Buzz April 2017 by Buzz Magazine

ON HA SSON T’T’ HA WW RIL2020 AP 1717 CH MAR

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‘Astonishing and Unmissable.’ Sunday Express

DRAMA NEWYDD GAN A NEW PLAY BY

SIMON STEPHENS

YN SEILIEDIG AR Y NOFEL GAN BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY

MARK HADDON

MAI 2 – 6 MAY 2017

april2017

buzz...

04roundup

“We sometimes employ an actor to wear a giant bunny outfit”

publisher EMMA CLARK editor LUKE OWAIN BOULT listings/music editor NOEL GARDNER advertising EMMA CLARK Buzz Tv JAYDON MARTIN accounts TERESA CLARK social media CONNIE MATTHEWS design BUZZ

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contributors KEIRON SELF (FILM), GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF (CLUBS), CHRIS ANDREWS, YASMIN BEGUM, DYLAN CHAUNDY, JANE COOK, JOHN-PAUL DAVIES, SIOBHAN DENTON, STUART FAGG, BEN GALLIVAN, EMILY GARSIDE, CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, ELOUISE HOBBS, RHIANON HOLLEY, CADI JONES, MAB JONES, SEAN KIRKPATRICK, CONOR KNIGHT, FFIONA MILLS, MARTA MONTANARI, LYNDA NASH, VICTORIA O’HAGAN, CHARLIE PIERCEY, RHONDA LEE REALI, LORRIA SAHMET, RUTH SEAVERS, WILL STEEN, FEDOR TOT, MANON 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 contents GLASTONBARRY cover GILES SMITH

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Festivals in general may not be very reliable, as regards their actually taking place, but the Buzz festival guide is, and its time has come again in 2017. Hopefully none of these will be cancelled and/or cause a chain reaction of bankruptcy, layoffs and cultural voids. Plus chats with Wilko Johnson, Tinariwen and Reginald D Hunter

50reviews

Just noticed how many 5/5 reviews there are in this albums section. Between you and me, I think some of them are too generous, the exception being the one I reviewed, oddly enough. Still, you gotta love enthusiasm right? Doesn’t matter what it’s for, really

56travel

Easter break locations, plucked from a violently spun globe just for you. I’m going to Manchester, which isn’t on the list. To paraphrase the Terminator, come with me if you don’t want to live

36film

57sport

38food&drink

59listings

Amidst the never-ending franchises and adaptions of Julian bloody Barnes novels Keiron Self is tackling this month, “cannibal horror with a feminist slant” Raw sounds like my cup of gravy. Says here it features “a bikini wax that will make most men look away”. Bet you I wouldn’t. Unless it was more progressive to do so, of course! Tell me I’m good

How your Buzz-flavoured sausages, or in this case chipolatas, are made: I rewrote part of the miniature news story about the announcement of Gareth Bale’s forthcoming sports bar. See if you can guess which part

42previews

There’s a lot of ‘theatre about theatre’ like The Play That Goes Wrong around, it feels like. What would be the equivalent for the live music section – a band who got popular and then just wrote songs about going on tour? Or dance music that’s fixated with going out and getting mashed, eg Raving I’m Raving (I’m actually in favour of this though)

@Buzz_Magazine

BuzzMagUK

Featuring the Harlem Globetrotters, who make another of their occasional visits to Cardiff this month, and who strictly speaking are actors rather than sportsmen. Then again, last month this section featured a football documentary and a report about studying sport broadcast at university. Basically we’ll do anything to avoid writing about actual sport

Worst band names in this issue: The Krays, Lice, A Bit Like Nicolas Cage, The Slurps, Slug, Bull-Riff Stampede, Patent Pending, Murder Made Famous

78competitions

Do you like festivals? You’re gonna have to if you want to win anything on this issue’s competition page… unless, that is, you DISLIKE festivals but LIKE Steve Hackett out of Genesis

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Buzz Magazine

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WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

BRIEFLY pic: Keith Moseley

roundup

pic: Graeme Churchard

RHS CARDIFF FLOWER SHOW See spring in bloom with this beautiful event, not only showcasing the season’s flowers on offer to buy, but giving you tips on how to improve, care for and add to your own garden at home with interactive talks both from celebrity gardeners and experts. To go with the plants on offer are the tools you might need to tend to them, with over 100 stalls offering gardening supplies, as well as gifts and food. The two-day show is family friendly with events for the kids as well – activities include the Schools Wheelbarrow Competition, den building, tree climbing, fossil hunting and “bug-related activities” from the Cardiff Park Rangers. The Royal Horticultural Society also have a fantastic range of products online including books, gifts, prints, home products, wine and even have a selection of garden holiday packages you can go on to experience the world’s most beautiful gardens.

BRING YOUR BOOTS! Chepstow in Monmouthshire sits right on the border between Wales and England in the beautiful Wye Valley. There’s no better way to take in a landscape than to go out and explore it and what better a time to appreciate it than Spring, when its beauty is at its peak. So, from Wed 19-Sun 23 Apr, there’s a range of walks planned all led by an experienced leader, including one celebrating J K Rowling! Booking essential. Info: www.walksinchepstow.co.uk

pic: Jam Roly-Poly

RHS Cardiff Flower Show, Bute Park, Cardiff, Fri 7-Sun 9 Apr. Tickets: £13/£10 adv. Info: 029 2087 8100 / www.rhs.org.uk

WONDERWOOL WALES

pic: Chuck Redden

Held at the Royal Welsh Showground in the ancient market town of Builth Wells, this is the 11th annual festival of Welsh wool and natural fibres. The festival features all aspects of felting, knitting, weaving, spinning and crochet along with textile art with raw materials, equipment, books and finished product. Alongside a selection of fibre animals on display (sheep, alpacas and angora rabbits), the festival is holding ‘Woolschools’ – classes in different ways of using wool. Ranging from the basics Learning To Spin to Fabulous Felt Bowls, there are some really innovative ways of using wool in these classes, some of which are already fully booked. The website has a selection of accommodation in the area but there are camping facilities on site if that’s your kind of thing. Featuring in this year’s show are Centenary Textiles, commemorating the First World War, and a handmade miniature textile Llareggub, the infamous village from Under Milk Wood. Wonderwool Wales, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Sat 22 + Sun 23 Apr. Tickets: £10 day/£18 weekend. Info: 01938 820495 / www.wonderwoolwales.co.uk BUZZ 4

EGGSELENT! Held in the reconstructed Barrack Room of the National Roman Legion Museum, which shows what the fortress barrack blocks might have looked like, the museum is hosting craft days (from Fri 14-Mon 17 Apr) where a Roman solider will show you how to make traditional Roman tree decorations, ‘oscilla’. Oscilla were hung in the trees as offerings to various deities, and as the oscilla swung in the wind back and forth – the origin of the word ‘oscillate’. This Easter, you’ll be decorating yours with a sheep. Info: www.museum.wales/roman

pic: Jeremy Segrott

SAVE WOMANBY STREET CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Campaigners are calling for Cardiff Council to recognise Womanby Street’s cultural importance to Cardiff’s music scene in order to preserve it in the face of recent threats, including the closure of Dempseys and the Moon Club. Plans to open a Wetherspoons hotel on the street and related concerns about its impact on its live music and late night alcohol licensing also add to these concerns, as under current laws, noise pollution complaints could threaten the status quo of Cardiff’s musical epicentre. Home to crucial venues and bars like Clwb Ifor Bach, Fuel Rock Club, The Full Moon and Tiny Rebel Cardiff, the street is seen by many as a bastion of live music in the city centre, with the likes of Jo Stevens MP for Cardiff Central, folk singer Frank Turner and a popular petition backing the campaign. Events supporting the campaign to maintain the cultural lifeblood of the street, home to the Sŵn and Hub festivals, are to be announced in the coming weeks. Info: twitter.com/savewomanbyst

THE LADYBOYS OF BANGKOK They are the UK’s number one touring cabaret show and describe themselves as “16 of the world’s most beautiful show-girls (who just happen to be men)…apart from Trevor… Trevor’s from Lancashire.” The ladyboys present to you a truly unique cabaret show both funny and fabulous with songs from Beyonce, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Fifth Harmony, Boy George and Tom Jones. There are 450 hand-sewn costumes with trademark feathers, stunning choreography and immaculate makeup. Ladyboys, known as ‘kathoeys’ in Thai, refers not necessarily to transgender, but a widely recognised third gender in Thailand and is embraced as an integral part of the nation’s rich cultural heritage. This show embraces this diversity in a positive environment and you’re sure to walk away not just entertained but a little better educated. If you order the Thai meal on offer to enjoy during the show, you’ll leave with a full stomach, too. The Ladyboys Of Bangkok, Sabai Pavilion, Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay, Fri 21-Sun 30 Apr. Tickets: £19.50/£15 NUS. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.ladyboysofbangkok.co.uk

ST FAGANS EASTER EGG HUNT

The hunt starts in the beautiful setting of Kennixton Farmhouse, a historical stone built farmhouse dating back from 1610. The building was originally located in Llangenith, Gower, from which it was dismantled and relocated to St Fagans in 1952 and now contributes to the collection of historic buildings on display at the open-air museum. Entry is still free into St Fagans, but the main buildings and galleries are currently undergoing a £25.5 million renovation – including a new play area for children, specially designed by artist Nils Norman as a part of the artist residency programme at St Fagans. But that won’t interrupt your Easter egg hunt! Designed for all the family to take part, solve the riddles to figure out the clues and follow the trail around the site. Once you get to the end, you can claim your Easter prize! St Fagans Easter Hunt, National History Museum, St Fagans, Fri 14-Sun 16 Apr. Admission: £2.50. Info: 029 2057 3500 / www.museum.wales BUZZ 5

roundup

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

JEFF TOWNS If you’re heading to a festival this year, keep an eye out for the Dylan Thomas BookBus, a second-hand book shop that tours the festival circuit. Luke Owain Boult speaks with one of the brains behind the operation, Jeff Towns, about the initiative.

What is the general idea behind the BookBus? We like to describe ourselves as gonzo booksellers. It's fairly chaotic. But we love books, and we have rather a lot of them, so we like to go places where there are other folk who love books too. And obviously, it's a cracking excuse to get into festivals! See great bands, meet lovely people... Frank Zappa had a lyric that went "Don't make a fuss, just get on the bus". That's our motto.

What do you have planned for this festival season? We'll kick things off at the Laugharne Weekend in April where we are launching our first book – a new book of poems by Oliver Lomax. The Dylan’s Mobile Bookstore Press has begun! We'll be at the super-festivals like Green Man and Latitude, they both have incredible lineups... and they really look after us and treat us like artists and let us use the posh showers!

How did it get started? I used to have a bookshop but regular back street second-hand bookstores were struggling under the pressure of rising overheads and the growth of Amazon and e-reading. My son suggested a mobile bookshop (whilst we were in a pub in Laugharne) and I went online and found this vintage but wonderful ex-Wakefield County Council Mobile Library Van. Seven and half tons of it! Got the train to Harrogate and drove the beast back to Wales where we rebranded it Dylan’s Mobile Bookstore. Last year the Guardian named us in their top 10 second-hand bookshops in the world!

Then we'll be doing small boutique events like Uplands Market in Swansea, Insole Court in Llandaff, the wonderful Art Car Bootique in Chapter, Cardiff, and the Art Car Bootfair in London... a funky secret festival called the Blue Lagoon which we can't tell you anymore about! Then a literary festival in Llansteffan, and we finish in September with our favourite festival: the Good Life Experience on the Gladstone Estate in north Wales. It's run by Cerys Matthews and she is a huge supporter of the BookBus. She has great taste!

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What is it about Dylan Thomas you find so inspiring? He was a great poet who lived a rich but short life, but one who still inspires writers, artists, musicians and me, from the grave. Our name is actually a nod to another Dylan too: Bob Dylan. He’s also a hero of ours. And you'll often here his tunes being played on-board the bus. You’ve mentioned a disdain for internet bookselling. Could you let us know why this is? All you learn about a customer on the internet is their credit card number – which is useful but surely the dullest thing they have to offer. We prefer face to face human interaction. There is no better feeling that introducing someone to a book that is absolutely perfect for them. Info: www.dylans.com

Shakin’ Stevens Echoes of Our Times

Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band

Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra

Verdi Aida

Chris Ramsey Is That Chris Ramsey?

Richard Herring The Best

Gino’s Italian Escape 01.05.17

The All-Star Stand-Up Tour 2017 feat. Stewart Francis 02.05.17

Mnozil Brass Cirque

24.04.17

19.04.17

25.04.17

27.04.17

01.04.17

02.04.17

03.05.17

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roundup

BOOK NOW

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

pic: Loz Pycock

SECRET SPACES:

BOB DYLAN

pic: Joanne Goldby

pic: Nigel Hodson

Cardiff-based photographer Nigel Hodson speaks with Buzz about being voted one of the world’s best photographers in the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards. How does it feel to be listed as one of the best photographers in the Open Wildlife category? This is the first real photography competition that I have entered and I came across it by accident when it popped up on my Facebook page one day. Being part of the Sony World Photography Awards is a huge achievement for me. There are so many wonderful photographers out there and I am blown away to think that my image of a little puffin from Wales might reach a worldwide audience. Hopefully it will bring them as much joy in viewing it, as it has brought me in creating it. What is the story behind your photograph Breakfast? The photo was taken this summer during a trip to Skomer, a small island off the coast of Pembrokeshire in West Wales. The island is a Wildlife Trust nature reserve and is home to some incredible wildlife, including 300,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwaters and over 20,000 puffins. It’s an amazing place! The image is of a puffin – it landed directly in front of me, with a mouth full of sand eels, before disappearing down a hole to

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feed its young. I chose this image as it shows a new perspective, an angry look, which is quite different to what we've come to expect from our usual cute little puffins. What are the most common mistakes amateur photographers make? I think the biggest one is comparing their work to someone else’s. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to a photo, so as long as you like the photo and you have enjoyed the experience of taking it then that’s what counts. If you could only suggest one place to visit in Wales to someone who had never visited, where would you pick and why? There are many amazing places in Wales, from the Millennium Stadium on match day to the stunning scenery around the Brecon Beacons. But Skomer Island, for me, is one of the best. It has everything from beautiful scenic coastlines to a variety of wildlife which you can get up close and personal in its own surroundings. I would recommend this place to anyone, not just photographers, as it’s a great day out. Info: www.worldphoto.org

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Wed 3 May Tickets: from £55.00 Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk –

OMID DJALILI

Grand Theatre, Swansea / St David’s Hall, Cardiff Wed 10 / Thur 11 May Tickets: £24.50/£24 Info: 01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff. co.uk –

RUSSELL KANE

Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot Sat 13 May Tickets: £17 Info: 01639 763214 / www.npttheatres.co.uk –

AL MURRAY

Grand Theatre, Swansea Mon 15 May Tickets: £31.50 Info: 01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk –

IMELDA MAY

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Wed 24 May Tickets: £48.50 Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk –

SIMPLE MINDS

St David’s Hall, Cardiff Tue 30 May Tickets: £36-£56 Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk

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Need a few new pieces for spring? Take your cue from the SS17 menswear collections, where designers gave skate culture essentials a luxury twist. Think hoodies and bomber jackets, reinvented in luxe fabrics like leather and silk. Get the look for less with our edit of skate-inspired key pieces – all for up to 60% less at Bridgend Designer Outlet.

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23/03/2017 16:52

Ahh... the festival season’s upon us once again. The temperature’s increased by a couple of degrees, the rain is just torrential instead of apocalyptic, and Wellington boot and poncho sales are starting to rise. As the summer sun rises over the horizon, an overwhelming myriad of festivals come into bloom, but don’t worry! We’re here with a handy guide to this year’s festivals to help you pick the best from the bunch.

FESTIVAL GUIDE WALES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL Various venues, Blackwood Wed 5-Fri 7 Apr What: Independent film makers, industry experts and international audiences will all be drawn to Blackwood for the promotion of creativity and innovation in film. Led by a strong and experienced team of creative individuals, the festival is set to thrive once more in 2017 with international audiences and films alike contributing to the continuous success of the festival. Who: Some of the best documentary film makers in Wales and abroad today How much: tickets vary in price per event Info: www.widf.info

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SAFE AS MILK

MACHYNLLETH COMEDY FESTIVAL

Pontins, Prestatyn Fri 21-Sun 23 Apr What: Set up in 2016 through a partnership between Graham Thrower and Lee Etherington, 2017 will see the very first Safe As Milk festival take place. In late April in Prestatyn, over 40 underground and leftfield acts, from venerable pioneers like Shirley Collins to comparatively brand new names like Gaika and Guttersnipe, will feature in one of the most exciting new festivals 2017 has to offer. Created by the team behind Gateshead’s TUSK Festival, and named after the debut album by Captain Beefheart, the quiet north Wales town of Prestatyn is set for a loud weekend. Who: Butthole Surfers, Shirley Collins, The Residents How much: £199pp Info: www.safeasmilkfestival.com

Various venues, Machynlleth Fri 28-Sun 30 Apr What: With experimentation and intimacy in mind, this unique ‘comedian’s comedy festival’ now boats visitors over 6,000 guests each year. The small Powys town, once Owain Glyndwr’s capital, will hold its eighth annual comedy festival over the last weekend of April. With the range of comedy acts spanning old and new, and the total number of shows over three days hovering around the three-figure mark, there’s bound to be a laugh in there for everyone. Who: Stewart Lee, James Acaster, Mark Watson How much: Tickets vary per event but range between £7-£14 Info: www.machcomedyfest.co.uk

FESTIVAL NO.6

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017

GEEKEDFEST SWANSEA

BUZZ D.I.Y. WORKSHOP Tramshed, Cardiff Mon 1 May - Wed 31 May What: As part of the buzz25 celebrations this year, marking 25 years of covering arts and culture in Wales, Buzz has partnered with Diffusion Festival to provide a free creative space to hold workshops, talks, debates, and gigs. ONER signs are providing the graf and Corner House Studios and Pirate Studios are collaborating with buzz to host workshops and opening party nights. This is all done to help the local community learn about how the media is changing, and to get involved in making their own zines, films, create music and and other creative projects. There’ll be parties and film evenings too! Who: creative workshops, talks, debates, gigs How much: free Info: www.buzzmag.co.uk

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University Of Wales Trinity Saint David, Townhill Campus, Swansea Sat 29 Apr What: One of South Wales’ biggest comic conventions, Geekedfest started back in 2015 and covers both Swansea and Newport this year; it’ll be stopping off in Swansea first, Newport in August. With exhibitors selling everything from comics, unique artwork, retro games and rare confectionary and guests ranging from Game Of Thrones actors, current and former WWE wrestlers and science fiction authors, there’s bound to be something to satisfy the inner geek in all of us. The festival will also be stopping on off in Newport later in the year. Who: cult TV and film actors, cosplay, and comics How much: £10 Info: www.geekedfestevents.com

BIG LOVE FESTIVAL Baskerville Hall, nr Hay-On-Wye Fri 28 Apr-Mon 1 May What: Sticking to its roots as a small festival with a big atmosphere, the Big Love Festival – which made its successful debut in 2016 – is set to share the love with howls of delight in Baskerville Hall once again. The festival’s independence is where it stands out from others, boasting a range of local crews, bands and DJs from all over the Cardiff and Bristol area, the array of local talent makes it not to be missed. The setting, which previously played host to early incarnations of Boomtown and Green Man, allows for a relaxed and intimate feel. With music continuing until 5am, the movement and energy of Big Love is sure to be, well, lovely. Who: King, Horse Meat Disco, KRS-One How much: £75 Info: www.biglovefestival.co.uk

LLANDUDNO VICTORIAN EXTRAVAGANZA Various venues, Llandudno Sat 29 Apr-Mon 1 May What: Starting back in 1986 as a way of trying to secure the future of the beautiful town’s declining tourist industry, this festival celebrates all things Victorian (when the town’s reputation as a tourist resort was in full swing). The 2017 festival will mark a 31-year anniversary, making it something of an old faithful on the festival circuit. How much: free Info: www.victorian-extravaganza.com

17-2 AUGU0 ST

PJ HARVEY

RYAN ADAMS

FUTURE ISLANDS

THE SHINS • RIDE • MICHAEL KIWANUKA KATE TEMPEST • SLEAF RD MODS • THEE OH SEES JULIAN COPE • ANGEL OLSEN • LAMBCHOP SHIRLEY COLLINS • CONOR OBERST • BADBADNOTG D SAINT ETIENNE • DANIEL J HNSTON • LIARS JOHNNY FLYNN & THE SUSSEX WIT • ALLAH-LAS • HINDS • FRUIT BATS| JULIA JACKLIN • FIELD MUSIC • HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF • TIMBER TIMBRE D.D DUMBO • RONI SIZE • JON HOPKINS (DJ) • DANIEL AVERY • THIS IS THE KIT ANDY SHAUF • THE BIG M N • YORKSTON THORNE KHAN • FIONN REGAN ANNA MEREDITH • PICTISH TRAIL • JESSICA PRATT • MICHAEL CHAPMAN TREMBLING BELLS • ALDOUS HARDING • MODDI • RICHARD DAWSON MELT YOURSELF DOWN • WOLF PE PLE • PUMAROSA • SUNFLOWER BEAN HAPPYNESS • LVL UP • GRUMBLING FUR • ALASDAIR ROBERTS • LAURA GIBS N KARL BLAU • ADAM TORRES • CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM • DEEP THROAT CHOIR CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON • JULIE BYRNE • GAELYNN LEA CHRIS FORSYTH & THE SOLAR MOTEL BAND • MOSES B YD EXODUS HOLLY MACVE • GILL LANDRY • GIRL RAY • CIRCULUS • NADIA REID BIG THIEF • GOSPELBEACH • THE MATTSON 2 • KIKAGAKU MOYO • SHAME D MSQUAD • WARM DIGITS • BENEDICT BENJAMIN • WARHAUS • CHELOU NATHAN BALL • THE ORIELLES • ALED RHEON • TOBY HAY • JIM GHEDI LICE • STEVIE PARKER • JAE TYLER • GINTIS • MADONNATRON H.GRIMACE • TOM HICKOX • HUW STEPHENS (DJ) TOM RAVENSCROOFT (DJ) • EARTH RECORDINGS (DJ) > AND L0ADS MORE! <

TUMBLE THROUGH TEN WILD LANDS OF COMEDY, LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, MISCHIEF & MUSIC

FESTIVAL OF WELSH BEER, CIDER & GREAT LIVE MUSIC

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW »COURTYARD2O17.COM«

TICKETS N SALE NOW! THE GUARDIAN

GREENMAN.NET

THE TIMES

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017 FOCUS WALES Various venues, Wrexham Thurs 11-Sat 13 May What: FOCUS Wales is a not-for-profit organisation centred around providing an annual showcase of the Welsh music industry. 2017 marks the festival’s seventh edition, welcoming over 7,000 visitors to Wrexham. With over 200 bands and 20 interactive sessions (including standup comedy, art and film) spread across 20 stages, FOCUS is one of the most important creative platforms for new music and art in Wales today. With previous performers including names like The Joy Formidable, Slaves and Catfish And The Bottlemen, this is a date to keep in your diary. Who: Cabbage, Astroid Boys, Don Letts How much: £35 full pass/ £8-£16 individual tickets Info: www.focuswales.com

DEVAUDEN FESTIVAL Devauden Village Hall Fri 12 + Sat 13 May What: Since May 2010, this small festival has gathered momentum every year. Based in Monmouthshire, the festival raises much needed money for the village hall and other charities. With a highly anticipated line up yet to be fully announced, the 2017 festival, which is entering its eighth year, is likely to be one of the biggest yet. Who: Afro Cluster and Rusty Shackle confirmed How much: £5-£31 Info: www.devaudenfestival.com

TREDEGAR HOUSE FOLK FESTIVAL Tredegar House & Country Park Fri 12-Sun 14 May What: The 28th annual folk festival takes place slightly earlier in the festival season, and is sure to be a highlight for lovers of international folk music and traditions. With dancers from the Czech Republic, Latvia and Hungary to name but a few, this international affair is fun for all the family. A popular destination for all those involved given the real ale, food and dance that accompanies the live music. Who: TBC How much: TBC Info: www.tredegarhousefestival.org.uk

Pic: Credit Andrew

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VALE OF GLAMORGAN FESTIVAL THE BIG ACOUSTIC WALK

VALE OF GLAMORGAN WALKING FESTIVAL

Plas Y Brenin, Snowdonia Fri 12-Sun 14 May What: If walking all day and singing all night is your kind of thing, then this is the festival for you. Unlike more traditional music festivals, the Big Acoustic Walk combines the love of walking in the Welsh countryside, and listening or singing to your favourite tunes. Whether a performer or listener, after a day of walking around Plas-Y-Brenin, the music will continue into the night for all to enjoy in a beautiful time of year. Who: For anyone who loves music and walking How much: TBC Info: www.thebigacousticwalk.com

Various routes around Cardiff and the Vale Of Glamorgan Tue 23-Sun 28 May What: For those who like a stroll, the Vale Of Glamorgan has another trick up its sleeve: a range of different walks around the county for free. The eighth year of the festival sees many different walks ranging in distance, difficulty and time. The views on offer include Cardiff, Barry, Penarth, Llantwit Major and Cowbridge. How much: free Info: www.valeofglamorganwalkingfestival.org.uk

VALE OF GLAMORGAN FESTIVAL Various venues, Cardiff and the Vale Of Glamorgan Fri 19-Fri 26 May What: Founded in 1969 by Welsh composer John Metcalf, the Vale Of Glamorgan festival is a contemporary music festival centred around the classical music of living composers. This change of direction came in 1992 and with it came the international reputation of one of the most important festivals in the classical calendar. Once again, this year the Vale promises to host a range of talented international contemporary composers. Who: John Adams, Elisander Fabregas, Graham Fitkin How much: Tickets vary per event Info: www.valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk

FOCUS WALES

THE BIG ACOUSTIC WALK

14 - 16 july 2017

f r i d ay

Vicetrack

s at u r d ay

s u n d ay Preseli Pete and

Neil & Diggy

Rock

the merrymakers band

pembroke castle

castle

tickets available from: |Pembroke Castle Giftshop| | www.pembrokecastle.co.uk| BUZZ 15

Pic: Marsha Arnold

FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017 HAY FESTIVAL

Various venues, Hay-On-Wye Thurs 25 May-Sun 4 June What: The power to change the way we think lies at the heart of this unique festival with a gathering of scientists, poets, lyricists, novelists, and environmentalists all joining to debate and share stories in a celebration of knowledge. Set in the beautiful Brecon countryside town of Hay-On-Wye, for 29 years the Hay Festival has been making us question the way we think, with Bill Clinton calling it the “Woodstock of the mind”. Who: Scientists, environmentalists, philosophers, poets How much: Prices vary per event Info: www.hayfestival.com

FISHGUARD FOLK FESTIVAL Theatr Gwaun, Fishguard Fri 26-Mon 29 May What: The last weekend of May will see the Fishguard Folk Festival enter its 18th year. The seaside town’s folk festival offers a unique mix of new local talent and some well-known performers, together with the Pembrokeshire coast makes this festival a hidden gem in the Welsh folk music scene. Who: Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar, Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, Rob Lear, Nick Dow How much: mostly free, but prices vary per event Info: www.pembrokeshire-folk-music.co.uk

URDD EISTEDDFOD Urdd region of Bridgend Mon 29 May-Fri 3 June What: Urdd Eisteddfod, one of Europe’s largest youth touring festivals will be held in Bridgend this year. Attracting over 15,000 children and young people each year, this festival is a competitive platform for dancers, singers and all sorts of performers, that aims to inspire and strive for creativity and freedom. With different activities ranging from biking and climbing to sports sessions, along with a fun fair and live music, the festival is an outlet for creativity and freedom for young people, while celebrating the Welsh language and culture. Who: dancers, singers, performers How much: TBC Info: www.urdd.cymru

HAY FESTIVAL GOTTWOOD FESTIVAL

BARRY ISLAND TRANSPORT FESTIVAL

Carreglwyd Estate, Anglesey Thurs 8-Sun 11 June What: From druids to dance, the critically acclaimed, independent, boutique and intimate underground electronic music festival is back for another party in the woods, set to make Anglesey dance once again. With a host of different DJs and artists on offer, one of the most talked about Welsh festivals is ready to deliver again for 2017. Who: 2 Bad Mice, Adam Shelton, Horse Meat Disco, How much: £165 Info: www.gottwood.co.uk

Various locations, Barry Island Sun 11 June What: On the first day of summer 2017, Barry Island is the place to be for all things classic. With cars and heritage buses dating as far back as 100 years ago, the collection of vintage transport is something for car and history fanatics to enjoy. Taking a trip back in time with bus trips and classic car shows is something that every petrol head will enjoy. Who: Vintage cars, buses and transport relics How much: TBC Info: www.classiccarshowsuk.co.uk/events

AMSER JAZZ TIME FESTIVAL

GREGYNOG FESTIVAL

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff Fri 9 -Tue 13 June What: The Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama hosts its annual jazz festival once again this year. If Brecon’s Jazz Festival in August is too late in the summer for you, then this is perfect, with a selection of the biggest stars in UK jazz, alongside sessions with the brightest talents at the college. An extension of the RWCMD’s weekly Friday Amser Jazz Time jams, the full festival is bound to be a treat for jazz heads. Who: Jacqui Dankworth, Charlie Wood, Tina May How much: free Info: 029 2034 2854 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, Powys Fri 16 June-Sun 2 July What: Set in the idyllic (and supposedly haunted) Gregynog Hall, surrounded by country grounds, this is the oldest music festival in Wales. Beginning back in 1933, the Gregynog Festival gathers a range of international artists together with a relaxed, garden party feel. The rich history and tradition that grounds the festival offers a unique flavour, different to other classical music festivals. Who: TBC How much: TBC Info: www.gregynogfestival.org

UNITY FESTIVAL Various venues across Caernarfon Wed 28 Jun– Sun 2 July What: The Hijinx Unity Festival returns this year for a celebration of the best arts, both nationally and internationally, produced by those with learning disabilities. The festival has a varied programme including theatre, dance, music and comedy that can be enjoyed by all audiences, providing opportunities for individuals with a wide range of talents. Who: Hijinx Theatre and more How much: Prices vary per event Info: www.facebook.com/Unity-Festival

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017

TAFWYL Llandaff Fields, Cardiff Thurs 29 June-Sun 2 July What: Previously taking place in Cardiff Castle, Tafwyl is a free arts and culture festival that features live music, literature, drama, comedy, sport, food and drink all in the heart of the city. Established in 2006 to celebrate the Welsh language in Cardiff, this year looks to be as big as ever. With the move from Mochyn Du came bigger crowds as 1,500 in the beginning turned into 36,500 last year. However, due to the Champions League final, the festival will be moving to Llandaff Fields for just this year. Who: TBC How much: free Info: www.tafwyl.org

LLANGOLLEN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC EISTEDDFOD

CARDIFF OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Sat 22-Sun 30 July What: Musicfest returns for 2017 with a smorgasbord of events celebrating fine music and musicians from a plethora of musical backgrounds. From classical to jazz, internationally renowned musicians like David Campbell and Kenneth Hasketh will be making appearances to not only perform, but also educate the public in their musical disciplines. Not only does the festival offer up huge chamber ensembles and jazz musicians, it hosts a summer school specialising in the violin, cello, clarinet, saxophone, and choral progression, and is a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business, and listen to some fantastic established and developing musicians. Who: Chamber ensembles, jazz bands, choirs How much: prices vary per event Info: www.musicfestaberystwyth.org

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Thurs 22 June-Sat 29 July What: Formerly known as the Everyman Open Air Theatre Festival, which began life in 1983, the festival now attracts crowds of over 20,000 each year. Now based in Sophia Gardens, the month-long festival caters to all demographics, kids and grown-ups alike, with performances that capture the art of theatre (hopefully) in the sunshine. Who: The Vicar Of Dibley, Macbeth, Spamalot How much: prices vary per event Info: www.cardiffopenairtheartrefestival.co.uk

GOWER FESTIVAL Various venues, the Gower Sat 1-Sat 15 July What: This unique music festival is centred around hymns and the inspiring music that it creates. Established in 1976 by Jonathan Beecher, an Oxford cellist, the festival enjoyed its 40th anniversary last year, and is also set for another successful year of international music. This is after Gordon Back’s new direction of a more expansive music collective, who is in his fourth year in charge as the creative director. The festival takes place in many old churches, and is aimed to attract tourists and take locals out of the city to enjoy the stunning countryside on offer in the Gower. How much: TBC Info: www.gowerfestival.org BUZZ 18

Various venues, Llangollen Sat 3-Fri 9 July What: The picturesque town of Llangollen has been host to this distinctive cultural festival since 1947, spreading a message of peace and goodwill in an international context; it brings the world to Wales and Wales to the world. Held in early July, the festival attracts some 4,000 performers and 50,000 visitors, all sharing the same message celebrating peace and friendship, and of course song and dance. How much: prices vary per event Info: www.eistedfodd.co.uk

Pic: Liz Aiken

CARDIFF OPEN AIR

MUSICFEST

MONMOUTH FESTIVAL Various venues, Monmouth Fri 28 July-Sat 5 Aug What: The Welsh border town of Monmouth welcomes a wide selection of music to its streets: from country and folk to dance and pop, the music is new and old, local and foreign. The festival is also a not-for-profit organisation and all proceeds are invested in improving and securing future festivals in an enchanting atmosphere. Who: Caspiens, The Rews, Skinny Lister How much: TBC Info: www.monmouthfestival.co.uk

STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, Ebbw Vale Sat 29 + Sun 30 July What: Held in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, Steelhouse is officially the highest UK festival, and one of the best value rock festivals (according to their site anyway). The last weekend of July will be the seventh year of the festival, with a rather impressive lineup. Focusing on classic rock, the festival is quickly developing and gaining popularity for those who want a classic festival experience without needing to remortgage their homes. Who: Rival Sons, Skindred, Saxon, King King How much: £85/£50 per day Info: www.steelhousefestival.com

FILM

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017 GREEN MAN

Pic: Ryan Adams

Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons Thurs 17-Sun 20 Aug What: Even more popular than big name festivals like Festival No.6 is the Brecon Beacons’ own Green Man Festival. This year it’ll be hosting big names like Ryan Adams, Michael Kiwanuka and John Hopkins, the festival celebrating its 15th year anniversary in 2017 as its popularity continues to rise. The festival remains the largest contemporary music and arts festival in Wales today. Who: Sleaford Mods, The Shins, Future Islands How much: £20-£180 Info: www.greenman.net

GREEN MAN

GLASTONBARRY

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD

RAWFFEST

Romilly Park, Barry Sat 29 + Sun 30 July What: Glastonbury on a budget some might say, filled with some of the UK’s top tribute acts. Fans have been known to travel from as far away as far away as Spain and New Zealand! With a line-up filled with 14 tribute bands, four more than last year, it’s a pretty cost effective way to travel back through time. Tribute acts include those inspired by Arctic Monkeys, Michael Jackson and Guns N’ Roses with Bowie and prince being this year's must see highlights to name but a few, meaning there’s bound to be something for everyone on the last weekend of July. Always a happy, fun filled affair.. Watch out for the Buzz stand and roaming buzz photographer! Who: Oasish, The Stevie Wonder Experience, The Jamd How much: £25 weekend ticket / £45 VIP Info: www.glastonbarry.com

Bodedern, Anglesey Fri 4-Sat 12 Aug What: The annual National Eisteddfod is going to the town of Bodedern in Anglesey this year, honouring and promoting Welsh music, poetry, arts, crafts and language. With over a week’s worth of events lined up, it can be hard to pick a particular highlight, but a moving one ought to be the festival’s commemoration of the centenary of the death in World War I of Hedd Wyn, the Welsh poet whose posthumously work won him in the Chair Of Eisteddfod in Birkenhead 100 years ago. Who: Yws Gwynedd, Yr Eira, Ed Holden. How much: £15-£20 Info: www.eisteddfod.wales/anglesey-2017

Various venues, Llandudno Thurs 17-Sun 20 Aug What: A festival all in the name of art, RawFfest is a youth arts festival that supports and promotes work from young artists aged 14-25. In 2013, the Arts Council For Wales found that there was a gap in the market for a festival that would promote and provide more opportunities for young artists and their work. As such, following on from the success of the very first RawFest in Newport last year, the festival returns to Llandudno in 2017 for more of the same. As part of a drive to push participation and promotion of art amongst young people, the festival involves a four-day programme that acts as a vehicle to train young people in the arts. How much: £50-£100 (bursaries available) Info: www.rawffest.wales

KAYA FESTIVAL Bridgend College Fri 4-Mon 7 Aug What: The third festival will this time take place at Bridgend College, Pencoed Campus. After the success of the last two years, the festival is set to continue delivering its diverse range of music, from ska to soul, rock to reggae and funk to house, making this smallscale festival and its wide range of music one to watch in 2017 and beyond. Who: TBC How much: £45-£65 Info: www.kayafestival.com

MAES B FESTIVAL Bodedern, Anglesey Fri 4-Sat 12 Aug What: Taking place during Eisteddfod week, its alternative little brother of a festival focuses on promoting and enjoying the best new music coming out of Wales today. Held in the chilled-out Anglesey surroundings, the festival is gaining momentum year on year after being created back in 2012. With a platform for new Welsh music, Maes B is the best place to see the next big thing. Who: TBC How much: £12-£110 Info: www.maesb.com

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BRECON JAZZ Various venues, Brecon Fri 11-Mon 14 Aug What: An intimate, community-focused event. Brecon Jazz in 2017 will aim to provide that same close-knit feel as it did last year, bringing jazz-loving artists and fans together for a much more personal one-to-one experience than might be possible for a larger-scale event. Who: Teddy Smith Big Band, Tina May & Wales-Latin Jazz Ensemble, a Women In Jazz exhibition and more How much: free, some events ticketed Info: www.breconjazzclub.org

CASTELL ROC Chepstow Castle Thurs 17-Mon 28 Aug What: Set in the historic settings of Chepstow Castle, the festival enjoys a full 10 days of music including Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Club, Motown and some Elvis. The festival has a reputation of relaxed intimacy, with music taking you back and forth through time. Who: New Model Army, Collabro, Monsters Of Rock How much: prices vary per event Info: www.castellroc.co.uk

BURNING LANTERN Sat 12 Aug National History Museum, St Fagans What: Taking place in the heart of one of Wales’ most famous and beloved museums, this family one-day open air festival celebrates Welsh culture and features big name headliners from singer/songwriter Tom Odell, Jack Savoretti, The Shires, The Gentle Good, Into The Ark, and Motown legends Martha And The Vandellas, as well as street food, local craft beer, circus workshops, arts and crafts, pony rides, and a vintage-style fun fair. Perfect for those who want the thrill and celebration of music provided by a festival, but can’t bear the idea of sleeping in a tent and doing their business outside. Guaranteed to be a great day out for families and music lovers. Gates open from 4pm. Who: The Shires, Tom Odell, Jack Savoretti How much: £45 (adults), £22.50 (5-16-year-olds) Info: www.burninglantern.com

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PENFRO BOOK FESTIVAL Rhosygilwen, Cilgerran Fri 8-Sun 10 Sept What: Set in the heart of the stunning county of Pembrokeshire and celebrating all that is good about literature in Wales today, the PENfro Book Festival (get it?) is back with more local publishers, book sellers and special guests over the second weekend of September. Who: all readers, poets and general bookworms How much: TBC Info: www.penfrobookfestival.org.uk

VELVET COALMINE

IRIS PRIZE

FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017

PRIDE CYMRU

THE GOOD LIFE FESTIVAL

Cardiff Civic Centre Fri 25-Sun 27 Aug What: Working for the promotion of the elimination of discrimination through the annual celebration of equality and diversity, the Wales LBGT community is partying once again in 2017 with Pride Cymru. The journey from the first event in 1999 has come a long way from 5,000 visitors to 20,000, with the festival has gaining momentum year on year. Notable patrons include Nigel Owens, Ian H. Watkins and Lu Corfield. Who: TBC How much: TBC Info: www.pridecymru.co.uk

Hawarden, Flintshire Fri 15-Sun 17 Sept What: This festival will see it continue to offer a wide range of activities including music and literary events, food and drink, and arts and crafts. Started by four friends ‘searching for the good life’, the founders portray a message of finding solace in what makes them happy in life and going back to simpler times of previous generations that were filled with these types of things. Who: TBC How much: £60-£117 Info: www.thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk

HUB FESTIVAL Various venues, Womanby Street, Cardiff Sat 26-Mon 28 Aug What: Set for August bank holiday with 200 acts, 12 stages, three venues and one wristband, Hub really is a diamond of a Welsh summer festival. With everything from rock, reggae, house, blues, jazz and funk but to name a few, this festival has something for all lovers of live music. Taking place in the cultural jewel in Cardiff’s alternative crown, Womanby Street, Hub brings a feeling of unity and celebration for everything the city has to offer. The perfect setting for the perfect summer festival. Who: TBC How much: £15 weekend (until Sat 22 Apr) Info: www.facebook.com/hubfestival

THE BIG CWTCH Crugybar Fri 1 + Sat 2 Sept What: The award-winning charity, music and food festival is back in 2017 following last year’s success. The festival’s lakeside location in the Camarthenshire countryside is set to host a range of pop-up bars, restaurants, and street food stalls. To accompany the food, there's an eclectic mix of live music right including artists taking over the Welsh music scene. However, what gives this festival a distinct flavour is the partnership with the charity Ski4allWales. Who: TBC How much: TBC Info: www.thebigcwtch.com BUZZ22 22 BUZZ

Various venues, Blackwood Thurs 7-Sat 16 Sept What: Alongside new playwriting, comedy and music, a 10-day International Children's Literature Festival dominates Velvet Coalmine 2017 with official partner Africa Writes bringing an army of African writers to the Valleys. Who: TBC How much: TBC Info: www.velvetcoalmine.com

IRIS PRIZE FESTIVAL NO.6 Portmeirion Thurs 7-Sun 10 Sept What: Based in the idyllic town of Portmeirion, this festival was named after Patrick McGoohan’s character in the classic 1960s TV series The Prisoner, which was filmed in Portmeirion. However, unlike No.6 who was always trying to escape, the organisers from Festival No.6 say you'll never want to leave, and instead of big scary balloons keeping you in place, it’ll be this year’s lineup, including The Flaming Lips, Cinematic Orchestra and Jagwar Ma. As well as the wide range of arts and culture, activities and experiences, and food and drink, the accommodation is also something unique to the festival. With everything from space for camper van camping, pre-erected tents, general camping and boutique camping to cottages, rooms and castle accommodation, the festival caters for all comfort requirements. One of the biggest festivals in Wales without any doubt, this is definitely one for the diary. Who: Cabbage, James Vincent McMorrow, Joy Orbison How much: £140-£345 Info: www.festivalnumber6.com

Various venues, Cardiff Tue 10-Sat 15 Oct What: The Cardiff international LGBT short film festival is a pioneering festival celebrating the talents of those in the community, having attracted some of the biggest names in LGBT cinema in previous years. The Iris prize is the only award of its kind, where the winner receives £30,000 to make their next film, and does great work all year round to promote LGBT awareness and rights around the country. Who: TBC How much: prices vary per event Info: www.irisprize.org

R17 Until the end of 2017 Various venues, Cardiff What: 100 years on from the Russian Revolution, R17 is a celebration of the cultural ties between Wales and Russia, and the history between the two countries; it aims to raise awareness of the shared history, and the ongoing links between our nations. As such, a wide range of events are to be held over the course of the year after a collaboration between arts organisations across Wales, including plays from award-winning writers, opera, dance, film, photography exhibitions as part of Diffusion, classical concerts, and more. Who: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, P.A.R.A.D.E. How much: prices vary per event Info: www.r17.wales

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BUZZ 23

FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017

CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

F OOD FESTIVA L S More of a foodie than a festival goer? Explore some of the best celebrations Wales has to offer with Lorria Sahmet’s round up of the foodie festival season.

