Whole Podcast with Sean Smith is up on the channel or its also available on Spotify/Apple/ect just search UPRAWR PODCAST!

I've got a lot of time for Sean Smith. His interview with Stu Richardson (of LP) is both insightful and honest. It's a reminder that the destruction brought by Ian Watkins' actions are still likely to be felt many years down the line (amongst the child victims in particular).

An excellent piece of writing on the subject is contained within Ian Winwood's book 'Bodies - Life and Death in music'. Winwood was a friend of Watkins and the band and describes the decline in relationship that Watkins had with his band mates. He surmises that the indulgence of the once charismatic frontman into extreme drug use and dangerous behaviours was a typical dysfunction found within the music industry. However, Watkins was able to hide an even darker part of himself (as the court notes acknowledge) through an alienated and insular lifestyle away from his friends and public.

The rest of the band were literally left with nothing. Even the bands savings, it is alleged, were plundered and spent by Watkins without their knowledge. A fifteen year legacy of building a successful band from the very ground up was utterly destroyed, along with it came the outright betrayal of the innocence and future of a number of children (note: The ipcc document actually shows there were MORE children abused by Watkins than just contained within the thirteen charges against him. One father came to a police station to state that his 15 year Old daughter had been abused by Watkins, but the charges were dropped due to the police convincing the father that "it would ruin Watkins career").

As for still listening to the band....that should be an individual decision. But I feel it's grossly unfair to flush the hard work of the other band members away for the selfish actions of Watkins. Oh yeah....and listen to No Devotion.

Cancelled by association, through no fault of their own.

I remember stumbling across lostprophets never really got into them much but once I heard later on what Ian did I was thankful. He’s a horrible person. Deserves to be where he is.

Feel so sorry for the rest of the band - they didn't deserve this. Thanks for sharing this Sean. My first gig ever, when I was 13, was Blackout, KIGH, and Lost Prophets in Glasgow. Changed my life to this day.

I’m heartbroken because I’ve not listened to the music since and I can’t because of his voice. Those songs were some of my favourites ever and the sound track to a great time in my life. Upsets me. S’appenin Sean ❤

I dont believe the other members had any idea .

It would be good to see them make something new . I believe they will have good  support .

Lost profits.

I used to love that band but since the news broke I haven't listened to their music. I feel so bad for the rest of the band

Lostprophets were my soundtrack to my teens, and they helped open my eyes to Metal as a genre and I literally started to re listen to their album today and it makes me sad how bad Ian did, as a father myself it is sadly a dirty word now. It sucks because they were all such talented artists and were easily one of the cleanest band musically in Britain, rivalling the American metal bands at the time.

Side note, there is also an Ian Watkins in the British pop band "Steps" and when the news broke alot of people assumed it was him who was doing these sick crimes

It is sad! And I do feel sorry for the other members of the band. I know a guy who got caught for similar crimes, against a similar age kid, (it was his own 18 month old baby). His brother, lost his job because people came in to his place of work (repeatedly) harrasing him, and he was totally innocent,  also, the nonces best mate who he worked with (they was self employed plumbers) lost his work and livelihood. He kept being threatened and talked about, just because of his association with this nonce. It ruined so many lives, and it is horrible and sad. The nonce (and Ian Watkins) should get extra charges, just for ruining the lives of friends, work colleagues and family, on top on their original,  despicable sentence, to run consecutively after their original sentence. On release they should be re-arrested with further charges IMO.

What a visual… as someone that plays guitar, I’d kill to have a gold album on my wall with music that I helped in creating. But knowing because of one persons actions, those albums will be forever written off is pretty heavy. I really feel for the band, ‘last train home’ and  ‘rooftops’ were big songs here stateside

The blackout.  Best band I've ever seen play live. Kerrang relentless tour Cardiff uni. What a night.

I love their music, but I still feel guilty whenever I want to listen to their songs. But damn, they had such good songs and they were great live, too, it is still so devastating. I remember my mom was waiting with me to meet the band after a festival gig (because I was 14 back then) and I actually got to meet them. I took a photo with Ian and I was the happiest girl alive. Back then it was one of the greatest moments of my life, or so I believed. So dumb.

Well said Sean boy!!! 👏

For awhile there, in 2005 (when MySpace was the place to be), I was pretty good buds with Ilan Rubin. I assure anyone, and I can only speak on his behalf, he didn't know anything; dude is one of the most wholesome guys ever, and would have never put up with anything not-even-close to that level of depravity.

The hard thing is that he was the frontman. lostprophets would not be as dirty of a word if he filled any other position in that band.

Love Sean Smith he's a awesome guy! 🖤🖤🖤

I'm just happy that the rest of the band joined up with Geoff Rickley to form No Devotion, I hope they are successful, Thursday were a great band and Lostprophets "were" a great band up until that point, much love to the former band members apart from the obvious member ❤❤❤

Absolutely couldn’t stand the band, but as soon as the news broke on Watkins I felt sorry for the band.

And I fully believe none of them knew, I can’t imagine anyone in any band would let someone get away with shit like that.