SoundboardMagazine_Issue8_December2019

SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE • ISSUE 8 • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

INSIDE... PAGE 15

THE LOAD-IN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Here’s where you can pick up your
CHERYL BEER – HEALING SPIRIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
RISING STARS – DAISY B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 copy of SOUNDBOARD Magazine:
BUILDING OUR OWN NASHVILLE . . . . . . . . . 6
POETRY CORNER – HARRI POWELL. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 SWANSEA NEATH CARMARTHEN
WHO’S MOLLY?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Derrick’s Music The Music Shop Parrot Records
CLASSIC WELSH ALBUM – DAVE EDMUNDS. . . . . 10 Psicon Music (Neath Indoor Market) CARDIGAN
BRIAN BREEZE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Sin City LLANELLI The Cellar Bar
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE – TIM KELLY. . . . . . . . . . 13 National Waterfront Cadno Music CWMAMAN
JEREMY GLUCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Museum GORSEINON Cwmaman Theatre
SWANSEA FRINGE FESTIVAL 2019. . . . . . . . 15 Cinema & Co. Spider Music & Arts Centre
RECORD REVIEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Cover To Cover (Mumbles) MERTHYR LLANDOVERY
LIVE REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Square Peg (Sketty) Red House The Castle Hotel
NIGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Viva La Frida (Sketty) BRECON PONTYPRIDD
OH PEDRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Hen Dderwen (Sketty Park) The Muse A Strings
STUDENT LIFE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 ABERDARE CARDIFF
GIG GUIDE – DECEMBER & JANUARY . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Jac’s Spiller’s Records
LOST FROM THE SCENE – AJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
PSSSSTT!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 If you would like to stock the magazine and get lots of people to come to your place looking for it, please let us know.
SBM AWARDS NIGHT REVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . 27
ROBOSCOPES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 ISSUE #9 ADVERTISING DEADLINE: advertising
THE LOAD-OUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 17th JANUARY 2020 @soundboardmagazine

FOR PUBLICATION: FEBRUARY 1st .co.uk

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SoundBoardMagazineUK WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER?

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THE LOAD-IN SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

WAIT? WHAT? IS IT THAT TIME AGAIN? BLOODY HELL, DOESN’T TIME FLY WHEN
YOU’RE HAVING FUN? LAST TIME I DID ONE OF THESE I WAS STILL WEARING
SHORTS IN THE MORNING AND DRINKING BEER IN THE GARDEN FOR A COUPLE

OF HOURS WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK, JUST LIKE GOD INTENDED.

FEELINGS ARE RUNNING HIGH. AND IT’S GOOD.

PEOPLE CAN SENSE THAT SOMETHING

POWERFUL AND REAL AND POSSIBLY
IMPORTANT IS BREWING IN THE AIR.

NOW, I’M A HUDDLED MASS IN A SODDEN PARKA, convenience; random bursts of passing enthusiasms (“MY
SCUTTLING HOME IN THE DARK THROUGH HALF- GOD YOU HAVE TO HEAR THIS BAND!”) and – of course
FLOODED STREETS LIKE A GUILTY LOVER. – good, old-fashioned, random chance. Well, shucks; I
guess that makes us just like every other media outlet in
Horror show, right? Ah, well, it’s always nice and dry the whole world, then? And just who do we have to an-
at the gig, right? And you should always go to more gigs. swer to, anyway? Shareholders? Pfft.

Welcome, ladies, gents, humans, creatures and others – Yes, and – moving on – last night was the inaugural
of all ages and all gauges – to Soundboard #8. Glad you Soundboard Magazine Awards, held in the shiny, elegant
could make it. Great to have you on board. and modern confines of the lobby of the National Water-
front Museum, which had been set up and furnished ex-
Firstly, formalities: we (The Soundboard Team) would pertly by the wonderful and hard-working museum staff,
like to extend a grand and gracious and grateful greeting led by Zoe Gealy. It was quite the glamorous and fashion-
to you (the handsome, refined, tasteful and effervescent able place to be seen; sartorially, the leaders and trendset-
reader) and would like to thank you, from the bubblling ters were undoubtedly The One They Call Freaky (settled
bottoms of our collective hearts, for running your eyes on a winning look circa 1998, and saw no good reason to
and – in due course – your ears, over our regular humble change it) and the gloriously-trousered Huw Rees (rocking
attempt to present, well, just a selection, really – a thin the retired Breton fisherman look). The rest of us, well...we
slice – of the varied offerings that flow out of the fizzing, tried; but there’s some heights mere mortals cannot reach,
spitting, occasionally vulgar South Walian cultural god- only aspire to; there’s always next year. For a full report
head; a cup that, not for the first time, is beginning to on the evenings’ action, plus the winners and almost-win-
really fuckin’ runneth over. ners, please proceed immediately to page 27.

Yes, there’s a lot going on around here at the minute. Yes, and I’m happy to report that I enjoyed myself very
You can tell something is happening by the sharp rise in much – maybe even a little too much – but that’s what
the number of people who are, loudly and publicly, ques- happens when you go back to Rob Nelmes’ house with
tioning the motives and the integrity of others; this is a him. Even if Nige isn’t there, it’s still a bloody wild ride.
sure sign of potential, looming successes, always. Heh! The man himself (Nigel (Nige to his friends)) actually
called Rob on his (mobile) phone (Samsung S3 (black))
But, it is most elegantly true: Swansea does feel bloated while I was there, and they had a brief but extremely de-
and tense – pregnant with ideas and energy, and awash tailed conversation about the relative merits of three dif-
with heads and seekers and artists and grifters and chanc- ferent types of draft excluder, each only available from a
ers and proto-personalities – all out peddling their wares particular independent retail outlet, all located at opposite
and talking up their idiosyncratic versions of the truth of ends of the county.
the matter; and, on top of this, winter is coming and eve-
ryone is working on something to keep them busy over This was a task they’d been given by none other than
the long, dark nights to come. Nige’s Auntie Barbara, as Rob explained later over a late-
night Vimto. Apparently, Aunty Barbara was trying to
And here WE are, caught in the middle of all of this, lower her heating bill this winter, after an unexpectedly
trying to capture the best of it and encourage the rest of high bill last year meant she had to ration her pork pie
it. A great wave of wonderful art arcing over us like a spin- intake throughout most of the spring and early summer.
ning rainbow, and suddenly we find we’re now both the Which was a blow, and an experience she has no wish to
mainstream (cheers, Ross) and the plucky underdog being repeat. Lucky for her she has her nephew and his BFF (Best
courted by bigger beasts. A bind, eh? Caught between the Flipping Friend) to look out for her. If only we were all so
perception of an agenda and the actual reality of four peo- lucky, eh?
ple just blindly making it up as they go along.
Anyway, we do hope you enjoy Soundboard #8. We’ve
So, what’s an independent, self-run, completely unfund- worked very hard on it, and will continue to do our best
ed magazine to do? Our level best, right? Or, just whatever to bring you the best (and the rest) of what South West
we want? Well, that’s an option, certainly. But surely con- Wales has to offer. It’s a rich and varied tapestry, but there
science should play a part? Or do we make a concerted ef- are plenty of rooms in the mansion.
fort to try and do the most good for the people who need
the most help? Act tidy, be kind, shop local. JS

Well, yes. Or, most probably, no; instead, it’s a prob-
ably a blend of all those things, mixed up with, in no par-
ticular order: natural bias; editorial, logistical or financial

4

QUICK INTERVIEW SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

CHERYL RISING
STARS
BEER
HEALING SPIRIT IIIII

Following a lifetime on the road supporting the likes DAISY B
of Bob Geldof, Van Morrison and Lonnie Donegan, per-
forming to audiences of 25,000 throughout the UK & I’M 16 AND I’M REALLY INTO WRIT-
Europe, directing the largest women’s music festival in ING IN GENERAL, I’M CURRENTLY
Europe and touring the orphanages of India, Africa and WRITING A BOOK AND I’VE REGULAR-
Belarus as a musician and storyteller, Cheryl felt that LY WRITTEN SONGS SINCE I WAS 12.
she had no choice other than to hang up her strings.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve been making
CHERYL PHOTO: Donna Loring “IT IS LITERALLY AS IF THE SPEAK- songs recorded as part of her medita- up lyrics and making my family watch
ERS HAVE BLOWN IN MY HEAD”, tive journey, entitled Woman Needs a me perform them in the living room. I
SAYS CHERYL. Temple, which is also the name of her think what pushed me lyrically and mu-
new show for Oystermouth Radio (Sun- sically was seeing my mum perform.
“I wondered why the birds were not days, 7pm).
singing when I woke one morning. Over- I listen to pretty much everything;
night, my hearing had changed for life. On her show, Cheryl interviews it depends on my mood. One day I
I desperately searched the house, look- some of the women that inspired her could be listening to Billie Eilish then
ing for the high pitched squeal that was during her pathway home. “I made the next First Aid Kit, then Bowie. At the
echoing around my head, moment I’m really into Arctic Monkeys
wondering if it were the a sacred promise to the and Amy Winehouse.
fridge, the telly or the Universe in the darkness
fire alarm. I finally col- that if I could make my I really think the music scene in
lapsed in despair as I re- way back to the light, Swansea is getting better and better.
alised that the constant I would help others do I’ve always been aware of gigs and
cacophony of noise in her the same. My new show events going on because of my mum’s
head was in fact every is based in the beauti- involvement, but it’s really cool to see
musician’s nightmare: ful quiet churches and people my age now going out and see-
tinnitus, which quickly chapels that have been ing these local bands and events. Like
became compounded by my retreat, songs from at the Swansea Fringe Festival I saw so
the less known condition my new album and new many young people. I recently went to
called hyperacusis, a de- perspectives on tend- see Kikker at The Bunkhouse and they
bilitating and frightening ing to the human spirit were incredible. The energy and per-
sound distortion. When through chanting, mu- formance aspect was great. I’m excited
you are born to write songs, your soul just sic, crafts, Shamanism, to see where they go in the future.
keeps on writing, whether your ears can art, storytelling, soul midwifery and
hear them or not.” Reiki.” My inspiration is probably from peo-
There is a visual podcast that ac- ple around me. Generally things that
Slowly but surely, Cheryl grew the companies each show which will be effect me or people I care about. I see
courage to step back into music but shared by Welsh Connections, and Tiny strong women or people on TV or char-
this time, the quiet presence of mind- Little Bird from Cheryl’s album is part acters I read about and just think about
ful meditation became her practice, of December’s Welsh Playlist, aired in them while I’m writing.
studying Sanskrit Mantra as a therapy, Wales, the UK and across the Atlantic.
giving total commitment to healing For more details of Cheryl’s work: I usually write lyrics from the top of
her spirit. www.cherylbeer.om my head and then afterwards figure out
what my subconscious meant. Lyrics
Now, three years on, she has released are what I focus my attention on more
a new album of humble and moving than anything. I’m not so confident in
the instrumental aspect so I rely heav-
ADVERTISE YOUR music / gig / shop / venue ily on my lyrics and voice.

[email protected] My next gig is at the Elysium Bar on
the 5th December. I performed a short
set at the Fringe Festival, so I’m hoping
that I can share more songs I’ve writ-
ten. Also I would really like to experi-
ment and collaborate with other artists
or musicians to find my ‘sound’.
If you’d like to get in touch with Daisy,

please email us at:
[email protected]

5

COUNTRY MUSIC

BUILDING OUR OWN

Country Music is currently the UK’s fastest growing genre.
Eleri Angharad looks at why that might be, and who’s hot on the local scene.

