In The Words Of by

Carl Marsh

good, bad, or both. And Arisu, the main character… played effortlessly by Kento Yamazaki, changes from that shy nerdy type into… [no spoilers].

Travel Review

Intro Rant

I can’t offer any rant this month because the sun is out; it’s lovely, and people seem happier. So… there you go. No rant. I might have more if I had watched any news channels, but I don’t. I know many more people that avoid the news these days, as it’s all about whatever narrative a particular news outlet wants to put out. Avoid the mainstream media. Live your life to the full. Stay happy. Surround yourself with positive people. Don’t live in fear of the telly man/woman reading from a script if you accidentally have them on a radio or TV.

OK, so a slight rant, but you can see I am mostly putting out a positive message and vibes.

Enjoy your June, Carl.

Tv Review

Alice in Borderland - Netflix

Set in Tokyo, Japan, albeit an alternate reality of Tokyo for most of it, but it’s still set in Japan. I came across this gem via a trailer I saw on Netflix that was advertising season two. My daughter and I binged the first season in a few days. Now we’ve completed season two. I can agree that some similarities have been referenced to Hunger Games, Battle Royale and Squid Game. All those mentioned and this show have that connection of violence, although Hunger Games might be a less graphic watch than the rest. Yet, all have a storyline that hooks you in from the start. What I appreciated about Alice in Borderland was how the games [watch it] got more complex and how the character development kept you guessing who was

Now that normality has resumed, I’ll be back out and about visiting hotels and places to tempt some of you to venture potentially. This month is all about Qatar. It is a place I’d always wanted to see, and when Qatar Airways invited me there, how could I say no? You’ll be able to read all about it on the next page.

Interviews

Three interviews this month.

Phil Wang brings his show ‘Wang In There, Baby!’ to Cardiff. Hailed as one of the UK’s best comedians, I can’t disagree with that. Oh, and he was born in the same hospital as me! - Saturday 3rd June - St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

Singer/Songwriter Harriet is now touring her second album, ‘The Outcome’, after a gap of 7 years since that debut self-titled album came out in 2016. This new record is full of catchy tunes, which is a massive step up from the first offering. Catch her at Acapela, Pentyrch, on Saturday, 3rd June.

TommyInnit is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer that is more internet famous than most, er… famous people. Of course, some won’t know who he is, but ask any kid who knows YouTube and Twitch, and they’ll be in awe of him. To put it into context, this guy had over 1 billion views on YouTube by the age of 17. Across his socials, he’s surpassed over 50 million subscribers. He appears at St David’s Hall on Thursday, 22nd June, with his two friends and fellow YouTube stars, Badlinu and Jack Manifold.

Have a great June, and see you all next month!

Carl Marsh

Twitter - @InTheWordsOf_CM

YouTube - InTheWordsOf

Qatar - Travel Review

With talk of Qatar Airways recommencing flights out of Cardiff once again since 2020 when Covid put a stop to them, I thought it was time to highlight what Qatar has to offer. Thanks to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Qatar has been on everyone’s lips for a few years, but now it’s been and gone. Most travellers will likely stop off at Doha’s Hamad International Airport en route to destinations such as The Maldives, Seychelles, Malaysia, and many more. And as a stopover, it would be a shame not to spend a few days seeing what Doha, and potentially the rest of Qatar, has to offer.

gastronomic concept that takes guests on a sensory journey through Qatar’s rich heritage and unique landscape, which is very befitting considering it’s at the National Museum; itself is a marvel to behold, both inside, and out. You’ll learn all about Qatar, its traditions, people, and how pearl diving was how Qatar made its living before the discovery of vast gas and oil fields made Qatar the most prosperous country in the world.

There are many more offerings for the short or long-stay visitor, Doha has so much to do. However, of the things I got to see, the National Museum of Qatar is one of two offerings that stood out for me, as I only got to see a few things in my time there, so these, by all means, are not the only things to see.

One of my first thoughts about arriving in the capital, Doha, is pure class, even after having the luxury of flying Business Class on one of Qatar Airways latest planes! I have never felt this overwhelmed by how clean, vibrant and efficient this place is. Doha never failed to impress me, such as after travelling to my hotel and checking in, then walking around a shopping area and experiencing cold airconditioning coming from the street into the open air is a feat of marvel, and not the central drawer to Qatar. Still, you can’t fail to be impressed by it.

I stayed at the InterContinental Doha The City. This centralised and luxurious hotel boasts some exquisite fine dining selections if that is what you desire; if not, you have less formal options too. And the breakfast selections… where do I start?

When it comes to eating out for food, which is what you’ll want to do to ease hunger pains whilst shopping or sightseeing, there is everything from Western chains to traditional delights. One such place to note on the fourth floor of the National Museum of Qatar [more on the Museum further in this review] is Jiwan. This is the second Alain Ducasse restaurant to open in Qatar. Boasting a contemporary Qatari menu, Jiwan is an immersive

No visit to Doha should be without seeing the Souq Waqif, the second choice of the two main highlights of my trip to Qatar. This place has the romanticism of being stuck in a time long ago, not changed in centuries apart from some of what you can purchase from its shops. Don’t be afraid to haggle. It’s the done thing and not as daunting as one would expect. You can walk into a falconry shop with falcons on show, visit a games room and watch where traditional Qatari games are played, such as Dama; somewhat of a more complex version of American checkers, and Carom, which has elements of chess, billiards, and shuffleboard. You can also walk outside and see camels standing meters away on the sand. This authentic and traditional Doha is centuries apart from its modern version, yet only a stone’s throw away.

One word is all I need to describe Qatar, both past, present and future: ambitious. I hope that I can go back soon.

Words by Carl Marsh

Carl Marsh

It makes perfect sense that your tour [Phil Wang: Wang In There, Baby!] has been extended to play at more venues around the UK, as I believe you sold out all of your gigs - in advance - at the Edinburgh Fringe last year?

Phil Wang

Yeah, well, that first happened in 2019. And so all the tickets had gone before the Fringe had started. And everyone congratulated me, but I’m so averse to praise that I just beat myself up for not choosing a larger venue! [Laughter] So that’s an insight into my mind. And then, last year, I did a sort of midweek in a big venue. And yeah, I think that also sold out in advance, so I’d put on a couple of extra shows. So, yeah, I’m very grateful for that. And so we’ve gone for big venues this time around, on this tour, and I may have bitten off more than I can chew. But I’m now at a point where I’d rather everyone who wants a ticket can get one. I think I’m sort of past the point where I’m more about like, “I sold out… in brackets, [a small room]. [Laughs]. That’s in my past now. “I’ve sold out: 60 seats” [Laughter]. So that was a very important part of my early development. But yeah, now, it’s about getting as many people to see me as possible.

Carl Marsh

Is there a theme for this tour, as the title [Wang In There, Baby!] doesn’t give much away?

Phil Wang

I’ve never really had themed shows that… I think Jerry Seinfeld once said that every stand-up comedian only really has 10 minutes or something like that. Basically, the stand-up talks about the same thing for their entire career, and I think that is roughly true. I talk about being mixed race and Asian versus traditional British culture. I talk about my family a bit, but mostly this is just the silliest show that I’ve ever done. And so I was looking back at my old stand-up, and I thought: “Wow, I’m very serious, actually”. I used to be sillier than this when I was a kid. And so now I’m trying to recapture some of that old silliness. And yes, this is the silliest show I’ve done.

If there is a theme, and there’s not much of a theme, but in the artwork for it, I’m pulling that silly face, and it’s got a goofy title. I guess there’s some stuff about being older: buying a sofa and having, like, my own kitchen… [Laughter]. It’s just stuff that I’ve noticed. So I write notes on my phone if I think it might be funny. Then I try to sort of work it onstage… and eventually, it becomes an hour of stuff.

Phil Wang: Wang In There, Baby! - St David’s Hall, Cardiff - Saturday 3rd June.

Carl Marsh

So, new album, new tour. Are you itching to get going?

