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This Month Wibidi / Trwbador / Attack! Attack! Plus Reviews / Giveaways & More
MINIATURE MUSIC
FESTIVAL GWDIHW, CARDIFF
SUNDAY 28-AUG
TICKETS: £6 ADV // ON THE DOOR: £6 BEFORE 4PM / £8 AFTER T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E T O B U Y O N L I N E : W W W. T H E M M P. T V
Django Django & More TBA
Attack Attack! _010 Wibidi _06
Trwbador _08
Publisher
The MMP LLP
Editors
Sion Trefor, Rowan Liggett, Simon M. Read
Writers
Jennifer Allan, Jonathan Day, Max Hicks, Alexander Hunter, Jamie Neasom, Joe O’Connell, Matthew Pasternakiewicz, John Rostron.
Designed by:
Girl & Boy Studio www.girlandboystudio.co.uk
Staff Photographer: Paul Roberts
CONTACT
Demos/CDs to: The MMP The Pop Factory Jenkin Street Porth Rhondda CF39 9P General: info@themmp.tv Advertising: ads@themmp.tv Listings: listings@themmp.tv www.themmp.tv twitter.com/themmp
Cover Illustration by:
Girl & Boy Studio www.girlandboystudio.co.uk
AUGUST 2011 CONTENTS 04 MUSIC NEWS News and round up of all the musical happenings in and around Cardiff 06 EXPOSURE Meet this month’s featured artists! 12 industry interview Interview with music industry linchpins, in association with We Are Cardiff. 14 LISTINGS All the goings on from Cardiff’s music venues this month 26 reviews The month’s new albums, singles and demos. 28 mmp extra Get Yourselves to themmp. tv for even more reviews, competitions and news! 28 DOWNLOADS Join our Download Society and enjoy free downloads!
D
ear readers – Thank you for picking up this very special edition of the MMP. It marks both its return to physical form and also a rejuvenated and exciting approach. The team now boasts even more creative and music-loving souls on a mission to appreciate and document the incredible musical output of this fair city and beyond.
We are in the thick of a profound time for the music industry. The digital age has transformed everything and new music is everywhere. Let us be your guide. There’s fresh talent breaking through, epic new albums and incredible home-made releases to be discovered and enjoyed. Read on and familiarise yourselves with the wonderful world of Wibidi. Flick through this A5 beauty and meet the inspired Trwbador and the ever energetic Attack! Attack! Have a nosey through our website for the live review section and free downloads, not to mention our shiny new competitions. And don’t forget we list every live music event that take places in Cardiff. If it’s going on out there you’re going to find it here first. The MMP is proud to announce its return to your service! So read on good people. See for yourself the wonders we have found…
28 COMPETITION Win free stuff! 30 spotlight Monthly column highlighting issues affecting music in Wales.
THE MMP
04 | NEWS AUGUST 11
Music News Myspace Sold For $35 Million
Jets To Zurich #1 In Qatar!
If you’re anything like this writer, you’ll have become increasingly frustrated with Myspace’s finicky, cumbersome format ‘advances’. It comes as little surprise to hear this once great company has declined substantially in value, having been sold to Specific Media for $35 million on June 29th, in the face of the Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of the business for $580 million in July 2005. This drop in functionality and application, compared to the likes of Facebook and Twitter was epitomised by huge employment cuts and colossal drop in the leagues - #85 as opposed to Facebook’s #2 position in alexa.com’s site rankings in the United States (July 2011). We wait, with insanely eager curiosity to see how Specific Media hopes to renovate, reinvent or return Myspace to its former glory.
A number 1 is a number 1, right? Local outfit Jets to Zurich skyrocketed to the #1 chart position in Qatar, knocking Arctic Monkeys off the top spot. One of the most unexpected underdog stories of the year so far - there must have been a montage - the outfit, originally from Aberdare stole the hearts of Qatari music lovers with their second single, Downward Spiral. The band have come a long way from their first, relatively lukewarm EP review in The MMP, and now produce quality rock music for wealthy Arab emirates! On the back of communications with Qatari DJ, Haytham Jawhari, Jets to Zurich also enjoyed a #4 slot for their first single, Crimson Tide last December. The MMP hopes more success is on the sandy horizon! myspace.com/jetstozurich
myspace.com
Jets to Zurich
What We’ve Been Listening To AIMEE
ROWAN
SIMON
Michael Kiwanuka Tell Me A Tale
Arlo Guthrie Alice’s Restaurant
Handsome Furs Serve The People
Produced by Paul Butler of The Bees, this track boasts everything that’s wonderful about soul, stunning vocal delivery and astounding instrumental arrangement. Amazing! michaelkiwanuka.com
Twenty of the finest minutes you’re ever likely to spend. A rolling, rambling account of police stupidity and global conflict set to a country music background. Groovy. myspace.com/arloguthriefamily
Bombastic beats and synths with politically edged lyricism, this is high-brow electro par excellence. myspace.com/handsomefurs
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
Gwilym Simcock Nominated For Mercury Music Prize Born in Bangor, Gwilym Simcock has a long-standing reputation as one of the finest jazz pianists in Britain. It comes as no surprise, but gives us immense pleasure to hear that Gwilym has been nominated for the 2011 Mercury Music Prize. His album, Good Days at Schloss Emlau, joins the likes of Elbow, PJ Harvey, Tinie Tempah, Metronomy, Adele and Anna Calvi in this insanely impressive shortlist. Whether the judging panel opt for the slightly obscurer jazz album, albeit a formidably excellent one, remains to be seen. The nomination itself, however, is compliment enough for the Welsh pianist, justifying his standing as one of the most talented, capable and versatile musicians this nation has had to offer. gwilymsimcock. com
Y Fuwch Goch Closes
Gwilym Simcock
Clic B.O.T.B. Winner To Play Merthyr Rocks Festival The CLIC Battle of the Bands competition has offered a great platform for acts to further their careers over the years, and this year it gets better. Winners of this year’s competition will be rewarded with the opening slot on the main stage at Merthyr Rocks Festival on September 3rd, along with a Schecter guitar worth around £500. Two runners up will be awarded slots on the second stage, one on the 3rd, the other on September 4th. Heats have taken place in Hobos (Bridgend, 22/07), Sin City (Swansea, 23/07), Evi (Ebbw Vale, 29/07), The Pop Factory (Porth, 30/07) and Galeri Caernarfon (date TBC) and the final will be held at Clwb Ifor Bach on August 18th. For all interested, please send in links to Myspace, Facebook, Bandcamp or Soundcloud links to botb@cliconline.co.uk, specifying which heat you’d like to attend. Provided you’re over 14, CLIC encourage acts of all genres to compete, the more the merrier, the more diverse the better! This year, Merthyr Rocks festival features an amazing line up, including the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, The Blackout, Funeral For A Friend, Skindred, Attack! Attack!, Cast and GLC. Be sure to get yourselves down there now, ya hear? merthyrrock.com
MATT
Tim Hecker Hatred of Music 1 Where sound became noise and where noise became music, where entertainment became pain and pain became entertainment. Ecstatic, malevolent noise from Canada’s hypnotic son, guaranteed to turn you to porridge. sunblind.net
SION
Dan Deacon - Red F Dan Deacon’s insanely energetic, high-impact brand of lo-fi electronica is at its most palpable in Red F, taken from the critically acclaimed Bromst (2009). With more buzz, saw and blips than a logging competition on Planet Android, this track comes highly recommended. myspace.com/dandeacon
Y Fuwch Goch, one of Cardiff’s friendliest venues/pubs has closed down. Renowned for its intimate atmosphere and ardent promotion of Welsh language events, particlarly for learners, the MMP is overwhelmingly saddened to see this lovely institution cease business. Y Fuwch Goch provided a spotlight for acts such as Al Lewis, Colorama, Plant Duw, plenty of Swn Festival events as well as its famed, weekly ‘Practice Your Welsh Over a Cuppa’ sessions. We thank all involved for all their hard work and substantial contributions to music in Cardiff, hoping that the future brings heaps of success for you all!
Pop Factory Opens For Business! We were delighted to hear The Pop Factory was due to reopen under the management of John MOuse. Now the time is upon us and we still can’t contain our ecstasy. Not only is this refurbished, revitalised complex a new base for the likes of Avanti Media and See Monkey Do Monkey Records, but it boasts a return to form in showcasing some of the best local talent the country has to offer. Over the coming months, Dirty Youth, White Noise Sound, Secret Affair, The Method, Magenta and Wishbone Ash will all be performing at the legendary venue. We wish all involved every success in the future, hoping The Factory will go from strength to strength!
JOhNNY
Brad Sucks –Dirtbag (Psycraft remix) A mind bending remix, recently re-discovered. Taking what was originally a simple acoustic track and transforming it into a truly epic, cinematic, spell binding nightmare. myspace.com/bradsucks
06 | EXPOSURE INTERVIEW Photo by ??????
Words by Simon M. Read
Wibidi While it’s fair to say that any new musical project has some level of excitement contained therein – the potential; the glory of the unknown – it’s also fair to say that some projects are intrinsically more exciting than others. Evidence for this is inherent in Wibidi.
S
canning the list of those involved is like reading plans for the genetic engineering of a multipleheaded, omnipotent Welsh mutant musical God. Not one, not two, but three Super Furries are in the band with Guto Pryce, Cian Ciaran and Daffyd Ieuan taking roles. Then there’s The Peth’s Kris Jenkins, Drumpton Ward of Black Uhuru and The Wailers, as well as Arran Ahmun who has played with the likes of John Martyn. Credentials, then, couldn’t be more clearly spelt out if they were scrawled on the faces of Mount Rushmore with a tonne of Tipp-ex. But at the centre is one Rashid Omar, a.k.a. Wibidee, whose vocals, lyrical ideas and energy are stamped over everything with throaty bombast. A Butetown native and Cardiff man-abouttown, he’s helped to construct a sound convergence encapsulating reggae, funk, punk and dub that is both stylistically playful while engagingly political. More so, he does it as though he’s AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
having the time of his life. With three hometown shows looming at the start of August in Undertone, The Globe and Clwb, as well as an imminent launch for LP Tigerbaby, the MMP decided to leave no stone unturned in assessing how Wibi’s pears are ripening MMP: How in the name of kumquats are you? W: I am super fine. Thanks for asking. And what the heck is kumquats? Sounds painful! MMP: Tell us about the genesis of wibidi - how did it all come together? W: It was by pure chance that I met Daf (Daffyd Ieuan) at the White Hart pub. I only went in there to watch the football. A mutual friend made the introductions - his name is Ramsey Legall. He explained who Daf was and that he had a studio in the same building as his brother, Kris. At the time Daf and Cian (Ciaran) were working on The Peth’s new album Krystal Peth. So we got to chatting and he explained
This is the genetic engineering of a multiple-headed, omnipotent Welsh mutant musical God...
