When I was 11 years old, I was out playing with my mate when his elder brother walked past with a box in his hand. I said, ‘Hey, what have you got there, mate?’ He showed me his cornet and I was in awe. I had so many questions. I went home and said to my gran, ‘I want to join a brass band.’ So that was it. I joined Oakdale, who had a junior band at the time. We youngsters were all about the same age, and a few of them were really good players. You learn on the job, really.
I joined the British Army when I was 21, so I’ve been away from Wales for most of my life. The army took me all over the world: Germany, Belfast, the Falkland Islands, Canada, Cypress, Oman, Iraq. I took a trumpet with me, which I picked up and had a bit of a blow occasionally.
After the army, I moved to Australia. When my kids started going to school, music was a big thing in schools out there. My youngest daughter joined a brass band, so I thought I might as well pick it up again. So I played in bands when I lived in Brisbane and Melbourne. I also joined the Australian army while I was there, and whenever they needed a bugler, I was the bugler for the unit.
Dave Griffiths, Lewis Merthyr Brass BandI’ve played the national anthem at the Principality Stadium. I’ve played the Last Post for mates in Afghanistan. That’s one end of the spectrum to the other.
I moved back to Wales in 2018, and that’s when I joined the Lewis Merthyr band. There’s a lovely community of people there. I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s my way of getting out of the house and getting away from work. Mentally, being in a band is good for you.
I now work part-time, driving trucks for a facilities company. We supply trailers for the TV and film industry, all over the country. I do three days a week. I can’t work a Wednesday because that’s my band night.
I wouldn’t say we’re the most youthful band, but we’re not all old-age pensioners yet. We’re aiming to start a junior section for up-and-coming players, where young people can come and learn. We’re one of the most active bands in the valley, and what I like most is sheer range of things we do, quite apart from the eisteddfods and competitions.
We played a gig for a community in Treherbert where there were young people beatboxing along to the music we were playing. It was really weird, really extreme - but really good. We’ve just done a gig in Aberdare as part of the 40th anniversary commemoration of the Miners’ Strike. It was a great community event and we learned so much about the strike.
We’re releasing an album of music by Welsh composer Mervyn Burtch. Soon we’re off to Bath Cathedral to perform Our Planet by another Welsh composer, Gareth Trott, which he composed in honour of David Attenborough. We’re also going to Ravensburg in Germany, which is twinned with Rhondda Cynon Taff, where we’ll be playing Lord of the Rings music.
I’ve never known so much diversity with any other band I’ve played in. That’s got a lot to do with our musical director, Craig Roberts. He’s got fingers in a lot of pies.
Brass bands have given me so much. I’ve seen so many things, and I’ve been to places I never thought I’d go. When I was living in Melbourne I joined a concert band and we did a proms night with [Australian jazz trumpeter] James Morrison. Wow! Chatting to a maestro like him, and playing on the same stage. I thought nothing would top that… until I got to play on the pitch at the Principality Stadium. That was a goosebumps moment: standing on the hallowed turf in front of a full stadium. When we played the national anthem on that patch of green, I had tears in my eyes.
Being ex-military, there have been sad times, too. The saddest were in Afghanistan. I lost a few mates there, and I’ve had to play the Last Post at ramp ceremonies. That’s when we say goodbye before we put them on the plane. That really is something else. So I’ve gone from one end of the spectrum to the other.
