Welsh punk icon donates objects to museum’s alternative music showcase

Nation.Cymru Staff

A Welsh music icon has donated a collection of memorabilia from his punk rock days to Amgueddfa Cymru.

Rhys Mwyn was bassist of the Welsh punk band Yr Anhrefn. The band made waves in the music scene in the 1980s and early 90s, performing their unique brand of Welsh music to audiences across the UK and Europe.

Among the items donated to the museum are Rhys Mwyn’s bass guitar, band t-shirt, and leather jacket. The leather jacket was referred to as the office by Mwyn as all the gig money from the band’s European tour was kept in the pocket. Vinyl records of the band’s albums, Defaid, Skateboards a Wellies, Bwrw. Cwrw and Dragons Revenge have also been donated to the museum.

Rhys Mwyn said:“By the early 80s it was obvious that there was a need for a new narrative within Welsh culture. People needed a space to create and shout out loud! This was the first time that Welsh speaking creatives rejected the Welsh language world as it was.

“I’m so happy that the Anhrefn archive has found a good home at St Fagans National Museum of History, allowing people in the future to study aspects of alternative Welsh culture during the late 20th century.”

Fflur Morse, Senior Curator of Cultural Life at Amgueddfa Cymru said: “Inspirational both musically and politically, Anhrefn are widely regarded as one of the most important Welsh-language bands.

“We’re delighted to receive these objects which will tell the story of a significant time in Wales’ music history.”

The donated objects will now be catalogued and digitised before being uploaded to Amgueddfa Cymru’s online database, Collections Online, in due course.