The Zinvandels

Swansea based ‘60s influenced, rock'n'roll outfit

Those of you who haven't heard The Zinvandels are in for an absolute treat today!

An unabashed ‘60s influenced, rock'n'roll outfit, The Zinvandels (formerly known as The Hangmen) are a band that we guarantee you do not want to miss out on catching live before they get their rightly deserved break. They're one of those bands that you discover and can’t believe they’re a hometown, homegrown talent, unsigned and doing it all themselves while producing enviably well-crafted tunes with catchy hooks and dance floor filling substance!

You only have to listen to their debut single "Heartbreaker" to get a measure of their worth. It's a song that could easily have been drawn from the songbooks of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys / Last Shadow Puppets) but maintains that vintage ‘60s vibe whisks you back to a different time.

The production value on all their tracks maintains this retro feel and their repertoire is consistently solid. Check out "Penny Sits Alone" to see what I mean. It's a perfect follow up from their debut single. Strong chorus. Stomping arrangement. Another banger.

To top it off, they are so good live! Their energy and enthusiasm whilst performing is infectious, and they’re tight to boot. You'd expect them to be a finely honed band with years of live experience as an outfit but they only formed in October 2016!

Already holding the accolade of BBC Artist Of The Week, they are on the radar of industry professionals, so make sure you catch them in a local venue soon! They could be one of those bands that you can say in years to come, “I remember seeing them play to a room of 100 people in Swansea, and now they're playing Glastonbury!".

The Zinvandels Facebook | The Zinvandels Twitter | The Zinvandels Instagram |

Written by Simon Parton & Joe Bayliss

For our Swansea gig pick of the week this week we've selected this rather special show at Creature Sound: King Goon presented by Welsh Connections. Support comes from Swansea rockers Wine Morals and singer songwriter from Lost Tuesday Society Flipsy McCaw. 

Technicolour, high-octane, genre-hopping rock/dance/ska

As one of our ones to watch for 2018, King Goon have had a great start to their year, with shows already in Creature Sound, Cinema & Co and Pontypool's The Dragonffli, it's getting us more and more excited for the release of their debut album "ADMIT NOTHING! DENY EVERYTHING! LIE! LIE! LIE!". With that being said - you can hear tasters of this via their Soundcloud page! 

Describing their sound as "Technicolour, high-octane, genre-hopping rock/dance/ska" this is one show not to miss. It's also worth mentioning that this is a very special gig as Welsh Connections are filming and recording the gig for a TV and radio broadcast!

For those of you that don't know, Welsh Connections are a not-for-profit organisation that aim to get music from Wales out to a wider audience through gigs, CD releases, radio broadcasts, print and more. They do amazing things and we highly recommend that you give them a like on Facebook and follow what they do! 

Support on the evening comes from Swansea rockers Wine Morals. Formerly Red Morning Sky, the band have had a recent line up change, but are back and ready to get gigging and releasing new energetic alt-rock tunes again! 

Joining them is Flipsy McCaw - a member of Lost Tuesday Society. She will be bringing her scenic, melancholic, heavy folk tunes to Creature Sound to open the proceedings. 

We can't wait for this one! Entry is £5.00 / £3.50 for students. Doors at 7:30. 

Where do we start with Emily Merry!! What a talent! Blending her beautiful soulful melodies over well-crafted pop tunes, she is undoubtedly a talent that is destined to go far.

I first heard Emily when we had her play at the Swansea Fringe Festival last year and I was taken back immediately. She’s got one of those voices that you want to listen to. You’re stuck in that moment with her when listening and this translates both through her live shows and through her recorded material. 

This was true at our Musician’s Forum held earlier this month at Cinema & Co. After extensive chat about the music scene in Swansea and an energetic start to the live music from Bandicoot, Emily silenced the full room. After we had been encouraging people to chat and get to know each other at the forum, it was amazing to see everyone stop for 20 minutes and allow Emily to take full control of the room.

If you’re wondering where to start with Emily, head to her YouTube channel. You’ll see what we mean. With live takes of originals songs like ‘Circles’ and ‘Weather’, alongside the lovely, almost therapeutic video she’s done for her track ‘The Moon’ (who doesn’t enjoy colouring in!), you can’t go wrong. Her voice and arrangements will draw you in and leave you with chills, feeling wonderful.  

