Feature by Jo Whitby

There was a strange sense of familiarity when I read Gareth David-Lloyd’s, actor (Torchwood and the forthcoming Girl Number 9) and musician currently rocking in his band Blue Gillespie, statement about the upcoming Sex, Wales and Anarchy one day music, spoken word, film and art festival in Cardiff (further details of the event can be found at the bottom of this article). I could relate to his feelings of depression, anger and frustration about life, about the creative world and the plight of those who just don‘t ‘fit‘ especially in the music and art fields. Who’d have thought David-Lloyd knew me so well, eh?

I am not Welsh. I moved to Cardiff a mere 2 years ago on a mission to release myself from a life of inputing data in a bank and to finally say goodbye to Bristol, my birth place and home for over 20 years. I am a musician and artist and regularly dance with depression. I’ve put it down to the idea that most artists are tortured souls in one way or another. Cardiff has become a place where I feel very at home, I love the city and would like to think of it as a place I will remain for quite some time.

When I started getting involved in the Cardiff music scene I noticed very quickly how hard everyone was working. Audience attendance levels for local acts in particular are very low, actually audience attendance in general is very low unless it’s a weekend when the city centre is full of wild alcohol fuelled semi-naked people in heels who aren’t really out to savour the best in Welsh creative talent, at least not in the way that doesn’t involve grinding on the dance floor and the ‘creative’ activities that may follow.

Life is difficult for artists at the best of times and it seems for those based in Wales they have to shout that bit louder to get heard and seen.

David-Lloyd: “I found myself floating between art coffee shops, theatres and live music venues trying to brush shoulders with active performers in the hope that some of their artistic mojo would rub off on me. I was mingling with sculptors, musicians, actors, circus performers, film makers, performance artists and writers when it dawned on me that a great number of these people were in a boat not dissimilar to my own. In fact my boat began to look rather attractive when compared to the ship, no, fucking great big sinking ocean liner that these exceptionally talented people were sharing.

It was here in Wales, in the culturally dwindling Newport and the, supposedly, artistically vibrant Cardiff that so much talent was being completely overlooked. Comparing it to some of the generic shit being offered at Wales’ primary performance venues was unbearable. So, I decided to try and adapt the darkly drawn blueprint for my own successes and create an event that would help shed some light on this undiscovered talent. A showcase for the overlooked. A collective fuck you from the ignored.”

One thing is definitely certain: Wales is full of an eclectic range of artists and musicians, poets, filmmakers and performers who are passionate about what they do and want to share it with you. Sex, Wales and Anarchy gives you the opportunity to discover a creative Wales that is usually hidden in the shadows. Don’t miss out!

Sex, Wales and Anarchy takes place on the 4th September 2010 at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff.

For more information and to book tickets see www.sexwalesandanarchy.co.uk

The confirmed SWA3 line up so far is:

Music

Maddie Jones – Cardiff based folk singer

The Gentle Good – Cardiff based folk singer

Sunrise Sunset – soul singer from Llandudno

Pun Ra – Hip hop/drum & bass act from Newport

Bad Moon Rising – Swansea based rock/metal band

The Death of Her Money – Newport based metal band

Blue Gillespie – Prog rock band from Newport

Lethargy – South Wales based grunge rock band

DJ Killer Tomato – DJ from Cardiff

Spoken word

Patrick Jones – Blackwood-based performance poet

Mab Jones – Award winning comic and poet from Cardiff

Jam Bones Spoken Word Collective – performance poetry and prose

Peter Williams - satirical poetry from Newport

Robin March - Reading based actor and comic

Gareth David-Lloyd - actor from Newport

The winning entry to the SWA 2010 short story competition winner will also be read by Gareth David-Lloyd

Art

Exhibition curated by The Big Fuss

Film

Screenings of entries to the first Sex, Wales & Anarchy Film (SWA Film) Festival

Panel with James Moran and Gareth David-Lloyd on Girl Number 9

We've been waiting for the release of this video for a few months now and it has to be said that Zan Lyons has not disappointed. We were going to start verbally gushing over how great the video is but we'll let it speak for itself. Just know one thing - the gig was like that, that's how it felt to be there, intense, earth shatteringly loud and awe inspiring.

What makes this video extra special is that we were there and Cat On The Wall's very own CB can be seen down in the press pit. How fecking awesome is that?