CAERPHILLY FOOD FESTIVAL

COWBRIDGE FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Town centre, Caerphilly Sat 6 May What better way to enjoy the spring than with the freshly-picked produce and refreshing flavours on offer at the Caerphilly Food Festival. Returning once more with delicious tastes and fragrant smells, Caerphilly offers a range of professional cooking demonstrations, homemade sweet-treats and range of delicious madeto-order dishes. Not only focusing on delicious foods, this year the festival is joining forces with the Farmers Market and Caerphilly Craft Fair, perfect for those keen-eyed thrifters. Admission: free Info: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/foodfestival

Arthur John & Vale Forge Car Parks / Old Hall Gardens, Cowbridge Sun 28 + Mon 29 May For another year of exciting flavours, the Cowbridge Food And Drink Festival celebrates foodie favourites and irresistible bargains. An exciting combination in the cosy town of Cowbridge – surrounded by a beautiful countryside and coastline – showcasing over 80 stalls of locally-grown produce and homemade delicacies along with their excellent hospitality. For those who decide to taste what more Cowbridge has to offer, nearby accommodation is also available. Enjoy your bank holiday weekend with a festival filled with culinary delights and family fun. Admission: £5 per day/£8 both days Info: www.cowbridgefoodanddrink.org.uk

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS VEGAN FESTIVAL Depot, Cardiff Sun 7 May Join Absolutely Fabulous Vegan Fayres for another one of their popular Vegan Festivals, which they hold around Wales. Serving all-natural vegan delights, the festival recognises the growing vegan community in Cardiff and is delighted to showcase a wondrous range of delicious and healthy alternatives from local vegan restaurants and bakeries. Delicious samples of all-time favourites include vegan pizza, fish and chips, cheese, chocolate, various baked goods - the impressive list continues. All dishes are locally made and filled with irresistible flavours. A good spot for clean eating. Admission: £1 Info: www.facebook.com/abfabvegan

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PEMBROKESHIRE FISH WEEK Milford Fish Docks, Milford Haven Sat 24 June-Sun 2 July Celebrate the beautiful Pembrokeshire seaside, and its seafood culinary heritage, with a weeklong festival of fish, fish, and more fish. A delight for all seafood fans, Fish Week offers a variety of activities such as fishing trips, lessons and angling competitions. But of course, the biggest catch is the freshly caught fish for sale and prepared in different ways for delicious samples: grilled, tapas, traditional fish and chips and more. Learn the proper way to filet a fish or join cooking classes led by celebrity chefs. Either way, it more than lives up to its reputation as one of the best seafood festivals around. Admission: free Info: www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk

Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay Fri 14-Sun 16 July Soak in the summer sun with a visit to Cardiff’s International Food And Drink Festival, the largest free food festival in Wales. As the name says, it features over 100 national and international stalls offering a range of unique flavours. Bring out your inner foodie with the festival’s Producers’ Fayre – delicious light samples galore – and the Farmer’s Market where visitors can buy fresh produce, including homemade artisan breads and organic cheeses. Also, a crowd pleaser are the festivals’ finest street snacks, some of the best in Wales. Getting stuck in with a fresh glass of bubbly, it’s no wonder why this remains a popular summer event. Admission: free Info: www.visitcardiff.com/events/cardiffinternational-food-drink-festival

GOWER CHILLI COOL HEAT FESTIVAL South Gower Sports Club, Port Eynon, Swansea Sat 22 + Sun 23 July To spice things up, head over to Gower Chilli Festival for some extra heat this summer. Fittingly named, the festival celebrates spice with a variety of chilli-inspired food and drinks. Begin with an array of unique and tasty snacks, from chocolates to cheeses, and continue with delicious tongue-tingling street food. To top it off, head to the infamous Chilli Cocktail bar and unwind with chilli-infused spirits and mixers. If this isn't hot enough for you, take part in the newly introduced Chilli Eating Competition or the Great Gower Cookoff. You’ll need a quick way to cool off after this. Admission: free Info: www.gowerchillis.com

THE BIG CHEESE Caerphilly Castle Sat 29 + Sun 30 July An eclectic mix of different activities including street entertainers, living history, music, dance, a funfair, folk dancing, and fire eating to name but a few. One of the big cheeses of Welsh festivals celebrates the town’s cheesy heritage and will take place on the last weekend of July. Set in the shadows of one of Europe’s largest castles, over 80,000 people are expected to flock to enjoy the different activities on offer this summer. Admission: free Info:www.visitcaerphilly.com

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL Various venues, Abergavenny Sat 16 + Sun 17 Sept Established in 1999 by two local farmers after the devastating BSE crisis in order to restore faith in British farmed foods, the festival has more than proven its point and continues to grow, now attracting some 30,000 visitors each year to one of the biggest events in the Welsh foodie calendar. With everything from organic cheeses to international drinks, there’s bound to be something to satisfy your taste buds in the beautiful town. The rich history and reputation of the festival has attracted previous visits from top chefs like Raymond Blanc and Rick Stein. Admission: free Info: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Credit: Keith Morris

Gorffenaf 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 July Richard Blackford Welsh Chamber Orchestra David Campbell Toby Purser Rosanna Cooper Guy Johnston Sigyn Fossnes Jeremy Huw Williams Jamie Campbell Orion Orchestra Kyle Horch Sacconi Quartet Tom Poster Solem Quartet GĹľyl 8 niwrnod o gyngherddau, cyrsiau a pherfformiadau ymylol am ddim yn Aberystwyth 8 day festival of concerts, courses and free fringe performances in Aberystwyth

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BUZZ 25

Pic: Leif Laaksonen

upfront

WILKO JOHNSON

Gwyn Thomas De Chroustchoff speaks to British proto-punk hero, Game Of Thrones hatchet man and cheater of death Wilko Johnson. Sitting at his home in Southend, Wilko Johnson is coming to terms with everyday life. “I’m only really happy when I’m playing, the rest of the time I’m just sitting here,” he says. “I’m looking out at my garden now, it’s all overgrown like a jungle. Oh man, it’s so depressing.” Tiresome words from a privileged rock star, you might think. There’s much more to this story, though; three years ago, Johnson was ready to leave the mortal world forever. As a guitarist, singer and songwriter, he has been an imposing figure in pop music since the mid-1970s, when his former band Dr Feelgood rejected the pretentious fanfare of prog rock in favour of face-to-face live shows and raw style. Johnson was the driving force behind their first four, incendiary albums, which inspired the punk movement: not only was his finger-slicing guitar style influential, but punk symbols like Joe Strummer and John Lydon have acknowledged the impact of his terrifying stage presence. After years touring and recording with Ian Dury & The Blockheads and his own Wilko Johnson Band, he found a late-blooming acting career, putting his fearsome grimace to use in Game Of Thrones as the mute executioner Ser Ilyn Payne. This should have been his swansong – he’d already written his autobiography, after all. What happened next sounds like the fantasy of an overenthusiastic PR team. Rushed to hospital in 2012 and diagnosed with inoperable cancer, Johnson was given nine months to live. Instead of being struck down though, he was energized by a renewed passion for life and recorded the album Going Back Home with Roger Daltrey. While living – and touring – on borrowed time, a sudden breakthrough came. Johnson underwent radical surgery, leaving him officially cancer-free in 2014. “Everything’s quite confused since then,” he says, in a sorrowful tone. Forget that notorious stare and scowl; offstage and off set, he’s unguarded and emotionally open, sometimes chuckling, sometimes revealing a deep melancholy. He howls with

laughter at my suggestion that he’s thought about packing it in so he can focus on the unruly garden full-time; it’s obviously not over yet, and there’s even a new album on the cards. It has a lot to live up to: the last one was recorded over eight days, and he didn’t think he’d be around by the time it was released. “If you’ve only got limited time to record something, there’s no time to bugger about and it's always much better. If you’ve been told by a doctor, ‘you're going to die,’ you’ve got got your deadline – literally.” Going Back Home was his most successful album since the 70s.“It’s ridiculous, man ... I’m lying in a hospital bed, people bringing in silver discs and all that.” He’s overwhelmed when he attempts to process the significance of his ordeal – it’s full of contradiction and chaos. The year he thought he was dying was among the best of his life, he says, giving him “a whole different way of looking at things”. But the combination of this extreme confrontation with mortality with a newfound fame and TV appearances “propelled it into a dream.” Then there was the long, post-operative “purgatory” in hospital, which he now looks back on warmly, due to the care shown by NHS staff. He’s even had to welcome the return of his depression – ironically, evidence that he's back to normal. His autobiography, Don’t You Leave Me Here, was released last year and looks unflinchingly at his life both pre- and post-diagnosis. He’s still a committed atheist, despite expressing a fondness for the Buddha: “I like the little smile, ‘cos he knows.” He does seem to have achieved a Zen-like satisfaction in some respects, though – having bought a telescope, he now gets his kicks from astrology, instead of amphetamine. Saturn sends him into a rapture: “God, it’s so beautiful. It's like a little jewel... it’s perfect. You see the rings tilted; you see the shadow of the rings on the planet. Oh man, it’s great.” His voice is getting breathy. He's very much alive. Wilko Johnson, Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 15 Apr. Tickets: £25. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com

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Marcelo Brodsky 1968 the fire of ideas

upfront

Vanley Burke, South Africa, Sharpeville

Tatiana Vinogradova Days of Melancholy

Bojan Radovic The Icon The Star

Diffusion: International Festival Of Photography, various venues across Cardiff, throughout May. Info: www.diffusionfestival.org BUZZ BUZZ28 28

Tatiana Vinogradova Days of Melancholy

The third edition of Cardiff’s biennial photography festival returns this year, after successful runs in 2015 and 2013. Always at the cutting edge of visual arts, Diffusion International Festival Of Photography will host a number of exhibitions from artists all over the world this May, as well as a series of workshops and talks, held in partnership with Buzz magazine to celebrate its 25 years in existence. The theme this year is Revolution. In today’s tumultuous, uncertain modern world, the word ‘interesting’ seems damning with faint praise at times. With Brexit, Trump, the migrant crisis, rising hate crimes, divided communities and resentment everywhere, it’s as vital a time as any for art to fight back, using its capacity to provoke debate and bring together communities in a positive way. As such Diffusion’s diverse variety of exhibitions this year will cover a vast amount of ground. State Of The Nations by kennardphillips aims to question the status quo and the narratives that form around news images and the media, alongside its murky relationship with political and financial elites. An ongoing collaboration by Peter Kennard and Cat Phillips, two of the UK’s most important photomontagists, kennardphillips began in 2002 as a protest against Tony Blair’s Iraq War policies, with the aim of taking art out of the galleries of the art world and into public and popular discourse via simple, powerful messages, encouraging direct interaction with the wider world. There will also be exhibits by Slovenian-born artist Bojan Radovi´c, The Icon/The Star, and Paolo Cirugia, Perestrojka. The former looks at the iconic five-pointed red star, for much of the 20th century a symbol of revolution and radicalism, including in his home country of what was then Yugoslavia, and the way it has been increasingly divested of meaning by bland consumerism: a nostalgia tool for those pining for the comforting old days of socialism, be they Slovenes, Serbs, or Slovaks, now an object emptied of its old meaning.

kennardphillipps State of the Nations

Fedor Tot looks into this year’s Diffusion photography festival and Buzz’s collaborative workshops as part of the festival.

Lais Pontes Born Now Here

DIFFUSION PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

1-31 May / Mai 17

diffusionfestival.org _Diffusion

diffusionfestival

_Diffusion

Image © Laís Pontes Born Nowhere

upfront

TINARIWEN Desert Rock Fedor Tot speaks with the internationally renowned Tuareg group Tinariwen about their record and the spirit of resistance.

How would you describe the new album Elwan? Elwan, which means ‘elephants’, is a metaphor directed to those people of influence in our country’s geo-political stage. Artistically speaking, we’re very pleased with this new album, and it faithfully illustrates our style. The recording sessions for Elwan were an excellent experience, tinted with great encounters and a nice evolution within the band! You have recorded many of your albums not in studios but in the desert. Why? It’s because of the inspiration and the way we spend time in the desert. For us, it’s the best way to feel united, as if we’re behind closed doors, or out on a boat, it’s all of us gathered for an adventure. The magic of music is not something we can invent, we have to live it! How important is the environment for you when it comes to making music? The inspiration required to write music can happen at any place and any time. Sometimes life and lived experiences leave a trace in our minds and a desire to share these feelings is born. Emaar and parts of Elwan were recorded in the Joshua Tree Desert in California rather than in the Sahara due to the political situation there. Is there a difference between the two deserts when you’re recording there? They’re very different for many reasons, especially in terms of logistics, but also because of the important historical contributions that the United States Of America has made to music. So, for us it was a time to embed ourselves more concretely within this American history of music.

Your music has often been seen as playing a part in protests and rebellion in favour of the Tuareg people. How far do you think music can go in having a concrete and positive political influence in this respect? Protests or a sort of rebellion aren’t really the right words from our point of view, because we really make poetry in order to awaken the conscience of our people by using all of the experiences we’ve had all around the world over the past 20 years. We aspire strongly for world peace for the whole world, and we work to fuel this hope! You have had guest appearances from some great and varied artists on your albums in recent years, such as Kyp Malone from TV On The Radio, Mark Lanegan, and Kurt Vile. What is it like collaborating with people from a different musical tradition to yours? These encounters happened naturally: each one artistically contributed what they felt within themselves, and went with what the music evoked, quite simply! Each collaborator went in their own direction and they all have a different feeling, there’s no such thing as chance in it. Is there anything you’ve learnt from these collaborations, and do you think you’ve taught your collaborators anything in return? They’ve mainly just been beautiful encounters; they’re atmospheres that allow us to find new ways to live in this world! Tell us something about Tamasheq, your native language. It’s a very ancient language, loaded to the brim with history, transmitted through poetry and all the mechanisms that awaken the imagination. Translation from French by Francois Declerq Tinariwen, Tramshed, Cardiff, Thurs 27 Apr. Tickets: £20. Info: 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com

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LIVE COMEDY EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY The best comedians want to play The Glee so don’t miss out on a superb night of live entertainment that will keep you laughing until Monday.

COMEDY TOUR SHOWS THUR 30TH MAR

TOM ALLEN & SUZI RUFFELL WED 19TH APRIL

REGINALD D. HUNTER

MON 1ST MAY

DESI CENTRAL SUN 4TH JUNE

WAHALA COMEDY CLASH: JAMAICA VS AFRICA

TUES 6TH JUNE

THUR 6TH JULY

TOM GREEN’S THE NOISE EUROPEAN COMEDY NEXT DOOR ROAD TRIP THUR 14TH SEPT SOLD OUT CARL DONNELLY & THUR 8TH JUNE CARL HUTCHINSON (DOUBLE HEADER) TOM GREEN’S EUROPEAN COMEDY THUR 5TH OCT ROAD TRIP LUISA OMIELAN EXTRA DATE

MON 12TH JUNE

LIMMY

TALK & BOOK SIGNING

WED 11TH OCT

TOM STADE

NEW 2017 SHOW THUR 12TH OCT

NICK HELM

LIVE MUSIC SUN 9TH APRIL

THE SHOWHAWK DUO

AS HEARD ON NICK GRIMSHAW’S BREAKFAST SHOW (BBC RADIO 1)

SPECIAL EVENTS MON 16TH OCT

SUN 3RD DEC

(BRIAN PERN, BILLY BLEACH, GEOFFREY ALLERTON, TONY BACKTON)

BURLESQUE & CABARET

SIMON DAY: IN CHARACTER

MERMAID QUAY • CARDIFF BAY • CF10 5BZ

THE GILDED MERKIN

upfront

DREAM THEATER: JAMES LABRIE Before stopping off in Cardiff as part of their Images And Words tour, and promoting their latest album The Astonishing, Dream Theater’s lead singer James LaBrie laughs about the first time he visited Wales. “We’ve always had loyal fans in the UK for years since we started playing there in 1992, 93, so it’s always been an amazing experience. Although, the very first time we came into Cardiff, I went out for a walk, checking out your town, and I got lost. I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the hotel. “So I bumped into this guy, and I said ‘hey man, listen, I’m not from around here, this is my first time in England and I can’t find my way back’, and he said to me, ‘well, that’s your fucking problem right there! You’re not in England. You’re in WALES!’” 25 years after the release of Images And Words, have they found anything new while revisiting it in their tour? “We’ve sat around as a band and thought about the way we wrote music back then. It’s kind of a reminder of where we were; you start to recall where we were at that point as a band, what was inspiring us. The way the human mind works, once you internalise something and let it reside within you for a while, those are the things that naturally come out in a new way.” How challenging was it to release their latest album The Astonishing? “In today’s musical environment, it was a very bold statement for a band to release a double album concept album that’s over two hours long. But a band like ourselves and with our fans, they understand who we are, so it’s not really that big a surprise to them that we would do something like that. I think that’s what makes us who we are. It’s not about playing things safe, we’ve always gone outside the box.” So, what’s next for Dream Theater and James? “We’ll be supporting the 25th anniversary until December 2017, and by that point we’ll want to take some time off. At some point in 2018 we’re going to start working on a new album. Also at this point, I’ve begun to write another solo album with Matt Guillory, so I’m hoping to have that done by this fall and have that released.” FEDOR TOT Dream Theater, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Sat 22 Apr. Tickets: £32.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

REGINALD D HUNTER “I think it’s a very difficult time to be in comedy right now,” Reginald begins when asked about comedy in the face of adversity. “Nobody knows quite what to say about these times. We live in times that are so politicised that if you take a stand on anything it’s going to piss people off. There seems to be a camp that tries to make sense of what’s happening right now and then you have all the other people who just like to talk about the cute stuff. Most of all I was a little scared about it. I was like what am I gonna say? Cause I’m not gonna do fluffy and cute.” After this, he discusses his writing process: “I made a commitment to the comedy gods when I first started. I always keep a tape recorder or a notepad or an assistant nearby to jot things down. One time years ago, a punchline finally hit me for this joke that I had been thinking of for three years, and it was in the middle of sex. I got up and she was like ‘what are you doing? I can’t believe you’re writing down a joke!’ and I was like ‘baby, if I get this one right we’ll be able to eat off this one for years!’” So, what can audiences expect in the show? “It’s going to be what I believe. Cause you gotta work out what you believe first. I don’t say stuff that I don’t believe. That’s the fastest way to get bored and to develop self-loathing. So, I have definite views on stuff now that was cloudy to me a month ago. The point is you know when you have to know. “I think one of the good things about raising children is it makes you fucking figure out what your true values are, because you have to tell those to somebody that you love. You don’t say, ‘some of this, but some of that’; you say, ‘no it’s this, and don’t do it again.’ Sometimes we don’t fully see what we believe, there’s some doubt rooms in your head and you don’t want to unlock the door... but I do it, so people can laugh.” RUTH SEAVERS Some People V. Reginald D. Hunter, The Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Wed 19 Apr. Tickets: £15. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk Pontardawe Arts Centre, Thurs 20 Apr. Tickets: £15. Info: 01792 863722 / www.npttheatres.co.uk Savoy Theatre, Monmouth, Fri 21 Apr. Tickets: sold out. Info: 01600 772467 / www.monmouth-savoy.co.uk BUZZ 32

profile

M A R K

L E R U S T E

Luke Owain Boult speaks with Mark Leruste, speaking at TEDxCardiff and founder of The Unconventionalists podcast about life, the universe and everything. What inspired you to create The Unconventionalists podcast? Just after graduating, I found myself in Lithuania gatecrashing an MTV party, trying to interview Supafly Inc. To my surprise, they said yes. I think that’s when I realised what it felt like to truly come alive doing what you love, especially being there backstage and seeing them perform in front of a live crowd, and I definitely wanted a piece of that feeling! That was probably the very first podcast I ever recorded. I spent the next two years living abroad as a commercial journalist producing advertorial reports. I eventually left that job and took a jab at launching a startup with my childhood friend, but as our startup was far from paying the bills I needed to get a ‘proper job’. After being tired of the 9-5 desk job, I decided to create a video CV that went viral in 2012. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me that filming an online job application in my current office might backfire. Luckily, a tweet to Adam Garone, the co-founder and CEO of Movember (at the time), led me to a meeting in London, and I was invited to join the team as UK Country Manager. So I quit my job, and hopped on a Eurostar over to London. During those years I heard the stories of some incredible people, from cancer survivors to passionate fundraisers. What I realised is that everyone, when it came down

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to it, was really the same. We all had aspirations, dreams, and a great story to tell. And so, in 2015, I launched a podcast with a mission to share the stories of inspiring people who had been brave enough to turn their backs on the conventional path; who’d stepped off the standard conveyor belt, who were doing uncommon things and embraced the brilliant fear and freedom of the unknown; and who all had, above all, decided to live an unconventional life. Thus, The Unconventionalists podcast was born. What is a purposeful life? I love that question. It’s one I’ve been exploring for many years now. What I’ve come to realise is that there isn’t so much a one-size-fits all solution to the question. The very fact of asking yourself that question means you’re on the right track! So many of us go through life without even pausing for a second to re-assess what’s important to us. Now, I myself was an unconventional riches-torags story: when I was 22, I had a driver, a chef, lived in luxury accommodation and had everything paid for. Now that I run my own business I never know when the next client will come through the door and it’s a constant yo-yo journey navigating the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I think that’s what a purposeful life really means.

What is something you believe bothers most people about their lives, but they do not talk about? One thing I’ve noticed is that we tend to feel guilty about feeling negatively towards what we do. Especially if on paper it looks like what we do ‘should’ make us happy. I think the word ‘should’ is a really dangerous word. I’ve been in many jobs where on the outside it looked like I had it all, but deep down I felt awful. And the more external validation you get from what you do, the harder it is to open up about the fact that you’re actually unhappy. Especially when you hear things like, “What are you complaining about? At least you’ve got a job, and 99% of the world population have it worse than you.” Although there is some truth in the fact that we should feel grateful for all that we have, I think comparing our situation with people who have it worse than us isn’t actually that helpful. Because it won’t change how we feel. Worse, it will make us bottle up about how we feel. Which is never good. TEDxCardiff, Tramshed, Cardiff, Sat 22 Apr. Tickets: £25 (sold out – check box office for returns). Info: 029

l o l f a

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WHAT’S ON/AR FYND April / Ebrill – November / Tachwedd 2017

NANCY KERR & THE SWEET VISITOR BAND 25.04.17 – 8pm

ADAM BEN EZRA Gall Adam Ben Ezra weld potensial sydd heb ei wireddu cystal â neb, ac felly aeth ati i ddangos i’r byd beth y gall y bas dwbl ei wneud mewn gwirionedd. Mae ei gyfuniad unigryw o jazz, roc a cherddoriaeth y byd wedi cael ei wylio bron i ddeng miliwn gwaith ar YouTube, sy’n dangos bod ei chwyldro tawel ar fin ffrwydro. Mae’r rhyfeddod hwn o Israel i’w weld o flaen eich llygaid yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru.

COOPE, BOYES & SIMPSON 09.05.2017 – 8pm

Gyda rhaglen anhygoel, amrywiol o gerddoriaeth fyw, comedi a cabaret, mae gan y Ganolfan bopeth at eich dant ar nos Wener a nos Sadwrn. Ymunwch â ni i weld perfformiad ac i fwynhau coctels (a weinir i’ch bwrdd) ym Mae Caerdydd. Adam Ben Ezra knows unfulfilled potential when he sees it, so he set-out to show the world what the double-bass is truly capable of. His unique blend of jazz, rock and world music has clocked nearly ten million YouTube views, proving his quiet revolution is poised to explode. Catch this breathtaking Israeli sensation at close-quarters at Wales Millennium Centre. With an incredible, diverse programme of live music, comedy and cabaret, the Centre has got Friday and Saturday night covered. Join us for performance and cocktails (served to your table) in Cardiff Bay.

Mai 12 May 2017

RACHEL NEWTON BAND 27.06.2017 – 8pm

JOSIENNE CLARK & BEN WALKER 24.07.2017 – 8pm

Gyda drysau’n agor am 8pm / Doors open at 8pm I gael rhagor o wybodaeth a’r manylion llawn / For more information and full listings

wmc.org.uk/livemusic TOM RUSSELL 22.11.2017 – 8pm

film

by Keiron Self

COLOSSAL ****

Dir: Nacho Vigalondo (15, 110 mins) Anne Hathaway stars in this bizarre monstermash/comedy drama that surprises and entertains but ultimately collapses under the weight of its central conceit. Hathaway plays Gloria, a hard-drinking woman, who gets dumped by her boyfriend after one alcohol-fuelled night too many. Her subsequent mental breakdown reveals that she has the ability to control a monster that is terrorising downtown Seoul kaiju style. Yep, that’s a big premise. When she reveals her bizarre abilities to her group of friends, including old pal Jason Sudeikis, she gains a giant robot nemesis, also terrorising South Korea. As long as you don’t mind the idea of someone’s personal problems leading to wholesale city destruction and loss of life, Colossal kind of works. Hathaway has fun with her role; Sudeikis struggles with a plot twist, and Tim Blake Nelson and Dan Stevens are wasted, but Vigalondo’s film is engaging, inventive and daring. It’s Pacific Rim with depth and human emotion triumphing over the CGI, that manages to have a drunken brawl with sad humans who also lay waste to a city. Vigalondo has already done an excellent time travel movie, Timeless, and Extraterrestrial, a low-key alien film, this is another genrebusting development for an original gimmickly effective mind. Opens Apr 21

AFTERMATH **

Dir: Elliott Lester (15, 92 mins) Arnold Schwarzenegger continues his recent off-kilter movie choices in this grim, based-on-fact drama about a man who loses his wife and pregnant daughter in a freak plane crash. Swapping the weights for emotional heavy lifting, Arnie’s life becomes intertwined with the air traffic controller who debatably caused the plane crash, played by Scoot McNairy. Arnie sets out to find him, after McNairy and his family are relocated with a new name, leading to an eventual confrontation. It’s a low-key revenge drama, ponderously executed, a plot twist and some clunky dialogue does not help. Arnie, despite being no one’s idea of a first choice for this sort of role, does not disgrace himself, even if it is at times hard to buy that the ex-Terminator would have taken so long to get results. Following an initially promising start, Aftermath soon peters out into wellmeaning but dull blandness. Opens Apr 7

FAST AND FURIOUS 8 ****

Dir: F. Gary Gray (12A, 160 mins) The stunt-fuelled ‘family’ spectacular returns again for more high-octane action and clunky dialogue for a long time, running at over two and a half hours. That’s a lot of mayhem. This time out, Vin Diesel’s character Dom goes to the dark side apparently. Despite being all lovey-dovey with partner Michelle Rodriguez, Diesel is seduced by cyber-terrorist Charlize Theron for nefarious ends. So the main good guy becomes the bad guy, The Rock and Jason Statham, the previous baddie have to team up, along with series regulars Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson to fight against the man who brought them all together. Kurt Russell returns as government agent Mr Nobody, ensuring that the team have lots of cars and guns to do battle with, and the ludicrous set pieces include a submarine vs cars chase in the Arctic. The scale is huge: the last film grossed over a billion and a half dollars, making spectacle key, despite all the talk that this is the darkest and most emotional instalment yet. It will be utter nonsense, as the other Furious films are, but undoubtedly fun, with Helen Mirren also cameoing and, yes, bald muscly people hitting each other. A lot. Opens Apr 14

CITY OF TINY LIGHTS ****

Dir: Pete Travis (15, 110 mins) London noir adapted from Patrick Neate’s novel by the author himself, this is a confident, neonsoaked thriller that showcases Riz Ahmed’s leading man skills and Pete Travis’ sure direction. Ahmed plays a down-at-heel private investigator hired by a prostitute to look into the disappearance of her friend. The resulting machinations of the case soon finds Ahmed well out of his depth, drawn into Islamic fundamentalism, a crooked property scheme and an old love in the shape of Billie Piper. Roshan Seth excels as Ahmed’s cricket-mad Dad, whose inherent wisdom becomes an anchor as events spiral out of control. Ahmed is a charismatic lead transforming from cocksure to confused as the film unfolds and director Travis offers a glimpse of London rarely seen. Taut and economical, this is a superior British thriller that feels fresh. Opens Apr 7

LADY MACBETH ****

Dir: William Oldroyd (15, 89 mins) An adaptation by Alice Birch of the Russian novella Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov, this is a searing period drama, owing more to a thriller than any staid, corset-heavy chamber piece. Florence Pugh is superb as a 19-year-old girl married off by her father to a wealthy colliery owner’s son in 1865. It’s a loveless union, not aided by the repression visited upon her by her father and husband: she is to stay indoors and perform wifely duties, nothing more. This changes when she falls for groomsman Cosmo Jarvis, and they embark on a tempestuous affair which ultimately ends in tragedy. A pressure cooker environment is created through Pugh’s character as she brims with frustration at her lot and the misogyny of the time. This fantastic central performance lifts the film immensely, an accomplished portrayal of suffocating femininity and rebellion. Opens Apr 28

ALSO RELEASED APRIL 2017: MAD TO BE NORMAL (15) David Tennant plays controversial psychiatrist RD Laing in this look at him, his methods and the community he was part of in the 1960s. Michael Gambon and Elisabeth Moss join him. A DARK SONG (15) Irish occult spookiness as two people attempt a dangerous ritual. It will not end well. THE BOSS BABY (U) Alec Baldwin voices a baby, who is a boss with his customary droll intensity. Could be a Trump bio-pic? GOING IN STYLE (12A) Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin team up to be old together in a heist comedy that showcases their cinematic chops. Undemanding fun with an easy charm. NERUDA (15) Bio-pic of the Chilean poet who goes on the run in the 1940s for being a Communist. Gael Garcia Bernal emotes satisfyingly in Jackie

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 ****

Dir: James Gunn (12A, 120 mins) Star Lord and the gang are back in another expansion of the burgeoning Marvel franchise. Following the success of the sci-fi blockbuster two years ago, director James Gunn is back at the helm of the irreverent group of heroes. Chris Pratt, now a bonafide mega star after showing his chiselled abs and charismatic leading man chops in the first film, is Peter Quill once more, this time out searching for his family origins. Luckily, his father comes in the shape of Kurt Russell. Now that the off-kilter cosmos world has been set up, lines are being connected with other elements of the Marvel cinematic universe in a continuity nightmare for any perspective screenwriter. Former blue-skinned enemies Karen Gillan and Michael Rooker are set to become allies, Quill’s romance with Zoe Saldana’s Gamora goes up a notch and the tree-like Groot is now a sapling, Baby Groot, with a highpitched Vin Diesel voice. Bradley Cooper lends his voice to CGI Rocket Racoon once more as more jokes, explosions and mixtapes feature. Sylvester Stallone, Glenn Close, Elizabeth Debicki and cult favourite Nathan Fillion are also due to appear, let’s hope too many characters don’t spoil the campily enjoyable broth and that this mixtape will be as pleasingly awesome as the first. Opens Apr 28

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING ***

Dir: Ritesh Batra (12A, 108 mins) Julian Barnes’ novel on the reconfiguring of memory gets a film treatment with mixed results. In place of its darkly ruminative tone emerges upbeat misplaced comedy, side plots that pad out the story entirely created for the film and a feeling of ‘so what’. Jim Broadbent plays ageing grump Tony Webster, who receives a letter saying he has been left some money and a diary belonging to an old school friend who had committed suicide years ago. The suicide itself may have been triggered by a letter the young Broadbent had sent to his friend after he had ‘stolen’ away his girlfriend in his early 20s. Broadbent then sets about discovering the truth of his relationship with his peers, digging up and remembering the past and seeing it from another perspective. The cast are good, including Emily Mortimer and Charlotte Rampling, but the film unfortunately fails to convince. Opens Apr 14

THEIR FINEST ***

RAW ****

Dir: Julia Ducournau (18, 99 mins) A cannibal horror with a feminist slant, this is a gorefest with a resonant agenda that is not for the squeamish. Grace Merrier plays the 16-year-old Justine, a vegetarian arriving at veterinarian college, joining her elder sister played by Ella Rumpf. To be fully accepted she has to undergo some hazing rites, eating raw rabbit offal. Not nice, but it awakens in her a taste for human flesh and the horror escalates from there. A bloody twist on the coming of age tale writer/director Ducournau’s film is fresh despite sharing genetics from female-led body horror films like Ginger Snaps or Teeth. It’s sensual, unsettling and boasts a fantastic performance from Merrier as she negotiates a new world of female sexuality whilst still engaged in a battle with her sibling for superiority. There are plenty of eye-watering scenes, including a bikini wax that will make most men look away. The effects are visceral, the intelligence evident; Ducournau is making a horror with substance, and this is not a cheap exploitation flick but something far deeper and more meditative. Laced with images that will haunt, Raw is exactly that – raw. Opens Apr 7

Dir: Lone Scherfig (15, 117 mins) A crowdpleasing comedy drama with an occasionally grating Welsh accent as Gemma Arterton struggles to make her voice heard in the film world of 1940s Britain. Teamed with screenwriter Sam Claflin, she is tasked with making some upbeat propaganda films to help with the war effort by Richard E Grant’s pompous head of the Film Division. They settle on a tale of twins who sailed their boat to help out in the mass evacuation of France at Dunkirk, with Arterton charged with fashioning the slop/women dialogue. Love rears its head, Bill Nighy charms as an ageing actor brought in for the production and a cheery sentimentality about the plucky British spirit prevails. Director Scherfig happily pushes all the emotional buttons as various British character actors from Jeremy Irons to Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory to Rachel Stirling do their usual stuff. Formulaic but enjoyable. Opens Apr 21

UNFORGETTABLE ***

Dir: Denise Di Novi (15, 100 mins) Established producer Denise Di Novi (Edward Scissorhands, Crazy Stupid Love) branches out into directing in this schlocky bit of nonsense as Katherine Heigl sets out to ruin the life of her ex-husband’s new wife, played by Rosario Dawson. It starts off with a bit of tension dropping off the daughter, but soon Heigl is changing Facebook details, hiding wedding rings and attacking the new wife with knives. All the while an ineffective, disbelieving husband Geoff Stuits hand wrings about the state of mind of both of his female spouses, former Charlie’s Angel Cheryl Ladd is on duty as Heigl’s mother and the plot clichés mount up. It’s a B movie, given conviction by its two leads, Heigl getting the chance to chew the scenery whilst Dawson is as good as ever, that falls into queasily post-feminist Hand That Rocks The Cradle/Fatal Attraction mode. Opens Apr 21

director Pablo Larrain’s film. A QUIET PASSION (12A) Terrence Davis casts his masterful languid eye over the life of American poet Emily Dickinson; Cynthia Nixon excels in the lead. TABLE 19 (12A) Ensemble comedy drama as ex-maid of honour Anna Kendrick finds herself in a room with five quirky strangers at the wedding she is no longer part of. Not as funny or dramatic as it could have been, a bit smug. THE HANDMAIDEN (15) Oldboy director Chan-wook Park returns with another excellent tale based on Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith novel as a woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress with fraud on her mind. THE HATTON GARDEN JOB (15) Quickly knocked out take on the Hatton Garden robbery of 2015 and its bunch of elderly career criminal thieves. Larry Lamb is one of them.

pic: Jon Candy

pic: Zingyyellow

food/drink

GARETH BALE OPENING NEW SPORTS BAR Gareth Bale will be making his mark on Welsh business as well as football as he teams up with Brains to open up his own sports bar in Cardiff this summer. The bar and grill will be called Elevens, after Bale’s shirt number, and is due to open up in the site of the former Dempseys bar on Castle Street. Making the announcement on St David’s Day; the Spain-based multimillionaire who moved to Southampton aged 16 demonstrated his kinship with the city, stating “I feel that in Cardiff, there’s not really a major venue where you can specifically go to watch sport.”

Stuck for ideas this year? Elouise Hobbs hops around Wales and suggests her top picks for Easter foodie treats.

15 Castle Street, Cardiff. Info: www.sabrain.com

pic: Megan Eaves

EASTER EATS

WELSH CAKES In England they have hot cross buns; in Wales we have Welsh cakes. These delicious bakes have been a staple accompaniment with afternoon tea and a durable treat which was a favourite with miners in the 19th century. It’s always worth trying to make these simple treats yourself to present as a pre-dinner nibble but if you would rather leave it to the professionals, you should head down to Fabulous Welshcakes in Cardiff Bay. Their cakes are baked using traditional methods in small batches and come in a variety of seasonal flavours.

WALES RECOGNISED AS A WHISKY PRODUCING NATION

Fabulous Welshcakes, Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay. Info: 029 2045 6593 / www.fabulouswelshcakes.co.uk

LAMB DINNERS Lamb dishes will be the centrepiece at tables across Wales, and every restaurant worth its salt will be presenting their version of a lamb Sunday roast this Easter, but there are a few that stand out.THe Bunch Of Grapes in Pontypridd has an award-winning menu which boasts seasonal variations and meat sourced within a 30-mile radius. Llangoed Hall is a striking country house in the Wye Valley, whose Sunday lunches are renowned for featuring fruit and vegetables which have been picked from their 17-acre garden. Alternatively, if you fancy a twist on a traditional roast lamb dinner, it’s worth visiting the Meating Place in Cardiff. The restaurant has become known for their succulent hanging meat skewers but on Sundays, they ditch their usual menu and create their own version of a Sunday roast (hint: there is a lot of meat). Bunch Of Grapes, Pontypridd. Info: 01443 402934 / www.bunchofgrapes.org.uk

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SOMETHING SWEETER The Easter egg hunt has become a traditional feature of Easter Sunday, with young children hunting round the inevitably rainy garden after the adults sit around still full from dinner. If you want a place where you can satisfy your chocolate fix in a more elegant fashion, it’s worth visiting Nine Yards, who started Lent with a pop-up pancake and milkshake night which people are still raving about. The Italian Patisserie and Prosecco bar, serves enviable sweet treats, freshly prepared by Piero, whose training as a pastry chef evident is every bite. Whatever you are doing this Easter, make sure to set aside an afternoon to indulge the best dishes that Wales has to offer. Nine Yards, Cardiff. Info: 029 2022 9113 / www.facebook.com/NineYardsCardiff

The EU states that for a nation to be recognised as official whisky producers, it must have at least two distilleries making and marketing whisky. With the Gaelic-named Dà Mhìle, located in Ceredigion, announced that on Wed 27 Sept, they would be bottling Wales' first single-grain whisky, Wales officially became a ‘whisky producing nation’. Furthermore, the already-operational Penderyn look set to make the national count three, announcing plans to open another distillery in Swansea's old Hafod Copperworks. Info: www.penderyn.wales / www.damhile.co.uk

HANDSOME JACK’S BAR OPEN This new ‘old school cool’ bar on Cardiff’s St Mary Street describes itself as a “mischievous drinking den for rogues, rascals, rebels and rapscallions, filled with unconventional cocktails and copious amounts of gin”. Intriguing stuff, so are you handsome enough? Of course you are, you’re beautiful. Handsome Jack’s, St Mary Street, Cardiff. Info: www.handsome-jacks. co.uk

HERBY LAMB STEAKS Words FFIONA MILLS

As the daffodils rear their heads, the clocks turn forwards

PLACES TO GET SOZZLED IN THE SPRING

and everyone has a bit more of a spring in their step, Easter is the next feast day on the calendar to start thinking about. Even if you’re not planning a big family meal, it doesn’t mean you should miss out on eating

From Cardiff to Llanelli, and Swansea to the Gower, Ruth Seavers gets into the spirit of the spring and finds the best places in South Wales for a tipple. Remember to drink responsibly. Not that you will. We have to say that. Just don’t be an idiot.

the traditional paschal lamb – especially as it’s great

NO SIGN WINE BAR

flavours according to your taste.

Swansea’s oldest pub, where the 15th century wine cellar inspired Dylan Thomas in his short story The Followers. This is a sweet little spot to park yourself for that temperamental transition of weather Wales typically brings during spring. There’s a log fire on the cold days with big armchairs to settle yourself in and a terrace for the sunnier (rarer) days. 56 Wind Street, Swansea. Info: 01792 465300 / www.nosignwinebar.com

KILKENNY CAT

To fight like a Kilkenny cat is to fight tenaciously. The phrase comes from old Irish mythology and folklore and is where the name for this Irish pub hidden in Llanelli came from. Run by an Irish woman herself, the place has a vast selection of drinks, live music and is known for the craic in the area (not that kind of crack). 19 West End, Llanelli. Info: 01554 758177 / www.facebook.com/thekilkennycat

KING ARTHUR HOTEL

Known for their food and their beautiful spot in the Gower, the King Arthur is a popular choice for a lazy Sunday lunch and a pint in the sun. If you don’t live near it, it’s a bit of a bummer if you’re driving and you want to drink but you can always just book a room for the night and get the breakfast included in the morning to kick start your drive home. Reynoldston, Swansea. Info: 01792 390775 / www.kingarthurhotel.co.uk

MUMBLES ALE HOUSE

This teensy little spot is a town secret, hidden up the road just past Davies of Mumbles. They have an ever-changing selection of beers and the staff know everything there is to know about beer (in case you don’t). It’s very small, which means you can’t fail to meet new people and its compact size makes it feel like a pub has just opened in your mate Dave’s living room. Very cosy. 2 Dunns Lane, The Mumbles. Info: 07437 421963 / www.facebook.com/ mumblesalehouse

URBAN TAP HOUSE

Owned by the Tiny Rebel, Wales’ coolest (and cutest) brewing company, Urban Tap House is Cardiff’s first fully devoted craft beer bar serving the company’s award winning brews including Cwtch and Dirty Stop Out. The place has great food and board games and it’s good to know you’re supporting Welsh brewers. 25 Westgate Street, Cardiff. Info: 029 2039 9557 / www.tinyrebel.co.uk

seasonal Welsh produce! So, here’s my version of an Easter lamb dish for two with a Greek-inspired twist. Dill is often overlooked as simply a decoration for a smokedsalmon canape. In this recipe, however, dill’s clean and fresh flavours offset unctuous lamb steaks. The recipe gives estimations for the herbs, leaving room to adjust the

INGREDIENTS • 2 x 200g lamb leg steaks • 80g hazelnuts, finely chopped • Large bunch of dill, finely chopped • ½ large bunch of parsley, finely chopped • Handful of chives, finely chopped

• 2 tbsps lemon juice • 4 tbsps olive oil • Vegetable oil • Salt and pepper NB Cooking times will result in pink lamb.

METHOD 1. Preheat the grill to a high temperature. 2. Combine the hazelnuts, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Season the salsa generously. 3. Trim the lamb of excess fat, then drizzle both sides of the steaks with a little vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. 4. Heat a frying pan over a high heat. Seal the lamb all over, ensuring it has a good colour and that the fat has rendered. 5. Transfer the lamb steaks to the grill pan. Grill for 4 minutes on one side. 6. Turn the lamb and grill for another 2 minutes. Place a generous helping of the salsa on the lamb steak, pressing it in. 7. Cook the lamb steak for a further 2 minutes on that same side, checking that the salsa is not burning on the top. For pink lamb, a thermometer should read around 54°C. 8. When cooked, leave the lamb to rest for 5-10 minutes, covering with foil. Serve with buttered new potatoes and a fresh green salad.

www.thethinkingwomanscrumpet.com @ffionamills BUZZ 39

GET INVOLVED WITH BUZZ TV FOODIE BITES To reflect the booming food and drink scene in Wales, we’re planning on showing off some of the best the country has to offer with a series of short foodie films revealing just how our foodie favourites are created.

APRIL FOODIE FOCUS Words JANE COOK www.hungrycityhippy.co.uk

ward-winning Cardiff blogger Jane Cook (of hungrycityhippy.co.uk) rounds up five of this month’s most interesting, must-try food and drink events that the city has to offer.

