Buzz March 2015

CH 2015

T’S ON GUIDE. MAR SOUTH WALES WHA

DYLAN MORAN TAKES ON

BOOK WORM:

THE MACHINES

BUZZ'S BIG BOOK ISSUE

HORIZONS 2015 MUSICIANS ON TOUR

MATTHEW BOURNE'S LATEST PRODUCTION PLUS SJ WATSON | INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY | 2.8 HOURS | FILM FESTIVALS

Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Sunday Express, Sunday Telegraph, The Independent, The Mail On Sunday, The Times

‘Extraordinary and Unmissable.’

Time Magazine

Cynhyrchiad rhagorol y

YN SEILIEDIG AR Y NOFEL GAN BASED ON THE NOVEL BY

MARK HADDON

WEDI’I HADDASU GAN ADAPTED BY

SIMON STEPHENS

Ebrill 14 - 18 April 2015

march2015

buzz...

04roundup

publisher EMMA CLARK editor HEATHER ARNOLD listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER film technician (buzz tv) JAYDON MARTIN administration TERESA CLARK designer MARK EDWARDS

10upfront

contributors RYAN HEEGER (CLUBS), KEIRON SELF (FILM), JENNIFER ALLAN, LLOYD BEST, BEN GALLIVAN, DAVID GRIFFITHS, RHIANON HOLLEY, ALYS HURN, PAUL JENKINS, JENNI KAMPF, JENNIFER MAGUY, GARETH MOULE, DAN MULLER, DAMI OKHIRIA, CHRIS PEACH, RACHAEL PHILLIPS, KEVIN PICK, CHARLIE PIERCEY, NATHANIEL PLEVYAK, RHONDA LEE REALI, HUGH RUSSELL, CHRIS SEAL, WILL STEEN, REBECCA WILSON phone number 029 2022 6767 general enquiries info@buzzmag.co.uk editorial editorial@buzzmag.co.uk listings listings@buzzmag.co.uk advertising marketing@buzzmag.co.uk accounts accounts@buzzmag.co.uk

“...and we started an alfresco six o’clock supper club right on the pavement!”

Books. Treasured by many in an increasingly digital world, us folks in print media regard these beasts as deadly rivals for the precious eye-time of the literate.

This month, though, we’re extending the olive branch with a four-page books special, amidst coverage of Edward Scissorhands, Dylan Moran and more

30film

Hey, nice product placement for Apple in the publicity shot for praised-by-Keiron-Self movie Still Alice!” – you on an Adbusters tip. If it makes you feel better, our Mac has been slow as hell and crashing a lot this month

32food&drink

BUZZ MAGAZINE 220C Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY published EAC PUBLISHING

Of all the people mentioned in this section – Ching He-Huang, Barack Obama, St David, St Patrick, James Kennedy, Illtud Llyr Dunsford and two guys off Masterchef – I’ve only been to ONE of their farms and eaten squirrel stew in the rain. Who knows what the future holds, though

contents by MORGAN DIVINE cover EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

36previews

‘The DM Reporter’ is an unfunny Twitter account which attempts to satirise the Daily Mail, something the paper does a far better job of itself. Buzz’s own DM reporter, however, is the tireless Daniel Muller, who wrote the Stage section singlehandedly this month

44reviews

As they were removed from the albums page for space reasons, I’ll use this bit to tell you that the debut mini-album from Darlia is “a contender for the worst record of 2015” (me), while the Rezillos’ comeback album is “not good” (Will Steen, although I actually thought it was alright)

49lifestyle

More sops to the book-reading community, who get enough kudos and undeserved respect as it is.

Imagine that guy in the T-shirt sidling up to you in Waterstones, clearing his throat before letting you know he's just been checking out the Smart Thinking section

50sport

A Hula Hoop potato crisp makes an ideal actual hula hoop for, I dunno, a very big centipede or something.

An actual hula hoop, such as the one editor Heather used in her hula hooping try-out session this month, makes an ideal snack for a goat. Probably

51listings

I just noticed Simon Munnery and Stewart Lee are playing Cardiff on the same night this month. Big prizes on offer for anyone graceless enough to go up to one of them after their set, point this fact out and then harangue them to try and meet up for a drink in town

70competitions

Q. Where were the Bee Gees born? A. A nest

www.buzzmag.co.uk • www.twitter.com/buzz_magazine • www.facebook.com/buzzsouthwales

roundup

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

BRIEFLY

pic: Nick Treharne/WWF Cymru

EVENT

EARTH HOUR Protecting our planet isn’t just the job of government groups; it is down to us on an individual basis as well! This proactive attitude is what has inspired the international energy-saving event Earth Hour.

The World Wildlife Fund are encouraging people to think about how they use energy by getting people around the world to switch off their lights for just one hour on Sat 28 Mar. Last year saw 400,000 people across Wales take part with the Senedd, Caernarfon Castle and the Newport Transporter Bridge being a few prominent landmarks jumping on board with the green initiative.

This year, prestigious Welsh venues set to embrace the darkness include the National Library Of Wales in Aberystwyth and St David’s Hall in Cardiff.

If you fancy a bite on the night then you can use it as an excuse to have a candlelit dinner or attend a Dine In The Dark event. Hotels and restaurants supporting Earth Hour in Wales include Milgi Lounge, Radisson Blu and the Future Inn in Cardiff, plus Newport's Hilton.

Earth Hour, 8pm, Sat 28 March. Info: www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour

CARDIFF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL Toddlers and teens, get your bookmarks ready: the next chapter of Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival is about to begin: wonderful characters, strange dinosaurs and rainbow fairies are landing in Cardiff. For the third consecutive year the festival will be providing budding authors and avid readers with over 50 events, ranging from storytelling to walking tours, as a host of local and national contemporary authors, illustrators and poets arrive in the capital to celebrate the written word (in both English and Welsh). Throughout the five days of performances and presentations, local scribes-to-be can learn to write and illustrate their own scary story with Eurig Salisbury, author and illustrator of Lleuad Yn Olau; delve into rhythm and cadence, human beatbox style, with the advice of rapper Mr Phormula (real name Ed Holden); and immerse themselves in the wonderful world of fairy tales, participating in a Rainbows Magic Party with Daisy Meadows.

Venues across Cardiff, Tue 24-Sun 29 Mar. Tickets: £4/£3. Info: 029 2023 0130 / www.cardiffchildrenslitfest.com

BUZZ 04

WALES will be heading to Venice this year, as part of the Venice Biennale international art exhibition.

Contemporary artist Helen Sear will be representing Cymru Yn Fenis/ Wales In Venice in May, with her 30 years of working as an artist in the country. The exhibition, curated by the artistic eyes at Ffotogallery, will also be Wales’ first ever female solo exhibition in Venice.

Info: www.facebook.com/ WalesInVenice

• ARTISTS TAKE NOTE: the Kim Fielding Awards (KFA) are taking entries. The award was created in memory of the energetic, experimental Welsh artist Kim Fielding, who sadly passed away last year, with the aim of encouraging artists to experiment, innovate and transform. The winner will not only take home the £5,000 prize money, but will also benefit from the connections and experience of the KFA itself.

Info: www.kimfielding.org

• FULLY FLEDGED grownups aren’t the only ones making films these days as Zoom International Youth Film Festival, Wales’ largest film festival for young people, returns to South Wales. From Mon 23 to Fri 27 Mar, the BAFTA Cymru supported festival will be hosting a number of TV and film-inspired workshops in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen, Caerphilly and Bridgend. The final day of the festival will include the Zoom Young Filmmaker Awards, in which the works of young filmmakers will get the recognition they deserve.

Info: www.zoomcymru.com

CARDIFF FILM AND COMIC CON What do Darth Maul, a brothel madam and a world boxing champion have in common? They are all going to be guests at Cardiff Film And Comic Con this month.

Movie buffs, cosplayers and general film and comic book fans will be taking over the Motorpoint Arena for a weekend to snap up autographs, take part in masterclasses and peruse stalls full of curios and paraphernalia.Guests announced so far include James Masters (best known for his role as Spike in Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Myanna Burning (of Decent and Ripper Street fame), Ray Park (Darth Maul himself) and Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones’ Jorah Mormont).

Those are just the film stars though. There will be plenty of renowned comic book artists, such as Simon Bisley and Cary Nord, and wrestling stars Bob ‘Hardcore’ Holly, Colt Cabana and David Hart Smith Jr.

EVENT

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Sat 21 + Sun 22 Mar. Tickets: £8-£15 day / £14-£172.50 weekend / £20 family ticket / £4 under 12s / under 4s free Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.filmandcomicconcardiff.com

BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN TOURS WALES

MUSIC

When watching a young musicians competition, you naturally expect a high-quality performance from each contestant. A perfect rendition of a slow movement by classical prodigy Johannes Brahms, however, is something a bit special. That is exactly what cellist and BBC Young Musician winner Laura Van Der Heijden did.

Laura has now been invited by conductor Gareth Jones to join Sinfonia Cymru, meaning she will join the troupe in their 2015 Welsh tour.

Now 17, Laura will be upping her game one step further, performing one of the great 20th century cello pieces, Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Of course, this is all (rather remarkably) in the midst of her A-level study and preparation for her performance with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Various venue across Wales, Thurs 26-Sun 29 Mar. Tickets: £4-£13. Info: www.sinfoniacymru.co.uk

EVENT

2.8 HOURS OF ZOMBIES We’ve all done a zombie impression at one point or another, whether it was a vague attempt at humour at a Halloween or simply an unintentional one you’ve done when getting out of bed on a Monday morning.

This is nothing compared to the skills and scale of ‘urban zombie chase game’ 2.8 Hours Later.

The game throws ticket holders into a fictional living-dead filled version of Cardiff, where they must move fast, think quick and make their way across the zombie-laden city.

It has been five years since people became infected with a virus that turns them into flesh eating monsters – worse still is the fact that a rare strain of the disease has spread across the globe and, for the last four years, not a single child has been born. It is now the job of the 2.8 Hours Later participants, and the resistance movement they have joined, to find the last uninfected group of kids. Unfortunately they’ve been captured by a warlord with an army of the dead… this is no easy-going game experience.

2.8 Hours Later, Cardiff, Thurs 19-Sat 28 Mar. Tickets: £38.

Info: www.2.8hourslater.com BUZZ 05

roundup

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

JONATHAN EDWARDS Local poet Jonathan Edwards tells Heather Arnold about his Costa Poetry Prize-winning debut book My Family And Other Superheroes.

What was your reaction when you found out you won the Costa Poetry Prize?

Amazement! Previous winners of the award include Carol Ann Duffy and Jo Shapcott and, in its previous incarnation, Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney. These are my poetic superheroes, whose work I’ve studied and taught to my students for years, so to find myself on that list was incredible!

Can you tell me about My Family And Other Superheroes?

For me, the book’s title has two important meanings. The first is that a lot of the poems are about my typical Valleys family, but I try to describe them by reference to fantastical pop culture figures and situations. So there’s a poem that imagines that the 1970s stunt motorcycle rider Evel Knievel is jumping over, for once not double decker buses and monster trucks, but rather members of my family.

Another poem focuses on the visit of Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren to the tiny local mining village of Crumlin in the 1960s, to shoot this film Arabesque. It’s supposedly the place where my parents first met, so the poem uses all that to get to my parents as young people.

What is it about My Family And Other Superheroes that you think impressed the Costa judges?

FAVOURITE BOOK Jonathan Edwards Here Comes the Night

by Alan Gillis “He writes these amazing, long, ambitious, musical, beautiful, absolutely down-toearth poems. The opening poem in the collection, for example, is about receiving a Facebook friend request, but it’s about so much more than that.”

BUZZ 06

There’s a poem in the book called Building My Grandfather, which is about my father’s father, who was wounded at the Somme and died before I was born. One of the judges told me that when she got to that poem it made her cry, and then she knew. That was a lovely thing to hear.

Can you recall the first poem you ever wrote?

My Year Seven English teacher was an amazing guy called Mr Pateman, who used to take us out around school in our English lessons and get us to write experimental poems about the sounds we could hear. The first poem I wrote was in his class and, being a boy, it was about sport of course – an epic ballad about the Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry snooker final from the previous night!

My Family And Other Superheroes by Jonathan Edwards, Seren Books. Price: £9.99 paperback. Info: www.serenbooks.com

BOOK NOW CHAS & DAVE Grand Theatre, Swansea Thurs 2 Apr Tickets: £25-£27 Info: 01792 475715 www.swansea.gov.uk CIRQUE ELOIZE: CIRKOPOLIS Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Sun 8-Wed 11 Apr Tickets: £18-£25 Info: 029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Sat 14-Wed 18 Apr Tickets: £18-£47 Info: 029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk CAITLIN MORAN St David’s Hall, Cardiff Thurs 16 Apr Tickets: £25 Info: 029 2087 8444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk BEN HOWARD Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff Tues 21 Apr Tickets: £31 Info: 029 2022 4488 www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk JUDGEMENT DAY III Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Wed 25 Apr Tickets: £10 Info: 08700 138600 www.millenniumstadium.com RICH HALL Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot Tues 28 Apr Tickets: £16 Info: 01639 763214 www.nptartsandents.co.uk SEASICK STEVE St David’s Hall, Cardiff Tues 28 Apr Tickets: £23.50 Info: 029 2087 8444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

Blue 23 March

Philharmonia Orchestra 18 March

The Elvis Years 19 March

The Circus of Horrors 25 - 26 March

Capital City Jazz Orchestra 14 April

Van Morrison 27 April

The Simon and Garfunkel Story 17 April

Richard Herring 31 March

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac 15 March

roundup

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

pic: David Evans

FILM

pic: Annie Mole

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SOUTH WALES SECRET #52 Solva Harbour

Portable bookshop owner Jeff Towns has been all over Wales in his famous BookBus and, in honour of our big book-themed issue, we asked him what his ultimate South Wales Secret is.

“I love the feel and smell of books.”

Don’t we all! Even with all the great advantaged of digital literature (no more paper cuts!) people still have a strong love for ink and paper.

One such person is Jeff Towns, often known as ‘the Dylan Thomas Guy’, who decided to take books on the road after his bookshop in Swansea changed hands.

“Selling books the old way – in a shop – got a bit tough when e-books, Amazon & Kindles took over,” Jeff explains, “but the BookBus is like a portable pop-up shop that we can take to places where we know there'll be book lovers. Rhys Ifans, John Cooper Clarke and Gruff Rhys are now friends and customers!

“Our base is Swansea so we take the BookBus to Uplands Market every month and that's a really nice vibe. We do the Laugharne Weekend in April and when we're in Laugharne we park outside a fantastic little deli called The Ferryman. They sell local cheese, balsamic pickled onions, olives, wine and incredible homemade pies... and we started an alfresco six o'clock supper club right on the pavement!"

Though the tastes of The Ferryman are tempting, it itsn’t Jeff’s South Wales Secret: “Solva in Pembrokeshire takes the prize for my ultimate Secret Place.

“Last year the BookBus was invited down to St David's for the new Peter Blake exhibition and on the way back we stopped in Solva - and me and my son were extras in Kevin Allen's Under Milk Wood which was wonderfully surreal! Unfortunately the BookBus didn't make the cut but Solva on a sunny day has to be the most beautiful harbour in Wales.”

The BookBus will be at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Thurs 5 Mar + Uplands Market, Swansea, Sat 28 Mar. Info: www.facebook.com/ Dylansmobilebookstore

FAVOURITE BOOK Jeff Towns Catch 22

by Joseph Heller This dark satire is about an American bombardier, Yossarian, who is trying to get away from the dangers of war but is caught in the bureaucratic catch-22.

WALES WELCOMES THE BASTARD EXECUTIONER For some years now Wales has benefited from an excellent reputation as a great place to film. We have a whole host of castles to play around in, many dark and brooding landscapes to explore and even some modern cities to make a movie in.

After hosting numerous international successes (Da Vinci’s Demons, Doctor Who, Y Gwyll / Hinterland and Sherlock to name a few), Wales has now been confirmed as the location for American pilot The Bastard Executioner, which will be filmed around Wales this March.

The show will be made by the high-profile producers Kurt Sutter and Paris Barclay of Sons Of Anarchy fame. This new drama tells the story of a warrior knight to King Edward II who, broken by the war, decides it’s time to lay down his sword. The violence still finds him again, however, and so he is forced to pick up the bloodiest sword of all.

Info: www. thebastardexecutioner.net

GWAUN WRITERS' FESTIVAL Many of us have spent a day or two scribbling words in an old notebook, reciting plays in our room or going full-blown slam poetry in front of our bathroom mirror. If you feel like branching out into the public world of writing and seeing what other people are putting on paper, then you’ll get just the chance at the Gwaun Writers' Festival.

This will be the second time that Theatr Gwaun in Fishguard has hosted the festival, which has been taking in submissions of original short plays, stories and poems. During the festival these pieces will be performed, giving new writers the opportunity to showcase their work to an audience of more than one. pic: Rob Havard

Gwaun Writers' Festival, Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard, Sat 28 Mar. Info: 01348 87342 / www.theatrgwaun.com BUZZ 8

CYNHYRCHIAD CANOLFAN MILENIWM CYMRU \ A WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE PRODUCTION

Gan / By: Manfred Karge

MAW 19 – 27 MAR ’15 8pm Beth sy’n digwydd pan mae angen cuddio ein hunaniaeth er mwyn goroesi?

What happens when who we are has to be hidden in the fight for survival?

wmc.org.uk/ManToMan 029 2063 6464 #MantoMan15

‘Extraordinary. There’s circus, and then there’s these guys – on a whole other level!’

New York Post

Dance Consortium yn cyflwyno \ presents

Cyfarwyddir gan \ Directed by Dave St-Pierre & Jeannot Painchaud

wmc.org.uk/Cirkopolis

Ebr 8 – 11 Apr ’15

upfront upfront

As Matthew Bourne’s ballet re-imagining of the iconic film comes to Cardiff, Heather Arnold talks to dancer Liam Mower about how he handles the cutting edge role.

BUZZ BUZZ10 10

Hollywood loves a misfit but Tim Burton’s pale-faced, leather-clad, scissorhanded Edward is a classic. A kind and gentle character, created atop a dark tower by an eccentric inventor, Edward Scissorhands is dragged into the pastel colour world of suburban America – where he finds both love and fear.

With a hint of star-crossed lovers from different worlds, and a strong Frankenstein-esque flavour, Tim Burton’s romantic fantasy Edward Scissorhands was a big screen hit in the 90s.

It’s a complex and emotional tale to tell. Burton did it with big budgets, Johnny Depp and his uniquely dark imagination – but renowned choreographer Matthew Bourne will by retelling it without a word.

“It’s a show without words and without vocals,” explains Liam Mower, the Laurence Olivier Award winning dancer who will be darning the scissor handed gloves, “so we have to tell the story through our bodies and faces” Ten years ago Matthew Bourne, world-renowned chorographer best known for his gender-swapping production of Swan Lake – which became the longest-running ballet on both West End and Broadway – decide to give Burton’s classic a ballet makeover.

“Hold me.” “...I can't.”

That’s a line that packs an emotional punch even 25 years later.

The 2005 show danced across the globe and now, a decade later, Bourne is bringing it back with Mower at the helm – along with fellow dancer Dominic North, who starred as Edward in previous productions.

“Dominic has done the role of Edward before,” says Liam. “He already has a great knowledge and an understanding of the role so he knows exactly what the character is about and what the story is. Working with the hands and the costume is something he’s used to so it’s been good to learn from him!”

Taking on a role not only danced before but made Iconic by silver screen heavy weight Jonny Depp is a daunting prospect, but Mower looked for help from more Hollywood icons.

“For the character of Edward we were given all these amazing silent movie stars to research and it was fascinating to look into and build the character around that.

“The figure that inspired me most was Charlie Chaplin because he was so animated in his movies; I was captivated by how he told the story through his face and his movements. I think people don’t realise that, because it’s a silent movie, they have to have the skill to tell so much without the use of words – which I guess is what we do as well.”

As talented as Charlie Chaplin was, though, he never had to perform a ballet in a full leather outfit.

“It’s quite challenging because it is very restricting and you’re laced into this suit for about two hours. Once you’re in it, you’re not getting out of it!” laughs Liam. “It's like your second skin.

“The hands themselves are a masterpiece and they were a challenge at first too. They affect the way you move, stand and dance so your whole movement changes and it takes a while to adapt to that. It does feels weird!

“You do tend to hit people now and again because the hands are so big – especially when there are a lot more of us on stage, that’s when you have to be cautious as to where your hands are going. When I first started the show it happened more then and I’d be all ‘sorry! Sorry!’ but the other dancers understand!”

Liam is far from new to playing the role of the misfit, with his first role being the lead in Elton John’s Billy Elliot: The Musical when he was just 13 years old. Since that massive kick start to his career Liam has been dreaming of working with Bourne.

“I think what draws me, and a number of other people, to the company is that they are a dance productions that are heavy on characters as well. One thing about Matthew is that he tells the story.

You wouldn’t find a production of his that doesn’t tell a story or that is too heavily directed. Matthew is a film fanatic, he’s always watching movies to draw inspiration from them and his work is very cinematic.

That’s something I think the audience really feels that when they come to see a show. They feel as though they are really taken through a story and that’s what attracted me to the company. That and the fact I can do many styles of dance and really portray strong, iconic characters.

“There’s lots of parts to the show that I really enjoy but I just think the character of Edward is enough on his own really! He is quite an outsider, this sort of awkward run away which is really fun to play. He’s a very funny character and he’s starting his life from scratch.”

Edward Scissorhands, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 10-Sat 14 Mar. Tickets: £17-£35 / £42 premium packages.

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

pic: Johan Persson

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upfront pic: Annabel Staff

Author of bestselling novel Before I Go To Sleep, SJ Watson, talks to Rachael Phillips about his new book and how his work hurtled him into the role of a Hollywood film writer.

From NHS worker to international bestselling author: you’d be forgiven for thinking that SJ Watson’s story sounds like the start of some made-for-TV romcom. But for the London based author this is his new reality as, just five years ago, Watson was working as an audiologist in London’s St Thomas’ Hospital helping children with hearing impairments – whilst writing his debut novel Before I Go To Sleep in between shifts.

And it was worth all the hard work since Before I Go To Sleep turned out to be a best seller which was only kept off the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller list by E.L James’ Fifty Shades Of Grey.

And as if that wasn’t impressive enough for a debut novelist, the book also caught the attention of Hollywood and was turned in to a movie starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong.

I caught up with Steve whilst he was on a train hurtling towards a full day of press interviews and book signings to promote his follow up novel Second Life. Before we could get in to the nitty-gritty of his latest psychological thriller I had to ask him about that moment where he took the call (or in this case, the email) to transform his words in to a Hollywood blockbuster.

“It was a really surreal moment.

I had this email from somebody who said they worked Ridley Scott’s production company.

They said that they had gotten hold of my book and they would love to turn it into a movie,” said Watson when asked what it was like to receive the news that 99% of writers dream of.

BUZZ 12

“It was exciting that somebody had seen the book I’d written by myself and they wanted to turn it into a movie. I was going to say it was a dream come true, but it wasn’t really as I never thought it would happen.”

But with Before I Go To Sleep being translated in to 42 languages worldwide, and winning numerous awards, the pressure to recreate the literary magic with a follow-up must have been intense.

“You can find yourself developing quite a strong attachment to somebody you’ve never actually met” “There wasn’t really any external pressure, it was more myself, it was my own pressure because I knew that when I wrote the first book it was in the state of blissful ignorance. I thought in the best case scenario maybe an agent might like it and if I’m really lucky a publisher might want to publish it, but I never dreamt that I would have agencies around the world and, more importantly, readers around the world. So there has been a pressure to not let people down.”

When it comes to Second Life he need not worry about letting anyone down. The story follows Julia who, despite a troubled, past is now living an almost perfect – if not tedious – life in North London. She’s married to a surgeon and is bringing up her

newphew after her sister went off the rails. When her sister is murdered in Paris, however, Julia tries to find the killer by delving in to the dark, sinister side of the internet that her sister used to frequent. Soon she finds herself immersed in a dangerous world of sex and suspicion, which soon begins to pose a danger to her offline life.

“I think people find themselves sharing more than they think and giving away more than they intended to online. If people read the book and at least think about whether they should change their behaviour then that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn’t write it to change or influence people in any direct way”.

But Second Life does leave you thinking about our attachment to the internet and especially the way that relationships develop online: “I think it’s true that you can find yourself developing quite a strong attachment to somebody you’ve never actually met… of course, you don’t really know what they’re like.

"The notion of identity and presenting different faces to the world is something which isn’t limited to the internet; we do it all the time. We all have slightly different masks depending on the situation we find ourselves in, but the internet has a way

that you knowingly construct and reconstruct an alternative personality.”

Second Life by SJ Watson (DoubleDay). Price: £14.99 hardback. Info: www.sjwatsonbooks.com

FAVOURITE BOOK SJ Watson Cat's Eyes

by Margaret Atwood A controversial painter faces her past when she returns to her home town for a retrospective exhibition of her work. As she comes home memories of a trio of girls, who treated her with both kindness and cruelty, come flooding back and she is forced to understand how they affected who she is as a person.

upfront

WHAT ABOUT WELSH WRITERS?

If you like your literature with a strong local lilt, there are many talented writers who hail from South Wales. Heather Arnold and Dan Muller talk to Cardiffian crime writer Wonny Lee and Carmarthen-born Rebecca F John – who was longlisted for this year's Sunday Times Short Story Award.

REBECCA F JOHN

WONNY LEA

“I was driving to work to start an eleven hour shift when I got the phone call,” Rebecca recalls, “it was a real shock! It still makes me laugh to look at the longlist and see my name sandwiched between Mark Haddon's and Yiyun Li's. Their books are on my bookshelf!”

Now in its sixth year, the Sunday Times Short Story Award offers its winner a £30,000 prize (making it the world’s richest prices for a single short story). Previous winners have been writers from across the globe, and two of them are now Pulitzer prizewinners.

Even though Rebecca hasn’t yet had her work officially published her short story The Glove Maker’s Numbers got her noticed by the judges, and now has her listed with the bigwigs of short stories.

“The Glove Maker's Numbers is the story of a young woman called Christina who loses someone close to her and, when she is unable to cope with her grief, is institutionalised on a doctor's orders. It is about her subsequent attempts to recover herself when she is not provided with the helps she needs.

“I was inspired to write the story after watching a documentary. In it there was one woman's story included which really moved me. This woman was a single mother, working numerous jobs to provide for her children. When she worked herself to exhaustion, however, she was institutionalised and of course lost the children anyway. Her story stuck in my mind and I found that I wanted to write her a happier ending.”

It wasn’t just one documentary that spurred Rebecca on, however, as she dreamt of being an author as a child. Now Rebecca’s recognition by the Sunday Times has gotten her one step closer to getting her work published as her first book, Clown’s Shoes, will be out later this year.

“It’s a collection of short stories and each story has a different landscape, different characters, a different feel. The stories are quite dark on the whole. In one story, for instance, an overlooked soldier plans a rape on a French night-time street. In another, a desperate mother performs a nightly striptease. In a third, a lonely man longs for the return of the lover he may or may not have invented in a dream. The characters are alone, frightened, but most of all they are full of hope. That's what is important to me about the stories in Clown’s Shoes – that the characters do not lose their hope.”

Info: www.rebeccafjohn.com

“I’ve always liked watching crime dramas, it’s something me and my husband do and we enjoy having a think about it afterward.

One time, we argued about the ending, and my husband said, ‘Well if you think you could do better, have a go’. So, not one to refuse a challenge, I did!”

Now with a whole crime book series, and book publishers behind her back, this is one bet that Wonny Lea was glad to have taken.

Her debut novel, Jack Knifed, saw the creation of Lea’s protagonist: DCI Martin Phelps. Working in Cardiff Bay, Phelps is first put on the case of Mark Wilson – a well-liked gay man found brutally murdered at in his own home. But who dunnit? Was it someone from his past, his estranged sister or his homophobic father?

Since then he has DCI Phelps has solved the murder of a mystery body found in Cardiff’s Cooper’s Field, the disappearance of a child from the National Museum and been tormented by a poetic serial killer.

Lea’s latest thriller, Never Dead, is about the surprising death of a professor: “I like to think of a couple of things that could happen, and try to tie them together,” says Lea. “Never Dead starts with a man being found dead on a train arriving into Cardiff Central, and eventually it links with the other cold case murder investigation that is 12 years old. In all of them, I have a few things going on that eventually come together.”

With crime thrillers all the rage (Sherlock, Y Gwyll/Hinterland, Broadchurch, True Detective, The Killing... need I go on?) will Lea be bringing her crime writing skills to our TV screens?

“It’s been talked about but it’s never really come to anything, but hey, fingers crossed! It would probably be my dream. One of the things that was suggested to me early on by BBC Wales was that my main character wasn’t bad enough, or, enough of an unusual character.

He’s not a womanizer; he’s not an alcoholic; but that’s what makes him different from other crime drama detectives. He’s just a decent, hardworking detective. If that’s the desire of viewers though – to have horrible characters – then there are still plenty of those in the stories as well.”

Info: www.accentpress.co.uk

FAVOURITE BOOK

FAVOURITE BOOK

Rebecca F John

Wonny Lea

Northern Lights

by Philip Pullman

Still Me

by Christopher Reeve

“I was around 10 when I first read it, and I was completely absorbed from the very first page. I loved the animal characters, the scope of this new world, how brave and confident the main character Lyra was.”

“It tells the story of Christopher Reeve, the former Superman actor who unfortunately became paralyzed, it’s inspirational.”

upfront

JOKING WITH JONATHAN JAMES Former pro-wrestler turned witty writer, Jonathan James, tells Heather Arnold about writing three jokes a day for his new book GIGObites.

Can you tell me what GIGObites is about?

It’s a comedy satire book focusing on news, celebrity and plenty more. Every day for 396 days I took three items of the news and made comedic commentary on it.

With the election on the way, I think a lot of people feel that nobody represents their political views and celebrities are pitched as role models who have virtually no talent whatsoever, so rather than get angry about it, you can watch me get angry about it and laugh along with me.

Why did you decide to write GIGObites?

I actually had no intention to whatsoever, at least not as a book. It started out as a comedy writing exercise after I attended a comedy workshop with Rob Grant, the co-writer of Red Dwarf. He said you should practice comedy every day and never be afraid of not writing about a subject just because it's controversial. So I started writing three jokes on the news every day and posted them to Facebook and Twitter.

After a while I did a calculation and realised that what I was writing was going to be over 40,000 words by the year's end so, rather than spamming people's timelines, I thought I'd write my first book. I never imagined I'd ever get to write one and it's been a tremendous if exhausting experience.

Which joke is your favourite?

It's difficult because some you'd struggle to publish but I do enjoy, "Students in North Korea are now required by law to get a haircut like Kim Jong-un in the same way students in the UK are required to get a haircut to make them look like a reject from an 80s A-ha video." At least people are creating comedy hairstyles that in 20 years’ time people can look back on and laugh at, I'm just ahead of the crowd.

Why did you decide to start writing comedy?

After finishing as a pro wrestler I really wanted to have a creative outlook so I joined a local amateur dramatics society. I´m always looking to take things to the next level so I wanted to see how I could push things further and ended up writing, producing, filming and editing a half-hour sitcom called Fairy Dust.

In retrospect it wasn't brilliant but it was incredibly ambitious. From there I went on to study the MA in Film Producing at The Atrium and have been collaborating with people ever since.

BUZZ 14

You've been a professional wrestler, worked in TV and now you're writing comedy – how come you have such a varied CV? I´ve been a fan of pro wrestling since the 1992 Royal Rumble when Ric Flair won the WWE (WWF at the time) title and I've been watching it pretty much ever since. I was dating a professional dancer when I was 22 and whilst I appreciated her dedication I never really understood the point at the time because I couldn't see it going anywhere. I was a different person back then, very money-driven with expensive suits and haircuts.

When we broke up she said to me, “You should be doing something you really love, you should be writing for a wrestling magazine or something.” Me, being a hot head, decided right there and then I was going to be a pro wrestler. I booked myself into the FWA Academy in Portsmouth and I fell in love with it as a performer. The desire to do what I love has driven me every day. There´s nothing like holding a microphone in front of 500 people and elicit a reaction or have people applaud an in-ring performance.

As time went on, I realised I was always going to be handicapped by my size and the risks of injury are great. Pretty much everyone I know, including myself, has ended up in the hospital. That didn't kill my desire to entertain, so moving across to film and comedy seemed an obvious progression. I guess I just love entertaining people. I've always been a bit of a clown.

“Students in North Korea are now required by law to get a haircut like Kim Jong-un” Do you have any more writing projects on the horizons?

I´m literally always writing something. Two things high up on my list are my sketch show, Pari Passu which has been a labour of love for two years now. I've been honing it and honing it and I´m always coming up with new ideas. I've also written a comedy called the Cardiff Mafia which is coming along nicely.

Info: www.bookbitesback.com

FAVOURITE BOOK Jonathan James The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 ¾

by Sue Townsend Not only were they absolutely hilarious but there were pains in the book that you could relate to as a boy growing up.

EARTH HOUR AWR DDAEAR

2015

DIFFODDWCH Y GOLEUADAU!

Saturday 28 MARCH 2015 | 8.30pm

Nos Sadwrn 28 MAWRTH 2015 | 8.30yh GWEITHREDWCH DROS EICH PLANED

Be part of it/Cymerwch ran ar: wwf.org.uk/earthhour

#EarthHourUK #LightsOutCymru

MORE TO

MORAN

upfront

“I’ve always been really interested in the idea of Welshness.

Welsh people are very funny; very wry.”

BUZZ 16

Internationally infamous stand-up, cynic and actor

Dylan Moran waxes lyrical on modern life, Wales and performance.

The Irish comedian talks to Welsh writer Jennifer Allan as he prepares for his upcoming tour Off The Hook After becoming the first western comedian to perform in St Petersburg on his last tour, the ‘Oscar Wilde of comedy’ and Black Books star is coming back to Wales once again with a brand new show. Off The Hook examines our media-soaked, technology-obsessed, fastpaced popular culture and takes a comical look the speed of contemporary living and our relationships.

But, travelling to Wales in light of the recent Scottish referendum for independence in 2014 and its aftermath, Moran is keen to see how this will affect Wales and the Welsh identity: “I live in Scotland and obviously people here have been very vocal of late about the idea of national identity. I’m really interested to see how this affects the people of Wales – to see where they are with that and how their relationship develops with the rest of Britain.

There’s a very understated humour in Wales – the way you say things. It’s very blunt.”

Times they are, indeed, a-changing and not just in politics. Off The Hook is Moran’s latest comment on the pace of modern life and how we’re all adapting to it culturally, socially and politically.

“I’m still working it out, you see, and that’s something you can only do by performing it for people. Things will change and I’ll work bits out as I go. Some of it is about what happens to people over the course of their lives; their children, parents, families and where they are in their relationships with each other, but lots of the new show focuses on the pace of life now.

It seems incredibly fast to me, with media wars raging all around us all the time.

“Everything is demanding our attention and you find yourself discriminating about what you decide to give your attention to.

Everybody has to get very good at shutting things out in order to think about what you want to think about.”

In recent years the advance of digital technology and social media interaction has meant big changes for everyone – especially performers and the way they access arts and, in turn, the way art projects itself and interacts with us. Interactive and digital art projects are emerging all the time to reflect the growing change in our culture and to respond in a fresh, innovative way.

Public figures are constantly under the scrutiny of the media and everyone’s lives are more accessible than ever through the pervasive gaze of online technology and social media updates. How does this ever-present, everdemanding watchful eye impact on us and the way we see the world?

“I think the impact has only really been felt in the last year or so – we were like people watching an approaching tsunami and it hasn’t really hit us until very recently. We’re still adapting to it and people are still getting their heads around it and learning how to respond to it.

“There’s a feeling of transparency and being connected to the rest of the world, but also of having your attention span mangled a lot of the time, everything is vying for your attention, you know?

“I think people will be documenting rises in the cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the future – I think this will be very much affected by the advancement of the web.

We’re still learning how to handle it.”

But digital technology has had a major impact on our communications and on the mainstream media. The way we consume news and stories has been forever changed by the development of computer technology.

New technologies have revolutionised how we talk to one another, how we share information and how we find things out in the first place.

There is a quick-fix solution to almost every problem now.

“There are only two things I ever think about machines; either it’s ‘oh, this is handy, isn’t it?’ or ‘this is fucking broken’. I think people are considering machines too much and I think people are looking to machines too much.

“When you look at a phone instead of reading a newspaper you get the feeling that you’re somehow connected with the news, that you’re involved with the stories and the events in an interactive way, but you’re not. It’s really just stuff that’s happening out in the world.

“You can only be humanly connected by caring or not caring. We maintain this illusion of being directly involved, because we like to feel connected.”

“There are only two things I ever think about machines; either it’s ‘oh, this is handy, isn’t it?’ or ‘this is fucking broken’.”

Moving away from the impact of modernity on modern-day life Moran talks about connecting with his work and how he gets into, and connects with, his character for live performance and studio-based sessions alike.

Where many performers opt for a structured, methodical approach, Moran is much more a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy, rejecting a ‘process’ in favour of a more organic relationship with his audience and his characters.

“Lots of people talk about using parts of your personality to get into character, but to be honest that approach is more considered and rational than I am capable of being. I’m more instinctive and intuitive when I’m on stage – I like to gauge the room, gauge the people and their reactions and play off that. If I applied my critical faculties to what I was doing I would freeze – do you know what I mean by that? I’m much more of a responsive performer. I hope to pick up the mood of wherever I am and work with that, almost improvising, reacting.

“I find it prohibitive to pre-intellectualise a performance before I do it. I much prefer to feel my way into it and adjust nuances as I go. I’m more responsive, I think. And the venue, too – it’s all about the shape of the room and the atmosphere of the place that’s important, far more than the size of it.”

Dylan Moran: Off The Hook, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sun 29 Mar; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wed 15 Apr. Tickets: £12.50-£25.

Info: www.dylanmoran.com

BUZZ 17

upfront BOOKS, BROTHELS AND BLUR Alys Hurn talks to Richard Margraff Turley, Professor For Engagement With The Public Imagination, about The Cunning House – his new novel that peers into the gay brothels of the 19th century, as it were.

Poet, literary critic, Romanticist, Professor and now novelist. It’s fair to say Richard Margraff Turley is a busy man. Whilst enjoying a catch-up over coffee in Aberystwyth’s Arts Centre café, he takes in the look of his new book, The Cunning House, for the first time.

Sticking to his Romantic roots, Richard has created a story that stirs up the brutal treatment of homosexuality during the 19th century focusing on a major event that has made its mark in the history of homophobia; a raid on a notorious Vere Street tavern, The White Swan, which resulted in the arrest of 27 people for acts of sodomy.

Although packed with historical accuracy, Richard has managed to tell the tale without the familiar heaviness that seems to haunt novels of this genre.

“It was very important for me to be able to conjure an event of the period without the ‘Ye Olde English’ style” Richard says. “I wanted to sound modern, to evoke the culture.”

Although not the first book he’s written that engages with the Romantic period, it’s the first book that has more of a contemporary resonance, using his research in Romanticism to address an issue more urgent.

“Homophobia, prejudice, intolerance, suspicion of difference – for me they were important themes,” he explains. “The issues of today – of power, surveillance and the way we are encouraged to behave in a normative fashion, those issues resonate with me.”

Set in London during the year 1810, the novel highlights the way gay subculture was regulated and contained, not just by the law, but by a more sinister relationship that links brothels to asylums, palaces to pubs. It’s a world where pimps and poets rub shoulders with aristos and royals.

The protagonist is a Junior Prosecutor named Wyre, whose courthouse day job is to deliver ‘mollies’ (19th century slang for an effeminate, usually gay, man) to the hangman. His character not only acts as a doorway to the underground activity of London’s BUZZ 18

gay scene but also helps to grasp an understanding of the prejudices of the day by exploring them from the inside.

“Wyre is a man of his age,” Richard explains, “and very much invested in the propaganda against mollies. He believes they are an infection.”

But Wyre’s sexuality remains ambiguous and that’s exactly why this book is so intriguing. Even the characters that seem concrete in their beliefs are forced to confront their convictions and their prejudices.

“It’s not just for anyone who’s gay, it’s for anyone that’s different” “It’s a bit like the Blur song, ‘boys who like girls who like girls who like boys,’” Richard jokes.

Although a very male-centric novel, the female characters are equally as compelling and they have a strong presence within its pages. The balance of both the male and female characters contribute to Richard’s wish for a contemporary feel and clarifies that The Cunning House alludes to much more than just gay culture. “It’s not just for anyone who's gay, it’s for anyone that’s different,” Richard insists.

The graphic nature of this novel has come from Richard’s deep immersion in the legal literature around sodomy and buggery (and the two things are very different, don’t you know!). When describing his research it becomes clear that he didn’t write an explicit novel just to be scandalous.

“The trial transcripts are pornographic, basically, and you learn a lot because people had to say exactly and unambiguously what they saw. There is actually a lot of legal literature because people were fascinated by it.”

Although he has created a novel which accurately depicts the illicit desire of such a wide demographic within 19th century London, it’s safe to say this isn’t a novel for the faint-hearted. It’s rude and direct but Richard cleverly prevents The Cunning House from sliding into vulgarity: “I had to strike a fine line. It was tricky and I was conscious there was only so much a reader is going to accept before it becomes a very different kind of book”.

The Cunning House isn’t simply a ‘good read’: it brings together both creativity and scholarly intelligence. Something that Richard, as Professor For Engagement With The Public Imagination at Aberystwyth University, tries to deliver on a daily basis. “It’s about making work more relevant to our communities and opening a space of shared imagination.”

The question is, is Richard Margraff Turley ready to unleash his novel filled with debauchery, violence, treachery and scandal to the wider world?

“I think you need to put aside your worries about how it will be received and just hope that you’ve got it right.”

Richard will be launching The Cunning House on the Thurs 16 Apr at 6.30pm in Aberystwyth’s University Bookshop.

The Cunning House, Sandstone Press, published Thurs 19 Mar. Price: £8.99 paperback and eBook. Info: www. sandstonepress.com

BUZZ BUZZ19 19

This month will see the Horizons project, founded last year by BBC Cymru Wales and the Arts Council Of Wales, share its vision with the gig-going public for the first time.

Ten acts from across Wales, ranging from rock bands to solo artists and much more besides, will feature in total across seven shows – and it won’t cost a penny to get into any of them.

The acts in question were selected in April 2014, from a pool of hundreds of entries. While they’ve generally been busy since then, hitting up everything from festivals to intimate club gigs and radio sessions, this is the first time they’ve been formally grouped together under the Horizons banner. While this project is Wales-centric, pretty much by definition, a cursory listen to the acts’ wares will tell you that there’s mass potential for fanbases to form on the other side of the England-Wales border – and beyond. Accordingly, the seven dates on the tour will include stops in Bristol and Manchester – eyes right for the full rundown.

Almost immediately after this jaunt comes to an end, meanwhile, the scheme’s Project Manager – Radio Wales DJ Bethan Elfyn – will announce the next group of Welsh acts to be selected for Horizons 2015-16. If this crop is any indicator, expect a selection who are BUZZ 20

eclectic in style but uniform in high quality.

Who’s on the Horizons tour this month?

BABY QUEENS: five young women from Cardiff Bay whose music takes in r’n’b, rock and reggae CANDELAS: Bala-based mashup of indie, hard rock and blues-rock, in the Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age mould CHRIS JONES: Caernarfon folk balladeer with a style reminiscent of the 60s greats, and a liking for the bouzouki CLIMBING TREES: expansive, stirring indie-meetscountry-meets-pop anthems from Pontypridd GABRIELLE MURPHY: genre-spanning singersongwriter from the Rhondda town of Treherbert

“We set off on a new Horizons adventure with the Class of 2014 before welcoming our new group of artists in April 2015” Bethan Elfyn, Horizons Project Manager HOUDINI DAX: energetic, garage-tinged collision of mod-rock and indie, regulars on the Cardiff gig scene KIZZY CRAWFORD: still in her late teens, this bilingual singer and guitarist has turned plenty of heads with her soulful acoustic stylings in recent months

“Playing live is the lifeblood of any band or artist developing their careers, so it’s brilliant that we’re able to support the Horizons acts on this tour” Lisa Matthews, Portfolio Manager, Arts Council Of Wales THE PEOPLE THE POET: anthemic quintet from the Valleys, with an arena-ready bigness to their sound and relatable subject matter PLU: Welsh language folk with more than a spoonful of alt-country and unusual instruments: melodica, autoharp and bouzouki (yep, another one) SEAZOO: eclectic, eccentric lo-fi take on American and British indie. Part of a fertile and creative scene in Wrexham Info: www.bbc.co.uk/horizons

presents / yn cyflwyno

tour / taith FRIDAY 13 MARCH Dydd Gwener 13 Mawrth

THURSDAY 19 MARCH Dydd Iau 19 Mawrth

FRIDAY 20 MARCH Dydd Gwener 20 Mawrth

SATURDAY 21 MARCH Dydd Sadwrn 21 Mawrth

The Drwm

Louisiana

Queens Hall

featuring

featuring

featuring

featuring

KIZZY CRAWFORD CANDELAS SEAZOO CLIMBING TREES

KIZZY CRAWFORD

CLIMBING TREES SEAZOO BABY QUEENS +SPECIAL GUESTS

CHRIS JONES GABRIELLE MURPHY PLU +SPECIAL GUESTS

FRIDAY 27 MARCH Dydd Gwener 27 Mawrth

SUNDAY 29 MARCH Dydd sul 29 Mawrth

Aberystwyth bristol

Redhouse

Narberth

BABY QUEENS +SPECIAL GUESTS

Ty Siamas

Dolgellau

TUESDAY 31 MARCH Dydd mawrth 31 Mawrth

Merthyr

Chapter Arts Centre

cardiff

Sound Control

featuring

featuring

featuring

CLIMBING TREES GABRIELLE MURPHY HOUDINI DAX THE PEOPLE THE POET

BABY QUEENS CANDELAS CHRIS JONES CLIMBING TREES

manchester

GABRIELLE MURPHY HOUDINI DAX KIZZY CRAWFORD SEAZOO THE PEOPLE THE POET

GABRIELLE MURPHY HOUDINI DAX SEAZOO +SPECIAL GUESTS

all shows free entry / MYNEDIAD AM DDIM I BOB SIOE TICKETS/TOCYNNAU: ORCHARDENTERTAINMENT.CO.UK 14+ (ID REQUIRED) | DOORS/DRWS: TIMES VARY

bbc.co.uk/horizons @horizonscymru

BUZZ 21

upfront

LEE SCRATCH PERRY The original Upsetter, the godfather of reggae, the high priest of dub... call Lee Scratch Perry what you will. Daniel Muller got treated to the Jamaican legend's rambling wisdom, upfront of his earlyApril show in Cardiff.

