ÔÇÿHavenÔÇÖt seen this time in a whileÔÇÖ, I thought, clambering out of the surf lodgeÔÇÖs triple bunk bed at 6.30am on Friday morning. It was the opening day of the BUCS Surf championships, one of the biggest surf contests in Europe. The best thing about the contest is that it is a real eye-opener to competitive surfing, which has been previously overlooked in the sporting … Continue reading Cardiff Surf Club Makes A Splash
Chase & Status’ mixture of aggressive beats and influences from hip hop and reggae has enthralled audiences across the UK. The duo have gained a following that has rocketed them away from the genreÔÇÖs underground into arenas around the country. Fresh from the release of the Brand New Machine album last month, how would the Chase & Status live show translate to this arena environment? … Continue reading Live Review: Chase & Status – Motorpoint Arena – 7.11.13
ÔÇ£Come winter time, we will be getting into a bus and setting up equipment in some rooms up and down the British Isles, playing music songs for those who care to listen,ÔÇØ posted The Darkness rather cryptically on their Facebook page in June. The Suffolk band, whose combination of the hard rocking grooves of AC/DC and the multi-layered vocals of Queen took the rock world … Continue reading Preview: The Darkness – November 17th – Solus
Hailing from the musical hotbed of New Jersey, Dads offer up the kind of twinkly, guitar-based emo thats nonchalance is its greatest asset. Comparing themselves to ÔÇ£the shitty movie you know is crap but put on to forget about everything else going wrong around youÔÇ£, their lo-fi stylings are perfectly suited to Le PubÔÇÖs sweaty, beery confines. Latest EP ÔÇÿPretty GoodÔÇÖ is much more than … Continue reading Preview: Dads, Newport Le Pub, 16.11.13
Chloe May discusses the rise of the ÔÇÿYouTube FamilyÔÇÖ and questions whether you can really make a career out of filming your day-to-day life. Home videos: every family has them. The thought of my parents deciding that my rendition of ÔÇÿWhen Santa got Stuck Up The ChimneyÔÇÖ, aged six, was worthy of being posted on the internet is a bizarre one. An even more bizarre … Continue reading The Modern Family
Struggling with planning your EuroTrip? Worried you’ll take a wrong turn like Scotty and the crew? Travel writer┬áSarah Davies┬átalks you through the top city destinations across the continent from the dazzling sights in Paris to the artistic side-streets of Berlin. ┬á Travelling through Europe may seem like battling through an overwhelming urban jungle of stylish streets, majestic buildings and breathtaking views. With so many temptingly … Continue reading Travel Top Five: Cities
Menswear writer┬áJonathan Keys┬ágives his insight on the habit that we just can’t seem to kick… Trainer here, trainer there, trainers are everywhere! Modern day fashion has embraced the trainer and put a retro spin on it. Ever since the success of the Nike Blazer range, every reputable sports brand; Reebok, New Balance and Asics to name but a few have released their own lines of … Continue reading Trainer here, trainer there…
Firmly placing itself within CardiffÔÇÖs Fashion Calendar, Cardiff Fashion WeekÔÇÖs showcase revealed upcoming A/W 13 trends from high street retailers and independent brands. One key trend was modernism, reflected within the monochrome colour palette, but also more predominantly within the structured, clear-cut silhouettes. Leathers and Tartan were key textures, nodding to the current inherent A/W punk trend, but also adding a touch of luxury through … Continue reading A night at Cardiff Fashion Week
Have a guess at who was the most played band on the radio in 2006? Got a Feeling you know this oneÔǪ? It was of course The Feeling, who – after forming in the mid-90s – exploded into the British music mainstream in the mid-2000s with the smash hits, ÔÇ£Fill My Little WorldÔÇØ, ÔÇ£Never Be LonelyÔÇØ, and ÔÇ£I Love It When You CallÔÇØ. But their … Continue reading Preview: The Feeling & Yellowire, Solus, 3.11.12
Sean Smith, the slightly more outspoken half of The BlackoutÔÇÖs vocal partnership, often jokes they are ÔÇ£the best live band in the world.ÔÇØ Taken seriously or not, the statement resonated during their 90-minute set on 24 October, as the post-hardcore sestet left CardiffÔÇÖs Solus throbbing, sweaty and in need of a lie down. The eager teens who had hours before scattered the steps of Cardiff … Continue reading Live Review: The Blackout, Solus, 24.10.13