WITH THE LAUNCH In the book Ghosts of My Life, author Hawthorn Avenue
OF NATIONAL RADIO Mark Fisher makes links between times
STATION COUNTRY of political turmoil, neoliberalism’s de- Holy Home Video
HITS EARLIER THIS struction of solidarity and security and
YEAR IT’S SAFE TO a rise of retrospectivism across popular Natalie Jones
SAY THAT COUNTRY music. He gives Adele and Amy Wine- Alan Jackson: “Remember When!”
MUSIC IS CURRENT- house as examples who both subtly nod
LY SURGING IN POP- to previous decades with their musical And now that we have some in-
ULARITY IN THE UK. and personal style. So is this a retro sights into why we love Country Mu-
American Country artists are regu- gimmick or is nostalgia the new norm? sic I will point you in the direction
larly touring the UK and Country of some wonderful new country art-
Music festivals have also cropped up From a psychologist’s perspective ists across the grass-roots Welsh mu-
all across the country. C2C run by Hepper describes nostalgia as the “warm sic scene that you should definitely be
BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris had 80,000 and fuzzy feeling”, Wildschut states that listening to.
attendees in 2018 and smaller ones it “compensates for uncomfortable states
include Buckle & Boots, Nashville Meets and elevates meaningfulness” and Jame- Swansea’s original country song-
London and Long Road Festival. son paints nostalgia in a negative light stress Natalie Jones released Love‘n’Stuff
UK acts Ward Thomas and The Shires by saying we are “condemned to seek a last year and has some fantastic new
both topped the Album and Singles past which remains forever out of reach”. music in the making. Rosey Cale has
charts bringing country into the UK released two new singles this year:
mainstream, and there are thousands If we look briefly at the current UK cheating song Mary Jane and her
of upcoming signed and independent political and domestic climate, we newest love song Keeper. Hawthorne
artists following in their footsteps. have had hung parliaments, frequent Avenue have their brilliant debut EP
Bob Harris says: “I’ve been doing the changes of Prime Ministers, the loom- Wildfire, Bryony Sier’s New Generation
country show for 15 years now, and in ing uncertainty of Brexit, along with focuses around mental health and ex-
the whole of that time I’ve never known public sector cuts, restructuring of ceptional duo Holy Home Video have
things to be quite as exciting as they are the benefits system and a rise in zero vocal harmonies which will send
today. Country is now appealing to a hours contacts, food banks and finan- shivers up your spine. And of course
completely new young generation.” cial insecurity. Are we then keen to ro- if you’d like to listen to my debut al-
So why is Country Music growing so manticise the past as a simpler time, bum Earthbound that would make me
rapidly in popularity? There is of course when the world we knew was more one very happy lady. EH
the affect of globalisation and technol- secure and easier to comprehend?
ogy with the internet making all music
available to a worldwide audience at Without loss, nostalgia really has
the touch of a button, and social media no power, therefore throughout pe-
allowing artists and bands to create a riods of disturbance, loss of security,
huge online following. US country-pop jobs, money, and often hope it can be
artists such as Taylor Swift and Miley harnessed as a coping mechanism or
Cyrus created a gateway into country indeed, a marketing strategy.
music for millennials and recently the
TV show Nashville and Bradley Cooper’s To take Brexit as an example, co-
top grossing remake of A Star Is Born inciding with Trump’s Make America
starring Lady Gaga are bringing the Great Again campaign there is an as-
genre into a new generation. tounding emphasis on taking BACK
I do feel however that there are control and becoming great again, as
deeper reasons for younger audiences if we have lost something we must
to be drawn to the country genre and now get back. Rejecting the complexi-
it wouldn’t have become the UK’s ties of globalisation and looking back
fastest growing genre without a read- to simpler, more secure times.
ily receptive environment. According
to The Guardian article From Nashville So how does this come back to
With Love, music fans are “drawn [to Country Music? Is the current nos-
Country] by musicianship and authentic talgic climate not the perfect setting
storytelling”, which brings me on to for Country Music to make a come
discussing our craving for authentic- back with its simple ‘three chords and
ity and a new culture of nostalgia. the truth’ philosophy and themes of
walking memory lane, home, family
and simple rural life? Nothing inse-
cure or unsettling there. It creates a
safe haven. We like reliving memo-
ries, it’s comforting. In the words of

6

POETRY

Harri
POWELL

LIKE GOLDILOCKS, BUT WITH SBM: Where was your favourite performance and why?
ANGST INSTEAD OF PORRIDGE. The biggest gig Curious Orange have done is definitely Gay Pride 2016
in Bute Park, I didn’t think I’d ever play in front of that many people
SBM: Tell us about your poetry to be honest, well over five figures, and it just stands out as a memo-
I think a lot of it comes from a place of anger and frustration to be rable but trippy day. Truth be told, I’m surprised they let us play on
honest. It’s a cliché to call it a cliché by now, but it really is a release the same stage as Steps and we must not have been shit because we
for me. It’s a tool to release negative energy. I use a lot of internal have played there twice since then. My favourite spoken word per-
rhyme, alliteration and word play. I typically write in free verse, but formance was at Big Love Festival a few years back. I had a rant about
had previously dabbled with the odd occasional haiku from time the education system and got a warm reception. I have also done
to time too, but feared that they might be a gateway to sonnets, so some cool castle gigs that stand out.
stopped. I have written happier things too. So I can sell seashells on SBM: What’s your take on the scene around Swansea?
the seashore in Seychelles on a seesaw, see? There are some tidy places to perform and some nice individuals on
the circuit. I think that the lack of money in poetry really impacts
SBM: What inspires you to write? the perceived value it has to a modern day public. There are some in-
I only started performing my poetry because my therapist encour- dividuals that work very hard to help the scene, this includes artists,
aged me to do so. I have always written songs [with band, Curious Or- venues, promoters, punters etc., but as is the case with most places
ange], but she suggested I share my words with others. I never really where money is involved, there are some egos as well. I don’t really
ponder much why I still do it though. I think I’m just trying to find get it to be honest.
the perfect rhyme for narcissistic need for approval. I like to swear SBM: Where can people see you, hear you, read your work?
at certain open mic nights because I get a kick out of the ‘it would #powetry on Facebook will probably do the job. I thought about
have been good without the foul language’ comments. I do this for doing a blog but it’s a big elephant and I can only take small bites at
me and the lack of fucks really is empowering, you should try it, I’m the moment. It takes a lot for me to want to perform spoken word,
sure your therapist would be over the moon. mainly because this is such a personal thing for me, so I tend not
to announce where I am going to be and just turn up. I occasion-
SBM: Why is ‘More poetry needed?’ ally organise to do spoken word gigs but not as often as I do music.
Because the council used public money to pay someone to spray it on Performing with Curious Orange is easy as I don’t feel so exposed due
a wall. Is ‘More Poetry wanted’ though? If it was wanted, why would to the good energy we have on stage as a band, but whether or not I
they use public money to remove spray from a wall? Personally, I perform poetry really does depend on my mood at the time. I think
don’t think poetry is necessarily needed, it just IS. It is everywhere I need to be the right level of tampin’, like Goldilocks but with angst
and some people just so happen to put words to it. It can’t be stopped, instead of porridge.
regulated or controlled by any authority and exists beyond our agen-
das. That’s not to say it’s bulletproof from exploitation though.

SBM: Who inspires you?
I genuinely consider Lose Yourself to be the most technically sound
poem in the English Language so far this century. Beat Poets like Ker-
ouac and Ginsberg had a big influence, as well as Edgar Allen Poe and
Dylan Thomas. Beyond that I am inspired by the lyrics of musicians
like Amanda Palmer, Jim Morrison, Dani Filth and others.

I KNOW SOME OF THE KINDEST A PAY GRADE
ABOVE SLAVERY
Priceless prizes of stubborn, whose sole purpose is
to solve the soul at 4am crawling up walls, folded Our fathers worked down the mines
In houses gone cold from old gold, counselled and For us to work with our minds,
consoled by their new games consoles in false start We were once the centre for coal,
apartments apart from the mould, a part of the mould. Now we’re in call centres,
Radical rogues with silly smiles and art in their eyes. In control of the World’s copper,
Stressed, depressed vessels of value that float freely Now the coppers are in control of the World,
through the laughable latitude of life, empathetically Back then, we would find the work hard,
pondering the hypothetical pathetically and the but now it’s hard to find work.
pathetic hypothetically.
Feeling beings seeing meaning in the minor things,
adoring all the finer things, exploring yet ignoring any
sign of boring pouring from the linings of their findings,
open-minded without ever having an empty head.

7

INTERVIEW

TOUCHING THE SKY...

From supporting George Ezra, playing Chris Evans’ aftershow party
and penning a soundtrack to the 2016 Rio Olympics, to featuring on a Tom Cruise movie trailer,

these Swansea lads are exploding into the stratosphere with more than 1.5 million streams.
Soundboard’s Mike Kennedy caught up with frontman Karl Morgan to find out what all the fuss is about.

How did Who’s Molly? get started? When did you begin to realise that ence and belief but, we believe in the
We’ve all been friends for years, in things were happening? band and want to make sure we look
I guess I realised we had something after our music as much as we can. It’s a
and out of different bands in Swansea/ soon after we put out our first EP. The bit like an iceberg, you only see the suc-
Neath. I had been writing songs for a lead song Touch the Sky was request- cesses, there’s a whole load of work un-
while and I knew the other boys had ed by the IOC (International Olympics der the surface in trying to get the mu-
too, so in 2016 we thought it might be Committee) for their Best of Rio com- sic heard that comes to nothing. Lots of
cool to get together and start an original pilation video. It was a big thrill and promises and lots of nearlys.
band. We all dig the same music so we’d instantly spread the word about the In three years we’ve managed to get
try our hand at the “music business”. band. Our producer Pete gave me the a song on a Tom Cruise movie trailer
We released our first EP that year. There heads up they were interested and (American Made) been asked to write
was lots of writing, lots of rehearsing then you have this long wait before the official track for the 2018 Euro-
and lots of trying to get our style right. it’s confirmed. I remember watch- pean Championships, get a bunch of
ing it for the first time and finding TV synchs with companies like Mer-
L-R: Mat Williams (Lead Guitar), Karl Morgan it hard to believe cedes and McDon-
(Vocals/Guitar), Rhys Morgan (Drums) something that alds and rack up
Where was your first ever gig? nearly 1.5 million
We try to writewas conceived in streams on Spotify.
The first time I got up on stage was We’ve also played
at the Heathcliff Social Club in Swan- my kitchen was shows with the
sea. My uncle used to drink there and likes of James Bay,
my dad played football for their team. every day, whethersoundtracking Jess Glynne, George
I was a shy 13 year old and got up and
played a Stereophonics song that I’d “the great and the
been learning, although I’m not sure
it was the right audience for it, they it’s good or bad justgood from the
were lovely and cheered me on. I got write. Keep the tap2016 Olympics.
into songwriting at about 18 because We were blown dripping because Ezra and Paloma
of my parents’ record collection and away because Faith. Our lat-
played every venue that would have they’d edited est release Until I
me. Whether it was a packed room or Found You has had
a “get changed in the toilet” pub to eventually the waterevery frame of more than 75,000
learn how to hold a crowd. The first streams in its first
gig we did as a band was at the Bed- the video to our month.
ford in London. You seem very grounded and level
runs cleanlyric. We’ve been

lucky to have a

”few of those moments.
Why have you never released a physical headed. How do you stay that way?
product? Cement boots. I come from a hard
That’s a good question, and one working family, my mum and dad
I don’t really have an answer for. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
played a songwriter’s night earlier this There’s been a lot of success but on
year with my mate Steve (Balsamo) and the flip side a lot of rejection so you
when everyone was plugging their lat- have to just stick your head down and
est signed CD I said: “We’ve only got t- keep going. It’s easy to get caught up in
shirts for sale tonight so you’ll have to the hype, and I’ve seen a lot of people
go online to hear our music”. do it. But all the bands we love have had
I think as much as I love a physical it hard and had to work their way to the
CD, Spotify & Apple Music now enables top, so I’m ok with that. I like to think
you to release your songs worldwide on we’ve built a small but mighty team.
the same day so everyone gets a chance What’s it like when you come back
to hear and experience it at the same home, are you recognised in Swansea?
time. Having said that I’d love us to re- Umm I guess a little, we have a
lease on vinyl one day. good social media presence and like
Tell me about how you’ve become such a to call our fans friends.
success with no manager or major label. I think when people invest in you
It’s been hard work, a lot of persist- and your music it’s the biggest com-

...IN CEMENT BOOTS

8

SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

Holding the WHO’S MOLLY?
35,000 crowd
at Carfest 2019

pliment ever. So we try to be as ap- Steve get up and play and sing with us.
proachable after shows, and get out Who should we be watching on the
and about as much as we can. Swan- scene right now?
sea is full of characters so you do get
the odd shout across the street “Oh I really like Sam Fender’s style, very
butt, Who’s Molly then?” throw-back Springsteen meets Brandon
What’s the best gig you’ve played? Flowers. But locally there’s been a cool
band resurgence which is great to see.
Last year we went on stage just be- Any advice for the up & coming bands
fore George Ezra at Carfest North. We right now?
line checked to about 200 people and
walked out on stage four hours later to Persistence and work ethic is key,
35,000. we try to write every day, whether it’s
good or bad just write. Keep the tap
It was very surreal but incredibly dripping because eventually the water
cool. We watched the footage back a runs clean. And try to be positive and
few days later and saw a large group encourage others, negativity gets you
of women at the front wearing Who’s nowhere. Surround yourself with peo-
Molly? t-shirts and two big Who’s Molly? ple you trust because when you have a
signs being held aloft further into the bad apple it just sours the journey to
crowd by some hardcore fans. It was your end goal. Be cool with people and
very cool. Also Chris Evans (Virgin Radio don’t be a dick.
Breakfast Show) announced us on stage What’s next for the band?
and told everyone how much of a fan
he was so that blew our minds. More new music, we’re trying to re-
lease a song every month or so. More
We also played his after show party shows and hopefully a tour in 2020. Our
that year and had Sophie Ellis Bextor, goal is to build a fanbase that we can
Ricky from The Kaiser Chiefs and Seasick tour and release to for years to come.

whosmolly.com whosmolly officialwhosmolly whosmolly

9

FROM THE PAST CLASSIC WELSH ALBUM

THIS SELF-PRODUCED ALBUM Dave still tours to this day, a respectable
FROM 1979 IS ARGUABLY DAVE Edmunds Number 17.
EDMUNDS’ BEST KNOWN WORK.
It featured the legendary Rockpile REPEAT WHEN In the mid to late 70’s this line-
line-up of Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, NECESSARY up released albums under the
fellow Welshman Terry Williams name of Rockpile, Dave Edmunds’
and Edmunds himself, as well Swan Song (1979) Rockpile and Nick Lowe’s Rockpile.
as guest appearances from Huey In fact, Nick Lowe’s Labour Of Lust
Lewis, Albert Lee & Roger Bechirian. was recorded and released simulta-
neously with this record. Mention
The two big hit singles taken Rockpile to any music fan of a cer-
from the album were the Elvis tain age and they’ll say that they
Costello-penned Girls Talk and were the best live band ever, and
Hank Devito’s Queen Of Hearts they’ve yet to be bettered.
which reached Numbers 4 and 11
respectively in the UK charts. Ed- Dave Edmunds and Terry Wil-
munds also covered Cliff Richard’s liams have hung up their plectrum
Dynamite and Evie Sands’ Take Me and sticks but the other two are
for A Little While whilst Home In still out there making music and
My Hand was an old song from playing live. MK
Nick Lowe’s former band Brinsley
Schwarz. Bad Is Bad would later Girls Talk /
be reclaimed by Huey Lewis for Crawling from the Wreckage / The
his band The News for their multi- Creature from the Black Lagoon / Sweet
platinum album Sports.
Little Lisa / Dynamite /
The album made it to Number Queen of Hearts / Home in My Hand /
39 in the UK charts, and 54 in the
US, but its biggest chart presence Goodbye Mr. Good Guy /
was in Sweden where Billy Bremner Take Me for a Little While /

We Were Both Wrong /
Bad Is Bad.

