Fifteen years of urban cultural regeneration has seen Cardiff develop an
industry of national standard. James W Roberts gets to grips with Wales'
capital. Photo by James McLaren

As Wales' capital there needs little introduction to the Cardiff's integral
place in Welsh culture and music. Over the last 15 or so years, some of the
most successful and diverse music from these shores has had its origin in
Cardiff, but for every Super Furries, Catatonia and Church, there is a
varied selection of venues, labels, promoters and more creating the
infrastructure for the musical health of the city to prosper and develop.
The increased prominence of Cardiff's music has developed hand-in-hand with
the capital's lengthy and extensive regeneration over the last 20 years -
the city now basks in its urban, yet very green and European feel.

VENUES / CLUBS / CLUBNIGHTS
As a capital city, Cardiff venues range from tiny to gigantic - however it
seems to lack a decent mid-sized venue to cater for 600-800 capacities and
also a venue in the 3500+ capacity range. That said, starting from the
smallest there is DEMPSEYS - smack in the centre where more and more
left-field noise and folk merchants have been plying their trade.

Dempsey's also hosts the fortnightly Saturday night indie fest TWISTED BY
DESIGN, a popular alternative to the latest from the high street trends and
stag and hen parties, and along with CALLAGHANS, just up the road, it has a
late licence and more often than not some musical performance going on.
With Wales' biggest University comes a couple of venues where the bigger
NME-endorsed acts garner rapture from the sizeable student population. The
GREAT HALL and SOLUS are the two venues; the bigger, former hall sometimes
suffers from poor sound in its cavernous box design, whereas Solus seems to
have a more intimate feel and caters for other student friendly artists.
Aside from the gargantuan 60,000 capacity MILLENNIUM STADIUM that has hosted
gazillion sellers U2, REM and Robbie Williams, there is the CARDIFF
INTERNATIONAL ARENA, again smack in the centre of Cardiff. It hosts the big
guns who attract 6,000 or more paying punters. It's within spitting distance
of the Central railway station, just one of many venues that benefit from
being in close proximity to access routes into Cardiff.

Away from the centre, there is the grandiose COAL EXCHANGE that occasionally
hosts some great bands (such as Faust and The Fall this Autumn), and the
plush and impressively cosy atmosphere of THE POINT that is starting to host
more shows including Super Furries, The Stereophonics and folk nutbar
Devendra Banhart.

Follow the edge of the Bay, past the monolithic MILLENNIUM CENTRE (home of
classical music in Wales) and you'll see the small, but perfectly formed
NORWEGIAN CHURCH, the place where Roald Dahl was christened, and which, a
century after its construction, hosts gigs, seminars and workshops.
Since 1983 CLWB IFOR BACH has become synonymous with promoting
Welsh-language music and hosting a variety of acts and good ol' club nights.
The Strokes played a famous sweaty gig to the sold-out crowd, and Coldplay
trod the boards back in 2000. Despite a let-up of gigs over the last year
(albeit with a core of regular punk, metal and hardcore gigs), plans are
afoot to bring back the great and the noisy to Clwb's cool surrounds.
In terms of club nights at Clwb, a favourite with students is POPSCENE held
on a Wednesday, with three floors of indie schmindie, funk, electro etc and
a good degree of cheap drinks. For the more rock- and metal-orientated, take
a trip to METROS on Bakers Row. Suitably situated down a dark alley the club
has become famous for cheap drinks and an unpretentious range of rock and
dance in its seedy surrounds explains maybe why the Manics used to retreat
here during the recording of The Holy Bible!
Within crawling distance of there is THE BARFLY  obviously the place to
catch countless up-and-coming bands, as well as local acts and enjoy nights
such as FREAKSCENE and the new INDIE KIDS DIE IN HOT BARS, where drunken
underground (literally) fun can be had, and hopefully the night will be true
to its word.

For more electronic tastes, MOLOKO on Mill Lane has weekly nights including
Higher Learning and with two floors plus its location amidst a plethora of
other bars it is worth seeking out for something a bit different. TOMMY'S
BAR, hidden amidst the surrounds of the Art College at Howard Gardens,
occasionally hosts some great gigs in the studentís union there, with its
400 capacity venue and bar. In many ways, along with the facilities provided
by Cardiff University, the scope for students to enjoy such a variety of
live music and club nights is fairly unique in Wales.

