Hanes Cymru a'r Iaith Herald Gymraeg 26 Rhagfyr 2012

 

 

 

Gan fod pawb adre heddiw ar Ddydd San Steffan efallai fod cael “Cwis” bach drwy gyfrwng y golofn yn addas fel gweithgaredd ddiwedd pnawn. Felly beth yw’r cerrig yma ? Ym mle mae nhw a beth yw’r cysylltiad ? Ond dyna ddigon ar y cwis, yn anffodus, ac er fod rhan ohonnof yn meddwl byddai llunio 20 cwestiwn ar Hanes Cymru wedi bod yn ddipyn o hwyl mae gennyf ambell bwynt rwyf am eu crybwyll cyn i’r flwyddyn yma ddiflannu unwaith ac am byth. Efallai fod “Cwis Herald Gymraeg”  yn syniad cofiwch ar gyfer colofn Dolig 2013 os bydd y Golygydd yn cytuno !!!

                Cefais fy hyn yn ddiweddar o flaen un o fy nosbarthiadau Archaeoleg yn cyhoeddi / dadlau / mynegi barn fod y ddwy garreg uchod yn rhai y dylid fod pawb yn gyfarwydd a nhw. Nid dweud hyn mewn ffordd elitaidd, “dwi’n gwybod mwy na chi” oedd fy mwriad on yn hytrach trio gwneud pwynt fod rhain o bwys i ni o ran Hanes Cymru ac efallai mae dyma’r man cychwyn. Onibai fod rhain yn gyfarwydd i ni oll yma yng Nghymru mae rhywbeth mawr o’i le.

                Rydym ddigon cyfarwydd a Bedd y Milwr Di-enw yn Abaty Westminster a mae’r rhan fwyaf ohonnom yn ymwybodol o ‘Gornel y  Beirdd’ ac yn gallu enwi Charles Dickens fel un a gladdwyd yno, a dwi’n credu gyda llaw fod hyn yn rhywbeth ddylia ni gyd wybod. Ond, mae’n ymddangos ar adegau fod yna ddiffyg gwybodaeth am Hanes Cymru a’r hyn sydd o dan ein traed neu o dan ein trwynau yn amlach na pheidio yn ein Broydd ac yn lleol.

                Yn rhyfedd iawn wrth son am y Milwr Di-enw mae cofeb llechan ger adeilad Cyngor Gwynedd yng Ngahernarfon  yn nodi fod rhan o’r gwaith haearn ar yr arch wedi ei wneud gan gwmni Brunswick o Gaernarfon. Hefyd, braidd yn anffodus yw’r ffaith fod neb yn gofalu am y gofeb a fod iorwg yn tyfu drosdi gan guddio rhan o’r ysgrif. Dwi bron a mynd yno hefo ysgol a glanhau y peth fy hyn !

                Ond i ddychwelyd at y pwynt, sef pwysigrwydd Hanes Cymru a’r holl bethau cysylltiedig fel ymwybyddiaeth o le, balchder o le, parch at le, cysylltiad a pherthyn a lle – yn wir, dyma y man cychwyn efallai o ran creu dinasyddion sydd yn perthyn ac yn rhan o gymuned a’r gymdeithas.  Ac i ddychwelyd at y Dosbarthiadau Archaeoleg sydd gennyf, mae’r rhan fwyf aohonnynt yn cynnwys canran sylweddol o ddysgwyr. Mae pob Dosbarth gennyf drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.  Nid athro Cymraeg mohonof ond mae cael chwarae rhan fechan iawn yn y broses o gael cynnwys pobl yn allweddol i’r hyn rwyf yn ei wneud.

                Profiad arall gefais yn ddiweddar oedd cael ymweld ac Ysgol Gynradd Rhiwlas i drafod y Celtiaid ac o gyrraedd y dosbarth roedd yn weddol amlwg o wrando ar yr acenion  fod nifer o’r plant o gefndir di-Gymraeg. Wrth gadarnhau gyda’r Prifathro fod pawb yn deall Cymraeg dyma fwrw’ mlaen a rhaid i mi ddweud dyma un o’r dosbarthiadau mwyaf “am eu pethau” i mi gael ers talwm.

                Chafwyd ddim trafferth o gwbl o ran cynnal yr holl weithgareddau drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg ond hefyd chafwyd ddim trafferth o gwbl cael y plant i ymateb a hefyd i resymu ynglyn a chysyniadau archaeolegol. Roeddwn wrth fy modd yn clywed geirfa fel ”cofnodi” ar flaen eu tafodau wrth i ni son am y broses o ddehongli’r gwrthrychau rydym yn eu darganfod wrth gloddio. Yn amlwg yma hefyd mae rhywun yn gweld effaith prifathro ac athrawon sydd “am eu pethau”.

                Os codwyd fy nghalon gan fy ymweliad ac Ysgol Rhiwlas fe’m siomwyd i’r entrychion gyda datganiadau y “Trydarati Cymraeg” wrth iddynt ymateb i galyniadau Cyfrifiad 2011. Y gair mawr, yng Nghymru ac yn wir drwy Brydain gyfan, hyd yn oed ar Newsnight, oedd “mewnfudwyr”. Wrthgwrs i’r “Prydeinwyr” beth bynnag mae hynny i fod i feddwl, a beth bynnag mae “Prydeinwyr” yn meddwl mae hynny yn ei feddwl, mae “mewnfudo” yn golygu rhywbeth tra wahanol i’r hyn sydd o dan sylw yn y cyd-destun Cymreig. Oes wir, mae yna eironi yndoes, sydd yn ymylu ar y doniol gan fod y rhai sydd yn gweiddi uchaf am Fwslemiaid a Phwyliaid yn ddall, hollol ddall i bethau dibwys fel yr Iaith Gymraeg.

                Rhywbeth hyd yn oed fwy eironig yw fod rhai o’r union bobl yma yn “ffoi” i Gymru rhag yr holl anwariaid sydd yn eu “boddi” yn Lloegr (sef Prydain yn eu meddyliau bach nhw) gan wneud yr un peth i ni Gymry wedyn, ein boddi ni mewn mor o Seisnigrwydd. Hyd yma (diolch byth) dwi ddim wedi clywed neb o’r Trydarati Cymraeg yn datgan unrhyw farn am yr holl Bwyliaid sydd yng Nghymru a faint o rheini sydd yn dysgu Cymraeg ?  Ateb, siwans fod eu plant yn dysgu yn yr ysgolion.

                Fel archaeolegydd, meiddias awgrymu ar Trydar ein bod oll yn fewnfudwyr. Daeth y mewnfudwyr diweddar yma yn dilyn Oes yr Ia tua 10,000 o flynyddoedd yn ol yn y cyfnod Mesolithig. Boed pobl wedi symud neu ddim does dim dadl fod amaethyddiaeth fel traddodiad wedi dechrau yn y Dwyrain Canol a wedi “cyrraedd” yma tua 4,000 cyn Crist. Pwy di’r Saeson ond cyfuniad od o Sacsoniaid a Normaniaid a symudodd i mewn i Ynysoedd Prydain a’r holl Geltiaid nath ddim symud o gwbl. Cofiwch mae Brenhines Essex (yr “Essex Girl” cyntaf) oedd Buddug.

                Ond o feiddio awgrymu fod angen pwyll os am ddefnyddio geiriau fel “mewnfudwyr” dyma for o ffelltith gan yr “Ymgyrchwyr Iaith” (honedig), doeddwn yn poeni dim am yr Iaith, rioed di bod i Geredigion ac wedi byw ar gefn y Gymraeg. Argian dan, dyna ddweud. Wrthgwrs fe dorais i y rheol hefyd drwy ddechrau ateb yn ol cyn cofio – os am sgwennu neu mynegi barn – gadewch lonydd wedyn i’r Trydarati  fynd amdani a ’sdeddwch yn ol a chwerthwch !

