Buzz Magazine November 2019

WHAT’S ON NOVEMBER 2019

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Ranulph

Fiennes Living Dangerously +HIS DARK MATERIALS Philip Pullman’s novels finally get the screen adaptation they deserve FREYA RIDINGS | KATE TEMPEST | JONATHAN PIE | HANGOVER CURES ART | CULTURE | MUSIC | FILM | FOOD+DRINK |

SPORT

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ECO

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LIFESTYLE

buzz... publisher EMMA CLARK editor FEDOR TOT listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER advertising EMMA CLARK accounts TERESA CLARK design LEMONDOGCREATIVE.UK contributors KEIRON SELF (FILMS), CHRIS ANDREWS, SOPHIE BATES, JOHN-PAUL DAVIES, MORGAN DEVINE, CHLOE EDWARDS, EMILY EDWARDS, ELIN EVANS, RHYS FISHER, NEIL GOODMAN, BETH GOODWIN, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, THEO HUNG, PAUL JENKINS, FELIX JONES, GARETH KENT, MATT LEE, JOHN MCLOUGHLIN, LUCY MENON, GARETH MOULE, LYNDA NASH, DAVID NOBAKHT, ALEX PAYNE, LAUREN PHILLIMORE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, ALISON POWELL, CAMPBELL PROSSER, SAM PRYCE, RHONDA LEE REALI, JOSH REES, CLAUDIA RUTHERFORD, OWEN SCOURFIELD, CHRIS SEAL, WILL STEEN, CHARALAMBOS STYLIANOU, JONATHAN SUTTON, MARK TIMLIN, JAMIE WALKER, CHRIS WILLIAMS, BEN WOOLHEAD phone number 029 2022 6767 general enquiries info@buzzmag.co.uk editorial editorial@buzzmag.co.uk listings listings@buzzmag.co.uk accounts accounts@buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ MAGAZINE 220C Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff CF5 1GY published EAC PUBLISHING cover RANULPH FIENNES contents HIS DARK MATERIALS

buzzmagwales

november 2019 04roundup

“The chance to walk a mile-long after-dark trail”

12upfront

Perhaps uniquely for someone of my generation, I first heard about Ranulph Fiennes’ Antarctic expedition when reading an anthology of Class War magazine, which gratuitously insulted him for being posh. I doubt he ever saw the article, but maybe he will make time to glance at our cover feature and think back nostalgically to the day when he was interviewed by Buzz’s Carl Marsh

32film

In the process of going on TV to promote his new movie, reviewed by Keiron Self in this section, Ken Loach has become the latest ‘auteur’ director to state he does not much care for Marvel films and the like, in response to a question about whether he much cares for Marvel films and the like. This has caused some to infer that the octogenarian firebrand is merely “jumping on the bandwagon” of cinematic anti-populism, whereas I have forgotten why I started writing this contents entry

34previews

I can hear them now, “a big dinosaur skeleton isn’t an art exhibition,” “a bunch of soul singers isn’t a club night,” “correctly guess which exact content we want to absorb and also give it to us for free.”

That is what I imagine ‘engagement’ to be like when I close my eyes at night

@Buzz_Magazine

42reviews

Who has “spent almost two decades with his fingers in as many south Wales hip-hop movements and collectives as possible”? And will this revelation prove his undoing as his first album for several years is released? Find out inside

47lifestyle

Using the slightly strained excuse of it being “party season”, the food and drink subsection of this umbrella section leads with some tips on what to consume to mitigate a hangover. It seems that the Egg Council creeps may have got to writer Rhys Fisher, but the Fry-Up creeps and the Start Drinking Again When The Pubs Open creeps thankfully didn’t

61listings

Worst band names in this issue: We’ve Come To Steal Your Energy, No:ir, Beach Riot, Story Song Scientists, Spazrammer, Funky Love Posse

78competitions

As I don’t know what’s going in this section right now, let’s use it to give a big foam hand to outgoing editor Fedor for his sterling tenure and welcome incoming editor Sam, whose combined role and name is sadly not as satisfying to write as “editor Fedor”

@buzzmagwales

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www.buzzmag.co.uk BUZZ 3

What’s on our radar this month PRIMAL SCREAM

Following the release of their singles compilation, Glasgow-bred Primal Scream are set to bring a wave of music nostalgia to Cardiff University this November. Maximum Rock ‘N’ Roll is the band’s two-volume compilation, featuring classic tracks from their standout album Screamadelica and the band’s earlier days.

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Sat 23 Nov. Tickets: £27.50.

Info: 029 2078 1400 / www.cardiffstudents.com

LUMINATE WALES

The grounds of Margam Country Park will be transformed into a magical spectacle of light, and guests will have the chance to walk a mile-long after-dark trail, curving its way around the beautifully lit castle. There’ll be plenty of food and drinks to cosy up with beside the fire, and the warm glow of the enchanted grounds will be sure to get you in the festive mood.

Margam Country Park, nr Port Talbot, Fri 22 Nov-Mon 23 Dec. Tickets: £8-£12/free under-3s.

Info: 01925 450640 / www.luminatewales.com

AN EVENING WITH LENNY HENRY

Over 40 years since his career started on the New Faces talent show, Lenny Henry brings his heartwarming show Who Am I Again? to Cardiff’s Millennium Centre. Enlisting the help of the audience and trusted friend Jon Canter, the actor, writer and presenter looks back on his life, delving into lighthearted and funny memories as well as some more poignant issues.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Sat 16 Nov. Tickets: £33-£36.

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

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ADAM ANT

Adam Ant is reprising his 1982 album Friend Or Foe for his latest UK tour. The new wave icon is will stand and deliver his landmark debut solo album in its entirety for loyal fans, with tracks such as Goody Two Shoes expected, along with a selection of hits from both his solo days and as head honcho of Adam And The Ants.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 30 Nov. Tickets: £41/£37.50.

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

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is coming to Cardiff just in time for Christmas, and stars Cardiffborn actor and comedian Griff Rhys Jones, alongside Edward Baker-Duly and X-Factor winner Matt Terry. The hit Broadway musical takes the audience on a whimsical ride through Whoville, and follows the Grinch and his plans to steal Christmas – but will he succeed?

EMELI SANDÉ

Since rising to fame a decade ago, Emeli Sandé has been a mainstay on UK album charts, earning herself four Brit awards and an MBE. This winter, the songwriter brings her mix of soulful r’n’b and pop back to the Welsh capital, promising to serenade audiences with tracks from her latest album Real Life.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 22 Nov. Tickets: £38-£68 (sold out).

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

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wed 20-Sun 24 Nov. Tickets: £17.75-£48. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

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SNOW PATROL

One of the most successful British guitar bands of the 00s are back with a new UK tour, alongside the imminent release of their new Reworked album. The band will take the audience back with some of their greatest hits, so expect tracks like Chasing Cars and Take Back The City to get you on your feet.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Wed 13 Nov. Tickets: £75/£55 Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

ABERTOIR

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Tue 19-Sun 24 Nov. Tickets: £60 full pass; tickets for individual screenings available closer to the day.

Info: 01970 623232 / www.abertoir.co.uk

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS The last year or so have been pretty solid for old ravers in Cardiff, with Fatboy Slim and, prior to Keith Flint’s tragic death, The Prodigy arriving at the Motorpoint. The holy trinity of block-rocking beats is due to be completed this month, with The Chemical Brothers arriving at the same venue. Arguably the most introspective and psychedelic of the three, they’ve long since established themselves as being at the forefront of electronic dance music.

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Thurs 28 Nov. Tickets: £44-£50. Info: motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

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HUGH CORNWELL

One of the masterminds behind the Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell will be gracing Sin City on his UK tour following the release of his new album Monster. The gig promises to serve up two full sets, with Cornwell expected to play songs from the latest album along with some acoustic oldies from the Stranglers’ glory days.

Sin City, Swansea, Sat 30 Nov. Tickets: £25.

Info: 01792 468892 / www.sincityclub.co.uk

Pic: Hamish Brown

Returning for its 14th year, Wales’ premier horror festival Abertoir is a sixday spectacle in all things terrifying. Located in the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, the festival promises to thrill audiences with a selection of the latest big-budget and independent horror films.

The festival also offers concerts, theatre shows and talks from professionals in the horror industry.

CELTIC WOMAN Ancient Land 11.11.19

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL THE 80S with / gyda DJ Gary Davies & Shellyann 01.12.19

THE OVERTONES Christmas Party / Parti Nadolig 16.12.19

PRAGUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA with / gyda Ester Pavlu 08.11.19

JOHN ROBINS Hot Shame 26.11.19

LOVE ACTUALLY + Live Orchestra / Cherddorfa Lawn 25.11.19

PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA with / gyda Sayaka Shoji 27.11.19

COPPÉLIA, THE NUTCRACKER & SWAN LAKE 19.12.19 - 31.12.19

CARDIFF PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 25 Years of A Night at the Movies 06.12.19

BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES Heroes & Heartache / Arwyr & Galar 14.11.19

THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Tour 05.12.19

ONLY MEN ALOUD + John Owen-Jones & Sophie Evans 09.12.19

Pic: David Merrett

BOOK NOW JAMES ARTHUR

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Wed 4 Mar Tickets: £35.50-£53 Info: 029 2022 4488/ www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

SECRET SPACES: SARAH HORNER Hijinx are one of Wales’ leading theatre companies, producing five-star work with neurodivergent actors. Buzz caught up with new CEO Sarah Horner, set to take the troupe to greater heights.

How will your past experience with the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus Of Wales assist in your new role?

I worked at BBC NOW for just over 12 years, managing the marketing, communications and digital team. It’s been an amazing time, working on tours across the globe, developing our concert live streams, and finding new ways for audiences to engage with classical music. We’ve also done a lot of work with schools and special schools here in Wales and further afield – including Patagonia – showing how brilliant the arts can be in creating a more inclusive society. All of this feeds right into Hijinx, using the arts to connect with people and making all of our lives richer.

What do you admire about Hijinx’s work?

When I visited some of the Academy sessions, they were tremendously welcoming and open. I love the energy, boldness and variety in the work that Hijinx do; the breadth of performances and the way in which Hijinx actors help us to reimagine the world. Hijinx really do change the lives of hundreds of neurodivergent people in Wales, and impact their families and communities for good.

How do you plan to promote Hijinx’s body of work and brand in Wales and on an international platform?

Hijinx have had an incredible few years touring internationally with their productions, Meet Fred in particular, and we’ll be continuing that. Back in Wales I’m keen to promote the

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range of work that the company does, from their Academies providing professional training to almost 700 neuro-divergent actors, to Hijinx Pawb, a Wales-wide network of community drama courses for everyone who wants to act, regardless of ability or experience. Not to mention our vulnerable customers training, helping businesses to communicate well with vulnerable and neurodivergent people; and, of course, there’s Hijinx Actors, a unique Welsh casting platform for nearly 70 professionally trained actors with Down’s syndrome, Autism, Asperger’s and other learning disabilities.

What would you like to implement during your new role as CEO at Hijinx?

I think my job at Hijinx is to support our outstanding team in continuing to break down barriers and to find the opportunities for them to do that here in Wales and on the world stage. I want to see Hijinx continue to grow and flourish, changing people’s lives. Hijinx want to see a neurodivergent actor winning an Oscar by 2030.

If you could recommend one place in Wales to a first-time visitor that’s off the beaten track, where would it be and why?

I’ve just come back from a weekend in west Wales, visiting the stunning beaches at Tresaith, Aberporth, and Penbryn – the coastal path there is a gorgeous walk, best rounded off with an ice-cream on the beach.

Info: www.hijinx.org.uk

WHITNEY HOUSTON: HOLOGRAM TOUR Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Fri 6 Mar Tickets: £53-£74.50 Info: 029 2022 4488/ www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

THE SCRIPT

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Tue 10 Mar Tickets: from £27.50 Info: 029 2022 4488/ www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

THE WHO

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Mon 30 Mar Tickets: £74.50-£139.00 Info: 029 2022 4488/ www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

SIMPLE MINDS: 40 YEARS OF HITS TOUR Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Tue 14 Apr Tickets: £42-£74.50 Info: 029 2022 4488/ www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

5 - 10 November

Tachwedd

STARRING

SAMANTHA WOMACK SIMON FRIEND, AMBLIN PARTNERS AND JOSH ANDREWS

BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY PAULA HAWKINS AND DREAMWORKS FILM ADAPTED BY RACHEL WAGSTAFF & DUNCAN ABEL

WITH O L I V E R F A R N W O R T H DIRECTED BY A N T H O N Y B A N K S

21 - 23 November

12 - 16 November

Tachwedd

Tachwedd

26 - 30 November Tachwedd

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

q+a

L A N D S C A P E S O F FA I T H Wales is absolutely bursting with history, and Richard Parry aims to bring that to the fore with the Landscapes Of Faith project, engaging communities with their pasts and the contours of faith around which many towns and villages have grown. He chats to Fedor Tot. Could you tell me a bit more about how Landscapes Of Faith works?

We’re calling it a community treasure hunt. Wales is one of the only countries in the world where the government has a Faith Tourism Action Plan, which was written in 2013; it says that there are world class heritage sites here, so tourists should be seeing them. We’ll be going to communities all over south Wales and asking “What is the treasure in your area? What is the landscape of faith? What is important?”, then we’ll go off and find out what the local treasure is and tell people about it.

So what inspired this project?

My work is all about how Wales has a fabulous outlook in its understanding of community, and how community comes together in landscapes, faith and people, particularly how relationships sit in the heart of Welsh life – relationships to the landscape and how communities live in that landscape. The faith traditions stretch back to the Roman occupation and the prehistoric history of the standing stones; these are treasures which are on our doorsteps so we thought it would be good to celebrate them.

Wales has a pretty rich and interesting religious history. Was there anything in your research which surprised you or caught you off-guard?

We’re going to find out! Although I’ve done a bit of the research so I know the broad shape of the story, all the surprises are out there so we’ll know as soon as we start. I was astonished to find, for example, that in about the year 500AD, there was an BUZZ 10

international centre of learning in Llantwit Major founded by a man called Illtud, and famous names like St David studied there. This place had huge international significance 1500 years ago, so while English history talks about the Dark Ages, there was a flowering in Welsh culture.

I’ve also been astonished to find the richness in Cardiff of the worldwide faith tradition. People from all over the world have come here and brought their faith traditions and they’ve flourished in Cardiff making it an extremely international place.

This European centre sounds pretty amazing.

How do you think this history ends up flickering out of view?

I think the landscape in south Wales keeps the stories in the names of the places, and sometimes in the ruins and sometimes the buildings are still there. We want to celebrate where people have knowledge.

For example, if you think about Merthyr Tydfil, ‘Merthyr’ actually means ‘martyr’ and ‘Tydfil’ was the name of the daughter of Prince Brychan (which is where the name Brecon comes from) who had lots of children, and many of them become the names of Celtic states in south Wales. Brychan is a character who is on the edge of myth and the edge of history, because he did exist but we don’t know fully what is myth and what is history. His daughter was crossing down the valley between Aberfan and Merthyr when she encountered a band of warriors from England and was murdered, and so she becomes the Martyr Tydfil. Everybody in Merthyr knows that Tydfil was a girl, but we want to celebrate that and find out more

about her and about the culture of then, and see how her name still resonates in the landscape.

Not far from there is the Royal Palace on Lake Llangorse, which is a man-made palace in the lake called a crannog, and it’s the only one on the mainland Britain, built around the year 900 – which gives us an interesting insight into a real physical part of the past.

Do you think that smaller sites of religious history are often overlooked by tourist boards in favour of the obvious landmarks which you often get in major cities?

When people go on holiday abroad, often the thing they talk about the most is the little, out-of-theway fragment of the place that they found, or a chance encounter with somebody. I think if you’re on holiday you always want to stumble across something unique, personal and warming.

Landscapes Of Faith allows you to go to a place that perhaps isn’t on a major tourist map, but where you may discover something.

Landscapes Of Faith will launch on Fri 1 Nov via www.landscapesoffaith.org, offering a ‘treasure hunt’ aimed at getting communities and individuals involved.

Throughout the following 12 months, Parry will explore the faith-based history of south Wales, resulting in a new, comprehensive collection of resources online. Info: via the website or email sayhello@landscapesoffaith.org

THE TORCH THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS Jump aboard our magic carpet as the Torch Theatre Company invites you to a world where wishes can come true this festive season in our fun filled pantomime...

Book Today!

Starring Emma Mulkern as Aladdin, Dion Davies as Widow Twankey, and Lloyd Grayshon as the mystical Genie, take a trip to the Far East as we follow the adventures of her poor son, Aladdin, in this classic rag to riches story.

In our most magical pantomime yet, there will be plenty of comedy, outrageous costumes, thrilling musical numbers and an incredibly large pile th needs to be washed. of dirty laundry that Full of all the charm, magic and enchantment that you have come to expect from a Torch Theatre Company production, Aladdin is the high-flying pantomime that you won’t want to miss.

BSL Performance Thursday 19 December, 6.00pm | Relaxed Performance Saturday 21 December, 2.00pm BSL Interpreter - Liz May

UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS...

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SIR RANULPH FIENNES Regaling Carl Marsh with stories of his Antarctic expeditions, climbing buildings and cackling gently at Dad’s Army, living legend Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ advice for budding adventurers is not to do it alone, “because you haven’t got anybody else to blame or hate.”

Your new tour is called Living Dangerously. Do you want more people, and especially the young, to do just that?

No, you can’t generalise. I know lots of people who encourage their kids to take sensible risks and to appreciate what the word ‘sensible’ is when you combine it with the word ‘risk’.

But do you think that today’s generation has the same character and resilience that yours perhaps had? After all, in 1993 you surpassed what Ernest Shackleton attempted to do in 1914, by crossing Antarctica.

Well, when we were doing it – because you said “my generation” – we still had no polar-orbiting satellites, so there was no GPS, sat nav or sat phone. If you wanted to know the direction of travel in a white nothingness, then you would look at one watch which was on Greenwich time, and the other watch on the other wrist which was on local time, look at the sun and know which direction to head in – just as Shackleton did. So from our generation back to Shackleton’s generation, we were able to man haul the entire journey.

I set out at 15½ stone and I was down to nine stone at the halfway point, despite eating 5,000 calories a day! I was with Dr Michael Stroud, who is the senior lecturer in Stress Nutrition at Southampton University; he is an expert if anyone ever is. Basically, he concluded that if we managed to do the entire journey that Shackleton planned in approximately 1914 – and he died in 1922 – then we looked back and we could see from past scientific research over the years that yes, what you were insinuating is correct, they were basically tougher people when you consider what they had done in their youth and middle ages.

Are you saying that Shackleton and his men would have made it across Antarctica had the boat not sank?

They were tougher, and they were brought up in a tougher way, so if we could do it when we did, in the same way as they did it, then they could have crossed Antarctica.

So if Shackleton’s ship had delivered them and dropped them off on one side of the great continent instead of sinking, then all of the stuff about him not being able to do it would have been a load of rubbish because we had been able to do what he intended. All the critics have said that if his ship had not sunk, he would have died anyway, but that’s not it. We reckoned that they were tougher than us but people ‘like us’ are still going for big records, whether they are going up Mount Everest by a new route, or just going up Ben Nevis in a fog.

You mentioned one example, your body weight dropping drastically – what did you do to focus your mind and body when going through such gruelling situations?

Well, the worst is doing it on your own because you haven’t got anybody else to blame or hate. So by the end of the expedition, the question is – would you do it again with the same bloke by your side? In my case, I’ve been doing it with the same bloke for 30 years and hating him on pretty much every expedition, because of the gangrene

and the crotch rot, and the tooth fillings falling out because you’ve eaten frozen chocolate. With all of that sort of stuff, you feel horrible, and you want to stop.

If you’ve got a really competitive nature against the other person, that helps keep you competitive. You either hate him because that day he has gone too slow and you get very cold, or he is going too fast, and you reckon he is trying to show you up because different people feel physically better off on some days than others. Most of these expeditions are 100 days long.

Are there any other challenges – not necessarily related to travel and expeditions – that you are yet to conquer?

Nobody has yet crossed Antarctica during the polar winter, and that was something that we’d been looking at potentially [Fiennes made an attempt in 2012], but it’s very unlikely as the Foreign Office won’t let British citizens down there into the interior during the polar winter. Which is very sensible, because there are no rescue facilities.

You spent your early school years in South Africa before coming to England at the age of 12. When you were at school, would you say you were already starting to become the adventurer type?

I can’t remember as far back to my first four schools in South Africa. When I did come to the UK, I did get beaten at prep school for starting a gang because in South Africa, we had school gangs. When I got to Eton, I didn’t excel at any sport, and I didn’t want to play rugby for various reasons. The only way of not playing rugby was if you took up boxing. That saved me from having a very bad time at Eton and I thought that I’ve got to get over this stupid vertigo stuff [Fiennes suffered from vertigo at an early age], so I joined a group who climbed buildings at night at Eton.

Which was obviously not allowed. I discovered that I didn’t get vertigo at night when I couldn’t see down.

Didn’t they have a similar group at Cambridge University and even a book about them climbing the buildings there?

It’s called stegophily, and the book was called The Night Climbers Of Cambridge.

I saw something way back where Bear Grylls said that when he was at Eton, he climbed School Hall, which had the big dome. When he got up to the bottom of the dome, he saw on some brickwork my name scratched into it by a knife or something.

But, he added, “Back in Fiennes’ day, the authorities had not put barbed wire on the way up”. So he’s saying that it was more difficult for him. Well if we had got the barbed wire to hold onto on the way up, it would have been a hell of a lot easier!

You went into the Army in the 1960s – do you think you would have done the same things with your life and career otherwise? Why did you join in the first place?

Through my whole youth, my mum had told me about my dad, who was killed just before The Battle Of Monte Cassino [1944, shortly before Fiennes was born]. cont. on next page BUZZ 13

He’d been wounded five times in the Royal Scots Greys, and he was commanding the regiment at El Alamein. I have to say that the only thing I ever wanted to do, was to be the commanding officer of that regiment – like him. But to get to be Colonel, you basically had to go to Sandhurst before you could join the regiment. If you had been to Mons Officer Cadet School, then you would be getting overtaken by all these guys that went to Sandhurst. So I thought, that’s stupid; I will show that I am good enough to keep above all these characters. But no, the rules still held.

The other rule was that a short service commission from Mons – rather than a regular commission from Sandhurst – is no good, because after three years you have the possibility of signing on at a year at a time for five years maximum, which makes a total of eight. And then you get thrown out of the British Army, which is what happened to me. I would have gone to Sandhurst if I could have got some A-Levels. The reason I went onto expeditions instead of the army was because of the lack of A-Levels.

While in the SAS, you once tried to blow up a bridge at Castle Combe in Wiltshire. A prank gone wrong or intentional?

No, I was just helping some friends who were trying to make a point of the village being ruined by 20th Century Fox. They wanted the concrete dam blown up, and I had just taken an army explosives course at Hereford.

What are your memories of being at Hereford SAS? Would you say it was the pinnacle of your army career?

Yes because I was very young when I passed the first course. I have taken it twice, and passed both times. The second time was for the reserve squadron. The first time I took it I was 21 and I was a cavalry officer, which they don’t usually like. After a year on continuation training and all that, I’d done the explosives course and when we were caught – actually, I wasn’t physically caught until later on, because I had been doing another course called ‘escaping from dogs by night’ – but they had the car numbers, and I ended up in prison. I was on police probation for six months. I was thrown out of the SAS and sent back to my own regiment – the Scots Greys in Germany, which I’d tried to escape from to get to the SAS. How did you convince the SAS to give you an office at their barracks in London? You might not have been someone they had fond memories of, with that attempted bridge destruction…

When we started the expeditions [in 1967] the basement Ginny [Pepper, his partner] and me had in Earls Court was no good, so we needed an office. The Duke Of York’s Barracks, near to Sloane Square, was the SAS Territorial Headquarters, and they BUZZ 14

were moving out of half of it at that time. I went back to the SAS HQ and asked if we could be sponsored by having the use of the barracks for running the expedition.

They said that they liked the idea of doing this first journey around the Earth through the poles, “but we don’t like you”. I knew, obviously, why. I said to them “Yeah, but I’ve been with the Territorial SAS, having passed the course again and as a Captain for eight years, so surely you’ve forgiven me; and I’ve matured.” And so they gave it to us.

They’d forgiven you, then?

In the end, but only because they’d put the officer that had sacked me from the SAS in charge of the expedition!

There’s the Ranulph Fiennes dry sense of humour! But what makes you laugh?

That’s a good question as it’s the first one you’ve asked that I can’t really think of a correct answer to. When I laugh I laugh, like anybody else, but I can’t think of what sparks it. I cackle gently at Dad’s Army.

Who in history, alive or not have you most admired and that has influenced you the most in life?

I suppose the first half would probably be my mum. And then after I married my late wife, whose name was Ginny, it would have been her. All of the expeditions that we did from the first until the last were all her idea.

How did your dog Bothie cope when he was down on that expedition in Antarctica in 1983/4?

My wife knitted some special socks and a special facemask, but the rest of him was very long-haired. When you look at any Jack Russell, most of them are short-haired but this one wasn’t. For a year in Antarctica with no dogs or lampposts, he used to bark, and he’d hear the echo of the mountains, and he’d think there might be another dog.

They don’t allow any dogs down the Antarctic any more do they?

No, he was one of the last.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Living Dangerously, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 14 Nov; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thurs 28 Nov. Tickets: £20-£40. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

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H I S D A R K M AT E R I A L S One of the biggest literary successes to emerge from the UK, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series is finally getting the adaptation it deserves. Filmed in Wales at Cardiff’s Pinewood Studios, Buzz takes a look ahead at what to expect.

This autumn sees the arrival of the long-awaited TV adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books hitting our TV screens. Even more excitingly, the show could not really have been filmed without Wales: indeed, “Made in Wales” sits proudly on the show poster.

Pullman’s supremely complex novels have been waiting for an adaptation to do them justice since the release of Northern Lights (renamed The Golden Compass in North America) in 1995. It tells the story of Lyra Belacqua (and Will Parry in subsequent novels), as she navigates through parallel worlds, with much of the story an allegory critical of organised religion and oppression. There have been adaptation attempts before: an acclaimed stage version in 2004, and a big-screen adaptation in 2007 which starred Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman and was not hugely well received by audiences or critics.

Wales-based studio Bad Wolf have led the charge on putting the series into production, with Pinewood Studios here in Cardiff and the wilds of the Brecon Beacons providing a glorious backdrop for the series’ fantastical imagination.

Series star Lin Manuel-Miranda professed to have fallen in love with the capital on his social media, conjuring up a string of guest appearances at Porters’ open mic nights in Cardiff.

At the premiere of the first episode in Cardiff, Buzz caught up with Clarke Peters, one of the show’s all-star cast. “I’d seen His Dark Materials at the National Theatre. I heard discussions about how flimsily it was treated in [2007 film] The Golden Compass and I was encouraged to read the book, which is sitting on my son’s shelf. I thought this is another kids’ book, but I got into that and BUZZ BUZZ16 16

realised this isn’t a kid’s book – this has got some nuances in here that some adults should be looking at.”

The crucial difference is that now, as a TV series adapted by Jack Thorne (This Is England, Shameless, Skins), far less of the nuance and complexity of the original books is going to be lost. Peters continues, “The book is so dense that you really can’t even tell the story of just the first book in two hours, so for them to try that undertaking [in the previous film], they must have known an enormous amount of nuance and information was going to be lost. And here, we’ve got maybe eight hours to tell that over and that’s just for the first book.”

Speaking at the Q&A after, alongside stars Peters, Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen and production designer Joel Collins, executive producer and Bad Wolf founder Jane Tranter reiterates the point.

“The TV adaptation has committed to adapting Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. We won’t wash down anything, believe me. We will adapt what Philip Pullman writes, which is essentially, he does not like anything in society which suppresses knowledge or oppresses the people. It’s not an attack on organised religion per se, it’s an attack on absolutely anybody who tries to seek control by suppressing the truth. And sadly, there’s never been a more appropriate time to adapt these books.

“So, the words ‘watering down’ are simply not in the vocabulary of people who are making His Dark Materials and nor are they in the vocabulary of the BBC and HBO, who are working with us on this. Any of the themes, any of the resonances that you are picking up on in the novels, you will see in our adaptation.”

Who’s who Dafne Keen – Lyra Belacqua.

Series star – much of the film’s power will rest on her young shoulders.

Where have I seen her before? Logan

Did You Know?

• Filming for second series has already been completed before the first series airs. Filming for first series ended in December 2018, with second series filming starting in July 2019. The two had to be close together because lead role Dafne Keen is 14, so it needed to appear convincing.

• The books took inspiration from Milton’s Paradise Lost, which heavily criticised organised religion, which is also where the title for The Golden Compass came from.

• The Catholic League campaigned against the books and tried to boycott film version of The Golden Compass, claiming it promotes atheism and attacks the Catholic Church.

• The books were number eight on a list of the top 100 banned/challenged books list for the period 2000-2009 in the USA. • The 2004 theatre version ambitiously tried to adapt all three books into one show – split into two parts which were alternated night by night.

Interviews by Carl Marsh. Additional research by Sophie Bates and Fedor Tot. His Dark Materials premieres on Sun 3 Nov on BBC One and on iPlayer afterwards. Episodes weekly.

Info: www.bad-wolf.com

Ruth Wilson – Marisa Coulter Where have I seen her before?

Luther, I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, Dark River James McAvoy – Lord Asriel Where have I seen him before?

X-Men, Shameless, Split

Clarke Peters – The Master / Dr. Carne Where have I seen him before?

The Wire, Treme

Anne-Marie Duff – Ma Costa Where have I seen her before?

Shameless, On Chesil Beach

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Lee Scoresby Where have I seen him before?

Hamilton

BUZZ BUZZ17 17

J O N AT H A N P I E From viral sensation to fully-fledged touring act, Jonathan Pie – actor and comedian Tom Walker – now embarks on The Fake News Tour.

“We all say ‘fake news’ when we don’t like the story,” he tells Carl Marsh.

Tim, the fictional guy in your earpiece during your reports, reminds me of Big Brother from George Orwell’s 1984; would you say that Jonathan Pie is a bit like Winston Smith, albeit one with a bigger audience?

I’d never thought of it like that but yeah, maybe – as this producer is the antagonist of the story, isn’t he? He is a blue-blood, privately-educated privileged Tory, that is the way that I have always seen Tim. And Pie is the opposite of that.

Personal interpretation can be a dangerous thing: what can offend one person might not the other.

Absolutely, as I talk a lot in the new show about comedy and offence. I talked a lot about it in the last show as well, as comedy and offence are closely linked because what one person finds funny, the next person won’t. And what one person finds offensive, the next person won’t. It’s subjective.

Would you say that Jonathan is the news reporter that we all wish we saw as he attacks the mainstream media for patronising the audience?

I think he is – as that is the conceit behind him; he is the news reporter that tells you what he thinks. He is a satire of the media, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I am one of these conspiracy theorists that believe there is some underground agenda from the media. If you buy into this idea that the mainstream media is all fake and with an agenda, then you are buying into Donald Trump’s analysis, which is a dangerous narrative.

One of your YouTube videos Oppression Obsession mentions that old books are now being considered as racist, even though they were written at a time when they were not classed as being such.

Yeah, I think people have forgotten the context and intent. If you are reading something that was written 100 years ago, then you have to take into account ‘the context’. We have forgotten that art. We go trawling through people’s social media and people’s pasts to find something where they have transgressed by today’s standards.

You can’t deny that the world’s economy used to be based on slavery. And by that, it was considered fiscally acceptable to make your fortune by dealing with human beings. That is no longer the case; you can’t go back and change that history. You have to acknowledge that history. And I wonder how future generations will view us and what we are doing to the planet, and whether they’ll look back and they’ll want to desecrate our statues because of different moral standards we have.

Your new set of dates is called The Fake News Tour – can we expect an amalgamation of all the things that Trump has said?

What is bizarre is that now I am writing it, there is very little about Trump in there.

What I want to talk about with fake news is that we all now live in a world where news outlets announce the news on Twitter before they announce it on the TV or in the papers. Twitter is a forum which is there to express opinions, and we are just of an age where opinion and fact are so close together. So we only really take on board the news that we agree with. If a fact offends our sensibility, we don’t listen to it. I think that is a dangerous state of affairs because I believe we are all guilty of accusing the news of being fake when we don’t like the story.

BUZZ 18

Jonathan Pie, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Sat 23 Nov. Tickets: £27/£20 (sold out).

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

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F R E YA R I D I N G S Long tipped as the next Florence & The Machine, Freya Ridings waxes lyrical on the ins and outs of songwriting with Carl Marsh.

What made you decide to go with your record label, Good Soldier Songs – a ‘proper’ independent – instead of one of the majors?

Well, they are a proper indie label. Literally when I first came into the office, there were five people sat around a kitchen table, that kind of vibe [laughs]. They are not all around a kitchen now, but it was such a small team, and I loved that. I love that family-type thing where everyone is working together mentality, and it meant that they had a lot of faith in me.

There was some interest from some of the majors before I signed with Good Soldier in 2016, but they were always kind of saying that I’d have to write happier songs and I didn’t think this felt right. When I met Good Soldier, they said that I could keep my second name and play the songs you want to play. It was just a beautiful revelation, and I was so grateful to them for that.

It sounds like you didn’t want to lose control of your music.

You learn so much from yourself in those situations, and I was lucky enough that I’d had a few years in the wilderness because I almost signed to a major but then I didn’t want to. I had those years to crystallise who I was without any interest from anyone [laughs]. So when you meet the right person, like in a relationship, for me, it felt like the perfect match. They were small and indie, and I wanted to make music that wasn’t at the time, that mainstream.

With your songwriting, in particular debut single Lost Without You, do you get most of your material from life events that may not have made for great memories?

You do have that weird perspective that you can turn some of those ‘darkest days’ into something that can completely change your life as that did. It took many years of writing songs that people didn’t connect with to try and find the one that they did. I was blown away that the song was one that came from such a real place, because after I wrote it I didn’t think I would actually play it live. It was really strange to see people take the song into their lives that much.

What made you decide to sing it live?

I think it was when I played it to my mum and she started crying. She doesn’t cry that often, and we had this little moment where she said, “I really feel like if you played that, people will want to hear it”, and I just thought to myself that it was just too personal. I believe that’s when everything changed, and I stopped doing the upbeat kind of guitar covers in pubs, and I started playing the piano songs that I had written at home.

The process of writing songs may differ for each songwriter – what’s yours?

That’s a really strange one as to this day, I can’t read music, and I’ve never been able to. So for me, the place that I have turned in my darkest times has always been a piano. At school, didn’t have a lot of friends because I am a redhead, and very tall and different to the other kids [laughs]. Being able to turn to a piano was almost like turning to a friend in times of need. That’s what I have always done.

For all the storms in my life, it’s the kind of thing that anchors me to who I am.

I would have written songs until the day I die anyway, but the fact that I get to do this as a job now is just a beautiful thing. I shut my eyes, and I see what happens because I am writing from a very deep and subconscious place; it’s not a very conscious thinking, it’s more of a feeling.

St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 20 Nov. Tickets: £25/£21 (sold out).

Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk BUZZ 20

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K AT E T E M P E S T Ahead of a performance in Cardiff this month, Chloe Edwards caught up with Kate Tempest to chat social consciousness, working with legendary producers and achieving cartharsis through music.

It’s not surprising that after four studio albums, several published poetry collections, and a sprinkling of revered industry accolades, Kate Tempest is an eloquent and articulate conversationalist.

Her first poetry book, Everything Speaks In Its Own Way, was published in 2013 and preceded a career carved out of her ability to skilfully verbalise the intensities and difficulties of life in the 21st century. Tempest doesn’t shy away from tackling equally heady issues on her latest studio release, The Book Of Traps And Lessons, with the song People’s Faces describing the last few years in the UK as being “a pivotal historical moment we just went stumbling past”. In turbulent times, can it ever be cathartic to verbalise these themes?

“There’s some element of that. It’s not like, ‘if I write these songs, it’s going to give me some catharsis’. It’s such a close process to me, and my whole life, and the whole way that I experience the world. Writing is as much of a part of how I see and feel as anything else! It’s just a natural thing that happens because of how I interact with my life.”

Reflecting on the themes that Tempest’s work reflects, it appears she currently has a wealth of inspiration readily available.

“Sometimes! If it’s not there, I try not to push it. In that moment of staring at the blank page it’s important that you don’t push yourself too hard, because that’s when you become a parody of your previous voice. When there’s no oxygen in your ideas, it’s best to just to break the moment – to go for a walk, to listen to an album, take the pressure off.”

With so many different artists today aligned with socially conscious music, it could seem that it’s harder than ever to break into that scene, when there’s so many other pressures they have to consider.

“Is there a socially conscious scene? When I was desperately trying to be heard, I felt that every scene I encountered was restrictive and limiting. As [friend and poet] Polarbear says in one of his poems, ‘they call it a scene because it’s not real’. I’ve never been interested in aligning myself or my work with other works or artists that BUZZ 22

sound like the thing I’m trying to do, because I’m trying to listen to it and direct it.

“Until you just said that, I’d never really thought if there was a socially conscious scene. I think that there are rightly artists that are seeking to express deeper truths, that’s what they’re for.”

Tempest’s music has a knack for always feeling particularly relevant and contemporary, most notably on last album’s tracks Firesmoke and Brown-Eyed Man, which stand out as being especially important in 2019.

For The Book Of Traps And Lessons, she worked with Rick Rubin, producer of names as varied as Johnny Cash, Justin Timberlake and Linkin Park. How did Rubin and Tempest initially get to work together?

“It began many years ago, in 2014 or 2015 – he saw me on television reading one of my long poems, was impressed with the performance, tracked down my phone number and called me up. Because of time commitments and everything else I had going on – and how much of a big deal it was that Rick Rubin was on the phone – I didn’t want to rush into anything, so it took a few years to make something happen.

“Also, because of the nature of what he was keen for me to make, it was quite a challenging process and one that I wasn’t ready to fully commit to until I’d done preceding work.”

Tempest is currently touring The Book… after a string of festival appearances this summer, which she has reflected upon as “really enjoyable to feel the response to kind of heavy language at 10 o’clock on a Saturday night. It’s been amazing – challenging, but really rewarding, and it’s given me a lot to think about. I’m extremely excited to play some headline shows because it gives you permission to indulge more heavily in the language, when you’re not trying to catch people as they walk through but when they’re there, happy to go on that journey with you.”

Tramshed, Cardiff, Wed 13 Nov. Tickets: £22 (sold out).

Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com

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ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL After the specialised horrors of October and before the commerciality of Christmas, the autumn/winter season for independent movies gives one pause for substance and a desire for diversity and profundity. The hub for these places this November will be the Italian Film Festival, hosted by Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre. For a few autumnal days every cinephile in Cardiff will have an exclusive opportunity to view a showcase of Italian films, many of them UK premieres.

The line-up promises diverse and progressive subject matters. The first day will bring showings of Arberia and Simple Women, two contemplative, femaleled films. This is balanced out with The Man Who Bought The Moon, a more straightforward comedy on the subject of cultural differences between mainland Italians and Sardinians.

The second day of the festival consists of an intense range of genre films, though it starts with something completely different: Dafne, a family drama about a young woman with Down syndrome caring for her struggling father. It’s followed by a series of experimental animated shorts, a mockumentary response to 2015’s Look Who’s Back with Mussolini in modern Italy, and a historical action movie based on the founding of Rome. The latter film, Romulus And Remus: The First King, appears the most accessible to any sceptical viewers new to Italian cinema. In a similar style to Noah with Russell Crowe or Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur, the film is a gritty retelling of the Italian legend. With sparse dialogue, the language barrier will bring no struggle to a non-Italian speaker and the action style and period design, especially impressive in spite of budget, indicates an obvious crowd-pleaser.

The final day will includes a more traditional romantic comedy about an Italian Muslim, a tragic road story on sex trafficking and a discussion with industry professionals and the announcement of the winner of the festival’s prizes. All in all, the festival promises a lineup of progressive reflections on contemporary Italy, all set against the backdrop of the country itself. Che bello! FELIX JONES Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 15-Sun 17 Nov. Tickets: TBC. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org

PINK WALL Pink Wall is the directorial debut of Aberystwyth-born, Cardiff-raised actor Tom Cullen. It’s a relationship drama told in six scenes over six years, with a scattershot narrative reflective of Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Working with an ultra-small budget and shot over only nine days, it’s a remarkable success of low-key Welsh filmmaking.

For Cullen, performances were key. “It is very much an actor-led piece. Because it’s a relationship drama, the film will live and die in the performances and I knew that the performances had to be incredibly authentic. Luckily my cast [Jay Duplass and Tatiana Maslany] is absolutely world class, but because I am also an actor, I wanted to create a process that I knew that I would want to work in as an actor.

“I developed a semi-improvised process where I had a theme, but the actors used that more as a road map, and so basically what they would do is follow the theme, but the way in which they said the lines was entirely up to them. Because it was so low-budget, I couldn’t really afford actors, other than my two leads. So my mum is in it and my stepdad plays a weed dealer in it – he’s actually a councillor for school kids.”

The initial edit of the film was linear, but Cullen felt it looked a lot like Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, and that inspired the decision to move the film’s chronology “I felt like I’d seen this film before, so I went away and really thought about what I wanted my film to say and be. I really wanted the audience to feel like they had felt and witnessed the relationship, rather than a linear story.

“I wanted this film to be experiential. When we reflect back on experiences, especially relationships, memory is not linear. What we do is we juxtapose the moments in order to fulfil our emotional landscape. Hopefully that creates a film that prompts a discussion and reflection of our own experiences in relationships.”

FEDOR TOT Pink Wall is released Fri Nov 11 via Pinpoint Pictures.

Review on p.32

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GARTH EVANS

But, Hands Have Eyes Sculpture from six decades

Exhibition | Arddangosfa 14.09.19 - 26.01.20 ORIEL CHAPTER GALLERY Market Road, Canton, Cardiff Heol y Farchnad, Treganna, Caerdydd

www.chapter.org 029 2030 4400

MISSION CONTROL This production, a team up between National Theatre Wales and Hijinx, will transport audiences to the year 2029, where a new planet has just been discovered within the solar system. The planet has plenty of similarities to Earth, but yet to have human life walking upon it. Megacorporation Monolith have reserved the rights to enter the planet, which will launch shuttles from the Monolith National Crisis Centre. There’s an opportunity for people to join on the voyage: a chance to escape the extreme weather and overpopulation of life on Earth in 2029.

This collaborative experience is inspired by the moon landing 50 years ago; Mission Control hopes to provoke excitement and fear as we look towards the stars, with its cast involving some 80 actors, many drawn from Hijinx’s five academies across Wales (Hijinx specialise in working with learning-disabled and autistic people).

Hoping to raise questions about the power of corporations as we potentially head towards an eco-apocalypse mythology and the dark side of the moon, audiences can expect to be guided through areas across the venue in groups, with the production lasting around two hours – though it’s more of an immersive experience than a traditional play. As such, attendees can expect to be taken through hidden and/or rarely-pondered parts of Wales’ national stadium: its changing rooms, corridors, car parks and VIP sections, finishing on the pitch and utilising the big screens.

The project is directed by Hijinx’s Ben Pettitt-Wade and National Theatre Wales’ Kully Thiarai, and created by Seiriol Davies. Cast members include Ffion Gwyther (Stella), Rhiannon Oliver (Torchwood, Jamaica Inn), Francois Pandolfo (Casualty, Doctor Who) and Adam Redmore (Silent Witness).