In the depths of the charmingly-titled region of Splott you will find
JOURNEYS. Here you can see a dizzying range of soul, funk, jazz and
electronica whilst being not too pretentious, it makes a change from the
vomit and fast food debris often littering the streets of the city centre.
Over by Virgin Megastore, on Churchill Way is THE UNION, offering a variety 
of sweaty nights. Amongst the best is UPRISING, featuring dancehall and dub
every Thursday, as well as monthly nights of garage, r'n'b and hip hop
called Whatz Ya Flava? Add to this the drum'n'bass of SUBMERGE and the hard
house of HARDBOILED and you have quite a mix of urban and dance styles.
No round-up of Cardiff's music-related leisure pursuits would be complete
without a mention of CHAPTER, one of the most renowned and popular arts hubs
in Wales and Europe. Typical of Cardiff, Chapter and its impressive
collection of lash, cinemas, theatres and all the rooms you'd expect in a
former school, is hidden deep in Canton, well away from the centre. Despite
this it's well worth the trek.

RETAIL
Again, this is a capital city, so there's VIRGIN, FOPP and HMV, but peer
down the side-streets and, behold, 'The World's Oldest Record Shop'. Yes, on
The Hayes is SPILLERS, a refreshingly old-school jumble of rare gems and
multi-genre classics. Also worth checking out is KELLY'S Records in Cardiff
Market, a tad of digging will reveal some cheap finds, some pretty unique
vinyl and some amazingly expensive picture disks and signed paraphernalia.
Zip back towards the Bay, under the bridge on St Mary's Street and find the
multistorey JACOB'S MARKET, with a jumble of records and music related
goods. Then there's D'VINYL, in a similar vein to Jacob's, over in the
suburb of Roath, with an insane mass of records that require a feature all
of their own.

Back in the centre, the High Street Arcade hosts CATAPULT, Cardiff's primary
den of urban breaks and beats, a comprehensive host of vinyl and a massive
catalogue from which DJs can order the latest sounds. Outside the box
somewhat is SEBON, the Welsh-language, online distribution source, that also
hosts nights in Clwb Ifor Bach, and is enjoying a growth in popularity.
For musical equipment needs, Cardiff has many shops. Some of the most noted
include the guitar shops of CRANES, ROWLANDS MUSIC and SPEED MUSIC as well
as other shops catering for almost every instrument or electrical device.

MANAGEMENT
One of the major forces in management in the city is ANKST MANAGEMENT, whose
charges include Super Furry Animals and Brave Captain, aka Martin Carr.
Down the Bay, in conjunction with the My Kung Fu empire, is BILLY BOB
MANAGEMENT that looks after emerging artists including The Voices. Also,
linked to MUSIC BOX rehearsal and recording studio is the independent
management company of the same name. Looking after the all-girl pop group
Dragonheart is PURE WICKED MANAGEMENT, while M4 MANAGEMENT are the people
behind the hotly-tipped PEOPLE IN PLANES. Two others based in the city are
the fast growing S&M MANAGEMENT and Roath based SOUND AFFAIRS.

LABELS
Inextricably linked with pop-pioneers the Super Furry Animals, Ankst
Management work with the band on the PLACID CASUAL label. As well as Gruff
Rhys' own solo material and SFA remix albums, Placid Casual is the home of
acts such as El Goodo and Acid Casuals.

One of Cardiff's fastest growing labels is MY KUNG FU. With its offices in
the Bay, the label is just shy of two years old and has released the likes
of Sammo Hung, Mountain Men Anonymous and Soft Hearted Scientists. Other
notable Cardiff based labels include FF VINYL. Since their inception in
1998, the label have worked with some acclaimed bands including the Martini
Henry Rifles, Mohobishopi, Betwys-y-Coed's Gabrielle 25, Amy Wadge, The
Afternoons and International Karate Plus.
Also making a return to the fray is the BOOBYTRAP label, hailed by Rolling
Stone magazine way back at the beginning of the century and responsible for
a monthly singles club that unleashed the likes of Mclusky and Zabrinski on
an unsuspecting public, and are currently getting back in the swing of
releasing some stuff.

