The décor is one that you could spend all day enjoying. Right there, on the hustle and bustle of Crwys Road, lie this minimalistic jewel of a brunch spot.

A little haven in the middle of chaos that smelt of perfectly roasted (and local) coffee from Quantum. The menu itself is contained on a blackboard, inscribed in chalk. Despite its succinctness, there’s plenty of choice; pancakes, seasonal specials, homemade Welsh rarebit, vegan breakfasts, vegetarian breakfasts and various gluten-free options.

All of which is exceptionally good value for money, with the most expensive dish not even breaking £9 and an average price of around £7 for most breakfast options. There’s also an expansive drink selection of teas and coffees – it was quite literally loose-leaf tea galore. My meal came with presentation that I did not expect for its price: you could tell that time, love and care had gone into its creation. I didn’t want to ruin it with my ravenous state, but it had to be done. I have no regrets.

The staff were also talkative and friendly when paying, making me feel welcomed into their food haven. Their homemade cake on the table almost made me sit back down, but sadly, reality drew me back to life. Nevertheless, The Byrd’s Nest is a place worth revisiting. Being in the heart of Cathays and representing decent value for money, it’s popular with students (like this writer), but its homeliness and warmth is open to anyone.

MOLLY GOVUS

BUZZ 54

Pic: cj-dayrit

health

N E W - T R I T I O N PA R T 5 This month, Buzz’s health-man Jon Sutton looks at the value of whether reducing or increasing intake of certain food types increases risks of cancer.

In 1993, Record Breakers presenter Roy Castle, the very face of British verve and vitality, lost his battle with lung cancer. He’d never even smoked. The nation sat up and took notice: the curse of cancer, and its ability to take down even the most clean-living people, became headline news. What could be done now to fight the human race’s ultimate enemy?

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, American doctors were starting what would turn out to be the largest study ever carried out into the links between diet and cancer – the results of which are only coming to light today. More specifically, the study, carried out by the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), targeted the links between cancer and the consumption of fat.

In the early 90s, fat was still considered to be a major cause of mortality, but more recently it has become apparent that much of the blame for mortality had simply been shifted onto fat by scientists working for the sugar industry, as a New York Times article suggested. Surely, then, the results of the WHI study would reflect this modern way of thinking about fat – that removing it from our diet would have no effect on cancer cells?

Yet strangely – at least for followers of the ketogenic movement, which now states that consumption of fat is healthy – the study did actually prove that the risk of death in women with breast cancer could be mitigated by a reduction of fat intake. In its words, “Adoption of a low-fat dietary pattern associated with increased vegetable, fruit, and grain intake … significantly reduced the risk of death from breast cancer.”

Once again, it looked like fat could be blamed for adding to all-cause mortality.

Until, that was, experts looked a little closer into the results and the words “increased vegetable, fruit and grain intake”. Was it the reduction of fat which appeared to save lives – or the inclusion of vegetables in place of fat?

Dr Rhonda Patrick PhD, in a recent edition of her FoundMyFitness podcast, laid down the case that all evidence points to the cancer-crushing qualities of green ‘cruciferous’ vegetables. In one recent study, according to Dr Patrick, people were ranked by the amount of cruciferous vegetables they ate, with the top 20% of

people eating the most showing a 22% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Another study showed a 40% decrease in prostate cancer risk in men eating three to five servings of cruciferous veg per week; another indicated that men who ate two servings of broccoli per week reduced their chance of developing bladder cancer by 44%. In two other studies, smokers who consumed four and a half servings of cruciferous vegetables per month showed a 55% reduction in lung cancer risk and, for women, a breast cancer risk reduction of between 17% and 50%. (The results were thought to vary because of preparation methods; many of the nutrients can lose effect when overcooked.) Even people who already had bladder cancer saw a 57% reduction in mortality when consuming four servings per month.

Delving deeper into the links between cancer and diet, Dr Patrick goes on to talk about the potential risk of developing cancer by overeating meat – the amino acids in meat help muscles to grow, but can also do the same for cancer cells. In 2016, the largest study to date on the topic found that meat did indeed lead to a higher death rate. “It’s a legitimate concern,” says Dr Patrick. “But the studies only held up when there was another risk factor involved.” Examples of these would be sedentary lifestyle, obesity or drinking/smoking too much.

But whilst the jury is still out on both meat and fat, Dr Patrick refuses to sit on the fence when it comes to refined sugar. “Refined sugar intake is a big problem …

Scientists estimated that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in 2010 may have contributed to 6,450 deaths from cancer.” In one particularly damning study, men who regularly drank sugary drinks tripled their chance of prostate cancer due to sugar’s inflammatory nature.

But that doesn’t mean cutting sugar out wholly: for those who crave it in their diets, fruit is still on the table. The fibre found in fruit helps to break down the sugar faster, whilst also giving a healthy boost of vitamins.

When it comes to staying healthy and combatting cancer, most things are OK in moderation. Refined sugar, it seems, doesn’t want to stick to those rules.

BUZZ 55

Pic: Sarah Perry

eco

Plans to carry out seismic tests in Cardigan Bay this summer pose a threat to the fettle of the area’s sizeable dolphin population, as outlined here by Lee Lottie Urquhart.

Wildlife trusts in Wales have raised concerns about plans by Eni UK Limited to conduct seismic surveys in a special area of conservation (SAC) off the Welsh coast this summer. The international energy company has applied to the UK government to carry out a seismic survey in Cardigan Bay, an area that conservationists claim could result in the death of many young mammals, as it is home to the UK’s biggest dolphin population. The application Eni put forward would give permission to fire loud shockwaves out of a submerged gun into the Irish Sea, sometime between Sat 1 June and Mon 30 Sept. The government has said that the plan has not been approved, and is subject to further assessment and consultation.

Environmentalists in Wales have branded the plans as ‘outrageous’ and asked why they have only come to light this month.

Cardigan Bay is one of only two semi-resident populations in the UK for bottlenose dolphins. Staff and volunteers at the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre in New Quay, who have been monitoring them and other marine mammals for over 20 years, have expressed serious concern about the effects the seismic activity will have on the creatures. Dr Sarah Perry, the Living Seas Manager for The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales added, “The timing of the proposed survey is in the middle of the breeding period for these protected species when there is a serious risk of the young, who are far more susceptible to disturbance, being separated from their mothers.”

A spokesman for Eni UK Limited said, ‘In compliance with both company and regulatory requirements, Eni is committed to carry out environmental impact BUZZ 56

assessments in any areas where seismic surveys could take place… Any risk to marine life, including aquatic mammals, is heavily mitigated and safeguards are always in place to ensure minimal disruption.’

A petition to cease all plans to carry out ‘destructive’ seismic surveying within the special area of conservation in Cardigan Bay has recently been created on campaigning website 38 Degrees. At the time of writing, and in only one day, it’s reached 3,163 of the 4,000 signatures it is hoping to achieve.

The campaign claims: “Previous extensive seismic surveys have been conducted and have revealed no commercial quantities of hydrocarbons within the area and do not need to be repeated. If, however there were any viable reserves discovered the extraction of such would cause irreparable damage to this sensitive marine area and the life it supports whilst making a mockery of the designation of a marine SAC.” State Of Nature 2016, a report assessing the wellbeing of wildlife in the UK, observed that 46% of marine vertebrates have declined in the short term, and 34% in the long term. The Wildlife Trusts work to protect and improve habitats and wildlife in Wales, as well as helping people to enjoy and understand the local wildlife.

The petition to stop Eni’s seismic surveys in Cardigan Bay can be found at: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-oilexploration-in-cardigan-bay-marine-sac

Celebrate Father’s Day down at Big Pit this month with a range of locally sourced food from pies to honey, cheese to chutneys.

Visitors will also be entertained with live performances and food demos, as well as the coal museum’s famous underground tour. The FEASTival is part of Blaenavon’s Heritage Week, which will consist of a variety of activities and events.

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon, Sun 16 June. Admission: free. Info: 0300 1112333 / museum.wales/bigpit

Pic: richard szwjkowski

W I L D L I F E T R U S TWE MUST PROTECT OUR SEAS

FATHER’S DAY FEASTIVAL

ST FAGANS CRAFT WEEKEND

CCraft and creativity is celebrated in a new event highlighting this museum’s new galleries, which are filled with handmade objects – up to 200,000 years old! – from textiles to pottery. Mini-masterclasses are priced at £20 each, plus there are familyfriendly activity sessions and master craftspeople showing off their skills, making traditional crafts across the museum.

National Museum Of History, St Fagans, Sat 15 + Sun 16 June. Admission: some activities charged. Info: 029 2057 3500 / museum.wales

C OM E D I

C O M E DY

D R AG

DR AG

T H EAT R

G E RD D O RO L

M U S I C A L

T H E AT R E

B U R L E SQ U E

F W R L ÉSG

C HW I P FEE LG O OD

O

NO S

SADWRN

SAT U R DAY O

/

NI GHT S

FRO M

ME HE F I N

1

J U NE

wmc.org.uk/supperclwb

Pic: Ceci Bravo

travel

GOING FOR A QUIET WALK Grab your boots and get a move on as Gareth Mitchell seeks out some of the finest walking trails across Wales.

SOUTHGATE TO THREE CLIFFS WALK

The Gower peninsula is bursting with beautiful walks, so the Southgate to Three Cliffs Walk is merely an excuse to explore this picturesque location that includes stepping stones and a castle – the ideal beginners walk. Three Cliffs Bay is also an incredible place to have a picnic, with basic amenities, such as parking, a café and toilets nearby. The route is only around a mile long too, so should be more than suitable for families with young children.

PLAS NEWYDD, ANGLESEY

A short family-orientated walk within the grounds of Plas Newydd, a beautiful stately home orignally built in the 16th century, though it’s undergone many changes since. Walking around the grounds should be easy enough with young kids as there are lots of amenities along the way; you’ll also walk through a plush woodland and past an adventure playground, guaranteed to catch the eyes of the children. There is also a restaurant for anyone who’s worked up an appetite on the way around.

PORTHGAIN TO ABEREIDDY COASTAL WALK, PEMBROKSHIRE

A circular route of around four miles, this walk is comprised of utterly majestic views. The terrain may be a little trickier than what some are used to – be careful on those cliff edges – but with some spectacular views, so do remember your camera. A particular highlight is the site of an old quarry that’s since been transformed into the iconic and beautiful Blue Lagoon. The route makes visible the industrial past of Wales, with disused buildings making for sublime views along the way: Porthgain in particular, with its quarry laying on the side of the harbour has its own rugged beauty, as well as The Shed, one of the finest seafood restaurants in the UK.

BUZZ 58

TREDEGAR HOUSE, NEWPORT

Slightly different than the others here, Tredegar House in Newport showcases some pleasant greens just outside the wilderness of the urban jungle. It’s only a mile-long, traipsing around the placid lake in the Tredegar House ground, and generally popular with families and dog walkers, with plenty of amenities available. Oone to take if you’re not looking for a heartstopping adventure.

THE WELSH DESERT

Not an area of Wales that’s magically baking hot and sunny all year round, but a spread of land just north of the Brecon Beacons, otherwise known as the Cambrian Mountains, which is one of the least inhabited areas in the UK – human-free, save for a few farms. Walking in this area can be a risky business, what with the sheer isolation, so it’s one only for hardened hikers, but the rewards are endless: wildlife and stunning views, almost entirely unspoilt.

VALE OF EWYAS, BLACK MOUNTAINS, BRECON BEACONS

Pen-Y-Fan gets most of the selfies, but its sheer popularity can make it a bit of a chore at high season. But the Brecon Beacons are nothing if not full of stunning walks to undertake. On the east corner there’s the Vale Of Ewyas, which also includes the Llanthony Priory. It can be rough going here, with few amenities and a generally less populated area, but well worth it if you’re prepared.

DYFFRYN ARDUDWY TO Y LLETHR, SNOWDONIA

Again, Mount Snowdon gets more of the footfall, but it’s always worth seeking out some of the other peaks in Snowdonia. This near-12-mile walk is a challenge amongst the rugged harshness of Snowdonia, but you don’t have to charge down it, with plenty of beautiful spots to stop for a rest. Y Llethr covers the Rhinogydd area of Snowdonia, and it’s less tricky than some other peaks but, nevertheless, still not wholly easy.

Big Pit Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru | Big Pit National Coal Museum

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

Mehefin 16 June 11am-4pm

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

Plus a free cuppa and welsh cake for every Dad!

029 2057 3650 www.museum.wales/bigpit

GIN GARDEN PARTY Market Road, Canton, Cardiff www.chapter.org | 029 2030 4400

21 JUNE • MEHEFIN 5pm to close • tan amser cau 22 JUNE • MEHEFIN 12 midday to close • ganol dydd tan amser

Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru

St Fagans National Museum of History

Caerdydd, CF5 6XB amgueddfa.cymru/sainffagan

Cardiff, CF5 6XB museum.wales/stfagans

Pic: Alex Whitehead

sport

Man v Horse

The OVO Women’s Tour

Man v Horse

SPORTS ROUNDUP June is a great opportunity for some other sports to get a look in for those not interested in which direction England is batting.

Gareth Mitchell has the month’s sports roundup.

MAN V HORSE

Llanwrtyd Wells, Sat 8 June Like so many good ideas, the Man v Horse marathon was concocted over a pint. Green Events’ marathon, originally taking place in 1980, is a race between man and horse amongst the hilly terrain of Llanwrtyd Wells. And to the neighsayers (excuse me) who may think a man could never beat a horse, more fool you, the feat has been achieved twice over the history of the festival: once in 2004 and again, three years later, in 2007. Oh, and there’s a prize for any runner that can beat their four-legged competitors, increasing by £500 every year that a horse wins; the jackpot currently stands at £3,000.

Info: www.green-events.co.uk

DRAGON RIDE

Margam Park, nr Port Talbot, Sun 9 June Returning to Margam Park in 2019, with a two-day tour sister event due to arrive in Newport, the Vitus Dragon Ride sports four distances: the Macmillan 100k, the Medio Fondo at 153km, the Gran Fondo at 223km and the Dragon Devil at 300km. Some of the inclines may be steep, with the hardest ride including some 4300m of ascent, but with each scale-up of distance competitors head further and further into the natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons national park, with its plush natural scenery.

Entry: from £55.50.

Info: www.dragonride.co.uk

THE OVO ENERGY WOMEN’S TOUR

Llandrindod Wells to Builth Wells, Fri 14 June; Carmarthen to Pembrey County Park, Sat 15 June The OVO Energy Women’s Cycling Tour, now celebrating its fifth year, is coming to both Llandrindod Wells and Carmarthen as stages five and six of the competition. Wending its way through various picturesque crannies of southern England – Beccles in Suffolk followed by Stowmarket, Gravesend, Henley-On-Thames, Blenheim, Warwick and Burton Dassett, a village with the sort of name Americans think everywhere in Britain has – the Welsh segment of the event will see competitors cycle from Princes Avenue, Llandrindod Wells to the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells on Sat 15. The Carmarthen Velodrome, a host venue for the first time in 2019, is Sun 16’s starting point; Pembrey Country Park the destination. Cycling has long been a male-dominated sport (there isn’t even a women’s Tour de France), so this is as fine a chance as any to shift the balance by coming out in support as a spectator.

Admission: free.

Info: www.womenstour.co.uk

WAAT4

Ruby Fields, Parc de Pugh, Brecon, Sat 15 June WAAT4, based in the Brecon Beacons, is a navigation event that’s open to all sorts of explorers, regardless of ability – whether you’ve trundled around all manner of mountains or just rambled up a hill once. Sporting two routes, one 40k and a 20k, competitors will navigate the wild terrain whilst taking in all the beautiful ecology that the Beacons have to offer. Whilst teams are limited to a minimum of two people or a maximum of six, there are four categories that make up the competitive element of the event. They are the Competitors Cup, Emergency Services Cup, Young Competitors (14-18 Years) Cup and the Forces Cup. So, why not take a punt and explore the scenery of the Brecon Beacons whilst trying to prove yourself as navigation master?

Registration: £35 with a team pledge of fundraising £50 for a nominated charity.

Info: 07841 471018 / www.waat4.co.uk

CARDIFF TRIATHLON

Cardiff Bay, Sun 23 June The Cardiff Triathlon returns, sporting Olympic (51.5km), Sprint (27.5km) and Super Sprint (12.9km) distances over the Sunday. Competitors will be plunging into the Bay, burning their legs off as they cycle through Cardiff streets and traversing across the Cardiff Bay barrage, whilst spectators will be cheering them on, and perhaps feeling grateful that they’re only spectating.

Entry: from £59.99. Info: 01248 723553 / www.alwaysaimhighevents.com

BUZZ 60

listings

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

recommended *–u – repeated

HEADLINERS HIT TING CARDIFF Not only is Cardiff packed with underground gigs and homegrown talent this month, it’s also going to be host to a plethora of international music stars.

Kicking us off is none other than Elton John (Cardiff City Stadium, Sat 15. Tickets: from £49.50. Info: www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk), who is retiring from touring via the counterintuitive move of playing more than 300 concerts in 27 months. Farewell Yellow Brick Road, he’s calling it.

Continuing – in Wales’ biggest venue yet still packing the place out without breaking sweat – the hardcore queen of pop, P!nk (Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Thurs 20. Tickets: from £45 but sold out. Info: principalitystadium. wales), who’ll be performing as part of her five-stadium tour for her latest album Beautiful Trauma. The album’s had stellar reviews and the show (supported by Vance Joy and KidCutUp) promises the eye-popping pyrotechnics and daring acrobatics the star has become known for.

Also gracing the capital this month will be three household names of rock: The Killers, the Manic Street Preachers and Paul Weller – all in the course of a weekend at Cardiff Castle. The Killers [pictured] (Cardiff Castle, Fri 28. Tickets: £75 but sold out. Info: www.cardiffcastle.com) were recently announced as Glastonbury 2019’s Saturday headliners, but haven’t performed in Cardiff since 2012 – was it something we said? They’ll be performing hits from their fifth number one album Wonderful Wonderful, and no doubt the classics: what’s the point if we can’t scream along to Mr Brightside?

The Manics (Cardiff Castle, Sat 29. Tickets: £39.50. Info: www.cardiffcastle. com) will be playing the whole of their 1998 album This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours, allowing the mums and dads of Cardiff to re-live their youth for a rockfilled evening. Finally, Paul Weller (Cardiff Castle, Sun 30. Tickets: £48.50.

Info: www.cardiffcastle.com) will be taking on Cardiff Castle, bringing support acts Miles Kane and Steve Mason with him.

CONTENTS pg 62 pg 63 pg 66 pg 70 pg 75

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 61

* – recommended

art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Kate Haywood Olion/ Traces: The Language Of Clay’ Touring ceramics exhibition from Mission Gallery in Swansea. (Until Sun 9 June) Borth Arts Exhibition of mixed media work by Borth Arts, a group of artists living and working in Borth and Ynyslas. (Until Thurs 13 June) Ruth Packham Also based in Borth, Packham creates felt from wool fibre. (Until Thurs 20 June) Discovering The Architecture Of Wales Exhibition highlighting the architectural evolution of Aberystwyth Arts Centre, plus artefacts held in collections of Welsh architectural archives.

(Until Fri 28 June) 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. (From Thurs 20 June until Thurs 22 Aug) Road To Discovery Contemporary examples of work from the seven potteryproducing areas in Uzbekistan.

(From Sat 22 June until Mon 26 Aug) Clay Local responses to the recent International Ceramic Festival by schools, colleges and charities (From Wed 26 June until Wed 14 Aug) 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. (From Mon 17 June until Fri 30 Aug) ALBANY GALLERY 74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com David Grosvenor, Thomas Haskett, Andrew Hood, David Knight elected new works depicting north Wales landscapes (Grosvenor), Pembrokeshire (Haskett), North Africa and Italy (Hood), and enigmatic figurative painting from Knight. (From Thurs 6 until Sat 29 June) ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHEINIOG) Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk Similarities And Differences Artwork by Members of Powys People First in collaboration with Theatr Wildcats. (Until Sat 29 June) ARCADECAMPFA Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. arcadecardiffcic@gmail.com / www.arcadecardiff.co.uk 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.

(From Wed 12 June until Sat

6 July) ART CENTRAL Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Free. 01446 709805.

Cardiff And The Vale College End Of Year Show Mixed media art and design work, showing after having launced on Fri 7 June at CAVC itself (see its listing). (From Sat 8 until Sat 22 June) 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. (From Thurs 6 June until Sat 20 July) CARDIFF & VALE COLLEGE Dumballs Road, Cardiff.

5-9pm (on the evening of this exhibition). Free. 029 2025 0250 / www.cavc. ac.uk.

Cardiff And The Vale College End Of Year Show One-night-only showcase for an exhibition which will subsequently be displayed in Barry’s Art Central gallery until Sat 22 (see its listing). This evening will feature a variety of exhibitions in painting, sculpture, ceramics and product design alongside performances by theatre and dance students at CAVC. (Fri 7 June only) CARDIFF STORY The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff. Daily 10am-4pm.

Free. 029 2034 6214 / cardiffstory@cardiff.gov.uk 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)

CERYS KNIGHTON: DRAWING BIPOLARITY The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff, Thurs 20 June-Fri 20 Aug Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk Cerys Knighton’s pointillist works represent her struggles with bipolar disorder. The medical humanities PhD student hopes to raise awareness of what those who suffer with their mental health have to face, through the medium of dot-work. Though the intricate style can take many long hours to complete, Cerys Knighton sees the practice as a therapeutic medium of selfexpression. This exhibition of her work tackles the stigma and misconceptions that often go hand-in-hand with living with a mental health disorder. Her artworks range from depictions of individual symptoms, to an analysis of the development in medical treatments from the 19th century onwards.

The pieces play with human and animal anatomy through ink textures and contrasting pointillism, exploring the divide between the organic and inorganic.

BUZZ 62

CHAPTER GALLERY Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri 12-8pm. Free. 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org Freya Dooley ‘The Song Settles Inside The Body It Borrows’ / ‘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) University Of South Wales BA Hons TV & Film Set Design Graduate Exhibition Including work designed for feature films and the National Television Awards. (From Wed 5 until Sat 8 June) 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 Tracey Watkins Maker in Focus exhibition featuring a new collection of leather bags. (Until Sun 23 June) Emerging Makers Fifteen artist designers who have each graduated within the last five years, and who are in the early years of setting up their professional practice. (From Thurs 6 until Sun 30 June) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE 226 Stow Hill, Newport.

Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Journeys: A To C Work from a diverse group of artists who exhibit as A Shared Walk, and who celebrate individual journeys through internal and external landscapes. (Until Sun 16 June) Resaponse Summer showcase of work by students of Cardiff & Vale College, specifically CAVC BTEC diploma and CAVC/ USW Foundation Degree In Photography courses. (From Fri 21 June until Sun 21 July) CYFARTHFA CASTLE MUSEUM Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon Rd, Merthyr Tydfil. 01685 727371 / museum@ merthyr.gov.uk Open Art Exhibition 2019 First show of this type in this gallery, promising a wide range of professional and amateur artists. (Until Sun 23 June) ELYSIUM GALLERY 16 College Street, Swansea.

Wed-Sat 12-5pm. Free.

www.elysiumgallery.com Reflections On Identity Following Brain Injury See Art for more on this exhibition, which aims to make visible some of the hidden challenges people experience following brain injury. (Until Sat 22 June) Shelly Hopkins ‘The Art Of Borrowing, Tempting But Inconclusive’ Portrait photography with installational elements, exploring gossip as a social tool through the ages with particular reference to The Female Tatler (an early 18th century scandal sheet which sounds great). (Until Sat 22 June) Mohamed Hassan ‘Souls’ Pembrokeshire-based photographer with a show paying tribute to his home country, Egypt. (Until Sat 22 June) ESPY Photography Award 2019 One of Wales’s largest contemporary international photography exhibitions, this year offering a prize of £1000 each to a digital and analogue photographer. (Until Sat 22 June) FOUNTAIN FINE ART Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Gareth Thomas Thirty new paintings of Wales and Provence from a highly respected figure in Welsh landscape painting; this, say the gallery, may be his last exhibition of new work due to declining health. (Until Sat 8 June) Summer Group Exhibition New mixed discipline work from regular gallery artists here. (From Sat 15 June until Sat 13 July) FUTURES GALLERY / ORIEL GALLERY Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead.org The Rookery Photographic project looking at a small piece of land near Risca that was once home to a mining community. (Until Fri 7 June) G39 Oxford Street, Roath, Cardiff. Saturdays 11am5.30pm. Free. 029 2047 3633 / post@g39.org Rumblestrip Group exhibition featuring Emanuel Almborg, Paul Eastwood , Nooshin Farhid, James Moore, Paula Morison and Jessica Warboys. The loose, implcit theme is one of heeding danger ahead and uncertain futures, expressed via documentary photography, film, painting, video and text. (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 Spring Showcase Work from invited artists who take

u – repeated

their inspiration from the landscapes and seascapes of Wales, includiung a special profile slot for Bryony Rich.

(Until Sat 8 June) Jill Baird ‘Inroads’ Paintings inspired

by Baird’s love of trees, while also referencing the hard geometric shapes that humans relentlessly impose on the natural world. (From Tue 11 June until Sat 6 July) THE GATE Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk Multiplicity Photography exhibition from BA (Hons) Creative Industries students.

(Until Fri 14 June) Cerys Knighton ‘Bipolarity’ Pointillist artwork examining Knighton’s mental health experiences. (From Thurs 20 June 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. (From Fri 14 June until Sun 1 Sept) Frances Richards: An Artist Apart Frances, wife of Ceri Richards, is represented here in the form of her wartime-era embroiderycollages and unseen drawings and monotypes, plus figurative and flower paintings from her later years. (From Fri 14 June until Sun 1 Sept) INSOLE COURT Fairwater Road, Llandaff, Cardiff. Daily 10am-5pm.

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

(Throughout June) 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 Wed 3 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 Pick Of The Degree Shows Annual exhibition showcasing the best of South Wales’ BA arts graduates. (Throughout June) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

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

(Until Thurs 6 June) Summer Selection Changing exhibition by leading Welsh artists including Kyffin Williams, Peter Prendergast, Ceri Richards, Harry Holland, Shani Rhys James and Kevin Sinnott.

(Throughout June) MISSION GALLERY Gloucester Place, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free.

01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Saba Humayun Work in the [...] space, showing as part of the Here Collective series of exhibitions and curated by Siân Addicott, as is the following one. (Until Sat 8 June) Here Collective Exhibition Work in the [...] space, showing all artists featured in Addicott’s series. (From Sun 9 until Fri 14 June) 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. (From Sat 15 June 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.

(From Sat 15 June until Sat 3 Aug) MODEL HOUSE CRAFT AND DESIGN CENTRE 20 Swan St, Llantrisant.

Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 01443 227758 / www. llantrisantgallery.com/ 30th Anniversary Celebration Four floors of studios and craft outlets showcasing artists, jewelers, ceramicists, glass-makers,

print-makers and textile artists. (From Fri 7 until Sun 30 June) 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. See Art for more on this family-friendly educational show about, in short, Snakes!

(From Sat 22 June 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 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) NORWEGIAN CHURCH ARTS CENTRE Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm. Free.

029 2087 7959 / www. norwegianchurchcardiff. com Lathan Ball ‘Forty Days & Forty Nights’ Forty photographs of Clive Cornish, a Christian evangelist who has been noted for transporting a 12ft crucifix everywhere he goes, like Jesus. Unlike Jesus, Clive’s one has a wheel on the bottom. (Until Sun 16 June) Julian Culley ‘Trails That Define A Lie’ Ink on paper pieces exploring “entrances and exits. Beginnings and endings. The short distance of life’s travel between birth and death.” (From Mon 17 until Sun 23 June) ORIEL CANFAS Glamorgan Street, Canton, 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. (From Sat 29 June 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 DAVIES The Park, Newtown, Powys.

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm.

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

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Sarah Hoss ‘Learning To Fly (By Falling)’ A portrayal of life in Pembrokeshire raising three children, one of whom has Down’s Syndrome, in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park by photoblogger and journalist Hoss. (From Fri

ago with the aim of providing a venue for a group of artists to get together, paint for pleasure and exchange ideas. (Until Sat 29 June) REDHOUSE Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@ redhousecymru.com Gustavius Payne ‘The Smell Of Cap Guns’ Welsh figurative artist who turns 50 this year and presents work which references childhood innocence and memories relating to same. (From Sat 8 June until Wed 3 July) ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMA Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat + Sun 10am-4pm. Free. 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk Balance 2019 Annual show in which graduate designers, stage managers, composers and performers combine to present a fresh look at the work of the RWCMD. Showing in London from Fri 28-Sun 30 June. (From Thurs 13 until Wed 19 June) RUG ART GALLERY Unit 16, Ground Floor,

There are, as you doubtless know, seven distinct potteryproducing areas in Uzbekistan, and from Sat 22 June until Mon 26 Aug Aberystwyth Arts Centre showcases them in an exhibition, Road To Discovery.

7 until Thurs 27 June) ORIEL MYRDDIN Church Lane, Carmarthen.

01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk Max Bainbridge and Abigail Booth ‘Walking the Line’ Duo known collaboratively as Forest + Found, who produce sculptural and wall-based works influenced by landscape and blurring the distinction between art and function. (Until Sat 6 July) ORIEL Y BONT University Of South Wales, Ty Crawshay Building, Llantwit Rd, Treforest.

Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm. Free.

01443 480480 / gallery. southwales.ac.uk 1SSUE International Collaborative artist books made over 2 decades, with a focus on 1SSUE 41 containing work by artists working with film, soundscapes, textiles, paintings, prints, drawings and experimental creative writing.

(Until Fri 7 June) QUEEN STREET GALLERY Queen Street, Neath. WedSat 10am-4pm. Free. 01639 631081/ www. queenstgallery.co.uk Purple Art Group Hailing from the Neath area, this group formed several years

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 brushers 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) SWANSEA MUSEUM Victoria Road, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-4.30pm.

Free. 01792 653763 / www. swanseamuseum.co.uk Cefn Coed Remembered Subtitled An Exhibition Exploring The Working Life And Patient Care At Cefn Coed Hospital From 1932 To Present Day, which should cover it for this listing’s pur-

pose. (Until Sun 9 June) TENBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk Anna Warchus ‘Transmissions’ Ceramic work tracking Warchus’ journey with clay over the last decade, reflecting on specific moments of change.

(Throughout June) THEATR HAFREN Llanidloes Road, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625007 / thehafren.co.uk Julia Wilson Illustrator who works in a photographic style using pencil, pen and ink, watercolours, acrylics, clay, photography and a variety of craft materials. (Until Wed 31 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) VICTORIA FEARN GALLERY 6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm.

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Sue McDonagh Solo exhibition of over 40 paintings, coinciding with the launch of McDonagh’s first novel Summer At The Art Cafe.

(Until Sat 15 June) VOLCANO THEATRE 27-29 High Street, Swansea.

Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Free.

01792 464790 / www. volcanotheatre.co.uk Alison Lochhead ‘Beyond The Boundaries’ Sculptures and wall pieces depicting, says the artist, “bones, shoes, bodies and space”. (From Mon 3 until Fri 28 June) WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE Bute Place, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2063 6464 / www. wmc.org.uk The Girls Of Room 28 Part of Welsh National Opera’s Freedom season, this features mementos such as poems, letters, diaries and drawings from survivors of the WWII-era Theresienstadt concentration camp, commemorating those murdered there. (From Fri 7 until Sun 30 June) 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 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 / wood4tt@gmail.com Celf Mixed work from Glyndwr Brimacombe, Victoria Gretchen Carter, Luz Erika Chick, Patricia Clifford, Louise Collis, Chris Griffin, Melanie Honebone, Tobbe Malm and Gayle Rogers. (Until Sat 15 June) Suzanna James Ethical knitwear showcase.

(Until Sat 15 June)

clubs THE ATTIC 5-6 Castle Bailey St, Swansea. 01792 450850 / facebook.com/ theatticswansea Wed 12 Techno vs DnB Swansea End Of Exams Rave 10pm-3am, £1-£5.

The two dance genres, each in their own room. Sat 22 Con7rol x Solo 9pm-4am, £17 adv. Pawsa, tech-house DJ and co-founder of the Solid Grooves label, headlines; residents from both promo stables support. See Clubs.

BALTER FESTIVAL Chepstow Racecourse. info@balterfestival.com / www.balterfestival.com Fri 31 May-Sun 2 June Balter Festival £100-£130 adv. Heavy-duty ravers’ choice weekender returns to the horse track to say neigh. Way too much on to print the whole lineup but the stages are Caravan (live acts); Jigsore (jungle); Hex (drum’n’bass); 24 Hour Garage Girls (UK garage); Drawing Room (hardcore, jungle and tek type stuff I think); Balkanical Circus (Balkan beats, dub, reggae); Buckyham Palace (looks like a bit of everything); The Lab (breakcore?); Phlegmgazm (digigrind-ish bands?) and Disco (disco).

BAMBU BEACH BAR 51 Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 651651 / www. bambu-bar.co.uk 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 July Groove: The Summer Send Off 4-11pm, £5 adv. Tech-house with a guest headliner TBC. BIG LOVE FESTIVAL Baskerville Hall, nr Hay-OnWye. www.biglovefestival. co.uk Fri 7-Sun 9 Big Love Festival £95 weekend/£62.50 Sat + Sun only/£31.50 Sun only. Annual Cardifftransplanted-to-Hay weekend of sparkling and spangling.

Go to the website for the full lineup; in short there’s a main stage with lots of live acts, plus DJs variousdly presented by Tropical Tea Party, Concrete Junglists and Delete, plus a stage of mostly solo acoustic types hosted by U&I Radio.

BUZZ 63

* – recommended THE BIG TOP / 10 FEET TALL 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo. co.uk Tue 4 Criminal x Illusion: The Carnival 10pm-3am, £5 adv/£3 early bird. Disco, house and tech from Seb Bliss B2B Fraser Dickson, Lucky 47, Sam Jenkins and Ethan Tyzack, plus “unique decorations” and “incredible lighting”. Thursdays Rock hits from DJ Andy Rhys Lewis.

Thurs 13 Global Sounds: Afrobeat Soundsystem 10pm-3am. Described as “a dedicated Afrobeat, funk and soul night” which given the breadth of those three genres doesn’t actually strike me as that dedicated. Fridays + Saturdays Resident DJs playing soul and funk.

Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul. Sat 8 Good Life Cardiff Official Carnival Afterparty 11pm4am, £7/£5 adv. This follows on from the day party in the Tramshed, which I think is sold out, and takes place both on this floor (with Tekno Tom, Seb Bliss and Clare James) and Undertone downstairs (with Ransom, Diskrete and Lubi J). Sat 29 Manic Street Mania 10.30pm, £5 adv. Unofficial afterparty for the Manics’ gig this evening in Cardiff Castle.

Fri 14 Tranzmissions 9pm-5am, £3/free before 11.

Techno, trance and hard dance from, in chronological order, Psychedelic Misfits, Andrew Butty Davies, Cloud, Sizey, Dip-e b2b Rob EJ, Mistress and Psybration. Sat 29 Grimecrafts 9pm-2am, £1. Inexpensive raving with DJs/MCs Dubzta with Conrad, Chew and Ez Rah (grime), 4K with Luke RV and Razkid (grime), Useless Generation ft.

LispyJ, OJ and DOTD (Hhphop/grime), DG Boh with AK, MCM, LRB and Syphr (grime/ bassline) and a Heft takeover (drum’n’bass).

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 July Fixate 10pm-5am, £5. House and techno from Wheats of the Toolroom Records stable plus Marco Strous, Madame Twisted, Dain Waite and J-Tech.

CATHAYS SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB 152-156 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff. 029 2022 0906 / cathayssportssocial.co Sat 13 Solid Sounds Of Jamaica 8pm-1am, £3. Ska, rocksteady and reggae from Gingerino’s Boss Sounds.

THE BOILER HOUSE Unit D, Papermill Road, Cardiff. 07977 138587 / boilerhousegraffiti.com Fri 28 Sound Clash Canton 7pm-1am, free. Head to head DJ battles in the Jamaican soundclash format, with Dub In The Pub taking on Peaceful Progress. Plus Rich Roast and Rob 45 of Mix Apes and MC Dregz.

BOX BAR 11 The Strand, Swansea.

07876 505482 / box-bar. co.uk Sat 15 Dogruff Open Air 2pm-4am, £8-£15. Daytime (I assume this is the open air bit): Derek Carr (live set), Lewis James, Marlon Clark, Luke Tainton and Dan Knight, Night: Mora, Mikki James and Amy Amor. See Clubs.

THE BUNKHOUSE 63 The Kingsway, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk BUZZ 64

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / www. cardiffstudents.com Wednesdays YOLO 9pm2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11.

Midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers. Good name, really on trend. Fri 14 Forgotten Lands 10pm-4am, £12 adv.

I think this is an end of term student party but you don’t have to be a student to go as far as I can tell. High Contrast, Star.One, James Hype, Metrik, Oli P and Woo & Comfort are DJing, plus there’s glitter girls and other crazy crap like that.

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

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.

Sat 22 Epic Events 5pm4am, £22.50 adv/£49.50 VIP. Outsized hardstyle event of the type you thought were relics of the past. To wit: Daniele Mondello, Cally, Kidd Kaos, MKN, McBunn, Fattman & Ice, Vishaun & Snatch & Trampy, LG Project, Just Joe & Tom E Slim, Dipz Vs Odd-S-E, Patchy & Vandellio, Gen-O-Side, Swift-EE, DNA, Rich-E-Brnx and host MC Shocker and Messiha. Sat 29 Invasion Club Nights Presents Remix Reloaded 9pm-4am, £5 adv/£3 early bird. House, bass and dance from James Silver, DJ Divide, Rikki B and Tom Clarke.

CLUB OXYGEN 1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 / www.globaloxygen.co.uk Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-4am, free. House, house & bass and tech-house all night. Saturdays 11.30pm5am, £5/free before 1. Upstairs: deep house, commercial house and tech-house. Downstairs:

urban, chart, classics, r’n’b, hip-hop and UK garage.

CLWB IFOR BACH Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Wed 12 Get Funky 11pm, £7-£10. Jazzy house from French headliner Bellaire, plus Swales and Eben Rees. Already sold out. Fridays (bottom) Yum! 11pm-3am, £3-£5. Indie and pop. Fri 7 Dazed 11pm4am, from £7. Drum’n’bass featuring Upgrade b2b T>I with MC IC3, Clique with MC XL, Codify and Cymbolic. by Kettama, a DJ from Galway.

Fri 14 Disco Motel 10pm.

Disco. More specific info TBC. Saturdays Dirty Pop 10pm4am, £5. Three floors of fun: Grltlk and Andrew Rhys Lewis’ top floor resident indie shindig; Dirty Pop; and Mr Potter’s proper disco. Sun 23 Tafwyl After Party 10pm, £3. With DJ Gareth Potter.

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.

EDDIES 4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 779595 / www.eddies.co Fri 21 Example 10pm5.30am, £15.50 adv. I guess this must have been postponed cos I’ve listed it at least once before, anyway UK pop-rap type headlines over PBH & Jack Shizzle, Patrick Nazemi, Toby Ellis and ADR. FICTION & VINYL The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub. co.uk/swansea Mondays Quids In 10.45pm2.30am, £3.50/£2 before 11.

Chart, cheese, r’n’b, dance and house. Wednesdays Underground 11pm-3.30am, £3.50/£2 before 1. House, chart, r’n’b and cheese across two rooms. Fridays 11pm-3am, £5/£3 adv. Drinks offers and, uh, music I guess. Saturdays Agenda 10.30pm-3am, £3.50/£2 before 1. Fiction: house, r’n’b, EDM. Vinyl: pop and party. Sat 29 features a UV rave in the Fiction room FUEL 5 Womanby Street, Cardiff.

07970 063107 / facebook.

The Rainbow Rooms in Gorseinon is to change its name to Club Logic at the end of June, after a brief refit. It’ll open under the new name on Sat 29 June with a night of hardcore featuring stalwart DJs Dougal, Sy and Hixxy.

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. Sun 23 Eclipse Summer Beach Party 6.309.30pm. Specially curated club night for adults with additional needs.

THE DEPOT Construction House, 22 Dumballs Road, Cardiff.

02920 341 199 / info@ depotcardiff.com Sun 30 Big Fish Little Fish 2-4.30pm, £7.50 adv/free pre-walkers. Disco and 90s rave spun in this afternoon club event for small kids and parents/guardians etc. Bunf from the Super Furries plus Penarth Soul Club DJs man the decks today.

THE DUKE Old Market Street, Neath.

01639 643892.

Sat 29 Hedone 8pm-2am, £10. House and techno, headlined by Jordan Peak and also featuring Hedone residents plus Dan Newman and Rossy D (16xhalfmen).

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.

THE GLOBE 125 Albany Road, Cardiff.

07590 471888 / www. globecardiffmusic.com Sat 1 Kickstart My Heart 10pm-2am, £10 adv. Hair metal and power ballad night. Sat 8 Club Tropicana 9pm-2am, £6 adv. Eighties night. Sat 22 Ultimate Power 9pm-2am, £5 adv. Power ballads (again) and “well known music classics”.

HANGAR 18 50 Plymouth Street, Swansea. 07984 664008 / facebook.com/hangar18mv Sat 1 Dead Of Night 9pm-3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month.

Sat 8 The Resist-Stance 10pm-4am, £7. Acid techno hoedown with Sted Hellvis, 4NR, Nick Technika, Robi SUSS, Welshstan and Rage N Tekhead. Sat 15 Propane 10pm-4am, £2-£5. House and techno spun by members of the Swansea University DJ Society.

HAVERHUB 12 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. haverhub. org.uk Sat 8 Drum Therapy – Snare Society 002 10pm-3am, £6/free before 11.

Drum’n’bass from Mackay, Audio-Autopsy, Saunders, Intenzive-Sound and Sickadelik.

THE HYST 218 High Street, Swansea.

01792 654366 / www.thehyst.co.uk Rave On Bloom 8pm-1am, £10 adv. House anthems. rave bangers and other 90s club classics from DJs Active, Andy Hunter, Jared and Nizar. It’s all in aid of Swansea asylum/refugee charity Bloom and you are encouraged to ‘dress 90s’.

INKSPOT The Old Church, Newport Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 0254 / www. inkspotartsandcrafts.com Fri 6 July 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.

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

Fri 31: Bugzy Malone, Not3s, Redlight, Majestic Limitless, Sean Paul (halfway down the poster but in the biggest font), 24 Hr Garage Girls and Foor (main stage); Problem Central, Basslayerz, Traumatik, Chopstick Dubplate, Nicky Blackmarket and Ego Trippin (Other Stage); Royal T, Jamie Duggan, Shaun Dean, Kissy Sell Out and Billy Da Kid (Boom Box). Sat 1 June: DJ EZ, Wilkinson, My Nu Leng with Dread MC, Danny Howard, DJ Q, Artful Dodger, Emerald, Pax and Rewire & Varski (main stage); Hannah Wants, Sam Divine, Monki, Jess Bays and Nancie (Other Stage); Steel Banglez, Ms Banks, Colin Francis, So Solid Crew and Sharky P & DJ Sole (Boom Box). See Clubs.

JACOB’S MARKET West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939.

Sat 1 Teak: Miami Vice 3-11pm + 11pm-4am, £20 adv full/£12 adv daytime only. Annual party under the Miami Vice name for whatever reason, featuring Jamie Tiller, Violet, Body & Beat and Señor Chugger & Count Van Delicious. Wed 12 Get Funky Summer Rooftop Party 1-8pm, £15 adv. House form Swales, Eben Rees and Theo Servini. Sold out already; precursor to Get Funky’s night in Clwb Ifor later this evening, which is also sold out. Sat 6

u – repeated

July 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.

KONGS 114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. info@kongsbars. com / www.kongsbars.com Sat 1 90s Rave – The Return 10pm-3am, £4-£7.

Dance music supposedly associated with the decade of the title. Fri 14 C-Y-N-T 10pm-4am. French house/ disco head Foulamour, last in Cardiff in 2017, headlines over Viewpoints, Eben Rees and ElliotFelixMitchell.

LE PUBLIC SPACE High Street, Newport. 01633 221477 / www.lepublicspace.co.uk Sat 1 Thnks Fr Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, free. Emo, poppunk and nu-metal from the previous decade. Fri 7 Return Of Drop Your Pants 11pm-3am. Drop Your Pants was an indie/alternative disco that used to be resident in various grotty Newport venues.

Now it has returned, presumably for nostalgia reasons, to this less grotty one.

THE LOFT 19-21 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. facebook. com/thelofthwest Sat 1 Substantial Sound 9pm-4am, £8-£12. Drum’n’bass and bassline from Kenny Ken, Optimystic, a Drum Therapy showcase with Audio Autopsy, Mckay, Intensive-Sound, Sickdelic and Saunders, a Back To Bassix showcase with One-Z and Late Knight, Charly Says, Him Again and Tommy B. Sat 13 Dub Soundsystem Sessions 9pm-5am. Soundclash night between Bristol Firmly Rooted Soundsystem and London’s Real Roots Sound System.

MARY’S 89 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Mon-Thurs 4pm-2am, Fri 4pm-3am, Sat 12pm-3am, Sun 12pm-1am. 029 2066 8647 / www.maryscardiff. co.uk Wednesdays Wednesday Club 8pm-2am. Dance and chart toppers with DJ Chris.

Thursdays Mixxet 8pm2am. Fun, games, and cabaret with Amber Dextrous and Alphaa Heart. Fridays Non Stop Party 8pm-2am. DJ Lee plays tunes from the 90s onwards. Saturdays 8pm2am. Dance, pop and chart with DJ Billy Joe. Sundays Service 5pm-2am, free. Bingo with Aunty Ade and Aunty Betty from 5pm, with cash prizes; DJ Mary Golds until 9pm; guest cabaret at 9pm and DJ Billy Joe on the tapes (this is an odd turn of phrase but I like it) until 1am.

METRO’S Baker’s Row, Cardiff. 029 2039 9942 / www. metroscardiff.com Wednesdays Cheapskates 10pm-4am, £2 before 11. Pop and alternative old and new.

Fridays Meltdown 10.30pm-

4am, free before 11. Punk and rock anthems. Saturdays Lose Yourself 10.30pm-4am, free before 11. Stereo Brain playing indie, beats, treats and pop-punk.

MINSKYS SHOW BAR Cathedral Walk, St David’s Centre, Cardiff. 029 2023 3128 / www.minskysshowbar.com Fridays & Saturdays 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 12 Cardiff Electronic Producers Meetup 7-9pm, free. 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 8 The Shutdown Show 6pm, free.

Hip-hop showcase.

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.

THE NEON Clarence Place, Newport.

01633 533666 / www. theneon.co.uk Fri 28 80s v 90s Dance Party 7.30pm-1am, £4/£2adv.

DJs Sian and Steve C play decade-specific hits which this venue suggest would pair well with legwarmers and shellsuits.

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.

OCEAN ARTS CARDIFF Unit 2, East Moors Business Park, East Moors Rd, Cardiff Bay. 029 2132 0030 / www.oceanartscardiff. co.uk Fri 7 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.

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.

THE PEN & WIG Stow Hill, Newport. 01633 666818.

Fri 7 ‘Port Electro 7pm1am, £3. Synthpop, postpunk and a bit of other stuff from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Kraftwerk are included twice in the list of acts one can expect to hear.

PITCHER & PIANO Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com Fri 7 Paradox 7pm-2am, £5 adv. House from Craig Harrison, Jack Darwin, Mathew Hart and Ryan Ross.

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

PRYZM Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

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

9pm-3am, £4 adv. Weekly student event described by one enthusiast as “lit Friday nights with chilled fam bams and regular bants”. Saturdays Agenda 10pm-3am, £5. Three music arenas, VIP booths, other stuff. Sat 1 is the Official Inside Out Afterparty and features a set by Skepsis (from £5 adv/£8 VIP).

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

EPIC EVENTS Club Ice, Pontypridd, Sat 22 June Tickets: £22.50/£49.50 VIP. Info: www.clubiceponty.com Today’s millennials don’t know what it used to be like, when Buzz’s club listings would be ripe with outsized hardstyle events each month – in the early 00s south Wales, for whatever reason, was mustard keen on that oikishly European sound derived equally from hardcore and trance. Eventually it dropped off the map, again for whatever reason, but this night in Ponty is set to turn back the clock, opening at 5pm for 11 hours of stomping. Italy’s Daniele Mondello [pictured], one of hardstyle’s most respected DJs and renowned for especially deft scratching, headlines. Cally, whose former club night Bionic brought the cream of the scene to this region, tops the undercard, with the likes of McBunn, Kidd Kaos and MKN fixtures of hardstyle bills then and now.

classic hits all night long.

THE QUEENS HALL 44 High Street, Narberth.

01834 861212 / www. thequeenshall.org.uk Sat 22 Crags Carnage 7pm-12am, £7. Grime, hip-hop and drum’n’bass from Crag, Gemini Twins, Yxungsuspect, Drum Therapy and Raw Records (DJs) plus Crag, Boyley, OJ, Dan Hope and The Raw Hillbillys (MCs).

THE RAINBOW ROOMS / CLUB LOGIC 12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.the-rainbowrooms. com Saturdays 9pm-4am. With residents plus guest DJs each week: Sat 1 has Big Al, Sat 8 has Rob Rees and Sat 15 has John Hughes. Sat 29 Logic Hardcore 6pm-6am, £10 adv. With sets from Dougal, DJ Sy, Hixxy and ED ET plus more TBC. This event also marks the reopening of this club following a refit and name change, to Club Logic.

THE RED LION 97 Queen Victoria St, Tredegar. 01495 724449 Sat 8 Powercore 7pm-2am, £3. Here’s a name we’ve not heard from in a while, but these Valleys hard dance heads are back with a cheap lineup of Xsiv, Swiftee, Pete Rampage, Inhuman Nature, Gen O Side, DNA, Dash and Blocaldini. Reverse bass, European hardstyle, hardcore, freeform and drum’n’bass are the styles on the menu.

Sat 15 We Call It Techno 7pm-1.30am, £5. Stompy free party tek biz from A.P., Suss Twins, Alter:Ego (change your name), Eyes Crossed & Shane Aubrey, Snowlax and Trampy & Farmboy.

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 Dazed 10pm-4am, £12/£10.

Drum’n’bass from Kings Of The Rollers with Inja; AC13 v Ben Snow v a special guest TBC with MC XL; Clique v Dox v Friends On Benefits with MC Pablow; Ebbens vs Noski; Nu:Motive Promotions and hosts Inja, MC XL and Pablow.

Fri 14 Polymer 10pm-4am, £13 adv. This is the last ever night by house/techno promoters Polymer and it features Jasper James and a special guest TBC. Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sat 1 Bassline 10pm4am, £22.50 adv. Featuring a two-hour set from Andy C. SODA St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3363 / www. sodacardiff.com Wednesdays Replay 9pm4am, £4. Chart, cheese and r’n’b for students. Fridays Guilty Sounds 10pm4am, £4/£6 VIP. R’n’b and

house from the 90s and 00s.

Saturdays Soiree 9pm4am. 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. Sat 1 features special guest Tiffany Calver, from 1Xtra. Sundays Soda Sundays 9pm-3am, £4/£8 VIP. Three floors of music for students and industry workers.

TALYWAIN RFC New Road, Talywain, Pontypool. 01495 772597 / talywain.rfc.wales Sat 1 Tremor 2-10pm, £20/£15. Hard dance from Andy Whitby, Cally, Shocket, Big Al, PH & Lam, Caii B and Bradz v CJM. TECHNIQUEST Stuart Street, Cardiff Bay. 029 2047 5475 / www. techniquest.org Sat 1 Silent Disco 9pm1am, £16 adv. This is presented by the HUSH Collective, who have previously arranged silent discos in Cardiff’s National Museum. Those sold out and this might well do also.

TIGER TIGER Friary House, Greyfriars Rd, Cardiff. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-2am, Sat 12pm-3am, Sun 12pm-12.30am. 029 2039 1944 / www.tigertigercardiff.co.uk Every Day Lucky Voice Karaoke From £2.50 per session. The UK’s leading private karaoke experience each day of the week. Mondays Dolla Dolla 10pm-3am, £5/£2. Student night with special guests. Tuesdays Sync 10pm-3am, £3. R’n’b and hip-hop from DJ Sole and Alex Davies; disco, house and bass from Lewis Disson, Kyle Thom and Jordan Witts.

Wednesdays Shotgun Rules 10pm-3am, £5/£3.50.

Exclusive midweek student party. You don’t need NUS to get in though. Fridays Tic Toc 10pm-3am, £4.

“Forget the DJs who play the stuff you’ve never heard of, ours will be playing your favourite tracks all night long.” Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc. Sat 1 is an Inside Out Afterparty headlined by Jess Bays.

TRAMSHED Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Sat 8 Good Life Cardiff 4pm-1am, £19. Touring club brand, here with a Rio Carnival theme which I’m sure won’t be at all tenuous. Horse Meat Disco headline with an extended set, plus you get Twogood and representatives from Get Funky, Dazed Disco and Good Life themselves.

Sat 15 Jungle Jam 2pm12am, £22. Jungle and lots of it. Room 1: Ray Keith b2b Bladerunner, Serum & Inja, Randall, Unglued, Kenny Ken b2b Lavery, Hybrid, Deadline, Kumarachi and Mascot b2b Benji. MCs: Ragga Twins,

Navigator, Fearless and XL. Room 2 is hosted by Riddim Records, lineup TBC. UNDERTONE (BASEMENT OF 10 FEET TALL) 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Sat 1 Darth DNB 9pm4am, £7/£6. Drum’n’bass with Mumble B, AL-X, NTG, Diskrete b2b Ransom, Killill Aktik b2b Reload and hosts MC Ryder, Donzilla and Rhymstein. Wed 5 Rezonate 10pm, £4 adv. Drum’n’bass from Grown, Ransom, Kalo b2b DJ Cyclone and Subverse, plus MCs Supa Darkaz, T-Motion and Ryder. Thurs 6 + Fri 28 Switch Up 10pm. Garage, drum’n’bass, jungle and bassline. *Fri 7 Red Room 10pm-4am, £7/£5 adv. See Clubs for a preview of this night, headlined by Bristol’s Daisy Moon and also featuring Red and Tetra. Sat 8 Good Life Cardiff Official Carnival Afterparty 11pm4am, £7/£5 adv. See Big Top listing. Tue 11 Luna 10pm, £2 adv. Techno, acid house etc. Thurs 13 Pull Up x Faded Audio 10pm, £8/£5 adv. Drum’n’bass from Agro with Chats MC, Ben Snow, Kanobie, Fez, Remy J, Swagz, SDB, Catboy, Trix, Antix, Kimbo, Suv and hosts AJ and Warvey. Fri 14 Junction 10pm. Drum’n’bass. Sat 15 Jungle Jam Afterparty 10pm. Continuation from the jungle/d’n’b alldayer in the Tramshed today. Thurs 20 Sour Sounds 10pm-3am, £3-£7. Drum’n’bass – another Cardiff debut, from out-of-town promoters who spotted a gap in the local market for this genre – headlined by Subsonic with MC XL. Sat 22 Breathe 10pm-4am, from £5. House and techno with the soulful styles of London’s Frazer Campbell in the headline slot, plus Jack Darwin and LÄUFT beforehand. Thurs 27 Welcome To The Jungle 10pm-3am. Garage, jungle, drum’n’bass and jump-up.

Sat 29 Ascend 10pm, £3.50 adv. House and techno from Madame Twisted, Switch DJs, Aza, Jomah and Easily Led. VALE WAREHOUSE Cambria House, Penarth Road, Cardiff. info@ valewarehouse.com Fri 7 Canopy 2-11pm, £tbc.

Drum’n’bass and breaks from DJ Hype, DJ Hazard, Ed Solo b2b Deekline b2B Serial Killaz, Bou Delta Heavy present: Only In Dreams and host MCs I.D, Daddy Earl, XL, Trafic and Medic. Sat 8 Groove Car Park Summer Series 4-10pm, 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. Seb Zito headlines, more DJs are TBC. THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents. com Fri 14 The Dock Of The Bay Soul Night 7.30pm1am, £6/£5 adv. Hosted by Penarth Soul Club, featuring DJs Shelley Norton, Liam BUZZ 65

Curtin, Wayne Sheppard and Matthew Morgan, and held upstairs in Portland House.

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.

WOW BAR 4 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

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

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

DJ Krys and Chris Army play the tunes until late.

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

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

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

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

Beginners Ballet Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 6.157.30pm, £6. Info 029 2063 5614. Covering key ballet principles including developing core strength, improving posture, basic steps, flexibility and coordination. Hosted by National Dance Company Wales.

Beginners Contemporary Dance Dance House, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30-8.45pm, £6. Info 029 2063 5614. Exploring the basic principles of contemporary dance through a set of exercises. Hosted by National Dance Company Wales.

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.

BUZZ 66

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. 6.309.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx. co.uk. 6.30-8pm: beginners (£3); 8.15-9.30pm: intermediate/ advanced (£5). Drop-in classes.

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

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

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

Singing For Lung Health Bridges Centre, Drybridge House, Monmouth. 11am12pm, £3. Info 03000 555555.

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

Yinyasa Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre.

1.05-1.55pm, £5. Info facebook. com/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

all inspired Dylan’s adventures and travels. On tomorrow also.

Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry.

10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149.

Every first Saturday of the month. uEspadrille Shoe Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am-1.30pm, £30.

Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. Also on Thurs 20. uFind The Face Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Search the galleries to find some hidden characters. On tomorrow also. uHay Festival 2019 Various venues, Hay-On-Wye. 11.30am-11pm. Info 01497 822629. Annual art festival of gloval renown which started a week before the end of May and is on for two more days (on tomorrow also). The full programme is at www.hayfestival.com but I don’t even really have the space to include highlights, sorry!

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.

My Face: Mini Masterpieces National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

From Mon 3-Sat 8 June, several libraries and so-called hubs across Cardiff host the Crime & Coffee Festival, which celebrates crime writing via talks, readings, panels etc. Sat 8 is a multifarious all-day event held at Central Library.

2030 4400. Weekly session featuring a mixture of competitive and co-operative games.

SATURDAY 1 JUNE 3D Paper Sculpture Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2048 4611.

Drop-in sessions with Danielle Sullivan; part of the Urdd Eisteddford programme of events in this area. uCircus Extreme Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3 + 6pm, £13-£37. Info 0845 3451400. “It’s time to awaken your soul and stir the imagination of your family!” My family are perfectly imaginative as it is, thanks. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 5pm. uCoedlan: High Ropes National History Museum, St Fagans. 10.15am-4.30pm, £10.

Info 029 2057 3500. Obstacle course for anyone over six years old and 110cm tall, here until the autumn. (Until Thurs 31 Oct) Craft Fair St Mary’s Church, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk.

Dewch i Ganu National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Join musician Delyth Jenkins and learn Welsh through song. uDylan’s Travels: Family Self-Led Activities Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

Free. Info 01792 463980.

Creative writing activities, puzzles, word searches and crafts

12.30, 1.30 + 2.30pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3600. Create a self-portrait with artist Tom Berry. Book in advance please.

Social Walk: Penllergare Valley Woods Various locations, nr Swansea. 11am, free.

Info 029 2111 1058. Hosted by the Spice social group. uSt Fagans Makers Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am5pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Meet the makers and find out more about their crafts (they’d probably like it you buy something too) as they run workshops and demonstrations. On tomorrow also. uTalk At 4 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. This month concerning the exhibition currently running here, Freya Dooley’s The Song Settles Inside Of The Body It Borrows. Also on Sat 15 and Sat 29.

Urdd National Eisteddfod 2019 Wales Millennium Centre and surrounding area, Cardiff Bay. 7.30am, £13 per day. Info 029 2063 6464. Annual Welsh language-promoting youth festival.

Vintage Kilo Sale Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

10am-6pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144. Designer labels at £15 a kilo.

SUNDAY 2 JUNE Echoing Sound & Weave Course Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, £150 (four sessions). Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop, also on Sun 7 July and Sun 4 Aug. The Friendship Tree Festival Knap Lake & Gardens, Barry. 11.30am, free.

Info 07854 375891. Annual arts festival hosted by Art4U and featuring various musicians, artists and dancers. Confirmed so far: Barry Brass Band, Pukka Productions, Wayne Brennan, Danielle Nicholls Band, Hank Hillman Band, Juliette Bel-Salter, Steve David, Persian Bells dance group, Bel Blue, Andy Johnson, Ben Dain-Smith, Jack Raymond Garrett, Indian Dance Wales, Porthkerry Community Choir and more TBC. Wildlife Walks: Dragonflies National History Museum, St Fagans. 2-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. With the Wildlife Trust Of South & West Wales.

MONDAY 3 JUNE Basket Making Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 10am2.30pm, £60 per two weeks.

Info 01873 811579. With Mary Bunney. Every Monday this month.

Blink In Mirrors: Those Glorious Imperfections Shift, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info shiftcardiff@gmail.com.

Poetry night, tkaing place here on the first Monday of each month. uCrime And Coffee Festival Various libraries and library hubs, Cardiff. £30 full pass/from £3 per event. Info 029 2038 2116. Celebration of crime writing with talks, interviews and panel discussions across multiple events, as follows. Today: Opening event with Mick Finlay, Katherine Stansfield and Derec Jones, Central Library, 12.30pm. Tue 4: Vanessa Savage & Evonne Wareham, Cathays Library, 7pm. Wed 5: Belinda Bauer & Katherine John, Whitchurch Library, 7pm. Thurs 6: Thurs 6th: Geraint Evans (Welsh language session), Grangetown Hub, 7pm. Fri 7: Alison Layland, Gaby Koppel and Jan Newton, Canton Library, 7pm.

Sat 8: crime writing workshop with Sally Spedding, plus author events featuring Gwen Parrott, Alun Davies, Gareth Williams, Geraint Evans, Kate Hamer, Sarah Hilary, Cal Smyth, Leslie Scase, Jasper Fforde, Heidi Perks, BE Jones, Sally Spedding, Amy Lloyd and John Lincoln, Central Library Hub, from 10am. (Until Sat 8) 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.

TUESDAY 4 JUNE uAdult Beginners Sewing Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 1-3pm + 6.8.30pm, £25 per session.

Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. Also on Sun 23.

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. 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 Sun 16, Wed 19, Sun 23 and Sun 30 this month. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free.

Info 029 2057 3600. Discuss authors and books old and new, the theme this month being biographies. Every Tuesday this month. uPiggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £25/£10 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Take a pair of friendly Kune Kune pigs (from New Zealand, look a bit like Ewoks) for a walk, then return to the smallholding for refreshments. Also on Mon 10, Sun 16, Mon 17 and Tue 18 this month.

Printmaking Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 10am1pm, £55 (four weeks). Info 01873 811579. With Rachel Cadman. Every Tuesday this month.

Tea Dance Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2.30pm, £6. Info 0845 2263510. uUplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

12.30-1.30pm, £5/£4. Info 01874 611622. With Tanya Walker. Every Tuesday this month.

WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE uAdult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday this month.

An Audience With Kate Humble Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £19.50/£17.50. Info 01874 611622. In Porthcawl on Fri 7.

Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info 029 2030 4400.

Hula Hoop Class For All Levels Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff. 7-8pm, £7/£6 adv. Info elliecoptor@ hotmail.com. With Elliecoptor Pilott.

Judith Weir Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01873 852960.

Talk by current holder of the position of the Queen’s official composer. If I got this gig I would simply bide my time until Brenda or one of the other big royals died before lifting the nation’s spirits with an unannounced 220bpm gabber stonker.

Reminiscence Monthly Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, free.

Info 029 2034 6214. Come to the museum and share your memories of Cardiff, on the first Wednesday of every month.

Volunteer Week Afternoon Tea Party Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 2-4pm, free.

Info 029 2034 6214. Meet the team, talk to other volunteers and discover how you can get involved.

THURSDAY 6 JUNE Alun Havard The Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £10. Info 01495 355945. Spirit medium.

An Evening With Tony McCarroll The Depot, Cardiff. 6.30-11pm, £5. Info www.depotcardiff.co.uk. A Q&A session with Oasis’ first drummer, who according to the person that sacked him, Noel Gallagher, “never once hit his floor tom”. Or did he?

This event is subtitled ‘THE TRUTH’ so here’s where you may find out.

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 with guests Catherine Fisher and Sheenagh Pugh.

Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, free. Info 01685 722555. In memory of Helen Burke, a poet who was in fact scheduled to be the guest this month. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Aspire Fitness, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 drop-in/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723. Choir, led by Mei Gwynedd, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune.

Also on Thurs 20 this month.

Voices On The Bridge Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm.

Info 01443 491424. Poetry, spoken word and song from Pipers on the Bridge, Dab&Jeff Phelps, Nick McGaughey, Al Jones and more TBC. Words Art Music Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, nr Porth.

7-9pm, free. Info 01443 682024. Words from Rhian Elizabeth, art from Suzanna James and music from Adam Jenkins.

FRIDAY 7 JUNE An Audience With Kate Humble Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £20.50.

Info 01656 815995. 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.

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.

Creativity From Conflict: Past And Present National History Museum, St Fagans.

10.30am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. One-day workshop exploring how soldiers have responded through art, craft and performance to the experience of war. Book in advance please.

Istanbul: A Tale Of Three Cities Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01792 602060. Lecture by Bettany Hughes, part of a Centenary Lecture Series. See Upfront for an interview.

SATURDAY 8 JUNE Abseil Fundraiser & Family Fun Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £25 deposit to register.

Info 029 2063 6464. Scoot down the side of this building for charity, having paid the deposit and raised £200 or more.

Four Seasons Market Clydach Community Hall.

10am-2pm, free. Info dawn@ abertawe.co.uk.

Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea.

10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ ntlworld.com. Second Saturday of every month.

Gavin & Stacey Style Barn Dance Paget Rooms, Penarth.

7.30pm, £15/£7.50. Info 029 2070 0721. In aid of Velindre Cancer Care.

Maesteg Hospital 56th Annual Hospital Fete Maesteg Market Square.

10am-3pm, free/£15 to set up a table. Info michaelfbanks@ gmail.com.

Man Vs Horse Llanwyrtd Wells, Powys. Free to spectate.

Info 01591 610666. Annual event, organised by Green Events, with some cult appeal.

Men on foot race against men on horses, on hooves. If man beats horse this year, the man in question will win £3,000.

Also it’s now sponsored by a brand of peanut butter which you can buy in hippy shops.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month. uShear A Sheep Experience Crai, Brecon Beacons National Park. £45.

Info 01874 749092. An hourlong hands-on session learning the basics of shearing with friendly informal tuition. A Good Day Out event. Also on Sat 22 this month.

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.

Vintage & Makers Market National Wool Museum, Drefach Felindre. 11am-3pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3600.

Well-Being Festival National Museum Cardiff.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Relating in some way to the David Nash exhibition currently showing here, this promises “a range of activities from mindfulness to martial arts, drawing classes to downward dog.” That last one is probably not what it sounds like.

Ynyswen Craft Show Ynyswen Welfare Hall, Treorchy. 9am-4.30pm, £5 to set up a table. Info 01443 520299.

SUNDAY 9 JUNE Barry Island Transport Festival Nell’s Point car park, Barry Island. 10am-4pm, free.

Info www.valeofglamorgan. gov.uk. Featuring classic cars from 1915 to 2005 and heritage buses from 1949 to 1998.

Marina Market National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food.

Summer Fayre St Donat’s Castle, Vale Of Glamorgan.

10.30am-6pm, £2/£8 inc parking. Info 01446 799100.

