Shropshire band to support Status Quo

Pobl Y Bryn, whose members hail from Llanfyllin, Morda and Wrexham, will support the rockers when they take to the eisteddfod stage for the closing night of the event celebrating Welsh culture in July.

The date with the Quo is the latest highlight in the career of Pobl Y Bryn's guitarist Matt Deighton, who has played with Paul Weller, Oasis and Dr John to name just a few legendary music acts.

Mr Deighton, 46, moved to Llanfyllin with his wife Cler Fach a year ago and said he was delighted the new band had been added to the eisteddfod performance list.

The couple are joined in the band by drummer Barrington Turner from Morda, guitarist Amos Cooper from Wrexham and bass player Chris Wright, also from Wrexham.

Mr Deighton said he was looking forward to being on the same bill as the Quo.

He said he had previously worked with Weller, who is good friends with Rick Parfitt of the legendary band.

He said: "We made an inquiry about whether the eisteddfod would be interested in having a Welsh language band like Pobl Y Bryn.

"We sent off our stuff and they came back and said they would want to have us."

Mr Deighton said the Llangollen gig was shaping up to be another memorable event in his long and illustrious music career.

Over the years he has played with and known some of the biggest names in music.

He said: "I have been professional since I was about 21 and was first in a band called The Wolfhounds and then formed a band called Mother Earth.

"We enjoyed success and did well. In fact I remember one of our backing singers at one stage was Kym Marsh who is now in Coronation Street and was in the band Hearsay.

"She was only about 18 at the time when she was with us and she was a really good singer.

"I then got involved with Paul Weller's band and was also doing my own stuff as a singer songwriter.

"I ended up in Oasis at one point when they were on tour after Noel Gallagher walked out on them.

"I knew Noel from when he used to come in to see the Paul Weller band rehearse in a studios in Shepherds Bush.

"He used to come in and just listen and even make the tea.

"I was called up to ask if I wanted to join Oasis on tour for about three months.

"I said yes and I thought it would be okay because I knew Noel as well as some of the other guys in Oasis and only found out afterwards that he had left and in fact I was replacing him on guitar.

"I didn't know any of the songs so pretty much learned them on the tour bus as we went but it was a great time and all the Oasis guys were great.

"I did the European tour with Oasis and remember we opened in Milan for the gig in front of a huge audience. We played some big old places during the tour."

Mr Deighton said he was looking forward to bringing Pobl Y Bryn's Welsh language music to the eisteddfod stage.

He said: "Cler is a Welsh speaker and does the song writing.

"It is important to celebrate the Welsh culture and promote the Welsh language and the eisteddfod is ideal for that."