H

aving started his musical career in Jamaica during the 1960s, when the fast paced rhythm of ska was still very much the predominant genre within popular music, in 1968 Lee Scratch Perry transformed the course of Jamaican melody forever. His first major release, People Funny Boy has not only been hailed as the first ever song to incorporate a sample (a crying baby which Lee has previously stated was symbolic of the social hardship amongst the youth of Jamaica), but also established a new genre, one that would later become known as, reggae. It was around this time that a young Bob Marley sought out Scratch, who went on to write and record his first reggae song Duppy Conqueror in 1970.

According to Lee however, the role of reggae as a spiritual mediator and a voice of Jamaican culture has changed since then. “The thing that’s happening now in Jamaica is not what it used to be. If you want something they’ll know. They’re not chanting anything righteous; they’re not chanting anything holy; they’re chanting sex in the dancehall.”

By suggesting that the music has somewhat lost touch with its original Jamaican identity and symbolism, Lee went on to (somewhat pessimistically) develop his point, suggesting that reggae, and maybe even humanity, has lost a degree of purpose.

“Were in the age of nothing… the end of the world is near.”

BUZZ 22

As some of you may know, Lee is a devout Christian and is quick to reject the common assumption that he is a Rastafarian.

“I am not a Rasta…

I play the Upsetter.

Because I am the one king, King Arthur, come to dub all the original knight.”

Lee’s latest UK tour is set to start in March, which will see him travel to Cardiff to perform in Portland House. There has been speculation that this may be his last UK appearance, but Lee quickly dismissed such a rumour.

“I don’t think so… not like that. That was a good message to all the good people. Lee Scratch Perry love you and this won’t be the end of Lee Scratch Perry… Lee Scratch Perry has no end.”

Lee Scratch Perry, Portland House, Cardiff, Sun 5 Apr. Tickets: £20. Info: 029 2048 7602 / www.portlandhousecardiff.com

PORTLAND HOUSE The arrival of Lee Scratch Perry also marks the official opening of Portland House in Cardiff Bay. In a past life, this imposing Bute Street building was a bank, but sat empty for many years. More recently, however, a few enterprising promoters have used its vaults for raucous club nights; 2015 will see its potential exploited further.

“It's been in the works for a year or so now,” says Portland House live promoter Jack Feeney.

Cardiff Bay has a rich history of live music, but has endured a barren few years since the Coal Exchange and The Point fell by the wayside.

“We looked into what went wrong with these venues to ensure we learned from their mistakes,” Jack says. “However, the most important thing for us was to continue the heritage of amazing music in Cardiff Bay.” Plans are in the works for shows to follow up Lee Perry. “We have acts booked who have been Grammy winners and Glastonbury headline performers,” teases Jack; “our next confirmed show in June is Owen Pallett of Arcade Fire.

“We aim to not just book a band, but to curate a bespoke show which blows people away,” he concludes.

Roots Unearthed Great Acts, Global Sounds & Relaxing Atmosphere

STEFAN GROSSMAN Tuesday 21 April, 8pm Stefan Grossman remains one of the world’s foremost authorities on acoustic blues guitar.

AL STEWART Sunday 10 May, 8pm Al Stewart was a key figure in British music and he appears throughout the musical folklore of the revivalist era.

EMILY SMITH Tuesday 12 May, 8pm

GET CREATIVE WITH CLASSICAL MUSIC

WITH • GYDA

MARY BLACK

CBBC’s Dick & Dom BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales Cerddorfa a Chorws Cenedlaethol Cymreig y BBC Conductor • Arweinydd Thomas Søndergård

St David’s Hall, Cardiff • Neuadd Dewi Sant, Caerdydd

0800 052 1812

Friday 15 May, 7.30pm For over a quarter of a century, Mary Black has been a dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad.

CHRISTY MOORE Saturday 16 May, 8pm Christy Moore remains a relevant force on today’s contemporary music scene.

Friday • Gwener

20.03.15 – 7pm

Time has passed ridiculously fast since Emily was named BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year back in 2002.

Great value family tickets available Tocynnau teulu gwerth chweil ar gael

bbc.co.uk/now bbc.co.uk/tenpieces

COMING SOON: SETH LAKEMAN, MNOZIL BRASS, SEASICK STEVE, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

upfront

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

pic: James Q Martin

pic: Ben Sturgulewski

pic: Cedar Wright

Whether you have a love of film, of death-defying adventure, or simply enjoy watching people push themselves to the absolute limit – which is often a jagged mountain with a coma-inducing drop on the other side – the Banff film festival is certainly one for you.

In this virtual tour, the audience will experience an exhilarating adventure that will paraglide them over the awe-inspiring Alpine range; surf the Arctic Circle; ski through Patagonia; kayak through the rapid, mountainous region of British Columbia and return home, only to mountain bike through the Isle Of Skye.

The film festival’s screenings will give an adrenaline pumping insight into the lives of the remarkable characters responsible for these tantalizing, heart-murmuring shots. As well as the obvious jaw-dropping, mindboggling scenes of extreme sport at its very best. There will also be a chance to witness a spontaneous, low-budget quest as two adventurers, who barely know each other, will hike through the largest stretch of desert on the planet (the fittingly named Empty Quarter) which has a diameter of over 1,000 miles.

The Banff tour is set to encourage and inspire up to 45,000 adrenaline enthusiasts from across the UK, whilst globally this figure is expected to reach more than 400,000 as the festival continues its own adventure across 45 countries from Australia through to Antarctica.

Originally held in the Canadian Rockies each year, the films are narrowed down from over 370 entries to create the most concise, unforgettable series of screenings possible.

If you’re craving a little adventure but can’t bring yourself to battle the element, throw yourself from a cliff or just don’t fancy trying deep sea diving in the freezing waters of Wales then Banff is a great opportunity to see the world from an adrenaline seeker’s point of view. DANIEL MULLER Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl, Wed 18 Mar; Theatr Brychienog, Brecon, Thu 19 Mar; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Fri 20 Mar; New Theatre, Cardiff, Fri 10 Apr; Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Sat 30 May. Tickets: £11-£16. Info: www.banff-uk.com

WALES ONE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL Had the flu and didn't make Sundance? There's a mistake, and you're not getting an invitation to Cannes?

Don't worry, we have our own silver screen celebration right here – the Wales One World Film Festival!

WOW is the cure for mainstream blockbusteritis. It presents fare from all corners of the globe and is the UK's longest-running world cinema festival. Director David Gillam launched it in 2001 and chooses personal favourites that take viewers to far-afield destinations. The festival, taking places at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre, Swansea’s Taliesin and Aberystwyth Arts Centre, is showing a mix of old and new, mostly award-winning films.

Making its UK Premiere is Swansea independent filmmaker Helen Iles' offering, Deep Listening: Dadirri, about Australia's alternative diverse communities living peacefully together and having respect for the land and each other. Welsh emigrants set sail 150 years ago to settle in Patagonia, Argentina and Natural Sciences, a modern flick about a girl searching for the father she never knew, is one of two movies set there.

In conjunction with Nowruz (Iranian New Year), this year's special focus is the golden age of Iranian cinema. On Sat 21 Mar, events will be devoted to screening post-revolution, groundbreaking gems. This will be followed the next day with a showing of the initially banned but acclaimed, Bashu, The Little Stranger made during the Iran-Iraq war.

Four films were submitted as Best Foreign Language Film (three concern the struggles and domination of women and are particularly timely) and two are now contenders for the Oscar. Timbuktu, Mauritania's nominee, tells of city's residents trying to survive under sharia law imposed by jihadis. A woman who goes on the run while trying to keep her daughter from being a child bride to a tribal leader is the subject of Dukhtar, filmed in Pakistan's panoramic Himalayas, and Difret tells the fact-based story of an Ethiopian teenager on trial for her kidnapper's murder and the lawyer who defends her.

At WOW, you have a ticket to a window on the world, examining a viewpoint totally foreign or hitting home, while never having to leave your seat! RHONDA LEE REALI WOW Film Festival, various venues in South Wales, Fri 20 Mar-Thurs 21 May. Tickets: events priced separately / £30-£35 festival pass (Chapter Arts Centre only).

Info: wowfilmfestival.com BUZZ 24

“a lovely place... cracking value” The Guardian

@ffreshCardiff ffresh.org.uk 029 2063 6465

Fel y gwelwyd yn \ Featured in

Michelin Guide 2015 Good Food Guide 2015

upfront

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Some may say that woman have equality. I mean in the UK we have the vote, we aren’t legally barred from any profession and we can even wear trousers if we want to! But the fact is that in the UK there is a gender pay gap of 10% for full time workers (this jumps to 34.5% for part-time jobs), only one in four MPs are women and even high ranking politicians having the gall to state that equality between men and women isn’t natural, at a woman’s conference (I’m looking at you, Erdogan).

That’s far from an equal world, and that’s not going to change overnight, but we can rejoice in the fact that we live in a world where the achievements of women and girls are worth celebrating! It’s International Women’s Day this month, giving us an excuse to do just that.

In collaboration with London’s Southbank Centre, the Wales Millennium Centre will be celebrating with the Women Of The World Festival (Cardiff Bay, Fri 20 + Sat 21 Mar. Tickets: free). The weekend will include workshops, talks and performances look at equality and women’s contributions to the world.

As part of the festival, the Wales Millennium Centre will be staging a new production of German playwright Manfred Karge’s Man To Man (Cardiff Bay, Thurs 19-Fri 27 Mar. Tickets: £9-£14). This one-woman show tells the story of Ella – a widow in Nazi Germany who disguises herself and assumes the identity of her late husband, so that she can keep his job as a crane operator and survive the war.

Thrown into the world of all things manly, Ella lives in fear of being exposed.

BBC National Orchestra of Wales will also be celebrating women role in classical music in their show International Women's Day – Live In Concert (BBC BBC Hoddinott Hall, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Tickets: £10-£12).

Conducted by Jessica Cottis, the orchestra will performing a concert that will explore the work of five female performers including Augusta Holmes, Germaine Tailleferre and Mel Bonis.

The music, created by women, will also be performed by women as classical pianist Noriko Ogawa will be hitting the keys to play Cecile Chaminade’s Konzertstuck. JENNI KAMPF + JENNIFER MAGUY Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

DIRTY SHORTS How about a play in a kebab shop? No? What about in a yurt? Maybe a forest? These are just some of the non-traditional spaces that theatre company Dirty Protest has endeavoured to host its theatrical work. AS well as these more obscure settings they has also performed at slightly more prestigious venues, ranging from the Royal Court, Almeida and Soho Theatre in London, to Latitude Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, Theatr Clwyd and the National Theatre Wales.

This month Dirty Protest presenting their Dirty Shorts. Shrug off any misgivings you may have about the name: this is merely a showcase of brand new short plays. The idea behind the Dirty Shorts is to take on an array of local writers, experienced in theatre or just breaking through, give them a title which they can draw inspiration from – which in this case was The End Of The Line – and tell them to go away and write a short play about it in just three weeks. This edition of Dirty Shorts has sought to highlight the talent of West Walian writers, as it launches its first ever event in Aberystwyth.

The night will showcase the work of a series of already established writers, including Meredydd Barker, Lucy Gough, Branwen Davies and Catrin Fflur Huws. They will also bring into the limelight Roger Boyle, Liz Jones, Caroline Stockford and Rachel McAdam – all of whom responded to the call out to their local writing group. McAdam in particular, has zero experience in theatre writing... is she jumping in at the deep end or grabbing the bull by the horn? Time will tell.

Over the past seven years, Dirty Protest has strongly increased its connection with Welsh literary talent, having worked with over 140 writers from across Wales. Their latest success story being one of their writers, Matthew Bulgo, winning the Wales Theatre Award for Best Playwright in the English Language.

The Dirty Shorts will be showcasing a new generation of talent as the writers mini-plays will be brought to life by a troupe of professional actors. DANIEL MULLER Dirty Shorts, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wed 18 Mar. Tickets: £2.50£5. Info: www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk

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YN ÔL OHERWYDD GALW MAWR! BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

MAWRTH 18 - 28 MARCH www.dirtydancingontour.com

Sinfonia Cymru & Laura Van der Heijden

Thursday 26 March, 7.30pm Iau 26 Mawrth, 7.30yh

Sibelius Pelléas et Melisande Suite, Op. 46 Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 Copland Quiet City Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93

Friday 27 March, 7.30pm Gwener 27 Mawrth, 7.30yh

Conductor Gareth Jones Cello Laura Van der Heijden

Dora Stoutzker Hall, RWCMD, Cardiff Neuadd Dora Stoutzker, CBCDC, Caerdydd rwcmd.ac.uk | 029 2039 1391

The Riverfront, Newport Glan yr Afon, Casnewydd www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront | 01633 656757

Saturday 28 March, 3.00pm Sadwrn 28 Mawrth, 3.00yh Pontyberem Memorial Hall Neuadd Goffa Pontyberem ticketsource.co.uk/sinfoniacymru | 01269 871 075 Tickets/Toccynau: £4 - £12 sinfoniacymru.co.uk /sinfoniacymru

@sinfoniacymru

BUZZ 27

profile NEIL MONTEIRO As TEDxCardiff returns to share ‘ideas worth spreading’, Daniel Muller talks to one of the show’s speakers, magical scientist Neil Monteiro.

T

he link between science and magic is an intimate one. While science is used to unveil possibilities that we previously didn’t understand, magic relies on the opposite, with the knowledge being kept secret in order to deceive its audience. This theme is the foundation of the work of Neil Monteiro, an upcoming speaker at TEDx Cardiff.

“What I do looks a lot like magic but it is in fact using principles of science to amaze people.”

Through a process of ‘scientific thinking’, Neil will be questioning our ability to distinguish between what is accurate factual information and what is not.

“It will be centred on the way we think, so it will be looking at ‘how do we know what we know?’ How do we know that what we know is right, and how you might believe something that is actually wrong. It’s looking at this method, to really get you down to the nitty-gritty, or the core, of what science is, and of what scientific thinking is.”

This idea of scientific thinking is vital throughout Neil’s work. He argues that through it, you can begin to understand previously unexplainable occurrences.

He explains this in more detail through using our planetary knowledge of space as an example.

“In any type of science, you are generally lucky if you have all of the information obviously presented in front of you, so you can work out what’s going on.

Most of the time you’re trying to make inferences of some fairly obtuse thing, in the same sense that we can tell how big a planet is despite it being millions and millions of miles away; not by looking at it directly through a telescope, but by watching how much it causes the stars around it to wobble back and forth due to the planet’s gravity. That’s a tiny little clue that you wouldn’t think is related to the general idea, and in the same way, this is true in day-to-day events. You can infer a lot from bits of information that you pick up that initially may not appear relatable.”

This process of scientific thinking is something that Neil hopes everyone will be able to grasp a basic knowledge and understanding of.

“What is really important is that people understand the process of scientific thinking... there are so many people out there that try to take advantage of our inability to constantly think clearly, so the more of us

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that know this process of obtaining true facts, then the better that’s going to be.”

This is ultimately the purpose of Neil’s talk in Cardiff this month. Whilst he is the first to admit that the piece is ultimately centred on entertainment, he also believes there is a more serious note to take away: “I really like this type of entertainment, because it is entertainment ultimately, that’s what I’m there for, to make people enjoy themselves – but at the same time it’s kind of fulfilling in a more intellectual way.

If you are curious about the world, people tend to come and watch the sort of thing I do and, hopefully, come out feeling that there was more to it than just pure, mindless entertainment – hopefully they feel intrigued to find out more.”

When Neil isn’t giving a talk or working on his latest systematic trick, he does his best to travel to scientifically obscure places, furthering his comprehending attitude through the process of scientific thinking. This has included a trip to see the northern lights (which he will be doing again this year in a full-scale expedition to the Lyngen Alps), and a slightly more perilous trip to the top of Mount Etna

where he performed a demonstration of his work.

“It should have been absolutely fine, because Etna is actually one of the safer volcanoes to go up in terms of the industry and the surroundings. There’s a road that goes up a part of it and there’s a lot of people around, but it’s also an incredibly active volcano. So while we were up there it did actually have a mini eruption, and sometimes we did arguably wander a bit too close to some of the active craters, and for that moment you have to wonder what it is you're doing up there.”

TEDx Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Sat 28 Mar. Tickets: £25 (sold out – contact Wales Millennium Centre to be put on the returned ticket waiting list, or see page 70 for our TEDxCardiff competition). Info: www.tedxcardiff.co.uk

film

by Keiron Self

TOP FIVE ***

STILL ALICE ****

Dir: Chris Rock (15, 102 mins) Chris Rock finally finds a vehicle that suits his persona after the limp nonsense of the Grown Ups movies, and the so-so Head Of State and I Think I Love My Wife.

For his third outing as writer/director, Rock plays a character that channels his standup persona, adding a layer of showbiz satire and a satisfying blend of Woody Allen and expletive riddled crudeness. Rock plays Andre Allen, a former stand up who has achieved mainstream cinema success playing Hammy the Bear in a woeful, brainless action comedy franchise. Rock wants to rekindle some form of artistic integrity with a film about the Haitian Revolution, it is savagely panned.

Rock begrudgingly allows a journalist, played by Rosario Dawson, to follow him around for a day. They chat, flirt and meet various characters from his life; couch potato Tracy Morgan, Kevin Hart’s flustered agent and many more, the film is littered with well judged celebrity cameos. Rock is also now the unwitting star in a reality TV series courtesy of wife-to-be Gabrielle Union; there are sideswipes at commercialism over art, and gross-out comedy happily co-exists with insight and tenderness. It should definitely make the Top Five of comedies this year.

Opens Mar 20

Dir: Richard Glatzer + Wash Westmoreland (12A, 101 mins) Julianne Moore is in heartbreaking, award-winning form, as ever, in this touching examination of early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Moore plays a linguistics professor who suddenly notices she can no longer remember certain words during her lectures and loses her bearings when out for a jog. The symptoms get worse until the fairly uncommon diagnosis is made. The personal toll on her and her family is examined, holding few punches, with Moore’s central performance raising what could be a humdrum, mawkish exercise in sentiment to something far more profound and heartbreaking. Her family have to watch as she crumbles; supportive hubby Alec Baldwin initially strong but weakening, the diagnosis also comes with a genetic threat, her children may also have the condition, will they get tested? Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish are her offspring, whose reactions to the disease prove unexpected. It’s a film always heading to a downbeat conclusion but manages to sidestep any obvious melodrama thanks to the script, direction and cast. Stewart impresses as the apparently wayward actress daughter as does Baldwin as the conflicted husband, but this is Julianne Moore’s film. Opens Mar 6

GET HARD ***

CINDERELLA ***

ROBOT OVERLORDS ***

Dir: Etan Cohen (15, 100 mins) The new comedy with Anchorman Will Ferrell pairs him with the often irritating Kevin Hart in a mismatched comedy with hints of Stir Crazy. Ferrell plays a millionaire wrongly convicted of fraud who faces a ten year prison sentence. He turns to his black friend Hart to help him toughen up and survive in prison, although Hart has no clue. Cue the comedy montages! Crude and sporadically funny, Get Hard pushes race buttons, as Hart plays up to stereotypes to get cash from Ferrell as he trains him to survive in prison. Prison riots are simulated, attempts to join gangsta crews are made and tutorials on blow jobs are given…just in case. Yes it’s crude and silly, but the pair are likeable enough and the gag rate is suitably high. Ferrell channels some of his wide eyed Elf persona in very different circumstances and Hart plays up to type. Hardly award winning, but funny enough.

Opens Mar 27

Dir: Kenneth Branagh (PG, 100 mins) Walt Disney go all live action on their animated success with this re-imagining of the well worn fairy tale.

Downton Abbey’s Lily James plays Cinders, cruelly mistreated by wicked stepmother Cate Blanchett and her step sisters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShea) following the death of her angelic mother and kindly, if misguided, father. She meets a handsome stranger (Richard Madden) in the woods who tells her he is an apprentice at the Palace; of course he is more than he seems, like the Prince don’t you know.

When an open invite for all local maidens to attend the Palace Ball is circulated, Cinders is determined to go, but she’s going to need the help of mad fairy godmother Helena Bonham Carter. Handsomely mounted by Kenny Branagh who did well known royal households in Thor, expect CGI mice and pumpkins, fantastic production design, lots of thesping and some ham from Blanchett and Bonham Carter. Opens Mar 13

Dir: Jon Wright (PG 90 mins) A British sci-fi robot thriller in a dystopian future, full of vim but it’s low budget is betrayed by some dubious effects. It’s the future and robots have taken over the Earth, forcing a curfew on all humans, naturally this doesn’t go down well. Four plucky youngsters decide to break the curfew and go in search of the father of Flynn, played by Callan McAuliffe, who may help them in their quest to overthrow their oppressors. The central quartet of kids are great - Ella Hunt, James Tarpey and Milo Parker along with McAuliffe add charm to a well worn premise, shot through with enough humour and storytelling chutzpah to forgive some of the shortcomings of effects. Gillian Anderson adds some star quality as Flynn’s Mum, Ben Kingsley goes panto villain and director Jon Wright, who also gave us the excellent pissed people vs aliens treat Grabbers, chugs things along nicely. Solid family lo-fi spectacle.

Out Mar 27

ALSO RELEASED MARCH 2015 HIGH TIDE (15) Great Welsh drama with Melanie Walters off of Gavin and Stacey on far more serious form. HYENA (18) London based crime thriller that pushes the usual buttons has cockney accents and Albanian and Turkish crime lords. Faaaackkk. KILL THE MESSENGER (15) Jeremy Renner stars in this fact based CIA thriller, with Hawkeye playing a journalist who exposes the dirty dealings the agency has Nicaragua. Mildly gripping. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (15) Vince Vaughan comedy. A business trip ends up at a sex fetish event. You know the type of thing.

RUN ALL NIGHT (15) Liam Neeson has to, er, run all night to evade Ed Harris and look after his wayward son Joel Kinnaman in yet another ageing hardpan thriller. Do a rom com Liam! HOME (PG) CGI alien comedy

BILL****

CHAPPIE ****

Dir: Richard Bracewell (PG, 94 mins) The Horrible Histories crew have been let loose on the big screen with this amiable, silly comedy about William Shakespeare’s ‘lost years’. The very loosely based on fact tale follows young Will, played by Mathew Baynton, a hopeless lute player out to earn his fortune Dick Whittington style in that London. There he encounters all manner of characters played by the other members of the Horrible Histories cast: Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard. Amongst the many hatted performances, the central cast share out 40 roles between them. Howe-Douglas plays Shakespeare’s long suffering wife who initially gets him noticed by Helen McCrory’s severe Queen Elizabeth, whilst Willbond flounces as the Spanish King, unable to plant a dagger in a table.

Some room is also left for cameos from thesps like Damien Lewis. Packed with sight gags, outrageous accents and a bomb plot to kill the Queen, Bill is everything you’d expect of the Histories cast. Fast, funny with both low and high-class gags, this has its cake and eats it historically. Writers Willbond and Rickard, and director Richard Bracewell, have fashioned a very British knockabout lark.

Opens Mar 27

Dir: Neill Blomkamp (15, 100 mins) After the excellence of District 9, writer/director Neill Blomkamp’s follow up Elysium was disappointingly formulaic, despite having a brilliantly realised future. Chappie seems to be a return to form, with social commentary going alongside action comedy and Hugh Jackman with a mullet. Chappie is a police robot who is kidnapped by barking mad criminals – played by South African rap duo Die Antwoord, Ninja and Yolandi for those in the know – who start to reboot his programming and make him more, well, gangsta. Chappie becomes the first robot to think and feel, from childlike first steps towards his own sense of morality.

The rabbit eared Chappie is an endearing creation, who is mo-capped and voiced

by Sharlito Copley, and even if the story feels well-worn (Robocop/ShortCircuit), it is well executed. Dev Patel is the brainy creator trying to put Chappie on the map as a new stage of evolution, whilst Hugh Jackman and Sigourney Weaver are on corporate baddie duties. As ever writer/director Blomkamp injects grit amidst the fantasy, Chappie is a stunningly realised creation, able to do slapstick and shoot ‘em up with nods towards He-Man along the way.

Opens Mar 6

THE GUNMAN***

SUITE FRANCAISE ***

INSURGENT ***

Dir: Pierre Morel (15 115 mins) Sean Penn goes the Liam Neeson route and becomes an ageing action star in this formulaic thesp heavy thriller.

Penn, all wiry, is an ex special forces military contractor with post traumatic stress who wants to reconnect with lost love Jasmine Trinca. Of course his past comes back to haunt him, and he finds himself chased by former associates across Europe, allowing time to stop off and have gun fights in several locations from London to Barcelona. Javier Bardem is on hand as a nemesis, Mark Rylance is a slimy advisor, Ray Winstone and Idris Elba also crop up for a by the numbers actioner that owes everything to Taken…no surprises as it’s directed by Pierre Morel who also did…uh…Taken. Strange to see Sean Penn doing something this genre and low brow, but his earnestness and sense of gravitas, like Neeson’s, help the familiar action along.

Opens Mar 20

Dir: Saul Dibb (15, 107 mins) A Second World War romance, based on Irene Nemirovsky’s novel, where Michelle Williams falls for a German soldier when her French town is occupied. She is being trained to be a landlady by her mother, a very stern Kristen Scott Thomas, and inevitably they end up housing Nazi officers - who are mostly monsters apart from the handsome Matthias Schoenaerts. As the occupation of the sleepy town continues, neighbour turns against neighbour to curry favour with the Germans, spreading rumour and lies so that their own plight can be eased.

It’s a grim tale, told well, if with a confusion of accents.

Williams and Schoenaerts make a compelling duo, even if the story makes them a little too saintly. Ruth Wilson and Scott Thomas are superb in support and director Saul Dibb does not stint in showing humanity’s general grubbiness and morally questionable survival instinct.

Opens Mar 13

Dir: Robert Schwentke (12A, 120 mins) The second instalment of the teen trilogy (soon to be cinematic quadrilogy) arrives with Shailene Woodley reprising her role as Tris battling Kate Winslet’s baddie in a future dystopia. Woodley is Divergent, who does not easily fit into the factions her future world has tried to impose on society. The first film ended with her escaping from the clutches of matriarch Jeanine and the Erudite faction, with hunky Theo James’ Four, leaving behind her brother Miles Teller. The various factions are now at war and Woodley is hiding out with her fellow rebels in a ruined Chicago, coming to terms with her role and the dark secrets at the heart of the corrupt society which she can now break apart. More of the same Divergence, Woodley remains a strong anchor for the series, adding some meat to the drama, despite its familiarity. There’s more action this time around, but this doesn’t ignite in the same way as the other female-led dystopian franchise.

Opens Mar 20

with the voices of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, Steve Martin and Rihanna. MOMMY (15) French drama, with a single mother trying to raise her violent son and getting help from a neighbour. Uncomfortable.

WILD CARD (15) Jason Statham beats people up again as a Las Vegas bodyguard with debts to pay, in a slightly classier vehicle than usual, with a script by William Goldman.

THE FACE OF AN ANGEL (15) Michael Winterbottom courts controversy again in this drama loosely based on the Meredith Kercher case. Daniel Bruhl stars wit kate Beckinsale and Cara Delevingne..

SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (U) The Spongebob goes live action, sort of, in this entertaining big screen outing for the underwater surrealist.

food/drink

pic: www.chinghehuang.com

EATING FOR EARTH HOUR You can save the planet and some pennies this month as renowned chef Ching He-Huang shares her low energy recipe for Smoked Tofu with Dinosaur Kale.

We’re told that slow cooked food is the best, the tenderest, the most flavoursome – but cooking over a hot stove for hours on end isn’t the most convenient or most eco-friendly way to make tasty meals. In aid of Earth Hour, the global wide initiative to get everyone to turn off their electronics for just one hour, Ching He-Huang (star of Chinese Food Made Easy) has created a number of recipes that are low on energy. Her smoked tofu with dinosaur kale is an easy, healthy way to conserve some energy this month.

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp groundnut oil / 2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped / 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated / 1 red Fresno chilli, deseeded and finely chopped / 250g smoked sunflower seed tofu, sliced into rectangle pieces (1cm thickness) / 200g Dinosaur Kale, sliced into 1cm pieces, on the angle / 1 lime, juiced / 2 tbsp mirin / 1-2 tbsp low sodium light soy sauce / 1-2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

PREPARATION Heat the wok over high heat and add the groundnut oil. Give the wok a swirl and then add in the garlic, ginger, chilli and stir for a few seconds. Then add the kale pieces and toss, cooking for less than 1 minute.

As the kale wilts, push it and the aromatics to the side of the wok and add the tofu pieces then toss cooking together for 2 minutes.

Season with the mirin, low sodium light soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Toss well.

For acidity and a sour note, season with the lime juice and mix well cooking for a further minute.

Once the kale has softened (but still has a bite) and the tofu is heated through, take it off the heat and its ready to serve.

Serve it on its own for two as a healthy carb-free dinner, or serve with brown rice and other stir-fry dishes to share.

Info: www.chinghehuang.com

BILL’S AT THE BAY When Woods Brasserie closed its doors last year it left the old Pilotage building in Cardiff Bay empty, but now Bill’s will be moving in and filling its rooms with happy diners from Mon 16 Mar. The restaurant chain has been serving up across the UK, including Cardiff’s city centre, for over a decade. The quirky eatery will now be expanding its success by joining the many other restaurants in the Mermaid Quay.

Expect tasty breakfast, lazy lunches and candlelit dinners! www.bills-website.co.uk BUZZ 32

FIVE GUYS COMES TO CARDIFF The latest cut-above burger joint to make Cardiff a must-visit place for American-themed dining is renowned American restaurant Five Guys – which is to open its first Cardiff branch this month, in the city’s Brewery Quarter.

Established in Washington DC in 1986 by the Murell family, Five Guys now boast an empire of 1200 stores worldwide and has started to extend into the UK. High quality burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, hand-cut fries and breakfasts all feature on Five Guys’ menu, spawning a global cult following: even President Obama himself has his favourite burger of theirs.

Info: www.fiveguys.co.uk

WELSH CURRY HOUSE OF THE YEAR RETURNS Now in its ninth year, the Welsh Curry House Of The Year competition has been checking out the spicy offerings of over 350 restaurants in Wales, and it’s about to do it all again for 2015.

Last year the Ty Asha Balti in Llanrwst, North Wales took home the big prize, but it wasn’t just the judges that had their say last year, as the awards received over 13,500 votes from diners themselves. The system will be the same this year, as members of the public can vote for their favourite curry house on the Welsh Curry House website between Sun 1 Mar and Sun 12 Apr. The shortlisted restaurants will then be visited by the independent judges and the winners will be announced on Thurs 16 Apr. Info: www.welshcurryhouse.co.uk

WELSH CAKES

5 OF THE BEST... Irish cocktails

(NOT JUST FOR ST DAVID’S DAY) words RUTH JOSEPH www.ruthjoseph.co.uk www.veggischmooze.blogspot.com

An absolute staple of Irish drinks, Guinness Draught is a drink that has come to represent a nation.

Though you may think you know the familiar bittersweet taste of Guinness, you might be surprised with how versatile it can be. Chuck some lemonade into the glass and try a Guinness shandy, mix it 50/50 with some champagne for a Black Velvet or add a dash of port to your pint for a Midnight.

And by popular request, this fantastic Welsh recipe that should be enjoyed all the year round, not just St David’s Day. So why not spoil yourself with a little spring baking and enjoy a classic Welsh cake? They’re so easy.

Just be gentle on the dough. I’ve added grated lemon zest and vanilla sugar to my basic recipe until I felt it was perfect and now I adore its luscious mouthwatering flavour.

My lovely Care In The Community ladies love pic: James Petts their Welsh cakes, especially with homemade strawberry jam.

THE IRISH CREAM COCKTAIL

MAKES 30-40 cakes

pic: BitchBuzz

We all know that Ireland is about much more than drinking, but if you’re planning on celebrating St Patrick's Day on Tue 17 Mar with a little tipple, Jennifer Maguy suggests a few Irish cocktails to try out.

THE GUINNESS COCKTAIL

A Paddy’s Day-themed night on the town can go on late into the night, and sometimes you need a mid-party pick-me-up to get your energy back. This is where the coffee-infused cocktail comes in!

Get yourself some Irish crème liqueur such as Baileys, shake it up with some ice, milk and espresso then pour (straining out the ice as you do so).

THE IRISH TRICOLOUR SHOT Using the science and colour of different drinks you can recreates the green, white and orange of the flag of Ireland. Simply get a shot glass and – in this order – pour in crème de menthe, Irish cream liqueur and orange liqueur. Make sure to pour each drink slowly or the layers will mix and your drink will look less like a flag and more like a kid’s finger painting.

THE WHISKEY COCKTAIL What other drink is Ireland famous for? It’s wonderful whiskey of course! There are endless possibilities for a whiskey based cocktail, you can seemingly add it to anything and call it a cocktail.

This time, however, we’ll stick to a classic: the whiskey sour. Mix whiskey with lemon juice, add some sugar syrup and mix well!

THE INSENSITIVELY NAMED COCKTAIL Yes it's the Irish Car Bomb! A drink made with Irish stout, Irish cream, and Irish whiskey (but, somewhat ironically, created in America). To enjoy this one, half fill your glass with the Irish stout of your choice, then drop into it a shot glass containing Irish cream liqueur and some Irish whiskey.

Drink it quick before it curdles.

CWTCHFEST Music comes with a meal at Gwdihw in Cardiff this month, as CwtchFest mixes together local food and music. The mini feastival will mean you can work off your tasty treats with some dances. The line-up so far includes James Kennedy, Raspberry Jam (the band, not the food) and Funky Jesus. On the food side, the Rolling Hot Dog company will be serving up the sausage, while the Dusty Knuckle Pizza Company will be providing wood-fire oven baked pizza.

That food-music fusion will all be for a good cause as proceeds will go to Community Music Wales – a charity empowering the disadvantaged through music.

CwtchFest, Gwdihw, Cardiff, Sun 22 Mar. Admission: £3 Info: www.cwtchfest.com

INGREDIENTS 500g self raisingflour / 175g margarine or butter / 100g fair trade soft brown sugar / 25g vanilla sugar / 2 medium free-range organic eggs / ¼ tsp salt / 175g luxury dried fruit or plain sultanas / grated zest 1 lemon / 1 tbsp lemon juice / a little fresh milk (optional – see recipe) / oil for greasing / caster sugar PREPARATION • Grate the lemon zest into the flour. Rub the margarine or butter into the flour until it makes fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugars and the dried fruit.

• Beat eggs with the lemon juice and gently add to the flour butter/margarine mixture.

• Bring mixture together handling as little as possible and not forgetting that the lemon juice will start to work with the raising agent in the flour.

So with these you need to work quickly. You may need a little milk – this depends on the size of your eggs.

• Cut into rings with a cutter or the top of a small wine glass.

• Heat up a bake-stone or frying pan and brush with a little oil – do not use too much or they will fry.

• Place the Welsh cakes on the heated surface and leave until they slightly begin to swell at the edges and are going brown. Turn and brown on the other side.

• Remove and lay on a sugared plate. Eat warm and enjoy.

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food/drink

ETHICAL EDIBLES

Buzz discovers Pomegranates words RUTH JOSEPH www.ruthjoseph.co.uk www.veggischmooze.blogspot.com

LUSCIOUS LAMB

With the celebration of all things Welsh just gone and with Easter just round the corner, Marc Corfield - head chef of the ffresh Bar & Restaurant at the Wales Millennium Centre - shares his recipe for marinated leg of lamb.

This is one of my favourite marinades for lamb, especially early season lamb which, although wonderfully tender, can be a little mild in flavour.

This fragrant, spicy rub will give things a boost.

Serve the meat on a platter with a range of sides and it will make a great alternative to a traditional roast this Easter.

INGREDIENTS 1 leg of lamb, boned and rolled (roughly 1kg) / 90ml olive oil / salt and pepper For the spice rub: 2 large red peppers / 3 small red chillies / 6 cloves garlic, peeled / 45g fresh chopped mint / 9g coriander / 45g ground cumin / pinch saffron threads PREPARATION Quarter, deseed and roughly chop the peppers, halve and deseed the chillies and add both to a food processor with the remaining ingredients for the spice rub. Pulse together until well mixed but retaining a little texture. Tip this mix into a mixing bowl then stir in the olive oil.

Place the leg of lamb on a chopping board. If the leg has been tied or bound in elastic bands, then you'll you need to cut and remove these. Cut the lamb leg open – do this by cutting into the leg through to the hole left by the removal of the leg bone. This should then enable you to flatten the lamb out in one piece. pic: Food Adventure

BUTCHERY, BACON AND BEER BUZZ 34

Rub the spice mix onto the lamb, cover with cling film and allow to marinate in the fridge for two or three hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the cling film from the meat, scraping off the marinade.

Fry the lamb in a little olive oil in a large frying pan on a high heat until browned all over. If you don’t have a pan big enough, cut the lamb in half and fry one half at a time.

Transfer the meat to a roasting tray and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 mins.

This should leave you with lamb cooked to roughly medium.

Rest the meat, loosely wrapped in foil, for 10/15 minutes to allow the juices to settle before carving into chunky slices.

To make a light gravy to accompany the meat, place the roasting pan over a medium heat, add a drizzle of red or white wine vinegar and use a spoon to ‘deglaze’ the pan, scraping the cooked on sediment into the liquid to flavour it. Add a small glass of white wine and allow to bubble for a minute or two before serving spooned over the meat.

Info: www.wmc.org.uk

A village hall in Llanmaes opens its door this month for a butchery and bacon class, organised by Food Adeventure. Teaching the unique workshop will be Illtud Llyr Dunsford, founder of awardwinning artisan charcuterie company Charcutier Ltd. He will demonstrate butchery skills such as carving a pork middle into various cuts – tenderloin, leaf lard, loin, belly and ribs – and show the basics of making one’s own bacon. Post-butchery, you can relax with some craft beer donated by The Celt Experience. You must be 18 or older to take part, but all materials are provided – participants will take home close to 10 kilos of pork, so you may need either willing friends and family, or a chest freezer.

St Cattwg’s Village Hall, Llanmaes, Cowbridge, Sun 15 Mar. Tickets: £135. Info: www.foodadventure.co.uk

It’s always been accepted that the pomegranate – with its polished red exterior and delicious, rich red and pink jewel-like seeds or arils – looks attractive mixed into a salad or topped on breakfast cereal but the humble pomegranate is now known to take its place in the fight against cancer, lowering pic: Samantha Forsberg cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Scientists have reported in Cancer Decisions Newsletter Archives that, when pomegranate juice was given to healthy male volunteers and mice with a genetic heart problem, that in humans the pomegranate juice had the effect of decreasing the bad cholesterol LDL by 20% and the pomegranate juice had the effect of reducing the amount of plaque in the mice’s arteries by 44%! The following year they expanded their research and found that adding a mere 1.7 fl oz per day of pomegranate juice can lower the systolic blood pressure of patients with high blood pressure by 5%.

Other scientists proved that the dried pomegranate seeds had antiseptic and disinfectant qualities and could fight against E coli and Bacillus subtilis.

So yes enjoying pomegranates and the juice can improve our health. Plus it’s so versatile and adaptable. It can be combined with fruit or vegetable dishes and is delicious in Middle Eastern recipes.

To prepare the pomegranate, cut in half and bang the top of cut halves with a wooden spoon over open hands into a large bowl.

You could also try my delicious Pomegranate Tabbouleh. It will sit in the fridge until you are ready.

POMEGRANATE TABBOULEH SERVES 6-8 INGREDIENTS 1 medium deseeded pomegranate / 150g bulgur wheat / 450ml vegetable stock / 4 large spring onions cleaned and finely chopped / 1 clove garlic, finely chopped / 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped / 2 cucumbers, finely chopped / 50g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped / 50g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped / 1 tsp salt / black pepper / juice and finely grated rind 1 small lemon / 4 tbsp olive oil Soak the bulgur wheat in the hot stock for half an hour- some cook it for 5 minutes in the microwave for a softer mixture. Remove excess liquid. Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir. Chill for a while for the flavours to mix. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve and enjoy.

food/drink

STEAK OF THE ART

pic: Yelp

HOKKEI

Crwys Road, Cardiff. 029 2233 1400 / www.hokkei.co.uk Food: ***** Atmosphere: **** As much as I love a good, down and dirty, grease-laden Chinese takeaway, nothing I’ve previously encountered really holds a candle to Hokkei. Firstly, it’s owned by two Masterchef finalists, Larkin Cen and Dale Williams. They’ve joined forces to create a Chinese takeaway using ethically-sourced, high quality ingredients, and creating original, delicious dishes in the process.

As we arrived at Hokkei we were met with friendly faces and a cup of green tea while we waited. The menu is largely split into dim sum and mains; you can buy these separately or opt for a Hokkei Box (£12.95-£14.95), to include your choice of one main, one side (mainly noodles and rice), one dim sum and one extra. These boxes are designed to serve one person but are very generous.

Having sampled a few meals on the menu, it’s evident that Hokkei’s chefs know how to cook meat. Every single dish was tender and cooked to perfection. We started with flavoursome salt and pepper squid: a little too salty on its own, but perfect covered in the rice vinegar and sichuan pepper dip. Next was the tangy lemon and blackened corn chicken, followed by roasted char siu – slices of pork served with a sweet sauce, pak choi and a sprinkle of wasabi seeds for a nice kick.

The highlight, though, was the ribs. I’m not usually a big fan of ribs but they were smothered in a finger lickingly tasty sauce and the meat just fell off the bone.

Hokkei will be changing their menu regularly, to adapt to seasonal produce and to showcase their kitchen-bound creativity. All the better for when I inevitably return to this fine establishment. HEATHER ARNOLD

Churchill Way, Cardiff.

029 2039 7284 / www.steakoftheart.co.uk Food: **** Atmosphere: *** This section’s recent move into grading establishments’ atmosphere isn’t some random gesture: it has considerable bearing on one’s enjoyment of dining out.

Nevertheless, it hasn’t taken long to show up the system’s inadequacies. Steak Of The Art, which opened in late January to moderate hype and is expanding from its initial Bristol setting, certainly tries to generate atmosphere. Primarily, it does so in such haphazard, cartoonish fashion, the tolerance-ometer swings right round, and it’s hard not to be charmed. Still, the score above tells you little.

The ‘Art’ of its name refers to the paintings for sale upstairs, most of which look like something Alan Partridge’s stalker would have on his wall; to the chainsawcrafted wooden sculptures of characters from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory which bedeck our booth (the piped-in gurgling sound, which we eventually twig is supposed to be Augustus Gloop’s digestive system, is a... bold move); to the bespoke, retina-scorching upholstery. The ‘Steak’ refers to the foundation of their menu, is served in 200g portions and ranges from £14 for rump to £20 for fillet, reasonably enough.

My guest and I start with broccoli and stilton soup (him) and goats’ cheese salad (me). The soup is endorsed unreservedly. The salad could be called imbalanced, featuring one small disc of cheese and rocket in quantities usually associated with deforestation in the Amazon. Our steaks – his a medium rare ribeye, mine a rare sirloin – are both good: possibly closer to medium rare in my case, but certainly from quality origins. Sauces are £2 extra; sweet potato fries incur a £1 supplement and are best ignored in favour of the standard (excellent) chips.

Unoriginal but deeply satisfying desserts, a sticky toffee pudding and unusually light crème brûlée, get demolished – although not before I’m given the wrong order, and am then pumped for opinion after the first spoonful of the right one.

Service is otherwise delightful, though, and Steak Of The Art is but a few weeks old. The food’s decent enough to earn it popularity, £70 for three courses and a drink apiece is fair, and the decor... well, sometimes you need a talking point to nudge conversation along. NOEL GARDNER

THE PLUM TREE

160-162 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff 029 2022 5235 / www.plumtreecafebar.com Food: *** Atmosphere: **** We spent our Buzz Christmas lunch/afternoon bash at The Plum Tree way back in December and it was great fun. Having not been back since, I thought I’d pop back for lunch midweek.

Fairly busy for a Wednesday, many mums sat happily with their kids amongst a few ladies who lunch (us included) and a smattering of locals. Right in the middle of Cowbridge Road, The Plum Tree – recently purchased by Brains and revamped – is a great little place. The menu choice is vast and there’s a good choice of breakfast variations served throughout day, plus tapas and a daily changing menu on the board. It’s very cosy once you are inside, and a lot bigger than you think: wooden floors, leather chairs, ample seating and chunky tables make it very similar in style to Ocho Lounge and the Malsters in Llandaff, locally speaking.

I, being on a healthy tip, went for a superfood salad (£7.50): spinach, pea shoots, rocket, carrot, courgette, edamame and borlotti beans with toasted pumpkin seeds, all dressed in Blodyn Aur extra virgin rapeseed oil with sliced grilled chicken. My not-so-healthy lunch mate had harissa chicken in pitta bread with sour cream and spinach, plus fries (£5.95).

The Plum Tree is ideal for breakfast meetings, afternoon tea or a snack or drink after work. There is also occasional live jazz, so check out their website for updated details. It is an alternative to Chapter Arts Centre, which is literally around the corner, and a welcome addition to Canton. EMMA CLARK BUZZ 35

art

AMY STERLY + THOM SNELL: SOUND BOOKS Oriel Davies, Newtown Sat 7 Mar-Wed 13 May Do you like to smell, touch or listen to your books? Is there a certain book that brings back fond childhood memories as you strum the pages? It may seem a strange thought, but if you recall your earliest memory of visiting a local library or bookshop, the likelihood is that you used one of these senses. Not just for reading – Sound Books is a new exhibition that actively encourages us to explore the book as an object.

The two artists responsible for delving into our psyche and reminding us of these senses are printmaker and sculptor Amy Sternly and video artist and musician Thom Snell. Pitting the physical book against its electronic equivalent has been much debated since the e-book hit the scene, but whether you prefer to store your reading material on a bookshelf or in digital catalogue there’s no denying that the physical book can trigger a much greater emotional response.

You may not be able to judge a book by its cover but you can tell a lot from the touch of a good ol’ fashioned paper and ink book. It could be a much loved classic, whose words are worn and page corners folded over from the multiple readings. It could be a high prized pretty thing, whose reading is much monitored and the owner has a strict ‘no tea near it’ rule. It could look exactly like it did in the book shop when it was bought years earlier, but remains unread and gathering dust. Or it could be covered in scribbles, created out of boredom or fascination.

Whether you’re a bookworm or wish to reignite your passion, Sound Books invites you to explore the spines and pages and awaken your senses to the book as an object. RHIANON HOLLEY Admission: free. Info: 01686 625041 / www.orieldavies.org pic: Allie Saunders

ANGHARAD PEARCE JONES: THE PRAM IN THE HALL

Oriel Myrddin, Carmarthen Sat 7 Mar-Sat 25 Apr A room filled with steel girders may not immediately spring to mind for an exhibition titled The Pram In The Hall, but this forms the basis of Angharad Pearce Jones’ installation in Oriel Myrddin.

The Pram In The Hall fills the entire gallery space with steel girders, echoing the interior of Dyfed Steels – a company with whom Pearce Jones has a longrunning working relationship. The installation apparently instils in the visitor a visual tension through the combination of the feminine and the domestic with the materials, methods and language of heavy industry.

As an installation artist, Pearce Jones takes a humorous and critical look at the contradictions of society. Heavily influenced by life in a post-industrial South Wales, she combines the material of heavy industry with domesticity.

Pearce Jones’ earlier work includes scaffold covered with flock wallpaper and a three-roomed installation commenting on the rise of DIY activity in the home, against a steady decline in British manufacturing and blue-collar industries in general. This is a commentary that seems all the more pertinent in Wales, a country with an iconic industrial history.

The Pram in the Hall promises to be an immersing experience, contrasting domesticity with industry. (JK) Admission: free. Info: 01267 222775 / www.orielmyrddingallery.co.uk BUZZ 36

CHERRY PICKLES

Oriel Mwldan, Cardigan Sat 28 Mar-Sat 16 May Is the human form open to interpretation?

Of course it is, at least, in the world of art.

With the predominant boundaries of modern society being race, appearance and (arguably most of all) gender, art can occasionally be restricted to our more rudimentary understanding of self.

This theme is precisely what the work of Cherry would seem to undermine. Whilst self-portraiture is central to her work, there is a rarely a mirror image presented to the audience, but instead one that is made to change our perception and question the role of gender as well as other high-ranking societal themes. This is evident in her adaptation/infusion of her own portrait with that of prominent male predecessors within the field of art, such as Dylan Thomas and William S Burroughs.

This is more than just a woman in drag though, as Pickles’ work brings up questions about how we view male artists and cultural icons by taking up the same spaces and portraying herself in the same manner as them.

Other prominent features of Pickles’ work are the setting of the car. By working in the space of a car, Pickles explores the way in which mirrors and windscreens enliven and distort what we see, as well as examine the theme of self-portraiture through rear-view mirrors, seated passengers, and so on. (DM) Admission: free. Info: 01239 621200 / www.mwldan.co.uk

THE WEARABLE ART SHOW

Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama, Cardiff Thurs 5 + Fri 6 Mar Costume is very important to the world of theatre and art – there is even a whole Oscar award for it – and the wearable art seen on stage can sometimes blow you away more than any static art exhibition.

The Wearable Art Show embraces that fact in this part show, part exhibition performance.

Inspired by the literary and lyrical genius of French novelist/playwright Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and classical heavyweight, Maurice Ravel in their opera, L'enfant et les Sortilèges (which tells a tale of inanimate objects being brought to life after a young child has sought to destroy them during a tantrum), The Wearable Art Show will seek to restore a lease of life into the post-World War One composition – with a contemporary twist, of course.

The show will entail a series of weird, wild and witty costumes which will explore the lyrical fantasy of Ravel through costume construction and character interpretation.

Largely tailored from scrap materials, the attire will also exhibit the imaginative style of the designers and artists behind the performance. With dance, light and sound all set to enhance the audience experience, it would seem the troupe has every sensory pallet catered for in what is set to be a magical re-enactment of the classical genius behind Ravel and the fictitious, mystical storytelling of Colette.

(DM) Tickets: £6-£8. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

TILLEKE SCHWARTZ

Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay Sat 14 Mar-Sun 10 May Craft In The Bay welcomes an exciting new textile artist to their gallery this month: Tilleke Schwartz has received international critical acclaim for her hand embroidery, ensnaring admiration with her clever contemporary use of thread.

Taking inspiration from the oddities of life and exposing them within the embroidery, Shwartz creates pieces that seem to affect the audience as would a dream or a nightmare. The uncanny sensation of both the unfamiliar and familiar leaves you with a haunting déjà vu effect.

Without a real beginning, middle or end, Schwartz weaves a narrative element into the mix of graffiti, icons, text and traditional imagery. The exhibition is an amalgamation of creative thought, not simply by the artist but by the audience as well; by pinpointing individual elements of each piece in an attempt to explore the whole, we create our own interpretation of her work.

The exhibition is made up of 12 framed pieces in total, including her most recent work Nosy, Unfollow and Scooped Up. Schwartz is a frequent visitor to the UK from her home in the Netherlands and has exhibited at events across the country however, her new exhibit at Craft In The Bay presents a rare opportunity to see a large body of work under one roof.

Shwartz will also be giving a talk about her work at the gallery during the exhibition's opening night on Fri 13 Mar. (AH) Admission: free / artist talk £5.

Info: 029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales.org.uk

Boundary Art, a combined gallery and tea garden, intends to create a space that provides customers the opportunity to contemplate of art works whilst enjoying tea in a fresh, unique and friendly atmosphere.

We tend to establish a sort of culture fusion of western and eastern arts.

For us, there is no limited genres or forms, we appreciate every piece of artwork that expresses impressive aesthetics and emotion.

The opening exhibition will begin from 21st March, which is called Communication and Innovation: The Fusion of Art and Culture Between East and West.

3 Sovereign Quay, Havannah Street, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff.CF10 5SF. E-mail: info@boundaryart.com Phone: +44 (0) 2920 489 869

www.boundaryart.com

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: LEVIATHAN

stage

Sherman Cymru, Cardiff Tue 24-Sat 28 Mar

pic: Keith Morris

Not one for theatre? How about if a complementary pie and a pint were chucked into the mix – sound more tempting? Well, that’s exactly what the latest theatrical instalment at the Sherman Cymru will be offering. A Play, A Pie And A Pint: Leviathan is part of an ongoing series pioneered by the late David MacLennan, in which food and drink would appear as high up on the discursive agenda as the entertainment itself.

“Will you look at the day? Beautiful, ah? Summer throws you one of these just before it all goes west.” The scene is set for an evening of tranquil, familial activity, of sitting back in the garden, beer in hand, soaking up the sun. And yet the family of three, each hailing from a different generation, are soon to become enthralled in the underlying tension that has – up until now – been long buried and ignored. Meanwhile, the family cat endeavours to murder countless more defenceless birds, only adding to the freshly stirred dispute.

This synopsis is largely the framework surrounding Leviathan, the first addition in the Pie And Pint series. Now in its 22nd season, it's gone from strength to strength since it was founded in 2004 for Glasgow's Òran Mór theatre. Renowned for his dedication to Scottish theatre – having produced both 7:84 and Wildcat – MacLennan, leaving behind an impressive legacy, passed away in June 2014. BBC Two Scotland chose to broadcast a programme devoted to the playwright and his latest pub-themed series, in which the likes of Robbie Coltrane and David Hayman each paid tribute to the dramatist.

Written by Matthew Trevannion and directed by the Sherman’s Rachel O’Riordan, Leviathan's all-female cast will cast its eye over the issue of past and present, and the changing fortune of those who find themselves trapped in the prior. DANIEL MULLER Tickets: £12.50 (includes a pie and a pint). Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru. co.uk

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF COMEDY (ABRIDGED)

Gwyn Hall, Neath, Wed 4 Mar; Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama, Cardiff, Tue 10 Mar; Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Thur 26 Mar; Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Fri 27 Mar; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Sat 28 Mar Having begun its parody-infused synopsis of Shakespeare back in 1981 (successfully condensing the literary deity into just 90 minutes), the Reduced Shakespeare Company has since come a long way – and hugely expanded its repertoire of humorous, seemingly improvised cultural interpretation.

Following The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged), the acting troupe released a further eight theatrical performances. The Complete History Of America (Abridged); The Bible: The Complete Word Of God (Abridged); All The Great Books (Abridged); and The Complete World Of Sports (Abridged) collectively demonstrate the sheer audacity of their lively, fast-paced take on theatre.

Now, the troupe will be performing its latest piece, The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged). Having travelled to all four corners of our circular planet, with the White House, the Kennedy Centre and London’s West End being a few notable highlights, South Wales is lucky to have been gifted five dates in the upcoming UK tour.

Tickets: £12-£16 / £10-£15 conc. Info: www.reducedshakespeare.com (DM) BUZZ 38

LONG LIVE THE LITTLE KNIFE

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Tue 10 Mar; Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Wed 11 Mar; Pontardawe Arts Centre, Thu 12 Mar; The Riverfront, Newport, Fri 13 Mar A bizarre story of a husband and wife who specialize in con art and counterfeiting, only to become engaged in a turf war for selling fake vintage handbags.

To avoid the same brutish fate as their beloved Labradoodle (castration and murder), they must find a hefty sum of protection money to pay off the East End heavies responsible for the demise of their canine friend. Left with little other choice, the pair set out to become the world’s greatest art forgers – the only problem being that neither can paint.

This is David Leddy’s latest production in a concise nutshell.

Initially only been a mini-commission for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the overwhelming success of Long Live The Little Knife caused creator David Leddy to bring the characters back to life in a full-length escapade for the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe – where it earned four-star ratings left, right and centre.

Constantly battling with the psychology of truth, the play also poses serious themes to its audience through its fast-paced, inspirational yet unconventional story that tiptoes on the border of the brutish and the disturbing. All sold alongside a drop of light-hearted humour. (DM) Tickets: £10-£14 / £5-£12 conc. Info: www.davidleddy.com

HITCH

Various venues in Wales Thurs 12 Mar-Thurs 16 Apr He transformed from the beautiful bird-song filled creatures to shrieking monsters, made women worry about the implications of marrying a mysterious widower and created a whole new fear of showering – and now Alfred Hitchcock has inspired a cabaret show.

When a performance is inspired by the ‘master of suspense’, you know it’s likely to maximize the elements of anxiety and tension. That is exactly what Hitch, a circus and cinema-inspired production by the folks at Mary Bijou Cabaret, seeks to achieve – along with the necessary wit and light-heartedness, of course.

Starting out in 2010 in a community hall in Splott, Cardiff, Mary Bijou progressed through the theatrical ranks quickly. In 2011, they created Hitch for the Wales Millennium Centre's Blysh Festival, and its success was such that they decided to bring it back.

Hitch’s return was inevitable given that it’s a show with a stern singing housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, a tightrope walking vertigo sufferer and a Chinese pole performer fending off bird attack.

With destinations on the south Wales tour including Aberystwyth, Cardiff, Llanelli, Milford Haven, Neath and Newport, we’ll leave you to decide which rendition is best suited for you, but do note, shows have frequently sold out in the past.

Tickets: £10-£14 / £5-£12 conc. Info: www.marybijoucabaret.com (DM)

YOU HAVE TO BE MAD TO WORK HERE...

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Wed 25 Mar The interchange between mental health and creativity can often be difficult to distinguish. There are, of course, the somewhat stereotypical presumptions that exist: depression leading to more enhanced, flowing poetry; alcoholism resulting in a more transparent, intellectual writer; or even bipolar disorder creating a method of stand-up which can enable the performer to switch to their onstage persona. Although, being based on presumption, these ideas are all open to some form of debate.

This is the essence of the latest one man show from writer, performer and stand-up comic James Baker. The play is set to examine and uncover the intersection between addiction, mood disorders, mental illness, the artistic temperament, and the glue that ties each of one together with the next.

Through using a mixture of stand-up comedy and physical theatre, James will be using his personal history (medical more so than any) as well as the art of conversation to examine the perceptions of what an artist should bet. In various mental states he talked to both friends and those he would describe as ‘better artists’. Whether or not the cliché of the tortured artist is useful, true or simply quite dangerous is yet to be determined.

Tickets: £5. Info: 01970 623232 / www. aberystwythartscentre.co.uk (DM)

Great Drama in 2015 at RCT Theatres THE HARRIS PARRIS THE LEAVING DO 17 March/ Mawrth 7.30pm

The Coliseum Aberdare £12.00

CROUCH, TOUCH, PAUSE, ENGAGE

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE – IT’S ABOUT THE DREAM

24- 25 March/ Mawrth 7.30pm The Coliseum Aberdare £12.00/£9.00.

Family Ticket/ Teulu o Bedwar £40.00

23- 24 April/Ebrill 7.30pm The Coliseum Aberdare £10.00/£8.00

troyKa

Chris Montague guitars and loops Joshua Blackmore drums Kit downes organ Fri 13 Feb | gwe 13 Chwe 7.45pm

Friday Night is LatiN Night… with Lito FoNtaNa

royal welsh College Brass Band Band Pres Coleg Brenhinol Cymru Fri 27 Feb | gwe 27 Chwe 7.30pm

PowerPLaNt PLays wiLL gregory Joby Burgess percussion and electronics thurs 5 Mar | iau 5 Maw 7.30pm

BudaPest CaFé orChestra Chris garrick violin eddie hession accordion Kelly Cantlon double bass adrian Zolotuhin guitar, saz, balalaika, domra Fri 27 Mar | gwe 27 Maw 7.30pm

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

BUZZ 39

clubs

ALL THINGS HARD

Grasshoppers, Brynmawr Fri 20 Mar The people behind tonight’s party are quite rightly keen to keep the Valleys hard dance scene alive. While Cardiff and Swansea tend to get the lion’s share of big names, it is the dedication of punters in places like Blaenau Gwent that means they don’t have to travel far for a decent party.

“I’ve been putting on DEJAVU events since 2010 and gone to play at others across the Valleys,” says Luke Gray, who is promoting tonight as well as DJing as Pink-E. “I have mostly hosted parties in Brynmawr, where we do pull people in from other areas, mostly Swansea, Cardiff and Merthyr.

It’s different to when I play in the cities because then you get people from all over.

All Things Hard is run by myself and RJ Brand. We want to put on an event where people can go raving and see different line-ups every week. We also give up-andcoming DJs and MCs the chance to get out there and play to a crowd. New talent can just add me on Facebook and send me their demo and I will put them on in the near future.”

Joining Pink-E for this inaugural event are Bionic faces Vishaun & Trampy, as well as Audio-Logic, Recycle & Pollution, Valley Houser and RNX. MCs include Swifty, China White, Destroyer and Venom.

Admission: £3. Info: 01495 315600 (RH)

BUZZ 40

THE BOOGIE CARTEL

Delete @ The Vaults, Cardiff Sat 21 Mar If you’re still yet to discover what all the fuss is about regarding The Vaults, now is a good time to purchase an advance ticket. Last month’s Cellar Door Valentine rave sold out, and once that happens you ain’t getting in. The same level of attendance is expected for the Delete crew’s takeover, especially given the faithfulness of their regulars and the calibre of their guests.

Their room one headliners tonight are Paranoid London, the acid and house outfit whose self-titled debut album was released in December. Joining them in the main chamber are residents Matt Owen, Lee Graves and Marc Parsons.

In room two are The Boogie Cartel, known individually as Tom Armstrong, Saul Wilks, Gary Lewis and Captain Turtle. Their brand of sleazy house gets a regular airing at their well-attended residency parties at the Nest in Dalston, where the cartel have as much fun as the clientele.

“Yeah, the Nest parties are great,” explains Captain Turtle, aka Shaun Dangerfield. “They always go off as it’s such a nice sound in there. We’ve just finished a year-long residency. The staff and sound guys are top notch – it’s such a great place to play.”

DJing as a quartet, as opposed to individuals or even duos, can bring its own dynamics and dilemmas, but the guys are confident in their ability to read each other. “Each of us has our own thing going on and you can hear that throughout the night,” says Shaun. “But we are still in the same ballpark. It’s just a bonus that we all get each other’s styles and music.”

They are equally comfortable among people around these parts, having played here a number of times.

“We did a few Backroom events together,” Shaun tells us. “In terms of playing we hosted a night at Aura called Suburban Boogie a few years back. We love south Wales – it has a great underground movement and culture so we are relishing playing Delete. We know the people there are clued up and musically obsessive, so it’s one we are really looking forward to and will be digging deep for.”

Tickets: £12. Info: ben@delete-cardiff.co.uk RYAN HEEGER

DIZRAELI

The Queens Hall, Narberth Sat 4 Apr Despite Dizraeli’s name being at the top of the flyer, this is actually something of a collaborative tour, with Bellatrix, Reeps One and Rex Domino also on the line-up.

That collaboration has spawned the Ghost Lights project, which Dizraeli tells us is a raw, stripped-back sound. Elsewhere, his work with The Small Gods will see their new album The Depths released this month.

“We’ve changed singers, gone psychedelic and crowdfunded our latest release through Pledge Music,” explains the Bristolian. “It’s sounding bonkers and peachy at the same time.”

As a rapper, spoken-word artist and playwright, Dizraeli has won awards including BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Slam contest and Spirit Of The Fringe award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“As a solo artist I’d describe myself as J Dilla meets Bjork aboard the Jefferson Airplane, and gets the giggles,” says Dizraeli. “As for Ghost Lights, you’ll need to keep your eyes and ears peeled for the new video, which will explain everything for itself. In the autumn I have a project with the photographer Billy Macrae. I’ll be releasing an album accompanied by a film, called UnPlaned which I’m playing loads of instruments and doing small raps on. Then there’ll be an acoustic album to follow that, and then in 2016 a whole new album with The Small Gods which may or may not change the world.”

Tickets: £6-£12. Info: 01834 861212 (RH)

JFB

Boogie Nights @ Buffalo, Cardiff Thurs 12 Mar Although he will be (and is currently) in the midst of a long and hectic Canadian schedule as part of his 2015 world tour, JFB is going to zip back to Cardiff for this date. The twice UK DMC scratch champion clearly doesn’t slouch when it comes to pleasing the punters.

“So far I’ve played in Whistler, Courtney, Vancouver and Victoria,” says JFB. I’m now on a little three-day break then it’s another eight gigs across BC and Alberta, until heading back to the UK for a few dates around the country. Then I’m off to Australia, New Zealand and Asia. I’m exited and confident every party is gonna be amazing.”

“Party style bass music with recognisable samples remixed for a modern audience,” is how he describes what he does, and following the world tour there will be a more formal way to hear what that sounds like.

“My album is nearly finished,” explains the Brightonian. “It will be a collection of tracks that I have been working on for the last year or so, with many different styles and collaborations with some big names in the music scene. I’m super excited to release this body of work to the public, but still need to add the finishing touches so watch this space. There will also be lots of new scratch routines.”

Tickets: £5-£7. Info: 029 2031 0312 (RH)

JOHN MORALES

Gwdihw Café Bar, Cardiff Fri 6 Mar Much is said and written about the Stateside spawning grounds from which many of house music’s subgenres originated. But it’s not until you get to speak to someone who was there back in the day and still doing well that you get the opportunity to find out what those scenes were really like.

“I mostly worked in small underground clubs and bars back then,” explains John Morales. “I still find it’s about the music first and foremost, so as long as you’re playing music and people are enjoying it, time is irrelevant. I still feel the same today, it’s just that now I don’t have to carry all those crates of records around anymore, just a few USB drives in a pocket.”

These days he can be found working on output including this month’s debut album by Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, titled Tuxedo, as well as producing for BBE, the label on which he resides.

“I’m currently working on a new compilation for BBE tentatively titled Me And My Friends,” says John. “Also a new vinyl-only release for Motown called Club Kings which is a follow-up to the Motown Divas vinyl. My sound has always been classified as percussive and happy.

I have always tried to create a party type atmosphere in everything I have tried to do musically.”

Tickets: £7. Info: 029 2039 7933 (RH)

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3rd-5th April 2015

Emmy The Great The Pooh Sticks BALLBOY * THE LOVELY EGGS * PINS * JESSICA PRATT DUGLAS T STEWART & CHLOE PHILIP (BMX BANDITS) are DREAMERS * THE SCHOOL * OSCAR * THOMAS TRUAX * FEATURE * MARTHA * THE DRINK * FRESCHARD TRUST FUND * TUFF LOVE * TIGERCATS * TRWBADOR * ALPACA SPORTS * TYRANNOSAURUS DEAD * LITTLE MY * CAVE GHOSTS * THE CATENARY WIRES (AMELIA FLETCHER) * MOWBIRD * TWO WHITE CRANES * EMMA KUPA (ex-STANDARD FARE) * OH PEAS! * TRAMGIRL KARAOKE CLUB feat. EDINE & MASKOPET * BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA * JEN SCHANDE DJS: TREV ODD BOX VS HUE POOH STICKS * READY STEADY GIRLS VS TWISTED BY DESIGN * DAYTRIP VS WALES GOES POP!

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TICKETS FROM WEGOTTICKETS.COM . SPILLERS RECORDS . DIVERSE NEWPORT . SEETICKETS.COM DAY TICKETS £15 / £15 / £16 . WEEKEND TICKETS £40 . UNDER 12S GO FREE! @walesgoespop

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MIKE PETERS

Sin City, Swansea Fri 20 Mar The iconic punk-turned-rock band, The Alarm, will mark the 30 year anniversary of their 1985 hit album, Strength (1985), with a solo tour from former lead-singer, Mike Peters. After starting out as The Toilets, the Rhyl band began to create a more refined, mellower sound under Peters, one that sought to incorporate Welsh language and culture.

As the group gathered momentum in the 1980s, continuing the shift to alternative rock, it developed a loyal following (one that is still evident today). Supporting the likes of U2 and Bob Dylan further slung the band into the limelight. The group also achieved considerable success under its own merits. In 1983, the single 68 Guns reached number 17 in the UK singles chart, and the album, Declaration, peaked at number six in the UK albums chart. Two years on, they released the single (and album), Strength, which troubled the UK and US charts.

Having left the band in 1991, Peters embarked on a solo career. However, he still affiliated himself with the band, releasing music under the name The Alarm MM++ – the numerals designed to distinguish it from previous Alarm output.

Now clearly seeking to keep the legacy alive, he is set on his next UK tour. If you can’t make the Swansea concert, there is a reprieve as Peters will visit Cardiff’s Globe on Sat 2 May. Tickets: £16. Info: 01792 468892 (DM) BUZZ 42

VIKESH KAPOOR

The Moon Club, Cardiff, Fri 6 Mar; The Chattery, Swansea, Sat 7 Mar Vikesh Kapoor is a young musician from Pennsylvania who’s inspired by the music of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. His debut album, The Ballad Of Willy Robbins, has been garlanded with critical praise and made Rough Trade’s top 100 albums of 2014. Now, as he prepares for his first solo tour of the UK and Ireland, he took the time to talk to Buzz about his music and what inspires him to write the album.

On the inspirations behind ...Willy Robbins: “It wasn’t contrived in its approach. I was compelled to write about it because of where I grew up and what I saw around me. In the same sense, I didn’t see anyone else singing about it, so in that way I felt it was a conscious decision: something needs to be said about this and I think that I can say something about this.”

On people’s first responses to the album: “Some of the reactions I got were really polarising and I liked that. There’s something potent in a song if it’s polarising, if it can create such opposite reactions.”

On his songwriting inspirations: “Looking back to old songwriters, the ones that I really respect are the ones who’ve been able to carve out their own voice for decades, and weren’t necessarily successful commercially from the beginning, but they stuck to their vision, despite what they were told. And I’m not even talking about the obvious choices like Dylan, but I’m talking about people like Willie Nelson or Leonard Cohen, or even Tom Waits. I feel that voices like Cohen, or Nina Simone, these people who really had a strong voice, an idiosyncratic voice and vision, that’s really inspiring. That was where I got the courage to go against the grain.”

On what lies ahead: “I’m getting back into the studio right after this tour. It’s pretty early on, but I’m working on some ideas for LP two. I think you’ll probably see a lot more love songs on this next album. I see the sound getting bigger. The sound on the first album was pretty understated and dry, and so I’m interested in pushing things dynamically for the next record.”

Tickets: £8 (Cardiff); £10 (Swansea). Info: info@thefullmooncardiff.com (Cardiff); 01792 473276 (Swansea) DAVID GRIFFITHS

MORRISSEY

Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff Wed 18 Mar Despite currently being without a record deal, Morrissey’s stock may well be on the rise again, with an arena appearance in Wales’ capital. The last time he played Cardiff was the 2000-capacity St David’s Hall in 2006. Of course one of his most memorable (for all the wrong reasons) Welsh performances was with The Smiths at Newport Centre in 1986 where over-excited fans dragged him from the stage, resulting in the rest of the gig being cancelled and Morrissey spending the night in casualty.

That, though, was almost 30 years ago.

Age, it would seem, has mellowed neither Morrissey or his views, which make him loved and loathed in equal measure.

But it’s the music that endures. On the basis of a self-produced list in 2011, he regards his most recent solo work (2004 to 2009) his most significant, declaring “I am no longer in the thrall of anything that preceded them,” and relegating The Smiths’ back catalogue to the lower reaches of the list. When you bear in mind Morrissey has been a solo artist far longer than he was The Smiths’ frontman, it seems less surprising.

That said, it goes without saying we can expect the past to be revisited, with a few Smiths classics wheeled out to keep the most ardent (which pretty much includes everyone) fans satisfied. Gladioli at the ready!

Tickets: £65/£45. Info: 029 2022 4488 (KP)

POWERPLANT PLAYS WILL GREGORY

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff Thurs 5 Mar Promising an audio/visual affair that blends modern music with immersive narrative images, Powerplant, a trio of inexplicably talented creatives, are bringing their contemporary “nonclassical” sounds to Cardiff this month.

Joby Burgess leads the group, a visionary virtuoso percussionist who has crossed paths with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Stewart Copeland, Eric Whitacre, Claire Booth and Keith Tippett. He is joined by sound designer Matthew Fairclough and visual artist Kathy Hinde. Since their beginnings in 2005 they have performed in the UK, Europe, USA and beyond.

In 2010, they made a milestone collaboration with Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of 20th century composer Sergei Prokofiev. Also a skilled composer, Gabriel initially renounced his grandfather’s appreciation for the classical form in favour of electronica, hence being the perfect catalyst for the group with which to engage.

2014 has seen a purportedly mesmerising commission from Will Gregory of Goldfrapp. This continues into 2015 and although little is known about the resulting piece other than its title Incremental, given the artistic stature of all involved, it’s bound to be an exciting performance.

Tickets: £12. Info: 029 2039 1391 (CPI)

WALES GOES POP!

The Gate, Cardiff Fri 3-Sun 5 Apr Third year not out for Cardiff’s most joyous indiepop festival, fast becoming an unmissable all-ages gathering of music, fun and balloons. Organised by Liz Hunt of Cardiff popsters The School, previous headliners have included The Wedding Present and Helen Love; this year’s treetoppers are luscious folkpop hero Emmy The Great and stalwart indie square pegs The Pooh Sticks, though quality runs through the whole three-day line up.

There are further appearances from long-standing icons The Lovely Eggs and Ballboy, while Amelia Fletcher of Talulah Gosh and Duglas Stewart of BMX Bandits bring new projects Catenary Wires and Dreamers, respectively.

As always, there's a big pile of young turks to get lost in too. Tips: nails-hard Manc gang PINS, Dublin's shivery spooks Cave Ghosts, Feature’s wiry garage rock and Martha’s infectious, Northern wit pop.

Many-headed tweesters Little My will make many people happy by reforming, while both sides of the Bristol channel are represented by the ace trebly heartbreak of Trust Fund, and the idiosyncratic solo songs of Two White Cranes and Oh Peas! Best of the lot may be Jessica Pratt though: from San Francisco, a haunting, bewitching folkster, and, like this excellent festival, impossible to resist.

Tickets: £40 weekend/£15 per day (£16 Sun 5); free under-12s. Info: www. facebook.com/walesgoespop (WS)

FRIDAY 20 MARCH 2015

TUESDAY/DYDD MAWRTH 24 MARCH/MAWRTH 2015

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SATURDAY 2 MAY 2015

THE GLOBE CARDIFF

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reviews albums ADAMSKI *****

Revolt (FutureWaltz) Adamski has described this – a limited edition collection of 10 10” vinyl records – as “21st century bass music in waltz time, packaged in a Viennese wooden cake box”. It is that, but so much more. From the opener 3STEP4EVER which features the ever-solid but barking mad Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, it’s clear we are indeed on a 3-step trip over the course of 20 tracks. It’s innovative and brilliant, and also has input from David McAlmont, Congo Natty and others. RH

BLACK YAYA *** Black Yaya (City Slang) Black Yaya is the first solo album by Herman Dune frontman David Ivar. In essence it’s a love song to the music of the 1970s. Soul, glam and slickly-produced rock nestle up against each other to create an album that sounds vaguely, comfortingly, familiar. Ivar plays all the instruments on the record, and it feels like a very personal album. Standouts include opener Flying A Rocket, and the Dylanish Lo & Behold. DG

CATRIN FINCH ***** Tides (Acapela) There are very few words that can articulate how blissful this latest rendition from Catrin Finch truly is. Arguably one of the greatest harpists to emerge from Wales, Finch has created one of the most atmospheric pieces of 2015: it could have been plucked from the time of Vivaldi and Bach if I didn’t know any better. The transcendent sound of the harp synced with the violin together creates an enthralling, trance-like state of relaxation capable of alleviating any ritual anxiety. DM

DANCE SPIRIT *** The Sun Also Rises (Supernature) It may interest you to know that this album was recorded only on Sundays, and included the use of a compressor that once belonged to James Brown, whatever that is and whoever he was. When left to their own devices, the debut from this Californian duo is for the most part floaty house, such is their philosophy of “attaining subconscious harmony through rhythm”. It does however shift up a notch

on collaborations with Shawni (on Undressed) and Jon Charnis (for Satellite). RH

GHOSTPOET *** Shedding Skin (Play It Again Sam) The third album from Ghostpoet, a self-produced record, finds the rapper seemingly questioning everything around him. “Working it out, one day at a time,” he sings on Be Right Back, Moving House. There’s a downbeat feel to the record and the sparse production moves Joe Newman’s skeletal guitar to the fore, while Ghostpoet’s scratchy voice floats with a whispered intensity.

At various points, though, you find yourself longing for a break in the clouds. DG

THE GO! TEAM **** The Scene Between (Memphis Industries) The opening gambit of this record, The Go! Team’s fourth, is the sound of a long, cool drink being poured into a glass; Ian Parton & co really want you to know that summer is on its way. Despite the blurb claiming this album is ‘markedly different’ from their others, it’s very reminiscent of debut Thunder, Lightning, Strike: shaky instrumentation, copious sampling and various agreeable, soulful vocalists. BG

KYSHERA **** Circle (Konic) The spirit of proper rock is alive and kicking in South Wales and power trio Kyshera continue to make their mark as part of the good cause.

Circle is something of a concept album about the fall of a modern celebrity with themes of love, excess and death. As with their previous two albums, they present themselves as a consistent, tight metal/prog unit with flawless production.

Singles Break This and Gone are particular highlights, if you fancy trying before buying. RH

MARC ALMOND ***** The Velvet Trail (Cherry Red) No-one does love, sex, pain and pleasure like Marc Almond. His latest album is dark but has its upbeat moments: Pleasure's Wherever You Are, a divinely decadent travelogue, and the joyous disco duet with Beth Ditto, When The Comet Comes. Producer Chris Braide has crafted melancholic but exquisite music – lush piano and strings, especially on the ballads (middle-age brings reflection, memories, thoughts of unrequited love and death). Shades of Soft Cell on the more biting pop bits. Superb! RLR

such as The Horrors’ Tom Furse and Greg Dulli.

Not that bizarre an idea, given Phantom Radio’s bedrock of electronic beats, but it’s hard not to question quite what the point is. The tracks largely detract from Lanegan’s coarse croon, laying it over weak dance music (particularly Moby’s stinker) that it’s difficult to imagine anyone actually dancing to. In fact, nothing on here improves on the original, so… buy that. HR

SWERVEDRIVER ***

MATTHEW E. WHITE ***

I Wasn't Born To Lose You (Cherry Red)

Fresh Blood (Domino) White has been keeping his Spacebomb studio fully employed with his second LP, almost gazumping Natalie Prass’ delayed debut. With a deadpan delivery akin to Kevin Ayers without the kink, this cosmic country soul boy is more Dazwhite than Barry White, though he comes close on Take Care My Baby. The piano-driven gospel grooves are packed full of production, but like the veneers of a Z-lister, there’s plenty of polish but a lack of substance beneath. CS

Once an amalgam of all things Creation Records, Swervedriver boasted the volume of MBV, Primals swagger, Ride melodies and the Americana of Teenage Fanclub. They return after a 15-year hiatus with... more of the same. Last Rites adds itself to the list of songs that the late Arthur Lee might well had felt he'd already written, {Deep Wound} suggests Giant Steps-era Boo Radleys and everything else is steeped in pedals and arpeggios like it's 1992 again. Extra marks for naming a song English Subtitles. PJ

MOON DUO *****

SYSTEM 7 & MIRROR SYSTEM ****

Shadow Of The Sun (Sacred Bones)

N+X (A-Wave)

As seen with their previous two fulllength efforts, this gleefully heady slice of stratospheric cosmic rock showcases the Portland-based neo-psych proponents at their dizzying transcendental best.

Shadow Of The Sun presents a lunar landscape on which is projected a unison of lavish synth, kaleidoscopic guitar solos and an apt droning vocal style, perhaps most evident on Zero but seamlessly executed throughout its nine-track length. The Wooden Shjips offshoot succeeds in gravitating to uniquely alien territory with mesmeric results. CP

Ever wanted to jump in a time machine and be zapped back in time to the peak of UK rave culture? If so, this one is definitely for you.

The combination of progressive, high-octane house/techno from System 7 (arguably the closest thing to resemble the efforts of Leftfield for some time), along with the downtempo sound of sister project Mirror System, has culminated in a lively, euphoric, ambient mix worthy of any old-school dance fanatic’s attentive ears. DM

A Thousand Miles Of Midnight (Heavenly) Remixes of tracks from 2014’s fine Phantom Radio, undertaken by intriguing collaborators,

VARIOUS **** Highlife On The Move (Soundway)

OF MONTREAL **** Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl) Like their prior ventures, Aureate Gloom is rife with a psychedelic energy that only Of Montreal can seem to get right.

Drawing from blues, rock and pop, this certainly isn’t your standard guitar album, but unusual melodies, colourful lyrics and key changes are sure to please long-time fans and draw interest from new listeners. Each track bleeds into the next with gorgeous synergy that adds plenty of replay value; stand-out tracks include opener Bassem Sabry and Aluminium Crown. LB

“Now this right here is some dull, subpar highlife music,” said no-one ever about this hugely creative, epochal and accurately named West African genre. Originating in 1950s Nigeria and Ghana, the UK also played an important role, with several musicians doing time in jazz and calypso bands on London’s scene. Fela Kuti, later a Nigerian superstar, was one: Highlife On The Move unearths two of his songs from 1960, which will probably do most to sell this comp but don’t otherwise stand out among 36 other, often brilliant, early sides. NG

VARIOUS ****

THE POP GROUP ****

MARK LANEGAN BAND **

and answerless times. Crisply produced by Paul Epworth, and defiantly uncool with its splashes of reggae, steel drums and soft piano plonk, Citizen Zombie pivots around Mark Stewart’s distraught, high register declaiming, the swirled layers of guitar and brass effects adding to a madly vibrant jazz/funk/migraine nightmare. In its messy vitality, its quality is heartening. WS

Citizen Zombie (Freaks R Us)

Late Night Tales: Jon Hopkins (Late Night Tales)

Wake up sheeple! The first album in 35 years from Bristol's caterwauling dub-punk pioneers is in many ways a perfect document of these chaotic

The latest contributor to the famous mixtapestyle albums, Jon Hopkins regales us with a mellow compendium of his favourite sounds

GAMES REVIEWS OFFICE RUMBLE * PNIX Games In spite of an urban New York setting and funny cartoon-like characters, this app is unsatisfactory. While you’re supposed to be an employee, attempting to clobber your heinous boss via combat-style fighting, this action game is not at all cathartic. Rather, a lack of solid plot and repetitive scenes make for a boring app with little to offer beyond kick’n’punch action for testosterone heads. JM

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BOMB SQUAD *** Eric Froemling With an attractive aesthetic and a range of well designed characters including pirates, ninjas, barbarians and insane chefs, this multiplayer game is funny and creative. The objective is to use various bombs – ice bombs, powerful bombs, sticky bombs – to explode your opponents and win in this crazy race. Unlock maps and acquire new equipment, take part in races to capture the enemy flag and neutralize your pursuers. JM

DROP 7 **** Zynga Before people started going crazy over the addictive incarnation of puzzles games like Candy Crush or 2048, a few years back, there was Drop7. In a new version and featuring three games modes (Classic, Hardcore and Sequence), you need to match a series of blocks to the row length corresponding to their digits. The final objective is to eliminate discs and to score combos until the grid is full.

Very addictive and pleasant. JM

and greatest influences. Amongst the fabled producer’s choices are Nils Frahm, Fourtet, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and a new cover of Yeasayer’s I Remember by Hopkins himself.

The whole thing feels like an otherworldly treasure, lulling you in with its dreamlike seamlessness. Highly recommended, but stay away if you’re feeling drowsy. CPI

VARIOUS **** Next Stop Soweto Vol. 4 (Strut) If your knowledge of African music extends to the song used on a beans advert from the 90s and Paul Simon’s Graceland, there’s evidently a lot more on offer after listening to this. Songs are percussively driven, with guitars, drums and the occasional synth and organ – but there’s not a single dominant signature sound to be heard.

Some tracks sound like something released on Dischord Records, others are disco funk workouts, while there are vocal harmonies and repetition forging a strong groove throughout. GM

singles BLOODFLOWER ****

People Places (self-released)

aware of them: this single tips its hat to garage and psych but most closely resembles a neverquite-were alt-rock American outfit from two decades back. NG

THIS MONTH’S

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS *** Ballad Of The Mighty I (Sour Mash) Whether or not you like the former Oasis frontman’s voice, the catchy guitar riffs from the offset are enough to make the track, at the very least, bearable. The instrumental develops into a melodic, almost nostalgic breakdown, capped off by a single violin chord. Lyrical repetition of “Yes I’ll find you” may get tiresome very quickly. DM

ÓLÖF ARNALDS *** Hypnose (One Little Indian) The enjoyable Hypnose, from Arnalds’ forthcoming album Palme, contrasts an uplifting melody with lyrics which describe “two-facedness when it comes to the matters of the heart”. B-side, Viðihlið, a wistful, simply-produced folk song, is better still, showcasing a stratospheric voice. HR

JOHN WICK

DVD PICK

15 (Lions Gate) Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John’s prized car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. A refreshing change and Keanu is fit at 50 and relishes his latest action role, great fun, bloody throughout but executed well. ****AL

THE REWRITE 12 (Lions Gate) While The Rewrite is actually quite enjoyable at times, the setup is pretty formulaic, with Grant’s washed-up screenwriter Keith Michaels working as a writer-in-residence at an upstate New York college. First dismissing and then falling for Holly Carpenter (Marisa Tomei), a middle-aged single mother who enrols in his class, Grant is charming in a part he’s played many times before. As rewrites go, this one represents a decent improvement. ***AL

LIFE ITSELF

demos

E (Dogwoof) This documentary about the life and work of the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert is a thoughtful and touching one. Mixing footage of Ebert in the last six months of his life and interviews with his friends and family, the film looks at Ebert’s (sometimes strained) relationships and his iconic work as a film critic. Although Ebert’s passing, after a lengthy battle a cancer that attacked his jaw, was a sad time for many, the footage of him is heartwarming. Despite the fact he could no longer speak without assistance, Ebert still excluded humour and light through his writing. ****HA

ELLEN ALLIEN ***

tidesofsulfur.bandcamp.com

PREDESTINATION

Allien Rmxs (Bpitch Control)

Cardiff trio Tides Of Sulfur satisfy this section of the mag in two ways – with a brand new Bandcamp track (Betray), and a three-song set released in autumn but available on tape, like a PROPER demo. Both deliver thick, punishing heaviness inspired by death/doom: the metal subgenres, with pleasing echoes of bands like Autopsy and Hooded Menace, but also the nouns, via the Ypres tape’s WWI lyrical concept.

Definitely one of the region’s finest metal prospects right now. NG

15 (Signature Entertainment) A time-travelling conundrum with Ethan Hawke as a Temporal Agent, slipping back and forth through time to prevent a terrorist attack. This is an incredibly complex tale, albeit one with brilliant performances

by Hawke and co-star Sarah Snook, which one would benefit from watching twice. Mindboggling. ****AL

I was caught off guard by this one. The band’s name suggested images of earnest rockers, but instead this an early-80s new waver, heavy on the sawtooth synths, and reminiscent of Tubeway Army. Grandiose and melodramatic in all the right ways. DG

Not sure how we, the global population, have lasted five years without a proper Ellen Allien album, but the selftermed Berlinette hasn’t turned hermit. Three remixes of tracks from 2014’s Freak EP to tide us over: by AUX 88 (muscleman electro), Ejeca (wistful 90s acid) and Radio Slave (a Chicagostyle clapfest). NG

TIDES OF SULFUR

ARTEFACT

FJORDS ***

artefact420.bandcamp.com

Cusco (Crookedman)

Pro tip: add value and popularity to your band by playing a type of music no-one else in your town is playing. Cardiff quartet Artefact render themselves useful by trading in gothic postpunk – icily melodic guitars, foreboding vocals – and do so superbly on their initial seven songs. At least half the band come from a punk/hardcore background, so as well as the assumed Banshees and Bauhaus ancestry, recent DIY-rooted revivalists like Belgrado have probably helped to shape their direction. NG

They say Cusco is inspired by the Peruvian city, but I'm hearing Japan (the group). Fripp-like guitar at the beginning and end and intriguing Modern English vocals and synths, also. Like the jangly Big Country-ish guitars; the shouted vocals, not so much. More lyrics please, but otherwise these Cardiffians show promise. RLR

GEORGIA PATERSON *** Hear Your Voice (self-released) A decent first outing from a new Cardiff songwriter gives us twinkly melodies and dulcet chord changes, all arranged using fittingly folky instrumentation (mandolin, violin and mandocello). The songs, although neatly constructed, might be a little sweet for some tastes but future recordings should hopefully extend a more rounded repertoire. CPI

LOST DAWN *** Count On Me (Easy Action) As a Cornish émigré who remembers the 1990s, I reserve the right to gasp each time I hear a band from the region who aren’t completely embarrassing. Falmouth trio Lost Dawn remember the 90s too, or are

LOST EMBERS www.lostembers.co.uk If you get irritated when I blithely reference relatively obscure bands as if they were household names (see the previous two demo reviews), today the boot’s on the other foot, courtesy of Johnny Boon, aka Lost Embers.

Influenced by “the ambience of Draco Rosa”, who I’d never heard of prior to Googling and learning he was in Menudo with Ricky Martin, on new digital single Waiting this manifests itself in a plaintive acoustic ballad abetted by some beige FX. An album, The Borders Of Winter, is set to follow it in spring. NG

EASTERN BOYS 15 (Peccadillo Pictures) A middle aged Parisian businessman gets more than he bargains for when his Paris flat is occupied by Eastern European boys. An intense and sexually charged love affair develops between the older (Daniel) and younger (Marek / Rouslan) characters in the film.

Eastern Boys’ LGBT subject matter is accessible for all audiences, and is often overshadowed by the fragility of Daniel and Marek’s encounters. The intimate scenes are captivating, but do not be fooled, this is unexpectedly tense, and will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout. ****NP

HALO: NIGHTFALL 12 (Anchor Bay Entertainment) In just ten minutes you know this will be another generic, futuristic action film in which humanity is on the brink. Connected to the game Halo (through its use of weaponry and the very brief appearance of a ‘Zealot elite’) this film is clichés galore, with all the classic sci-fis jumbled into one. A virus is unleashed, the cast is stranded on an alien planet, a rogue soldier gets his comeuppance, the commander sacrifices himself and lines of purest cheese (“Tonight, we are God!”) are uttered. Oh, and there’s far too many people eaten alive by giant worms. *DM

THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN 15 (Ev) Described as a "psychological romantic crime drama", this directorial debut from Fredrik Bond centres around an American tourist who travels to Bucharest after the death of his mother, only to fall in love with a woman tangled in a spiderweb of issues. An eccentric muddle of a film which is often confusing due to its inconsistent tone. A bit messy, but not completely terrible. **RW

BUZZ 45

MUSIC NEWS EXTRA

After more than two decades in the business of pumping clubland soundtracking, Escape in Swansea closed at the very end of January. While it was arguably Wales’ pre-eminent venue for trance and hard house action at one point, and attracted those genres’ biggest names with ease, in truth it had been on borrowed time for a few years, and had switched from regular weekly opening to one-off events in late 2014. The Escape brand, however – which has previously manifested itself in things like outdoor dance festival Escape Into The Park – will continue, with the team planning to promote nights across the UK during 2015 as Escape Entertainments. “Some of the freshest and some of the biggest acts from across the globe” are promised The Swn Festival is set for another one-day mini-version of itself next month, following on from a successful – indeed, sold out – trial of the format last October.

Granted, there was also a degree of disappointment at the lack of a full-sized Swn ’14, but don’t sweat it – Huw Stephens, John Rostron and the rest of

the team behind the Cardiff fest will be back in November on the weekend of Sat 7/Sun 8. (“A little later than usual due to the Rugby World Cup,” explains Rostron, although seasoned attendees might recall that it was an early-November event in its first two years.) Thirty bands have been revealed at press time for spring’s Dim Swn, which is on Sat 11 Apr; Merthyr’s Pretty Vicious, recently ‘snapped up’ by ‘a major’, are likely to induce the longest queues outside venues. East India Youth, Crushed Beaks, Bloody Knees and Rozi Plain are notable visitors among plenty of Welsh hotshots

Remarkably enduring since its debut in 1969, the Vale Of Glamorgan Festival Of Music returns this May with another impressive lineup of forward-thinking classical composition. Concerts are set to take place in Cardiff, Penarth and Llantwit Major, and train their focus chiefly on three composers. Estonia’s Arvo Pärt, probably one of the most widely praised classical figures of recent decades, is honoured in his 80th birthday year, as is Cornish orchestral polymath

Richard Ayres – upfront of Welsh National Opera tackling his version of Peter Pan. Dobrinka Tabakova, a Bulgarian who trained in London and is still only in her mid-30s, completes the trio. There are also commissions from the Festival for three young composers, the UK’s Tom Green and China’s Ying Xiao and Yanchen Ye

Thurs 19 March sees the launch of City Of Sound, a new company helmed by Cardiffbased students [pictured] and looking to showcase two elements of the local community. Various singer-songwriters chosen by the team behind CoS will be filmed playing live sets in independent shops which, again, have been deemed worthy of highlighting in video form. The people behind the project have educated themselves in the process, they say, much as they’ve wished to do for others: “We started finding all these fantastic local places we hadn’t seen or heard of before.”

City Of Sound launches in Cardiff record store Retro-Vibe on Thurs 19 Mar, with live sets and screenings

ONE TO WATCH...

