Indeed. They'real so gloriously contradictory band; guitarist Paul Adams looks like a bear, but actually is the nicest man in the world. Onstage, he alternates between supplying guitar for some of the most melody-infused mad-pop imaginable, and indulging in various levels of sonic distruction, by beating the shit out of a roadsign and a meatl beer barrel with a claw hammer. Like I say, contradictions all round...

"We have almost two different sets," explains Paul, when the subject of the native tongue is broached. We did this festival in Bala (Gywl y Gwynaid) which was more Welsh-language content, so we have - by contract agreements, really - to go by that.

"They can get uptight if you sing in English. But (the Welsh language) is always something we've supported. Obviously, if you're in the heartland of Wales the crowd want to hear the Welsh tracks. And that's fine with us; it means we're not playing the same set over the period of a few months."

Melys are one of the most ferverently DIY bands anywhere. They release records on their own label, Sylem, and even construct all the sleeves themselves. "We're making our own furry covers fr the singles, "says Paul. "Sewing them all together ourselves. Luckily Andrea (Parker, vocals) is the only one of us who can sew straight." They also, ahem, borrow their more unconventional instruments.

"We have a mad group of friendds - our guitar tech's one of them - who acmes home with weird things like roadsigns. We liked the noise at first, and then people started asking for them when they weren't onstage. The industrial thing as well, Test Dept and that 80's stuff, we're into that..."

It's a strang contradiction, you've got the more melodic side of Melys onstage, alongside people battering roadsigns.

"Yeah... I suppose it's confidence; we've got the freedom to say `Fuck You` and have some fun."

And you will too.

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