We meet once a month, normally the third Friday, in the Prince William Suite of Penarth Cons Club. We used to be on the top floor of Penarth Legion, hence the "Room at the Top", but sadly the venue has closed, although our name lives on! It's a venue for live acoustic music, poetry, or any performance suitable for a small stage. We have a PA system, so we're not totally "unplugged", but it's not the Shea stadium and your ears won't be ringing when you leave. Audience capacity is limited, so if you'd like to come along, it's definitely advisable to buy a ticket beforehand from Pencerdd music shop, which is just nearby in Station Approach, or Griffin Books, which is at the entrance to the Windsor Arcade on Windsor Road. Entry is normally between £5 and £10 and varies according to the fees required by our guests, but it all goes towards paying for guests as funds allow. Proceeds of our raffles go to charity. In February 2015, we donated £350-worth of musical instruments to MIND in the Vale, in September 2016, £300-worth of Ukuleles to Community Music Wales, in June 2016, £400-worth of Samba percussion instruments, and in November 2016 another £650-worth of percussion instruments, again to Community Music Wales.
We plan the night's entertainment beforehand, and it's probably best described as an "acoustic cabaret", although it's also fairly informal, so anything might end up happening, within limits! Doors open at 7:30 pm, and we aim to be finished by11pm. Typically we feature two musical guests and one poet/spoken-word performer each night, with incidental performances by the hosts. Every so often there will be featured solo guest performer nights, where the format, and even the venue, may be different.