John MOuse will release new single “When Wales Play Away” on Friday 4th June. This is John’s unofficial release for the Wales Football team at the delayed Euro2020 tournament.

Returning to the theme of Football, When Wales Play Away is inspired by the Wales travelling fans, known as The Red Wall/Y Wal Goch, which he experienced for the first time while playing to a sold out show in Budapest during the qualifying campaign for this tournament.

The tracks nostalgic guitar driven sound is a return to previous John MOuse albums and football themed songs, such as “I Was a Goalkeeper” and the connection with Wales “Whole in my Heart (An Area the Size of Wales)” and a departure from the last longplayer, “The Goat”, an Electronic Krautrock affair, which John has promised to return to for next years follow up album.

“I hope that this song really connects with the Welsh fans, and we get to sing it together soon at a live show, or in the terraces.” - John MOuse

The track is available on streaming platforms and available to buy on the John MOuse Bandcamp page.

https://johnmouse.bandcamp.com/

AmeriCymru: Hi Beryl and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. How would you describe your new novel The Bloodmoon Prophecy ?

Beryl: Thank you very much Ceri for interviewing me.

AmeriCymru: How would you describe The Bloodmoon Prophecy?

Beryl: The novel was inspired  by the hills around Port Talbot.  From where I live I can see two burial mounds outlined against the sky.  Port Talbot is heavily industrialised and I had an epiphany moment when I realised that the romans had been here in their struggle to subdue the local tribe the Siliurians.  I started researching and found traces of many prehistoric tracks and dwellings, burials and a late roman gravestone. There are circles and other sites that have not been excavated but go way back.  Some of the Welsh placenames are said to have commemorated battles between the local tribes and the Romans.

It is with this in mind that I undertook to write The Bloodmoon Prophecy, using the historical locations as my muse.  Gradually a story of Celtic magic, aggression, conflict and honour let itself be known to me. The two women involved in telling the story live 2,000 years apart.  I still don’t know if it is magic or real.  I leave you, the reader to decide.

AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about the ancient Welsh Tribe, the Silures?

Beryl: Wales has an ancient history and culture which will compares more than favourably with world culture.  It took the Romans 25 years to finally subdue the Silurians who occupied mountainous territories in the Southwest of Wales They were considered as the most hostile and brave tribe,  They were fearless in battle, but did not have the discipline, training or equipment of the Romans which was their ultimate downfall.  The Silurian launch of Guerilla tactics confused the Romans, which was a qiick onslaught and an even quicker disappearance into the hills, initially confused them.  Ultimately, they were outnumbered and when Caractacus was captured their resistance broke down. They inhabited the hilltops and farmed, raised cattle and made weapons out of a new metal called iron.    The Silurians were not just an isolated confederation of tribes.  The lived in a complex, highly organised and sophisticated society.  Women had substantial rights.  If they got divorced they took whatever dowry they brought to a marriage plus the profit it had earned.  There was a complex religious system headed by the Druids, who were responsible for negotiating between fights between the clans (there were a few), law making, bardic traditions and healing.  They were volatile, intelligent and creative, and on occasions violent. The ultimate discipline and tactics and superior numbers of the Romans defeated them.  Certain elements of the Celtic tribes were Romanised but the larger and remote populations hardly ever altered their lifestyle. Trade with the Romans and the taxes which they extracted did not subdue their identity and culture.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little aboiut your previous novel - Golconda?

Beryl: Golconda one of my previous novels was a story of Welsh Copper and the world wide trade which it stimulated.  Wicca and the plight of the Indentured Servants which were used before slavery is highlighted. Port Talbot is known for its heavy industry, steel, formerly coal and its huge deep water harbour.  The Silurians seem to have occupied the flat tops and the hilltops. The coastal plain was heavily forested.  The Romans seemed initially to have arrived from the East.  They built a fort at Caerleon and subsequently went inland with forts established at strategic points.  Scapula invaded at various points through what is now the Welsh Borders and the Marches finally subduing the Welsh.  The river Neath was used to establish a fort named Nidum, the estuary being tidal was ideal for landing supplies etc.,

AmeriCymru: You write historical fantasy fiction. What inspired your interest in history? Would you agree with R.S. Thomas that it is not possible to ".... live in the present, at least not in Wales?"

Beryl: It is the unlikely background to my upbringing in the industrial town of Port Talbot.  My father introduced me to my love of history, taking me around the Abbey here, telling me tales of Margam Castle and the early Christian stones found in the tiny museum at Margam.  At nine years old I was hooked!  I owe him a debt which I could never repay.

I have always been interested in writing and coupled with my historical research it seemed to be natural to combine both in a novel.  BLOODMOON is the first of a trilogy.  I am busy beavering away on the second in the Series THE CARACTACUS CODE.  As usual I am planning the book, but sometimes the characters do something totally unexpected, and the plot takes another twist.  Typical of my screwy imagination!

