Pennod 2 #swn10

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-The Swn Festival. 127 performers.

-11 venues.

-Over three days in Wales' capital.

-It was established

-by Huw Stephens and John Rostron.

-It's now a familiar platform

-for new Welsh talent...

-..with some global acts

-part of its history.

-It's a pioneering festival

-and it was unique when it started.

-There were few city-based festivals.

-Swn is great for giving new bands

-a platform. Especially Welsh bands.

-It's a great platform

-for contemporary music.

-It shows that it's become part

-of the establishment...

-..when it's spoken about

-in the same terms as the Eisteddfod.

-An important part of the musical

-calendar, in Wales and Cardiff.

-As we celebrate the 10th Swn,

-you have an access all areas pass.

-The hard work needed

-to organise a festival.

-Friday morning

-and Spring King have cancelled.

-Where did it all begin?

-It was a time when you waited

-for things to come to Cardiff.

-Unless you organise it,

-it won't come.

-Performances from new performers

-and old favourites.

-It shows Cardiff at its best.

-Womanby Street is incredible.

-Seldom do you get everyone

-from that community...

-..in the same place

-at the same time.

-The freaks and weirdoes

-all come out - it's a lot of fun.

-I invested a lot of money

-in the first Swn.

-I was destroying relationships

-obsessed with doing something good.

-John puts so much

-into everything he does.

-I've put on 10 Swn Festivals.

-This I've never done before

-in my life.

-He puts his time

-and his life into it.

-After Swn, he's knackered.

-More than anything, I think,

-I enjoy the atmosphere in Cardiff.

-I enjoy seeing people

-on the streets.

-Around the venues,

-queuing to get into the venues.

-I think I look forward to

-the atmosphere more than anything.

-That's what Swn creates.

-I'd never not want to be part of it.

-It's on my doorstep.

-Everyone comes out.

-People you haven't seen for a while

-make an appearance for Swn.

-It's Saturday morning

-and John visits every venue...

-..checks out the bands and makes

-sure everything's running smoothly.

-I worry. I'm worried

-about the festival beforehand.

-I want it all to go well for John.

-I feel stressed for him.

-It's a bit of a panic

-that tomorrow I'm playing drums...

-..and drummers bring their

-breakables - cymbals and guitar.

-I don't own any

-because I'm not a drummer.

-It'll keep me awake tonight.

-In its tenth year, there are rumours

-this could be the final festival.

-Organising a festival is hard work.

-I can understand

-if the organisers have had enough.

-It would be a loss for Cardiff.

-What does the future hold for Swn?

-We might call it a day.

-You know my heart dropped,

-it honestly dropped.

-If Swn didn't continue,

-it wouldn't be a bad thing.

-John and I are ten years older now.

-It might be a good time

-for someone younger...

-..to start something different.

-In Carmarthen, Ysgol Sul are setting

-out for tonight's gig in O'Neill's.

-I've enjoyed working with Ysgol Sul.

-They've worked so hard.

-That's what surprised me about them.

-They were ready

-to perform and travel.

-They're not a showy band

-and that's the band's charm.

-They don't shout at you and push

-the music down your throats...

-..in their performance style.

-Now living in London, Casi's back in

-Wales performing in Clwb Ifor Bach.

-I'm looking forward

-to seeing my sister perform.

-It's great to see her

-coming back here now.

-She's at a point in her career

-where she's doing well.

-It's good to see Swn

-supporting her...

-..and they've supported her

-from the start.

-The Swn audience is a warm audience.

-It's an audience which has

-a keen interest in music.

-They're passionate

-about the groups performing here.

-They're willing to listen

-to new music.

-After the first Swn,

-John and Huw were knackered.

-20,000 in debt

-and uncertain about the future.

-I had kind of written it off.

-I was like, I don't think I can keep

-doing this. It was really stressful.

-I was close to having a breakdown.

-I had a call off Huw and he went...

-Watch S4C. Bandit's on

-and they filmed the Swn festival.

-A massive party with loads of gigs.

-Welsh bands, foreign bands, American

-bands, good things are happening.

-It's about time

-we had this in Cardiff.

-I can't believe how many people

-are supporting the gigs.

-Cardiff really needed it.

-It's nice to do something different.

