The quote of the day, and that was just before 1pm! Too good to resist.
To those who know, welcome back, great to see you. And to those who don’t, it’s a warm welcome to you. And thanks for checking this out, the first of my day-by-day roundups of the events of FOCUS Wales right here at Millimagic in association with Unity!
Amelia gave me a major leg up when she first invited me to guest blog here two years ago, and I have returned each year since to do the honours. 2024 is my first year doing it without Unity being here in Wrexham too, and I’m still getting used to that to be honest! But I’ll definitely hold the fort down for her, and for everyone else interested.
Okay then, shall we get down to business?
My 2024 FOCUS Thursday kicked off with my usual walk over to Glyndŵr University to see not only the first of the acts scheduled to play, but also to reunite and catch up with the staff and students who I’ve become friendly with over the years. This here is Nia, who I initially met during her first year, saw her again during her year two, and now here again just weeks away from her graduation. So cool to see the transition and her confidence grow from year to year, and I wish her all the best in her career going forward.
The music part of proceedings kicked off with a showcase of Canadian talent, the first of it being Fold Paper. This ensemble, led by Chell Osuntade, produced a vibrant opening offering.
Plenty to listen to, and to be excited about.
Everybody who performs at the university also takes part in an interview later on to complete the media package. It was cool to watch from a distance, and to see Chell be calm and composed with his answers.
Next up at Glyndŵr were sibling led Candian band Vox Rea. Some relaxed, chilled numbers in the offing. And it was them who gave me my ‘dripping wet reverb’ tagline during their soundcheck!
Many different musical influences on display. The song they performed here was a particularly emotional one.
More acts played at the uni for a fair while longer, but as is my tradition, it was then time for me to head into the city centre and start the venue hopping! First on the agenda was my first 2024 visit to Hope Street Church and to check out a handful of Ukranian acts playing a showcase. First to see were Akine. No nonsense, straight from song to song, and completely held the attention of the assembled audience.
“Hi. My name is Ratmir Bilodid. I’m a performer…obviously”
The dry, subtle humour to go along with his multi-instrumental talent.
He did a good job, rather captivating.
Next to play was electronic artist NFNR, who explained that the majority of her work to be performed during her set was composed in 2022 around the time of the Russian invasion. A poignant reminder of the reality of the current situation.
From there, it was a first visit to Old No. 7 and the Larynx Entertainment showcase. Always great to touch base with Dave Acton, you saw him up above at the very top of this piece.
First to take the mic was Greyzee, his first ever time performing at FOCUS. He said that he was nervous afterwards, but he didn’t show it.
“What’s the vibes? MILLION VIBES!” KAYO brought the party, the carnival atmosphere and the general good vibes all the way from St. Lucia for his set. You couldn’t help but get down with him.
Always great to hang out with the Kaptin, wherever whenever. Kaptin Barrett is truly one of the industry’s good guys.
If the guy running the show is able to step up with bars of his own in the event of a scheduled performer having to withdraw, it isn’t the worst backup plan in the world. Dave Action handling his business on the mic…
…before taking his message directly to the people.
After saying my goodbyes, I then headed over to HWB Cymraeg to see Parisa Fouladi perform some beautiful songs in Welsh. Standing room only.
Well it would have been rude to have rocked up at the time I did and then stood in their way!
A FOCUS first then followed for me, as I then headed over to The Fat Boar for a first ever visit in any capacity. Providing the tunes was Nicole Ariana and her cool band.
The Rockin’ Chair always features in my FOCUS plans. A fleeting first visit this time around to catch Angharad and her band perform. The message up front means everything.
I was in The Parish the day before for the launch event. Back there properly at this moment to see Wrexham locals Jonny Ash do their thing.
I’ve seen them play once before, and it was great to have the pleasure once again.
I love returning to Tŷ Pawb, it is such a cool space! French band W!ZARD certainly attracted my attention during the planning stage for my own personal schedule, and the live experience of seeing them play certainly didn’t disappoint.
I just love this shot. A mixture of nonchalence and cool.
As I was leaving Old No. 7 earlier, I told Kima Otung that I would catch her set over at Tŷ Pawb later on. I’m a man of my word.
She’s a very confident performer.
Some country happenings next in the Flexible Space courtesy of Cowbois Rhos Botwnnong.
Yep, we made our choices. Not going to dwell on that here. I’d been waiting literally years for this moment to see Sage Todz play, and I was going to grab it with both hands…
…and I loved every second.
Back then to The Rockin’ Chair for the weird and wonderful part of proceedings.
I went to Room 1 to be graced by an intstrumental of ‘Sexy Extra Terrestrial’, heralding the imminent arrival of Wrexham settling aliens Cosmic Dog Fog. When one sees them, one never forgets the experience.