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BRIAN BREEZE SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a guitar player plying their trade round these
parts, will, sooner or later, hear the name Brian Breeze; if they’re out playing gigs themselves,
they’ll probably notice, after a while, that they’re encountering a disproportionate number
of sound engineers, producers and musicians who claim to have either met, played with, or
been taught by this Breeze fella. So, they’ll ask someone, in perfectly good faith:

“Is he any good then, this Brian bloke?”

GOOD? GOOD?! Photo: Helen Banham

HE’S ONLY THE BEST BLOODY GUI- and of conviction (with a laugh that more released in 1975, and features a verita-
TAR PLAYER YOU’LL EVER SEE IN than matches the twinkle in her eye) – to ble who’s who of guest musicians, most
YOUR WHOLE BLOODY LIFE, PAL! whom he remains happily married. notably Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Brian
played on a few other songs on the al-
Brian blows minds and inspires devo- According to Maybellene, this reso- bum, but it’s this track on which I think
tion, you see; I’ve witnessed it with my lution to quit lasted: “for about three he hits the greatest heights.
own eyes: not that long ago I found my- months”. Brian plunged back into the
self at one of Brian’s gigs, stood alongside music world, working for a time with Brian toured and recorded with Maggie
four, fairly accomplished, working guitar Cream lyricist Pete Brown – the man who for a few years in the mid-seventies, and
players, and I noticed, after a while, that wrote Sunshine Of Your Love – in band it’s on this track (although it should be
all of them were staring slack-jawed and called Pikolo, as well as reuniting with fel- noted it was very hard to choose) I think
silently at the stage, each wearing the ex- low former Corncracker and Man legend, he hits his greatest heights. It’s all there:
act same expression of envy, confusion Deke Leonard. Brian joined Deke’s post- he starts off playing these funky, loose,
and delight. Envy because they all knew Man solo band, Iceberg, touring the album bluesy licks on the verses – all understat-
that they’d never, ever be that good, con- of the same name (bizarrely, as a support ed and icy and cool – before bursting into
fusion because “just how is he doing that act to Man, the group Deke had just left) this crazy, shifting, wailing, jazzy (but
stuff, anyway?”; and delight because HE and playing on Deke’s second solo album, melodic) freak-out of a solo, which builds
REALLY IS THAT GOOD BOYS, BLOODY HELL! Kamikaze. This version of Iceberg also re- and swings and squiggles and squeals,
corded two sessions for John Peel, both in sounding – to my mind, at least – a bit
Yes, indeed, Brian Breeze is a bona fide 1974, before splitting up when Deke re- like a slightly-more-restrained Frank Zap-
musical legend, and – although he hasn’t joined a new iteration of Man. pa, mixed in with a bit of Peter Green ,
played much over these past few years, only with that kind of crisp phrasing
due to ill health – his reputation as one In the early nineties, with his own you’d normally associate with someone
of the most gifted guitarists this part of band, The Breeze, consisting of David Bell like Hank Marvin. It’s magnificent and a
the world has produced remains undi- on bass and Dire Straits’ Terry Williams on bit weird and a delight of a thing to hear.
minished, and his achievements in the drums, Brian toured Germany and Aus-
worlds of music and academia (as well as tria, making a brief appearance on Aus- Recently, I had the privilege of being
being a lecturer of philosophy and litera- trian TV, footage of which has only quite able to honour Brian at The 2019 Sound-
ture, Brian also taught countless studio- recently been unearthed. And all of this is board Magazine Awards, where – alongside
heads their trade, during a long stint as a without even beginning to go into all the Darran Browning of Lost Tuesday Society – I
music technology teacher in Swansea In- other stuff, like how Brian composed the presented him with a ‘Lifetime Achieve-
stitute) stand as testament to his breadth theme tune for S4C’s football show, Sgorio; ment’ award, in recognition of his long
of talents and the depth of his intellect or his forty years playing the circuit with and storied musical career and truly ex-
and his curiosity. the fabulously named Trembling Knees. cellent life.

Over a fifty-plus year career, Brian has Of course, if you’ve never heard Brian There are few who would argue he
played with and for some of the best in Breeze play, then you’re probably won- hasn’t earned it, and I consider it a per-
the business, though his beginnings were dering what all this fawning is about; in sonal highlight of my own life to have
as humble as any; starting out rehearsing which case, please allow me to direct you had the opportunity to share a stage with
with local groups as a precocious fourteen to a song called, Wishing Well, recorded him for a few minutes, even if we weren’t
year old, he formed his own band, The by Maggie Bell – a Scottish singer, former- wailing on some funky blues groove.
Casanovas, and soon graduated to playing ly of Stone The Crows – who’s been hailed Alas, alas, alas.
residencies in local clubs and cinemas. as one of the UK’s all-time great soul sing-
ers. The song was originally written and Anyway, here’s to Brian Breeze, a truly
After a couple of years leading his own recorded by Free, but this version is on excellent musician and an inspiration to
group, Brian joined – along with a young an album called, Suicide Sal, which was so many. May he live long, live well and
Deke Leonard, later of Man – a band called smile often. JM
The Corncrackers, who released a couple
of singles and enjoyed some modest suc-
cess. After they disbanded, Brian joined
a group called The Untamed, and began
to perform away from Wales, eventually
moving to London in order to take up a
residency at The Hilton. This was in 1967,
kids. How much would you love to be
playing London in 1967?

At the end of his stint in the big smoke,
and disillusioned with the capricious na-
ture of show business, Brian packed up
and came home to Wales, seriously in-
tending to sell all his gear, jack in this
music stuff and settle down with his new
bride, the inimitable Maybellene – a fine,
principled woman of grace, of humour

11



ARTIST IN RESIDENCE – ROSIE SCRIBBLAH SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

MBLBolaaivrnriaknggBMarMnaidtkuhelt,thriBeCoMouA SpolrtuliogghtsouneTiimrcoKeellyids
I first saw Tim Kelly’s paintings and drawings at a solo exhibition at Swansea’s Grand Theatre back in

2008. I was gobsmacked. I loved the overwhelmingly massive crazy canvasses, but I had never heard

of this artist. He just appeared.

Tim explains: two different things and we as observers song by The Granite Shore that reflect
“A year earlier, don’t differentiate between them. We see his viewpoint: “In other times I could
my mother-in- a visual image of the bucolic countryside, have been a painter but I was born in a
law persuaded or an urban cityscape, that’s all about deadly darkened age.”
me to do an ex- power, control and one-upmanship. It’s
hibition in the Bourgeois Bling.” Tim’s studio is overflowing with
Miner’s Institute paintings and drawings but he’s often
in Nantymoel, He feels that there are so many neg- seen on High Street dressing up, stand-
and from then ative artist tropes around, that many ing around with a mask and a bucket
on I decided that artists see themselves as islands of en- of flowers, doing performative pieces
I was interested lightenment floating in a sea of dark-
in public spaces ness, an attitude that hampers en- as part of his arts practice of social en-
like that, rather gagement. Tim believes that there is gagement. As he says: “Working with
than formal a sophisticated arts audience around particular people, to move away from
galleries; places – the people clapping in Morfa, the day-to-day struggles to do something dif-
where people go people hanging out on Swansea’s ferent, not necessarily with any focus.”
to that are not High Street – but feels that the arts es-
just for art.” tablishment looks down on what so In keeping with his ethos of being
We’d been over to Tim’s multi-col- many people want to see. inclusive, Tim has a Saturday stall in
oured studio to take photos but were Swansea Market every month, selling
driven out by the ear-splitting fire “People think artists are patronising, art at affordable prices to people who
alarm checks and now we’re sitting in taking the piss. We’re seen as bourgeois may have dropped in for some bara
the café in the Glynn Vivian Art Gal- and elitist and the arts establishment ain’t brith or laverbread. Check him out,
lery, talking about the role of culture doing anything about that because they along with his fascinating art, while
in public buildings. He says: “When just want to sell paintings to rich people.” you’re shopping. You can also find
this place was opened, people would him on Facebook.
queue down the street to get in. Working He’s interested in the way that pub- Rosie Scribblah is a Swansea-born artist
class people, everybody.” lic engagement moves from one art
Tim’s practice is rooted in his po- form to another over time, culture and printmaker: www.scribblah.co.uk
litical beliefs; environment, racism goes through a process of fossilisa-
and poverty all have a direct impact tion. For example, Turner’s famous
on his art and he works with some of painting of a steam train going under
society’s most disengaged people, tak- a bridge was cutting edge technology
ing his art directly out onto the street. at the time. Now it’s old-fashioned
“It’s difficult reconciling painting, which and quaint. He observes that: “The
is traditionally male, bourgeois, heterosex- light of stardom went from poetry, to
ist, with what I do. Why are we having painters, to silent movie stars and now
to promote artists of colour and gender? musicians. Where will it go next?”
Because the privileged white patriarchy de-
cides who is promoted in the arts.” Although he paints, he isn’t partic-
Tim prefers to describe himself as a ularly moved by the paintings of oth-
mark-maker rather than a painter: “I ers. It’s music that affects him emo-
don’t believe the ‘Spirit is in the Mass’, tionally and he quotes lyrics from a
it’s a metaphor. There isn’t a transfor-
mation process where paint turns into an
idea, an emotion, it’s just paint.”
For him, a significant problem with
painting is that it’s split broadly into
two main specialisms – portraits and
landscapes – and they’re both about
wealth and power.
“Landscape artists don’t paint the en-
vironment, they paint landscapes, they’re

13

VISUAL ARTS

Jeremy Gluck : One-pointed

Elysium Art in the Bar November 22nd – December 29th 2019

WORDS: Kurt Signs
IMAGES: Jeremy Gluck

FROM NOVEMBER 22ND 2019, FOR SIX WEEKS, WELSH CONNECTIONS OPERATIVE, SWANSEA COLLEGE OF ART ALUMNI, AXE HEAD
COLLECTIVE ARTIST AND GS ARTISTS INTERN JEREMY GLUCK STAGES HIS FIRST SOLO ART EXHIBITION AT ELYSIUM GALLERY’S ART IN
THE BAR, PART OF THE A NIGHT AT THE GALLERIES EVENT THAT SEES MULTIPLE ART OPENINGS ACROSS SWANSEA’S THRIVING ART HUB.

