Issue 149

Coffee Cesso

20th November 2006

A new live music venue that is growing in prominence by the second awaits your discovery. Set against the tranquil backdrop of Swansea Marina lies Coffee Cesso, a unique establishment where unsigned local bands, artists and musical acts can perform in front of an intimate audience with inviting surroundings and an anti-pub atmosphere.

After opening its doors back in March this year, Coffee Cesso started hosting music acts in August with an emphasis on jazz and blues-based acts who are passionate about their music and are willing to self promote.

Cesso manager and co-owner, David Griffiths, is continually looking to increase the output of live music. "Swansea has a great musical talent in the underground scene and we are here to show off this talent", he says with great conviction.

Swansea is a city that is not exactly blessed with an array of live music venues; the handful that spring to mind (Monkey Bar, The Office, Escape, and Inferno) are relatively small venues that possess smoky pub/bar atmospheres, have a heavy slant towards hard rock music and struggle to attract big name musical acts. Plus, with the Patti Pavilion undergoing a major makeover, which will not be completed in the foreseeable future, Coffee Cesso might just be the longawaited answer to Swansea's current music venue dilemma.

Cesso uses the available surroundings to accommodate its music acts and has the option of renting out the adjacent National Waterfront Museum when hosting acts with larger fan bases; for example, well established bands such as Starsailor have already used this facility with successful results.

Combined with the space and excellent acoustics that the Waterfront Museum offers, and the warm and the relaxed ambience of the café, Coffee Cesso is an attractive venue for any musical act, no matter how notorious they are. The only potential problem that faces Cesso is the concealed location - over the road from Tesco, on the banks of the canal - but, to be honest, once you discover the venue, it is easy to find your way back there.

Every other Thursday, Cesso showcases its most popular event, the 'Big Blues Jam' (7pm-10.45pm), an open-mic night, hosted by local musican and event organiser, Sam Linthorne, for aspiring musicians as well as established jazz and blues acts.

The next Cesso gig on the calender is Stone Flower, a highly-rated Santana tribute band playing on Friday 24th November. Doors open @ 7pm, advance Tickets £6.

Website: www.coffeecesso.com
E-mail: steveanddave@coffeecesso.com
Tel: 01792 456100
Address: Coffee Cesso
National Waterfront Museum
Swansea

SA1 3RD

Tom Leaning