Here Be Dragons have supported many of the top names in World/folk music - The Young Dubliners (USA/Ireland), Carlos Nuñes (Spain), The Oysterband (England), Flook (Ireland) and Yo Yo Mundi (Italy). They have appeared on television in Wales, internationally on cable and enjoyed radio support across Europe as well as in Australia and the USA.
With their live show, you don’t so much introduce Here Be Dragons, as unleash them. They leap onto the stage. Mike Brooks, wild front man and lead singer also extremely accomplished on banjo, guitar, mandolin clad in a kilt bearing the Welsh national flag Will Morrison the drummer keeps the band firing on all cylinders, Stepan Pasicznyk (Formally of “The Ukrainians”) does magic on accordion, Cath Watkins sings and plays fiddle like the devil with such apparent ease, and Kyle Jones plays bass, guitar and vocals.
Here Be Dragons try to be true to their culture and heritage, not as a museum exhibit but in a way that’s a more honest reflection of what it means to be Welsh in the twenty-first century, whilst still respecting their Celtic roots. Using acoustic instruments like banjos, mandolins, fiddles and accordions alongside drums and electric bass in a way that’s far from most people’s idea of a Celtic folk-rock band; the emphasis is much more on the rock style of presentation. They sing in both Welsh and English and play mainly original songs but also include a couple of traditional ones like ‘Sosban Fach,’ and interpret them with all the power they deserve.
2) Dungeon synth from Iowa. https://herebedragonsds.bandcamp.com/
Senghenydd Explosion
Here Be Dragons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the year 1913
At the Lancaster pit Senghenydd
Hundreds worked the black seam
Harry Wedlock was starting his first day at work
A young lad just fourteen years old
He heard a sound from under the ground
And the blood in his body ran cold
A mighty explosion deep in the mine
Spat the pit-cage out into the air
Young Harry started to cry
Confused, frightened and scared
One of the miners stopped him from crying
Told him to be brave and be strong
He said be tonight it'll all be alright
He couldn't have been more wrong
Say four hundred and thirty nine prayers for the dead
Or there won't be enough to go round
For fathers and brothers and husbands and sons
Claimed by the cold dark ground
A terrible fire swept through the mine
Spreading fear and panic and death
If fire underground doesn't burn you
It may still steal your last breath
The desperate one the families and friends
Prayed their husbands and sons and dads weren't among
The four hundred and thirty nine dead
Say four hundred and thirty nine prayers for the dead
Or there won't be enough to go round
For fathers and brothers and husbands and sons
Claimed by the cold dark ground
Forty five died from Commercial Street
From High Street thirty five
Mrs Benjamin Priest lost her husband
She's had two sons, neither survived
Mrs Twinings' three were among the young men
Killed that day at the black seam
Sixty all told less than twenty years old
Eight of them only fourteen
Say four hundred and thirty nine prayers for the dead
Or there won't be enough to go round
For fathers and brothers and husbands and sons
Claimed by the cold dark ground
The song "The Senghenydd Explosion" by Here Be Dragons is a poignant tribute to one of the worst industrial disasters in Welsh history. The song narrates the tragic events that took place on October 14, 1913, when an explosion occurred in the Lancaster pit in Senghenydd. The song begins with the introduction of Harry Wedlock, a fourteen-year-old boy who was starting his first day at work in the mine. The lyrics vividly describe how the harrowing sound of the explosion emanated from deep within the mine, causing panic and chaos among the workers. The song captures the horror of the incident, emphasizing the dignified courage and solidarity of the miners, who tried to calm and comfort the young boy.
The song goes on to describe the aftermath of the explosion, which includes the desperate attempts of families and friends to find out if their loved ones were amongst the 439 dead. The lyrics list out the numbers of dead and highlight the pain and grief that engulfed the community. Additionally, the song draws attention to the tragedies that befell the families of the miners, particularly the women who lost their husbands and sons. The penultimate stanza reflects on the fact that so many young men lost their lives, some of them just fourteen, highlighting the tragedy of their untimely deaths.
