The Toucan Club

About me:

Looking back to the beginning of the Toucan Club we had a simple idea of sharing the music we loved, sharing the musical creativity of friends around us, sharing just being together and enjoying the simplicity of our lives filled with music. The gentle stroke of a guitar, voices pitched in a perfect harmony, horns blasting a strong life force, drums giving us a beat to help us find our own rhythm, everyone singing in or out of tune, just a place with a make-shift stage where we could share the positive power of music. A place to remind you of a top tune you had missed, see the talent that may otherwise have gone unnoticed, meet a new person you would want to call a friend. We never had a profit margin to make or the major brewers' cut price drinks wars to worry about. The beginning is often the best, like falling in love or finding your first creative spark.

As the Toucan's beginning became a distance memory to us, we were reminded of what we've been missing. So now 13 years on from the club's first opening in the summer of 1996 on Castle Street, we're hoping to continue the idea we believed in. A place to welcome everyone with a musical appreciation and a performance to stage. Like the early Toucan years it won't be a venue for the bigger bands. The new venue we finally found has five floors of intimate spaces where we hope a diverse mix of talented performers will play for us, where DJ's immersed in their music will no doubt stir us, and where people who love music can come together in a place that is always welcoming.

At its best the Toucan was a club of like-minded individuals getting together to share music and to recreate a scene of peace, harmony and music making that we were too young to be part of in the late 60s. We hope some of you remember a few of the gigs we staged that are lodged firmly in our minds: Ruben Wilson, Jack Costanzo (Mr Bongo), Damien Rice, Roy and Nic Harper, Arrested Development, Thea Gilmore, Musicians from the Buena Vista Social Club, The Zombies, Candido Fabre, Kila Kela, Africa Bambatta, Ty and our old friend from the early days, Sian Evans of Kosheen and Melopark. The lifeblood of the club has always been our local musicians, singers and DJ's who gave us their best and brought the club the accolade of being voted the best alternative venue in Wales for two years running. Our open mic acoustic sessions for singer songwriters in the early years have now become commonplace and we hope to breath new life into these sessions with the help of the myspace phenomena to feature new musicians to stage at The Modern Folk Assembly sessions.

Offering a platform for local performers every night of the week will be our starting point for the new venue as well as featuring live jazz and funk sessions with residents and guests, as well as up and coming band nights. We are also welcoming a host of new talented DJs and promoters including Candela, JUJU Nations and CSP with their mix of world funk, reggae, Afro beat, and Brazilica.

For 2009 we also wanted to offer something new to people calling in and we've set up the Green Room Pizzeria Restaurant because we know how to make great pizza and pasta that's totally fresh and interesting but at a price that will allow our customers to continue dining out in spite of the credit crunch. We are also making entry to the new club FREE to access the TOUCAN bar and Mezzanine bar and when there's a charge it will be or the music gigs and DJ nights only, which will take place in the LIZARD LOUNGE and The NEST on the upper floors.

We intend to stage regular charity events for our adopted charities International Children's Smile Train. The charity provides free cleft lip repair surgery and there are millions of children who need this help. www.SmileTrain.org.uk.

If we can continue to create a place for sharing the music we love and sharing people's creative talents, we will hopefully inspire ourselves and others into new creative adventures.

Simon & Helen Founders of The Toucan Live Music Club, Cardiff .


Bill Withers - use me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hBYTkI-sE

Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcnn0gkaLUc