No Other Day Like Today

Words: Gareth Ludkin

One of the UK’s hottest producers will be visiting Cardiff’s Ten Feet Tall bar on Tuesday 7 (10.30pm, £3 before 11pm, £5 after). Championed by Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson, Lone blends frenetic, funk infused Flying Lotus style production, with melodic and bass heavy Boards of Canada styled soundscapes. Certainly not to be missed.

Throughout this week you can enjoy the Vale of Glamorgan’s Festival of Music at venues throughout Glamorgan and Cardiff. A collaboration between the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is taking place as part of the festival on Thursday 9 September at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay. 7.00pm, tickets: £10-12, info: 01446 799100

The festival season isn’t over quite yet! The Watusi Festival promises an eclectic mix of local and non local bands in a secret seaside location. From Brazilian beats to acoustic, this festival is a bargain at only £40. Let loose and enjoy the mud. This festival is well worth investigating. Email: contact@watusifestival.com or visit their website for further details.

If you love scrabble half as much as I do, you won’t want to miss Scrabble Sunday at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardif. A gem of an event, which has grown and expanded across numerous music festivals across the UK, Scrabble Sunday is made even better by the fact that it’s completely free. Why not catch a film before settling down to a game. Sunday 12, 6pm at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea has an on going calendar of interesting exhibitions well worth a look. The Welsh School of Architectural Glass are championing graduate work; while the ‘From Coal to Pole’ exhibition explores the historic link between Wales and the Antarctic. The National Waterfront Museum is open daily, 10am-5pm. Exhibits are free.

The Welsh Music Foundation’s tenth birthday is to be celebrated in style this Friday and Saturday night with two FREE gigs. Live in the Foyer of the Wales Millenium Centre on Friday night, you can enjoy Future of the Left with support from We Are Animal and Exit International. While Saturday sees the Spencer McGarry Season take to the stage alongside El Goodo and Jonathan Powell. Friday 10-Sat 11: 7pm at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. Tickets: Free.

No Other Day Like Today could prove to be a fascinating piece of theatre at the Newport Riverfront theatre this week. Presented by the National Youth Theatre Wales and written by the young writers from the NYTW, this production focuses on the microcosm of one day in a small Welsh village. This production combines comedy and drama but it also holds a poignant message as it looks toward an uncertain future. Thursday 9-Friday 10: 1pm and 7.30pm at the Riverfront theatre, Newport; Tickets £9/12.

For something a little more chilled, why not wander down to the Jazz Café in Cardiff for an evening of Miles Davis music. The Miles Davis Tribute features Canadian trumpeter Jonathan Crespo. Thursday 9, tickets £6/5. Info 02920 340591

The Riverside Real Food Market in Cardiff is never worth missing on a Sunday morning. Get all the local produce you’ll need for some delicious recipes. 10am-2pm at Fitzhamon Embankment in Riverside, right opposite the Millennium Stadium.

And last but by no means least…

…if you fancy attempting to break a world record this weekend why not head down to Renault’s ‘Festival De Joie’ on Saturday 11. A range of wacky, French inspired events will be taking place throughout the day. Highlights include a snail half-marathon, a car park 10km run, a can-can demonstration and lesson, tug of war, kissing masterclass, omelette challenge not to mention the chance to win £1000 if you can beat the current world record number of garlic cloves eaten in one minute (which currently stands at 35). If you’re as intrigued as I am about this bizarre event, get yourself down to the Renault garage on Penarth Road, Cardiff, from 11am. Info: 02920389262.