Welsh alt-rock act Lostprophets have, perhaps unsurprisingly, called it a day on the band, less than a year after lead singer Ian Watkins was charged with multiple sexual offences against children.
The sextet were formed in Pontypridd, Wales in 1997, and went on to become one of the most successful UK rock groups of the 2000’s, and a key part of the UK nu-metal scene, with a gold certified debut album, ‘thefakesoundofprogress’. They achieved platinum with their 2004 sophomore album, ‘Start Something’, which landed the group their first top 10 single, ‘Last Train Home’, and landed the no1 slot on the UK Albums chart with their third effort, ‘Liberation Transmission’ in 2006.
However their image was shattered late last year when, shortly after the release of their fifth album, ‘Weapons’, Watkins was faced with appalling accusations of sexual offences, including conspiracy to rape a one year old girl, distribution of child pornography and possession of, ‘extreme animal porn’. 23 charges in total have been brought against the musician.
Watkins has denied all charges, and will be tried on November 25th. The other members of the group purported to be in shock at the allegations their bandmate faced, and claimed to be, ‘learning about all the details of the investigation along with you’. It is not yet clear whether any of them will continue a musical career in other projects.
The band issued the following message on their official Facebook page:
‘After nearly a year of coming to terms with our heartache, we finally feel ready to announce publicly what we have thought privately for some time. We can no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets. Your love and support over the past 15 years has been tremendous, and we’ll be forever grateful for all you’ve given us. As we look forward to the next phase of our lives, we can only hope to be surrounded by people as devoted and inspiring as you guys have been.”
