Focus Wales: Festival welcomes music industry to Wales

The bands are back: Hourglvss were one of the acts wowing crowds at the Llwyn Isaf big tent in Wrexham for Focus Wales

The impact of Covid on the music industry has been brutal, say artists - but they are ready to fight back.

Nearly 300 acts from Wales and the world have gathered in Wrexham for the return of one of the UK's most important festivals for new talent.

It comes as the town celebrates being named on the shortlist for the bid to be the 2025 City of Culture.

But the shadow of the pandemic remains - just days before mandatory Covid passes are introduced in Wales.

"Obviously it's been a challenge, but it's both brilliant and strange to actually be here," said festival co-founder Neal Thompson.

"What I'm really happy with is we are now able to put on this festival in a way people feel comfortable.

"It's as safe an environment as we can make.

"One of the things I'm most pleased about is we are actually able to let people come back and do the thing they want to do."

Relief and joy: Focus Wales' co-founder Neal Thompson is "bowled over" for the festival's return

He said that included sound and lighting engineers who have struggled without events during the pandemic, as well as bands and fans.

"We are really just bowled over to be in that kind of situation."

Electronic music artist Eädyth, from Merthyr Tydfil, was on the cusp of breaking through to become a major talent on the UK scene when Covid hit in 2020.

After the enforced pause in her career progression - she is more than delighted to be back performing to live audiences at real festivals.

Events such as Focus Wales "so, so important" says Merthyr artist Eädyth

"It's so, so important. I haven't been part of something like this in so long," said the singer, who has been championed by the likes of the BBC Horizons project.

"Lockdown - not being in contact with anyone, and not being able to network and see each other, especially other musicians - I've missed out on a lot of that.

"So being a part of Focus Wales is so, so important."

She helped kick off events on Thursday evening, with a showcase performance sponsored by the music industry's PRS and PPL bodies, which are responsible for ensuring artists and publishers get paid for performance and record sales.

• Covid Passed: What you need to know

• Clubbers and venues torn over passes

It was also a chance for Swansea four-piece Bandicoot to shake of the ring rust, and do what they have become best known for - raucous live performances.

"It's been totally surreal," said singer and Bandicoot musician Rhys Underdown.

"I remember playing my first gig again, in a Cardiff arcade for a private event - it was like playing my first gig again - I was so nervous.

"Part of us were still wondering whether people will still go to gigs - is that something people are going to be comfortable doing?

"But people have been turning out in massive numbers."

Bandicoot's Rhys Underdown said people want to get back to gigs and live events

The event, which goes on until the early hours of Sunday morning, will be the very last in Wales to run without mandatory Covid passes.

From Monday, anyone going to a nightclub or large event in Wales - including football and rugby games - will have to show they have either been vaccinated, or have tested negative for Covid.

For those in the nighttime industry in Wales - especially those running smaller music venues - it has been a worry.

Guto Brychan, who runs Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, was at the festival to talk about the future for smaller venues post-Covid.

He said the industry needed more time to implement Covid passes, and more importantly, get the message about them to their customers.

"Bring it in as legislation, but give us a grace period to get our systems in order, to trial out the Covid pass, and get that message out to customers," he said.

"It's just too short a time period."

Perhaps the hottest ticket in town - a Covid 'negative' wristband

At the festival itself, they have taken a strict stance on Covid safety, like many other events that have taken place across Wales in the last few weeks.

They have insisted everyone attending one of the 25 venues across the town prove they have had a negative lateral flow test that day.

Only then will they be issued with a wristband that allows them access to events.

"People are happy to do it - they understand what's happening, and they understand that it's making the event better, it's making it possible to happen by their little bit of extra effort," added Mr Thompson.

"So it's an opportunity to say thanks you to everyone for actually doing that for us, because its making it all happen, to be honest."