Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Arts

Cirkopolis at the Millennium Centre: fast, funny, sexy and unmissable

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Cirque Éloize’s Cirkopolis turns greyscale to technicolour in a heartpounding performance that traverses circus, dance, comedy and theatre. 

With echoes of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and 1984, even flashes of The Hudsucker Proxy, the show portrays a drab, grey world punctuated with joy and colour. Mechanical movements and tightly-performed dance routines make way for fluid, effortless acrobatics within a few minutes and it doesn’t lose pace for the entire 90 minutes. 

From an electro-swing Andrews Sisters-style juggling routine, to the solitary, mesmerising cyr wheel, the first half is incredible. It also includes the sexiest German wheel performance that you’ll ever see (I guarantee).

Photo credit: Cirque Eloize

If it’s even possible, the second half is better. It begins with a perfect tandem trapeze routine (I’ve been learning trapeze for half a year, and I don’t think audiences really appreciate just how hard it is to make it look so easy!). 

The Chinese pole performance was easily the best of the night- the twirling, fast-paced climbs and HUGE drops harvested so many gasps from the audience that I’m surprised there weren’t a few asthma attacks. The three primary performers didn’t make one wrong move, and did it all in time to banging music. This scene is worth the ticket price alone. 

The finishing routine, complete with seesawing, flying acrobats is fast, perilous and fun, just like the rest of the show. None of it wears thin, and the whole thing passed in an instant because of its unfaltering magnetism.

The CGI scenery gives the set a depth that I’ve never seen on stage before – from rising skyscrapers during the handstand tower to the twisting door panels in the comedy interlude.

There is little to complain about- the performance was essentially flawless but for a few imperceptible hiccups, and the music is hit and miss. 

Don’t miss your chance to see the show, which is on at the WMC until Saturday. You’ll never look at office furniture the same again…

The City

Grangetown’s historic ‘tramsheds’ – an inside look

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You may have all heard the news about the old tramsheds in Grangetown, and the plans to turn them into a cultural/arts centre, with apartments, art space, and a venue. Exciting, no? Photographer Peppe Iovino went along to grab a look inside the building as it is now. Chapter may finally have competition for all the hip west side Cardiffians, looking for new arty spaces to sup coffee and park their baby buggies …

The plan is to turn the old depot into a new development including: a gallery; 40-seat cinema; 1,000-capacity performance venue/community space with sound-proofing; safe-bar, possibly with micro brewery, with its own courtyard area, acting as entrance at Clare Road end of the building; spaces which can be used as a dance studio, workshops, rehearsals – one larger and one smaller etc; and a local shop.

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Peppe enjoyed going to have a look around the site in its current state. He says: “The opening was a very interesting event. I spent some time speaking with the project manager, and it was so nice to see what could happen to an abandoned building in ruin. It’s a great space, and I enjoyed seeing what could turn into an art hub, with meeting spaces for the community. It was also great seeing so many citizens just passing through, coming in and taking an interest in this transformation.”

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You can see detailed plans about the development on Wales Online: Plans unveiled to turn old Cardiff tramshed into urban arts centre, creating 300 new jobs.

Grangetown.co.uk have posted a lot of interesting information about the development, including this great old story from the Rev BOB JONES, now of Newport Pemb, writing of his childhood memories of Grangetown and particularly the trams.

“My grandparents lived in Warwick Place and traded as Wm Aplin and Sons Coal Merchants. There were two sons Bill, who looked after the coal side, and Fred, who was a furniture remover. His pride and joy was his van whivh he bought new in 1938, it was a Ford – was it BUH 318 ? I really do forget.The body was fitted by William Lewis of Tudor Lane. My cousin Stan was also the grandson of Squires the Bakers in Clare Rd. He was older than me but we shared the same interest in transport. Often we would watch the Foden and Sentinal Steam lorries which brought the flour to the bakery in Clare Rd and watch as Stan’s father lifted the bags, using a block and tackle into the loft, over the bakehouse. At this time the building on the other side of the lane was a flourishing synagogue.”

To read more of that, visit  or , a great local information resource.



The photos above show the Clare Road and Ninian Park Road (Eldon Road) junction, with tram, in 1939, and also right one of horse-drawn trams which ran from Clive Street to Splott, and right a tram at the old depot entrance. All photos taken from .

Visit the Tramshed website

***

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The City, The People

From Cardiff to Istanbul and back, on a bike

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In 2012, John Chick decided to ditch his job in Cardiff for a few months and bike to Istanbul…. nope, he wasn’t escaping the law, he was raising money for charity. On 28 March, he released an e-book documenting this adventure, and within a couple of days it made it into the Kindle top ten cycling books! Today, he tells us a bit about how the bike ride became a best-selling book. Kind of.

man on bike

Writing a book about my adventures rolling around Europe’s less travelled roads was never on the cards at the inception of the 10,000k challenge. The ‘challenge’ of the title was supposed to reflect the difficulties of a solo bike ride from Cardiff to Istanbul and back. That, as it transpired, was the easy part – the cycling turned out to be an extended holiday with me sauntering across the continent, getting lost, getting sunburnt and getting drunk with friendly locals (repeat to fade).

