ABSTRACT
For Welsh pop the 1970s was the decade of pavilion concerts, audiences numbering in their thousands, and a new sense of forward momentum. The 1970s saw the 'folk' idealism of the 1960s mature into a different kind of national sensibility, creating a palpable split between 'folk' and 'rock' oriented musics. This expanded sensibility allowed non-Welsh speakers to contribute to a unique commentary on contemporary Welsh life within the capital city. Welsh popular music focused on a particular group experience, trying to establish a common cultural referent, and with so much attention paid to the development of Welsh-speaking communities, one musician attempted to bring Welsh life out of Y Fro Gymraeg. The conscious effort at establishing a tradition may be interpreted as ringing false, as Anglo-American rock music in 1973 had already progressed far beyond its 'roots', having fostered Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Led Zeppelin, and reached the height of its 'progressive' phase.