                Os dysgais un peth o’r holl flynyddoedd o deithio dramor gyda’r grwp (Cymraeg) Anhrefn fe ddysgais fod ffyrdd eraill o edrych ar y Byd, ffyrdd o edrych allan yn hytrach nac i mewn, ffyrdd o fod yn siradawyr Cymraeg mewn cyd-destyn Rhyngwladol. Ond y peth mwyaf o deithio dramor a chyfeillio a phobl o wahanol ddiwylliannau ac ieithoedd oedd dysgu fod ffiniau yn beth drwg a di-angen, fod geiriau fel “mewnfudo” yn perthyn bellach i’r  UKIP a fod yn llawer rhy hawdd rhoi’r bai ar bobl wahanol yn lle gofyn sut mae modd cynnwys pobl sydd yn symud i le bynnag mae nhw’n symud.

Notes on Welsh Culture "Canu yn Gymraeg"

Y Blew did it, in 1967, probably for the first time. They released a 7” single “Maes B” b/w “Beth Sy’n Dod Rhyngthom Ni”. The first time that we had a proper Welsh Language Rock’n Roll record. This is two years before the Mike Stevens produced, first single release on Sain which was “Dwr” by folk-protest singer Huw Jones and which incidentally features Heather Jones on backing vocals.

                So ‘Maes B’ could well be the first Welsh Language rock’n roll record. But why ? Apart from the obvious “Why Not ?” or even  “Somebody had to do it”, it’s probably down to bass player Dafydd Evans who realised that this needed to be done.Before we had the Blew record we were really left with girl bands in Laura Ashley dresses looking like they’d just come off stage at the Gwyl Cerdd Dant and Welsh versions of Blowin in The Wind and This Land is My Land.

                I was hanging out with Llmych Fanzine when Huw Prestatyn interviewed Dafydd Evans in the mid 80’s and it was obvious then that he’d seen the need to have some cool stuff in the Welsh Language. Certainly it fitted in with the overall campaign for the Language spearheaded at the time by Cymdeithas yr Iaith but Dafydd probably realised you needed some rock’n roll  songs to go along with the Revolution.

                Most of the Blew dudes had already played in bands that sung in English, no big deal, but Dafydd Evans really does deserve credit for moving the agenda forward.  Without Y Blew, the 60’s Welsh Language Scene would have been Bob Dylan sound-alikes. No Stones or Beatles in Welsh.

                Some years later another visionary, Hefin Elis, who had already played in bands with Evans put Edward H together. This is really the next milestone. Edward H provided the musical backdrop to a whole generation of Welsh speakers in the 70’s who wanted a soundtrack in Welsh. Edward H were formed with the intention of filling the gap – there was no Welsh Language Rock Band for the youth of Wales.

                I’ve never been sure if they ever stated that they formed to provide a band for Welsh speakers or for the youth of Wales – in one sense it makes no difference but if it was aimed for Welsh Speakers it certainly makes it very different to what went on in the mid 80’s during the Welsh Underground Scene when the agenda was Welsh Language Music for everybody (or anybody who would listen). But at the time, I think their “aim was true” to quote Costello, there was a point to it, there was a need for it and without it you don’t get to the next stage.

                These days I have quite a lot of time for Cleif Harpwood, he’s still out there gigging, still doing it for the right reasons. I saw his new band at Caersws recently and thoroughly enjoyed hearing the songs.

But, for the masses, Edward H were basically good time rock’n roll to get pissed to, to get laid to, to get wasted to – nothing wrong with that, Popeth yn Gymraeg - this is the first time we have some kind of mass appeal for Welsh Language Rock. Edward H had a folky side (often better than the rock stuff)  and definitely a political side – and also humour if you look at the album sleeves and titles. This is another band that probably deserves a critical re-evaluation.

 

By the early 80’s Welsh Language Rock was firmly established, you’d had pretty cool bands in Trwynau Coch and Geraint Jarman, they’d even begun the process of John Peel plays and coverage in things like the NME – you know let’s reach out a little bit. Jarman and his Rasta cohorts were definitely an “urban” band, a Cardiff band, quite interesting, not as trad as Edward H, they smoked spliffs and played gigs in the Docks in venues like the Casablanca Club. This was pretty damned cool, even going down there was a bit of a thrill. The smell of ganja filled the club, the music was reggae but the vocals were in Welsh. Talk about a Culture Clash. More interestingly, this was possible and it worked. It stopped the trad heads from monopolising Welsh Music and Welsh Culture. It took it away from the University Halls of Residence like JMJ and Pantycelyn. You have no idea ……..

Another milestone was (arguably) the post-industrial scenario in Bethesda. I know Penrhyn  Quarry is still working but …….. bands formed here because there was f*** all else to do, so in that sense it’s post-industrial. Bethesda did not produce post-industrial electronic music as did Detroit or Sheffield, it was still a denim town but it did produce one of the greatest Welsh Language bands of all time – Maffia Mr Huws.

Now Maffia are really interesting because they are probably the first working class Welsh Language band, not college boys, not in it to get a job in the Welsh Media, they were full time, the real deal and brilliant at what they did. They were not influenced by punk, there must have been a time-warp around Bethesda and possibly for that reason they have never quite found their place in Welsh Pop History. Too young to be part of the Trwynau /Jarman Generation and not Punk enough for the Underground Scene of 1982 onwards – but they kept the scene going between 1981-83 there is no doubt.

Always supported by Sgrech magazine as a natural Welsh speaking band, it was often overlooked that most of the Maffia boys played with Offspring, another brilliant band from Bethesda put together by Les Morisson, but Offspring sung in English. In the early 80’s not only was this taboo but you could get to be banned by the Welsh Language Promoters for playing the wrong venue or for “playing in front of English people” in theory – ask Jarman – he copped it well and truly for playing in Cardiff Castle.

Maffia were never rumbled. They were well liked and you really could not question their commitment to being in a Welsh Language band.

 

The next milestone was the emergence of truly post-Punk bands who wanted to sing in Welsh from 1883 onwards. I’ve never quite fathomed out why Y Cyrff from Llanrwst or Datblygu from Aberteifi were so unflinching in their politics, they never deviated, always sung in Welsh but never segregated the audience. Of course that would have been a bit mad in Llanrwst, I always remember Cyrff having a strong local following, Llanrwst boys who probably understood Welsh but more often than not spoke English together. But here they were following a Welsh Language band. Cool.

Bands like Cyrff were closer to Y Blew in sprit, the fashion was up to date, they were more urbanised, looking more towards Liverpool than Aberystwyth, sounding more Bunnymen than Dafydd Iwan.  This was Welsh Language Music for everybody, not just in Wales, not just for Welsh speakers. Cyrff played the Square in Harlow with Attila the Stockbroker and went down a storm (as did Datblygu). No Welsh bands had done this in the 70’s.

Cyrff were part of that Llmych scene, a fanzine put out by the Clwyd branch of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, and again for the first time it could be argued that a few members of Cymdeithas actually realised the value of looking outwards rather than inwards.  In social context this was all bang up to date – we had Billy Bragg and Red Wedge, the Miner’s Strike, Thatcher polarizing everobody – it was a good time politically to be a Welsh Language band with something to say. I toured many a South Wales Valley venue with Cyrff, always singing in Welsh, mostly to non Welsh speakers in those areas obviously. No problem, no issues, no segregation – and a faint hope that we were making the Language cool, some might even learn it or certainly send their kids to Welsh Speaking Schools. It did happen.

Cyrff pic Pete Telfer

 

It was still on the agenda that we were all doing this to promote the Language, the medium was rock’n roll not placards and rallies. So what happens next ?

A generation of bands like U Thant, Crumblowers, Fflaps, Gwefrau, Ffa Coffi  Pawb, Beganifs  all formed in the wake of the Welsh Underground Scene. Some of them like Ffa Coffi Pawb became hugely popular around 1990 – they all sung in Welsh.

By 1992 they had all played the Eisteddfod once too often. They’d all been on S4C and realised that it make no difference at all. No more records sold, no more audience numbers and certainly no means of making a living being in a Welsh band. So we had Mark and Cerys, the embryonic Super Furry’s with Rhys Ifans on vocals, all venturing into unchartered territories – all quietly (not daringly) writing songs and producing demos in the English Language.

