Doesn’t it come around quick?!?! Feels like only yesterday I was driving back down the A5 out of Wrecsam, head that felt like it had a Frenchman living in it, physically broken but my soul was full. Usually it takes ages for something you’re looking forward to to come around again but here we are.
This Thursday will see the start of the biggest party in the city since the football team last got promoted. Which was last week so actually the place should be party primed after having so much to cheer about for the past two years. Focus Wales could be like a season curtain closer party for Wrecsam but it’s really an opener for the festival season as the warm weather starts to creep in and the shorts get an airing as soon as the temperatures hit double figures.
This year sees much of the venues remain the same. Ty Pawb is the central point, the tent at Llwyn Isaf, The Parish, Penny Black, Hope Street, St Giles, Wynnstay Arms and indeed, The Rockin’ Chair, will be, ahem, rockin’.
Spiritualised, The Mysterines and hometown boys The Royston Club will headline the big top, Llwyn Isaf, but there’s plenty of other incredible stuff happening across all the venues that are an Olympic Speedwalking distance for you to sneak out of one venue and get over to the next in moments.
God Is In The TV will again have two bands playing this year. First up Generation Feral play The Fat Boar at 6.45pm on Thursday night and then Dactyl Terra are on at The Parish in the early hours of the morning on Saturday night (bit of an oxymoron but you know what I mean), 12.55am, so make sure you’ve got your party hats on as you’ll need to be up for it after a days merriment.
Other highlights include The Bug Club, Annie Dressner, Melin Melyn, The Family Battenberg, Sage Todz, Slate, Home Counties, Bored Marsh, em koko, Chroma, Half Happy, Ynys, Rona Mac, Willy Mason, Pys Melin, Chalk, Islet, CVC, Kidsmoke, and several hundred other acts all clamouring for your attention. Get the app from wherever you get your apps to create a personalised schedule so you can be sure to catch everything you want, right on the thing you can’t keep your eyes off most of the time anyway.
There’s a selection of panels during the three days, discussing and debating everything from the future of music journalism, through being a parent in the biz, to whether Tik Toc is a good thing for the music video.
Theres also the film festival running parallel with everything from a music video competition, a producers meet and greet, and the feature film ‘The Almond And The Seahorse’, starring Rebel Wilson and Charlotte Gainsbourg, filmed in and around Wrecsam.
Once again, an action packed, stunning long weekend is guaranteed. Weekend and Day passes are still available here
It’ll be as good as the football.