TWISTED

Formed six and a bit years ago by Jon Mohajer, the initial purpose of Twisted was to scratch his band-playing-in itch. Despite being from Porthcawl, whose punk scene is conspicuous by its absence, Jon and cohorts formed an anarcho and posthardcore-influenced band called State Run in their mid-teens, and self-released an LP. Facel Vega, a similarly inclined group, followed, but further education moved their members around the UK – in Jon’s case, Leeds, where Twisted took root.

Sort of.

A regularly-altered lineup – “five drummers (conservative estimate)” says their Facebook page – released three 7”s, one a split with Nottingham’s What Price, Wonderland?, from 2009-2011. Some fine serrated garage punk janglers they were too, but thereafter Twisted went silent – until last year, when Jon moved back to south Wales and resurrected the band with allnew members. Most prominent is vocalist Livi Sinclair, who used to perform folk-punkish solo stuff as Olive Anne. As Twisted frontwoman, she doesn’t alter the dynamic of the band greatly, but has a gold-plated holler which helps to render Utopia, their freshly released debut album, their best work by some length.

The music’s a step up, too: powerpop-catchy and smartly produced (by Jon himself), but rough-skinned and rarely wanting for pace. To an extent, they plug the gap opened when breakneck Guildford group The Shitty Limits split a few years back.

Hopefully this iteration of Twisted will last longer than the others; what’s important is that they recorded and released an album – in south Wales, allowing me to write about it here – and that it’s terrific. www.facebook.com/twistedpunx

BUZZ 46

one louder EXCUSE me sir! I was just wondering if you, er... hmm, never mind. Ah, here we are. Madam! Excuse me, miss?

Do you have a minute to talk about the level of social responsibility we each have when curating our personal dripfeed of media? Yeah, as jump-off points for discussion go, that one’s right down there with the glory of our Lord.

Like that dread conversation, it invites the passive person in the exchange to feel guilty about their life choices – which is unfun enough at the best of times, let alone when it’s a stranger haranguing you. I want to mull it, though, so if it helps, bear in mind this is just some miniature jets of ink on pulped wood, not the same as having a real person talking to you.

What is it you like about the stuff you like? Why do you read those websites, go to see those movies, listen to those albums and so forth? How did you find out about them in the first place? Are your friends into the same things as you? Are they similar types of people to you in general, would you say, and is that why you’re friends? What about the people creating the product you consume? Apart from wearing more expensive clothes and eating more free food (probably), do they remind you of yourself, kinda?

What are we talking about here, exactly – in terms of class background? Racially?

Basically, though, you just like what you like. Hey, me too! We’re lucky to have the freedom to do that. Beating ourselves up about listening to too much music by white people, or reading newspapers written by Oxbridge graduates, or whatever, ain’t gonna change a damn thing, right? Probably not. There again, be the change you want to see in the world and that.

Ever intentionally altered your listening/viewing/reading habits to make them more egalitarian and socially conscious? How did that work out for you? Did it cause a permanent shift in your cultural outlook, or did the nagging feeling that you were being dishonest with yourself remain?

Isn’t it an impediment to enjoying art, doing so because you feel that you ‘should’? And how do you think the people creating it would feel if they knew they were being folded into your personal brand in a vague attempt to assuage your equally vague millennial guilt?

I’ll tell you what this is (sort of) about, right. The day before writing this column, I spent a fair portion of it listening to a couple of bands: Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, a punk band from Finland, and G.L.O.S.S., a hardcore band from the United States. The former are made up of learning disabled middle-aged men, the latter (Girls Living Outside Society's Shit, no less) of transgender women; both bring their consequent experiences to bear on their song subjects. Both arguably also exist in a niche containing only themselves, which invites notions of novelty, and makes it hard to be certain you’re not treating them as one.

I mean, I’m pretty sure I ‘genuinely’ like these bands – they play types of music I enjoy – but if my so-called endorsement came off as patrician and patronising, chances are society has probably coddled me too much for me to notice. In the case of G.L.O.S.S., they’ve more or less said that their music isn’t for people like me, the proverbial white male aged 1849 who dominates punk and hardcore culture. Needless to say, this only increases the appeal, offering a taste of marginalisation otherwise inaccessible to me. Worse still, I’m writing this in the hope that you go and check them out online – and you could be anyone. I don’t even know you.

JOHN RENBOURN and WIZZ JONES (The Garage, Swansea, Thurs 5 Mar), BLUE-EYED HAWK (Chapter Arts Centre, Fri 6), SLEAFORD MODS, Y PENCADLYS and GINDRINKER (CF10, Cardiff University, Tue 10), THE HIP PRIESTS (Le Pub, Newport, Fri 13), KING DUDE (The Moon Club, Tue 17), THE HANDSOME FAMILY (The Globe, Sun 22) and FACEL VEGA and SQUARE PEG (The Abacus, Sat 28) are all people I consider my peers and equals, definitely. NOEL GARDNER

Metropolis Music by arrangement with The Agency Group present

DYDD GWENER / FRIDAY 01 MAI / MAY DYDD SADWRN / SATURDAY 02 MAI / MAY

CAERDYDD / CARDIFF UNIVERSITY Gigsandtours.com Ticketmaster.co.uk Seetickets.com TOCYNNAU AR WERTH DYDD IAU MAWRTH 05 AM 9AM TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY 05 MARCH AT 9AM Albwm “Mwng” ailgyhoeddir 01 Mai ar Domino / Album ‘Mwng’ reissued 01 May on Domino Superfurry.com f/Superfurryanimals.sfa U@Superfurry

books THE ADVENTURE OF THE BUSTS OF EVA PERÓN

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Carlos Gamerro (& Other Stories) The Adventure Of The Busts Of Eva Perón, originally written in Spanish by Argentine writer Carlos Gamerro, is a hilarious political satire. The novel centres on subdued family and businessman, Ernesto Marrone; a man with no real political stance who is inadvertently thrust into guerrilla politics.

The adventure begins when the CEO of Argentina's leading construction company , Tamerlan & Sons, is kidnapped by a guerrilla group and along with ransom money, they demand that a bust of Eva Perón (the symbol of emancipation in 1970s Argentina) be placed in all 92 Tamerlan & Sons construction offices.

As head of procurement, Marrone (a man who models his life on business texts like Sun Tzu’s The Art of War) must begin the acquisition of his life.

When he finds himself in the position of hostage in the very factory he was to source the busts, Marrone must decide if the principles from texts such as Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends & Influence People can be applied to non-bourgeois workers, and just how far he will go to get those bust?

Marrone is a bumbling, ultimately selfish unlikely hero whose allegiance is torn between his humble birth and bourgeois upbringing.

Carlos Gamerro provides a comical glimpse into a slice of Argentina’s political past.

Here we have an entertaining, absorbing and thought provoking piece of literature with a lovable protagonist. DAMI OKHIRIA Price: £10 / £5 ebook. Info: www.andotherstories.org

EXPERIMENTAL EATING

RAMBLINGS OF A PATAGONIAN

Ed. Thomas Howells & Leanne Hayman (Black Dog)

Rene Griffiths (Artisan Media Publishing)

A brisk, sober examination of how the politics and aesthetics of food have been referenced in art. I could quip, ‘don’t expect any still lifes of fruit bowls here,’ but I’d be misleading you, thanks to a section highlighting Klaus Pichler’s remarkable photos of rotting strawberries and the like. An attempt to symbolically protest the planet’s scandalous food waste statistics, like many artists featured in Experimental Eating Pichler works with a social conscience.

Capitalism, cultural appropriation, sexism and biotechnology are but a few of the topics addressed by artists featured here, stretching back as far as the Futurists’ anti-pasta broadsides of 85 years ago. Some of it’s ingenious, some is hollow-centred bunk, some is Sarah Lucas’ kebab vadges and Paul McCarthy’s chocolate buttplugs, and all of it might be considered fiddling while Rome burns by more cynical types than myself. NG Price: £16.95. Info: www.blackdogonline.com

Patagonian-born, Welshspeaking singer/guitarist/ actor/farmer Griffiths provides a wonderfully written, witty, anecdotal history and cultural insight into his time growing up in Argentina during the 1950s and 60s – returning to his ancestral roots of Wales in the early 70s – and the transformative career moments and copious travel that took place in between.

Setting the scene through his schooling, Griffiths initially talks of his mischievous childhood and his decision to torment his Buenos Aires teacher whom he struggled to understand – including a masterplan to place a toad in her handbag. Away from his childhood, Griffiths discusses arriving back in Wales for the first time and meeting his relatives. He continues with his travels to France, starring in the film Gaucho, and eventual return to Patagonia to resume a life of farming – where he bought land once owned by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. DM Price: £12. Info: artisanmediapublishing@ outlook.com

CRIME CORNER Children are being carried off by wolves in the remote village of Keelut in Alaska where the Yup'ic tribe scratch a precarious living from the bleak landscape. So remote in fact that it doesn't show on any printed map.

The mother of the third lost child calls upon wolf expert and hunter Russell Core to find the boy, which he does, but not where he expects him to be.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the boy's father is on the killing ground of an equally bleak landscape as he fights an unwinnable war under a boiling desert sun.

When the father returns, he finds his son dead, not by wolves, but at his mother's hand, and so begins his search for her across the freezing Alaska steppes. There is a bloodbath of massive proportions as he extracts retribution for past and present wrong doings from friends and enemies alike.

Hold The Dark by William Giraldi (No Exit Press, P/B, £8.99) is by no means an easy read. The violence is relentless and shocking. The characters are without exception unpleasant, and the final twist is just that – twisted in the extreme. But for all that, Hold The Dark is a compulsive read, and a book not easily forgotten.

MARK TIMLIN BUZZ 48

@mabjones Children’s author and illustrator Jackie Morris (Wed 4, 6pm. Info: www.norwegianchurchcardiff.co.uk) will be giving a free talk in the Norwegian Church, Cardiff, as part of World Book Day. (Actual World Book Day (www.worldbookday.com) is on Thurs 5.)

The next day in Bargoed there will be a special event in honour of Welsh poet John Tripp (Fireside Coffee Lounge, Fri 6, 7pm. Info: www.firesidelounge.co.uk), who hails from the town. Featuring an array of Welsh poetry stars, including many who were awarded one of the prestigious John Tripp Spoken Poetry Awards.

On the same night, Manchester poet Jackie Hagan presents her spoken word show Some People Have Too Many Legs (Llanover Hall, Cardiff. Info: www. facebook.com/llanoverhall). Another visitor to the capital, The Human's author Matt Haig (Waterstones, Cardiff, Sat 14. Info: www.matthaig.com), will be signing his newest book, while in Swansea you can spend the same afternoon Writing Motherhood (Dylan Thomas Centre, Sat 14, 1pm. Info: www. dylanthomas.com). In Merthyr, acclaimed poet Mike Jenkins (Imperial Hotel, Thurs 19, 8pm. Info: www. mikejenkins.net) launches his latest book Barkin!.

Swansea’s Howard Ingham is our poet this time. This month he’s at a gothic fiction event featuring writers from Wales-based magazine The Ghastling (Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 13. Info: www.chapter.org).

ABOUT TIME (for Jon and Gina) In the end the central thing that this will be about is time, About the time we had the time to talk, to hold Each other tightly in the cracks of light time shed Through the curtains on the covers on the two of us, The time we realised something simple, tentative Had grown to fill all the forever we've evolved to comprehend.

We're temporary, you and I, but we can watch each other, watch The way that time will move in us and work its changes (Is that the time?) Our bodies and our minds Are sharp and finite, interlocking like the clock components Tick, tick-tocking and the fact is we are all there is And you and I, we won't be here eternally: Time's a gift and if it's given us it's time That you and I admit that precious permanent Impermanence into our lives, as precious as “I love you” and “I want to spend the time I have with you, To make a family with you and watch the time go by with you.”

It's time, isn't it? It's about time.

By Howard Ingham.

Info: www.idlehearts.tumblr.com

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BOOK LOVER’S BUY You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but you can admire a person by the novel-themed novelties they keep. Sometimes simply losing yourself in a book isn’t enough and you need to surround yourself with literary loveliness. So whether you want to indulge in some fiction-themed retail therapy for yourself, or want to impress the book lover in your life with a story souvenir, here’s a look at some of the best things to buy a bookworm.

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1.1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE BY PETER BOXALL (PAPERBACK), £10, www.amazon.co.uk / 2.UMBRA CONCEAL BOOKSHELF, £10.50, Red Candy, www.redcandy.co.uk / 3.HAIKUBES, £17.99, Forrest-Pruzan Creative,www.amazon.com / 4. ‘SHERLOCK'S STUDY’ BOOK LOVERS' SCENTED SOY CANDLE (8OZ JAR), £10.65, Frostbeard, www.etsy.com / 5.SQUARE MAP SCRAPBOOK, £10, Paperchase, St David's Centre / 6.CORK NOTEBOOKS, £3, Tiger, St David's Centre / 7.THE GREAT GATSBY RECYCLED BOOK COVER PURSE , £36.54, NovelCreations, www.etsy.com / 8. NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS MOVIE SHIRT, £13.29, Android Sheep, www.etsy.com / 9.READY, SET, NOVEL! A NOVELING JOURNAL, £11.99, Waterstones / 10.FALLING BOOKEND, £16.00, www.TheGreatGiftCompany.co.uk BUZZ 49

sport

A HELL OF A LOT OF HULA Heather Arnold takes her plastic hoop out for a spin at Cardiff’s monthly hula hooping class.

I’ve never been good at hula hoop. I may think I’ve mastered Shakira-like hip movements once I’ve had a drink or two, but hula hoop has always eluded me. While the other kids in the school playground were having competitions to see who could keep the plastic hoops spinning round their waist for the longest, I was just spinning them across the ground and chasing after them.

If I was fast enough I would even try to dash through it as the hoop sped along the ground but doing this, really, is just asking to land face first on some unforgiving concrete. All in all, my hoop saw very little hula.

So when I wandered up to The Abacus to attended a hula hoop class, hosted by the ever-so smiley Ellie (who has worked with NoFit State Circus' Mary Bijou Cabaret), I didn’t really know what was going to happen. I was expecting to flail around in failure and (at BUZZ 50

best) not be able to keep my hoop going and (at worst) have it go launching off my body and into some fragile, priceless piece of art (we were, after all, having this class in an art gallery).

My fears was soon proved to be unfounded – not just because we were in the upstairs room of The Abacus, which was well away from the art exhibitions, but also because hula hoop really isn’t as hard as I remembered.

As the lesson begun we separated out into two groups: those who had done hula before and those of us who were pretty much hula virgins.

I was in the latter group and Ellie quickly explained how to keep a hoop looping around your waist: you push forward and back with your stomach. To imagine all these years I have been making ridiculous looking circles with my arse, when really what I needed to do was something the more resembled a hula-centric thrust!

It might sound like a small change in motion but this advice made a big difference to my ability keep the hoop swooping on my waist. It stayed there for minutes at a time (trust me, it looks more impressive than it sounds) and I spent most of the hour-long lesson with the hoop moving.

It wasn’t all about the traditional waist hooping though, as we moved on to tricks with hands, arms and knees. These moves were considerably more difficult, but Ellie gave us plenty of helpful instruction and moved us up in steps – with the easiest to master tricks first.

By the end of the lesson I was spinning the

hoop on my bent arm, moving it from handto-hand and looping it around my knees. I found some tricks, well, tricky. There was one smooth move Ellie demonstrated in which she manoeuvred the moving hoop from her waist to her arm; it looked fantastic and I started out absolutely useless at it.

As the session went on I was determined to master it and, although I didn’t, I did improve ever so slightly. This made me feel fantastic: I had gotten a small bit closer to looking like I knew what I was doing and I left The Abacus feeling like I had not only got a good dose of fun exercise (an hour of constant hula hooping is quite the ab workout) but that I had also achieved something.

There were all sorts of people at the classes I attended (it isn’t just for flexible young girls with small waists) and, as this is a regular class taking place the last Wed of each month, I will be back to master that hoop trick!

The Abacus, Cardiff, Wed 25 Mar, 7.30 + 8.30pm. Admission: £4. Info: search ‘elliecoptor hoops’ for more info.

listings

Inclusion in Buzz Listings is free. Send via post or email by 17th of the previous month. Buzz takes no responsibility for material sent or any errors made after time of going to press. * – recommended

RWCMD NEW: 2015 Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama, Cardiff, Tue 31 MarFri 3 Apr Tickets: £8/£6. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk If you’re plugged in to the UK’s contemporary theatre scene, you may be aware of Pomona [pictured], which opened last November in London and attracted glowing praise for its melding of social realism, science fiction and postmodern paranoia. Prior to this, however, it was one of four plays which were created in collaboration with students at Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama, and debuted in the same venue. Precisely 12 months on, the college is launching another quartet of productions, where directors work with young, aspiring actors, 32 in total over these plays.

Gary Owen, a Welsh playwright whose Spring Awakening was another of 2014’s four, returns this year with Ring Ring. It’s a modern update on La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler, which was set in 1890s Vienna. Its essential subject matter, however – the niceties of sexual relations which cross class boundaries – can be relied on to stay relevant, and many directors have adapted it prior to Owen.

The Endless Ocean, written by Brad Birch, also features the innovative input of National Theatre Wales. It concerns a couple who abandon their daughter and leave the country, so has echoes of recent, real-life stories. Theatre company Paines Plough are co-credited for Growth, written by Luke Norris. A play about a young man facing testicular cancer, it’s a challenging subject to approach, partly due to the general male reluctance to talk about it. Finally, Melissa Bubnic’s Animal: another remake, this time of an Ancient Greek vintage, Euripides’ The Bacchae is modernised with the help of the Royal Court Theatre.

CONTENTS pg 52 pg 54 pg 56 pg 60 pg 66 BUZZ 51

art

art The Abacus 18-20 Wood Street, Cardiff.

Free. modernalchemists@ gmail.com / www. theabacusroom.wordpress. com Sergiy Lebedynskyy & Alexey Ostrovskiy ‘Standing Still’ Two Ukranian photographers.

Lebedynskyy explores the movement and chaos of the Kiev protests; Ostrovskiy, by contrast, presents an intimate and quiet universe within Ukranian culture.

(Until Sun 8 Mar) Art For Future Generations An exhibition to call for political action to pass a sting law on sustainable development in Wales. (From Sat 21 until Fri 27 Mar) Aberystwyth Arts Centre University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Liam Wood Photography from a late colleague of this Centre. (Until Sat 7 Mar) Sascha Ferrier ‘Transience’ Digital photography meets Dutch still life, referencing a number of personal topics including bereavement. (Until Sat 14 Mar) Y Mabinogi Illustrations, curated by Peter Stevenson, to complement a storytelling of the Four Branches of Y Mabinogi here on Sat 14 Mar. (Until Sat 4 Apr) The Hot Pot Project Evolving exhibition of ceramics from the Ann Carr Collection, a major

donation of Michael Cardew and Wenford Bridge pottery.

(Until Sun 14 June) Anton Hecht ‘Angel Aberystwyth’ Working with music, animation and technology, Hecht attempts to bring the people of the town into the gallery and the gallery out into the town. (From Sat 7 until Wed 25 Mar) A Celebration Of Welsh Architecture The Royal Society Of Architects In Wales presents the winners of Wales’s most prestigious architecture awards in 2014.

(From Sat 14 Mar until Sat 2 May) Britain From Above Royal Commission exhibition drawing on The Aerofilms Collection, an archive of one million aerial photographs dating from 1919 to 2006.

(From Sat 21 Mar until Sat 16 May) Robert Davies ‘Of Time And The Railway’ A film about the railway line between Birmingham and Aberystwyth, filmed from the driver’s cab of the train weekly over one year. (From Sat 28 Mar until Sat 11 Apr) Albany Gallery 74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com Gwyn Roberts Roberts’ use of the palette knife, and his love of Welsh landscapes, evoke memories of the late Sir Kyffin Williams, but Roberts has distinguished himself with a subtle, varied use of colour. (From Thurs 5 until Sat 28 Mar) Andrew Lamont Gallery (Theatr Brycheiniog) Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk

Jacqueline Jones Paintings from Ceredigion artist who has exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery and the John Moores. She also founded Cardiff’s branch of the Stuckists about a decade ago (Until Sat 14 Mar) Arcadecardiff Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. www.arcadecardiff.co.uk Nikita McBride McBride, who graduated from Cardiff in 2014, works with found objects and will be “sorting through some atmospheric stuff in the bowels of Arcadecardiff”. (Until Sat 7 Mar) *Rebecca Jayne Hammett ‘Parameters’ Cardiff-based student Hammett will use an arachnid-inspired exoskeleton with six movable arms to paint the entire Arcadecardiff unit over a five-day performance.

Clearly this is a noble pursuit. (From Mon 9 until Sat 14 Mar) Barrie J Davies Curating a group show of pop culture activists from far and wide: Bevis Fenner, Paul Kindersley, Mark Scott-Wood, Jock Mooney and Barrie himself. (From Fri 20 Mar until Sat 4 Apr) Art Central Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Admission free.

01446 709805.

Women’s Arts Association Exhibition Women artists across Wales will be filling the gallery with paintings, drawings, sculpture, textiles and more, to mark the many achievements of women and to inspire and encourage future change. (From Mon 2 until Sat 28 Mar)

CONCENTRIC M.A.D.E. Gallery, Roath, Cardiff, Wed 11-Sat 21 Mar Admission: free. Info: 029 2047 3373 There are myriad exhibitions across south Wales this month to mark International Women’s Day (Sun 8 Mar), as is right and proper. This one, at the small but commendable M.A.D.E. Gallery, is arguably the most interesting: in terms of the individual artists involved, and the way they directly approach issues of womanhood and femininity in society, as opposed to merely presenting art which happens to be by women. The six artists involved – Jacqueline Alkema, Penny Hallas, Leona Jones, Kay Keogh, Lydia Spurrier-Dawes and Sheila Vyas – are all Cardiff-based, but vary in age, background and approach.

Spurrier-Dawes’ fine art pieces, for example, reference historically ‘female’ crafts such as knitting, while Alkema’s figurative portraits of (predominantly) women’s bodies have a keen eye for curves and contours.

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Attic Gallery 37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am4.30pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Winter Group Show A refreshed group show from over 50 of this gallery’s artists. A wide selection of paintings, sculpture, prints and pottery are on show, “at prices to suit all budgets” Sounds like a wager to me... too bad I can’t afford to make one. (Until Sat 14 Mar) Three Printmakers The intimacy of couples, Welsh landscapes and wildlife are amongst the subjects in this exhibition by three established artist-printmakers: Trevor Price, Judith Stroud and Alan Williams. (From Sat 21 Mar until Sat 11 Apr) Barker Gallery / Torfaen Gallery Pontypool Museum, Park Buildings, Pontypool. MonSat 11am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm.

Free Wed/Sun 2-5pm. 01495 752036.

Figure Four Long-term show of works by four local artists: Mary James, Louella Gwillim, Kay Lawrence & Tony Tribe.

Works on show include life studies, landscapes, sketches and sketchbooks, water colours, interior views and portraits. (Until Mon 26 Oct) Butetown History & Arts Centre 4/5 Dock Chambers, Bute St, Cardiff Bay. Tue-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-4.30pm. Free. 029 2025 6757 / www.bhac.org Women’s Arts Open Exhibition Celebrating International Women’s Day 2015, women are invited to submit one piece of 2D or 3D work by Wed 4 Mar. If it sells while shown here, the Centre gets 30% and you get the rest.

(From Sun 8 Mar until Sun 5 Apr) Cardiff Story The Hayes, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

Free. 029 2078 8334 / museum@cardiff.gov.uk Horizons exhibition of artwork by young people taking part in Criw Celf Cardiff, out of school art courses and outreach workshops. (From Tue 10 until Thurs 19 Mar) Carnegie House Wyndham Street, Bridgend.

9.30am-4pm. Free. 01656 815757 / bridgend.tc@bridgend.gov.uk Threads From Bridgend Textile work from four south Wales based designers and artists – Alice Coppock, Alison mger, fran Davies and Sarah Morley – featuring a range of media and techniques. A workshop will be held alongside the exhibition to create embroidery hoop art that will be curated into a display in the town centre.

(From Mon 30 Mar until Sun 4 Apr) Chapter Gallery Chapter Arts Centre, Market Rd, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri 12-8pm. Free. 029 2030 4400 / www. chapter.org Richard Higlett ‘Le Degré (The Degree) Chapter studio resident Higlett will be looking at relative values through the creation of a limited number of ceramic baguettes which will be sold to support charities helping

the homeless. This references a gesture made by Matisse during WWI, when he paid for bread supplies to be delivered to French soldiers each month. (From Sat 7 until Sun 15 Mar) Craft In The Bay The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free. 029 2048 4611.

The Sensorial Object Curated by Zoe Preece and Natasha Mayo, this exhibition aims to explore the sensory capacity of the familiar/ domestic object, bringing together digital technologies with ceramics, wood, glass and textiles. (Until Sun 8 Mar) MakersXchange – New Brewery Arts Four resident makers from New Brewery Arts Centre, Cirencester: Sarah Beadsmoore (handloom weaver); Carla and Jeremy Bonner (bags); Richie Alli (glass) and Helen Nottage (ceramics). (Until Sun 8 Mar) Paul Wearing The new year’s first guest maker showcases a new body of ceramic vessels, created with the support of a Arts Council Of Wales grant. (Until Sun 15 Mar) Combined: Foundation Degree Student Show Showcase of ceramics, textiles and graphic design by students studying on the Foundation Degree course at Cardiff & Vale College, Barry. (Until Mon 16 Mar) Alan Perry West Wales-based artist and blacksmith specialising in making ironwork of contemporary design, while utilising many of the traditional hot forged techniques. (From Fri Mar until Mon 4 May) Tilleke Schwarz Internationally recognised embroidery artist from the Netherlands whose work shows a mixture of contemporary influences including graffiti, icons, text and traditional imagery. Her work often has a narrative element.

(From Sat 14 Mar until Sun 10 May) Dylan Thomas Centre Somerset Place, Swansea.

Daily 10am-4pm. Free.

01792 463980 / dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov. uk / www. dylanthomas.com Love The Words Ongoing, permanent exhibition dedicated to Dylan Thomas, with lots of interactive features and voiceovers from people including Prince Charles and Richard Burton.

Ffotogallery At Turner House Plymouth Road, Penarth, nr Cardiff. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.

Free. 029 2034 1667 / www. ffotogallery.org Corinne Silva ‘Garden State’ Silva uses photographic and sound installations to examine how gardens and planting are fertile terrain for ideological struggle and the colonisation of territory – in this case, how the Israeli state uses tactical landscaping to exert control over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. (From Sat 7 Mar until Sat 2 May) Fountain Fine Art 6-8 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff.

Tue-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www.fountainfineart.com *Henri Matisse Yes, that one. For the first time in Cardiff, 59 original Matisse lithographs dating back to

the 1940s. For sale from £350-£4,500, which I would describe as almost... affordable? (From Sat 7 Mar until Sat 18 Apr) Fountain Fine Art Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Spring Group Show Mixed exhibition from artists including Ceri Richards, Donald McIntyre, Gareth Thomas, Martin Llewellyn, Karen Pearce and Wendy Murphy.

(Throughout March) Futures Gallery Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am-4pm.

Free. 0845 010 5500 / www. pierhead.org Mothers Of Africa Quilt Exhibition Quilts created by local schoolchildren, staff and students of Cardiff School Of Art And Design, in aid of Cardiff charity, Mothers Of Africa. and seeking to raise awareness of poverty and poor healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. (Until Tue 17 Mar) Gustavius Payne Paintings

by Merthyr artist. (From Mon 23 Mar until Fri 3 Apr) G39 Oxford Street, Roath, Cardiff. Saturdays 11am5.30pm. Free. 029 2047 3633 / post@g39.org UNIT(e) New work from Becca Thomas, Dean Brierly, Freya Dooley, Gwenan Davies, Harry Morgan, Jason Pinder, John Michael Parry, Matthew Britton, Nia Metcalfe, Richard Bowers, Richard Morgan, Simon Holly, Tom Goddard and goodcopbadcop. (Until Sat 14 Mar) Y Galeri 8 St Fagans Street, Caerphilly. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 10am5pm. Free. 029 2086 1433 / www.ygaleri.co.uk Anthony Rhys ‘Dark Valleys’ Challenging photorealistic oil portraits of our Victorian ancestors. Rhys’ work deals with the skeletons in the closet and the hidden histories that lie dormant behind the facade of ‘respectable’ life. (Until Sat 7 Mar) Beginnings: Exhibition From The Seven14 Group Christine Gittins, Pauline Hearn, Barbara Lock, Mandy Nash, Sue Shields, Lisa Marie Tann and Bronwen Thomas present work including free standing and wall hung ceramics, sculpture collage and contemporary jewellery.

(Until Sat 7 Mar) Changing Mixed Exhibition Featuring some of Y Galeri's most popular artists; taking up the profile slot will be watercolourist Arnold Lowry. Work can be purchased off the wall for this last show. This is Y Galeri's last show in this location, but by late April it'll have moved to the Visit Caerphilly Centre. (From Tue 10 until Sat 28 Mar) Gallery/Ten 23 Windsor Place, Cardiff.

Free. www.gallery-ten.co.uk Spring Group exhibition of new and recent work by the gallery’s artists. Notable here is some new work by Molly Rooke, plus oil paintings by André Stitt and Pascal-Michel Dubois and several Welsh makers and designers. (From Fri 6 until Sat 28 Mar) Gas Gallery Park Avenue, Aberystwyth.

Mon-Sat 11am-5pm. Free.

01974 261279.

art Gini Wade Exhibition of prints from a woman who only took up the form in the 00s, albeit with a career in illustration to her name, but quickly achieved excellence, and has since been exhibited worldwide. Her work draws on myths, dreams and celebrations. (Until Wed 25 Mar) Richard Brown ‘Nothing Is Forever’ A mix of loosely themed sculpture, partially inspired by an holiday snapshot, memento mori and the words of Angela Merkel (it says here). (Until Wed 25 Mar) Stuart Evans ‘The American Journey’ An installation consisting of eight-foot lino prints, etchings and drift wood ladders, inspired by a trip made in 2011 when Evans travelled with his family from New Mexico to San Francisco.

(From Sat 28 Mar until Wed 25 Apr) Jenny Williamson ‘From Santa Fe To San Francisco’ Exhibition based on the same journey as Evans’ – he and Williamson are married – but focusing on aspects of human rights abuses which have occurred in that region. (From Sat 28 Mar until Wed 25 Apr) The Gate Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / info@thegate.org.uk Kate Alizadeh & Katherine Holmes ‘Stories That We Tell’ An exhibition that studies individual stories through the power of illustration and painting. Each artist shares stories through the simplicity of colour and design, ranging from large canvas paintings to small art prints. (From Wed 18 Mar until Fri 10 Apr) Grand Pavilion The Esplanade, Porthcawl.

Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01656 815995 / www. grandpavilion.co.uk Lesley Dearn ‘Drawn In Oils’ Paintings and drawings in oil and charcoal through which Lesley explores people and moments, thoughts and expression. (Until Sun 8 Mar) King Street Gallery 33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@kingstreetgallery. co.uk Osi Rhys Osmond ‘Looking Back’ Retrospective of Osi’s work including large works in charcoal, intimate watercolours and paintings in both oil and mixed media, reflecting Osi’s interests in highly charged political events as well as the business of pure painting. (Until Thurs 19 Mar) Respect Mixed work from a group of young artists who are currently on the Foundation course at the Carmarthen School Of Art. (From Fri 20 until Thurs 26 Mar) Kooywood Gallery 8 Museum Place, Cardiff.

Tue-Sat 10.30am-6pm. Free.

029 2023 5093 / www. kooywoodgallery.com Carl Melegar This Bristolbased artist’s approach to painting explores both the human form and the urban landscape. Melegari primarily focuses on the semiabstraction within the figure and has become increasingly fascinated by the versatility of oil paint. (From Fri 6 until

Sat 28 Mar) Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Pinnies From Heaven Eleven members of the textiles collective MaP Group along with six invitedmakers, have created contemporary responses to the traditional ‘pinny’, blending high quality craftsmanship with a large helping of nostalgia, creativity and humour. (Until Sat 14 Mar) MakersXchange New initiative where Venues and Makers Guilds from across Wales and the South West are coupled to exchange and present the work of makers they regularly show or represent.

(Until Sat 14 Mar) Emily Kidson Jewellery showcase from a mixed media jeweller who currently works with wood, laminate and silver.

She uses techniques such as piercing, sanding, waxing, riveting and soldering. (Until Sat 14 Mar) M.A.D.E. Gallery 41 Lochaber St, Cardiff.

Free. 029 2047 3373.

Stiwdio 7: Group Show Recent work by 12 final year artists from Cardiff School Of Art and Design. Work includes paintings, prints, sculpture, drawing and collage. (Until Sun 8 Mar) Concentric Group show featuring six women artists, in honour of International Women’s Day. Jacqueline Alkema, Penny Hallas, Leona Jones, Kay Keogh, Lydia Spurrier-Dawes and Sheila Vyas are the artists in question. (From Wed 11 until Sat 21 Mar) Martin Tinney Gallery 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

029 2064 1411 / mtg@ artwales.com Evelyn Williams ‘The Last Paintings’ Welsh painter who died in 2012 having won awards and recognition for over 50 years. He work was praised for its tenderness and personal nature, and remains in numerous public and private galleries today. (Until Wed 25 Mar) Mission Gallery Gloucester Place, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free.

01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Julie Arkell ‘Away’ Ruthin Craft Centre exhibition featuring Arkell’s ompelling, naïve handbuilt papier mache people and creatures.

(Until Sun 12 Apr) Duncan Ayscough Challenging sculptural works as part of the Maker In Focus series. (Until Sun 29 Mar) Aneta Kempa Work presented in ‘the [...] space’, from a Swansea-based Polish artist who was also the Jane Phillips Award Student Prize Winner 2014. (Until Sun 29 Mar) MOMA Wales Y Tabernacl, Heol Penrallt, Machynlleth. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm. Free. 01654 703355 / info@momawales. org.uk John Charlesworth ‘Last Tango In Powys’ Artist and painter of the extraordinary since 1965. (Until Sat 21 Mar) Ian Phillips ‘New Views Of Old Hills’ Well known for his extraordinary lino prints, here Phillips presents new work with some

new ideas and techniques, depicting the subtleties of wearher and the cchapterhanging seasons in the Welsh hills. (Until Sat 11 Apr) William Morris ‘Over The Hills And Far Away’ This exhibition is to mark Morris’ visit to Machynlleth 140 years ago and reflect on the continued popularity of Morris’ designs. Curated by Jane Dew. (Until Sat 18 Apr) 30 British Portraits This venue’s 30th anniversary is marked with 30 portraits by British artists..

(Until Sat 25 Apr) David Nash RA Inaugural exhibition in the new Sculpture Space, featuring the work of one of the leading sculptors in British art today. Much of his work is made out of unseasoned wood. (Until Sat 25 Apr) Kyffin Williams ‘Patagonia’ Marking 150 years since the Welsh people first went to Patagonia, this also celebrates Williams’ long support of MOMA Wales and features his paintings depicting the region on his visit there in 1968. (Until Sat 9 May) Professor Ovendale: Gift Collection Ritchie Ovendale was Professor of International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Displayed here are selected works from his generous gift. (From Sun 7 Mar until Sun 18 Apr) National Botanic Garden Of Wales Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire. Daily 10am-6pm. £8.50/£7 OAP/£4.50 kids/free under5s. 01558 668768.

Barcode Sculpture Located outdoors here, new work from nine artists from Sculpture Cymru. Each has made a response to the DNA barcode research by the Garden’s Head of Science & Research Dr. Natasha De Vere. (Until September) National Museum & Gallery Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / www.museumwales.ac.uk/ cardiff Historic Photography Uncovered Exhibition traces the evolution of photography, as a scientific process, as a social record and a medium for artistic expression, looking at the pioneering work of the Dillwyn Llewelyn family in the 19th century. (Until Sun 19 Apr) Maurice Marinot ‘A Passion For Glass’ French sculptor Marinot (1882-1960) was a pioneer in the development of glass as a studio art form. This exhibition will bring together 44 pieces of glass from various collections, including this museum’s own.

(Until Sun 7 June) Cedric Morris Portraits A small display bringing together some of the extraordinary portraits by Morris (18891982) in the collection.

(From Sat 14 Mar until Sun 28 June) National Waterfront Museum Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am-5pm.

Free. 01792 638950.

Working For Victory: Welsh Industry And The First World War Exhibition looking at what the tens of thousands of Welshmen who fought in WWI produced, how it contributed to the war

effort and the impact of the war on Welsh industry. (Until Sun 15 Mar) Living By The Sea These portraits of people who make their living at sea were taken by pupils from Milford Haven School to raise awareness of the contribution made by seafarers working in Pembrokeshire. (Until Sun 22 Mar) Adriano Candelori Italian-born, Llanelli-based sculptor is honoured with a retrospective exhibition which will focus on the two series of Craftsman At work which he produced mainly in terracotta. (From Sat 21 Mar until Sun 12 July) Newport Museum & Art Gallery John Frost Square, Newport.Tue-Fri 9.30am5.30pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm.

Free. 01633 656656 / museum@newport.gov.uk Feibusch’s Figures Preliminary drawings for a series of murals which Newport Council commissioned Feibusch to paint in Newport Civic Centre in 1960.

Featuring 12 panels depicting the development of Newport, the council has so far resisted the urge to destroy them, which is nice. (Until Sat 30 May) Norwegian Church Arts Centre Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay. Daily 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2087 7959 / www. norwegianchurchcardiff. com Fran Richley ‘Action-Art’ Fine art motorsport prints ceated by Welsh artist Richley. (From Mon 9 until Sun 15 Mar F22 Another showing in this gallery for the photo work of Mike and Dave, who “met through a joint love... of photography whilst studying at the University of Luton”. The ellipsis is there to give the fleeting impression that they’re sexual partners, as a joke, because they’re not.

(From Mon 30 Mar until Sun 12 Apr) Oriel Canfas Glamorgan Street, Canton, Cardiff. Tue-Fri 1-4.30pm, Sat 10.30am-4.30pm. 029 2066 6455 / www. orielcanfas.co.uk Keith McLaren Martin A tribute show of paintings by an artist and philosopher – a member of this gallery’s group OLA, Martin died of motor neurone disease on Dec 27 last year. (Until Sat 14 Mar) Adrian Paul Metcalfe ‘Isles Of Illusion’ Internationally-exhibited Welsh artist presents new works in oil, watercolour, acrylic and digital print. It explores the “mystery and fascination that islands have always held in human imagination”. (From Sat 21 Mar until Sun 18 Apr) Oriel Davies The Park, Newtown, Powys.

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm.

Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@orieldavies.org Craig Wood ‘Dear Olivia...’

New works which range from large-scale sculptural installation and video projection to delicate paper necklaces and painted maps, and address issues of nationalism, the individual and shifting power.

(From Sat 7 Mar until Wed 13 May) Sterly & Snell ‘Sounds Books’ Exploring the book as an object and the way it engages the senses.

“Crack the spine. Strum the

pages. Play the fragments of memories,” urge the artist duo. (From Sat 7 Mar until Wed 13 May) Oriel Joanna Field Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free.

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Life Portraits From A Jewish Community Hineni exhibition featuring 59 edited life stories and photographic portraits from the Cardiff Reform Jewish community, exploring their relationships with Wales, with the UK and with Judaism. (From Mon 2 until Sat 28 Mar) Oriel Mwldan Bath House Rd, Cardigan.

Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. Free.

01239 621200 / siobhan@ mwldan.co.uk John Abell ‘The Horse With The Human Heart’ A story in woodcuts, written and illustrated by Abell – his debut as both writer and artist, differing from his usual practice of making sprawling images with found material.

(Until Sat 21 Mar) Cherry Pickles Self-portraits which incorporate roleplay, Pickles posing as writers including Thomas and Burroughs, and calling to attention such popular perceptions as the heroic stature of the male artist. (From Sat 28 Mar until Sat 16 May) Oriel Myrddin Church Lane, Carmarthen.

01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk Angharad Pearce Jones ‘The Pram In The Hall’ Installation which takes up the whole of the gallery and is made out of steel. Into the idea of this, which you can read more about in Art. (From Sat 7 Mar until Sat 25 Apr) Oriel Q The Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01834 869454 / www.orielqueenshallgallery.org.uk Schools Competition More specific details TBC. Main gallery 3D area: assorted ceramics and jewellery.

(From Fri 6 until Sat 14 Mar) Oriel Y Bont University Of South Wales, Pontypridd. Mon-Thurs 8.30am-5.30pm, Fri 8.30am-5pm. Free. 01443 480480 / www.gallery. southwales.ac.uk FUSE 2: David Barnes, Paul Cabuts, Chris Nurse & Andreas Ruethi Contemporary artworks by four south Wales-based artists: two photographers, one painter-printmaker and one painter. (Until Thurs 6 Mar) Valerie Coffin Price & Philip Gross ‘The River Next Door’ Collaborative exhibition of contemporary artwork by artist Price, with words by award-winning poet Gross, in response to the Taff Valley – accompanied by their new book published by Seren.

(From Wed 18 Mar until Fri 15 May) Project Space 147 Commercial Street, Newport. Wed-Fri 10am2am, Sat 10am-4pm. Free.

01633 656638 / www. theprojectspacenewport. wordpress.com/ Photographic Art 2nd Year BA Degree Exhibition consists of 19 individual projects involving the use of

the medium of photography in many distinct ways. (Until Fri 6 Mar) Redhouse Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@redhouse. com Alison Richards & Rob Taylor ‘Message In A Bottle’ Collaborating under the initials-referencing name of ARRT, Richards and Taylor’s scultpure uses wood, glass, poetry and ceramics to explore the idea of uncomfortable and inconvenient truths.

(Throughout March) The Riverfront Bristol Packet Wharf, Newport. Mon-Sat 10am8pm, Sun 10am-6pm. Free.

01633 656757.

International Women’s Day Celebratory Exhibition In Following on from the success of their 2014 exhibition, Newport Women & Makers will showcase a broad range of art and crafts forms. (From Sat 7 until Sat 28 Mar) Sherman Cymru Senghennydd Rd, Cathays, Cardiff. 10am-11pm (when productions are on). Free.

029 2064 6900 / www. shermancymru.co.uk Come To Where I’m From Interactive exhibition consitsing of podcasts featuring short plays by various playwrights about their home towns. (Until Thurs 12 Mar) SHO Gallery 14 Inverness Place, Cardiff.

Free. www.thesho.co.uk / info@thesho.co.uk Spike Dennis ‘NSFW’ Interactive hand-embroidered objects and short films featuring Spike’s glove puppets.

The title refers to the fact that some of the content is both rude and raunchy, so if you have kids or vicars in tow, beware. (From Thurs 24 Mar until Sat 4 Apr) St Donats Arts Centre St Donats Castle, Vale Of Glamorgan. Free. 01446 779100 / www.stdonats.com Brian Jones BRIAN SEZ: “My art is mainly concerned with making paintings and drawings in various media, some of these are based on my local environment and including my travels to other parts of the country.” (From Tue 3 until Thurs 26 Mar) Swansea Grand Theatre Singleton St, Swansea.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

01792 475715 / www. swanseagrand.co.uk Red Dawn Art Explorations of light in natural and built environments. (From Tue 3 until Fri 20 Mar) Port Talbot Camera Club Work from a small group of photographers that draw members “from as far afield as Swansea and Llanelli”.

The three corners of the earth right there. (From Tue 10 until Fri 27 Mar) Gower College Swansea Using a variety of media, students at this college have created paintings, drawings and prints that reflect their personality and outlook as young adults. (From Tue 24 until Sat 28 Mar) Blue Orchard Paintings New work by Sue Mann, Hillary Bryanston, Bruce Risdon, Tim Grant, Phil Jacobs and more. (From Tue 31 Mar until Sat 24 Apr) Wilf Box Photographic work.

(From Tue 31 Mar until Sat 24 Apr) BUZZ BUZZ53 53

clubs Swansea Museum Victoria Road, The Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Sun 10am5pm. Free. 01792 653763 / www. swanseamuseum.co.uk The Evolution Of Man 1965-2014 Man, in this case, referring to the veteran south Wales prog rock band of that name. It’s a collection of of memorabilia belonging to John Bannon, a long-time fan who has spent over 30 years collecting Man-related stuff.

(Until Sat 21 Mar) Taliesin Arts Centre Singleton Park, Swansea.

Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 12pm-6pm and performance evenings 6pm8.15pm. Free. 01792 295526 / www. taliesinartscentre.co.uk Warren Heaton ‘Whatever The Weather’ Large-scale paintings of scenery along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, completed on site in all conditions. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Tenby Museum & Art Gallery Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk robART Solo show from a German painter who travelled Europe in the 70s and 80s and received wide acclaim.

He moved to Wales a few years ago, having got back the artistic mojo which the death of his wife in 1999 had robbed from him. (Until Sat 21 Mar) Theatr Hafren Llanidloes Road, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625007 / boxoffice@theatrhafren. co.uk TACT Showcasing the artistic talent of young people in Wales who are in the care of TACT foster carers. This project began in 2011, when a TACT staff member started up a small arts group in Mid Wales and invited young people in care to join and express themselves through painting and drawing. (Until Sun 10 May) Velindre Hospital Whitchurch, Cardiff. Open 24/7. Free. 029 2075 2251.

South Wales Art Society – Permanent Rolling Exhibition Members’ works are available to view in the corridors and restaurant of the hospital at any any given time. 20% of all sales go to the hospital.

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

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Spring Is In The Air A mixed exhibition with the theme of, hold on to your hats, spring. (From Fri 6 Mar until Sat 18 Apr) Wales Millennium Centre Bute Place, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2063 6464 / www. wmc.org.uk Illumination An exhibition of artwork and creative writing from prisons, secure hospitals, and by people on probation in Wales. Curated by women from Gibran UK, an organisation that supports ex-offenders across Wales.

(Until Mon 13 Apr) The Winding House Cross Street, New Tredegar, Caerphilly. Tue-Sun 10am5pm. Free. 01443 822666 / windinghouse@caerphilly. gov.uk BUZZ 54

Our Duty To Bear: The First World War And Caerphilly County Borough Exhibition exploring how WWI affected men, women and children in this area. It will explore the impact of the war on the local area through objects, images, film and sound. (Until summer TBC)

clubs 10 Feet Tall

11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo. co.uk Mondays Sabotage 8pm, free. Classic hip-hop every Monday courtesy of DJ Jaffa.

Wednesdays Freshly Squeezed 7pm, free. Preclub kinda night featuring freshly picked new music and drinks deals.

Aberystwyth Boat Club Bar South Marine Terrace, Aberystwyth. 01970 624575.

