HUW WILLIAMS: Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club, November 11, 2015 It was a full house for Huw Williams, and rightly so. The man is a brilliant songwriter, champion Eisteddfod clog-dancer, adventurous guitarist, bizarre storyteller, Welsh bagpiper, manager of Cool Cymru ambassadors Calan and erstwhile half of a duo with Tony Williams, who conquered the…
FAUSTUS Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3 lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff: October 27, 2015 If ever you become embroiled in a heated discussion when the tired and erroneous adage about boring folk music rears its ugly head, just take my advice: frog-march the erring individual down to the nearest Faustus concert, stick him in the front…
AN TRI DIPOP Llantrisant Folk Club, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club: October 21, 2015 The spectacular Breton quartet An Tri Dipop performed an entrancing debut in Llantrisant Folk Club’s plush and welcoming home, Pontyclun Institute Athletic Club – and it seems as if the venue was transported 400 miles away to a Breton bar, where you…
CYLCHCANU/SONGCHAIN 2 Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3 Lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff: October 14, 2015 Last year, we watched in total fascination as a new musical creation called Cylchcanu/Songchain toured theatres and concert halls around Wales; a meeting of musicians gathered together to explore the rich and magical Welsh folk culture, but a tradition that…
EWAN MCLENNAN: Llantrisant Folk Club Ewan McLennan is very special; in five short years he graduated from a young floor act attending Scottish folk clubs to a significant force to be reckoned with, a compelling singer who uses his commanding voice to shape and enhance his tradition and to draw enthusiasts in and move them…
– or IS it the last? After more than 30 years of inspiring organising, warm memories, musical highlights, fabulous local beers from the pub micro-brewery and sheer artistic brilliance, the Halfpenny Folk Club closed its doors with a final flourish, delivered by the wonderful Bill Caddick and the stentorian voices of Swansea-based shantymen Baggyrinkle. The…
Applause and cheers for Harpeth Rising Harpeth Rising – three young women musicians from all over the North American Continent – brought the house down at Llantrisant Folk Club with a stunning array of cracking songs, intelligent humour, breathtaking arrangements and harmonies to die for. Violinist Jordana Greenberg really stood out with her sweet…
MARTIN CARTHY & DAVE SWARBRICK Roots Unearthed, Lefel 3 Lounge, St David’s Hall, Cardiff: September 1, 2015 The Prince Of Folk and The Demon Fiddler utterly mesmerised a delighted Roots Unearthed audience with a banquet of jaw-dropping airs, tunes, wonderful ballads and hypnotic songs which seemed to jump out and seize the packed rows by…
TRIO TRIUMPH! FOXGLOVES DELIVER A WELSH/ENGLISH MUSICAL DELIGHT The Foxglove Trio are unique and a revelation; Mid-Wales singer Ffion Mair, Swansea-born spectacular ‘cellist and guitar player Cathy Mason and Patrick Dean, melodeon player and ‘cello player from Yorkshire, stirred up a bubbling cauldron of inspiring and exhilarating songs, tunes and absolutely lovely arrangements that had…
BANJOMONIUM! AND DAN’S THE MAN TO THRILL THE CROWDS “For someone who doesn’t like banjos – well, it’s not really your night, is it?” Dan’s Walsh’s one-liners come as thick and fast as his firework virtuosity and eye-popping playing, singing and songwriting. Dan doesn’t just play his beloved banjo – he lives it, tortured face…