The short hop over to Room 2 saw me then witness Worldcub do their thing. Plenty to be enjoyed there.
A bucket list moment then followed in the big room, as I then saw Snapped Ankles in their latest emergence from the forest. As with Sage Rodz, I’d been waiting a very long time for this particular live experience too.
Whoever knew that trees could play music in a manner as good as this?
This picture does not in any way do justice to the amount of feral energy that SHLUG then brought to proceedings in Room 2. But keep reading…
Oh wait, what’s this!!!! NO WAY. Minas then emerged with a mic, and you know that intensity was immediately going to ratchet up!
So, so crazy. And I enjoyed it. And would have done so anyway even without their special guest.
But it’s still fun to hang out with one of my people.
I go to Manchester all the time for shows, and I like to keep my ear to the ground in respect of music and artists over there. Sometimes I miss a few, so it was great to make the acquiantance of Antony Szmierek as his band in the quintessential ‘better late than never’ manner. The party atmosphere of his set was the perfect way to close out the events of Day 1.
Wall to wall as usual when I’m in Wrexham without missing a beat.
I already showed you my plans for Day 2 in my last dispatch, and the full roundup of what was a glorious day will be coming your way early next week. So much good stuff happened, and I want to ensure that you get the full LG flavour with the time, care and attention that the piece deserves.
Here’s what I have in store for Day 3:
A visiting taste of Manchester comes to the fore with me looking forward to taking in the sets of The Red Stains and LIINES. But in bringing things back to Cymru, I’m so very pleased to be taking in the soulful reggae of Aleighcia Scott once again, and to see JP take to the mic at Old No. 7. With Deerhoof unfortunately being unable to travel over to Wrexham after this schedule was produced, Gallops are a more than worthy replacement.
The roundup to Day 3 will naturally follow after Day 2 early next week. Look out for them both.
And thank you very much for reading and engaging with everything that I have given you whilst here in Wrexham.
Take care and speak soon.
LG
Hi guys.
So what’s a FOCUS Friday for me without some kind of technological hiccup?
You’d think by now after what is now three years on the trot that I should have expected that I would have to deal with something like this, right?
But at the same time as my FOCUS writings I’ve been working on a major piece for a band whose new album comes out today on my own blog. This is a band that is very special to me, and I wanted to create something equally as special for them to go along with it.
I finished my end in good time, but then I had to deal with a bunch of technological setbacks that made my finished article not present in the way that I wanted it to exactly look. And that took AGES to fix.
So, sadly as a consequence, my FOCUS 2024 Day 1 roundup will not be with you just yet. You will have it on Saturday morning though, and who knows, if I have time I might be able to deliver to you Days 1 and 2 back to back.
But I will never of course leave you completely empty handed. As a taster of what is to come, here’s a shot of Cosmic Dog Fog who brought a touch of the weird and the wonderful to The Rockin’ Chair late on in proceedings.
Here’s what I have lined up for Day 2:
Today is definitely one for familiar faces. For the fourth FOCUS in a row, I will be watching my dear friends CHROMA take to the stage. In addition, reunions with Mali Hâf, Aisha Kigs, Niques and HMS Morris are on the cards, and I will also be watching Adwaith and Flamingods once again.
I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences of catching everyone on the list as soon as everything calms down with the technicals. So bear with me, and there should be more pictures for you to look at the next time around.
But for now, it’s a goodbye and speak soon.
Oh, hello there. Long time no speak!
I’m baaaaack. For those who don’t know, Leo’s the name, and I guess regular blogging is my game now.
I just launched a blog of my own, but my getting to this point only came after the friendliness and encouragement of a handful of people who believed in my writing ability.
And few more so than my gracious host here. Don’t you worry, there will be no primadonna behaviour from me. There will be plenty more Unity-LG collabs to come in future, and not just during the festivities of FOCUS Wales.
That LG Takeover link you see up above? It’s been there a while, and the hope was that I’d start writing more regularly here sooner. But I’ve had a few significant life changes and there are other things in my life that have taken a greater priority in my life over the past few weeks.
I’ve since managed to ‘recalibrate’ things if you will, and after this round of dispatches for FOCUS WALES 2024 is complete, you will be seeing a lot more content from me here in times to come. And bespoke pieces too, you won’t even find them on my own blog! (It’s called Enigmatic Shenanigans II, by the way.
But back to the here and now. I am very excited to be back here in Wrexham for my fourth straight FOCUS. Though it is with a tinge of sadness as it will be the first one not being in the company of Unity. She’ll definitely be missed, but the show must go on. And I endeavour to do her – and everyone else reading – proud with my content.
As always, the first place to read about day-by-day festival schedule is right here. So let’s get to it for Thursday, shall we? You know how I do, wall to wall always!