BEYOND THE BORDER Various locations Info: www.beyondtheborder.com The only international storytelling festival in Wales, Beyond The Border, is to return in its standard form next year, but is popping up with a variety of events this month. From Mon 17 June, BTB will host the collaborative project Roots & Roads [pictured] upon the three-masted schooner ship Adventure Wales, embarking on a voyage along the south Wales coast that culminates with a performance in Cardiff Bay’s Norwegian Church Arts Centre on Fri 21, featuring Sweden’s Johan Theodorssen, Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi from Italy and Welshmen Steve Killick and David Ambrose (tickets £10/£8). The following week, on Thurs 27 June, BTB will put on a free hour of storytelling in Swansea’s National Waterfront Museum, as part of the Storytelling In Health Conference.

Featuring over 50 food, drink and craft stalls, plus live performance and kids’ activities.

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.

MONDAY 10 JUNE 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; June’s topic is TBC at present.

TUESDAY 11 JUNE uArt Babas Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10.3011.30am, free. Info 01792 516900. Relaxed sensory craft session for parents/carers and children from six months to three years. Book in advance please. Also on Tue 25.

From Impressionism To Blast: The Emergence Of Modernism On The Eve Of The First World War Queens Hall, Narberth. 11am.

Info 01834 869323. Lecture by Rosamund Bartlett with the West Wales Decorative & Fine Arts Society.

The Punch And Judy Show Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2.30pm, £8. Info 01874 611622.

Arts Society Brecknock lecture about the pugilistic, problematic puppet pair, by Bertie Pearce.

WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE Beginners Bike Maintenance Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm, £11. Info hannah@ greencityevents.co.uk. Hosted

by Green City.

Nataly Churchill Redhouse,

Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01685 384111. Spirit medium.

Scandinavian Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks. uScriveners Writers’ Group The Badminton Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info 01495 309863 / burningcanary@ aol.com. Also on Wed 26 this month.

Simon Weston OBE Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 0845 2263510. See Upfront.

THURSDAY 13 JUNE Arts Society Cardiff Lecture Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400. Mark Spencer on ‘The Herbarium Of Carl Linnaeus And The Linnean Society Of London’.

Craft Night M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6-8.30pm, free. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Lark Design Make drop-in workshop.

Dye Garden Walk, Talk & Afternoon Tea National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre.

2pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Japanese Language Meetup Group The Philharmonic, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info meetup.com. Every three weeks.

Ten Stories High Beelzebub’s, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk.

Spoken word meets comedy type night hosted by Dan Mitchell.

FRIDAY 14 JUNE Lipstick & Lip Balm Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. £25. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.

com. Lark Design Make craft workshop. uThe Big Weekend Various venues, Ystradgynlais. Info 01639 843163. Three-day event presented by Discover Ystradgynlais and promising “world-class music and outdoor performances around the festival site”. This evening features live band Soul Lotta Funk in a venue TBC; Sat 15 includes a grand parade through the town, entertainment at The Gorsedd Park, and stalls and a funfair at The Welfare. Sun 16 includes a Gala Prom at St Cynog’s Church, with performances from Shan Cothi, Trystan Llyr Griffiths and the Lucy J Morgan Ensemble, plus director Alwyn Humphries. (Until Sun 16) 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 28 this month.

SATURDAY 15 JUNE Art About Town: Bridgend Wartime Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-5pm, pay what yuu can. Info 01656 815757.

Art workshops with Claire Hiett. Followup ones are on Sat 22 and Sat 29 this month.

Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm.

Info 01495 753782. Every third Saturday of the month.

Collage Masterclass Small World Theatre, Cardigan.

11am-4.30pm, £28. Info 01239 615952. Create a surrealist collage work in one day, under the tutelage of Miss Mitten.

Conversations With Nick Cave Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm,

from £30. Info 029 2063 6464.

Talking about Nick Cavey stuff and doing a few songs on the piano. This sold out mad quick.

Craft Fair Community Hall, Neath. 10am-4pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk. uCwmbran Pop-Up Craft Market Clydach Community Hall. £10 to set up a table. Info cwmbran@groupegeraud. co.uk. Also on Sat 29.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa & Frederica Von Stade Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 11am, £12. Info 029 2039 1391.

Conversation between two esteemed opera singers.

Dirty Vegan Supper Club The Depot, Cardiff. 6-11pm, £45. Info www.depotcardiff. co.uk. Hosted by Matt Pritchard and featuring five courses of reasonably interesting sounding vegan food.

Driftwood Weaving Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611.

Explore basic weave techniques without a conventional loom. With Laura Thomas.

Drovers Walk Llanwyrtd Wells, Powys. £2 to enter on the day/free to spectate. Info 01591 610666. Green Events host a walk of 10, 15 or 25 miles through the countryside across the old drovers’ trails.

Family Fun Day Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

10.30am-4pm, free (suggested donation £3). Info 01792 516900. Arts and crafts. uFleece 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.

Gwyn Y Fach Fro Eastern BUZZ 67

ROOTS UNEARTHED JUNE 2019 Since they began, the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards have included the Horizon Award, presented to the best emerging artist or artists on the scene during the award year that have debuted, made a significant increase in their popularity or made a special impression in the previous 12 months.

The winners of the award reads like a who’s who of the current folk scene, with the likes of Cara Dillon, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart, Spiers & Boden, Jackie Oates and Jim Moray all receiving the accolade.

In 2013 the Award went to singer-songwriter Blair Dunlop, and although he arguably hasn’t achieved the recognition of some of the other winners, he’s quietly established himself as one of the finest songwriters and musicians of his generation. In 2011, aged 19, Blair had taken over the running of Albion Band from his father Ashley Hutchings, but soon stepped down to concentrate on his solo career releasing his debut album Blight And Blossom in 2012.

Winning plaudits from critics and public alike, it marked the arrival of an exceptional guitarist, singer and songwriter whose writing was described as “mature beyond his years”.

Two further releases, 2014’s House Of Jacks and 2016’s Gilded, continued to see his star in the ascendant, with his traditionally inspired compositions drawing comparisons to Richard Thompson among others.

Blair’s fourth and most recent album Notes From An Island, a more introspective collection than previously, has been hailed as his best ever, Folk Radio UK calling it “intelligent” and “deeply thoughtful.” With 12 songs covering themes of love gone right and wrong, together with astute socio-political commentaries inspired by the chaos of the modern world – all underpinned by some superb guitar playing – it’s been likened by some to the work of Jackson Browne. High praise indeed for a musician still in his twenties and one who’s almost certainly going to achieve the wider recognition he so obviously deserves, as you can discover when he plays an intimate solo gig at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on Tue 4 June.

BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: Gordon Giltrap Superlative guitar playing.

Acapela Studios, Pentyrch, Cardiff (Sun 9) Gower Folk Festival Edgelarks, Alaw, The Eelgrinders and more.

Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea (Fri 14-Sun 16) Jamie Smith’s Mabon Folk music of the Inter-Celtic, accordion-driven, dance-friendly variety. Criccieth Festival, Criccieth Memorial Hall (Sat 15)

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

BUZZ 68

Shelter, Barry Island. 11am7pm, free. Info www. valeofglamorgan.gov.uk. Welsh festival with music and singing from local Welsh schools. uJoust! Cardiff Castle.

10am-5pm, £6-£10/free under5s. Info 029 2087 8100. Annual event showcasing the ancient sport of getting on a horse and running at another guy on a horse with a big pointy stick.

On tomorrow also. uKitchen Table Printmaking Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, £75 (two sessions). Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop with Karen Teal. On tomorrow also.

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. Also on Sat 29 this month.

Polo At The Manor Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 11.30am8pm, from £20. Info 01633 413737.

Saturday Family Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am-1pm, free (suggested donation £3).

Info 01792 516900.

Social 5 Mile Walk: Gower Peninsula Various locations, Gower, Swansea. 11am, free.

Info 029 2111 1058. Hosted by the Spice social group and taking in Caswell Bay,Brandy Cove and Pwlidu Bay. uSt Fagans Craft Weekend National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am4pm. Info 029 2057 3500.

Featuring mini masterclasses (£20 a throw) and drop-in family-friendly activity sessions (£5 or less). On tomorrow also.

The Peterloo Massacre National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3600. A talk by Jeff Childs about this early 19th century act of brutality in Manchester, which inadvertently caused the Guardian to come into being and has been retrospectively condemned accordingly.

Tribe Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 2-4.30pm, £3. Info 01873 811579. Monthly workshop for young artists (age 7-11) and their families.

Vintage Kilo Sale YMCA, Swansea. 10am-4pm, £3/£1.50 after 12. Info 01792 652032.

Designer labels at, again, £15 a kilo.

Wartime Bridgend Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-4pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

Interactive stalls, demonstrations, re-enactments and exhibitions relating to WWII. Young Makers Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, free. Info 01792 516900. will Exploring different art media including animation, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, drawing and painting.

Young Roots Crossing Boundaries Finale National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

11.30am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Music and dance performances plus a Q&A with the young people behind this project.

SUNDAY 16 JUNE Cardiff Raft Race Llandaff Rowing Club, Cardiff (starting point). 10.30am, £50 to enter a team/free to spectate. Info

info@cityhospice.org.uk. A City Hospice event.

Father’s Day Feastival Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon. 11am-4pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3650. Including food, drink and craft stalls, free family activities, live music and food demonstrations.

Pontcanna Plant Fair Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Rare and unusual plants and flowers. Also here on Sun 15 Sept.

The Eat Happy Course Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff.

10am-3pm, £55. Info 07830 381930. “Meet like minded people in a friendly environment where you will learn the Eat Happy Method so that you can find that happy balance with food that you’ve always wanted.”

TUESDAY 18 JUNE uLife Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Also on Sat 29.

RNIB Art Group Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900.

Gamecube, specifically).

Royal Institution Of South Wales Summer Strawberry Afternoon Tea Swansea Museum. 2pm, £6.

Info 01792 653763.

Say Goodbye To Stress Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff.

7.30-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2116 7920. Public Talk with Gen Kelsang Chokyong.

Wales Book Of The Year Awards Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 6pm, £5-£7.50. Info 01970 623232.

FRIDAY 21 JUNE Dementia Friendly Underground Tours Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon. Free. Info 029 2057 3650. Also on Mon 15 July.

Book in advance please.

Stories From The Ship Of Fools – Roots And Roads Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2087 7959.

Beyond The Border storytelling evening, which arrives here by boat, having sailed around the coast over the last four days. Features Johan Theodorssen (Sweden), Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi (Italy);

Kellys Records, a second-hand music emporium in Cardiff Market, is 50 years old this month. They’re having a party in the shop on Sat 29 June, featuring DJ sets from Don Leisure, Vito and Carly.

Tutor-led class for people with visual impairments.

The Collective Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 01873 853613.

Poetry session with Mike Jenkins, Chris Norris & Jonathan Richards..

The Pleasures And Benefits Of Music Therapy The Muse, Brecon. 7pm. Info themusebrecon@hotmail.com.

Talk by Andy Evans, hosted by Friends Of Brecon And District MIND. WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE Quiz For A Cause The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £35. Info 029 2048 3344. Raising money for Roath Library.

THURSDAY 20 JUNE BBC Radio 4 Bookclub: Owen Sheers & James Naughtie Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 5.45-7.30pm.

Info 01792 463980. Recording of a programme in which authors discuss their best known book (natch).

Book Club The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344.

Third Tuesday of every month.

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

and Steve Killick and David Ambrose (Wales).

SATURDAY 22 JUNE Art About Town: Response To Bridgend College Exhibition Carnegie House, Bridgend. 11am-12.30pm, pay what yuu can. Info 01656 815757. Art workshops with Claire Hiett. Followup ones are on Sat 22 and Sat 29 this month.

Cardiff Festival Of Wellbeing City Hall, Cardiff.

10.30am-5pm, £6/£5 adv. Info visionforliving.co.uk. Vegan and vegetarian food, lectures, workshops, music and demonstrations. uCardiff Mini Film Festival The Big Top, Cardiff.

Info 029 2022 8883. Not much info on this sorry, on tomrorow also however.

Community Photography Day Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, nr Porth. 11am-4pm, free. Info 01443 682024. Drop-in event where one can help this gallery record its local community.

Eats And Beats Street Food Festival City Hospice, Cardiff. 2-10pm, free. Info info@cityhospice.org.uk. A City Hospice event featuring food stalls/trucks from various popular local vendors as well as other family activities.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Howells School Sports Hall, Llandaff, Cardiff. 11am12.30pm, £1.50/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items.

Merthyr Street Chilli Fest Penderyn Square, Merthyr

Tydfil. 10am-5pm, free. Info 01685 726272. Sauces, plants and other merch for sale, plus a chilli eating contest at 3pm.

Miloga Del Barrio The Gate, Cardiff. 3-8pm, £12. Info 029 2048 3344. Tango dance in the cafe bar.

Nos Da Da The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509. Music, spoken word, film, graphics and costume “in the dadasurrealism tradition” according to the venue. Could mean anything really... and that’s the point! Kinda.

Open Screen Night: Solstice Special Small World Theatre, Cardigan.

7pm, free. Info 01239 615952.

Submit and/or watch short films of 15 minutes or less, submitted on DVD or as an MP4.

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.

Snakes Alive! National Museum Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Opening event of the Snakes! exhibition (see Art), featuring face painting, crafts and some IRL snakes you can touch, stroke, caress etc.

St Fagans Real Food Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

With Riverside Real Food. uThe Great British Food Festival Margam Park, nr Port Talbot. 10am-5pm, £5-£9.

Info 01639 881635. Featuring food and drink producers, there will be headline chef demos, foodie talks, live music and a ‘Cake Off’. On tomorrow also.

The Museum Of Cardiff Great Get Together St John’s Churchyard Garden, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am3pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214.

Activities all day including music, craft, colouring and trails, hosted by Cardiff Story (where it’ll take place in the event of bad weather).

SUNDAY 23 JUNE Exposure Wrestling New Lodge, Gorseinon, nr Swansea.

6pm, £10 adv/£8 kids. Info www.exposurewrestling.com.

Featuring wrestlers Lucky Bowden, Bully Jay, Casey Wild and more.

Social 5 Mile Walk: Nash Point Various locations, Monknash, Vale Of Glamorgan.

12pm, free. Info 029 2111 1058. Hosted by the Spice social group.

Swansea Half Marathon Brangwyn Hall, Swansea (starting point). 10am, £40 to register/free to spectate. Info 01792 277310. Lots of nice coastal views on the route, apparently.

MONDAY 24 JUNE Macramé Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

1-3pm + 6.8.30pm, £25 per session. Info larkdesignmake@gmail. com. Make a plant hanger in this Lark Design Make craft workshop.

TUESDAY 25 JUNE 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.

Life Writing Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 2-4pm, £45. Info 01873 811579. With Renée Stanton. Every Tuesday until 16 July.

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE Oriel Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

THURSDAY 27 JUNE Comic Art Masterclass Neath Community Centre.

5pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677.

Neath Comedy Festival event with the Beano’s Kev F Sutherland. uIan McKellen On Stage New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£70. Info 029 2087 8889.

Talking and acting in this solo show from Brit-thesp of renown. On tomorrow also, but both dates are sold out.

Lyrical Miracles NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Spoken word.

Taith Iaith National Museum Cardiff. 12.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Welsh learners’ activity session.

The Beast In Me – Stories Of Transformation National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

7pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Storytelling evening hosted by Daniel Morden.

FRIDAY 28 JUNE uAbergavenny Arts Festival Various venues, Abergavenny. Prices vary per event. Info abergavennyartsfestival.com. Aiming to “celebrate the arts in their broadest sense [and] showcase amateur and professional artists from the vibrant local arts scene as well as inviting some exciting artists and art practitioners from further afield”. This kicks off at 7pm tonight with a Celebratory Summer Supper at The Chapel and continues with events in the Melville Centre, The Wool Croft, The Art Shop, Pen-Y-Pound, Tithe Barn, Angel Hotel, the Trading Post Cafe, Frogtmore Street, Castle Street, Abergavenny Castle, Scout Hall, 20 Monk Street and Martin’s Framing & Gallery. Go to the festival website for full details. (Until Sun 30) uGwyl Fawr Aberteifi 2019: Eisteddfod Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 5pm, £6/£3 kids. Info 01239 621200.

Music/choir/dance competititions. On tomorrow also, at 1pm and 6pm (£8/£4 kids 6pm).

Rhian Davies Drwm, National Library Of Wales, Aberystwyth / Senior Common Room, Gregynog. 1 + 6pm, free. Info 01686 207100. Gwyl Gregynog Festival lecture, titled Walford And Wales, that considers Walford Davies’s ambition to further the expression of Welsh nationality in music. In Aberystwyth in the afternoon; Gregynog in the evening.

uThe Gin & Rum Festival Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £12 adv per session.

Info 029 2048 7602. Featuring over 60 brands of each beverage, on sale for a fiver each inc. mixer. Plsu live entertainment, talks and some free tat.

On tomorrow also, from 12.305pm and 6.30-11pm.

SATURDAY 29 JUNE uA Medieval Weekend Caerphilly Castle. 10am-5pm, £5.30-£8.90/free members, disabled people and their companions. Info 0300 0256000.

Archery, sword demos etc. On tomorrow also.

Andy Stanton The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

5-7pm, £6.50 adv. Info 01685 387925. Kids’ author talks about his craft.

Art About Town: Creating An Exhibition Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-1pm, pay what yuu can. Info 01656 815757.

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. uBeats, Eats And Treats Various locations, Barry Island. 11am-7pm, free. Info www.valeofglamorgan.gov. uk. Live music, walkabout entertainment, cookery demonstrations, a bar, a farmers’ market and art and craft stalls.

Located on the promenade and surrounding areas overlooking Whitmore Bay. On tomorrow also.

Bingo Lingo The Neon, Newport. 6pm, £1-£7. Info 01633 533666.

Craig Owen Senior Common Room, Gregynog. 4pm, £5/free under-18s. Info 01686 207100.

Gwyl Gregynog Festival lecture titled “David Davies And The Temple Of Peace”, which refers to the Cardiff building created at the behest of early 20th century politician and philanthropist Davies (no relation to the latterday foul Tory bigot of the same name).

Dr Jan Ruzika Senior Common Room, Gregynog.

2.30pm, £5/free under-18s.

Info 01686 207100. Gwyl Gregynog Festival lecture titled “Considering all the peoples of the world as one: David Davies and international politics”.

Kellys Records 50th Anniversary Celebration Kellys Records, Cardiff. 10am, free. Info 029 2037 7355.

Second hand record shop, located upstairs in Cardiff Market, has been going for half a century which is pretty impressive. As well as DJ sets from Don Leisure, Veto and Carly there’ll be cake and unspecified giveaways, plus a general jolly atmosphere I’m sure.

Life Drawing Peak, The Old School, Crickhowell. 10am3pm, £25. Info 01873 811579.

With Tony Tribe. Also on Sat 27 July and Sat 24 Aug. Made It Market St David’s Church, Neath. 10am-3pm, from £15 to set up a stall. Info 07971 242730. Quarterly craft and produce fair.

Ponty Needs You Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 10am. Info

01443 491424. Hands-on workshops, skill swaps and discussion re: reducing waste, sustainability etc.

Rembrandt: Light, Love And Darkness The Drill Hall, Chepstow. 10.30am-3.30pm, £30. Info 01291 625981. An indepth study day exploring the development of Rembrandt’s painting and life. Limited to 12 places so book in advance please.

Sheep Trekking Crai, Brecon Beacons National Park. £35/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Take a sheep for a walk on a lead in a 200-acre organic farm. A Good Day Out event.

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.

Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

10am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Workshop for 8-11-year-olds, hosted by Emily Vanderploeg.

SUNDAY 30 JUNE HA History Taster Day National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Find out about researching history with the Swansea branch of the Historical Association.

Meet The Objects: The Princes Of Wales National History Museum, St Fagans.

11.30am, 1pm + 2.30pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3500. Learn more about the objects relating to Welsh princes past and present, to mark the 50th anniversary of the investiture of the current one. It would be very rude to tweet at the museum calling them bootlickers for doing this as they are just trying to be objectively educational.

Moya O’Dwyer Inkspot, Cardiff. 7.30-9pm, £5/$3 adv. Info 029 2049 0254.

Clayvoyant/medium presented

by U&I Radio.

Pontcanna Brocante Kings Road Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, free. Info 07773 348655. Vintage flea market, every last Sunday of the month until October.

live SATURDAY 1 JUNE Alffa + The Echo and The Always + Cactus Haus The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7.30pm, £3 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Boogie Wonderland Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01792 475715. Disco tribute show.

Dai Thomas The Pheasant, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 653614. uFire In The Mountain 2019 Cwmnewidion Isaf, Cnwch Coch, Aberystwyth.

12pm, £135 weekend/£55 teens/£40 2-12-year-olds/£5 under-2s. Info www. fireinthemountain.co.uk. The return of this purposely smallscale festival on a folk, blue-

grass etc tip, and emphasises jam sessions, workshops etc.

Lineup (schedule TBC): Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Chance McCoy, Ye Vagabonds, The Po’ Boys Cajun Band, Côr Meibion Machynlleth, Fishclaw, Whiskey Moonface, Ichi, Rachael Dadd, Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip, The True Strays, Truckstop Honeymoon, Diddly Squat, Cynefin, Interstate Express Band, The Firecrackers, Nick Hart, The Odd Folk, Cable Street Rag, The Gin Bowlers, Carreg Bica, Cut A Shine Barn Dance Band, Luke & Lisa, Remix Reeling, Solana, James Patrick Gavin, Hardwicke Circus, The Yellow Belly Stragglers, The Old Time Wasters, The Drystones, Johnnie Glaz String Band, Tree And Wood, Big Chimney Barn Dance, Alabaster dePlume, Noemie Ducimetiere, Junior Bill, The Hicksters, Joe And Jolene, Juju & Heg, Boogaloo String Band and The Mermerings. Began on Fri 31 May and on tomorrow also.

I Am Drug + Head Noise + Nigel Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07970 063107.

Iron Altar + Smithgrind + Excursia Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com. uJon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Funk and Latin tunes, also on Sat 15, Sat 22 and Sat 29 this month.

Julie Murphy + Cerreg Bica Bluestone Brewing Company, Newport, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 820833. Two Welsh folk acts.

Let’s Rock Wales Tredegar Park, Newport. 11am, £42 adv.

Info letsrockwales.com. A full day of 80s pop relics: Billy Ocean, Tony Hadley, Go West, Nick Heyward, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, Jason Donovan, Heaven 17, From The Jam, The Real Thing, Altered Images, Toyah, Brother Beyond, Belouis Some, Owen Paul, Jennie ‘Belle Star’ Matthias, Musical Youth, Westworld and Black Lace’s Conga Party.

Lewis Leighton The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow.