Keep an eye on Emily this year – her debut EP ‘Caught Out’ is set to be released soon and if you ever have the chance to see her live make sure you do! 

Emily Merry Website | Emily Merry Facebook | Emily Merry Twitter | Emily Merry YouTube

Written by Simon Parton

This is no doubt going to be one busy, sweaty, energy filled night. High Tide Promotions present Swansea's own Bandicoot alongside Bristol Indie band Fossette, South Wales' Tracy Island and Swansea Grunge band String Theory. 

It's already been a busy start to the year for our one's to watch for 2018 Bandicoot. They've released a new single - Stuck in Space - played a special showcase acoustic set at our musician's forum, supported Spring King at Sin City to a packed out top room & played a show in Oxford! 

Joining them are Bristol based indie band Fossette as they start of their 8 date UK tour in Swansea. Described by Sofar Sounds as having "contagious energy", this is one set not to miss. Also playing are Tracy Island - (one for fans of The Kooks, Catfish & the Bottlemen & Circa Waves) and young grunge rockers String Theory, who we last saw play a cracking set to a packed out room at Mozarts. 

Tickets are £5.00 (+75p booking fee) are available via Derricks Music.  

Swansea band, The Riff are a classic 4-piece ensemble that have racked up an impressive assortment of accolades over their lifetime, including BBC Wales Introducing Artist of the Week and performing with the likes of The Sherlocks and members of The Jam and The La's, with regular sets at shows across the UK.  With a line-up consisting of twins Ben and Sam Curtis (Lead Vox/Guitar and Keys, respectively), Chris Betts (Bass) and Tommy Evans (Drums) their fresh sound is pinned down in a long-line of rock-solid traditional foursomes.

There's something to be said for tradition - these guys build on a formula that works;  dynamic, powerful vocals with simple yet effective lyricism, sparkling, and at times pummelling (in the best of ways), chord-work on the guitar with keyboard melodies working as a perfect compliment - it's in the blood, obviously, Clan Curtis - and a driving, persistent rhythm section under-pinning songs that are rooted in the '60s and '70s and finally given a modern sparkle. 

Their most recent release, Nothing Lasts Forever, rings true in many ways. The Riff are a band who's sound is constantly developing without forsaking their classic, British Indie ways.

It's refreshing to find a band destined for bigger things, and unashamed of their roots. In fact, their back-catalogue of music videos (which I highly recommend YouTube trawling through - it's been a morning well-spent!) reads like a who's-who (or where's-where...?) of the longest-standing independent music venues in Swansea.

Mixing no-frills rock'n'roll with powerful pop hooks that would make a Gallagher proud, The Riff are a band you should check out as soon as possible and catch whenever they're passing!

The Riff Playing at the Swansea Music Hub's first Swansea Musician's Forum in Cinema & Co. 

The Riff Facebook | The Riff Twitter | The Riff YouTube

Written by Joe Bayliss

We're back at Mozarts for our gig of the week this week! El Morgan and the Divers stop off in Swansea as part of her 21 date UK tour and this will be one awesome evening of music. With a mixture of influences and sounds spanning from folk, alternative and indie, El's voice is soulful, edgy, passionate and draws you in to her songs. 

Support comes from two great Swansea artists: post punk / indie rockers Windshake & previous gig of the week artist Salvador Sanchez. 

Tickets are £4.00 and doors at 8pm! We're looking forward to this one!!! 

This week is Independent Venue Week. Independent Venue Week is a seven day celebration that salutes and recognises the importance of small music venues across the UK. This goes from the people that own them, the people that work in them and the people that get the bands and audiences in week after week.

There was some incredibly exciting news this week for Swansea – it was announced that as part of BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend, Radio One will be hosting two days of live music in Swansea’s Singleton Park bringing two absolute giants of pop music with them in the form of Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift.

This is absolutely incredible for our city and for musician’s in the city.

Whilst this announcement may seen far away from the fact that this week is independent venue week it’s actually very poignant and links very closely.

Take Ed Sheeran.

I remember seeing videos of Ed Sheeran in my first year of university playing his tune “You Need Me Man I Don’t Need You” and hearing about his shows in small venues in London thinking, wow this guy is pretty cool. I never expected him to become this worldwide powerhouse that he is now.

My point is, all these huge artists that are now making a name for themselves worldwide had to start somewhere. I’m sure Ed would agree that those early live shows in small venues were crucial to his career as a musician.

