What’s the point of living in Wales if you can’t show it off once in a while? Charlie Cottrell turned tour guide as he took Max Becker and Joey Armstrong, of Californian band SWMRS, for a trip around the homeland.
In January, as the perpetual British winter saw in the new year with a frosty bang, I took a little trip across the pond to the US. I was welcomed with open arms by my Californian pals, who went out of their way to show off the best that the West Coast has to offer. I left humbled, promising to return the favour further down the line. As luck should have it, the boys are in an internationally famous band. And what do internationally famous bands do? They tour! So when the boys headed back our way for a string of European shows, some reciprocation of hosting duties was in order. Foreign affairs are important, after all.
I saw the boys on one of the final legs of their tour, playing to thousands on the BBC Radio 1 Stage at Leeds Festival. SWMRS are no strangers to the British landscape, having racked up numerous tours in their already impressive tenure. But one thing they haven’t seen much of is Wales. A couple of plans were established before their arrival: lots of pubs, lots of walking. What ensued was, well… exactly that.
One essential spot to exhibit to the lads was the Brecon Beacons. Wales boasts some of the most beautiful National Parks in the United Kingdom, and on a magnificent September day, a wander through the Ponteddfechan waterfalls was a must. Greeted by a group of boys taking leaps off the top of Sgwd Gwladys waterfall, this idylic sanctuary felt like a moment in time. The walk wasn’t half bad, either. Dreamy, in fact. Also streamy.
“I might’ve told a few people down the pub,” was the quote of the day. Any takers on naming the film? I’ll leave it to you. Anyway, I confess that I am extremely smug in my accolade as the man that introduced Max Becker to ale. Despite tour stop-overs at beer havens across the continent, he abstained from any IPAs until arriving in Wales. Naturally, after such an arduous day of hiking through waterfalls, a pint was in order.
Another day, another roadtrip, this time to the coast. Monknash is one of my favourite places in the country. The beautiful footpath through the woods, leading out to the ethereal coastal landscape that barely resembles planet earth, is a true gem of South Wales. And that’s not to mention one of the best pubs in all the land, The Plough & Harrow, is a stone’s throw away. Serving up great pub-grub and the finest ale around, a quintessentially British day was had by all.
It was with the utmost pride that I showed the boys what Wales has to offer. Sometimes, when you’re caught up in your own complicated little life, you forget to look up. And sometimes, when you look up, you realise how lucky you are.
Before the boys hit the road, and made their long journey back to California, there was a different type of experience they needed to see. With Premier League football back in the capital, we took a break from the Welsh countryside and headed down to the Cardiff City Stadium. Cardiff City vs Arsenal. How surreal, having seen these boys go from standing on their stage, with adoring fans singing their lyrics back to them, to then then have them stood before me in Ladbrokes, eating a Steak Bake from Greggs. The world is weird. 3-2 to Arsenal in the end, but sitting amongst 30,000 Welshmen as the net rippled (twice) was enough to leave Max and Joey with sore throats. Local boys already.
A snapshot of the real Welsh world, on our final day together we headed to Cardiff Market. For self-proclaimed foodie Max, one of the biggest treats of the entire trip was the market Welshcakes. They are astonishingly good, too. So good, Max fell over (see below).
To wave goodbye to my friends, and to a week full of laughs, beers and life-affirming conversation, left me in a somewhat somber mood as reality returned. However, on reflection, to be able to return the tour-guide favour and show Max and Joey around the homeland, to show the real Wales to some fantastic people, made me profoundly happy. We only scratched the surface, too. I’ll see you soon, boys.
SWMRS latest single, Berkeley’s On Fire, is out now.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: CHARLIE COTTRELL
Follow Charlie on Twitter: @cottreii