Between 5pm and 9pm on the day of the festival we have these three wonderful artists playing in the Demonstration Tent. Come over and enjoy the amazing talent!
The Gentle Good/GARETH BONELLO
The Gentle Good is also known as Cardiff born Gareth Bonello, a Welsh folk singer and songwriter. His honest and tender vocals are well matched to an intricate guitar style that owes much to the great guitarists of the 60s folk revival. A dedicated multi-instrumentalist his recordings are layered with subtle string arrangements as well as banjos, mandolins and glockenspiels.
Following a series of self released EPs, the debut album While you slept I went out walking was released by Gwymon records in November 2008. The album received praise in the critical press, with Gareth variously being compared to Nick Drake, Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, John Martyn and Donovan by the likes of Mojo and the Guardian. The mighty Bob Harris repeatedly lavished high praise on the album on his Saturday night show and radio stations throughout the UK have gradually begun to play The Gentle Good.
A captivating live performer, The Gentle Good can enchant an audience with just a guitar, weaving dark stories amongst tragic folk songs as he performs. Recent developments have seen Gareth perform with a string section – delivering a more complete sound closer to those heard on his records.
The Gentle Good is an experienced live act, having delighted audiences at home and abroad at festivals such as Celtic Connections, Lorient Interceltique, The Green Man, End of the Road, Latitude, Swn Festival, In the City, South by Southwest and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
GEORGIA RUTH
Raised bilingually in Aberystwyth, West Wales, Georgia Ruth is a singer, songwriter and harpist whose haunting voice has drawn favourable comparisons with the melancholy folk sirens of the late-60s. Her harp playing was inspired more by the finger-picking style of guitarists such as Bert Jansch and Meic Stevens than by the classical method she was taught as a child. Yet Georgia’s own music is more than an amalgamation of those early influences. It is something quite different.
Having already performed at numerous festivals including Glastonbury and Wales’ own Swn Festival, Georgia graduated from Cambridge University in 2009 and moved to London. Working for some time in Leicester Square underground station, she continued to write. Finally, after a year living Brighton, she came home to Wales and is now based in Cardiff. In February 2012, she released the In Luna EP on limited 10” vinyl (via Gwymon). Playing songs on his Radio 1 show, Huw Stephens described the record as “exquisite”. Clash wrote that “there’s not really anyone comparable to her in today’s music scene’.”
In May 2013, she released her debut album – Week of Pines – on Gwymon Records. Recorded and produced by David Wrench over six days last August at Snowdonia’s Bryn Derwen studios, the record has received enthusiastic praise. From the motorik drive of the title track, to darker Eno-like arrangements, the stark joyfulness of a Welsh sea shanty accompanied by wheezing reed organ, or the more wistful folk ballads: this is a varied and intriguing collection of songs.
GWYNETH GLYN
A poet among singers, a singer among poets, Gwyneth Glyn defies definition. Polymath by day, Jack-of-all-trades by night, the girl is simply at her happiest doing more than one thing. She is widely-acknowledged as a dextrous poet, writer and singer of songs.
Her writing work includes poems, theatre and radio plays, musicals, children’s books and TV scripts (see Publications). Gwyneth was Wales’ National Poet Laureate for Children 2006-2007. Her third album of original songs ‘Cainc’ was released in 2011. She is currently writing for the Welsh-language soap opera ‘Pobol y Cwm’ and developing an opera libretto for Music Theatre Wales.Three albums of original songs later, Gwyneth’s musical ventures have taken her as far afield as Patagonia – Argentina, Ghana, Italy, Russia and India. In 2006 she won the award for Best Female Artist at the Radio Cymru Rock and Pop awards.In 2009 she was invited to perform her music and poetry at the Smithsonian Festival, Washington D.C. She has also worked with some of Wales’ most talented music-makers, including singer-songwriters Heather Jones, Alun Tan Lan and Gareth Bonello, composer Guto Puw, bands such as Genod Droog, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog and Y Derwyddon and instrumentalists Cass Meurig, Megan Childs and Catrin Finch to name but few.
On the Sunday night at the Vicotria Hotel we have Hot Dawg Assassins, Straight Jacket Legends, The Guitarist and the Girl, Loosefish, Pressure Drop and Scapegoats. Entry on the night is free all we ask is you come along and enjoy your-self and hopefully make a donation before the night is over. All money raised will go towards Local Community Projects.
