Past Gigs At The Talbot

These are some of the superb gigs promoted by Cambria arts at the Talbot Hotel in Tregaron, the best Roots Music venue in the West!!!

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Hair of the Dog, at the Talbot on Friday 30th March 2007(9pm)

HAIR OF THE DOG

American 7-piece Hair of the Dog, who play the Talbot on Friday 30th March(9pm) are described by organisers Cambria Arts as 'a moveable feast of raw Zydecajun honkytonk dance hall blues!'

Led by Whit Connah and Barbara Panter-Connah, Hair Of The Dog has been making bodies shake and feet glide for almost 30 years, the band celebrate the culture and musical spirit of their native Louisiana. HOTD are not a Cajun, Zydeco or Blues band, but those traditional elements still inform the music - the impassioned vocal delivery and Barbara's strong Balfa-style fiddling; the driving accordeon and sizzling electric guitar. Also present are influences from honky-tonk Country music, rockabilly and even rock and roll--all a part of the musical atmosphere of growing up in the South and each a reflection of the musical interests and roots of
various band members.

This gig came out of a chance meeting with pedal steel guitar ace Bill Flemming and Cambria Arts organiser, Ron Dukelow. Ron explains: "A mutual friend asked me to go along to help out at a charity function a year or so
back, where Bill was playing. His skill on one of the most difficult instruments to master, the pedal steel guitar, was just amazing and when we spoke after the event he told me that he was planning to bring his friend over to play and would we be interested in getting them along to the Talbot. After he handed me a CD and I listened to what they did, I thought they'd be perfect - a mixture of 'real deal' Louisiana musicianship that will appeal to the listeners and dancers at the Talbot." The band are playing several dates around the UK, with several in Wales, thanks to Bill who is undertaking a course at Aberystwyth University and currently resident in the town.

Jim Moray - Friday 16th March 2007 (9pm)

Jim Moray

Jim Moray, who appears at the Talbot, Tregaron on Friday 16th March (9pm), is a 24 year old singer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer who has created startlingly contemporary recordings of England's traditional songs and which have been described as the most significant development in folk music in the last 30 years.

Jim released his debut album, Sweet England, in 2003 on his own unlikely named Niblick-Is-A-Giraffe Records. Just a month before, he had completed the final year of his music degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, submitting the album as his final project. The ten track album had been recorded for next to nothing in a bedroom studio made up of equipment bought with his student loan. He had played virtually every instrument himself adding in just a few pieces performed by fellow students. He had also engineered, arranged and produced the songs single handedly. The final album was causing waves even before it was released, and in an unprecedented move for a previously unknown artist, he was presented with the Album Of The Year Award as well as the Horizon Award 2004 for best newcomer at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Since then Jim has gone from performing in local folk clubs to this year playing the main stage at Cambridge Folk Festival. He has been featured in The Independent, Mojo, The Telegraph, Uncut and The Times and reviewed in countless other publications here and abroad. He has performed radio sessions on The Andy Kershaw Show (Radio 3), The Mike Harding Show (Radio 2), Late Junction (Radio 3), Tom Robinson's Evening Sequence (6 Music), The Janice Long Show (Radio 2), The Verb (Radio 4), A Place Called England (Radio 3), The Phil Jupitus Show (6 Music), and has performed for TV on The Celtic Connections 2004 Special (BBC4) and The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2004 (BBC4).

He has had his music featured on the trailer for ITV's drama Murder City. Tracks by Jim have also appeared on compilation albums including Nu-Europe (Manteca), which reached 16 in the World Music Charts of Europe, and The Big Session Vol. 1 (West Park). And he has toured in his own right in the UK, Benelux, Australia and Canada, and has done dates in Italy and France, and has provided support on tours by The Oysterband and John McCusker in the UK.

Jim will be accompanied at the Talbot by his equally talented sister, Jackie Oates. Jackie was a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2003, and has since gone on to represent England at the European Network of Folk Arts festival in 2003, and has appeared on several acclaimed folk albums; Sweet England and Jim Moray by her brother; Beam (Laurel Swift and Friends), Cruel Sister (Rachel Unthank and the Winterset), Witness (Show of Hands), Ghosts and Greasepaint (Barry Lister) and Twilight of the Dogs (Les Barker).

Saturday 3rd February 9pm

HALFLIGHT

Halflight

Tregaron arts group, Cambria Arts, reckon that Cardiff based Halflight, who play the Talbot on Saturday 3rd February (9pm), are destined to become one of the UK's hottest new bands. Halflight began at the end of 2003 after band leader, Sarah Howells' previous band Jylt, tragically came to an end. Bassist, singer and best friend, Nia George had been diagnosed with lukaemia and eventually died of the illness at the age of only 21. Despite the indescribable sense of loss and despair this brought, Sarah was compelled to continue writing and performing and out of this, Halflight was born.
In 2004, Halflight's debut release, the E.P. 'Subside' ,signalled the arrival of a rare new talent. Centred around Sarah's heart-breaking vocals, Halflight take acoustic and electric guitars and cello and transform them into a compelling and emotive sound. After the success of Subside, the band followed up with a bold mini-album entitled 'Pick Me', which has won them an army of fans around their base in Cardiff.
Cambria Arts' organiser, Ron Dukelow says: "Our instinct for sniffing out prospective stars of the future proved accurate when we featured a young singer/songwriter from Belfast in several shows through 2003 to 2005; Duke Special has gone on to become one of the hottest new pop properties of the past year. His latest single was 'record of the week' on Radio 2, and he is in big demand in radio, TV and on the live circuit. We think that Halflight have an equally bright future."
Halflight write songs of delicate, haunting beauty based around the powerful and emotive vocals of songwriter and founder Sarah Howells. In seemingly simple songs of loss and re-emergence, the band fuse guitars, cello, drums and vocals, to create a sound that is at once richly resonant and thoroughly compelling. Pick Me, while still unmistakably Halflight, takes Sarahs sound to a new place. There are still the fragile, whispered songs in Loveworn and The Ending but songs like Smiles and Air and the title track Pick Me show the more resolute and 'cutting edge' side to the band. The band are now at work finishing their first full-length album that they hope will be released later this year.
With a sound that manages to merge the sound of Coldplay with someone like Cat Power, it's not surprising Halflight have wide appeal without being
mainstream.

