Y Blew
| Y Blew | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Aberystwyth, Wales |
| Genres | Welsh language rock/pop |
| Years active | 1967 |
| Labels | Qualiton |
| Past members |
|
Y Blew (The Hairs) was a Welsh rock band founded in 1967. Although short lived, having pressed and released just one single, the band are recognized as the first rock band to sing in Welsh.
Formed in 1967 by five students from the University of Aberystwyth: Maldwyn Pate (vocals), Richard Lloyd (lead guitar), Dafydd Evans (bass guitar), Dave Williams (keyboards) and Geraint Evans (drums). The band took their name ("The Hairs" in English) from the long-haired fashion that was popular at the time.
The band raised £2,000 to support their recording and touring, and played their first gig in the Memorial Hall at Talybont at Easter 1967. The band took their music on the road that year with three tours, including playing at the National Eisteddfod in Bala.
In summer 1967 they released their one and only single, Maes B. The band ensured their gigs were well publicised, and as well as distinctive posters and flyers they used billboards to advertise themselves. Despite disbanding in the autumn of that year, their place in Welsh music history was secured and artefacts by the band are now in the possession of the National Library of Wales and the Museum of Wales.
In the 1960s music in the Welsh language was still largely influenced by male voice choirs, chapel and traditional Noson Lawen singing. The pop music that did exist in Welsh was generally light acoustic folk music having little in common with the current fashions in Anglo-American pop and rock releases.
As social attitudes changed during the 1950s and 1960s the outlook of many younger Welsh speakers also started to change. Following the outcry over the destruction of Welsh speaking villages to build projects such as dam supplying water for cities in England there was an upsurge of support for Welsh issues and the language. Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) a protest movement campaigning for legal recognition of Welsh was established. It was also widely realised that the Welsh language culture needed to renew itself in order to make it relevant to younger generations.
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