As we bid adieu to 2023, let’s take a gander back at the music, theatre, film and TV that our writers and editors took a real shine to for our Top 5 of each. Did any of our favourites also make your list?
ALBUMS

Christine And The Queens – Paranoïa, Angels, True Love
Christine And The Queens singer Chris has stated that last year’s Redcar Les Adorables Étoiles and this subsequent triple album have each been inspired by Tony Kushner’s play Angels In America. Appropriately enough, then, is this masterfully theatrical, absorbing, introspective record from one of the most compelling contemporary mainstream musicians in Europe.
words CHLOË EDWARDS – review here
Sweet Baboo – The Wreckage
This latest album from Stephen Black, aka Sweet Baboo, The Wreckage sits up there alongside the material of Black’s previous collaborators (Cate LeBon, Gruff Rhys et al) in its clean indie freshness – in short, an excellent album of songs that pay their dues but are thoroughly modern. You’d be hard pushed to find someone who wouldn’t enjoy music this good.
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES – review here
James And The Cold Gun – James And The Cold Gun
There’s absolutely no doubt that Cardiff’s own James And The Cold Gun are the UK band to watch. Support slots with Pearl Jam and rock royalty Guns N’ Roses has made every rock fan stand up and take notice – now, we finally have a self-titled debut album to feast upon. This is the start of something very special: a massive album in every sense of the word.
words CHRIS ANDREWS – review here
Sparks – The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
Stepping onto the publicity treadmill, Sparks siblings Ron and Russell Mael spoke about how their 26th album marks a return to Island Records after 50 years. You might think this a fairly mundane detail, but it serves to underscore how astonishingly state-of-the-art these pensionable gentlemen’s musical moves remain. The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte is a genuinely outstanding album, with zero laurels rested.
words NOEL GARDNER – review here
XL Life – The Boogie Down South
With the growing interest in the hyperspeed and projectile vocal delivery of hardcore and punk, XL Life make a strong case for breaking the glass ceiling of constricting genre stamps. What carries through most on The Boogie Down South, however, is its themes of struggle and psychological persistence, its band members’ stop-start history, documented by the album’s pace and lyrics.
words EMMA WAY – review here
GIGS

Paramore – Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sat 15 Apr
Not many bands can sell out arenas 20 years into their career, but most bands are not Paramore. There’s so much love in the room, with vocalist Hayley Williams shouting out people she recognises from the front row every time they come to the UK. This is a band at the top of their game with a feeling that they can still only get better.
words EMMA WAY – review here
Richard Dawson – Llais @ Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 12 Oct
The new Cabaret venue at Wales Millennium Centre may not have been the ideal relocation for the quiet, more exposed moments of Richard Dawson’s solo set, but the songwriter drew from his Northumberland pub background to handle bar noise, distracting neon lights and hecklers with self-effacing wit and powerful songs. Despite a rapturous standing ovation, he quietly bows out.
words ISABEL THOMAS – review here
Carcass – Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil, Wed 31 May
I’m willing to bet that the hallowed grounds of Merthyr Tydfil’s town hall have never seen the likes of tonight’s guests, Liverpudlian death metal legends Carcass. After a special amount of energy is held back by partakers of the pit, it’s fully unleashed when fan favourite Heartwork crashes in. An immense performance in unique surroundings, tonight felt a little bit special.
words CHRIS ANDREWS – review here
Those Damn Crows – Swansea Arena, Sat 25 Feb
This was an emotional night in Swansea for the band from Bridgend who took a huge step forward on the national scene: third album Inhale/Exhale reached number 3 in the official UK album charts. Essentially, this was Those Damn Crows’ homecoming live show, ending on an epic singalong that reaffirmed the communal power of rock.
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES – review here
STAGE

