Situated north of the M4 sits Abertillery. Like many of the towns that thread along the Welsh valleys, this former mining town has seen better days. In its heyday in the mid-19th Century, the population of the town reached 40,000 as King Coal dominated the landscape across the South Wales fields. These days, the population is far less, with estimates around 10-11,000 if the 2011 census is to be believed.
Located in the centre of the town is Kenny’s Vinyl Vault. A treasure trove to any self-respecting rock or Metal fan, the shop is much more than a vinyl emporium where rare gems sit alongside the bargain £1 bins.
There is a vegan café which provides gloriously delicious cakes and coffees, a crystal worshipers’ haven, as well as plenty of witchy accessories. It is the brainchild of Lee ‘Kenny’ Kendrick, a well-respected musician who set the shop up a couple of years ago. Along with his partner Jo, the duo has become a staple of the local community with plenty of workshops to enhance skills, as well as volunteering opportunities for work experience and much more.
But what puts Kenny’s Vinyl Vault on the map worldwide is obvious upon arrival. The gable end of the property has just had its final coat of paint, and the mural in tribute to Kenny’s hero Ozzy Osbourne has been completed.
Already attracting attention across the entire globe, the mural is Kenny’s idea as a tribute, but, as he is at pains to stress during our conversation, it is a gift and part of the community.
An hour before 50 local people gather to walk the streets from the shop as part of the traditional Marie Lwyd celebrations (look it up if you do not know about this), I chat to Kenny in the front of the shop about the mural and the idea behind it.
“I suppose when he passed away,” Kenny says, “it was such a big thing, and I knew it was going to be a really sad day in our house because we all idolised Ozzy. I just thought, well, wouldn’t it be awesome just to put a tribute on the wall? There’s nothing there. It was just an idea in my head.
“And of course, the first hurdle I had to jump through was speaking to the landlord about it, and he agreed straight away, which shocked me. Then I had to do the local authority planning permission. That went through quicker than I thought it was going to do, so we paid for that, and I was done. Of course, before that, I put the idea out there for the community to see what they thought about it, and everyone was like, yeah, let’s do it. We all love Ozzy too”.
Kenny started to source the funds for the mural via a crowdfunding link on social media. Was the bulk of the money from locals or further afield?
“Mostly local, I would say,” Kenny tells me. “In fact, one of the local businesses on the same street we were on gave us 400 quid. “So, we raised that £1,100, which was to pay the artist, Paul. We did that in less than ten hours, which blew our minds, really.”
To be fair to Kenny, I think we were all amazed. So, there was never any doubt after that that the project would be successful. But it is a mad idea. I am sure Ozzy probably never visited the town. “Yeah, exactly,” says Kenny, “and we’ve had lots of people kick back against that. But my argument was, and still is, the fact that without Sabbath and Ozzy, I wouldn’t have gone down the path that I did, being a musician and being in three signed bands and playing with heroes of mine.
“And I certainly wouldn’t have a record shop. So without Ozzy, this place doesn’t exist. So that’s my argument for all of it, really, when people say, Oh, what’s he got to do with Aberystwyth? Nothing really. But this is a record shop, and he’s a music legend. So, there’s a link already. But it’s the personal story for me.”
Whilst most responses have been fantastically supportive, unsurprisingly, there has been some pushback. Kenny and Jo have been measured and respectful in their tolerant responses.
We discuss the way of the world and social media these days. There is always something to moan about. “I think there’s always going to be that element,” Kenny says. “But if you do look at the feedback that we’ve had, I would say a good 98% of it is positive. It’s a very, very small percentage of people who have grizzled and raised things.
“The no-entry sign has been a bit of a bone of contention with people. Some people are like, yeah, we need to move it. Other people are like, well, that’s going to be my council tax going up, so I don’t really want that happening. So, it’s a bit of a tricky one. You can’t please people constantly. You know, you try your best, but you just can’t.”
The mural has already gathered international coverage. “It’s had incredible interest already. Planet Rock have done a cover, and I think it’s been on loads of national media and everything. Yeah, but a few American websites have shared it, and Steelhouse shared it for us. It’s been really cool.”
Ultimately, Kenny is focused on the community with the shop and the mural, and whilst I can get lost for hours thumbing through the racks, the shop is not about Kenny or Heavy Metal.
“With the mural, yes, we just want it to be a stand-up piece of art,” Kenny says. “I had three people call me from Birmingham on Thursday. People who have obviously picked my number up from social media. They just call me saying, ‘We absolutely love your mural. Thanks so much.’
“I had two people ring me, one yesterday, and he’s like, on behalf of all the Welsh Aussie families, thank you so much for doing it. So, I think a lot of people are going to come just to get a picture with it.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there has been no response from the Osbourne estate or family. Kenny keeps hoping, as we discuss. “Obviously, I’ve tagged them in every social media post that we’ve done. I was hoping that with the coverage we’ve had, they might see it. Even if they just give us a like on Instagram, one of them, that will do.”
I’m sure that there will be at least one member of the Osbourne machine who will be aware of it. So, spread the word.
“The purpose of the mural is a community thing,” Kenny says. “It’s not owned by me. It’s owned by every single person. I made sure that Paul the artist put on there, paid for by the people of Abertillery and beyond? Because it’s not mine, it’s everyone’s.”
The mural is located at Kenny’s Vinyl Vault, 21 Church Street, Abertillery, a mere stone’s throw from the Steelhouse mountain top. You can find it at KennysVinylVault.com or on most social media channels.
