At the time of writing, it is now two weeks since Sŵn festival came to a close, and I’m still reeling from the brilliant time I had. Sŵn (pronounced s-oon) is a multi-venue inner-city music festival in Cardiff that has been up and running since 2007, when it was founded by Radio 6 DJ Huw Stephens and local promoter John Rostron. The current incarnation of the event took place over three days from the 17th to the 19th of October, and included ten venues from across Cardiff.

Said venues were as diverse as St John’s Church in the city centre, to the basement of Jacob’s Antiques at the bottom of St Mary’s Street. I was lucky enough to be volunteering as an artist liaison at Clwb Ifor Bach, a venue that holds the title of my favourite club in Cardiff. I had applied a few months prior after considerable encouragement from a mate of mine (who had volunteered there the previous two years). They also tipped me off to write my application in Welsh. Given the festival’s pro–Welsh-language attitude (reflected by the numerous Welsh acts performing across the festival), that decision paid off, and I was given my shifts a few weeks before the festival began.

For six hours on the Friday and Saturday of the weekend, my time was spent carrying gear, going on food runs, and making the artists performing as comfortable as possible. It was pretty low-maintenance work, and I had no problem doing it, though at times it did feel a little draining to be standing around with little to do. However, chatting with my “co-workers” made that small downside a breeze. The position also came with a lot of flexibility. I found myself able to attend several gigs across the course of the festival, both alone and in the company of friends who had also been volunteering. This bonus came completely free with the help of my trusty, complementary wristband.

“I was introduced to a plethora of exciting up-and-coming bands…”

and on the first day of my volunteering, after four hours of odd jobs and conversation, I saw my first performance, Piss (an appropriately transgressive name), recommended by a friend who found their harsh sound challenging yet intriguing. Backstage, I brought them beers and complimented their music, they were lovely people. The four-piece noise/punk outfit hailed from Vancouver, and it is safe to say they had not travelled here in vain. Indeed, from the moment their frontwoman gave a trigger warning for their performance, I knew I was in for an experience. Their explosive, rage-fuelled set combined ear-splitting instrumentation with bleak explorations of sexual assault, via incensed vocals and audio samples of rape survivors and feminist scholars.

“I was captivated and moved, horrified and impressed, all in one.”

It was also one of the loudest gigs I have see in a while. All things considered, it was a fitting introduction to the festival, and set the tone for the rest of the weekend. Riveting soundscapes, dance, energy, emotion, fun, passion, and conversation flowed. As I volunteered, and wandered around Cardiff’s main street, I was raptured by a buzz, an excitement, somethingthat was quite simply a joy. Seeing people of all ages and cultures united in a common love for music was nothing short of awe inspiring. All in all, it’s safe to say; if you have any interest in Cardiff’s flourishing live music scene (and beyond!), get yourself to Sŵn next year…