BLING 2011

BLING! - Blaenavon’s Latest Heavy Metal band!

A central feature of “Elemental” is the creation of the Blaenavon Gamelan and Head for Arts is recruiting local talent to become part of “Bling!” - a performance group with a difference.

“Bling!” is a new Stomp-style “heavy metal” band making music from recycled industrial materials found in the area. It features weird and wonderful instruments such as the railway-track xylophone, scaffolding bells, spannerphones, sprocket glockenspiels and “steel pans” and singing bowls made from gas cylinders.

The collection of instruments takes its inspiration from the traditional gong, metallaphone and bell gamelans of Java and Bali, but the Blaenavon gamelan has a more quirky and modern character, reflecting and celebrating its Valleys industrial roots.