Entertainment
Back In The Digital Age: Q&A With Welsh Wildboys Stickman
Words: Mike Kennedy [Guest Writer – Welsh Connections/SWND Records, Director | Oystermouth Radio – Presenter] Grown up and mature. Words that we never thought we’d use when talking about legendary South Wales pop-punk pioneers Stickman – and to be fair it’s a struggle even now! Despite line-up changes and fatherhood, the Llanelli rockers still play…
Read MoreNEWS: There’s No Stonewalling Shemuwel
Words: Mike Kennedy [Guest Writer – Welsh Connections/SWND Records, Director | Oystermouth Radio – Presenter] Madcap Global Music’s SHEMUWEL takes to the stage at the 2021 Stonewall Pride Parade. After a turbulent year of lockdown restrictions and cancelled events, the annual Stonewall Pride Wilton Manors Street Festival returns in 2021. Two years ago, 40,000 party-goers…
Read MoreFEATURE: Rock & Roll Queen Suzi Quatro – Seventies To Seventy
Words: Jeremy Gluck Guest Writer (Director, Welsh Connections/SWND Records – Musician – Artist) Coming up comfy in the suburbs of Ottawa – at that time still loveably pocket-sized – at fifteen, haunting the deletion bins of the record stores downtown one day began a strange manifestation. Out of nowhere, usually for 99 cents each –…
Read MoreRitchie Blackmore & Candice Night Discuss Their New Album ‘Nature’s Light’ With Michael Kennedy
Words: Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night with Mike Kennedy Take an escape to nature with ‘Nature’s Light’, the new album from Blackmore’s Night. Blackmore’s Night is the musical pairing of founding Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and his wife Candice Night, a talented lyricist and musician. As well as sharing a life together, they also…
Read MoreFEATURE: Mike Kennedy In Conversation With Artist Jeff ‘SKIN’ Williams
Words: Jeff Williams with Mike Kennedy Jeff Williams has been a professional artist for over 40 years, painting many of today’s iconic stars, from the world of entertainment and sport, raising thousands of pounds for charity in the process. We recently caught up with him at his home in Porthcawl to find out when it…
Read MoreIn Memory Of Guitarist Dion Hirini
Words: Matt Innes The music industry is mourning the loss of guitarist Dion Hirini, who passed away unexpectedly last week. Dion had been on tour with Row Jerry Crow band and passed away from a heart condition while travelling home from one of the shows in regional Victoria on 12 March. Born in New Zealand…
Read MoreFEATURE: A Tribute To The Late & Great Michael Gudinski
Words: Matt Innes The sudden passing of Australian music industry icon and founder of Mushroom Records Michael Gudinski has left a gaping hole in many hearts. Michael reportedly passed away peacefully in his sleep overnight [1 March], at the age of 68. To those who knew him personally, Michael was a cunning entrepreneur, earning the…
Read MoreFEATURE: The Unearthing Of Lecia Louise
Words: Matt Innes Success doesn’t come easily as an independent artist, but the hard work is paying off for Queensland singer-songwriter Lecia Louise. Lecia’s latest single, ‘My Everything’ has found its way to the top of the triple J Unearthed charts across all genres. “I was pretty excited,” Lecia says. “It was in the charts…
Read MoreFEATURE: Pink’s Not Dead – An Interview With Femmebug
Words: Jeremy Gluck Guest Writer (Director, Welsh Connections/SWND Records – Musician – Artist) Given the self-declared propensity for “glittery goodness” of Femmebug – the alter ego of Swansea-born Caitie Inson – perhaps it’s not a coincidence that her debut EP ‘Comfortable Place’ was released on 14 February, the alter ego of Valentine’s Day. “My future…
Read MoreFEATURE: Dancing With The Angels
Words: Mike Kennedy [Guest Writer – Welsh Connections/SWND Records, Director | Oystermouth Radio – Presenter] It was an unexpected phone call – and a voice from the past – that was the catalyst for the UK’s Christmas number-one in the iTunes chart last year. When the Emmy-nominated, and BAFTA Award-winning composer, Mark Thomas received a…
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