Line by Line Meaning
On the fourteenth day of October
This is the date that the tragedy occurred, marking a somber anniversary.
In the year 1913
The year in which the accident occurred, a time when safety regulations were not yet prioritized.
At the Lancaster pit Senghenydd
The specific coal mine where the tragedy took place, which was located in Wales.
Hundreds worked the black seam
The large number of miners who were employed at the mine and how integral the mine was to the local economy.
Harry Wedlock was starting his first day at work
The personal story of how one young boy, Harry Wedlock, began his first day of work at the mine, which would become a tragic day he would never forget.
A young lad just fourteen years old
The age of Harry Wedlock, highlighting the fact that children were employed in coal mines during this time period.
He heard a sound from under the ground
The ominous foreshadowing of the tragedy that was about to occur, as Harry heard a noise from below the surface.
And the blood in his body ran cold
The feeling of fear and terror that Harry experienced as a result of the disturbance he heard.
A mighty explosion deep in the mine
The explosion that occurred, which was caused by a combination of methane gas and coal dust igniting.
Spat the pit-cage out into the air
The force of the explosion was so great that the elevator cage was flung into the air.
Young Harry started to cry
The emotional impact that the tragedy had on Harry and how it affected him personally.
Confused, frightened and scared
The traumatized state that many of the miners were in following the explosion.
One of the miners stopped him from crying
The caring response of a fellow miner who tried to console Harry during this difficult time.
Told him to be brave and be strong
The advice given to Harry to try to help him cope with the situation and move forward.
He said be tonight it'll all be alright
The words of comfort that were offered to Harry, which turned out to be false hope.
He couldn't have been more wrong
The devastating outcome of the event, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of miners.
Say four hundred and thirty nine prayers for the dead
The call to remember the lives lost in the tragedy and to pay tribute to their memory.
Or there won't be enough to go round
The urgency of remembering every individual who perished in the disaster and honoring their legacy.
For fathers and brothers and husbands and sons
The reminder that many families were impacted by this tragedy, losing loved ones who were breadwinners and vital members of their household.
Claimed by the cold dark ground
The somber imagery of how death came to those who perished in the mine explosion, literally claimed by the earth they worked in.
A terrible fire swept through the mine
The secondary disaster that occurred as a result of the explosion, a fire that caused even more damage and loss of life.
Spreading fear and panic and death
The widespread impact that the disaster had on the community, causing fear and panic and leading to a significant loss of life.
If fire underground doesn't burn you
The cruel irony of how death can come from multiple sources in a coal mine, with fire being another danger in addition to explosions and gas leaks.
It may still steal your last breath
The danger of working in a coal mine, where death can come suddenly and unexpectedly, taking away one's life in an instant.
The desperate one the families and friends
The emotional toll that the tragedy took on those closest to the victims, who desperately hoped that their loved ones had not been among the dead.
Prayed their husbands and sons and dads weren't among
The specific anxieties of the families who waited and hoped for news about their loved ones, unsure of whether or not they were still alive.
Forty five died from Commercial Street
The specificity of the tragedy, highlighting how many people from certain streets and neighborhoods were impacted by the disaster.
From High Street thirty five
Another reference to the location of those who perished, emphasizing just how devastating the disaster was for the community at large.
Mrs Benjamin Priest lost her husband
The individual stories of loss and grief that emerged in the aftermath of the disaster, as families were left to mourn the loss of loved ones.
She's had two sons, neither survived
The additional tragedy of a mother who not only lost her husband but also both of her sons in the disaster.
Mrs Twinings' three were among the young men
Another reference to the specific individuals who were lost in the disaster, putting a human face on the tragedy and showing how it impacted real people.
Killed that day at the black seam
The location of the disaster, further emphasizing the fact that it occurred in the coal mine where these individuals were employed.
Sixty all told less than twenty years old
The heartbreaking fact that many of those who were lost were young people, who had not yet had the chance to fully experience life and grow old.
Eight of them only fourteen
The callousness of a system that allowed children to be employed in dangerous coal mines, resulting in their untimely and tragic deaths.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MICHAEL BROOKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind