Blogs
"Partly as a small curtain-raiser for my coming book The Snow Leopard of Moscow & Other Stories and partly in the context of what's happening in Ukraine, I've posted on my website some photos I took at Chekhov's house, with some thoughts thereon.
The book will be out shortly, later this month, all being well. Updates on my site and on Facebook as things hopefully click into place.
With best wishes,
Matthew G. Rees"
www.matthewgrees.com/events-
SKY BARKERS - NEW SINGLE 'BEHOLDEN TO NONE' OUT TODAY ON BUBBLEWRAP COLLECTIVE
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-03-05
Sky Barkers is an indie trio based in coastal West Wales. It is comprised of Joanna MacGregor Messore, Dan Messore and Matt Brown. They make groove based, hook heavy, vocal laden music - lyrically connective and energy driven, rooted in song-writing but with a wonky edge.
‘Beholden to None’ is their first single as a trio and speaks to the new sound that is emerging. “This is a song that invites you into one of my regular day dreams – what would life be like if I was a wanderer, a rover, a free soul flitting from town to countryside, sleeping in nooks of the earth and following old paths? Of course, it’s is a romanticised version of what it would actually be like to live that way – its more about that deep, simple urge to just get up and walk off. To be answerable to no one, leave no forwarding address - to know that no governing body or co-orperate nonsense can find you. To be elusive, beholden to none but the night sky”.
'Gorgeous' - Deb Grant BBC 6 Music
"t his is music for late-night beach campfires …blissful escapism" - Folk Radio
A Message from Gwenno Dafydd: AmeriCymru St David's Day Ambassador to the World.
Buy or listen to Cenwch y Clychau I Dewi (Anthem Dydd Gwyl Dewi / St David's Day Anthem), Links below
Link to parade video: https://fb.watch/bwOO5T_sq4/
Link to parade video: https://fb.watch/bwOO5T_sq4/
King Goon Announce long awaited debut LP - "Admit Nothing! Deny Everything! Lie! Lie! Lie!" Out 25.03.22
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-03-02
“Admit Nothing! Deny Everything! Lie! Lie! Lie!” is the long-awaited debut album from Swansea Ska-Punk band KING GOON , released on the 25th March 2022
Still buzzing from their recent Swansea Arena show 'King Goon' release their debut album to the world. Described as "11 tracks of high energy, genre-hopping melodic noise that mixes upbeat ska with alternative rock and dance" the band are keen to get their album heard, with feature track 'Gambling Fool' being the feature track of the mission.
King Goon were formed in Swansea in 2011. The original concept was for different groups of musicians to re-record the demos that guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Joel Morgan was making, hidden away in his bedroom with his beloved 8-track.
This idea, however utopian, proved impractical, and soon a band emerged, comprising of still-standing members Keith Robertson on guitar, James Mitchell (Galanastra / Doris Karloff) on bouzouki/keys/violin and James Morgan (The Afterglow / Salvador Sanchez) on bass/vocals - as well as a drummer, a percussionist, a lead singer and two backing singers.
In 2013 they recruited Hywel Griffiths (Judge Tuxedo/Greenmailer) to take over on drums,and released their first single, "The Playing Fields of Eton". An album was begun in 2015,and then abandoned after the engineer absconded with all the recordings. Several years and many mad gigs passed: the band headlined stages at the Swansea Fringe Festival, played for the BBC and made a name for themselves as an exciting and unpredictable live act. Then, in 2019, Elaine Forde joined on saxophone and the band
started work on their debut album proper, which was delayed massively by the pandemic,and is now due for release in March 25th 2022.
Released on 25th March 2022, the 11 track album will be available on all the usual digital streaming platforms, with physical copies available for order (CD’s) and pre-order 12” 180gm Vinyl from http://kinggoon.bandcamp.com .
The album was recorded over a 2 year period at Creature Studios in Swansea, and produced, engineered and mixed by Allen Chambers and King Goon. The release was heavily delayed due to a mixture of line-up changes, interpersonal chaos and...well, a global plague. The band describe the album as “11 tracks of high energy, genre-hopping melodic noise that mixes upbeat ska with alternative rock and dance, with a smidge of folk-punk swirled in for filthy measure.”
King Goon played the biggest gig of their inception on February 26th, at a‘mini-festival’ of Swansea-based bands playing at the newly-built Swansea Arena, following that up by supporting the mighty Afrocluster at The Garage Music Venue, Swansea on March 11th.
Welsh psych-rock band 'Holy Coves' are poised to release new 'The Hurt Within' single 25th March
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-02-28
North Wales Psychedelic rock band 'Holy Coves' are poised to release their brand new single 'The Hurt Within' on Friday 25th of March via 'Yr Wyddfa Records' .
Lead by Welsh Singer-Songwriter Scott Marsden , 'Holy Coves' find themselves crossing an unseen threshold on a fantastical new journey where new psych-hazed material spells an exciting new era for the collective.
Through long time friend and Producer David Wrench , 'Holy Coves' were put in touch with Texan Producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels / Explosions In The Sky) and have built quite a magical working relationship, one where Wofford found himself on Mixing and Mastering duties for the material and certainly contributes to their new sound.
Scaffolding around an old church
in scant countryside
a skeleton encasing lungs and a heart
that pulsate more weakly now
at the wrong end of a millennium
of belief and taxation
birdsong and evensong
are rarities nowadays
so a disembodied choir
of barbed wire
and its round hollow metal posts
murmurs low
to a congregation of livestock
a crew of crows guffaws
for they know all about
worms that abound
the marvellous underground
its secrets to keep
kiss me quick
kiss me dead
Jonathan Davies OBE announced as Honorary Founding Member of new and exclusive festival group.
By Ceri Shaw, 2022-02-21
Delivering over 500 annual events, Escape Records is Wales’ largest independent music festival company and taking the centre stage for 2022 is their brand-new family festival, In It Together . A new, three-day camping festival to be held at Old Park Farm in Margam across the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend (3 rd – 5 th June).
To support this new and forward-thinking event, Escape Records have today launched the In It Together ‘Founding Members Group’ - a dedicated team of influential and proactive Welsh icons who will help drive the event and brand forward. First to be announced is one of Wales’ true treasures, former dual-code rugby International and now TV pundit and charity president, Mr Jonathan Davies OBE.
Helping to raise over £30m for Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, Jonathan has continued to go over and above for his community and will once again be leading by example for one of Wales’ key industries. Reflecting on the launch, Jonathan commented:
“This is a hugely exciting project to be a part of and after speaking with the Escape Records team and understanding their vision, it was an easy decision to make.”
“In It Together has the potential to become more than just a festival name; instead, a legacy that encapsulates what the organisation is about, supports Welsh talent, charity and economy, and builds a community for all to smile and thrive. It’s an exciting time for Wales and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Speaking on behalf of Escape Records , Brand Engagement Manager Dale Evans said:
“It’s a huge privilege to have Jonathan join the In It Together family as our Honorary Founding Member. With a glittering sports and broadcasting career, and an inspiring commitment to charity, Jonathan is one of the nation’s heroes and we are delighted that he has joined us on this journey to create something so special for Wales.”
Born out of the pandemic and in recognition of the joint efforts to combat recent challenges, In It Together has a capacity of 40,000 guests and is unrivalled by anything else currently happening in Wales. The showcase event will also provide support to the Port Talbot community, with a specific interest in local schools, charities and sports clubs.
“Like Jonathan, we too are committed to supporting Welsh charity and have recently donated over £5,000 in tickets and donations to Cancer Research Wales and Velindre Cancer Centre as part of #WorldCancerDay. We also offer exclusive discounts (and in some cases free tickets) for NHS staff and will be dedicating an entire area of the festival to promote health and wellbeing. We’re proud to give-back and with Jonathan and the rest of the Founding Members on-board, we’re confident that we can continue to drive positive change for our communities.”
The In It Together Founding Members Group is invitation only, with plans to reveal the full line-up over the coming weeks.
The music line-up has however been released, with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Two Door Cinema Club and Clean Bandit headlining. The team are also committed to supporting local grass-root talent, working alongside Horizons / Gorweilon and FOCUS Wales, to showcase over fifty Welsh artists for their debut year and long-term plans to nurture the talent and hopefully one day, have them perform on the main stage.
The team behind this multi-genre festival also deliver some of the country’s largest outdoor events, such as Inside Out, Colour Clash, Escape, and Party At The Park - each with capacities ranging from 5,000 to 15,000. In It Together however, is set to be the biggest festival of its kind in Wales. Understanding the challenge, Dale added:
“In It Together is our biggest challenge to date, but one that is vital for our communities. It’s all that we've gone through and all that we've missed. A festival and a reunion, something that means all things to all people, offering a bespoke blend of music, arts, culture, and wellbeing. It’s a legacy, and we can’t wait to see it come to life this summer.”
The fifth release of tickets are now on sale, starting from £59 for day tickets and £129 for weekend passes, and can be purchased at: www.inittogetherfestival.com/
