I spent a night in Cardiff recently courtesy of a work thing. I like Cardiff. It is lively, diverse, and welcoming. Mind you, they could do with some nicer weather.
The evening before my meeting an icy wind was ripping through the streets. After looking for a particular restaurant that appeared to have closed down, my colleagues and I ended up in a nice looking Zizzi’s: spacious, rustic, and a very high ceiling. A couple of hours later three very full people faced the icy wind again and stumbled across a place called Dempseys. Picture the upstairs of a large pub, nothing smart, with a bar in one corner and a band playing at one end. A very mixed crowd age wise, with a blend of ageing hippies, student types, and folkies. The band finished shortly after we arrived, but instead of that being it, people I took to be part of the audience stepped forward and armed themselves with guitars, violins and a bass. The show was about to get even better..
This band were called the Brwmys; and I have to say they were excellent. I like Celtic folk, but this was something different. Not just their style and musical skill, but the way they seamlessly moved from melodies to jigs, fusing traditional with Celtic with Bangrha (yes! they really did). With cider on the table and live music it was a brilliant way to prepare for the following day’s meeting.
You can stream a sample of their unique sound from SoundCloud