Maybe it would have been different if the Welsh audiences had actually supported the bands as opposed to getting pissed and laid at the gigs. Maybe had the Welsh Media actually got some reach all those programmes like Fideo 9 might have meant something more than the £1000 fee which was used  to make the next record. A lot of maybes. Maybe it was time for a change. Maybe the time was up.

I got involved with the embryonic Catatonia 1993-94 and slowly things changed. Within a couple of years  We had ‘Cool Cymru’ and the Welsh audiences (both languages) woke up and thanked the Lord that they were Welsh when the English Media told them that Welsh bands were good. We needed Top of the Pops to convince us – us poor deluded oppressed un-cultured sheep shagging fools. Sad but true. Who cares – we had great music coming from Wales, even the Manics became Born Again Welsh and we had the odd song in Welsh chwarae teg – you know as in ‘Can yr Ysgol’ with our “Lessons History, Lessons Geography ac unwaith yr wythnos mi gawsom Welsh chwarae teg” …………

From this point everything did change. Beganifs became Big Leaves and they cleverly seperated their Welsh and English releases and their Welsh Language gigs from their “other” gigs. No one else has done this quite so cleverly and clinically. This was Cool Cymru Wave 2.

 

What had changed was that Super Furry Animals became the coolest Welsh band ever. Everybody knew they were basically Ffa Coffi Pawb with a couple of members of U Thank thrown in – so they were always and still and forever to be a “band Cymraeg”, no confusing our Cymraeg and our Cymreig – no one was interested, we were sooo happy.

The Furry’s influenced not just a generation but most of the young bands around today. You listen to any band who sing bi-lingually from North Wales and it’s Furry’s / Gruff Rhys all over. Like Catatonia sung they have a “lot to answer for”.Not them personally, but they’ve inspired a generation of sound-alikes rather than inspiring people to form different kinds of bands. That’s not their fault. The same thing happened with the Sex Pistols and Clash during the second wave of Punk  - parody bands, second division copyists who more often than not missed the point.

The main issue I have with all this and the parody bands especially is that Catatonia and Super Furry Animals succeeded because they had exceptional songwriters, they had exceptional songs, they are all vastly talented, they’d all learnt their craft on the Welsh Scene and yes they sung in English. But a shite Welsh band singing in English does not success make. A generation failed to see this.

Now looking back to y Blew,  Edward H, Maffia or Cyrff it was all of it’s time – things have now changed. Why should any band now confine themselves to singing only in the Welsh Language ? Well it is obviously a matter of choice. Steve Eaves I presume is unlikely to record an English Language record as is also ,I would suspect ,Dave Datblygu.  Datblygu in English would be a non -sense. To what purpose ? Datblygu remain the enigmatic, iconic, seminal Welsh Language band – surely ?

The young bands were not born when Datblygu recorded the 10 Peel Sessions all in Welsh – they have no idea – why should they ? Politics and music are not so easy bed fellows these days. The Welsh Underground Scene produced no love songs – every song was political, small p possibly, even the love songs ! But today we have very little political context, it doesn’t have to be this way but it would appear to be the case.

 

I’m writing this article in response to the “Trydarati Cymraeg” who were discussing the Language policy at the “4 a 6” gigs in Caernarfon. Now this is really interesting. My understanding is that the gigs are promoted by people like Geraint Lovgreen, Rhys Trwynau Coch and Nici Beech. They do this for the right reasons, ie  voluntarily, as enthusiasts, to support the scene in Caernarfon  but I think they also do this to promote the Language and “y Sin Gymraeg”. I do not want to speak on their behalf because I have only been to one gig – and that was the Racehorses gig – but this is where the trydarati got flapping  – what’s to be done with all the English songs  on a Welsh night ?????

So young bands get a chance to play at “4 a 6” which is good, Caernarfon has a bit of a live scene which is good but these are what we would call “Gigs Cymraeg”. Welsh artists or Welsh based artists  like Amy Wadge or Martyn Joseph I suspect would not get a gig because they have no Welsh Language repertoire – they are not “grwpiau Cymraeg”.

But what has happened is that bands like Racehorses turn up at a so called Welsh Language gig and maybe do three Welsh Language songs in a set of 15 – 20 songs. The audience are mostly if not entirely Welsh speaking. Racehorses no longer play the National Eisteddfod because they do not have a Welsh Language set.

 

Meilyr Racehorses pic Geraint Lovgreen

 

In the context of the Eisteddfod that is the deal – they have a Welsh Language only rule. Promoters and artists alike understand this. You will get away with a couple of English songs – no one will notice. You will not get away with a couple of Welsh songs. But then everybody knows that Racehorses or Cate Le Bon etc now do a few Welsh songs in a mostly English set – book them for what they are and what they  do - or don’t book them. (Unless they can write a Welsh Language set for those gigs like Maes B – possible because Sibrydion / Big Leaves always managed)

I certainly do not agree with telling an artist what to do, which Language to perform, but then I spent over 10 years in a Welsh Language punk band touring all over Europe and singing in English was totally out of the question – it was not the point and not what we were about. Our whole point was to take Welsh Language music into an International context. But that’s not the case today is it ?

Should  you have a Language policy at gigs ? The Eisteddfod do, Maes B do but it’s pretty easily flouted.  Cymdeithas yr Iaith must have contracts for their Eisteddfod gigs – again not sure because I haven’t played gigs with them since around 1992. Would I sing a contract like this – no bloody way – I will not be told by anyone which Language I should use – but then for Anhrefn we would not have required such a clause – they would have had to cross it out – cheeky bastards.

But why play a “Welsh Language” gig if you do not have a Welsh Language set ? The obvious answer here is that for a lot of bands, the only audience they have is the Welsh Language audience, they write in English in the hope of doing a Super Furry’s but in reality they’d probably shit themselves doing a Wednesday night at the Princess Charlotte in Leicester if you know what I mean. They would not find the venue, They would not have an audience.

Y Blew had reasons for singing in Welsh which are not relevant to Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog. Edward H were of a completely different time to Cate Le Bon. Politically we are in another devolved self governing place. Cardiff is now a truly European City, cultured and multi-cultural. Cardiff today is not the Cardiff that Jarman wrote about. The politics are not the same. This is not 1962. This is not Pont Trefechan. This is not even “Tai Haf” anymore. This is Bi-lingual Wales. Some of the battles have been won (by the parents) – maybe that’s where the complecancy sets in.

If the audience of today are the bi-lingual generation is it not natural for them to have bi-lingual performing bands ?  They are not there to “Save the Language” – we have just agreed  that was “done” by their parents. Again don’t quote me on this – but I suspect no one really notices or complains if bands sing bi-lingually at Welsh Language gigs – the barriers are well and truly down – until now.

Maybe the time for Welsh Language gigs is gone, over and out, past it’s sell by date. Steve Eaves, Bryn Fon, Geraint Lovgreen, Maffia, Sibrydion, Twmffat  will all give you 100% Welsh Language sets – go see them. Double check there’s no dodgy (young) support acts and you will have a Noson Gymraeg.

 

I want to see Neil Maffia recently in the Llangollen pub in Bethesda. I would have been gob smacked had Neil done an English song – I would have asked for my money back (even though it was a free gig). But had Neil done an Offspring cover would I really have minded – probably not – it would have been in context. But, Maffia singing in English is obviously a no – make that a NO!

 

So if I reject the Language Policy idea and the sign a contract that you won’t sing in English idea I also welcome a band that can be truly confident and perform a Welsh Language set – our generation proved you could do that from Dublin to Prague – maybe that’s a lesson the young bands should learn – more docu’s on S4C then please ! (probably make no difference but would help with the MCPS)

There’s also the small point that Internationally, singing in Welsh might well be your USP. No one needs another sound-alike band singing in a poor North Walian accent in English.

Singing in Welsh should obviously be a choice but choice these days sounds like an issue – it should not even be an issue – that’s where I feel that we have lost ground – the eye on the English scene (so called success) is partly to blame here, do what you want to do, stick to your guns, and sing in Welsh for **** sake – forget the NME and Radio 1, be who you / we are. Reflect this place.

