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Betws-Y-Coed's Melys formed back during the latter skirmishes of the Britpop wars. Whereas some of their North Walean contemporaries were desperately trying to jump aboard that knackered bandwagon, sounding like desperate 7th rate Kinks-by-numbers, Paul and Andrea were on their own trip, following an unsettling and darker muse.

Their originality earned them deals with Ankstmusik, then Pinnacle, and the patronage of the late and very great John Peel.

The fact that their song, Chinese Whispers, was voted into the top spot of John Peel's Festive Fifty in 2001 is the most significant musical achievement of any North Walean band this millennium. It's the kind of achievement that deserves to be dressed up in that much hyperbole.

After their fine fourth album, Life's Too Short (titularly dedicated to John Peel) in 2005, they retreated back to their lives in Snowdonia, opening a couple of acclaimed bistros and concentrated on bringing up their children.

But they've been missed. I've certainly missed the tension between Andrea's crystalline voice and the compelling music that brooded underneath it.

I'm pretty psyched, then, that they have decided to reform for a couple of gigs.

The one most pertinent to us (unless you fancy a day-trip to Amsterdam, and why would anyone consider doing that??) happens on Wednesday 30th September at Hendre Hall, Tal Y Bont in Bangor.

I've had the pleasure of promoting Melys on a couple of occasions and can state as unarguable fact that if they're half as good live as they used to be, they're going to be well worth seeing.

The DJ on the night will be ropy, though. It'd be rude to steal their thunder, see.

Adam