There are a lot of artists new to me when I get going in the morning, but there are some who have been on my (virtual) list of people who I’ve wanted to see for a while, such as Snapped Ankles. In fact, the only act here that I’ve seen before – and at a past FOCUS, no less – is Jonny Ash, one of Wrexham’s finest. Looking forward to seeing them grace a stage once again.
And now time to address the elephant in the room.
2145. Oh my days. Easily the worst clash I’ve had to deal with in my entire time attending FOCUS. So, so cruel. If you look at the schedule in full, you will note that two outstanding artists in Sage Todz and Skunkadelic are set to play at exactly the same time in different venues.
Why, FOCUS. WHY!!!!
And each with only one set too. In the end, I went with Sage Todz simply because I’ve been waiting for a chance to see him do his thing for literally years now, and even though I’m missing out on Tumi this time around, I’m sure we’ll bump into each other many times during the weekend, and it is inevitable that I’ll either see him onstage solo or with Afro Cluster at some point in the future. And hopefully soon.
As always, check back here on the daily or on the prompting of a link shared by Unity or myself. And hopefully you’ll have fun experiencing a taste of FOCUS vicariously through my experiences.
Bye for now!
TRIGGER WARNING: domestic violence and abuse
It’s kinda hard to believe that Dick Dastardly (real name Dean Thomas), a staple player in Cardiff’s Hiphop scene for the last 18 years, only released his debut solo EP in 2021 via Bard Picasso. His follow up track ‘Give Me Love’ was aptly released on Valentines Day this year, with a video featuring Lady AB (Annabelle Johnson) and shot by Charlie JPEG.
Produced by Raph Stormwalker, the track includes a sample of a woman’s voice ‘Give me Love so that I can kill’… which provides the anchor for Dastardly’s lyrics, which he describes as ‘an anti-love song within a love song’. The track is about abuse – both physical and mental, portrayed in the video through using S&M imagery and tightly shot in an attic space, giving the video a claustrophobic feel. When writing to the track, Dean wanted to capture the desperate feeling of wanting to be loved, but also a dark undertone which was reflected in the music. He had pictured the video throughout the writing process and enlisted Charlie JPEG to co-direct, film and edit what Charlie says was the hardest shoot he has done to date.
Because of the subject matter, the three artists, while not professionals in dealing with trauma, had to ensure that they approached the shoot in a trauma informed way. Pushing personal boundaries portraying something that sits uncomfortably close to home, they were conscious to create an environment where they could fully support one another throughout the process. Capturing the content in an honest and open way, whilst also protecting themselves was a tough job, but one which most definitely brought them closer together. Music can be a healing process, but a process which brings up things that are often buried extremely deeply and supporting one another through this is an important part of collaborating with others on creative projects.
The close relationship that Dean and Annabelle have in real life is what makes this video possible. They were able to explore the blurred lines between abuse and kink, sexualisation and normal, through Annabelle’s portrayal of a fantastical character sucking the soul from the other person in an abusive relationship. The tricky question of how to visualise trauma creatively is one that Annabelle was able to bring to life through approaching the project in a playful way. She was able to find a balance in the love/hate nature of the character she was playing through using humour within the darker content of the track and visuals, with the sci-fi element of the whip giving an extra layer to the overall fantasy.
Once the video was shot and edited, there began the problematic process of promotion. Facebook’s ban on sex and nudity, and the choice of the thumbnail image with the ball-gag, mean that the promo was removed from the platform, making it difficult to get the video seen. Charlie JPEG’s private story about the project was also flagged. A whole other conversation could be had around algorithms dictating how we express ourselves through music videos, but also how the choices we make in our content can affect others and how this can be approached. Annabelle being aware of the possibility of children seeing the video was something to be carefully thought about because as we all know, once something is out there it can be seen by anyone. Representing sexually empowered material, with a realisation that the intention behind the project is bigger than any one person, combined with the potential for the video to impact positively on somebody, means that Lady AB is proud they had the strength to give it a go.
Watch ‘Give Me Love’ on youtube:
Catch Lady AB at Fractal, 20th May in Bristol
Lady AB and Dick Dastardly both feature on Dirty Alex’s recent single ‘Built to last’
Purchase Great Ape Fist by Dick Dastardly: Great Ape Fist | Dick Dastardly (bandcamp.com)
Look out for his new project ‘8 Billion People in the World & I’m Stuck Here With You’, due out this summer, as well as an EP with well-respected producer DJ Alkemy and a spoken word EP.
As well as networking and taking bookings for shows outside of Wales, Charlie J is editing together footage filmed on a recent trip to Australia. He’s also working on an album so keep your eyes peeled for that!