But this is all in this context of Welsh Language gigs. Obviously the melting of the Welsh Scene and y Sin Gymraeg into the big pot has been a good thing. Swn Festival or Green Man Festivals will have Welsh Language songs on the main stage, reflecting our bi-lingual society where in another age there would have been no Welsh at all. Cardiff gig goers are no longer “anti-Welsh” in any way – compared to Jarman’s day  when he was truly breaking new ground (and copping it off the Welsh Language purists for reaching out).

I am convinced that the Welsh Language has to reach out and all the bands from Catatonia to Cate Le Bon have done this by doing this bi-lingually. But, we must also argue that Datblygu or Cyrff were right not to compromise – not that it was ever on the agenda. What a brilliant thing it was to see Cyrff and Datblygu on The Tube (Channel Four) – flying the flag (not in a Sterephonics sense) – that was cool – that was reaching the Valley kids – turning them back on, turning them on for the first time, or just turning them on – I talked to so many Newport punks who wanted to learn  Welsh because of those bands !

So I say all this as a “Culturalist not a Nationalist”. I have no answers.  But I would say “Popeth yn Gymraeg” is not such a bad mantra, at least that we have the possibilities and confidence of creating anything and everything in Welsh  – I still believe in that – that probably means we should be concentrating on Welsh Language Computer Games involving  all sorts of non PC things. I can hear my kids watching extreme stunts on youtube downstairs. They do not listen to much music. They have nothing in Welsh that appeals to them. Pop Music no longer reaches those parts. Once again we have to go back to that 60’s poster – Popeth yn Gymraeg and get with the C21st programme.

So the whole gig thing will not affect my boys’ generation and no one has even started that debate – we have Cyw on S4C which they call boring – it reminds me of Girl Bands in Laura Ashley dresses. We need a new Blew but it needs to be a computer programme ………………

Neil Maffia @ Llangollen, Bethesda 28.11.12

Review first published on

http://link2wales.co.uk/2012/crudblog/neil-maffia-y-llangollen-bethesda/

 

The quote below is something that I wrote for the Maffia Mr Huws compilation CD that Sain put out a few years ago. Simply, I stated that without Maffia’s hard work during the early 80s, gigging around Wales, doing around a 100 shows each year, the Welsh Language Rock Scene would have probably disappeared into the bowels of S4C as most of the members of the 70s Welsh Rock Legends (written with a dose of sarcasm here)  scrambled to become film producers, TV presenters and all round Media Whores. (Media Whores is a Jamie Reid quote although he was obviously not referring to S4C).

Nid gor-ddweud yw y byddai’r Sin Roc Gymraeg fel da ni yn ei adnabod heddiw wedi diflannu erbyn canol yr 80au heblaw am Maffia Mr Huws.

 

                Maffia kept the whole thing going, in the tradition of bands like Trwynau Coch and Geraint Jarman. Maffia were a couple of years in advance of the Welsh Underground Scene of the mid-80s, which gave us bands like Datblygu and Cyrff and extensive John Peel coverage. Maffia were the band in the middle, the piggies in the middle even, between the old scene and the new scene. For this, our generation gave them some flack, for not being punk enough, for being too close to the old scene – I was very guilty (but we did have a revolution to be getting on with and we did have to “Destroy in order to Create”).

                The odd thing is that Maffia were younger than us, but not really touched by punk and post-punk; they were still denim clad and slightly long haired, definitely rock and definitely not weird. Cardinal sins, maybe, but I certainly believe that they deserve a re-evaluation in the context of Welsh Pop History. They are in effect the lost band of a lost generation, not old enough to be part of the 70’s Welsh Pop Chapter and just a bit out of synch once Y Cyrff released “Lebanon”.

 

                The first single “Gitar yn y To” is a great slice of rock, the kind of thing Thin Lizzy would have done, punky but not punk. The second EP, Hysbysebion, on 12” vinyl takes the band further. ‘Hysbysebion’ and ‘Tri Chynnig i Gymro’ are truly great tracks, great Welsh Rock tracks, classics even, mostly unheard. Mostly un-recognised as and for, the classics they are.

Maffia were not College boys, they were the real deal from downtown Bethesda, or Pesda as it’s known on the Welsh Scene, somehow by being outside the old-Welsh-boys network they have been left out of the History books, this in itself is a fascinating area for debate – this could be an essay in itself on how the Media have written the history from their own viewpoint.

The album ‘Ochr Arall’ is another slab of great rock tunes, the intro to ‘Cysylltiad’ probably one of the best riffs in Welsh Rock – that is, as in  Ever !!. After the album the boys went on to release albums on cassette and it’s probably true to say that they lost their way somewhat as the 80s went on, becoming less rock and less focused – I’m not the only one to point this out. The early stuff is easily the best.

Neil as lead vocalist is probably best known / remembered for replacing original vocalist Hefin Huws but it is widely accepted that Neil became adopted by the scene pretty quickly – in fact we all knew him as, and still call him “Neil Maffia”. In fact, both Hefin and Neil were brilliant vocalists, no need to compare – both were good – Neil finished the Marathon and is still running ………. (actually Hefin is still on the track as well, guesting with Brigyn these days, but not playing with Maffia).

So an a cold Wednesday evening I headed off to the Llangollen pub in Bethesda for the launch of Neil Maffia’r autobiography “O’r Ochr Arall” by Neil “Maffia” Williams. The boys in the band call him “Wilias” but to us, not in the inner circle, he will always be Neil Maffia. I’d heard that Neil would be doing some acoustic tracks.

I was surprised how much Neil talked about the Punk period during his spoken word / reading bits during the evening but I must admit I laughed, Neil was hilarious, honest, bang on the mark – a great story teller as he recounted his earliest efforts with fellow band member Dafydd Rhys (later of Chwarter i Un, 12:45 and brother of course to Bethesda’s most famous son).

Neil also mentioned an incident at Llanerfyl Village Hall around ‘81/’82 when the band succeeded in reversing their transit van over Sion Maffia’s foot. Sion played the gig sitting on a chair before going to hospital. I remember it well – I was the organiser of that gig.  How many bands whould do a set with a broken leg and then go to the hospital ? Wariars as we say yn Gymraeg.

 

Neil’s acoustic version of ‘Ffrindia’ proved a point. A good song is a good song and more interestingly an acoustic set of Maffia songs is not as ridiculous as it might sound. He should do more gigs like this.

In her column in the Observer, Miranda Sawyer has refered to “middle-aged pop buffs”, that weird audience hitting their 50’s who still listen to cool music. I wanted to use her quote in my Herald Gymraeg column to discuss what happens in the Welsh Scene when you reach a certain age. There are no pop programmes for the 40 Somethings in Welsh. Everything is geared to the “Yoof”. We are still playing catch up with Janet Steer Porter circa 1986.

I’m reminded of the Henry Priestman song about being R-E-D-U-N-D-A-N-T, that’s a very Welsh Language thing, it’s either Yoof or  Middle of the Road Country and I’m very interested in where people like Neil mafia fit in these days. Maybe he dosen’t. But he’s a good communicator. He’s very funny. He know’s his music. If only S4C and BBC Wales had a Radio 4 / Jools Hiolland audience then musicians like Neil might have a home and an audience (apart from the live audience obviously).

I was disappointed by the rather low turnout, too few faces from the scene, no Media, no Maffia but it was a really really good night, low key, intimate and acoustic. In that sense who cares – but I just felt that Neil was pretty damned good. So let’s give him a good review.

He signed my copy “I un sydd yn cofio”  which means to one who remembers. I certainly do and I certainly smile each time I think of Maffia at Llanerfyl Village Hall and Sion Maffia playing full blast sitting in a chair with his leg up in the air.

