I first heard about the event through the popular spoken poetry night The Howl which takes place at Mozart’s in Uplands; they were asked to take part in a special open mic session across the road at St James’ Church as part of the opening night start to the festival. Not one to miss a night of poetry, I paid for my £15 weekend wristband and looked forward to getting involved. Several people had complained about that the wristbands were “too expensive”, but having attended the festival I disagree completely. If that £15 had just included The Howl which is an otherwise free event, then yes, I would have considered it a bit steep and probably wouldn’t have taken part (and I’m a pretty devoted Howl enthusiast). However, when you consider how much individual gigs will charge per event and the amount of acts going on over the weekend which were all included in the price of the weekend pass, I thought it was excellent value for money. Whilst I did miss out on a few events due to being bleary-eyed and scanning tins of Heinz for the elderly at my weekend job at Sainsbury’s on a Saturday morning, I still feel I got more than I could have asked for from the festival wristband with the added assurance that the money was going towards helping an important local charity.

To kick things off I went along to the launch of the anthology A Few Miles to Go at St James’ Church. This was an anthology of writing produced in a series of creative writing development workshops by write4word in aid of WGCADA, composed of works produced from a variety of backgrounds and emerging from personal experiences (all finished with a touch of poetic imagination). Introduced by Dominic Williams who read some of his own work included in the anthology, it was clear to see the passion and hard work that had gone into the event itself and by the write4word group. To say I was impressed with some of the readings would be putting it lightly; the work was delivered by four main writers in attendance and hearing this mixture of personal styles and experiences was both moving and raw when delivered beneath the bright stained glass of the church halls on a fresh May evening. The venue was a perfect choice in terms of sound; the acoustics made every word crisp and clear so that the problems encountered when trying to read in noisy pubs were completely avoided and everyone benefited from hearing the poems perfectly. At only £3.50 and with all proceeds going to charity, I didn’t hesitate to hand over the money to pre-order the book.

The reading was followed by the Howl session, and it began to dawn on me that for the first time in my experiences of poetry readings, I was still able to read completely sober. I met a lovely lady who was part of the Poems and Pints group in Carmarthen. Her poem felt completely relevant at the time; it was about the crippling fear of standing up and reading and suddenly I was taken back to the first open mic I ever did where by the time it got to my turn to read I could barely read my own work, let alone stand. It was refreshing to have hear some new voices in the group as well as the regulars and really added something different to the session, combined with the new venue. A lot of the readers are well-loved for their humorous approach and kept the night diverse and interesting. Admittedly I spent most of it shaking from a combination of cold and horrendous stage fright and by the end had entertained the thought of sneaking outside and mugging someone for their jacket, but as for the open mic session itself I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it gave a great taste of what Swansea poetry nights have to offer. It’s evenings such as these that make me feel lucky to live in this lovely, ugly town (even if the accent isn’t exactly the sexiest; I’m more than aware of my own when trying to pronounce ‘ear’ and ‘pure’ during readings in a way that my English uni friends won’t start grinning).

Following a much-needed post-Sainsbury’s nap on the Saturday, head still buzzing with the beep of scanned Nectar cards and customers declaring war on the self-checkouts, I strolled through the rare and bright Swansea sunshine to a buzzing Uplands for an afternoon of literature. All the way up Walter Road, people milled about between rows of bunting and bright Pili Pala signs, sprawling on the green lawns of St James’ or nudging cigarettes into their mouths outside Mozart’s.  I almost felt classy were it not for the Richmond menthol dangling from my mouth as I half-jogged to catch Alan Kellermann and Tyler Keevil’s 3.30pm slot, Crossing the Borders.

Crossing the Borders consisted of a discussion between Winsconsin-born poet Alan Kellermann and Tyler Keevil from Vancouver and explored the divisions and cultural differences that arose from national division, particularly in regards to literature and problems faced as a writer in a different culture. Writer of the thoughtful and moving You, Me and the Birds, Kellermann provided readings from his collection during the discussion whilst Keevil read from his latest novel The Drive, a witty and blackly humorous novel of one man’s drive across Canada and the States and the problems encountered as a cultural outsider.

One of the main themes discussed was what it means to talk about “home” in writing. Kellermann questioned the sense of identity as a writer in his position as an American writer living in Wales and both agreed that there was a sense that one should be cautious as an outsider writing of another culture. How much ownership can be claimed if the country is not your native home? When including cultures other than his own in writing, Keevil explained how his writing became more “objective and culled”, and would never write in the first-person colloquial narrative as he does distinctively in The Drive. Kellermann on the other hand as a poet highlighted the difficulty of this “distance” when writing poetry. Without a sense of intimacy he noted that there would be “no pathos – what you’d have is just words on a page”. Having recently started writing about Wales in his poetry, he claimed that it was something that came naturally and that this ultimately was the best way to write about it as opposed to “hunting it down and doing it injustice”. Though American and Canadian writers, it was interesting to see the differences encountered not only through this but as Americans/Canadians in Wales and then deeper into that as the challenges faced as poet and novelist. In every turn of the discussion, a new “border” arose.

