Buzz February 2017

WHAT’S ON FEB 2017

ALICE LOWE BABY GONE BAD MARK THOMAS L E G E N D A RY R E T R E AT S T H E H A N D S O M E F A M I LY

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gan \ by mewn addasiad gan \ in an adaptation by

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CHWE 21 25 FEB 2017

Llun \ Photo: Simon Turtle

gyda\ starring Matthew Kelly & Felicity Montagu fel \ as Mr & Mrs Bennet

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“Over and over and over again, it’s quite hard”

new clear winter, and will insist on everything being scored either infinity, or minus infinity, out of five. For now, enjoy some pleasant reviews

10upfront

47lifestyle

Alice Lowe talks to Buzz about Prevenge, a movie in which her serial killer character indiscriminately offs the people of Cardiff. Depiction does not equal endorsement though, readers!

contributors KEIRON SELF (FILM), GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF (CLUBS), CHRIS ANDREWS, POPPY BACKSHALL, RAYMOND BANNISTER, MICHAEL BELL, ANGHARAD BISHOP, JOHN BOOTH, ZOE BROOKES, DYLAN CHAUNDY, JANE COOK, JON-PAUL DAVIES, MAT DAVIES, ALEC EVANS, BEN GALLIVAN, EMILY GARSIDE, CHRIS HAMILTON-PEACH, EMMA HARRIS, RACHAEL HUTCHINGS, MAB JONES, MONICA MARTIN, LUCY MENON, JACOB MIER, LYNDA NASH, BENJAMIN NEWMAN,DAVID NOBAKHT, LAUREN PHILLIMORE, CHARLIE PIERCEY, CAMPBELL PROSSER, RHONDA LEE REALI, NATHAN ROACH, OWEN SCOURFIELD, CHRIS SEAL, RUTH SEAVERS, WILL STEEN, CHARLOTTE TAYLOR, GRACE TODD, BEN WOOLHEAD

contents PREVENGE cover PREVENGE

04roundup

28film

OK, as we all agree that nothing matters any more, let’s make [getting ready to spin round a huge, creaky Wheel Of Fortune type device] the… [spins] Lego… [spins] Batman… [spins] Movie! [puts back out, falls to the floor yelping]

30food&drink

We all have that one work colleague who sits down at their desk to eat lunch out of a large jar. Are you going to be the type who fills that jar with a kilogram of boiled sweets, or are you going to do a sort of Chinese noodle thing, like our columnist Mikey suggests?

34previews

In addition to events at more frequently-appearing venues in this mag – which you should lavish with your money before they all close down in a blaze of insolvency – there’s a production of Macbeth in Caerphilly Castle. This will undoubtedly be a rad setting, although I did go there once in February, for a mate’s wedding, and it was bloody freezing

“Oh… is that for me? Aha, thank you so much babes!

What gave you the idea to get this?” “Well I was reading a free magazine I picked up in a library, café or art centre and it had a page on Valentine’s Day gift ideas, so I just coped them.” “Shall we buy some records to play on it?” “I think it’s just ornamental”

48sport

Bluffers’ guides to two of February’s sporting perennials, the Six Nations and snooker’s Welsh Open. Wondering how snooker might be able to mop up the fanbase of punks, ironic tweeters, archly detached office workers etc who have all got into darts in the last few years. Yeah I’m talking to you

53listings

Worst band names in this issue: Cabbage, Big Fat Astronauts, Epic Fail, Get Inuit, Ladyrock, Young Black Americans, H_ngm_n, TheHeroDiesFirst! Oh, and a new thing: if you see a red triangle next to a listing, it means it’s repeated on one or more days

78competitions

Q. How do you make the guy who writes these contents entries sad? A. By rejigging the competitions page in a way that deprives him of one of his longstanding joke format

42reviews

By the end of 2017 I will surely have convinced myself that even-handed appraisal of anything is handwringing milquetoast liberalism unsuited to the

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WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

BRIEFLY pic: Joseph Brent

roundup

TWILIGHT OF THE TSARS

BARGAINS! On Sun 11 Feb, Judy’s Vintage Kilo Sale will be returning to Cardiff’s Portland House. Bringing over five tonnes of retro fashion, the idea is you choose the items that catch your fancy and then pay by weight: £15 per kilo. Cash and card are both accepted, but keep in mind sales are final. The event runs from 11am-4pm.

Admission: £3 from 11am; £1.50 from 12pm.

Info: www.judysvintagefair.co.uk

pic: Linh Do

“As the sun set on the Romanov dynasty and a 300-year old empire hurtled towards war and revolution, Russian music caught fire...” This year marks the centenary of the Russian Revolution and Cardiff is hosting a season of performances and events throughout 2017, capturing the social and cultural explosion of the era. Twilight Of The Tsars is the first to kick off this cultural festival. To mark the 100-year anniversary of events that changed the course of history, the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama’s Artists-In-Residence the Gould Piano Trio are joined by the Endellion Quartet to perform music from the time of prerevolution Russia. With music by Borodin, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, they promise “bejewelled rarities and magical rediscoveries from St Petersburg drawing rooms and long summers on country estates; the sound of folk songs, fairy tales and glittering Imperial splendour.”

Twilight Of The Tsars, Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Thurs 16-Sat 19 Feb. Tickets: £10-£12. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

pic: National Assembly for Wales

ST DAVID’S DAY PARADE Patronised by Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, this year’s parade will once again celebrate Welsh heritage in the capital city. Every year, the succession is filled with bands, flags, artwork, and local clubs and organisations all coming together to celebrate their culture. But the parade is not just a celebration of Welshness, but inclusivity, too. It is an opportunity for those who live in Wales, regardless of age, ethnic or social background, to join in with the celebration of Welsh culture and is an opportunity for Wales to celebrate and embrace its diversity. Yr Hen Lyfrgell (The Old Library) is the Welsh Cultural Centre in Cardiff’s city centre that will also be open to the public serving cawl and drinks on the day.

Parade flags and groups wishing to join in the parade must register in advance with the organisers. The parade starts outside Cardiff City Hall at 12.30pm, with assembly at 12pm.

St David’s Day Parade, City Hall, Cardiff, Wed 1 Mar. Admission: free. Info: 07970 982202 / www.stdavidsday.org BUZZ 4

ROMANCE! With Valentine’s Day creeping up, you may want to give speed dating a go. If you’re between the ages of 25 and 38, Mocka Lounge, Cardiff are holding a speed dating night on Wed 15 Feb. Each couple is given just four minutes to chat to each other before being moved on to their next date. Fussy? Not to worry, if you turn down every partner then you receive entrance to the next event free.

Tickets: £22. Info: 029 2022 1292 / www.mockalounge.co.uk

O NO! Jamie Wood is trained in many things, fine art, theatre, clowning, and dance, and he brings them all together in his new show O No!, a tribute to Yoko Ono. Described as bringing his signature blend of anarchic comedy, fandom, and emotional terrorism, Jamie Wood’s unique style of performance brought the previously successful Beating McEnroe. This show was hugely talked about at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was nominated for a Total Theatre Award for Experimentation and Innovation.

Borrowing from Yoko Ono’s art instruction, it asks the question of whether falling in love is always catastrophic and what we still might have to learn from hippies. One part mad and one part hilarious, it’s sure to offer a different theatre experience heaped with innovation and a modern take on expression.

pic: Jack Taylor Gotch

Oh No!, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Sat 11 Feb. Tickets: £10/£8. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org

ALL-RIGHTY, APHRODITE! The Bluestocking Lounge have been bringing the best of burlesque and alternative cabaret to Swansea, Carmarthenshire, and across South Wales since 2010, and for this February show – just in time for Valentines – they’ve picked the crème de la crème, with favourite Luna Rose headlining. Incorporating comedy into their shows as well, with “cabaret clown” Kiki Lovechild performing, she joins the delightful Opehlia Wilde, Lily Laudanum, Dawn and DeeDee DeLa Rouge for the night. They don’t charge extra for VIP tickets, so arrive early if you want to grab them – they’re given on a first come first serve basis.

Take a look at their fabulous collection of photographs of past shows on their website for a taste of what you’ll see on the night. And, if you like what you see, you can always join in – Bluestocking Lounge offer courses in burlesque and even do hen parties!

Bluestocking Lounge: All-Righty, Aphrodite!, Grand Theatre, Swansea, Sat 11 Feb. Tickets: £15.50. Info: 01792 475715 / www. bluestockinglounge.com

ST DAVID’S DAY RUN In its 14th year of running, this event both celebrates the national holiday while raising vital funds for charities, having raised £10,000 to date. Because of its timing on St David’s Day, it’s always guaranteed to bring in some hilarious costumes while people attempt their races, while atmosphere is doubled with endless celebrations going on all over the city to mark the day. With 1km, 5km and 10km races, you can do a short run with the family just for fun, or take a serious endeavour of personal fitness and raise some money for charity. The St David’s Day Run has become a part of the calendar of events for the charity Motivation and Learning Trust, whose aim is to give young people the chance to meet their potential through education and training strategies provided by the charity, and guidance and assistance that they may not receive at home.

St David’s Day Run, Cardiff, Wed 1 Mar. Tickets: £6£21. Info: 0844 2438438 / www.stdavidsdayrun.com BUZZ 5

roundup

pic: Charlioe Llewellin

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

THE LOST CITY OF TRELLECH Lauren Phillimore speaks with Stuart Wilson, a Monmouthshire archaeologist who unearthed a lost city near the English border.

How did you get into archaeology?

I’ve always lived in Monmouth and have always been passionate about history. When I was young I had a keen interest in field walking which led to archaeology. I joined the Monmouth Archaeology Society; I loved that they just dug anywhere and everywhere. I now devote as much time as I can to the Trellech site but prior to this I had many part time jobs, including being a toll booth operator on the Severn Bridge. I also previously sold historical manuscripts, which I’d like to return to in order to fund the dig.

What can you tell us about Trellech?

As far we know it’s the largest medieval settlement in Wales, based on the amount of taxable buildings that have been discovered.

Trellech was once the largest urban centre in Wales, in the 1200s, before Cardiff and it would have been around a quarter of the size of London. We cannot know exactly how large the settlement was, but based on the number of taxable buildings it can be defined as a city.

Only secular buildings would have been taxed BUZZ 6

and this would have excluded poor buildings and government buildings.

How did you find it?

It started with Jonathan, a local farmer who owned the field now opposite mine. He invited local archaeologists to his field to investigate after moles kept digging up medieval pottery, which prompted me to buy the field opposite at auction. There was an earlier theory that the settlement lay under the modern village of Trellech and was built on a grid pattern, but now this has been disproved.

The most exciting discovery was a large administrative building that was a fortified and moated manor house. Medieval flowerpots were discovered there; these are an important discovery in themselves as they highlight the wealth of the people who would have dwelled in the building. These pots are extremely rare and none have been previously found west of the Severn. This tells us the people living here were of great importance and in the top 0.1% of the population, even after Trellech fell into decline.

This in turn adds to the evidence of the town’s importance as a whole and its link to the De Clare family, who used the town to expand their

powerbase and gave it market status. The town also played a part in Edward Longshanks (Edward I) capture of Wales. The town’s history goes back much further than this though, to the Dark Ages, before the Normans.

What are your plans for the site?

I’ve got high hopes for its future; I’m waiting on planning permission to build permanent structures in the medieval back gardens on the site, where I’ll be building a resource and education centre.

I’m also looking to set up a charity for the site and to increase the level of excavation and funding for the site. By doing so we’ll be able to complete better analysis of finds, including carbon dating and chemical testing. We run an annual dig each summer, which runs for four weeks through July and August. We also sell experience days where people can go along and join in the digging and experience being an archaeologist.

Lost City Of Trellech Archaeological Excavations. Info: 01291 625831 / www. lostcityoftrellech.co.uk

Ultimate Eagles

Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra St Valentine’s Day Special

Brit Floyd Immersion

The Classic Rock Show A-Z of Rock

Philharmonia Orchestra

Paul Carrack Soul Shadows

Lee Nelson Serious Joker

Seth Lakeman Ballads of the Broken Few

An Audience with Joe Calzaghe

24.02.17

16.02.17

12.03.17

14.02.17

22.02.17

08.03.17

26.02.17

18.02.17

11.03.17

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BOOK NOW

WHAT’S ON OUR RADAR THIS MONTH.

pic: Kristi Herbert

roundup

X FACTOR LIVE TOUR Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Wed 8 Mar Info: 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk –

ELBOW Newport Centre Fri 10 Mar Info: 01633 656757 / www. newportlive.co.uk

CANTRE'R GWAELOD

SECRET SPACES:

CIRQUE BERSERK

Welsh singer, founding member of Catatonia and Year Of Legends ambassador Cerys Matthews tells Buzz about her favourite Welsh secret.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Tue 28 Mar-Sat 01 Apr Info: 029 2047 0254 / www.wmc. org.uk

You’re listed as one of the real-life legends of Wales. How has being Welsh influenced your work?

Over and over and over again, it’s quite hard. What I can say is that all of the cultural riches and treasure of Wales have informed my work, outlook on the world and my love of music and literature so much, I can’t even think what life would be like without knowing these things.

JON RICHARDSON: OLD MAN

So how do you think the Year of Legends campaign will benefit Wales?

If people don’t know about Wales, how will they know we’re great to do business with; how are film directors going to know it’s a great location to film in; how will furniture designers know that there are some great furniture designers in Wales; that we’ve got all these great sports and venues? It’s reminding people we’re here otherwise they’re going to be talking about London, talking about Hull – you know, the City Of Culture! – about Scotland.

No, we are Wales and there’s a lot going on here: we have the sports, the scenery, and the arts. We need to keep piping up because the world’s a busy place.

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Aberystwyth Arts Centre Wed 29 Mar Info: 01970 623232 / www. aberystwythartscentre.co.uk –

OLLY MURS If someone had never been to Wales before and you could only recommend one place, where would it be?

The Lost Lands of the Lowlands (Cantre’r Gwaelod) just off the Cardigan coast. I’d tell somebody to drive to Cardigan, drive down that coastal road and look up, because there’s this area of land that’s very flat and at sea level; a huge semi-circle of land that seems to have been lost to the sea. Legend has it that it used to be protected from the sea by huge walls, but somebody got drunk and forgot to close the gates, and lost the whole land. Plus, you might see some dolphins.

Year Of Legends 2017. Info: www. visitwales.com

Motorpoint Arena Cardiff Mon 20 + Tue 21 Mar Info: 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk –

LEE NELSON: SERIOUS JOKER Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot Sat 11 Mar Info: 01639 763214 / www. npttheatres.co.uk

CYFLWYNIAD

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DIWRNOD RHYNGWLADOL

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WOMEN’ S DAY 2017 DYDD SUL / SUNDAY

MAWRTH 12 / MARCH 12 11:00–15:00 AMGUEDDFA GENEDLAETHOL Y GLANNAU, ABERTAWE NATIONAL WATERFRONT MUSEUM, SWANSEA

18:00–22:00 Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru, Caerdydd WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF W E N WA L E S W E N WA L E S. O R G. U K

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upfront

MARK THOMAS

BUZZ 10

Buzz speaks with actress and writer Alice Lowe about her bold directorial debut, Prevenge, a satirical slasher about a pregnant woman driven to a killing spree by her foetus.

ALICE LOWE KILLING FOR TWO Could you tell us what audiences can expect from Prevenge?

It’s a very dark comedy, it’s a rollercoaster ride, it’s a revenge thriller. It’s also about a pregnant woman who’s going through a hard time. So, it’s a mixture of lots of different tones and it completely takes the rug from under you. When you think you know what you’re watching it changes, so there's lots of different things in there for lots of different types of audiences. It’s for people who like horror films, thrillers, comedies, and people who like weird dark sort of stuff.

You were seven to eight months pregnant when you filmed it. What was that like?

It was fine, actually. I was really lucky because I was very healthy during my pregnancy, had a lot of energy and was kind of like ‘Oh, I think I can do this’. I think if I felt ill or tired at any stage, I would have just stopped. It actually made me feel quite relaxed about making a film because if I hadn’t been pregnant and was doing my directorial debut, I would have been really stressed out – “it has to be amazing!” Whereas with this I said, “well, it’s only a film and the pregnancy is more important really.”

So I felt really good about it and had a lot of fun.

The film has some really dark themes. What drew you to telling a story like this?

I wanted to show a different side of pregnancy, because it was what I was experiencing at the time and I felt like a lot of depictions of pregnancy on screen don't really describe what it’s like from the interior of the person that’s pregnant. I felt it was very much always someone else’s perspective on pregnancy as either a comedy or a horror about them and childbirth. I felt frustrated at the way pregnant women were represented on screen and wanted to do something that shows that pregnant women can be angry, that they can have a life before they were pregnant, and that they have a personality and identity of their own.

I wanted to make the main character into a heroine really, even though she's an anti-heroine; to give her a lot of drive that moves the narrative forward. It’s quite cool, in some ways, that she takes on lots of disguises – it’s almost like pregnancy is her superpower. So, I think all of those things

together make it a fun project but also something that maybe people feel that they haven’t seen before.

I think people often come out of Prevenge saying ‘I'm not sure I've seen anything like that before’.

You’ve worked with some really great directors over the years. Has observing their work processes helped you in any way with this directorial debut?

Oh definitely, a million times. The great thing about being an actress is that you work in so many different ways with so many different people, and you can start to work out what your favourite methods of working are and how you enjoy working. You’re learning all the time because people have different techniques. I learned so much off the people that I worked with, and I found out how I like it to work as well. You can cherry-pick what bits really work.

I don’t think I’d be able to do this without having worked with good people over the years.

What was it about Cardiff that made you want to film there?

Well, Prevenge was made by a Welsh production company for a start. The Director Of Photography [Ryan Eddleston] also lives in Cardiff. I'd been to Cardiff quite a lot so I felt like I knew it, but at the same time wanted the audience to feel unfamiliar with the place it’s set in because Ruth [Lowe’s character] is going on a journey to a new place and it’s new territory having a baby.

At the same time, it's really important that it was in a city, because it had to have that anonymity to it, and have a lot of character. The city is a character, and grief is often taking to the streets just walking through the city at night. The city has a real strong identity to it and we shot some really beautiful scenes in Cardiff. I think it looks really beautiful.

How did you approach casting?

I actually wrote a lot of the parts for specific actors, because I knew what their skills were and they’re good at improvising and very warm, charismatic people.

If you're going to create a horrible character, you still want them to be very mesmerising and almost likeable on screen. I was interested in a spread of people who all had a similar skill set and very naturalistic performances, as well as people who could come in at the last minute and make the characters very three-dimensional, because there

was very little time to develop them. When people came in I was blown away with what they did with the script – it was like they understood characters better than I did.

For them, it was quite interesting because most of them hadn’t seen the other scenes and were kept in the dark about it. When they went to the screenings for the first time, they understood what the project was by seeing the other people’s performances. I didn’t want people to be influenced by each other in terms of their tone – I wanted it to feel like individual little plays.

What was your approach to the colour palette?

I really, strongly didn’t want to use pastel colours and the old clichés of pregnancy. I wanted it to be vivid because I felt like something hormonal makes things seem quite vivid when you’re pregnant. Sometimes I had euphoria and everything seemed really bright and vivid, and I’d have very psychedelic dreams. I wanted all the imagery in the film to be vivid and powerful and strong.

There’s a noir feel to it, like you’re on the dark side of pregnancy, so there’s a lot of night scenes.

Along with that, I wanted a bright light in the dark, and for the underpass scene I really wanted bright colours to almost be like an assault. There’s a lot of dream-like psychedelic stuff in it as well, where we show you closeups of insects and reptiles, and I wanted to have this trippy feel of someone who's going mad. Each character’s death has a colour as well, but we had no lighting whatsoever; all the lighting had to be preset, which meant choosing locations where the colour was already inherent in it.

We had some strokes of luck: I really wanted the first murder to be green, and luckily we found a green reptile shop and it was perfect. It shows what you can pull off on a low budget. Usually you hope for things like that and it doesn’t necessarily work out, and you have to let go. But that was the other good thing about filming in Cardiff: we found places I think other film makers might not have exploited yet.

Prevenge is released on Fri 10 Feb. Info: www.facebook.com/prevengemovie

BUZZ 11

BUZZ 12 pic: Tracey Moberley

upfront

pic: Steve Ullathorne

Political satirist and comedian speaks Mark Thomas speaks with Emily Garside about his new tour the Red Shed, the miners’ strike, and the EU.

MARK THOMAS

Your shows, both standup and the more theatrical, are all very distinct. How do you go about creating a show?

Each show is based on actual events, but rather than just retell what has happened I try and take actions that shape the outcome of the story. Confused? OK. Here's an example: when the government passed a law about protesting, I organised a demonstration and realised that I could show how inept the law was and challenge it at the same time by following the exact letter of the law and pushing it to the limits.

So, the story of each entanglement with the police and the law becomes the story.

In the case of The Red Shed, which is a Labour Club in Wakefield, I started by talking to friends and comrades and interviewing them about their involvement in the club. As we were celebrating the Red Shed's 50th birthday, I set myself a series of quests and tasks, one of which was to see if a memory of the miners’ strike was true.

On the miners’ march back to work, I remembered seeing children in a playground singing Solidarity Forever at the miners as they walked defeated through the streets. I wanted to try and find the school and the children to see if that memory is true. So, I went off with friends to search for the village and the school and the children and the show is me telling the story of that.

The Red Shed follows on from Bravo Figaro and Cuckooed, which are more theatrical works than your previous stand-up. How has transitioning into that mode of working been?

I like your choice of words. Transitioning. You make it sound rather deliciously RuPaulish.

Interestingly though, it’s places like Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool where the show really exploded. A woman came up after a Glasgow show to say, “I'm a miner’s daughter and you just told my story”. Perfect. Best review ever.

"Fred from RBS loses his knighthood and keeps his pension, but for everyone else austerity cuts public services, people lose jobs and wages go down" Since 2003, I have been talking stories on stage rather than standup. I love trying to find new ways of telling stories and creating theatrical events. It has all seemed a very natural progression for me. If anything, it is the audience who occasionally need to catch up. My tour manager used to whisper “Don't tell them it's theatre!” as a joke but there is an element of truth in that. I haven’t done standup for years now and it still comes as a shock to some people.

How have people reacted to the politics of the show so far?

Very positively on the whole. One Tory complained in Southampton saying the show was too dramatic, but a braying yahoo moaning that it wasn't what he ordered is nothing to worry about. If anything, I regard performing to people like him as missionary work.

2016 has been an eventful year politically, to say the least. What are your thoughts on where we’ve ended up at the end of the year?

Firstly, let me say I have a financial interest in this question, as I bet my wife that the UK would vote to leave the EU – £100, so not too shabby a bet, she actually reneged on the bet claiming that as we had returned to the 1950s she would pay for the debt in housework. Which never happened.

How did we get here? Where do you start?

Globalisation? Neoliberalism? The 2008 banking crisis had a large part to play in this. The system almost collapsed, people lost their homes, their businesses, the banks sold worthless shit to pension funds and investors and no one ends up in jail. Fred from RBS loses his knighthood and keeps his pension, but for everyone else austerity cuts public services, people lose jobs and wages go down all the while Fred potters around the putting green moaning about how he’s a scapegoat.

The EU has actively created austerity in Greece and Spain, the ECB stifled democratically elected policy.

The EU has Maastricht which enshrines privatisation into law. So, it’s not as if the EU has been a beacon of hope for many people.

Mark Thomas: The Red Shed, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 15 Feb. Tickets: £17.50. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www. shermantheatre.co.uk

BUZZ 13

pic: Steve Ullathorne

upfront Luke Owain Boult speaks with comedy master Paul Foot about his latest tour, where he gets his ideas from, and surrealism.

PA U L F O O T

“I saw a piglet, and I thought it was a pity she were a piglet and not a person. People have slightly better lives than piglets do. All that mud. I can’t bear to think of it,” starts Paul in typical eccentric and surreal manner when asked about the name of his latest tour, ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet. “Parts of the show itself are inspired by certain recent events, not the title. There’s flavours of all your favourite tropical issues, such as terrorism and astronomy and Spiderman. It’s all in there. I don’t even know what to expect from it. It’s half surreal, half silly, and half hard-hitting satire... and one third trout.”

Paul Foot, without a doubt a comic genius, is famed for his bizarre musings and rants, in the same delivery as a Victorian ringmaster, on topics that few other comedians would think to go near, let alone dare. “I mainly laugh at wedding cakes falling over, or newsreaders messing up,” he explains when asked about his sense of humour.

“I love it when weddings go wrong though. That’s the funniest thing in the whole universe. I guess my ideas just come from seeing a shire horse, or ordering a Chinese takeaway, or taking a walk by a pond.”

He does, however, seem shocked that others would not consider the topics he does as areas of comedy.

“What? People don’t think the dwindling numbers of shire horses is an area for comedy? I thought everyone BUZZ 14

laughed at stuff like that. I often try out my new material at my Secret Shows first. So, the top Connoisseurs of my comedy see it first. And then I try out the comedy at various shows I do around the country. I eventually premier the new, completed show at the Edinburgh Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sturgeon.”

Is there an element of improvisation in his performances? “It depends which performances. My tour shows are very carefully planned and executed, even if they don’t look that way. But when I do my Secret Shows in London for my Connoisseurs, I sometimes improvise the whole show, for 2.4 hours. I love stand-up comedy. It is my job, and my hobby, and it’s my only focus. All my creative energy goes on writing my standup shows. That’s what I really love doing.”

Are there any differences in Welsh audiences compared to others around the country? “Not really.

I find that, wherever I do a show, the people that come to see me are very plugged in and sophisticated. They know what to expect and they come to see the surreal humour. The shows in Wales are the same as anywhere else in the UK: always wonderful and filled with top quality people.”

Is there anything he wishes he knew when he started out? “I wish I’d known that, one day, I would

be successful. Nowadays, weird and surreal comedy is quite popular, but when I started out I was one of the only weird ones, and no one wanted the weird comedy.

I was spectacularly unsuccessful for about 14.3 years, earning no money and getting booed off stages. And it was very difficult, but I stuck to my instincts, and one day, after 14.3 years I became an overnight success. It would have been nice to know in those long years that it would all be OK one day.”

After this upbeat and oddly inspiring revelation, we end talking about his post-tour plans. “After this UK leg of the tour, I take ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet to tour around Australia and New Zealand for two months. Then, after that, it will be time for the Edinburgh Festival again. And after that it will be more touring around the UK. I never stop touring. Touring is the dream of the comedian.”

Paul Foot: ‘Tis A Pity She’s A Piglet, Glee Club, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 16 Feb. Tickets: £13. Info: 0871 4720400 / www.glee.co.uk; Pontardawe Arts Centre, Fri 17 Feb. Tickets: £14. Info: 01792 863722 / www.npttheatres.co.uk

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 THU 2ND FEBRUARY

THU 23RD FEBRUARY

THU 16TH FEBRUARY

THU 30TH MARCH

DAVID O’DOHERTY PAUL FOOT

SUN 19TH FEBRUARY

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR’S ‘COMEDY LOCK IN’

IAIN STIRLING

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TOM ALLEN & SUZI RUFFELL

WED 25TH JANUARY

THU 6TH JULY

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MERMAID QUAY • CARDIFF BAY • CF10 5BZ BUZZ 15

upfront

LAUGHARNE FESTIVAL 2017 Literature, comedy, and music galore.

Nathan Roach takes a look at what to expect from this year’s Laugharne Festival.

The Carmarthenshire seaside town of Laugharne has attracted writers to its picturesque and magical shores for years. It’s undoubtedly best-known for being Dylan Thomas’ writer’s retreat during the last remaining years of his life. However, the past 10 years have offered the public so much more than just the ageless words of the Welsh poet in this secluded but intimate community.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the organisers of the Laugharne Weekend have yet again assembled comedians, writers, poets, and musicians to endure the unforgiving Welsh weather and entertain culture vultures. Among them is poet Roger McGough: celebrated for his works published in The Mersey Sound anthology, respected as a rejuvenator of modern verse, and as a presenter on the BBC’s Poetry Please radio programme.

Joining him is respected novelist and author of 2015’s The Past, Tessa Hadley. The winner of the WindhamCampbell prize and professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University has followed a different path from most novelists, who sometimes forget their own narrative while digging nails deep into the fictitious world. Bringing fresh eyes and great insight into relationships and family, it’s no real surprise that she’d be attracted to such a literary town.

A highlight for comic fans will be two of the political activists in attendance, who have spent a good portion of their lives leaving the nation in stitches: revolutionary jester Alexei Sayle and cunning plan creator Tony BUZZ 16

Robinson. Known for his television role in The Young Ones as various members of the disturbed Balowski family, Alexei Sayle was central to the 1980s alternative comedy circuit, helping to usher in a left-wing, anti-racist and anti-sexist revolution. Sayle has also written many short stories and books, including last year’s Thatcher Stole My Trousers, as well as writing columns for the Sunday Mirror and Daily Telegraph. Another one-time face of 80s comedy, Tony Robinson, is known for his passion for history, playing Baldrick in Blackadder and going on to present Time Team. He has also written 16 children’s books, including a modern adaptation of Robin Hood for children, all in all making him more than likely to make a mark in the history of Laugharne.

Music and the written word have formed a timeless bond through the ages, and punk poet John Cooper Clarke, who will also be attending, is proof of just that.

Creating a flurry of inspiration through his writing, music and authentic personality since his rise in the 70s punk scene, he’s a man who has proven time and time again that not only does he speak his mind, but what he says is often terrifyingly honest. Although slowly approaching the 70s, his work continues to take be a jumbled but bulging storage cabinet of dry wit, working-class literary heroism, and anarchistic investigation into the anything of everything.

BBC Radio 1 has always had a knack of selecting prime entertainers to host and present, but not many

pic: Paul Marc Mitchell

have gained the reputation that Gemma Cairney has steadily built. Explorer, writer, hard-hitting documentary creator, and mass music enthusiast, Cairney has dipped into many artistic mediums and has proven popular in each of them, and will be at Laugharne to discuss her passions.

Starting out in the late 1970s, Scritti Politti originally began as a leftist post-punk outfit, but they eventually stepped back from political opinion and tweaked their sound to keep the youth amused and swaying to their gentle rhythms and catchy chorus lines. A Welsh connection also exists through Scritti Politti’s Cardiff-born frontman Green Gartside, who has been praised in the past for his poetry and lyrical honesty, and will be attending this year’s festival.

Actor and author Keith Allen will also be returning to his role as the head host of Laugharne's Got Talent; ready and raring to preside over an untarnished array of up-and-coming writers and performers from the surrounding area. This buffet of cultural delights, which includes the likes of Irvine Welsh, is joined by a great deal more poets, musicians, and writers, and the full line-up is to available on their website.

Laugharne Festival, Fri 7-Sun 9 Apr. Tickets: £90 (limited). Info: www.thelaugharneweekend. com (from Fri 3 Mar call Brown's Hotel Laugharne 019 9442 7688)

A WELCOME RAY OF TROPICAL SUNSHINE THE TELEGRAPH

Chwe 28 Feb & Maw 1 Mar 2017

BUZZ 17

upfront Zoe Brookes speaks with alternative country duo The Handsome Family’s Rennie Sparks about writing music with her husband and True Detective.

THE HANDSOME FA M I LY When did you and Brett first meet, and when did you start writing music together?

We met in college, in New York. I think it was 1986 – and from the day we met I had tequila in my purse. We were married for years before the idea of developing music together occurred. They always say ‘don’t work with your spouse’ – but it worked well for us. I would change his lyrics and he would write the songs.

Where did the name ‘The Handsome Family’ come from?

I guess we listened to family bands ourselves, like the Manson Family and the Carter Family, and we were influenced by them. It harkens back to older times – and we are a family, of course, although the handsome part is a bit ironic...

What is your thought process when you write songs, both lyrically and musically?

We are always trying to tell a story. Creating something new, producing a reality we never had before. I like to think of it as adding to the space that we dream in.

Where were you and what were you doing when you first found out that Far From Any Road was going to be used as the theme for True Detective?

We were in New Zealand and we were quite down because we were right in the middle of a bad tour. We received an e-mail from HBO asking if our material

BUZZ 18

could be used in an interrogation room scene in a new crime miniseries, and then a little further down the email they said they wanted to use it for the theme too! It seemed incredible. And, as it turns out, it’s a show we really liked. It was a great choice – we belong together.

In what ways has this exposure affected your careers?

New people found us! If you were describing us, people might not understand us right away. But, our songs are stylistically on the edge of storytelling, like True Detective. I like to say: if you like Johnny Cash – you’ll like us.

Your songs have been covered by the likes of Jeff Tweedy and utilised by Guns N' Roses on tour. Is there anyone in particular you would like to use your material – or to collaborate with?

Anyone. I love to hear new interpretations of our songs, it takes it beyond your dreams and into someone else’s. Andrew Bird covered some of our music and that was such an amazing experience. He taught us our own songs in a different way.

With regards to touring, and your upcoming UK tour, have you had a strong reaction from the UK to date?

Yes – we’ve always had really nice shows across the UK. We always find friends and something really

seems to resonate over there.

Do you find that you have to alter the way you perform, or the songs you use when touring Europe – in comparison to back home?

No, not a lot. In Spain we introduce lyrics in Spanish, but if anything the people in the UK just get what we do. It’s very familiar to the folk tradition that comes from Scotland and Wales.

Have you got a favourite track on the newest album Unseen?

[Laughs] Probably Gentleman. It’s all about William Crookes – a really fascinating Victorian scientist who finds clues to the invisible, things that might lead us to alternate realities. I find the people who push boundaries like Crookes and Tesla so interesting.

Finally, what are your thoughts on Donald Trump becoming President?

Terrifying! It really is a scary prospect. It’s our reality. I guess we’ll have to wait and see; history is a story told really slowly. But yes, a scary prospect!

The Handsome Family, The Globe, Cardiff, Sat 18 Feb. Tickets: £16.50. Info: 07590 471888 / www.globecardiffmusic.com

BUZZ 19

upfront

WNO SPRING PROGRAMME Spring 2017 is set to be an exciting season for the Welsh National Opera. Alongside performances around the world, including opening the brand new Dubai Opera House in March, there is plenty for audiences back home to look forward to. In a season that promises to cater well for fans of Puccini, Cardiff audiences can expect productions of two of the most celebrated operatic works with productions of La Bohème and Madam Butterfly, performed in the original Italian with English and Welsh surtitles. Madam Butterfly will be Joachim Herz’s over 30-year-old production, while La Bohème will be the more unusual 2012 Annabel Arden interpretation, set on Christmas 1913, just before the outbreak of World War I. Alongside these, the WNO will also be showing Le Vin Herbé by Frank Martin, a 1938 opera based on the Tristan and Isolde legend that inspired the renowned Wagner opera. Director Polly Graham explains that much like the other two productions, it is a love story, but musically it is from a different world; where Puccini was the master of gut-wrenching musical theatre, this work is a secular oratorio closer musically to a Bach passion. She says: “The piece is part narrative, part dramatic enactment; it really privileges the power and continual presence of the chorus, who are the chief narrators.”

Graham, who also directed last summer’s WNO Youth Opera production of Maxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!, says it can be more interesting to direct a work like this that is less rarely staged. “This feels like a big responsibility to do this work justice, because it really is a masterpiece,” she says. “I would actually like to do a tour of Welsh churchyards with this show – because it’s minimal and gothic and ethereal.”

Outside of full-scale productions, we can look forward to the WNO Orchestra’s Classical Drive, an evening of Grieg, Mozart and Haydn’s Cello Concerto with soloist Rosie Biss, all under the baton of David Adams. Whether you want to watch one of your favourites or discover something new, WNO will have something for you to enjoy this spring. ALEC EVANS

WELSH LANGUAGE MUSIC DAY Welsh Language Music Day returns this February, one year on from its first outing. Its return comes with a partnership between the BBC, HMV, popular music streaming site Deezer, Cardiff’s cult record store, and the oldest in the world, Spillers Records, Wales’ favourite burger joint the Grazing Shed and of course an array of Welsh-speaking musicians and celebrities.

The #WelshLanguageMusicDay hashtag on Twitter is set to be used as a platform for participants to share their favourite music in the Welsh language with their friends and followers, making it easier than ever to get involved with Welsh language music and discover new acts. Radio One DJ Huw Stephens [pictured], Catatonia frontwoman Cerys Matthews and the organisers of Brecon’s Green Man Festival are amongst the names of people who took part in the event last year, and this year is set to be even bigger and more iconic. Organisers also want people to get involved by listening to a #DyddMiwsigCymru playlist, which boasts the best creative prowess our country has produced over the past 50 years right up to the present day.

Businesses are also getting behind the campaign, with all Co-Operative Group stores in Wales playing Welsh music for the day.

Bethan Elfyn, presenter on BBC Radio Wales, states: “Having a Welsh music day is just a way to turn a window on Wales for one day, to draw attention to the wonderful sounds of Wales” – proving that we are a very capable nation in terms of musical talent and we have plenty to offer, whether it be to people on our home turf or those further away. Ashli Todd, co-owner of Spillers Records, agrees, saying “A lot of inspiration can come from music that should not be overlooked by the barrier of language.” It evidently goes without saying that music is in the blood of the Welsh, and Welsh Language Music Day is the perfect chance to celebrate our unique musical culture.

RACHAEL HUTCHINGS Welsh Language Music Day, Fri 10 Feb. Info: cymraeg.llyw. cymru BUZZ 20

pic: Literature Wales

pic: Jenni Glegg

La Bohème, Thurs 2-Wed 15 Feb; Le Vin Herbé, Thurs 16 Feb; Madam Butterfly, Fri 10-Sat 18 Feb, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Tickets: £7-£43. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wno.org.uk; Classical Drive, Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff, Sat 25 Feb. Info: 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd.ac.uk

BOX OFFICE: 01446 738622

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CINEMA

LIVE STREAMING

THEATRE

MUSIC

COMMUNITY

We We Are Are Brontë Brontë

Martin Carthy & John Kirkpatrick Thursday 2 March, 7:30pm

Publick PublickTransport Transportpresent present aa piece piece of of comic comic visual visual theatre theatre inspired inspired by by the the real real and and imaginary imaginary worlds worlds of of Yorkshire’s Yorkshire’sliterary literarysiblings. siblings.

Leading interpreters of English folk, guitarist/singer Carthy & squeezebox virtuoso/singer Kirkpatrick.

Kast Off Kinks

Celtic Guitar Journeys

Former members of the legendary band ‘The ‘The Kinks’ Kinks’ together to to re-live re-live are back together the good good times. times. the

Three of Europe’s finest acoustic guitarists collaborate in an exciting celebration of their Celtic roots.

Superstars LIVE

Supersonic 70s Show

Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston & Amy Winehouse tributes live on stage with the Superstars LIVE band.

An incredible live show jam packed with classic 70s hits, no wonder it’s described as “the best 70s show of it’s kind - West End quality”.

Friday Friday 20 20 January, January, 7:30pm 7:30pm

Saturday 28 January, 7:30pm

Friday 10 February, 7:30pm

Tuesday 28 March, 7:30pm

Friday 19 May, 7:30pm

MORE FILM, LIVE STREAMING & EVENT LISTINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, OR PICK UP A LEAFLET The Memo Arts Centre is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation: 1155291

upfront

ARTES MUNDI Latin for ‘arts of the world’, Artes Mundi is an internationally focused Welsh arts charity that identifies, recognises, and supports contemporary visual artists who engage with the human condition, social reality, and lived experience. Founded in 2002 by Welsh artist William Wilkins, Artes Mundi is best known for its biennial international exhibition and prize which takes place in National Museum Cardiff, and is Wales’ largest contemporary visual art show. One of six shortlisted artists, this year selected from over 700 nominations from 90 different countries, is awarded a prize of £40,000, the largest in the UK and one of the most significant in the world.

The lineup includes John Akomfrah, a respected artist and filmmaker, whose works investigate memory, post-colonialism, temporality, and aesthetics, who often explores the experience of the African diaspora in Europe and the USA. Neïl Beloufa is an award-winning French-Algerian artist who uses video and multimedia to explore and parody social interaction through diverse subjects like extra-terrestrials, nationalism, and terrorism.

