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‘Hiraeth: Longing for Home’, Bernard Kane

Nov 212012

Celebrating the release of their debut album, ‘Hiraeth: Longing for Home’, Bernard Kane and The Kane Players String Ensemble will perform all tracks in full at St John the Evangelist Church, Canton, Cardiff on November 30^th at 7.30pm. In addition, there will be a world premier of Bernard’s setting of Dylan Thomas’ ‘And Death Shall Have No Dominion’ for soprano and strings featuring special guest Helen-Jane Howells.

‘Hiraeth: Longing for Home’ is a collection of original compositions by Bernard Kane. They have all been inspired either by rivers, or the sea and that sense of Hiraeth which can strike when one is away from home for any extensive period of time. These works reflect that: from the shores of Bermuda, in the Sargasso Sea, to Bardsey Sound in North Wales; the river Taff in South Wales and the dramatic coast of New South Wales.

Tickets are available for £8 in advance from www.wegottickets.com (search ‘The Kane Players’) or £10 at the door (cash only). For further details, please contact Bernard on 07968 390518 or Bernard.kanejr@gmail.com or check out the website www.bernard-kane.co.uk

Friday, November 30th, 2012

7.30pm
St John the Evangelist Church
St John’s Crescent
Canton
Cardiff
CF5 1NX

Sŵn Festival returns to the capital

Music, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Oct 192012

Thousands of music fans are descending on Cardiff as Sŵn Festival returns to the capital. Sŵn promotes and celebrates new music coming in and out of Wales. It means ‘Sound’ and is pronounced ‘soon’.

The annual four-day event, founded by Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens and music promoter John Rostron, will play host to a number of established names and introduce local acts, as well as supporting new UK and international music.

The festival, which is now in its sixth year, will feature more than 220 bands playing at venues across the city including Clwb Ifor Bach, The Moon Club and Chapter Arts Centre. Welsh acts performing include Charlotte Church, Scritti Politti and The Blackout.

The winner of this year’s Welsh Music Prize is the rock band Future of the Left for their third album, The Plot Against Common Sense.

Click here to see Radio1 Presenter Huw Stephens on why he founded the Swn Festival.

Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens on Sŵn Festival from CreativeCardiff on Vimeo.

Guest Post: David Mahoney on the Cardiff Music Festival

Music, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Oct 152012

Cardiff has always been such an important place for me. Having grown up here, I returned to my home-town in 2010 after studying at Oxford and living in London where I worked at record label EMI Classics and artist management company IMG Artists.

The city has so much to offer, especially in the arts, and it seemed an ideal place to set up a music festival, especially given the wealth of musical talent, institutions and venues.

The festival wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the enormous good will of the Cardiff community. Their help and support have been fundamental in the success of the festival and I am so proud to live, work and come from the city.

It’s a place of inspiration and creativity, and can really stand up to the major European capitals.

Musically, we are very lucky to have institutions on our doorstep such as a world-class opera company, orchestra, conservatoire and numerous venues. Having lived in London, I firmly believe that we can compete with such places, and the vast array of cultural offerings, shopping, commercial entities and sport all contribute to this; not forgetting Cardiff’s social life, from the bars and restaurants of Cardiff Bay and the nightlife of the city centre, to the beautiful open spaces, cafés and boutique shops of Pontcanna where I now live!

In 2011 I set up the Cardiff Music Festival to promote young artists at the beginning of their careers, and give them a platform next to some of the biggest names in the industry. The festival has gone from strength to strength in its short history, with over 2500 audience members in 2012 in 4 venues across the city.

I have often been tempted to return to London, but Cardiff has always managed not to let me go. And I wouldn’t want it any other way…

Find out more:

@david_mahoney
Artistic Director of the Cardiff Music Festival www.cardiffmusicfestival.com
Artist Manager at Avanti Artists www.avantiartists.tv
Member of Only Men Aloud www.onlymenaloud.com

Creative Cardiff ready to forge ahead

Art, Cardiff Ambassador, Design, Digital, Film, Music, New Media, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Oct 102012

Cardiff struck a chord with members of the audience for the city’s Creative Exchange at the home of Bafta in London. The event was set up to show off the creative credentials of the capital of Wales with just one year to go until WOMEX, the leading world music showcase comes to the city.

Roger Pride, managing director of Cardiff & Co, who set up the event, said speakers had praised Cardiff as a forward-looking and innovative city.

He said: “I was struck by how enthusiastic both the speakers and the audience were at this event. The movement within Cardiff is now very much in the vanguard for the development of smaller cities.

“It is clear that there is more to attracting new business to a city than bricks and mortar, labour pool and the grants regime.

“Increasingly, people look beyond those hygiene factors and seek out the inner quality of a place.

“I was struck by how closely what we are doing in Cardiff matches the way academic writers are describing successful cities. It is basically that people make places – and the quality of life a city can offer is critical in attracting investment.

“Any number of cities have the basics but it will be the creative, innovative places that attract the people to build success. Cardiff looks to be well placed to take advantage of its quality of life and the Creative Exchange was a great opportunity to let a London audience share the city’s vision.”

View the Cardiff Creates video below or click here to see the Flickr Gallery from the evening.

Cardiff counts down to WOMEX, the world music event

Art, Business, Cardiff Ambassador, Design, Digital, Film, Literature, Music, New Media, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Oct 052012

With a year to go until Cardiff hosts WOMEX, the leading world music showcase, the city is taking the Cardiff Creative Exchange to London to show off the creative credentials of the capital of Wales.

The event, at BAFTA in Piccadilly on October 8, will attract a London-based media and creative services audience with a flavour of what’s in store at WOMEX and a panel discussion led by Cardiff-born radio presenter Huw Stephens, who also co-founded the city’s Sŵn Festival.

Cardiff is rapidly developing a strong international reputation as a cultural hub, boasting events and activities such as:

Artes Mundi – the UK’s largest international prize for contemporary visual artists, a biennial event which attracts artists from around the world, now in Cardiff for the fifth time

BBC Cymru Wales Roath Lock studios – drama village, home to Doctor Who, Casualty, Pobol y Cwm, Wizards vs Aliens, Sherlock?

Cardiff Contemporary – a visual arts exposé throughout the city in October and November 2012

Cardiff Design Festival – covering all forms of design, runs Sept 28 – Oct 14

Cardiff Music Festival – young classical singers showcased at various venues throughout Cardiff

Porth Teigr – a new Cardiff Bay development offering opportunities for businesses in the creative industries

Sŵn Festival – a city-wide contemporary music event, Oct 18-21 2012

Soundtrack Film and Music Festival – celebrating the powerful relationship between the two art forms, and has featured Danny Boyle and Gabriel Yared, Nov 14-18 2012

This burgeoning reputation provides the backdrop to Cardiff winning the bid over eight other cities to host WOMEX 13 (October 23 – 27 2013).

Adrian Clark, chairman of Cardiff & Co, the city’s marketing company, said: “Winning WOMEX for 2013 was a real coup for Cardiff. Cardiff is now one of the UK’s top centres for creative and media industries. It has shown it can attract established major international events such as Artes Mundi and has also become the city of choice for innovative awards such as the Lumen prize – the world’s first digital fine art prize.“

Daniela Teuber, WOMEX Director of Production has said: “The city offers a most favourable setting for our complex event and its 2500 delegates and many artists from all over the globe: truly professional, highly motivated local production partners; wonderful venues matching our multifaceted needs in close proximity; and Wales’ outstanding cultural wealth, hospitality and scenic beauty.”

Cardiff Creative Exchange is produced by Cardiff & Co, the body responsible for marketing the city, and takes place at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly from 6.30pm on Monday October 8.

Lineup for Welsh Music Prize gig announced

Music, Performance, Uncategorized, Welsh No Responses »

Sep 282012

Today the organisers of Welsh Music Prize are excited to be able to announce the lineup for the first ever Welsh Music Prize shortlist gig which will take place at the iconic Coal Exchange on Wednesday 17 October 2012.

Over the last year, they learnt a lot from other music prizes around the world and taking a note out of the Choice Music Prize in Ireland who found that running a concert of shortlisted acts added a lot of value to both the acts themselves and also the people who came to the gig.

Tickets are available for the gig from swnpresents.com and are priced at £10 advance. This is a 14+ show. Doors at 7pm.

Here is the list of acts who are playing the show (listed in alphabetical order):

Bright Light Bright Light
Cate Le Bon
Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog
Exit_International
Huw M.
Jodie Marie
Kutosis
Truckers of Husk

That’s 8 of the best Welsh artists (as chosen by a jury of over 100 music industry experts in Wales) playing in the same place, at the same time and all for £10.

Any questions please e-mail Marc on info@welshmusicprize or call on 07762919466.

Find out more www.welshmusicprize.com
@welshmusicprize

Guest post: John Rostron; Sŵn has grown into such a success. It’s completely thrilling.

Music, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Sep 272012

I came to Cardiff to study. I’ve never left. I was at college as the early movements of what became ‘Cool Cymru’ were beginning to stir. Myself and a few like minded friends – Tobes, Susanna and some others hijacked the student university paper offices one xmas break and put together a one off music paper. We wrote about all the exciting music we were hearing – new scenes which were emerging – new bands that made us want to travel to see them at every show – and the new bands in Cardiff which thrilled us. The paper found its way to Steve Lamacq, who interviewed Tobes on BBC Radio 1. We felt like absolute heroes.

For two years we immersed ourselves in Cardiff, publishing a magazine, Fine Time, that wrote about music, film, art, literature and all the great stuff happening in Wales and in Cardiff. We set up the first online listings guide to Cardiff – www.virtualcardiff.co.uk. It was 1996. We were a digital start up in a world of modems. We were way ahead of our time. Way ahead of what could be consumed online. Eventually we burnt out.

On the back of our work, Tobes landed the job editing ID magazine. Susanna ended up at the nascent State 51 company – back then a fledgling start up – now one of the leading digital music distributors. She then went on to edit The Wire online. Tobes progressed to Silicon Valley, heading up a digital company which last year was acquired by Walmart, where he now works.

I stayed in Cardiff, working in print, then radio, then TV, and eventually moving into concert promotion. I set up a festival with a friend Huw Stephens, who I first met when he was 15 and used to volunteer and write for Fine Time. He’d done rather well for himself landing a job at BBC Radio 1.

We called it ‘S ŵ n’ – which is Welsh for ‘sound’. We wanted something to happen in this city in which he had been born, which had inspired me to stay during those early years, and which had given us so many wonderful opportunities doing work we loved. I’m delighted that now, six years in, Sŵn has grown into such a success, run by, managed by and involving so many people from the city.

Though principally a music festival, this year it’s especially exciting that Sŵn has now begun inspiring many other creatives to work in and around Sŵn – there’s film screenings, art exhibitions and commissions of artist portraits. There’s a fayre for independent Welsh record labels. Pop up shows in local businesses. Music industry seminars. And it’s inspired a pilot academic music conference to start up in the City. It’s completely thrilling.

John Rostron
Senior Manager, Welsh Music Foundation
Co-founder Swn Festival www.swnfest.com
Co-founded Welsh Music Prize www.welshmusicprize.com

Sŵn festival takes place over Thurs 18^th – Sun 21^st October 2012. Around 200 bands play across over nearly twenty venues in Cardiff, a mix of established acts and new or emerging performers.

Find out more www.swnfest.com
@SwnFestival

Orchard up for National Live Music Award

Business, Digital, Music, New Media, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Sep 182012

Orchard is the only Welsh company in the running for the Regional Promoter of the Year award in the National Live Music Industry Awards being held on October 10 in London – after a great year which has seen performances by the likes of Dionne Warwick, Olly Murs, and Damon Albarn and Africa Express amongst some 300 concerts that Orchard has brought to Wales.

The Regional Promoter of the Year Award rewards the company which “staged the most impressive – whether it be for impact or ticket sales – regional dates of the year”, and it is the second consecutive year that the Orchard Media and Events Group has been in the frame for the honour. As Wales’ largest independent music promoter, Orchard stages concerts in a range of venues across Wales – from Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and Eirias Stadium in the north, to clubs like the capital’s Clwb Ifor Bach, and this year has also seen the company installed as operator of the world famous Brecon Jazz festival.

The award is open to online public vote on www.awards.livemusicawards.co.uk before September 21. The awards will then be staged on October 10 at London’s Radisson Blu Portman hotel before a music industry audience.

Pablo Janczur, who heads up Orchard’s entertainment division said: “It’s great to be the only Welsh nominee in this category after another great year for Orchard. We’ve got a very creative and dynamic team here, and all of us are keen to bring more business into Wales, and to give Welsh people access to the biggest touring acts. We’re up against some good names, but hope to bring some great success back to Wales, and show the potential of the live music scene here.”

Now in its third year, this is the only event dedicated to presenting awards to the business people who drive the country’s contemporary live music industry.

The £4m plus turnover, Cardiff based Orchard Media and Events Group offers a unique and comprehensive range of creative communications services in Wales and across the world, with clients such as Tata Steel, Principality Building Society, Johnson & Johnson, and the Welsh Government.

Orchard services include event management; production of TV commercials and corporate videos; online and print production; media planning and buying; PR; digital media; mobile and viral marketing; audio visual equipment hire; and consultancy.

Find out more www.thinkorchard.com
@thinkorchard

Special headline show from the Blackout

Music, New Media No Responses »

Sep 182012

Sŵn yesterday announced that The Blackout will be playing a special show at this year’s Sŵn Festival. The Welsh rockers will perform at The Globe on Saturday 20th October.

Merthyr Tydfil’s finest have been building their reputation over the past seven years and this year they release their fourth LP. The band have been touring chums of Lostprophets since 2006 and have certainly learned a thing or two about stage craft and songwriting. A massive rock sound and catchy and anthemic vocals are the order of the day here.

Top up tickets for the event will cost £2, which will be donated to the Young Promoters Network. The YPN consist of young people, residing in Rhondda Cynon Taff, aged between 14-25 who are eager to help arrange live shows and promote young emerging acts. Combining skills, experiences and resources, the YPN has been instrumental in bringing high quality live music events to young people in RCT. Welsh music journalist James Mclaren, who tragically died in August, was a supporter of the YPN and it was one of the organisations that his family chose to support in his memory.

Top up tickets for the event will be available from the wristband exchange at the Full Moon (Womanby Street) from midday on Saturday 20th October. These must be purchased in addition to a Saturday or 4 day Sŵn Festival wristband and will guarantee entry. Additionally a limited amount of tickets for this show only will be available for 14-18 year olds in advance at www.swnpresents.com from Wednesday (limited to 2 per person).

Gemma White, Event Manager said: “We’re thrilled to have The Blackout on this year’s line up, especially with the band being such positive music role models in Wales. We’re also really pleased to be supporting the Young Promoters Network. It’s a great organization that gives young people fantastic opportunities to get into the music industry.”

Spike Griffiths from Young Promoters Network said: ‘All at the YPN are extremely proud to be the chosen beneficiary for donations at this year’s Sŵn Festival.”

Additionally a further 82 acts have been added today, including Welsh language band Llwybr Llaethog who will perform a special 25th anniversary concert. The additional acts are Alone, ANiMAL, Astroid Boys, Beatbox Fozzy, Bof! (Gwenno + friends), Bright Light Bright Light, Candelas, Casi Wyn, Childhood, Cloud 4mations, Crushing Blows, Dirty Goods, DJ Cluedo with MC Local and MC Traumatik, DJ Kinzy, Drenge, Eddy Temple-Morris, Effluence, Elro, Enfield Tennis Academy, Esther, Face & Heel, Fear of Men, Foxes, Gala Drop, Gareth Potter, Goodtime Boys, Gwenno, Harry Keyworth, Hexstatic, Holy Mountain, Huw M, Jake Mattison (solo acoustic), Jethro Fox, Kid Chocolat, Kozzie, Kutosis, Laurence Made Me Cry, Llwybr Llaethog, Love Motel, Luke Sital Singh, M.I.K, Man Without Country, Martin Creed, Mazes, MC Vocab & MC Reepa, Mine, Mr Fogg, My First Tooth, Night Engine, Pale Seas, Pariso, Plyci, Pol, Pull Yourself Together DJs, R Seiliog, Rae Morris, Ratatosk, Richard James presents In Chapters, Save Your Breath, Seasfire, Sen Segur Sevans DJs, Spooky Bizzle, Stealing Sheep, Stubborn Heart, Sun Drums, Survivalists, Sweet Baboo, The Blackout, The Dead Beggars, The Earth, The Family Band, The Lay Lows, The Naturals, The Physics House Band, Tim & Puma Mimi, Toddla T, Trwbador, Wild Swim, Y Pencadlys, YNGVE

For six years Cardiff has played host to the annual Sŵn Festival, bringing some of the newest and most exciting local, national and international acts to the Welsh capital. Whilst still focusing on new and emerging acts, Sŵn Festival 2012 will also play host to some well established headline acts, as well as broadening the programme to include arts-based fringe events.

The four-day multi-venue festival will be held this year between Thursday 18th – Sunday 21st October 2012 at various locations across Cardiff For full details including line-up, venue details and ticketing go to www.swnfest.com

This year, Sŵn Festival is offering a 10% discount on advance tickets to those who are Unemployed, Students or NHS Staff at the time of their ticket purchase. These will only be available online at www.swnpresents.com

Tickets for Sŵn Festival can be purchased via www.swnpresents.com or www.TicketLineUK.com and from Spillers Records (Morgan Arcade, Cardiff). Earlybird tickets have now sold out.