Kellermann and Keevil discussion

The accompanying readings were delivered beautifully in Kellermann’s case, the “cement-shouldered” streets of Swansea in Letter From A Son In Swansea created easily in the mind’s eye and ended with the lingering wistfulness of “Makes me wish I might truly/send—not sand, but sounds of sea”. Grappling with the issue of needing to engage in order to achieve pathos in poetry, I was pleased to hear him read Self-Portrait With Muse, dedicated to acclaimed local poet and my wonderful creative writing tutor Nigel Jenkins. The poem rose to the challenge of the Welsh form of englyn and cynghanedd, Kellermann unafraid as a poet to take on a difficult structure rooted in another culture. He pointed out that in poetry, form transcends culture—to say he couldn’t write a Welsh form as an American “would be like the Italians saying only Italians could write a sonnet.”  Keevil’s reading, delivered in his distinctive accent, really brought the words to life and his bright and confident expression in the dialogue made the comedic impact incredibly affective and not a single person in the audience didn’t laugh and give an appreciative round of applause at the end of his reading from The Drive. His controlled and pared prose made the detail of a character’s “crazy bubble-eyes” come alive and drove the plot (no awful pun intended) along at a good pace. His strong narrative voice made for compulsive reading and even if the plot itself in a setting of drugs and customs offices would seem unfamiliar to most, he manages to bring the reader directly into the story with ease and an achieved sense of familiarity.

The familiar dimly-lit setting of Mozarts made for an intimate setting, perfectly accompanying the inclusive nature of the discussion where Keevil would often throw out questions to the audience and invite them to question him back. I think this sort of audience engagement is something that can be all too easily overlooked during such an event, so this was greatly appreciated by those in attendance and added an interesting dimension to the discussion with opinions hailing from not just Swansea natives but also people from other parts of the UK and another from North America herself. It was fantastic to see such a friendly and open discussion which brought such a diversity of nationalities together and made for interesting listening (I left the talking to people who knew exactly what they wanted to say and weren’t going to risk coming out with something that made them look as though they had the IQ of a ham sandwich). Despite Crossing the Borders being about differences, the event itself did what the Gwyl Pili Pala Festival was all about: bringing everybody together to celebrate culture and diversity in the name of a good cause.

I arrived at the Garage straight after for my final literary event of the festival, Bad Girls Grown Up. This was a feature by one of my all-time favourite Welsh writers, the Dylan Thomas Prize-winning Rachel Trezise and the author Rebecca Ray whose work has been shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys Commonwealth Prize 2005. I first passed them standing outside smoking cigarettes with other festival-goers and chatting about the events; the festival really brought people together through a love of music and literature, something which I feel is so important and added a real sense of community to the Swansea locality.

Reading from their latest and upcoming releases, both Trezise and Ray took the main stage. I thought perhaps the setting would have been better at Mozarts; I couldn’t help feeling a certain distance due to the seats at the bar being quite far back and on another level to the main stage which took away the degree of inclusiveness achieved with Crossing The Borders. Reading an excerpt from her upcoming novel The Ape and the Golden Ring, Ray transported us to South Africa for the setting of her novel with her beautifully-constructed prose and deft handling of sense evocation which were it not for the whispered Welsh accents across the bar could have taken me through the haze of my glass of wine to somewhere exotic. In contrast, Trezise’s short story collection Cosmic Latte included tales rooted in Wales in her distinctive tradition, though reached out to include stories set in America, Europe and Ireland. Reading her story Blue Ruin Café, Trezise smiled and asked us to imagine a Northern Ireland accent before delivering the story in her strong Welsh tongue. With both writers reaching out to other cultures, I couldn’t help but contemplate the previous discussion between Keevil and Kellermann and wonder what the discussion would have been like had Ray and Trezise been part of it.

Ray continued by reading from her recent Parthian release The Answer and Other Love Stories, treating us to dark and tender storytelling centred around those who “live as neighbours, pass each other in the street and work side by side”. Whilst those of us who came intending to see the literary events enjoyed hearing the work, it was approaching evening by this point and the doors spat out slightly drunken music enthusiasts who had come in looking for bands at the popular music venue, looked on baffled at the two women on the stage with their books, pulled a face and rowdily made their way out. Again, I feel this could have been avoided if Ray and Trezise had perhaps been given a place at The Chattery, Mozart’s or St James’—and perhaps a slot earlier in the afternoon.

This did not deter Trezise. Aware that The Garage was renowned for its reputation as a popular place for gigs, she acknowledged this before reading from her book Dial ‘M’ for Merthyr, which recounted her experience touring with a Merthyr band with brilliant wit and cheeky Welsh humour, especially when delivering the dialogue. The quotes could easily have come from the mouths of my friends in local bands on a night out, and this sense of familiarity and her natural verbal expression when reading her own words raised plenty of laughs from the audience.  I began to notice that less and less of the music fans were walking back out; a large group of leather-jacketed boys who had originally looked on, baffled, now hovered in the doorway grinning over the pints, listening intently at Trezise’s impressions of Welsh blokes describing a band rather professionally as sounding “like someone killin’ someone with a spoon…’ow do you kill someone with a spoon?”

I left the literary events of Gwyl Pili Pala Festival with a great sense of having got the most out of my money and the knowledge that a lot of money had been raised for a deserving cause. To see so many familiar faces, new friends and total strangers all mingling outside a busy Uplands really brought the city together and I for one truly hope to see a return of the festival next year. I moved on to the music events of Sin City with a sense of anticipation and not wanting the weekend to end; and that, after having to get up at 4am for a morning shift in a supermarket, can be classed in anyone’s books as a complete success.

By Natalie Holborow

So you got stuck into your New Year’s resolution to start running (if you just read that sentence and slowly put down the Yorkie bar, there’s still time to get your trainers on, you naughty thing) and maybe at first you found it empowering to get out there and train every single day.

But now you’re tired. Everything feels heavy. Running has become a chore and your legs feel less Iron Man and more Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. You might as well admit it: you’re exhausted and bored. No longer do you get home from campus barely able to wait for the chance to hit the track and shake off the stress of the day (by stress this can range from anywhere between a final exam in the world’s most difficult module to being 10p short of a pint and a bag of nuts at JC’s). Instead you find yourself pretending not to see the trainers by the door, collapsing onto your bed to order Domino’s and watching The Only Way is Essex.

This is an all-too-familiar situation for new runners, and is recognised by more advanced runners as a classic sign of overtraining.  When you no longer get enjoyment physically nor mentally from your runs, your body is trying to tell you something. Something along the lines of: “STOP, FOR GOD’S SAKE JUST STOP. I’M KNACKERED.” (If you are a Swansea girl, like me, feel free to add “BUTT” at the end of that sentence). Running hard every day and increasing your mileage by more than 1 mile per week can put unnecessary strain on your body before it is fully rested and recovered. The result is that you quickly become tired, achey and unmotivated and training inevitably comes to a standstill. You become disheartened. Running, your new best friend, has now become your enemy.

According to Runner’s World, classic signs of overtraining include:

• Lethargy and sleep disturbances- your body takes a while to unwind after a long training session. So if you’re a late runner, clocking up the miles into the evening, expect to feel restless when you hit the pillow.

• Weight loss- this often goes hand-in-hand with the lack of appetite that occurs with lethargy. Running is hugely demanding calorifically and just one hour of running can burn easily over 500 calories. I’m not saying this is a ticket to start eating kebabs and McVitie’s chocolate digestives for lunch, but up your intake of healthy wholegrains, porridge, nuts, bananas, honey and dried fruit for an added calorie boost and you’ll find you perform a lot better and recover faster. And no one likes it when their shorts get so big they fall to your ankles in the middle of a run. Apart from local perverts and builders in vans.

• More frequent colds and viruses- running makes your immune system more vulnerable if you’re training too hard and not allowing yourself time to recover. Expect runny noses, red eyes and the sort of headaches one must feel when under a Cruciatus curse in Harry Potter. And unfortunately the more you push to train through illness, the longer the virus will linger and the more damage you’ll do yourself in the long run (no pun intended).

• Increased difficulty completing sessions- if even your shorter runs are getting harder, your body is definitely being pushed too hard, too often.

• Long recovery time for injuries- without rest, there is no recovery. You need to let the muscles take time to repair themselves effectively or you’ll do some nasty damage (a mistake I unfortunately made for myself: doing a speed-and-hill session every single day in my 8-mile runs saw me pulling my ligament trying to bolt up the hill from Uplands to Ty Coch. I also broke my toe the same day but hardly noticed the pain of that: ligament injuries are seriously that painful in comparison and for ten months I was unable to run. It wasn’t worth it. And crutches are very impractical on a bendy bus).

