The Hepburns – Llanelli indie/rock/pop band (1985–present), feat; Matt Jones (gtr,voc,keys), Mike Thomas (bass), Les Mun (drms) early years / Pete Mason (drms) later, with additional collaborators including Nigel Boulton (lead gtr), Jen White (flute), James White (trumpet), Cris Haines (brass) and Sue Reece (flute/keys) across different albums and line‑ups.
Formed in January 1985 in Llanelli, Wales, they emerged from the post‑punk/indie boom with a distinctive sound combining jangly guitar pop, chamber‑pop sophistication and lyrical wit influenced by Burt Bacharach, Jonathan Richman and 1960s‑70s easy‑listening.
Signed to Cherry Red Records in 1986, they released their debut album 'The Magic Of The Hepburns' (1988) and later set up their own Magic Records label to retain creative control. The band’s output blends pop, brass, orchestral touches and cinematic songwriting, with themes ranging from humour to social commentary.
They have toured Scandinavia and the USA, recorded multiple BBC sessions, and continue to perform and record, maintaining a devoted fanbase and a strong Welsh musical identity.
Discography
'The Magic Of The Hepburns' – 1988, Cherry Red Records
'Champagne Reception' – 2000, Magic Records
'The Last Thing I Saw Before I Said Goodbye' – 2003, Magic Records
'Something Worth Stealing' – 2007, Magic Records
'Trojan Hearse' – c2008, Magic Records
'How The Fallen Are Mighty' – c2010, Magic Records
'There’s No Such Thing As The Hepburns' – 27.01.17, Magic Records
'In The Mean Time' – 06.04.18, Magic Records
Notable singles / EPs
The Magic Of The Hepburns EP (1986), Cherry Red Records
A5 – Gwalchmai hip-hop/dance collective (1988–1993, sporadic until c2002), feat; Johnny R (prog,voc), plus a rotating cast of guest rappers and vocalists.
Originally a lo-fi Welsh language hip-hop project recorded on 4-track cassette decks using "samplers from Argos," they evolved into a more polished dance act by the early 2000s.
The Cybergoth CD single (R-BEN 053), released in 2002, featured a distinct shift toward electronic experimentation and included various remixes like the "Casio VL-tone Mix" and the "Doli Dolig Mix."
And... 24 years on I'm still pondering over whether this is genius or utter rubbish (probably a bit of both).
It was packaged with a keychain, the release was typical of Johnny R’s anti-commercial, DIY ethos on his R-Bennig label.
I found this cutting in my scrapbook from 1983 - it was out of one of those shite red top newspapers.
It's a sensationalist article on Class War and in particular Swansea University graduate, the living legend that is Ian Bone (once described by the News of the World as ‘the most dangerous man in Britain’)
Born on August 28, 1947, Bone's connections to Wales, specifically Swansea, go far beyond simply studying there.
Swansea was the foundational environment where he developed his unique brand of radical anarchism and political action, which he later took onto a national stage with Class War.
While studying at the University in the 1960s, Bone established his first anarchist agit-magazine called Alarm. This paper was a precursor to Class War.
Fighting the "Swansea Mafia" was a major focus of Alarm's activities was exposing alleged corruption within the local Labour-controlled Swansea Council (which Bone and his comrades nicknamed "The Swansea Mafia"). This grassroots investigative agitation was highly successful and is directly credited with contributing to the jailing of two prominent local Labour council leaders (Gerald Murphy in 1977 and his successor Sid Jenkins).
Bone himself credits the energy and experiences developed in Swansea as leading to the creation of the Class War paper and movement. The famous slogan "Class War" was reportedly coined after an argument with anarcho-pacifists at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) rally in Swansea.
Ian Bone was a member of the local activist group Swansea Solidarity. In 1969, he was involved in the hundreds of protests that took place outside St Helen's rugby ground in Swansea in protest against the visiting South African touring rugby side during the anti-apartheid movement.