he’s also working on a track called Mr Nice. Well, my ears couldn’t believe what they were hearing as Howard Marks was, no is, an icon of mine. After a while, Daf explained he’d been working all day and needed a brew to chill. He invited me up to the studio and Ramsey asked him to play Mr Nice for me. I was really impressed with the rhythm. As I was listening, Ramsey suggested to Daf that he give me the mic and before I could blink Daf had one in my face. He told me what the topic was and said do your thing. I did, Daf really liked, and the rest is nearly history. MMP: You’ve now got a veritable army of prime welsh talent backing you - how does it feel to be wanted by so many fantastic and established musicians? W: It’s really like a dream come true. I have people telling me all the time how lucky I am. And I hope to justify their faith and efforts by giving all I can creatively and as a person. MMP: The wibidi sound meshes a variety of styles - is this deliberate genre diversity? W: It represents exactly who we are - a multi cultural group of really nice and very talented people each bringing their own flavours to the project. So, in short, it just happened that way. MMP: What’s the bands approach the songwriting process? W: There is no formula. They’ve been realised in a myriad of ways from anger to pure laughs, observations, snippets of life, self-deprecation and some soul searching along the way. And a lot of feelings. MMP: What can we expect from the forthcoming tigerbaby lp? W: You will get a lot of audio delight and musical orgasm, plus lyrical enlightenment. Sounds good even to me. MMP: How well do the tracks realise the ideas in your head? W: I am totally happy that the songs could not have been produced any better or any clearer to my meaning. Maybe given time we’ll get even better MMP: There’s a mild reference to butetown in the lp title - how much
do you think living and growing up in the area has affected your style? W: Well, I think it totally affects my style being influenced by people and cultures and brought up as a Tigerbaby with people from all over the globe. MMP: Before wibidi you’ve done vocal work with acid casuals - did this help prepare you for the big time? W: That was a vocal taken from a track we were working on downstairs in Kris’ studio for the Tigerbaby album. Cian heard it through the floorboards and asked if he could use it on a track he was working on at the time. It became a remix of Lockdown, (a track on the album). I was also developing a style while presenting a show for Radio Cardiff - Sir Doufus Styles - Daf and Cian also helped me to believe in myself and realise my potential. MMP: How well do you feel reggae is represented in cardiff? W: Not as well as it could be since the demise of the Butetown Carnival and the death of the blues dance. A shame really, but Radio Cardiff are trying to bring some great reggae artists to our great city. Big up to Radio Cardiff, also The Globe and Cardiff Arts Institute. The Welsh club too. MMP: Are there any particular bands setting a candle under your tuber at the moment? W: Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All. The new The Peth album Krystal Peth. Eagles of Death Metal. Pocket Trez. Skol. Damian Marley. Primal Scream. Loads more too. MMP: What’s next on the path to conquering music as we know it? W: The aim’s to build a Welsh version of Motown based in the Bay, its already begun with the birth of Strangetown Records. Also, to develop my own A&R offshoot of Strangetown, to help develop up and coming stars of the future, and to take a taste of the real Tiger Bay to the rest of the world. I have a dream! www.wibidi.co.uk
08 | EXPOSURE FEATURE
Trwbador
The Carmarthenshire pairing of Angharad Van Rijswijk and Owain Gwilym, aka Trwbador, over the last eight months has given something of a lesson in how to quickly carve oneself a niche
I
Words by Simon M. Read Photography by Trwbador
It Snowed A Lot This Year Trwbador’s debut album It snowed a lot this year is available via their website: trwbador.co.uk
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
n seemingly no time at all, they have released a debut LP, It Snowed A Lot This Year, which the Welsh scene has dribbled over so much it’s actually sticky. They’ve garnered glittering plaudits for their gently euphoric live shows. They’ve created their own record label, Owlet Music, and knocked out an utterly splendid compilation showcasing their intent and their wares. Phew! Slow down or you’ll get a stitch! All in all, it’s been like watching a master carpenter create a to-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower out of balsa wood in under a minute. While hogtied to a lamppost. Upside down. Of course, such phenomenally productive activity does not go unnoticed. Huw Stephens, Bethan Elfyn and Adam Walton have each celebrated both Trwbador’s potential and current success with varying degrees of euphoria. And the MMP now feels the time is right, after two praiseworthy reviews of their material, to fully pledge its allegiance to their flag. Comparisons to the indie-folk-tronica of Tunng and Cornelius abound, and resonate to some degree, but there is something
much sweeter, wittier and ethereal at play here. Van Rijswijk’s vocals have the softness of a meringue floating merrily on a bed of marshmallow clouds. Sutured alongside is the occasional presence of tinkling, fairylight-shimmered glockenspiel and Gwilym’s resolutely gentle guitar. And, underlying all of this are some charismatic lo-fi beats and synths which draw the often pastoral shadings of their songwriting slap-bang into some form of modernity. Yet even these descriptions can oversimplify. Their aesthetic can take wickedly off-kilter tangents, as evidenced by some of their freely available YouTube tracks, Let’s Google It being a prime example with its collection of genuinely humorous questions one may ask the Messiah of search engines. Trwbador know what they are doing and the remarkable swiftness of their ascent shows they have done from the get-go. More important than that, they believe in it and this self-belief shines in everything they have done so far. Given the relentless quality of their output, there is no reason to think it will stop anytime soon either.
Words by Max Hicks myspace.com/attackattack
Attack! Attack!
010 | EXPOSURE FEATURE
“Awesome!” is the single-word answer we get when asking Neil Starr, frontman of Caerphilly’s Attack! Attack!, to describe his band. A little self-belief never hurt anyone, and that certainly seems to be the case here, given the band are enjoying the somewhat protracted international release of their second album, The Latest Fashion; the follow-up to their eponymous debut of some three years ago.
T
he word “Attack” is loaded; sharp as a swordpoint and torn from the lexicon of aggression and war. Chuck an exclamation point on the end for urgency and print it twice and it’s hard to escape the sense of immediate threat. So it seems somewhat counter-intuitive that Attack! Attack! the band have approached the marketing of The Latest Fashion with an insidious slow-burn tactic, more becoming of the Hundred Years War than a blitzkrieg, a situation made more ironic given the title. The album saw European release on Hassle Records last September, was farmed out to Australia last February and is only now making it’s way to America, with Rock Ridge (the label responsible for the band’s first album) handling the Stateside release. The reasons for this are complex and business related (in other words, not especially interesting) but the accidental strategy seems to be paying off; it’s given the band more time to write for the album’s follow up, and the chance to concentrate on touring each country in turn. As Neil explains, “it’s a nice dilemma to have”. The band are warming up for their first Australian tour this autumn, although Neil has been there before, with his previous band Dopamine (Attack! Attack! are a modest supergroup of sorts, their line up filled out with ex-members of Adequate 7 and Pete’s Sake). Though he “didn’t see any spiders” the first time, by virtue of staying in the cities, he did see a headless kangaroo on the roadside. Hardly one for the family album. Nevertheless, Neil remains understandably enthusiastic about going back to Australia, as Attack! Attack! look to capitalise on the support they’ve received on Australian airwaves following a successful album release, and join the bill for all five dates of Soundwave Revolution, starting in Brisbane on September 24th. The Latest Fashion is out now on Hassle Records.
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
presents/yn cyflwyno
2nd August 2011
1st September 2011
15th September 2011
UNDERTONE, CARDIFF
HOBOS, BRIDGEND
CLWB IFOR BACH
WIBIDI
WIBIDI
WHEATUS
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £11 adv
3rd August 2011
2nd September 2011
18th September 2011
CLWB IFOR BACH
MUNI ARTS CENTRE, PONTYPRIDD
THE GLOBE
WIBIDI
THE KING BLUES
THE WONDER YEARS
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £10 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £10 adv
4th August 2011
3rd September 2011
27th September 2011
THE GLOBE
GREAT HALL, CARDIFF UNI
WIBIDI
DJ SHADOW
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £17.50 adv
14th August 2011
5th September 2011
KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES SOLUS, CARDIFF UNI
doors: 7pm | tickets £5 adv
THE BLUETONES MILLENNIUM MUSIC HALL
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £16 adv
7th September 2011
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME CLWB IFOR BACH
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £12 adv
29th September 2011
SYLOSIS
CF10, CARDIFF UNI doors: 7:30pm | tickets £9 adv
WIBIDI
GRANDMASTER FLASH
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £17 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £10.50 adv
25th August 2011
9th September 2011
8th October 2011
CLWB-Y-BONT, PONTYPRIDD
CF10, CARDIFF UNI
CLWB IFOR BACH
24th August 2011
MONKEY CAFÉ, SWANSEA
WIBIDI
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
CLWB IFOR BACH
TESSERACT
30th September 2011
THE SUBWAYS SIN CITY, SWANSEA
SARAH BLASKO
doors: 7pm | tickets £9 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £8 adv
26th August 2011
9th September 2011
10th October 2011
LE PUB, NEWPORT
SIN CITY, SWANSEA
SOLUS, CARDIFF UNI
WIBIDI
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
THE KING BLUES
SUICIDE SILENCE
doors: 7pm | tickets £10 adv
doors: 6pm | tickets £14 adv
29th August 2011
13th September 2011
16th October 2011
THE GLOBE
CLWB IFOR BACH
GREAT HALL 2, CARDIFF UNI
FACE TO FACE doors: 7:30pm | tickets £11 adv
WHITE WIZZARD
NEW MODEL ARMY
doors: 7pm | tickets £9 adv
doors: 7pm | tickets £19 adv
31st August 2011
14th September 2011
21st October 2011
THEATR BRYCHEINIOG, BRECON
CLWB IFOR BACH
CF10, CARDIFF UNI
WIBIDI
doors: 7:30pm | tickets £8 adv
RISE TO REMAIN doors: 7pm | tickets £8 adv
MISS MAY I doors: 7pm | tickets £8 adv
orchardentertainment.co.uk | seetickets.com | ticketmaster.com | ticketweb.co.uk wegottickets.com | ticketline UK (Cardiff) | Spillers Records (Cardiff) | Derricks Records (Swansea) Diverse Music (Newport) | Cardiff Uni Box Office | Catapult Records (Cardiff)
012 | INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Guto Brychan
G
uto brychan is a stalwart of the Welshmusic scene, having formerly been the Welsh language officer at the Welsh music foundation and the entertainment manager at Clwb Ifor Bach. He is involved with running the Gwymon and Copa record labels, and is organising the Maes B live music event at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Max Hicks caught up with Guto to ask him about his involvement with Wales’ most famous cultural celebration
MMP:For outfits keen to send their work to you, what are the qualities you look for when choosing bands? GB:To be honest, since the Welsh music scene is relatively small it’s not too difficult to get a sense of who the new bands are and who’s likely to create an impact. As I promote regular events at Clwb Ifor Bach and the national Eisteddfod, I often get involved fairly early in their development in terms of putting on gigs. This gives me a great vantage point to see who’s likely to develop.
MMP:Hi there, how are you? GB:Getting ready for the Eisteddfod!
MMP:How did you become involved in the Eisteddfod, in Maes B? GB:During my first stint at Clwb Ifor Bach the club got the contract to supply the bar for Maes B, and soon we were also involved in the promotion of the event. This year’s Maes B will now be the 11th one i’ve been involved with.
MMP:Throughout your career you’ve been both incredibly helpful, enthusiastic and successful when it comes to providing a credible platform for local music. Was this part of the ethos from the beginning, or did it develop as you acclimatised to the realities of music culture in Wales? GB:I’ve worked in several different areas of the music industry in Wales over the past 15 years. I started off promoting club nights inClwb Ifor Bach, mostly house and funk nights, and in 1999 after finishing college I was offered a full time job at the club. Within a year I became the main in-house promoter, mainly promoting the Welshlanguage shows at the club and co-ordinating with various other promoters to house different events at the venue. During this time, nights like xplosure brought touring bands to the club - highlights being shows by both the strokes and coldplay - while hustlers booked the best in hip-hop and drum’n’bass to cement friday night in clwb as the best alternative club night in town. During the following five years in clwb, I moved on to work with Welshmusic foundation for three years and am now freelance; primarily running various labels for sain records, organising the Maes B festival for the national Eisteddfod, promoting the Welsh band nights at Clwb Ifor and running the online Welshmusic shop, sadwrn.com. From the start, working with other promoters, bands and labels has been a great way of trying to provide a platform to develop and nurture the scene in Wales.