So how important are rest days? Simple. Rest days are just as important as the actual runs themselves. Every individual is different, but the important thing is always to listen to your body. If any of the above signs of overtraining seem familiar, it’s time to take a day or two off training. Experts recommend that you have at least 2 days of rest a week, but for some this may be more. Notice how you’re feeling. A bit of aching and tiredness is perfectly normal if you’ve been upping your mileage, but if it seems to impair your enjoyment or affect your performance, it’s a clear sign that you need to slow down and relax.

Rest days do not always mean you have to sit still all day: sometimes a bit of cross-training can help just to strengthen up some of the muscles that don’t get used so much in running. I find this not only helps my fitness but has certainly helped me to avoid injury—a couple of gym sessions a week in addition to running has not only strengthened my legs and arms and helped me to avoid putting too much pressure on my knees, but my frequent use of the stepper machine has also given me thighs like He-Man. Not always desirable in a small girl but they do look decently toned when wearing a pair of heels.

I have a 10-mile race coming up and I know that the day before will be an important one for upping my wholegrains to get those carbohydrate supplies up for fuel and that for two days after, I will be needing to rest. Two days for me is sufficient; with the half-marathon I needed over a week of rest and then cross-training. It’s surprising how much a race can take it out of you compared to normal training.

But I know if I follow this plan my training will not be affected and I will be refreshed and ready with a new burst of enthusiasm to hit Swansea Bay in my running shoes again within a couple of days. So don’t feel guilty about snuggling up to watch The Notebook and giving your daily run a miss this evening. Your body will probably thank you for it when you’re able to get back out there refreshed and full of energy and renewed passion for running.

By Natalie Holborow

Set for its inaugural weekend later this month, Gwyl Pili Pala will host a myriad of artists, both musical and literary; showcasing their talents across Swansea’s historic Uplands area. Spanning 7 venues, including literary workshops in Dylan Thomas’ childhood home at Cwmdonkin drive, the festival will celebrate and give stage to burgeoning Welsh talent. Uniquely, the festival will also support the West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, celebrating the transformative effect of art to raise awareness of the services and programs the organization provides, whilst also attempting to de-stigmatize perceptions of addiction and substance misuse.

Pili Pala is about showcasing great Welsh talent, and the finalized line up features a huge variety of established Welsh acts. Headliners Masters in France perform at Sin City on Saturday 18th May with their LCD Soundsystem influenced poppy math-rock and will follow Cut Ribbons on stage, who have recently released Cassette singles through Jen Long’s (Radio 1) innovative Kissability label. Fjords were voted Best British Unsigned act and showcase their fluid amalgam of electro-pop and indie-rock in The Garage on Friday night. Fist of the First Man are electronic producer and composer Zwolf’s new project – a weird, throbbing cinematic mix of reverb – ethereal yet grimy and gracing the Friday night with his visually captivating live show. Cardiff’s See Monkey Do Monkey Records will be curating a stage featuring Houdini Dax, the Keys and more, and Carmarthen’s Write4Word will be hosting literary events featuring established and emerging Welsh writers, including workshops in Dylan Thomas’s birthplace. Among the other acts are Laurence Made Me Cry, Denuo, Greta Isaac, We’re No Heroes, The Adelines, Winter Villains, Violas, The People the Poet, and Heavy Petting Zoo.

Taking inspiration from city-wide festivals such as Swn and Camden Crawl, Pili Pala is situated across 7 venues, including the beautiful St. James Church, the intimate surroundings of The Chattery (feel free to eat a cheese course with the gig) and rock and metal stalwarts The Garage and Sin City.

‘Pili Pala’ – Welsh for Butterfly – is a symbol of recovery, and the festival is a celebration of the transformative role the arts can play in all forms of recovery. Pili Pala’s organizers hope the festival will help put Swansea on the map as a cultural destination and bring a much-needed boost to the local community and economy.

Tickets and weekend wristbands for the Gwyl Pili Pala festival are available from www.wegottickets.com or at Derricks Records in Swansea. Visit the official website here.

As a final year student, my approaching graduation is terrifying. Freshers seems a whole life time ago – when assignments weren’t started until a week before the deadline and going to Oceana the night before an exam was obligatory. My attitude towards my degree has certainly changed since then.

I originally saw my degree as a gateway to something else. I wasn’t really sure what, but I hoped it would give me some options for when I stepped out into the big bad world. I focused entirely on my course, attending all lectures come rain or shine, spent weekends pouring over extra reading material in the library, and actually typed up my lecture notes. My flatmates, and arguably most of the student population, took a much more relaxed approach, easing into the assignments if they felt like it and cramming at the end of the year.