Es & Flo – Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tues 2 May
An intricate, highly relatable and emotional story about an ageing lesbian couple’s enduring love, Es & Flo finally got its premiere at the WMC. A show about fierce love and feminism and the importance of handing stories down to a younger generation, this is a love story – an older female, queer story of love – we need more of.
words CHRIS WILLIAMS – review here
Sorter – Grand Theatre, Swansea, Fri 3 Mar
The inaugural original production Sorter by Swansea’s new Grand Ambition initiative is nothing short of spectacular. The two-hander with a minimal set is a piercing look at the characters and circumstances behind heroin addiction; a production that firmly establishes the titular ambition of Grand Ambition to produce premier, cutting-edge theatre in Wales’ second city.
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES – review here
The Rest Of Our Lives – The Riverfront, Newport, Sat 1 Apr
A reflection on the realities of ageing, The Rest Of Our Lives is a funny and heartfelt blend of physical theatre and circus. Jo Fong and George Orange use movement to explore the expectations we have of performers and all humans have of themselves, and how they must change as they grow older. A testament to the skill, empathy and wisdom of these two amazing performers.
words HARI BERROW – review here
Golygfeydd O’r Pla Du – Y Ffwrnes, Llanelli, Fri 5 May
Golygfeydd O’r Pla Du was not one of the most anticipated works to come out of 2023, but it is easily one of the most exciting from where I’m sitting. Purposely messy, the four cast members take on the challenge of staging over 40 characters with raucous aplomb, and the whole thing is a perfect whirlwind from start to finish.
words HARI BERROW – review here
Finding Home – Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Fri 28 Apr
If you only see one piece of theatre this year, make it Mercury Theatre Wales’ Finding Home: a heartbreaking, thought-provoking show. Based on the real experiences and life journeys of people who have experienced homelessness, this theatrical telling of intimate and personal stories draws you into a world many of us are only a paycheque away from.
words SARAH EDWARDS – review here
FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Landed Festival – Nr Llandrindod Wells, Fri 28-Sun 30 July
With four live and three dance stages, Landed Festival, a small-scale gathering in Powys, doesn’t just stir memories of the non-sectarian, heady days of youth, but shows how seeds planted then continue to bear luscious fruit; the values that created a self-supporting, inclusive community are at the forefront and people are still doing it for themselves.
words JULIA DELI – review here
Wasteland Of My Fathers – Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Mon 25 Sept-Sun 5 Nov
Curated by Cardiff Music History archive, the excellently-named exhibition Wasteland Of My Fathers set out to tell the stories of disaffected punk youth who were energised into action in Wales through artwork, photos, archive TV footage, lyrics and more – emphasising the value of music as an expression of dissent and protest, and of creating your own culture rather than having to digest what you’re spoonfed.
words BEN WOOLHEAD – review here
Unearthed Festival – Haverfordwest, Fri 16-Sun 18 June
Unearthed is a festival whose values were instilled when the teenage Tim Rees used to organise gatherings on his parent’s farm in Pembrokeshire. The vibe is Tribal with a capital T, from the many genres of music to cooperative living, healing and herb wisdom. There’s a sense that every experience and conversation is important and timely; a mythos added to by everyone present.
words JULIA DELI – review here
CINC – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 14 July
Starting as just an idea between two friends – Finley Carson and Ren Faulkner – CINC quickly materialised and, after four parties to date, is shaping up to be a must-go event across the queer community. Amongst a plethora of fetish-wear and hardcore techno sets, and a focus on freedom and expression, CINC is a party that you do not want to miss.
words INDIA MUNDAY – review here
Steelhouse – Ebbw Vale, Fri 28-Sun 30 July
Classic rock is alive and well and living on top of a mountain in Ebbw Vale. Twelve years on from its first opening weekend, Steelhouse Festival – the highest, friendliest and most impressive rock festival in the UK – is still raising its game, peak by peak. In the words of headliners Black Stone Cherry frontman Chris Robertson, “When the mountain calls, we answer.”
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES – review her
FILM

