MARILLION @ ST DAVID’S HALL, CARDIFF – PREVIEW

A legendary rock band who risked losing £500,000 because insurers wouldn’t cover their tour due to Covid have turned to their fans to make sure they stay on the road.

Marillion will play in St David’s Hall in Cardiff on November 17th – but only because their fans have put up the cash to cover most of their costs if Covid strikes and they’re forced to cancel the tour.

Lead singer Steve Hogarth told Keep Cardiff Live that the band could have been left destitute if they’d toured without insurance.

He said: “If any of us in the band test positive for covid during the tour then we’re done - you’re not allowed in the next building. We’d have to cancel the tour, as Genesis have just done. 

“If we have to cancel this tour it will cost us about half-a-million quid. There’s not an insurance company that will touch artists at the moment, thanks to Covid. 

“It hadn’t even occurred to the band how much money we’d lose if one of us tested positive, so we’d already put the tickets on sale before that was pointed out to us. 

“So we had a crisis meeting and our genius manager, Lucy Jordache, said ‘Why don’t we crowdfund the insurance?’”

Marillion all-but invented crowdfunding, with fans pre-funding tours and albums in 1997 - well before Kickstarter or Indiegogo were a cheeky glint in the internet’s eye. The first time they did it they revolutionised the music business – now they’re looking to do it again with their Lightsavers campaign, literally saving the Light at the End of the Tunnel tour. 

Fans can pledge money which gets put into an escrow account – a kind of ‘holding’ account. If the tour plays out as planned, they all get their money back and if they don’t, it gets used to cover the costs. But every fan who pledges gets a ‘money-can’t-buy’ item in return, whatever happens.

Steve said: “So far we’ve raised around £150,000. That’ll pay for the bus, the trucks and most of the sound and lights if we have to cancel. Of course we don’t want to cancel so we’ve got to be super careful to get through this tour and give everyone their money back. 

“We’ll be effectively in quarantine. Even on the days off we can’t go into a shop or café. It’s going to be well weird because we love coming to Cardiff and enjoying what it has to offer.

“The band will be in a total bubble. We’re not even going to be able to mingle with the crew. No friends and family backstage. Nothing.”

Marillion last played Cardiff two years ago and their unique blend of Pink Floydian prog, Zeppelinesque riffs, soaring melodies and poetic lyrics means their loyal army of fans will be desperate to see them return.

Steve added: “It will be incredibly exciting being back in front of that crowd and walking onstage and listening to the response of the fans because they’re like a family and it will feel like a homecoming.

“Audiences in Wales tend to listen more. They tend to be much quieter in the show and then erupt at the end. I learned that the first couple of times we played St David’s Hall. I thought we were dying until the end when everyone went nuts.”  

Preview by Craig Hooper

Marillion’s ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ tour arrives at St David’s Hall on November 17th and you can find out more about the Lightsavers campaign at www.marillion.com

Dial M for Murder.

The opening night of Dial M for Murder at Cardiff’s New Theatre was a fantastic experience as soon as you walk in through the doors of the majestically beautiful new theatre which was a first for me and I am itching to get back to. The guest experience from collecting the tickets to sitting down was absolutely fantastic. As soon as I got my tickets, I headed to the bar and enjoyed a nice pre show drink in a cosy environment where you can tell everyone was excited to enjoy the night's entertainment. Heading to my seat and I was awestruck by the amazing set design of the apartment in which the play takes place in, created by David Woodhead and realistically lit by Lizzie Powell it was so so easy to forget that you weren't in an isolated theatre and not transported to the warm glow of London in the 60’s.

The story started with Margot Wendice (Diana Vickers) amidst a year long affair with Max Halliday (Michael Salami) who has just returned from america. The two try their best to keep their love for each other a secret from Margot's husband, Tony Wendice (Tom Chambers) the two lovers exchange letters and burn them after reading to ensure Maximum secrecy except Tony manages to find a letter in Margot's handbag. All seems well in their lives until Margot leaves the flat with Max and we truly see what this affair is doing to Tony as his plans start to work in his favour.

Tony tricks an old school friend of his, Captain Lesgate (Christopher Harper) to come over to his flat and through a series of exchanging private information about Margot, Tony now has lesgate under his spell and asks him to kill Margot as to stop the heartbreak of his wife cheating on him behind his back. Lesgate manages to enter the house and attacks Margot nearly killing her but Margot manages to attack lesgate instead, thus putting a spanner in Tony's plan.

This was a great place to  have the interval as it had me in suspense for the 2nd part and to ask myself what is the outcome now? What will Tony do to fulfil his plan?