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
MMP:Has the experience of organising such an important event been a pleasant one? GB:On the whole, yes, some years are easier than others but the opportunity to showcase the best talent currently performing in the Welsh language scene is one I greatly appreciate. Watching an audience of over 2000 people going nuts to the bands is also a real buzz! MMP:Does fronting both Gwymon and Copa labels ever inform your decisions when it comes to booking acts for events such as this? GB:Not really no. I try and look at who has been busy over the previous 12 months when trying to put together the line up for Maes B. Obviously some of the artists I work with do perform at Maes B, but they don’t get their slot because they are on the label. MMP:The battle of the bands is a platform for unknown and unsigned acts to become involved in the event. With the first prize including a slot on stage on the final evening, along with the umca trophy, £1000 and a radio session, we expect the competition will be fierce. How many bands are likely to feature in the event, and are there any in particular you tip for success? How might interested bands apply? GB: We have six bands performing at this year’s event, which will happen on monday and tuesday of Maes B.
Words by: Max Hicks In association with: We are Cardiff
The event used to be held on the main Eisteddfod site, but we moved it over to Maes B 5/6 years ago, so the competing bands had a better feeling for how it felt to perform at Maes B. The closing date has passed for this year, but if you’d be interested in taking part in next year’s event then get in contact with the Eisteddfod office towards the end of the year. MMP: In a nutshell, why should fans come to Maes B? GB: It is one of the highlights of the Welshmusic calendar, providing a stage for up to 40 Welshbands each year and often attracting up to 10,000 people over the course of the week. There’s the added bonus of the national Eisteddfod happening as well, with many of the bands also performing on there during the day. MMP: Are you satisfied there are ample provisions to facilitate the well-being of Welsh music? In your opinion, what changes could be made to improve the arts in our country? GB: Aha - do you want the long answer or the short one. It’s been a difficult time recently for the Welsh music scene as the drop in PRS payments and falling CD sales means that it’s even more difficult to make a living out of music in Wales. However I still believe that there is a vast amount of creative talent in Wales and this will continue in spite of any economic difficulties we may face in the future. MMP: In terms of your lovely record companies, which releases should we look out for in the near future? GB:There are two more releases scheduled for 2011, on the Copa label the long awaited debut album from yr ods - which, if the couple of tracks i’ve already heard is any indication, is going to be ace - and another album by richard james on the Gwymon label, which has a much more stripped down acoustic vibe than his last release. MMP: And for you, what’s on the horizon? GB: I’m hoping to update the sadwrn website, the current version is very old in web years, and I’m hoping the new design will make it much easier to track down your favourite Welsh tracks.
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014 | LISTINGS LIVE EVENTS
Event Listings Live Events
Monday 1st
GigsoftheMonth Lucy Rose @ 10 Feet Tall Tue 2nd August
The beautiful Lucy Rose looks set to enchant all this evening. Rose’s impassioned, hyper-emotional delivery has gained the respect and following of many, make your way down to 10 Feet to bask in guaranteed loveliness!
GigsoftheMonth Wibidi @ The Globe
Thur 4th August
The last of three special concerts Wibidi will perform at the beginning of August, but hopefully the first of many more to come. Be sure to catch the band before they skyrocket! For words from the man himself, turn to the features section for our interview with Wibidi.
Contagious @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE * Open mic night every Monday in the Pen & Wig Urusen @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £3 * One of the most exciting bands too emerge from the current crop of British alt-folk. Archimedes / Ngod @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £3 adv / £4 doors * Lying somewhere between FOALS and MOGWAI – ARCHIMEDES blend indie, math & post-rock influences to create gracefully offkilter anti-anthems. Poets Corner Open Mic @ Poets Corner, 9:00pm, FREE * Warm, friendly open mic hosted by Cardiff’s newest heir to the open mic throne, Mr Huwie Price. Open Mic W/ Rob Cross @ O ‘ Neills (St Mary St), 9:00pm, Free * A friendly evening of open mic unpredictabilty, get a drink in ya and get on stage!
Tuesday 2nd A Day Overdue @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:00pm, £6 * Alternative pop-punk band from Glasgow. A mix of classic rock melodies with a modern, edgy rhythm section. Wibidi @ Undertone, 7:30pm, £18 (for all 3 gigs) * Swn and Orchard Entertainment and present a new musical project from Super Furry Animals members Daf and Cian. Dave Hughes @ Buffalo Lounge, 8:00pm, FREE * Punk-rock folk music, smack bang in the heart of student land. Lucy Rose @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £6 / £7 * Lucy Rose has a set of pipes that you’ll instantly fall in love with. You can’t help yourself, possessing a passionate grainy
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
quailty that is seemingly programmed to make all in ear shot go gooey and weak. Kick Back Open Mic @ The Old Library, 8:30pm, FREE * The Live Music Society presents this beast of a open mic for any and all musicians needing a live music fix. John Davies Quartet @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £4 * The Preservation Jazz Society present goodtime jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s. O’Neills Open Mic @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 9:00pm, FREE * Well established open mic, smack bang in the centre of town. Capital City Jazz Orchestra @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5/£4 * Come join the Capital City Jazz Orchestra before they go on their tour of the festivals, expect a very lively night!
Wednesday 3rd Wibidi @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £18 (for all three gigs) * Wibidi play their second show to an undoubtedly avid audiece at Clwb this evening. Nos Da Open Mic w/ Singing Huw @ Nos Da, 8:00pm, FREE * Open mic on Riverside with a free drink for every performer. Molly Zacharias Album Launch @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 8:30pm, FREE * Molly Zacharias launches her debut album with support from Alex Sedgmond / Lloyd Stratford / Jangling Jack Molasses / Lawrence Toms. Acoustic Session @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 8:30pm, FREE * Weekly acoustic session in small O’Neills Alexander Douglas and Aidan Thorne
Duo @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £4 /£3 * Two seriously talented musicians doing that crazy jazz thing we all love (and slightly fear), with little regard for collateral jazz damage. Elephant 12 @ 10 Feet Tall, 9:00pm, FREE * Sugar Drop presents the Londonbased electro punk/rap three piece.
Thursday 4th MusicMix Collective @ St Davids Hall, 7:00pm, FREE * 40 young people form an eclectic rock orchestra - expect multiple guitars, drums, orchestral instruments, MC’s and voice. NAT NIGHT: (NOW NAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC) @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £7adv * An evening of incredicle, ecclectic music. Sounds provided by the likes of Euros Childs, The Keys, Spencer McGarry Season and Wizz Jones. Wibidi @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £18 (for all three gigs) * Wibidi round off their third gig in the trilogy with support from the magnificent Poket Trez and Enbe. Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm, £3 * Live rock and metal band night. Bring your own chicken for Ozzy-style theatrics! Asss @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £5 adv / £6 * Throbbing Giristle hanging out with The Smiths, listening to Suicide and playing oscillator fuelled, electro scuzz pop. Kaboom. Jazz Revhw @ Gwdihw, 8:00pm, FREE * This evening, the Revhw features the wonderful Reflections and The Helen Morgan Trio. A Shot in the Dark Open Mix @ A Shot in the Dark, 8:30pm, FREE * The newly crowned king of open mics, Huwie
Price leads us gently by the hand into a world of new and exciting music. Jinrikisha @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £6 / £5 * Jinrikisha is a quintet playing a mix of blue note classics, latin jazz and contemporary jazz originals. Disclosure @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, FREE * Guy and Howard Lawrence make spacious, dubbed-out dance music of the vaguely James Blake variety.
Friday 5th Rachel K Collier and Band @ Mocka Lounge, 6:00pm, FREE * The delightful Rachel K Collier performs outside the Mocka Lounge. Guaranteed pleasantries gallore! Hit or Miss @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:00pm, £5 * Four-piece pop-punk band from Newport. Expect high energy fun times. Very much “rad”...as the kids might say. Salvation @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * The North Star hosts an evening with the delightful Salvation. Higher Learning @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £2 * Hip Hop late into the night, provided by Jam Baxter + Dirty Dike / Flow Of Thought plus DJ sets from Jaffa and god-king of the beard, Kaptin. Luke Doherty Band @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4 * The great Luke Doherty band will wow punters at the lovely Cafe Jazz.
Saturday 6th Atomck @ Buffalo Bar, 4:00pm, £6 * A Full day of live music to sink your ears into, also featuring Spider Kitten, Jimmy Rowe, Smiler, Pus and Thorun. Rollin Sundays @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE
* Catch the Rollin Sundays this Saturday for a night of musical pleasuring... erm... SESH @ NosDa @ Nos Da, 8:30pm, FREE * Live music from Brandon and The Deadbeats / General Jumbo. In Full Swing @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £2 * Big band swinging beats, gee whiz gosh and golly it’s a swell time. Music from The Big Swing Soundsystem (Moneyshot / Kaptin / Matt the Hat) plus the Lindy Hop Dance Crew.
Sunday 7th Birkenstock @ Gwdi Hw, 4:00pm, FREE * Free festival to raise funds for Cardiff Feminist Network, featuring live music, award-winning poets and artists. Maria and the Mirrors @ Buffalo Bar, 7:30pm, £4 * Duelling tribal drums rattle over a cacophany of electronic noise, battered about by shrieking vocals....all covered in sh*t-loads of glitter. Jam With Robina @ 10 Feet Tall, 7:30pm, £tbc * Welsh acoustic duo specialising in songs of the intricate and gently plucked guitar / hearton-sleeve variety. Smokin ‘ Aces Duo @ O’ Neills (St Mary St), 7:30pm, FREE * Quality covers played with verve and skill from the ever busy Smokin’ Aces Duo.
Monday 8th Contagious @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE * Open mic night every Monday in the Pen & Wig R. Stevie Moore @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £6 * American lo-fi legend and creator of incredibly eclectic array of musical styles, expect pop, abstract experiments in sound via spoken
016 | LISTINGS LIVE EVENTS
GigsoftheMonth R. Stevie Moore @ Undertone Mon 8th August
Legendary Nashville-born experimental lo-fi aficionado, R. Stevie Moore, comes to Undertone to dazzle all with his breed of pop eclectica. Expect wonders from a man who has self-released over 400 albums since 1968!
GigsoftheMonth Marmalade Sky @ Gwdi Hw Thur 11th August
For some stonkingly good rhythm and blues, look no further dear readers! The Eruption Buttons kindly present Marmalade Sky, a Bristol four-piece with every intention of tearing it up at Gwdi Hw tonight
word, country and jazz. A New OldFashioned Jazz Band @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £3 /£2.50 * Look forward to classic jazz, swing and light-hearted songs from the incredible New Old-Fashioned Jazz Band! Poets Corner Open Mic @ Poets Corner, 9:00pm, FREE * Warm, friendly open mic hosted by Cardiff’s newest heir to the open mic throne, Mr Huwie Price. Open Mic W/ Rob Cross @ O ‘ Neills (St Mary St), 9:00pm, Free * A friendly evening of open mic unpredictabilty, get a drink in ya and get on stage!
Tuesday 9th Shy and the Fight @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £4 * Hailing from Chester, Shy and the Fight spin songs that grow from humble beginnings into swirling pop euphoria, with support from Winter Villains. Divorce @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £5 * Glaswegian five piece stuffed with angry, youthful exuberance and a bitey punk snarl. Kick Back Open Mic @ The Old Library, 8:30pm, FREE * The Live Music Society presents this beast of a open mic for any and all musicians needing a live music fix. The Memphis Seven @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £4 * The Memphis Seven play good-time jazz and swing for your pleasure tonight! O’Neills Open Mic @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 9:00pm, FREE * Well established open mic, smack bang in the centre of town.
