The Southmartins will bring their acclaimed Beautiful South and Housemartins sound to Cwmbran this summer as they make their first Welsh appearance in a decade at Crow Fest.
Known for getting crowds singing from the first song, the band say they’re gearing up for a lively, feel‑good set packed with hits on Saturday 18 July at Cwmbran Stadium.
Andy Johnson, a member of the band, said: “People are surprised how many of the songs they know word for word, even fairly casual fans of The Beautiful South and The Housemartins.
“We find people are up, dancing and singing from the start. There are sections where we actively encourage the crowd to participate but if they’re already up for it we don’t have to work too hard for everyone to have a great time.”
This will be the first time the band has played in Wales since playing at the Acapela Studios near Cardiff ten years ago.
Andy said: “We don’t play a lot of shows each year, due to other commitments, and even fewer festivals so we pick and choose quite carefully where we play.
“It’s a massive trek for us to play this show so we’re looking forward to being on site and soaking in the atmosphere.”
They promise to pack in lots of hits, perfect for a festival crowd and a high-energy entertaining show.
Andy added: “There are sections where we actively encourage the crowd to participate but if they’re already up for it we don’t have to work too hard for everyone to have a great time.”
Crow Fest tickets
The Crow Fest doors open at 12.30pm. Tickets for the all-day event, full of music on stage and family-friendly entertainment around the 3G pitch, are priced at £10 for adults (plus booking fee) and £5 for under-18s, who must be accompanied by an adult. Buy your tickets here.