For further details, including press accreditation at Sŵn Festival 2012, please contact Elin Rees – elin@elinrees.com or call 07917 308329

Find out more www.swnpresents.com
@swnfestival

Welsh Music Prize 2011-12 shortlist announced

Music, Performance, Welsh No Responses »

Aug 292012

Today, the organisers of Welsh Music Prize are very excited to announce the shortlist for the 2011-12 Welsh Music Prize which is now in its second year. The shortlist which was voted on by a jury of Welsh music industry experts, journalists, bloggers and DJs reflects the diversity of music in Wales with a mixture of male/female, Welsh speaking/English speaking and geographical location.

This year, we will be holding a concert featuring as many of the shortlisted acts as possible on 17 October 2012 at the Coal Exchange (more details below) to celebrate the talent and craftmanship that is currently happening in Wales.

Without further ado, here is the list of shortlisted acts:

Bright Light Bright Light – Make Me Believe in Hope
Cate Le Bon – CYRK
Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog – Draw Dros Y Mynydd
Exit_International – Black Junk
Future of the Left – The Plot Against Common Sense
Huw M. – Gathering Dusk
Islet – Illuminated People
Jodie Marie – Mountain Echo
Kids in Glass Houses – In Gold Blood
Kutosis – Fanatical Love
Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness
Truckers of Husk – Accelerated Learning

Huw Stephens, Radio 1 DJ as well as one of the founders of Welsh Music Prize said: “The success of the Welsh Music Prize in 2011 meant we had strong foundations for this years prize. The shortlist is full of varied Welsh albums with rock, folk and experimental music all featuring, and we see the Prize as a celebration of the great talent commiting to create memorable albums in Wales. The artists benefitted from the Welsh Music Prize in 2011, and this year we hope to build on its success.”

Co-organiser John Rostron and Senior Manager of Welsh Music Foundation added: “It’s so exciting to see this year’s Welsh Music Prize Shortlist. It’s a brilliant collection of albums which demonstrate just how strong the Welsh Music scene is. Now I just hope the Judges can find a way to pick a winner from such a strong shortlist! Over the past year I’ve met with the organisers of other National Music Prizes – such as Canada, Scotland, Ireland and Australia – who have all kindly helped us build and shape the delivery of the Welsh Music Prize. It was from encouragement by the Choice Meteor Music Prize in Ireland that we decided to add something new this year, with a concert on the eve of the Welsh Music Prize ceremony with as many of the shortlisted acts playing as possible. That will be an almighty gig! It will be a great place to support your favourites and hear some of the bands who are new to you. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Announcing: Welsh Music Prize concert
Having learnt lessons from the success of last year’s prize which was won by Gruff Rhys for his album ‘Hotel Shampoo’ and learning from our conversations with other national music prizes around the world, this year we have decided to hold a concert on October 17, the night before the announcement of the winner, at the Coal Exchange.

The iconic welsh music venue will play host to as many of the shortlisted acts as possible and will be open to the public for £10 per ticket available on the swnpresents.com website.

On October 18, we will announce the winner of the Prize. Details on this to follow as soon as they become available.

Here are some of the reactions from shortlisted artists:

Huw M: I’m really chuffed to be honest. If you think about what being nominated for the Welsh Music Prize actually means – to have produced an album that some people consider to be one of their favourites of the past year – is a real honour.

Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light: When I heard about the award being set up, I was so happy that something like this existed recognising the music emerging from Wales. There are so many great musicians, and wonderful people working in the music industry in Wales. I’m so honoured and excited to be shortlisted for the prize. However far you travel, and whatever you do, support from home is the best feeling in the world.

Cate Le Bon: Wales is teeming with exciting and unique talent, which this award has served to illuminate, so it is an absolute honour to be shortlisted for this prize.

Kutosis: There have been some unbelievably good records released by Welsh artists this year and we’re very happy to be nominated alongside them. Gruff Rhys won the award last year, and he’s a bit of a hero of ours, so that makes it even more special.Fanatical Love is our debut album and the first album Barely Regal Records have released, so to be shortlisted is a real boost for us and the label. The prize is a great idea and hopefully it will become a well established way of introducing Welsh music to a wider audience.

Find out more www.welshmusicprize.com
@welshmusicprize

Older Entries

CreativeCardiff: showcasing our city's immense creativity together in one place

‘Hiraeth: Longing for Home’, Bernard Kane

Sŵn Festival returns to the capital

Guest Post: David Mahoney on the Cardiff Music Festival

Creative Cardiff ready to forge ahead

Cardiff counts down to WOMEX, the world music event

Lineup for Welsh Music Prize gig announced

Guest post: John Rostron; Sŵn has grown into such a success. It’s completely thrilling.

Orchard up for National Live Music Award

Special headline show from the Blackout

Welsh Music Prize 2011-12 shortlist announced

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