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Dir. Christopher McQuarrie (12A, 163 mins)
The latest in the unstoppable {Mission: Impossible} action franchise did not disappoint. Truly excellent stunts, nailbiting set-pieces and the final escape through a falling train was sheer brilliance: this proves Cruise has still got it, with Hayley Atwell nimbly fitting into the team.
Barbie
Dir. Greta Gerwig (12A, 97 mins)
The feelgood toy tie-in proved slyly subversive under the directorial gaze of Gerwig, with Margot Robbie’s Barbie learning the hard truths about the real world in an entertaining, very pink style. Ryan Gosling is a hoot as Ken and the power cameos rock, in an intelligent crowd-pleaser unafraid to throw in a message amidst the fun.
Anatomy Of A Fall
Dir. Justine Triet (15, 151 mins)
A brilliant French courtroom drama packed with ambiguity and nuance, {Anatomy Of A Fall} also features a barnstorming central performance from Sandra Hũller as a woman accused of her husband’s murder – with her blind son the only witness. Classy, unafraid to wrongfoot and examine the gnarlier elements of a relationship.
Talk To Me
Dir. Danny & Michael Phillipou (15, 97 mins)
An Aussie horror that gets under the skin and provides a shot in the arm – or perhaps an embalmed handshake – for the genre. Sophie Wilde’s grieving student gets involved in a viral craze of chilling demonic possession that will have major consequences. A clear horror franchise starter, but satisfyingly self-contained – and often disturbing and wince-inducing.
Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp (PG, 90 mins)
In this utterly adorable mock-doc with an animated shell, Marcel with the shoes splits up from his commune of shells and bits and pieces, cares for his grandmother and shares his upbeat worldview with a filmmaking Airbnb guest. Funny, offbeat and often very moving, this deserves to be seen by everyone.
words KEIRON SELF
TV

One Piece
Dirs. Marc Jobst, Emma Sullivan, Tim Southam, Josef Wladyka (8 x 49-63 min eps, Netflix)
The most cautiously anticipated live-action western anime adaptation to date, Netflix’s {One Piece} is far from perfect, but rewardingly endearing. The casting is masterful, with each of the five initial Straw Hat pirates – on a mission to sail the legendary Grand Line in search of the titular treasure – fully understanding their assignment.
The Fall Of The House Of Usher
Dirs. Mike Flanagan, Micheal Fimognari (8 x 60 min eps, Netflix)
Continuing his streak of adapting the classics, sophisticated horror maestro Mike Flanagan turns his hand from Shirley Jackson and Henry James to Edgar Allan Poe for this eight-part retelling of the latter’s short story. The result is a macabre and unapologetically searing take-down of those responsible for America’s opioid epidemic.
The Drops Of God
Dir. Oded Ruskin, (8 x 60 min eps, AppleTV+)
Based on the acclaimed manga series by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto, this eight-part French-Japanese adaptation pits the daughter of a wine tycoon and oenologist against his prized student in a battle for his wine collection following his death. The results are surprisingly enthralling, doing for wine tasting what {The Queen’s Gambit} did for chess.
The Bear (S2)
Dirs. Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Ramy Youssef, (10 x 20-66 min eps, Disney+)
Following up a flawless first season, {The Bear} returned to do it all again. Even some big cameos from the likes of Jamie Lee-Curtis don’t distract from or polish any of the refreshing grime and grit; volatile, frenetic but always beautifully considered, this continues to be television firing on all cylinders.
Succession (S4)
Dirs. Mark Mylod, Becky Martin, Lorene Scafaria, Andrij Parakh, Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini (10 x 50-70 min episodes, NOWTV, Sky)
Taking inspiration from the Murdoch empire, Jesse Armstrong’s darkly funny family drama, centred around media mogul family the Roys, came to the end of one of the best runs of TV in years. Sticking the landing was breath-baiting for the Shakespearian saga, but {Succession}’s rapier wit gets a solid 10.
words HANNAH COLLINS
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