Having exhibited in Swansea three raphy and video work, twinned with cratic, often cryptic commentary on
times with Axe Head Collective, whose a collection of conceptual minimalist anything that exercises his mind and
celebrated shows at Volcano Theatre memes.  One-pointed  takes ‘nonceptu- imagination. A dystopia inhabited by
and GS Artists have paved the way alism’ – Gluck’s platform for his prac- truncated, transmuted thoughts and
for another big show at Volcano next tice – to new heights and depths of feelings, abject and free.
March, and with joint exhibitions in visual simplicity and poverty. 
London and even Sydney, Australia Works include The Recording of
under his belt, Gluck feels a solo show “Nonceptualism is about the end of Thinking, a video and photography
is a risk he is now willing to take. art,” says Gluck. “And the end of the piece in graphic black and white, plus
idea of an artist in self-concept and con- minimalist digital portraiture, and a
“GS Artists, Volcano and Elysium have ception and execution of work, as we and variety of simple text-based digital art
between them created an amazing, cut- consider it; but maybe it’s also my way across different scales and formats.
ting edge art incubator in Swansea,” says of saying, it’s about an end to some or all
Gluck. “Interning at Jane Simpson’s GS of me as I’ve conceived myself since con- “I’ve always been an artist of one kind
Artists gave Axe Head Collective a great ditioning began, as it does with all of us, or another. I was a recording artist for
boost – we met at Swansea College of Art not long after birth. In parallel with the years, and a writer. And I’ve done a lot of
and have been collaborating on shows very impersonal, ‘cold’, ‘clean’ digital art sound art and spoken word. Visual art is
since 2017 – and this Elysium show is I am creating in volume, I am perhaps an adventure I’m loving, experimenting
a huge opportunity. Jonathan Powell, the moving between conceptual and what I with creating work from a different place,
co-founder of Elysium, has set up gal- could call ‘self-conceptual’ work.”  with a different purpose. ‘One-pointed’
leries and studios that are a fantastic has one simple aim: to engage and may-
anchor for artists in the city. GS Artists Three years ago, switching sudden- be confuse. Or enlighten. But what do I
benefits from Jane’s remarkable experi- ly from painting to digital art, Gluck know? I make the art. It’s for other people
ence and accomplishments, and Volcano began creating very simple, mini- to figure it out.”
is a really unusual and welcoming space malist ‘memes’ to convey a sense of
for exhibition. I’m privileged to exhibit in isolation, alienation and dissonance. Elysium Gallery can be found at:
all three.” Progressing intuitively over several 210 High street, Swansea, Wales, SA1 1PE
months, the images encompassed
The show, named One-pointed – a the personal (always with a lateral, For more on Jeremy Gluck:
reference to the ‘one-pointedness’ cross-sectioned sensibility), politics, www.axisweb.org/p/jeremygluck
Buddhism teaches is essential for consumer culture, pseudo-spiritual-
clear thinking and smooth function- ity, and much else. Ultimately these JeremyGluckArt
ing of the mind – highlights photog- images have become an idiosyn- @nonceptualism

14

SWANSEA FRINGE – OPENING NIGHT REVIEW SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

This rainy, old story starts on a rainy, old, Thursday night in rainy, old, Swansea town; the kind
of night that makes you wish you’d been a better person in every single one of your previous
lives, or at least invested some decent money in a waterproof coat and some funky galoshes.

ON THE FRINGE
Alas, alas, alas. It was one of those Jack Sounds off the list for an event like ter with a cheerful, sodden half-grimace
bitingly cold evenings you some- this. Otherwise, I’d have very carefully and a neat salute, which was somewhat
times get at the beginning of au- and very deliberately spread terrible ru- spoiled by the whiplash of rainwater
tumn, when the summer is still mours about him, all of which would that flew off my cuffs at the peak of said
fresh enough in your memory to be borderline believable and – not co- salute, flying directly and wetly right
make you really, really miss it, but incidentally – come to within one legal into the face of a passing, geriatric,
winter still seems a little too far millimetre (lawyer’s fee: £150+VAT) of freemason-type fella, who was ambling
away to be taken seriously; so you triggering the sort of libel case that’d out through the doors arm-in-arm with
creep out with summer on your actually stand up in court. Ah, that fa- a rather severe-looking woman wearing
mind and autumn in your clothes, mous sense of humour again. Loves ya, a dead animal below a face like a half-
and then the winter sneaks up Jo Bee. Preach brother, preach. sucked lemon, who I assume, was his
and smacks you in the chops with wife (the woman, not the dead animal).
a big bag of nobbling. Alas. Brrr. I digress. Reaching my destination,
unbowed and happily undrowned, I “get a tactical puke
But rain, really, was the most signifi- double-timed my way up the elegant, in, early doors. Just to
cant factor. Now, I’ve got an awful lot broad steps that lead under the grand
to say about the rain in South Wales; I columns to the lobby of Swansea’s sole clear the decks.
have a quasi-spiritual relationship with architectural glory, passing some oddly- It’s going to be a
it, in fact: it’s more than just water fall- dressed characters wearing red cloaks long night, after all.”
ing from the sky; if you ask me it’s both and prosthetic noses and dodging a
an imposition and a reassurance, like gaggle of Goons giggling their weaving In a moment of frozen silence, Mister
a copper offering you a lift home. One way up the same steps, passing a ciga- Triple-Breasted Regimental Tie Dark
winter, a few years ago, my partner and rette back and forth like jazz musicians. Blue Suit took a lingering, jowly look
I spent some considerable time trying Normally, I’d have stopped to talk shop up and down my dripping form, gave
to coin appropriate terms to describe and argue politics with their devious a haughty cough, shook his head sadly
the many, distinctly different, types bastard of a singer, but I was feeling the and stalked off with as much dignity as
of rain we encountered whilst walking beginnings of a terrible thirst and, ulti- he could muster. Good for him.
across the city, reasoning that if the Es- mately, they were lingering in an area a Moving on from the watery conse-
kimos have fifty different words to de- long ways away from the bar. quences of my unintentional indis-
scribe snow, then Welsh people should cretion, I lowered my salute, decided
have at least as many to describe the Reaching the safety of enclosed spac- against clicking my heels, and – carefully
incessant rain, right? es and deliriously happy to be out of reaffixing my rictus grin – turned back to
the rain, I trotted across the tiles and the people behind the desk: “Jack Sounds
Right. So, on the night in question presented myself at the box office coun- of SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE reporting
I’d say that the rain style was swinging for duty, comrade. On the guestlist, not even
between ‘chawsing’, ‘glomping’ and Bandicoot, half-pissed and arguably ready for action.
‘jabberdahead’; occasionally straying opening the
towards that swirling, sub-zero, nee- night at the
dling, Swansea-seafront-specific rain, magnificent
known locally, I believe, as ‘that bastard Brangwyn Hall
rain’. I, for my many sins, had spent the
day working, but I’d legged it without Maybe even journalism. See how things pan
ceremony just before 6pm, and now, out, now. Is the bar open yet? Who are the
half an hour later, found myself trudg- people with the sheep skulls and the false
ing bravely through the middle of the noses, anyway? What kind of crazy estab-
gathering storm, hauling my grumbling lishment are you running here?”
bones along the seafront towards the As it turned out, the desk was being
Brangwyn Hall, which was gloriously lit occupied in part by none other than my
up and looked wonderfully warm and fellow SBM scribe, fringe volunteer and
welcoming in the distance, like a 100ft local starlet Sarah Birch, of Lost Tuesday
tall, exquisitely-decorated, art deco Society and Sarah Birch fame. We don’t
miners lamp made of portland stone. really get on, me and The Birch – at
least not after ‘the incident’ at last years
It was the launch party for the Swansea SBM christmas party – but I’ve already
Fringe Festival, you see, and I was lucky apologised, more or less, for that, so
enough to find myself on the guestlist can’t we just for the love of God move
in BOLD TYPE. Yes, that Joe Bayliss on? I was never going to actually keep
character might not be the sharpest the stupid dog, and France really isn’t
knife in the drawer – for all that, he does that far away; not if you fly, anyway,
have those dreamy, dreamy eyes and a so what’s the big deal, really, when you
luxuriant, luscious beard you could lose stop and look at it?
your heart and soul in the furry depths CONTINUES...
of – but he’s not that daft as to leave ol’

15

SWANSEA FRINGE – OPENING NIGHT REVIEW

Well, yes, anyway. Opinions vary, but Head-a-bobbing I stood there, hidden The way they’ve got the night lined
I won’t be raising the issue again in a in amongst the sizeable audience, and up is that when the acts on the big stage
hurry, I can tell you. She’s got a kick on watched the rest of their set, praying in the main room finish, there’s a half
her like a mule, that one; I was inca- in fervent self-interest that (handsome) hour break for changeover, during which
pacitated until the second game-week Tom wouldn’t recognise me lurking in another, more acoustified band gets their
of the Six Nations after that business, the crowd and make some kind of well- business going on in the bar for fifteen to
and I ran a much diminished service intended gesture of recognition; in their twenty minutes or so. It’s a good system,
for many months thereafter. So we ex- current feverish mood, them girls will and it’s working well tonight. The next
changed forced, practiced smiles while I probably turn on me like savage beasts, band on in the main room is – according
collected my credentials and then, say- I reckon, in which case I’ll be lucky to the programme I pinched earlier – the
ing a curt but polite goodbye, I strode to get out of here without having my much-and-justly-hyped Buzzard Buzzard
forth into the main room, taken aback spleen stamped flat like a slice of black Buzzard, who are having somewhat of a
as always by the sheer scale of the place: pudding. It’s a risk you have to take breakthrough year.
for my money there’s not another, larger, though, covering Bandicoot. It’s the cul-
open room in the county, and tonight tural equivalent of war correspondence. Rather than miss them starting, I or-
it’s being dominated by a big, wide, well- dered up an armful of lager and sleazed
lit stage placed up against the side wall, “I felt a real warmth back out into the main room, intend-
upon which the boys out of Bandicoot are and pride...and felt ing to spend a bit of time wandering
currently kicking out the jams. lucky, having lived through the cluster of tables and ban-
through the lean years ners I’d seen earlier on one side of the
Bandicoot, ooh, I do love a bit of when nobody gave a hall, evidently set up in order for rep-
Bandicoot! Their highly danceable, sax- resentatives of relevant local businesses
boosted, baritone-voiced, bilingual, off- flying fuck” and other groups to peddle their wares
kilter, weird-as-you-like, old-school-indie and services to a captive audience. There
schtick is right up my proverbial avenue. Their set finished in a spasm of frac- would undoubtedly be freebies to be
Hitching up my buttresses, I scuttled, tured, wonderful noise, and – sated snaffled, I assumed, and gossip to be cre-
squelching a smidge, through the crowd – I turned on my heels and headed to atively disassembled. And, lo, so it was.
towards the sounds, side-stepping a the bar. The last I saw of Tom, he was
slightly sozzled Boss – the handsome standing above a cluster of his acolytes, A short while later, laden with pro-
and debonair bassist from Cities and the holding a marker pen and looking a duce and jaw-tired from chewing the
charismatic svengali behind many oth- mite confused. I thought I heard him fat with a variety of luminaries, lig-
er exciting musical endeavours – who I say something like: “You want me to sign gers and the simply/literally loaded, I
overheard, as I passed, explaining to the my name WHERE?”, but I was already quietly took my place in the swelling
vertiginous, six and a half feet tall figure moving at a fair lick by this point, so crowd, just in time to witness Buzzard
of Suns Of Thunder singer/guitarist Greg, any clarity was lost amongst a clamour- Buzzard Buzzard stride onto the stage
that the reason he’d disappeared earlier ing fug of other people’s conversations. and power through a selection of their
on, was to “get a tactical puke in, early high-octane, fuzzed-up, homages to the
doors. Just to clear the decks. It’s going to be There were two gentlemen in differ- gods of 70’s rock, complete with trade-
a long night, after all.” ent brands of hard-wearing shorts ped- mark dance moves from singer/guitar-
dling the wares of the Penderyn whiskey ist Tom Rees. Despite only being a cou-
Degenerates, eh? There’s no getting distillery from a heavily branded table ple of well-received singles into their
away from them these days. I blame right next to the doors leading out of career, it’s clear from their polished and
video games and the closure of Mozarts. the main room; in the interests of jour- energetic performance and the quality
Leaving the desert-rock crew behind nalism, I sampled some of their peaty, of the as-yet-unreleased tracks on show,
me still discussing the merits of the tac- complex yet well-rounded product en- that there’s a lot more to come from
tical yak, I crossed the hall and took up route, before proceeding with a little these boys yet. Also, they’re clearly hav-
a position just downwind and stage left less balance and a little more certainty ing a right laugh, and that counts for
from Handsome Tom Emlyn, Bandicoot’s into the packed and rowdy bar area. I a lot.
guitarist and the main man in the crim- could hear the sound of another musi-
inally underrated News From Nowhere, cal outfit limbering up, and I was ready As usual at these kinds of events, I
making sure, as I crossed the front of and eager for some more tunes. tried to get an idea of the average age
the stage, that I did nothing that would of the attendees, employing the very
antagonise or block the view of the The tuning-up band turned out to be scientific method of ‘standing on tippy
small – but devoted – group of young Hawthorn Avenue, and I subsequently toes and having a good look around’,
girls stood directly below him, staring spent a happy and contented twenty and I’m happy to report that all ages
up at his angelic features with eyes like minutes watching them, sipping my from teenager to pensioner were rep-
lasers, an almost palpable aura of hun- pint and enjoying their tightly-ar- resented in the slightly subdued (must
ger and desire shaping the air around ranged, harmony-laden brand of coun- be all that rain) but by now really quite
them into a soap-bubble made of hor- trified folk, tapping my foot and idly massive audience that was gathered
mones and mid-priced perfume. passing my gaze over the rest of the around the stage. As the band wrapped
room, doing the old people-watching, up their show with some more beau-
I could tell by their growing shrieks making up plausible but fantastic back- tifully-judged melodic rock and roll,
and jerky movements that they were stories for some of the more interest- I felt a real warmth and pride for the
reaching a critical mass of some kind, ing faces and groups of people I see. A people of Swansea, and felt lucky – hav-
and quickly vowed to avoid at all costs steady flow of punters is filing out of ing lived through the lean years when
being caught in their headlights if they the main room into the bar, so there’s nobody gave a flying fuck about origi-
made a rush for the stage; they’d proba- plenty of choice. Waits tables for a nal music in the city – that I was alive
bly just run straight over the top of me, crook? Wrote a hard-back book? One and active and mobile at this interest-
like an Instagrammable version of the look and they were gone, back to the ing and exciting time.
Pontypool front row wearing Converse bar, for another large white wine and a
low-tops. Where are the damned secu- pack of dry-roasted peanuts. I won’t pretend I’ve never heard any
rity, anyway? Don’t they know the very criticism of The Fringe; some of it gib-
real risks? Ah well, he’s just going to berish, some of it questionably valid,
have to take his chances, old Tom boy; some borne out of simple jealousy, but
he’s a great fella, but we’ve left better my general response to any kind of
men behind before. negative vibes on that score is to retort:
“You’re lucky you’ve got something to slag