Lee Skeet takeover at Brewdog Cardiff Sun 2 Apr This is the second in this acclaimed Dorset chef’s Cardiff supperclub series. The menu changes at every event as the season changes from spring to summer, showcasing the very best native Cornish produce. His last series of Cardiff events sold out in 48 hours but tickets for this one are still available at www.leeskeet.com Spanish Feria at Depot Sat 8 April With spring in full swing, Depot are teaming up with the local Spanish community to create a one-day celebration to remember, the Spanish April Feria. Expect authentic Spanish street food, flamenco dancing, live music and sangria to wash it all down with. For more info see depot.eventcube.io Cardiff Spring Foraging Course in Bute Park, Sat 8 Apr If you fancy yourself as a bit of an urban hunter-gatherer, this simple foraging walk around Bute Park in Cardiff City Centre will help you to identify a selection of spring shoots, edible plants, flowers and hopefully

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even some spring mushrooms. Tickets and more info available from www.wildfooduk. com Gin Stock at Depot Sat 15 Apr It’s back to the Depot again on Sat 15 for their annual celebration of all things gin. A host of the UK’s finest gin producers will be offering more than 30 different types, and a selection of the producers will be on-site themselves to offer tasting tips and information about the history and heritage of their distillations. As always, there’ll be local, independent street-food on offer too. For ticket, see depot.eventcube.io Lazy Sunday Club at Dusty Knuckle – every weekend Everyone’s favourite pizza peeps have announced they’ll be open 6 days a week from now on, and have launched the ‘lazy Sunday club’ from 9am to 3pm every week. Offering brunch, board games and strong coffee, this is where every selfrespecting foodie should be nursing their hangovers. For more info: facebook.com/ dustyknucklepizzacompany

This video series, which will be on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, will include a new video of a recipe every week from a selected restaurant, café, bar, patisserie or any other foodie wonder from around Wales, and will be around one minute long… straight to the point and mouth-watering, a nice little Buzz Bite. For an amuse-bouche of what you can expect, take a look at Buzz TV’s The Waiting Room’s Cocktail Masterclass: Spiced Bourbon Whiskey video (seen in the pictures in this column), available on YouTube and on the Buzz TV hub on our website. So, if you’re a foodie looking to find out how your favourite bars and restaurants come up with their signature drinks and dishes, and how you can try making them from home, make sure to keep an eye on our social media channels over the next few months. If you work in a bar, restaurant, café, patisserie, or anything else foodie-related and you’d like to contribute to the Buzz Bites series, then please get in touch on editorial@buzzmag.co.uk with Buzz Bites Contributor as the subject, or contact us on our social media channels. If you’d like to get involved or want to find out more information we’d love to hear from you. Happy eating and drinking! Info: www.buzzmag.co.uk / www.youtube. com/buzzmagtv

food/drink

I GIARDINI DI SORRENTO

HAPPY GATHERING: DIM SUM MENU

PLOUGH & HARROW

Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff. 029 2039 7531 / www.happygatheringcardiff.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere *** Arguably one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in Cardiff, Happy Gathering stands out as one of the culinary highlights in Canton’s bustling foodie scene. The restaurant is also renowned for its dim sum (Chinese tapas) and is a popular spot for a Sunday dim sum meal among the Chinese community. After noting to friends of mine from said community that I’d not actually gone out for dim sum in the city, they suggested Happy Gathering for ‘点心’, which because of my rather appalling Chinese translation skills, I translated as Chinese desserts (in my defence it can apparently mean both dim sum and dessert). When arriving at the restaurant, instead of choosing from a selection pastries, I found myself greeted with the likes of duck tongue and chilled chicken feet. Not one to be closed-minded, I dived right in. As per tradition, we order a huge amount of dishes: steam buns, chilled chicken feet, chicken feet in a chilli and black bean sauce, duck tongue, custard-filled spring rolls, steamed sponge cake, turnip squares, dumplings, congee and coconut puddings, to name but a few. All of them are, as expected, extraordinarily tasty, and the chilli and black bean chicken feet actually stood out as my favourite of the smorgasbord, the meat tender and beautifully spiced. That being said, it is extremely hard to eat with chopsticks. The duck tongue was another surprising favourite, with notes of chilli delicately flavouring it (be careful of the bone though). Happy Gathering’s dim sum menu is a marked change from what we often think of as Chinese cuisine in Wales, and is a great choice for adventurous foodies who want to try something new at a good price. LUKE OWAIN BOULT

City Road, Cardiff. 07703 429185 / www.i-giardini.com Food **** Atmosphere *** Taking inspiration from the flavours of the Sorrento peninsula, just a hop, skip and a jump from Pompeii, I Giardini di Sorrento is an independent Italian restaurant located just at the bottom of City Road, and since its opening in Kismet’s former location, it’s made quite a splash on the city’s culinary scene and is repeatedly noted as one of the best restaurants in the city. My curiosity piqued, I thought I’d take a look. Upon walking into the restaurant, you hear Italian being spoken and are treated to the sights and smells of the kitchen – just one of the cultural transportations that makes City Road such an exciting place. We’re soon taken upstairs to a more secluded area and seen to quickly. Struggling to narrow down the starters, I opt for antipasto sorrentino, a platter of Parma ham, salami, pancetta, mozzarella, olives, vegetables, and bread, to share with my dining partner. As ever with antipasti, not a lot can go wrong and it was a good (and rather hefty) entrée to the evening’s meal. Choosing the main was a little trickier, and there’s a huge selection of pasta, risotto, and pizza to choose from, not to mention the chef’s specials. I finally settle on a pizza contadina, featuring Italian sausage and broccoli as toppings on a homemade base following a traditional family recipe. The well-spiced pizza hits the spot and is surprisingly large, with broccoli being an unexpected hit as a pizza topping. My partner went for a pizza forte (mozzarella, tomato sauce, chilli, and spicy Italian sausage), and was as well received as the contadina. To finish, I go for a simple espresso and a tiramisu tradizionale, which was without a doubt the highlight of the meal – soft, creamy, rich, and perfectly made… not to mention extremely generous. I also sample the tarta di formaggio (a homemade cheesecake), which was just as generous and a perfect concoction of marscapone, Philadelphia, and ricotta cheeses. With big servings and good, simple food, little can go wrong with a meal at I Giardini di Sorrento, and its reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in Cardiff is well deserved. LUKE OWAIN BOULT

Monknash, nr Llantwit Major. 01656 890209 / facebook.com/ploughandharrowmonknash Food: **** Atmosphere: **** Buzz has reviewed the Plough & Harrow, one of the Vale Of Glamorgan’s cosiest country pubs, before, and it is always a pleasure to go back to – whether it be for the numerous beer festivals they hold throughout the year, the live music or the home-cooked food. The fact they are dog-friendly is a handy bonus, too. I go for all the above. One lunchtime in March, during a weekend potter through a blustery Vale, a sudden urge to have faggots and peas overtook my partner with such velocity I had no option other than to oblige. We entered to find a calmingly familiar scene: the fire roaring away, locals nattering and walkers resting. After a pint of Blue XXX, a glass of local cider and a warmth of ourselves by the hearth, faggots with chips and peas were ordered – as were homemade sausages with mash, gravy and peas. The Plough & Harrow’s menu is not cordon bleu and it doesn’t pretend to be: rather, this is honest, home-cooked food with locally sourced ingredients and bolstered by a decent range of beers and ales. Indeed, anyone with a keen interest in the latter should know that it’s a CAMRA award-winning alehouse. Under new ownership since our last visit, it remains an absolute gem in the middle of the Vale; a dog-lovers’ and walkers’ destination of choice, with Monknash and the lighthouse a hop away. It’s perfect for weekend visits and with a Glamorgan Heritage campsite a five-minute walk away, you have no excuse not to visit. The Plough & Harrow: an ever-welcoming, authentic country pub with great food. ANTONIA LEVAY BUZZ 41

art

HELEN DENNIS: EPHEMERAL COAST

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Fri 7 Apr-Sat 6 May After her exhibition at Swansea’s Mission Gallery last year, Helen Dennis returns to the city, this time to the Elysium Gallery. The earlier show was informed by the artist’s love of Swansea Bay’s swaying tides and rolling beaches, and the geographical impact that people and industry has had upon it; her new exhibition revisits the same fertile coastline, possessing some of the UK’s most stunning coasts alongside some of its largest industrial plants. UK-born, Brooklyn-based Dennis’ work explores the borderlines of photography and moving image, intricate drawings colliding with kinetic movement. By focusing on the industrial landscape that’s seared into the area around Swansea and Port Talbot, Helen Dennis hopes to get audiences thinking about the everchanging, shifting geography of the world around us, the balance between monolithic structures and the dwarfed humans that occupy themselves in their shadows, asking us to envision new ways of seeing and interacting with this environment. Ephemeral Coast is part of a larger artistic collaboration that connects coastal communities worldwide, from Wales to North America to Mauritius, which aims to provoke debate about the changing and often eroding nature of coastlines everywhere due to man. Admission: free. Info: 07980 925449 / www.elysiumgallery.com (FT) BUZZ 42

THE MOON AND A SMILE

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Until Sun 23 Apr If you’re interested in the history of photography and its links to Swansea, then this is a perfect exhibition for you. The Moon And A Smile is an exhibition commissioned by the Glynn Vivian, which invited nine international artists to respond to the photographs and techniques of some of the pioneers of photography who hailed from Swansea. In January 1839, Swansea local John Dillwyn Llewellyn, who went on to found the Royal Photographic Society, met Henry Fox Talbot, one of the first British photographers. Henry encouraged John and his sister Mary, who is believed to be the first female photographer in Wales, to experiment with different photographic techniques. By 1856, John had perfected his own technique, the oxymel process, which allowed negatives to be prepared in advance and developed up to a fortnight later. The Dillwyns’ family interest, innovation and scientific advancement allowed the industrial copper town of Swansea to become a centre of photography in the 1840s and 50s. The young pair also took much inspiration from Swansea’s rolling landscapes, the gardens at Penllergare, the estate they inherited from their father, and John by his young growing family and these feature prominently in their photography. As an exhibition, The Moon And A Smile responds to this period, where the act of both capturing and preserving images was being debated and questioned and presents a modern perspective alongside their Victorian counterparts. The gallery in which the photography is displayed is also a piece of history in itself. Glynn Vivian owned the biggest copper works in Swansea, but unlike his brothers who took over the family business, Glynn studied art at Cambridge. After travelling extensively, he returned to Swansea where he housed his growing art collection. He was particularity interested in collecting pieces from around the world, especially ceramics and this is reflected in the current collection. When Glynn’s health started to fail, he became a philanthropist and donated his collection of art to a purpose-built gallery, which was, and still is owned by the people of Swansea. Admission: free. Info: 01792 516900 / www.glynnvivian.com ELOUISE HOBBS

CHRIS GOLLON: GIMME SOME WINE

JAMES MORRIS: FOR THE PEOPLE

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Until Sat 20 May IAP Fine Art, Monmouth Photographer James Morris was born in Until Sat 29 Apr Griffithstown, Pontypool but moved away as This collection of 23 paintings by English a young boy. After leaving, he journeyed to artist Chris Gollon, whose work you Wales many times for holidays and visits to may recognise from Alan Yentob’s BBC1 tourist destinations. Once he grew older, he programme Imagine, was created in kept returning to the places he had visited collaboration with Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy. The collaboration between as a boy as he found Welsh landscapes fascinating and contradictory. the two artists came about in quite an For the inhabitants of Welsh villages and unusual way; McEvoy was writing a new towns the landscapes represented a rich album and one day came across one of history, one that had been marked and Gollon’s paintings, Champagne Sheila. defined by the mining of coal and steel; Inspired by the painting, she wrote the yet, come summer, it would be transformed final pieces for her album and sent the completed collection to Gollon so he could as tourists flocked to the coast and valleys. This led to two very distinct and create the cover artwork. different impressions of the land. These Once Gollon listened to the album, he was two conflicting perceptions led to Morris’ so inspired that he ended up painting 24 critically acclaimed 2011 exhibition A pieces around McEvoy’s songs; the title of the exhibition is taken from McEvoy’s song Landscape Of Wales. This latest exhibition, For The of the same name. The collection includes pieces inspired by songs entitled Dreaming People, seems a clear extension and development of these ideas. Moving away Of Leaving, where a woman ponders from how the industry has impacted the escape from her subdued domestic life, and Wrong So Wrong, the story of a woman natural landscape, this exhibition captures the impact of manmade additions to the who lies awake at night romanticising landscape. It examines how innovative and about the idea of having a lover. distinctive architecture, such as Cardigan This exhibition marks the opening of Castle’s contemporary new visitor centre the £1.25 million redevelopment of the and the striking National Sailing Academy Coleg Gwent building, which is now home in Pwllheli, affects the community to IAP Fine Art. The now established contemporary art gallery has been located experience of a place, and consequently the effect this has on general well-being. in Bethnal Green, Chelsea and St James, Admission: free. Info: 019 7062 3232 / before relocating to Monmouth. www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk (EH) Admission: free. Info: 0844 5611833 / www.iapfineart.com (EH)

GILLIAN AYRES

National Museum Cardiff Sat 8 Apr-Sun 3 Sept The National Museum in Cardiff will be showcasing the talents of one of Britain’s most celebrated and respected abstract painters from April: Gillian Ayres OBE. The Turner Prize-nominated artist’s works are full of exuberance and passion, as if possessed by spirits whose sole purpose is to paint, paint, and paint again. Born in 1930, Ayres became part of an explosion of abstract painting in the UK in the 20th century, part of a larger response to parallel developments in the American and European art worlds. She has previously had solo exhibitions at the Tate Modern and the Royal Academy, whilst the exhibition in Cardiff will provide visitors a chance to see her earlier work, produced from the 1950s to the 80s, a significant part of which was inspired by Wales – Ayres lived on the remote Llyn Peninsula in North Wales for a number of years in the 1980s. Although Ayres’ highly expressive abstract works very rarely bear a resemblance to the natural world in which she prefers to relocate to paint, there is certainly a similarity in their dual, chaotic, beautiful state. A necessity for any fan of 20th century art. Admission: free. Info: 0300 1112333 / museum.wales/cardiff (FT)

Buz ad.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2017 15:44 Page 1

Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd National Museum Cardiff

Gillian Ayres

Myn e am d diad d Free im entr y

Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London. © the artist

Gillian Ayres, Lure, 1963, Casgliad Cyngor y Celfyddydau, Canolfan Southbank, Llundain. © yr artist

08. 04. 2017 – 03. 09. 2017

Parc Cathays, Caerdydd CF10 3NP www.amgueddfa.cymru/caerdydd Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP www.museum.wales/cardiff

Arddangosfa Deithiol

Bwystfilod y Mabinogi Beasts of the Mabinogion Touring Exhibition artist tecstilau

Helly Powell textile artist

26 Mawrth/March - 5 Mai/May 2017 Melin Tregwynt, Haverfordwest www.visitcrickhowell.co.uk

www.fauxidermy.co.uk

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stage

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG New Theatre, Cardiff Mon 10-Sat 15 Apr

Theatregoers, have you already run the gamut of Agatha Christie plays from A to Z? Have no inclination for the inspector to call again? Been deathtrapped to death? Well, there’s another murder mystery on the block, but it’s a comedy that won’t have you reaching for the smelling salts from overexposureitis. The Play That Goes Wrong’s plot revolves around fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s staging of Murder At Haversham Manor, where anything calamitous that can befall the group does. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong (a Mischief Theatre production in its third year on the West End) had its humble beginnings in a room above a pub. Mischief Theatre started in 2008, formed by a group of graduates from LAMDA. The play began life as a one-act piece originally titled The Murder Before Christmas at the Old Red Lion, a pub/fringe theatre. Lewis, Sayer, Shields and the rest of the ensemble moved to their second West End home at the Duchess Theatre in 2014 (also incorporating a sold-out UK and international tour). The writing trio are on a rollicking roll, not only winning a hat-trick of prizes. They and the company have also scored with two more West End hits – Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. In addition to this five-month UK tour, The Play That Goes Wrong is also running in Australia and has been translated and licensed for production in over 20 countries. It’s in previews on Broadway with director/writer J. J. Abrams (of Star Trek and Star Wars fame) as one of the producers, too. Just judging by Mischief’s cheeky websites, you’re sure to have a jolly time with the young cast of bumbling thespians who not only have numerous theatre credits but also film and TV work under their belts. Tickets: £10-£32. Info: 029 2087 8889 / www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk RHONDA LEE REALI

RENT

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Mon 3-Sat 8 Apr This famous musical blew up Broadway when it arrived in 1996 and has stood the test of time to become a modern-day classic. Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, the story follows a group of young bohemian friends in New York’s East Village, struggling to express themselves as artists and to succeed as individuals. Set in 1989 and spanning the length of a year, the story begins on Christmas eve with our narrator, filmmaker Mark and his roommate Roger. Mark is still head over heels for former girlfriend Maureen, who has now coupled up with Harvard lawyer Joanne. Ex-drug user Roger’s new girlfriend Mimi has yet to overcome the struggles Roger has, and computer genius Tom and partner Angel have their own challenges to work through. Finally, there is Benjamin, a former member of the group who has since become the opposite of everything they stand for. The story chronicles the life of the group of these 20-something-year-olds throughout the “525,600 minutes” that make up a year, and addresses the AIDS crisis and issues surrounding multiculturalism and addiction – topics creator Jonathan Larson was noted for addressing in his work. His death on the eve of the first performance on Broadway in 1996 makes the show’s message all the more poignant. Tickets: £15-£43. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk (RS) BUZZ 44

DANSATION XIII

St. David’s Hall, Cardiff Sat 8 + Sun 9 Apr The Debbie Chapman Dancers will take to the stage at St. David’s Hall this April to perform their new show Dansation XIII, which will celebrate 30 years of Debbie Chapman’s Dancing school. Having started off with just two classes a week of six children, Chapman has built up a reputation over the years as one of the UK’s most accomplished and acclaimed dance teachers, whose pupils – ranging from two to 27 years of age and encompassing a wide variety of dancing, from ballet to hip-hop to ballroom – now number some 400-plus. The Debbie Chapman Dancers have sold out St. David’s Hall a number of times in the past. The Dansation shows, held biennially, also serve as charity fundraisers; the last one in 2015 raised funds for Owen Williams, the young rugby player who suffered a serious spinal injury playing for the Cardiff Blues in the World Club 10s in Singapore. The success of that sold-out show means that expectations for this edition are just as high. As Chapman has already guided her young charges to the latter stages of Britain’s Got Talent, it’s highly unlikely that Dansation XIII will fall short. Admission £9-£12. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk (FT)

LOVE, CARDIFF – CITY ROAD STORIES

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff Thurs 13-Sat 15 Apr Love, Cardiff may be a play about one of Cardiff's best known streets, City Road, but it's also a play with a twist. Funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund, Love, Cardiff’s producers called out for stories relating to City Road from the residents of the local area to make sure the play stayed true to real life. This has resulted in a community crowd-sourced production that will premiere at the nearby Sherman Theatre in Cathays. It will adapt stories and personal accounts from the public at large to create this ground-breaking new piece that will see art reflect Cardiff life. It's a performance, archive and an exhibition that illuminates the rich tapestry of the street’s lives and independent businesses, from charity shops to sex shops and takeaways. City Road, based in the Roath area of the city, is one of the most diverse and varied streets in Cardiff and a hub for the local area at large. It's directed by community engagement manager Andrew Sterry at the Sherman Theatre, and co-directed by Paul Jenkins who's currently working on #twenty16 at Theatr Iolo. Many people tuned in to watch the BBC series City Road, but this play further explores the vibrant characters and lives in the community. Tickets: £5. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermantheatre.co.uk (YB)

LAKMÉ

Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea Fri 7 Apr Directed by Brendan Wheatley, with musical direction from John Beswick, the classic opera by French Romantic composer Leo Delibes—here performed in English and accompanied by a live chamber orchestra—comes to Swansea in April, courtesy of the Swansea City Opera. Set in the late 19th century in Britishcontrolled India, Lakmé tells the tragic story of its eponymous heroine, who falls in love with a British soldier, against the wishes of her mother, the high priest of a Brahmin temple. Bound to be a grand affair, Delibes’ compositions are described as being rich with detail and texture, no surprise given his influence on Tchaikovsky and Debussy. Most people might recognise the Flower Duet in Lakmé’s first act, a regular fixture on commercials and films, but that piece’s ubiquity belies an expansive three-part opera. Whilst it may retain the colonialist undertones common to operas of the period, it nevertheless remains a fascinating opera of the Romantic Classical period, when bombast, ambition, and sumptuousness were the norm in music. The night’s programme at the Taliesin Arts Centre also includes a pre-performance talk by Brendan Wheatley at 6:15pm about the story behind the production. Admission: £20/£18. Info: 01792 602060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk (FT)

A Community Production

LOVE, CARDIFF:

CITY ROAD STORIES 13 - 15 Apr, 7.30pm, £5

Watch, hear, read and explore the real life stories of your city’s past, present and future

SHERMANTHEATRE.CO.UK #LoveCardiff 029 2064 6900 ST0154_Love Cardiff_190x135.5mm.indd 1

21/03/2017 12:46

BUZZ 45

TEMPERANCE TOWN

clubs

STRANGE U

Starving Artists @ Gwdihw, Cardiff Fri 21 Apr Quality hip-hop hits Cardiff, with headliners from the highly-regarded High Focus label. The duo Strange U have a penchant for bizarre, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and surreal beats and soundscapes. MC King Kashmere is well known in UK hip-hop ever since a well received collaboration with the Four Owls’ Verb T in 2014, after which he released a string of his own albums. His style is both raw and sharp, with a touch of MF Doom’s gruff subtlety. Dr Zygote, the producer-DJ, started off releasing jungle as Ayman back in 1994; more recently, he’s gained critical acclaim for the broken-beat, sample-based club tracks he releases as the Maghreban – so his hip hop production is unusual and exciting, with hints of El-P’s production on Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein. The pair, who worked together in the past, have re-connected for this project, bonding over their appreciation of underground 90s hip-hop and their displeasure at what they call the “bland, cough-mixture, speechimpediment rap” they hear today. Expanding the mic and turntables set up with a range of effects, microphone, it's a unique and psychedelic live show, rinsed in dub echo and reverb. Also featuring on the bill are Joe Dirt and O Femi, both thoughtful and well-honed local MCs – Joe Dirt’s recent Barrydockalypse LP is well worth your time – plus Starving Artists founder and DJ Mansfield Green. Tickets: £6. Info: 029 2039 7933 (GTDC) BUZZ 46

The Vaults, Cardiff Bay Sat 29 Apr

This looks like the best night in the Vaults for some time, with three rooms of house, disco and funk to choose from – but I’m pretty sure temperance will be in short supply at an underground club in Tiger Bay. Chicago’s house hero and man of the people, Derrick Carter [pictured], is back after a set at Tramshed last year. He’s known for a pumping, electrifying style of house music that moves in the same waters as Green Velvet aka Cajmere – whose label, Cajual, Carter once worked for. Some of his early tracks were extraordinary: check out his record Dreaming in collaboration with the aforementioned Cajmere, a hypnotic, narcotic, and probably perfect rhythm. Flash forward to the present day, and while still producing and remixing, Carter’s still held in high esteem for his effectiveness at controlling dancefloors. He has a powerful ability to control and maintain a high level of energy in a subtle way, with a very particular and hard-to-imitate selection – he often mixes fast, with a certain feel to the bass sections of his selections that induces a kind of muscle tension that heightens the impulse to movement. If you catch him on a good night and a good soundsystem, that is. The Vaults should be perfect. There’s another legend on this bill too though, heading up the Disco Dungeon – by the way, I’m unsure whether this really is a place of punitive confinement, perhaps for those found to have broken the Code Of The Club? Anyway, NYC’s John Morales has been doing disco longer than most people, and has a good 15 years on even Carter's career. He’s even said to be one of the first people to create an ‘extended remix’, cutting and splicing his disco tapes to create dancefloor-crushing medleys. Morales had a big influence on the Bronx’s cutting-edge scene as he began releasing his reelto-reel edits, medleys and remixes via the Sunshine Sound, a studio where DJs could bring their own tapes and cut records while they waited, ready for the club. Tickets: £20/£15. Info: www.vaultspresents.com GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF

BASEMENT FULL OF SOUL

The Riverfront, Newport Sat 29 Apr Before rave, before hipsterism, before club culture... there was Northern Soul. The scene blew up in the late 60s through the next decade, spreading from Manchester, Stoke and nearby towns in the north of England. It was hot with new dance moves, sharp clothes, revolutionary DJ styles, rare vinyl fetishism and stimulant-fuelled all-nighters – long before Pete Tong and his ilk discovered Ibiza and acid house. Interestingly though, for the most part, it wasn’t about brand new tracks, but largely centred on the sound of the soul records released on Tamla Motown in the 60s. Now, those records much older, but the scene is still going strong. This new night is a spinoff from Penarth Soul Club, which has been flying the flag with gusto since it was launched by Shelley Norton and Liam Curtin in 2014, after they bonded over their love of the sound. The pair run a regular show every Saturday morning on Radio Cardiff where you can sample the sound. The PCS events take place every month or two, normally blessing the wooden dancefloor at Penarth Ex-Servicemen’s Social Club, so this is a treat for the often musically deprived city of Newport. Expect a mix of Motown, Northern Soul, 60s/70s soul and more, all from vinyl. Alongside Shelley and Liam will be Matthew Morgan and Steve Kaged. Vespas not compulsory, but probably encouraged. Tickets: £3. Info: 01633 656757 (GTDC)

DERRICK MAY

Delete @ Jacob’s Market, Cardiff Sun 30 Apr And, for our next Derrick... it’s Mayday. Delete’s pumping, ever-popular Sunday garden party returns with more Detroit techno heaven. Carl Craig hit the Gwdihw car park in 2015 and this time, at Jacob’s Market, Delete are taking it back even earlier to the first wave of Motor City electro soul with the evergreen Derrick May. If you don't know who he is, this is one of the artists who laid some of the most important foundations for dance music in the 80s. Strings Of Life? Yeah, that's one of his (released under a different name, one of the greatest typos in music: Rhythim Is Rhythim). He and his school friends Juan Atkins and Kevin Saunderson became known as the Belleville Three, mixing the early house music that was coming out of Chicago with the future funk of Prince and George Clinton and the electropop and Krautrock of Depeche Mode, New Order and Kraftwerk to create the alien-sounding, man-machine funk that was called techno. Each of the three artists set up their own influential record label; May’s Transmat Records is still going strong today, and as a DJ, he’s more active after 30 years, than most of his early peers. Regulars Matt Owen, Marc Parsons and Lee Graves warm up, before May begins the journey through his back catalogue of mindbending cosmic rhythms. Where else are you gonna spend your bank holiday, at the beach? Come off it. Tickets: £25. Info: facebook.com/ deletecardiff (GTDC)

JOSH BUTLER

Platform 11, Pontypridd Sun 16 Apr While Easter’s original purpose was to celebrate a man who got brutally slaughtered and rose from the dead in the space of only three days, over time its meaning has shifted, and to many it represents an opportunity to outperform Jesus Christ by remaining ‘on it’ for a similar time span. Foul blasphemy aside, Easter Sunday in Pontypridd will see the town’s newest, and only halfway credible, nightclub lay on 12 and a half hours of bostin’ house grooves for sesh gremlins and anyone else who fancies a bit of a dance during their four-day weekend. Topping the bill of DJs, who will be performing both inside the club and in the beer garden out back (it’s being opened for the first time, apparently), is Josh Butler. Hailing from Leeds, Josh has only been on the scene for a few years, breaking out in 2013 with early single Got A Feeling. Signed up for release by Chase & Status, it’s a perfectly pleasant chunk of machine-sliced mersh house which, nonetheless, doesn’t quite reflect the kind of directions a DJ set of his might take. Expect a set of bassy house that’s deep in the old time sense of the word, with decorative touches of gospel, disco and techno. Hopefully, the Platform 11 bods will assign him a sensible timeslot and, out on the floor, the sesh will be plateauing throughout. Tickets: £10. Info: facebook.com/ platform11pontypridd (NG)

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WALES GOES POP!

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The Gate, Cardiff Fri 14-Sun 16 Apr Cram your eggs into your bonnet, dust down your bunny ears, and butter up your hot cross buns, for Easter is a time when spring will be thoroughly sprung, and pop will rise again, not eat itself. Wales Goes Pop! has come up trumps by stitching together another fizzy lineup of misshapen pop for Easter weekend, for the fifth year on the bounce. Back again at the arts community venue that is Roath’s The Gate, WGP! was started by promoter Liz Hunt, expanding all-dayers into triples, at a time when the Cardiff gig scene was looking a little threadbare over the holidays. Nowadays it’s less a micro-festival and more of a Morgan Arcade of a festival, with a smattering of indigenous residents, some ascendant peddlers from the UK and beyond, a few obscurities, some grub to clamp your gums on and a little something else to occupy the kids, all under one roof. With a capacity of 400, this is a cosy weekender where you can see all the pop pickers – one after another with no clashes – for just £42 for the whole three days, or £16 per day. But why skimp when you can bring along your pre-teen offspring for free, and choose to sit down and wiggle your toes, or bop along to the likes of hometown heroes (albeit ones now scattered around the UK) Joanna Gruesome, the dreamy pop of Bella Union’s BC Camplight, Domino Records’ grungesters Spinning Coin, the similarly Scottish Honeyblood [pictured], hot tip The Orielles or psych band Toy; and many of Hunt’s tips, like the honeyed harmonies of London trio Girl Ray, the lush sounds of Martha Ffion, plus Sacred Paws, who summon up the Belle Stars via Vampire Weekend. Hunt, who says the family-friendly atmosphere puts a smile on her face the whole weekend, cites polite stage invasions and the likes of Gwenno and the Wedding Present as previous highlights. Her 10 years of promoting come in handy, as she’s previously scheduled Ultimate Painting and Jessica Pratt, so come early and unearth a gem or three at WGP, for the price of a posh burger or two. Tickets: £42 weekend/£16 per day/free under-12s. Info: 029 2048 3344 CHRIS SEAL

Honeyblood

Swansea Laptop Orchestra

YORKSTON/THORNE/KHAN

The Big Top, Cardiff Thurs 6 Apr After their critically acclaimed debut album in 2016, Everything Sacred, Yorkston/ Thorne/Khan are back with its followup, Neuk Wight Delhi All-Stars. What began as a couple of musicians jamming one evening morphed into a soul-enchanting Indian folk-jazz fusion. Scottish folk musican James Yorkston is joined by Suhail Yusuf Khan, a sarangi player and classical singer from New Delhi, and the Isle Of Wight’s John Thorne, a highly respected jazz double bass player. The confidence of this cross-culture combination is highlighted by the fluid interplay between Yorkston, Thorne and Khan. The Big Top in Cardiff will be a fitting location for this trio: the festival vibe it offers might leave you thinking you’ve stumbled into one of the small tents at Glastonbury. Indian, Scottish and English backgrounds combined, with three very distinct vocalists, their music surprises most as it is such an unusual combination. This intimate gig will ensure the utmost appreciation of Khan’s unorthodox, yet beautiful, singing and skilled bass plucking by Thorne as they perform UK folk and traditional Indian songs alike. Dub reggae, Uilleann pipes and the Madagascan guitarist D’Gary are also cited by Yorkston as influences. Each harmonious song on their new album is as distinct as each member of the group. It is evident that these talented musicians were made to play together as they begin their next UK headline tour this month. Tickets: £13.50. Info: 029 2022 8883 (CJ) BUZZ 48

BARCELONA GIPSY BALKAN ORCHESTRA

Pontardawe Arts Centre Fri 7 Apr Get ready for the best of Barcelona. Coming to Pontardawe Arts Centre this month is one of the greatest Balkan, Gipsy and klezmer bands you will ever hear this side of Spain. BGKO evolved out of the original Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra; this new incarnation, formed in 2015, continues the great work they started in 2012 when BGKO emerged from the melting pot of the Barcelona music scene. Don’t expect to stay in your seat for long – this is a band to get you on your feet, just don’t trip over your jaw. Sandra Sangiao’s stunning vocal work is capable of captivating an audience with a single note. The level of musicianship in the six virtuosi who make up the rest of the band is stunning. All hailing from different countries in Southern Europe, each musician brings their own cultural influences and traditions to the mix – but listening to their music makes naming countries and labelling genres all seem a bit pointless. BGKO move so seamlessly from jazz manouche to klezmer to Romani music it’s staggering. Every stop BGKO make on their magical musical tour, from the Basque lands to the Balkans, is another opportunity to break down the borders of Europe and celebrate the migratory nature of people and, of course, the music they make along the way. Tickets: £12. Info: 01792 863722 (JPD)

GŴYL CAM ‘17

Various venues, Cardiff Bay Sat 8 Apr Venturing outside of the confines of the Wales Millennium Centre after 2015’s successful debut, Gwyl CAM ‘17 brings its day-long festival of music, film and discussion to three venues in and around Mount Stuart Square. Curated by Welsh Music Prize winner Gwenno Saunders, the various events will take place in Octavo’s, Sunflower & I and Mischief’s. The festival promises to be an amazing exploratory experience about anything and everything surrounding the arts scene in Wales, ranging from talks about the ever-changing face of Butetown (including a screening of After Many A Summer) to a musical performance by Ankst heroes Llwybr Llaethog. Speaking of the decision to move the festival into the heart of Butetown, Gwenno says “Multi-venue city festivals create such a buzz. Beyond the foundation of its coal and port history, so many of the creative industries have made it their home over the years too, and now that there are three independent and varying venues there, we thought CAM could be a perfect opportunity to celebrate that.” Gareth Potter’s Leaving The 20th Century lecture, focusing on the recent history of Welsh-language music, promises to be a festival highlight, as will The National Screen And Sound Archive Of Wales takeover of Octavo’s – plus DJ sets from Georgia Ruth and Datblygu’s Pat Morgan. Admission: £8 (wristband) / £4 per venue. Info: 029 2063 6464 (BG)

ALEXANDER O’NEAL

Grand Theatre, Swansea Thurs 27 Apr The stage is set: Chilled wine, a crackling fire and you’re with that special someone. So whose delicious sounds are spinning on the stereo, One Direction’s? Don’t think so. It’s got to be Alexander O’Neal, honey. The Mississippi-bred r’n’b vocalist who once sold out six straight nights at Wembley Arena – still the record for an African-American artist – is still going strong. He’s certainly had his hard times but is back to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his landmark work Hearsay. The quintessential 80s soul album spent over two years in the UK charts, went triple platinum (gold in the US) and sold over 700,000 copies. It reached No. 2 on the US r’n’b charts and spawned seven – count ‘em – charting singles including Fake, (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me, monster dance floor hit Criticize and his duet with Cherrelle, Never Knew Love Like This. The 63-year-old, who also specializes in funk, adult contemporary, pop and new jack swing sounds, will be performing Hearsay for the first time ever on this tour in its entirety with his nine-piece, all-star band. O’Neal (a reality star, too), who’s had 14 Top 40 singles here and several Top 10 songs in the UK and US, also has an autobiography, All True, Man, just out. So raise a toast and spend some fly-time with the man who counts Peabo Bryson as a contemporary! Tickets: £30. Info: 01792 475715 (RLR)

A Celebration of 50 Years

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sunday 25 june 2017

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SINGLETON PARK, SWANSEA MON

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Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

SHAKIN’ STEVENS St David’s Hall, Cardiff

SUN

14 MAY FRI

19 MAY

AL STEWART

Grand Theatre, Swansea

THE ALARM

Y Plas, Cardiff University

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MAVIS STAPLES Tramshed, Cardiff

TOM GRENNAN The Globe, Cardiff

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BUZZ 49

reviews albums 75 DOLLAR BILL *****

Wood Metal Plastic Pattern Rhythm Rock (tak:til) Two American experimental musicians, Rick Brown (who’s played in scads of weird artrock bands I’ve never listened to) and Che Chen (who I’d straight up never heard of), melt my defences using scratchy quasi-blues guitar, clonky percussion and rusty horns. Only four songs, which tend to establish a motif early on and unfold like a yellowed map in stunningly hypnotic manner: imagine if The For Carnation were a Malian desert rock band, maybe. A reissue of a 2016 LP that warrants a wide, rapt audience. NG

BEAR TRADE *****

Silent Unspeakable (Everything Sucks) Silent Unspeakable is a veritable trip back to the early 80s and is reminiscent of the less commercial punk sound of The Blood and The Oppressed. But these aren’t just throwaway songs: underneath the pogoing beat these northern English lads have something to say about life and love and they do it with humour. Uptempo and energetic, with gruff vocals and raw guitars, this album grabs you by the throat at track one and doesn’t let go. LN

THE BLACK ANGELS *** Death Song (Partisan)

It was inevitable that at some point in their career The Black Angels would release an album called Death Song; that the Austin Psych Fest founders have chosen to do so just as The Velvet Underground & Nico turns 50 feels cynical. In truth, The Doors are more of a touchstone on their fifth LP, as are former tourmates The Warlocks, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Solid enough, but unlikely to bend minds or scramble senses. BW

BLACK JAM CIRCUS ****

Black Jam Circus (self-released) Now here’s a band consisting of seven brothers, whose mother was a bearded lady in a travelling circus. The mysterious Black Jam Circus have dropped their debut album and just in time for the summer. Whilst they look like a PG version of Slipknot, their music is an enticing mix of pop, rock, funk and ska, which I can see going down a treat during festival season. Spoiler alert! They are actually a nice bunch of lads from Barry. CA

BLAENAVON ****

That’s Your Lot (PIAS) Fêted as guitar music saviours four years ago, the foppish trio are relative latecomers in emerging with a studio debut. But where the outfit lack in prolificness they more than offset in quality, with songwriting that eschews filler in favour of gilded indie pop slickness. Infectious fingerpicking rhythms weave with Ben Gregory’s dulcet tones to create passionate, tightly-produced output, with standouts such as Orthodox Man and the affably halcyon Ode To Joe helping to establish an accomplished full length release. CHP

BRIAN GIBSON ***

Thumper (Thrill Jockey) The turbo-riffing Brian to the psycho-drumming other Brian in Lightning Bolt, Gibson’s solo debut swerves leftward into music composed for the experimental videogame Thumper. Creepy as fuck music too – Thumper piles on claustrophobic synth layers and perverse shifts in tone like it’s trying to cause you physical harm. Initially too bombastic and grandiose, its weirder angles reveal themselves: Triangle’s seesaw laser stabs, the big drums and ocean liner honks of {Head}, the frenzied, maddening splurge of it all. WS

BRITISH SEA POWER **

Let The Dancers Inherit The Party (Golden Chariot) The first album proper from British Sea Power in the four years since From The Sea… comes courtesy of crowdfunding. Whilst not a total waste of the backer’s money, there’s not a lot to get excited about here; the initial frisson of excitement generated by album taster Bad Bohemian soon wears off and Yan and co’s weary, melancholic style of indie takes over for another 40-odd painful minutes. The energy and inventiveness of BSP’s debut now seems like a long, long time ago. BG

GREG GRAFFIN ***** Millport (Anti-)

The legendary Bad Religion frontman once again explores his country-rock side on his third solo album. Taking us back to a bygone era where heroes wore cowboy boots and strummed their tales of woe in backroom bars, this is an album full of beautifully crafted songs. Musically, it’s a million miles away from Bad Religion, but Graffin’s unmistakable vocals and lyric style are all present and correct. Grab a beer, kick back and listen to Millport. CA

HOT 8 BRASS BAND *****

On The Spot (Tru Thoughts) On The Spot achieves that rare thing for a great live act: a great studio album. The Hot 8 have been

putting on incredible shows for over 20 years and their fusion of funk rhythms, New Orleans jazz and hip-hop vocals are as fresh as ever. On The Spot has all the ebb and flow of a live set, with shout-outs and improvised solos that sound crystal clear on this well-produced long player. Fresh funk from the streets and the swamps. JPD

IMELDA MAY *****

Life. Love. Flesh. Blood (Decca) Don’t worry fans, she’s gone through major changes including a divorce and has a new look but she hasn’t sold her soul to Simon Cowell. What she has done is a lot of growing and introspection. She hasn’t left rockabilly behind entirely – there’s still echoes – this collection, though, is pure country-blues-rock from the heart, ballads and shakers with touches of jazz and even gospel. Achingly raw and gut-wrenching, steamy and dreamy, full of yearning, with notable guitar work from Jeff Beck and Marc Ribot. RLR

Almost Home (Tricolour)

Just when you thought you were safe from the vanilla indie-folk band, KCC are back and are here to provide call centres the world over with some inoffensive hold music. The opening title track is a clear nod to the Lumineers’ repugnant Ho Hey and it only goes downhill from there. On Your Own is an awful Graceland pastiche and the rest of the album sounds like the band are really struggling to inject any kind of originality into proceedings. BG

PHRONESIS, JULIAN ARGUELLES & THE FRANKFURT RADIO BIG BAND **** Behemoth (Edition)

This solo offering from Kennedy, singer/guitarist with Cardiff alternative rock band Kyshera, explores the theme of depression but is by no means depressing. The album takes a while to break out of its comfort zone – songs are short, perhaps too short, but after the lyrically poignant and bluesy Just A Man it hits its stride. Entertainer and Reckless are faster and heavier, while tracks such as Home are radio-friendly and James’ voice is easy on the ear. LN

JEB LOY NICHOLS *****

ROYAL THUNDER ***

This album is finger-lickin’ good country meets satisfying soul! Jeb’s personal journey/social commentary starts down south, moves up to Detroit, then hangs a right to Harlem but not before detouring to Jamaica, Africa and parts unknown. What a voice, recalling everyone from Leon Redboneto Dr John, Isaac Hayesto Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Richie Havens, even James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic. Urban cowboy Nichols picks and chooses but makes it all his own. You’ve got to check this dude out. A standout talent. RLR

This fifth album from the Atlanta-based outfit finds the four-piece flaunting a sound best described as the hard rock equivalent of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac. Drawing on murky surface noise akin to that of Alice In Chains or Soundgarden, Wick is a firm throwback, with the wailing banshee-like energy of We Slipped and lead single April Showers unshakable in its plaid-tinged 90s grunge aesthetic. And while often lacking in consistency, manages to gain traction with moments of genre-blurring nostalgia. CHP

JAMES KENNEDY **** Home (self-released)

Country Hustle (City Country City)

JOHNNY CAGE & THE VOODOOGROOVE *** Spirit Animal Superstar Signals From The Electric Boneyard (Deaf Crow) Not only possessing the coolest bandname, JC&TVDG have now released one of the best sounding Welsh albums in a while. A symphony of gritty rockabilly, blues, soul, Cuban music and rock’n’roll, if there’s one trouble with having so

HORIZON ZERO DAWN *****

Guerilla Games, PS4 Guerilla Games (Dutch developer of the PlayStation exclusive FPS franchise Killzone) are back with a new IP that feels fresh, looks phenomenal and plays like a futuristic Tomb Raider with some giant robot dinosaurs thrown in for good measure. It’s an open world action-RPG where you take control of a young hunter called Aloy, who has been forced to survive in the wilds as an outcast in a post post-apocalyptic world (yep, you read that right) overrun by robotic dinosaurs. Combat is dynamic, the narrative is compelling, the customisation options and RPG elements are pretty deep and it’s visually in a league of its own. This is arguably one of the best exclusives of this generation so far. DYLAN CHAUNDY

Thylacine Studios, PS4/PS Vita/PC This is what happens if Pokemon and Dragon Warrior (the original GameBoy Colour version) had a wee whippersnapper. Siralim 2 is a retro, 16-bit style dungeon crawler, monster catching, roguelike RPG (phew) and it’s really rather addicting stuff. Exploring dungeons, catching the copious amounts of unique critters and using them to battle other monsters is where this title shines best. Some may be put off by the 16-bit aesthetic, but personally, I found it super charming. A neat indie gem which can potentially become a real time-sink if you get hooked (like me). DYLAN CHAUNDY

BUZZ 50

KESTON COBBLERS CLUB **

The big band on this recording has transformed Phronesis’ complex musical ideas and jazz stylings into a new mammoth, breathtaking phenomenon. It’s an enrichment of their already bountiful ideas, no doubt due in part to the ingenuity of Loose Tubes alumni Arguelles, whose touch as an arranger can be recognised all over the record. Bold, in-your-face bravado is expertly tempered with softer moments and each track is as sizeable as the collective ensemble, which is either a plus or a minus depending on your listening habits. CPI

GAMES REVIEWS

SIRALIM 2 ****

many inspirations it’s that it tends to fog the actual song. Differentiating between the first three proved difficult, yet Jockey and Charlie Jones have a more determined sound, slowing the tempo and introducing an additional trumpet. MW

Wick (Spinefarm)

SHEER MAG ****

Compilation (Static Shock) Weird and great to see a band as unfashionably built as Sheer Mag – all 70s bar room rock, Southern guitar boogie and belting powerpop – embraced by seemingly all corners of underground fandom. Compilation collects the Philly band’s first three salivatory EPs, with sonic fidelity remaining at ‘lo-fi, homerecorded rippers’ throughout. With Tina Halliday's mic-scorching vocals, it's this tension between DIY grit and hoary moves – Noise Is Bright’s speaker hum; Fan The Flames’ Lynyrd Skynyrd riff – that lends Sheer Mag their special glory. WS

SLEEPMAKESWAVES ***

Made Of Breath Only (Bird’s Robe) “Post-rock trailblazers”, trumpets the press release. If sleepmakeswaves have blazed any post-rock trail, then it’s to the back of Explosions In The Sky’s house, so they can rifle through the recycling in search of songtitles rejected for being too naffly pretentious. Made Of Breath Only has its moments, but ultimately the jarring collision of epic soundscapes with mathy rhythms and metal aggression feels too much like a self-conscious box-ticking exercise. BW

TOBY HAY ****

QUANTIC & NIDIA GÓNGORA ***

Mid-Wales folk guitarist Toby Hay’s demeanour is unassuming but ought not be mistaken for lack of confidence. On this debut album, he lets his playing do the talking: eight songs of instrumentals nodding to the American Primitive style of John Fahey, Robbie Basho and Leo Kottke, similarly internationalist in its outlook with flashes of Indian and Chinese-sounding tunings. The sleevenotes, detailing the influence of his rural homestead on The Gathering’s sound, are illuminating as the album is engrossing. NG

Never been able to get permanently onboard with the opulent funk meets WOMAD-worthy ‘world fusion’ steez of Quantic, but I can dig this. A teamup with Columbian singer Nidia Góngora, prefacing a whole album of the same, Que Me Duele? is a sassy hoedown of tender-yet-tough marimba and fierce vocals. NG

VOIVOD ***

SUPERFOOD

The Gathering (Cambrian)

Build Your Weapons: The Very Best Of The Noise Years (Noise) The strangest of all the big league thrash metal bands, and during certain parts of the lunar cycle the greatest, Canadian marvels Voivod’s second, third and fourth albums are justly getting quality reissues. Shortly before that, there’s this doubleCD compilation which features nearly all of the music on those, and so feels a mite redundant. If you like Metallica, King Crimson and/or forwardthinking 80s hardcore, you will flip for Voivod... and then chide yourself for not just grabbing the actual albums. NG

ZU ***

Jhator (House Of Mythology) Ominous gongs and drones, the twittering of electronic insects, eerie metallic sheets of sound, non-verbal non-Western mysticism, all over two tracks lasting a combined total of over 40 minutes. Pop music Jhator ain’t – but neither is it what we’ve come to expect from the Italian noise merchants and heavyweight sax botherers. It might be a smart move: while others are preoccupied with trying to soundtrack the apocalypse, Zu have moved on to contemplating how to soundtrack what comes afterwards. BW

singles AMOR *****

Paradise / In Love An Arc (Night School) Fine Glasgow label releases fine questing disco record from bunch of moonlighting Glasgow mates. As much arthouse as dancefloor, both songs here push 14 minutes, with rubbery double bass, sporadic piano sunshine and Scottish weirdo hero Richard Youngs’ madly ecstatic vocals. Out of time, and way too short. WS

FAR OUT MONSTER DISCO ORCHESTRA *** Vendetta (Far Out)

A fitting selection for lengthy, flamboyant summer parties, this one really goes out of the way to adhere to its name. Depending on which mix you listen to, you’ll be subjected to abundant rhythmic ornamentation over slightly off-the-wall string textures and a very characteristic disco beat. Interesting, but repetitive, astonishingly repetitive! CPI

JOHN MOUSE ****

Tough Day For The Trains (Crocfinger) It’s always good to know there’s someone out there who cares. John MOuse’s paean to the British rail network gently humanises trains who “don’t know they’re getting old”. Jangling Johnny Marr-esque guitar chords sit on top of motor-rhythmic drums and organs that sound like engine whistles. A charming look at beleaguered Britain. JPD

Que Me Duele? (Tru Thoughts)

Double Dutch (Dirty Hit) Now slimmed down to a duo, Superfood are back with a tasty new sound. The cool guitar sounds are left over from their Britpop debut, but now are layered in dreamy synthpop/soul, interspersed over a sample of girls enjoying that summer pastime. Languid and hippy-hoppy at the same time. A yummy treat! RLR