It would be more accurate however to say that the challenge actually refers to two other things: raising £1 for every kilometre that I cycled for local charities; and finally putting pen to paper – or rather finger to keyboard – and capturing the adventure for posterity.

I always anticipated that the fundraising was going to be a difficult slog, the real challenge where my mental fortitude and resilience were to be tested. In the year before I set off, I spent countless hours on a variety of cunning plans to try and persuade, bribe, cajole, or emotionally blackmail people into parting with their cash. In return, all I could offer was that they could avoid having a guilty conscience for a short while. And maybe a raffle ticket.

Selling emotional salvation though isn’t an easy gig but luckily there are some energetic, optimistic, creative people out there who, unlike me, are fantastic at this kind of thing. Even more fortunately, I managed to round up a gang of them to support me. The result was that we eased passed the £10,000 target not long after I set off and finally raised over £15,000 by the time I sauntered back. Every penny I should point out, as was our mantra, went to charity.

A decidedly short while after returning however, when the pain of the fundraising and the joy of the cycling had diminished, I decided to submit to underwhelming public demand and ‘publish my memoirs’. This, it has to be said, sounds rather grand and was also very optimistic on my part. Up until that point, the sum of my written body of work extended to signing birthday cards and scribbling notes around the house telling the kids to tidy up while I was in work. I immediately wondered if I actually knew enough words to fill a book (personal research revealed that you need at least 60,000, but fortunately you can use the same word more than once).

Apparently everyone has a good book inside them and so maybe the story of cycling to Istanbul and back would be mine. The motivation of course would be to share my experiences with the world, leave a permanent record of my adventures and demonstrate my literary credentials. And become rich.

I had kept brief notes on my smart phone during the trip which could possibly form the basis of a book but converting the excited ramblings of an endorphin-fuelled and occasionally drunken cyclist into any sort of coherent order was another matter. Most cycle-touring books are written by cyclists who write, as opposed to writers who have cycled. Unfortunately, I am neither cyclist nor writer, but that wasn’t going to stop me. I envisaged knocking off the novel in a month or two, then kicking back and watching the royalties flowing in.

The final book!
The final book!

When you’re a kid, you dream of being a racing driver or a ballet dancer, maybe an astronaut. As an adult, in my experience, people dream of opening a coffee shop somewhere exotic or maybe writing a best seller. In this technological age however, the opportunity to actually be a real live novelist is open to any of us who have access to a PC and a modicum of imagination – it’s like the new punk, anyone can do it! Although again like punk, there is no quality control and for every Clash, there are many thousands of Crispy Ambulances and Stinky Toys.

As I write, I have just finished the long ordeal of having my work re-written, deconstructed and rebuilt, and then battled my way past the Amazon survey process which bizarrely included a check that I am paying the correct amount of income tax. Amazon being in charge of income tax checks is akin to putting McDonalds in charge of a healthy eating initiative. After Amazon had conscientiously ensured that I wasn’t avoiding my tax obligations, my crack IT team (daughter and her boyfriend) then suffered endless formatting problems as we converted a Word document into the correct format for web publication.

The book has finally just been published and its already been read hundreds of time! Unfortunately each time by me as I corrected and re-corrected things I had earlier missed, ad nauseum. After two days sales, my son proudly informed me that it was at number 503,114 in the worldwide eBooks best sellers list. Never mind encouraged my wife, it’ll be different tomorrow. She was right. I was at 613, 438. It may be a while before I can add writing a resignation note to my oeuvre.

You can download the 10,000k challenge e-book for just £2.49 here: 10,000k challenge

The City

S is for Specialists in Vinyl. Part Two: Shops Selling New and Second-hand

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Katie Hamer continues her A–Z series of Cardiff with her second and final article on the Cardiff music scene in the run up to Record Store Day 2015.

DSCF3355Last time, I investigated Spillers Records, the world’s oldest independent record shop. This time, I decided visit Cardiff’s newest independent record shop, Retro-Vibe Music.

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Strategically positioned at the top-end of the High Street in Cardiff, Retro-Vibe Music can be identified by its bright orange and black fascia. There’s a mosaic of record covers on the shop windows, which reassuringly confirms that they sell vinyl. Approaching their bold shop front you would never guess that they hadn’t been there long.

In fact they opened their doors in Cardiff a few months ago, having moved from Barry, where the business started in 2012. The shop, a hit in its original location, quickly out-grew its premises. Hence owners Claire Richards and Mark Owen made the decision to move to a more central location where they can really showcase their vinyl.