16

SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020
Afro Cluster,
giving the
crowd what

they came for

off; fifteen years ago we didn’t even have the exposed room, I escape to the ano- drinks, then set my shoulders and head
that, bubba.” But you’ll always have nymity of the bar queue. for the exit through the meandering
these dissenting voices, who seek to de- crowd. There’s still a few hundred peo-
stroy something they didn’t lift a finger Well, yes. Five minutes later, hidden ple milling around, jabbering at each
to help build, and the best way to deal behind an oversized martini glass, I lurk other. This is Swansea, after all. We do
with them is probably just to keep do- amongst the kids at the back wall and not go gentle, not into this night, or
ing what you’re doing, right? You can’t feel relatively safe. I’ve seen this rabble any other. We always rage, rage against
please half the people all the goddamn play before and – despite being a huge the dying of the light and the closing of
time, after all. fan of their music – am currently con- the bar. Local tradition.
tractually prohibited from comment-
As a jaundiced and cynical observer – ing on them in any way, save to refer to As I stroll up the hill through the now
not for any particular reason or because them ‘in the abstract for unimpeachable thankfully diminishing rain, I think
of any kind of acquired wisdom, just reasons of cogency, coherency or con- about the night in context of what it
naturally – I’m loathe to lavish uncon- tinuity’. So unfortunately I’m unable means for the Swansea music scene that
ditional praise on anyone or anything, to elaborate or describe their set, other I love so much; is this legitimacy, after
basically because I believe that nothing than to say: “Loud and bouncy noises. all these years? Well, let’s look at it as
is perfect and no one should consider Went down pretty well. Some bemused fac- logically as we can: did I just attend a
themselves above criticism. But really es. One of the twats took his shirt off and celebratory launch night, for a locally-
I’ve got nothing but positive things climbed on a table. Overran and nearly got organised arts festival, that managed to
to say about The Fringe Festival; what’s hooked by an edgy soundman.” book some of the biggest acts in Wales
not to like, eh? It’s varied and eclectic in the biggest room in the city, whilst
and well-run and interesting; the ticket The gig over, I left the bar and went giving a wide range of local artists and
prices are affordable and the events are back into the main room to see Afro groups the chance to perform in front
well thought out and manage to be self- Cluster – who are one hundred per- of a captive audience? Well, yes. That
contained whilst still remaining part of cent legitimate superstars in waiting certainly did happen. That smacks of
a larger and bigger idea. Yes, I think, as I – crank through their set on the big legitimacy to me.
look around the room again; you really stage. Amazing band; although they’re
are a bunch of lucky swine. ploughing a very different field, I feel It’s amazing, really. All this razzma-
confident in saying that they’ll do tazz and wonder for what’s still essen-
From the bar comes the sound of King for Cardiff what Idles did for Bristol, tially a primarily locally-sourced music
Goon readying themselves for their per- and – in this day and age – there’s no and arts festival, organised (if not ex-
formance. I saw the band name on the higher praise. They’ve already got all ecuted) almost in its entirety by one
list earlier on, and groaned. We have his- the fundamentals sorted out: songs and lovely bloke with a dream and a lap-
tory. It’s a long story. A sleazy sax honks stagecraft and charisma and connec- top, who sits swilling coffee (up until
from somewhere and I can hear peals of tion with the crowd; these things are in around 5pm at least; beer thereafter)
hysterical laughter. Taking a deep breath, place already, all they need now is that in some bar in the uplands for three
I return to the bar via the far door, and one big song or that one big chance. months of the year, trying to make sure
immediately take steps to conceal my- And they’ll most probably get it. And we all have a lovely weekend to look
self, firstly behind an enormously fat it will be deserved, and I expect them forward to after the summer dies and
man in a rugby shirt stood at the back of and a number of our own homegrown the bees wear out, but before the clocks
the room, then by stealing two discard- acts to be playing major slots in major go back and the shadows come down
ed peacock feathers that I find, tucked festivals in the next few years. What a from the hills. For the love of autumn.
handily behind a painting of two dogs time to be alive. I have a little dance to
dressed as firemen, and using them – and Afro Cluster. Can’t be helped. Strange thing, progress. What would
a mixture of capoeira and interpretative we do without it?
dance – to flutter my way unseen across Half an hour later, it’s all over. I spend
a short while hoovering up abandoned JACK SOUNDS

17

RECORD REVIEWS

ALBUM ALBUM ALBUM

WORKING ALL THE SEASONS LASTING LIGHT
TO DESIGN Dead Shed Jokers Dan Phelps
Dunkie
OK, let’s jump right on into the new Award-winning composer, Dan Phelps,
Beginning in late 1969, with Joy of a album release All The Seasons by Aber- has been releasing music since 2010
Toy, English psychedelia pioneer Kevin dare’s own Dead Shed Jokers. The band when his debut album Reflections
Ayers released a series of remarkable are a powerful and scuzzy contempo- came out. Since then he’s put out four
albums ultimately spanning the early rary Prog-Rock outfit that I have the other highly acclaimed albums and
Seventies. Loaded with caprice, play- pleasure to see throughout the many has worked with the Mavron Quartet,
fulness and invention, Ayers’ bent for experimental soundscapes they have Ensemble Cymru, Altitude and the Gjy-
musical exploration and even excess found themselves getting lost into laci Duo, to mention just a few.
was redolent of a great creative power. over the years.
BBC3’s Rob Cowan is a big fan and
Working to Design, developed over Opening track Phantom Pains intro- it’s not hard to see why. It’s easy to
two years by songwriter and multi- duces itself with a laid back feel that lose yourself in these timeless melo-
instrumentalist Anthony Price, in close quickly climbs into a barrage of vo- dies as they gently take you on a jour-
collaboration with Wayne Bassett, at cal attack and pounding guitar lines. ney through sound. The album was
whose Robot Recordings studio in ex- Feel Some More reminds me of a 90’s recorded at the Church Of The Holy
citing downtown Aberdare the album rocker along the lines of a band like Cross in Cowbridge, with Richard P
was made, suggests just the same de- Reef but with a much more modern John at the piano, and it’s certainly
gree of creative power. touch, it’s a song with some great riffs lent an air of calm to the recording.
and a catchy Blues-tinged vibe.
Given that, unlike Ayers and his Lasting Light is a moving collection
contemporaries, the Dunkie duo have Then a slice of bait and switch, of compositions which have been lov-
enjoyed none of the capital comforts Dreams of North Korea entices you in ingly created and performed by Dan
of a period major label deal, it is all with its psych-swagger but then pum- and Richard. It’s hard to imagine a
the more impressive that this album mels you with heavy guitars and pre- more beautifully put together album,
sounds as though it has descended cision drumming. or as BBC Radio Wales’ Adam Walton
fully formed from a time machine said: “Beautiful and expansive.”
stalled in a sentient 1970 24-track, Title track All The Seasons is a much
enjoying all the benefits of a lo-fi feel. calmer break that flows smoothly into One to put on the Christmas list, or
Aesopica#1 which has a wider groove to get for a loved one for those cold
What really lifts you, though, is its you can appreciate. winter evenings in front of the fire. MK
charming naturalness and unforced
innocence. In the words of one song, Just over halfway into the album Lasting Light / Ode to a Maltese Queen /
this is a “dream made from memories” and track six Feel Today is introduced Dusky Blue River / Driftwood / Shimmer
of a future whose time has come. Yet, with a bombardment of killer guitar
one song is not the point. This is that licks and those QOTSA-esque riffs that / Ploughed Field Rag / Chase!
rare album that, without pretension contrast nicely with the huge dynam-
or connivance, resembles a suite. It’s ics littered throughout the track. We SINGLE
art-pop, perhaps. Or pop-art? slide into more experimental terri-
tory with 764 a more tame but grad- SUNDAY CLUB
With its own sense of inverted ad- ual track that has a not too dissimilar
venturing but exhibiting a commer- sound to the Think Tank era of Blur. Lego Man
cial sense and maturity in composi-
tion – the melodies are sensuous and Picking up the pace, You’re A Thief The song starts with jangling guitars,
subtle – and performance that sits is a power-house rocker with a lot and I’m already thinking that this
comfortably with some of today’s of doom elements, harking to the could be a good experience. As the
celebrated home recording wonders, harsher sound of bands such as Black track unfolds, I’m not disappointed.
this well-rounded, rich listening ex- Sabbath and even Stoned Jesus. We are
perience packs a velveteen punch. then met with a whirlwind hurricane An anthemic approach to the mun-
One thinks at once of the golden age of thrash and guitar with Spanner In danity of ordinary life is a formula
of dreamcore, a largely Japanese con- The Works. A song which punches its that has been well exploited and well
cern of the Nineties, when pure pop way through the wall of sound with a received in the past and this song
met pure machine, conjuring songs whole bunch of grit and angst. should be no exception.
and soundscapes of beauty and grace.
This ten-track album ends with The sound is clean with a clarity that
Working to Design is much more an Enough Is As Good As A Feast wrapping the listener needs, to know the every-
album brought forth by intensive use up the entire experience. A big rock day nature of such an uplifting tune.
of organics, luxuriating in heavily ret- song with a more tranquil and enig- It brings to mind fellow Welsh rock-
ro-future atmospherics, summoning matic ending. ers Feeder and Stereophonics who also
visions of a world inhabited by power mastered the art of the ‘soundtrack to
pop prog rock mutants undergoing a Overall a pretty damn good and in- every day life’.
collective identity crisis, giving forth spiring new album from these valiant
an ambiance that is hard to describe Rock’n’Roll virtuosos. Check it out It is perhaps a little formulaic, but
without either a vivid imagination and lose your mind to these scintillat- that is because it’s a formula that
or use of hallucinogenics, or perhaps ing sounds. MT works well and in my opinion, this is
both. done well, with a tempo that drives
deadshedjokers.bigcartel.com the storytelling forward and catchy
It’s rough hewed elegance and riffs that contain enough hook to get
earthy musical roots, considered Email links to music for (and keep) you interested.
montage and punctuating sampling, review to:
combine to make Working to Design Lego Man has stories to tell and a
an album infectious, deep and wide. reviews@soundboard very listenable way of telling them.
Succinctly? It puts the ‘cool’ into ‘pe- magazine.co.uk I look forward to future releases with
culiar’. JG great anticipation and hope to catch
them on the live circuit sometime
soon. SH

18

SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

ALBUM SINGLE

THE BOY FROM TONY GARAGE /
THE BIG HILL POPTY PING
The Rusty Nutz
Huw Simmonds & Rob Parrett

This album is one which is suited to Opening up with enough energy and
long winter evenings, log fires, a glass power to blast a hole through the
of something or a hot drink and no ozone The Rusty Nutz are back with
interruptions. It needs and deserves two tracks that will surely bring punk
to be listened to and not just played. rock back into fashion. Tony Garage is
about a scary individual who lives life
The journey undertaken via the on the edge of society. Is he based on
prose and music of this album is one a real individual? We’ll let you decide
which many of us will know. It’s the but we had an in-depth discussion
route up (or down) the Heads of the about possibilities in the office and
Valleys road between the Brynmawr all came up with one name. Hey, it’s a
roundabout and Gilwern near Aber- small world.
gavenny. It’s either a long drag to the
top or a rapid freewheeling descent, Just less than four minutes of post-
occasionally punctuated by road punk perfection, Popty Ping on the
works and traffic signals. To Huw and other hand still has the edgy feel to it,
Rob however its a journey through but is a much calmer affair, retaining
the life and times of the area, where its menace.
time is fluid not linear and the echoes
of history resonate. Anthony Jones really has given a
show-stopping performance on both
They start at the top of the ‘Big Hill’ tracks. There are touches of madness
and journey both down the valley (the condition, not the group) on
and, via their mind’s eyes, relive the both tracks but this just adds to the
sights and sounds of the town and near-legendary status these guys are
steep sided Clydach gorge, the feature attaining in the Welsh music world.
most people will recollect from their
own journeys along this route. The band that mystifies crowds at
their live gigs have successfully trans-
Less familiar will be the characters, posed their mystique into the digital
events and memories recalled or rec- world. The single is available on a lim-
reated by the words and music which ited 3” disc. Now that’s Rock’n’Roll! MK
have been blended together by Huw
and Rob. Some are specific to the
area, others maybe more generic and
familiar to a wider cohort of the same
generation as the authors. Push the
Gambo for example will strike a chord
with those whose childhoods includ-
ed making soap-boxes or trollies from
bits of wood and pram wheels, an art
in itself and one which would give
‘Health and Safety’ kittens these days.

