N-Ex-T at Hafan Yr Afon: Bringing Experimental Music Home
- barry0313
- Apr 19
- 2 min read
Hafan, sometimes translated as “home,” is becoming a hub and a home for experimental music, the kind you might otherwise only encounter deep within cities like London, Birmingham, and Manchester.
Just because the largest town in Powys has a population of around 11,000 doesn’t mean there isn’t a real appetite for this kind of work. If anything, the need feels stronger. Music and art that explore the unknown have a place here.
And sometimes, people don’t realise what they’re about to experience until they’re in it. But those are often the moments that stay with you.
This isn’t really about liking or disliking something. It’s about being in the room while something unfolds, right here, right now, knowing it may never happen again.
Would you travel hundreds of miles and spend money on something you’re not sure you’ll like? Probably not. But when it’s on your doorstep, it feels different. There’s a willingness to take a chance.
A good example of this was back in February, when Eddie Prévost, Silvan Schmid, and Tom Wheatley brought something really special to Hafan, with support from Bazmatronics and Mark Hanslip.
For some people in the room, it was their first time experiencing anything like it. And you could feel it. There was a sense of people being completely taken somewhere else by the music, not quite knowing what to expect, but fully inside it.
It also happened to be the same day that Prince William and Catherine, Prince and Princess of Wales were visiting Hafan and Newtown, which made it quite an eventful day all round. I did invite them to the gig, incase you were thinking!
From a musician’s point of view, that one extra gig can make a tour possible.
At the same time, venues are becoming harder to find, and the need to pay artists properly is more important than ever, especially with the cost of living on everyone’s mind.
That’s where organisations like Ty Cerdd and Night Out / Noson Allan make a real difference. They help keep live music happening, support artists on the road, and make it possible for small communities to experience something meaningful together. Keep en eye out for the next N-Ex-T gig at Hafan and thank you for your support! Barry Edwards www.hafanyrafon.com
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