Like Hicks from the Sticks
Is Wales taken as a joke when it comes to music? Not being a pop star myself, I don’t know, but considering the articles and letters printed in the music press, I’d have to say unquestionably, “Yes!”
1983 saw the birth of the Peruvian Hipsters. A Rhondda-based band, who after playing local pub gigs, went on to play further afield in a number of cities including Brighton, London and our own capital, Cardiff.
In order to investigate my theory further, I spoke with Ashley Evans, vocalist with the local Rhondda favourites. The Hipsters were in the running to sign a deal with A&M Records before being ditched at the last minute. They then moved on to releasing a double A-side single, “Tony Hadley / It doesn’t happen every day”, on their own Freak Medicine Records. It just failed to make the Top 100.
I posed the question, and he replied immediately, “Yes, Welsh music gets pushed into the background simply because because they categorise us. They think we’re all born with a Davy lamp in one hand, sing in choirs and play rugby. A lot of record companies don’t want to know when they find out an artist is Welsh. They’ll send A&R to Scotland and Ireland, but not here. I think there’s a definite racist attitude when it comes to Welsh bands.”
For example, when Ashley and the band travelled to London they felt they were treated like hicks from the sticks. He continued, “When we played with London-based bands you got the impression they thought we were rubbish before they’d heard us.” With that opinion, it’s easy to see why he thought racial prejudice exists.
The Peruvian Hipsters almost made it, but one band who are currently hogging the limelight, are the infamous Manic Street Preachers. Love them or hate them, they’re there. From Blackwood, the MSP claim to be ‘the most original band for 25 years.’
What does Ashley think of his fellow countrymen? “Music aside, which is quite good, they’re laughable because their image is so far behind the times. The punk attitude alone is not good enough; they should do something rebellious if they want to be taken seriously. Perhaps they should start a Welsh music revolution or, even make the Welsh accent hip – it’s about time it was!”
So what can be done to turn Wales into a respected musical powerhouse? “The media should do more to promote home-grown talent. Radio Wales does nothing, it’s absolutely ridiculous – not worth a w**k.” How about a local record label? “Just one person it would take to get up off their arse and do something. Money and balls basically…… I’ve got the balls”, he said with a grin, “but sadly not the money.”