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Having only recently heard of this shop, I decided to pay them a visit. I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. They have a whole basement full of vinyl, and, as I have a life-long love of spinning discs, that’s where I headed first. I was amazed by how much space there is for records both old and new. They stock a wide range of artists and have something for everyone.

Although underground, the space is light and airy. There are comfy sofas to chill out on while listening to the music on the turntable hi-fi system and memorabilia to feast your eyes upon. They also have plans for sound booths for customers to listen to records, a really great idea to engage customers.

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While I was in there, I chatted to Claire Williams, one of the owners who very happily provided me with a potted history of their business. She enthused about how she had come into possession of a gramophone record and a whole load of 78s, which she decided to sell on. This led to a thriving business in gramophone records, from which she and her business partner, Mark, branched into other formats and eventually into their business as it is today. Indeed it’s encouraging to see new businesses arriving in what has proven to be a challenging time for the music industry.

Involvement in Record Store Day 2015

The team behind Retro-Vinyl Music are clearly very passionate about the autonomy of the independent record business. Along with Spillers Records, they have signed up to the Record Store Day Pledge to supply Official Record Store Day releases to customers on a first come, first served basis. Their doors open earlier than usual, at 8:00 in the morning, especially for the occasion. Supplies of special releases are limited so it’s best to turn up early if you’re after something specific.

As well as the official releases, they also plan to have live acts perform on the day, billings yet to be confirmed.

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Other Events in Cardiff for Record Store Day

Kellys Records, while not officially signed up for Record Store Day, will be providing customers with generous discounts on many of their records for the occasion. They are also hosting a huge party, after hours, at 10 Feet Tall which promises to be an ‘All Vinyl, All Night’ extravaganza. The party starts at 6:00 in the evening and continues until 2:00 in the morning. Full details of the event can be found here:

All Vinyl, All Night 

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If you’ve never been to Kellys, they are well worth a visit. Situated on the upper floor of the Cardiff Indoor Market, they are an Aladdin’s Cave of vinyl, among other formats, and have an amazing collection of memorabilia from yesterday. You have to visit to take your selfie with the Elvis statuette, if nothing else!

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You can find out more information about Retro-Vibe Music here: 

Their Facebook Page

Their Record Store Day Page 

On Twitter 

Their Website

You can find information about Kellys Records here:

Their Facebook Page 

On Twitter

Their Website 

More information on Record Store Day 2015, including official releases, can be found here:

Record Store Day Website

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all at Record Store Day in a couple of week’s time!

 

 

The Arts

Paper Aeroplanes – luminescent folk, guaranteed to bring you joy: review and interview

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Paper Aeroplanes
Paper Aeroplanes

Cwtching snugly between the sounds of Laura Marling, Feist and Marika Hackman, Paper Aeroplanes are easily one of the best alternative folk bands in Wales at the moment. Their fourth album, Joy, is released on 8 April, which was written and recorded in Cardiff with the help of producer Mason Neely (Cerys Matthews, Sufjan Stevens). The band are gearing up for a 30 date European tour to promote the album, which heads to France, Switzerland and Germany before returning to the UK with a date at Clwb Ifor Bach on 16 May.

Joy is a, ahem, joy. I have to admit that their comparison to Lykkie Li didn’t enthuse me about the sound of this band. But this album is not unrelentingly mournful- quite the opposite. It sweeps you up in a breeze through rolling 80s beats (Good Love Lives On) to sparkling folk (Race You Home), and from cute, dreamy pop (Books and Joy) to haunting pianos (Caravan). It soars from being shimmeringly upbeat to powerfully atmospheric, all with a surprising depth. The flourishes of synths, strings and pianos are a welcome addition to Sarah Howells’ delicate (but never weak) voice. Richard Llewellyn’s masterful guitar shines through on tracks like Race You Home with echoes of John Martyn and Bert Jansch.

This album is a joyful celebration of unconditional love, making stories and finding warmth from the cold. Steeped in the salt-tinged air of West Wales, but with the unmistakeable influence of Cardiff’s diverse music scene, Joy is guaranteed to a be a hit.

*****

We caught up with the band’s Cardiff-based guitarist Rich Llewellyn for a quick Q&A.

Q. What was the last book you read?

A.  Intermission by Owen Martell. A contemplative, fictional shortish story which takes a little-documented part of the life of jazz pianist Bill Evans as its starting point. I’ve also been reading The Rough Guide to Germany so I can appear knowledgeable during our forthcoming tour.