Since letlive. broke into the UK hardcore scene following the release of their critically acclaimed album Fake History in 2010, they have never failed to impress, especially in the live arena.┬á The bands chaotic, visceral live reputation often precedes them; first arriving in the UK in the summer of 2011 for a few small support slot runs and a couple of festival slots, causing mayhem … Continue reading Live Review: letlive., Clwb Ifor Bach, 15.10.13
Ahead of their return to Solus, Jack Glasscock and Louis Browne sat down with The Blackout‘s two vocalists to talk Merthyr and models. YouÔÇÖre almost halfway through your tour and yesterday you were back at home in Merthyr Tydfil, how was that? Sean Smith (Vocals): It was lovely ÔÇô 2008ÔÇÖs third roughest town in Britain. Gavin Butler (Vocals): Although, some of our crew spent the … Continue reading Interview: The Blackout
ÔÇ£Craig Bellamy to turn up, or maybe Tom JonesÔÇØ, was the expectation Jaws held of their first live outing in Wales. The dream-pop four-piece arrived in the Welsh capital supporting fellow Brummie band, The Twang, the latest show in a long list that dates back to the beginning of summer. ÔÇ£Literally every weekend for two months it was either a festival or an all-dayer that … Continue reading Feature: Jaws
October 12th saw Tom Odell give an outstanding performance to a thrilled audience. The show was by anyoneÔÇÖs standards a musical feast of talent from beginning to end, playing a number of his singles and album tracks as well as a Beatles cover and some new material ÔÇô bliss! Despite waiting for two and a half hours from opening for Odell to actually appear. when … Continue reading Live Review: Tom Odell, Great Hall, 12.10.13
Just before they took to the Great Hall to support Bastille, Amy Endacott took a quick five to catch up with To Kill A King frontman Ralph Pelleymounter.┬á Hello Ralph, and welcome to very wet and miserable Wales! Have you been to the country before?┬á WeÔÇÖve been here a few times and we really like it. Everyone is very welcoming and weÔÇÖve just been round … Continue reading Interview: To Kill A King
Charlie Mock hits the streets of Cardiff to see what your are wearing this Autumn/Winter – a perfect way to get some fashion inspiration and who doesn’t love a style stalk! Emily made the most of the Student Lock-In and got a Vivienne Westwood bag. Her jumper and shoes are Topshop, which she has teamed with leggings from Aldi and a gorgeous Alexander McQueen scarf. … Continue reading Street Style
ÔÇÿWe play loud. We play heavy. We play hard. We play fast.ÔÇÖ claims Woking-based hardcore band Palm Reader. The crowd gathered at CardiffÔÇÖs intimate The Moon Club venue on Womanby Street this Tuesday 15 October were not left disappointed by a band that more than live up to these comments. Despite some technical difficulties (including guitar string breakages), the British five-piece got the evening off … Continue reading Live Review: Devil Sold His Soul – The Moon Club
You’d think that so many females in one room would cause a problem but Kate Nash and her ‘girl gang’ were the complete opposite. Support acts The Tuts Band and Vulcano opened the show with a hint of what was to follow: an onslaught of punk-fuelled girl power reminiscent of the likes of Hole and Joan Jett. Even the pre-show playlist was packed full of … Continue reading Live Review: Kate Nash – The Globe
Kate Nash is back touring with her self-released third album ÔÇÿGirl TalkÔÇÖ. With a punk vibe not far off the girl power scene of the 80ÔÇÖs, itÔÇÖs a far cry from ÔÇÿFoundationsÔÇÖ but set to inspire teenage girls across the country just the same. Charlie Mock and Jess Rodgerson caught up with Kate ahead of her show at The Globe. First of all, welcome to … Continue reading Interview: Kate Nash
It was difficult to know what to expect as Birmingham 5-piece, The Twang, arrived in Cardiff for the penultimate date of their UK tour. Their previous two albums fail to provide much in terms of innovation and originality and the venue had been downgraded from Solus following poor ticket sales. Yet this tour precedes the release of a third record and the band have developed … Continue reading Live Review: The Twang & Jaws, Solus, 6.10.13
