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…
Allan Yn Y Fan? A funny name, that. When I first got to hear of this bunch of five musicians causing mayhem at dances around the Gwent valleys, I always translated it as “Out In The Van” – which was quite appropriate for a busy little combo. That was harking back to 1996, and Allan…
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…
Dave Haslam’s Roots Unearthed series continues on Tuesday October 13 at Lefel 3 in St David’s Hall, Cardiff with outstanding guitarist Martin Simpson and Don Flemons, banjo player with the award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. The concert starts at 8pm. The Roots Unearthed programme promises a mouth-watering winter list, with Cylchcanu2/ Songchain2 bringing together Kate Ronconi, Beth Williams Jones, Stacey Blythe, Christine Cooper,…
Calan manager Huw Williams has filed a report to the Musicians’ Union over the treatment handed out by US immigration authorities when two musicians of the award-winning band were refused entry over a passport breakdown at the US embassy in London, were jailed for one night and deported. The passports belonging to piper, pibgorn player…
Harmonica tutor Aidan Sheehan is running six Christmas Harmonica workshops which will take place at Whitchurch Rugby Sports and Social Club in Cardiff. Designed as a fun, user-friendly course for intermediate players, Aidan will teach the students how to perform traditional festive favourites on a ten-holed diatonic harmonica – which is not supplied. The hour-long…