The Trials of Cato: on Adam Walton - BBC Radio Wales Session

Rising folk trio The Trials of Cato appeared in session on Adam Walton’s BBC Radio Wales show, a key platform for emerging Welsh talent. The broadcast came during a breakout period for the band, just months after the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Hide and Hair, which would go on to win Best Album at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Formed by friends Tomos Williams, Robin Jones, and Will Addison, the band began life in Beirut, Lebanon, where the trio lived and worked as English teachers before returning to the UK to pursue music full-time. Tomos and Robin both hail from Rhosllannerchrugog, near Wrexham, grounding the band’s international trajectory in North Wales roots.

Known for their powerful musicianship, sharp songwriting, and a modern take on traditional folk, The Trials of Cato’s music quickly gained traction across the UK. Their appearance on Walton’s show — long respected for supporting independent Welsh artists — helped further cement their reputation as one of the most exciting new acts in the genre.

*Do you have a recording of this? Or a link? - Please get in touch*

BOGANS – HERE BE MONSTERS EP

Here Be Monsters doesn’t sound chaotic because Bogans are losing control — it sounds chaotic because they know exactly what they’re doing. This is tight, high-calibre playing disguised as confrontation: sharp turns, sudden shifts and locked-in rhythms delivered with intent, not accident.

From the opening seconds of Close To Home, the band hit with purpose. The drums snap and pivot with precision, guitars slash rather than flail, and everything moves as a unit. There’s speed and urgency here, but no panic — every change lands cleanly, every hit feels earned.

Narcissistic Tendencies is the EP’s most aggressive moment, and also its most impressive. It surges and stalls, pulling itself inside out without ever falling apart. The band ride those rhythmic shifts with confidence, turning tension into propulsion. This is the sound of musicians pushing structure to its limits, not smashing it for the sake of noise.

Tracks like Vignette and Cattle Battle lean deeper into hardcore territory, letting darker textures and controlled restraint do the work. Even when the songs get heavy, the playing stays disciplined — bass and drums locked tight, guitars carving space rather than flooding it.

The title track, Here Be Monsters, closes the EP with a slower, stalking weight. It’s deliberate and ominous, built on control rather than speed, and proves Bogans are just as dangerous when they pull back as when they charge forward.

This EP is raw, loud and confrontational — but it’s also meticulously played. Here Be Monsters captures a band operating with confidence, chemistry and precision, using aggression as a tool rather than a crutch. It’s not rough because it’s unfinished; it’s rough because that’s the edge Bogans choose to stand on.

Neil Crud On TudnoFM – Show #118 - Salt The Snail session

Well, what can I say… I was pre-warned about booking Salt The Snail (in a good way). Their live shows are a maelstrom of anarchy, slap-stick and a barrage of tunes. This live session was no different and I can honestly say I know no record of a band actually starting a song live on the radio only to stop it to take a phone call for a pizza delivery to the studio! Add also when Krystian, the singer takes out Tom, the drummer with a flying kick during the last song and you might get half the picture!!

Anyway enjoy the session – I certainly did..!
playlist below

Guests – Salt The Snail
Gift – Inflatable Nemo (won as the star prize)
Show Sponsor – Mudshark Records, Bangor

Peter 118 – Seven
Merciless Savage – Foundation
Y Cyrff – Yr Haint
Dead Houses – Greys
System Of Hate – There Is No Madness Here
Salt The Snail – Big Dog (*live in session)
dragSTER – Spit It Out
John Evans & The Imperials – Whole Man
Midnight Climax – Spasmic Life
The Bordellos – Johnny Petrol
Salt The Snail – All Hell (*live in session)
Dense – Irreversible Knot
Cheap Surgery – Live On Me
Skellums – Deeside Day Ticket (*session)
Salt The Snail – Lazer Quest (*live in session)
Haest – I Didn’t Throw A Single Stone And I Still Got Pissed On
Dataslaves – Apathy Reigns
Nameless – Drinking Hell Dry
Terry & The Supercools – You & I
Salt The Snail – Dead Enders (*live in session)
Occult Punk Gang – Societa
Kardomah Gang – Tame
Sid’s Kids – Not Enough Time
Sona – Save
Salt The Snail – Coffee (*live in session)
Salt The Snail – Maate (*live in session)
SPIC – Wasting Time
The Vega Bodegas – A Complete History Of Witchcraft
Picture Frame Seduction – Hey Little Rich Boy
Salt The Snail – Ideas Me (*live in session)
Salt The Snail – Spanish Announce Table (*live in session)
Anhrefn – Am Unwaith Yn Dy Fywyd
Psycho Sexual Sex Terrestrials – Scared
T.S.O.L – Wasted
Ruts – Society
West Coast Sick Line – Have You Ever Been To The North?
Candelas – O! Mor Effeithiol
Stuntface – TV Told You So

SWEET BABOO Marc Riley session

Trefriw's Sweet Baboo is in session on Marc Riley's BBC Radio 6music show, which is such a regular occurance!

Yucatan's Iwan Huws - RIP

The death of Iwan Huws in January 2018 was a loss that resonated far beyond the foot of the mountains he loved. At just 34 years old, Iwan was a man of dual passions: he was the steady, rhythmic heartbeat of the band Yucatan, and an elite, experienced mountaineer who felt most at home on the rugged peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia).