Amy Franceschini is the founder of Futurefarmers, a group of art and farming practitioners, whose work manifests as temporary public art, museum exhibitions, publications, bus tours, and public programmes. Lamia Joreige is a Lebanese artist and filmmaker who uses archival documents to reflect on the relationship between ‘individual’ and ‘collective’ memory. Her work explores the trauma of the Lebanese wars with emphasis on her home city, Beirut.

Nástio Mosquito is a multimedia, performance, and spoken word artist who often places himself centre stage in his work, using mimicry to explore global and African politics. Bedwyr Williams uses multimedia, performance, and text to explore the friction between ‘the deadly serious’ and ‘the banal’ aspects of modern life. Williams is known for satirising the relationship between the artist and curator by creating absurd scenarios for them to appear in.

The winner of the prize will be announced after the exhibition ends at the end of the month, and there are a range of events, such as family workshops and talks, running alongside the main exhibition. POPPY BACKSHALL Artes Mundi 7, National Museum Cardiff & Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, until Sun 26 Feb. Admission: free. Info: artesmundi.org

GREEN MAN 2017 Green Man celebrate their 15th festival this year, and have booked a suitably starstudded line up to rock the Beacons. The annual music and arts festival – which debuted in 2003 as a one-day micro-fest, and now ushers 20,000 people in for four days – impresses again with a clutch of artistic talent ranging from rousing Americana to the outright alternative.

In her single UK show of 2017, PJ Harvey will be taking to the Black Mountains for a headline set. Harvey’s melodic voice and haunting lyrics have garnered consistent praise for some 25 years, being the only artist to hold two Mercury Prizes. Fans of American alternative rock will not be left wanting either, with alt-country icon Ryan Adams and synthpop breakout stars Future Islands both confirmed. As with PJ Harvey, Green Man have managed to secure exclusive UK appearances for both acts, meaning fans will have to act speedily to ensure they don’t miss out.

In total, nearly three dozen acts have been announced for GM17 initially, with other highlights including fast-rising soul-folk artist Michael Kiwanuka; lush Nashville country veterans Lambchop; Conor Oberst, best known as frontman of Bright Eyes and cult US indie figure Angel Olsen. A secret Thursday night headliner has also been mooted – exciting!

Music is not the sole focus of the festival: there will be a range of arts-based activities and entertainment options available for people of all ages. If the hard partying brings on a thirst then The Courtyard will see it quenched – with a huge assortment of craft beers and ciders on offer. Hunger need not be a worry either, with a feast of artisan culinary delights to excite the pallets of festival-goers. Everything from Welsh sausages to Goan cuisine has been on offer, all made with fresh local ingredients.

Families will be happy to know that kids have not been left out with dedicated areas (Somewhere and Little Folk) provided to keep the young’uns busy.

The 15th Green Man will be a celebration of music, art and the best of the Beacons.

Where better to spend four hazy August evenings? JOHN BOOTH Green Man 2017, Glanusk Park Estate, Brecon Beacons, Thurs 17-Sun 20 Aug. Tickets: £180/£155 NUS/£115 teens/£20 under12s/free under-5s. Info: www.greenman.net BUZZ BUZZ22 22

Spring | Gwanwyn 2017

La bohème Puccini Madam Butterfly Puccini Le Vin herbé Frank Martin 28 January | Ionawr – 18 February | Chwefror Aged 16 -30? Tickets available for £5* 16 -30 oed? Tocynnau ar gael am £5*

029 2063 6464 wno.org.uk/lovespoisonedchalice wmc.org.uk *Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. *Yn amodol ar argaeledd. Telerau ac amodau yn berthnasol.

Registered Charity No | Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig 221538 BUZZ 23

upfront

ROB BECKETT: THE MOUTH OF THE SOUTH TOUR Comedian and, debatably, owner of Britain’s whitest teeth, Rob Beckett is headed for the South Wales Valleys. His Mouth Of The South tour comes off the back of a stellar career on the British comedy circuit.

The London born brother of four began performing standup in 2009 and quickly set about making his mark. Beckett’s debut performances on a series of comedy competitions landed him with the opportunity to break Australia. The cheeky cockney struck gold down under, with his appearance at the Adelaide Fringe Festival earning him a nomination for best newcomer. Now a seasoned comedian, Beckett has a string of live gigs under his belt, including two national tours and his solo debut at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Rob’s live witticisms have propelled him to TV fame with regular television appearances featuring on blistering shows including Live At The Apollo, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, and Mock The Week – to name a few. He centres on the observational and delivers side-splitting insights on everything from truffle cutters to stag dos – guaranteed to leave any audience in stitches. Beckett has deservedly had a raft of rave reviews praising him for his likeable comic charm and uniquely funny insights. With reviews like these, it’s no wonder that he always seems to have a cheeky grin on his gargantuanly-toothed face.

The Mouth Of The South tour will see the grinning comic play dates throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, with the Valley towns of Aberdare, Brecon and Maesteg all featuring.

Brecon’s Theatr Brycheiniog will host the first of the three dates at the end of February, followed by Maesteg’s Town Hall in early March and Aberdare’s Coliseum Theatre being his last Welsh tour date.

Rob Beckett’s relatable humour, cheeky charm and shimmering teeth have dazzled audiences from Dublin to down under, so look out for him when he makes his way to the Valleys. JOHN BOOTH

GREAT BRITS 2 The BBC National Orchestra Of Wales returns this month with an evening celebrating the finest of British composition. Great Brits Two will feature music from three legendary 20th century composers: Graham Fitkin, Steve Martland, and David Bedford.

Fans of modern pianism will not be left wanting, with the concert featuring composition genres ranging from the post-minimalist to the popular. The previous instalment of Great Brits, in January, was a tribute to British composers of the post-war era, including giant of minimalism Michael Nyman. This February the Orchestra promise to “push against the conventions of 20th century orchestral composition”. American conductor Edwin Outwater aims to excite musical palates with a range of new partnerships that bridge traditional gaps across musical genres.

Audience members will be treated to the second performance of Intimate Curve, Cornishman Graham Fitkin’s recent orchestral piece. Fitkin masterfully shifts focus from individual sections of the Orchestra before merging them together, resulting in an inspiring sensory journey. Crossing The Border is a rhythmic tour de force composed by the late Steve Martland, a significant figure in the British contemporary classical landscape in the 1980s and 90s. Also featuring is the late David Bedford’s characteristically eccentric Star’s End, an eclectic mix of flowing themes and striking orchestral pieces.

The concert itself will prove technically challenging, but the BBC National Orchestra is fully equipped to rise to the occasion. The orchestra has a rich history; founded in 1928, their musical pedigree is exceptional occupying roles as both a broadcast orchestra and as the national symphony orchestra of Wales.

Under current Principal Conductor Thomas Søndergård, the orchestra have an intensive concert diary and constantly look to new challenges, rightly earning themselves a place as one of Britain’s premier ensembles. JOHN BOOTH Great Brits 2, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Fri 3 Feb. Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk

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pic: Magenta Photography

Rob Beckett: The Mouth of the South, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, Mon 27 Feb; Town Hall, Maesteg, Thurs 2 Mar; Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare, Sun 19 Mar, Tickets: £16. Info: www.robbeckettcomedy. com

L3

l o l f a

l o u n g e

FILM

WHAT’S ON/AR FYND February / Chwefror – April / Ebrill 2017

Jackie (15)

Wed 1 - Wed 15 Feb / Mer 1 - Mer 15 Chwef CELTIC FIDDLE FESTIVAL 21.02.17 – 8PM

PERFORMANCE

CAPITAL CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA Featuring / Yn cynnwys BOBBY SHEW 09.03.17 – 8PM

BABULOUS

Fri 17 & Sat 18 Feb / Gwe 17 a Sad 18 Chwef

MARTIN HARLEY & DANIEL KIMBRO 21.03.17 – 8PM

ART Last chance to see!

CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN 23.03.17 – 8pm

ARTES MUNDI 7

Until 26 Feb / Tan 26 Chwef

029 2030 4400 / chapter.org @chaptertweets / @chapter_eats NANCY KERR & THE SWEET VISITOR BAND 25.04.17 – 8pm

Market Road, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1QE

BUZZ 25 Half Page A4 Advert Template - Buzz.indd 1

30/01/2017 12:26:32

profile

ANDREW MILLER The Executive Producer of Russia 17 talks about the centenary of the Russian Revolution.

Could you tell us about what Russia 17 is? Where did the idea come from?

The Russia 17 season is being produced by a consortium of Wales’ greatest cultural institutions working together for the first time, from Welsh National Opera to the National Museum Of Wales, and from the National Dance Company to the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama. The concept for the season grew out of the Cardiff Orchestral Consortium, a group which ensures classical music promoters and presenters better serve their audiences here in Cardiff. Built on our Artistic Director’s enthusiasm, the Russian project then grew out to encompass opera, theatre, dance, visual arts and cinema.

The season will quite simply immerse audiences in the great riches of Russian culture between February and November 2017. In doing so, we wish to develop Wales’ culture reputation by not simply reflecting on past Welsh glories but by being ambitious and outward looking and very much international in our thinking.

What is the link between Wales and the Russian Revolution?

We’re frequently asked ‘Why Wales?’ Well, there are two very good reasons why it’s going to be in Wales.

There was enormous historic resonance between Wales and Russia. The revolutions immediately inspired the radical traditions of the south Wales Valleys and they forged immediate links to the emerging Soviet Union.

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There were artistic exchanges as early as 1918, and the formation of the first UK Communist Party took place in Wales. Towns and villages such as Maerdy in the Rhondda – Little Moscows, as they were called – had a legacy of these political and artistic exchanges.

We have uncovered correspondence between Welsh miners’ leaders and Lenin himself, who was particularly interested in the south Wales coalfield, where he sets out how to establish the foundation of a workers’ revolution in Wales! And the links go on: we recently discovered that the former Russian city of Donetsk was founded by a Welsh industrialist, John Hughes who exported south Wales mining expertise to kick start the Russian Industrial Revolution. Until 1917, Donetsk was known as Hughesovka!

The second reason is the current relevance of the Revolution, felt by the directors of our partner organisations across the artforms, working individually and collaboratively to explore the art of the period and commissioning and presenting new work inspired by it.

The 1917 revolutions in Russia fundamentally changed not just the country where they occurred but also other countries like Wales, and the arts in the 20th century.

1917 was the first modern global instant to have all the contemporary artforms to record, disseminate, and reflect on what did happened, and in turn were harnessed by the emerging Soviet state for propaganda purposes. Photography and film were both in their relative infancy, and music was shifting enormously

from the grand imperial era of Tchaikovsky through to the avant-garde of Stravinsky. And all of that happened in an incredibly short period of time.

What can we expect?

The artistic directors of all the partner organisations recognised and were greatly engaged by the connection.

Just to be clear, the season isn’t planned by committee, rather it’s an umbrella for very distinct artistic voices and Welsh voices linked thematically. One company did however go a stage further. The National Dance Company of Wales, excited by this project, secured £100,000 of lottery funding to create a new Welsh version of Satie, Picasso and Sergei Diaghilev’s 1917 ballet {Parade}.

Welsh actor Michael Sheen and Russia’s greater cultural ambassador Valerie Gergiev, the Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet of Saint Petersburg, have both agreed to be patrons of Russia 17 in Wales.

My own organisation, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, will be presenting a full year of our themed activity, from our chamber music festival Twilight Of The Tsars through to hosting Valerie Gergiev with the Stradivarius Ensemble in October.

Russia 17. Info: www.r17.wales

DEC/JAN WINNER

RESOLUTION: BY ZAHRA HALL

Next month's theme is 'Legends'.

are you a photographer? want to showcase your work? go to: www.buzzmag.co.uk

buzz online photography competition

Buzz’s photography section is an initiative to showcase Welsh photographers and their work.

Photographers are invited to submit galleries by emailing (or sending via Dropbox) 5-15 pictures, numbering in the order they would like them to be displayed, along with a title of the gallery, and a subtitle.

If you want more direction, please take a look at previous galleries on our site.

Selected photographers will win exhibition space at a renowned gallery, a feature in Buzz and be featured as our Facebook and Twitter cover pictures. This month's theme was 'Resolution'.

If you have any queries, please email editorial@buzzmag.co.uk

film

by Keiron Self

HIDDEN FIGURES ****

Dir: Theodore Melfi (12A, 127 mins) The untold true story of the black women behind NASA’s race into space is stirringly told in this excellent drama. Back in the 1960s, America was divided by colour and gender, men percieved to do the real work. Yet in NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson – played here by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae – pressed to be involved in the launching of the first American into space, John Glenn, as competition with Russia got political.

Johnson’s mathematical skills would plan his orbit and re-entry to Earth, Vaughn’s computing skills would crunch data, and Jackson would become a pioneer in engineering. They were the best people for their jobs but had to overcome racist and sexist attitudes to get them, Johnson forbidden to use the toilet in the same building as other NASA employees. It’s a tale given heft by strong performances from the three women, and also from Kevin Costner’s NASA boss, Jim Parson’s bad Sheldon Paul Stafford, and Kirsten Dunst as the women’s quietly racist superior.

Hard to believe this is what the world was like 55 years ago, although based on some stories currently coming from America, maybe not. Opens Feb 17

20TH CENTURY WOMEN ****

Dir: Mike Mills (15, 118 mins) A coming of age story set in the 1970s with some superb performances, 20th Century Women manages to be both intimate and epic in its scope. Three women played by Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning help Lucas Jade Zumann become a man. Bening plays his mother, overprotective but also a free spirit, someone who has cut themselves off from love for the sake of her child. She realises she can’t be everything to him so enlists the help of lodger Greta Gerwig, a photographer with secrets in her past; she takes him to gigs whilst he moons after Elle Fanning, who treats him as a soulmate but refuses to have sex with him, fearing it will spoil what they have. Unfolding like a John Updike novel, this is a story of family, America and the changing role of women born into different generations. Rich and moving with Bening brilliant as ever. Opens Feb 10

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2 ***

Dir: Chad Stahelski (15, 90 mins) After the surprise success of John Wick, a testosterone boost to the creaky B-movie action genre Liam Neeson seemed to dominate for years, Keanu Reeves returns as the gun-fu expert and assassin... expect a high body count. John Wick, although formulaic, had some incredibly crafted stunts thanks to the writer/ directors, who were former stuntmen themselves. Keanu managed to re-invent himself again after some time in the wilderness as a ludicrous, taciturn hardman out for dog revenge. Inevitably there is now a sequel, expanding the action to Rome, adding car-fu to gun-fu, and now Wick has the assassin world on his trail.

Ex-rapper Common and the androgynous Orange Is The New Black Ruby Rose are among those up for fisticuffs as Reeves destroys anything that wants to kill him.

Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne show up to add some gravitas to the bullet count, but essentially this is more of the same impressively staged action amidst a daft plot about the assassin underworld. Reeves is as blank as ever, but incredibly handy, mowing through set pieces with aplomb. Another blast of adrenaline for those in need. Opens Feb 17

A CURE FOR WELLNESS ****

Dir: Gore Verbinski (15, 156 mins) Aiming to provoke a fear of all relaxing spa breaks, Gore Verbinski’s return to the horror genre after The Ring remakes promises much. Dane DeHaan stars as an ambitious young executive who’s sent to retrieve his boss from a spa in the Alps following a garbled note. However, when he gets there he’s confronted by Jason Isaacs creepy owner, lots of eels, and Mia Goth’s disturbed patient. No one ever leaves the spa you see, especially if they’ve been diagnosed with the illness. Is our hero losing his mind, or is everything as disturbing as it seems? Certainly, the cure this spa is offering is somewhat more rigorous than a detox diet. Verbinski’s eye is on the unsettling in this lavishly designed scare fest that looks like a cousin of Shutter Island. This should be the first good scare of 2017. Opens Feb 24

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE ****

Dir: Chris McKay (PG, 90 mins) After the excellent Lego Movie, one character stood out more than the others: Will Arnett’s gravel-voiced, ultraserious Batman. Thankfully providing an antidote to the po-faced like of Batman v Superman, this block based outing for the caped crusader should deliver plenty of bat laughs. Not only giving us a glimpse into the mundanity of Batman’s life when he’s not being a vigilante, it also has him adopting Michael Cera’ Robin, and dealing with Zach Galifianakis’ Joker. Having to learn that you can’t be alone all the time is the learning curve here…along with lots of jokes. Ralph Fiennes does deadpan as Alfred, Batman’s faithful servant, whilst a ghost of star cameos from the Riddler to Harley Quinn to, er, Condiment Man expand the Lego DC universe.

This will undoubtedly be more fun than Justice League and Suicide Squad. Opens Feb 10

ALSO RELEASED FEB 2017: FENCES (12A) Denzel Washington directs and stars alongside the excellent Viola Davis in this adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play. GOLD (15) Matthew McConaughey goes fat and bald for this tale, based on a true story, as a business man and geologist strike billions of dollars’ worth of gold in Indonesia. Inevitably things don’t go well.

LOVING (15) Ruth Negga and Joel Eedgerton star in this true-life tale of an interracial romance in 1950s America, and the couple who were jailed for it. RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER (15) Milla Jovovich returns for one last time to take on the zombie hordes and bring down the Umbrella Corp thing. RINGS (15) Remember The Ring with the creepy long-haired girl coming

THE FOUNDER ****

Dir: John Lee Hancock (12A, 115 mins) Part underdog story, part Trumpian nightmare, The Founder tells the story of McDonalds’ birth, and the fast food restaurant would revolutionise the way everyone consumes. Michael Keaton is superb as Ray Kroc, a down-at-heel milkshake machine salesman who takes a drive out to a restaurant on the off chance to peddle his wares. He discovers the McDonald brothers – Mac and Dick, played by John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman – who have made their burger bar streamlined and efficient, ensuring food is produced in lightning quick time.

Sniffing an opportunity, Kroc wants to take their model nationwide and leaps on it with little regard for the principles of the brothers, who want to ensure quality over taking a quick buck. Initially partners, Kroc’s ruthless business acumen soon causes a split as the dark side of the American dream tramples over care for your fellow man. Keaton is excellent, making Kroc someone you can root for and despise, and the final third of the film is chilling as the true nature of American capitalism rears its ugly head. Very timely and gripping, The Founder has plenty to say about the divided America we see today. Opens Feb 17

MISS SLOANE ***

Dir: John Madden (15, 132 mins) A hard-bitten lobbyist known for taking no prisoners takes on her most powerful opponent, the gun lobby, in a timely, wordy, and worthy tale which allows Jessica Chastain to coldly chew the scenery as the titular Miss Sloane. Unwilling to represent the gun lobby to get more women to buy guns, she leaves her employers and instead aims to get gun ownership in America more rigorously checked. This means getting senators on her side, ith dirty double dealing being the order of the day. She is not above exploiting others for the cause, but ultimately this will have a price. Chastain excels as the icy Sloane, as does Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the co-worker exploited by her. Ultimately though, there is a Hollywood-style ending which doesn’t quite fit with the cynicism before, leaving the film strangely underwhelming despite the talent involved. Opens Feb 24

MOONLIGHT ****

THE GREAT WALL ***

Dir: Zhang Yimou (12A, 106 mins) The Great Wall Of China: a structure commonly believed to be visible from space, and in this ludicrous but enjoyable fantasy from Hero director Zhang Yimou, built to keep monsters out. The most expensive movie ever made in China, The Great Wall follows mercenaries Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal as they stumble across the Wall and green-blooded monsters the Taotie, that the wall and its honourable Order protects the world against. Mixing Chinese legend with top end CGI, The Great Wall provides plenty of visual flair, as you’d expect from the man who brought you House Of Flying Daggers. It’s filled with tons of panoramic sweeps, lots of colour coding, and breathtaking battle sequences, but the story is familiar despite its iconic setting. It’s ultimately a siege movie that plays its CGI cards too soon, leaving Matt Damon lost amidst the green screen. The supporting cast acquit themselves well within genre constraints, the Chinese cast equally as important as the Western interlopers; Andy Lau and Zhang Hanyu as the brave Chinese Order, with Willem Defoe showing up briefly. It’s a big budget action adventure pleasingly done, more mainstream than its director and cultural setting might suggest. Opens Feb 17

Dir: Barry Jenkins (15, 111 mins) Barry Jenkins’ story of three acts of a black man’s life from childhood, to mid-adolescence, to manhood, manages to bypass cliché; it instead grips and involves as Chiron comes of age. He is played by three different people as he grows: Alex Hibbert is his childhood incarnation, shy and withdrawn, worried about his addict mother (an excellent Naomie Harris) and taken under the wing of drug dealer Mahershala Ali. It’s heartbreakingly observed, even more so as he enters adolescence in the guise of Ashton Sanders, discovering his sexuality and his crush on friend Kevin, leading to violence.

The third act sees him as gold-teethed Trevante Rhodes, reconnecting with his recovering mother and his adolescent crush. It’s richly human, full of empathy and the unexpected. An intimate character study, wellacted, well-crafted, and transcendent. Opens Feb 17

PREVENGE ****

Dir: Alice Lowe (18, 87 mins) A disturbing pitch-black comedy and psychological drama that riffs on Repulsion, as multi-talented Alice Lowe plays a pregnant woman/serial killer on the edge of sanity. Filmed partly on location in Cardiff while Lowe herself was pregnant, she dispatches hideous men like Dan Renton Skinner’s reptile shop owner, Tom Davis’ crap DJ and a host of others including Kate Dickie’s office boss and Gemma Wheelman’s fitness fanatic, all while having checkups with her midwife, Jo Hartley. A pattern emerges as Kayvan Novak’s climbing instructor is targeted, and flashbacks to a former love are brought into focus. Lowe walks a knife edge between what we think is reality and fantasy, her baby goading her to kill in utero, all captured by Ryan Eddlestons’ intimate camerawork. Prevenge is a remarkably assured debut from writer/director Lowe. Opens Feb 10

out of the telly? Yeah, the Japanese and American remake ones. Well, here’s some more of that sort of thing. TONI ERDMANN (15) A three-hour German comedy? Much better than it sounds, with some excellent cringe moments as a father dons a disguise to get close to his daughter. Often very funny, who’d have thought? BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK (15) Ang Lee does war drama in this great film, with standout performances from Kirsten Stewart. A young man comes to terms with his experiences in Iraq during an American football game. FIFTY SHADES DARKER (18) That soft porn book they made a film of has had its sequel done. Plenty of soft focus BDSM with added Kim Basinger – she was in 9½ Weeks, see.

food/drink

SPANISH RESTAURANT ASADOR 44 TO OPEN

GRUB IS IN THE AIR The much anticipated and dreaded Saint Valentine’s day is once again on the horizon. Whether you’re spending it alone or with your significant other, look no further, for Emma Harris has assembled the ultimate list of Cardiffian alternatives for Tue 14 Feb – without a Care Bear in sight.

BE A SNAFFLING PIG AT THE CAMBRIAN TAP If you’re yet to visit this delightful craft beer establishment, we suggest you march yourself there for Valentine’s Day. With 18 draught taps, speciality pork pies, and the delicious Snaffling Pig pork scratchings, you’re guaranteed to experience less eye-gazing and more uncontrollable scoffing. We think you’ll agree there’s nothing sexier. We’ve also heard a rumour that a special edition Valentine’s scotch egg may even be on the cards…

The Cambrian Tap, 51 St Mary St, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2064 4952 / www.sabrain.com

GO FORTH AND EAT PIE Sometimes when you need a pick-me-up in a city full of shop windows emblazoned with hearts and teddy bears, you can’t go wrong with a big plate of pie, mash, and gravy. Team that with a side of pigs in blankets and a beer or two, and you’re surely on to a winner. Go one further and attempt the #TowerofPower, a double-pie combination that will most certainly make that heart of yours beat faster.

Pieminister, 35 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Info: 029 2000 4155 / www.pieminister. co.uk

EAT CAKE AND DRINK GIN! Forget tea and cake, head over to Laguna Kitchen And Bar this Valentine’s for an afternoon tea with a teapot of gin. Need to drown your sorrows? Prefer your romance on a sugar trip? A wondrous selection of cakes all washed down with lashings of gin is the answer. It’s certainly a more attractive option than a bottle of Lambrini and a Greggs iced bun.

Laguna Kitchen And Bar, Park Plaza Hotel, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff.

Admission: £21.95. Info: 029 2011 1103 / www.lagunakitchenandbar.com BUZZ 30

pic: Pablo Gonzalez

Pieminister

Laguna Kitchen And Bar

Brought to you by the brothers who created the Bar 44 group, Owen and Tom Morgan are set to open a new asador restaurant that will specialise in cooking over wood fire. Due to open in Cardiff this spring, it will be the first authentic asador in Wales and will feature a wine room and a cheese room with dry-aged, flame-cooked old Galician ox and beef. The Morgan brothers, who have three tapas restaurants in Penarth, Cowbridge and Cardiff, are tweeting the development of the restaurant (@asador44) where you can follow the process of testing and perfecting the menu which is still being developed.

Opening date: TBC. Info: www. asador44.co.uk

BE NICE AND SHARE IN NINE YARDS If you’re not familiar with this Italian deli, patisserie and prosecco bar, then we insist you make yourself so. Offering a three-course sharing menu for Valentine’s Day, we recommend this as a clever choice for those who fancy a meal out but without the pomp. Expect generous portions and comfortable surroundings with a side of prosecco, and forget your knife and fork!

Nine Yards, St Mary Street, Cardiff. Info: www.facebook.com/NineYardsCardiff

CHOOSE YOUR OWN TUNE AT THE SMOKE HAUS Fancy a break from romantic lyrics? Had enough of the gentle sound of a harp? Head to the Smoke Haus for an evening of delicious American-inspired BBQ with the added bonus of controlling the playlist. The Smoke Haus offers customers the option of joining their wi-fi and signing in with a social media account or email address in order to hit the ‘Click Control Music’ button. Is it the soothing sounds of Drowning Pool or the soundtrack to Silent Hill that gets you in the mood?

The Smoke Haus, Mary Ann St, Cardiff.

Info: www.thesmokehaus.co.uk

VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL Not just a food festival, this unique event will have talks, recipes, cooking demonstrations, information, nutritional advice, clothing, accessories, bags, books, cruelty-free cosmetics and free food samples (the best bit). It offers a vast array of options that are not just good for the body, but for the environment. The festival is organised with the intention of not just encouraging meat eaters to go vegan, but to support both vegans and vegetarians and promote the reduction of meat and dairy consumption. Buy a VIP ticket to skip the queues and receive a goodie bag full of vegan treats and samples.

Viva! Vegan Food Festival, City Hall, Cardiff, Sat 4 Feb. Info: 07590 621062 / www.viva.org.uk

PLACES TO GET FAT IN CARDIFF The early months of any new year are usually filled with a balanced mix of ‘new year, new me’ excitement and arduous regret for succumbing to that extra glass of wine or succulent pig in blanket over the festive season. Nathan Roach suggests a few places that offer brilliant food to get you fat and jolly on your cheat day/week/month/year.

MINA RESTAURANT

If you’re a fan of Lebanese smorgasbords then Mina is the place for you. Situated in Cathays, this cosy restaurant offers many options of meal grills, mezze dishes, fine wines and a fair few cocktails. The indoor decor encapsulates the Lebanese setting with carmine and crimson colours warming the environment for a charming Middle Eastern experience.

43 Crwys Rd, Cardiff. Info: 029 2023 5212 / www.minarestaurant.co.uk

INDIGO TAKEAWAY

SICHUAN CHICKEN NOODLE JAR Words MICHAEL BELL

Going into February, we’re all looking to make better choices with our eating and nowhere can be more challenging to make these choices than the workplace! That’s why this Mason jar packed full of nutritious vegetables makes the ultimate – and coolest looking – desk lunch choice.

INGREDIENTS For the salad:

For the Sichuan sauce:

• • • • • • • • •

•

• • • • • •

1 tsp coconut oil 1 chicken breast ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice Handful of egg noodles 1 carrot 3 spring onions 4 pieces of mange tout 1 red pepper Thumb-size piece of fresh ginger Handful of pumpkin seeds

100g thick peanut butter 50ml dark soy sauce 1 tbsp rice wine 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsps white sugar 1 red chilli (finely chopped) • Handful of fresh coriander

Sometimes a good old takeaway is the blessed relief you need from the monotonous debate of what to have, and do we have the perfect curry house for you. Rich in spices and exploding with taste, Indigo is the perfect place for students (especially with the 15% discount) or anyone who’s after a good hearty meal at a fair price. With an enormous range of various dishes and assorted meal deals (including vast vegetarian options), you’ll be hard-pressed to find something you wouldn’t like from this tasty selection.

132a Albany Rd, Cardiff. Info: 029 2045 2708 / www.indigocardiff.com

METHOD

FINO LOUNGE

3. Cover with a small strip of baking parchment to stop from drying out, bake for 30-35 minutes and allow to cool.

Looking to get fat but want the family there to share the pounds? What was once the old Whitchurch video store has long since been converted into an all-day 1950s-esque cafe/bar, packed with cakes, panini, and their own vegan/gluten-free menus. Wanting the Bristolborn chain establishment to be the prime place for family gatherings, they also have a ‘little loungers’ menu and a range of entertaining games and books to keep mum and dad firmly fixated on enjoying their time and well-prepared meals.

49 Merthyr Rd, Cardiff. Info: 029 2069 2616 / www.thelounges.co.uk

COCO GELATO

If you’ve had a hard day and need some reminding that the world is not all doom and gloom, take a trip down to Cathays to indulge in some traditional and delicious Italian desserts. Signature sundaes, freakshakes and savoury waffles are among a few of the mighty menu options available to eat in or takeaway at your pleasure.

133B Woodville Rd, Cathays, Cardiff. Info: 029 2037 1036 / www.cocogelato.co.uk

COFFEE BARKER

If you consider yourself quite the coffee connoisseur and enjoy satisfying your sweet tooth, then this cafe, nestled on the edge of Castle Arcade, is definitely a location that should already be on your ravenous radar. The interior itself being quite the quirky conversation starter, Coffee Barker is rich with not only a large range of hot drinks, delicious meals and mouth-watering desserts but also a luxurious seating area, stylish bare brick and an assortment of garage sale oddities that give it an edge in comparison to Starbucks et al.

Castle Arcade, Cardiff. Info: 029 2022 4575 / twitter.com/coffeebarker

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Rub the coconut oil into the chicken breast, sprinkle with the Chinese five-spice and place on a baking tray.

4. Cook the noodles as per packet instruction (usually 3-4 minutes) and once drained, run under cold water to stop the cooking process – leave to one side.

5. Finely slice the carrot – the best way to do this is to use a vegetable peeler and peel a thin ribbon and using a knife. Cut this into smaller strips.

6. Finely slice the white halves of the spring onions, the mangetout pieces, the red pepper, ginger and the cooled chicken breast.

7. Now using an empty Mason jar, layer your chopped ingredients in any order you like before sprinkling in the pumpkin seeds.

8. Combine all ingredients for the Sichuan sauce in a jug and pour over the jar.

9. Close the lid and shake the jar to combine all ingredients.

www.mikeyandthekitchen.wordpress.com @mikeyandthekitchen

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pic: Tauno Tohk

NINE YARDS: NEW SAVOURY MENU

FEBRUARY FOODIE FOCUS

A

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 and must-try food & drink events that the city has to offer.

Lia’s Kitchen Greek Cookery Class – Fri 3, 10, 17 + 24 Feb Lia’s weekly cookery classes aim to introduce people to some lesser known flavours of Greece. Running every Friday in February, the first week focuses on the main herbs, spices, and ingredients you’d find in a Greek pantry. Subsequent weeks focus on Greek pies, cheeses, breads and salads. Tickets are priced at £37 per head, and the venue is likely to be somewhere in Roath but will be announced the week before the event. More info: www.liaskitchen.com The Viva! Vegan Festival – Sat 4 Feb Focussing not only on food but on all aspects of vegan living, the Viva! Vegan Festival will take place in Cardiff City Hall and feature everything from chocolate to clothing, cosmetics to cuddly toys. Keep an eye out for food by the Avant Garde Vegan, who will be whipping up some of his famously flamboyant plant-based dishes.

VietNom Street Food Pop-Up – Sat 4 Feb On the first Saturday of the month, a Vietnamese pop-up will take over the kitchen at Little Man Coffee, and it’s all for a good cause. On offer will be Asian-spiced pulled pork or crispy shredded tofu – stuffed into

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fluffy white baguettes (as is traditional in Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches), or served with vermicelli glass noodles. The evening is being held to raise funds for Beauty With A Purpose, a charity which helps children not only in Wales but around the world. More info: www.facebook.com/littlemancoffee.

Six Nations Rugby & Street Food at The DEPOT – throughout Feb As any self-respecting Welsh person will already know, the Six Nations start on Sat 4 Feb with the first Welsh fixture, Italy vs Wales, taking place on Sun 5. Combine your love of rugby with your love of good grub and hit the DEPOT for every fixture for big screens and craft beers on tap. More info: www. depotcardiff.com.

To bring in the new year, we here at the Italian deli, patisserie, and prosecco bar Nine Yards have something special for you. We’ve just launched a new savoury menu to bring some of the best tastes of Italy to Cardiff’s St Mary Street – just the thing after we’ve polished off our sweet Christmassy goodies. Don’t worry though, we’ve got some delectable desserts to go alongside our patisserie for those with a sweet tooth.

MENU

-Burrata basil tomato (v) Burrata is a cheese made from mozzarella and cream, perfect with basil and tomato.

-Creamy garlic mushrooms (v) Mushrooms cooked in a to-die-for creamy garlic sauce.

-Gorgonzola garlic honey Tangy but sweet, with a pinch of garlic to bring it all together.

-Meatballs Beautiful Italian meatballs. Need we say more?

-Tuscan sausage Traditional flavoursome sausages from Tuscany.

-Trofie with pesto (v) Pasta from Liguria, famed for its light, herby dishes.

-Asparagus lemon parmesan These sweet and savoury flavours go together perfectly to create a mouthwatering dish.

-Prosciutto Taleggio fig This treat mixes delicately sliced and salty prosciutto with the fruity tang of Taleggio cheese and figs.

-Chocolate panna cotta with raspberry Valentine’s Day – Tues 14 Feb The most romantic day of the year falls on a Tuesday this time around, and many of Cardiff’s independent restaurants are offering one-off menus for the occasion.

Treat the food fanatic in your life with a fivecourse French feast from Thé Pot served with a glass of prosecco for £39.95pp, or push the boat out with a seven-course spectacular from The Purple Poppadom for £99.99 per couple.

Creamy and chocolatey panna cotta mingles with tangy raspberries in this rich classic.

-Strawberry tart Simple and stunning, with flavours that’ll make you yearn for the summer.

-Tiramisu Chocolatey and creamy with coffee flavours, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Info: 029 2022 9113 / www.facebook.com/ nineyardscardiff

food/drink

THE HASHERY

CURADO BAR, SPANISH BAR & DELI

Westgate Street, Cardiff. 029 2034 4336 / facebook.com/curadobar Food ***** Atmosphere ***** Following in the success of Ultracomida in Aberystwyth and Narberth, the owners behind this brilliant Spanish bar/deli have recently opened the doors in Cardiff city centre in the old Burger King site – indeed, the area is fast becoming a Spanish enclave, with Bar 44 and Asador around the corner.

The menu is typically Spanish, featuring tapas from Valencia, Galicia and the Basque country, and the menu is split into three – pintxos (finger food on bread), deli plates and main dishes cooked in the kitchen. The deli is on show and there is a specials board for jamon and meats, which are all carved on demand. The bustle of the bar is typical of what you would expect in Spain, a long bar with stools and booths and tables upstairs. There are no bookings available which, again, is typical: dropping in for a beer and pintxos and grazing throughout the evening is the norm.

A focus on northern Spain is evident with the dishes and wines from the region. After visiting producers and vineyards there, the team behind Curado have delivered both quality and a genuine taste of Spain which customers are flocking to sample – from Aceitunas (a selection of olives) to Almendras (Valencian almonds, fried and salted); jamón Ibérico, tomato y ajo (hand-carved Ibérico ham with garlic, tomato and bread); matrimonio (Atlantic anchovy, boqerros and piquillo pepper on bread and salsa verde) to hefty field mushrooms filled with mahon cheese, breadcrumbs and Er Boqueron sea salt beer, all on offer is delicious and fresh.

The wine list is helpfully divided into regions and you are guided to which wine complements which food; there’s also a fantastic beer and sherry selection. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest on the planet and for good reason. With planned wine and food evenings and talks about the regions and the produce on the way, Curado is a pearl in a sea of fat chain eateries and a welcome respite from them all. ANTONIA LEVAY

High Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8513 / www.thehashery.co.uk Food **** Atmosphere **** There is something oddly uplifting about the Hashery, an independent new restaurant on Cardiff’s chain-heavy High Street, injecting a little bit more personality into an area that, if it were a person, would be the clone of a chartered accountant called Clarence. Adding to the Hashery’s punky personification is its straight-out-of-film backstory: four talented individuals who worked at nearby big chain set up their own restaurant on the same street. Upon entering the restaurant, two things strike you: 1) Bryce Davies’ striking street art adorning its walls and 2) what on earth is a hashery? (Hashery, noun, a restaurant or lunch counter, especially a small or cheap place.)

In terms of its prices, the restaurant lives up to its name: two-for-one cocktails all day starting at £6.95 and nothing on the menu over £9.95. However, what’s on offer differs wildly from the image a hashery evokes, speacialising in hefty portions of beautifully prepared mussels, indulgent Cubanos and burgers, and expertly prepared cocktails.

Upon sitting down at a table, we’re served up with a couple of glasses of electric tea (resembling a blue lagoon). With a medley of spirits inside us, we choose to follow it with the Med Mussels, cooked with chorizo, tomato and basil, and a Chick Flick Cubano (a basil and buttermilk chicken Cubano sandwich). The mussels are breathtaking, and the Cubano goes down a treat, while we’re unable to believe the prices. This is good food and drink at a great price, and just as good a location for a few drinks with friends as it is for a meal in the town centre, where it shines out as a beacon of hope. LUKE OWAIN BOULT

DICKENS OF CHARLES STREET

48 Charles St, Cardiff. 029 2022 9346 / facebook.com/dickenstearooms Food *** Atmosphere ***

Bringing a touch of Dickensian class to Cardiff city centre, Dickens Of Charles Street offers a wide selection of breakfasts, teas, coffees, cakes, sandwiches, soups and light snacks. Aiming to transport you back to a classier, time the tearoom is a relaxed space to spend a few hours or two.

As you walk through the front door you’re met with a bright décor: splashes of deep purple and lime green, beautiful glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling – and, most importantly, friendly staff. Once we were sat down, we began to deconstruct the menu. Finally we decided to go with The Dickens Luxury Tea, which consists of a glass of bubbly, a selection of dainty finger sandwiches, homemade cakes, fresh scones with clotted cream and Welsh preserve, and last but not least a pot of tea of your choice.

The sandwiches were made with thinly sliced ham in between fresh fluffy bread.

The little delicate homemade cakes were packed with sweet flavours that got the tastebuds swirling as we sipped on our Earl Grey. I was particularly impressed with the scone: often, something as simple as getting the scones right can fall to the wayside, so you can really tell how much Dickens Of Charles Street takes pride in making really daintily delicious food.

After we sipped the last drops of bubbly we sat there in utter bliss. Dickens Of Charles Street is the perfect place for a low-key hen do, or somewhere to take your mum for a Saturday high tea. JAYDON MARTIN BUZZ 33

art

BRUCE RISDON: JUXT IS…

Elysium Gallery, Swansea Fri 3-Sat 18 Feb This year, the Elysium Gallery is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Prior to its opening in 2007, the Elysium Gallery was known as Exposure Gallery, in which the very first exhibition was Shropshire-born, Swanseabased artist Bruce Risdon. Now, 10 years later, Risdon is the first exhibition of 2017 at the Elysium. His career starting there, he is now coming full circle.