Wednesday 10th Nos Da Open Mic w/ Singing Huw @ Nos Da, 8:00pm, FREE * Open mic on Riverside with a free drink for every performer. Samba Lucas SAMBA LUCAS / BOMB ALASKA / KINGDOM OF BRUNEL @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £3 * Samba Lucas are a Cardiff-based band offering up hot plates of quriky power pop/ rock. Fine support from Bomb Alaska and
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
Kingdom of Brunel. Jazz @ Dempsey’s @ Dempsey’s, 8:30pm, £3/4 * Lovingly presented slices of quality jazz and outrageously talented troubadours. Acoustic Session @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 8:30pm, FREE * Weekly acoustic session in small O’Neills Jazz Attic @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, FREE * Evening offering the chance for anyone from budding jazzists right up to seasoned pros - to “sit in” with the house trio and play some serious jazz. NO SWEAT @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 9:00pm, FREE * Regular relaxed acoustic evening. Tonights performers include John Mouse and Duelling Biscuits. Ben Butler and the Mousepad @ 10 Feet Tall, 9:00pm, £3 * Beats + synths... Ben Butler & Mousepad do that combination well, constructing hyperactive, impossiblenot-to-smile-at sounds that’ll make you jump about like a lunatic.
Thursday 11th Alice Russell @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £12 * One listen to this lady’s voice will send shivers down your spine, leave goosebumps on your neck and explode your heart inside your chest....in a good way. Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm, £3 * Live rock and metal band night. Bring your own chicken for Ozzy-style theatrics! A Shot in the Dark Open Mix @ A Shot in the Dark, 8:30pm, FREE * The newly crowned king of open mics, Huwie Price leads us gently by the hand into a world of new and exciting music. Rob Haddon Quartet @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £7 / £5 * Guitarist Rob Haddon has long been a prominent musician on the jazz scene in Wales. Expect some interestingly reworked standards as well a few original compositions. Anti-Vigilante @ 10 Feet Tall, 9:00pm, FREE * All of the bass, all of the ska, all of the good times....so long
as you like bass and ska. Part of the On The Rocks : Bass’d in Skadiff Takeover. Mike Slott @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £5 * Taking influence from futuristic freeform jazz and 80s boogie records, then applying that to hip-hop with a 70s sci-fi movie soundtrack vibe. Sounds cool, no?
Friday 12th Eastpole Orchestra @ Mocka Lounge, 6:00pm, FREE * The glorious Eastpole Orchestra take perform outside the Mocka Lounge this evening. Kerouac @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £5 * One of the most brutal and unforgiving bands to have emerged in recent memory, Kerouac’s sound is an intense, chaotic take on hardcore. Who’s Who @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £10 * Britain’s most established The Who tribute act take to the stage at The Globe this evening. Ruby Samba @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * Get a delicious slice of Samba and her gorgeous vocal tones at The North Star tonight. Panic Station @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4 * Panic Station perform in this late night blues session, presented by Blues Dragon at Café Jazz.
Saturday 13th Music Geek Monthly @ Chapter Arts Centre, 3:30pm, FREE * A listening party dedicated to one classic and one brand new album each month in the plush surroundings of Cinema 2. Dafydd Iwan @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 5:00pm, £10 * The former, legendary president of Plaid Cymru will be playing a selection of Welsh folk music. National Youth Orchestra of Wales @ St. Davids Hall, 7:30pm, £12 * The NYOW returns to St David’s Hall this summer for the final concert in their 65th Anniversary tour, conducted by Worldrenowned Japanese conductor, Takuo Yuasa. Maffia Mr Huws
@ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £6 * Welshlanguage pop rock from one of the main outfits from the blossoming Bethesda scene in the 70s & 80s. Heaven Sent @ The Globe, 8:30pm, £4 * Heaven Sent work their magic and charm at The Globe tonight. Backbeat Sound System @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £4 * Laden with disgusting amounts of groove, the incredible 8-piece funk reggae outfit Backbeat Sound System are fully intent on making you move. Leighton Jones @ The North Star. 8pm FREE * The wonderful Leighton Jones will wow audiences aplenty with his soulful tones tonight!
Sunday 14th Smokin ‘ Aces Duo @ O’ Neills (St Mary St), 7:30pm, FREE * Quality covers played with verve and skill from the ever busy Smokin’ Aces Duo. Weekends @ Undertone, 7:30pm, £4 * 2-piece rock & roll band from Baltimore, Maryland. We’re assuming they come with John Waters moustaches as standard. Support from Joanna Gruesome and Vanity Fair.
Monday 15th Contagious @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE * Open mic night every Monday in the Pen & Wig Colum Regan @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £5 * Intricate harmonies, beautiful melodies and a voice that could detonate birds with the sheer force of its melancholic dreaminess, with support from the lovely Sion Russell Jones. Open Mic W/ Rob Cross @ O ‘ Neills (St Mary St), 9:00pm, Free * A friendly evening of open mic unpredictabilty, get a drink in ya and get on stage! Poets Corner Open Mic @ Poets Corner, 9:00pm, FREE * Warm, friendly open mic hosted by Cardiff’s newest heir to the open mic throne, Mr Huwie Price.
Tuesday 16th Kick Back Open Mic @ The Old Library,
8:30pm, FREE * The Live Music Society presents this beast of a open mic for any and all musicians needing a live music fix. Norman Thatcher’s Ragtime Band @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £4 * The Preservation Jazz Society present good-time jazz and swing in the traditional styles of the ’20s and ’30s in a friendly café bar atmosphere. So come get some jazz in ya! O’Neills Open Mic @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 9:00pm, FREE * Well established open mic, smack bang in the centre of town.
Wednesday 17th Lostprophets @ Solus Bar, 7:00pm, SOLD OUT * One of Wales’ biggest rock exports come home to blow the roof off the student union. If you missed out ontickets, hide behind that fringe and weep. Man Without Country @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:30pm, £6.50 * SWN presents Man Without Country, producing glacial delays, moody synth surges, razor sharp guitar lines and dark lyrical edge. The Living Daylights @ Undertone, 7:30pm, £4 * Split Atom presents a packed-out Wednesday evening of live music in 10 Feet Tall’s dirty little (not so) secret basement club. Nos Da Open Mic w/ Singing Huw @ Nos Da, 8:00pm, FREE * Open mic on Riverside with a free drink for every performer. Acoustic Session @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 8:30pm, FREE * Weekly acoustic session in small O’Neills The Combo with Andrew Fawcett @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £5/£4 * Popular saxophonist Andrew Fawcett joins The Combo for a lively evening of bebop, latin and swing standards. NO SWEAT @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 9:00pm, FREE * Chilled out evening of acoustic music provided Free The Gentle Good (Green Man Warm-up show) / The Black Atlantic /
Rue Royale. A sure fire way to brighten any mid- week blues.
Thursday 18th
GigsoftheMonth Dafydd Iwan @ Clwb Ifor Bach Sat 13th August
Ry’m ni yma o hyd! Yes - we’re still here! And will hopefully still be here when legendary politician / musician Dafydd Iwan takes to the stage at Clwb Ifor Bach. Expect nothing less than modern-day political anthems and super-impassioned patriotism!
GigsoftheMonth Exit_ International Album Launch @ Undertone Sat 20th August
MMP favourites, Exit_International celebrate the unleashing their new album at Undertone tonight. For those of you who aren’t deaf enough already, you may want to make your way down to this one.
New Found Glory @ Solus - Cardiff Student Union, 7:00pm, £15 * The Americans cometh! And they bring with them high energy powerpop punk-rock of the melodic college party variety! Hide! Or go see them! Whatever! Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm, £3 * Live rock and metal band night. Bring your own chicken for Ozzy-style theatrics! A Shot in the Dark Open Mix @ A Shot in the Dark, 8:30pm, FREE * The newly crowned king of open mics, Huwie Price leads us gently by the hand into a world of new and exciting music. Burum @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £6 /£5 * A night of traditional Welsh melodies and dynamic improvisation. Ka... BOOM The Monico @ 10 Feet Tall, 9:00pm, FREE * Cardiff based alt-rock band trying to fuse The Smiths and The Doors into one coherent-sounding sound. Followed by On the Rocks DJ’s.
Friday 19th N.E.O.N. @ Mocka Lounge, 6:00pm, FREE * Outside Mocka Lounge tonight are the excellent New Exhibition of Noise, with their bloody wonderful noise. Brother Steve @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:00pm, £4 * These fellas specialise in melodic alternative rock. Big riffs, big choruses. Rumney Folk Club @ St Augustine’s Church Hall, Rumney, 7:30pm, £3 * Folk meeting with guest performers coming through every week. The Tristan Mortys @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * The Tristan Mortys do their delectable duties at The North Star this evening. Conductors Album Launch @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £tbc * Bi-lingual Welsh
alternative rock band release their debut album at 10 Feet Tall’s basement space. Hells Bells @ The Globe, 8:30pm, £12 * Britain’s premier AC/ DC tribute band make their way to Cardiff to rock your motherbleedin socks off. Crackers @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4 * Crackers play this late night blues sessions presented by Blues Dragon every Friday night at Café Jazz.
Saturday 20th H2O @ The Globe, 7:00pm, £11 * SubLive Presents American punk-pop wizards, H2O for your pleasure this evening. Exit International Album Launch @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £tbc * As brilliant as they are brutal. Your head will feel like it’s been put in a vice and you’ll lose several frequencies of hearing for good. These guys will destroy you in the best way possible. Masters in France @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £6 * Alternative indie rock. Twitchy guitars, pounding drums, icecold synths, choruses of the big ol’ singalong variety. You know the score folks. The Cougars @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * The Cougars look set to rip it up this evening. Haha, ‘rip it up’, because they’re The Cougars and all that...
Sunday 21st Smokin ‘ Aces Duo @ O’ Neills (St Mary St), 7:30pm, FREE * Quality covers played with verve and skill from the ever busy Smokin’ Aces Duo. Shonen Knife @ Buffalo Bar, 7:30pm, £8.50/£10 * Three young women from Osaka, who, in the 80’s rejected thier destinies as anonymous salarywomen and dutiful mothers in favour of forming a band that played wideeyed Ramones-like punk rock songs about eating sweets and riding bikes.
Monday 22nd Contagious @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE * Open mic
night every Monday in the Pen & Wig She Keeps Bees @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £6/£7 * Boy / girl duo playing sparse, dirty tunes that call to mind early work from The Kills or Howlin’ Wolf having a fist fight with PJ Harvey at a party hosted by Jack and Meg White. Poets Corner Open Mic @ Poets Corner, 9:00pm, FREE * Warm, friendly open mic hosted by Cardiff’s newest heir to the open mic throne, Mr Huwie Price. Open Mic W/ Rob Cross @ O ‘ Neills (St Mary St), 9:00pm, Free * A friendly evening of open mic unpredictabilty, get a drink in ya and get on stage!
Tuesday 23rd Grace Hartrey @ Glanfa Stage WMC, 6:15pm, FREE * The Singer songwriter gives a free performance for the public in the WMC. Kick Back Open Mic @ The Old Library, 8:30pm, FREE * The Live Music Society presents this beast of a open mic for any and all musicians needing a live music fix. The Wessex New Orleans Band @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £4 * The Preservation Jazz Society present the excellent Wessex New Orleans Band. O’Neills Open Mic @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 9:00pm, FREE * Well established open mic, smack bang in the centre of town.
