The Welsh punk scene was largely south-based in the early-mid 1980s. There are exceptions - Anhrefn and Datblygu's logical commitment to singing in their mother tongue has inspired countless bands subsequently, although their influence on Welsh punk is minimal. Other than that, there are legions of nutcases who never actually got round to releasing much.
Rhyl's 4Q are perhaps Wales' shining example of this: a cabal of boorish irritants who made headlines for their John Lennon requiem Imagine A Dead Hippy but never released any vinyl.
Elfyn Presli, a damaged noise troupe from North Wales only released one track officially. You could also mention Frug! Records' 'seminal' 1994 I Was A Teenage Gwent Boy compilation, which collected Newport's finest noisemongers together on one slab o'wax. At the time, bands like Rollerco, Five Darrens and Suck carried pretty big expectations. Of the lot, though, only 60ft Dolls really broke out.
The Cowboy Killers are a further case in point. Although they had a couple of LPs and a fearsome live reputation to their name by the time they appeared on Gwent Boy, their blistering Dead Kennedys fury never ascended the heights many lesser outfits have attained before and since.
Add to this the dearth of lasting labels - the Cowboy Killers' imprint, Words Of Warning, moved to Bristol in the '90s; Frug! didn't last beyond a few more releases; The Oppressed's inventively-named Oi! Records dealt mainly with bands from elsewhere.
But this has never really been the point. "The bands that deserved to be huge probably got huge," says Simon Phillips. "Someone like the Cowboy Killers exerted their own confines, although they're still well regarded. But I wouldn't expect a band like Guinea Worm to want to get far anyway."
"It seems you have to be in the lap of a corporate to get any credence nowadays, but is that culture?" muses Welly Artcore. "For me though, the very concept of 'punk' means that bands don't 'make it'. It's all about independence."
History seems to have taught the punk flagbearers of Wales that you'll never sell records acting like that. To Welly's mind it adds up to a lot of nothing. "80s bands were led by DIY ethics, and things like vegetarianism and left-wing politics were far more important. It was a movement then. Now, bands and individuals view each other as direct competition, and the sense of community has gone."
Suggested listening:
Cowboy Killers - Punkers Look Like Jerks From Outer Space (Words Of Warning)
Compilation of Beddis and co's finest moments on one CD. Think Dead Kennedys and TSOL, then break something.
The Partisans - The Best Of (Captain Oi!)
No-frills streetpunk from early '80s Bridgend. Recently reformed and with a credible international following.
Public Disturbance - Possessed to Hate (Retribute)
Dig bands like Earth Crisis or Integrity? You'll dig this psychotic hardcore metal EP, featuring two future Lostprophets and a song called 18 Stones Of Pure F*cking Terror.
Various - I Was A Teenage Gwent Boy (Frug) br> Compilation featuring the cream of the Newport scene circa 1994. Cowboy Killers, Novocaine and the Flemgods rock the hardest; a second volume is in the pipeline.
Anhrefn - Dragon's Revenge (Crai/Probe Plus) br> Melodic but driving punk from mother-tongue heroes; ever heard a Joe Strummer impression in Welsh? Artwork by Jamie 'Never Mind the Bollocks' Reid, by the way.
Thanks to Cedwyn Aled
