It’s national Wales day. Or St David’s day. Whichever, in honour of this day some people in Wales are attaching vegetables to their sweaters and women are dressing like this:
Nothing sinister about that.
We’re not putting anything on our jumpers (it’s a bit warm out anyway for layers) and you’re going to have to fight us to get us in one of them bonnets, so let’s pay homage to one of our fine nations and salute the welsh dragons of pop.
Steve Strange: the New Romantic via Rhyl.
The future Visage frontman hails from Wales (obviously as he wouldn’t be included on here). After seeing The Sex Pistols in Newport he started organising punk gigs in his hometown. Not sure how well attended they were but music certainly became the driving force in his life and he moved to London to be the DJ and host at Blitz, the hysterically fashionable night for lads who borrowed their mum’s blouses and mazza (aka New Romantics) at the then Camden Palace which is now KOKO where we reside once a month. So much in common with welsh culture makers have we.
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Ms Bassey, the Tiger Bay girl with lungs that could solve our wind power woes
Shirley. Ah, Shirls. Knocked up at 16 and married to a gay at 24, Shirley got to the top through hard work, grit and natural showbiz brilliant talent that money just can’t buy. Let that be lesson to you X-Factor hopefuls! She was born to belt out a ballad and even at 75 can still reach the high notes with probably no need for any vocal amplification. Seriously, she’s DEAD loud. Never seen without sequins, feathers and good hair. She is diva MAX. Bond would be half the man without her.
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Shaky. Or Shakin’ Stevens if you’re a bit more formal.
This is the real Welsh Elvis. Not that microphone-haired- elderly-sex-pest. Shakin’ Stevens was like your Uncle who all your mum’s mates fancied, who you suspect did actually practice his pseudo-Presley leg jigging dance in the mirror daily. Maybe he did the Elvis lip curl and attempt the accent. too Actually, no maybes, he definitely did that. No question. Here he is on Top of the Pops with his fashionable cod-rock and roll honky-tonk when everyone else was down Steve Strange’s club in their nan’s fur coat.
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Duffy’s from Wales too. That’s good… next!
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Catherine Zeta-Jones. Perhaps pop’s not for you. No offence
Former Darling Bud and successful suer of Hello! Magazine, Catherine Zeta-Jones had a minor music career in the early 90s. She can sing sure, but one suspects the attempted chart attack was based around her looks rather than her musical skill. Never mind, she’s married to Michael Douglas, won an OSCAR and lives in LA being dead rich and successful so she probably couldn’t give two hoots about her top 40 scraping singles. And neither should we. They’re rubbish.
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Bonnie Tyler. She’ll blow your f***in’ head off.
No Welsh line up is complete without the blond bombshell from the Valleys, Bonnie Tyler. Hooking up with the Meatloaf producer / collaborater Jim Steinman was the rocket fuel for Bonnie’s career after a steady start in the 70s with a neat bowl cut. Suddenly she was a woman transformed, with passionate, dramatic songs, great big, bombastic production and fashionable feather cut hair. They bloody love her in Germany. Who can blame them?
Tags: pop, st david'd day, welsh