On Saturday 22nd December, Bandicoot played a very special SOLD OUT hometown show at The Bunkhouse Swansea and what a night it was! Jacob Winter was on hand to capture the show through his pictures (+ check out the video at the bottom of this post captured by Steph Evans).

Photos by JACOB WINTER

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photos by Jacob Winter

Video by Steph Evans

TRAMPOLENE (SOLD OUT) // THE BUNKHOUSE, SWANSEA // 7.12.18

Photo by Jacob Winter

The long awaited return of Swansea’s own Trampolene finally hit The Bunkhouse on the 7th of December, and the boys did not disappoint, giving us all a night to remember. As the floor quickly filled, seconds before the band were due to hit the stage, voices simmered as a violinist played the Welsh national anthem, a perfect way to start this massive homecoming show. Soon after, through the swarming crowd, singer and guitarist Jack Jones struts on past with a grin on his face, his own recital of teenage experiences in ‘Artwork of Youth’ blearing through the speakers. Wearing the iconic monster-like fur coat that loyal Trampolene fans would recognise, he joins his fellow partners in crime, bassist and vocalist Wayne Thomas, and drummer Rob Steele onstage.

The boys begin thrashing through their chaos-bringing anthems, amongst which is ‘It’s Not Rock & Roll’, the relentless opener of their second album ‘Pick a Pocket or Two’. The front are sent into a thrashing of their own, bouncing away to the sound of the energetic riffs and driving drums. Greeting his adoring fans, Jones embraces the arms that are flinging towards him, standing proudly sporting the shirt of his native Swansea City’s football team.

Photo by Billy Stillman

Photo by Billy Stillman

Photo by Billy Stillman

Photo by Billy Stillman

Photo by Billy Stillman

Photo by Billy Stillman

To the right, Thomas is belting the lyrics to the catchy choruses passionately into the mic. Behind the swinging guitars and flying sweat, sits Steele, calmly but loudly bashing in harmony with the storm of noise, the Welsh flag draped over the bass drum.

The ever so humble Jones pours his heart out as his almost tearful expression shows it, grateful for the lively response of his hometown, shaking the hands of everyone in his sight. But there’s no time for being sentimental. Jones quickly returns to the mic and screams ‘Tom Hardy’ into the sea people packed into the small venue, once again sending bodies crashing into a frenzy. When he brought out the acoustic guitar, the crowd knew that the band’s latest release, ‘The One Who Loves You’ was coming up, everyone singing along with Thomas’ backing vocals in the choruses - but nobody was expecting the very festive rendition of ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’.

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

Photo by Jacob Winter

As the band draw near to the end of the set, they also cover the fitting ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure, which had the whole place singing. As a cloud of smoke fills the stage, lights strobing through the mist, it is clearly time for their last tune, ‘Storm Heaven’. The chaos of the song sends Jones crowdsurfing, and he perfects the solo when he lands back onstage, bending the strings with his teeth. He pumps his hand into the air as the show comes to an end, screaming triumphantly. The evening finishes with the popular spoken track ‘Pound Land’ (because it would be rude not to) and the crowd recite back every single word. Trampolene disappear backstage, having proved again to be one of Wales’ finest up and coming bands.

Uppa Swans.

Support came from The Sandinistas, Zepher & Pastel

Pastel

Zepher

The Sandinistas

Words: Billy Stillman / Photos (Colour): Billy Stillman / Photos (B&W): Jacob Winter

String Theory are taking over Sin City this Wednesday to celebrate the release of their storming new single “I’m Here” (LISTEN HERE) and their bringing their mates, curating a top notch evening of live music. The last time I caught String Theory, it was with a very similar line up in Sin City when Vanilla headlined - and it went OFF!

String Theory is a small collective of millennials from Swansea who like to produce music with grungy guitar, hard hitting drums, thick bass and nasty vocals. Meeting in school, the members quickly discovered a mutual love for Radiohead and promptly started a band. The members are currently 17/18 years of age and are still in school. The band are currently gigging locally and have been giving away bedroom made demos on CDs to fans at gigs.

There was crowd surfing, sweat, bouncing crowds, sweat, a display of raucous noise & energy and more sweat. It was certainly a night to remember, and we’re sure that this one will be no different.

Vanilla will bring the indie vibes, Valley boys & recently announced as part of Forté 2019 Sssnakes will bring their high energy alternative sound & completing the lineup bringing their exciting indie sounds is The Furns.

It’s only £3. What else would you be doing on a Wednesday night that beats doing this!? Go party with the best in upcoming music in Swansea & South Wales.