The social side of the first year at university is one of the most extraordinary things about life as a student. You learn that it’s almost expected to attend lectures hungover; it’s okay to accept drinks from watered-down student bars; and it is compulsory add anyone you meet on Facebook by the next morning.

Second year did wonders for me. Living off-campus introduced a whole new ball game of how to spend my beloved student loan with hyperactive boilers, dodgy housemates, and burst water pipes. Despite the many accommodation issues, it was really nice to pay rent and bills. It tricks you into believing you are a real “grown up”, subsidised by student loans and various bursaries of course. Second year scared me as I realised that it would all have to end at some point. This realisation simply lead to me wanting to make the most of it, not just in terms of academic success, but of social experiences, career credentials, and skills I may not get to harness anywhere else.

So in third year I wholeheartedly threw myself into everything, hoping I would become the outstanding citizen that university seemed to promise to create. I joined societies and made sure that I attended more than just the first few socials. I joined the ambassador program: helping out at the open days and speaking to prospective students and their parents. Being an ambassador was one of the best things I have taken part in during my time at Swansea. Final year assignments and deadlines obviously took a hit to the social life but I kept it pretty balanced, because as much as I’ve been trying to overcome that 2:1/1^st barrier all year, it was important to get more out of my degree than just what my lecturers have taught me.

A degree isn’t about just passing exams and learning how to reference. It’s about life education. An education about who you are, and what kind of place you make for yourself in a new setting with so many opportunities. In reflection, I feel I have made something of myself. I’ve grown up and I know what I’m good at and where I need improvement. I know where I’m headed in the job market and how I’m going to get there. I also know I’m capable. But these are things a lecture cannot teach you. You have to take advantage of what’s right in front of you, otherwise you will simply fall short of your own potential.

Want to let us know what’s on your mind? Submissions remain completely anonymous, so send your thoughts to thesirenswansea@hotmail.co.uk

Four international undergraduate students will showcase their communication skills at the International University Arabic Debating Championship in Doha, Qatar, organised by the Qatar MICE Development Institute, a Qatar Foundation Joint Venture.

This is the first time a UK University has been invited to attend the annual event. Students from over forty universities worldwide will battle against each other between 21 and 24 April.

Five debate rounds in two days will produce the top four teams. Those top four teams will compete in the semi-finals and the winners of those two debates will go head to head in the grand final debate at the closing ceremony.

The three successful teams will receive trophies and the ten best speakers will be honoured with special medals for their outstanding performance in the entire competition.

Preparing for the competition has entailed months of research, analysis and discussion to develop the students’ argumentation and persuasion skills. Coached by two trainers, the University’s Muslim Students Adviser and Students Union International Officer, regular practice sessions and a trial debate were held in the Mosque on campus.

International Officer Mahaboob Basha said he was thrilled with the team’s dedication.

“Our team is putting so much effort to get the trophy,” he said. “I am confident that GB Team will do much better than what we expect.

“I would like to thank the University Senior management team, paticularly registrar Raymond Cibrowskey, Caterin Mullien, (director of the marketing department), Emma Fersone (HoD international office), Clr.Nick Bradley and Tom Upton for their marvellous support to the team during our training.”

Layla Sabeel, a second year Engineering undergraduate student said: ‘‘I was delighted to be chosen to represent Swansea University at such a high profile international competition. It will hopefully provide us with a platform to express our opinions and interact with other international students. I look forward to putting the skills we have learnt to the test and bring the trophy back to Swansea!’’

Professor Iwan Davies, Swansea University Pro Vice Chancellor responsible for Internationalisation concluded: ‘‘We are proud that students of ours will play a part in such a prestigious event. The competition will no doubt provide them with valuable skills and prepare them for life post University. We wish our students the best of luck and although we hope their hard work will result in a victory for Swansea, we are confident they will all enjoy the experience whatever the final result.”

It was revealed last week that the current VC of Swansea University had previously performed in popular West End musicals such as the Lion King, Les Misérables, and Cats. Mr Davies was rumoured to be a contender for the role of Jean Valjean in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation, however he lost out to Hugh Jackman when his commitments to Swansea University clashed with filming schedules.

Professor Richard Davies has been the Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University since October 2003, and has worked across an unusually wide range of disciplines including Medicine, Metallurgy, and Social Science.

A University spokesperson said: “We are thrilled for the Vice-Chancellor and look forward to seeing him return to the West End. Our University is strongly supportive of the arts and many members of staff have made appearances on stage and in film.”

Although it is uncertain which West End play Professor Davies will join first, it is rumoured that he has been negotiating a schedule of 8 performances per week for the new production of the Phantom of the Opera. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber was seen in Swansea last week, allegedly with the hope of persuading Professor Davies to join the star-studded cast.

By Roisin O’Connor

The successful bid, submitted by Swansea University, who will physically host the majority of the Championships, was based on a strong partnership approach involving The Welsh Government, The City and County of Swansea, Disability Sport Wales and British Athletics.

Hosting training camps for both Mexico and New Zealand Paralympic teams, Swansea proved its ability to deliver for disability sport in the build up to London 2012. Staging the Championships, planned for August 2014, will help build on this legacy and support Swansea University’s commitment as a leading sporting facility and continue the City’s dedication to inclusive sport.

Swansea University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard B Davies  said: “We are pleased that the IPC has recognised that Swansea University, working with its partners, can deliver a high profile Championship event and acknowledges our commitment to disability sport.

“Wales is a proud sporting nation and nowhere is that pride more evident than when it comes to Paralympic and disability sport. Successive generations of Welsh Paralympians, coaches and support staff have contributed towards the success of our British teams.”

Minister for the Economy, Science and Transport Edwina Hart, said: “I’m delighted that all partners involved have been successful in the bid to attract the IPC Championships to Swansea. Following the hugely successful London Paralympic Games, hosting the event will create another major opportunity to further develop the sport of athletics and the promotion of disability sport within Wales and the UK. The event will also generate a significant economic impact for the city and region as well as enhance Swansea and Wales’ international profile and reputation as host of major events.”

Cllr Nick Bradley, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration said: “The success of the Premier League Swans and the Ospreys rugby team has already helped put Swansea on the international map, but the arrival of these major athletics championships will further reinforce our reputation as a top city of sport.

“These championships will continue to build on the great legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will also boost the local economy by attracting thousands of visitors and will strengthen Swansea’s profile as a city that’s more than capable of attracting, hosting and staging major sporting events.”

A Game of Thrones 

George R. R. Martin

“From start to finish this book is captivating, as is the entire ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series. The characters in this book are never clear-cut; their allegiances are often ambiguous, as all the characters are involved in their own personal and political “games”. All of Martin’s characters induce multiple emotions from the reader.

“This book introduces the main characters of the series, and places them into the required environments for their future and political roles, for example Sansa Stark at Kings Landing. The series concerns a king who became such as he led a successful rebellion against the previous monarchy. However, his death splits the nations as many different Lords start multiple wars as they all feel that they should be the next king. These characters include the deceased kings “son”, his brothers, and the surviving children of the previous monarch.

“This book started the hit TV series, which is due to release season three this year!”

Creating a storm on stage is what Brother and Bones seem to do best. To hear the transition of the material on their new EP from a recording studio to the stage was fantastic – and clearly it had a strong impression on the audience who chanted the words as though they’d been rehearsing for this night in advance.

The control each member of the band had through each song recalled the same instinctual passion they brought to the stage last year, and the re-working of some of their older material only adds to this.

Impossible as it may seem this band is better than ever; churning out waves of energy that had the crowd screaming themselves hoarse for an encore by the end of the night. This was truly a superb performance by an outstanding band, and hopefully one that will go on to achieve higher recognition later this year.

Matt Holloway photography

The guys were keen to head upstairs to see Jurassic 5’s The Kill so unfortunately there wasn’t time to catch up with them at Sin. However they did manage to email the Siren once they were back on the road to let us know what they’ve been up to since we saw them last.

Their music selection seems to have changed slightly since the last time we spoke. Current artists being listened to include Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, Led Zeppelin (in particular their live album from 2009 Celebration Day), Me’Shell N’Degeocello and Biffy Clyro.

When asked about their favourite places to gig (asides from Swansea, of course), Robin cites both London and Cornwall. James is more specific, and writes about the Deaf Institute in Manchester and a new venue for this tour – “Open” in Norwich.

“Swansea has to be up there in terms of post-gig carnage,” was Si’s response. “London is always good, Manchester is a great place too – Deaf Institute has a great gig space, good length bar (Coyote Ugly reference), friendly people and some awesome drinks like the Flaming Zombie!”

Their plans for 2013 are essentially to tour as much as possible. They have a few shows lined up in Europe including some of the summer festivals.

“We love gigging and being on the road,” James wrote, “so that is always high on our priorities list. However we’re excited about the prospect of getting some new recordings done- hopefully the album if all goes to plan- but at least some new tracks. We would really love to do a support tour at some point, get in with a band that can help introduce us to Europe and also help us raise awareness by playing in 1000+ venues.”

Robin is pleased with the reaction the band has had over their new EP so far.

“We’re stoked with how it started with the iTunes top 10,” he wrote. “People seem to like the tunes. We made good steps in the recording process and it’s given us a stronger knowledge for getting the album right!”

