5 Ska Bands to Listen to in 2020

Ska music originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, with combined elements of jazz, rhythm and blues, Caribbean mento, and calypso. It's gone in and out of popularity, revived in the UK in the late '70s becoming ska-punk by adding a punk edge and then again, in the late '80s and '90s with ska bands birthed across the globe. Ranker.com lists The Specials, a revival band that recently celebrated the 40-year anniversary of their debut album as No. 1 on its list of "Greatest Ska Bands of All Time." But who are the top bands to listen to today? The Slackers Formed in New York City in 1991, The Slackers are often named among the very best ska bands around today, with a prolific career highlighted by their second album that was released in 1997, "Redlight," which ranked No. 7 on the Billboard's "The Year in Music" list that year. The current band members, Vic Ruggiero, Ara Babajian, Marcus Geard, Dave Hillyard, Jay Nugent, and Gl......

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Valley Fest 2019 Review

*I received a family day ticket in exchange for an honest review  Wow we had such a busy summer and if you follow me on Instagram or my other social media you will know we went to a lot of festivals, near and far. Festivals are a great way to introduce children to community, music, camping and often crafts and forest games and it's a welcomed break away from the normal routine. This year we were invited to check out Valley Fest in Chew Valley near Bristol. With it being just over an hour from our house we decided to make a day trip of it rather than weekend camping which we usually reserve for festivals a bit further away. There are also real pluses to visiting for the day so if your town or city is putting on a festival you should consider a day ticket over a weekend pass as they are usually cheaper and less hassle if you're not keen on camping but want to experience that festival buzz. Valley Fest takes place on a beautiful organic farm overlooking Che......

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SouthernSundown Food Festival - Waving goodbye to Summer

Does anything scream summer more than street food and festival vibes? I find letting go of eating al-fresco and long evenings very hard so having the chance to enjoy it one last time before the Autumn weather really sets in was an opportunity to good to miss and when we heard about the SouthernSundown happening the last weekend of September we thought why not head down to the beautiful coastline and enjoy a cheeky G&T. Hosted at The Barn at West Farm in the small Welsh coastal village of Southerndown, a venue I have wanted to visit for a while and was the perfect location, with some of the most inspiring cliff side views across the ocean you couldn't get a better place to chill out, listen to live music and eat an array of good food. I have to be honest and say it wasn't the warmest of Sundays, in fact the Saturday had been so gloriously sunny we had been hoping for the same but the one upside of that was it was quieter meaning no queues for all the deliciou......

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Cardiff Events not to be missed

It's not winter yet and I always try and make the most of what is not yet the coldest season of the year, with lots of events and happenings around Cardiff, with something for everyone from Music, fashion, Art and parenting,  here are four of my fave over the next month. Swn Music Festival - 17th - 20th October - with live music happening across the city and a weekend pass only coming in at £65 this is a great music festival attracting local and international talent to the city, including Mr Scruff and Everything Everything it's going to be a great weekend. I can personally say that on the two occasions I have been I have always had fun and running around from venue to venue made things more interesting. Made in Roath Arts Festival 17th-24th Oct with free events happening across the creative suburb of Roath. With various galleries opening there doors, street markets, films and gatherings it's a really exciting weekend with lots to do and see as well ......

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