Gwdihw Cafe Bar (for The CDF)

It’s starting… Winter is coming. It won’t be long before those frosty grey mornings and inky dark evenings begin to creep in. But here at The CDF we like nothing better than to offset the lowering temperatures of the fourth season by settling down somewhere cute and cosy, and one of our favourite places to do just that is Gwdihw Cafe Bar on Guildford Crescent.

Gwdihw is very hard to miss if you pass by; thanks to the work of The Ladderless Window Painting Company back in June, the front of the bar is a burst of bright colours, cheerily inviting you in. You’ll find a friendly reception to match its welcoming exterior from the staff behind the bar who were happy to answer even the age-old student plea of “what’s the cheapest drink you have?”, talking us through their all-year-round student discount offers.

If your days of studying are behind you, Gwdihw is still a great place for drinks offers, particularly on Gwd Mondays which boast “50% off booze, all day!”. Gwd Mondays provide something fun and different every Monday of the month including, but in no way limited to, comedy open mic nights hosted by James Dunn to Northern Lingo Bingo with Katie-Louise Green. There’s plenty going on during the rest of the week too though, such as regular gigs at the bargainous price of just £3 or £4 to see some of the best up-and-coming talent from Cardiff and beyond; look no further than the fact local songstress Maddie Jones has chosen the bar for the release party of her new E.P. on 29th October, which promises to be a night to remember.

The venue also plays host to eclectic monthly clubnights such as Pleasuredome (for all you 80s /electronica fans) and Mise en Bouche (for funk and reggae lovers), and even a night to show off your video- and board-game prowess, affectionately called Cardiff Geek Party. Our favourite event, however, might just be the Sundae Sessions on a Sunday afternoon, where you can relax with your drink of choice (whether it’s from their impeccably well-stocked bar, or something a bit warmer from their selection of high-quality teas and coffees) and one of their delicious warm paninis if you’re hungry, and enjoy stellar performances from the best local artists the city has to offer.

One of the factors which makes Gwdihw so special and particularly appealing in the winter months is their beer garden. In fact, it’s probably a bit reductive to refer to it simply as that. Stroll through the bar to reach their outside space and you’ll find a quirky selection of seating, from the more traditional picnic benches to a comfy collection of armchairs on the right, and a cosy little alcove to cwtch into on the left. Better yet, the garden has a roof and several small heaters lining the walls to keep you warm and protected from the elements!

So, a venue with friendly staff, top-notch bands and events, beautifully kooky decor, and an oh-so-cosy heated beer garden… Why aren’t you there now?!

Swn Festival 2015 (for The CDF)

[6th, 7th and 8th November 2015]

Arriving soon after the end of the Rugby World Cup which lit up our city, this year’s Swn Festival looks set to showcase another facet of what makes Cardiff the place to be – the capital’s thriving music scene. Across the weekend of Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th of November, Swn Fest returns for 2015 with another huge line-up, just as you’d expect if you’ve ever been before, playing in a variety of venues up and down Womanby Street and beyond. But if you’ve never been to Swn, let us at The CDF try and persuade you that 2015 could be just the year to experience it!

Swn Fest entered the world in 2007 after co-founders John Roston and BBC Radio One DJ Huw Stephens began working on an idea to bring a smaller version of the Texan musical showcase festival South By South West to their own corner of the world, utilising the growing number of live venues and plethora of local, largely unsigned, bands in Cardiff to create an eclectic music festival in the heart of the city.

It was an idea loved by thousands of like-minded music fans, if the volume of attendees each year since its inception is anything to go by. It’s not difficult to see why Swn is regularly nominated for the award of NME Best Small Festival, even winning the title in 2013, when you consider the calibre of acts who have graced their stages over the years. Bands who have gone on to become headliners in their own right such as The Vaccines, Alt J, Disclosure and The Cribs (who have performed at Swn twice, in 2007 and again in 2012) after calling in to Swn Fest indicate that there are plenty of undiscovered future stars to be found at the festival if you know where to look.

