GIGS
CYMRU (Machynlleth) - Nos Fercher/Wednesday, 7y.h. - Dathliad Diwrnod Santes Dwynwen ym Mhopty Clai //St Dwynwen’s Day celebration in the Clay Bakery. £10, inc. soup and a drink. Contact Natty at Popty Clai - Clay Bakery to book.


LONDON (Hackney) - Tuesday, 31st, 7.30pm - Paper Dress Vintage, Worldwide Welshman, Lovell, River Wild (album launch) - £8

NEWS
I was in Our Lady Studio in Borth recently, and I recorded two tracks with Ailsa on cello and Nic on double bass! One old one, re-done, and one new collaboration with Ailsa, the Fairytale Cellist. They’ll be out in Feburary and March.

I’m planning to record my first full studio album in the near future. But first, I need to apply for funding! Wish me luck.

In other news, Lo-fi Jones have some exciting news which we’ll reveal next month.

My first time at Celtic Connections
I’m currently on my way back to Machynlleth from Glasgow. I went to Celtic Connections! It was brilliant. On Friday night we danced to the magnificent Moroccan/French gnawa-psychadelic-rock band, Bab l’Bluz.

Then on Saturday, I caught the last four songs of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Big Folk Band showcase, directed Jenn Butterworth. Phenomenal and life affirming! Next year I’ll book in advanced and see the full show.

Saturday afternoon, Danny Kyle open stage…I’ll have to try and get on there next year!

Saturday evening: The Canny Band!! Heard their Celtic Connections performance last year on the radio and was blown away, so it was really exciting to see them live. LOVED IT!! After them was the Irish band, Notify, who I hadn’t heard of before. They were excellent. I liked how they used plenty of interesting time-signatures. They were joined by two exceptional young Irish speaking musicians from Galway (?), who were very charming, and sang some beautiful songs in Irish.

Then I went to meet an Edinbrugh pal of mine who was in the sold-out Trecherous Orchestra gig. Luckily, I managed to get in for the last few numbers. Had a lovely reunion with him and another friend I’d met on Ethno who I hadn’t seen for AGES! One of their mates is a person I used to play in a klezmer band in London with. It was great to see him again, too! Some of their other friends are good friends with one of my coursemates. So many connections there. Small world!

We all headed to the Glee Club for the festival party night. I saw my new favourite folk band, the Canny Band again! Next up was Orkey legends, Saltfish Forty, with a full band (loved it)! Then the Canny Band were back with an newly created band called Trimp (?) which included an up-and-coming Irish fluting champion and some ace fiddle players. I hope they play more gigs with that combo, they were top-notch.
We were dancing to trad music til 3am.

Sunday: fancy breakfast in the West End of Glasgow, then to a trad session in the Drum & Monkey! Saw lovely friends. Ate delicious Eritrean/Etheopian food in Mosob Bar & Restaurant. Its quitea hidden place, but your Glasgow pal, Kat, recommended it to us. If you ever go to Glasgow, I can confirm that this restaurant is excellent! The staff are lovely too.

Finished up playing a few songs in a very friendly pub in the South Side.

Hwyl am y tro,
Liam

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Happy new year!
Got a few gigs coming up...

25.1 - Popty Clai, Machynlleth
31.1 - Paper Dress Vintage, Hackney, London - tickets

6-9 July, Treehouse Festival, Uffington White Horse, Oxfordshire

More to be announced!

