EAST 17
Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields, Neath
Sat 14 July
If there was ever the definition of ‘blast from the past’, here you have it. Nineties boyband East 17, albeit featuring only one original member, headline the second day of Neath Round Table’s annual Carnival & Music Festival.
They may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying E17 were a pretty big deal back in the day. Eighteen top 20 singles, four top 10 albums and that ‘bad boy’ image to boot: songs like If You Ever, Thunder, It’s Alright and House Of Love were a permanent fixture on radio and teenager’s cassette player. Christmas cracker Stay Another Day is still a fixture every December, no doubt keeping the original members’ bank accounts ticking over nicely.
Neath Round Table have held the carnival at Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields since before I can remember, and until recently have relied heavily on tribute acts and local acts for their weekend live music events, so it’s great to see more established, better known acts taking to the stage in the last couple of years, while also giving some local talent a slot on the bill. Support for tonight night includes Neath-based band Smooth Operator and solo singer Woolfie, both very well known on the gig circuit locally. For the price, this should be a no-brainer.
words Owen Scourfield
Tickets: £5. Info: 0300 3656677