12/7/24

It was autumn when a series of ‘Little Gigs' by some of the hottest acts on the Welsh music scene toured Cardiff's secondary schools, kickstarting a Cardiff Council programme aimed at inspiring learners and providing a pipeline of talent for Cardiff's music sector.

This week - after a programme of mentoring, training and support from music industry partners, includingCerddcf, Anthem, and Sound Progression, as well as Duke al Durham, Maddie Jones, Alex Jones, Wonderbrass, Dflexx and Farrah -pupils from schools across Cardiff took to the stage at Clwb Ifor Bach in a series of special showcase events in front of an audience that included BBC 6 Music DJ Huw Stephens and BBC Radio 1 DJ Sam MacGregor.

Pupils from Cantonian High School on stage at Clwb Ifor Bach (credit Cardiff Council)

Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: "The first year of our Little Gigs programme has taken pupils from a place where some of them had never experienced a gig before, to performing their own music at one of Cardiff's most iconic venues in front of established industry professionals - that's quite a journey in the space of one academic year.

"The skills they've gained and the experiences they've had as part of the Little Gigs programme will give them all a really good base for potential future careers in the music sector, whether that's performing on stage or in one of the many behind the scenes roles in the industry." 

Many of the 21 bands performing, formed during workshops run as part of the Little Gigs programme, which included ‘Band from Scratch' workshops as well as sessions on music production, songwriting and composition. The programme also included opportunities to get involved ‘behind the scenes' with workshops and sessions covering stage management, band management, and promotion - including the opportunity to design and print band t-shirts to wear at the showcase gigs, at a ‘Design your own Merch' session with Printhaus, facilitated by Arts Active.

Speaking ahead of performing, HJ from the band Violet Chapter - made up of pupils from Ysgol Plasmawr, Radyr Comprehensive, and Cardiff West Community High School and formed out of a shared love of Metallica at a ‘Band from Scratch' workshop - said: "This has been the best. I always thought I was going to do music, but this has made me want to do it so much more. If I was to say how to get young people into music, it would be to do this. Get other kids to do this."

Violet Chapter performing at Clwb Ifor Bach as part of the ‘Little Gigs' programme (credit Cardiff Council)

Amelie, who is a final year student at Cardiff High School and is due to begin a Music Production course at college in September, said: "It's been really good, really inclusive, really positive - I like being in a band and playing and all that stuff, but I think being in a band and knowing how to manage yourself and promote yourself as a musician is really important as well, I just find it really interesting. I've learned a lot about planning, watching how they plan the gigs, which has really helped me."

One of the schools with a band performing their first gig was Cantonian High School. Music Teacher, Helen Morris said: "It's just been a fantastic experience for them, lots of them will never have performed in a venue like this, and they probably wouldn't get the experience if it wasn't for this project.

"It's definitely helped make them think about music as a potential career. It's one of those experiences that they're going to look back on and think well actually, we were proper musicians. Hopefully it will encourage them to continue working together as a band, explore other experiences in terms of performing and live gigs, but also other avenues in music, as things like technicians and sound engineers."

Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "Cardiff's music scene is packed full of talent but if it's to continue to thrive in the future, it needs a continuous pipeline of talent.

"The Little Gigs programme is a key part of our Music Strategy to support Cardiff's music scene and put music at the centre of the city's growth and development. The programme was designed to inspire, empower and enable the next generation of music sector professionals - judging from this week's showcase events at Clwb Ifor Bach, the future of Cardiff's music scene is in good hands."