We all know that Ian Watkins is a pig, and that he’s in jail for 35 to life, but Lostprophets members were interviewed and spoke up about Watkins. The skinny of it is that he confessed to attempted rape, conspiring rape of a child, possession of child pornography, animal pornography, and sexual assault of a child under 13.
Mike Lewis, rhythm guitarist for the band, has known Watkins since he was five. He also has a young daughter. “I’ve thought about it long and hard and, no, I have no interest in ever speaking to him again. I feel incredibly bad for his mother and his whole family and the stigma they have to endure now because of what he’s done. But I have no interest in questioning him about it. Never.” He also “tried reading the judge’s report,” and “couldn’t finish it. To think that somebody I grew up with, who I had been friends with my entire life, whose mother I knew, and how close our families were — to even imagine him… I find it utterly unbelievable that he was capable of doing those things.”
Lee Gaze, lead guitarist, lashed out a bit more and wasn’t quite as reserved. He was stark and honest and upfront. “For the first two months he was in prison [before guilty plea], I worried about how he was, knowing that he’s quite a weak character. He’s a bit of a coward, not a tough guy by any means. To be in prison, where he’s going to be the guy from the rock band with those charges, I was worried. But then I reached a point where real resentment set in.”
This is the first time the band members have spoken about the incident, but it’s not without some hesitation. Interestingly enough, Gaze said he, “spent the longest time trying to convince us that somebody was trying to get revenge on him. He’d created such a web of people, bouncing these women off each other, that it was perfectly feasible that one of these women hated him so much that she wanted to catch him out.”
It’s a sickening and terribly real horror story, and goes to show that even your idol is capable of these things. It seems as though everyone, as unfortunate the situation is, is thankful that Watkins was caught and justice was served, as much of it as possible at least.
