WREXHAM’S most unlikely global music superstars hit all the right notes when they entertained care home residents in the city as part of a festive treat.
Despite their unforeseen worldwide stardom, the Declan Swans proved their heart still very much lies in their home city when they entertained residents and staff at Pendine Park’s Hillbury Care Home.
The musical magic was part of the home’s celebration to mark the switching-on of its Christmas lights and decorations.
And with Father Christmas making an appearance too, it was a fabulously festive affair.
The band achieved international recognition after they featured on the hit Disney TV series Welcome to Wrexham which follows the fortunes of the city’s football club and the work of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The band’s song Always Sunny in Wrexham has become a popular anthem with the club’s supporters after it was featured in the show.
Rob McElhenney described the tune as “the song they’ll play at my funeral”, while Ryan Reynolds used Tik Tok to let his many millions of followers enjoy the song.
The band has been around for more than 20 years and features Mark Jones on guitar, alongside singer Michael Hett and Ben Jones on drums.
With drummer Ben unavailable for the care home gig, it was left to Mark and Michael to lead the residents and staff on a sing-along.
Hillbury manager Cindy Clutton said it was fantastic to see the Declan Swans entertain at the site, which has 63 residents.
She said: “One of the resident’s daughters got in contact and they agreed to come along.
“Many of the residents are Wrexham fans so they know the band and they know the song Always Sunny in Wrexham.
“It was excellent that the band came along, it is much appreciated.
“It helps us make this time of year extra special for everyone with Christmas approaching.
“And they have arranged to come back in January to do another performance for us, which is wonderful.”
Cindy gave special praise to the staff at the care home as the festive season gets closer.
She said: “Whatever the day of the year, they don’t flag.
“Every day is a working day for them whether that’s Christmas or the middle of summer and they put 100 per cent into their work.
“It is always a busy time as Christmas approaches and we have lots planned.
“We have got choirs coming, we’ve got the residents’ Christmas party, schoolchildren are coming in to do a performance, so there’s always something going on.
“On Christmas Day quite a few families come and spend the day with the residents and we encourage that as much as we can.”
During their gig at the care home, the band played three songs, including their hit Always Sunny in Wrexham, before helping Father Christmas turn on the festive lights display.
Guitarist Mark said the band was thrilled to be invited to play at the home.
He said life for the band had been taken to a whole new level after they became so widely known from appearing on the TV series.
The down-to-earth musicians said they were all about bringing enjoyment to as many people as they can, whether that was playing in a Wrexham care home or opening for rock legends Kings of Leon at their concerts at The Racecourse ground in May last year.
Mark said: “We like to help out people if we can and we’ve done a lot of community-based gigs like this, especially at Christmas.”
Singer Michael said: “We’ve always been very community-focused.
“I suppose we were just fortunate one of our songs was so widely shared, and it just went massive, it just spiralled from there.
“But we are still the same, still playing locally, and we’re always up for giving things to the community.”
The band has various gigs lined up in the next few months including playing at the Wrexham FC Fanzone on December 14 as the Reds take on Cambridge.
Michael said the impact of the Welcome to Wrexham TV series had been a huge boost to the city and he was pleased the band had played a part in that renewed optimism.
He said: “Wrexham is a happy place to live at the moment, which is great.
“If they can get City of Culture 2029 that will bring even more money in, so things are looking better.
“Everything that has happened for the band has been hugely enjoyable.
“We’ve played in Philadelphia. We do a little bit with a Canadian cancer charity called the Terry Fox Run and that saw us playing Trafalgar Square last year, it’s been unbelievable.
“We just used to mess about, nothing was serious, we’d forget the words, but now more people know us we’ve had to get a bit more professional now and practise properly.
“We also tend not to swear any more because we’re aware we have a very young following now.
“The amount of parents who sent us videos of their kids singing our song was unbelievable, so we’re more careful with the lyrics now.”