Still in the same set as the first half, we are introduced to the inspector who is dealing with the murder of lesgate. Inspector hubbard (also christopher harper) is a totally different character both in body language and in mannerisms to lesgate despite being played by the same actor. Harper does a fantastic job as the inspector. He knows his work and knows the procedures and yet he’s comedic too. For me I would watch the play again just for Inspector Hubbard as his dialogue is so beautifully performed and his energy across the stage/room is reminiscent of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock with a childish hint of Matt Smith's Doctor Who. 

Through a fantastic manouvre of red flashing lights and psychedelic soundtrack, we learn that Margot is charged with the murder of lesgate and is immenintly sentanced to hang for her crimes. Tony, back at the flat is chipper as he can see out his plan and the blame is shifted from a quick little murder to under the influence of the law. Inspector hubbard manages to reacquaint himself with Max and he also manages to sneak Margot back home as hubbard is convinced he has the right master plan that Tony used to kill his wife. The soundtrack when Tony approaches the front door really had me on the edge of my seat and I had no idea what to expect when the cast confronted each other. The play ends on Margot walking out the door as a free woman. No worries about her past but confronting life one step at a time.

I had only seen a trailer for the film of Dial M for Murder which left me fresh to experience what the plot had to offer me. In order to get the full 5 stars from me I would've considered microphones for the actors as a lot of emotion was lost from trying to project their voices to the top row of the audience. Tony Wendice for me could have done with a little bit more of a sinister edge to his character as he is planning a murder after all. Or maybe that adds to the character that he can so quickly and energetically plan a murder. Who knows who is really safe around Tony. Overall I was surprised how brilliant this production was. A brilliant theatre, cast and environment mixed with an intricately planned murder and how quickly the master mind must think of lies when the initial plan goes wrong was a fantastic joy of an evening and this production is surely one to see on its UK tour

Review by Jordan Simmons

Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita - Acapela, Pentyrch 27/10/21

Image Copyright Steve Johnson

This gig had been postponed and rearranged on at least one occasion, so it was nice to see it finally take place.

The duo has played at the Acapela several times previously, so it was effectively a homecoming gig. That is especially the case for Catrin Finch, irrevocably associated with the development of this welcoming, atmospheric venue.

We turned up stupidly early, in order to secure a downstairs table with a prime view. Seckou was still sound checking, as we settled into our seats with pints of local beers and the requisite, rustic pizzas. I’m glad we were so early, as It was pleasurable to watch the venue slowly fill, as the levels of expectancy grew, pre-gig.

A Finch/Keita performance is a real treat, especially on their home turf. Keita is a warm, smiley, jocular character whilst Finch has an arid, self-deprecating sense of humour. They complement each other so well and clearly love playing together.

They are both, of course, sublime musicians, virtuoso harpists. Catrin plays the classic Welsh version and Seckou has the West African equivalent, the Kora. One of the most entertaining parts of the evening was when the audience was told all about the design of his West African harp. We were told that the soundhole was a receptacle for tips.

Shortly after this an audience member duly obliged, to Seckou Keita’s obvious delight! This duo is an aural treat, wonderful musicianship, great stories, and beautiful tunes. They bounce off each other brilliantly and make for a great live music experience.

Make sure you grab a ticket when they return to the Acapela, as they inevitably will.

Review and image by Steve Johnson

Can We Start Decking the Halls?

The Halloween decorations have gone down, the clocks have gone back, and the nights are drawing in. We’re now left with that awkward gap to fill until December 25th. This then propels the question- is it too early to start getting the tinsel and tree out?

I was thinking this whilst walking through the hustle and bustle of Cardiff City Centre. Shops stocked with Christmas decorations and extending opening hours for keen shoppers, the markets being set up and the Winter Wonderland starting to take form, Christmas is truly in the air whether you like it or not. 

Maybe we have just come to accept that November means Christmas for the sheer reason that there’s so much build up and planning needed for the most magical time of year. 

Finding the perfect presents, ensuring everyone at the table is catered for and well fed, making memories with loved ones, these things take organising and often can’t be done on a whim, in fear of suffering the chaos come Christmas Eve when shop pandemonium peaks and you’re left with nothing to give your nan on the big day.

But does it just enforce the idea that Christmas has become just consumerism at its peak, with no real thought as to the meaning behind the day or the fact that it’s a chance to spend time with family and friends. We can so easily become entrapped in the idea that we ‘need’ to do this and ‘need’ to do that to have the ‘perfect’ Christmas, but surely the perfect day costs not much at all. The company of loved ones, the merriment of some time off work and a chance to embrace the spirit by thinking of others, surely that’s what Christmas is all about?