Risdon’s work is a combination of both landscape and portrait paintings in oils and has a very bold style with deliberate brushstrokes with a musical arrangement of colours. The gallery describes his work as having a gestural style “with themes ranging from underlying erotic narratives to confident landscape vistas.” But this exhibition will show his work now leans more toward the figure as a subject, showcasing a new collection of paintings which focus on breaking down the traditional social stereotypes of identity, sexuality, and gender roles.

His work is created in an attempt to reflect the contemporary departure of these accepted norms and look at conveying the individual’s “former peculiarities that have now become disparate guiltless pleasures.”

Very relevant work in this era indeed.

Admission: free. Info: www. elysiumgallery.com (RS)

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DAVID HOCKNEY: ORIGINAL PRINTS

Ceri Richards Gallery, Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea Fri 24 Feb-Sat 1 Apr Without question, David Hockney has been one of the most prolific and experimental artists of the 20th century. Over the course of his career, his work as a painter, set designer, draughtsman and photographer has been well documented, but somehow his work as a printmaker has rarely gained the spotlight. However, an exhibition starting later this month is aiming to change all that.

In collaboration with the Goldmark Gallery, the Ceri Richards Gallery in Swansea's Taliesin Arts Centre is to display some of Hockney's most influential work in his 60 years as a printmaker. The works contain many characteristics qualities of his art – an economy of technique, a preoccupation with storytelling and human interaction – but they are also some of Hockney's most personally revealing creations. The exhibition seeks to establish as Hockney as one of the most skilled, innovative and challenging printmakers alive.

Among the images on display are a number of etchings from his Grimm's Fairytale series. These sparse, almost ugly, depictions of the Grimms' stories stand in contrast to the luscious illustrations that one would typically expect to adorn the pages of the fairytales; where those colourful pictures seek to create beauty and magic, Hockney's unassuming black and white stark etchings bring back to mind J.R.R. Tolkien’s remark that the fairytales were not written 'for children'.

Alongside this series there will sit works from his Cavafy suite, a series of illustrations that were inspired by the Hellenistic homoerotic poetry of C.F. Cavafy. Hockney first discovered Cavafy's poetry in the 1950s, when he stole a copy of his poems for the local library in Bradford. The series marks Hockney's first artistic interaction with Cavafy, a source which informed much of his subsequent work. His simple ink line drawings shocked audiences when they were first released in 1967 with their depiction of gay men in bed.

Admission: free. Info: 01792 602060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk CHARLOTTE TAYLOR

PING GANG CHENG: POETRY

Boundary Art, Cardiff Bay Until Sun 12 Mar Cardiff Bay’s Boundary Art was opened to embrace and harness the fusion between Western and Chinese cultures, believing there should be “no boundaries but only differences between the two cultures.”

Wanting to be the bridge between the two, it aims to bring in art and culture from China, including calligraphy, ink painting, and tea ceremonies, in turn also creating a space for Chinese audiences to view modern art from the West.

Boundary Art has created a space away from the busy movement outside its doors where you can appreciate more than just art. Zhang Hong and Fang Guanghong are amongst the Chinese artists on display there, but Ping Gang Cheng really mirrors Boundary Art’s mission of balance in his work, describing his art as “harmony between mind and nature.” All of the Chinese artists there work in abstract ways, but Cheng’s is the most vibrant; with bold colours and tones throughout, each piece is like a burst of emotion.

With his first exhibition, Chinese Pain, shown when he was 32, Cheng, now 59, has been painting for many years and also has experience with classical Chinese calligraphy. This solo exhibition is an opportunity to appreciate his mission.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 9869 / www.boundaryart.com (RS)

POWER IN THE LAND / PŴER YN Y TIR

Bay Art, Cardiff Bay Sat 18 Feb-Sat 18 Mar Over a year after the closure of the final nuclear power station in Wales, a dialogue is being formed about the history of nuclear energy in Britain. Nuclear energy has flourished in parts of Europe, but has slowly decayed in Britain. It perhaps has more to say about our culture beyond the empty silos that once littered the Welsh countryside.

Power In The Land presents a collage of video, sound, performance and photographic forms by 10 artists. Their collaborations have allowed them to explore the cultural undertones of energy – principally power stations – on communities. Wales, with the scars of coal and slate mining still apparent on its soil, cradles the exhibition in sympathetic hands.

Why has nuclear energy been abandoned in Wales? Do lands, perhaps, express their own desire for a certain type of power beyond geography? Power... doesn’t attempt to answer these complicated questions, but instead diverts our attention to the cultural undertones of our energy choices. The remnants of nuclear power have left their own material culture on our landscape, but what Power... is principally concerned with is the impact of industry upon our cultural and linguistic ecosystems.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2065 0016 / www.bayart.org.uk (BN)

ANNA NOEL: TELLING TALES

Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay Until Sun 5 Mar Anna Noel is inspired by childhood make believe, fables, and fairy tales, which flows into her work to produce curious yet nostalgic pieces that are truly unique.

Noel was born in Swansea, where she still lives and works after studying Ceramics at the Bath Academy Of Arts, and going on to completing a master’s in Ceramics at the Royal College Of Art in London. She has been working on her sculptures full time ever since and has won the Cardiff Artist Of The Year Award and was awarded a two-month residency at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia.

With a lifelong fascination with animals and the part they play in storytelling, Anna uses their imagery to produce work that aims to reflect, embrace, and convey the difficulties and complexities of both childhood and adulthood. Growing up in the countryside surrounded by animals, she is interested in the relationship humans have with them, and how they express emotions when faced with spiritual, humorous, curious, or joyous experiences.

Because of the connection to storytelling in her art, she sometimes features excerpts from poems, riddles, and rhymes in her work. Her childlike and playful sculptures are like apparitions from a fanciful day dream; creations that are a delight to behold.

Admission: free. Info: 029 2048 4611 / www.makersguildinwales.co.uk (RS)

Buzz AdNS.qxp_Layout 1 19/01/2017 09:14 Page 1

Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd National Museum Cardiff

Swyn Byd Natur Darluniau Tsieineaidd o Adar a Blodau

Nature’s Song Chinese Bird and Flower Paintings

自然的吟唱 中国花鸟画艺术展

21.01.17 – 23.04.17 Am ddim / Free / 免费开放

Parc Cathays, Caerdydd CF10 3NP www.amgueddfa.cymru/caerdydd

Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP www.museum.wales/cardiff

INTERESTED IN MUSIC AND THE ARTS? FANCY YOURSELF AS A BUDDING JOURNO OR CRITIC? If so, Buzz wants to hear from you.

Send a covering letter and some samples of your writing to: editorial@buzzmag.co.uk

BUZZ 35

stage

MACBETH

Caerphilly Castle Tue 7-Sat 18 Feb Breaking away from tradition, Theatr Genedlaethol Cyrmu offers a fresh take on the ‘Scottish Play’, performing the Shakespearian masterpiece in Welsh. Translated by the late Gwyn Thomas, national poet for Wales 2006-2008, Macbeth is set to provide audiences with a harrowing performance that explores the darkest elements of desire.

The performance, in partnership with Cadw, will enthral audiences against the imposing medieval backdrop of Caerphilly Castle. Macbeth itself plays host to themes both dark and sinister – the battle-scarred towers of the castle being a fitting tribute.

Hinterland’s Richard Lynch is amongst the cast that will descend upon the dimly lit halls and murderous enclaves of Caerphilly Castle. Lynch will star as Macbeth, a young Scottish general with lofty ambitions. But, as the antiquated maxim goes ‘behind every great man is a great woman’ and Lady Macbeth does not disappoint. Byw Celwydd’s Ffion Dafis will play the protagonist’s devious betrothed. Members of the audience will accompany the pair on their quest to seize Scotland’s throne whilst descending into the deep depths of depravity. The play is not for those of faint heart: it is a tragedy, an ode to bloodlust driven by raw ambition.

Directed by veteran actor turned successful director Arwel Gruffyd – a stellar cast comprised of home-grown Welsh talent look to give life, or more appropriately death, to the bard’s macabre words. Even before opening night it is difficult not to be excited by the sheer initiative and passion behind this piece of theatre. Scale and linguistics aside, Gruffydd fuses together both professional and community actors, could this prove a directorial masterstroke? Non-Welsh speakers as well as learners will not be kept wanting, with an app available for those attending the live performance and English subtitles featuring during repeat cinema screenings.

Tickets: £11-£14. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.theatr.cymru JOHN BOOTH

(F.E.A.R.)

Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Sat 18 Feb; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Tue 21-Sat 25 Feb Are you a fan of Mr and Mrs Clark?

No? Well, you’re wrong. If you’ve not witnessed Gareth Clark and Marega Palser's idiosyncratic combination of humour and polemic, choreography and audience participation, then it’s high time you joined the programme and took a step into the unknown.

(F.E.A.R.) is a one-man show addressing the contemporary world of fear and anxiety, presented from the point of view of a middle-aged man struggling to deal with the uncertainties of Brexit, Isis, state surveillance, and the inevitable processes of his own aging. Sure to be in turn challenging and hilarious, quite possibly disturbing, and undoubtedly sincere at its core, (F.E.A.R.) will engage its audience with a political intensity and a sharp iconoclastic wit.

Beyond that, who knows? Anything could happen: previous work has veered from The Shelly Duvalls, the story of a punk band fixated on The Shining, to Smash It Up, a protest against cultural vandalism. Part Vic & Bob, part Torville and Dean, zero percent Ant and Dec, Mr and Mrs Clark are impossible to define.

Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 01792 602060 / www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk (Swansea); 029 2030 4400 / www. chapter.org (MD) BUZZ 36

CIRCUS OF HORRORS

Grand Theatre, Swansea Mon 27 Feb “Hannibal Helmet, believe it or not, was a tax inspector for the German government,” says Dr Hays, the creator of Circus of Horrors in his Britain’s Got Talent audition tape. Cut to Hannibal Helmet, and it’s not too difficult to understand just why you may not believe this. They’re like one big family of freaks, he says, and then later grins excitedly as his co-performer goes on to swallow a sword whole and both horrify and excite the audience while “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME” appears very urgently on the screen. It’s definitely the kind of thing you want to look at, but also don’t want to, and so end up peeping from between your fingers. A girl swings from the ceiling by her hair as the sword is swallowed, just to make sure a good measure of shock is being provided.

Not everyone’s cup of tea, granted, but if unbearable and seemingly impossible bodily acts or just general bizarreness is your kind of thing, all of this is on show at the Grand this month. Watch their audition online if you haven't already for a taste of the madness. As Graham Norton said: “You have to go and see this. If one day something will go wrong, you will be able to say ‘I was there!’”

Tickets: £18.50-£26.50. Info: 01792 475715 / www.swansea.gov.uk (RS)

DANZA CONTEMPORÁNEA DE CUBA

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay Tue 28 Feb-Wed 1 Mar Founded in 1959, Danza Contemporánea De Cuba’s style is rooted in Cuban folklore, mixed with modern dance which work together to produce mesmerising movements with irresistible beats blended from Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazzy American modernism, and inflections from European ballet. Now after 50 years, the group has worked to become regarded as Cuba’s number one modern dance troupe.

Their dancers are of the highest calibre and move fluidly and with seemingly effortless grace, while harnessing the rawness of being that is the Cuban spirit. The troupe have collaborated with international leaders in dance, and worked to produce something that’s a distinctly unique expression of all that is Cuban by combining Afro-Caribbean and Spanish fusions.

The show is split into three 30-minute performances entitled Reversible, The Listening Room, and Matria Etnocentra, each choreographed by a different dancer, and is brought to you by Dance Consortium charity who, since 2000, have presented 36 tours by 22 companies from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, France, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Israel, and the USA. Tickets: £14.50-£29.50. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk (RS)

THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff Tue 28 Feb-Sat 4 Mar This play not only focuses on the brutal Roman conquest and occupation of Britain, it is a commentary on imperialism and abuse of power, separated into three parts. The first act takes place during Julius Caesar’s second expedition to Britain in 54 BC, and how this affected the local communities and structures. The second act then follows the reaction of the Brits.

Do they fight back? Do they surrender?

Do they do something else? Later, it follows a rogue SAS officer in 1980s Ireland on a mission to assassinate an IRA cell leader.

As a general warning, the theme of this show is ‘the rape of Britain’ and it is shown both figuratively and literally.

Historically, this play has caused controversy over a scene featuring attempted rape. There was even a failed prosecution attempt by Mary Whitehouse for ‘procuring an act of gross indecency’, a law otherwise used at the time to oppress and entrap homosexuals.

Tthe relevance of this play shows power in words and manipulation that the world needs to see today.

Like Shakespeare, Brenton allows the audience to take in his imagery and lets them come to their own conclusion.

Tickets: £12/£10. Info: 029 2030 4400 / www.chapter.org (MM)

SATURDAY 11 MARCH 7.30pm 029 2087 8889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk Bookings subject to a Ticketing Service Charge

CWMNI RICHARD BURTON COMPANY

7–14 FeB | CHwe

/RwCmD

/RwCmD

#RwCmD

7–14 FeB | CHwe

Pontardawe Arts Centre

Canolfan Celfyddydau Pontardawe

Feb/Chwefror

DREADZONE

Fri/Nos Wener 10th 7.30pm

PAUL FOOT 16+ wASTwATeR By | Gan SImON STepHeNS Sherman Theatre Theatr y Sherman

Friday/Nos Wener 17th 8pm

SOUL CIRCLE

Sat/Sadwrn 18th 7pm

SOUTHERN TENANT

FOLK UNION

Fri/Nos Wener 24th 7.30pm Mawrth/March

7–14 FeB | CHwe

BIG COUNTRY

Fri/Nos Wener 3rd 7.30pm

OpeN plAN

SEANN WALSh 16+

By | Gan mARCelO DOS SANTOS

Sat/Nos Sadwrn 4th 7.30pm Tickets | Tocynnau 029 2039 1391 www.rwcmd.ac.uk

01792 863722

Postcode:SA8

4ED

www.pontardaweartscentre.com BUZZ 37

SUBMERGE PRESENTS CONTACT

clubs

BEN UFO

Delete @ Jacobs Market, Cardiff Fri 24 Feb My favourite DJ finally comes back to Cardiff, for the first time since he visited Clwb Ifor Bach nearly four years ago in a dream team also comprised of Floating Points and Andrew Weatherall. This event, courtesy of Buzz favourites Delete, is likely to have a more deep and dark vibe that Ben operates brilliantly in.

Starting to make his name during university in Leeds, Ben Thomson was part of the internet-linked diaspora of non-Londonbased dubstep fanatics early in the genre’s genesis. Now, he is one of the most ardently loved and sonically unique DJs in the UK. In 2013, Ben UFO was inaugurated into the esteemed canon of the Fabriclive mix series – a milestone representing the influence he and his label Hessle Audio have had on electronic music in the last decade.

His, and the label’s, trajectory through dubstep, garage, UK funky, house, techno and further hybrids has been shared by thousands of listeners and DJs alike.

Beginning as one of those feted selectors of the nascent dubstep scene, like Oneman and Braiden, who blended whatever worked, whether 4/4, halfstep, or 2-step, Ben Thomson’s mission statement has been to intertwine strands of modern dance music culture that have sometimes threaded together, and sometimes unravelled.

Tickets: £20 (sold out – find Delete Cardiff on Facebook for spare tickets).

Info: 029 2039 0939 (GTDC)

BUZZ 38

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Fri 17 Feb

After three years of running nights in Cardiff that feature high quality headliners big and small from the world of dubstep and grime, Submerge deserve a lot of credit. Their first party of 2017 brings together three DJs for their most daring event yet – also a link-up with nostalgic yet forward-thinking London club night, Contact.

Contrary to his name, Youngsta [pictured] has long been an important actor in the dubstep scene.

During his residency at the movement's home club night FWD>> (established 2001) and his long-running series of shows on the definitive radio station, Rinse FM, he broke many of dubstep’s biggest anthems and ushered in new directions for genre – though not the most populist, Americanised breakaway movement that some call brostep.

Youngsta continues to expose original forms by young producers as he blends new music in his unique style: low-down and elephant-heavy. He’s never produced his own tracks, just devoted himself to DJing, ignoring the fads and sticking to the original dubstep ethos of meditative bass, open space and inventive rhythm. A couple of years ago he set up Contact, in affiliation with Rinse FM and the original dubstep label Tempa, to create a positive space in which to continue these ideas – this night has partnered with Contact to spread the gospel to Wales. Contact regular J:Kenzo has been a musical compatriot of Youngsta for about a decade now. His music is strongly influenced by stepper’s dub as well as the more ravey sounds you might expect to hear on a club soundsystem.

Finally, in a tempo departure from Submerge’s history, they’ve pulled in the exciting Sam Binga – a Bristol-based producer and man of many genres and aliases with an outstanding history in nu-skool breaks, slow house music and anything else he’s tried his hand at. For the last few years he has operated in the realms of drum’n’bass, but not as you know it. He’s a rhythmic explorer, fashioning new rhythms out of deconstructed and slowed down breakbeats, blending US hip-hop and dancehall forms with futuristic jungle tearouts. Get amongst it.

Admission: £15/£10 adv. Info: 029 2023 2199 GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF

BLACK HOUSE 10TH BIRTHDAY

Aberystwyth Students Union Sat 4 Feb Aberystwyth’s bass matrix celebrates 10 happy years of dance therapy for the west coast, with oodles of local DJs and a strong list of headliners spanning genres and vintages of adrenaline-pumping music over four stages.

DJ Hazard is a notorious name in the drum’n’bass world due to his part in the emergence of ‘wobble’, the fun-loving subgenre that took over in the 00s. The Birmingham man was spinning records on the legendary Kool FM back in the 90s though, later getting noticed by the eminent full-on rave headliners are Bristol’s My Nu Leng; their slower bass-rhythmics will no doubt exercise limbs just as healthily.

Influential UK hip-hop crew Foreign Beggars [pictured] are coming up to 15 years in the game, love of rave-friendly electronic music going back years through work with Alix Perez, Machinedrum and Noisia. Gypsy Unit represent hip-hop differently, a Bristol band fusing electroswing’s future-retro sound with dubstep bass and lyrical wit.

Legendary west Wales free party team Eternal Cru host The Dome for the night, with their DJs laying down the history of techno, drum’n’bass and old school rave.

If you want something richer and more organic, the Leicester dub (not dubstep) squadron Vibronics are there for you, rocking out their warm and solid-stepping dub style for those who feel the vibes.

Admission: £20/£15 adv. Info: 01970 621800 (GTDC)

HEY MARY

The Big Top, Cardiff Fri 3 Feb + Fri 3 Mar Hey Mary is an alternative, inclusive, queer, DIY clubnight and drag show launched last spring. It has succeeded in providing a showcase for Cardiff’s burgeoning alt-drag scene, creating something much-needed in every city: an unpretentious LGBTQ night open to all. Now found in the fresh Big Top space above 10 Feet Tall and Undertone, it’s also a welcome break from Churchill Way and Charles Street.

Hosted by the infamous and silver tongued Lucy Fur and her pack of Diamond Dogs, Sissy Boy Tears is the outstanding resident queer/fag DJ duo comprised of Christobel, previously of the aforementioned Hell’s Bent, and neufunkaum, a DJ affiliated with Cardiff’s much-loved party-soundtracking crew Vinyl Vendettas. With a keen ear for “sad, scuzzy electronica” and sleek, loud, body-shaking music, these two provide an equally conspicuous part of Hey Mary’s appeal. This night features drag queens Polly Amorous, Medusa Repulsa and Lillith, known for their morbid aesthetics, death drops, lip syncs and on-stage satanic rituals – bellydancer Shroukie El-Masry also appears.

Hey Mary’s short career has already played host to some extraordinary events, including Medusa as a toxic-waste drenched mermaid drowning in oil, and an underwater ball at Clwb – it’s best you find out what the hell is going on before everyone else does.

Admission: £5. Info: 029 2022 8883 (GTDC)

WILEY

Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union Sun 5 Feb Wiley is the godfather of grime; hands down.

No one seriously contests this. It’s almost unheard of to be absolutely sure of anyone’s dominance within their field; why is the case of Wiley Kat, the Eski-boy, born Richard Cowie, so different? Well, it’s not just the fact that he was the main trailblazer of the London beats-and-bars sound, an East London kid who changed music forever and has never really stopped doing new things.

Wiley can juggle mainstream success with the real, street music sound that he helped create. You might know him from chart storming tunes like Wearing My Rolex and Heatwave – tracks that intentionally bastardised the grime sound in order to achieve popularity and inspire dance moves in the UK’s high street drinking halls. At the same time, he’s never stopped producing brilliant music that is aware of its roots.

Somehow, he’s never sold out (he reportedly turned down a fortune to appear in this year’s series of Celebrity Big Brother).

He could be described as the UK’s answer to Kanye West: enormously talented; blessed, or cursed, with a prodigious amount of what seems to be self-belief; subject to Twitter meltdowns. Though he’s not attracted the same ire that Kanye has, if he had the same audience he probably would. He’s a selfassured black man from humble beginnings who doesn’t feign humility anymore; he’s aware of his power, and that scares people.

Tickets: £18.50. Info: 029 2078 1458 (GTDC)

FEBRUARY 2017

BUZZ 39

MEILYR JONES

live

KRS-ONE

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff Thurs 9 Feb ‘Teacha’ is making his debut performance in Wales this February and will be hugely anticipated by everyone that embraces rap and hip-hop. A pioneer of conscious rap and one of the most prolific MCs to emerge from the golden-era of 80s and 90s hip-hop, the 51-year-old rapper, producer and activist is currently touring the UK and is going to be gracing Cardiff with a performance.

Who is KRS-One? The “meta-lyrical poetic mystical MC”, KRS – real name Lawrence Parker – is well-known for his political content in his lyricism. Growing up in the Bronx and experiencing the death of DJ Scott La Rock (his bandmate in Boogie Down Productions) gave birth to his zealous opposition to violence. On his quintessential track, Sound Of Da Police KRS-One speaks out on the ongoing elements of police brutality in law enforcement in the 90s.

A dominant force on the mic, with over three decades’ performing experience behind him, the Cardiff audience can expect a specialist performance with a tight flow from the Blastmaster himself. KRS-One tracks often have elements of orchestral music in their production, which offer an atmosphere of grandeur to the sound. Clwb Ifor Bach, in the heart of the city centre, will provide a level of intimacy for this sound that often isn't available for such an iconic MC. Tickets: £22 (sold out – check box office for returns). Info: 029 2023 2199 (CP)

BUZZ 40

The Gate, Cardiff Fri 3 Mar Meilyr Jones was an influential name on everybody’s lips in 2016 and as we shift into the new year it’s clear the impact he had then hasn’t faded in the slightest. It was his debut solo album, 2013, that caught the attention of critics and music lovers in Wales and beyond, bringing his unique sound to the fore after the conclusion of his former project Race Horses.

Speaking over the phone, Meilyr recalls it didn’t come together straight away. “I didn’t have any fixed musicians to play with, I just started composing in my head, writing songs on piano but I wanted to record songs completely live. I wanted to do something really different... whatever came out.” A brief holiday in Rome sparked a fire in his imagination and he recognised that he was now in a position where he could “make music in whatever way and make ideas real”.

The Roman lifestyle seemed to be a key source of inspiration for him and how it can be a welcome departure from, in his words, “the hypercapitalist way we live”. The resulting album was released almost a year ago; it’s lavish and ambitious but still qualifies as memorable pop music – or, as Meilyr puts it, “not posh music”. Nevertheless, an orchestra is assembled and put to exuberant work: a satisfying creative outburst borne from a desire to “not compromise what’s in my head”.

Performing 2013 live is a somewhat of a different beast but equally allows Meilyr to explore different arrangements. “With a set band of five people it feels more direct, there’s more of an intensity there,” he says. “It’s a real energetic and joyful thing, still varied and subtle but more physical.”

He’s excited to be back on tour, particularly with a visit to Wales on the cards. From living in London and touring in lots of different places he still looks forward to native crowds: “a really great mix of people,” the singer asserts.

The year ahead looks to be busy for Meilyr Jones, with trips to America and Europe in spring and summer. Before he almost unintentionally revealed all his secrets he assured me: “Ambitious things will happen!”

Tickets: £10. Info: 029 2048 3344 CHARLIE PIERCEY

MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARD

Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Thurs 9 Feb; The Scene Club, Swansea, Fri 17 Feb Nearly everything written about north Wales’ Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard includes a disclaimer to the effect that they’re a more serious proposition than their name suggests, and this preview shall be no exception. Doom metal and stoner rock – subgenres which MWWB evoke through pantaloon-flapping low end, lumbering tempos and lengthy songs – have time-honoured signifiers, such as weed and wizards, which normally indicate a band is going to do little original. However, MWWB have found an innovative niche, and are one of the best new heavy bands in Britain.

Formed from the remnants of a few Wrexham groups in 2014, the quartet introduced themselves to the world with a half-hour song, Nachthexen. Compared, with fair cause, to Sleep’s infamous hour-long track Dopesmoker, its extremity was offset by the vocals of Jessica Ball – more akin to the Cocteau Twins or a 90s shoegaze band.

Nachthexen then appeared on debut album Noeth Ac Anoeth, followed up last year by Y Proffwyd Dwyll. None of its six songs top the 10-minute mark, but it flows with a consistent singularity, and is a marvellous achievement for a relatively fresh outfit.

They play south Wales twice this month, Swansea also featuring Ohhms from Kent and very good Cardiffians Tides Of Sulfur.

Tickets: £7 (Cardiff) / £6 (Swansea).

Info: 029 2923 2199 (Cardiff) / events@ thesceneclub.co.uk (Swansea) (NG)

NARBERTH A CAPPELLA VOICE FESTIVAL 2017

The Queens Hall, Narberth Fri 24-Sun 26 Feb In its ninth year, the A Cappella Voice Festival will enchant Narberth for an entire weekend. On Fri 24, headliner Helen Chadwick [pictured] invites you to go on a journey with her as she brings to life the age-old Celtic tradition of storytelling to life through singing. Bella Voce, Chicago’s premier professional chamber choir, will follow, with their clean and pure precision sound. Then, Môr Ladron (The Pirates), a beer-swilling, swashbuckling a cappella quartet from Ceredigion, will finish off the night with heart.

Sat 25’s performances include Fistful Of Spookies – a male sextet whose social media betrays their collective love of pies, and who mesh comedy and a capella to bring you a unique brand of “hairy harmonies and tomfoolery.” The Oxford (University) Gargoyles are a jazz a cappella group who suit up and sing and have gained an international reputation for class and talent combined. Then finally, brought to you by Span Arts charity the Cheerful Project, Côr Pawb (Everyone’s Choir) give you Côr Pawb Bach – a slice of Côr Pawb.

Sunday will host the return of Côr Pawb, this time in full fashion. Made up of performers aged seven to 70, this uplifting group will be sure to finish the festival with a bang with a concert titled Sing For Your Sarnies.

Admission: £14-£18 (performances) / £12/£10 (workshops). Info: 01834 869323 (RS)

SOUTHERN TENANT FOLK UNION

Pontardawe Arts Centre Fri 24 Feb Southern Tenant Folk Union bring their latest, most politically charged material to Pontardawe Arts Centre for the only Welsh date on their 2017 tour. This booking marks another coup for the ever-popular live venue that continues to attract the best in travelling folk acts. The Scottish roots quintet has mined the rocky political landscape of recent times to find rich seams of inspiration for Join Forces.

Written immediately following the general election of 2015, the album was released into a post-Brexit 2016 and will be toured in the first month of Trump’s first term. Banjo player and lead songsmith Pat McGarvey’s What Would You Give For A Leader With Soul and Our Revolution It Will One Day Come will be welcome reaffirmations for the grass roots movements in the Swansea Valley. But despite such strong statements, STFU don’t want to beat you over the head with angry message songs of agit-folk. The STFU revolution is a quiet one, spoken as much through their expert playing as their existential words. Roy Butler’s charming Scottish burr is even more effective on the band’s more pop-influenced songs.

Folk traditionalists will also find much to enjoy in the instrumental playing and you can expect to hear Islay Crossing Set, a feature for renowned fiddle player Katherine Stewart. An opportunity for all to join forces, then, under the banner of great live music.

Admission: £14/£12 adv. Info: 01792 863722 (JPD)

TOM ODELL JACK SAVORETTI THE SHIRES

Streetfood Village

PLUS MORE ARTISTS TO ANNOUNCE!

Surprise Art Installations Kids Area & Entertainment - Featuring Crafts, Circus Skills, Community Artists & Entertainers Acoustic Stage Local Craft Beers

Entertainers, Pony Rides & More!

A N E W M U S I C E V E N T F O R A L L O F T H E FA M I LY I N 2 0 1 7 !

SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST 2017 ST FAGANS NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM, CARDIFF Tickets: 02920 230 130

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW! burninglantern.com

FRIDAY 24TH MARCH 2017 MOTORPOINT ARENA CARDIFF

FRI

10 FEB

TUE

21 FEB

MON

23 FEB

Tramshed, Cardiff

7th July 2017

HIGH VALLEY

Aberdare Coliseum

04

LOCAL ENEMY & REDFACES Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

27

SUNDARA KARMA

31

Cardiff Uni s o lStudents’ d o u t Union

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14

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BUZZ 41

reviews albums

not Dwayne Johnston, you philistines. Inspired by trips to some of the more troublesome regions of the Middle East, this is a celebration of Arabic culture, rhythms, and their idioms and is nowhere near as heavy as this sounds, due to the elegance of Herskedal’s compositions and his mastery of the tuba and bass trumpet. CS

DEAR READER ***

AMBER RUN *****

For A Moment, I Was Lost (Easy Life) Nottingham’s Amber Run haven’t had an easy run the last couple of years but the boys are back on form. They’re still focusing on themes of anger, torment and mental health but now from a different prospective. Lyrically and thematically, the band have progressed, and For A Moment, I Was Lost is more upbeat and melodic than their previous work.

Joe Keogh, with the familiar catch in his voice, gives the tracks an emotional edge. Pleasantly relaxing. Deserves to catch on. LN

Day Fever (City Slang) Indie pop with a side helping of darkness, this is the fourth album from Cherilyn MacNeil aka Dear Reader. Recorded straight to tape in John Vanderslice’s San Francisco studio, this record has a raw and honest mood: on the opening track, MacNeil’s delicate vocals and warm acoustics take us on an exploration of grief. This sets the scene for the album, with songs about murder, being chased through the forest and the anxieties of life. It’s not bleak, but it is eerie. GT

DUKE GARWOOD *****

AUSTRA **

Future Politics (Domino) Third album from Torontonian Katie Stelmanis and co, which fails to live up to the (mainly Canadian-based) hype surrounding their 2011 debut Feel It Break and sophomore effort Olympia. There’s nothing wrong with the songs themselves, it’s just the way they’ve been arranged. The mainly electronic instrumentation seems lazy and dated and despite Stelmanis’ stellar vocal talents, they don’t quite push the songs into multiple-listen territory.

Christine And The Queens are doing something similar but much, much better. BG

Garden Of Ashes (Heavenly) Garden Of Ashes has a more evolved sound than 2015’s highly regarded Heavy Love. The Smoke Fairies provide backing vocals that bring a beam of light to Garwood’s dark and apocalyptic world. This record should ideally be listened to in a darkened room, while sitting comfortably in an old leather Chesterfield armchair with a glass of vintage malt whisky in one hand, as the world outside gets crazier and hazier with the uncertain times ahead. This is an amazing album. DN

DUTCH UNCLES ****

Big Balloon (Memphis Industries)

AWA POULO ****

Paulo Warali (Awesome Tapes From Africa) Probably the best label set up by a nebbish American former exchange student called Brian, ATFA has changed nicely from obscurity blog to reissue champs to – on Paulo Warali – all new material providers. Already something of a big deal locally, Awa Paulo sings in the Peulh language of Mali, sounding devotional at all times, her backing band a limber crew on lute-like n’goni, gourd percussion and spiralling flute. Background touches of rasping desert guitar add to what is an entrancing, very lovely listen. WS

DANIEL HERSKEDAL**** The Roc (Edition)

Edition continues its triumphant quest to be Cardiff’s answer to the ECM label with this excellent jazz album from Herskedal – which is named after the bird of pan-Asian mythology, and

Drawing upon the art-rock scope of XTC, Scritti Politti and 80s/90s-era Kate Bush for reference, this fifth LP from the quintet keenly flits between kooky guitar moments and sublime synth sophistication. Standout tracks Combo Box and Hiccup define the off-kilter tempo and rhythm of an album that underscores the band’s signature quirky new wave sound. Sleek and peppy, Big Balloon proves a spritely and consistent release that neatly fits within the baroque pop bracket of their previous work. CHP

ELIZA CARTHY & THE WAYWARD BAND ***** Big Machine (Topic)

Eliza Carthy continues in her quest to revitalize British folk music with her latest, searing collection of songs. On Big Machine the daughter of folk royalty is on her best, uncompromising, form with The Wayward Band who were formed to tour her

recent best of album. Influenced by the ramshackle, big band sound of Bellowhead, and her own work with The Imagined Village, this album sounds both vital and full of vitality, capturing Carthy’s impassioned delivery of music new and old. JPD

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES *** Modern Ruin (International Death Cult)

I’m going to refrain from mentioning Frank Carter’s past projects as he’s pretty much cemented himself as his own artist now. Of course he’s known for his former guises, which were great, but it’s great to see him and the Rattlesnakes coming into their own. Album opener Bluebell lulls one into a false sense of relaxation before the following 11 tracks thunder from start to finish.

Lullaby is quite unlike what its title implies, all the while adopting a distinct Kasabian vibe, and Wild Flowers’ beat also sounds niiiice. OS

HARK *****

Machinations (Season Of Mist) On the much-anticipated follow up to 2014’s Crystalline, Jimbob and the boys have upped their game once again with Machinations. Gargantuan riffs layered over perfect head-nodding grooves, this is a band at the top of their game. The addition of a second guitarist has given them an extra dimension and a beautifully crisp production job has perfectly captured the raw sonic capabilities of the band. Never ones to look back, Hark are once again dragging stoner/hard rock into new territories. CA

HORISONT ****

About Time (Century Media) Sweden, the textbook forward-thinking nation in the eyes of many, also has a contradictory sideline: producing the most fastidiously accurate retro rock bands to be found anywhere. Gothenburg quintet Horisont, now on their fifth album, match up to the likes of Witchcraft and Spiders, but evoke the more cheerfully commercial side of 70s hard/prog rock, with nods to Thin Lizzy’s wistful boogie (Night Line) and buoyant, almost disco-y keyboards (Dark Sides). Electrical would have been the one-week-at-number-26 single if this was actually 1978. NG

JOSHUA RADIN ****

The Fall (self-released) Joshua Radin wisely decided to self-produce his

GAMES REVIEWS THE LAST GUARDIAN ****

Sie Japan Studio, PS4 With a tortured eight-year long development cycle, few games have had such an inauspicious, rocky road to release as The Last Guardian. Thankfully, Japanese developer Team Ico’s final product is a beautiful, deftly crafted and hauntingly memorable puzzle adventure game that brims with heart. Over the course of your journey through mysterious, decrepit ruins, your nameless player character and strange bird/dog Trico form a close, unforgettable relationship that will stick with you long after the closing credits have rolled. Despite some wonky control and technical issues, this is a very special, artistic game that deserves your attention.

LARA CROFT: GO **** Square-Enix, Android, iOS Square Enix is enjoying success re-imagining its big triple-A, marquee franchises and recreating them in a small-scale, mobile format. Lara Croft: GO is a continuation of this and turns the famous tomb raider action template into a charming, short and sweet strategic puzzler that really shines brightly on a small screen (though it’s great on big screens, too). There’s a slight over-reliance on trial and error gameplay, though it’s always fun working out how to best the next intricately designed puzzle or enemy. This is a very well-crafted puzzle experience with a wonderful, chilled soundtrack to boot. DYLAN CHAUNDY

BUZZ 42

seventh album release.

The Fall doesn’t hide behind layers of sound, but opens its heart for all to hear. Enough For You is a beautifully simple standout that places songwriting and delivery at the centre of a commercial release. Radin’s music is well-used on TV and The Fall shows you why, walking the line between accessibility and honesty, with the deft touch of a personable professional. JPD

KROKOFANT ****

III (Rune Grammofon) Norwegian underground groups who drink deep and simultaneously from the weirder ends of both jazz and rock are plentiful. Krokofant are relative outsiders in a close-knit, even incestuous scene, but their third album shows them to be as creative and thrilling as any countrymen. An instrumental trio of guitar, drums and sax, they excel when combining 70s prog a la King Crimson with skronky European free jazz – likewise their forays into Cream-meets-Rangda guitar soloing on Double Dad and Wrong Turn. NG

LOWER THAN ATLANTIS ****

Safe In Sound (Easy Life/Red Essential) Picking up nicely from where they left off with 2014’s self-titled album, new offering Safe In Sound screams trademark Lower Than Atlantis, but also ventures on a journey to parts unknown. Standout tracks Had Enough and Work For It arguably give a much truer representation of the band than the previous record; LTA frontman Mike Duce feels that the tracks are some of “the best Lower Than Atlantis songs ever”. Definitely one for the rockers. OS

MENACE BEACH ****

Lemon Memory (Memphis Industries) Coming out as it does a smidge over two years since their debut Ratworld, we’ve barely had time to process the arrival of Menace Beach. Whilst Lemon Memory isn’t as musically urgent, it trumps their debut in just about every other way. Opener and lead single Give Blood is a more interesting take on The Kills’ style of stripped down r’n’r, Sentimental is just sublime and the second half of the record amalgamates surf and shoegaze effortlessly. BG

THE MENZINGERS ****

After The Party (Epitaph) The fifth album from Philadelphia punks The Menzingers focuses on something that we can all relate to, because we’ve either been there, or we are on our way: the end of one’s twenties. Told through some excellent songwriting, which brings to mind Against Me, each track is a glorious ode to having to grow up without growing up. This is punk rock with honesty, the way it used to be, powerful and catchy, but with heart. CA

MOON DUO ****

Occult Architecture Vol. I (Sacred Bones) Husband-and-wife combo Ripley Johnson (also of Wooden Shjips) and Sanae Yamada set out to play Suicide-style music with guitars. That they’ve achieved that feat over the course of three albums is surely recommendation enough. Their fourth is a yin/yang two-parter, the first half of which features familiar trepanning riffs and motorik rhythms but also added novelty. The Death Set feels like being hypnotised by stoned Daleks, but the prime 80s goth of Will Of The Devil is the biggest surprise. BW

what followed. This has no reason outside of strained nostalgia to exist, but let’s all hail Time’s Up and Boredom as the prototypical classics they are anyway. NG

NELL BRYDEN **** Bloom (157)

Finding happiness with marriage and motherhood has made singer-songwriter Bryden blossom on her fifth album. Coming full-circle and going back to her roots (recalling King, Nyro, Simon) with this mostly soft rock work, you hear her soaring range on the lovely In The Morning and Feels So Good To Cry. It’s not all roses, though, as Bryden reflects on abusive, volatile past relationships (not just hers), and kicks it out too, going bluesy and soulful on My House and Gunshot Grey. RLR

OMAR SOSA & SECKOU KEITA *** Transparent Water (World Village/ Harmonia Mundi)

Back in 1995, when Eric Cantona delivered his infamous “when the seagulls follow the trawler...” speech, everyone knew that he was saying something profound, but the meaning is still elusive. Similarly, this collaboration between Cuban pianist Sosa and kora master and singer Keita reaches deep, but the meaning may not be interpreted quite as intended. The serenity of Transparent Water charms, especially on In The Forest, but more kora and fluid interplay a la Fatiliku could have made this a bigger haul. CS

PVT ****

New Spirit (Felte) The fifth album from this London-based Aussie trio arrives as mechanical, politically charged cryptic electronica with a distinctive rock sensibility.