-I love these smaller gigs

-because you can be more intimate.

-That was an example of stepping back

-and taking a look at the festival...

-..to appreciate what it had become.

-That was the point we said

-let's do it next year.

-Ysgol Sul arrive in Cardiff

-just in time for the gig.

-It's an opportunity to play

-in front of a different audience.

-It gives us scope to experiment

-in front of a new audience.

-Swn is great

-for giving new bands a stage...

-..especially Welsh bands.

-I work with a lot

-of up-and-coming bands...

-..and this is their first taste

-of performing with bands...

-..who are bigger than them

-and more experienced.

-That's important in giving

-Welsh bands the experience.

-The music scene never stands still.

-You're always looking for new music.

-You want to support good bands.

-Seeing Ysgol Sul and Casi

-breaking through is so important.

-You think about those who need

-an opportunity to show their talent.

-Swn gave birth to a band,

-I always think of Eyelet.

-John and I visited the Model Inn

-and I remember Eyelet performing.

-It was packed and people were trying

-to get in through every entrance.

-People had broken in

-through a fire escape.

-It was an incredible show.

-The energy of that gig...

-..encapsulated the Cardiff

-indie scene at the time.

-We got a spread in the NME

-for a start.

-Two pages on Swn, they captured

-the spirit of the festival.

-For somebody to come in and say this

-is really great, it was amazing.

-It just makes you want to do more.

-Swn's final day. Adverse Camber

-are doing their sound check.

-I feel awful.

-I feel really, really awful.

-I'm so nervous. It's ridiculous.

-Let's just enjoy it. Half an hour.

-Living in the moment.

-I don't know how to put this in.

-They're setting the hi-hat up.

-Not a good time to be learning.

-Hours before their gig, let's hope

-the pressure's not too much.

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-Hungover on a Sunday morning...

-..Richard Chitty

-from Bubblewrap Collective...

-..sets up his stage in Dempseys.

-I'm going to hang a Bubblewrap

-banner on the stage.

-I'm just tired.

-One or two coffees and

-a couple of pints and I'll be fine.

-We wanted to show

-that local music was important.

-Fortunately in Cardiff,

-we have musicians and labels...

-..that release records every year.

-Yes, it's great for Bubblewrap.

-A lot of people attend the gigs...

-..who wouldn't

-normally attend gigs in Cardiff.

-It's good to get

-a different audience for the bands.

-I'm not sure if I should

-hide the Swn banner with my own!

-Don't show this to John Rostron.

-Sorry, Swn.

-There is pressure

-but the pressure's on the Swn guys.

-We're just putting the bands on.

-They call my job venue rep.

-You turn up at the venue...

-..for the day or the weekend,

-early in the morning.

-Try and keep things running on time.

-The schedule is tight.

-People are moving between venues.

-It'll be very busy and it'll be fun

-for the band changeover.

-That's quite tight. I can't wait!

-At the beginning,

-it was just me and John.

-There was a lot to learn.

-Staging a gig is a lot of work.

-If you've done it,

-you know how hard it is.

-When you're staging 150 bands

-in three days...

-..your workload increases.

-We've brought in a lot of helpers

-over the past 10 years.

-We're grateful

-to all the volunteers.

-The atmosphere on Womanby Street

-is incredible.

-The same

-volunteers come back every year.

-I couldn't do it last year

-so I was here as a punter.

-It wasn't the same.

-With an hour to spare, Huw's

-checking out some of the bands.

-I'm looking for bands

-I haven't seen before.

-Bands I've heard are good.

-I'm looking for stuff

-I can play on the radio...

-..to see what they're like.

-I can hear a rock'n'roll band

-on the top floor.

-Wales' most important building,

-Clwb Ifor Bach.

-Any band who performs

-on Clwb Ifor Bach's top floor...

-..they deserve a medal

-because there's no lift.

-You have to lug your amps

-and guitars to the top.

-I'd heard Shame

-on Steve Lamacq's 6 Music show.

-I thought they were great.

-You OK? How are you?

-Are you performing?

-Someone pulled out from

-a 10 Feet Tall gig this afternoon.

-I'm there first and then on

-the Bubblewrap Stage at Dempseys.

-Three gigs this afternoon.

-Three gigs this afternoon.