Fri 13 Funk’d 9pm-3am, £5/£4 adv. Funk, disco, house and techno are promised, which could mean anything but does contain a good headliner in south London’s Cloaka. Endeser, Sgilti Ysgafn Droed, DJ Paranoize, Roughion and THN are his compadres.

Aberystwyth Students Union Old College, King Street, Aberystwyth. 01970 621700 / www.aber.ac.uk Fri 6 Hi-Fidelity 10pm3am, £8/£6 adv. British hip-hop all the way courtesy of Smellington Piff, who I will probably never listen to because of his name, Jack Jetson, Ill Informed, Miss Twist, Moose Herda, Hidden Element and Jake & The Phatman.

The Arch 11 Commercial Street, Neath. 01639 646090.

Fri 27 Solo £10 adv. Dale Howard headlines this night of house and techno, with local support coming from Dean Morgan, Sam Balla, Jason Wilkinson, Blake Parker, Scott Phillips, Owain Lawrence, Teri Simmonds and John-E. Blind Tiger 50 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Wednesdays Meze Rocks/ Pounded Wednesdays Alternative bangers and underground sounds will continue to be the order of the day in this night’s temporary home while the Meze Lounge has a lick of paint (the Friday and Saturday nights below are also imported from there).

Fri 20 Lion D Special appearance from European reggae fella. Saturdays Crash! Indie, new music anthems, and alternative hits.

Buffalo 11 Windsor Place, Cardiff.

Open Mon-Thurs 11am3am, Fri + Sat 11am-4am, Sun until 4am. 029 2031 0312 / www.buffalocardiff. com Mondays Bump & Grind 10pm-3am, £4/£3 before 11.30. 90s r’n’b/hip-hop night, which recently relocated to

here from Undertone. Thurs 5 The Four Owls Album Tour 10pm-4am, £10/£8. The Four Owls are a UK hip-hop collective featuring Fliptrix, Verb T, Leaf Dog and BVA. They’ll be joined here by DJs Madnice, Jaffa, Richtea, Comfort and Cygnus, plus Droneboy DJs in the downstairs bar. Thurs 12 Boogie Nights 10pm-4am, £5-£7.

Debut night of general goodtime dance music. JFB, twice a DMC scratch champion, headlines; local action consists of Killer Tom, Nanobyte b2b Ransom (disco), Lubi J b2b Speedo (soul and funk) and Tom Davey b2b Alex Gilhespy (house). Fri 6 Aperture 10pm-4am, £5 early bird. It’s a Critical Soundsystem night with Enei, Kasra and Hyroglifics all b2b.

You can add Format b2b Juno b2b Sker b2b Walbeoff, Boston b2b ERB, Basis, and hosts Sense, Reuben and XL, to that too. Fri 13 Boulevard 10pm-4am, £8/£7 adv/£5 early bird. Bristol-based dubstep pioneer Pinch headlines. Just my two cents but if Spencer Davis can be included in a St David's Day celebration of Welsh music, Pinch (who grew up in Newport) should be too. Live on stage at the Wales Millennium Centre, yes. Akinse, Bricksounds and Kloc are Boulevard's residents. *Fri 20 Breeze & Aperture 10pm-4am, £10/£5 early bird. Om Unit takes tonight’s headline slot, which is a good booking in this glorified typist’s view. Also featuring RichTea, Jimanoli, Cygnus, Grok and MCs Reuben and XL. Saturdays Buffalo Block Party 8pm4am, £4/free b4 11. RichTea, James Size, Rackham and Stacy French offer hip-hop, house, garage, indie, alt-rock, disco etc.

Cardiff University Students Union Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / studentsunion@cardiff. ac.uk Wednesdays YOLO 9pm2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11. New midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers.

Good name, really on trend.

Saturdays Flux 9pm-2am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop.

Club Oxygen 1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 / www.globaloxygen.co.uk Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-6am, from £5. House and commercial music all night from Big Al, Nicky G, 3 Bird, Jordan Steins, LJ Isaac and Tom Chizzy. Fri 6 Society 10pm. Hardstyle, hard trance and other stuff that one day I will admit is better than the shit music I listen to. Room 1: Adrenalize (Denmark / Tomorrowland), DJ Y.O.Z, Ed E.T & D.T.R vs MCP, M.K.N, Bass Brothers, Ray Raw, Rich E.B and hosts Shocker and Bazza. Room 2: 3Bird, Nicky G, Martin Dibble, Jamie Bevan and LJ Isaac. Launch night for this club brand, also. Saturdays 10pm-6am. Room 1: ED, progressive, big room, electro, deep and house. Room 2: r’n’b, bassline, garage and hip-hop. Plus big name guests TBC. Sat 14 is a Valentine’s special. Sat 28 Pink Panda 10pm-6am, £10. “Deep House, EDM, Progressive,

Bigroom, Electro, Trance, Garage, Techno, Bassline & House.” Bootleg specialists headline proceedings. Sun 5 Apr Escape Into The Mix 10pm-6am, £10. Like I wrote in Music News Extra, which I’m aware you haven’t read, Escape the club might be dead but Escape the brand is NOT. Tonight, for example, they’ll be seeing in the Bank Holiday with sets from Danny Slade, Big Al, Gareth Siddell, Jonny Griffiths, Rob Davies and Rhys Williams (room 1) and CN Williams, Martin Dibble, Ben Parkin, Lloyd Scoulding, Nicky G and Lanos (room 2).

Clwb Ifor Bach Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Thursdays Maad City 11pm-4am, £3/£2 NUS. Night promising a “hip-hop house party vibe”. Thurs 26 Twrw 10.30pm-2am, £2. DJs Elan and Mari play all kinds of Welsh language music.

Fridays (bottom) Xerox 10.30pm-3am, £4/£3 NUS. A “party jukebox” night. With DJs, though, not an actual jukebox. Saturdays 10pm4am, £5/£4 NUS. Three floors of fun: The Vinyl Vendettas’ top floor resident indie shindig; Dirty Pop and Mr Potter's proper disco. Sun 5 Apr Lamerica 10pm-4am, £13.50 adv. Featuring Paul Trouble Anderson, Graeme Park, Ooft!, Chris Massey, Craig Bartlett, Dave Mills, Gareth Hopkins, Darren Stewart and Silver, across two rooms.

Courtyard 48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Upfront dance anthems and “Urban Vibes”.

Fridays The Kickstart A selection of r’n’b and dancehall. Saturdays Mischief Beat-driven anthems is the ambiguous description for tonight’s music policy.

Sundays The Sunday Sessions Upfront urban sounds from Courtyard residents.

DC / Maddison 71-74 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2039 9399 / www. maddisondc.com Fridays Smack. 10pm3am, £5/£4 before 10.30. Hit student night, helmed by residents Lawrence Jones and Mozafari, with all the associated zany activities and modern floor-fillers that the clientele love. Saturdays 9pm-5am, £5. Dance anthems from various special guests and residents.

Dempseys Castle Street, Cardiff. 029 2023 9253.

Thursdays (downstairs) Twisted By Design 9.30pm2am, free. Weekly night along the lines of the Saturday lineups. Fridays (downstairs) Blah Blah Blah 10pm-3am, free. Gary Twisted offers up Motown, indie, rock’n’roll, reggae and “no cheesy pop”.

Fri 27 Fabulous 9pm-2am, £4. Mod, ska, reggae, indie, R&B, funk, boogaloo and northern soul, running here for the mods since the 90s.

Saturdays 9pm-3am, free.

Rock’n’roll, funk, soul, party tunes yadda yadda, selected

by Chris PJ Martin. Sat 28 Twisted By Design 9pm2am, £3.50/£3 NUS. Monthly event with Gary playing the best in indie choons – Belle & Sebastian, Bowie, Cure, Dead Kennedys, summat like that.

Fuel 5 Womanby Street, Cardiff.

0845 6430032 / www. givemefuel.co.uk 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 Full Moon / The Moon Club Womanby Street, Cardiff.

029 2037 3022 / info@ thefullmooncardiff.com Thursdays Hullabalooza 10pm-4am, free. Three rooms of alternative party tunes.

Saturdays Five Dollar Shake Free. DJ Puddlefunk with bebop, funk, soul, Motown, hip-hop, reggae, ska and everything in between.

Sat 14 Ultimate Power 10pm-4am, £4 adv. Power ballads-themed club night.

Sat 21 The Square Club Revisited 8pm, £6. The Square Club was Cardiff’s top indie hangout around the early 90s. By chance, I was looking at a nostalgic Facebook page set up by former patrons just before typing this. Said patrons have organised this reunion night, where you can drink snakebite and black and dance to Mega City Four until your knees give out. Sat 28 MOVE 11pm-4am, £3 before 12. An old skool rave with all new sounds, they say.

Glam Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

029 2022 9311 / info@ glamnightclub.co.uk Mondays The Fest 10pm3am, £3.50. Two floors of charts, dance and student anthems (room one) and r’n’b, hip-hop, urban and funky (room two).

Wednesdays HUMP 10pm3am, £3.50. This is billed as the most outrageous night ever to come to Cardiff, which they will achieve via drinking games and celeb DJ sets. Thursdays Trend 9pm-3am, £4/£3.50. DJs Giggsy, Jordan Valleys, Sole and Willow play chart, indie and student anthems; r’n’b, house and old skool. This has replaced Propaganda I guess.

Thurs 12 features a live performance from Omarion, r’n’b singer and 2005-era meme (tickets: £5-£10). Fridays Antisocial 9pm-3am. Level 1: r’n’b, hip-hop and mashups from DJ Sole and DJ Pro. Level 2: house, electro, dubstep and drum’n’bass from Ian Davies and DJ Rewire. Saturdays Vanity 9pm-3am, £5-£10. Two rooms of quality music, everyone catered for it is claimed. Sun 1 Scott Disick 10pm-3am, £12-£20. Associate of the Kardashians, and host for tonight, autopilots his way through an evening that will somehow manage to mean even less to him than it does to the world at large. He is also here on Tue 3 Mar, but it is completely sold out.

The Globe 125 Albany Road, Cardiff.

07590 471888 / www. globecardiffmusic.com Sat 7 DJ Yoda Live A/V Show 9pm, £10 adv. Poptastic mashup hip-hop fella slices up beats and visuals, with the help of Reeps One. Grasshoppers 33 Bailey Street, Brynmawr. 07732 202218.

Fri 20 Deja Vu Presents All Things Hard 7pm-1am,

£3. “We have all styles like house, trance, hard trance, hard Dance, hard house, hardstyle, hardcore,” say the promoters, snubbing both country and western in the process. DJs: Vishaun & Trampy, Audio-Logic, Recycle & Pollution, Pink-E, Valley Houser and RNX. MCs: Swifty, China White, Destroyer and Venom.

Gwdihw 6 Guildford Crescent, Cardiff. 029 2039 7933 / www.gwdihw.co.uk Fri 6 Sure Shot 9pm, £7/£5 adv. Headlined by NYC disco doyen John Morales, who is interviewed in Clubs. Fri 13 Superchango 9pm, £4/£3. This month it’s a Stevie Wonder special. Fri 27 Pleasure Dome 9pm2.30am, £5/£3 before 11.

Conroy, Deemo and Teoman play the electronic music of the 80s. Sat 7 Modern Souls 9pm-2.30am, £. With a live set from French future disco trio Bodybeat, plus Hully gully and Blue Honey DJs. Sat 14 Fat City 9pm, £3. Soul, Latin, jazz, house, electro, funk and hip-hop with a guest set from Bristol’s DeCyphers. Sat 21 Péchés Mignons Presents Mise En Bouche 9pm, £3. Featuring sets from Claudio Campos (capoeira and samba), Dave Norton (tropical) and Toclifrench (Brazil beats and afro-house).

Jacob’s Market West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939. *Sat 28 Teak 10pm-5am.

First birthday bash for local house/techno promoters of rare taste brings not four but THREE special guests: Motor City Drum Ensemble (who are debuting in Wales I’m pretty sure), Rikki Humphrey and Seka. I am going to boldly predict it will be sold out by the time you read this.

(Update: it did sell out, in ludicrously quick time too.)

Karma 75 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Fri + Sat 8pm-6am. karmaclubcardiff@gmail. com Sat 14 Journey 10pm-6am, £9/£7 adv. Mark Sherry will be giving the opposition a trancing tonight with an epic four-hour set of uplifting biz.

Stu Grady, Hywel Matthews, Joe Byrne and Richie Knight won’t play for as long. Fri 3 Apr Serious Sounds 8pm6am, £15 adv. The full lineup will be massive, I assume, but mostly still TBC, so tragically I am unable to type everyone’s name out. Darren Styles & MC Whizzkid, Sy and Alex Prospect are the early confirmations.

Kuku Club Park Plaza Hotel, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

Members’ club. 029 2011 1177 / www. kukuclub.co.uk Fridays Kuku is available for private hire on Friday evenings. Get in touch with them via the website if you want to take advantage of this.

Saturdays 10pm-4am, £5/ free members (10pm-1am); £10/£5 members (after 1am).

With DJs TBC. Ladybird 41 St Mary St, Cardiff. 029 2066 5500 / info@ ladybirdcardiff.com / www. ladybirdcardiff.com Fridays C-Y-N-T 10pm-5am.

Student clubbing favourites take up residency in a new

clubs venue. Residents: Josh Thomas, Andrew Watkins, Elliot Mitchell, Batesy, Tom Rees, Van Pelt, Highforthis and Gavin Woo. Fri 6 is headlined by Toyboy & Robin, a house/bass music type duo who people seemed to be getting mildly excited about a year or so ago (tickets: £5-£8). Saturdays Solution 10pm-4am. A night whose flyer has a big photo of a model in her bra and pants.

Sundays Sunday Project 7pm-3am, free with guestlist.

Free industry night offers floor fillers and house classics.

Lava Lounge The Old Brewery Quarter, Caroline Street, Cardiff. 029 2038 2313 / www. lavaloungecardiff.co.uk Fridays Circus Circus 9pm-3am. “The best music from the best DJs in town” and, perhaps more importantly, cheap drinks. Saturdays 9pm-3am. Commercial chart music and the best of the 80s and 90s is promised, as are various two for £6/three for £5 drinks offers. Sundays Industry Sundays 9pm4am. Folks in the bar, club and hotel industry can come here after work and party to the selections of DJs Rhys Lewis and DJ George.

The Lemon Factory 37 St Helens Road, Swansea. 07969 671379 / www. lemonfactorybar.co.uk/ Sat 4 Apr Dirtbox 9pm-5am, £10. Hard dance tomfoolery, which is also the name of one of the DJs. Andy Whitby, Rob Davies, D-Grove, Tom Foolery, Vishaun & Trampy, Leg3ndz, Zac F, Pesky & Onix, Rhod Morgan, N-Zyme vs TJ and host K-Ner is the full rundown.

Metros Baker’s Row, Cardiff. 029 2039 9942 / www. metroscardiff.com Wednesdays Cheapskates 9pm-4am, £5. Hywel plays ‘alternative mayhem’ and old skool cheese. Fridays Subversion 9.30pm-3.30am, £3 with flyer before 10.30pm.

Drinks promos, no dress code. Rock, punk, metal and alternative beats. Saturdays Slacker 9.30pm-3.30am.

Wherein Hywel plays alternative and new music.

Meze Lounge Market Street, Newport.

01633 213161.

Fridays Party Hard! 10pm5am. Party bangers across the spectrum of heavy sounds, courtesy of Aaron Lille and Megatron Tom. Saturdays The Next Episode 10pm5am, £3-£5. Eclectic beats, indie anthems, Latin, hiphop, reggae etc 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 The Social Affair 9pm-3am. Over-25s night with chart hits through the ages. Fridays Timeless DJ Dan Nicholas plays r’n’b, funk, disco and old skool.

Just old skool. Saturdays Decorum Soulful and upfront house, plus funk, disco etc, from Sinky and Styles. Sundays VIP Chris Evans (My Playhouse) plays club classics, funky house

and r’n’b.

Monkey Bar 13 Castle Street, Swansea.

01792 480822 / www. monkeycafe.co.uk Wednesdays Get Tasty New night for the new students of the new term. Fri 3 Apr Bass Raiderz 9pm4am, £5-£10. Drum’n’bass radio staple Crissy Criss headlines tonight, with Rugga D, Azi, Dirty Elementz, Mike Edwards and Urkle Murkle also featuring. Sat 14 Rhigol 10pm-5am, £10 adv.

Fabio Monesi is an Italian DJ who plays raw analogue house, which sounds like a good combo to me. Richie Curran, Lewis O’James and Marc Parsons also feature.

Sat 14 + 28 Marvel 10pm.

Funk, hip-hop and r’n’b, every other Saturday. I think those are the dates, but they only reply to about every fourth or fifth email I send. Sun 5 Apr Rehab Roof Terrace Alldayer 2.30pm, £4-£8.

Roof terrace party leaning towards the upfront house side of things, I’d think.

Mozarts 76b Walter Road, Uplands, Swansea. 01792 649984 / www.mozarts.co.uk Fri 6 Hip-Drop 10pm2.30am. Northern soul night.

Fri 13 Yum-Yum Club 10pm-2.30am. Disco, dub and hip-hop DJs. Fri 20 House Party Night 10pm-2.30am, £3. DJs play hits from the years 2000-2010. What a concept! Sat 7 Schwing 10pm-2.30am. “Cool pop/ indie/dance” DJs helm this 90s night. Sat 14 Gas Station Bop 10pm-2.30am.

Rock’n’roll and related fun from the 50s and 60s.

Perc Secret location, Newport. www.facebook.com/percclub

FABIO MONESI Rhigol @ Monkey Bar, Swansea, Sat 14 Mar Tickets: £10/£8. Info: 01792 473276 / www.facebook.com/ monkeybarswansea It’s early days yet, what with this being Rhigol’s first ever night, but if the sound dished out by their first headliner is anything to go by, they’ll be slotting into a nicely cosy niche in the Swansea dance music scene. One that goes a bit deeper than the more techno-inclined Dogruff, and aims for an audience a shade more discerning than the big room house types that sometimes visit Oxygen.

Fabio Monesi, an Italian living in London, is pretty unflappably true-skool in his approach, playing on vinyl only and mining the rich histories of New Jersey and Chicago. He’s a regular guest on the continent, at clubs as prestigious as Berlin’s Watergate, and in addition to several 12”s on his own Wilson Records, had a 2013 release on Skylax, frequent home of DJ Sprinkles.

*Sat 4 Apr Perc 2-11pm, £8 adv. House and techno in a mystery venue, which Perc describe as an “intimate outdoor space”. More details TBC. Pontardawe Arts Centre Herbert Street, Pontardawe.

01792 863722.

Sat 7 Mar Swansea Scooter Society Northern Soul Night Quarterly (or near enough) event featuring top rated northern soul DJs each time. This one features Wales’ best northern soul DJ, say the SSS, although they don’t mention him by name.

Popworld Wind Street, Swansea. MonFri + Sun 8pm-3am; Sat 3pm-3am. 01792 470676.

Mondays Rock’n’Roller 9pm-3am. Student night.

Roll the dice and win a round of drinks. Tuesdays Popstar Karaoke 9pm-3am.

Karaoke night with a £50 prize. Wednesdays W.H.I.P. 9pm, free before 11. That’s short for What Happens In Popworld. Thursdays T.N.T. 9pm-3am. That’s short for Thirsty Night Thursday.

All drinks are £1.50 before 12am, apart from wines, cocktails, champagnes and – oh, Swansea – Rekorderlig.

Fridays + Saturdays Ain’t No Party Like A Popworld Party 8pm-3am, £2-£4 (Fri)/£3-£5 (Sat).

Pryzm (formerly Oceana) Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

029 2023 3854 / www. pryzm.co.uk/cardiff/ Mondays BASS 10pm3am, free before 11.30.

Student night. on an urban tip and also featuring live acts. Thurs 2 Apr Garage Nation 10pm-4am, £7 adv/£5 early bird. Bank holiday special featuring DJ Luck & MC Neat plus more TBC. Fridays + Saturdays 10pm-3am. Three music arenas, VIP booths, other stuff.

Saturday is in conjunction with Jongleurs comedy club, which also takes place here.

Pulse 3 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

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

Wednesdays Warped 10pm-4am. Join DJ Craig W on a journey through time with the best hits from the last two decades. Fridays Pulsetastic 10pm-5am, £4/£3. With live PAs once a month. Saturdays Pop Til You Drop 10pm-5am, £5/£4 b4 11. The very best chart remixes and classic hits all night long.

The Queens Hall High Street, Narberth.

01834 861212 / www. thequeenshall.org.uk Sat 4 Apr 8pm, £6-£14.

Four-person beatbox/hip-hop spectacular, which you can read more about in Clubs, with turns from Dizraeli, Reeps One, Bellatrix and Rex Domino.

Revolution Castle Street, Cardiff. Open from 11am. 029 2023 6689 / www.revolution-bars.co.uk Tuesdays Sync 9pm-3am.

Student night featuring hazers, lasers and drink deals.

Wednesdays Shotgun Rules 9pm-3am. Exclusive midweek student party. You don’t need NUS to get in though. Fridays Nouveau 9pm-3am. DJs, drinks offers, free area hire. There’s also deep house and mashups from Sarah Louise and

DJ Snooze, respectively.

Saturdays Saturday Mix Session Party in style with table bookings.

The Royal Oak 200 Broadway, Splott, Cardiff. 029 2049 6628.

Fridays DJ 45 Free. Punk, indie, rock and soul classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s, all played from the original 7” vinyl.

The Scene Plymouth Street, Swansea.

07730 432166 / www. thesceneclub.co.uk Fri 6 + Fri 3 Apr Night Train 10pm-3am, £3.

Swansea Scooter Society DJs play R&B, mod, soul, jazz etc on the first Friday of every month. Fri 27 Dogruff & Platform 9pm, £10/£8 early bird. Praslea, purveyor of smooth techno from Romania, headlines this promotional team-up.

Expect Cam Wilson, Hess, Gyan Bhatia, Shaun Edwards, Dan Knight and Mikki Wings to represent also. Sat 7 + Sat 4 Apr Dead Of Night 10pm-3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month.

Used to be in Sin City, is now in here.

Sin City Dilwyn Street, Swansea.

01792 468892 / bookings@ alternativeswansea.com Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3. Student night, back for the new term.

Fridays Monsters Of Rock & Metal / 131 10pm-3.30am, £4/£2 before 12.30. Indie in room 1, metal in room 2.

Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am.

Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sat 7 has a guest set from UK garage legend DJ EZ (“Like his favourite football team Tottenham Hotspurs, he’s in the premier league” – that’s a quote from his bio) and Sat 21 is headlined by Black Butter Records’ My Nu Leng, big with the kids I understand. Sat 14 The Lighthouse Project 10pm, £8/£6 adv. Upfront house night is headlined by Several Definitions, a guy called Keith whose house and techno sound is “creeping up the Beatport chart as we speak”.

Soda Lounge St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3363 / www.sodalounge.co.uk Tuesdays Cartel £4/£3.50.

UK-wide student night. Mr. Mozafari will be playing vocal house and electro upstairs; DJ Wallace will supply r’n’b and chart in the Soda Lounge.

Thursdays Clique 10pm, £4. New night promising the hottest r’n’b and dancefloor fillers. Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am. Three rooms including the Attic which is “the social playground for the high flyers and social elite, really the only place to be seen.” Imagine catching your reflection in the mirror just after writing that.

The Square Wind Street, Ammanford.

01269 595792.

Sat 7 9pm-1am, £2. Welsh hardstyle maven DJ Cally is the main attraction for tonight, alongside the DJ Chuck-E & Shocker Show, MCP, Jonzzo v It’s Not Me, Fanatic DJ and TJ. Inexpensive too!

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. Fridays Koosday 10pm-3am, £7/£5.

Something that has lots of decor, smoke machines etc and describes itself as an “Arrogantly Premium Clubbing Experience”. How depressing. Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc.

Undertone (basement of 10 Feet Tall) 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Tue 10 + 24 Mixtape 10pm. Eclectic tunes mixed by up and coming Cardiff DJs, presented by Xpress Radio.

Fri 6 æther 10pm-4am, £3.

New house and techno night, keeping its cards close to its chest re: the lineup. Their taste is probably signposted by the links to mixes by Oxia, Ben Klock and so forth on their Facebook page, though.

Fri 13 Powercore: The Game Changer 9pm-4am, £8/£5 adv. Regular hardcore night with lots of DJs and MCs, plus a ‘winner stays on’ competition element which I don’t entirely understand.

DJs: Jekyll, Lozzie, Ben Manic, Reflux, Ziyad, Con Con, Boyle, Andi Camo, Benjammin, Watkins, Broomy and Coregasm. MCs (more TBC): Mono, Deverstate, Skyz, Wingman, Buzz, Pieman, Swifty and Wadar. *Fri 20 Groove Theory 10.30pm-6am, £12/£10. Disco and house expert Maurice Fulton plays Cardiff for the first time in a fair few years, and his three-hour set will be supplemented by residents TBC. Fri 27 Temple 10pm, £7. New monthly night bringing biggish name drum’n’bass DJs to this venue. TBC right now though. Fri 3 Apr Sprungnacht 10pm4am, £4/£2 before 11. Night that launched just before Christmas is back for round two, promising “100% techno”.

Batu, Doppelate, Fa.çade, Harry Wootten and TLB are the DJs. *Sat 7 City Bass 10pm-4am, £5 before 11.30.

Fifth birthday set for CB, with Hessle Audio’s Elgato down to headline. As I often find myself saying: good booking.

Sat 14 Circles 10pm-4am, £4-£7. Mr Beatnick, a British hip-hop producer turned house DJ, headlines tonight.

Owain K will be among the local sorts in support.

Sat 21 Collective: The Ritual 10pm-4am, £3 adv.

House, hip-hop,m jungle and drum’n’bass, all local and cheap. Beekay, Link, Cosmic Girl, Chips, Bootson, Catson, Varndell, Rory Fisher, Math and Double A-Side are the DJs. The Vaults The Old Natwest Bank, 113-116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. 07977 131320 / cellardoorcardiff@hotmail. co.uk *Fri 6 Flashback 10pm5am, £10 adv. The underground sounds of 1988-1998 – acid house, hardcore, jungle and Camden Lurch – are served up here, and few are better placed than Slipmatt, Uncle Dugs and Billy Bunter BUZZ BUZZ55 55

events Pity the rock fan who, having paid a week’s wage to see his idols, arrives at some soulless megaarena to discover that his seat is a bus ride away from the stage and that the best view of the action is via the video screens dotted around the venue. Is it just me or does that sound like a very expensive and disappointing version of staying at home and watching the greatest hits DVD on the plasma?

Thankfully, few folk and roots musicians get to play such venues, so when their fans pay to see them, they do actually get to see them. This month, there’s a chance to see some of them up close and personal, nowhere more so than at Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall.

First up, on Tue 3 Mar, Joan Armatrading hits the stage. You might be surprised to find Joan’s name here but with musical roots that include folk and blues, you shouldn’t be. Emphasising that connection this date, which is a part of her last ever major tour, will find her completely alone on stage with just a guitar, a piano, that voice and a whole bunch of classic songs from her entire career. It promises to be an emotional night for all concerned.

A couple of weeks later the Roots Unearthed series welcomes West Country folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Seth Lakeman. Since being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2005 for his album Kitty Jay, Seth’s career has gone from strength to strength. Drawing on traditional sources and local history, his music is a celebration of his Dartmoor home and of Devon and Cornwall. On his most recent album {Word Of Mouth}, Seth unearths hidden histories and unsung everyday heroes and commemorates and celebrates them, in songs built around the stories of the real people who inspired them. Having toured the world and most major UK festivals with his band, Seth gives his fellow musicians a well-deserved break as he embarks on a rare solo tour that rolls into Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on Tue 17 Mar. Buzz also recommends Martin Carthy. Simply the best interpreter of traditional song. Rhosygilwen, Cilgerren, Pembs. (Sat 7) Jim Moray. Edgy mix of traditional and contemporary songs. Newport Folk Club, Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone. (Thurs 12) Jim Causley. Hugely entertaining Devon folk singer. The Halfpenny Folk Club. Greyhound Inn, Oldwalls, Gower. (Sun 15)

Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 7677

BUZZ 56

to do so I’d wager. T-Bone, Dubmatt, Ital Lion, Jackal & Hyde and Walshy Selecta also feature, plus a second room bill TBC. Also, I lied about Camden Lurch. Fri 20 Bullion 10pm-5am, £12/£10. Dillinja, reliable drum’n’bass footsoldier and the man behind the infamous Valve soundsystem, headlines tonight. Stu Grady and Kooley are two of many more DJs over two rooms. Sat 21 Delete 10pm-5am, £12 adv.

First night in this venue for Delete, and two big bookings in the form of the acidflecked Paranoid London and Boogie Cartel. Matt Owen, Lee Graves and Marc Parsons are the faithful residents.

Warehouse 54 Cambrian Rd, Newport.

01633 259144 / www.wh54. com Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Matt Kirke mixes up club-influenced beats from reggae to rock, d’n’b to dancefloor-led house.

Thursdays The Social House beats and basslines.

Friday Warehouse54 Live! A free festival-inspired mix of bass and live bands every week. Saturdays The NPclubhop Soulful selections from the WH54 Soundsystem, alongside live guests and special events on selected dates. Sunday The Sunday Session DJs until late.

Wow Bar 4 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

Gay venue. Free all day Sun-Thurs; before 11pm Fri + Sat. 029 2066 6247 / www.wowbarcardiff.com Wednesdays Wish You Were Here Free. Student night with “inflight entertainment” from Lambrini Rampage and Mary Golds, plus music from DJ Krys.

Thursdays The Night With No Name Free. DJ Craig and Mary Golds offer “mad games and crazy entertainment.”

Fridays The Greatest Show In The City Free b4 11. With WOW Showgirls Miss Kitty and Marcia, plus special guests every week.

Saturdays The VKend Free b4 11. With DJs Craig and Krys. You can get cheap deals in VK. £6.50 for a fishbowl. £6 for a jug of WKD. Settle down now, kids. Sundays The Cuckoo Club Free. DJ Krys plays the tunes until late.

events EVERY MONDAY Ballet The Gate, Cardiff.

6-9.30pm, £6.50/£5.50/£3 taster. Info 029 2048 3344.

Beginners 6-7pm; intermediate 7-8; advanced 8-9.30.

Term finishes on Mon 22.

Bharata Natyam Dance Classes For Adult Beginners Bayview House, Cardiff Bay. 8.15-9.15pm. Info 029 2075 1158.

Bingo Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Hosted by Jack Cooper.

Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Churchill’s Hotel Bar, Llandaff, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (three-monthgwdi trial membership). Info 07526 141392. A friendly social group offering the chance to “liven up your social life and meet new friends” through

a varied events programme including theatre, live music, walks, badminton, table tennis and pub nights. More info at www.cardiffivc.org.uk.

Ceroc The Gate, Cardiff.

7.45-10.45pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info 029 2048 3344. Sessions for a dance style billed as a combo of salsa, ballroom, hip-hop, tango and jive. Term finishes on Mon 22.

Ceroc Dance Class Odyssey Nightclub, Swansea. 7.4510.45pm, £5. Info cerocsouthwales@gmail.com.

Children’s Ballroom Dancing Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7-9pm. Info 01495 243252.

Community Choir Sessions Cornwall Street Church Hall, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, free.

Info 07952 752823. Led by Pauline Down and taking place most Mondays; ring ahead to check.

Freestyle Fitness Yoga Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 7.308.30pm, £7/£6. Info 07774 601544 / serenhealth@ hotmail.co.uk. Every Monday and Friday.

India Dance Wales Classes Highmead House, Lisvane, Cardiff. Info 029 2075 1158. For Grade 2 to vocational level. These classes are by special application only at various points in the month – not on specific days, hence listing them here.

To apply write to admin@ indiadancewales.com with previous dance experience and reason for wanting to join India Dance Wales.

Japanese Taiko Drumming The Riverfront, Newport. 4-7pm, £20 (four weeks). Info 01633 656757.

4-5pm: retired people; 5-6: stage 2 for 7-14-year-olds; 6-7: stage 1 for 7-14-year-olds.

Making Music The Gate, Cardiff. 6-10pm, £7.50-£9.50 per session/£4 taster. Info 029 2048 3344. Learn to play improvised rock and pop and basic chord sequences.

Beginners 6-8pm; intermediate 8-10. Term finishes on Mon 22.

Musical Theatre The Riverfront, Newport. 6.158.30pm, £6/£5. Info 01633 656757. 7-11 years old: 6.15-7.15pm; 12 and up: 7.158.30pm.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today features Youth Circus Ewoks (4-5 + 5.15-6.15pm, £6 per session); Youth Circus Wookies (4.30-6pm, £7 per session); Flying Trapeze (6-8pm, £12/£10 per session); Aerial Yoga (6.30-7.30pm, £11/£9) and Flexibility (7.45-9.15pm, £9/£7 per session).

Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Tours of the centre running daily for one hour.

Advance booking recommended.

Pilates The Gate, Cardiff.

11.30am-1.30pm, £5.50-£7.50.

Info 029 2048 3344. Beginners for the first hour, intermediate for the second. Term finishes on Mon 22.

Quizzical The North Star, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 4050.

RAD Children’s Ballet The Gate, Cardiff. 4-7.45pm, £6.50/£5.50/£3 taster. Info 029 2048 3344. 4-6-year-olds: 4-4.45pm; 6-8 4.45-5.45pm;

Ballet Grade 1 6-8 yrs 5.456.45pm; Ballet Grade 2 6-8 yrs 6.45-7.45pm. Term finishes on Mon 22.

Salsa Classes Mischiefs, Cardiff Bay. 7.30-9.30pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651. Beginners for the first hour, then improvers/ intermediate.

SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Golden Gower National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales. com. Day tours from Cardiff, every Monday, Thursday and Sunday. This one visits the Gower, Swansea Bay, ParcLe-Breos, the Dylan Thomas Centre and more.

St Donats Atlantic Chorale St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

7.30pm. Info 01446 799100.

Choir rehearsals.

Tai Chi: Moving 5 Elements Qigong Glyndwr Community Hall, Penarth.

10.30-11.30am. Info 029 2020 6042. New daytime class.

Tango Dancing Argentine Barocco, Cardiff. 8-10.45pm, £3/£1. Info 029 2023 7332.

Tang Soo Do Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff.

7-9pm. Info 07734 557767.

Learn traditional Korean karate; beginners welcome.

Welsh Lessons The Gate, Cardiff. 10am-12pm. Info 029 2048 3344. Every Monday afternoon and Tuesday evening. Email info@learnwelsh. co.uk for more deets.

Yoga Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12.301.15pm. Info 029 2087 7959.

On tomorrow also.

Yoga With Valerie Price St Mary’s Church Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 6.30-9.30pm. Info admin@yoga-works.co.uk.

6.30-8pm: intermediate; 8.109.30pm: beginners.

Zumba Dance Classes Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5.306.30pm, £5/£4. Info 029 2087 7959.

EVERY TUESDAY A Ballroom Dance Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

7-11pm. Info 01495 243252.

Aikido Village Hall, Heol Syr Lewis, Morganstown. 8-10pm.

Info 07790 167560. Every Tuesday and Friday.

American Line Dancing The Gate, Cardiff. 2.454.45pm, £3. Info 029 2048 3344. Term finishes on Tue 23.

Belly Dance Classes Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 6.308pm, £6. Info 07872 306745.

Mixed ability class with Steph.

Beth’s Buns Pilates Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7.15-8.15pm, £8.50.

Info 029 2048 4880. New class here every Tuesday.

Circus Skills The Riverfront, Newport. 7-8.30pm, £3.50 per session. Info 01633 656757.

For ages 14 and up.

Climbing Class For Adults Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £12. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Tuesday to Thursday.

Contemporary Dance The Gate, Cardiff. 6-8.30pm, £4.50-£6.50/£2.50 taster. Info 029 2048 3344. Beginners 6-7pm; intermediate 7-8.30.

Term finishes on Tue 23.

Extend The Gate, Cardiff.

11am, £2.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Exercise to music, aimed at over-60s and people with a disability. Term fin-

ishes on Tue 23.

Funkypump Fitness Universal Gym, Cardiff. 6pm.

Info www.funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Boxing-based high-intensity workout with a house soundtrack. First session free. In this gym every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Gitananda Yoga St David's Uniting Church, Pontypridd.

7-8.30pm, free. Info 01443 408065.

Glam Dram St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

7pm. Info 01446 799100.

Amateur theatre company for adults.

India Dance Wales Classes Rubicon Dance, Adamsdown, Cardiff. 6.30pm.

Info 029 2075 1158. From beginners to next level and for all ages and abilities.

Jazz Workshops For Beginners Atradius Offices (4th floor), Cardiff Bay. 6.208pm, £10. Info 07806 625717.

All instruments and ages welcome.

Kizomba Tango Classes 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 6pm, £5.

Info 029 2022 8883. Learn African samba here.

Life Drawing Sketching Session 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff.

6-7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2022 8883. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model.

Lindy Hop Dance Classes & Social Swing Dancing The Garage, Swansea.

6-10pm. Info 01792 475147.

Little’ns Music The Riverfront, Newport. 9.4510.30am + 1.30-2.15, £3 per session. Info 01633 656757.

Introduction to rhythm and singing for babies, plus a chance to practice nursery rhymes.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today: Youth Circus Jedis (ground based skills, 4-6pm, £7 per session); Youth Circus Padawans (4.306pm, £7 per session); Hula Hoop (6-7pm, £7); Circus Mish Mash (6-8pm, £5) and Beginners Aerial (8-10pm, £11/£9).

Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464.

Open Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Pied Piper Music The Gate, Cardiff. 10.15-10.45am + 1.30-2.15pm, £4.50 (morning)/£5 (afternoon). Info 029 2048 3344. Songs, games and music making for toddlers (morning) and pre-schoolers aged 3+ (afternoon). Term finishes on Tue 23.

Pilates And Stretch Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 8.15-9.15pm, £6. Info 07872 306745. With Steph; bring your own mat please.

Pilates: Beginners The Gate, Cardiff. 6.30-7.30pm, £5.50-£7.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Term finishes on Tue 23.

Pregnancy Yoga Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff.

6-7.15pm, £35/£30 (five-week blocks). Info kalavathi@ omstudio.co.uk.

Salsa Classes Bar 44, Cowbridge. 7.30-9.30pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651.

Salsa Classes La Tasca, Cardiff. 7-11pm, £5/£4.50 NUS. Info 07949 270618.

Every Tuesday. 7.15pm beginners; 8.15pm improvers;

events 9.15pm intermediates.

SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Mines & Mountains National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales. com. Every Tuesday and Friday. This one visits Big Pit Mining Museum of Wales and Brecon Beacons National Park (including BBNP visitors centre).

Tai Chi / Qigong Shibashi St Mary’s Church Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm.

Info 029 2020 6042. 6.30-7.30: Tai Chi Health Qigong – Ba Duan Jin; 7.45-9: Rattan Bo Tai Chi Qigong (Chi Kung).

Vassia’s Pilates M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff.

4-5.30pm, £5/£6.50 taster session. Info 029 2047 3373.

Welsh Lessons The Gate, Cardiff. 7-9pm. Info 029 2048 3344.

Yoga Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5.30-6.30 + 6.45-8pm. Info 029 2087 7959.

Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 7.309pm, £8/£6.50. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk.

With Kalavathi Devi.

Yoga Share M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 5-7pm, £4 (suggested donation).

Info 029 2047 3373. Led by Ashtanga practitioner Sarah Cleary.

Yoga With Tori Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

6-7pm, £8.50/£8 NUS. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yoga With Valerie Price Llandough Institute, Penarth.

8.30-9.30pm. Info admin@ yoga-works.co.uk . Mixed level class.

Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes Fairwater Social & Athletic Club, Cardiff. 6-7pm.

Info 07891 712344. Led by Irene Davies, as is...

Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes St Faith Church Hall, Llanishen, Cardiff.

8-9pm. Info 07891 712344.

EVERY WEDNESDAY A Tea Dance Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2-4pm. Info 01495 243252.

Ceramics For Adults The Riverfront, Newport. 6-8pm, £30 (five weeks). Info 01633 656757.

Ceroc Dance Class Dinas Powys Parish Hall, Cardiff.

7.30-10.45pm, £5. Info cerocsouthwales@gmail.com.

Climbing Class For Adults Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £12. Info 029 2048 4880.

Freestyle Fitness Yoga Wake Up Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

7.15-8am, £7£6. Info 07774 601544 / serenhealth@hotmail.co.uk.

Life Drawing Sketching Session The Project Space, Commercial Street, Newport.

6.30-8.30pm, £5. Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model.

Newport Youth Dance The Riverfront, Newport. 4.156pm, £2.75 per session. Info 01633 656757. 7-10 years old: 4.15-5pm; 14-18: 5-6pm.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today: Youth Circus Jedis (acrobatics, 4.156pm, £7); Acrobatics (6-8pm, £9/£7) and Handstands (8-9.30pm, £10/£8).

Official Guided Tours

– Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464.

Pilates The Gate, Cardiff.

6-8pm, £5.50-£7.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Concentrating on General Fitness. Beginners for the first hour; advanced for the second. Term finishes on Wed 24.

Pub Quiz The Pilot, Penarth.

8pm. Info 029 2071 0615.

With Hayley.

Salsa Classes Rhiwbina Recreational Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651.

SeeWales Sightseeing Tour: Romans And Ruins National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com.

Day tours from Cardiff, every Wednesday and Saturday.

This one visits Caerleon, Caerwent, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley, Abbey Mill Craft Centre and Raglan Castle.

Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 9.3011am + 7-9pm, £8/£6.50.

Info 07727 139379 / www. omstudio.co.uk..

Yoga Trwy Gyfrwng Y Gymraeg Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm.

Info admin@yoga-works. co.uk.

Yoga With Tori Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

6-7pm, £8.50/£8 NUS. Info 029 2048 4880.

Yu-Gi-Oh Tournaments The Freaks Geeks and Autographs Store, Swansea. 5.30pm, £3.50. Info 07914 683534.

Zumba Classes La Tasca, Cardiff. 6pm, £4. Info 07949 270618.

EVERY THURSDAY Ab Attack Class Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

6-6.30pm, £8.50/£8 NUS. Info 029 2048 4880.

Ballet Academy Wales Classes – Children 6-11 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

4-5pm, £4.95. Info 07837 937351.

Bingo Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863.

Biodanza Bishop of Llandaff High School, Cardiff. 7-9pm, £6/£5. Info antoinette@ biodanza4all.com. “A fusion of music, movement and feeling” taught here by Antoinette Lorraine.

Breakdance The Riverfront, Newport. 6.15-7pm, £3.50 per session. Info 01633 656757.

Learn break dancing styles, uprock, freezes and power moves. For ages 8-18.

Ceroc Dance Class Odyssey Nightclub, Swansea. 7.4510.45pm, £5. Info cerocsouthwales@gmail.com.

Children’s Latin/Ballroom Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 4.30-8pm. Info 01495 243252.

Circuits Class Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

6.45-7.45pm, £8.50/£8 NUS. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Thursday.

Climbing Class For Adults Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £12. Info 029 2048 4880.

Funkypump Fitness Universal Gym, Cardiff. 6pm.

Info www.funkypumpfitness. co.uk.

Hand Drumming Group Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff. 6-6.50pm, £15 (five weeks). Info 01446 401209.

Hosted by Laura Bradshaw.

NoFit State Circus Classes

And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org. Today: Handstands (6-7.30pm, £10/£8) and Performance (7.30-9.30pm, £10/£8).

Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464.

Pilates Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 6.157.15pm, £7/£6. Info 07774 601544 / serenhealth@hotmail.co.uk . Every Thursday.

Salsa Buena Class Eclipse, Penarth. 7.30-9.30pm, free.

Info 07800 565651. New class, free for a limited time. Also features a Latin disco after the class.

Salsa Classes La Tasca, Cardiff. 7-11pm, £5/£4.50 NUS. Info 07949 270618.

7.15pm beginners; 8.15pm improvers; 9.15pm Rueda.

Salsa Dancing Classes Revolucion De Cuba, Cardiff.

8-10pm, £6/£5 NUS. Info 029 2023 6689. Salsa, bachata, zouk and kizomba.

SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Golden Gower National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com.

Tai Chi / Qigong Shibashi Albert Road Church & Community Centre, Penarth.

6.30-9.15pm. Info 029 2020 6042. With Christie Butterick.

6.30-7.30: The 18 Movements Of Shibashi Tai Chi/Qigong; 7.45-9.15: Tai Chi Short Form.

Tai Chi / Qigong Shibashi St Fagans Village Hall.

12-1pm. Info 029 2020 6042.

Yoga Classes Cardiff Steiner School, Llandaff North, Cardiff. 6-7.15 + 7.308.45pm, £8/£6.50. Info info@ yogaskies.co.uk. Hosted by Mike Young.

Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 7-8am + 1-2.30, 6-7.15 + 7.30-9pm, £8/£6.50. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk.

EVERY FRIDAY Aikido Village Hall, Heol Syr Lewis, Morganstown. 8-10pm.

Info 07790 167560.

Boys’ Dance The Riverfront, Newport. 4.45-5.30pm, £2.75 per session. Info 01633 656757. Taught by Rubicon, for ages 6-12.

Cardiff Aikikai The Dojo, Roath, Cardiff. 6.30-10pm.

Info mcaluan@cardiffaikikai. co.uk.

Children’s Tap/Ballet Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 10.30-11.30am.

Info 01495 243252.

Community Choir Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9.4511.45am, £72/£48 (12 weeks).

Info 01446 401209.

Freestyle Fitness Yoga Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 7.308.30pm, £7/£6. Info 07774 601544 / serenhealth@ hotmail.co.uk.

Little’ns Dance The Riverfront, Newport. 9.4510.25am + 10.30-11.15am, £3 per session. Info 01633 656757.

Newport Photographic Club Skip Jennings Hall, Maindee, Newport. 7.30pm.

Info 01633 400685.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Today: Youth Circus Jedis (aerial, 4.15-6pm, £7); Aerial Conditioning (6-7.30pm,

£10/£8); Flying Trapeze Taster class (fortnightly, 6-8pm, £15).

Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464.

Older Adult Dance/ Exercise The Riverfront, Newport. 11.15am-12.15pm, £2.80. Info 01633 656757.

Low impact dance and exercise class aimed at the over 50s.

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

Info 029 2022 7982.

SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Mines & Mountains National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com.

Tango Argentine Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff.

7.30-8.45pm, £7/£4. Info 029 2023 7332. No experience or partner required.

Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes Sbectrwm Community Centre, Fairwater, Cardiff. 1-2pm. Info 07891 712344. With Irene Davies.

EVERY SATURDAY Children’s Climbing Classes Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

10-11.30am, £12. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Saturday and Sunday.

Climbing Class For Adults Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 12, 2 + 4pm, £12.

Info 029 2048 4880. Every Saturday and Sunday.

Funkypump Fitness Universal Gym, Cardiff.

