When award-winning Welsh neo-folk band Calan play a series of three Welsh homecoming live shows at Aberystwyth Arts Centre (on 24th November), Ponterdawe Arts Centre (on 25th November) and Cardiff Welsh College of Music & Drama (on 1st December), lead singer Bethan Rhiannon’s pet cat Chelsea will be dancing with her. And you can get in on the action too.
“Chelsea’s my friend for life and I hate leaving her and the rest of my cats when we’re on tour, so I’ve had her tattooed on my side – that way she’s with me all through every concert,” says Bethan.
Bethan and the band are also encouraging fans to recognise their feline friends by uploading a picture to the official Calan Facebook page.
“We’ll keep as many on the page as we can,” says Bethan, “and at least Chelsea, Richie & Maggie will have some online company!”
Calan, Britain’s most innovative and thrilling ‘neo-folk’ band who reinvent traditional tunes into blistering, anthemic modern masterpieces, have a bit of a history with tattoos. They commissioned celebrated tattoo artist Rachel Holmes to create a T-shirt to promote their stunning 2015 album ‘A Tale of Two Dragons’. The original black-on-white design is now a highly sought-after collectors’ item.
Calan’s guitar virtuoso Sam Humphreys has a tattoo across his arm and elbow based on the resonant frequency of his tinnitus condition. The band’s fiddle maestro Patrick Rimes has a dragon tattoo on his bottom because he lost a bet or, as he describes it, “I’ve ended up with a tail of one dragon!”
Calan, whose celebrity fans include Sting and Sir Bryn Terfel, will appear at three Welsh venues as part of their triumphant autumn 2022 international tour.
“Aberystwyth holds a very special place in our hearts,” says Sam. “The National Library of Wales, over in Penglais Road, is where we research the source material for so many of our songs and tunes for ‘Kistvaen’. We were lucky and proud to be there, and we felt right at home going through some of the materials collected by greats such as Meredydd Evans.”
Talking about the Cardiff Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama show (on December 1st), Patrick says; “I studied here for a while, so for me it’s a bit like coming home. It’s impossible not to walk along the corridors and not remember the hours I put in inside those practice rooms. It’s wonderful to play here again.”
Calan will be showcasing music from their latest, critically acclaimed album ‘Kistvaen’ along with favourites from their huge back-catalogue. The band recently toured America’s east coast.
▪️ For further info, videos and tickets please visit Calan’s official website