Lisa Jenkins The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Mobina Galore + Hora Douse + Question The Mark + Not Since The Accident + Human Heat Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2039 9557.

Punkish bands presented by Team Beard, who say this is their last show ever in fact.

More Human Than Human + Throwing Knives + Project + Sink Pisser + One Mark And A Frank The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

6pm. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Fifth birthday gig for this venue.

Nerys & The Soul Traders Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd.

8.30pm, £3. Info 01443 491424.

Classic soul covers. In Barry on Sat 15. *Neurotic Fiction + Disjoy + The Nicoteens

The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

6-11pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Punk, goth and powerpop followed by a karaoke session. Will any pissed up audience members be requesting to do Chas & Dave’s seminal Ossie’s Dream? Impossible to say at this stage.

Pig + The Crabtree Sisters NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Quodega: Repetition Is Good Shift, Cardiff. 12-8pm, free. Info shiftcardiff@gmail. com. This is described as a “physically explorable soundscape” and as such may not be live music in the sense of most other things listed here, however it is based on music from the new album by Quodega, aka Tom Raybould, and sounds generally interesting as a gambit.

Rachel B The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Rocket Joe Joe & The Old Time Bangers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Roxy Magic Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Roxy Music tribute band.

Saxonized The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm, £7/£6 adv.

Info 01495 213300. Saxon tribute band, although I feel that stout-hearted Brits like Biff Byford and co would have preferred the name to be spelled ‘Saxonised’.

Shalamar Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £28.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. American soul stalwarts.

Soul Stripper Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Bon-era AC/ DC tribute.

The Curveballs Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599. Rockabilly.

The Drifters Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £28.50.

Info 029 2022 4488.

The Italics Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

The Oasis Experience Ebbw Vale Institute. 7pm, £11 adv. Info 01495 708022. Tribute band.

The Soul Miners Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Tony Breen Band The Roath Park, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2047 1961.

Americana group.

Vale Voices National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

2pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Barry-based community choir.

Viva Neil Diamond Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £15.50. Info 01495 227206.

Tribute show.

Wrong Jovi Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 01685 879491. Bon Jovi tribute.

SUNDAY 2 JUNE Afternoon Tea 3 Dolman Theatre, Newport. 2.30pm, £10. Info 01633 263670. Hits from the 1950s presented in cabaret form to accompany sandwiches etc. *David Terry + Möbius + Deep Hum The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Fantastic ambient lushness,

the two top-billed acts coming down from Newcasatle. David Terry is also in the band Bong.

Lesson No.1 present. uFrankie Wesson Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 8pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month.

Ithica + Leeched + Creature Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107. Headliners are on the Holy Roar label and do a bombastic Converge type thing.

Lewis Leighton Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Megan McKenna The Globe, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £13.50 adv/£40 VIP. Info 07590 471888. Reality TV ever-present who has latterly pivoted into a country music singing career, or possibly hobby.

My Darling Clementine Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Country-rock duo featuirng Michael Weston King.

Open Mic with Dave Kenwrick The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. uSteve Tarner Jazz Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 2pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month.

The Albion Quartet Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, £7.50£15. Info 029 2039 1391.

The Great Unknown The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2070 8675.

The James Oliver Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £10. Info 029 2062 6015. Original Thin Lizzy member.

MONDAY 3 JUNE Bad Joker’s Cream The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm.

Info 01443 841133.

Eric Bell Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015. Original Thin Lizzy guitarist who also played in Bo Diddley’s band. Them’s some bona fides! uJazz Night Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Here every Monday.

Strange Bones The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

The Government + Motel Thieves + Tiger Bay The Hyst, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv.

Info 01792 654366. uWindow Sessions 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 8pm, free Info 029 2022 8883. New acoustic night, hosted by Tomos Lewis and on every Monday.

TUESDAY 4 JUNE Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Blair Dunlop St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£15.

Info 029 2087 8444. Roots Unearthed gig.

Concerts And Cakes The Riverfront, Newport. 2pm, £6.

Info 01633 656757. uOpen Jam Session NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by Pi & Hash, every Tuesday this

J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R J U LY: S H E L L E YA N N ( T h e G l o b e , C a r d i f f , S u n 7 ) G R O OV E A R M A DA ( C a e r p h i l l y C a s t l e , S u n 1 4 ) S A R A C OX ( C a r d i f f C a s t l e , S u n 1 4 ) J O N AT H A N W I L S O N ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , We d 1 7 ) U N I F O R M ( T h e M o o n , C a r d i f f , We d 2 4 ) BUZZ 69

* – recommended month. uRoyal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Student Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz. Today features sets from Ollie Wyatt & Friends and the Peter Johnson Band. Also here on Wed 19, lineup TBC. The Preservation Rhythm Kings Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE uBella Collins Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 19.

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. Elkie Brooks St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £32.50/£28.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. UK blues/ rock veteran.

Fioled + Lunar Bird + Telgate Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. A Forte Project gig.

High Society Orchestra with Alicia Hooper Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig, on every Wednesday.

Ian Stoutzker Prize: Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £6-£12.

Info 029 2039 1391. A vocal competition with Bernice Chitiul, Huw Evans, Rachel Goode and Osian Bowen.

Jayne Williams & Friends Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Joe Shrimpling Music Night Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Two sets hosted by jazz guitarist Shrimpling.

Magnum Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 0300 0040444. Hard rockers.

Mr Marcaille + Doghouse + Space Otter The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Strange Frequencies with a gig headlined by a Frenchman with the niche setup of death metal cello.

Nick Lowe’s Quality Rock & Roll Revue Staring Los Straitjackets The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £30 adv. Info 07590 471888. New wave, pub rock, adult pop fella with a backing band who wear lucha libre masks, at least in their publicity photo.

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 Brad Dickenson. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Every Tuesday.

Richard Durrant Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm,

£12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Folk/classical guitarist.

Sarah Meek with Dave Cottle Trio The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

The Jukebox Romantics + Triple Sundae Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm. Info sam@lepub.co.uk. Punk rock band from New York state headline.

THURSDAY 6 JUNE BBC NOW: Shotakovich Piano Concerto No.2 St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5-£41. Info 029 2087 8444. Conducted by Mark Wigglesworth and also featuring Mahler’s Symphony No.1 Coldbones + Delaire, The Liar The Big Top, Cardiff.

7pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Presented by Beers Over Tears.

Iwan Huws + Georgia Ruth Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £7. Info 01970 623232. Two Welsh folk musicians. Huws, from the band Cowbois Rhos Bottwnog, will also be reading some poetry; Ruth is also here on Sat 8.

Hackensack Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, from £5. Info 029 2038 7026. New jazz musicians’ showcase.

High Visions + Who Saves The Hero? + Asbestøs + Harbour Way The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Monthly singalong around the piano.

Mad About The Musicals Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £23.10. Info 01639 763214. If you’re so mad about them why are you singing a load of their songs live on stage?

Merithian + Greywall + Led By Lies + Sydney Fate Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7pm, £4. Info 07970 063107.

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. June’s is Thoby Davis.

Pete Harris & Mick Ryan Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

Pip Blom Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £9. Info 029 2023 2199.

Richard Durrant Bethesda Chapel, Narberth. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01834 869323.

Guitar recital.

Rick Shea Butterfly Collector, Barry. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 07561 143114. Roots N All gig featuring folk-rock sort, held in newish micropub.

Snowpoet Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Amser Jazz Festival event. See Music for more on that.

The Italics The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

The Pearl Harts + Bute + All Dead, All Dead + String Theory The Moon,

Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

FRIDAY 7 JUNE 9xDead + Dominic Nation & The Dirty Dead + Bloody Frights Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Goth bands. uAscension 2019 The Patriot, Crumlin. 6pm, free.

Info 01495 247178. Rock and metal weekender promoted

by Down The Front Media.

Today’s lineup: Vella, Pearler, Tribeless, Gun Runners and Metasoma. Sat 8: Psychobabylon, Crimson Star, Witch Tripper, The Nile Deltas, Slater, Stonewire, These Wicked Rivers, Steal The City, Mouth In The South, The Stoned Crows and Ethyrfield.

Sun 9: Soldato, Dead At 27, Trident Waters, Fear Without Reason, White Raven Down, Blackballed, Static Fires, The Big Dirty and Chaosaroma.

(Until Sun 9) BBC NOW: Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.2 Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

7.30pm, £15-£22. Info 01792 475715. Marc Wigglesworth conducts a programme of the aforementioned concerto plus Mahler’s Symphony No 1 in D Major.

Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band The Globe, Cardiff.

from Paul Young and band.

Sold out *Lower Slaughter + Nyet Klub + Die! Chihuahua Die! + Kate Wood The Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Second Cardiff appearance for the great and rocking Lower Slaughter, promoted by Cosmic Carnage, Lesson No.1 and the Moon itself. Nyet Klub is the new band name for Jemma Roper, also.

Mangata City Arms, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Manoeuvres Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark tribute band.

Mike Gulston & Blanche Rowen St Fagans Village Hall.

7.30pm, £8/£6/£4 kids/free under-12s. Info 029 2023 2970.

Playing the Pentreffest Noz folk night.

Milk Semi Skimmed The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. This is local hard rock band The Biggest Thing since Powdered Milk, playing unplugged Off The Record The Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194.

Open Night Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 8pm, £3. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club

Swansea’s Elysium Gallery hosts some live electronic music on Sat 8 June, acts including Welsh Modular Alliance and Carmarthenshire’s intense techno veterans Somatic Responses.

7.30pm, £13.50 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Bruce Anderson The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge.

9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Chris Kelly Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Fighting With Giants + Foreigner’s Son + Not To Fall Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £6. Info 07970 063107.

Hannah Grace Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Amser Jazz Festival gig.

Imperial Wax + Gindrinker Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50. Info 029 2023 2199. This is the band featuring the lineup of The Fall at the time when Mark E Smith died, indeed they are named in reference to one of their latterday (ish) albums.

They write their own songs rather than being a Fall covers band, though, as that would be a bit tacky.

Juicy Lu & The Sherbet Pips District Club, Pontypridd.

9pm, free. Info 01443 402550.

Los Pacaminos Clarence Hall, Crickhowell. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com. TexMex in sexy kex (possibly)

night.

Peter Karrie The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7pm, £10. Info 01639 843163. Fundraising concert for the Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary, with big Pete aided by pupils of Ysgol Bro Tawe.

Smile At Strangers + King Kraken Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

“A five piece rock band from Swansea located in the South Of Wales UK,” according to the Facebook event page for this gig. Not sure who they imagine will need such specific info in order to attend.

Soul In Motion Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01600 772467. Soul covers band.

Sumo Cyco + I Digress + Levianth The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £11 adv.

Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Headliners are playing Download next weekend.

Sydney Fate The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm. Info 01443 841133.

The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Rod Stewart Songbook Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £16/£15. Info

u – repeated

01633 868239. Tribute show.

The Shires De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 7.30pm, £30 adv. Info 01834 218228.

Acoustic gig for country-pop faves in smaller-than-normal venue, as such sold out in advance.

The Skiptones Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Vox Clever + Lee Gilbert Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 0300 0040444.

Vocal harmony group headline.

Woody Mann The Angel Inn, Llandeilo. 7.30pm. Info info@llandeiloacoustic.com. A Llandeilo Acoustic Club night.

SATURDAY 8 JUNE A Tribute To Ariana And Jojo Grand Theatre, Swansea.

6pm, £17. Info 01792 475715.

That’s Ariana Grande and Jojo Siwa, the latter of whom I had to look up because I am neither a child or the creator of one.

Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses South Wales Grand Final Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 5-11pm, £10/£8 adv.

Info 07970 063107. Featuring King Kraken, Sepulchre, Blind Divide, Fallen Temples, Levitas and In Which It Burns. Winner gets to play at Bloodstock Festival.

Bowie Pin Ups Night The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

7pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Musicians including Vinna Bee, Adrian Skeleton, Dave Kenwrick and Ed Granite cover Bowie songs.

Claire Taylor Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Dog Of Two Head The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925. Status Quo tribute band with a good name. Maybe they took it primarily from the Quo-branded ale of that name however. *Electric Soup #10 Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 5-10.45pm, £15/£10 adv. Info 029 2037 3144.

Previewed in last issue’s Clubs section, this is a day of mostly live electronic music, headlined by Kayla Painter and also featuring Private World, Jaxson Payne, Tara Clerkin Trio, Lecu and Massa Circles.

Extinction Rebellion Fundraiser Creature Sound, Swansea. 8pm, pay by donation. Info 01792 301178.

Featuring Omnichron, The Uptown Portrayer and DJs Radical and Dub Menace.

Georgia Ruth + Toby Hay + Gareth Bonello Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232. uGower Jazz Festival Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 12pm, £32/£30 (weekend)/£11/£10 Sat afternoon, Sat evening or Sun only.

Info 01792 371206. First jazz two-dayer here. This is the lineup (chronological order).

Today: Steve Williams Trio, Tom Langshaw Trio, Afternoon In Paris and Groucho Club (afternoon); Alan Barnes workshop, Alan Barnes Quartet and the Li Harding / Gary Phillips Band (evening). Sun 9 (12.15-4.30pm):

Constellation Big Band, Sarah Meek / Guy Shotton Quartet and Guardalavaca De Cuba.

Guardians Of Public Morality Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £3. Info 01443 491424.

Hang 11 NosDa, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Heavy On The Ride + French Alps Tiger + Don Juan + Zed Motel The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Headliners are celebrating their 10-year anniversary gig. I saw them once, probably closer to their first gig than this one, and quite enjoyed them. Thanks for reading.

Huw Warren / Jovino Santos Neto Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Amser Jazz Festival gig.

Jack Perrett + The Rotanas + Finding Aurora Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Presented by This Feeling.

Janet Kay + Carroll Thompson + Aleighcia Scott + Sista T Los Amigos, Newport. 7pm, £20/£15 adv/£23 with food. Info 07468 452335. A night billed as Queens Of Reggae and previewed in the May issue of Buzz.

Kelly Jones St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £42-£52. Info 029 2087 8444. Sold out.

Leading Ladies & West End Men Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01792 863722. Musical songs, pop hits and swing numbers.

Maddie & The Pandas Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Madness Chepstow Racecourse. 3pm, £40. Info 0844 2491000. The second of two dates in this area on Madness’ summer tour of British racecourses.

Peter Bruntnell Band + Sophia Marshall Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10. Info 07982 624959. Alt-country guy who has played Swansea quite a lot over the years. BJ Cole is playing pedal steel with him on this tour too.

Reaper In Sicily + Glass Giants + Colours Of One Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £4. Info 01685 879491.

Rick Shea The Mackintosh Institute, Roath, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2049 4697. Californian country-rock singer hosted by the Boomswinger Bluegrass Club.

RWCMD Big Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.45pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Amser Jazz Festival gig.

Sara Ashley The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Take That + Rick Astley Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

5pm, £55-£99. Info 08442 777888.

The Boogiemen Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Future Is Now Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £6 adv.

Info 01834 869323. Showcase for young local musical talent, names including Exiles, Flux,

J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R AU G U S T: R E E F ( D e Va l e n c e Pa v i l i o n , Te n b y, S u n 2 5 ) C R A Z Y T O W N ( T h e B u n k h o u s e , S w a n s e a , S a t 3 1 ) J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R S E P T E M B E R : T H E P R O C L A I M E R S ( B r a n g w y n H a l l , S w a n s e a , S u n 1 ) S KU N K A N A N S I E BUZZ 70

Haze, Waves and Joel O-P. Welsh Modular Alliance + Somatic Responses + Jason & Becky + SA1 + Alpturer + Subversive Frequencies Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 7pm, free.

Info www.elysiumgallery.com.

Live electronica and modular synth sets. Top two billed acts are cool, not au fait with the others.

X Twenty Two + Igam Ogam + Doctor Gonzo + Bombs For Breakfast + Faster On Fire Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 7pm, free.

Info crowleysrockbar@ hotmail.com. Punk bands.

SUNDAY 9 JUNE Atlas feat. Sarah Colman Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5pm, £6-£12.

Info 029 2039 1391. Amser Jazz Festival gig, the last of the series this year and taking place in the foyer.

Eleri Angharad Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688. *Fatamorgana + Esther + Trophic Cascade The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £6. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Fatamorgana are a Catalan band, albeit featuring some UK member content, and they make totally great DIY synthpop. Get to this! uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 23 in May), with an extra acoustic session on the third Sunday (Sun 16) too.

Gordon Giltrap Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. UK folk-rocker.

Gui Tavares’s Bossa-JazzLatin Trio Café Jazz, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £5. Info 029 2038 7026. Playing the monthly Hot Club Swing night.

Junior Hacksaw Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Queen Reia Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 6.3010pm, £5 adv. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk.

Upcoming singer-songwriter with a indie, soulful, jazzy and r’n’b vibe, it says here.

These Five Years + Everyone And Anyone + This Time Last Year Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info 029 2039 9557. Presented

by Beers Over Tears.

The Washboard Resonators Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info 07982 624959.

MONDAY 10 JUNE Alien Weaponry + Sodomized Cadaver + Excursia Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07970 063107. New Zealand metal trio headline.

Honeyblood + Lucia Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £12.50. Info 029 2023 2199. Glaswegian indie band headline, not (at the time of writing) put off south Wales by its premier listings and entertainment monthly giving their new album a mere 2/5. uJunior Proms Concerts

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £8.50/£6.50. Info 0845 2263510. Featuring three different local youth ensembles on each of the four evenings.

(Until Thurs 13) Mumford & Sons Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £42.50. Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out.

Paceshifters + Wallace Vanborn Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Vision Ensemble Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Debut of two major works for saxophone, string orchestra and piano from two Portuguese composers.

TUESDAY 11 JUNE Alex Merritt / Gareth Fowler Quintet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Elizabeth Tiley & Katy Treharne The Met, Abertillery. 2pm, £8. Info 01495 355945. Afternoon concert whose price includes tea and cake.

Hot Club Gallois Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Rachel Head Trio + Michael Blanchfield Trio The Muse, Brecon. 8pm, £12/£10 members. Info info@ breconjazzclub.org. A Brecon Jazz Club event showcasing two trio from the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama.

REPCo: Big Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

REPCo: Prestige 6 Summer Session Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Club classics played by an orchestra, taking place in the foyer – not an original concept, it’s true, but some £50 cheaper than the Ministry Of Sound one costs and there’s no Judge Jules involved.

WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE Banshee Therapy Sessiom Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz improv session.

Brightr The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7.30pm. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk. In Newport on Sun 16.

Concerts & Cakes Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 1pm, £4.50.

Info 0300 0040444.

Cwmwl Tystion / Witness Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

New jazz ensemble led by Tomos Williams and featuring Rhodri Davies among other compadres. In Cardiff on Tue 25; Swansea on Fri 28.

Eirwen Malin Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night in aid of two Parkinson’s charities, Malin suffereing from it herself.

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 Sophie Crabtree.

RWCMD Big Band Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Sheryl Bailey Organ Trio The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 26.

Wheatley’s Arcadians Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01646 651725. Jazz, blues and ragtime, 1920s/30s style.

THURSDAY 13 JUNE Arkocean Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2039 9557.

Jazz.

Beach Boyz Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 0300 0040444. Tribute band.

Chris Kelly The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Half Hour At The Hilton + BoxCat The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Jagged Little Pill The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Alanis Morissette tribute Killjoys + Bloom! + Risorious + Hunter From Fremonte The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, £4. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Presented

by Crescent Moon.

Les Musicals Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £25£57.50. Info 01970 623232.

Songs from the musicals, performed by Jonathan Anstell and Jai McDowall. In Llanelli tomorrow; Newport on Sat 15.

Level Up 2 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. REPCo recital from Wales’ first, and I assume only, video game orchestra.

Luke Doherty & Simon Parratt Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

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. uSteve Edmunds The Lime Tree, Chepstow. 8pm, free. Info 01291 620959. Also here on Wed 26 this month.

Tenderlonious & The 22archestra + Darkhouse Family + Esther Jacobs Market, Cardiff. 5-10.30pm-, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 0939.

Sooner or later Red Bull is going to quit paying for you to have nights out and sink their budget into basejumping off asteroids or something instead, but for now here’s the Cardiff date of a tour they’re sponsoring, for nu-jazz cool cat Tenderlonious. This is up on the roof terrace which means quite limited space I’d think.

The Bay Rum Hounds Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

VRÏ Gwyl Gregynog Festival, Sat 22 + Sun 23 June Tickets: £10/£5 (Sat 22); £12/£6 (Sun 23). Info: 01686 207100 / gwylgregynogfestival.org Gwyl Gregynog, Wales’ oldest classical music festival, returns this June with a season of summer events in mid-Wales. Welsh chamber folk trio VRï will open the festival with an intimate acoustic set at the National Library Of Wales in Aberystwyth on Sat 22 June, with another chance to hear the group play at Pont Cadfan, a former chapel in Llangadfan, the following day. With all three members already established with bands on the folk music circuit, VRï approach their shared repertoire of songs with the sensibilities of chamber music, maintaining a simultaneously energetic and sophisticated sound. The band play music from the Celtic nations and beyond, combining the animated energy of a pub session with the finesse of a string quartet.

6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862.

Soundtracking pizza night here.

The Carpenters Experience Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £16.50. Info 01633 868239.

Tribute act. In Barry tomorrow; Tenby on Sat 15.

The Magic Of Motown Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £26. Info 01495 227206. Tribute show.

The Rocket Man Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715. Elton John tribute.

Welsh Chamber Orchestra ‘19 Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £15/£14. Info 01646 695267.

Wheatley’s Arcadians Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01792 602060. Jazz from the 1920s/30s and even further back on occasion.

FRIDAY 14 JUNE uAmserJazzTime Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5.30-7pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Weekly jazz sessions in the foyer, every Friday until 28 June.

Blackjack Zero + Recluse Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm.

Info 07970 063107.

Black Jam Circus West End Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 735739. uCamp Elsewhere Merthyr Mawr, nr Bridgend. £67.50 adv/£50 early bird/£20 5-15-year-olds/free under-5s.

Info www.campelsewhere. co.uk. Described as a “a

temporary forest retreat for weekend adventures in the simplicity of slow living”, this weekender by the sand dunes has various talks, workshops, family activities etc plus music from The Wave Picture, Daniel Blumberg, Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay, Gwenifer Raymond, Bell Lungs, Ben Vince, Boss Morris, Rozi Plain, Juan Wauters, Pet Shimmers, Snapped Ankles, Yosi Horikawa, Breakfast Records, Leafcutter John, Alabaster DePlume, Rachael Dadd, Ichi and an “ambient Forest “ and “nature disco”. (Until Sun 16) Cielo Drive + Heist Five + Death By Disco The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm.

Info 01443 841133.

Claire Taylor Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Haru Nemuri + Saykridd + The Mermerings The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Headline act are Japanese and play some noisy iteration of J-pop I think.

Jimmy Mac’s Blues Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

Last Hyena + Esuna + Fort + Ghosts As Alibis Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Les Musicals Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £25. Info 0845 2263510.