R.S Thomas said “it is not possible to live in the present.  At least not in Wales.”  This is a statement to which I am in total agreement.  We are surround by castles, hillforts and legends stretching back into the mists of time.  Coupled with my fascination for locked boxes, enigmas and my Welsh cultural heritage it is sheer pleasure for me to write about such things.  There is not a lot known about the early Silurian/Romano period.  The mountains to the east of Port Talbot have been well excavated by the Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust, but not the area around Port Talbot. There was an attempt in the thirties.  For me the landscape tells its own story, which of course if a figment of my imagination.so fascinate me.    I consulted old maps and any books which I could find on the subject, which led me down a magical personal path of fascination which has stimulated my writing juices and have introduced me to the works of Wilson and Blackett, a controversial pair who have discovered a rich source of the legends and forgotten sources of old Welsh history, which academics seem to refute.  This is not an argument I want to enter into, but this is a fascinating source of material and legends and is followed by a lot of colourful people, which as you know Ceri, also fascinate me.  My head is full of the mysticism and legends of these people.

AmeriCymru: Where can our readers purchase 'The Bloodmoon Prophecy' online?

Beryl: The Bloodmoon Prophecy can be purchased on Amazon. 

AmeriCymru: What's next for Bee Richards? Any new titles in the works?

Beryl: Currently I am working on the sequel to Bloodmoon with the working title of  The Caractacus Code which I hope to bring out later this year.  Ceri I thank you for your time and interest.  Speak to you soon.

Artist:  SYBS
Single Title:  'Llygaid'
Release Date:  04.06.21
Format:  Digital Single
Label:  Libertino
Location:  Cardiff, Swansea, London, Europe
Social Tags: @SYBSband @Libertinorecs @Beastpruk

‘Llygaid’ is an exhilarating change of pace for a band whose adrenaline fulled anthems have made them one of Wales’ most exciting acts. Here Osian (Singer / Guitarist) and the band take us down a more reflective, jangly and at times bucolic and beautifully melancholic road.....plus it has Tubular Bells on it, an EXTRA reason to love it unconditionally!!

Osian explains the background to ‘Llygaid’:

“I wrote this song during my first year of Uni, and was definitely a change of pace for me writing wise. A lot of the songs I was writing at the time where very dancey and energetic so it felt good to do a song that was more inward looking, and the lyrics definitely reflect this and generally encapsulate those last few weeks of my first year in uni.

It’s really weird listening back to this one because we recorded the final bits and bobs literally a day before I went home for lockdown, a little over a year ago, which makes it even more nostalgic to me. Hopefully I’ll get to make some more memories playing this song live very soon!”

'Llygaid' will be released via Libertino Records on Friday 04.06.21


SYBS Online:

https://twitter.com/SYBSband
https://www.facebook.com/SYBSband/
https://www.instagram.com/sybsband/?hl=en
https://www.libertinorecords.com

Craig Charles is bringing his legendary Funk & Soul Club party to Feeder: The Homecoming at Newport’s Tredegar Park on Friday 9th July 2021. The last remaining tickets are on general sale right now from www.newport-events.com . Support for the homecoming will come from special guests The Magic Gang and Welsh bands Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard and Tom Auton and the Bottle Breakers.

Yes, the legendary actor, comedian, musician, poet and presenter; Craig Charles is a man of many talents. Having played with many bands, Charles has a good ear for the best tunes and in 2012 formed The Craig Charles Funk And Soul Club. Broadcasting for 10 years on BBC 6 Music with their prime time Saturday night slot, Craig Charles has gone from strength to strength, becoming a commanding figure and DJ in the UK funk and soul scene.

Currently live every Saturday Night for 3 hours between 6pm and 9pm on one of the nation’s most loved music radio stations, has garnered Craig global support as one of the UK’s foremost Funk and Soul DJ, commentator and promoter of new music.

Event organiser Mark Hopkins says, “We’re delighted that this will be one of the first major outdoor events in Wales and we wanted to make the party even bigger! Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club does exactly that, big tunes to get everyone moving. The show was originally going to be extra special with Feeder playing a hometown show and it’s going to be even more special with this now being one of the first live outdoor events in Wales.”

Headlining will be Feeder, led by Grant Nicholas leads from the front, alongside bass player and comrade Taka Hirose. The British rock mainstays are responsible for some of the biggest British indie rock hits in the past twenty years. With 8 top #10 studio albums and 20 top #40 UK, the band are responsible for such anthems, ‘Just the Way I'm Feeling’, ‘Tumble and Fall’, ‘Just a Day’, ‘Feeling a Moment’ and the widely loved ‘Buck Rodgers’.

Since forming in 1994, Feeder have released ten studio albums, spanning early albums like Echo Park to Comfort of Sound and Renegades. The Welsh rock band's ninth album All Bright Electric came out in 2016 and the band released their most recent album Tallulah in 2019, which was met with critical acclaim. The album peaked at No. 4 on the UK Album Charts on release and was supported with singles 'Fear of Flying', 'Youth', 'Daily Habit' and 'Blue Sky Blue'

Feeder have come full circle. More than two decades after their first show the band are reinvigorated, tapping into the essential, primal energy that first inspired them.