SPECIAL EVENT

Kreg Viesselman

Hafan Café, Tregaron, Friday 21st July 8.00pm

Kreg Live at The Talbot

Tregaron arts group, Cambria Arts, stage a surprise gig at Hafan Café on Friday 21st July, when Kreg Viesselman returns to promote his new CD on the local Red Kite Records label.

The gig represents something of a full circle for Kreg, as Cambria Arts gave Midwest-born US troubadour his first-ever UK gig, opening for the mighty Eric Taylor, at the Talbot back in October 2003, and his 'Gone To Lewiston' is a standout track from Red Kite Records' 'Live! at the Talbot' CD.

Following an enthusiastically-received follow-up Talbot show, Red Kite's Martin Levan invited Kreg to record his third album, along with the pick of Colorado's musicians, at their Llanwrda studios. The resulting CD, 'The Pull', was released on 3 July, and is already picking up rave reviews, as well as prestigious regional and national airplay (including Radio 2's Bob Harris and Radio London's Robert Elms, who's dubbed 'The Pull' his 'album of the year').

Kreg's folk-blues roots are still firmly in place, but 'The Pull' showcases a fully matured sound that's distinctively his own: gospel, southern soul, Celtic, and world music influences are now all part of Kreg's style - add to that his wonderful guitar skills and a unique road-parched voice that's prompted comaprisons with Joe Cocker, John Martyn, Tom Waits, Guy Davis, Ray Lamontagne, and even Van Morrison, coupled to a repertoire of heart-wrenching and poetic songs, and you have an artist whose star is very much on the rise.

Cambria Arts' Andrew Hawkey says: "We're proud of the part we've played so far in Kreg's rapidly-rising status, and we're really pleased that he's managed to make the time to come back to Tregaron to showcase his new CD."

The show is the first of a projected series of occasional al fresco gigs presented by Cambria Arts in the intimate surroundings of the courtyard-garden at Hafan Cafe, just off Tregaron Square.

Tickets, which are limted, are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965 or via their website www.cambriaarts.org.uk

Listen to sample MP3s from Kreg's new album on Red Kite Records "The Pull" by clicking on the following links:-

Saturday Night

Aileen

Honey Of The Vine

Man Without A Care

The Pull

Jaipur Kawa Brass Band

Talbot Hotel, Tregaron, Friday 30th June 9.00pm

Jaipur Kawa Brass Band

A spectacular of the exotic sounds and colours of the Indian subcontinent is what Cambria Arts promise for their gig at the Talbot, Tregaron on 30th June, as the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band make their return.

Introduced by the British in the 18th century, the brass band is now a feature of life itself. They accompany events such as national or religious celebrations, popular festivals and also life events such as weddings. In India there is no marriage without a brass band! Hameed Khan Kawa, tabla maestro and musical director of the legendary Musafir, developed the idea of creating a brass band of his own to present the fantastic sound of the Indian Brass Band. He selected the most talented musicians from the best local bands of Rajasthan, with a repertoire blending popular themes from Bollywood films, traditional music of Rajasthan with its distinctive Gypsy sound, and even a touch of Hindustani classical music to create a sound which is individual, exciting and totally unique.

Cambria Arts' spokesman, Ron Dukelow says: "Their show at the Talbot last year was one of wildest gigs we've ever seen at the venue. We had a wedding party in from Lampeter, which made the whole evening feel like a festival, and the antics of the fakir, with his swords, knives, hooks and stone ball were jaw-dropping. This is a show in every sense of the word."

The band's debut UK tour in 2005 was a resounding success, with over 60 performances all across the country from The Isle of Skye down to Penzance; their four appearances on one day at Glastonbury Festival earned them an invitation to return for the whole weekend in 2007!

Performing with an amazing energy and humour, the ten musicians in this unique musical feast represent the soul of contemporary India.

Thursday 15th June - The Chris Hodgkins Trio.

Chris Hodgkins

On tour to promote their debut album, 'Present Continuous', The Chris Hodgkins Trio is led by the trumpeter and award-winning director of Jazz Services for 20 years. Raised in Cardiff, Chris co-founded the Welsh Jazz Festival and was instrumental in establishing the Welsh Jazz Society with David Greensmith. As a professional trumpeter, Chris has toured the UK and Europe - also appearing at the Sacramento Jazz Festival in the States.

The trio is completed by Alison Rayner on double bass and Max Brittain on guitar. Alison toured the world in the 80s with the critically acclaimed Latin-jazz group the Guest Stars. She has worked with such jazz luminaries as guitar legend Tal Farlow and New York jazz poet Jayne Cortez. Max Brittain's inventive and sensitive guitar playing has accompanied a diverse range of musical greats including Cleo Laine, Georgie Fame, Herb Ellis, Charlie Byrd and Marion Montgomery, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra.

Friday 16th June - Lisa Mills.

Llisa Mills Live at the Talbot

Friday 16th sees the return of Alabama's Lisa Mills. Hand-picked by none other than Robert Plant to support his tours of the USA and Europe, Lisa is one of the most sought after acts on the blues scene. Lisa Mills grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where her early heroes were Elvis Presley and Brenda Lee; later influences were Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, and Aretha Franklin. She has also been dubbed 'a modern-day Janis Joplin', very appropriate when you consider that she's frequently fronted Joplin's legendary former band, Big Brother & The Holding Company.

Cambria Arts' organiser, Ron Dukelow says: "We are all big fans of Lisa, both professionally and personally, and are especially pleased to see her in Wales again, as she lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast where she lives."