Mission Control is National Theatre Wales’s first production of their 10th anniversary year. In the decade since they’ve been founded, their frequently ambitious and wideranging productions have taken place across beaches and mountains, nightclubs, warehouses, schools, libraries and military training grounds. With Hijinx Theatre in tow, a company acclaimed for their award-winning theatre productions and highly inclusive nature, this is expected to be a hit. SOPHIE BATES Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 22-Sun 24 Nov. Tickets: £14-£18.

Info: 029 2037 1689 / www.nationaltheatrewales.org

LOVECRAFT (NOT THE SEX SHOP IN CARDIFF) After festival success and winning the Best Cabaret award at the Adelaide Fringe, Welsh singer and actress Carys Eleri is taking her first-of-its-kind “one-womancomedy-science-music show about the neuroscience of love and loneliness” – on a tour around Wales. According to her, Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) “takes you on an autobiographical journey of my life... we as humans are more connected than ever and yet we are far less physically present in each other’s lives. This is basically a TED talk on acid with grime, garage, jazz, heavy metal and some rats, where we communally understand the scientific importance of our friendships.”

Despite such a Welsh-centric title, Eleri says people outside of Wales still get and appreciate the joke. In Australia, the show drew Cymru-connected crowds. “One girl had run to Australia having split from her boyfriend and came to the show. I was like, ‘girl, this is made for you right now – let’s chat after.’ We’re still in touch.”

After premiering at WMC’s Festival Of Voice in 2018, Eleri is “super chuffed” to be touring the show around Wales, aiming to “spread these seriously important messages to the most rural of places where isolation can take its toll”. The show is touring in Welsh as well as English. “It will represent how I live my life most of the time – It’s going to be way more personal in Welsh and the naughtiness will be ramped up pretty high as Welsh is so sweet, kind and not at all brash or at all sexy!”.

Some of the humour will also be more surreal due to a lack of simple translations, including the title which just sounded “lame” as a direct translation, Eleri says.

Speaking of the title, Buzz wonders if she needed permission from Lovecraft the shop, or whether they’re just glad of the plug?

“What kind of plug are you talking about?!! Mwhahahaa!! The shop owner has been delightful –we’ve filmed trailers in there. The disclaimer’s in the title – I just want to teach you how to craft your love, babes, in a different way to the shop owners on Cowbridge Road East...” CHRIS WILLIAMS Various venues, Sat 2-Sat 30 Nov. Tickets: £10-£15.

Info: www.wmc.org.uk BUZZ 26

CYNHYRCHIAD THEATR MWLDAN PRODUCTION

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THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER 7.30PM

ANTONIO FORCIONE

ADRIANO ADEWALE

“...PREPARE TO BE ASTONISHED”  MICHAL BONCZA, MORNING STAR

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 7.30PM

Arranged by Circus Eruption. Fundraiser for new building renovations.

www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk

SECKOU KEITA

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CARDIFF DANCE FESTIVAL Taking place in six venues across Cardiff throughout November, this celebration of dance brings a variety of unique performances to the city by offering both ticketed and free events, shows and workshops. The festival kicks off with a free opening night launch party at Chapter on Fri 8 followed the next day by the subtly named Sweat Baby Sweat: an intimate performance about love from acclaimed choreographer Jan Martens. Catch it at Wales Millennium Centre’s Dance House on Sat 9, with all tickets priced at £10 and a lower age limit of 16.

Rambert2, a group composed of up-and-coming dancers from around the world, bring their fresh and exhilarating choreography to the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama on Fri 15 and Sat 16. Their show combines technicality with raw energy and features some of the freshest new talent in the dance community.

Perhaps the most unique performance of the festival comes in the form of -ish , a solo choreography by Aby Watson. This exploration of Watson’s dyspraxia is performed alongside a myriad of zany props, including a helium balloon. Billed as a show which “thrives on dysfunction”, this promises to be an exhilarating and bonkers experience; showing for one night only at the Wales Millennium Centre on Thurs 14. Likely to rival it in terms of challenging conservative perceptions is Rachael Young’s Out, whose choreography references both Jamaican dancehall and vogue/ballroom culture in its stance against homophobia and transphobia. It’s at Chapter Arts Centre on Sun 17; other performances there include Siriol Joyner’s Morfa Rhuddlan and Elsewhen, a free show by Leah Marojevic and Theo Clinkard .

National Dance Company Wales perform a run of shows entitled Roots from Tue 12 to Thurs 14 Nov at Dance House, described as a guided tour to contemporary dance performed through four individual pieces. Each piece is framed around a different theme, ranging from rugby to Frida Kahlo, with tickets starting at a reasonable £8 for under 25s and £16 otherwise. While if you’re an aspirational dancer yourself, choreographer Rosalind Crisp is leading workshops at the Wales Millennium Centre, priced at £60 for two days. BETH GOODWIN Various venues, Cardiff, Fri 8-Sun 24 Nov. Tickets: prices vary.

Info: www.dance.wales

HAY FESTIVAL WINTER WEEKEND A jamboree of literature, music, art, theatre and politics, Winter Weekend follows much the same pattern of the larger Hay Festival, but smaller scale. Here’s a few things not to be missed from the festival: BERNARDINE EVARISTO Recent Booker Prize winner Evaristo’s appearance here, in conversation with Peter Florence, is likely to be one of the hottest tickets at the Winter Weekend.

London-born Evaristo writes fiction predominantly about issues relating to the African diaspora and experiments with language and form. Girl, Woman, Other, her Booker-winning 2019 novel, has been described as ‘polyphonic’ for the manner in which its 12 principal characters are introduced, and over time intersect.

Baillie Gifford Stage, Fri 29 Nov, 5pm. Tickets: £10 CERYS MATTHEWS: WHERE THE WILD COOKS GO Welsh singer and latter-day radio disc jockey Matthews talks to John Mitchinson onstage, sharing her story of how food and music have intertwined. She’s just published her first cookbook, an anecdotal number titled Where The Wild Cooks Go and the dishes listed as examples – thousand-hole pancakes, amlou, roasted artichokes – sound like a tasty tour of the culinary globe.

Baillie Gifford Stage, Fri 29 Nov, 7pm. Tickets: £10 FATHER RICHARD WILLIAMS PLAYS Richard Williams, vicar at St Mary’s Church in Hay and a composer too, soundtracks Fritz Lang’s classic 1927 film Metropolis live, on the Bevington organ. The plot of this film concerns a futuristic city which is divided between the city planners and the working class, with a love interest that crosses that social divide and throws in some meddling robots for good measure.

St Mary’s Church, Fri 29 + Sat 30 Nov, 8.30pm. Tickets: £10 per night Various venues, Hay-On-Wye, Thurs 28 Nov-Sun 1 Dec. Tickets: from £10. Info: 01497 822629 / www.hayfestival.com BUZZ 28

Fri 15 & Sat 16 November 7.15pm Gwe 15 a Sad 16 Tachwedd 7.15yh Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru rwcmd.ac.uk | 029 2039 1391

H19067 CD19 Buzz Advert 189x135_5.indd 1

BBC National Orchestra of Wales Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Gymreig y BBC

Heroes and Heartache Arwyr a Galar Thursday Nos Iau 14/11/19, 7.30pm St David’s Hall Neuadd Dewi Sant

Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 Cyfres Peer Gynt Rhif 1 Grieg Piano Concerto Concerto i’r Piano Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 Symffoni Rhif 6 ‘Pathétique’ – Joseph Swensen Conductor Arweinydd Yevgeny Sudbin Piano

For information and tickets Am wybodaeth a thocynnau

bbc.co.uk/now 0800 052 1812

16/10/2019 15:11

profile

DESSA As she prepares to fuse her brand of socially-conscious hip-hop with BBC NOW in front of British audiences for the first time, American poet, writer and Renaissance woman Dessa chats to Fedor Tot. Tell us a little bit about what to expect with your collaboration with BBC NOW. This will be the first time I’ve ever collaborated with any orchestra outside of the US, so I’m really excited! I’ll be bringing two singers with me, Aby Wolf and Matthew Santos. I had the opportunity to meet with several of the BBC NOW musicians and it was such a warm welcome. There can be this impression that orchestral players are exclusively interested in classical music and that’s not true.

We chatted about hip-hop and one of the flute players was beatboxing while we were goofing around in rehearsal! Some of the material will be from pre-existing orchestral charts created by a composer, musician and friend of mine named Andy Thompson, and some of them we’ll be working up together over the course of the week before the show.

Your work is often politically and socially conscious. When Childish Gambino’s This is America was released last year it felt like the first time for while that a protest song had an impact. Where do you think that kind of politically-conscious music sits at the moment?

It’s had better days! Songs that voice strong dissent and meaningfully move the needle of our conversation are part of the American tradition, but I don’t know that this is a golden era for them. I don’t consider myself fundamentally an activist – I’ve written a couple of songs that talk in a critical way about what it means to be a woman and maybe an American too, but there are artists devoting their careers to that and I’m not one of them. When I’m in the studio or when I’m onstage my fundamental objectives have always been aesthetic.

How do you integrate your style of hip-hop onto orchestral music without it sounding like an add-on?

It’s not like one of those lousy restaurants that’s like “it’s Japanese meets Mexican” and you’re just like, “why?” [laughs]. I think there’s no point in fusion for fusion’s sake. Personally, my dad was a classical guitarist when I was little, so although I didn’t know the names of the composers of the pieces he was playing, my childhood had those sad acoustic sounds in it when my father practiced guitar.

Maybe it’s because I’m a little bit melancholy myself, but I love strings! They rise and fall so dramatically, so they really add a cinematic sweep to an arrangement.

Why do you draw towards the aesthetic side of things then?

Like any listener of music, you can get pulled in for various reasons. For me, the beauty and also the anger and emotional charge were the big draw for me. Many of my formative music experiences had to do with the personal feelings which welled up on my chest when I was listening to music, as opposed to watching music in action as a social tool.

Working in Wales and in other cross-culture collaborations is a reminder of how much diplomacy music can do. You sit down across from someone not with the express purpose of trading political world views, but the express purpose of sorting out a violin line. I’m a strong believer in spending time with other people as an antidote to the kind of lines that might divide us as drawn by political powers.

Just hanging out with people does a lot to dismantle the prejudices that we might be otherwise prone to.

I’ve always been attracted to songs which seem to tell a story. Is all good song-writing ultimately about storytelling?

I think that right now the way we talk about storytelling, at least in American culture, is a little bit fetishized. I think that storytelling is enormously important and it’s often what draws me into songs but it’s not the only way to do it. With The Beatles, for example, if you write down the lyrics to Come Together it’s not fundamentally relating a story but it’s so imagistic. It feels like a series of cinematic stills from a movie whose plot has been withheld from you. I can’t tell you what happens to that guy in the song, but I can tell you he freaks me the hell out!

BUZZ 30

BBC NOW & Dessa: CoLaboratory, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 7 Nov. Tickets: £15.

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

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SOCIAL MEDIA

by Keiron Self

THE AERONAUTS ***

Dir: Tom Harper (PG, 100 mins) A visually stunning wholesome adventure that makes for perfect Sunday afternoon TV, this Victorian-era yarn based on fact delivers thrills but remains rather slight. Set in 1862, Eddie Redmayne plays James Glaisher, a real-life scientist who dreams of humanity’s advancement via studying the weather. The mostly earnest Felicity Jones is a fictionalised wealthy widow, Amelia Wren, who does not succumb to expected female parameters, and is a born explorer, taking to the skies in her balloon. In reality, Glaisher made a balloon trip with an aeronaut called Henry Coxwell, rising 37,000 feet above London, but this gender swap works as Jones and Redmayne, intellectually and physically equal, embark on their expedition quarreling and collaborating in equal measure on their aeronautical adventure. Through overreliance on flashbacks, we get some backstory – Jones still grieving for her dead husband, Redmayne with a father (Tom Courtenay) battling dementia, but it’s the spectacle in the sky that works, with several standout sequences marshalled with skill by director Tom Harper. The treacherous nature of exploration is well captured, although no one thought to pack gloves; Redmayne and Jones spark well off each other despite an often thin script. There’s also a dog in a parachute. Opens Nov 6

THE GOOD LIAR ****

Dir: Bill Condon (15, 109 mins) Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen square up against each other in this adaptation of Nicholas Searle’s novel.

McKellen plays Roy Courtnay, a seasoned con artist who sets his sights on Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren).

Intending to swindle her out of her money, he finds himself falling for her. Russell Tovey plays her wary son whilst Jim Carter is Courtnay’s old mate. Courtnay has a dark past in the rear-view mirror – he is addicted to the adrenaline rush of deceit, the playing of games but has he now bitten off more than he can chew?

Flashbacks explain the murkier details in an engaging thriller that gets the most out of its stars. Mirren and McKellen are clearly enjoying themselves, sparking off each other in this cat-and-mouse tale helmed by God And Monsters director Bill Condon. A starring vehicle for an octogenarian and a septuagenarian is hardly a common occurrence; when they are a pair of acting giants, it’s got to be worth catching. Opens Nov 8

LE MANS 66 ***

Dir: James Mangold (12A, 152 mins) A strong central duo and some exciting car sequences keep this biopic from staying in the pit stop, but its lengthy running time, often leaden character scenes and by-the-numbers presentation don’t allow this racing movie to truly burn rubber. Matt Damon plays Carroll Shelby, a former race car driver turned car designer hired by an atrophying Ford Motors to bring some pizzazz and publicity to their efforts to win the 24-hour race, Le Mans. He agrees only if he can have Ken Miles – an angular, tic-heavy, Brummie-accented Christian Bale – as his partner, helping him to design and ultimately drive the car they intend to make. And off they go test-driving cars while grumpy suits watch on like Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) and marketing man Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas). With such male-heavy, testosterone-fuelled subject matter, women characters are given short shrift, Catriona Balfe as Bale’s adoring wife in particular. Then again, this is film aimed squarely at petrolheads. Damon and Bale square off well against each other, bickering and bromancing, and the car race sequences are gripping, but with its bloated running time there’s maybe more to find here than a straightforward biopic. It’s well told with good performances but doesn’t quite reach the high gears of Rush. Opens Nov 15

SORRY WE MISSED YOU ****

Dir: Ken Loach (15, 101 mins) Ken Loach returns after the heartbreaking I, Daniel Blake with another social polemic, this time about the cruelties of the gig economy, zero hours contracts and the effect it has on family life. Kris Hitchen plays Ricky, a hard worker who takes on a gig as a delivery van driver, but only gets paid when he delivers for the likes of faceless corporations like Amazon. He buys a van, with the promise of easy money to come, but soon the job has taken over his life as he struggles to make ends meet. His wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood) is a care worker struggling via public transport to visit her ‘clients’ – elderly people with real needs – whilst parenting by mobile phone. The children are getting into trouble at school or having to see to themselves as the parents struggle to break even. The weight of capitalism and the havoc it inflicts on working-class families is attacked by Loach, screenwriter Paul Laverty and an excellent cast. Opens Nov 1

PINK WALL ***

Dir: Tom Cullen (15, 85 mins) Welsh actor Tom Cullen makes his directorial debut in this meditative drama. Over six years we see six scenes from a relationship, all played with improvisatory zeal by Jay Duplass and Tatiana Maslany, who make a believable, fractious couple.

Leon (Duplass) is a bit of a free spirit, his partner Jenna (Maslany) is more ambitious and driven. It’s not a relationship full of hearts and flowers: it’s niggly, believable and uncomfortable. A great deal of the drama happens off camera and like the excellent fragmentary French film 5x2 by Francois Ozon, we catch a glimpse of their first night together whilst also seeing the delicate implosions that follow. Welsh location fans will love seeing parts of mid-Wales around Rhayader which form backdrops to their relationship wrangling and an awkward dinner party scene allows fellow Welsh actors, Kyle Lima, Ruth Ollman and others, a chance to shine. Opens Nov 15

ALSO RELEASED NOVEMBER 2019: MIDWAY (12A) Independence Day director Roland Emmerich goes epic World War II in this CGI-heavy retelling of the 1942 battle of Midway between the USA and Japan. JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT (15) Kevin Smith’s enduring comedy creations are back in a foulmouthed meta-adventure packed with dick jokes. FROZEN II (U) Let it go. Again. Brace yourselves, parents. LUCE (15) Uncomfortably complex drama that asks a lot of questions, as an adopted Eritrean student from a warzone turned all-star student has his reputation tarnished.

Great cast includes Naomi Watts and Octavia Spencer. MEETING GORBACHEV (PG) Werner Herzog interviews the former Soviet leader. Fascinating stuff. LITTLE MONSTERS (15) Kindergarten BUZZ 32

LAST CHRISTMAS ****

Dir: Paul Feig (12A, 102 mins) A feelgood romantic comedy set around the music of Wham! and George Michael; directed by Paul Feig, the man behind Bridesmaids and Spy, with Emma Thompson and Bryony Kummings on writing duties, Last Christmas should provide a modicum of Yuletide cheer. Emilia Clarke plays Kate, a moody elf in a year-round Christmas shop who is all front and no festive cheer. When Henry Golding’s Tom strides suavely on the scene, however, he breaks down some of her barriers and she finds herself reawakening. But who is this mysterious stranger and why is he always popping up around snowy London streets? Emma Thompson dons an accent as Kate’s mother and there’s an advent calendar full of cameos from the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Rob Delaney, Sue Perkins, Patti LuPone, Andrew Ridgeley and Richard Curtis himself, to whom this film owes an obvious debt.

Bittersweet, with a picture-perfect tourist’s version of wintry London, this is a Quality Street confection aimed at warming the heart, with that Wham! classic forming the backbone of the story. Other songs from George Michael’s songbook play in the background, but thankfully this isn’t a jukebox musical, rather a romantic comedy drama that utilizes the music well. Opens Nov 15

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN ***

Dir: Edward Norton (15, 144 mins) Writer/director/star Edward Norton’s film is an involving if overlong adaptation of Jonathan Letham’s 1950s-set book. Norton plays Lionel Essrog, a detective with Tourette Syndrome embroiled in corruption in New York who nevertheless finds employ in the services of Bruce Willis’ Frank Minna. Minna ends up getting shot and before his death, confides in Lionel the word Formosa, leading him to race off into the murkier side of New York to get answers. This brings him to Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin), based on the man who was known as the master builder of modern New York – entire neighbourhoods levelled to create highways; bridges displacing mostly poor and ethnic communities – Robert Moses. Rounding out the cast are heavy hitters like Willem Defoe and Bobby Cannavale in cameo roles, along with Gugu MbathuRaw’s activist. Talky and intelligent if a little inert, but an intriguing noir with a conscience. Opens Nov 1

CHARLIE’S ANGELS ***

KNIVES OUT ****

Dir: Rian Johnson (12A, 130 mins) An all-star spark off each other with aplomb in this Agatha Christie-esque classy, quirky whodunnit from the man behind Brick, Looper and The Last Jedi.

Johnson has fashioned a rulebreaking mystery which is both a homage to all the whodunnits that have come before and a subversion of them. The tricksy screenplay revels in the established tropes of the genre whilst at times turning them on their head, and the cast are clearly having a ball. Daniel Craig, sporting a Southern accent, is Benoit Blanc, a Poirot-esque investigator hired to get to the bottom of the suspected murder of Christopher Plummer’s wealthy patriarch, Harlan Thrombey on his 85th birthday. Naturally all his gathered family members seem to have a motive, from Jamie Lee Curtis’ boastful self-made daughter and her idiot husband Don Johnson, spoilt son Chris Evans, intellectual brother Michael Shannon, Instagram-famous sister-in-law Toni Collette, Trump-loving/ hating granddaughters Jaeden Martell and Katherine Langford, to members outside the family like nurse Ana de Armas. It’s up to Craig and cop Lakeith Stanfield to get to the bottom of all the chicanery. And much chicanery there is, of a highly enjoyable kind. Opens Nov 27

Dir: Elizabeth Banks (12A, 120 mins) Already spawning two messy feature films with Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, this latest version of the 1970s TV series has Elizabeth Banks at the helm both as writer/director and starring as Bosley. Grabbing their angel wings are Kristen Stewart as Sabina Wilson the attitude-heavy tough girl, Ella Balinska as Jane Kano the ex-MI6 agent with a serious skillset and Naomi Scott as Elena Houghlin the tech-sassy ingenue, all drawn into the world of Charles Townsend’s international security and investigative industry. The Angels have gone global, with multiple teams guided by multiple Bosleys throughout the world – franchise-baiting script work.

The Angels are on security duty involving disguises, gadgets, horseriding, parachuting, fistfights and sassy one-liners. Patrick Stewart is jovial as another Bosley whilst Kristen Stewart lightens up her onscreen persona. Frothy, lightweight fun. Opens Nov 29

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON ****

Dir: Paul Downs Colaizzo (15, 104 mins) Jillian Bell shines in this nuanced underdog tale of a slacker forced to take charge of her life by running the New York marathon. Bell, finally getting a real lead performance after making scene-stealing cameos in the likes of 22 Jump Street, Fist Fight and Rough Night, shows dramatic heft as a woman facing health problems, self-esteem issues and a directionless void.

She’s tasked with losing 55 pounds – the weight of a Siberian husky – by her doctor. Enlisting the help of Micah Stock’s equally hapless runner and the far more seasoned Michaela Watkins, she sets out on a year-long training regimen. The bickering is comic and believable; Bell even finds a form of love with Utkarsh Ambudkar, who house- and dog-sits with Bell for a mutual friend, tag-team style. With his help she gets a better dating profile, gets people to hold doors open for her and rediscovers her own self-worth. It’s a run well worth taking. Opens Nov 1

teacher Lupita Nyong’o turns zombie killer in this Aussie undead comedy. 21 BRIDGES (15) Chadwick Boseman is a cop looking for redemption in this action thriller. BLUE STORY (15) Boyhood friends become rivals in a London gang war. GREED (15) Michael Winterbottom’s latest uncomfortable comedy with Steve Coogan as a super-rich fool. HARRIET (15) Stirring drama with an Oscarworthy Cynthia Erivo playing Harriet Tubman, a black slave who helped change the course of history. JUDY AND PUNCH (15) Quirky comedy drama as two puppeteers find themselves caught up in a town on the brink of mob rule. THE PUBLIC (15) Homeless people take over a public library to escape the winter cold in a well-intentioned if misfiring drama from Emilio Estevez.

BUZZ 33

art

BETH MCCOLL MOYSE: SEAHORSES AND OTHER QUADRUPEDS

Oriel Joanna Field, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven Mon 4-Fri 29 Nov After her exhibition Painting Pembrokeshire last year, acrylic landscape painter Beth McColl Moyse returns to the Torch Theatre’s gallery with her new exhibition Seahorses And Other Quadrupeds, focusing on the wildlife along the Pembrokeshire seaside.

Moyse has been involved with art throughout her life, but since moving to Pembrokeshire after working in London for several years, acrylic is now her medium of artistic expression. The Irish painter finds the county’s surrounding scenery and atmosphere a relentless source of inspiration for her work. The peace and serenity of Pembrokeshire is conveyed through the gentle acrylic brushstrokes, in addition to the bright hues, her paintings offer viewers an almost picturesque depiction of the West Wales town. Moyse draws from real life, using photographs from her camera as a reference point; this process gives a sense of authenticity to her work. In a world so chaotic and self-destructive, Moyse’s artwork reminds us of a gentler outlook on life.

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

BUZZ 34

YAMA – THE MINING ART OF SAKUBEI YAMAMOTO

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon Until Wed 30 Sept The Big Pit National Coal Museum is hosting an exhibition on the works of Japanese coalminer turned artist Sakubei Yamamoto. Born in 1892, Yamamoto worked as a miner for some 50 years and kept diaries documenting his experiences. It is the content of these diaries that Yamamoto would reproduce as art, from 1955 until his death in 1984. “The Yama [mining] is fading,” he wrote, and his art was a way of leaving “behind something of the work and feeling of the Yama” for future generations.

While Yamamoto’s art is aesthetically Japanese, the museum assures museumgoers that the mining depicted in his art extends beyond all channels, all barriers of language or nation, and would be identifiable to Welsh miners in turn. It presents a frank portrayal of what being a miner entails – from its dangerous and grim working conditions to the types of people one would encounter in such a hazardous profession. Indeed, Yamamoto was initially worried that using colour could distort the truth in his works, as other than lamps, miners were shrouded in darkness.

Such a candid depiction of mining during Japan’s Meji and Showa eras (early-mid 20th century) earned Yamamoto’s works numerous accolades. Notably, in 2011, Yamamoto’s works became the first by a Japanese person to be awarded Memory Of The World status by UNESCO. So, not only does Yamamoto’s work provide an honest lens through which to look at mining, its Japanese backdrop offers a remarkable glimmer into a side of Japanese history rarely considered – its coal mining industry.

Having launched in September and set to remain in situ for over a year, Yama is the first part of Suzuki’s Bridge Together project, that seeks to introduce Japanese culture to the world in the runup to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A collection of Yamamoto’s works will be displayed around Big Pit leading into the main exhibition. GARETH KENT Admission: free. Info: 0300 1112333 / museum.wales/bigpit

DANIEL JAMES PARKER

The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff Until Sat 7 Dec Daniel James Parker’s paintings are redolent of the parietal art found in prehistoric caves. These are dark, expressionist works that are part Rorschach test, part nightmare.

Whereas Renaissance artists used falling light to embolden the objects of their paintings, Daniel James Parker explores landscapes suffocated of light, painting the darker side of the shadow.

Inspired by how the abstract form of the human body and the natural world can commingle to resemble one ambiguous entity, the best of these artworks offer a surreal take on the sublime.

The exhibition is an accumulation of the artwork Parker produced over a six-year period. His current occupation as a scenic artist for theatre is apt considering the sensory nature of these paintings: works that exploit various multimedia techniques to explore the confused harmony of synesthesia.

An attendee’s response to artwork of this ilk will likely be determined by their own emotional composition entering the exhibition. Feeling happy?

You might leave feeling a little morose.

Feeling sad? I believe the artwork on display could help to appease your misanthropy.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk (JW)

DIPPY

National Museum Cardiff Until Sun 26 Jan Dippy, the emblematic diplodocus dinosaur skeleton, is heading out on a tour of Britain. The specimen left the Natural History Museum in London to go on a public display tour across the UK, first stopping at the Dorset County Museum in early 2018. The National Museum Cardiff will now welcome the dinosaur skeleton until late January.

Arriving at the Natural History Museum in 1905, the UK’s most famous dinosaur has been a recognisable symbol at the main visitors’ entrance of London’s National History Museum since moving to the central hall in 1979. The dinosaur is a replica, cast from 292 original fossil bones discovered in the US in 1898. The skeleton is 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high. With its long giraffe-like neck it is one of the largest dinosaurs to have lived during the late Jurassic Period, approximately 155 million years ago.

Dippy’s old spot at the Natural History Museum has been taken up by Hope – a giant skeleton of a blue whale, so named to indicate a “symbol of humanity’s power to shape a sustainable future”.

The dinosaur will eventually go back to his home, but in the meantime there’s a superb opportunity to enjoy his presence here in the Welsh capital.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2057 3500 / museum.wales (CT)

GLENN EDWARDS: ROUTE A47ZERO

The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff From Tue 7 Nov until TBC Rather fittingly, just like the thoroughfare that is its focus, Glenn Edwards’ exhibition Route A47zero will be making its way the full length of the country from the north coast down to the capital.

After years of working on commissions abroad Cardiff-based Edwards, a former UK Press Photographer Of The Year, found himself searching for a subject closer to home. The result is an affectionate portrait of Wales’ long and winding road, the frequently spectacular landscapes it traverses and the people and places it encounters along the way.

The images are not shot hurriedly from the window of a car in the manner of Robert Frank: on the contrary, Edwards’ progress is leisurely, the photographic roadtrip involving regular stop-offs to admire the scenery, visit a country show or just grab a lay-by burger. At work is the same “gentle style” for which he’s praised his mentor David Hurn.

A journey through Wales’ present in all its rich diversity, while also documenting vestiges of its past, like all of the best journeys the exhibition’s own will end at the pub: the Andrew Buchan on Albany Road.

Admission: free. Info: www. glennedwardsphotojournalist.com (BW)

National Museum Cardiff Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd

Tymor Ffotograffiaeth 2019-20 Dathlu gwaith pedwar o’r artisitiaid fwyaf dylanwadol yn hanes ffotographiaeth

Photography Season 2019-20 Celebrating the work of four of the most influential artists in the history of photography Martin Parr yng Nghymru Martin Parr in Wales 26.10.2019–04.05.2020 Top: Eryri, 1989 Snowdonia, Wales, 1989 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos / Rocket Gallery

YSTAFELLOEDD ARTIST: August Sander ARTIST ROOMS: August Sander 26.10.2019–01.03.2020 Gwaelod, chwith: August Sander, Ysgrifennydd gyda Radio Gorllewin yr Almaen, Cwlen, Bottom, left: Secretary at West German Radio in Cologne ARTIST ROOMS Orielau Cenedlaethol yr Alban a'r Tate. Benthycwyd gan Anthony d'Offay 2010 ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Lent by Anthony d'Offay 2010 © Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur - August Sander Archiv, Cologne / DACS 2019 Ffoto © Orielau Cenedlaethol yr Alban / Photo © National Galleries of Scotland

Bernd a Hilla Becher Delweddau Diwydiant Bernd and Hilla Becher Industrial Visions 26.10.2019–01.03.2020 Gwaelod, dde: Bernd a Hilla Becher: Glofa Blaenserchan, Pont-y-pŵl, De Cymru, 1966 Bottom, right: Bernd and Hilla Becher: Blaenserchan Colliery, Pontypool, South Wales, GB, 1966 © Ystâd Bernd a Hilla Becher, cynrychiolir gan Max Becher, trwy garedigrwydd Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur – Bernd und Hilla Becher Archive, Köln, 2019 © Estate Bernd & Hilla Becher, represented by Max Becher, courtesy Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur – Bernd und Hilla Becher Archive, Cologne, 2019

Cefnogir yr arddangosfa gan y sefydliadau canlynol: The exhibitions have been generously supported by the following organisations:

HELA

The Other Room at Porters, Cardiff Tue 5-Sun 24 Nov Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru are known for their bold and inventive productions, incorporating the Welsh language into their work in new and unexpected ways. This debut play by Mari Izzard – winner of The Other Room’s Violet Burns Playwriting Award – is a provocative bilingual drama that transports us to a dystopian Wales where justice is determined by algorithms and the most deplorable sexual violence is protected.

An individual human tragedy plays out in this world obsessed with big data, as a young mother, Erin, has lost her son and is desperate to find him by any means necessary. Blending Welsh and English, Hela examines the relentless trauma of sexual violence, asking how far we are willing to go to avenge this pain and see justice restored.

It’s the third production in Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s so-called Violence Series, a trilogy of specially commissioned new plays thematically concerned with the language and politics of violence in the modern world. The series also included Matthew Bulgo’s intellectual thriller American Nightmare and Tess BarryHart’s Kafkaesque parable The Story.

Tickets: £5-£12. Info: www. otherroomtheatre.com (SP) BUZZ 36

Pic: Manuel Harlan

stage

MAGS

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Tue 12-Fri 15 Nov After its popular debut last year, Mags returns to tell the story of its eponymous character, a woman in her 40s searching for a place to call ‘home’, as she struggles to move forward from decisions she made in the past. Through a combination of live music, theatre and physicality, the performance presents an exploration across geographical landmarks in the bid for a sense of security that comes from being home.

Audiences should expect the 60-minute show to capture a raw complexity through subject matter, performance and the bilingual flow between Welsh and English. After last year’s shows, creator/directors Elgan Rhys and Gethin Evans have been commended for the personal rawness that the show captures, which likely comes as a result of their extensive research and development, taking place over just under two years.

Mags stars Anna Ap Robert, Seren Vickers and Matteo Marfoglia, who have captivated audiences with the authenticity of their performances, expressing the sense that this material has been developed through real people sharing their own experiences.

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

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

New Theatre, Cardiff Tue 12-Sat 16 Nov The stage adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ thriller novel-turned-film comes to Cardiff’s New Theatre this November. Directed by Anthony Banks, the play premiered last year and has been touring the UK in 2019. Banks has many directorial accolades, with a proven track record for stage adaptations of thrillers – including Strangers On A Train, based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, and new productions of Gaslight the 1938 play written by Patrick Hamilton. The latter was adapted into two classic film noirs in the 1940s and is now practically a byword for psychologically damaging relationships.

Samantha Womack has been cast as protagonist Rachel Watson. Womack’s previous credits include Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders and she’s also had leading roles in 90s TV series Game On, plus more recent box office hit The Kingsman, and stage productions of Guys And Dolls and South Pacific. Oliver Farnworth has been cast opposite Womack as Scott Hipwell; with an extensive on-stage career, he’s previously features in Hollyoaks and as Andy Carver in Coronation Street, too.

For those not familiar with The Girl On The Train’s storyline, Rachel escapes her own troubled life by observing the life of seemingly perfect couple, Megan and Scott Hipwell, on her daily commute. The couple are neighbours to Rachel’s ex-husband Tom Watson and his new wife, Anna, with whom Rachel has a toxic relationship. When Megan disappears, Rachel becomes a witness and eventually a suspect, eventually carrying out her own investigation using scraps of memory from alcohol-induced blackouts.

Hawkins’ original book is a hugely successful bestseller, though the film adaptation starring Emily Blunt was received in a more subdued manner, despite plentiful shades of Rear Window. This adaptation, written by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, has thus far been receiving far higher accolades, and escalates into a gripping whodunit. LAUREN PHILLIMORE Tickets: £17-£37. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

THUNDER ROAD

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon Fri 29 Nov If Thelma & Louise ever gave a first aid training course, it might turn out something like this. Cassie Friend and Catherine Dyson star in this heartfelt comedy show as Maureen and Sylvie – two buddies on the road across England, teaching first aid while struggling to survive themselves.

When the shit hits the fan in a Travelodge in Swindon, their friendship is tested to its absolute limit, as the twosome are forced on a lawless path up north. Soundtracked by the macho melodies of Bruce Springsteen, Thunder Road promises to be a wild ride through service stations and dark pasts, offering life-saving skills at a village hall near you.

As the latest production from RedCape Theatre, this show is influenced by the absurd character comedy of Victoria Wood and Steve Coogan, while the feminist conscience at its heart owes more to the work of Julia Davis and Bridget Christie. Tackling domestic abuse, curbed female ambition, and the importance of friendship, Thunder Road approaches taboo subjects with a wayward sense of humour, as the nonsensical terminology of first aid bears significance for their own personal paths toward survival.

Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 01874 611622 / www.brycheiniog.co.uk (SP)

DRUDWEN

The Riverfront, Newport, Thurs 7 + Fri 8 Nov; Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Fri 15 Nov Drudwen is no normal theatre performance, but a dark twisted play that fuses dance and spoken word. The show, which started a tour in October continuing to November across south Wales, binds together circus, live music and physical comedy to create a dark and magical modern-day fairytale.

Performed in both Welsh and English, the theatrical circus production follows the sorceress Drudwen, as she stumbles through the forest and finds that not everyone she encounters has quite the same heart as her. Written by Kate Driver Jones – whose goal was partly to see how to combine spoken language with the physical storytelling of circus – and produced by Cimera CBC, this original production uses captivating aerial circus, acrobatics and dramatic theatrics to take the audience on an enchanted journey to save the dying forest.

With original music from composer Dan Lawrence tying the show together, we follow our unlikely heroine protagonist as she battles to save the forest and its mystical residents from evil forces.

The question is, who can you trust when your whole world is turned upside down?

Tickets: £9-£12. Info: www.theatr. cymru (KD)

PHIL M C INTYRE LIVE YN CYFLWYNO \ PRESENTS

AN EVENING WITH

WHAT’S ON/AR FYND October/Hydref 2019 – January/Ionawr 2020

THE CYCLING PODCAST TOUR OF BRITAIN 12.11.19 – 7.30pm

TAITH FYR DU 2019 LIVE UK TOUR 2019 TACHWEDD 16 NOVEMBER 029 2063 6464★ ★ MAE CROESO I CHI GYSYLLTU Â NI YN GYMRAEG

lennyhenryontour.net

Cyfarfod Siôn Corn a’i Ffrin Father Christmas and diau t e e M Frie nds Siôn Corn Father Christ mas

JACKIE OATES 19.11.19 – 8pm

MAINLY TWO, GEORGE FU & THOMAS ANG 14.01.20 – 8pm

Nadolig Cymreig traddodiadol i’w gofio.

Penwythnosau ym mis Rhagfyr Tocynnau ymlaen llaw yn unig amgueddfa.cymru/sainffagan

A traditional Welsh Christmas to remember.

Weekends in December Advance tickets only museum.wales/stfagans

CAPITAL CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA & NIKKI ILES 21.01.20 – 8pm

CHRIS WOOD 17.03.20 – 8pm Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru Caerdydd, CF5 6XB St Fagans National Museum of History Cardiff, CF5 6XB

clubs

MOVE D

Pic: Kasia Zacharko

Rotary Club @ Kongs, Cardiff Fri 29 Nov Rotary Club started life in Cornwall before moving to the slightly more clubberfriendly climes of Cardiff, and are six years old this month. There are more venerable promoters, certainly, but a great many more who peace out long before this stage, and if your taste in dance music incorporates slo-mo disco, proper deep house and ‘nice little groover’-prizing cratedigger types, then they’ve consistently booked respected names: not instant sell-out types, more heads about which real heads know the deal.

Following an (eventual) sell-out night in Kongs in late September, co-run by Groove Theory and Blue Honey and featuring bearlike German DJ Prosumer and south Wales’ Earl Jeffers, November sees Rotary Club’s biggest standalone promotion to date, with another German house icon: Heidelberg’s David Moufang, best known as Move D. Moufang has played Cardiff before, Undertone specifically, but it was before Rotary Club started up, let alone moved here. He’s also a pretty much annual guest at Freerotation, by the Welsh border – heck, I’d wager he’ll recognise a few punters’ faces in the crowd for this one. RC are giving him a three-hour set here, which should in no way be profligate for a DJ who likes to spread beats out before him like an especially lavish picnic. You wouldn’t call his sets minimal(ist), really, but every pattern and element has an audible place, and can be drawn from a taste and collection developed over 30 years of playing vinyl.

Initially arriving at techno from a funk and hip-hop background as a DJ, and from a jazzier, more ambient direction as a producer, 2019 marks 25 years since the debut Move D release – he had a label before even that, Source, now dormant having issued a fine catalogue of off-the-dial electronic music. By all accounts Moufang is a lovely fella too, and vocal in his desire to have his audience at eye level when playing. Kongs’ back room, likewise Rotary Club, should see him right in that regard. NOEL GARDNER Tickets: from £8. Info: 07807 970534 / www.rotaryclub.dance

RED BULL & DIMENSIONS: GET DOWN EARLY

The Vaults, Cardiff Bay Sat 23 Nov On her debut Welsh appearance, cult German DJ Lena Willikens is sure to treat the Vaults to its most adventurous set for some time. While doling out credit, though, this isn’t a local promotion, rather one devised by Austrian taurine moguls Red Bull and Croatian dance festival Dimensions.

You are, of course, quite entitled to resist the tentacles of their marketing and wait for Willikens to play south Wales again.

The name of the night refers to its concept, where two DJs both get decently long sets, but the bigger name plays first – so expect the Cologne selector to be plugging away as the doors open at 11pm. Even given her exalted status in certain pockets of techno fandom, Willikens as warmup makes sense: her tastes tend towards trippy, textural tracks rather than obvious bludgeoners, with some ambient and pre-techno electronica likely to feature.

Headlining is Bristol-based Londoner Danielle Doobay [pictured], or Danielle when DJing. A peer of people like Shanti Celeste and Daisy Moon, she’s a resident on NTS radio, and owner of a furiously busy booking schedule.

Tickets: from £5. Info: www. vaultspresents.com (NG) BUZZ 38

REBŪKE

Sin City, Swansea Fri 29 Nov The person officially tasked with writing about the sound Reuben ‘Rebūke’ Keeney is pushing at the moment seems to be more puzzled than its exponentially growing audience. “A soundclash of house, techno and rave (yes, rave) records from the early 90s.” Yes, rave! Anyone who thinks the countless hours of brilliant bosh from that era is unsalvageable needs to get their mind right, frankly – and Rebūke, an Irishman with a profile and style which also appeals to creatined-up tech-housers and sleek metalbasher technoheads a la Adam Beyer, could be the man to help.

Hailing from Letterkenny, his first few releases have been picked up by some of the biggest labels in today’s dance culture: Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird, Defected offshoot DFDT and the ubiquitous Hot Creations. The latter released Rebūke’s Along Came Polly in late 2018 after months of championing by tech-house monarch Jamie Jones; the track combines a chugging beat and a weird scrapey synth effect. He’s also done covers of rave classics by the likes of Moby and 2 Bad Mice, in turn played by names like Solardo. Here as part of a tour titled Erā, Southampton DJ Ronnie Spiteri is his chosen support.

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

VIBES & BUBBLE

The Moon, Cardiff Sat 23 Nov In a city where the R in r’n’b is uttered more harshly than other postcodes, it’s fair to say softer expression would not be turned away. Hosted by Faith & Friends, Cardiff’s very own r’n’b, soul and rap evening has emerged. The artists listed are set to provide a potent blend of the smoother urban genres, each already having a reputation in the South Wales area and further afield.

Vally Vand delivers trap-infused electronic r’n’b that could be likened to Canadian artist Partynextdoor; Solo Jane has an air of UK soul and the velvety voice of a stripped-back garage singer. Lucas J Rowe has the ability to charm a crowd and serve up buoyant Caribbean-influenced hip-hop and soul, while Faith’s own unique sound and incredible vocal range has previously been showcased on The Voice and Eädyth [pictured] comes fresh from launching her latest EP here in August.

One of the Moon’s free weekend shows, it’s fair to assume to in an attempt to ignite this culture/scene, which is admirable in itself. This could be a showing of a Cardiffian subculture that shines through the masses of indie bands and boom-bap rappers to provide something unexpected.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2037 3022 / www.themooncardiff.com (CP)

WEN

Mvmnts @ Undertone, Cardiff Fri 29 Nov Another new promoter steps up! Good to see. Mvmnts is someone named Ryan and, at the time of writing, merely describes itself as a “nightlife contributor” – no specific genre/s listed (also good to see). The first Mvmnts headliner, however, is Wen, a DJ and producer from southern England whose dark, steely way with rhythms and samples point in equal measure towards grime and dubstep: minimal and menacing, but in a way you can certainly dance to.

Wen, real name Owen Darby, began making teenage bedroom tracks in the late 00s as dubstep started to venture overground, and released his first 12”s in 2013. London label Keysound, crucial in the evolution and crosspollination of British club music, released Wen’s debut album Signals in 2014; singles for other revered outlets like Tempa and Tectonic followed before album two EPHEM:ERA arrived last year courtesy of Big Dada Records. This one was noted for its unusually spartan, often beatless sound, and as such probably isn’t going to be hugely reflective of what Darby unloads on a payday-weekend basement – although cuts like Time II Think are more than up for a shuffle.