Take a shot every time you see James naked x Check us out on: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Vanillabanduk/ Twitter https://twitter.com/vanillabanduk Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vanillauk Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/vanilla-official Bandcamp https://vanillauk.bandcamp.com/releases

What a treat for you #SwanseaMusic fans this week! With lots going on, there’s a lot to choose from, but one stand out for us is this display of talent at Cinema & Co on FRIDAY night. If you’re into your Post Rock, you MUST NOT MISS THIS! It’ll likely be your gig of the year!!

Estuary Blacks & Cities team up to form an ultimate lineup of musicianship at the highest level, two belting live shows that’ll leave you no doubt in awe.

Describing themselves as “POST MARSH ROCK FROM NORTH GOWER SCOUNDRELS” Estuary Blacks have just released their stunning self titled debut on CD and vinyl (which will no doubt be available this weekend) Listen below:

And with new music on the horizon, Cities will be showcasing tracks from their new release, as well as picks from their debut EP Manning Alaska - if you saw their set at the Swansea Fringe Festival this year, you know it’s one not to miss!

An elusive and sadly short-lived musical projects returns this Saturday night as King of Despair take to the stage at Cinema & Co. for an evening of Alt-Folk and Alt-Rock that is bound to be unforgettable.

Playing tunes from their posthumously released album, 'Harpoon', King of Despair is made up of a heap of #SwanseaMusic luminaries - Paul Battenbough, Huw Rees, David Godwin and Darren Beale.

Provided to YouTube by TuneCore Like a Sign · King of Despair Harpoon ℗ 2010 Rhondda Street Studio Recordings Released on: 2010-07-23 Auto-generated by YouTube.

Joining them on the night are Swansea Music Hub favourites, The Zinvandels and, if you needed even more of a reason to nip along, the stellar lineup of local acts is completed by hometown boy Josh Ace.

Available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify on November 2

Director of Photography: Alec Duff Video Editors: Alec Duff/Emmett Grogan http://www.joshace.com/ https://www.facebook.com/joshacemusic https://twitter.com/JoshAceOfficial

Sarah Birch is as much of a musical enigma, in her solo-guise, as you might find around these here parts.

From her ongoing tenure with Swansea legends Lost Tuesday Society, to guest featuring with other local artists on record (see Greenmailer's newest release 'Luluna' for an example) or live.

Here is a musician who has worked over the last few years to hone her effortless talent into a force to be reckoned with. Seeing her performing live "as herself" - and that's the only way at the moment you can glimpse her solo material - or in guest-spots with other artists, you can see this.

Hers is a natural, in-grown talent, with a real knack for composing melodies that are hypnotic, pure and dignified and that show a mastery of her own voice that floats effortlessly between a pop-sensibility and a sublime, ferocious jazz-blues styling in her delicate sensitivity for what the situation requires.

Sarah's work with alt-folk outfit, Lost Tuesday Society, has always created material out of left field - in the best sense of the term - and her solo material, which we've heard a number of times live, builds on this, with eclectic instrumentation and graceful arrangements ranging from the gentlest of intimate moments, to the audience weathering a beautiful maelstrom of musical mayhem in the form of trumpets, additional guitars, percussion and anything else she can fill the stage up (and keep the sound engineer on their toes) with.

Sarah Birch and Darran Browning of LTS Performing Universe at Mwnci Studios

There's even rumblings of string quartets on the horizon and by rumblings, I mean rumours that are entirely substantiated and verified by her Facebook posts...

If history says anything about Sarah Birch, then her upcoming debut album is sure to be a majestic tour-de-force from this home-spun songstress. Keep an eye out for shows near you in the near future, and make sure you keep up-to-date with her social media platforms for updates.

I know I will be.

Written by Joe Bayliss

Sarah Birch https://www.facebook.com/flipsymusic U & I Radio - www.uandiradio.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/UandIRadioHome Twitter - http://bit.ly/2shlFqS Videos - http://bit.ly/1QUbte1

There’s a great lineup of young local talent this Saturday as White Riot & friends take over! Celebrating the release of their second single ‘Ghost Town’, White Riot’s live sets are already renowned to be one not to miss - and if their first single ‘Sid’ is anything to go off, their second will no doubt be another absolute banger!

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/19hUsu3vkzCbDXSwi5JCjp?si=vJLPcOPzS-uJhBT7CyjDng Recorded at Creature Sound Studios by Allen Chambers * Artwork by Nick Hinde at San Portablo Music by Evan Phillips, James Hamm, Max Knight * Written by Evan Phillips

Joining them are young indie rock / alternative band The Furns, (who we like to keep an eye on - they seem to be going from strength to strength) and newly formed The Stray Pursuit, who' we’ve heard great things about so far!!