“For All We Know and I See Red have become almost the highlights of our live shows, as lots of people are singing them which means they must have been received well, right?” James said. “And like Rob said, it’s helped us figure out what we’ll change and keep with regards to sounds and songs when we finally get to work on the album. To get into the top 10 of the iTunes rock chart with no funding or radio was a massive achievement for us and a huge pat on the back for all the hard work.”

I asked them what it was like to come back and perform in Swansea at the same time as the rugby, again.

“Swansea and Sin City are great,” Robin replied. “We’re treated really well, enjoyed the gig with a super responsive crowd and had a stomping, jaegermeister-filled night after.”

“Sin City is somewhere I think we’ll always come back to until we can’t fit any more fans in,” James added. “It has that sticky underground vibe to it, which we love. It’s the kind of place people know what they’re getting. Plus Gary and Pete look after us really well there. They’re very accommodating, almost too much (where I end up blacking out on the roof terrace for two hours, waking up on my own and having to make a solo mission back to the hotel).

Matt Holloway photography

“It’s actually quite annoying about the rugby as we all used to play and really love watching it. We managed to catch a little bit of it all huddled up around an iPad streaming it during soundcheck. As long as Wales win then we do too, it’s a good night. The atmosphere could be completely different if that wasn’t the case!”

Asked what their plans for 2013 are and whether they have any advice for aspiring musicians, Si responded with his hopes for an album recording, more gigs, and different hair styles and facial hair. A return to Swansea is also hoped for – another “carnage night out, lots of drinks, great stage and even better crowd”.

“For the future, summer shows and festivals,” James added. “Hopefully a new release of some sort (we don’t know what yet, maybe a single or another EP?) It would also be nice to get a new video out, maybe a little one of this tour.

“My biggest advice to other bands and musicians is you have to be thick-skinned and driven. My Granddad once said to me when I was starting out, and which has always stuck with me:  ‘Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die’.

“I’ve always wanted to be on stage and the dream is to be successful and be able to make a proper living through music, but I’ve had to work bloody hard to get to here and we’ve not even scratched the surface in the grand scheme of things. I know we have so much work to do and sacrifices to make. Bring it on.”

By Roisin O’Connor

Matt Holloway photography

Brother and Bones’ new EP, For All We Know, is available for download on iTunes. Check out their website for information about music, merchandise and upcoming tours.

Having been impressed by Francis Darracott’s work since I saw one of his videos for the Attic People back in 2012, I was keen to see how his project, Oak Sessions, worked in a live setting. Since I only knew 2/4 acts who had been listed to perform on the night, this was also a good chance to check out some new names in the local music scene.

Beth Angharad is first to the stage and holds the audience with clean, pure vocals, mature lyrical themes and a surprising but positive contrasting technique on the guitar. During a couple of songs she falls into melodic traps and the sound becomes a little repetitive, but she pulls out of this on the last few songs and becomes much more assertive. Her cover of “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks is sweet and simple, without unnecessary embellishments, and she finishes to a very appreciative audience.

Paddy Kelly remains a firm favourite in the local acoustic crowd yet still finds ways to improve each performance. His song “Demons”, which has received airplay on BBC Wales, is an astonishing feat of song-writing, filled with pure soul and energy. Asides from one minor trip on an intro the set is fluid and professional with room for a few jokes with the audience. A new polish on some of his older songs prove yet again that Paddy has the talent and drive to get the success he deserves.

Third act Ophelia Xerri is an emerging name on the Swansea music scene. Her performance at the live Oak Sessions is shockingly good, and during her setlist she proves herself to possess a huge wealth of talent. Although I wasn’t sure whether the band she introduces after a few songs is necessary it seems to give her confidence, and she builds a good relationship with her audience during the performance. A fantastic re-working of “No Diggity” becomes a crowd favourite. Her cover of “A Real Hero” is a coincidence since I’d heard it in the film Drive two days before and fallen in love with it. This version feels slightly messy in terms of rhythm, which in the original is very controlled, but Xerri’s vocals perform well, and overall this is an outstanding performance from an act who just seems to be getting started.

Dominic Griffin closes the night with a good, relaxed vibe. Despite audience numbers dwindling, perhaps due to Oceana being next on everybody’s list, there’s still a great energy on stage and a decent mix of covers and original songs. Griffin could potentially learn to project his voice more, as lovely-sounding as it is; it occasionally comes across as weak, threatening to be drowned out by the instruments or noisy crowd. Otherwise the performance is great: confident, original and fun. Definitely one to look out for.

