All posts by Chloe Jackson-Nott

Chloe Jackson-Nott is a Welsh freelance photographer specialising in the music industry. She has studied BA (Hons) Photojournalism at the University of South Wales and BA (Hons) Business Management at The Open University. Chloe has been in the photography field for 10+ years and has since become a mother to a young boy. She focuses on the music industry the most as she thrives from the energy that translates from the stage to her lens. Supporting artists/bands big and small is something Chloe enjoys doing and if her images can help push their brand and voice then she will do what she can to help.
The Arts, Whats on

Llais Festival – ‘A Festival of Voice’

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Llais Festival – ‘A Festival of Voice’ – Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Photography: Chloe Jackson-Nott
Words: Chloe Jackson-Nott

A festival inspired by the instrument that connects us all – the voice

“Llais is Cardiff’s international arts festival, bringing artists and audiences together for incredible live music, thought-provoking performance and inspirational talks.”

Llais Festival began back in 2016 which saw a line-up of Van Morrison, Charlotte Church and Hot Chip. Last years line-up saw artists Cate Le Bon, Midlake and Pussy Riot take to the stage. For 2023, Llais Festival is bringing along The Staves, Bat For Lashes, Gwenno and many more!

(You might recognise Gwenno from the side of Clwb Ifor Bach on Womanby Street as a 38 metre mural!)

During the weekend of October 14-15, we managed to catch the sets of: Angharad Davies, Angeline Morrison, Gwenno, Clare Marie Bailey and Elaha Soroor. What a fantastic mixture of international sound and culture.

Angharad Davies – a Welsh experimental violinist demonstrating a psychedelic experience for the audience in the Cabaret bar. Angharad slowly approached the stage and setting the expectations of her performance. She performed a 52-minute solo violin piece from her single track album titled “Gwneud a Gwneud Eto / Do and Do Again.” The performance provided the room with a sense of meditation and enchantment. Angharad describes the violin as particularly intimate with an endless wealth of possibilities. The low repetitive drones and variety of high pitched scratches truly provided the audience with the psychedelic experience they were promised.

Angeline Morrison – with a focus on storytelling, Angeline performs elements of soul music, folklore, myth and the supernatural. Angeline Morrison’s 2022 album, The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience was voted Number One Folk Album of the Year in The Guardian. Angeline shared a touching story with the audience about how she was very close with her grandfather who had dementia. Her hypnotic performance interacted with the audience through precise storytelling. The audience were applauding the end of each song ready for the next.

Gwenno – this was a one- off performance exclusive to Llais Festival, titled ‘Tair Ton | Teyr Ton | Three Waves.’ We were told to expect a ‘sensory feast with added theatrics’ and that’s exactly what Gwenno treated us to. This performance celebrated her three albums with connecting themes and featured unheard live performances from her discography. Gwenno’s performance was filled with stunning lighting and graphics throughout giving the audience a show of visual satisfaction. The crowd came wearing their red hats and ready to be captivated with songs such as N.Y.C.A.W. and Men an Toll from her album, Tresor. Gwenno was a perfect wrap up act on Sunday at Llais Festival bringing along Welsh culture and voice at its finest.

The Arts

Funeral For A Friend – ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’ – Utilita Arena, Cardiff

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Photography and words: Chloe Jackson-Nott

“We’ll start a fire and burn some bridges and make it out of here tonight”

Welsh band, Funeral For A Friend took to the stage at Utilita Arena, Cardiff on Saturday October 14th for their penultimate show of the ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’ tour.

From Bridgend, formed in 2001, the band is made up of Matthew Davies-Kreye, Kris Coombs-Roberts, Gavin Burrough, Darran Smith, Richard Boucher and Ryan Richards.

During their Cardiff show, they were joined by American rock band Dashboard Confessional and Welsh rock band Dream State as supporting acts.

Opening the show, Dream State, fronted by Jessie Powell, gave the crowd a rock show entrance they will never forget. Performing their first arena show, Dream State were incredibly thankful to be part of Funeral For a Friend’s anniversary tour. Despite the size of the arena and crowd, Jessie held up her horns and threw herself into the audience, creating her own pit. This Welsh rock band was the perfect start to get this show on the road. Chin Up Princess is a song that will be on repeat for a while.

Dashboard Confessional were second on stage just before Funeral For A Friend themselves. The American rock band opened up with Don’t Wait and continued into songs such as Saints and Sailors and Screaming Infidelities. Bringing the crowd back down to a calm and collected level, Dashboard Confessional were able to maintain interaction with the audience with a special song request from a band member. Chris Carrabba told the crowd that each night on the tour they choose to play a random song from their discography.

Just over 2 hours after doors officially opened, the main show started, Funeral For A Friend were greeted by loud screams from their hometown Welsh fans. They opened with Rookie of the Year and continued into Bullet Theory. Lead singer Matthew Davies-Kreye was lucky enough to celebrate his birthday on home turf during their Cardiff show. Fans were jumping, pits were opened and the band’s 20th anniversary tour was celebrated in style at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff.