Lostprophets

Lostprophets were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The group was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike Chiplin on drums, Mike Lewis as rhythm guitarist, Stu Richardson on bass guitar and Jamie Oliver on turntables and keyboards. Chiplin left the band in 2005, and was replaced by Ilan Rubin between 2006 and 2009, and Luke Johnson thereafter. Lostprophets released five studio albums: The Fake Sound of Progress (2000), Start Something (2004), Liberation Transmission (2006), The Betrayed (2010), and Weapons (2012). They sold between 3.5 million - 4 million albums worldwide, achieving two top-ten singles on the UK singles chart ("Last Train Home" and "Rooftops"), a No. 1 single on both the UK Indie Singles and US Alternative Songs charts ("Last Train Home"), and several Kerrang! Awards and nominations. In December 2012, Watkins was charged with multiple child sexual offences. Lostprophets cancelled all tour dates and disbanded in October 2013, before the end of Watkins' trial. Watkins pleaded guilty to several charges in November 2013, and was sentenced in December to 29 years of imprisonment plus six years of extended supervision on licence. In June 2014, the remaining members joined American singer Geoff Rickly (then-formerly of Thursday) to form a new band, No Devotion. Watkins was killed in prison in October 2025.