 

Y Lasynys Fawr Herald Gymraeg 19 Rhagfyr 2012

 

Un o uchafbwyntiau fy wythnos ar hyn o bryd yw cael ymweld a’r Lasynys Fawr ger Harlech bob bore Mawrth. Rwyf yno gyda criw sydd yn dilyn cwrs Coleg Harlech ar adnabod prif nodweddion, adeiladau, digwyddiadau a chymeriadau hanesyddol y ‘Pentref Cymreig’ a gan ein bod yn ardal Ardudwy rydym wedi penderfynu canolbwyntio ar hanes yr ardal yn hytrach na chanolbwyntio ar bentref penodol. Rydym oll yn gwerthfawrogi’r ffaith fod dosbarth o’r fath yn cael ei gynnal mewn adeilad hynafol, Y Lasynys Fawr yw hen gartref Ellis Wynne, awdur ‘Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsg’. Fe all rhywun ddadlau mae does bosib cael gwell lleoliad i drafod hen adeiladau !

                Fel yn achos Cae’r Gors, a mae hyn siwr o godi gyda’r Ysgwrn yn y dyfodol, un o’r cwestiynau mawr yw sut mae cael pobl i ail-ymweld a safleoedd fel hyn ? Wrthreswm mae Cymdeithasau Capel a Merched y Wawr yn fwy na pharod i ymweld a’r llefydd yma, mae yma groeso a phanad bob amser (drwy drefniant wrth reswm rhag ofn fod y lle ar gau dros y Gaeaf) a does dim rhai dweud fod pawb yn gwerthfawrogi arwyddocad Kate Roberts neu Ellis Wynne o ran ein llenyddiaeth ac o ran hanes y Genedl, ond pam dod yn ol yr eilwaith ?

                Yr ateb efallai yw “dewch yn ol hefo rhywun arall, neu gyda ffrindiau o’r De neu deulu o Awstralia”. Neu, mae yna ddadl arall fod rhywun yn dysgu cymaint mwy yn ystod yr ail-ymweliad, ond o ran cynnal dosbarthiadau, efallai fod hyn hefyd yn un ffordd bach o gadw pethau i fynd, i roi yr hen adeiladau yn ol yng nghanol bywyd a bwrlwm cymunedol. Gobeithio wir.

                Cawsom ein tywys o amgylch y Lasynys Fawr gan y Swyddog Datblygu, Catrin Glyn,  roedd hynny yn angenrheidiol cyn i ni eistedd a dechrau trafod adeiladau eraill hynafol yn Ardudwy, ac er fod nifer sydd yn mynychu’r dosbarth hefyd yn aelodau o Gyfeillion Ellis Wynne, sylwais pam mor hapus oedd pawb i ail edrych ar ddrws neu gwpwrdd. Yn sicr ni fyddaf byth yn diflasu, mae rhywun yn gweld rhywbeth newydd bob tro, efallai oherwydd golau’r haul, neu drwy aros am eiliad ar y grisiau.

                Rydym yn cerdded drwy hen ystafell wely Ellis bob bore Mawrth ar ein ffordd i’r ‘Ystafell Werdd’ (sydd wedi ei beintio yn wyrdd fel yr oedd yn wreiddiol)  lle byddaf yn cynnal y dosbarth gan fynd heibio ei wely cudd a hen le tan (caeedig bellach) y lloft  (ger y grisiau newydd). Wrth i ni drafod cymeriadau hanesyddol Ardudwy, yr enw ddaeth i amlygrwydd oedd John Jones Maesygarnedd y gwr hynod hwnnw oedd ymhlith y rhai arwyddodd y warant marwolaeth y Brenin Siarl 1af ym 1649.

                Un peth sydd, efallai, yn amlwg o ddechrau pori dros hanes Maesygarnedd yw sylweddoli pam mor “blwyfol” rydym yn gallu bod o ran rhai agweddau o Hanes Cymru. Mae pawb yn gyfarwydd a’r prif gymeriadau, y Llywelyn’s, y Hywel’s Dda a Harris a phwy all osgoi Owain Glyndwr (O.G) mwy na alla’ni osgoi Lloyd George (LL.G), a dwi ddim am eilaid yn awgrymu na ddylid fod yn hollol gyfarwydd a rhain, ond o feddwl fod Cymro o Sir Feirionnydd wedi chwarae rhan mor allweddol yng nghyfnod Cromwell a Siarl 1af rhyw deimlo oeddwn fod cymaint mwy o gymeriadau hanesyddol Cymreig yn haeddu cael mwy o sylw.

                Rhaid teithio i ben pella Cwm Nantcol i ddod o hyd i Maesygarnedd. Os yw rhywun yn cerdded yn eu blaen mae rhwyun yn cerdded am Fwlch Drws Ardudwy rhwng y Rhiniogau, Fawr a Bach. Credaf hefyd, a rwyf mor euog a phawb arall, fod hanes Sir Feirionnydd rhywsut yn cael ei anwybyddu ar adegau, nid o reidrwydd yn fwriadol ond o drafod gyda’r criw yn y Lasynys buan iawn cefais fy atgoffa o gyfoeth hanesyddol yr ardal.

                Cefais fy hyn yn awchu i gael mynd i grwydro’r ardal wrth wrando ar y criw yn trafod enwau fel Gerddi Bluog, Uwchlaw’r Coed, Hendre Waelod a Thyddyn y Felin. Oll yn ddiethr i mi, bydd rhaid mynd i grwydro yn eu cwmni tymor nesa meddylias. Y peth arall amlwg o wenud gweithdai hanes fel hyn yw fy mod i fel tiwtor yn dysgu cymaint hefyd. Os oes gennyf fwy o gefndir archaeoleg, a rwyf wrth reswm yn gyfarwydd a chromlechi Cors y Gedol, Bron y Foel a Gwern Einion yn y rhan yma o’r Byd does dim dwy waith nawr fod ymweliad a Maesygarnedd yn uchel ar fy rhestr.

                Fel hogyn ysgol gynradd roedd gennyf ddiddordeb mawr yn Oliver Cromwell, peidiwch a gofyn pam, a fel oedolyn rwyf o hyd wedi bod a chryn embaras am hyn, doedd polisiau Cromwell yn Iwerddon ddim yn rhai y byddwn yn amlwg yn cytuno a hwy ond fel yn achos Lloyd George a rhannu Iwerddon yn ddiweddarach dydi ein barn wleidyddol heddiw ddim yn reswm dros beidio ymddiddori yn yr hanes nagdi ? Gyda llaw fe briododd John Jones chwaer Cromwell, sef Katherine, ym 1656 a mae stori arall fod Cromwell wedi aros noson ym Maes y Neuadd lle mae ystafell wedi enwi ar ei ol yn y gwesty heddiw.

                Mesur o gyfeillgawrch a pherthynas dda o fewn y dosbarth yw rhannu llyfrau a dyma gael benthyg copi o ‘Ardudwy a’i Gwron’ (1914) sef llyfr gan David Davies ar hanes Cyrnol John Jones a dyma ddarllen difir dros y dyddiau nesa. Braf iawn yw cael dysgu, darganfod pethau newydd a chael ychwanegu llefydd rwyf angen ymwled a nhw i fy rhestr. Braf iawn yw gwybod hefyd na ddaw rhywun byth i ben !

Blogio Herald Gymraeg 12 Rhagfyr 2012

 

I chwi ddarllenodd fy ngholofn yr wythnos dwetha (5 Rhagfyr) bydd y rhai craff wedi sylwi ar gangymeriad wrth i mi son am Elihu Yale a’i deulu yn mudo i America oherwydd diffyg goddefgarwch tuag at y Piwritaniaid yn ystod teyrnasiaeth Siarl 1af, dyna sydd yn gwneud synnwyr wrthgwrs, ond roedd y golofn yn darllen fel “diffyg goddefgarwch y Piwritaniaid” sydd yn gwneud dim synnwyr o gwbl wrth reswm.

Roedd Yale hefyd yn byw yn Sgwar y Frenhines,  Llundain a dwi’n credu i hynny ymddangos fel “Lloegr” sydd yn bell o fod yn ddaearyddol fanwl, ac yn hollol anfwriadol ar fy rhan i. Felly dyna’r cangymeriadau wedi eu cywiro a dyma symud ymlaen i daflu ychydig o sylwadau ar hyd y lle yr wythnos hon. Y peth cyntaf a’m tarodd yr wythnos yma oedd sut mae’r Cyfryngau Cymraeg ar adegau yn gallu (yn fwriadol neu yn anfwriadol) defnyddio geiriau neu bwyslais sydd wedyn yn lliwio stori mewn ffordd arbennig.