The internationally successful PLASTIC RAYGUN label have, for a number of
years, been keeping Cardiff at the forefront of the breakbeat scene
releasing top-20 smashes and tearing up dance floors the world over. Cardiff
is also home to one of Europe's premier punk  labels NEWEST INDUSTRY, a
local label with a truly international roster. In a similar vein, STAUNCH
are a hardcore and metal DIY label currently working with the likes of
Seventh Cross.

SPLIT RECORDS are a newish label looking for a variety of styles and artists
to build on the success of their ex-Weezer man Matt Sharp and the new sounds
of Crosbi.

New to the fray are NOISY NYMPHO RECORDS, who are currently working with a
couple of Welsh artists, Ipsofacto and Aprilrise, and is a close relation of
another growing label ASSOCIATED MINDS. They specialise in  cutting edge hip
hop, whilst FOURIER TRANSFORM offer a great selection of insane
experimentica and stupidly great artwork. ACCESS TONAL COMMUNICATIONS do
something similar with a glut of great leftfield electronica, whilst
COMPLETE CONTROL, the touring and label wing of Community Music Wales (see
Community Music section), gives artists a chance to get their noise out
there to the masses.

Long-time releasers of multi-genre dance music HONKY do this as well as host
club nights and up-and-coming label IMOAN RECORDS are doing something
different with a 'dark entity' known as Twig. KISSAN PRODUCTIONS can boast
the likes of Catrin Finch and Elin Manahan on their roster, whilst CASCADE
RECORDS have been responsible for the excellent Midasuno and, more recently
the hard-rocking Cardiff boys Panel.

PRESS, PLUGGING AND PROMOTION
Affiliated to the My Kung Fu label, are the FULL STEAM and PLUG TWO press
and plugging offshoots. They are believed to be the first mainstream press
and plugging operations in Wales. Established earlier this year, BARE
ENTERTAINMENT provides promotion and marketing solutions for bands and
artists of all styles at reasonable prices. SHINING STAR also offer similar
promotion and plugging options.

PROMOTERS
As touched upon, there are a number of promoters widening the musical
margins in Cardiff. Firstly, LESSON NUMBER ONE have been bringing some
intriguing noiseniks to various Cardiff venue as have FORECAST, again a
collection of people 'bringing the underground overground', and in the
process supplying the city's venues with artists who don't normally venture
this side of the Severn Bridge.

DEPCULT is a Cardiff Bay-based promotions outfit who specialise in farming
out DJs to some of the UK's top clubs, and keeping with all things dance
orientated, there are the influential (and Mixmag-approved) BIONIC, COOL
HOUSE and BULLETPROOF, all with a mix of resident DJs, providing Cardiff
with its banging nightlife. Continuing with breaks 'n' beats, SUMO hold
weekly nights of breakbeat ferocity. TIME FLIES host nights at pretty much
every club in Cardiff, as well as venues further afield, and HOLODECK are a
collective hosting DJs and national and international artists for monthly
nights of electro dance fun. HIGHER LEARNING form part of the strong hip hop
ranks with regular nights in Cardiff, and LAMERICA, the renowned purveyors
of US garage and house, who promote shows in Cardiff and Bristol. For some
time now HUSTLER have been doing hip hop shows across the South West of the
UK, including providing acts for festivals, whereas ROAR promotes nights
with a more dance orientated selection of shows.

RECORDING STUDIOS / REHEARSAL ROOMS
In the depths of the Canton suburb is the bunker-esque MUSIC BOX. It has
become very popular with many bands in the area, with its reasonable costs,
laid back atmosphere and access to equipment, including a recently installed
studio. Music Box has been used by some great Welsh bands including Camera,
Mclusky and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci.

Tied in with the FF VINYL label is WARWICK HALL, over the other side of the
city. With rehearsal rooms from £3 and microphones, PA, kit and amps
available for hire, they're a good source for practising, while they also
have extensive recording capabilities.