Oak Sessions was founded in the summer of 2012 by Francis Darracott, 23, a former student of Photography at Swansea Met. He quit to pursue the project as it began to take off, choosing to do something he enjoyed and could earn money from as opposed to getting into debt doing a course at university. Some of the earlier bands and artists he recorded include Katy Rose, the Attic People, and Paddy Kelly.

“I don’t want to put it under my name,” he says. “I filmed Paddy Kelly and that lot and thought I’d put it under a company name. ‘Oak’ came about because… it’s a wood. And solid… This sounds ridiculous but an oak grows from a seed and it grows, you know? And that’s sort of what I’m hoping will happen with this. At the moment it pays enough that I can have a few pints and rent and stuff.”

This is just the second session (not including an “Unplugged” session at Mozarts the following Monday after this gig) put together by the Oak team, but it seems to have gone down very well indeed.

“It’s the first one we’ve done where we knew there’d be people here,” Francis tells me. “A good mate of mine, Jamie, gave me a night to host at Townhill for Swansea Met. And it was really early, we didn’t have much time to promote it. So it was an awkward night, everyone was staring. But I’m really happy with tonight. Is it going to be a good review? Bad review?”

I don’t really want to tell him before the review itself is out, but luckily Ahmed White, who works on photography for Oak and has been involved from day 1, wanders over to see what we’re talking about.

“To be fair, when I first started… that’s when it all kicked off. We work with people because we love doing it, like Ophelia, she’s great to work with,” he chips in.

“We like to get drunk,” Francis says, grinning. “A lot. But we manage the project as well. To everyone else it’s just a 30 minute gig but it’s like a family. She’s helping us get our name out there and vice versa.”

“Underground musicians who want to get their name out there,” says Ahmed. “That’s our unique selling point.”

“Gary’s wicked with what he does,” Francis adds. “Basically about a month ago I got a message from Pete who asked if I wanted to run a night here. I’ve never run a night in my life so… you know. But we’ve really tried with tonight and I think it’s gone ok.

“James Newton, he’s an advertising boss. He throws a lot of stuff out and at the time I get really pissed off because I want to do all this stuff. He does advertising at Swansea Met and he knows what’s going down. He can really say what works, what doesn’t work.”

James pops over to join in the conversation.

“I do a bit of everything,” he says when asked about his role in Oak.

He’s enthusiastic about the standard of acts that are being brought in to work with the team.

“They’re amazing. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised, like especially with Ophelia’s band, they were brilliant. It’s good to have new people but also really important to keep people who are established, who are getting more credibility.”

Francis is currently looking into the possibility of getting some bigger names to record, but is uncertain as to whether this is possible since they’re just getting started.

“We’ve talked about it but it’s like… how do you get them? Like with Ryan Keen, we knew we could get him. But it’s tough getting the time and everything. Now we’ve got better equipment we can record live and stuff, but we’re still trying to work out how to record… well.”

“Tonight went well so hopefully we’ll have some good feedback and some more gigs,” says James. “The feedback from tonight has been really good and a lot of people have said it’s nice to have something good before Oceana.”

“It’s that nice you can have more of an experience, you can appreciate the actual music,” says Ahmed.

I find myself talking to James about the logo for Oak and how that came about.

“Oak Sessions is actually my personal project at uni,” he says. “My tutors don’t like the logo though, they think I should change it because it’s acoustic music, they think I should have like… an acoustic guitar or something. But the idea behind it was that we wanted everyone to be able to draw it easily.”

Discussing the group’s plans for the future, there’s a general buzz about getting more recognition from the local area. They already have a pretty solid reputation with the music scene at Swansea University, so this seems to be a logical next step.

“It’d be nice if we could infiltrate into Swansea,” James says. “Just outside the uni to locals and stuff. But it’s tricky, I mean I think a lot of locals are put off by Sin because it’s so dominated by students. But I’m glad about how it’s going so far for now.

“Francis is so passionate about music, like… he knew instantly that Ophelia was good. He’s recorded a few songs with her just through really crap quality mics, and he’s willing to put in the work for everything. He’s the one who gets the acts and talks to people. I didn’t know what to expect from a lot of the acts but I was really blown away by it all.”

It’s fantastic to see so much passion and energy go into a new project, especially since this group are clearly intent on promoting the best of Swansea’s local music scene. Not that they need the Siren’s blessing or anything, but I have no doubt that this talented bunch of young people are going to go very far indeed. I’m looking forward to the next night at Sin already.

By Roisin O’Connor

Keep an eye on Oak Sessions via Facebook and make sure you take a look at their work on Youtube. Know a band, artist or project you think deserves recognition? Let us know, by emailing sirenswansea_music@hotmail.co.uk.