Harriet

I’ve just been taking in the last few weeks, with the album coming out and everything. It’s just been so amazing. And I feel very grateful for all the wonderful responses I’ve had from people.

Carl Marsh

And rightly so because I have to say the album’s [The Outcome] got a good mix of tracks compared to your debut self-titled album you did back in 2016. It just sounds very different. So the maturity is there but for me… The first album was more about people hearing your voice, whereas this new one is about people discovering your talent.

Harriet that, in Sweden, where I recorded the whole record, actually in Stockholm. I knew that it was going to be the title. It just felt really; I don’t know, the lyrics… the feeling of it felt quite deep and profound. And I thought this is a nice way to bookend the record after ‘Story Of My Life’ being at the beginning. But yeah, I always thought that would be the title track. Because the song itself is about, you know, forget the outcome, stuff the outcome. Whatever happens, go with the flow and ‘Story Of Your Life’ has a similar sentiment. So the record just kind of organically ended up being about that as a whole.

Oh, well, that’s very kind. I appreciate that. And I’m pleased that you mentioned the kind of difference in tempo because I did want this record to be more of having a different energy. And I think that moments like ‘The Outcome’, the last track, that they have more of a moment, you know when it’s just one of them. And, yes, I’m pleased that you feel that way. It definitely does feel like I’ve grown quite a bit since my first album.

Carl Marsh

And you’re at Acapela once again. You must love this venue?

Harriet

Yeah, I performed there a few times. For the last tour I did, I did a live physical-only album, which is like a fan thing during the pandemic. It was called ‘Piano Sessions’. It was just me and my pianist. And because of the pandemic, it was easy to tour just the both of us. So I haven’t done something with a live band, a full setup, for quite a long time. So it’s going to be quite daunting but exciting.

Harriet - Acapela, Pentyrch - Saturday 3rd June.

Carl Marsh

As a YouTuber who is used to getting millions and millions of views to your videos and insane numbers of subscribers, it is an accomplishment in itself, but how’s this tour set out?

TommyInnit

I guess it’s me explaining how to be a YouTuber and using the same skills, humour, and things people like, but turned onto a stage. We have a big screen. And I’ve already done a show video too.

I love being on a stage, and rather than having comments like [left on YouTube], “LOL”, this is real people, and getting feedback from them. I think it’s just gonna [sic] be super funny. It’s a big story as well told live, that people will love.

Carl Marsh

You must get so many questions about how you got to be as big as you’ve become via YouTube, as we could probably joke by saying it’s just you talking nonsense and making videos of you playing video games. Yet, I wouldn’t be too far off the mark.

TommyInnit

Yeah, and that’s what the show explores. Because for me, it started when I was a kid in school watching these other people talk rubbish. Then I’m talking trash until suddenly you’re almost in a lawsuit because someone else owns the rights to ‘TommyInnit’, and suddenly the further on you get, the bigger you get as a sort of weird unasked-for responsibility and then the other things that come with it. And the show, I guess - as well as being funny - is a behind the scenes for my audience but is also for parents explaining that most kids in the world want to be a YouTuber right now. So this is what it’s actually like, you know? And it’s not all what you think. And there are real details of privacy and things you’d never expect from just talking rubbish on the internet that come from it, like getting recognised constantly on the street.

Carl Marsh

How are you dealing with all this fame? I presume it wasn’t something you went out yearning for. It was just making and having fun with the videos. Oh, and maybe making a little bit of money out of it, you know?

TommyInnit

Yeah… Writing the show has been very cathartic for me because it’s one of the few things (that) I didn’t really talk about in early 2021. Like it was tough, I wanted to quit YouTube because this thing started as just fun and talking to my mates. Then suddenly, all these sorts of new privacy boundaries were being crossed. I also can’t talk about them publicly because it flairs them up if I do. So using the show is like a vessel to be super honest with my audience and with the parents because pretty much like no other YouTuber has done that because they don’t want to talk about that stuff publicly. But I do! [Laughs]

TommyInnit: Annoying At First - St David’s Hall, Cardiff - Thursday 22nd June.