One Night In Dublin Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £24/£20. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute to Irish folk-rockers like The Pogues, The Sawe

Doctors etc.

Punchline The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

Rain Kings The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Rosehip Teahouse + Sunspot + LA Peach Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199. Single launch gig for local headliners.

Rum Slingers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Sarah Birch Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 07818 056599.

Shop Front Heroes + Inclines The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Simon Trigg City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Six Sided Men The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Skiv + Shackleford + Sound Of Salvation The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £3.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Sweet Ignitions + Greenmailer + Red Rooster + The Bloodshots Le Public Space, Newport.

7pm, £3. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

The Barricade Boys Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01874 611622. Songs from Les Misérables.

The Blues Band Tramshed, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £23.50 adv.

Info 029 2023 5555.

The Carpenters Experience Memorial Hall

( C a r d i f f U n i v e r s i t y S t u d e n t s U n i o n , We d 4 ) A F R O C E LT S O U N D S Y S T E M ( Tr a m s h e d , C a r d i f f , T h u r s 1 2 ) P I X I E S ( M o t o r p o i n t A r e n a C a r d i f f , F r i 1 3 ) K I N G ’ S X ( Tr a m s h e d , Tu e 1 7 ) H O Z I E R ( S t D a v i d ’ s H a l l , C a r d i f f , Tu e 1 7 ) F I S H E R M A N ’ S F R I E N D S ( S t BUZZ 71

* – recommended Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £15.

Info 01446 738622.

The Rhys Taylor Band feat. Shân Cothi Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01970 623232. Concert in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support and Amser Justin Time.

Tickles And Tarts The Big Top, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 8883. Standup and sketches hosted by Joe Granville.

Tom Robinson + Lee Forsyth Griffiths Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2089 0862. Sold out, proving that you don’t have to be a band given heavy rotation on 6 Music to get people in Cardiff to come to gigs – you can be one of their DJs instead.

SATURDAY 15 JUNE Claire Taylor The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381.

D’Alma Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Elton John Cardiff City Stadium. 5.30pm, from £49 adv. Info www.cardiffcityfc. co.uk. Someone I know is working on Elton’s tour at the moment and put a photo online of him being welcomed by his big entourage, all wearing Watford merch ahead of the FA Cup final. Not sure if

there were any photos taken after the game.

Genesis Legacy Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £20 adv.

Info 01834 869323. Tribute to Genesis and all their solo stuff also.

Gideon Conn & Tom Briggs Snails Deli, Cardiff.

7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2062 0415. Two singer-songwriters who have their own songs but on this occasion are playing ones from two Beatles albums and inviting you to sing along.

Price includes a buffet.

Grand Collapse + Copywronged + Social Experiment + System Reset Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 01443 491424. Punk and hardcore bands presented by DFTS. Icon For Hire Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11.

Info 029 2023 2199. This band have over 200,000 Facebook followers but I have never heard of them, nor is it at all clear what sort of music they play, although they seem to be over for Download.

Idge Logan Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Memorial Hall, Criccieth.

7.15pm, £15. Info 07790

830367. Welsh folk group playing as part of the Criccieth Festival, which runs until Sat 22 in the town and features various art shows, workshops, trails and so forth as well as live events.

Jersey Beats The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £11/£9 adv. Info 01685 387925. For literally a few seconds I thought this might be a night of Jersey Club music in Merthyr, then realised it was much more likely to be yet another Frankie Valli tribute band, and so it proved.

Jon Paul The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Laurence Lewis The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow.

Les Musicals The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01633 656757.

The Curveballs Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599. Rockabilly.

McCrory Brothers The Patriot, Crumlin. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01495 247178.

Belfast folk duo joined someone who used to play the violin in Curved Air. Midnite City The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm, £7 adv. Info 01495 247178.

Mike Dennis + The Flux Capacitors The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Morriston Orpheus Choir Annual Gala Concert Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7pm, £18. Info 01792 602060.

Motel Thieves + The Sandinistas + Bloom! + Sunny Jim Creature Sound, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3/£2 adv.

Info 01792 301178.

Nerys & The Soul Traders The Buck Sports Bar & Grill, Barry 7pm, free. Info 01446 736333.

Patti Boulaye Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £22 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. With her Aretha Franklin tribute act.

Pi & Hash Music Showcase NosDa, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Poetic Justice The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Rain Kings Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Selena In The Chapel The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Swansea Fake Festival Singleton Park, Swansea.

11.45am-11pm, £40/£30 adv (£30/£22.50 10-17-year-olds).

live review RITA ORA

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Tue 21 May Seven years since she stormed onto the scene, Rita Ora kicked off the first UK leg of her Phoenix tour in Cardiff on Tuesday night. Large screens which expand the width of the arena flash white and black as the dictionary definition of a Phoenix is spoken over the audio, before Ora rises from beneath the stage looking like a goddess dressed in all white and silver, her 2018 hit For You leading directly into Your Song.

As lights go down, the background image changes to a nighttime forest for Only Want You – a showcase for Ora’s trademark raspy vocals, in full form this evening.

Psychedelic kaleidoscope imagery accompanies the controversial Girls, which extends into an a capella version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. A turning point in engaging crowd which until now seemed to be more immersed in chatter than Ora – who, as if picking up on this engagement, serves up a dimmed-light, backing dancer-free Let You Love Me, a clear fan favourite.

Leaving the stage before returning in a dark wig and black cape, Body On Me is followed up with what Ora describes as her “most honest and open-letter song” she’s ever written. Soul Survivor’s lyrics clearly reference her bitter court battle with Jay-Z and record label Roc Nation, the main reason she hasn’t released a new album in six years. The tour’s drilled-into-us-throughout theme – a phoenix rising from the ashes – makes sense now, naff as it may seem.

One thing you learn watching Rita Ora live is that she doesn’t take herself too seriously: perfectly polished, sure, but with a goofy nature befitting the lightened mood of her upbeat, dancealong number I Will Never Let You Down. Aesthetically pleasing as this tour’s production is, the staging at times feels cheesy. Ora’s brand shoots for edgy and cool but there’s often something fluffy and marshmallow about it all. She’s clearly not comfortable with choreography. Moreover, the sound – a regular bugbear of punters at this venue – is lacking. If you were sitting at the back, you almost felt outside of the gig.

However, the final segment saves her. Sporting gigantic phoenix wings in front of a flaming background, the crowd begin to bounce in unison to Black Widow, whose dubsteppy electronic vibe is clearly where Ora feels more at home. She looks palpably more relaxed and the crowd pick up on that: for the first time of the night, she has the whole arena under her influence.

Momentum which holds for RIP, Coming Home and her 2012 breakout hit Hot Right Now. Finally, this feels like a Rita Ora show – more so during an encore of Lonely Together and Anywhere in which the singer is raised on a platform above the crowd, an explosion of pink confetti showering the audience. words DENIECE CUSACK photos TIM ALBAN BUZZ 72

u – repeated

Info www.fakefestivals.co.uk.

Not a fake festival in the sense of those Abandoned Warehouse Rave things that you mugs click ‘interested’ on, this is a day of tribute bands!

Namely The Fillers (The Killers), Bon Jovi Experience, Kazabian, Duran, Guns 2 Roses and The Jam’d.

The Bolsheviks + Superseed Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm. Info 07970 063107.

The Carpenters Experience De Valence Pavilion, Tenby. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01834 218228.

The Fugitives Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Guy That Gets The Girl Jac’s, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01685 879491. Covers band.

The Sex Pistols Experience + Ed Tudor Pole The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Tribute band Twist And Shout Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23/£21. Info 01792 475715.

Sixties tribute show.

White Tygër Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Classic rock covers.

SUNDAY 16 JUNE Acoustic Charity Fundraiser & Autism Awareness Live Event Jac’s, Aberdare. 3-8pm, £3.

Info 01685 879491. Featuring sets from Lewis Leighton, Big Bens Music, Aled Hughes, Ruby Kelly Music, Pork Chop and Thumbs From Fader.

Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells.

4pm. Info 07477 627267.

Albino Frogs Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Main Prize Round One St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6.45pm, £18-£42. Info 029 2087 8444.

Kickoff for a contest which runs all week here and today features Richard Ollarsaba, Karina Kherunts, Mingjie Lei, Lauren Fagan and Julien Van Mellaerts.

Brightr + Tim Holehouse Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

Bronwen’s Big Birthday Bash Memorial Hall, Criccieth. 7pm, free. Info 07790 830367. Criccieth Festival event.

Chris Difford Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18

adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Squeeze songwriter with a solo tour called Up The Junction, and why not.

Clutch + Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons + Sigiriya Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Relentlessly reliable hard/stoner rock stalwarts.

Fair play to them for choosing Sigiriya to open this.

Darren Page: The Voice Of Roy Orbison Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £17.50.

Info 01600 772467. Tribute act.

Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026.

Laurence Lewis Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Leo Sayer Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £30. Info 01656 815995. Touring to celebrate his 70th birthday, which was in fact in May so don’t feel obliged to bring him a cake and/or sleep with him.

Lil’ Jimmy Reed Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, Barry.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07561 143114. Roots N All gig featuring octogenarian bluesman who was, quote, “born in a shotgun shack in a small cotton and sawmill town on the Mississippi river...” I guess blues cliches weren’t cliches 80 years ago. Anyway this is sold out.

Sing Africa Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University.

2pm, £5-£15. Info 01792 602060.

Tenacious G The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 01685 387925.

Tenaciuous D tribute band.

MONDAY 17 JUNE BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Main Prize Round Two St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6.45pm, £18-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Today features Camila Titinger, Leonardo Lee, Angharad Lyddon, Patrick Guetti and Lena Belkina.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8.30pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Whitechapel Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £17.50. Info 029 2023 2199. Deathcore, you may or may not know the score.

TUESDAY 18 JUNE Alex Clarke Cadwalader’s, Criccieth. 7.30pm, £5. Info 07790 830367. Jazz saxophonist/flautist. Criccieth Festival event.

BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Main Prize Round Three St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6.45pm, £18-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Today features Guadalupe Barrientos, Owen Metsileng, Katie Bray, Andrei Kymach and Yulia Mennibaeva.

Eddi Reader Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23.50 adv.

Info 029 2023 5555.

Katarina Karnéus & Julius Drake Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £12/£10 adv.

Info 029 2039 1391. Mezzo soprano and pianist.

Mutes + Useless Eater Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

The Wessex New Orleans Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE Andy Collins Open Mic Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Main Prize Round Four St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6.45pm, £18-£42.

Info 029 2087 8444. Today features Luis Gomes, Sooyeon Lee, Roman Arndt, Adriana Gonzalez and Jorge Espino.

Blossoms + Fuzzy Sun + Inhaler Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Long-haired indie lads.

Never knowingly heard their music... and proud of it!

Dusty And The Shades Of The 60s Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £23.65. Info 01639 763214. A tribute to Dusty Springfield and others.

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv.

Info 029 2062 6015.

Libor Smoldas / Nigel Price Quintet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Moonstruck Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv.

Info 029 2039 1391. Lunchtime opera recital with a lunar theme.

Nervus + Koji + Fresh Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Emo and pop-punk stuff I think.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. With a different guest host every week this month; tonight’s is Ben DainSmith.

Pisces Piano Quintet Memorial Hall, Criccieth.

7pm, £12. Info 07790 830367.

Criccieth Festival event.

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. Skip Curtis + Rhys Davis & The Liberators + Diggs Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

A Forte Project gig.

Swansea University Choral Society Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 2pm, £5-£15. Info 01792 602060.

The Youngkeys Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm, free. Info 07818 056599. Jazz and blues.

THURSDAY 20 JUNE BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Song Prize Final St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

6.45pm, £22/£10. Info 029 2087 8444. Featuring the five strongest singers (as chosen by the judges) from the four previous rounds.

Broad Stripes And Bright Stars Royal Welsh College

Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. An alternative Great American Songbook featuring singers from the RWCMD David Seligman Opera School.

Chris & Wendy Moreton Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport.

8pm. Info 07837 288096.

Newport Folk Club night.

Dale Storr Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £5-£11. Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night with New Orleans-style pianist.

Dirty Alex Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info 029 2023 2199.

Gwilym + Wigwam + Mari Mathias Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199. Pre-Tafwyl gig presented by Twrw.

Johnny Cash Roadshow 2019 Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01873 850805. Tribute show.

Marcus T The Pear Tree,

become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.”

Barry ‘Scouse’ & The Meadows Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. Valley Folk Club night.

BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2019 Main Prize Final St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

6.45pm, £22/£10. Info 029 2087 8444. Featuring the five strongest singers (as chosen by the judges) from the four previous rounds.

Crannog Rhys Pritchard Hall, Llandovery. 7.30pm, £10/£5 under-17s. Info www. llandoveryfolkdancing.co.uk.

Midsummer twmpath night.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Soul.

Dorylus + Incursion The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm.

Info 01443 841133.

Glas The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff hosts a Tafwyl afterparty of sorts on Fri 21 June. Titled Reuvival, it features Gareth Potter and Mark Lugg revisiting their late 80s/early 90s live techno projects Ty Gwydr and Traddodiad Ofnus, plus Potter’s Pop Negatif Wastad.

Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Pi & Hash Showcase The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

P!nk + Vance Joy + KidCutUp + Bang Bang Romeo Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 5.30pm, £45-£125. Info 08442 777888. Sold out.

Sound Bar Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391. Electronic works

by RWCMD students and staff.

Slightly unclear if these are played live or you just listen to them.

Superchoir Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862.

Soundtracking pizza night here.

Talon Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01633 868239. Eagles tribute band play acoustic set.

The Holistic House Band Open Jam Sessions Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm, free. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

FRIDAY 21 JUNE Aleighcia Scott Ty Nant Inn, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2084 3009.

As December Falls + A Night Like This + Peaks + The Roselles Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Bandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and

01446 773592.

Hands Off Gretel Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. UK mook-rock band who, to borrow a timeless phrasing, dress like they covered themselves in glue and run through a branch of Blue Banana.

Hereford Gilbert & Sullivan Society 1940s Concert Party Tribute The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01497 821762.

Idge Logan Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Jess Stevens City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Limehouse Lizzy The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Thin Lizzy tribute band. Tickets are normally upwards of £15 for their gigs.

I know this because I list one nearly every month.

London Swing Orchestra Memorial Hall, Criccieth.

7.15pm, £15. Info 07790 830367. Criccieth Festival event.

Mari Wilson Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18.50.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Oh Carol! The Musical Story Of Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £24/£22. Info 0845 2263510.

Tribute show, in Newport tomorrow Ragsy Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7.30pm, £5.50. Info 0845 2263510.

*Reuvival Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 10pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. This is a really cool event that I almost didn’t notice was happening: Gareth Potter and Mark Lugg playing songs by their old electro/house/postpunk bands Traddodiad Ofnus and Ty Gwydr (plus possibly Potter’s Pop Negatif Wastad, the description is a little unclear).

Ian Cottrell is also DJing.

Rumney Folk Club St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff. 7.45pm. Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk. Monthly night, usually on the third Friday.

Sinfonia Cymru & Kabantu The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, £16/£12. Info 029 2048 3344. Welsh orchestra joined by so-called world music collective. In Swansea tomorrow; Builth Wells on Sun 23.

Sing Africa Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £10-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. South African traditionasl and choral music. uTafwyl Cardiff Castle. 5.3010pm (Fri 21) / 11am-10pm (Sat 22 + Sun 23), free. Info www.tafwyl.org. Multi-faceted two days (on tomorrow also) of entertainment aimed at Welsh speakers, and those who want to learn. As well as stalls promoting Welsh produce, workshops, literary sessions, music, cookery, art and drama sessions, live music will come from, tonight, Gwenno, Lleuwen A’r Band, Adwaith, serol Serol, Y Niwl, Zabrinski, Ani Glass Bitw and DJs Huw Stephens and Toni Schiavone.

Sat 22 anmd Sun 23 (schedule TBC) has Band Pres Llareggub, Candelas, Caryl Parry Jones, Yr Eira, Gwilym, Mellt, Chroma, Lleden, Mei Gwynedd, Los Blancos, Fleur De Lys, Omaloma, Patrobas, Blodau Papur, Wigwam, Rhys Gwynfor, Y Gerddorfa Ukulele, Mr, HMS Morris, Alffa, I Fight Lions, Siddi, Glain Rhys, Elis Derby, Mabli Tudur, Hywel Pitts, VRï, Ukan, Catsgam, Ail Symudiad, Cwpwrdd Nansi, Sybs, Lewys, Y Cledrau, Ffracas, Rhys Dafis, Rifleros, Bass 12, 3D Brass, Jack Mac’s Funk Pack, RT Dixieband, Barracwda, Wonderbrass and DJs Gareth Potter, Pydew, Dilys, Elan Evans and Carl Morris. Plus lots of decent street food.

Tensheds Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 8pm, £5. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com. A guy called Matt who plays blues-rock on the piano, apparently, and whose extremely cringeworthy biog features a list of his awards including the House Of Lords Discretionary Rock Award.

That Which Ate The Moon + Who Are The Monsters? + This Ends Here + Lighthammer The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

The Italics The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

The Roy Orbison Story Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £26. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story The Riverfront,

Newport. 7.30pm, £22.50/£20.50. Info 01633 656757. Tribute show.

The Valli Boys UK The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01495 355945. Frankie Valli tribute show.

Tír na nÓg The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 8pm, £12/£10 adv.

Info 01743 860246. Cult Irish prog-folk band. uUnearthed Festival 2019 Yurt Field, nr Solva, Haverfordwest. 12pm, £95 weekend/£65 ages 13-17, over-75s or concession/£18 ages 5-12/free under-5s. Info www.unearthedinafield.co.uk.

Hippyish/alternative festival with the following confirmed so far: Kiko Bun, Royal Sounds, Bob Hillary And The Massive Mellow, Sister Bodhi, Timbali & Peppery, Alaias, Elise Yuill Cohen, Indian Man, Los Pulpos Del Diablo, Shocka, The Babar Luck World Citizen Folk Band, Shea Freedom, The Datura Roots Collective, Seas Of Mirth, Lowri Evans & Lee Mason, The Orange Circus Band, The Balkaneers and I See Rivers. Plus speakers, performers and interesting food and drink. (Until Sun 23) SATURDAY 22 JUNE Albino Frogs + The Algal Bloom + Lucy Atkins NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Blues Central Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Celtic Pride Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk. In Barry on Sat 29.

Christopher Howe The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Dave Evans The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925.

Pre-Bon AC/DC singer, from November 73-September 74 to be precise.

Excursia + Black Emerald + Fueled Hate + And The Sky Darkened + TheShallowSouls The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm, £5. Info 01443 841133.

Explosive Light Orchestra Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £19/£18. Info 01495 227206. ELO tribute.

Higher On Maiden Hobo’s, Bridgend. 8pm, £8 adv. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

Illegal Eagles Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £27.50/£25. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute show.

J & The Bullfrogs Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2031 1319.

King Kurt + Thee Scarecrows + Psychoward Breakouts Cathays Sports & Social Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £18 adv. Info 029 2022 0906. Elder statesmentalists of psychobilly headline.

Low Down Dirty Dog Blues Band The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen.

1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com.

Presented by Rewired Music.

Nick & Cheryl The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Not The Rolling Stones Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

D a v i d ’ s H a l l , S a t 2 1 ) JA C U Z Z I B O Y S ( T h e M o o n , M o n 2 3 ) F E T T Y WA P ( Tr a m s h e d , Tu e 2 4 ) S P E A R O F D E S T I N Y ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , We d 2 5 ) S TAT I C -X + S O I L + W E D N E S DA Y 1 3 ( Tr a m s h e d , We d 2 5 ) B E L I N DA CA R L I S L E ( S t D a v i d ’ s H a l l , M o n 3 0 ) BUZZ 73

* – recommended 8pm, £17.50. Info 029 2089 0862. Tribute band.

Oh Carol! The Musical Story Of Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £24. Info 01633 656757.

Portstock Rodney Parade, Newport. £22.40 adv/£8 5-15-year-olds/free under-5s.

Info portstock.co.uk. See Music for a preview of this fest, featuring Stereo MC’s, Rusty Shackle, Dr Feelgood, Ska Monkeys, The Darling Buds, Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy and The Karpets.

Punchline Hen Dderwen, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 203631. ¡Que Asco! Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, £3. Info sam@ lepub.co.uk. Album launch gig, the album in question reviewed in this issue in fact..

Rhydian & Claire Jones Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

7.30pm, £19.50-£65. Info 01792 475715. Welsh vocalist who got his break on reality TV plus harpist who got her break plucking for the Royal family.

Sinfonia Cymru & Kabantu Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 01792 602060.

Snash The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, £4/£3 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

The Big What!? Band Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

The Hornettes Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10. Info 01970 623232. Girl group sounds of the 60s.

The Keith Little Swing Trio Penarth Pier Pavilion.

7.30pm, £11 adv. Info 07852 824393. With vocalist Jane Williams.

Vocalium St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30-9.15pm, £10 adv.

Info 029 2056 2022. Tudor anthems and madrigals, Welsh and English folk songs, spirituals, and contemporary choral works.

VRï Drwm, National Library Of Wales, Aberystwyth. 7pm, £10/£5. Info 01686 207100.

Chamber-folk string trio play the first of nine events forming the Gwyl Gregynog Festival, which runs in various venues until Sun 30. VRï are playing tomorrow in Llangadfan also.

SUNDAY 23 JUNE A Night At The Musicals Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £26.50£46.50. Info 029 2063 6464.

Featuring the Novello Orchestra.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Christopher Rees Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

John Mouse + Tim Bromage + Starling’s Planet + Ronnie + Rhosyn Alaw Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2030 4400. Folk, psychedelia and more presernted by The Wyrd Wonder.

Starling’s Planet (or possibly Starlings Planet, they seem unable to decide) are reviewed in the demo section, very positively too!

Left Lane Cruiser Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. American blues-rockers.

BUZZ 74

Ogikubo Station + X Twenty Two Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 8pm. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com. Headliners are an American punk duo featuring Mike Park who founded the Asian Man label.

Remembering Glen Campbell Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £22/£20. Info 01874 611622.

Tribute show.

Sinfonia Cymru & Kabantu Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 8pm, £16/£12. Info 01982 552555.

Sophie Evans Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 01656 815995. West End star performs as part of the Gwyl Maesteg Festival.

The Jedis Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

VRï Pontcadfan, Llangadfan.

2.30pm, £12/£6. Info 01686 207100. Gwyl Gregynog Festival event.

MONDAY 24 JUNE Goldies Cymru / Concerts & Cakes Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £4.50. Info 01656 815995. Music, dancing and chat for old people from 1-2pm; live music from Bethan Williams-Jones and Sam Humphreys at 2.30pm.

The Burning Hell + My Name Is Ian + Quiet Marauder Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Verbose indiefolk in triplicate. TBH and QM collaborated on an album recently.

TUESDAY 25 JUNE Cwmwl Tystion / Witness Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2030 4400.