Lisa has recently been recording with the UK band The Big Town Playboys for their new album along with Jeff Beck , Andy Fairweather-Low, Robert Plant and Jools Holland, and she has become a regular visitor to Europe appearing at the famous Bergen Blues Festival in Norway, Glastonbury and many other UK folk and blues festivals. She also contributed a track to the Red Kite Records CD 'Live at the Talbot'.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

Stephen Fearing from Toronto

STEPHEN FEARING + DAVE SUTHERLAND

Fans of great acoustic guitar playing are in for a treat as Canadian singer-songwriter Stephen Fearing stops off at the Talbot, Tregaron on his latest UK tour on Friday 5th May. The exceptional Toronto-based musician is no stranger to the Live at the Talbot audience, having shared the bill with Oh Susanna in May 2003, and again appeared in 2004. He so impressed the crowd with his great songs, remarkable guitar skills, uniquely emotional voice, and charismatic stage presence, that Cambria Arts re-booked him immediately.

As Cambria Arts' organiser Ron Dukelow says: "Stephen 'wowed' our audience last time. He's one of the finest solo performers we've seen - be sure to come along and make the discovery for yourselves."

For almost two decades Fearing has been penning some of the most literate and emotionally charged 'folk' music on the planet. His seventh and latest CD, 2003's 'That's How I Walk', is a defining work in the career of one of Canada's most respected artists, blending a raw, streetwise edge with evocative, soul-searching imagery to produce music of quiet passion and depth. His voice, once heard, is unforgettable, and he's a real 'guitarist's guitarist', nothing less; fans of John Martyn or Richard Thompson will recognize in Fearing a fellow master craftsman, yet Stephen is still very much his own man.

Dave Sutherland (With Atlanta Georgia based Bill Fleming on Pedal Steel Guitar)

Supporting Stephen will be cult London singer-songwriter Dave Sutherland with his unique blend of disarming folk/country. Having toured or shared the bill with the likes of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bert Jansch, and Glenn Tillbrook, Dave's pairing with Stephen Fearing completes what promises to be an unforgettable night for all lovers of top-grade songcraft and guitar picking.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965.

Hear Dave Sutherland live on the BBC Dave Cash show.

Cambria Arts Big Bank Holiday Weekend at the Talbot

Talbot, Tregaron Friday 28th April - Sunday 30th April

Katell Keineg

First up are Katell Keineg, Ann Scott and Adrian Crowley. Since the early 1990s, Katell Keineg - born in Brittany, raised here in Wales - has been musically active in both Ireland and the United States, emerging as one of the most inspiring and deeply moving performers around. Merely to dub her a singer-songwriter is to give no indication of the adventurous range of her music - suffice to say that anyone who's collaborated with The Waterboys, Iggy Pop, and Natalie Merchant, has been produced by Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart, PJ Harvey), and recorded stunning covers of songs by, among others, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, is no regular troubadour. With her otherworldly Irish/Welsh lilt and serene stage presence, Katell's music combines elements of Celtic pop, world, even country music, in an irresistible mix that's won her a richly deserved fanatical worldwide following.

Since emerging onto Ireland's thriving songwriter circuit in 2002 with her distinctive Pauper Tiger Ep Ann Scott has been going from strength to strength, in particular with the recent release of her debut LP. A performer of striking originality, Ann has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Blondie and Fairport Convention. Her fresh takes on love, obsession, freedom and sorrow reveal a writer with a fondness for stories and characters with songs such as Wilbur Clown and Whistle Tom ultimately telling their own tale.

Galwegian Adrian Crowley first stepped into the Dublin music scene in 1999 with the release of 'A Strange Kind', quickly followed by the live album 'When You Aer Here You Aer Family' recorded in Chicago. Following successful tours of the UK and US, his third album 'A Northern Country' has just been released to grat acclaim from magazines such as Alternative Press, TimeOut New York and The New Yorker.

El Equipo

Sunday 30th gives a complete contrast as Cambria Arts celebrate the end of the Mid Wales Open Art Fair with a hot dance night as El Equipo take the stage. El Equipo began as a collaboration between Cuban bassist Jimmy Martinez and English piano player Sara McGuinness and has grown into an 8-piece band playing hot Salsa and Cuban Son with a serious groove. The band features top musicians from Latin America and Europe. The exciting cultural mix of the band enriches their compositions and arrangements, combining their own modern influences with traditional styles.

Talbot regulars may be interested to know that Jimmy was leader and bass player of leading young Cuban Son band Asere. With them he toured extensively and arranged and recorded 2 CDs. He has been living in England for 2 years where he has been playing with many top Latin bands.Sara is well known on the UK Salsa scene, and has played, written and arranged for many of the top bands in the country. Sara has played and studied in Cuba with musicians from the Buenavista Social Club.

El Equipo also features the vibrant and inspirational musicianship of: Elpidio Caicedo - Lead Vocals, Bill Bland-Congas, Richie Pla-Bongo, Roberto Pla-Timbales, Simon Finch-Trumpet. The band's recent appearances include Heineken Green Festival, Cork, Smollensky's London, The Rainbow Festival, Watford, The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen and Momo's London.

Celf Cambria Arts
Bridgend House
Llanddewi Brefi
Tregaron
Ceredigion
SY25 6RL

Tel: 01974 298965

LOUISE TAYLOR + JULIA HARRIS (support)

Recognized as one of America's finest and most soulful songwriters, many years on the road have brought Vermont-based Louise Taylor to intimate coffeehouses, large concert halls, and festival stages across the US and Europe - and now to the Talbot, Tregaron on Friday 24th March! Louise has released five critically acclaimed CDs on the prestigious Signature Sounds label.

Louise says that she wants her music to reach people from the inside out and that the music that gets her excited 'comes from a sensual place - it's a physical experience that starts with a groove'. She cites Nina Simone as a lifelong inspiration, as she told us: "To me, that's what a real woman should sound like - fearless, sophisticated and soulful." Her richly moving voice combines with an astonishing self-taught guitar technique, while her articulate and thought-provoking songs draw on diverse musical idioms - African rhythms, world music, blues, Celtic soul, and percussive jazz. Comparisons have been made with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Joan Armatrading, but critics agree that Louise is an incomparable and mature performer, guaranteed to entrance all lovers of intelligent songcraft.