Tickets: from £8. Info: 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com (NG)

CHARLY BLISS

LIFE

SOPHIE EVANS

5 NOVEMBER 2019 10 FEET TALL CARDIFF

7 NOVEMBER 2019 CLWB IFOR BACH CARDIFF

22-23 NOV 2019 PARK & DARE TREORCHY

TOM SPEIGHT

HIMALAYAS

HVNTER

ONLY MEN

23 NOVEMBER 2019 THE GATE CARDIFF

23 NOVEMBER 2019 SIN CITY SWANSEA

28 NOVEMBER 2019 10 FEET TALL CARDIFF

9 DECEMBER 2019 ST DAVID’S HALL CARDIFF

ONLY MEN

AMIGO THE

DREADZONE

GIZMO

11 DECEMBER 2019 BRANGWYN HALL SWANSEA

26 JANUARY 2020 10 FEET TALL CARDIFF

17 APRIL 2020 SIN CITY SWANSEA

20 MAY 2020 10 FEET TALL CARDIFF

ALOUD

DEVIL

ALOUD

VARILLAS

FEEDER

AIRBOURNE

HAPPY MONDAYS

7 NOVEMBER 2019 THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

24 NOVEMBER 2019 THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

29 NOVEMBER 2019 THE GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI

FOLLOWING A SCREENING OF

GABRIELLE APLIN

WILLIAM SHATNER

SAM FENDER

13 MARCH 2020 Y PLAS, CARDIFF UNI

17 MARCH 2020 WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE

31 MARCH 2020 MOTORPOINT ARENA CARDIFF

TICKETS: TICKETMASTER.CO.UK | ORCHARDLIVE.COM

BLANCK MASS

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Tue 3 Dec It seems hard to believe, but Fuck Buttons’ Tarot Sport – an electronic masterpiece that simultaneously dragged post-rock fans onto the dancefloor and introduced clubheads to the seductive qualities of noise – has just turned 10. Benjamin John Power and Andrew Hung regularly pushed everything well into the red, but remarkably the results were rarely abrasive or oppressive; on the contrary, there was a sense of warmth and euphoria in their twinkling synths and spacey drones.

Power’s self-titled solo debut as Blanck Mass, ventured even further into beatific abstraction and celestial reverie, but since then his records have become progressively busier and less ambient. 2015’s Dumb Flesh flirted lewdly with pop but new LP Animated Violence Mild has more in common with its immediate predecessor, 2017’s World Eater.

A commentary on the way consumerism threatens to devour its own creators, Animated... is a series of brutal mashups that feast on the flesh of everything from black metal and earscouring industrial to rave. Live, it promises to be an extremely visceral and intense experience.

Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net (BW) BUZZ 40

Pic: Sarah Piantadosi

live

DEVIN TOWNSEND

Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union Thurs 5 Dec He’s been labelled a musical genius and the “mad scientist of rock,” but since he burst onto the scene in 1993 as part of Steve Vai’s band, there’s no denying the incredible whirlwind of talent that is Devin Townsend. Over the years he’s flirted with pop, classical and of course ultra-heavy metal, and been named as one of the most influential and groundbreaking people in rock.

The big three in his repertoire are Strapping Young Lad, representing the industrial thrash part of Devin’s imagination; Ocean Machine, who offered an ambient rock approach; and the Devin Townsend Project, which while based primarily in rock and metal saw Townsend working with a number of different musicians, choirs and orchestras. So imagine, if you will, if all these influences came together for one tour, simply billed as Devin Townsend.

That’s exactly what’s in store for Cardiff in December, as Townsend brings the Empath Europe Tour to the Great Hall.

Empath the album has been described as the culmination of all Devin’s styles coming together in one place – an exciting prospect for fans of his work and one which should make for a very entertaining evening.

Tickets: £25. Info: 029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com (CA)

FAT WHITE FAMILY

Tramshed, Cardiff Wed 27 Nov Fat White Family’s third and most accomplished record, Serfs Up!, signals a new dawn for a band that was once in tatters, blighted by substance abuse and internal divisions. Now, the drugs are gone and relations are good. A more equal distribution of creative duties led them to its eclectic sound, according to their animalistic frontman Lias Saoudi.

“Our guitarist-in-chief and main co-conspirator Saul [Adamcewski] was out of the picture when we started the record. So it was me and Nathan [Saoudi] struggling to come up with ideas. Also the addition of Alex White was a big one — a really highly-skilled instrumentalist. For once [Saul] was working around our ideas as opposed to the other way around.”

Saoudi recalls gorging on a broad range of music during the making of the album, from having the Wham! B-side Blue (Armed With Love) on repeat, to obscure Brazilian folk. “We were also listening to Yeezus by Kanye West a lot at the time, strangely enough… This sordid, hyper-narcissistic content I found to be more interesting than this flag-waving, faux-left, political nonsense that most of these so-called exciting, up-and-coming guitar bands have been putting out these days.” Lyrically, the frontman cites French misanthropes Jean Genet and LouisFerdinand Céline as key influences.

Their tour begins a week before their debut Cardiff show – but are those days of drug-fuelled debauchery behind them? “I’ve really noticed the difference of being just a little bit older... I’m at the point now where I have to do exercise,” he tells me, heating up a bowl of his Algerian stepmother’s nourishing fish soup. “I’ve reached that point where the game’s up. You can’t just sort of carry on like that forever.”

Saoudi is at his father’s Muslim household, an “ideal” environment for winding down post-tour. “The hour I get to spend on stage is my favourite bit of time and the only thing that allows me to put up with the rest of it.” SAM PRYCE Tickets: £18.50. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com

PENELOPE ISLES

Cinema & Co, Swansea Sat 23 Nov Penelope Isles are a perfect match for the unique and intimate surroundings of Swansea’s Cinema & Co. The Brighton-based band play a tight, bright style of indie that is as engaging as it is individual; centred around the brother-sister vocal pairing of Jack and Lily Wolter there is an intuition that flows between all four members.

“Being brother and sister, we do have a natural connection that has been brought out even more through playing music together, but the others feel like family too,” Lily says. There is a quiet intricacy to their music and a confident competence that belies their DIY aesthetic – don’t tell anyone, but these guys can really play, check out the live version of Round for an example.

After a heavy summer of touring the festival circuit, Penelope Isles will be happy to get back to boutique venues like Cinema and Co. “We have a special place in our hearts for those kinda gigs where barely anything is plugged in and there’s a makeshift keyboard stand and we get to bring out all our weird pieces of percussion and 30 people are squished into someone’s living room, record shop, treehouse or whatever,” enthuses Lily.

Tickets: £7.50. Info: 07305 908260 / www.cinemaco.co.uk (JPD)

SOUND AFFAIRS 30TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

Various venues, Cardiff Fri 15-Sun 17 Nov Founded by Welsh composer Charlie Barber, Sound Affairs is a music and theatre production company which seeks to present those two artforms at their intersection, and to either highlight avant-garde work or put more established material in that context.

As of 2019, Barber and his team have three decades under their belt, and are acknowledging that via three evenings of live ensemble performance which seeks to challenge cosy perceptions.

The opening event, on Fri 15, is at Llandaff’s Insole Court, where they’ll house a performance titled Radio Amore, whose premise aims to evoke a nocturnal wireless broadcast, and whose rangy programme includes works for oboe by Vivaldi and Corelli, Italian Michele Batani the guest musician.

Sat 16 takes place at the Wales Millennium Centre and its centrepiece is a screening of 1923’s Oscar Wilde-inspired silent film Salomé, soundtracked by a percussion ensemble directed by Barber. Finally, Cardiff University Concert Hall has a Beethoven-inspired afternoon on Sun 17, aiming to shed fresh light on this most staunchly canonical of composers.

Tickets: £5-£10 Fri 15; £12 Sat 16; free-£10 Sun 17.

Info: www.soundaffairs.co.uk (NG)

Byddwch yn chwilfrydig Get Curious

Profwch Hive City Legacy, 4.48 Psychosis a mwy dros yr hydref

Experience Hive City Legacy, 4.48 Psychosis and more this autumn

wmc.org.uk/curious

reviews WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

THE FATE OF LEE KHAN (Eureka, Blu-ray)

Another sizzling Hong Kong genre film re-packaged by Eureka in glorious Blu-ray. King Hu’s The Fate Of Lee Khan (1973) came hot on the heels of his most wellknown work A Touch Of Zen (1971), though it was nowhere near as internationally successful. Yet this is a brilliantly directed, elegant fusion of character and action: there’s more of the former than the latter here, the action arriving in short sharp bursts, with a believably complex villain and a coterie of excellent female roles all married to King Hu’s superb mise-enscene and narrative control. The transfer looks great, the extras are in-depth and informative. This is the hot stuff. ****FT

EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE (Netflix)

Highly anticipated, this follow-up of sorts puts a bit of closure on the final events of Breaking Bad, by showing us the fate of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).

Tired, traumatised and on the run, we follow him as he sets about trying to force a new life for himself.

Although this is a superbly cinematic experience, delivering on the series’ longstanding influences from Westerns, it doesn’t fully do justice to Jesse.

A character who has long been all talk and no walk, with an aversion to violence despite his career choice, quickly becomes a hard man once the plot requires him to. ***FT

BIG MOUTH S3 (Netflix)

After two series of absolutely scintillating and incredibly hilarious funnies combined with intriguing and honest conversations about gender/body politics and the frustrations of coming-of-age in the dogeat-dog world of high school, something is slightly amiss about Series 3 of Big Mouth. There are one or two hugely misjudged moments, whilst the humour, though still gloriously rude and absurd, just lands a little less regularly right now. ***FT

WOUNDS (Netflix)

Netflix original movies are, I think, fast becoming a graveyard for promising up-and-coming directors making their second or third features. Babak Anvari’s debut, Into The Shadow, remains one of my favourite films of the decade. His followup, starring Armie Hammer, Zazie Beets and Dakota Johnson, looks promising but fails to deliver. The premise is essentially The Ring but with smartphones, and whilst there’s plenty of potential in that, there’s just a crucial lack of fear, build-up and pacing. When you consider everything that made Into The Shadow so flawless – its culturally unique Tehran setting, its inner mythology, and its sheer brilliant directing – this is a big letdown. **FT

IN THE TALL GRASS (Netflix)

This adaptation of a Stephen King and Joe Hill novel oscillates between the ridiculous and the kooky, and is actually all the better for it. The premise: unwitting travellers stop by a field and hear a lost child in the grass, but once inside the field they find they can’t get out. Director Vincenzo Natali does a solid job of making tall grass spooky and not letting the endless green bore visually (though the night-time scenes are blandly directed), but the real value lies in this film’s endless nutty plot twists. Good schlocky fun. ***FT BUZZ 42

albums

s s

ALCEST ****

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX *** Cry (Partisan)

As the progenitors of blackgaze (a clunky portmanteau that does a disservice to the surprisingly seamless fusion of black metal and shoegaze to which it refers), Alcest might be rather miffed that former tourmates Deafheaven have been given much of the credit.

The French duo’s sixth LP Spiritual Instinct layers clean vocals over molten riffs to create songs that glide along with swan-like serenity on the surface but churn away beneath. BW

The peculiar and profitable sausage machine run by Greg Gonzalez chugs gradually on, as Cigarettes After Sex album #2 leaves their musical formula preserved in aspic and triple laminated. A kind of horny slowcore, the nine songs on Cry maintain the noirish ambience and slightly creepy lyrics of every single one of their other songs, producing the same unsettling uniformity as Coke bottles or IKEA cabinets. A soporific copout? Giving the people what they want? Some bands don’t even have one song. WS

ARVE HENRIKSEN ****

COLD WAR KIDS ***

Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast)

The Timeless Nowhere (Rune Grammofon)

New Age Norms, Vol 1 (Kobalt)

The only (legal) way of owning this release seems to be dropping £60 or more on a four-LP box set, containing 160 minutes of music

by Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen. Partly collaborative, part live recordings, often experimental and all unreleased, it’s a glorious, elegaic showcase of his compositional and textural prowess.

Given the high financial stakes, though, I don’t honestly expect to sway you into purchase, so readers are hereby invited to my house to listen to my promo copy. No knobheads allowed. NG

Complainer, the album opener and one of two teaser tracks for Cold War Kids’ latest album, doesn’t do the Californian indie-rock five-piece any favours, but what follows after is pretty good. Beyond The Pale is emotional, familiar-sounding and radio-friendly; 4th Of July a smooth stroll in the sun. Nathan Willett’s passionate vocals are can get a little whiney at times but overall, New age Norms is easy listening for those who like a funky sound with piano. LN

DJ SHADOW *** THE BAD PLUS ****

Our Pathetic Age (Mass Appeal)

Activate Infinity (Edition) Another mesmerising album from the Minneapolis jazz revolutionaries, their second since pianist Orrin Evans replaced founding member Ethan Iverson in 2018. The line-up change seems to have inspired a renewed vitality for the trio. Explosions of acoustic breakbeat on the opening tracks reveal their ongoing influence over recent crossover jazz groups like GoGo Penguin and Portico Quartet. But seven-and-ahalf minute closer Love Is The Answer drifts toward a serene conclusion. SP

The sample-master returns with a double EP that has two very different personalities.

An instrumental first half that finds DJ Shadow offering a more subtle, at times cinematic, exploration of melody is superseded by a heavyweight second EP, featuring a cast of lyricists as diverse as Ghostface Killah, Fantastic Negrito and Sam Herring. The second half is a return to highoctane hip-hop flavour yet, whilst it reasserts that DJ Shadow is a masterful beat-maker, jars a little uncomfortably against the more spacious opening tracks. JW

BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY ****

FENELLA ****

I Made A Place (Domino)

Feherlofia (Fire)

Although Will Oldham has not starved us of listening material over the last eight years with various albums of covers and reworkings, I Made A Place is the first Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy album of original songs since 2011. Oldham is keeping his renowned alt-country sound firmly in check, on what is actually quite a cheerful sounding BPB collection. Not as stark as catalogue highlight I See A Darkness, just a bit more light shines through this time round. DN

If you’re looking for a soundtrack to a Hungarian animated film from 1981, then look no further. The main bulk of the material here is electronics, with some shimmering, sparkling and oscillating modular synthesisers providing the background for Jane Weaver’s ethereal vocals. Throughout the course of this lengthy album, you are treated to some dreamlike ambience and expert knobtwiddling from this trio. The film deals in fantastical Hungarian folklore, and I’d like to think this is a pretty fitting accompaniment. GM

s

s

s

s

HAWKWIND ***

JUNIOR DISPROL ****

SPENCER SEGELOV ***

VETIVER ***

All Aboard The Skylark (Cherry Red)

Def Valley (Plague)

Signs, Wonders & Miracles (self-released)

Up On High (Loose)

From the first buzz of Flesh Fondue you know you’re in typical Hawkwind territory but this, their 32nd studio album, lacks the strength and oomph of earlier works, and lyrics about asteroids and dinosaurs seem a bit silly. Instrumental tracks are more dynamic and can still induce a trance-like state, while the accompanying acoustic CD features PSI Power, Flying Doctor, and a folk version of We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago – and that’s definitely a bonus. LN

After spending almost two decades with his fingers in as many south Wales hip-hop movements and collectives as possible, including Dead Residents and Fleapit, Junior Disprol is back with his debut solo project, Def Valley. Cerebral and dripping with wit, the 12-track album is a testament to the creativity of the Welsh hip-hop scene, which is often overlooked by those less familiar. With its unmistakable 90s bent and jazz infused beats and accessible flows, the project seems ripe with appeal for hip-hop fans far and wide. AP

Spencer Segelov has been working through differing personal twists on guitar-based pop music for a good 15 years now, and invariably making it sound effortless. Sometimes these have been very lavish studio ventures and sometimes they’ve utilised a self-reliant spirit, like this new album. Recorded at a bandmate’s house, Signs… is 14 songs of knockabout folk blues replete with lyrical references to In The Pines, a track titled Song For Josephine Foster and an unlikely Celtic air on Vanilla Crow. NG

Mellow folk with tinges of soft rock and country about lovin’, leavin’, searchin’ and stayin’ from Andy Cabic aka Vetiver’s seventh studio album. He handles writing and vocal duties, plus most guitars and keyboards, lending a Dylan/Cohen vibe on lovely tunes such as To Who Knows Where, the poetic Filigree and evocative Lost (In Your Eyes). Other highlights are Swaying, recalling REM, and the mystic Up On High with gorgeous pedal steel from Tim Ramsey. Sometimes melancholic but eminently listenable. RLR

JEFF LYNNE’S ELO ****

SUDAN ARCHIVES ****

From Out of Nowhere (Columbia)

MAYHEM **

Athena (Stones Throw)

The 10 songs on the 14th ELO album have poppy rhythms, catchy hooks, familiar beats and echoes of the Mr Blue Sky days. There’s a fair dose of melancholy here too, though, which is only occasionally alleviated with a bit of foot-tapping rock’n’roll.

Lynne plays guitars, bass, piano, drums and keyboards and sings lead and harmonies. He may be on his own – albeit with Steve Jay adding some percussion – but he’s still giving fans the authentic ELO sound. LN

Daemon (Century Media)

Sudan Archives, birth name Brittney Parks.

A twin. Based in LA by way of Ohio. Singer/ songwriter and violinist.

Sound: r’n’b, beats, electro. Debut album concerns duality. Right and wrong, good and evil. Relationships – breakups, vulnerability, strength, weakness, confidence, abuse, staying, money, power. Journeys. Exotic rhythms. A modern poetess. Urban yet from ancient times.

Like Athena, dispensing wisdom for sisters.

Favs: Did You Know, Black Vivaldi Sonata (God v devil), the dreamy Iceland Moss, Glorious (police brutality, homelife, surviving) and Pelicans In The Summer. RLR

JEFFREY LEWIS AND THE VOLTAGE ****

The problem with black metal pioneers Mayhem is that their revolving door of musicians over the years has weakened their output somewhat.

If you were putting together a best of compilation, sadly there’s nothing on Daemon that would get a look in.

With that said, there are a couple of tracks here that remind us of the band at full tilt, Of Worms And Ruins evoking classic Mayhem for instance – but ultimately, the whole thing just falls a bit short. CA

Bad Wiring (Moshi Moshi)

RACHAEL DADD *****

New York antifolk singer/ songwriter and comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis has been making music for over two decades now, and on latest release Bad Wiring he shows no signs of slowing down. His humorous, insightful and brutally honest lyrics will easily win over new fans with highlights such as the record collecting tribute LPs or the existential crisis of Depression! Despair!. One of his strongest and most accessible releases yet. ML

Flux (Memphis Industries)

JNKS *** A Trip To Init 5 (Death Proof) The Mexi-CymroFranco techno alliance rears its head again, or more likely for the first time ever, as the Death Proof label – run jointly by Newport DJ Paul Blandford and Parisian Benjamin Vial – issue the second album by Jnks, aka Daniel Jenkins from Mexico City. A Trip To Init 5 is apparently based conceptually on TV show Mr. Robot, which might plausibly attract some listeners but has little obvious bearing on this 73 minutes of expansive, sometimes trancey big room fare, like 90s prog house with Drumcodetype punch. NG

In marrying poetic protest to pretty, playful music, Rachael has produced a cracking globalist folk LP, teeming with humanity. Cut My Roots champions liberty and fights white supremacy, with syncopated handclaps a deliberate echo of the deep south funk of Nina Simone’s See Line Woman – a tune Rachael has in common with Feist, who she resembles on Animal. Dadd matches the folk-estral majesty of Sufjan Stevens on Two Islands and the art-pop of Field Music on Palaeontologist. CS

TINDERSTICKS **** No Treasure But Hope (City Slang) Tindersticks’ 12th studio album sees them revisiting the melancholic chamberpop that first made their name almost 30 years ago. The Amputees swings with their customary gallows humour, whilst Trees Fall wears the kind of luxurious sadness rarely seen outside of a Lee Hazelwood album. But it’s the closing title track that lingers longest in the memory, an anthem of quiet defiance for our troubled times. PJ

demos JUST DRIVE www.facebook.com/justdrivemusic Cardiff-based, clean-cut and four in number, Just Drive were recently reviewed warmly

by Buzz, a support slot of theirs garnering comparisons to The Killers. Their recorded material to date backs that up, all pop-rock bombast and “woah-oh”ing. Running, their new single, is brisk and synth-heavy, and includes in its first verse the lyric “that familiar taste / that’s always right between your thighs”.

Conceivably there are musical styles which could render those words non-excruciating, but Just Drive do not play one of them. NG

LUNG lungdoom.bandcamp.com Lung feature two members of King Juss, who did a dirgey, grungey thing which I for one considered underrated. This incarnation’s been bumming around, low key-like, for a year or so, a 12-minute song called Chalice Lung’s first studio fruit. It’s hulking, lumbering downtunedto-heck stoner metal with lyrics phrased so as to conflate religious ritual and getting high – the elephant in the room being Dopesmoker

by Sleep, to which this is a completely undisguised albeit very rocking homage. NG

RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND **** Zone Rouge (Bubblewrap) Andrew Plain and Rhodri Viney return for their third album, brimming with the multi-layered guitar riffage and thunderous polyrhythms the Cardiff duo are renowned for. Illustrating the indelible marks that humankind has left on this earth, each track refers to a location in the world that has endured some form of hardship. Highlights include the feral thrash of Clipperton, the gloomy and cryptic Kola and lead single Chacabuco, featuring the emphatic wails of former Estrons vocalist Taliesyn Kallstrom. CPI

VARIOUS **** No Other Love – Midwest Gospel 1965-1978 (Tompkins Square) For my money, San Francisco’s Tompkins Square label is never better than when it’s digging up impossibly rare vinyl and making it available to us saps.

They’ve compiled a big whack of American black gospel previously, but this 14-song collection focuses on Chicago and the surrounding area. It’s a special document, these DIY sides ranging from James Brown funk barkers to folky ballads and haphazardly taped live choirs, and the sleevenotes by compiler Ramona Stout are incisive. NG

SALLOW WORM sallowworm.bandcamp.com Since this six-track EP of beatless, murky synth grumblings was dropped onto Bandcamp in early September, Sallow Worm appears to have removed anything relating to its identity from online, although that may have been a single Instagram post anyway. It’s one of the members of erstwhile, bleaker-than-bleak slowcore duo Mars To Stay, and collates homestyle electronic burble, creepily distant field recordings and vocals that would probably be gloomy if you could make out the words. Probably/possibly a one-off project, but a very cool one. NG

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

The 12 nominations for the 2019 edition of the Welsh Music Prize have been announced. Seeking to crown the finest album to emerge from Wales in the last year, they are: Accü’s Echo The Red, Adwaith’s Melyn, Audiobooks’ Now! (In A Minute), Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18’s Joia! Cate Le Bon’s Reward, Deyah’s Lover Loner, Estrons’ You Say I’m Too Much, I Say You’re Not Enough, HMS Morris’ Inspirational Talks, Lleuwen’s Gwn Gan Beibl Budur, Lucas J Rowe’s Touchy Love Mr’s Oesoedd and Vrï’s Ty Ein Tadau. The winner will be unveiled on Wed 27 Nov at a ceremony in the Exchange Hotel in Cardiff Bay Plans are being formulated for a “signature event” to launch in Cardiff during 2020, aiming to promote the Welsh capital as a musical attraction and spanning two weeks and multiple venues in the city centre, suburbs and the Bay. It’s one of the first suggestions to take shape at the recommendation of Sound Diplomacy, a global advisory group focusing on music scenes in various cities, Cardiff being the latest of these. Another of their suggestions, that Cardiff Council fund a ‘music board’ to discuss and lobby for potential improvements to the city’s music culture, was approved on Thurs 10 Oct Late November will see the opening of Cultvr, an art space located on Penarth Road in Cardiff which focuses on immersive arts including “360º cinema” and live performance. Billed as the first such centre in Europe, Cultvr’s programme launches with the aid of Slowly Rolling Camera, an electronically-abetted jazz ensemble, and their Juniper project [pictured]: an immersive live show with visuals by Welsh multimedia studio 4Pi

(founded by Matt Wright and Janire Nájera, also behind Cultvr), previously performed in April as part of the Diffusion Festival. Juniper will be performed here on Fri 22 Nov, the day after a launch party at Cultvr with live acts currently TBC Cardiff-based, north Wales-originated indie rockers Yr Ods release their third album, Iaith Y Nedoedd, on Fri 22 Nov. A short novel of the same title, written by Llwyd Owen, will be concurrently published by Aberystwyth’s Y Lolfa; together, both releases form a conceptual whole, the band having taken lyrical and musical inspiration from Owen’s prose. Iaith Y Nedoedd is set in a not-too-distant future Wales plagued by hate and draconian controls on speech and thought, and is to be presented as a box set including a vinyl LP and novel, plus a miniature sculpted figure by artist Tom Winfield if you sprung for the limited version Here is a quick roundup of new or imminent local releases from the noisier, weirder side of the tracks on cassette, the format whose continued existence baffles the squares. Jaxson Payne, having completed his series of dance albums recorded with MIDI drums, issues a tape of sound collage titled In Order to Solve This Particular Problem You Must Solve All the Problems. Slow Murder, aka Cardiff-based Jo Sheehy, unveils their first standalone release of fierce noise, Less Being. Ordeal By Roses, a fellow traveller in the power electronics scene, takes a less sonically harsh turn for his second tape, to arrive on Brighton label Outsider Art. And Aidan Taylor’s modular synth project Ginko has a tape, Psychic Computer Wave, out on Difficult Folk

ONES TO WATCH...

THE DEBUTANTES

You don’t hear much of the svengali in pop music these days: the older songwriting figure who assembles a younger group to sing songs of his (and it nearly always is his) creation, giving them a very specific image.

Perhaps it is a concept from yesteryear. Well, here’s a duo from Cardiff, The Debutantes, who very much aim to evoke the past – the 1960s, specifically – and who have a veteran songwriter pulling the strings of the two twentysomething women doing the singing.

Alan Jones is an elder statesman of south Wales music, his main claim to fame being his time in late-60s Cardiff group Amen Corner. A varied post-band career has recently focused on gig promotion, but a stated wish to oversee a project harking back to classic 60s pop reached the ears of two sisters, Victoria and Lavinia George-Veale. Previously part of a teenage trio, the G-Vs, with third sister Myfanwy, the remaining duo reportedly clicked quick with Alan, and work on The Debutantes’ debut album began last year.

Titled Symphonic Pop, it’s a sugary, spotless cavalcade of retro ditties stuffed with vocal harmonies, billowing orchestral parts, soppy lyrics and big nods to the girl group blueprint. It’s also not due for release until next summer, so for now The Debutantes will be represented by their Fri 15 Nov debut single, a cover of Amen Corner’s biggest hit (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice. Alan Jones has even got the band’s old singer, Andy Fairweather-Low, to chip in guest vocals. www.thedebutantes.com BUZZ 44

one louder

BY the time you read this, the shortlist for this year’s edition of the Welsh Music Prize will have been announced. As I write, I don’t know what features on that shortlist, but I know what doesn’t, and that’s the influence of my vote, because I sat this one out.

As I’ve written in here before, I’m not really one for devising competitions about music, but equally I have a Pavlovian instinct to vote whenever someone invites me to – website pop-ups, the 2005 general election, anything. So every year I’d sent the WMP a list of five eligible Welsh albums and sat back until my assumption they would not feature in the final running was confirmed. For 2019, I couldn’t pick that many (from a list of nearly 100) that I’d formulated enough of a positive opinion about to justify selecting them.

So where, apart from into my own navel, am I going with this – is this a cloud-yellin’ lament for the decline of Welsh music? No, actually. There are plenty of people young and old making good music for the right reasons, although granted a lot of them failed to release an album in the last year. It’s actually a wail about listening habits: my own, and those imposed or encouraged by Society.

Between my Buzz and personal emails, plus the postal system, I get sent literally thousands of new releases per year. To be clear, I’m not sharing this to imply importance – by any sensible metric I’m on a very low rung of the music criticism ladder, which at this stage in its sorry existence is fine. Yet! There’s a lot of people out there who want to attract my attention re: their new album, even if just part of a hundreds-strong mailing list. (It’s easy to get hold of these mailing lists nowadays and costs nothing to send a download link into the ether.)

So I try to check out as much as I can. Downtime before and after work, control of the Buzz office ambience, earphones once that control is relinquished in favour of Radio 2 because an album was slightly noisier than I anticipated. Ten albums per day is usually achievable. To be clear, again: this is a terrible way to consume music. In trying to absorb everything, it’s easy to absorb nothing, and while actually reviewing things now and again does necessitate actual proper listening, I know all too well that I’ve unknowingly brushed off brilliance in favour of cramming in some more Finnish death metal, or something.

As it’s not far off 2020, for the good of the good’uns – and my ears, and the Welsh Music Prize – I should promise myself I’ll change my ways come January.

Also known as the month where loads of promos for things coming out in March get emailed. So instead I’ll just promise that if this all happens again, I won’t subject you to the details at least.

Gigs, too. R. SEILIOG, ACCÜ, THREATMANTICS and more at The Moon, Cardiff on Sun 3. STATE CHAMPION (Le Public Space, Newport, Tue 5) and PETER BRODERICK and TOBY HAY (Lost Arc, Rhayader, Sun 10) continue. DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON, BELL LUNGS and PAGAN WANDERER LU hit The Moon on Mon 18; TIM HOLEHOUSE and MALCOLM TENT’s tour visits Swansea, Newport and Cardigan from Wed 20-Fri 22 before WREN, COLOSSLOTH and LUNG play for free in the Moon on Sat 30. NOEL GARDNER

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books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

ENDLAND Tim Etchells (AndOtherStories)

Mashing together the digital, geographical and linguistic morphologies of modern Britain and the world-at-large, Tim Etchells’ Endland is a funny, dark series of fairy tales and parables designed to disorient and engage the reader in equal measure. Baited in by familiar phrases and situations, one is thrown for a loop by the anachronisms of a world collapsing inwards: Olympian gods named after fizzy drinks; wars and conflicts happening in the wrong places, at the wrongs times; gothic folktales playing out near your local Tesco’s. Etchells’ stated goal is to test the limits of reader engagement by introducing them to a familiar world teeming with originality while providing atom-thin exposition, and it’s clear that his many years toying with this format have paid dividends.

Etchells’ funny and regular use of asides and parentheses work hard to make you feel in on the joke he’s telling or the fable he’s weaving, and even during the most bizarre or irreverent of stories one never feels truly at sea. Mentions of Brexit on the blurb may do this book a disservice, but readers weary of all things EU need not worry – the book isn’t overt or proselytising. It is at times garish, gross and unapologetic, so don’t expect a forgiving read.

Unforgiving, comical and redemptive, Endland is a poll tax riot at the gates of Elysium.

The reader will feel as though they’ve slipped in to a timeline not entirely unlike our own, left with just enough recognition to keep barely abreast of the story as it develops.

JOHN MCLOUGHLIN Price: £11.99 Info: www.andotherstories.org

BELLEVUE Ivana Dobrakovová, Trans. by Julia and Peter Sherwood (Jantar Publishing) With a limited amount of Slovak literature having been translated into the English language this novel from Slovak writer Ivana Dobrakovová is an intriguing introduction.

We are introduced to protagonist Blanka who is embarking on a trip to Marseille during a summer break to become a careworker at a centre for people with physical disabilities.

During her stay her mental wellbeing declines. With detailed descriptions of her thought process and relationships with family, friends and colleagues reeled off with haste it’s difficult not to imagine the turmoil she is experiencing within her mind. Although this is an unsettling tale of how our minds can unravel it is an extremely well written account. It’s no surprise to discover that Dobrakovová has been awarded the European Union Prize for Literature for previous work and this translated work will undoubtedly introduce new readers to Slovak writing. JM Price: £16.99. Info www.glagoslav.com THE WOLVES OF LENINSKY PROSPEKT Sarah Armstrong (Sandstone Press) Having married her brother’s gay best friend, Kit, to help him appear more of a family man to his colleagues in his mysterious job in 70s-era Soviet Union, Martha prepares herself for a new life in this beautiful yet oppressive part of the world. Enthusiastic but naïve and being unable to trust anyone makes her increasingly isolated.

She meets several interesting characters who add depth and mystery to the plot but cannot form long standing attachments due to the nature of the situation. Having no reliable maps of Moscow, Martha sets out to discover her own version by walking around the city but this is not always as straightforward as she hopes. A well-written depiction of the connection between people and place this is a compelling read taut with claustrophobia and paranoia. LM Price: £7.99. Info: www.sandstonepress.com BUZZ 46

COME A LITTLE CLOSER Karen Perry (Michael Joseph) In Dublin’s fair city, the past is not pretty.

Not in the dilapidated mansion where these characters gather one long, hot summer. Not for the man upstairs, old before his time, or the young couple, Leah and Jake, in the basement of their first home together. The old man, Anton, is just out of jail for the murder of his wife, though he pleads innocence. But deep down his secrets fester in his mind.

Secrets that he replays over and over as he sucks Leah in like the spider waiting for the fly in the nursery rhyme.

But Leah also has secrets untold, as Anton feeds off her naïveté like a vampire and Jake looks on, caring less, as the summer passes by. This one is a creepily nasty study of some creepy, nasty individuals, stuck, like flies in amber. Not easy to put down. MTi Price: £7.99. Info: www.penguin.co.uk

THE WOMAN AND THE PUPPET Pierre Louÿs, trans. Jeremy Moore (Dedalus Press) First published in 1898, this French novel receives a new edition from Dedalus, a publisher with a track record of resurrecting lost classics of European fiction. Its author was sadly overshadowed in his own time by his considerably more famous friends — André Gide, Oscar Wilde and Claude Debussy, to name a few. Nevertheless, this slim and seductive study of obsessive love went on to inspire five film adaptations, including Luis Buñuel’s That Obscure Object of Desire (1977). The book certainly retains its dreamlike charm, as it recounts in fragments the tale of a femme fatale — the mysterious and magnetic Concha Pérez — playing off two men against each other. Set during carnival season in Spain, The Woman and The Puppet still simmers with a dark eroticism over a century after its publication. SP Price: £9.99. Info: www.dedalusbooks.com

REAL PRESELI John Osmond (Seren Books) The book paints a vivid picture of Preseli, the not-so-oft-visited part of Pembrokeshire which Osmond calls “a magical country.” Osmond invites you to walk with him on his journey, to savour the beauty of Preseli, as he takes in breath-taking coastlines, steep hills and high cliffs, whilst dipping into ruminations on ecology, farming, self-sufficiency, traditions and rural life. A few interesting examples are the broadcaster Jamie Owen who wanted to restore some of Preseli’s uplands, and bring nature back to these areas, and Fflald-y-Brenin, a Christian retreat on a converted farm, depicting a slower way of life whose buildings house 20-30 visitors at one time. This is a very detailed history of the area, which serves as a great reference book too. EE Price: £9.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com

DEPECHE MODE: FAITH AND DEVOTION Ian Gittins (Palazzo) Palazzo have a good track record of producing handsome coffee table books of various artists – the two reviewed last year in these pages both got positive feedback. This one, on Depeche Mode, continues that fine trend, with immaculate layout, tracking the band’s beginnings in stale Basildon, Essex to their pomp selling out arenas. The photography is beautiful, the writing is sharp and to the point (featuring a look at each album and the reactions to it at the time) and although the structure hardly reinvents the wheel for coffee table books, this works well for any hardcore Depeche fan – except perhaps alt-right fascist Richard Spencer, whose professed love of the band gets excoriated towards the end. FT Price: £25. Info: www.palazzoeditions.com

WINTER WARMERS Feeling the nip? House getting cold? It must be winter. Time to crank up the heating but wait – what about the environment? Buzz is here to suggest ways to warm up sustainably.

Wood burners

Where’s your jumper?

There is a huge debate around wood burners – are they better than gas central heating or not? If you do have one, make sure you only use naturally seasoned logs as they burn far more efficiently and buy in bulk to avoid delivery pollution and plastic packaging.

Seasoned Firewood 14” – £130.00 www.topstak.co.uk

Blanket

It may sound obvious, but don’t be wandering around your abode in a t-shirt while cranking up the heating. If you haven’t got a nice thick jumper then get yourself one; look for natural wool on the label and avoid anything with poly in the name! facebook.com/flamingosvintageuk

Energy company

There’s nothing simpler than wrapping yourself up to keep warm in a blanket.

Luckily in Wales we have a choice of fine mills creating beautiful woven warmers.

This traditional Welsh tapestry design will for years.

Montgomery – £150 www.felinfach.com

Most energy companies now offer 100% sustainably-produced electricity options, but most of us heat our homes using gas boilers. Good Energy is one of a few who invest in certified carbon reduction schemes and provide carbon neutral gas to their customers.

Contact for prices www.goodenergy.co.uk

Layer up

Hottie

We can’t stay indoors all through the winter. Layering up will keep you nice and warm and our friendly Welsh clothing company Howies produce one of the best merino wool base layers there is. As expected, it’s manufactured ethically.

Classic Merino Base Layer – £55 howies.co.uk

Don’t hot water bottles remind you of your nans? This PVC-free version, made from 90% renewable materials will keep you snug and smug in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for your future grandchildren, so they get the chance of thinking of you when they use one. ‘eco-sustainable’ hot water bottle – £24.99 www.hotwaterbottleshop.co.uk

It’s curtains for the cold

A huge amount of heat from your rooms is lost through the windows. Using thicker full-length curtains is a simple way to insulate your home saving your energy bill; you’ll also find that they are great for reducing outside noise and, in the summer’s heat, keep your room nice and cool.

Majgull Room darkening curtains – £27 www.ikea.com

Count your blessing

There are many who don’t have the luxury to be improving the warmth of their home in an ecological way. In the cold season, don’t forget those who have no roof over their head – help out and donate your clothing to a reputable charity.

As much as you can afford thewallich.com

BUZZ 47

BREW REVIEW Buzz is delighted to welcome a new monthly column by Neil Goodman of Wales Ales, taking a closer look at independent Welsh breweries.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD HANGOVER CURE Party season is upon us. We all know what that means for the morning after – but remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Rhys Fisher has the lowdown on how to beat your hangovers.

Whilst searching for a foolproof hangover cure may be ambitious to the point of foolish, there are some steps one can take to make the day after a heavy session slightly more bearable, but also some classic ‘cures’ that are out-and-out myths.

The first of these ‘cures’ is the old adage about the hair of the dog, or for some of us, getting back on it. Sounds a little dubious, doesn’t it? Surely the last thing you need when you’re laying there with a pounding in your skull that’s making you consider the benefits of beheading is another drop of what caused all this misery. The logic of this sounds so flawed, because it is. Having another drink will in no shape or form help cure your hangover – all you are doing is prolonging and worsening the inevitable. Be brave. Face your demons head on and get rewarded with a slightly less terrible hangover.

Next on our list of fabled hangover cures is the fry-up: another suggestion that, once you dig deeper, sounds utterly ludicrous. How can something swimming in grease, containing almost all of your recommended daily calories and utterly devoid of nutritional value, be of any use in combatting this brutal affliction? The answer is, it can’t.

What your body needs after drinking your weight in gin is to replenish all the vitamins that you quite literally flushed down the toilet during your 87 trips to the bathroom the previous night. A fry-up may be one of the country’s favourite dishes and one of the few things that Britain has contributed to the BUZZ 48

culinary scene, but rich in vitamins it is not.

So what exactly should you eat? Eggs, eggs, and more eggs. The most versatile of the classic breakfast foods is also the most effective in combatting the effects of a hangover – particularly for headache sufferers.

Eggs contain an amino acid called cysteine, which breaks down the headache-causing chemical formed by the liver breaking down alcohol. In short, eggs are the best.

Another breakfast option is good old-fashioned oats, which aren’t only teeming with vitamins, but will also raise your blood sugar levels, taking you from corpselike to potentially presentable.

For those lucky readers who are able to sleep late on a hangover and don’t particularly fancy a bowl of porridge at two in the afternoon, soup is another great option. Both vegetable and chicken noodle will give you a mineral boost, as well as restoring sodium and water levels. They also have the added benefit of being light on the stomach, for those of you who are prone to allowing last night’s alcohol to exit the body the same way that it entered it.

The cliched ending to a piece like this would be to inform you that whilst these foods and drinks will help, the only real cure for a hangover is to not drink as much alcohol the night before. However, we both know that’s not going to happen. Enjoy the beers, and stock up on eggs and soup.

Santa Paws is coming to town From Figgy Pud to Santa Paws, it’s not Christmas without a winter warmer. Wales is producing some quality beers right now – and that includes the festive beers. Last year Wales Ales sold a 12 Beers Of Christmas pack which featured a dozen festive tipples from breweries from all corners of Wales. The standout customer favourite was Santa Paws, from Bridgend-based brewery Dog’s Window.

Due to popular demand, they’re brewing it again, and as it’s the season to be jolly they’ve tweaked it up to a very merry 5.8% abv.

Taking inspiration from a conversation with a friend, Dog’s Window wanted to do a seasonal beer but stay away from the anything with spices. Not everyone likes mince pies or Christmas pudding, so what else is popular around Christmas? How about a nice Black Forest gateau?

The base of the beer is a fairly traditional oatmeal stout with an extra touch of chocolate malt; added to this was cherry and almond to produce a Black Forest stout they named Santa Paws, in keeping with their canine branding.

Dark and fruity with a long lingering aftertaste, it’s the epitome of Christmas in a bottle. Dark and decadent with a lovely aroma, rich flavour and a gorgeous sweetness on the back end: if only all beers were this good. You’ll find this in all good bottle shops throughout south Wales, but only if you’ve been a good boy or girl.

OF THE BEST COSY CAFÉS Claudia Rutherford picks a quaint quintet that’ll make you feel so at home, the proprietors will help you into your pyjamas on arrival. Conceivably.

BRØD – THE DANISH BAKERY

First and foremost, our listing of the cosiest cafés must begin with the pioneers.

For the Danes, hygge – roughly translating to “a quality of cosiness paired with a feeling of contentment” – is a fundamental feature of everyday life. Lucky for us in South Wales, it rests at the heart of Brød’s philosophy. Nestled in Pontcanna, the Danish bakery offers cups of Clifton coffee, complete with a delicious pastry selection. Curl up with a hot chocolate and a traditional æble snegle.

Wyndham Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff Info: 029 2025 1822 / www.thedanishbakery.co.uk

NO6HUNDRED

Taking second place is No6Hundred, a café so homely you’d be forgiven for mistaking its exterior for a residential Welsh cottage. Visit over the holiday period to be greeted with an abundance of festive decorations, homemade cakes and decadent afternoon tea.

Clydach Road, Ynysforgan, Swansea Info: 07789 075488 / www.no6hundred.com

CAFE DU CHAT NOIR

Tucked away in Wellfield Court, the French café offers high quality food with warming Parisian decor. Enjoy a bowl of soup l’oignon topped with a delicious lathering of cheese crouton, after visiting their neighbouring vintage shop Penny Lane for a super-cosy, autumnal day in Roath.

Wellfield Court Arcade, Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff Info: 029 2048 8993 / twitter.com/cafeduchatnoirc

HAYSTACK CAFÉ

With a vibrant and eclectic menu, Haystack has grabbed the attention of brunchgoers in Swansea. Having recently installed a bakery on their top floor, the café is a perfect stop for those with a sweet tooth. If a savoury dish is more to your taste, you can enjoy a Farmer’s Breakfast, or their signature dish The Haystack. The interior is laced with fairy lights resting against exposed brick, making it a brilliant spot to hide away from Swansea’s cold seaside breeze.

