by
Rob Jones
Another top WAM night recorded. MC Mike Church – is that what MC stands for Mike Church? Yes, I reckon as this guy is a born entertainer!
Anyhow MC leads from the front and tonight is a mixed bag of words, art and music. To add to which the Worker’s Art Gallery in Ynyshir offers so much to see including the magnificent endeavours of the proprietors Gayle Rogers and Chris Williams.
David Bayliss of Porth offered an accomplished acoustic set with covers of tunes from the likes of Richard Thompson, Bob Dylan and in particular the sounds of ’77 e.g. The Clash anthem – Career Opportunities and the beautiful Elvis Costello ballad – Alison.
Jane Walker journeyed from Sheffield in order to provide an insight in to her amazing art and what was incredible was that some of her work which depicted the streets of Yorkshire could quite easily replicate the roads of the Rhondda. This erudite lady has travelled far and wide to extend her diligence and experiment with a range of formats. Her presence at the gallery was appreciated as an inquisitive crowd peppered their attraction with questions.
Mark Blaney stepped up to the plate with a plethora of poetry ranging from the weird and wacky to the more cerebral and sensitive. However, Mark is never far away from a clever quip or a comedic comment. The Cardiff resident has his own style but at the same time he also doffs his cap to the regal rhyming repertoire of John Cooper Clarke. timing is everything and the delivery of this wordsmith comes with impeccable spacing to make the material work to its maximum potential.
Well, roll on the June WAM night because the diversity and dexterity of these evenings gives our proud valley another Midas dimension!
The good news is that www.worldofwords.education made a few new links tonight that may hopefully lead to some guest visitors popping in to our schools in the future. Fingers crossed!
This night also proved to be a success for the Pandy over 50’s Socialising Group who travelled over to attend the event. The group will next meet at The Welcome Inn, Tonypandy on Thursday, May 17 at 6.30pm. Newcomers are welcome to attend.