If that sounds convoluted, this recording fuses conventional song structures with highly original and multi-timbred samples, synths and all manner of noises. They could be compared here to a more radical latter-day Radiohead. It’s pleasantly unsettling throughout and the warped and deformed vocals carry an equally uncompromising message with it. CPI

SUMMER MOON **

With You Tonight (DTF/Membran) Considering With You Tonight features Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes and Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction it has a distinct demo tape feel about it. Though musically sound, the 10 short tracks seem unfinished and lyrically unpolished. On songs such as Happenin’ and Car vs Bldg, Nicolai’s vocals have a nasal and echoey quality at odds with the postpunk and Caribbean-esque beats. The haunting Walk Out Music would have worked as an instrumental – in fact, the whole album would have. LN

singles BORIS A BONO **** Epoch (Cul:De:Sac)

The work of an enigmatic Cardiff producer, this six-track EP is a stirring venture into abstract, intangible sound-scapes. Flowing chord sequences, jarring electronics and a hypnotic lead vocal make it easy for you to forget who you are for all of 20 minutes and experience the vivid atmospherics of this unworldly music. CPI

BUZZCOCKS ****

Spiral Scratch EP (Domino) Reissued to toast 40 exact years since it entered history as, by my reckoning, the third ever UK punk single, the four songs on Buzzcocks debut Spiral Scratch are far rawer and snarlier than

E BIAS ****

The Emmanuel Bias (Kick + Clap) Six tracks of funky,, ghostly oddness inspired by 1980s dancefloors: electro, boogie, house (No Way Back is a quasi-cover of Adonis) and postpunk.

It’s supposedly based on music written by an Italian bloke during that decade, and features Franz Ferdinand’s Paul Thomson, Glaswegian experimentalist Richard Youngs and Turner Prize nominee Luke Fowler. NG

WE'VE BEEN WATCHING...

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS Netflix (available on Netflix) Lemony Snicket’s beautifully melancholic comic series gets given the big budget adaptation treatment once again, this time as a Netflix original series. Covering the first four books of the unfortunate series, this is a masterful transformation that captures the delightful misery of the novels. Neil Patrick Harris is superb as the nefarious Count Olaf in his many disguises as he schemes and murders his way to stealing the Baudelaire orphans’ fortune. *****LOB

JODIE ABACUS ***

DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY BBC America (available on Netflix)

Inspired by the refugee crisis and with some countries rolling up the welcome mat, the subject matter is backed by a soulful beat with Abacus’ always standout piano playing. The singer’s heart’s in the right place, but this is less memorable than previous singles – a bit more fire needed. His debut album is still eagerly awaited. RLR

Based on Douglas Adams’ 1987 detective novel of the same name, Samuel Barnett stars as Dirk Gently as he’s guided by the universe on a mysterious quest to solve a murder. On the way, he finds an unlikely and unwilling partner in Elijah Wood, is pursued by a holistic assassin, fights futuristic cults, and travels through time. An inventive series that revels in its weirdness, and has the watcher addicted within minutes as they try to make sense of it all... if that’s at all possible. ****LOB

Keep Your Head Down (Household)

TEAM PICTURE / LAMINATE PET ANIMAL ***

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE Piki Films (available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Google Play Store)

The latest offering from this Leeds singles club features Team Picture and Laminate Pet Animal.

TP’s Back To Bay Six is a bouncy little ditty with progressive overtones whereas Eve is LPA’s quieter B-side, more post-trance than punk rock, but both make for interesting listening. LN

What We Do In The Shadows director Taika Waititi’s latest outing is a charming triumph that has deservedly become one of New Zealand’s top grossing films. Ricky Baker is a troubled orphan sent to live on a remote farm with a foster family: loving mother Bella and her cantankerous husband Hec (played by Sam Neill). Things unfortunately don’t go to plan and Ricky and Hec go on the run from the authorities in the New Zealand bush. Brilliantly funny. *****LOB

ZIG ZAGS ****

ANOMALISA HanWay Films (available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Google Play Store)

Split 7” (Come Play With Me)

Ripping Death (Famous Class) There’s a thin line between the kind of modern day retro bozo metal that throbs with gay abandon and primal teen adrenaline, and the kind that sounds like a bad joke for people who don’t really like metal. Having played this new two-tracker from LA’s Zig Zags four times on the spin, they’ve nailed that whole NWOBHM/Dictators/Death hybrid, and aren’t another Early Man or whoever. NG

demos MILK

facebook.com/milkbandcdf One of those bands whose name barely has any recognition factor outside of a fairly tight, Cardiffbased circle, but get ‘em onstage with the right audience at the right time of night and people whoop it up in scores. This was also true of Howl, a band who split and created Milk, and the type of shirtless Zeppelin/Grand Funk hard rock boogie heard on Salt, the latter band’s only unveiled song to date, sounds pretty similar. Mmm, salty milk. NG

SAPPHIRE STYLUS

sapphirestylus.bandcamp.com A solo project from Mark, Estevens, ex of various 00s-era Swansea bands – some of whose names I dimly recall (Everyone Else But Burt, Jennifer’s Parents) and some I frankly don’t. Sapphire Stylus is ebullient indiepop with country turns and keyboards which may prove too zany for some people’s blood. Personally, I quite appreciate the McCartney II-style bedroom pop vibe that comes through on songs like Disco Senorita, which I equally appreciate sounds like the title of a David Brent song. NG

Kaufman returns with this bold experimental animated film, which follows a customer service expert promoting his book at a convention in a hotel who feels separated from everyone else and perceives everyone’s voice as being the same. It’s an interesting concept, but that’s all that carries it; it lacks any real semblance of a plot and the charm wears off pretty quickly while it repeatedly smacks you in the face screaming “ART! ART! ART! DO YOU GET IT YOU IDIOT?” **LOB

SOUL MATES ABC (available on Netflix) Christiaan Van Vuuren and Nicholas Boshier star in this Australian sketch comedy series, after their successful online projects – most notably the Bondi Hipsters. With characters ranging from cavemen debating the morality of eating babies to Kiwi assassins working for New Zealand’s Munustry Of Dufinse to make sure Russell Crowe returns to New Zealand, this is consistently weirdly funny and is a template for just how a sketch show should be. ****LOB

THE LAST KINGDOM BBC America (available on Netflix) Based on Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories, BBC America’s The Last Kingdom is, along with Peaky Blinders one of the best series to come out of the UK in recent years. Uhtred is an orphaned son of a Saxon nobleman captured and raised by Viking Danes. However, there comes a point where he must choose between his identities and rides to war. Filled with great battle scenes and gritty directing, Welsh history needs a series like this to show off our history. ****LOB

BACKSTROM Fox (available on Netflix) Backstrom is a comic crime procedural drama about a politically incorrect, obnoxious, cigar -moking detective, played by Rainn Wilson.

Sherlock with balls, a penchant for prostitutes and a lifestyle which could kill him at a moment’s notice, he is witty, clever, and nowhere near as irritating as Sherlock has become. *****EC

BUZZ 43

music news EXTRA

Central Cardiff alehouse and music venue Dempseys is to close on Sun 12 Feb for a comprehensive redevelopment which will include a name change, refit and shift of focus. Its owners, local brewery Brains, have suggested it will reopen in early summer, still as a pub of some kind; rumours of a sports bar/restaurant combo and the ever-subjective ‘fine dining’ have also circulated. Either way, it appears that the upstairs function room – known as Four Bars, which was the name of the whole pub until a faux-Irish rebranding in the late 90s – is to host its last few gigs this month, calling time on a warmlyrecalled history in which the Welsh jazz scene features especially strongly A stone’s throw away on Womanby Street, the two-floor Full Moon establishment is to downsize. Its upstairs space, the Moon Club, has been sold and will reopen in March as the Bootlegger – a venue whose focus is on blues and jazz, as well as cocktails and gin, and which already has an establishment in Bristol. Gigs which would have taken place upstairs will now be in the slightly smaller downstairs bar, the Full Moon, with the upstairs PA relocated for good measure. For reasons which aren’t quite clear, many people

seem to think this amounts to the venue ceasing operations entirely; it might be worth considering that, had the Moon attempted to continue trading over two floors, that would have likely been its eventual fate Out in Pontardawe, another pub goes up for sale, namely the Ivy Bush – and again, its status as a sometime music venue isn’t enough to save its bacon. The Valley Folk Club has been resident there for the last 33 of its 49 years, currently serving up trad folk sessions three times each month with monthly out-of-town guest performers. At press time, the fate of the pub is unclear, but Valley Folk are staying put until further notice. However, booking secretary Huw Pudner is to step down, having booked guests until the summer; if you’re interested in taking up this role, email him on huwpudner@ ntlworld.com The fifth edition of Wales Goes Pop!, an annual indoor festival focusing on what some might describe as “real” indie, takes place from Fri 14-Sun 16 Apr at The Gate Arts Centre in Cardiff. A commendable, self-made success in an uneasy climate for independent ventures

like this, 25 bands have been announced for 2017 so far. Fuzzy Glaswegian duo Honeyblood, gloopy psychedelicists Toy and Welsh indie-punkers Joanna Gruesome top the bill, with other notable names including BC Camplight, Fear Of Men and The Boy Least Likely To. Local acts will be healthily represented as ever, with confirmed names including Artefact, Van-illa and WGP! headgal Liz Hunt’s own band, The School The deeply pleasing return of David R Edwards [pictured], and his band Datblygu, to the fray of underground Welsh culture continues apace. Viewed by many as a postpunk poet, if you will – Datblygu’s most recent LP, 2015’s Porwr Trallord, is essentially a spoken word record – in April Edwards’ second book of poetry will be published. It’s titled Dave Datblygu’s Search In English For The House Of Tolerance, and as per the name is his first work of substance not written in Welsh.

Featuring 35 poems, it’s packaged with a CD on which Edwards reads his verse over music by Ash Cooke (aka Pulco), who’s publishing this through his Recordiau Prin imprint

ONE TO WATCH...

GRIFF LYNCH

The brightest and best, they say – that’s the migrants who are most prized, in the parlance of dog-whistle politics and oily xenophobia. What does this have to do with Griff Lynch, frontman of popular Welsh language indie-pop band Yr Ods and recent entrant into the solo artist realm? Well, having formed Yr Ods several years ago in Gwynedd, north Wales, Lynch has since migrated to Cardiff, where he earns a crust with S4C and Radio Cymru – meaning that this south Wales-focused publication is entitled to write about him. His two singles to date are sweet-natured electronic pop confections, bright as buttons and quite possibly the best too, in the ‘solo release by a Welsh language indie frontman’ stakes at least.

Lynch debuted in December with Hir Oes Dy Wen, released on the I Ka Ching label and quintessential bedroom pop: gentle chords, synth parts that toy with wigging out but stop endearingly short, an air of melancholy and subject matter described by its creator as “a cocktail of deaths, breakups and boredom”. This month, he’s switching to English for followup Don’t Count On Me, which is palpably more ‘produced’ and juxtaposes Super Furries/Mercury Rev-type widescreen choruses, vaguely menacing electro-flecked rock verses and vocodered vocal parts. There’s an intriguing coldness to the lyrics (“Don’t count on me / To love you when you’re down”), and in general it could have sprung from that post-Oasis, pre-Strokes late-90s indie wilderness, no bad thing in many ways. A Griff Lynch debut album is a work in progress, we’re told, but slated for release some time in 2017. facebook.com/grifflynchmusic

BUZZ 44

one louder SINCE late November, when I last wrote one of these columns, nothing has happened on a local, national or global scale that there seems any point me talking about.

Meaning it's time for the now-annual CASSETTE REVIEWS COLUMN, plucking some choice magnetic spools from the last few months out of their self-chosen obscurity. And right back into the obscurity of this page.

You Have Already Surrendered Your Total Will is 33 minutes of ambient curiosity from Anthony Child, best known as techno producer Surgeon. Surprisingly, you still appear to be able to buy one of 100 tapes the Frequency Domain label made of this, and you should, if the idea of beatless electronic drone epics which sound like a robot doing Tibetan throat singing appeals.

Mark Fell is another British electronic bod often found in experimental realms – such as Focal Music (The Tapeworm), on which none of his music is actually heard.

Rather, three musicians were recorded listening to some of his weirder excursions in headphones and playing along.

Notable among them is Laura Cannell, a wonderful violinist from Norfolk who I could listen to sawing away all day.

French composer Delphine Dora keeps up a moderately prolific release schedule – Les Fruit De Mes Songes (Bezirk) was new when I bought it after a performance in November, and she’s already released something else.

These eight pieces combine harpsichord, piano, organ and Dora’s ethereal vocal to captivating effect.

Mike Vest is a verbally quiet, sonically deafening guitarist – possibly my favourite working in the UK underground – who has at least six projects on the go right now, all showcasing his FX-drenched psychedelic wall-of-noise style. Lush Worker is a solo venture, with a cassette, Realms, out on Hominid Sounds. You get half an hour or so on tape, plus another hour’s worth to download for free. Cushty.

Noods is an internet radio station based in Bristol. One particular two-hour broadcast, by Ossia [pictured] and Robin Stewart, has been preserved on tape – yep, the lesser spotted C120 – and it’s a trippy gem: other people’s music spun into fuzzy soundscapes, sludgy beats and a V-sign to genre restrictions. Ossia’s RwdFwd distro might still have a copy if yer quick.

Want to get Midi Drum Compositions 1 by Jaxson Payne aka Dtub? Well the label, Fractal Meat Cuts, are all out, but he’s playing in Cardiff (where he currently lives, in fact) on Sun 12 Feb, so might have his own copies to sell. I’m hugely taken with this release, which pumps and clatters in the style of early techno or Belgian new beat but was apparently all recorded live in one take. Don’t ask me how.

Oh Peas!’ How To Come Back From The Total Annihilation Of Your Self (Diet Pops) is also a homebaked Cardiff product, recorded solo while housesitting last year. Sparse arrangements, vocals and guitar only for the most part, suit a suite of six songs with evidently personal subject matter. Oh Peas!, aka Rosie Smith, just released an EP as Tim’s Rice – a duo with Euros Childs, once of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, who are covered on this tape.

Finally, The Bots: a teenage band who supposedly recorded these four songs into a boombox in 1983 and have had them released by Bristol’s FuckPunk label, with a toilet roll tube for a sleeve. Even by the standards of UK DIY, I’m Gay (an anti-homophobia statement through the medium of schoolboy puerility) and Shit Dixon are supremely inept, but an enlightening time capsule unearthed. Unless it turns out that it’s all some weird prank, as I half-suspect.

ASOMVEL (Fuel, Cardiff, Sat 4), JON LANGFORD’S MEN OF GWENT (Le Pub, Newport, Sat 11; Ynysddu Progressive Club, Sun 12), SOCCER96 (Gwdihw, Sat 11), THOUGHT FORMS (The Full Moon, Tue 14), and SACRED PAWS, SPINNING COIN and NEUROTIC FICTION (Undertone, Sun 19) all help to tickle 2017 into life this month.

NOEL GARDNER

PJ HARVEY

RYAN ADAMS

17-2 AUGU0 ST

FUTURE ISLANDS

MICHAEL KIWANUKA • LAMBCHOP CONOR OBERST • ANGEL OLSEN

THE GUARDIAN

TICKETS AN SALE NOW! GREENMAN.NET

THE TIMES

TUMBLE THROUGH TEN WILD LANDS OF LAUGHS LITERATURE, ART, SCIENCE, MISCHIEF AND MUSIC

BADBADNOTGGD • JON HOPKINS (DJ) • FIELD MUSIC THIS IS THE KIT • JULIA JACKLIN • FIANN REGAN THE BIG MGN • RICHARD DAWSON • LAURA GIBSON MELT YOURSELF DAWN • HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF SUNFLOWER BEAN • JESSICA PRATT • KARL BLAU CHRIS FORSYTH & THE SALAR MOTEL BAND • GRUMBLING FUR LVL UP • SHAME • WOLF PEAPLE • BIG THIEF • GILL LANDRY MICHAEL CHAPMAN • DGMSQUAD • GIRL RAY • WARHAUS DEEP THROAT CHOIR • GAELYNN LEA • THE ORIELLES > AND MUCH MUCH MORE <

GREEN MAN

books

BOOK OF THE MONTH

LAND OF MY FATHERS Vamba Sherif (Hope Road Publishing)

Vamba Sherif’s evocative tale of freed slaves in Liberia is a powerful historical novel that tells a relatively unknown story of this era. In 1822, more than 15,000 freed slaves and African Americans were paid to leave and settle in Liberia. Faced with a backdrop of French and British colonialists alongside existing tribes, the country is far from an idyll. In fleeing slavery in America these men and women were faced with a harsh reality of building new lives for themselves in a wholly unfamiliar land, rather than the mythical idea of ‘home’ they and their parents had dreamt of for years of enslavement. These newcomers felt trapped and out of place, instead of at home and free and it is against this backdrop that Sherif’s story unfolds.

Amidst the turmoil of finding a new life, Sherif shows the strength of friendships. Edward Richard, a preacher born into slavery, vows to bring peace to the tribes of Liberia as he forges his life there.

As he does this he meets Halay, a man for whom life has been decided – his people think that Halay’s death will bring peace to their land. Moving forward a century later, and war exists again across Liberia, and Edward and Halay’s descendants find themselves caught up in it. Showing that the legacy of both slavery and war run deep this is an unusual but effective look at a difficult topic.

No doubt drawing on the author’s own experiences as a refugee, fleeing the aftermath of war, it is profoundly evocative, and engaging as a narrative while drawing a compelling portrait of colonialism, slavery, immigration, identity and the forging of new lives within disparate populations. EMILY GARSIDE Price: £13.50. Info: www.hoperoadpublishing.com

BLACK WAVE

Michelle Tea (And Other Stories)

A witty and insightful, fictionalised autobiography, Black Wave is a compelling read. The narrative follows Michelle as she becomes disillusioned with her hedonistic lifestyle in San Francisco and moves to Los Angeles. The book then takes on more fictionalised events as the end of the world is announced. Frighteningly though, with the current state of affairs, one cannot help but feel there is the potential for some of her imaginings to come to fruition. Tea cleverly uses black humour and keen observations to work through conventional themes in a refreshing way: a fling with Matt Dillon and dreams in which you can find your ideal partner feature. A great read, particularly for anyone that has struggled to write or wondered whether there is such a thing as true love. LM Price: £10. Info: www.andotherstories.org

THE DOLL’S ALPHABET

Camilla Grudova (Fitzcarraldo Editions)

Camilla Grudova is a Canadian writer who has featured in literature journals such as Granta.

This is her first collection of fiction, and it marks her out as one of the most troublingly imaginative, blackly hilarious authors to have emerged in recent times. Thirteen short stories paint multiple worlds in which dysfunction, disease and death are garden variety obstacles, the average diet makes the height of postwar rationing seem like a banquet, and anthropomorphic episodes are as frequent as any Grimm anthology. Grudova’s prose is both elegant and nonchalant, offering horrific imagery as if nothing were untoward, and a feminist subtext colours almost every story. Waxy, the collection’s highlight, takes place in a disturbingly vivid, joyless patriarchal society where work, relationships and care are strictly regulated but seem to have no ultimate function. NG Price: £10.99. Info: www.fitzcarraldoeditions.com

NOBODY’S SUBJECT

Mike Jenkins (BBTS Publications) With an image of a dragon in a business suit on the cover cutting off its tongue with a pair of scissors – image supplied by S4C presenter and poet Sion Tomos Owen – this is, unsurprisingly, a book that not only has a lot to say, but says those things many hold back from expressing. Satire, wit, and polemic are words which spring to mind when reading these poems, which are acerbic here, humorous there, but always incisive as those scissors. Mike Jenkins is a founder member of Red Poets, a socialist band of scribes, and many of these poems may be described as left-wing. It is, however, a rollicking read, and Jenkins is a fine writer, his well-wrought words infused with fiery passion. Favourites for me were Dim Croeso, with its images of “warships in the Bay / helicopters over the Castle” and the pithy Re-cycling Made Easy. An explosive book of poems. MJ Price: £5. Info: www.mikejenkins.net BUZZ 46

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@mabjones

Why not begin the month with a spot of storytelling at Kemi’s in Pontcanna, Cardiff? The guest teller this time is the lovely Anne Lister, telling a little-known Arthurian tale, and the ticket price (£14) includes a delicious meal as well as entertainment. Pop along on Thurs 2 Feb at 7.30pm, but do try to book in advance at Kemi's (029 2037 2055 / enquiries@kemis.co.uk) as this event will fill up fast.

An open mic with feature writers takes place on the first Thursday of every month in Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, and is jointly hosted by Seren and Mulfran Press. This month, Richard Gwyn and Maggie Harris are the guests. Entry is just £2.50 which you can also take off the price of a book.

What a bargain! So, get there early for a 7.30pm start.

Open Space is billed as ‘a place to share creative work’. That place is Cardiff Central Library, and this new series, begun just last year, never disappoints. This month, you can hear Rebecca F. John and Nicola May in an exciting double bill on Thurs 16 Feb, beginning at 5.45pm. The event takes place on Level 3 of the library and is free to attend, but tickets must be booked through Cardiff Central Library.

On Sat 11 Feb Waterstone’s in Abergavenny hosts the launch of children’s book The Dragon With A Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis. The launch begins at 3pm and the book looks to be an exciting adventurous story, so I’m sure adults will enjoy the tale as well.

Enough Is Enough is a mix of storytelling, theatre, and music, and it’s touring the whole of Wales at the moment. You can catch it in Cardigan, Lampeter, Ebbw Vale, and a host of other places, so do check their website www.enoughisenoughtheplay.com for details. Written by Meltem Arikan, with music by Maddie Jones, this gritty production, which is formed as a gig, tells the stories of real people about sexual violence, through song and dark humour.

Swansea is a veritable hotbed of literary activity this month, with both the Talisman Spoken Word open mic every first and last Wednesday at Tino's Cafe. Also, Howl Poetry open mic takes place every second and third Thurs at the infamous Mozarts. These events are very welcoming to new people, so do go along, and say I said hello!

lifestyle

Red Letter Days Charming Escape With Dinner For 2 John Lewis, £149 www.johnlewis.com

VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT IDEAS Love hearts, cute teddy bears and roses adorn every shop window. A sweet smell is in the air. Your partner is acting nicer. It can mean only one thing: Valentine's Day is coming. Thanks to its commercialisation, that means forking out some cash. Here are a few ideas.

Name A Star Gift Box IWOOT, £9.99 www.iwantoneofthose.com

Strip & Tease Adult Game Prezzybox, £9.95 www.prezzybox.com

Cupid Bath Bomb LUSH, £2.95, www.uk.lush.com

Personalised Solid Copper Polaroid Print Not On The High Street, £15.20 www.notonthehighstreet.com

"Infinity Of Love" ring Thomas Sabo, £180 www.thomassabo.com

Attache Record Player

Date Night Decider

MenKind, £89.99 www.menkind.co.uk

Amazon, £3.99 www.amazon.co.uk

Floral Love Letters Prezzybox, £4.95 www.prezzybox.com

LED Light up Glow Teddy Bear Amazon, £14.99 www.amazon.co.uk BUZZ 47

sport

pic: Chris Brown

SIX NATIONS Campbell Prosser looks at how the teams stand before the enormous battles of this year’s Six Nations.

FRANCE

ITALY

Opening fixture: England, Sat 4 Feb French rugby: once the proud rooster combining robust brutality with technical panache, and now a tired cockerel with a similar sense of lack of intent as Wales. It’s no secret that fitness has been the hubris of Les Bleus. After the autumn internationals, French coach Novès made it clear that conditioning was one of their top priorities in the months prior to their first test match against England. France had close calls in the autumn internationals with Australia and New Zealand, in which they put in hopeful performances but failed to finish on vital opportunities.

Opening fixture: Wales, Sun 5 Feb The side will be hoping to improve on previous performances in the tournament, continuously attempting to reduce the deficit between themselves and the home nations. Last year's Six Nations saw the side suffer a narrow defeat to their continental cousins, France. In addition, for the first time since Italian rugby union began, the side defeated the Springboks in the autumn internationals; a memorable moment for any Italian rugby fanatic, even though it was a wounded Springbok side. For so many years, the Italian scrum was a force to be reckoned with in the old days of high velocity impact play. In the modern game, sadly this method of scrummaging is outdated.

IRELAND Opening fixture: Scotland, Sat 4 Feb Ireland had a superb running in the autumn international series, having defeated the mighty All Blacks after 111 years of not once beating a single New Zealand side. Ireland also accomplished victory over the Wallabies in the autumn, placing them in a great position going into this year’s Six Nations campaign. They have one the most technically gifted halfback pairings in the world in Connor Murray and Jonathon Sexton, but the Ireland squad is solid over nearly all of the park and they have arguably been the most consistent team of the last five years.

WALES Opening fixture: Italy, Sun 5 Feb Since the 2012 Six Nations, Welsh rugby has seemed to be slowly falling into a state of stagnation, the recent autumn international series being testament to this view. Wales has one of the oldest squads in the tournament and the team is crying out for a spark of youth and creativity, especially when the most creative player on the squad plays in the backrow. Nevertheless, Welsh rugby stalwarts still offer a sense of reliability and structure that the team often relies on.

Considering the strength of both England and Ireland going into this Six Nations, reality suggests that Wales will struggle to achieve any form of victory. However, hope remains in Welsh hearts and on the shoulders of players like Alun Wyn Jones, Liam Williams and Justin Tipuric.

ENGLAND Opening fixture: France, Sat 4 Feb England are both the bookmakers and the critics’ favourite to outright win the Six Nations and potentially the Grand Slam, again. Under Eddie Jones’ regime, England seem to have a new lease of life. Last year we saw England go on to achieve an unbeaten record at the end of 2016 under the reign of Eddie Jones and Dylan Hartley. Eddie Jones has had his sights set on the 2019 World Cup (held in emerging rugby nation Japan) since he took on the role in 2015. English rugby seems to have a mindset for progression, especially concerning the Southern Hemisphere teams – an attitude that all home nations should attempt to emulate.

SCOTLAND Opening fixture: Ireland, Sat 4 Feb Potentially the dark horse of the competition, this year Scotland will be making an effort to prove themselves a real contender in the Six Nations. Scotland's last great victory was in 1999 when they took home the Five Nations trophy, and the Scots have yet to win the Six Nations title since Italy joined at the turn of the new millennium. The side has many young prospects that the coaching staff will hope to build upon for the future, and they recently had a very close shave with Australia, only being beaten by a point in the autumn internationals. The squad has some great qualities, including their recently improved abilities in open play.

Italy v Wales, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Sun 5 Feb; Wales v England, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Sat 11 Feb; Scotland v Wales, BT Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Sat 25 Feb; Wales v Ireland, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Fri 10 Mar; France v Wales, Stade de France, Paris, Sat 18 Mar. Tickets: sold out. Info: www.rbs6nations.com BUZZ 48

pic: Pete

2017 WELSH OPEN Snooker fans can rejoice as the Welsh Open once again returns to Cardiff in February, where 128 players will compete for a top prize of £70,000. Cueing up for action at the Motorpoint Arena, which has been the home of the Welsh Open for three years now, will be the defending champion and current world number 13 Ronnie O’Sullivan, who last year beat Aussie Neil Robertson in the final 9-5.

On the way to this victory, O’Sullivan controversially decided against hitting a maximum break in the first round, deeming the £10,000 bonus too low. His ultimate triumph was certainly no laughing matter, however, bagging the tournament for the fourth time. The question now is whether the Rocket will be able to defend his crown for a second pair of consecutive victories, or whether he will be unseated by another player.

Playing well this season is John Higgins, the world number 3, who won back-to-back ranking events in November, and is a four-time winner of the Welsh Open – joint with Ronnie for the most victories. Last victor in 2015, could he reclaim the title from the Rocket again this year? Scottish snooker fans would like to think so.

Meanwhile, Wales still has a couple of dragons flying around the circuit, and having one win the Welsh Open would certainly be poetic.

Amongst the hopefuls will be Mark Williams, two-time world champion from Ebbw Vale, who still stands at a respectable 15 in the snooker world rankings. After turning professional in 1992, and garnering 18 ranking titles over the course of 24 years, he also won his inaugural World Seniors Championship in 2015 at the sprightly age of 39. Williams has previously won the Welsh Open twice, in 1996 and 1999, when the tournament first came to Cardiff; no Welsh player has won the tournament since then.

With a total prize pool of £366,000, this Open will certainly be a good opportunity for snooker’s elite to pad their wallets that little bit more, heading in to the tail end of the snooker season. It’s unknown at present what the prize for a maximum is, though, so we’ll have to wait and see whether Ronnie decides to demonstrate any further exhibitionism this time round.

Welsh Open Snooker, Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 13Sun 19 Feb. Tickets: £13-£34. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www. motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk

CARDIFF DEVILS The Cardiff Devils are gearing up for an action-packed February, with a total of 11 games crammed into four weeks. The Devils must prepare for nine Elite Ice Hockey League matches alongside two crucial Challenge Cup fixtures.

At the time of writing, the Cardiff boys top the table with an impressive 51 points, but they cannot afford to rest easy as the Belfast Giants are hot on their tails just a point behind.

Title hopes rest on February: a strong performance throughout the coming month is going to be imperative if the Devils wish to consolidate their place at the top. Wed 1 Feb will play host to a critical showdown where the lads in red will face off against their rivals from Ulster in the Challenge Cup battle.

The first leg of the semi-finals will take place at the Ice Arena Wales, with the following match to be played a week later at the Odyssey Arena, the Giants’ home turf. It will be a test of nerve for the two teams; historically, however, the odds are in the Devils’ favour, with two Challenge Cup titles to the Giants’ one.

Cup aside, the Devils must be ready for a hard-fought League campaign next month. On Sat 4 they come up against the formidable Nottingham Panthers – eight Challenge Cup titles being testimony to the skill of the team. Old scores will be settled, as it was the Panthers who shattered hopes of a Cardiff Cup win last year. Todd Kelman’s men then face off against Manchester Storm, scheduled for Sun 5. Predictions are wasted on this one, with both sides winning an even two of the last four fixtures that saw them head to head.

Sat 11 sees Coventry Blaze pitted against the Welshmen, the Midlanders sitting eighth on the table with a measly 29 points. The remaining fixtures see the Devils play further games against the Giants, Panthers, Coventry Blaze and finally the Edinburgh Capitals. February will be a difficult month but if the Devils fight hard then there is all to play for. JOHN BOOTH Info: www.cardiffdevils.com

BUZZ 49

travel

Arthur’s Cave

L E G E N D A RY G E TA WAY S Annie Bishop looks into the stunning boutique cabins popping up around Wales to celebrate the Year Of Legends.

A

s 2017’s Year Of Legends kicks off, those who love getting into the thick of things are in for a real treat. The idea behind the imitative is to celebrate the best Wales has to offer, from epic sweeping landscapes to homegrown talent and everything in between.

Courtesy of Epic Retreats, a boutique hotel will quite literally be popping up in three different secret locations around the country, showcasing stunning, unhindered views of the surrounding countryside for a lucky 200 guests – talk about being at one with nature.

With eight unique cabins designed by international architects, by no means is this your bog-standard glamping experience. Discard the sleeping bags and call off the search for the dry shampoo, because each cabin is designed to encompass everything there is to be celebrated about Wales. Inspired by Welsh legends, mythology, and the rich tales from its past, the cabins use the finest materials the country has to offer to keep visitors nestled in the lap of luxury. Whether it be sleeping in a cabin the shape of a traditional Welsh hat, peering out at the world from the eye of a dragon, or relishing in the tales of King Arthur, each individual space is guaranteed to rejuvenate a passion for Welsh tourism.

Encouraging guests to experience the great outdoors in an entirely new way, not only will visitors be spending the night in the middle of an area of outstanding natural beauty, but there’s a full programme of events to treat themselves to throughout their stay. Activities on offer include sea fishing and beer tasting among many others.

Afterwards, guests can return to dig into a locally sourced meal rustled up by a top Welsh chef; luxurious adventure travel at its very best.

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BLACK HAT

THE CABINS

Although unusually shaped, the Rural Office For Architecture’s offering takes a historical approach, basing its design on the shape of the tall black hats worn by the local militia during France’s failed attempt of an invasion through Fishguard in 1797.

As legend has it, Welsh ladies flocked to watch as the traditionally-clad militia in their startling scarlet tunics gave the French, who weren’t expecting such a large turnout, quite a fright!

Guests can expect to kick back on a king-sized bed in the upper floor of the hat after an eventful day taking in their surroundings, and can spend the rest of the evening stargazing through its domed roof, or maybe taking in some light reading into the history of their abode for the night.

ARTHUR’S CAVE According to medieval legend, King Arthur and his knights took refuge in a cave whilst travelling through the wild Welsh country one night – which is said to have never been discovered again. Now to some this may sound just a little spooky, what with a mysterious disappearing cave and all, but not to Miller Kendrick Architects, designers of the first bespoke cabin.

Arthur’s Cave is inspired by this tale, incorporating locally sourced sheep’s wool for thermal insulation, intricately shaped interior walls, and a full width sliding door offering beautiful views of its secret location. Complete with a fireplace and plush furnishings, this pop-up themed to perfection is a cave that you certainly wouldn’t mind bedding down in for the night.

CABIN IN THE WOODS Unlike the movie of the same name, this Cabin In The Woods is no horror story. Drawing its inspiration from the poem Cad Goddeu, which refers to the traditional story where enchanter Gwydion animates the trees of the surrounding forest to fight as his army, this unit is designed to give an impression of movement and being in perfect harmony with nature.

Built from raw materials from local areas, including Welsh timber, slate, steel and leather, its feature chimney will keep travellers nice and toasty as the morning light peeking in from the box window above wakes sleepy heads naturally from their slumber.

Not to worry, the surrounding trees will hopefully be staying put for the duration of the stay.

Skyhut

DRAGON’S EYE

SKYHUT

Of course it wouldn’t be a celebration of Welsh heritage without a few dragons in the midst of things, the first of which is a pod modelled on a sleeping dragon’s eye, perfectly shaped and constructed using walls covered in recycled plastic that resemble dragon scales. Bunking down for the night with unparalleled views of Wales in all its glory, the idea of great beasts residing in the rolling hills around you suddenly becomes a lot more believable.

Complete with a wet room and stove, cooking up a storm in the eye of a sleeping dragon is surely on the top of everyone’s bucket lists this year.

It’s often said that travellers visiting Cadair Idris that rest their head for a kip under the night’s sky awaken as madmen or poets, and just by looking up to the sky at night in the middle of the Welsh countryside, it’s not at all hard to see why. Having the highest percentage of sky designated as an International Dark Sky area, Wales is one of the most outstanding places to stargaze, making the Skyhut one of the most special of all the spaces on offer.

With a fully retractable roof, guests can lay back and gaze at the skies to their heart’s content, and if you wake with a sudden penchant for a metaphor here and there, you’ll know why.

LITTLE DRAGON

SLATE CABIN Barton Willmore’s take focuses on a different part of the body; this vertical two-storey, three-pronged structure evokes a dragon’s foot. Using Welsh steel and Celtic knotwork, the cabin is heavily influenced by the nation’s industrial past and incorporates panoramic glazing on each level so you can catch all angles.

MINER’S HUT For anyone who enjoyed a visit or two to Big Pit during their school days, How About Studio’s tribute to Wales’s mining industry will be a real kick in the nostalgic feels. You simply can’t think of Wales without referencing mining, a legacy that spans generations and influenced landscapes across the country, making the ability to incorporate both an important part of local history and a little bit of novelty into this structure is a real architectural success.

Guests are invited to enter by crawling through a small tunnel where they are guided by the glowing light of the main space to welcome them inside for the night; from here they’ll be rewarded for their efforts by large windows displaying spectacularly scenic views. With further tunnels and steep climbs throughout, only hardened adventurers need apply.

The slate industry in Wales has been prominent since the Roman period, and is an important part of the nation’s history, making this cabin built of – and on – slate a testament to one of the country’s most in-demand natural materials. A single room with an adjoining bathroom, this cosy little space will provide the perfect base for exploring the wilderness on its doorstep.

Slate Cabin / Interior

Epic Retreats. Dates and locations will be announced via mailing list. Info: www. epicretreats.wales

Slate Cabin

BUZZ 51

BUZZ 52

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

BURNING LANTERN FAYRE National History Museum, St Fagans, Sat 12 Aug. Tickets: £49.50 adults / £24.75 under-16s / free under-5s. Info: www.burninglantern.com St Fagans will host a day of celebrations this August, attracting an impressive line-up. The Burning Lantern Fayre is set to take place throughout the picturesque open air village, with the day’s focal point being the main stage where a variety of performers will provide vibrant entertainment for Fayre-goers.

Orchard Entertainment have announced a raft of big names to delight attendees, including Brit award winner Tom Odell. Other announced acts, with more on the way imminently, include acoustic talent Jack Savoretti and English country duo The Shires – the first UK country act to have a top 10 album.

Aside from a deluge of acoustic talent Burning Lantern will also offer visitors an array of amusements ranging from circus skills workshops to pony rides, which will doubtless prove a hit with the youngsters. Packed lunches can be left at home, too, with street food and craft ales in abundance throughout the day.

The venue itself is a superb setting, featuring beautiful historical buildings relocated from throughout Wales in a touching tribute to the country’s cultural legacy. Burning Lantern Fayre looks to fuse together contemporary country entertainment, craft local produce and the rich history of Wales to create something that has the potential to be truly special.

Buzz is media partner at this event as part of Buzz25 anniversary year

CONTENTS pg 54 pg 56 pg 58 pg 62 pg 67

art clubs events live stage BUZZ 53

* – recommended

art

art Aberystwyth Arts Centre

University Of Wales, Aberystwyth. Free. Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. 01970 621903 / www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre Aberystwyth Illustrators: Pumed Gainc / The Fifth Branch Exhibition organised

by Peter Stevenson and coincides with the Aberystwyth Storytelling Festival 2017; it focuses on the dark secrets of the Mabinogi. (Until Sat 25 Mar) Edgelands A collection of contemporary painting celebrating the forgotten margins of our landscape and considering how we perceive the world. (Until Sat 18 Mar) Bruce Cardwell ‘Yma O Hyd’ Art in the cafe area.

(Until Sat 25 Mar)

Albany Gallery

74b Albany Road, Cardiff.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Free. 029 2048 7158 / www.albanygallery. com Drawings Exhibition Drawings in a variety of mediums from selected gallery artists. (Until Sat 11 Feb) Maggie Brown, Sian McGill & Stephen Jon Owen Three artists

deeply inspired by the Welsh landscape: Brown from Pembrokeshire, the Pontypoolborn McGill and Owen, who lives in Caernarfonshire.

(From Thurs 16 Feb until Sat 11 Mar)

Andrew Lamont Gallery (Theatr Brycheiniog)

Canal Wharf, Brecon. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Free.

01874 611622 / enquiries@ brycheiniog.co.uk / www. brycheiniog.co.uk CLYC: Emerge 3 Welsh art group presents work from Guilia Chiappa, Andrew Davies, Jo Headington, Goff James, Sophie Mannion, Liz Morris, Liz Steed, Luis Tiapia and guest artist Helen Higgins. (Throughout February)

Arcadecardiff

Queens Arcade, off Queen Street, Cardiff. Usually open Wed-Sat 12.30-5.30pm. www.arcadecardiff.co.uk Rory Duckhouse A collection of images made from appropriated photographic manuals and ‘how to’ guides, looking at how our visual language is created and asking ‘what is beautiful?’ – an idea never truly defined but central in our way of understanding of imagery. (Until Sat 11 Feb) Johana Hartwig ‘Three Rivers Wide’ A look at our relationship with, and

the characters of, Cardiff’s three rivers: the Taff, the Ely and the Rhymney. It features use of embroidered, fabric, symbols and works transferred from physical to digital and back again. (From Sat 25 Feb until Sat 4 Mar)

Art Central

Barry Town Hall, King Square, Barry. Tue-Sat 11am-4pm. Free. 01446 709805.

Holocaust Memorial Day Exhibition A collection of thought-provoking quotes by some who have been involved at Art Central’s HMD exhibitions over the past 10 years.

You can also contribute your thoughts. (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Attic Gallery

37 Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. Tue-Fri 10am-5.30pm, Sat 10am4.30pm. Free. 01792 653387 / www.atticgallery.co.uk Winter Group Exhibition New work from over 50 artists, most of them Wales-based or inspired by Wales. Paintings, sculpture, glasswork, pottery and original prints are on show and for sale. (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Barker Gallery / Torfaen Bay Art

54 B/C Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2065 0016 / www.bayart.org.uk

Power In The Land Responses through video, photography, sound, sculpture, installation and alternative photographic processes to try and come to terms with the conundrums of nuclear power, our future energy requirements and environmental concerns. (From Tue 21 Feb until Fri 17 Mar)

Boundary Art

3 Sovereign Quay, Havannah Street, Cardiff.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 029 2048 9869 / www. boundaryart.com Ping Gang Cheng ‘Poetry’ A combination of ink painting, calligraphy and philosophy from this contemporary Chinese artist. (Until Sun 12 Mar)

Cardiff Story

The Hayes, Cardiff. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am4pm. Free. 029 2034 6214 / museum@cardiff.gov.uk Cardiff To Greenham Did you know that the Greenham Common protest began with a march in Cardiff? asked this venue’s listings of me, just before I pasted them onto the page. As it happens I didn’t!

So here’s the place to come and learn more. (Until Sun 26 Feb) Dusty’s First World War Discover the history of Dusty Forge and find out how the Ely estate grew up in the aftermath of the First World War. (Until Sun 26 Feb) Icons & Allies Educational poster exhibition created by Pride Cymru, exploring how LGBT+ people have gained equal rights and social acceptance. (From Fri 17 until Sun 19 Feb)

Chapter Gallery

Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff. Tue, Wed, Sat + Sun 12-6pm; Thurs + Fri 12-8pm. Free.

029 2030 4400 / www. chapter.org Artes Mundi 7 Works by internationally acclaimed artists Nástio Mosquito and Lamia Joreige, who are two of the artists nominated for this biannual art prize. Other artists’ work will be showing in the National Museum. (Until Sun 26 Feb)

Craft In The Bay

THE MOON AND A SMILE Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, Sat 25 Feb-Sun 23 Apr Admission: free. Info: 01792 516900 / www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian This collection of new innovative photographic art, shown alongside developmental 19th century photography, honours Mary and John Dillwyn, Swansea-based pioneers of early photography. Evidence of the pair’s technical foresight and artistic intuition is presented time and again, with a particularly interesting focus on Swansea’s Penllergare woods.

Meanwhile, the gallery’s third room will play host to a visual feast. A range of nine prominent female photographers have been commissioned to create new work specifically for the exhibition – a touching artistic tribute to Mary. British photographer Patricia Ziad utilises a tantalising array of colours creating beautiful depth and intricate contrast. Spain’s Greta Alfaro’s work will also be on exhibition, showing pieces which are both thought-provoking and unsettling.

BUZZ 54

The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff. Mon-Sun 10.30am-5.30pm. Free. 029 2048 4611 / www. makersguildinwales.org.uk Riitta Sinkkonen Davies A new collection of woven and mixed media textiles

by Makers Guild In Wales member, Finland-born Davies.

(Until Sun 12 Feb) Sahar Saki A new collection of contemporary jewellery designs inspired by current research into modern architecture, and specifically the angles of the Principality Stadium.

(Until Sun 26 Feb) Anna Noel ‘Telling Tales’ Touring exhibition initiated by the Mission Gallery and featuring this artist’s ceramic animals.

(Until Sun 5 Mar)

Cwtsh Community and Arts Centre

226 Stow Hill, Newport.

01633 664498 / www.cwtsh.

org.

John Briggs ‘Bob Dylan’s Minnesota’ A tribute to Dylan in the form of 50 images of his native state – most taken along Highway 61 – by Newport-based, Minnesotaborn photographer Briggs.

(Until Sun 12 Feb)

The Drill Hall

Lower Church Street, Chepstow. 01291 628552.

Ffiniau / Borders Four Welsh artists, contemporaries of author Raymond Williams – Joan Baker, Charles Burton, John Elwyn and Bert Isaac – reflect the reality of daily life in South Wales from the 1920s-60s. (Until Sun 26 Feb)

Dylan Thomas Centre

Somerset Place, Swansea.

Daily 10am-4pm. Free.

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

Elysium Gallery

16 College Street, Swansea.

Wed-Sat 12-5pm. Free. www. elysiumgallery.com Bruce Risdon Distinctive landscape/portrait paintings from Swansea-based artist, aiming to break down traditional social stereotypes of identity, sexuality and gender.

The first in a series of shows here this year, celebrating Elysium’s 10th birthday.

(From Fri 3 until Sat 18 Feb)

Fountain Fine Art

Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Sat 10.30am-5pm. Free. www. fountainfineart.com Winter Group Exhibition A group show of new paintings and sculpture from the resident gallery artists.

(Throughout February

Futures Gallery / Oriel Gallery

Pierhead Building / Senedd, Cardiff Bay. Daily 10.30am4pm. Free. 0845 0105500 / www.pierhead.org Elizabeth Foster Photographic exhibition. (Until Sun 5 Feb) Metamorphosis 1 A transformative exhibition of work by local members and volunteers of Recovery Cymru.

Stories told in the artwork show the stages from seemingly hopeless addiction, and the road to recovery out of it.

(Until Wed 15 Feb) The Usk Tapestry Instigated by local craftswoman Margaret Turner to express some of the beauty of Usk and surrounding area, the Tapestry was designed by local artist Susie Martin, supervised by Sarah Windrum and measures 6x9ft approximately. (From Mon 20 Feb until Sun 5 Mar)

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

u – repeated

Open Art Exhibition Eclectic showcase of work by professional and amateur artists, selected from open submission and featuring over 120 wall hung and freestanding pieces. (Until Sat 11 Feb) Urban Rural Mixed work from a number of artists who take their inspiration from either an urban or rural perspective. Supporting this show is a profile of wall-hung and free-standing glass. (From Tue 14 Feb until Sat 11 Mar) Cymru Am Byth! A profile of ceramic Welsh ladies., just in time for St David’s Day. (From Tue 14 Feb until Sat 11 Mar)

The Gate / Y Gat

Pentre Road, St Clears, Carmarthenshire. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-3pm.

Free. 01994 232726 / thegate@carmarthenshire. gov.uk Chris Rees New photographs by art lecturer and ex-music video maker Rees. It looks back at the people and places in St Clears that he has known and grown up with over the years. (Until Sat 4 Mar)

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Alexandra Rd, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Free.

01792 516900 / www. swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian The Colour Of Saying – Glenys Cour: An Artist And Her World Curated by Mel Gooding, this show celebrates the life and work (including paintings, stained glass, theatre design and artist books) of much loved Swansea artist, designer, teacher and mentor, Glenys Cour. (Until Sun 5 Feb) Lindsey Seers ‘Nowhere Less Now 7’ Video work tracing the journey of a relative of Seers who sailed the seas in the Royal Navy over 100 years ago. The ‘7’ of the title is actually written like ‘to the power of 7’ but the font I use for these listings isn’t having it. (Until Sun 19 Mar) 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. (From Sat 25 Feb until Sun 23 Apr)

Grand Pavilion

The Esplanade, Porthcawl.

Mon-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01656 815995 / www. grandpavilion.co.uk Tis Art Three local artists – Len Calvert, Lynn Rickets and Geoff Stone – present an exhibition of their paintings and pyrography, commonly known as ‘poker work’, which is the art of burning marks into wood and other materials. (Until Sun 19 Mar)

Greenspace Gallery

30 King Street, Carmarthen.

Tue-Sat 10am-4pm. Free.

01267 267652 Two Artists, Three Continents Joint touring exhibition with Darothy Morris and Allison Rudd-Mumford,

inspired by their travels through three continents..

(Until Sat 4 Feb)

King Street Gallery

33 King Street, Carmarthen.

Free. 01267 220121 / gallery@kingstreetgallery. co.uk Caryl Mair ‘One Year On’ Ceramicist Mair, winner of the People’s Vote at King Street Gallery’s Graduate 2015 exhibition, returns to present new work. (From Fri 3 until Wed 8 Feb) Six Women Artists In Conversation Work by Penny D Jones, Jane Harrison, Ro Rogers, Ruth Sargeant, Sian Jones and Philippa Sibert. On the gallery’s website they list their names in a very confusing format, for some reason, so I hope I’ve untangled them correctly. (From Fri 10 until Wed 22 Feb) Geoff Yeomans ‘Renitence’ Work from west Wales-based artist, now in his 80s and well known for his

Collection Small exhibition in the café, featuring work donated to the collection from the Contemporary Art Society Of Wales. (From Sat 11 Feb until Sat 25 Mar)

Martin Tinney Gallery

18 St Andrew’s Crescent, Cardiff. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 029 2064 1411 / mtg@artwales. com Sarah Thwaites & Sally James Thomas Thwaites has lived in Wales since 1987 and featured in many solo and group shows. Thomas lives in north Pembrokeshire and brings a strong geological influence to her work. In total this show features approximately 30 paintings. (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Mission Gallery

Gloucester Place, Swansea.

Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. Free.

01792 652016 / www. missiongallery.co.uk

You have to love a good, hearty exhibition of spoons, and this month (until Sat 4 Mar, in fact) there's one on in the Workers Gallery, Ynyshir. Roll up for lovespoons, ceramic spoons, wire art spoons and some token handmade furniture by Chris Williams. photo-realist style. (From Sat 24 Feb until Wed 8 Mar)

Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre

St. David’s Rd, Cwmbran, Torfaen. Mon-Sat 10am5pm. Free. 01633 483321 / www.lgac.org.uk Hidden Now Heard Exhibition focusing on the stories of former staff and patients from Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital, allowing the public a glimpse of life in an institution. It has been interpreted using interviews, recreating parts of the hospital, historical documents, images and donated artifacts. (From Sat 11 Feb until Sat 25 Mar) Aidan Moesby’s Periodic Table of Emotions Live installation-type application, designed to capture the mood of a city. It is based on sentiment analysis of live feeds and those who tweet directly to the application (this always strikes me as a dangerous game to play). (From Sat 11 Feb until Sat 25 Mar) Lucy Brasher ‘The Cat In The Shoe’ Craft showcase focusing on the animal form incorporating the human element, created using reclaimed and repurposed fabrics. (From (From Sat 11 Feb until Sat 25 Mar) Jodie Hook Jewellery showcase from a designer who has worked with various fashion houses and designed pieces for Famous Celebs.

(From Sat 11 Feb until Sat 25 Mar) Selection From The LGAC Permanent

Migrations Work in the [...] space by a company who bring international contemporary dance and installations to Wales. (Until Sun 19 Feb) Kate Haywood Maker In Focus show exploring our relationship with objects while referencing aspects of ritual, ceremony and adornment. (Until Sun 19 Feb) Anne Gibbs ‘Still’ Third exhibition in The Language Of Clay: Part One initiative; a Mission Gallery National Touring Exhibition, curated

by Ceri Jones. (Until Sun 26 Mar) Sarah Worgan Maker In Focus show. Sarah uses clay to generate abstract, mixed media, colour compositions which create interplay between two and three dimensions whilst seeking to evoke a fourth. (From Tue 21 Feb until Sun 2 Apr) Art & Design Foundation UWTSD Residency Outcomes Work in the [...] space resulting from Art & Design Foundation students at Swansea College of Art UWTSD to experience, engage and respond to Swansea International Festival. (From Tue 21 Feb until Sun 2 Apr)

The Muse

Old Museum, Glamorgan Street, Brecon. 07791 654799.

Gemma Schiebe ‘Contemporary Landscape: An Attraction To An Endangered Environment’ New work from Cardiff School Of Art & Design graduate who

works predominantly with oils.

(From Fri 10 until Fri 17 Feb)

National Museum & Gallery

Cathays Park, Cardiff. TueSun 10am-5pm. Free except where noted. 029 2057 3500 / www.museumwales.ac.uk/ cardiff Artes Mundi 7 Biannual contemporary art showcase returns, showcasing works by seven international contemporary artists whose practices explore current social issues and everyday life. (Until Sun 26 Feb) 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)

National Waterfront Museum

Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea.

Daily 10am-5pm. Free.

01792 638950.

Joe Murphy ‘Ebbw Vale Steel Works’ photographs showing an historic episode within what was once a major industry in Wales.

(Throughout February) Waste Not! Want Not! Recycled objects, many of them ingenious as well as practical, made both throughout the ages and cross the world.

(Until Sun 5 Mar)

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)

Off The Wall

The Old Probate Registry, Cardiff Road, Llandaff, Cardiff. Tue-Fri 9.30am5.30pm, Sat 10am-4pm.

Free. 029 2055 4469 / art@ galleryoffthewall.com New Year’s Sale Work

by OTW gallery artists.

(Throughout February)

Oriel Canfas

Glamorgan Street, Canton, Cardiff. Tue-Fri 1-4.30pm, Sat 10.30am-4.30pm. 029 2066 6455 / www. orielcanfas.co.uk Anthony Evans ‘A Few Special Places’ Paintings, prints and drawings. (Until Sun 5 Feb)

Oriel Davies

The Park, Newtown, Powys.

Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm.

Free. 01686 625041 / enquiries@orieldavies.org Imaginary Worlds: Illustration Open Exhibition of artworks selected from an open competition featuring 52 illustration and book artists from Wales, other parts of the UK, Europe and Australia.

(Until Wed 15 Feb) The Drawing Room A creative

social space assembled from found, collected, customized and bespoke objects, where art, performance, craft and film will be made, shared and inspired. (Until Sat 25 Feb) Penny Hallas & Caroline Wright ‘Binocular: Disturbance’ Work exploring the position and experience of the insider and outsider, using this gallery’s TestBed space to challenge ideas through drawings, exchange and display of objects, parallel walking, mapping of locations and other works. (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Oriel Joanna Field

Torch Theatre, St. Peter’s Road, Milford Haven. Free.

01646 695267 / www. torchtheatre.co.uk Sam Howley Rhondda Valley-born, Pembrokeshirebased painter who describes himself as a colourist impressionist, and believes that even the most ordinary objects can be made extraordinary through art. (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Oriel Lliw

Pontardawe Arts Centre, Herbert Street, Pontardawe.

Free. 01792 863722 / www. npt.gov.uk/theatres When Love Speaks Arts In The Tawe Valley members present works on the theme of love for a show that spans St Dwynwen’s Day (which was on Jan 25) and Valentine’s Day (you probably know when that is). (Until Sat 25 Feb)

Oriel Mwldan

Bath House Rd, Cardigan.

Mon-Sat 10am-8pm. Free.

01239 621200 / helena@ mwldan.co.uk Eli Acheson-Elmassry ‘Mediterranean’ AchesonElmassry works across a range of sculptural, digital and painted media including latex to create coloured flexible ‘Supple-Body’ sculptures and installations which are a kind of meta-object. (Until Sat 18 Mar)

Oriel Myrddin

Church Lane, Carmarthen.

01267 222775 / www. orielmyrddingallery.co.uk John Abell ‘Lost Conquastidors and Other Works’ A series of watercolours and woodcuts, depicting the journey of a fleet of Spanish soldiers as well as more contemporary scenes.

(Until Sat 11 Mar)

Oriel Q

The Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth. Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free. 01834 869454 / www. orielqueenshallgallery. org.uk Attesa Work by three artists: Lee Williams, Jonathan Anderson and Mark Halliday.

Each artist references his industrial heritage and background through their materiality which sees the use of coal dust and rust/iron ore integrated into the painting technique. (Until Sat 18 Feb)

Bacon To Doig: Modern Masterpieces From A Private Collection Bacon To Doig brings one of the UK’s most important private collections of modern British art to Cardiff. Visitors will be given a fascinating glimpse into a collection usually only seen in the owners’ homes. Created over a number of decades, with work often being purchased before the artists were famous, the collection features work by many of the very best British artists of the 20th century including Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Barbara Hepworth and David Hockney.

The collectors’ knowledge and passion for art has created an outstanding collection, with each artist being represented by work of such quality that they would grace the walls of the greatest museums in the world. Francis Bacon, now internationally recognised as one of the very best painters of the modern period, is represented with two outstanding paintings from the 1950s and 60s. Perhaps the star of the show is his Portrait Of Henrietta Moraes, who is depicted reclining on a bed with her head distorted into a grotesque mask. The result is a powerful, almost shocking portrayal of the Soho muse.

Close friends of Bacon in the socalled ‘School Of London’ also feature including a portrait by Freud, and expressionist canvases by Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff. These figurative works are complimented by more abstract works by the painter Ben Nicholson and sculptures by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Anthony Caro. Contemporary art is also strongly represented with paintings by Peter Doig and two important vases by Turner-prize winning Grayson Perry.

The exhibition promises to be a real highlight of this year’s programme and we are extremely grateful to the owners for their generosity in allowing these works to be enjoyed free of charge.

Exhibition opens Sat 18 Feb and runs until January 2018. www.museum.wales/cardiff

Oriel Y Bont

University Of South Wales, Pontypridd. Mon-Thurs 8.30am-5.30pm, Fri 8.30am-5pm. Free. 01443 480480 / www.gallery.

BUZZ 55

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

art

* – recommended

clubs 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 Fri 14 Apr)

Pontypridd Museum

Bridge Street, Pontypridd.

Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm.

Free. 01443 490748 / www. pontypriddmuseum.cymru Jenny Hibbert’s Mongolian Migration Expedition Photographer Hibbert embarked on a walking tour of Western Mongolia, going some 19 miles on foot per day and documenting the journey all the way. These images are the result. (Until Fri 24 Feb)

Redhouse

Old Town Hall, High Street, Merthyr Tydfil. Free. 01685 384111 / info@ redhousecymru.com *Punk Forever Celebrating 40 years of punk rock, Merthyr artist and collector Gerrion Jones presents an exhibition of original artwork by Jamie Reid, James Cauty and Billy Childish. (Until Tue 21 Feb)

The Riverfront

Bristol Packet Wharf, Newport. Mon-Sat 10am8pm, Sun 10am-6pm. Free.

01633 656757.

Artur Conka & Billy Carey ‘Rarebit Please’ / ‘All-Fur Coat’ 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. Showing in Swansea’s Taliesin Arts Centre prior to this. (From Thurs 9 until Sat 25 Feb)

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama

Castle Grounds, Cathays Park, Cardiff. Free. 029 2039 1391 / www.rwcmd. ac.uk Gridding Up Works by our second year Design For Performance students and MA Scenic Art students, scaled up from small images. The exhibition also includes a sound installation by RWCMD Composer Naomi Wright, inspired by the artwork. (Until Tue 28 Mar)

Swansea Grand Theatre

Singleton St, Swansea. MonSat 10am-5pm. Free. 01792 475715 / www. swanseagrand.co.uk Swansea Camera Club Annual exhibition. (From Tue 7 until Fri 24 Feb)

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 Artur Conka & Billy Carey ‘Rarebit Please’ / ‘All-Fur Coat’ Installation of specially commissioned work, part of the Gypsy Maker project.

Showing in Newport Riverfront BUZZ 56

after this. (Until Sat 4 Feb) My One And All: My Swansea Coast Exhibition of film-poem On The Sea’s Land (Ar-for-dir) alongside members of the public’s photographic and poetic responses to connection and relationship to the Swansea and Gower coastline. (From Tue 7 until Sat 18 Feb) David Hockney: Original Prints Bringing together work from this world-renowned British artist: the Grimm’s fairytales suite of etchings, the Cavafy suite and some original posters. (From Fri 24 Feb until Sat 1 Apr)

Tenby Museum & Art Gallery

Castle Hill, Tenby. Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, £4/£3/£2 kids.

01834 842809 / www. tenbymuseum.org.uk The Welsh Group A venerable artists’ collective, with the purpose of exhibiting and “giving a voice” to the visual arts in Wales. They have their 70th birthday next years and, priot to that, are showing work here and then Llantarnam Grange in June and July. (From Tue 7 Feb until Sat 18 Mar)

Theatr Hafren

Llanidloes Road, Newtown, Powys. Mon-Sat 10am5.30pm. Free. 01686 625007 / boxoffice@ theatrhafren.co.uk Meirionydd Artists Work by four artists from Meironydd, north Wales: Valerie Land, Lavinia Range, Huw Lewis Jones and Wendy Murphy.

(Until Mon 27 Feb) Elfyn Roberts Multi-discipline artist with skills in drawing and painting, printmaking, Raku ceramics and sculpting in foundry cast bronze. (From Tue 28 Feb until Wed 31 May)

Tower Gallery

49 High Street, Crickhowell.

Wed-Sat 10am-5pm. Free.

01873 812495 / www. towergallery.co.uk Dick Chappell + Richard Renshaw Joint exhibition by two guest artists, featuring paintings by Chappell and stone sculptures by Renshaw.

Also showing work by all members of the Usk Valley Artists’ Co-operative. (Until Sat 4 Mar)

Tower Gallery

Oriel Y Parc Landscape Gallery & Visitor Centre, The Grove, St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Free. 01437 720392 / info@orielyparc. co.uk Reading The Rocks: The Remarkable Maps Of William Smith discover the story of William Smith, the man who developed what is regarded as the first true geological map of any country – A Delineation Of The Strata Of England And Wales, With Part Of Scotland, published in 1815. (Until Sun 26 Mar)

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.

Victoria Fearn Gallery

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

Free. 029 2052 0884.

Alex Arnell Solo exhibition, predominantly featuring landscapes; also showing is sculpture made by Stephen Arnell in bronze and bronze resin.

(Until Sat 18 Feb) Louise Collis Paintings in oil. (From Fri 17 Feb until Fri 24 Mar)

Wales Millennium Centre

Bute Place, Cardiff Bay. Free. 029 2063 6464 / www. wmc.org.uk Florence Jackson ‘Winter Mural’ A large-scale piece, located in the Glanfa area of the building, reminiscent of tales from different cultures, drawing inspiration from stories such as Babushka, Diwali and The Three Wise Men. (Throughout February)

Workers Gallery

99 Ynyshir Road, Ynyshir, Rhondda Cynon Taff.

Thurs-Sat 10am-5pm or by appointment. Free. 01443 682024 / wood4tt@gmail. com Martin Harman ‘Reimagining Stonehenge’ Bristol-based ceramic artist shows new work. (From Thurs 2 Feb until Sat 4 Mar) Sit & Spoon Featuring handmade furniture by Chris Williams, traditional and contemporary lovespoons by Sion Llewellyn, mixed media decorated spoons by Patricia Clifford, ceramic spoons by Susan Zeppellini and wire art spoons

by Lucy Lawrence. (From Thurs 2 Feb until Sat 4 Mar)

ing producers and residents from Wales’ freshest nights.

Sat 4 features Zakk Plaister b2b Orange Peel; Sat 11 is TBC but will probably be overshadowed by England v Wales in the rugby anyway; Sat 18th has Matt Kent (Mi Casa) and Sat 25 DJ Pipes.

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 from Blue Honey DJs. Fri 3 + Fri 3 Mar Hey Mary 10.30pm, £5. The return, in a new venue and set to happen every month, for Cardiff’s top gay/queer/drag/ etc night. This edition’ll have music from Sissy Boy Tears and perfornances from Polly Amorous, Medusa Repulsa & Lilith the Gag Hag. See Clubs. Fri 10 Funk’d 10pm, £5/£3 adv. Funk, hip-hop, disco, house, garage and old skool jungle with acts TBC. Fri 17 Gotta Have Faith 10pm, £4. This is billed as “a tribute to George Michael and the 80s” and all profits go to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

Saturdays Under A Groove 9pm-3am, £3 after 10. Funk, neo-soul and Motown with music from James MorganRees & Alex Moxham.

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.

Wed 8 Noise Flies High 10pm-4am, £6-£10. Midweek, presumably student-minded, night headlined by Tommy Vercetti. I’m guessing that he plays chugging deep V-neck accessible house stuff. Thurs 9 Get Funky 10pm-4am, £3-£5. Funky disco house stuff from DJs Daryl Finn, Eben Rees, Brynn Salter and Andrew Lambert. Thurs 16 Chaos In The CBD 10pm4am, £5-£10. New Zealand house/techno duo headline, with Viewpoints, Eben Rees, Brynn Salter, James Wilkinson and Thomas Piesinger also featuring. Thurs 2 Mar Carnival Cardiff: Sean Paul Special 10pm-3am, £3-£5. Sean isn’t going to be there or anything, they’re just playing a bunch of his music. Fri 3 Disco Motel Vol 3 10pm-4am. Disco, funk, Motown, soul and boogie from DJ Jaffa. 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

u – repeated

venue’s bar staff for having to put up with this.

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 3 Bedlam 9pm-4am, £20 adv.

Drum’n’bass’n’more from big shot local promoters.

Sub Focus & MC ID, Sasasas (which is made up of MC Skibadee, Shabba D, Harry Shotta and Stormin), Flava D, General Levy, Break and Xtrah are the guests tonight. Fri 10 Treatment presents Dusky Live 9pm-4am, £18.50 adv.

UK techno breakout act with a live show plus a decent supporting cast: Mella D, Josey Rebelle, Bwana and Madam X. Fri 3 Mar Hannah Wants 9pm-4am, £25 adv.

Breakout (again) house head from Birmingham visits CDF with guests Shadow Child, Sam Divine, Bram Fidder and Jack Swift. Saturdays Juice 10pm-3am, £5/£4 NUS. Chart, dance and pop.

Club Oxygen

1 Northampton Lane, Swansea. 0844 8849171 /

clubs Aberystwyth Students Union

Old College, King Street, Aberystwyth. 01970 621700 / www.aber.ac.uk Sat 4 Black House 9pm4am, £20/£15 adv. Irregular big, student-friendly Aber rave which is previewed in Clubs.

Lineup: Foreign Beggars, My Nu Leng ft: Dread MC, Hazard, Aphrodite, Vibronics, Gypsy Unit and Eternal Cru Presents.

The Attic

5-6 Castle Bailey St, Swansea. www.facebook. com/theatticswansea Fri 10 It’s A Rhigol Thing 10pm. UK and US garage from Richie Curran and other DJs TBC.

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 The Friday Night Project With special guests, prizes and karaoke sessions until late. Saturdays Koncept & Friends 11pm, £3-£5. House, techno and bass music with guest DJs, break-

JUAN SANCHEZ Strictly Techno @ The Scene Club, Swansea, Sat 11 Feb Tickets: £13-£17. Info: www.thesceneclub.co.uk Amsterdam-based but claiming Spanish heritage, Juan Sanchez has been a mainstay on the Dutch techno scene – and eventually further afield – since the mid-00s. Before that, a brief period living near Detroit brought him close to the genre’s epicentre, and sowed the seeds of his career. Releasing singles since 2007, perhaps his highest profile 12” to date is Buffer, an atmospheric two-tracker for Adam Beyer’s label Drumcode. His DJ style harbours subtleties, if not so many surprises: patient, building layers of rhythms that are modishly Eurotechno in style, but not to be confused with mere functional big room bosh. Perfect, then, for a night called Strictly Techno – who are throwing their first party since August and have booked, in total, 12 DJs across two rooms.

clubs www.globaloxygen.co.uk Fri 3 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 Boy Griff, Madame Twisted, KenDawg, Corey S & Dan 3man and Kon-neKT. 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.

Clwb Ifor Bach

Womanby St, Cardiff. 029 2023 2199 / www.clwb.net Mon 6 Itchy Feet 10.30pm, £7/£5. Rock’n’roll, swing, R&B, funk and soul. Mon 20 Good Life 10.30pm, £6-£10.

“Outlandish and unique parties, soundtracked with hip-hop, disco, dancehall and bashment” is what they’re a-claimin’. Thurs 2 Triple Cooked 11pm, £4-£10. Main room: disco and house.

Room 2, puzzlingly referred to as the basement by the promoters: bass, garage and grime. DJs: Jamie Thomson, Lurcott Bros, SM One, Sam Hodkinson, TRiN, Loz (live) and residents. Thurs 9 SoulJam 11pm-3am, £4-£6.

Monthly disco, soul and funk night. Thurs 16 Brooklyn Zoo 10pm-3am, £5/£4. Hiphop and grime night aimed at students. Fridays (bottom) Zerox 10.30pm-3am, £4/£3 NUS. A “party jukebox” night. With DJs, though, not an actual jukebox. Fri 3 Time Flies 10pm, £25/£20.

Birthday party, specifically their 23rd, for house nostalgists. Jeremy Healy, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Alistair Whitehead, Jon Kelly, Richard Hitchell, James Merritt, Shane Morris and Dave Eaves are the DJs this time. Fri 17 Submerge 10pm-4am, £15/£10 adv. See Clubs for more on a night headlined

by Youngsta, co-presented by his label/brand Contact and also featuring J:Kenzo & Sam Binga. 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.

Dempseys

Castle Street, Cardiff. 029 2023 9253 / www. dempseyscardiff.com Thursdays (downstairs) Twisted By Design 9.30pm2am, free. Weekly night along the lines of the Saturday line-

ups. Fridays (downstairs) Blah Blah Blah 10pm-3am, free. Gary Twisted offers up Motown, indie, rock’n’roll, reggae and “no cheesy pop”.

Saturdays 9pm-3am, free.

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

by Chris PJ Martin.

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 / The Moon Club

Womanby Street, Cardiff.

029 2037 3022 / info@ thefullmooncardiff.com 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 4 + Sat 4 Mar 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). Wed 22 Shangri-La 10pm-4am.

House and techno duo Solardo headline, with James Organ and Nic Saunders also featuring. Saturdays Vanity 9pm-3am, £5-£10. Two rooms of quality music, everyone catered for it is claimed.

Gwdihw

6 Guildford Crescent, Cardiff. 029 2039 7933 / www.gwdihw.co.uk Wed 8 Clwb Tropicana 9pm. Tropical house, afroboogie and more. Sat 4 Blue Honey 9pm-4am, £5 adv.

This month’s guest DJ Mor Elian lives in Berlin, as do all DJs ever, and plays hypnotic techno and the deeper side of dance music. Sat 11 Cosmogramma 9pm, £6/£5 adv. With live sets from Soccer96 and Dirty Alex, plus DJs serving up out-there jazzy dancefloor fodder. Sat 25 Hully Gully 9pm. Hip-hop, funk, soul, electro, Afrobeat etc from Veto and Double C. Sun 26 Nujabes Tribute Night 8pm, £4. Nujabes was a Japanese producer who made jazzy hip-hop type stuff before dying in 2010. This is a tribute night, featuring DJ sets from Megan Batin, Brew and Krimson.

Jacob’s Market

West Canal Wharf, Cardiff.

029 2039 0939.

Fri 3 Decibel 10pm-4am, £8-£12. Club night with its home in Bournemouth comes to Cardiff, like you do, and books Truth Be Told, Iglesias., Eben Rees b2b Brynn Salter, Elliot Mitchell and Genitive to play house and techno. Fri 17 Teak 10pm-4am. With a headliner TBC, most likely announced after the listings deadline for this issue. Disco and house stuff anyway. *Fri 24 Delete 11pm-5am, £20 adv. See Clubs for more on this, now very rare, showing for Ben UFO, one of the world’s funnest DJs, in Cardiff... which sold out in hours. Mad but better than promoters losing their shirt due to time-honoured south Walian apathy, I guess. Matt Owen, Marc Parsons and Lee Graves are on this too

Karma

75 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

Fri + Sat 8pm-6am. karmaclubcardiff@gmail. com Sat 11 Dancehall Nice Again 10pm-6am. Local dancehall promoters, who debuted late last year (I think), present a Valentine’s lineup. Acts TBC right now though.

Ladybird

41 St Mary St, Cardiff. 029 2066 5500 / info@ ladybirdcardiff.com / www. ladybirdcardiff.com Wednesdays Cheeky 10pm-4am, £2. Tickets are £2, drinks (some of them) are £2 and there are two rooms of music. Thursdays Propaganda 10pm-4am, £4. UK-wide indie night’s Cardiff wing. You can tell it’s the Cardiff one becuse they list Stereophonics first on the list of bands likely to be played. Fridays Mi Casa 10pm-4am. House and techno every week, often with some pretty big names. They never announce them in time for these listings though.

Saturdays Solution 10pm4am. A night whose flyer has a big photo of a model in her bra and pants. Sundays Sunday Project 7pm-3am, free with guestlist. Free industry night offers floor fillers and house classics.

Mary’s

Meze Lounge

6 Market Street, Newport.

01633 259144 / facebook. com/mezeloungenewport 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 Fri 3 Hip-Drop 8pm-3am.

Mod, Stax, reggae and northern soul. Sat 4 Can’t Touch This 10pm-2.30am, £2/free before 12. Nineties revival night, prevously known as Rewind.

The Parrot

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.

32 King Street, Carmarthen.

01267 231012 / facebook. com/theparrotmusicbar Fri 3 Northern Soul 8pm1am, £5. With DJs Mark White, Dave Rimmer, Jessica (Ffairfach Soul Club),Paul Davies and Eugene.

Metros

69 Windsor Rd, Penarth.

029 2070 7530 / www. penarthexservicemensclub. co.uk Sat 25 Penarth Soul Club 7.30pm-12.30am, £3 adv. A night of classic soul, northern soul etc. Also at this venue in May, July, September and November this year.

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.

Penarth Ex-Servicemens Club

Pontardawe Arts Centre

Herbert Street, Pontardawe.

01792 863722 / www. pontardaweartscentre.com Sat 18 Soul Circle 7pm, £7/£5 adv. Rhythm and soul,

northern soul, mod club classics, bluebeat etc. Hosted by Mark Taylor and Eddie Crole.

Dress smart (in the mod sense of ‘smart’ I guess).

due to – they claimed in an impressively catty Facebook post – Glam’s seven-figure debts and general internal woes.

Popworld

Pulse

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

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.

Revolution

Castle Street, Cardiff. Open

The Penarth Soul Club, held at the Ex-Servicemens Club in said town, kicks off its 2017 on Sat 25 Feb and returns in May, July, September and November.

Expect soul classics as well as lesser known northern soul bangers and other funky dancefloor mod faves. Indeed, as long-running Cardiff night Fabulous is currently on hold, PSC might plug a certain gap in its absence.

deals from 5-11pm (Fri) and 3-8pm (Sat).

Popworld

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

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. 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, but moved venue

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.

Fri 17 Hypernation Label Launch Party 10pm.

Featuring sets from DJ Spoony, Eric Martin (aka Me One and ex of Technotronic – Hypernation is his label) and Lifford (Artful Dodger).

The Robin Hood

16 Severn Grove, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 029 2037 8829 / www. robinhoodbar.co.uk Sat 4 + Sat 4 Mar Mod For It Free. Every first Saturday of the month, DJ 45 presents an evening of 60s/70s beat, rhythm & blues, soul, ska, 80s/90s Britpop and 2-tone.

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 / BUZZ 57

* – recommended

events www.thesceneclub.co.uk Fri 3 90s Rave: Refreshers 10pm-3am, from £2 adv. Acid house, techno, garage and ‘club bangers’ aimed at an audience who weren’t born yet during most of the 90s. Sat 4 Delusion 10pm-4am, £10 adv.

Rhys Thomas headlines with a three-hour set of trance.

Callan Christie and Simon Davies also feature. Sat 11 Strictly Techno 9pm-5am, £13-£17. Headliner for this one is Juan Sanchez, associated with labels like Drumcode and Format. Jamie Haus also features in the main room, while Lucas Alexander, Richie Curran and Incus are in the loft. Sat 18 + Fri 3 Mar Tribe Of Swan 10pm-5am.

Two doses of psytrance wibble for you in the space of a fortnight. What is it with Swansea clubnights named in reference to bigger nights elsewhere (cf The Lighthouse Project)?

Anyway, February’s bash has Zulus, Sizey, Tryptonaut, Golobnaize, D-Tone, Chris B and IanE; March’s has Zulus, Golobnaise, Acidanimal and more TBC.

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. Fri 3 Disco Motel Launch Party 10pm-4am, £5/£4. Disco, funk, Motown, soul and boogie. Fri 10 Pop Pizza Party 10pm-4am, £5/£2 before 11. Chart pop all night, plus free pizza handed out at midnight. Saturdays Sink 10pm-3am. Hip-hop, drum’n’bass, dubstep etc, with special guests plus resident DJs Dubman, Swiss Elf and South. Sat 18 Rise 10pm4am, £10 adv. High Contrast headlines, because he's a safe bet. Plus Long Boy, TSB, Jack Sauce and Walbeoff.

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 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 BUZZ 58

Polynesian style area with cocktails, VIP booths, dancers etc.

Tramshed

Clare Road, Grangetown, Cardiff. 029 2023 5555 / www.tramshedcardiff.com Sun 11 Big Fish Little Fish Flower Power Valentine’s Rave 2-4.30pm, £7.50 adv/ free pre-walkers. Babies and toddlers can dance to tunes, selected this time by Bunf from the Super Furry Animals, and do various activities.

Undertone (basement of 10 Feet Tall)

11a + 12 Church Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 8883 / www.undertonecardiff.com Tue 14 Autarchy 10pm, £5. A night “focused on the appreciation of quality dance music”. Tue 28 Mixtape 10pm, £5. Student-y night with a headline set from London-based house type Al Zanders. Thurs 16 Shelter 10pm, £5/£3. Student-centric night offering house, bass house, bassline, garage, grime, dubstep, jungle and drum’n’bass. Thurs 23 Ethos 10pm-4am, £3. New night promising "five and a half hours of your favourite drum’n’bass tunes". I'll hold them to that. Fri 3 Groove Theory 10pm, £8/£6. Disco and funk good times with headliner Patrick Gibbin, also known as TwICE and top selector in a club near Verona, Italy. Fri 10 Castles Nights 10pm, £5. Techno from Silver Red, Corey Lewis David Thomas Meredith and Joe Shrimpling. Fri 17 Selecta 11pm, £5/£3.

UK garage/grime classics night. Fri 24 Temple 11pm.

Monthly drum’n’bass night, lineup still TBC but probably confirmed by the time you read this. Sat 4 Head Room 10pm-4am, £6-£10. No-frills techno headlined by Joe Farr (Bloc/Leisure System) with locals Marc Parsons, Corey Lewis and Murder. Sat 11 Gangster’s Paradise 11pm, £4/£3 before 11.30. Pre-2010 hip-hop and r’n’b night. Sat 18 Rotary Club 11pm-4am.

Headlined by south London house duo FYI Chris, who have produce on Rhythm Section. Sat 4 Mar Roots #5: Bodhi 10.30pm-4am, £8 adv. Local house duo present a night of music by them and pals, also featuring SnowSkull, Next Door Films and Indo visuals creating bespoke visuals, 3D projections and LED mapping sequences.

The Vaults

The Old Natwest Bank, 113116 Bute Street, Cardiff Bay. www.vaultspresents.com Fri 3 Voltage 10pm-5am, £10. Brand new hard dance night debuts with a headline set from Mark EG, plus Ed ET & DTR, K33fey, Stu Grady, Vishaun & Trampy, Synergy, Snatch and MC Shocker. Fri 3 Mar Concept 10pm-5am, £12 adv. Cellar Door’s new drum’n’bass spinoff returns with a headline set from Aphrodite, plus MC Eksman, Nu Elementz, Rogue One, DJ Low & MC Chew, Stu Grady, Kyam and Kalo. Room 2 features DJ Pabz, T-Bone & MC Deadly Knightshade, Joe

Blow, DJ Bason, D:reaper, Luke Ebbens and Synysta plus MCs Jaydee and more TBC. Sat 4 Cellar Door 10pm-5am, £12 adv. Back in their original venue and up to business as usual: techno in room one, house and disco in room 2 and cartoons/chillout in room 3.

Warehouse 54

54 Cambrian Road, Newport. 01633 213161.

Fridays The Friday Night Project 11pm, £3Mixed selections of music plus karaoke every week. Entry fee also grants you entry to Courtyard, Blind Tiger, Meze Lounge and Labamba. Saturdays Pick’n’Mix Dante De Marco serves up party anthems and club classics from across the decades.