Brynhyfryd Square, Swansea Info: 01792 417768 / www.haystackcafe.com

CAFÉ AROMA

Featuring bunches of dried chilli and orange plants for decor, Aroma Cafe will add a continental feel to your cosy winter day. The café prides itself on serving local and fresh produce in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. And if you arrive short of reading material, the pleasant staff are happy to provide a novel from their bookshelves to accompany you on your visit.

Dunraven Place, Bridgend / Birds Lane, Cowbridge Info: 01656 655880 / 01446 771435 / www.aromadeli.co.uk

BLUE CHEESE BURGERS Words Alison Powell In Brooklyn, years ago, I sat at a bar with a cold beer, great company and the best burger, smothered in a blue cheese sauce. That taste memory has always stayed with me and this is my homage to that happy Sunday afternoon.

INGREDIENTS Makes 6 burgers • 500g beef mince (don’t go for too lean, a bit of fat is good in a burger) • 1 medium egg • 150g blue cheese (I like Saint Agur, but it is a matter of taste – cambozola, dolcelatte and Roquefort would also all work really well) • 150g linseed • Good grind of black pepper and pinch of salt • 6 leaves of little gem lettuce, washed and dried • 1 large tomato, washed, dried and sliced thinly • 6 brioche buns

HOW TO 1. In a mixing bowl, pop the minced beef, salt and pepper, linseed and the cracked egg. Get your hands in there and squish the mix all together until it is well mixed.

2. Form into 6 even sized balls. Wash your hands then cut the cheese in to 6 equal size chunks.

3. Make a well in the centre of each ball and press in a lump of cheese. Form the rest of the meat mix around it and over it, snuggling it safely in the centre and press gently into patties.

4. It is good if you can make these around an hour before you start cooking them, covering and setting aside in the fridge.

But, if you don’t have this time, don’t worry, they can be cooked straight away.

5. Rest each burger gently on the grill pan and cook on a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side, careful in case any fat spits out. Set them to one side to rest, whilst you then pop the brioche under the grill and just lightly toast the inside, not the tops.

6. Assemble the burgers with a slice of lettuce, tomato and the burger. By all means, sprinkle a little extra blue cheese on top or spread some soft blue cheese on the brioche bun for extra tangy cheese loveliness.

@ASPwriter BUZZ 49

ABERGAVENNY CHRISTMAS FAIR

Elouise Hobbs’ November scran selections encompass things that pop up, things that are nicely established where they are thanks, and things invading a football ground during the international break.

Eritrean Food Pop-Up, Blue Honey Local, Roath, Cardiff, Mon 4 Nov A recent addition to their central Cardiff location, Blue Honey Local is a more relaxed affair, and despite only being open a few months, has made a splash with their wide range of events and tasty food. In the first event of its kind, they have partnered with the Oasis centre in Splott to host an evening of eating, music and learning focused on Eritrean culture and cuisine. Attendees are also offered the option to purchase a ticket for a refugee or asylum seeker so they too can enjoy the evening.

Tickets: £6.50. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Cakes And Bakes, The Culinary Cottage, Abergavenny, Sat 9 Nov If you’ve been inspired by the Great British Bake Off and want to be the star baker of your kitchen, then this is a great half-day course to get you started, and quickly improve your confidence and skills. Beginning with the basics, the course will combine learning about what makes a great recipe stand out from the crowd and hands-on experience. There will be lots of opportunities to ask any questions, and a chance to experiment with new techniques and equipment. And the best part is, at the end of the day, you’ll be able to bring home all the delicious treats you’ve cooked up to share with friends and family.

Tickets: £tbc. Info: www.theculinarycottage. co.uk

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Wales Gluten Free Food Show 2019, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 16 Nov This year, the Wales Gluten Free Food Show is returning to south Wales with more stalls, talks and events than ever before. Cardiff City Stadium will be transformed as producers, chefs and experts from across the country and beyond descend on this celebration of glutenfree food. Highlighting the options available for people enjoying a gluten-free diet, the event will include lots of talks, cookery demonstrations and recipes to inspire your home cooking. There will also be lots of stalls featuring both local and national producers, offering samples and new products.

Tickets: free. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk Ember, Pettigrew Tea Rooms, Cardiff, Thurs 28 Nov Pettigrew’s cosy tea room at the edge of Bute Park is hosting an evening of fine dining with this special pop-up by chef John Cook, previous head chef and owner of acclaimed Pontcanna restaurant Arbennig. Starting the evening with cured ham bruschetta served with warm truffle cream, diners can expect the high-quality theme to continue with appearances of Middlewhite sausages and ox cheek making up the main courses. Even the accompaniments for the evening are set to use exciting and unusual ingredients and combinations including black cabbage, beer and treacle, and ginger cream.

Tickets: £35. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

Abergavenny Market Hall, Sun 8 Dec. Tickets: £6.50.

Info: abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Pic: Royal Welsh Agricultural Society

NOVEMBER FOODIE FOCUS

If you missed out on the Abergavenny Food Festival (undoubtedly one of the big events in the Welsh culinary calendar), then the Abergavenny Christmas Fair coming up is sure to sate your appetite all the same. Although a much smaller shindig than the big one festival in September, there will still plenty of foodie delights, with a street food and night market on offer, as well as chestnut roasting, music and plenty of gifts to wrap up for your friends and family.

ROYAL WELSH WINTER FAIR

Prepare to gander at some prime livestock as the Royal Welsh’s annual winter fair gears up for its 30th anniversary. Of course, there’s more to it than livestock and absolute units, with a variety of competitions, food stands and plenty of gifts for those thinking about Christmas already. Although it might be a bit of a trek for city slickers, anyone invested in the state of Welsh produce ought to be considering a trip up to Llanelwedd, near Builth Wells.

Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Mon 25 + Tue 26 Nov. Tickets: £16/£5 under-17s/free under-5s.

Info: rwas.co.uk

BLUE ANCHOR INN

Pic: Jun Seita

180 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff. 029 2063 2082 / longacafe.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere **** This centuries-old former smuggling Inn was established in 1380, making it one of the oldest pubs in Wales. Aberthaw was once a thriving port, even more important than Cardiff and Barry and well known for its smuggling to boot; the Blue Anchor is named after the blue marl (mud) which covered the anchors of vessels that sailed through the channel and anchored off Aberthaw. Apparently, there is a semi-secret tunnel which links the bay with the Blue Anchor which all manner of contraband was allegedly transported.

Under the current management of Richard Coleman, who has run the business since his father Bill handed it down to him in 1987, the Blue Anchor remains one of the most frequented pubs in the Vale Of Glamorgan, not only for its ales and beers but for its lovely food. Always up there in food awards, it’s been used as a location in films (Killer Elite, a maligned adaption of a Ranulph Fiennes novel, and BBC doc Coast), has won pub of the year several years running and is Egon Ronay-recommended.

Bar meals are served downstairs in the cosy rooms and in the bar area, but we ate in the restaurant upstairs. The menu is constantly changing, which is a plus.

We had deep-fried, mozzarella-stuffed arrancini with a roasted pepper salsa, and feta cheese baked in filo pastry on a walnut and pear salad for starters. Monkfish and king prawn curry cooked in aromatic spices, tomato and coconut arrived with basmati rice and poppadoms; steak and ale pie is made with Theakston’s Old Peculiar and served with buttery mash and mixed vegetables.

This is a regular haunt for this reviewer – and we have tried most things on the menu, including the various wines. The food remains excellent, there are about eight or nine choices and it changes seasonally: you are pretty much guaranteed an excellent meal and good service. It’s not rocket science, do what you are supposed to do well, with passion and attention to detail – and the Blue Anchor Inn does, consistently.

ANTONIA LEVAY

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LEZZET TURKISH KITCHEN

St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2132 1415 / lezzetcardiff.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere **** Lezzet Turkish Kitchen has replaced the Prezzo that once inhabited this prime spot, nestled between the many bars and restaurants of St Mary’s street.

However, Lezzet brings something welcomingly different from its predecessor, by breaking the uniform slickness of chain restaurants and offering authentic Turkish food with plenty of personality.

Upon arrival the owner greeted the four of us with an infectious cheeriness and a glass of raki each. This is a drink I consider to taste like petrol and liquorice, but if you’re into Turkish liquor you’ll be in your element. In the corner of the bright and airy restaurant sits a roaring pizza oven with huge doughy slabs of flatbread waiting to be cooked. Of course, we had to indulge in one for our starter, accompanied by plenty of hummus.

For main I ordered the Imam Bayildi – a baked aubergine stuffed with onions and peppers, smothered in a tomato sauce with rice to accompany. Whilst ordering, the waiter divulges the story behind the dish’s name: legend has it that an ancient imam tasted the very same dish and promptly collapsed due to it being so delicious. Thankfully, I remained vertical and conscious whilst dining, so it didn’t fully live up to its namesake; however the dish was still extremely enjoyable, the remaining flatbread handy to soak it up with, and at £11.50 it was a fair price for a good portion.

Two of my fellow diners ordered pides, Turkey’s answer to pizza, all reasonably priced at £7.95-£9.50. The flatbread base and generous toppings make for an interesting twist on a familiar classic. The fourth ordered the lamb kebab, but felt it was a little dry. For those looking for a tapas style experience the menu offers a familiar array of dishes such as halloumi and calamari, but can be a little pricey with each dish starting from £6.

Overall the food was great, but it’s the charismatic and genuinely passionate staff that really made this one a meal to remember. BETH GOODWIN

community

F A I R S AT U R D A Y The day after Black Friday, Cardiff will be putting on something a little different to the hectic day of deals. Katie Duffin speaks to the Lord Mayor Dan De’Ath, and councillor Caro Wild to find out more.

On Sat 30 Nov 180 cities over the world, including Cardiff, will unite for Fair Saturday: an event that aims to combine the power of art and culture with social change. Founded in Bilbao, the idea is for artists to work together with local organisations of their choice to deliver entertainment whilst raising awareness for their causes. Led by a collaboration between Cardiff City Council, No Fit State and British Council Wales, venues will be hosting music and dance performances, film screenings, poetry workshops and more. To top it off, the Lord Mayor Dan De’Ath will be transforming the top floor of the Old Library, on the Hayes, into a night-time rave for anyone who’s up for a party.

What do you hope Fair Saturday will do for Cardiff?

Dan De’Ath: Other big cities like Bristol and Glasgow are involved, and as the Welsh capital we’re keen to be part of something that’s really positive and anti-commercial [as opposed to Black Friday]. I think it’s all about showcasing what the city has to offer culturally.

Caro Wild: The big thing is that there are so many amazing small organisations around here that are often a little bit disconnected from the city as a collective, so it’s really about bringing us together.

It’s about being part of something bigger – not only in Cardiff, but also as a global movement.

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So what exactly can we expect from the Lord Mayor’s rave?

DD: The rave in the evening is just to say thank you to those people who have put in so much effort to make the day, I’m sure, a huge success. It’s to close the day on a high. It’s also an opportunity to raise money for my two charities as Mayor, Welsh Women’s Aid and BAWSO. Can you tell me a little bit about BAWSO? DD: BAWSO is a Wales-wide charity based in Cardiff that provides support to mainly ethnic minority communities around issues like domestic abuse, human trafficking, that kind of thing – which is in keeping with the values of Fair Saturday.

Will we be seeing you perform personally, Dan? We’ve heard you were once in a band with Pete Doherty…

DD: I was, yes, in my formative days! You might well be seeing me do a short set.

Councillor Wild, you’re also doing a DJ set.

What kind of music can we expect from you?

CW: Hopefully stuff people will like! Some dance music, electro, maybe some techno. We’re aiming to have an eclectic mix of music building up throughout the evening. It might get a bit heavier later on in the evening, but people can come whenever they feel like it.

As Mayor and Councillor, what do you think has been the most rewarding part of your jobs so far?

CW: As councillor, the big thing for me is improvement in the schools. I represent Riverside, and we’ve got three primary schools that are all achieving excellent results. I’m also a governor at Kitchener primary school, and that school has 40 different languages as first languages coming into the school. You go in there, and the work they’re doing spreads out through those young people and their families into the community. That’s the most heartwarming stuff – it really lifts our city.

DD: I think the most rewarding thing for me is bringing a fresh take to the role. Being Cardiff’s youngest ever mayor, I’m trying to carry out the role in a different way, and you never know how that’s going to go down with people. I’d like future mayors to have the space to do it a bit more creatively. Usually, the Lord Mayor’s fundraising involves coffee mornings and raffles, not raves! So I’m pleased that people have liked what I’ve tried to do so far.

Fair Saturday will take place in multiple venues across Cardiff on Sat 30 Nov. Ticket prices vary.

Info: www.fairsaturday.org

health M E N TA L S T R E N G T H : CHANGING CAREER Five years ago, a perfect storm of work, family, career and health problems saw Jon Sutton descend into the depths of depression, he decided to leave his job and set off on a journey to rebuild. Below is a list of crucial changes anyone can utilise in the same situation.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE JOB… Take a break Before making a life-changing decision, take some time to stop and think. I’ve always had a love of travel and it was only after returning from a kickboxing camp in Thailand that I rediscovered the clarity to think straight. If that seems a little much, try a week off work or even a long weekend. But don’t treat this break like a celebration. Instead, treat it like time to work on yourself. Avoid the pub and turn off your phone. And instead of lying in front of the TV, plan a few days walking or tidying the house whilst listening to music. Only when you slow down a little, far from the stresses of the workplace (and the escapist fantasies of the pub), will you begin to think clearly enough to embrace the reality of leaving your job.

Visualise your golden career path This doesn’t mean ‘the perfect life’. It’s easy to imagine how we’d spend our days if we won the lottery, but not so easy to imagine being happy whilst still working eight hours a day. So, consider your skill set, your interests, your hobbies and even the knowledge you’ve built up in the industry you’re planning to walk away from. You’ve put in the graft; why not use it?

I’d never been one for maths or computers, but somehow I’d daydreamed my way into a Business Intelligence role in my early 20s that relied entirely on both, becoming quite possibly the world’s first dyscalculic data-diver. By my mid-30s I was burned out. Finding what to do next came easily. At 37 a career as a fighter was never going to happen, but a career as a writer could!

Even in the career I hated, I still loved to write anything from emails to technical documentation. Ask yourself: what would you would love to do every single day? What would make you happy both in the doing and in the outcome?

If you find that, you’ve found your golden career path.

BUZZ 56

Visualise your silver career path But you also need to stay realistic. Not all of us have the opportunity to realise our dreams, despite what self-help gurus might profess. The truth is that most writers, most actors, most artists never make a living and the same can be said for any other career which we start later in life. In my case, a ‘silver career path’ – one that would still be acceptable even if it still wasn’t the ‘dream’ – was writing marketing literature for websites. It was a massive departure from writing technical documentation, but it was at least a utilization of my skills on a practical (paid!) level.

Another acceptable career was plying my trade as a Business Intelligence Consultant with Cardiff Met Uni, shortly after handing in my notice and running out of money. Yes, it was the exact same coding job I’d grown to hate over two decades, but helping students to find their place in the workforce was a whole lot more mentally productive than helping a CEO find his place in the rich list. A job is split into two main parts – activity and outcome. If you truly despise both of these parts, perhaps you can start by simply changing one.

AFTER YOU LEAVE THE JOB… Prepare your finances Ideally, like a monkey swinging between trees, you’ll be prepping up your future career before leaving the current one. But for many, this is simply not sustainable.

Many of us need the mental freedom to focus on what to decide to do. So, before handing in your notice and forging a new career in the arts, or any other endeavour, make absolutely certain you can afford the bills. Set yourself a target to save as much money as possible for a set number of months.

Address your outgoings. Consider new suppliers for household bills and if you’re a homeowner, look around for new mortgage deals which might allow a lower rate.

Check out your local ads for part-time work, think about renting out a room and, worst case scenario, learn what benefits you’d be eligible for should you hit the ice. Never be ashamed to consider all options if they help you to attain the strong mental health and stability you’re going to need to succeed.

Start an exercise routine Replace the piss-ups with pull-ups and the pub with the gym. If you can’t afford a gym, there are plenty of roads out there to run and plenty of exercises online you can do in your pyjamas before you log on or head out for the day. And remember that exercise can become your new social activity. So, even if it’s £40 a month, that’s only a tenner a week to go and meet your friends as often as you like. Far cheaper than the pub!

Exercise will boost your mental capacity, seratonin levels and personal/ professional confidence, all of which you’ll need as you go it alone. If your friends aren’t interested, then it’s time to say goodbye and promise to see them for a coffee on Saturday mornings. Those who support your goal will understand. Those who don’t never will and don’t deserve your friendship. Or a share of your soon-tobe-discovered success.

Pic: Matt Hardy - Unsplash

Make a solid plan Never discount the value of a good plan, no matter where you work or what you do.

Start with a spreadsheet or a simple list. Down the left hand side add a number of ‘Work Item Groups’ with titles such as ‘finances’, ‘training’, ‘house’, ‘health’ etc. Next, add ‘Work Items’ to each group with numbers and titles: ‘pay leccy bill’ and ‘chase XXX invoice’ under ‘finances’; ‘run ten miles’ under ‘health’; ‘learn to use Excel’ under ‘training’. Across the top, add a series of column headers: ‘target date’, ‘work required’, ‘costs’, ‘contacts’, ‘priority’ and ‘outcome’. These will come intuitively depending on your line of work. Perhaps the most important of all is ‘rework’ – because if you fail to meet a deadline, you’ll need to hold yourself accountable.

Set your alarm clock Sleep experts agree that our circadian rhythm, responsible for regulating our sleeping pattern, is crucial to our mental health. So, too, are targets, to avoid standards from slipping. Both of these can be kept in check with an alarm clock.

When I left my job, I not only kept my alarm set, but I moved it an hour earlier, to 6am. This allowed me to get up an hour before the rest of the world had risen – or so it seemed. We are at our most creative in our waking hours and we are far less likely to have any disturbances to our flow at that time. One word of warning, however... do not open social media or email accounts until later in the day. If you do so, your bubble of oblivion is likely to burst.

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Pic: Rakicevic Nenad

travel

BONFIRE NIGHT It’s that time of year we celebrate that time someone almost blew up Parliament because they disagreed with it. How times have changed. Elin Evans rounds up the best fireworks displays and nights out available for the lead-up to Bonfire Night.

SPARKS IN THE PARK

Countless candy floss machines will be fired up for another year of Cardiff’s famous Sparks In The Park, hosted this year by Jason Harrold from Smooth Radio.

There’s a show for young children at 5.45pm, the main firework display being at 7.

Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Sat 2 Nov. Tickets: £10.50/£5.50.

Info: www.twitter.com/sparksinthepark

BONFIRE BUNKER PAWTY

Not everyone is the biggest fan of fireworks – especially dogs, who can find them really distressing.

This alternative bonfire-night event is deliberately taking place in a secluded rural area so that pets and owners alike can relax.

The Watermill, Bridgend, Sat 2 Nov. Tickets: £8. Info: www.eventbrite.co.uk

FIRE AND WATER FIESTA

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a character from The Great Gatsby then look no further! This annual event combines the glamour of a boat trip with the spectacle of the Barry Island fireworks. A five-hour round trip, so maybe pack ginger biscuits and a paper bag to avoid ruining your flapper dress.

Penarth Marina (start/finish point), Sat 2 Nov. Tickets: £45. Info: challengewales.org BUZZ 58

FIREWORKS AT CWMBRAN STADIUM Torfaen Leisure Trust are back by popular demand to put on their spectacular firework show at Cwmbran Stadium. Just make sure you buy your tickets quickly because this has been a hugely requested event!

Cwmbran Stadium, Sat 2 Nov. Tickets: £3/£4. Info: www.torfaenleisuretrust.co.uk

FIREWORKS AT CALDICOT CASTLE

The impressive firework display will use Caldicot Castle as a beautiful backdrop, and promises to be over 20 minutes long. All that, plus a funfair, food and drinks, live music and entertainment from Capital FM. Radio stations seem to dominate this holiday. Who knew?

Caldicot Castle, Sun 3 Nov. Tickets: £7.50/£4.50. Info: www.showmewales.co.uk

CAERPHILLY CASTLE FIREWORKS

Proving that castles are very in vogue this November, Caerphilly Castle will also be hosting their annual display. A bus that will pick up firework fiends from Newport and Cwmbran which makes sure no one has to miss out. Tickets sell out quickly for this one, you’ve been warned!

Caerphilly Castle, Sat 2 Nov. Tickets: £8.50. Info: www.allevents.in

COLBY WOODLAND GARDEN’S WICKER MAN BONFIRE

If you think that nothing says family fun better than building and subsequently burning an effigy of a wicker man in a beautiful wildflower meadow, then you’re in for a treat. Food and drinks will be available to help you keep warm, but unfortunately there won’t be anyone to help you explain this holiday to your children.

Colby Woodland Garden, Narberth, Sun 3 Nov. Tickets: free.

Info: www.showmewales.co.uk

SWANSEA BAY FIREWORKS

Swansea locals will know that the annual firework display is usually held on St Helen’s Ground, but they may not know that this year it will be held over Swansea Bay instead, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Swansea’s city status. Food and drink stalls will be open from 6pm at both the Civic Centre and Cenotaph areas just in time for you to buy your toffee apples before the fireworks at 7pm.

Swansea Bay, Tue 5 Nov. Tickets: free.

Info: www.enjoyswanseabay.com

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

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

Pic: Swen Mieke - Unsplash

sport

SPORTS As the winter months come looming, Owen Scourfield rounds up the best sporting goods on offer this month.

WALES FOOTBALL EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS

Various venues, Tue 12, Sat 16 and Tue 19 Nov Wales’ hopes of reaching the European Championships remain alive after two draws, one of which should have garnered three points. Taking the lead out in Slovakia, Wales looked comfortable but conceded a sloppy equaliser, while three days later Croatia took an early lead in Cardiff before Gareth Bale equalised on half-time. With a trip to Azerbaijan (Sat 16) and a home game against Hungary (Tue 19) to finish the qualifiers, one would hope for six points, but Wales’ fate is dependent on other results.

The Welsh Women’s team currently sit second in their UEFA’s Women’s Championship qualifier group after a 1-0 win against Belarus last month, and travel to Northern Ireland on Tue 12 Nov. Info: www.faw.cymru

WSAPLD SOUTH WALES SWIMMING GALA

Cardiff International Pool, Thurs 14 Nov The Welsh Sports Association For People With Learning Disabilities is a charitable organisation which provides sporting opportunities for people aged 10 and above. Set up in 1981 when it became clear that there was no governing body in Wales catering specifically for people with learning disabilities, the first National Games were held in 1982. This year’s gala will be hosted in partnership with Swim Wales and will increase the intake to include swimmers from a wide range of disabilities.

Info: www.wsapld.org.uk BUZZ 60

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP & CHALLENGE CUP

Various venues, Sat 16, Fri 22 and Sat 23 Nov There’s no rest for Europe’s elite rugby players: European club rugby kicks off less than two weeks after the final whistle of the World Cup Final.

Granted, some high-profile players may well have earnt a rest for these opening games, but Wales’ four regions will want to field as strong a squad as possible to record winning starts.

The Ospreys are the only Welsh region in this year’s Champions Cup and they are once again in the ‘pool of death’. Round 1 sees European giants Munster cross the Irish sea to the Liberty Stadium, while the Swansea-based region travel to London in Round 2 to take on current European Champions Saracens.

Despite being classed as the secondary tournament, the Challenge Cup always accommodates some bigname teams fighting it out. For the Scarlets, Round 1 brings London Irish to Llanelli, while Round 2 makes for a daunting trip to French big spenders Toulon.

Cardiff Blues kick off away in Italy against Calvisano, before welcoming east Midlands rivals Leicester Tigers to the Arms Park for Round 2. Newport Dragons hit a tough wall in Round 1, as French outfit Castres Olympique travel to Rodney Parade; Round 2 swaps Newport for Krasnodar, Russia for a clash with Enisei-STM. Tickets: prices vary.

Info: www.epcrugby.com

WALES V BARBARIANS

Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 30 Nov The end of the Rugby World Cup in Japan also spells the end of Warren Gatland’s legendary tenure as Wales coach. With Wales set to contest the semi-final as Buzz goes to print, there’s no better way to give the Welsh rugby icon the send-off he deserves than to have him back in the Principality Stadium as coach of the opposition: the Barbarians. Fan-favourite referee Nigel Owens has had special dispensation from World Rugby to take charge of the game, his first in a test match involving Wales, who will be under the reigns of Wayne Pivac for the first time. A ticket for this one will also allow you to watch Wales Women take on the Barbarians in the stadium earlier in the afternoon.

Tickets: £10-£50.

Info: www.principalitystadium.wales

WELSH MASTERS OPEN - SQUASH

Sport Wales National Centre, Fri 6 - Sun 8 Dec Squash flies straight under the radar here in Wales in the mainstream, yet we have individuals flying high in both the men’s and women’s senior game. Tesni Evans is currently 9th in the women’s world rankings, while Joel Makin sits 12th in the men’s rankings. A great sport for increasing fitness levels as well as being suitable for all ages, whilst a Masters Circuit held in various countries across Europe continues throughout the year. Early December sees Cardiff hosting the next leg in the series tour Info: www.squash.wales

listings

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

recommended *–u – repeated

LES MISÉRABLES Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 26 Nov-Sat 4 Jan Tickets: £23-£75. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

When it comes to epic theatrical runs, the Wales Millennium Centre tends to really pull out the stops come the Christmas period, and 2019 (plus the first four days of the 20s) will be no exception. ‘Epic’ is a highly relative term, that said: Cardiff Bay is set for six weeks of Les Misérables in the form conceived by emperor of popular theatre Cameron Mackintosh. In July of this year, it closed in London’s West End due to its venue needing refurbishment – it had opened in December 1985 and, infamously, just kept going.

Les Miz, as the musical is colloquially known, is a behemoth of a theatre franchise, and its festive slot in Cardiff forms part of a UK and Ireland tour running until November 2020. A lavish staging with a sizeable cast, it’s

headed by a few names with solid grounding in its Francophilic high drama.

Killian Donnelly plays jailbird lead Jean Valjean, as he did in the West End; Nic Greenshields, playing gendarme Javert here, Katie Hall as single mum Fantine and Martin Ball as crooked publican Thénardier also have relevant past experience.

Based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, expect tales of good and bad French eggs to manifest in rousing chorus. The last time Les Miz visited the WMC, in January 2010, the big name in the cast was Gareth Gates, which just goes to show what a wild ride the subsequent decade has been.

CONTENTS pg 60 pg 61 pg 64 pg 67 pg 73

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 61

* – recommended

art ABERYSTWYTH ARTS CENTRE University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Experimentalists Showcase of work by an experimental art group who meet here. (Until Mon 4 Nov) Indian Threads: Textile Inspirations Exchange project featuring new work by Rajiben M. Vankar, Champa Siju, Julia Griffiths Jones, Eleri Mills, Laura Thomas and Louise Tucker; produced

by Ceri Jones of Fieldwork and cultural development organisation Khamir. (Until Sat 9 Nov) India Cymru Local schools and colleges respond to the Indian Threads exhibition by making their own art.

(Until Sun 1 Dec) Glue Bats And Tissue Paper Printed ceramics from the University’s collection, including works by Paul Scott, Bouke de Vries, Lowri Davies, Vicky Shaw, Eric Ravilious, Sun Ae Kim and Stephen Dixon. (Until Sun 8 Dec) Many Voices, One Nation Touring exhibition devised by Ffotogallery and Wales’ National Assembly to mark 20 years since Welsh devolution. (From Wed 6 Nov until Mon 6 Jan) Donald Pleasance At 100 Original lobby cards, cinema posters and press kits, made to promote this esteemed British actor of old a century after his birth. (From Sat 9 Nov until Mon 13 Jan) The Printed Line Arts Council touring exhibition featuring works by Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley and Rachel Whiteread among others. (From Sat 16 Nov until Sun 5 Jan) ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART GALLERY Buarth Mawr, Aberystwyth.

Free. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.

01970 622467 / www.aber. ac.uk Stuart Pearson Wright ‘Half Boy’ Work aiming to address Wright’s childhood,

particularly relating to his father’s anonymity – the artist was a 1970s sperm donor baby. (Until Fri 22 Nov) Flora McLachan ‘In The Forests Of The Night’ Dark-hearted etchings and lithographs.

(Until Fri 22 Nov)

Alice Banfield Paintings which, says Banfield, aim to confront the anxiety built from society’s misconceptions of autism, via use of vibrant colour and repetitive use of dots. (From Thurs 7 Nov until Sat 14 Dec)

ALBANY GALLERY 74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com David Tress Drawings and paintings with an almost scuptural approach to manipulating the canvas, from an artist who has worked from and been inspired by west Wales for over 40 years. Exhibition also features ceramic sculptural vessels from Paul Wearing.

(Until Sat 9 Nov) Winter Exhibition A changing show of paintings, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery from over 50 emerging and established artists. (From Thurs 14 Nov until Sat 11 Jan)

ART CENTRAL Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am4pm. Free. 01446 709805.

We Make Art Too An exhibition of works by members of the Contemporary Art Society For Wales, established in the 1930s. (Until Sat 16 Nov) Craft Central Showcase of makers and designers from the Vale, with work including ceramics, glass, wood, textiles, mixed media and prints. (From Sat 23 Nov until Sat 21 Dec )

THE ANDREW BUCHAN 29 Albany Road, Cardiff. 029 2021 2509 / facebook.com/ andrewbuchanbar Glenn Edwards Former UK Press Photographer of the Year Edwards explores Wales’ backbone road the A470. (From Thurs 7 Nov until TBC) ANDREW LAMONT GALLERY (THEATR BRYCHIENIOG) Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk Celebration Of Contemporary Welsh Painting Part of the second biannual COWCP, and featuring Pip Woolf, Kate Bell, Sue Hiley Harris, Jennifer Allan, Lucy Corbett, Robert MacDonald, Phillip Ross, Lee Wright, Meirion Jones and someone who is merely billed as “Congolese refugee” on the website, I am hoping with good cause. (Until Sun 17 Nov) ARCADECAMPFA Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. arcadecampfa.org

ATTIC GALLERY 37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Sat 10am-4pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery. co.uk Mike Jones, Aled Prichard-Jones & Alan Williams Work by these three Welsh artists. (Until Sat 9 Nov) Mixed Group Winter Show Annual selling exhibition. (From Sat 16 Nov until Fri 7 Feb) CHAPTER GALLERY Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri 12-8pm. Free.

029 2030 4400 / www.chapter. org Garth Evans ‘But, Hands Have Eyes: Six Decades Of Sculpture’ Retrospective show for a significant British sculptor whose career began in the 1960s, and whose chief link with Cardiff is a largescale public work displayed in the city centre in 1972. (Until Sun 26 Jan) Jon Pountney ‘Waiting For The Light’ Photographic works by local photographer whose previous shows and collections have been more in the documentary vein; this however utilises a type of bright, low sunlight to add a specific colour and mood to images of everyday objects and settings. Art In The Bar exhibition. (Until Fri 14 Feb)

HILARY COOLE: A SENSE OF PLACE King Street Gallery, Carmarthen, Mon 4-Sat 30 Nov Admission: free. Info: 01267 220121 / www.kingstreetgallery.co.uk Hilary Coole’s artistic ceramic vessels are equal parts functional and aesthetical, which can make for an unsatisfying compromise, not greatly delivering on either front. The stoneware vases, plates and jugs on show in A Sense Of Place, a solo showcase, sidestep this through a keen eye for sharp angles and elegant curves, while feeling like something that could serve as a talking point in a tasteful kitchen. A recurring feature in Coole’s use of colour and pattern is a textile-type effect, which indeed is a callback to dresses her mother wore in the 1950s – a decade where women’s clothes became increasingly jazzed up as Britain enjoyed an economic uptick. Some of her pieces even feature buttoned-up clay ‘collars’, which would certainly accentuate a daffodil’s neckline, if it had one.

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CRAFT IN THE BAY The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free. 029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales.org.uk Wool Works Work created through a joint collaboration between Welsh textile makers’ group MaP and Finnish counterpart Modus. Notable artists (from the UK side) include Claire Cawte, Mandy Nash and Alison Moger, and there’ll be drop-in workshops and open events on the first two days.

(Until Sun 10 Nov) LisaMarie Tann Maker In Focus show. (Until Sun 10 Nov) CWTSH COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE 226 Stow Hill, Newport.

Thurs + Sat 12-3pm, Sun 1-4pm. Free. 01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.org Kamila Jarczak ‘Women Of Newport’ Photographic exhibitio, title more or less self-explanatory I would think.

(Until Sun 10 Nov) CYFARTHFA CASTLE MUSEUM Cyfarthfa Park, Brecon Rd, Merthyr Tydfil. £2.20/£1.10 NUS or OAP/free under-16s.

01685 727371 / museum@ merthyr.gov.uk Trust Showcase of work by the Disability Arts Cymru group. (Until Mon 18 Nov) Capturing The Crawshays Victorian-era photography featuring the Crawshay family and dating from 1855-79. (Until Sun 1 Mar) Sydney Curnow Vosper ‘Snowmen’ Vosper is the artist behind iconic Welsh painting Salem and here he shows a selection of drawings of... snowmen. (From Tue 26 Nov until Tue 24 Dec) ELYSIUM GALLERY 210 High Street, Swansea.

Tue-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www.elysiumgallery.com Dear Christine A tribute to Christine Keeler, central figure in the Profumo affair of 1963, looking to reappraise her from a feminist perspective.

Curated by Fionn Wilson, it features work by Pauline Boty and Caroline Coon among others. (Until Sat 9 Nov) 50fifty Elysium and Swansea College Of Art celebrate Swanse’s 50th anniversary as a city by showcasing 50 SCA artists from that period. (Until Sat 9 Nov) Rhiannon Sian Davies ‘Underdog Plotting Revenge’ Paintings based on stills from the 1990 film The Match Factory Girl by Aki Kaurismaki. (Until Sat 9 Nov) FFOTOGALLERY Fanny Street, Cardiff. Wed-Sat 11am-5pm (Tue-Sat from late October). Free. 029 2034 1667 / www.ffotogallery.org The Place I Call Home British Council-funded exhibition, touring the UK and the Gulf until next February and exploring the idea of home related to the experiences of people living in those places at a time of rapid change and social mobility. (Until Sat 21 Dec) FOUNTAIN FINE ART Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat

10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Winter Group Exhibition Changing exhibition of new work from Fountain gallery artists; introducing Harriett Lloyd and Lucy Marks as new exhibitors, and welcoming back Sheridan Ward with new work.

(Until Fri 31 Jan) FUTURES GALLERY / ORIEL GALLERY Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead.org Pit Bottom To Parliament – Vernon Hartshorn OBE MP Exhibition detailing the life of this early 20th century miner, trade unionist and, subsequently, Labour cabinet minister. (Until Thurs 21 Nov) G39 Oxford Street, Roath, Cardiff.

Saturdays 11am-5.30pm.

Free. 029 2047 3633 / post@ g39.org Made In Roath Open Exhibition Annual show goinmg ahead in the absence (this year) of the main bulk of Made In Roath events (Until Fri 22 Nov) Y GALERI, CAERFFILI Lower Ground Floor, The Visit Caerphilly Centre, The Twyn, Caerphilly. Tue-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 029 2132 2570 / www.ygalericaerffili.co.uk Warren Williams New work from Neath-based artist who won Y Galeri’s Open Art Competition earlier this year.

(Until Wed 16 Nov) Festive Showcase Changing display of Welsh art plus jewellery, glass, ceramics, wood and textiles available for purchase.

(From Wed 13 Nov until Tue 24 Dec) THE GATE Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm.

Free. 029 2048 3344 / www.thegate.org.uk Daniel James Parker solo exhibition brings together mixed media paintings and drawings, made over a six-year period and exploring synaesthesia. (Until Sat 7 Dec) GLYNN VIVIAN ART GALLERY Alexandra Rd, Swansea. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free. 01792 516900 / www.swansea.gov. uk/glynnvivian Sophy Rickett ‘Cupid And The Curious Moaning Of Kenfig Burrows’ Solo exhibition combining photography and text and inspired by the life and work of Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn, a Swansea artist and astronomer active at the end of the 19th century.

(Until Mon 18 Nov) The Mary Rose: People And Purpose A selection of unique objects from one of the world’s most famous sailing vessels, brought to Wales for the very first time and previewed this month in Art. (Until Sun 1 Mar) Swansea Stories Works from this gallery’s permanent collection – the largest amount ever shown at once, supposedly – to mark Swansea’s 50th anniversary as a city. (Until Sun 15 Mar)

u – repeated

KING STREET GALLERY 33 King Street, Carmarthen.

Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@kingstreetgallery. co.uk King Street Kaleidoscope Colourful and varied artwork by gallery members in the Chate Room. (From Wed 13 Nov) Hilary Coole Contemporary ceramic artist producing vessels and functional ware using the process of hand built, slip decorated stoneware slabs. (From Mon 4 until Sat 30 Nov) Winter Members Exhibition A new selection of works by gallery members, able to purchase.

(From Fri 8 Nov until Thurs 2 Jan) LLANOVER HALL ARTS CENTRE Romilly Road, Cardiff. MonFri 10am-8.30pm, Sat 10am12pm. Free. 029 2087 2030 / www.llanoverhall.com Gwyn Williams ‘Serendipity’ A collection of 46 photographs depicting the Welsh countryside and coast, and shot on Ilford, Kodak and Fuji film. Williams has also been a photography teacher at this venue since the 1980s.

(From Tue 5 Nov until Fri 6 Dec) LLANTARNAM GRANGE ARTS CENTRE St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm.

Free. 01633 483321 / www. lgac.org.uk Portal & One Year On 2019 Joint exhibition featuring work by 15 top graduates in the applied arts this year, and six from the equivalent crop last year. (Until Sat 16 Nov) Fiona Wilson Craft showcase in which paper and wood work is illustrated using collage and print techniques.

(Until Sat 16 Nov) Bronwen Gwillim Jewellery showcase from a maker who uses recycled plastics and silver to make wearable objects influenced by nature and the weather. (Until Sat 16 Nov) Cerys Jackson & Coral Davies Work in the Oriel Cafe Gallery stemming from both artists’ use of art as a therapeutic approach. (Until Sat 16 Nov) M.A.D.E. GALLERY 41 Lochaber St, Cardiff. WedSat 10am-6pm. Free. 029 2047 3373 / facebook.com/ cardiffmade Coalesce Group exhibition from the Klatch Collective, featuring painters who explore the tensions between picture-asobject and picture-as-representation. (From Sat 16 until Sat 23 Nov) Winter Exhibition And Craft Fair Annual show with work accepted by submission (deadline was the end of October), to feature 2D art, jewellery, ceramics and leather/textile work. (From Thurs 28 Nov until Sun 22 Dec) MARTIN TINNEY GALLERY 18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2064 1411 / mtg@artwales. com Sally Moore ‘Acting Up’ Barry-born painter whose highly detailed style of work

means her exhibitions are infrequent; these new pieces take a surrealist, absurdist tack and coincide with the publication of a book, also titled Acting Up, about Moore and her art. (From Wed 6 until Thurs 21 Nov) Kevin Sinnott New work from internationally renowned Welsh painter, his 12th show here in 24 years; running alongside the Christmas show listed below, and as with those all the pieces are for sale. (From Thurs 28 Nov until Thurs 19 Dec) Christmas Exhibition Work by leading Welsh artists such as Augustus John, Ceri Richards, Peter Prendergast, Sir Kyffin Williams, Clive Hicks Jenkins and Rosemary Burton.

(From Thurs 28 Nov until Thurs 19 Dec) MISSION GALLERY Gloucester Place, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free.

01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Kate Haywood ‘Traces’ Porcelain forms presented here as part of the Language Of Clay touring exhibition; previously in Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. (Until Sat 9 Nov) Toni De Jesus Maker In Focus show from an artist whose work looks at the idea of ceramics, and the materials used, within the spectrum of fine art. (Until Sat 9 Nov) Lucy Donald Prints stemming from experiments with Mokuhanga, traditional Japanese woodcut techniques and Fukibokashi and Futa-iro bokashi applications of colour..

(Until Sat 9 Nov) MONMOUTH MUSEUM Priory Street, Monmouth.

Mon, Tue + Thurs-Sun 11am4pm. Free. 01600 710630 / monmouthshire.gov.uk/ monmouth-museum/ The Arborealists ‘A Wye Valley Woodland Through Artists’ Eyes’ The Arborealists are an art group who were resident in Monmouthshire’s Lady Park Wood in 2016, making art inspired by their surroundings; this is the first full showing of the results, here on a longterm basis. (Until July) MUSEUM OF CARDIFF The Old Library, The Hayes, Cardiff. Daily 10am-4pm.

Free. 029 2034 6214 / cardiffstory@cardiff.gov.uk People Of Butetown New work by Gavin Porter, Ali Goolyad, Kyle Legall, Zaid Djerdi and Anthony Ward, using film, poetry, painting, photography and music to tell the stories of the 1919 Race Riots in Cardiff. (Until Thurs 28 Nov) The De Caversham Household Showcase for this independent living history group who have shared their love of medieval history with the people of Cardiff for over 15 years. (Until Sun 5 Jan) Cardiff’s Sound City Lab exhibition highlighting the different sounds and styles of music that are important to Cardiff’s communities. (Until Sun 2 Feb) NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except

where noted. 029 2057 3500 / museum.wales/cardiff Photography Season Three conjoined exhibitions featuring work by photographers August Sander, whose work here is taken from his seminal People Of The Twentieth Century project; Bernd & Hilla Becher’s Industrial Visions, documenting industrial structures in Europe and the USA; and Martin Parr’s Wales-based documentary work, stretching back to the 1980s. (Until Sun 1 Mar; Martin Parr section until Mon 4 May) NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2057 3600 / museum.wales/ swansea Cartwn Cymru Artwork, and a look at the process behind it, by this Welsh animation company. (From Sat 9 Nov until Sun 29 Mar) James Owen Thomas ‘Much More Than Meets The Eye’ Pieces inspired by places that Thomas has visited and family connections from the past and present. (From Sat 16 Nov until Sun 5 Jan) OFF THE WALL The Old Probate Registry, Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff. Tue-Fri 9.30am5.30pm, Sat 10am-4pm. Free.

029 2055 4469 / art@galleryoffthewall.com Sarah Jane Brown New exhibition of landscape paintings from this Pembrokeshire artist. (Until Sat 16 Nov) Mixed Gallery Artist Show Annual general exhibition running until Christmas for prospective purchasers of works, I would imagine. (From Sat 23 Nov until TBC) THE OLD VICARAGE 37-39 Cathedral Road, Cardiff. Daily 6-8pm. Free. www.tactilebosch.co.uk UnderTheCounterCulture This is the main base for TactileBosch’s multimedia exhibition/installation etc, with a second ‘lounge’ in the Capitol Centre. The Old Vicarage promises “spontaneous performances, neon life drawing and disco yoga.” (From Sat 2 until Fri 22 Nov) OLIVE’S ATTIC 3 Fothergill Street, Treforest.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 01443 400725 / facebook.com/ olivesattictreforest Gerhard Kress ‘Flowers’ German photographic artist with the second of his planned exhibitions at this cafe; this one is based on a book of the same title, as was the preceding exhibition here, Double Yellow Lines. (Until November) ORIEL CRIC Beaufort Street, Crickhowell.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-1pm. Free. 01873 813669.

