a sound reaction
Dave Owens
He’s long been considered a poetic voice in the medium of the Welsh language, but now Datblygu’s David R Edwards is to publish his first book of English poetry.
The frontman of one of Wales’ most influential bands, Datblygu, will release Dave Datblygu’s Search In English For The House of Tolerance, which collects 35 of David’s poems, focusing on love and lust, heartbreak and ecstasy, all told with David’s usual black humour.
Described as “funny, heartbreaking, controversial, and enthralling”, each copy of the book will come with a CD recording of David reciting the poems from the book accompanied by the soundscapes of Welsh musician and artist Ash Cooke aka Pulco.
There will be a limited run of 200 copies available with each one individually numbered.
The first 50 copies will be signed by David himself. The book will be published on April 20 and there will also be a live performance to support the book launch in the near future.
In other news... I was thrilled to see the first festival line-up announcement of 2017 drop into my inbox in the rather sprightly form of the redoubtably ace Wales Goes Pop!
Now into its fifth year, the indie pop extravaganza is held over the Easter bank holiday weekend of April 14-16 in Cardiff.
The all-ages festival is staged in converted church/arts centre The Gate, with artists staggered between a main theatre and cafe stage to avoid clashes.
And this year’s line-up looks likely to be the best yet, with 2017 acts including Scottish duo Honeyblood, US songwriter BC Camplight performing with his band, and 2015’s Welsh Music Prize winners Joanna Gruesome.
They’re joined by the dreamy Fear Of Men, garage indie slackers Hooton Tennis Club, recently returned The Boy Least Likely To and the harmony-drenched Girl Ray.
Also on the bill are Slug, Spinning Coin, Chris T-T, Martha Ffion, The Just Joans, Linda Guilala, The School, The Orielles, Sacred Paws, False Adveritsing, Lorna, HMS Morris, Van-Illa, Winter Coat, Rogue Jones, Neurotic Fiction, Artefact and Deerful.
Tickets are now on sale at £42 for the three-day festival, or free for under-12s (limited space for under-12s, free booking recommended).
They are available from Spillers Records in Cardiff, Diverse Music in Newport, Bristol Ticket Shop, and online from WeGotTickets. com SeeTickets.com and Dice.FM
The remaining acts and DJs will be announced at the end of January, when one-day tickets also go on sale.
You can listen to a playlist of the bands appearing at Wales Goes Pop! at: soundcloud. com/wales-goes-pop/sets/wales-goespop-2017
Find out more at: http://www.facebook. com/walesgoespop http://www.twitter.com/walesgoespop http://www.instagram.com/walesgoespop