Hercules Moments is a music blog run by two students Eoin and Russell. Passionate about the Aberdeen music scene the duo decided it was time to show the world just how many talented artists are based in the Scottish city. So, with the help of friend Dave Lovie, 'Hercules Moments: Vol. 1' was born. It includes a fantastic selection of music that is really worth investigating and above all it's free to download! Cat On The Wall caught up with Eoin and Russell to find out more about the blog and the project...

Cat On The Wall: How did Hercules Moments come about?

Eoin: We used to talk about music quite a bit at school, and we were both always looking for new bands and new sounds. One day Russell suggested the idea of setting up a music blog, and I thought it was a great idea; we’d be able to find out about new music, and I could develop my interests in writing and journalism.

Russell: Yeah it really just started off as something to do in our spare time, and has gained a lot of momentum since then.

Eoin: At first we tried to write the reviews together, but it didn’t really work out because our writing styles are too different. Our first reviews had a really convoluted method of scoring too. After writing a couple together, things just kind of fizzled out, but after about 6 months we regrouped under the new name of Hercules Moments and the rest, as they say, is history!

Russell: The name we came up with is a bit of a long-running ‘in-joke’ so it seemed like the right thing to use.

COTW: What made you decide to launch a music sampler of the Aberdeen music scene?

Russell: Eoin really got the ball rolling on it, and then the whole thing started to take off.

Eoin: It all came about after I was chatting with a friend about local music. Every time you go to a gig in Aberdeen, the chances are there will be a local band or two opening the show. And after going to gigs for a number of years, we realised just what a wealth of varied and interesting talent Aberdeen has to offer. We just want people in the rest of the world to realise that too.

COTW: Why do you think the Aberdeen scene isn't getting the attention it deserves?

Eoin: When people talk about Scottish music, they rarely think of anywhere other than the Central Belt, when in reality a lot of bands from round Edinburgh and Glasgow are churning out the same old stuff all the time. (Although saying that, there are some fantastic bands from down there.) Up here in Aberdeen there’s a vibrant and exciting scene, but it never seems to get much publicity. Our biggest export is probably Annie Lennox, but more recently bands like Colon OpenBracket and The Xcerts have started to cement Aberdeen’s place in the Scottish music scene.

Russell: Yeah I think a lot of it is to do with the ‘Central Belt Syndrome’: with regards to most art and culture, any city in the north of Scotland is often bypassed and not looked at. The truth is, though, that Aberdeen and other northern places have the same depth of talent, but sometimes you have to look harder. That’s what we have tried to do with the sampler: push more local music into the spotlight.

COTW: How did you discover the bands featured on the sampler?

Eoin: Some are big names in Aberdeen, so they were obvious choices for us to try to get involved. The others we found through seeing them at gigs and festivals, trawling through MySpace looking for something new, and from recommendations by friends.

Russell: Yeah, quite a few are through gigs. It’s great that when bands come up, there is almost always a local support on.

COTW: Why did you decide to release the sampler free of charge?

Eoin: I, personally, have discovered a load of great bands through label samplers I’ve gotten free with purchases, cover-mounted CDs in magazines, and from websites. I think it’s a great way to see what’s out there.

Russell: As much as it’s a really great selection of songs, sometimes getting people to part with their money for something they might not have heard of is tough. So really the best way to help get the artists’ songs out there is to make it easily available to anyone. It’s been great that the bands have agreed to give away their songs for free, and we really appreciate the fact they have.

Eoin: As students we have really learned the value of the freebie – if people don’t have to pay for something they don’t really know a lot about, then we’ve found that they’re more likely to check it out.

COTW: Finally, what are the plans for the near future for Hercules Moments?

Eoin: We’re constantly trying to adapt the website to make it better, and have recently taken in some new writers to help take some of the strain off of ourselves. I think really we just want to build on the success we’ve already had.

Russell: Yeah, we’re really just taking it as it comes; building on what we have done already and seeing where it goes. I’m not really one for delving into the future!

Eoin: And who knows, if this sampler is a hit, there may just be another one on the horizon…

http://www.herculesmoments.co.uk/

Download the FREE sampler here: http://www.herculesmoments.co.uk/2010/08/hercules-moments-vol-1.html

Photo taken by David Lovie. Artwork by Aimee Dominick