Yr Ods lead the Saturday night line-up at this year’s Maes B, completing four evenings of gigs, which will be very different to previous years at the National Eisteddfod in the Vale of Glamorgan, according to organiser, Guto Brychan, “This year’s Maes B will be held on an open stage in the youth village, adding to the festival vibe and creating a great atmosphere. The response to this idea has been extremely positive, especially on social media such as Twitter, since the original idea was first announced late last year.
“We’ve wanted to experiment with an open stage for a while, and this year’s location is perfect, so from Wednesday evening onwards, Maes B takes place in the youth village, close to the Eisteddfod Maes itself. This means that people won’t have to worry about catching a bus or getting back to the campsite at the end of the night.”
Maes B at the youth village starts on Wednesday night with Meic Stevens, Elin Fflur, Al Lewis Band, Tom ap Dan and Greta Isaac, and on Thursday night, Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, Y Niwl, Sen Segur, Violas and Eilir Pierce will perform.
Y Bandana, Masters in France, Swnami, Helyntion Jos y Ficar and Nebula, winners of the C2 Radio Cymru and Mentrau Iaith Cymru Battle of the Bands, are the line-up on Friday, with Yr Ods, Creision Hud, Yr Angen, Candelas and winners of the Maes B Battle of the Bands competition performing on Saturday night at Maes B.
“I think we’ve managed to put together a strong line-up this year, with a wide range of groups and genres coming together to create a festival which is sure to appeal to a local and national audience, coming to the Vale of Glamorgan.
“Maes B gigs at the beginning of the week, including the Battle of the Bands competition, will be held on the performance stage on the Eisteddfod Maes itself. This is part of the Eisteddfod’s strategy to centralise a number of activities, including Maes C, on the Maes itself this year, and it’s a great way to ensure that as many people as possible have the chance to enjoy some of Wales’ newest bands early in the week.
“I think it’s good for the Battle of the Bands competition, as the bands will be able to perform live on the performance stage as well as playing in Maes B – a fantastic opportunity for any band.”
Tickets are available online at www.eisteddfod.org.uk or by ringing the ticketline – 0845 4090 800. For more information on Maes B go to www.maesb.com or www.facebook.com/maesb. You can also follow Maes B on Twitter – www.twitter.com/maes_b.
Any band interested in taking part in the Battle of the Bands competition should send an email to [email protected] as soon as possible. The prize is the UMCA Trophy for a year, £1,000 and a session on C2 Radio Cymru and at Maes B.
The Vale of Glamorgan National Eisteddfod is held on the old airfield at Llandow near Cowbridge and Llantwit Major from 4-11 August. For more details go to www.eisteddfod.org.uk.