+ working on new material :D

Dwi'n chwarae gig ar nos Fercher, 8yn, yn y Bank Vault, Aberystwyth, gyga Nicolas Davalan ar bas dwbl
***
I'm playing a gig on Wednesday evening, 8pm, in the Bank Vault, Aberystwyth, with Nicolas Davalan on double bass

Gigiau nesaf/next gigs:
25/11/22 - Lo-fi Jones & The Sunshine Project at Y Llew Coch, Machynlleth
08/12/22 - Bald Welsh Fairy (Liam, Ailsa & Nic), Bank Vault, Aberystwyth
09/12/22 - Mach Dance Band - Noson Balfolk Evening, Canolfan Owain Glyndwr, Machynlleth
14/01/22 - Lo-fi Jones a Nic Davalan, Noson y Fari Lwyd, Y Llew Coch*, Dinas Mawddwy

*yes, we are playing at both of the Red Lions!! :D

Dwi wedi bod yn gweithio ar project newydd efo fy mrawd, Siôn.
Rydan ni'n rhyddau ein EP gyntaf, "Llanast Yn Y Llofft" ar 22/11/22.
Rydym wedi rhyddhau sengl oddi ar yr EP.
Mae'r cân wedi'i ysbrydoli gan yr amser pan roeddom yn byw yn Llundain, a'n trafferthion yn trio i neud bywyd a bywoliaeth yna.
Mae'r fideo wedi cael i gwneud gan ein chwaer, Ciara.
Mae hon a sawl trac arall wedi cael eu chwarae ar Radio Cymru!
****
I've been busy working on a new project with my brother, Siôn.
We are releasing our debut EP "Llanast yn Y Llofft" on the 22/11/22.
We released a single from the EP.
Its about the time when we lived in London and the challenges of trying to make a life and a living there.
The video is by our sister, Ciara.
This and several other tracks have been played on Radio Cymru! :)

Thanks to everyone who came to see us in Camden Club supporting Hull band Goodnight Vincent on their UK & Ireland tour! It was my first gig in London for a long while. We had a great time. Wonderful to see old and new friends there in the audience.

I really enjoyed playing with the latest London lineup - Ffion Aynsley on keys & flute, Michael Ekeghasi on cajon, and MJ Moon on bass. And all of them singing backing vocals! They smashed it.

Here's an awesome video of us filmed and edited by the talented Oleg Katchinsky:

Of course, I also loved the previous lineups as well, such as the Treehouse band and the Festival of Jim band.
It would be epic if we could play a big stadium and have the whole ensemble onstage all at once.

Which lineup was your favourite?

Dyma rhywbeth nes i neud yn y cyfnod clo! Here's a project I did in the Lockdown

Diolch yn fawr i fy ffrinidiau yn y Muzikantenhuis yn Gent am y wahoddiad  / Massive thanks to my friends at the Muzikantenhuis in Ghent for the invitation.

Mae fy sengl diweddaraf, Tori Jaaun re Jaaun, wedi bod yn neud yn reit da! Mae wedi cael ei chwarae ar Resonance FM, Radio Cymru, Exile FM a BBC 6 Music, ac wedi cael ei cynnwys yn "Fresh Favs: batch 435" ar y blog poblogaidd cherddoriaeth newydd, Fresh on the Net.

Radio appearances so far for Tori Jaaun re Jaaun re:

DJ Ritu, A World in London Unlocked 82 - January 26th 2022, Resonance FM - https://www.mixcloud.com/djritu/a-world-in-london-unlocked-82-january-26th-2022/

Georgia Ruth, 01/02/22, BBC Radio Cymru - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00140t1

Jon Read, The Monday Night Ride-Out, 14th Feb 2022,  Exile FM - https://exilefm.com/podcasts/the-monday-night-ride-out-17

Tom Robinson, BBC Introducing Mixtape, 21/02/22, BBC 6 Music - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014n1g

Also, "Community Garden: Lockdown Version" got played on "The Ska Show With Beefy, Jan 30th 2022" on Southern FM (Australia!!) - https://embed.sounder.fm/play/241126 

The Worldwide Welshman Radio takeover continues!

More international & local collaborations to come...

Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/star-of-the-sea-re-opening-gig-tickets-215000431077
Program:
7.30pm Fairytale Cellist
8pm Badger & Ailsa
8.45pm Worldwide Welshman
9pm Lofi-Jones with Ailsa & Badger
10pm post-gig hanging out!