ATTENTION SCROTES. Over the coming week there are two generously priced, talent-stuffed bills presented for your enjoyment at Clwb Ifor Bach. Both seek to raise money, and by association awareness, for extremely worthwhile causes with particular relevance to people who more than likely are, or have been, known to you and the Cardiff music scene. More on the Natnight event in aid of Rookwood shortly; first up, the second annual Please Mind Your Head alldayer organised and presented by Cardiff gig ever-present, Fuwch Goch quiz team mainstay and all-round good bloke Justin Evans.
Justin suffered a pretty serious brain injury a few years back, and Headway’s support during his long recovery was invaluable. That they do the same for many others with no statutory funding is amazing, and pretty damn admirable. This time last year the first day-long fundraiser, featuring Kutosis, Gindrinker, Last Partisan, John Mouse and a brilliant, ramshackle, memorable set of Ramones covers by the School, raised over £300 for the charity despite an unfortunate scheduling clash with the World Cup Final. This year there should be no such need for punters to sprint between Clwb and Dempseys between sets, which is just as well as the line-up is wall-to-wall good stuff.
You’ll know most or all of the participants. THE GENTLE GOOD ostensibly headlines, and whether that takes the form of a full band (as with recent festival appearances) or his more familiar lyrical, meditative solo folk tales it’ll be heart-in-mouth stuff as always. The hushed folk theme continues down the bill; EVENING CHORUS effortlessly sidestep Mumford-style clodhopping with piercingly affecting songwriting, and BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA’s three-part harmonies and spare, bittersweet arrangements get more special every time. RATATOSK spins altogether darker nautical fables, cloaked in looped guitar, wracked vocals and musical saw; see him and be stopped in your tracks. GINDRINKER’s bilious, blackly hilarious screeds and shuddering post-punk clatter are an inimitable, inevitable treat. You forget how much you love them, then you remember. JOHN MOUSE and his Humber Dogger Forties collaborators PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND both appear too, hopefully together at some point, both with more new material on show.
Modern Life Is Rubbish DJs provide the dancefloor soundtrack during and after the gig, and if all that’s not enough for you then (a) you’re WRONG, (b) fling them some money then leave, if you really have to – but you’re still WRONG, and (c) the prospect of Justin and Chris Fowler’s presenting double-act is, erm, mouth-watering. Or something like that. Get down there, reward the hard work of a dedicated few and enjoy a cracking line-up.
Fund-raiser for Headway Cardiff
The Gentle Good
Gindrinker
John Mouse
Evening Chorus
Barefoot Dance of The Sea
Prince Edward Island
Ratatosk
Them Lovely Boys
DJs – Modern Life Is Rubbish Doors @ 4pm
Event presented by Justin Evans & Chris Fowler
Tickets can bought from www.clwb.net
and at Spillers Records ONLY £5
Headway Cardiff is a charity that receives no statutory funding and provides immeasurable help and support to people with brain injuries (incl Justin Evans)
The improvement since being helped by them is remarkable and still ongoing so this event is entirely for their funding…I think they deserve it!
