Once a haven for underage drinkers on sweaty club nights, the building which houses Hwb Lles is best known to most in Pontardawe as the legendary nightclub Mamas, or Paradise depending on your age. Now, though, it’s a community wellbeing hub in the centre of this Swansea Valley village.
Hwb Lles is a venue sorely needed in Pontardawe, which is blessed with an incredible arts centre but little else to bring the community together in a physical space. Along with the men’s shed, martial arts space and coffee shop, Hwb Lles will now become a venue for a monthly original music night, arranged by local musician and promoter James Rees.
Rees’ excellent Pontardawe Folk & Ale Festival of last summer recalled the glory days of the old Pontardawe Festival – which in its current incarnation is a weekend of heavy drinking and loud covers bands (some excellent) at the local pubs.
Rees hopes to reignite interest in original music in the area by offering an open floor to performers to share their songs, with a guest slot for a featured act to end the evening. Young rockers Golden Hour promise a great start, with their expansive sound taking in influences from the Grateful Dead to the Stone Roses.
The foam nights and New Year’s Eve parties of Mamas/Paradise may be a distant memory, but Rees and Hwb Lles are looking to make something a little longer lasting in Pontardawe as they nurture the arts through a truly community-driven venture.
Original Music Club, Hwb Lles, Pontardawe, Fri 31 Jan.
Admission: FREE. Info: here
words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES
