WALES GOES POP!
The Gate Arts Centre, Cardiff
Fri 30 Mar-Sun 1 Apr
The world of pop music is hardly a hidden gem; the vast majority of music heard on mainstream airwaves populates the poppy world of pop. However, one Cardiff-based festival has been doing its best to draw the eyes of pop, indie, folk and acoustic music fans to a more niche market.
Upon its inception in 2013, Wales Goes Pop! has been a staple of the Welsh independent music scene. The three-day festival offers 10 or so acts per day, ranging from long-established indie darlings to shockingly fresh-faced newbies, with previous notable names including Emmy The Great, Los Campesinos!, The Pooh Sticks, The Wedding Present, Hele Love and Honeyblood. This year, guests are treated to performances from the likes of Japanese veterans Shonen Knife, Anglo-Japanese cult name Kero Kero Bonito, Cardiff’s own Sweet Baboo, Brix & the Extricated – fronted by Brix Smith, ex of The Fall, and playing their first gig since 2016 – plus a healthy number plucked from the local indie scene.
The festival will be held across two stages at the Gate Arts and Community Centre in Roath, in the venue’s main hall and cafe. Expect live music from the early afternoon into the night, with DJs continuing the party after bands are done, with plenty of food and drink served throughout the weekend.
Admission: £49 weekend/£17 per day/free under-12s. Info: 029 2048 3344 (RD)