How’s it going people, all good? Good, good. I know that I – your (sometimes) friendly wordsmith LG – cannot hear you, but I’m pretty certain you all said yeah, I’m good.
Are you ready to receive the very final part of my FOCUS Wales 2023 roundup, brought to you by Unity? Well, I should think and hope so if the ongoing positive responses I’ve been getting for my days one and two roundups are anything to go by! Again, in all seriousness, thank you very much. These things do not go unappreciated.
Okay then, day three? You ready (sitting comfortably or otherwise)? Then let’s begin.
The cover shot up above is with my dear friend Katie Hall, who fronts CHROMA. Taken one day after their set over at the Wynnstay Arms, and minutes before she took to the stage once again with HMS Morris. Scroll down to that part now if you like, but you’ll miss all of the good stuff in between.
I was to have a very busy day, once again seeing multiple acts over several hours. Again doing my missionary work, the band in question are The Lancashire Hotpots, sporting their RUN DMC parody tee with pride.
With the music-related festivities over at the university concluded for another year, I headed straight into town and over to HWB Cymreag to get things going. First off, a belly dancing performance courtesy of One Kabira.
Their performance went down a storm. A good marker for what was to come.
After having another welcome encounter with NADUH as they were making their way over to Old No. 7, I made my final 2023 visit to Hope Street Church to take in part of a showcase of artists from Hong Kong.
First up was XTIE. I liked what I heard from her in my planning stage for this year’s go round, her song ‘new classic’ is worth a listen. Sounded very good live.
Bedroom Party then took to the stage. I particularly enjoyed the songs they played that you could have a serious dance to, such as ‘Inside My Head’. One notable thing was when they went full on into their set at a time when I thought they were still soundchecking. Definitely caught me out and a few others there! But no complaints, just more to enjoy as it turned out.
Final set for me at Hope Street Church came courtesy of Prune Deer, who mainly played instrumental tracks. Something a little different, a change of pace, but one that I liked.
I then crossed the road back over to Old No. 7 to join this big crowd. There were a lot of people there for the next act, many of whom I knew. I could quite have easily spent over an hour in there just talking to everyone.
So yeah, people showed up – and rightly so – for ADJUA. Remember the name people. With the right guidance, she’s going far.
This shot doesn’t do enough justice to the amount of people who were in there representing for her. People were around several feet deep in every direction that I looked.
It’s clear to see that she puts a lot of heart and soul into everything that she creates.
I wish nothing but good things for ADJUA as she progresses. I certainly hope to see her play again before long.
A wide shot of my one and only visit of the entire weekend to Llwyn Isaf, the flagship FOCUS venue. The headliners of course are the biggest sell, but there will always be artists playing elsewhere at the festival who are just as worthy of your attention, and that was the case for me in 2023.
I was there to see Cosmic Dog Fog. After listening to their Spotify output and reading the bio contained within, I was expecting something a little out of the ordinary. I wasn’t to be disappointed.
This picture tells 1001 words.
Can we just take some time to appreciate the next level decoration as seen at the front of the stage?
They came down to Earth from their home planet during the 2020 lockdowns and ended up in Wrexham. How extremely fortunate for the town and its residents to be graced with their presence.
Towards the end of their set, they were joined by some of their interplanetary friends. Yeah, you had to be there.
And if you weren’t, you missed out on seeing this! So yes, I got the complete out of the ordinary experience I was expecting. What a trip. And an enjoyable one at that.
Positive random encounters were at their highest on the Saturday for me. Including one with a gentleman who I had a short conversation with after a short meal break and on my way back to Old No. 7. He approached me because he believed he’d seen me out and about at various gigs in Manchester and he recognised my face. Crazy, but true. So, if he somehow happens to read this, it was cool to meet you. And don’t hesitate to see hi if you seen me again.
Back at Old No. 7, and there in time to catch the final few songs from the set of Alekxandr. I didn’t think that I’d be back in time to see anything from him, so that was an unexpected pleasure.
A bit of accordion action next, courtesy of Heather Ferrier. It’s not often I get to see someone playing an accordion on stage, so I wasn’t going to pass up on this opportunity, especially after hearing ‘Apple 1’ on Spotify a few days prior, and liking it.
The first of three appearances over at Tŷ Pawb had the purpose of spending some time in the company of tAngerinecAt as we watched Cerys Hafana’s traditional folk offerings together. The harp she played on was a lot bigger than it looks here.
She had the assembled crowd hanging on her every sung lyric and spoken word.
The vast majority of my remaining Saturday programme took place over at The Rockin’ Chair. And it all kicked off with me joining the set of Carlota Flâneur in progress.
I was very impressed by the music of Laurence-Anne in my planning stages, and I made a point of being there to watch her set in The Rockin’ Chair’s smaller room. I made the right choice.