Continuing their policy to bring the best young up-and-coming Welsh-based talent to Tregaron, Cambria Arts welcome the charismatic Julia Harris from Cardiff, whose music has been variously described as 'urban acoustic' and 'f**k-off-folk' - disarmingly honest, highly personal songs that capture hearts and minds wherever she plays.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

Juliet Turner plus Pierce Pettis

Talbot, Tregaron Friday 10th February 9.00pm

Juliet Turner

Cambria Arts' present an international show packed with songwriting talent at the Talbot, Tregaron on Friday 10th February which features one Ireland's biggest stars, Juliet Turner with her band and support from Alabama born songwriter, Pierce Pettis.

Juliet started writing songs in her mid-teens, and in 1996, whilst at university in Glasgow, recorded her debut album, 'Let's Hear it for Pizza'. Moving to Dublin, she started to play live shows, and made such an impression on that city's competitive music scene that she was soon opening shows for Bob Dylan, Gabrielle, Sting, U2, and Brian Adams, and touring with the likes of Joan Armatrading, Brian Kennedy, and Roger McGuinn.

In 2000 Juliet released her second CD, 'Burn The Black Suit', which went double-platinum in Ireland and was voted one of the 100 all-time Irish albums by Hot Press magazine readers. 2004's 'Season of the Hurricane' also went platinum, boosted by the Radio Two hit 'Everything Beautiful is Burning'. And in 2005, Juliet won the prestigious Meteor Music Award for Best Irish Female Performer.

A unique performer Juliet performs her 'pop veering into darker territory' in a quietly confident style, interspersed with flashes of wicked humour; with her strong but fragile voice, beautifully articulate wide-ranging songs, and eccentric off-the-cuff inter-song anecdotes.
Adored by both critics and public alike, Pierce Pettis is one of this generation's most masterful songwriters. His music is distinguished by his uncanny ability to capture universals in human experience by drawing on the humor and trials in daily life. Pettis' music can simultaneously pull on our hearts and keep us laughing. The beautiful harmonies, inventive yet subtle percussion, strong guitar, and Pierce's rich vocals are a constant throughout his body of work.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965.

Celf Cambria Arts
Bridgend House
Llanddewi Brefi
Tregaron
Ceredigion SY25 6RL

Fantazia

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 17th February 9.00pm

Fantazia

Friday 17th February sees a long-anticipated return visit to the Talbot, Tregaron from Fantazia, one of the highlights of Cambria Arts' 2003 season. This scintillating bi-cultural nine-piece extravaganza are promising to banish the winter blues with their unique brand of 21st century roots music from Algeria via Hackney. In oud player and multi instrumental Yazid Fentazi, Fantazia have a talented composer, whose tunes are distinguished by strong melodies, vibrant rhythms, and dynamic arrangements. The band's line-up encompasses drums, bass, percussion, keyboards, violin, sax, trumpet, flute and multiple vocals, a combination that manages to be both quintessentially Algerian and quintessentially London ... drawing on deep North African traditions, but combining them with the kind of contemporary sounds you'll hear thumping out of doorways and car windows right across the Capital.

With a dynamic second CD, Mul Sheshe, to promote, supported by heavy airplay and live sessions with the likes of Andy Kershaw, Fantazia return to the Talbot's stage to serve up its irresistible menu: a night of music with Western pop sensibilities and funky horns, as though the Famous Flames have crashed a particularly wild party in London's North African enclave.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

Martyn Joseph

Talbot, Tregaron Friday 20th January 9.00pm

Martyn Joseph at The Talbot January 2006

Review by Andrew Hawkey

It's superlatives time again, so hand me down that thesaurus ... The reputation of this astonishing artist certainly precedes him, but nothing had prepared those of us previously unacquainted with his work for the sheer strength and impact of our evening with Martyn.

The Penarth-born, now Cardiff-based singer/guitarist has developed over the last couple of decades into a veritable one-man music industry: he's released 22 albums, and toured tirelessly world-wide, gathering a fanatical following for his forthright yet modest on- and off-stage persona, and his matchless brand of songcraft, in which accessibly memorable melodies support elegantly-crafted lyrics that reveal his tender understanding of (among other things) relationships, fatherhood, death, and the female psyche, as well as his passionately righteous indignation at routine social injustice, political chicanery, cult celebrity, and endemic hypocrisy.

But Martyn's no self-righteous protest singer or preacher: rather, he's the epitome of the common man, albeit a highly evolved one, with a richly life-affirming message for us all, one that might well constitute a template for the conduct of life in these troubled times. And the strength of his (unobtrusive) religious faith surely contributes to the the robustly easy-going confidence that he exudes ... enough, perhaps, to give the determined agnostics among us cause for reflection ...

Armed with three guitars - two acoustic and an electric - plus harmonicas and pedals galore, Martyn's show is full-on from the get-go. He packed 25 songs into his two sets, including everything from his universally acclaimed new CD Deep Blue. The anthemic 'Can't Breathe' ('the killer Coldplay anthem that never was', proclaims the review in Mojo), the heart-melting 'I Would Never Do Anything In This World To Hurt You', and 'Proud Valley Boy', his reminder of Paul Robeson's unlikely role in the relief of Welsh miners' poverty, were standouts, and a tantalizing trawl through his extensive back catalogue. Despite an end-of-tour cold, Martyn's voice was hugely emotive, a whisper one moment, a soulful roar the next, while his guitar work is an essay in robust, unflashy functionality. His personal sound-man worked subtle magic at the desk, pulling out vocal echoes at the meaningful juncture ... the whole evening positively shone with the accumulation of Martyn's years on and off the road, honing and perfecting the skills with which he's blessed.

