Jerk at Chapter Arts Centre

words: ANNA BATES

Rapidly becoming one of Cardiff’s best venues for popular touring artists, Millennium Music Hall will be home to Swedish band, Junip, this week for their first ever gig in Wales (Sun 6 Feb, 7.30pm–11.00pm, tickets: £10. Info: 029 2034 0737). Promoting their album Fields, Junip have already created quite a buzz. Led by platinum-selling solo artist José González, Junip are not to be missed. 

It’s impossible to ignore Wales’s opening match against England in this year’s Six Nations (Fri 4 Feb, 7.45pm. Info: 08442 777888). Expect a physical game with old rivalries, plenty of passion and a mountains of takeaway boxes in chippy lane by the end of the night .

The Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay are hosting an event to celebrate Chinese New Year this week (Sat 5^th Feb, admission: free. Info: 029 2025 6261). Featuring demonstrations and workshops in activities such as calligraphy, Chinese Fine Art and Chinese name design, the year of the rabbit will be set off to a creative start.

BBC Radio Wales comedy panel game What’s the Story? is coming to The National Museum of Wales, Cardiff on Wednesday. If you fancy being an audience member and getting your voice (well, laugh) on the radio, head down to the Reardon Smith Theatre at 7pm. (Fri 4 Feb, 7pm, tickets: free – email tickets@tidyproductions.co.uk. Info: www.bbc.co.uk/radiowales).

Hospitality makes its return to Cardiff with Hospital Record greats such as High Contrast and Danny Byrd. The line-up reads like a who’s who of modern drum’n’bass and if the event is anything like last year’s, the Cardiff University’s Great Hall is set to be packed to the rafters (Sat 5 Feb, 10pm–4am. Info: 029 2078 1458).

Josef Herman’s centenary exhibition opens this Thursday at the Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff (Thurs 3 Feb, admission: free. Info: 029 2064 1411 / www.artwales.com). Many of the oil paintings and works on paper from the last 25 years of Herman’s career will be on display in a evocative exhibtion that explores the industrial heritage of South Wales. 

Ever eager to push the boundaries of modern theatre, Chapter Arts Centre hosts the critically acclaimed Jerk (Sat 5 Feb, tickets: £12/£10/£8. Info: 029 2031 1050 / www.chapter.org). The production fuses puppetry and contemporary performance in recreating a tale of murder and manipulation. A fascinating play based on real life events which shook America in 1973.

If you’re fed up with high-street clothing chains, the Blind Lemon Vintage Fashion Fair at Cardiff’s City Hall (Sun 6 Feb, 10am–5pm, tickets: £4/£3. Info: 029 2022 1695), will surely be enough to convert anyone to the ways of vintage. You can expect to find a great range of hidden gems and unique pieces. The event now features vintage hairstyling and makeup demos.

NoFit State Circus have relaunched a great range of classes and workshops in circus skills for the new year at their training space in John Street, Cardiff. If terrifying heights are your thing, the Fast Track Aerial 10-week course, including training in trapeze and ropes, starts this Wednesday (Wed 3 Feb, cost: £80/£60. Info: 029 2022 1330 / www.nofitstate.org).

The BBC National Opera of Wales performing at St David’s Hall is a very civilized way to spend your Saturday. With Victoria Mullova playing Beethoven. (Sat 5 Feb, 7.00pm, tickets: £10-£25. Info: 029 2087 8444).