On January 14, Iwan set out to climb his favorite mountain, Tryfan, via the North Ridge. Despite his immense experience—having trekked the Himalayas and the Inca Trail—and being fully equipped for the conditions, he tragically lost his footing on the West Face. Following a massive search operation involving over 50 volunteers, he was found the following morning. The tragedy was underscored by the fact that Iwan was training to become a mountain leader himself, intending to dedicate his life to helping others safely navigate the landscapes he adored.

Within the Welsh music community, Iwan was cherished as much for his character as his talent. As the drummer for the Caernarfon-based Yucatan, he was a vital part of a band that had earned the admiration of legends like Tim Burgess and Gruff Rhys. His bandmates remembered him not just as a musician, but as a "funny, chilled out, and lovely person" who brought a sense of calm and joy to every tour and rehearsal.

His legacy continues to live on through the Cronfa Iwan Huws fund. Established by his partner and family, the charity transformed a moment of profound grief into a force for good, raising thousands for the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team and providing musical instruments for young people in his home community. Iwan Huws remains a symbol of the adventurous, creative spirit of North Wales—a man who lived his life with rhythm, height, and a deep love for the land.

Enlli EP review

Neil Crud on TudnoFM – Show #70 – with Scapegoats in Session

Andy Bob Beaumont is one of the hardest working men in rock ‘n’ roll in North Wales. If he’s not on the circuit doing his solo stuff, then he’s out on the circuit doing The Beaumont Brothers or out on the circuit doing Scapegoats. There’s enough circuits to make mere mortals dizzy. 

Fellow Scapegoater Dave Andrews joins Andy in the TudnoFM studio for a great session. Check out their latest EP Helénè out now on Turquoise Coal Records.

Guests – Scapegoats
Gift – Selection of homegrown vegetables for Andy’s garden
Show Sponsor – Mudshark Records, Bangor

Valleum – Barrymore
Bogans – Murdoch
Hannah Willwood – He (*archive session)
Kardomah Gang – 12 Pound Pleasure Tour
Scapegoats – Wing Mirror (*live in session)
Skinflick – How Fucked Is Now
Chugga – Lego Brick
Delicasession – Soar [edit]
Art Of Burning Water – Prime Example Of A Lonely Child
Adwaith – Femme
Scotch Funeral – Young At Heart And Falling Apart (*archive session)
Scapegoats – Helénè (*live in session)
DELINQUENTS – Never Gonna Fit In
Mad Haven – What Ya Gonna
West Coast Sick Line – Literacy Gnome (Paul Hammond remix)
Peter118 – Wasted
The Bordellos – Tesco Chainstore Massacre
Wrongboy – Isyoufriendorfoebroidontknow
Griff Lynch -Tynnu Dant
Scapegoats – We’re On Our Way (*live in session)
Krimewatch – Cockroach Man
Chugga – Chugga 2
Get Greens – Bongwater
SPOONIDOLS – Unhinged & Somewhat Slightly Spaced
Y Cyrff – Trwy’r Cumylau
Ultrajungle – Onto You
Nicotine Pretty – Nicotine Pretty
Normal Shed Uses – Roundabout
Agathocles – More Patches Than Brains
Steve Crocker – This Town Burns Tonight
Sick Dastardlys – Train Wreck
Three Days Dark – The Wind In The Trees
Young Conservative – Shag Off
Thyrd Eye – Say Something

Neil Crud on TudnoFM - Show #67 - Chow Mwng in session

Pulco is dead. long live Chow Mwng… Ash Cooke’s experimental nature is here for all to splendour as he launches a new chapter in his long and (ex)tinguished musical career.

The since withdrawn EP ‘Better Than Teletext’ was the first offering earlier this year and there’s an album ‘ULOT-CA’ due out on Bandcamp on 24.07.17. Hear the excellent live session and the entire radio show below…

Guest – Chow Mwng
Gift – Edinburgh Of The Seven Seas 10″ EP
Show Sponsor – Mudshark Records, Bangor

Seagull Kinevil – Black Lemons
John Lawrence – Turds!
Neanderthal – Built For Brutality
Racketears – Icicles
Yards – War Tourist
Chow Mwng – Meme Machine (*live in session)
Lolfa Binc – Penetrate & Ponder
Pizzatramp – Black Eyed Fridays
C.H.E.W – Voluntary Human Extinction
Warwick Hunt – Return To Nibiru
Brython Shag – Pobol Gorwellion (*archive session)
A Case For Horatio – Reluctant To Fall
Chow Mwng – We Stole Your Soul While You Slept (*live in session)
The Wobbly Hearts – Stayed On Jesus
Peter118 – Seven
Bob Temp – Fy Nghi, Fy Ngwad Beic A Fi
The Bordellos – Brief Taste
Dog Legs – Cobra Snake
BBR – VHS
Daniel Williamson – Rock
Nil By Nose & Noventa Nada – Indications Et Posologie
Chow Mwng – Pre-Boot (*live in session)
Lost Reality – Stone
Seize The Day – What Happened To Scott Sellers
Homespun – 8th Apology
Paraletics – My Own Girl
Jez Shea – Leave Now
Here Are The Young Men & Uncle Peanut – This Is What We Call Music
Lady President – Chalk Hill Blue
Salt the Snail – Coffee
Collosous – Vanarchy In The UK
Hack Job – That’s Not Distortion That’s Tinnitus
Noctophyle – Rock And Roll 2
Pys Melyn – Sigwr
Los Blancos – Mae’n Anodd Deffro Un
Idles – Well Done
Tuff Turf – My Dead Soul
87- – Flashbacks To Maths Class (*archive session)
Yr Eira – Gadael Am Yr Haf
The Immediate – Sodium (live)