Welsh Bands at South by Southwest – 2009

[The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society]

Welsh Bands at South by Southwest – 2009

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of interactive, film, and music festivals and conferences that take place every spring in Austin, Texas. Originating as the Austin Battle of the Bands, SXSW officially began in 1987 and is centered on the downtown Austin Convention Center. Each of the three parts run relatively independently, with different start and end dates.

SXSW is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than 1,400 performers playing dozens of venues around Austin over four days, in March.

The 2009 festival will be held March 13-22. The full band and event line-up is yet to be announced, but confirmed as of last week 7 Welsh bands and one Chicago based sort of Welsh band will be performing at the fest.

Radio Luxembourg
From Wild West Wales's seaside town of Aberystwyth come the psychedelic pop outfit Radio Luxembourg — a five-piece band of oddballs steeped in the tradition of 90s Welsh bands, following in the footsteps of Gorkys Zygotic Mynci, SFA and Murry The Hump.

Their reputation for being an exciting live band along with their catchy tunes are generating a lot of buzz throughout Wales, winning them much media acclaim.

For more info, visit their website at: www.myspace.com/radiolux

Future of the Left
Future of the Left is an alternative rock supergroup based in Cardiff, Wales. It consists of singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band Mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the Ammanford-based group Jarcrew.

For more info, visit their website at: www.futureoftheleft.com

Amy Wadge
Although born in the village of Backwell near Bristol, Amy Wadge has been a resident of Wales since she began studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Her recording career goes back further, though. Aged just 14, she was half of the girl group Two Of A Mind, whose cover of The Great Pretender reached the heady heights of number 75.

True success began to come from January 2001, following the release of her debut single Saddest Eyes on the FF Vinyl label. She'd spent most of the previous year on the road, and was by this time making regular TV and radio appearances.

Amy has toured the length and breadth of the UK and playing at many of the UK's prestigeous festivals including Cropredy, Hay on Wye Literary Festival, Larmer Tree Festival and Glastonbury. She has also toured in Asia, Russia, Europe and the States.

For more info, visit their website at: www.amywadge.com

Polly Mackey & The Pleasure Principle
This Wrexham native is just 17 but has already been tipped to make it big in 2009... This showcase gig at SXSW in Texas in March should be all it takes to get some serious label interest. Hopefully we should be hearing a lot more from her in the future.

For more info, visit their website at: www.myspace.com/pollymackey

The Toy Horses
Formed in Wales in late 2007, this Indie/pop/rock band is one to look out for at the fest.

For more info, visit their website at: www.toyhorsesmusic.com

Inner City Pirates
Hailing from Barry in South Wales, Innercity Pirates were formely known as My Red Cell and signed to V2 Records. After subsequently reaching the end of their contract agreement with V2, My Red Cell renamed and re-branded to form Innercity Pirates.

Writing new material and performing live on a regular basis, they are slowly (but surely) persuing their way up the proverbial ladder that is the ‘scale of recognition’ with the release of three EPs and their own ‘Pirates Night’ at Clwb ifor Bach in Cardiff.

For more info, visit their website at: www.myspace.com/innercitypirates

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Neither Scottish nor a Gospel Choir. With Welsh-born Elia as the ringleader, The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir is a free-spirited collective of musical visionaries who turn out exuberant and rough-hewn chamber pop. Among the talent that performs and/or records with the Choir includes core players like Ellen O’Hayer (the band’s cellist and vocalist who moonlights in Bright Eyes’ touring band,) bassist and recording engineer Mark Yoshizumi, drummer Jay Santana, violin player Ethan Adelsman and Sam Johnson of Mucca Pazza and Head of Femur on trumpet. The extended Scotland Yard family is comprised of a who’s-who of the Chicago underground music community, boasting the likes of Sally Timms, Nora O’Connor and Kelly Hogan, who sing backup on the album, and Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley), Matt Priest and Megan O’Conner (Canasta), and Brett Whitacre (Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers).

For more info, visit their website at: www.myspace.com/scotlandyardgospelchoir

[The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society]

More Welsh bands have been invited to play SXSW!!

I'm uncertain at the moment as to which have confirmed, but keep an eye out for the following upcoming Welsh musicians:

Christopher Rees - www.myspace.com/christopherrees
People In Planes - www.myspace.com/peopleinplanes
Friends Electric - www.myspace.com/friendselectricmusic
Rod Thomas - www.myspace.com/rodthomasmusic
Eugene Francis Junior - www.myspace.com/eugenefrancisjnr

More details to follow soon.......

[The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society]

Welsh Bands @ SXSW 2009 – Austin, Texas

South by Southwest (SXSW) is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than 1,400 performers (including a fair few Welsh bands) playing dozens of venues around Austin over four days, in March.

The following musicians & dates have been confirmed, though you might want to double check last minute changes at: http://sxsw.com

Toy Horses
Wednesday, March 18 8:00 pm
Latitude 30
512 San Jacinto Street
Austin, Texas
www.toyhorsesmusic.com

Rod Thomas
Wednesday, March 18 - 11:00 pm
18th Floor at Hilton Garden Inn
500 N IH 35
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/rodthomasmusic

Eugene Francis Jnr & The Juniors
Thursday, March 19 - 9:00 pm
The Parish Downstairs
214 E 6th Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/eugenefrancisjnr

Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle
Thursday, March 19 - 12:00 am
Esther's Follies
525 E 6th Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/pollymackey

Amy Wadge
Friday, March 20 - 12:00 am
Stephen F's Bar
701 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas
www.amywadge.com

Polly Mackey & the Pleasure Principle
Friday, March 20 - 12:30 pm
SESAC Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center
500 E Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/pollymackey

Future Of The Left
Friday, March 20 - 9:00 pm
Aces Lounge
222 E 6th Street
Austin, Texas
www.futureoftheleft.com

Jon Langford And The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Friday, March 20 - 11:00 pm
Momo's
618 W 6th Street
Austin, Texas
www.bloodshotrecords.com/artist/jon-langford

Friends Electric
Saturday, March 21 - 12:00 am
Latitude 30
512 San Jacinto Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/friendselectricmusic

Waco Brothers
Saturday, March 21 - 1:00 am
Red Eyed Fly
715 Red River Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/wacobrothers

Innercity Pirates
Saturday, March 21 8:00 pm
Volume
614 E 6th Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/innercitypirates

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
Saturday, March 21 - 8:30 pm
Smokin' Music
504 Trinity Street
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/scotlandyardgospelchoir

Christopher Rees
Saturday, March 21 - 10:00 pm
Stephen F's Bar
701 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas
www.myspace.com/christopherrees