Very expressive in her vocal delivery and stage presence.
And only at FOCUS Wales could I see artists playing an accordion, a harp and a recorder on the same day. How’s that for diversity?
This shot does not do any justice whatsoever to the energy and drive that Korea’s Wedance brought to their set. You’re just going to have to take me at my word when I tell you that they were PROPERLY going for it. If they ever come back to the UK, catching them at a show is 100% recommended.
Making their way to Wrexham for the first time were Newport’s PARCS. And if they carry on in the same vein, they’ll certainly be asked back up north to play many times over. Decide for yourself by giving their ‘Dawnsio Trist’ EP a listen.
And now to the act that was the biggest surprise for me for the whole of FOCUS 2023. And a pleasant one at that. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Hannah Grae prior, but my goodness, this one has everything. Powerful vocals, and a fantastic stage presence. A bit further from the crowd being in the main room, but she had a way of keeping everyone in that room involved and engaged.
Whatever you hear from her on record is amplified several times over when she and her band perform live. Again, as with others I’ve mentioned, if you have an opportunity to see her play life, I cannot recommend that you take it up highly enough.
Uh-oh, it’s the obligatory ‘he’s in there somewhere’ shot! Back over to Tŷ Pawb, and there in good time to catch part of Ogun’s set in the Flexible Space. Lots of familiar faces in the crowd representing.
HMS Morris were on my list of priority acts to see over in Tŷ Pawb’s Performance Space. And to think that I didn’t even know of their existence as of a few weeks ago.
Thanks to our mutual friend Mali Hâf using their song ‘Family Souls’ as background music to a short video that she created for her socials, I was able to find out for myself just how good they are. Family Souls is now in line to be one of my top twenty tracks of the year, a long way to go before that is officially the case, but they’ve more than earned that chance.
I read in one of their interviews that they liken themselves to being introverts dressed as extroverts. Few things say that more than the donning of headgear that resembles a hybrid of drill sergeant and lampshade.
I enjoyed myself, just as I knew I would. Note the presence of Katie and two other talented musicians adding to the numbers of HMS Morris as they continued to perform to a high standard. I definitely want to see them play again.
Main event time for me back at the main room of The Rockin’ Chair. I have been a fan of Dream Wife for over six years, about a year or so before the release of their first album. Simply put, I think they’re amazing.
Rakel Mjöll. So much stage presence, mixed with the right amount of charisma and sass.
Alice Go. I’ve seen a lot of guitarists play live on various stages over the years. She is easily in my top five, no question about it.
Bella Podpadec. Bassist of the highest order, and many’s the time when you might see her at shows coming out early to draw sketches of bands playing in support of them. And do try to stay out of the way of her high kicks.
Alex Paveley. The Wives couldn’t wish for anyone better to back them up on drums.
It’s great to watch them continue to have so much fun on stage as they continue to perform. So looking forward to hearing their third album ‘Social Lubrication’ upon its release in a few weeks from now.
Final visit of the weekend to the Flexible Space of Tŷ Pawb, and to see a band that is on the up. Private Party, remember the name and be sure to check them out.
Brodcasting legend Adam Walton introduced them onto the stage, and they are more than worthy of such an endorsement. And if you want to consider the endorsement of this mere mortal in addition, they’re very very good. Start with their song ‘Could’ve Asked Sooner’ and take it from there.
I absolutely loved each and every one of my encounters with NADUH across the entire weekend. Such lovely people, and their music is top notch. If they return to the UK on a future tour, don’t even bother trying to stop me from buying a ticket!
Here we all are, along with Queen of Harps and Mauvey, as we passed each other on the way to our next shows of the night.
Shortly afterwards, another very welcome encounter with this one. Myself and Ffion (Foxxglove) are pretty much kindred spirits at FOCUS Wales now. The first year for both of us in Wrexham was 2021, and we have come back for the festival every year since. Long may this run continue.
My final 2023 FOCUS stop brought me back to The Rockin’ Chair, where I was able to enjoy a fantastic set from Band Pres Llareggub in progress. They had the crowd rocking with their mastery of their brass instruments and the party vibe that they generated.
Don’t mind me, just having a cheeky cider in between sets. Inch’s. Yum.
Final act of the day, and indeed the whole thing. ACID KLAUS, that’s him on the right, accompanied by his talented musician buddies.
A mixture of crowd roasting and good natured banter with his top notch production. A party with an edge.
I had a fantastic time, and it served to be a great way for the music, and the partying, to draw to a close.
What was to prove to be the penultimate encounter with Mouraine (second from left) and his crew (I would see them again for the final time on the train journey out of Wrexham a few hours later). Again, as with NADUH, fantastic to see them so many times. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future for more ‘educated’ conversations.