9.30am. Info www.funkypumpfitness.co.uk.

NoFit State Circus: Youth Circus Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff.

10.30am-12pm, £7/£6 per session. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org. 10.3011.30am: Ewoks; 11.30am1pm: Padawans; 10-11.30am: Wookies.

Roath Real Food Market Mackintosh Sports Club Car Park, Roath, Cardiff. 9.30am1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

SeeWales Sightseeing Tour: Romans And Ruins National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com.

St Mary Street Cardiff Market St Mary Street, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, free.

Info 029 2019 0036. Selling artisan foods, vintage clothing, antique furniture and bric-a-brac.

Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff.

8-9.30am, £6.50. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk.

With Kalavathi Devi.

Youth Theatre The Riverfront, Newport.

12.45-3.15pm, £28 (seven weeks)/£25 (six weeks). Info 01633 656757. For ages 8 to 16, across two classes (youngest first).

EVERY SUNDAY Ballet Academy Wales Classes – Adults Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 12-1pm, £6.50. Info 07837 937351.

Ballet For Beginners Dance Studio, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2-3.30pm, £6/£15 for three classes.

Info info@burlesquecardiff. co.uk. Hosted by Stephanie of Burlesque Cardiff.

Bridgend Undercover Car Boot Sale Multistorey Car Park, Bridgend Town Centre.

7am-12pm, free (selling cars £6; selling cars with trailers £10). Info 01656 661338.

Children’s Climbing Classes Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff.

10-11.30am, £12. Info 029 2048 4880.

Climbing Class For Adults Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 12, 2 + 4pm, £12.

Info 029 2048 4880.

Farmers’ Market National History Museum, St Fagans.

10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Welsh producers sell their wares every week at this brand new market.

Lindy Hop Dance Classes & Social Swing Dancing Pontardawe Arts Centre.

6-10pm. Info 01792 863722.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Prince Of Wales Building, John Street, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org. Today: Youth Circus Jedis (mixed circus skills, 12-2pm, £7) and Youth Circus Jedis (performance, 2-4pm, £7).

Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. *Riverside Farmers’ Market Fitzhammon Embankment, Cardiff. 10am2pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982. Always worth a trip.

SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Golden Gower National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com.

Sunday Board Games Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Weekly session featuring a mixture of competitive and co-operative games.

SUNDAY 1 Ask The Gardener: Spring In The Veg Patch National History Museum, St Fagans.

2-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Body Art Workshop Revue Studios, Swansea. 11am-1pm, £16. Info mail@ bluestockinglounge.com. With Angela Youngs. Hosted by Bluestocking Lounge.

Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £4. Info 029 2030 4400.

Castle Emporium Official Opening Party Castle Emporium, Womanby Street, Cardiff. 11am-6pm, free. Info james@rock-olareborn.com.

Relaunch of what was previously called Cardiff Fashion Quarter, with a day of food, face painting, art etc.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. How do colour changes occur in chemical reactions? What are the uses of these colour changes? How can chemistry provide us with colour, energy and light? (On weekends until Sun 22) Cwmbran Craft Fayre Our Lady’s School Hall, Cwmbran.

1-4pm. Info cwmbran_ crafts@hotmail.co.uk. Every first Sunday of the month.

Fencing: Tournament Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-10pm. Info 07530 226532. Also on Sun 8, 15 and 22.

Animated Dragon Puppets National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free.

Info 01792 463980.

Gymnastics: Welsh

Championships Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff.

9am-5pm. Info 0300 3003127.

Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils v Belfast Giants Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, £6-£15. Info 029 2038 2001.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Find out how life is thought to have started on this planet, where life has been found in some of the most extreme places on Earth and how we can use this new-found knowledge. (On weekends until Sun 22) St David’s Day National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3550.

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

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

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

St David’s Day Parade City Hall, Cardiff (starting point).

12.30pm, free. Info www. stdavidsday.org.

St David’s Day Run 2015 Bute Park, Cardiff. 10am, free for spectators. Info www. stdavidsdayrun.com.

Organised by The Motivational Preparation College for Training – “a national organisation headquartered in Cardiff, which transforms the lives and career prospects of young people aged 14-19 through military-style training.”

Table Tennis: Senior Team Championships Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff.

10am-5pm. Info 07754 525754.

MONDAY 2 Artist Gathering Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7.30pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

Regular free events held throughout the year for artists and creatives from Bridgend and beyond to come together, share ideas, network, collaborate, vision and debate.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 4-10pm. Info 029 2063 5676.

Northern Lingo Bingo Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933. This is a night which seems to feature people playing bingo and speaking in Yorkshire dialect.

Write On Writers Morganstown Village Hall.

6.30-8.30pm. Info 07512 235758. An open group of writers who encourage others to write and also critique work. Here every first and third Monday of the month.

TUESDAY 3 Basketball: Cardiff Games Inclusive Zone Competition Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 11.30am4pm. Info 029 2087 3935.

Explore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 01792 463980. Come along to discuss authors and books old and new. Also on Tue 10, 17 and 24.

Law Of Attraction Discussion Group Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.309pm, £5. Info 07976 478278.

New monthly event where likeminded people meet to practice the principles of Law of Attraction and create the lives we desire.

Meet The Curator: Natural Sciences Gallery Talk BUZZ BUZZ57 57

events National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Jana Horak talks about Welsh gold.

World Wildlife Day CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff. Free.

Info 029 2115 9063. “As Cardiff’s new eco-friendly hangout and lovers of animals, there will be a series of events throughout the day at the venue,” CF24 say.

WEDNESDAY 4 Stories By Gaslight: Giles Abbott & Nawroz Oramari Gas Gallery, Aberystwyth.

8pm, £5. Info peterstevensonart@gmail.com. Monthly storytelling club. Abbott tells his tale of the extraordinary life of enigmatical explorer Richard Burton, accompanied by the vocals of Iraqi Kurdish singer Nawroz Oramari.

THURSDAY 5 Cardiff Animation Nights 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 8883.

Screenings of three short films: Bath House, In The Air Is Christopher Gray and You Could Sunbathe In This Storm.

Cardiff Archaeological Society Annual General Meeting Chemistry Lecture Theatre, Main Building, Cardiff University. 7.15pm.

Info www.cardiffarchsoc. btck.co.uk. Featuring a quiz, images from the year’s visits and updates on projects.

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 029 2030 4400.

New poetry, fiction and memoir sessions.

Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.15pm, £14. Info 07538 878609. Also on Fri 6, Fri 13, Fri 20, Thurs 26 and Fri 27.

Monthly Quiz Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7.30pm, £1. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

World Book Day CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff.

Free. Info 029 2115 9063.

Featuring a book amnesty and a chance to win a meal for two if you dress up in a book-related costume (and it’s judged to be the best).

World Book Day Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

9.30am-2.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. More info can be had from nicola.kelly@ swansea.gov.uk.

FRIDAY 6 Art Lunchtime Talk: An Introduction To Maurice Marinot National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

With Andrew Renton.

Art Opinions Service National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Bring in your own picture or art object for opinions/referrals by the Art Department.

Baby Mice Songtime / Little Mice Club: Springtime National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Mochyn Du, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (three-month trial membership). Info 07526 141392 / www.cardiffivc.org. uk. Meeting here on the first Friday of each month.

Emily Rose Vintage Fashion & Burlesque Show The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Also featuring a live set from Two BUZZ 58

Marks & A Frank.

Exhibition Preview & Artist Talk Ffotogallery, Penarth. 6-8pm, free. Info 029 2034 1667. With Corinne Silva, whose exhibition starts here tomorrow (see Art listings).

Farmers Market High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free.

Info 01685 725106. Quality produce from no more than 50 miles away, on the first Friday of each month.

Get Quizzical The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £2 to enter. Info 01497 821762.

Pub quiz on the first Friday of every month.

Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.15pm, £14. Info 07538 878609.

Gymnastics: Welsh Schools Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-4pm. Info 0300 3003127.

John Tripp Poetry Night Fireside Coffee Lounge, Bargoed. 7.30-9.30pm. Info 01443 801555. Tribute evening featuring contributions from Sally Roberts Jones, Robert Minhinnick, Jerry Hooker, Sally Spedding, Patrick Jones and Mike Jenkins. Hosted by Julie Pritchard.

Talk: Join The Curators National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Toddler Days Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £4.80 for adults.

Info 029 2047 5475. Monthly event where pre-school children have their run of the exhibits with activities on a special theme, which this month is ‘animaltastic’.

SATURDAY 7 Adult Craft Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10am-1pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Creating textiles projects based around the theme of books in celebration of World Book Day. Bridgend Roller Skating Recruitment Open Day Bryntirion Comprehensive School, Bridgend. 1-4pm, free. Info info@bridgendrollerderby.com. Presented

by Bridgend Roller Derby, Bridgend Rink Ratz Recreational Skating Club and Bridgend Roller Disco.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Comedy Workshop Miners Theatre, Ammanford.

7.30pm, free. Info 0845 2263510. Happy to be proved wrong on this, but it feels like the concept of a standup comedy workshop is counterproductive to actual good standup. Er, maybe go to this and find out for yourself though.

Craft Fair Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay. £50 to set up a stall for both days.

Info 07855 585114. On tomorrow also.

Craft Workshop (8-16) Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 2-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Craft projects on the theme of ‘my favourite book’, again in celebration of World Book Day. Dewch Y Ganu National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Sessions for Welsh learners.

Fairtrade Fortnight Fun Day National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am4pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Football: Sky Bet

Championship – Cardiff City v Charlton Athletic Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.

3pm. Info 0845 3451400.

Handmade Craft & Gift Market Tabernach Chapel, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am4pm. Info uniquefairs@ gmx.co.uk.

Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils v Dundee Stars Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £6-£15. Info 029 2038 2001.

I Spy... Nature With Museum Scientists National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 11am + 1pm + 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

7.45pm, £8.50. Info 07538 878609. A walk through woodlands, ruins and graveyards, on every Friday and Saturday for the rest of this month.

Mono-Printing On Clay Above the Courtyard Flower Shop, Penylan Rd, Cardiff.

10.30am-4pm. Info alisongraham79@yahoo. co.uk. Workshop hosted by Alison Graham.

Mumbles Craft Faye Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea. Info brmakinson@ ntlworld.com.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-10pm. Info 029 2063 5676.

Quilt Club National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am1pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Wheelbuilding Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 9.30am-4pm, £95.

Info www. cycletrainingwales.org.uk.

Workshop Bike Sale Cardiff Cycle Workshop, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 10am-12pm.

Info www.cycletrainingwales. org.uk. “A range of refurbished bikes on sale. All fully serviced and with a threemonth warranty.” This is in the same place as the above, despite their slightly different names.

SUNDAY 8 Brain Games National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Craft Fair Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay. £50 to set up a stall for both days.

Info 07855 585114.

Families And The War National History Museum, St Fagans. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Marking International Women’s Day. Fencing: Tournament Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-8.30pm. Info walesweightlifting@hotmail. co.uk.

GTHC 5K Charity Fun Run Bute Park, Cardiff.

10am, £10 to enter. Info info@gthc.org.uk. A George Thomas Hospice Care fundraising event.

International Women’s Day: Stories From The Heart M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 3pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Talk focusing on the Bangladeshi tradition of Nakshi; also introducing the Roath Women’s quilt project.

Marina Market National

Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-3pm. Info 01792 463980.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Small Garden Skill Share Adamsdown Community Garden, Moira Terrace, Cardiff. 1-3pm, £2. Info hello@ greencityevents.co.uk.

Hosted by Edible Adamsdown and Green City Events.

Tassel Making Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £55. Info 029 2048 4611. With Jane Nicholls.

Traditional Afternoon Tea Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £12 per person. Info 029 2087 7959. Taking place on various dates all through the year; this month it’s also on Sun 29. A minimum of two people need to book.

Wedding Fair National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980.

Weightlifting: Welsh Seniors Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-10pm. Info 07530 226532.

Welsh Women's Summit Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Free. Info 029 2063 6464. Activities, performances, workshops and info stalls, happening all day.

MONDAY 9 Joy Of Living Mindfulness Group Meeting Gaia Yoga Studio, Roath, Cardiff. 7.30-9pm, free (donations welcome).

Info 07412 346054. On the second and fourth Monday of every month.

Mother’s Day Pamper Evening The Village Hotel, Coryton, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info info@gthc.org.uk.

A George Thomas Hospice Care fundraising event.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-6pm. Info 029 2063 5676.

Rhyme And Real Ale Mackintosh Sports Club, Roath, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 07512 235758. Monthly open mic poetry night with a little music too.

Spirituality Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30-9pm, free.

Info 029 2048 3344.

Tea Dance Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 1pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

TUESDAY 10 Behind The Scenes: Natural Sciences National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. A look at different types of ragworms and lugworms.

Black Kettle Collective YMCA, Swansea. 5-7pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Multifarious events for audiences aged 14-24, responding to events at the Glynn Vivian Gallery. Also on Tue 24.

Cardiff Science Cafe Porters, Cardiff. 6.30-8.30pm.

Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Explore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Food Waste Roadshow Cardiff University Students Union. 11am-3pm, free.

Info hello@greencityevents. co.uk. Hosted by Green City

Events.

Knit & Sew Group National History Museum, St Fagans.

11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Music Matters Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £1 entry. Info 029 2039 7933. Pop quiz, held every month.

Poetry Night Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £4.50/£3. Info 01792 863722.

Hosted by Samantha WynneRydderch.

Poetry Wales Gas Gallery, Aberystwyth. 7pm, £4. Info 01974 261279. Birthday celebration with live poetry from international and Welsh poets.

Scratch Night Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7.30pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

Local artists present brand new work in progress, try things out and get feedback.

Tea Dance Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2-4pm, £4. Info 01656 815995. Also on Tue 24.

WEDNESDAY 11 Chinwag Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £2.50-£5.

Info 01970 623232. Poetry and prose open mic event.

Kitchen & Garden Remedies The Abacus, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm, £40. Info hello@greencityevents. co.uk. Hosted by Green City Events.

Natural Sciences Lunchtime Talk National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. ‘Chips off the old block: pinpointing the origins of rock fragments from the Stonehenge Landscape’ by Richard Bevins, Keeper Of Natural Sciences.

Punjabi Mehfil Japan Room, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Regular event promoting the Punjabi language in the region.

Rhyme & Reason Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. A range of writers, politicians, musicians, sports people and business people come together to exchange ideas, words and poetry. I'm pleased about the business people especially.

Scriveners Writers’ Group Royal Exchange, Brynmawr.

8pm. Info 01495 753629.

Established group aiming to provide constructive criticism, help, advice and guidance to its members. Also on Wed 25.

What Ya Got? 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2022 8883. New open mic night incorporating music, poetry, storytelling, comedy, cabaret etc. Also on Wed 25.

THURSDAY 12 Basketball: Regional Finals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 10.30am2.30pm. Info cferrier@ valeofglamorgan.gov.uk.

Museum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 7-9pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500. Presented by Cardiff History & Hauntings.

Also on Thurs 19, Sat 21 and Thurs 26.

Music Networking Event Dempseys, Cardiff. 7.309.30pm, free. Info 029 2023 9253.

SWDFAS Lecture: Your Country Needs You – Art And Design Of World War I Chapter Arts Centre,

Cardiff. 2pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400. Lecture by James Taylor MA. FRIDAY 13 Art Lunchtime Talk – Artist Stanley Spencer National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Nicholas Thornton.

Bear Hands Clothing Launch The Abacus, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07934 011061. Bear Hands are a new local clothes label with a name which is ‘quirky’ but also slightly uninspired.

Their launch party will feature sets from Soul Smoke Recordings DJs. Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.15 + 10.15pm, £14. Info 07538 878609.

Keith Haring Graffiti Tribute: Exhibition Launch Boiler House Graffiti Gallery, Cardiff. 7pm1am. Info 07738 092524.

Featuring graf artists, Dub In The Pub DJs, food, a bar and live projections.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

10.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Prosiect Mabinogi Project Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

11am, £15-£30. Info 01970 623232. An unedited bilingual day-long illustrated telling of the four branches of Y Mabinogi. The stories will be told by Cath Little, Christine Cooper, Dafydd Davies Hughes, Fiona Collins, Guto Dafis and Michael Harvey.

(Until Sun 15) Sessions The Riverfront, Newport. 5-11pm, £1. Info 01633 656757. Boutique market and open mic night.

Table Tennis: Junior Nationals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-10pm.

Info 07754 525754. (Until Sun 15) Tea Dance St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

2-4pm, £5. Info 01446 779100. With Alan Taylor.

The Wyrd Wonder: An Evening Of Ghastly Delight Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6. Info 029 2030 4400.

Featuring readings from The Ghastling, a new Cardiff publication, music from Zeuk, fiction from Parthian Books and “a visit from Jekyll & Hyde”.

SATURDAY 14 10th Barry Guide Group Craft Fayre Highlight Park Community Centre, Stirling Road, Barry. 10am-2pm. Info 07578 194913.

An Evening With Gillian Clarke Picton Centre, Haverfordwest. 7pm, £8/£6. Info 01834 869323.

Presented by Span Arts.

Badminton: Junior Nationals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-10pm.

Info 0300 3003124. On tomorrow also.

Boutique Gift Markets Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am5.30pm. Info 029 2087 7959.

On tomorrow also.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer) The Abacus, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 07934 011061. An evening dedicated to film, animation, net and video art, and any projection-based artworks.

As per the title, you actually do have to provide your own viewing equipment.

Caerphilly Crafters

events Society Monthly Craft Fair Cenotaph Area, opposite Caerphilly Castle. Info caerphillycrafters@gmail. com.

Caerwent Craft Fayre Caerwent Village Hall, Monmouthshire. 2.304.30pm. Info cwmbran_ crafts@hotmail.co.uk. Every second Saturday of the month.

Cardiff Careers Connection Tredegarville Baptist Church, nr Newport Road, Cardiff. 10am-1pm, free. Info www.careersconnection.co.uk. Short talks from professionals working in a host of different careers, aimed primarily at students. Alex Mills off The Apprentice will be appearing.

Classic Margam Ghost Walk Margam Country Park & Castle, nr Port Talbot (meeting point). 6, 8.30 + 11pm, £12-£15. Info 07538 878609. Two-hour walk for ages 12 and over (under-18s must also be with an adult).

Chepstow Farmers’ Market Cormeilles Square, Chepstow. 8.30am-1pm, free.

Info 01291 626370. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Craft Fair Cowbridge Town Hall. 9.30am-4pm. Info phil@wales-pictures.com.

Craft Fair Grand Theatre, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info 01792 475715.

Design & Embroidery Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £65. Info 029 2048 4611. With Tilleke Schwarz, who has an exhibition here currently.

Essential Bike Maintainance Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 9.30am-4pm, £65.

Info www.cycletrainingwales. org.uk.

Farmers’ Market Twyn Community Centre, Caerphilly. 9.30am, free. Info 01656 658963. Every second Saturday of the month.

Felt Landscaping Day Venue TBC, Crickhowell. £50. Info 01874 749092. A Good Day Out event.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

8.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

12-5pm, £2/free under-12s.

Info 01792 475715. Seasonal vintage fashion/homeware sale returns for a spring special. In Cardiff tomorrow.

Mother’s Day Workshops National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-1pm + 2-4pm.

Info 029 2057 3500. Make a card for your mum.

Mumbles Produce Market Seafront Car Park, Mumbles.

9am-1pm, free. Info 01792 361012. Every second Saturday of the month.

Newport Craft Fayre The Gallery, Newport Indoor Market. 9am-4.30pm, free.

Info 01633 656656. Every second Saturday of the month.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fair Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month.

Prosiect Mabinogi Project Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

11am, £15-£30. Info 01970 623232. (Until Sun 15)

Rugby Union: RBS Six Nations: Wales v Ireland Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

2.30pm. Info 08442 777888.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Stargazing With An Astronomer Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons National Park. £55. Info 01874 749092. A Good Day Out event. Also on Sat 28.

Super Science Saturday National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Table Tennis: Junior Nationals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-10pm.

Info 07754 525754. (Until Sun 15) Talk At 2 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Mike Tooby talks to Richard Higlett about his exhibition currently showing here (see Art listings).

Tree Planting: What, When & How Humble

By Nature, Penalt, nr Monmouth. 10am-4pm, £50.

Info 01600 714595. With Phil Webb.

Wax, Wadding & Dusters National History Museum, St Fagans. 2-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Come and find out how the Conservation Team at St Fagans maintain the collections within the historic houses. Admittedly they’ve kind of spoiled the surprise with the title of the event.

Women In The First World War National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Talk

by Richie Wood.

Writing Motherhood Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

1pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Readings and a workshop by writers Carolyn Jess-Cooke, Nuala Casey and Lily Dunn.

SUNDAY 15 Badminton: Junior Nationals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-10pm.

Info 0300 3003124.

Boutique Gift Markets Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am5.30pm. Info 029 2087 7959.

Butchery, Bacon, And A Bit Of Beer St Cattwg’s Village Hall Llanmaes, Cowbridge. 10am-4pm, £135. Info 07542 689608.

Learn how to butcher pork and cure two different types of bacon, in a class hosted

by Illtud Llyr Dunsford from Charcutier Ltd. The craft beer comes after the butchery, and you get to take home several kilos of pig as well. See Food & Drink.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Fencing: Tournament Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-10pm. Info 07530 226532.

Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils v Sheffield Steelers Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, £6-£15. Info 029 2038 2001.

Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair City Hall, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, £2/under-12s free. Info www. thevintagefair.com.

Matralia National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon.

2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3550. Make a Mother’s Day card for your mum.

Mother’s Day Cream Tea St Donats Arts Centre,

Vale Of Glamorgan. 2-4pm, £9.95/£6.75 under-12s. Info 01446 779100. Subsidies for mothers under 12 years old? Talk about your broken Britain!

Mother’s Day Magnets National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.303.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Make your mum a magnet with a felt flower on it. Hopefully she will have learned as much on her ‘False Gratitude’ course as you will here.

Prosiect Mabinogi Project Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

11am, £15-£30. Info 01970 623232. (Finishes today) Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Table Tennis: Junior Nationals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-10pm.

Info 07754 525754. (Finishes today) Wild Garlic Forage & Bake Day Venue TBC, Aberglasney. £55. Info 01874 749092. A Good Day Out event.

MONDAY 16 Football: Barclays Premier League – Swansea City v Liverpool Liberty Stadium, Swansea.

8pm. Info 0870 400004.

Gwd Mondays Quiz Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 4-10pm. Info 029 2063 5676.

Write On Writers Morganstown Village Hall.

6.30-8.30pm. Info 07512 235758.

TUESDAY 17 Behind The Scenes: The Prints And Drawings Study Room National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. With Beth McIntyre Caught In Time Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £7.50. Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture by Matthew Williams on the Castle’s Clock Tower.

Explore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v AFC Bournemouth Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.

7.45pm. Info 0845 3451400.

Script Cafe 2015 Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £4.50/£3. Info 01792 863722. Informal monthly night with professional scriptwriters and theatre makers.

WEDNESDAY 18 Banff Mountain Film Festival Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7pm, £12.50/£11.

Info 01656 815995. Short films of death-defying action – climbing, bike riding etc – taking place on mountains.

There’ll also be prize giveaways etc. In Brecon tomorrow; Llanelli on Fri 20.

Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils v Edinburgh Capitals Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £6-£15. Info 029 2038 2001.

Spice Preview Night Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

Info 07429 598414. A chance for you to go along and see what you might get out of this adventure, activity, sports and social group.

THURSDAY 19 2.8 Hours Later Venue TBC, Cardiff. From 7pm, £38.

Info www.2.8hourslater.com.

The return of this hit meatspace roleplay game where people dressed as zombies run around the town centre.

Also on tomorrow, Sat 21, Fri 27 and Sat 28.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7pm, £12.50/£11.

Info 01874 611622.

Gymnastics: Rotary Schools South Finals Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-3pm. Info 0300 3003127.

Incandescent Poetry Meeting Cardiff Central Library. 5.45-6.45pm, free.

Info 029 2038 2116. Held on the third Thursday of each third month.

Museum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 7-9pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500.

Music Geek Monthly 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2022 8883. Monthly album listening sessions, now in a new venue Poetry Night Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7.30pm, free. Info 01656 815757.

An evening of poetry and spoken word hosted by Rhian Edwards, and also featuring Robert Minhinnick and Jonathan Edwards.

FRIDAY 20 18th Sir John Lloyd Memorial Lecture Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7pm, free. Info 01874 611622. By Professor Anne Curry 2.8 Hours Later Venue TBC, Cardiff. From 7pm, £58.

Info www.2.8hourslater.com.

AiR Open Studio: Jessica Hoad YMCA, Swansea.

1-2pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Meet the Glynn Vivian’s Artist In Residence for March and April in her studio.

Art Lunchtime Talk: An Introduction To Surrealism And NeoRomanticism In Britain National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7pm, £12.50/£11. Info 0845 2263510.

Booklaunch: Colum Sanson-Regan The Abacus, Cardiff. Free. Info 07934 011061. Local musicianturned-writer launches his debut novel, The Fly Guy. Comic Con Special CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff.

Free. Info 029 2115 9063.

Featuring a pop-up comic book shop and live (comicrelated) graffiti by Oner Signs.

Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.15pm, £14. Info 07538 878609.

Live Superstars Of Wrestling The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7pm, £10/£8 kids. Info 01639 843163.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

7.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Poetry Launch: Titans Mozarts, Swansea. 7-9pm, free. Info 01792 649984.

Readings from Titans by Swansea poet Gwion Iqbal Malik.

Solar Eclipse Breakfast National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 8-10am, £2.50 adv. Info 01792 463980. You get a hot drink for that price, but the rest of

the breakfast you have to pay for. I mean, not to distract from the solar eclipse or anything, I’m sure it’ll be great.

So You Think You’re Smart? Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, free. Info 01495 243252. Quiz night, every third Friday of the month.

Stargazing Evening National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7pm, free. Info 01792 463980. With the Swansea Astronomical Society.

Surrealist Games Night Gas Gallery, Aberystwyth.

7.30-10.30pm, £3. Info 01974 261279.

The Red Poets The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info 01497 821762.

Welsh leftist/radical/activist dudes offer both song and biting wit, it is claimed.

SATURDAY 21 2.8 Hours Later Venue TBC, Cardiff. From 6.30pm, £58/£48. Info www.2.8hourslater.com.

Some of the start times are sold out.

Botanical Field Trip Ffotogallery, Penarth (starting point). Free. Info 029 2034 1667. Relating to Corinne Silva’s Garden State exhibiiton, Silva plus local garden experts explore the plants and heritage of Penarth parks and gardens.

Book in advance.

Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm, free. Info 01495 753782.

Cardiff Film & Comic Con Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

9am, £4-£172.50. Info 029 2022 4488. See Roundup.

The top-end ticket price gets you all sorts of special perks, if that’s your bag. On tomorrow also.

Chepstow Farmers’ Market Cormeilles Square, Chepstow. 8.30am-1pm, free.

Info 01291 626370.

Exhibition Preview & Artist Talk Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) Family Science Day National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Birmingham City Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.

3pm. Info 0845 3451400.

Football: Wales v England Over-50s / Over55s Ystrad Mynach Sports Centre. 1.30pm (over-50s) / 3.30pm (over-55s). Info hernij@gmail.com.

Gymnastics: Welsh Regional Grades Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff.

9am-5pm. Info 0300 3003127. On tomorrow also.

Handbuilding In Clay Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £55. Info 029 2048 4611. With Billy Adams.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

7.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Made It Market St David’s Church, Neath. 10am-3pm, from £15 to set up a stall.

Info 07971242730. Quarterly craft and produce fair.

Miss Inspiration Dolman Theatre, Newport. 6.30pm, £12/£10 kids. Info 01633 263670. Beauty pageant.

More Bike Maintainance Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 9.30am4pm, £65. Info www. cycletrainingwales.org.uk.

Museum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 7-9pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500.

Nantgarw Craft Fair Nantgarw China Works.

11am-3pm, free. Info deb_0001@hotmail.co.uk.

National Science And Engineering Week: Written In The Stars National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon. 11am3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3550. Make yourself some crafty jewellery with your star sign on it. On tomorrow also.

Robot Wars Newport Centre. 5pm, from £14. Info 01633 656757. I don’t think I’ve ever watched an episode of Robot Wars on TV the whole way through. I liked this big metal dragon they had when I went to see the monster trucks years ago, though, so maybe I’d enjoy it. On tomorrow also.

Saturday Family Workshops YMCA, Swansea.

10am-1pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Help to create The ‘Adventures Of Richard Glynn Vivian computer game based on Richard Glynn Vivian’s travels and collecting. Also on Sat 28.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (On weekends until Sun 22) St Fagans Book Club National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. This month they’re reading Diamond Star Halo by Tiffany Murray.

The Science Of Star Wars National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1 +

Thurs 5 sees Cardiff Animation Nights debuting in 10 Feet Tall.

These will showcase short animated films from an array of directors, some fresh to the form and others well known.

March's selection: Bath House,

by Sweden's Niki Lindroth Von Bahr; In The Air Is Christopher Gray, by Felix Massie; and Alice Dunseath's You Could Sunbathe In This Storm.

BUZZ 59

live music 3pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Talk by Mark Brake and John Chase.

The Tower Clocks Of Swansea National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Talk by David Mitchell.

WOW Caerdydd 2015 Foyer,

£6-£15. Info 029 2038 2001.

National Science And Engineering Week: Written In The Stars National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon. 2-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3550.

Needle Felting: March Hare M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am-4pm,

Info 01792 516900.

Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest: Creative Writing City Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £4.

Info 029 2023 0130. With Nicola Davies and Philippa Milnes-Smith. Opening event of 2015’s CCLF, which runs until Sun 29 and which you can read slightly more about

SHALAMAR St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 3 Apr Tickets: £35. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk The hit group Shalamar will be making a rare appearance in Cardiff this April.

Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, with hits such as A Night To Remember and Make That Move, the troupe has been influential in the pop/ soul/dance scene since forming in the late 1970s. And it is not just the music scene that the group has influenced over the years; Shalamar have been dubbed fashion icons, trendsetters and are said to have introduced body-popping to the UK. On an individual level, group member Jeffrey Daniel is known for having pioneered UK street dance and, even mentored Michael Jackson, teaching him the moonwalk among other moves. On the night the trio will be made up of Daniel, Howard Hewitt and Carolyn Griffey.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 9.30am, free. Info 029 2063 6464. This venue's second Women Of The World Festival. As well as a day of activities and workshops exclusively for schools, there's a special programme to highlight achievements of women across the globe.

SUNDAY 22 3D Forming In Felt: Bags & Pots Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £55. Info 029 2048 4611. With Billy Adams.

Cardiff Film & Comic Con Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

9am, £4-£172.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

Colourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Finishes today) Cwtchfest Gwdihw, Cardiff.

4pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933.

A miniature pop-up festival designed to showcase the best of Cardiff’s local independent music and food scene, hosted in conjunction with Community Music Wales.

Fencing: Tournament Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12-10pm. Info 07530 226532.

Gymnastics: Welsh Regional Grades Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff.

9am-5pm. Info 0300 3003127.

Ice Hockey: Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, BUZZ 60

£45. Info 029 2047 3373. With Ruth Packham.

Robot Wars Newport Centre.

5pm, from £14. Info 01633 656757.

Search For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Finishes today) Table Tennis: Dragon Event Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 10am-3pm.

Info 07754 525754.

MONDAY 23 Joy Of Living Mindfulness Group Meeting Gaia Yoga Studio, Roath, Cardiff. 7.309pm, free (donations welcome). Info 07412 346054.

Zoom International Youth Film Festival Blackwood Miners’ Institute + Blackwood Cinema. 9.30am.

Info 01443 888337. Opening day of a five-day festival across various locations in the valleys, aimed at young people who want to get into TV, film etc. Today there are two workshops in the morning and early afternoon, plus an opening night gala in Blackwood Cinema from 6.309.30pm. (Until Fri 27) TUESDAY 24 Behind The Scenes: Archaeology National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. With Mark Redknap.

Black Kettle Collective YMCA, Swansea. 5-7pm, free.

in Roundup.

Explore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 01792 463980.

Tea Dance Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2-4pm, £4. Info 01656 815995.

Zoom International Youth Film Festival Market Hall, Brynmawr. 9.30am-3pm. Info 01443 888337. Today features screenings and workshops.

(Until Fri 27) WEDNESDAY 25 Andrew Dee Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01633 868239.

“Andrew will take you on an emotional roller coaster when he connects with your loved ones in the world of spirit as they touch your very soul and guide you on your own life’s journey. You will not be disappointed.”

Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest: The Welsh Alice City Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info 029 2023 0130. Professor Sioned Davies talks about Welsh translations of Alice In Wonderland.

Natural Sciences Lunchtime Talk National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. With Kate MortimerJones and Lucy McCobb.

Reading Between The Wines The White Hart, Llangybi, nr Caerleon. 7pm.

Info lucyrewilliams@gmail. com. Monthly book club.

This month’s book is Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.

Scriveners Writers’ Group Royal Exchange, Brynmawr.

8pm. Info 01495 753629.

Small Urban Gardens The Abacus, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm, £20. Info hello@greencityevents.co.uk. Hosted by Green City Events.

What Ya Got? 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2022 8883.

Zoom International Youth Film Festival Redhouse + Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil.

9.30am-3pm. Info 01443 888337. Featuring screenings of Fog Of Sex, Separado! and some shorts, plus workshops. (Until Fri 27) THURSDAY 26 Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest: A Celebration Of The Work Of T. Llew Jones City Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £4. Info 029 2023 0130.

Design Stuff Cardiff Undertone, Cardiff. 6.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 8883.

Various talks about design.

Book in advance please.

Georgian Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £7.50.

Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture

by Matthew Williams. Also on Mon 30.

Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.45pm, £14. Info 07538 878609.

Museum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 7-9pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500.

Myths & Mysteries: The Real Truth Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01446 738622.

With Trevor Marriott.

Taith Iaith National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Monthly session for Welsh learners.

Zoom International Youth Film Festival Soar Centre, Rhondda Cynon Taff + Pontypool Community Education Centre. 9.30am3pm. Info 01443 888337.

Featuring screenings of Antboy, Bekas (Up And Away) and some shorts, plus workshops. (Until Fri 27) FRIDAY 27 2.8 Hours Later Venue TBC, Cardiff. From 7pm, £58/£48.

Info www.2.8hourslater.com.

Some sessions are sold out.

Four Bars Swing Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2023 9253. Featuring a lindy hop class for beginners, followed by dancing to classic swing tracks.

Fused Glass Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £150 (three days).

Info 029 2048 4611. With Bill Swann. (Until Sun 29) Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

7.15pm, £14. Info 07538 878609.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

7.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Zoom International Youth Film Festival Bridgend College. 9.30am-3pm + 6.30-10pm. Info 01443 888337. Featuring screenings of Giovanni’s Island, Pretty Village and films made by young people on the Documentary Academy Wales Network course, plus workshops and the Zoom Young Filmmaker Awards. (Finishes today) SATURDAY 28 2.8 Hours Later Venue

TBC, Cardiff. From 6.30pm, £58/£48. Info www.2.8hourslater.com. Some sessions are sold out.

Alison Graham Ceramics: Open Studio Events Above the Courtyard Flower Shop, Penylan Rd, Cardiff. 11am3pm. Info alisongraham79@ yahoo.co.uk. Handmade porcelain light shades and wall art will be available to view and purchase Graham will also be demonstrating some of the techniques behind her artworks.

Amazing Eggsperiments Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Easter halfterm show about eggs and their various qualities. (Until Tue 31) Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest Various venues, Cardiff.

10am, £3-£5. Info 029 2023 0130. Featuring storytelling with Atinuke (Cardiff Castle Undercroft, 10am, £3); storytelling with Petr Horácek (Cardiff Story, 10am + 2pm, £3); Horrible Histories (National Museum, 11am, £4); Alun yr Arth Picnic (City Hall, 11am, £3); Monster Odyssey (Undercroft, 12pm, £3); creative writing workshop with Angie Sage (Cardiff Story, 12pm, £5); Lleuad yn Olau with Eurig Salisbury (Cardiff Story, 12pm, £3); Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (City Hall, 1pm, £4); learn to draw with Lydia Monks (National Museum, 1pm, £4); Dan Anthony’s Library Of Dreams Walk (starting at St David’s Hall, 1pm, £3); Caryl Lewis (Undercroft, 2pm, £3); Paul Magrs (City Hall, 2pm, £3); Steve and Mo’s Abominablely Fintastic Gobstopping Stories (National Museum, 3pm, £4); illustrated storytelling with Shoo Rayner (Cardiff Story, 3pm, £4); Angie Sage again (Undercroft, 3pm, £4); Heather Dyer (Cardiff Story, 4pm, £3); The Dinosaur That Pooped: A Show (City Hall, 4pm, £4). On tomorrow also.

Coracling National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Learn how to coracle.

On tomorrow also.

Cracking Good Code Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Find the smashed eggs around the galleries, then put together the numbers to crack open the Museum safe. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Craft Fair St Marys Church, Swansea. 10.30am-4pm, free.

Info ariancrafts@hotmail. co.uk.

Fused Glass Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £150 (three days).

Info 029 2048 4611. (Until Sun 29) Hockey: Women’s SemiFinal Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 12.30-4pm.

Info 0300 3003126.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Cwmbran Stadium.

2-3.30pm, £1/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Featuring 35 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items.

Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point).

7.45pm, £10. Info 07538 878609.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-7pm. Info 029 2063 5676. On tomorrow also.

Nowruz Iranian New Year Celebration Small World

Theatre, Cardigan. 7pm. Info 01239 615952. Celebrating Iranian New Year with Persian food and a screening of a film, Where Is My Friend’s Home? (1987).

Piglet To Plate: Pork Butchery, Curing & Sausage Making Humble

By Nature, Penalt, nr Monmouth. 10am-4pm, £105.

Info 01600 714595. With Graham Waddington.

Print & Stamp National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Write a postcard and give it a personal stamp. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Punch & The First World War National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980.

As in the unfunny satirical magazine. No, sorry, that was hasty. I’m sure it was actually good by the standards of 1915.

Saturday Family Workshops YMCA, Swansea.

10am-1pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Stargazing With An Astronomer Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons National Park. £55. Info 01874 749092.

Star Tours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Until Tue 31) Swansea’s Industrial Landscape: A Screen Printer’s View Swansea Museum and River Tawe, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 516900. Adult outdoor class with artist Arwen Roberts, hosted by the Glynn Vivian.

Table Tennis: Junior Masters Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-6pm. Info 07754 525754.

TedxCardiff 2015 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £25 adv. Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront for more on this. It sold out very quickly, as was the case last year, but you can watch it online.

SUNDAY 29 Amazing Eggsperiments Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Until Tue 31) Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest Various venues, Cardiff.

10am, £3-£5. Info 029 2023 0130. Featuring storytelling with Emma Dodd (Cardiff Castle Undercroft, 10am, £3); Meleri Wyn James (City Hall, 10am, £3); beatboxing with Mr Phormula (Cardiff Story, 10am, £3); Andrew Lane wondering Who Was Sherlock Holmes? (Undercroft, 12pm, £3); Huw Aaron (Cardiff Story, 12pm, £3); Rainbow Magic Party (St David’s Hall, 12pm, £4); Joanna Nadin (City Hall, 12pm, £3); Jonathan Meres (City Hall, 1pm, £4); storytelling with Thomas and Helen Docherty (Cardiff Story, 1 + 3pm, £3); Tracey Corderoy (Undercroft, 2pm, £3); Pirates & Princesses Party (St David’s Hall, 2pm, £4); Elen Caldecott: Interactive Creative Writing (City Hall, 2pm, £4); Mark Brake and Jon Chase: How To Be A Space Explorer (National Museum, 3pm, £4); Penny Dale (Cardiff Story, 3pm, £4); Malachy Doyle (St David’s Hall, 4pm, £3); Gareth P Jones (Undercroft, 4pm, £3); Cynghanedd for Children with Mererid Hopwood (City Hall, 4pm, £3); Cardiff Geek Party Gwdihw, Cardiff. 5pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. Monthly gaming night focusing on retro

live music consoles.

CF24 Markets CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff. Info 029 2115 9063. Enquire about stall pitches at info@cf24project. com.

Coracling National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Cracking Good Code Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Food & Craft Market Llanyrafon Manor, Cwmbran.

11am-3pm, free. Info 01633 648562.

Fused Glass Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £150 (three days).

Info 029 2048 4611. (Finishes today) Hockey: Men’s Trophy Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 10am-6pm. Info 0300 3003126.

Introduction To Canine Scent Work Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons National Park. £35. Info 01874 749092.

A Good Day Out event.

Netball: Superleague Fixture Welsh Institute Of Sport, Cardiff. 9am-7pm. Info 029 2063 5676.

Print & Stamp National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Scratch Platform Dempseys, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2023 9253. An opportunity for all artists who perform to share their work, whether it’s in development or otherwise.

Spring Celebration Event Adamsdown Community Garden, Moira Terrace, Cardiff. 1-4pm. Info hello@ greencityevents.co.uk. Hosted

by Edible Adamsdown and Green City Events.

Traditional Afternoon Tea Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £12 per person. Info 029 2087 7959.

MONDAY 30 Amazing Eggsperiments Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Until Tue 31) Cracking Good Code Trail National Waterfront Museum,

Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Georgian Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £7.50.

Info 029 2087 8100.

Here In This Spring Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Family drop-in workshop suitable for all ages and abilities, with artist Rhiannon Morgan and Learning Officer Nicola Kelly.

Print & Stamp National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Spring Foods In The Iron Age National History Museum, St Fagans. 12-1 + 2-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Star Tours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Until Tue 31) Upcycled Sewing Days M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £18 per days. Info 029 2047 3373.

With Deb de Lloyd. On tomorrow also.

TUESDAY 31 Amazing Eggsperiments Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. (Finishes today) Are You Lost Yet Spoken Word Evening Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933.

Cracking Good Code Trail National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Golf: 2015 Principality Junior Wales Open Builth Wells Golf Club. £20 to enter.

Info 01633 413000. Opening day of an event which features under-13, under-15 and under-18 categories, and continues in Llangollen (Wed 1 Apr), Caltic Manor (Thurs 2), the Vale (Tue 7) and Langland Bay (Wed 8).

Print & Stamp National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Project Quiz CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff. £1 to enter.

Info 029 2115 9063. Max six members per team.

Star Tours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047

5475. (Finishes today) Upcycled Sewing Days M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £18 per days. Info 029 2047 3373.

live music SUNDAY 1 Bear Bones Rhos Community Centre, Pontardawe. 7.30pm, £4.50/£3. Info 01792 830901.

Ceilidh/twmpath.

Cwlwm Celtaidd Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. £12/£8 ages 10-15 (weekend ticket £40/£30 ages 10-15). Info 01656 815995. A family festival of music, song and dance (see Stage for the dance listings) from the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland, Isle Of Man, Cornwall, Brittany, Asturias & Wales. Today is the last day and features Ar Log, Gwyneth Glyn, Robin Huw Bowen, Côr y Cwm and Hogie’r Berfeddwlad, plus a beach ceilidh at 12.15pm.

Gethin Liddington The Yard, Cardiff. 1-4pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577. Sunday jazz special.

Maxi Priest DC, Cardiff.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2039 9399. Reggae hitmeister of the early 90s tips up in Cardiff with a full live band.

Briefly contemplated a Maxi Priest/Max Boyce St David’s Day joke before remembering I wasn’t running a dire #SoVeryWelsh social media account. Chris Goldfinger will be hosting an aftershow party until 3am also.

Mayfield The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Meic Stevens + Geraint Rhys 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff.

7pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2022 8883. Big man of Welsh language music headlines.

Open Mic & Karaoke Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7pm, free. Info 07512 237983.

Free shot for every performer.

Pontnewydd Male Choir Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay. 1 + 2.30pm, free. Info www. mermaidquay.co.uk. St David's Day special.

Psycho Kiss The Duke, Neath. 7.30pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

René Griffiths + Bragdy’r Beirdd Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm. Info 029 2039 7933.

Nyth present a St David’s Day gig.

Rosanna Ter-Berg & Leo Nicholson Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 3pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Music Club recital performance.

St David’s Day Celebrations Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11am-7pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Featuring performances by, in chronological order: Cwmbran Male Voice Choir, Allan Yn Y Fan, Choir From The 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, Lowri Evans, Delyth Jenkins and Catrin Herbert.

St David’s Day Cory Performance Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 4pm, £12/£10.

Info 01792 475715. With special guests Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir. *St David’s Day Festival Various venues, Womanby Street, Cardiff. 1pm, £8/£6 adv. Info music@fizzievents. com. Across six venues on this one street – Four Bars, Dempseys, Clwb Ifor Bach, The Full Moon, The Moon Club and Fuel – the following bands will be playing (running order TBC): Aaronson, Albatross Archive, Baby Brave, Beneath The Reef, The Blitz, The Blood Club, Cut Ribbons, Cymbient, Ellie Makes Music, The Epicdemics, Hana, Heavy Petting Zoo, Helena-May, His Naked Torso, Info_Cifon (Access Tonal Communications), Keys, Kutosis, Martin Callingham, Mumbleman, Nanook Of The North, Remembering August, Rough Music, Rusty Shackle, Sweet Benfica, Threatmantics, Totem Terrors and Wrongs.

St David’s Day Gala St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 4pm, £10-£32. Info 029 2087 8444.

Featuring Bryn Terfel and conducted by Gareth Jones.

live review ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 10 Feb This epic show has wowed audiences in the West End, is back for the second time in Cardiff and tonight has packed out The New Theatre. Memorably, James Corden appeared as the lead, followed by Welsh-born Owain Arthur; now Gavin Spokes takes over the mantle to play the lead role.

For anyone who doesn’t know the plot, here goes. Set in 1960s Brighton, we follow Francis Henshall (Spokes), who becomes separately employed by two men – Stanley Stubbs, a toff criminal and Roscoe Crabbe, a rough and ready local gangster. He desperately tries to keep them apart and what ensues is a farce of Monty Python or Fawlty Towers magnitude,

St David’s Day Gala Concert Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01239 841387.

With esteemed tenor and Mark Hughes lookalike Rhys Meirion, plus the Cardigan Rugby Choir.

Stephanie Webber The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Tim Holehouse + Tim Loud + Dan Fairhurst Le Pub, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 221477. Acoustic folk, punk etc.

Wales At No.1 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £17.50-£33.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. Shakin’ Stevens, Ricky Valance, Amy Wadge and James Dean Bradfield celebrate 50 years of Welsh rock and pop.

Ukulele Jam Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Every Monday.

TUESDAY 3 Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

City Of Light: Paris 19001950 – Gould Piano Trio Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £3-£10. Info 029 2087 4816.

Community Samba Band – Practise Dates Westenders Hall, Llanfaes, Brecon.

6-8pm, £4/£2 under-16s. Info sambabrecon@yahoo.co.uk.

MONDAY 2 Brolin Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199.

Both live music (from “Brolin, Brolin, Brolin, Ivan Moult and Nia Brolin / I’m begging of you Ann this month) and please don’t eat my ham” tasty buffet food are on – a football chant I wish offer in The Plan cafe, had existed in the 90s.