And that’s where The CDF can help you out, because we’re nice like that. We’ve been keeping a keen eye on the steady stream of line-up announcements this year and it looks to us like the high quality of bands and artists we’ve come to expect from Swn has once again been delivered in spades. With well over 100 acts playing across the two days, there’s bound to be something for everyone no matter what you’re into!

For those who dig the city’s increasingly eclectic DIY scene, “bipolar anti-garage rock band” My Name Is Ian and all-girl indie-pop trio Peaness are the most recent additions to the bill, along with the lo-fi power-pop of Personal Best and the “incorrigibly intelligent, darkly comical” uniqueness of musical collective Quiet Marauder.

And if it’s singer-songwriters you’re after, Swn 2015 certainly has plenty to share with you. Part of BBC Cymru’s Horizons initiative, songstress Violet Skies’ evocative and personal songs re-define the word ‘cinematic’ with her heartfelt lyrics and pretty melodies. Fresh from a short period of rest after a summer of festivals, Delyth McLean – another Horizons alumni – is bringing her impressive, bilingual vocals and increasingly confident stage presence to Swn too, following performances at HubFest and No.6 Festival. Another bilingual Welsh artist, Aled Rheon, is also one not to be missed; a folk troubadour with his heart on his sleeve, pouring emotions and reflections into his songs.

Another exciting proposition at this year’s fest is David Owens’ collaborative effort with the Young Promoters Network to present ‘The Wolves Of Womanby Street’, starting on the Saturday afternoon. Reportedly featuring a “potentially classic Swn secret set”, rock and roll upstarts Chapel Row and ska-punkers Upbeat Sneakers will hit the Moon Club stage before a highly-anticipated set from their fellow Merthyr Tydfil boys Pretty Vicious. Following a host of festival appearances over the summer and their first proper tour, the much-hyped heirs to the Brit rock throne are sure to pack the venue to the rafters and create one of those special “I was there” moments.

To celebrate the opening of Swn Fest 2015, a special event is being held the night before, Friday 6th of November, at the wonderful Abacus Rooms in St David’s House on Wood Street, which is becoming a more regularly utilised gig venue as well as a valued creative space and art gallery. From 5-11:30pm gig-goers will be treated to performances from the likes of Houdini Dax, Wylderness and Amber Arcade, and – even better – The CDF has been told the evening is free to those possessing weekend wristbands and to the acts playing at the festival.

On the subject of tickets and wristbands, they are available in weekend or day form at the price of £47 and £25 respectively. Tickets should be swapped for wristbands at the wristband exchange on arrival, and these will grant you entry to all venues hosting Swn Fest performances. Tickets are also being issued once again this year for 14-17 year olds, at £23 for a weekend ticket or £13 for either day. However, as some venues have their own age restrictions, people under 18 will not be able to access the entire festival but many of the gigs happening in the daytime before late-eveining will be happy to accomodate younger persons.

All tickets can be booked in advance through the Swn website or via the Dice ticket app, where customers are not required to pay a booking fee. Any tickets which remain unsold by the weekend of the festival will be available to buy on the day, but as these tickets are higher in cost and Swn so often sells out in advance (with only 200 tickets left at the time of going to press), it would be wise to get yours as soon as you can if you want to enjoy an array of up-and-coming acts and maybe even discover your new favourite band!

HUBFest 2015 (for The CDF)

We’re No Heroes – 29/08/15, The Moon Club (pictured above)

Saturday night at The Moon Club saw Cardiff-based funk purveyors We’re No Heroes take to the Bluebox Promotions’ stage for a performance which the band themselves described as “the largest we’ve ever sounded”.

