Band Update
14 Apr 2004

If 2002 was a year of development for the band then 2003 was an even more successful year. In the early part of the year Allan Yn Y Fan were busy rehearsing the material that became their first album “Off the Map” and recording that with leading Welsh guitar hero Dylan Fowler at his amazing Stiwdio’r Felin in Abergavenny.

The band weren’t just busy with recording in the first quarter of the year — three gigs on St. David’s day in three different locations must go down as some kind of record! Allan Yn Y Fan not only played a great deal to celebrate Wales & The Welsh but also were invited to play at one of Wales’ best festivals — Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau and for more private events during the year than ever.

The band played for weddings in London, Weston Super Mare and Druidstone (to name but three memorable locations) as well as their customary annual pilgrimage to Counties Roscommon and Galway and a family fortieth birthday celebration in Scotland (checked out by the local constabulary, no less!!).

Allan Yn Y Fan also found their way onto BBC Radio 4 — as three of their members’ reminiscences of Garden Festival Wales were used on the “You & Yours” programmes to commemorate the Garden Festival experiments in the U.K. With the release of the album in June (check-out the excellent reviews!), the band’s music was being heard well-beyond their gigs, as tracks were played throughout the UK on folk programmes as well as in Europe and New Mexico!

The year ended with memorable gigs and sessions with our German friends the excellent Geyers during October, a penultimate gig in David Morgan’s department store; a sold-out twmpath at St. Donat’s Arts Centre for Christmas and a brilliant New Year’s Eve twmpath organised by our great friends and supporters in Abertridwr.

In 2004 we have already played for some memorable weddings in Caerffili Castle and Crickhowell; a storming Twmpath for St. David in Blackwood Miner’s Institute and are looking forward to the Friday night Ceildih at the amazing Trowbridge Village Pump Festival (see www.villagepumpfestival.com) ; weddings in Mid-wales and North Yorkshire and a tour of Germany. Anything else is up to you : contact us soon to be certain of your date!

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