Q. Tell us a secret.

A. I have a crush on posh BBC4 historian, Lucy Worsley.

Q. What’s your favourite place for breakfast in Cardiff?

A. For an old-fashioned hearty fry up, Café Fresco in Canton.

Q. What’s your local pub?

A. The Lansdowne – great beers, lovely staff and 2 minutes from my front door.

Q. Tell us about a hidden part of Cardiff that you love. 

A. There’s a place I like to escape to when I need to clear my head, which is a very short drivefrom Canton. Countryside walk, feels like you’re miles away from the city. I can’t tell you where it is though, because then you’d go there too.

Q. If you had some friends coming to visit for the weekend, where would you take them?

A. Lilo’s Grill on city road. Great juices, tasty meze and a platter of grilled meats and rice for everyone to share.

Q. What’s the next gig that you’ll be going to in Cardiff?

A. We’re away touring a lot over the next couple of months but I’ve just seen that Chris Wood is playing in St David’s Hall in June, so I’ll definitely be getting tickets for that.

***

Joy is released on 8 April on Diverse records. Photo from Paper Aeroplanes.

Whats on

What’s on in Cardiff this weekend: Easter bank holiday 2015 bonanza!

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Okay, so EVERYTHING is happening in Cardiff this weekend. I’ve tried very hard to filter out all the gross smeary oily crud you find on the top of the fridge when you haven’t cleaned it for ages … and just leave you with some delicious, tasty, joyful Easter bank holiday event morsels! Now get out there and ENJOY!

*** update: We’ve added in a massive house night

WHAT’S ON IN CARDIFF THIS BANK HOLIDAY!

THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2015

THURSDAY 2 APRIL: Easter fun at Cardiff Castle
11am – 4pm
A week of traditional Easter treats with games, egg decorating and egg rolling.

Easter fun Facebook event

 

THURSDAY 2 APRIL: Seren Morgan jones: ‘portraits of protesters’


2 April – 2 May 18.00 – 17:00
Gallery/ten, 23 windsor place, cf10 3by Cardiff

seren morgan jones | portraits of protesters
exhibition launch thursday 2 april 6-8pm – welcome to all
exhibition open from 3 april – 2 may 2015
a solo exhibition of 13 new paintings documenting welsh suffragists at the beginning of the twentieth century
portraits of protestors: Facebook event

 

THURSDAY 2 APRIL: ► BROOKLYN ZOO ◄ THE HIP HOP PARTY

 



Clwb Ifor Bach, 22.30-03.00, £3/4

Brooklyn Zoo is a dedicated hip hop night currently taking Bristol’s hip hop scene by storm. In a market saturated by unbelievably dull club nights ran by walking steroids, the Zoo was started to bring back fun and charisma to a night out – whilst focusing and playing the most durable and well-respected genre in music.

Brooklyn Zoo Facebook event

 

THURSDAY 2 APRIL: Blues Dragon Electric Jam



Cathays Conservative Club, CF24 Cardiff

Yes folks, it is that time of the month come on over bring your various instruments and join in the fun. Although mainly blues, other genres of music are more than welcome to join.

It is also good Friday the day after and that means many of you do not have to get up for work, so come on down and make a night of it!

Blues Dragon Electric Jam: Facebook event

WHAT’S ON IN CARDIFF: FRIDAY 3 APRIL 2015

FRIDAY 3 APRIL: SPRUNGNACHT Cardiff: PT. II


Undertone, 10.00 – 04.00, £2/£4, 100% Techno.

Due to popular demand, Sprung Records will be returning to the basement on Church Street this Easter weekend, with a later closing time and two new guests. Capacity will once again be strictly limited. No advance tickets, and entrance will be on a first come, first served basis – once it’s full, it’s full.

Whether you missed out last time or you want to experience the sounds of Sprung Records again, we invite you to descend into the smoke and strobe on the 3rd of April to rattle your ribcages with us once more… Check out a video of the last Sprungnacht instalment…

Sprungnacht Facebook event

 

FRIDAY 3 APRIL: Wales Goes Pop! 3-6 April, The Gate, Roath



WALES GOES POP! – An all-ages pop weekender over the long Easter bank holiday, Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th April 2015 at The Gate, Cardiff.

3-day / 1-day tickets are now on sale from http://www.wegottickets.com/f/8702 + seetickets and they’ll also be in Spillers/Diverse shortly. £40 for 3 days, or £15/£15/£16 for 1-day tickets. Under 12s go free.

FRIDAY 3RD APRIL (1.30pm doors) – The Pooh Sticks, The Lovely Eggs, Feature, Martha, Tyrannosaurus Dead, Cave Ghosts, Mowbird, The Catenary Wires, Jen Schande, Oh Peas! followed by DJs Trev Odd Box Records vs Hue Pooh Sticks

WALES GOES POP! Facebook event

 

FRIDAY 3 APRIL: Cafe Jazz late night sessions …. Nico ZZ Band


Cafe Jazz, Cardiff

The French man returns! Nico’ZZ are a four-piece blues band from France led by guitarist and vocalist Nicolas Zdankiewicz. Nico draws on an eclectic mix of blues, r&b and funk and has developed his own style whilst developing new sounds. Performing mainly original music and some standards.

