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News and Views
Well, it’s getting to be a
habit, but welcome to August’s GigList - yet another bumper 12-page issue
featuring what I think is the longest gig listing I’ve ever produced. I’m not
sure if that says more about my diligence and persistence in seeking out those
elusive gig details than it does about the current state of the live music scene
in Swansea, but it’s encouraging.
Developments continue on
the venue front. Whitez are building on the success of their Open Mic
nights (or M.A.D. music jam, as they would have it) by launching a series of
Saturday night gigs. There’s a launch party on Saturday 2nd
featuring local heroes No Obligation. Who knows, I might even find my
way to that one myself … Sam at The Cricketers is also dipping a toe
into the Saturday night water - only a couple of nights confirmed in August, but
a full programme is scheduled for September. Unfortunately, live music at
Bar Reef hasn’t taken off as anticipated and gigs there are unlikely to
continue after September, although existing bookings are being honoured. I have
full listings for the Smith’s Arms in the Hafod and the Mason’s Arms
in Rhydypandy this month, too, whilst another new venue to look out for in
future months is the Old Barn Inn and Restaurant at Pontlassau.
The two major events this
month are the Pontardawe Festival (Friday 15th - Sunday 17th)
and the Uplands Music Festival (Friday 22nd - Monday 25th).
The major attractions at Pontardawe this year are the multi-national
Transglobal Underground, trailblazing Irish warriors Kila and
Senegalese maestro Sekou Keita, together with Northern Irish songwriter
Mary Kathleen Burke and iconic Welsh language band Ar Log.
Amongst the supporting cast, Baggyrinkle, Jim Fox, Graham Larkbey, The
Potboilers, No Obligation and Project 25, amongst others, will be
familiar to local gig-goers.
The Uplands Festival
has expanded from its Uplands Tavern base this year to encompass
Whitez and Mozarts as well. As Festival Director Chris “Magpie”
Woodman puts it: “The eighth
Uplands Music Festival promises to be our best one yet, with over 75 acts booked
at the time of going to press. Seven Roads Music are delighted to be co-hosting
with M.A.D. Promotions this year, who will be taking care of the music and fun
over at Whitez and Mozarts. We truly believe that the variety of acts will
please all - from Rock, Metal, Indie, Alt to Folk, Jazz and Country, we can
honestly say the festival’s line-up is awesome, and it's all free .... well,
except the stuff you have to pay for!” The GigList concurs - the line-up
really does represent the cream of the crop so far as local song writing talent
goes (pity there’s no Andy Morse, though). Acts confirmed so far include The
DoubleO Zeroes, Ursine Princes, Ripping Cones, Mook, Evan Burgess, Harpers
Ferry, Malko, The Last Republic, Kiddo 360, Bigsby, Anne-Marie Helder, Steffan
Tucker, The Mudskippers, Dufraine, Temp, Andy Jones, Dyljammor, Sera Rabbett,
Jason Harris, Speakeasy Jazz Band, Frame 3-13, The Magpies, Rugfire, The Good
Burghers, Karma Junkie, Superczar, The Death of Chapman Baxter, Kelly’s Angels,
The Caves, Skylark, Jon Morgan, Boatbar to Hamburg, Quahog, Andy Jones, Ian
James, Rag Foundation, MudJack, King of Despair, Ringolevio, Evan Davies, Mick
Kemp, Chris Woodman and Jon Coward, Felix Subway, The Chineapple Punks and Steve
Flynn.
Friday 1st
Bar,Co MATT
COOK
(“the human iPod”)
0.00 FREE
Bar
Reef Live music
TBC
21.00 FREE
Bay
View Bar GARY PHILLIPS
TRIO
(“bluenote
and jazz-funk fusion”)
21.00 FREE
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw BLACK VELVET
(“silky rock
covers”)
21.00 FREE
The
Cricketers THE MAGPIES
(“purveyors of top notch original
melodic rock”)
21.07 FREE
Ivy
Bush Hotel Valley Folk Club Open Night
(singers, players, poets,
listeners - all welcome)
20.30 FREE
MilkwoodJam
HEADHUNTERS
20.00 £3.00
Monkey
Café Mashed Up, feat. ZEJ, Dub Step +
French Breaks
(“DnB sensations”)
FREE b4 10
Pink
Geranium THE SHAKES
21.00 FREE
Pontardawe Inn SPARROW LANE
(return of the uncrowned kings of Alt-Jangle™)
21.00 FREE
Siro’s
Bar AGGI THOMAS & MATT
JOYCE (“a night of
original acoustica”)
21.00 FREE
The
Singleton THE
NAVIGATORS
21.00 FREE
Smith’s Arms PURE FLOYD
(“lime and limpid, green the
sound”)
21.00 FREE
Uplands Tavern CAKEHOLE PRESLEY
(“acoustic, experimental
folk/rock”)
21.00 FREE
Saturday 2nd
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw FINCHEY &
FRIENDS
(Blind Lemon’s not up there, boys!)
21.00 FREE
MilkwoodJam BABAR LUCK, The Guffries, Office Down,
Midriff + others
(“slightly off kilter”)
19.00 £4.00
Pink
Geranium HOT
DOGZ
21.00
FREE
Pontardawe Inn
TBC
21.00 FREE
Sin
City ELLIOT MINOR + The Days
(“strange hybrid of emo, pop-punk and
indie”)
19.30 £10 + BF
The
Singleton BIG CAR LITTLE
CAR
21.00
FREE
Siro’s
Bar Summer Beach Ball (Acts
TBC)
18.00 FREE
Smith’s Arms THE
DOPEYS
21.00 FREE
Southgate Club, Southgate JOE SCHMO
(“music for the
living”)
21.00
£TBC
Speed
Music The First Saturday Club:
TBC
14.00 FREE
Uplands Tavern 21 AGAINST
(highly-touted Llanelli
rockers)
21.00 FREE
West End,
Gorseinon PURE FLOYD
(“remember a day before
today”)
21.00 FREE
Whitez NO OBLIGATION + White
Dice
(Garage launch party)
21.00 £TBC
Sunday 3rd
The
Adelphi BIG CAR LITLE CAR
(Racing Cars moonlighters)
16.00 FREE
Bar,Co THE ATOMS, Jovern, Tom
van Hamer + Chris Stringer
20.00 £1.00
The
Brunswick IAN JAMES
(mellow pickings with your Sunday lunch)
13.00 FREE
The
Brunswick STRING WHISTLE
(“acoustic folk
duo”)
20.30 FREE
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw IAN JAMES TRIO
(Swansea’s favourite
troubadour)
20.00 FREE
Coyote
Bar THE SOMETHINGS
(“melodic pop
aficianados”)
21.00 FREE
The
Cricketers Open Mic Night
(“come all ye rolling
minstrels”)
20.00 FREE
Masons
Arms THIS RIVER
("four-piece melodic rock band from the
Swansea valley")
TBC FREE
Monkey
Café LEVIANTH, The Ruined, Red - The
Resistance + Legacy of Brutality
18.00 £TBC
No
Sign Bar AMBER AVENUE
(female-fronted acoustic outfit)
20.30 FREE
Strand
Bar
GROUNDED
18.00 FREE
Strand
Bar ANDY &
GOSS
21.00 FREE
Uplands Tavern AL DAVEY JNR.
(“returns for another stint in the
Tav”)
21.00 FREE
Monday 4th
Bar,Co Slim’s Blues Jam,
feat.