Un engraifft oedd Cylchgrawn Golwg yn son am benodi Cyfarwyddwyr newydd i’r Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig, dim o’i le yn hynny ond eu bod wedi son am y corff fel “cwango”. Rwan bydd yr holl ymgyrchwyr Iaith yn cofio ymgyrchoedd Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn erbyn y cwangos. Rwyf yn digwydd bod yn aelod o fwrdd y corff yma (datgan diddordeb), sydd, mae’n wir, yn cael ei arianu gan y Cynulliad, ond corff sydd yn rhoi cymorth a chefnogaeth i’r Diwydiant Cerddoriaeth Cymreig yw’r Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig – nid rhyw fwrdd an-etholedig neu an-nemocrataidd. Cefais fy ethol i’r Bwrdd rhai blynyddoedd yn ol gan y rhanddeiliaid mewn etholiad agored a theg.

Gawn ni ddadlau am “cwango” felly. Y pwynt yw, mae’r Sefydliad yn gwenud gwaith da. Y flwyddyn nesa, 2013 bydd yr wyl rhyngwladol Womex yn ymweld a Chaerdydd – a hynny yn bennaf diolch i waith nifer ar Fwrdd y Sefydliad Cerddoriaeth Gymreig.

Wedyn mae cryn sylw wedi bod i’r corff casglu breindaliadau newydd ‘EOS’ ond y pwyslias y tro yma am yr 20,000 o ganeuon fydd efallai ddim yn cael eu chwarae ar Radio Cymru onibai bod y BBC ac EOS yn dod i gytundeb. Neb yn son fod yr egwyddor o ddatganoli hawliau deallusol a hawliau breindaliadau yn rhywbeth ddylid fod ar yr agenda Cymreig. Rwyf wedi dweud sawl gwaith nad oedd unrhyw A.C wedi gweld hyn cyn i’r Diwydiant Cerddoriaeth godi llais.

Cwestiwn felly – ydi hi yn iawn yn y Gymru ddatganoledig, ym 2012 fod hawliau cyfansoddi caneuon Cymraeg i fod i aros hefo corff y PRS (Performing Rights Society)  yn Llundain ? Onid yw hi’n hen bryd fod hawliau cyfansoddwyr Cymraeg yn cael eu cadw yng Nghymru ? Fel arall rydym yn derbyn y ffaith ei bod yn amhosib datganoli agweddau o ddiwylliant poblogaidd Cymraeg o gyrff yn Llundain ?

Y dyddiau yma rwyf yn ceisio cyhoeddi cymaint ac y medraf o fy ngwaith sgwennu ar y safle blog “Thoughts of Chairman Mwyn”. Hen joc gan y cyfarwyddwr ffilm, Wil Aaron oedd “Thoughts of Chairman Mwyn”, rhyw dynnu coes yn sgil damcaniaethau cadeirydd arall, sef Mao, a rhywsut mae’r disgrifiad wedi goroesi. Byddaf yn sgwennu ychydig yn Saesneg am y diwylliant pop Cymraeg a rhannu hyn hefyd ar safle we link2wales sydd yn cael ei olygu gan Neil Crud. Dwi ddim yn credu fod y darllenwyr ifanc wedi arfer hefo sgwennu “heriol” a diddorol yw darllen eu sylwadau wedyn ar Trydar.

Ar y cyfan byddaf yn chwerthin ond weithiau byddaf yn ateb yn ol drwy drydar, “Burchill, Parsons, Savage a Morley” sef y colofnwyr hynny oedd yn cyfrannu colofnau “dadleuol” wythnosol i’r Face yn yr 80au. Dwi’n dal i ddweud, y pedwr yma ysbrydolodd mi i sgwennu yn Gymraeg nid T.Llew Jones a nid Kate Roberts (yn anffodus neu ffodus).

                Diddorol iawn hefo’r busnas Blogio ’ma yw fod rhywun yn gallu gweld faint sydd wedi darllen y colofnau neu’r darnau. Yn achos un golofn, rhyw fath o arall eiriad Saesneg o golofn yr Herald 31 Hydref, sef y golofn yn trafod darlith Ken Brassil o’r Amgueddfa Genedlaethol yn Oriel Ynys Mon mae’r dudalen yn dangos fod 136 o bobl wedi ymweld a’r dudalen benodol honno. Y gobaith yw fod y rhan fwyaf wedi aros a darllen.

                Rwan da ni ddim yn son am filoedd yn fan hyn, wedi’r cwbl, dyma’r Byd Cymreig, ond mae pob un cwsmer neu ddarllenydd yn cyfrif, mae pob ymwelydd i’r Blog yn bwysig – fel byddaf yn dweud bob tro, ein gwaith ni yw cyfathrebu – nid cyfri’r niferoedd – ond wrth reswm gorau oll os oes mwy yn darganfod y blog a mwy yn darllen.

                Gair ddigon diflas yw “dadleuol”. Gwell gennyf son am fynegi barn, a hynny sydd mor bwysig yn y Byd Cymraeg a Chymreig, yn y “Gymru Fach” – sef ein bod yn barod i drin a thrafod ac yn barod i fynegi barn. Rhywbeth arall gynhyrfodd y dyfroedd Trydarati Cymraeg oedd son am fy hoffter o raglen Andrew Marr ar BBC Radio 4 bob bore LLun a’r diffyg rhaglen tebyg yn y Gymraeg ar y radio. Y gair rwyf yn drydar yw “Sylwedd” mae angen “Sylwedd”.

Elihu Yale Herald Gymraeg 5 Rhagfyr 2012

Born in America, in Europe bred

In Africa travell’d and in Asia wed

Where long he liv’d and thriv’d, in London dead

Much good, some ill, he did

Rwyf wrth fy modd hefo carreg fedd Elihu Yale ym mynwernt Sant Silyn, Wrecsam. Mae hon bron cystal a chareg fedd John Ceiriog Hughes yn Llanwnog lle cofir am Ceiriog “Dyma ei lwch – a dim lol”.  Fedrith rhywun ond gobeithio ar ol i ni fynd fod rhywun yn cofio amdanom gyda geiriau mor addas a di-lol.

                Roeddwn wedi bod yn cynnal gweithdy Dynamo yng Ngholeg Ial, yn trafod ochr busnes y Diwydiant Cerddoriaeth ac yn wir wedi cael bore bendigedig hefo myfyrwyr yn eu harddegau hwyr, myfyrwyr oedd yn gwrtais, yn cymeryd sylw a diddordeb, a wedi bod yn fy holi am wahanol agweddau o’r Byd Pop Cymraeg a Chymreig am dros awr a hanner. Erbyn amser cinio roeddwn yn barod i fentro i mewn i dref Wrecsam i astudio rhywbeth hanesyddol. Bellach dwi ddim yn mynd i unrhywle heb drio gwneud yn siwr fod yna ymweliad hanesyddol yn rhan o raglen y dydd, amser yn caniatau wrthgwrs.

                Rwyf wedi ymweld ac Eglwys Sant Silyn neu St Giles o’r blaen ond yr hyn sydd yn braf o ail ymweliad yw fod rhywun yn gallu ychwanegu at eu gwybodaeth a dealltwriaeth. Y tro cyntaf mater o gael hyd i garreg fedd Elihu Yale oedd hi ond y tro yma rwyf yn gwybod lle i fynd a rwyf yn cael canolbwyntio ar ddarllen y gofeb.

                Bu i deulu  Elihu ymfudo i America yn ystod teyrnasiad Siarl 1af oherwydd y diffyg goddefgarwch i’r Piwritaniaid, hyn 17 mlynedd ar ol i’r Mayflower hwylio allan hefo’r criw cyntaf a ganwyd Elihu ym mlwyddyn dienyddu Siarl, 1649. Dychwelodd y teulu i Brydain yng nghyfnod Cromwell a mae’n debyg fod yr Elihu ifanc wedi bod yn  Llundain yn ystod cyfnod y Pla Mawr a Tan Llundain wedyn ym 1666.