Wednesday 24th Steve Collins @ Glanfa Stage WMC, 6:15pm, FREE * Singer songwriter playing songs for the public wandering around the WMC Nos Da Open Mic w/Singing Huw @ Nos Da, 8:00pm, FREE * Open mic on Riverside with a free drink for every performer. Primordial Undermind @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £5 adv / £6 * An evening of bands producing some seriously distorted avant garde, psyche rock sounds to
freak out to. Acoustic Session @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 8:30pm, FREE * Weekly acoustic session in small O’Neills Jazz Attic @ Cafe jazz, 8:45pm, FREE * Evening offering the chance for anyone, from budding jazzists right up to seasoned pros to “sit in” with the house trio and play some serious jazz. Dave Jones Irish / Welsh Quartet @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5/£4 * Dave Jones Irish / Welsh Quartet bring you an amazing night of Irish / Welsh songs / ballads, augmented with jazz! NO SWEAT @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 9:00pm, FREE * Let your troubles and woes dissolve away for an evening, pushed aside by the gentle acoustic sounds of Them Lovely Boys and Mr .Huwie Price. Note. Troubles and woes will return immediately after wards.
Thursday 25th Aled Sion @ Glanfa Stage WMC, 6:15pm, FREE * Yet more singer-songwriter fun and frolics over at the free WMC stage. Half Man Half Biscuit @ Solus - Cardiff Student Union, 7:00pm, £16.50 * Active since the mid-1980s, Half Man Half Biscuit specalise in satirical, sardonic and sometimes highly surreal songs. Armageddon @ The Old Library, 8:00pm, £3 * Live rock and metal band night. Bring your own chicken for Ozzy-style theatrics! A Shot in the Dark Open Mix @ A Shot in the Dark, 8:30pm, FREE * The newly crowned king of open mics, Huwie Price leads us gently by the hand into a world of new and exciting music. Irish / Welsh Collaboration Quartet @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £7 / £5 * Drummer / composer Kevin Lawlor is bringing his Welsh / Irish musical jazz mashup to Cardiff. This can only be a good thing. The Red Age @ 10 Feet Tall,
9:00pm, FREE * Huzzay! Bank holiday! Celebrate the On The Rocks Bank Holiday Party with The Red Age, Stephanie Finegan and Esther! Girl Unit @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £5 * It’s the Signature Bank Holiday Party. Get really, really drunk and do something stupid. Go on, you’ll regret it if you dont.
Friday 26th Salvation @ Mocka Lounge, 6:00pm, FREE * Are you a sinner? I bet you are... In which case, make your shameful way to Mocka Lounge this evening for Salvation. The String Button Band @ Glanfa Stage WMC, 6:15pm, FREE * Head down to the bay and catch some folk music played for those that hate the idea of paying for folk music. Race Horses @ Buffalo Bar, 7:00pm, £5/£6 * Esteemed purveyors of fine psyche-pop. Come along and waggle your arms in support. Dressed to Kill @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £10.50 * Longestrunning Kiss tribute act take to the stage tonight! Leighton Jones @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * Cardiff’s favourite and legendary purveyor of funk / soul classics takes to the stage tonight! SESH @ Nos Da @ Nos Da, 8:30pm, FREE * The Encore Acoustic Duo will be laying out an evening of fantastic popular cover tunes for your listening pleasure. Roxxan @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £2 * ID Magazine called her “one of the freshest, flyest, most fierce MCs out there right now. And sure enough, few can ride a heavy bassline with the grace RoxXan brings to it. Fugitives @ Cafe Jazz, 10:00pm, £4 * Fugitives take to the stage for this late night blues session. D.E.R Collective @ 10 Feet Tall, 10:00pm, FREE (before 11pm) £4/£5 after * Part of the Signature Bank Holiday Party... It’s
018 | LISTINGS LIVE EVENTS a party. Make some sexy mistakes. Go on! Get regretting!
Saturday 27th
GigsoftheMonth Jazzsteppa @ Cardiff Arts Institute Sat 27th August
If live dubstep, performed on acoustic instruments doesn’t sound like your bag of beans, you need to wise-up sister! This exceptional outfit make their way to the CAI tonight... As should you! Yes - you!
GigsoftheMonth The Miniature Music Fest @ Gwdi Hw Sun 28th August
Django Django, We Are Animal, Colorama, Houdini Dax, Gallops, Sion Russell Jones... Need we say more? Probably should - this’ll be an absolute blinder, not only to celebrate our return to print, but also to celebrate some of the best music in Wales right now! Be there... Don’t not be there...
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
‘Haf ar y Taf’ Bank Holiday Bonanza @ Nos Da, 4:00pm, FREE * All-day bank holiday session with live music being provided by Tylwyth Teg, Brandon and the Deadbeats, Stewie Alexander and General Jumbo. Exorcists @ Solus - Cardiff Student Union, 7:00pm, £6 * Breakout Live Presents loud music courtesy of Exorcists. Support comes from This Concept, Our Tomorrow and Inside The Virus. Cakehole Presley @ The North Star, 8:00pm, FREE * Them devious bunch, Cakehole Presley get their devious behinds to the stage at The North Star tonight. Roxy Magic @ The Globe, 8:00pm, £10 * Described by Roxy Music’s Andy Mackay as ‘very good’ - test out Andy’s hearing at this tribute act’s show tonight. Jazzsteppa @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £2 * Quite possibly best live dubstep crew in the world. Far from your typcial band. A must see experience.
Sunday 28th Buffalo Garden Funk Party @ Buffalo Bar, 3:00pm, FREE * All-dayer with a huge number of funk-based music things happening. Live bands, DJ’s, afro-sporting, keytar weilding ninjas.... Jonathan Crespo Quartet @ Glanfa Stage WMC, 6:15pm, FREE * This man has a nifty surname. Based on this alone I implore thee, seek him and his free jazz performance out. Good Librarian @ Buffalo Bar (upstairs), 7:00pm, FREE * The bank holiday good times continue with live music provided by local folks, Good Librarian. Smokin ‘ Aces Duo @ O’ Neills (St Mary St), 7:30pm, FREE * Quality covers played with
verve and skill from the ever busy Smokin’ Aces Duo. Secret Wars @ Buffalo Bar, 10:00pm, £4/£3 * The bank holiday celebrations reach boiling point. There will be hangovers. Music being spat out by Secret Wars, with Djs Killer Tomato and Astrosnooze. Femme Fatale @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £4 * Cardiff’s only clubnight especially for women (men welcome if accompanied by women), playing anything from cheese and pop to indie, rock and dance. The Anomalies @ Cardiff Arts Institute, 10:00pm, £4 * Combining soul, funk, hip hop, dance, indie and even drum and bass, this 6 piece are a live beast. With support from Afro Cluster.
Monday 29th Contagious @ Pen & Wig, 7:30pm, FREE * Open mic night every Monday in the Pen & Wig Face To Face @ The Globe, 7:30pm, £11 * American pop punk coming all the way from the amazingly named Victorville, USA. Clinigol w/ JJ Sneed @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 8:00pm, £4 * LGBT Mardi Gras soundtracked by CLINIGOL and JJ SNEED. Maximum Boost folks. Maximum Boost. Open Mic W/ Rob Cross @ O ‘ Neills (St Mary St), 9:00pm, Free * A friendly evening of open mic unpredictabilty, get a drink in ya and get on stage! Poets Corner Open Mic @ Poets Corner, 9:00pm, FREE * Warm, friendly open mic hosted by Cardiff’s newest heir to the open mic throne, Mr Huwie Price.
Tuesday 30th Jazz Café @ The Gate, 8:00pm, £3/£2 * The Gate’s resident jazz band present an evening where anyone’s welcome to get up and have a jam in this friendly, relaxed environment. Kick Back Open
Mic @ The Old Library, 8:30pm, FREE * The Live Music Society presents this beast of a open mic for any and all musicians needing a live music fix. @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, £5/£4 * An evening of incredible live jazz courtesy of the fabulous John Law Trio! O’Neills Open Mic @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 9:00pm, FREE * Well established open mic, smack bang in the centre of town.
Wednesday 31st Mike Fantastic @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 7:00pm, £8 * Electro pop band first made famous for showing up on Britain’s Got Talent and doing some music at the sod apes gawking at that show. Tragic City Thieves @ Buffalo Bar, 8:00pm, £5 * Punky Galore presents a plethora of live musical treats, ready to declare blitzkrieg on your ear holes. Support from On Trial, The D Teez and The Connectors. Nos Da Open Mic w/ Singing Huw @ Nos Da, 8:00pm, FREE * Open mic on Riverside with a free drink for every performer. Slow Down, Molasses @ Undertone, 8:00pm, £3 * Late night lullabys and a lazy falsetto drawl. Slow down, Molasses are seven individuals crafting sad, quiet songs turned stadium anthems at the very end. Acoustic Session @ O’ Neills (Trinity Street), 8:30pm, FREE * Weekly acoustic session in small O’Neills Carlo Fraccalviero Trio @ Cafe Jazz, 8:45pm, £5 /£4 * Evening of contemporary jazz pieces, performed with verve and gusto from these three tremendous musicians.
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www.seemonkeydomonkey.com
020 | LISTINGS CLUBNIGHTS
Club Nights Monday Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Late Night Live Every Monday @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, £TBC. * Two-floors of
entertainment, with chart hits and the latest favourites at the bar, with Live music upstairs
Salsa Classes @ Owain Glyndwr, 8:00pm, Every Monday - 8pm Free * Weekly salsa classes for those who wish to brush up on their dancing
Hangover Cure @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Monday - “Hangover Cure” - 9pm. FREE. *
Nurse your hangover tonight with this chilled out night
Fuzzy Logic @ Oceana, 9:30pm, £5 * The UK’s biggest student night with hoards of people and plenty of cheap drinks
Monday Madness @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Monday Monday Madness. 10pm. FREE. * All the latest chart hits and favourites from DJ Andy
Live Lounge @ Live Lounge, 11:00pm, Every Monday Friday. 11pm. FREE. * As soon as the live music ends, chill out to the wide array of guest DJs that play every night.
You’re The DJ @ Bar Icon, midday, FREE. * Go nuts on the free jukebox available all day
Monday 1st Buffalo Live @ Buffalo, 8:00pm, Upstairs: Prices vary. Downstairs: FREE. * All the latest new
music from Jen Long and guest DJs
Monday 29th Cardiff Wales LGBT Mardi Gras Festival 2011@ Clwb Ifor Bach. 8:00pm, £4,* A night of quality entertainment to promote the welsh language side of this years Mardi Gras Festival
Tuesday Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Salsa Classes @ Live Lounge, 7:00pm, Every Tuesday - Salsa Classes.
7pm. FREE. * Dance classes surrounded by an army of live musicians Reflex Regulars @ Reflex, 8:00pm, Every Tuesday Thursday. 8pm. FREE. * Deny the past 15
years ever happened with this mid-week nostalgia night
Relax and Unwind @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Tuesday - “Relax and unwind” - 9pm. FREE. * Midweek tunes
Wednesdays as much as the club does
Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Midweek Mayhem @ Bar Icon, 6:00pm, FREE. * Fuel your
Wednesday with Bar Icon’s dirt cheap drinks offers
Zouklambada! @ 10 Feet Tall, 7:30pm, Every Wednesday 8:30pm - £6 * Weekly
to loosen up to
dance class of the eclectic variety
Metropolis @ Metros, 9:00pm, Every Tuesday Metropolis - 9pm. £TBC. * Electro, Trance,
Reflex Regulars @ Reflex, 8:00pm, Every Tuesday Thursday. 8pm. FREE. * Deny the past 15
Dubstep and Drum & Bass, all wth an alternative edge
Karaoke with Rachel @ King’s Cross, 9:00pm, Every Tuesday - Karaoke With Rachel - 9pm. FREE. * Free karaoke ses-
sions with your host Rachel
years ever happened with this mid-week nostalgia night
Reps @ WOW Bar, 8:00pm, Every Wednesday - Rewind. 8pm. FREE. * The best from the 80’s and 90’s spun by DJ Krys
Flares Tuesdays @ Flares, 10:00pm, Every Tuesday 10pm. FREE. * DJ Jay
Blender @ Buffalo, 8:00pm, Upstairs: Prices vary. Downstairs: FREE. * A
Just Dance @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:30pm, Every Tuesday - Just Dance 10.30pm. £3. * Weekly
Cocktail Heaven @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Wednesday - Cocktail Heaven - 9pm. FREE. * So cocktail
plays a variety of cheese, party anthems and big hits
mix of pop, rock, R&B, and everything in between
Live Lounge @ Live Lounge, 11:00pm, Every Monday Friday. 11pm. FREE. * As soon as the live music ends, chill out to the wide array of guest DJs that play every night.
