What the Rev says

The Rev reckons that the South Wales music scene has a very distinctive style and the Rev thinks he knows why. Its to do with the historical culture of the area and in parts the geography has had an impact too, especially in the modern era.

Basically the real hotbeds of the industry are Newport and Cardiff for obvious reasons, there are more venues in cities! But with the minor explosions in creative alternative music talent occurring up and down the valleys and villages of South Wales and the free and easy availability of music resources and information (via the mighty Internet), the scene has changed so that although the big towns are still the epicentres, they are now places where the talent pool goes to mix and not just originates from.

This has resulted in a sprawling network of small, enthuisiastic fanbases where where young innovative artists become popular in their local village and, if they have the stuff, in gradually spreading circles until they take on the towns. And the Rev loves it!

In the 90's we have seen the incredible success of the Manic Street Preachers (representing Oakdale) and of course the Stereophonics (straight outta Cwmafon) blossoming out of the valleys to subjugate the world. In more recent years also we have had the Lostprophets, Bullet for My Valentine and Funeral for a Friend acheiving great success, all with their roots firmly embedded in the South Wales area.

So the Rev thinks that the thriving music scene of South Wales, with its modern, interconnected groups of loyal fans and role models to look up to, is the breeding ground for both future international superstars and also successful, talented, original and entertaining bands at many levels and in every sub-genre of alternative music!

Stick with the Rev innit boyo!