                Gwnaeth ei gyfoeth yn India, gan ddechrau gweithio hefo’r East India Company a threulio amser fel arweinydd Fort St George . Un arall wnaeth gyfoeth ar yr un pryd oedd Robert Clive, hwnnw a chysylltiad a’r Amwythig a Chastell Powis. Treuliodd Yale yr ugain mlynedd olaf  o’i fywyd rhwng Plas Grono, ger Wrecsam a Sgwar y Frenhines yn Llundain, ond y rheswm pennaf rydym yn adnabod enw Yale wrthgwrs yw am ei gysylltiad a Choleg Connecticut.

                Ar yr 11 Fehefin 1718 roedd Yael wedi gyrru dwy gist o ddeunyddiau a thecstiliau i’r Coleg i gael eu gwerthu am elw. Roedd hefyd wedi rhoi  417 llyfr iddynt a llun olew o’r Brenin Sior Iaf. Amcangyfrifir ar y pryd fod hyn i gyd werth £1,162. Yn ddiweddarach ym 1721 gyrrodd mwy o bethau i’w gwerthu, y tro yma werth £562. Oherwydd ei garedigrwydd fe fabwysiadwyd yr enw Yale ar Goleg Connecticut.

                Rhoddodd arian hefyd i Eglwys y Plwyf yn Wrecsam. Dyma chi eglwys hyfryd i ymweld a hi. Wrth gyrraedd y fynwent o gyfeiriad Stryd yr Eglwys rydym yn wynebu giatiau haearn trawiadol Robert Davies, Croesfoel a adeiladwyd ym 1720. Adferwyd y gitatiau ym 1900 a mae llyfr agored ar ben y giat yn darllen “Go in peace and sin no more” – hynny wrth i rhywun gerdded allan o’r fynwent. Treulias awr yn y caffi ger y giataiau yn darllen y llyfrau tywys, yn mwynhau wy ar dost a pot o de gyda golygfa o’r twr a’i gerfuliau o’m mlaen.

                Yr hyn sydd yn amlwg wrth ymweld a hen eglwysi yw fod cymaint i’w weld, o bosib gormod mewn un ymweliad. Unwaith eto dyma’r fantais o gael ymweld dro ar ol tro,  a’r tro yma yr hyn sydd yn dwyn fy sylw yw’r hen luniau paent ar y wal o dan y nenfwd ar ochr ddwyreiniol corff yr Eglwys, hon yw’r wal yn rhannu corff yr eglwys o’r gangell.

                Darlun o Ddydd y Farn yn dyddio ‘r Unfed Ganrif ar Bymtheg sydd i’w weld yma gan gynnwys llun o frenin a dau esgob yn codi o’u  heirch i wynebu Crist, Mair a Sant Ioan. Yn anffodus mae wyneb Crist wedi hen ddiflannu ond mae modd gweld  Sant Pedr  yn croesawu rhai i’r Nefoedd ar ochr chwith y llun er fod y rhan yma mewn cyflwr gwael a wedi colli dipyn o’i liw. Ar ochr dde y llun gwelir erall, llai ffodus yn cael eu llosgi yn Uffern ! Ail-ddarganfuwyd y llun ym 1867.

                Un o’r nodweddion mwyaf hynafol yn yr Eglwys yw’r cerflun o ‘Keneverike ap Hovel’ yn y Lladin a tybiaf mae Cyneurig ap Hywel fydda hyn yn y Gymraeg. Daethpwyd o hyd i’r cerflun o dan y ddaear yn y fynwent yn nechrau’r Bedwaredd Ganrif ar Bymtheg wrth dyllu seiliau ar gyfer ail osod giatiau Robert Davies.

                Nodwedd arall hyniod ddiddorol yw’r ‘sedilia’, sef  y seddau ar gyfer  yr offeiriad ar wal dde-ddwyreiniol y gangell. Mae sedilia tebyg i’w gweld yn Eglwys Clynnog Fawr. A wedyn tu gefn i’r allor mae’r reredos gyda cerfluniau, y reredos yw’r sgrin tu cefn i’r allor.

                Mae’n debyg mae’r ddadl yma yw fod yn werth caniatau ychydig o amser i ymweld ag Eglwys Sant Silyn, hynny yw y tro nesa mae rhywun yma yn siopa ar y Sadwrn neu yn ymweld a gem Peldreod yn Wrecsam. Mae modd ymgolli yma, ymgolli yng nghanol yr holl hanes, yr holl nodweddion bach diddorol hanesyddol, y ffenestri lliw, y pensaerniaieth.

                O’r tu allan, mae’r twr wrthgwrs yn hynod drawiadol. Wedi eu adeiladu yn yr Unfed Ganrif ar Bymtheg yn y dull perpendiciwlar ac yn codi i uchder o 45 medr. Yn anffodus mae ol y tywydd i’w weld bellach gyda nifer o’r cerfluniau yn dechrau colli eu ffurff. Gellir gweld cerfluniau o Sant Iago Fawr, Sant Silyn (Giles) gyda Harri VIII ar un ochr iddo a Sant Ioan Fedyddwr ar yr ochr arall.

                Ar waelod  wal orllewinol y twr mae carreg a roddwyd yn y wal gan Goleg Ial ym 1918 i gymeryd lle carreg a gludwyd drosodd i’r America. Yn ddiddorol iawn, Giles neu Silyn oedd nawdd sant pobl ac anableddau symud.

 

Welsh Rebel Outpost @ Nant Gwrtheyrn

 

 

So the bass came out of retirement, the excuse was that this was my 50^th Birthday Party but the actual birthday had long gone (July 1^st). One way or another I’d been far too busy to sort anything out for July and it was in fact an old school friend who suggested that I should do something to celebrate / mark my 50^th.

                I’m not one for birthdays so the idea was immediately dismissed but slowly the seed of an idea began to develop. Every Monday I do a workshop for Age Well Cymru in Nefyn which involves taking the good folk of Nefyn out for walks and visits to historical and archaeological sites on the Llyn Peninsula. On my way home to “Cofiland” I pass the sign for Nant Gwrtheyrn and it was while passing the sign that I thought – maybe we could do something in Nant Gwrtheyrn and so I drove down, spoke to the good people at Nant and booked the hall.

                It’s always good to just jump in and hire the venue – now something has to happen – I had to get something organised and the next idea was to put a band together and do a few songs. I knew in advance that putting Anhrefn back together was probably going to be impossible, too much politics, who would be in the line-up anyway – we’d had over 50 members (probably), most of them drummers, over all those years. Politically this is a nightmare scenario and without Sion Sebon the whole thing is a non-starter anyway.

                To be honest, at this grand old age I do not have the capacity or the stamina to go through all the political hoops (especially as it’s so unlikely to happen anyway)  so plan B was to put a neutral band together, ask some old friends and get a bunch of guest vocalists to join us on stage on the day. So I started to make some calls, Jeb Loy Nichols was up for it straight away – we would do a cover of one of Jeb’s songs “Letter To an Angel” from the Easy Now album. Jeb and myself have worked together since the “Days Are Mighty” album which we put out on the Anhrefn Record Label back in 2006.

                Letter To An Angel is such a brilliant song, a little bit of Southern Soul, it would be such an honour and pleasure to perform that song. If Jeb’s going to come up all that way we might as well throw in “Money is the Root of all Evil” by Horace Andy, a song from which Jeb occasionally drops a verse  into his set, plus he’s toured with Horace Andy so that would work.

                The next call was to Henry Priestman  (ex Yatchs / ex Christians) and now solo artist. Sion Sebon and myself have  co-writen a couple of songs recently with Henry so we would do those songs and a cover of “Did I Fight in the Punk Wars For This ?” off Henry’s ‘Chronicles of Modern Life’ album. Now since 1977 I’d always said that “God Save The Queen” by the Sex Pistols was the most relevant song of all time – and for a long time it was. This was the song that got us politicized back in the day, which gave us a voice and a means of expression. This was the fuse that lit the Punk Rock flame for so many of us.