THEM DEAD BEATS ****

Hang On A Second (Bywyd) The most refreshing thing about Hang On A Second isn’t that Them Dead Beats are a two- piece band with the sonic force of twice that number – see The White Stripes and Royal Blood. It’s the range of music they cram into a five-song EP. Their varied garage-rock sound bursts from the speakers with the ferocity of their live shows. JPD

demos MAX UNITY

soundcloud.com/max-unity The main guy behind this Cardiff-based act, if not the sole entity responsible, is painter Sean Donovan. Can a mere cloddish demo reviewer discern a creative link between Donovan’s idiosyncratic watercolours and his music? It’s a no from me – which isn’t to say that these concoctions of shuffling dance beats and live instrumentation aren’t enjoyable. Situation Vacant and Jon Snow, despite their janky recording, are where Max Unity does it for me, via their droney psychedelic backdrops, muffled crooner vocals. NG

CODEW4LKERS

www.codewalkers.uk Even Better Enemies, the debut by Cardiff trio Codew4lkers, has one of those chorus hooks – “Biggedy-bo-oh-oh!”, delivered by Seun Babatola in a style somewhere between a toaster and an elf from a kids’ movie – that you know is going to lodge itself in your head for a long time. That’s a compliment, broadly speaking, but fair warning: this melange of conscious hip-hop, pop reggae and someone like Gorillaz might drive you bonkers. There’s a good chance you might hear more about Codew4lkers soon, though. NG

HANA2K

facebook.com/hanamakesmusic The ‘2K’ of Hana Evans’ artist name refers, I assume, to her birth year; for whatever reason, 16-year-old pop artists don’t cause me age-based personal anguish like 16-year-old footballers do. Not that Evans is pro level yet, but she’s got a pretty sussed personal brand on the go – uploading one song per month to Soundcloud, starting with Jealousy, a wistful and very modern sliver of electronic pop with soft pads, autotune and lyrics about gossipy friends. NG

WE'VE BEEN WATCHING... TABOO BBC (available on BBC iPlayer) James Delaney (the impeccable Tom Hardy) returns to 1815 London to claim his mysterious and valuable inheritance, but first he must beat the Crown and the almighty East India Company in a battle of wits. If you're a fan of voodoo, incest, duels on misty riverbanks, cinematic gloom, Dickensian rascals and stolen diamonds then you're going to seriously love this show. Watch out for Mark Gatiss playing the Prince Regent, complete with League Of Gentlemen fatsuit and a stuffed ostrich. ****VO INSIDE NO 9 BBC (available on BBC iPlayer) Deranged, somewhat unhinged and spectacularly dark. Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s third series of Inside No.9 is perfectly in keeping with the previous two. Each episode takes a different narrative. One is themed around cryptic puzzlers, one around karaoke and another around a restaurant bill. All is not as it seems, though. Each 30-minute episode unravels in different ways so much so that you have no idea what to expect, so when it finishes, you’re left completely captivated. *****SF CLIQUE BBC (available on BBC iPlayer) After last year’s female-focused Thirteen, BBC3 continues to focus on the female experience. Its latest glossy, teen-focused effort Clique is no exception. Written by Jess Brittain, best known for her efforts on Skins, Clique depicts the various entanglements of university students with a darker edge. Billed as a psychological thriller, it focuses on Holly (Synnove Karsen) and Georgina (Aisling Franciosi), two childhood friends who find that university life and a mysterious internship begins to drive a wedge between them. ****SD MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Best Brains (available on Netflix) Set in the “not-too distant future”, two mad scientists launch a janitor into space to force him to watch B-movies to find the perfect bad film to use to take over the world. To prevent himself from going mad, the janitor builds robot friends to talk over the film. Yes, it’s a weird premise, it’s an essential for any lover of bad films. Their classic Eegah and Manos Hands Of Fate episodes are highly recommended, while an entirely new series is to be expected soon.*****LOB THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN MGM (available on Amazon Prime) This remake of the 1960 American Western classic, which was in turn a remake of the 1954 Kurosawa epic Seven Samurai, is unsurprisingly unoriginal and innovative. That being said, the stellar cast’s chemistry is marvellous, starring as a team of mercenaries hired to defend a simple mining town from a robber baron and his army. The tension builds and culminates in an explosive shoot out finale. Good action flick. No thinking required. ***LOB LIMMY'S SHOW BBC (available on Netflix) Without a doubt one of the greatest comic minds to have ever come out of the United Kingdom, Brian Limond’s Limmy’s Show is absolute pure genius. The Glaswegian comedian is famed for his rather disturbing and irreverent personas, and characters like spaced-out Dee Dee and his bizarre musings on life, television psychic Raymond Day who tells people their relatives have ‘gone downstairs’ and RPG host Falconhoof makes this sketch show outstandingly funny, even though you can’t quite explain why. *****LOB

BUZZ 51

pic: Esme Charles

music news EXTRA

Music venues situated on Womanby Street in Cardiff were quick to swing into action after it emerged that plans have been approved for the upper floors of The Gatekeeper, a JD Wetherspoon bar on the same narrow street, to be turned into a hotel. Clwb Ifor Bach, The Full Moon and Fuel, all located within literal spitting distance of the sprawling alehouse, fear that two central pillars of their operations – loud amplified music and drunken smoking-area chatter – are going to prompt noise complaints from hotel guests, with the lucrative national chain enjoying superior muscle in any prospective legal dispute. An online petition to stop the hotel development has gained some 7,000 signatures to date, many no doubt signing out of a broad wish to protect music venues in what seem increasingly precarious circumstances The Neon, a venue on Clarence Place in Newport which opened in March 2016, was recently subject to a multiple-officer raid subsequently described as a “civil dispute” by Gwent Police. As of press time it appears to be continuing to trade, with no lesser luminaries than Toploader due to visit on Sat 8 Apr, but rumours of the

Neon’s financial woes have circulated with vigour all the same. Andrew Byers, the venue’s owner and unsuccessful UKIP candidate in a council byelection last year, may well be hoping to avoid the prospect of large men ‘taking back control’ of his assets Meanwhile in the same city, the altogether more respectable Le Pub is still searching for a suitable space to move to; the landlord of the current venue, on Caxton Place and open since the 1990s, is retiring this year and intends to sell the building. Le Pub are making lemonade from lemons here, with plans to move into somewhere bigger and more versatile, but according to owner Sam Dabb will soon be at the point where they’re paying for “planning applications and architects”. As such, a series of fundraising events across Newport are in the works for early summer. If you’re interested in volunteering as a performer or helper, get in touch with the venue The Cardiff branch of Head, a quasidiscount quasi-indie record store with four other locations across the UK, is to close in early May after its first 18

months of trading failed to deliver the hoped-for returns. Comparable in its feel to Fopp, whose time in Cardiff was similarly shortlived, Head specialises in new vinyl albums, with many random bargains and Record Store Day overstock to be found. Many have wondered if its location at the far end of St David’s Dewi Sant might have been the cause of a shortfall in footfall; if there’s anything to this, it suggests something is seriously amiss if anywhere within a £675 million shopping development is too remote to attract trade The week of Mon 17-Fri 21 Apr will see a musical attempt to raise funds for the Better Life Appeal, which supports the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre at Llandough Hospital, Penarth. It goes by the curious name Inhale The Music and will be centred round a south Wales band, Hegsy And The Elements [pictured], playing live four times a day for five days in different hospitals in the region. Their total of infirmary gigs for the week will be taken to 21 with a finale set at the Sports & Social Club, at Cardiff’s Heath Hospital. Tickets for this one will be £12, and you can find out more (and donate) by searching ‘Inhale The Music’ on justgiving.com

ONES TO WATCH... STAGGA & MAGUGU

A member of hip-hop scratch team Optimas Prime in the late 90s/early 00s, Stagga later moved into dubstep/bass music territory and scored kind words for his debut solo album, The Warm Air Room. Magugu, meanwhile, I’ve wanted to write more about ever since he rocked up to our office a few years ago with a demo CD of wicked funky Nigerian-styled afrobeats (he’s originally from Lagos and now lives in Cardiff). Happily, the pair have just teamed up for a four-song EP, Say Notin, facilitating this here bigup. Say Notin starts on a dark, grimey tip with its title track, Magugu sounding icy and defiant over Stagga’s sparse bass stabs and snare hits. He calls his MC style ‘pidgin rap’, in reference to his dual employment of English and Nigerian dialect; when he’s got his screwface on, like on here and last year’s scorching Gunshot, his deep, imposing voice reminds me quite a bit of Flowdan. He and Stagga bring good cheer hereafter though, with Yanga and Romancin settling on a dancehall tip (the latter of these may well have pinched its melody from Sophia George’s 1985 reggae smash Girlie Girlie). If you like the sound of all this, Stagga & Magugu have a bunch more bangers online – you can even grab a 7” dubplate of Confam, another 2016 release – while Magugu has also moonlighted with Welsh hip-hop mainstay Beatbox Fozzy (Fork You) and grime producer Sir Spyro (Topper Top). He, in particular, deserves to be a star. www.fatfridge.co.uk

BUZZ 52

one louder

THE first-placed story in the column to the left of this one has also spurred a campaign group, Save Womanby Street, into being. Only a few days old as I write, they seem to be off to an efficient start, and are doing genuinely valuable – if pre-emptive – work. The gradual transformation of Womanby Street into an actual decent place to hang socially has been comprehensive enough that no-one seems to remember what it was like a decade ago: Clwb Ifor Bach, the branch of Wetherspoons that now wields a hypothetical lump hammer over its neighbours, and that was basically it. People, nevertheless, seemed to get by. The size, density and geography of Cardiff make it very unlikely that Womanby Street could be replicated elsewhere in the city, so digging one’s heels in is extra important here. I guess this means grinning and bearing it when you see people who have slightly misinterpreted the most doomladen forecasts, and clearly believe that the whole strip is literally on the verge of closure. This simply isn’t the case, as you’ll see if you visit and funnel some beer money to the economy. Worst case scenarios are plausible here, but some of the discourse feels counterproductive. That said, I would like to now toast some of the obscure, long-gone Cardiff venues I experienced between 1999 and 2013, as a reminder that live music spaces invariably exist in a state of flux. Lots of the buildings still exist: the Angel Hotel remains a hotel, and a few bands played there for Swn a couple of years back, but will always remind me of going, on my late-teens own, to a completely bizarre night where Mo-Ho-Bish-O-Pi warmed up for some squat party techno DJs. My only visit to CF1, on Womanby Street and now office space, was also for a shonky rave, at which I was (fruitlessly) body searched by bouncers for doing poppers while dancing. Wild times. This place had two or three later incarnations, also unsuccessful. Grassroots on Charles Street still exists, and does good work with local youths and that, but I went there around 2001 to see noisy indie bands (Movietone and Mountain Men Anonymous spring to mind), because I was, and still am, a twat. A sign in the toilets asked you not to shoot up in them. Spazoom, who promoted gigs there, also did a one-off alldayer circa 2005 in a Newport Road church which is now posh flats. Blood Red Shoes played, before becoming popular, and I got told off for drinking a beer in the Lord’s house. Wilder times. Although Cardiff’s not been great for house shows in my experience – too small, few basements – I went to an especially good one in maybe 2006, where Canadian hardcore band Cursed played an upstairs bedroom (soundproofed by upturned mattresses) to an audience far smaller than they could have actually commanded. The squat scene, too, has generally been marginal, but I saw Facel Vega, Woolf and some other cool bands play a disused pub past Victoria Park a few years back. There were at least two dogs present. Scattered efforts to put Liberal and Labour clubs to gigging use have fizzled out. I seem to recall a set in Roath by London punk band The Down And Outs finishing with the landlady chasing customers off the dancefloor, and American electronica performance artiste type Kevin Blechdom doing deliberately annoying Whitney Houston karaoke to visibly unimpressed barstaff in Canton. Better, perhaps, to do away with staff, and regulations, and buildings, and visit the arse-end of Bute Park for Woodstick, a very twee indiepop alldayer which happened during a few Augusts. Calvin Johnson played one of them and was inappropriately gloomy but good. And now I just want to go to the park and get covered in pesticides. I suppose I should encourage you, in a slightly prescriptive way, to hit up PINKGRIP and BLOOD MEDALS (Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff, Sat 1); LVL UP (Clwb Ifor Bach, Mon 3); GOLDEN ORIOLE, THE DEATH OF MONEY and HEIL ZILLA (Undertone, Wed 5); LAETITIA SADIER (The Full Moon, Sun 9); PINK GRAPEFRUIT (Cardiff Bus Transport Club, Fri 14); BENT LIFE (Fuel, Wed 26) and FLOWERS MUST DIE plus DEEP HUM (Full Moon, Thurs 27). NOEL GARDNER

RECORDING STUDIO IN CARDIFF

www.corner-house-studio.com enquiries@corner-house-studio.com

cornerhousestudio cornerhousestudio cornerhouse148

Andy Lewis 07813888509 Liam Ross 07731141684

BUZZ 53

books TRIPTYCH: THREE STUDIES OF MANIC STREET PREACHERS’ HOLY BIBLE

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Rhina E. Jones, Daniel Lukes, Larissa Wodtke (Repeater Books) There’s something very satisfactory about seeing my fellow former teenage Manics fans grow up and do some really cool things. All that angst basically transformed into brilliant creativity, and this book is proof of that. Triptych is a cool and creative book, full of insight and intelligence, extolling and expounding all the reasons we always knew the Manics’ The Holy Bible was an exemplary album but – in my case at least – were too tongue-tied to properly express. We were devoted; some are devotees still. The mix of memoir and analysis in this tome works well, engaging the reader on levels both personal and profound. Each writer brings a new angle to the work: Rhian E. Jones turns her analytical eye to the album’s political context; Daniel Lukes examines its literary and artistic sources; and Larissa Wodtke analyses the way the album links with philosophical ideas of memory and the archive. As a Welsh writer who grew up in the 90s, it’s difficult to say which writer I connected with more. Jones’ views of the albums are placed within Wales during that decade, and her experiences seem akin to my own: “The album was [...] something fast, unstable and unstoppable… There was a thrill in hanging on for that ride, when so much of my teenage years had been spent chafing at the bit.” However, all three writers have much to offer, and this is a well-written, fascinating book. MAB JONES Price: £14.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com

INANIMATE PEOPLE

Gerhard Kress (Mabon Arts Publishing)

This book is the accompaniment to a touring art exhibition which was at the Senedd last month. Gerhard Kress is a musician, artist, and writer of both poetry and prose, and this book contains a selection of photographs and poems. The title refers to the image’s subject matter: shop dummies, statues, dolls, and all other ‘inanimate people’. Through these images, we are drawn into a world which is both our-own and not-our-own, in a slightly creepy series which at once reflects our tendency to imprint ourselves upon our surroundings, but also reinforces the mute aspect, potentially, of other human beings. Idealistic, philosophical, and beautifully expressed, these are words worth reading, in an intriguing, well-produced book. MJ Price: £14.95. Info: www.mabonartspublishing. blogspot.co.uk

HUMMINGBIRD

Tristan Hughes (Parthian)

Set in a remote corner of Northern Ontario, the story follows the life of teenager Zachary and his fellow inhabitants in a sleepy corner of Canada. Living with his father, his summer is invigorated when a local resident’s niece, Eva, comes to visit and the story reveals the events that have shaped both characters’ pasts. With nature acting as the predominant feature of the novel, even though it is difficult to envisage such a quiet retreat, the rich descriptions provide an effective backdrop and set the scene with intricate detail. At times the plot moves at a slow pace but it manages to convey the ideal atmosphere. Themes of love, death and hope combine to create an absorbing and composed tale, providing the perfect escapism. RH Price: £8.99. Info: www.parthianbooks.com

THE DEDALUS BOOK OF GIN

Richard Barnett (Dedalus Ltd) Gin is in. Once an ‘old fashioned’ drink, something your Mum might drink on a trip to the local, gin has now had a resurgence and is trendy once more. It’s also a drink with a fascinating history, from medicinal purposes, to being blamed for society’s ills. The Dedalus Book Of Gin takes the reader on a journey through the many phases of gin’s history, right up to today and what he calls ‘The Gin Renaissance’. It’s an interesting, accessible history and fascinating not just for lovers of the spirit but also those with an interest in social and medical history. Richard Barnett writes in a clear accessible manner, that engages as well as educates on the fascinating journey gin has taken in drinking culture and beyond. EG Price: £15. Info: www.dedalusbooks.com

BUZZ 54

LIT

@mabjones

Be as foolish as you like on Sat 1 Apr, but don’t be a fool and miss Writing In The Museum in Cardiff on the same day. Hosted by Cardiff University tutor Briony Goffin, this is sure to be a lively and enlivening workshop. Beginning at 11am and lasting all day, writers of any experience level should contact brionygoffin@gmail.com for more information and to book. Next up is Eloise Williams reading from her new novel Gaslight (Firefly Press) at Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival on Sun 2 Apr. The highly-acclaimed author will be at the Old Library from 2pm, and there will be further signings of the book at Waterstones in Carmarthen on Sat 8 Apr, and Waterstones in Cardiff on Sat 22 Apr. All events take place at 2pm. Fri 7 Apr sees another Voices on the Bridge featuring poets and musicians from all over the valleys, and beyond. Hosted by writer Rob Cullen, the event is free and set in the beautiful Pontypridd Museum building, complete with its own altar and many fascinating exhibits. Get there for a 7pm start. On Sat 8 Apr, you can celebrate the 100-year centenary of poet Edward Thomas. Delve into the special collections at Cardiff University in a special workshop hosted by Bryan Marshall beginning at 3pm. Entry is free but places are limited so please book by emailing organiser and Created To Read blogger Rachel Carney on carneyr2@cardiff.ac.uk. You can also enjoy an Edward Thomas-inspired evening event at Little Man Coffee on Fri 21 Apr. The day before on Thurs 20 Apr, poet Mike Jenkins hosts another night at The Imp in Merthyr. With special guest - Helen Burke, this time - and open mic, this is a lovely, local affair; cosy and word-y and highly recommended. Arrive in time for a 7.30pm start, and enjoy yourself. Make sure to check out the Literature Wales and Spoken Word Wales sites and social media for more upcoming events, too.

lifestyle

Chocolate Game Controller Flowers Buy Deliver, £3.99 www.flowersbuydelivery.co.uk

EASTER GIFT GUIDE Easter’s coming up, and for most of us, it’s as good as excuse as Halloween to gorge on sweets! Of course, you might want to treat your friends to a nice gift. Here are some ideas, ranging from small and simple to the cheeky and amusing!

Soft Toy Chicklets Polka Dot Shop, £2.99 www.polkadotgifts.co.uk

The Wicker Man – 3-Disc 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Amazon, £14.99 www.amazon.co.uk

Baby Chick Outfit Ella James, £26.50 www.ellajames.co.uk

Bunny Rabbit Hanging Basket John Lewis, £18 www.johnlewis.com

Viking Beer Horn Glass with Stand 480ml Drink Stuff, £12.99 www.drinkstuff.com

Chocolate Vinyl Record and Cassette Not On The High Street, £25 www.notonthehighstreet.com

Richard Herring: Christ On A Bike DVD Go Faster Stripe, £17.50/£20 with program www.gofasterstripe.com

Ceramic Egg Decoration Kit 4-Pack Hobbycraft, £3 www.hobbycraft.co.uk

Zealot: The Life And Times of Jesus Of Nazareth by Reza Aslan Wordery, £17.40 www.wordery.com

BUZZ 55

travel

Fedor Tot takes a look at some of the best places to go for a weekend break this Easter, both in Wales and overseas.

pic: Leo Hidalgo

pic: Matthew Hartley

pic: Mike Beales

pic: David Evans

pic: James Woolley

E A S T E R G E TA WAY S

pic: Hefin Owen

MALAGA, SPAIN

ABERYSTWYTH

CAERNARFON

With regular flights from Cardiff Airport, Pablo Picasso’s birthplace makes for a beautiful culturevulture spring weekend break. April-time may be a bit too cool for a beach trip, but it’s just ideal for walking around the compact, flat Andalusian city, filled with museums (over 30!) and restaurants. The Patio 19 Hostel has dorm beds from £10/night, with private ones from £33, so it’s not overly expensive either. Info: www.malagaturismo.com

Aberystwyth’s understated charm and unassuming good looks have the potential to impress many a visitor. Its Victorian beachfront promenade is a sight to see in all weather, whilst the camera obscura that sits atop Constitution Hill is the largest in the world. A student population that rivals the town’s permanent population means that Aberystwyth’s small size belies a sizeable nightlife; it has the highest density of pubs per square mile in the UK! Info: www.aberystwyth.org.uk

Situated on the north-western coast of Wales, Caernarfon is one of the most storied towns in the region. The straits dividing Caernarfon from Anglesey have always been rich in resources, with the town a prosperous settlement since prehistory. In the 13th century, the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd refused to pay tribute to Edward I, prompting the King to invade and construct the town’s now-famous castle. With a medieval political history to rival a Game Of Thrones plotline, Caernarfon provides an exciting weekend visit for any history buff. Reachable by bus, train or car, there are also flights from Cardiff to the nearby airport on Anglesey. Info: www.caernarfon.com

MUNICH, GERMANY With cheap flights from Cardiff by FlyBe, Bavaria’s capital is not nearly as overwhelming or high-energy as Berlin, but it remains a vital cultural and historic centre in the heart of Europe. You can walk around the town’s gorgeous old centre on foot, brimming with intricate Gothic architecture, whilst the night-time plays host to a fast-changing landscape of cuttingedge clubs and bars. Info: www.muenchen.de JERSEY The southernmost and largest of the English Channel Islands is easy to get to thanks to direct flights from Cardiff Airport. It might only be nine miles in width and five in length, but there’s a lot to see. Take in the island’s unique heritage, a mix of continental charm and British bonhomie, whilst also drinking in the sights of Elizabeth’s Castle, surrounded by sea at high tide, reachable by land at low tide. Info: www.jersey.com

BUZZ 56

PEMBROKESHIRE COAST A quote from David Hughes’s Magic Of Place reading ‘Ambition Is Critical’ is seen on a daily basis by train commuters, carved outside the seaside city’s station doors, is considered one of Swansea’s most prized possessions, and is just one of the areas made well-known in the celebrated film Twin Town. Whisked away by the hilarious (but dark) plotline, the film boldly flaunts its land with a proud, warped patriotism. Mayhill, Bonymaen Rugby Club, the Gower Peninsular’s Langland Bay and the strength of a real male choir are all on show in the Welsh classic. Info: www.visitswanseabay.com BRECON Situated at the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons, Brecon provides easy access to the grand vistas of the national park it calls home. With Pen Y Fan, the largest peak in South Wales nearby, amongst other excellent walks, it can be easy to forget that Brecon is itself a fine town to visit, bustling with cafes, restaurants, and things to do. A day trip to the brewery in Penderyn on the southern side of the Beacons is also on the cards for any visitor here. Info: www.visitbrecon.com

ELAN VALLEY For those looking to get away from it all and find some isolation for a few days, there’s the Elan Valley, in the very heart of Wales in the middle of Powys. With a series of beautiful dams and reservoirs dotting the area, the region is not one to create distractions for its visitors, with small villages and homely cafes the norm. That isolation also means that, should you be lucky enough to endure clear night skies in Wales, you’ll also be treated to some of the most incredible night-gazing in Europe. Info: www.elanvalley.com

sport

pic: fromthevalleys

JUDGEMENT DAY V

Now in its fifth year, the annual showdown of the Cardiff Blues, Ospreys, Scarlets and Newport Gwent Dragons has become a highlight in the rugby calendar, offering daylong entertainment in the home of Welsh rugby, the Principality Stadium. Cardiff Blues will face the Ospreys at 2.45pm, swiftly followed by Scarlets against the Newport Gwent Dragons at 5.15pm. With back-to-back action, the event will be an exhibition of Welsh rugby talent. This broad accessibility was evident in last year’s double header, where the all time attendance record of any of the four Welsh teams was broken, with over 68,000 strong turning up to the event. Living up to its title, the fixture will be significant for players and fans alike. Indeed, players will not only be playing for their fate in the PRO12, as many will also have their eye on the Lions tour. Held in the closing stages of the PRO12, Round 20, the games will have significant weighting, especially in the case of the Ospreys, who currently sit second in the table. They have seen a marked change in fortunes compared to last year, where they were placed in the bottom half of the table with the Cardiff Blues. Instead,

the Ospreys will be looking to conquer the PRO12 table – a top four finish already basically secured. Captained by veteran lock Alun Wyn Jones, and boasting an impressive perfect record against the Blues in their last four Judgement Day meetings, the Ospreys will be optimistic heading into the fixture. Cardiff Blues should not be written off, though. Despite only winning eight of their 17 league games, with Welsh internationals Lloyd Williams, Sam Warburton and Alex Cuthbert to draw inspiration from, they should look past the confounding statistics dooming them to defeat. Turning our attention to the Western clash between Newport Gwent Dragons and Scarlets, it is the latter who will arrive in confidence, winning 12 of their 17 PRO12 matches. Five wins from the last six games shows the Scarlets’ magnificent form, and they’ll be hoping to secure a top four position should Ulster drop points. Conceding on average 40 points in their last four games, the might and flair that Scarlets possess will be a daunting prospect for the Dragons. They will certainly rise to the occasion though, and prove their titular tenacity. CONOR KNIGHT Judgement Day V, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 15 Apr. Tickets: £10. Info: 0844 8471881 / www.wru.co.uk

The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their iconic basketball skills and energy to Cardiff. The exhibition team, made up of unique characters and personalities, will combine sport, athleticism, drama and comedy to provide one of the most consistently entertaining shows over the past century. Founded in the 1920s, the Globetrotters have played an essential role in American popular culture and appeared numerous times on TV, especially for children. Perfect for young families and children, their skills and eccentricity leave you wondering just how it’s all possible. Their story is a remarkable one that mirrors the history of America. When formed, they plied their trade professionally alongside some of the best basketball teams in the business and rapidly rose to prominence. Their success sounded out an important sociocultural message: African-Americans could not only perform, but shine in society. In the 70s and 80s, the brand grew and grew and they were given their own television show on Saturday mornings, and their successful image has remained ever since. Now part of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters can consider themselves one of the most iconic and influential sports teams of all time. Describing themselves as “pioneers in popularising the slam dunk, fast break, the forward, point guard and figure-eight weave,” keep an eye out for any expert moves that may just catch on in the NBA. Fun fact: the opposition team that tour with the Globetrotters have won six times (ever) to which an official amusingly claimed that the crowd “looked like we had just killed Santa Claus”. For their 2017 tour, they are introducing their 4-point shot. For those of you that have never got into basketball, a 3-point shot is pretty tough to make, and a 4-point even further out and even more difficult. Don’t be surprised when they make it though!

pic: Doha Stadium Plus Qatar

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

The ideal day out for those who love sport or simply want to try something different, the illustrious Globetrotters are bringing basketball to Wales. Kitted in all American colours, get ready for wizardry, thrills and surprises. STUART FAGG Harlem Globetrotters, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 17 Apr. Tickets: £17.50. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

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BUZZ 58

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

BUZZ DIY WORKSHOPS Tramshed, Cardiff, throughout May Admission: free. Info: www.buzzmag.co.uk / www.diffusionfestival.org Buzz magazine and Diffusion Photography Festival have formed a partnership to manage and co-curate a public DIY space at the Tramshed. This hub, open for the entire month of May, will be a multi workshop space focusing on self-publishing, DIY zines, photography, graffiti, music, video, film and illustration. Individuals can learn how selfpublishing can empower them and develop their work and creativity. All the workshops are free and attendees are also invited to free talks, gigs, film screenings and pop-up events. We have consciously kept these workshops and events free to include everyone in the community. Creativity, and being able to share it, should be free! Within the workshop there will be a preview show of the buzz25: retrospective exhibition. The exhibition is a retrospective look at the history and content of Buzz over the last 25 years, highlighting the process in creating a self-funding independent publication before the introduction of the internet and the transition into the digital and social media age. You can find all the information about the workshops and how to sign up to them on www.buzzmag.co.uk or visit facebook.com/buzzmagwales.

CONTENTS pg 60 pg 62 pg 64 pg 69 pg 75

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 59

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art

art Aberystwyth Arts Centre

University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre *Stitched Voices Arpilleras, wall hangings, quilts and memorabilia from the international Conflict Textiles collection; Mexican handkerchiefs produced by the Embroidering For Peace movement and a collection of Welsh quilts and banners made by local artists and activists. (Until Sat 13 May) James Morris ‘For The People’ Photographs of James Morris which capture new buildings or renovations that were recognised by architectural juries in Wales in 2016. (Until Sat 20 May) Stephen Bailey ‘Walking The Dog’ Photographs taken along the Ceredigion coastal path between Poppit Sands and Ynyslas. (Until Wed 24 May)

Albany Gallery

74b Albany Road, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com Gwyn Roberts Solo exhibition portraying dramatic mountains and coastlines. (Until Sat 8 Apr) David Tress Highly regarded British artist noted for his inventive

landscapes and represented internationally by Messum’s Ltd, London. (From Thurs 13 Apr until Sat 6 May)

Andrew Lamont Gallery (Theatr Brycheiniog)

Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free. 01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk Gigi Jones Painter based between France and the Rhymney Valley, who has been capturing the south Wales landscapes for more than 30 years. (From Fri 7 until Sun 30 Apr)

Arcadecardiff

Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. www.arcadecardiff.co.uk Sahar Saki ‘Have You Ever Worn A Stadium?’ Contemporary jewellery artist with a new collection inspired by the Principality Stadium. (Until Sat 15 Apr) Rosanna Blatchford A residency exhibiton playing on ideas of display within collections, questioning the space an object is placed within and pushing the formalities of the museum display. (From Wed 18 Apr until Sat 6 May)

Art Central

Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Free. 01446 709805. Artur Conka & Billy Kerry ‘Gypsy Maker Project’

Installation of specially commissioned work, part of the Gypsy Maker project – an initiative that supports the development of innovative works by established and emerging Gypsy, Roma and Traveller artists. (Until Sat 29 Apr)

Attic Gallery

37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am4.30pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Three Viewpoints Landscape paintings by Jacob Buckland, Peter Cronin and Michael Howard. Presumably not that Michael Howard. (From Sat 8 until Sat 29 Apr)

Barker Gallery / Torfaen Gallery

Pontypool Museum, Park Buildings, Pontypool. MonSat 11am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm. Free Wed/Sun 2-5pm. 01495 752036. See You In The Park In August Images of the awardwinning Pontypool Park from the museum and private collection. Plus local artists work for sale. (Until Sun 15 Oct)

Bay Art

54 B/C Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2065 0016 / www.bayart.org.uk Terry Setch Welsh painter who’s worked since the 1980s, often in this very gallery and generally in the Bay area. See Art. (Until Fri 28 Apr)

Boundary Art

3 Sovereign Quay, Havannah Street, Cardiff. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 029 2048 9869 / www. boundaryart.com Birth-Rebirth Second anniversary show for this gallery, which is aiming to “reinvent, reimagine and reflect the past and look forward to embracing change to create a new way for the future.” (Throughout April)

Cardiff School Of Art & Design

Cardiff Metropolitan University, Western Avenue, Cardiff. Free. www. cardiffmet.ac.uk *Jane Simpson 'A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing' Conceptual sculptor whose work often uses antiques or old pieces of technology, re/ decontextualised (eg the image CSAD are using on their flyer, a sewing machine covered in frost like the inside of a freezer). (From Mon 3 until Fri 28 Apr)

Cardiff Story

The Hayes, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am4pm. Free. 029 2034 6214 / museum@cardiff.gov.uk Tiger Bay Brawlers Exhibition offering an introduction to Cardiff’s first and most successful roller derby team. (Until Sun 28 May) From Wembley To Wales: Celebrating Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup Victory Discover the stories behind the objects at this rare opportunity to see original artefacts from Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup match. (Until Mon 4 Sept)

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 These Rotten Words Via photography, painting, sculpture, sound and moving image works, the artists featured here – Rebecca Ackroyd, David Austen, Johann Arens, Anna Barham, Marie-Michelle Deschamps, Foundation Press, Anneke Kampman, Joanna Piotrowska and Devlin Shea – focus on the physicality of textual, gestural and vocal forms of communication. (Until Sun 11 June)

Craft In The Bay

KANU’S GANDHI Ffotogallery, Penarth, until Sat 15 Apr Admission: free. Info: 029 2034 1667 / www.ffotogallery.org One of the 20th century’s most important and vital figures, it’s rare for us to see Mahatma Gandhi in a light that isn’t iconic and hagiographic. This exhibition at Ffotogallery, curated by Prashant Panjiar and Sanjeev Saaith, draws on the personal archives of Kanu Gandhi, his grandnephew and photographer. Kanu devoutly followed his granduncle for much of his life, photographing him in intimate, personal moments. For a long time, his work was largely ignored, although in recent years its significance has been increasingly acknowledged, presenting its historically gargantuan subject in a humane, almost mundane light, devoid of iconographic symbolism. Sure to be a fascinating historical enterprise.

The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free. 029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales.org.uk SuperBowls: Interpretations Of An Ageless Design Curator, Geoffrey Swindell has invited 13 UK artists working in clay – Natalia Dias, Vilas Silverton, Rachel Foxwell, Ian Rylatt, David Burnham Smith, Peter Wills, Zoe Hillyard, Paul Taylor, Caroline Taylor, Duncan Ayscough, Sean Gordon, Ashraf Hanna and Sue Hanna, plus Swindell himself – to create bowl-like art pieces. (Until Sun 7 May)

Dylan Thomas Centre

Somerset Place, Swansea. BUZZ 60

Daily 10am-4pm. Free. 01792 463980 / dylanthomas.lit@swansea. gov.uk / www.dylanthomas. com Love The Words Ongoing, permanent exhibition dedicated to Dylan Thomas, with lots of interactive features and voiceovers from people including Prince Charles and Richard Burton.

Elysium Gallery

16 College Street, Swansea. Wed-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www. elysiumgallery.com Helen Dennis ‘Ephemeral Coast’ See Art for more on this Brooklyn-based artist’s exhibition, the result of her residency at fellow Swansea gallery Mission in February 2016. (From Fri 7 Apr until Sat 6 May)

Ffotogallery

Turner House, Plymouth Road, Penarth. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm. Free. 029 2070 8870 / turnerhouse@ ffotogallery.org Kanu’s Gandhi UK premiere of a new exhibition featuring rare, intimate photographs of Mahatma Gandhi by his grandnephew and personal chronicler, Kanu Gandhi. (Until Sat 15 Apr)

Fountain Fine Art

Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Sarah Hopkins Printmaker Hopkins explores the how the natural carving and cultivating of rural landscape is echoed in the patterns of urban and industrial spaces. (Until Fri 21 Apr)

Futures Gallery / Oriel Gallery

Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead.org Dorothy Russell ‘Textiles In Transition’ Stitched textile/quilt work that aims to blur the lines between quilting for practical purposes and for craft. (Until Fri 21 Apr) Journeys New work by Gustavius Payne, Heather Eastes and Alan Salisbury, all of which relates or can be linked to each artist’s time spent studying abroad. (From Sun 2 until Thurs 20 Apr) Porthcawl’s Secret Tragedy An exhibition telling the story of the Liberty ship SS Samtampa and the Mumbles lifeboat, Edward Prince Of Wales disaster that happened on 23 Apr 1947. (From Mon 24 Apr until Mon 8 May) Vale Photographic Club Annual show featuring a wide ranging selection of photographs by members of this club. (From Mon 24 Apr until Fri 19 May)

Y Galeri, Caerffili

Lower Ground Floor, The Visit Caerphilly Centre, The Twyn, Caerphilly. Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2132 2570 / www.ygalericaerffili. co.uk Mark Youd ‘Universally Human’ For this show, Mark experiments with etching and is inspired by his latest model Anna Storey. (Until Sat 8 Apr)

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Christine Gittins ‘Fire, Earth & Sky’ New pottery work inspired by the landscape after devastating fires, the burnt land and the sunsets as result of the smokefilled atmosphere. (From Tue 11 Apr until Sat 13 May)

The Gate

Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm. Free. 029 2048 3344 / info@ thegate.org.uk South Wales Art Society Varied exhibition of different members works from this 130-year-old group, made up o both professionals and amateurs and who meet fortnightly. (From Wed 12 Apr until Fri 5 May)

The Gate / Y Gat

Pentre Road, St Clears, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-3pm. Free. 01994 232726 / thegate@carmarthenshire. gov.uk Botanics Members of Carmarthen Artists’ Network present a mixed media show based on the early stages of their joint project with the National Botanic Garden Of Wales. The works interpret the themes emerging from Garden’s Regency Restoration scheme. (From Tue 25 Apr until Sun 4 June)

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Alexandra Rd, Swansea. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Free. 01792 516900 / www. swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian The Moon And A Smile Responses to a period in the 1840s and 1850s, when Swansea – and in particular, the Dillwyn family circle – was at the centre of early experiments in photography worldwide. Greta Alfaro, Anna Fox, Astrid Kruse Jensen, Neeta Madahar & Melanie Rose, Sharon Morris, Sophy Rickett, Helen Sear and Patricia Ziad are the artists here. (Until Sun 23 Apr) Philip Eglin Recipient of this year’s Wakelin Award, Eglin is a ceramic artist with an international reputation working with clay, and influences drawn from 16th century painting, English medieval pottery and the flat-backed figurative ornaments of Staffordshire. (Until Sun 9 Apr)

Grand Pavilion

The Esplanade, Porthcawl. Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01656 815995 / www. grandpavilion.co.uk Tim Wood Landscape photographs from someone who has been taking pictures of that type for over 20 years. (Until Sun 21 May)

IAP Fine Art

15 Church Street, Monmouth. Wed-Sat 11am5pm. Free. 0844 5611833 / www.iapfineart.com Chris Gollon ‘Gimme Some Wine (After Eleanor McEvoy)’ A new series of 23 paintings by English artist Gollon, created in collaboration with Irish singersongwriter McEvoy. This is the opening Monmouth show for this gallery, which deals in fine art and has relocated

from London. (Until Sat 29 Apr)

King Street Gallery

33 King Street, Carmarthen. Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@kingstreetgallery. co.uk Rob Newell An exhibition of new work by landscape artist. (Until Wed 5 Apr) Spring

focusing on how artists’ approach to painting allows a subversion of the genre of portraiture. Work from Andreas Reuthi, Ellie Young, Jackie Morris, Cherry Pickles, Richard James and Nerea Martinez de Lecea. (From Thurs 6 until Sat 22 Apr) Photoplastic An Exhibition by 2nd year BA Photographic Practice from Bridgend

How old were you when you had your first art exhibition? Nine? You weren't nine, were you? Well, Noah Loo is nine, and a collection of the drawings he's been doing since he was five are being shown in Swansea's Taliesin Arts Centre from Fri 21 Apr until the end of May. Keep on showing these non-exhibition-having chumps up, Noah! Show New and diverse work by the Gallery’s members. (Until Wed 3 May) Group 56 A Chate Room exhibition of new work by 56 Group Wales’ members: painting, printmaking, sculpture, new media, performance, film, installation and found object sculpture. (From Fri 7 until Wed 26 Apr)

Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre

St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Selection From The LGAC Permanent Collection Small exhibition in the café, featuring work donated to the collection from the Contemporary Art Society Of Wales. (Until Sun 9 Apr) Alison Lochhead ‘Abandonment And Migration’ Sculptural installation which alludes to the 65 million people across the globe who are currently fleeing their homes. (From Tue 4 Apr until Sat 27 May) Micki Schloessingk ‘Earth, Fire And Salt’ Everyday, useable poettry from an artist/maker who created and developed Bridge Pottery in the small village of Cheriton on the Gower peninsula. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sat 27 May) Louise Hall Fragile, delicate hand built vessels, made from porcelain and with an ethereal and calming ambience. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sat 27 May) Anne Morgan A collection of jewellery influenced by Morgan’s passion for the coastline, combining her own work and found objects. The pieces are often one-offs, and echo the land around the beaches. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sat 27 May)

M.A.D.E. Gallery

41 Lochaber St, Cardiff. Wed-Sat 10am-6pm. Free. 029 2047 3373. Beyond Likeness Exhibition

College Arts Academy. (From Wed 26 until Sat 29 Apr)

Martin Tinney Gallery

18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2064 1411 / mtg@artwales. com 25th Anniversary Exhibition Part I Work by Augustus John, Gwen John, James Dickson Innes, Sir Cedric Morris, David Jones, Evan Walters, Edward Moorland Lewis, Ceri Richards, John Piper, Evan Charlton, George Chapman, Merlyn Evans, Jack Jones, Josef Herman, Sir Kyffin Williams, John Elwyn, Ernest Zobole, Gwilym Prichard, Evelyn Williams, Peter Prendergast and John Knapp Fisher – all of which have been sold by the gallery in its 25 years open. (From Thurs 6 Apr until Sat 6 May)

Mission Gallery

Gloucester Place, Swansea. Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free. 01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk Annie Thibault & Gemma Copp ‘Situation/Material/ Ocean’ Copp, a Welsh artist whose work is animated by the coast of Swansea, and Thibault, a Canadian who engages with the biology of aquatic life, present studies that explore the perception and sensibility of coastal materiality. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sun 4 June) Ann Jordan ‘Strata’ Fine artist who creates site specific works often related to either the urban or rural landscapes, Strata is made from naturally coloured Welsh sheep fleeces and represents the fragility of our coastline. (From Tue 4 Apr until Sun 21 May) Adele Vye Work in the [...] space from an artist awarded the John Brookes Memorial Prize for Fine Art in 2005 and Welsh Artist Of The Year for TimeBased Media in 2009.. (From

Tue 4 Apr until Sun 21 May)

National Museum Cardiff

Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / www.museum.wales/ cardiff Nature’s Song: Chinese Bird And Flower Paintings On show in the UK for the first time, this show reveals the development of this art form in China from the late Ming dynasty at the end of the 16th century to recent decades. (Until Sun 23 Apr) Bacon To Doig: Modern Masterpieces From A Private Collection The collection in question belonging to Ian and Mercedes Stoutzker. and featuring two Francis Bacon paintings as well as works by Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Grayson Perry among others. It’s on loan here for nearly a year, as well. (Until Wed 31 Jan) Gillian Ayres Celebratory exhibition for one of Britain’s best known abstract artists. See Art. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sun 3 Sept)

National Waterfront Museum

Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Daily 10am-5pm. Free. 01792 638950 / www. museum.wales/swansea Joe Murphy ‘Ebbw Vale Steel Works’ photographs showing an historic episode within what was once a major industry in Wales. (Until Sun 2 Apr) Hope In The Great War New exhibition telling the wartime story of six heroic lifeboat rescues through family-friendly, interactive displays. (Until Sun 23 Apr) Waste Not! Want Not! Recycled objects, many of them ingenious as well as practical, made both throughout the ages and cross the world. (Until Mon 1 May)

Newport Museum & Art Gallery

John Frost Square, Newport.Tue-Fri 9.30am5.30pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm. Free. 01633 656656 / museum@newport.gov.uk Images From The Stone A selection of prints chosen from a group of lithographs acquired by Newport Museum from London’s Redfern Gallery in 1953. (Until Sat 3 June)

Norwegian Church Arts Centre

Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay. Daily 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2087 7959 / www. norwegianchurchcardiff.com Julian Culley ‘A Brush With The Valleys’ New work painted in black Chinese ink and influence variously by Turner, American abstract expressionism and Zen calligraphy. (From Mon 24 Apr until Sun 7 May)

Oriel Davies

The Park, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm. Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@orieldavies.org Kelly Best ‘Vanishing

Point’ Cardiff artist’s debut exhibition proper, working in mixed media and forging interconnections between sculpture, painting and drawing in order to consider site, space and surface. (Until Wed 10 May) Rory Duckhouse ‘Instructions For Imagined Spaces’ Duckhouse, also from Cardiff, presents a series of instructional guides, which riff on the general idea of visiting an art gallery, and play on the attendee’s previous experience of such. (Until Wed 10 May)

Oriel Joanna Field

Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free. 01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Tom Learmonth Photographs by a professional snapper (since the 1980s) who currently lives in Milford Haven. For the artistic side of his pursuit, he is chiefly focused on landscapes and seascapes. (From Mon 3 until Sat 29 Apr)

Oriel Mwldan

Bath House Rd, Cardigan. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. Free. 01239 621200 / helena@ mwldan.co.uk Cardigan Art Society Original paintings, prints and drawings in this society’s popular annual group exhibition. (Until Sun 23 Apr)

Oriel Myrddin

Church Lane, Carmarthen. 01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk David Jones ‘Angels On Washing Lines’ Sculptures, installations and linocuts inspired by folk art, outsider art, illustration and commercial art. See the Art previews. (Until Sat 13 May)

Oriel Q

The Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01834 869454 / www. orielqueenshallgallery. org.uk Mary Lloyd Jones Work by the main gallery and Oriel Fach. Stairs: TBC. Main gallery 3D area: assorted ceramics and jewellery by students and well-known artists. (Until Sat 13 May)

Oriel Y Bont

University Of South Wales, Pontypridd. Mon-Thurs 8.30am-5.30pm, Fri 8.30am-5pm. Free. 01443 480480 / www.gallery.southwales.ac.uk Coal Society Exhibition examining aspects of the south Wales coalfield, including the work of artists ranging from painters Jack Crabtree and Ernest Zobole to photographers Levi Ladd and I C Rapoport. Part of a collaboration with Wolfson College, Cambridge. (Until Thurs 13 Apr)

Gillian Ayres: paintings created on the Llŷn Peninsula A visit to National Museum Cardiff this spring will see you immersed in the colour and joy of the paintings of Gillian Ayres – one of Britain’s greatest abstract artists. Born in 1930, Gillian Ayres emerged in the 1950s as a pioneer of large-scale abstract painting. Her work developed in dialogue with the latest developments in Paris and New York – including the Abstract Expressionism of artists such as Jackson Pollock. What is less well-known about Gillian Ayres is her longstanding links to Wales. In the 1950s and 60s she made regular trips to Snowdonia, staying at her sister’s cottage in Corris. From here she explored the Welsh mountains, and even climbed to the top of Cadar Idris 17 times! In the 1980s she returned to Wales – this time living and working on the Llŷn Peninsula where she painted some her most ambitious and important paintings. This exhibition features over 40 paintings and provides a fascinating focus on these two ‘Welsh periods’ but, just as importantly, offers a comprehensive overview of her extraordinary achievements as an artist. The exhibition has been developed to appeal to a wide range of audiences – from connoisseurs of British abstraction to families and young people who will delight in the colour-soaked canvases. The exhibition is open from Sat 8 Apr until Sun 3 Sept and is free for all visitors. www.museum.wales/cardiff

Pontypridd Museum

Bridge Street, Pontypridd. Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm. Free. 01443 490748 / www. pontypriddmuseum.cymru Pop-Up Ponty Fifteen micro pop-up museums inside the non-popping museum, the BUZZ 61

Frank Auerbach, Park Village East from the Bridge, 2003-04 © Frank Auerbach, courtesy Marlborough Fine Art

art

* – recommended

clubs work of 15 students from the University Of South Wales: Helena Allen, Susan Akins, Katie Thomas, Jasmine Venables, Kirsty Smith, Lucy Bateman, Laura Honeybun, Samuel Caradog Davies, Christopher Hopkins, TanyaMarie Gillett, Jasmine Evans, Jordan Sallis, Kira Corns, Melissa Welch and Ffion Wilding. (Until Thurs 27 Apr)

Redhouse

Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@ redhousecymru.com Robert Alwyn Hughes ‘returntotheABSTRACT’ new exhibition of large abstract paintings from a Welsh artist in his 80s. It’s influenced by childhood memories, with numerous references to Welsh landscape and culture. (Until Sat 15 Apr)

Swansea Grand Theatre

Singleton St, Swansea. MonSat 10am-5pm. Free. 01792 475715 / www. swanseagrand.co.uk Photographing Antiquity Showing in conjunction with the Egypt Centre. (From Tue 21 Mar until Fri 7 Apr) Wilf Box ‘New Perspectives’ Photographic work. (From Tue 11 until Fri 28 Apr)

Taliesin Arts Centre

Singleton Park, Swansea. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 12pm-6pm and performance evenings 6pm8.15pm. Free. 01792 295526 / www. taliesinartscentre.co.uk Roxanne Walchester ‘Through The Park To The Beach’ photographic exhibition celebrating Swansea landmarks Brynmill Park, Singleton and the sea. (Until Fri 21 Apr) Dorian Spencer Davies New show by Pembrokeshire painter, revealing many aspects of his work and styles and his new semi aspect acrylics inspired by the Gower. (From Fri 7 Apr until Sat 20 May) Noah Loo Original images in pencil and ink by a nine-year-old artist who started to draw age five. Looks quite fun actually. (From Fri 21 Apr until Wed 31 May)

Tenby Museum & Art Gallery

Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids. 01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk Linda Thompson ‘Tenby Enchanted’ / Bill Thompson ‘It’s All Subjective’ Details TBC. I’m assuming this is a husband and wife duo but I could be wrong! Very easily! (Until Sun 7 May)

Theatr Hafren

Llanidloes Road, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625007 / boxoffice@ theatrhafren.co.uk Elfyn Roberts Multidiscipline artist with skills in drawing and painting, printmaking, Raku ceramics and sculpting in foundry cast bronze. (Until Wed 31 May)

Tower Gallery

49 High Street, Crickhowell. BUZZ 62

Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Sue Hiley Harris An exhibition of weaving, collage and drawing by guest artist Harris. Also showing work by all members of the Usk Valley Artists’ Co-operative. (Until Sat 6 May)

Tower Gallery

Oriel Y Parc Landscape Gallery & Visitor Centre, The Grove, St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Free. 01437 720392 / info@ orielyparc.co.uk Annie Coombs Jewellery. (Until Wed 31 May) Enchanted Landscapes: Pembrokeshire In Myth And Legend More or less self-explanatory collection of artwork from Amgueddfa Cymru collections. (From Sat 8 Apr until Sun 17 Sept) Ray Burnell Landscape paintings. (From Sat 22 Apr until Wed 31 May) Christopher Baker Landscape paintings, this time located in the Artist In Residence tower. (From Sat 22 Apr until Sat 3 June)

Treberfydd House

Llangasty Tal-y-llyn, Brecon. Daily 1-6pm. 001874 730205 / www. treberfydd.com Meg Stevens ‘Encountering Beauty’ The first in a series of retrospective exhibitions of landscape paintings, celebrating the beauty of wild plants and flowers. (From Tue 18 Apr until Mon 1 May)

Headmost Another group show, this time by artists based in the UK who have never before shown at the Workers Gallery. (From Thurs 20 Apr until Sat 20 May)

clubs The Andrew Buchan Bar

Albany Road, Cardiff. Free. facebook.com/ andrewbuchanbar Sat 22 The Spillers RSD Afterparty 5pm, free. Today is the 10th birthday of Record Store Day, and once it’s all over with Ashli (Spillers Records), Ben-Jah, Diffian and DJ Rascal will be playing records here to celebrate.