Autumn Exhibition A selection of painting, prints, sculpture, ceramics, glass and jewellery. including original work by Tim Rossiter, Tony Tribe and Kay Leverton. (Until Thurs 14 Nov)

ORIEL DAVIES The Park, Newtown, Powys.

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Free.

01686 625041 / enquiries@ orieldavies.org Eleri Mills ‘Egni: A Decade Of Creativity’ Powys-born painter, and a leading figure in Welsh art’s global profile in the last few decades, Mills’ last 10 years of work is curated here by Ruthin Craft Centre’s Phillip Hughes, with a strong emphasis on the midWales landscape in the pieces.

(Until Wed 18 Dec) ORIEL JOANNA FIELD Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free.

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Beth Mccoll Moyse ‘Seahorses, And Other Quadrupeds’ Pembrokeshire landscape paintings. (From Mon 4 until Fri 29 Nov) ORIEL MYRDDIN Church Lane, Carmarthen.

01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk

phers from Wales who explore photography using traditional and experimental analogue processes. (Until Sun 24 Nov) PENARTH PIER PAVILION The Esplanade, Penarth. Daily 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2071 2100 / www. penarthpavilion.co.uk Nick Treharne ‘Penarth People’ Black and white images taken as part of an ongoing project by local photographer Treharne to portray people who live in Penarth or have a connection with it.

(Until Fri 29 Nov) QUEEN STREET GALLERY Queen Street, Neath. MonSat 10am-4pm. Free. 01639 631081 / www. queenstgalleryneath.co.uk Maria Pierides ‘This Ancient Land’ Landscape paintings from a Wales-based Greek artist. (From Sat 2 until Sat 30 Nov) Christmas Exhibition A constantly changing display of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media artwork, prints, photog-

Donald Pleasance, who played Mr Blofeld in You Only Live Twice among many other roles, would have just celebrated his 100th birthday were he still alive. From Sat 9 Nov-Mon 13 Jan, Aberystwyth Arts Centre is celebrating it anyway with an exhibition of his old posters, promo photos etc.

The Table See Art for more on this gallery’s winter exhibition, with lots of things for sale should you have Christmas shopping in mind. (Until Sat 28 Dec) ORIEL Q The Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth. Wed-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01834 869454 / www.orielqnarberth.com Back To Collage A wide range of collage-based artwork curated by Peter Rossiter.

(From Sat 2 until Sat 30 Nov) ORIEL Y BONT University Of South Wales, Ty Crawshay Building, Llantwit Rd, Treforest. Mon-Fri 9am4.30pm. Free. 01443 480480 / gallery.southwales.ac.uk Nigel Talbot ‘The Periodic Table’ Installation by an artist who commonly works with salvaged materials, in this instance from the University Of South Wales’ sculpture workshop which is being decommissioned. (Until Fri 15 Nov) ORIEL YR ARDD National Botanic Garden Of Wales, Middleton Hall, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire. Daily 10am-6pm. £10.50/£8.75 concessions/£4.95 under-17s/ free under-5s. 01558 667149 / botanicgarden.wales Analog Cymru Work by online community of photogra-

raphy and handmade jewellery.

(From Sat 9 Nov until Tue 24 Dec) REDHOUSE Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@ redhousecymru.com Eric Malthouse Retrospective show for “the artist credited with introducing modern art to Wales”. (Until Sat 9 Nov) RUG ART GALLERY Unit 16, Ground Floor, Capital Centre, Queen Street, Cardiff. Daily 12-6pm during exhibitions. Free. www. rug-gallery.net Elen Mai Wyn-Jones ‘A Fragmented Retrospective’ Exhibition focusing on mental health, in memory of Cardiff artist WynJones who died in 2015. (From Fri 8 until Sun 17 Nov) THE SHO Castle Emporium (upstairs), Womanby Street, Cardiff. TueSat 10am-5.30pm. Free. www. thesho.co.uk Body Of Art A diverse collection of tattoo-inspired artwork by artists of different backgrounds. (Until Sat 16 Nov) SPIT & SAWDUST Rhymney River Bridge Road, Cardiff. Free. 029 2049 4741 / www. spitandsawdust.co.uk

Molly Sinclair-Thomson ‘Aquatic Interior’ Bright, imaginative and so-called ‘naive’ paintings both new and reworked by this Cardiff-based artist. (Until Fri 29 Nov) SWANSEA MUSEUM Victoria Road, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-4.30pm. Free.

01792 653763 / www.swanseamuseum.co.uk 50 Years Of Music Part of the celebrations making half a century since Swansea became a city, a journey through its musical heritage since 1969: venues, influential people, and standout gigs as well as local and visiting musicians. (Until December) TACTILEBOSCH LOUNGE Capitol Shopping Centre, Queen Street, Cardiff. Daily 9am-7pm. Free. www. tactilebosch.co.uk Richard Bowers ‘Hymns To The Night’ Local video/ sound artist Bowers contributes to TactileBosch’s UnderTheCounterCulture programme of events with an installation showing in the morning/afternoon, then a live performance from 5-7pm each day. (From Sat 2 until Fri 8 Nov) Performativity Collaborative one-day exhibition between TactileBosch and Crazy Multiply of Seoul, featuring seven female artists each from Wales and Korea. (Sat 30 Nov only) TENBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk John Uzzell Edwards Retrospective exhibition of paintings. (Until Sat 16 Nov) U-Boats Around Wales Exhibition in conjunction with the Royal Commission, Bangor University and the Nautical Archaeology Society. (From Mon 25 Nov until Fri 20 Dec) TOWER GALLERY 49 High Street, Crickhowell.

Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Hannah Firmin & Philippine Sowerby Illustrator and printmaker Firmin shows lino and woodcut prints inspired by the Usk countryside. Sowerby’s wood sculptures celebrate nature’s irregularity. Also showing work by all members of the Usk Valley Artists’ Co-operative.

(Until Sat 23 Nov) VICTORIA FEARN GALLERY 6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm.

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Christmas Mixed exhibition featuring handmade gifts from top designers, for sale natch.

(Until Tue 24 Dec) VOLCANO THEATRE 27-29 High Street, Swansea.

Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Free.

01792 464790 / www. volcanotheatre.co.uk Gary Crosby ‘Depth Of Perception’ Audio/video installation touching on domestic life, depression andf discrimination. (Until

Fri 8 Nov) Daleet Léon ‘The Epiphanies’ Paintings and mixed analogue/digital media. which Leon states will “embrace the notion of process and journeys into the serendipity and magic of transcendent space and time”. (From Tue 5 until Fri 15 Nov) WORKERS GALLERY 99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, nr Porth. 11am-4.30pm ThursSat and by appointment.

Free. 01443 682024 / www. workersgallery.co.uk Workers Open Exhibition Group show of selected artists, photographers and designers with prizes given for interpreting the theme ‘Drawn To Life’; celebrating the local community; and a People’s Choice Award. (Until Sat 16 Nov) David Hurn ‘Ynyshir, 25 Mile Radius’ Photographs taken by Hurn, from 1967 till up to date, within a 25 mile radius of this very gallery.

(From Thurs 21 Nov until Sat 4 Jan)

clubs 10 FEET TALL 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo.co.uk Wednesdays House Party 10pm-3am, free before 11.

Drum’n’bass, disco, house, techno, UK garage and bass, aimed at students and over this venue’s three floors every week. Thursdays Rock hits from DJ Andy Rhys Lewis.

Fridays + Saturdays Resident DJs playing soul and funk. Fri 29 T:ME 10.30pm3am, £5. Launch party for a night promising Cardiff “a new dimension of electronic music that the city has never experienced before,” with headliner Tywi plus residents Louie G and Sam De Gal. Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul.

Sat 9 The Shutdown Show 7-11pm, £5/£4 adv. Grime, hiphop and trap from Benji Wild (ex of Astroid Boys), Luke RV, Benzym Yxng Vxgue, Beauxxx, Sixpm and hosts Prendy and Mumble B. THE ASTORIA 48 Charles Street, Milford Haven. 01646 663008 / facebook.com/ astoriamilfordhaven Fri 29 Father Funk’s Church Of Love 10pm5.30am, £7 adv/£5 early bird.

Wacky sounding touring club night whose Cardiff date we previewed recently. Tonight features, Father Funky, Bear Twists, Octo Pi, Rogue One, Damage & Mystic, Infamous Len, Defects Of The Dock, Rose Rokoko’s Sleazy Sisters and various extra decor etc.

THE ATTIC 5-6 Castle Bailey St, Swansea.

01792 450850 / facebook.com/ theatticswansea Wednesdays Loose 9pm-3am, £4/£2. Lauching a new night here every Wednesday across four rooms (drum’n’bass/techno, house and disco, plus chart toppers/r’n’b and urban in Walkabout next door). Sat BUZZ 63

* – recommended 2 90s Rave Halloween Edition 10pm-3am. Featuring a faceoff between drum’n’bass and trance in their 90s guises.

Room 1: Jonny Griffiths, Jamie Morgan and Taz Meah.

Room 2: Swansea University DJ Society. Sat 16 Riddim x Rise 10pm-3am, £8-£15.

Drum’n’bass. Room 1: Voltage, Levela, Ebbens b2b Mowgli, a Helix takeover, Jammez and MC XL. Room 2: Swansea University DJ Society.

BAMBU BEACH BAR 51 Wind Street, Swansea.

01792 651651 / www.bambubar.co.uk Fri 1 MasTechno: Terrace Inferno III 10pm-3am, £3.

Techno and tech-house from Jonathan Smiley Davies, Crux and State Of Mind.

BLACKWOOD MINERS INSTITUTE High Street, Blackwood. 01495 227206 / your. caerphilly.gov.uk/bmi Sat 2 Martin Kemp’s Back to The 80s Halloween Party! 7.30pm, £21 adv.

Touring 80s disco presided over by Spandau Ballet man.

BLIND TIGER 49 Cambrian Road, Newport.

01633 243500.

Fridays Beekay & Friends 11pm, £3-£5. House, techno and bass music with guest DJs, breaking producers and residents from Wales’ freshest nights. Saturdays Re:work 11pm, £5. Underground and cutting edge club music promised. Sat 9 Fixate 10pm5am, £5. Second birthday for this venue’s chunky house specialists with a headline set from Hannah Laing. Martin Dibble, Ieuan Haile, Madame Twisted, Dan Waite and J-Tech also feature.

THE BRASS BAT St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 6802 / www. thebrassbat.com Fridays Team Up 10pm4am, £5/£3 adv. Emo, poppunk, alternative, metal, hardcore etc every Friday, with lots of drinks deals. Sean Smith, ex of The Blackout, is the guest DJ every last Friday of the month also.

THE BUNKHOUSE 24 Park Street, Swansea. info@bunkhousebar.co.uk / www.bunkhousebar.co.uk Fri 1 Psychosocial Halloween Ball 10pm-5am.

Three-room alt/metal/rock night. Sat 2 Heft Halloween Free Rave #2 9pm-5am, free before 11pm. Drum’n’bass over two rooms. Tag yourself on the event page wall to get in free. Fri 22 Tundra 7pm-2am, £3 adv. Disco, house, UK garage and bassline with an 80s theme. Sat 23 Winger Records Takeover 8pm-2am. Hip-hop, dubstep, drum’n’bass from this west Wales collective, lineup to include Brave Mugraw, Culture Vultures, Ferny Mac, Zhubat, Wheeze Team, Soldiers Of Monochrome, Boofy, Docta P and Dead Crow. Sat 30 Squash Records Launch Party 9pm-5am, £3. This is a new local label and their launch night offers UK garage, BUZZ 64

bassline, dubstep, grime and drum’n’bass so maybe their label will also. DJs: JT, Esigra b2b Dayo, RSCB, Cell, DH Boh, Vex-T, Pie-Fi b2b Megatrix, Joel O-P and 2hotty. MCs: LispyJ, OJ, LRB, Syphr and AK. CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only.

029 2078 1458 / www.cardiffstudents.com Mon 11 Applebum 11pm4am, from £4. Hip-hop classics night aimed at students which tours the UK and beyond. On the Facebook event for this, the promoters have been lax with their cutting and pasting (something you’ll never see in these listings) so it still says Southampton at the end of the blurb. Wednesdays YOLO 9pm-2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11. Midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers. Good name, really on trend. Fri 1 Bedlam Mega Rave 9pm5am, from £20. Four rooms of big. Great Hall: Andy C, Dimension, Culture Shock b2b 1991, Critical Soundsystem, Indika and hosts Tonn Piper, ID and XL. Y Plas: Holy Goof, Skepsis, AMC & MC Phantom, Distress Signal, Jungle Cakes and Bushbaby.

Y Plas side room: Spectrasoul, Technimatic, Rizzle, Ransom, Stygian and hosts Texas and XL. Stiwdio 2: Sammy Virji, Mind Of A Dragon, Woo & Comfort, Mango and Maxwell.

Fri 22 Sonny Fodera 10pm4am, £18.50. Neo-deep house type headlines courtesy of promoters Treatment. Eli Brown, Biscits and Saffron Stone also feature. Saturdays Juice 10pm-3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop.

CATHAYS SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB 152-156 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff. 029 2022 0906 / cathayssportssocial.co Sat 23 Fabulous 8pm-1am.

Long-running Cardiff mod night returns with its diet of northern soul, ska, reggae, Motown, R&B etc.

CHAPEL 1877 Churchill Way, Cardiff. 029 2022 2020 / www.chapel1877. com Sat 23 You Remind Me Winter Special 10pm-3am, £10 adv. Hip-hop, r’n’b, soul and dancehall from the 80s and 90s.

CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE Market Road, Canton, Cardiff.

029 2030 4400 / www.chapter. org Fri 1 Silent Disco 8-10pm, £5. Halloween-themed evening hosted here by the venue’s Young Programmers.

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

CLUB LOGIC 12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07763 000382 / www.the-rainbowrooms.com Fridays Open Mic Night 9pm-4am. With resident DJ Trixta plus guests each week.

Saturdays 9pm-4am. With residents Rob Rees, Jay P, John Hughes and Dip-E, plus guests each week. Sat 2 is a Halloween House Party.

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

CLWB IFOR BACH Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Tuesdays Nuke 10.30pm, £3/£2 NUS. Pop, r’n’b, hip-hop, indie etc. Tue 5 Souljam 11pm-4am, from £5. Funk, soul and disco party. Wed 6 Gucci Gang Trap Night 11pm4am. Rap from the last decade.

Fridays (bottom) Yum!

creaturesound.com Fri 1 The Psychedelic Way 10pm-4am. Psytrance (I think) from Laurence, Cloud and Sizey, plus all hippy decor etc.

THE DEPOT Dumballs Road, Cardiff. 029 2034 1199 / depotcardiff.com Sun 24 Big Fish Little Fish 2-4.30pm, £7.50 adv/free prewalkers. Baby, toddler, parent and guardian can rave as one in this popular event, this time featuring DJ sets from Alex Paterson (The Orb) and Bunf (Super Furry Animals).

THE DRAGONFFLI Crumlin Street, Pontypool.

07756 769141 / www. thedragonffli.com Sat 30 Unity 9pm-1am, £3/ free before 10. House, techhouse and techno from guests PH and Beekay plus residents Oliver Harvey and Greg Baker.

EDDIES 4 Quay Street, Haverfordwest.

01437 779595 / www.eddies. co Fri 8 Wonkcrafts 9pm3.30am, £7/£5 before 10.

Hip-hop and grime showcase featuring Defects Of The Dock, Culture Vultures, Luke RV, Razkid, Vex-T, Pie-Fi, DG Bog,

We don’t list many frothing hard dance nights in Brecon, but recently revived promoters Powercore have other ideas, with a date in Harleys on Sat 9.

Beacons Go Boom!, they call it; Blocaldini b2b Stylezzy headline the night.

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

Mr Matenjie, Aksrevenge & MCM247, Syphe & LRB, Joel B-P & Lispy-J and Azzo G.

COURTYARD 48 Cambrian Road, Newport.

01633 213161.

Fridays Let’s Go Deep 10pm-6am. Three rooms ofd urban with Flipz and Matt Kirke; dance anthems with Matt Smooth; techno and house with Beekay. Part of the NPCLUBHOP price deal.

Saturdays Mista Ifsta’s Block Party Dance/commercial music as part of a multi-venue deal.

FICTION & VINYL The City Gates, Little Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 828777 / www.fictionclub. co.uk/swansea Mondays Quids In 10.45pm2.30am, £3.50/£2 before 11.

Chart, cheese, r’n’b, dance and house. Mon 18 promises a pillow fight. Wednesdays Underground 11pm-3.30am, £3.50/£2 before 1. House, chart, r’n’b and cheese across two rooms. Thurs 14 Skream 10pm-3am, £12.50 adv. Skream will be doing one of his ‘open to close’ sets here, which as the name suggests is just him on the decks for five hours. He’s in Cardiff tomorrow too. Fridays 11pm-3am, £5/£3 adv. Drinks offers and, uh, music I guess. Saturdays Agenda 10.30pm-3am, £3.50/£2 before 1. Fiction: house, r’n’b, EDM. Vinyl: pop and party. Sat 2 features Nathan Dawe. Sun 3 Raver Tots 2-4pm, £9 adv/£6 kids.

DJ Vibes supplies the old skool rave... vibes at this parentsand-toddlers/babies club afternoon.

CREATURE SOUND Ken Bu Kan, 1 Bethesda Street, Swansea. 01792 301178 / www.

FRONTAL LOBE WAREHOUSE Unit G, St Catherines Park, Cardiff. otis@flevents.co.uk /

COTTON CLUB 54 Cambrian Road, Newport.

01633 213161.

Fridays Rock & Rum 9pm, £2-£4. Rock, indie, alt and pop from Aaron Lillie and Jaivinder.

Selected drinks from £1.50.

Saturdays Whatever® 10pm. Indie, rock, alt and pop.

I am doubtful that this venue actually holds the registered trademark for the word ‘whatever’.

www.flwarehouse.co.uk Fri 29 Twisted Roots Warehouse Rave 10pm-4am, from £11.50. Drum’n’bass from T>I b2b Saxxon with MC Shaydee, Document One with Medic MC, Ransom b2b Teagle with Medic MC, Twisted Roots residents and DJ competition winners TBC. FUEL 5 Womanby Street, Cardiff.

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

THE GLOBE 125 Albany Road, Cardiff.

07590 471888 / www. globecardiffmusic.com Fri 15 So Fetch 2000s Party 10pm-2am, £5 adv. Drily desribed by the organisers as “a short trip down memory lane”.

HANGAR 18 50 Plymouth Street, Swansea.

07984 664008 / facebook.com/ hangar18mv Sat 2 + Sat 7 Dec Dead Of Night 9pm-3am, £3. Goth/ alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month.

Sat 9 Hardstyle Against Mental Health 9pm-3am, £10 adv. Featuring Cally & Juice, MKN, Swankie DJ b2b ED E.T, McBunn, D Grove, MRC, Pesky & Onyx, Odd-S-E and hosts Shocker, Jay P and Venom. Sat 16 The ResistStance 10pm-4am, £5. Acid techno and tek kinda stuff from SUSS Twins, Rage N Tekhead, Lief Yospa, DJ Lapis and 4NR. HARLEYS 8 Bell Lane, Brecon. 07929 414483 / facebook.com/ harleysbrecon Sat 9 Powercore – Beacons Go Boom! 8pm4am, £3-£5. Hard dance, hardstyle and hardcore from Blocaldini b2b Stylezzy, Webbe, Beat Conductors, Inhuman Nature, Rob EJ, Watkins & Pete Rampage and more TBC. INKSPOT The Old Church, Newport Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 0254 / www.inkspotartsandcrafts. com Fri 8 Return Of The Rave In A Church Part 3 10pm4am, £9/£7. Drum’n’bass hosted by Circle 8, Darth and Zero Tolerance. DJ Dazee & Dirty Smirks are the headline twosome. DJs: Delta Victor, D-Sia, Hoodfella Development, Pabz, Joe Blow, Raudi-TT, T-Bone, Kenco, Ejay and Kenetix.

MCs: Ryder, Air-Z, Vizable, Onslaught, L8-One, Jaytee RC and Hoodfella Development.

Sat 9 Instincts: Spirit Trance Gathering 10pm4am. Wibbly psytrance, more info TBC. JACOB’S MARKET West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939.

Fri 1 Teak 10pm, from £12 adv. With guests Nosedrip and Luigi De Venere. Fri 22 Haws

u – repeated

10pm-5am, £7.50-£13.50 adv.

Two three-and-a-half-hour sets each: a Welsh debut for Berlin-based analogue houser Gene On Earth, and a launch party for a new EP by Cardiff’s Harrison BDP. JACS Bryngolwg House, Wind Street, Aberdare. 01685 882198 / www. jacsaberdare.co.uk.

Sat 9 Northern Soul Night 3 7-11pm, £4 adv. Vintage vinyl selections from Matthew Morgan, Liam Curtin and Andrew Jones.

KONGS 114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. info@kongsbars.com / www.kongsbars.com Fri 1 Rotary Club / Rhythm Project 10pm-3am, £3. Featuring a set of deep/ Balearic house in the main bar from Hidden Spheres. Fri 8 Get Funky 11pm-3am, £6-£15 adv. Debut appearance in these parts, I think, for Hammer, a Belfast house DJ based in Glasgow. Sold out. Fri 29 Rotary Club 10pm-3am, £8-£17.50. Sixth birthday for these stalwart promoters, who top the bill with three hours of Move D – his first Cardiff headline set in about a decade I think.

LABYRINTH 13 Quay Street, Haverfordwest. 01437 760680 / www.labyrinthbar.com Sat 9 Execute 9pm-2am, free. Drum’n’bass from Reptillian Space Cowboys (Mackay & Audio Autopsy), Execute, Knox b2b Owz and Joel OP. LASER STATION Bridge Wharf, Carmarthen.

01267 235648 / www. laserstationwales.com Fri 1 Fat Lace Halloween Massacre 8pm-4am, £7-£9 adv. Drum’n’bass, dubstep and hip-hop from J-Man with Trafic MC, Abstract Drumz, Optimystic, Brute Engine, Jake Rader, Docta P, a Wonkcrafts takeover from AK b2b Pie-Fi plus MCs LRB and Syphr and a Winger Records showcase featuring Culture Vultures, Boofy, Zhubat, Cyanne and Doc Teej.

LE PUBLIC SPACE High Street, Newport. 01633 221477 / www. lepublicspace.co.uk Sat 2 Thnks Fr Th Mmrs 11pm-3am, free. Emo, poppunk and nu-metal from the previous decade, here on the first Saturday of each month.

MARY’S 89 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Mon-Thurs 4pm-2am, Fri 4pm-3am, Sat 12pm-3am, Sun 12pm-1am. 029 2066 8647 / www.maryscardiff. co.uk Wednesdays Wednesday Club 8pm-2am. Dance and chart toppers with DJ Chris. Thursdays Mixxet 8pm-2am. Fun, games, and cabaret with Amber Dextrous and Alphaa Heart. Fridays Non Stop Party 8pm-2am.

DJ Lee plays tunes from the 90s onwards. Fri 1 Hey, Drop Dead, Mary 9pm,

£3. Halloween-themed queer drag disco with performers TBC and DJs Sissy Boy Tears and Drunken Miss Orderly.

Saturdays 8pm-2am. Dance, pop and chart with DJ Billy Joe. Sundays Service 5pm2am, free. Bingo with Aunty Ade and Aunty Betty from 5pm, with cash prizes; DJ Mary Golds until 9pm; guest cabaret at 9pm and DJ Billy Joe on the tapes (this is an odd turn of phrase but I like it) until 1am.

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

Fri 8 The Sleepless Club 10pm-4am, free before 11. New monthly night hosted by local ‘electro-punk’ band Nightlives, further details currently TBC. Fridays Meltdown 10.30pm4am, free before 11. Punk and rock anthems. Saturdays Lose Yourself 10.30pm-4am, free before 11. Stereo Brain playing indie, beats, treats and pop-punk.

MINSKYS SHOW BAR Cathedral Walk, St David’s Centre, Cardiff. 029 2023 3128 / www.minskysshowbar.com Fridays & Saturdays 8pm1am. Dancing and cabaret with regular drag acts including Tina Sparkle, Miss Babs and Jolene Dover.

MOCKA LOUNGE Mill Lane, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 11am-late. 029 2022 1295 / www.mockalounge.com Thursdays Iqos Social Club / Intuition 7-9pm: Iqos Social Club; 9pm-late: Intuition with DJs Monique B and Dan Willow. Fridays Feeling Soul, funk, disco, rare groove and r’n’b with resident DJs and happy hour from 5-8pm.

Saturdays House Of Play House and r’n’b from resident DJs. Sundays Secret Resident DJs play 90s music.

THE MOON Womanby Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3022 / info@ themooncardiff.com Tue 12 Electronic Producers Network 7-10pm, free. Monthly live tunes/showcase type night. Wednesdays Rum & Reggae 10.30pm2.30am, free. Reggae, dub, ska, hip-hop and jungle. Wed 27 Womanby’s Clubbing 5-8pm. Monthly clubbing events for adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions. Run in partnership with Student Volunteering; email k.sillah@svcymru.org for more info. Thursdays One More Time 10.30pm-2.30am, free.

Music from the 90s and 00s.

Fridays Gigantic Until 4am, free. Funk, punk, rock’n’roll, hip-hop, indie, reggae and soul after bands finish playing.

Saturdays Five Dollar Shake Until 4am, free. Bebop, funk, soul, Motown, hip-hop, reggae, ska and everything in between, after bands finish playing. Sat 23 Vibes & Bubble 7pm, free. See Clubs for more on this night which

features an assortment of grime, hip-hop and soul vocalists: Faith, Mace, Dom James, Eadyth, Cardo Remel, Shantz, Vally Vand, Solo Jane, Lucas J Rowe and Asha Jane, plus DJ Motorious. See Clubs.

NATIONAL MUSEUM CARDIFF Cathays Park, Cardiff. 029 2057 3500 / www. museumwales.ac.uk/cardiff Sat 30 Hush Silent Disco 6-7.30pm + 8.30pm-12am, £12 earlier/£25 later. Semiregular event returns in two instalments, a family event in the early evening and then an adults-only one later on. Yes, that does say £25 for the latter. Who have they got DJing, Aviici?

OCEAN ARTS CARDIFF Unit 2, East Moors Business Park, East Moors Rd, Cardiff Bay. 029 2132 0030 / www. oceanartscardiff.co.uk Fri 1 + Fri 6 Dec All Accessible Club Nights 7.30-11.30pm, £3/free for carers. In the venue’s words, a gentle club night with music, a bar and chillout area, accessible toilet and friendly staff.

Also open to under-18s until 9pm. First Friday of every month.

PATTI PAVILION Mumbles Road, Swansea.

01792 475444.

Fri 1 The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club 7.30pm, £16.50-£18.50 adv. Sold out.

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

029 2070 7530 / www. penarthexservicemensclub. co.uk Sat 16 Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm-12am, £3 adv. A night of classic soul, northern soul etc. Their final 2019 date is on NYE. THE PICCADILLY INN Piccadilly Square, Caerphilly.

029 2088 0042 Fri 15 Revolution 7pm, £5/£3 adv. New monthly hard dance night featuring Ed ET & MC Venom, Dave Jones, Patch & Vandellio, DNA, Jay G and an open decks competition winner.

PITCHER & PIANO Wind Street, Swansea. 01792 461312 / www. pitcherandpiano.com Sat 2 Groove Halloween Garden Finale 4-11.30pm, from £5 adv. House on the terrace, in the daytime, with special guest Seb Zito.

PLATFORM 11 High Street, Pontypridd.

Fri-Sun 7.30pm-2am. www. platform11.co.uk Sat 2 Halloween 8pm-4am.

Residents showcase, namely Dave Eaves, Puff, Dan Howells, Taylor Jones, Nathan Jenkins and Ryan Howells. Sat 9 033 6pm-4am, £12/£10. Third birthday bash for this club, with headliner Ferreck Dawn.

Defected, Toolroom, Relief and number one on Beatport are among the boxes he ticks. Sat 7 Dec 034 6pm-4am, £8-£12.

Featuring headliner Jacky.

POPWORLD 96 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Mon, Tue + Thurs 9pm-3am; Wed 8pm-3am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 1pm-3am. 029 2023 5825.

Mondays Pop Rocks 9pm.

A night of what they call alternative pop. Wednesdays Top Banana 10pm-3am.

Retro gaming, giveaways and DJ Giggsy playing the songs.

Thursdays Top Of The Pops 10pm-3am. Discounted drinks, free entry and a chance to party the night away.

Fridays Reflex 7pm-3am.

Drinks deals until 11pm.

Saturdays Popworld Party 1pm-3am. Drinks deals from 3-6pm.

POPWORLD 2-5 Wind Street, Swansea.

Mon-Fri + Sun 8pm-3am; Sat 3pm-3am. 01792 470676.

Mondays Cheapskates 9pm-3am. With DJ Rubell “spinning the mixes on the decks” in the slightly confusedsounding words of Popworld itself. Wednesdays Quids In 8pm-3am. Student night where drinks are £1. Thursdays Neon Disco 9pm-3am. Dance r’n’b, pop, chart and punk.

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

Saturdays Pop Party 8pm3am, £2-£4. Sundays SIP 9pm-3am, That’s short for Service Industry Party.

PRYZM Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. 029 2023 3854 / www.pryzm. co.uk/cardiff Wed 20 K-Club 10.30pm3.30am, £5. A K-pop club night touring the UK. Looks like all the student chain clubs just realised this stuff has a fanbase here. Saturdays Agenda 10pm-3am, £5. Three music arenas, VIP booths, other stuff.

PULSE 3 Churchill Way, Cardiff. 029 2064 1010 / www. pulsecardiff.com. Gay venue.

Wednesdays Kapow!

10pm-4am. Student night with Jolene Dover and DJ Warren.

Fridays Full On 10pm-5am, £4/£3. DJ Craig downstairs, Opal upstairs. Saturdays The Sound Of Saturday 10pm-5am, £5/£4 b4 11. The very best chart remixes and classic hits all night long.

SIN CITY Dilwyn Street, Swansea.

01792 468892 / www. sincityclub.co.uk Tuesdays Hustle 10pm3am, £3/£2 before 12. Motown, r’n’b and hip-hop. Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3.

Student night. Fri 8 Dazed 10pm-4am, £8-£15 adv.

Drum’n’bass, previewed in the last issue and featuring Benny L, Randall and Shimon b2b Gino b2b Traumatize. Hosted

by Haribo, Pastry Maker and Pablow. Fri 15 Heft 11pm4am, £8-£15 adv. Jungle/ drum’n’bass from General Levy, Phibes, Incursion Audio, Dayo, DisKrete, Esigra, Kazm, Llew, MC XL, Mr. Matenj, Ransom, Sam Coady and Teagle. Fri 22 + Fri 6 Dec Bassline 10pm-4am.

Headlined by Skepsis in November and Hybrid Minds

ILONA Undertone, Cardiff, Fri 22 Nov. Tickets: £7. Info: 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Ilona Rampling was not at ground zero for the late80s acid house revolution marshalled by the man who’s now her husband, Danny – in fact she was an American child attending elementary school – but she’s been a DJ since the 90s, and nowadays forms part of the team keeping Shoom, Danny’s infamous original club night, alive. Her Cardiff debut comes courtesy of promoter and DJ Ryan Ross, with he and Ilona having the decks to themselves all night.

Ilona’s earliest roots are in wibbly acid trance, and her DJ/production style (her sets use live sampling and synth) retain that expansive feel to an extent, while being more techno-oriented in essence. and MC Tempza in December.

Fri 29 Treatment 10pm4am, £12/£9. See Clubs for more on a show headlined by bouncy technohead Rebuke, with support from Ronnie Spiteri. Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South.

SODA St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3363 / www. sodacardiff.com Wednesdays Replay 9pm4am, £4. Chart, cheese and r’n’b for students. Fridays Guilty Sounds 10pm4am, £4/£6 VIP. R’n’b and house from the 90s and 00s.

Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am.

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

STORY Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. info@storynightclub.co.uk Mondays Quidz 10pm3am, from £1. Student night.

Fridays Smack. 10pm-3am.

Student night across four rooms, poached back from Pryzm who I guess poached it from some other crap student club. Fridays Antisocial 11pm-4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. Weekly student night with special guests. Saturdays Iconic 11pm-4am, £4 adv/£6 VIP. R’n’b, hip-hop, house etc.

Sat 30 has a guest sppearance from Wretch 32.

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

Kyle Thom and Jordan Witts.

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

Exclusive midweek student party. You don’t need NUS to get in though. Fridays Tic Toc 10pm-3am, £4. “Forget the DJs who play the stuff you’ve never heard of, ours will be playing your favourite tracks all night long.” Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc.

TRAMSHED Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Fri 15 Skream 10.30pm3am, £12.50 adv. DJing for all 270 minutes here. Fri 29 + Sat 30 Foreverland: Psychedelic Carnival 9pm3am, from £17.50 per night.

One of many touring club nights which are seemingly by and for people who think the most important thing about club nights is the decor. This one does at least list some of the DJs: Danny Byrd, Nancie, Taim, Hunter and host Tyrone.

UNDERTONE (BASEMENT OF 10 FEET TALL) 11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Wednesdays House Party 10pm-3am, free before 11.

Drum’n’bass, disco, house, techno, UK garage and bass, aimed at students and over this venue’s three floors every week. Fri 1 Helium 11pm-4am, £5 adv. House and techno residents’ special. Sat 2 Labyrinth 10pm-4am, from £5.50 adv. Drum’n’bass night headlined by Upgrade. Thurs 7 Sour Sounds 10pm-3am.

Drum’n’bass. Fri 8 Haws 10pm-4am, £6 adv. House from Em Williams and Stav, both from Oxford clubnight Simple, plus James Wilkinson. Sat 9 Rezonate 10pm-4am, £3-£8.

Drum’n’bass from Sinus8, Aktik b2b2 Stuss, Elliptic Audio, Low and Phinn, plus MCs T-Motion and Jordy G. Tue 12 Pull Up 10pm3am. Drum’n’bass. Thurs 14 Common Collective 10pm-3am. Jungle. Fri 15 Global Sounds 10pm-4am.

Viewpoints, Steff Jeff and Adam From Space with an Italo/synthpop special . Sat 16 Junction 10pm-4am.

Drum’n’bass. Fri 22 Ilona 10pm-4am, £7 adv. Cardiff DJ Ryan Ross is both the promoter of this night and

the warmup for the headliner, Ilona Rampling: wife of acid house OG Danny Rampling and peddler of big room acid techno styles. Sat 23 Disco Rekah 10pm-4am.

Drum’n’bass. Thurs 28 Summit 10.30pm-3am. Bass, house, techno and garage.

Fri 29 Mvmnts 11pm-4am, from £8. New night headlined

by Wen (Big Dada, Keysound) and also featuring Licked:City.

Fri 30 Switch Up 10pm-4am.

Drum’n’bass, jungle, bassline and UK funky.

THE VAULTS / PORTLAND HOUSE The Old Natwest Bank, 113116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents.com Fri 8 Function:al 10pm5am, £15. Drum’n’bass. Room 1: Randall b2b Storm, Digital b2b Djinn, Ransom b2b Lubi J and Double A Side b2b Electra.

Hosts: Blackeye MC & Missy G, Room 2: Ladies Of Rage present Effigy, Elianne, Roxie Webb, Shannyshan and Silkcut plus MCs Bambiclare, Becky Cee, Ess Louise and Miss.HD. Fri 22 Canopy 10pm-5am, from £10 adv. Drum’n’bass from DJ Zinc, Serial Killaz and more TBC. *Sat 23 Get Down Early 11pm-4am, from £5 adv. See Clubs.

WALKABOUT SWANSEA Castle Bailey Street, Swansea.

01792 450850 / www. walkaboutbars.co.uk/venues/ swansea Wednesdays Loose 9pm3am, £4/£2. New night here across four rooms (chart toppers / r’n’b and urban, plus drum’n’bass / techno, house and disco in the Attic). Sat 2 Sydney Saturdays 10pm3am, £4/£3. Featuring a DJ set

by Charlie Sloth, off the radio.

Sat 9 Red Square 10pm3am, £9 adv. Russian dance music night with DJ Antoxic.

WOW BAR 11 Windsor Place, Cardiff.

Gay venue. www. wowbarcardiff.com Mondays Mysterious Mondays Free. Music from DJ Chris, hosted by Dixie Normous. Wednesdays Gypsy’s Jaunty Wednesdays Free. Music from DJ Craig, hosted by Gypsy Divine with a guest artist every week. Thursdays Krazy Karaoke Free. Music from DJ Chris, hosted by Dominique Trix and with a free BUZZ 65

shot for everyone who does a song. Fridays Campilicious Cabaret Free before 11.

Hosted by various members of the WOW Showgirls, plus special guests every week.

Saturdays Double Trouble Free before 10. Pop and party with DJs Gypsy, Krys and Craig. Sundays Fundays 12pm-1.30am, free. DJ Krys and Chris play the tunes until late, plus there are guest artists every week.

events EVERY MONDAY uEscape Reality Cardiff Escape Reality, John Street, Cardiff. Mon-Fri + Sun 1.309pm; Sat 12-9pm, £16-£20 per player. Info 029 2132 3120 / cardiff@escapereality.com.

Escape room setup where players have an hour to solve puzzles and exit the room in question. Offers each day for hen/stage parties, corporate events etc. uNoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff. £1-£15 per class. Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Classes for various age groups on every day; check the website for full details. The Beginners Mixed Aerial course starts on Tue 29 Oct and finishes on Tue 17 Dec. Qi Gong Tai Chi Carnegie House, Bridgend. 1.30-2.30pm, £3. Info 01656 815757. With tutor Geoff Cheetham. uUp Side Down Circus Classes Cave Venture Workshops, Tremorfa Industrial Estate, Cardiff. Info 029 2048 8854 / info@ upsidedowncircus.co.uk.

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

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

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

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

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

Caban Sgriblio Brecon Library. 4-6pm, free. Info 01873 811579. Drop-in creative writing sessions led by Uschi Turoczy. Running throughout summer but with no set finish date at present.

English Conversation Group For Beginners M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11am, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Led by a qualified English language teacher.

Mid Wales Dance BUZZ 66

Academy Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Info 01874 623219.

With Lesley Walker. Also on Thursdays, Fridays aand Saturdays.

Open Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. uOrganised Kaos Circus Classes Cwmaman Church Hall, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. Info 07799 266505 / info@ organisedkaos.org.uk. Inclusive community circus offering an environment for young people and adults alike to develop circus skills, promoting self confidence and community.

Various classes from Tuesday to Friday; find the timetable at www. organisedkaos.org.uk. uSeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour National Museum Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales. com. Tuesdays and Fridays: Mines & Mountains, visiting Big Pit Mining Museum and Brecon Beacons National Park. Wednesdays and Saturdays: Romans & Ruins, visiting Caerleon, Caerwent, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley, Abbey Mill Craft Centre and Raglan Castle. Thursdays and Sundays: Golden Gower, visintg visits the Gower, Swansea Bay, Parc-Le-Breos, the Dylan Thomas Centre and more.

Uplift Singing Sessions Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

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

EVERY WEDNESDAY Circus Academy Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-8pm, pay by donation. Info 01656 815757. Open to all ages.

EVERY THURSDAY Carnegie House Samba Band Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-8pm, pay by donation. Info 01656 815757.

Open to all abilities.

FAN Group Meeting Cardiff Central Library. 5.30pm, free. Info www.thefancharity. org. Meet new people, make friends and get to know your neighbours.

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

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

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

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

Yinyasa Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 1.05-1.55pm, £5. Info facebook.com/yinyasacardiff.

Yoga First Floor, 3 Assembly Square, Britannia Quay, Cardiff Bay. 12.30-1.15pm, £5. Info elliecoptor@hotmail.com. With Mat Roblin.

EVERY FRIDAY English Conversation Group For Advanced Adult

Learners M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11am, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Led by a qualified English language teacher.

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

Rhiwbina Farmers Market The Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina.

10am-1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

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

Roath Real Food Market Mackintosh Sports Club Car Park, Roath, Cardiff. 9.30am1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982.

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

Draw Somebody’s Sunday Body Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 1.30-3.30pm, £7.50.

Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model.

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

Uncoached session hosted by Tiger Bay Brawlers.

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

Always worth a trip.

Sunday Board Games Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Weekly session featuring a mixture of competitive and co-operative games.

FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER Ailbhe Darcy The Muse, Brecon. 7pm, free. Info 01874 611529. Poetry reading from this year’s winner of the Wales Book Of The Year. uBingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”. Every Wednesday and Friday this month.

Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (threemonth trial membership). Info 07526 141392 / www.cardiffivc. org.uk. Meeting here on the first Friday of each month. uCraft Festival Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff. 10am-5pm, £13 weekend/£7 per day (£11/£6 concessions). Info hello@madebyhand-wales. co.uk. Annual craft weekend here (formerly known as Made

By Hand), featuring featuring over 135 makers selling directly to the public as well as workshops, masterclasses, live music etc. On from 10am-4pm on Sun 3. (Until Sun 3) uNewport Rising Various venues, Newport. Info www. newportrising.co.uk. Five-day festival (started yesterday) paying tribute to the Chartist uprising of 1839. Today features a poetry night, Renegade Psalms, featuring Patrick Jones and John Robb (who have just done an album together) plus Eric Ngalle Charles (Westgate Hotel, 7.30pm, £4). Sat 2: a Chartist Convention with debate and discussion (Newport Cathedral, 10am-3pm, £10/free NUS); a torch-lit march (start-

ing at Belle Vue Park Tearooms, 4.30pm); After The Rising 180th anniversary celebrations (Westgate Hotel, 7.30pm, free). Sun 3: a guided walk to the Chartist Caves (starting from Trefil Road, Tredegar, 11am, free with registration); Matt Hill & Tracey Browne, The People’s Vote (Westgate Hotel, 6.39pm, £4). Mon 4: commemoration ceremony (St Woolos Cathedral, 6pm, free).

(Until Mon 4) uUcele Yoga: Yin Yoga Class Natural Health Service, Swansea. 7.30-9pm, £8/£4 for your first class. Info facebook. com/victoriauceleyoga. Quiet, mindful yoga open to all. Here every fortnight; also on Fri 15 and Fri 29 this month. *UnderTheCounterCulture Launch Party The Old Vicarage, Cardiff. 7-11pm, free. Info tactilebosch.co.uk.

Previewed in last month’s issue, this launches a month of performance art and avantgarde music etc programmed

by Tactilebosch, and features Aja, Viviana Druga and Starlings Planet among others.

The venue is on Cathedral Road, just by Sophia Gardens.

SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER Autumn Foraging Courses Bute Park, Cardiff. 11am2.30pm, £45/£22.50 under-16s.

Info www.wildfooduk.com.

Hosted by Wild Food UK, this course teaches you how to identify various plants, fruits and mushrooms.

Black History Month Finale Event Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 12-4pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. Music and dance in the foyer. uBy Order Of – Return Of The Aziz Family The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £15 adv.

Info www.depotcardiff.co.uk.

Peaky Blinders-themed evening which, like the TV show, includes pretty much anything the people behind it can think of that relates to the early 20th century. Also on Sat 9 and Sat 16. uCraft Fair St Mary’s Church, Swansea. 10am-4pm.

Info ariancrafts@hotmail. co.uk. Also on Sat 30. uDinky Donkey Walking Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £35/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Spend a couple of hours with a pair of Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys. Also on Sun 3, Thurs 14, Sat 16, sat 23 and Sat 30 this month.

Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry.

10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149.

Every first Saturday of the month. uFun With Clay Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611.

With Billy Adams. On tomorrow also. uHedgehog Experience West Wales Hedgehog Rescue, Lampeter. £45. Info 01874 749092. Be a volunteer at a hedgehog rescue for three hours as part of a very small group. A Good Day Out event.

Also on Wed 6, Sat 16, Wed 20 and Sat 30 this month.

Layered Felt Festive Decvorations Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 2.30-5pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Elspeth Thomas.

Lino Printed Greeting

Cards Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 10.30am-1pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@ gmail.com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Mini Con NosDa, Cardiff.

1-11pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Showcase event for Welsh writers and artists from the comic and pop culture scene. Live music from She Robot, Three Dead and Curtis Lee will also feature. uPig Street Craft Fair The Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am4pm, free. Info enquiries@ pigstreetcrafts.co.uk. Selling original arts and crafts here until Christmas; also on Sat 16 this month.

Revue Lindyhoppers Dance Class Carnegie House, Bridgend. 4-6pm, £5.

Info 01656 815757. Open to all abilities; every first Saturday of the month.

Stitch In Time For Christmas Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Susan Smith.

Vintage Dance Evening Carnegie House, Bridgend.

6.30-8.30pm. Info 01656 815757. With Perri Lynn. uWorld Of Geeks Penarth Leisure Centre. 10am-4pm.

Info 01446 403000. A comic film and TV convention new to South Wales with actors, artists, props, vehicles and cosplay promised. On tomorrow also.

Zine Workshop ArcadeCampfa, Cardiff. 2-4pm.

Info arcade-campfa.org. and Grrrl Zine founder Lu Williams looks at the history of zine making and zines’ functions as self care, political tools, art and alternatives to traditional publishing.

SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER Alan McGee Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. ‘An Evening With’ bolshy Scottish indie music mogul.

Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400.

Festival Of Flair The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 11am4pm, free. Info 01639 843163.

Workshops, performances and art in celebration of the skills of people living with additional learning needs in this region.

Guided Tour: Dylan’s Swansea Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea (starting point). 10.30am-12pm, £4-£10.

Info 01792 463980. Hosted by Fluellen.

Quiet Times With Dippy National Museum Cardiff.

9-10am, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Sessions aimed at visitors with autism, learning disabilities or sensory disorders.

Also on Sun 8 Dec. Stitched Selfies Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £80. Info 029 2048 4611. With Alyson Taylor.

MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER uCardiff Castle And The Marquesses Of Bute Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £8.50. Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture by Matthew Williams, tied into a new book of his. On tomorrow also. uGrangetown Community Choir Cornwall Street Baptist Church Hall, Grangetown, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 per session/£80 for 12 sessions.

Info paulinedown7@gmail. com. With Pauline Down, every Monday this autumn.

TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER uArt Club Carnegie House, Bridgend. 6.30-8.30pm, £8 per class/£10 annual membership.

Info 01656 815757. Open to all abilities and ages; every Tuesday until 17 Dec. uContemporary Conversations Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Meeting up twice a month (also on Tue 19 this month) this group discuss ideas and themes from current and recent art exhibitions. uExplore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Every Tuesday this month. uPiggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £30/£20 under-16s.

Info 01874 749092. Take a pair of friendly Kune Kune pigs (from New Zealand, look a bit like Ewoks) for a walk, then return to the smallholding for refreshments. Also on Sun 10, Mon 18 and Sun 24 this month.

WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER A Day Of Leather Crafting M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff.

10am-4pm, £55. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Hosted by Lark Design Make. uAdult Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Every Wednesday this month.

Art History Lectures: Edvard Munch Penarth Pier Pavilion. 6.30-9pm, £15. Info 029 2071 2100. Price includes a glass of wine.

Bedwellty Christmas Market Bedwellty House & Park, Tredegar. 6-9pm, free.

Info 01495 355945. uCreative Textiles Club Carnegie House, Bridgend.

10am-12pm, £8. Info 01656 815757. Every Wednesday until 18 Dec; open to all abilities.

D-Day Landings – Wartime Talk Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7-9pm, £5.

Info 01656 815757. With Glenn Booker.

Drink And Draw: Moonscapes The Gate, Cardiff. 8pm, £3.50. Info 029 2048 3344.

Imogen Cooper Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01873 852960.

Classical pianist in conversation with Alastair Laurence.

Jesmonite Coasters Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6.30-9pm, £35. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Music Networking: Introductions, Collaborations, Advice The Moon, Cardiff. 7-9pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Register via Eventbrite.

Reminiscence Monthly Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Come to the museum and share your memories of Cardiff, on the first Wednesday of every month.

Rick Stein: Secret France Savoy Theatre, Monmouth.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01600

772467. TV cook, flogging a book.

Swansea Stories – Conserving Our Collection Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-2pm, free (suggested donation £3). Info 01792 516900. Talk by Jenny Williamson.

THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER A Fragmented Retrospective Opening Night RUG Gallery, Cardiff.

6pm, free. Info www.ruggallery.net. Launch of an exhibition listed in the Art section, this evening features music and poetry performances from Efa Supertramp, TWATTS, Dancing Queer, Glittasphyxia, Will Ford and more. uArt Class Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-12pm, £8. Info 01656 815757. Open to all abilities and ages; every Thursday until 19 Dec. Bridgend Writers’ Circle Carnegie House, Bridgend.

7pm, £8 for a year’s membership. Info 01656 815757.

Meeting here on the first Thursday of every month. uFinn’s Weekly Hootenanny Gentileza, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info gentilezacdf@gmail.com.

Planned to be every Thursday, this is an multi-disciplinary open mic night upstairs in this Duke Street Arcade cafe.

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2030 4400. New poetry and fiction, this month from Jane Lovell and Maggie Harris.

Harry Redknapp Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £32/£82 VIP. Info 01792 475715. Retired football manager chooses this over watching Man United v Partizan in the Europa League.

Life Drawing Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 6-8pm, £8.50.

Info 01685 384111. uSt Fagans Museum Ghost Tours National History Museum, St Fagans. 8-10pm, £16. Info 029 2057 3500.

Hosted by Dark Wales Tours.

Also on Sat 8, Sun 9, Thurs 14, Thurs 21 and Sat 23 this month. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Pontcanna Scout Hall, Cardiff.

7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 drop-in/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723.

Choir, led by Laura Woodford, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune. Also on Thurs 21 this month.

Women In Engineering: New Perpectives James Callaghan Lecture Theatre, Singleton Campus, Swansea University. 7pm, free. Info www. risw.org. Royal Institution Of South Wales present the President’s Invitation Lecture with Alison Thompson and Evelyn O’Brien. uYin Yang Yoga: Lunchtime Yoga Class Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 1-1.50pm, £5. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga. Every Thursday this month.

FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER Cardiff Dance Festival Opening Party Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400.

Featuring performance, music and screenings ahead of the festival in earnest, which runs

in various Cardiff venues until Sun 24 and which is previewed Upfront.

Cardiff Nocturne The Old Vicarage, Cardiff. Free.

Info tactilebosch.co.uk. An immersive installation by Daren Kendell, presented by UnderTheCounterCulture Halloween Masquerade Ball Chapel 1877, Cardiff.

7pm-1am, £10. Info 029 2022 2020. Hosted by Decadence Events and aimed at lesbians and bi women.

Mynd I’r Gap Ceilidh Constitutional Club, Blaenavon. 7.30pm, £3. Info 07794 574572. uYin Yoga & Mindfulness Urban Zen Yoga & Movement Studio, Swansea. 7.30-9pm, £10/£5 unwaged or for your first class. Info facebook.com/ victoriauceleyoga.

SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER Bone Yard Launch Party The Bone Yard, Canton, Cardiff. 12-9pm, free. Info www.shippingcontainerstudios. co.uk. Previouly located in Pontcanna, the Bone Yard is a collection of shops and workshops inside former shipping containers which has been relocated to Paper Mill Road nearby (ish), joined by pizza type Dusty Knuckle.

Christmas Present Clay Workshop: Planters The Gate, Cardiff. 10am, £23. Info 029 2048 3344. With ceramic artist Karen Dawn Curtis.

Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Centre, Mumbles, Swansea.

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

James Ketchell Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £15.50. Info 01686 614555. Talk by an extreme sport/endurance type fella.

Made It Market St Elli Shopping Centre, Llanelli.

10am-3pm. Info 07971 242730.

Craft and produce fair.

Remembering Inanna Exhibition And Performance Shift, Cardiff.

2-11pm, free. Info shiftcardiff@gmail.com.

Described as “a collection of art, storytelling and performance centred around suppressed female histories and voices,” this will feature artwork and performances from throughout the day, culminating in a live performance/EP launch from the band Inanna Meets The Dawn.

Remembrance Service National History Museum, St Fagans. 10.50am-1pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3500.

Sheepdog Experience Venue TBC, nr Crickhowell. £25. Info 01874 749092. Learn how to command a collie moving sheep around a field with a young local shepherd. A Good Day Out event.

Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3. Info 0845 2263510.

Sound Board Music Awards National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7-10pm, £5. Info 029 2057 3600.

Swansea Pride Open Mic Night Elysium Gallery, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info www.elysiumgallery.com. uTaste Of West Wales Winter Festival National Botanic Garden Of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire.

10am-4pm. Info 01558 667149.

Food and craft. On tomorrow also.

Venue Booksale Fundraiser M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373.

Ynyswen Craft Show Ynyswen Welfare Hall, Treorchy. 9am-4.30pm, £5 to set up a table. Info 01443 520299.

SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER Christmas Wreath Paper Art Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Danielle Sullivan.

Dinosaurs And Deserts In Wales National Museum Cardiff. 12, 1.30 + 3pm, £2.

Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by palaeontologist Cindy Howells.

Marina Market Dylan Thomas Square, Swansea.

10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Monthly event selling handcrafted goods and fresh food.

The Crown With A Heart The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 3pm, £10. Info 01685 387925. Charity day in aid

611622. Brecknock Art Society lecture.

The Cycling Podcast Tour Of Britain St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18/£15. Info 029 2087 8444.

WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER Art History Lectures: Romantic Visions Of Norway Penarth Pier Pavilion.

6.30-9pm, £15. Info 029 2071 2100. Price includes a glass of wine.

Banff Top Dog Film Festival Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £11-£13.

Info 01656 815995. Banff, the people who do tours of films showing extreme sports and mountainous locations, get slightly more prosaic here with a collection of films about dogs and their owners.

Neil Oliver Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £23.50. Info 01970 623232. TV presenter with a talky show titled The Story Of The British Isles In 100 Places. uScriveners Writers’ Group The Badminton Club, Ebbw Vale. 8pm. Info 01495

We’ve covered Banff’s touring showcase of films depicting mountain vistas and crazy extreme sport stunts before, but on Wed 13 they bring their Top Dog Film Festival to Porthcawl’s Grand Pavilion. It’s a series of short films about… dogs, and their owners. of British Heart Foundation, featuring music from Jeris spencer, Chris Sumemrhill and Cherry Rebels plus a live auction, horse racing and kids’ activities.

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER Cardiff Humanists Event Cardiff Quaker Meeting House, Charles St, Cardiff.

7.30-9.30pm, £2/£1. Info www. cardiffhumanists.co.uk. Taking place on the second Monday of each month; November sees with Lydia Cross, aka The Humanist Herbivore, discussing “veganism and humanism: the morality of animal exploitation”.

Macramé Jewellery Making Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6.30-8.30pm, £25. Info larkdesignmake@ gmail.com. Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Pablo Escobar – The Real Story Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 6-8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2048 7602. Funzing talk by Shaun Edwards.

TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER Cardiff Left Bookclub Beelzebub’s, Cardiff. 7-8pm, free. Info events@ craftydevilbrewing.co.uk. This takes place on the second Tuesday of each month and talks about a book which is left-wing in its outlook or has relevance to that ideology.

This month it’s Sula by Toni Morrison.

The Culture Of Imperial Russia Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2.30pm, £8. Info 01874

309863 / burningcanary@ aol.com. Also on Wed 27 this month.

The Mary Rose: People And Purpose Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-2pm, free (suggested donation £3).

Info 01792 516900. Talk by Dr Nick Owen.

THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER Arts Society Cardiff Lecture Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400. David Phillips discusses “unresolved questions of authenticity”.

Astronomy Talk Carnegie House, Bridgend. 7pm, £5. Info 01656 815757. Hosted by Dark Sky Wales. uCraft Night M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6-8.30pm, free/£2 to take part. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Also on Thurs 28. uDippy About Yoga!

National Museum Cardiff.

7.30am, £10. Info 029 2039 7951. Yoga session underneath the big dinosaur skeleton in here. Also on Thurs 21 and Thurs 28 this month.

Kings, Presidents, & Spies: Assassinations Past & Present Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7-8pm, free. Info 01792 295190. Interactive talk

by Dr Luca Trenta, Dr Eoin Price and Dr Roberta Magnani; the first event of the Being Human Festival, which runs in Swansea (among other UK towns) until Sat 23. Book in advance via Eventbrite, please.

Also the phone number above is for the Swansea Cultural Institute who are behind this.

Luke Wright Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £11.

Info 01792 863722. Poet, in Bridgend tomorrow.

Open Mic Poetry Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil.

7.30pm, £5. Info 01685 722555.

Featuring guests poets John Williams and Rhoda Thomas.

Ranulph Fiennes Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £20-£40. Info 029 2063 6464. One-man talky show titled Living Dangerously. See Upfront for an interview. In Aberystwyth on Thurs 28.

Retrofest Kongs, Cardiff.

4-10.30pm, £2. Info info@ kongsbars.co.uk. Popup fashion festival with food, DJs etc also.

FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER Bauble Wreath Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 6.309pm, £28. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Cabbaration Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10-£14. Info 01970 623232. Queer-themed cabaret night by the people behind Aberration. Featuring Barbara Nice, Shelf, Edd Muir, The Family Jewels, Chocolat and compere Helen Sandler. uItalian Film Festival Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Info 029 2030 4400.

Fifth edition of this annual weekender, the only UK festival dedicated to Italian cinema.

Today features screenings of Simple Women, Arbëria and The Man Who Bought The Moon; tomorrow has Dafne, a selection of animated shorts, Guests In The Villa, Romulus And Remus: The First King and I’m Back!; Sun 17 has Bangla, a roundtable discussion about depictions of migration, the winner (TBC) of the Canfod Prize, Twin Flower and The Traitor. (Until Sun 17) Penned On The Bont Carnegie House, Bridgend.

7.30pm, £5. Info 01656 815757.

With guets poet Luke Wright; hosted by Rhian Edwards.

Rosalind Crisp: Unwrapping d_a_n_s_e Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Dance Festival event comprising both lecture and performance by Australian artist Crisp. uSwansea Art Fair Elysium Gallery, Swansea. Info www. elysiumgallery.com. Showcase/ selling opportunity for artist, designs and makers from or living in Wales. (Until Sun 17) SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER An Enduring Tradition?

Wales And Protest Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff.

10,30am-4.30pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Talk presented

by Llafur.

A Poignant Tale In The Aftermath Of The Great War National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free.

Info 029 2057 3600. Historical Association talk by John Powell.

Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm.

Info 01495 753782. Every third Saturday of the month.

Craft Fair Community Hall,

Neath. 10am-3.30pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk.

Discovering The Mary Rose: Aaarrtt On The High Seas Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-3pm, free (suggested donation £3). Info 01792 516900. Family fun day presented as part of the Being Human Festival.

Havana Party Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7.30pm-12.30am, £12/£10 adv. Info 029 2071 2100. Salsa social featuring live Latin music and dancing.

Historical Association Winter Open Day National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

12.30-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Howells School Sports Hall, Llandaff, Cardiff. 11am12.30pm, £1.50/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Featuring great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items.

Letterpress Your Own Christmas Cards National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

11am-3pm, £45/£36. Info 029 2057 3600. Printing day course.

Made It Market St David’s Church, Neath. 10am-3pm, from £15 to set up a stall. Info 07971 242730. Quarterly craft and produce fair. uMake A Snow Shaker National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am, 2pm + 3.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2057 3600. On tomorrow also.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month.

Real Ale Wobble Bromsgrove Hall, Llanwrtyd Wells (check-in point). 8am, £20 to enter. Info 01591 610270. A bike ride with real ale spots along the way (I think set up by the organisers by the road, as opposed to pubs).

Precedes the Real Ale Ramble next weekend here. *Spiral Tribe Print Workshop & Talk The Old Vicarage, Cardiff.

3-6 + 7-11pm, free.

Info tactilebosch.co.uk.

UnderTheCounterCulture event in conjunction with the Printhaus, where Mark Harrison from the Spiral Tribe rave collective, talks on the history of the sound system and hosts a live screen printing session in which you’re invited to participate. The evening will have music from UKAEA who makes party monster techno.

St Fagans Real Food Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500.

Talk At 4 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. This month concerning the exhibition currently running here, Gareth Evans’ But, Hands Have Eyes.

The Great Gatsby Party Night Exchange Hotel, Cardiff Bay. 7-11.30pm, £40. Info 029 2010 7050. Including Lee Gilbert’s 19-piece big band, live dancers, food (included in the price), live and silent auctions, a raffle and more TBC. In aid of the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre at Llandough Hospital.

White Collar Boxing Wales Fight Night Vale Sports Arena, Cardiff. 4-11pm, from £15. Info 029 2240 4901.

Fundraising event for Mind.

BUZZ 67

Wood Engraved Christmas Cards Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-1pm, £45.

Info 029 2048 4611. With Kath Littler.

ROOTS UNEARTHED NOVEMBER 2019 Over the past couple of decades there’s been a significant and positive change of attitudes to English folk music, thanks in no small part to the contributions of a new generation of musicians bringing a fresh perspective to the tradition.

Jackie Oates is one such musician. Originally from Staffordshire, her fiddle-playing and singing, together with her unique treatment of English ballads and songs, has established her at the forefront of the new English folk revival.

From her 2003 appearance as a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards, through her involvement with Rachel Unthank And The Winterset and folk supergroup The Imagined Village to her critically acclaimed solo albums, Jackie is rightly regarded as one of English folk music’s finest practitioners. Her eponymous solo debut album, a collection of traditional English ballads released in 2006, was followed a couple of years later by The Violet Hour which won rave reviews and won her two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – including the Horizon Award for best newcomer – but it was 2009’s Hyperboreans which raised her game to a whole new level.

Produced by her brother Jim Moray and featuring a title track written for her by Alasdair Roberts, it’s been described as Jackie’s “coming of age” album. With a beautifully confident vocal performance adding a freshness to traditional songs it also featured a surprising take on Birthday, a song originally performed

by Icelandic pop band The Sugarcubes which found its way onto mainstream radio via the likes of Radio 2’s Steve Lamacq and 6Music’s Cerys Matthews. Hyperboreans won Jackie a whole new set of fans and more accolades including nominations for fRoots Critics’ Poll Album Of The Year and 2010 Folk Awards for Folk Singer Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best Traditional Track for Isle Of France.

The following years saw Jackie performing at SXSW in Austin, joining The Imagined Village and taking part in the Cecil Sharp Project as well as releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums including her most recent, the deeply emotional The Joy Of Living. Performing music from that album, and from her extensive back catalogue, Jackie will be at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall’s Roots Unearthed series on Tue 19 Nov. BUZZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: Tenby Blues Festival. The blues! In Tenby! www.tenbyblues.co.uk for details.

Various venues, Tenby (Fri 8-Sat 10) The Hut People. Unique global influenced sounds on accordion and percussion.

Newport Folk Club, Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerston (Thurs 21) The Peatbog Faeries. Mindboggling Scottish fusionists. The Welfare, Ystradgynlais (Fri 29) Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767 BUZZ 68

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER Booklaunch: Jo Harding M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 3-5pm, free. Info 029 2047 3373. Harding will be signing copies and reading from her book Time Out Of Mind, on the topic of mental health and grief.

Car Less Car Boot NosDa, Cardiff. 12-4pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. New event on the third Sunday of every month, hosted by Twin Made.

Flying Trapeze Taster NoFit State, Four Elms Road, Adamsdown, Cardiff. 11am1pm. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Porcelain Christmas Decorations Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-1pm, £45. Info 029 2048 4611. With Paul Taylor.

Vertigo Pro Wrestling: Into Oblivion Jac’s, Aberdare.

2.30-6pm, £9/£6 kids. Info 01685 879491. With five bouts confirmed so far, top of the bill being Elijah v RJ Singh.

MONDAY 18 NOVEMBER Top Flight Time Machine Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.15pm, £12.50. Info 0871 4720400.

Podcast performed live, number 14447334402358624846.

TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER uAbertoir Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Events priced individually. Info www.abertoir.co.uk.

Annual horror film festival. The website doesn’t seem to have listings at the time of writing but there’ll be screenings, talks, Q&As and a short film prize. Full passes are sold out already. (Until Sun 24) Doug Scott Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01873 850805.

Mountaineer talks about climbing Everest. uLife Drawing Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-4pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. Also on Sat 30.

RNIB Art Group Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

1-3pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900.

Tutor-led class for people with visual impairments.

The Panic Room – Werewolves And Sherlock Swansea Museum. 7-8pm, free.

Info 01792 295190. Talk by Dr Anne Lauppe-Dunbar and Dr Nicko Vaughan, presented as part of the Being Human Festival.

WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER Macramé Wreath Workshop M.A.D.E. Gallery, Cardiff. 12.30-3pm + 6.309pm, £25 per session. Info larkdesignmake@gmail.com.

Hosted by Lark Design Make.

Also on Sat 23, from 10.30am1pm.

Now I Become Myself: A Woman’s Voice In Music And Poetry Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University.

7pm, free. Info 01792 602060.

This year’s Richard Burton Annual Lecture.

The Art Of Conservation: Guided Tour Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-

12pm, £5. Info 01792 516900.

The Dollop Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £22.50.

Info 0871 4720400. Podcast performed live, number 14447334402358624847.

Warren Gatland Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01792 602060. Wales rugby coach talks about his life in the game and the World Cup he’s just won/not won.

Sold out.

THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER Alun Havard Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £10.

Info 01633 868239. Spirit medium.

An Evening With Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £26.70£29.20. Info 029 2087 8444.

Company Of Words Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6.309pm, £4. Info 07830 381930.

Poetry night with guests Mark Blayney and Roberto Pastore plus open mic spots.

Conservation Surgery Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 1-2pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900.

Creigiau Community Christmas Craft Fair Creigiau Church Hall, nr Cardiff. 6.30-9.30pm. Info jennynelmes@hotmail.com.

Featuring Christmas workshops, demonstrations, live music, shopping and more.

Ghost Hunt Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 8pm-1am, £20 adv.

Info 029 2048 7602. Presented

by N.I.P. Investigations.

NES, Nibbles & Boardgames Night Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, free. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk.

Retro social event – other consoles are available (Xbox and Gamecube, specifically).

Open Space: Robhn Hollingworth Central Library Hub, Cardiff. 5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116. Talk from author of The Man He Used To Be, a memoir of caring for a parent with early-onset dementia. Book in advance please.

Sophy Rickett In Conversation Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-3, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Artist currently exhibiting solo here talks to Ruth Blees Luxemburg, whose work can also be seen at the GVAG currently as part of the Swansea Stories show (see Art listings for both).

Young Art Force Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

11am-2pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900.

Open art class exploring and responding to the Gallery’s exhibitions and collection displays.

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER uAfter Dark Light Trail Margam Park, nr Port Talbot.

4.45-8.30pm, £12/£8 kids. Info luminatewales.com. A mile-long light trail around the gardens of this park, with various other interactive elements for families, on every day in eight slots for a month. (Until Mon 23 Dec) Glynn Vivian At Night Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 5-8pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 516900. Workshops,

films, poetry, live music and performance.

Skynet Wales Winter LAN Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. £45/£10 to spectate. Info 01874 611622. Annual 48-hour gaming network meetup. More at skynetwales.co.uk. (Until Sun 24) UnderTheCounterCulture Closing Party The Old Vicarage, Cardiff. 7-11pm, free.

Info tactilebosch.co.uk. With cabaret and other performance from acts TBC. SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER Brecon & District Mind Autumn Fair Guildhall, Brecon. 10am-2pm. Info 01874 622884. Second-hand books, crafts, pottery, bric-a-brac, plants, tea, coffee, soup and cakes. uChristmas Craft Fayre Gower Heritage Centre, Swansea. 10am-5pm. Info 01792 371206. Local produce and crafts for sale, on tomorrow also. uChristmas Fair Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2-5pm, free.

Info 01495 243252. On tomorrow also. uGreen Fayre National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. On tomorrow also.

Introduction To Bobbin Lace Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £80. Info 029 2048 4611. With Symone Paion. uReal Ale Ramble The Square, Llanwrtyd Wells (starting point). £11 per day to enter/£18 both days. Info 01591 610270. Held annually in conjunction with the 10-day Mid-Wales Beer Festival, the ramble follows any of two waymarked routes of 12 or 20 miles, or guided routes of 5 and 8 miles. Plus free real ales available at the checkpoints!

On tomorrow also. uTrack The Reindeer Trail National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3070. Kids’ activities across Christmas.

(Until Sat 4 Jan) Winter Vintage And Makers Market National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre. 11am-3pm. Info 029 2057 3070.

Young Writers Squad Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

10am-12pm, free (£3 suggested donation). Info 01792 463980.

With Jonathan Edwards. For ages 8-11.

SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER British Empire Wrestling Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 2-6.30pm, £15 adv/£10 kids/£40 VIP. Info 029 2048 7602.

Women’s wrestling from a division with a bad name. Katarina Leigh Waters, LuFisto, Kasey Owens, Lexa Valo, Nadia Sapphire, Sugar Dunkerton and Kat Von Kaige are set to appear.

Exposure Wrestling: Return Of The Valkyries The Ferns, Newport. 6pm. Info www.exposurewrestling.com.

Women’s wrestling (again) with Nadia Sapphire (again) and Lacie Adams among the lineup. First bell is at 7pm so you can go to both these events if you’re mad for it.

Introduction To Table Loom Weaving Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-

4.30pm, £80. Info 029 2048 4611. With Laura Thomas.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Cowbridge Comprehensive School. 11am-12.30pm, £1.50/ kids free. Info 07760 802088.

Featuring great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items.

MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER uRoyal Welsh Winter Fair Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. 8am, £16/£5 under-17s/free under5s. Info rwas.wales. Annual show featuring competitions, festivities and Christmas shopping. And lots of people in white coats prodding livestock.

On tomorrow also.

Science Cafe Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, free. Info 01970 623232. Featuring Yvette Eley from the Royal Society Of Chemistry.

The Gay Men’s Book Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. This month it’s a discussion of Tinman by Sarah Winman.

TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER Twilight Market Castle Court, Caerphilly. 5-8pm, free.

Info castlecourtcraftfair@ yahoo.com. Local craft and food.

WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER Oriel Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3600. Chris Pak looks at the enduring poularity of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER Glenndinning Moxham FRIBA, Architect Swansea Museum. 7.30pm, free.

Info 01792 653763. Royal Institution Of South Wales lecture by Huw Griffiths. uHay Festival Winter Weekend Various locations, Hay-On-Wye. Info hayfestival. org. Annual miniature, chillier version of infamous early-summer arts’n’slebs fest in bookish town. Go to the website for the full listings but today features Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage (see Stage listings) and Russell Kane; Fri 29 has Max Hastings, Bernardine Evaristo, Cerys Matthews and Fr. Richard Williams; Sat 30 has Mererid Hopwood, Jess Phillips, John Sentamu, Emma Barnett, Jason Byrne, Afua Hirsch and Rupert Read; Sun 1 Dec has the play Unicorns Almost and Sarah-Louise Young. (Until Sun 1 Dec) Ranulph Fiennes Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £27.50-£32.50. Info 01970 623232.

Taith Iaith National Museum Cardiff. 12.30pm, £10. Info 029 2039 7951. Monthly Welsh learners session.

FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER Christmas Market The Queens Hall, Narberth.

4-8pm, free. Info 01834 861212.

SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER Back To Basics Course The Printhaus, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 10am-4pm, £60. Info 029 2022 0349.

One-day course, on the last Saturday of every month (Sat

21 in December).

Collecting Dinosaurs National Museum Cardiff. 3pm, £2. Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Cindy Howells.

Craft Fair Castle Court, Caerphilly. 10am-4pm, free.

Info castlecourtcraftfair@ yahoo.com. Local craft and food.

Dinosaurs And Deserts In Wales National Museum Cardiff. 1.30pm, £2. Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Cindy Howells.

Etsy Made Local Cardiff City Hall, Cardiff. 10am.

Info cavetsy@gmail.com.

Showcase/market for Cardiff & Vale Etsy sellers.

Meet Dippy National Museum Cardiff. 12pm, £2.

Info 029 2039 7951. Talk about the acclaimed and awardwinning (probably) dinosaur skeleton on show here, by Dr Caroline Buttler.

National Lottery Birthday Party Museum Of Cardiff, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. It’s 25 years old this month and some of its proceeds have gone into this museum’s coffers so they’re putting on this drop-in event to say ta. uOh So Festive Market Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

11am-6pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. On tomorrow also. uSt Fagans Christmas Weekends National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am5pm. Info 029 2057 3500. Every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas, a chance to meet Santa, shops at the Makers Market and go on a traditional fairground.

Tree Walk Bute Park, Cardiff.

11am-12.30pm. Info 029 2078 8403. With Malcolm Frazer.

Weekend Adult Workshop: Alternative Christmas Cards Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am-1pm, £5. Info 01792 516900. A class for people of all abilities to create art in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

live FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER 360 Degrees Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. uAmserJazzTime Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Weekly jazz sessions in the foyer, every Friday until 6 Dec. Fri 8 is a brass special.

A-Tota-So + Iran Iran + Fort + Aaronson Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Big Big Train + Sweet Billy Pilgrim The Riverfront, Newport. 6.30pm, £32. Info 01633 656757. UK prog rock band headline. One of those ‘huge in their own circles without most people having heard of them’ deals, hence this gig being sold out well in advance.

Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band Paget Rooms, Penarth.

8.30pm, £15.75. Info 029 2070 0721.

Black Jam Circus Barry Island Sports & Social Club.

8pm, £2. Info 07595 497225.

Carter Sampson + Blind River Scare Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7. Info

sam@lepub.co.uk. Alt-country type stuff.

Clusterfuck The Hanbury, Swansea. 6pm, free. Info 01792 641804. Including something billed as a Brexit fancy dress competition.

Coco & The Butterfields Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199.

Demented Are Go The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. South Wales’ psychobilly wildmen.

Dream State + Normandie Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £13 adv. Info 01792 468892. Local alt-metal faves headline.

Hawklords + Infinite Space Theory Hangar 18, Swansea. 7pm, £12 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Hawkwind spinoff band featuring Nik Turner.

Lazybones + Flavourmaid The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

Lisa Stansfield + Jazz Morley St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £30-£121.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. Touring to mark 30 years since her debut album.

London Sinfonietta Family Concert Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

London Sinfonietta Turning Points: The Emergence Of Minimalism Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391.

Performing works by Steve Reich and Philip Glass.

Mangata City Arms, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Marina + Allie X Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, from £32. Info 029 2022 4488. Welsh pop sort, long sans her Diamonds.

Mike Peters Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm. Info 01495 243252. Two sets from Alarm big man. Sold out though.

Odette Mitchell + Nightingales Watch The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 01497 821762. uOther Voices St Mary’s Church and other venues, Cardigan. £5 for Music Trail venues. Info 01239 621200.

Welsh debut for successful small-scale Irish festival where prominent performers are recorded playing in a church (which, having registered for a wristband, you need to win a raffle to attend). 9bach, Boy Azooga, Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18, Celeste, Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, Lankum and Lucy Rose will be in the church. On tomorrow also; more at othervoices.ie.

Pearl Jamm The Patriot, Crumlin. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01495 247178. Tribute band. *Petbrick + The Death Of Money + Slow Murder Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Interviewed in the Music section last month, this duo of Sepultura’s original/best drummer Iggor and a fella called Wayne gets my full seal of approval!

Riley Baugus Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01646 651725. Solo banjo folk fella.

ShadowKatz Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Sigiriya + Oak + The Lunar Effect + Pearler The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk. Heavy rock bands. Oak and TLE are in Cardiff tomorrow.

The Dustbowl Revival Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny.

8pm, £18 adv. Info 01873 852960. Americana soul octet.

The ELO Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Tribute act.

The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Blues.

The Jerseys The Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £19/£17 kids. Info 01834 861212.

Frankie Valli tribute band. In Barry on Sun 3.

The Korgis Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Tom Sutch The Stable, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 029 2022 1721.

Ultimate Elton The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01495 355945. Tribute show.

Up The Creek + Taff Trail Rambler + Jody Davies + Adam Jenkins + Rob Lear Globetrotters, Pontypridd. 7pm, £6/£5 adv. Info globetrottersbar@gmail.com. Blues, folk and Americana.

SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER Afternoon In Paris Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01792 863722.

And Finally... Phil Collins Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £19/£17. Info 01874 611622. Tribute show.

Big Girls Don’t Cry Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £22.50.

Info 0845 2263510. Frankie Valli tribute.

Bilk + French Alps Tiger + Nigel Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Bootleg Blondie Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Tribute act.

Brighde Chaimbeul Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £6-£12.

Info 029 2039 1391. Gaelic piper from Skye.

Cath Jones The Pheasant, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 653614.

Chris Kelly Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Don’t know which of the bookings is the right one out of this and the one below, sorry.

Chris Kelly The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688. In sister venue Browns tomorrow.

Desert Storm + Oak + The Lunar Effect The Moon, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. More bands TBC. Flash The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £11/£9 adv. Info 01685 387925. Queen tribute.

Goldie Lookin Chain Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £15.

Info 029 2023 5555. One of several Welsh dates this month, GLC are also in Blackwood on Fri 8, Narberth on Thurs 14 and Fri 15, Swansea on Sat 16, Cardigan on Sat 22,

Abergavenny on Mon 25 and Porthcawl on Sat 30.

Guilty Pleasure Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Haunted Hank + Darren Eedens & The Slim Pickins Le Public Space, Newport. 7pm, free. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Hazel O’Connor The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £23.50/£22 adv. Info 01633 656757. Veteran new wave UK songwriter, with a band containing ex-Bowie and Eurhythmics sidewomen too.

Jody Davies + Violet Hearts + Cheatin’ Hearts Trio + Nic Thomas The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Lacertilia + Infinity Forms Of Yellow Remember + Zinc Bukowski The Black Sheep, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £5. Info 07707 851108. South Welsh riffy psych type bands.

Legends Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7pm, £10. Info 01633 263670. Music and cabaret from local pub entertainer type band 360 Degrees.

Little Comets + Adwaith + Rainbow Maniac The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16. Info 029 2048 3344. Indie bands, presented here by Clwb Ifor Bach.

Magenta Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £18.50. Info 029 2089 0862. Welsh proggers.

MeatLoud The Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £15/£12 adv.

Info 01834 861212. Meat Loaf tribute.

Metal Gods The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm, free. Info 01495 247178. Tribute show.

Moretallica Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £8 adv. Info 01443 682388. Metallica tribute.

Off The Record Hen Dderwen, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 203631.

Paisley Park + The Mondaines + The Lost And Found Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm. Info 01685 879491.

Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £12-£22. Info 029 2087 8444.

Ruby And The Revelators Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01633 483238. Borough Blues Club gig.

RWCMD Big Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 5pm, £6-£12.

Info 029 2039 1391.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath + The Right Honourables Patti Pavilion, Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 01792 475444.

Black Sabbath cover band headline a reunion night for people who used to drink in Swansea rock pub the Office.

Selena In The Chapel The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Simon Trigg Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Soul Lotta Crunk Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Teilwng Yw’r Oen 2019 Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £15/£13. Info 01970 623232.

Updated version of a Welshlanguage Christian rock opera, written by Tom Parker and first released in 1984.

The Lancashire Hot Pots + Stu Penders &

Spladoosh The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Comedy folkrock band headline. Lyrics read a bit like a PG-rated Macc Lads. Don’t see the point of that personally.

Tom Walker Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Sold out.

Torchbearer + Die! Chihuahua Die! The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £5.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Headliners are in Newport on Fri 29.

Wizards Of Oz + Motörized UK Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 07970 063107. Tributes to Ozzy and Motörhead.

SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER uAdam Reeves The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440. Also here on Sun 17 and Sun 1 Dec. Cardiff University Jazz Society Café Jazz, Cardiff.

6.30pm, £3. Info 029 2038 7026.

Catch Fire + The Young Hearts + Death By Disco + Ignitemares The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Chris Kelly Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Clancy’s Kitchen Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15.

Info 029 2089 0862. Irish folk.

Festival Of Remembrance Park & Dare, Treorchy.

6.30pm, £7. Info 0300 0040444.

Featuring The Regimental Band and Corps Of Drums of the Royal Welsh, plus Morlais Male Choir. uFrankie Wesson Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 8pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Every Sunday this month.

Guitar Moods... And A Shadow! The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £15.50. Info 01633 656757. Guitar Moods is a local fella named Maurice, joined here by Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking who used to be in The Shadows.

Ian Cal Ford & His Acoustic Preachers Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7pm, £8/£6. Info 07818 056599.

Music Club 19-20 Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 3pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232.

Featuring recitals by Lotte and Joseph as part of the Oxford Lieder Young Artists Programme. *R. Seiliog + Accü + Meilyr + Threatmantics + ¡Que Asco! + Sera + Alex Dingley The Moon, Cardiff. 4pm, £10. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

RWCMD Big Band Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 3pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060.

Spencer Segelov Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2030 4400.

South Wales pop auteur, whose new album is reviewed in Buzz this month.

Steve Mason + Pictish Trail Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £20. Info 029 2023 2199. Beta Band fella, now out on his ownsome. uSteve Tarner Jazz Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny.

2pm, free. Info 01873 853613.

Every Sunday this month.

The Great Unknown The

Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2070 8675.

The Jerseys Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £17/£15 under-16s. Info 01446 738622.

The Red Hot Pokers Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

6-8pm. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Take Back NosDa, Cardiff. 1-11.30pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2037 8866. Fundraiser gig for Cardiff Women’s Aid, featuring Lucas J Rowe, Aleighcia Scott, Bwritten, Starvz, Ladies Of Rage, Noah Bouchard, Thalia Richardson, Luke RV, Missy G & Missy S, EWhyEasy, AshaJane & Yaz, Enbe, Ashleigh Stroud and SMXK3.

Venom Prison + Shallow Graves + Koldwar Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

7pm, £10. Info 029 2037 3144.

Death metal and metalcore in the rehearsal rooms here, aka Cardiff’s teeniest venue. That means this sold out quicksharp! Proceeds go to Project Mama however.

Y&T Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £18.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

Hard rock veterans.

MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER Jango Haze Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Live jazz, part of a lineup of acts here every Monday.

Last One Home + The Caspiens The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

River Becomes Ocean + Kill The Ideal Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 468892.

The Legends Of American Country Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01874 611622. Tribute show. In Monmouth on Fri 8.

TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER Acoustic Tuesday The Apothecary, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Bear’s Den Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 029 2023 5555. Sap-pop mitherers of some sort. uChamber Tuesdays Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6-7pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Showcase of chamber ensemble work, in the foyer every Tuesday until Tue 26 Nov. Charly Bliss + Barrie 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Poppy punky Americans headline.

Gigspanner Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth. 6.30pm, £5-£15. Info 01970 633088.

Folk band led by Peter Knight, ex-Steeleye Span.In Cardigan tomorrow; Builth Wells Thurs 7.

Loyle Carner Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. British hip-hop fella with a sound that won’t scare the horses/Mercury Prize judges. uOpen Jam Session NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by Pi & Hash, every Tuesday this month. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Every Tuesday.

Royal Welsh College Of BUZZ 69

* – recommended Music & Drama Prize Winner’s Concert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7.

Info 029 2087 8444. The winner being clarinettist Laura Deignan.

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz. Two sets by acts TBC. Sarah Brown + Ell South The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £4.

Info info@themooncardiff. com.

State Champion + Dusty Cut + Penny Lope Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm, £6. Info sam@lepub. co.uk. Headliner is a wordy Americana sort who the late David Berman called the best lyricist in the game last year.

The Wessex New Orleans Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER Bella Collins Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Boardman Ferla Duo The Riverfront, Newport. 2pm, £6. Info 01633 656757. A Live Music Now concert.

Calum Gourlay Quartet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz Dan McKinnon Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Dave O’Higgins / Rob Luft Quartet The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £15. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night featuring Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane renditions.

Declan Welsh & The Decadent West Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Penarth. 7.30pm, £5/£4.40 adv.

Info feelgoodmusicorg@gmail. com. Also featuring swing DJ The Medicine Man. Fluff Tongue + King Kraken + Trep + Smile At Strangers + Oblong The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £3 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Gigspanner Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£17. Info 01239 621200.

I, Clara Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £11-£22. Info 029 2039 1391. Pianist Lucy Parham and narrator Lesley Sharp present a look at the life and work of 19th century German composer Clara Schumann.

Local Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199.

Grime MC, indeed a local one.

Monmouth Big Band & Singers Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10.

Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig, on every Wednesday.

Noson Jazz Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm. Info 01443 491424.

Okilly Dokilly + Red Rum Hangar 18, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

This is the American band who all dress like Ned Flanders and have lyrics which are Ned Flanders quotes.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Lucy Atkins.

RWCMD String Soloists Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

The Mark Pontin Group Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Stylistics St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £35.45.

Info 029 2087 8444. In Porthcawl on Wed 27.

THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER BBC NOW: CoLaboratory Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30 + 9pm, £30£45. Info 029 2063 6464. First in a planned series of teamups from the orchestra; this features American rap MC Dessa, from Doomtree. The earlier performance is sold out but the 9pm one isn’t, at the time of writing.

Chris Kelly The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Feeder Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Fiasco + Foxxglove + Johnny Collins + Rohnan Joseph Whitebeam Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4. Info 029 2039 9557.

Gigspanner Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells. 7.30pm, £17/£16. Info 01982 552555.

Hackensack Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Monthly singalong around the piano.

Just Drive + The Franciums + Far From Animals + French Alps Tiger The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Life Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Rory Jackson Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £15/£12 under-13s. Info 01633 868239. Tribute to Jackson, M

by Jackson, R. Rosie Hood + Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne Crindau Constitutional Club, Newport. 8pm, £8/£5. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

Rowan Rheingans Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 01873 852960.

UK folk artist, also in the band Lady Maisery. In Cardigan on Mon 11.

RWCMD Wind Orchestra Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Performing work by the late Mervyn Burtch, a fellow of the College.

Sarah McQuaid St Cadic’s Church, Caerleon. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info editor@ caerleon-arts.org. Likeable folk-

rocker who lives in Cornwall.

Presented here by Caerleon Arts Festival.

Sean McGowan Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Show Of Hands Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £28/£15. Info 01792 475715.

Popular UK folk group, reunited after a few years.

Skerryvore Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20.

Info 029 2089 0862. Scottish folk big band.

Swedish Death Candy + Threatmantics + Seaside Witch Coven Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

The Extons + North Parade + White Riot The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Presented

by This Feeling.

FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER 360 Degrees The Plough, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017.

8.4% + The 501s + Red Light Syndrome The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

A Band Called Malice Cardiff Bus Transport Club.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 3658. Jam tribute.

A Certain Ratio + Sinka Ya Teeth Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £25.50. Info 029 2023 2199. Mancunian postpunks back together.

Anna Tsybuleva Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £17 adv. Info 01239 841387.

Pianist.

