First Among Equals

Originating in Aberystwyth, rockers FirstAmongEquals are now Cardiff-based. "We found an angst- and eyeliner-obsessed scene in the city in 2006," they say. "We remind people that it's okay to write fast, aggressive music that you can dance to, and that songs about drinking and fighting are infinitely preferable to the hormonal whining and indier-than-thou shoe-gazing that dominates the city's venues." The sound of the band themselves is best captured in their opinion by the University of Aberystwyth's own student magazine, Courier, who described them as, "like Guns N' Roses having a knife fight with the Ramones." Other comparisons have been made to Motorhead, The Clash, Black Flag and The Wildhearts, but their sound is essentially melodically-aware Detroit-influenced trash rock with punk inflections.