**31.01.18 - Update ** After posting this blog Sin City got in touch to let us know that my point actually comes a lot close to home than I first thought! In May of 2011, Ed actually played Sin City, in their top room to just 250 people! Amazing! Here's a video of him playing You Don't Need Me from that very gig!

In Swansea we’ve seen lots of independent venues come and go over the last few years, but we’ve also seem the emergence of some new venues too. Top venues to check out for gigs include Sin City, Creature Sound, Mozarts, The Garage, Cinema & Co, The Hyst and 8Bit to name a few.

If, like me, you’re planning on celebrating independent venue week by heading out to some live shows in Swansea you’ve got the select following happening:

Wednesday: Billy Lockett & Holy Home Video in Sin City. (£6.00)

Friday: The Swansea Musician’s Forum (hosted by the Swansea Music Hub) with live music from Bandicoot, Craze The Jack, The Riff, Picsel, Emily Merry & King Goon. (Free Entry)

Saturday: Piranha Punk Rock presents Sigiria, The Groundnuts & Independents and Iron Gosling in The Garage. (£6.00)

Sunday: Swn Presents Spring King, Fizzy Blood and Bandicoot in Sin City. (£10.00)

If you’re living in Swansea we’ve also created an artist directory, so if you see a local band’s gig advertised you can look here and check out the bands prior to see if it’s something you may like.

So get out this week. See a gig. And then next week, see another one. And so on…

You never know. You may discover the next Ed Sheeran, the next Arctic Monkeys, or the next Radiohead and be able to say “I saw them in a really small venue in Swansea before they got so big!”. Without your support we may lose these potentially great artists. 

Written by Simon Parton

It's Independent Venue Week!!! Independent Venue Week is a 7-day celebration of small music venues around the UK and a nod to the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out. What better reason to get out and catch our Gig Of The Week in Sin City this Sunday. 

Swn are back, presenting an incredible evening of music in the form of Spring King, Fizzy Blood and Bandicoot! This is definitely one not to miss this week. 

Currently on an extensive UK tour, Spring King, "a small-scale, art-pop-punk project based in Manchester" bring there energetic live show to Sin City.  Expect (in the words of The Guardian) guitars subjected to delicious amounts of distortion". 

Joining them are Leeds retro-rockers Fizzy Blood and Swansea's own Bandicoot (who have a new single out this Friday 02.02.18). 

Tickets for this show are £10.00 adv and are available here from See Tickets. Doors are at 7:30. 

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But as it's independent venue week - we thought we'd mention a bunch of other shows happening in Swansea independent venues this week: 

Billy Lockett also plays Sin City alongside Swansea country duo Holy Home Video this Wednesday - Tickets £6.00. 

We (The Swansea Music Hub) are hosting a musician's forum this Friday in Cinema & Co with live music from Picsel, Emily Merry, Craze The Jack, King Goon, Bandicoot & The Riff. Free Entry!

Andy C plays two sold out shows at Sin City!!! 

If punk is what you're after, do not miss Piranha Punk's show in the Garage this Saturday with Sigiria, The Groundnuts & Independents and Iron Gosling. Tickets £6.00

Our artist of the week this week is Swansea's very own Geraint Rhys. If you've ever seen Geraint play or heard Geraint's music, you'll agree with three things: 1 - it's almost impossible to pin a genre to his music. 2 - he has a lot of worthwhile things to say. 3 - his enthusiasm and energy for music is unparalleled. 

His lyrical content in his tracks delve into politics, life, love, hate, culture and more, but do so in a way that'll have you singing along and believing every word. 

With so much to talk about, we had the opportunity to send Geraint some questions this week, to find out more about his music, growing up in Swansea and what 2018 holds for him:

How would you describe your music?

Catchy, musically eclectic, lyrically challenging. 

How has growing up in Swansea influenced your music?

Trying to figure out how we as a society create a sense of place is something that runs through all my work. Whether it's music, writing or film I'm always trying to discover the relationships between self and society. I've lived all over the UK and Swansea is a great place for this because there's a sense of genuineness that you don't get elsewhere. Growing up in Swansea you're surrounded by nature from Kilvey hill to Rhosilli. I live 5 minutes away from Swansea Bay and you can't help but be inspired. In all my music videos I try to reflect a strong sense of place.