Band on at 10pm £4 on the door.

Cafe Jazz late night sessions: Facebook event

 

FRIDAY 3 APRIL: The Allergies


Gwdihw, 3 April, 21.00

THE ALLERGIES (JALAPENO RECORDS)
Bristolian duo DJ Moneyshot & Rackabeat have made it their mission to take vintage sounds and reshape them for the modern dance floor.

Future classics like ‘Heartbreaker’ [Tune of the Month – Mixmag] and uptempo stomper ‘As We Do Our Thing’ have been championed on radio by the BBC’s Craig Charles, and live their DJ sets mash up their dusty influences with hard-earned hip-hop skills.

Since forming in 2012 they’ve racked up two EPs, a handful of remixes, and won over crowds from Greece to Bestival. 2015 looks like a big year for The Allergies. They’ve been snapped up by Jalapeno Records, and plan to release a new EP on the label, featuring guest rappers from both sides of the pond.

If you think the fun (and funk) factor has been missing from the breaks recently, then The Allergies have the remedy.

soundcloud.com/theallergies
www.youtube.com/TheAllergiesUK
www.facebook.com/theallergies

Tickets: https://www.wegottickets.com/event/314439
The Allergies Facebook event

 

 

WHAT’S ON IN CARDIFF: SATURDAY 4 APRIL 2015

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: Cardiff Indoor Flea Market – Easter Bank Holiday Event


4 April – 6 April, 09.00 – 17.00 each day
Cardiff Indoor Flea Market
2 Clydesmuir Industrial Estate,Tremorfa CF24 2QS, CF24 2QS Cardi

Saturday 4th April, Sunday 5th April, Monday 6th April

Want to see what’s going on inside Cardiff Indoor Flea Market? We ran a story about it a few months back: Cardiff Indoor Flea Market – a peek inside

Cardiff Indoor Flea Market – Easter Bank Holiday Event: Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: Skaters! listen up! Bootcamp with Mercy, Left Turn Coaching (Rose City Rollers + Team USA), hosted by Tiger Bay



09.00–17.00, USW Sports Centre, Lodge Road, Caerleon, NP18 3QT

Tiger Bay Brawlers are super excited to announce that Mercy, Rose City Rollers, Team USA and Team Vagine power house, is joining them South Wales to host a day long bootcamp.

Now coaching full time with Left Turn Coaching, as the captain of the Wheels of Justice in 2014 Mercy lead her team to a gold medal for International Playoffs and a silver medal for International Championships. We all remember that game, right?

Onskate tickets are £55. Off skates tickets will also be available for £10.

Mercy: Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: BAR OPEN @PIPESBEER (CRAFT BEER CARDIFF)


12.00 – 21.30, Pipes Beer, 183A Kings Rd, CF119DF Cardiff

PIPES BEERS available on the day…

– Bohemian Pilsner 4.2%
– California Pale 5.0%
– American IPA 5.6%
– Saison (Farmhouse Ale)6.1%
– Smoked Lager 5.4%
– Vienna Red Lager 5.3%
– Schwartz Lager 4.8%

We’ll also have our house blend cider – wine & soft drinks for the non-beer drinker also.

This month we roll out our 2015 rotational kitchen offering and we’re really pleased to house Cardiff’s latest Street Food outfit…. La Ffroga. La Ffroga specialise in “Raclette”. A delicious alpine dish that is traditional to both France and Switzerland. Their Raclette cheese is prepared authentically, melting and layering cheese from a half round onto a hearty bed of new potatoes, adding cornichons (gherkins), white pickled onions, or top it off with cured meats, or for the vegetarians try balsamic glazed shallots and fresh salad.

La Ffroga will also be serving gourmet raclette cheese sandwiches. And a warming French chestnut and root vegetable soup (vegan and gluten free). Moist chocolate brownies, and yummy lemon polenta cake are on offer also!

Pop down try some amaizing food and enjoy a beer with friends.

As with all our ‘BAR OPEN’ events – we welcome all. Our courtyard is a people, child and dog friendly venue – we only ask that all children and pets are accompanied by an adult when in attendance.

In the event of forecasted rain, we will have gazebo shelter ready to hand…

Pipes Beer: Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: Wales Goes Pop! 3-6 April, The Gate, Roath

SATURDAY 4TH APRIL (1.30pm doors) – Ballboy, PINS, Echo Lake, Oscar, Trust Fund, Tigercats, Tuff Love, The School, Emma Kupa, Tramgirl Karaokeclub feat. Edine & Maskopet, Two White Cranes followed by DJs Ready Steady Girls vs Twisted By Design

WALES GOES POP! Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: Blue Honey Bank Holiday – Saturday



21.00 – 04.00
Gwdihŵ Café Bar, 6 Guildford Crescent, CF10 2HJ Cardiff

DANIEL WANG (balihu)

Californian born Daniel Wang made his name during the 90s with a string of disco driven house records released under his Balihu record label. Within this period, Wang’s music was sample heavy and released under a myriad of pseudonyms (including our favourite, Eugene Tambourine).