Around 1979 he formed Page 3, a porno-punk band with Ray Rockafella (voc) (also Dyfatty Flats), Jock Negative (voc,stripping), Jon Smythe-Murray (sax), Mr Miers (gtr), Huw Pew (drms), Gags (drms) and many others. Played two, maybe three gigs, the first of which descended into chaos when two females joined the band naked on stage and rolled around on top of each other.
Songs included Sexist Twat, Bitches on Heat, Premature Ejaculations, Swallow it Down, Can’t Get It Up, One Of The Boys, Clap Clap I Wanna Get The Clap, Prostitutes World.
Andy Green, who promoted gigs at Swansea Uni said in a 2007 interview, ‘I foolishly put on a punk band called Page 3, in what was to be their last-ever gig – whose members were to become the anarchist agitation group Class War. This band included a lady of ill repute involved in the so-called ‘sex for luncheon vouchers scandal’ in the ‘70’s. Their act included doing rude things with jelly babies and feeding them to the front row of the audience. It got worse: the night ended in chaos with police and fire brigade called out, the College Safety Officer was beaten up, and my dear mate Bertie Mathews got thumped. My abiding memory is when cleaning up the mess at the end of the night. This big Welsh guy stood in the hall with his posture indicating he was going to make some negative pronouncement but declaring, in his broad valley’s accent: “Smutty, but good!” I learnt that you can at least please some of the people some of the time!’
After this, Living Legends were formed They played with Crass in Swansea and released their debut single ‘The Pope is a Dope’ (Upright Records 1982). Gigs were always chaotic with Ian Bone being arrested after one particularly memorable gig at Abergavenny Town Hall in 1983. By this time the band was Cardiff based. A second single ‘Better Dead Than Wed’ followed in 1985 and surprisingly topped the UK Indie charts for 3 weeks.The band continued to sporadically play well into the 90s. A ‘Greatest Hits’ tape was released on BBP Records 1996.
Bone's autobiography, Bash the Rich: True Life Confessions of an Anarchist in the UK, is heavily focused on his life and political development in the city. The film rights to the book were reportedly sold to a filmmaker, with a significant portion of the film planned to be set in Swansea.
Ian Bone was the initiator and key organizer of the Rock Against the Rich tour, which was spearheaded by his organization, Class War, in 1988.
Along with fellow anarchist Darren Ryan, Ian Bone approached Joe Strummer in a London pub (The Warwick Castle in Notting Hill) in March 1988. The initial idea was for a one-off benefit gig for Class War, but the conversation, fueled by drinks and Bone's confrontational style, quickly escalated into a full-blown, multi-date national tour.
It was conceived as a way to promote the anarchist politics and direct action focus of Class War—particularly their "Bash the Rich" activities—and raise the issue of wealth inequality.
The tour was endorsed and organized by Class War with Bone as a leading figure. The shows featured Strummer's new band, the Latino Rockabilly War, and the door money was split between local Class War groups and various local "needy" causes (like defence funds for sacked miners).
A significant aspect of Strummer's involvement, which Bone helped secure, was that Strummer agreed to underwrite any potential financial losses. He paid the wages for his American band and covered their travel and accommodation expenses.
Footnote: Welsh punks Anhrefn were also part of this tour and released their single 'Be Nesa 89' with the Rock Against The Rich logo on the label.
Jez Shea has made The Paraletics album 'Protest + Thrive' available online for the first time since it's mid-80s original release (although 'release' should be taken lightly, as it was shared with a few friends). Two of the songs did find their way onto a 1986 compilation cassette called 'Freedom What Freedom'
Speaking today, Jez says; An old friend, Adrian ‘Otto’ Williams, passed away a couple of months ago at the age of 58. Many shared memories of his life, but few remembered him as a bassist. In the 80s I played guitar in a punk band, The Paraletics, with Otto on bass, Gary Sheep on vocals, the legendary drummer Jonny Evans, and Ian Arkless as our mate with a van. For a few years we played local gigs, ripping up the Jazz Room in the Students Union. Once we travelled to Newtown to record an album on a mate’s 4 track portastudio, blasting out 15 original songs in a day. And here they are, never previously released, in memory of Otto [1966-2025], Jonny [1967-2001] and a bygone age in Bangor’s musical history.
