Ian Watkins is a very angry man. On the surface - it’s
rather difficult to see why. The lead singer of Lostprophets and his band have
debunked to San Diego and are currently in the process of recording their new
album. The mid-afternoon heat is searing towards the 80 degree mark and fellow
band-mates Matt and Shaun have retreated to the beach to catch some surf.
Watkins, on the other hand, is in no way living the archetypal rock ‘n’ roll
lifestyle: “We’ve been out here for the past two months working
on tracks for the new album. The boys are enjoying the weather but to be honest
the only tan I’ve been working on is my studio one.”
Already there’s an obvious sense of unrest within Watkins. When he speaks
it’s with much passion and humour - but something is quite clearly eating
away at him, musically and socially. “The new album is going to strip
away the commercial sheen we used on [previous album] Liberation Transmission.
My mindset at the moment is one of anger and hatred towards the world, people
and the industry in general.” There’s an awkward silence, then
Watkins continues to paint a bleak picture: “As a band we’re going
for that classic punk-rock sound. I’m just really excited about creating
something incredibly nasty and dark.”
In contrast, it was the all-conquering rock sound of third album Liberation
Transmission that hurtled the Lostprophets into the mainstream and millions
of album sales - both in the UK and Stateside. Where other British bands have
tried and failed with a half-baked whimper, Lostprophets have built up a sizable
fan base through incessant touring across America’s multicultural belt.
The band has also caught the attention of the American glitterati, with emo
aficionados Fall Out Boy raising the Welsh flag in the Lostprophets backyard.
At an incredibly low-key show in Bridgend Recreation Centre last January, Fall
Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz couldn’t stop name-checking and praising the
Lostprophets - calling Ian Watkins, “A god to the local scene”.
Watkins was present at the gig and remembers the humbling moment well: “That
Pete Wentz is full of crazy s**t. A lovely bloke - but he does talk a load
of rubbish sometimes. After the gig we spent the night in [Bridgend pub] The
Toll House. By the following Tuesday, Fall Out Boy were top of the American
Billboard chart.”
Although Watkins is keen to work on the album, the band will take a sabbatical
on recording and head back to the UK for a handful of arena dates in mid-April.
In reality, the shows will act as a warm-up to the official homecoming party
as headliners of The Full Ponty Festival in May. Watkins raises a smile: “Is
it a homecoming party? Well, I suppose it is. We’re really looking forward
to it and, without sounding too clichéd, we’re just happy giving
something back to the area.”
Further questioning on Watkins’ life in Pontypridd makes him sound like
a nostalgic old man sitting in the corner of a stuffy social club: “I
just loved growing up there - it made me the person I am today. Again, I may
sound corny, but Ponty definitely instilled a lot of values within me. Just
having that working class attitude towards everything. It helps in such a false
and glitzy industry.” Watkins though, is weary of a new generation of
adolescents growing up in the area: “If I went out in Ponty today I’d
be scared. There’d be an obvious generation gap that could give me a
good hammering - and I don’t mean getting drunk!”
The under-card for The Full Ponty will also see the band hooking up with former
support acts - The Blackout and Dopamine. Having muscled their way through
a hotbed of local rock bands, Dopamine were fortunate enough to tour with the
Lostprophets in Japan. The Blackout, on the other hand, forgot to fill out
their permission slip. Watkins explained the situation: “We invited both
bands out there but only one of them made it. I think Shaun [Smith] from The
Blackout was having some kind of embarrassing operation - or maybe his mother
wouldn’t let him come out, bless.” When I mention the size and
stature of Watkins’ bouffant hair, he just turns it into another joke
towards Shaun Smith: “I admit my hair has grown uncontrollably of late
- but I’ve been on tour - I’ve never got any time for someone to
sheer through it. Now, that Shaun [Smith] needs a proper haircut - a Merthyr
fringe would suit him.”
I get Watkins to explain the style further “You basically have a total
skinhead aside from this lush, overflowing fringe. That haircut is the future
- it could wipe out a generation of static bouffants! I think Shaun should
be the first to start the revolution.”
Conversation drifts back to the new album, with Watkins determined to have
his say on a number of contemporary and global issues: “I know what we’re
doing musically isn’t that unfamiliar in the current political climate
but I’ve got plenty of things to say. This might sound laboured and selfish,
but what’s the point in a government spending millions of pounds on a
pointless war when my mother’s been on the NHS waiting list for the past
seven years?! It wreaks of injustice so here’s my chance to put that
right.”
Just when you get the feeling Lostprophets are about to turn two fingers up
at their old commercial selves, Watkins revels in the challenge to mix his
personal ethos with a sound that’ll slide onto daytime radio: “We’re
not going to disturb our fans completely. The album will be slimmed down to
ten tracks. It would be so easy to write some over-blown double album full
of filler but I’d rather opt for something short and empowering. The
classic Lostprophets hooks will be in there but my tones will be a lot more
sinister.”
After The Full Ponty, the band will continue recording in San Diego and hope
to have the new album completed before their UK festival dates at T In The
Park and the Reading Festival. Watkins is upbeat about the future for Lostprophets,
no matter how musically morose it may look: “This band is my focus and
love. I don’t see any other need for other creative outlets to express
myself - I’ll leave the side project stuff to [Funeral For A Friend lead
singer] Matt Davies. His [Davies’] material with The Secret Show is good
but I’m not too sure how well I’d sit behind a pedal steel guitar!” Finally,
back to the subject of the new album. Is there any room for sunshine and optimism?
Watkins just laughs: “No, none whatsoever.”
The Lostprophets take a break from work on their latest album to headline at the Full Ponty Festival. Keith Carey hears how