Don’t get me wrong, my hands are practically shaking in anticipation of riding the big wheel, drinking hot chocolates whilst admiring the lights and trees and splashing out on gifts for my nearest and dearest, but sometimes I think it helps to stop and reflect. Think about whether I need to spend my years earnings on one day, when really, some goodies and a jokey gift or two is enough, and instead I should just appreciate the extra time to slow down and be with those I love.

Christmas is a magical time of year, my favourite to be exact, but maybe we should start to embrace the simplicities of the season, instead of worrying about how big the turkey is going to be or already fuelling the local economy by buying endless pairs of socks, chocolate, and more gifts aplenty. 

Let’s instead think about who we can see this Christmas, what we can do for others, and be grateful that we’re here to see another after the year, or two, we’ve just had.

Review - Level 42 - St David's Hall, Cardiff

Arguably the best bass guitarist on the planet, Mark King was again in the Welsh capital to thrash out the hits of Level 42.

A regular to the City with his household funky-jazz band that hit the early 80s and 90s is still got the notes both in voice and that trademark bass sound.

The high energy evening was set by Johnny Hates Jazz, who went down a storm with the audience that were looking for a good night out, and yes most of the guys had grey hair.

And for a 35 minute set a near full crowd were ready and waiting for the main act to arrive to take the evening to the next level.

The theme of sirens, sounds with blue/white flashing lights were taken up a couple of notches as King and his 6 piece band were ready to rock the hall.

The more classics tunes came towards the end third of the gig, Something about you, To be with you again, Lessons in Love, It’s Over, The Sun goes down, The Chinese Way, Hot Water and Running in the family     

With 6 top ten hits under their belts King belted them out admitting that he was tired during his 1hr 40 stint/, ‘I’m knackered, I’ve been doing this for the last 40 years,’ he joked. 

But as long as King keeps producing this magical 80s production and tempo he can go on for another 40 years.   

By Mark Bloom

REVIEW: Nadia Sheikh at the Moon

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‘The Moon’ has a history of letting exciting new talents onto their stage and on Wednesday night it was Nadia Sheikh’s turn. 

The half Spanish, half English singer-songwriter returned to the Cardiff stage - a long way from her home town of Alcora, just north of Valencia - to headline her first show post pandemic with support from Inland Murmur, Ragsy and Yasmine and The Euphoria.

Despite still being relatively new to the music seen, she has already made a name for herself and has even supported the Stereophonics on their 2020 tour.

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Listening to Nadia’s first EP before I attended the gig, it was clear that this she was a talented musician. Her smooth yet ernest voice gives off country vibes, complemented by the soft melodic riffs of her guitar. But hearing her Wednesday night, it was clear Nadia has come long a way; defining her sound with a little more edge and a rocky overtone that transcends onto the stage.

Her band - Harry Acreman on guitar, Rowen Davies on bass and George Gardiner on drums – has certainly helped produce a sound that teeters on the periphery of indie grunge. 

On hearing the opening number “Detrimental Paradise,” it was clear we were dealing with a different performer than had first been encountered. It was here she staked her claim to the stage and made it clear as to why she’d been placed on top of the bill for the evening.

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Nadia’s opening performance set the tone for what was to come as the further she got into her set, the more she took it to a new level. The deep nineties grunge reverberated around the room and championed her presence as more rock chic than country chick. 

It’s not that her original sound wasn’t toe-tappingly delightful, but, for the realisation that maybe venues like The Moon attract crowds who are more akin to the heavier sounds of an electric guitar, than the softer picking of an acoustic. 

There wasn’t a much better example of this than hearing the opening riff to her latest single, ‘IDWK (I Don’t Wanna Know)’. An her hypnotic vocals crash amongst crescending indie-rock instrumentation, the endearing and powerful cut finds Nadia deep in conversation with herself, acknowledging some of the personal problems many of us tend to brush aside; filing the venue flawlessly, and invigorating the crowd in tow. The lead guitar giving it an upbeat tempo, head bopping feel.

After ending her set with ‘Get Away,’ it was clear the crowd weren’t done with Nadia just yet and wanted more; so she returned for an encore, performing ‘Fire Away’ and a track that I can only describe as a piece of indie music magic, ‘Toxic.’ 

Having proven she really understands how to blend rock and pop to great effect, the finished result is a vibrant and pulsating track set to leave listener craving more of the same.  

There is something special about this performer. Undeniably talented, her modesty on stage, her talent and her desire to make things happen will ensure a bright future for Nadia Sheikh. You can catch Nadia in her upcoming gigs and keep tabs on her on Facebook and her website.