Debashish Bhattacharya Trio Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £16/£14.

Info 01873 850805. Slide guitar raga whiz.

Iain Ballamy / Geoff Simkins Quintet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz.

Jazz Cafe The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2048 3344.

Philharmonia Orchestra: The Planets St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£49.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. Conducted

by Jamie Phillips.

Phil Wall’s Jazz Cardinals Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

The Welsh Chamber Orchestra Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12/£5. Info 0845 2263510.

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE Alex Hitchcock Quintet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz.

Concerts & Cakes Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1pm, £5. Info 0845 2263510.

Constellation Big Band & Singers Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Fiasco + Tyrannosaw + The Kelly Line Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3 NUS. Info 029 2039 9557.

Goat Girl + Pet Grotesque

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

London indie sorts headline.

Judie Tzuke + Beverley Craven + Julia Fordham St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £229.50-£77. Info 029 2087 8444. Three solo artists on a tour titled Woman To Woman.

Rescheduled from April, when Bev was poorly.

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.

Paul Sawtell / Danny Moss Jr. Quartet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Sam Lyon Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 12-1pm, free.

Info 07830 381930. Singersongwriter plays for those taking an early lunch.

THURSDAY 27 JUNE Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Ian Poole Quartet The Pear

Cheating Lights + Exit To Main Menu + Death

By Disco The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. EP launch gig for headliners.

Calypso Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info 01792 234447.

Claire Taylor The Plough, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2062 3017.

Cwmwl Tystion / Witness Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Duncan McCorkindale + Adam Thorn The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762.

Folk Music Night Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 863722. Benefit gig for this very venue.

Freedom! ‘19 Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 6.45pm, £24.50.

Info 01446 738622. George Michael tribute show.

Glas Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Fri 21-Sun 23 June sees the Unearthed Festival return to a field near Solva in Pembrokeshire. It looks to be a hippytastic weekend and proud of it, with performers including Babar Luck, Timbali, Sister Bodhi and I See Rivers.

Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

John Kirkpatrick Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510. Brit folkie of note.

Michael Kiwanuka Tramshed, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Announced just before print deadline, a pre-Glastonbury gig for a fella whose press bumph always talks about the awards he was nominated for before getting round to his music.

Surreal Kinnock + Blackelvis + Radio Laika + Point Of View The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. First of three nights of free entry gigs here under the Glasnost banner. Like Glastonbury, in that there are bands playing, but cheaper.

The Blues Sisters Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2089 0862.

Soundtracking pizza night here.

The Hero Dies First + Callista + We Come From Ashes + Blind Divide + Beyond Sorrow Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07970 063107.

The Philanderers The Brunswick, Swansea. Info 01792 465676.

The Swinging Blue Jeans Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7pm, £18/£17. Info 01633 868239.

FRIDAY 28 JUNE Apathy Avenue + Cease To See The Sun +

Il Divo Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, from £41. Info 029 2022 4488.

I See Rivers + Adwaith Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199.

John Coghlan’s Quo The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Kamikaze Test Pilot The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm.

Info 01443 841133.

Kingson The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free. Info 01639 882381.

Martin Carthy Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.50pm, £15/£12.

Info 01970 623232. Britfolk bossman.

Motörized UK + In With The Jellyfish + Who Knows Didley? Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

First birthday gig for this venue, fittingly headlined by a tribute band.

Nigel + The D Teez + Lovecore + Flavourmaid + Pay The Man The Moon, Cardiff. 5pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Odysseus Piano Trio The Music Room, Gregynog.

7.30pm, £17/£8.50. Info 01686 207100. Gwyl Gregynog Festival event.

Only Men Aloud Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £18/£15. Info 0845 2263510.

Fifth anniversarty concert for a company with a gently amusing name A Choired Taste.

Queen Alive Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 7pm, £35. Info 01633

u – repeated

413737. Queen tribute band.

Price includes dinner. You have to dress up smart for this OK. Royal Welsh College Symphony Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14/£7 under-25s. Info 029 2087 8444.

Sado Opera + Eädyth Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £15. Info 029 2030 4400.

See Music.

Scarsun + Last Flight To Pluto + Titan Monarchy The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

7pm, £3. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com.

Sepulchre + King Kraken + Blind Divide + Urfe + Raptures End Creature Sound, Swansea. 7pm, free.

Info 01792 301178. Metal.

The 501’s + Dead At 27 + Foreigner’s Son Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £3. Info 07970 063107.

The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3.

Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Killers Cardiff Castle.

6pm, £75. Info 029 2087 8100. Sold out in 10 minutes, apparently. First of three Rock Concerts here this weekend.

The Magic Of The Bee Gees Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £24.50/£22.50. Info 01656 815995. Tribute show.

The Shakes City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £21/£20. Info 01646 695267. Tribute show.

Tom Hingley + Moldy Couple + Barry Sutton The Garage, Swansea. 9pm.

Info 01792 475147. Hingley was in the Inspital Carpets, Sutton in The Las. This gig is presented by Britpop Cafe. uUkelele Festival Of Wales Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. £20-£35 weekend/£5-£8 Fri/£12-£20 Sat/£6£10 Sat day or evening only or Sun. Info 01792 371206.

Annual festival dedicated to the diminutive instrument of the title. Featuring these performers: Opera-Lele, Ukulele Uff Trio, Dim Problem, Dead Mans Uke, Ukulele Al, Corinne Finnan, Amigos Trio, Sarah Kelly, Ukoholix, Plastic Jeezus, Neil Starr, Quaintest Show On Earth and Steven Sproat.

(Until Sun 30) The Culprit Whalers The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Toyah Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £25. Info 029 2089 0862. This is one of those ‘anecdote, then a song, then another anecdote’ type shows.

Like the Nick Cave one, but with more chance of some kneeslapping descriptions of Robert Fripp’s domestic flubs.

WNO Orchestra Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University. 7.30pm, £5-£21.

Info 01792 602060. With a programme of summer opera classics.

SATURDAY 29 JUNE A Nocte Tempois The Music Room, Gregynog. 7.30pm, £22/£11. Info 01686 207100.

Gwyl Gregynog Festival event with an all-Bach programme of arias for tenor, flute, cello and harpsichord.

Average White Band Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £26

adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

Beethoven & Shostakovich: The Power Of Music St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.50-£24.

Info 029 2087 8444. With the Cardiff Philharmonia Orchestra.

Cadence Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Celtic Pride West End Club, Barry. 8pm, free. Info 01446 735739.

Cloudbusting The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Kate Bush tribute.

Côr Meibion Llanelli Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6.30pm, £15.

Info 0845 2263510.

Dansette The Seagull Inn, Porthcawl. 9pm, free. Info 01656 785420.

Georgia Patterson The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Guilty Pleasure Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Hue & Cry Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2089 0862. Scotpop duo, sold out.

Isobel & Alan The Tea Shop, Carmarthen Park, Carmarthen.

1.30-3.30pm, free. Info rewiredmusic@gmail.com.

Presented by Rewired Music.

Joan As Police Woman The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50.

Info 029 2048 3344. See Music.

Jumpin’ Jimmy & The Nice Guys Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm. Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Maet Live The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 387925.

Meat Loaf tribute.

Manic Street Preachers + Sunflower Bean Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £39.50. Info 029 2087 8100.

Marcus T Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Mud On The Tires + Kid Reddy & The Features + Ian Lynn Palmer + Rowan Coombes NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Pist + Battalions + Akb’al + Made Of Teeth + Tides Of Sulfur + Sepulchre The Moon, Cardiff.

5pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Various stoner, doom, metallic stuff.

Royal Welsh College Jazz Showcase Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £6-£12. Info 029 2039 1391. Directed by Gilad Hekselman.

Roy Hemmings Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £23.50/£22.50. Info 0845 2263510. Motown hits from original Drifters member.

Scene Red The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Scorned + Grave + Vision Quest Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £6. Info 029 2037 3144.

Metallic hardcore bands presented here by Greyscale.

Sorted Queens Hall, Narberth.

7pm, £13.50 adv. Info 01834 869323. Ska covers.

Stavszand Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

That’ll Be The Day Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £25.50/£24.50. Info 01686 614555. Nostalgia guff.

The Alarm + The

Morriston Orpheus Choir Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 4-11pm, £27.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Welsh rock faves play a gig to toast 30 years since their single A New South Wales, which also featured the Morriston Orpheus Choir. See Upfront.

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 Marley Experience Tour Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 6.30pm, £15. Info 01495 243252. Bob Marley tribute show.

Ultimate Floyd Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £18.

Info 01656 815995. Pink Floyd tribute band.

SUNDAY 30 JUNE Before The End Fest 2019 The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

2-11pm, £10/£8 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Featuring Thecityisours, As Flames Rise, Dearist, Lapyear, Lastelle, Cutting Teeth, Defeatist, Reclaimer, Homeland, Peaks, Out Cold, Penelope Tree and These Five Years. Mostly metalcore type stuff I think.

BoxCat The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. With more bands TBC plus a zine workshop.

Whatever that ends up being like, at least it won’t be the ‘zine workshop’ that Wayne Hemingway organised as part of a promotional festival for some Greenwich property developers the other day. What a wanker.

Bunker Melville Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £10/£8/£3 NUS. Info 01873 853167. Black Mountain Jazz gig, also part of Abergavenny Arts Festival.

Carrie Underwood + The Shires Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, from £35. Info 029 2022 4488. Pop country titan plus UK support.

Cor Meibion Machynlleth Gyda Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £15/£7.50 kids.

Info 01239 621200. Gwyl Fawr Aberteifi closing concert.

Cory Band Composition Prize 2019 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 3pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391.

Meirion Wynn Jones Bethel Chapel, Aberystwyth. 2.30pm, £10/£5. Info 01686 207100.

Organ recital; Gwyl Gregynog Festival event.

Omega Two Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Paul Weller + Miles Kane + Steve Mason Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £48.50. Info 029 2087 8100.

Sounds Fantastic: A Showcase For Young Musicians Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 3-5.15pm, £8 adv/free under-16s. Info 01239 841387.

Taking Care Of Elvis: The King Is Back St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £35/£32.

Info 029 2087 8444. With Ben Portsmouth as Elvis.

Tunes For Ty Hafan Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

5-8pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015. Charity evening in conjunction with the monthly Whitchurch Jam Session

event, although there isn’t one of those, if you follow.

stage SATURDAY 1 JUNE uA Midsummer Night’s Dream Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2 + 7pm, £10. Info 01874 611622. Presentred

by Brecon Little Theatre. On tomorrow also, at 2pm only.

Arthur Smith Gwyn Hall, Neath. 8pm, £15. Info 0300 3656677. Comedian of an 80s vintage opens this year’s Neath Comedy Festival, which runs at various places in the town all month.

Ceri Dupree The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01633 656757. With current tribute show The Ladies I Love. In Abertillery on Sat 8 Connie Orff Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30. Info 029 2063 6464. First in a weekly series of Supper Clwb nights, whose price includes a cocktail, three small plates and live entertainment. Today, local drag sort Orff hosts a bill of Charlie Hides, Dixie Normous and Dolly Trolley.

Dance Stars Academy Goes To Hollywood Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

6.30pm, £8.50/£7.50. Info 01633 868239. Dance school revue.

Disney’s Alice In Wonderland Jr Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 2.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

Presented by Forge Drama.

Disney’s Alice In Wonderland Jr Town Hall, Maesteg. 2.30 + 6pm, £10.

Info 01656 815995. Presented

by Curtain Up. Doctor Dolittle Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £9.

Info 01633 263670. Musical, presented by the Sharon Higgins Musical Theatre Group.

Don Pasquale Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 01792 602060.

Donizetti’s opera, presented

by Welsh National Opera. In Milford Haven on Thurs 6.

Hancock & Co Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01646 695267. One-man show based on, and paying tribute to, Hancock’s Half Hour.

Hundred Percent Positive Witness Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.45pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391. Sonali Bhattacharyya’s play about a woman searching for her terminally ill sister. One of three plays at this venue which started in late May and finish today.

Kids Comedy Neath Castle. 1-3pm, free. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show for children, held in the castle grounds. uLexicon Bluestone, Narberth. 2 + 7pm, £18/£12 unwaged. Info 01239 621200.

NoFit State’s latest circus theatre production, presented here in conjunction with Theatr Mwldan. On at 4pm on Sun 2 and Sun 9; 7pm only on Wed 5 and Thurs 6. No performances on Mon 3 or Tue 4. (Until Sun 9) Mark Maier + Kiri

Pritchard-McLean + Craig Hill + Daliso Chaponda Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £19/£10 NUS. Info 0871 4720400.

Oliver! Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50/£8.50.

Info 029 2030 4400. Musical, presented by Actors Workshop. uResident Magicians The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £20. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Notably small (only 20 seats!) magic-centred Vale venue. On every Friday and Saturday this month (Sat 8 and Sat 29 sold out), with a special guest on Sat 22. uShrek The Musical New Theatre, Cardiff. 2 + 7pm, £14-£26. Info 029 2087 8889.

Presented by Orbit Theatre. On tomorrow also, at 2pm only.

Sing A Song Of Sixpence Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01685 384111. Heritage Theatre Cymru present a play about Mary Ann Rees, a Merthyr woman murdered in 1908 and now thought by some to haunt the town.

Theatre In Focus: Edward Albee Grand Theatre,

Ignacio Lopez. Also here on Sun 23.

Dan Thomas + Gilly Webb + Simon Bracey + Dai Davies The Cross Keys, Dinas Powys. 7-10pm, pay by donation. Info 07713 608814.

Lady Bunny Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £20/£35 VIP. Info 0871 4720400. Drag show titled Pig In A Wig. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

MONDAY 3 JUNE Al Murray St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £29.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Standup Comedy Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff.

7pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

Tom Stade Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01970 623232. Comedian who I would imagine is on a reasonable guarantee as a result of being a recognised performeron the circuit, indeed you might say he is ‘paid, made and Stade’.

TUESDAY 4 JUNE

Atomic Clock, a theatre company based between Cardiff and Bristol, perform their teen mental health-themed play Elephants (Are The Largest Land Mammals) in Cardiff coffee shop Little Man on Wed 5 and Thurs 6 June.

Swansea. 12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715. Fluellen present a talk about this playwright followed by a script-held reading of one of his plays. Held in the Circle Bar. The Crucible Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 7pm, £11.

Info 01792 475715. Presented

by Luna Theatre.

The Sicilian Courtesan Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391.

English language version of Lope De Vega’s Fenisa’s Hook.

The Wolves Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £6-£13.

Info 029 2039 1391. Sarah DeLappe’s play about an allgirl high school soccer team.

Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01656 815995.

Musical set in New York.

Wallace & Gromit’s Musical Marvels St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1.30 + 6pm, £21/£19. Info 029 2087 8444.

Animation meets live action meets a film screening meets an orchestral soundtrack.

Shout out to its managing director, who we interviewed via email for a preview last month and got all her answers back in pure undiluted press release speak.

SUNDAY 2 JUNE uComedy Sheep Freeview The Bluebell Hotel, Neath.

4.30-8.30pm, free. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show hosted by

Achilles Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £7.50£14. Info 01873 850805.

Greek myth presented here by Company Of Wolves. In Llanelli tomorrow; Pontardawe on Thurs 6. uDirty Dancing New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20£58. Info 029 2087 8889. You know what this is. On at 5pm and 8.30pm on Fri 7; 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 8. £13-£47 on Fri 7 (5pm); £22-£65 on Fri 7 (8.30pm) and Sat 8. (Until Sat 8) uPrimary Partners Grand Theatre, Swansea. 6.30pm, £5.50. Info 01792 475715.

Young people’s theatre. (Until Fri 7).

The Death Hilarious + Luke Biddle Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, pay by donation. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. You Will Laugh comedy night. More acts TBC. Trinity The Tuck Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20/£40 VIP. Info 0871 4720400. Joint winner of Drag Race season 4.

WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE Achilles Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510.

Chris Chopping + Prya Hall + Jon Matthews + Eliza Fraser + Firuz Ozari + Sam Lloyd + Ruth Hine The Albion, Penarth. 8pm, free. Info 029 2033 0743. Comedy night. uCotton Fingers Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2064 6900.

National Theatre Wales play by Rachel Tresize, set in Belfast

and Cardiff and concerning the recent repeal of the 8th Amendment. (Until Sat 8) uElephants (Are The Largest Land Mammals) Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff.

7pm, £5 adv. Info 07830 381930. Cardiff/Bristol theatre company Atomic Clock with a play whose teenage protagonist struggles with PTSD. On tomorrow also. uThe Late Christopher Bean Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 01792 473238. Comedy, originally in French, about an artist whose work is posthumously found to be valuable.

(Until Sat 8) THURSDAY 6 JUNE Achilles Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £11. Info 01792 863722.

Andrew O’Neill + Harriet Dyer The Duke, Neath.

8.30pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677.

Neath Comedy Festival show for comedian whose USP seems to be that he likes metal. In Newport tomorrow. uCompany The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£5. Info 029 2048 3344. Stephen Sondheim play about a single man in his mid-30s. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 8.

(Until Sat 8) Don Pasquale Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £7-£22. Info 01646 695267. uRhod Gilbert Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 8pm, £32.50.

Info 029 2022 4488. At least one of these three dates were sold out when I wrote the listing for Rhod’s May dates last issue, but none of them seem to be now. Also in Swansea on Wed 19 and Thurs 20, and I’m pretty sure those are sold out.

(Until Sat 8) Romeo A Juliet Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01874 611622.

Ballet, presented by Ballet Cymru. In Porthcawl on Thurs 13; Milford Haven on Wed 26.

FRIDAY 7 JUNE Andrew O’Neill Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, £5 adv.

Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Comedy Club Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10-£40. Info 0845 2263510. Opera by Jake Heggie, based on a book which also became a film. Part of this venue’s Freedom season of events.

Dan Thomas + James Dunn + Carl Jono Morgan + Daf Rhys + Rebekah Louise + Sarah Bridgeman The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £8.

Info 01497 821762. Comedy night.

Dead Man Walking Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, from £5. Info 029 2063 6464. Urdd Eisteddfod primary school theatre production. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 21.

George Egg Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. The first event of the Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival, which runs here tonight and tomorrow. Egg, if I can call him that, performs his Anarchist Cook set.

Hormonal Housewives Princess Royal Theatre, Port

Talbot. 7.30pm, £25.30. Info 01639 763214. “A hilarious romp through the joys of being a fabulous 21st century woman” whose list of subjects under discussion could have been plucked fresh from the 1970s, save for ‘online’ prefixing ‘shopping’. In Aberdare tomorrow.

Let’s Be Frank Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01656 815995. Excerpts from the comedy theatre repertoire of the late Frank Vickery. uNeither Here Nor There Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. A series of six-minute conversations (taking place onstage, hence it being in this section) by Jo Fong and Sonia Hughes in English; Eddie Ladd and Sara McGaughey in Welsh.

The Welsh performances are at 4pm tomorrow and Sun 9.

(Until Sun 9) Paul Merton’s Impro Chums The Riverfront, Newport. 8pm, £24/£22. Info 01633 656757. Off-the-dome sketches from Merton and a squad drawn partly from the classic Whose Line Is It Anyway? lineup, ie Mike McShane and Richard Vranch at the piano. In Porthcawl tomorrow.

Reginald D Hunter Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £23/£21. Info 01970 623232.Comedian wita a show titled Facing The Beast. In Porthcawl on Fri 14. uSpring Day + Gary Meikle + Ian Coppinger + Paul Myrehaug Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, minus Spring Day if that is her real name (£19/£10 NUS).

Stewart Francis St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £25. Info 029 2087 8444. Pun-favouring comedian, previewed in Buzz’s last issue.

‘Stute Comedy Nights Miners Institute, Blackwood.

8pm, £12.50/£11.50 adv. Info 01495 227206.

The Elvis Dead Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival show that links Elvis’ songs with the movie The Evil Dead.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Volcano, Swansea. 7pm, £12/£8. Info www.volcanotheatre.co.uk. A One Man Magic Lantern show based on this book and sponsored by the Labour party in this constituency.

SATURDAY 8 JUNE An Evening Of Musical Theatre Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30. Info 029 2063 6464. Supper Clwb night curated by David Mahoney and featuring Vikki Bebb, Steffan Rhys Hughes, Tom Hier and David George Harrington. uAs A Tiger In The Jungle Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01874 611622. Circus show where three performers from Nepal ask questions about life, love, poverty and greed.

On tomorrow also, at 2.30pm.

In Cardigan from Thurs 20-Sat 22.

Bert’s Magical Musical Kitchen Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 10.30am, £6.50.

BUZZ 75

BAFTA CYMRU JUNE 2019 In June we’ll be offering previews screenings of Welsh actor Tom Cullen’s SXSW festival-selected directorial debut Pink Wall. Cullen, who is known for his roles in Downton Abbey, Knightfall and Black Mirror made the film last summer in Wales with a cast including Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), American actor, director and producer Jay Duplass and Sule Rimi (Black Earth Rising, Stella).

A modern-day romance following the six-year relationship of Jenna and Leon, intimately told through defining moments along their journey together, the film explores how both friendship and resentments grow as the pressures of adult life confront them. The screenings will be in Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre on Wed 12 June and Galeri, Caernarfon on Thurs 20 June, and will be followed by a Q&A with Tom and producer Jamie Adams. Public tickets can be booked now for both events.

Our entries are now closed for the 2019 Cymru Awards, with the breadth of entries received reflecting the growing strength of the industry, and we are starting on the process of hosting our juries. Nominations will be announced live on Facebook on Thurs 5 Sept and tickets will go on sale on the same date for the Awards, which will once again be hosted at St David’s Hall in Cardiff, on Sun 13 Oct. You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook to be among the first to find out who will be competing in our 26 craft, performance and production categories this year. The recipients of this year’s Special Awards will be made at our nominees party in October.

The BAFTA Cymru membership year starts on Sat 1 June, with new applications flooding in from students, career starters and professionals. If you would like to apply to join the other 900 members, please have a look at all the benefits of membership, including free cinema, on our website.

Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 76

Info 01873 850805. Tiddly Prom cuisine-based kids’ theatre.

Ceri Dupree The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £15/£12.

Info 01495 355945.

Christian Reilly Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, £5.

Info 029 2030 4400. Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival set.

Foiled St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 2, 3.30 + 5.30pm, free.

Info 029 2087 8444. Recording of a Radio Wales comedy set in a hair salon. Book in advance please.

Gary Meikle Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £12. Info 0871 4720400. Scottish comedian who was here the last two nights on the Glee weekend bill, I guess he’ll get a longer set today though.

Hormonal Housewives Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare.

7.30pm, £26. Info 0300 0040444 Ignacio Lopez Cardiff Bus Transport Club. 8pm, £5.50 adv. Info 029 2023 3658.

Comedy night, more acts TBC. Jeff Japers Neath Cricket Club. 8.30pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show.