Wow Bar

4 Churchill Way, Cardiff.

Gay venue. Free all day Sun-Thurs; before 11pm Fri + Sat. 029 2066 6247 / www.wowbarcardiff.com Wednesdays Wish You Were Here Free. Student night with “inflight entertainment” from Lambrini Rampage and Mary Golds, plus music from DJ Krys. Thursdays The Night With No Name Free.

DJ Craig and Mary Golds offer “mad games and crazy entertainment.” Fridays The Greatest Show In The City Free b4 11. With WOW Showgirls Miss Kitty and Marcia, plus special guests every week. Saturdays The VKend Free b4 11. With DJs Craig and Krys. You can get cheap deals in VK. £6.50 for a fishbowl. £6 for a jug of WKD. Settle down now, kids.

Sundays The Cuckoo Club Free. DJ Krys plays the tunes until late.

events EVERY MONDAY

Ballet The Gate, Cardiff.

6-9.30pm, £6.50/£5.50/£3 taster. Info 029 2048 3344.

Beginners 6-7pm; intermediate 7-8; advanced 8-9.30. Runs until Mon 3 Apr; half term break on Mon 20 Feb. 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; half term break on Mon 20 Feb. 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. Restarting on Mon 19 after a summer break.

Led by Pauline Down and taking place most Mondays; ring ahead to check.

India Dance Wales Classes Highmead House, Lisvane, Cardiff. Info 029 2075 1158.

For Grade 3 to vocational level. These classes are by special application only at various points in the month – not on specific days, hence listing them here. To apply write to admin@indiadancewales.com with previous dance experience and reason for wanting to join India Dance Wales.

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; half term break on Mon 20 Feb. 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.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff.

Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today features Cyr Wheel Beginners (6-8pm); Handstands Beginners (7.45-9.45pm); Youth Circus Wookies (age 7-9, 4.30-6pm); Youth Circus Ewoks (age 5-7, 5-6pm); Aerial Hoop L4 (6-8pm); Flying Trapeze L3 (7.45-9.45pm); Static Trapeze L3 (7.45-9.45pm); Aerial Hoop L2 (7.45-9.45pm); Aerial Hoop L3 (7.45-9.45pm) and Static Trapeze L4 (7.45-9.45pm).

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; half term break on Mon 20 Feb. Pilates And Core Stretch Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 6.457.45pm, £30 for six sessions.

Info info@burlesquecardiff. co.uk. With Stephanie.

Ruff Folk Dance Club St Andrew’s Methodist Church Hall, Birchgrove, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info 029 2051 3440. With Ian Lewis.

Salsa Classes Missoula, Cardiff. 7.30-9.30pm, £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 rehearsals.

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; half term break on Tue 21 Feb. 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.

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; half term break on Tue 21 Feb. 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; half term break on Tue 21 Feb. Funkypump Fitness Universal Gym, Cardiff. 6pm.

Info www.funkypumpfitness. co.uk. Boxing-based highintensity workout with a house soundtrack. First session free.

In this gym every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Gitananda Yoga St David's Uniting Church, Pontypridd.

7-8.30pm, free. Info 01443 408065.

Glam Dram St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

7pm. Info 01446 799100.

Amateur theatre company for adults.

India Dance Wales – 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

u – repeated

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; half term break on Tue 21 Feb. 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 JK Club, Neath Rd, Briton Ferry. 8-10.30pm, £5.

Info 07400 080101. Hosted

by Frank, who also runs a similar class in Pencoed each Thursday. Lessons are from 8-9pm; there’s a disco from 9-10.30.

Life Drawing Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 6-8pm, £7.50. Info 07830 381930.

Hosted by Cardiff Life Model.

Moved from 10 Feet Tall 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.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Today: Hula Hoop beginners (6-7pm); Circus Mish Mash (7.45-9.45pm); Mixed Aerial (7.45-9.45pm); Youth Ground Skills – Jedi/Ewok (11+/9-11, 4.15-6pm) and Static Trapeze L3 (7.45-9.45pm).

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; half term break on Tue 21 Feb. Pregnancy Yoga Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff.

6-7.15pm, £35/£30 (five-week blocks). Info kalavathi@ omstudio.co.uk.

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.

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.

events Yoga Classes Om Studio, Partridge Lane, Cardiff.

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.

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.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff.

Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today: Youth Acrobatics Jedi (11+, 4.15-6pm); Adult Acrobatics (6-8pm); Creative Circus L2, L3 and L4 (7.45-9.45pm).

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; half term break on Wed 22 Feb. 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.

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; half termbreak on Thurs 23 Feb. Art Club Penarth Pier Pavilion. 4.15-5.15pm, £5. Info 0844 8700887. Creative fun

BIANCA DEL RIO St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 8 Feb Tickets: £35-£150. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk In the last year or so, Cardiff has played host to a healthy crop of previous RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants, who have invariably enjoyed a boosted profile or kickstarted career after appearing. Louisianan drag queen Bianca Del Rio, winner of Drag Race season six in 2014, has been a bigger beneficiary than most. Already a seasoned face on the New York cabaret scene, scooping the prize catapulted Del Rio onto drag’s world stage – fuelling her move into standup/insult comedy. Not Today, Satan!, her second show, is now on a world tour; it promises to be a whirlwind of vulgarity, peppered with necessary social commenatary, and you can shell out for £75 or £150 VIP tickets if you’re suitably devoted/minted.

for 5-11-year-olds with tutor Becky.

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 Universal Gym, Cardiff. 6pm.

Info www.funkypumpfitness. co.uk.

Hand Drumming Group Canton Uniting Church, Cardiff. 6-6.50pm, £15 (five weeks). Info 01446 401209.

Hosted by Laura Bradshaw.

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.

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.

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 Buena Class Little Shop Of Calm, Cowbridge.

8.30-10.30pm, free. Info 07800 565651. Beginners 8.30pm; improvers 9.30.

Salsa Dancing Classes Revolucion De Cuba, Cardiff.

8-10pm, £6/£5 NUS. Info 029

2023 6689. Salsa, bachata, zouk and kizomba.

Story And Rhyme Time In Welsh For Babies Big Pit National Coal Museum, 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.

Maindee, Newport. 7.30pm.

Info 01633 400685.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff.

Info 029 2022 1330 / www. nofitstate.org. Today: Aerial Fitness (6-7.30pm); Flying Trapeze Taster (6-8pm, oneoff, bi-weekly); Jedi – Aerial (11+) (4.15-6pm) Ropes & Silks L2 (7.45-9.45pm); Static Trapeze L2 (7.459.45pm); Ropes & Silks L3; (7.45-9.45pm); Ropes & Silks

Penarth Pier Pavilion have a weekly programme of astronomical talks this month, hosted by Dark Sky Wales.

Held in the evening on Wed 1, 8, 15 and 22, they cover topics including the origin of life on earth, the possibility of it elsewhere in the universe, and the methods used in attempts to detect it.

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”. Fri 17 features special guests the Chuckle Brothers.

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.

Newport Photographic Club Skip Jennings Hall,

L4 (7.45-9.45pm) and Static Trapeze L2 (7.45-9.45pm).

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.

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.

BUZZ 59

* – recommended

events

Readers of a certain vintage will recall the rise of the so called supergroups of the 1960s and 70s.

Loosely defined as “a music group whose members are already successful solo artists or members of other groups,” such bands, personified by the likes of Cream (Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce) and Blind Faith (Clapton and Baker again, together with Steve Winwood and Ric Grech), may have been commercially and artistically successful but the inevitable clash of egos usually led to their early demise. That said, supergroups have continued to appear sporadically through the years, with The Travelling Wilburys (arguably the ultimate supergroup of Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne) memorably flying the flag into the late 1980s and The Hollywood Vampires (Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp & Joe Perry) rocking in 2015.

Supergroups aren’t just a rock music phenomenon.

Folk and roots music has had, and continues to have its fair share, with the likes of The Afro Celts and The Full English and, most notably, Bellowhead all playing their part.

One of the most enduring folk supergroups is the Celtic Fiddle Festival, a band described by The Washington Post as “three of the finest folk violinists anywhere”. For over two decades, Celtic Fiddle Festival have been selling out tours, receiving standing ovations and completely enthralling audiences around the globe with their exploration of Celtic musical traditions, dazzling musicality and spontaneous humour.

Originally comprised of Kevin Burke (Ireland), Johnny Cunningham (Scotland) and Christian Lemaître (Brittany) the current line up of the band comprises Kevin (Bothy Band, Patrick Street) and Christian (Kornog) together with Capercaillie’s fiddler Charlie McKerron (Scotland) and Breton guitarist Nicolas Quemener.

In concert, each artist plays a solo set to showcase their individual musical styles and traditions before they come together for a collaborative set featuring all three fiddlers. Together, they play with such relentless precision and fire that the tunes transcend all cultural and geographical barriers and regularly leave audiences spellbound. That’s something you can discover for yourself when these extraordinary musicians appear at Cardiff’s St David’s Hall on Tue 21 Feb as part of the Roots Unearthed series.

Buzz also recommends Phil Beer. Solo outing for Show Of Hands veteran.

Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells (Thurs 9).

Martin Simpson. Guitar genius. West End Club, Barry (Sat 17).

Southern Tenant Folk Union. Bluegrass, folk and politics. Pontardawe Arts Centre (Sat 24).

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

BUZZ 60

Family Saturdays Foyer, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. Free. Info 029 2063 6464. Craft workshops for kids and parents.

Funkypump Fitness Universal Gym, Cardiff.

9.30am. Info www. funkypumpfitness.co.uk.

Hard Côr Sony Room, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 11am, free. Info 029 2063 6464.

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.

NoFit State Circus: Youth Circus Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff.

10.30am-12pm, £7/£6 per session. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org. Today: Youth Circus Wookies (age 7-9, 10-11.30am); Youth Circus Ewoks (age 5-7, 10.30-11.30am); Youth Circus Padawans (age 9-11, 11.30am-1pm).

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.

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.

EVERY SUNDAY

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 at

this brand new market.

Lindy Hop Dance Classes & Social Swing Dancing Pontardawe Arts Centre.

6-10pm. Info 01792 863722.

NoFit State Circus Classes And Courses Cardiff Central Sports And Community Centre, Ocean Way, Cardiff. Info 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org.

Today: Youth General Skills Jedi (11+, 12-2pm) and Youth Performance Jedi (11+, 2-4pm).

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.

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.

WEDNESDAY 1

uBeginners Show Girl And Burlesque Dancing Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff.

8-9.15pm, £7/£60 for 10 weeks. Info www. cardiffcabaretclub.com. With Steph. Every Wednesday until 22 Mar. Border Country In Paint The Drill Hall, Chepstow.

7.30pm, £3. Info 01291 625981. Talk by Peter Wakelin, relating to the Ffiniau exhibition currently showing here (see Art listings). uDark Sky Wales – Life In The Universe Penarth Pier Pavilion. 7.30pm, £8.

Info 0844 8700887. Course introducing astronomy, the universe and the work currently being done to explore space, on here every Wednesday this month.

Today’s topic is ‘The Origin Of Life On Earth’; Wed 8 is ‘Other Earths And Habitable Zones’; Wed 15 is ‘Detecting Life Elsewhere’ and Wed 22 is ‘Fermi’s Paradox’.

Make Do And Mend Class Carnegie House, Bridgend.

11am-12pm, £5. Info 01656 815757. With Rachael Bridgeman. uOpen Level Chair Dance Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 6.307.45pm, £7/£60 for 10 weeks.

Info www.cardiffcabaretclub. com. With Steph. Every Wednesday until 22 Mar. uPremium Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle. 7.15pm, £15.

Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings. Also on Fri 3, Fri 17 and Thurs 23.

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.

Young Art Force Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

11.30am-2.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Open art class for anyone aged 14 to 24 to explore and respond to the Gallery’s exhibitions and collections.

THURSDAY 2

First Thursday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 029 2030 4400.

Readings by writers TBC. Joanna Rowsell Shand The Riverfront, Newport.

7.30pm, £20/£18. Info 01633 656757. A talk about life and the riding of pushbikes by Shand, who ‘medalled’ for GB in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

Keith Williams: Back To The 80s Little Theatre, Neath. 7pm, £5. Info 01639 643462. Videos and “memories” from a fellow who claims to be the world’s first video conceptual artist.

Seems a bit hard to verify, that.

FRIDAY 3

Cardiff Inter Varsity Club Meeting Park Plaza Hotel, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £5 (threemonth trial membership).

Info 07526 141392 / www. cardiffivc.org.uk. Meeting here on the first Friday of each month.

Carmarthenshire Sports Personality Awards 2017 Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £10.

Info 0845 2263510. It’s for honouring both sporting stars and unsung heroes y’know.

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. £3. Info 01633 664498. Nigel Jarrett

u – repeated

463980. Bilingual playtime for babies/toddlers.

Storytelling Suppers Kemi’s, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

7pm, £14. Info 029 2037 2055. With special guest Anne Lister. Entry fee includes food.

Toddler Days Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Monthly term-time events for toddlers and their parents, this month’s theme being ‘lots of love’.

Welsh Wrestling Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £12/£9 kids. Info 01873 850805.

Winter Italian Supper Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan.

9.30am-3pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray.co.uk. 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. On tomorrow also (from 10am12pm), and every Friday this month.

SATURDAY 4

Bar Boot Sale Le Pub, Newport. 12-4.30pm, free.

Info socialclubvintagenewport@ gmail.com. Vintage and craft fair.

Cardiff Vegan Festival Civic Centre, Cardiff.

10.30am-5pm. Info jeanette@viva.org.uk.

Featuring free food tastings,

Bridgend rock venue/nightclub Hobos has a day-long event on Sun 26 Feb which invites musicians to bring down any guitars, amps, pedals or other gear they want to offload, and do so via sale or trade, as they best see fit. You can plug in and try before you buy, too. will be talking about his new book Slowly Burning.

Licensed bar available Guest Chef’s Night Beach House, Oxwich Bay, Gower.

Info 01792 390965. With Hywel Jones from Lucknam Park.

Holocaust Memorial Day Event: Talk By Peter Lantlos Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 6.30pm. Info 01495 243252. With the author of the book Parallel Lines.

Introduction To Greek Kitchen Basics Venue TBC, central Cardiff. 6.30-9.30pm, £35. Info 07870 131558.

Cooking class hosted by Lia Moutselou, one of a new regular series – the next is on Fri 10.

Let’s Get Quizzical The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £2 to enter. Info 01497 821762. Pub quiz.

Little Mice Club: The Weather National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10.30am12pm, free. Info 01792

advice, cookery demos, stalls etc.

Chinese New Year National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

11am-4pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Creative family fun.

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.

Creative Writing Barnabas Arts House, Newport. 11am12.30pm, £6. Info 01633 673739. Monthly class With local poet and tutor Mair De Gare Pitt.

Dewch i Ganu National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Join musician Delyth Jenkins and learn Welsh through song. uDon’t Do This At Home Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Science demonstrations using simple house hold equipment that

events you should definitely not try at home. (Every Saturday and Sunday until Sun 12) 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.

Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Norwich City Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3pm.

Info 0845 3451400. uFundamentals Of Improv Comedy: Weekend Intensive The Arches, Cardiff. 11am-5pm, £95 (two days). Info 029 2087 7959.

Two-day course (on tomorrow also) run by Nathan Improv. uGiants Of The Solar System Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475.

Find out more about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, aka the ‘gas giants’. (Every Saturday and Sunday until Sun 12) uMuseum Ghost Walk National History Museum, St Fagans. 7pm, £15. Info 029 2057 3500. Presented by Cardiff History & Hauntings.

Also on Fri 10, Fri 17, Sat 18 and Sat 25.

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.

Parisian Bistro Supper Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan.

9.30am-3pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray.co.uk. uPremium Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point). 7.15pm, £11. Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings.

Also on Sat 18 and Sat 25.

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. uStarman And His Dog Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Find pictures in the night sky by joining the stars together using imaginary lines in this show aimed at under-7s. (Every Saturday and Sunday until Sun 12) Vertigo Pro Wrestling: Perfect Storm 2 The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£15.

Info 029 2048 3344. With wrestlers including Gideon, Eddie Dennis, Bishop and Panda Cub. Vietnamese Street Food Pop-Up Kitchen – VietNom! Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff. 7-11pm. Info 07933 844234. Bahn mi, noodles and the like will be cooked up here, with proceeds going to a char-

ity called Beauty With A Purpose.

Young Person’s Film Academy 2017 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 10.30am2.30pm, £12. Info 029 2030 4400. Return of this popular course for ages 9-12. Today is titled ‘How Films Are Made’.

Followup classes are on Sat 11 Feb, Sat 4 Mar and Sat 11 Mar.

653763. Talk hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales, looking at the NHS in Swansea today. Similar talks are on every Tuesday this month.

Pontypool Local History Society Lecture Pontypool Museum. 2-3.30pm. Info 01495 752036. ‘The Welsh Land Settlement Society’ by Roland Ward.

SUNDAY 5

WEDNESDAY 8

Burlesque Dance Workshop Market House Dance Studio. Chapter Art Centre, Cardiff. 11am12.30pm, £15. Info www. cardiffcabaretclub.com. Oneoff taster workshop covering, poses, walks, simple choreography, glove peeling, working with a boa and chair dance.

With Steph.

Cardiff Storytelling Circle Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £4. Info 029 2030 4400. uChapter Sewcial Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 1.30-3 + 3.30-5pm, £40 (six sessions).

Info 029 2030 4400. Sewing classes for ages 8-12 (earlier) and 10-14 (later). Also on Sun 12 this month.

Cwmbran Craft Fayre Our Lady’s School Hall, Cwmbran. 1-4pm. Info cwmbran_crafts@hotmail. co.uk. Every first Sunday of the month.

Ice Hockey: League – Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 6pm. Info 029 2038 2001.

Kidsmarkets Family Sale Paget Rooms, Penarth.

11am-12.30pm, £1/kids free.

Info 07760 802088. Featuring stalls of great quality new and pre-loved baby and children’s items.

Weber Winter Warmer Course Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan.

10am-2pm, £99. Info 01443 222716.

MONDAY 6

uAdvanced Cabaret Classes Conway Road Methodist Church Hall, Cardiff. 8-9.30pm, £7/£60 for 10 sessions. Info www. cardiffcabaretclub.com. With Steph. Every Monday until 20 Mar. Art Talk: Sue McDonagh Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7pm, £4.50. Info 01656 815995.

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 20 (it takes place here every first and third Monday of the month).

TUESDAY 7

uExplore 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).

Also on Tue 14 and Tue 28.

Meeting Local Health And Social Care Demand In The 21st Century Swansea Museum. 1pm. Info 01792

Friends Of The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

6pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Nick Cope talks about the Knap Of Howar and sacred geometry. uScriveners Writers’ Group Royal Exchange, Brynmawr. 8pm. Info 01495 753629. Also on Wed 22.

Skill Builder: One-Pot Suppers Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 6-9pm, £90. Info 01443 222716 / www. angelagray.co.uk.

THURSDAY 9

Audio Description Tour: Art In Wales National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

11am, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Guided tour for visitors who are blind or visually impaired. uEssential Llandaff Ghost Walk City Cross, Cathedral Green, Llandaff (meeting point). 8pm, £8.

Info 07538 878609. By Cardiff History & Hauntings. Also on Thurs 16 and Wed 22. uHowl Mozarts, Swansea.

8pm, free. Info 01792 649984.

Poetry open mic, every second and third Thursday of the month.

Joe Swift The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £17. Info 01633 656757. TV garden designer talks about what happens behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower show etc.

Quiz Night The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7-10pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Presented by Left Suit Events.

Verdant Tap Takeover Brewdog, Cardiff. 6pm, free.

Info 029 2023 1684.

FRIDAY 10

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.

My Greek Cuisine – The Greek Flavours That Nobody Tells You About Venue TBC, central Cardiff.

6.30-9.30pm, £35. Info 07870 131558. Class hosted by Lia Moutselou.

Premium Midnight Ghost Tour Cardiff Castle.

10.15pm, £15. Info 07538 878609.

Tea Dance St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

2pm, £5. Info 01446 799100.

SATURDAY 11

uBoutique Gift Markets Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 10.30am5.30pm. Info 029 2087 7959.

On tomorrow also.

Caerwent Craft Fayre Caerwent Village Hall, Monmouthshire. 2.304.30pm. Info cwmbran_

crafts@hotmail.co.uk. Every second Saturday of the month (also on Sat 25). uChepstow Farmers’ Market Cormeilles Square, Chepstow. 8.30am-1pm, free.

Info 01291 626370. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month.

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.

Kiki Lovechild Clown Workshop Revue Studios, Belle Vue Way, Swansea.

2pm, £15. Info www. bluestockinglounge.com. Kiki is one of the UK’s most successful cabaret clowns, and is here to teach you his skills via a series of games.

Knife Skills Class Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray. co.uk. uLaughter And Gibberish Communication Training Llandaff North Community Centre, Cardiff. £150 (two days). Info www. sparklylaughter.co.uk. Learn how to combine Laughter and Gibberish (this is a real thing, look it up) to improve your communication skills, boost your self-confidence, enhance your creativity and develop your innovative self.

On tomorrow also.

Live At The Basement Valentine’s Party The Riverfront, Newport. 8pm, £5.

Info 01633 656757. Featuring speed dating and live muic from Rogora Khart.

Mono Printing Carnegie House, Bridgend. 10am-1pm, £18/£10 NUS. Info 01656 815757. With Claire Hiett.

Mumbles Produce Market Seafront Car Park, Mumbles.

9am-1pm, free. Info 01792 361012. Every second Saturday of the month.

Newport Craft Fayre The Gallery, Newport Indoor Market. 9am-4.30pm, free.

Info 01633 656656. Every second Saturday of the month.

Nimble Fingers Craft Fayre Victoria Hall, Mumbles, Swansea. 10am4pm, free. Info 07790 298913.

On the second Saturday of every month.

Rugby Union: RBS Six Nations: Wales v Scotland Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

4.50pm, £40-£100. Info 08442 777888. Wales’ first home match of this year’s tournament (already sold out, unsurprisingly); Ireland visit on Fri 10 Mar. Saturday Adult Art Classes Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Bookbinding sessions. Book in advance please.

So You Think You Know About Dinosaurs? The Riverfront, Newport. 2pm, £16.50/£13.50 kids. Info 01633 656757. Kids’ show where you can test your knowledge against TV scientist Ben Garrod. In Brecon on Thurs 23.

Spoken Word Saturday Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 3pm, £3.

Info 0845 2263510.

St Teilo’s Day Mass National History Museum, St Fagans. 11am-12pm, free.

Info 029 2057 3500. With Staff and students from the Chaplaincy at Cardiff University.

Vintage Kilo Sale Portland House, Cardiff Bay. 11am4pm, £1.50/£3 before 12. Info 029 2019 1806. Sift through five tonnes of vintage clothes which I’m sure are all really

YMCA, Cardiff. 6-7pm, £5.

Info elliecoptor@hotmail. com. Second Monday of every month. 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. uSnooker – Welsh Open Round 1 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff. 10am + 7pm, from

If you're a fan of Doctor Who, and have an interest in LGBT politics/culture, then you might like an event at the National Museum Cardiff on Sat 25 Feb. It's called Who's Queer Now?, features talks relating to the intersection of these topics, and Russell T Davies and Bethany Black will be there. good and not junk, and buy it by the kilo (£15).

Young Person’s Film Academy 2017 Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 10.30am2.30pm, £12. Info 029 2030 4400. This week’s course is titled ‘The Story Of Cinema’.

SUNDAY 12

Barry Island Handmade Market Barry Island train station. 11am-3pm, free. Info facebook.com/ barryislandhandmademarket.

Classic Breads Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray. co.uk.

Football: Barclays Premier League – Swansea City v Keicester City Liberty Stadium, Swansea. 4pm. Info 0870 400004.

Ice Hockey: League – Cardiff Devils v Nottingham Panthers Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 6pm. Info 029 2038 2001.

Marina Market National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980.

Pre-Loved Pop-Up National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Secondhand/vintage goods. 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 26, and every fortnight after that.

Wedding Fayre Celtic Manor, nr Newport. 10.30am, free. Info 01633 413000.

MONDAY 13

Elliecoptor Hoops Hula Hoop Class Plasnewydd

£15. Info 029 2022 4488.

Round 1 is on tomorrow also; round 2 is on Wed 15; rounds 3 and 4 on Thurs 16; the quarter-finals from 10am2pm on Fri 17; the semifinals on Sat 18 and the final on Sun 19. (Until Sun 19) uVelotech Cycle Training Wales, Gabalfa, Cardiff.

9.30am-4pm, £495 (four days). Info www. cycletrainingwales.org.uk.

(Until Thurs 16)

TUESDAY 14

Early 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.

Healthcare For The Future: Meeting The Challenges Swansea Museum. 1pm. Info 01792 653763. Talk by Hamish Laing, hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

Spirituality Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2048 3344.

Second Tuesday of every month.

The Herbivore: Vegan Valentine’s Supper Club Embassy Cafe, Cathays, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25. Info simon@theherbivore.co.uk.

Featuring five courses of presumably romantic fare.

Valentine’s Tea Dance Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 2.30pm, £6.

Info 0845 2263510.

WEDNESDAY 15

Are We Slaves To Our Genes? The Gate, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £6/£3. Info 029 2048 3344. Talk by Dr Denis Alexander, who is a biologist and evangelical Christian who also believes in evolution. Love a good niche position, me.

Black Kettle Collective Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 3.30-5pm, free. Info BUZZ 61

* – recommended

live music

BAFTA CYMRU FEB 2017 February will be all about funding and the future at BAFTA Cymru.

In the month of the EE British Academy Film Awards in London (on Sun 12 Feb, watch on BBC One) we will be hosting a number of events to help our creative talent in Wales access money and markets.

First up is a briefing session with Channel 5 when they will be discussing their commissioning priorities (Sat 7 Feb); YouTube will host a session about the future of film (Sun 8 Feb at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff) and we’ll host our latest commissioners’ event and the first one to focus on film.

In partnership with Creative Europe Media Desk UK, we will offer the chance to hear from Ffilm Cymru Wales, Pinewood Pictures, Film Four, the Irish Film Board and BBC Films about what they are looking for in film ideas, what funding is available and how to contact them to discuss projects. The event will also offer 1-2-1 sessions for producers and writers to discuss projects in more detail. Later in the month we will be offering a special preview of the new series of BAFTA Cymru-winning drama 35 Diwrnod and a chance to hear from the cast and crew.

Those with a film or television programme already made, or who have worked on Welsh or UK productions should start to gen-up on our new guidelines and consider entering themselves or their work into our various categories for the British Academy Cymru Awards. The entries for the Awards will open in March (for work between Fri 1 Apr 2016 and Fri 31 March 2017) and closes in April and all the information will be on our website below shortly.

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.

Find out more here: www.bafta.org/ wales

01792 516900.

Gardening Course: What To Prune In February National History Museum, St Fagans. 10am-1pm, £30. Info 029 2057 3500.

Mary-Ann Ochota: A Spotter’s Guide To The British Landscape Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.45pm, £11.50/£10.50. Info 01874 611622. TV presenter and archaeology writer.

Open Mic Spoken Word Extravaganza Ye Olde Murenger, Newport. 7.30pm, £5/£3. Info 01633 263977.

Featuring Daniel LlewelynWilliams and Mark Williams.

Skill Builder: Perfect Risotto Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 6-9pm, £90. Info 01443 222716 / www. angelagray.co.uk.

Spice Preview Night Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

Info 07429 598414. A chance for you to go along and see what you might get out of this adventure, activity, sports and social group.

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 16

Artes Mundi Lunchtime Talk National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7951. Exploring different aspects of the show currently running here. uDrop-In-And-Make Half Term Craft Workshops The Drill Hall, Chepstow. 2-4pm, £2. Info 01291 625981. Kids’ event, also on Thurs 23.

John Bilsborough Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £6.50/£5. Info 0845 2263510.

A fellow also known as ‘The Funny Poet’.

Open Mic Night Imperial Hotel, Merthyr. 7.30pm. Info mjenkins1927@gmail.com.

With special guest Bernard Harrington.

Open Space: Rebecca F. John & Nicola May Central Library Hub, Cardiff. 5.45pm, free. Info 029 2038 2116.

Reading from their novels The Haunting Of Henry Twist (Jones) and Love Me Tinder (May).

Kendal Mountain Festival Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £15. Info 01970 623232. An evening of films, speakers and athletes. uReal Ale & Cider Festival 2017 Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union. 2-11pm. Info 029 2078 1458. Annual event, on tomorrow also.

The Place Of Steel In The Industrial Heritage Of Wales Swansea Museum.

1pm. Info 01792 653763. Talk

by Louise Miskell (Swansea University), hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

TJ Higgs Queens Hall, Narberth. 6.45pm, £22.50. Info 01834 869323. Spirit medium.

FRIDAY 17

Arcade Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7pm, £3.50. Info 029 2048 3344. An evening of classic gaming, hosted by The BUZZ 62

Arcade Vaults and featuring 15 vintage consoles and computers.

Real Ale & Cider Festival 2017 Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union.

2-11pm. Info 029 2078 1458.

Smelting And Selling: The Vivians And The Copper Trade In NineteenthCentury Swansea Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea.

12.30-1.30pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Talk by Professor Louise Miskell.

So You Think You’re Smart? Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, free. Info 01495 243252. Quiz night, every third Friday of the month.

TJ Higgs Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot. 7.30pm, £21.50. Info 01639 763214.

Spirit medium.

Valleys Folk Ceilidh Blaenavon Rugby Club. 7.3010.30pm, £3. Info 01495 790446.

SATURDAY 18

Brecon Craft Fair Market Hall, Brecon. 9am-4.30pm.

Info 01495 753782.

Cardiff Anarchist Bookfair Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 10am-11pm, free (donations welcome). Info 029 2037 3144. Workshops, talks, debates, stalls, food, live music and more. Including books, I shouldn’t wonder.

Anarchist ones. uFamily Half Term Workshops National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 11am, 1pm + 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. In conjunction with the Artes Mundi exhibition. (Until Sun 26) Famous Five: Pastry Angela Gray’s Cookery School At Llanerch Vineyard, Hensol, Vale Of Glamorgan. 9.30am3.30pm, £170. Info 01443 222716 / www.angelagray. co.uk.

February Holiday Workshop Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-2pm, free. Info 01792 516900. Come and explore what the Glynn Vivian has to offer families and children. Book in advance please. Also on Wed 22 and Thurs 23. uFire & Ice Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. This half-term, discover what happens when things get really hot and when things get really cold. My assumption is that they start to get real.

(Until Sun 26) Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff City v Rotherham United Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff.

3pm. Info 0845 3451400.

How? The Story of NCY 627 National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 11am, free. Info 01792 463980. Byron Gage talks about the NCY 627 bus. uSpace Hunters Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Go on a treasure hunt in space to meet an astronaut, ride on a comet’s tail, look for an exploding star and more. Suitable for under7s. (Until Sun 26) uStar Tours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. Info 029 2047 5475. Find out more about some familiar constellations, the planets, how stars are born and how they die. (Until Sun 26) Talk: Ffiniau The Drill Hall,

u – repeated

Chepstow. 2pm, £4/£3. Info 01291 625981. Event relating to the exhibition Ffiniau: Four Painters In Raymond Williams’ Border Country, featuring Professor Dai Smith and one of the four artists, Charles Burton, in conversation with exhibition curator Dr Peter Wakelin.

Try Gamelan St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1-3pm, £8/£5 under-18s. Info 029 2087 8444.

SUNDAY 19

uDylan’s Animals Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.

10am-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. Half-term activity in the Learning Space, inspired by the animals which feature in Dylan Thomas’ work.

Tomorrow features a family workshop where you create a sculptural 3D animal mask (1-4pm); Wed 22 is a day off; on Fri 24 you can make printed tote bags and t-shirts.

(1-4pm) . (Until Sun 26) Open Mic Workshop Little Man Coffee Co, Cardiff.

1-2pm. Info 07933 844234.

Hosted by Cardiff Creative Writers.

Thai 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.

Welsh National Wedding Fayre Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 10am, free. Info 01792 475715.

MONDAY 20

Gwd Mondays Quiz Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933.

Live Superstars Of Wrestling 2017 Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £12/£9. Info 0845 2263510. uMake A Mini Lifeboat National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12.30-3.30pm, free.

Info 01792 463980. Activities inspired by the exhibition Hope In The Great War. (Until Sat 25)

TUESDAY 21

Cast, Dip, Stitch & Stain Mission Gallery, Swansea.

11am-2pm, £8. Info 01792 652016. Collect items to cast and dip using alginate and plaster. Use these new skills to create unique small sculptures to work with at the next session on Fri 24. uChinese Legends Family Workshop National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 11am, 1pm + 3pm, free. Info 029 2039 7951. Explore Chinese legends and make a piece of art inspired by the exhibition currently running. (Until Fri 24) Half Term Children’s Class Carnegie House, Bridgend. 11-42pm, free.

Info 01656 815757. With Communities First.

Philosophy Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2048 3344.

Third Tuesday of every month.

The Journey Of Being Patient- And Family/CarerCentred Swansea Museum.

1pm. Info 01792 653763. Talk

by Rory Farelly, hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

WEDNESDAY 22

Chinese Workshop: Drawing The Chinese

Emperor’s Dogs Of Fo Swansea Museum. 1-4pm, free. Info 01792 653763. Halfterm workshop.

Craft At The Museum Cardiff Story, The Hayes, Cardiff. 10am-3pm, £1. Info 029 2034 6214. Drop-in session for half-term.

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.

February Holiday Workshop Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-2pm, free. Info 01792 516900.

Magical Islands: A Creative Writing Workshop Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea. 10-3pm, free. Info 01792 463980. With Eloise Williams; aimed at ages 6-10.

Book in advance please.

Poetry Open Mic Tino’s Swansea. 8pm, free. Info 01792 686914. With guest pot John Collins.

Science Cafe National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

7.30pm, free. Info 01792 463980.

Words&Words&Words Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £5. Info 01970 623232. Poetry and spoken word evening.

THURSDAY 23

After Hours Techniquest, Cardiff Bay. 6.30-10pm. Info 029 2047 5475. Adults-only nights where you can goof around on all the exhibits and drink a beer or whatever.

February Holiday Workshop Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea. 11am-4pm, free. Info 01792 516900. uThe ‘Lost’ Houses Of Cardiff Cardiff Castle. 6pm, £8. Info 029 2087 8100.

Lecture by Matthew Williams, repeated on Tue 28.

So You Think You Know About Dinosaurs? Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01874 611622.

The Painting Challenge Mission Gallery, Swansea.

11am-2pm, free. Info 01792 652016. Working from Anne Gibbs’ exhibition, come and take part in a giant collaborative painting.

Welsh Wrestling The Muni, Pontypridd. 6.30pm, £12/£9.

Info 01443 490390.

FRIDAY 24

Cast, Dip, Stitch & Stain Mission Gallery, Swansea.

11am-2pm, £8. Info 01792 652016.

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.

The Cellae Bards Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 8pm, £3. Info 07818 056599. Monthly poetry group.

SATURDAY 25

Egyptology Day Swansea Museum. 10am-4pm, free.

Info 01792 653763. Learn the art of calligraphy, make a scarab fridge magnet, and write your name in hieroglyphics.

Football: Sky Bet Championship – Cardiff

live music City v Fulham Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff. 3pm. Info 0845 3451400.

Ice Hockey: League – Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze Ice Arena, Cardiff Bay. 7pm. Info 029 2038 2001.

Jewellery Making Mission Gallery, Swansea. 10am-4pm.

Info 01792 652016. Adult workshop.

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.

Seedy Saturday Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 11am2.30pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400. Share seeds, plants and unwanted garden equipment, whilst learning from experienced gardeners on everything from sharpening and maintaining your garden tools, to beekeeping.

Who's Queer Now? National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff.

11am-4pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 7951. This is a day of conversations about the worlds of Doctor Who and their impact on LGBT people.

Russell T Davies, Bethany Black and Gareth David-Lloyd will all be on the panel, plus there'll be quizzes and stuff.

Workshop: Fistful Of Spookies Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am-12.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01834 869323. Narberth A Cappella Voice Festival event (see

Music). Venue for these workshops is actually TBC, but the Queens Hall is the de facto base for the festival.

Workshop: Helen Chadwick Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am12.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01834 869323.

Workshop: Jez King Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am12.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01834 869323.

Workshop: Môr Ladron Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am12.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01834 869323.

12.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01834 869323. Narberth A Cappella Voice Festival event.

SUNDAY 26

WEDNESDAY 1

Guitar, Amp & Gear Swap / Sell Hobo’s, Bridgend. 10am5pm, £3. Info www. hobosmusicvenue.com. This is a cool idea I reckon! There’s an area where you can test out gear pre-transaction, plus the bar is open all day so you can get pissed and make a purchase you regret.

Junk Modelling Workshop National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. 12-4pm, free. Info 01792 463980. See how scrap you throw away can be used to invent and make something original to take home.

Roller Derby: Tiger Bay Brawlers v Best Of Uk Double Header Cardiff Central Sports & Community Centre. Info tigerbaybrawlers@gmail.com.

Workshop: Molara & Camilo Menjura Queens Hall, Narberth. 10am-

TUESDAY 28

Heritage In Health Swansea Museum. 1pm. Info 01792 653763. Talk by Martin Thomas, hosted by the Royal Institution Of South Wales.

live 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 17. uBella’s Blues Duo Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026. Also on Wed 15.

Cabbage + The Shimmer Band + April The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info 07590 471888. Headliners are an indie band who were recently tipped as ‘ones to watch’ by The Sun, and responded with the sort of incoherent broadside you can read underneath 38degrees petitions everywhere. This gig sold out Clwb Ifor Bach

and has been upsized to The Globe, by the way.

Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30-10.30pm, £8 adv/£6 NUS. Info 029 2023 2199.

Harri Davies + To Bear Sir Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

A Folk In The Owl’s Nest night.

Jack Perrett + Tobias Robertson + Quarries NosDa, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866. Presented

by U&I Radio.

Liberty Big Band with Allyson Cox Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8.

Info malc@dancebands.plus. com. South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Mary Chapin Carpenter + Bella Hardy St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £37.50/£29.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Feted US singersongwriter, who came to prominence in the late 80s/ early 90s. Had a new album last year as well. 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.

Raider + Montreux Fires + Kirk Morgan And The Dock Town Pearls The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. This gig is the launch of a free local music magazine, CitySound. I’m going to hire a van to pull up outside the venue and play Shutdown by Skepta through a huge rig.

Richard Grainger Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club.

7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

Royal Welsh College Brass Ensemble: American Originals Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Sinfonia Cymru The Riverfront, Newport. 1pm, £5.

Info 01633 656757.

The Tony O’Malley Band Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £12. Info 07802 912789.

THURSDAY 2

JULIAN COPE The Globe, Cardiff, Sun 26 Feb Tickets: £23.50. Info: 07590 471888 / www.globecardiffmusic.com Equal parts renaissance man and early man, Julian Cope has now spent the best part of 40 years making consistently nonconformist music, with a lifestyle to match. The relatively accessible psychedelic pop cheer of early 80s Scousers the Teardrop Explodes gave way to an LSD-powered solo career which has rarely troubled the charts, but has ventured all over the musical map. Since the late 90s, he’s foregone record labels and released via his own imprint, Head Heritage – also the name of his website, which hosts his great and ceaselessly excited writing on scores of underground rock legends. Indeed, he may be better known as a scribe than a musician to some, thanks to two important books on British and European archaeology; his debut novel was published in 2014, too, with a second on the way.

uAbertawe Festival Of Young Musicians Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 7pm. Info 01792 475715. Across six days, 80 competitive and noncompetitive classes for young musicians of all ages and ability and for all instruments in solo, duet and ensemble performance. More at www. afym.org.uk. (Until Tue 7) Barbara Dickson Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £22.50-£24.50. Info 01656 815995.

Blair Dunlop + Kitty MacFarlane Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199.

Chiaroscuro Quartet Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 029 2039 1391.

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.

Jane’s Calamity Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. An evenng of singing along to songs from the musicals round the piano.

Legends Of American Country Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £18. Info 01874 611622. Tributes to Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Alan Jackson. Had to remind myself who Alan Jackson was, he did the big country song about 9/11 that wasn’t by Toby Keith.

