James McLaren
Blog posts in total 519
Posts
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Tom Hollister Trio sign deal with Gn'R manager
A couple of weeks back our colleagues at 成人论坛 Wales News brought the news of Abercarn guitarist Chris Buck being proclaimed the "best up-and-coming guitarist" in the World by none other than ex-Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven.
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Live: Lostprophets, 1 May, Cardiff International Arena
I'm going to lay my cards on the table here: I've seen Lostprophets about 20 times, starting at a sold-out Cardiff Barfly show in 2001 and culminating in this last weekend's headlining Cardiff International Arena.
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Kruger magazine 2004-2010
A few years ago, while working at Welsh Music Foundation, two young bucks came in to talk to me and my boss, Elliot Reuben, a music scene stalwart with an anecdote for every occasion.
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Bangor braces for Big Weekend
The line-up for this year's Radio 1 Big Weekend has been announced, with a Welsh contingent reflecting its Bangor location. Lostprophets, Marina And The Diamonds and Kids In Glass Houses are all playing, with more Welsh bands expected to be announced. Read more from 成人论坛 NW Wales
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Charlotte Church and Katherine Jenkins: the millionaires hiding the financial truth for musicians
This weekend sees the Sunday Times wallow in its annual celebration of mammon, as it publishes its Rich List. Topping the list of musical millionnaires under 30 are two Welsh stars, Charlotte Church and Katherine Jenkins, each with a personal fortune estimated at 拢11m. The paper makes estimate...
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Only Boys Aloud looks for new generation of male singers
It's no secret that male voice choirs, the musical tradition of many towns across Wales, are suffering as their members age and the younger generation become less likely to join. But now a scheme designed to encourage young boys and men between the ages of 14 and 19 to become involved with th...
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Feeder and the self-release culture
After testing new material in small venues under the name of Renegades, Feeder have announced a comeback under their own name. Their new single, Call Out, will be released on 14 June on their own label, Big Teeth Records. It marks a return to the rocky sound of their early releases, they say. This release marks one more band - a proper, big band - choosing to self-release their records. What's going on here?
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Amen Corner's piece of Hammer Horror history
Best remembered for being one of the very few films starring Hammer horror staples Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (oh, and also a pre-Last Of The Summer Wine Peter Sallis), the 1970 film Scream And Scream Again is notable for the appearance in the film and soundtrack of Cardiff...
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GLC gets into golf, brah
With the Ryder Cup taking place at Newport's Celtic Manor resort this year, Goldie Lookin' Chain have hooked up with some film students to record a video for a song titled Golf Is Coming.
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Tom Jones' dole records fail to sell at auction
"He does not want shift work but I believe the reason for his not liking shifts is because he is a member of a vocal group which is supposedly an amateur affair." So said a dole officer of Sir Tom Jones as he started his life as a singer. But this unemployment record card and five more failed to...
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Just three Welsh acts for Glastonbury?
With a small number of names still to be announced, the latest Glastonbury line-up includes just three acts from Wales.
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Tom Jones chicken theft ban lifted
Sir Tom Jones has had a ban from the village of Fochriw, near Caerphilly, lifted after 47 years.
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"Best up-and-coming guitarist" from Abercarn?
When I was about 11, I and my like-minded mates used to debate regularly as to who was the best guitarist in the world. Was it Steve Vai? Joe Satriani? Brian May? Eric Clapton? Nuno Bettencourt? Or maybe Slash?
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I Am Austin bag first TV show appearance
Connah's Quay dance-rock duo I Am Austin - aka David Mitchell and Adam Hughes - are set for a TV break this weekend with an appearance on Channel 4's Evo Music Rooms show. The self-confessed "smallest band in the world" - a reference to their heights of 5' 5" - will appear on the show at 12.3...
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Lostprophets' 'Felon' film a gritty affair
For the release of their new single, For He's A Jolly Good Felon, on Visible Noise this week, Lostprophets have filmed a special, extended promo clip which features gangsters and 'felons' engaged in nefarious activities in an inner-city area.
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Culprit 1 sends Letters
Newport dance wunderkind Culprit 1 has branched out from his usual electronica with a remix of a compositon by Cardiff's own famed composer John Hardy, performed by the 成人论坛 National Orchestra of Wales (成人论坛 NOW).
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Record Store Day in Wales
This Saturday, 17 April, is Record Store Day: a celebration of the independent record shops that were once a common sight on high streets up and down the country, but today are becoming are rarer than those proverbial hens' teeth.
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Shirley Bassey's Glasto remembered in portrait
Back in 2007, Dame Shirley Bassey appeared at a sodden Glastonbury resplendent in a 拢50,000 Julian MacDonald pink dress and iconic diamant茅 Wellington boots. Now a portrait of her from that time is on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. (Photograph of Dame Shirley Bassey 漏 Venetia Dearden) The portrait is part of a forthcoming exhibition of work by Venetia Dearden. Her collection comes from six years photographing scenes and stars at the festival. View a photo gallery of Dame Shirley at Glastonbury 2007.
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An introduction
Now that the 成人论坛 Wales power-that-be have decided that I can have my own blog account, I thought it would be good introduce myself. I'm James McLaren, an Assistant Producer here at 成人论坛 Wales, and I've been working on the 成人论坛 Wales Music website since 2006.