Mad About The Musicals Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £17/£15. Info 01495 227206. Songs from famous musicals, performed by people who have a deeply-held grievance with the format.

Mark Watson Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £20.

Info 029 2064 6900. UK comedian with new show on the subject of empathy.

Orpheus Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £10/£8. Info 01970 623232. Greek myth rebooted in a modern-day context, with elements of spoken word and acoustic songwriting as well as theatre.

Orpheus Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07818 056599. This one is performed

by The Flanagan Collective from north Yorkshire.

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £22.50/£21.50.

Info 01656 815995.

Seymour Mace Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival set titled – not a little edgily I might add! – Gets Sucked Off

By God. Steve McNeil Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Go Faster Stripe Comedy Festival set.

The Canterbury Tales Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. Performed by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

SUNDAY 9 JUNE Larry Dean Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6pm, £11/£10.

Info 029 2030 4400. Comedian with a show titled Bampot.

He’s Scottish you see.

Mark Watson Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 8pm, £19.

Info 01239 621200.

NP Dance Academy Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 07852 824393.

Classical ballet variations. uRough As Comedy The Bluebell Hotel, Neath.

4.30-8.30pm, free. Info 0300 3656677. Swansea standup night, here as part of Neath Comedy Festival ans also on Sun 16.

MONDAY 10 JUNE Arzak Ensemble Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. New work staged in the foyer and featuring an exploration of the seven deadly sins. uStones In His Pockets New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50-£29.50. Info 029 2087 8889. Comedy about an Irish village turned into a location for a big movie. Been here a few times before. On a 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 13 (£11.50-£24.50 at 2.30pm) and Sat 14. £15.50-£31.50 on Fri 14 and Sat 15. (Until Sat 15) TUESDAY 11 JUNE uFishing Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. One-woman show by Esme Allen. Talks about shagging and that, warn the venue. On at 2pm and 7.15pm on Fri 14. (Until Sat 15) uPwy ‘Sgrifennodd Honna? Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2064 6900.

Rehearsed readings of plays by local playwrights Melangell Dolma, Cai Llewelyn Evans, Gruffudd Eifion Owen and Lowri Morgan. On tomorrow also; in Llanelli on Tue 18 and Aberystwyth on Wed 19. uThings We Do For Love Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £8.50-£12.50. Info 01633 263670. Alan Ayckbourn play presented by Newport Playgoers Society. On at 2.30pm and 7.15pm on Sat 15.

(Until Sat 15) uTwelve Cabins Twelve Vacancies Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £10/£8.

Info 029 2030 4400. New play

by Company Of Sirens which reflects on loss and tragedy through the prism of the movie Psycho. On tomorrow also, at 6.30pm and 8pm.

WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE A Night On Broadway Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£4. Info 029 2039 1391.

Songs from Porgy And Bess plus other musicals. uHenry V Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.15pm, £13.50/£11.50. Info 01792 475715. Presented by Fluellen.

On tomorrow also, at at 1pm and 7.15pm.

Steffan Alun + Jessie Nixon + Cal Stewart M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 029 2047 3373. Second in this monthly series of queer standup, titled Sensitive Comedy.

The Consul Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10-£40. Info 029 2063 6464. Gian Carlo Menotti’s 1950 opera, part of this venue’s season of events under the Freedom banner.

THURSDAY 13 JUNE Comedy Club Town Hall, Maesteg. 7.30pm, £5.50. Info 01656 815995. With three comedians TBC and host Paul James. uFondly Remembered Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01600 772467. Amateur production

set in a memorial service for someone who could be remembered in a variety of ways.

(Until Sat 15) uHaywire Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £9.50£8.50. Info 01873 850805.

Farce presented by the Abergavenny Theatre Group.

(Until Sat 15) Matt Price + Peter Brush The Duke, Neath. 8.30pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show. uMrs Brown’s Boys D’Musical? Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27£47. Info 029 2022 4488. Well don’t leave us hanging like that Brendan, is it d’musical or isn’d it? On at 1pm and 6.30pm on Sat 15; 1pm only on Sun 16. (Until Sun 16) Robin Morgan + Jenny Collier The Small Space, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk. Two comedians doing Edinburgh Fringe preview shows. The title of Morgan’s is 18 words long so most places either won’t be able to write it in full or they’ll be annoyed at having to do so.

Romeo A Juliet Grand Pvilion, Porthcawl. 6.30pm, £13.50-£17.50. Info 01656 815995. uRwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 1pm, £10/£7. Info 01239 621200. Welsh language kids’ show. On tomorrow also, at 10am. In Brecon on Wed 26; Newtown on Fri 28.

The Comedy Of Operas Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. REPCo production. uThe Top Table Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £9/£7. Info 0845 2263510.

Ammanford Community Theatre with the premiere of their new comedy. (Until Sat 15) FRIDAY 14 JUNE Buttons Undone The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 01633 656757.

Owen Money’s saucy panto which seems incapable of stopping touring. uGer Staunton + Alasdair Beckett-King + The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue + Matt Reed Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, minus Staunton (£19/£10 NUS).

Little Meerkat’s Big Panic Miners Institute, Blackwood.

10am-5pm, £5.50/£4.50. Info 01495 227206. First of two plays (the other, Crabby, is on tomorrow) specifically designed to help kids explore emotions in a playful, sensory, musical, and interactive way.

Features four sessions across the day, each with a 20-minute performance and 30-minute play/workshop. uMulan Jr Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £8-£11. Info 01970 623232. Disney musical presented by Aberystwyth Arts Centre Stage School. On tomorrow also. FYI the words “Larry Mulan Jr” currently returns a single Google result, Reginald D Hunter Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £21.50. Info 01656 815995.

The Neon Burlesque: Black Summer The Neon,

Newport. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01633 533666. Burlesque from Joe Black, NuttyBoltz, FooFoo LaBelle, Kitty Katastrophy, Vixie Rouge, Cardiff Cabaret Club and guests plus more TBC. The Prisoner + Fidelio Act II Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £5-£40. Info 029 2063 6464.

Double bill of opera, part of this venue’s season of events under the Freedom banner.

SATURDAY 15 JUNE Barbara Nice + Josh Elton + Paul James Miners Welfare Hall, Resolven.

8.30pm, £10. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show.

Cardiff Cabaret Club Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30. Info 029 2063 6464.

Supper Clwb night featuring FooFoolaBelle Stage Door Johnny, Miss Betty Blue Eyes, Vixie Rouge, Goldie Luxe, Kittie Katasrophe and Arabella Sparkles.

Crabby Miners Institute, Blackwood. 10am-2pm, £5.50/£4.50. Info 01495 227206. Features three sessions across the day, each with a 35-minute performance and 15-minute play/workshop.

Gwyl Maesteg Festival Variety Show Town Hall, Maesteg. 7pm, £7. Info 01656 815995.

Join The Circus Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 2 + 6pm, £10/£9. Info 01633 868239.

This is presented by The Vibe but I’m not actually sure what it is.

Romeo & Juliet Chepstow Castle. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. First of seven outdoor theatre perrformances this month and next in this location. This one is presented

by Heartbreak.

RSD Dance Extravaganza Park & Dare, Treorchy. 1 + 5pm, £8/£7.50. Info 0300 0040444. Featuring pupils from Richards School Of Dance.

SUNDAY 16 JUNE Private Lives Chepstow Castle. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. Noël Coward’s comedy, presented by Heartbreak.

MONDAY 17 JUNE uAvenue Q New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£28.

Info 029 2087 8889. Puppets!

Swearing! American! On at 5pm and 8.30pm on Fri 21; 4pm and 8pm on Sat 22. £18£34 from Tue 18-Thurs 20 plus 4pm Sat 22; £19-£37 on Fri 21 and 8pm Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) BoxFull Of Pop Culture Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Live sketch comedy night.

When In Roam Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12/£10.

Info 0845 2263510. Project combining dance/movement, spoken word and music in four languages (Welsh, Spanish, French and English).

TUESDAY 18 JUNE Electrolyte Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£16. Info 029 2064 6900.

Gig theatre (ie live music with a fictional narrative) exploring mental health.

Howling Hilarity Congress

Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £8.

Info 01633 868239. Theatre AdHoc with a night fundraising for various charities. uMatthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £18-£44. Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront for more on this lavish, innovative ballet. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 20 and Sat 22. £21-£47 on Fri 21 and Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) Pwy ‘Sgrifennodd Honna?

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, free.

Info 0845 2263510.

Starlight Showcase Memorial Hall, Criccieth. 7pm, £8/£6 kids. Info 07790 830367.

Variety show. Criccieth Festival event.

The Ballroom Boys The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £29.50/£27.50. Info 01633 656757. With dance pros Ian Waite and Vincent Stone, plus live music and “loads of banter”. uY Brain / Kargalar Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £15/£12. Info 029 2030 4400. Be Aware Productions with a play based around writer and protagonist Meltem Arikan, who moved to Wales from Turkey and here tackles the dual identity which has resulted. On tomorrow also.

WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE Let’s Be Frank! Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0300 0040444.

Comedy and music celebrating the life of Valleys playwright Frank Vickery.

Pwy ‘Sgrifennodd Honna?

Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, free. Info 01970 623232. uRhod Gilbert Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £29.50. Info 01792 475715. On tomorrow also but both dates are sold out.

Stick By Me Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 11am + 2.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01874 611622. Kids’ show about the importance of small things.

Studio Comedy Club Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12/£9 adv. Info 029 2064 6900.

The Great Train Robbery Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £14.50/£12.50. Info 01495 227206. Physical comedy theatre courtesy of all-female Devonian company Scratchworks. uThe Three Musketeers The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £17.50. Info 01633 656757. Comedy adventure from local theatre group Le Navet Bete. On tomorrow also.

THURSDAY 20 JUNE uAs A Tiger In The Jungle Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £8-£12. Info 01239 621200. On at 2pm and 6pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) Dolly Chicken Comedy: Fun At The Flute Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, £7.50/£6 adv. Info dollychickencomedy@gmail. com. Featuring Tom Glover, Sarah Breese, Priya Louise Hall and Frankie Dore plus MC Anita Shaw. uMade In Dagenham Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. One of the more recent working clarse musical comedies, presented here by

THE THREE MUSKETEERS The Riverfront, Newport. Wed 19 + Thurs 20 June. Tickets: £17.50. Info: 01633 656757 / tickets.newportlive.co.uk Brought to us by Exeter theatre company Le Navet Bete, this comedy romp brings us one of history’s most beloved tales – only with a few more baguettes. Audiences will follow the ups and downs of impressionable D’Artagnan as he attempts to fulfil his dreams of becoming a musketeer, armed with nothing but the world’s least intimidating sword, and a rather questionable trusty steed. In an ambitious artistic decision, the four actors will attempt to portray over 30 characters; however, with the direction of John Nicholson (who also co-directed hit show Peepolykus), and the choreography of the renowned Lee Anderson MBE, it’s no doubt the show will be a riotous laugh.

New Venture Players. (Until Sat 22) Stephanie Laing + Andrew Rutledge The Duke, Neath. 8.30pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show.

To Whom It May Concern Town Hall, Maesteg. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01656 815995.

Lunchtime theatre presented

by Fluellen. uTransporter Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 10am + 1pm, £9/£7 schools. Info 029 2064 6900. Theatr Iolo and The Riverfront with a fantastical yet politically trenchant play about a girl in her early teens searching for “the last safe place on earth”. On at 10am, 1pm and 7pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) FRIDAY 21 JUNE uLike A Thief In The Night Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510.

Amateur theatre presented by the Play For Fun Group. On tomorrow also. uSean McLoughlin + Bobby Mair + Mandy Knight Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS), one more comic TBC for both nights.

Seren Stars: This Is Us Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

1.15pm, £5/£3.50. Info 01874 611622. Theatre project featuring students from three locals schools/colleages.

The Chicago Blues Brothers Gwyn Hall, Neath.

7.30pm, £24.20. Info 0300 3656677.

The Noise Next Door Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01495 227206. Comedy troupe.

SATURDAY 22 JUNE ABC Of Opera Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1pm, £5. Info 029 2039 1391. Family show hosted by Mark Llewelyn Evans. uBrundibár Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Hans Krása’s children’s opera, performed by WNO Youth Opera and directed by David Pountney. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 5pm.

Matt Rees + Saskia Preston The Riverfront,

Newport. 7.45pm, £12.50. Info 01633 656757. Two standups perform the Edinburgh preview sets that choke the schedules at this time of year.

Mayzmusik Summer Showcase 2019 Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 12.30 + 6pm, £7.50/£6. Info 01873 850805.

Mike Bubbins + Ignacio Lopez + Eleri Morgan + Leroy Brito Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30. Info 029 2063 6464. Supper Clwb night of comedy.

Morgan & West’s Magic Show For Kids And Childish Grown-Ups! Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

2.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

Paul James + Ignacio Lopez + Anna Kerile + Sheep & Mash Neath Rugby Club. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0300 3656677. Neath Comedy Festival show.

Rich Hall Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 8pm, £17. Info 01686 614555.

SUNDAY 23 JUNE Drag Syndrome Tramshed, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5 adv/free for learning disabled people and their parents/carers. Info 029 2023 5555. Ernie Sparkles hosts a troupe of drag artists who all have Down Syndrome.

This is part of the Mencap Cymru Big Learning Disability Week Party.

Stars In Their Eyes Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01639 763214. Presented by Dance Wales UK TUESDAY 25 JUNE Ari Shaffir Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £18. Info 0871 4720400. Jewish comedian with a show titled Jew. Can’t say fairer than that. uFaulty Towers: The Dining Experience Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £46. Info 029 2063 6464. This again.

On at 1pm and 7.30pm on Sat 29 and Sun 30. £56 from Fri 28-Sun 30. (Until Sun 30) Rhythm Of The Dance Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £25.80. Info 0300 3656677.

Irish dance bonanza doing a 35th anniversary tour. uSeasons Of Gang Show

Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7pm, £10. Info 01633 263670.

Courtesy of The Newport Scout And Guide Gang Show.

(Until Sat 29) uSioe Criw CICA Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £8-£12. Info 01239 621200.

Welsh language musical performed by local youth group Criw CICA. Also on Thurs 27.

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £11.50. Info 01792 475715. uGlutz Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

10am + 6pm, £2-£10. Info 029 2039 1391. Family puppetry production taking place in the Anthony Hopkins Centre Courtyard here. On at 11am and 2.30pm on Sat 29 and Sun 30. (Until Sun 30) Memories And The Future Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 5.30pm, £5.

Info 0845 2263510. Amateur theatre presented by Ysgol Gynradd Pum Heol. uRicky Gervais Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, from £36. Info 029 2022 4488.

What’s worse, in 2019, than the public persona of Ricky Gervais? People doing heavyhanded satires of that persona, of course, so let’s not do that.

Anyway this date looks to be sold out but the one on tomorrow doesn’t seem to be.

Romeo A Juliet Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £8-£15.50. Info 01646 695267.

Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

10am, £10/£8. Info 01874 611622. 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 Sat 29 and Tue 2 July. (Until Wed 3 July) uThe Sound Of Music Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7pm, £14.50. Info 01639 763214. Musical, presented by Stage 8. On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 29. (Until Sat 29) THURSDAY 27 JUNE Death And The Maiden Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

8pm, £14/£12. Info 01600

772467. Classic thriller presented by Baroque Theatre Company. uHi-De-Hi! Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£15 under18s. Info 0333 6663366. This 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 29 and sat 6 July. No performance on Sun 30. (Until Sat 6 July) Kiri Pritchard Mclean + Pat Cahill + Stuart Laws Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Little Wander’s Comedy Club night.

Life Lines The Gate, Cardiff.

7-10pm. Info 029 2048 3344.

This features a live band, four actors and eight life models.

Whatr exactly happens beyond this is not obvious but it is billed as “participatory”.

The Horne Section St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £27.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Musical comedy troupe.

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre + Noel James The Duke, Neath.

8.30pm, £5. Info 0300 3656677.

Neath Comedy Festival show.

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 28 JUNE Aspergers Are Us Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11/£9. Info 029 2030 4400.

Sketch troupe comprising people on the autism spectrum (time was you would have halfexpected it to just be an ‘edgy’ name). See Upfront for more.

Calon 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 July; 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 6 July. See Stage. (Until Sat 6 July) uChristian Schulte-Loh + Jimmy McGhie + Phil Jerrod + John Fothergill Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with

food and a drink. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS).

Comedy Shed The Riverfront, Newport. 8.15pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757.

With standups TBC. Jethro Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01600 772467.

Ruff National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. The Split Britches Performance Company with a play in which one Peggy Shaw looks back at the last 70 years of her life.

Rwtsh Ratsh Rala Rwdins Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

10am, £10/£7 kids. Info 01686 614555.

Wuthering Heights Chepstow Castle. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981.

Presented by Heartbreak.

SATURDAY 29 JUNE Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves Chepstow Castle.

7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 01291 625981. Presented by Illyria.

Cafficadabra Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8-10pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400.

Magic from Joseff Badman in the bar.

Dance Blast Annual Showcase 2019 Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £8/£5. Info 01873 850805.

Interior Designs Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715. Lunchtime theatre presented by Fluellen.

Paul Sinha + Paul James Gwyn Hall, Neath.

8pm, £15. Info 0300 3656677.

Final Neath Comedy Festival show of this year.

The Rubber Chicken Players Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7-10pm, £10/£7.

Info 01495 243252. Ty Hafan fundraiser variety night.

BUZZ 77

COMPETITIONS HOW TO WIN: Unless otherwise stated, our competitions are generally shared on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

To enter a competition, keep an eye on our social media channels and click ‘like’ and ‘share’ when published. Alternatively, email competitions@buzzmag.co.uk with the name of the competition in the subject line and up to two sentences on why you think you should win the competition. The more original you are, the better your chances.

TWO TICKETS TO PORTSTOCK AT RODNEY PARADE, NEWPORT Following on from the success of last year’s debut, this oneday music event is back on 22nd June. This family-friendly event is headlined by Stereo MC’s and also features bands including the Darling Buds and Ska Monkeys. Additionally, the event is all in aid of St David’s Hospice Care.

TWO TICKETS TO ROMEO AND JULIET AT WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF BAY Matthew Bourne’s contemporary reimagining of the Shakespeare classic is bursting with young talent and vitality.

The star-crossed young lovers, confined against their will in a society that forbids their being together, must risk all as they follow their hearts. A theatrical tragedy not to be missed: a pair of tickets for the Wed 19 June performance are on offer.

TWO TICKETS TO CARDIFF FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING AT CARDIFF CITY HALL A dynamic mix of vegetarian and vegan food, workshops, lectures, and music is coming to Cardiff on Sat 22 June.

Providing a platform for people in Wales to meet, learn about, and enjoy a natural way of living, the event will be buzzing with exhibitors and therapists alike. Indulge yourself in therapeutic treatments and enjoy some holistic retail therapy.

TWO TICKETS TO THE ALARM AT CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION The Alarm will be coming to Cardiff University for a musical Midsummer Gathering on Sat 29 June. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of single A New South Wales, the Welsh band will be reuniting with the Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir, who sang on the original recording back in June 1989 at the BBC Wales Studios.

TWO TICKETS TO CALON LÂN AT GRAND THEATRE, SWANSEA Translated as Pure Heart, this musical tale of passion, sacrifice, love, and pride tells the remarkable true story of Swansea miner Evan Roberts. Dealing with the struggles of life in industrial Wales in 1904, Evan Roberts finds himself fighting pillars of the church, mine owners, and union leaders armed only with his faith and a group of teenage girls known as The Singers Of Dawn.

T&Cs: WE DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR T H E S E C O M P E T I T I O N S T O B E R E P L I C AT E D ANYWHERE ELSE

BUZZ 78

The very first moving pictures in Wales were shown in 1894 at the Philharmonic Hall on St Mary Street, Cardiff.

They were not projected movies however, but coin-inslot “peepshow” machines.

In a scene in the Forrest Gump novel that was omitted from the hit movie, Forrest travels into space with NASA. Returning to Earth he crash-lands on an island inhabited by cannibals and only survives by beating the head cannibal at chess.

In an average week, 578,000 people across the UK watch the Welsh language channel S4C.

Russian scientist Constantin Perskyi coined the word ‘television’ in 1900.

The first ‘talkie’ fiction film produced in the Welsh language was Y Chwarelwr (The Quarryman). It was made in 1934 by Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards.

When filming The Wizard Of Oz, the dog who played Toto had a salary of $125 a week.

The Dangers Of Ignorance is a 1928 film about venereal disease. When first screened in Cardiff, male and female viewers were segregated and had to attend separate screenings.

The average 65-year-old person has seen over two million television commercials over the course of their life.

Godzilla’s iconic roar was actually the sound of a leather glove being rubbed across the strings of a double bass.

In 1898, decades before large format 70mm films became popular in Hollywood, a 70mm film of Conwy Castle was shot from a moving locomotive by the British Biograph Company.

Though the movie Jurassic Park is over two hours long, the dinosaurs are only on screen for around 15 minutes.

The inventor of the first fully-functioning television, Philo Farnsworth, would not allow his own children to watch it.

(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!

WE ARE #CARDIFFMET

NI YW #METCAERDYDD www.cardiffmet.ac.uk

CROSSTOWW N CONCERTS

W

P R E S E N T S

PLUS

PLUS YUSSEF DAYES

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE

THURSDAY 27 JUNE

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CODA AGENCY

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH UNITED TALENT AGENCY

UK TOUR

SILENT ALARM PLUS AND L I Z

L AW R E N C E

T SOLD OU

PLUS AND

FRIDAY 28 JUNE

SATURDAY 29 JUNE

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH 13 ARTISTS

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH X-RAY

SUNDAY 02 JUNE 2019

THE EXCHANGE BRISTOL

METHYLETHEL.COM

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

SUNDAY 30 JUNE

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH BLOW UP LIVE

CANONS MARSH AMPHITHEATRE BRISTOL HARBOURSIDE @BRISTOLSOUNDS

|

T @BRISTOL_SOUNDS

|

f /BRISTOLSOUNDSOFFICIAL

SUBJECT TO LICENCE

13 september

uk europe 2019 pixiesmusic.com

motorpoint arena

TRAMSHED CARDIFF

The New Album RECKLESS AND ME Out Now

cardiff

by arrangement with ATC

by arrangement with x-ray

CARDIFF

14+ . 7pm komedia . bath wednesday 27th november

THE NEW ALBUM GALLIPOLI OUT NOW ON 4AD

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CODA AGENCY

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

BRISTOLTICKETSHOP.CO.UK - TICKETMASTER.CO.UK TICKETWEB.UK - SEETICKETS.COM - GIGANTIC.COM @CROSSTOWN_LIVE -

/CROSSTOWNCONCERTS -

@CROSSTOWNCONCERTS

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

SUNDAY 25 AUGUST

TRAMSHED

BEIRUT

new album - out september 2019

UK TOUR 2019

TUESDAY 15 OCTOBER