Welsh Bands Weekly/Bandiau Cymreig Wythnosol

fozzie · Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:06 pm Post subject: jazz fest altalia

Next Wed 3/10/07 at Altalia, Stepney Street, Llanelli, they are holding a Jazz festival, big marquee about five bands. For more info pop in to Altalia and see Tal or phone on 01554 751157.
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over 30 punk rock has-been

fozzie · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:21 pm Post subject:

I went to the jazz festival. It was in the Italian restaurant where they used to have a weekly acoustic gig. They stopped doing the acoustic nights as it was getting too crowded, more people were there for the music than were there for food. I didn't think they'd have enough room for jazz bands to play, as it was cramped when it there was just someone with an acoustic guitar.

There wasn't enough room for jazz bands in the restaurant, which is why they had a marquee attached to the front of the place. The marquee was about the same size as the downstairs part of the restaurant. It had one wall removed, on the side where the glass front of the restaurant was and there were tables outside so it did seem like one big building. The crowd range from old people drinking brandy to some of the youngsters from the local rock pub. The youngsters seemed to be getting into the spirit of things; most of the blokes were wearing blazers, some with hats and the girls were sitting around drinking red wine and clicking their fingers. You can tell we’re all over 30 now. Ten years back we would have all been crammed into a dingy pub, drinking Newcastle brown and watching a heavy metal band.

My mate's band was on first but I turned up just after they finished. She's been back in town for about ten years now but I keep on missing her sing, either by turning up as she finishes or having to go somewhere just before she starts. The band that were playing when I arrived, was your proper hardcore jazz; saxophonist, double bass player and a keyboard player, all seemingly playing different tunes at different tempos but it sounded great. The next band were gypsy jazz guitarists. They were very good but I've seen that sort of things a few times now so I didn't really get into them. The first band had the upper hand as they were playing instruments that you don't usually see because people can't afford them. I was impressed by the amount of notes one of the gypsy jazz guitarists played in a song though. I'm surprised he had any left for the rest of the gig.

I was surprised how many drunks were there for a jazz festival. There was an Australian bloke who fell over a chair, a jolly fat man who, I think, was trying to chat me up and an old lady who told my mate that she had a beautiful singing voice (it wasn't the girl who was singing, it was another mate who is 20 years older, a foot shorter and has brown hair not blonde). The old woman then told us that there was karaoke in the nightclub and it was £1.50 a pint there. I don't think I want to go to the sort of nightclubs that's full of drunk old women singing karaoke on a Wednesday night, I more of a jazz club man now. I didn't get to see the last band. My mate was driving home and I thought that if I had another pint, the spirit of jazz may take me and I'd end up walking home late at night, scatting.

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over 30 punk rock has-been