The Angel Inn

Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth. 01970 617878. Fri 5 May BerlinBerlin Electronic music. “Techno is education. Not fashion,” state the organisers.

Big Love Festival

Baskerville Hall, nr Hay-OnWye. www.biglovefestival. co.uk Fri 28-Sun 30 Apr Big

Love Festival £75 (three days). Second year for this cheerful, fancy dress-featuring weekender, with some impressive names on the bill. From the top: KRS-One, Horse Meat Disco, King (as in the American r’n’b ladies – amazing), Flamingods, Bodhi, András, Call Super, Blue Lab Beats, Penya, Esa Williams, Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove, Palomino Party, AAA Badboy, Matt The Hat, Ecklectic Mick, Clare James, Joey P, Comfort, Richie Cordle, Castro, Ultra, Tom Bateman, Jake Mercanoglu, Neil Fucking Young and DJs from Bitch Please, Colours, Musu, We Like To Party, Mood, Disco Motel, Bi Swing Sound, Because We Can, Bump & Grind, Blue Honey, Rotary Club, Pleasuredome and Bodyworks. Plus a Fantazia stage with Slipmatt, Jerome Hill, Marcus Allen, Bunjy, Donovan Smith, The Fat Controller, Dazee, Andy Kinky, Thrilogy, Vinyl Junkie, Rachel EC, DIY Jack, 2 Bad Mice and Faydz.

The Big Top (above 10 Feet Tall)

11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / thisis10feettall@yahoo.co.uk Fridays Soulection 9pm3am, £3 after 10. Soul, boogie and the like. Fri 7 Hey Mary 10.30pm, £5. On the first Friday of every month, this

is Cardiff’s top gay/queer/ drag/etc night. Fri 14 That Good Night 10.30pm, £3. Inexpensive new night of house, acid and weird electronic music from Jessie B, Village Idiot and Apollo Chief. Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk and neo-soul.

Blind Tiger

49 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 243500. Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Cocktails, drink deals and tunes as part of a cross-city midweek session. Fridays Koncept & Friends 11pm, £3-£5. House, techno and bass music with guest DJs, breaking producers and residents from Wales’ freshest nights. Moved from Saturdays. Fri 7: Illa B; Fri 14: AC5es; Fri 21: Tom-E-Slim; Fri 28: J-Fader. Saturdays House Sessions 11pm, £5. Underground club music each week with local DJs and special guests. Sat 29 has a headline set from Brett Gould (Toolroom, Glasgow Underground).

Buffalo

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

Velindre Hospital

Whitchurch, Cardiff. Open 24/7. Free. 029 2075 2251. South Wales Art Society – Permanent Rolling Exhibition Members’ works are available to view in the corridors and restaurant of the hospital at any given time. 20% of all sales go to the hospital.

The Welsh Quilt Centre

99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, Rhondda Cynon Taff. Thurs-Sat 10am-5pm or by appointment. Free. 01443 682024 / wood4tt@gmail. com Tobbe Malm ‘Bolt Poetry’ Metallic art from a Scandinavian blacksmith. (Until Sat 15 Apr) Working Out Group exhibition of new and recent 2D and 3D artwork and work in progress from the represented artists of this gallery. (Until Sat 15 Apr)

Cardiff City Hall

Gorsedd Gardens Road, Cardiff. 029 2087 1736 / www.cardiffcityhall.com Sat 8 Time Flies 8.30pm1am, £25 adv. Nineties nostalgia-centric club promoters go back to their salad days in, well, the 90s, when they sometimes threw parties in this impressive building. K-Klass headline with a live PA, plus there’s Graeme Park, Craig Bartlett, James Merritt, Shane Morris and Jason King plus special guests. More info at www.timefliesuk.com.

Cardiff University Students Union

Park Place, Cardiff. All listings apply to term time only. 029 2078 1458 / studentsunion@cardiff. ac.uk Wednesdays YOLO 9pm2am, £4/£3 adv/free before 11. New midweek club night promising both your favourite tunes and great offers. Good name, really on trend. Fri 5 May Bedlam 10pm-4am. Held in Y Plas, this will feature DJ sets from Pendulum and High Contrast at the top of the bill, with other names TBC right now. Saturdays Juice 10pm-3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop. 1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 / www.globaloxygen.co.uk Fri 7 Release 11pm-4am, £3/free before 12. New venue, indeed a new city for this pumping house and techno night. DJs for thus’un are Dan Waite, Boy Griff, Madame Twisted Matthew Hayward and Vinnie G. Fridays Dance Anthems 11pm-6am, free. House and commercial music all night from Big Al, Nicky G, 3 Bird, Jordan Steins, LJ Isaac and Tom Chizzy. Saturdays 10pm6am, £5/free before 1.

6B Heol y Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 9.30am5.30pm, Sun 10am-3pm. Free. 029 2052 0884. Spring Is Here A mixed exhibition featuring gallery artists with a ‘spring’ theme. (Until Sat 20 May)

Workers Gallery

Thurs 6 Carnival Cardiff: Spring Ting 10pm-3am, £3-£5. Reggae, dancehall, bashment etc once a month. Fri 7 Aperture 10pm-4am, £6-£10. Drum'n'bass from Spectrasoul, Sundance, Beeson, Rewire, LDP and XL. Saturdays The Shake Up 10pm-4am, £3. Pop, chart, house, r’n’b funk and soul from residents over two floors. Plus, when you order a drink from the bar you roll a dice and, if you roll a double, it’s half price. My commiserations to this venue’s bar staff for having to put up with this.

Club Oxygen

Victoria Fearn Gallery

Town Hall, Lampeter. TueSat 11am-4.30pm. Free. 01570 422088 / www. welshquilts.com As Good As It Gets A celebration of Welsh quilts made by quilters from the south Wales Valleys especially for a luxury market, including aristocracy and distinguished hotels, from 1921 to 1939 during a time of economic hardship. (Until Sat 4 Nov)

u – repeated

ADAM SHELTON Intrinsic @ Undertone, Cardiff, Thurs 13 Apr Tickets: £5-£10. Info: 029 2022 8883 The fourth party to be thrown by hit-the-ground-running Cardiff promoters Intrinsic takes place on scorned weekday ‘Thursday’, except this is OK because it’s followed by an Easter bank holiday. And it looks set to pop off in the capable hands of Birmingham DJ Adam Shelton, who will be holding it down amidst the Undertone gloom for three hours. Shelton is a man for all seasons, initially catapulted into a DJing career while living in Ibiza circa the late 90s and since becoming a known quantity around the globe; he started releasing records in 2010, initially with partner in crime Subb-an, and is equally at home playing out straight-bat floorfiller house or Detroit-indebted horny robot electro (check out his recent mix for the Gottwood Festival folks).

Clwb Ifor Bach

Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Mon 3 Triple Cooked 11pm4am, £4-£10. Three creative spaces of live art, unique decor, live music and DJs doling out disco, house, bass, garage and grime. Thurs 6 Brooklyn Zoo 10pm-3am, £5/£4. Hip-hop and grime night aimed at students. Thurs 13 Propaganda 11pm. UK-wide indie disco institution, also featuring poppunk pizza party night Slice. Fridays (bottom) Zerox 10.30pm-3am, £4/£3 NUS. A “party jukebox” night. With DJs, though, not an actual

clubs jukebox. Fri 7 Disco Motel 11pm. Disco, funk and soul from DJ Jaffa and others. Fri 24 Concrete Junglists 11pm-4am. Drum’n’bass, lineup TBC. Saturdays Dirty Pop 10pm-4am, £5. Three floors of fun: The Vinyl Vendettas’ top floor resident indie shindig; Dirty Pop and Mr Potter's proper disco.

Courtyard

48 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161. Wednesdays Wild Wednesdays Upfront dance anthems and “Urban Vibes”. Fridays Spotlight Sessions / The Kickstart 5pm, £3/ free before 9. Classic anthems and drinks deals. Part of the NPCLUBHOP price deal which also includes entry to Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Lambaba. Saturdays Mischief Beat-driven anthems is the ambiguous description for tonight’s music policy. Sundays Sunday Shisha Sessions 8pm, free. DJs til late and the weekend’s sports highlights. Sun 16 NPCLUBHOP Easter Carnival 9pm-6am, £5. Ticket price also includes entry to includes entry to Wh54, Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Labamba, as it also does on... Sun 30 NPCLUBHOP Spring Ball 9pm-6am, £5.

Fuel

5 Womanby Street, Cardiff. 07970 063107 / www. 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 Full Moon

Womanby Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3022 / info@ thefullmooncardiff.com Wed 26 Womanby’s Clubbing 5.30-8pm. Monthly clubbing events for adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions. Run in partnership with Student Volunteering Cardiff. Fridays Gigantic Free. Funk, punk, rock’n’roll, hip-hop, indie, reggae, soul until 3am. Saturdays Five Dollar Shake Free. DJ Puddlefunk with bebop, funk, soul, Motown, hip-hop, reggae, ska and everything in between.

The Garage

47 Uplands Crescent, Swansea. 01792 475147 / http://www.whitez. co.uk/#garage Sat 1 + Sat 6 May Dead Of Night 10pm-3am, £3. Goth/alternative club night, on the first Saturday of every month. Now moved from The Scene back to its original location!

Glam

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

Gold Den Sessions 9pm3am, £4 adv. House and techno every week, with a monthly special guest. Saturdays Vanity 9pm-3am, £5-£10. Two rooms of quality music, everyone catered for it is claimed.

dub night from local dealers in same, celebrating the life of Bob Marley. This night features London's infamous Sir Coxsone plus Digital and PJ of Cardiff's Royal Ascension, plus special guests TBC.

The Glascoed Pub

114-116 St Mary Street, Cardiff. info@kongsbars. com / www.kongsbars.com Fri 14 Network. 9pm-3am, £10 adv. More brand new promoters! These guys are on a kinda techno/minimal tip I’d think, with Romanian DJ Alexandra headlining and Alex Taylor, Shaun Edwards and Gareth Richards also booked in.

Off the A472, Usk, Monmouthshire. 01291 673275 / www. theglascoedpub.com Sat 6 May Blackwood Soul Club 7pm-2am, £5. Info 07789 582491. With Dave Thorley, Jerry Hipkiss, Jay Jones, the Soul Twins, Nigel, Leon and Al Kent.

Gwdihw

6 Guildford Crescent, Cardiff. 029 2039 7933 / www.gwdihw.co.uk Wed 12 Clwb Tropicana 9pm-2.30am. Tropical house, afro-boogie and other nice weather musics. Sat 1 + Sun 16 Blue Honey 9pm. With a lineup TBC on both dates. Blue Honey have just part-taken over that cafe on Quay Street (if you don’t know where that is, it’s opposite my dentist) and will be doing nights there I think, which is nice. Sat 15 Totally Righteous House Party 9pm, £4. I don’t know exactly what this is but the venue listings quote Wayne’s World and the dress code is “perms and mullets”. Sat 22 The Hold Up Record Store Day 9pm. Guessing this will be hip-hop-themed and maybe feature some rare vinyl, or perhaps a transparent lathe reissue of Nottingham Forest’s 1991 FA Cup Final commemorative single.

Inkspot

The Old Church, Newport Road, Cardiff. 029 2049 0254 / www. inkspotartsandcrafts.com Sat 1 Delirio 10pm-3am, £7/£5 before 12. Psytrance, psybreaks, psydub, psy no more ladies psy no more. DJ sets from Kasmik, Crystalogic, Fattman & Slug, IOLO and RevDread. Plus decor, facepainting and all that stuff.Fri 21 Groove Theory 10pm3am. Cardiff's foremost night for quality house/disco/cratedigger stuff. Headliner and other info TBC but I've listed it so you know it's going on!

Jacob’s Market

West Canal Wharf, Cardiff. 029 2039 0939. Fri 7 Teak: Is It All Over My Face? 10pm-4am. Local disco/house promoters with an Arthur Russell-inspired night in which they team up with formerly-but-nolonger-local promoters Studio 89.*Sun 30 Delete 1-10pm, £25. See Clubs for more on this seventh birthday party, held in a marquee outside the venue and headlined by techno godfather Derrick May (in Wales for the first time, as far as I’m aware). Matt Owen, Marc Parsons and Lee Graves will also hold it down over nine hours.

Kazbar

Market Street, Llanelli. 07512 031958 Fri 7 Royal Ascension Sound 9pm-3am. Roots and

Level 2 @ Kongs

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 Sundays Mary’s Mad Sundays 12pm-1am, free. Cabaret and cocktails with Mary Mac.

Metros

Baker’s Row, Cardiff. 029 2039 9942 / www. metroscardiff.com Wednesdays Cheapskates 9pm-4am, £5. Hywel plays ‘alternative mayhem’ and old skool cheese. Fridays Freespirit 9.30pm-3.30am, £3 with flyer before 10.30pm. Drinks promos, no dress code. Rock, punk, metal and alternative beats. Saturdays Cherry Bomb 9.30pm3.30am. Indie, electroclash (!) and good time rock’n’roll.

Meze Lounge

6 Market Street, Newport. 01633 259144 / facebook. com/mezeloungenewport Thurs 13 Club U18 7.30pm12.30am, £10. Grime, house, r'n'b and urban sounds for the kids. Elro (live), Fernquest, Corey Lloyd, Midge and Snub bring the sounds. Fridays Panic! Alternative anthems, pop-punk, hardcore and guilty pleasures. Saturdays Rock You! 10pm, £3-£5. A selection of anthems across the decades plus party/covers bands each week.

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.

Missoula

84-86 St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 1315 / www.missoulabars.co.uk/ missoulacardiff Fridays Unfunkinbelievable Half price drinks from 5-10pm. What I find ‘unfunkinbelievable’ is that there’s a club night called ‘Unfunkinbelievable’ in the year 2016. Saturdays ‘Miss’ Behaviour Music, cocktails, party. All these things are found here.

Mocka Lounge

Mill Lane, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 11am-late. 029 2022 1295 /

www.mockalounge.com Thursdays The Social Affair 9pm-3am. Over-25s night with chart hits through the ages. Fridays Timeless DJ Dan Nicholas plays r’n’b, funk, disco and old skool. Just old skool. Saturdays Decorum Soulful and upfront house, plus funk, disco etc, from Sinky and Styles. Sundays VIP Chris Evans (My Playhouse) plays club classics, funky house and r’n’b.

Mozarts

Walter Road, Swansea. 01792 649984 / www. mozartsswansea.co.uk Sat 1 + Sat 6 May Can’t Touch This 10pm-2.30am,

3pm-3am. 01792 470676. Mondays Society Wars The name sounds pretty interesting but sadly it actually refers to university societies. There are however various cheap drinks to ease your disappointment. Wednesdays Toast Student night where drinks are £1 and they give you free toast. Thursdays Destination Popworld Lots of cocktails, 2-4-1 offers and, naturally, pop music. Fridays + Saturdays Ain’t No Party Like A Popworld Party 8pm-3am, £2-£4 (Fri)/£3-£5 (Sat).

Pryzm

Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. 029 2023 3854 / www.

On Sun 30 Apr, The Vaults down in Cardiff Bay usher in the May bank holiday with something called a Cardiff Bass Rave. The promoters promise a music policy of bass (when did this become a genre?), bassline and drum'n'bass, with Cause & Affect headlining. £2/free before 12. Nineties revival night, previously known as Rewind.

High Street, Pontypridd. Fri-Sun 7.30pm-2am. www. platform11.co.uk Sun 16 002 2pm-2.30am, £10 adv. All-day bank holiday special with rated house DJ Josh Butler headlining alongside various Platform 11 residents. See Clubs.

pryzm.co.uk/cardiff Mondays House Party 10pm-3am, £4 “Imagine the greatest ever house party, with 2000 mates, the best drink deals, the freshest tunes and craziest entertainment you could ever imagine!” I... I can’t. Fridays + Saturdays 10pm-3am, £4. Three music arenas, VIP booths, other stuff. Saturday is in conjunction with Jongleurs comedy club, which also takes place here. Fridays Smack. 9pm3am. Weekly student event described by one enthusiast as “lit Friday nights with chilled fam bams and regular bants”. Was in nearby Glam until recently. Sun 16 Kisstory 10pm-3am, £12/£8. AJ King, DJ Swerve, Freddie Smith, Jordan Reed and Lucas Alexander are the DJs, and there’s a live PA from Amerie of 1 Thing fame.

Popworld

Pulse

The Parrot

32 King Street, Carmarthen. 01267 231012 / facebook. com/theparrotmusicbar Fri 7 Sesh On 9pm-2am. “A full night of music” but I know not what kind. Fri 21 Funk & Soul 8pm-1am, £5. DJ Eugene and co bring you a range of soul, R&B, funk, boogaloo, mod, jazz and more. Strictly vinyl only!

Platform 11

96 St Mary Street, Cardiff. Mon, Tue + Thurs 9pm3am; Wed 8pm-3am; Fri 5pm-3am; Sat 1pm-3am. 029 2023 5825. Mondays Pop Rocks 9pm. A night of what they call alternative pop but their examples (Green Day, Blink, Linkin Park) seem to suggest will be pop-punk and nu-metal. Ah, it’s all just names at the end of the day. Wednesdays Giggle Free before 12. Student night. Thursdays Poptails. 9pm-3am. Non-stop pop with DJ Lyndon and 2-4-1 cocktails deals. Fridays + Saturdays Until 3am. Drinks deals from 5-11pm (Fri) and 3-8pm (Sat).

Popworld

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

3 Churchill Way, Cardiff. 029 2064 1010 / www. pulsecardiff.com. Gay venue. Wednesdays Warped 10pm-4am. Join DJ Craig W on a journey through time with the best hits from the last two decades. Fridays Pulsetastic 10pm-5am, £4/£3. With live PAs once a month. Saturdays Pop Til You Drop 10pm-5am, £5/£4 b4 11. The very best chart remixes and classic hits all night long.

The Rainbow Rooms

12 High Street, Gorseinon, Swansea. 07563 111225 / www.the-rainbowrooms.com Sat 1 Logic & Pukka Up 7pm-4am, £10 adv. Banging house biz from Falseface, Alex P, Dannuy Slade, Jason P &

Rob Rees, D Grove & Michael Connolly, Rob EJ and Peters Mobile Disco.

Revolution

Castle Street, Cardiff. Open from 11am. 029 2023 6689 / www.revolution-bars.co.uk Tuesdays Mode 9pm-3am, £4 adv. Popular student night returns. Fridays + Saturdays 9pm-3am. DJs, drinks offers, free area hire.

The Riverfront

Bristol Packet Wharf, Newport. Mon-Sat 10am8pm, Sun 10am-6pm. Free. 01633 656757. Sat 29 Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm, £3. Motown, northern soul and other classic 60s and 70s soul from this regular DJ collective – Shelley Barrett, Liam Curtin, Matthew Morgan and Steve Kaged – on an awayday. Held in the venue’s basement space. See Clubs.

Room 112

3-6 St Mary Street, Cardiff. Thurs 9pm-3am, Fri + Sat 10pm-4am. 029 2066 7996 / www.room112.net Fridays Bedrock 9pm-4am, £10/£5 before 12. R’n’b, hip-hop and dancehall. Saturdays Cliché 9pm-4am, £10. Old and new skool r’n’b and hip-hop is this night’s deal.

The Scene

Plymouth Street, Swansea. events@thesceneclub.co.uk / www.thescenec lub.co.uk Fri 14 Funktion Tek 9pm-3am, £5/£3 before 11. Drum’n’bass headlined by Mistanoize and also featuring Anonymo, Wozzi, Nordle, Kuro and Grimlock. Sat 29 + Sun 30 Delusion 10pm-4am, £17.50. Big trance whomping from Ben Nicky, plus Rhys Thomas and Callan Christie. Both dates are totally sold out!

Sin City

Dilwyn Street, Swansea. 01792 468892 / www. sincityclub.co.uk Tuesdays Hustle 10pm3am, £3/£2 before 12. Motown, r’n’b and hip-hop. Thursdays Sin Savers 10pm-3am, £3. Student night. Fridays Monsters Of Rock 10pm-3.30am, £4/£2 before 12.30. Indie in room 1, metal in room 2. Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sun 30 The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club 10pm-4am, £12 adv. This will probably be sold out by the time you see this listing. Maybe not though.

Soda

St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2037 3363 / www. sodacardiff.com Thursdays Thursday Club 10pm, £4. Live music, live DJ and live games. Saturdays Soiree 9pm-4am. Three rooms including the Attic which is “the social playground for the high flyers and social elite, really the only place to be seen.” Imagine

BUZZ 63

* – recommended

events catching your reflection in the mirror just after writing that.

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. Wednesdays Shotgun Rules 10pm-3am, £5/£3.50. Exclusive midweek student party, now transferred from Revolution. You don’t need NUS to get in though. Fridays Tic Toc 10pm-3am, £4. Saturdays Kanaloa Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc.

Tramshed

Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Sun 9 Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave 2-4.30pm, £7.50 adv/free pre-walkers. Babies and toddlers can dance to tunes, selected this time by Alex Paterson out of The Orb, who I expect has plenty of experience playing to audiences which crawl around the room, chew things incessantly and are unable to formulate sentences. Sun 30 Shangri-La 4pm-12am, £12.50-£18. Bank holiday early start early finish with Cardiff clubbing brand. Swiss house/ techno big roomer Andrea Oliva is the one confirmed name right now.

Undertone (basement of 10 Feet Tall)

11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Tue 25 The Mixtape 10pm. Student-y night with DJs TBC. Thurs 13 Intrinsic 10pm-4am, £5-£10. Pre-Bank Holiday bash headlined by UK houser Adam Shelton. Lee Graves, Kerbo and JV are on the case too. Fri 14 Castles Nights – Techno Culture 10pm, £8-£12. Intermitten local technoheads with guests Joton and Julez Wyl plus residents Corey Lewis and Silver Red. Fri 21 Selecta 10pm, £5/£3. Classic garage and – it says here – a bit of big beat. Holy Space Raiders CD singles! Fri 28 Temple & Shelter 10pm. Eclectic student night and monthly drum’n’bass night team up, lineup TBC. Sat 1 Doppler 11pm, £7/£5. A new techno night for Cardiff! Berlin’s Stojche headlines their first night, with residents Mikey H, Mr Ben and Jessie B. Sat 15 Rotary Club 11pm-4am. Eclectic house’n’stuff people with a headliner TBC. Sat 22 Flatline 10pm, £4/£3. No idea what this is, there’s nothing in the venue listings (other than the name and date) or online. Probably some sort of sex party. Animal, vegetable or mineral, which one are you? Sat 29 Anthem 9pm, £8/£5. Club classics from the 90s and 00s from DJs Scott Kerr, JV, Jake Cusack, Rob Huntley, Zaccy, Drew Thomas b2b Robert Frost and NJ Gibbs b2b Am_iN7. BUZZ 64

The Vaults

The Old Natwest Bank, 113116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents.com Sat 1 Shangri-La 11pm5am, £10 adv. Popular UK techno duo Dense & Pika head up a bill also featuring residents in the main room; Mi Casa guests in room 2. *Sat 29 Temperance Town 10pm-5am, £20/£15. See Clubs for more on this lavish sounding launch night. Main room: Derrick Carter, Gareth Hopkins, Nathen Marren, Lloyd Haines and Hot Property. Discodungeon : John Morales, Craig Bartlett & Darren Stewart and Alex Dinham & Jimmy The Twin. Temperance Jazz Funk Bar: Joylon Green, The Shakedown DJs, Jon Rea & Lee Sigerson, Gareth Potter and Simon Quinn. Sun 30 Got Bass: Cardiff Bass Rave 10pm5am. Two rooms of bass, bassline and drum’n’bass. Room 1 has Cause & Affect, Ussy, Koncept and Gavin Woo. Room 2: DJ Low & MC Chew, Mowgli, Dox, Oni and more TBC. This is aimed at students, like about 80% of club nights in Cardiff.

Warehouse 54

54 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161. Fridays The Good Time Social Club 11pm, £3. Laid back Bar beats and live sessions to kick off the weekend. Entry fee also grants you entry to Courtyard, Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Labamba. Saturdays Viva 9pm-5.30am, £5. R’n’b and club classics. Sat 29 has a guest DJ set from UK garage dude Dr Psycho (Twice As Nice). Sun 16 NPCLUBHOP Easter Carnival 9pm6am, £5. Ticket price also includes entry to includes entry to Wh54, Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Labamba, as it also does on... Sun 30 NPCLUBHOP Spring Ball 9pm-6am, £5.

events EVERY MONDAY

Ballet The Gate, Cardiff. 6-9.30pm, £6.50/£5.50/£3 taster. Info 029 2048 3344. Beginners 6-7pm; intermediate 7-8; advanced 8-9.30. Runs until Mon 3 Apr and starts again on Mon 24 Apr. Bharatanatyam Dance Classes For Adult Beginners Bayview House, Cardiff Bay. 8.15-9.15pm. Info 029 2075 1158. Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting The Plum Tree, Canton, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (three-month trial membership). Info 07526 141392. A friendly social group offering the chance to “liven up your social life and meet new friends” through a varied events programme including theatre, live music, walks, badminton, table tennis and pub nights. More info at www. cardiffivc.org.uk. Cardio Climb Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 6.307.15pm, £5. Info 029 2048 4880. High intensity workout combing cardio and climbing. Children’s Ballet The Gate, Cardiff. 4-7.30pm, £6.50/£5.50/£3 taster. Info 029 2048 3344. Ages 4-6 4pm; 6-8 4.45; grade 1 5.45; grade 3 6.45. Runs until Mon 3 Apr and starts again on Mon 24 Apr. Children’s Ballroom Dancing Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7-9pm. Info 01495 243252.

Community Choir Sessions Cornwall Street Church Hall, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, free. Info 07952 752823. Led by Pauline Down and taking place every Monday during term time. Drop-in Meditation And Mindfulness Classes The Boneyard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £5/£3 unwaged. Info 01792 458245. New weekly class led by Mike Garside, Resident Teacher of Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre in Swansea. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-8pm. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Boxing-based high-intensity workout with a house soundtrack. Today’s lineup looks like this. Ware-house, Swansea: Bootcamp 6-7 + 10-11am; Funkypump 5-6 + 6-7pm; Warehouse ABC 5-7pm.Ware-house, Port Talbot: HIIT 5-5.45pm. Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon: Funkypump 6-7pm. First Choice Fitness, Llantrisant: Funkypump 6-7 + 7-8pm. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Funkypump 6-7pm. Elympia Fitness, Ely, Cardiff: 6.15-7.15pm. Funkypump Fitness, Carmarthen: Funkypump 6.157.15pm. Making Music The Gate, Cardiff. 6-10pm. Info 029 2048 3344. Learn how to play improvised rock and pop grooves and basic chord sequences. Beginners 6pm; improvers 8pm. Runs until Mon 3 Apr and starts again on Mon 24 Apr.. Musical Theatre The

Riverfront, Newport. 6.158.30pm, £6/£5. Info 01633 656757. 7-11 years old: 6.15-7.15pm; 12 and up: 7.158.30pm. Newport Badminton Club Bettws Active Centre, Newport. 7-8.30pm. Info 07789 965285. One of the largest badminton clubs in South East Wales. Also on Thursdays. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Tours of the centre running daily for one hour. Advance booking recommended. Pilates The Gate, Cardiff. 10.30am-1.30pm, £5.50-£7.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Gentle fitness for the first hour, general for the second two. Runs until Mon 3 Apr and starts again on Mon 24 Apr. Pilates And Core Stretch Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 6.457.45pm, £30 for six sessions. Info info@burlesquecardiff. co.uk. With Stephanie. On until Mon 10 and back on again in early May. Ruff Folk Dance Club St Andrew’s Methodist Church Hall, Birchgrove, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2051 3440. With Ian Lewis. Salsa Classes Horse & Groom, Cowbridge. 8-10pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651. Beginners for the first hour, then improvers/ intermediate. St Donats Atlantic Chorale St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 7.30pm. Info 01446 799100. Choir rehears-

Wow Bar

4 Churchill Way, Cardiff. Gay venue. Free all day Sun-Thurs; before 11pm Fri + Sat. 029 2066 6247 / www.wowbarcardiff.com Wednesdays Wish You Were Here Free. Student night with “inflight entertainment” from Lambrini Rampage and Mary Golds, plus music from DJ Krys. Thursdays The Night With No Name Free. DJ Craig and Mary Golds offer “mad games and crazy entertainment.” Fridays The Greatest Show In The City Free before 11. With WOW Showgirls Miss Kitty and Marcia, plus special guests every week. Saturdays The VKend Free before 11. With DJs Craig and Krys. You can get cheap deals in VK. £6.50 for a fishbowl. £6 for a jug of WKD. Settle down now, kids. Sundays The Cuckoo Club Free. DJ Krys plays the tunes until late.

GIN FESTIVAL SWANSEA Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Fri 28-Sun 30 Apr Tickets: £9.50 per day. Info: 01792 635432 / www.ginfestival.com This is one of two gin festivals happening in south Wales in April! If your drunken, violent Hogarth paintings of ancestors could see this, they would surely drop their breakfast rat in astonishment. Anyway, the other one’s been repped in the food and drink section, plus Gin Festival Swansea is bigger: the organisers claim to be bringing over 100 different brands of the eponymous spirit with them. Looking at their website, they seem to trade variously in well known brands, kookier (and pricier) boutique/craft efforts made with unusual botanicals or poured into jam jars, and the niche avenue of ‘vintage gin’ – £140 for a bottle of Gordon’s from the 70s, anyone? Sessions are four and a half hours each and G&Ts are a fiver a pop, penny-counters.

u – repeated

als. Tango Dancing Argentine Barocco, Cardiff. 8-10.45pm, £3/£1. Info 029 2023 7332. Tang Soo Do Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff. 7-9pm. Info 07734 557767. Learn traditional Korean karate; beginners welcome. Yoga Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 12.301.15pm. Info 029 2087 7959. On tomorrow also. Yoga With Valerie Price St Mary’s Church Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 6.30-9.30pm. Info admin@yoga-works.co.uk. 6.30-8pm: intermediate; 8.109.30pm: beginners.

EVERY TUESDAY

A Ballroom Dance Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7-11pm. Info 01495 243252. Acrobalance The Gate, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £7/£5.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Combining elements of partner lifts, poses and transitions that involve two and sometimes more people. Runs until Tue 4 Apr and starts again on Tue 25 Apr. Adult Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £10. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Tuesday to Thursday. Aikido Village Hall, Heol Syr Lewis, Morganstown. 8-10pm. Info 07790 167560. Every Tuesday and Friday. Beginners Show Girl & Burlesque Dancing Market House Dance Studio. Chapter Art Centre, Cardiff. 6.157.15pm, £6. Info www. cardiffcabaretclub.com. With Steph. Belly Dance Market House Dance Studio. Chapter Art Centre, Cardiff. 8.15-9.15pm, £7/£30 for five sessions. Info www.cardiffcabaretclub.com. With Steph. On until Tue 11 and back on again in early May. Contemporary Dance The Gate, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £5-£6.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Beginners 6-7pm; intermediate 7-8. Runs until Tue 4 Apr and starts again on Tue 25 Apr. Extend The Gate, Cardiff. 10am, £3. Info 029 2048 3344. Exercise to music, aimed at over-60s and people with a disability. Runs until Tue 4 Apr and starts again on Tue 25 Apr. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-8.15pm. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Ware-house, Swansea: TRX & Kettlebell 6-7am; Buggy Blast 10.30-11.30am; HIIT 1.151.45pm; Funkypump 5.15-6 + 6-7pm; Funkypump Kidz 5.15-6pm; White Collar Boxing Training 6-7pm; Funky Pump Lite 7-8pm. Ware-house, Port Talbot: HIIT 6.30-7.15pm. Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon: Bootcamp 6-7am. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Bootcamp 6.15-7.15pm; Bags 7.15-8.15pm. Ufit, Cardiff: Funkypump 6-7pm. Daleon Fitness, Merthyr: Funkypump 6-7pm. Gitananda Yoga St David's Uniting Church, Pontypridd. 7-8.30pm, free. Info 01443 408065. Glam Dram St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 7pm. Info 01446 799100. Amateur theatre company for adults.

events India Dance Wales – Bharatanatyam Classes Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5-6pm. Info 07410 977427. Beginners’ class. India Dance Wales Classes Rubicon Dance, Adamsdown, Cardiff. 6.30-8pm. Info 029 2075 1158. From beginners to grade 2 and for all ages and abilities. Irish Dance The Gate, Cardiff. 6.15-8.15pm, £6.50/£5.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Taught by Riverdance and former Lord Of The Dance cast member Nicola Dempsey. 6.15-7.15pm: advanced; 7.158.15pm: intermediate; 8.159.15: beginners. Runs until Tue 4 Apr and starts again on Tue 25 Apr. Jazz Workshops For Beginners Atradius Offices (4th floor), Cardiff Bay. 6.208pm, £10. Info 07806 625717. All instruments and ages welcome. Karate Classes Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.15-8.15pm. Info 029 2087 7959. With Emma Robins. Laughter Yoga Llandaff North Community Centre, Cardiff. 7.15-8.15pm, £5 (suggested donation). Info www.sparklylaughter.co.uk. “No experience required, no stretching and no mats needed,” promise the organisers. Learn To Rock’n’Roll 50s Style Pencoed Rugby Club. 8-10.30pm, £5. Info 07400 080101. Hosted by Frank, Lessons are from 8-9pm; there’s a disco from 9-10.30. First dance lesson free. Life Drawing Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £7.50. Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model. Lindy Hop Dance Classes & Social Swing Dancing The Garage, Swansea. 6-10pm. Info 01792 475147. Music Tots The Riverfront, Newport. 9.45-10.30am, £3 per session. Info 01633 656757. Energetic music and movement class. Off Centre Silver Dragon, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Adult drama group meeting weekly to develop performance skills. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Open Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Pilates: Beginners The Gate, Cardiff. 6.30-7.30pm, £5.50-£7.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Runs until Tue 4 Apr and starts again on Tue 25 Apr. Pregnancy Yoga Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 6-7.15pm, £35/£30 (five-week blocks). Info kalavathi@ omstudio.co.uk. Quiz Night Riverside Tavern, Newport. 9.30pm, £1 per team to enter. Info 01633 439166. Salsa Classes Kapu, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651. Beginners’ class starts 7.30pm; improvers 8.30; bachata 9.30. SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Mines & Mountains National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales. com. Every Tuesday and

Friday. This one visits Big Pit Mining Museum of Wales and Brecon Beacons National Park (including BBNP visitors centre). Tai Chi / Qigong Shibashi Continuation St Mary’s Church Hall, Canton, Cardiff. 6.30-7.30pm. Info 07772 657692. Yoga Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 5.30-6.30 + 6.45-8pm. Info 029 2087 7959. Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff.

funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Ware-house, Swansea: Bootcamp 6-7 + 10-11am; Bag Circuit 5-6 + 6-7pm; Warehouse ABC 5-7pm; Abs 7-8pm. Ware-house, Port Talbot: HIIT 6.30-7.15pm. Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon: Bootcamp 6-7pm. First Choice Fitness, Llantrisant: Funkypump 6-7 + 7-8pm. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Funkypump 6-7pm. Funkypump Fitness, Carmarthen: Funkypump 6.157.15pm.

Fancy being part of a living art installation? While spending a morning and afternoon up a mountain? If you go to Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons on Fri 7, you can be part of such a thing, and will be helping artist Phil Williams launch the Get Creative Weekend.

7-8.30pm, £9. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk. With Kalavathi Devi. Yoga Share M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 5-7pm, £4 (suggested donation). Info 029 2047 3373. Led by Ashtanga practitioner Sarah Cleary. Yoga With Tori Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8pm, £5. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Tuesday and Wednesday. Yoga With Valerie Price Llandough Institute, Penarth. 8.30-9.30pm. Info admin@ yoga-works.co.uk. Mixed level class. Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes Fairwater Social & Athletic Club, Cardiff. 6-7pm. Info 07891 712344. Led by Irene Davies, as is... Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes St Faith Church Hall, Llanishen, Cardiff. 8-9pm. Info 07891 712344.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Adult Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £10. Info 029 2048 4880. A Tea Dance Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 2-4pm. Info 01495 243252. Ceramics For Adults The Riverfront, Newport. 6-8pm, £30 (five weeks). Info 01633 656757. Ceroc Dance Class Dockers Club, Swansea. 7.45pm-12am, £6/£8 freestyles. Info cerocsouthwales@gmail.com. City Of Cardiff Rotaract Meeting Refectory Cafe, Windsor Place, Cardiff. 6.30pm. Info 07768 108394. An 18-30s community group that integrates young professionals, students and refugees through community projects and social events. Drop-in Exploring Drawing Workshop Workers Gallery, Ynyshir, Rhondda. 7-9pm, £10. Info 01443 682034. With tutor Chris Williams. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-8pm. Info www.

Newport Youth Dance The Riverfront, Newport. 4.156.30pm, £3 per session. Info 01633 656757. 5-10 years old: 4.15-5pm; 11-14: 5-5.45pm; 14-18: 5.45-6.30pm. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Pilates The Gate, Cardiff. 7-7pm, £5.50-£7.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Beginners session 7pm; advanced 8pm. Runs until Wed 5 Apr and starts again on Wed 26 Apr. Pub Quiz The Pilot, Penarth. 8pm. Info 029 2071 0615. With Hayley. Salsa Classes Rhiwbina Recreational Club, Whitchurch, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £5/£4 NUS. Info 07800 565651. SeeWales Sightseeing Tour: Romans And Ruins National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com. Day tours from Cardiff, every Wednesday and Saturday. This one visits Caerleon, Caerwent, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley, Abbey Mill Craft Centre and Raglan Castle. Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 9.3011am, 1-2.15pm + 7-9pm, £9/£8. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk. Yoga Trwy Gyfrwng Y Gymraeg Insole Court, Llandaff, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm. Info admin@yoga-works. co.uk. Yoga With Tori Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8pm, £5. Info 029 2048 4880. Yu-Gi-Oh Tournaments The Freaks Geeks and Autographs Store, Swansea. 5.30pm, £3.50. Info 07914 683534.

EVERY THURSDAY

Adult Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 7-8.30pm, £10. Info 029 2048 4880.