No one left the Talbot less than charmed, inspired, and thrilled (and probably spoken to personally) by Martyn Joseph, nor, to judge by the throng around the merchandise table, did anybody exit empty-handed. This had been a very special night, and if everyone in the audience tells their friends about it, a full house for his return visit - already being negotiated - looks likely. Comparisons are invidious, but we suggest you miss this man at your peril - in the crowded field of solo performers, Martyn Joseph is quite simply in a class of one.

- Andrew Hawkey

The Storys

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 13th January 9.00pm

The Storys

Are you ready for The Next Big Thing? According to Cambria Arts, The Storys, who play the Talbot on Friday 13th January, could well be it! With four singer-songwriters all taking lead vocals on different songs, the sound of this thrilling new six-man band is both fragile and intense - they range from tender country-tinged ballads to ocean-wide stomping anthems, their astonishing multiple harmonies underpinned by glorious acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and a killer rhythm section, in the best traditions of the finest transatlantic powerpop and harmony vocal outfits - think Eagles, CSNY, Fleetwood Mac, Raspberries, even Beatles. But these are no stone-washed denim Californians: The Storys come from - South Wales!

The band (Steve Balsamo - 3.5-octave vocals/gtr; Andy Collins - vocals/bass; Dai Smith - vocals/gtr; Rob Thompson - vocals/gtr; Brian Thomas - drums/percussion; Alan Thomas - keyboards/mandolin/banjo) was formed with the express purpose of creating classic songs with great hooks, melodies and lyrics, and one listen to their dazzling self-recorded and -released debut CD 'The Storys' proves that they've succeeded. Their first-ever gig, before a crowd of over 70,000, was at the Olympic Torch Concert outside Buckingham Palace, where they immediately attracted the attention of the critics; the band is already enjoying prestigious airplay, and building a passionate fan-base (thanks in no small part to the reputation and charismatic appeal of Steve Balsamo, who landed the coveted lead role in the West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1996, and who's even had one of his songs covered by Meatloaf!).

Everyone at Cambria Arts is united in the belief that The Storys could well be The Next Big Thing - be sure to book early, and catch them at the Talbot before they go global!
Celf Cambria Arts
Bridgend House
Llanddewi Brefi
Tregaron
Ceredigion SY25 6RL

Ffon/Phone: 01974 298965

No.1 Station

Talbot Hotel, Tregaron, Saturday 17th December 9.00pm

No 1 Station

Cambria Arts end 2005 in style with a Christmas dance party at the Talbot, Tregaron featuring one of Britain's premier ska bands, No.1 Station.

Formed by singer/guitarist, Sir Marcus Downbeat and saxophonist, Stuart "Stax" Atkins in 2001, No 1 Station are dedicated to playing ska and rocksteady in the style and spirit of the classic Jamaican Blue Beat record label. Sir Marcus (aka Mark Downie) has previously worked with such legendary names as Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Upsetters, Rico Rodriguez and Prince Buster (some of you may also remember him as guest of the Trojans on their last visit).

Perennial favourites at Glastonbury, the band feature some of the best British-based ska musicians and, as well as their stomping rhythm section, will feature a three-part horn section. Geoff Bartholomew on trumpet, Ras Bert on Trombone and "Stax" Atkins on saxophone will bring that special sunshine unique to the sound of brass.

With the second volume in the "House of Joy" CD series in the pipeline, No 1 Station are keeping the original sounds of Jamaica alive into the 21st century, with a smile on your face and rhythm in you feet at the Talbot this Christmas!

Tickets available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

Glen Tilbrook & The Fluffers

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday November 11th 9.00pm

Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers

Former frontman and co-songwriter with one of Britain's best-loved bands, Squeeze, Glenn Tilbrook plays dates at The Talbot, Tregaron on Friday 11th November and The Tabernacl, Machynlleth on Saturday 12th.

"I'm not reinventing the wheel / I just like the way it makes me feel," Glenn sings on his latest release Transatlantic Ping Pong. When the wheel in question is the perfect three-and-a-half minute pop song, Tilbrook is a certified patent holder and member of that elite group that includes such tunesmiths as Lennon & McCartney, Ray Davies and Elvis Costello.

Squeeze were one of the most successful bands of the past thirty years, with many top fifty hit singles and albums. 'Up the Junction', 'Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)', 'Tempted', 'Take Me I'm Yours', 'Another Nail In My Heart', 'Black Coffee in Bed' and 'Labelled With Love' are just a few of the titles that Glenn co-wrote with Chris Difford, and their influence can be heard on contemporary artists such as Blur, Weezer, Aimee Mann and Fountains of Wayne. Jools Holland and Paul Carrack are just two ex-band members who have since gone on to successful solo careers.

Now a successful solo artist, touring throughout the world, Tilbrook has perfected a signature style marked by brilliant melodic invention, cheeky humour and slice-of-life pathos, all wrapped up with unshakable hooks, superb guitar playing and his golden-boy tenor. There's also a degree of unpredictability about a Glenn Tilbrook show - indeed, his impulsive stage antics are fast approaching legendary status.

Celf Cambria Arts
Bridgend House
Llanddewi Brefi
Tregaron
Ceredigion SY25 6RL

Ffon/Phone: 01974 298965

To Listen to some of Glenn's music click the links below.

Fighting For Peace

Stark Naked

Jumping

Cambria Arts have a busy weekend of international music lined up at the Talbot, Tregaron as firstly Ernie Payne from USA takes the stage on Friday 18th November, followed by the legendary Finbar Furey from Ireland on Sunday 20th.

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 18th November & Sunday 20th November 9.00pm

Ernie Payne

Ernie's debut CD, 'Coercion Street' was released to rave reviews in April 2004. The record is being played all over the world and was picked up by Andy Kershaw (BBC Radio 3), on whose show he has recorded two live sessions.

At the core of the music is Payne's stunning voice, a deep, rich baritone, mournful but soothing. He can sing songs that tear at your heart, nailing the feel of each tune so well, that you instantly know the meaning, without knowing the words. The stories told in the songs are intimate and visual and as he is singing he makes the listener feel as if he is talking to them personally, directly and one on one.

