Is Radiohead star heading to Merthyr to join the protest?

Apr 3 2008 by Claire Rees, Merthyr Express

ORGANISERS of an opencast protest gig thrown out of a pub after regulars complained are claiming Radiohead’s Thom Yorke may appear at the re-located event at a church hall in Merthyr Tydfil.

In last week’s Express, we reported Residents Against Ffos-y-Fran would have their voices heard at Ffos-y-Fran Unplugged, a free all-day rally this weekend five months after work started on the site.

Neil Parry, who runs The Great Escape pub in Georgetown, has vetoed this Saturday’s concert happening at his venue after he found out many of his customers worked there or supported the scheme.

But one of the organisers, Kelvin Mason, said it will be moved to St David’s Church and that they had managed to attract the support of one of rock music’s most famous environmentalists.

Mr Mason, who was unable to confirm they were in talks with the band’s management and said the contact was made through personal links, said: “Thom Yorke supports the protest against Ffos-y-Fran.”

He added Yorke had been invited to the church hall event on Saturday and said: “We are still unsure of whether he can make it, but he still might.”

Ammanford-based singer Tracey Curtis and singer/songwriter Kirsty McGee are confirmed for the 8pm gig, which will round off a protest march and public meeting this Saturday, April 5.

Organisers say the planned march at 2pm will still leave Twynyrodyn Nursery School, followed by a speech outside the Civic Centre at 3.15pm and a public meeting in St David’s Church Hall from 4pm.

The Ffos-y-Fran scheme has been condemned for operating within 36m of some homes as they extract a planned 10m tonnes of coal.

This Saturday’s rally is the latest move in the campaign, which has recently seen a High Court claim being lodged against Merthyr Council over the scheme. Campaigners want assurances a planning condition will be enforced so there will be no excavation at the site closer than 70 metres from homes.