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)

ALBUM - Irma Vep - BBC 6 Sessions

 

This was released as a stream only from Irma Vep with the following 'sleeve notes' - you never quite know to believe anything you read (or hear) from Irma Vep - and that makes it all the more interesting.
Sessions are probably the ones performed on Marc Riley's show in Spring and also 04.08.2015.

Found this Unofficial Japanese Bootleg comp of my BBC 6 Marc Riley Sessions in a bargain bin in Woolies in Bangor last week. Released by 'Roppongi Vice' records in Tokyo apparently. I ripped the CD, nicked the art work and hey presto, we got ourselves a very lovely album I reckon.

Thanks to Michelle Choudry, Marc Riley, the recorders and interns for making us feel so welcome.

players:

Andrew Cheetham: Drums
Jonathan Lewis: Drums
Oliver Costello: Bass
Dave Rowe: Bass
dbh: Keys, Piano, Violin
Callum Plowright: Guitar/Vocals
Kiran Leonard: Guitar
Dominic Tanner: Guitar
Edwin Stevens: Vocals/Guitar

Headstock Llandudno

 

Headstock was the inaugural year of the festival, staged in Llandudno in July 2016.

Here's a pic of Deckchair Protest lounging about at the festival

The Compass, Chester RIP

On New Year’s Day in 2015, the Chester music scene faced a significant loss when The Compass on City Road officially announced its closure. Opened in 2012 by the team behind Wrexham’s Central Station, the venue had quickly established itself as the city’s premier intimate space for grassroots talent and emerging artists within the indie, rock, and alternative genres.

The venue was celebrated for its gritty, independent spirit and unique three-room layout, offering a raw atmosphere that larger venues couldn't replicate. During its short but prolific run, it hosted future stars like Blossoms and Vant, serving as a vital stepping stone for bands transitioning from pub backrooms to larger stages.

The decision to close was primarily a strategic consolidation by the management team. With the 2013 opening of The Live Rooms nearby, resources and bookings were shifted to the larger 500-capacity space to accommodate more mainstream acts. While the building eventually transitioned into other iterations, such as a cafe bar, the closure of The Compass marked the end of a specific era for small-scale, high-energy live music in Chester’s city center.

Although the announcement was made on New Year's Day - the venue continued to operate; honouring those dates booked. By November 2015, the transition was complete, and the focus had shifted entirely to the craft beer and kitchen model of The Cornerhouse, ending the building’s run as Chester’s loudest little secret.

Gig Reviews from The Compass - 
Lovers Open Fire

Crossburner

Orient Machine

Steak No.8 / Spam Javelin

Falls

H.Hawkline

Plebian