Mark Roberts (singer)
Encyclopedia
Mark Roberts sang and played the guitar
during his teenage
years in the local Welsh
band
, Y Cyrff
. He then met Cerys Matthews
and formed Catatonia
along with Paul Jones.
He claimed for a number of years that he had stumbled across Matthews busking
in Cardiff
and offered her a guitar string
she was missing, which led to them playing together, but actually they were in a long term relationship busking and co-habiting when they formed the band. The string story was a fabrication by the band's publicist
. Their split ended their songwriting
partnership, and subsequently Roberts was responsible for much of the band's lyrical
output.
In Catatonia, Roberts shared main songwriting duties with Matthews, whilst also playing guitar and providing backing vocals. After Catatonia split, he did a spell of record producing
, and together with Paul Jones formed Sherbet Antlers
(joined by John Griffiths and Kevs Ford of Llwybr Llaethog
).
Roberts and Jones now play in a band called Y Ffyrc
.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
during his teenage
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
years in the local Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Y Cyrff
Y Cyrff
Y Cyrff were a popular Welsh language indie band in the 1980s. They came from Llanrwst, Conwy, and their line-up included Mark Roberts , Barry Cawley , Paul Jones and Dylan Hughes . Dylan left to join Welsh punks Yr Anhrefn and Mark Kendall took Dylan's place...
. He then met Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
and formed Catatonia
Catatonia (band)
Catatonia were an alternative rock band from Wales who gained a national following in the United Kingdom in the mid to late 1990s. The band consisted of Cerys Matthews on vocals, Mark Roberts on guitar, Paul Jones on bass , Owen Powell on...
along with Paul Jones.
He claimed for a number of years that he had stumbled across Matthews busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and offered her a guitar string
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
she was missing, which led to them playing together, but actually they were in a long term relationship busking and co-habiting when they formed the band. The string story was a fabrication by the band's publicist
Publicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
. Their split ended their songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
partnership, and subsequently Roberts was responsible for much of the band's lyrical
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
output.
In Catatonia, Roberts shared main songwriting duties with Matthews, whilst also playing guitar and providing backing vocals. After Catatonia split, he did a spell of record producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and together with Paul Jones formed Sherbet Antlers
Sherbet Antlers
Sherbet Antlers was a Welsh rock band, formed by Mark Roberts and Paul Jones, former members of the band Catatonia, together with John Griffiths and Kevs Ford from the Welsh dance pioneer band Llwybr Llaethog....
(joined by John Griffiths and Kevs Ford of Llwybr Llaethog
Llwybr Llaethog
Llwybr Llaethog are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music....
).
Roberts and Jones now play in a band called Y Ffyrc
Y Ffyrc
Y Ffyrc are a Welsh pop group, comprising Mark Roberts and Paul Jones, who formerly played together in Y Cyrff, Catatonia and Sherbet Antlers....
.