The tracks offer a blend of instru-
mentals including the opening track
View from the Big Hill, prose read over
music, and full blown songs. Each
one adding to a unique soundscape
such as The Old High Street which will
chime with many people who re-
member how the shops and features
of their own town or village have
changed over the years, with names
which are long gone. A thoroughly
enjoyable album. AB

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RECORD REVIEWS

ALBUM the Hafod. The Losers Hall of Fame is lyr- ALBUM
ically fantastic, with great guitar work
35 YEARS ON by Peter Evans. Peter Bruntnell would be MOGIC
WOODFIELD proud to write this. Hen Ogledd
STREET
The Grief Brothers A Confessional sounds a bit like Chris With its luscious freeform opener
Isaak but better, if not as commercial. Love Time Feel, this album eases into
With an obligatory glass of wine, I’m This leads onto A Small Town Gone to a soundscape of a dream-like experi-
listening to the new album by The Grief Hell. A bit of electronica almost bursts ence. Seamlessly we slide into Sky
Brothers entitled 35 Years on Woodfield through on this one, great lyrics but the Burial, a track melodically floating
Street. I’ve been told it’s Americana but similarity of the melody to a couple of and weaving reminiscently into Saint
with a specific Swansea bias, as all the the other tracks tends to detract from it, Etienne, with an added Jah Wobble-
songs are written about Swansea and which is a shame. esque channelled (saturated and
life within its environs. There are four- compressed) bassline.
teen tracks, so here we go, pop pickers. Scurvy Dogs of Llansawel has the es-
teemed Jon Langford of The Mekons on Somehow Mogic, already a treat to
A Lost Weekend in Bingoland has the vocals and has a sea shanty French the ears, slips (seamlessly) a gear into
best bittersweet reminiscences of Lloyd café Pogues-esque feel. Nice. Still Wait- Problem Child, switching male and fe-
Cole and the Commotions. An eight page ing for True Loves Kiss will please every- male lead vocals back and forth, the
insert in the digipak provides all the lyr- one, something for all the family here. track riding a Flock of Seagulls, Tear-
ics which is a nice touch as the entire The Emperor of Nowhere is my favourite, drop Explodes groove that’s impossible
album is lyrically driven. Outdoor Life is a beautiful sad and plaintive tale told not to adore. Kudos here to the (Rich-
Max Boyce on steroids. Marion Jones has with empathy and love. “A concrete shit ard Dawson) falsettos within, hinting
a lovely structure and melodic charm, dumped any shape in the slub and freez- at Topper or Super Furry Animals.
even if the call and response elements ing rain” is alone, worth the entry fee.
could have been dreamier. The Ynsymeudwy Boys bring up the rear Three tracks in, I’m beautifully clue-
with its Everly Brothers warm happy sad- less. It’s diverse, eclectic and random.
Bethany Lane is a nice sad nondescript ness. A great deal of love and skill has Completely. To its strength Mogic lies in
track which leads to From the Cardiff gone into the creation of this album. its continual movement, with minimal
Arms to the Kings. Swansea folks will rec- An overused and underrated word is production complexity, switching styles
ognise these two landmarks, and with ‘lovely’, this album is the definition to its benefit, never settling for compla-
its Bacharach feel is a great tune. Billy of it. Even Billy the Bastard is delivered cency.
the Bastard, Mark Francois reimagined or with a certain care and tenderness.
just as he is but with more charm. The album weaves beautifully
If you like Americana and Swansea, through synth loveliness, texturing
With Low Voltage and Meat, you will buy it. It’s available on Country Mile electronic ambience, folk charm and
not be able to guess the subject matter Records and all online outlets. HR therapeutic meditation.
from the title, great track. Nick Cave via
www.countrymile.org/Releases/Grief_ My personal favourite is Tiny Witch
Brothers/grief_brothers1.html Hunter, a jazzy driven track with
further meandering bass, including
RECORD MURAL ON OXFORD STREET a vocal (electronically pitched up
Anyone walking down Swansea’s Ox- years ago, when the building was get- throughout) with an uncomfortably
ford Street cannot fail to catch sight ting a fresh lick of paint, but it took the comfortable melodic earworm of per-
of the giant mural on the side of Der- next decade to come up with a design fection. The track includes a fractured
rick’s Music shop. It features a selection that fit his vision. saxophone solo that could be the sis-
of iconic album sleeves that reflect the ter to Bowie’s Blackstar sax output. Ut-
City’s musical tastes and celebrates Ten years of drafts and re-drafts, terly beautiful, utter madness.
Welsh heritage all at the same time. working with Swansea BID’s Russell
Greenslade and designers, Fresh Murals, Now looking back I wonder how a
Derrick’s owner, Chris Stylianou, first passed before what you see was agreed. single band have graciously moved
had the idea more than ten so effortlessly through a single body
Hundreds of album sleeve sugges- and given me chills of The Orb (Gwae
tions made by fans, customers and Reged o Heddiw), The Vaselines (First
Date), L7 (Welcome to Hell) and The
musicians came in by word of Human League (Etheldreda) yet con-
mouth, email, phone sistently remained coherently in sync
call, text and even throughout. Nothing alien or dis-
letters. All were con- jointed, a testament to Hen Ogledd’s
sidered and whittled ‘mosic’.
down to a mere twen-
ty before the final de- Have you ever witnessed sound
cision was made. waves converting into David Lynch
I think you’ll agree visuals, dry humping Kubrick’s 2001:
that it’s a fitting A Space Odyssey and producing a
tribute to cel- dreamscape egg of absolute wonder
ebrate 50 years and delight? No? Then please listen
of Swansea being to Mogic, it’s a trip. AP
declared a City
and gives a nod www.henogledd.com
to our rich musical
past, but can you Email links to music for review to:
name all of the [email protected]
covers that made
the cut? MK We make every effort to include as
much as we can, but we do have lim-
ited space and cannot guarantee that

your submission will be reviewed.

LIVE REVIEWS SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

KEYS
Crowley’s
Swansea band Windshake band. Their other
5th October 2019 also played a powerful set of scream- drummer is Gavin, who
ing, noisy punk rock, including songs also plays with Rainbow Maniac. The
LAST MONTH, THE SWANSEA FRINGE from their latest self-titled EP, just be- two drumkits blazing away in unison
FESTIVAL DESCENDED UPON OUR fore Keys took to the stage. is a thing to behold, every fill played
GLORIOUS UNLOVELY TOWN AND perfectly in unison and giving the mu-
GRACED OUR BARS AND VENUES Keys have been going for years and sic a rubber-band tight swagger.
WITH A KALEIDOSCOPE OF ORIGI- are a well-kept secret of Welsh rock
NAL MUSIC THAT BROUGHT NEW music; their sound is grungy, hook- Frontman Matt Evans was in the in-
LIFE TO THE PLACE. filled and raw, tapped into a pure vein die rock band Murry the Hump in the
of rock music that goes back to The late 90s. He cuts an enigmatic figure;
I was too busy myself to see much Beatles’ White Album, John Lennon’s the laconic delivery of his stripped-
of what was going on (playing six gigs Plastic Ono Band, The Stooges and The back lyrics seems to cut through all
in four days keeps you on your toes) Modern Lovers. the bollocks we’re surrounded with
but one of the few sets I did manage to on a daily basis, head cocked slightly
see happened to be a transcendent dis- Part of their power comes from the under a baseball cap as if sharing a sly
play of rock‘n’roll and one of the most rhythmic onslaught provided by their joke with the people lucky enough to
striking nights of live music I’ve seen two drummers. One of them, Davey be sharing the moment. At one point
this year; an unholy racket that seemed Newington, is also the lead singer and he drawls into the microphone while
to levitate the roof of Crowley’s, a tiny, songwriter of Boy Azooga, (who have re- lying flat on his back across the stage,
beautifully dingy room that was packed cently supported Bob Dylan, Neil Young, threadbare dap tapping out the beat on
like a tin of music-loving sardines. It was and Noel Gallagher). Just before their the beer-stained wall.
the climax of a long day of music in the set, he tells me they’re his favourite
venue, including some fantastic per- The simplicity of the songs is spell-
formances from Que Asco and Papur Wal. binding; it’s hard to imagine rock music
being much more stripped back than
ONLY RAINYDAY this, and yet nothing’s missing either.
RAINBOW It’s not the easiest art form, but Keys
The Bunkhouse 14th November 2019 manage to create it in their own image.
Each member plays attentively with his
FIRSTLY SOME VERY IMPORTANT sometimes funny, always original, bandmates in a balanced display of mu-
NEWS: THE BUNKHOUSE NOW HAS heartbreakingly honest madness. Its sicianship that comes from their eclec-
EXTREMELY EFFICIENT COFFEE, raw and it’s brilliant. tic musical experiences and histories.
WHICH IS AWESOME NEWS FOR
THOSE OF US WHO CHOOSE TO BE Playing a tiny pink guitar like some It’s a swampy, muscular, riffy sound
RELENTLESSLY SOBER. kind of madman wrestling an unruly that bounces violently off the walls of
crocodile he switches between classic the venue, rattling the pint glasses; a
Well, it turns out that Mr Edward blues and filthy electric noise with- swirling, seedy, fuzzy mess turned up
Hancock is, indeed, a wizard. We’ve out missing a beat. His technical skill exactly as loud as it should be. The
all seen him wandering around the on the guitar is striking but it’s the audience responds enthusiastically, a
Swansea music scene in his marvel- (frankly bizarre) melodies carried by grooving mass of bodies. I’m not famil-
lous, magical, colourful outfits with a his unexpectedly impressive vocal iar with the songs, but it doesn’t mat-
“My dude!” for everyone, but did you range that make the music some- ter; fragments of lyrics emerge from the
know that he is also an exceptionally thing truly special. chaos: “hey kids, rock‘n’roll, they’ll never
talented artist in his own right? kill what they don’t know”; “took you
According to the bio of the Rainy- down around this old town, I made a deal
I did not. Now I do. And you do day Rainbow Man the music is: “Both and tried to keep it real, I made a sound,
too. Sadly he only played a short mellow and intense at times.” This is a higher number on the aperture, we look
set this time but I am so very glad I a ridiculously lacking description of alright in black and white”; “I wanna take
caught it. I came out of there feeling one of the most interesting creatures you to a higher plane” sing the band, and
like I’d discovered some strange exot- I’ve ever seen perform. on a dark, damp September Swansea
ic species that I immediately wanted night they manage to do exactly that
to tell the world about. I did some research and discovered for an appreciative, sweaty crowd.
that the Rainyday Rainbow Man is a
Ever seen Truly Kaput? Ed is about kind of glam rock wizard character Their new album Bring Me The Head
as difficult to sum up as that. created by Ed for reasons unknown. of Jerry Garcia will be released on No-
vember 22nd on Libertino Records, and
It’s madness. There is no doubt. I intend to study its habits. I rec- they’ll be playing a release gig in The
But it’s beautiful, sometimes sad, ommend you do the same. TR Gate in Cardiff on December 19th.
They’ve recently released two music
videos: Black and White and Bad Penny.
They’re a band for a rainy day, and they
only want you for your rock’n’roll. TE