Recalling a look first seen in their ‘Wildlife’ music video, the trio braved Pollock-esque paint-splattered all-in-one suits despite the rising temperature in The Moon Club as the crowd fed off the band’s energy and enthusiasm and bounced along to every song. Turning around from our vantage point at the front, if there was anyone in the venue left standing still – we couldn’t see them! Typically of We’re No Heroes it was a loud and lively set, with riffs and grooves aplenty, which included fan favourites such as ‘Atlantic Heart’, latest single ‘Voodoo’ and a brand new as-yet-unnamed song which closed their show. It wasn’t a memorable gig just for the band members, however, but also for the happy couple who got engaged mid-set! Not that that was enough to faze the band – “Crazy things like that seem to happen all the time at our gigs!” they said.

Speaking about their status as HUBFest special guests, as revealed exclusively by The CDF, We’re No Heroes were pleased to be gaining recognition in a city which they say has a unique sense of camaraderie and community in its music scene. Having started out playing student house parties, “which used to get shut down by police a lot”, the ambitious and hard-working band herald The Moon Club as their favourite intimate venue to play in Cardiff and loved setting their HUBFest 2015 performance there.

Going on to explain that they feel their live experience should be different to what they offer on record, in that they have a more raw and improvised live sound, the band are looking forward to what the future holds for them both in the studio and on stage.

 

Howl – 30/08/15, The Moon Club

Having previously referred to The Moon Club as their “spiritual home”, it seemed only right that Howl should stage their highly-anticipated final gig at a venue they hold so dear. It was also fitting that theirs was one of the closing sets of HubFest 2015, so festival organiser and Howl frontman Grant Jones could end the weekend on the most triumphant note possible.

Grant, plus drummer Tom Rees and bassist Marcell Davies, formed Howl in 2012 and in the three years since the band have gained a fervent following in Cardiff and a fierce live reputation amongst both fans and fellow musicians. There could be no stronger evidence of this than the sight of The Moon Club absolutely jam-packed to the rafters, to the point where the crowd were spilling out into the stairway and the doorman had been told no-one else was to be granted entry.

From the very beginning of their set, Howl’s audience left no question as to their adoration of the band and their music; at the first blast of their unique experimental blend of blues, garage and pure rock and roll, feet were stomping and arms were flailing, and by only the second song a parade of crowdsurfers had sailed over our heads already. The energy and intensity of the show was obvious in an almost comedic fashion as a steady stream of fans, looking dazed yet thrilled, in various states of undress, made their way out afterwards, leaving a visible fug of heat and sweat behind them.

Having explained their parting of ways in a personal statement released on social media, citing “individual decisions … that call time on culmative creations of a brotherhood, leaving it firmly immortalised in the past”, after tonight… Howl can be sure that they ended things with a roar.

 

The Bastard Executioner (for The CDF)

Who needs the Hollywood Hills when you can have the green, green grass of the Welsh Valleys? The team behind new American series The Bastard Executioner must have thought just that when they decided to set the fictional drama against the backdrop of Llanharan and Cardiff. The CDF spoke to one of its stars, Darren Evans, about filming in his native Wales, and what we can expect from the highly-anticipated series.

The historical epic is set in the early fourteenth century and whilst its writers have ensured that an air of secrecy shrouds the plot, Darren was able to tell us that the story focuses on Wilkin Brattle, a former knight of Edward I, who is haunted by the ravages of war and wants to settle down into the quieter life of a farmer. But when circumstances beyond his control force him to pick up his sword once again, it can only end in “the bloodiest battle of all”. The narrative also features elements of the Madog ap Llywelyn rebellion, which Darren likened to “as much a history lesson as an acting job”, helping him to learn more about the fascinating history of Welsh revolution.