Fundamental @ Code, 10:00pm, Every Tuesday 10pm - £2 * Student night featuring themed parties, foam and cheap drinks.
Tuesday 2nd COME DANCING / ELECTRO-SWING HOP @ Cardiff Arts Institute 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £4 per session.* Come
Dancing every Tuesday night from 8pm and learn how to Electro-Swing-Hop... a fusion of Lindy hop, Jive, Swing, Charleston and Hiphop in a friendly, relaxed social environment
Wednesday Cheapskates @ Metros,* Ingrained into
the very folklore of Cardiff’s alternative scene, Cheapskates combines alternative party anthems with rock bottom drink prices that keep punters coming back week after week. Make sure to get there early to avoid the giant queues.
Private Karaoke @
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
unique cross-breeding of pop culture and fashion
friendly, they put it in the name.
Cheapskates @ Metros, 9:00pm, Every Wednesday Cheapskates - 9pm. £6. * The archetype of how to get wasted in Cardiff
Sub Social @ Lava Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Wednesday - Sub Social - 9pm. FREE. * Weekly night
dedicated to all the various uni societies
Sugar Drop @ Undertone, 9:00pm, £6 / £5 * Midweek dose of floor-fillers, featuring live performances, guest DJs and specialist cocktails and promotions galore.
Addictive Wednesdays @ Oceana, 9:30pm, £4.50 * Ten
bars, three club rooms and a wild mass of people every Wednesday night
Club & Dance @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Wednesday - Club & Dance. 10pm. FREE. * The best club & dance music, featuring guest remixes.
I Love Wednesday @ Rococo, 10:00pm, Every Wednesday - 9pm - £free * DJ’s Raheem, Sinky, Monique, Scarface and Paz set out to make sure you love
Boom Boom Boutique @ 10 Feet Tall, 10:00pm, FREE. * Bass-blowing night littered with cocktail deals.
Live Lounge @ Live Lounge, 11:00pm, Every Monday Friday. 11pm. FREE. * As soon as the live music ends, chill out to the wide array of guest DJs that play every night.
Listen Up! @ Clwb ifor Bach, 9:30pm, Every Wednesday Listen up! 9.30pm. £3. * All avenues of Indie, Electro and Cheese are covered acrossthree floors
Thursday Therapeutic Thursdays @ King’s Cross, 5:00pm, Every Thursday Therapeutic Thursdays - 5pm. FREE. * Weekly cabaret from your host Fanny Dazzle
Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Discount Night @ Bar Yupi, 8:00pm, Every Thursday - Discount Night. 8pm. FREE. * A night
where the discounts are so great, they are the focal point of the night.
Ladies Night @ Lava Lounge, 8:00pm, Every Thursday Ladies Night - 8pm. FREE. * Leave your balls
at the door, it’s Ladies Night
Twisted Thursdays @ Cougar Lounge, 9:00pm, Free * Old School Hip Hop and and Club classics all night
The Great Western @ The Great Western, 9:00pm, Every Thursday - Saturday. 9pm. FREE. * All
the party hits to ring in your weekend
On The Rocks @ 10 Feet Tall, 10:00pm, FREE. * Weekly night
that’s all about the classic rock and indie anthems
Pink @ Rococo, 10:00pm, Every Thursday - 10pm £tbc * DJ Warren takes to the decks for a night littered with drinks promotions
Cocktail Night @ Flares, 10:00pm, Every Thursday - Cocktail Night 10pm. FREE. * 70’s
music all night long in by far the most creatively named club in Cardiff
Connextions @ WOW Bar, 8:00pm, Every Thursday Connextions. 8pm.
FREE. * Amber Dextrous’ camp Traffic-light party, with a retro soundtrack to get you in the mood.
Mocka Lounge Thursday @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Thursday - 9pm. FREE. * Djs
Styles and Bmore play their selection of chilled House and R&B
Weekend Warmup @ Bar Icon, 6:00pm, FREE. * Drinks offers
compliment their selection of chart anthems and pop classics
Reflex Regulars @ Reflex, 7:00pm, Every Friday - Saturday. 7pm. FREE. * Total nonstop 80’s all through the weekend.
Fat Penguin @ MBargo, 9:00pm, Every Thursday Fat Penguin - 9pm. FREE. * Cheap drinks, no
Varsity Roath @ Varsity Roath, 8:00pm, Every Friday - 8pm. FREE.
Propaganda @ GLAM, 10:00pm, Every Thursday £3 / £4 * Nationwide
The Wow Showgirls @ WOW Bar, 8:00pm, Every Friday - The Wow Showgirls. 8pm. FREE. * DJ Kitty and
flightless birds of the aquatic nature in sight.
Indie night intent on world domination
Live Lounge @ Live Lounge, 11:00pm, Every Monday Friday. 11pm. FREE. * As soon as the live music ends, chill out to the wide array of guest DJs that play every night.
Classix Chart @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Thursday - Classix Chart. 10pm. FREE. * Chart hits and exclusive remixes from DJ Andy
Thursday 11th Signature @ Buffalo, MIKE SLOT,10:00pm, £TBC * Utterly classy
night in Buffalo with a revolving door of top quality DJ guests
Thursday 18th C-Y-N-T @ Clwb Ifor
Bach, 10:30pm, £4* More Fine Electro, dubstep, techno rave cornucopias
Thursday 25th Signature @ Buffalo presents GIRL UNIT. 10:00pm, £TBC* vin-
tage, star-lit house, dramatic r’n’b and 808-heavy Chicago dancefloor gear
Friday
* Live DJ sets every week from a variety of guest DJs
MC Marcia presents a their weekly House sets
Fever Friday @ Lava Lounge, 8:00pm, Every Friday - Fever Friday - 8pm. FREE. * Resident DJs play a wide variety of retro and pop classics.
Salt Bar @ Salt Bar, 8:00pm, Every Friday - 8pm. FREE. * Funky house and all the latest chart hits from 8pm onwards.
Bumper @ Buffalo, 8:00pm, Upstairs: Prices vary, Downstairs: FREE. * Weekly party anthems and electro beats from one of the swishier clubs in our fair capital.
The Resurrection @ The Old Library, 9:00pm, FREE * The
perfect pre-game to get you in the mood for Friday Night.
Varsity (City Centre) @ Varsity (City Centre), 9:00pm, Every Friday. FREE * DJ Gigabyte plays his weekly residency
Milgi @ Milgi, 9:00pm, Every Friday & Saturday 9pm - Free * World and
Cwm Camping @ King’s Cross, 5:00pm, Every Friday - Cwm Camping - 5pm. FREE. * Party
Dance music from an array of guest DJs
Walkabout Fridays @ Walkabout, 5:30pm, Every Friday, 5:30pm, £Free
the party hits to ring in your weekend
tunes with DJ J-A-Y and happy hour from 5-8pm
* Get the Friday feeling with live music and a 4-hour long happy hour
Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Hustle @ 10 Feet Tall, 6:00pm, FREE b4 10. * Enough mo-
town and disco to adjust the funkometer to 11.
The Great Western @ The Great Western, 9:00pm, Every Thursday - Saturday. 9pm. FREE. * All Detonate @ Metros, 9:00pm, Every Friday - 9pm. £4. * The
best place to fuel your need for rock, punk and ska
Socialize @ Bar Yupi, 9:00pm, Every Friday - Socialize. 9pm. £TBC. * All the
old-school anthems and club classics through until 3am
Mocka Lounge Fridays @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Friday - 9pm. FREE. * Follow up their
live Jazz performances with
022 | LISTINGS CLUBNIGHTS DJ’s throughout the night.
Fridays @Revolution @ Revolution, 9:00pm, Every Friday - 9pm. £3. * Revolution ushers in your weekend with oodles of offers and guest DJs
Get Funked @ Mbargo, 9:00pm, Every Friday- Get Funked. 7pm. FREE. * Get Funked, or Funk off.
Rococo @ Rococo, 9:00pm, Every Friday and Saturday - 10pm - £tbc * DJ
Soul Sessions plays the best Dubstep, Electro and Funky House
Flares Friday @ Flares, 9:00pm, Every Friday - 9pm. FREE. * Kickstart your
weekend with Dr INC
Club X @ Club X, 10:00pm, Every Friday - Free before 10, £10 After. * mix
of funky house, electro and pop, an x-cellent night out (pun intended)
DanceZone @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Friday Dance Zone. 10pm. FREE. * All your favourite
club and dance tunes from DJ AL
Intro @ Undertone, 10:00pm, £3/£2 NUS * 5 resident DJs bring you the finest electronic music across 5 of the biggest genres – house, electro, dubstep, drum’n’bass & trance.
Cougar Lounge @ Cougar Lounge, 10:00pm, Every Friday - All the best Urban floor-fillers from C.T. and Hilly So Seductive Fridays @ 411, 10:00pm, £TBC *
Night for people who love their music, with old skool, R n B and plenty more on rotation
Friday 5th Apaerture @ Clwb Ifor Bach. John B. 10:00pm, £5/£7.*
John B has been a shining beacon in the world drum and bass scene for many years now so make sure you catch this legend live!
Friday 12th Silent Disco @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 9:00pm, £7/8.* Over 18 only -
Following SOLD-OUT events in April, May & June, the Cardiff Silent Disco is Back!!!
Friday 26th Bumper Bank Holiday Party @ Buffalo Bar. 10pm. FREE*
Live Lounge @ Live Lounge, 11:00pm, Every Monday Friday. 11pm. FREE. * As soon as the live music ends, chill out to the wide array of guest DJs that play every night.
OBEY! @ Undertone, 10:00pm,* Dubstep, UK Funky, Techno, Garage, Future, Dub
Mocka Lounge Saturdays @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Saturday. 9pm. FREE. * DJ Styles and Sinky force you into party-mode
MBargo @ MBargo, 9:00pm, Every Saturday - 9pm. FREE. * Party until 4am So Funked @ 411, 9:00pm, FREE before midnight. *
KXS @ King’s Cross, 5:00pm, Every Saturday - KXS - 5pm. FREE. * DJ Lee Briant
incites the party across Mill Lane
The BIG night-out @ Bar Icon, 6:00pm, FREE. * Get ready for
Saturday night with Bar Icon’s mix of drink offers and music
Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Reflex Regulars @ Reflex, 7:00pm, Every Friday - Saturday. 7pm. FREE. * Total nonstop 80’s all through the weekend.
Beatbox Ballroom @ Buffalo, 8:00pm, Upstairs: Prices vary. Downstairs: FREE. * Weekly dose of
soul and hip hop
Salt Bar @ Salt Bar, 8:00pm, Every Saturday - 8pm. FREE. * A mix of cheesy
followed by
weekly Indie and rock night.