Leslie Ryan Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. 12.45pm, free. Info 01792 475715. Lunchtime organ recital Let’s Hang On Borough Theatre, Abergavenny.

7.30pm, £21. Info 01873 850805. Frankie Valli tribute.

Maria Chiara Argiro Group Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. Jazz pianist.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm.

Info 01633 858636. Every Thursday except when there’s a guest on.

Open Night The Ivy Bush, Pontardawe. 8pm. Info huwpudner@ntlworld.com. A Valley Folk Club night.

Shiry Rashkovsky & Robin Green Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £3-£12. Info 01970 623232. Violinist and pianist. Music Club concert.

The Blinders + Himalayas + Amber The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8.30pm, £6/£5 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

The Elvis Years Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £20.50. Info 01646 695267. Combo of a tribute set with nostalgic film footage.

The Pitmen Poets Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £19. Info 01792 475715. Folk, poetry and spoken word from four northeast England veterans.

Verse Metrics + Nuclear Lullaby Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Post-rock type band headline.

FRIDAY 3

Aubrey Parsons Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Bad Sam + Applied Science The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £5. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

BBC NOW: Great Brits 2 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £10-£12.

Info 029 2063 6464. Music from 20th century British composers Graham Fitkin, Steve Martland and David Bedford.

Chris Kelly The Twelve Knights, Margam. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Crinkle Cuts Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3 adv.

Info 029 2039 7933. Funk, reggae and ska from Bristol ensemble. High Walls DJs also feature.

Dionne Bennett And The Knock + Peter Driscol 147 Club, Cardiff. 8pm, £5 adv.

Info 029 2049 7830. Top local soul vocalist plus band entertain the clientele at this City Road jarhouse.

Ebbw Fach Choir And Abertillery Town Band The

Met, Abertillery. 7pm, £6/£5.

Info 01495 355800.

Eden Roots Reggae Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £3.

Info 029 2038 7026.

Like A Lion The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge.

9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Live Acoustic Night The Pilot, Penarth. Free. Info 029 2071 0615. On the first Friday of each month.

London Calling Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 01685 384111. Clash tribute band.

Menace Beach + Beach Fatigue + Silent Forum Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £7.50. Info 029 2023 2199. Leeds-based indie band headline.

Moltenamba St Fagans Village Hall. 7.30pm. Info 029 2023 2970. Pentreffest Noz monthly folk session with a band who feature members of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre. Bloody hell!

Musical Portraits 4 National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff. 1.05pm, £5. Info 029 2039 7951. Bryony Dawkes White introduces the work of Gwen John. Kenneth Hamilton then performs works to complement her tranquil and harmonious paintings.

Off The Record Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 516194. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Orchards + Chroma + Parcs + Winter Coat Buffalo, Cardiff. 6-10pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2031 0312. This is an evening called GIRL, where all the bands playing are “female-fronted”. It’s presented by Otter Wales, who have nothing to do with otters.

Outreach 2 Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30pm. Info 01443 491424. Hip-hop/battle night hosted by Urban Culture Wales. MCs etc TBC. Paige Kenzie Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Pardon Madame Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Pete Mathison & Elizabeth Jane Williams Courtyard, Newport. 3pm, free. Info 01633 213161. An Afternoon Sessions gig, one of which takes place every Friday this month.

Railroad Bill + Capra Mamei + The Riverghosts + JC’s Hopeless Sinners Dempseys, Cardiff. 7pm, £5.

Info 029 2023 9253. A gig booked to say goodbye to Dempseys in this incarnation, as it’ll be closing a week after this gig and opening in the summer as something markedly different. A session by Lindy Hop Cardiff will also feature.

Reverend Groove The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

9pm, £2. Info 01685 387925.

Covers.

Rusty Shackle Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Sertraline + Elasea + The Boom Sons Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 07970 063107.

That Guy We Saw Last Night Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 234447. Presented by Nailed It Events. TGWSLN BUZZ 63

* – recommended

live music is a stage name for one Matt Cook, by the way, not a note in the listing that got left in by mistake.

The D Teez + The Phucks + The Lon Chaney 5 The

fet. Info 029 2062 0415.

Asomvel Fuel Bar, Cardiff.

7pm, £3 adv. Info 07970 063107. NWOBHM revival type band, quite possibly worth a punt.

On Fri 10 Feb, Swansea cafe Coast Italia is the setting for an 'in the round' type night of country/folk featuring UK musicians Peter Bruntnell, Jeff Finlin and Clive Barnes.

Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Foodbank fundraiser gig.

The Fall + Bo Ningen Tramshed, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2023 5555.

The Shameless The Albion, Penarth. 9pm Info 029 2033 0743.

Totally Tina St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50/£18.50. Info 0292087 8444. Tina Turner tribute act.

Unplugged & Acoustic Group Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

7.30pm, £3. Info 07818 056599. Monthly event.

SATURDAY 4

Afternoon In Paris Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01792 863722.

Aled Rheon + Tormo Lewis Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. 7pm, £22.50 inc buf-

Ben Creighton Griffiths Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. *Birmingham Contemporary Music Group St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2087 8444. Works

by Ives, Cage, Feldman and Carter. This is my kind of nonsense! I might attend.

Blister The Park Hotel, Barry.

9pm, free. Info 01446 735589.

Presented by Nailed It Events.

Blues Central The Albion, Penarth. 9pm Info 029 2033 0743.

Brucefest The Dolls House, Abertillery. 5pm-12.30am, free (food bank donations welcomed). Info 01495 213300.

Someone called Bruce is having his 50th birthday and these bands are playing: Fireroad, Crowsaw, The Texas

live review

Flood, Beautiful Strangers, Everyday Heroes, Pilgrim and Cancel The Transmission.

Charity Concert Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £15. Info 0845 2263510. A varied evening of choral music in aid of Ty Bryngwyn Hospice and the Scanner Appeal at Prince Philip Hospital.

Clay Statues + Bankrupt Pug + Blood Slugs The Glandover Arms, Aberdare.

8pm, free. Info 07342 203437.

Definitely Mightbe + Adored Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 8pm, £10. Info 029 2023 2199. Tributes to Oasis and The Stone Roses.

Gringo Star + The Marks Cartel The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Presented by This Feeling.

Josie & The Tomcats Meze Lounge, Newport. 10pm, £5.

Info 01633 259144. Playing as part of the Rock You! night.

Lee Calaway The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free.

Info 01656 654753. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Masai Blues Cwmbran RFC, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01633 483238. Borough Blues club gig.

Paige Kenzie The Twelve Knights, Margam. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Pull Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Slackjaw The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £2.

Info 01685 387925.

Slippery Slope The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm,

AVENGED SEVENFOLD / DISTURBED / IN FLAMES Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Thurs 19 Jan

£5. Info 01497 821762. Also featuring DJ Max Walker.

Smiling Tigers + Failed State + Revival + Hang 11 The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

7pm, £2. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com.

Soul Lotta Funk Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Swinging At The Cotton Club Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £18/£16.

Info 01792 602060.

Featuring the Lindy Hop Dance Company & The Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra.

The Doors Alive The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Doors tribute band.

The Dream Academy + Willow Robinson The Tabernacle, Talgarth. 7.30pm, £3 adv. Info info@ thetabernacle.co.uk. Yep, the same Dream Academy who did Life In A Northern Town, playing for very cheap at Alan McGee’s small venue with limited fanfare.

Tree House Fire Hobo’s, Bridgend. 8pm, free. Info www.hobosmusicvenue.com.

Welsh Floyd Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £10 adv.

Info 07818 056599. Pink Floyd tribute band.

Wildside The Patriot, Crumlin. 9.30pm. Info 01495 247178.

SUNDAY 5

Deuces Are Wild The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

6.30pm, free. Info 01685 387925.

u – repeated

Heritage + The Mausoleum Trap + Teacher + Conflicts + Epsilon The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £5 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Revolution Solution Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2039 7933. Music and poetry night in aid of Food Not Bombs Cardiff and with a general activist/resistance bent.

Lineup TBC at the moment but scheduled to be in here every month.

Steve Payne + Billy Boy Miskimmen The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

The Ataris The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. Veteran poppunk sorts. uThe Great Unknown The Windsor, Penarth. 9pm, free.

Info 029 2070 8675. Every Sunday this month. *Wiley + President T + Astroid Boys Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £18.50 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. See Clubs.

MONDAY 6

Chelsea Grin + Betraying The Martyrs + Make Them Suffer + Void Of Vision Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £14/£12 adv. Info 029 2023 2199.

Metalcore, or deathcore or similar.

Dave Cottle Trio Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360. Live jazz, acts playing here every Monday. uUniversity Of South

Wales Live Bands Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2038 7026. Every Monday this month. uUkulele Session The Andrew Buchan, Cardiff.

8.30pm, free. Info 029 2021 2509. Every Monday, with The Plucking Fourstrings.

TUESDAY 7

Acoustic Tuesday South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2030 4400. Regular event led by pioneering local musicians and singers.

Atropas + Defender + Nightlives + Mudlark Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7pm, £3 adv. Info 07970 063107.

Band Of The Welsh Guards Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 01646 695267.

Cameila Jazz Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Capital City Jazz Orchestra Dempseys, Cardiff.

8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253. uCommunity Samba Band – Practise Dates Llanfrynach Village Hall, Brecon. 7-9pm, £4/£2 under16s. Info sambabrecon@ yahoo.co.uk. Every Tuesday.

Music In Vienna Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. With the Carducci Quartet and Martin Roscoe (piano).

Open Mic The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info

Cardiff is once again treated to another bill of metal behemoths: this evening it’s the turn of Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold. Kicking off tonight’s events, meanwhile, are Sweden’s In Flames. Despite the doors opening at 5.30pm, they play to a decent size crowd who lap up their melodic brand of death metal, and prove to be a good appetizer before the double main event.

By the time Disturbed [pictured] hit the stage the Motorpoint is as full as I’ve ever seen it. Striding onstage in a long black leather coat, singer David Draiman looks like a goth priest about to address his flock. Kicking things off with The Eye Of The Storm and Immortalized, the crowd go suitably mental.

Prayer gets the first real moshpits of the night going, as does old favourite Stupify, before a short break leads us into current favourite The Sound Of Silence, during which the Cardiff crowd light the night with phones. Disturbed’s biggest fan behind me informs me that we just witnessed something special.

Another oldie, Down With The Sickness, finishes their set off, before Draiman and co disappear into the night.

The stage is stripped bare, save for a modest drum kit, and the scene is set for Avenged Sevenfold, arguably metal’s current biggest band. Guitarist Synyster Gates leads us straight into The Stage and an impressive graphics package on 30ft screens launches the band into Afterlife, prompting a mass singalong. The band dust off two early tracks, the epic To End The Rapture and Chapter 4, while one lucky fan gets to join the band onstage for backing vocals on Nightmare. Things get a bit farcical during Planets and Acid Rain, when it takes three attempts to inflate a huge skeleton astronaut, much to the band’s amusement.

With vocalist M Shadows now draped in a Welsh flag, A7X return for an encore, running through a ferocious version of Bat Country. The poignant A Little Piece Of Heaven is dedicated, as always, to late drummer The Rev, before a surprising set closer of Unholy Confessions. These package tours are becoming ever more popular and Cardiff is lapping them up. words CHRIS ANDREWS photos RAYMOND BANNISTER

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MARCH: BLACK STAR RIDERS + GUN (Tramshed, Cardiff, Thurs 2) BIG COUNTRY (Pontardawe Arts Centre, Fri 3) LUCY SPRAGGAN (Cardiff University Students Union, Fri 3) SOWETO KINCH (Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea, Sat 4) SETH LAKEMAN (St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wed 8) STIFF LITTLE FINGERS (Tramshed, Sat 11) AGAINST THE CURRENT (The Globe, Tue 14) CHALI BUZZ 64

live music 01497 821762. Every Tuesday. uOpen Mic Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Every Tuesday.

Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama Symphony Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, £3-£7. Info 029 2087 8444.

WEDNESDAY 8

Atropas + Defender + Headofthebear + I Fight Bears + Truenorth The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm.

Info 07730 432166. Always enjoy it when a combo of unmixed bills and uninspired names causes one band on a lineup to sound like they’re a reaction to another, in this case I Fight Bears and Headofthebear.

Blues Duo Café Jazz, Cardiff.

8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

CAVMS Youth Big Band & Torfaen Youth Big Band Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8. Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. South Wales Big Band Society gig. Also featuring David Miller & Ceri Rees.

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.

Joe Northwood Quartet Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £8. Info 07802 912789.

Marion’s Singalong Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

2pm, £6. Info 01633 868239.

Royal Welsh College Guitar Ensemble Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

The Flaky Tarts Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £8/£7. Info 01970 623232. Folk.

The Pete Canter Trio Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2023 9253. As things stand this is the last jazz gig in Dempseys... ever!, on account of it closing on Sun 12. The jazz bookers here had a full programme for the rest of the month, including Led Bib on Wed 15, but it’s not been confirmed if these will be relocated.

THURSDAY 9

Bandicoot + Prime + Big Fat Astronauts + HalfBlind Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

BBC NOW: Petrushka St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£37. Info 029 2087 8444.

Mark Wigglesworth conducts a programme of Mahler, Wagner and Stravinsky. In Swansea tomorrow.

Busted Newport Centre.

7pm, £29.50 adv. Info 01633 656757. Regrouped 00s boyband tour ahead of the release of their third album, which has the ‘we’re serious now, but also a little kitsch, but mostly serious’ title of Night Driver.

Cherry Suede + Hegsy & The Elements The Big Top, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £10. Info 029 2022 8883. Fundraising night for Llamau.

Forever Never + Exist Immortal + All To Ruin + Hide Your Eyes + Malum Sky The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £8/£6 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Gaudy Orde The Unicorn, Pontypool. 7.30pm, £3. Info 01495 751304. Playing the monthly music sessions ran by the folks who previously did Open Hearth Acoustic. *KRS-One Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.50 adv.

Info 029 2023 2199. Sold out.

But see Music anyway!

Llyr Williams Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £18-£22. Info 029 2039 1391. *Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7. Info 029 2023 2199. Rad band from Wrexham who are like Sleep meets Thames Valley shoegaze, but more original than that sounds. Been wanting to see them play for a while. In Swansea on Fri 17, too, supporting Ohhms. See Music.

Mass Collective Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

North Sea Gas + Red Dog Run Dempseys, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info 029 2023 9253. Cardiff Folk Club gig.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm. Info 01633 858636.

Phil Beer The Wyeside, Builth Wells. 7.30pm, £15/£13.

Info 01982 552555. Folkie and member of Show Of Hands. In Cardigan tomorrow.

FRIDAY 10

2 Tickets 2 The Gunshow Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Acoustic Sinners Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny. 9pm, free. Info 01873 853613.

Presented by Nailed It Events.

Ail Symudiad + Cardigan Rugby Club Male Voice Choir Cellar Bar, Cardigan.

8pm, £5. Info 07818 056599.

Yes, that’s the late 70s punk/ new wave band Ail Symudiad, supported by a choir. Welsh enough for ya??? It’s a celebration of this town’s musical culture, apparently.

Apathy + No Beef + Purge The Ocean + Embacy Mozarts, Swansea.

7pm, £3. Info 01792 649984.

BBC NOW: Petrushka Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

7.30pm. Info 01792 475715.

Black Water Chemistry + Everyday Heros + Bare Hug Le Pub, Newport.

7.30pm, free. Info 01633 221477.

Boxed In Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8. Info 029 2023 2199. Newish indie band of some sort. Not to be confused with the early 00s UK hardcore band of the same name. Which I’m sure lots of people earnestly do.

Calypso Ty Newydd, Barry.

9pm, free. Info 01446 407767.

Presented by Nailed It Events.

Chop Suey + Killswitch UK The Scene Club, Swansea.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 07730 432166. Chop Suey are a tribute to System Of A Down and feature Ben Christo from Sisters Of Mercy in their lineup. OK, he’s not an original member but he’s been in

the band for 11 years. I guess he just really likes wonky nu-metal on the side. Both these bands are in Bridgend tomorrow.

Dreadzone Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £17/£15 adv.

Info 01792 863722.

Eden + Eädyth Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 9pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199. Welsh language girl band from the 90s. Before my time I think but am just watching a video now. Definitely reckon the one positioned in the middle was supposed to be the ‘Louise from Eternal’ member. This gig is sold out! Blimey.

Fara Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £13.

Info 01873 850805. Scottish folk group.

Hailey Tuck Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff. 8pm, £12.50 adv. Info 029 2089 0862.

Henry Marten’s Ghost The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events.

High Valley Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 0800 0147111.

Canadian country duo.

Wonderbrass Presents Mardi Brass + Barracwda Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £4/£3 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

Paige Kenzie Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free. Info 01792 234447. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Peter Bruntnell, Jeff Finlin & Clive Barnes Coast Italia, Swansea. 8pm, £10 adv. Info 01792 654366.

Singer-songwriters perform ‘in the round’, or one song at a time. This has been moved from The Chattery, which is being sold so may or may not be open by the time this gig comes around.

Phil Beer Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £15/£13.

Info 01239 621200.

Richie Moulton Courtyard, Newport. 3pm, free. Info 01633 213161.

Skinny White Boy Vivian Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 516194. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Soul Destroyers + Tattsyrup + Arkansaw Jukebox Collective The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £10 adv.

Info 07590 471888. Charity night titled Help Refugees.

Stone Deaf Forever The Patriot, Crumlin. 9.30pm, £3.

Info 01495 247178. Motörhead tribute band.

Sunjay The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £7. Info 01497 821762. Folk.

Superstars Live Memorial Hall Theatre, Barry. 7.30pm, £14.50/£12.50. Info 01446 738622. Tribute band.

The Dark Valley + Rob Pennington + Lost & Found The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. Charity gig for Act Against Bullying.

The Edsel Furys The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff.com.

The Fugitives Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £3. Info 029 2038 7026.

The Lewis Creaven Band The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £2. Info 01685 387925.

The Upbeat Beatles Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

7pm, £18. Info 01633 868239.

Tribute band.

Trichotomy Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.45pm, £12. Info 029 2039 1391. Jazz trio.

Trio Isimsiz Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. Chamber group.

SATURDAY 11

Andy Fairweather-Low & The Low Riders Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £20. Info 01600 772467.

Ceilidh Liberation Front Small World Theatre, Cardigan. 8-10.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01239 615952.

London-based folk dance band claiming to be “subverting and converting the lore of ceilidh”.

I bet ‘proper’ ceilidh enthusiasts hate their guts.

Chop Suey + Killswitch UK Hobo’s, Bridgend. 7pm, £10/£8. Info www. hobosmusicvenue.com.

Clare Teal Great Hall, Swansea Bay Campus.

7.30pm, £25/£20. Info 01792 602060. Top UK jazzer.

Ewan McLennan & George Monbiot Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £14/£12.

Info 01970 623232. British folk singer McLennan and ecologically prudent writer/ campaigner Monbiot recorded an album together last year.

Now they’re taking it on tour, doing a dual music/spoken word type thing.

Jon Langford’s Men Of Gwent Le Pub, Newport.

7.30pm. Info 01633 221477.

Ex-Mekons frontman and country punk top boy makes one of his regular returns to Newport, his town of birth. In Ynysddu tomorrow.

Mark Porter & His Swing Band Memorial Hall, Newbridge. 7pm, £14. Info 01495 243252. Live entertainment for a Valentine’s Ball.

Nicky Taliesin The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free.

Info 01656 654753. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

On The Edge The Patriot, Crumlin. 9.30pm. Info 01495 247178.

Raider & Motorlizzy Meze Lounge, Newport. 10pm, £5.

Info 01633 259144. Playing as part of the Rock You! night.

Rocket Joe Joe & The Old Time Bangers Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com.

Siren The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £2. Info 01685 387925.

Soccer96 + Dirty Alex Gwdihw, Cardiff. 9pm, £6/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

Cosmogramma present a Krautrock/spacerocky kinda band who feature people from The Comet Is Coming, plus local hip-hop sorts Dirty Alex.

The Creepers Hen Dderwen, Sketty, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 203631. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

The Goodwater The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £10. Info 01497 821762.

Psych-rock band.

The Satellites + Collider Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly.

7.30pm, £5. Info 07512

237983. Punk covers band headline. They’re also in Ebbw Vale on Fri 24.

The Sex Pistols Experience The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

7pm, £10 adv. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com. More punk covers.

The Temperance Seven Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 0845 2263510.

Jazz.

When We Were Wolves + The Dweller + Epic Fail + Concepts + Conflicts Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil.

7pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 01685 384111.

SUNDAY 12

Anne Denholm Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 3pm, £10/£1 under-22s. Info 01239 621200. Harpist.

Craig Webb Hot Club 3 Café Jazz, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5. Info 029 2038 7026. Playing the monthly Hot Club Swing night.

Ensemble Cymru Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 3pm, £3-£10. Info 01970 623232.

Fleetwood Cave The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm,

Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5-£22. Info 029 2087 8444. Valentine’s Day special featuring works by de Valla, Bruch and Tchaikovsky.

Concerto Competition: The Final Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.45pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2039 1391.

Golden Melodies The Met, Abertillery. 1pm, £6.50. Info 01495 355800. Hits from the 1950s and 60s.

Janet Price Opera Prize Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

Open Mic The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info 01497 821762.

Phil Wall’s Jazz Cardinals Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Ruth Bowen’s Gardenia Swing Muse Arts Centre, Brecon. 8pm, £10/£8 members. Info 07791 654799.

Presented by Brecon Jazz Club.

Shân Cothi & Dunvant

Say goodbye to Cardiff jarhouse Dempseys on Fri 3 Feb (albeit a week or so before it shuts) with a gig hosted by Meltdown, promoters of yore.

Railroad Bill and JC's Hopeless Sinners are among the acts.

Afternoon In Paris Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

The Wooden Sky + Featherjaw + Ofelia The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Folky indie stuff presented by Fuelled By Jealous Lovers.

Male Voice Choir Capel Y Crwys, Swansea. 7.30pm, £15 adv. Info 01792 297342.

The Sandinistas + The Mirror Trap + Sahara Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2023 2199. Tredegar band embark on their first UK tour. Their acheivements to date include being played in all the Top Shop stores, featuring on Fred Perry’s website and soundtracking a Soccer AM goals montage, so you can probably take a fair guess as to whether you’re going to like them or not. *Thought Forms + Esuna The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8pm, £9/£7.50 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Heavy shoegaze kinda band from Bristol headline. Joy Collective DJs play music in between.

Valentine’s Day Hamptons, Penarth. 7.30pm, £39. Info 029 2070 5391. With a five-course meal plus Samantha Link singing all the songs you need to get your tops and fingers.

Vienna Piano Trio Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Performing pieces

by Mozart, Schubert and Schoenberg.

Wolf Girl + The Whooperups + Disjoy Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5/£4 adv. Info 029 2039 7933.

Presented by Oddbox.

TUESDAY 14

WEDNESDAY 15

free. Info 01600 712767. uFolk Music & Song Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells. 4pm. Info 07477 627267. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month, with an extra acoustic session now on the third Sunday too.

Jon Langford’s Men Of Gwent Ynysddu Progressive Club, Caerphilly. 7.30pm. Info 01495 200301. *Marlo Eggplant + Dtub + Ian Watson + Graham Dunning Gwdihw, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5. Info 029 2039 7933. Live electronics/ experimental/noise kinda stuff presented by Fractal Meat.

Really looking forward to this!

See my One Louder column for a review of a Dtub tape. If you want.

Scordatura + Necronautical + Ascaris + Agrona + Cerebral Atrophy Fuel Bar, Cardiff.

7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107.

All manner of death and black metal.

MONDAY 13

Cardiff Philharmonic

Capital City Jazz

2NA (Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Thurs 16) PETER HOOK (Tramshed, Fri 17) HAWKWIND (The Neon, Newport, Sat 18) LOWER THAN ATLANTIS (Cardiff University, Sat 18) MALLORY KNOX (Tramshed, Tue 21) THUNDER (Motorpoint Arena, Fri 24) GHOST (Cardiff University, Sat 25) THE STRANGLERS + RUTS DC (Cardiff University, Mon 27) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL: TOPLOADER (The Neon, Sat 8) BUZZ 65

* – recommended

live music Orchestra Whiteheads Sports & Social Club, Bassaleg, Newport. 8pm, £8.

Info malc@dancebands. plus.com. Presenting Paul Shepherd’s Movie, TV and Radio themes. South Wales Big Band Society gig.

Danielle Lewis The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. EP launch gig.

Ensemble Cymru Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, £10/£8/£3 NUS. Info 029 2030 4400. Chamber music group.

John Nicholas Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 1pm, £5.50. Info 01656 815995.

Guitarist with lunchtime concert.

John Mark Ainsley & Malcolm Martineau Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £18/£16. Info 029 2039 1391.

Tenor and pianist.

Laura Snowden Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £13/£11. Info 029 2039 1391. Youthful classical guitarist.

Oxley/Meier Guitar Project Jazzland, Swansea. 8.3011pm, £12. Info 07802 912789.

Pydew Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.50. Info 029 2023 2199.

Royal Welsh College Pianists: Russian Gems Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391. A performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons.

Spring King + Get Inuit + Calva Louise Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10.

Info 029 2023 2199. Another hotly tipped indie band.

Talking Bird Collective The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 8pm, £2. Info 01685 387925.

THURSDAY 16

Blue Rose Code The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12.50 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Seated show featuring a Scottish singer-songwriter.

Not sure who he is but Ewan McGregor features on his album.

Bry The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888. Rescheduled from October last year.

Connla Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £11.50.

Info 01656 815995. Irish roots band.

Fairport Convention + Sally Barker Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01874 611622. UK folk-rock legends. Not sure who’s actually in the band now but Dave Swarbrick definitely isn’t, as he died last year.

Murston Bapchild & The Braxton Hicks Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8pm. Info 01633 858636. A Lyceum Folk Club night.

The Classic Rock Show St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23.50. Info 029 2087 8444.

Just a pub covers band with a light show as far as I can tell.

The John Gibbon Trio & Pete Hurt Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth. 8pm, £8 adv. Info 01834 869323. Spanjazz night. uTwilight Of The Tsars

Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2039 1391.

Today features music from Imperial Russia: Arensky, Borodin and Rachmaninov.

Fri 17’s programme goes like this: 1.15pm Benjamin Frith (piano) and Alice Neary (cello); 5.30pm Royal Welsh College String Quartets.

7.30pm The Endellion Quartet perform Haydn and Tchaikovsky; 9.30pm Royal Welsh College String Soloists.

Sat 18 looks like this: 12pm Endellion Quartet; 2pm piano music for two and four hands; 5pm music for strings, piano and wind; 7pm Gould Piano Trio plus guests; 9pm Gould

£3. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com. Ian Jay, more formally Jackson, was Half Man Half Biscuit’s guitarist on This Leaden Pall and Some Call It Godcore. Dunno if you can base a career on that but it’s still a greater contribution to music than most people manage.

Jason Rebello + Stuart McCallum & Mike Walker Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Jazz pianist and jazz guitar duo, respectively.

Martin Simpson West End Club, Barry. 7.30pm, £15 adv.

Info 07561 143114. A Roots N’ All gig.

It is with a heavy heart that I announce a French punk band called Heavy Heart are playing in Buffalo, Cardiff on Sat 18 Feb. Actually they're probably good, and if not, supports Hodad and Neurotic Fiction are.

Piano Trio plus clarinettist Robert Plane. And Sun 19 looks like: 11am Gould Piano Trio plus clarinettist Robert Plane; 1pm the harp in chamber ensembles; 2.30pm Royal Welsh College Vocalists; 4.30pm Royal Welsh College Musicians; 6pm Gould Piano Trio perform Debussy and Tchaikovsky. (Until Sun 19) Youth + Birdcage + Nuclear Lullaby Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, £4. Info 029 2039 7933. Headliners are an indie band from Bristol.

No relation to the guy from Killing Joke/The Orb.

FRIDAY 17

Acoustic Sinners The Twelve Knights, Margam.

9pm, free. Info 01639 882381.

Presented by Nailed It Events.

Budapest Cafe Orchestra St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan. 7.30pm, £15. Info 01446 799100. Balkan/Russian style folk.

Country Superstars The Neon, Newport. 6.30pm, £27.50 adv. Info 01633 533666. Tribute show to C&W’s finest, from Sarah Jane (a Dolly impersonator by trade) and the amusingly named Andy Crust.

Dansette Café Jazz, Cardiff.

9pm, £3. Info 029 2038 7026.

Dictaphone Devil Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 234447. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Fire Fences + Arcadia + Whiskey Lies The Full Moon, Cardiff. 8.30pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

Foxglove Trio The Ivy Bush, Pontardawe. 8pm. Info huwpudner@ntlworld.com. A Valley Folk Club night.

Ian Jay’s Rebellious Jukebox + Bankrupt Pug + Raises By Sharks The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm,

Matthew Pauley Courtyard, Newport. 3pm, free. Info 01633 213161.

Ohhms + Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard + Tides Of Sulfur + Coldhands The Scene Club, Swansea. 7pm, £6 adv. Info 07730 432166.

Paul Ashton Ty Newydd, Barry. 9pm, free. Info 01446 407767. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Rodney Branigan The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Folk guy who plays two guitars at once, apparently, perhaps in the versatile ‘slalom’ style. *Rope + Modern Rituals + Mercury Tales + Wyllt Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff. 7pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2037 3144. A bunch of cool or interesting-sounding bands, presented by Slush Puppy.

Ruby & The Valentines The Yard, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2022 7577.

Surreal Panther The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil.

8pm, £6/£5 adv. Info 01685 387925. Steel Panther tribute.

In Porth tomorrow.

The Jukebox Kiwis, Cardiff.

10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

The Opera Boys Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm, £18-£21. Info 01656 815995.

West End performers sing their repertoire, only some of which is opera.

Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22/£18 under-16s. Info 029 2087 8444.

Valleys Folk Ceilidh Blaenavon Rugby Club. 7.3010.30pm, £3. Info 01495 790446.

Visible Touch The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £12.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Tribute to Phil Collins-era Genesis. “Ah! A

golden opportunity to reference the relevant scene from the movie American Psycho” is what you would think, if you wrote these listings.

Wright Hear Wright Now The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge. 9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events.

SATURDAY 18

3Sticks & Chris Jewell The Heath, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8/£5 kids. Info 029 2039 4207. A RUFF Ceilidh night, also featuring a guest spot from Tiger Feet Appalachian. That’s neat.

Bon Giovi Ebbw Vale Institute. 7.30pm, £12/£10 adv. Info 01495 708022. Bon Jovi tribute band.

Boudica Boogaloo The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5. Info 01497 821762.

Brass Bands Championships Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 12pm, £6/£5. Info 01656 815995.

Chernobilly Boogie The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free.

Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com.

Chris Kelly Birchgrove, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2031 1319. Presented by Nailed It Events. uCôr Cymru 2017 Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm.

Info 01970 623232. Annual choral competition, on tomorrow also. Today’s schedule: 2pm Youth Choirs; 7.30pm Male Choirs. Tomorrow’s schedule: 2pm Children’s and Female Choirs; 8pm Mixed Choirs.

Dictaphone Devil Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Duran Duran Experience The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £10 adv. Info 01633 533666. Duran Duran tribute band.

Heavy Heart + Neurotic Fiction + Pet Crow + Hodad Buffalo, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2031 0312. Punk rock and indie, the headliners coming from France. Neurotic Fiction are playing in Cardiff tomorrow also.

Huw V Williams Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8.30pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Jazz double bassist, playing as part of a trio.

Ian Cal Ford & His Acoustic Preachers Cellar Bar, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £5-£8.

Info 07818 056599.

Kevin Jones The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free.

Info 01656 654753. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Ladyrock Meze Lounge, Newport. 10pm, £5. Info 01633 259144. Playing as part of the Rock You! night.

Lee Calaway The Twelve Knights, Margam. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Maddie & The Pandas Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

Paul Carrack + Sarah Munro St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £38.50/£30.

Info 029 2087 8444.

Pilgrim + Weekend Arrows + Kamino The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £2. Info gigs@thedragonffli.com.

Proscenium + Scarsun +

u – repeated

Prophecy Fuel Bar, Cardiff.

7pm, £3 adv. Info 07970 063107. Power metal sextet headline.

Simon Gore M.A.D.E. Gallery & Shop, Cardiff. 7pm, £5. Info 029 2047 3373. Experimental/ classical musician performs a live soundtrack to the documentary film Goodnight Brooklyn: The Story Of Death By Audio. That’s the DIY space/music venue that got shut down when Vice bought the building. Might be interesting.

Surreal Panther Rhondda Hotel, Porth. 7pm, £7/£6 adv.

Info 01443 682388.

Terry Webster Church House, Welshpool. 7.30pm, £11/£8. Info 01686 614555.

Rock’n’roll veteran whose career began 60 (sixty) (60!) years ago. *The Handsome Family + William The Conqueror The Globe, Cardiff. 7pm, £15 adv. Info 07590 471888. See Upfront for an interview with these legends.

The Moon Birds + Naomiu Rae Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £10/£8 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Presented by Newsoundwales.

The Police Academy Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

8pm, £15 adv. Info 029 2089 0862. A tribute to The Police.

The Sherlocks Sin City, Swansea. 7.30pm, £9 adv. Info 01792 468892.

Upstairs With Eric The Patriot, Crumlin. 9.30pm. Info 01495 247178. This band used to be called Far Canal before a policeman said no [citation needed].

Welsh Floyd The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £21. Info 01633 656757. Welsh Pink Floyd tribute band.

SUNDAY 19

Acoustic Session Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells.

4pm. Info 07477 627267.

Chapter Four Jazz Quartet Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400.

Jazz in the bar.

Lee McCrory The Queens Head, Monmouth. 8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Peaness + Stephen Evans + The Vega Bodegas Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 3pm, £6.

Info 029 2023 2199. Fuelled

By Jealous Lovers present a matinee show, headlined by a band whose name linguistic experts have suggested may be a pun on the word ‘penis’. *Sacred Paws + Spinning Coin + Neurotic Fiction Undertone, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5 adv. Info 029 2022 8883.

In my One Louder column this month, which I know you haven’t read, I write that Mike Vest is my favourite guitarist in Britain. Except it might actually be Rachel Aggs, who also plays in lots of bands including Sacred Paws. Let’s say they’re both winners! This should be great and is presented by The Joy Collective.

The Doublecross + Harker + These Five Years The Full Moon, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

The Sherlocks Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9. Info 029 2023 2199.

MONDAY 20

Groucho Club Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm. Info 01792 447360.

TUESDAY 21

Boxwood & Brass Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7pm, £10/£8/free NUS. Info 029 2087 4816. Wind instrument ensemble.

Celtic Fiddle Festival St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £16/£15 adv. Info 029 2087 8444. They’re not really a festival, more of a band, but they do fiddle in a Celtic fashion. See the Roots Unearthed column for more.

Johannes Zeinler St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1pm, pay by donation. Info 029 2087 8444.

Organ recital John Davies Quintet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Local Enemy + Redfaces Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £6. Info 029 2023 2199.

Open Mic The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info 01497 821762.

Students Of Atlantic College St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

3pm, £6.50. Info 01446 799100. Cafe concert.

WEDNESDAY 22

Banfi Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2023 2199. Swn present a pop-rock trio from Leytonstone.

Gareth Lochrane & Dave Cottle Trio Jazzland, Swansea. 8.30-11pm, £10. Info 07802 912789.

Harry & Chris + Gecko Volcano, Swansea. 7.30-10pm, £6-£8. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. Spoken word and live jazz.

Jelly Roll Jones Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm. Info 029 2038 7026.

Jessarae The Globe, Cardiff.

7pm, £10 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Philharmonia Orchestra St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £8.50-£39.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Essa-Pekka Salonen conducts a programe of Beethoven and Strauss.

Rews + Flowerpot + Young Black Americans + Lost In Chemistry Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5 adv. Info 029 2039 7933. Presented

by All My Friends and Beers Over Tears.

State Funeral + Rancour + Never + Zek Cathays Community Centre, Cardiff.

8pm, £5. Info 029 2037 3144.

Hardcore punk of various types. Headliners are from Brighton and are no relation to the shortlived Cardiff band State Funeral from a few years back. This gig is in the rehearsal space here, aka the city’s smallest venue.

Tornish Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club. 7.30pm, £8/£5. Info 01443 226892. A Llantrisant Folk Club night.

THURSDAY 23

Ancient Ascendant + The Drowning + Craniation + Dygora Fuel Bar, Cardiff.

7pm, £5. Info 07970 063107.

LAETITIA SADIER (The Full Moon, Cardiff, Sun 9) PARKWAY DRIVE + ASKING ALEXANDRIA (Cardiff University, Tue 11) WILKO JOHNSON (Tramshed, Sat 15) (HED)PE (The Globe, Thurs 20) PALACE (Clwb Ifor Bach, Thurs 20) DREAM THEATER (Motorpoint Arena, Sat 22) SPACE (Pontardawe Arts Centre, Sat 22) DEAFHEAVEN (Tramshed, Wed 26) PART CHIMP (Clwb Ifor Bach, Thurs 27) TINARIWEN (Tramshed, BUZZ 66

stage Presented by Eradication.

Jack Mac’s Funk Pack Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2039 7933.

Jaywalkers Burnett’s Hill Chapel, Martletwy, Pembrokeshire. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01646 651725. UK folk/bluegrass band.

Open Mic Night Lyceum Tavern, Newport. 8.30pm. Info 01633 858636.

Sundara Karma Y Stiwdio, Cardiff University Students Union. 7pm, £11 adv. Info 029 2078 1458. Foppish-looking sorts from Reading. Not sure what kind of music they actually play, but this gig is sold out so someone must know.

Tobias Robertson’s Jam Night Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm.

Info info@porterscardiff.com.

FRIDAY 24

Eva Lazarus Gwdihw, Cardiff. Info 029 2039 7933.

Presented by Starving Artists.

Fistful Of Spookies St John’s Church, Canton, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12 adv. Info 029 2022 9683. Theatrical a capella ensemble. In Narberth tomorrow.

Graffiti Kiwis, Cardiff. 10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Helen Chadwick, Bella Voce & Môr Ladron Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £14-£18. Info 01834 869323.

Opening event of this year’s Narberth A Capella Voice Festival, running until Sun 26 – see Music for more.

Hollow Mask The Full Moon, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info info@thefullmooncardiff. com. Indie duo from Bristol who claim to be influenced by “cut-price energy drinks” and so may be as saddened as me that Home Bargains appear to have stopped selling one-litre bottles of Emerge for 59p.

Julia Biel Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8.15pm, £15. Info 029 2063 6464. Popular jazzmeets-folk vocalist.

Kitty’s Jazz Courtyard, Newport. 3pm, free. Info 01633 213161.

Larkhill + Brightr + H_ngm_n + Amy Grindhouse Le Pub, Newport. 7pm, £4. Info 01633 221477.

Like A Lion The Twelve Knights, Margam. 9pm, free.

Info 01639 882381. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

London Calling + Mellt The Parrot, Carmarthen. 8pm, £12/£10. Info 01267 231012.

Headliners are a Clash tribute and will be playing their first album all the way through.

Nath Trevett Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7.30-10pm, £5.

Info 01443 491424. Folk and blues.

Nicky Taliesin Beaufort Arms, Swansea. 9pm, free.

Info 01792 234447. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Paige Kenzie The Duke Of Wellington, Cowbridge.

9.30pm, free. Info 01446 773592. Presented by Nailed It Events.

Paul Ashton The White Horse, Coychurch. 9pm, free.

Info 01656 652583. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Rifleros Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4. Info 029 2023 2199.

Rock’n’Roll Paradise Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

7.30pm, £19.50. Info 01874 611622. Fifties r’n’r revue.

Sion Russell Jones + LottieSummer Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 9pm, free. Info 029 2030 4400.

Southern Tenant Folk Union Pontardawe Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £14/£12 adv.

Info 01792 863722. See Music.

The Bella Collins Band Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £3.

Info 029 2038 7026.

The Dears + Plants & Animals The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £13 adv. Info 07590 471888. Some kind of indie band, maybe Canadian? I associate the name with the mid-00s I guess?

The Satellites Ebbw Vale Institute. 7pm, £5. Info 01495 708022.