Support for this huge event come from very special guests Brighton indie band The Magic Gang, whose second album ‘Death of a Party’ received critical and fan adoration worldwide; NME hailed it as ‘A timeless and genre-blurring record’. The line-up also sees two Welsh artists performing, first up is retro rock outfit Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, who have received prestigious air play from BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens and disco-infused blues rock from Tom Auton & the Bottle Breakers who has just released his latest single 9 til 9.

Feeder,

The Magic Gang,

The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard

Tom Auton & the Bottle Breakers

will perform at Tredegar Park, Newport on Friday 9th July 2021. Tickets are on sale now from

www.newport-events.com

It is always a pleasure to welcome a new single from Tom Auton and the Bottle Breakers and their latest offering '9 til 9' is no exception. Following the success of their previous single 'Victim of the Groove' the band have released yet another high energy masterpiece laced with grinding bass and heavy blues riffs. To hear a sample (or purchase) click the Spotify link above. AmeriCymru spoke to Tom about the band, the single and his future plans.

AmeriCymru: Hi Tom and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to tell us a little about your new single '9 til 9’ ?

Wales is known for its stunning scenery and beautiful coastline. Created from several existing coastal paths – such as the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail – the Wales Coast Path has attracted thousands of tourists and walkers since its official launch in May 2012. This week sees the publication of  Weatherman Walking – The Welsh Coast , the book accompanying BBC Wales’ beloved weatherman Derek Brockway’s twelfth series of the popular BBC programme. Originally broadcast on BBC Wales, all eight episodes of the series are now being shown on the BBC and are available on BBC iPlayer.  

Wales is the first country in the world to have a continuous footpath stretching along its entire coastline – 870 miles or 1,400 km long.  Weatherman Walking: The Welsh Coast  contains 15 guided walks along the Wales Coast Path, each between 4 and 8 miles. They cover a good geographical spread of the coastal path around Wales, with walks in Pembrokeshire, the Llŷn Peninsula, Anglesey, Gower, Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Denbighshire and Ceredigion. [Full list of walks to be found below].  

“I am so lucky to present a programme like  Weatherman Walking . Not only do I visit many beautiful places but I also get to meet and work with lots of wonderful and talented people! Wales is such as beautiful country and each area has something unique to offer – from the light of Anglesey to the spectacular Pembrokeshire coastline, each section is full of history, myths and the wildlife. I hope you enjoy the book and the walks featured!” said Derek Brockway.  

“This is the first time I have worked with ‘Derek the Weather’ and it’s been an absolute joy. His passion for Wales and walking has been infectious, and it’s been wonderful to see the great affection the Welsh public has for him,” says Julia Foot, the Series Producer of  Weatherman  Walking: The Welsh Coast  for BBC Wales. “I have personally walked every one of the walks in this book, often with locals or path rangers who have given me a real understanding of the particular identity of that section of Coast Path, including the wildlife, history and secrets they hold. These people have helped bring the various coastal stretches to life, so they are no longer just 2D sections of an OS maps.”    

Each walk has its own chapter and includes an OS route map and essential information for walkers as well as directions. Most walks can be paired, meaning that they can either be done separately or as one long continuous hike. Each chapter presents lots of interesting information about the landmarks that can be seen on each walk, as well as about unusual local activities or people that Derek came across in the related episode.

Derek Brockway

Derek Brockway was born in Barry, South Wales and has been passionately interested in the weather ever since he was a young boy. A qualified meteorologist, he was employed by the Met Office for 20 years and became the main weather forecaster for BBC Wales in 1997. He now presents a number of radio and television programmes, including  Derek's Welsh Weather  and  Weatherman Walking . His leisure activities include walking, squash, skiing and leaning Welsh.

Julia Foot

Julia Foot has worked for the BBC for over 20 years as a researcher, Assistant Producer, Director and now Series Producer, and on a whole range of programmes, including with Ray Mears,  DIY SOS , and for Comic Relief. In 2018 Julia was nominated for a BAFTA for an  Antiques Roadshow  special that she produced about the Holocaust.  

List of walks

Where the walks are paired, they can be done together as one longer walk if preferred.  

Abereiddy to Whitesands (Pembrokeshire)

Abersoch to Llanbedrog (Llŷn Peninsula)

Llanbedrog to Pwllheli (Llŷn Peninsula)

Beaumaris to Trwyn Du (Anglesey)

Trwyn Du to Red Wharf Bay (Anglesey)

Fall Bay to Port Eynon (Gower)

Port Eynon to Oxwich Bay (Gower)

Porthcawl to Merthyr Mawr (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)

Merthyr Mawr to Southerndown (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)

Saundersfoot to Amroth (Pembrokeshire)

Amroth to Pendine Sands (Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire)

Talacre to Prestatyn (Flintshire/Denbighshire)

Prestatyn to Rhyl (Denbighshire)

Ynyslas to Borth (Ceredigion)

Borth to Aberystwyth (Ceredigion)