The Bastard Executioner began life as an idea executive producer Brian Grazer had about a character who “deals with the highest order and the lowest order” in his morally-complex work as an executioner. After developing a concept with Sons Of Anarchy writer Kurt Sutter, the series was given the green light in December 2013, whereupon Sutter and director Paris Barclay travelled to the UK to seek out potential filming locations. It was at this point they called on the Wales Screen service for assistance. Wales Screen is part of the Welsh Government’s Creative Industries Sector, and encourages film and television productions to use Welsh locations, crews and facilities. Their team’s detailed local knowledge helped Barclay and Sutter decide on South Wales as the perfect corner of the world to set their show. After perusing possible sites such as Caerphilly Castle and Fforest Fawr, the village of Llanharan was chosen as the ideal shooting location where, prior to the beginning of filming in March 2015, a permanent set of a medieval town was constructed. Designed by Giles Masters, who Darren heralds as “an absolute genius” in his field of set design, it even has its own castle!

The Bastard Executioner is also one of the very first major productions to utilise Cardiff’s Pinewood Studios facilities. Boasting 70,000 square feet of shooting space across two stages and an additional floor, plus 70,000 square feet of mixed-use production space, Pinewood is set to bring a host of exciting ventures to Wales in the near future. Darren is very vocal about his hopes that projects such as these will open up more opportunities in his home country for those behind the camera as well as in front of it, “showing that you don’t necessarily have to move to London to find work”. In fact, Darren believes that even aspects of Wales we’re not so fond of, such as the infamous “dark weather” could be a draw for certain types of productions; although they haven’t suffered with summertime downpours too often on set, he says Wales’ weather “has actually helped with the tone of the show”.

Despite being an American production to be shown on American TV, The Bastard Executioner’s cast is largely British; a notable exception being Sutter’s wife Katey Sagal, another Sons Of Anarchy alumni. With Lee Jones as the eponymous executioner, star of True Blood Stephen Moyer takes on the role of Milus Corbett and Matthew Rhys, who is best known for US shows Brothers & Sisters and The Americans, appears as recurring character Gruffudd y Blaidd.

Familiar faces from closer to home include Port Talbot’s Kyle Rees as Calo Caine and Darren himself as orphan Ash y Goedwig. Rees was most recently seen in BBC drama The Interceptor and as the pivotal character of Carl the miner in the BAFTA award-winning film Pride. Darren will be recognisable to many from films such as Submarine and Hunky Dory, and also as the much-loved Danny Two-Hats in E4’s My Mad Fat Diary, where he received plaudits for his comic touches while educating viewers about the realities of teenage mental health. Along with filming The Bastard Executioner in South Wales, Darren is also busy travelling to and from Bristol where he is reprising his role as the Chef in the second series of Galavant, a musical-comedy set in medieval times and another series made in Britain for American TV. As their parts in The Bastard Executioner will see them beamed into living rooms across the US, the young actors are sure to see their profiles rise on both sides of the Atlantic.

The show was given a shot of publicity over the summer when it was announced that global music superstar Ed Sheeran would be a recurring character in the series, playing the ambitious protégé of a high-ranking church elder, known as Sir Cormac. Speaking earlier in the year about his hopes to surprise people with the nature of the show and his part in it, Sheeran said, “It’s really, really dark. It’s gruesome … I wanted to be in something people don’t expect me to be in”. Sheeran was also responsible for another blitz of media attention the show received last month, when he was pictured on a night out in Cardiff with his co-stars. Darren was happy to assure us how “lovely, down-to-earth and genuine” Sheeran was both on set and off, and described meeting him as a dream come true for such a big fan of his music.

The Bastard Executioner premiers on US television channel FX on the 15^th September for a ten-episode run. At present, there’s no word on if or when the series will be shown on British TV, but fingers crossed they won’t keep us waiting for it too long!

Street Art in Cardiff (for The CDF)

From Roath to Splott to the city centre, you’ll have been hard pushed to miss the fascinating collection of street art springing up around Cardiff in recent years, turning the capital into an urban, outdoor gallery with pieces commemorating Welsh history and culture, adding colour to empty spaces, and even provoking debate on the subject of censorship in art. Popular works include Zed1’s ‘Love Thy Master’ on the side of Porter’s on Bute Terrace, Phlegm’s majestic Welsh dragon overlooking City Road, and several large murals along Northcote Lane including a piece by Mexican artist Le Super Demon. To learn more about this upsurge in street art, The CDF spoke to illustrator Phil Morgan, whose eye-catching artwork adorns many a city wall, and to the collective behind the Empty Walls street art festival, The Modern Alchemists.