21

ROB NELMES’ NIGE

AWESOME DAY YES- frustrated” was a game
TERDAY. I WAS JUST winner when given (not
literally) Charlie Chap-
SPANNERVERSARYFINISHING SORTING
OUT MY CUTLERY lin, but Nige stole the
DRAWER (6 KNIVES (BUTTER) 9 FORKS, 29 BIG SPOONS(!?), 3 LIT- accolades when he said “Blinking Blinking” when I gave him (not lit-
TLE SPOONS, PLUS AN ASSORTMENT OF OTHER ‘THINGS’) WHEN erally) Anne Robinson (technically she winks, but you cant deny a gen-
THERE WAS A FAMILIAR KNOCK ON MY DOOR. ius answer like Nige gave. Here are some other ‘Blinking’ emotions
I knew instantly it was Nigel (Nige to his friends) because he always that were uttered: “Blinking Brainy” – Carol Vorderman; “Blinking Bril-
knocks twice, leaves a gap then six more knocks, leaves another gap, liant” – Gary Lineker; “Blinking don’t know him” – Matt Hayes; “Blinking
then finishes it with a crescendo of tiny knocks with his fingers. Bonkers” – Lenny Henry; “Blinking will you marry me, please” – Alex Jones
I raced to the door. Nige was standing there, holding eight (Nige, obv. (Obviously)).
cans of Guinness. I was quite taken aback. Thursday night is usu- There were other guesses but I cant remember them. My memory
ally ‘lads night in’ but here was Nige on a Wednesday, in all his is not as great as Nige’s. Nige can remember every school trip we ever
splendour (jeans and brown jumper) standing before me, smiling. went on. After that we just sat and drank and conversed like gentlemen.
“Happy Spannerversary” Nige said, triumphantly. Obviously I was Here is what we conversed about: Gary Lineker, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Pan-
totally confused “Er…what?” I said, flumuxedly. “It’s three years cake Day, Gary Lineker and Pancakes, Opera, The first Amendment,
today that we bought this set of spanners...” (he holds up a set of six The second Amendment, Batter, Otters, Craig David, The Last of The
familiar looking spanners) “...from Wilkinson to fix Aunty Barbara’s Summer Wine, Peace on earth, Friction, Blood , Gary Lineker’s blood.
back gate. Don’t you remember?” said Nige. “Of course I remember After conversing, we headed for the chippy. On the way Nige added
fixing the gate. It was a raining and you had lost your voice, but I don’t a new top entry to the biggest crane we have seen in Swansea. He said
remember the specific date” I said, still a little perplexed. “Well I do” he saw it down by the new University buildings on Fabian way. He de-
said Nige “because these spanners have a five year guarantee and I scribed it as (excuse my French (naughty English)): “Bloody Massive”.
wrote the date I bought them on the side. Look”. And sure enough, He said it beat the previous record, held by a crane in Sketty, by a good
there was the date. And so, an “impromptu lads night in” took place. ten feet. We play this game on a trust basis. I trust Nige with my life.
And boy, what a night! We got to the chippy. Nige ordered a Cornish pasty and chips and a
Firstly we watched The One Show. Amazeballs (amazing). It doesn’t can of Vimto. I ordered a Cornish pasty and chips and a can of Vimto.
matter how much you watch it, it never gets boring. Mainly because We collected our food and ate it on the bench outside in the crisp
it’s a live topical magazine show. Also because of the excellent pre- November air. “It’s cold tonight” said nige. “Yes” I responded, knowl-
senters and superb lighting. edgeably. We then had a long chat about The One Show. Honestly,
After The One Show the drinking commenced. We both opened a the amount of after show entertainment that show gives is beyond
can of Guinness (each) at exactly the same time. We laughed at this. compare. A bit like “Strictly” (come dancing).
I don’t know why we find things like that funny. I suppose that’s We finished our feast, high-fived and
just the way we are. I know it’s a Wednesday and we both have work walked off. Then, from a distance I heard:
tomorrow, but sometimes nige can be quite the maverick. I remember “Happy Spannerversary, Rob”. I shouted
once, nige caught the train to Neath and had breakfast in its Weather- back: “Happy Spannerversary, Nige, you nut-
spoon, “just because I could”. His words, not mine. ter!” When I got to bed that evening and
Whilst on the ‘booze-athon’ we played a game of ‘Blinking Wars’. counted my lucky stars (not literally), I
Now, if you are thinking that this game consists us staring into each realised that Spannervessary could well be-
other’s eyes and seeing which one blinks the most, well, I have some come a yearly event.
news for you. That news is you would be wrong. Our ‘Blinking Wars’ That would just be like me and Nige.
is a simple game. We both take it in turn to name a famous celebrity, Just like that bloody massive (pardon my SInOmeNmoNryYof
then we have to think of an appropriate word to go with ‘blinking’ French (not literally)) crane, he lifts me to
to convey an accurate emotion. It’s quite easy. I thought my “Blinking dizzy new heights. RN

OH PEDRO Tansy Rees

22

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

THE
YEAR
SO FAR

Matt Richards

ON MONDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER, place at the newly spruced-up Student endar was the Performing Arts Societies’
WITH SLEEP IN MY EYES AND Union bar, JC’s. The numbers at this Showcase that took place on Thursday,
SLIGHTLY SWEET-SMELLING NOTES event were unprecedented within the 7th November. This was a joint-ven-
OF BEER SEEMING TO EMANATE context of my time at university, with ture between the Live Music, Shoreline,
FROM ME, I HEADED TO BAY CAM- new members (and potential mem- Choral, Show Choir and Dance socie-
PUS FOR THE FRESHERS’ FAYRE. bers) seemingly taking up a quarter of ties whereby some of the talent from
CLEARLY, I HAD GOT SLIGHTLY this very busy bar. Much to the com- each society could be shown-off to
CARRIED AWAY THE NIGHT BEFORE. mittee’s delight, the ‘meet and greet’ the public and each other. The show-
became a melting pot of different tal- case proved to be a superb night with
Luckily however, a quick wash ex- ent and backgrounds with pianists, a wonderful turnout raising funds for
pelled these issues and by the time I guitar players, drummers, singers and The Stroke Association.
had finished setting up the stall I was all the rest.
looking and feeling like a human be- The PA Showcase produced a pleth-
ing once more. The goal for the day In response to this turnout, the com- ora of different acts, from an electri-
was to sift through the freshers and mittee decided to organise a return of fying dance routine to Britney Spears’
identify the musicians and music fans our Build a Band social from the previ- Toxic from the Dance Society to a beau-
alike to rouse their interest in the Live ous year. In this social, members intro- tiful rendition of May it Be from the
Music Society. duced themselves to the group and dis- Lord of the Rings soundtrack by the
Choral Society. Of course, the proud-
Around an hour into the fayre, “The lyrics flowed est moments for the Live Music Society
things were going well. I had already alongside melodies however were to see our members take
filled a page with signatures of inter- to the stage. This included a show-
ested students and the LMS secretary, that every stopping performance from Steffan
Jamie Pringle, had arrived to help me songwriter would Lloyd with his classically strong yet
out. At first, he seemed to look the empathetic Welsh singing-voice and
way that I had been feeling when I wish they had acoustic guitar, a surprise appearance
had woken up. Thankfully, he too written...leaving from LMS’ Alex Love who performed
managed to gain life anew after a a captivating monologue from Henry
wash and something to eat. Follow- the audience V as part of the Shoreline Society and a
ing his spring back to life he promptly captivated.” performance of original music by Na-
joined the recruiting effort alongside talie O’shea that I can only describe as
myself and Rory Clark (former LMS cussed the instruments that they play truly awe-inspiring.
President) who had arrived shortly and the music they love. Following
after him. Evidently, Rory had had a the introductions, members were en- Singing and playing keyboard, Na-
much more sensible night than the couraged to talk amongst themselves talie opened with a heartfelt rendi-
rest of us. in the hope of finding musicians with tion of Natural Woman before going
similar ideas Finally, when a group of on to play two of her own songs. As I
By the end of the day, we had more musicians decided they were ready, a told her on the night: to say that I’m
than three pages-worth of signatures committee member would lead them impressed with her song-writing is
and email addresses from fellow musi- to one of the rehearsal rooms we had too much of an understatement. The
cians and music lovers who were in- booked for them so that they could honest, open and poetic nature of the
terested in the society. The following jam together. lyrics flowed alongside melodies that
Wednesday, we did it all over again every songwriter would wish they had
on Singleton Campus with a far bet- Build a Band proved to be a resound- written, lighting up the room and
ter night’s sleep than the before. After ing success, with the entire commit- leaving the audience captivated.
a somewhat shaky start for all of the tee being totally bowled over by the
societies due to some slight organisa- talent on display from new members. As a whole, the year so far has been
tional blunders from the Union, the It was particularly uplifting to hear very promising for the LMS. With a
day went fantastically. With the same from two separate bands a few weeks Winter Showcase in the works for De-
team as before and the addition of later that they are still practicing to- cember 8th at The Bunkhouse and a
LMS Treasurer, Matt Kivi, we achieved gether at local rehearsal spaces Sound seemingly endless pool of talent to
a similar number of signatures as the Haven and Abertawe Studios. choose from, it would appear that the
Monday before, speaking with pas- following semester should be even
sionate music fans from as near as The next big event in the LMS cal- bigger. Here’s hoping that the society
Caerphilly and as far as Italy, Japan continues to move in the right direc-
and the USA. tion, discovering talent within Swan-
sea students and providing a stage for
In the week following the Freshers’ it to be realised. MR
Fayres, an LMS ‘meet and greet’ took

23

GIG GUIDE : DECEMBER & JANUARY

DECEMBER SATURDAY DECEMBER 7TH Baggy Trousers (Madness Anarchy:emo, alternative, THURSDAY JANUARY 23RD
tribute) Christmas Party rock and metal club night
monday DECEMBER 2ND Rusty Nutz Paisley Park + support
The Bunkhouse, Swansea Hangar 18, Swansea
Black Tongue Crowleys, Swansea FRIDAY DECEMBER 27TH The Bunkhouse, Swansea
A heavy night SATURDAY JANUARY 25TH
Sin City, Swansea Ultimate Leppard Celtic Pride
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4TH Crowleys, Swansea Christmas Rock Show Motorheadache
Hangar 18, Swansea
The stray pursuit Synlakross + support Hangar 18, Swansea Sin City, Swansea
and Luka State Candy Mountain TUESDAY DECEMBER 31ST TUESDAY JANUARY 28TH
+ Algal Bloom The Duke, Neath
Sin City, Swansea Heft X Tundra: Raging Speedhorn/
Creature Sound, Swansea Mickey’s 9th Christmas Jam NYE free rave Desert Stoem and more
Tantric & support
Beans On Toast The Garage, Swansea The Bunkhouse, Swansea The Bunkhouse, Swansea
The Bunkhouse, Swansea album tour + Ten Sheds This guide is correct at the
THURSDAY DECEMBER 19TH JANUARY time of going to press. But you
The Hopkins-Hammond Trio The Garage, Swansea all know that you should check
String Theory/Vain/ SUNDAY JANUARY 12TH with the venue or performer
The Garage, Swansea THURSDAY DECEMBER 12TH The Dirty Flamingos/ before travelling, right? Have
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5TH Night School The Bottom Line + guests a great night!
E11ven
Dominic Nation & The + These Thrilling Lies The Bunkhouse, Swansea The Bunkhouse, Swansea Send dates to:
Dirty Dead + Vanity Kills MONDAY JANUARY 13TH editor@
The Bunkhouse, Swansea FRIDAY DECEMBER 20TH
The Bunkhouse, Swansea Nekrogoblikon soundboardmagazine.co.uk
FRIDAY DECEMBER 13TH Death Monkey Records
Songwriter’s Circle Showcase Sin City, Swansea
Rebellious Jukebox SATURDAY JANUARY 18TH
The Hyst, Swansea Hangar 18, Swansea
FRIDAY DECEMBER 6TH Creature Sound, Swansea The Marley Experience
SATURDAY DECEMBER 21ST
Bassline presents: Bind Us As One The Bunkhouse, Swansea
Hybrid Minds Siknot UK
Hangar 18, Swansea
Sin City, Swansea The Bunkhouse, Swansea
SATURDAY DECEMBER 14TH
Think 182 Cloud presents: Sizey’s
Dazed presents: Sub Zero Birthday Vs Acid Monster
Hangar 18, Swansea & Mr Traumatik launch party

Sin City, Swansea Creature Sound, Swansea

SUBSCRIBE TO SOUNDBOARD! For just £18 / year
SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE delivered direct to your letterbox contact: [email protected]

24

SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

LOST FROM THE SCENE... SO WHILE I DON’T LIKE TO GOSSIP, I’M NOT TOO FOND
OF HEARSAY AND I’M UNDOUBTEDLY NOT A FAN OF HE-
Andrew ‘AJ’ SAID-SHE-SAID... PULL UP A PEW (MOVES IN SLIGHTLY
James Emlyn Davies CLOSER)...YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT?!

24/06/1980 – 09/09/19 After the successful 50 YEARS OF MUSIC exhibition at SWAN-
WELL KNOWN TO MANY IN THE SEA MUSEUM rumours are circulating that SWANSEA CITY
SWANSEA LOCAL MUSIC SCENE, COUNCIL are now looking for a permanent home for the city’s
WE MOURN THE PASSING OF rich music heritage. PALACE THEATRE anyone?
ANDREW ‘AJ’ DAVIES. HAVING
BRAVELY BORNE THE BURDEN Fresh from her European tour, ELERI ANGHARAD immediately
OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR announced her second tour taking in a variety of different coun-
MANY YEARS, HE SADLY LEFT tries across the continent. Let’s hope Brexit doesn’t leave her
US THIS SEPTEMBER. stranded in some hot, sunny country with beer and ice cream
for too long.
AJ was held in huge regard for
his music, art and photography WELSH CONNECTIONS have been invited to submit their vast
skills and was an instantly recog- collection of interviews with Welsh musicians to the NATIONAL
nisable character DJ-ing at Face-Off for many moons. Resplend- SOUND ARCHIVE at THE NATIONAL LIBRARY in Aberystwyth
ent in the obligatory beany hat, he enjoyed seeing the revellers which means you’ll all be able to access the seven year archive
eat out of the palm of his hand as he dropped tune after tune. featuring the likes of PHIL RYAN, DEKE LEONARD, ANTHONY
During his gigging years, AJ was the formidable guitarist be- STONE, BRIAN BREEZE, WILL YOUATT, KOSHEEN’s SIAN EVANS
hind the roaring riffs, screaming solos and no-surrender stage and many more.
presence for local bands Bean(0), At Gunpoint Disco, OKKO, Ar-
chitects of Victory and Dryweave. He was always looking to break CHRIS STRINGER & THE ROCKETEERS return to the scene with
new musical boundaries, always happy to learn and to share a new album called Sinking Ships. Seven fantastic tracks released
his musical knowledge. He is sorely missed by his many former on CROTALUS RECORDS which have been making waves (see
bandmates who all remained loyal friends with him; his well- what we did there?) with music fans around the world.
attended funeral spoke volumes about the measure of the man
and the many lives he touched. SIAN RICHARD released her new single, Evil Eyes, to wide criti-
AJ had truly astonishing natural ability and technical skills cal acclaim. Recorded at SONIC ONE with TIM HAMILL, it’s been
with six (or even seven) strings and he always played with wowing radio listeners throughout Wales.
warmth and passion. He was humble to a fault, often not rec-
ognising his own immeasurable talent, but beyond that he was REVOLUTION RABBIT DELUXE return with their second album
and will forever be our brother and a wonderful friend. Swipe Left which builds on their debut released in 2018, and THE
A truly exceptional guitarist, a well-loved man, DJ extraordi- GRIEF BROTHERS have gone for a second pressing of their Sound-
naire and Swansea legend, AJ will be missed by all who knew Board Award nominated album 35 Years On Woodfield Street.
him. Andrew is survived by his family and fiancé who are feel-
ing his loss deeply, alongside a huge group of friends from his Another great album to check out is The Boy From The Big Hill
many productive years in and around the Swansea music scene. by HUW SIMMONDS AND ROB PARRETT (see our review on
The big guy with the biggest heart; the Swansea music scene is page 19).
diminished without him in it. SA Do you have some Hot Gossip? Have you Heard it on the Grapevine?

