Ian David Carslick Watkins, lead singer for lostprophets. Born July 30th, 1977 in Merthyr Tydfl in Wales.

Watkins grew up in the Welsh town of Pontypridd near Cardiff. With his attendance at Hawthorn High School, along with most other members of the band, he learnt how to play drums. His musical interest was in bands such as Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Megadeth.

He became good friends with Mike Lewis, “We were in the same year at school and we hung out all the way through”. Their mutual enjoyment of rock and metal music strengthened their
friendship, leading teenage Watkins and Lewis, in 1991, to form a group
called Aftermath; a thrash metal band that played in a shed in Watkins’s garden.

Whilst spending time in the local Ynysangharad Park - where 17 years later Lostprophets would headline the Full Ponty Festival - Watkins was introduced to future band mate Lee Gaze
through a mutual friend. Having abandoned Aftermath, which made two
live appearances in the band’s lifespan of two years, Watkins and Gaze
decided to form a new band called Fleshbind, based on their American
hardcore punk influences. The band played several shows, including one
supporting Feeder in London, but the group was short-lived.

Watkins reunited with current Lostprophets guitarist Mike Lewis, to be the drummer in a seminal hardcore band called Public Disturbance
(formed in 1995). By this time, Watkins and Gaze had left Fleshbind to
create their own band, Lozt Prophetz, who made their live debut in May
1997, alongside Public Disturbance, with Watkins as a vocalist for the
first time. In 1998, Watkins left Public Disturbance to concentrate on
the newly named, Lostprophets.


(source - wikipedia 10th Nov 07)