Cardiff, on Thurs 26.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £3/£2.50.

Every Tuesday.

Info 029 2038 7026.

Harri Davies + Art Grown Up Music The Full Bandini + Arfur Bone Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. info@thefullmooncardiff.

Info 029 2039 7933. A Folk In com. Jam session presented The Owl’s Nest gig.

by Pi & Hash.

Joan Armatrading St Jango Haze Noah’s Yard, David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 £29.50/£27.50. Info 029 2087 447360.

8444.

Live Original Broadcasts Royal Blood + Mini The Brewhouse, Cardiff.

Mansions Newport Centre.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7pm, £16. Info 01633 656757.

9913. Every Monday, promotWe previewed this in last ed by Big Scott and broadcast month’s issue, but it was live online simultaneously. already well sold out by then.

Monday Blues 10 Feet Tall, The Camelia Jazz Band Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, 029 2022 8883. Live music £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 from local blues artists each 2038 7026. month.

Venrez + Texas Flood The Script Motorpoint The Scene Club, Swansea.

Arena, Cardiff. 7.30pm, 7.30pm. Info 07730 432166. £35/£27.50. Info 029 2022 This band are fronted by 4488.

Ven aka Steven Berez, billed

which escalates rapidly throughout the play.

To say this is eyewateringly funny is an understatement. The physicality of Spokes as the lead man is exhausting to watch: there are moments where he’s literally throwing himself around the stage at a frenetic pace. The supporting actors are equally as hilarious and the interaction with the audience is cringingly entertaining. Don’t expect a sombre affair, for this is laugh out loud theatre at an alarming pace. By the time the interval comes around, you’ll be pleased of the chance to get your breath back.

An absolutely fabulous production, and one where the cast are clearly having a ball: how they manage to keep this up for each performance I really don’t know. This is a full throttle night out and one you will remember.

Five out of five to the National Theatre Company for an absolutely brilliant night out.

EMMA CLARK

BUZZ BUZZ61 61

live music here as a “famous Hollywood producer”. His IMDB entry doesn’t quite back this up, shall we say, but his fourth hit on Google, from the website ripoffreport.com, is a tasty read.

Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

Jimjam Open Mic Session The Claude Hotel, Albany Road, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 07557 505123. Every Thursday. This evening’s guest band is Bella & The WEDNESDAY 4 Blue.

Alex Merritt / Steve Fishwick Quintet Jazzland, *John Renbourn + Wizz Jones The Garage, Swansea.

Swansea. 8.30-11pm, £10/£7 members. Info 07802 912789. 8pm, £12.50 adv. Info 01792 475147. Two broadBandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. shouldered giants of British 8pm. Info info@ folk. This is crazy cheap to porterscardiff.com. “Sing see both these guys in one with a fully rehearsed band evening. and become the Popstar you Pinquins Norwegian Church always dreamed of being.”

Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. Dave Barry Big Band 7.30pm, £10/£7. Info 029 with Lee Gilbert & Amy Coombes Whiteheads Sports 2087 7959. Norwegian percussion ensemble performing & Social Club, Bassaleg, electroacoustic music by Jack Newport. 8pm, £8. Info White – not that Jack White, malc@dancebands.plus. as I imagine he often has to com. South Wales Big Band tell people with an increasSociety gig. ingly deadened chuckle.

Powerplant Plays Will British jazz saxophonist Gregory Royal Welsh Nat Birchall, plus his College Music Sextet, plays Monmouth Of & Drama, Cardiff.

Queens Head as part of 7.30pm, £12 Info 029 their programme of free adv.

2039 1391.

See Music. (as in entry) jazz nights. Repco Piano Profile Royal Welsh College Of Music Lonely The Brave + & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £5/£3.

Hannah Lou Clark Clwb Info 029 2039 1391. French Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, piano music from the 20th £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2023 century.

2199. Presented by GB Live.

Sinfonia Cymru Miners Northern Lights Royal Theatre, Ammanford. 7.30pm, Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 free. Info 0845 2263510.

The Blims Grand Pavilion, adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

Porthcawl. 8pm, £8 adv. Info Featuring the Royal Welsh 01656 815995.

College Symphonic Brass & Percussionists and conductor The Sensational 60s Experience Grand Theatre, Kevin Price.

Swansea. 7.30pm, £24/£22.

Open Mic Market Street Info 01792 475715. Featuring Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 Herman’s Hermits, The 733863. Every Wednesday.

Swinging Blue Jeans, Dave Phil Donkin’s The Gate Berry, The Union Gap, The Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, Ivy League and Alan Mosca. £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

The Severed Limb + The British jazz bassist, performRockin Sinners The Moon ing here with a band of NYC Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £4 adv. musicians.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff.

Sinfonia Cymru Piano Trio The Riverfront, Newport. com. Rockabilly, skiffle and punk combine. The headlin1pm, £5.50/£4.50. Info 01633 ers are touring a new album.

656757. Lunchtime recital.

Sivu + Hannah Grace + Daniel Glover Clwb Ifor FRIDAY 6 Bach, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, 101% Pantera Fuel Bar, £8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Cardiff. 8pm, £7 adv. Info Sophisticated UK pop fella mail@givemefuel.co.uk. headlines.

The only Pantera tribute act Sticks & Stones + endorsed by Dean Guitars, Storyteller + The Low who is a notoriously choosy Blows The Scene Club, bloke when it comes to tribSwansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info ute acts.

07730 432166.

182 Sin City, Swansea.

Three Cane Whale Chapter 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, 468892. Blink 182 tribute. £8/£6. Info 029 2030 4400.

Acapela Unsigned Acapela, Minimalist acoustic trio.

Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Aubrey Parsons Porter’s, THURSDAY 5 Cardiff. 9pm. Info info@porHackensack Programme terscardiff.com.

Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5.

Bex Marshall Cellar Bar, Info 029 2038 7026. Two sets Cardigan. 7.30pm, £10 adv. taking place in the realm of Info 07818 056599. “Instead jazz and improvised music. of us telling you all about How I Faked The Moon the artist why don’t you look Landing + Mixalydia up her webpage and her +In Bliss Gwdihw, Cardiff.

8pm, £4. Info 029 2039 7933. YouTube videos” – this venue Presented by Juxtaposed and are listings writers after my own heart.

Xpress Radio.

Blue-Eyed Hawk Chapter Inscape + Bandicoot Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, The Scene Club, Swansea. £8-£12. Info 029 2030 4400.

7.30pm, £3. Info 07730 Jazz/rock/electronic stuff 432166.

Jeff Warner Lyceum Tavern, from London. One of Polar

Bear produced their album, so consider that a namecheck.

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra: Tchaikovsky Night St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£22. Info 029 2087 8444.

Celtic Pride The Garage, Swansea. 10pm, free. Info 01792 475147.

Chris Summerill Band The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free.

Info 029 2022 7577.

Colin Currie Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

Percussion recital.

Colum Regan The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Denim Snakes + Mixalydia The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7.30pm, £4 adv.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Presnted by Born Events.

Ghosts As Alibis + Down With The Enemy The Masons Arms, Llanelli.

7.30pm. Info 01554 746627.

Hip-Hop Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7pm, £2. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by Pi & Hash, this will feature sets from Saykridd Daly, Baby Queens, The Hellionz, The Firm and Dope Biscuits, plus battles from Jake The Ripper v Craig Hughes, Brave Toaster v Chew EqualDifferences and Crash & Jimbo Slice v Jordan Da-Cruz & James Woodland.

Jamie Smith’s Mabon Le Pub, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 221477.

Katie Treharne Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 1pm, £6 adv. Info 01633 868239.

Lunchtime recital from singer.

Leighton Jones Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free.

Info 029 2064 4952.

Live Acoustic Night The Pilot, Penarth. Free. Info 029 2071 0615. On the first Friday of each month.

Money For Nothing Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01686 614555.

Dire Straits tribute band.

Old Samuel + Mumbleman + Michael Bush Rhondda Hotel, Porth.

7.30pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Presented by Born Events.

Ruckus Collective + Applied Science Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, £3/free before 9. Info 01633 259144. Bristol and south Wales hip-hop.

Ruzz’s Guitar Blues Review Café Jazz, Cardiff.

9pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026.

Blues.

Showaddywaddy Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 01874 611622.

The London Folk Sessions Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £5. Info 01239 841387.

The Lushtones Kiwis, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

The Montgomeries The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

The Spokes Band Salt, Cardiff Bay. 9pm, free. Info 029 2049 4375.

The Wurzels The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Thoby Davis + Andrew Paul Regan + Alone + Stew Hume + Luke Bennett Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £3. Info 029 2023 9253.

Trwbador + Y Pencadlys + Oh Peas! Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2023 2199. Three Welsh makers of electronic pop who you might be moved to call ‘off-kilter’.

Vikesh Kapoor + John Blek + Harri Davies The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. See Music.

In Swansea tomorrow.

SATURDAY 7 ACAB The Yard, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Aubrey Parsons Bryngarw House, Brynmenyn. 7.30pm.

Info 01656 729009.

Cottonmouth Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 07818 056599.

David Roberts Cardiff Central Library. 1pm, free.

Info 029 2078 0960. Folk guitarist.

Dr Syntax + Last Tree Squad The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £10 adv.

Info 01497 821762. UK hiphoppers, also featuring a DJ set from Pete Cannon.

Exit_International + The Milk Race + Amy Grindhouse Le Pub, Newport. 8pm, £5. Info 01633 221477.

Huw Chiswell Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £10/£7.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

Mark Morriss + JOhn Mouse Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £9 adv. Info 029 2023 9253. Your man from The Bluetones returns to Cardiff.

Misled Truth + The Liminal + Jamee Summers The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Misled Truth The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Well this is awkward.

Naomi Rae Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

No Glory + THeme From Alex The Duke, Neath.

7.30pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

Normanton Street Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, free. Info 01633 213161. Hiphop AND MUCH MORE group who “formed from the hustle and bustle of Brighton’s everbusy acoustic jams and open mic sessions”.

Nothing But Thieves Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 6.309.15pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199.

Shamones The Royal Exchange, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2056 4068.

Ramones tribute band.

Shelleyann Evans Monkey Bar, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 480822. Someone who has been on The Voice performs with a full live band.

So 80s Kiwis, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Tendons + Ampersand + The Blood Club NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

The Australian Pink Floyd Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £39.50/£28.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

The Dropper’s Neck The Masons Arms, Llanelli.

7.30pm. Info 01554 746627.

Rock’n’roll punk chaos, or so they reckon.

The Grey Goose Band New

Panteg Rugby Club, New Inn, Pontypool. 7.30pm, £7/£5 members. Info 01633 483238.

A Borough Blues Club gig.

The Sick Livers Hobo’s, Bridgend. 8pm, free. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

The Trio Porters, Cardiff.

8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Tim Cronin The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Vikesh Kapoor + John Blek The Chattery, Swansea.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01792 473276.

Welsh Floyd Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 8pm, £10/£7 adv. Info 07512 237983. Pink Floyd tribute, incorporating all of Dark Side Of The Moon.

Welsh Guards Centenary Concert Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

SUNDAY 8 Bear Bones The Brunswick Arms, Swansea. Free. Info 01792 465676.

Dominic Lewis + Cara Pearce + 3MPH + James Sarson + Olly James Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933. Sundae Sessions acoustic gig.

Cardiff And Vale Music Service Big Band Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Also on Thurs 19 and Wed 25.

Eminjen The Yard, Cardiff.

1-4pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Folk Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells.

2pm. Info 07477 627267.

Karis Thomas The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

King King The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Blues-rock.

Little Rumba The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

London Guildhall School Of Music Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £12.

Info 01239 841387.

Martin Carthy Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £12. Info 01239 841387. Big dog of UK folk.

Skacasm Gelligaled Inn, Rhondda. 4-7pm, free. Info 01443 438737. Ska and 2-tone covers band with the allimportant ‘ska pun’ name.

Stiff Little Fingers Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7.30pm, £18.50 adv.

Info 029 2078 1458.

Sunday Live Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30-4.30pm, free.

Info 01656 815995. Listen to live music and enjoy a snack and a nice view.

MONDAY 9 Cardiff County & Vale Of Glamorgan Junior Schools Music Festival St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £6-£10. Info 029 2087 8444.

Dominic Norcross Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360.

Live Original Broadcasts The Brewhouse, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 9913.

Sam Duckworth + Rumour Cubes Le Pub, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 221477. Chap who used to be Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly,

plus his pals Rumour Cubes.

The Afterparty + Beyond Recall The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

The Deadnotes + A Fool And His Money The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

The X Factor Live 2015 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £19.50-£55. Info 029 2022 4488. It doesn’t actually say on the venue’s listing who’s performing on this tour, but if you ask me Cowell and his cronies will be involved in some way. (Until Wed 11) Ukulele Jam Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

TUESDAY 10 Aidan Thorne + Paul Jones Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Albatross Archive Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Cardiff County & Vale Of Cardiff University Music Department Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Also on Tue 24.

Glamorgan Lord Mayor’s Charity Spring Showcase St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £6-£10. Info 029 2087 8444.

Community Samba Band – Practise Dates Westenders Hall, Llanfaes, Brecon. 6-8pm, £4/£2 under16s. Info sambabrecon@ yahoo.co.uk.

Grader The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Aberdeen hardcore band who are touring with Funeral For A Friend, but have a day off today.

Lucy Rose + The Half Earth The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £13 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com. Folk singist.

Retorica Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £3-£10.

Info 029 2087 4816. Violinists Harriet Mackenzie and Philippa Mo perform works by Prokofiev and Fokkens.

Russell Watson Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7pm, £25-£35.

Info 01792 475715. *Sleaford Mods + Y Pencadlys + Gindrinker CF10, Cardiff University Students Union. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Second Cardiff date in a little over six months for Sleaford Mods, this time with (arguably) their two closest Welsh analogues in support. This will be great and may even sell out in advance.

The Memphis Six Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

The Stranglers Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7.30pm, £23 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. This plus Sleaford Mods (see above) could be Cardiff University’s best ‘chance encounter backstage’ double-booking since Manowar and Ghostface Killah a few years back.

Wonder how that went down actually.

The X Factor Live 2015 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £19.50-£55. Info 029 2022 4488. (Until Wed 11)

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS + SEPTEMBER GIRLS (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Wed 8) MARIKA HACKMAN (St John’s Church, Cardiff, Fri 10) THERAPY? (The Globe. Cardiff, Mon 13) BAND OF FRIENDS (The Globe, Thurs 16) BBC RADIO 2 FOLK AWARDS (Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Wed BUZZ 62

live music WEDNESDAY 11 Atticus Atlas + By Jupiter + Lights In The Field + Animal Brothers Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933. Presented by PAWS Cardiff.

Ben Harker Quintet + Rod Oughton Septet Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Cardiff University Big Band Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Cardiff University LMS Battle Of The Bands The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. Also on Wed 18.

Gethin Liddington Quintet Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £10/£7 members. Info 07802 912789.

Kizzy Crawford + Candelas + Seazoo + Climbing Trees The Drwm, Aberystwyth. Free. Info 01970 632800. The first of four south Wales dates (plus three more elsewhere) on the Gorwelion Horizons tour, which features most of the 12 acts highlighted by this BBC Wales scheme for 2015. In Narberth on Fri 20; Merthyr on Fri 27 and Cardiff on Sun 29. *Nat Birchall Sextet The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. British jazz sax man who genuflects in the direction of John Coltrane. Sounds great actually.

Open Mic CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2115 9063.

Open Mic Market Street Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 733863.

Pontypridd Acoustic Club Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd.

8.30pm. Info 01443 491424.

On the second Wednesday of every month.

Red Room Therapy + Dead Shed Jokers + Florence Black Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £4. Info 029 2023 2199.

Russell Watson Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £17.50-£35.

Info 01970 623232.

South Powys Youth Music Gala Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 2.15 + 7pm, £7.50.

Info 01874 611622. Featuring the South Powys Junior Orchestra (afternoon) and various bands and groups (evening). On tomorrow also.

The X Factor Live 2015 Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £19.50-£55. Info 029 2022 4488. (Finishes today) Winter Wilson Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club.

7.30pm, £8. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

THURSDAY 12 BBC NOW: Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10£16. Info 01792 475715.

Breichaiau Hir + Y Ffug Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2023 2199.

Headliners are launching an EP. Chaos Trigger + The Dwellers + Hyena + Blind Divide The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Cut Ribbons + Cold

Committee + Delyth McLean Gwdihw, Cardiff.

8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2039 7933. Presented by Juxtaposed and Xpress Radio.

Edith Piaf: A Celebration Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

In which Tina May sings Edith.

Food Bank Benefit Gig The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. With punk rock bands TBC. Bring food to donate please.

Fraser Alibone Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Glass Animals The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Shiny electronic indie band, presented by Swn. Hardcore Superstar + Bonafide + Nitrodive The Scene Club, Swansea.

7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07730 432166. Triple bill of glam metal.

Iestyn Davies Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 029 2039 1391. Countertenor.

Jimjam Open Mic Session The Claude Hotel, Albany Road, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 07557 505123. Every Thursday. This evening’s guest band is Luther.

Jim Moray Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8.45pm.

Info 01633 897923. A Newport Folk Club night.

Joe Bayliss Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Singer-songwriter.

Nath Trevett + Jon Airdrie The Open Hearth, Sebastopol, Pontypool.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01495 763752. An Open Hearth Acoustic night, on the second Thursday of every month.

Trevett is a locally-based folk guitarist.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm.

Info 01633 858636.

South Powys Youth Music Gala Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 2.15 + 7pm, £7.50.

Info 01874 611622. Featuring the Primary Strings (afternoon) and the Powys Youth Orchestra (evening).

The Beetle Peyote Band The City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2022 5258.

The Mass Collective Porters, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info info@porterscardiff. com. New music chosen by Anthony Wickham and Alex Carr.

The Qemists + The Algorithm + Clear The Auditorium + Manumit Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.3010.30pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199.

The Quireboys + Peacemaker, Die! The Welfare, Ebbw Vale. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01495 302995. Acoustic set from longstanding British hard rock group, headlining a night hosted by the ominouslynamed Odins Rock Club.

Woody Pines The Chattery, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01792 473276. Popular Americana band.

FRIDAY 13 Afternoon In Paris + Bear Bones Pontardawe Arts Centre. 8pm, £6. Info 01792

863722. Acoustic Meeting Grounds gig.

August Guan Cardiff University Concert Hall.

1.10-2pm, £5/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Harpsichord recital.

Battle Of The Bands Final The Scene Club, Swansea.

7.30pm. Info 07730 432166.

Featuring these bands: Bandicoot, Attercopus, Seven Stories High, Underground Episode and Teenage Mutant Single Mothers.

Blind River Scare Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Chris Kelly Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

Colt 45 + Bear Arms + Question The Mark + Bicycle Thief Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £4. Info 01633 213161.

Crinkle Cuts Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, £3/free before 9. Info 01633 259144. For fans of the Chili Peppers and The Bonzo Dog Doodah Band, it says here. Crikey. In Cardiff tomorrow.

Dukes Of Mumbai The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

Emmanuel Ceysson Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Described as the “enfant terrible of the harp”, which makes me feel better about my suspicion that (based on his press pic) he’s had collagen implants in his lips. I’m sure he has been just as rude about other people, if not more so, in his time.

Geraint Lovgreen A’r Enw Da Duke Of Clarence, Cardiff.

8pm, £10/£8 adv. Info clwbydiwc@gmail.com. A Clwb Y Diwc gig. Special guests TBC. Graveyard Johnnys + Basementones + Clean Young Mess Le Pub, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 221477.

Halestorm Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Pennsylvanian hard rock band fronted by a woman called Lzzy, which – despite this magazine’s reputation for flawless spelling and copyediting – I feel obliged to tell you is how she spells her name.

Heavy Quartet + Red Jam Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2023 9253.

Album launch for HQ. Howlin’ Matt Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 07818 056599.

Jon Gomm Ebbw Vale Institute. 7pm, £12. Info 01495 708022. Twiddly guitarist bloke. In Cardiff on Sun 15.

Luke Jackson + The Brwmys Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2030 4400. A Newsoundwales gig.

Lunchtime Classics Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1-2pm, free. Info 01656 815995.

Mellow Down Easy Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

Quadrophenia Night The Globe, Cardiff. 9pm, £10/£8 adv. Info theglobevenue@ gmail.com. Mod nostalgia night with a live set from The Atlantics. “Dress code:

handsome!” say the promoters. Pretty sure this sort of exclusionary policy is no longer legal.

Paul Ashton The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Rock Factor The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Sam Dowden + Seren The

Touch Trust Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2087 7959. Fundraising event set to include dance and live musicians from a variety of genres including folk, classical and jazz.

SATURDAY 14 2 Rude The Garage,

compared Cymbals to the likes of Metronomy and the early work of New Order.

I’m taking this on trust, maybe my naivete will be my undoing.

DeCyphers Gwdihw, Cardiff.

9pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933.

Instrumental hip-hop group playing as part of the Fat City night.

HIP HOP @ NOSDA Fri 6 Mar, NosDa, Cardiff.

Admission: £2. Info: 029 2037 8866 / facebook.com/piandhash Pi And Hash Music, some local folks who most typically oversee jam sessions and suchlike in the Full Moon venue, are shaking things up this month with a night of live hip-hop sets and battles in Riverside hotel-cum-bar, NosDa. In the shadow of the Millennium Stadium (no rugby on tonight, so no threat of the party being pooped), a bunch of local MCs will flaunt their abilities. Saykridd Daly will be going solo with his boisterous party anthems, while others plump for strength in numbers: The Hellionz, The Firm and Dope Biscuits, plus Baby Queens [pictured] bringing r’n’b-influenced levity and preventing a sausagefest.

The battlers, meanwhile, line up like so: Jake The Ripper v Craig Hughes, Brave Toaster v Chew EqualDifferences and Crash & Jimbo Slice v Jordan Da-Cruz & James Woodland.

Heron The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £3-£5.

Info 01497 821762. Acoustic blokes.

She Makes War + Forgery Lit + Ieuan Williams The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Spandau Ballet Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £40.

Info 029 2022 4488.

Steven Wilson St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £32.50/£22.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Prog rock studio tweaker and one-time lynchpin of Porcupine Tree. People who like that band REALLY like them, from what I can tell, so this might well be dead popular.

Tattsyrup Kiwis, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

The Fureys Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 8pm, £19/£17. Info 01873 850805.

The Riff + The Cradles + A Fool And His Money The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com.

Threatmantics + Josh Evans Rhondda Hotel, Porth.

7.30pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Presented by Born Events.

Swansea. 9pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 475147. Ska covers band.

A Design For Live + The Oasis Experience Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 01495 227206.

Manics and Oasis tribute bands. You’ve heard of rock paper scissors, well this is rock parka feather boa.

Afro Beats Abroad 2: Nuances Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £3-£10. Info 029 2087 4816.

Performance from Adriano and Carolina Adewale, based on themes from traditional Brazilin music.

Ben Huws Duo Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

Bombs + Misled Truth + When Worlds Collide Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £4.

Info 01633 213161.

Crinkle Cuts The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Côr Persain Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Songs in English and Welsh.

Cymbals Buffalo, Cardiff.

8pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2031 0312. A mixture of synth and guitar, NME have already

Dreadzone The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Live dub reggae veterans.

Elin Fflur + Y Cledrau + Y Trwbz Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199.

Extinction + Helldown The Masons Arms, Llanelli.

8.30pm. free. Info 01554 746627.

Georgia Paterson Poets Corner, Roath, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2045 8714.

Hideaway Trio Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 07818 056599.

James Kennedy The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Johnny Cash Roadshow Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £17-£19.50. Info 01656 815995.

Katherine Jenkins + John Owen Jones Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £29.50-£55. Info 029 2022 4488.

Keys The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5-£7. Info 01497 821762.

Lee Ingram Cardiff Central Library. 1pm, free. Info 029 2078 0960. Pianist.

Minnie’s Chuff Kiwis, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029

22) BLUES PILLS (The Globe, Thurs 23) VILLAGERS (The Gate, Cardiff, Fri 24) RHYDIAN (Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 30 Apr; Miners Institute, Blackwood, Sun 10 May) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MAY: SUPER FURRY ANIMALS (Cardiff University, Fri 1 + Sat 2) DAVID RODIGAN (The Globe, Fri 15) GWYL PILI PALA FESTIVAL BUZZ BUZZ63 63

live music 2039 8965.

Philomusica Of Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £2-£9.50.

Info 01970 623232.

Performing Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

Rocket Joe Joe And The Old Time Bangers Porters, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

The Beetle Peyote Band + Chris Kelly The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577. On tomorrow afternoon also.

The Hip Priests + Trigger McPoopshute + The St Pierre Snake Invasion + The Quisling Killers Le Pub, Newport. 8pm, £4. Info 01633 221477. Garage punk, rock’n’roll etc.

The Omega Blend Hobo’s, Bridgend. 8pm, free. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

SUNDAY 15 Bronwen Lewis The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Glen Manby Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Eclipse + Tainted Nation + Within War The Scene Club, Swansea. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Jim Causley The Greyhound Inn, Oldwalls, Gower, Swansea. 8.30pm. Info 01792 850803. A Halfpenny Folk Club night.

Jon Gomm The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

Lunchtime Concert National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Featuring Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama students.

Naomi Rae Duo Salt, Cardiff Bay. 1pm, free. Info 029 2049 4375.

Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £22.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Teifi Chamber Orchestra Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 4pm, £6. Info 01239 841387. Led by Helen Jefferson and conducted by Malcolm Pike.

Terri Bramah The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

The Beetle Peyote Band The Yard, Cardiff. 1-4pm, free.

Info 029 2022 7577.

The Welsh Musical Theatre Orchestra Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

MONDAY 16 Gypsy Jazz Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Hank Wedel + The Dukes Of Hafod + Scarbelly Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 029 2023 9253. Headliner is a folk-rock kinda guy who lives in Cork.

Kamchatka The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Blues/psych from Sweden.

Lionel Richie Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. 8pm, £65/£55.

Info 029 2022 4488.

Live Original Broadcasts The Brewhouse, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 9913.

Nathan Grisdale The

Globe, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £13.50. Info theglobevenue@ gmail.com. No idea who this guy is but in his promo pic he’s wearing a sweater with NG on it in big letters. Not a fashion choice I would recommend.

The Mary Rees Chopin Prize 2015 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2039 1391.

Ukulele Jam Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

TUESDAY 17 Borders Trio St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

3-4pm, £6.50. Info 01446 779100. Cafe concert.

Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral Choir St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £4.75£6.75. Info 029 2087 8444.

Carducci Quartet Cardiff University Concert Hall.

7-9pm, £3-£10. Info 029 2087 4816.

Community Samba Band – Practise Dates Westenders Hall, Llanfaes, Brecon. 6-8pm, £4/£2 under16s. Info sambabrecon@ yahoo.co.uk.

Dan Messore & Cathy Jones Ensemble Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 8pm, £6.

Info 01874 611622. A Brecon Jazz Club gig.

Henry Marten’s Ghost Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952. A traditional Irish kneesup is promised here.

Jack Barnett + Thomas Seddon + Georgia Paterson Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933. *King Dude + Johnny Cage & The Rusty Cash The Moon Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Very much recommended, this: American guy from a few underground metal bands gets on a gothic folk tip, with alluring results.

Overboard: The Boat Studio Fundraising Gig Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

4-10.30pm, £9.50/£8 adv. Info 029 2030 4400. An evening of entertainment including a live art auction, poetry readings, performance and music from the likes of HMS Morris, Les Frotteurs, JOhn Mouse, Tim Bromage, Test Pressings, Rhodri Brooks, Matthew Joseph, The Lite Bites and more.

Paloma Faith + Vintage Trouble Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £38.50/£28.50. Info 029 2022 4488.

Senior Proms Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £7/£5.

Info 0845 2263510. Featuring Carmarthenshire Senior Orchestra, Carmarthenshire Secondary Schools Choir and Carmarthenshire Senior Harp Ensemble.

Seth Lakeman St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£16 adv. Info 029 2087 8444. A Roots Unearthed gig which is sold out.

Tam De Villiers Quartet Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Usk Valley Blue Blowers Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 18 Alec Harper Quartet Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Burum The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Calan Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £6-£12. Info 01970 623232.

Cardiff University LMS Battle Of The Bands The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com.

Dan Walsh Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club.

7.30pm, £8. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Flata Winds Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Clarinet/flute duo.

Isotope The Dingle Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £7/£6. Info 01834 869323. This month’s Spanjazz gig.

Liberty Big Band Show with Allyson Cox & Steve Doolan Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Marlene VerPlanck With The Dave Cottle Trio Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £10/£7 members. Info 07802 912789.

Mixalydia + Rainbowe Maniac + Albatross Archive + Demeter Grieving Undertone, Cardiff.

8pm-3am, £4. Info 029 2022 8883. New night titled La Demimonde, on bimonthly and giving its proceeds to the SAFE Foundation. There’ll also be a free EP with all the bands on their Facebook page (facebook.com/ lademimondeevents). The 3am finish refers to DJs who’ll be on after the bands.

Morrissey + Buffy SainteMarie Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £65/£45. Info 029 2022 4488. See Music.

Fair play to Morrissey for choosing a support act who’s had an even longer career than him, rather than doing his usual thing of giving the dreaded vote of confidence to some hapless indie band.

Oaths + Faces Of Eve The Scene Club, Swansea.

7.30pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Olivia & The Saint Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2039 7933. Playing as part of the Spring Swing night.

Pasha Kovalev Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01874 611622.

Ballroom and Latin dance from a guy who I think is or has been on TV, and poses for press photos wearing a suit jacket with nothing underneath.

Philharmonia Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5-£42. Info 029 2087 8444. Featuring three Sibelius works.

Songbird Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01646 695267. Eva Cassidy tribute act.

The Music Of Guy Woolfenden Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. With the Royal Welsh College Wind Orchestra.

Vale Of Glamorgan Festival Of Music Preview

Concert Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2063 6464.

Clark Rundell conducts a programme of Arvo Pärt, Dobrinka Tabakova and Richard Ayres.

Wednesday 13 The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

It’s a pity Wednesday 13 was already quite well known when he started his solo career, else he could have formed part of the ‘confusing poster’ movement alongside On A Friday, Free Beer etc.

THURSDAY 19 Burum Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Calan Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

8pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510.

Cardiff And Vale Music Service Big Band Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Catrin Finch Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15£20. Info 029 2089 0862.

Launch of Welsh harpist’s Tides album, which is reviewed in this issue.

Classical Concert: Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Students Carnegie House, Bridgend. 3pm, free.

Info 01656 815757.

Jim Evans + Darren Eedens + Esperi + Leo James The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Jimjam Open Mic Session The Claude Hotel, Albany Road, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 07557 505123. Every Thursday. This evening’s guest band is Sicknote Steve.

Kitty's Duo Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Little Rumba Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01646 651725.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm.

Info 01633 858636.

Safari Gold + Mixalydia + Aled Rheon Undertone, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2022 8883.

The Elvis Years St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £21.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. A concert production of West End musical Jailhouse Rock, in fact. So maybe it’s a Stage thing. Ehh. The Ian Stoutzker Prixe: Semi-Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2039 1391.

FRIDAY 20 Andrew McCormack Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £15/£10. Info 029 2089 0862. Jazz pianist.

Aubrey Parsons Tempus Bar, St David’s Hotel, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 0844 8246171.

Bach & Family St John’s Church, Canton, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01446 419294. The Welsh Camerata Society present a concert of vocal and instrumental music

by Bach and his forebears. In Swansea tomorrow.

BBC: Ten Pieces St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £15. Info 029 2087 8444. Family concert conducted by Thomas Søndergård.

Bookends Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 01639 763214.

Simon & Garfunkel tribute.

Burum + Sild Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 7.30pm.

Info 01239 615952. Two Welsh folk-indebted acts.

Climbing Trees + Seazoo + Baby Queens Queens Hall, Narberth. Free. Info 01834 869323. Gorwelion Horizons gig.

Dart Valley Stompers Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

8pm, £8 adv. Info 01656 815995. New Orleans style jazz.

GaGa Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 8pm, £14/£12 adv. Info 01446 738622.

Queen tribute.

Gower & Llwchwr Round Table Annual Charity Concert St. Catherine’s Church, Gorseinon, Swansea.

7pm. Info morgandewi@ hotmail.com.

Hark! A Shark! + Front Runner + Wilson + Junior Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £4. Info 029 2023 9253.

Pop-punk.

Howlin’ Lord + Clean Young Mess + Them Dead Beats Le Pub, Newport.

7.30pm. Info 01633 221477.

Bristol gothic folker headlines.

Imprints + Tendons Music + Kirk Morgan & The Dock Town Pearls + Joe Kelly The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Jenni Cook & Amy Likar Cardiff University Concert Hall. 1.10-2pm, £5/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Soprano and flautist.

Johnny Cage & The Voodoo Groove’s Rock n’ Roll Revue Gwdihw, Cardiff.

9pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

Killers Of Leon Kiwis, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. Tribute band.

Laura Wright Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20. Info 029 2039 1391. Official singer of the national anthem for the England rugby team, described here as “the nation’s favourite sporting soprano”. Probably should have left that bit out of the listing for this venue, really.

Little Arrow + Eugene Capper + Rhodri Brooks + Scriber Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2023 2199.

Manalishi Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

Mike Peters Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £16 adv.

Info 01792 468892. See Music.

Nyo Mathis + Atiptoe Undertone, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £6. Info 029 2022 8883.

Presented by Jealous Lovers Club.

Occasional Brass Ensemble The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Open Mic Market Street Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 733863.

Oysterband The Garage, Swansea. 8pm, £18 adv. Info 01792 475147.

Rachel Brittain Kitty Flynn’s, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free.

Info 029 2064 4952.

Rave On – A Tribute To Buddy Holly Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £15. Info

01600 772467.

Retrospect Salt, Cardiff Bay. 9pm, free. Info 029 2049 4375.

Rocket Joe Joe & The Old Time Bangers The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Six Time Champion + Calling All Heroes + My Life For Hire Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, free. Info 01633 213161.

Soul Strutters Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, £3/free before 9. Info 01633 259144.

Sounds Of Motown Hamptons, Penarth. 7.30pm, £36. Info 029 2070 5391.

Featuring Shola Kaye, whose vocals have been described as “chocolate soul” but will not count as part of your fivecourse meal. Fully booked though soz.

The Askew Sisters The Ivy Bush, Pontardawe. 8pm. Info huwpudner@ntlworld.com. A Valley Folk Club night.

The Counterfeit Stones Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £20/£19. Info 01495 227206.

The Cradles The Masons Arms, Llanelli. 7.30pm. Info 01554 746627.

The Rumblestrutters Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 07818 056599.

The Selecter + The Tuts The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Trigger’s Broom The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Wizard Fight + SYP + Haast’s Eagled + Beggar + Attercopus The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Doom and stoner type stuff, billed as a warmup for the Red Sun festival which is here at the start of May. Yr Angen + Y Bandana Pontardawe Inn. 8.30pm, free.

Info 01792 864949. A Gigs Y Gwach night, their seventh birthday show in fact.

SATURDAY 21 Anti-Nowhere League + Demob + The Phucks Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Punk rock Veteran’s Day. Bach & Family St David’s Priory, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info www. welshcamerata.org.

Cantemus Chamber Choir Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20/£16. Info 029 2039 1391.

Ceri Ambrose The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Chris Summerill The Royal Exchange, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2056 4068.

Crowsaw The Dolls House, Abertillery. 7pm. Info 01495 213300. Blues-rock.

Fell Out Boy The Scene Club, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 07730 432166. Fall Out Boy tribute.

Hang The Bastard Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 01792 468892.

I, The Lion + The Decoy Le Pub, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 221477.

JOhn Mouse + My Name Is Ian Morgans Bar, Tonypandy. 7.30pm, £4 adv.

Info 01443 437005. Presented

by Born Events.

Lapis Lazuli The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.

(The Garage, Swansea, Fri 15) HOOBASTANK + P.O.D. + ALIEN ANT FARM (Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 15) GOLDFINGER (The Globe, Fri 29) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR JUNE: THE BEACH BOYS (Motorpoint Arena, Thurs 4) YOUNG GUNS (Cardiff University, Thurs 4) MANIC STREET PREACHERS (Cardiff Castle, BUZZ 64

live music com.

Leighton Jones Band Kiwis, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 8965.

Lifer + Thorun + Morass Of Molasses + Heavy On The Ride + Your Protected + King Death Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 5.30pm, £5. Info mail@givemefuel.co.uk.

Lucy Ward + Greg Rowlands West End Club, Barry. 8pm, £8 adv. Info 07561 143114. Folk.

Maddie & The Pandas Porters, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Miss May & The Magic + Nick Pendry The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Nathan Carter Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 01656 815995.

Irish lad playing nu-country type stuff, a gap so ripe for exploiting that we should all be kicking ourselves for not

01600 712767.

Liss Jones The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Martin Carr + Jonnie Common + Barefoot Dance Of The Sea The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Local date for longtime pop auteur and former Boo Radleys guitarist Carr.

Navi + Jack Stuckey + Glenn Owen Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 6.30pm, £15.

Info 01446 738622. Michael Jackson tribute act performs a UK diabetes fundraising concert. Jack and Glenn perform tributes to Olly Murs and Bruno Mars respectively. *The Handsome Family + Daniel Knox The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Honestly can’t recommend this band highly enough, especially as a live entity.

Toy + American gothic Wasters country storytellers The Clwb Ifor Bach, Handsome Family are a Cardiff. 7.30brilliant live act. See for 10.30pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. yourself at The Globe, Psychedelic indie band Cardiff, on Sun 22. headline.

Zhang Zuo Royal Welsh doing it.

College Of Music & Drama, Ravenheart The Masons Cardiff. 2pm, £15/£13. Info Arms, Llanelli. 8pm. Info 029 2039 1391.

01554 746627.

Ren Harvieu The Globe, MONDAY 23 Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info Blue St David’s Hall, Cardiff. theglobevenue@gmail.com.

7.30pm, £25. Info 029 2087 Rock Anthems Theatr 8444. Wonder if these guys Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.45pm, are sad about not returning £16/£14. Info 01874 611622. to stadium gigs and a Take Roy Orbison & Friends That-sized fanfare when they Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. reformed, or if they’re happy 7.30pm, £19.50. Info 01446 to make a comfortable living 738622. Friends don’t let performing pop songs in venfriends perform Roy Orbison ues a bit smaller than before. tribute acts.

Groucho Club Noah’s Yard, The Ghost Notes Acapela, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, 447360. £15/£10. Info 029 2089 0862.

Gwd Mondays Open Mic Jazz.

Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

The Sherlocks + The Riff Info 029 2039 7933.

The Lemon Factory, Swansea. Live Original Broadcasts 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07969 The Brewhouse, Cardiff.

671379.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 The Tea Street Band The 9913.

Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. Senior Proms Y Ffwrnes, 8pm, £5-£8. Info 01497 Llanelli. 7.30pm, £7/£5. Info 821762. Indie-dance fusion 0845 2263510. Featuring from Liverpool.

Carmarthenshire Senior Tobias Robertson Cardiff Wind Band, County Big Band Central Library. 1pm, free. and Carmarthenshire Senior Info 029 2078 0960. SingerString Orchestra. songwriter.

The Collective Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 SUNDAY 22 2023 9253.

Bach: St John Passion Ukulele Jam Session The Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff.

Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

6pm, £15/£8 NUS. Info 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 0333 6663366. A Llandaff 2509.

Cathedral Choral Society Ysgol Y Bedol Foyer, Wales concert, conducted by Owain Millennium Centre, Cardiff Arwel Hughes.

Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 Breathe In The Silence 2063 6464. + Adelphia + Pavilions + Dirt + Nineteen Fifty TUESDAY 24 Eight The Scene Club, Cardiff University Music Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info Department Foyer, Wales 07730 432166.

Millennium Centre, Cardiff Brockweir Spring Acoustic Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 Music Festival Mackenzie 2063 6464.

Hall, Brockweir, Chepstow.

Ceredigion School 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01291 Intermediate Choir And 689812. Featuring Gigspanner Primary Ensembles and, I’m guessing, others.

Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Info Cat Delphi The Yard, Cardiff. 01970 623232.

1-4pm, free. Info 029 2022 City Of Light: Paris 19007577.

1950 Cardiff University Jigantics The Queens Head, Concert Hall. 7-9pm, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info £3-£10. Info 029 2087 4816.

Performing Messiaen’s Harawi (1945).

Community Samba Band – Practise Dates Westenders Hall, Llanfaes, Brecon. 6-8pm, £4/£2 under16s. Info sambabrecon@ yahoo.co.uk.

Four Year Strong + Hit The Lights + Forever Came Calling + Light You Up Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £16.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. This year’s Kerrang! tour. It’s not like it was in my day, when Kerrang! covered proper heavy metal bands. Except actually there was always loads of wimpy rubbish in there, just like now.

Huw Tregelles Williams St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £4.75-£6.75. Info 029 2087 8444. Organ recital.

Joe Webb + Jeff Simkins Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Kiran Leonard Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199.

Monthly Sitters In Night Jazzland, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info 07802 912789.

New Georgia Jazz Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Not Scientists + DeeCracks Le Pub, Newport.

7.30pm. Info 01633 221477.

American melodic punk/indie band headline.

Ray Quinn Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £20/£17.50.

Info 01792 475715.

Raglans + The Cradles Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30-10.30pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199. Irish indie band headline.

WEDNESDAY 25 Anonymous Iconoclasts + Wrightoid + We’re No Angels Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933.

Presented by The Atrium.

Boulez At 90 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. With the Royal Welsh College Chamber Winds. Pierre Boulez won’t be there, maybe there is somewhere you can post a birthday card (it’s his 90th tomorrow).

Budapest Cafe Orchestra Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan.

7.30pm, £15/£13.50. Info 01239 621200.

Bute Park Opera Foyer Performance Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391.

Cardiff And Vale Music Service Big Band Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

Clark Tracey Quintet Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £10/£7 members. Info 07802 912789.

Create To Inspire + Arlington Heights + Novus The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Daniel Phillips & Friends Play Brahms & Mozart Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2039 1391.

Emily Saunders Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253. Up and coming jazz vocalist.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free.

Info 029 2063 6464.

Gerry Cross The Mersey Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £19.50. Info 01495 227206. Solo music’n’chat show from Gerry, of & The Pacemakers fame.

Heart In Hand + Liferuiner + Hand Of Mercy + Create To Inspire The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 07730 432166. Hardcore, metalcore etc. Liferuiner have redeeming elements, don’t know the rest though.

Hunter & The Bear Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0871 4720400.

Folk-rock quartet. Can’t be arsed investigating this right now but I reckon ‘bear’ bands might be the new ‘wolf’ bands.

Open Mic Market Street Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 733863.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Free drink for performers. Last Wednesday of every month.

The Starling Radicals + The Broadcasts + Beautiful Strangers The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com.

THURSDAY 26 BBC NOW Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £5-£20.

Info 01970 623232. Works

by Shostakovich, Haydn and Tchaikovsky.

Beneath The Reef The Scene Club, Swansea.

7.30pm, £5/£3. Info 07730 432166. UK band who are “fast gaining a reputation as serious ska-punk musicians”.

It’s about time some of these guys got serious.

Budapest Cafe Orchestra Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 8pm, £15/£13.50. Info 01982 552555.

Castles + Dominic Griffin Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.

Info 029 2039 7933.

Focus The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £15 adv. Info theglobevenue@gmail.com.

Hats Off To Led Zeppelin Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £16. Info 01646 695267. Led Zeppelin tribute band whose name is not, at the time of writing, an offhand reference to a convicted child sex offender. In Llanelli tomorrow.

Ivan Moult + Nia Ann The Plan, Morgan Arcade, Cardiff.

7pm, £6/£5 adv (£12/£10 with food). Info 029 2039 8764. I went to the February edition of these 'live music and a buffet' nights. Can certainly recommend the buffet if you're thinking of going.

Jessica Bullen Trio & Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Jimjam Open Mic Session The Claude Hotel, Albany Road, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 07557 505123. Every Thursday. This evening’s guest band is Rose Among Thorns.

Let’s Hang On Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.45pm, £22/£21. Info 01686 614555.

Frankie Valli tribute.

Luis Manhita & Joao Lemos Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Fado, flamenco and Latin.

Manouche Saloon The City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2022 5258.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm.

Info 01633 858636. This month features a Bob Dylan theme.

Rag & Bone Man Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £11/£9.

Info 029 2023 2199. A guy from Brighton making blues with beats, and sporting a beard.

Sinfonia Cymru & Laura van der Heijden Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 029 2039 1391.

West Glamorgan Youth Orchestra Annual Concert Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

7pm. Info 01792 475715.

Ysgol Cedewain Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

FRIDAY 27 Andreas Moutsioulis The Gate, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2048 3344.

Guitar recital.

Andy Fairweather-Low & The Low Riders Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £20/£18 adv. Info 01600 772467.

Aubrey Parsons Bridgend Tennis Club. 7pm, free. Info 01656 662041.

Baby Brave + Kinky Boots Rhondda Hotel, Porth.

7.30pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Presented by Born Events.

Budapest Cafe Orchestra Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 029 2039 1391.

Cantorion Colin Jones Singers Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01686 614555.

Captain Accident The Yard, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Cardiff University Symphony Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2087 8444.

Climbing Trees + Gabrielle Murphy + Houdini Dax + The People The Poet Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. Info 01685 384111. Gorwelion Horizons gig.

Dan Bettridge + Maddie Jones Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £10/£7.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

Ellie Makes Music Pedal Power Cafe, Pontcanna, Cardiff. £15 adv. Info www. cardiffpedalpower.org. New series of monthly nights curated by Newsoundwales and hosted by Pedal Power, a cycling charity working with disabled people. Price includes dinner.

Freight Quartet Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4-5 + 7.308.30pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. In Fishguard tomorrow.

Gareth & The Machine The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com.

Gareth Evans & Bella Collins Duo Bella Capri, Caerphilly. Free. Info info@ bellacapri.co.uk.

Guttrench + Sodomized Cadaver + The Judas Cradle + Kaldera Le Pub, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 221477. Brutal death metal and that.

Hats Off To Led Zeppelin

Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £17/£15. Info 0845 2263510.

Kizzy Crawford + Lucy Jones Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.45pm, £10/£9.50.

Info 01646 695267.

Magic: A Kind Of Queen Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01633 868239. Queen tribute band.

Manushka Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, £3/free before 9. Info 01633 259144.

Michael Collins Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

Clarinet recital.

Nachtmahr The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv.

Info theglobevenue@gmail. com. Industrial/EBM guy from Austria, spoken of in the same breath as Combichrist and stuff like that.

OPM The Scene Club, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10. Info 07730 432166. “If I die before I wake / At least I won’t have to play this gig.”

Organ Recital National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

1pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951.

Phil Lee Thomas The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Polar Bears Kiwis, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Pop Factor Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 0800 0147111.

Pop stars, the ones loved by the kids of today, paid tribute to by performers. You can even meet them after and get autographs. Don’t laugh. In Swansea on Mon 30.

Quarantine Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £4. Info 01633 213161.