A few of your compositions are in Welsh and it seems to be something that you are passionate about (the Welsh language) - what is your view on the future of welsh language music?

Being a Welsh speaker in Swansea I felt at times like an outsider. There were far less spaces for you to express yourself and because the internet wasn't as big of a thing then, it was a lot more difficult to discover good Welsh language music. In general, I think the Welsh language scene is really healthy and there's some great acts doing some great stuff. However, I also think there are plenty of bands and artists out there who readily release a lot of shit songs just so they can pick up their PRS cheque and their HENO performance money. So many times I've been told by people in 'the industry' to translate a song of mine from English to Welsh to exploit the Welsh language market. But I don't want to go down that route. That's why I release less stuff in Welsh because I want to make sure that what I do put out there isn't just boring drab filler.

What can we expect from you as a musician this year?

This year I will be releasing 2 more tracks which are already recorded and good to go. I'll also be playing more shows throughout the UK, so watch this space. I'm also currently working on a few electronic side projects with other artists and will be releasing a short film about Music and protest in Catalunya. So 2018 it will be a busy year.

What advice would you give to emerging artists in Swansea?

Try as many different genres as possible and surround yourself with creative people. If you don't know where they are, hang out at gigs and you'll eventually find them.

What is your best Swansea live music memory / moment?

When I was old enough to go to gigs by myself, it was around the same time that the Patti Pavilion in Swansea hosted loads of really good bands. I saw some amazing British Ska Punk bands like Capdown and Lightyear. I remember being around 12 and ended up dancing on stage with the lead singer from Lightyear, the energy was incredible.

Are there any Swansea musicians that you're a fan of currently?

I urge people to use the Swansea Music Hub website to discover new artists. It's such a great tool. Some artists I particularly like which I discovered through the website include Ben Luc, Craze the Jack, Rachel Rimmer and your very own Simon Parton.

How do you feel about the growing and developing music scene in Swansea?

I think the Swansea Music Hub is a great step in the right direction. Just having that space which consolidates all musical information is a great idea. There are plenty of great musicians in Swansea, but growing up here, the scene was saturated with cover bands, rocks bands or rave music. What Swansea lacks is a few smaller music venues which offer real musical diversity. I think the Swansea Music Hub could be a great way to bring people together to do this.

Geraint Rhys Website | Geraint Rhys Facebook | Geraint Rhys Twitter | Geraint Rhys YouTube

Written by Simon Parton

What a wonderfully weird, psychedelic, musical treat for you this week in Cinema & Co in the form of Felix Subway, Salvador Sanchez & Orphan Dinosaur. Unless you've had experience of them before, to an outside listener, there is an air of mystery to all three playing despite their already well established name amongst music in Swansea. With this being the case, I reach out to the bands to hear what they had to say about their music and what to expect:

Felix Subway: "Felix Subway are a 5-and-a-half-piece original psychedelic folk band wrapped in a blanket of diagonal musicianship and futuristic retro. People can expect triangular theatre, ufos, jewellery sandwiches and beautiful songlettes in the language of varnished rust."

Salvador Sanchez: "Our music is the byproduct of the late, great Salvadôr Sanchez, a bullfighter who lived in Granada during the late 1800's. He comes to us in our dreams (mostly our nightmares) and tells us parabolas, sings us lullabies and raises our spirits. These are the words, this is the life and the way........."

Orphan Dinosaur: "Orphan Dinosaur is a singer/songwriter whose songs are said to have inspired the great dinosaur peace treaty of the Victorian pagans. Scarecrow in sound and the height of a bee, Orphan Dinosaur will bewitch your ears with her symphony of furious ferrets."

I mean if those three descriptions are anything to go off - this is one show not to miss this Friday!! Tickets are £4.00 on the door and starts at 8:00pm. 

It takes true artistry to pull off a traditional approach to what is a well-traversed style of music with panache, freshness and an unavoidable originality, but Picsel do just this - penning, (in their own words) accidentally, a dizzying array of tunes that capture a vibrant, energetic band in their absolute creative prime. Indeed, before their debut album had even fully been recorded, Cardiff Indie label Phwoar and Peace snapped 'em up!

During the Swansea Fringe I only caught the first few, and last, songs of the band's set as I had to rush off to put out a (thankfully metaphorical) fire, but it was enough to realise these gents are truly top-notch - matching their shiny, beautifully produced recordings with a live show that highlights just what sets them apart from the rest.