One final 2023 look at the HWB. So many fun happenings took place in there on this go round.
A few hours of sleep back at the hotel, and then the Highlander was packed up and ready to go.
Snapped partway through the journey home back to Sheffield at Stockport, Greater Manchester. Fun fact: I used to live there. The town obviously, not the train station.
This one probably doesn’t show up too well here, but I had to deal with a bunch of relevant train delays and cancellations on the way back. After the idyllic surroundings and atmosphere of Wrexham, definitely a hard case of welcome back to reality!
But I eventually made it back. This was snapped shortly after I made it through the front door of my Sheffield home of 3½ years.
So all in all, another great FOCUS! Yes, the problems I spoke of in earlier posts were quite trying, but my overall experience wasn’t ruined. I just hope to return again next year to continue what has basically become a love affair now.
Thanks to everyone involved in the running of the festival for making it happen, those they partner with to amplify the experience, those who performed, those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help their performances to be the best they could be.
Thanks to my friends, both onstage and off, for helping to contribute to my positive experience, and to those who I met during the festival who are sure to become good friends in the long run. Such encounters go a long way you know.
And, of course, the biggest thanks of all goes to Unity. Thank you for being a great friend, and for continuing to be the wonderful person that you are. Looking forward to doing even more collabs with you in the future.
I originally had a cool snap that we took together at 2022’s FOCUS underneath this, one that I chose to use again from a previous piece. But to reflect the fact that a Unity is for life and not just for FOCUS, here’s a snap of the two of us from the Sbardun EP launch event at Porter’s Cardiff from February 2023. That was a truly brilliant night, spent in the company of many great friends, and me being down for it from Sheffield wouldn’t have happened without her mentioning it to me in the first place. She’s a real one, and I am very happy to have her in my life.
Okay, that’s it! However you chose to read these pieces – top to bottom, scrolling through to look at the pictures, looking for the part where I specifically mentioned you because I told you you’d be in there, anything else – thank you. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.
If you liked what I put out, keep an eye on my Facebook, or any future Unity team ups. There will be plenty to keep you entertained.
Alright, show’s over. Have a safe journey home.
Thanks for reading
LG
Helloooooo!!!!!!! Y’all ready for this, my FOCUS Wales roundup, part two? Yeah, you know you are. The first step is admitting to yourself that you want it, the second is giving in, fully immersing yourself in what is to come, and then hopefully enjoying it.
Hello friends, it’s LG once again to deliver you my take on all things Wrexham related within the friendly confines of the online home of Unity! You know, when you’re done reading this, you should stick around and check out other parts of her website. Start with the ‘Walls’ tab to see her Graffiti creations, and then thank me later. As someone who has personally witnessed her at work, I know just how much she puts into it, but it also comes from a place of love.
It doesn’t matter if she has a can of spray paint or a microphone in her hand, my friend puts in the work! That’s her up above (right) in the cover snap, and stood between us is the fantastically talented Ostara Days. You’ll read more about them later in this piece. To the left is ADJUA, you’ll see some words written about her in tomorrow’s piece. Spoiler alert: they are nice things.
So, if you read my previous piece, you’ll know that these didn’t go out in the way that I intended. But, judging from the positive reactions I’ve received so far, it seems that the delay hasn’t dulled your appetite in any way! Thank you for this, the appreciation on my end is real.
The bulk of this and the next piece were written upon my return home to Sheffield, but with the memories of Wrexham still fresh in my mind. As you read on, I definitely want you to feel as if you had been there if you weren’t able to come to the festival this time around. And for those who were in attendance, hopefully seeing this will reignite some happy memories of your own.
Okay then, day two roundup with LOTS of pictures. Shall we?
Again, as is now tradition, my 2023 FOCUS Friday once again saw me make the short walk from the Premier Inn hotel, past Y Cae Ras (home of Wrexham AFC, congratulations on the promotion!) and back to Glyndŵr University to commence proceedings.
A taste of Canada got things going at the television studio, with Edmonton rapper Mouraine bringing some good and positive energy early doors.
Mouraine: “How do you know about Edmonton?”. LG: “Because I’m educated?”. A good-natured exchange that broke the ice at the end of his set. Got to talking to him and his crew afterwards, very nice people. And thankfully none of them took offence when I explained my one-and-done policy at FOCUS when I was asked if I would consider watching another one of their shows at the weekend. And besides, there were plenty of other happy and welcomed chance encounters over the rest of the weekend.
Mouraine’s new album ‘In Search OF Gold’ is out now. You should definitely consider giving it a listen, especially if rap music is your thing.