Aspiring musicians can also check out CARDIFF SOUND SCENE, at the Cathays
Community Centre, equipped with two rehearsal rooms, costing £15, per band
for three hour sessions. Also located in Cardiff is STIR STUDIOS, where the
Manics have laid down some tracks; it serves as an excellent studio with
experienced in-house engineer and facilities including a range of digital
and analogue equipment.

Another choice of studio in Cardiff is ALBANY STUDIOS with a 36 track
facility and two recording areas. ATTIC Studio in Grangetown keeps up
Cardiff's reputation for choice studios with a 24 track studio and IMMTECH,
along with their community music offerings have a studio in the Bay. Other
studios of note include BATTERY PARK, DIGITAL FLESH, the recording
facilities at GRASSROOTS, SKYLINE, STUDIO 56 with THE APARTMENT STUDIOS and
MADVARK offering both recording and rehearsal opportunities.

COMMUNITY MUSIC
Cardiff offers a few schemes and potential avenues of help, from advice to
hard resources. Tied in with the studio at
CARDIFF SOUND SCENE is a community music initiative that aims to help young
and aspiring bands to get some experience and ascend the ladder towards
playing live and furthering their career.

One of the main avenues of community music in Cardiff and Wales is the
Cardiff-based organisation COMMUNITY MUSIC WALES. Headed by Simon Dancey,
the organisation based in the Fairwater area of Cardiff has trained and
experienced music tutors and mentors to provide support to fledgling
musicians. They also are partly responsible for curating the annual Compass
Point festival in Bute Park that brings the finest urban and rock artists to
the capital every August.

As mentioned IMMTECH offers a variety of community-based options for
underprivileged young people and instrument and voice training in a myriad
of  genres and for a range of ages as well as equipment and engineering
opportunities.

MEDIA
Aside from Sound Nation, providing the only comprehensive outlet dedicated
to Welsh music, there are numerous media organs, both radio and print that
promote Welsh music. Outside the likes of the WESTERN MAIL, WALES ON SUNDAY
and SOUTH WALES ECHO, where you can catch up with the bigger artists or see
long lens images of Ms Church staggering along outside Flares, there are a
number of up-and-coming as well as established fanzines and magazines.
One of the more off-kilter and forward thinking publications is KRUGER.
Conceived in 2003, Kruger is a quarterly, free publication that emphasises
artistic style without compromising the substance and features off-the-wall
interviews, reviews and features with a healthy focus on Welsh artists.
Cardiff also has the BUZZ listings magazine that has served the city since
1991, with around 56 pages and a comprehensive listings section giving a
monthly round-up of what goes on in South Wales. Also with good music
coverage is THE BIG ISSUE CYMRU which always has an eye on domestic talent.
Again, with the mass of students at both Cardiff University and UWIC and
related institutions, there are a few media outlets that dedicate their
print and airtime to music. The newspaper that serves Cardiff University is
the award winning GAIR RHYDD, with a long history of informative content and
a healthy degree of irreverence and humour, whilst XPRESS FM has a huge
staff and extremely professional and varied content.

Webzines have their own place in Cardiff's music scene. Carrying on somewhat
from the excellent but defunct Fracture fanzine, www.NEXTSTOPNOWHERE.COM is
a cool look at South Wales punk and noise related garb, whereas
WWW.CARDIFFONLINE.net is a more straight-talking comprehensive guide to all
leisure activities in the capital.

WWW.GOD IS IN THETV.TK is a 'online cultural fanzine' with impressive layout
and range of content across all cultural bases, with a focus on Cardiff
happenings. OFFITSFACE.COM features reviews, interviews, forums and DJ
profiles on Cardiff dance-related nightspots and WWW.CARDIFFUNDERGROUND.COM
has a no-nonsense list of the gigs that will occupy your otherwise lonely
evenings.

So many businesses in the Cardiff area meant that we're not able to print
all their contacts here as usual. Instead, all the details are available
from The Welsh Music Foundation Directory (£5 plus £1 p&p for individuals
and small businesses), the Welsh Music Foundation online Directory
(www.welshmusicfoundation.com) or direct from the WMF office on 029 2066
8127.

discuss article in our forums - back to home page - top