Make a Plucky Attempt to Leave Your House

Make a Plucky Attempt to Leave your House this week… for Gary Owen’s latest play Amgen : Broken at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff until Saturday 9th May.

Delightfully Daffy in Ponty

Things got a bit ‘daffy’ in Pontypridd, when two giant stilt-walking daffodils visited Taff Street.

The delightful daffs were planted in town to entertain shoppers during the Six Nations weekend. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Town Centre Team arranged the unusual entertainment to encourage everyone to celebrate all things Welsh during the rugby championships.

Top Entertainment at the Cardiff Arms Hirwaun

Don’t Miss the Mercurymen gig at Cardiff Arms pub in Hirwaun this Friday 26th September.

Recently signed to Sony BMG, Mercurymen Jinder, Gavin and Simon are on the road promoting their debut album Postcards from Valonia.

This promises to be a very special gig. Catch them at the Cardiff Arms Hirwaun on the only Welsh date of their UK tour.

The Cardiff Arms was taken over by Julian and Annie Barfield a year ago. After a massive investment and complete refurbishment, the pub is making a mark for quality food, drink, entertainment.

Click here to visit the official Cardiff Arms website.

Now On! The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, organised by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, will this year be held in June in the larger surroundings of Cardiff International Arena.

Open Friday 13th & Saturday 14th June 11-11
Admission £5 includes souvenir glass and programme

Over 250 real ales, ciders, parries and foreign beers will be available at the festival. The 2008 Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival will be the biggest event of its kind in Wales and one of the largest beer festivals in the UK. CAMRA will aim to have every Welsh real ale brewery represented supplemented with other breweries from across Britain.

Entertainment will also be available at the CIA this year… Friday night will see Sheelanigig who offer an eclectic blend of folk, jazz and world music as well as an outstanding 7-piece UK soul band called Soul miners. Saturday will see the Fore Shadows and later on in the early evening the Treorchy Male Voice Choir will be raising the rafters of the CIA with their renditions of old favourites.

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Elvis Preseli on Wikipedia

Aberdare’s greatest living comedian and entertainer joins the pantheon of greats at Wikipedia.

Geraint Rhys Benney was born in the town of Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff, near Aberdare, South Wales on 8 November, 1972). He is a Welsh television actor and entertainer.

He has had no formal training as an actor, and started his career with non-speaking parts as an ‘extra’, principally with the long-running BBC soap opera, Pobol y Cwm. He would later gain his Equity card as an actor.He has worked in many different roles including factory worker and nightclub doorman.

He has made acting contributions to the long-running Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm since 1992.

He claims to have pioneered a diet based on eating brussels sprouts. He made numerous appearances in the media around 2000 based on his discovery, dubbing himself “Sproutman”.

He appeared on Chanel 4’s Big Breakfast show as Sproutman in 2001.

He currently devotes much of his time performing as Elvis Preseli, “the only bald, Welsh speaking, burger cooking Elvis in the world”. He performs as Elvis Preseli & the Undertakers. As part of the act he appears on stage carried in a gold coffin, he is brought back to life… and then he cooks some burgers on stage whilst singing non-Elvis songs!

Read the article today…

Comedy is the New Coal

The Aberdare economy was built on coal which was exported all over the world.

Nowadays the coal mines are all closed.

So instead we export something far more precious… Comedy.

Aberdare’s hottest comedy export is Elvis Preseli aka Geraint Benney, the only bald, Welsh speaking Elvis in the world.

This year Elvis Preseli is in hot demand on the other side of Europe. Elvis Preseli performed live at Runway Fest in Croatia recently in a unique festival held on a runway. The festival showcased the best dance music talent from across Europe, with Djs from every major European Country playing. Elvis Preseli represented Wales.

Eggciting Elvis Easter Eggtravaganza

In Aberdare Town recently we met the ONE TRUE KING.

Elvis Preseli.

We fought our way bravely past the security guards, the groupies, the photographers, the masseuse, the PAs, the personal chefs …

We overcome the vast entourage that filled up Market Street in Aberdare seeking the one true king.

Our audience with the King was brief.

He curled his lips.

And he wiggled his hips

And said :

Easter Sunday 8th April. Aberdare Con Club. Be there, bach.