However you spend your time in Cardiff – be it in the shops, the pubs or even just waiting at the bus station – it’s likely a piece of Penarth-born illustrator Phil Morgan’s inimitable street art will have caught your eye somewhere in the city. Bold and colourful with touches of humour in every one, his pieces add vibrancy and talking points to areas as diverse as Clwb Ifor Bach on Womanby Street and Roath Park Primary School. Having begun his career as a freelance illustrator by producing artwork for Crayon Skateboards, Phil says he first became involved in painting on the street when he produced a wall mural for Milgi on City Road in Roath. The alley behind the vegan restaurant and bar is home to his painting based on Kanye West, cleverly using the eatery’s shuttered windows as Kanye’s trademark glasses. From there, Phil became involved in The Modern Alchemists’ initial Empty Walls project which was part of the Made In Roath arts festival in 2013. Creating another wall mural, this time in a lane just off Pen-Y-Wain Road, he crafted a giant Loch Ness Monster-esque pencil printed with the motto “School Is The New Cool”.

When The Modern Alchemists invited him to participate in the following year’s Empty Walls festival, Phil created the much-loved ‘Dude Looks Like A Welsh Lady’ piece on the side of the Abacus Rooms art space in the city centre. Some seven months after its creation the ‘Dude’ was threatened with being covered up after the city council received a complaint from an anonymous member of the public. With the news sparking a wave of support for Phil and the painting, the idea of covering it up was thankfully dismissed. Speaking on the subject of the controversy for the first time, Phil says “art is there to be looked at, talked about, love it or hate it. Art is always going to shock or divide people’s opinion. If you love a piece of artwork, share it. Tell people about it. If you don’t, then keep your opinions to yourself.” Long live the ‘Dude’!

The idea of an Empty Walls festival in Cardiff was dreamt up by artists Helen and Sam, collectively known as The Modern Alchemists, who run the aforementioned Abacus Rooms in St David’s House on Wood Street. Wanting to create a sense of community among artists in the city and provide a central platform for their own and other artists’ work, Helen and Sam established the gallery and creative space a little over a year ago with the help of Promo-Cymru. Having experienced a lack of opportunities and forums for young artists, the duo developed an ethos of “if we’re not allowed to go to someone else’s party, we’ll just have our own!” So, with assistance from the Made In Roath festival and a small Arts Council grant, The Modern Alchemists’ first foray into street art took place around the streets of Roath. The following year, they decided to develop it into a bigger affair and moved the festival to the centre of Cardiff to spruce up the corporate scenery of the inner city shops and office blocks.

Visible from The Abacus, just across the road, is Helen’s favourite piece from the 2014 Empty Walls festival; Welsh artist Phlegm’s skeletal mythical creature, based on the old Welsh tradition of Mari Lwyd, can be seen snaking its way down the side of Marland House. Sam’s favourite is a little further afield, a colourful piece on Inchmarnock Street in Splott by French artist Russ, who was inspired to create the painting after reading an anthology of Dylan Thomas’ poetry. They both agree, however, that the best part of the festival was its DIY community aspect – creating an international network of artists from all over the world who travelled to take part and share their artwork with the city. They are also proud, and rightly so, of the public’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to the street art that has sprung up to decorate the city, as they say art should be about interaction and “a dialogue with the public … something different going on in their landscape”. Having taken around a year to plan the Empty Walls festival of 2014, The Modern Alchemists chose to rest the idea for 2015, focusing instead on producing their own collaborative exhibition, ‘Smoke Without Fire’, which explored the themes of control, ritual, the unknown and the uncanny, and ran throughout July at The Abacus. They are, however, already considering a possible summertime return for the project next year as Sam ruminates on the idea that “street art doesn’t necessarily have to be just painting”, and that the next festival could be based on temporary art and alternative crafts such as sculptures, installations, billboards and projections. As Helen fittingly concludes: “there are lots of possibilities… It’s exciting!”

Freshers @ Gwdihw

Presented by Native Events, this Freshers @ Gwdihw gig gave me serious cool points amongst my fellow new students when I was able to take them to one of my favourite venues safe in the knowledge that they were bound to enjoy three of the best up-and-coming bands in Wales and the West.

Dharma Violets (which is an excellent band name, may I just say) kicked the night off with their unique brand of rock, often reminiscent of mid-90s indie but with a fresh edge, played with passion and precision.

Next up was an energetic performance from sibling-fronted band Why We Love, deploying a charming combination of heartfelt vocals and sweet, joyful melodies you can’t help but dance to. The foursome are from Bristol but frequently play in Cardiff to their growing fanbase in the city, as seen at August’s Hubfest weekend where they blew everyone away on The CDF’s Night Jar stage. Currently working on their second record after the success of their ‘Fake A Death’ EP, Why We Love will be back in Cardiff on the 30th October at Womanby Street’s Clwb Ifor Bach.

And then came Rainbow Maniac. Following their own Hubfest performance at The Moon Club, I had heard nothing but good things about the four-piece who offer their music to anyone who likes “that rock and roll”. I very much do, and so I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about. They didn’t disappoint for a minute, having squirrelled themselves away to hone their sound before sharing the result at gigs throughout the year. It’s easy to see why the band have developed a sizeable following in their native South Wales, showcasing their vintage-tinged songs complete with funky riffs and dynamic drumming. An impressive cover of The Zombies’ ‘She’s Not There’ saw plenty of people crowding onto the dancefloor in front of the stage and Rainbow Maniac kept them dancing into a frenzy until their final, riotous song.

As the only event with ‘Freshers’ in the title that I actually went to… I chose well.

Them Dead Beats – Give Us A Minute E.P.

Promising “a pure, filthy whirlwind of raucous rhythm and well-directed energy”, Them Dead Beats’ debut EP ‘Give Us A Minute’ delivers all that and more. Twinning garage rock and blues to produce their own unique rock and roll sound, the two-piece have quickly gained a reputation as an exciting prospect on the Cardiff music scene. Playing tirelessly across South Wales and beyond, the band are becoming known for their frenetic live shows – featuring the odd stage invasion – and their chaotic live energy is conveyed effortlessly on this record.

With drummer Rhys Gallivan setting an unrelenting pace, guitarist and singer Matt Taylor’s gravelly vocals fit the EP’s swing from punk to blues and everything in between. At just one minute and thirty-six seconds long, rollicking opener ‘Sharpshooter’ is the perfect introduction to Them Dead Beats; gaining airplay from ex-Kids In Glass Houses’ bassist Shay on his influential Nation Radio show and featured in David Owens’ Welsh music playlist for WalesOnline, it’s part fuzzy garage rock, part catchy punk sing-along. ‘Pop And Stop’ and ‘Call Them Sweet’, the only song to run longer than three minutes, sets the record’s stall out as just the right accompaniment to forthcoming summer nights spent dancing and necking whisky on the rocks. Recorded at Stompbox Studios with producer Todd Campbell, whose diverse credits to date range from En Garde to The People The Poet, Them Dead Beats create a pleasantly surprising full and bold sound for a duo whose comparisons with the White Stripes might lead you to expect a more stripped back affair.

‘Give Us A Minute’ is available to pre-order from Them Dead Beats’ Bandcamp page: https://themdeadbeatsmusic.bandcamp.com/releases, but if you’re after a physical copy the band will be launching the EP with a show at Undertone, Cardiff, on 18^th June where entry is just £3, or £5 to also get your hands on a CD copy. With support from Wet Painttt, In Bliss and Everyday Heroes, it’s sure to be an unmissable night!