                In recent years I think many of us have felt that things have turned a bit shit, from the obvious X Factor nonsense to my daily frustration with the Welsh Language Music and Cultural Scene. During the 80’s I had been involved with a whole load of Welsh Language Bands such as Y Cyrff, Datblygu, Tynal Tywyll, Elfyn Presli, Igam Ogam, Traddodiad Ofnus and many many more who, at least for a period, shared a common vision – to move things forward in Wales, to create a new scene, to wipe out the old order – to make Welsh Language Music cool and relevant to a new generation.

                Several John Peel Sessions and European Tours later the so called “Welsh Underground Scene” had ejaculated it’s load, things moved forward and by the mid-90s we had Cool Cymru, directly or indirectly. Mission accomplished some might say. But this is where Priestman’s song kicks in. We dropped down our guard and the rats regained the ship. Today the Welsh Scene in many ways is a bit like Punk never happened. Listening to daytime Radio Cymru it does feel that Y Cyrff and Datblygu never existed – we still have MOR hell, very poor country music and even some of the younger  bands  seemed to have learnt nothing. We still do not really have Pop Music in Welsh, there are the odd examples but they always seem to be outnumbered and out-gunned, we just have far too much dated MOR – this I think is a great great disappointment, something I hoped would have change for good after Cool Cymru.

                So back to “Did I Fight in the Punk Wars for this ?” I kept listening to the track over and over – this really does sum it up, certainly for cynical punk vetrans, for the 50 plus generation. It makes sense, and indeed in terms of Welsh Culture it has become my daily mantra, my daily anthem. So we have Henry on board.

                During a recent trip to Cardiff I’d met up with Gwenno (ex Pipettes) in a downtown Cardiff bar. We’d been talking about bands like Moira and the Mice and Screen Gems, seminal  Cardiff bands from the early 80’s. Would Gwenno like to do a Young Marble Giants song with us – we suggested “Final Day”.

                Now then Sion Sebon was always going to be a tough cookie to convince so we ploughed ahead with forming the “House Band”. I needed a guitarist to learn the songs with and to figure out a set list. Meeting No 1 was with original Anhrefn guitarist, Dewi Gwyn. Once Dewi  understood the deal he was happy to be in. Neil Crud followed soon afterwards, I wanted Neil to do a cover of the Rich Kids song “Ghosts of Princes in Towers” with us. Rather cheekily I phoned Crud and asked “Can you actually sing ?”  Crud actually has a very good voice. So back to the Rich Kids …..

                During the last 18 months of his life I’d been managing Steve New the guitarist from the Rich Kids, Steve or Stella, as he was then known passed away in 2010 but before he went we managed to release two albums and to put the Rich Kids back together “For One Night Only”. We sold out the Islington Academy in 3 days. Midge Ure had suggested the idea of doing a Benefit Concert for Steve’s two kids, Diva and Frank and Glen Matlock went ahead and put the musicians together for the Concert while I co-ordinated the organising with Midge, Glen and Live Nation.

                On the night we had Viv Albertine from the Slits, TV Smith form the Adverts, Ian Broudie from the Lightning Seeds, Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet, Mick Jones from The Clash and Tony James from Generation  X / Sigue Sigue Sputnik all up on stage. It was a brilliant night, one of the best gigs I’ve ever been involved with and it was from this concert that another seed of an idea was planted. Could we do something similar in Wales, something to remember and celebrate those musicians such as Johnny Fflaps, Al Maffia, Barry Cyrff and all the others who are no longer with us.

                Now this is something we may look at for 2013. There is a big question if it can actually be pulled off. Let’s see. But the 50^th bash was a way of getting the bass out, getting a few of us back on stage, just to put a few feelers out if you like.

                So far so good, we have Dewi Gwyn, Neil Crud but we need a drummer so I thought of Owen Cob, he was in Fay Ray, Bangor legends and pioneers, a band we had seen on BBC 2’s “Something Else” and certainly the  pioneers of putting North Wales on the map a few years before we got records finally played on the Peel show.  Owen and myself met up for lunch at Caban, we now had a drummer.

                The two final components were Gethin Gwacs, ex lead singer and guitarist with Gwacamoli and probably one of the best musicians I have known and Sarah Lousie to keep us in tune. Sarah would contribute backing vocals and add a touch of glamour to the “House Band” which we were now referring to jokingly  as “The Old Farts” or it could just have easily been “The Balding Bastards” both great names for a dodgy punk band.

                Rehersals at Y Gelfa went well, as we all agreed this was “good fun.” It’s odd for me to talk about “fun”. I’d always been from the Woody Guthrie / Joe Strummer school, you know how Guthrie had painted “This machine Kills Fascists” on his guitar – I’d always enjoyed my time in bands but I never claimed that we were doing it for fun – we were always on a mission. So this would be interesting, could I actually do a set just for fun ?

                Everything was going well until one by one my “special gusests” started dropping out. Henry had been booked to play the Hebden Bridge Folk Festival and could not get back in time, Gwenno had been asked to go out to Australia to support Elton John and Jeb had been given the guitarist job with Lambchop on an European Tour. All valid.

                Jeb was funny because he was so apologetic but as he explained that this was a paid gig I told Jeb “listen if I was offered a couple of grand to go on tour in Europe I would not be at my party either !” The original idea was for us to be the house band and then Henry, Jeb, Gwenno would all come on for a couple of songs. We also ran out of time to rehearse with Sion Sebon so we ended up sharing the vocal duties between the house band. Sarah was brilliant stepping up to the mic and Gethin Gwacs handled a couple of Anhrefn songs.

                Which songs to do was always going to be a huge question. In the end we thought we’d dedicate “Rhywle yn Moscow” to the two remaining Pussy Riot girls still in a Russian jail and it would be hard not to include “Rhedeg i Paris” in the set. Sion Sebon thought Moscow stood out on the day – he was in the audience.

                The audience were not to know that the guests were not there – they seemed to enjoy the set but it was a shame as it would have been nice to bring on the guests. It would have added to the show and to the “cool”.

                On the day the folks that turned up were all close friends, the tour guides, the archaeologists and a few colleagues from Welsh Media. Disappointingly, but not unexpectedly, the Welsh musicians consistently failed to turn up, from ex-members to bands I’d worked with over the years. A few made the effort, Pat from Datblygu had come up from Brecon and it was great to see her again. Gorwel and Fiona from Eirin Peryglys also made it as did the TNT girls.

                The excuses ranged form “I forgot” to “things to do”. The best (from a non-musician) was from one who had to attend chapel and another colleague had to preach. I’d invited a load of people who were not “close friends” but were movers and shakers on the Welsh Scene. The idea was to have some interesting people in a room together on a Sunday afternoon, to create and curate  a “cultural event”.

                I do honestly think that this total inability to grasp the concept sums up the Welsh Scene. On the day they were not missed in as much as everyone present had a great afternoon but I think for me, it was probably the final straw. There won’t be a 50^th ever again obviously, but neither will I make any effort with the crap excuses. In a funny way my 2 year absence from the “Welsh Scene” has if anything increased my creativity and given me some clarity. I often think of Cerys singing that London sucks the life out of me but that’s the Welsh Scene, still as  incestuous and inward facing as ever, unhealthy, stodgy, static. The Mutual Appreaciation Society. The Revisionists.

                The only way of dealing with Welsh Culture in the future is to be a total outsider, totally independent – which was where we started in the 1980s in Llanfarir Caereinion. Those first classic records with Datblygu and Cyrff were recorded at Foel Studios – totally totally independent – there IS a lesson there and it’s where I want to be and it’s probably the only place I can be.

                So the guitar came out of the case, yes it was fun, but this machine wants to have fun and fight the fascists. I used to use the old Francis Bacon / Malcolm McClaren mantra “You have to destroy in order to create” but I’m totally convinced that we now have to “Create in order to destroy”.

                In the end we opted for “Welsh Rebel Outpost” as the name for the band.  Maybe Welsh Rebel Outpost will live to fight another day – who knows ?