live music

Tenby Blues Festival

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Hot on the heels of the Boia Festival was the long running Tenby Blues Festival. As usual there were some great acts there playing on the big stage in the De Valence Pavilion and also in pubs and hotels around the picturesque town of Tenby. It brings a good vibe to the town with music spilling out of venues on the Blues Trail and the main hall always packed out for the headliners. A few acts in the pics below including The Cadillac Kings, The Zac Schulze Gang, Kara Grainger, Southern Fried Groove Queens, Martin Harley, Guy Davis and closing the weekend; Dana Gillespie.

Boia Festival 2023

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Some pictures from the Boia Festival in St Davids last weekend. This was the second year of the festival which is spread between 2 main venues in St Davids along with smaller spaces in local venues in the town. This year, Gaz Coombs headlined in the City Hall but some other great names came to the festival including Katy J Pearson, John Blek, Seamus Fogarty, Arborist, Jesca Hoop, Anna B Savage and many more.

Gated Estates - The Globe at Hay

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A friend and the band he has put together have been creating some new sounds recently. They describe it as…

“Agitated art rock from the Brecon Beacons. Climatic melodies, staccato guitars, arpeggiated synths, impellent beats.
Like pulling back a metal sheet at the end of a garden and discovering a circuit board, but all the capacitors have been replaced with rolled up string which unravel very satisfyingly.”

I’m always a fan of great melody and when that comes with high level musicianship, skillful songwriting and innovation, I’m in. I’ve been playing Gated Estates on repeat since they released their first 3 singles and I’m looking forward to hearing the full studio album. This gig was the launch of the album and it was a great show in the old chapel that is now The Globe venue in Hay-On-Wye. An intimate space that they filled with energy. Check them out on Bandcamp or on the socials. The full album is out on the 9th June Music | Gated Estates (bandcamp.com)

Bros Landreth in St Davids

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Joey Landreth returned to St Davids last night. After playing the smaller RAFA venue last year, he was back playing to a packed house in the City Hall with a new lineup including his brother on bass guitar. A rocking show but also with some lovely quiet moments.

Seamus Fogarty

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Seamus and his band came together from far and wide to St Davids on Saturday night for the latest Boia Gigs event. What a treat it was, wonderful songs and musicianship, funny noises and funny stories all producing a great atmosphere and big smiles. His music videos are also a treat… check out those below and there’s more here too… http://seamusfogarty.com/live-action/ also check him out on Spotify (in new window)

The Specials at Glastonbury Extravaganza

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A treat to see The Specials at Glastonbury Extravaganza at the weekend. I was just a punter but grabbed a few shots. It was a great show from the legends of British ska who are touring their recent No.1 album, Encore and banging out some old favourites too. A brilliant set and as usual, a top show put on in the grounds of the abbey.