Shwmae Elvis ? Porthcawl Festival Launch Party

It’s shwmae Elvis time again and the Porthcawl Elvis Festival is gearing up for the main event over the weekend of 27-30 September this year.

To whet your appetites they’re holding the Festival Launch Party next Thursday 15th February at the Hi Tide Inn in Porthcawl, starting at 7.30 PM.

There’s a host of top Elvis tribute artistes to entertain you, with one or two surprises too.

Tickets are just £6.00 each from the Hi Tide on 01656 782432.

To be kept informed of events leading up to the Elvis Festival, register on the website at www.elvies.co.uk

Elvis Capital of Wales this Friday

Aberdare is to become the Elvis capital of Wales this Friday.

Dave Smith, winner of The Best Welsh Elvis 2005 at Porthcawl Elvis Festival, will be performing live at The Little Theatre, Aberdare on Friday 8th December.

The first show is from 6PM – 8PM and second is 9PM – 11PM.

Tickets are £12.50 adults, £10.00 kids and senior citizens.

Dave will be backed by friends from Merthyr’s finest band, the Paul Black Graceland Band, with the legendary Juan Lozano making a guest appearance on guitar and backing vocals.

Manager Steve Thomas confirmed that Dave Smith has a full head of hair and does not speak Welsh, so our own local King of Comedy Geraint Benney is not about to be de-throned.

Enter the Max Boycezone

It is thirty three years to the day that Max Boyce recorded an album which launched his career as a singer and entertainer. ‘Live at Treorchy’ was performed at Treorchy Rugby Club. Is there any one in the Valleys who has not got an old copy of this ?

Max Boyce is of course alive and well and his career isn’t doing too bad either. The recent success of the Welsh rugby team has helped create a new interest in this talented entertainer from Glynneath.

So much so that a Max Boyce tribute band was formed – called Boycezone…

Boycezone have raised over £13,000 for charities such as Children in Need.

Boycezone will be playing at this Saturday’s International against New Zealand on Saturday November 25th 2006 at Queen Street 12.00 – 1.00pm, and Westgate Street 3.30 – 4.30pm

A Touch of Magic in Town

Hard to say who was the more frightening in town … Shrek or Judith Toms

One came in green and the other glowered in incandescent purple.

In the big rainpour around 4 o’clock in the afternoon a mass of parents and kids huddled together in the entrance and foyer of Aberdare Library.

And then the comic green monster with the stub nose and Scottish brogue appeared. Eyes suddenly lit up and little faces smiled in anticipation.

Like a rainbow forming on a dreary day, a touch of magic came to town.

King of Comedy

The King of Comedy… it’s the one… the only Mr Elvis Preseli.

Geraint Benney is the only bald, Welsh-speaking Elvis in the world.

Wonderfully photographed by Morganne Bajai

Click here for a LARGE version of this photograph.

The King of Comedy makes a great desktop wallpaper

Biggest Bar in Wales

The Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA, will be running Wales’ biggest beer festival at Cardiff City Hall next week. Featuring real ales from across Wales, the rest of the United Kingdom and for the first time beers from Germany, the 2006 Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is set to be the biggest ever.

There are now over 30 breweries in Wales and most of these will be represented at the biggest real ale event in Wales. On the Friday afternoon at the festival, the Champion Beer of Wales competition will be judged by an expert panel.

According to James Daley, CAMRA Regional Director, “With over 30 real ale breweries in Wales, we now have more breweries than we have had in 70 years. Between them these breweries produce over 180 different beers throughout the year and we will be aiming to have as many of these as possible available at the beer festival.”

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is the biggest beer festival in Wales and is the showcase event for Welsh real ale breweries. During the 3 days of the Festival 10 tons of beer will be tasted by over 4000 thirsty customers.

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Move over Stereophonics

As the Stereophonics haven’t released a decent album since Word Gets Around, perhaps it’s time to hunt for other local alternatives….

Local indie-rock band Souldriver are at Hirwaun Con Club on Saturday November 4th 2006. Start 7pm. For tracks, pics and other things zoom to their website at http://www.souldriver.co.uk/

BBC Radio Cymru comes to Cwm

BBC Radio Cymru C2 have organised a big music gig at Cwmaman Institute for FRIDAY 10th FEBRUARY at 8pm.

Welsh-language bands Ashokan and Mattoidz will feature along with local punk rock band Naked Threat.