Nowadays Danny resides in Berlin and you’ll catch him travelling all corners of the globe spreading his infectious love of disco and dancefloor culture behind him. Known as one of the cheeriest people you’ll see behind a pair of turntables, we can’t wait for 2 hours of wonderful wangdom and see Balihu in Gwdihw.

M.ONO (rose records)

The man behind one of the most sought after represses of 2015, Germany’s M.ono (m dot ono) has been turning heads with his own blend of house that is firmly rooted in today’s dancefloor whilst nodding toward the past. Limited pressings of M.ono’s Easydance EP sold out in no time causing a swathe of mild hysteria on discogs and ever increasing demand for an EP that combines the deeper side of house with other bits that incorporate an afro-latin tinge.

OWAIN K (arthouse / city bass)

Bristol born and Cardiff bred, Owain Kimber is one of our favourite people. Regulars to Cardiff’s club scene will have no doubt caught one of Owain’s sets that peruse the vast landscape of dancefloor culture with enviable ease, whilst newcomers to Owain will itch to catch him again. Today, he releases new music on Arthouse and pens pertinent words through his own website Inn8.

Blue Honey – Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: OCTA


19.30 to midnight
Sherman Cymru, Senghennyd Road, CF24 4YE Cardiff

OCTA the multi-stage music event returns for its second year showcasing some of the best music from Cardiff and further afield. Featuring the fearsome talents of: Cotton Wolf, Gwenno, Rhodri Brooks & Eugene Capper, Totem Terrors, Albatross Archive, Jon Ruddick and his magnificent camera tracking Ping Pong table! Casey Raymond and Nic Finch doing horrible and terrible things to your eyes! Peski DJs and Gareth Potter

Octa Facebook event

 

SATURDAY 4 APRIL: Back to Basskicks presents JMAN & PETE CANNON + Traffic



22.00 – 03.00, £5 all night
The Moon Club, Womanby Street, CF10 1BR Cardiff

Known for his multi faceted style, explosive energy, unmatched live shows and some of the best underground music to have come out of the UK in recent years, Jman – UK joins us for our April show with the right honourable Pete Cannon spinning dem tunes!!

Basskicks Allstars feat MC Little Tree: F Block, Mikey Nitro, Hud Son

Room two TRAFFIC: Effigy, Blokeye, Rory Fisher, Shanti-Squire

Basskicks Facebook event

WHAT’S ON IN CARDIFF: SUNDAY 5 APRIL 2015

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: CHIKARA Wrestling!

18.00
Cardiff Masonic Hall, 8 Guildford Street, CF10 2HL Cardiff

For the first time ever, American Lucha Libre wrestling show CHIKARA comes to the UK! CHIKARA is one of the top US based professional wrestling promotions which was founded in 2002 and is potentially the most unique. Combining a combination of Lucha Libre, Puroresu, and high quality technical wrestling with story lines and characters that are most comparable to that of a comic book, the CHIKARA brand is something that can not be found anywhere else.

The company is very focused around tag team matches with one of their annual highlights being their King of Trios tournament featuring six-man tag team bouts. The company did not crown a singles champion until 2011 with the introduction of the CHIKARA Grand Championship.

In 2013, CHIKARA looked to be lost, closing its doors and appearing to be gone for good, however, on May 25th 2014 CHIKARA re-emerged even stronger than it was before. The return of CHIKARA has been so well received that it has now spawned into a UK tour, something that has never happened before.

With such a range of talent, diverse styles, and colourful characters this is set to be a series of shows like nothing that UK fans have seen before.

In 2015 it is time to join the CHIKARMY!!!

http://www.chikarauktour.com/
Chikara Wrestling Tickets

 

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY AND HIS BAND

Portland House, 113 – 116 Bute Street, CF10 5EQ Cardiff
Doors 7PM.

Go see the legendary Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at Portland House! Support from Stephen Russell and Nakesha Esnard.

Tickets for Lee Scratch Perry

 

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: MEMOREX PRESENT’S BENEATH10FEET (EASTER BANK HOLIDAY BASEMENT PARTY)

22.00 – 04.00, £5 before 11
Undertone, (10 Feet Tall’s basement) 12 Church Street, CF10 1BG Cardiff

We bring you a series of intimate Basement parties, showcasing our Resident’s and other home grown talent. The Undertone Basement is stripped back, and perfect for a raw House/Techno party, and suited to just how us, and you like minded people like it. Plus, we get to party on a Bank Holiday Sunday, and for our first party we bring you one of Bazzra’s finest, Mr Anthony Ham, aka Haematoma.