Alexander Technique & Yoga M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11.30am-1pm, £16/£80 for six sessions. Info 029 2047 3373. American Line Dance The Gate, Cardiff. 1.15-3pm, £3.50. Info 029 2048 3344. Runs until Thurs 6 Apr nd starts again on Thurs 27 Apr. Art Club Penarth Pier Pavilion. 4.15-5.15pm, £5. Info 0844 8700887. Creative fun for 5-11-year-olds with tutor Becky. Bachata & Bachatango Classes O’Neills, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £4-£7. Info 07800 565651. Beginners 7.30pm; improvers/intermediates 8.30. Free bachata dancing from 9.45pm-12am. Ballet Academy Wales Classes – Children 6-11 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4-5pm, £4.95. Info 07837 937351. Bingo Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863. Biodanza Bishop Of Llandaff High School, Cardiff. 7-9pm, £6/£5. Info antoinette@ biodanza4all.com. “A fusion of music, movement and feeling” taught here by Antoinette Lorraine. Breakdance The Riverfront, Newport. 6.15-7.15pm, £3.50 per session. Info 01633 656757. Learn break dancing styles, uprock, freezes and power moves. For ages 8-18. Ceroc Dance Class Lysaght Institute, Newport. 7.3010.45pm, £8/£6 NUS. Info cerocsouthwales@gmail.com. Children’s Latin/Ballroom Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 4.30-8pm. Info 01495 243252. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-8.15pm. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Ware-house, Swansea: TRX & Kettlebells 6-7am; Buggy Blast 10-11.30am; HIIT 1.151.45pm; Funkypump 5-6 + 6-7pm; White Collar Boxing Training 6-7pm; Funkypump Lite 7-8pm. Ware-house, Port Talbot: HIIT 6.30-7.15pm. Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon: Bootcamp 6-7am. Ufit, Cardiff: Funkypump 6-7 + 7.15-8.15pm. Elympia Fitness, Ely: Funkypump 7.158.15pm. First Choice Fitness, Llantrisant: Funkypump Lite 6-7pm. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Funkypump 6-7pm. Funkypump Fitness, Carmarthen: Funkypump 6.157.15pm. Hand Drumming Group Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff. 6-6.50pm, £15 (five weeks). Info 01446 401209. Hosted by Laura Bradshaw. Hard Côr Japan Room, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. Join the Centre’s urban choir who blend choral singing with hip-hop. Every Thursday and Saturday; contact takepart@wmc.org.uk for further details. Hatch The Riverfront, Newport. 4.30-6.30pm, £8 per session/£60 per term/£220 per year. Info 01633 656757. New youth theatre programme organised by the Tin Shed Theatre Co. Age 5-8 4.305.30pm; 13-21 5-6.30; 9-12 5.30-6.30. Newport Badminton Club Pill Millennium Centre, Newport. 8-10pm. Info

07789 965285. Coached by Rhys Pritchard who represented Wales at the Junior Commonwealth Games. Newport Junior Badminton Club Pill Millennium Centre, Newport. 7-8.30pm. Info 07789 965285. Coached by Rhys Pritchard. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Pilates Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 6.157.15pm, £7/£6. Info 07774 601544 / sarasclasses4@ gmail.com. Every Thursday. Qigong For Winter Church Hall, Minster Rd, Roath, Cardiff. 12pm. Info 07772 657692. Quiz Night NosDa, Cardiff. 8pm, £1. Info 029 2037 8866. With money, beers and pizza to be won. Salsa Dancing Classes Revolucion De Cuba, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £6/£5 NUS. Info 029 2023 6689. Salsa, bachata, zouk and kizomba. SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Golden Gower National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com. Thursday and Sunday. This one visits the Gower, Swansea Bay, Parc-Le-Breos, the Dylan Thomas Centre and more. Story And Rhyme Time In Welsh For Babies Big Pit National Coal Muse#um, Blaenafon. 10-11.30am, free. Info 029 2057 3650. Every Thursday during term time; aimed at 0-4 years. Tai Chi / Qigong Moorland Rd Community Centre, Splott, Cardiff. 10.15-11.15am. Info 07772 657692. The Alexander Technique M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 11.30am-1pm, £16. Info info@yogaskies.co.uk. Small group class hosted by Mike Young. Yoga Classes Cardiff Steiner School, Llandaff North, Cardiff. 6-7.15 + 7.15-8.30pm, £8/£6.50. Info info@ yogaskies.co.uk. Hosted by Mike Young. Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 7-8am + 1-2.30, 6-7.15 + 7.308.45pm, £9/£8. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio.co.uk. 11am: Mums & Baby yoga; 7.30pm: Pregnancy yoga.

EVERY FRIDAY

Aikido Village Hall, Heol Syr Lewis, Morganstown. 8-10pm. Info 07790 167560. Bingo Lingo The Depot, Cardiff. 6pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. This is now on every Friday and features street food, a wheel of fortune and “rubbish prizes”. Cardiff Aikikai The Dojo, Roath, Cardiff. 6.30-10pm. Info mcaluan@cardiffaikikai. co.uk. Cardiff Table Tennis Community Club Upper Hall, Sport Wales, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. 7-9pm. Info 01446 412352. Featuring 16 table tennis tables; players of all ages and abilities are welcome. Check in advance on the sessions as the hall is occasionally booked by someone else. Children’s Tap/Ballet Classes Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 10.30-11.30am.

Info 01495 243252. Community Choir Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9.4511.45am, £72/£48 (12 weeks). Info 01446 401209. Dance Tots The Riverfront, Newport. 9.30-10.05am + 10.15-10.50am, £3 per session. Info 01633 656757. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-7pm. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Warehouse, Swansea: Bootcamp 6-7 + 10-11am; ABC 5-7pm; Kettlebell 5.15-6pm; Bag Circuit 6.15-7pm. Ware-house, Port Talbot: HIIT 6-6.45pm. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Funkypump 6-7pm. Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon: Bag Circuit 6-7pm. Newport Photographic Club Skip Jennings Hall, Maindee, Newport. 7.30pm. Info 01633 400685. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. Older Adult Dance/ Exercise The Riverfront, Newport. 11am-12pm, £3. Info 01633 656757. Low impact dance and exercise class aimed at the over 50s. Reggae Yoga Breakfast Club Anna-Loka, Cardiff. 7.30-8.30am, £10. Info 029 2049 7703. Vegan cafe launches new session, on every Friday, where you do yoga (with one Yogi Bare) and listen to reggae. Rhiwbina Farmers Market The Butchers Arms, Rhiwbina. 10am-1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982. SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Mines & Mountains National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com. Tango Argentine Chapter Arts Centre, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30-8.45pm, £7/£4. Info 029 2023 7332. No experience or partner required. Zumba: Dance Exercise Classes Sbectrwm Community Centre, Fairwater, Cardiff. 1-2pm. Info 07891 712344. With Irene Davies.

EVERY SATURDAY

African Drumming Sessions Penarth Pier Pavilion. 10.30-11.30am, £5. Info 0844 8700887. Ballroom Dancing Class Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 10am kids / 11am adults, £4 per class. Info 01685 384111. 10am: kids; 11am: adults; 12pm: private tuition. Children’s Climbing Classes Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 10-11.30am, £15. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Saturday and Sunday. Family Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 12, 2 + 4pm, £15. Info 029 2048 4880. Every Saturday and Sunday. Family Saturdays Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Free. Info 029 2063 6464. Craft workshops for kids and parents. Funkypump Fitness Various venues across south Wales. 6am-7pm. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk. Warehouse, Swansea: Abs 8-9am; TRX & Kettlebells 9.15-

BUZZ 65

* – recommended

events

Touring to promote the album Nancy, together with The Sweet Visitor Band Kerr will be appearing at Cardiff’s St. David’s Hall on Tue 25 Apr for a gig no lover of folk music should miss.

10.15am; Funkypump Kidz 10.30-11.30am; Bag Circuit 10.30-11.30am. Ware-house, Port Talbot: Bag Circuit 10.30-11.30am. Ufit, Cardiff: Bag Circuit 9.30-10.30am. Funkypump Fitness, Ammanford: Bag Circuit 10.30-11.30am. Funkypump Fitness, Carmarthen: Boot Camp 8-9pm. Hard Côr Sony Room, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11am, free. Info 029 2063 6464. India Dance Wales Classes Lewis Street Methodist Church, Ystrad Mynach. Info ym.natyam@ gmail.com. New classes from beginner to Grade 3 level, every Saturday morning – email to confirm specific times. Mini Musical Theatre The Riverfront, Newport. 10-11am, £6. Info 01633 656757. Run by Defying Gravity, professional tutors will teach ballet and drama to kids aged 3-6. Movement For Children Volcano, Swansea. 10am12pm, £4. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. Energetic classes with a focus on creativity, supporting physical development and building confidence. Ages 4-7: 10am; 8-12: 11am. Performance Academy Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 10am-1pm, £10. Info 01685 384111. Offering professional theatre and performance coaching in dance, acting, musical theatre and singing. Roath Real Food Market Mackintosh Sports Club Car Park, Roath, Cardiff. 9.30am-1pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982. SeeWales Sightseeing Tour: Romans And Ruins National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com. Sewing Workshops Barnabas Arts House, Newport. 10am-1pm. Info 01633 673739. Hosted by Ellery Design – see www. ellerydesign.com for details of how to book and/or contact them. St Mary Street Cardiff Market St Mary Street, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, free. Info 029 2019 0036. Selling artisan foods, vintage clothing, antique furniture and bric-a-brac. Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff. 8-9.30am, £8. Info 07727 139379 / www.omstudio. co.uk. With Kalavathi Devi.

Buzz also recommends

EVERY SUNDAY

In the early 1990s, the singing and fiddle-playing teenagers Eliza Carthy and Nancy Kerr formed a duo which found them at the forefront of a new wave of young British folk musicians bringing a new vibrancy to a scene desperately in need of an overhaul. The daughters of, respectively, folk royalty Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson and singer Sandra Kerr and Northumbrian piper Ron Elliott – all pivotal figures in the original 1960s folk revival – it was somehow fitting that they should spearhead this new generation of performers. Having released a couple of albums together they went their separate ways, Eliza quickly gaining a reputation as one of British folk music’s most bankable and high profile champions while Nancy seemed content to work quietly on developing her talents. Teaming up with Australian bouzouki player James Fagan (who she would later marry), Nancy continued to tour and release several well received albums and over the past couple of decades has also been in demand as a collaborator working with the likes of Martin Simpson and Andy Cutting with whom she released the highly regarded Murmurs album. She’s also been an integral part of Tim Van Eyken’s band, played a role in The Full English, Elizabethan Session and Sweet Liberties projects and, in 2010 formed the Melrose Quartet with James Fagan and Richard and Jess Arrowsmith. Perhaps surprisingly Nancy didn’t release her first solo album until 2014’s Sweet Visitor, a collection of her own traditionally inspired songs that gained her the coveted Folk Singer Of The Year at 2015’s Folk Awards. On that album she was accompanied by The Sweet Visitor Band (James Fagan, Rowan Rheingans, Tom Wright and Tim Yates) who also appeared on 2016’s follow-up, Instar. Critically lauded for both her performance and for outstanding song writing that uses folk imagery to tell tales of love, conflict, motherhood, migration and the environment, Nancy Kerr is considered to be one of British folk’s finest writers and performers.

The Shee. Brilliant all-female six-piece. Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare (Sun 9). Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman. Traditional and contemporary folk from award-winning duo. Pontardawe Arts Centre (Thurs 27); Rhosygilwen Manor, Cilgerran (Fri 28). Rant. Four of Scotland’s finest female fiddlers. Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan (Sun 30). Please send your folk and roots listings to listings@ buzzmag.co.uk or phone them in to 029 2022 6767

BUZZ 66

Ballet Academy Wales Classes – Adults Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 12-1pm, £6.50. Info 07837 937351. Bridgend Undercover Car Boot Sale Multistorey Car Park, Bridgend Town Centre. 7am-12pm, free (selling cars £6; selling cars with trailers £10). Info 01656 661338. Children’s Climbing Classes Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 10-11.30am, £15. Info 029 2048 4880. Cooper’s Quiz Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm, £1 to play. Info info@porterscardiff.com. Hosted by Ben Cooper. Draw Somebody’s Sunday

Body Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 1.30-3.30pm, £7.50. Info 07830 381930. Hosted by Cardiff Life Model. Family Give It A Go Climbing Session Boulders, St Catherine's Park, Cardiff. 12, 2 + 4pm, £15. Info 029 2048 4880. Farmers’ Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Welsh producers sell their wares every week. Lindy Hop Dance Classes & Social Swing Dancing Pontardawe Arts Centre. 6-10pm. Info 01792 863722. Official Guided Tours – Every Day Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. £5/£4. Info 029 2063 6464. *Riverside Farmers’ Market Fitzhammon Embankment, Cardiff. 10am2pm, free. Info 029 2022 7982. Always worth a trip. SeeWales Sightseeing Day Tour: Golden Gower National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff (pickup point). 9am5.30pm, £5 off if you present this magazine. Info 029 2022 7227 / www.seewales.com. Sunday Board Games Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Weekly session featuring a mixture of competitive and co-operative games.

SATURDAY 1

Bar Boot Sale Le Pub, Newport. 12-4.30pm, free. Info socialclubvintagenewport@ gmail.com. Vintage and craft fair. uCardiff Children’s Literature Festival Various venues, Cardiff. 10am-5pm, £4 per event. Info 029 2087 2087. Annual multi-venue, activity-packed celebration of words returns. (In fact it started in late March and these are its conclusding two days.). It takes place in Cardiff Story, Cardiff Castle Undercroft, City Hall, Cardiff Central Library, Old Library Gallery and the National Museum. On tomorrow also. Craft Fair Coffee Cove Cafe Bar, Barry Island. 10am3.30pm, free/£10 to set up a stall. Info 07948 399111. Every first Saturday of the month. Craft Fair St. Mary’s Church, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149. Dewch i Ganu National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Join musician Delyth Jenkins and learn Welsh through song. Eclectic Crafters Centenary Hall, Maryport Street, Usk. Info eclectic. crafters@gmail.com. Craft fair held on the first Saturday of each month. Enfys Craft Fair St. Francis Millennium Centre, Barry. 10am-4pm. Info 01446 792149. Every first Saturday of the month. Fused Glass Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £75. Info 029 2048 4611. With Bill Swann. Junk Animation National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am + 2.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Learn how to make your very own animated story using recycled goods. For kids

aged 7+. Kidsmarkets Family Sale The Paget Rooms, Penarth. 11am-12.30pm, £1/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Featuring 30 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items. This was going to be in March but has been rescheduled. Lambing 24: Hands On In The Lambing Shed Humble By Nature, Penalt, nr Monmouth. 10am-10am, £215. Info 01600 714595. This is a 24-hour course, although dinner is at 7pm and 8pm-8am is set aside for rest/sleep. uMars Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Planetarium show looking at noted red planet. On tomorrow also. uMuseum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 8.15pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500. Presented by Cardiff History & Hauntings. Also on Fri 7, Fri 14, Sat 15, Mon 17, Fri 21, Sat 22, Fri 28 and Sat 29. Starts at 8.30pm from Fri 14-Mon 17; 8.45pm from Fri 21 onwards. Open Haus The Printhaus / The Boneyard, Canton, Cardiff. 10am-2pm, free. Info 029 2022 0349. Monthly open studios here, an opportunity to meet the artists and makers in this creative community. On the first Saturday of every month. uPremium Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle. 8.30pm, £15. Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings. Fri 7, Fri 14 (this one is a midnight ghost tour, starting at 10.15pm), Sat 15, Mon 17, Fri 28 and Sat 29. Starts at 8.30pm on those last two dates. Revolting Pirates National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1 + 3pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Saturday Craft Workshop For Adults Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10.30am1pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Monthly session. Saturday Family Workshops Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10am-1pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Explore the new exhibitions and draw inspiration from Richard Glynn Vivian’s life. Book in advance please. uSpace Hunters Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Go with the children on a treasure hunt in space to meet an astronaut, ride on a comet's tail, look for an exploding star and much more. Suitable for under-7s. On tomorrow also. uSwitched On Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Explore how visible light and light we cannot see plays a part in all our lives. On tomorrow also. The Janet Disaster National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1 + 3pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Audio play based on the true story of the lifeboat Janet and her heroic crew. uVintage Kilo Sale Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 10am-6pm, free. Info 029 2037 3144. Second-hand clobber for £15 a kilo. On tomorrow also.

u – repeated

Weber Winter Warmer Course Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10am-2pm, £99. Info 01443 222716. uWorkshop Bike Sale Cardiff Cycle Workshop, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 1-5pm. Info www.cycletrainingwales.org. uk. Adult bikes on sale from £60; kids’ bikes from £10. Also on every Friday this month (from 1-5pm).

SUNDAY 2

Attack! Pro Wrestling: My Sacrifice Walkabout, Cardiff. 6.45pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2037 3144. Wildman wrestling division return to horrid sports bar, for why? Because they can show this year’s Wrestlemania live on big screens after their own bouts finish. Cardiff & Vale College Cardiff Bay Run 2017 Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay (starting and finishing point). 10.30am-1pm, £5 to register. Info 029 2166 0790. A new 10km course open to experienced athletes as well as cheerful amblers. Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2030 4400. Classic French Kitchen Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am-3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray.co.uk. uCricket: Friendly – Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff. 11am. Info 029 2040 9380. Ohn tomorrow also. Cwmbran Craft Fayre Our Lady’s School Hall, Cwmbran. 1-4pm. Info cwmbran_crafts@hotmail. co.uk. Every first Sunday of the month. uEssential Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle. 8.30pm, £11.50. Info 07538 878609. Cut-price 85-minute tour, by Cardiff History & Hauntings. On every Sunday this month. Etching Onto Glass Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £75. Info 029 2048 4611. With Bill Swann. Football: Barclays Premier League – Swansea City v Middlesbrough Liberty Stadium, Swansea. 1.30pm. Info 0870 400004. Lee Skeet Supper Club Brewdog, Cardiff. £40. Info 029 2023 1684. Cornish seafood specialist with March’s instalment of a series of supper clubs which run until July. Book here: www. leeskeet.com/shop. Rugby League: European Quarter-Final: Ospreys v Stade Francais Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 5.45pm, £10/£5 under-16s. Info 08442 777888. Stretch Revive Relax Workshop Kings Road Studios, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 10am-12pm. Info 07774 601544 / sarasclasses4@ gmail.com. Book in advance please. The Great Big Pixar Quiz The Depot, Cardiff. 6-10pm. Info www.depotcardiff.co.uk. Presented by The Braintrust. Teams of up to six people.

events MONDAY 3

Barod: Music Industry Contracts The Big Top, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £5/free Musicians’ Union members. Info 029 2022 8883. Part of Barod, the Swn-affiliated series of music industry tutorial sessions (another is on Fri 7). Features Paul Gray and Mark Melton. uBeginners Saxophone Class Upstairs at The Park Hotel, Barry. 7-9pm, £15. Info 07806 625717. With Beverley from Sax For Fun. Every other Monday; also on Mon 17 this month. Gwd Mondays: Musical Bingo Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. uWrite On Writers Morganstown Village Hall. 6.30-8.30pm. Info 07512 235758. An open group of writers who encourage others to write and also critique work. Also on Mon 17 (it takes place here every first and third Monday of the month). uYoga By The Sea St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10-11am, £6. Info 01446 799100. With Lydia Hitchcock. Also on Mon 10.

the series, not sure if you can go to just one. Reminiscence Monthly Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 11am-1pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Come to the museum and share your memories of Cardiff, on the first Wednesday of every month. uScriveners Writers’ Group Royal Exchange, Brynmawr. 8pm. Info 01495 753629. Also on Wed 19. Skill Builder: Bake For Easter Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 6-9pm, £90. Info 01443 222716 / www. angelagray.co.uk. uSheep Trekking Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £35/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Spend the afternoon in a 200-acre organic farm. A Good Day Out Event. Also on Wed 12, Sun 16, Sun 23 and Sun 30. uWales International Documentary Festival Miners’ Institute, Maxime Cinema and High Street PopUp, Blackwood. Info 01495 227206. Featuring screenings, panel discussions, networking events and masterclasses

Storytelling Suppers Kemi’s, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 7pm, £14. Info 029 2037 2055. With special guest Guto Dafis. Entry fee includes food.

FRIDAY 7

An Evening With Irvine Welsh Waterstones, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5 adv/£9 including book. Info 029 2066 5606. Talking about his new novel, The Blade Artist, which is the book mentioned in the price there. Artist Talk: The Wakelin Award 2017 Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 12.301.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Philip Eglin, currently exhibiting here, talks to Andrew Renton. Barod: How To Make Festivals Work For You The Big Top, Cardiff. 12-4pm, £20. Info 029 2022 8883. Presented by Paul Reed of the Association Of Independent Festivals. Price includes lunch. Brainiac Live Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 2 + 4pm, £14/£12 kids. Info 01686 614555. Live version of the wacky science TV show. Cardiff Inter Varsity Club

TUESDAY 4

uEarly Years Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10.3011.30am, free. Info 01792 516900. Explore movement, sound, language, textures, shapes and colours. For kids aged 0-4. Also on Tue 25. Lecture: Cardiff Castle – New Discoveries, Photographs And Research Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £8. Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture by Matthew Williams. Square One Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. New night entirely dedicated to showcasing the best work of artists, photographers and filmmakers, and run by students of USW. Trevor Marriott Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01633 868239. Jack The Ripper-obsessed excopper returns to these parts.

WEDNESDAY 5

Ash Dykes Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £13/£12. Info 01239 621200. Expedition enthusiast with a show titled Surviving Madagascar. uElliecoptor Hoops Hula Hoop Class The Talent Shack, Cardiff. 6.30-7.30pm, £7/£24 for four. Info elliecoptor@hotmail.com. Every Wednesday this month. Book by sending a message to the Sparkle’s Hoop Troupe Facebook page. Floral Demonstration Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £10. Info 01633 868239. Football: Barclays Premier League – Swansea City v Tottenham Hotspur Liberty Stadium, Swansea. 7.45pm. Info 0870 400004. John Bilsborough Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £6.50/£5. Info 0845 2263510. A fellow also known as ‘The Funny Poet’. Midweek Mindfulness Barnabas Arts House, Newport. 7-8.30pm, £35 for five sessions. Info 01633 673739. Hosted by Philomena. This is the last in

From Fri 7 Apr until Fri 23 June, Volcano in Swansea host multidisciplinary art type things (poetry, music, spoken word, debate etc) every week. They're multilingual, too, hence the slightly unwieldy name Swanseabertawe. Yang Lian and Ifor Ap Glyn kick things off. over three days. Screenings will be held at the Maxime, with three screenings each day in the main cinema and a variety of shorts and other things in Cinema 2. More info: www.widf.info. (Until Fri 7)

THURSDAY 6

Audio Described Handling Session National Museum Cardiff. 2pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Explore specimens from the Clore Discovery Centre handling collection including skulls, teeth, fossils and much more. uEssential Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point). 8.30pm, £8. Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings. Every Thursday this month. First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Readings by Jenny Lewis and Adnan Al-Sayegh. Keralan Karavan Kitchen Takeover Brewdog, Cardiff. 5-10pm, free. Info 029 2023 1684. Southern Indianinspired fast food, plus slightly overpriced beer of course. Lecture: My Family And Other Animals Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £8. Info 029 2087 8100. Lecture by Marietta Crichton-Stuart.

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. Farmers Market High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. Info 01685 725106. Quality produce from no more than 50 miles away, on the first Friday of each month. First Fridays Cwtsh Arts Centre, Newport. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01633 664498. Tom and Monty Dart will be showing their film on W.H. Davies, Newport’s ‘Tramp Poet’. Friday Talk: John Ingle Lee’s Sandbanks On The Mawddach, Barmouth National Museum Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Talk by Ann Bukantas. Introduction To Greek Kitchen Basics Venue TBC, central Cardiff. 1-4pm, £43.07-£51.56. Info 07870 131558. Class hosted by Lia Moutselou. Let’s Get Quizzical The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £2 to enter. Info 01497 821762. Pub quiz. Little Mice Club: Wales & St David’s Day National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am-12pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Bilingual playtime for babies/ toddlers. Pen Y Fan Spectacle Pen Y

Fan, Brecon Beacons. 8am3pm. Info 01874 611622. This is the launch of the Get Creative Weekend, which runs until Sun 9, and will see dance/installation artist Phil Williams transform one side of this noted mountain into a living art installation with the help of 1,000 or so volunteers. uRHS Show Cardiff Cardiff Castle Parklands. 10am-5.30pm, £9-£13. Info 029 2087 8100. Annual celebration of plants and flowers and shrubs and blooms and so on. See Roundup. (Until Sun 9) Spice World Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am-3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray.co.uk. Swansea Bay Community Awards Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 475715. uSwanseabertawe Multilingual Festival Volcano, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. Poetry, music and discussion every Friday until June 23. This looks very worthy (in a good way!) and fun. Today’s performers: Yang Lian, Ifor Ap Glyn and Amani Bakhiet. Fri 14: Meltem Arikan & Pinar Ogun, Amir A Nejad and Caroline Stockford. Fri 21: Eric Ngalle Charles, Rhys Trimble and Eldin Suljic. Fri 28: Poets On The Hill, Bashar Arafat, Jani Williams and Bodhan Piasecki. Tea Dance St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 2pm, £5. Info 01446 799100. With Alan Taylor. Toddler Days Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Monthly term-time events for toddlers and their parents, this month’s theme being ‘teddy bear's picnic’.

SATURDAY 8

uAmazing Eggsperiments Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Easter show teaching you about the freshness, strength and solidity of eggs. (Until Sun 23) April Feria – A Spanish Fiesta The Depot, Cardiff. 5-11pm, £5. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Spanish street food, flamenco dancing, live music and sangria. uApril Holiday Workshop Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 10.30-11.30am, free. Info 01792 516900. Come and explore what the Glynn Vivian has to offer families and children. For kids aged 4-14. Also on Thurs 13 (photography with Sheree Murphy); Tue 18 (Science Conservation Day) and Sat 22 Family Film Club). Balloonatic Show National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 1 + 3pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Interactive show hosted by Becky Kitter and featuring lots of balloons. Perhaps a homage to the late Malcolm Hardee? Barry Island Handmade Market Barry Island train station. 11am-3pm, free. Info facebook.com/ barryislandhandmademarket. Every second Sunday of the month. Booklaunch: Don

Treharne Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2.303.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Launching a book about Welsh artist Elizabeth Vera Bassett. uBook Swap National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. On tomorrow also. Bread Of Heaven Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray. co.uk. uCaerwent Craft Fayre Caerwent Village Hall, Monmouthshire. 2.304.30pm. Info cwmbran_ crafts@hotmail.co.uk. Every second Saturday of the month (also on Sat 22 in April). uChepstow Farmers’ Market Cormeilles Square, Chepstow. 8.30am-1pm, free. Info 01291 626370. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month (also on Sat 22 in April). Drop-In Knotwork & Beadwork Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4pm, £5. Info 029 2048 4611. Monthly class, normally on the second Saturday of the month. uEaster Trail Cardiff Castle. Info 029 2087 8100. Find the answers to the puzzles in both the house and the grounds and win an Easter prize. (Until Sun 23) Enamelling Workshop Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £80. Info 029 2048 4611. With Kathryn Wills. Essential Bike Maintenance Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 9.30am-4pm, £65. Info www.cycletrainingwales. org.uk. Farmers’ Market Twyn Community Centre, Caerphilly. 9.30am, free. Info 01656 658963. Every second Saturday of the month. Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Brentford Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3pm. Info 0845 3451400. Funky Craft Fayre Ostreme Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am-4pm. Info nigel.mason@ntlworld.com. Taking place here on the second Saturday of each month all year. uHere In This Spring Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Familyfriendly spring-themed activities. Also on Sun 9, Tue 11, Thurs 13, Sunday 16, Tue 18, Weds 19, Thurs 20, Sat 22 and Sun 23; other themed Here In This Spring activities will also feature throughout April. uLambing In The Brecon Beacons Venue TBC, Brecon Beacons. £40/£25 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Billed as “A no holds barred day with a farmer and his family during lambing time.” Also on Wed 12, Wed 19, Sat 22 and Wed 26. Miss Inspiration UK 2017 Grand Final Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 6pm, £12.50/£10. Info 01633 868239. I miss inspiration too.

Miss Wales 2017 Grand Final The Riverfront, Newport. 7pm, £23 adv. Info 01633 656757. I miss Wales too, he typed with the dead-eyed duty of someone who knew his best years had long gone. Mumbles Produce Market Seafront Car Park, Mumbles. 9am-1pm, free. Info 01792 361012. Every second Saturday of the month. uMy Coast In Clay Mission Gallery, Swansea. 10am-2pm, £50 (two days). Info 01792 652016. This two part practical ceramics workshop hosted by artist and UWTSD ceramics technician Daniel Butler. Also on Sat 22. Newport Craft Fayre The Gallery, Newport Indoor Market. 9am-4.30pm, free. Info 01633 656656. Every second Saturday of the month. uNight And Day Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Meet lots of interesting night-time animals in this show suitable for under-7s. (Until Sun 23; also Sat 29 + Sun 30) Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 07790 298913. On the second Saturday of every month. uPainting Colours And Shapes National Museum Cardiff. 11am, 1pm + 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Messy art workshop, especially suitable for families with young children, inspired by painter Gillian Ayres whose exhibition begins here today. (Until Thurs 13) Playpen Workshop Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 01686 614555. Writing wrkshop developed by Scriptography Productions. uPremium Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point). 7.30pm, £11. Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings. Also on Sat 15, Sat 22 and Sat 29. Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3. Info 0845 2263510. Spring/Summer Foraging Courses Bute Park, Cardiff. 12-3.30pm, £35/£17.50 under-16s. Info 07971 411875. Presented by Wild Food UK; Jane has written a little more about them in her Food News column this month. Also on Sat 15 and Sun 30 this month, then Sat 13 and Sun 28 May. uStar Tours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Find out more about some familiar constellations, the planets, how stars are born and how they die in the Planetarium. (Until Sun 23) uTalks At 4 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Exhibition tours hosted by artists Richard Higlett and Thomas Williams. Also on Sat 22. We Make Good Happen Family Fundraiser The Kymin House & Gardens, Penarth. Info 029 2070 0721. Vintage tea party with live music, hosted by Bethan Elfyn. Proceeds to local children’s charities. BUZZ 67

* – recommended

events We’re Going On An Egg Hunt National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Easter-themed traipsing around the museum.

SUNDAY 9

BAFTA CYMRU MARCH 2017 The Cymru Awards open for entries in March so check out the website for further details – by the April edition of Buzz the deadline will almost be upon you! The key thing to note this year is that individuals are encouraged to self-nominate – if you need any advice on the rules and guidelines contact the BAFTA Cymru office. Events wise, we kick off with a biggie: An Audience with Gareth Edwards. The Rogue One, Godzilla, and Monsters director, whose family is from Pontypool, will join actor and writer Celyn Jones for a conversation about his career to date. The event will be a celebration of Welsh talent on St David’s Day and is hosted at BAFTA headquarters in London. To celebrate International Women’s Day, we will be hosting a conversation between acclaimed screenwriters Helen Raynor (Mr Selfridge, Baker Boys) and Cath Treganna (Law And Order UK) at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on Wed 8 Mar – a chance for any budding or existing writers to hear more about the screenwriting craft and business from Helen and Cath’s perspective. We’ll be screening the nominated BAFTA Shorts at Pontio Arts Centre in Bangor on Wed 15 Mar and cohosting a screening of the documentary Shadow World with a Q&A as part of the Wales One World Festival on Fri 17 Mar, again at Chapter. We return to Bangor on Thurs 23 Mar for an audience with Hilary Bevan Jones, whose producing career spans Red Dwarf, Blackadder and Cracker and features The Girl In The Café and The Boat That Rocked. Hilary, originally from North Wales, will offer insights into the industry to a public and invited audience at the beautiful National Trust Penrhyn Castle. Finally, to wrap up the month, we are previewing new Welsh thriller Don’t Knock Twice, followed by a Q&A with producer John Giwa-Amu and VFX Supervisor Christian Lett. Most events are open to the public (at a cost) or members for free. We’re also still accepting membership applications and you are able to join now for 17 months at special rates. Have a look at all the benefits of membership, including free cinema, on our website. Info: www.bafta.org/wales

BUZZ 68

*A-Grrrls & Dancing Queer: Fundraiser for Bedayaa (LGBT+ Egypt) Gwdihw, Cardiff. 4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. This is hosted by Shrouk El-Attar (aka Dancing Queer) and is aiming to raise money (so give ‘em some even though it’s free entry, yeah) for various LGBT groups in Egypt, whose work in this department is, as you can probably imagine, not exactly a dance round the maypole. Event will feature belly dance, henna, music, hummus, cakes and face painting. Cwtchfest Spring National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-5pm, £6. Info 029 2057 3500. Wedding fest of some kind. Easter Fayre North Cornelly Community Centre, Cardiff. 11am-3pm, £20 to set up a table. Info andyburnett24@ hotmail.com. Easter Flower Arrangement Masterclass Cardiff Castle. 11am, £35. Info 029 2087 8100. Create your own magnificent Easter table decoration using spring flowers and seasonal foliage. Flower Workshops With Flowers, I Do Penarth Pier Pavilion. 1.30-3.30pm, £45. Info 0844 8700887. Spring workshop creating hand-tied bouquets. Marina Market National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. uTuneless Choir Cardiff Aspire Fitness, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £10 first session/£7 drop-in/£40 for eight weeks. Info 07745 683723. Choir, led by Mei Gwynedd, for people who want to sing but can’t carry a tune. Also on Sun 23, and every fortnight after that. Weber Art Of Charcoal Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10am2pm. Info 01443 222716.

MONDAY 10

Birds Of Prey St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 2-4pm, £6/£5 kids. Info 01446 799100. With Falconry UK. uEaster Holiday Workshops Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran. 10am-3pm, £11.50/£9.50. Info 01633 4833221. Aimed at kids aged 5-13 and lining up like this. Today: rabbit bonnets, Tue 11: bunny spoons; Wed 12: felt bunnies; Thurs 13: bunny wreaths; Fri 14; ceramic hares; Tue 18: floral batik; Wed 19: butterfly mobiles; Thurs 20: flower garden; Fri 21: clay bugs. Elliecoptor Hoops Hula Hoop Class Plasnewydd YMCA, Cardiff. 6-7pm, £5. Info elliecoptor@hotmail. com. Second Monday of every month. Here In This Spring Stationery & Cards Family Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. uJoy Of Living Mindfulness Group Meeting Gaia Yoga Studio,

Roath, Cardiff. 7.30-9pm, free (donations welcome). Info 07412 346054. On the second and fourth Monday of every month (also on Mon 24 in April). uSeed Bombs And Plant Pots National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.303.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Take part in a guerrilla gardening experience by making your own seed bombs and decorating a plant pot. (Until Thurs 13) uStorytelling And More... National History Museum, St Fagans. 2.30-4.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Cardiff Libraries present family activity sessions. Taking place in the Maentwrog Marquee today and Wed 12; the Oakdale Institute on Wed 19.

TUESDAY 11

Easter Fun St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10-11.30am, £10. Info 01446 799100. Decorate a duck eggcup or mug with Dotty Spotty Pottery. Fabric Fish Workshop Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-2pm, £6. Info 01792 652016. Design a fish template on paper and select fabric to suit your design. Spirituality Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2048 3344. Second Tuesday of every month. uSpring Inspired Crafts This Easter Carnegie House, Bridgend. 11am-2pm. Info 01656 815757. With Claire Hiett. On tomorrow also.

Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10am-4pm, £6. Info 01446 799100. 10-11am + 11.15am12.15pm: create your own willow dreamcatcher or wand with Out To Learn Willow. uHowl Mozarts, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info 01792 649984. Poetry open mic, every second and third Thursday of the month (also on Thurs 20). Swansea’s Bad Girls Swansea Museum. 7.30pm, free. Info 01792 653763. Talk by Hosted by Elizabeth Belcham, relating to stories and photographs of women brought before the police courts in the late 19th/early 20th century. Hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales. SWDFAS Lecture: The Wilton Diptych & The Artistic Culture Of Richard II’s Reign Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 2pm, £6. Info 029 2030 4400. Talk by Mark Cottle.

FRIDAY 14

Easter Fun St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10am-4pm, £6. Info 01446 799100. 10-10.45 + 11-11.45am: create your own felt Easter hat or Easter egg. 2-4pm: watch a movie, Hop. uFamily Crafts Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-3pm, £1. Info 029 2034 6214. Easter holiday activities. Also on Wed 19. Films And Wine: Miller’s Crossing The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 029 2048 3344. Screening of this Coen Brothers film. Friends Of The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Annual General Meeting Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 6.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Followed by a talk by Dr Fiona Candlin, ‘Micromuseology: writing about small independent museums’. Imaginative Islands Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-2pm, £6. Info 01792 652016. Easter workshop using digital drawing and craft techniques. Open Mic Spoken Word Extravaganza 39 Ye Olde Murenger, Newport. 7.30pm, £5/£3. Info 01633 263977. Featuring poets Mark Blayney and Mark Williams. Writing A Mystery: A Creative Writing Workshop For Young People Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-3pm, free. Info 01792 463980. With Elouise Williams. Book in advance please.

Afternoon Workshops: Calan Buffalo, Cardiff. 1-4pm, £5 each. Info 029 2031 0312. 1pm: Extreme Fiddlin’ with Patrick. 2pm: Modern Step Dancing with Beth. 3pm: DADGAD Guitar with Sam. uCricket: Specsavers County Championship – Glamorgan v Worcestershire SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff. 11am. Info 029 2040 9380. (Until Mon 17) Dinky Dragons Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-3pm, free. Info 029 2034 6214. Family fun day for 0-5-year-olds on the second Friday of every month. uEaster Beer Festival The Coach, Bridgend. 11.30am11pm, free. Info thecoachbridgend@gmail. com. Featuring as many as 35 beers over four days, as well as a bespoke beer brewed by newish company Bang-On Brewery. (Until Mon 17) Easter Eggstravaganza National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Been waiting patiently for an Easter Eggstravaganza and finally one’s arrived, which is additionally “an eggciting family day out”! Here In This Spring Mixed Media Print Family Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Rainbow Sand Art Mission Gallery, Swansea. 11am-2pm, free. Info 01792 652016. Dropin family workshop. uSpringtime Family Trail National Museum Cardiff. 10am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Explore the Museum for signs of spring. (Until Mon 17) uSt Fagans Easter Hunt National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-2pm, £2.50. Info 029 2057 3500. (Until Mon 17) uSt Fagans Makers Market National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am5pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Stalls, crafts, workshop and demonstrations. (Until Sun 23, and from Sat 29 until Mon 1 May)

THURSDAY 13

SATURDAY 15

WEDNESDAY 12

Easter Fun St Donats Arts

Basketry Mission Gallery, Swansea. 10am-4pm, £22.

u – repeated

Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop. Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm. Info 01495 753782. Every third Saturday of the month. uEaster Fun Cardiff Castle. £5 per adult and child. Info 029 2087 8100. Easter-themed activities including card-making, egg rolling, egg decorating (today and tomorrow only) and egg and spoon races. (Until Mon 17) Easter Market Caldicot Town Centre. Free. Info 07716 557289. Feztival Of Magic And Comedy – A Celebration Of Tommy Cooper Caerphilly Castle. 11am-4pm, £7.95/£5.20 NUS/OAP/under16s. Info 01443 336000. uGin Stock The Depot, Cardiff. 1-11pm, £7. Info www. depotcardiff.co.uk. Second year of this two-day festival of boutique/craft/specialist/posh gin. There’ll also be street food. On tomorrow also. Piggy Walking With A ‘Pig-Nic’ Senni Valley, Brecon Beacons. £25/£10 under-16s. Info 01874 749092. Take a pair of friendly Kune Kune pigs (from New Zealand, look a bit like Ewoks) for a walk, then return to the smallholding for refreshments. uPig Street Craft Fair The Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am4pm, free. Info enquiries@ pigstreetcrafts.co.uk. Selling original arts and crafts. Also on Sat 29. Rugby League: Judgement Day V: Cardiff Blues v Ospreys Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 2.45pm, from £10. Info 08442 777888. Rugby League: Judgement Day V: Newport Dragons v Scarlets Principality Stadium, Cardiff. 5.15pm, from £10. Info 08442 777888. WHoop-C! 2017 National Dance Company Wales, Pierhead Street, Cardiff Bay. 10am-7.30pm, £10/£10 workshop only. Info elliecoptor@hotmail.com. The third annual Welsh Hoop Convention features tutorials from Florence Huet, Symoné and Jay Jay Revlon (a vogue workshop from 2.20-3.35pm), Elle Edwards, Sparkle’s Hoop Troupe, Debby Earle and Eilidh Hoop. It is however all sold out!

SUNDAY 16

Easter Egg Hunt Caerphilly Castle. 11am-4pm, £7.95/£5.20 NUS/OAP/under16s. Info 01443 336000. Guided Tour: Dylan’s Swansea Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea (starting point). 10.30am-12.30pm, £4-£10. Info 01792 463980. uMedieval Fun Caerphilly Castle. 10am-4pm, £7.95/£5.20 NUS/OAP/under16s. Info 01443 336000. Company Of The Raven present a day of archery, sword and armour displays. On tomorrow also. Meditation For Peace Natural Health Clinic, Cathedral Rd, Cardiff. 6-7.45pm, free. Info 029 2034 3052. An evening of guided meditations; no advance booking necessary.

MONDAY 17

Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Nottingham Forest

live music Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3pm. Info 0845 3451400. Gwd Mondays Quiz Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. Harlem Globetrotters Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50-£45. Info 029 2022 4488. Fantastical basketball gaggle. Here In This Spring Puppets & Plays Family Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

TUESDAY 18

uBotanical Illustration Family Workshops National Museum Cardiff. 11am, 1pm + 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Learn how to paint in the style of a botanical illustrator and find out more about the important plant life on the Museum’s urban meadow. (Until Fri 21) Philosophy Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2048 3344. Third Tuesday of every month. uVelotech Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff. 9.30am-4pm, £495 (four days). Info www. cycletrainingwales.org.uk. (Until Fri 21) Tea Dance Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2.30pm, £6. Info 0845 2263510. Tetra Pak Purses And Wallets National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Use old Tetra Pak cartons to make a stylish purse or wallet. Hope you’re OK with the faint smell of old milk.

WEDNESDAY 19

Flying Kites & Lazy Owls Caerphilly Castle. 11am-4pm, £7.95/£5.20 NUS/OAP/under16s. Info 01443 336000. Spice Preview Night Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Info 07429 598414. Monthly evening offering a chance for you to go along and see what you might get out of this adventure, activity, sports and social group. Tetra Pak Hanging Planters National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.303.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Use old Tetra Pak cartons to make containers to hang plants in. Welsh Wrestling 2017 Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £12/£9. Info 01633 868239.

THURSDAY 20

uAbergavenny Writing Festival The Kings Arms Hotel / Broadleaf Books, Abergavenny. 10am. Info lucie@parkinwhitman.co.uk. Second year of this weekend event. Today features talks, workshops etc from (in order) Sarah Hill, Nigel Jarrett, Nicola Davies, Julian Gregson, Pam Smail and Anna Goodson, Phil Madden and Alison Newsam. Fri 21 and Sat 22’s programme is TBC right now but hit up www. abergavennywritingfestival. com for more. (Until Sat 22) Magazine Flowers National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Turn old magazines into paper blooms. Open Mic Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr. 7.30pm. Info mjenkins1927@gmail.com. With special guest Helen

Burke. Open Space: Nick Fisk and Julie Pritchard Central Library Hub, Cardiff. 5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116. Readings by two poets from Cardiff and the Rhymney Valley respectively.

FRIDAY 21

An Evening Of Twin Town Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01685 384111. A Q&A session with director Kevin Allen and actors William Thomas and Sue Roderick (Bryn and Lucy Cartwright), as well as a screening beforehand. uFamily Dance Festival Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 1 + 5pm, free. Info 029 2063 6464. A partnership project between Coreo Cymru, Chapter and National Dance Company Wales. On tomorrow also. Here In This Spring Stationery & Letters Family Workshop Dylan

(Until Sun 23) So You Think You’re Smart? Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, free. Info 01495 243252. Quiz night, every third Friday of the month. Yes. I Remember Adlestrop: Celebrating The Influence Of Edward Thomas On Contemporary Poetry Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 07933 844234. Featuring guests Lucy Newlyn, Jonathan Edwards and Glyn Edwards.

SATURDAY 22

Ar Lafar – Welsh Learners Festival National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. A day of workshops and activities to inspire everyone to learn a little and use some Welsh. Ar Lafar – Welsh Learners Festival National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am4pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

David R Edwards, the lyrical brains behind wild'n'wonderful Welsh-language postpunk pioneers Datblygu, has a book of poetry coming out this month. On Sat 29, he launches it at Spillers Records in Cardiff, reading from it with musical backing by Ash Cooke. Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Huw John Rhys Pritchard Hall, Llandovery. 7.30pm, £5. Info huwpudner@ntlworld. com. Welsh twmpath dancing. My Greek Kitchen Venue TBC, central Cardiff. 6.309.30pm, £35. Info 07870 131558. Class hosted by Lia Moutselou. Naomi’s Wild & Scary St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 2.30pm, £18.50/£15.50 under-16s. Info 029 2087 8444. Family-friendly wildlife show from TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson. National Pride, Local Controversies And Rugby Resentments: Reactions To Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup Victory Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 6pm, £5/£3.50 NUS. Info 029 2034 6214. Talk by Dr Martin Johnes. Open Screen Night Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 7-8.30pm, £4. Info 01239 615952. Offering film makers a place to show their work on a first come first served basis. Outdoor Cinema: St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 8-10pm, £8.50/£7.50. Info 01446 799100. Featuring the singalong version of Grease. Poetry Readings King’s Arms, Abergavenny. 8pm, £7.50. Info 01873 855074. With Phil Bowen and Chris Meredith. uScrappy Sock Puppets National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11.30am-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Make puppets from unused socks.

As above. Blaenavon Little Monthly Market Bethlehem Court, Blaenavon. 10am-2pm, free (£10 to set up a table/£5 if you bring your own table). Info 01495 792878. Sellin crafts, bric-a-brac, bits and pieces and breads/pastries, Also on Sat 20 May. Craft Fair St David’s Church, Neath. 10.30am-4pm. Info ariancrafts@hotmail.co.uk. Football: Barclays Premier League – Swansea City v Stoke City Liberty Stadium, Swansea. 3pm. Info 0870 400004. uLaughnosis Training Llandaff North Community Centre, Cardiff. 9.30am5.30pm, £425 (two days). Info www.sparklylaughter. co.uk. Two-day course aimed at doctors, nurses, therapists, carers, coaches, hypnotists and people with laughter training ready to serve others as laughter professionals. On tomorrow also. Oil Painting Workshop Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-4pm. Info 01656 815757. With artist and tutor Bryan Shambler. For beginners and all abilities. TEDxCardiff Tramshed, Cardiff. 11am-6pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Brisk speeches and lectures on stuff. Sold out though. See Upfront. The Gallipolli Campaign National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. John White presents a talk on one of World War I’s most punish-

ing campaigns. Organised by Historical Association Swansea Branch. The Life And Times Of Winston Churchill National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Uplifting and objective talk about the life and work of the man who endorsed gassing the “uncivilised tribes” of India to death. Ty Hafan Spring Craft & Cake Fair St Martins Church, Roath, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, free. Info 07794 248057. uWonderwool Wales Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells. 10am-5.30pm, £10/free under-16s. Info 01938 820495. Stalls, special exhibitions, daily demonstrations and have-a-go sessions, all based around the subject of wool and other natural fibres. On tomorrow also, from 10am4.30pm.

TUESDAY 25

Explore Books National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am, free. Info 01792 463980. Discuss books and authors in a casual setting (no obligation to have read the books in advance).