Ernie says: "I was born in Louisiana, U.S.A. Raised in Evangeline Parish and East Texas. Late blooming baby boomer, nurtured by God fearing Baptists and Creole Catholics and the powerful fun of the second line drum. I'm trying to serve the blackness well."

Hailed as Ireland's Prince of Pipers, Finbar Furey, as leader of the legendary Fureys, has done so much to popularise Irish Music for over thirty years and to bring it to a wide and appreciative audience.

Finbar formed the Fureys with his brother Eddie in the 1960's, and from playing to audiences in clubs and pubs, the band soon found themselves headlining concerts and playing to thousands of people on major European tours. The band soon also enjoyed a string of best selling singles all over the world, becoming one of the few Irish folk groups to make it on to Top Of The Pops.

Since making his decision to go solo, Finbar¹s reputation has increased with every performance. He has toured extensively in Britain, Australia and played festivals and concerts in Europe and the USA, bringing his rare talents to a worldwide stage. Finbar also made his film debut, singing and appearing in the Martin Scorsese film 'Gangs of New York'. Finbar will be accompanied by the highly regarded Gary O'Briain on guitar and piano, and fiddle player, Maurice Lennon, who co-founded Irish supergroup, Stockton's Wing.

Tickets for both gigs are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

Szapora
Talbot, Tregaron Friday 9th September 9.00pm

Szapora

Friday 9th September sees a return visit for the exotic multi-national Gypsy band, Szapora, who made their debut on the Talbot stage in March last year. Formed by Dave Kelbie in 1995, and originally called The Budapest Cafe Orchestra, Szapora have become legendary for brilliant and mesmerizing performances of Gypsy music from all over middle and Eastern Europe. The music is a furious, reckless, passionate mix of doina's from Romania, csardas' from Hungary and hora's from Bulgaria, played with a terrifying energy and technical brilliance that will fill your head and bring you to your feet.

After their appearance alongside Taraf de Haidouks, Goran Bregovic and other international names in the Barbican's 1000 year journey International Gypsy festival and the critically acclaimed series of concerts at Theatre du Bourg Neuf - Avignon, this remarkable collaboration between two Bosnian sisters, five British musicians, a Polish Roma Accordionist, and a Sarajevan singer/guitarist continues with the release of the new CD 'The Homeland of our Wanderings' and national tour.

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on 01974 298965

To Listen to some of Szapora's amazing music from their latest album click the links below.

Caje Sukarije

More Sokol Pie

Ciganka sam mala

Prepanduru

GIG REVIEW - Gary US Bonds - Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 8th October 9.00pm

Gary Us Bonds Live At The Talbot - Photo By Mark Pickthall

Forty-plus years ago, I had one of those pre-transistor battery portable radios, in tasteful two-tone blue and grey, with a lid that acted as the aeriel when you opened it up ... you had to get the thing pointing in just the right direction in order to achieve half-decent reception, and then, if you were lucky, through the late-night static, Radio Luxembourg would be playing 'Quarter to Three' or 'New Orleans' by the exotic-sounding Gary U.S. Bonds. Boy, I loved those records, but it certainly never occurred to me at the time that I'd ever get to see him play in the flesh, still less shake his hand ... but, it all panned out that way, on a night that will surely register with all who were there as one of organiser's Cambria Arts' all-time high points.
On the penultimate night of their UK tour, promoting their splendid 'Back In 20' CD, Gary and the boys (and girls) were well and truly up for it - this was a SHOW in every sense of the word, finely honed and full of power, commitment and communication. For well in excess of two hours, they gave a non-stop performance of the kind that only a road-seasoned all-American outfit can, that swung from stomping roadhouse R'n'B to heart-wrenching soul ballads. Mark Leimbach (guitar), Hal B. Selzer (bass), Lance Stark (drums), Jim Wacker (keyboards), and Don Cipriano (sax), augmented by Gary's wife Laurie Anderson and daughter Laurie Jr. on glorious gospel-tinged backing vocals, simply oozed class and authority - Leimbach and Cipriano, in particular, served up countless solos of distinction, while Selzer's solo showcase almost demolished the building.
As for the great man himself, Gary's knack of 'working' the audience, developed over a 45-year career and countless thousands of gigs, is an object lesson in charm and persuasion - he drew us all in, had us singing along, and conveyed a tangible flavour of the huge span of his career, and the legends he's met and collaborated with along the way, from Otis Redding to Springsteen, by way of Chuck Berry, Elvis, the Beatles, Little Richard ... you just know you're in the presence of the real deal. For a man in his mid-sixties, Gary's energy is boundless, and the range and power of his voice inspirational. From the above-mentioned early hits to great self-penned songs from the new CD like 'You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks', via songs from his 1980s Springsteen-produced era like 'This Little Girl is Mine', and inspired covers of Ray Charles, Presley and Chuck Berry standards, the man is nothing less than a human jukebox ... standouts were Gary's touching version of Otis's 'Dreams to Remember', and the breathtakingly moving 'Daddy's Come Home', which surely brought a tear or two to many an eye ...
Encores, in the shape of a roaring rock'n'roll medley and a climactic take on Delbert McClinton's 'Roll The Dice', brought this most memorable of Talbot nights to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. The icing on the cake came when the road manager confided that, in the unanimous opinion of Gary and the entire band, this had been in all respects the best night of their tour - due in no small part to the enthusiasm of the audience. So, for those of you who were there, please feel free to give yourselves a little pat on the back. We all deserve it!

- Andrew Hawkey

Gary US Bonds

PLEASE SEE: www.mc-records.com.

Also see: King Biscuit records "live" CD: Gary U.S. Bonds Live at the Stone Pony at www.kingbiscuit.com.

Gary's official website www.garyusbonds.com

Listen to Clip of Fannie Mae from Gary's new Album.

Listen To clip of You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks from Gary's Latest Album.

PAST GIG

Baghdaddies
Talbot, Tregaron Friday 7th May 9.00pm

The Baghdaddies

Hop onto The Baghdaddies magic carpet on Friday 7th May at the Talbot, Tregaron, for an amazing musical trip from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. The Baghdaddies have been astounding audiences across the country for over five years with their eclectic fusion of Balkan gypsy songs and rhythms with funky dance grooves. Throw into the mix a little jazz, reggae and ska and you have one of the most danceable bands on this or any other planet.
Hailing from Newcastle The Baghdaddies have performed at many of the major European outdoor festivals and even entertained at Dracula's castle in Transsylvania. Appearances at Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, Sidmouth Festival and Royal Festival Hall and radio sessions for John Peel and Andy Kershaw on BBC Radio 1 have brought their unique talents before a nationwide audience. They released their first album 'Last Tango in Babylon' in 1998 and their latest CD 'The Fabulous Sound of Toon Tone' was released in 2001. For a tour of the music bazaars of Eastern Europe and the Middle East book your place on their magic carpet early.

Lisa Mills

Friday 25th January 2008 - The Winchester 4, Freefall, Matthew Reynolds and Liability Bennett 8.00pm

Cambria Arts new live music venture at the Talbot Hotel, Tregaron - The Dead Elephant Club - gets underway on Friday 25th January with The Winchester 4, Freefall, Matthew Reynolds and Liability Bennett all taking the stage.

Named in honour of the 19th century circus elephant that met its end and is interred in the garden of the Talbot, the Dead Elephant Club will feature the best in emerging talent from Wales and the rest of the UK.

Cambria Arts organiser, Hilary Booth says, "Over the years we have regularly featured support artists in our Live at the Talbot shows, but this year we wanted to make the promotion of new talent a much bigger part of our live music programme. In the past we have treated the Talbot crowd to performances from artists that have gone on to fame and chart success, including Nizlopi and Duke Special, and the club will now be on the lookout for more stars of the future. We decided to give the nights their own name because they will feature a much broader range of music than the regular roots programme, taking in pop, rock, ska and many other musical genres."

This Friday's showcase features the Aberystwyth based band, Winchester Four who are Dyfrig Williams (vocal/guitar), Cynrig Williams (guitar), Ben Wheeler (Bass) and Sam Wheeler (drums/percussion). Formed at Easter in 2006, the band has been making a name for itself rocking the Mid Wales circuit and is currently finishing a debut EP.

Winchester 4

Matt Reynolds

Matthew J Reynolds is an acoustic singer songwriter from Somerset who is already a veteran of several rock and metal bands in the very competitive Bristol live scene. Matt grabbed the runner-up spot in the worldwide VH1-sponsored Song Of The Year contest and has a debut album due for release shortly.

Freefall

Also from Aberystwyth, Freefall have an average age of 16, but boast mature musical styles that blend jazz and funk, with a tight rhythmic drive and blazing brass section. They offer a foot-tapping alternative to the distorted guitars of stereotypical teenage music.

Liability Bennett

Liability Bennett is becoming a well-known face on the vibrant Cardiff live circuit, both playing gigs and hosting open mic nights. The passionate music of this Swansea-born singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist demands full attention.

Special ticket prices are available for young adults, and available on the door or in advance from Cambria Arts' website at www.cambriaarts.org.uk . The show starts at 8pm, or phone 01974 298965 for tickets and further details.

The Trojans

Friday 14 the December sees the long-awaited return to the Talbot Hotel, Tregaron of crowd favourites, The Trojans led by Gaz Mayall, son of legendary father of the British blues scene, John Mayall.

Specialising in ska & reggae with a dash of soul, funk, R&B and world roots, The Trojans were formed in late 1986 from the ashes of Gaz's first band Gaz's Rebel Blues Rockers. The Trojans debut gig was the Astoria on Charing Cross road by London's Centre Point on the 23rd December 1986 supporting premier ska band Potato 5 and ska legend Laurel Aitken. Within two and a half years they headlined the same venue with the same acts as support for them!

During their early years the band recorded several albums, which were very well received on the UK underground all on Gaz's independent label Gaz's Rockin' Records, the first being 'Ala-Ska' featuring the classic single 'Gaelic Ska' launching a whole new genre of Afro-Celtic fusion that has since become a hallmark of The Trojans' sound. Several records were licensed to Japan from '88, with 'Spirit of Adventure' on Sony records opening up an avenue of succesive tours to the country, where they are still very popular today.

Some original members are still regular performers with the band including saxophonist Rudy Jones and drummer Mark Hamilton. The unconventional line-up often features bagpipes, violin, guest female vocalists, on top of the regular two guitars, drum, bass percussion regular touring group with Gaz at the centre stage singing and playing melodica. Occasionally guest horn players and the Trojan's long time founder saxman Colin Humphries appear.

The band are perennial favourites at venues and festivals throughout Europe and the UK, and never fail to get the Talbot dance floor packed. Tickets are available from www.cambriaarts.org.uk or from Oriel Cambria Gallery in Tregaron.

Kirsty McGee

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 9th November 9pm

Kirsty McGee

Kirsty McGee, who makes her Live at the Talbot debut on Friday 9th November (9pm), has been described as a maker of delicate yet stubborn songs, an instinctive traveller, a human scrapbook. Years spent as a hitchhiker and a period of homelessness have enriched her knowledge of people and places, all whilst keeping her moving. After spending a while building tree houses and bagging-out earth from tunnels at road protest camps, Kirsty sold all her possessions and hitched to Cornwall where she lived in a beach hut and learnt to fingerpick guitar.

Her affinity with a life of perpetual movement and a hand-to-mouth existence has made its mark on her songs in a manner reminiscent of Jack Kerouac and the 'beat' generation, and has made her music difficult to classify. She has been variously described as producing 'folk noir' and 'hobopop', and she and partner, Mat Martin were described in Maverick magazine as 'Simon and Garfunkel: the Tim Burton version!'