Tickets are just the precise £2.97 available here via SeeTickets.

A right royal knees up is what you’ll get at our gig of the week this week. Celtic / Bluegrass / Alt Country / Indie band The Orange Circus will be taking over The Garage for their single launch of latest track “I Miss You” - a band with roots in Wales, Cornwall, England and Virginia They have a hand in traditional roots music, but they produce wholly unique, contemporary sound. We had them play at our show in Cinema & Co alongside Professor Elemental & they were really great.

Also joining them are Swansea favourites The Lost Tuesday Society, with a special acoustic set.

Official Website: https://www.theorangecircus.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theorangecircus/ AINT GOT NO HOME Music Video by Howard the Duck Words and Music by Woody Guthrie, Shep! and The Orange Circus Band Taken From 'Live Sessions Vol. 1 - Let the Circus Take You' I ain't got no home, I'm just a-ramblin' round I'm just a wandrin' worker, I go from town to town.

Sarah Birch and Darran Browning of LTS Performing Universe at Mwnci Studios

Creature Sound host our spotlighted gig of the week this week as some of South Wales’ finest young rock bands take over on Friday evening.

Headliners WINDSHAKE bring their superb psychedelic rock and roll sound in what is always a standout live set. We’ve really been enjoying what they’ve releasing and caught these guys a couple of times - really worth checking out if you haven’t already!

After recently sharing a stage with WINDSHAKE at the YMCA for this year’s Swansea Fringe Festival it’s great to welcome Rhodda’s The Pitchforks back to Swansea! One of the Horizons 12, The Pitchforks are one of the most exciting young Welsh bands on the scene at the moment!

Newport alt rockers Finding Aurora also join the lineup: their 90s and 80s Alt Rock influenced sound makes them a really exciting young band to watch. And completing the line up are Swansea three piece punk band White Riot - another one we’ve been really impressed with in the short time they’ve been together!

It’s just £4.00 on the door - what better way to spend your Friday evening than to support young, emerging talent from South Wales!

Written, Recorded and Filmed by WINDSHAKE Find more of us here: Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/7H3AsOW1GrYTQMaEuqcKL7 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WindshakeBand/ Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/windshake Bandcamp https://windshake.bandcamp.com/

Waste Of A Day, Written and Performed by The Pitchforks Video Directed by Trigger Happy Creative Track Produced by Gethin Pearson

Uploaded by Finding Aurora on 2018-09-07.

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/19hUsu3vkzCbDXSwi5JCjp?si=vJLPcOPzS-uJhBT7CyjDng Recorded at Creature Sound Studios by Allen Chambers * Artwork by Nick Hinde at San Portablo Music by Evan Phillips, James Hamm, Max Knight * Written by Evan Phillips

We look to Cinema & Co for our gig of the week this week, as two of Swansea’s finest punk bands play a special show to raise funds for the Langland Loco!

The Langland Loco will be a surf contest held during the waiting period of the 12th November to the 3rd of December on a Saturday with the best conditions. The contest will be a fun, alternative, leave the ego at home vibe with a completely different aspect to any normal contest.

We LOVE this idea - surfing, the culture and it’s scene is such an important part of Swansea’s identity and we’re totally behind this idea!

So by going to Cinema & Co this Saturday, not only will you be helping to raise funds for a totally ace local, grass-roots surfing competition but you’ll also get the chance to:

• See two short films by Globe

• Check out and purchase work created by local artists

• Get some delicious food from Hoogah

• Get some specially made delicious beer from Beer Riff

• Check out two rare performances by two of Swansea’s finest punk bands:

Ssssnakes

“Ssssnakes are a band that sing songs about girls, skateboards, friends and sticking it to the man.”

They’re well good fun. Trust us. We’ve seen them before.

Love Eggssss by ssssnakes, released 28 April 2017 1. It Follows 2. Left Behind 3. Get Lost 4. Life Jail 5. Cabello 6. Fire Of Love (The Gun Club)

Chineapple Punks

Chineapple Punks are a Welsh punk rock outfit formed in Swansea circa 2002. Party music with punchy hooks and sing-along choruses. These boys never disappoint, leaving the dance floor jumping and your adrenaline pumping!

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Tickets are £10.00 on the door and £10 tickets all proceeds go towards the contest and the set up of the Langland Loco. 

Supported by: RVCA, GLOBE, LBR & CLOSEOUT STORE 

Happy Halloween! Someone who’s certainly not spooky in the slightest and someone who we’re big fans of here at the Swansea Music Hub is Eleri Angharad. We’ve highlighted musicians in the past who go above and beyond for the music scene in Swansea and Eleri is no exception.