From the Biffy Clyro-esque riffery and call-and-response vocals to a garage pop mentality more reminiscent of Weezer

I wasted spent a solid two hours of my Monday listening to their debut singles Status Update and Fat & Old on repeat after purchasing them through Bandcamp, and I feel they'll be songs I'll be revisiting over and over again in the coming weeks. I'd highly suggest you take a leaf out of my book and nab them yourselves!

Keep your eyes peeled for local shows and expect an album release soon!

Picsel Facebook | Picsel Twitter | Picsel Bandcamp |

Written by Joe Bayliss

What a treat you're in for this Saturday Swansea folk! Not only do you get to sample some the best selection of beers, ales, vegan & non-vegan grub Swansea has to offer at The Last Resort but you get to see what will undoubtably be a fantastic show by 2018 ones to watch Little Folk! 

Four piece Americana band from Swansea, Little Folk have a strong live reputation for themselves. Expect foot stomping performances featuring banjo, double bass, guitar, & percussion. This will be a night not to miss! 

Our gig of the week this week is a feast of local, young & upcoming talent in the form of Apathy Avenue, Purge The Ocean, I Digress and String Theory. At just three pound entry, it's a great opportunity to head out and support live original music in Swansea. 

Following the release of their single Rise Above in December 2017, local band Apathy Avenue headline Mozarts this Friday for what will be undoubtably a great set. Support slots come from Pontadawe rockers Purge The Ocean, Swansea alt-rockers I Digress and Grunge band String Theory (who formed in just October 2017!)

Tickets £3.00 on the door - doors at 7pm.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We've got a few excited things planned for 2018 which we'll keep you updated with, but we'd thought that we'd kick the year off with our top 10 Swansea acts to watch this year!! It was really tough to pick just 10 out of the huge list we have on our artist directory, but over many debates over a coffee in Uplands, we (Simon & Joe) came to this agreement and we thought we'd share why with you!

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Cities

Cities are a glorious fusion of soundscapes and cinematography, a tour de force of instrumental virtuosity whose live shows are consistently immersive, dynamic and evenings we block out in our diaries with great excitement.

With rumblings of new material in the form of an album slated for release later this year, catch Cities when you can this year for a truly spectacular experience.

Bandicoot

Catchy choruses, great guitar riffs & arrangements and hard to match raw fun energy.

If there's one thing we suggest you do this year, it's watch Bandicoot live. For alternative-indie rockers Bandicoot 2018 is looking like a big year for them. 2 big live shows just a month away (Sin City with Spring King & a headline show in The Pit) are ones not to miss. New material is inevitable too so keep your eyes and ears peeled! 

The Riff

The Riff are a Swansea staple, four friends who craft pure pop rock that will have you singing along in seconds - check out their new single ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ for a taste of what to expect!

Be warned; catching them live, you might find yourself unable to escape the hooks for days afterwards.

King Goon

One of the most interesting and enjoyable bands to develop out of Swansea's music scene recently, King Goon also have a very exciting 2018 ahead of them - they'll be releasing the debut album titled: 'ADMIT NOTHING! DENY EVERYTHING! LIE! LIE! LIE!' which they've slyly started uploading to Soundcloud... 

We can't wait to hear more, and cannot wait to see more incredible live Goon sets next year!

Picsel

Swansea gents Picsel are rip-roaring purveyors of pop punk whose debut show at the Swansea Fringe and first release (which is free online!) has many music lovers chomping at the bit to see what these guys get up to next!

Craze The Jack

Swansea rap artist and producer Craze The Jack is also set to have a big 2018! With his clear influences of classic old school hip hop, Craze The Jack's sound is fresh and exciting and with a slot at this year's Focus Wales Festival and lots of new music to come it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on him! 

Little Folk

Little Folk are a four-piece in true, traditional troubadour style. Just listen to ‘Music City’ and/or ‘Working On Me’ for a taste of their tasty, tuneful Americana twang and they really deliver with an electric, vibrant live set that has everyone dancing and singing along by the end of the first number.

The Zinvandels

Following a great 2017, The Zinvandels (formerly The Hangmen) have set themselves up nicely for 2018. With a clear 60s rock n roll influenced sound The Zinvandels create tunes with stompin' beats, catchy hooks that never fail to get a dancefloor grooving. 