Simply Shirley Hamptons, Penarth. 7.30pm, £36. Info 029 2070 5391. Julia Martin plays Shirley Bassey, you eat a five-course meal.

The Attix + Audio Suspect + Liam Cleaves Ebbw Vale Institute. 7pm, £4. Info 01495 708022.

The Luke Doherty Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £4.

Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Rob Lear Band + Up The Creek + Phil Cooper Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £6. Info 01495 227206.

Whiskey Dick + Howl The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Headline band are southern US blues-rockers. Pretty sure I used to regularly list a pub covers type band called Brewer’s Droop in these pages.

Who’s Next + Broken Heroes The Welfare, Ebbw Vale. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv Info 01495 302995. Who tribute band headline.

SATURDAY 28 3amp Kiwis, Cardiff. 9.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Aubrey Parsons Blanco’s Hotel, Port Talbot. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 864500.

Axis Of + Your Protected The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £6 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Two bands, one from Northern Ireland and one from south Wales, both with names that look like typos.

Beneath The Divine + Deathbullet The Masons Arms, Llanelli. 7.30pm. Info

Fri 5) ONE DIRECTION (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 5 + Sat 6) THE COLOR FESTIVAL (Splott Warehouse, Cardiff, Sat 6) 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER (Motorpoint Arena, Sun 7) ELTON JOHN (Motorpoint Arena, Wed 10) X MUSIC FESTIVAL (Bute Park, Cardiff, Fri 12-Sun 14) ELVIS COSTELLO (St David’s Hall, Thurs 26) BUZZ BUZZ65 65

stage 01554 746627.

Between Waves Le Pub, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 221477.

Blossom Hill The Chattery, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01792 473276. Bluegrass.

Cardiff Ukulele Festival St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, free. Info 029 2087 8444.

Lee Blackmore + Stand Alone + Other Guys NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, £3. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by Big Scott Radio.

Leighton Jones The North Star, Cardiff. Free. Info 029 2062 4050.

Naomi Rae Duo Poets Corner, Roath, Cardiff. 9pm,

gmail.com. Beatles tribute band. You didn’t think there was a gap in the market, well these guys are gonna show ya.

The Blackout Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre. 7pm, £13 adv.

Info 029 2023 0130. This is The Blackout’s last ever gig.

Will we see their like again?

The Glory Of Easter St

Thorun + Gulah + Vails The Moon Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Last show of Cardiff band Hogslayer’s UK tour; will probably be busy even on a Sunday.

Joe Northwood Duo The Yard, Cardiff. 1-4pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Lee McCrory The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Shuann Chai Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 3pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Music Club recital performance.

MONDAY 30 Arek Mazurek Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253.

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £3/£2.50. Info 029 2038 7026.

Gwd Mondays: Folk Music Sessions Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933.

Pop Factor Grand Theatre, Swansea. 6pm, £12.50/£10.50 kids. Info 01792 475715.

Trash Boat + Weathersgate Undertone, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2022 8883. Poppy punk bands presented by Jealous Lovers Club.

RIGOLETTO / LA TRAVIATA St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 7 + Sun 8 Mar Tickets: £15-£32. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk Back by popular demand, Opera And Ballet International will be returning to Cardiff for two nights with a double dose of Verdi operas. The first of their productions, Rigoletto (first performed in 1851), will showcase a more animalistic setting, as it is set to feature a magnificent golden eagle and two regal greyhounds. Otherwise, it will recapture the lavish setting of Renaissance Italy and expose the immoral behaviour of the court system during the time.

Meanwhile, Sun 8 will usher in a “tragic tale of searing passion” and will see Verdi’s very own interpretation of one of the greatest love stories of the 19th century, La Dame Aux Camelias, be performed through a rendition of Verdi’s La Traviata.

Presented by the people who do Cardiff Ukulele Nights in Canton and Llanishen every week. They’ve not asked me to list them, so maybe they’d rather I didn’t, in case they get invaded by indie people who think they’re in a dating website advert. This thing is definitely come one come all, though. *Facel Vega + Square Peg The Abacus, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 07934 011061. Punk rock goodness booked by Jon of Facel Vega – marking his third appearance in this issue, following writeups on his other bands Artefact and Twisted.

Fasta Benj The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Freight Quartet Peppers, Fishguard. 8pm, free. Info 01348 874540.

Glass Giants + Clear The Auditorium + With Best Intentions + Dream State + Never Found Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £3. Info www. hobosmusicvenue.com.

Higher-On Maiden The Scene Club, Swansea.

7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 07730 432166. Iron Maiden tribute.

Johnny Cash Roadshow Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £18.

Info 01873 850805.

Junior Chamber Competition Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391.

BUZZ 66

free. Info 029 2045 8714.

Never The Bride Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 9pm, £15/£12.50. Info 01874 611622.

No Glory + Spirit Kreek + Devil At The Roadside Rhondda Hotel, Porth.

7.30pm. Info 01443 682388.

Powerslaves Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 8pm, £5 adv. Info mail@ givemefuel.co.uk. Iron Maiden tribute band.

Signals + Cavalry Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £4.

Info 01633 213161.

Sinfonia Cymru with Laura van der Heijden The Riverfront, Newport.

3pm, £4-£12. Info 01633 656757.

Siobhan Owen Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10/£8.50. Info 029 2087 7959. Celtic and classical crossover songs, performed on the harp.

Steamy Windows Hamptons, Penarth. 7.30pm, £36. Info 029 2070 5391. Julia Martin, fresh from her Shirley Bassey tribute act last night, returns as Tina Turner. Hmm. Fully booked FYI. Superchango Porters, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Swansea Philharmonic Choir Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 475715.

The Beat Goes On The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info theglobevenue@

David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 029 2087 8444.

Featuring Cambrensis Choir And Orchestra plus St David’s Praise Choir.

The Happenings + Ben Huws The Yard, Cardiff.

9.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

The Welsh Sinfonia: Crescendo Tour Finale Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7pm, £18/£15/£5 NUS. Info 029 2039 1391.

Thingumjigs The Heath, Cardiff. 8pm, £10. Info 029 2039 4207. A RUFF Ceilidh night, also featuring caller Pete Hendy.

World Vs World + 100,000 Bodybags + Lawless & Lulu The Duke, Neath.

7.30pm, free. Info 01639 643892.

SUNDAY 29 Baby Queens + Candelas + Chris Jones + Climbing Trees + Gabrielle Murphy + Houdini Dax + Kizzy Crawford + Seazoo + The People The Poet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Free.

Info 029 2030 4400. Bumper edition of the Gorwelion Horizons tour, featuring nearly everyone who’s been appearing on it.

Deb Hancock & The Jazz Dragons The King’s Arms, Abergavenny. 8pm, £10/£8.

Info 07958 612691. A Black Mountain Jazz night.

Hogslayer + Lacertilia +

TUESDAY 31 Jazz Cafe The Gate, Cardiff.

8pm, £3/£2. Info 029 2048 3344.

Matthew Jones & Annabel Thwaite St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5.75-£6.75.

Info 029 2087 8444. Viola player and pianist.

Nicolas Meier + Peter Oxley Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253. Meier is a touring musician in Jeff Beck’s group.

The Mavron Quartet The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£6.

Info 029 2048 3344.

The NosDa Sessions NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2037 8866. Subtitled ‘Invited Jam Night’.

The Sopranos Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Thomas Nicholas Band + Fast Astronaut + Bandicoot The Scene Club, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7/£5. Info 07730 432166. At the height of Thomas Nicholas’ fame as Kevin out of American Pie, the stage seemed set for fratty jam bands and ironic powerviolence groups to name themselves in tribute to him.

This never happened, though, so he had to form the Thomas Nicholas Band himself.

stage SUNDAY 1 Cwlwm Celtaidd Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. £5 (weekend ticket £40/£30 ages 10-15). Info 01656 815995. A family festival of music, song and dance (see Music for the... music listings) from the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland, Isle Of Man, Cornwall, Brittany, Asturias & Wales. Today is the final day of three and features a Bro Tâf St David’s Day concert.

Katherine Ryan + Sean McLaughlin + Mike Reed + Sarah Bridgeman + Robin Morgan Buffalo, Cardiff. 7pm, £8 adv early

bird. Info 029 2031 0312.

Presented by Buffalo Comedy.

Mike Reed is not to be confused with Mike Reid... or is he?

Kojo + Leroy Brito Glam Boutique, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2022 9311.

Sugar & Spice with a oneoff comedy night in one of the smaller rooms of Glam nightclub.

Lloyd Langford Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £12/£10 NUS. Info 0871 4720400.

Lloyd is performing in lots of places this month, touring his Old Fashioned show.

Max Boyce Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01639 763214. In the 18th century, there were riots when Max Boyce failed to perform at any valleys theatre on St David’s Day. The populace believed that March 1 must therefore not exist, and that God was punishing them by shortening their lives.

Live Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

MONDAY 2 Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Other Room Theatre present their take on Sarah Kane’s play.

(Until Sat 7) Cirque Berserk Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8-£11. Info 01792 475715.

Stunt-tastic circus folks. On tomorrow also, for double the price. Or you could keep it positive and say that this is half price.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£25.

Info 029 2064 6900. National Theatre Wales’ dramatisation of Gareth Thomas’ attempted outing by the UK tabloids. In Aberystwyth from Tue 10-Sat 14. (Until Sat 7) Ignacio Lopez + Leroy Brito + Beth Jones + Jethro Bradley Dempseys, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£5 adv.

Info 029 2023 9253. Comedy Sheep night. This is already sold out but I for one am interested in the level of chutzpah the opening act must have, to attempt to be another Jethro in the cutthroat world of standup.

Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12-£25. Info 029 2087 8889. Joe Pasquale and Todd Carty are in this.

(Until Sat 7) TUESDAY 3 Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 7) Cirque Berserk Grand Theatre, Swansea. 5 + 7.45pm, £16-£22. Info 01792 475715.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 7) Dark Vanilla Jungle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. Welsh premiere of Philip Ridley’s play. We wrote about it in the last issue.

(Until Sat 7) Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13-£31.50.

Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 7) The Experimentrics Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry.

10am + 1pm, £5. Info 01446 738622. Physical theatre, multimedia, music, science tricks and demonstrations,

all condensed into one show (performed twice).

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 01239 621200. More Welsh than Wales itself, this farcical Pembrokeshire family’s latest adventure is presented by Mai Oh Mai, The Torch, Chapter and Little Wander. After this it goes to Llanelli, Llanwrtyd Wells, Aberdare, Newport, Pontardawe, Aberystwyth, Abergavenny, Newtown and Cardiff, plus some places which are in north Wales so we sort of awkwardly pretend they don’t exist.

The Royal Bed Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £10/£8/£5 NUS. Info 01792 863722. Presented by Theatr Pena. In loads of places this month. Gotta find ‘em all!

Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Mor Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01970 623232. Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and Torch Theatre translate Ibsen’s The Lady From The Sea into Welsh. On tomorrow also; in Cardiff on Thurs 12 and Fri 13, Llanelli on Mon 16 and Tue 17.

WEDNESDAY 4 Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 7) Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 1.30 + 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info 029 2064 6900.

(Until Sat 7) Dark Vanilla Jungle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. (Until Sat 7) Lloyd Langford Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01600 772467.

One Man Breaking Bad St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Miles Allen, an actor, with a high-energy show condensing all 60 episodes of the cult drama into one crystalline lump. All your favourite characters will feature, from Shoeless Ted to Professor Pipesuck.

Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13-£31.50.

Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 7) The Good Old Days Of Variety Grand Theatre, Swansea. 2 + 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 01792 475715.

Featuring songs by The Bachelors and John Stokes, among other people.

The Mr & Mrs Clark Medicine Show Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £4.25£8.50. Info 01970 623232.

Return of this longstanding local cabaret duo. In Cardiff tomorrow; Cardigan on Sat 7.

Will Franken + Phil Evans + Charlie Smith Maesteg Town Hall. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 01656 733700.

March’s edition of the Clown’s Pocket comedy night.

Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Mor Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01970 623232.

THURSDAY 5 Anton & Erin St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50£44. Info 029 2087 8444.

Ballroom dancing couple of our hearts.

Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 7) Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru,

stage Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 7) Dark Vanilla Jungle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. (Until Sat 7) David Trent + Steve Williams + Clint Edwards Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Comedy Carousel night.

I, Merlin Paget Rooms, Penarth. 7pm, £9/£8. Info 029 2071 3546. Musical retelling of a Celtic legend, devised by Katherine Cole and accompanied by contemporary music.

(Until Sat 7) Nursing Lives Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.45pm, £8-£12.50. Info 01646 695267. Vamos Theatre present a love story set in THATCHER’S BRITAIN. On tomorrow also.

Of Mice & Men The Riverfront, Newport. 1pm, £6-£12.50. Info 01633 656757.

Presented by Tin Shed Theatre. (Until Sat 7) Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged) Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.45pm, £10/£8.

Info 01686 614555. Written about in Stage last month. In Newport on Tue 10; Cardigan on Thurs 26; Brecon on Fri 27; Llanelli Sat 28.

Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12£31.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 7) The Canterville Ghost Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. Stage adaption of the Oscar Wilde story. (Until Sat 7) The Experimentrics Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

1.30 + 7pm, £5-£8. Info 01495 227206. Afternoon performance is for schools.

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

The Mr & Mrs Clark Medicine Show Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

The Wearable Art Show Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Costume performance with dance, light and sound, inspired by Ravel. On tomorrow also.

FRIDAY 6 Alexei Sayle Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 01792 863722.

Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 7) Bouncers Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £13/£12.

Info 01239 621200. John Godber’s play, presented by Frapetus. In Ystradgynlais on Thurs 12; Carmarthen on Fri 13; Newtown on Sat 14.

Contemporary Opera Scenes Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Presented by Music Theatre Wales. On tomorrow also.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 7) Danny Deegan + Tiernan Douieb + Ray Peacock Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 0845 2263510. Comedy Club night.

Dark Vanilla Jungle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029

2030 4400. (Until Sat 7) David Trent + Steve Williams + Ian Coppinger + Alex Boardman Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £15/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also.

Drones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 20.

I, Merlin Paget Rooms, Penarth. 7pm, £9/£8. Info 029 2071 3546. (Until Sat 7) Nursing Lives Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.45pm, £8-£12.50. Info 01646 695267.

Of Mice & Men The Riverfront, Newport. 10am, 1pm + 7.45pm, £6-£12.50.

Info 01633 656757. (Until Sat 7) Playing ‘The Maids’ Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01970 623232. Theatrical teamup of The Llanarth Group (Wales), Gaitkrash (Cork) and Theatre P’yut (Seoul).

Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15.50£34.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 7) ‘Stute Comedy Nights Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £12/£11 adv. Info 01495 227206.

The Canterville Ghost Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. (Until Sat 7) The Wearable Art Show Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 4 + 7.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

SATURDAY 7 Blasted Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. (Finishes today) Broken Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01970 623232. Dance production by Motionhouse.

Chicken Licken Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 11am, £7 adv. Info 01656 815995. Kids’ theatre presented by DNA Puppetry.

Contemporary Opera Scenes Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

2.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£25. Info 029 2064 6900. (Finishes today) Dark Vanilla Jungle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

2.30 + 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. (Finihes today) David Trent + Steve Williams + Ian Coppinger + Alex Boardman Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £17.50/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400.

Erich McElroy Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £15. Info 08700 111960. With more comedians TBC. I, Merlin Paget Rooms, Penarth. 2 + 7pm, £9/£8.

Info 029 2071 3546. (Finishes today) Jethro Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £19.50/£18.50. Info 01874 611622.

Let The YFC Entertain You Grand Theatre, Swansea.

11am + 6pm, from £10. Info 01792 475715. Various panto performances by farmers. On tomorrow also.

Lewis Schaffer Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 8pm, free. Info 0845 2263510.

UK-based US comedian doing his Free Until Famous set,

where you pay what you deem it worth at the end.

Lloyd Langford Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £12/£10 adv.

Info 0845 2263510.

Max Boyce Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01495 355800.

Of Mice & Men The Riverfront, Newport. 1 + 7.45pm, £6-£12.50. Info 01633 656757. (Finishes today) Rigoletto St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£32. Info 029 2087 8444. First of two Verdi operas, the other (La Traviata) being tomorrow. *Simon Munnery Sings Søren Kierkegaard Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £10-£12. Info 029 2030 4400. I love Simon Munnery.

I could potentially love Kierkegaard too, but I’ve never read him. Being able to lie about doing so would open a lot of doors for me though, I imagine.

Spamalot New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £13£34.50. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Finishes today) *Stewart Lee Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £25/£23.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Presenting a new set, A Room With A Stew, which you will apparently hear much of on the next series of his Comedy Vehicle.

The Canterville Ghost Dolman Theatre, Newport.

2.30 + 7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670.

(Finishes today) The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Victoria Hall, Llanwrtyd Wells. 7.30pm. Info 01591 610487.

The Mr & Mrs Clark Medicine Show Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 01239 615952.

The Orgasmatron Strikes Back St. Peters Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £13 adv. Info www. cardiffcabaretclub.com. Scifi-themed burlesque from Cardiff Cabaret Club, featuring turns from Doc Leroc, Jo MoJo and Velveteen Hussey.

Tudur Owen Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron.

7.30pm, £6-£8. Info 01570 470697. Welsh language standup.

SUNDAY 8 La Traviata St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15-£32. Info 029 2087 8444.

Let The YFC Entertain You Grand Theatre, Swansea.

11am + 6.30pm, from £10.

Info 01792 475715.

Live Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863.

MONDAY 9 Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11/£9. Info 01646 695267. Cole Porter musical, presented by Milford Haven Amateur Operatic Society.

(Until Sat 14) Caterpillar Comedy Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933. Open mic standup night hosted

by James Dunn (taking over from Jordan Brookes).

Grav Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Wed 11) International Women’s Day PerformanceThe Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £1.

Info 01633 656757. Dance, music, spoken word and film screenings will be included here.

TUESDAY 10 Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11/£9. Info 01646 695267. (Until Sat 14) Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 01970 623232. I just realised that ‘engage’ works as a pun, because it’s a rugby term, but Gareth Thomas also got ‘engaged’ to his girlfriend.

Nice one. (Until Sat 14) Edward Scissorhands Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £17-£32.

Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront. (Until Sat 14) Grav Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Wed 11) Hamlet New Theatre,

This particular performance, however, is for the parents, so they can be assured that their children are in safe hands and will definitely stay away from drugs.

THURSDAY 12 Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01646 695267. (Until Sat 14) Bouncers The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7.30pm, £9/£7.

Info 01639 843163.

Craig Murray + Lee Ridley + Chris Brooker Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.15pm, £8-£12. Info 01834 869323. Comedy Club night.

Ridley is also known as Lost Voice Guy, because he can’t speak and uses an iPad instead.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Aberystwyth Comedy Club night at Arts Centre.

7.30pm, Narberth Queens Hall £7.50-£15.

Info 01970 on Thurs 12 features 623232.

Sat sets from Craig Murray, (Until 14) Chris Brooker and Lee Edward

'Lost Voice Guy' Ridley.

Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50£26. Info 029 2087 8889.

Presented by Clwyd Theatr Cymru. (Until Sat 14) Long Live The Little Knife Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon.

8pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. See Stage. In Llanelli tomorrow; Pontardawe on Thurs 12; Newport Fri 13.

Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged) Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2039 1391.

The Royal Bed Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£12. Info 01239 621200.

WEDNESDAY 11 Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01646 695267. (Until Sat 14) Copacabana Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £19.50£31.50. Info 01792 475715.

(Until Sat 14) Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 01970 623232. (Until Sat 14) Edward Scissorhands Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £17-£32.

Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 14) Grav Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2064 6900. (Finishes today) Hamlet New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £8.50-£26. Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 14) Long Live The Little Knife Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

Urdd County Dance Eisteddfod Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 2 + 4pm, £5. Info 01686 614555.

Wings To Fly Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £5/£3. Info 01495 227206.

Commissioned by Gwent Police, this is a play about the dangers of drug abuse that every kid who lives in Blackwood is made to go and watch aged 10, kind of like Caerphilly Borough’s version of a bar mitzvah.

Scissorhands Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £17-£32.

Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 14) Gary Delaney + Dave Twentyman + Bethan Roberts Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £10/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. (Until Sat 14) Grav Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £12/£10.

Info 01873 850805.

Hamlet New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50-£26.

Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 14) Herstory Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.45pm, £10/£7.50. Info 01646 695267.

Solo performance from Zosia Jo. On tomorrow also.

Hitch Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.15pm, £14/£12. Info 029 2039 1391.

Joe Longthorne Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £19-£22. Info 01656 815995.

Long Live The Little Knife Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10/£8/£5 NUS. Info 01792 863722.

Lloyd Langford Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

8pm, £6.50-£13. Info 01970 623232.

Macbeth Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7-£13. Info 01792 602060.

Presented by Tara Arts in association with Queen’s Hall Arts and Black Theatre Live.

(Until Sat 14) TÂN The Met, Abertillery.

7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01495 355800. New double bill from award-winning choreographer Sandra Harnisch-Lacey. In Cardiff on Wed 18; Newtown on Fri 20.

Ted Shiress + Chris Chopping + Liam Schewitz + Charlie Smith + Mat Troy + Charlie Webster + Trevor J Williams CF24 Project, Roath, Cardiff. 7pm, £2. Info 029 2115 9063. Standup comics, lots of them.

Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Môr Sherman Cymru, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7.50-£22. Info 029 2064 6900. On tomorrow also.

FRIDAY 13 Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01646 695267. (Until Sat 14) Bouncers Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

Ceri Dupree Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £15/£13 adv. Info 01639 763214.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 01970 623232. (Until Sat 14) Dreams Dance School: It’s Showtime! Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £5-£8. Info 01239 621200. Dance showcase, on tomorrow also.

Edward Scissorhands Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £19-£42.

Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 14) Grav Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron. 7.30pm, £8-£10. Info 01570 470697.

Gary Delaney + Dave Twentyman + Johnny Awsum + Eric Lalor Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £15/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. (Until Sat 14) Hamlet New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50-£26.

Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 14) Herstory Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.45pm, £10/£7.50. Info 01646 695267.

Jimmy Cricket Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 6.30pm, £10/£7. Info 01982 552555.

Comic Relief special.

Long Live The Little Knife The Riverfront, Newport.

7.45pm, £10/£8.50. Info 01633 656757. On tomorrow also.

Macbeth Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7-£13. Info 01792 602060.

(Until Sat 14) Stephen Grant + Sean Meo + Jonathan Mayor Tiger Tiger, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info 029 2039 1944. The first of two Manford (as in Jason) Comedy Nights here this month, the other being on Fri 20.

The Fairy Queen The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2048 3344. Presented by Cardiff University Operatic Society. On tomorrow also.

The Unremarkable Death Of Marilyn Monroe Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01600 772467.

One-woman show, part of the Monmouth Women’s Festival.

The Vagina Monologues Ffwrn, Fishguard. 7.30pm, £6.

Info 01834 869323. Presented

by Span Arts and the Pembrokeshire Pulinkas.

Westenders Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16/£14. Info 029 2039 1391. Songs from the musicals.

Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Môr Sherman Cymru, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7.50-£22. Info 029 2064 6900.

SATURDAY 14 Andy Parsons Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £15. Info 01600 772467.

Set to “unload both barrels at British political and public life,” according to the press material, so if you’re undecided on whether Eric Pickles is fat, or if UKIP have questionable attitudes to foreigners, let Andy be your spirit guide.

Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01646 BUZZ BUZZ67 67

stage 695267. (Finishes today) Bouncers Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.45pm, £10/£8.

Info 01686 614555.

Captain Flynn & The Pirate Dinosaurs Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

2.30pm, £7.50. Info 01873 850805.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 01970 623232. (Finishes today) Dreams Dance School: It’s Showtime! Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 2.30 + 7pm, £5-£8.

Info 01239 621200.

Edward Scissorhands Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £19-£42. Info 029 2063 6464.

(Finishes today) Gary Delaney + Dave Twentyman + Johnny Awsum + Eric Lalor Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £17.50/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. (Finishes today) Grav Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01874 611622.

Hamlet New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £9-£26. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Finishes today) Long Live The Little Knife The Riverfront, Newport.

7.45pm, £10/£8.50. Info 01633 656757.

Macbeth Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7-£13. Info 01792 602060.

7pm, from £15. Info 08700 111960.

SUNDAY 15 A Regular Little Houdini Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01600 772467.

Brendan Cole: A Night To Remember Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £22.50-£37.50.

Info 029 2063 6464.

Live Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863.

The Eagle & The Owl Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

2pm, £4-£8. Info 01970 623232. Triptych will tell this old Welsh folktale and share springtime songs and rhymes.

MONDAY 16 Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Mor Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

On tomorrow also.

TUESDAY 17 Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. Subtitled ‘The Classic Story’. (Until Sat 28) Dreaming In Code Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 01970 623232. Dance production, courtesy of the 2Faced Dance Company. In Swansea on Thurs 19.

Hamlet Grand Theatre,

(Until Sat 21) The Harri Parris: The Big Day Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £12. Info 0800 0147111.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18£40. Info 029 2087 8889. Max respect to the New Theatre this month for having a full bill of productions which I don’t consider necessary to describe to you. (Until Sat 28) Y Fenyw Ddaeth O’r Mor Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £15/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

WEDNESDAY 18 Carl Hutchinson + Ahir Shah + Hayley Ellis Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £8/£6.

Info 029 2039 1391. Comedy night.

Carnival Of The Animals Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

10.30am + 1.30pm, £15. Info 01686 614555. Interactive concert for primary schools.

Comedy Den Porters, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Hosted

by Charlie Smith; with standsups TBC. Dirty Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £2.50-£5. Info 01970 623232. See Stage.

Hamlet Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £11.50£17.50. Info 01792 475715.

(Until Sat 21) Joseph And The Amazing

THE HARRI-PARRIS: THE BIG DAY Various venues across Wales, until Sat 4 Apr. Tickets: £5-£14 (check with venues). Info: twitter.com/theharri_parris You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll believe that no place on earth is more riotous than rural Wales. The Harri-Parris are a fictional farming family from Pembrokeshire whose idiosyncracies have previously been showcased in The Harri-Parris: The Leaving Do, a comedy musical. For 2015, their adventures continue, with the wedding of daughter Anni Harri-Parri; it’s the eve of the nuptials, and the family still haven’t met the groom-to-be. Honouring the tradition of dastardly theatre villains, he’s an English, vegetarian indie musician. Jeer his ethical choices and accidents of birth in the following towns this month: Cardigan (Tue 3), Llanelli (Thurs 5), Llanwrtyd Wells (Sat 7), Aberdare (Tue 17), Newport (Wed 18), Pontardawe (Thurs 19), Dyffryn Aeron (Fri 20), Aberystwyth (Sat 21), Abergavenny (Fri 27), Newtown (Sat 28) and Cardiff (Tue 31-Sat 4 Apr).

(Finishes today) The Fairy Queen The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2048 3344.

The Royal Bed Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells.

7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01982 552555.

Windsor + Mark Simmonds + Robert White Jongleurs, Cardiff.

BUZZ 68

Swansea. 7.30pm, £11.50£17.50. Info 01792 475715. As performed by Clwyd Theatr Cymru’s capable actors.

(Until Sat 21) Measure For Measure Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2030 4400. The Everyman Theatre Company do Shakespeare.

Technicolour Dreamcoat Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7.15pm, £9/£8. Info 01633 868239. Presented by the Congress Youth Theatre.

(Until Sat 21) Lloyd Langford Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01495 227206.

Measure For Measure Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2030 4400. (Until Sat 21) Rich Hall Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £8-£16. Info 01970 623232. Touring a new show, 3:10 To Humour. In Cardigan on Tue 24.

TÂN The Gate, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2048 3344.

The Forbidden Door Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01873 850805.

Tale-telling from Daniel Morden and his band of virtuoso musicians, The Devil’s Violin.

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day The Riverfront, Newport.

7.45pm, £10/£8.50. Info 01633 656757.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £14-£40. Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 28) Victoria-George Veale School Of Dance Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

THURSDAY 19 Angela Barnes + Steve Shanyaski + Clint Edwards Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £10/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Comedy Carousel night.

BBC Young Dancer 2015: Contemporary The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 656757.

First of four category finals here in the next four days.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) Dreaming In Code Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £8-£13. Info 01792 602060.

Elizabeth I: Virgin On The Ridiculous Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.45pm, £12/£10. Info 01646 695267.

Zany historical play, presented by Living Spit.

Flying Cow The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 10.30am, £5.

Info 01639 843163.

Hamlet Grand Theatre, Swansea. 12 + 7.30pm, £11.50-£17.50. Info 01792 475715. (Until Sat 21) Hitch Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 01970 623232. Presented by the Mary Bijou Cabaret And Social Club.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7.15pm, £9/£8. Info 01633 868239. (Until Sat 21) Lloyd Langford Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01656 815995.

Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £9. Info 029 2063 6464. English language adaption of Manfred Karge’s 1982 play. Opening night cheap price. (Until Fri 27) Measure For Measure Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2030 4400. (Until Sat 21) The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10/£8/£5 NUS. Info 01792 863722.

The Mayor’s Variety Spectacular Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01600 772467.

The Origin Of Species...

Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01495 227206. A musical comedy about Charles Darwin.

The Royal Bed The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £10/£8.

Info 01495 355800.

The Sound Of Music New

Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £14-£40. Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 28) FRIDAY 20 Angela Barnes + Steve Shanyaski + Gareth Richards Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £15/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also.

Around The World The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50/£5.50 adv. Info 029 2048 3344. Broadway Dance Society’s dance showcase. On tomorrow also.

BBC Young Dancer 2015: Hip-Hop The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 656757.

Bluestocking Lounge: Clwb Kaboom Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £8. Info 0845 2263510. Featuring Kitty Kane, Lily Laudanum and hosts DeeDeeDeLa Rouge and Dawn.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5 + 8pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) Drones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400.

Hamlet Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £11.50£17.50. Info 01792 475715.

(Until Sat 21) John Shuttleworth Pontardawe Arts Centre.

8pm, £15/£13 adv. Info 01792 863722.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7.15pm, £9/£8. Info 01633 868239. (Until Sat 21) Lloyd Langford Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 0800 0147111.

Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Fri 27) Measure For Measure Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

2.30 + 7.30pm, £10/£6 matinee. Info 029 2030 4400.

(Finishes today) Paul F Taylor + Rob Deering + Vince Atta + Colin Manford Tiger Tiger, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv.

Info 029 2039 1944.

Swansea University Dance Society Annual Showcase Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01792 602060. On tomorrow also.

TÂN Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £12/£8.

Info 01686 614555.

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron. 7.30pm, £8-£10. Info 01570 470697.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23-£45. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 28) Tudur Owen Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £4-£8.

Info 01970 623232.

Wilde Without The Body Miners Theatre, Ammanford.

7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Dramatic adaption of De Profundis, aka the letter Wilde wrote to his lover from Reading’s goal – he was the Royals’ keeper for a brief period in the 1890s, and a lull in play during one match gave him time to jot down some thoughts.

SATURDAY 21 Aladdin Blake Theatre, Monmouth. 3pm, £16/£15/£12 under-16s. Info 01600 719401. Ballet, presented by Ballet Theatre UK. Angela Barnes + Steve

Shanyaski + Gareth Richards Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £17.50/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400.

Annie Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £5-£8. Info 01239 621200. Presented by Dynamix Performing Arts School. (Until Mon 23) Around The World The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50/£5.50 adv. Info 029 2048 3344.

BBC Young Dancer 2015: South Asian The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 656757.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £25£80. Info 029 2063 6464.

(Until Sat 28) Hamlet Grand Theatre, Swansea. 2 + 7.30pm, £11.50-£17.50. Info 01792 475715. (Finishes today) Herstory + The Other And Me Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £8-£11.50. Info 029 2063 6464. National Dance Company Wales with two solo performances. On tomorrow also.

John Shuttleworth Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £13. Info 01646 695267. Someone sell me the Jilted John LP please.

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

2 + 7.15pm, £9/£8. Info 01633 868239. (Finishes today) Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Fri 27) Sally-Anne Hayward + Peter White + Peter Francis Jongleurs, Cardiff.

7pm, from £15. Info 08700 111960.

Swansea University Dance Society Annual Showcase Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01792 602060.

The Basil Brush Show Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

11am + 2.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 01686 614555. “I’m just surprised that Basil Brush hasn’t been taken in for questioning by Operation Yewtree yet!” – you trying to write jokes for these listings. In Aberysywyth tomorrow.

The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £6-£12. Info 01970 623232.

The Rat Pack: Vegas Spectacular Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £20. Info 0845 2263510.

The Royal Bed Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23-£45. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 28) SUNDAY 22 59th Lord Mayor’s Matinee St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 2pm, £12/£7. Info 029 2087 8444. Variety show.

Annie Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 1.30pm, £5-£8.

Info 01239 621200. (Until Mon 23) BBC Young Dancer 2015: Ballet The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 656757.

Herstory + The Other And Me Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4pm, £8-£11.50.

Info 029 2063 6464.

Live Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863.

Milkshake Party Party

stage Live Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 1 + 3.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01639 763214. Kids’ show.

Rhythm Of Life Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 6pm, £9.50/£8. Info 01656 815995.

Presented by the Sarah Burnell School Of Dance.

The Basil Brush Show Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

11am, £7-£14. Info 01970 623232.

MONDAY 23 Annie Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £5-£8. Info 01239 621200. (Finishes today) Cave Comedy Radio Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. Live show for comedy/horror podcast folks.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) Groundswell: Who’s Up? Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £10.30. Info 01792 475715. Youth dance showcase.

Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Fri 27) Newport Schools Dance Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £4. Info 01633 656757. (Until Thurs 26) The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18-£40. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 28) TUESDAY 24 A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Leviathan Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900. See Stage for more. Price includes a pie and a pint. (Until Sat 28) Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £12/£9/£6 schools. Info 0800 0147111.

On tomorrow also.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) Flying Cow Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400. Dutch kids’ theatre company De Stilte with an introduction to dance for the young. In Abergavenny on Thurs 26; Swansea on Sat 28.

Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Fri 27) Max Boyce Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01495 227206.

Newport Schools Dance Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £4. Info 01633 656757. (Until Thurs 26) Piste Off Comedy Club Face 11, Cathays, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info 029 2022 8221. Here on the third Tuesday of every month.

Apart from this month.

Rich Hall Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 8pm, £16. Info 01239 621200.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. The Other Room present Howard Barker’s unflinching play about “the worst news there has ever been”. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Royal Bed Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18-£40. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 28)

WEDNESDAY 25 A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Leviathan Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 28) Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

8pm, £11. Info 01792 475715.

Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 1 + 7.30pm, £12/£9/£6 schools. Info 0800 0147111.

High School Musical Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. Featuring students from Stagecoach Carmarthen & Haverfordwest. (Until Sun 29) Newport Schools Dance Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £4. Info 01633 656757. (Until Thurs 26) Of Mice & Men Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Presented by the Tin Shed Theatre Company.

On tomorrow also, and in Cardiff Bay on Fri 27.

Puppetry Of The Penis Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £19.50. Info 01792 475715. The word ‘puppetry’ gets funnier the more you look at it – as does this show. At least, I’d have to assume so.

Rich Hall Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 8pm.

Info 01982 552555. Sold out.

Sister Act Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. Musical, presented here by the New Venture Players. (Until Sat 28) The Circus Of Horrors St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £18-£25. Info 029 2087 8444.

Subtitled Night Of The Zombie, and additionally slapped with a warning that it contains swears and nakedness. On tomorrow also.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £14-£40. Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 28) Walking Mad + Tuplet + Mythology Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £15/£10.

Info 0845 2263510. National Dance Company Wales triple bill. On tomorrow also.

Withering Looks Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01646 695267. A theatrical spoof of Wuthering Heights, for some reason. In Llanelli tomorrow.

You Have To Be Mad To Work Here... Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £2.50£5. Info 01970 623232. See Stage.

THURSDAY 26 A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Leviathan Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 28) Chris Chopping Dempseys, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£5 adv.

Info 029 2023 9253. Comedy Sheep night with more acts TBC. Class Act Theatre School 15th Anniversary Show Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 01792 863722.

(Until Sat 28) Comedy Club Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £5-£10.

Info 01970 623232. Featuring Gary Delaney, Kiri Pritchard Mclean and Fin Taylor.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£80. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) Flying Cow Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 4pm, £5/adults free. Info 01873 850805.

High School Musical Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. (Until Sun 29) Iain Stirling + Carl Donnelly + Clint Edwards Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £10/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Comedy Carousel night.

Johnny & The Dead Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £4.25-£8.50.

Info 01970 623232. Terry Pratchett story, presented

by Aberystwyth Arts Centre Youth Theatre. (Until Sat 28) Logic Of Nothing The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £10/£8.50. Info 01633 656757.

Circus theatre presented by PanGottic.

Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Fri 27) Newport Schools Dance Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £4. Info 01633 656757. (Finishes today) Of Mice & Men Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged) Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £16/£15.

Info 01239 621200.

Sing-A-Long-A-Sound Of Music Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £16/£13.

Info 01792 475715. This is obviously better than a performance like the one below, where professionals handle the singing. Similarly, I only eat in restaurants where they let you cook the food yourself.

Sister Act Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. (Until Sat 28) Sport Cardiff Dance Competition The Gate, Cardiff. 4.30pm, £3/free under-16s. Info 029 2048 3344.

The Circus Of Horrors St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £18-£25. Info 029 2087 8444.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Forbidden Door Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £5-£12. Info 01834 869323.

Multimedia storytelling show courtesy of The Devil’s Violin.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £14-£40. Info 029 2087 8889. (Until Sat 28) Walking Mad + Tuplet + Mythology Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1pm, £15/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

Withering Looks Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01495 227206.

FRIDAY 27 A Play, A Pie And A Pint: Leviathan Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900. (Until Sat 28) Class Act Theatre School 15th Anniversary Show Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 01792 863722.

(Until Sat 28) Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5 + 8.30pm, £20-£80.

Info 029 2063 6464. (Until Sat 28) High School Musical Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845

2263510. (Until Sun 29) Iain Stirling + Carl Donnelly + Liam Williams + Jojo Smith Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £15/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also Joe Lycett + Junior Simpson + Charlie Baker The Riverfront, Newport.

7.45pm, £12. Info 01633 656757. Comedy Shed night.

Johnny & The Dead Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £4.25-£8.50. Info 01970 623232. (Until Sat 28) Man To Man Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £14. Info 029 2063 6464. (Finishes today) Of Mice & Men Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2 + 8pm, £8. Info 029 2087 7959.

Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged) Theatr Brychieniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £16/£15. Info 01874 611622.

Sister Act Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. (Until Sat 28) Swan Lake Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £17.50£23.50. Info 01792 475715.

Presented by Moscow Ballet.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01873 850805.

The Royal Bed Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7-£11. Info 01792 602060.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23-£45. Info 029 2087 8889.

(Until Sat 28) SATURDAY 28 Alan Carr Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £30. Info 01656 815995. Sold out.

Alan Davies Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25.50/£20.50. Info 01792 475715. Looks like Shearer will be the only comedy Alan on TV tonight.

Andy Fairweather-Low Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale.

7.30pm, £20/£18 adv. Info 01495 355800.

A Play, A Pie And A Pint: Leviathan Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2064 6900. (Finishes today) Class Act Theatre School 15th Anniversary Show Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 01792 863722.

(Finishes today) Dance Ad-diction Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50.

Info 029 2064 6900. Studio One dance school with a dance/vocal show “celebrating the music which has entered our consciousness through the power of advertising”.

Dirty Dancing Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £25£80. Info 029 2063 6464.

(Finishes today) Faust Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £19.50/£17.50. Info 01646 695267. Presented by Swansea City Opera.

Flying Cow Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 4.30pm, £7.50. Info 01792 602060.

High School Musical Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. (Until Sun 29) Iain Stirling + Carl Donnelly + Liam

Williams + Jojo Smith Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £17.50/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400.

Ignite Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10/£7. Info 029 2063 6464.

Youth dance showcase.

India Dance Wales: Shishya 2015 The Gate,

Pirate Dinosaurs The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 3pm, £7-£10. Info 01639 843163.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) TUESDAY 31

Cult 90s comedy duo Lee & Herring are in Cardiff this month, a mere 24 days apart from one another. Stewart Lee roadtests new material at the Wales Millennium Centre on Sat 7; Richard Herring brings his Lord Of The Dance Settee show to St David's Hall on Tue 31.

Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.50-£8.50.

Info 029 2048 3344.

Interference Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 12.30pm, £6/£4.50. Info 01792 475715.

Fluellen lunchtime theatre show.

Johnny & The Dead Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £4.25-£8.50. Info 01970 623232. (Finishes today) Patrick Rolnik + Phil Dinsdale + John Hastings Jongleurs, Cardiff.

7pm, from £15. Info 08700 111960.

Reduced Shakespeare Company In The Complete History Of Comedy (Abridged) Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12/£10.

Info 0845 2263510.

Sammy & The Snow Leopard Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 11am + 2pm, £7 adv. Info 01656 815995. Kids’ theatre.

Sister Act Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. (Finishes today) The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.45pm, £10/£8.

Info 01686 614555.

The Royal Bed Theatr Felinfach, Dyffryn Aeron.

7.30pm, £8-£10. Info 01570 470697.

The Sound Of Music New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £23-£45. Info 029 2087 8889. (Finishes today) Trash Dollys The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, pay by donation. Info 01497 821762. Cabaret dance.

SUNDAY 29 Dance Ad-diction Sherman Cymru, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50.

Info 029 2064 6900.

Dylan Moran Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £25. Info 029 2063 6464. See Upfront.

High School Musical Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. (Finishes today) Whatever The Weather Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

2pm, £4-£8. Info 01970 623232. Family show. In Newtown on Tue 31.

Animal Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

8.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. A reworking of Euripides’ The Bacchae, written by Melissa Bubnic. One of four plays starting here today.

(Until Fri 3 Apr) Boxy & Sticky Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 11am + 3pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400. Kids’ show for 2-5-year-olds. (Until Thurs 2 Apr) Carol Goode With Expressions School Of Dance Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £8.50/£7.50.

Info 01633 868239. Dance school recital. (Until Fri 3 Apr) Growth Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. New play about “fear, hope, denial, love and loss”.

(Until Fri 3 Apr) Richard Herring St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2087 8444. Presenting new show Lord Of The Dance Settee, “a show about daftness”.

Ring Ring Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. A modern day version of La Ronde, written by Gary Owen. (Until Fri 3 Apr) Saturday Night Fever New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12-£31. Info 029 2087 8889.

Brand new production of this musical version of the movie.

(Until Sat 4 Apr) That’ll Be The Day Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23/£20. Info 01792 475715.

The Dying Of Today Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.£10. Info info@porterscardiff.com. (Until Sat 11 Apr) The Endless Ocean Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Brad Birch and National Theatre Wales’ play about a couple who abandon their daughter and disappear.

(Until Fri 3 Apr) The Harri-Parris: The Big Day Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £10-£14. Info 029 2030 4400. (Until Sat 4 Apr) Whatever The Weather Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

1.30pm, £7. Info 01686 614555.

MONDAY 30 Captain Flinn & The BUZZ 69

competitions WONNY LEA AND CATHRIN COLLIER BOOKS In tribute to our big book issue we’ve got a big book competition, as Accent Press have donated two book from local authors to give away. We have a copy of Cardiffian crime writer Wonny Lea’s novel The Coppers Field Murder – a thrilling murder mystery ensues when the tranquil nature of Bute Park is disturbed by the discovery of a dead body – and two copies of Catrin Collier’s Long Road To Baghdad, which tells a tale of forbidden love thrown into turmoil by the political tensions in the Middle East circa 1914.

Q: Where was writer Catrin Collier born?

LEE SCRATCH PERRY TICKETS

The godfather of dub, the high priest of reggae, the true Jamaican legend... pick a title for Perry and it is likely accurate. The former Bob Marley producer will be performing at Cardiff’s Portland House on Sun 5 Apr. To win two tickets, just answer the following question before Sun 29 Mar. Q: What was Perry’s birth name?

TICKETS TO TEDXCARDIFF

TedxCardiff returns to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay this month, with a programme designed to inspire discussion and to promote ‘ideas worth spreading’.If you want to be in with the chance to win two tickets to the event on Sat 28 Mar, just answer this question before Wed 18 Mar. Q: What are the names of two founders of TedxCardiff?

TICKETS TO WALES GOES POP! Fancy a weekend of pop? From Fri 3 to Sun 5 Apr, Wales Goes Pop! will be showcasing top indie talent drawn from around the world, at The Gate in Cardiff. To win two tickets, just answer the following question before Wed 25 Mar. Q: Who was the first Welsh singer to reach no. 1 in the UK chart?

TICKETS TO MAN TO MAN

This touching one-woman play about a widow who takes on her late husband’s identity is coming to the Wales Millennium Centre from Fri 20 until Fri 27 Mar. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets for Mon 23 Mar, just answer the following question before Thurs 12 Mar. Q: Man To Man is being shown as part of what festival?

TICKETS TO CIRQUE ELOISE: CIRKOPOLIS

A mix of circus, dance and theatre, Cirkopolis will see acrobats take on the monotomy of living in an industrial city. To win a pair of tickets to the opening night on Wed 8 Apr, just answer the question below.

Q: What does Éloize mean in Acadian French?

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER TICKETS

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin’ alive! Stayin’ alive!”. The ultimate disco show, Saturday Night Fever, will be busting moves at Cardiff’s New Theatre from Tue 31 Mar. To win two tickets to the opening night, just answer the following question before Fri 20 Mar. Q: Where were the Bee Gees born?

FREE EARTH HOUR T-SHIRT

Environmentalists and nature lovers can win a t-shirt while supporting the international environmental movement Earth Hour. If you fancy shutting off your devices for an hour and want to admire your new shirt in candlelight, just answer this question.

Q: What is the animal symbol of WWF?

RETURN OF THE GRUMPY OLD WOMEN TICKETS

Perrier award-winning comedian Jenny Éclair will be coming along to the Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot, on Thurs 30 Apr (with her pals Susie Blake and Kate Robbins) for some hilarious ranting. To win a pair of tickets just answer this question.

Q: Éclair starred in which ITV drama?

THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN DVD

The latest film to star the controversial actor Shia LaBeouf, this is a love story with ample violence and X-rated scenes. To win a copy on DVD, just answer the following question.

Q: Which music video did LaBeouf recently appear in?

CARDIFF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FESTIVAL TICKETS

Stories and literary adventure await the children of Cardiff from Tue 24 to Sun 29 Mar as the Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival hosts over 50 events.

To win a pair of tickets to the festival event of your choice, just answer the following question before Mon 16 Mar. Q: Where in Cardiff was literary great Roald Dahl born in?

Please email your answers, name, address, Twitter username (if you have one) and contact number to competitions@buzzmag.co.uk by Sun 1 Mar unless otherwise stated. T&Cs: WE DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR THESE COMPETITIONS TO BE REPLICATED OR SHARED ANYWHERE ONLINE.

BUZZ 70

Your career starts here 94% of our graduates secure employment or enter further study within six months of graduation* *DLHE 2013

With career focused courses in:

cardiffmet.ac.uk Open Days: www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/opendays

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Martin Brown, Emma Dodd,

Heather Dyer, Mererid Hopwood, Petr HorĂĄÄ?ek, Jonathan Meres,

Lydia Monks, Shoo Rayner,

Eurig Salisbury ...and many more!

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