Do you know any Rumours? Email us in confidence:
[email protected]

ADVERTISE YOUR

music / gig / shop / venue

advertising@
soundboardmagazine.co.uk

25

THE CELLAR BAR.CARDIGAN satURDAY.FEBruary.22Nd.2020

PSYCHEDELICDR. SARDONICUS’S MIDWINTER NIGHT’S DREAM
FESTIVAL#3
...and if you
Sendelica want to know
The Mahatmas
Sonic Trip Project what that's
Omnichron all about, why

not come to
this fantastic FREE
TASTER PARTY with

PARADISE 9
& BRLOINKEENS

+ Special Guest Find out about this

Elfin Bow fantastic and exciting
genre of rock music...
tickets £15 advance sendelica.bandcamp.com
FRIday FEB 21st
FREE ENTRY

THE SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE AWARDS 2019 SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

Joe Hoppe in Issue#5 right,
and below (second from left),
now drumming with Kikker.

THE 2019

Magazine Awards

PHOTOGRAPHY: Helen Banham

Willkommen, Bienvenue and Croeso to the SoundBoard Awards 2019

YOU WILL BE AWARE – IF YOU’VE BEEN FOLLOWING the offers on at the bar, Flipsy’s smoking hot dress, the excited
ONLINE – OF HOW THE NIGHT PROCEEDED IN TERMS cheers for the winners being announced, the shouts of sup-
OF CATEGORIES, NOMINATING AND JUDGING (BY OUR port, the brays from different nominated camps, the smiles
INDEPENDENT PANEL). and poses for the cameras, the incidental music while the win-
ners took to the stage in disbelief, or the all round good cheer
For the benefit of those who were not in attendance, the (at one point I had to sit back and say out loud: “this is like a
night itself was spectacular in appearance (thank you The Na- real awards ceremony”).
tional Waterfront Museum); had an itinerary as slick as a whis-
tle (thank you Michael Kennedy and so too our lovely compere But something else was brewing: the looks of disappoint-
Paul James); and sounded euphoric with the musical accom- ment, the quiet discussions behind hands, the not so quiet
paniment of the brilliant Fiddlesticks adding some class. And discussion definitely not behind hands, the head-in-hands de-
of course then our live acts for the evening Steve Balsamo, The spair, the startling cries of “Who?!”, “What The Fuck?!” and “It
Stray Pursuit and Karl Morgan were awesome. should have been [so and so]” (FYI, we might agree); and at one
point an eye witness saw a chair being kicked over. Hardly a
There were a huge array of attendees from far and wide; from Jarvis-Cocker-at-the-Brits level protest, but hey… we still love
Swansea’s music scene then-and-now and everywhere in-be- you Pastel.
tween, so many faces to recognise, friends young and old, plus
a few folk just turning up wondering what was going on so late Told you. Electric! And the sparks kept flying (which means
in the museum. we’re getting something right, doesn’t it?)

Nobody needs to tell a musician’s ego twice to come along to So in true SoundBoard style we will listen, inform, entertain
an awards ceremony, especially if they’ve been nominated for and also aim for better as long as we all shall live (I think I just
something, and there’s booze, so we were full to the brim and made up a motto). Cue The Beatles’ Come together.
the atmosphere was electric.
So, on to the easy bit now: go on then you Instagram genera-
The night got under way, the heat turned up a notch and tion, feast your eyes on our gallery on the next two pages, I’m
then up a notch again. Maybe it was something to do with sure you’ll agree, one way or another, it was a helluva night. SB

27

THE SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE AWARDS 2019 PHOTOGRAPHY: Helen Banham

THE 2019

Magazine Awards

“Nobody needs to
tell a musician’s
ego twice to
come along to an
awards ceremony,
especially if they’ve
been nominated
for something, and
there’s booze” – SBM

28

SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

THE WINNERS

BEST ORIGINAL
LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Sin City

BEST LIVE ACT
Who’s Molly?

BEST SINGLE
Who’s Molly?
Until I Found You

BEST NEW ACT
The Stray Pursuit

BEST SOLO/DUO
Hawthorn Avenue

BEST BAND
Who’s Molly?

BEST ALBUM
Craze The Jack

Kaleidoscope

LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT

AWARD
Brian Breeze

29

HCAHVREIASTGMREAATS ROB IS AN EXPERIENCED
CHRISTMAS EDITION HOROSCOPIST AND
ASTROLOGER.

He has worked with many
celebrities, such as the guy with

the glasses off those Halifax
adverts, Ryan Giggs’ sister and

Hunter from Gladiators.

Aries Libra Capricorn

The un-banged cracker The lost Easter egg The wobbly bit inside a bell
Christmas will be superb. For other You think Hark the Herald Angels Sing You have decked the halls with
people. Yours will be shit. You will boughs of holly. Your family are
is a nice song but it has no signifi- covered in bloody scratches. why did
fall into a bush. cance with the yoof of today. You try you do this? You unfeeling turd. FFS.
Your lucky film about a boy who has been jazzing it up a bit by singing “Play- Your lucky Jesus gift was mur merr mhur
station the Samsung minions sing”
left home alone is ‘Home Alone’. but everyone just looks at you funny. Fucking gold.
Your lucky bit of Scrooge’s life was when
Taurus Aquarius
he was young, carefree and in love.
The turkey skeleton You soppy fucker. The after Christmas dinner log
Over the Christmas holiday, you are You will spend most of Christmas
Scorpio saying “Ho! Ho! Ho!” a lot. It seems
filled with an urge to passionately The dregs to have largely coincided with your
kiss someone old. Like really old. Sorry to say this but this Christmas recent cocaine habit. I hate your
Like close to death. What the fuck is you choke to death on a parsnip. ironic Christmas jumper. Burn it.
Your lucky bit of Christmas dinner is starter. Your lucky Christmas crime is arson.
wrong with you? Get a grip.
Your lucky bells are jingle. Sagittarius Pisces
The ungrateful git
Gemini You will have an awesome Christ- The Michael Baublé
mas. Everything goes perfectly. All wrapped up, cosy and warm in a
The Champagne cork There isn’t one mishap. It couldn’t woollen shawl. You suddenly devel-
This Christmas you will get exactly run more smoothly and if you are op a real terror for carrots. If you see
what you asked for. Unfortunately, waiting for me to spoil it by writing one you start screaming and sobbing.
you asked for a migraine and to stub something bad will happen at the
It takes you hours to calm down.
your toe (big). end, you will be wrong. Then you see another carrot, carrots
Your lucky quality is street. Your lucky berry is cran. are a high visibility vegetable at this
time of year. You will ruin Christmas
Cancer
for everyone you know.
The floppy fortune telling fish Your lucky apron is covered in gravy and
(fake news)
turkey juice and CARROTS.
You know that bit of that Slade song,
at the end, where noddy shouts “IT’S There you go,
CHRISTMAS”? That’s annoying, isn’t it? the spirits have spoken
Your lucky reindeer isn’t Rudolf, it’s one of
oooooooooooooooh!
the other ones. Shirley?
SUBSCRIBE!
Leo For just £18 / year
SOUNDBOARD MAGAZINE
The grumpy postman
Fuck all for you. Go away. Fuck off. delivered direct to your letterbox

Christmas twat. contact: [email protected]
Your lucky mistle is toe. So, not all bad news.

Virgo

Cliff Richard’s neck
You used to be good at wrapping
gifts but for some unknown reason,
this year you are really shit. Don’t
buy me a present, you can’t wrap a

present. Go away.
Your lucky father is Christmas.

30

THE LOAD-OUT SOUNDBOARD • DECEMBER 2019/JANUARY 2020

BOYS WILL BE BOYS
JOHN DAVID IS ONE OF WALES’ MOST SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITERS, PENNING HITS FOR ROBERT PALMER, STATUS
QUO, CLIFF RICHARD, PHIL EVERLY, SHAKIN’ STEVENS AND MANY MORE. HERE JOHN TELLS MIKE KENNEDY OF
HIS FIRST MEETING WITH THE DAMNED’S RAT SCABIES, AT THE LEGENDARY ROCKFIELD STUDIOS.

JOHN STARTED HIS MUSI- and were punching him too before they
CAL CAREER IN HIS DAD’S finally got him out and...the album did
DANCE BAND BEFORE TAK- ok. I should have sued the bugger but I
ING UP BASS WITH LOVE didn’t, I was always too busy.
SCULPTURE, LED BY DAVE
EDMUNDS. IN THE 1970’S Six months later, Dave (Edmunds) rings
HE TEAMED UP WITH me up to say he wanted to go back on
RAY MARTINEZ AND DAVE tour and was I free. I jumped at the
CHARLES TO FORM AIR- chance as I’d been recording for such
WAVES WHO GOT SIGNED a long time. So off we set to Nomis Stu-
TO A&M RECORDS FOR dios to rehearse, and blow me down but
$1.25M DOLLARS. who’s in the next studio? The Damned.
So around lunchtime everyone goes to
“We were at Rockfield Stu- the pub around the corner. There’s Girls-
dios recording a band called chool, The Damned and us lot from The
The Barracudas, who were a Dave Edmunds Band. Rat Scabies comes
punk-surf group, and so much fun, they really were. The up to me and says: “Ay, you were on that
singer was on another planet, he was very studious and Sabre Dance weren’t ya?” So I said: “Yeah
obviously well read. Jeremy Gluck his name was and the that’s right I was”. “Fucking brilliant that
moment he hit the stage, or the studio for that matter, he was mate, fucking brilliant. I don’t know
was like an octopus, waving his arms around and jumping how you did that.”
all around the place. He was very hard to record because
he was never in the same place twice. He went on and on and we struck up a conversation
I remember we were mixing late at night and as always and I thought well, he’s not that bad, he didn’t remember
we were right down to the wire as far as the budget went. me. I thought my face would have been imprinted on his
We never went over but we got as close to it as we could. knuckles but he didn’t have a shred of recognition and
The last night of recording, 3am, we’re still mixing and I’ve not seen him again to this day.”
The Damned turn up because they were recording the next
day. While we were in the studio, Rat Scabies had filled ROB’S CHARITY CALENDAR
this wheelbarrow with horse manure from the stables and
smashed it through the French doors of the lounge where 2020 COASTER
all the girlfriends of The Barracudas were sitting. There was ARRANGEMENTS
glass and bits of wood everywhere and all the girls were
screaming covered with this steaming horse manure which I got into coaster arranging
had covered the carpet, the coffee tables, it was everywhere. a couple of years ago, and
I’d heard the screams and was walking towards the I love it (who wouldn’t,
lounge through the games room, along the corridor, when probably Noel Edmunds?
Rat Scabies comes walking towards me with a fire extin-
guisher in his hands and he’s banging it against the walls I produce a calendar at the
as he’s coming towards me. I carried on walking towards end of the year featuring
him and as he got nearer I grabbed the fire extinguisher off some highlights of the coaster
him and said: “What the fuck are you doing?” He grabbed arranging year.
it straight back off me and squirted it in my face [laughs]
and it was carbon dioxide and it froze my face. I couldn’t I sell them for £10
talk [laughing], I couldn’t say anything, so I went back in
the control room and the band have all got their hands and after printing and postal
up against the door to stop him coming in because he’s – costs I am left with £5 which I
bang!bang!bang! –trying to get at us, and then he just went. give to charridy.
So I thought I’ll call Kingsley (Ward, one of the brothers
that owns Rockfield) but there was no answer, so I tried I don’t like to talk too much about all the amazing work I do for charridy.
Charles, his brother. When he picked up I told him what
had happened and he said: “Oh well, boys will be boys” and TO ORDER A CALENDAR:
put the phone down. I thought, well that’s all the help Please send £10 to [email protected] via PayPal,
we’re going to get. include your address in the ‘add notes’ box (it’s not
We were just finishing off the last track. I was pull- Hogwarts here. Jeez). If you don’t use PayPal please
ing down the master fader, the door burst open and it’s send me an email. If this ad baffles you:
him again. He looked at me and said: “‘Ere Mr Producer
you couldn’t produce a rabbit out of a fucking hat.” So I said: Search Facebook for:
“Yeah, yeah I’m sure you’re right” and I continued to pull “TODAY’S COASTER ARRANGEMENT”
the fader down. As I looked around to make sure he’d
gone he whacked me in the side of the face and I went
right over the mixer just as Captain Sensible arrived. He
tried to pull Rat Scabies off me, the band had joined in