BENEATH10FEET LINE UP…….

HAEMATOMA
The Organ Grinder, Scott Kerr, Sinky, JV

MEMOREX Facebook event

 

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: LAmerica Bank Holiday

22:00 – 04.00, Admission £10 earlybird £13.50 general motd
Clwb Ifor Bach, 11 Womanby Street, CF10 1BR Cardiff

LAmerica Tickets

Lamerica return to the amazing Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, for the first in a series of exclusive bank holiday Sunday parties, that showcase the finest DJ talent the world has to offer. Lamerica – it’s what bank holidays were made for ……

room 1 – the best in soulful vocal house
The legendary Paul Trouble Anderson (3 hour set ); Craig Bartlett; Silver ( radio Cardiff )

room 2 – #HoUsE: house music pioneer and Hacienda legend will take us on a journey through house 1985-2015
Graeme Park ( 3 hour set); Dave Mills (coolhouse); Gareth Hopkins

room 3 – discopup
House disco techno Balearic and more
OOFT! (Foto recordings); Chris Massey (El Diablos Social Club Manchester); Darren Stewart

LAmerica Facebook event
 

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: Blue Honey Bank Holiday – Wookie, Mo Kolours at Gwdihw

Gwdihŵ Café Bar, 6 Guildford Crescent, CF10 2HJ Cardiff

SUNDAY DAYTIME – OUTDOORS – Gwdihw car park 4pm – 10pm

MO KOLOURS live (One Handed Music / 22a)

We love Mo Kolours. No, we really love Mo Kolours. Those already conscious of the half-Mauritian, half-English producer will know that we are truly blessed to hear a live interpretation of Mo Kolours percussion driven sound. A finely tuned one-man-band, Mr Kolours uses loop pedals and anything else that he can get his hands on to create lush rhythmic patterns blended with dream-like vocals. His 2014 self titled album released on One-handed Music (an aptly named label for the man we think you’ll agree) pays a hypnotic homage to soul, afro, groove and a myriad of other genres. It’s an 18-track winner of a debut album that deserves to be in every collectors home. His latest EP, How I (Rhythm Love Affair), has just been released and you’d be very foolish indeed to not get accustomed with it before this appearance.

TENDERLONIOUS live (22a)

Not only is Tenderlonious the head honcho of emerging tight-knit Peckham label 22a, he also has a string of superb and lustrous releases under his own moniker. Sharing both a living space and musical direction with Mo Kolours, Tenderlonious pinpoints Roy Ayers and John Coltrane as influences amongst a cross-genre and historical approach to collecting music. The eclectic approach to music and digging is overtly apparent in the ethos of 22a and fan’s of Al Dobson Jr’s recent showing at Groove Theory will no doubt dig the undoubted beauty in Tenderlonious’s craftmanship. We’ll also be showcasing some serious local talent from Slymoove AKA Lou Hekla giving a live take on his own productions that look toward lo-fi beats, hip hop and other nuggets that peak at the glitchier end of the spectrum. All this alongside some of Cardiff’s most well versed, clued up and top promoters Sure Shot, Hully Gully & Groove Theory.

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SUNDAY NIGHTTIME – indoors 10pm – 4am

WOOKIE

Known affectionately as one of the pioneers of the UK Garage scene, Wookie AKA Jason Chue has become synonymous with the sound that transfixed London in the early 2000s and then went to dominate Britain’s club landscape. Working in the mid 90s with Soul II Soul and many other jewels in the crown of British club music, Wookie’s dedication capitulated with the massive 2000 release ‘battle’. After a long awaited return to touring and djing, Wookie’s sound crosses the spectrum of the underground whilst still taking a look back to the days of snapback caps before Steve Jobs was the real big mac.

CITY BASS

The kings of Cardiff’s club culture, City Bass have been peddling everything underground since 2010. With an impressive alumni that reads like a who’s who of dance music and a crew that rolls deeper than most actual families, we couldn’t think of a group of people more fitting to wrap up a weekend of Cardiff club music. Here’s to 5 more years boys!

Support also from the well capable hands of our friends Woo Ha & James Morgan-Rees

Needless to say, We can’t wait!

Blue Honey – Facebook event

 

SUNDAY 5 APRIL: Wales Goes Pop! 3-6 April, The Gate, Roath

SUNDAY 5TH APRIL (2.30pm doors starting in the cafe) – Emmy The Great, Duglas T Stewart & Chloe Philip (BMX Bandits) are Dreamers, Freschard, The Drink, Jessica Pratt, Little My, Trwbador, Thomas Truax, Alpaca Sports, Barefoot Dance Of The Sea followed by DJs Daytrip vs Wales Goes Pop!