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-Three gigs in an afternoon!

-You're up there

-with Sweet Baboo and Rhodri Viney.

-I've performed at Swn three times.

-Not as much as Baboo and Viney.

-I'm doubling up today,

-trying to catch up with them.

-What I didn't want was headliners.

-There are no major acts,

-for different reasons.

-Everyone's playing different slots.

-A band playing at 2.00pm...

-..could have headlined

-in Bristol the night before.

-We're off to Four Bars in Dempseys.

-Rhain are performing.

-I've not heard her before

-but she's meant to be great.

-That girl was incredible.

-I don't know anything about her.

-Her name's Rhain.

-That's why I love Swn.

-At 2.15pm on a Sunday afternoon...

-..she was great so I'll be playing

-her music on the radio.

-About 50 people

-were there watching her.

-A great start to the day.

-After Rhain's set,

-Dempseys is packed.

-Today has been great.

-I watched Rhain,

-they were really good.

-Ivan Moult, Quiet Marauder, MANDY.

-What a start. It's 5.15pm

-so I'm going up to watch them.

-Gareth Bonello, aka The Gentle Good,

-is about to take to the stage.

-He was here for the first Swn.

-I performed in 2007 in Cafe Europa

-just around the corner from here.

-It's not there now.

-There were 50-60 people

-inside this tiny cafe.

-We were all performing like this.

-2007 was a success...

-..but how did Gareth fare tonight?

-I was meant to play

-with a larger band...

-..with a bass guitar, another voice,

-some percussion and a violin.

-The bass guitarist pulled out

-because he was in panto.

-I lost my bass to a panto!

-My wife, Jen,

-pulled out with a cold.

-She couldn't sing.

-After losing half the band,

-I did the gig solo.

-Bubblewrap are a great company,

-they work closely with Swn.

-They're a local label

-and they support local musicians.

-Having a Bubblewrap Stage at Swn

-is very fitting.

-One of Swn's highlights was

-a nomination for the NME award...

-..for the 2014 Best Small Festival.

-I looked at the schedule

-for the night.

-There was a list of what's gonna

-happen and our award wasn't there.

-Just as I was realising that,

-one of the writers from NME said...

-..we don't announce your award

-tonight - you've won by the way.

-What?!

-Winning anything is exciting.

-Winning any award like that

-helps you in the future.

-The reaction from Wales, and Cardiff

-in particular, was phenomenal.

-Important moment for us.

-Here's the moment

-John has been stressing about.

-Adverse Camber

-are about to play live.

-John's father

-plays with a folk band.

-John's wanted to play

-like his father since forever.

-I am all of the emotions.

-I am so happy,

-I am so tired, I was crying.

-I'm just everything.

-I was scared of coming here.

-I didn't know if anyone would be

-here. I didn't know how it would be.

-Seeing Lisa was weird. I wasn't

-sure if she was going to come.

-I saw her

-and I was pleased she was here.

-I started crying

-because she was here.

-I hadn't seen them perform before.

-I saw John on stage

-and started crying.

-As the final day draws to a close...

-..the performances continue

-and the fans keep on dancing.

-It's been a terrific weekend.

-It's been everything

-that's good about Swn...

-..full of people and amazing bands.

-Everybody's really excited,

-positive and warm.

-It feels great.

-The fact that it's continued

-is testament to the organisers.

-With music,

-trends change so quickly.

-I feel lucky to have had

-the opportunity to perform.

-I hope it continues

-for another decade.

-I think he'd miss it, John would

-miss Swn if it didn't happen again.

-Sometimes, you have to think

-about what comes next.

-That's important.

-I'm not sure, I really don't know

-what's best for Swn.

-It's really hard

-to think about stopping it...

-..because, you know, everybody's

-so excited about it happening.

-You can see the effect it has.

-This could be the last Swn.

-Oh, dear.

-Well. Oh, no.

-Swn is good for Cardiff.

-If it stops, I hope enough people

-join forces to keep it going.

-If Swn ended,

-it would be on our terms.

-That's not always a bad thing.

-If you told me five years ago it was

-ending, I would have been gutted.

-After 10 years, it's a nice rounded

-figure, to round something off.

-Yes, we'll see what happens

-this time next year.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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