It’s highly likely that you’ve seen Eleri play live - she’s definitely one of the most dedicated Swansea musicians when it comes to gigging and often can be seen at others’ gigs, offering further support to the scene! Inspired by a North American road trip she took as a teenager, Eleri perfectly blends US country influenced tunes, with Welsh folk and catchy pop melodies.

Provided to YouTube by IIP-DDS This Ship · Eleri Angharad This Ship ℗ Eleri Angharad, distributed by Spinnup Released on: 2018-10-26 Artist: Eleri Angharad A...

Last Friday, Eleri released her newest single ‘This Ship’ - which to be fair I’ve listened to three times in a row because it’s so good. There are so many lush layers to it, the lyrics are really well thought out and clearly shows her influence of US Country Music (drawing on the likes of James Taylor, Kacey Musgraves & early Taylor Swift).

Her early releases are also really great, catchy country/pop tunes. One that stood out for me (and I remember loving at the time of it’s release) is ‘Stuck on You’. I particularly love the lap steel & the organ - pure country vibes.

Eleri time and time again proves that she is on top of her game when it comes to songwriting and playing live. We’re super excited to hear her album ‘Earthbound’ which you can follow the progress of on her blog & we’re super excited for what the future holds for Eleri!

Written by: Simon Parton

We’re delighted that Horizons & Y Selar have rescheduled their Libraries Week gig featuring two of Wales’ most exciting artists after it was “stormed off” last month.

In the somewhat unconventional setting of the South Wales Miners Library, Horizons & Y Selar present I See Rivers & Eädyth for what will be a magical afternoon of live music. Best of all it’s FREE!

Filmed and edited by Jodie Canwell. LISTEN: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/mz/album/play-it-cool-ep/1410875932 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/50y0b4AuxvWpH2jlNqGMmg Follow I SEE RIVERS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iseerivers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iseerivers Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/iseerivers Bandsintown: https://bit.ly/ISR-live

I See Rivers are Lill, Eline & Gøril - three girls originally hailing from the Northern, Southern and Western parts of Norway. Now based in Tenby, I See Rivers’ music is beautiful. Dubbed ‘Float Folk’ their memorable melodies and untraditional vocal harmonies their soundscape can be associated with artists such as Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens and Feist. 

Joining them is one of South Wales’ most exciting young musicians: Eädyth. With a stunning sound evoking influences from electronic music, RnB and soul.

Libraries Week (8-13 October) is the annual showcase of all the creative, innovative and diverse activities that libraries have to offer and this year, with a focus on wellbeing, they will showcase how they bring communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading and creativity and support people with their mental health.

Don’t sleep on this one. It’ll be one to remember. Grab your free tickets from eventbrite now.

We take a look at The Bunkhouse again this week for our highlighted Swansea gig of the week, and this week, the South Wales Metal Scene is taking over!

Four ace bands who are leading the way in the local metal scene all play The Bunkhouse this Wednesday. Headliners are Cardiff’s melodic death metal band Democratus and they’ll be joined by Swansea’s own Helldown & Cacadus plus Cardiff’s The Devolved. Check them out below and head to The Bunkhouse for 19:00 on Wednesday - it’s only £3.00 on the door!

Metal 2 The Masses South Wales Final in Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff (16th June 2018). Democratus songs - Dead Without Dying and Revenge Eternally. Video by Stone Letter Media.

ARISE! ... Official Helldown Music Video for The Watchers. Recorded by Boneyard Studios, Video by Dark North Media, taken in Hayes Studios. Social Media Links: Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/HelldownOfficial Twitter Page - www.twitter.com/Helldown_UK Instagram - HelldownOfficial Endorsed by: Soultone Cymbals, Agner Drumsticks & Cymskin.

For our first featured gig of the week at The Bunkhouse (if you don’t know about these guys / been the venue yet - you’re missing out!!) we focus in on the underground / hip hop scene / grime scene of Swansea, as T-Rev and friends takeover for The Anti-Social #2.

We heard nothing but great things from their first event at The Last Resort, and love the ethos behind the events:

“A Night dedicated to showcasing the talent that's left out of the main stream, the talent that's too offensive for radio and the talent that we believe deserves to be pushed out there and shown your support. No Egos. No Troublemakers. A night for the people, By the people.”

And there’s a plethora of local talent on show too (some so underground that we can’t even find links to them online!) Check these hyperlinks for more of what to expect - T-Rev / Don Jon / Hashjams / Native / Big Rick / Dead Crow / Luke RV / CrazeTheJack

Doors at 8pm till very late and it’s just £3.00!!