* Not feeling so Jazzy? Get your weekly Jazz quotient right here.
with dancefloor anthems all night.
Silent Disco @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 9:00pm, £7/8.* Over 18 only -
?? @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:30pm, £4.50 £3.50. * Unpronouncable
Café Jazz @ Café Jazz, 9:00pm, £TBC.
Celebrate your bank holiday in style!
pop and Chart hits from 8pm onwards
Following SOLD-OUT events in April, May & June, the Cardiff Silent Disco is Back!!!
Mid-week Rave Juggernaut expands its repertoire with their weekly slot at Koko’s
Saturday
Flawless @ SodaBar, 10:00pm, Every Friday - Flawless - 10pm.FREE. * DJ
Raheem brings his weekly residence.to the elegant surrounds of Sodabar
Koko Gorilaz, 9:00pm, Every Saturday. 9pm. FREE. *
The Flora @ The Flora, 8:00pm, Every Friday and Saturday - 8pm. FREE. * Live bands Me And You Club @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, FREE b4 10. * Mike TV guides you
through your weekend with a feelgood mix of indie.
Ice @ WOW Bar, 8:00pm, Every Saturday - Ice. 8pm. FREE. * A mix of chart
hits from resident DJs Krys and N18El T
Lava Lounge @ Lava Lounge, 8:00pm, Every Saturday - 8pm. FREE. * Com-
mercial hits and retro classics for you to make the most of your weekend to.
Koko Gorilaz @
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
Mix of smooth grooves and hip hop
Twisted By Design @ Dempsey’s, 9:00pm, Every Saturday - Twisted By Design - 9pm - 2am. * Dempsey’s hosts one of Cardiff’s longest running alternative nights.
Rococo @ Rococo, 9:00pm, Every Friday and Saturday - 10pm - £tbc * DJ
Soul Sessions plays the best Dubstep, Electro and Funky House
Revolution Saturdays @ Revolution, 9:00pm, Every Saturday - 9pm. £3 before 11pm, £5 after. * Two floors of
music ranging from Electro to House to kick off your Saturday night.
Varsity (City Centre) @ Varsity (City Centre), 9:00pm,* Weekly DJ set from DJ Extreme
Milgi @ Milgi, 9:00pm, Every Friday & Saturday 9pm - Free * World and Dance music from an array of guest DJs
Funked Out @ Bar Yupi, 9:00pm, Every Saturday - Funked Out. 9pm. £TBC. *
Electro and Funky House until 3am
Vanity @ Glam, 9:00pm, Every Saturday - Vanity. 9pm. £5. * Two floors of
R&B, dancefloor anthems and funky house
Cougar Lounge @ Cougar Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Saturday 9pm £tbc* DJ’s C.T. and Hilly
play their best Anthems and Club classic
Alternative Tunes @ The Old Library, 9:00pm, £TBC *
Weekend full of alternative rock, metal and indie tunes from resident DJs
The Great Western
@ The Great Western, 9:00pm, Every Thursday - Saturday. 9pm. FREE. * All
the party hits to ring in your weekend
Metros Saturday @ Metros, 9:00pm, Every Saturday 9pm. £4. * Weekly fix of
alternative goodness, ranging from Indie to nu metal (and everything between).
Flares Saturday @ Flares, 9:00pm, Every Saturday 9pm. FREE. * Resident
DJs take you back to simpler times.
Walkabout Saturdays @ Walkabout, 9:00pm, Every Friday, 5:30pm, £Free
* Get the Friday feeling with live music and a 4-hour long happy hour
Varsity Roath @ Varsity Roath, 9:00pm, Every Saturday. 9pm. FREE. * DJ Dan plays his weekly residency
Big Night Out @ Oceana, 9:30pm, £8 * Massive Saturday night drunken institution playing commercial chart and R n B
Club X @ Club X, 10:00pm, Every Saturday - Free before 10, £5 After.
* All-rounded mix of chart, pop, dance and funky house
ComePlay @ Cardiff Student’s Union, 10:00pm, £4.50 £4. * The Union’s busiest night by far, fuelling all your pop and chart tendencies
Vinyl Vendettas / Dirty Pop / Mr Potter’s Proper Disco @ Clwb Ifor Bach, 10:00pm, Every Saturday - Vinyl Vendettas / Dirty Pop / Mr Potter’s Proper Disco. 10pm. £5. * Three Floors of indie, soul, Motown, pop, and everything in between
Sonic Saturday @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Saturday Sonic Saturdays. 10pm. FREE. * Chart
hits and Dance classics from a selection of guest DJs
Saturday 6th Juju Nations @ Gwdihw £2 Free b4 10pm.* Be prepared for
night of funky and frantic flavours from Africa, the Caribbean and the USA – be prepared for a night of Funk and Reggae classics of 60s & 70s – be prepared for booty shaking Afrobeat – be prepared to dance.
Sunday
Sunday 7th
The Cuckoo Club @ WOW Bar, 6:00pm, Every Sunday - The Cuckoo Club. 6pm. FREE. * Special Guests
Roasts & Reggage @ Cardiff Arts Institute. Midday – 6:00pm.* Just the perfect
and Cabaret performances set to spend what’s left of your weekend party spirit.
Sunday Night Chillout @ Bar Icon, 6:00pm, FREE. * Bar
Icon leaves you to DJ this chilled night
Private Karaoke @ Tiger Tiger, 6:00pm, Everyday - Private Karaoke. 6pm. £2.50. * Start the evening
way to round off your week, relax with your fellow man, drink a Bloody Mary (Breakfast Of Champions) read a newspaper and eat one of our lovely Sunday Roasts with homemade yorkshire puddings.
Sunday 28th Buffalo Bank Holiday garden party @ Buffalo Bar.FREE*
All Day- enjoy your bank holiday in style!
in good fashion with Tiger Tiger’s private karaoke booths
Lava Lounge @ Lava Lounge, 8:00pm, Every Sunday 8pm. FREE. * The hard working barstaff of Cardiff are given their chance to shine on this Industry night.
Reflex Regulars @ Reflex, 8:00pm, Every Sunday. 8pm. FREE. * End the weekend
with more retro goodness
10 Feet Tall Sunday Social @ 10 Feet Tall, 8:00pm, FREE.
* Alternative party mash-ups from DJs Greg Ramshackle and Steve French
Revolution Sundays @ Revolution, 9:00pm, Every Sunday - 9pm. FREE. * A mix of live music and Latin beats played throughout the night
Bar Yupi Sundays @ Bar Yupi, 9:00pm, Every Sunday 9pm. FREE. * DJ Jamie H plays a selection of chart, funky house and electro
Rachel’s Songs of Praise @ King’s Cross, 9:00pm, Every Sunday Rachel’s Songs Of Praise - 9pm. FREE. * Enjoy an all-night happy hour, with Karaoke for those who haven’t shamed themselves enough for the weekend.
Mocka Lounge Sundays @ Mocka Lounge, 9:00pm, Every Sunday. 9pm. FREE. * The Barstaff of
Cardiff get given the VIP treatment, with resident DJ Chris Evans.
Sunday Sanctuary @ Exit Club, 10:00pm, Every Sunday - Sunday Sanctuary - 10pm. FREE. * Resident DJs play
the best chart and dance, old and new
SodaBar Sunday Industrial Night @ SodaBar, 10:00pm, £2 / FREE. * A night
dedicated to those who have been working Friday and Saturday night
Clubnights oftheMonth Big Night Out @ Oceana Sat 6th August
Make your way to Oceana for one hellbeast of a clubnight. All the best chart-topping R&B in the Icehouse, or all the disco classics you’ll ever need in New York Disco!
Clubnights oftheMonth smack @ Glam
Fri 12th August The smack nights have been getting bigger and better by the week. Boasting the ‘cheapest drinks in town’ and out to provide a great night for all, no exception (and no dress code), get down to Glam tonight!
Clubnights oftheMonth Plus 1 Mondays @ Tiger Tiger
Mon 15th August Mixing chart, party and indie at the Tiger Bar, hip-hop and R&B staples at Room 2 with some of the most drink reasonable prices this side of the border!
Clubnights oftheMonth Saturdays @ Club X Sat 27th August
Now under new ownership, come show your support for the new management at one of Cardiff’s most renowned gay clubs. Saturday nights boast three dance zones with great music all round!