Beat Harlows + The Doublecross + Who Are The Monsters? + Stay Voiceless The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Bruce Anderson The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge.

9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Calefax Reed Quintet Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. In Swansea on Sun 10.

Chris Kelly Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Creature + Eva Bartok + Bodyhacker 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Presented by Tone Deaf Creatures.

David C Thomas The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

7.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Elvana Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £20. Info 029 2023 5555. Nirvana, fronted by Elvis, with japey results no doubt.

Eric Hodges Beethoven Prize Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 3pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Fortunate Sons Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners + Lauren Tate St John The Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £17.50 adv. Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com. Singers of The Wildhearts and Hands Of Gretel, respectively, doing acoustic sets. Woodfired

Summit and Pity My Brain co-present.

Goldie Lookin Chain Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7pm, £15 adv. Info 01495 227206.

Green Haze Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £6 adv.

Info 07970 063107. Green Day tribute.

Hakoustic 4 Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £10£12.50. Info 01970 623232.

Local jazz artists’ showcase, directed by noted multiinstrumentalist session type Mo Pleasure.

Hashtag Acoustic Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194.

Head Noise + Jeff Japers + We’ve Come To Steal Your Energy Jac’s, Aberdare.

7.30pm, free. Info 01685 879491. Headliners are in Pontypridd tomorrow.

Headshot + Shovelface + Fathom The Aman Tavern, Aberdare. 8pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 874938.

Milk Teeth + Cultdreams + Nervus Sin City, Swansea.

7pm, £9 adv. Info 01792 468892.

Never The Bride Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. UK rock duo.

Nightlives Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199. Local electrorockers with a new single.

Open Night Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea. 8pm, £3. Info 01792 425231. A Valley Folk Club night.

Oye Santana Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 8pm, £15. Info 01446 738622. Santana tribute.

Prague Symphony Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£43. Info 029 2087 8444. Pietari Inkinen conducts Mahler’s Symphony No.3.

Rain Kings City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Ramnastax Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm. Info info@porterscardiff. com.

Regime The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 8pm, £8 adv. Info 01743 860246. Rap-rock festival fodder from Pembrokeshire.

Royal Welsh College Brass Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391.

Showaddywaddy Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £21-£24. Info 0845 2263510.

Son Of John & John Parker The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Surrge + Excursia McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 01633 253648. Surrge are in Cardiff tomorrow.

That Which Ate The Moon The Dolls House, Abertillery.

7.30-10.30pm. Info 01495 213300. uTenby Blues Festival Various venues, Tenby. £60 weekend pass. Info 07074 102121. Annual festival of blues gigs, plus a Blues Trail in smaller venues. Today: Big Joe Louis, Grainne Duffy and The Malone-Sibnun Band (De

u – repeated

Valence Pavilion); Jonathan Nicholas (Giltar Hotel). Sat 9: Keith & Julie Richards, Kevin Brown and Mat Walklate & Alex Haynes (Church House); Whiskey River, Crawlback and Sugaray Rayford (De Valence); Mike Parker (Giltar Hotel). Sun 10: Dusk Brothers, John Verity and Gina Sicilia (De Valence).

(Until Sun 10) The Australian Pink Floyd Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £42.25. Info 029 2022 4488.

The Legends Of American Country Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £20. Info 01600 772467.

The Rotanas + Rainbow Maniac + Zepher + Two Til Twelve The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

The Switchtones The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

The Washboard Resonators Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8.30pm, £10 adv.

Info 07818 056599. In Hay tomorrow.

Whole Lotta Led The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17 adv. Info 07590 471888. Led Zep tribute band perform the second Led Zep album.

SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER Baby Strange Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199. uBarbara Dickson & Nick Holland Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2089 0862. Veteran singer-songwriter Dickson, now performing in duo form and with two dates here both sold out.

Black Angus West End Club, Barry. 7.30pm. Info 01446 735739. AC/DC tribute band.

Buddy Holly & The Cricketers Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £20/£18.

Info 01873 850805. Tribute show.

Calypso Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

El Moono + Last Hyena + Blank Atlas +The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Gerry Cinnamon + The Coral Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £25. Info 029 2022 4488. Scottish lad-rock phenomenon on his first arena tour. This sold out super fast..

Head Noise + Celavi + Jan Doyle Band Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm, £3.

Info 01443 491424.

Hells Bells Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £13.50 adv. Info 01792 468892. AC/DC tribute.

In Cardiff on Fri 22.

Henry Marten’s Ghost Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2031 1319.

Henry’s Funeral Shoe + Dead Shed Jokers + Heavy Flames + Lacertilia + Peter Greene Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £9. Info 029 2023 2199. South Wales rock promoters Pity My Brain with a fifth birthday gig.

Jack Savoretti Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £27.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Another singersongwriter bloke. Sold out. uJon Crespo Quartet Café

Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Funk and Latin tunes, also on Sat 16, Sat 23 and Sat 30 this month.

Laura Power + Bryony Sier + Orbit Street The Green Rooms, Treforest. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 841133.

Single launch gig.

Mother Vulture + Clwb Fuzz + Tyrannosaw Le Public Space, Newport.

7.30pm, £4. Info sam@lepub. co.uk.

Naomi Rae The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 8.30pm, free. Info 01656 654753.

Nine Lives Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Rock covers.

Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons + King Creature Tramshed, Cardiff.

7pm, £18. Info 029 2023 5555.

South Wales rock mainstay and his (literal) sons tour to promote their new album.

Pop Divas Live! Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 8pm, £16.50. Info 01446 738622.

For now they do at least. Mix, Swift, Trainor, Grande, Yonce, Hanna etc.

Revolver The Patriot, Crumlin. 8pm. Info 01495 247178.

Rob Wheeler & The Blackbirds The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 387925. Queen tribute.

Rocket Joe Joe & The Old Time Bangers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Steve Hackett St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £41.50/£36.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Sold out.

Surrge + Crystalline + Eulogy + Garuda Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 07970 063107.

The Dime Notes Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01792 602060.

Hot jazz quartet whose clarinet player has the scarcely believable name of David Horniblow.

The Daze Of Change The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £5.

Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

The Fugitives NosDa, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866.

The Goodges Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 9pm. Info 07818 056599. Covers band.

The Raiders Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £25 adv.

Info 01495 227206. Tribute show.

The Washboard Resonators The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £6 adv.

Info 01497 821762.

The UB40 Experience The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07590 471888. Tribute band. In Aberdare on Fri 22.

Vice Squad + Tenplusone + Ill Fate The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £10 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Punk pinup Beki Bondage, plus band, headline.

Whitesnake UK + Celtic Pride Patti Pavilion, Swansea.

7pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 475444. Cover band headline.

Whole Lotta Led The

J U S T ANNOU NC E D FOR DECEM BER: BEABADOOBEE ( T h e Glo be , C a r di f f , T h u r s 5 ) S H ELL AC ( C a r di f f Un i ve r s ity S tu d e n ts U ni o n, S at 14) MC LUSKY* (Clwb Ifor Bach, Car di ff, T h u r s 1 9 + Fr i 2 0 ) J U S T A N N O U N CED F O R JA N UA R Y: I NS A N E CL O W N BUZZ 70

Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.30pm, £19. Info 01834 861212. Led Zep tribute.

Rowan Rheingans Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£15. Info 01239 621200.

SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER Angus Munro Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Buckcherry + The Treatment + Rocky Kramer Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £22. Info 029 2023 5555. Late 90s glam metal revivalists, touring to promote their eighth album. Eighth!

Calefax Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University.

4pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 24 in November), with an extra acoustic session on the third Sunday (Sun 17) too.

Hot Club Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £3-£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Monthly gypsy jazz jam night.

Ian Siegal Hang Fire Southern Kitchen, Barry.

6.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07561 143114. Roots N All gig with blues-rock type solo artist, sold out however.

Jack Savoretti Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £27.50. Info 01970 623232. Sold out.

Omega Two Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Peter Broderick + Toby Hay The Lost Arc, Rhayader. 5pm, £10/£8. Info 01743 860246. Ireland-based American Broderick presents a performance of his new album One Hear Now, a modular work which sounds quite complex.

Snatch It Back Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6-8pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Suggested Friends + Schande The Moon, Cardiff.

6.30-10pm, £7/£5.50 adv.

Info info@themooncardiff. com. Headliners’ album was reviewed in Buzz’s last issue.

Superbrass Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 2pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. London brass/ percussion ensemble.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £24.50-£32.50.

Info 029 2087 8444.

TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER Broadway! Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 6.30pm, £16.50-£35. Info 01633 868239.

Showtunes played by an orchestra.

Cory Band Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £15/£10 under-18s. Info 029 2039 1391.

Donnie Joe’s American Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Dragonforce + Lovebites + McRocklin And Hutch Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18. Info 029 2023 5555.

Widdle-metal goons headline.

Frigg Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £18/£15/free carers. Info 01970 623232. Folk.

Huw Watkins, David Adams & Matthew Hunt St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5/£7. Info 029 2087 8444.

Low Island Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7.50 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Ravenbreed + Static Fires + Garuda + Blackjack Zero The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Rockers Reunion Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info 029 2062 6015.

The Elvis Tribute Artist World Tour Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £36.20.

Info 029 2022 4488. Featuring three American Elvii – Shawn Klush, Dean Z and Cody Ray Slaughter – backed by a live band and orchestra.

Tom Olendorff Trio Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz Will Barnes Trio The Muse, Brecon. 8pm. Info info@ breconjazz.org. Brecon Jazz Club gig.

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER Celtic Woman St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £41/£37.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Irish folk band.

Elaina Hoss Quintet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

Georgie Fame & Sons Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Sold out gig for Britjazz veteran.

Liam Gallagher + DMA’s + Trampolene Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6pm, £55/£45.

Info 029 2022 4488. Sold out.

Little Big Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15.

Info 029 2039 1391. American jazz crossover ensemble led by Aaron Parks.

WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER Andrea Di Biase’s Dugong Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz.

Blackhawk Big Band Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

DUNS The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8pm, free. Info 01600 712767. UK free jazz trio comprising Paul Dunmall, Dominic Lash and Mark Sanders.

Filth + Detest + Upon Those Dying + Fangs The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8.50 adv. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Crush Hate Fest with a bill of sludge metal and beatdown hardcore.

Kate Tempest Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £22. Info 029 2023 5555. See Upfront. Sold out though soz!

Mat Kearney Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15. Info

029 2023 2199.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Ian Lynn Palmer.

Paul Jones & Dave Kelly Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £25. Info 029 2089 0862.

UK blues veterans.

Right Hand Left Hand + Ritual Cloak + Who Are The Monsters? Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Album launch gig for the headliners, said album is reviewed in this issue.

Snow Patrol Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £75/£55.

Info 029 2022 4488.

Squeeze + Heaven 17 St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 6pm, £38.50-£127.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Two bands who in their early 80s heyday would not have been thought of as peers, I don’t reckon... but these are crazy times. uThe Bay Rum Hounds Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 27 and Fri 29 (starting at 10pm on Fri 29).

Wildwood Kin Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7.45pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. Exeter indiefolk trio.

THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER BBC NOW: Heroes And Heartache St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15£43. Info 029 2087 8444.

Joseph Swenson conducts a programme of Grieg and Tchaikovsky.

Breichiau Hir + Cities The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

DJ Yoda + The Cuban Brothers Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £19. Info 029 2023 5555. Brace of goofy festival favourites here.

Gai Toms A’r Banditos Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £14-£12. Info 0845 2263510. Performance of a concept album about the life of cult Welsh wrestler Orig Williams. His autobiography is a good read. uGoldie Lookin Chain The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7pm, £16. Info 01834 861212.

On tomorrow also, that date having been announced first and sold out.

Keith Little Swing Trio & Jane Williams Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £5-£11.

Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night.

King Of Pop 2019 Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £25.30.

Info 0300 3656677. Michael Jackson tribute act.

Kizzy Crawford Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599.

Martin Simpson Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2.30pm, £8. Info 01874 611622. UK folk-rocker. In Pembrokeshire tomorrow.

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £15-£21. Info 01970 623232. In Carmarthen tomorrow; Cardigan on Thurs 21..

Naked Lunch Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 8pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2039 9557.

Monthly jazz session.

Reel Big Fish Y Plas, Cardiff

NATACHA ATLAS Acapela, Cardiff, Sat 23 Nov Tickets: £20. Info: 029 2089 0862 / www.acapela.co.uk Belgian-born but with an appropriately long list of homesteads, residencies and citizenships in her time, Natacha Atlas has now notched up three decades as a recording artist. Perhaps her highest profile role was as singer – and, for their live shows, bellydancer – in Transglobal Underground, a UK group who both generated and benefitted from the crossover of electronic and ‘world’ musical styles in the mid-90s. Subsequent decades, though, have kept Atlas busy and creatively fertile, her vocals appearing on albums by everyone from Jean Michel Jarre to Belinda Carlisle, and her most recent music has been increasingly jazzcentred. Latest album Strange Days came out just a few weeks ago, features a guest spot from Joss Stone of all people, and will likely be the focus of this highly rare south Wales appearance.

University Students Union.

7pm, £18.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Cali ska-punk band who will never die.

Respect: The Aretha Franklin Songbook Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £26/£20. Info 01792 475715.

Tribute show.

Shop Girls M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £7/£6 adv. Info 029 2047 3373.

Simon Trigg The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042.

Songwriters Network Ocean Arts Cardiff, Cardiff Bay. 8-11.30pm, £5/£3. Info oceanartscardiff@gmx.co.uk.

Meetup and jam type night, every second Thursday of the month.

Stephen Evens + Mr Bewlay Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

The Blues Band Park & Dare, Treorchy. 8pm, £25/£23.50. Info 0300 0040444.

The Budapest Cafe Orchestra Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £18/£14.

Info 01873 850805.

The Elvis Years The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £25/£23. Info 01633 656757.

With Mario Kombou as Elvis.

I had to look that up though.

People want to know who their ETA is, The Riverfront!

The J&J Orchestra Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2089 0862. Playing as part of Pizza Night here.

The Pitmen Poets Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £21 adv. Info 01495 227206.

Folk veterans from the northeast of England.

The Trends The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Tom Jenkins & The Screamdogs Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. This fella used to

be the singer in local band Straight Lines.

We Come From Ashes + Excursia + No:ir + Led

By Lies Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 07970 063107.

Willie J Healey + Be Good Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 80’s Mania The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £26. Info 01633 656757. Musical tribute to a decade.

Aldel Patterson And Dashwood Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 01646 651725. Folk trio based in Norwich.

Bandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.”

Beach Riot + Sybs + Clwb Fuzz + The Mermerings The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Boogie Wonderland Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry.

7.45pm, £24. Info 01446 738622. Disco covers band.

Bridges Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Buck & Evans + Sweet Crisis Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £13. Info 029 2023 2199. Local country-rockers.

Chris Kelly City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Classic soul.

Ensemble Cymru Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01874 611622.

Performing Schubert’s Octet.

In Aberystwyth on Sun 17.

ESP Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Fistful Of Rage Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 879491. Rage Against The Machine tribute.

Fleetwood Bac Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £16.50. Info 01600 772467.

Tribute band.

Genesis Connected Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01873 850805. Tribute to Genesis and the members’ various sideprojects.

James Kennedy The Plough, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017.

Lost In Music: One Night At The Disco Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £23.50-£29.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. Disco tribute show.

Mark Harrison The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Martin Simpson Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £12.50 adv. Info 01239 841387.

Maverick Sabre Tramshed, Cardiff. 6pm, £17.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

Mellt + Gwilym + Mari Mathias Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 7.30-10.30pm, £12.

Info 029 2048 7602.

Mr Tea & The Minions + Lost Tuesday Society + Little Folk + TangleJack The Bunkhouse, Swansea.

7pm, £10/£7.50 adv. Info info@ bunkhousebar.co.uk.

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £14.50£20.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Popestars Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £8. Info 07970 063107. Ghost tribute band, just ahead of the actual band’s Cardiff date.

Rattlin’ Bog Llanwrda, Llandovery. 7.30pm, £10/£5 under-17s. Info 01550 720232.

Twmpath as part of the

P O S S E (Tramsh ed , C ardi ff, Sat 18) JUST AN N OUN CED F O R F EB R UA R Y: KANO ( C a r di f f Un i ve r s i t y, S a t 1 ) T H E W I L D HE A R T S ( Tr a m s hed , Mon 3) THE CALLIN G (Si n Ci ty, Swansea, F r i 7 ) B ABY M ETAL ( C a r di f f Un i ve r s i t y, T h u r s 2 0 ) JAM ES B LU NT ( M o to r p o in t BUZZ 71

* – recommended monthly Llandovery Folk Dancing night.

Sepulchre + Black Pyre + Voltane Crowleys Rock Bar, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info crowleysrockbar@hotmail. com. Metal.

Simon Trigg The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

Sound Affairs: Radio Amore Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2116 7920. First of three Sound Affairs 30th birthday concerts in Cardiff this weekend, this one features work by the company’s founder Charlite Barber plus Handel, Vivaldi, Michael Nyman and more.

Statement + Midnight Prophecy + Trep + Grym Hangar 18, Swansea. 7pm, £5/£4 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Headliners are in Crumlin on Fri 22.

The Budapest Cafe Orchestra Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17.50. Info 029 2089 0862.

The Lewis Creaven Band West End Club, Barry. 8pm.

Info 01446 735739.

The Tina Turner Experience The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £17/£15 adv.

Info 01633 533666. Tribute show.

Three O’Clock Club El Siecos, Newport. 9pm, free.

Info portandproud@icloud. com.

Thrill Collins + Darren Eedens & The Slim Pickins Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Headliners are a skiffle-pop band from Cheltenham.

WNO Orchestra Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9-£18. Info 029 2039 1391. Opera gala,

conducted by Carlo Rizzi and celebrating 70 years of this college. Sold out though.

SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER 360 Degrees Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Addiction The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509. Plus a punk-oriented DJ set from Dave Grooveslave.

AKA Trio Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £18/£9 under-25s.

Info 029 2039 1391. Italian/ Senegalese/Brazilian trio. In Swansea on Fri 22, Cardigan on Tue 26 and Aberystwyth on Wed 27.

Beacons Blues Summit Clarence Hall, Crickhowell. £20 adv. Info contact@ woodfiredsummit.com.

Woodfired Summit with a day of acoustic folk-rock type stuff: Zervas & Pepper, John Bramwell, Story Song Scientists, Jules Gardner, Michael Parker and Bryony Sier.

Blackbeard’s Tea Party The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £9. Info 01497 821762.

Band who are kind of pirate metal for people who would listen to pirate metal if it was less silly, and less metal.

Casio Club Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Chris Kelly The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381.

False Advertising + Big Thing + Bloom 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2022 8883.

Fuzed The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Gimme Abba The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £14 adv. Info

01633 533666. Tribute show.

Goldie Lookin Chain Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £15 adv.

Info 01792 468892.

Huw Warren Trio Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Jazz.

Idle Logan Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Impersonating The Police The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

7pm, £12/£10. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Police tribute band.

Jack Perrett Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Jesus Jones Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20.

Info 029 2089 0862. Baggy flash-in-the-pans from the early 90s, reformed.

Johnny Trashed The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 387925. Johnny Cash tribute who play his songs in an upbeat punky style.

Junior Conservatoire Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.45pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Foyer concert.

Justin Crowe The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Kill 66 The Patriot, Crumlin.

8pm. Info 01495 247178.

Killdren + GlitchGirl + Little Eris + Spazrammer Undertone, Cardiff. 6.3010pm, £5. Info 029 2022 8883.

Killdren are the band who were removed from about the 300th biggest stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival after someone noticed they had a song about killing Tories and grassed them up to the Daily Mail.

Maniac Street Preachers + StereoIronics The Globe,

Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11 adv. Info 07590 471888. Welsh rock tribute bands.

Marillion + Harry Pane St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £44.50/£39.50. Info 029 2087 8444. UK prog headliners get in an orchestra to puff up their sound even more.

Matt Maltese + Happyness + Talk Show + Drug Store Romeos + Rosehip Teahouse + Wych Elm Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 6pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Some indie bands presented by So Young magazine and Council Records.

Melfest 2 Ebbw Vale Institute.

6pm, £11 adv. Info 01495 708022. This gig is in aid of Hospice Of The Valleys and dedicated to the memory of Melanie Price; lineup features Ivor Beynon (yes!), Drunken Marksman, Sentry, Neckbrace, Stay Voiceless and Metal Maidens.

Roosevelt Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Saxonized Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Saxon tribute.

Shimmer Sounds 2019 Tramshed, Cardiff. 3.30pm, £18.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

Annual neo-indie alldayer over two rooms, featuring Temples, The Blinders, Gengahr, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Fling, Luna Bay and more TBC. Skacasm Jac’s, Aberdare.

7pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 879491. Ska covers. DJ Gareth Hopkins is also on the bill.

Sound Affairs: Salomé Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Second of three Sound Affairs concerts, this one featuring a screening of the movie Salomé with an

u – repeated

Arabic music-inspired percussion score by Charlie Barber.

Tales In The Shade The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

The Amazons + Demob Happy Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £17.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Reading rock band headline.

The Jam And Crumpet Band St Mary’s Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£5 kids.

Info ruffceilidhs.org. A RUFF Ceilidhs night.

The Sound Of Springsteen The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £26.50/£24.50. Info 01633 656757. Tribute show.

The Urban Voodoo Machine The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £12 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar.co.uk.

The Verge Riverside Sports Bar & Kitchen, Newport.

8.30pm. Info 01633 439166.

Trep + Isolation + Throwing Knives The Duke, Neath. 8pm, free. Info 0300 3656677.

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER 6foot7 + Hell Death Fury + The Larryfish Experiment + Tie Fighter Pilot + Kings Alias + Lesser Known Character + Boxcat + Tenplusone + AJ Simmonds The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 5pm, £5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Benefit show for Tonic and the Jacob Abraham Foundation.

Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells.

4pm. Info 07477 627267.

Attila + Veil Of Maya + Sylar Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Metalcore goofs headline.

Barb Jungr Acapela,

Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.50.

Info 029 2089 0862. Doing her Bob Dylan and Jacques Brel cover set.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar.

Ensemble Cymru Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 3pm, £5-£15. Info 01970 623232. In Carmarthen tomorrow.

Ghost + All Them Witches + Tribulation Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £38.50.

Info 029 2022 4488. Debut arena tour for Swedish horrorrock headliners.

Irish Music Night Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 07818 056599.

Jack Mac Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2038 7026.

Matthew Ford & Dave Cottle Trio Langland Brasserie, Swansea. 7pm, £30. Info swanseajazzland@ gmail.com. Big band jazz soundtracking a two-course meal, presented by Swansea Jazzland .

Movie Mixtape: Songs From The Silver Screen Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £26.50£46.50. Info 029 2063 6464.

David Mahoney conducts the Novello Orchestra with guest vocalists including H from Steps and Noel from Hear’say.

New Model Army Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £22.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

Roath Recorder Consort & Fountain Ensemble Choir Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff.

4pm, £5/free under-18s. Info 029 2116 7920. Music and readings in Italian and English from the time of Leonardo da Vinci, who has been dead for 500 years (and a few months).

Sound Affairs: Ludwig

live review

ALICE COOPER

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sat 12 Oct Alice Cooper shows no signs of slowing down, even as a septuagenarian. Appearing at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Alice Cooper (remember – that’s the name of the band as well as its frontman!) brought along a stage show that would make any other fall by the wayside. Nobody does a concert like the Alice Cooper band. Nobody.

We had the explosive start, which made everybody pay attention to the stage: totally theatrical, totally overthe-top but totally brilliantThe hits just kept on coming: light on between-song chat until later on, but who needs to hear chatter when you have a back catalogue as vast as this?

One highlight of the show, after we’d experienced the huge babies, Frankenstein, a guillotine chopping off Alice’s head and the killing of a fan (no-one was really harmed… obviously) was when Alice came out towards the end wearing a Welsh football shirt with the number 18 and COOPER on the back. I’m 18, his first hit single, was therefore inevitable – sang along with No More Mr Nice Guy, Poison, School’s Out and Billion Dollar Babies, to name a few.

It would be a crime if mentions weren’t made of Glen Sobel on drums, and Ryan Roxie, Chuck Garric, Tommy Henriksen and Nita Strauss on guitars and backing vocals. Glen can play the drums as if he invented the kit; his bandmates all excel, too, Strauss, recently voted the best female guitar player in the world. She also has music in her blood: Johann Strauss, the Austrian composer, is one of her ancestors.

I am sure he would approve of her skills!

The night flew by, and with this being the last night of the UK tour, the last song had an ensemble of MC50 and Stranglers members up on stage for the final encore. Age to Alice Cooper is merely a number, as tonight’s show has shown. Truly, I’ve never been so entertained at a music concert. words CARL MARSH photos MORGAN DEVINE A r e n a Card if f , Fri 21) THE 1975 (Motor p oi nt Ar ena, S a t 2 2 ) L I GH T H O U S E FAM I LY ( S t Da vi d’ s H a ll, C a r di f f , Fri 2 8 ) J US T A NNO U NC E D FOR MAR CH: K ISST ORY BL AST OFF T O U R ( M o t o r p o i n t Ar en a , M o n 2 ) JAM ES ART H U R ( M o t o r p o i n t Are n a , We d 4 ) BUZZ 72

– Concerto Quasi Una Fantasia Cardiff University Concert Hall. 3-4pm, £10/£8/ free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

Works by Beethoven, Orlando Gough, Graham Fitkin, Charlie Barber and Robert Moran. Last of three Sound Affairs concerts this weekend.

Starlings Planet The Moon, Cardiff. 3-6pm, free.

Info tactilebosch.co.uk.

UnderTheCounterCulture event where local synthpop group play as part of a tribute to Neros, an early 80 Cardiff goth club.

The Bay Rum Hounds Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free.

Info 01994 427688.

The Jug Band Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

The Quireboys Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £20 adv. Info 01792 468892.

Zanibar Aliens The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

8pm. Info 01685 387925.

Portugese hard rock band.

MONDAY 18 NOVEMBER *David Thomas Broughton + Bell Lungs + Pagan Wanderer Lu The Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com.

Yorkshire loop-folk headliner is touring to toast 10 years since his debut album.

Dick Hamer Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER Dale Storr St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 029 2087 8444. Jazz pianist.

Jackie Oates St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£14. Info 029 2087 8444. Roots Unearthed gig from Staffordshire folk fiddler.

Phil Wall’s Jazz Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Wartime Favourites Concert Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 1.50pm, £8. Info 01633 868239.

WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER !!! Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. Disco-punk faves sometimes known as Chk Chk Chk. Played Cardiff last year to a rousing reception.

Andy Collins Open Mic Night Cockett Inn, Swansea.

8pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Andy Hague Quintet Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www. thefluteandtankard.com. Jazz Blazin’ Fiddles Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £17.50/£16.50. Info 01239 621200. Scottish folkies. In Builth Wells tomorrow.

Easy Street Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Elaine Delmar & Her Band The Garage, Swansea.

8.30pm, £15. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

Freya Ridings St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25/£21.

Info 029 2087 8444. Sold out.

Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band Earl Haig

Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Also featuring Penarth Soul Club DJs Hawkwind Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £25.50. Info 029 2023 5555. New Hawkwind album is reviewed in this issue.

Hawthorn Avenue + Heavy Flames + Blue Evolution The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £3.

Info 01685 387925. A U&I Radio promotion.

Keith Little Quartet & Jane Williams Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Penarth.

7.30pm, £5/£4.40 adv. Info feelgoodmusicorg@gmail.com.

Also featuring swing DJ The Medicine Man. Kizzy Crawford Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. In Hay on Sat 23.

Larkins + Vanilla + Memory Camp Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199.

Matthew Ford & Capital City Jazz Orchestra Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Oh Peas! The Moon, Cardiff.

7pm, £5. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. All ages gig hosted by Cardiff People First.

Open Mic Night NosDa, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Tonight’s host is Alcie Bella.

Tim Holehouse + Malcolm Tent + Tom Emlyn + The Uptown Portrayer Punk Poet The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk. Three acoustic punk rock types touring together (Tom Emlyn is the guest here).

Malcolm Tent has a mad discography including one of GG Allin’s bands, the Bunnybrains and death metal band Profanatica. Not sure what his solo music is like. Tour goes to Newport tomorrow; Cardigan Fri 22.

Tommy Sands Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5 members. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Will McNicol Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.

Info 029 2089 0862.

THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER Bad Manners + Max Splodge + The Navarones The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £20 adv. Info 01633 533666. Ska and punk.

BBC NOW: New World Symphony Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £5-£20.

Info 01970 623232. Clemens Schuldt conducts a programme of Brahms and Dvorak.

Blazin’ Fiddles Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells.

7.30pm, £17.50/£16.50. Info 01982 552555..

Catrin Finch Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £18. Info 01873 850805. Harp recital.

China Bears Tiny Rebel, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 9557.

Dan Bettridge +

Alexander Carson Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Isolation + In Which It Burns + Cadacus + Led

By Lies + Equinox The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm, £4 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

John Ilsley Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 029 2023 5555. Dire Straits bassist does a music-plus-Q&A type night.

Kit Downes Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£15. Info 029 2039 1391. UK jazz fave.

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £12-£18.

Info 01239 621200.

Pet Crow + Point Of View + ¡Que Asco! The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

The Hut People Newport Fugitives Athletic Club, Rogerstone, Newport. 8pm.

Info 07837 288096. Newport Folk Club night.

The Trials Of Cato Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01792 602060.

UK folk trio, described as “the Sex Pistols of folk” by someone who masters records for a living and should probably stick to doing that.

Tim Holehouse + Malcolm Tent + The Uptown Portrayer Punk Poet Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, £7/£6 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Truckstop Honeymoon Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

8pm, free. Info 01656 815995.

Bluegress/rock type band.

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER 360 Degrees The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

A Country Night In Nashville Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £27. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

Adrian Thompson & Michael Pollock Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 029 2039 1391. Piano recital of Benjamin Britten’s works.

AKA Trio Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01792 602060.

Amy Wadge Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £16.

Info 01646 695267. Sold out.

Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026.

Bluesters The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free.

Info 029 2021 2509.

Crows + Lumer + The Violent Hearts Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199. Headline band put their album out on the Idles guy’s label. They’re noisy indie-punk I guess.

Crystalline The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

Dreadzone Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £18.50 adv.

Info 029 2023 2199. UK dub.

Emeli Sandé St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £38-£68. Info 029 2087 8444. Sold out.

Goldie Lookin Chain Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan.

8pm, £16. Info 01239 621200.

Hells Bells The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50 adv.

Info 07590 471888.

Howlin’ Ric & The Rocketeers Cinema & Co, Swansea. 8pm, £7.50 adv. Info 07305 908260. Rock’n’roll revivalists.

James Kennedy Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Johnny Cash Roadshow Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £25.85. Info 0300 3656677.

Tribute act.

Jon Langford & His Men Of Gwent + The Charlemagnes + I, Doris Le Public Space, Newport.

8pm, £10/£8 adv. Info sam@ lepub.co.uk.

Joshua Burnside + Rhodri Brooks + Teddy Hunter Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2039 9557. Northern Irish singersongwriter headlines Mudibu & The Jezebel Sextet Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £22. Info 029 2089 0862. Two UK soul acts club together for a set paying tribute to Otis Redding.

Poly-Math + Body Hound + False Hope For The Savage + Fort Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7pm, £7. Info 07970 063107.

Roy Orbison 2019 Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £21.

Info 01633 868239. Tribute act.

Rumney Folk Club St Augustine’s Church, Rumney, Cardiff. 7.45pm. Info derek@ rumneyfolkclub.co.uk. Monthly session with regular and guest performers.

Simon Trigg City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913. uSophie Evans Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £28.

Info 0300 0040444. Popular musical star sings here. On tomorrow also.

Statement + Black Tree Vultures + Trep + The Autumn Killers The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Steve Hillage Band + Gong Tramshed, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £30. Info 029 2023 5555. Cosmic prog icon with a set focusing on four of his 70s LPs, plus he’s got his old band to support.

Telgate + The Bloodshots + Panic Shack + Gwaed Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3.

Info info@porterscardiff. com. Single launch gig for the headliners. Presented by Forte Project.

The Black Eyed Dogs The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £10. Info 01497 821762.

Americana band formed by producer of note Ethan Johns.

The Boogiemen Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2062 6015. Sold out.

The UB40 Experience + Codewalkers Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 01685 879491.

Tim Holehouse + Malcolm Tent + The Uptown Portrayer Punk Poet Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

8pm, £8/£6. Info 07818 056599.

Whiskey River Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach,

Swansea. 7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231. Valley Folk Club night.

SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER A Foreigner’s Journey The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv.

Info 07590 471888. A tribute to both Foreigner and Journey.

Bayside Boogiemen West End Club, Barry. 8pm, free.

Info 01446 735739. Soul/R&B covers Blackwater Conspiracy The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, free. Info 01495 247178.

Blues Central Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Coyote Creed Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 9pm. Info 07818 056599. Southern rock.

Funky Love Posse The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Glas Cockett Inn, Swansea.

9pm, free. Info 01792 588748.

Himalayas Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 01792 468892.

Into The Groove Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £26/£24. Info 01495 227206.

Madonna tribute show.

Jack Mac’s Funk Pack Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Katell Keineg + Erin Lancester Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £6/£4. Info 01443 491424.

Kizzy Crawford The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £8 adv. Info 01497 821762.

Mike Platt & The Noise + Who Knows Didley? Jac’s, Aberdare. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 879491.

Natacha Atlas Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Penelope Isles + Windshake Cinema & Co, Swansea. 7pm, £7.50 adv. Info 07305 908260. Indie band on the Bella Union label. See Music for an interview.

Primal Scream Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £27.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Stanley Strong Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

The Bohemians Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 01446 738622.

Queen tribute. In Monmouth on Sat 30.

The Correspondents + Mantaraybryn Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £13.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Electroswing types, presented here by Wave Promotions.

The Joy Formidable + Islet + Blood Red Shoes + Bryde + Candelas + Walt Disco + Chroma Tramshed, Cardiff. 3pm, £25.

Info 029 2023 5555. Bill picked by the headliners, they’re calling it Formidable Fest; they’re playing acoustic and electric sets and have also got Gwenno and Rhys Peski to DJ. The Navarones Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 01443 682388. Ska covers.

The Point The Pod, Newport.

9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

The Revolutionaires The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01834 861212. Old time R&B revival-

ist band.

The Wood Burning Savages Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Presented by Beers Over Tears.

Think Floyd Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £24.50. Info 01873 850805.

Tribute band Tom Speight The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2048 3344. London indie/folk solo act.

SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER Airbourne + Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Hard rockin’ Aussies headline.

Angri Kidd + Vella + Sunshine Maniac + Riding Giants Jac’s, Aberdare. 5-8pm, £3/free kids.

Info 01685 879491.

Barry Douglas Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£20. Info 029 2039 1391. Piano recital followed by Sunday lunch, if you want.

Crystalline + Urfe The Bunkhouse, Swansea. 7pm,4£5 adv. Info info@bunkhousebar. co.uk.

Elizabeth Jane Williams + Izzy Grace + Vinna Bee The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509.

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls + Emily Barker St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £30.50-£42.50.

Info 029 2087 8444. Gig for folk-punk honker forms part two of this venue’s Libertarian Clown Weekend; see yesterday’s stage listings for part one.

Howlin’ Ric & The Rocketeers Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm. Info 07818 056599. Rock’n’roll/R&B band from Leeds.

Katey Brooks Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Lucy Spraggan + Katie Kittermaster Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £18. Info 029 2023 2199. Sold out.

Pete Mathison Browns, Laugharne. 3pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Pixx Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. UK indie/pop type on the 4AD label, or what passes for it nowadays.

Tommaso Starace Quartet Melville Theatre, Abergavenny.

8pm, £10/£8/£3 NUS. Info 01873 853167. Black Mountain Jazz gig.

Whitchurch Jam Session #121 Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 5.30-8.30pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER Badflower + Broken Hands + The Catching Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199.

Goldie Lookin Chain Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £16. Info 01873 850805.

Love Actually Live Concert St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £42-£67.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Return of this show

T H E S CR IP T (Motorpoint Arena, Tue 10) LEWIS CAPA L DI ( M o t o r p o i n t Ar e n a , We d 1 1 ) GAB RI ELL E AP L I N ( C a r di f f U n iv e r s ity, F r i 1 3 ) LOUISE (Trams hed, Sat 14) ELVIS COSTELLO ( Wa le s M i llen n i u m C en t r e, C a r di f f B a y, M o n 1 6 ) C L ANNAD ( S t D a v id ’ s BUZZ 73

* – recommended where an orchestra plays Craig Armstrong’s score to the Richard Curtis movie, which is screened behind them.

Sumo Cyco + As Sirens Fall + Suburban The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv.

Info 07590 471888.

The Box Band Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30pm, £4.50. Info 01656 815995.

Tommy Harris Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER AKA Trio Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £18/£17.

Info 01239 621200.

Ashley John Long Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4 members/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral Choir St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £5-£7. Info 029 2087 8444.

Elvis In Concert Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £55/£45.

Info 029 2022 4488. More specifically footage of him on a big screen with live music by the TBC Band, Elvis’ original backing group, plus the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

Lockie Chapman Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £22/£65 VIP. Info 0871 4720400. Member of The Overtones.

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Showcase Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard.com.

Jazz. Two sets by the Daniel Newberry / Peter Schlunegger Duo and Folklore.

Soeur Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7pm, £7.50 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Sugar Candy Mountain + Lunar Bird The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, £9/£7. Info info@ themooncardiff.com.

The Drifters Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £29. Info 01792 475715.

WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER AKA Trio Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £18. Info 01970 623232.

Ben Ottewell Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £15. Info 029 2023 2199. Singer from the band Gomez.

Broken Witt Rebels Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.

Info 029 2023 2199. Hard rock.

Fat White Family Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £18.50. Info 029 2023 5555.

See Music.

Gaz Whelan The Hyst, Swansea. 6pm, £5 adv. Info 01792 654366. Happy Mondays member plays solo gig in aid of a local homelessness charity.

Halestorm + In This Moment + New Year’s Day Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £27.50. Info 029 2022 4488. American hard rockers.

High Society Orchestra with Sarah Meek Rogerstone & Bassaleg Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £10. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. A South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Huw Ynyr & Joseph Cavalli-Price Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 12.30pm, £5 adv.

Info 0845 2263510. Concerts & Cakes lunchtime show.

Iain Ballamy & Friends Flute & Tankard, Cardiff.

9-11.30pm, £7/£5 NUS. Info www.thefluteandtankard. com. Jazz Newbridge & District Ladies Choir Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, £6. Info 01495 243252. Christmas concert.

Only Men Aloud + Sophie Evans Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm. Info 01633 868239. This is sold out but OMA are doing a bunch of gigs in December.

Philharmonia Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10-£43. Info 029 2087 8444.

Steve Waterman with Dave Cottle Trio The Garage, Swansea. 8.30pm, £12.50. Info 01792 475147. A Swansea Jazzland night.

The Stylistics Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm.

Info 01656 815995.

THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER Alaw Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. Welsh folk band, in Abergavenny tomorrow.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Porter’s, Cardiff.

8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Chris Difford St Mary’s Church, Barry. 7pm, £12 adv.

Info www.barryartsfestival.org. uk. Fella from Squeeze, hosted here by Barry Arts Festival.

Heart Of A Coward + Unprocessed Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2023 2199.

Hvnter + Javeon + Minas + Macy 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff.

7pm, £4 adv. Info 029 2022 8883.

Jackson Live In Concert Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry.

7.30pm, £21. Info 01446 738622. Another tribute show for disgraced pop icon Michael Jackson, this time by CJ and his backing band.

Junior Bill + Surreal Kinnock + The Bloodshots The Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £7/£5.50 adv. Info info@themooncardiff.com. uOctave Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2087 7959.

Annual Christmas concert. On tomorrow also.

The Chemical Brothers + 2manydjs + James Holroyd Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £42.50/£37.50.

Info 029 2022 4488.

Appropriately arena-sized electronic duo headline. Might actually be their first ever Cardiff date?

The Ultimate Classic Rock Show Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

Voodoo Room Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01633 868239. Tribute to an awful old racist, his former band Cream and Jimi Hendrix.

FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 360 Degrees City Arms, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2064 1913.

3 Daft Monkeys Acapela,

Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £16.

Info 029 2089 0862.

Alaw Art Shop & Chapel, Abergavenny. 8pm, £14 adv.

Info 01873 852960.

A Night At The Movies Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01495 227206. With Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra.

Avalanche Party + Nonoia + French Alps Tiger Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

A Vision Of Elvis Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01495 243252.

Cardiff University Jazz Ensemble Cardiff University Concert Hall. 6.30-8.45pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Jazz, featuring guests Laura Jurd (trumpet) and Huw Warren (piano).

Chop Suey + Killswitch UK Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8. Info 07970 063107.

System Of A Down and Killswitch Engage tributes.

Ell South + Pynch + Beano Naboo & The Real Keepers 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff.

6.30-10pm, £3 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Single launch for the headliner.

Florence Black Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv.

Info 029 2023 2199.

Gary Moat’s Burnt Out Wreck Hangar 18, Swansea.

7.30pm, £5 adv. Info enquiries@ hangar18musicvenue.co.uk.

Ghost Train Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Gimme Some Lovin’ The Hyst, Swansea. 7pm, £10. Info 01792 654366. Soul.

Glas The Twelve Knights, Port Talbot. 9pm, free. Info 01639 882381.

Happy Mondays Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £32.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

Legend: The Music Of Bob Marley Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm, £24.50 adv.

Info 0845 2263510. Tribute show.

Maz O’Connor The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £8 adv.

Info 01497 821762.

Michael Starring Ben Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £25.

Info 0845 2263510. Michael Jackson tribute show.

Neil & Louise Thomas + Caradog Jones & Geraint Roberts Glais Rugby Football Club, nr Clydach, Swansea.

7.30pm, £7. Info 01792 425231.

Valley Folk Club night.

Only Men Aloud Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £27.50. Info 01656 815995.

Organ Recital National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7951.

Peatbog Faeries The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 8pm, £16/£13. Info 01639 843163.

Eclectic Celtic folk band.

Punchline Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194.

Simon Trigg The Plough, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 3017.

Some Guys Have All The Luck: The Rod Stewart Story Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25.50. Info

01792 475715. Tribute concert.

Spanner + Sick Pins + Social Experiment + Red Light Syndrome The Dolls House, Abertillery. 8pm. Info 01495 213300. Punk bands presented by Blind Destruction.

Super Marine The Patriot, Crumlin. 7.30pm. Info 01495 247178.

The Fugitives The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592.

The High Contrast Band Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £15 adv.

Info 029 2078 1458. Penarth drum’n’basser tries parlaying his style into a live ensemble.

The Siglo Selection Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

The Spectrums The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £3. Info 01685 387925.

Synthpop and new wave covers.

The UK Monsters Of Rock Show Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £22-£25. Info 01970 623232. Classic rock tribute show.

Torchbearer McCanns Rock N Ale Bar, Newport. 8pm, free.

Info 01633 253648.

SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER Adam Ant St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £41/£37.50.

Info 01792 475715.

Albino Frogs Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015.

Amyl & The Sniffers Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Australian garage punk band now on Rough Trade Records in this country. This gig sold out hella fast.

Cath Jones Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630.

Children Of The Gravy + Black Angus Ebbw Vale Institute. 7.30pm, £8. Info 01495 708022. Black Sabbath and AC/DC tribute bands.

Chloe & Friends The Pod, Newport. 9.30pm. Info 01633 535440.

Claire Taylor Seagull Inn, Porthcawl. 9pm, free.Info 01656 785420.

Darren Eedens The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2048 3344. Playing the Roath Folk night here.

Explosive Light Orchestra The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14 adv. Info 07590 471888. ELO tribute.

Face Value All Day Music Festival Baglan Community Centre, Port Talbot. 1pm, £10 adv. Info 07715 634194.