If there’s one thing you can count on from the mysterious curators behind Weedian, it’s a love of riffs — big, warm, fuzz-drenched riffs that roll like thunder across the landscape. Over the past few years, the collective has mapped the globe through their sprawling Trip to… compilations, unearthing hidden gems from Greece to Poland, Italy to England. Now, with A Trip to Wales, Weedian turns its heavy gaze westward — to our mountains, coasts, and post-industrial valleys that have long reverberated with distortion and defiance.
Clocking in at 35 tracks, A Trip to Wales is nothing short of a love letter to the Welsh heavy underground. From the swirling psychedelia of Wrexham's Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard to the molten groove of Sigiriya, from Dope Smoker’s monolithic fuzz to the punk-doom hybrid chaos of Made of Teeth, this compilation doesn’t just showcase a scene — it charts a geography of sound.
The tagline on Bandcamp puts it perfectly: “Where the riffs roll like the hills and the amps sound like thunder on the coast.” It’s a fitting description for a record that feels carved from the same granite that defines Snowdonia.
Each band contributed a track with full blessing — some new, some deep cuts — creating an anthology that feels both curated and communal. It’s a snapshot of Welsh heaviness in 2025, but also a reminder that the country has been nurturing this energy for decades.
As a country, we have long punched above our weight in the world of heavy music. From the early days of Taint and Acrimony, through the experimental metal of Hark, to the cosmic sprawl of newer outfits like Goat Major, Warklockhunt and Estuary Blacks, the Welsh scene has always blended noisy sludge with grandeur.
A Trip to Wales stitches those threads together, offering both history and prophecy. You’ll find legendary names alongside underground up-and-comers, often on the same sonic wavelength — proving that the fire that once burned in the bars and rehearsal rooms of Swansea, Cardiff, and Wrexham still rages on.
For those unfamiliar, Weedian isn’t a label in the traditional sense — it’s more like a curatorial collective and celebration of heavy culture. Each Trip to… release serves as a sonic travelogue, guiding listeners through the underground of a particular region. Previous entries like Trip to Greece, Trip to England, and Trip to Poland II gathered over a hundred tracks apiece.
This time, Wales gets its own dedicated volume — a tighter, leaner, but no less potent compilation that feels distinctly personal. The artwork, by illustrator Silvester Wisnu, captures that mix of mysticism and magnitude: a land where ancient myth meets modern amplifier worship.
There's a sense of connection running through the whole compilation. There’s no hierarchy here, no big-label gatekeeping — just a shared devotion to the almighty riff, whether it’s delivered from a bedroom in Bangor or a studio in the South Wales valleys.
For longtime followers of the Welsh scene, this compilation feels like validation. For newcomers, it’s a revelation — a reminder that while the world’s attention might flicker elsewhere, the spirit of Welsh underground music remains defiantly alive.
Well... almost but not quite - but this little family tree documents the family history of Bangor 'superstars' Fay Ray, who were signed to WEA and had a minor hit with the excellent new wave single Heatwave in 1982.
The family tree (you'll need to zoom in), is a bit hard to decipher as the band names with lettering that's almost a pre-former to all those grindgore bands' logos that no one can read!
However, bands included are Hot Water, Fay Ray, The Menai Straights, Some Noise, Inverted Commas, Distant Cousins, TVI's, Loose Connections, 9½, Brenda & The Hot Dicks, Feet First, Bran, Kelly's Heroes, Red Hot Pokers, Broken Arrow, Weetabix Express, Pushy Pushy Band