Review by: Olivia Grist for Keep Cardiff Live

BLOG: There’s nothing sweet about today: Sourest Day

October 25th, a day you may see as normal as every other day, but today is in fact Sourest Day don’t ya know. 

Yes, that’s right, a day to celebrate all things sour, whether that be food or people. 

Like with many of these whimsical holidays, the origins are unknown. One assumption that can be made though is that someone brainstormed it to encourage others to try new sour foods, or to turn their attention to the sour people in their lives, maybe making things a little sweeter. 

Sourness itself is a taste. It detects acidity in a food item, thus determining its level of sourness. Scientists rank substances on their sourness by comparing it to hydrochloric acid, which has a sourness index of 1. 

The word sour is used to refer to someone who is angry, disagreeable, or irritable. A person who harbours resentment or disappointment is also sometimes called a sour person.

A quick google search presents a few ideas for how one may celebrate this holiday, with the ideas being as follows:

1.     Try some sour beverages such as limeade, buttermilk and drinking vinegar.

2.     Try some sour food, such as sour citrus fruits for breakfast, or some lemon chicken for lunch. A ceviche, grapefruit salad and key lime pie would make the perfect sour dinner.

3.     Some sour candy is obvious. You could bring some to your co-workers or just try them solo.

4.     Maybe you know a slightly sour person in your life! Well, doing something nice for them to sweeten their sour may help.

FUN FACT:

An average adult has about 10,000 taste buds in their mouth, reducing in number as people age.

Villagers Live Review

Image Collette Johnson©

My wife (Collette) is a music obsessive and an avid gig-goer. She often plays stuff that I’m not familiar with. Recently, she played a number of tracks from yet another band that was previously unknown to me. She asked me if I liked the sound. I told her that I did , in particular, the singer’s voice, as it reminded me of Conor Oberst ( Bright Eyes) and Conor Deasy (The Thrills). She was pleased, as she then revealed we were off to see them, as a slightly early wedding anniversary treat. So, off we went, to Bristol, to see ‘Villagers’ play live.

This was my first gig in Bristol for a good number of years and the venue was one I’d never been to before. The ‘Marble Factory’ is somewhat unusually based on an industrial estate, about 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre. It is a quirky venue that somehow fits in well with the somewhat bohemian vibe of Bristol. With a capacity of 1600 people, its closest comparative Cardiff venue would probably be the ‘Tramshed’. It has a similar cosy feel, allowing for an intimate gig experience.

Led by the fascinatingly enigmatic and diminutive Conor O'Brien, fellow ‘Villagers’

(Danny Snow, Cormac Curran, Gwion Llewelyn and Mali Llewelyn) strolled on to stage at 8:30 pm, to be warmly welcomed by a healthy turnout of eagerly expectant Bristolians. It was to be a sublime performance…

Image Collette Johnson©

From the off, I was struck by the ability of Conor O’Brien to evoke emotional responses from those present. He has a captivating and compelling stage presence and his well-honed stagecraft pulls you into his world. He plays what appears to a three quarter size, gut-string guitar and has a fragile, fairly high vocal range. The beauty of this is that you need to listen fairly closely to what is going on, evoking a delightful intimacy and emotional connection.

Twice Mercury-nominated, ‘Villagers’ are fine musicians and deliver the well-crafted songs with aplomb. There is a real sense of light and shade to the set with plenty of dynamics and changes in mood. Perhaps the most dramatic moments were when Conor O’Brien occasionally shifted from acoustic guitar to trumpet. The audience reaction was truly a joy to behold!

It was during ‘A trick of the light’ that I first noticed just how captivated and mesmerised the audience actually were, silently mouthing the lyrics and slowly grooving along, in unison. Up until the final song in the set, every song had been fairly mellow and acoustic guitar based. That all changed dramatically with the powerful ‘Circles in the firing line’. For the only time all night, O’Brien turned to his Telecaster, to, out of nowhere, play a manic, visceral electric guitar solo. It was a stunning and powerful change of mood, a hugely effective climax, as the band left the stage.

Image Collette Johnson©

Clearly an encore was inevitable and they duly re-emerged to play ‘My Lighthouse’ and the beautiful ‘Courage’ before ending the night with the anthemic and moving ‘Nothing Arrived’. What a pleasure it was to bask in the sound of an enthralled and delighted audience singing ‘I guess I was busy’, repeatedly, as directed by Conor O’Brien.

Thank you, Collette. It was an unforgettable gig and ‘Villagers’ are a wonderful live act.

Gig reviewed by Steve Johnson