WALES GOES POP! Facebook event

WHAT’S ON IN CARDIFF: MONDAY 6 APRIL 2015

MONDAY 6 APRIL: Welsh Hoop Convention 2015!

whoopc

11.00–20.00
Jacobs Antique / Vintage / Retro Market, West Canal Wharf, CF10 5DB Cardiff

We wrote a preview of the event: We Are Cardiff – WHoopC

An intense one day wonder, filled with workshops from Internationally celebrated hula hoop teachers and performers with classes varying from dance, yoga, circus and skills sharing! Lunch is provided by Penylan Pantry: a seasonal honest delicatessen and food store that aims to promote local producers, the environment and health lifestyle. Provides vegan, gluten free.

See the timetable for WhoopC

WHoopC: Facebook event

 

MONDAY 6 APRIL: Chapter MovieMaker – April 2015 – CIFF Special

18:00–20:00
Chapter Cinema, Market Road, CF5 1QE Cardiff

Chapter MovieMaker is a monthly event where we screen and chat about short films with the people who made them. SPECIAL PROGRAMMING ALERT: This month we’re going to be showcasing several fine films from the Cardiff Independent Film Festival PLUS a few shorts from local MovieMakers too.

Admission is free, but tickets still need to be reserved/collected from the box office and it’s often best to get them early (Cinema 2 only has 57 seats). Please note that confirmation on Facebook unfortunately doesn’t guarantee you a ticket. Though obviously we’d love you to come.

If you have something you’d like to show at a future screening – the next one after this is on the 4th of May – message Tom Betts or email moviemaker@chapter.org. Submissions should now be as digital files (Quicktime or mp4 are ideal). We recommend sending via wetransfer.com or Dropbox.

As ever, the programme may contain strong material that’s only suitable for over 18s. Details of previous films screened can be found on the MovieMaker blog at http://chaptermoviemaker.blogspot.com/.

We’re continuing to team up with Shooting People (www.shootingpeople.org) to host Cardiff’s own ‘Shooters In the Pub’ networking events straight after our screenings, so why not stick around for a drink and a chat in Chapter’s lovely bar with several other intelligent and attractive filmmakers? We’ll be in the area near the cinema posters. And here’s an additional Facebook group you can join: Shooters in the Pub Facebook group

Chapter Moviemaker: Facebook event

 

MONDAY 6 APRIL: Hamlet with Maxine Peake: Encore

13:30–17:00
Chapter Cinema, Market Road, CF5 1QE Cardiff

Hamlet’s father is dead and Denmark has crowned a new king. Consumed by grief Hamlet struggles to exact revenge with devastating consequences. The ultimate play about loyalty, love, betrayal, murder and madness. Every Hamlet is defined by the actor. In this stripped back, fresh and fast-paced version, Maxine Peake creates a compelling Hamlet for our time.

“fast, fluent and revelatory” – The Guardian

Hamlet – tickets
Hamlet: Facebook event

 

MONDAY 6 APRIL: Monday Blues with The Rumblestrutters & Viv Hinds-Payne

Monday Blues returns in April with the 3rd instalment of monthly music influenced by classic, Mississippi, Delta and Dust bowl Blues, alongside finely paired Southern Food and Cocktails.

THE RUMBLESTRUTTERS
Telling tales of bootleg liquor, all-night parties and bacchanalia abound, all tapped from a rich musical source, the Swansea band authentically evoke images of the prohibition era with their rich, finely crafted Jazz & blues, shot through with Roots texture.
http://www.therumblestrutters.com/

Support comes from VIV HINDS-PAYNE

Southern Cocktails & Southern Platters available all night!! Arrive early and order some tasty goods!

Monday Blues Tickets
Monday Blues Facebook event

 

Gwd Mondays: Northern Lingo Bingo

6 April at 19:30 to 1 June at 22:30
Gwdihŵ Café Bar, 6 Guildford Crescent, CF10 2HJ Cardiff

We LOVE Mondays in Gwdihŵ, and that’s why we’ve got a brilliant free entry event every single week. Not only do we give you lucky blighters 50% off EVERYTHING, we’ve also got Bingo, Comedy, Quiz and Open Mic Nights on rotation!

Get all the latest deets n’ treats on Gwd Mondays at Gwdihw at Facebook.com/GwdMondays!

1st Monday: NORTHERN LINGO BINGO
Eh’ up chucky eggs! What better way t’ kick off t’ start of the week, than with a whole heap of northern lingo, hilarious banter, prizes and of course a mashoosive amount of bingo with the ever charming Katie-Louise Green!

Northern Lingo Bingo Facebook event

 

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AND THAT’S IT! (what, IT? yes. It.)

Have we missed any events off? Let us know in the comments. And whatever you’re doing this weekend, have a good one! (and take a scarf, in case it’s cold)

Peas

We Are Cardiff

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