Emily Merry

One of Swansea’s newest adopted children, Emily Merry perfectly blends soul with pop-craftsmanship into tunes that exude heart-wrenching poignancy that belie her young years.

Geraint Rhys

2017 saw the release of Geraint's political trilogy, alongside a number of live shows across the UK, and 2018 looks like we'll be getting more of the same, which we're incredibly excited for! Every release from Geraint Rhys is different, and that what makes him such an exciting artist to keep an eye on!! 

Written by Simon & Joe

Our (albeit belated due to Christmas festivities) gig of the week this week is World vs World at Creature Sound! Join the guys for the last show of 2017 alongside Greenmailer and Fat Wreck. 

What a year it's been for Bandicoot and what a year they undoubtably have ahead for 2018! 

Bandicoot are Rhys Underdown (Vocals / Guitar / Saxophone), Gareth Goss (Guitar / Vocals) and Billy Stillman (Drums) and have been bringing incredible energy to live shows and releases since 2013. This year alone the boys have played 2 headline shows in The Pit (Swansea), Gwdihw (Cardiff) and The Moon (Cardiff) alongside shows in Clwb Ifor Bach, Oxford, Summer Vibes Festival (Merthyr), Buffalo Bar, Hoyfest (Cardiff), The Hyst, The Moon Club, Volcano and the Swansea Fringe Festival. If you were lucky enough to catch them this year you'll agree that there's something very special about Bandicoot. 

It's not just their catchy choruses, great guitar riffs and interesting arrangements that draw you in but the raw energy that they bring to every stage and every release never fails to get you movin' and shakin'. Their raw energy is hard to match. 

Bandicoot at The Swansea Fringe Festival 2017

Two headline shows and a slot at the Swansea Fringe Festival this year at The Pit (Swansea) proved this. The audience was amazing, not only in numbers but in the sense that every single person in the venue was up for a good time - a definite testament to the music and energy that Bandicoot bring. 

I guess it's hard to pin an exact genre / direct influence on Bandicoot - with self confessed influences like Joy Division, The Smiths, The Doors, Radiohead, Talking Heads, Mac Demarco and The Stone Roses it's easy to understand why! But that's what's so great about them. It keeps things fresh, interesting and exciting. 

Bandicoot live at The Pit, Swansea for the 'Pongo' release show 2017.

Their footprint is already firmly on the Swansea music scene and they continue to go from strength to strength. With so much already accomplished and at such a young age Bandicoot are without a doubt ones to watch. 

Bandicoot support Spring Kings (presented by Swn) in Sin City 04/02/18

Bandicoot headline the Pit with support from Fossette & more on 17/02/18.

Bandicoot Facebook | Bandicoot Twitter | Bandicoot Soundcloud | Bandicoot Instagram

Written by Simon Parton

Piranha Punk Rock presents the Exist Skatepark Xmas party. Punk rock duo 2 Sick Monkeys play one of their last ever shows before they call it a day and are joined by Swansea bands The Groundnuts & Independents, State of Decay & Iron Gosling. 

Tickets cost £5.00 (available online & in store from Derricks) on the door + includes free skating all night. All ages welcome!

Our track from newly-released 'Without Kibou There is Nothing Volume 4' 7" EP Hit the wall. Shit the bed. Lost the plot. Lost my head. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Matt Pumpkin at Made Of Ale Studios, Manchester, Bristol and Wootton Bassett

Think Madness at their most manic, mixed with a little Operation Ivy and Streetlight Manifesto, and I think you'll have a fair approximation of Swansea 'lad-rock' outfit King Goon.  One of the most interesting and enjoyable bands to develop out of Swansea's music scene recently.

With a perfect blend of Ska and a healthy dose of care-free punk sensibility, King Goon are a post-punk "superdupergroup" formed of a collection of Swansea stalwarts. Having, as any respectable (read: enduring) band should have, gone through a rolling cast of characters before settling on their current line-up, the Goon's (there's never been a more apt title for a quintet) are regular faces at venues across the city. 

Gareth Howell's raw, personal and always humorous vocals are a fitting counterpoint to the relentlessly dance-worthy backdrop of the brothers Morgan - Joel and James (ex-Afterglow and Pass The Peas/World vs. World respectively) - who's tight interplay of guitar and bass seems effortlessly in-sync whether they be crooning out a verse or two or not. On a side-note, there's something infinitely visually pleasing in seeing a duo of a righty and lefty bounding about the stage across from each other...