C
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Y
CM
MY
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August Listings Friday 5th | Salvation Saturday 6th | Rollin Sundays Friday 12th | Ruby Samba Saturday 13th | Leighton Jones Friday 19th | The Tristan Mortys Saturday 20th | The Cougars Friday 26th | Leighton Jones Saturday 27th | Cakehole Presley
024 | LISTINGS LIVE MUSIC MAP 01 Clwb Ifor Bach
Live Music Map
02 Gate Theatre 03 Pulse 04 10 Feet Tall / Undertone 05 Buffalo 06 The Coal Exchange
29
07 O’Neills
27 39
08
35
09
08 Kama Lounge 09 The Globe 10 O’ Neills
22
02
16
11 Shot in the Dark 12 Milgis
25
13 Students Union
12
14 Tommy’s Bar
13
31
21
15 The Promised Land
34
11
16 Koko Gorilaz 17 Gwidihw 18 Dempsey’s
BUTE PARK
19 Owain Glyndwr
01
24
04
20 Millenium Music Hall
15
32
08
14
18
05
07
38
24 Tafarn Taf a Nos Da 25 The North Star
23 17
28 20
23 St David’s Hall
30
26 10
22 The Vulcan Lounge
03
19
36 33
21 Cardiff Arts Institute
37
26 Cafe Jazz 27 The Pot 28 Rococo 29 Tony’s Kitchen Gallery 30 Funky Buddha 31 Bar 147 32 The Live Lounge 33 Mocka and Zinc
06
34 Pen and Wig 35 The Claude
Don’t see your venue listed? Contact Us info@themmp.tv
36 Cardiff Central Library 37 CIA 38 The Old Library 39 Buffalo Lounge
AUGUST 2011 | www.themmp.tv
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Reviews Albums Tenplusone
Too Late To Start Again, Too Late To Quit This 5 track EP is a difficult one to get to grips with. Whilst the guitar tracks have more chug than a keg party at Charlie Sheen’s, you can’t help but think they could’ve done better with some outside assistance. Sketchy vocals, questionable mixes and drums that stray from the beaten path can often be found rolled up under the banner of punk. Sure, they can add to the ‘all guns blazing, caution to the wind’ charm, but to pull this off the material needs strong lyrical content for the disillusioned mind to relate to. It’s definitely Too Soon To Quit, but a hefty tour of Europe’s dive bars would do them the world of good. AH reverbnation.com/tenplusone
No Thee No Ess
Lights Over The Lake Out soon on Folkwit Records, Lights Over The Lake brings to mind some esteemed comparisons – Pavement and Flaming Lips to name two – and its opening trio succeeds in living up to them. Instrumental intro, Space Instrumental drives through a haze of ambience, while lush harmonies and instrumental soundscapes emphasise the melancholy of Waiting For A King. Meanwhile, Let’s Get Away For A While wouldn’t sound out of place on The Soft Bulletin. However, No Thee No Ess fall just short of their influences in the strength and depth of songwriting – songs such as Leaving The City begin with promise – but at 60 minutes long the album struggles to hold attention. It’s a grower, perhaps repeated listens will reveal a Pet Sounds in waiting. JOC myspace.com/notheenoess
Mike Thomas
Different Man Mike Thomas’ approach is, by his own confession, varied. Sixteen years of musical experience have helped him genre-diversify, so that prime-Randy Newman efforts merge into Bublé-styled lite-jazz and then rockier territory, albeit mildly so, in closer Marsha Brady. This style flitting, though, is unified by similar instrumentation and an underlying MOR aesthetic, the latter of which can, on occasion, go a tad far. The title track, for instance, promises much lyrical bite, charting Thomas’ disability that leaves him in a wheelchair, but is undermined by its production value. Best on show here is Since The Angels Left The Tower which comes across as more free-form and successfully weaves together multiple lyrical narratives. Overall, occasionally enjoyable but it only truly shines in patches. SMR myspace.com/mikethomasmusic
Sibrydion
Uwchben y Drefn A rock ‘n’ roll opening that grabs you by the ears and forces you to pay attention. Punchy bass lines lead the way into the eclectic mix of styles comprising Sibrydion’s fourth album. Close harmonies and a strong rock ‘n’ roll theme echoes back to their days as Big Leaves, with an unmistakable 90s twist in the slower numbers. A toe tapping middle section builds up to a ‘can’t-help-but-dance’ climax and precedes a series of era or nationality-styled tracks, ranging from 70s pop to Spanish Mariachi, passing through punk along the way. A crazily diverse album that has something for everyone, but may try to do too much in one go. JA myspace.com/sibrydion
Iridescence
Iridescence EP Iridescence by definition is a play of lustrous, changing colours. This is certainly reflected in this EP’s artwork, but not necessarily in the music. The band rely heavily on synths and various electronic effects to garnish what are essentially acoustic guitar songs. It can be difficult to blend so many disparate elements , and the overall sound often comes across as unfocused and cluttered. At best, however, these are effective, energising the songs with some pleasing sci-fi touches. Unfortunately, no amount of window dressing can compensate for the aching lack of humour that mars this collection of songs. This over-earnestness, combined with long, conservative compositions makes the six originals on offer here feel six hours too long. MH iridescencemusic.co.uk
Heroes & Outlaws
Winners Inherit The Earth Heroes and Outlaws deliver the musical equivalent of a civil war re-enactment; an object lesson in re-creating history. This is straight down the middle “hard rock”, the sort once described as metal. The music is deftly executed and genre-faithful, right down to the Stilton-strength cheesy song titles. The band exploit acoustic classical guitar intros in much the same way as Justice-era Metallica did, and parlay this Spanish influence into reinforcing the old West / Young Guns theme, shot through their artwork and encapsulated in the band name itself. Produced by Newport legend Jeff Rose, this EP breaks no new ground whatsoever, but should be of interest to anyone who still appreciates metal the way it used to be. MH myspace.com/heroesoutlawsmusic
Lowri Evans Dydd a Nos
Lowri Evans’ smooth and sunny new release is the perfect accompaniment to sun-glazed afternoons in the garden with a Mojito! The opening track is a cheerful, tune mingling a folksy guitar sound with the slightly bluesy twangs that are synonomous with Welsh pop, established by the likes of GZM and Gruff Rhys. Textured strings and slinky bass lines provide a simple, “backgroundy” sound naturally moving through pop to country, emphasising Lowri’s pretty voice and bi-lingual lyrics. Potentially a little bland for some, Lowri’s vocal style and combo of upbeat tunes is a nonetheless pleasant and, at times, catchy backtrack to a lazy day. JA lowrievansofficial.co.uk
Location Baked
Location Baked Location Baked, a.k.a. Cardiff’s Justin Roland, is certainly not lacking a concept here. His genealogical ‘looptop’ constructions interrogate both history and geography through the medium of samples, with each track framed by a location of the world at a point in time. His cut and paste technique is deftly done; Barry 1972 setting the tone with time-worn voices emerging against loose, ambient and almost psychedelic backdrops. The more dynamic, melodic tracks, e.g. Leipzig 1989 and Stockholm 1993 stand out, while more broadly some moments excite and others drift. Even then, in the subdued moments come rewards for the committed listener, none more so than the Derek & Clive sample at the start of New York 1976 or the slowcore Hawaii 1958. Intriguing stuff. SMR locationbaked.bandcamp.com
Associated Minds
The Highball EP Associated Minds have a long-standing reputation for producing excellent quality hip-hop. Nothing more to it. In this impressive continuation of form, The Highball EP showcases some of the most exciting underground talents on offer. Amongst others, you’ll find the likes of Mudmowth, Ralph Rip Shit, Ruffstylz and Sonnyjim lacing cleverly constructed rhymes over blistering rhythms, with true-to-form flair in production. Standout tracks would be the jumpy, jagged, clave bounce of The Snap, the glitchy edge of Phazer and all three mixes of The Heat. The latter are particularly accomplished, all boasting adept instrumental arrangements underpinning impressive deliveries from all involved. Another consummate, collaborative release from Associated Minds, we can’t wait to hear the next! ST associatedminds.com
Reviews Singles Start! Start!
The Only Way Is Merthyr Perhaps a misguided attempt to follow in the footsteps of Alex Warren and Terema Wainwright’s Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind), The Only Way Is Merthyr overshoots localsonly humour and affection, instead ploughing headlong into blatant bad taste; the kind of unsophistication usually restricted to the stupid corner of bad metal, or the angry white corner of bad rap, both of which coincidentally conspire to provide what passes as the soundtrack to this hamfisted character assassination of a Welsh town. This just has to be a joke, but jokes are only any good when they’re funny. For everyone’s sake, Stop! Stop! MH myspace.com/startstartuk
Bury Me In L.A.
Man Without Country
Hullabaloo
Rhodri McFadyen
Young Lust Seekers Single Conformist has gathered something of a reputation for his catatonically crunching electro remixes of late. Last time around was Kutosis and this single pairs him with Bury Me In L.A., something of an electro-pop diva herself. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that Conformist probably even considered using the kitchen sink when thinking of potential additions to the mix. Young Lust Seekers is cluttered with a startling array of effects, bleeps, beats and breaks making it both impressive, and slightly maddening. When it works it offers greater backbone to singer Kattie Skyninja’s vocals. When it falters it distracts from them. Nevertheless, it’s a buxom beat-fest of a track. SMR myspace.com/burymeinla
King Complex Someone has been terribly wronged, and I believe it is Ryan from MWC. Someone, some flash sports-car git, has truly got his dander up, being all superior and careerist and that. I know his pain. Mainly because he’s written this single about it, detailing his hate-affair over what I think we’re calling ‘glacial’ synths and ‘anthemic’ drums. It’s a bit of fun, lots of significant atmospheres and aggressive choruses but it never decides if it wants you to get funky or get sympathetic (which, lets face it, doesn’t make for a fun night out). Hard-Fi meets Muse in post-ironic clubland. JN manwithoutcountry.com
Reviews Demos Fennel Seeds
Strike Me Down Strike Me Down is a really good songWhile it might seem odd that this band from Bethel sound like they’re fronted by Kurt Cobain, Fennel Seeds have struck a neat balance between the dirt of grunge and the cleanliness of 60s guitar-based pop – much like Nirvana, you may argue. The tight guitar and drum ‘DUM DUM’s are immensely satisfying, as are the abundance of melodic guitar motifs which cascade up and down while Carwyn Ginsberg laments lethargically as to why he ‘must feel this way’. It’s free to download and absolutely worth a couple of mouse clicks, if not more. JOC myspace.com/fennelseeds
Landslide This track brims with energy and potential, from a band that skilfully melds influences pooled from soul, funk, ska and punk. Given more time in the studio, Hullabaloo’s instrumental prowess, bounce and hooky choruses could produce an album well worth listening to. The only personal criticism from this reviewer would be the potential overuse of the chorus line and main thematic hook, which verge on being repetitive at times. However, this is remedied by a cracking saxophone solo and clear love for their craft! Looking forward to hearing more. ST facebook.com/upthehullabaloo
Rhodri McFadyen is a prolific man, make no mistake; this CD contains 17 tracks (all untitled) that are full of ambition. His arrangements aim high, and showcase his abilities as a multiinstrumentalist, but are sometimes let down by some repetitive lyrical conceits and song structures. McFadyen has an obvious debt to the therapy-rock arena scene (one track in particular is fear-of-litigation close to ‘Run’ by Snow Patrol), but is currently a little short of the craftsmanship that makes those big hitters effective. That said, a lack of polish doesn’t hide the fact that there is definitely heart in here. JN
MMP Pick of the Month Jen Jeniro Swimming Limbs EP The Swimming Limbs EP is what I always imagined Welsh pop music to be like growing up in far-off Hampshire; 60’s/70’s style sepia jangle, sunny enough to push the rain back into the sky and with harmonies to die for. This is lush psych-folk, alternately arboreal and sun-baked, tumbling through modulations and rolling around melodies that will bronze your skin, even in a back room in Grangetown on the greyest ‘summer’ day. Swimming Limbs is a soulful heat lamp for your ears; each track from the tricksy opener Ebeneezer to the English-language Take Your Time is beautifully crafted and though hooks don’t abound, enough repeated listening will even find poor, daft Saesnegs such as myself humming along. Ace. JN myspace.com/jenjeniro
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028 | EXTRA
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01 Trwbador Sun in the Winter
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04 Wibidi Some People
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030 | SPOTLIGHT
Words by John Rostron www.swnpresents.com www.swnfestival.com Photography by Kiran Ridley www.kiranridley.com
The Big Weekend:
Great bands. Great value. Great for the economy!
I
’ve enjoyed the Big Weekend ever since I arrived in Cardiff and for the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to curate the opening Friday night of the event. This year we have Funeral For A Friend, Attack! Attack! and OK playing. Last year I booked The Blackout, Los Campesinos! and Racehorses. Not only do I seem to have a penchant for bands with exclamation marks in their names, but also it’s important for me that our line up is drawn from Welsh talent. The Big Weekend is an incredible opportunity for bands and vital to the music industry in Wales. A band like The Blackout needs to be given the opportunity to take the step up, headline an event and show what they can do. Last year they took it and delivered a brilliant set worthy of headliners. An up and coming band like OK need opportunities to demonstrate their potential too. You don’t just become a festival headliner, you grow into one. The Big Weekend gives these bands the opportunity to grow; to gain confidence, to gather fans. It’s pretty cool that Cardiff Council, with the support of Admiral, fund this to happen for free. That overlooks something though. By investing in the Big Weekend, and in bands from Wales, they’re actually growing the economy in Cardiff. The Blackout returned to Cardiff this year and sold out their largest hometown show. I’m not suggesting The Big Weekend is wholly responsible for their success, but a little bit of it will have helped. Attack! Attack!’s performance this year will boost the sales of their hometown show this September too, and draw more people to see them, and Funeral For A Friend, at Merthyr Rock. That’s good for that direct business of these shows (all the people who are employed when a show happens – crew, bar staff etc – as well as the spend on drinks, taxis, pre-show meals etc) but also good for longer term growth in Wales. Maybe, for example, that helps a band step up to play more festivals, getting to the level where they become of value to tourism in Wales (like the Stereophonics, Super Furry Animals, Lost Prophets etc all of whom, incidentally, have played Cardiff’s Big Weekend.) More of this kind of investment should be encouraged. Whilst the recent publication of Cardiff’s nighttime economy report calls for more of these types of events, on the basis that they diversify the nighttime offerings in the city, and aren’t alcohol-focused, there should really be more live music events simply because they have so much value for the economy, culture and tourism in the Welsh capital. Oh, and they’re ruddy good fun too.
Cardiff’s Admiral Big Weekend. It’s good isn’t it? Three evenings of live music on the lawn of City Hall. Three nights where up to 10,000 people a night come and see a wide array of bands. That’s pretty special.
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032 | EXPOSURE INTERVIEW
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