WEDNESDAY 26

Elliecoptor Hoops Hula Hoop Class / Hoop Jam Plasnewydd YMCA, Cardiff. 8-10pm, £5/£8 both classes. Info 07934 011061. Last Wednesday of every month. The class is from 8-9pm and is followed by a hoop jam from 9-10. Games Wales The Big Top, Cardiff. 6pm, free. Info 029 2022 8883. Monthly meetup for gaming enthusiasts. Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 7.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Skill Builder: Full Of Goodness Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 6-9pm, £90. Info 01443 222716 / www. angelagray.co.uk. The Art Of Conservation Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-12pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Meet the Glynn Vivian conservation team and go behind the scenes of the new Gallery. Book in advance please.

THURSDAY 27

Taith Iaith National Museum Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Welshlanguage tour of the new Gillian Ayres exhibition.

FRIDAY 28

Exploring The Collection Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 2-3 + 3.30-4.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Book in advance please. uGin Festival Swansea Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 6.3011pm, £9.50 adv. Info 01792 475715. Three-day event featuring over 100 gins. On from 12.30-5pm and 6.30-11pm on Sat 29; 12.30-5pm on Sun 30. (Until Sun 30) Lunch Club Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10.30am-2.30pm, £37. Info 01443 222716 / www. angelagray.co.uk. Tenby Brewing Tap Takeover The Parrot,

Carmarthen. 8pm-12am, free. Info 01267 231012. Also with live music TBC The Cellar Bards Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3. Info 07818 056599. With Martin Locock.

SATURDAY 29

An Introduction To Table Loom Weaving Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am4.30pm, £75. Info 029 2048 4611. With Bill Swann. uBoutique Gift Markets Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am5.30pm. Info 029 2087 7959. (Until Mon 1 May) *Booklaunch: David R Edwards Spillers Records, Cardiff. 5.30pm, free. Info 029 2022 4905. Reading from his poetry book Dave Datblygu’s Search In English For The House Of Tolerance, with musical backing from Ash Cooke. uColourful Chemistry Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Science Theatre show looking at how colour changes occur in chemical reactions, how we use colour to identify chemicals and so forth. On tomorrow also. uDinosaur World St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 11.30am + 2.30pm, £12.50/£15 Danger Zone. Info 029 2087 8444. Interactive 3D show for the family. On tomorrow also. Eco Print & Rust Dye Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am-4.30pm, £75. Info 029 2048 4611. With Claire Cawte. Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Newcastle United Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3pm. Info 0845 3451400. Foraging: A Wild Taste Of The Hedgerow Humble By Nature, Penalt, nr Monmouth. 10am-4pm, £105. Info 01600 714595. With Liz Knight. Geekedfest University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Townhill Campus, Swansea. 10am-5pm, £10/£4 under12s/free under-5s. Info www. geekedfestevents.com. Comic convention with all the normal bells and whistles you expect from such events. Gok Wan’s Fashion Brunch Club New House Country Hotel, Cardiff. £65. Info 029 2052 0280. Featuring, on top of the promised brunch, a catwalk show and style advice from Wan, an “award-winning TV presenter, stylist, designer and champion of all women”. Pretty mad that they’d make a bloke champion if you ask me. Kidsmarkets Family Sale Cowbridge Leisure Centre. 11am-12.30pm, £1/kids free. Info 07760 802088. Featuring 40 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items. uMayday Bank Holiday National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. Merriment, music and the raising of the maypole, with a specific Welsh slant. (Until Mon 1 May) Mother & Other Tongues Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 12.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Poetry and prose inspired by the Glynn Vivian collections, Swansea, and its location. Rules Of Play International TableTop

Day 2017 Angel Hotel, Cardiff. 10am-10pm, £5/free under-16s. Info 029 2022 1695. Twelve hours of nonstop tabletop gaming with lots of other cool extra stuf laid on. Saturday Morning Kitchen Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 10.30am12.30pm, £15. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray. co.uk. uScrappy Shakers National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Make a fun musical shaker just in time for the Welsh festival of Calan Mai. On tomorrow also. uSearch For Life Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. £1.50 after admission fee. Info 029 2047 5475. Science Beyond our Solar System, around distant stars, new planets are being found all the time. May they hold the secret we are looking for? On tomorrow also. Sheep For Beginners Humble By Nature, Penalt, nr Monmouth. 9.45am-4.30pm, £105. Info 01600 714595. Spring & Easter Craft Fair All Hallows RC Church, Miskin. 12-4pm. Info 01443 204830. uThe Greatest Adventure: Love In The Time Of Tinder The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. £140-£260 (two days). Info 01497 821762. How The Light Gets In present a weekend of events, talks and workshops offering “the opportunity to learn the latest in the psychology of love from renowned leaders of their field” as well as live music and other afterhours jollies. More info at events.iai. tv. On tomorrow also.

SUNDAY 30

Cricket: Royal London One-Day Cup – Glamorgan v Surrey SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff. 11am. Info 029 2040 9380. uMedieval Weekend Caerphilly Castle. 10am4pm, £7.95/£5.20 NUS/OAP/ under-16s. Info 01443 336000. Hosted by Bowlore. On tomorrow also. MMA: Adrenalin Fight Nights Grand Theatre, Swansea. 5pm, £25. Info 01792 475715. Six Gong Sound Bath Village Hall, Gwaelod Y Garth, Cardiff. 2-5pm, £8. Info 07726 360584. “Relax and experience the healing effects of Singing Bowls, Great Resounding Gongs, Crystal Bowls, Solfeggio Pipes, Rattles, Bells, Chimes etc” say the organisers.

live SATURDAY 1

2rude + Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 01633 533666. A gig in memory of one David ‘Rocky’ Pearce. Acoustic Sinners Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630. Presented by Nailed It Events. Afro Cluster The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7. BUZZ 69

* – recommended

live music only one I was surprised were still around. Cardiff University Jazz Ensemble Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7pm, free. Info 029 2087 4816. Daniel Herskedal Trio Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Norwegian jazzer. Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8.50£39.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Conducted by Michael Sanderling and featuring soprano Elin Pritchard. Grand Magus + Planet Of Zeus The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Swedish epic/true/doom metal band headline. uJon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £2 after 11. Info 029 2038 7026. Every Saturday. Kamikazee Millionaires Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7.30pm, £5. Info 07512

237983. Lakuta + Miss Mitten Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10. Info 01239 615952. Jazz, funk, soul and afrobeat are all in here it is mooted. Like A Lion Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. Martin Simpson Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm. Info 01239 841387. Monmouth Choral Society Blake Theatre, Monmouth. 7pm, £21/£8 NUS. Info 01600 719401. Performing St Matthew Passion by Bach. Nidum Ensemble Great Hall, Swansea University Bay Campus. 7.30pm, £5-£15. Info 01792 602060. *O'Hooley & Tidow Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £12.50. Info 07818 056599. Folk duo from Yorkshire who this guy likes. I was about to say it's time they released a new album, then checked and it turns out they've done two

pic: Whos Next

Info 01497 821762. Back Street Symphony The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm. Info 01685 387925. Barb Jungr The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £15/£13. Info 01633 656757. German cabaret singer, covers Bob Dylan a bunch. We previewed her last month. Brutality Will Prevail + Broken Teeth + Judgement + Chamber Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07970 063107. Record release show for headliners. Calypso Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. Cardiff Punk Festival Tramshed, Cardiff. 2pm, £20/£18. Info 029 2023 5555. Featuring sets from Angelic Upstarts, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, GBH, The Members, Clash tribute band London Calling, TV Smith and the Strawberry Blondes – the youngest band on here yet the

PENARTH ROCKS Paget Rooms, Penarth, Sat 29 Apr Tickets: £15/£25 VIP. Info: 029 2070 0721 / www.penarthrocks.com Headlined by Queen tribute band Flash, who stunned audiences at outdoor alldayer GlastonBARRY last year, the Vale Of Glamorgan is set to rock once again to a redux of Freddie and co. With other tributes to ska (Too Toned), soul and funk (Get Ready), and The Who (Who’s Next, pictured), there’s bound to be something that you can have a dance to. Presented by Mack Events, the same team behind GlastonBARRY, there’s a range of celebrity guest speakers, music and activities to cater to all. In total there’s seven and a half hours of music in the offing at Penarth Rocks, with the option to pay an extra tenner and get VIP privileges.

u – repeated

since The Hum. One is a concept album about drinking. Our Hollow Our Home + Sworn Amongst Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7.30pm, £5. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com. Philomusica Of Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £2-£9.50. Info 01970 623232. *Pinkgrip + Blood Medals + Fallow Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £3. Info 029 2037 3144. Hardcore, noise and emo taking place in the dinky practise space here. Pinkgrip are a fairly new London band and their brief recorded output so far is absolutely tearing. Rachel B The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 654753. Presented by Nailed It Events. Rocket Joe Joe And The Old Time Bangers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Ross The Boss + Elm Street + Eleven + Helldown The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £14 adv. Info 07730 432166. Yes, him out of Manowar. And The Dictators for a bit. He plays Manowar songs but probably not Dictators ones. Solid Gone The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Superfood + Pale Waves + King Nun Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie bands. Tendons + Kenneth J Nash + Ian Palmer The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2022 8883. Acoustic gig whose proceeds go to motor neurone disease charity MNDA. The Krays Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Manfreds Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01792 863722. The Marc Davies Band Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £7/£5. Info 01633 483238. Borough Blues club gig. The Swansea String Band Hen Dderwen, Sketty, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 203631. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Texas Flood Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info 01792 468892. Album launch gig for local hard rock band. Toyah Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £22.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. An ‘up close and personal’ set from the high priestess of new wave pop. Tyrannsaurus Nebulus The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm. Info 01495 247178. Whiskey Lies + Vespertine + Beneath The Divine + Stone Theory The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Wildside Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 4-6pm, free. Info 07933 844234. Monthly session of classical music in an informal setting. If you’re interested in performing, email classicalrevolutioncardiff@ gmail.com. Creeper Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Gothy UK punk band. Mayfield & The Rhythm Rats The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Revolution Solution Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2039 7933. Monthly music and poetry night whixh describes itself as an “active movement relating to the international struggle by being a hub for underground resistance music and poetry”. Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama Students National Museum Cardiff. 1.05pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Sarah Meek Bootlegger, Cardiff. 5pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Slightly Dazed The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 6.30pm. Info 01685 387925. uSteve Tamer Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 9pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Presented by Nailed It Events. Every Sunday this month. uThe Great Unknown The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free. Info 029 2070 8675. Every Sunday this month. uUkulele Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Every Monday, with The Plucking Fourstrings.

SUNDAY 2

TUESDAY 4

Broken Witt Rebels + Bad Touch The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £14 adv. Info 07590 471888. Blues-rock sorts on a UK tour. Classical Revolution

MONDAY 3

Kenny White with Deborah Rose & Mari Randle Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Folk-rock from the USA and Wales. uLive Bands From University Of South Wales Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2038 7026. Every Monday this month. uLive Jazz Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. With acts playing here every Monday. Lvl Up + Colour Me Wednesday + Doe Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Indie-rock, the headliners being from New York and signed to Sub Pop if that kinda detail cranks your hog. Matt Pauley Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Ollie Powell Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 01633 213161. An Acoustica54 night, on every Monday this month. The Meze BOTB Final Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £4. Info 01633 259144. Featuring sets from Revival, Hang 11 and Blackjack Zero. Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by

pioneering local musicians and singers. Afghan Dan Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Grime MC from Blackpool. I see you, acting all surprised that Blackpool has a grime scene even though you live in south Wales. Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £16/£15. Info 01239 621200. Celtic folk duo. uBattle For The Crown Round 1 Group 1 The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm. Info 01685 387925. Some BOTB thing. Group 2 is on tomorrow, with 3 and 4 in early May. Caro Emerald St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50£175. Info 029 2087 8444. Top rate ticket gets you a bunch of signed stuff and ‘me time’ with Caro. Except not for you, because this gig is sold out. uCommunity Samba Band – Practise Dates Llanfrynach Village Hall, Brecon. 7-9pm, £4/£2 under16s. Info sambabrecon@ yahoo.co.uk. Every Tuesday. Memphis Six Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Jane Williams Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. uOpen Mic The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info 01497 821762. Every Tuesday. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Every Tuesday. The Riot Ensemble Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7-9pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816.

WEDNESDAY 5

10cc St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £34/£31. Info 029 2087 8444. Neither Godley nor Creme are in the current live band, but it says here that the former makes a contribution via video. Maybe he’s being held captive somewhere. Acoustic Open Mic Night Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7-11pm, free. Info 01685 384111. uBandaoke Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. “Sing with a fully rehearsed band and become the Popstar you always dreamed of being.” Also on Fri 21. uBella & Gareth Blues Duo Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 19. Capital City Jazz Orchestra Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig. Contemporary Music Group Cardiff University Concert Hall. 6.15-9pm, free. Info 029 2087 4816. Darren Eedens + Codew4lkers + Bankrupt Pug NosDa, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info 029 2037 8866. Presented by U&I Radio. An A doesn’t change to a 4 so well when you write it in a lower case serif font, does it.

J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R M AY: H O W I E PAY N E ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , C a r d i f f, T h u r s 4 ) T H E S K I N T S ( T r a m s h e d , C a r d i f f, M o n 8 ) E X I T _ I N T E R N AT I O N A L ( L e P u b , N e w p o r t , S a t 1 3 ) W H E AT U S ( T h e G l o b e , C a r d i f f, M o n 1 5 ) J O N B O D E N ( Po n t a r d a w e A r t s C e n t r e , T u e 1 6 ) G N A R W O LV E S ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , BUZZ 70

live music Folkus Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £8/£7. Info 01970 623232. Folk duo. Also hosting a workshop at 2pm. Glass Peaks The Big Top, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2022 8883. *Golden Oriole + The Death Of Money + Heil Zilla Undertone, Cardiff. 8pm, £6. Info 029 2022 8883. Lesson No.1 and FYB present a gig headlined by a super tight/gnarly/weird/ great Norwegian band, and an undercard that rocks hard too, I can tell you. Idles + Lice + People And Other Diseases Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Headliners come from Bristol and play shouty sociopolitical indie. Seem to be getting semi-popular also. Noel & Tricia Richards Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm, £6.50 adv. Info 01685 384111. Worship music duo. uOpen Jam Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Every Wednesday. Expect to hear jazz, blues, rock or ska here. uOpen Mic Market Street Club, Barry. 8pm. Info 01446 733863. Every Wednesday. uOpen Mic Night Riverside Sports Bar & Kitchen, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 01633 439166. Every Wednesday. Pete Mathison Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Sam Green & The Midnight Heist + The Brwmys The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Simon Allen Quintet Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £13. Info 07802 912789. The Bootleg Beatles Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23-£29. Info 01792 475715. I went to see The Bootleg Beatles as the bootleg Mark Chapman, and then got abusive tweets about me by the bootleg Mike Parry off of Talksport. The Gentle Good + Rhys Williams + Dai C Thomas Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. A Folk In The Owl’s Nest night. Triptych Trio The Riverfront, Newport. 2pm, £6. Info 01633 656757. Concerts & Cakes classical recital. Winter Wilson Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

THURSDAY 6

Ashley Long Trio Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Jazz, in Cardiff's newest venue for such things. Gavin James + James TW Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Hackensack Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £5-£10. Info 029 2038 7026. Local jazz combo. You can pay £5, £7 or £10 depending on what you think their performance is worth. His Way: The Frank Sinatra Story Grand Theatre

Arts Wing, Swansea. 7.45pm, £14.50/£12.50. Info 01792 475715. Tribute show starring Robert Haldermann. Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. An evening of singing along to songs from the musicals round the piano. Limehouse Lizzy The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £14 adv. Info 07730 432166. Thin Lizzy tribute band. In Pontypridd

Info 029 2063 6464. Jun Märkl conducts a programme of Debussy, Saint-Saëns and Ravel. Blanche Rowen & Mike Gulston + Geoff & Esta Bielby St Fagans Village Hall. 7.30pm, £4-£8. Info 029 2023 2970. Pentreffest Noz monthly folk session. Buffalo Summer + Zed Motel + In With The Jellyfish The Dragonffli,

Cardiff's doughty metal bar Fuel has four days of punishing extremity in the offing from Thurs 20-Sun 23. The Eradication Festival costs £20 for four days and features Blood Red Throne, Live Burial, Sworn Amongst and a coupla dozen more in a death/black/ thrash metal vein. on Sat 8. Novana The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £5. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Nirvana tribute band. In Cardiff tomorrow. Peter Jagger The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Presented by Nailed It Events. Rock Against Dementia The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm. Info 01685 387925. Sugarmen + Strange Bones + Rainbow Maniac The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. The Tea Cups Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night. Whiskey Lies + Spencer Nickson Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. *Yorkston / Thorne / Khan The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50. Info 029 2022 8883. See Music. These guys were great last year when they played next door to my house; for geographical reasons this won’t be as good (unless you live in the pastie shop beside the venue) but still most deserving of the old red star. You’ve Got A Friend St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 029 2087 8444. Dual tribute to James Taylor and Carole King.

FRIDAY 7

Acoustic Sinners The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events. Aubrey Parsons Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Barcelona Gypsy Balkan Orchestra Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £1-£12. Info 01792 863722. See Music. BBC NOW: Tales Of Travel 1 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £10-£12.

Pontypool. 7pm, £5. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Camo Clave Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Afro-Latin jazz/ funk/tropical type band from Bristol. Cardiff University Symphony Chorus St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£5. Info 029 2087 8444. Cabezudo + Al Moses + Vic James The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Côr Merched Cwm Llynfi Maesteg Town Hall. 7pm, £8. Info 01656 733269. Dicataphone Devil Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Presented by Nailed It Events. False Hope For The Savage + Breichiau Hir + A Bit Like Nicolas Cage Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Frank Sinatra: The Movie Years The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £12.50/£11.50. Info 01633 656757. Tribute set by Robert Habermann. Graffiti Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. Live Acoustic Night The Pilot, Penarth. Free. Info 029 2071 0615. On the first Friday of each month. Moongazer Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194. Presented by Nailed It Events. Novana The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Open Night The Ivy Bush, Pontardawe. 8pm. Info huwpudner@ntlworld.com. A Valley Folk Club night. Robin Scott The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762. The Blues Band Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £21. Info 01600 772467. The Economic Decline + Quercus Burlesque + Henebion Bar 46, Aberystwyth. 6pm, £8. Info

contact@bar46.co.uk. The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. South Wales blues/R&B band. Their bio notes that they’ve played almost 1,000 gigs and have, in doing so, told “1,000 Princess Margaret jokes”. I can’t even think of one. The Rin Tins Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Woody Pines The Angel, Llandeilo. 7.30pm. Info 01558 822765. A Llandeilo Acoustic folk night.

SATURDAY 8

2-Tone Tribute Tour Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £19.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Tributes to The Specials, Bad Manners and Madness. Acoustic Sinners Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. *Anchorsong + Run Logan Run Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 Cosmogramma with a sampler-keyboard based Japanese bloke on the Tru Thoughts label, plus tidy Bristol jazzpunk duo RLR. DJ Veto before/during/after as well Banjaxed Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. Bye Bye Baby Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 7.30pm, £10/£18. Info 0800 0147111. Frankie Valli tribute. Cardiff Ukulele Festival St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1-5pm, free. Info 029 2087 8444. Hosted by the Uke Nights promotional team. Darren Tyson The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 654753. Presented by Nailed It Events. Digital Criminals + Jenovese + Scar Sun + The Boom Sons The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Dreadzone The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £16 adv. Info 07590 471888. Fire Fences Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199. *Gwyl Cam 17 Octavo’s, Sunflower & I and Mischief’s, Cardiff Bay. 1pm-1am, £8. Info 029 2063 6464. See Music for more on this cool-looking day, programmed by Gwenno. Octavo’s: Juliet Davis and Neil Sinclair discuss old Butetown and there’s a screening of the film After Many A Summer. Sunflower & I: Jobina Tinnemans, Cymru Beats, Kayla Painter, Kemper Norton and DJ sets from Georgia Ruth and Pat Morgan. Mischief’s: Gareth Potter (with a talk called ‘Leaving The 20th Century’), Elin Meredydd, Machynlleth Sound Machine, Bob Gelsthorpe’s Crit-a-Öke, Llwybr Llaethog and DJ sets from Recordiau NEB and Kris Jenkins. Hells Bells Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10 adv. Info 07512 237983. AC/DC tribute. Henry's Funeral Shoe The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm. Info 01685

387925. Limehouse Lizzy The Muni, Pontypridd. 7.30pm, £14. Info 01443 490390. Neville Staple Band The Garage, Swansea. 7.30pm, £18.50 adv. Info 01792 475147. No Violet Buffalo, Cardiff. 6-9.30pm, £2. Info 029 2031 0312. Retro psych type band. Off The Record Hen Dderwen, Sketty, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 203631. Presented by Nailed It Events. Penelope Tree + These Five Years The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Pull Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. Sam Hickman Pontypridd Museum. 1pm, free. Info 01443 490748. Lunchtime harp recital. Soul Lotta Funk Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Swansea Philharmonic Choir Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7.30pm. Info 01792 475715. The Beach Boys Band The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £14/£12 adv. Info 01495 355800. Tribute band whose name I am still mad about, as I was in last month’s listings. The Farm The Tabernacle, Talgarth. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info info@thetabernacle.co.uk. Sold out acoustic gig by once very big Scouse indie band, in Alan McGee’s boutique venue. Starting to think that Oasis could do a reunion show at this place without many people actually noticing. The Lambrettas Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £17.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. I was recently looking through a large collection of Paul Wellerthemed fan art online, some of it really quite eyeopening. I reckon some of the people who attend this gig will have drawn Paul Weller fan art in their time. Toploader + The Apple Tree Theory The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 01633 533666. It would certainly be ironic if punters at this gig ended up ‘dancing in the moonlight’ as a result of bailiffs entering the building while the gig was taking place and confiscating the roof and ceiling. Not that I’m saying that’s likely to happen. Women In Rock The Patriot, Crumlin. 7pm, £5. Info 01495 247178.

SUNDAY 9

uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month (also on Sun 23 in March), with an extra acoustic session now on the third Sunday (Sun 16) too. Hot Club Swing Café Jazz, Cardiff. 6-9pm, £4. Info 029 2038 7026. Local musicians are invited to join in for an acoustic ‘gypsy jazz’ jam from 6.30-7.30pm. Jelly Roll Jones The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. *Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble + Batsch The

Full Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £12/£10 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Former singer in Stereolab cracks on with her new band, which sounds less than a thousand miles from Stereolab and is perfectly decent for that. Joy Collective DJs feature between bands. Omega Two Duo Bootlegger, Cardiff. 5-8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. The Shee Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £18. Info 0800 0147111. Folky stuff. The Showhawk Duo Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £15 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Two guys who play famous trance hits on acoustic guitars. It sounds like a Bill Bailey bit but there seem to be no jokes involved. The Voice Of All Things Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10/£7. Info 01239 615952. A capella concert from Welsh folkie Frankie Armstrong plus The Bright Field aka Linda Gwillim, Becky Knight and Joan Mills. When We Were Wolves + Harbinger + Dead Sea + Epsilon The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07730 432166.

MONDAY 10

Dan Owen + Dominic Griffin + Ruth Lewis Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Sincere acoustic music by people whose names sound like a list of aspiring Labour councillors. Pins + Baby In Vain + Kyoko The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, £10/£9 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Indie punk type stuff. Rosey Cale Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 01633 213161. Acoustica54 night. Sarah Meek Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407.

TUESDAY 11

Bella Collins Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Chainska Brassika + Tattsyrup The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, £8/£7 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. Brassy ska music. Ella Piergorgio Quartet Muse Arts Centre, Brecon. 8pm, £10/£8 members. Info 07791 654799. Presented by Brecon Jazz Club. Kyle Davies Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2039 7933. My Vitriol The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Assuming this late-90s indie-grunge band are hoping to fill this venue, or close enough, then it seems that they may actually be more popular now than the first time round. But HOW? Parkway Drive + Asking Alexandria Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Preservation Rhythm Kings Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Students Of Atlantic College St Donats Arts

We d 1 7 ) R E D H O T C H I L L I P I P E R S ( T r a m s h e d , S a t 2 0 ) G A L L O P S ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , F r i 2 6 ) E D D I E H A L L I W E L L ( T h e R a i n b o w R o o m s , G o r s e i n o n , S u n 2 8 ) N A R G A R O T H + A B S U ( C l w b I f o r B a c h , T u e 3 0 ) T W I N AT L A N T I C ( S i n C i t y, S w a n s e a , We d 3 1 ) J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R J U N E : V I N TA G E BUZZ 71

* – recommended

live music Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 2-4pm, £6.50. Info 01446 799100. The Little Mix Experience Grand Theatre, Swansea. 6pm, £14. Info 01792 475715. Tribute act.

WEDNESDAY 12

BBC NOW: St John Passion St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£37. Info 029 2087 8444. Conducted by John Butt. Bluebeard’s Ghost Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01646 651725. Norwegian folk duo. Blues Duo Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Folk Night Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm. Info 01443 491424. Second Wednesday of every month. Jam Night The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, free. Info 01685 387925. Matt Pauley Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. National Youth Boys Choir Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 3pm, £10/£5 under-25s. Info 029 203 1391. Sebastian Olzanski Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Ted Smith’s Hot Shoe Swing Band Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig. The Little Mix Experience Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 6.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01446

738622. Tribute band. Think Floyd Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01792 475715. Tribute band. Toseland + The Brew The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Hard rock from a guy better known for riding motorbikes. Wild Card Jazzland, Swansea. 8.30-11pm, £10. Info 07802 912789.

THURSDAY 13

Aeddan + Mellt The Parrot, Carmarthen. 8pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 01267 231012. Ashley John Long Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Dance Yourself Ceilidh! Ex Servicemen’s Club, Penarth. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2070 7530. Charity ceilidh/twmpath with music from The Pluck & Squeeze Band. Fundraiser for Laura Bryon (aka Cardiff musician Tender Prey)’s imminent charity work in Borneo. Gwair The Unicorn, Pontypool. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01495 751304. Folk band playing the monthly music sessions ran by the folks who previously did Open Hearth Acoustic. Holding Absence + Continents Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Idge Logan The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Presented by Nailed It Events. Inc.A Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Balkan boogie for

the bank holiday. John Scantlebury Quartet Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Jazz. Ming City Rockers + The Rockin' Sinners The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7-10.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Presented by Punk Forever. uOpen Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm. Info 01633 858636. Every Thursday except when there’s a guest on – also on Thurs 20 and 27 this month. *Pink Grapefruit + Young Black Americans + Two Day Coma Cardiff Bus Transport Club. 7pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2023 3658. This place is on Tudor Street in Riverside, fairly near the train station, and is starting to put cool/interesting gigs on in the upstairs function room. Filling the role of Dempseys in that regard quite possibly. Quercus Burlesque + Tits Up Bar 46, Aberystwyth. 7pm, £3/£2. Info contact@ bar46.co.uk. A night called BAD Friday, also featuring a theatrical showcase on pole and aerial hoop plus DJ Sian playing ska and reggae. Steele Justice + Bottlekids + Red Light Rebels Le Pub, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 221477. Punk and hardcore bands.

FRIDAY 14

Acoustic Sinners Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 9pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Presented by Nailed It Events. Annual Good Friday

live review

THE RED SHOES

pic: Johan Persson

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tues 14 Mar

Concert Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 7pm, £13/£11. Info 0800 0147111. Calan + Alun Gaffey Buffalo, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2031 0312. Album launch gig for Welsh folk headliners. Follows a series of workshops earlier in the day – see Events listings. Eden Roots Reggae Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £3. Info 029 2038 7026. Hands Off Gretel + Beth Blade & The Beautiful Disasters Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. JOANovARC + Syteria Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 6-10.30pm, £5 adv. Info 07970 063107. Joe Kelly + Joe Bayliss Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. A ChapterLive gig in the bar area. Larger Than Life! Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Presented by Nailed It Events. Like A Lion The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events. Mohawkestra Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Reinis Young-Jaunais The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762. Virtuoso guitarist from Latvia. Sons + The Spitting Pips + The Slurps The Parrot, Carmarthen. 8pm, £5. Info 01267 231012. The Big Busk Newport ciy centre. 12pm, free (dona-

u – repeated

tions welcomed). Info 01633 221477. This will feature Sean McGowan, Tom Aylott, Larkhill and H_ngm_n, and is aiming to raise money for the prospective venue/DIY space planned by the Le Pub folks. The Hit Kings Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. The Selecter + The Beat Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £25. Info 029 2023 5555. OGs of 2-tone. Sold out gig! Unified Gig Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7pm. Info 01685 384111. Live sets from Merthyr Tydfil College music students. Vienna Ditto The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. *Wales Goes Pop! The Gate, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £16/£42 weekend/free under-12s. Info 029 2048 3344. See Music for more on this delightful indiepop-centric festival. Today’s bill (headliners listed first): Honeyblood, Joanna Gruesome, Girl Ray, Martha Ffion, Sacred Paws, False Advertising, Tender Prey and HMS Morris, plus cafe sets from Neurotic Fiction, Van-illa and one more TBC. Followed by DJ Gary Twisted. (Until Sun 16) Wonderbrass Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. You Me At Six + Black Foxes Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £28.50. Info 029 2022 4488. Popular UK rock band headline.

SATURDAY 15

Anthony Strong Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Jazz pianist. Bandicoot The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07730 432166. Bombskare + Johnny Cage & The Voodoogroove + Dana Immanuel & The Stolen Band Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Chris Kelly The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 654753. Presented by Nailed It Events. Claire Jones International Harp School 2017 Finale Concert Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 2pm, £6-£10. Info 01239 621200. Flew Fighters The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm. Info 01685 387925. Foo Fighters tribute. Here & Now + Sendelica Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £15. Info 07818 056599. Longrunning UK spacerock/free festival/quasi-punk type band who I should get round to listening to at some point. John Nicholas Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630. Presented by Nailed It Events. Kasabian Newport Centre. 7pm, £42.50. Info 01633 656757. Hastily-announced gig in a slightly smaller venue than standard for these guys, who are promoting a new album with a terrible title and even worse artwork. King Kurt + Boston Rats + Killer Dillers + The

The anticipated Matthew Bourne adaptation of The Red Shoes has arrived. The 1948 film, based on a Hans Christian Andersen story, starred Moira Shearer as the fated ballet dancer. Torn between her passion for ballet and her composer lover Julian Craster, Victoria Page is torn, her red shoes symbolic of her struggle; the shoes cannot be removed, forcing her to dance constantly, moving where they take her. Matthew Bourne has reimagined The Red Shoes for the stage in a way that only he can. His company New Adventures previously brought to life Carmen (as The Car Man), Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, and have successfully brought many classic tales to new audiences. The original film is highly regarded for its creative use of Technicolor and depth, and as one of my favourite films it was slightly nervewracking waiting for the curtain to rise to see how it would be interpreted. The opening sequence is breathtaking: the set, the use of light and shade, a solitary dancer emerging from the shadows before we catch sight of the infamous red shoes. The show has begun. In true Bourne style the energy is frenetic and unique – contemporary to ballet, jazz to tap, it’s all there, quirky movements and expressions that instantly lead the audience on a roller coaster of passion, desire, and loyalty, following a story to its ultimate destination. The use of the set is ingenious: a revolving theatre curtain frame that allowed the audience to peak into different worlds as they unfold. Stories within a story take us backstage, into Victoria’s bedroom and a seedy burlesque club. The highlight for me are the scenes where the dancers are in a dull black and grey set, with Page in a vibrant red dress spinning across the stage. The contrast is beautiful, the music enveloping and the skill and athleticisms putting me to shame. You’re guaranteed a unique experience when embarking on a Matthew Bourne show, yet I would rate this as the number one Bourne adaptation to date. As a fan of the original motion picture, this delivers in bucketloads. Sensitive, funny, but at the core a story that tugs on the heartstrings. words ANTONIA LEVAY

TROUBLE (Tramshed, Thurs 1) MADINA L AKE (The Globe, Fri 2) MINUS THE BEAR + JOAN OF ARC (The Globe, Thurs 8) JESUS JONES (The G l o b e , F r i 1 6 ) J U S T A N N O U N C E D F O R J U LY: B A N D O F F R I E N D S ( T h e G l o b e , T h u r s 6 ) G O L D I E L O O K I N C H A I N ( C r w t H e r b e r t P l a y i n g F i e l d s , BUZZ 72

live music Phobias + Deadbeat Deluxe + The Rockin' Sinners Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 2.30pm, £25/£22 adv. Info 07970 063107. A full day – including DJing from Simon Llewellyn until 4am! – of psychobilly, rockabilly etc. Larger Than Life! Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. Legend Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £17.50£21. Info 01792 475715. Bob Marley tribute act. Paris Youth Foundation Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199. Rozelle + Nevsky Perspective + Boris A Bono Buffalo, Cardiff. 6-9.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2031 0312. Silencerz Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £12.50. Info 01239 841387. Ska band from London. Tarion Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 9pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Acoustix Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk Earl Haig Memorial Club, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2062 6015. Local 70s-styled hard rock band who until recently were just called Milk, but are now named after a Budgie song. The Bohemians Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £16. Info 01600 772467. Queen tribute. The Brocklebank + JayCee + Fire Fence + Vanilla Exit 7, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2022 4488. On tomorrow also. The Creepers Hen Dderwen, Sketty, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 203631. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Happenings Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. Trenchfoot The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01497 821762. The Meze Easter Alldayer Meze Lounge, Newport. 3pm, £5. Info 01633 259144. Featuring sets from Florence Black, Everyday Heroes, The Caspiens, Soviets, Vicetrack, Jack Perrett and Antony Kean. Wales Goes Pop! The Gate, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £16/£42 weekend/free under-12s. Info 029 2048 3344. Today’s bill (headliners listed first): Hooton Tennis Club, Slug, The Just Joans, Spinning Coin, Linda Guilala, Gulp and The School, plus cafe sets from Artefact, Winter Coat and Rogue Jones Followed by GRLTLK DJs. (Until Sun 16) *Wilko Johnson Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. See upfront for an interview with this legit badman.

SUNDAY 16

Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Ida Wenøe + Ivan Moult + Eve Goodman Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8pm, £10. Info 01239 615952.

Danish indie-folk type headlines. She has “the sort of voice that could punch through a cloud of custard” according to one review. Having trouble with this image I must say. In Cardiff tomorrow anyhow. John Paul Gard Trio The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Junior Bill Bank Holiday Bash The Big Top, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£4. Info 029 2022 8883. Featuring the eclectic dubby headliners plus guests Barracwda, The Brwmys, Beatbox Hann, Cardiff Morris (who are morris dancers) and Liam Curtin (DJ).

Noel who lets people call him Noelie to the extent it becomes his de facto name is a soft bastard, I can tell you.

TUESDAY 18

All That Jazz Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026. Harry Pane + Steve Young + Vince James Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Headliner is a Northampton singersongwriter whose biog boasts that “he has a distinctive tone to his voice”. I mean, so does Janet Street-Porter. Hayseed Dixie + Datcha Mandala The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18.50 adv. Info

Do a charitable thing on Thurs 13 at Penarth Ex-Servicemen's Club: Laura Bryon (aka musician Tender Prey) is raising money for charity work in Borneo by hosting a ceilidh there. Music will be provided by the Pluck & Squeeze Band and tickets are a tenner. Kamikazee Test Pilots The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm. Info 01685 387925. Leddra Chapman Chapel 1877, Cardiff. 6pm, £7-£10. Info 029 2022 2020. Singersongwriter sort. Maddie & The Pandas Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com. Outback West End Club, Barry. 5-8pm, free. Info 01446 735739. Rock covers. Richard Digance + The Broadside Boys Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm. Info 01239 841387. Sion Dafydd Dawson Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. The Chalk Outlines + The Marginal + The Phucks + Paul Diverse The Full Moon, Cardiff. 5pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. A bunch of ska/punk/related scenes type bands. Wales Goes Pop! The Gate, Cardiff. 1.30pm, £16/£42 weekend/free under-12s. Info 029 2048 3344. Today’s bill (headliners listed first): BC Camplight, Toy, Fear Of Men, The Boy Least Likely To, Lorna and The Orielles, plus cafe sets from Chris T-T (two 20-minute sets) and Deerful. Followed by Daytrip DJs. (Finishes today)

MONDAY 17

Ida Wenøe + Ivan Moult + Eve Goodman The Big Top, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2022 8883. The Saw Doctors + Noelie McDonnell Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Irish faves, rescheduled from last November. Don’t know who that support act is but any

07590 471888. “Listings,” they ask me, “would you say that the new Hayseed Dixie album, which features covers of songs including A Change Is Gonna Come, What’s Going On and Buffalo Soldier to name a few black music classics, should be officially classed as racist?” Why, yes I would. Matt Pauley Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Vandrar The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

WEDNESDAY 19

Andy Collins Open Mic Night Cockett Inn, Swansea. 8pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. Derek Nash with Dave Cottle Trio Jazzland, Swansea. 8.30-11pm, £10. Info 07802 912789. Masts + Kapil Seshasayee + Twisted Ankle Le Pub, Newport. 8pm, £5. Info 01633 221477. Presented by Midwife Crisis. Matthew Ford & The Capital City Jazz Orchestra Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig. Ronni Perry Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £11 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Americana type. Sarah Meek Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Tragical History Tour + Tim Loud + Dan Fairhurst The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. This is presented by Team Beard and has a headline band who are named after a

Rutles album, but probably have nothing else in common with The Rutles. Ultimate Bowie Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £16.50/£14.50. Info 01874 611622. Tribute act.

THURSDAY 20

Aubrey Parsons The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Presented by Nailed It Events. Bob Richards Trio Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. *Eradication Festival 2017 Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 6.30-11pm, £10 adv/£20 for four days. Info 07970 063107. This is the most impressive assemblage of extreme metal I can recall in south Wales. Admittedly I’ve not heard of a lot of the bands but that’s probably my fault. This, the opening day, features Blood Red Throne, Department Of Correction, Shrapnel, Wretched Soul, Decrepid, Organ Dealer and Sublime Eyes. Also, make note of the ridic savings you make by getting a weekend ticket. (Until Sun 23) (Hed)P.E. + The Boom Sons + Pretty Little Enemy The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Hot Club De Paris Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £5-£9. Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night. Whoever this HCDP are I expect they are no relation to the Scouse postpunk band from a decade ago. John Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Julian Cope Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £24.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Gangly acid-indie icon plays a gig rescheduled from February. It was in the Globe but they seem to have booked some lower tier nu-metal in there tonight. NC Sessions Nolton Corner, Bridgend. 7.30pm, free. Info 01656 655015. Live acoustic acts, every third Thursday of the month. Palace + Willie J Healy + To Bear Sir Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Pi & Hash Showcase The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

FRIDAY 21

Bryde + Little Rêd St John’s Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 029 2022 9683. Presented by Newsoundwales. Bryde used to be half of Paper Aeroplanes and Little Rêd – not sure how much attention we’re supposed to pay to that circumflex – used to be called Ellie Makes Music. Bury Tomorrow + Crossfaith Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £16 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£3. Info 029 2038 7026. Eradication Festival 2017 Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 6.30-11pm, £15 adv/£20 for four days. Info 07970 063107. Today

features Bull-Riff Stampede, Sworn Amongst, Solothus, Animator, Forgotten Remains, Absolution, Desolator, Live Burial, Cryptic Shift, Kemakil and Killer Hurts. (Until Sun 23) Jon Coghlan’s Quo The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 07590 471888. Nirvana tribute band. Karnataka Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £14.50. Info 01792 863722. Larger Than Life! The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events. National Youth Wind Orchestra Of Wales Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7pm, £5-£10. Info 01792 602060. Ortario + Dodgem-X + Quarries The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Paul Sawtell, Jim Barber, Ashley John-Long & Martin Fisher The Open Hearth, Pontypool. 8.30pm. Info martin.fisher1944@ hotmail.co.uk. A Jazz At The Open Hearth night, which are back on every month having gone away for a bit. Playing House The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. Punchline Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Presented by Nailed It Events. Quarto The Ivy Bush, Pontardawe. 8pm. Info huwpudner@ntlworld.com. A Valley Folk Club night. Rough & Tumble 01 The Big Top, Cardiff. 10pm, £5. Info 029 2022 8883. Roughion present a music showcase night featuring live bands and electronic acts, names currently TBC though. Also I had this listed last month but I guess it was postponed. Strange U + Joe Dirt + O Femi + Mansfield Green Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £6 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Hip-hop presented by Starving Artists. See Clubs. The Big Moon + Francobolo Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. I just tried listening to The Big Moon’s new album. It sounded like Sleeper and I had to bail before the end but maybe that will appeal to you. The Electric Playlist Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. Toriah Fontaine Band Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. UK Subs + Pizzatramp Ebbw Vale Institute. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 01495 708022. Punk veterans supported by ribald south Walians.

SATURDAY 22

2 Tickets 2 The Gunshow Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. 7th Circle Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £4 adv. Info 01443 682388. Classic rock band from Newport. Googling the singer’s stage name leads you to some fairly weird corners of the internet. Aberystwyth Choral Society Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 8pm, £2-£12. Info 01686 614555. Conducted by

David Russell Hulme. *Ani Glass + Twinfield Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2023 2199. Welsh electronic pop. Bigfeat The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£7.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Retro rock from Swansea way (I think). Big Girls Don’t Cry Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £22/£20. Info 01495 227206. Frankie Valli tribute. Black Mountain Jazz The King’s Arms, Abergavenny. 7.45pm. Info 07958 612691. Monthly night with acts TBC. Carrie Tree The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7. Info 01497 821762. Dan Bettridge + Jodie Marie + Little Red + Parcs + Ofelia + Joe Kelly + Vince James High Street, Newport. 12-5pm, free. Info 01633 656757. Performances for Record Store Day in the town centre. There's more in the Riverfront this evening too. Daniel O’Donnell St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £42.50/£37.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Deadlines + Masts + Hodad Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2037 3144. Punky type stuff, taking place in the rehearsal rooms. Dream Theater Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 7.30pm, £33.50. Info 029 2022 4488. Prog metal giants who don’t like interviewers asking them about Donald Trump or the ex-drummer of the band. So you won’t find either of those things discussed in our interview Upfront, as we’re respectful and good. Eradication Festival 2017 Fuel Bar, Cardiff. £15 adv/£20 for four days. Info 07970 063107. Today features Analepsy Crepitation, The Monolith Deathcult, Iniquitous Savagery, Cockoroch, Laceration, Chainsaw Castration, Anoxide, Blasphemer, Austerymn and Gorehead. (Until Sun 23) James Kennedy The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free. Info 01656 654753. Presented by Nailed It Events. Jilted Generation The Rainbow Rooms, Gorseinon. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 07563 111225. Prodigy tribute band. John Nicholas Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. Maximum Jam The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £10. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Jam tribute band. Mike Dennis The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Monico Blonde + Clarity + Hannah Grace + Cwcw The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01633 656757. Record Store Dayrelated event, following up the one in the town centre earlier. In the foyer there are DJ sets from Graham The Bear and Alex Postle. Pure Purple + Whitesnake UK + The Blackmore Legacy Ebbw Vale Institute. 7pm, £16.50 adv. Info 01495 708022. No less than THREE tribute bands relating to the

N e a t h , F r i 7 ) F I V E ( C r w t H e r b e r t P l a y i n g F i e l d s , N e a t h , S a t 8 ) M AV I S S TA P L E S ( T r a m s h e d , F r i 7 ) C O L D P L AY ( P r i n c i p a l i t y S t a d i u m , C a r d i f f, T u e 1 1 + We d 1 2 ) B I L LY O C E A N ( R o d n e y Pa r a d e , N e w p o r t , F r i 1 4 ) J O E M C E L D E R R Y ( N e w T h e a t r e , C a r d i f f, T h u r s 2 0 ) BUZZ 73

* – recommended

live music family tree of Deep Purple. Strictly for the hardcore! Roxy Musique St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 7.30-10pm, £10. Info 01446 799100. Tribute band. Sean Taylor Trio West End Club, Barry. 7pm, £12 adv. Info 07561 143114. Folk/blues sort from London. Presented here by Roots N All. Simply Dylan Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £14 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Bob that is. A tribute that is. By someone called John O’Connell. Space Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £15/£10. Info 01792 863722. Late 90s-vintage indie band return to the fray. Stonefaced Souls Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Big What?! Band Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com. The Cavern Beatles Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £18. Info 0300 3656677. The Hold Up Record Store Day Jam Oner Signs, Cardiff. 12-5pm, free. Info 029 2037 1231. Transmission The Park Hotel, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 735589. Presented by Nailed It Events.

SUNDAY 23

Billy Ocean St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £22.50-£45. Info 029 2087 8444. Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Jazz in the bar. Digital Criminals + Calling Apollo The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 6.30pm. Info 01685 387925. Earl The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Eradication Festival 2017 Fuel Bar, Cardiff. £15 adv/£20 for four days. Info 07970 063107. Today features Nordjevel, Ethereal, Old Corpse Road, The Infernal Sea, Nightlord, Heathen Deity, Necronautical, Reign Of Erebus, Forneus, Wolfbastard and Nonserviam. (Finishes today) Jack Hughes Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2039 7933. Matt Pauley Bootlegger, Cardiff. 5-8pm, free. Info 07495 657407.