HIDEAWAY
21.00 FREE
The
New York Blues Jam/Open Mic
Featuring house band the
BLUES CRUISE 20.30 FREE
Sin
City EVAN DANDO + Frank
Turner
(former Lemonheads main
man)
19.30
£10.00
Tuesday 5th
The
Brunswick TICH
(all his ways are known to
you)
21.00 FREE
The
Salisbury THE JON AMOR BAND
(“former Hoax front man”)
20.00 £TBC
Wednesday 6th
Bar,Co Illegal Promotions
Rock
Night
20.00 £2.00
MilkwoodJam Milky Showcase
(Host: Aggi Thomas)
20.00 FREE
Mozarts Open Mic Acoustic
(Host: Ian James) (Easy-going, relaxed
atmosphere) 20.00 FREE
The
Office Open Mic Night
(Host: Richard
Copp)
20.00 FREE
Siro’s
Bar Open Mic
Night
21.00 FREE
Swansea Jazzland RHYS OWEN’S SLEIGHT OF HAND
(“tenor saxophonist from
Cardiff”)
20.30 £7.00
Thursday 7th
The
Adelphi
TBC
21.00
FREE
Aspers
Casino THE AMIGOS
("Gypsy music played with virtuosity and
passion")
22.00 FREE
Bar,Co MARKS SET GO +
support
21.00 £TBC
The
Brunswick LOWRI EVANS
("talented singer/songwriter with
powerful, distinctive voice")
20.30
FREE
Mumbles Con. Club Swansea Jazz Society :
MEMPHIS SEVEN
20.30 £5.00
Sin
City KC!, Working Class Heroes, These Radio
Days + Kid Keep Dancing
19.30 £5.00
Uplands Tavern TOMMY HARRIS QUARTET
(“great music from this debut
foursome”)
21.00 FREE
Whitez M.A.D. Open Mic
Night
20.30 FREE
Friday 8th
Bar,Co AGGI THOMAS & MATT
JOYCE (“a night of
rockin’ acoustica”)
21.30 FREE
Bar
Reef THE V.I.P.’S
(half of the Storys
playing songs you all know)
21.00 FREE
Bay
View Bar BACK TO THE BORDER
(“classic acoustic blues and edgy
folk”)
21.00
FREE
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw CIVVIES
(“rock in the
Buck!”)
21.00 FREE
The
Cricketers THE GOOD BURGHERS
(local blues super group)
21.00 FREE
Masons
Arms TED CROOK & THE BLUES
HIGHWAY
21.00 FREE
The
Mex PURE FLOYD
(“bringing sounds of yesterday
into my city room”)
21.00 FREE
MilkwoodJam THE BARRIERS +
guests
20.00 £TBC
Oceana KARL MORGAN &
BAND
22.30 £TBC
Pink
Geranium ANDY &
BEN
21.00 FREE
Pontardawe Inn AMBER AVENUE
(female-fronted acoustic outfit)
21.00
FREE
The
Singleton SWITCHY &
CO.
21.00
FREE
Siro’s
Bar MEG &
MARK
21.00
FREE
Smith’s
Arms FAST CAR
WAITING
21.00 FREE
Saturday 9th
Bar,Co THE
NAVIGATORS
20.00
FREE
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw BACK TO THE BORDER
(“classic acoustic blues and edgy
folk”)
21.00
FREE
The
Cricketers CHANNEL
HOPPERS
21.00 FREE
The
Duke Inn, Morriston PURE FLOYD
(“will you still let me join in with the
game?”)
21.00 FREE
The
Gate House THE
AVISI
TBC FREE
MilkwoodJam AGGI THOMAS & MATT JOYCE
(“a night of original acoustica”)
21.00 £3.00
Pink
Geranium WORST CASE
SCENARIO
21.00 FREE
Pontardawe Inn
TBC
21.00 FREE
Queen’s Hotel JIMMY
QUICKSAND
21.00 FREE
The
Singleton PEGGY
RELOADS
21.00
FREE
Uplands
Tavern THE NUMBERS RACKET
(“superb
rock’n’roll”)
21.00 FREE
Whitez SCREAMIN’ EAGLES + The
Afterglow
21.00 £TBC
Sunday 10th
The
Adelphi LONG WAY
ROUND
(“superb local rock band”)
16.00 FREE
Bar,Co All New Volts Show
Showcase
2008
21.00 FREE
The
Brunswick ANDY MORSE
(welcome return of the main
man)
20.30 FREE
Buck
Inn, Pontlliw LOWRI EVANS & LEE MASON
(“a voice to be wooed
by”)
20.00 FREE
Coyote
Bar
TBC
21.00
FREE
The
Cricketers Open Mic Night
(with your host MC
Woodman) &nbs | 
