Lostprophets slam 'Cool Cymru'

Rockers Lostprophets have labelled the music scene in their native Wales "bland", insisting they had to move to America to get recognised.

The band feel they were too rebellious to fit into the "Cool Cymru (Welsh for Wales)" scene of the late 1990s - and blast "bland" bands like the Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers who epitomised it.

Frontman Ian Watkins says: "We were never accepted by the whole Welsh music scene. It was only when an American label signed us that we were suddenly championed at home.

"We weren't playing middle-of-the-road indie stuff so we were the black sheep.

"We weren't playing radio friendly, jingly-jangly, staring at your shoes indie rock, which is what the whole Cool Cymru thing was.

“They were good bands, but there was no balls to it. To us it sounded very bland.

"Now we can put two fingers up to it all. There's no better feeling than having your self-belief confirmed."