Having seen them play on exactly the same stage at a previous FOCUS, I knew exactly the kind of thing to expect from Grimelda. I just hope that everyone else in attendance – particularly those in the audience – was ready. You know how people sometimes say “you’re not ready” in anticipation of dropping something big? I’ll go ahead and suggest that this applied here.
Especially when the band’s drummer and co-vocalist decided to go on a little walk, and started playing the floor with his sticks…
And there he is coming up into the audience, snare in hand. Like I said, I knew what to expect, I was lapping up every moment.
Some more snare action in the audience area, I think the seats were being played at some point too.
On the way back to the main stage now. See, don’t sleep on those playing early if you’re in Wrexham for the festival. You never know what you could be missing out on.
Back on stage now, to round out a performance that I’m sure those who were present will never forget.
That concluded a short programme for me at the uni on the Friday. After saying my goodbyes to students (including one who I twice met during her first year, it’s been fun watching her grow in skill and confidence with each passing year, hopefully I’ll be back to see her one final time before she graduates next year) and staff with the full intention of returning in 2024, I headed back into town. And, as with Thursday, the next destination was Hope Street Church.
Back To HSC, and my second consecutive Spanish Wave. After being wowed and impressed by some really cool Spanish acts in 2022, the class of 2023 more than lived up to that standard. Below are Los Premios, I joined their set in progress where the assembled crowd were having a good time. As did I.
Some classic rock with a Spanish flavour up next courtesy of Black Maracas. Yes, some headbanging did occur.
A bit of Catalan flavour supplied by Guineu and her bandmates came next to wow the crowd.
Don’t mind me, just a little selfie post I made for missionary purposes in between sets. Promoting the bands The Empty Page with my shirt, and Millie Manders and the Shutup with my hat. And yes, I did have people asking about them. But that’s me, constantly doing my part to promote the bands and artists that I love in my own way.
Afterwards, some performance art that those present at HSC will never forget, and hopefully remember fondly. I had no idea what to expect when I saw Argentine-by-way-of-Spain Valentinskka dragging a suitcase through the crowd on to the stage, but it proved to be the start of a story that she told with dancing, acting, and smooth vocals. Here she is part way through it all.
Suitcase in evidence in this shot. There were many costume changes.
But with no noticeable breaks, she kept going throughout.
Like I said, a performance to remember. I don’t know of any way that I would have discovered Valentinskka without having seen her perform in Wrexham. That’s what this festival is all about for me.
I have no problems quoting myself when the situation calls for it. And in a piece right here (posted during the technical woes) that I’m guessing that many of you missed, I previewed some of the acts that I was expecting to see on the Friday. Here’s what I wrote about the next one:
“Also on the Friday priority list to see is the wonderful Mali Hâf. Again, if you saw my 2022 Top 20 countdown, you will know that her collaborative song ‘Mamiaith’ stood firmly and proudly at number one (one of her collaborators being Kitty, who I’m also seeing perform her own solo set later in the day), and she is such a great performer with the vocals, dance moves, and her unequivocal love of the Welsh language. Come to Old No. 7 by 4:45pm if you want to see a genius at work.”
I stand by every word. She is that good.
There was a large crowd assembled at Old No. 7 in anticipation of Mali Hâf’s set. Very cool to see. She started things up very well.
Just look here at the passion and the effort that she brought to her performance. No half measures.
In mid movement, she is still as photogenic as they come. Joining her on stage with the bass was Ioan Gwyn. I would see him play later on with another talented artist, who you’ll read about later into this piece.
But back to Mali. She did play Mamiaith, and prior to doing so she dedicated the performance to me, whilst thanking me for recognising the song as being my top track of 2022. You’re welcome, always.
Mali Hâf. A fantastic performer. The sky’s the limit for her.
My first visit of the weekend to HWB Cymraeg – a hub set up in the heart of the town centre to celebrate all things Welsh – saw me first take in a lively performance from skylrk., accompanied by a full band. Everybody gave it plenty.
I particularly enjoyed the performance of ‘Niwed’, a track that appeared on the February release Sbardun EP, courtesy of High Grade Grooves (not that I’m biased or anything, but I think that you should all get a copy!). The live version just went OFF.
OI OI!!!!!! Touching base for the first time in 2023 with Unity. I love how our friendship has developed over the past year-and-a-half, staying in contact outside of FOCUS, and my subsequent visits down to Cardiff on two further occasions to see her and other friends have been moments to treasure.
Watch out world. We’re not done yet. I asked if she wanted a redo of the selfie. She said no. I love that attitude.
She was next to take the stage alongside Ostara Days (who I mentioned up above) and Brooke (aka Tom). The sounds of Samhain could also be heard during the set. However, as you’ve probably figured out, this was snapped before it all kicked off.