Add in a few final touches, like the embellishment of a second guitar, courtesy of Keith Robertson, that serves to lift the overall arrangements of the tunes, and the ever rock-steady drumming of Hywel Griffiths (ex-Judge Tuxedo) and you've a recipe for success!

King Goon after headlining the Horizons Stage at the Swansea Fringe Festival 2017

Live, they're a force to be reckoned with - high-octane, increasingly topless as the evening progresses and a perfect, natural report with the audience (maybe being topless helps...? Don't worry, I won't put that theory to the test any time soon).

Over the last few months, the lads have been cloistered away in the studio recording their debut album that should see the light of day in the new year and we can't wait - we've been promised a big party to celebrate its release, let's hold the Goons to it!

Written by Joe Bayliss

Our Gig Of The Week this week is The Marks Cartel at The Garage this coming Saturday, 16th December. 

The Marks Cartel play live at The Garage Music Venue Swansea on Saturday the 16th of December to celebrate the release of the music video for their brand new single ‘Slave’. Support comes from The Caspiens and WINDSHAKE.

Tickets £3 on the door.
Over 18’s only.

‘Slave’ now available exclusively on Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/track/2AmXBOUVXbaBjxogNvZplU?si=dDEpHVPST5CpEbSbDH4ncQ

When we had our first meeting with BBC Horizons about their curated stage at the Swansea Fringe 2017 Joe and I were asked if there were any bands from Swansea that we would like included on the line-up. Without talking about it before hand, we both said “Trampolene” at the same time.

I missed their gig in September 2016 at The Scene Swansea but I remember seeing videos from friends and from my girlfriend’s younger teenage brother and his mates. I was blown away with how much energy there seemed to be in that room. We had to get them in Cinema & Co for the Fringe. If we could get anywhere close to the energy from those videos (and from what seems to be every other gig they play) we’d be in store for a something special.

Trampolene perform Alcohol Kiss, live at Swansea Fringe Festival 2017. Horizons/ Gorwelion is a scheme delivered by BBC Cymru Wales in partnership with Arts Council Wales to develop new, independent contemporary music in Wales. Mae Gorwelion / Horizons yn gynllun a redir gan BBC Cymru Wales mewn partneriaeth â Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru i ddatblygu cerddoriaeth gyfoes annibynnol, newydd yng Nghymru.

Trampolene headlined the Swansea Fringe on the Friday night and they did not disappoint. The volume of people coming through the door at Cinema & Co just for them was staggering!! It was such a great moment. The sound and crowd was so good that I had to arrange with Joe to do a one song in / out routine between watching their set and manning the door so that we could both see their set!

Trampolene at the Swansea Fringe 2017 

I knew that it was somewhat of a homecoming for the boys in Trampolene as they’re now based in London so I didn’t expect to catch them on the evening of the show as so many of their family and friends were in attendance – but they all made a point of chatting to myself and Joe to talk about the festival and the Swansea music scene. I remember growing up as a gigging teenager in Swansea and supporting what now is Trampolene under a different guise back in the mid noughties and thinking that they were really decent down to earth guys – and nothing had changed.

They had such a positive outlook on Swansea and the potential that it has as a music scene. I think the last thing frontman Jack said to me on the Friday night as he left (draped in a Welsh flagged and drenched in sweat) was along the lines of “it’s time to build this scene up from the ground but bands, artists and venues have to do it together”.

Since the Swansea Fringe, the band has released their debut album “Swansea to Hornsey”, have played shows in Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester and to top it all off they’ve secured four support slots opening for none other than Liam Gallagher on his world tour (catch them in Birmingham 12/12, Cardiff 13/12, Brighton 15/12 and Manchester 16/12). Oh, they’re also squeezing in a show with The Libertines on the 14th December in Blackpool!

And if that wasn’t enough, it was announced last week that their debut album made it to the Independent’s 30 best albums of 2017 – sandwiched amongst names like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Queens of The Stone Age and more.

If you haven’t heard Swansea to Hornsey, I urge you to listen. It’s certainly in my top albums of 2017! And if you haven’t seen Trampolene live, I urge you to see them!! It’s one of the best gigs I’ve seen this year too. 

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Written by Simon Parton