L E M F R E C K with support from Luke RV and Infamousizak – Paradise Garden, Cardiff, 01.09.23 18.09.2023 Jordan Curtis Following the release of his highly anticipated album ‘BLOOD SWEAT & FEARS’, multi-genre artist L E M F R E C K hosted an intimate gig at Cardiff venue Paradise Garden. With support from Luke RV and South London’s Infamousizak, the excitement in the venue was palpable before anyone had even taken to the stage.  First up, Neath rapper Luke RV. He easily settled into his set, getting everybody in the mood for a good night. He made the most of his time on stage, playin ..read more

11.05.2023 Jordan Curtis Call him Razkid or Big Raz – but never RazKid. He’s been carving out his own lane in Wales’s vibrant music scene for a few years now; an MC renowned for his slick wordplay and cut-throat delivery on the microphone. After releasing two new tracks this year – ‘Worker’s Hands’ and ‘Wake Up’ – we sat down together to discuss the new music and how determined he is to show everyone what he is truly capable of. These two tracks are the first releases from Razkid for some time, a fact he’s more than aware of. “The reason I was doing shows but not releasing anything is because ..read more

24.04.2023 Jordan Curtis Cardiff four-piece Red Telephone blend ideas and sounds from a plethora of different inspirations. Founding members Declan Andrews and Kieran O’Brien have been playing together since they were 17, having discovered music later in life after being football obsessed in their earlier teenage years. From there, they enlisted the help of their brothers – Dominic O’Brien on bass and Toby Andrews on guitar – to take their music to another level. I recently sat down with Declan and Kieran to chat about their debut album ‘Hollowing Out’ and to catch up on their recent successfu ..read more

Interview with Beano Naboo and the Real Keepers’ Sean O’Brien 23.02.2023 Jordan Curtis Sean O’Brien, lead singer of Beano Naboo and the Real Keepers, has been preparing for the band’s debut album for quite some time. The group originally formed in 2019 and had got material ready for 2020, but, as you might expect, COVID got in the way of them sharing their music with us. Fast forward to 2023 and their debut album ‘Juice’ is due to be released on 24th February. I caught up with Sean over a pint (or two) to discuss all things album as well as his transition from playing guitar on the streets of ..read more

Interview with James Minas 22.12.22 Jordan Curtis If you’re plugged into the Welsh music scene, chances are you’ve heard of James Minas in some shape or form. The multi-talented artist and producer has had a hand in so much of the amazing music coming out Wales in the last couple of years and I was lucky enough to catch up with him after his sell-out album launch show at Buffalo in Cardiff on Friday 25th November. The debut album ‘All My Love Has Failed Me’ released on November 11th of this year is an eclectic mix of powerful industrial rock sounds and hypnotic electronic beats, all brought to ..read more

The Shutdown Show Presents: President T with support from ManLikeVision, Smxk3, Truth & DJ Coco Dubz – The Moon Cardiff, 8th October 2022 25.10.2022 Jordan Curtis The recent string of brilliant shows at The Moon continued as The Shutdown Show put on a night featuring Grime royalty President T on the night of Saturday 8th October. Support came from talented Welsh artists Truth, Smoke, and ManLikeVision with DJ Coco Dubz on the decks. First up, Truth took to the stage. As someone who has seen his many Instagram freestyles, I was excited to see him live for the first time. Even though he’s on ..read more

Larynx Entertainment presents: Manga Saint Hilaire with Support from Millz, Ez Rah, Niques and Razkid – The Moon Cardiff, 5th October 2022 11.10.2022 Jordan Curtis North Wales-based Larynx Entertainment recently put on a great night of music with veteran London Grime MC Manga Saint Hilaire as the headline. Hosted by Prendy of The Shutdown Show with Minas on the decks, support came from incredible Welsh acts such as Millz, Ez Rah, Niques and Razkid. It was a night not only to welcome back a legendary MC to Cardiff, but also to showcase incredible Welsh talent. First up to the stage was Millz ..read more

“We wanted to make the songs sound like they were being played on the radio of a crashing ship.” Made up of George Williams, Erin Julian, Joe Tobin and Luke Llewelyn, four-piece Dactyl Terra are one of the latest musical talents to emerge from South Wales. A self-described sonic machine, Dactyl Terra produce improvised space synth sounds, supported with a well-oiled rhythm section and riff driven melodies. With classic rock, psych rock, jazz and funk influences — as well as inspiration from Squid, Thee Oh Sees, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, and fellow Welsh artist Tu Segall — Dactyl Terr ..read more

Interview with Romeo and Duet winner SJ Hill 15.07.2022 Jordan Curtis I recently had the chance to catch up with SJ Hill, a Cardiff based artist who is attracting a lot of attention right now. The Rumney artist has been working hard for 6 years on his craft, having appeared on the X-Factor back in 2017, making it to the boot camp performances at Wembley. Now, following a recent winning appearance on ITV’s ‘Romeo and Duet’ (a dating show that doubled as a singing competition), he has released a new track titled ‘Tell Me’, in collaboration with fellow show winner Amba Jae. “We’ve got a lot of go ..read more

Jelani Blackman with Support from Luke RV and Razkid – The Moon Cardiff, 18th May 2022 24.05.2022 Jordan Curtis The Shutdown Show put together an all-star line-up for a Wednesday night at The Moon; a real showcase of talented artists who all brought their own individual styles to the stage. All of this at one of the cornerstone venues of Cardiff’s Womanby Street. First to the stage was Neath’s own Luke RV. He got the crowd excited with his opener ‘Mr. Brightside’ and kept the good vibes going. His unique flows and delivery make him a fascinating artist, someone who’s comfortable with tapping i ..read more