There are no stills from me of the performance, as I had a special request to film it (shout out to TrishnaJaikara, missed you SO much at Wrexham this year!). Here it is for all of your viewing pleasure. It’s close to twenty minutes long, so come back to this part later on if you need to. But please don’t ignore it, it’s so much fun to watch.
All of us would make our way over to The Penny Black, where we would see Queen of Harps take to the stage, with Niques on deck duty. I do believe that she might have been the first Scottish rapper that I have seen, if this is the standard to go by, I’ve clearly been missing out. Definitely need to check out some more. To anyone in the know, any reccomendations?
I do love my angled shots. Niques is now up front with a microphone in her hands hyping up her girl.
And, as with Dave Acton one day previously, it was cool to see some of the assembled MCs in the audience take to the stage to drop some guest bars when invited to do so. This community likes to have fun.
I love the point, specifically on Fridays in Wrexham during FOCUS weekend, when the festival crowd starts to blend in with those who are on their regular Friday night out. A mini cornucopia of noise, colour and fun. That started to happen around about this time.
For Friday’s primetime shows, I set my stall out over at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel, as I had five acts in a row that I wanted to see over there. Some tough choices had to be made during that stretch in terms of clashes, but I’ll definitely do my best to see those who I missed out on at other shows as soon as I can.
Speaking of clashes, one band I missed out on seeing during the 2022 event was Hourglvss. As soon as I found out that they were playing this time around, I made sure to list them amongst my priority acts to see. Worth the wait? Yes, absolutely. And the near capacity crowd in attendance for them definitely agreed from what I was seeing from them.
I discovered Atay & JAX during the planning stages, and I absolutely fell in love with their song ‘Avril Lavigne’. It definitely would have been a Top 20 contender for 2022 had I heard it sooner.
They delivered a very cool set, and they definitely won the crowd over by the end of it. I chatted to them afterwards, nice people. Our paths would cross again at various points over the weekend, and right at the very end when our respective journeys home saw us commence them on the same train service. Hopefully they’ll make their way back to these shores again before long.
Next up to take the Wynnstay stage was Kitty. She also performed on the Mali Hâf-led song ‘Mamiaith’, so I made a point of watching her perform too. That impromptu French lesson will live with me forever.
I enjoyed it, not just her performance on stage, but also the friendly natured banter that she had with her mother throughout. She was sat a few rows back, proudly cheering on her daughter.
So here’s myself and Minas having a ‘where’s the camera’ moment? A very busy weekend for this one with his own performances and on the decks for others. Very hard working guy, all the success that has come his way is richly deserved.
You like pop music, don’t you? Give MACY a try, I’m sure that she’ll have something amongst her releases that you’ll like. Note the presence of Ioan Gwyn on bass duty, my second time of the day seeing him grace a stage.
Listening to her song ‘Swear Down’ – an unapologetic slice of feel good pop – was the clear motivating factor for me seeing her perform here. I enjoyed what I saw and heard. Bravo.
And then it was time for Friday’s main event.
If you know LG, you know that LG loves him some CHROMA! I’ve known KT, Bev and Zac for nearly seven years now, and I couldn’t be prouder to watch them continue to grow as a band, both from near and afar.
This one mainly showcases Bev. His axe work continues to be top class.
Zac looks as if he’s being distracted by something. But no worries here, his mind was 100% on the job.
Obligatory ‘Katie in flight’ shot. Got to be done, you know.
The atmosphere in the Wynnstay was electric for CHROMA. I turned around to see the place completely packed out, as well it should be. No place I’d have rather been in that moment, and as long as CHROMA continue to play FOCUS Wales, I’ll continue to be there to watch them.
After saying my goodbyes to my dear friends, I made my way over to The Rockin’ Chair for my only visit of the day. But what a great reason to be there. If you ever have an opportunity to watch Afro Cluster play live, you just HAVE to take it. They are fantastic value.
Here’s a small sample of the atmosphere, but trust me, this little clip scratches the surface when it comes to justice being done. You really had to be there.
Kaptin Barrett is one of the good guys, another of the movers-and-shakers within the industry giving others a platform to shine. I love this snap. You should find out more about him, go to his website, his name without the space, followed by the obligatory dot com.
My day concluded with my only visit of the weekend to The Parish, where Boy With Apple rounded off proceedings. Note the presence in the assembled crowd of John Robb (if you don’t know who he is, then go away and educate yourself as soon as you’re done here), and Emmi Manteau of Baby Brave.
So that was my 2023 FOCUS day two, many acts seen over a timespan of thirteen hours. Go hard, or go home. I know no other way. And neither do I want to.
Alright, I hope you enjoyed all of that! Perhaps I’ve given you some ideas of acts to check out for yourself? If so, my work here is (almost) done. Come back on Saturday for my final day piece, ya hear?
‘Til next time
LG
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