Our original gig of the week has unfortunately been postponed due to severe weather warnings! But if you’re brave enough to battle the elements & head out tonight for a few drinks, we highly recommend heading to The Garage for this special charity gig.

A stellar lineup of local punk/rock bands brings Iron Gosling, Low Blows, X Twenty-Two & Hangmen to The Garage - all of whom are guaranteed to make you believe that Swansea produces the best punk/rock bands in the UK.

Whether you're looking for a fun Friday night out, or a chance to help contribute to something bigger, this gig will guarantee you a great night of music and dance. This is a punk/rock charity gig trying to raise money for Oxfam.

Bradley, the organiser, will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on October 19th, so this gig acts as both a send-off for him and a chance to raise some more money for Oxfam. Even if you can't attend but still want to contribute, you can donate to Bradley's JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpendpoverty 

UPDATE (11:06am 12.10.18) - PLEASE BE AWARE THIS SHOW HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS.

As soon as we hear a rescheduled date we’ll let you know!

What a weekend we’ve just had. For those unaware, Simon & Joe (Swansea Music Hub) organised the second instalment of the Swansea Fringe Festival last weekend & we’re only just about recovering. But we cannot think of any better way of capping off a week of reflection, relaxation & recovery than by seeing two of Wales’ most exciting artists as part of Libraries Week.

In the somewhat unconventional setting of the South Wales Miners Library, Horizons & Y Selar present I See Rivers & Eädyth for what will be a magical afternoon of live music. Best of all it’s FREE!

I See Rivers are Lill, Eline & Gøril - three girls originally hailing from the Northern, Southern and Western parts of Norway. Now based in Tenby, I See Rivers’ music is beautiful. Dubbed ‘Float Folk’ their memorable melodies and untraditional vocal harmonies their soundscape can be associated with artists such as Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens and Feist. 

Joining them is one of South Wales’ most exciting young musicians: Eädyth. With a stunning sound evoking influences from electronic music, RnB and soul.

Libraries Week (8-13 October) is the annual showcase of all the creative, innovative and diverse activities that libraries have to offer and this year, with a focus on wellbeing, they will showcase how they bring communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading and creativity and support people with their mental health.

Don’t sleep on this one. It’ll be one to remember. Grab your free tickets from eventbrite now.

In the week prior to the second Swansea Fringe Festival - things at SwanseaMusic Hub are pretty mental in preparation for that - but we couldn’t ignore this HUGE show at Sin City tomorrow night (sorry it’s late in the week!!)

Melodic Rock/Punk quartet Mallory Knox head to Sin City for a special intimate show that will be one hard to forget we’re sure! Joining them are a trio of the finest alternative rock bands on the UK music scene at the moment: All Ears Avow, Hide Your Eyes and one of Swansea’s finest alternative rock bands The Effect make a strong return (check out their latest single below!).

Tickets are £12.50 adv but will be more on the door.

Rock / metal fans assemble! There's something for everyone for our featured gig of the week this week.

Head to Crowleys Rock Bar this Friday for a night of the finest hard rock / metal / punk music Swansea has to offer. Swansea rock/metal legends Pearler headline and will undoubtably bring the party and tear up the stage. 

Joining them are hardcore punk outfit State of Decay & doom metal band Godkilla. 

An ace lineup of Swansea's finest and best of all - it's free entry!! 

We focus on Creature Sound this week for an absolute master class in local punk music this week. Swansea legends (and former Swansea artist of the week) The Groundnuts & Independents headline a show brought to you by ERECT Music & Biscuit Bookings). 

The Groundnuts & Independents have been together since 1991, and if you’re ever seen them live, you can certainly tell. 

They’ll be joined by X Twenty-Two, described as “your favourite worst punk band ever”, South Wales punk rockers ILL FATE & Cardiff rock/punk band Throwing Knives. 

Listen to all four below & head to Creature Sound this Friday for 19:00! £3.00 entry.

There's been an absolute feast of local bands playing Sin City over the last month or so (massive big up to Gary and the team at Sin for this & for forever supporting the Swansea music scene) - and this weekend see's a proper good showcase of the young, up & coming talent in the city. 

Vanilla are one of the most exciting young bands we've come across over the last year. Their shows are always packed full of energy, sweaty and really good fun. Vanilla are Dan, Keiran, Osian and newly appointed bassist James and will be playing their first (and probably not their last at the rate they're going) headline show at Sin City. Check out their live recording of "See" below, recorded at Creature Sound. 

Joining them are previous artist of week String Theory, another young band we're really excited about, alternative South Wales Valley rockers Sssnakes (not to be confused with Swansea's Ssssnakes) and new female fronted band Vain.