I understand this is proper deadbeat dad timing, but Season’s Greetings. All power to you and yours in 2023. Here is a short end-of-year bulletin:
1) Part two of my big chat with DJ Guy is now up. For the sake of formatting, I’ve dropped it into the December post. You can read part one here, where we talked about Guy’s earlier career, and growing up in Cardiff through the 80s and 90s. In part two, Guy talks about his time at Cardiff’s Grassroots, his evolution as an artist, and the unlikely release of his archival material on Glasgow label All Caps. He also spoke on numerous issues regarding mental health, some within the context of DJing and clubbing. He’s suggested to me some helpful resources, which I include at the end of the piece
2) TTN is almost one year old! Many thanks to everyone who’s subbed. I realise it hasn’t been the most consistent thing in the world, but listen buddy, that’s your problem. How about a quick TTN-EOY list for posterity? In no particular order:
Ysbryd Nos – The Forest Howls at Dusk
The Ephemeron Loop - Psychonautic Escapism
Sachosam – Yr Offerynnols Uffernolidadaus!
Rhodri Davies – DWA DNI
Sorry Stacy – The Fifth Stage
FFRANCON – 2002-2022
Cankicker – S/T
Revenant Marquis – Milk Teeth
Don Leisure – Shaboo Strikes Back!
David J Bull – Body and Beat
Shreddies – wethersongs
Jake Healy & Alfie Grieve – Eggs in Purgatory
3) Some reflections on the state of Cardiff: we had the usual misery over 2022, which I won’t rehash here, save to say the ongoing attack on St David’s has proven a) especially brazen, with council members going so far as to heckle and mock opposition to the Live Nation / 02 Takeover, and b) particularly depressing since I have no doubt that a considerable number of the city’s ‘live music fans’ would love to see the takeover happen. All this in the name of saving a trip to Bristol to see these bands I keep hearing about—too big for Tramshed but too small for the CIA?—and all at the expense of the city’s only dedicated classical and contemporary venue. Take what solace you can in the fact that the venture itself will surely prove a commercial disaster.
There has been one enormously positive thing in Cardiff this year, which is Shift. If you’d like to know more, you can read my interview with de-facto ‘Director’ Jon Ruddick here. A lot of highlights in 2022: Yeah You, Ablenoise, Tara Clerkin Trio, Caroline, Knivedoutofexistence with Fleshlicker and Viimeinen, Aja at Swamp Party, and more besides. It is good to see niche, esoteric things happening in Cardiff which I previously assumed I’d never see outside of larger urban locales, and it is even better to see the space gaining a real reputation in underground, avant-leaning spheres
4) Shift has also given Cardiff musicians such as myself a chance to try strange new things, such audio-collage ‘Welcome 2 Event City’. I have uploaded ‘RUSSELL GOODWAY, PENITENZIAGITE (Theme from Event City)’ to Bandcamp, you can have it for free
5) Diolch to everyone who’s booked me / played with me as Beauty Parlour; amazing gigs this year at the Pheasantry Society Moot, and in Cardiff with Scalping, Crack Cloud, Yeah You / Elvin Brandhi and local weirdoes including Rosey Brown, Shreddies and Jake Andrewbright. Also finished recording an EP this year which will be out in April I reckon