Tres Hombres The Albion, Penarth. 9pm Info 029 2033 0743.

Ultimate Eagles St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £22.

Info 029 2087 8444. Tribute band.

White Coast Rebels The Dragonffli, Pontypool. 7pm, £3. Info gigs@thedragonffli. com.

Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@porterscardiff.com.

The Definitive Elvis Experience Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £19.50/£18.50. Info 01495 227206. With Ben Thompson as Elvis.

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 Pasadena Roof Orchestra Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 8pm, £21/£18.50.

Info 01600 772467. Great American Songbook type stuff.

The Switch Kiwis, Cardiff.

10pm, free. Info 029 2039 8965.

Vicky Jackson Riverside Tavern, Newport. 8-10pm, £10 adv. Info 01633 439166.

Tw0 45-minute sets featuring tributes to Amy Winehouse and Pink.

Whitney: Queen Of The Night The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £23/£21.

Info 01633 656757.

WNO Orchestra: Classical Drive Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £15/£13. Info 029 2039 1391.

SATURDAY 25

SUNDAY 26

20th Annual Rorke’s Drift Concert Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm, £9.50/£8.50.

Info 01874 611622.

Blowin In The Wind Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £14.50. Info 01970 623232.

Sixties folk covers.

Blue Horizon The Patriot, Crumlin. 9.30pm. Info 01495 247178.

Digital Criminals + In Requiem + Audio Pirates NosDa, Cardiff. 7pm, free.

Info 029 2037 8866. Charity event in aid of Mission Life International. Also features DJ sets from Wowza and Fader.

Epsilon + TheHeroDiesFirst! + Epic Fail + Disrupt The Continuum + Malum Sky The Dragonffli, Pontypool.

7pm, £2 adv. Info gigs@ thedragonffli.com.

Fistful Of Spookies + Côr Pawb Bach Queens Hall, Narberth. 7.30pm, £14-£18.

Info 01834 869323. Narberth A Capella Voice Festival performance.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 8.15pm, £12. Info 029 2063 6464. Jazz.

Jon Crespo Quartet Café Jazz, Cardiff. 9pm, £2 after 11.

Info 029 2038 7026.

On The Rocks Meze Lounge, Newport. 10pm, £5. Info 01633 259144. Playing as part of the Rock You! night.

Paige Kenzie The Red Dragon, Bridgend. 9pm, free.

Info 01656 654753. Presented

by Nailed It Events.

Shakatak The Globe, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £16.50 adv. Info 07590 471888.

Sioned Gwen + Ar Ol Tri + Bella Voce Rhos Y Gilwen, Pembrokeshire. 8pm, £15. Info 01239 841387. Choral gala concert.

Speedgums The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, £5.

Info 01497 821762.

The Big What?! Band

All Ears Avow + Ten Tombs + Red Morning Light + No Beef + Apathy The Scene Club, Swansea.

7pm. Info 07730 432166.

Belleville Swing The Queens Head, Monmouth.

8.45pm, free. Info 01600 712767.

Brit Floyd St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 8pm, £29.50/£60 VIP. Info 029 2087 8444. Pink Floyd tribute band.

John Lewis The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm. Info 029 2022 8883. Album launch gig for south Wales rockabilly type. I liked his last album.

Julian Cope + Tom Hickox The Globe, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £23.50 adv. Info 07590 471888. Megalith-loving cult hero of British guitar pop. Not sure what his gigs are like these days actually, apart from really long.

Mansel Davies / Dave Jones Quartet The King’s Arms, Abergavenny. 7.45pm.

Info 07958 612691. A Black Mountain Jazz night.

Sing For Your Sarnies Queens Hall, Narberth. 1pm, £14-£18. Info 01834 869323.

Final Narberth A Capella Voice Festival performance, featuring Côr Pawb and over 150 singers.

Steve Tarner The Hanbury, Caerleon. 9pm, free. Info 01633 420361. Presented by Nailed It Events.

MONDAY 27

Dom Norcross Quartet Noah’s Yard, Swansea. 8pm.

Info 01792 447360.

Gwd Mondays Open Mic Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933.

Mary Rees Chopin Prize Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2039 1391.

White Lies Y Plas, Cardiff University Students Union.

7pm, £20 adv. Info 029 2078 1458.

SINNERS CLUB The Other Room at Porters, Cardiff, Tue 7-Fri 24 Feb Tickets: £12/£10 (pay what you can on Tue 7 + Wed 8). Info: 029 2128 0189 / www.otherroomtheatre.com When we talk of gig theatre, or gig-as-theatre if you like, we are not referring to We Will Rock You or some similar West End fest of cornballery.

Sinners Club, in Cardiff for no less than 13 performances this month, combines live music and scripted performance, but capitalises on the low-key, low-lit setting and whites-of-eyes intimacy. Written by Lucy Rivers during a residency at Theatr Clwyd, this production is a sequel of sorts to The Bloody Ballad, which combined a horror movie aesthetic and a live rockabilly band. This time, it’s set in an insalubrious drinking den with a resident band whose vocalist (also played by Rivers) sets the room’s mood via dark tales of general ungodliness.

TUESDAY 28

Back To Bacharach Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £20/£18.50. Info 01792 475715.

Contemporary Music Group: Crossing The Border II Cardiff University Concert Hall. 7pm, free. Info 029 2087 4816.

Courtney Marie Andrews + Aled Rheon + Eve Goodman Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9. Info 029 2023 2199. Newish countryrock type from Phoenix headlines.

Hellions + Acres Fuel Bar, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6 adv. Info 07970 063107. Sydney hardcore band headline.

Jazz Jam The New Crown Inn, Merthyr Tydfil. 9pm, £2.

Info 01685 387925.

Open Mic The Globe At Hay, Hay-On-Wye. 8pm, free. Info 01497 821762.

Ron King’s Rhythm Aces Café Jazz, Cardiff. 8pm, £4.50/£4/£2 NUS. Info 029 2038 7026.

Rum Puppets Gwdihw, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4/£3 adv.

Info 029 2039 7933.

The Hawkers Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £2.50. Info 01686 614555.

Tine Thing Helseth & Gunnar Flagstad Royal

Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 1.15pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2039 1391.

stage WEDNESDAY 1

Cardiff Fringe Cafe The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £5.

Info 029 2048 3344. A scratch night of shorter works up to 20 mins in length. uLa Cage Aux Folles New Theatre, Cardiff. 2.30 + 7.30pm, £12-£45.50. Info 029 2087 8889. John Partridge stars in this new version of a popular musical. (Fri 3: 7.30pm, £18.50-£50.50. Sat 4: 2.30 + 7.30pm, £17.50£50.50.) (Until Sat 4) Mix Tape Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £8. Info 01633 263670. Music and dance. On tomorrow also.

Pink Mist Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 01970 623232. Owen Sheers’ play about three young men deployed to Afghanistan, and the aftereffects of the experience. In Cardiff from Thurs 2-Sat 4.

THURSDAY 2

David O’Doherty Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £17.50/£15 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. Keyboard-tinkling comedian. Sold out sorry!

David Whitney + Bryan Lacey + Junior Simpson The Neon, Newport. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 01633 533666.

Triple bill of standup comedy in Newport’s top UKIPaffiliated venue. uLa Bohème Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £7-£43. Info 029 2063 6464. A Welsh National Opera production, on for the next two days and then on Sat 11 and Wed 15. (Until Sat 4) Mike Bubbins Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10. Info 01970 623232. Welsh comedian. In Abertillery on Fri 10; Blackwood on Fri 17.

Mix Tape Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £8. Info 01633 263670. uPink Mist Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7.50-£25. Info 029 2064 6900.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 4. (Until Sat 4) uThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. 7pm, £16.50/£15.50. Info 01633 868239. Musical about “six quirky adolescents”. (Until

Thurs 27) THE UNTHANKS (Tramshed, Sat 29) JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MAY: BOB DYLAN (Motorpoint Arena, Wed 3) IMELDA MAY (St David’s Hall, Fri 5) C DUNCAN (Clwb Ifor Bach, Tue 9) NELL BRYDEN (Acapela, Pentyrch, Sat 13) AL STEWART (Grand Theatre, Swansea, Mon 14) THE VAMPS (Motorpoint Arena, Wed 16) EATS EVERYTHING (SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, Sun 28) BUZZ 67

* – recommended

stage Sat 4) uThe Wizard Of Oz Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £10.50-£14.50. Info 01792 475715. Musical presented by the Sir Harry Secombe Trust.

On at 2pm and 7pm on Sat 4.

(Until Sat 4) Tiff Stevenson The Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £13/£11. Info 01633 656757.

Comedian of some sort with a show inspired by having played a gig in Paris a month before the Bataclan attacks.

Hmm? It’s also about “our need to make huge worldwide events about us”. Ah! I get it.

FRIDAY 3

uAladdin St Donats Arts Centre, Vale Of Glamorgan.

7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 01446 799100. Stage Door 1 with a panto that’s “very much a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show”, as they say. Actually there seem to be loads of pantos on this month, has that always been a thing in February? Don’t recall it.

(Until Sun 5) A Regular Little Houdini Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060. A Newport dockworker’s son, smitten by Harry Houdini, dreams of magic and escaping reality. In Newtown tomorrow; Milford Haven on Tue 7; Abergavenny on Wed 8; Aberystwyth on Thurs 9.

Cardiff Cabaret Club: Unplugged 9 10 Feet Tall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10 adv. Info 029 2022 8883. Featuring turns from Oh Carolina, Barry Island, Dainty Dorine, Cortina Ford, Missy Abi Sin, FooFooLaBelle and Paulus. uDrones Comedy Club Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

8.30pm, £3.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Also on Fri 17.

Duncan Oakley + George Egg + Iszi Lawrence Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 8pm, £10.

Info 0845 2263510. Comedy Club night.

John Shuttleworth Pontardawe Arts Centre.

8pm, £16/£14 adv. Info 01792 863722. Pootling musical comedian with a new show called Last Will And Tasty Mint. I’ll allow that pun!

Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01600 772467.

Tribute set courtesy of John Hewer. In Newport tomorrow.

‘Stute Comedy Nights Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

8pm, £12/£11. Info 01495 227206.

Swansea Scratch Night 2017 Volcano, Swansea.

7-10.30pm. Info www. volcanotheatre.co.uk. A night allowing artists from across the UK to present new or work-in-progress dance works in a supportive environment. uTom Allen + Andrew Bird + Jimmy McGhie + Lloyd Langford Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£17.95/£10 NUS).

SATURDAY 4

A Regular Little Houdini Theatr Hafren, Newtown.

7.45pm, £11/£9. Info 01686 614555.

Enough Is Enough Bar 46, Aberystwyth. 8pm, £8/£7. Info contact@bar46.co.uk. One of BUZZ 68

12 performances (plus some outside the area we cover) for this touring play, which is presented in the form of a gig by an all-woman band with a litany of disquieting stories to tell. In Cardigan on Mon 6; Lampeter on Wed 8; Port Talbot on Thurs 9; Swansea on Fri 10; Narberth on Sat 11; Carmarthen on Sun 12; Ebbw Vale on Wed 15; Aberdare on Thurs 16; Merthyr on Fri 17; Newbridge on Sat 18 and Pontypridd on Sun 19.

Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show The

the month. February features Mark Hurman, Drew Taylor, Anita Shaw, Alex Perkes, Sam Beard, Eliza Fraser, Nathan Webb and Luke Biddle. uDying For It Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391. Moira Buffini’s adaption of the Russian play The Suicide, set in the 1920s Soviet Union. On at 2.30 and 7.30pm on Wed 8 and Mon 13; no shows on Sat 11 and Sun 12. (Until Tue 14) uFaulty Towers: The

Adapted from its original Turkish production, Enough Is Enough talks of feminism and oppression through the medium of an all-girl band. It visits Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Lampeter, Port Talbot, Swansea, Narberth, Carmarthen, Ebbw Vale, Aberdare, Merthyr, Newbridge and Pontypridd this month.

Riverfront, Newport. 7.45pm, £15/£13. Info 01633 656757.

Laura Lexx + Mike Wilkinson + Rudi Lickwood Jongleurs, Cardiff.

7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960.

Max Boyce St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £25. Info 0292087 8444. Max is playing quite a few dates this month but they all seem to be sold out apart from this one.

Seriously Dead Princess Royal Theatre, Port Talbot.

7.30pm, £22.58. Info 01639 763214. Comedy play starring people from I’m A Celebrity and Emmerdale.

SUNDAY 5

John Hastings + Nigel Ng + Luke Sargeant Buffalo, Cardiff. 7pm, £8/£6. Info 029 2031 0312. Presented by Buffalo Comedy. uLive Cabaret Market Street Club, Barry. 8.30pm.

Info 01446 733863. Every Sunday.

MONDAY 6

Enough Is Enough The Guildhall, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £8/£7. Info 01239 621765.

Macbeth Blake Theatre, Monmouth. 7pm, £12/£10 NUS. Info 01600 719401.

Presented by Splendid Theatre.

TUESDAY 7

A Regular Little Houdini Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.45pm, £13.50/£11.50. Info 01646 695267. uChicago – YGG Ystalyfera Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7.30pm, £10. Info 0300 3656677. Welsh-language musical which follows the life of the Welsh gangster Murray Humphreys. (Until Thurs 9) Crafty Laughs The Cambrian Tap, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2064 4952.

Free standup comedy of the night every first Tuesday of

Dining Experience Ffresh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £45. Info 029 2063 6464. This thing is back again. It takes place in and around the restaurant itself and you get a threecourse meal in the price. Fri 10, Sat 11 and Sun 12 £55; Sat 11 12.30 and 7.30pm; Sun 12 4.30pm. (Until Thurs 16) Comedy Den Porter’s, Cardiff. 8pm. Info info@ porterscardiff.com. Hosted by Charlie Smith. uJack Whitehall Motorpoint Arena Cardiff.

7pm, from £25.50. Info 029 2022 4488. On tomorrow also, and sold out both days. uMacbeth Caerphilly Castle. 8pm, £14/£11. Info 01633 263670. Ambitious and site-specific presentation of Shakespeare, courtesy of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru offshoot Theatr Gen Byw. Tonight and tomorrow are preview prices, it’s £15/£12 every day thereafter, apart from Wed 15 which is a pay-what-youdecide deal. Shows are at 4 and 8pm on Thurs 16 and Sat 18. See Stage. (Until Sat 18) uOpen Plan Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 8pm, £6-£13. Info 029 2039 1391. Marcelo dos Santos’ play about “the architecture of modern love”. On at 2.15 and 8pm on Thurs 9 and Mon 13; no shows on Sat 11 and Sun 12. (Until Tue 14) uSinners Club The Other Room at Porter’s, Cardiff.

7.30pm, pay by donation.

Info 029 2128 0189. New play by Lucy Rivers, set in a bar “where all lost souls are welcome”. Pay-what-you-can previews today and tomorrow; £12/£10 thereafter. On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 18. No shows on Thurs 9, Sat 11, Sun 12, Thurs 16 or Sun 19. Wed 23 is a signed performance.

(Until Fri 24) T42 Dolman Theatre,

Newport. 2pm, £7. Info 01633 263670. An afternoon of musical theatre with Joe Tulloch. uThe Verdict New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £13-£29.

Info 029 2087 8889. Barry Reed’s courtroom thriller, starring Clive Mantle and Jack Shepherd. £11-£29 Wed 8 and Thurs 9; £13-£29 Fri 10; £12.50-£29 Sat 11. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 8, Thurs 9 and Sat 11. (Until Sat 11) uWastwater Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £6-£13.

Info 029 2039 1391. Simon Stephens’ play, set on the fringes of Heathrow Airport.

On at 2pm + 7.30pm Fri 10; no show on Sun 12. (Until Tue 14)

WEDNESDAY 8

A Regular Little Houdini Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7.30pm, £12.

Info 01873 850805.

Bianca Del Rio St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £35£150. Info 029 2087 8444.

Standup show from the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season six. The top price, likewise the middle one of £75, are VIP dealies.

Enough Is Enough Victoria Hall, Lampeter. 7.30pm, £8/£7. Info 07891 632614. uSemele Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff. 7.15pm, £25/£23.

Info 029 2039 1391. Handel’s opera, co-presented by Mid Wales Opera. On at 2.15pm on Sat 11. In Newtown on Sat 18; Llanelli on Thurs 23. (Until Sat 11)

THURSDAY 9

A Regular Little Houdini Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.45pm, £6-£8. Info 01970 623232.

Comic Relief Live! Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15/£13.50 NUS. Info 871 4720400. Hosted by Elis James and featuring sets from Dane Baptiste, Sarah Callaghan, Lou Sanders, Mike Bubbins, Matt Rees and Ivo Graham.

Enough Is Enough Taibach Rugby Club, Port Talbot. 8pm, £8/£7. Info 01639 884599.

Free Falling Hagit Yakira Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £8/£6. Info 0845 2263510.

Dance double bill. uHansel & Gretel Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7pm, £14/£7 kids. Info 01792 475715. Panto presented by PWC. On at 1pm and 7pm on Sat 11. (Until Sat 11) Ian Boldsworth + Tom Ward + Dave Ward Queens Hall, Narberth. 8pm, £8-£12.

Info 01834 869323. Comedy Club night.

In The Absence Of Silence Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

7.30pm, £8.50. Info 01495 227206. Co-produced with Creu Cymru and developed with South Gwynedd Domestic Abuse Services, this show is centred five women meeting for lunch and revealing parts of their lives to each other.

Jamie Wood Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £10/£8. Info 029 2030 4400.

A show based partly on Yoko Ono’s art instructions, which asks whether falling in love is always catastrophic.

FRIDAY 10

uCinderella Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £10/£6.50. Info 01792 602060. Swansea University Performing Arts presents this Rodger and Hammerstein musical. On tomorrow also, at 2pm and 7.30pm.

Enough Is Enough Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

7.15pm, £10.50. Info 01792 475715. uGeoff Norcott + Gareth Richards + Charlie Baker + Eleanor Tiernan Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£17.95/£10 NUS). uGreat Expectations Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10-£12. Info 01970 623232. Presented by the Castaway Theatre Company.

On tomorrow also.

Jim Davidson The Neon, Newport. 7pm, £23.50/£17.50.

Info 01633 533666. Now I don’t know if UKIP’s Newport secretary and Neon owner Andrew Byers attends every event at his venue, but I reckon he might pop down for this one. uMadam Butterfly Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £7-£43. Info 029 2063 6464. A Welsh National Opera production, also on Sun 12 (at 4pm), Fri 17 and Sat 18.

Max Boyce Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 7.30pm. Info 01656 815995. Sold out.

Mike Bubbins The Met, Abertillery. 8pm, £10. Info 01495 355800.

SATURDAY 11

Babulus Montgomery Town Hall, Powys. 7.30pm, £10/£8.

Info 01686 614555. Dance theatre featuring Gwyn Emberton and Eddie Ladd.

In Aberystwyth on Mon 13; Cardiff on Fri 17 and Sat 18.

Bluestocking Lounge Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

8pm, £15.50. Info 01792 475715. Burlesque from Kiki Lovechild, Lilly Laudanum, DeeDee De La Rouge and Dawn.

Enough Is Enough The Queens Hall, Narberth.

7.30pm, £9.50/£7.50. Info 01834 869323.

Eshan Akbar + Alice Frick + Joe Jacobs + Dimitri Bakanov + Andrew Rutledge + Calum Stewart Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 7pm, £5/£3 adv. Info 01443 491424. Clwb Comedy night.

Great Expectations Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7.30pm, £10-£12. Info 01970 623232.

Liam Withnail + Roger Monkhouse Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960.

Pam Ayres Blake Theatre, Monmouth. 7.30pm, £23. Info 01600 719401.

SUNDAY 12

Builth Wells YFC Annual Concert The Wyeside, Builth Wells. 2.30 + 6pm, £8/£5 under-11s. Info 01982 552555.

Enough Is Enough The Parrot, Carmarthen. 8pm, £8/£7. Info 01267 231012.

We Are Not Amused Pontardawe Arts Centre.

7pm, £6. Info 01792 863722.

Presented by the Riding Stars

u – repeated

Theatre Company.

MONDAY 13

Babulus Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £6-£8. Info 01970 623232.

Caterpillar Comedy Gwdihw, Cardiff. 8pm, free.

Info 029 2039 7933. Open mic standup night hosted by James Dunn. uDreamboats And Petticoats New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £9.50£25. Info 029 2087 8889.

Rock’n’roll musical. £10-£29 on Tue 14 and Wed 15; £9-£29 Thurs 16; £11-£32 Fri 17; £10£32 Sat 18. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 16 and Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) uThe Sound Of Murder Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £9.50-£16. Info 01792 475715. William Fairchild’s play, with a cast here which includes people from Emmerdale and Brookside.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Wed 15. (Until Thurs 16)

TUESDAY 14

Burton Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan. 7.30pm, £3-£13.

Info 01239 621200. Rhodri Miles plays Richard Burton, relating his life story in Burton’s own words. In Builth Wells tomorrow; Cardiff on Thurs 16. uFiddler On The Roof Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 7pm, £7-£9.

Info 0800 0147111. Presented

by Treorchy Comprehensive School. (Until Thurs 16) uHi-De-Hi Dolman Theatre, Newport. 7.15pm, £12.50/£8.50 NUS. Info 01633 263670. Olde tyme sitcom hits the stage thanks to Newport Playgoers Society. On at 2pm and 7.15pm on Sat 18. (Until Sat 18) uWe Will Rock You Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare.

7pm, £7/£5. Info 0800 0147111. Aberdare community School with a production of this Queenly musical. (Until Thurs 16)

WEDNESDAY 15

Burton The Wyeside, Builth Wells. 7.30pm, £13/£11. Info 01982 552555.

Col Howard The Big Top, Cardiff. 8pm, free. Info 029 2022 8883. Comedy show whose concept features Col walking down Queen Street in Cardiff and stopping to talk to all the chuggers, salespeople, religious cranks etc instead of purposely avoiding them.

Enough Is Enough Ebbw Vale Institute. 7.30pm, £8/£7.

Info 01495 708022. uMarilyn Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.45pm, £6-£8.

Info 01970 623232. Monroe, that is. One-woman show, on tomorrow also.

Mark Thomas Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £17.50. Info 029 2064 6900.

Touring his new show The Red Shed. See Upfront.

Mr Bloom’s Nursery St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 1 + 4pm, £15.50/£13.50. Info 029 2087 8444. Singalong show for kids. uThe Elephant Man Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

7.30pm, £6-£10.50. Info 01646 695267. Amateur drama production based on a true story.

(Until Fri 17) uThe Other Jolson Grand

stage Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea.

7.15pm, £6-£10. Info 01792 475715. New play about Larry Parks, small-time Hollywood actor who made it big playing the legendary Al Jolson in two movies. On tomorrow also. uTwo Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 7.30pm. Info 01685 384111. Merthyr College present a bickering husband and wife and the dozen regulars who pass through their pub in an evening are played by two actors. On tomorrow also.

THURSDAY 16

Brian Gittins Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 8pm, £6-£8.

Info 029 2030 4400. Work-inprogress show titled Don’t Feed The Monkey Man. Gittins is a ‘bad comedian’ alter ego of one David Earl.

Le Vin Herbé Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.15pm, £7-£43. Info 029 2063 6464. A Welsh National Opera production of Frank Martin’s intimate opera.

Paul Foot Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £13. Info 0871 4720400. See Upfront. In Pontardawe on Fri 17.

Profundis + The Green House Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £7-£14. Info 01792 602060. Double bill presented by National Dance Company Wales.

Seann Walsh Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 8pm, £14.50. Info 01656 815995. Standup comic.

Will Little Theatre, Neath.

7pm, £2/£1. Info 01639 643462. Play based on the early life of Shakespeare.

Adapted by Owen Staton from an original script by Tom Stoppard.

FRIDAY 17

uBabulus Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

On tomorrow also. uCarl Donnelly + Angela Barnes + Andre Vincent + Marlon Davis Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£17.95/£10 NUS).

Enough Is Enough Theatr Soar, Merthyr. 7.30pm, £8/£7.

Info 01685 722176.

Home Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl. 11am + 1.30pm, £9.50. Info 01656 815995.

Multi-sensory tale of unexpected friendship aimed at audiences with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD).

Max Boyce Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 7.30pm.

Info 01874 611622. Sold out.

Micky Flanagan Grand Theatre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £23.50. Info 01792 475715.

Warm-up show for whatever it is he’s warming up for.

Surprisingly not sold out at the time of writing, but that’s a month before the gig.

Mike Bubbins Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 8pm, £12.50/£10.50. Info 01495 227206.

Paul Foot Pontardawe Arts Centre. 8pm, £15/£13. Info 01792 863722.

The Magic Flute Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £19/£18. Info 01686 614555.

Presented by Mid Wales Opera.

SATURDAY 18

An Evening Of Dirty

Dancing: The Tribute Show Torch Theatre, Milford Haven. 7.30pm, £20.50/£19.50.

Info 01646 695267. uBeauty & The Beast Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

2 + 5.30pm, £15/£11. Info 01633 868239. Panto, presented by Rainbow Valley. On at 2pm only on Tue 21, Wed 22 and Thurs 23; 2pm and 7pm on Fri 24; 2pm and 5.30pm on Sat 25 and Sun 26. No show on Mon 20. (Until Sun 26) Enough Is Enough Memorial Hall, Newbridge.

7pm, £8. Info 01495 243252.

(F.E.A.R) Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 01792 602060.

Mr & Mrs Clark present a new one-man show, the man in question being middle-aged in in the throes of an midlife identity crisis. In Cardiff from Tue 21-Sat 25.

Sally-Anne Hayward + Joe Bor + Scott Gibson Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960.

Semele Theatr Hafren, Newtown. 7.30pm, £19/£18.

Info 01686 614555. Presented

by Mid Wales Opera.

Treasure Island Savoy Theatre, Monmouth. 12.30pm, £12/£10 under-16s. Info 01600 772467. Family panto adventure with Cbeebies people.

SUNDAY 19

Anton & Erin St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 3pm, £27.50£46. Info 029 2087 8444. Du Beke and Boag, respectively, dance steps galore for your delectation.

Enough Is Enough Clwb Y Bont, Pontypridd. 8pm, £8/£6.

Info 01443 491424.

The Flying Bedroom Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 1 + 3.30pm, £9/£7.50. Info 0845 2263510. Kids’ theatre presented by Little Light and author Heather Dyer. In Newport on Tue 21.

The Noise Next Door Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 7pm, £10.

Info 0871 4720400.

MONDAY 20

uGhost – The Musical Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £17.50-£40.50. Info 01792 475715. You know the movie Ghost, well imagine it as a musical. I, personally, cannot. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 23 and Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) uSnow White Borough Theatre, Abergavenny. 7pm, £5.50/£5 kids. Info 01873 850805. Panto. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Fri 24; 1.30pm and 6pm on Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) The Flying Bedroom Miners’ Institute, Blackwood.

1 + 3.30pm, £4.50/£3.50. Info 01495 227206. Kids’ show based on the children’s book

by Heather Dyer.

TUESDAY 21

uAladdin Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. 7pm, £8-£10. Info 0800 0147111. Amateur panto presented by Colstars. On at 2.30pm and 7pm on Wed 22 and sat 25. (Until Sat 25) Alice In Wonderland The Met, Abertillery. 1.30 + 4.30pm, £6.50. Info 01495 355800. Kids’ musical presented by Immersion Theatre. uFantastic Mr Fox New Theatre, Cardiff. 7pm,

£15/£11. Info 029 2087 8889.

Dahl, adapted for the stage (and for half term) by Sam Holcroft. £11.50-£21 from Wed 22-Fri 24; £12-£20.50 on Sat 25. On at 2.30pm only on Wed 22; 2.30pm and 7pm from Thurs 23-Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) u(F.E.A.R) Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £12/£10. Info 029 2030 4400.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) uJack And The Beanstalk Dolman Theatre, Newport.

7pm, £11/£9 kids. Info 01633 263670. Panto, the last one until late November surely. On at 2.15pm and 7pm on Sat 25.

(Until Sat 25) uJesus Christ Superstar Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen.

7.30pm, £16/£13. Info 0845 2263510. Presented by Carmarthen Youth Opera. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) Jolly Totz Pontardawe Arts Centre. 10.30am, £5/£3. Info 01792 863722. Kids’ show.

Jungle Book Queens Hall, Narberth. 1.30pm, £5.50/£4.50 adv. Info 01834 869323. Kids’ production, presented by Indigo Moon and Span Arts.

Morgan & West: Parlour Tricks Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 7pm, £10.50/£8 kids. Info 01792 475715. Time-travelling magic duo. Get the impression that they favour going backwards in time rather than forwards.

Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show For Kids (And Childish Grown-Ups!) Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 2pm, £10.50/£8 kids.

Info 01792 475715. If you take your kids to something called this you’re a Tory, end of. In fact, your kids are as well. uPride & Prejudice Wales

whimsical affairs set in the Welsh valleys and performed at venues such as this one, performs script-in-hand excerpts from his plays with a small cast of actors.

Black Bart: The Cunning Pirate Of The Caribbean Acapela, Pentyrch, Cardiff.

11am + 1pm, £6/£3 adults.

Info 029 2089 0862. Kids’ show. In English first, the Welsh.

Comedy Club Grand Theatre Arts Wing, Swansea. 8pm, £11. Info 01792 475715.

Comedy Smackdown The Big Top, Cardiff. 7.30pm.

Info 029 2022 8883. Not sure exaactly what this is but it’s presented by Off The Wall.

Dare Devil Rides To Jarama Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 7.30pm, £8.50£12.50. Info 01495 227206. A play by Neil Gore, set in Spain circa 1936 and the Spanish Civil War. Don’t Dribble On The Dragon Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea. 2.30pm, £8.50. Info 01792 602060. Kids’ show presented by the People’s Theatre Company and featuring magic tricks devised by Paul Daniels.

Lyngo: The Curious Adventures Of Pinnochio Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan.

2pm, £9.50/£8.50. Info 01239 621200. Kids’ show devised by Marcello Chiarenza.

Michael Morpurgo’s King Arthur Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 2pm, £12.50/£10.

Info 01874 611622. Presented

by Story Pocket Theatre; in Blackwood tomorrow.

Pitschi, The Kitten With Dreams Gwyn Hall, Neath.

7.30pm, £10. Info 0300 3656677.

Pride & Prejudice Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 2pm, £6. Info 029 2063 6464. Kids’ show.

The First Hippo On The

Cardiff-based standup Col Howard has a show in The Big Top (née 10 Feet Tall) on Wed 15. It's about what happens when you talk to everyone you see while walking down a busy, pedestrianised high street.

Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £11.50-£41.50.

Info 029 2063 6464. Jane Austen, adapted for the stage

by Simon Reade. £16-£50£47.50 on Fri 24 and Sat 25.

On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Thurs 23 and Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) The Curious Adventures Of Pinnochio Miners Theatre, Ammanford. 2.30pm, £8/£6.

Info 0845 2263510. Presented by the Lyngo Theatre Comapny.

The Flying Bedroom The Riverfront, Newport. 1 + 3.30pm, £7. Info 01633 656757. Also featuring related workshops at 2 + 4.30pm.

WEDNESDAY 22

An Evening With Frank Vickery Parc & Dare, Treorchy. 7pm, £5. Info 0800 0147111. Frank, a playwright whose works are generally

Moon Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 2pm, £7-£10. Info 01970 623232. Les Petits Theatre Company adapt David Walliams’ kids’ book.

THURSDAY 23

Comedy Club Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 8pm, £10. Info 01970 623232. uCompany Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7.30pm, £13. Info 0845 2263510. Broadway musical from 1970 presented here by the Llanelli Stage Company. On at 3pm and 7.30pm on Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) uFiddler On The Roof Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

7.30pm, £8-£12. Info 01656 815995. Presented by Bridgend Youth Theatre (Seniors). On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Fri 24 and Sat 25.

(Until Sat 25) Iain Stirling Glee Club,

Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £12.

Info 0871 4720400. Scottish standup.

Jethro Queens Hall, Narberth. 6.30pm. Info 01834 869323. Sold out. Imagine hundreds of Pembrokeshire farmers, tearful with mirth as they roar “BULLOCKS TO EUROPE!” as one.

Michael Morpurgo’s King Arthur Miners’ Institute, Blackwood. 1 + 4pm, £9.50/£7.50. Info 01495 227206. uRapunzel: A TangledUp Pantomime Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil. 2.30 + 7pm, £8/£6. Info 01685 384111.

Panto, presented by CAST Theatre Company. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Fri 24 and Sat 25. (Until Sat 25) Semele Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli.

7.30pm, £15/£12.50. Info 0845 2263510. uThe Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents The Gate, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £7/£5. Info 029 2048 3344.

New show by Monstrous Productions, best known for adapting Terry Pratchett books for the stage. On at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sat 25.

(Until Sat 25) The Circus Of Horrors The Riverfront, Newport. 7.30pm, £23/£20. Info 01633 656757.

“Totally unbelievable” – Scott Mills, Radio 1. Lots of other people like it though so don’t listen to Scott. In Swansea on Mon 27.

The Curious Adventures Of Pinnochio Pontardawe Arts Centre. 2pm, £5/£3. Info 01792 863722. Kids’ theatre.

In Newport tomorrow. uTommy Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £11. Info 029 2087 7959. The Who’s infamous rock opera, presented by Pukka Productions. (Until Sun 26) uZero For The Young Dudes Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £4-£8. Info 029 2064 6900. Sherman Youth Theatre perform Alistair McDowall’s play about a bizarre summer camp. (Until Sat 25)

FRIDAY 24

Dancing Bear, Dancing Bear Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £14/£12. Info 029 2039 1391. A play featuring immersive sound and music (listened to on headphones by the audience) presented by Gameshow. uEd Gamble + Scott Gibson + Jonnie Price + Bethany Black Glee Club, Cardiff Bay. 6.45pm, £15.95/£8 NUS. Info 0871 4720400. On tomorrow also (£17.95/£10 NUS).

Liam Williams + Lou Sanders + George Lewis Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon.

8pm, £10. Info 01874 611622.

Comedy Club night.

Ten Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

7pm, £8-£10. Info 01970 623232. Contemporary circus performed by Bristol’s Circomedia company.

The Curious Adventures Of Pinnochio The Riverfront, Newport. 11.30am + 2.30pm, £7. Info 01633 656757.

Jongleurs, Cardiff. 7pm, from £16. Info 08700 111960.

Mike Doyle Beaufort Theatre, Ebbw Vale. 7.30pm, £6.50. Info 01495 355800.

The Festival Of Diversity XIV: Raja Bersiong (The Vampire King) St David’s Hall, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11.

Info 029 2087 8444. Presented by the Malaysian Students’ Society of Cardiff University.

SUNDAY 26

Sue Perkins Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £23.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Apparently Sue has a memoir – bestselling, no less – called Spectacles, and this is a show based on it to some extent.

Tales From Wales The Full Moon, Cardiff. 6.30pm, £5.50 adv. Info info@ thefullmooncardiff.com.

Region-specific comedy from Drew Taylor and Steffan Evans, presented by Clwb Comedy.

Youth Dance Night Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 4 + 7pm, £10/£7. Info 029 2063 6464. Works from ETC Youth Dance, Fantasy Feet, Rubicon, Joon Youth Dance Company and National Dance Company Wales Associates.

MONDAY 27

Rob Beckett Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. 8pm, £16. Info 01874 611622.

The Circus Of Horrors Grand Theatre, Swansea.

7.30pm, £18.50-£26.50. Info 01792 475715. uThe Wedding Singer New Theatre, Cardiff. 7.30pm, £11-£26. Info 029 2087 8889.

Musical version of the 1985set Adam Sandler movie. £13£32 on Tue 28-Thurs 2 Mar; £11-£36 on Fri 3 Mar; £13-£36 on Sat 4 Mar. On at 5pm and 8pm on Fri 3 Mar; 4pm and 8.45pm on Sat 4 Mar. (Until Sat 4 Mar)

TUESDAY 28

All The Little Lights Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli. 7pm, £10/£8. Info 0845 2263510.

Poignant, dark play presented

by Fifth Word and Nottingham Playhouse. On tomorrow also.

Danza Contemporanea De Cuba Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay. 7.30pm, £14.50-£37.50. Info 029 2063 6464. Cuban dance troupe with a show described as a“pungent blend of Afro Caribbean rhythms, jazzy American modernism and inflections from European ballet”. On tomorrow also.

Legally Blonde Gwyn Hall, Neath. 7pm, £14/£12. Info 0300 3656677. Musical, based on the film and presented by Melyncryddan AOS. Negative Space Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 7.30pm, £10£12. Info 01970 623232.

Experimental, wordless theatre from Reckless Sleepers.

The Romans In Britain Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

7.30pm, £12/£10.50. Info 029 2030 4400. Howard Brenton’s powerful play, first performed in 1980 and presented here by Everyman. (Until Sat 4 Mar)

SATURDAY 25

Lou Conran + James Cook + Steve Shanyaski BUZZ 69

DID YOU KN W? The Welsh ‘ll’ (the voiceless alveolar lateral fricative) is rare in European languages, but is fairly common in Native American languages like Navajo.

‘God’s Englishman’ Oliver Cromwell was Welsh by descent; the ‘Williams alias Cromwell’ family was from Glamorgan.

Swansea may be named after the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard, with ‘Sweynsey’ meaning Sweyn’s inlet, supporting the belief that the city was founded by the Dane.

The first time a red flag was ever flown as a symbol of a workers’ revolution was during the Merthyr Rising of 1831.

John Tyler, 10th president of the US, born 1790, has two currently living grandsons.

Aldous Huxley taught French for a year at Eton.

One of his students was Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell.

COMPETITIONS TWO TICKETS TO PAUL FOOT AT THE GLEE CLUB, CARDIFF BAY Comedian Paul Foot will be musing on the strange, satirical and sublime on Thurs 16 Feb. His second show in two years, the masterful comic has a range of side-splitting new material including ruminations on Ant and Dec, breakfast and terrorism... accompanied by a piglet.

TWO TICKETS TO THE HANDSOME FAMILY AT THE GLOBE, CARDIFF Albuquerque alternative country group The Handsome Family are billed to perform on Sat 18 Feb. Best known for their song Far From Any Road, used as the title theme for True Detective, the duo are about to embark on a European tour with Cardiff featuring as their first UK date.

TWO TICKETS TO MACBETH AT CHAPTER, CARDIFF Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s ambitious Welsh language production of Macbeth starring Hinterland’s Ryan Lynch and Byw Celwydd’s Ffion Dafis will be screened at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on Tue 14 Feb. Director Arwel Gruffyd’s Welsh interpretation of the Scottish play is sure to be a thriller.

TWO TICKETS TO THE LAUGHARNE WEEKEND

Broccoli and cauliflower do not exist in the wild, and are derived from the wild cabbage.

The Breton national anthem Bro Gozh ma Zadoù uses exactly the same tune as Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. It also means 'old land of my fathers'.

The former favourite of Dylan Thomas will host big names including Dr John Cooper Clarke, the witty Jeremy Hardy and Hollie ‘Poetry’ McNish. For the weekend of Fri Apr 7-Sun 9 the beautiful views of Laugharne will be augmented by a metaphorical feast of literary insight and eloquence.

TWO TICKETS TO MARK THOMAS AT SHERMAN THEATRE, CARDIFF

The Roman Empire and the Han Chinese were aware of each other. The Han Chinese sent an ambassador to start formal relations, but were told by the Parthian Empire, which greatly profited from Silk Road trade, that the Romans were much further away than they actually were to prevent this.

Satirist and comedian Mark Thomas is set to perform at the Sherman Theatre on Wed 15 Feb. Known for his unique combination of standup and political activism, Mark – holder of five awards for performance and three for human rights – will provide audience members with an evening of entertainment and inspiration.

AFTERNOON TEA FOR TWO AT DICKENS TEA ROOMS, CARDIFF

You don't smell rain, it’s just the additional moisture in the air heightens your sense of smell.

Both the first voice you hear in The Sopranos and the last voice you hear in Breaking Bad are Welsh.

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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The Dickensian-themed Cardiff cafe is offering readers the chance to win afternoon tea for two. The venue features ornate chandeliers contributing to a Victorian ambience, while diners have a choice of delectable delights on offer inspired by characters created by the famous writer.

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.

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