BOOK REVIEW: Animal House by James Brown (Quercus 2022)
The hedonistic story of James Brown, journalist, music lover and irreverent lad. From Attack on Bazag, through the NME, to Loaded and beyond. Confucius, or […]
music review
FILM REVIEW: Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (Dogwoof 2022))
Squaring The Circle is the fascinating story of the artists behind some of the most iconic album covers in history. Not only are Hipgnosis the […]
REVIEW: Tarantism Acoustic Disco (December 2023)
The legendary Tarantism Acoustic Disco. A CD review crossed with a gig review. In the run up to Christmas 2023, on Christmas Eve Eve to […]
LIVE REVIEW: RUTS DC @Clwb Ifor Bach (20/12/23)
Probably the best rhythm section in punk rock, roll into Cardiff in the run up to Christmas. Of all punk bands that have their roots […]
LIVE REVIEW: Son Nacaxtle @ Le Pub, Newport (19/12/23)
Son Nacaxtle, three travelling minstrels, bring warm Mexican vibes to Newport on a cold December night. The circumstances were very different when we first crossed […]
MUSIC REVIEW: Fluvster: Stained Glarse Windows (Lost Moment Records 2023)
Soundtrack to a life of grime, with the irrepressible Fluvster. What do you do if you are sat in Amsterdam with your own bedroom studio […]
MUSIC REVIEW: Doghouse – Mongrel (2023)
Twelve tracks of electronica madness from Cardiff’s, ever so slightly barking, Doghouse. Doghouse has been cocking his leg up on dancefloors and tentpoles for quite […]
MUSIC REVIEW: Checkpoint 303 – Gaza Mixtape (2023)
Four track EP, showing solidarity with the ordinary people living in the Gaza Strip, trying to live a normal life in difficult circumstances. To put […]
LIVE REVIEW: 808 State @ Camden Dingwalls (13/10/23)
Old ravers never die, they just stand at the back. An evening of old skool rave, with 808 State, playing a venue with a pedigree, […]
MUSIC REVIEW: Anonymous Iconoclasts – Send in the Suits (self released 2023)
Third, and probably final, album from Welsh shadowy figures of chaos, The Anonymous Iconoclasts. With this being probably their last album, the guys have pushed […]
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Landed (Rhayader) – 28th to 30th July 2023
Landed Festival has been one of our favourite festivals since we first set foot on the hallowed turf of Doldowlod House back in 2016 – […]
LIVE REVIEW: The Cult, The Alarm, The Mission @ Cardiff Castle (04/07/23)
‘Where were you hiding when the storm broke?’ Nowhere, because there was no ‘Shelter from the storm’ and Ian Astbury ‘loves the rain’ For years […]
LIVE REVIEW: Zion Train @ Rockaway Park (17/06/23)
Zion Train return to the scene of the grime, Rockaway Park Art, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. One person’s unmade […]
LIVE REVIEW: The Damned – Cardiff University (31/03/23)
Punk Pioneers The Damned return to Cardiff Student Union. The Damned. First UK punk band to release a single, first to release an album. But […]
LIVE REVIEW: Bob Log III @Le Pub, Newport (16/03/23)
Bob Log III brings his surreal brand of blues to Newport. Le Pub is one of our favourite pubs. It’s bloody ace. But you don’t […]
LIVE REVIEW: Killing Joke live @ Royal Albert Hall (12/03/23)
Killing Joke take their chaotic post-punk magic into the heart of the establishment. I’m constantly banging on about small grassroots venues being better than big […]
LIVE REVIEW: Anonymous Iconoclasts @ Bourtons Live Music Bar, Bargoed (18/02/23)
Anonymous Iconoclasts play Bargoed for the first time. Only our second visit to Bourton’s Live Music Bar, but owner Chris already remembers us. But that […]
LIVE REVIEW: Skapa Collective ‘Fork ‘n Tune, Cwmcarn (11/02/23)
Cardiff’s Skapa Collective venture up into the valleys to spread their good time vibes. I take my hat off to anyone trying to put on […]
LIVE REVIEW: Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary @ St David’s Hall, Cardif (03/02/23)
A celebration of the album Tubular Bells, to mark fifty years since it’s release. Tubular Bells was probably the second album I ever listened to*, […]
LIVE REVIEW: Tarantism Acoustic Disco @ Ruperra Arms (28/01/23)
Tarantism Acoustic Disco lands in New Tredegar. With visitors from that there England due on the weekend, we had spent two weeks wracking our brains […]
LIVE REVIEW: The Viagra Boys – Cardiff Student Union (24/01/23)
An evening of dirty post-jazz-punk-blues with the Viagra Boys in the Welsh capital. Cardiff’s Student Union is a beast of a place. Built over the […]
LIVE REVIEW: Dropping Like Flies @ Bourton’s Live Music Bar, Bargoed (14/01/23)
Dropping Like Flies play an intimate show at new valleys venue. For my entire life I have never lived more than two miles from Bargoed, […]
LIVE REVIEW: John Otway @ Live Lounge, Sutton (08/12/22)
Cor baby that’s really meat free. John Otway does, what only John Otway can do, in South London’s number one vegan record shop pub – […]
LIVE REVIEW: RDF + Friends @Fighting Cocks, Kingston (26/12/22)
Radical Dance Faction and a host of festival friends put on barnstorming night of entertainment in West London. Kingston Upon Thames is not a place […]
LIVE REVIEW: Gaudi + Danny Ladwa + The Turbans @ The Fox and Firkin’ Lewisham (26/11/22)
Gaudi and friends bring warm vibrations to Lewisham on a cold South London Night. We had tickets for this gig months ago, but as the […]
LIVE REVIEW: Ruts DC @ The Globe, Cardiff (20/11/22)
Ruts DC bring out the old heads on a wintry Sunday night in Cardiff. Back to an old haunt tonight. The Globe. Originally a cinema, […]
LIVE REVIEW: Henge Live @ The Fork ‘n Tune, Cwmcarn (13/10/22)
Henge, escapees from a fifties science fiction B Movie, play Planet Cwmcarn. You can count on one hand the number of live music venues in […]
LIVE REVIEW: Infected Mushroom live @Troxy, London (03/09/22)
Infected Mushroom bring their 25th Anniversary tour to London. “It was the third of September, a day I’ll always remember…”, sang the Temptations. I’ll always […]
FESTIVAL REVIEW: Landed 2022, Rhayader (29th to 31st August 2022)
Landed. A hidden gem of a festival held in the heart of Mid Wales FRIDAY Day one of a ten-day adventure in festival land My […]
LIVE REVIEW: Goldie Looking Chain @ Le Pub, Newport (27/08/22)
Goldie Lookin’ Chain, in Le Pub. You can’t get much more Newport than that. *Having read through this ‘gig review’, I realise that a lot […]