MONDAY 24

Bay Rum Hounds Duo Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Gwd Mondays Open Mic Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. Lotte Summer Walland Warehouse54, Newport. 8pm, free. Info 01633 213161. Acoustica54 night. Meat Wave Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8.50 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Chicago punk band. Real Diamond Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22. Info 01792 475715. Neil Diamond tribute act. Shakin’ Stevens St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50£35. Info 029 2087 8444. The Wytches + Weirds Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. BUZZ 74

TUESDAY 25

Bella Collins Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Cold As Life + Broken Teeth + Bun Dem Out + Blind Authority + Rancour The Full Moon, Cardiff. 6-10pm, £11 adv. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com. Mean muggin' hardcore bands from far and wide, presented by Down For Life. Confed.Fred Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £3. Info 029 2039 7933. Blues-rock band from the Isle Of Wight Coro Cantabile Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £7. Info 01633 868239. Ladies’ choir conducted by Andrew Jones. Mavron Quartet St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2087 8444. Nancy Kerr & The Sweet Visitor Band St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £17/£16 adv. Info 029 2087 8444. Presented by Roots Unearthed. Plastic Mermaids Buffalo, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2031 0312. Presented by Swn. Talon Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01792 475715. Eagles tribute band. The Fureys Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £19.50/£18.50. Info 01239 621200. Trad Irish music. In Brecon on Wed 26; Monmouth on Thurs 27; Neath on Fri 28. The Wessex New Orleans Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

WEDNESDAY 26

Alan Barnes with The Blackhawk Big Band Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. South Wales Big Band Society gig. Bent Life + Strike Back + Up River Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 07970 063107. US hardcore band headline. Imperial Music present. Deafheaven + Youth Code Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Debut Welsh show for headliners, who have recently thrilled those rock fans who thought black metal needed to sound a bit more like Interpol. Youth Code are a campy EBM/industrial type thing and quite fun. Hot Club Gallois Jazzland, Swansea. 8.30-11pm, £10. Info 07802 912789. Jelly Roll Jones Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Kovic Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Laura Power + Carolines + Charlie Says The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8.30-10.30pm, £3. Info 01685 387925. A U&I Radio night. Patent Pending The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £12 adv/£24 VIP. Info 07730 432166. This band have a total ‘jobbing pub-rock combo’ name but are in fact a poppunk band from Long Island. Pete Mathison Bootlegger, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Tania Opland & Mike Freeman Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm,

£8/£5. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night. The Fureys Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £20/£19. Info 01874 611622.

THURSDAY 27

Alexander O’Neal Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £30. Info 01792 475715. See Music for a preview, also the venue’s reward for booking a live music act that isn’t a tribute band for the first time since 1952. Coltrane Dedication Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £6/£5. Info 029 2038 7026. Flowers Must Die + Deep Hum The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6/£5 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Headliners are a Swedish psych band signed to the Rocket label. Deep Hum, from Blackwood of all places, make droney sitar soundscapes; been hoping to see them for a while. Groovelator Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Ian Poole Quartet The Pear Tree, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2025 2042. Presented by Nailed It Events. Ivana Gavric Acapela,

band who may have taken drugs once, but only once. Andy Lewis Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965. BBC NOW: Tales Of Travel 2 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £10-£12. Info 029 2063 6464. Alexandre Bloch conducts a programme of Stravinsky, Hindemith and Rachmaninov. Blind River Scare + Tom Crow Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. A ChapterLive gig in the bar area. Blues Brothers Hamptons, Penarth. 7.30pm, £39. Info 029 2070 5391. With a five-course meal plus blues and soul hits from the Birmingham Blues Brothers. Calypso The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events. Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20. Info 029 2089 0862. Harp and kora in effect. Finch is playing here tomorrow also. uFfli Stock The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 6pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com. Three days of live music for

Part Chimp are a rock band from London way who formed in the early 00s and gained a rep for being very loud. They split up after a few albums, but regrouped in 2014, and are still very loud. On Thurs 27, they play Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, and will likely be very loud. Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15/£13.50. Info 029 2089 0862. Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 863722. Folk duo. In Pembrokeshire tomorrow. Martin Carthy The Druidstone. Haverfordwest. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 01437 781221. British folk icon plays this cute-sounding hotel/cottage place on the coast. *Part Chimp + Grey Hairs Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Great booking here if you like super-amped noisy rock. Part Chimp emerged in the early 00s, split, reformed a couple of years ago and are still loud as all get out. Port Erin Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Math-rock band with a new album. The Fureys Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01600 772467. *Tinariwen Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. See Upfront. Tobias Robertson’s Jam Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

FRIDAY 28

Alabama 3 Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18.50 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. Manymembered dance/country/rock

little to nowt. Today: Everyday Heroes, Reece, The Caspiens, Birdcage, Applied Science and Project. Sat 29 (4pm start): Digital Criminals, The Vigil, Vespertine, The Biggest Thing Since Powdered Milk, Blackjack Zero, Heavy On The Ride, We Come From Ashes and Sydney Fate (main stage); Joe Kelly, The Attix, Laura Power, Tobias Robertson and Rob Pennington (acoustic stage). Sun 30 (3pm start): Smiling Tigers, Stay Voiceless Young Black Americans, Seasons Hollow, Hang 11, Linerunners, Conspiracy Of Kings and Murder Made Famous (main stage); Rhys Davis, Crisis Talks, Taffy Was A Thief, Ash Loakes and Matt Jones (acoustic stage). (Until Sun 30) Get Ready! Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 9pm, free. Info 01873 853613. Presented by Nailed It Events. Green Haze + The Offspin + Paramore Or Less The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Tribute bands. Wonder if Paramore Or Less stole their name idea from fellow UK tribute act Faith No More Or Less. Jack The Biscuit Bootlegger, Cardiff. 7pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Blues. Jamie Lenman + Frauds

u – repeated

+ Super Goliath Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Junior + As The Sun Sleeps + Sticks And Stones + Raised By Sharks Meze Lounge, Newport. 7.30pm, £5. Info 01633 259144. Pop-punk. Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm. Info 01239 841387. Organ Recital National Museum Cardiff. 1pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Punchline Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194. Presented by Nailed It Events. Steve Hackett St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £29.50/£27.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Playing a Genesis-heavy set. The Beatles Go On The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01633 656757. Tribute band. The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4/£2. Info 029 2038 7026. The Fureys Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £20. Info 0300 3656677. The Jokers The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm. Info 01685 387925. Vida + Local Enemy + Jack Perrett The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

SATURDAY 29

Banjaxed Three Horse Shoes, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2069 4630. Presented by Nailed It Events. Catrin Finch & Elin Manahan Thomas Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £20. Info 029 2089 0862. Clare Hammond Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2.30pm, £10-£13. Info 0845 2263510. Piano recital. Crushed Out The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Dub Pistols + Kioko The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07590 471888. Live dance outfit of a late-90s vintage. Enjoyed that story the other day about a women who the Daily Mail accused of calling Prince George a “dickhead” on the Dub Pistols' Facebook page, except she didn't and they had to apologise. ELO Again The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £24/£21. Info 01633 656757. Tribute band. Excellent Skeleton The Duke, Neath. 8.30pm. Info 01639 643892. This indie-rock band are based in Cardiff but come from Neath, and have chosen here to launch their album. Jamie Smith’s Mabon Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £5-£12. Info 01834 869323. Welsh folk group. Joe Symes & The Loving Kind + Cherryshoes Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. Jumpin' Jimmy & The Nice Guys Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com. Metal 2 The Masses Heat 1 Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 07970 063107. Annual battle of the bands series, the winner of which gets to play Bloodstock. Tonight’s bands: Helldown, SOIM, Conflicts UK, Epsilon and Democratus

Paige Kenzie Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. Penarth Rocks Paget Rooms, Penarth. 4-11.30pm, £15/£25 VIP. Info 029 2070 0721. Featuring these tribute acts: Flash (a tribute to Queen), Who’s Next (The Who), Too Toned (ska) and Get Ready (soul and funk). Runway 27 The Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club, Rhayader. 9pm. Info www.midwalesrandb.club. Blues duo. Rusty Shackle + Cwcw + Ofelia Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £9 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. South Wales Clarinet Choir National History Museum, St Fagans. 12, 1 + 2.30pm, free. Info 029 2057 3500. The Hicksters Cockett Inn, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 588748. Presented by Nailed It Events. The Hold Up Oner Signs, Cardiff. 12-5pm, free. Info 029 2037 1231. Monthly hip-hop session inviting MCs, beatboxers, DJs etc down to jam. The Moon Birds Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 01685 384111. The Unthanks Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. UK folkies perform the songs and poems of Molly Drake, aka Nick Drake’s mum. XSLF Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £7/£6 adv. Info 01443 682388. Two former Stiff Little Fingers members with a set made up of both SLF songs and their own compositions.

SUNDAY 30

Alun Gaffey + Castles + Tusk + Carcharorion + Cotton Wolf Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 6pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 2199. Welsh-language electronic and indie bands presented under the banner of Twrw Trwy’r Nos. Bella Collins Bootlegger, Cardiff. 5-8pm, free. Info 07495 657407. Elin Manahan Thomas & Jocelyn Freeman Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 7.30-10.30pm, £15. Info 01239 841387. Foodbank Alldayer The Full Moon, Cardiff. 5-10pm, pay by donation. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com. Only The D Teez and I Am Drug are confirmed for this gig so far, but expect more acts of a punky nature. Proceeds go to Cardiff Foodbank. Glas West End Club, Barry. 5-7.30pm, free. Info 01446 735739. Covers. John Adams Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £10. Info 029 2089 0862. Singersongwriter. Rant Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01239 621200. All-fiddle Scottish folk quartet. The Wurzels The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14 adv. Info 07590 471888. Will Killeen The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767. Info 029 2039 7933. EP launch gig.

stage

SATURDAY 1

Arthur The Bear King Lower Penarth Community

stage Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale. 7pm, £12. Info 01495 355800. Musical based on the 2010 film. Meet Fred Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £8.50-£10. Info 01686 614555. Hijinx’s acclaimed comedy drama about a cloth puppet and the prejudices it faces. In Aberystwyth on Tue 4; Llanelli on Sat 8 Panti Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £16. Info 029 2064 6900. Irish comedian presents a show about smalltown experiences, gender, homophobia and such. Paul Sinha + Drew Taylor + Chris Chopping The Muni, Pontypridd. 8pm, £8 adv. Info 01443 490390. Clwb Comedy night. Perfect Pitch Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7pm, £12/£10. Info 01446 738622. John Godber comedy set on a seaside campsite. In Cwmbran on Mon 3; Monmouth Wed 5; Brecon Thurs 6. Pop! A Magical Comedy Show Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 11am + 2pm, £5/£4. Info 01495 227206. Family show. Seanmhair The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2128 0189. New play by Hywel John, previewed in the March issue. Today is the final day of its run here. Steve Gribbin + Steve Williams + Clint Edwards + Nick Dixon Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £17.95/£10 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Theatre-In-Focus: Harold Pinter Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 12.30pm, £6/£4.50. Info 01792 475715. An hour-long talk by Fluellen Theatre Company’s Director, Peter Richards, followed by a script-in-hand performance of Pinter’s work. uThe Populars Volcano, Swansea. 7.30pm, £13/£7. Info www.volcanotheatre.co.uk. A strange new show about the strange times we are living, wherein four characters dance their hearts out. (Until Sat 8) Y Glec / King Hit Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2 + 7pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Welsh adaption of an original Australian production about a teenage birthday party that gets out of hand. Today’s afternoon performance is in English; evening in Welsh.

SUNDAY 2

Experimentica Secret Language Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2030 4400. Today’s lineup: A.S., H*w Gr**n W*s M* V*ll** (Dr*ft 1) (6-7pm); Heike Roms and Gareth Llyr Evan, Yr Ymarferiadur: What’s Welsh For Live Art? (7.15pm7.35am [don’t ask me how]); Rachel Mars, Our Carnal Hearts (8-9pm); Thomas Goddard, Idle Hands Are The Devil’s Workshop (8-9pm). Katie Vallis School Of Music: The Beatles vs Queen Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 5.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01633 868239. People will be dancing to their songs I guess. Lily & The Little Snow Bear Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm, £8/£6. Info 01970 623232. Kids’ theatre presented by Blunderbus.

uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm. Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday. Rhys James + Stephen Bailey + Calum Stewart + Tanya Spence-Kelly + Robin Morgan Buffalo, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£6 adv. Info 029 2031 0312. Presented by Buffalo Comedy. Richard Herring St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £15. Info 029 2087 8444. This is a kind of greatest hits set featuring his favourite routines from all his shows to date. The Hogwallops Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £10/£5. Info 0300 3656677. Family-friendly circus goofing.

MONDAY 3

After I’m Gone Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 1.30pm, free. Info 01685 384111. Frank Vickery comedy performed by Merthyr Tydfil College. A Grand Dance For The Grand Appeal Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7pm, £5.50. Info 01495 227206. Dancers from Blackwood Miners Institute’s dance groups raise money for Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal. Anything Goes Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £10. Info 01646 695267. Presented by the Pembrokeshire W.I. Perfect Pitch Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01633 868239. uRent The Musical Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £13.50-£47.50. Info 029 2063 6464. See Stage. £17.50-£51.50 on Fri 7 and Sat 8. Also on at 2.30pm on Thurs 6 and Sat 8. (Until Sat 8)

WEDNESDAY 5

uBugsy Malone The Muni, Pontypridd. 7.15pm, £8/£7. Info 01443 490390. Amateur production by Pontypridd Youth Theatre. (Until Fri 7) Caitlin Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 6 + 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. The return of Light, Ladd & Emberton’s one-woman show based on the life of Dylan Thomas’ wife. In Cardiff from Tue 11-Sat 15; Llanelli on Fri 21; Barry on Tue 25. uDisney On Ice: 100 Years Of Magic Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £16-£40. Info 029 2022 4488. You’ve heard of footballers described as “like Bambi on ice”, but that’s just part of this frosty fandango. Also on 2.30pm on Fri 7; 10.30am and 2.30pm on Sat 8 and Sun 9. (Until Sun 9) Hard As Nails Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £5. Info 029 2063 6464. Here And Now present a stage adaption of Rachel Tresize’s novel, performed by young women aged 15-18. Heaven’s Paradise Maesteg Town Hall. 2pm, £6.50. Info 01656 733269. Psychological thriller. uHigh School Musical The Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £7. Info 01495 355800. Presented by Abertillery Youth Drama & Musical Society Juniors. (Until Fri 7) Jordan Brookes + The Death Hilarious + James Dunn Noah’s Yard, Swansea.

7.30-10.30pm, £3. Info 01792 447360. Presented by Cwtch Comedy. Brookes and TDH are doing Edinburgh preview sets. Perfect Pitch Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01600 772467.

THURSDAY 6

Andy Parsons Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £15. Info 01600 772467. Burton Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 0845 2263510. As in Richard, captured here in this one-man performance based on his life. In Merthyr tomorrow; Blackwood on Wed 19. Charlie Hides Mary’s, Cardiff. 7pm, £15/£10. Info 09 2066 8647. Candi Canes Events present another former Drag Race contestant, the oldest one on the show ever apparently. Hello Cabaret Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 9pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. La Bohème Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£33. Info 01792 475715. Puccini’s opera, starring French soprano Olga Perrier. Perfect Pitch Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £15.50/£13.50. Info 01874 611622. Sean Meo Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £10/£8. Info 01834 869323. Comedy Club night. Stories Of Change The Senedd, Cardiff Bay. 12.45 +

5pm, free. Info 0845 0105500. Short performance using verbatim material and interpretation of the words in a creative performance capturing the past, present and the future of energy in the Valleys. Presented by Visiting Arts.

FRIDAY 7

*Black Is The Colour Of My Voice Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Teo-part evening of dance and music, celebrating the life and work of Nina Simone. Burton Theatr Soar, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm, £8-£10. Info 01685 722176. uDanny McLoughlin + Keith Farnan + The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue + Gerry K + Lauren Pattison Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, without Gerry or Lauren. (£17.95/£10 NUS). uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 21. uFamily Dance Festival Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4 + 5pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Four pop-up dance pieces in a one-hour programme; partnership between Coreo Cymru, Chapter and National Dance Company Wales. On at 12, 3 and 5pm tomorrow. In Brecon on Sun 9 and Mon 10; Newtown on Tue 11 and Wed 12; Newport on Wed 18 and

Spencer Jones - Herbert in Proper Job

Centre, Penarth. 4pm, £5. Info 029 2070 0721. Featuring 30 stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items. Cirque Berserk! Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2, 5 + 8pm, £16.50£26.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Family circus show including something called the Globe Of Death, which involves a motorbike. Cool. Dirty Dancing New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £18£65. Info 029 2087 8889. “The biggest live theatre sensation of all time,” claims the poster. I dunno, Lincoln getting shot was quite a big deal. Dreams Dance School: Through The Ages Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 2 + 7pm, £5.50-£8.50. Info 01239 621200. Featuring dancers aged three and up. Experimentica Secret Language Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 3pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2030 4400. Annual festival of experimental theatre, performance art etc which started at the end of March. Today’s lineup: These Rotten Words Artists Films (12-1.30pm); Jonny Cotsen, Louder Is Not Always Clearer (2-3pm); Heike Roms and Gareth Llyr Evan, Yr Ymarferiadur: What’s Welsh For Live Art? (3-9pm); Dustin Harvey & Adrienne Wong, Something Bigger (4-5pm); Julie & Robbie, Passing Through (7-8pm); Katy Baird, Workshy (8.30-9.30pm). On tomorrow also. Gangsta Granny Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £10£18.50. Info 01792 475715. David Walliams’ book, adapted for the stage. Golden Thread Playback Theatre Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 1pm, £3-£7/free under-5s. Info 029 2030 4400. Hello Dolly! Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12. Info 01600 772467. Musical presented by the Monmouth Music Society. Ignite Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £7-£10. Info 029 2063 6464. Showcase performance from dancers aged 7-18, presented by Dance Blast and Monmouthshire Youth Dance Company. Juliet Meyers + Danny Ward + Quincy Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960. uKillology Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8-£16. Info 029 2064 6900. Dark-sounding new play by Rachel O’Riordan and Gary Owen, best known for Iphigenia In Splott. (Until Sat 8) La Fille Mal Gardee Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01633 868239. Presented by Gemini School Of Dance. Lakmé Maesteg Town Hall. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01656 733269. Léo Delibes’ opera, set in India in the 1880s. Presented by Swansea City Opera. In Swansea on Fri 7. Larger Than Life Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £6-£11. Info 029 203 1391. A musical revue of songs from the shows of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Made In Dagenham

TUESDAY 4

uA Judgement In Stone New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12-£29. Info 029 2087 8889. Ruth Rendell novel gets stageified. £11-£29 on Wed 5 and Thurs 6; £13-£32.50 on Fri 7; £12-£32.50 on Sat 8. Also on at 2.30pm on Wed 5, Thurs 6 and Sat 8. (Until Sat 8) uBirdsong Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. WWI-era drama, presented by Newport Playgoers Society. Also on at 2.30pm on Sat 8 (£11). (Until Sat 8) Champions Of Magic Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23.50/£17.50 kids. Info 01792 475715. Five magicians who had a show in the West End recently. Crafty Laughs The Cambrian Tap, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952. Free standup comedy of the night every first Tuesday of the month. Joan Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Milk Presents, er, present a onewoman show about Joan Of Arc, or “the world’s first drag king” as they put it. Meet Fred Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm, £8/£6. Info 01970 623232. Kids’ theatre presented by Blunderbus. You’ve Got Dragons Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 10.30am, £6. Info 01446 738622. Kids’ show. In Milford Haven on Wed 12.

THE GATHERING Glee Club, Cardiff Bay Every Sunday from 16 Apr New to Sunday nights at the Glee Club, Mark Olver will host a weekly get-together of the best up-and-coming comedy talent in the UK, including Edinburgh Fringe previews, featured acts, and festival sketches. Amongst the talent coming to The Gathering in its first few weeks is Adam Hess, Chortle Student Comedy Awards winner in 2011 and Foster’s Best Newcomer Nominee in 2015, whose quickfire style will surely get audiences guffawing in seconds, and Yuriko Kotani, a London-based, Japan-born comedienne whose ability to balance both cultures for hilarious comic affect has earned her plaudits aplenty already. Tickets: £8/£5 NUS. Info: 0871 4720400 www.glee.co.uk

BUZZ 75

* – recommended

stage Thurs 19; Cardiff Bay on Fri 21 and Sat 22. uFaulty Towers: The Dining Experience 2 Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £42.50. Info 0845 2263510. On tomorrow also. (F.E.A.R.) Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01873 850805. Jason & The Argonauts Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 6pm, free. Info 0800 0147111. Brand new version of ancient story, written and adapted for the stage by Mark Williams. In Abergavenny on Mon 10, Maesteg on Tue 11, Brecon on Wed 12, Blackwood Thurs 13, Cardiff Fri 14 and Sat 15, Milford Haven Tue 18, Ystradgynlaid Wed 19, Newtown Thurs 20 and Abertillery Wed 26. Lakmé Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01792 602060. Nabucco Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£33. Info 01792 475715. Verdi’s opera, again starring Olga Perrier. uPitch Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £9-£12. Info 029 2063 6464.

Innovative one-woman dance show in the Dance House, starring Jo Fong. South Powys Dance Festival Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7pm, £6/£4. Info 01874 611622. Steve Shanyaski Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Comedy Club night, more acts TBC.

SATURDAY 8

Aida Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15-£33. Info 01792 475715. The last of three operas in three days here, once again starring Olga Perrier. Cadw’r Fflam Yn Fyw Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01686 614555. Musical variety show. uDansation XIII St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7pm, £12/£11. Info 029 2087 8444. New show from the Debbie Chapman Dancers. On tomorrow also, at 6pm. Easter Bunny’s EggsEllent Adventure Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 12pm, £9/£8. Info 01600 772467. If this was my show I would have definitely written it

‘Eggcellent’. In Llanelli on Fri 14. *Enough Is Enough Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Return to Cardiff for this innovative piece of ‘gig theatre’ with a feminist bent, which embarked on a long Welsh tour back in February. In Chapter Arts Centre on Wed 26. Idle Hands Are The Devil’s Workshop Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. New performance by Thomas Goddard, developed and showcased during the Experimentica festival last week. James Redmond + Rudi Lickwood + Topping & Butch Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960. Meet Fred Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £5-£10. Info 0845 2263510.

SUNDAY 9

uFamily Dance Festival Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 3 + 5pm, free. Info 01874 611622. On tomorrow at 12 and 3pm;

We Are Not Amused Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £6. Info 01792 602060. The Rising Stars Theatre Company with a comedy of some sort about Queen Victoria.

MONDAY 10

Caterpillar Comedy Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2039 7933. Open mic standup night hosted by James Dunn. Cirque Du Hilarious Grand Theatre, Swansea. 2.30pm, £14.50/£11.50 kids. Info 01792 475715. Slapstick comedy revue. Jason & The Argonauts Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 2.30pm, £7.50. Info 01873 850805. uLegally Blonde The Musical Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10-£14. Info 029 203 1391. Presented by Kinetic Theatre Arts. Also on at 2pm on Wed 12. (Until Wed 12) uThe Commitments Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £17.50-£52.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Irish soul musical, you probably know the basic deal. £22.50-£57.50 on Fri 14 and Sat 15. Also on at 2.30pm on Thurs 13 and Sat 15. (Until Sat 15) uThe Play That Goes Wrong New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12-£28. Info 029 2087 8889. West End comedy about the thing suggested by the title. £10-£28 on Thurs 13; £15-£31 on Fri 14 and Sat 15. Also at 2.30pm on Thurs 13 and Sat 15. (Until Sat 15) uThe Wizard Of Oz Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01633 868239. Presented by Carol Goode & Expressions School Of Dance. (Until Thurs 13)

TUESDAY 11

PASSPAWT Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Thurs 20 Apr Tickets: £9.50/£8. Info: 029 2033 4400 / www.chapter.org Although it’s undoubtedly a coincidence that this innovative piece of one-woman theatre takes place on Hitler’s birthday, its plot hinges on the behaviour of a cat whose lovelessness and appetite for cruelty paints her as something of a feline Fuhrer herself. The cat, named Linda (top drawer cat name), belongs to Helena, a Slovakian in her late 20s living in England; Helena acquired Linda on the basis of false promises concerning her sweet nature. Helena is also a character devised by Elise Heaven, a Gloucestershire-based actress who co-runs two theatre companies: Raised Eyebrows and HeavenLee, who are putting this on. It’s also a preview of a stint at the Brighton Fringe, which starts in early May and continues for a month.

BUZZ 76

uCaitlin Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. In English tonight, Thurs 13 and Sat 15, Welsh on Wed 12 and Fri 14. (Until Sat 15) uFamily Dance Festival Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 3 + 5pm, free. Info 01686 614555. On tomorrow also at 12 + 3pm. Jason & The Argonauts Maesteg Town Hall. 2pm, £8.50. Info 01656 733269. Simon Sparkles Magical Eggstravaganza The Met, Abertillery. 2pm, £6.50. Info 01495 355800. Stone's Echo Queens Hall, Narberth. £6/£5 adv. Info 01834 869323. Celtic adventure story told through the medium of puppetry, by Vagabondi. The Scarecrow's Wedding The Riverfront, Newport. 3pm, £11/£10 kids. Info 01633 656757. Children's theatre based on a book by them what did The Gruffalo.

WEDNESDAY 12

Comedy At The Parrot The Parrot, Carmarthen. 8-11pm, £3. Info 01267 231012. Comedy Den Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Hosted by Charlie Smith. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 2.30pm, £8.50. Info 0800 0147111. Welsh premiere of new kids’ musical. In Porthcawl tomorrow;

Milford Haven on Sat 15; Cardigan on Mon 17; Brecon on Tue 18; Llanelli on Wed 19; Carmarthen on Thurs 20; Neath on Fri 21; Newtown on Sat 22; Barry Sun 23. Jason & The Argonauts Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2 + 7pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. uOnce On This Island Jr Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12. Info 0845 2263510. A Caribbean-flavoured song and dance story, no less. Also on at 2.30pm on Fri 14 and Sat 15. (Until Sat 15) Romeo & Juliet Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2 + 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Presented by Omidaze and the Wales Millennium Centre. The West End At The Movies The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01495 355800. Musical singalong. uTipping Point Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Acclaimed circus-type show by Ockham’s Razor. On tomorrow also You’ve Got Dragons Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 1 + 3.30pm, £8.50/£7 kids. Info 01646 695267.

THURSDAY 13

Beyond The Barricade Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £22.50. Info 01792 475715. Hit songs from the musicals. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 2.30pm, £8.50. Info 01656 815995. Jason & The Argonauts Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 1pm, £5/£4. Info 01495 227206. uLove, Cardiff Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2064 6900. Community production telling the stories of people who live and work on Roath street City Road. (Until Sat 15) Nolton Comedy Nolton Corner, Bridgend. 7.30pm, free. Info 01656 655015. With standups TBC, every second Thursday of the month. The Gospel Of Matthew Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. One-man show by George Dillon based on the life of Jesus, a hit in the UK since debuting in 2002. uYou’ve Got Dragons Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £7. Info 029 2030 4400. On at 2pm and 5pm on Sat 15. (Until Sat 15)

FRIDAY 14

Easter Bunny’s EggsEllent Adventure Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1.30pm, £10 kids/£8.50 adults. Info 0845 2263510. uJason & The Argonauts Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £7. Info 029 2063 6464. On tomorrow also, including an extra show at 2.30pm. uRob Deering + Ivo Graham + Kiri PritchardMcLean + Elliot Steel Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£17.95/£10 NUS). Willam Pulse, Cardiff. 7pm, £20-£45. Info 029 2064 1010. Sickening Events with one of quite a few renowned Drag Race alumni they’ve booked. Willam was in Season 4 and

u – repeated

was booted off mid-series.

SATURDAY 15

Bluestocking Lounge Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £15.50. Info 01792 475715. Burlesque and cabaret. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 2.30pm, £8.50/£7.50. Info 01646 695267. Masai Graham + Thomas Rackham + Aaron Twitchen + Danny Clives + Steffan Evans Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 01443 491424. Clwb Comedy night. Sean Percival + Harry Stachini + Troy Hawke Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960.

SUNDAY 16

Mark Olver + Athena Kugblenu + Adam Hess Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £8/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. New Sunday comedy show here, titled The Gathering and hosted by Olver.

MONDAY 17

Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 2pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01239 621200. uSister Act Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £17.50-£47.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Craig Revel Horwood gets ye to a nunnery with this glitzy musical-of-the-film starring Alexandra Burke. Unless you go to an afternoon show, when someone else will take her place so she can go down the bookies. Probably. £22.50£54.50 on Fri 21, Sat 22, Fri 28 and Sat 29. Also on at 2.30pm on Wed 19, Sat 22, Wed 26 and Sat 29. No show on Sun 23. (Until Sat 29)

TUESDAY 18

Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2.30pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01874 611622. uFamily Dance Festival The Riverfront, Newport. 3 + 5pm, free. Info 01633 656757. On tomorrow also, at 12 and 3pm. Gasping Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £7. Info 01633 868239. Play by Ben Elton, presented by Theatre AdHoc. Jason & The Argonauts Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 1 + 4pm, £8.50/£7 kids. Info 01646 695267. uShout! New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12-£30. Info 029 2087 8889. Sixties pop musical. £10-£30 on Wed 19; £10-£34 on Fri 21; £12-£34 on Sat 22. Also at 2.30pm on Wed 19; 5pm and 8.30pm on Fri 21; 4pm and 8pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) The Little Mermaid Grand Theatre, Swansea. 2pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01792 475715. Kids’ show. The Three Little Pigs Blake Theatre, Monmouth. 2.30pm, £10. Info 01600 719401. Presented by seasoned adaptors of classics children’s stories for the stage, Stiles & Drewe.

WEDNESDAY 19

uAmerican Idiot The Muni, Pontypridd. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01443 490390. Amateur

stage production by The New Muni Players. (Until Sat 22) A Strange New Space Pontardawe Arts Centre. 2pm, £5/£3. Info 01792 863722. Kids’ theatre. Burton Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01495 227206. Cardiff Fringe Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2048 3344. Showcase for amateur theatre types. County Youth Dance Company Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £8.75/£6.75. Info 01792 602060. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2.30pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 0845 2263510. uEscape The Scaffold The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2128 0189. Tonight is a pay-what-you-can performance; it’s £12/£10 thereafter. On at 3pm on Sat 22, Sat 29 and Sat 6 May. No shows on Thurs 20, Sun 23 or Sun 30. (Until Sat 6 May) uHysteria Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £11-£17. Info 01792 475715. Terry Johnson’s Olivier Awardwinning comedy. Also at 2pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) Jason & The Argonauts The Welfare, Ystradgynlais. 2pm, £5. Info 01639 843163. Reginald D Hunter Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15. Info 0871 4720400. See Upfront. This is a road-test type show for forthcoming material. In Pontardawe on Thurs 20; Monmouth on Sat 22. The Amazing Bubble Man Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 4.30pm, £10. Info 01792 602060. A geezer called Louis whose speciality is blowing giant bubbles. Respect! Verdi Aida St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50£32. Info 029 2087 8444. Presented by Opera & Ballet International.

THURSDAY 20

uA Night At The Movies Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 6.30pm, £8/£7. Info 01633 868239. Presented by Dance Stars Academy. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen. 2.30pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 0845 2263510. Ffin Dance Easter Dance Faktry Festival The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01495 355800. uEarthquakes In London Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 7.15pm, £10.50. Info 01792 475715. Three sisters attempt to navigate their dislocated lives and loves, while their scientist father predicts global catastrophe. A premise which sounds so patriarchal and sexist to me that I’m not going to bother investigating it further to see if the play bears this out. (Until Sat 22) Pride & Prejudice The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2048 3344. New adaption by Pantaloons. Jason & The Argonauts Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 11am + 1.30pm, £10 kids/£8 adults. Info 01686 614555. Pasha Kovalev & His Fantastic Dancers Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm,

£24.50/£23.50. Info 01656 815995. In Brecon tomorrow. Passpawt Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £9.50/£8. Info 029 2030 4400. HeavenLee Theatre present a one-woman show about a 28-year-old woman named Helena, born in Slovakia and resident in England since she was five. Reginald D Hunter Pontardawe Arts Centre. 8pm, £15. Info 01792 863722. uStage 2 Screen And Back Again Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £8. Info 01633 263670. Newport Operatic Society present a cabaret style concert. Also on at 2.30pm on Sat 22. (Until Sat 22) The Little Mermaid Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 11am + 2pm, £12.90/£10.75. Info 01639 763214. The Tap Dancing Mermaid The Riverfront, Newport. 11.30am + 2.30pm, £11/£10 kids. Info 01633 656757. Puppetry/music/dance show for ages 3+. Littleness of mermaid not specified. Zero For The Young Dudes! Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2064 6900. A Sherman Youth Theatre production; part of the UK-wide NT Connections Festival.

FRIDAY 21

Caitlin Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 6 + 8pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. uCaroline Sheen Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 9pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Songs from the musicals. On tomorrow also. uDisney’s Peter Pan Jr Maesteg Town Hall. 3 + 6pm, £10. Info 01656 733269. Presented by Curtain Up. On tomorrow also. Diversity Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 6.30pm, £35/£25. Info 029 2022 4488. TV-famous ballet troupe on their Genesis tour. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Gwyn Hall, Neath. 3pm, £9. Info 0300 3656677. Karen Sherrard + Chris Chopping + Roger Hansen + Charlie Webster + Sarah Breese + Megs Emrys The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £8. Info 01497 821762. Clwb Comedy night, although Emrys is in fact a folk singer. Not even a comedy one, going on the description. Pasha Kovalev & His Fantastic Dancers Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £24. Info 01874 611622. uPaul McCaffrey + John Moloney + Andrew Stanley + Brennan Reece + Robert White Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, with no Brennan or Robert, but added Tom Ward (£17.95/£10 NUS). Reginald D Hunter Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £15. Info 01600 772467. Sold out. uThe Lady Boys Of Bangkok Sabai Pavilion, Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay. 7 + 9pm, £10. Info 029 2063 6464. It’s that time again. £19.50-£36 on Sat 22 and Sat 29; £19.50-£34 on all other dates. 7pm and 9pm on Sat

22, Fri 28 and Sat 29; 6pm on Sun 23 and Sun 30; 7pm all other dates. (Until Sun 30) The Tap Dancing Mermaid Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 1.30pm, £6.50. Info 01873 850805. Kids’ theatre. The Unfamiliar Shakespeare Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 1pm, £5/£1.60. Info 01792 463980. Fluellen perform some of the lesser known Shakespeare plays, including his lost work Cardenio. uThe Wizard Of Oz The Riverfront, Newport. 3 + 7pm, £20/£18. Info 01633 656757. Easter panto. On tomorrow also, at 1 + 5pm.

SATURDAY 22

Barry Dodds + Allyson Smith + Robert White Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 2.30pm, £10 kids/£8 adults. Info 01686 614555. Russell Kane Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 8pm, £17 adv. Info 0800 0147111. (Still) performing his Right Man, Wrong Age set.

SUNDAY 23

Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 2.30pm, £8.50. Info 01446 738622. Mark Olver + Shaun McLoughlin Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £8/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. With one more comic TBC. Romeo & Juliet Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2 + 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01874 611622. New Shakespeare production by Omidaze, aimed at families and also alluding to modern-day Britain. In Cardiff from Thurs 27 Apr-Sun

woman show about Dylan Thomas’ wife. uCasanova New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13-£30. Info 029 2087 8889. Presented by Northern Ballet. Also at 2.30pm on Thurs 27; £10-£24 for that performance only. (Until Sat 29) The Death Hilarious + Charlie Webster + Will Palmer Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2039 7933. Standup/sketch comedy hosted by Caterpillar Comedy.

WEDNESDAY 26

u42nd Street Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12.50. Info 01633 263670. Popular showbusiness-themed musical. (Until Sat 29) Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £11. Info 01792 475715. Count Arthur Strong Grand Theatre, Swansea. 8pm, £20.50/£19. Info 01792 475715. uEnough Is Enough Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400. On tomorrow also, then Sat 29. uHMS Pinafore Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01646 695267. Presented by Haverfordwest Operatic Society. (Until Fri 28) Jason & The Argonauts The Met, Abertillery. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01495 355800. uMoscow State Circus Tredegar Park, Newport. 7.45pm, £9-£36. Info 01633 656656. Thurs 27 and Fri 28: 5 + 7.45pm; Sat 29: 3 + 6pm; Sun 30 + Mon 1 May: 2 + 5pm. (Until Mon 1 May) Remembering Fred St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £19.50-£55. Info 029 2087 8444. Dance show starring Strictly Come Dancing’s

Former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants continue to swarm into Cardiff for guest appearances. Charlie Hides is in Mary's on Thurs 6, promoted by Candi Canes Events; Willam visits Pulse on Fri 14, with Sickening Events responsible this time round. 14 May. Rose & Rosie Tramshed, Cardiff. 7pm, £29 adv. Info 029 2023 5555. “Two British YouTubers who create weekly entertainment videos in improvisational and unscripted comedy.” Rose’s full name is Rose Ellen Dix, which when written in all caps as one word looks a bit like it says ‘Ros Bellend IX’.

TUESDAY 25

Bridget Christie Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £16. Info 029 2064 6900. New show from top Anglo-Irish comedian, titled Because You Demanded It and about Brexit in some way. Caitlin Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 6pm, £12/£10. Info 01446 738622. One-

Aljaz and Janette. uThe Ghost Train Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0845 2263510. Famous mystery, presented here by Llanelli Little Theatre. (Until Sat 29) You Might Laugh Le Pub, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 221477. Monthly comedy night, here on the last Wednesday of each month. The lineup is usually confirmed a bit before then.

THURSDAY 27

Chris Ramsey St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20. Info 029 2087 8444. A standup comedian who I know nothing about but is clearly fairly well known. Dracula: The Bloody Truth The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01633 656757. Physical comedy theatre presented by La Navet Bete. uPeter Pan Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £12.50. Info 01686 614555. Presented by Newtown Musical Theatre Company. Also on at 2.30pm on Sat 29. (Until Sat 29) uRomeo & Juliet Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10. Info 029 2063 6464. Also on at 2pm on Sat 29; no show on Sun 30. (Until Sun 14 May) The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 1.30 + 4pm, £9.50-£15. Info 01874 611622. George W Bush may now be a ‘good guy’ to the liberal establishment (copyright: some newspapers) but The Very Hungry Caterpillar, his favourite book, has always been cool. Come see it here for yourself, ideally with a toddler in tow. In Swansea on Sat 29.

FRIDAY 28

Alice In Wonderland Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £13.50-£17.50. Info 01656 815995. Presented by Ballet Theatre UK. Goldilocks & The Three Bears New Theatre, Cardiff. 12 + 2pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2087 8889. Kids’ ballet, presented by Northern Ballet. u John Hastings + Gary Little + Phil Jerrod + Sally-Anne Hayward Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also, (£17.95/£10 NUS). John Kearns + Matt Rees + Edd Hedges Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 8pm, £10. Info 01874 611622. Comedy Club night. Jonny & The Baptists Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8-10.30pm, £10. Info 01239 615952. Machynlleth Comedy Festival: Day 1 Various venues, Machynlleth. 7-11pm, £7-£12 per show. Info hello@ machcomedyfest.co.uk. Annual weekender, regarded by many as the ‘comedian’s comedy festival’ (see Stewart Lee in this mag last month) or similar A full programme can be viewed and downloaded on the festival’s website, here are some of today’s highlights cos listings space is money baby: Stewart Goldsmith, Nish Kumar, Mark Watson, Jordan Brookes, James Acaster, Bridget Christie, Ivo Graham, Robin Ince and Jared Christmas. Plus a bunch of theatre and live music which is TBC right now. (Until Sun 30) uOur Day Out Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £8-£10. Info 01686 614555. Youth Theatre Two present Willy Russell’s play. Rich Hall’s Hoedown Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £17. Info 0845 2263510. In Monmouth tomorrow. uThe Green House + Profundis Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£22. Info 029 2064 6900. Double bill of new work by National Dance Company Wales. On tomorrow also. uThe Romans In Britain Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12/£5. Info 01792 602060. Everyman Theatre’s

adaption of Howard Brenton’s controversial 1980 play. On tomorrow also, with an additional 3pm show. uThe Trials Of Oscar Wilde Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£14. Info 01239 621200. On tomorrow also.

SATURDAY 29

Discover Dance Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 2pm, £8. Info 029 2064 6900. Interactive dance showcase for kids by National Dance Company Wales. Dr Jackal, I Presume? Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 12.30pm, £6/£4.50 kids. Info 01792 475715. Lunchtime theatre presented by Fluellen. Garr Murran + Susan Murray + Sean Meo Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960. Jukebox & Bobby Sox Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7.30pm, £18.50. Info 01633 868239. Rock’n’roll musical. Machynlleth Comedy Festival: Day 2 Various venues, Machynlleth. 10.45am12am, £4-£12 per show. Info hello@machcomedyfest. co.uk. Today’s highlights include Tiernan Douieb, Gráinne Maguire, Caroline Mabey, Lolly Adefope, Simon Munnery, Arthur Smith, Rob Deering, Gein’s Family Giftshop, Stewart Lee, Cariad Lloyd, Laura Lexx, Mike Bubbins, Birthday Girls, Owen Niclock, Holly Burn and Brian Gittins. (Until Sun 30) Rich Hall’s Hoedown Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £17. Info 01600 772467. Sold out. The Magic Of The Musicals Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.15pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01495 227206. uThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Grand Theatre, Swansea. 1.30 + 4pm, £13.50/£10.50 kids. Info 01792 475715. On tomorrow also, at 10.30am and 1pm.

SUNDAY 30

Machynlleth Comedy Festival: Day 3 Various venues, Machynlleth. 11.15am11.45pm, £4-£12 per show. Info hello@ machcomedyfest.co.uk. Today’s highlights include Phil Kay, Pappy’s, George Egg, Josh Widdecombe, Nick Haelm, Ed Aczel, Kiri Pritchard, Bec Hill, John Robins, Suzi Ruffell, Jonny & The Baptists, Elis James, Sara Pascoe, The Guilty Feminist, Stewart Lee, Daphne, Patrick Turpin, Angela Barnes, Josie Long and Gareth Richards. (Finishes today) Mark Olver + Yuriko Kotani Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.30pm, £8/£5 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. With one more comic TBC. The Tenant The Drill Hall, Chepstow. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01291 625981. Music and theatre based on Anne Brontë’s The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall and music from Mozart, Scriabin and Brahms. Twenty16 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 4.30pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2030 4400. Theatr Iolo and the Welfare with a new production, looking at 2016 from a teen perspective. BUZZ 77

DID YOU KN W? The enormous Splott Cinema in Cardiff had 2,000 seats, all of which were on one floor. (sent in by Rubicon Dance @RubiconDance) Henry VI’s widowed mother was barred from remarrying by a law stripping her betrothed of wealth. As a result, she married a landless Welsh steward, Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur. His descendants would rule England for over 100 years. The tradition of singing national anthems before sporting events started in 1905, when the Welsh rugby team’s captain led the crowd in singing the Welsh national anthem in response to New Zealand’s haka. The plus, pi, and equal sign were all Welsh inventions. Water is used in rice fields to prevent weeds. Rice doesn't actually need as much water as is used in paddy fields, but it can grow well in wet conditions, while weeds cannot.

COMPETITIONS PAIR OF TICKETS TO GREEN MAN Wales’ biggest music festival always has something to pique anyone’s attention. From Thurs 17-Sun 20 Aug it will play host an ever-eclectic lineup: the legendary PJ Harvey, the serene Michael Kiwanuka, the angry Kate Tempest, not to mention such luminaries as Lambchop, Daniel Johnston, and The Shins. PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL One of Britain’s most famous music festivals, this year’s Isle Of Wight is sure to be a banger. With headlining sets from names as big and varied as Arcade Fire, Run DMC and David Guetta, as well as Alison Moyet and Imelda May, all in one action-packed weekend from Thurs 8-Sun 11 June. FAMILY TICKETS AND A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE OPEN AIR THEATRE FESTIVAL From Thurs 22 June to Sat 29 July, Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens will host the annual Open Air Theatre Festival. This year’s edition will feature hilarious renditions of Spamalot (an adaptation of Monty’s Python And The Holy Grail) and The Vicar Of Dibley, as well as a run of Macbeth by some obscure English playwright named William Shakespeare. PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE BIG CWTCH

The chanting in Star Wars' Duel Of The Fates is a Sanskrit translation of a medieval Welsh poem. Captain Morgan – he of rum fame – was in fact a Welsh pirate who later became the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. When pizza was first introduced to the UK in the 1950s, it was known as Italian Welsh Rarebit. Before the global expansion of trees, Earth used to be covered in giant mushrooms over 20 feet tall. 10,000 years ago, lions were – after humans – the most widespread land mammals.

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

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See the fleeting Welsh summer off in fashion on Fri 1 and Sat 2 Sept at the Big Cwtch Summer Party. Whilst the lineup is unconfirmed at time of writing, it’s bound to be exciting, with a beautiful lakeside location in Carmarthenshire bound to make for more than a few photo opportunities. TWO TICKETS TO STEVE HACKETT AT ST DAVID’S HALL The former Genesis member and all-round guitar hero returns to Cardiff St. David’s Hall this year on Fri 28 Apr. Playing the greatest hits and fan favourites from the seven Genesis albums on which he played as well as an astonishing 30 solo albums, Hackett’s cerebral and inventive guitar-playing will surely fry your mind. PAIR OF TICKETS TO BURNING LANTERN Lighting up St. Fagans on Sat 12 Aug in the gorgeous fields of Wales’ famous open-air museum, there’ll be headlining shows from singer/songwriter Tom Odell and Motown legends Martha And The Vandellas, as well as street food, local craft beer, and a vintage-style funfair. Our competitions are shared on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. To enter a competition, keep an eye on our social media and click ‘share’ when it has been published. T&Cs: WE DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR THESE COMPETITIONS TO BE REPLICATED ONLINE.

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IMAGINE DESIGN SKETCH EDIT MOULD FORGE PAINT THINK MAKE CHANGE. cardiffmet.ac.uk/csad BUZZ 79

TOM ODELL JACK SAVORETTI

THE SHIRES MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS INTO THE ARK ZERVAS & PEPPER THE GENTLE GOOD KIZZY CRAWFORD PLUS MORE ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED! Streetfood Village Kids Area & Entertainment featuring: Crafts, Circus Skills, Entertainers, Pony Rides & More!

Community Artists & Entertainers Acoustic Stage Local Craft Beers

SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST 2017

ST FAGANS NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM, CARDIFF ticketmaster.co.uk | orchardentertainment.co.uk | ticketlineuk.com Tickets:

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burninglantern.com

02920 230 130