Her studio albums have attracted collaborations with some of the most important names in the scene, such as producers John Wood (Honeysuckle, 2002), Boo Hewerdine (Frost, 2004), and Neill MacColl (Two Birds, 2006). Her albums are recorded live in the studio, her shows are simple and direct, and much of her work has been made using the instruments she has built herself.

The evolution of her work is set to continue in still closer collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and musical partner Mat Martin. A fourth studio album planned for 2008 promises to encapsulate the hobopop style in a new collection of simple, edgy songs played on traditional American instruments. The combination of English literary songwriting and American influence recorded in an open and direct way has already proved a winning formula.

Tickets are available in advance at www.cambriaarts.org.uk

Visit Kirsty's Myspace page here

Hummingbird

Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 28th September 2007

Hummingbird

Hummingbird, who play the Talbot, Tregaron on Friday 28th September (9pm), bring together three of the finest female singer/songwriters in the UK into one dynamic band. Amy Wadge, Edwina Hayes and Cathy Burton are a blend of three unique & distinctive voices; three acoustic guitars; three accomplished musicians; three passionate songwriters. Put them together and you get a range of contemporary roots music with tremendous harmony, verve and sheer class.

Deciding in late 2005 that there was safety in numbers, the three friends got together and formed a band. A mutual heroine of theirs, Emmylou Harris plays a Gibson "Hummingbird" guitar, hence the name.

Not a collection of doe eyed teenagers whose mother sent them to a stage school and are now looking to marry a footballer, these are three professional musicians, who make a living, almost, from music as well as doing a multitude of other jobs (dog walking, working in a crouton factory, barmaid etc!) - anything that needs to be done to get a collection of battered Japanese cars to the next gig. They have amassed 9 record deals, 11 lawyers and 14 managers between them. They could write the "beginners guide to the music biz" if someone thought it would sell and if they could find a manager, lawyer, publisher and agent.

They teamed up with the "Mighty Vibration" production team in January 2006, who have just produced the number one album for Sandi Thom, and made their debut album. Somewhere between Kirsty Macoll and a female Crosby Stills and Nash, their album, "They Don't Make Mirrors Like They Used To" is a collection of 12 songs that really do show that a combined thirty years on the road means practice makes perfect and believing Richard Thompson to be a sex symbol is no shame!

Tickets are available from Cambria Arts on www.cambriaarts.org.uk or from Oriel Cambria Gallery, Tregaron

PAST GIG

Daby Balde, Talbot, Tregaron, Friday 6th July 9pm

Daby Balde

After a sensational debut tour here in July and August 2005 , Daby Balde and his 7-piece band are back for an extensive UK tour, which stops off at the Talbot Hotel, Tregaron on Friday 6th July (9pm)

Daby is one of Senegal's best-kept secrets, long celebrated at home and now exploding onto the international scene. His stunning arrangements are based on the Fula traditions from the south of the country and feature the fiddle, accordion and flute alongside the more familiar West African sounds of the kora, acoustic guitar and percussion. With strikingly rich and beautiful melodies, captivating vocals and a repertoire that ranges from euphoric to melancholic, Daby Balde is a West African star on the rise.

Hailing from Casamance ( the southern area of Senegal separated from its northern half by the Gambia ) it's quite clear that Daby has developed in isolation from Dakar, the country's musical hothouse.

Introducing Daby Balde was released in 2005 on the World Music Network label to critical acclaim. On the album, recorded in Senegal and Belgium, Daby sings in Wolof, Mandinka, French and Fula. Daby aims to keep his Fouladou culture alive. His compositions are messages of peace, love, brotherhood, social justice and faith in God.

In addition to their stunning WOMAD/Radio 3 performances, festival appearances here also included The National Theatre, the Rise and Kilburn Festivals, Marlborough Jazz Festival, Bath International Guitar Festival, Wickham Festival and Croydon Festival in addition to a Froots show at Live On The Park.

Talbot Tregaron, Friday 15th June 2007 9pm

Asere 2007

Asere make their first visit to the Talbot, Tregaron since 2004 on Friday 15th June (9pm). A group of young musicians who came together to play traditional Cuban son, their career took off when, during a Cuban tour in 1996, the Colombian singer Totó la Momposina came across this new band and was immediately struck by their energy, rich songwriting and powerful delivery.

Soon after Asere recorded their debut album "Cuban Soul" live in an old radio theatre in Habana. The record managed to capture the sweetness of their soulful son and the power of their more uptempo rhythms which are more akin in style to the tough salsa of the 70s. Their follow up, "Yo Soy el Son" followed soon after, further consolidating the band's reputation at the vanguard of contemporary son.

Comfortable with classical son, respectful of their musical forefathers and yet keen to step into the future, in Asere we find the son tradition dressed up in baseball caps and trainers, an expression of young urban Cuba, these musicians seeking to develop the music through their inventive songwriting and arrangements, building a fresh sound for a new generation.

Since 1998 Asere have performed constantly across Europe, impressing many with their dynamic show and infectious energy. They have also celebrated their versatility performing with Totó la Momposina in 1999, with the legendary drummer Billy Cobham and as the backing band for Papa Noel's "Bana Congo" project in 2002.

In 2004 they made their most extensive tour yet with over 50 concerts and 30 workshops throughout the UK, Ireland and Norway, appearing at festivals from Inverness to Penzance and from Hull to Hastings, with Glastonbury and WOMAD in between. 2006 and 2007 have seen further tours, and Asere are now Billy Cobham's Latin band of choice on his tours. Virtuosity and energy go hand in hand at Asere gigs as they continue to generate excitement wherever they go.

Eliza Gilkyson - 11 May 2007, 9.00pm

Click Picture for Sample from Eliza's new CD

Eliza Gilkyson

Cambria Arts welcome back one of the most memorable performers at the Talbot in 2006 - if you missed her last May, here's another rare chance to witness this revered leading figure from the American folk scene.

With no less than 13 wonderful albums to her name, Eliza Gilkyson has built a richly deserved reputation as one of the most original and influential artists of our time. Los Angeles-born, Eliza was seemingly destined to become a musician - h