Featuring sets from White Riot, The Rotanas, Weird Naked Indian, The Riff, Two Til Twelve, Livin’ Cheap, The Stray Pursuit, Gallis and Eleri Angharad.

Glas Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319.

Goldie Lookin Chain Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £16.

Info 01656 815995. Sold out.

Hideaway Trio The Mariners, Laugharne. 8.30pm, free. Info 01994 427688.

Hugh Cornwell Sin City, Swansea. 7pm, £25 adv. Info 01792 468892. Solo set from Stranglers man Jaki Graham Acapela,

u – repeated

Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20.

Info 029 2089 0862. UK soul fave.

Jim Causley’s Christmas Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire.

8pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 841387. Seasonal songs by Devonian folkie and greatgrandnephew of Charles Causley, a poet who is buried down the road from my mum’s house... incredible but true.

Michael Bennett Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2087 7959. Musical theatre with a Christmas flavour, sold out though.

Mik Artistik Le Public Space, Newport. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info sam@lepub.co.uk.

Motörized UK Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 01443 682388. Motörhead tribute.

Pontarddulais Male Choir & Athena Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7pm, £20/£15. Info 01792 475715.

Retrospect Riverside Sports Bar & Kitchen, Newport. 9pm.

Info 01633 439166.

Rhiannon The Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £20/£16 adv. Info 01834 861212.

Fleetwood Mac tribute.

Septura Great Hall, Bay Campus, Swansea University.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. Welsh vocal ensemble.

Slipped Disco Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Sparkle & Shine Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 3pm, £10.

Info 01633 868239. Songs from the musicals.

TangleJack Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm. Info 07818 056599.

The Bohemians Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £18.

Info 01600 772467.

The Bowie Collective Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show.

The Reflex Jac’s, Aberdare.

8pm. Info 01685 879491.

The Uproars Pyle Royal British Legion Club, Bridgend.

7.30pm. Info 01656 740210.

Playing the monthly Pyle Rock N Roll Club night.

Van Halen UK + Surreal Panther + Trep The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £10. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Two pop-metal tribute bands plus local openers.

Violet Skies Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. uWe’re Going On A Bear Hunt – The Film: Live In Concert Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

2pm, £10/£5 schools. Info 029 2039 1391. Screening of kids’ film (based on the book) soundtracked by the Royal Welsh College Chamber Orchestra. On at 10am and 12pm on Mon 2 Dec. (Until Mon 2 Dec) *Wren + Colossloth + Lung The Moon, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info info@ themooncardiff.com. Cosmic Carnage and Lesson No.1 hook up to bring you three heavy, doomy rock bands.

stage FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER u9 To 5 The Musical Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, from £19. Info 029 2063 6464. Dolly Partonthemed musical. On tomorrow also, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Alistair McGowan Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £20.50. Info 01656 815995.

Comedian from the 90s with a new show where he plays classical piano, which in fairness he didn’t do in the 90s.

Art Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £15/£13. Info 0845 2263510.

Black RAT present a comedy starring Gareth John Bale and Buzz’s Keiron Self. In Abergavenny on Mon 4; Brecon on Wed 6; Cardiff from Thurs 7-Sat 9.

A Star Over Burma Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01792 602060. Scriptin-hand performance of a play for audio; final event of this year’s Swansea Science Festival.

Circo Ridiculoso Park & Dare, Treorchy. 2pm, £5. Info 0300 0040444. Kids’ show based on Frankenstein in some way. uDamian Clark + Thanyia Moore Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food). uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 15.

Evan Helsing – Welsh Vampire Hunter The Small Space, Barry. 7pm, £15. Info info@thesmallspace.co.uk.

One-man comedy play presented by Jasper Blakeley. uFrankenstein New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50-£30.50. Info 029 2087 8889. Adaption by Rona Munro, previewed in October’s issue. On tomorrow also, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and priced £14.50-£33.50.

Gods And Kings Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

Mental illness-themed play. In Cardiff on Fri 15.

Griff Rhys Jones Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £20.90.

Info 0300 3656677. With a new show titled All Over The Place. Interviewed in last month’s issue. In Aberystwyth tomorrow. uHedda Gabler Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16£26. Info 029 2064 6900. New Ibsen play of renown, specifically the Brian Friel adaption of it, is directed by Brian Friel and presented by the Sherman itself. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 7.30pm. uHorrible Histories: Awful Egyptians Grand Theatre, Swansea. 3pm, £11.50-£20. Info 01792 475715.

On tomorrow also, at 7pm. uHorrible Histories: Terrible Tudors Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £11.50-£20. Info 01792 475715.

On tomorrow also, at 3pm.

H a ll, S un 22) DAVID GRAY (Motorp oi nt Arena, Sun 2 2 ) JAM I E C UL LU M ( S t Da vi d’ s H a ll, Tu e 2 4 ) 8 0 8 S TAT E ( Tr a m s h e d , S a t 2 8 ) T H E WH O (Motorpoi nt Ar ena, Mon 30) AMY WADGE ( S t Da vi d’ s H a ll, Tu e 3 1 ) S AM F ENDER ( M o t o r p o i n t Ar en a , Tu e 3 1 ) BUZZ 74

I Wish I Was A Mountain Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11am + 7pm, £7.

Info 029 2063 6464. Show for ages 8+, presented by Theatr Iolo and based on the Herman Hesse fairytale Faldum.

In Aberystwyth on Sun 3; Newtown on Tue 5; Swansea on Wed 6; Brecon on Fri 8 and Sat 9.

Journeys The Gate, Cardiff.

7.30pm. Info 029 2048 3344.

Dance showcase. uKing Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £12.50/£11.50.

Info 01633 868239. Dance showcase presented by the Charlotte May Academy. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 7pm.

Mark Watson Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £19. Info 01600 772467. Comedian with a new show titled The Infinite Show. uOne Man, Two Guvnors Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £8.50-£18.50. Info 01646 695267. In-house production of this much-liked Richard Bean play. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 6, Wed 13 and Sat 16. BSL performance on Thurs 7. (Until Sat 16) Oskar’s Amazing Adventure Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 2pm, £7. Info 01446 738622. Kids’ theatre.

Private Peaceful Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 0300 0040444.

Kids’ play by Michael Morpurgo, based on a book and set in WWI. uThe Addams Family Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7pm, £12. Info 01873 850805.

Musical, presented by AAODS Juniors. On tomorrow also, at 6pm. uThe Addams Family Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510. This one is done by Carmarthen Amateur Operatic Society. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 7.30pm. uThe Bear Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 11am + 2pm, £8-£12.

Info 01970 623232. Kids’ show based on a Raymond Briggs book. In Cardiff on Sun 3.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

2.30pm, £10. Info 01686 614555. Kids’ show. uTic Toc Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

Musical, written by Valmai Jones, about a group of women factory workers. On at tomorrow also, at 7.30pm only; in Llanelli on Mon 4, Porthcawl on Tue 5 and Pontypridd on Thurs 7.

SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER Baba Yaga Pontardawe Arts Centre. 11am, £8/£6. Info 01792 863722. Kids’ show, presented by the Windmill Theatre Company. In Abergavenyn on Wed 6.

Griff Rhys Jones Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01970 623232. uKockov The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £25. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk. PseudoRussian comedy/magic act.

Also here on Sat 9.

Rising Stars Theatre School Showcase Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 6.30pm,

£13/£7.50 kids. Info 01686 614555.

Ruby Slippers: Skeleton In Your Closet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 7pm, free before 12am.

Info 029 2038 7026. Halloweenthemed drag act. uThe Dreamboys Pulse, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £40/£30. Info 029 2064 1010. Male strippers of renown, on here every Saturday night until the end of November.

Tongue Tied & Twisted Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 0845 2263510. Hip-hop and South Asian-themed storytelling theatre.

Twist Into The Movies Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 6.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 475715. Performance Factory Dance School showcase.

SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER A Ghostly Tale The Hyst, Swansea. 7-10pm, £20. Info 01792 654366. Interactive murder mystery with a two-course meal included in the price.

I Wish I Was A Mountain Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2 + 4.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01970 623232. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

Lock Down Barnabas Arts House, Newport. 2 + 5pm, £10.

Info 01633 673739. Physical theatre piece written and performed by Ignite, who are a group of students at Leyton Sixth Form College.

Marty McDonald’s Toy Machine Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 11.30am + 2.30pm, £9/£8 kids. Info 01646 695267. Kids’ show.

The Bear Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

2pm, £10. Info 029 2039 1391.

The Infernal Veil Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £5 adv.

Info 07970 063107. Burlesque, bellydance and performance art.

MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER Art Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £7-£14.

Info 01873 850805.

JoJo Siwa Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 5.30pm, from £35.

Info 029 2022 4488. Teenage YouTube personality enjoyed by small children. Not entirely sure what her live shows consist of.

Once Upon A Time Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

Gonzo Moose and Pegasus Theatre with a surreal Grimmbased romp.

Tic Toc Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER uAnnie Gwyn Hall, Neath.

7pm, £15. Info 0300 3656677.

Presented by Neath Amateur Operatic Society. On at 1pm and 5pm on Sat 9. (Until Sat 9) Crafty Laughs The Cambrian Tap, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

Standup comedy here on the first Tuesday of each month; lineup currently TBC. uEddie Izzard Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30-£45. Info 029 2063 6464. On tomorrow also but both dates are sold out.

uHela The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.

Info info@otherroomtheatre. com. New production by Tess Berry-Hart, directed by David Mercatali and inspired

by Berry-Hart’s work with refugees from Assad’s jails and Libyan prison. Today and tomorrow are preview prices; it’s £8 from Fri 8-Sun 10, £10 from Tue 12-Sun 17 and £12 from Tue 19-Sun 24. On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 9, Sat 16 and Sat 23; 5.30pm only on Sun 10, Sun 17 and Sun 24. No productions on Thurs 7, Mon 11 or Mon 18. (Until Sun 24) I Wish I Was A Mountain Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

10.30pm, £6. Info 01686 614555. uPeter Pan Goes Wrong New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50-£32.50. Info 029 2087 8889. Mischief Theatre, leaders in the field of plays about plays, have another one, debuting in Cardiff after success on several continents. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 7, Sat 9 and Sun 10. £14.50£27.50 at 2.30pm on Thurs 7; £19.50-£36.50 on Fri 8, Sat 9 and 2.30pm on Sun 10. (Until Sun 10) Tic Toc Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2pm, £7. Info 01656 815995.

WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER Art Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01874 611622.

Baba Yaga Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 1 + 6pm, £8.50/£6 schools/free teachers.

Info 01873 850805.

Desiree Burch Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £12. Info 0871 4720400. Comedian who stars in a Netflix gameshow called Flinch. I didn’t know Netflix did gameshows Forbidden Nights Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £21/£24.50 front row seats.

Info 01633 868239. Male strippers.

I Wish I Was A Mountain Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 6pm, £12. Info 01792 475715.

Ruby Wax Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £24. Info 01792 475715. In Carmarthen tomorrow.

Simon Emmanuel + Pippa Loader + Carl Morgan + Chris Rio + Ruth Hine The Albion, Penarth. 9pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2033 0743. Comedy.

The Wedding Singer Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare.

7pm, £10-£12. Info 0300 0040444. Musical, presented by Colstars. (Until Sat 9) THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER Amy Vreeke Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464.

One-woman show titled The Year My Vagina Tried To Kill Me, its theme being Vreeke’s experience of endometriosis. uArt Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.45pm, £16/£14. Info 029 2039 1391. (Until Sat 9) Beefy’s Comedy Club Wolf’s Castle, Llanishen, Cardiff.

8pm. Info 029 2075 4349. With seven acts TBC. Ben Elton St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £32. Info 029 2087 8444. In Swansea on Thurs 28.

Cer I Grafu... Sori...Garu!

Volcano, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14. Info 01792 464790. Welshlanguage version of Carys Eleri’s Lovecraft comedy musical, which indeed is here tomorrow in English. uDrudwen The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £11/£9. Info 01633 656757. Bilingual family comedy/theatre. On tomorrow also, at 1pm and 7pm; in Aberystwyth on Fri 15.

Gary Little + David Trent Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£16 with a pie.

Info 0871 4720400. Pie Face Comedy night. Both confirmed comics (one more is still TBC) are here tomorrow and Sat 9 also. uHive City Legacy Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £30-£45. Info 029 2063 6464. Dance production which launched successfully in London last year and which both features and centres femmes of colour. Sounds good. On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 9. (Until Sat 9) uLittle Shop Of Horrors Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £12.50-£14. Info 01656 815995. Musical presented

by Stage Right Prods. (Until Sat 9) Lost Voice Guy + Jonny Awsum Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01792 863722. Two comedians who went the prime time talent show way of building a rep.

LVG is in Cardiff on Fri 8 and Sat 9; Awsum is in Cardiff on Fri 22 and Sat 23.

Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage Llandinam Village Hall, Powys.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01686 614555. Mid Wales Opera presents a remake of The Beggar’s Opera, from 18th century. In Cwmbran tomorrow; Abermule on Thurs 14; Blackwood on Thurs 21; Hay on Thurs 28. On and Buttington on Fri 22 but I’m not listing that one, it’s up by bloody Shrewsbury.

Ruby Wax Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7pm. Info 0845 2263510. Sold out. uThe Greatest Of Shows Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12. Info 01633 263670. Songs from the musicals, by Newport Operatic Society. On tomorrow also.

The Wizard Of Oz Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £15/£14. Info 01239 621200.

Ballet, presented by Ballet Theatre UK. In Builth Wells tomorrow.

Tic Toc Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £10/£7. Info 01443 491424.

FRIDAY 8 NOVEMBER uBallet Cymru: Three Works The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £10.75£14.75. Info 01633 656757.

Daliso Chaponda Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50. Info 029 2064 6900.

Comedian with a show titled Blah Blah Blacklist, about celebrities/historical figures who fell from grace. uDana Alexander + Gary Little + David Trent + Lost Voice Guy Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. One more comic TBC. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food).

It’s A Wonderful Life Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01792 863722. So-called live radio play based on the classic movie. In Pembrokeshire tomorrow; Ammanford on Tue 19; Monmouth on Mon 25; Blackwood on Thurs 28; Swansea Fri 29; Newtown Sat 30 and at this venue again on Sun 8 Dec. I Wish I Was A Mountain Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

10am + 2pm, £10/£8. Info 01874 611622. On tomorrow also, at 11am and a relaxed performance.

Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) Volcano, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14. Info 01792 464790. In Newport on Thurs 14; Carmarthen on Fri 15; Aberystwyth on Fri 22; Cardiff on Thurs 28 and Fri 29.

Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7pm, £12/£10. Info 01633 868239.

Showstopper Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £25. Info 01792 475715. Improvised musical.

The Invisible Woman The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.30pm, £7/£6 adv. Info 01834 861212. One-woman dark comedy written by Ailsa Jenkins. In Newport tomorrow.

The Man Whose Hair Grew Black Phoenix Theatre, Ton Pentre. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01443 425894. Anthony Bunko and Gurnwah Productions’ comedy. In Blackwood tomorrow; Cardiff on Fri 15 and Sat 16; Swansea on Fri 13 and Sat 14 Dec and Merthyr on Thurs 19 and Fri 20 Dec. The Storm Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01792 602060.

Energetic sounding dance production from James Wilton Dance.

The Wizard Of Oz Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells.

7.30pm, £15/£14. Info 01982 552555.

Tic Toc The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 2 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01639 843163.

Musical paying tribute to Welsh, female factory workers.

SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER Chris Needs Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 01792 475715. Variety show.

Ensonglopedia Of Animals Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

11am, £6.50. Info 01656 815995. Musical kids’ show by John Hinton, who sings an animal song for every letter of the alphabet. I bet he does ‘eXtinct animals’ for X. Elis James Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 5.30 + 8pm, £10.50. Info 0845 2263510.

Welsh-language standup set.

S4C are filming one or both of these performances.

Geoff Norcott Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £13.50. Info 01600 772467. Tory comedian visits Tory town in outbreak of brand synergy. In Cardiff tomorrow.

It’s A Wonderful Life Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire.

7.30pm, £10. Info 01239 841387.

Sindhu Vee Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 7.30pm, £16. Info 01792 475715.

Performance Factory Dance School showcase.

Stifyn Parri Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464.

New one-man show from Welsh thesp/ex-soap actor type.

Sweat Baby Sweat Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £10. Info 029 2063 6464.

Dance production themed around love, and containing nudity as love sometimes does.

Cardiff Dance Festival event.

The Invisible Woman The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £5-£11. Info 01633 656757.

The Man Whose Hair Grew Black Little Theatre, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01495 366196.

The Mystery Of The Raddlesham Mumps Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £18/£14. Info 01873 850805. Murray Lachlan Young’s play for kids about a seven-year-old who inherits a house.

The Wizard Of Oz Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2pm, £7.50 adv. Info 01495 243252. Dance production, presented by New Dimension.

SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER Geoff Norcott Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6pm, £13.50. Info 0871 4720400.

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER Chaos The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7pm, £5.

Info info@otherroomtheatre. com. Part of the Seen series of 10-minute script-in-hand performances responding to a particular theme, followed by a Q&A/discussion between writers and the audience. uShakespeare Schools Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £10.50/£8.50.

Info 01633 656757. Three days of abridged productions featuring various schools from this region. This is a UK-wide annual festival. (Until Wed 13) Swan Lake Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £17-£21. Info 01874 611622.

Ballet, presented by Russian National Ballet.

TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER Chris Chopping Le Public Space, Newport. 8pm, pay by donation. Info youwilllaughcomedy@gmail. com. Headling monthly comedy night You Will Laugh, with other standups TBC. uLadies In Lavender Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. “Two aging spinster sisters have their peaceable Cornwall existence disrupted in 1936 when they take a young Polish violinist into their care.” The sisters’ names? Diana and Unity Mitford [citation needed]. On at 2pm and 7.15pm on Sat 16 (£11 at 2.15pm). (Until Sat 16) Lleu Llaw Gyffes Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £13-£16. Info 01970 623232. Welsh-language family play presented by Theatr Bara Caws. In Pontardawe on Fri 15; Newport on Sat 16. uMags Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£16.

Info 029 2064 6900. Cwmni Pluen with a play set between north Wales and London and described as “one woman’s search for ‘home’”. In Aberystwyth on Tue 25. (Until Fri 15) BUZZ 75

BAFTA CYMRU NOVEMBER 2019 So last month we announced the winners of 24 British Academy Cymru Awards across performance, production and craft, as well as two special Awards presented to Lucasfilm’s Lynwen Brennan and War And Peace/Les Miserables producer Bethan Jones at a ceremony attended by over 850 guests.

It was a great night and you can check out the photography from the event, including backstage coverage as well as watching the ceremony again on our website and social media platforms. We also have interviews with those arriving on the red carpet and with some of the winners on our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Anorac, Huw Stephens’ travelogue music documentary feature film, led the way with four wins. We will be arranging masterclasses across the country with our winners, so keep an eye on our events page to find out how you can learn more about their talent and routes taken to where they are now.

November will be a busy month for our ongoing events programme – many of which are open to the public. We continue with the theme of celebrating Welsh talent and content made in Wales and highlighting the breadth of production taking place.

Keep an eye on our What’s On pages to find out what we will be focusing on as we run up to Christmas.

Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 76

uRoots Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £16. Info 029 2063 6464.

Four dance productions presented here by National Dance Company Wales.

Cardiff Dance Festival event.

On at 1pm and 7.30pm on Wed 13. In Blackwood on Tue 19; Ystradgynlais on Thurs 21; Narberth Fri 22. (Until Thurs 14) Shakespeare Schools Festival Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7pm, £9.95/£8. Info 01239 621200.

Swan Lake Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £31-£38.

Info 01792 475715. Ballet, presented by Russian State Ballet & Opera House. They’re doing The Nutcracker here tomorrow. uThe Girl On The Train New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20-£34. Info 029 2087 8889.

Smash hit novel adapted for the stage. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 13 and Sat 16. £17-£28 at 2.30pm on Wed 13; £23-£37 on Fri 15 and Sat 16.

(Until Sat 16) The Nutcracker Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £19.50-£24.50. Info 0845 2263510. Ballet, presented by Russian National Ballet (who have no Opera House).

as “a musical romp through queer history”.

Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £5-£14.25. Info 01633 656757.

Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage Abermule Community Centre.

7.30pm, £11. Info 01686 614555.

Noel James + Karen Owen Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10/£9. Info 01970 623232. Welsh-language standup.

Rhys James Exit 7, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7pm, £11. Info 029 2022 4488.

Comedian. This date is sold out but James is back here on Thurs 27 Feb. uShakespeare Schools Festival Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7pm, £9.95/£8. Info 01792 602060. On tomorrow also. uThe Ladykillers Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.

Info 0845 2263510. Llanelli Little Theatre perform a play based on the 1955 film, and adapted by hateful transphobic bigot Graham Linehan in 2011.

(Until Sat 16) The Wizard Of Oz Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 6.30pm, £10.50-£18. Info 01656 815995.

WEDNESDAY 13 NOVEMBER Cabaret At The College Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6-7pm, free.

Info 029 2039 1391. Songs from the musicals.

Sensitive Comedy M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £3.50 adv. Info 029 2047 3373.

This is a Transawareness Week Special edition of newish comedy night, featuring sets from local trans standups.

Shakespeare Schools Festival Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7pm, £9/95/£8. Info 01495 227206. uSherlock Holmes Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

7.15pm, £15. Info 01792 475715. A Fluellen production.

On tomorrow also, at 1pm and 7.15pm.

The Ghost Train Dylan Thomas Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 473238. Drama first produced in 1925 and presented here by Swansea Little Theatre. (Until Sat 16) The Nutcracker Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £31-£38. Info 01792 475715.

FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER uBruce Devlin + Dave Fulton + Joe Bor + Rachel Fairburn Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food).

Cer I Grafu... Sori...

Garu! Canolfan S4C Yr Egin, Carmarthen. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01267 611600.

Drudwen Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Gods And Kings Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464.

Kai Samra The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757. Standup presented by Soho Theatre.

Leroy Brito Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Local comedian with a show titled Stereotype.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £12. Info 01792 863722. uMonstersaurus! Grand Theatre, Swansea. 1.30 + 4.30pm, £14/£10 kids. Info 01792 475715. Kids’ play about a boy who is able to invent monsters somehow. On tomorrow also, at 10am and 1.30pm. uRambert2 Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £8.50-£17.

Info 029 2039 1391. New dance productions, here as part of Cardiff Dance Festival. On tomorrow also.

Romeo A Juliet Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7pm, £13/£7.50. Info 01686 614555.

Ballet, presented by Ballet Cymru.

Russell Kane St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £22.50. Info 029 2087 8444. In Aberystwyth tomorrow.

Rygbi: Sharing The Field Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £25. Info 029 2063 6464. National Dance

THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER Dave Fulton + Joe Bor + Rachel Fairburn Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£16 with a pie. Info 0871 4720400. Pie Face Comedy night. All three comics are here tomorrow and Sat 16 also.

-Ish Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2063 6464. Solo dance performance touching thematically on dyspraxia and dyslexia, and presented by Unlimited Connects Wales Laurence Clark Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £12.50/£10.50.

Info 0845 2263510. Comedian with a show titled An Irresponsible Father’s Guide to Parenting.

Lord Hicks Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Cabaret show described

Company Wales present an eveing celebrating the common physicality of rugby and dance.

The Man Whose Hair Grew Black Theatre Michael Sheen, Cardiff & Vale College, Cardiff..

7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2025 0250. On tomorrow also.

The Ugly Duckling The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 11am + 1.30pm, £6. Info 01639 843163. Kids’ theatre. In English first, then Welsh.

In Porthcawl on Thurs 21; Newport on Mon 25; Blackwood on Wed 27.

SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER Circus Of Horrors Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £20.

Info 01686 614555.

Enter The Dragons Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

Play that places the concept of ageing in a fantasy contest, with the central character attempting to defeat the ‘god of time’.

Gadael Y Tir Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.15pm, £8.

Info 01685 722176. Musical about the folk history of Wales, performed in Welsh.

Lenny Henry Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £36/£33. Info 029 2063 6464. First UK tour for the man who you can call Sir if you believe in the concept of the honours list for some reason. The second part of the show is an onstage interview/ Q&A type thing.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £12. Info 01633 656757. uMr Men & Little Miss On Stage Gwyn Hall, Neath. 1 + 4pm, £12. Info 0300 3656677.

Kids’ show. On at 1pm only tomorrow. uPixie Perez Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Cardiff drag queen with a show titled, reasonably, Confessions Of A Drag Queen.

Also here on Sat 23, plus Fri 13 Dec, and all three are sold out!

Pneûma Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 615952.

Collaboration by dance artist Miranda Tufnell, musician Sylvia Hallet and artist David Ward, on the subject of breath. uResident Magicians The Small Space, Barry. 7.30pm, £20. Info info@thesmallspace. co.uk. Notably small (only 20 seats!) magic-centred Vale venue. Also on Fri 22 and Sat 23 this month.

Russell Kane Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £20. Info 01970 623232.

Soonchild Miners Institute, Blackwood. 11am + 3pm, £5.50 adv. Info 01495 227206.

Kids’ show set in the Arctic.

Stewart Francis Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £24.50. Info 01792 475715.

Comedian with a show titled Into The Punset, it being his last ever tour. We interviewed him about it, months ago now.

In Newtown on Thurs 28; Monmouth on Fri 29.

The Gondoliers Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01656 815995. Mid Glamorgan Savoyards do Gilbert & Sullivan.

Which Leg Are We On? Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2039 1391.

Collaboration between over-60s physical theatre group Good News From The Future and RWCMD composition graduate Sam Barnes.

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER Aurie Styla Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £17.50. Info 0871 4720400. Show titled Just Like That, a phrase that has no prior association with British comedy that I know of.

Cabinet Of Curiosities The Moon, Cardiff. 9pm-2.30am, £5. Info info@themooncardiff. com. Drag and cabaret night.

Going on until 2.30am on a Sunday night is definitely a gambit. uFamily Christmas Show The Small Space, Barry.

6pm, £12.50. Info info@ thesmallspace.co.uk. Magic for ages 8+. Also on Sun 24 this month.

Monstersaurus Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm, £8-£12. Info 01970 623232. Theatre for ages 3+.

Out Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Dance Festival performance devised

by Rachael Young and aiming to challenge homophobia and transphobia.

MONDAY 18 NOVEMBER Becoming Human: Pinnochio Retold Volcano, Swansea. 7-8pm, free. Info 01792 295190. Theatre presented as part of the Being Human Festival.

TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER Aftermirth The Riverfront, Newport. 11.30am-1pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01633 656757. An adult comedy club you can bring your baby to, compered

by Angie Belcher.

It’s A Wonderful Life Miners Theatre, Ammanford.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510. uNativity! The Musical Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, from £18.

Info 029 2063 6464. Hit musical set in a school trying to do a musical nativity play, aka a musical about a musical. On at 1.30pm and 7pm on Thurs 21 and Sat 23. (Until Sat 23) Roots Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £14/£12.

Info 01495 227206. uYn Ei Blodau Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £12.50 inc a pie and a drink.

Info 029 2064 6900. Criw Brwd present a Welsh language play

by Elin Phillips, as part of the Sherman’s Get It While It’s Hot programme of emerging theatre (and pies). (Until Sat 23).

WEDNESDAY 20 NOVEMBER u4.48 Psychosis Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £7. Info 029 2063 6464. Sarah Kane’s acclaimed play about mental health, presented by Deafinitely Theatre.

Tonight’s show is sold out.

(Until Sat 23) uChitty Chitty Bang Bang Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7.15pm, £12.50. Info 01633 263670. Musical presented

by CentreStage Cymru. (Until Sat 23) uHow The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

6.30pm, £17.75. Info 029 2022

4488. Featuring Griff Rhys Jones and Matt Terry as Old and Young Max respectively. On at 11am, 3pm and 6pm on Sat 23; 11am and 4pm on Sun 24.

(Until Sun 24) uJesus Christ Superstar Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £14-£18. Info 01792 475715. Musical, presented by Abbey Players. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 23. (Until Sat 23) uRhif 1, Heol Penlan Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7pm, £15/£10 under-16s. Info 0845 2263510. Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg pupils dramatise the lives of people who lived in the Carmarthen Union Workhouse in 1837. (Until Fri 22) Strangers On A Train Set Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01873 850805. This appears to be a sort of parody of Strangers On A Train with jokes specifically about trains.

THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER Arwyr Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 10am + 12.30pm, £8.

Info 01970 623232. Kids’ show in Welsh.

Dolly Chicken Comedy: Fun At The Flute Flute & Tankard, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £7.50/£6 adv. Info dollychickencomedy@ gmail.com. Featuring Rachel Fairburn, Chris Chopping, Sian Fisher, Dai Rhys Towler and MC Anita Shaw.

Fawlty Towers Live Themed Dinner Show Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £49. Info 01792 863722. Immersive theatre with a three-course meal included in the price. Not to be confused with Faulty Towers which does the same thing but which has beef with Cleese, unlike this one. Listings is fed up of the both of youse. In Swansea on Wed 27.

Harry And Chris Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

7.45pm, £17. Info 01792 475715. Duo who claim to have invented “comedy rap jazz” and who look like the sort of people who’d claim to have invented “comedy rap jazz”.

Krishna Istha Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464.

Standup.

Louise Young Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£16 with a pie. Info 0871 4720400. Pie Face Comedy night, one more comic TBC. Young is here tomorrow and Sat 23 also. uMagic Of The Musicals At Christmas New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £24-£26. Info 029 2087 8889. Presented by Orbit Theatre. (Until Sat 23) Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage Miners Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01495 227206.

Robin Ince Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10/£9.

Info 01970 623232. New show, The Satanic Rites Of.., on the theme of horror.

Roots The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 7.30pm, £13/£10.

Info 01639 843163. uThe Ghost Train Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01600 772467. Spooky theatre written just under a century ago. (Until Sat 23) The Ugly Duckling Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 11am +

MRS PEACHUM’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE Various venues, Thurs 7 Nov-Sat 7 Dec. Tickets: from £10. Info: www.midwalesopera. co.uk The central tenet of the guide in question seemingly being: it’s a bad idea, don’t do it, and in fact I’m going to kill your husband. At least, that’s Mrs Peachum’s attitude when she finds out her daughter Polly has got hitched to a highway robber – with a rollercoaster tale of crookedness, morals high and low, and the shakiness of the family unit being related through the medium of song. Mrs Peachum’s Guide To Love And Marriage is, in fact, Mid Wales Opera’s smaller-scale adaption of The Beggar’s Opera, John Gay’s 18th-century Anglicisation of Italian operatic tropes. Its 15-date tour includes Llandinam Village Hall (Thurs 7 Nov), Cwmbran’s Congress Theatre (Fri 8), Blackwood Miners’ Institute (Thurs 21) and the Hay Festival Winter Weekend on Thurs 28.

1.30pm, £7.50. Info 01656 815995. In English first, then Welsh.

W.H.I.P. Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01656 815995. Scratch theatre night. Name stands for Working Hard In Progress.

FRIDAY 22 NOVEMBER uAladdin The Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £15/£12. Info 01495 355945. A panto, with Owen Money in the lead role.

(Until Sun 24, and from Fri 29-Sun 1 Dec) Chicago Blues Brothers Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £24.50. Info 01656 815995. Musical.

Lovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10-£14. Info 01970 623232. On tomorrow in Welsh. uMission Control Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

7pm, £14-£18. Info www. nationaltheatrewales.org.

Latest National Theatre Wales production, in conjunction with Hijinx and set in the year 2029 where a corporation is attempting to colonise the planet. On tomorrow at 3pm and 7pm; 12pm and 4pm on Sun 24. (Until Sun 24) Noson Llwybr y Llofrudd Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil.

7pm, £15. Info 01685 722176.

Murder mystery, performed in Welsh. uOnly Fools: The (Cushty) Dining Experience Bedwellty House & Park, Tredegar. 7.15pm, £48. Info 01495 355945. Price includes a three-course meal.

On tomorrow also.

Ray Bradshaw Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £12/£10.

Info 01970 623232. Show titled Deaf Comedy Fam and performed by Bradshaw in English and sign language, simultaneously.

Roots The Queens Hall, Narberth. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 01834 861212. uSol Bernstein + Louise Young + Dave Longley + Jonny Awsum Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food). uSwish Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm,

£12/£6. Info 029 2063 6464.

Cardiff Dance Festival performance of a piece concieved by Tereza Hradilková. On tomorrow also.

Tori Scott Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464.

Cabaret/comedy from NYC. Played here last Christmas. uTouch: Second Hand Dance Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 11am + 2pm, £10/£5 kids. Info 029 2030 4400.

Cardiff Dance Festival event aiming to introduce small children to the power of dance.

The morning session is for prewalkers, afternoon for kids who can walk. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER Cer I Grafu... Sori...Garu!

Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10-£14. Info 01970 623232.

Er Cof / In Memory Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £13.

Info 0845 2263510. Variety show in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Jack Dee Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 8pm, £21. Info 01686 614555.

Jonathan Pie St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £27/£20.

Info 029 2087 8444. Sold-out show for fictive broadcaster forms part one of this venue’s Libertarian Clown Weekend; see tomorrow’s live music listings for part two.

Siriol Joyner Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4 + 8pm, £10/£5 kids. Info 029 2030 4400. Cardiff Dance Festival show courtesy of Morfa Rhuddlan.

The Elsewhen Series G39, Cardiff. 2-3.30pm, free. Info 029 2047 3633. Cardiff Dance Festival event featuring performance by Leah Marojevic and Theo Clinkard. In Chapter Arts Centre tomorrow.

SUNDAY 24 NOVEMBER A Night To Remember Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6.30pm, £11/£10. Info 0845 2263510.

Raie Copp Academy dance showcase.

Keelime Pie The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, free.

Info 01685 387925. Merthyr drag queen.

The Elsewhen Series Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

12-4pm, £10/£5 kids. Info 029 2030 4400.

MONDAY 25 NOVEMBER It’s A Wonderful Life Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01600 772467. uThe Ugly Duckling The Riverfront, Newport. 11.30am + 1.30pm, £7.50. Info 01633 656757. Kids’ theatre. Today it’s in English first, then Welsh; tomorrow it’s the other way round.

Vaness Vanjie Mateo Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £14.

Info 0871 4720400. Musical comedy duo.

TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER uA Christmas Carol Park & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £9/£8. Info 0300 0040444.

Panto, presented by Players Anonymous. The £8 price is for today only. (Until Fri 29) uBuddy New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16-£35. Info 029 2087 8889. As in Holly, as in a musical about his life. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 27 and Thurs 28; 4pm and 8pm on Sat 30. £13.50-£25.50 at 2.30pm on Wed 27 and Thurs 28; £17-£37 on Fri 29 and 8pm on Sat 30. (Until Sat 30) John Robins + Robin Allender St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20. Info 029 2087 8444. UK comedian who does or did a radio show with Elis James. I remember Robin Allender from the mid-00s Bristol DIY music scene but didn’t actually realise he’d gone into comedy until now. uLes Miserables Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £23-£75. Info 029 2063 6464. A-grade musical, by produced by Cameron Mackintosh in this instance, settles into the WMC for just shy of six weeks. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 28 and Sat 30 Nov; Thurs 5, Sat 7, Tue 10, Thurs 12, Sat 14, Thurs 19, Sat 21, Mon 23, Fri 27, Sat 28 and Mon 30 Dec; Thurs 2 and Sat 4 Jan. 2.30pm only on Tue 24 and Tue 21 Dec. No performances on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. (Until Sat 4 Jan) Llygoden Yr Eira Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 10am + 1pm, £8/£7. Info 01874 611622.

Welsh language kids’ show. In Pontardawe on Thurs 28.

Mags Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £13-£16. Info 01970 623232. uThe Government

Inspector Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 029 2030 4400.

Everyman Theatre present John Byrne’s take on Gogol’s comedy. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 30. (Until Sat 30) WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER uCariad A Gwybodaeth Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2063 6464. Caryl Churchill’s drama, adapted and translated by Elen Bowman. (Until Fri 29) Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £11.50. Info 01792 475715. uDealer’s Choice Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £20/£40 VIP. Info 029 2039 1391. Klub Kids drag show. Sold out.

Fawlty Towers Live Themed Dinner Show Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £49. Info 01792 475715.

The Ugly Duckling Miners Institute, Blackwood. 11am + 1.30pm, £5. Info 01495 227206.

In Welsh first, then English.

Waiting For Gordon Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £6.50.

Info 01656 815995. Comedy theatre.

THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER Adam Hess + Athenu Kugblenu + Ian Smith Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01970 623232.

Comedy Club night. uArcadia Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391. Tom Stoppard’s mid-19th century-set play, presented here by the Richard Burton Company. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Tue 3 Dec. (Until Sat 7 Dec) Ben Elton Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm, £31.50. Info 01792 475715. uCinderella The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £8-£22. Info 01633 656757. Panto time.

Tonight is sold out but none of the other dates are, as I write.

On at 1.30pm and 5.30pm on Sat 30 Nov; Sat 7 Dec, Sat 14, Sat 21-Tue 24 and Thurs 26-Tue 31 Dec; Fri 3 and Sat 4 Jan. 7pm only on Tue 3 and Fri 13. No performances on all other days. (Until Sat 4 Jan) It’s A Wonderful Life Miners Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01495 227206. uJude Garland Rides Again Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01873 850805.

Comedy by Breakthrough Productions. On tomorrow also.

Llygoden Yr Eira Pontardawe Arts Centre. 1 + 5pm, £8/£7. Info 01792 863722. uLovecraft (Not The Sex Shop In Cardiff) Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. On tomorrow also, then in Welsh on Sat 30. uRomesh Ranganathan St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £25. Info 01792 475715. On tomorrow also, both sold out.

Stewart Francis Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 8pm, £22.

Info 01686 614555.

Tom Ward + Jimmy McGhie Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10/£6 NUS/£16 with

a pie. Info 0871 4720400. Pie Face Comedy night, one more comic TBC. Ward and McGhie are here tomorrow and Sat 30 also.

FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER uAladdin Little Theatre, Blackwood. 7pm, £12. Info 01495 366196. Panto directed

by Vic Mills. On tomorrow and Sun 1 Dec at 2.30pm, then Fri 6 Dec at 7pm and Sat 7 and Sun 8 Dec at 2.30pm.

Comedy Shed The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13.25. Info 01633 656757. uDance Nation Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £7-£14. Info 029 2039 1391. Clare Barron’s play about competitive dancers, presented here by the Richard Burton Company. On at 2.30pm and 8pm on Thurs 5 Dec. (Until Sat 7 Dec) uEddy Brimson + Tom Ward + Jimmy McGhie Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £16.50/£8.50 NUS/£24.95 with food. Info 0871 4720400.

On tomorrow also (£19/£10 NUS/£27.95 with food); one more comic TBC on both nights Ignacio Lopez Virgin Money Lounge, Cardiff. 6.30-9.30pm, £15. Info 029 2052 4150. City Hospice present a charity night of comedy.

It’s A Wonderful Life Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. uJane Eyre Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £13-£16.

Info 01970 623232. Presented

by Blackeyed Theatre. On tomorrow also.

Jason Byrne Pontardawe Arts Centre. 8pm, £21.45. Info 01792 863722. Comedian.

Stewart Francis Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £23.

Info 01600 772467. uThe Snow Queen Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.

7pm, £8-£26. Info 029 2064 6900. The Sherman’s family Christmas play for 2019, based on the Hans Christian Andersen story. Today and tomorrow are preview showings. On at 10.30am only on Mon 2, Wed 4-Fri 6, Mon 9-Thurs 12 and Mon 16-Wed 18 Dec; 10.30am and 7pm on Tue 3 and Fri 13 Dec; 2pm only on Sat 7 Dec; 2pm and 7pm on Sat 14, Mon 23, Fri 27, Sat 28 and Mon 30 Dec; 10.30am and 2pm on Thurs 19 Dec; 11.30am and 4pm on Tue 24 and Tue 31 Dec. (Until Tue 31 Dec) Thunder Road Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622.

Comedy by RedCape Theatre.

SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER An Evening With Opera Teifi Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01239 621200. Excerpts from various noted musicals and operettas by this local group.

Cer I Grafu... Sori...Garu!

Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15.

Info 029 2063 6464.

It’s A Wonderful Life Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.45pm, £12/£9.50. Info 01686 614555.

Sand Dancer Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 12.30pm, £6.50. Info 01792 475715.

Lunchtime theatre presented

by Fluellen.

BUZZ 77

COMPETITIONS HOW TO WIN: Unless otherwise stated, our competitions are generally shared on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

To enter a competition, keep an eye on our social media channels and click ‘like’ and ‘share’ when published. Alternatively, email competitions@buzzmag.co.uk with the name of the competition in the subject line and up to two sentences on why you think you should win the competition. The more original you are, the better your chances.

TWO TICKETS TO HUGH CORNWELL AT SIN CITY, SWANSEA

The longest English word is 189,819 letters long.

It is the full name for protein and nicknamed titin.

It would take three and a half hours to say out loud.

The man with the world’s deepest voice can make sounds that humans can’t hear. Tim Storms can make the sound of eight octaves below the lowest G on a piano. He can’t even hear the note himself, but elephants can.

No number before 1,000 contains the letter ‘A’.

The Ex-Stranglers frontman has quietly built a strong following as a solo act since leaving the band with which he made his name (and with whom he wrote such classics as Golden Brown, Peaches and Nice And Sleazy. We have a pair of two tasty tickets for his set at Swansea’s Sin City on Sat 30 Nov TWO TICKETS TO SORRY WE MISSED YOU AT CHAPTER ARTS CENTRE, CARDIFF Ken Loach’s follow-up to his Palme D’or winner I, Daniel Blake has received much of the same plaudits (including four shiny stars in this issue). The hard-hitting tale of a gig economy worker unable to make ends meet is sure to tug at heartstrings, reflective of Loach’s classic style. We have two tickets to a screening at a date TBC at Chapter.

The Eiffel Tower can grow up to over six inches during the summer. The high temperatures make the iron expand.

Bees can fly higher than Mount Everest, being able to reach 29,525 feet above sea level.

Bubblewrap was originally created to be wallpaper.

You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from more than two miles away.

We lose about 8% of our body water when on an aeroplane. This is because the humidity in the climatecontrolled environment can be as low as 10-15%.

TWO TICKETS TO FORMIDABLE FEST AT TRAMSHED, CARDIFF The Joy Formidable have grooved their way up into the hearts of Welsh music fans over the last decade, and to celebrate 10 years since their debut album, they’re throwing a party at the Tramshed. We have two tickets to the adventure on Sat 23 Nov. TWO TICKETS TO THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN AT NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF

Pic: Manuel Harlan

The best-selling novel has since been adapted into a film AND a theatre production, so tightly-wound and tense is its narrative tone, as Samantha Womack plays Rachel, the protagonist of the story. We have two tickets to the first night of its run at Cardiff’s New Theatre, on Tue 12 Nov.

Trees can ‘talk’ to each other. They communicate by transmitting nutrients to one another through fungi, as their roots are connected underground. Older trees will share nutrients to smaller nearby trees.

The longest human neck extends to 7.7 inches, which is twice the length of an average human neck.

Ravens can actually learn to talk better than parrots can.

The smell of freshly cut grass comes from the chemicals that plants release when in distress.

In Melbourne, some trees were given email addresses so that residents could report any problems. The trees ended up receiving love letters.

A woman from Cyprus broke the record for the world’s longest wedding veil, which was 22,843 feet and 2.11 inches – the length of 63.5 football fields.

(Disclaimer: some of these may not in fact be true)

T&Cs: WE DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR T H E S E C O M P E T I T I O N S T O B E R E P L I C AT E D ANYWHERE ELSE

BUZZ 78

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