I’LL BE THERE.!!

So there I was noodling in the studio with our producer Tim 'Skinboy' Lewis, trying to mix this new live record of ours.

On one of our many extended tea breaks (I'm a Milk Chocolate Digestive man, Tim has always preferred a moist Garibaldi) Skin makes the rather vague enquiry, 'You like football and Cardiff City don't you'... Shocked at Skin's sudden interest in the 'the beautiful game' (he's never kicked a ball in his life, well, at least not those type ones) I almost lose half a biscuit to overzealous dunking, then after skilfully retrieving my precious wheat and cocoa based snack from the milky abyss, I counter why he should ask such a random question...'Well', says Tim, 'I'm involved with this record that's being put together by musicians/actors who follow 'the blue birds', that's what they're called, right?'...

At this point my tea is over the mixing desk and I'm on the floor, Skin said 'Bluebirds' and actually knew who and what they were, you wouldn't get that from Mutt Lange...Well, perhaps you would, but this is Skinboy, he don't do football...One thing's for sure though, he's got my attention, and so my involvement with 'I'll Be There' begins...

After a few emails with Owen (Catatonia) I get the full run down on what it's all about.  Owen and local actor Jonny Owen (Shameless, 'A Bit Of Tom Jones'), and who are all Cardiff City fans, have joined together with Guto Pryce (Super Furry Animals), Ryan Richards (Funeral For A Friend) to release a single to raise money for a statue of Cardiff City hero Fred Keenor to be placed outside the Cardiff City stadium.  Fan-bloody-tastic I say... I'll be There...  And I was....

Well, before you can say ‘Blue Army' I find myself in Monnow Valley studios (where we recorded Wazbones in 1991) standing in front of a microphone and being directed by Owen and Jonny and singing my Glam Rock lungs out for the Cardiff City cause.  I didn't even have time to learn the words......

Anyway, the end result was a totally rocking rendition of ‘I'll Be There' and yours truly has sung the backing vocals to give it that Glam-Tailz-Tastic icing on the top!  It really is a Rocking tune...

For those who don't know, Fred Keenor was a Cardiff City hero.  He was already a professional footballer playing for Cardiff City when he got called up to fight in World War 1.  He then got sent to the Somme where he fought and was injured to the point where it looked like he would never play football again.  Well, he not only managed to play again but got himself back to full fitness - to the point where he got signed as a professional footballer again for Cardiff City.  He then went on to Captain Cardiff and take us to the top of the football league - and then win the FA Cup in 1927 - a true hero!   I wonder how many of today's footballers would fancy a shift in Iraq or Afghanistan in the closed season....??  

Not only will the song raise money for the Fred Keenor statue but it will be played as the team run onto the pitch at the Cardiff City Stadium and I couldn't be more proud to have been part of it.  I certainly was there...

My sincere thanks to Owen and Jonny for letting me be involved..

JAY PEPPER

If you fancy hearing it, pre-order a copy now - click here...

Official press statement.

Combining the attitude of The Sex Pistols and the Celtic folk punk of The Pogues, The Stand are made up of four legendary musicians and actors all brought together by a great cause. Owen Powell was the guitarist and songwriter of Catatonia, one of the best-known bands of the 90's. Jonny was in the mod indie band The Pocket Devils but left to pursue a successful acting career that has seen him appear in some of television's most well known shows and the hit film 'A Bit Of Tom Jones'. Joining them on bass is Guto Pryce from the uber-cool Super Furry Animals one of the most influential and innovative bands of the last two decades. On drums we have Ryan Richards from million-selling band Funeral For A Friend. Ryan is currently on a sell-out European tour and took time out to record the song. Due to an extraordinary demand the band intend to do some select gigs this Christmas in London and their native Cardiff.